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incredible video shows a former college football wide receiver making an incredible catch in phoenix. >> wow. >> that's philip blank snatching a 3-year-old out of midair after the boy's mom dropped him out of the top floor of a burning three-story building. the boy is in critical condition. his mom, unfortunately, did not survive this. another child was saved in a nearby building when neighbors caught him in a blanket after his mom dropped him to safety. >> incredible. >> wow, to see those videos. turning now to the grim reality check from hundreds of scientists that the coronavirus can linger in the air for much longer than we'd initially thought. >> it now has a growing number of us taking a second look at air purifiers and filtration

systems. here's abc's bec w >> reporter: it's in the air. that's what a group of 239 scientists representing 32 countries reported to the world health organization, asking for a revision to the w.h.o.'s recommendations for covid-19 due to evidence showing the disease is airborne. >> early case studies strongly suggest that airborne transmission of this disease is happening. >> reporter: and though social distancing is heavily advised, how did you distance from a cloud of undetectable particles in the air? this video shows how far those droplets can travel without a mask. a cloud of particles can spread as far as eight feet. and we've seen how, according to a chinese study, that a woman with no symptoms in a windowless indoor restaurant spread the virus to nine people up to 15 feet away. droplets in her breath potential carried from the air conditioner.

>> most air conditioning systems bring in very little outside air. so there's very little dilution of the particles that are generated that transmit this infection. >> reporter: so could air purifiers be the key to cleaning the air in our homes, especially if we're living with someone who's sick or a frontline worker who's self-quarantining? experts say yes. while scientists are still learning how many particles you can be exposed to before getting infected, if someone in your household is sick with covid-19, "consumer reports" suggests that running an air purifier in their quarantine room may help protect other family members or caregivers. the same for health care workers who are self-quarantining when they come home. "consumer reports" listing their top picks for purifiers, that while not tested specifically on covid-19 particles, "consumer reports" suggests they can filter out other germ and virus particles in similar tiny sizes. i bought the honeywell hpa model because it was the highest-rated air purifier on "consumer reports" for under $250. these things can be pricey.

so even if you don't buy a standalone filtration device, experts say one of the best things you can do to improve your indoor air quality is open the windows or screen doors to circulate more fresh air. >> our thanks to becky worley. coming up, preventing another run on toilet paper. >> sorry, i was busy ordering my second air purifier. >> you need another purifier? need some toilet paper as well? >> i do. out nation's toilet paper companies are working to help us. keep us covered, kenneth. no t.p. jokes, stay away from them. be all your soft surfaces? odors get trapped in your home's fabrics and resurface over time. febreze fabric refresher eliminates odors. its water-based formula safely penetrates fabrics where odors hide. spray it on your rugs, your curtains, your furniture, all over your home to make it part of your tidying up routine.

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♪ ♪ i'll be theres right now. for so many of us, not too long ago, what was not there when we reached it for it was that trusty roll of toilet paper. >> all i have to say is, bidet.

store shelves were wiped clean. how are companies now making sure we're stocked? here's abc's clayton sandell. >> reporter: as cases coinue wegoro t cntry, a pa t kpers oo arhotheyp >> there's a lot different from what people were seeing at the stores, empty shelves. it's all here. >> well, we're getting it out as fast as we can. >> reporter: box elder, utah, a town with just over 55,000 residents, producing toilet paper for millions at this procter & gamble factory. we hit the factory floor in may, where frontline workers are cranking out rolls of toilet paper and paper towels 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. >> we've got different zones throughout the plant keeping people separated. >> reporter: here is where it

starts. toilet paper begins as a dry paper pulp. so this is the beginning of the process, really, right? >> yes. think of it as basically a big blender. the job is going to be to turn it into pulp water. >> reporter: feels like wet toilet paper. >> exactly. >> reporter: the pulp is pressed and dried into super-sized rolls that look like giant movie props. looking at these rolls, a feel like ant-man. >> oh, yeah, they're huge. we'll unroll the big rolls and cut them into bounty or charmin. we convert the big rolls into finished products. >> reporter: all that paper has gone from giant rolls to finally now being cut into something we recognize. kay demow is a technician here. she's made product for p & g for 20 years. but the lockdown lifestyle looks and feels completely different. >> it's a whole different process just for getting in the building. >> i say that process makes me feel safe at work. you know, it is a process to go through, but i feel we spend the

time sanitizing, we spend the time out from each other, we're distancing. so that in itself is a good thing. >> reporter: the pace to produce is nonstop. >> this machine here is our butler -- >> reporter: jared kent helps keep everything planning. >> two-ply product, right? we'll take two of those rolls and by them together, mate them together, and that makes it our two-ply product. >> that's how you make two-ply toilet paper? >> yes, exactly. >> i never knew. >> reporter: competition in the toilet paper industry is fierce. even as companies are racing to roll out more product, procter & gamble told us they slowed down their machines when our cameras arrived so their competitors won't know just how fast they can produce. did you ever think in a pandemic like this, toilet paper was going to be the one thing people couldn't get? >> never in my wildest dreams. >> reporter: how does it feel to be replenishing the supply, so to speak? >> feels pretty good. we're doing our part, right? >> reporter: for now supplies

