tonight, several developing stories as we come on the air. president trump's doctor now says the president has tested negative on consecutive days. the all-out sprint now, 22 days until election day. the president's doctor saying the president testing negative using abbott rapid testing. those tests and other measurements, the doctor says, mean the president is, quote, not infectious to others. tonight, the president now on his way to florida, a huge crowd gathering, few masks. joe biden, meanwhile tonight, in the battleground of ohio. three weeks left amid new poll numbers tonight. where this race stands. and the new message late today from dr. anthony fauci to the trump campaign about using fauci in that ad. and the images coming in now, the major turnout on the first day of early voting in a key state. also tonight, the supreme court confirmation hearing for president trump's nominee, judge

amy coney barrett. democrats warn health care coverage for millions of americans, including those with pre-existing conditions, is on the line with this nomination, with a major case before the court just days after the election. judge barrett today saying courts are not designed to solve every problem or right every wrong in our public life. the coronavirus in the u.s. hospitalizations now on the rise in 35 states. a third grade teacher dying from covid. and the virus on surfaces. the new study tonight, how long the virus can last on the surface of your phone and on your money. overseas tonight, concern over the virus inside the vatican. at least four guards testing positive. with the world seeing those images, pope francis often seen without a mask. and the emergency moves in the uk tonight. back here at home, news this evening involving a security guard hired by a local tv station, after a deadly

confrontation in the middle of dual protests. that storm system on the move at this hour. hurricane delta's trail of destruction in the u.s. and now the system dumping rain from d.c. up into the northeast tonight. also tonight, we remember john mccain's mother, who has died at 108. and we celebrate a baseball great. good evening and it's great to have you with us as we start another week together here. and as we come on the air tonight, we have just heard from the president's doctor through a written statement, saying the president has now tested negative over consecutive days, according to the doctor, using abbott rapid testing. the doctor saying those tests along with other measurements mean the president is, quote, not infectious to others. tonight, the president now on his way to florida. the president setting out from the white house late today, returning to the campaign trail for the first time, of course, since his diagnosis with covid. 22 days to go now. a large crowd waiting for him in

florida. not a lot of masks, but a lot of enthusiasm. joe biden, meanwhile, with events in the key battleground state of ohio, calling the president reckless for his personal conduct around the pandemic. and tonight right here, the new poll. where this race stands tonight. and, of course, the other major story unfolding today. the president's nominee to the supreme court. democrats making health care the central issue in the confirmation hearing today. and what judge amy coney barrett said to the committee. we do have it all covered for you. election day three weeks from tomorrow. and we note tonight that more than 9 million americans have already voted. abc's mary bruce leading us off. >> reporter: president trump tonight heading to his first campaign rally since being diagnosed with the coronavirus, leaving the white house defiant, with no mask. waiting for him in the key state of florida, throngs of tightly packed supporters with few masks in sight. just one week after coming home from the hospital, the president claims he's virus free. >> and i've been tested, totally negative. >> reporter: tonight, his doctor

said he has tested "negative on consecutive days," using rapid testing. concluding he is "not infectious to others." the president going further, even claiming he's immune. >> it looks like i'm immune for, i don't know, maybe a long time. maybe a short time. it could be a lifetime, nobody really knows, but i'm immune. >> reporter: but experts say immunity is not well understood. and doctors don't know how long it lasts. twitter slapping a warning on trump's claim that he can no longer get or give the virus, labeling his message "misleading and potentially harmful." with 22 days to go, more than 9 million americans have already voted. as our latest poll shows, the president's handling of this pandemic is taking a toll. joe biden leading by 12 points nationally, with a 23-point advantage among women voters, and with a slight edge among seniors, a group key to trump's victory in 2016, one that he's counting on for his re-election. well aware of the numbers, the president ratcheting up his campaigning with an in-person event every day this week. biden looking to capitalize on

his momentum, campaigning today in ohio, a state trump won by eight points in 2016. but now polls show biden and trump neck and neck. today in toledo, biden calling out the president, saying his behavior is irresponsible. >> his reckless personal conduct since his diagnosis has been unconscionable. the longer donald trump is president, the more reckless he seems to get. >> reporter: trying to change the narrative, the trump campaign out with a new misleading ad that shows dr. anthony fauci praising the administration's response. >> i can't imagine that anybody could be doing more. >> reporter: but that comment, from the early days of the pandemic in march, was about the broader response of the task force. fauci today said his words were being twisted and he warned the trump campaign not to do it again. >> that might actually come back to backfire on them. i hope they don't do that, because that would be kind of playing a game that we don't want to play. >> reporter: while on capitol hill today, an uncomfortable moment.

