the fires that we've seen in the past few years that have gone through sequoia national park and sequoia national monument, those weren't healthy fires. high intensity and they killed 20% of all giant sequoias, took them two years. but we've been doing prescribed fires for 50 years in part of the grove, and low intensity allows for regeneration of the seeds so we can have the next generation of giant sequoias. >> so it's the low intensity fires compared to the high intensity ones. is there a progress report? >> you know, i think the grove is in pretty good shape, if not excellent shape. you know, next time we go and visit the grove we'll see some scorching on some of the trees, but they'll all be there. >> are you worried about the future of yosemite national park in terms of the two different types of fires that you've been talking about? >> i have concerns that, you know, that we can keep moving prescribed fire programs forward and managing good wildfire, i can -- i think we'll be able to change the outcome of how people experience the park and what's there. >> garrett, what's your mos

park rangers tell me they are hopeful they can save the sequoias.inutes, we've watched the fire explode around these trees sending a dark plume of toxic smoke up into the sky. tonight the world's largeste exp trees are under threat. at yosemite national park, firefighters are enduring scorching heat as an out of control wildfire continues to rage. rage and as they race to save a treasure. 500 of yosemite's giant sequoias are threatened by this fire. these are trees that in some cases have survived all kinds of weather for thousands of years. at least one, the grizzly giant, is nearly 3,000 years old. the battle plan to protect these ancient trees, fight fire with a new source of water. how often are water sprinklers brought in as a solution? >> actually, i have been here 20 years. i don't recall the that happening. >> reporter: we scaled a 200- foot sequoia with researchers in 2019. at the time they believed the iconic trees were protected from wildfires thanks to their two- foot thick bark. that's no longer the case. california's drought, worsened

sequoia has been designed to outlast the cycles in the tech industry.urpose of our firm is to look the on the short-term fluctuations. we are looking for the same thing we were before which is founders that have unique insight who have a lot of great to endure these ups and downs as well as the difficult journey of starting a company. we are looking for large markets where we think you can almost define a category from stretch to create a new one. emily: what is your read on the macro environment right now and how this will be for tech? >> i don't have a crystal ball, but i think we have started to seek not earnings compression. emily: what do you mean by that? >> the public market has returned to historical valuations of revenue multiples. earnings -- i don't think we have seen the full impact of consumers feeling gas is really expensive, my company had layoffs, i can't buy as much enterprise software. i think that might still be coming. that's what we have been forecasting for our founders. we called the meeting recently where we gathered our founders

california drought has taken a toll on the sequoias, tens of thousands killed.st six years, 85% of the giant sequoia habitat in the sierra nevada has been hit by wildfire, compared to 25% previous century. more immediate concern, flames so intense, creating its own weather. updrafts sending debris into the sky. one air tanker reported a near miss. >> a branch went by us. pretty good sized. don't want to take a chance to bust a window in airplane. hurting aircraft for this. >> reporter: in remote area, hard to reach. fire crews hope back burns will stop this blaze from growing. norah. >> jonathan vigliotti, thank you so much. >>> in washington, president biden addressed families of those killed in mass shootings to mark a bipartisan gun safety law, first significant gun legislation in three decades but for some doesn't go far enough. cbs's lilia luciano is in uvalde where the frustration over the release of key evidence is mounting. >> no justice. >> no peace. >> reporter: grief has grown to action in uvalde. more than a month after the massacre of 19 students an

thousands of sequoias are threatened by the fair. these trees have survived all kinds of weather for thousands of years. at least one the grizzly giant is nearly 3,000 years old. the battle plan to protect these ancient trees, fight fire with . how en a water solution? >> actually, i have been here 20 years. i don't recall the that happening. >> reporter: we scaled a 200-foot sequoia with researchers in 2019. at the time they believed the iconic trees were protected from wildfires thanks to their two-foot thick bark. that's no longer the case. california's drought worsened by climate change has already take an terrible toll on the sequoias. tens of thousands have been killed. in the past six years, 85% of the giant sequoia habitat in the sierra nevada has been hit by wildfire compared to 25% the previous century. more immediate concern are flames so intense the fire is creating its own weather. updrafts are sending debris into the sky. one air tanker reported a near miss. >> went right over the top of us. pretty good size. i don't wa

