right now at 3:00, a new step to protect your kids once school begins. this afternoon the one school district that's giving teachers a choice, get the vaccine or test twice a week. and do not ditch that vaccine card at home. this afternoon you'll have to take it with you to head out to a bar in san francisco. and she's only 18 years old, but she's on top of the world. suni lee is the new golden girl dominating the all-around finals in gymnastics. day it has

been in tokyo. suni lee has been crowned the minnesota who's been training for most of her life. she wasn't just training for her, she was doing it for so much more. here's nbc bay area's robert handa. >> reporter: what a turn-around in the world of gymnastics, after simone biles pulled out so suddenly. but for many young gymnasts here at airborne gymnastics, suni lee's gold medal was surprising and inspiring. gymnasts are known as a dedicated group of athletes who appreciate the physical and mental discipline it takes to win. suni lee has always been a role model for many of the young gymnasts. >> there are definitely a lot of emotions but i'm super proud of myself for sticking with it and believing in myself because this medal would not be possible without my coaches, the medical team, my parents. >> lee's

asian-american gymnasts. >> the fact that suni stood up when no one else could is very inspirational. asian-americans are able to step up when no one else can. >> she did amazing because she stepped up under pressure, especially when simone had to leave. >> it motivated me before, but it motivates me more now because she showed how asian-americans can really do the sport. >> i'm really inspired to see suni not only step up as a gymnast but also as a person. she really motivates me to work stronger, stay strong, and i'm really proud of her. >> reporter: there is a lot of pride in the bay area small but enthusiastic hmong community, including the first hmong-american woman to be elected to city council in california. >> american dream being realized. it means so much more to the

hmong community. it's symbolic and it means that all the hardship that our ancestors and our parents have gone through, through the war worth it because we are here and we can realize our dreams. >> reporter: well, as you heard, suni lee's emergence was an inspiration for many, many people. after dealing with this cloud of uncertainty, her victory was the sober, or should i say gold lining. in san jose, robert handa, nbc bay area news. when it comes to support systems it's hard to top her family. her dad, john, front and center. he's been super supportive sense she was a child. the family wasn't affluent so when suni needed a beam to practice on, daddy built her a wooden beam and it's still in the backyard. he is recovering from a tree trimming accident and hasn't seen her compete in person since 2019. let's give you a look at the

olympic torch still burning bright in tokyo. we'll have more olympic highlights coming up in just a ronavirus coverage. cases are climbing here and across the nation. it's driven by the highly areash transmission rates. you can see those are the counties in red. that includes san francisco, sonoma, napa, solano, contra costa and alameda counties. santa clara, san mateo and marin counties are just one step below under the substantial transmission rate. across the nation, most of the south and parts of the midwest are considered high transmission rates by the cdc. moderate risk. to curb the surge in cases, president biden announced a vaccine requirement for federal employees. all this as communities across the country debate if and when to take the next step to combat the growing wave of infections. here's nbc's scott mcfarlane.

>> reporter: president biden tries to move the needle on sluggish vaccination rates urging states to give holdouts $100 each to get their shots. >> right now too many people are dying or watching someone they love dyi employers who give workers time off for vaccination appointments. >> if incentives help us beat this virus, i believe we should use them. >> reporter: in addition to incentives, the president is requiring federal workers or contractors get their shots or submit to regular covid testing. >> if you want to do business with the federal government, get your workers vaccinated. >> reporter: this comes amid a summer spike in cases and the spread of the delta variant. as some states, communities and private businesses mandate vaccines for their employees. >> it's going to make those companies much more resilient than their competitors. >> reporter: republicans are pushing back hard on the cdc's

reversal of some guidelines. >> it punishes americans who have already done everything they were asked to do. >> reporter: experts and some federal workers say the about-face is necessary because so many americans refuse to get the vaccine. >> it's public health. it's not political to me. i don't know why everybody can get the vaccine. >> reporter: for federal employees and a growing number of other americans, getting a shot is now very much part of the job. scott mcfarlane, nbc news washington. >> that's at the national level. here at the state level things are trending in the wrong direction too. our state positivity rate now soaring past 6%. it has been steadily climbing over the last several weeks. every day when we show it to you, it's up. overnight the state admitted another 209 people to the hospital. right now nearly 4,000 people are in the hospital because of covid-19. so put it in perspective. take a look at the hospitalization rate month by month. today there are more than 3,900 in the hospital. back up a month and we had

