the race against time is on to save the sequoias, some 2,000 years old, in yosemite national park where a wildfire is raging. >> president biden says he's considering declaring a public health emergency for abortion access, but would it be legal. they're about to go in another direction where steve bannon is saying he's about to testify since donald trump has waved executive privilege.

good news for drivers as gas prices continue to be dropping on a regular basis. a woman is ticketed in an hov lane this morning she's fighting back she says her unborn baby counts as a second person does she have a case "early today" starts right now good morning i'm core are coffin. >> and i'm phillip mena. steve bannon is reversing course and offering to testify just days before jury selection is set to begin in his criminal contempt trial nbc's brie jackson is following developments for us from d.c bannon got the green light to testify from donald trump. >> that's right. steve bannon is adamant he could not comply because of executive privilege. former president trump has waived his executive privilege claims in a letter to bannon, mr. trump

called the committee political thugs and hacks who have allowed no cross-examination or real republican witnesses according to his lawyer, bannon is willing to testify and prefers to do so as part of the live public hearings, but committee members say that's unlikely and there are questions about how much useful information bannon will provide. >> i've interviewed steve bannon before i was one of the lead investigators for the russia prosecution for bannon's interview. i would expect zero, absolutely nothing. this guy was like interviewing the joke r. he's maniacal. he's insane. we conducted an hours-long interview where we did not learn very much. >> this comes after white house lawyer pat cipollone testified some of that testimony is expected to be used this week.

a former spokesperson for the far right group, the oath keepers, will be a witness at the seventh public hearing, which is now scheduled for 1:00 p.m. tuesday, and will focus on the formation of the mob that attacked the capital. another time prime hearing is expected thursday night, and that could be when the committee ties all the evidence together and wraps one their closing argument back to you guys. >> a culmination of a year and a half investigation thank you. yesterday president biden said he's considering declaring a public health emergency to protect reproductive freedom it could expand abortion access. >> over the weekend biden urged those on the front lines to keep up the fight >> keep making your point. it's critically important. we can do a lot of things to accommodate the rights of women

in the meantime. fundamentally, the only thing that's going to challenge this is if we have a national law that reinstates roe v. wade. >> one doctor wants to open a floating clinic to bypass the restrictions in several states. >> they would travel by boat performing abortions along the international waters she's aiming to raise $20 million to fund it. dramatic scenes at yosemite park where the washburn fire is raging out of control. hundreds of firefighters are trying to keep the fires at bay. rangers are taking prevent active measures to protect the sequoia trees, many of them thousands of years old

they're only truly found in the range. >> reporter: hot and dry conditions making it difficult for the crew to put the fire down at least 360 firefighters working around the clock in a desperate effort to keep control of the flames. the fire has scorched nearly 1,600 acres and forced evacuations in nearby communities. >> by the time we got down into yosemite valley, ash was raining down it was amazing to see how quickly the smoke took over. >> reporter: it's destroyed many buildings. crews are setting up sprinklers around the sequoia giant, more than 200 feet tall normally this area is a tourist hot spot today it's a literal hot spot. the state of california in a

must-win situation. >> they're among the oldest living things on earth they're iconic for the national park system. they're in a limited range here. >> reporter: the reality is this is the hottest climate these trees have seen in their lifetime. >> they're really threatened by wildfire in the last two years we've lost 20% of the sequoias. we're doing everything we can to protect them. wnba superstar brittany griner is due back in a russian court this week amid growing pressure for her relief. her teammates used the all-star game this weekend to keep her in the spotlight. >> reporter: the wnba kicking off the all-star game while honoring one of its biggest stars. >> selected as an honorary all-star star, brittney griner.