the president's chief of staff, mark meadows, who was by trump's side in the hospital, taking off his mask to talk to reporters. when he was asked to keep the mask on, he refused and walked away. >> so, let's get right to mary bruce, with us live tonight. the president holding that rally in florida this evening and his team telling you, mary, they're not changing anything when it comes to covid-19 precautions, even with his diagnosis a couple weeks back now. but at these rallies, they're ramping up the travel schedule in the final sprint, these final 22 days? >> reporter: david, three weeks to go, and down in the polls and the president is now going full steam ahead. sources tell us that he is going to hold campaign events every single day between now and election day, and that he's going to start doing multiple rallies a day. despite these packed events, the campaign tells us they have no plans to make any changes to their safety precautions. the white house saying, in this country, you have a right to show up and express your views. david? >> mary bruce leading us off tonight. mary, thank you. and now to that supreme court showdown i mentioned off the top tonight. the senate judiciary committee

opening its confirmation hearing for president trump's nominee, judge amy coney barrett. judge barrett escorted into the hearing room this morning. her children brought in separately to watch. democrats united in their message today, one after another, arguing that her nomination puts health care coverage for millions of americans, including pre-existing conditions, on the line, with that major case before the court just days after the election. and judge barrett telling the committee today the courts are not designed to solve every problem or right every wrong in our public life. abc's terry moran has covered the court for years for us. >> reporter: the stage was set, a socially distanced hearing room, but democrats, in a surprise, changed the script. for once, remarkably united on message, one after another, the democrats argued that this confirmation threatens all americans' health care and protections for pre-existing conditions. >> stripping health care from millions of americans during a pandemic, that's really what is at stake. >> reporter: on the other side, republicans were brimming with

confidence, for good reason, they've got the votes. committee chairman senator lindsey graham even acknowledging that no supreme court justice has ever been confirmed so close to election day. >> my democratic colleagues will say this has never been done, and they're right in this regard. nobody, i think, has ever been confirmed in an election year past july. >> reporter: graham also cited the late justice ruth bader ginsburg who said presidents are elected for four years, not three, and so can nominate justices throughout their terms. but senator amy klobuchar pointedly reminded graham of ginsburg's final wish, that her seat would not be filled until a new president is installed. >> this isn't donald trump's country, it is yours. this shouldn't be donald trump's judge. it should be yours. >> reporter: democratic vice presidential nominee senator kamala harris appearing by remote link also invoking ginsburg with a dire warning about judge barrett.

>> by replacing justice ruth bader ginsburg with someone who will undo her legacy, president trump is attempting to roll back americans' rights for decades to come. >> reporter: but health care was the democrats main line of attack and it got personal. sharing moving stories of constituents who depend on the affordable care act. with the supreme court scheduled to take up that law just a week after the election. democrats steered clear of any mention of judge barrett's catholic faith, in contrast to her 2017 confirmation hearings for the appeals court, but republicans still accused them of using her faith against her. >> your political opponents want to paint you as a tv or cartoon version of a religious radical. >> that is an attempt to bring back the days of the religious test. >> reporter: barrett herself sat stoically for five hours, wearing a mask, which she hadn't done in her rose garden nomination ceremony. and when she removed it to

speak, she spoke of her mentor, the late justice antonin scalia, whose judicial philosophy she shares. >> a judge must apply the law as it is written, not as she wishes it were. sometimes that approach meant reaching results that he did not like. >> reporter: and on the key issues that could come before her -- >> courts are not designed to solve every problem or right every wrong in our public life. >> reporter: most of barrett's children were seated behind her. the mother of seven from the south and midwest talking about her roots. if confirmed, she would be the only justice not to have attended an ivy league school. >> i would be the only sitting justice who didn't attend school at harvard or yale, but i am confident that notre dame could hold its own and maybe i could even teach them a thing or two about football. >> got a few laughs there today. terry, also, we took note that this all played out today amid this pandemic. judge amy coney barrett wore a mask for five hours until it was her turn to deliver her statement before the senators. there were headlines made when senator mike lee, who tested

