it is saturday, august 21st, 7:00 on the dot as we take a live look outside from communications hill in san jose. smoky skies, cloudy skies we are

under a microclimate weather alert because of everything you're seeing there. thank you for joining us i'm kira klapper. meteorologist vianey arana joins us with your microclimate forecast. >> it's been hazy the entire week, we had light winds that drove some soft smoke down and the air quality advisory extended through today. no spare the air alert which means the index isn't going to be as high but we're still going to be seeing enough smoke where you want to be cautious and aware which is why we remain under a microclimate weather alert. today also with clearing are breezy winds through the afternoon. temperatures in the 50s and 60s. but also a little bit cooler this afternoon. let's talk about the air quality. according to the air quality district, we're moderate now, look at the index scale here, in the 50s and 60s because of the add vise are you of the smoke,

there's always a chance there creates pockets of unhealthy air qualities. so the best friends is your eyes and your nose. if you can see the smoke close the windows, if you can smell it definitely do that. we have a lot of hazy blue still. but by tomorrow things get better. full forecast in a few minutes. >> we look forward to that getting better. the main highway to get to lake tahoe is shutdown, cal trans has closed highway 50 between sacramento and lake tahoe as the caldor fire rages nearby. at least 100 homes and buildings have been destroyed, thousands more remained threatened. highway 50 is closed between pollack pines and myers on the south shore in both directions. no word on when it will reopen. to the fire burning closest to the bay area, the cache fire in lake county is now 45%

contained preponderance of the evidence this as we learned the cause. the fire chief said it started as an oven fire. on wednesday flames tore through a neighborhood near clear lake destroying more than three dozen mobile homes and destroying about 83 acres some evacuation orders are still in place. you can check the air quality in your neighborhood on our website. click on check your air, put in your location on the map, that is all at nbcbayarea.com. turning now to the fight against covid-19 and the continuing effort to get more americans vaccinated. "new york times" is reporting pfizer will get full fda approval for its covid-19 vaccine as early as this coming week. a crucial moment as the delta variant is surging. cheryl herd with this report. >> reporter: solano county has one of the lowest vaccination

rates in the bay area. dr. rye, the director of inclusion says the pending fda approval of the pfizer vaccine is huge for this county, because many people still don't think the shots are safe. >> one of the points they bring up is an underlying fear that this vaccine truly isn't safe because it's not yet awe proved. on it's only an emergency authorization. it's not been approved like everything else. with this being approved, it helps reduce that or take that away. >> reporter: medical experts have been waiting for the pending fda approval. not only will it push people to get the shot who have been on the fence about it, it may mean companies will start changing its policies. >> now after receiving full approval vaccine mandates become more possible. so more businesses, enterprises will be able to require it to

receive services, to work in certain companies. >> reporter: 85 million americans have yet to get a shot. a recent kaiser family foundation polling shows about 30% of those still unvaccinated say they would likely get vaccinated if it had an fda approval. covid is on the minds of people, some waiting to get tested in if san jose others wanting to get their first shots. tonight we spoke with one couple who is excited about the pending approval. >> i'm glad that finally one of them is getting the fda stamp of approval so maybe more people will take it. >> reporter: cheryl herd nbc news. a pop up vaccine clinic as the new school year begins glad tidings church is partnering with kaiser to vaccinate kids 12

and over. it starts at 10:00 this morning. organizers have offering incentives like school supplies and a $25 gift card to target. this is the first weekend san francisco is requiring proof of vaccination to dine, work out or go to a concert indoors. last night we found mixed reviews on the mandate. restaurant owners we spoke to said most diners were happy to follow the rules. at other places people cancelled their reservations altogether. >> we have the host, they approach the customer by asking their vaccination card and customer seem like to be cooperating and ready to show the proof of vaccine. >> he told us keeping the mandate in effect may prove more difficult on nights when restaurants are busier. it's worth noting diners have the choice of sitting outside where proof of vaccination is

not required. chase center is requiring proof of vaccination. all fans 12 years and older must show proof of being fully vaccinated. the only exceptions are people with medical or religious exemptions. the rule auls also applies to warriors games. a judge has struck down california's ballot measure exempting uber and lyft to classify drivers as employees. the judge ruled proposition 22, which allowed the drivers to be classified as independent contractors is unconstitutional. the ruling sets up a fight that could likely end up in california supreme court. to the crisis in afghanistan. the military air lift to evacuate americans, allies and

afghans who have worked for the u.s. appears to be morphing into a broader refugee relief operation. president biden is reiterating his promise to bring all americans home while vowing to get all loyal afghans out as well. kelly o'donnell reports. >> reporter: kabul's evacuation mission surrounded by december separation and danger. the president under pressure making this clear. >> any american who wants to get home we will get you home. >> reporter: extending that to afghan citizens who worked with american military. >> yes, we're making the same commitment. >> reporter: flanked by his national security team today the president pointed to progress. 13,000 have been air lifted this week. the u.s. relying on the taliban to let evacuees reach the airport. today the president revealed 169 americans were recused when u.s.