more than 500 firefighters battling to save the ancient sequoias. flaming burning across more than 2,300 acres. more than 1,600 residents and came persons orderered to evacuate. will carr reporting from the fire zone tonight. >>> also, news on the coronavirus here in the u.s. and what health officials are now warning tonight could be the most transmissible covid variant yet in this country. and what moderna is now saying tonight about its new booster when it comes to that particular variant. eva pill game standing by. >>> just days before his trial for contempt of congress, former trump adviser steve bab nonnow says he's willing to testify been the january 6th committee. tonight, a judge saying despite bannon's change of heart, his trial will go on. also late today, what we learned about tomorrow's january 6th hearing who will testify now? and the other key witness we're expected to hear from. rachel scott with new reporting. >>> the war in ukraine. and tonight, the white house now warning it believes iran is getting ready to help russia. what they'

i am proud that sequoia is a backer of maven clinic.es everything from pregnancy counseling to maternity. it is a wonderful service. it does offer a wallet option that allows employers to pay for travel out of state as well as cover everything like fertility benefits. i think a lot will fall on some of the female founders. overall, i am optimistic in the long term but it is always multiple steps forward. >> i appreciate you sharing your thoughts on all of that with us. you have a very long history in this industry. great to have you with us. >> coming up, bitcoin minors feeling the heat with the texas power grid near the brink. we will talk about the impacts of the heat wave in the lone star state that has become a hub for digital assets. that is next. this is bloomberg. ♪ >> we have been talking about startup funding. talk to us about where the tide is going here. click think about the massive disconnect you are seeing here. if you have tens of billions of dollars in the first quarter alone, the funding of the startups themselves has r

guest: lisa sequoias have evolved over -- the sequoias have evolved over eons to be resistant to fire. their bark is one foot thick, so they are resistant to fire. they also have a lot of tannin inside the tree that helps repel insects. i used to say, these trees are too big to fail, but in recent years with climate change, we're starting to become more concerned about them being more vulnerable. kristen: let's talk about the many threats they face today. i know that they need the sierra snowpack and i know that is being chipped away. but talk about why they are being threatened and why we really need them, especially now. guest: with the drought that has been going on for several years in the sierra, that is less snow and less water for the trees. it also weakens the trees so they are not able to repel insects as easily. they actually use water to push insects away. it is sort of how they work. they are just using all the water to survive. that is why they are vulnerable. there is a bark beetle that has been attracting -- attacking the trees at the very top which is never been seen i

incredibly not a sickle sequoia has been touched by fire yet. it is an incredible feat i want to give you some perspective on how massive these trees are. let me turn to our second camera here that's a few hundred feet away. there are 600 of these majestic beauties across the valley floor. not one has been lost to this fire yet the blaze is roughly 25% contained. it remains an active threat tonight so by no means are we out of the woods. firefighters, though, here on the ground doing an incredible job. lester, back to you. >> hats off to them for that incredible work miguel, thank you. >>> we are tracking that extreme heat that's been fueling those fires, scorching temperatures being felt by 36 million people from the west to the gulf coast. al roker joining us now. al, what are you watching >> lester, we will start out with the heat 36 million people from the pacific northwest all the way to the mississippi river valley for heat advisories, heat warnings tomorrow triple digit heat indexes from little rock, baton rouge, all the way to saint ange

giant sequoia cove is only open during a fire, when they can nestle in the ash. that means fire is key to the grove's long-term survival. >> thousands of giant baby sequoias will be showing up. >> reporter: marianne favreau, nbc bay area news. >>> shooting in oakland. one man is dead. it happened at 1:30 a.m. officers say they shot three people. two women who were shot are expected to be okay. they did not release a motive and no arrest has been made. this is the 61st homicide of the year in oakland. >>> families living her coyote creek are demanding changes after that troubling discovery of a home encampment. we were watching inside an elaborate bunker at the encampment. it was filled with goods, including guns. it had even been wired for electricity. this was the latest problem linked to the camps. other issues include piles of garbage and fires. now they say, something has to change. nearby residents say they need help. they need a buffer zone. >> we are paying so much of the taxes. we want to be safe. we want to feel secure and safe. but, no, no thanks. every

