the upper pines campground. diask park rangers if the tree had been inspect and they couldn't comment on that, but call the tragedy extremely rare. >> we suggest people be aware of their surroundings, but in this situation people were in the campsite in upper pines in a designated campsite camping out just like people are doing right now. >> i'm sad for the family and sad for the situation. nothing you can do about it. >> i asked if the drought may have affected the health of the tree and they just said the incident is under investigation. i'm michelle roberts. >> thanks, michelle. this is not the first time a tree has fallen and killed someone in yosemite. a 21-year-old counsellor died at the camp located near the national park. the unit found out in this case the leaders had warnings to arborists years before it fell. there was a death in yosemite. a tree branch struck his tree cabin. you can click on the top story box and you will find a link to our report at nbc bay area.com. >> colleagues of a deputy are calling their friend a hero. the sheriffs deputy drowned in a lake, in lake tahoe while trying to save the life of another swimmer. his friends say they are not surprised by his heroic actions. >> it has been a sad and somber scene here at the jail in martinez where the deputy worked. they are trying to come to terms with his tragic death. >> he was someone grow old with. he was going to be there forever. >> friends and family of the deputy are dealing with a heart wrenching loss. the sheriffs deputy was paddle boarding in lake tahoe yesterday afternoon when he jumped into the water to try to save a friend he thought was in distress. >> we know he went into the water after him. basically his body went into shock at that point. he drowned. >> his girlfriend tried tossing him a life jacket, but it was too windy to reach him. those close to him including buddies from high school said they were not surprised he was willing to risk his life. >> he became a police officer for a reason. he wanted to help people. he gave his life for somebody else to live. that's him. >> flaggings are flying at half-staff in contra costa and colleagues said they are crushed. >> he was our colleague and friend. he was an outstanding person and professional and we are proud to say he was a contra costa county deputy sheriff and he will be missed. >> no one is hurting more than the deputy's family. we are told that his brother is a former nfl football player who played for both the browns and the raiders. they are currently working with the sheriff's department on funeral arrangements. in martinez, jodi hernandez, nbc bay area news. >> riding from crimes submitted overseas. they nabbed 50 fugitives and five were living here in the bay area. it came to a sweep by agents. you are looking at operations in los angeles and baltimore, but among the suspects in the bay area, a man in the former yugoslavian military and played a role in the death of thousands of people as well as a man from asia accused of forcing women to have abortions and sterilizations. >> san jose and the police union announced what many are calling to be an historic agreement to place a pension reform measure, measure b, with a new packet of benefits. live at city hall to tell us why the deal could repair the damage done to the police force. robert sn. >> this deal almost collapsed on wednesday. what a difference a couple of days make when they are filled with around the clock negotiations. again, there were two deals at stake. city leaders and the union agreed to set up new and more affordable benefits to replace the ones from measure b. the membership began voting on a separate offer that includes a 5% bonus and a total of 8% in raises. both say the two deals will help restore the under staffed police force. >> this time is is a unique opportunity to rebuild the department and add officers and encourage officers who left for other departments to come back home again. >> they will start to rebuild the department. >> the police officers have started voting and will do so over the next three days. if ratified, the deals will go to the city council this tuesday for both final approval and maybe the end of measure b. live in san jose, robert honda, nbc bay area news. >> just into the newsroom, it could take longer to get to santa cruz beach los gatos officials plan to shut down access that limit the traffic that has been cutting through town. the people are cutting to the beach when highway 17 backs up which is regularly. it's not only about the traffic, but also about safety. they want to make sure that imagine vehicles don't get caught up in the traffic jam. >> this is a huge weekend for swifties. live over levi's stadium are pouring in for the first of two shows. this is where peggy wants to be. >> i do. >> this is a traffic tie up outside the venue. scott, how's it going sn. >> going well, thank you very much. they are used to having tailgate parties and tonight you can call this a taylor gate party with cool outfits and lots of singing. ♪ >> they love stay lor switaylor. >> i have been