have stabilized. but if covid numbers continue to spike and new lockdowns trigger another buying panic, toilet paper companies will just have to roll with it. over time, you go noseblind to the odors in your home. (background music) but others smell this... (upbeat music) that's why febreze plug has two alternating scents and eliminate odors for 1200 hours. ♪breathe happy febreze... ♪la la la la la. about the colonial penn program. here to tell you if you're age 50 to 85, and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget, hd-5.

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into your best life live like a stress baller with stressballs ♪ please tell us why please tell us why you had to hide away for so long ♪ a woman in maryland got just a little bit closer to "mr. blue sky" in her quest to visit her mother locked down inside a nursing home. >> it was all thanks to a little help from the local fire department. our will ganss back again with this story. >> back and better than ever. good morning, shirleen, kenneth, and all of you. the carmine family hasn't been able to see grandma shirley for months, and her hearing isn't as good as it used to be so talking on the phone hasn't been easy. family would visit and wave from the yard, but she's on the second floor, so they haven't had a great conversation with grandma for a while now, till

now. >> my mom is my rock. every week i would go to a nursing home, twice a week, to do her hair. >> reporter: shirl carmine says mom, 83-year-old shirley taylor, is her best friend. with shirley in a nursing home, the mother-daughter duo haven't seen each other in months. >> just so -- it was depressing. >> reporter: the two tried keeping in touch electronically, but like anyone who's attempted facetiming a grandparent, it doesn't always go as smoothly as you'd like. shirl was looking for a way, hoping for a sign, until it hit her like a bright red fire truck. shirl and daughter jess on the way to a store when they passed a gas station and saw a fire truck in the parking lot. shirl said she knew she had to ask them for a lift, but not the kind you made be thinking. >> i said, jessica, stop! we're going to go ask them if they'll take me up there! >> reporter: jess thought mom was kidding.

she wasn't. shirl asking the firemen to take her up the truck's ladder to reach her mother's window in the nursing home. and to her surprise, they said yes. >> he asked me what day do you want to do it? or we could do it now. i said, do it now! i wasn't letting the chance go by. >> reporter: less than an hour later, the two were reunited face-to-face. shirl finally able to tell her mother what she's been wanting to for the past several weeks. >> i told her i love her so much and i miss her, and i can't wait to have coffee with her, and i want to see her. >> reporter: a quick visit, sure, but one that meant so much to a mother and her daughter. firefighters lifting spirits, literally in this case. i spoke with jess and she says what the firemen did for her grandma is absolutely priceless. she said for that moment in a small town in maryland, all was well in the world, you guys. >> so emotional about that. >> i love that moment. >> thanks, firefighters, for making that happen. >> definitely. will, thank you, we appreciate it so much. we love to see our family members, especially during this time. it's just been so tough.

>> yes. >> i'm just so lucky to have shirle

this morning on "world news now," the coronavirus pandemic is accelerating. >> that's according to the head of the world health organization, as more u.s. hospitals are pushed to the brink. beds filling up, plus the new forecast. how many deaths can be prevented in the coming months if americans wear masks? breaking overnight, the supreme court says chief justice john roberts was hospitalized after falling and suffering a bloody head injury. the very latest on his condition. also breaking overnight, a passing to note, mary kay letourneau. she married a former student who she was convicted of raping when he was in sixth grade. how she's being remembered. if you're a big fan of all things '80s, this is the house for you. but this totally rad pad comes with a hefty price tag. does that rhyme? details ahead on this wednesday,

july 8th. good morning, everyone. i have been waiting for this exact moment all of my life. in fact, really since 2011 when i met this very, very young woman. so i am so proud, so happy, cue the music, everybody. shirleen allicot in, wabc-tv news anchor. the beautiful, the talented, the amazing, the gorgeous. she puts the sweet in the red, delicious big apple. new york city's own shirleen allicot, everybody. welcome to "world news now." slow clap for you. how are you, friend? >> you gave me some jill scott. >> yes, i did. jilly from philly. that is because shirleen allicot and i met in philadelphia. we really are the best of

