tonight, cases of the coronavirus surging in the u.s. and news tonight on the president's son, barron. first lady melania trump revealing barron did test positive for covid after she and the president tested positive, too. what she reveals about her son and her own symptoms from the virus. and the president is asked about his son today, what he says, then quickly pivoting to his supreme court nominee. this all comes as the number of hospitalizations rises in at least 36 states tonight, amid concerns of a second wave in this country, with americans closer together in the colder weather. the warning late today from dr. anthony fauci about thanksgiving gatherings. we also have news on children and vaccine trials tonight. and the second wave already hitting europe. the supreme court showdown. judge amy coney barrett, the

president's choice to replace ruth bader ginsburg, pressed today by both democrats and republicans on the affordable care act, coverage for millions. with a case before the court just days after the election. republicans signaling today they know this is an issue the american people are watching closely. and what they asked judge barrett to clarify today. terry moran standing by. 20 days until election day. early voting now under way in 48 states. what we're seeing across the country. you'll hear from voters right here tonight. and president trump in our most recent poll down significantly among women. overnight, asking suburban women, quote, will you please like me? news tonight on the woman in new york's central park who called 911 about a black man, a bird watcher, falsely claiming he was threatening her. and what prosecutors have now revealed. and we are just learning tonight that one of the top college football coaches in america has come down with covid.

good evening and it's great good evening and it's great to have you with us here on a wednesday night. and we begin tonight with the coronavirus here in the u.s. there is a lot of concern as we head deeper into fall, with americans closer together and inside, that this could fuel the virus. tonight, we're seeing a rise in hospitalizations in 36 states and we learned today that the president's son, barron, tested positive for covid, too, some time after the president and first lady tested positive. first lady melania trump revealing her fear came true, her words, that she was immediately worried about barron when she tested positive herself. tonight, what she's now saying about her son barron, who is now 14, who we have all seen grow up and grow much taller in these last four years. president trump was also asked today about his son, how he answered. he did change subjects quickly to his supreme court nominee. the first lady in a memo from her office also sharing her own experience with the virus, her symptoms, what she learned and her concern for other families who might not have had the care

the first family received. tonight, nearly 700,000 american children have been infected and the first family acknowledging that their son was one of them. abc's chief white house correspondent jonathan karl leading us off tonight. >> reporter: first lady melania trump revealed today that not long after she became infected with coronavirus, her, quote, fear came true, that her son barron had tested positive, too. "luckily he is a strong teenager and exhibited no symptoms," she wrote. "he has since tested negative." she shared the news late today in an article on the white house website entitled, "my personal experience with covid-19." minutes after the article was posted, president trump was asked about his son. as he answered, he quickly changed the subject to the confirmation hearings for amy coney barrett and his upcoming rally in iowa. >> how is barron, sir? >> barron's fine and amy is doing a fantastic job, we're heading out to iowa, and we have

a big rally, a lot of people, as always. but we have a lot of people and we look forward to it. and, again, amy, i think, is doing an incredible job. >> reporter: in the past, president trump has said young people, for the most part, are not in danger of getting covid-19. >> you look, you take your hat off to the young, because they have a hell of an immune system. but it affects virtually nobody. it's a -- it's an amazing thing. >> reporter: as for the president himself, after he was infected, he was taken via helicopter to one of the best hospitals in the world, where he was treated for three days. he's now pronounced himself better than ever. >> i can feel -- i feel so powerful. i'll walk into that audience. i'll walk in there. i'll kiss everyone in that audience. i'll kiss the guys and the beautiful women and the -- everybody. i'll just give you a big fat kiss. >> reporter: his recovery is now part of his stump speech. >> who has had it here?

