right now at 11:00, polling now open as governor newsom's future in office all comes down to this, as numerous challengers work to unseat him from office. what bay area voters are saying as his fate of the leader of california rests in their hands. good morning and thanks for joining me. i'm laura garcia. californians having their say right now in the recall special election. governor newsom is looking to hang onto his job as republicans find out whether months of campaigning to remove him will finally pay off. let's head out to nbc bay area's bob redell. he's been live all morning long

at a polling station in dublin. how has turnout been, bob? >> reporter: so far about 120 people have showed up to this polling site in dublin. there has been a slow trickle of people showing up to this poll since it opened at 7:00 this morning. of course, this is part of alameda county. certainly not the kind of turnout you'd see in a general election. we do know that the republicans are relying on a heavy turnout today in person in order to counter the mail-in ballots that so far lean heavily democrat, but we don't know if the turnout today will be enough for them to win this recall effort and get governor newsom out of the job. >> why is this important for you? >> i think i'm looking at it. so it depends on our future. i'm really nervous about the election, and i've seen what happened in georgia and texas, and i don't want that to happen in california. >> i think everybody has to participate. you know, we only get what we give in. and we've got to at least let

the politicians know which way we want our community to go. >> i think it's important what happens to california. everything changes from what happens today. >> reporter: and i'm assuming you voted? >> i did not recall gavin. i think he's good for california. >> reporter: even though the polls show governor newsom defeating the recall effort, he is not taking that for granted. last night the governor brought in president biden to campaign on his behalf of the rally in long beach. yesterday, larry elder, he's the leading replacement candidate, he questioned how the governor has made life better for californians, especially when it comes to crime and public education. and businessmen and republican jan cox another replacement candidate, he campaigned yesterday at the famed french laundry restaurant to remind

voters that governor newsom went to that high-end restaurant while most people are in lockdown. that election taking place behind me and throughout polling places throughout the bay area and the state today. reporting live here in dublin, bob redell, nbc bay area news. >> all right, thank you very much, bob. here's a look at what to expect as the recall election plays out. at 8:00 p.m. tonight, the polls close. after that over the next few hours the election may be called if the margin is wide enough. county election offices have 30 days to count all their ballots, and there is always the chance losing side can demand a recount but only if the race is close. some republicans are already making claims of voter fraud even before the results are in. while campaigning with president biden last night, governor newsom pointed out that republicans have been propelling a myth that the election was rigged ever since president trump lost his re-election. leading republican challenger larry elder was noncommittal yesterday when asked if he will

accept the results of the election. >> let's all work together no matter what the results are to make sure that the results are valid and legitimate. and everybody who voted should've voted. let's all work together. >> you saw what happened on election night, the big lie. we may have defeated donald trump, but we have not defeated trumpism. trumpism is still on the ballot in california. >> those making sure your ballots are safe have been working for weeks to make sure there are no irregularities. registrar voter offices around the state have rules and regulations in place to make sure ballots are secure ahead of today's election. the outcome of the election has the potential to have national political consequences as well. whoever wins may possibly be appointing a replacement in the u.s. suspect. some speculate senator dianne feinstein may leave office before her term ends. >> and with the democrats only having a 50/50 really zero-seat

advantage in the senate, if california's senator dianne feinstein who is getting up there in age, who is in declining health, if she were to leave, that means the next governor of california or the current governor gets to pick the 50th u.s. senator. and i think democrats will be very nervous if it's not newsom in that chair. we've got a full list of voting centers throughout the bay area online along with the entire page dedicated to the recall election. just head to nbcbayarea.com. click on newsom recall, it's in the top trending bar, and join us tonight for nbc bay area news at 11:00 for live team coverage and analysis as well tomorrow morning on "today in the bay." testimony picking back up this morning, the criminal fraud trial for elizabeth holmes. new this morning we've learned a juror has been excused from the case due to financial hardship.

