tonight, news just coming in on the coronavirus here in the u.s. now soaring to record levels. more than 130,000 lives now lost. and atlanta's mayor tonight just revealing she has tested positive. at least nine states reporting record numbers of infections over the holiday weekend. growing concern tonight about the huge crowds. hundreds attending a massive lake party in michigan. miami-dade tonight closing restaurants to indoor seating. hospitalizations in texas now at an all-time high. arizona topping 100,000 cases. and that news from atlanta's mayor saying just moments ago that covid-19 has "literally hit home. i have tested positive." tonight, the man captured in that famous image escaping the collapse of the towers on 9/11 has died of the virus. and what dr. anthony fauci warned about the virus in the u.s. today. and the toll on young people

tonight. several states, including north carolina, reporting at least half of all patients are now under 50. and hundreds of scientists now urging the world health organization to address what they say is the airborne spread of the virus. arguing small particles linger in the air for longer periods of time than most people think, especially indoors. president trump tonight asking, where is bubba wallace's apology? nascar's only full-time black driver, after a noose was found in his garage. the president criticizing nascar for banning the confederate flag. bubba wallace tonight responding to the president. and moments ago, nascar now responding, too. the other major news this monday night, staggering gun violence in the u.s. 77 people shot in chicago. more than a dozen killed. more than 50 people shot in new york. an 8-year-old child killed in atlanta. and georgia's governor tonight now declaring a state of emergency. news tonight about ghislaine maxwell, jeffrey epstein's

alleged co-conspirator, now behind bars here in new york city. what we've now learned. new developments in the case of a young soldier from ft. hood killed in texas. a suspect accused of helping the killer of vanessa guillen appearing in court today. and what prosecutors are now saying. severe storms and flash flooding moving through the northeast tonight. we have the new track on this. and remembering a country music legend. good evening and it's great to be back with all of you at home. i hope you had a happy and safe fourth of july. and there has been no shortage of news, and so we begin tonight with the coronavirus only worsening. new records set in several states. cases and hospitalizations. and of course that news just before we came on the air tonight, atlanta's mayor saying it has hit close to home literally. saying she has tested positive, but has had no symptoms. and tonight, that sobering number. we have surpassed 130,000 lives lost in the u.s. tonight, cases in florida have doubled in just two weeks, now

topping 206,000 cases. miami-dade county tonight reversing course, now shutting down indoor dining, gyms and vacation rentals after having reopened them. hospitalizations in texas reaching a new high. 18 people dying in the past 24 hours. arizona now reaching 100,000 cases. california extending a ban on indoor dining, movie theaters and museums to san diego and five more counties tonight. and take a look. these are the images that have authorities concerned after the holiday. pointing to the alarming numbers involving young people. fears that those large gatherings seen across the country will fuel the spread. president trump downplaying the outbreak, claiming, quote, 99% of the virus cases are totally harmless. he did not provide evidence for that number. andrst todsayi ware headed idir immediately. so, a very busy monday, we'll guide you through it all. and we begin here with our chief national correspondent matt gutman. >> reporter: tonight, those

throngs slammed together in fourth of july parties across the country cementing concern basic messaging like social distancing is not being followed. at this lake in michigan, hundreds partying shoulder to shoulder. few masks in sight. and this packed concert inside an atlanta nightclub. and to nashville and oakland. those crowds igniting fears the coronavirus is spreading faster and deeper into the country. in just the first six days of july, a quarter of a million new infections nationwide. dr. anthony fauci today not mincing words. >> the current state is really not good. it's a serious situation that we have to address immediately. >> reporter: in florida, new cases doubling over the past two weeks. miami-dade's mayor reversing course, closing restaurants and gyms. stephen cooper, seen here on the far left of this iconic photo, sprinting from the falling twin towers, surviving 9/11, only to die from covid-19 in florida. dr. nema kabir, only in the second year of his residency, forced to the front lines in a

miami hospital. >> we have colleagues who were testing positive and having to be quarantined and, so, you know, the rest of us have to pick up the slack. >> reporter: president trump coming under fire for once again downplaying the virus, incorrectly attributing the surge in cases to increased testing. >> now we have tested almost 40 million people. by so doing, we show cases, 99% of which are totally harmless. >> reporter: new york governor andrew cuomo today saying the president is enabling the pandemic. >> what he's really saying is, if we didn't test, we wouldn't find the cases. so, on that theory, let's do no more cancer tests and that will solve the problem with cancer. mr. president, don't be a co-conspirator of covid. >> reporter: and presumptive democratic presidential nominee joe biden's campaign saying in a