giant sequoias silver? 400 acres are burning in your 70.have the latest on that wildfire when we come back. >> now to the washburn fire burning inside yosemite. this is new aerial video capturing the fire charring the lower portion of mariposa grove. the fire has so far burned nearly 470 acres. there's no containment. a mandatory evacuation order has been issued for the community of well, a and one a campground. the red cross is opening up an evacuation shelter for people affected by the fire and parts of yosemite are closed, including the famed mariposa more than 500 mature giant trees now being threatened by the fire. maderas bat has the latest. >> i'm standing inside of the park near the mayor opposed grow. were there some of the largest trees in the world behind me, you can see the flames and the smoke from the washburn fire today. fire crews working on containing the blaze that threatens some of the largest giant sequoias in the world. the mayor opposed to grove is one of the most visited spots in yosemite national park with 500 giant

sequoia national park last year. absolutely right.the western sierra has been ravished by both fire, which has been killing trees, and by bark beetles. these beetles get inside trees. the trees can no longer strip them with their protective liquids and resins. then, the trees hollow out and the bar needles will skip from tree to tree, causing fast swaths of trees to wind up dead bird that makes them extremely vulnerable to fires. sometimes, they stay alive with standing cadaver trees. at other times, they fall over. again, they can catch fire. that's why it's so important that they cleared these dead trees out of the grove and we understand some volunteers, some wonderful young men, have also been helping out. so, it's an all-out battle to save those majestic sequoias in yosemite national park. back to you now, pam. >> it sure is. so far, it's working. at least we hope it stays that way. thank you so much, paul. >>> more information about the assassination of former japanese prime minister, shinzo abe. the leaves in the investigation

a grove of 500 sequoias in the southern part of yosemite. we will show you what we are talking about. here it is outlined in green and we will show you that in a moment and the park is in green and part of the park is where the fire was burning and here is the evacuation order for the southern part of yosemite and the orange and yellow part is evacuation warnings, which could possibly be evacuated. good news though. firefighters say they are optimistic that the sequoias will be saved and actually wrapped those trees up with protective foil in the park also has sprinklers to water the trees and containment is up to 25% at this hour. although there is progress on the fire line, we do see a lot of smoke and you can see this from time-lapse late this afternoon from one of our wildfire cameras and we will bring in our meteorologist. here is where we are and yosemite of course is here and how is it making it here? >>> at this point we are in the clear when it comes to smoke and we had some of it making it over to pittsburgh but the pattern is real

we are also looking at what they are doing to protect the sequoias. they laid out sprinklers to spray the trees with water. some of them are also wrapped in special fire resistant foil. >>> we turned out to breaking news out of the north bay. police are investigating a homicide in petaluma. just before 2:00 this morning, they responded and found a man in the middle of keller street. crews attempted cpr on him, but he died on the scene. police are still there investigating and searching for the killer. >>> it has been another weekend of protests across the country in reaction to the supreme court's overturning of roe versus wade. this is a protest in sacramento near the state capital. demonstrators took over the streets yesterday carrying signs and chanting. and closer to home in san jose, a similar scene out at city hall. students organized this protest in favor of reproductive rights. they said while they know women's rights aren't threatened here in california, you want to send a message of support to women in states where abortions are now illegal.

sequoias inside the park a national treasure under serious threat. >> they're incredibly fire resilient it's just the fire is so different right now. >> reporter: biologist garrett dickman says yosemite and california has never seen infernos like these. mega fires fueled by extreme drought, the new normal, incinerating trees that withstood flames for thousands of years. >> we have lost 20% of all giant sequoias on earth in the past 2 years alone. so, i mean, at this point every tree counts >> reporter: climate change is playing a role in how these fires burn they're now hotter, faster, and more explosive than ever before those dangerous conditions creating their own weather system on the ground the fire's powerful updraft launching tree limbs hundreds of feet into the sky, narrowly missing fire fighting aircraft >> a branch went right over the top of us >> reporter: tracking

the sequoias are known for surviving fires. fires are burning hotter and quicker than ever before because of drier conditions. >> with some of the older trees, the arteries that are 3000 years old. they are massive and giant when you stand next to them. >> in the last two years the u.s. forest service blames several fires for killing 20% of the giant sequoias in the sierra nevada's. >>> we are back in 90 seconds. >>> coming up, the classics are back on the big screen. bay area moviegoers are celebrating the opening of an iconic theater. >>> eryn rogers has more than his golf reputation on the line. >>> a beautiful night upon us in san francisco. we are tracking warmer weather and even thunderstorms. i will have your full weekend wrap-up of that weather coming up in 10 minutes. i am robert strickler. i've been involved in communications in the media for 45 years. i've been taking prevagen on a regular basis for at least eight years. for me, the greatest benefit over the years has been that prevagen seems to help me recall things