a fan of hers since i was 15. i'm very excited. >> it was very crowded and a bench of guests too. >> enough to brave the traffic levis stadium leave sees on football sundays. >> you have a carpool. that is brave of you. >> yes. i have a headache already. just kidding. >> they decorated cars and dressed up. >> this is her friend's outfit and my mom is one of the dancers. >> i'm very impressed. >> thank you, thank you very much. >> we might as welcome here. >> ready to sing along for the rest of the night. here's how it's going to go for the rest of the night. it starts at 7:00 and the doors are open. people are still pouring in if you haven't gotten here yet, be patient. traffic is extremely slow outside the stadium. live from levi's, nbc bay area news. >> enjoy the concert. check this out. the chopper flew over levi's stadium. see those folks, those are the back up dancers for the show. i hope it's legal that we spied in. >> that's a good gig there. racing to hire teachers and why there so many openings here in the bay area and what's being done to fill them. >> i didn't want to cry because i don't want it to be misreported as hopelessness. >> terminal patients lose their right to die hearing. we will have the details coming up. >> good evening live at the humane toad where we are gearing up for the clear the shelters event. this guy is up for adoption with a lot of other pets. we will tell you how to check him out and help us out. and your forecast in a few minutes. >> right to die advocates say they won't give up the fight despite a decision to deny a dying woman to get her doctor's help to end her life. they are fighting for the right to die. mark matthews outside the courthouse with the emotional fallout from all of this. mark? >> the judge listened to the attorneys, but in the end his answer was no. kristi o'donnell broke down in the courtroom hall way. >> i am disa pointed, but i want to make sure my crying does not reflect that i am hopeless because i am not. >> the decision was a set back that she may not live to so reversed. in the hall way with her, the husband of brittany maynard who died by right to die. >> a patient is mentally competent and terminally ill and can self ingest the medication for the purposes of achieving a peaceful death. >> they argued that doctor-assisted death is not the same as suicide and the law is outdated. >> the statute came when it was not prolonged by medical care like it is today. >> he said he was not going to be the to make new law. >> when all is said and done, i have to get back to the question that i don't feel. >> attorneys did not need to say much because before that, the judge indicated he would probably rule against suspending the california law. o'donnell said she and the others will sit down with their attorneys to consider an appeal. >> i am very hopeful that while it may not be in my lifetime and not in brittany's lifetime, that it will not continue to occur because it is an unjustis. >> there was a bill that would have allowed doctor-assisted deaths. it died in committee last month. nbc bay area news. >> thank you, mark. jennifer glass, a high profile right to die advocate died just this week in her san mateo home. she used social media to chronicle her battle with cancer and the effect chemo had on her body. she did not live long enough to see the law change. >> i don't top the drown with my family standing around watching me suffer. >> she told the journal it took five days for her to die and she was in so much pain she couldn't say goodbye to her loved ones. >> temperatures topping 100 are adding fuel to a fire that just broke out hours ago? southern california near the angeles national forest in glen dora. mandatory evacuations are under way in two camp grounds. so far no injuries are reported. investigators in the bay area say a car started last month's huge wildfire. they told us the wragg fire started when a spark mixed with dry brush. as you can see once it started, it quickly spread to the brush nearby burning the car that started it all. a total of 8,000 acres burned, a home and two other buildings were damaged. it was contained last week. >> the start of school is around the corner in oakland and the district is looking to fill seats. not talking about students. we are talking about teachers. oakland unified needs about 70 of them. kristi smith told us the steps they are taking before the bell rings. >> the schools are holding job fairs today and next week trying to fill dozens of teaching positions. the teachers sent oakland schools hard, but they have made changes that could help. >> this is a new teacher at bridges academy in oakland and will be teaching the fourth grade. >> there is a lot of need here. community here that i really love and i wanted to work here. >> he said he is still working on his regular credential, but excited to be working here. >> a few weeks ago, i went to the oakland unified job fair and i just walked in. i wasn't expecting much offing anything. >> jasmine said it went very well. >> i have a bachelors. >> the school district needs to