friends. please tell our insomniacs a little bit about you. >> it's wild, we've known each other for nine years. >> yes, yeah. >> it doesn't seem like a very long time. but it has felt like an eternity for me. >> yes, yes. because since then there's been husbands, kids. >> a lot of life has happened. >> yes, it has, it has. >> a lot of life. >> so again, shirleen is the morning noon anchor for wabc-tv, our flagship abc station. you just had to walk a few steps on over. >> a few steps, up a little earlier, a lot earlier, yes. >> we're going to have a lot of fun this morning but we also have serious news to get to as well. you're really good at that, getting to the news, right? >> that's kind of my thing. so let's do this. >> fun is also her thing, so we'll get to that in just a

moment. we have to get to the latest developments on this alarming spread of the coronavirus. >> covid-19 has now claimed the lives of more than 131,000 americans. and the latest model from the university of washington is projecting the death toll could rise above 200,000 by november, far less than that if everyone, everyone, wears masks. >> the nationwide death rate has actually been dropping. but dr. anthony fauci warned it was a false narrative to take comfort in that. he said there are many other things that are very dangerous and bad about this virus, as fauci and other health experts stress the importance of wearing masks in public. some americans are still ignoring their advice, like this customer that flipped out at a costco in ft. myers, florida. he was reportedly fired from his job after going on a profanity-laced tirade when someone asked him to wear a mask. >> as cases surge across the country, the texas state fair has been canceled. organizers are citing concerns about covid-19 at the event that attracts more than 2 million people every year. abc's matt gutman has more on the growing crisis. >> reporter: with the country

closing in on 3 million covid cases, hospitalizations increasing in 28 states. some pushed to the very brink. >> our hospitals are very full. every hospital in the county, there's many covid patients who are very sick. >> reporter: at the ventura county medical center in california, icu patients spilling into the e.r. across the country, more than 300,000 new cases in the past 6 days. the virus ripping through entire families, like the sanchezes of california. five members infected. daughter brenda didn't think she would survive. >> my thinking was, if i end up in the hospital, i'm going to go, too. i'm going to die. >> reporter: the family matriarch died three days after testing positive. we rode along with the phoenix fire department in the zip code with the most covid cases in all of arizona. we just learned this is a possible covid call. everybody's got n-95 masks on. 50% of all the calls this station does are covid calls.

martin molina tells paramedics he's had splitting headaches for two days. his girlfriend comes out. she had just given birth three days ago. are you scared about what's going on inside your house? >> to be honest, yes, because we're all together, yeah. plus, my little boy. i just barely had him saturday. >> reporter: like so many here, three generations of the lopez family living under one roof. ysenia has had symptoms, she says. one of her children has also had a fever. >> scared, confused. >> reporter: i bet you're scared. it's terrifying. what are you going to do? as emotion wells up, she clutches that st. jude pendant, the wrist bands from the hospital still there. martin was finally taken to the hospital. is this a typical call? >> yeah, this is what we see. there's a proud tradition of families living together. unfortunately, that's the situation for affordability where they're all under one roof. >> reporter: reinforcements are

on the way. the u.s. military sending nurses and respiratory specialists to san antonio. >> we are days away from overrunning our hospitals. >> reporter: in florida, 100 nurses headed to miami where ventilator use has more than doubled. 50-plus hospitals across the state at icu capacity. at the same time, the state ordering schools to open next month for five days a week for all students. the president saying he'll also push to reopen schools. >> we're very much going to put pressure on governors and everybody else to open the schools. >> reporter: with the virus raging, testing sites packed. supplies are depleted. the labs are backed up. robert had symptoms and was tested at an urgent care in tucson, isolating himself from his family, then waiting 27 days to learn he didn't have the virus. >> that specimen was sitting in a lab in phoenix, apparently, for maybe, what, three weeks? so is the test result even

valid? >> our thanks to matt gutman. as the number of coronavirus cases rise, the white house has followed through on president trump's promise to withdraw from the world health organization. congress received official notification yesterday. it would take effect next july. some republicans backing the move saying the w.h.o. needs major changes. democrats, led by presumptive democratic nominee joe biden, called it irresponsible. he again promised to rejoin the organization if he's elected. the president of brazil has confirmed that he has tested positive for covid-19. for months he has dismissed the severity of the virus, and he routinely mingled with crowds without wearing a mask, even as his country's death toll topped 65,000. here's abc's james longman. >> reporter: he played down the dangers of covid, but brazil's president jair bolsonaro has tested positive for the illness, proclaiming -- >> translator: we don't need to panic, life goes on. >> reporter: bolsonaro once called the pandemic "a little flu" and consistently ignored the advice of his own officials, going out on horseback and hugging children in huge crowds. the president started feeling

ill on sunday with a small fever, but he said he's on the rebound, revealing he's taking the controversial drug hydroxychloroquine. he says he's making sure he doesn't infect anyone else, but couldn't resist removing his mask today. >> translator: who wants to see my face? i'm fine, calm. thank god, he explained. an avid supporter of president trump, he visited mar-a-lago in march. now these two men lead the countries with the highest death tolls in the world. brazil, with over 65,000 killed and climbing. experts say the real numbers are likely to be much higher. we saw for yourselves how brazilians have been forced to defend themselves against infection. just under 20 cents a mask. this woman sits here for about 12, 13 hours a day making them for the community.

