l.a. has the population. next at 6:00, the stanford grad at the center of it all. plus -- >> please, please, please, if you are not vaccinated protect yourself. >> a new plea from the president amid a surge in covid-19 cases and the new mandate federal employees will have to start following today. will you need another shot? that new debate brewing this morning over the effectiveness of your vaccine. this is "today in the bay." we are live for you this morning on the airwaves as well as streaming at nbcbayarea.com. thank you for joining us on this thursday. i am in tokyo. a big day for team usa in the

pool and on the softball diamond. >> raj, a lot of people cheering for our olympic athletes out there. >> reporter: good morning to you back home. here's what we got. we are talking about the magical moments of the olympics. that's what we love, right? the gold should go to one man's wife and family back home for their love, support and tears after the race. take a look. >> i love you so much! i am so proud of you. >> love you, too. thank you, guys. >> i keep getting teary eyed just watching that, and that's his wife, megan, who is his childhood sweetheart and they just got married.

hearing that national anthem from whatever country you are interested in, especially here in the united states, something we can all share. this is a story for all the little league parents out there like me, all those practices and tournaments we take our kids to. here's the ultimate payoff. team usa softball wins the silver. a lot and coaches back home in the bay area. >> when i step on the field last night, i was, like, oh, my gosh, i was that little girl, blond at the time in the pleasanton league competing with all of my neighbors and all that. >> i can remember countless tournaments driving all across the bay area, you know, and just constantly practicing and getting stuck in traffic and trying to avoid all of it.

>> just so excited to put softball on the big stage and tell young girls it's a dream for them and it's possible. >> softball was so much fun to watch. gymnastics, now, simone biles watching the men's all around competition. let's pick it up with standard's brody malone. the malone. he came up he finished tenth in the ition. and simone biles did practice today which indicates she could compete in the individual events that happen in the next couple of days. finally now, we have been in tokyo for 12 days. i will put up this picture for you. what is it? i packed 12 pairs of socks, and i am out of socks. i can turn my socks inside out when we used to do as kids.

>> you can wash them in the sink? >> you did that? >> i absolutely can wash them in the socks. so send socks asap ore sink. you will be back.ey >> thanks,'s look at the medal count this morning. team usa has a big lead now with 37. china in second with 29. the roc bumped japan out of the top three with 26 medals. to the pandemic now. the u.s. averaging 57,000 new covid cases per day, up nearly 55% in the last week. health experts blame the surge on the fast-moving delta variant and the number of unvaccinated people. president biden expected to announce a big policy change today, and this is for all

federal workers requiring them to be vaccinated but the cdc's new mask guidance is causing thd outrage on capitol hill. today tracie potts live in washington and breaking it all down for us. talk to us about why everybody is so confused here? >> well, for one reason we are talking about two different things. do you get the vaccine and do you need to wear a mask whether or not you get the vaccine. the cdc now says yes in many cases. that is causing confusion because recently they said no. some saying they are sending out mixed messages now. they dropped the mask mandate several weeks ago after saying the vaccine was working and president biden now is expected to mandate the vaccine for federal workers, but as we have been reporting the cdc is recommending that in hot spot areas everyone where a mask whether or not you have been vaccinated. that's indoors. there are even reports this

morning that san francisco and berkeley may be considering mask mandates as we have seen in other areas of the east coast, s of confusion. the county florida declared a state of emergency. baseball was postponed last night. we may end up seeing this play out in court. the u.s. surgeon general is explaining why the cdc reversed course. >> if you are vaccinated the likelihood of having a breakthrough infection is still low, but in the unusual event a breakthrough infection can happen -- >> the white house and the military are requiring masks inside public buildings also on capitol hill which caused a fuss among republicans who say they

will not wear them and they think it's not necessary if they are vaccinated. some are taking the $500 fine instead of a back and forth between the minority leader, kevin mccarthy, and nancy pelosi. pelosi ended up calling him, quote, a moron. lots going on here on capitol hill and around the country as folks try and sort it all out. >> a lot of mixed words there. theit, we see people fully vaccinated are getting covid with the delta variant, so might be the best thing to mask up. thank you. 6:07 right now. new signs this morning that the pfizer vaccine may lose some of its effectiveness over time, this as the bay area covid cases continue to climb fast. >> bob redell, does this mean we should start planning for a booster shot if we got the pfizer vaccine? >> not clear yet, marcus and

