in yosemite, the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts. we as film makers and writers, photographers and editors have struggled these many years to comprehend the nearly cosmic calculus that continually recommends that special belly to us. the final accounting will not come, of course. our arithmetic will fail. the glories of yosemite and all the national parks will be impossible to articulate with any precision by us mere mortals. interestingly, these mortals have been in many ways, big and small, the glue that holds the story of the national parks together. it was people, after all who failed to find words to express the emotions they felt in these places, but nonetheless moved fearlessly into that unknowing. it was people who, in fits and starts, and up against powerful and relentless opposition, first tried to set aside these parks. it was people who saw the danger to wildlife and scenery and rescued a threatened species from extinction. it was people who drew up the laws and fought the bureaucratic fight to create an agency charged wi

he is a park ranger right now stationed at yosemite and he is an african-american. is the only african-american ranger in the sierra nevada. he interprets the little-known story of the african-american buffalo soldiers, the celebrated cavalrymen who were in the first decade of the 20th century the parks protectors in the sequoyah and yosemite national park's, two of the earliest national parks. it is an interesting little known phenomena, but if you go back and remember that, of course, more african-americans are lynched in the first decades of the 20th century than any other time in our history, you begin to understand what a challenging and interesting story it therefore becomes if people are telling you how to behave in a national park and most of those cavalrymen are, how should we say, overseeing our weitz, it makes, as sheldon johnson said, a very interesting day. he not only brings alive the story of the buffalo soldiers, which is wonderful, but as shall be put in the story like buck o'neil in baseball, like wynton marsalis with jazz, like jack johnson, he hi

he is a park ranger stationed at yosemite. he is an african-american. the only african-american ranger in the sierra nevada. he interprets the little known story of the african-american buffalo soldiers and the celebrated cavalry men. the parks protectors in sequoia and yosemite national parks, two of the earliest national parks. it is already an interesting little known phenomenon but if you go back and remember that of course more african-americans are lynched in the first decades of the 20th century than at any other time of our history you would begin to understand what a kind of challenging and interesting story it therefore becomes. if the people that are telling you how the behave in a national park and most of these cavalry men are, how shall we say, overseeing, are white, it makes as sheldon johnson said, for a very interesting day. he not only brings alive the story of the buffalo soldiers, which is wonderful. but of course like shell by foot in "the civil war" and like wynton marsalis in "jazz" and stanley crouch in "jack johnson". he hits it

. >> this is the wilderness prophet, this scottish-born wandering who walks into yosemite and understands he could find god not with the dogmatic devotion of his father's faith which had whipped him until he memorized most of the old testament and new testament, but in the united states we could worship god on our own as we saw fit in the cathedrals of nature. and he began to write about this and convinced americans at this very critical moment in our history to save these places or we'd lose them. >> you say that a trip to a park should be a transformative experience, and actually, in the process of making this film, you were reminded of a transformative experience in your own young life. >> we were filming at yosemite, one of the first shots. i should have been dog tired. i told everybody, this is my first natural national park. i had been to the historic battle fields for the civil war, but i couldn't sleep. and all of a sudden, i realized that in 1959, when i was 6 years old, when my mom was dying of cancer, our house was a dim and demoralized place, my father wasn't a great father, b

in yosemite, the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts. we as film makers and writers, photographers and editors have struggled these many years to comprehend the nearly cosmic calculus that continually recommends that special belly to us. the final accounting will not come, of course. our arithmetic will fail. the glories of yosemite and all the national parks will be impossible to articulate with any precision by us mere mortals. interestingly, these mortals have been in many ways, big and small, the glue that holds the story of the national parks together. it was people, after all who failed to find words to express the emotions they felt in these places, but nonetheless moved fearlessly into that unknowing. it was people who, in fits and starts, and up against powerful and relentless opposition, first tried to set aside these parks. it was people who saw the danger to wildlife and scenery and rescued a threatened species from extinction. it was people who drew up the laws and fought the bureaucratic fight to create an agency charged wi

