ahead. good saturday morning. it is 7:00. here is a live look outside looking at the bay bridge from the embarcadero in san francisco. isn't that serene? absolutely beautiful. good morning, thank you for joining us. i'm marianne favro in for. >> you mentioned we're going to

see some wind today. >> we have wind. that's going to start to develop tonight into sunday. we've been seeing a warmer temperature trend these past couple of days. so much so we did manage to break a couple of daily record highs. look at how beautiful san francisco looks. our current temperature throughout the bay area, 49 degrees in san jose, 50 degrees in palo alto. your temperature trend is going to range from the upper 50s along the coast to low and mid-50s for inland areas. the story right now people are wondering about any chance of rain. it is a dry cold front. we're not really going to be getting rain from the system, at least not for us. the rain is tracking more towards the central coast of california. as far as our impact goes, it will primarily be the winds and the cooldown here in the bay area. so much so that there is a wind advisory that will take effect starting tomorrow through monday morning for the north bay mountains. i'll go over the possible impacts and what you can expect

in 15 minutes. this morning, we begin with a third confirmed coronavirus case in. it has health officials changing the way they're prepping for a possible outbreak. this is different from the two previous cases. the patient has not traveled or come in contact with an infected person. we've been told the woman has chronic health conditions and was hospitalized for a respiratory illness. her doctor requested a coronavirus test. health officials say the new case shows there is evidence of community transmission. they say with this third case it's time to change course when it comes to coronavirus. >> this case does signal to us that it's now time to shift how we respond to the novel coronavirus. the public health measures that we've taken so far, isolation, quarantine, contact tracing and travel restrictions have helped to slow the spread of disease, and we will continue to

implement them. >> the woman is in isolation this morning. the county says all of its acute care hospitals are equipped with isolation rooms. health officials say the best way to protect yourself is to practice basic hygiene including washing your hands and not touching your face. hours after oregon received the cdc's new test kit, health officials confirmed the stays's first presumptive coronavirus case. they say it's also likely a community transmitted case just like the one confirmed in santa clara county. here's a look at the latest numbers across the u.s. the cdc is reporting 66 case is nationwide as of this hour. the rise in cases is causing stocks to fall. wall street experienced its worst week since the financial crisis in 2008. you can see in this animation the dow plummeted 12% this week, 3,500 points. the largest weekly point loss ever, and as the coronavirus spreads, there could be more financial fallout.

>> this means loss of volume, what it means for consumers is your products might not be on the shelf. what it means for the community is people aren't going to work. >> the fed is promising it will act appropriately to support the economy during an outbreak. the coronavirus is forcing bay area businesses and schools into difficult decisions about how they should proceed in the face of a growing outbreak. "today in the bay's jean elle takes a closer look. >> thousands of people planning to attend the game developers conference in march are asking about refounds frpt organi, the postponing the conference. businesses and schools need to prepare to adjust to a developing situation. >> schools should plan for absenteeism and explore options for learning at home and enhanced cleaning of surfaces. businesses, wherever possible, can replace in-person meetings

with video or telephone conferences. >> reporter: palo alto unified school district informed its community it removed two students from schools because their parents may have been exposed to coronavirus. one of those students go tothe smart decision. >> i think that's cautious move to do. i'm glad they made this decision quickly, otherwise we'll p even more concerned. >> the other student goes to jls middle school. the superintendent says the students won't be allowed back in class until the district has more information. at this point vivian wong says she does not plan to keep her son home from school, but her family will not be going out this weekend. >> we will try to avoid going to places that are too crowded like restaurants, things like that. >> reporter: as the virus spreads, some medical professionals are telling patients who have been in areas with high numbers of infections to postpone appointments for at least two weeks, and airlines are canceling flights into

impacted regions. jean elle nbc bay area are changing by the hour, so we've created the coronavirus crisis center to make sure you have the information you need. the demand for masks is surging as more cases pop up across the u.s. and around the world. 3m is ramping up production of its m 95 respirators. employees at this plant in south dakota are now working seven days a week to make those masks. an interesting note, the cdc still isn't recommending healthy people wear masks. instead the agency suggests only people who are sick with any kind of respiratory virus wear them. that's because there is a global shortage of masks, so the cdc says those masks should be saved for health care workers taking care of sick patients. so when should you see a doctor? here's what health officials are suggesting. see a doctor if you have cold and flu symptoms like wheezing,