1,350. at the height of our last surge back in january, more than 16,000 people were sick with covid. one of the largest school districts in san jose reopens full-time in-person classes next month and its faculty and staff will be fully vaccinated or they must test twice a week for covid. the policy was announced this week and brings both the district and the teachers association together in agreement. 30,000 district students are about to returning to the classroom and some are too young to get the vaccine. all involved told us the plan is the safest thing for both students and their teachers. >> i think it's our responsibility as teachers to be vaccinated. the students don't have that option as of yet because they're too young to receive a vaccine. >> the district says about 90% of its 2,700 teachers are already vaccinated. bring your license, bring your vax card too. starting today you'll need proof of vaccination before going out

to bars in san francisco. that can be in the form of a qr code on your actual physical vaccination card. the other option is proof of a covid test taken no more than 72 hours before. if you don't have it, you can sit outside, you just can't go inside. the decision made earlier this week by the 500 bars that make up the san francisco bar owner alliance. it's not going to be a government mandate, but it's an industry recommendation. booster shots for adults over 60, that's what israel's health minister says it will offer. the move comes after pfizer reported a drop in the vaccine's effectively against infection, down to about 84% within four to six months after the second dose. also a slight decrease in the protection against severe disease. here in the u.s. pfizer expects to apply for emergency authorization for booster shots in the next month, although at this time the fda and cdc both say fully vaccinated individuals do not need those booster shots. we'll continue our reporting online and on our app. just download the nbc bay area

app. it's free. we have all you need to know to move you on the air. let's go back to our olympic coverage. athletes going for the gold in . >> one of those gold medal wins by caeleb dressel from florida. dressel claimed olympic gold with a victory inam usa finish relay. china won gold in world record team. team usa was in third place before ledecky began her leg, the anchor leg of the swim and almost pulled off an incredible comeback but did walk away with a silver. there have been so many electric moments on the field of play. >> but it's the moments that really surround the competition when we see how human they are that can bring out the biggest emotions in all of us. our garvin thomas is here to share some of those. you've had phenomenal moments

filled with either joy or sadness that are just terrific. >> let's begin with that caeleb dressel win. we've seen lots of videos of athletes celebrating and their families celebrating at home right away. right after dressel won, nbc made it possible for he and his family to see and hear each other. man, was it emotional. if you haven't seen it, have some tissues ready. if you've seen it ten times like i have, still have some tissues ready. >> got a few people who want to talk to you. >> hey! >> we are so proud of you. i love you so much. >> me too. thank you, guys. >> make that 11 times. i still tear up. >> so cute. >> as you dressel's first individual gold. he explained the

gold medal, it's the person who took and posted it, her teammate simone biles. with all the discussion surrounding biles, it shouldn't get l teammate and cheerleader she has been during what must be a difficult time for her. this is tom daley from team great britain. he and his synchronized diving partner won a gold medal earlier in the games. tom is also an avid knitter and crocheter saying his hobby has helped him maintain his sanity through the craziness of the olympics. so look at that, this is what he crocheted after winning the gold medal, a small pouch to carry his gold medal in. >> he needs to be hired to make those for everybody. >> on one side the british flag, on the other side the japanese flag. >> that's so impressive. >> that is amazing. >> he has 2 million on instagram

for his diving but his separate him on that too. >> they have so many talents, these olympians. thanks, garvin. still ahead, businesses hit hard during the pandemic now facing several lawsuits. how san francisco is lending a helping hand. another city man dating masks. where you'll have to put one on when you're in foster city. i'm chief meteorologist jeff ranieri. it is warm and hazy out here, up to 98 in brentwood. i'm back with when we'll get a little break from this heat coming up in about six minutes. from tokyo tonight, stepping into some very big shoes. the american gymnast who stole the show for gold with simone biles cheering her on. plus why so many health care workers choose not to be vaccinated, on nightly news.

stand together, a clear message in san francisco today.