fill about 70 positions in a teacher shortage. >> we have many more options and we have seen a decrease in the numbers who are coming out of the program, she said there other incentives. the average is closer to 56 and more if you count benefits. they said a number of strategies with the start of school being so close. >> it could be bringing in a retired teacher who has a relationship with the community. it could be a signing someone from the pool. >> they are confident they will have an structuror in every crass that needs by the time school starts on the 24th. nbc bay area news. >> shelters across the bay area are full of animals waiting for new homes. >> we have been looking forward to this day. we are trying to get them adopted and clear out the shelters. live at the lu main society. tomorrow is a big day. >> it definitely is. they know when the camera is live. they get all kinds of energy. jack is only one-year-old. so cute. tell us more about jack. >> jack is a-year-old male neutered dog. he came in as a stray and we had him for about a week. he has been up for adoption. he is a really, really sweet dog and very gentle and also active and energetic. he would love an active home that can exercise him plenty. >> i think he wants to say something too. it's all about the clear the shelters event. i want to bring in scott with the humane society. not only pick the perfect pet, but you will have a theme. >> a couple of twists. we don't care about the fee, we just want good homes. we are having a carnival theme. we have them dressed up and will have booths and a kissing booth with dogs. >> can't beat that. thank you so much for having us. we will talk to you latery on and we want to get a look at the weather forecast if you have any animal. bring them indoors and get them water. we have temperatures that are in the 70s here and 23 in the east bay and the south bay. tomorrow morning, we will find fog in san francisco and 60. as far as the weather goes again, this weekend it will be the hottest here as we head through the trivalley. into wine country we have 97 on saturday and 97 on sunday. it's all about the clear the shelters event. head to nbc bay area to get more information on that. i will be at the spca tomorrow. this guy will be out here we don't think for long. somebody will want to take him home. i am looking if are a dog and maybe i will leave with jack. >> i hope i don't bring in a wagon full. >> owning a pet can make a difference in your health and your life. >> a daring swimmer ready to make a dangerous trek. a new season brings a new look. a chance to try something different. this summer, challenge your preconceptions and experience a cadillac for yourself. take advantage of our summer offers. get this low mileage lease on select ats models, in stock the longest, for around 269 per month. race shis suny. and wh the atetes ju into that a 12- year d will among em. =vo= >> the iconic alcatraz race when they jump into the chilly water and a 12-year-old will be among them. she is one of 400 athletes signed up. she has been swimming tom petatively since kindergarten. >> it seemed like a challenge and i think it would be fun. >> i say so. she trains ten hours per week. her favorite stroke is the backstroke. >> anyone who has a pet knows they become a vital part of our lives. they are having a clear the shelter adoption marathon. >> for a peninsula woman, it's vital to her well being. doris has a new partner. this 2-year-old lucy. >> everything thinks of lucille ball, but that's not the reason. i just liked the name. she had to put down her best friend of 15 years, mimi. it was deciding to get another dog. but in the three weeks after she passed away and being a bone in the house, i knew i had to do something. the house was too empty. it was lonely. >> now she always receives a happy homecoming. >> you have to be careful to open the door because her nose is right there. she sarts spins and jumping up and down she is so happy tow see me. that makes me very, very happy. i feel just as happy to see her. >> a loyal friend to help heal a broken heart. >> the dogs fill an empty spot for me. >> welcome home a new family member. go to nbc bay area.com/clear the shelters and find a shelter near your house. adoption fees waved or reduced all day tomorrow. this is your chance to get a fantastic animal. >> i agree with everything she said. it adds so much to your life. let's talk about the other dig story. taylor swift is in town around levi's as she gets ready to take the stage. all the road rules and excitement. >> we're investigate a charity claiming to help veterans. wait until you see where the money leaves us. >> a story out of yosemite where a tree fell and killed two children. the details are coming up. blap jamie wanted a taste of the real new orleans and we just couldn't say no to that face. then we wanted more of that local flavor so betty says... oh yeah, that's betty. you're going to want to do this alligator thing. and betty didn't lead us wrong. a little later we passed some dancing. and who doesn't like dancing? especially