runny nose, cough, sore throat, and fever. if you've traveled to any of the coronavirus hot spots overseas or if you've been in contact with someone who has. have a question about the coronavirus? we want to hear from you. leave a comment on our facebook page and send us a tweet or dm us on instagram, and we will work to find you an answer. we do have progress on one front in the fight against the virus. coronavirus testing kits have arrived at a richmond lab, and the lab is one of several across the state that's already been processing test results. the state will now distribute the kits to local health departments so they too can process tests as well. california has about 1,200 kits right now. the fda will also soon allow private labs to create more. >> silicon valley is stepping up to help track down a cure for the coronavirus. newark based adam bio is making computer created copies of the

virus. it can then send those digital ag to other bio tech companies for them to study. >> they build virtual models first in a computer and identify different properties of the coronavirus or bits and pieces of it, and then we take that information and convert that into physical entities. >> adam says the big benefit to this is the ability to study the virus safely. this is a story we've been covering for weeks if not months, an entire section of our website is dedicated to the coronavirus. one of the stories up right now how fear of the outbreak has hit some local asian businesses hard. many reporting a huge drop in business. you can read more at nbcbayarea.com. turning now to a major peace treaty this morning. the united states and the taliban have signed an agreement aimed at ending the 18-year war in afghanistan, america's longest. under the agreement the u.s. will begin withdrawing troops in exchange for taliban commitments to prevent afghanistan from being a launch pad for terrorist

attacks. if those commitments are met, all american troops would leave in 14 months. much more ahead on "today in the bay" caught on camera at san jose international, the critical move the pilot made keeping everyone on board safe. super tuesday is just three days away. who will be the leader of the pack in california? the new poll just released. this burger's delicious! let's make it more delicious!

♪ menutaur put an extra patty on that! bam! woah! uh-uhhh! my $4.99 triple bonus jack combo! stack it up for an extra buck. steyer: wall street banks took of millions of americans during the recession. so, my wife kat and i took action. we started a non-profit community bank with a simple theory- give people a fair deal and real economic power. invest in the community. in businesses owned by women and people of color. in affordable housing. the difference between words and actions matters. that's a lesson politicians in washington could use right now. i'm tom steyer, and i approve this message.

check out my triple bonus jack! check it out with an extra patty! yeah! oh hey man, uhh... for an extra buck.p all runways at san jose international airport are back open after a pilot was forced to make an emergency landing on friday. check this out. the pilot lowered the plane slowly and headed for the foam which was already sprayed on the runway by firefighters. the plane slid on its belly after its landing gear malfunctioned. the pilot circled the airport for 90 minutes burning off fuel before the daring and successful emergency landing. >> obviously a lot of

nervousness for his passengers and his wellbeing. >> the pilot and three passengers arrived from idaho. everyone walked away unharmed. credit to the pilot. there is much more ahead on "today in the bay." coming up, preparing for super tuesday. what a new poll shows about the presidential race here in california. and we will be seeing a cooldown in our forecast, but we're also going to see gusty winds. who's expected to see the biggest impact from this system passing through? i'll have answers to that coming up. stay with us.

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or struck a power pose with them? now is the perfect time to feel like this... and this... and definitely that. kids enjoy the magic for just $67 per child per day, with a 3-day 1-park per day ticket. the race for the democratic presidential nomination has shifted to the south. joe biden and bernie sanders made their last pitches to voters in south carolina last night. those voters could either bolst bolster sanders status as a front runner or take some wind out of his sails. nbc's jay gray has the latest from columbia, south carolina. >> reporter: on the eve of the

primary. >> south carolina gets to reset this race. >> reporter: a final push for votes in the palmetto state. >> i think you're going to make me the next president of the united states. >> reporter: most analysts say joe biden must win this after poor showings in iowa and new hampshire and a second place finish in nevada. >> biden looks like the guy who can win south carolina, which we have been saying since last year. we've always sort of thought of it as somewhat of a firewall. >> reporter: the latest poll shows the former vice president with a 20-point lead, but undecided voters like mary beth barry could change those numbers. >> i mean, a really big dilemma about what i'm going to do. >> reporter: a dilemma she took to joe biden. >> where is the fire? you see bernie, you see elizabeth warren. you see that fire. that's what i'm looking for. what is your fire? >> decency and honor and restoring this country.

