making it happen. and at genesys, we're proud to help them help you everyday. good morning. it is saturday, january 2nd. 7:00 on the dot as we take a live look outside. san francisco, koit tower in the distance on a rainy first morning, first saturday morning i should say of 2021.

thank you so much for starting your first weekend of the new year with us. i'm kira klapper. meteorologist rob mayeda is in for vianey with a look at our microclimate forecast. hey, rob, happy new year to you. >> likewise. socially distant of course. work from home weather center, busy this saturday morning as we see the light rain showers around the bay area right now. again, it's heavy drizzle or briefly some lighter showers. as we go to the santa cruz mountains, east bay hills, san francisco, a lot of cloud cover. this moisture, by the way, originates back to the north of hawaii so it's forced to climb over the hill tops of the bay area. that's good enough i think to keep showers ongoing even into the afternoon, especially around the peninsula and the higher hills. the rain totals aren't going to be that impressive. we won't fill up any rain

buckets or rain gauges but what's to come after today could bring a lot more rain with three storms on the way. a closer look at the timing on that in more significant rain to follow in our forecast coming up in a few minutes. >> all right. see you in about 15. thanks so much. we begin this newscast right now with breaking news out of monterey county. a 4.3 earthquake happened just about 15 minutes ago. this is in pinnacles national park just outside of soledad. if you're familiar with this area it's south of salinas. again, a magnitude 4.3 earthquake just about 20 minutes ago just outside of soledad and in monterey county. it appears that about ten minutes before that, so 30 minutes ago, there was another temblor just in that same area of pinnacles. we will continue to follow that breaking news as this newscast progresses. now, to a message on the

mansion of house speaker nancy pelosi. the sfpd is looking for the vandals who tagged her pacific heights home with graffiti faked blood and an animal's head. it demands that rents be canceled above the phrase we want everything. well, it looks like a pig's head sits at the base of the garage door in a pool of red paint. there's a crossed out reference to $2,000 relief checks. pelosi championed increasing the relief checks from $600 to $2,000 and publicly slammed senate leader mitch mcconnell for blocking them in the senate. some confused twitter users wondered why the vandals targeted pelosi. this political expert say tagging a politician's home crosses the line. >> there's understandable frustration out there and i think this kind of protest is an extension of that. i would caution people to see our leaders as reflections of us, you know? they are humans, they are

people. >> the vandalism echos what many people say have been saying for months they need financial help and speaker pelosi's office has not responded to requests for comments. firefighters rescued a man who drove his car over a south bay bridge and into a creek. it happened just before 1:30 this morning at the guadalupe creek river in san jose's willow glen neighborhood. fire crews say he was traveling westbound before he crashed into the river. crews had to climb down a steep rocky terrain and extricate the trapped driver. >> 30, 30 feet or so into the creek, into the creek bed off the side of the road. >> fire officials said because the creek is not running the rescue was made easier because of the low levels. he was taken to the hospital

with nonlife threatening injuries. new year, same concerns. across california, the covid cases are rising. more than 47,000 cases were recorded yesterday alone. and 585 californians died in the 24-hour period. that's the most by far. this surge is showing no signs of slowing down. stay at home orders remain in effect. the sacramento area shutdown is set to end today but the governor's office says it likely will extend it. here in the bay area our stay at home order is still set to expire january 8th this coming friday. but that also likely become extended as well. southern california and the san joaquin valley are still shut down as well. across the country it's the same scenario. a record number of americans remain in the hospital. and there is troubling news that the new variant is spreading quickly. this as hospitals brace for a

post holiday rise in patients. "today in the bay's" cheryl hurd reports. >> my husband and i had had dinner together and then did a zoom celebration with some friends. >> reporter: friends and family avoiding big gatherings is what medical personnel was hoping for on this holiday. now that those two events are over, doctors and nurses are bracing themselves for another surge. >> unfortunately the full effects of the christmas and the new year's holiday won't be known until at least two weeks from now. because that's how long it takes for people to become sick. >> reporter: in the case of santa clara county there's very little room to deal with an uptick in covid cases. only 26 beds county wide are available. and there's another concern. the variant strain that experts say is very contagious is showing up in southern california. >> we are having patients faster than we discharge them. in this battle we are so outnumbered.