when it's followed by fireworks everyone's nola is different. follow yours. yosemite tional rk. ==te vo== parkangers y a tree >> we begin with a developing story. a freak accident at yosemite national park and a tree branch fell on a tent and in that tent were two sleeping children around 5:00 this morning at the popular upper pines campground. we will have a live report from yosemite in a little bit. >> in a different part of yosemite, a popular campground is closed because of the plague. two squirrels died because of the disease and they closed the campground. they sprayed with insecticide that kills fleas that transmit the disease. last month the child contracted the plague about 20 miles from that one and is recovering. >> just in, stunning allegations. three chp officers played a role in the death of a central valley man. they are among nine suspects. an arrest warrant said this man, a modesto attorney orchestrated the killings and the attorney believed that the victim, a 26-year-old man was stealing valuable antiques from storage containers on his property. officers are accused of obstructing the investigation. a third officer is suspected in the killing. as for the victim, he disappeared in 2012. a hunter found his in a remote part of the central valley. the lawyer for an inmate killed wednesday at folsom state prison is raising questions. the 71-year-old was stabbed to death in a riot at the prison. he had been released into the general population after 45 years in isolation. they question why officials released him even though there had been death threats. considered one of the most notorious gang leaders in the system, he was 7ing six life sentences for rape. >> a day long power outage at the factory is over. a few minutes ago, pg&e restored energy to the facility. people who lived near heart alarms and never any threat to the basketball. they sent factory workers home because of that outage. you may see them outside the grocery store and they are claiming to be veterans. >> are they legitimate? where is your money going? let's bring reporter vicki nguyen. >> we watched as men outfitted in military clothes accepted cash donations and made big promises. when we asked for proof, we didn't get very far. could we ask you a few questions? >> a viewer called with questions about his organization. >> who are you with? >> gift a vet. >> a man who identifies himself as bob told our under cover cameras how gift a vet helps veterans. >> we put security deposits on apartments for a veteran. we'll take them to the va and get their paperwork done. >> they set up in front of the grocery store next to an american nothing and box for donations. >> the majority of the funds that go into this box provides outreach it get to veterans living outdoors to the va. >> i think it's a scam. >> i don't understand how it can be anything but. >> the retired major served for 20 years and began questioning after his wife, also a veteran gave them some cash. >> the first guy said that almost 100% of the donations went to veterans. but when i asked the second guy how much he got to keep and he admitted that they keep 40% of the donations. >> he said the more he asked, the more flags popped up about the legitimacy of the group. >> while you are pretending or implying you are a veteran. >> i worked for the dod. >> not according to the dod. they e-mailed the unit saying they don't have a record of his name on file. type in gift a vet and it goes to a blog site. >> they handout this document saying it is called veteran direct. we found a business address in san jose, but the office was vacant. a search of the tax id number did not return results for a nonprofit or charity. they told the cameras this. >> but we file taxes. >> they're said gift a vet partners with organizations throughout santa clara county including the veterans affairs. >> we're get them enrolled in a program that is a test program nationwide called the homeless veterans recovery program. >> that are program doesn't exist. the director of the veterans services told us he never heard of gift a vet. they said the court does not nor has ever had any relationship of any kind with gift a vet or another. she is listed as the group's president and they had involvement with gift a vet. just weeks later when we asked to speak with her, she said she has been ill for the past year and we never saw her. records show both have a history of arrests. she is convicted of sexual abuse of a 15-year-old. she was arrested for third-degree grand theft and failed to appear and a warrant was issued and two years later. police found him in illinois and the changes were dismissed. >> we wanted to ask him about his claims after he and bob were picked up from the post, we followed them to this motel in downtown san jose. >> i wanted to ask you questions about gift a vet. veterans said they were upset and felt like your organization is not helping veterans. is there anyone you can tell us? >> nope. >> the veterans organizations are part of a much bigger problem according to guide star that tracks data on more than