>> while the man they want to replace. >> if south carolina is trump country, let me hear you scream. >> reporter: held a rally in charleston just hours ahead of the polls opening. >> this november we are going to take back the house. we are going to hold the senate, and we are going to keep the white house. >> reporter: both sides looking to light a fire heading into the weekend and super tuesday. jay gray, nbc news, columbia, south carolina. >> new numbers show bernie sanders has a solid lead ahead of california's primary. uc berkeley poll released yesterday showed 34% of voters backed sanders. elizabeth warren is in a distant second with 17%. mike bloomberg and pete buttigieg are close behind with 12 and 11% respectively. joe biden is polling even

further behind with 8% of voter support. still undecided? on our website we have a complete voter guide. just go to nbcbayarea.com/electionguide. now let's check in with vianey arana with a look at your weekend forecast and those winds. >> yeah, it's been such a dry february that, you know, this could turn into critical fire concerns because it's so dry out there and the winds are expected to kick up that we definitely need the rain. so let's get right into it. i've got a lot to get to through this morning as you head out the door. the first thing you'll notice is going to be this beautiful view of the golden gate bridge. we do have some areas of cloud cover, but overall we're doing okay when it comes to the skies looking beautiful. 53 in oakland, 41 in santa rosa. that has dry cold front passes through, we're not getting any rain from it. we're going to get a cooldown in those temperatures. the winds are going to kick up. i want to show you a look at satellite radar. who is going to see the rain if not us? we're going to get some rain tracking north of us in

portland, seattle area. also just to the east of us near the sierra as well into tomorrow. sierra snow could be at about 3 now feet heading into sunday, and also down near the los angeles area they've got some approaching rain. no rain for us, though. any area or chance of rain is going to stay primarily near the monterey county area for the central coast. we will, though, get the winds kicking up. but let's talk about the forecasted highs for today. they will be significantly cooler, especially compared to such a warm week that we've had throughout the bay area. 65 degrees in san jose. 66 in morgan hill for the south bay, and through the east bay, 64 degrees in walnut creek. some of the warmer spots will be in areas like danville and concord, in the upper 70s around the peninsula, 59 degrees for san mat te'o. san francisco will remain in the upper 50s. through the north, mid-60s for novato at 65 degrees. lets get right to those wrinds because they have a wind

advisory. wind advisory will kick in at about 9:00 a.m. tomorrow. for the north bay mountains, the east bay hills and the interior valleys, expect to see the strongest gusts, possible 45-plus miles per hour. around the coastline 35-plus miles per hour. impacts could be downed trees and possible power outages. that's expected to end about 9:00 a.m. on monday but could be extended. how gusty is it going to be and why could this be a concern for critical fire weather? as you know we have not had much rain in february. because of the gusty winds, that's a big area for concern. we're going to start to notice the breezy conditions tonight. here's your time bar if you pay attention to that. clear lake 26 miles per hour winds, look at concord, 20 miles per hour gusts, and up to the livermore area as well. then it gets really gusty right around 2:00 a.m. overnight sunday into monday, look at 38 miles per hour gusts, 41 miles per hour winds up through napa, concord, the livermore area down through san

jose. 30 plus. we're going to be monitoring that very closely. it remains pretty gusty through about 9:00 a.m. as far as the rain goes as we head into monday and tuesday, that dry weather pattern continues. any system passing nearby as that high pressure begins to dominate, what's going to happen is we're going to dry out, and then we're going to warm right back up heading into tuesday and wednesday. so tuesday a high of about 76 for inland areas. we're going to warm up by ten degrees, not just for inland areas but also for san francisco. i'll have another look in about ten minutes. still ahead on "today in the b bay." it began as a way to hone his skills but became something much more. how playing piano for an assisted living home is helping this east bay teen as well. it's the latest story in our bay area proud series. ♪ the wait is over. try my new tiny tacos. 15 for 3 bucks or loaded for 4 bucks. delivered exclusively with uber eats.