forces went outside the perimeter at kabul airport to bring them in. the president also claimed americans trying to leave are not being blocked. >> we have no indication that they haven't been able to get in kabul through the airport. >> reporter: not so according to david fox, who moved to afghanistan eight years ago. >> i can say definitively that is completely untrue. >> reporter: fox says he tried to get through checkpoints with his wife and toddler son, along with other americans, but crowds and chaos were too dangerous. >> the situation at the gate itself was extremely tense. i knew without any doubt that easily my son could have been killed on that day, in that attempt to get inside of the airport. >> reporter: today, for several hours evacuation flights were halted, a pause officials said was due to overcrowding at the transfer point in qatar. the administration scrambling to secure other host countries. asked about criticism from u.s. allies, the president pushed

back. >> i have seen no question of our credibility from our allies around the world. >> reporter: but a key european union official called the fall of afghanistan a catastrophe. and president biden has been criticized by lawmakers in germany and the uk. and he also played down the significance of a july 13th cable warning about a taliban takeover and urging evacuation flights. >> we got all kinds of cables, all kinds of advice. i made the decision. the buck stops with me. >> that was kelly o'donnell reporting for us. at 7:10 we have much more ahead on "today in the bay" coming up. >> obviously that's not an easy thing. my family is still in afghanistan and i'm worried about my family. >> he made it out hours before the fall of afghanistan and left so much behind. now safe in the bay area this man shares his story with us.

an air quality advisory remains in effect because of drifting smoke we're seeing cloudy skies. we have fog. full forecast in just a few minutes. stay with us.

welcome back at 7:13 on your saturday morning. it's a beautiful glow but we know it's not for good reason, smoky skies covering the sun rise as we look over san jose. we are under an air quality add visery and a microclimate weather alert.

vianey arana has your full forecast in just about five minutes. we are getting a firsthand account of the final days before the collapse of the afghan government and it comes from an afghan interpreter who worked with u.s. forces during the war and just barely managed to make it out of the country as the taliban took over. he's now safe and making a new home in the bay area. raj mathai has his story of survival. >> for years samir lived in a war zone working as an interpreter for the u.s. army in afghanistan. tonight he can only watch and worry from his new home in martinez. >> i'm very lucky. when -- nobody was even imagine that. this such thing will happen in the future. >> reporter: he worked with the u.s. armed forces for three years and given passage out of the country just hours before

the afghan government collapsed. >> i was worried for my life. >> reporter: now he hears grow reports of the taliban going from door to door looking to execute people like him, people who helped the united states. his focus now is finding the rest of his family and getting them out too. >> they just told me to take care of myself and my wife. obviously that's not an easy thing. my family is still in afghanistan and i'm worried about my family. >> reporter: his new home is sparse but safe. and when the rest of his family is safe, he wants to join the u.s. military. >> i was like army for three years. i did -- i follow all the rules. i was linguist. and i loved the rules. so yes, of course, i would like to join the army. >> reporter: i'm raj mathai nbc bay area news. vice president kamala harris is giving her high profile endorsement to governor gavin newsom in his fight to keep his

job. this video is from her visit in april. the vice president is returning next friday for an anti-recall rally. going back to when she was san francisco district attorney and he was mayor. >> we put together a voting guide that has answers to all of your questions, what if you didn't get your ballot, what if you want to vote in person, how do you find your polling place? head to nbcbayarea.com/recall. it's time to get back on track for sprinter sha'carri richardson, remember she was banned from the olympics for testing positive for cannabis. today she returns to the track for the classic in oregon. she spoke to tom yamas on why it was important to own up to her mistake. >> it's really just for the support, the people, it's a thank you because at the end of the day, i did make a mistake but that doesn't take away from