statement, the president "is outright lying to the nation about the extreme threat of covid-19." tonight, the white house defending the president's comments. >> the president was noting the fact that the vast majority of americans who contract coronavirus will come out on the other side of this. >> reporter: nine states hitting new records for hospitalizations this weekend, including texas. a record number of people hospitalized in arizona. now one of eight states with more than 100,000 cases. >> we see young people coming into the hospitals and saying, nobody told them that they would get sick. young people do get sick. we've seen young people sick, get sick and we've seen young people even die. >> reporter: in california, the governor shutting down indoor dining and bars in san diego and five other counties and stepping up enforcement on businesses. one doctor warning tonight -- >> and if we all don't get our acts together, then there's really no place in the country that's going to be spared. >> the warnings across the country tonight. let's get right to matt gutman. and matt, i want to get back to the news we learned just before we came on the air tonight. the mayor of atlanta confirming she now has the virus? >> reporter: david, she has

confirmed that. she has, in fact, been talked about as a possible vice presidential candidate. now, she says she has felt no symptoms, but her husband slept from thursday through the weekend. that's what prompted the family to get tested today. she said she and her family are still processing those positive results. david? >> all right, matt gutman leading us off on a monday. matt, thank you. and tonight, the growing toll on the virus, on young people in florida. most of the cases right now are young people. 21 years old. and in north carolina tonight, more than half of all patients are under 50. and that push by hundreds of scientists and doctors tonight around the world, now asking the world health organization to explain how long this can last in the air, especially indoors. here's will reeve. >> reporter: tonight, the virus and its new target. cases in young people growing. potentially fueled by crowds like this in missouri's lake of the ozarks. in north carolina, 58% of infections are in ages 18 to 49. in arizona, half the cases are

in people 20 to 44. and here in florida, the governor says the age with the most cases is 21. >> basically, you know, if you're under 40 and you don't have significant comorbidities, you know, the fatality rate for this is pretty close to zero. >> reporter: today, dr. anthony fauci warning the young not to feel invulnerable. >> many young people may not necessarily get sick enough to go to the hospital, but they can get very sick. >> reporter: 31-year-old cara schiavo has been fighting covid since march. her doctors say she may now have asthma for life. >> i also thought it was only really, you know, dangerous for the elderly, until i got it. i exercised before this and it hit me like a ton of bricks. and it didn't matter how old i was. >> reporter: and new concerns tonight about how the virus spreads. the w.h.o.'s current guidance says the virus is primarily spread by large droplets from coughs or sneezes. the cdc guidelines saying it spreads through close contact through those droplets when an

infected person coughs, sneezes or talks. but 239 scientists from 32 countries have prepared a letter, urging the w.h.o. to recognize the potential of the virus to spread through inhaling smaller airborne particles that can linger for longer periods of time, especially indoors. david, some of those scientists who made those recommendations to the w.h.o. are saying people should be wearing masks even when they are socially distanced and even when they're indoors. david? >> all right, abc's will reeve. will, thank you. the president, as you saw there at the top of the broadcast, downplaying the coronavirus over the weekend, saying 99% of the cases are harmless. today, he appeared to try to shift attention back to nascar, the confederate flag and nascar driver bubba wallace, asking, where is bubba wallace's apology, after that noose was found in wallace's garage. well, tonight, wallace is responding and so is nascar. and here's our chief white house correspondent jonathan karl. >> reporter: after back-to-back speeches this weekend where he accused his political opponents

of trying to destroy america, the president today took aim at nascar's only full-time black driver, bubba wallace. "has bubba wallace apologized to all of those great nascar drivers and officials who came to his aid, stood by his side, and were willing to sacrifice everything for him, only to find out that the whole thing was just another hoax," the president tweeted. in fact, there was no hoax. a noose, operating as a garage pull, was found in wallace's garage. an fbi investigation determined it had been placed there last year, long before wallace was assigned to that garage. wallace thanked the fbi for its quick investigation. >> why is the president even suggesting that mr. wallace should apologize? >> well, look. the fbi, as i noted, concluded that this was not a hate crime and he believes it would go a long way if bubba came out and acknowledged that, as well. >> reporter: the president concluded his tweet on bubba wallace by calling out nascar's decision to ban the