who's had it? yeah. a lot of people. a lot of people. well, you're the people i want to say hello to because right now you're immune. >> reporter: dr. anthony fauci says we just don't know whether or not people who have had covid are permanently immune. in her essay, the first lady strikes a different tone than her husband, writing that although her symptoms were minimal, "they hit me all at once and it seemed to be a roller coaster." she says she experienced body aches, a cough and headaches and felt extremely tired most of the time. she writes that "the most impactful part of my recovery was the opportunity to reflect on many things, family, friendships, my work and staying true to who you are." >> so, let's get right to jonathan karl with us live again tonight from washington. and jon, very personal words from the first lady today. and in addition to the president and barron trump, both now testing negative, the first lady also revealed she's now tested negative and she hopes to resume her duties soon? >> reporter: and david, the first lady also wrote, "i want people to know that i understand

just how fortunate my family is to have received the kind of care that we did." the bottom line is, she wants people to know that she is keenly aware that she received the kind of care that most people simply cannot get. >> jonathan karl leading us off. jon, thank you. and meantime, jon, as you know, this all comes as we see the virus spiking across the country, amid those fears of a second wave. and tonight, the very first v vaccine trial in children now approved by the fda and now getting started. hospitalizations increasing in 36 states across the country. wisconsin, as we've been reporting, hit especially hard. a field hospital now set up to take in covid patients. and pfizer beginning that first pediatric vaccine trial in the world. and late today, what dr. anthony fauci said about family gatherings over thanksgiving. abc's stephanie ramos from wisconsin tonight. >> reporter: tonight, wisconsin, ground zero in this country's desperate battle to beat back a surging virus. this new field hospital for covid patients opening today just in time.

>> many of our icus are strained and every region of our state has one or more hospitals reporting current and imminent staff shortages. >> reporter: the state now facing a record number of deaths and hospitalizations. 3,000 new cases since just yesterday. >> we have to get this virus under control and help flatten the curve. >> reporter: the virus raging in wisconsin, but today, a judge blocking the governor's emergency order to curb the spread by limiting capacity in places like bars and restaurants to 25%. as colder weather sends more people indoors, cases of the virus surging in 35 states. hospitalizations climbing in 36 states. in tuscaloosa, alabama, 37-year-old father chais billings was a healthy firefighter. he's now hospitalized and on oxygen. >> for something like this to hit him so hard, it's heartbreaking. >> reporter: in the race for a vaccine, pfizer becoming the first to test its vaccine on

children as young as 12. today, 16-year-old katelyn evans joining the trial in cincinnati. >> i'm just hoping that they can use whatever they get from me and that it helps them put out a vaccine as soon as possible. >> reporter: more than 100 children have lost their lives to the virus. and nearly 700,000 infected, including 17-year-old natalia ruspini, who for weeks faced lingering brain fog, struggling to remember school tasks. >> like my clock in my head was off. i think maybe time really is just a healer. >> reporter: and david, as we head closer to thanksgiving, dr. fauci tonight saying to consider family members who are at risk, because of their age and underlying conditions, saying, you might need to bite the bullet and sacrifice social gatherings unless you are certain the people you are dealing with have been recently tested and are not interacting with anyone else unless it's you and your family members. david? >> yeah, it going to be so difficult, because we all do want to get together, but important questions to ask ourselves. stephanie, thank you. now, to the race for the

white house tonight. 20 days to election day. early voting now under way in 48 states, including tennessee just today, and we noted long lines there after record-breaking turnout in georgia and texas already. president trump traveling to a rally in iowa. the president trailing joe biden significantly among women in our most recent poll and the president overnight asking suburban women, will you please like me? here's abc's mary bruce tonight. >> reporter: in tennessee, on the first day of early voting, the line stretching across this parking lot. 48 states now voting in person, smashing records across the country. >> first time i'm voting early, but i didn't want to leave it to chance. >> reporter: from texas, where they lined up before dawn in austin. >> i don't mind standing in that line. i just want to vote. >> reporter: to georgia, where in just the first two days, more than 240,000 people have already voted in person. >> georgia voters are excited and setting records every hour and this is all during a

pandemic, lest we forget. >> reporter: in some areas, the wait more than eight hours. voting machines wiped down and disinfected between each use. over 10% of georgia voters have already cast their ballot. former president obama now urging americans to think ahead. >> when it comes to voting this year, having a plan has never been more important. >> reporter: in the key state of florida, for the first time ever, democrats are outpacing republicans in voting by mail. president trump, down in polls, overnight pleading with key voting blocs to give him another chance. >> suburban women, will you please like me? remember? please. please. i saved your damn neighborhood, okay? >> reporter: trump was hoping to get a boost from the second debate. it was supposed to be tomorrow, but after the president got covid, the debate commission announced it would be virtual and trump pulled out. now instead, joe biden will be participating in a town hall here on abc tomorrow night. the president also answering