officially hitting the us.virus 15 for 3 bucks or loaded for 4 bucks. man: the markets are plunging for a second straight day. vo: health experts warn the us is underprepared. managing a crisis is what mike bloomberg does. in the aftermath of 9-11, he steadied and rebuilt america's largest city. oversaw emergency response to natural disasters. upgraded hospital preparedness to manage health crises. and he's funding cutting edge research to contain epidemics. tested. ready. mike: i'm mike bloomberg and i approve this message. ♪ the wait is over. try my new tiny tacos. 15 for 3 bucks or loaded for 4 bucks. delivered exclusively with uber eats. he's a young piano prodigy from alameda, but he doesn't just play for anyone. he actually chooses to play for

a very special group. residents at a senior facility. "today in the bay's" garvin thomas has more on this talented 12-year-old in this morning's bay area proud. >> christopher nguyen's mother told me when her son was just 5 years old without any musical training, he started calling out the music notes that were coming from the car stereo. christopher's parents soon discovered he had a special talent and wanted to share it in a special way. >> reporter: it is 5:30 on a friday evening at the water's edge lodge in alameda. dinner is just wrapping up at the assisted living facility, and residents are making their way to the lounge for a big treat. well, maybe big is not the right word. but to hear christopher nguyen play is undoubtedly a treat. >> he's a genius on the piano. he's like a mini motzart.

>> he shreds. >> reporter: christopher began shredding at the lodge six years ago, that's when his mom and dad came up with the idea of having him share it for free. >> i just want him to give back to the community and make some people happy. and so we found this place, and everyone here loves him. >> reporter: love him they do. christopher's playing always brings smiles and occasionally tears to the residents' faces. he comes with no set play list, just draws from the hundreds of classical tunes he knows by heart to play what he thinks will touch their hearts. >> i just decide what to play next based on their mood. i look at their expressions. i enjoy making people happy. i enjoy putting a smile on people's faces. >> reporter: but it turns out, it's not just the audience

getting something out of this. christopher admits to being a little awkward whether it comes to talking to other people, but communicating with his music, that's easy. >> i like playing here. it's very comfortable for me to play piano, the pieces i'm really familiar with in public. however, at school it's hard for me to present in front of the class. >> piano is the way for him to express himself. >> reporter: and boy does he express himself beautifully. in our story we're only able to give you short clips of christopher playing, but i've gone ahead and posted an entire piece chopin's polanase on my facebook page. you can hear all of christopher in all of his glory. >> i lover h how he reads the

audience. that's awesome. coming up, we continue our coverage of a new coronavirus case in santa clara county. why it has health officials very concerned and how it's shifting the way counties are preparing for possible outbreaks.

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good morning, it is saturday at 7:28, and here's a live look outside from the embarcadero. you're looking at the bay bridge, beautiful serene picture this morning. good morning, thank you for joining us. i'm marianne favro in for keira clapper and vianey arana is here with your micro climate forecast. we sailed through february with dry conditions. >> we certainly need the rain, but it doesn't look like we're going to end february heading into march on a rainy note because we're not tracking any rain. we've got rain, but it's just passing around us. now, today's big impact is going to be the winds increasing later tonight, but also the cooldown that will be noticeable,

especially through the afternoon. right now as we head out the door, 49 degrees in san jose, oakland 53, 50 degrees in san francisco, and here's a look at satellite radar. as i mentioned, we're tracking a dry cold front. we've got that upper low that's going to drop down tomorrow. the majority of that rain stays to the central coast, and also if you're going to be traveling through the grapevine down to los angeles, check those travel conditions. l.a. is expecting rain and rain to the east of us which will bring some sierra show to the forecast. today our temperatures will be in the 50s. in through about 12:00, 1:00 we'll talk about that wind advisory that's going to kick in tomorrow. that's going to be tomorrow's big story. >> thanks for the heads-up. we begin with the third coronavirus case in santa clara county. it has health officials changing the way they're prepping for a possible outbreak. but this is different from the other two previous cases. the patient has not traveled or come in contact with an infected person. we have been told the woman has chronic health conditions and was hospitalized for a respiratory illness. her doctor requested a