my talent, from who i am. >> several members of the elite jamaican team will also compete this weekend as will allyson felix. >> i'll be watching that for sure. >> absolutely. it'll be good to stay indoors and watch tv because the smoke will not go away. we have a little bit of relief in site. it comes in the form of wind but that creates another issue because of how dry it is out there. let's get to your forecast. i want to take you through the time line of the winds. what locations are going to see the windiest spots and where we're seeing poor air quality. san jose, it looks ominous because in in addition to the hazy skies it is cloudy out there. we have the marine layer so the combination of clouds and smoke is bringing on this sort of haze in the sky as well. walnut creek, live look. and san francisco you can barely make it out in terms of the bridge. but i'll tell you what, this is

what we're looking at right now when it comes to the air quality, from the north bay to santa clara valley, it's moderate right now. it's not a spare the air alert but an air quality advisory. this was extended to today because at times we could see pockets of smoke especially the north bay and east bay. so it depends on where you live. here's the important fact that helps bring us relief. onshore flow, we have winds kicking up around 2:00, 3:00, notice san francisco, the concord area, livermore and look at the directions of the winds. it's going to help push out some of that smoke. however whenever we see the winds kick up like this we have to keep in mind it's still dry out there, so it does elevate the fire concerns for something sparking. so be cautious and mindful if you're outside. i showed you the wind model just now, you saw the winds pushing east. here's what happens to the

smoke. 9:30, still seeing pockets of unhealthy air quality. and then look at this, the winds kick up, it pushes that haze, which is that blue and green color further east out of the area right around midnight. so into sunday, sunday we get some pretty good air quality out there. so tomorrow we get better relief, a little bit more sunshine, less haze. current temperatures right now, 50s and 60s. but eventually into the afternoon we will be warming up, but it's going to be a little bit cooler than what we've seen. san jose, 76. concord 79. livermore 82. morgan hill 77. and for the rest of the week, what can we expect? because of that onshore flow we get the cooling, the breeze, and then heading into next week, so just looking ahead into the middle of the workweek we are going to see high pressure which is going to warm us back up. but i wanted to show you this because it gets updated every week, 49% of the state of

california remains under an exceptional drought. so let's get to your climate in crisis series now with my climate hacks. this is a good one. my parents used to yell at me about this all the time. maybe you too. >> growing up you probably heard your parents tell you to turn off the lights to save energy. and here's why. a national energy report says the average american household uses just under 808 kilowatt hours of energy every month. that's equal to leaving a 100 watt lightbulb on for a year straight. it puts more than 800 pounds of co2 into the atmosphere. it's not just the lights soaking up energy, things like our tvs, chargers and lamps around the house are also using up a ton of energy. it's time for your climate hack. >> a great option is to buy

motion censored lights that only turn on when you're using them. plus these are rechargeable. some lights you can even set a timer function. so even if you do leave the house and you leave these on, it's okay because they turn off on their own. so what's the payoff? consuming less power can have a big impact on the environment. if the average household cut power use by a quarter, we'd be able to prevent 200 pounds of green house gas emissions from going into the atmosphere. for more hacks follow me. turn off those lights when you're not using them, unplug stuff when you're not using it. save you money and the planet. >> my husband better be listening i'm on top of him about that. it is 7:21. coming up on "today in the bay,". >> i said we've got to get this out of memphis. i'm not taking no for an answer. >> it was an operation that

involved three rotary clubs in two states, executives at fed ex and one willing driver. the cross country mission to get bay area kids much needed school supplies.

series, we shared many stories of daring rescues, people being saved. this story is different but just as important. we have the story of the great school supply rescue benefitting

some very deserving bay area students. >> what we're doing today is we actually got bags of food ready to go, prepacked. >> reporter: of all the things sunnyvale community services does, executive director marie bernard says the yearly school supply give away is one of her favorites. >> this is one of the most important and joyful events of the year. >> reporter: so when nearly 2,000 boxes of school supplies were ordered ahead of this year's giveaway it looked good. it looked good when the boxes were shipped from the supplier in indiana, pennsylvania to a warehouse in tennessee but then. >> they were sitting there. the shipping company was overcome with orders and lack of drivers. >> reporter: suddenly this one delivery became her full-time obsession. >> we have to get this out of memphis. i'm not taking no for an answer.