>>> the fate of 2,000-year-old sequoia trees hangs in the balance. fire crews work to protect the national treasures as the yosemite fire grows. >>> the january 6th hearings just got a whole lot more interestinnow that steve bannon's claims of executive privilege have been waived by former president trump >>> caught on camera a carjacking in progress as a mom does all she can to save her kids who were inside the car >>> in wake of so many shootings, one company taking an active shooter training to the next level >>> and then the happy accident that brought perfect strangers living thousands of miles apart together for a joyous outcome. "early today" starts right now >> germany on this monday. i'm cori coffin. >> and i'm phillip mena. we begin in yosemite national park, where the washburn fire is raging out of control. hundreds of firefighters are trying to keep the flames at bay, but persistently hot and dry conditions are making that very difficult rangers are taking preventative measures to protect the park's iconic sequoia trees, many of them thou

this fire is closing in on the largest grove of giant sequoias india semi t national park fire fighters are hoping to protect these ancient trees. some of the largest in the world homes, businesses, cars, the flames are devouring. if we think sake smoke has darkened the parks, scenic views more than 6000 people, including campers, have been told to get out. they came by about 1520 minutes ago and told us that everybody's got to go about 4 o'clock our one out. and the fire even coming towards us bathroom, faster weeks ago, firefighters installed sprinklers in the murray potter grove to keep the trunks moist in a bit to keep the flames away from the sequoias, including one of its most famous attractions. this 3000 year old sequoia known as the grizzly giant in recent years, california wild fires have destroyed thousands of giants equus fire officials say it could take days before this one is fully contained. warmer temperatures and extreme drought conditions linked to climate change are making wild fires more common. the yosemite blaze comes as much of the u. s. is in the grips of an extr

more than 500 firefighters battling to save the ancient sequoias.lames burning across more than 2,300 acres. doubling in size in 24 hours. more than 1,600 residents and campers ordered to evacuate. will carr reporting from the fire zone tonight. >>> also, news on the coronavirus here in the u.s. and what health officials are now warning tonight could be the most transmissible covid variant yet in this country. anwh modernas i tonight about its new booster when it comes to that particular variant. eva pilgrim standing by. >>> just days before his trial for contempt of congress, former trump adviser steve bannon now says he's willing to testify before the january 6th committee. tonight, a judge now saying despite bannon's change of

the race to save yosemite's giant sequoias.crews worked around the clock. >>> a major development in a cold case investigation. the silicon valley tech executive now facing murder charges. the evidence detectives say connection to the 30-year-old case. >>> plus if you are driving by, it was impossible to miss, what we learned about a raging fire that had a lot of people concerned. >>> it has happened again, another french bulldog stolen from its owner. this time at a busy shopping center. with a police car nearby. >> she means the world to me, she's our baby. i have been wanting this dog for a while now. >> how you can help get her dog back. >>> good evening, that fire at yosemite national park, some in the bay area feeling the effects of poor air quality. in the middle of that fire zone, a grove of sequoias, some of which are thousands of years old. >> crews across the state, trying to save these trees that are unique to our region, nbc bay area cheryl hurd has the latest. >> reporter: new video tonight from the washburn fire.

racing to save the sequoias. the washburn fire is burning in yosemite national park. keeping its strength as the fire continues to grow. the new efforts to preserve the trees. >>> the bay area real estate market cools off slightly. some neighborhoods are holding up better than others. we speak with an expert about tips to improve your chances if you're looking to buy a home. >>> this is today in the bay streaming live on roku, amazon fire, apple tv, and online. >>> good to have you with us on this tuesday morning. i'm kris sanchez >> i'm marcus washington. mike is patiently waiting by. >>> first we want to start with a look at the forecast. >> it's cold this morning. cooler in here. we are waking up to clouds rolling by. this is a outside as you are heading out this morning. better air quality too. yesterday we had a hazy sky with some smoke. today we're looking at good air quality. look at these temperatures. slightly cooler for the valleys that have been so hot these past few days. fairfield at 88. the same in livermore. san jose in the low 80s. 70s for the interbay