president bolsonaro attended july fourth celebrations at the embassy this weekend. he was pictured alongside u.s. ambassador todd chapman. neither of them was wearing a mask. the ambassador and his wife have tested negative for coronavirus, but there is no word on other embassy staff. james longman, abc news, in london. >> james, thank you. breaking overnight, stunning news as the supreme court reveals chief justice john roberts was hospitalized for head injury two weeks ago. abc news has confirmed roberts was hurt when he fell while walking near his home on father's day. the injury required sutures and the chief justice was held overnight for observation. the 65-year-old has had seizures in the past, but doctors believe the latest incident was caused by dehydration. an update on that story of kanye 2020. president trump had some positive words for the potential november challenger, kanye west. >> the president told real clear politics a west campaign would give the rapper a good trial run for 2024. he also reportedly said west is interesting and has a real voice. the two famously shared a moment in the oval office in 2018. west hasn't officially

registered as a candidate since his saturday twitter announcement, and until he officially does so, it's going to appear to me like kanye being kanye. >> are we still entertaining this? we still are? >> kanye antics. until he registers. >> well, okay. so shirleen allicot from wabc filling in, guest co-anchor, great to have you. we're going to try to send you back to wabc with your journalistic integrity intact. but on this show we make fun of a lot of things. >> all right, give to it me. >> even with the politics. i'm like, come on, y'all. kanye? >> kanye being kanye. >> you know that song "wake up, mr. west, mr. west." what are you doing? >> anything for attention, because he's kanye. so there you have it, there you have it. coming up, how walt disney world is getting ready to reopen. but first, the fbi is now looking into this incident, a group of white men attacking a

black man. the news about mary kay letourneau. what we're learning overnight about her passing. faced the competition and we broke through. olay's retinol24 complex hydrates better than the $100 retinol cream. visibly smoother brighter skin in just 24 hours. olay retinol24. about the colonial penn program. here to tell you if you're age 50 to 85,

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two people have been charged with a hate crime after they were seeing painting over a black lives matter mural in martinez, california. nicole anderson and david nelson were also charged with vandalism and possession of tools to commit vandalism or graffiti. they face up to a year in jail if convicted. the city of martinez issued a permit for the mural, and it was defaced shortly after it was completed on july 4th. next, the fbi has reportedly opened a hate crime investigation after a black man said a group of white men threatened to get a noose during an alleged assault near bloomington, indiana. viral video showing the men using racist slurs and pinning 36-year-old vauhxx booker to a tree on the fourth of july. booker said he and his friends were accused of trespassing on private property on their way to a beach. bystanders and friends demanding he be released. local authorities are gathering evidence in this case. breaking overnight, mary kay letourneau. you remember her, the seattle teacher who was convicted of

raping her 12-year-old student and later marrying him. letourneau gave birth to their child before serving a seven-year sentence for statutory rape. they later had a second child and married in 2005. they divorced last year. letourneau died of cancer. she was 58 years old. >> we all remember this story. happened in the mid-'90s. i feel what i remember most about this is not only this woman sexually assaulted and raped a 12-year-old boy, but this is the moment when people realized the gender reversal here. when you have a woman and it was a young boy, versus the other way around. because the other way around, it was automatically, it's disgusting, it's horrible, it's everything. now you had a female teacher who committed this crime involving a boy. >> you definitely look at it from a different perspective. the people who know and love her

say she was real, she was fun, and she was somebody that they are going to dearly miss. coming up next half hour, how ringo starr just rang in his 80th birthday. but first, the trump administration's decision to pull out of the world health organization. what would it mean? our medical expert weighs in next. do i use a toothpaste that or one that's good for my teeth? now i don't have to choose. crest 3d white. it removes up to 95% of surface stains. and strengthens enamel.

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walt disney world is on track to reopen saturday, despite a surge of coronavirus cases in florida. some workers have signed a petition to delay the reopening. the theme park plans to limit the number of guests. other precautions include temperature checks and face coverings. the park closed in march. disney is the parent company of abc news. one of the biggest questions surrounding reopening is if and when students should return to the classroom. president trump has said he'll pressure governors to reopen schools in the fall as his administration takes a bold step away from the w.h.o. doctor, start with the trump administration's decision to withdraw the u.s. from the world