>> reporter: doctors are battling three cases there. one in san diego county. a region short on beds. the next two weeks are crucial because doctors don't know how people celebrated during christmas and new year's. >> we got to watch a movie and go to our grandma's house. >> we have some elderly people in our family who might not be around next year so we asked them, do you guys want to be us with? it's totally up to you and they said heck yeah. >> reporter: experts hope the gatherings were small and they say that january is going to be very difficult for hospitals. they're hoping for the best. cheryl hurd, nbc bay area news. there will be pop-up testing sites next week for people in santa clara county who think they have been exposed to the virus. the testing sites will be opened this coming week in campbell and palo alto. you can make your appointment at

scc free test.org. happening today, the u.s. army corps of engineers is stepping in to help california hospitals push to the brink. as we have been reporting in southern california, some hospitals are having trouble providing oxygen for the critically ill. beginning today, engineering teams will be deployed to six los angeles area hospitals to help upgrade their outdated oxygen delivery systems. earlier this week, an nbc news analysis showed operation warp speed is at a crawl. and that at this rate, adequately vaccinating americans will take ten years at the current pace. president trump acknowledging the slow rollout on twitter saying, some states are very slow to inoculate recipients despite large-scale distribution of the vaccines by the federal government. they will get it done. more than 335,000 doses have been administered throughout our

state, but at the beginning of the week the state had delivered more than 1.7 million doses to local health departments. so the good news is there is still a lot of vaccine to be distributed, just not yet. just shy of 7:09. we have much more ahead on "today in the bay." a renewed plea on the new year's day. the action taken by oscar grant's family, 12 years after he was shot on a b.a.r.t. platform. plus a new rule for some businesses in the bay area. we'll tell you what area is now off limits to an employee in an effort to slow the spread of covid.

welcome back. it's 7:11 on your saturday morning. wow, so foggy as we wake up on this first saturday of 2021. this is walnut creek. probably can't tell that.

rob mayeda will be here with your microclimate forecast. oscar grant was shot and killed by b.a.r.t. police 12 years ago yesterday. his family used his anniversary to make another public plea in the hopes that another officer involved will face charges. the former officer who pulled the trigger spent time behind bars for the killing but anthony pirone who is seen holding grant down with his knee was never charged. >> with his hands on oscar's face, you can hear in the video, oscar saying i can't breathe. >> we will find him. we will put him in jail and we will make sure he doesn't hold another job in this country. >> b.a.r.t.'s board of directors announced yesterday it does support a felony murder charge against pirone. we did reach out to the district

attorney but we haven't heard back. coming up an iconic bar in san francisco now facing an uncertain future like so many. the help twin peaks needs from the public. we're waking up to some light rain and fog around the bay area. we'll have some storm ranger with the highs on that, plus more substantial rain ahead in our seven-day forecast.

welcome back. we continue to follow breaking news out of monterey county, where there is a 4.3 earthquake just after 6:40 this morning. this happened in pinnacles national park. this is a little bit east of soledad, south of salinas. right before that 4.3 quake there was a 3.3 2 quake and a 2.5 quake. so we are following a slew of

earthquakes around pinnacles national park which is the remains of an ancient volcanic field. we'll continue to follow that temblor in monterey county as our newscast progresses. santa clara health officials are issuing a new directive to all businesses. the county is now requiring businesses to shut down workplace kitchens and break rooms. employees can still access break rooms to use coffeemakers, refrigerators or microwaves, but employees cannot sit nor gather in those break rooms. health officials say break rooms have proven to be one of the most common causes of workplace covid-19 transmission. health care facilities are exempt from that rule. now, to one of the oldest gay bars in san francisco's castro district. it could be forced to close for good. it's a story we have heard so many times throughout this pandemic. twin peaks has been in business

for the last 48 years. the owners tell us being forced to close because of the stay at home order is putting the bar in danger of shutting down completely so they started a gofundme page to pay rent and other operating costs. so we all weren't supposed to celebrate new year's together this year but this is something we can celebrate. the first baby born in 2021. jack became the first bay area new year's baby. when he arrived at 12:06 a.m. san francisco's benoff hospital celebrated and they had balloons on hand. the new parents laslo and laura are thrilled. we're thrilled for them. that's a framer. i wish i had a photo that good from either of my deliveries. time now to check in with meteorologist rob mayeda for a look at your microclimate forecast. did you stay up until midnight with your twin boys?