the park's grove of sequoia trees. firefighters are using all means available to them to protect the ancient trees. planes are dropping fire retardant. the area around the mariposa grove is now closed. all visitors there have been told to evacuate. hundreds of firefighters on the ground are digging lines and clearing dead brush. the extreme drought is only fueling the fire. crews are setting up sprinklers to protect the 3,000-year-old grizzly giant, that tree the second tallest in the park, reaches well over 200 feet. the fire currently spans nearly 1600 acres with hot and dry conditions expected to persist. will carr leads us off tonight. >> tonight, the urgent battle to save the iconic giant sequoias in yosemite national park. from the air, planes dropping water and that bright red fire retardant. the intense flames and heat sending debris hundreds of feet into the air reportedly causing a near miss for one plane. >> a branch went right over top of us, pretty good size. if we keep seeing that we might have to knock i

in the last two or three years we lost 20% of the population of giant sequoias. you can bet we're doing everything we can to protect them. >> cal joins me from yosemite cal, it's hard to tell from here how desperate are things inside the park? >> reporter: kate, things are desperate because this fire is still at zero percent containment. they are still battling it at this hour and conditions are only expected to worsen in the coming days there is little to no chance of rain in the forecast and temperatures are only expected to rise kate >> we'll hope that changes. cal, thank you >>> a major development today in the ongoing january 6th hearing. steve bannon, a member of former president trump's inner circle, says he will cooperate with the committee but his testimony may come with a hitch that news comes as we learn more about what trump's former white house counsel just told committee members. ali vitali is tracking it all for us. >> reporter: new possible cooperation from an unlikely source, an about-face from top trump ally steve bannon, after former president

hundreds of sequoia trees are at risk, many of them thousands of years old. more than 500 firefighters are battling the brazelaze which is currently only 25% contained >> reporter: exploding in size, yosemite's washburn fire is quickly sweeping through the national park as more than 500 firefighters lose ground against the out-of-control blaze >> we're trying to keep the fire from climbing the trees. >> reporter: torching forest land and fuel. a national treasure under serious threat >> they're incredibly fire resilient. it's just the fire's so different right now. >> reporter: biologist garrett dickman says yosemite and california have never seen infernos like these. mega fires fueled by extreme drought. the new normal, incinerating trees that withstood flames for,for thousands of years >> we've lost 20% of all giant sequoias on earth in the last two years. >> reporter: climate change is playing a role in how these fires burn they'r they're hotter, faster and more explosive. >> reporter: the powerful updraft launching tree limbs hundreds of feet into the sky

we saw crew do something similar in sequoia national park last year. so far, no reports of major damage to the famous trees. giant sequoia's are known for surviving fire, but wildfires are burning hotter and quicker than ever before due to dry conditions. >> some of the oldest trees there are, trees that are 10,000 years old, they are massive giants when you stand next to them. >> beautiful trees. just two years ago, the u.s. forest service blamed wildfires for killing nearly 20% of the giant sequoia's in this area. >> this just in, at least two people are recovering after a boating accident near -- marina. san jose fire says a boat hit something in the water, capsized , and then people on the boat had to be rescued. no word on condition of the boaters, but we know one person had a fracture, another was cut. we will have update on the story as more information comes in. >>> two weeks since the supreme court overturns roe versus wade, it was another day of action nationwide. >> reporter: see, right here, marches and protests happened all over the countr

sequoias. "morning joe" is coming right back. sequoias. "morning joe" is coming right back if you think you have dupuytren's contracture, there's a simple test you can take—from anywhere. try to lay your hand flat against a surface. if you can't, you may have dupuytren's contracture. talk to a hand specialist about your options, including nonsurgical treatments. i'm a performing artist. so a healthy diet is one of the most important things. i also feel the same way about my dog. we got her the farmer's dog sent in the mail. it was all fresh. i want my dog to have a healthy and long life. the farmer's dog helps that out. see the benefits of fresh food at betterforthem.com did you see a ufo in that cloud? the farmer's dog helpsnope. out. run! ♪ ♪ [ droning sound ] >>> back in 19 after the hour. the raging wildfiren dangering husband hundreds of the giant iconic soakoya trees in yosemite, continues to burn as scores of firefighters battle the blaze. miguel almaguer has the latest. >> reporter: thi

the good news when it comes to protecting the sequoias. >>> and we have a warning for people living in eastern contra costa county as the marsh fire continues to smolder. >>> a return to near average temperatures healthchecks out the fire threat around the bay area today. already the fog is starting to roll in. it will drop down to ground level. we'll track that and look ahead the weekend coming up in the first alert forecast. my tribe has lived on this land for 12,000 years. we call it oleyumi. you call it california. our land, our culture, our people once expansive, now whittled down to a small community. only one proposition supports california tribes like ours. while providing hundreds of millions in yearly funding to finally address homelessness in california. vote yes on 27. tax online sports betting and protect tribal sovereignty and help californians that are hurting the most. >>> that big wildfire in yosemite national park is now 22% contained as firefighters work to protect some of the largest and oldest trees in the world. cbs reporter jonathan vigliotti has the latest from