two million non-profits. >> there more organizations bringing up to help veterans? >> it's a huge issue. >> given a lot of disabilities with soldiers, they are having a lot of organizations created. >> they revealed more than 45,000 nonprofits that serve vet rans. nearly a quarter of those organizations were created after 9/11. california is home to about 2500. >> they should be able to show you the track record of achievements. >> i could have a regular interview. >> he did call and provided documents showing how gift a vet helped veterans, but they declined to sit down and he never sent us any documents. bob also declined to comment. >> it makes it difficult for veterans to get the help they need. >> they're operated under united states veterans.org. experts say when in doubt, don't donate cash to an organization you never heard of. we posted more at nbc bay area about what to consider when giving to any charity. back to you. >> if you have a tip, give us a call and you can send us an e-mail to the unit at nbcbayarea.com. >> still to come, celebrations in cuba today as the u.s. embassy opens. bl 54tside of t s embas in cuba . n >> u.s. history in havana, the stars and stripes are flying outside of the u.s. embassy in cuba for the first time in 64 years. secretary of state john kerry preside over the flag raising ceremony declaring that americans and cubans should treat each others as neighbors and not enemies. they were live on state television and radio. people throughout the country were watching closely. there still hurdles to overcome and establishing diplomatic relations. they would like to end the trade embargo while america are calling on improving human rights. >> decades of good intentions aside, the policies of the past did not live through democratic transition in cuba. >> joining secretary kerry were three marines who lowered that flag in 1961. history full circle here. they reported history once again and helped two nations open new chapter. it does give silicon valley companies an opportunity as well. less than in five cubans has access to the internet. they would like to have a present in cuba. netflix and apple said they too will be trying to make inroads with cuban customers. they allowed cubans to open their homes to tourists. >> thousands of taylor swift fans are ready to shake it off in santa clair over levi's stadium where in about 20 minutes that concert will get under way. look how many seats are still available. people in the parking lot are having a good time. the first of two sold out shows. the gates to the stadium opened at 3:00 this afternoon. fans are ready and wade waiting and sing. leading to levis, you can expect the same thing for tomorrow that starts at 7:00 p.m. >> and good evening. i'm jeff ranieri live at the peninsula humane society where we are helping to clear the shelters. not only dogs, but cats are available for adoption. we will talk about this and the hotter weekend forecast in a few minutes. that appant "fak accint" at yosemi natial park==take vo a tr brancf . >> we want to take you back out to that apparent freak accident. a tree branch fell on to a tent in yosemite and two children were in it. it happened at the upper pines campground. we go live to yosemite with more on this. >> reporter: very popular sample sight that many people will frequent during the summer. the camp rangers are not telling us how old the children were or where they were from. it happened at 5:00 a.m. at the upper pines campground. a from an oak tree fell on top of this where the kids were sleeping. trees were inspected, but they could not comment on if a specific tree was looked at. when we were asked if the drought had an effect on the tree, they could only say the incident is under investigation. >> this is very rare. the last time we had an incident like this was in january of 2012. >> what happened? >> following a large storm, a tree fell on a cabin and killed an employee. >> it makes me feel sad for the family and the situation because it was out of their control. nothing they could do about it. >> you may remember a similar tragedy in 2013. a camp counsellor was killed just outside of yosemite and the investigation revealed three years before it fell, arborists recommend you inspect the trees every 18 months, but the tree had not been inspected for two years. into tonight, park rangers are continuing to investigate this incident. live in yosemite, nbc bay area news. >> thank you very much. we need your respect to clear the shelters. >> tomorrow nbc bay area was partnering with shelters across the bay and the country for an up to the minute offer for free or reduced adoptionadoptions. >> this is an unprecedented event to try to find all cats and dogs and other animals homes. >> we are. not just homes, but the perfect match in the over 40 shelters. we will work hard this saturday on the clear the shelters event to make sure you are matched up with the right animal. we are out here at the peninsula humane society and we have over 100 cute animals. a couple of them are coming in the door. we orchestrated