city leaders and community members gathered at temple emmanuel in support of the jewish community. they say there's been a rise in anti-semitism following the recent violence in gaza. >> it should not matter what race or religion someone is. we have work to do to call it out and to make sure that we stand together and that we prevent it from happening in the first place. >> she says religious attacks have been most prevalent against the jewish community in the city. a new program in chinatown already popular with merchants and shoppers. organizers today unveiled the banner for the family bridges community ambassador program. five men in green vests will be walking the streets with the simple mission of helping, listening, trying to support. one ambassador gave an example of an agitated man who was creating a disturbance. >> so i came along. i asked the officer if i could intervene and try to do some

de-escalation. they said sure. so i introduced myself to the gentleman. i asked if the gentleman was hungry. he said yes. got him some food, calmed him down. asked him what it is that he needed. >> the ambassadors also help with litter and vandalism. some of the older residents are telling those ambassadors that they really feel more safe knowing that they are on the streets. san francisco is offering thousands of dollars to help small businesses in chinatown fight new lawsuits accusing them of violating the americans with disabilities act. the lawsuits come at the worst possible time for these businesses as they're trying to bounce back from some long covid shutdowns. here's nbc bay area's christie smith. >> complying with the americans with disabilities act is something that we think is extremely important. >> reporter: mayor london breed says chinatown businesses may need help complying with the ada after more than 100 small businesses got hit with lawsuits saying they're not fully accessible to people with disabilities. >> we have $50,000 that we will

provide to assist with businesses to do inspections to determine what the solutions. >> reporter: federal law prohibits discrimination based on a person's disabilityac. alongside the chinese chamber of commerce, leaders heard concerns. >> with 17 complaints -- >> reporter: many had questions about the reasoning and said it was confusing and costly to respond. it comes as bus neighborhood have faced prolonged pandemic closures and losses. city administer carmen chu explained the city's additional steps. >> there's going to be another $500,000 that's available for inspection and remediation work. >> reporter: a way to help with compliance, we spoke with an attorney for the center for disability access, a san diego firm representing two claimants in lawsuits in chinatown. >> i would love to see a world where getting your health permit renewed required having an accessibility audit and set aside some funds for these truly

small businesses, ones that are truly impacted, to bring them into compliance. >> reporter: in san francisco, christie smith, nbc bay area news. >> tonight we investigate the slew of ada lawsuits not just here in the bay area but across the state. what we uncovered and the one lawyer who's behind most of them. that's tonight at 11:00. activists in san mateo county made it clear making it in the bay is almost impossible when you're facing eviction. faith leaders rallied outside court to support an immigrant father who faces eviction. he's fighting to stay in his daly city apartment. his is one of the first in a wave of evictions as the federal moratorium ends august 1st. he owes back renting but the manager would not accept it. foster city has a new mask policy. anybody visiting city-operated buildings must wear a face covering. this applies regardless of your vaccination status.

city officials made the decision because of the delta variant. san mateo county implemented a similar masking requirement for everyone entering a county facility. well, certainly i was driving around today and it said 92 in the car. >> and it's misleading because it seems like there's haze, cloud cover would keep thingno. that heat is coming in with the out there and really something for everyone on the weather maps. you go near the coastline and there's lots of 60s. that's what i want to start off with this afternoon is a look at that weather pattern. this sky camera really says it all. you can see down at the bottom level here, this is sutro tower looking out across the bay. we have that fog but look at the upper levels and you can see that high cloud cover we've been dealing with. that's that monsoonal moisture streaming in bringing a touch of humidity. let's take you out to the hottest weather, the humidity and the haze right back here in walnut creek. you can see the sky is not nearly as blue here. currently 90 degrees.

it's going to be getting hotter the next couple of hours. mid-90s through 4:00 and 5:00. it's going to be another night where it's slow to cool down. we're holding on to 80s at 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. and 70s by 9:00 and also 10:00. now, the thing that's been producing all of this heat, it has been so stubborn. the past two weeks really an on again, off again pattern. we're going to be stuck with this again for tomorrow, so more heat, more humidity. but by this weekend, it looks like we'll get a small break in this. that area of hot high pressure will kick off towards the east just a little bit and that will allow this cooler system to move close. it's only a 5 to 10-degree drop for the inland valleys but i think it will be noticeable and a little nicer, although we'll still have clouds moving in from the south. not the sunniest of days at least on saturday. i think sunday will look better overall. let's go ahead and move it into tomorrow morning's forecast. you can see we'll start off with a little fog near the coastline but overall pretty good for the morning. we'll have some isolated showers, maybe thunderstorms for