laura. the pfizer ceo long said a booster shot will be needed but the fda, the federal government has said there's not enough evidence yet to indicate that third shot would be needed, necessary, so it's to be determined. in a new development a new stud during this same period, the pfizer vaccine is still 97% effective. the johnson & johnson vaccine received a longer shelf life. yesterday the fda extended the expiration dates on j&j doses by six weeks. it gives health care workers more time to give the shots before throwing them out. contra costa county seeing more

new infections. you think, wait, didn't contra costa county have high vaccination rates? that's true. well, the delta variant more transmissible, and you are going to have breakthroughs. you can take a look at your tv screen. right now there are 2,700 active covid-19 cases here in contra costaed at the beginning of the month. new health department data shows 19 through 30-year-olds make up most infections. >> do you know exactly where in the county and is it just the unvaccinated, mainly? >> correctly. we do know most of the cases are in the eastern part of contra costa county.

these are the areas with the lowest vaccination rates, as you eluded to. we are talking about diablo, antioch, oakley, pittsburg, crocket and brentwood. since mid june, hospitalizations of covid-19 patients throughout contra costa county have gone up nearly 50%. >> very concerning. >> marcus, laura? >> very concerning, indeed. bob, thank you. a new plan for hundreds of homes may soon help people trying to make it in the south bay. developers are hoping to break ground on a transit village near san jose's village's bart station. it includes 600 new homes and 850 total residences. a public hearing will be held next month to discuss that proposal. now to the drought, and as water restrictions continue to

grow, so does the worry of those residents. more than 60% say water supply is now a big problem in their region. a majority say the state should prioritize renewable energy sources like wind, solar and hydrogen. >> let's step outside and get a fresh breath of air on this thursday morning. can you make it out there, the golden date -- believe me, it's there. i guess it depends on where you are, and that's why we call it a microclimate weather. >> yeah, we were just talking about how low it is, and we are at a 20% capacity for parts of the south bay and reservoirs there. they are better in the east bay but not good on average. here's a look at the view as we are starting out on this

thursday morning. that's pretty nice. i just sent that out on facebook, and can you check that out as well, and maybe if you have the camera and you are away from the coastline, and you will be able to get a view. as we are stepping out the door in oakland, we have temperatures in the upper 50s and it's mostly cloudy and will gradually clear out with highs reaching into the mid-70s. mike, you have a traffic break in san mateo? i we pointed out during the last report there on highway 101, the rest of the view shows you nothing unexpected and you only find that here near 101 in san mateo. the traffic break is heading up into the area, and it has been there. the slowing has been there for about 15 minutes. it has not cleared yet. reports are the accident has cleared with no major injuries. you see folks slowing down

towards the edge of the screen tlaza. thank you. how you can protect your pho. >> i'll watch for that. we are getting new numbers on the economy, and looks like high prices will stick around. the futures this morning, there will be a pop on the dow. ready for slam dunk and the nba draft. a lot of warrior fans may be thinking about star, steph curry this morning, and we will explain why and how can you get in on tonight's fun. so much more ahead for you this morning as you are watching "today in the bay."

right now at 6:16, and a fe. it's going to be smoky today. we're going from the low 60s to 80s in the afternoon. we will have more on our microclimates and climate in crisis coming up. and then good speed, the headlights heading north into san mateo. the traffic break with the crash, there should be recovery and we'll check on that coming up.

moments ago the fed charged nickla, the company, showed it n a hill with no motor at all are true. the truck was not what it seemed. grand jury documents that were just unsealed accused them of making deceptive and false claims regarding nearly all aspects of the business. it might sound like an odd name for a company, and it was tesla's first name, and tesla, the company, has nothing to do with nicla. apple is strongly encouraging employees to get a vaccination but won't require it.