coronavirus test. health officials say the new case shows there is evidence of community transmission. they say with this third case, it's time to change course when it comes to coronavirus. >> this case does signal to us that it's now time to shift how we respond to the novel coronavirus. the public health measures that we've taken so far,ion, quarantine, contact tracing, and travel restrictions have helped to slow the spread of disease, and we will continue to implement them. >> the woman remains in isolation this morning. the county says all of its acute care hospitals are equipped with isolation rooms. health officials say the best way to protect yourself is to practice basic hygiene including washing your hands and not touching your face. at the solano county department of public health, new cases have prompted a new stage of readiness for health care

workers. today in the byay's sergio quintana. >> reporter: jomada melgur thoroughly washing her hands with antibacterial solution every time she gets in the car. she has reason to be concerned about coronavirus or covid-19. >> it was 2016 so now i i understand. >> she and marta already have plenty of antibacterial gel wipes and even n95 masks but they're looking for more for other family members. >> i just come from home depot because they told me they probably have some. i've been five different home depots already. >> reporter: she drove to the ace hardware store. unfortunately they're also out. >> these were all filled up like four days ago. >> we sold out just yesterday. >> we had to start putting a limit on it because people were coming in trying to buy 10 and

12. >> ace hardware workers say customers are only allowed to buy two per person but they sold out anyway, and n95 masks are not the only items flying off the shell was. at the target store they're out of antibacterial hand sanitizer. the best defense for the public, stay away from sneezing or coughing people and constantly wash your hands. >> we've probably all seen medical shows on tv. wash your hands like a surgeon do, all over 20 seconds with soap and water will kill the virus. >> sergio quintana nbc bay area news. hours after oregon received the cdc's new test kits, health officials confirmed the first case. it is likely a community transmitted case like the one confirmed in santa clara county yesterday. here's a look at the latest numbers across the u.s. the cdc is reporting 66 cases

nationwide as of this hour. the rise in cases is causing stocks to fall. wall street experienced its worst week since the financial crisis in 2008. you can see in this animation the dow plummeted 12% this week. 3,500 points, the largest weekly point loss ever. and as coronavirus spreads, there could be more financial fallout. >> what this means for consumers is your products might not be on the shelf. what it means for the community is people aren't going to work. >> the fed is promising it will act appropriately to support the economy during an outbreak. have a question about the coronavirus? we want to hear from you. le leave a comment on our facebook page. send us a tweet or dm us on instagram, and we'll work to find you an answer. and silicon valley is stepping up to help track down a cure for the coronavirus. newark based adam bio is making

computer created copies of the virus. it can send parts of it to other bio tech companies to study. >> we build virtual models first in a computer and identify different properties of the coronavirus and bits and pieces of it, and then we take that information and convert it into physical entities. >> we build virtual models first in the computer. >> of course this is a story we'll be covering for weeks if not months. an entire section of our website is dedicated to the coronavirus. one of the stories up right now, how fear of the outbreak has hit some local asian businesses hard. many reporting a huge drop in business. you can read more at nbcbayarea.com. and still ahead on "today in the bay," giants baseball is back on nbc bay area. we'll show you how they did against the rockies down in the desert. sports is next. we choose to go to the moon in this decade

and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard. president kennedy knew settling for half-measures

wasn't good enough. so when candidates say we can't guarantee health care for all, make college affordable for all, combat climate change, or create a world at peace, remember that america is best when we strive to do big things, even when it's hard. i'm bernie sanders and i approve this message. spring training is now in full swing. the giants have a lot of action

with two games yesterday. last night's game against the rockies aired right here on nbc bay area. pretty tight game until the bottom of the sixth. elliott ramos hit his first home run in a giant's uniform. a two-run homer for the 20-year-old propelling the giants to a 9-6 victory. off to a great start. the giants also beat the royals earlier in the day. meanwhile, the a's took on the reds, but it wasn't a good afternoon for the green and gold. they lost to cincinnatiouch. well, there's much "today i danger in the bay. ships have been told to slow down to avoid hitting whales for year. we investigate why most ships don't. what's happening in our local waters coming up. the biggest news this weekend will be the cooler temperatures and the winds, but i also have a closer look at the latest drought monitor and where the sierra snow pack currently stands. i'll have details on that coming up. stay with us. r ♪