it perfectly and you can get a preview of the animals out here. the beautiful facility. there so many. i forgot his or her name. >> he is a 4-year-old male, rodney. the cross eyed wonder and a volunteer favorite. we all love him. >> with all the animals, i find myself overwhelmed. each is cute in a different way. is there a way you work to make sure they are placed with the right folks? >> you have to look at the temperament of the dog and the amount of effort that the family is willing to put in and what kind of lifestyle they live and make sure they mesh well. >> that is great advice. a cute dog. love him. i want to bring in you guys and you will be part of this clear the shelter event and there is a theme you have happening out here in burlingame? >> people can name their own price. we don't care how much you contribute. we want to find good homes. we are doing a carnival theme. we will have face painting and a kissing booth where the dogs will kiss. free popcorn and carnival and the whole nine yards. >> if you only have 10 or $15, that's possible? >> that's okay. if they can show us they are a good home, that's all we care about. >> thank you so much. this is an awesome facility, they have the roof that opens out to the outside. you can feel the elements when you are testing out your new dog or cat and they have a few other interesting animals as well. let's get a look at the graphics and you can see a comfortable forecast. it's nbc bay area to get more information on that. as you will be able to see, 83 degrees here. right now in the east bay for the north bay 86. for the south bay 79. as you head through the morning, we will find temperatures in the low 60s here for a lot of the bay area. for the north bay, we will start off with the chilly temperatures and 54 degrees. they have ducks out here. we have 94 degrees in san jose and 76 and a few clouds. the beaches will be warm and the temperatures will be heating up into the upper 70s. for the north and the east bay and the trivalley, this is where it gets hot if you have pets at home, make sure to keep them indoors and give them plenty of water. for napa, 99 degrees and sunny skies. as you head throughout the weekend forecast, the numbers are going to stay hot with upper 90s for the south bay on saturday. 95 on sunday. for monday low 90s. the trivalley we are looking at temperatures that will be in the low 100s. they are working on it right now and not sure if we will make it in time, but they have a duck for adoption. >> we will take our time for this. here we go. >> my goodness. he's adorable. >> so cute. i didn't believe it until i saw it myself. i'm glad we got it on tv. >> did we think it would be that cute either? >> you never know. thanks so much. >> thanks a lot. football is back. this is jack del rio era, a start of a turn around and the preview of the silver and black in action, coming up next. a new sea chance to tryew look. something different. this summer, challenge your preconceptions and experience a cadillac for yourself. ♪ the 2015 cadillac srx. lease this from around $339 per month, or purchase with 0% apr financing. >> here in the newsroom, the giants's pure suit in the form of chase utley may need to move in another direction. the reporter of "usa today" tweeted the executives involved in the decision have a no trade clause believe he will ultimately choose between the cubs and angels. he wants guaranteed playing time which won't happen with the giants. he is hitting 6-12 coming off the disabled list. getting a fresh start and athletics up and adding on. they managed the 16th of the year. here come the o's. his 2oth of the year and not out by much. cutting the deficit to 4-3. they now have the lead. it may only be preseason game number one, but they take the field. silver and black and his debut with the head coach. execution is the goal and the out come doesn't matter with the raiders offense can't find out, a few things matching up against one of the top defenses. it was with the super bowl winners last year at the beginning of the season. as long as you continue to go, we will be just fine. >> you will see this video as part of the clubhouse. the evening will playoff the sitcom set in san francisco. they are doing their best to emulate the show's opening. matt cayne with the first pitch a few minutes away. >> thank you so much. >> and thank you for watching nbc bay area news at 6:00. >> see you back at 11:00 and hopefully tomorrow for the clear the shelters event if you are thinking about adopting the pet. tomorrow is the right day. >> tomorrow is the day to do it. reality show rapist? a wealthy businessman from millionaire matchmaker under arrest. now on extra. he went on tv looking for love. >> i could call you hefner, jr. >> he's accused of raping three women. >> extra uncovering his criminate past today. >> how did he get through the background check? >> a scare for salma hayak. her daughter targ atted in a kidnap plot. >> sharon stone revealing what 57 looks like. her daring new shoot for harper's bazaar opening up about the dating dilemma she has.