>> we need to start now -- >> reporter: which is why less than a week before the event when it was becoming clear the supplies might not make it in time, marie turned to help for people she knew could get things done. members of her local rotary club. it turned out the president used to live in tennessee and knew people who knew people. >> it was just this incredible network, bing, bing, bing. and one person said i don't know what it is but i'm going to call this person. and you'll get a call from somebody and you may get an email from this person and we're going to do this. >> reporter: three memphis rotary clubs sprang into action and three executives at fed ex got involved. arranging for a lone driver to make the mad dash across country pulling up hours ahead of the children and their families. walter was the driver's name. >> i don't know how he was still standing. he must have been exhausted. but he had a big grin and what

he said was, i heard you really needed this by tomorrow. it was -- i still -- it's overwhelming. >> reporter: so, the 2021 great school supply rescue mission was a success. and hundreds of children in need entered this school year a little better prepared. thanks to a network of strangers across the country who really delivered. >> that was garvin thomas reporting for us. at 7:27 we have much more for you on "today in the bay." coming up, when could the smoky skies move out of the bay area? vianey is tracking some relief. full approval from the fda as soon as monday. the big announcement from pfizer could change vaccine hesitant minds.

i'm morgan, and there's more to me than hiv. more love, more adventure, more community. but with my hiv treatment, there's not more medicines in my pill. i talked to my doctor and switched to fewer medicines with dovato. dovato is for some adults who are starting hiv-1 treatment or replacing their current hiv-1 regimen. with just 2 medicines in 1 pill, dovato is as effective as a 3-drug regimen... to help you reach and stay undetectable. research shows people who take hiv treatment as prescribed and get to and stay undetectable can no longer transmit hiv through sex. don't take dovato if you're allergic to its ingredients or if you take dofetilide. taking dovato with dofetilide can cause serious or life-threatening side effects. hepatitis b can become harder to treat while on dovato. don't stop dovato without talking to your doctor, as your hepatitis b may worsen or become life-threatening. serious or life-threatening side effects can occur, including allergic reactions, lactic acid buildup, and liver problems. if you have a rash and other symptoms

of an allergic reaction, stop dovato and get medical help right away. tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver problems, or if you are, may be, or plan to be pregnant. dovato may harm your unborn baby. use effective birth control while on dovato. do not breastfeed while taking dovato. most common side effects are headache, nausea, diarrhea, trouble sleeping, tiredness, and anxiety. so much goes into who i am. hiv medicine is one part of it. ask your doctor about dovato-i did. ♪♪

good morning. it is saturday, august 21st, 7:30, as we take a live look outside. wow. beautiful look at the cloudy, smoky skies from communications hill as the sun rises over san jose. you can see the winds blowing. and that hasn't helped us to date but hopefully these will be the winds of change. i'm kira klapper, thank you for joining us. meteorologist vianey arana joins us to look at what's going on right now. >> so you notice in the trees there was a little bit of that breeze, you're right. that's what's going to hopefully

help it blow out but with an increase in wind comes an increase in fire danger because of dry brush. as the sun comes up we've been seeing sort of that red glow. we've even seen it at night with the moon. we have the fog playing a factor as well. this is the reason why we remain under a microclimate weather alert. there is an air quality advisory still in place. it's not a spare the air alert, but it's enough to where you want to be cautious, especially limiting time outdoors. from the north bay down to santa clara valley seeing moderate air conditions but there could be pockets at times especially through the interior valleys and through portions of the north bay where we get unhealthy air quality. let's talk about the winds because you saw that a little bit, the breeze in that live shot, we get a nice onshore flow and look what happens. notice the directions the winds are blowing in, that's going to push the smoke east out of the area. full forecast coming up in just a few minutes.

we look forward to seeing you soon, vianey thanks. the main highway to get to lake tahoe is shutdown. cal trans closed route 50 as the caldor fire burns nearby. it has scorched more than 75,000 acres since it ignited one week ago. at least 100 homes and buildings have been destroyed. thousands more remain threatened. highway 50 is closed in both directions between pollack pines to myers on the south shore no word on when it will reopen. and now to the cache fire burning in lake county, it's now 45% contained. this as we learned the cause. the fire chief said it started as an often fire. on wednesday, flames tore through one neighborhood near clear lake destroying many r than three dozen mobile homes and burning 83 acres. some evacuation orders are still