>> reporter: her wife cherelle sitting courtside with a message. >> i'm just so grateful that everybody in this arena is actually still remembering my wife. >> reporter: brittney griner thousands of miles away, locked in a russian prison, but present in this video. a video douccumenting her journ untill now. >> she needs to be home. >> we need to get her back home. >> reporter: players have jerseys with her name and the number 42. griner was detained at a moscow airport for allegedly having vape cartridges containing cannabis oil. >> it was accidentally brought to russia because she was in a hurry as she was packing. >> reporter: her attorney hopes it expedites the process, getting her closer to getting released the kremlin said they won't discuss next steps until the

trial is over. in a phone call with griner's wife, president biden and vice president harris assuring her they're doing everything to get her home. >> they're making sure they have our support to do everything to bring her back home. >> reporter: family and fans waiting and hoping for her return meagan fitzgerald, nbc news. >> a mom is sounding off against american airlines after she claims they lost her child monica's daughter was flying by herself from chattanooga to miami. she was supposed to have a flight attendant accompanying her. after the flight landed, she got a call from a rep who told her her child was missing. >> the thought that somebody could have taken her is terrible still. like i still am having bad dreams about it. >> the airline says we take these matters very seriously and looking into what occurred >> gilliam said they tried to

offer her free flights and a limo service, but she has rejected the aoffers. here a spirit airlines plane catches fire the brakes overheated, sparking the fire as they touched down. no one was hurt. novak djokovic has done it again. the 35-year-old won his seventh men's single title he knocked off nick kyrgios and has taken home his 21st single title. he's one championship away from rafael nadal's record. >> and on the women's side a rising star scored elena rybakina she represents kazakhstan. she previously played for russia but switched nationalities in 2018. let's check your weather

meteorologist michelle grossman is watching for what could be dicey developments michelle >> that's right. we're watching a slow-moving system it could pick up tropical characteristics midweek. rain into the gulf coast states into the southeast we receive a lot of rain in the past week and a half we're going to add to those totals here's what it looks like here it's a slow-moving system in the southeast. we could see up to 5 inches in some spots look how slowly it moves, bringing rain from texas to the carolinas. could see flash flooding in georgia and south carolina also we could see 2 inches of rain per hour that's going to add to those totals the ground's going to be wet that's going to lead to more flooding again, we could see over 5 inches of rain in some spots this is what it looks like the heavy rest rain in parts of louisiana, the gulf coast

108 in parts of texas. a nice day in the mid-atlantic temperatures in the mid 80s in d.c. with low dew points i know it's july, but we're looking at really hot temperatures in the southeast. a difference temperatures there. we'll look at that in a few minutes. the former dallas quarterback turned nfl tv analyst won the american championship for a third time, tony romo. he beach out mark moulder and joe pavelski on sunday with a 5-foot birdie putt he took home the first place prize of $125,000. meanwhile nba great steph curry may not have won the

popular celebrity golf tournament here, but he was the talk of the town when he landed this unbelievable eagle shot the guy has range on the court and out there on the link. >> that's got to be worth something as well. >> it's worth a mention on "early today." >> that's right. it's gold, baby. why a texas mom says she should be able to ride in the hov lane. >> that's a good one. one leap in astronomy. we get a first look from the telescope. enjoy bursts of freshness with every touch. for long-lasting freshness... grab febreze touch. feeling sluggish or weighed down? it could be a sign that your digestive system isn't working at it's best taking metamucil everyday can help. metamucil psyllium fiber, gels to trap and remove the waste that weighs you down. it also helps lower cholesterol and slows sugar absorption to promote healthy blood sugar levels.

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excavators to try to find anybody who may still be alive. a new area in astronomy will begin today. president biden will be providing a first photo from the james webb telescope with one small picture in may, we got a look at a giant leap in technology on the left is the milky way as seen by the spitzer space tele telescope. on the right, an early picture from the webb telescope. a team of space agencies are set to release more pictures from this telescope tomorrow. >> amazing it's like the first time we saw hd television. it's like, how did we ever watch it before. >> exactly you can't go back. a pregnant woman in texas said she got a ticket for driving alone in the hov lane, and she told the officer that her unborn child was her second passenger. the woman identified as brandi betone said the incident

happened last month after she was stopped at a sheriff's checkpoint he discredited her argument saying the unborn child did not count. the officer wrote her a $275 ticket and she plans to fight that during her court date coming up on july 28th. in california, four mexicans are being charged with drug trafficking. the hero in the bust, the canine dog, milo. it is one of the biggest meth busts in the country's history. next on "early today," good news before you fill up for the week what's driving down record-high gas prices at long lt. and a jolt to the box office the marvelous debut of author love and thunder plus, it eliminates odors with a water-based formula and no dyes. for freshness you'll enjoy.