an alternate juror will replace them. this is new video of our nbc bay area photographer captured of holmes walking into the courthouse just a few hours ago. the trial picks up today because shortly after opening statements a juror told the judge he may have been exposed to covid-19. the theranos founder and former ceo faces wire fraud and conspiracy charges. perfects say she misled investors about her company's blood testing technology. she could face 20 years in prison if convicted. we'll walk you through every step of the way with team coverage and analysis. we're also following the very latest both on air and online at nbcbayarea.com. happening right now, apple announcing its fall update with improvements to iphones and other products. scott mcgrew, this seems to be the end-all event for silicon valley. >> covid a huge part of it.

we don't attend these in person anymore. and honestly it's been quite some time since apple has released a completely new product. apple still amazes, but often times it's simply improvements to what were some pretty amazing products. this event happening while we speak. a faster ipad, a new siri 7 apple watch that apple says is better and brighter and an iphone 13. if there's any surprise, it's that they went with 13. many industries skip number 13. way more important than a better camera on your iphone or a brighter watch face is what apple had to say earlier. and that was about software. it's discovered that a software company in israel has figured out how to infect people's phones with spyware that can turn on your phone's camera or microphone without knowing it. this isn't the first time that apple's had a problem with those

specific software developers. to avoid this problem, go to settings, general, find the update, i'm guessing you've done this quite a few times in the past. you need to do this with all your apple products, watch and phone and macbook and ipad. >> the hack in the software company behind it, they've been successful in getting into people's phones before. >> extraordinarily successful. it's not some theoretical threat. the program that they have called pegasus has been used to spy on disdaents and journalists, even the president of france. the company that makes that surveillance software is very good at what it does. apple just learned about this new vulnerability and they fixed it as fast as they could. berkeley schools trying to get the word out about being extremely short staffed. berkeley reports berkeley unified now trying to fill positions in areas including substitute teaching, after-school care, and special education. the district currently has 129

vacant positions. that's 50% increase from before the pandemic. there are two vacant full-time teaching positions, both are in special education. coming up next, the growing debate over booster shots. certainly heating up this week. how soon they could roll out and who would have first priority. plus, an alarming rate of extinction. why our climate in crisis is having a big impact on animal and plants. and where scientists say they're the most vulnerable. but first to kick off the big premiere day in new york city, kelly clarkson welcoming comic tracy morgan and his daughter to the show. morgan has some looming debts from his time on nbc. why he still owes "snl" creator lauren michaels $14 million.

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california's latest covid surge now declining. about 6,800 new cases reported yesterday. less than half of what it was just a month ago. nowhere near the 35,000 per day back in mid-january.

now, nationally, it is a different story. john hopkins university says the seven-day average is up 10% over the last month. so is a covid booster necessary? that's the question many have ahead of possible fda approval on friday. at least two fda regulators argue the average person will not need the booster. regardless, the white house wants boosters available to all by next monday. one infectious disease specialist believes only the immunocompromised should get them and suggests instead target communities across the globe. >> one can also do other strategies to increase vaccine supply around the world, sharing the recipe, sending the know-how to the vaccine. what i do know is that it's not an emergency to run out and get a booster. >> the santa clara county public health department is gearing up for those boosters, but september 20th may be realistic since the cdc has to approve it as well. and that meeting is scheduled for the end of the month.

proof of vaccination now required at san francisco's chase center. and while the warriors won't return for a couple of weeks still, the venue is about to get its first big test run. nbc bay area's cierra johnson has a look at why negative test results just won't be enough anymore. >> reporter: although we're still a few weeks from the first pre-season game, the folks here at the chase center are preparing for the start of their concert series and in preparation they are also spreading the word that you will need a proof of vaccination to walk through the chase center doors. proof of vaccination is required for any event at the chase center with more than 1,000 people. proof of vaccination applies to anyone 12 and older, and fans are urged to use the following apps or show their physical card. masks are also required inside the venue. the chase center joins a long list of other facilities requiring that proof of vaccination, and san francisco that proof of vaccination is required to enter indoor