voter questions on another network. >> let's get right to mary bruce with us from philadelphia tonight. and mary, president trump holding a rally in iowa tonight. we know it's a state he won in 2016, but again, in this state, a very tight race, with 20 days to go. >> reporter: david, the president is spending a lot of time in this final stretch in states that he won handily in 2016, but that now may be in play, with democrats gaining ground. while joe biden is hoping to build on his momentum in critical battlegrounds. david? >> mary bruce with us every step of the way on this campaign. mary, thank you. and tomorrow, with that key second debate canceled, the abc news town hall with joe biden instead. george stephanopoulos with questions from voters tomorrow night, 8:00 p.m. eastern, right here. we continue with the news tonight, and the supreme court showdown, day three of the hearing for judge amy coney barrett, president trump's pick to replace justice ruth bader ginsburg. democrats have been grilling her about the affordable care act and health care for millions, with a case before the court just days after the election. but today, republicans signaling

that they know americans are watching this particular issue closely, questioning the judge on the affordable care act, as well. abc's terry moran has covered the supreme court for years for us. >> reporter: it was a day republicans sensed victory, a triumph decades in the making. >> this is the first time in american history that we've nominated a woman who is unashamedly pro-life and embraces her faith without apology and she's going to the court, a seat at the table is waiting on you. >> reporter: but before that happens, republicans surprisingly were playing defense on the affordable care act, after democrats hammered home on tuesday that the law will come before the supreme court just one week after the election. >> obamacare is on the ballot. >> reporter: with the trump administration asking the court to strike down the entire law, today, it was republicans suddenly needing to have judge barrett reassure worried americans, invoking the principle of severability, where if judges strike down one part of a law, they try to preserve everything else.

in this case, protections for pre-existing conditions and other popular parts of the aca. >> the presumption is always in favor of severability. >> the main thing is the doctrine of severability has a presumption to save the statue if possible, is that correct? >> that is correct. >> reporter: democrats weren't buying it, and they pressed the nominee. >> did you have, then, a general understanding that one of the president's campaign promises was to repeal the affordable care act when you were nominated? >> i, as i said before, i'm aware that the president opposes the affordable care act. >> is the answer yes then? that you were aware? >> well, senator klobuchar, all these questions, you're suggesting that i have animus or that i cut a deal with the president and i was very clear yesterday that that isn't what happened. >> reporter: president trump and his sweeping claims of power, a frequent focus of democrats' questioning. >> president trump claims he has an absolute right to pardon himself.

would you agree, first, that nobody is above the law? not the president, not you, not me, is that correct? >> i agree, no one is above the law. >> and does a president have an absolute right to pardon himself for a crime? >> because it would be opining on an open question when i haven't gone through the judicial process to decide it, it's not one in which i can offer a view. >> reporter: and 24 hours after saying she had read about climate change but doesn't have a, quote, firm view on it, vice presidential nominee kamala harris pressing judge barrett about the issue. >> do you believe that climate change is happening and is threatening the air we breathe and the water we drink? >> i will not express a view on a matter of public policy, especially one that is politically controversial, because that is inconsistent with the judicial role as i have explained. >> thank you, judge barrett, and you've made your point clear that you believe it's a debatable claim. >> another fascinating day up on

the hill. terry moran back with us tonight. and terry, as you've reported there, the democrats grilling judge barrett on the affordable care act, coverage for millions including pre-existing conditions on the line with that case just days after the election, but we all took note today it seemed it was the republicans on the committee today trying to clarify on the future of the affordable care act. >> reporter: it was, david. and it was really striking. republican after republican using their time questioning judge barrett to send a message beyond the hearing room, to their constituents, to voters, that republicans don't want the entire obamacare statute to be struck down by the court, even though that's exactly what president trump's lawyers are arguing in the court, and they left the unmistakable impression that it is an issue that's really hurting them in this election. david? >> all right, terry, we'll see you right back here tomorrow night. meantime, overseas tonight, we are watching closely what is unfolding, amid those concerns of a second wave possible here in the u.s. that wave already under way in europe tonight. strict measures being taken already and here's our senior foreign correspondent ian pannell now.