>> oh, no. we just couldn't make it. >> yeah. >> too tired for that you know -- >> we did the 4:00 p.m. new years ringing in in london, so that our boys could enjoy some sparkling apple juice. >> that's true. yeah, you see that video from australia, sydney, the harbor bridge there. many different time zones. and now this morning, the weather is a little interesting out there. we got some fog in a few spots. you did see the view around walnut creek and concord and less than two miles which explains the view you'll see now from our walnut creek camera. 48 degrees. heavy drizzle or mist, sometimes referred to as hair spray rain. it's enough to make the ground damp. that's kind of the light rain we are seeing around parts of bay area this morning. 48 degrees and in san jose, currently 51. we have cloud cover which is

good news in terms of bringing in the rain which we obviously need and we think air quality today will be moderate for another day. but as the storms start to get a bit more strong as we head through the seven-day forecast i think air quality should be good across the region for most of next week. storm ranger atop san bernardino mountain you can see the light rain and near san francisco. but we have that technically not a storm system that is moving through the bay area but a lot of moisture being thrown across the hills and inland and coastal mountain ranges. and the atmospheric river that goes back to hawaii that's enough to drive some light rain showers. so you notice today's highs, mostly cloudy skies. i think we'll have to deal with the light rain or patchy fog at least through midday. look at the hour by hour futurecasts by the afternoon and this evening, a little less green would be the optimist view. i think sunday will be trending

briefly drier. so even though we have the light rain this is not a big rain event as you see over the next 12 to 24 hours. not much, generally less than 0.5 inch of rain. monday, now your monday storm estimate looks like a storm you'd expect to find in january. as you can see, a lot of the bay area that you see in orange could be anywhere from a half inch to an inch of rain. i think the north bay hills might specifically see rain totals of one to two inches and this is is part of an active stretch of weather for wednesday and potentially another, a third lining up on friday. so three storms that will bring us that punch with the added atmospheric river boost that could get the rainfall totals going especially monday, wednesday and friday. so for the weekend, mainly just some light rain. cloudy skies today. i think more of that light rain will probably shift to the north coast on sunday and then the wind and the rain pick up monday

morning. should be a pretty messy monday morning commute there. every two to three days now the storms keep rolling on in, and to be honest, we had a dry fall, dry start to winter but now as which start the new year looks like we're trying to make up for the rainfall and the snow packed deficits. something we'll look at coming up in the next half hour. kira, back to you. >> kind of a nice symbolism of washing away 2020. we'll take it. still ahead, the iconic sign is gone. it comes hours after a last ditch effort to save the restaurant failed. stay tuned.

it is the end of an era for a san francisco institution. the cliff house restaurant officially closed this week. a small crowd gathered to watch as workers unbottled and removed the historic sign letter by letter from the top of the

building. "today in the bay's" jonathan bloom spoke with a few long time san franciscoers who came out to bid it farewell. >> reporter: the cliff house is older than anyone alive. sure it's burned down a few times but it always got rebuilt. where the public could enjoy a breathtaking view of the ocean. until now. nearly every san franciscan has a cliff house memory. >> amazing history. amazing views. amazing, everything you want. >> reporter: jonathan alloy got married here. >> we come back for anniversaries and for the birth of our children. >> i remember drinking there as a young man. >> the popover rolls were so good and look at the view. >> reporter: and a destination for visitors. >> people came back from all over the world here. oh, i met my partner 20 years ago, 40 years ago. 50 years ago. can you do the same menu?

the chef would do the same menu and the same price. >> but today, all visitors would get is a tearful thank you from the chef. >> thank you. >> reporter: a small crowd gathered in the street to watch the unthinkable. the seemingly immortal cliff house sign taken off the roof and carted away. >> it's a heart break. >> i think it's awful. >> reporter: the restaurant's 20-year lease ended in 2018. since then, negotiations for a new lease with the national park service have been on the rocks. >> this is a sad case, you know? that they have taken everything from the tax -- we're the taxes, we pay for this. >> reporter: the park service said it offered a short lease, 3 1/2 years and the restaurant says last minute changes to the offer made it unfeasible. >> i hope it gets a rebirth.