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when i was doing it, people were honking and waving at me. >> reporter: the high, $4.06, but that's down from ten days ago. the lower prices, a welcome surprise for those hitting the road in houston. >> i was doing a pizza delivery. i saw $3.89. i thought, i'm going here. i called my mom and said you need to go here. it's cheaper. >> i've been needed to get gas, but i've been rocking it for a moment, hoping the prices would go down. >> reporter: what does that mean for the wallet it's a dollar less than a month ago. >> why is this happening >> the consumption is going down. >> reporter: diesel has seen a decline too. >> what does it mean for the economy? >> the goods you buy at the store, groceries, hardware, many

ship with diesel it's helping you to essentially pay less for goods or will down the road. >> reporter: many, grateful for the savings and hoping for more. >> i mean if they could make it $2, that would be great. >> that's right. priscilla, thank you. michelle is tracking a dangerous heatwave coming up next. and the not so golden yes.ar inflation is forcing more americans to put off their retirement plans not okay. all...the...symptoms. need to deal with this. so your doctor tells you about trintellix, a prescription medicine for adults with depression. okay, feeling relief from overall symptoms. hmm. and trintellix had no significant impact on weight in clinical trials. so there's that. trintellix may increase suicidal thoughts and actions in people 24 and younger. call a doctor right away if you have these, or new or worsening depression, or new or sudden changes in mood, behavior, thoughts, or feelings. do not take with maois. tell your doctor about all medicines you take

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febreze fabric refresher. the dream of retirement is moving further out of reach for many americans rising prices and shrinking 401(k)s are forcing people to change their plans our erin mclaughlin has more. >> reporter: randall brady's dream retirement was just around the corner. >> my original goal was to retire in five to six years. >> reporter: the michigan-based father of four had planned to retire from his job as product line manager at the age of 62, but he says those plans are now in peril. >> what's happening with the

stockmarket, what's happening with inflation, even worries about taxation, it's really set me back. >> reporter: in the last six months, brady has lost 20% of his retirement savings both he and his son have started a side hustle, teaching computer coding and tech skills to make up the shortfall still, he's worried about his plan to retire at 67. >> is social security going to be there, is inflation still going to be there. >> reporter: brady is not alone. according to a new study from bmo harris, one in four americans are delaying requirement due to financial concerns. >> when people think of retirement, they think of lying back at the beach or spending time visiting your grandkids or traveling or things like that. and if the price of food and the price of gas and the price of just about everything else is going up, that means that you're going to have to cut some corners. >> reporter: the white house is now proi posing a new plan that will bail out as many as 3

billion workers and retire mes who face pension cuts due to pension losses, but many say they're not waiting for government help. teacher steven white says after retiring a few years early due to the pandemic, he's already back at work as a substitute to make ends meet. >> i taught economics and government in high school for 23 years. i understand how the system works. i just didn't feel i was in a comfortable enough spot to not work right now, at least while prices are as high as they are. >> what is your advice to someone right now? >> work longer, maximize your social security benefits, and more than anything else, make a plan, make a budget, figure out what you can afford. >> reporter: experts say now is not the time to keep spending like there's no tomorrow erin mclaughlin, nbc news. >> that's tough to hear. 20% of his retirement savings knocked out. >> it's the perfect storm, the stockmarkets taking such a hit everything costs so much

it's too volatile to jump off right now at this moment you've got to hang on for a little bit longer, and things will tick back up eventually. >> absolutely. we want to thank you for starting your week with "early today. i'm cori coffin. >> and i'm phillip mena. before we takeff, a otake

ancient trees are now in danger as flames burned into a grove near trees that are thousands of years old. the steps under way to save them. while you might feel the impact there is new help for parents in desperate need of baby formula. boosting production almost immediately. >> good monday morning to you and thank you for allowing us