confederate flag, "that and flag decision has caused lowest ratings ever!" does he think it was a mistake for nascar to ban it? >> the president said he wasn't making a judgement one way or the other. >> reporter: didn't he say nascar's ratings are down because they banned the flag? that's what he said. >> the president was noting the fact that, in aggregate, this notion that nascar men and women who have gone and who are being demeaned and called racist and being accused, in some venues, of committing a hate crime against an individual -- those allegations were just dead wrong. >> reporter: nascar's ratings are actually up since they banned the confederate flag last month. today, in a statement, nascar says, quote, it continues to stand tall with bubba, our competitors and everyone who makes our sport welcoming and inclusive for all racing fans. as for bubba wallace, today he called on people to put love over hate, tweeting, "even when it's hate from the potus, love wins." >> and so, let's get right to jon karl, with us live from washington.

and jon, tonight, a close ally of the president is now defending bubba wallace? >> reporter: david, senator lindsey graham, one of the president's staunchest allies in the senate, said flatly, "i don't think bubba wallace has anything to apologize for." he also is defending nascar's decision to ban the flag, calling it an image, the confederate flag, calling it an image that divides us and saying, "the confederate flag is not a good way to grow your business." david? >> jon karl with us on a monday. thank you, jon. there was an eruption of gun violence over the holiday. hundreds shot in chicago, new york, atlanta and l.a. dozens killed, including young children, caught in the crossfire. an 8-year-old in atlanta. and that's where steve osunsami is tonight. >> reporter: the numbers of american lives shattered by gunfire over the weekend are alarming. 77 people shot in chicago. 14 of them died, including this 7-year-old. so many of the dead this weekend are black children. 11-year-old davon mcneil was hit by a stray bullet on the way to

a cookout in washington, d.c. and in atlanta, 8-year-old secoriea turner was killed by rounds of gunfire shot into a car. >> she's not going to make her 9th birthday. >> reporter: atlanta's mayor says the shooters were black and that it happened just outside this wendy's parking lot, where 27-year-old rayshard brooks was killed a month ago at the hands of a white police officer. >> enough is enough. enough is enough. >> reporter: the burned down restaurant has become a memorial for peaceful protest. but ever since, a group of people with long guns have taken over the area and blocked roads. police are searching for the child's killer and today, finally moved in and took back the street. >> we're fighting the enemy within when we are shooting each other up on our streets. >> reporter: police in new york, and, frankly, across the country, are arguing that the push for police reforms is making it harder for them to keep people safe, no matter

their color. >> they are afraid if they're making an arrest, that if their knee goes on the back of someone that they are fighting their life for, that they could be prosecuted. >> reporter: as part of georgia's declared state of emergency, the governor is calling up 1,000 troops to help local police. he explains that the peaceful protests have been hijacked by criminals. david? >> all right, steve, thank you. tonight, jeffrey epstein's ex-girlfriend and alleged co-conspirator is now behind bars here in new york city. ghislaine maxwell has been extradited from new hampshire and what we've learned tonight. here's eva pilgrim. >> reporter: ghislaine maxwell, the alleged partner in crime of accused sex trafficker jeffrey epstein, today whisked from new hampshire to this new york city jail to face charges for allegedly recruiting, grooming and abusing teenage girls in the 1990s. >> maxwell played a critical role in helping epstein to identify, befriend and groom

minor victims for abuse. >> reporter: the british socialite first appearing in court remotely last week. abc news has learned she wore an orange jumpsuit and seemed agitated. epstein accuser virginia giuffre telling "60 minutes australia" she hopes maxwell will implicate others. >> i really hope she comes forward and says a-b-c-d-e was involved, this is how it ran. you know, help us victims get some accountability. >> reporter: the new case does not include giuffre's claims that maxwell and epstein trafficked her to prince andrew three times, starting when she was 17. encounters the prince denied in this interview with the bbc. >> i have no recollection of ever meeting this lady. >> reporter: maxwell's friendship with prince andrew dates back decades. this newly surfaced photo from 2002 shows ghislaine sitting on the throne with actor kevin spacey during a tour andrew reportedly arranged at buckingham palace. prosecutors still want to talk to prince andrew but say he's