moments ago a food company in new york city made the announcement it would require all employees to be vaccinated to enter. we just got the numbers on the economy, increasing 6.4% on an annual basis. this would be an amazing number if the world were normal, but it's not. we are on the right path but moving slower than expected. if you think of one story this morning, how about this one. the number of americans in poverty is the lowest it has ever been. this is because of government spending. much is set to end at some point, and never before and perhaps never again has america seen a lower poverty rate ever.

that's an extraordinary accomplishment regardless of what you think of the politics. >> where we need to be. a simple way to protect your phone from hackers. a cyber security expert at the nsa urging people to restart their phones once a week. that's it. turn it off and turn it back on. hackers can invade phones and steal information, but experts say the simple reboot of turning it off and on can show. all of us waking up early rely on a cup of coffee to stay awake, and scientists say if you think this really works for you, it will be work for bees. they were right. according to the study by the university of greenwich, bees who consume caffein perform

their jobs more effectively than uncaffeinated bees. interesting there. a moose on the loose. >> the moose refused to leave on its own. look at all the people it took to carry it out. they believe it had been in that area for a being tranquilizeark lot there. >> in the mall! >> huge! >> signs say no loitering. he could not read. getting us moving along with the traffic this morning? >> absolutely. let's not take a look at the parking lots, although it feels like a parking lot. it's moving north 101 but slowing. there may have been a second crash there, and it did pop up

with a little different report details. speeds are improving northbound 101 up toward 92. you will find slowing if you leave now, and in a few minutes 101 should be clear heading to the south bay. 280 has not been a problem. getting over towards the east bay, typical drives for 87. we a build up here filling in minutes, pretty quickly. >> we are still going to see a beautiful sunrise. what is happening here, the long-wave radiation going through the sun and then being scattered again by the wildfire spoke and gives that orange appearance. it's the reason we have the orange skies. highs are reaching into the upper 60s. there will be some sunshine, and i know you can't see it in san francisco. for the inland areas, it's going to be hot reaching up to 102

degrees in brentwood. we still have a chance of monsoonal moisture. we might have cooling early next week as the high pressure moves away. temperatures in the mid to upper 90s the next few days in the inland areas, and it's slightly cooler next week. san francisco staying in the upper 60s. let's turn to our climate in crisis. in the past the wildfire season ran january through november, and now fire season can be year round, and we have seen wildfires scorch more than 440,000 acres across california. in the west, we have had over 1.5 million acres burn to date.

it's expected to be another historic season that could be even worse than >> as it gets warmer, it draws more moisture out of the soil andthe vegetation. moisture. it's not just the heat but demand for water. the atmosphere is impacting the fuels, and the fire behavior we are experiencing. >> you can watch more of my interview with him on nbcbayarea.com. slick on this story on the climate in crisis page. as cases rise, vaccine incentives are ramping up. here on "today in the bay," the city that plans to pay people to roll up their sleeves.

but first, raj, our digital correspondent is checking in with raj every day. he's talking about culture and just what setting up for his day looks like. you can watch that on nbcbayarea.com. ♪

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bass players has died. a lot of people are tweeting out tributes to hill including his bandmates along with ozzy osbourne. starting tomorrow anybody that gets a first dose in new york city will get paid $100. only 5% of the big apple fully vaccinated. this is the biggest day of the nba offseason. this is when lives can change in nba drafts. the warriors have the 7th and 14th overall picks. do we need to remind you, steph curry was the overall 7th pick. that worked out well for us. and top stories we are following for you today, including not just your i.d. but what else you need when you go

to grab a drink in san francisco. following the recommendation for anybody regardless of vaccination status inside, and two bay area communities could soon follow suit. we'll introduce you to those cities, coming up. you're watching "today in the bay." you know when you're at ross and all those brands have her like... yes! ...and all those prices have you like... yes! that's yes for less! you've got this school year, and we've got you with the best bargains ever at ross. get your yes for less at our new store in east san mateo.