>> reporter: amid growing concern in the u.s. of a second wave, tonight, these images from liverpool, england, where the virus is surging once again and quickly. this looks like a celebration. but what you're watching is one final dangerous street party. no social distancing, few masks, in a region where the virus is starting to get out of control. tonight, it's in semi lockdown. restaurants, gyms and pubs closed again. the city's icus at over 90% capacity. fears these scenes will push them past the brink. >> how you feeling, brenda, you all right? >> reporter: the second wave filling hospitals across britain. patients weak from their battle. now more than 4,500 hospitalized. and as the young partygoers get infected, this is what's following. the elderly of england struggling just to breathe. >> i know how far i can breathe at the minute. and i know i can't survive without this. >> reporter: and across europe,

nearly 100,000 cases a day for the last week -- a 34% increase. so now we're seeing a new wave of restrictions. in france, nighttime curfews are going to be introduced in paris and other cities. in italy, a mask mandate and in madrid, spain, a state of emergency. but also, growing anger. david? >> all right, ian pannell with us tonight. ian, thank you. and when we come back tonight, news this evening about the woman in new york's central park calling 911 about a black man, a bird watcher, falsely claiming he threatened her. what prosecutors have now revealed. and news coming in tonight on one of america's top college football coaches coming down with covid. because our way works great for us! but not for your clients. that's why we're a fiduciary, obligated to put clients first. so, what do you provide? cookie cutter portfolios? nope. we tailor portfolios to our client's needs. but you do sell investments that earn you high commissions, right?

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tonight, university of alabama head football coach nick saban has tested positive for covid. the 68-year-old says he's not feeling symptoms. we also should note alabama's athletic director greg byrne has tested positive, as well. when we come back here tonight, the father and his baby for the first time. r the first time. i had this hundred thousand dollar student debt. two hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars in debt. ah, sofi literally changed my life. it was the easiest application process. sofi made it so there's no tradeoff between my dreams

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finally, the dad and his long wait. andrew and skyla broussard from youngsville, louisiana, were high school sweethearts. about to have their first child when they got word that andrew, an army national guard sergeant, was being deployed to the middle east. skyla was six months pregnant. they would facetime, even during labor. micah was soon born. eight months after micah arrived, that sergeant got the news that he was headed home. his wife and baby boy waiting in the airport hangar in alexandria, louisiana. that dad coming through the crowd, seeing his wife and baby waiting. a hug for his wife, a kiss for her. and then a kiss for his baby boy. picking him up and holding him for the first time.

andrew overcome in the moment. that image has now been seen by so many. and they tell us tonight baby micah doing well. they are spending every moment together. that dad also answering the call in the tubbs fire. the flames, the ash, it was terrifying. thousands of family homes are destroyed in wildfires. families are forced to move and higher property taxes are a huge problem. prop 19 limits taxes on wildfire victims so families can move without a tax penalty. nineteen will help rebuild lives.

vote 'yes' on 19. but i can't say i expected this. because it was easy. to fight these fires, we need funding - plain and simple. for this crisis, and for the next one. prop 15 closes tax loopholes so rich corporations pay their fair share of taxes. so firefighters like me, have what we need to do the job, and to do it right. the big corporations want to keep their tax loopholes. it's what they do. well, i do what i do. if you'ld like to help, join me and vote yes on prop 15. pg&e's latest power shut off

is just getting started. grab a flashlight because lights are going out in high risk areas in the bay area and some people may not get it back until friday. i'm spencer christian with a look at high fire danger because of strong, dry, gusty winds. i'l have details coming up. >> they keep telling me i need to keep waiting so i'm like how much longer do i keep waiting? until i can't even feed my own child? >> that mother lost her job, her home and her unemployment benefits living in her car, she turns to michael finney and 7 on your side. these power lines keep our lights on. our refrigerators running and cell phones charged. that's what thousands will have to live without as pg&e starts shutting off the power tonight to prevent wildfires. good evening. i'm ama daetz. >> i'm dan