it's more popular than the grand canyon and yosemite combined. do you know where it is? we'll be back. imagine... one scooter or power chair that could improve your mobility and your life. one medicare benefit that, with private insurance, may entitle you to pay little to nothing to own it. one company that can make it all happen... your power chair will be paid in full. the scooter store. hi i'm dan weston. we're experts at getting you the scooter or power chair you need. in fact, if we pre-qualify you for medicare reimbursement and medicare denies your claim, we'll give you your new power chair or scooter free. i didn't pay a penny out of pocket for my power chair. with help from the scooter store, medicare and my insurance covered it all. call the scooter store for free information today. call the number on your screen for free information. >>> we are heading into the final trading hour before labor day. and everyone wants to know what's going to happen for the rest of september? we'll get a quick check on what they feel from art hogan and gordon, managing director at

. >> you know, out west, there's yosemite and yellowstone, and it's really nice to have... chris wright, baltimore, md: ...you know, things exactly like that, and things just as beautiful as that right here in maryland's own backyard. >> when you come out here, you immediately connect. this is the way that maryland originally looked... kyle blount, baltimore, md: ...and i know that when i have kids, i want them to be able to appreciate this kind of beauty. >> hey!!! >> i heard on the radio they found a coat over in this section. >> narrator: new germany state park is an ideal setting for the park services revived ranger school. >> i have a gentleman here at cabin 11 with a shotgun on the porch. >> narrator: four weeks of intensive training. >> [sniffing bottle] where'd you get the mountain dew? >> robin melton, dean, ranger school: we're trying to get back to tradition. when i came into the service, almost 18 years ago, we ran a full ranger school, and we're reverting to that tradition. they get a lot of scenarios, what ifs? we like them to be faced with a lot of things bef

zion and yosemite. if there were no national parks, yellowstone would geyser world.it's who we are that's at the heart of the national parks. >> ken burns story airs this friday on pbs. you can see more on nightly.msnbc.com. his name was timothy j. russert. the father of our late friend and colleague, tim russert died in buffalo, new york. he wrote a book about the relationship with his father who worked two jobs. a veteran of world war ii, big russ was 85 years old. >>> when we come back, young people helping their peers in a city far away. e you just struck and you know what? you did hit pay-dirt cause it's ford truck month. an' leading this herd is the ford f-150. it's not just a truck it's an f-150. and with great power comes great fuel economy. no wonder it was named 2009 motor trend truck of the year. now get 0 percent apr for 60 months or 45 hundred cash back on an 09 f-150. and ford credit is on board to help with the financing. it's truck month! only at your local ford dealer. medication to lower your bad cholesterol but your good cholesterol and triglycerid

we did a show at yosemite one time, which is breath-taking.k in rhode island. isn't there a teeny one in rhode island? >> providence? >> providence plantations, yes. >> i saw that guy with the hat walking around a the time. >> that was the mailman. >> what's he doing here? that was our ranger. i salute you now. >>ore after this. >>> 8:56 is our time right now. 65 degrees. some clouds still above the nation's capital here. we will get the forecast from meteorologist, tom kierein coming up. good morning. i'm joe krebs. a chief of staff for the d.c. counsel member jim graham is facing bribery charges. he isccused of accepting cash for certain taxi cab legislation. he has pleaded not guilty. graham says he was not aware of any wrongdoing in his office. >>> preparations are underway for a prayer service expected to draw thousands of people to downtown washington. the muslim service will take place at 1:30 on the west front of the capital building. that event could cause some afternoon traffic problems. while there are no street closures yet, offici

i met wallace dedicating of mountain in yosemite. he and i became very close and i made a small documentary against it -- about his life. stewart and i came together naturally and i asked him if he would be willing to chair this new organization. and he did. but by this time he was retired from public office but he carried so much weight and experience with him, and he has such a wonderful way of expressing it, white mo did, that i thought would be wonderful. he also listened to both sides. so he became the chairman and when we put together a group, he said you got have industry and you've got have the environmental group. you got to have the top. so the guy shows up from the industry, the head of southern cal edison, the chief component of that power plant deal. >> he was the guy that wanted to build it and bring the power over, right. >> stewart said, now you've got to work with both sides. anyway, howard comes in there and i am waiting for it. and he says, bob, it is just great to see you. and i said, what, are you kidding? no, i