right now at 6:30, mask mandate looming. top doctors in the bay area say it may be only a matter of time. a live report on the two bay

area mayors now taking note. order up if you plan to grab a drink in san francisco tonight, you probably need to serve up more than your i.d. later this half hour we are live with the big usa team stunners. and also the message simone biles is sharing this morning. this is "today in the bay." we begin your morning with breaking news. a powerful quake striking a remote region off the coast of alaska. 8.2 magnitude quake. people reportedly feeling it all the way in anchorage. tsunami warnings sounded, and evacuations. all tsunami warnings now canceled. here along the northern california coast, so far no

reports of any injuries or major damage. the quake is above an 8.0, and it gives its power which is known as a great earthquake. a tremor that size only happens in the world once a year. we want to start out by saying good morning to you here on "today in the bay." i am marcus washington. >> i am laura garcia. now to the pandemic in the surge in case. leaders in two bay area cities now considering the mask mandates, cierra johnson? yeah, that's right, not only because of the increase in cases but the cdc recommended folks regardless of vaccination status that they wear masks indoors in some of the areas where they see an uptick in cases. san francisco, that's where mayor, london breed, is considering issuing a mask mandate for indoors.

"the chronicle" is reporting that she's currently talking to the city attorney's office about an indoor mask mandate, and the mayor is asking for more clari . there's a similar story in berkeley. they are reporting an increase in covid cases prompted the mayor of berkeley urging officials there to make a mask mandate. the state of california is following the lead of the cdc by recommending folks regardless of vaccination status wear masks indoors in some of the areas that have seen the upticks. take a listen to this. the associated press is saying california officials say 90% of california residents are living in areas where community spread is now considered to be high or substantial. the situation really hitting a lot of folks here in the state

and a lot of cities already talking with their law offices and city officials on how to rectify it. we're live in san francisco. cierra johnson for "today in the bay." proof of vaccination may be needed if you plan to visits bars in san francisco. the decision was made earlier this week by the 500 bars that make up the san francisco bar owner alliance. this won't be a government mandate but an industry recommendation. proof can come in the form of a qr code or vaccination card, or you need proof of a negative covid test card. and shops have received demand letters because of the

violations. today mayor, london breed, will announce new plans to have a defense fund. police are saying they are lo a man that vandalized an art installation. the video shows the man spray painting the piece. the work is based on social justice. police say this is the second time it has been vandalized this summer. it's not clear if the same person is tied to both attacks. happening now in plumas county, new evacuation orders are being issued for the dixie fire in several small mountain communities being affected by this. the fire burned some 220,000 acres and destroyed 16 structures, including smaller buildings and sheds. that fire is about 25% contained. smoke from the dixie fire having an impact in the skies

above sacramento. this is a live look this morning. it's a bit hazy out there. look at what it looked like yesterday. sacramento is 65 miles south of where the dixie fire is burning and the winds shifted in its direction. people with breathing issues are being asked to stay indoors. this is a look course, about all the smoke bee makes it nice, but if you are sensitive, keep the air quality in your plans. if you are heading to yosemite, it will be smoky there. on saturday we are watching out for a chance that monsoonal moisture could spark up a few isolated showers and thunderstorms. if you are out hiking, make sure you have a way to get weather

information. the temperatures will reach into the mid to high 90s. in san francisco, aloha by the way, temperatures in the mid and upper 60s and sun and clouds. it's orangish in the sky. we remember that when the fires were closer to here but we are still seeing some of that. the roadways are moving more smoothly. the orange and yellow on the sensors, that has started to settle down. in san mateo, if there was a second crash it's clear now according to the sensors. 6:37 right now. make a rare move. next on "today in the bay," the

new rights one east bay city is considering granting undocumented immigrants. an overnight announcement that may have rethinking your family trip to disneyland. plus -- >> i am kris sanchez in menlo park, and there's a list that is growing and there are other companies not participating in that mask mandate and we'll talk about where your company may stand. and then republicans and democrats coming together for america. we'll bring you the latest. first, if you missed your favorite team usa athlete bring home the gold, don't worry. you know we have you covered on our nbcbayarea.com page. we have a special section where you can see all the team usa gold medal performances. we'll be right back.