positive after that rose garden ceremony, spoke at the hearing without a mask, before putting one back on. his office said today that the attending physician in congress said another test was not necessary for him. but some senators did not show up, including senator kamala harris, at least not in person. they were joining by remote. she made a point of saying she had asked the chairman, senator lindsey graham, for testing before the hearing. here's senator graham addressing that later. >> could you explain what cdc compliant means? >> it means that the room is set up, social distancing regarding the virus, that the architect of the capitol measured the space. and as to me, i was tested a week ago friday, had brief contact with senator lee, i was negative. >> so, terry, you heard it today with us as we were all watching, senator graham saying they were compliant with cdc guidelines today. >> reporter: cdc compliant, but democrats, as you say, david, were looking for more, in part because there is a coronavirus outbreak associated with this nomination, the event at the rose garden now reaching into

the senate here, in the upper echelons of the republican party. the democrats wanted everyone tested. senator graham refused. he said that millions of americans are going to work every day in this pandemic. the committee should, too. david? >> terry moran will be at the court all week for us. terry, thank you. and now to the coronavirus tonight. cases on the rise in more than half the country. and a new study tonight suggesting that the virus can survive on some surfaces longer than we thought. up to 28 days on some surfaces. they actually looked at the surface of phones. also, hospitalizations rising in 35 states. experts warn an increase in deaths could follow. and this number tonight. more than 215,000 american lives lost to this virus. tonight, more on that new study and here's abc's eva pilgrim. >> reporter: tonight, the number of covid cases and hospitalizations are on the rise in more than half the country. 14 states hitting a record number of hospitalizations last week. in utah, one of the hot spots,

entire families coming in. >> many times one of them makes it and one of them doesn't, and that's been really heartbreaking to see. >> reporter: experts warning of an increase in the number of deaths in the coming days. >> when you look at what's going on in the united states, it's really very troublesome. >> reporter: more than 215,000 americans have now died from the virus, including julie davis, a third grade teacher in north carolina. >> she could reach every child in her classroom. she just loved every child. >> reporter: her family thinks she got the virus from a student at her school. her school district has now moved to all remote learning. in new york, anger over covid cluster shutdowns in parts of the city spilling into the streets. in nashville, thousands crowded together and mostly maskless for this church service sunday. this video posted on twitter. leader sean feucht tweeting with this video, "the church will not be silenced." all this, as a new study suggests that covid may be able to survive on surfaces for up to 28 days.

the virus able to stay on nonporous surfaces like glass, stainless steel, vinyl and paper. but the actual amount of virus found was quite small and would be unlikely to cause infection. still, a good reminder to wash your hands frequently. and tonight, we're learning more about that first u.s. reported infection case from back in august. it was a healthy 25-year-old man with no known immune disorders. researchers say it shows that you can get this virus again. david? >> that reinfection headline got our attention today. eva, thank you. overseas tonight, from the uk, prime minister boris johnson, a covid survivor himself, imposing new restrictions. a tiered system now there based on the severity of the outbreak in a particular region. all of it to head off the need for another lockdown, with cases now quadrupling in just the past three weeks. more hospitalizations, in fact, than last march. back here at home, amid concern over voting during a pandemic, early voting is now under way across much of this

country. and in georgia, this is the first day. abc's steve osunsami with what they're seeing already. >> reporter: this is one the shorter lines. voters in the heart of atlanta waited for more than four and five hours before they could vote today. hours away, in columbus, the lines started before the sun came up. >> so, i got up about 5:15 this morning. got me a cup of coffee. i came out here and the line was progressively getting longer. >> reporter: voting is now taking place in 45 states and the nation's capital. in georgia, where in-person early voting started today, election officials expect it to stay this busy for the next three weeks. nearly everyone we spoke with in line said they did not trust sending their vote in the mail. you didn't want to vote by mail? >> no. >> reporter: you want your vote -- >> counted. i want to see it say submitted. >> reporter: you want to see it? >> and they got it. >> reporter: in georgia, more than 1.5 million voters have asked for absentee ballots so far, and more than 400,000 of them have been filled out and returned already. in florida, they started