been uncooperative. >> prince andrew should be panicking at the moment, because ghislaine doesn't care about anyone else but ghislaine. >> reporter: as for maxwell, she has long denied any involvement in epstein's alleged trafficking of girls. eva pilgrim, abc news, new york. >> eva, thank you. now, to the family of that army soldier, vanessa guillen, who went missing from ft. hood, saying the army has officially identified her remains now. and it comes as a suspect in the case appeared in federal court. here's stephanie ramos. >> reporter: today, the suspect accused of helping the killer of ft. hood army soldier vanessa guillen facing a judge in texas. cecily aguilar charged with conspiracy to tamper with evidence. authorities alleging she admitted to helping her boyfriend, aaron robinson, dismember guillen's body with a machete-type knife in april. after, she says, robinson told her he'd bludgeoned guillen with a hammer. she did not enter a plea.

>> how this happened at work, at the base, with thousands of people there? i think this will haunt everyone forever. >> reporter: tonight, an updated complaint with new disturbing details. aguilar allegedly telling the fbi she and robinson went back to where they disposed of guillen's body to "continue the process of breaking down remains." aguilar eventually cooperating with investigators, calling robinson as they listened in. robinson telling her, "baby, they found pieces." the fbi saying robinson killed himself wednesday as they closed in on him. david, a lecturer at the university of wisconsin-milwaukee is under fire for saying sexual harassment is the price of admission for women into the good old boy club. betsy schoeller, who is also a retired national guard colonel, says she was, quote, giving a voice to the messaging women hear. she says she's saddened that her post was taken out of context. david? >> all right, stephanie, thank you.

that new book by president trump'sniece, mary trump, the president tried to block it, will go on sale two weeks earlier than announced. simon & schuster releasing "too much and never enough" on july 14th. it is the number one best seller right now on amazon. when we come back tonight, severe storms moving through the northeast at this hour. and we remember a country music legend. who've got their eczema under control. with less eczema, you can show more skin. so roll up those sleeves. and help heal your skin from within with dupixent. dupixent is the first treatment of its kind that continuously treats moderate-to-severe eczema, or atopic dermatitis, even between flare ups. dupixent is a biologic, and not a cream or steroid. many people taking dupixent saw clear or almost clear skin, and, had significantly less itch. don't use if you're allergic to dupixent. serious allergic reactions can occur, including anaphylaxis, which is severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems,

such as eye pain or vision changes, or a parasitic infection. if you take asthma medicines, don't change or stop them without talking to your doctor. so help heal your skin from within, and talk to your eczema specialist about dupixent. if your financial situation has changed, we may be able to help. if ya breakthrough 10 years in the makingveclear, that reduces allergens in cat hair and dander. outstanding nutrition with the power to change lives.

this is purina pro plan liveclear. we are tracking those severe storms this hour. time lapse video, look at this, showing giant storm clouds plunging new york city into darkness late today. this was really something. dangerous thunderstorms from virginia all the way up to the northeast tonight. winds gusting up to 70 miles per hour. so, check your local forecast on your abc station. when we come back, we remember a country music star and his biggest hit. ur abc station. when we come back, we remember a country music star and his biggest hit. i'm not a person that's going to sit too long. in the morning, i wake up and the first thing i do is go to my art studio. a couple came up and handed me a brochure on prevagen. i've been taking prevagen for about four years.

i feel a little bit brighter and my mind just feels sharper. i would recommend it to anyone. it absolutely works. prevagen. healthier brain. better life. and sometimes, you can find yourself heading in a new direction. but when you're with fidelity, a partner who makes sure every step is clear, there's nothing to stop you from moving forward.

and still going for my best. even though i live with a higher risk of stroke due to afib... ...not caused by a heart valve problem. so if there's a better treatment than warfarin, i'm reaching for thaiquis. eliqs proven to reduce so if there's a better treatmstroke riskrfarin, better than warfarin. plus has significantly less major bleeding than warfarin.