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good saturday morning, it's 7:39. i hope you enjoyed the past warm week because you're going to notice today's cooldown. we do have a beautiful view of the golden gate bridge. our current temperatures in the 40s and 50s, 46 degrees in livermore, 49 in san jose, and 50 degrees in san francisco. so what do we have going on in weather? well, satellite and radar certainly showcasing exactly what we are tracking not just here locally but also just to our north and our south. so we have a dry cold front passing through. we're going to get rain but primarily to the east of us, which is in the sierra mountains expecting a chance of snow for elevations at 3,000 feet. for tomorrow, down in the central coast as well, and down through southern california, and just north of us in portland, seattle, in through vancouver, but here in the bay area, we are not expected to really see rain out of this system. the biggest thing that you're going to notice from it is going to be the cooldown in temperatures as that main low drops tomorrow as well, and the wind, 65 degrees in san jose predicted high for today.

66 in morgan hill, certainly cooler temperatures compared to some of the areas. especially we beat a couple of daily record lows earlier this week. walnut creek 64. oakland 61. down into those 50s, 59 degrees in mission, and up through the north bay it's breezy at 23 miles per hour. those north winds are going to start to kick up heading into tonight and into tomorrow, which is why a wind advisory will be in effect starting tomorrow. the north bay mountains, the east bay hills and the interior valleys will see some of the gustiest conditions. along the coast 30 plus. impacts could be downed trees, possible power outages. secure any items that may fly in your backyard. we'll notice the winds pick up. that's what the yellow colors are for. those are the main impacts. what is the timing looking like when it comes to the winds? it will be breezy tonight.

we'll notice areas pick up in the north first, so the north we'll start to see some of the gustier winds, clear lake, napa, san jose, concord, livermore, look aer, it remains in effect that wind advisory through about 9:00 a.m. it's still expected to be windy for your commute on monday morning, which is going to be a concern. we have seen such a dry february that we're going to see the winds kick up. expect snow. check those travel conditions. we need the snow. our current sierra snow pack right now has been falling by the minute. 46% right now of state average. they also released the latest california drought. as of right now about 70% of california is abnormally dry putting about 20% of california at moderate drought, and we certainly need the rain, but unfortunately the dry weather is expected to continue as high pressure regains heading into monday and tuesday. and as that high pressure

rebuilds, it continues to keep us dry, but it also warms our temperatures up. so that's the impact of that high pressure heading into tuesday and wednesday. notice what happens to those temperatures, an increase of about ten degrees, and our best chance of rain long range outlook march 8th to about 12th. we've got a better chance of rain. it's a long-range outlook. we'll stay hopeful. >> still try. still ahead on "today in the bay, whales dying off the coast. we investigate what's killing them and why efforts to save them may have stalled. vo: don't fall for negative,

untrue attacks against mike bloomberg. bloomberg has been praised by president obama. obama: he's been a leader throughout the country for the past twelve years. mr. michael bloomberg is here. vo: mike worked with president

obama to combat gun violence and improve public education. as president, he'll work to combat inequality by launching a new initiative to spur african american and latino homeownership and small business growth. and he'll beat the divider in chief. bloomberg: i'm mike bloomberg and i approve this message. you know, the happiest place on earth, but... have you flown the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy? or channeled your inner jedi? you gotta love that... have you raced through radiator springs? or struck a power pose with them? now is the perfect time to feel like this... and this... and definitely that. kids enjoy the magic for just $67 per child per day, with a 3-day 1-park per day ticket.