. >> from yosemite to yellowstone, from the grand canyon to the grand tetons, award winning filmmaker makes the national parks the star of his documentary. it took a decade to make this tribute to the parks and the people. the national park, america's best idea is a 12-hour, 6-part series that premieres on pbs. ken burns. good to see you. >> good morning, contessa. >> talk to me about what you wanted to accomplish when you tackled the national parks. >> we didn't want to tell a travelog or nature film. we wanted to tell the history of ideas and individuals that made this uniquely american thing happen. for the first time in human history land was set aside not for kings or the very rich but for everybody. it's a bottom up story of a diverse cast of characters, drama filled because of course saving a park meant you went against the developmental interests at the time, the people who wanted to put a dam over a river or cut down the trees or mine a canyon. and a few courageous people said no. that's the story we want to tell. we think it's an evergreen story and a story that speaks today

yosemite, one of the most beautiful valleys on earth would be a gated community. yellowstone would be geyser world. we're talking about the difference between pottersville and bedford falls. and we choose in it's a wonderful layoff to live in bedford falls. we reject pottersville. but yet so much of the arguments today, that selfishness is very much what america is about. you know what? it is not what we're with. we're about sharing these things in common. it is about commonwealth which is a wonderful idea. and not socialism. if it is socialism, then the people you call at 3:00 a.m. when your house is on fire, that's socialism. and the people who are in afghanistan risking their lives, that's socialism. the people picking up your trash, that's socialism, too. >> we cannot talk constructively about government. we will get over having a national park system, i believe. ken burns, it is such an honor to have you here. thank you. the miniseries is called the national parks: america's best idea. it is a 12-hour long series. it is worth every single minute of your time.

yosemite valley would be a gated community. yellowstone would become geyser world, something like that. we're talking about the difference between pottersville and bedford falls. and we choosz in "it's a wond wonderful life" to live in bedford falls. but that selfishness is so much what america is about. you know what? it's not what we're about. it's about common wel, a wonderful idea, and not socialism. if it's socialism, then the people you call at 3:00 a.m. when your house is on fire, that's socialism. the people in afghanistan risking, their lives that's social itch. the people picking up your trash, that's socialism. >> we're so afraid of that word we can't talk constructively about government without butting up against it at this point. we will get over that, we're just having a national tantrum. >> a little hiccup. it's such a pleasure to have you here. . >> it's worth every minute of your time. it premiers this sunday on pbs. coming up on "countdown" michael moore joins keith to talk about his new film -- capitalism --

suffice it to say, the most popular parks in america are not the great smokies and not yosemite. the most popular parks are the city parks and the community parks and the suburban parks, the parks done the street. and the land and water conservation fund is the source of funding for many of those parks and much of that open space. in the 1960's, this congress, as a result of a report by the first commission on american outdoors that was chaired by lawrence rockefeller, recommended that we take some of the money that we receive from offshore drilling and exploration and use it for the land and water conservation fund. we've never really done that. but it makes good sense. it's good stewardship where there is an environmental burden which we sometimes have to authorize. we should pay for it with an environmental benefit. that's the trade between offshore exploration and money for land and water conservation fund that creates city parks. chairman feinstein gave a very -- and one other thing. i hope we find additional ways through increased private contributions as well as the kind o

that led to other -- but i love yosemite that led to other things. my mother would go to indian reservations. i was 5. i was so fascinated with the native american communities near gallup and stuff like that. i would tell my mom, can you stop? i want to touch these people. she said, be careful. what do you want -- what are you talking about? i said, look at the costumes. they're different i made that connection with the native community then. already, from the time when no is a little kid, there was this connection with hispanics and the native americans. later on, when i went to school in boulder -- i went to school here in colorado for one year. i was asked to leave. [laughter] i was in building too much in the west. -- i was in buildindulging too n the west. [laughter] i spent a lot of time here climbing and angelina u.s.. -- climbing and enjoy eating and the west. all the things started to multiplied over time. my affection and my interest in the well-being for the natural west developed. i think the video showed really well. i got involved with