health organization next july. as a medical professional, what do you think the impact of that will be as we fight covid-19? >> it's an excellent question, and the world health organization encompasses over 150 countries. it directs and leads international health care and system improvement efforts for the united nations. the goal as clearly displayed on their website is to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable. it gathers information, it plans and spreads that information to all of the countries. for whatever the reasons that the trump administration has, i think it's better to have a seat at that table, given that it's a very powerful and impactful organization, than to not. >> president trump says he will pressure all governors to open schools this fall. your thoughts on schools reopening? >> i think it depends on this the area. the areas that are hit hard with a high prevalence of covid, who are having increasing cases, and who are not at the phase of

opening, then they may have an issue with opening schools come the fall, especially if the schools don't have a plan to decrease the risk of spread. but there may be areas that are at the phase of opening with a low prevalence of covid disease that are able to open and have a plan to then open safely. >> doctor, recent studies show blood type could play a role in how sick patients get from this virus. what do we know about that? >> it's an interesting study out of the "new england journal of medicine" and from italy and spain. it actually corroborates a study that was previously done in china saying that if you of a "o" type, you might be less -- have less severe disease, whereas if you have "a" type, you might have a little more severe disease. i think at this point there needs much more research. we obviously know that genetics matter in how our bodies get impacted by disease. and this might be a consideration, but there

definitely needs to be more study in order to get really definitive conclusions. >> our station in los angeles has talked to one of california's first coronavirus patients. he says doctors have told him his antibodies have already begun diminishing. what do we know, and is it possible to eventually lose one's immunity to this virus? >> the question really is surrounding immunity. do we have immunity after getting covid? and if we do, then to what degree? for instance, if we have had covid, then if we get it again, are our symptoms far less than we would have if we hadn't had it before? if we do have immunity, then for how long do we have immunity? i'm sorry to say those questions still go unanswered. >> they do. our thanks to the doctor there. she really said, look, it's going to come down to a vaccine, especially when you see what we've seen, the images that we've seen. people are just waiting on that as the fix for this thing, even though wearing a mask, other things that are so important, social distancing. >> and how do you effectively social distance young children?

>> very, very true. >> how do you keep the mask on them? >> good question. >> it's the question of all questions. >> "the mix" is next.

♪ ♪ time for "the mix." a first for my friend shirleen allicot here. >> yes, exciting. >> let's mix it up. it's all about us chatting about fun stories here. the hubble telescope. you know that thing up in space is 25 years old? >> kind of familiar. >> it says, i'm still going to get some good images out there. take a look at this. this is a new pic from the hubble. this is a galaxy you see here. it is named ngc-2775. >> it looks like the gates of heaven opened. >> i was going to say, the gates of hell, because space is scary. >> oh, okay. >> uh-huh. apparently there's a galaxy there. it's a real looker, they say.

a huge, open, central sphere. that's what you want people to describe you as when they take a picture of you, a huge, open, central sphere. >> i think it's beautiful. >> oh! >> shows you what the unknown has in store. >> a yin/yang here. positivity, optimism coming from her. >> lots of optimism over here. i'd love to get your take on this next video here. we've got something right out of the '80s. i'm not really sure what the homeowner was thinking. >> i know it's not you because you weren't born in the '80s. >> oh, you've got to stop. now check this out. okay, this is taking retro to a new level. check out the neon lights, check out the kitchen, the architecture, the furnishings, the bright pinks. this home, a cool $6 million, kenneth. >> whoa, whoa. >> it's over 12,000 square feet, so honestly it's a bargain, especially if you compare it to

what you could buy in new york city. >> that's very true. >> on the market. it looks like, i don't know, maybe this person was feeling "miami vice." the studio 54 heyday. >> you like california, would you buy that? >> i would be doing a little bit of a renovation. a little bit -- a lot. next, this story about a chicken named reba. reba said, i've been in this yard here in the texas heat for a long time. there was an instacart delivery, he had the trunk open. the instacart delivery driver, reba jumped in the trunk and escaped. reba said, uh-uh, i'm out of here. a daring escape. you see the instacart driver walking back, sees the chickens out there in the yard, oh, there's one, two -- there were three when i first came and delivered these groceries. >> that is wild. >> run, reba, run! what about this deer, though? >> yes. have you seen a deer frolicking in the water? this is in dorset, england. >> it is so cute, just frolic,

deer, frolic.

this morning on "world news now," hospitals reaching their limits. cases of the coronavirus are soaring in many places, but at least one state reporting no deaths for the first time in months. nba players begin arriving admits some may st positive e co once they get there. trump family bombshell. the new allegations by the president's niece ahead of the release of her revealing book. and in our pandemic pause, we're all missing going to the movies. but this morning, the classic blockbuster so many of us wish we could have seen on the big screen. and just wait until you hear which movie landed in the top slot. here's a hint. you're going to need a bigger boat. it's wednesday, july 8th.

for those of you here in new york city, no need to adjust your eyes, insomniacs. this is not an early, early, early edition of channel 5 eyewitness news. >> i have wanted to sit next to you for so long. and i'm finally getting that opportunity. i almost feel like i'm in an alternate universe. this is happening. >> the queen of morning news here in new york city. >> thank you, guy, for having me. thank you, insomniacs. >> it's great to have you. i call you not only the queen of, but really the co-anchor of the number one morning newscast of the number one station and the number one news market. you're all around number one, shirleen alicott. >> we had our time in philadelphia. i wish we had some video of our time in philadelphia together.