counting those mail-in ballots today. a new abc news/"washington post" poll says that half of all voters plan to vote early. here in buckhead, atlanta, this polling location is now closed, but the line behind me is still nearly an hour long and all of these voters will be getting through tonight. david? >> just extraordinary, with three weeks left to go. voting already under way across this country. steve, thank you. and with so much concern about voting this year ahmmid this pandemic and the news on mail-in and absentee ballots, our partners at fivethirtyeight have put together an easy to use state-by-state guide to answer your questions on voting, both in-person and by mail. you can go to abcnews.com/wntvote2020. in the meantime, new questions tonight about that deadly confrontation during dual protests in denver. a security guard hired by a local tv station is now under investigation for murder. police say matthew dolloff shot and killed lee keltner after keltner appeared to slap him and

hit him with pepper spray. dolloff immediately was taken into custody. the city of denver says he's not registered as a security guard. the remnants of hurricane delta are still being felt tonight from the gulf coast all the way up into the northeast now. blue tarps on rooftops in lake charles, louisiana, struck by two hurricanes in just a matter of weeks. delta dropping ten more inches of rain. more than 180,000 customers without power. georgia in the path, as well. flash flooding triggering high water rescues. and a very wet and difficult night of driving ahead in parts of the northeast. let's get right to chief meteorologist ginger zee tracking it all for us. hey, ginger. >> reporter: david, in case you haven't seen that track, the two tracks right next to each other, delta, just 12 miles from when laura hit. that red area highlights all the communities that were hit twice. now here in the northeast, we're starting to feel the impacts. we've seen erosion, coastal flooding and heavy rains. it's going to squeeze together with that front, anywhere from boston up through new hampshire and maine. by tomorrow night, could pick up one to three cinches of rain. david?

>> ginger zee with us tonight. ginger, thank you. when we come back on this monday evening, concern over the coronavirus at the vatican tonight. we're going to tell you why. and we remember tonight john mccain's mother, who we learned today has died at the age of 108. are my bones strong? life is full of make or break moments. that's why it's so important to help reduce your risk of fracture with prolia®. only prolia® is proven to help strengthen and protect bones from fracture with 1 shot every 6 months. do not take prolia® if you have low blood calcium, are pregnant, are allergic to it, or take xgeva®. serious allergic reactions like low blood pressure, trouble breathing, throat tightness, face, lip or tongue swelling, rash, itching or hives have happened. tell your doctor about dental problems, as severe jaw bone problems may happen. or new or unusual pain in your hip, groin, or thigh, as unusual thigh bone fractures have occurred. speak to your doctor before stopping, skipping or delaying prolia®, as spine and other bone fractures have occurred. prolia® can cause serious side effects, like low blood calcium,

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johnny bench calling him "quite simply the best baseball player i ever played against or saw." joe morgan was 77. thank you for watching here on a monday night. i hope to see you right back here tomorrow. i'm david muir. from all of us here at abc news, good night. taking california for a ride. companies like uber, lyft, doordash. breaking state employment laws for years. now these multi-billion-dollar companies wrote deceptive prop 22 to buy themselves a new law. to deny drivers the rights they deserve. no sick leave. no workers' comp. no unemployment benefits. vote no on the deceptive uber, lyft, doordash prop 22. one ride california doesn't want to take. the last time yourh prop 22. property tawhat?l went down? never. are you kidding me? for years, the residential burden has gone up. while the corporate burden has gone down.

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people enjoying outdoor dining in san jose suddenly hit by a car. the eerie thing is, this happened again just hours later. i'm leeann melendez -- small businesses the money they need to boost their outdoor dining space with safety always in mind. plus, is this a real place to drop off your ballot? the secretary of state weighs in on whether this is tampering with the election. building a better bay area for a safe and secure future. this is abc 7 news. twice in one day. in the same city. in fact, within a mile and within hours. one of the most popular ways to enjoy a meal during the coronavirus pandemic becomes a place of danger. good evening and thank you for joining us. i'm ama daetz. >> and i'm dion lim. out of control cars ran into outdoor signing setups twice yesterday in san jose along story road. one case sent several people to the hospital and in the other a man didn't make it.