the big medal fire destroyed 5,000 acres around yosemite. around the oregon border is 85% contained. there also another fire in los angeles county, the morris fire has charred around 2100 acres. there are also others now considered totally contained but firefighters do remain on duty of course in case there are hot spots that can flare up. >>> a sigh of relief this morning from resort towns along the southern tip of baja california. they escaped the worst of hurricane jimena, mainly a lot of wind and rain for them. but what about farther up the coast? jacqui jeras is tracking the storm. good morning. >> good morning. hurricane jimena has made landfall and it's in a sparsely populated area. we checked in on santa margarita. it doesn't look like anything but mountains and a beach, so good that it kind of missed the populated areas in southern parts but still this is a category 2 storm, 105-mile-per-hour winds and it's going to continue moving north-northwest so this is going to continue move up the coast up toward cabo san la zars yoand stall

we did a show at yosemite one time, which is breath-taking.ve never been. >> there's a national park in rhode island. isn't there a teeny one in rhode island? >> providence? >> providence plantations, yes. >> i saw that guy with the hat walking around all the time. >> that was the mailman. >> what's he doing here? that was our ranger. i salute you now. >> more after this. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. good >> morning. i am mindy basara. here's a look at one of our top stories. an off-duty baltimore city police officer spent several hours in surgery last night after he was shot in the abdomen. he was walking into his home in northwest baltimore just after 10:00 last night when three men with guns tried to rob him the officer was shot multiple times and taken to sinai hospital, where she immediately underwent surgery and was taken to the icu around 3:00 this morning. back in a minute with a check on today's forecast. it gets an epa estimated 32 miles per gallon, and was named an iihs top safety pick. a

if we are aertising to come see yosemite or the grand canyon or the incredible beaches on the east or west coast or the incredible changes we see in the northeast or places like lake tahoe in my home state, that we share with california. or hawaii. or the vastness of alaska. wherever we're advertising, the incredible cities we have like new york or last vacation or lae history in washington, d.c., or the fabulous cies like chicago, when we advertise those cities if someone comes from overseas to visit the united states there are many other places they will visited along the way within the united states. so it won't just be one location where foreign travelers come here to cyst. there will be a ripple effect. fins, if you arfor instance if g the grand canyon, my hom ctate, city of lasegas, is the gateway. most go to the grand canyon come to las vegas. in places like yosemite, you cn go through san francisco or the wine country and take a whole countr up through there. the one thing we know abo overseas travelers when they come to the united states they spend about $4,500. that is a lot

yosemite. grand canyon. and mt. hood national forest in oregon. some people collecting. >>> new tennis star melanie oudin is like a breath of fresh air. new this morning, you will hear the 17-year-old talk about what it was like to be the cinderella. >>> an american teen who became a tennis star almost overnight it seems like saw her amazing run come to an end last night. rafer weigel has more on that. good morning. >> good morning, robin. yes, unfortunately, the clock finally struck midnight on the cinderella references for melanie oudin. the 17-year-old of georgia unable to get past the 19-year-old in the quarterfinals. oudin lost the first 14 of 18 points but unlike in every match, the comebam kid didn't orchestrate another comeback. she said she is looking forward to having her life go back to normal. so what is that? >> normal is just going home and spending time with my family and going to the mall with my friends and movies and just being a normal 17-year-old kid. >> omg lol. this is just the end of the beginning as it were. >> yeah. i think she really showed some

surround sound, please wear a raincoat while you were watching the series because the spray from yosemite falls will go into your living room and we're not responsible for any water damage. i want to thank the press club for having me back. it has been many, many times. i am always thrilled to be here. i would like to particularly thank pbs, the greatest not work on earth. the corporation for