>> it could have potentially saved his life. action news reporter kenneth moton is live now with the latest from police headquarters, kenneth? >> this is what i get. i told them to pick any clip they wanted and they pick this one where i'm wearing this hat. >> the shoulders. you see the shoulders? >> it was cold. that southern boy was up in philadelphia. look, there is your former co-anchor, brian taft, who is at wpei. cue the music, everybody. channel 6 action news. ♪ this is where we met. y'all keep showing the things where i'm wearing the hat in the live shots. okay. but we worked together for years. >> look at those babies. >> those babies, those babies, yes. >> wow, a blast from the past. thanks, guys. >> so shirleen came here to new york city to wabc a few years ago. and i came to abc news, and we still see each other just as

much. >> you're always following me. i turn here and there and there's kenneth. i can't get rid of him. >> we're glad to have you here filling in on "world news now," finally. the moment i've been waiting for. and we're going to do our best to not get fired from disney-abc this morning. how about that? let's get into some news. we'll get to the latest developments on this pandemic, which is leaving hospitals across the country swamped. >> so far the coronavirus has killed more than 131,000 americans, and we're on track to surpass 3 million confirmed cases sometime today. >> this was the scene yesterday at a courthouse in oklahoma city. dozens of people packed in a hallway, lots of face masks but no social distancing. oklahoma was just added to new york's travel advisory requiring visitors from that state to quarantine upon arrival. abc's megan tevrizian has the latest. >> reporter: this morning, hospitals across the country are being pushed to their limits. >> our hospitals are very full. we are days away from overrunning our hospitals.

>> we're going to exceed our surge space. >> reporter: at least 28 states now reporting a jump in admitted coronavirus patients as some icus begin to overflow into emergency rooms. here in ventura county, california, they're running out of beds. >> at every hospital in the county, there's many covid patients who are very sick. >> reporter: in florida, only 16% of all icu beds in the state are still available as tensions over masks reach a boiling point. >> back off! >> reporter: this man in a ft. myers, florida, costco exploding after a woman asked him to cover his face. it comes as the world health organization acknowledges the virus could be more contagious than they thought, saying it's possible the virus is airborne. >> we acknowledge that there is emerging evidence in this field. >> reporter: meanwhile, the surge in cases forcing 21 states to slam the brakes on reopening, including california, where the

state capitol was forced to shut down for the next week after the virus sickened at least five lawmakers. >> they said that i was mask to mask, that i was not six feet, we were not six feet apart, and that is why it qualified as an exposure. >> reporter: the u.s. death toll now exceeds 131,000 people. but on tuesday, president trump making this false claim. >> we're doing very, very well. again, mortality rate, the lowest anywhere in the world. >> reporter: even the nation's top coronavirus expert is disputing the claim. >> it's a false narrative to take comfort in a lower rate of death. >> reporter: in fact, the u.s. reported more than 1,000 new deaths on tuesday alone, accounting for one-quarter of new deaths worldwide. and the university of washington is now projecting more than 208,000 deaths in the u.s. by november 1st. >> there's so many other things that are very dangerous and bad about this virus. don't get yourself into false complacency. >> reporter: despite the persistent climb in deaths, the white house is upping the

pressure for states to reopen schools in the fall. >> so we're very much going to put pressure on governors and everybody else to open the schools, to get them open. it's very important. >> reporter: some governors insisting still, they're not ready to make a decision. >> we're not going to say children should go back to school until we know it's safe. >> reporter: but amidst the new numbers some encouraging news. for the first time in nearly four months, connecticut reporting no new covid deaths. long island, once a hotbed for the coronavirus, now cleared to start phase four in the reopening process today. back to president trump. this week he's saying the u.s. will formally withdraw from the world health organization next july. in response, joe biden tweeted he will rejoin the w.h.o. if elected on his first day as president. kenneth, shirleen? president trump is saying he may not hold a big republican convention in jacksonville after

all. he says he's flexible on the size of the event set for next month. he told greta van sustern florida looked good a few weeks ago but acknowledged there's a spike in coronavirus infections, saying it's a matter of timing. several republican lawmakers already said they will not attend. now to that explosive new book by the president's niece set to be released next week. in the book she describes the president as a person with multiple psychological disorders, unsuited to be president. abc's jonathan karl has more. >> reporter: she is the president's niece, the first member of his family to publicly turn against him. mary trump unloads in a new book the trump family tried to stop. "too much and never enough: how my family created the world's most dangerous man." mr. president, any reaction to your niece's book? any reaction to mary trump's book, sir? >> reporter: mary trump describes the president's father, fred trump, as a high-functioning sociopath who