restaurants, bars, gyms and theaters as well as some of those other entertainment venues. san jose's sap center also requiring a proof of vaccination. now staff here at the chase center says it's been a long time coming to welcome a big show, and they're ready for the fans. >> the sheer excitement of bringing a sold-out concert into chase center tomorrow night. all of our staff back, all of our part-time staff back, fans coming into the building. it's been so long. we have been cleaning and polishing and checking and rehearsing and going through protocols and changing and communicating and doing everything getting ready for this. we are more than excited and prepared for this. >> reporter: and just to give you an idea of how the pandemic has impacted the chase center, it's been 555 days since the last show here at the chase center. so with concerts starting

tomorrow, things are returning somewhat to a sense of normalcy at the chase center. but things will be a little different because you will need that proof of vaccination. at the chase center in san francisco, cierra johnson for nbc bay area news. >> thanks so much, cierra. developing this morning, the judge overseeing pg&e's criminal probation is digging deeper into what sparked the massive dixie wildfire. as of this morning, the fire's 75% contained. but yesterday a pg&e crew member spent two hours answering questions about the powerline now suspected in sparking it. a judge is considering tighter conditions on pg&e before his authority ends early next year. president biden shows the caldor wildfire shows why boosting infrastructure improvement is so important. biden alsoued climate change is the driving force behind these kinds of massive fires. the caldor fire is now 68%

contained. in the meantime along the gulf coast, powerful new video coming in from texas as nicholas made landfall overnight. it attached down as a category 1 hurricane but was downgraded to a tropical storm. this was galveston early this morning. several streets are flooded after 13 inches of rain fell overnight. state and local officials are encouraging everyone to take caution as floodwaters are expected to remain for some time. nbc news' morgan chesky has the latest from galveston. >> reporter: this is exactly the reason why you do not take a tropical storm lightly. nicholas had a chance to strengthen overnight. it made landfall as a category 1 hurricane, drenching communities up and down the texas coast in. galveston, 13 inches of rain fell overnight, more than a lot to cover nearby streets and

cause localized flooding issues in this part of the state. and the winds topping out about 75 miles an hour, but that alone enough to knock out power to nearly half a million customers in texas. and the concern right now where this storm goes from here, we know that when it turns towards louisiana, there are still hundreds of thousands of people still picking up from hurricane ida. flood watches have been issued in a lot of those areas. and we know that particularly in the city of lake charles where flooding could happen tonight, a lot of folks are still recovering from hurricanes laura and delta, which struck a year ago. so, while people here familiar with these storms during hurricane season, the frequency at which they seem to come absolutely heartbreaking. morgan chesky, nbc news, galveston. let's check in with meteorologist kari hall right now. is it kind of just sitting there right now? >> it's just sitting there, laura. it's not moving. it made landfall as a category 1 hurricane.

and it's really moving very slowly. they're looking at the possibility of possibly up to 25 inches of rain. that's going to be very devastating in this area that's still cleaning up from ida. so we're going to be watching that over the next few days. hopefully it begins to move on. here we're looking at a mainly clear sky. air quality not too bad, even though it looks a little bit hazy with our views around the bay area. we do have the moderate air quality from some of the fires that are burning just to the north of us. that's what we will continue to see for today. there should be some improvements in our forecast for the next couple of days. this is how it looks in our near-surface smoke model. where you see the light blues, that's a hazy sky. but then when you start to see some greens and yellows, that indicates some moderate to slightly unhealthy air quality. and that's what we are seeing in the north bay, mainly because

some of the fires burning in parts of the lake and mendocino counties. some of the smoke moving toward clear lake, and then most of it pushing off towards the east over the sacramento valley and away from the bay area. it's mainly because of a strong westerly wind. it's helping to clear out some of the smoke. and that will continue for the next few days. seven-day forecast is already up at the bottom of the screen as we are going to have our warmest day before we have our cooldown. this is the last time we'll have temperatures like this for a while, reaching 90 degrees in morgan hill and in san jose reaching 85 for today. now, moving over toward the east bay, walnut creek, 93 and 96 in antioch. it's going to be mild near the bay. oakland reaching 75 degrees. and near the coast we have some mid- to upper 60s. head over to san mateo, we're looking at a high of 78 degrees and some low 70s in san francisco, up to 90 in santa rosa, and 99 in ukiah. a lot of changes as we get