the central valley but we look dry. as we push through the afternoon, that sunshine stays in the forecast, but watch out. if you're headed up to lake yosemite so dangerous weather there. back here for off with more of 60s. 65 in the tri-valley, peninsula 62, and the south bay at 64. and we have those low 60s over the east bay. san francisco 57 and the north bay 58. daytime highs as we move through tomorrow looking pretty good here. again, a wide range. you go closer to the bay, a little cooler and comfortable. head away from the bay and you're up to 92 in morgan hill and 90 in gilroy. i have 97 in antioch, 94 in pleasant hill. over the east bay hills and in the 70s for oakland and hayward. 77 in san mateo. definitely some of the best weather tomorrow. right through san francisco, we have 50s and 60s. winds out of the west at 17 and let's move it up to the north

bay. you can see the huge contrast we'll have with those temps. 74 in mill valley and then you head away from any ocean or bay breeze, we're up to 100 in clear lake, 103 in my seven-day forec francisco very, very stable the next seven days. plenty of tomorrow. we get that little break in the weather saturday and sunday and we'll hold right with low 90s as you move through next week. out to tokyo, we have new information that it continues to look very hot and dangerous next week. it will feel like the triple digits monday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday with on and off chances of thunderstorms. all the athletes are getting used to it out there, but it's definitely an olympics to remember, probably one of the hottest overall that we've ever had for sure. >> yeah, they definitely have to hydrate. some are feeling a little bit like the heat exhaustion but are trying to make adjustments. they have to. thanks, jeff.

coming up, we're almost halfway through the games. organizers are apologizing, though, for the opening ceremony. but why? ♪ you probably think visa is a credit card company, huh?

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the olympic organizers are apologizing for ordering too much food for their staff and letting it go to waste. some 4,000 box meals prepared for the opening ceremony were thrown away. they said many that worked at the national stadium that day were busy and didn't have time to eat. the leftover food was used to make food and biogas and adjustments have been made starting this week to order the appropriate amount of food. raj may not be with us here in the studio, but certainly he is sweating and working hard in tokyo. >> part of our segment checking in with raj, we'll show you a portion of his conversation with our digital correspondent, abby fernandez. >> we're still in quarantine but we're able to deal with people here and there enough that i get

a feel for it. i can't wait until next week when we're out of quarantine. but the people are so nice. and nothing against california or america, but it's just everyone is so nice, so respectful, it's a great change. and the city is beautiful. >> yeah, he gets out of quarantine this weekend and i hear he's going out to eat. good for him. you can watch more of these conversations at it's a new day. and e workforce doubles... or the day your visitors quadruple.le wifi networks from anywhere. all on the network that can deliver gig speeds to the most businesses. every day in business is a big day. we'll keep you ready for what's next. get started with powerful internet and voice solution for just $64.99 a month from comcast business. call or go online today to learn more.

let's check out what to watch tonight. cal's ryan murphy goes for another med at 6:50 right here. then minutes later another golden bear goes for gold. abbey weitzeil swims in the women's 100 free. if beach volleyball is your sport, watch alix klineman. she and april ross try to stay undefeated at 5:00 on cnbc. you can follow our bay area

athletes by heading over to nbcbayarea.com. we have another athlete tracker on our trending bar. >> thosehard. the tennis playerse looking at temperature friday of 97. on and off thunderstorms. next week, athletes have been complaining lately. it's off the charts. it's going to feel like 102 monday, 102 tuesday, 101 wednesday and 1000 tho look at . today they were going to have a dew point of 76. you can see on that chart -- >> miserable. >> heat cramps, heat stroke, heat exhaustion. >> that's really time. >> that's why the danger is out there for them. back here at home we've had a touch of humidity. some people have been complaining a little bit, but nothing close to that. you can see 96 there tomorrow and then we'll be in the upper 80s to 90 as we hit this weekend

into next week, so a little better for us as we roll into this weekend. >> what's our dew point? under 50? >> we're about 62, 63. >> comfortable, right? >> sticky. just a little bit. >> we'll see you back here at 4:00. bye. tonight, an olympic star is born with simone biles sidelined, team usa's suni lee stepping up to win gold here in tokyo. the 18-year-old taking the top prize in the women's individual all-around, with biles cheering her on. lee's family watching back hn celebration. and usa superstar swimmer caeleb dressel