short circuited donald's ability to develop and experience the entire spectrum of human emotion. ms. trump, a trained psychologist, claims the president's father perverted his son's perception of the world and damaged his ability to live in it. "donald is not simply weak, his ego is a fragile thing that must be bolstered every moment because he knows deep down that he is nothing of what he claims to be." she adds, "his cruelty serves in part as a means to distract both us and himself from the true extent of his failures." mary trump says the president's sister, retired judge marianne trump barry, told her in 2015 she didn't take her brother's presidential campaign seriously, saying, "he's a clown." lo, sulye house is hitting back. no bearing in truth. have yet to see the book, but it is a book of falsehoods. >> reporter: mary trump, who is the daughter of the president's older brother, fred jr., sued the president and his siblings,

claiming she was treated unfairly in her grandfather's will. the case was later settled. she has seen little of her uncle over the past 20 years, although she attended a dinner at the white house in early 2017. she acknowledges that the next year she gave details of trump family finances, including tax records, to "the new york times." the white house has issued a statement taking issue with mary trump's description of the president's relationship with his father, fred trump sr. "the president describes the relationship he had with his father as warm and said his father was very good to him. the statement goes on. he said his father was loving and not at all hard on him as a child. so that is the statement from the white house issued in response to mary trump's book. jonathan karl, abc news, the white house. >> our thanks to jonathan there. another book on the first family is due out in september. first lady melania trump's former adviser, stephanie

winston wolkoff, has written a tell-all titled "melania and me." it will cover their 15-year friendship and her departure from the white house in 2018. and the longest living president in the nation's history tuesday marked jimmy and rosalynn carter's 74th wedding anniversary. they tied the knot in 1946 when mr. carter was 21 and the future first lady was 18. on his 75th birthday the former president was asked about the most important thing he'd done with his life. he said, marrying rosalynn. good answer, sir. >> very, very nice. congratulations to them. they're just a little bit away from that big 75th right there. >> i love that. i love that dynamic right there. >> definitely. coming up, how ringo starr's friends decided to come together for his 80th birthday. first, restarting the nba season. why the league's commissioner is raising a red flag over new positive covid-19 test results.

later in "the skinny," the celebrity crooner with whom billie eilish was so infatuated, her parents almost considered sending her to therapy. can't wait for this one. you're watching "world news now." ♪ i'm a bad guy

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♪t. >> you like that music? >> feeling the vibes. welcome back. the nba is taking its first cautious steps toward restarting its season amid the pandemic. >> players have started arriving in florida, but amid all the precautions there's still lots of concern. this morning, several nba teams are in florida preparing to restart the season during the coronavirus crisis. players will live and compete in a so-called bubble campus at espn's wide world of sports complex in disney world, orlando. but now the nba commissioner is expressing concern after a number of new positive test results in the league. >> we won't be surprised when they first come down to orlando

if we have some additional players to test positive. >> reporter: commissioner adam silver admits a surge in cases could shut down the season again. >> certainly if we had any sort of significant spread at all within our campus, we would be shut down. >> reporter: inside the bubble at disney, which is abc's parent company, players will have 24-hour vip concierge and on-site barbers, manicurists, pedicurists, hair braiders, along with players-only lounges. >> i truly feel when it's done we'll look back and say, that wasn't too bad. >> reporter: some players say it's a bad idea, including star philadelphia 76er joel embiid. >> i know i'm going to do the right things. i know i don't ever do anything, i only play video games, i'm always home, i don't do anything. but then again, i don't trust those other guys to do the same. >> reporter: and this morning, a new reality in other sports amid the pandemic.

espn is poyear. in major league baseball, the nationals, astros, and cardinals have canceled team workouts because of testing delays. atlanta braves outfielder nick markakis is the latest high-profile player to opt out of the season. >> have to go out there and play and -- in front of an environment with no fans? it's just -- it's not baseball, to me. >> reporter: the yankees pitcher, zach britton, doing his best to follow distancing protocols during a team scrimmage, kicking a ball away to avoid touching it with his sports. people want sports to get back to business, but there's still a number of concerns there. so we'll see how this all plays out. when we come back, what classic movie do you wish you'd seen on the big screen? >> hm, let me think about that one. the woman behind the patrick mahomes, the biggest cheerleader. "the skinny" coming up next. ♪ skinny e droppings? ewww. dead skin cells? gross! so now, i grab my swiffer sweeper and heavy duty dusters. dusters has three layers that grab, trap and lock away gross dust.