some of the most majestic creatures on the planet are being killed off along our coast at rates not seen in more than a decade. we've learned potentially hundreds of endangered whales have died off california's shores over the past few years. a federal government is about to restart an effort to save those whales. senior investigative reporter bigad shaban has beien digging into that. >> reporter: this is the largest animal ever known to exist on earth. it's a blue whale, and there's something killing them off the california coast. >> there are a number of steps we could be making that we're not making right now. >> biologist john callem is

leading the effort to protect them. he and his team are using suction cups to attach cameras onto whales. they approach in tiny boats, and the work can be dangerous, especially when other whales surface unexpectedly. the aim is to track whale movements and save them from a deadly threat in the bay, one that's even more massive and powerful than they are. ships loaded with everything from food and drinks to spices and furniture. vessels off the california coast are hitting and killing whales at a rate not seen in more than a decade. these ship strikes, as they're called are blamed for 88 whale deaths in california since 2006. 239 whales were killed this all u.s. waters and about one in three of those whales was endangered. those deaths only cover what was reported. the federal government requires shipping companies to document

each time they hit a whale but recognizing a ship strike can sometimes be murky. >> the majority of whales that die sink and disappear and are never documented. and these ships that strike them are so large, the people on board the ship would be unaware they had even struck it. >> so the actual number of dead whales could be higher? >> easily the number of true deaths is underestimated to a point where you'd want to multiply by 10 or 20 to get closer to what is probably the true number. >> 20? >> yes. >> reporter: to protect whales the when vessels enter any of the area's three shipping lanes they're asked to slow down to 10 knots per hour from may to november. that's peak whale season in the bay, but scientists are pushing the federal government to triple the size of the slowdown area to save even more whales. >> if they add those areas outside of the lane, they will be covering 99% of the area where vessels overlap with whale

habitat. >> reporter: a biologist with point blue conservation, we joined his team as well as scientists from noaa on a very rocky expedition off the marin coast. >> you have that whale? >> reporter: to survey whale populations. >> right there you guys. this pod of humpbacks couldn't help but make a splash. >> this project through years of data looking at where the whales are and the conditions they thrive in has been able to identify those whale hot spots. >> reporter: that helped scientists create the voluntary slowdown of ten knots, but we've learned most vessels aren't following it. coast guard monitoring found ships broke the speed limit 54% of the time, and that lack of compliance has largely stayed the same for three years. of the 74 shipping companies that send vessel into the bay in

2018, only 23% followed the requested speed limit. >> nobody on the ship wants to hit a whale. >> reporter: johnberg is with the pacific merchant shipping association which represents companies that send vesseling in and out of the bay. >> if the shipping company says it cares about protecting whales, why doesn't its track record seem to reflect that? >> well, i think it has to do with the fact that, number one, it's a voluntary speed reduction. number two, that they're essentially asking them to accommodate that speed reduction within the confines of their scheduling and safety needs. >> reporter: plus, he says shipping companies, especially those based abroad may not have heard about the voluntary slowdown. >> how is it that four years after this policy went into effect there are shipping companies that claim they have no idea about these speed restrictions? >> there are shipping companies that probably haven't been into the port here in four years, and

so how do you reach those? it's difficult. >> something isn't working. >> reporter: maria brown is the superintendent with noaa and admits that nearly half a decade after her office started the slowdown program, they've failed to find a way to notify every incoming ship about it. >> we may be reaching the wrong person within the company, so we'll be working with the shipping industry to find out who the right people within these different companies? because they're all different. >> reporter: we first spoke to maria brown in 2016 when she warned that the voluntary slowdown could become mandatory with hefty fines if ships continue to speed through the bay. >> we would have to make it a requirement. >> reporter: remember, that was four years ago. >> today ships aren't slowing down most of the time. was that an empty threat? >> i wouldn't call it a threat. the sanctuaries can take regulatory action if we're finding that voluntary cooperation doesn't work. >> reporter: but that won't be

easy, under the trump administration noaa is focused on cutting regulations, not adding new ones. the white house didn't reply to our request for comment. >> really, it's not our decision. it's the administration's decision. >> so could that still be years away? >> it would be years away before a regulation would ever be in place. >> reporter: but certain whale populations may not have years to wait. take the blue whale, according to government estimates just three deaths a year in our region could push the already endangered whale towards extincti extinction. >> i don't think voluntary measures are going to create enough of a solution. >> reporter: he's calling for a mandatory speed limit, one that comes with real consequences for shipping companies that fail to slow down. >> so the federal government continuing to say essentially pretty please to the shipping industry you don't think is going to get us where we need to be. >> shipping companies are in competition with each other. the beauty of something like mandatory is that it creates a level playing field and makes all companies comply by the same