closer to the weekend. there will be a storm system moving into the pacific northwest, that could bring some rain very close to us. we're not going to see any rain out of this, but it will move over some of those fire zones. that's going to be some really good news and hopefully we get more containment as we will see our temperatures cooling down here with highs in the low 80s and san francisco we'll see those temperatures in the mid-60s. now as we talk about our climate in crisis, scientists are finding that plants and animals are becoming extinct at an alarming rate due to their inability to adapt to our rapidly changing climate. some estimates are that 47% of local species have become extinct in recent years in those studies around the world. and scientists are finding that plant and animal species are being found at higher elevations and higher latitudes than in the past. and while the outlook is grim for the future as temperatures continue to warm, we do have the power to change how many more species will disappear.

>> the key to climate change below 1.5 degree celsius. maybe we're losing only one in six species, which is horrible, but it's a lot better than some of the alternatives. there are scenarios where we could lose half the plant and animal species on the planet. which of those futures comes to pass is really up to us. >> and he gives us some ideas of how we can reduce our carbon footprint which would really help. you can see this story as well as other stories on our climate in crisis page on nbcbayarea.com. laura? >> great to be informed. thanks so much. coming up, meet the man who sent elon musk a tweet and actually got a reply. now he may soon be going to space because of it. his amazing story, coming up. but first happening now, convicted killer derek chauvin has pleaded not guilty in the federal case against him following the death of george floyd. prosecutors say chauvin violated floyd's right to be free from

unreasonable seizure and force by police. the former minneapolis police officer was sentenced in june to 22 1/2 years in prison. three other officers charged in connection with floyd's death also pleaded not guilty to the federal charges against them in court today. we'll be back after this break. today on "california live," the skin doctor is sharing secrets to make your skin shine. and amber's got a workout that's a knockout. that's today on "california live."

tomorrow, four civilians will lift off in the latest spacex launch. one 53-year-old amputee believes he may soon follow their path. he has no arms or legs after an electrical accident ten years ago. yesterday he shared his story with san francisco students after tweeting elon musk to send him into space, musk tweeted back, it'll happen one day. croizon swam across the english channel in special flippers and finished a rally in a specially designed buggy. >> through an interpreter he says for ten years i couldn't accomplish things and now i can accomplish things. if you're looking for a quick side hustle, here's one for you. full warning, this one might make you scream though. financebuzz looking to pay one lucky person $1,300 to watch 13

scary movies. now the job is simple. it requires you to wear a fitbit while watching a mixture of high-budget and low-budget horror movies. it will track your heart rate throughout every film, and the goal is to find out if the budget impacts how scary it is. i don't know if you're a horror movie fan, kari. >> i went to go see "candyman" recently, and i keep thinking about it. so i can't imagine watching all of those back-to-back. that's too much. all right, let's get a look at our forecast. we are going to be warm these next couple of days, but we are going to start a cooling trend, and we will have a nice weekend ahead. so make some plans to get outside. inland areas in the low 80s while the coastal areas will be in the low 60s. >> sweeter than candyman there. and thank you for joining us as well. our next newscast is coming up at 5:00 tonight. you can also get the latest information all day long at

nbcbayarea.com. of course, we'll be following the election, the possible recall of governor gavin newsom as well. join us tomorrow morning on "today in the bay" for all the day's recap of the day's news. ♪♪

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right now on "california live," dani is off to the races. >> i'm at the acura grand prix of long beach, and i'm feeling the need for speed. then malou is learning how to make bobka in the bay. plus, lz's learning secrets from a dermatologist to the stars. >> we are hanging out with beverly hills cosmetic dermatologist and he's sharing his secret for the perfect hollywood glow. and amber's got a workout that's a true knockout. >> i'm ready, let's do this. it's all happening right now on "california live." ♪♪