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just gimme the skinny ♪ time for the skinny, and every guest coanchor, i always ask them, who do you think is singing "the skinny" song right there? do i i veea.

i ow- sid diane macedo? >> yes, somebody watches this at wab voice? it is time for "the skinny" starting with those classic blockbusters we wish we could have seen in the theaters. >> young people in britain were asked what movies they would have loved seeing new. >> coming in first place, the movie that scared an entire generation away from the beaches, steven spielberg's 1975 epic "jaws." >> whoo, you know what? that's actually a really good one. >> yeah. >> but coming in second place, this one's not a surprise whatsoever, kenneth. "star wars." >> oh, disney is the parent company of abc news. >> of course. >> and wabc-tv. 83%, third place, stanley kubrick's reimagining of stephen king's "the shining." >> i don't know about that one. that one really, really scared me.

next to bad bunny. i never heard of bad bunny. i feel so uncool. now having something in common with hugh hefner. check this out. >> yes, the puerto rican rapper is now technically a playboy bunny. the 26-year-old has just made history as "playboy's" first-ever digital star with two covers, shirleen. >> i'm so concerned that i don't even recognize him. he's the second man to appear solo on the cover after the magazine's founder, the late hugh hefner himself. >> this larger than life bad bunny is known for his gender-fluid performances and fashion ensembles. today is the day shirleen allicot learned who bad bunny is. >> wait, i'm familiar with his music, but i've never seen bad bunny. nice to meet you. >> she was chair dancing. that took me back to 2011. we won't talk about that. next, they say grn is woman. >> me. i'm kidding.

kansas city chiefs star patrick mahomes may have just inked a ten-year contract extension worth $500 million -- but his real win happened eight years ago. >> that's when he and brittany matthews first became high school sweethearts. they started dating when they were 16 and the relationship has stood the test of time, including moving away for college, now living together in kansas city with their two dogs steel and silver. >> i love these organic relationships. she loved him for him, not thinking that he would be this famous football player, right? >> yep. i'm going to -- let's just -- i hope everything's, you know -- stays lovey-dovey. >> i hope so, too. >> i really do. next to celebs crushing on other celebs, kenneth. >> long before she was a grammy winner, billie eilish was a belieber. >> oh, the 18-year-old's mom just served up some serious dish on her poor daughter. she says at 10 years old young billie was so obsessed with justin, they considered sending

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over 10 years. olay's hydration was unbeaten every time. olay, face anything. ♪ i don't ask for much i only want to touch and you know it don't come easy ♪ fame and fortune, they really don't come easy, not even if you happen to be ringo starr. >> but coming together right now were some of starr's closest bffs to celebrate his very special day. our own beatles fan, will ganss -- >> will, look, i got my bff right here! >> i'm all alone. i'm all alone over here. it's nice to virtually meet you, shirleen. but it's fitting, because this is a virtual birthday party we're talking about right now. normally ringo starr asks fans for peace and love on his birthday, which he did this year as well. but instead of his usual block party in hollywood, he asked his

famous friends to celebrate online. ringo starr is celebrating his 80th birthday with a little help from his friends. the legendary beatles drummer presenting ringo's big birthday show on youtube, a socially distant alternative to the typical bash he throws each year outside of capitol records. ♪ ♪ happy birthday to you >> reporter: ringo's famous friends deciding to come together online instead, gifting sir richard starky and his fans some never-before-seen concert footage and special performances. sheryl crow tackling one of the beatles' biggest hits. ♪ all you need is love >> reporter: and sheila e. epter:go lack g at some highlights over his career, spanning more than six decades in music, spilling secrets of his songwriting with george harrison. talking about the song "it don't come easy." >> i said, george, help me write. >> reporter: other friends from

his historic career popping in to send birthday wishes like the eagles' joe walsh, who plays with ringo nowadays. >> hi, everybody. i just stopped by to make sure he doesn't get too tired. plus a lot of money's been bet whether he can blow out 80 candles. >> reporter: and, of course, consider it a british invasion. ringo putting a bow on top of his big birthday show with paul mccartney. lretty darn good for 80 years old. throughout the show, ringo asked viewers to donate money, which he plans on donating to black lives matter, the david lynch foundation, music cares, and ringo's lotus foundation. that was a pretty fun birthday party for an 80-year-old. >> definitely. >> hey, ringo.

good that he's getting some equality among his beatles cohorts, because he has definitely fought for that

right now on "america this morning," the coronavirus emergency and its seemingly unstoppable surge in some areas. more than 20 states putting a pause on re-opening plans as tensions over masks reach a boiling point. this morning, the white house putting pressure on states to open schools next month. we'll have the latest. breaking overnight, chief justice john roberts spending the night in the hospital recently. why was the public never told? also breaking right now,'the former teacher at the center of a scandal in the 1990s. her recent passing. plus, under investigation. an alleged racially motivated attack appearing to show a group of white men threatening to lynch a black man.