>> reporter: fortunately, rebirth is san francisco's specialty. >> don't forget our city's symbol is the phoenix and we will rise from the ashes like we have many times. ♪ >> reporter: in san francisco, jonathan bloom, nbc bay area news. >> we love you, cliff house! >> we do have much more ahead for you on "today in the bay." coming up, a rare rebuke of president trump. which veto the senate overrode for first time in trump's presidency. plus, searching for ways to speed things up. the new debate about how many doses of the covid vaccine people actually need. (soft music) hey dad, i'm about to leave. don't forget your hat . good morning. how can i help?

i need help connecting with my students. behind every last minute save, ok, that works. and holiday surprise, thank you! a customer service rep is working unseen, making it happen. and at genesys, we're proud to help them help you everyday.

good morning. it is saturday, january 2nd. a live look outside in san francisco. some wet pavement out there. we saw some rain as we woke up

in the early hours of this morning. a symbolic washing away of 2020 perhaps. let's start our first saturday of the new year. thank you so much for starting it with us. i'm kira klapper. meteorologist rob mayeda is in for vianey with a look at our microclimate forecast. hey, rob. >> hey, there. we have the clouds and the fog and sort of the outer fringe of an atmospheric pattern bringing us the light rain at times around the bay area this morning. we have the storm ranger up around san bernardino mountains and you see the lighter green corresponding to mainly light rain or heavy drizzle at times you see it from the san francisco and the coast and the santa cruz mountains. you can see a lot of cloud cover moving over the region today. so even though the main storm is off to the north as the moisture is forced to rise up over the hill tops it will drive the brief light rains. highs in the upper 50s. probably less rain as we get into the evening hours tonight.

you can see the totals for now are relatively low. much of the seven-day forecast we'll be focusing on how much of this heavy rain falls in the next five to seven days. you see the purple and red on that map indicates some areas had two to four inches of rain by the end of next weekend. we'll show you the timing for when the heavy rain arrives in the next forecast in 15 minutes. >> thanks so much. we are continuing to follow breaking news out of monterey county where there was a 4.3 earthquake this morning. it hit at 6:42. it was centered just about pinnacles national park, that's east of soledad and south of salinas. this is an ancient volcanic field. there have been two aftershocks since then, a 2.5, 2.6 around 7:00 a.m. it happened near one of the more

active sections of the san andreas fault. again, a 4.3 quake just east of soledad, south of salinas at 6:42 this morning with two aftershocks around clock a.m. now to the message on the mansion on house speaker nancy pelosi and the sfpd is looking for the vandals who tagged her pacific heights home with graffiti, fake flood and an animal's head. the spray painted message on the garage door demands rents be canceled above the phrase, we want everything. it looks like a pig's head sits at the base of the garage door in a pool of red paint. but there's a crossed out reference to $2,000 relief checks. pelosi championed increasing relief checks from $600 to $2,000 and publicly slammed senate leader mitch mcconnell for blocking them in the senate. some twitter users wondered why

taggers targeted pelosi. this politician say it crosses the line. >> there's understandable frustration out there and i think this is an extension of that. i would try to caution people to see our leaders as reflections of us, you know? they are humans, they are people. >> the vandalism echoes what many peaceful protesters have been saying for months that they need financial help from the government during the shutdowns. speaker pelosi's office has not responded to our request for comment. an early morning rescue of a man who drove his car off of a bay area bridge and plunged into water. it happened just before 1:30 this morning at the guadalupe river. he was driving in san jose's willow glen neighborhood near minnesota avenue. you can see that rocky terrain. they're investigating why he drove off and over into the water. crews had to climb down that