in place. stay with us for the latest on the air quality from the fires and smoke. you can check the air quality in your neighborhood. go to nbcbayarea.com and check your air, put in your location on the map and see the status of the air where you live. turning to the fight against covid-19 and the continuing effort to get more americans vaccinated. the "new york times" is reporting pfizer will get full fda approval for its covid-19 vaccine as early as this coming monday. it's a crucial moment as the delta variant is surging. "today in the bay's" cheryl herd reports. >> reporter: solano county has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the area. dr. rye from toro university says the pending fda approval of the pfizer vaccine is huge for this county because many people still don't think the shots are safe. >> one of the points that they

bring up is an underlying fear that this vaccine truly isn't safe because it's not yet approved. it's only emergency authorization. it's not been approved like everything else. with this being approved it helps reduce that or take that away. >> reporter: medical experts have been waiting for the pending approval. dr. selenas says not only will it push people to get the shot who have been on the fence about it, it may mean companies will start changing its policies. >> now after receiving full approval vaccine mandates become more possible. so more businesses, enterprises will be able to require it to receive services, to work in certain companies. >> reporter: 85 million americans have yet to get a shot. a recent kaiser family foundation polling shows about

30% of those still unvaccinated say they would more likely get vaccinated if it had an fda approval. covid is on the minds of people, some waiting to get tested in many san jose, others wanting to get their first shot at a clinic in south san francisco. tonight we spoke with one couple who is excited about the pending approval. >> i'm glad that finally at least one of them is now getting the fda stamp of approval. so maybe more people will take it. >> reporter: cheryl herd nbc bay area news. a pop up vaccine clinic begins today, glad tidings church in hayward is partnering with kaiser to vaccinate more kids 12 and older. the clinic will be at the church in hayward. it starts at 10:00 this morning. organizers are offering incentives like school supplies and a $25 gift card to target. this is the first weekend san francisco is requiring proof of

vaccination to dine, to work out or go to a concert indoors. last night, the first friday night of this mandate we found mixed reactions. restaurant owners we spoke with say most diners ae on bliging and following the new rules at some places others cancelled their reservations altogether. >> we have the host approaching the customer asking their vaccination card and customers seem like to be cooperating and ready to show the proof of vaccine. >> it's worth noting diners have the choice of sitting outside where proof of vaccination is not required. now to a covid controversy in the south bay. a mayor and council member are under fire for attending an in-person city council meeting and other recent public events without telling anyone they'd been in close contact with someone who has covid-19.

>> we're here in the city -- >> reporter: the mayor, rich tran in a mask and hat seemed upbeat at the in-person city council meeting tuesday but his presence is criticized after it was revealed in online posts and conversations first reported by the mercury news that tran and a council member had been at a local bar now rampant with covid cases. it turns out the mayor knew before the meeting that he had been in close contact with a covid positive person but did not tell anyone. >> the moment that we found out about it, we knew that a lot of steps had to be taken to ensure that this isn't going to happen again. >> reporter: the mayor and council woman were here at the g bar thursday, august 12th, for a public event. a facebook post from the bar reported 15 covid cases since then among staff and patrons,

including according to the post some who mingled with the two city officials at their event. today the owners say they are in quarantine and the bar will remain closed longer than the posted date of august 20th. we reached out to the mayor, he told us he is uncomfortable talking about private health matters but gave us a statement saying he tested negative before and after the meeting and said i'm also vaccinated. councilman phan is not reassured. >> in regards to protocol, revisiting what we could have done about it, i think the safest precaution we could take is not have the in-person meetings at all. now to afghanistan where u.s. troops have resumed evacuating people this comes after the qatar air base reached capacity. while giving an update on the

evacuation operation, president biden promised to get all americans who want to come home out of afghanistan. he said so far some 13,000 people have been flown out. yesterday's address comes as the president faces mounting criticism for the chaotic draw down. >> i made the decision. the buck stops with me. there will be plenty of time to criticize and second guess when the operation is over. but now, now i'm focused on getting this job done. >> president biden also promised to help evacuate afghan allies and nato allies stuck in afghanistan. now to a major blow for lyft and uber and other ride sharing business models. a judge struck down california ballot measure which exempted them from classifying drivers as employees. the judge ruled that proposition 22, which allowed the drivers to be classified as independent or

gig workers is unconstitutional. the ruling sets up a fight that could likely end up in california supreme court. just shy of 7:40 right now. bay area libraries are trying to turn the page on the pandemic. the lingering problem that's making people have a problem checking out. and we've got breezy winds today. that's going to help clear out some of the smoke. but what does it mean for our temperatures? we're still seeing elevated fire danger. full forecast coming up.