this is home to 500 richard giant sequoia's. we have been proactive in fire management and we have had prescribed burns in the area in the past. have been lightning strike fires around the grove over the last several years. this has helped us to clear a lot of the downed brush which helps the sequoias be more resistant to fire. fire is important, critical for giants acquires, to have the seeds come out of the cones and regenerate the soil and provide habitats. fire is part of the ecosystem, but it is these high-intensity fires that are causing the damage that happened, like in the creek fire, and in the complexes, last year. we have the spengler system, one of the largest trees that you mentioned, and we wrap the clark cabin, in the upper grove . the rest of the sequoias were feeling really good. they are resilient to fire, so we are feeling really good, cautious about the giants acquires, but we have incredibly skilled, hard-working firefighters around the area. we are getting tremendous support from national parks, our federal

out-of-control yosemite wildfire is threatening hundreds of giant sequoias and nearby community. it's ballooned to more than 1,000 acres, growing more than 50% since yesterday. fire crews say the way the wind moved, it's brought fire closer to developed areas of the park. 200 people living in the community are under mandatory evacuations as fire grows near. >> there's spotting, embers going toward them. it was based on the spotting and location it was decided to evacuateity. >>d t firtsrgh, off willow pass road, officially controlled after burning more than 200 acres, but winds and heat gave new life to the smoldering at marsh outside of power plant. recent dry spell forced con fire to take another route. >> additional alarms were called to basically set up and prepare for structure protection if the fire kept pushing easterly. crews were able to knock down the fire and prevent it from jumping into the residential area. >>> darren peck with weather. temperatures continue to climb. >> yeah. >> not greatest conditions for firefighters. >> no. and it's still burning, good containmen

. >>> plus, fighting to save the sequoias. the latest on the fire in and the effect it may have on the bay area. >>> i'm brian hackney. >> and i'm andria borba. shawn >> reporter: the family of the victim tells us they're normally private people but felt the need to speak out. they hope they can help to catch the suspect and prevent this from happening to anyone else. the family's ring doorbell camera captures the moment the suspect runs up to their front door and tries to rob the victim with a gun. >> when i watched the whole video from the beginning, it just hurts my heart. i definitely didn't want that to happen. >> reporter: the victim is a grandfather in his 70s. his son-in-law was near the front door inside when it happened. but his newborn son was in his arms at the time. >> i realized that the quickest i can do is start banging on the do are and screaming, hoping that he would get his attention. >> reporter: warren did not want to show his face. he tells us the attack happened around thursday morning when his father-in

this 3000 year old sequoia known as the grizzly giant. in recent years, california wildfires have destroyed thousands of giants equus fire officials say it could take days before this one is fully contained. warmer temperatures and extreme drought conditions linked to climate change are making wildfires more common. the yosemite blaze comes as much of the u. s. is in the grips of an extreme heat wave. parts of california are seen temperatures close to 40 degrees celsius center to some sports. now the quarter finals of the women's euros in england are through and the stage is set for the semi finals. france became the last team to book their ticket for the final, for after knocking out the netherlands in extra time on saturday. face germany on wednesday before that it's hosts england who will play sweden. and let's get more and all the latest mac mail from d. w. sports here in a studio max, tell me, 1st of all, how are france able to secure their semi final spot? yet it was quite surprising they saw the reigning champions netherlands on pa

while flames have singed some of the 600 towering sequoias, so far none have been destroyed. >> we're feeling confident with the plan we have in place to give the giant sequoias the best protection we can give them >> reporter: as containment builds around the fire's edge, firefighters worry the blaze could easily blow out of control again. scorching temperatures, thick brush and millions of dead trees are a recipe for disaster. one of the most challenging aspects of this fire is the terrain. steep, rocky and heavily wooded, it is the perfect area for a fire to explode. drought conditions have turned much of the west into a tinder box. this year's fire season already twice as destructive as the ten-year average where there's no flames, thick choking smoke has billowed 200 miles away >> the crews aren't quite out of the woods yet. >> is that right >> no. we are only 22% contained and it could still go for weeks >> reporter: with yosemite's ancient history at stake, the 200 foot, 3,000-year-old sequoias have drawn presidents like taft and roosevelt to stand in their shadows for now, the