steep and rocky embankment and had to extricate the trapped driver. >> we estimated 30, 30 feet or so into the creek. and into the creek bed off the side of the road. >> fire officials tell us that something worked in their favor. the rescue was made a bit easier because the creek is not running right now. we're told that man was taken to the hospital with nonlife threatening injuries. back to our continuing covid-19 coverage. it's a new year but the same concerns remain. across california, cases of covid-19 are rising at a rapid pace. there were more than 47,000 cases yesterday alone. 585 people died within the 24-hour period. that's the most by far this year. so far, the surge has been showing no signs of slowing down. stay at home orders remain in effect. the sacramento area shutdown is

set to end tonight, but gavin newsom's office says they'll likely extend it. and the january 8th shutdown will likely be extended. southern california and san joaquin valley are still shut down as well. it's a ris to get more americans protected. medical workers are working together to speed up the vaccination process. president trump said some states are slow to inoculate recipients. they will get it done. as of this past wednesday, more than 335,000 doses had been administered throughout our state. at the beginning of the week, the state had delivered more than 1.7 million doses to local health departments. the good nice more vaccines are there but not distributed yet. numbers like that have some

doctors call for scrapping the current strategy of giving each person two doses so they can give more people the first dose. "today in the bay's" thom jensen explain. >> reporter: when it comes to getting millions of vaccines in the arms of people across the nation, it will take a streamlined approach. one that focuses on avoiding bottle necks in the distribution system. possibly giving shots to large groups of people at once. instead of scheduling individual appointments. >> we have to have the on the ground teams ready to be able to put the vaccines into the arms of as many people as possible. and that challenge remains whether we go for a one or a two dose strategy. >> reporter: a new debate, should the second dose of the vaccine waiting in the sub-zero freezers be given to those who received the first dose? or go into the arms of others instead, so twice as many people can get that first protective

dose. studies show the pfizer's vaccine rate of effectiveness drops from over 90% to just over 50% with just one dose. but when you're trying to stop the spread of the contagious disease in large populations, that could be enough to stem deadly surges that are filling up hospitals. >> it does appear that if you look at the data and extrapolate that the first dose does appear to be very effective. >> reporter: dr. anthony fauci who will be chief medical adviser to the president in three weeks told governor newsom earlier this week he believes the distribution of the vaccines will speed up in coming weeks. >> as we get into january, the feeling is that we're going to gain momentum to be able to catch up. >> reporter: if that happens, fauci and dr. bibbins domingo are both optimistic about the future. >> fortunately there will be resources and there's the issue of how do we prioritize because

we don't have enough vaccine for everybody right now. >> reporter: thom jensen, nbc bay area news. >> dr. bibbins domingo says until 80% of all of us are vaccinated, we'll have to continue wearing masks. continue social distancing and sanitizing and reducing unnecessary interactions with people outside of our homes. now, to a live look at washington, d.c., where congress overrides a rare veto by president trump. the president vetoed the military spending bill, but in a special new year's day session yesterday the senate overrode that by an 81-13 vote. the president vetoed the annual national defense authorization act because it allows bases honoring confederate figures to be renamed about does not reform liability protections for social media companies. also, senators rejected a vote on the house bill that would have increased covid relief payments from $600 to $2,000.

>> a huge chunk would essentially be socialism for rich people. >> this is it. the last chance for the 116th congress to pass $2,000 checks and to say to regular americans, help is on the way. >> current congress is set to expire tomorrow and it's up to the upcoming 117th congress. at 7:38 on a saturday morning still to come on "today in the bay," the warriors play their first regular season home game in more than nine months. we'll take you to the center next in sports.

welcome back. going into last night eetion home opener the warriors had won two in a row. they were looking good, could they make it three in a row against the portland trail blazers? steph curry and the warriors were keeping it close as he throws up this shot for the score and the foul for two of

his team-high 26 points. the warriors down by 15 in the second half and oakland native damian lillard drained the three-point jumper for his game high 38 points. steph curry hits that circus shot at the foul but portland had way too much for the warriors, winning 123-98. the same two teams meet again at chase center tomorrow. and we're watching a little bit of rain here to start off this first weekend of 2021. and more substantial rain in the seven-day forecast. when you can expect it to arrive when we come right back.