good morning, it is 7:42. and it's saturday, we remain under a microclimate weather alert because of the air quality. so let's take a live look right now over walnut creek. it is going to be another haw -- hazy start to the day. we have north bay down to santa clara valley, they decided to go ahead and extend the air quality advisory. this is not a spare the air alert but because we could see moments of unhealthy air quality it's just better to take that precaution. what's going to help us out big time is going to be the onshore winds later this afternoon. look 3:00, the winds around san francisco, oakland, get a little bit more breeze, concord down to

san jose look at the direction they're aiming. the winds are going to help push out the smoke further east out of the region and that's what this is depicting here, the near surface smoke we're seeing with the orange glow, not to mention right now it's paired up with the clouds so an am now feel. we have pockets through hayward, fremont. and then i'm timing this all the way forward till midnight. look at that, the haze, majority of it moved out east thanks to those winds. now, i'm grateful for the fact we get some good air quality through tomorrow but then there's an elevated concern of fire dang other because any time we see winds paired with all the dry brush out there, that could also be a recipe we don't like to see. let's talk about oakland, 68 degrees, concord 79, livermore 82. notice the temperatures are a few degrees cooler today. that's because of the onshore flow and then for the rest of

the week we're going to remain sunny for tomorrow. tomorrow is going to be our best chance of finally going out and about and not having to worry about the smoke and air quality. but i like to mention that's a changing situation. if a new fire starts things could change. that's why we like to keep you up to doubt. and the important drought monitor this is a contributor to the fires we've seen. as of this week, 49% of the state of california is under an exceptional drought, which is the worst in the drought category monitor. now 88% is under an extreme drought or higher. that lets you know we need the rain. i did see on satellite radar we got drizzle to the north bay. i'll take drizzle the next seven days, a closer look at what to expect. so it is going to be another week of, you know, some cooler temperatures in through inland areas. we have some 60s in there, going to be breezy, smoky at times, but it is going to move east, so

that's good news for us. >> good news indeed. vianey. thank you so much. at 7:45, coming up on "today in the bay." flight attendants across the country getting special training. the classes they're taking on their own time to deal with passengers. first it is time for our clear the shelters segment. meet tokyo, a 5-year-old doeber man pincher, she gave birth to nine puppies looking to get adopted and now she's ready to find her forever home as well. she would enjoy a quiet home to cuddle with her people. you can find out more by going to petsinneed.org or by giving them a call and asking about tokyo by name. we'll be right back.

i'm morgan, and there's more to me than hiv. more love, more adventure, more community. but with my hiv treatment, there's not more medicines in my pill. i talked to my doctor and switched to fewer medicines with dovato. dovato is for some adults who are starting hiv-1 treatment or replacing their current hiv-1 regimen. with just 2 medicines in 1 pill, dovato is as effective as a 3-drug regimen...

to help you reach and stay undetectable. research shows people who take hiv treatment as prescribed and get to and stay undetectable can no longer transmit hiv through sex. don't take dovato if you're allergic to its ingredients or if you take dofetilide. taking dovato with dofetilide can cause serious or life-threatening side effects. hepatitis b can become harder to treat while on dovato. don't stop dovato without talking to your doctor, as your hepatitis b may worsen or become life-threatening. serious or life-threatening side effects can occur, including allergic reactions, lactic acid buildup, and liver problems. if you have a rash and other symptoms of an allergic reaction, stop dovato and get medical help right away. tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver problems, or if you are, may be, or plan to be pregnant. dovato may harm your unborn baby. use effective birth control while on dovato. do not breastfeed while taking dovato. most common side effects are headache, nausea, diarrhea, trouble sleeping, tiredness, and anxiety.

so much goes into who i am. hiv medicine is one part of it. ask your doctor about dovato-i did. ♪♪ welcome back. it's 7:49 on your saturday morning. cloudy, smoky skies over the oakland coliseum. vianey says onshore winds will help move the smoke out of our way tomorrow. and the bay bridge series continues today at 1:07. thank you very much, aaron, our director. there is a deepening mystery in the sierra national forest where a san francisco family of three and their dog were found

dead. john, ellen and their 1-year-old daughter split their time between san francisco and mariposa county. they were both avid hiker, their bodies were found tuesday on a remote trail outside of yosemite. the sheriff said there were no signs of trauma or suicide. investigators are looking at the possibility they were killed by a toxic algae bloom. as airlines deal with unruly passengers, flight attendants have taken matters into their own hands by taking self-defense classes. >> reporter: it's gotten so bad in the nation's skies, it's come to this. flight attendants volunteering for an 8:00 a.m. self-defense course. >> so from here i can strike. i promise you that's going to hurt. >> reporter: the trainers, air