eliquis is fda-approved and has both. what's next? i'm on board. don't stop taking eliquis unless your doctor tells you to, as stopping increases your risk of having a stroke. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily- -and it may take longer than usual for any bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. ask your doctor about eliquis. and if your ability to afford... ...your medication has changed, we want to help. country singer charlie daniels has died. ♪ the devil went down to georgia ♪ ♪ he was looking for a soul to steal ♪ ♪ he was in a bind ♪ because he was way behind ♪ and he was willing to make a deal ♪ >> his hit song "devil went down to georgia" inducted in the

country music hall of fame in 2016 and he was 83. when we come back tonight, the news on the broadway star, his courageous battle with the virus. tonight, the new message from his wife about silver linings. the hoa has been very involved. these shrubs aren't board approved. you need to break down your cardboard. thank you. violation. violation. i see you've met cynthia. at least geico makes bundling our home and car insurance easy. and it does help us save a bunch of money. two inches over regulation. thanks, cynthia. for bundling made easy, go to geico.com

capital one knows life doesn't update you about your credit card. so meet eno...the capital one assistant that looks out for charges that might surprise you and helps you fix them. what's in your wallet? but you have to get out there and look for it. and to look for it, you need a bronco. built as wild as what you're looking for.

"ok, so, magnificent mile for me!" i thought i was managing... ...my moderate to severe crohn's disease. yes! until i realized something was missing... ...me. you ok, sis? my symptoms kept me- -from being there for my sisters. "...flight boarding for flight 2007 to chicago..." so i talked to my doctor and learned- ...humira is for people who still have symptoms of crohn's disease after trying other medications. and the majority of people on humira saw significant symptom relief... -and many achieved remission in as little as 4 weeks. humira can lower your ability to fight infections. serious and sometimes fatal infections, including tuberculosis, and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened,- -, as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. tell your doctor... ...if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections... ...or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection.

be there for you, and them. ask your doctor about humira. with humira, remission is possible. if you can't afford your medicine, abbvie may be able to help. finally, the broadway star and the fight we followed for months. 41-year-old nick cordero was a husband, a father, a tony-nominated broadway star. ♪ ain't nobody's business if i do ♪ >> cordero went to the e.r. march 30th. he was diagnosed with covid-19. after a 95 day battle, his wife, amanda kloots, shared this image of cordero on sunday. she said, "god has another angel in heaven.

he was surrounded in love by his family, singing and praying as he gently left this earth." through it all, his family, his wife and their 1-year-old son, elvis, would post updates, dancing outside the hospital window. >> nick, dada, is awake! yay! >> nick's family never giving up. through his complications, his leg amputation. and tonight, his wife now sharing these images. sleeping in the hospital room. holding her husband's hand near the end. her bracelet with the words, "live your life." it's the title of a song cordero wrote. ♪ live your life >> tonight, a young mother and wife and her new message, speaking of silver linings. asking, how do you get through the hardest time in your life? family. nick cordero and his devoted family. good night. now from abc 7, live breaking news. >> that breaking news is in

fairfield where sky 7 is over a grass fire that's forced evacuations. this fire started about 90 minutes ago in the nelson hill area. this is not far from ades as you can see there. we have seen the smoke and flames come close to homes in the area. so far, though, we haven't seen any of them catch fire. given how windy silt y it is i area, sit possibit is possible was started by embers from another fire near rodeo. >> let's go to spencer christian now to look at conditions firefighters are facing. it's gusty, spencer. >> it is quite gusty, and the wind gusts have been so strong in that area, that embers from other fires could have easily been flown over to the fairfield area to start this fire. the temperature there is only 78 right now. so it certainly is not a hot day there.

but the relative humidity is quite low, very dry. the sustained winds down to about 3 miles per hour. but we have occasional gusts that are stronger. and that could keep the fire going. as you look at conditions across the bay area, you can see how windy it is, just about everywhere right now. we have gusts over the fairfield area, up to 23 miles per hour. we had gusts near 40 miles per hour in san francisco just a few minutes ago. around the region, quite windy, and we are definitely at risk for fire spreading under conditions like this. we'll have an update a little later. ama? >> all right, spencer, thank you so much. feti.take another qckoot again, this is in fairfield, started about 90 minutes ago. it has forced evacuations in the nelson hill area. you can see the smoke still being put off from those flames. the good news is we don't see visible flames in this shot. so hopefully firefighters are getting this situation under control.