and welcome back at 7:43 on this saturday morning. yes, we've got a little bit of light rain outside. seeing some here just outside our work from home weather center here in danville.

generally light rain here now and the storm on monday will pack a bigger pun. first in a series of three storms we'll be watch in the seven-day forecast. we have misty skies. 48 degrees under the cloud cover in san francisco. you're seeing some of the fog and the light rain around walnut creek this morning, down to 47 degrees. then to san jose, 51. mostly cloudy skies and a little bit of light rain at times. temperatures overall a bit warmer thanks to the added cloud cover and the light rain that we're seeing. air quality for today, moderate. probably similar for sunday then as the rain starts to make an impact. i think good air quality is headed our way starting monday. storm ranger doppler radar, across the san bernardino mountain, the light green that you see. heavy drizzle to light rain that goes away for most of the area, but the rain rates pick up across the hill tops as the cloud cover is forced to climb

on up. this is the outer fringe of the atmospheric river collection and way up north across the northwest, this will keep the brief light showers going and i think at times into the afternoon. the highs near 60 in san jose. san francisco, 58 degrees and 60 in oakland. as we go hour by hour, i think between now and sunset is probably when we'll begin to see most of these light rain showers tapering of a little bit later today into tonight. sunday as the rain band tries to move a bit farther off to the north. so totals are enough to wet the pavement. as you just saw over my shoulder, but for most locations it is enough to measure anywhere from about 100th of an inch of rain to 500th. not a big event compared to monday. take out the storm totals here, right in time for monday morning you see how the futurecast lights up in the different colors indicating heavy

downpours possible. most of the bay area with that storm seeing half an inch of rain, followed up by another storm on wednesday and then a third storm on friday. those three tapping into the atmospheric river connection which will give us the pretty significant ten-day totals for the north bay mountains, santa cruz mountains and the colors would indicate two to four inches of rain spread out over the span of ten days. check out sierras, we could see three feet or higher which is good news. as of today it's 52% sort short of average. so around the bay area you have the clouds. light rain at times for your saturday. more significant rain followed up on monday, wednesday and friday of next week. stormy start to the new year. kira, back to you. >> looks good. you know we need it so we'll take it. rob, thanks so much. still ahead on "today in the

bay," 2020 may not have been a year many people want to remember, but it's without a doubt a year we will never forget. we take a look back at the stories that defined the bay area and changed the world, next.

we pause now to take a look back at 2020. a global pandemic forced us to stay apart. a killing on camera set into motion a new fight for justice

and record wildfires shown a light on the changing climate and yet we found ways to lift each other up. "today in the bay's" joe orosato jr. has more. >> reporter: it's customary to ring in the new year with fireworks and cheer. but few had any idea the real fireworks were yet to come. in a january that now seems like another lifetime -- >> president trump and the president -- >> reporter: headlines were dominated with president trump's impeachment hearings. ♪ the san francisco 49ers clawed their way into super bowl liv only to lose to the kansas city chiefs. we were thinking about the upcoming summer olympics in tokyo. a sporting spectacle known for bringing people together under the flag of competition. we were soaking in the promise of a new year, a clean start. but as we went about our lives heading to jobs, gathering with

family and friends a story about an emerging virus in a place called wuhan, china, began to make its way from the back pages of newspapers to the front. >> unprecedented morning in the coronavirus crisis. >> a plan under way to get the coronavirus patients off the grand princess. >> we have never seen this before. something we'll get through together. >> reporter: the covid-19 virus spread around the world slowly, then quickly, making its way to the u.s. >> there's a lot of concern and a lot of questions. >> reporter: the unthinkable came across the country and the bay area. cities began to close up, ordering people to stay home to stop the spread. >> the order stay at home for three weeks. >> police departments are stepping up patrols. >> reporter: schools, businesses, churches, emptied as hospitals filled. >> as we cope with the new reality of social distancing. >> reporter: we lined up at grocery stores to find empty shelves of paper products. windows disappeared behind