marshalls who are not always on board a flight, teaching flight crews to target an attacker's face, chest and groin. as the faa reports 3,900 cases of unruly, sometimes dangerous behavior on passenger planes this year. passengers drunk or angry about the now extended mask mandate attacking and injuring crew members and facing fines up to $45,000 each. totaling a million dollars already this year. >> this is an epidemic at this point and something we have to take seriously. >> reporter: d.c. based flight attendant linda came for the training. >> most people who sign up to be flight attendants don't sign up to go to the police academy. >> true. >> are you surprised you're in this situation? >> the world has gone a little crazy, so i'm not absolutely surprised. but like i said, i want to be able to protect myself.

>> reporter: the course, taught since 9/11 but suspended during the pandemic now in high demand. air marshall in charge, ron pfeiffer, helps teach the class. >> what if you have a passenger who is coming at you? >> we teach block techniques. very simple block techniques to protect face and vital organs of the body. >> hands in self-defense like this, step pivot, bring it back. turn, making sure you're bringing your hands back to your face. >> reporter: protecting themselves at 30,000 feet. amidst the pandemic when it comes to checking out a book from san francisco libraries, it's been difficult to get going again. staffing shortages are having a big impact on hours of operation at several branchs across the city. 141 job vacancies were reported across the library system. a hiring freeze during the pandemic and recent high turnover are cited for the lack of employees.

we have new information about a cyber attack at t-mobile. the company now says hackers accessed personal data of another 5 million customers. it first reported a hack earlier this week that affected more than 40 million former and perspective customers. according to t mobile the data taken includes address, date of birth, and phone numbers. t mobile said there's no evidence that credit card information was stolen. happening now, a section of 680 in contra costa county will be easier to get through. the southbound express lane from martinez through walnut creek opened at 5:00 a.m. yesterday. the stretch connects to san ramón creating a continuous 22 mile express lane. all cars must have a fast track tag to use the lane. tolls vary based on the people in the car and traffic volume. next a quick look at the top stories we're following,

including wildfires exploding overnight and a major move by cal trans to help keep people safe.

welcome back. here's a quick look at the top stories we're following this saturday. the main highway to get to lake tahoe is shutdown as crews try to battle the caldor fire. it has scorched more than 75,000 acres. at least 100 homes and buildings have been destroyed. as a result cal trans closed

highway 50 in both directions between pollack pines and myers on the south shore. no word on when it will reopen. pfizer is getting close to fda approval for its covid-19 vaccine. it could be approved as early as this coming monday. solano county has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the bay area and leaders there say the approval of the pfizer vaccine is a huge deal for the county because many people still don't think the shots are safe. a recent kaiser family foundation polling shows 30% of those unvaccinated say they would be more likely to get vaccinated if it had fda approval. meteorologist vianey arana has one last look at the forecast. >> we're going to see breezy winds today. that's going to help clear out some of the smoke and the temperatures are going to be cooler. here we go, 70 forecast for san francisco. 65 degrees today remaining in the 60s, notice by next thursday and friday we bump up into

temperatures in the 70s, we have high pressure moving in. in addition to the high pressure moving in we warm up to the mid and upper 90s by the next week. enjoy the cooler weather today. remember it's breezy so that brings a concern for elevated fire danger. it pushes out the smoke but think about the dry brush out there and how quickly a fire can start and spread with wind. the good news is tomorrow we might get to see sunshine beyond the haze. we've been seeing the orange glow wrapping around the sun and moon so it will be good to breathe fresh air. >> it's good -- the wind is good for one thing but dangerous for another, for potential fires as you pointed out. >> play it smart, guys. that's all i can say. thanks to all of you for making us a part of your morning. we'll have more local news at 5:00, 6:00 and 11:00 and all day on nbcbayarea.com. we'll be right back here tomorrow morning. hope you join us.

i'll post my climate hacks on my socials today. they're back!

. 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, i'm dylan dreyer, and we're about to embark on another "earth odyssey". today, we travel to southern south america. along the way, we'll meet some spectacular animals, like these high-fiving penguin pals. and later, the biggest otters in the world that you "otter" know about. plus, it's show and shell time for these tiny turtle hatchlings. [music playing]