the fire is still threatening the giant sequoias. we'll have more on the fight against that fire in just a minute. >>> first, we are following this blaze that ripped through a homeless encampment in west oakland. firefighters say this started near the intersection of 34th and woods street. cars and rvs caught on fire. some ramps had to be shut down for a while, but those are back open now. nobody got hurt. >>> that fire plus smoke from the washburn fire might have you wondering about the air quality. >> here's the silver lining. the smoke that has drifted into the bay area is not expected to last for very long, as the weather shifts once again within the next day or so. medical experts say if you're in one of those vulnerable groups, young children, the avoid that smoke as much as possible. stay t smoke, the air quality is not good. the bay area air quality management has issued an advisory rather than an alert. that's because they say the smoke is expected to move out of the area fairly quickly and should not be a long-term threat.

again, the trail of the giant sequoias is closed off to the public. i did ask park officials when this area could reopen, but they say right now it's just too soon to reporting from yosemite national park, mid air is bad. back to you in the studio. >> but you 70 actually issued mandatory evacuation orders for the community of woe now and then we'll bona a campground because of the washburn fire and highway. 41 is also closed in the southbound direction at the will own a golf course. as you just heard, this fire is burning near the lower portion of mariposa grove and is threatening the home of more than 500 towering sequoia trees. >> back here in the bay area, a vegetation fire in pittsburgh reignited last night and moved toward the decommissioned power plant. today. the marsh fire burned more than 100 acres back in mid-june. firefighters prevented it from destroying any property, but they were unable to fully extinguish it due to its location today. it's sparked up yet again. contra costa fire devoted extra resources from the air and on the ground. it

on the fire watch and out of control, the yosemite fires are threatening sequoias.es started in southern end of the park and grown to almost 1,200 acres ap expanding 50% by friday. it is zero percent contained and as of last night, no reports of well known sequoias in the park being damaged, but about 250 people living in the nearby communities are on mandatory evacuations. >> the spotting embers are near wi woe na, and the spotting evacuations to evacuate the near by wywona communities. >> it is heartbreaking, and we are afraid for the people there in the town, because it is a really cute town. it is very small, and then just heartbroken about the trees. >> national park crews are wrapping the trees hoping to protect them, and the cause of the fire itself is still under investigation. >> okay. following up on that, devin, i have the map on that this morning of the progression of the fire. the map behind me is showing the outline of the washburn fire in the area of the sequoias with which has pink there, and i don't know if you can see the details the, but there is

>>> 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 h

. >>> a setback in the fight to protect ancient sequoia trees in yosemite. fire was 25% contained yesterday until crews reported an explosion of fire activity later in the day. the sequoias remain safe for now. historic drought conditions are the big challenge. fires across the u.s. this year have burned nearly 4 million acres, more than twice the average amount. will carr is in yosemite. >> reporter: while fire crews are doing everything they can to protect these sequoias, you can hear the helicopters over head. this fire is continuing to burn through dangerously dry fuels.i weeks. >> nearly 550 firefighters are battling the fire and more are on the way. >>> breaking in los angeles overnight, a police chase ended with a child rescued from a stolen car. authorities say the suspect took the vehicle from a gas station with a toddler in the a back seat. the driver surrendered after an hour- long chase. the officer was seen removing the child still in a car seat seemingly unharmed. >>> iran may be joining russia's side in the war against ukraine. the ukra33 peop

none of the sequoias have been destroyed. most part they're in fairly good shape. the blaze is about 22% contained. that containment number is expected to rise over the next 24 hours. officials are going to be dealing with hot weather today, so that could be a bit of a setback. in terms of the good news on the weather front, we don't expect windy conditions that will fan the flames. firefighters will have that advantage. again, fire officials are doing all they can to protect the 600 sequoias in the valley floor. again, they have not lost a single one. so far, good news at the valley floor. today will be another big test for those on the front lines. hoda, back to you. >> miguel almaguer for us there in yosemite, thank you. >>> the house january 6th hearings resume today, a focus on extremist groups today and how they may have been influenced by former president trump and his allies. nbc's chief white house correspondent here, kristen welker, with more on this. what do you expect? >> good to see all of you. it could be anothe