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it's 6:41. as you are heading out the door to the east bay, starting out nice and cool with a mostly clear sky in pleasant hill. we will see high clouds moving by and temperatures heating up. we will talk about what is ahead for the weekend coming up in a few minutes. a look outside shows you how things are shaping up at the bay bridge toll plaza. there's movement. remember, three or more gives you a big advantage in situations like this. and we are talking about the

return to the workplace in silicon valley. >> today kris sanchez is outside facebook headquarters this morning, and they are not rethinking when employees may return but what will be required. >> reporter: yeah, this is not the only company having then in person. facebook is going to require their employees to get that shot before they can return to campuses here in the u.s. at this point here but could be regions. her statement also mentions the process for people that cannot be vaccinated. google was the first tech giant to mandate vaccinations, and the ceo wrote in a blog post that he is encouraged to see how many people are already vaccinated, employees included. employees are not going to have

to worry about that in twitter because twitter just announced it's closing the new york office and san francisco office once again. and employees have already been told they never don't have to return to the office ever if they don't want to. the streaming giant, netflix, is requiring vaccinations for actors and staff. apple and amazon and microsoft have encouraged their employees to get a vaccine and it's just a request and not a mandate, and this all seems to be changing pretty fast. make sure you have the disney ears and masks next time you go to disneyland. masks are mandatory at all locations. you will need to mask up even if you are vaccinated.

masks will be optional outdoors. the new affects -- the new rules, i should say, take effect tomorrow. bipartisan push to build bridges and deliver clean water. >> yes votes from republicans and democrats on infrastructure? >> yes, including from senate minority leader, mitch mcconnell. this is a big move forward by both parties. there will be money for bridges and mass transit. the largest federal investment for mass transit in history. more electric charging stations for electric cars to name a few. the initial vote was 67-32 to move the vote forward. 17 republicans said yes and that pushes it over the key 60-vote

mark. this bill was written by both, republicans and democrats. >> this time we will get it done. we took our first important step tonight and there are challenges ahead and we recognize that, but to go back where i started, and it would not be happening but for a team effort. >> while there's a lot we don't agree on, i believe that we should be able work together on the few things that we do agree on. i think it's important. >> former president trump reacted to the news of the bipartisan deal badly and said it makes republicans look weak and foolish. but is that news, former presidents piping in on presents

did not happen. just yesterday i was telling you the white house was telling us there would be no vaccine mandate for federal workers and that's technically true, even after the white house now says federal workers will have to get the vaccine or mask up and face testing and they are not making federal workers get the vaccine, they are pointing out, because there's an option. here in california you muste on twitter, i'm @scottmcgrew. >> thank you, scott. this morning richmond's idea to allow undocumented immigrants to vote. "the chronicle" is reporting council members yesterday

unanimously approved having the city attorney look over this. it would be only on local and not state elections. the men's 8 is deep. the coach and team captain are from cal. they have been training in oakland since 2017. and one two-time gold medalist knows what they are going through. >> they are still going to be nervous and anticipating the race and the pain that comes along with the race. >> it's scheduled for 6:25 tonight. go team usa. meanwhile, a british diver can do it all. he's a husband, a dad, and, oh, yes, he knits.

>> yeah, i made this to keep my medal from getting scratched. there it is. >> he said he made this it morning. he showed off his pouch. he showed his gold medal would not get scratched. as you can see, one side has the national flag of the united kingdom and the other side is the japanese flag. he won gold in the men's synchronized diving. i saw that event and they were great, too. he said his love of knitting and crocheting kept him sane throughout the olympic process. it's time to get a look at the forecast for us, kari. did you crochet us a sun-filled day? >> young, i would like to know how that works out. >> it would look a mess, okay?

this is not a mess at all. we have had a beautiful sunrise. i know this is not the view you are seeing right now, and this is because this shot is above the fog. we can see the sun rising. it's also cutting through a layer of smoke, so the amount of particulate matter we are measuring is making it into the moderate range for today. that means if you have breathing problems or are sensitive to the smoke, limit your time outside although it looks good in the south bay for today. we have pictures of the sunrise this morning from beth walker on facebook. thank you so much. i always love the sunrise and sunset pictures that you all send me on social media. let's check out what is going on right now. our temperatures heading towards the upper 80s for today for the south bay. it will be as hot as 95 in morgan hill for today. and hotter in antioch reaching up to 103 degrees. we will see upper 60s in half moon bay, and redwood city up to