rules. >> the federal government is expecting to restart that voluntary slowdown this may. to find out exactly what types of whales have been killed off our coast over the past decade and how many, just log on the our website, nbcbayarea.com/investigations. and if you have a story for our investigative unit call 888-996-tips or visit our website nbcbayarea.com/investigations. get ready for some bus changes this weekend in san francisco. e uni is rerouting its buses because of the matrix filming. the delays will take place all around the financial district. you may have seen some of the filming around the city that included explosions, cars flipping, and low flying helicopters, and you may have even spotted keanu reeves, but you won't have to deal with the new routes much longer. filming is expected to wrap up by the end of the day tomorrow. much more ahead on "today in

the bay." coming up, it's our clear the shelters segment featuring our friends from pets and me. we'll introduce you to warrior, what a cutie next. this fish sandwich is amazing! let's make it more amazing! ♪ menutaur check it out with an extra filet! yeah! hey. ahhhh! my $4 fish sandwich combo! stack it up for an extra buck.

steyer: wall street banks took of millions of americans during the recession. so, my wife kat and i took action. we started a non-profit community bank with a simple theory- give people a fair deal and real economic power. invest in the community. in businesses owned by women and people of color. in affordable housing. the difference between words and actions matters. that's a lesson politicians in washington could use right now. i'm tom steyer, and i approve this message.

nothing beats my delicious fish sandwich! except another filet! yeah! wabam! i think you overshot that one. my $4 fish sandwich combo! stack it up for an extra buck. welcome back, it is time for clear the shelters segment with our friends from pets in need and development manager jacqueline stewart and veterinary clinic manager court martin are here with warrior. i think warrior's tired. >> yeah. >> he actually yawned just now. >> yes. >> tell us about warrior. you said he has some medical conditions? >> yeah, well, so he's about 4 months old, and when we rescued him, he had just been attacked by another animal, so he had some bite wounds that are now healing up very nicely, and he also had a fractured rib and fractured vertebrae, so he is

currently recovering fro adoption, but he is doing weeks. >> so given that, what kind of home would be good? you have to commit to vet appointments and helping him right? >> most of that will be taken care of before he becomes available for adoption. we expect he'll make a full recovery and live a pretty normal life. he still does well with other dogs ask he's small enough to be a good apartment dog. it's just a matter of getting him healed up before he's ready for his new family. once he is, it will be smooth sailing. >> he's adorable. so there is a big need for people to foster animals that might have medical conditions. tell us that. >> yeah, the more medical fosters we're able to get the more animals like warrior we're able to get. we're able to take him in and get the care he needed and recover in a nice home rather

than the shelter environment where they thrive more. the medical fostering can range from any situation where we have an obese cat we need to put on a diet and make sure they don't g respiratory that will resolve quicker in a home or any type of post surgery candidates or kids like him who had a little bit of a rough start and just need some relaxation, some extra love and just some activity restrictions. >> i mean, who wouldn't want to snuggle this little guy and nurse him back to health? he's absolutely adorable. thank you so much. we hope that we can find -- oh, yes. a rough start in life, you need a reset with a loving family. >> yes. >> thank you so much for joining us. we really appreciate it. and if you would like to find out more about pets in need, just go to their website petsinneed.org, and thank you so much for coming in. i want to hear the success story of this little guy. thanks so much for making us a part of your morning. we'll have more local news for

you tonight at 5:00, 6:00, and 11:00, and all day on nbcbayarea.com. have a terrific saturday. .

narrator: when you see this symbol you know you're watching television that is educational and informational. the more you know on nbc. dylan: welcome to "earth odyssey". i'm dylan dreyer, get ready to travel around the world. today, we discover the rugged beauty and wonder that make up the lost worlds of india. we'll head to the waterfalls. but don't look down because these are some of the biggest in the world. and later, if these aren't monkeys, then what are they? all of this and more coming up on "earth odyssey". [music]