boards. life and learning increasingly zoomed into the virtual world. >> i can't see the kid. >> reporter: we learned new terms, social distancing, bending the curve, herd immunity and the newest fashion accessory, a mask. >> i never thought it would be an essential thing to do. >> reporter: amid the heart break and hardship we saw people rising up. pitching in to make masks, hand sanitizer, electricians delivering groceries. >> feels good to help people. >> reporter: a drive-by birthday parties and graduations. with the virus spreading the number of sick rose and the number of deaths crept into the thousands. but it was a single death that would change the country. on may 25, in minneapolis, minnesota, george floyd died after a police officer used his

knee to restrain him for 8:46. >> his death energized a movement. >> reporter: it was a soul searching over racial injustice and police brutality. statues toppled and calls to defund the police went on. demonstrators united behind three words -- >> black lives matter. >> reporter: but the flames of outrage weren't the only ones fanned. lightning strikes created a ring of fire around the bay area leaving a path of devastation in the wake. >> just to see it, everyone has lost their home. >> reporter: the glass fire erupted in napa and sonoma destroying 1,600 buildings and 300 homes. >> too much to bear. >> i already thought the apocalypse is here now. >> that orange dirty smoke that's blanketing -- >> reporter: blazes so smoky we woke up to the burning sky.

>> no matter where you look in the bay area, orange, other worldly haze. >> reporter: soon the bay area and the nation headed to the polls. >> make sure. >> reporter: more often to the local ballot box in an unprecedented election. >> good evening. >> reporter: we watched as east bay's kamala harris became the first black woman to be nominated vice president and in an election that drew record numbers of voters. >> norm it will not be. >> reporter: we learned to navigate the covid times. restaurants built kiosks, dining went outdoors. and the students learned behind the masks. and then the weeks after thanksgiving exploded with new hospitalizations with the virus and the nationwide pandemic death toll passed 300,000. as hospital icus threatened to burst at the seams, hope

arrived. amid december the first sleeves were rolled up as vaccinations rolled out. >> it offers peace of mind in terms of safety for my family. >> reporter: it was a glimmer of hope, offering a reason to believe that 2020 could end with a promise of better things ahead. a year few will be sorry to see go, but no one will ever forget. with hopes for a better new year, joe rosato jr., nbc bay area news. >> makes you oddly proud to look back on that and think, hey, we survived that. we can get through anything. 7:55. still ahead on "today in the bay" -- if you adopted new shopping habits during the pandemic you're not alone. we look at few items that became so popular last year and it's not toilet paper and clorox wipes.

(soft music) hey dad, i'm about to leave. don't forget your hat . good morning. how can i help? i need help connecting with my students. behind every last minute save, ok, that works. and holiday surprise, thank you! a customer service rep is working unseen, making it happen. and at genesys, we're proud to help them help you everyday. was no "rose parade" in los

angeles -- it was the first-ever virtual rose parade. for the first time in 75 years there was no rose parade in los angeles.

it was the first-ever virtual rose parade yesterday. there were social distance performances, hoda kotb and al roker hosted from a studio. there were chances for the marching bands to get their time in the spotlight led by kermit the frog. and people's grocery lists changed. impossible burgers saw the biggest surge in 2020. more people tried new recipes than a year before. of course because they were stuck at home. oatmeal jumped more than 200% and the sour dough starters, sales of yeast jumped 98%. and fireworks and parties, we still found a small group of people who went on the new year's day polar plunge. a dip in the ice cold pacific at ocean beach. good for them.

thank you so much for making rob and me a part of your morning. we'll have more local news for you tonight at 5:00, 6:00, and 11:00. i'll be right back here tomorrow morning. .

narrator: when you see this symbol you know you're watching television that is educational and informational. the more you know on nbc. dylan: hi, everybody. i'm dylan dreyer, and this is "earthy odyssey". today, we'll explore the exciting and unusual wildlife that calls east asia home, like the limb-swinging snub-nosed monkey, whose unique feature knows no bounds. then we'll hop over to taiwan, where the local frogs have an unusual way to get around. plus, we'll discover a species of monkey that has the tools that gives them an upper hand when it's time to eat. [music]