80 for a high. 70 in san francisco. in the north bay we have temperatures in napa and sonoma reaching 89 degrees. 103 degrees in clear lake and ukiah. we have hot temperatures in the forecast for the next couple of days, but it does look cooler for saturday and sunday, more of the same into early next week. san francisco not seeing changes here. we have highs in the upper 60s and at times fog and sunshine. breezy and very comfortable. mike, you are seeing a slower commute coming out of richmond? >> that's right, kari. we have pictures and they are not as good as what beth sends to you, but this is what we have. the toll plaza heading over from the east bay, and you see the slowing all -- almost all the way across to san quinton. the bay bridge, showed the build early, it was right on schedule.

680, good speeds. there's a sensors. the south bay has slowing from 680 tois. this is west 92. there's haze. no problem. if you are coming eastbound, the sun may be in your eyes heading towards hayward. 6:51. a new gallup poll overnight shows more people dissatisfied with the way asian-americans are treated in the united states. 46% of americans say they are satisfied, and a drop from last year. this comes following a series of anti-asian attacks in the past few months, including here in the bay area. up next, a run of masks.

two major bay area cities considering a mask mandate. we have breaking news, marcus, here in japan and it's good news. we have a medalist. the big event, the women's all around individual gymnastic's competition. stay with us. we're live in tokyo.

it's 6:54. welcome back. we are moving you forward with the top stories here on "today covid cases a day. that's up 55% in the last week. experts blame the surge on the delta variant and the unvaccinated people san francisco and berkeley are considering new indoor mask mandates regardless of vaccination status. also, new data this morning showing pfizer's vaccine may lose some effectiveness over time prompting more talks about a possible booster shot. the federal government says right now there's no evidence that a third shot will be needed. to the summer olympics, and we do have a spoiler lert right

now, and mute your television if you don't want to hear anything about upcoming nbc coverage. >> let's go live to raj in tokyo this morning. everybody is talking about it this hour, and i have seen it online. >> reporter: are you smiling as wide as i am. >> amazing!s, it's amazing. the big enchilada. this is how we fell in love with simone biles five years ago at the 2016 rio games, and now we do it with 16-year-old lee. take a look just a short while ago in minneapolis. >> somewhere in there were her parents, friends and family. just amazing. they were watching the live stream of the event. 18 years old.

sunni lee is the gold from minn. was an amazing story. you can watch all of this in our primetime coverage tonight on nbc. here's the update with simone biles. we should tell you about this. simone biles did practice today, which indicates she will compete in the individual events that she qualified for in the next few days. finally, we have been here in tokyo for almost two weeks. my life here in tokyo among many things were just taking in and enjoying anime, the root word, animation. this is amazing. it's everything from cartoons to action heroes and movies and video games and even this giant robot, the gundam. i checked out the gundam super store. think of it like this, it's like

"star wars" in the united states. that's how big it is. i have a question for both of you, do you want a trinket, something from the gundam store, or something like this. >> i will take something from the store. i love little trinklets. bay area athletes are hoping to win gold. starting at 6:00, two from cal will look to medal in the men's 200 meter backstroke. later, it's the ladies' turn with the 100 meter. we're cheering them on.

yeah, cheering them on and also the forecast. >> is raj gone? i want something, too. it's nice out there. our inland valleys, it's going to be hot today and slightly lower tomorrow. we do continue that cooling trend into the weekend with 60s near the coast. we have unfortunately a crash that happened, and see the arrow? that's where the crash is. 101 is flowing good, and if you want to get something from raj, slide him a message. >> yeah. we love having you here in the morning and getting you through the day, and of course,

talking about the olympics, and you can catch them all here on nbcbayarea.com. we will bring you much more news and traffic -- >> it's friday. >> i thought you were saying today was friday. wait, it's friday? >> no. >> today is friday eve. >> all right. >> make it a great one. >> the "today" show is next. good morning. breaking news. solid gold. team usa suni lee, the gymnastics all-around olympic champion. an incredible moment for her that no one saw coming headed into tokyo and hoda is right there, live. emotional message. overnight tweet from simone biles thanking fans for their

outpouring of love and support. what she's now realizing about herself as a result as the world waits to see if the super star will compete again o