staff must get vaccinated or be tested for covid weekly. we will be here every weekday at 3:00 on air and on livestream answering your strings. see you tonight, the breaking news as we come on the air. abc news now confirming the fda is now expected to authorize booster shots, a third shot, for immunocompromised people within 48 hours. tonight, the new reporting here on how quickly this could happen, this booster, for some who have already been vaccinated. and it comes amid a horrific surge in covid cases across much of the south. we're inside hospitals tonight at a breaking point. the u.s. now averaging more than 110,000 new cases a day. our team inside one icu when the alarm sounds. tonight, the breaking headline from texas, what the governor there has just revealed amid the worsening situation in that state, as they now see more than 10,000 new cases a day.

houston setting up overflow tents to treat patients. the governor of texas who has rejected hassen mandates is now pleading for medical help from outside that state. and now mississippi requesting the u.s. navy hospital ship comfort. they say their health care system could collapse in a week. also tonight, the severe storms as we come on the air. watching in the east. d.c. up through philadelphia. and the images coming in, a possible tornado in wisconsin. the life-threatening heat from washington state all the way to the northeast. and now the tropical storm set to hit the u.s. by the end of the week. rob marciano timing it out. 24 hours after new york governor andrew cuomo's bomb shell reveal that he will resign, tonight, the lieutenant governor, kay think hochul, making her first public comments. what she declared her message to new yorkers and what she said when asked about governor cuomo. tonight, president biden marking another victory in his push for his agenda, 24 hours

after passing his trillion dollar infrastructure plan with democrats and republicans. tonight, the senate now approving his $3.5 trillion budget resolution. but democrats only. and will they stay onboard with this price tag? overseas tonight, the worsening situation in afghanistan. as we come on tonight, taliban fighters now claiming nine key cities. and now, a u.s. official saying there is concer that kabul could fall to the taliban within 90 i days. ian pannell standing by. here at home tonight, the two high school basketball coaches now charged with murder after a 16-year-old athlete collapses and later dies while practicing in the extreme heat. and who are the new hosts of "jeopardy!"? right here tonight. good evening and it's great to have you with us here on a

wednesday night. and we begin tonight with that breaking headline. abc news confirming that the fda is now expected to authorize a booster shot, a third shot for immu immunocompromised people in this country, within 48 hours. the cdc will meet on this. then the cdc director expected to u.s. the u.s. is now averaging more than 110,000 new covid cases a day. the most since february. of course, fueled by this delta variant. hospitals across the south tonight reporting they're at a breaking point. more than 75,000 covid patients hospitalized nationwide, roughly 9,300 new hospitalizations a day. tonight, a major hospital in houston putting up these outdoor tents to treat an overflow of patients. dozens of hospitals in the state reporting few if any icu beds remaining. and the governor of texas, who has railed against mask mandates now pleading for outside help, doctors, nurses. and what the governor has just announced there. tonight, mississippi requesting help from the u.s. navy hospital

ship comfort. the ship that came to new york, they say they now need help, with health officials warning the state's hospital system there could collapse within a week. tonight, california becoming the first state in the country to require all teachers and staff to be fully vaccinated or get weekly covid tests. in tennessee, protesters chasing down health care workers who talked about masks in schools, saying they could protect children. the protesters shouting, "we will find you." tonight, vaccinations are inches up with this newest surge taking hold in this country. nearly 69% of people 12 and older now receiving at least one dose. there is also new guidance tonight involving pregnant women and this virus. we will carefully get to it all for you, and abc's victor oquendo leading us off tonight from florida. >> reporter: tonight, government officials confirming to abc news that tomorrow the fda is expected to authorize a third booster shot for immunocompromised people including kidney transplant and cancer patients on chemotherapy.

a cdc advisory panel will then meet on friday with possible action expected from the cdc director soon after. it comes amid a growing emergency across much of the south. tonight, inside this icu in gainesville, florida, they're overwhelmed. teams trying to make room for a crush of new covid cases while trying to keep the patients they already have alive. what does that mean? >> that's a code. >> reporter: what's happening now? >> that's a patient who is unstable right now, either no blood pressure or oxygen nation is bad or heart rate just went to zero. >> reporter: how often does that happen per day? >> almost every day. this hospital is seeing younger patients getting sicker faster. nearly all unvaccinated. >> this is the second major surge. this surge is actually much bigger than anything that we've seen before. >> reporter: 38-year-old ian woods has been in the hospital with covid for more than a week and says he was waiting to get vaccinated. any message you might have to people who like you were on the fence about getting the vaccine?

>> i would say don't be afraid to get it. just go ahead and get it. it's worth it. i mean, i wish i'd gotten it. otherwise, i probably wouldn't have wound up in the hospital like this. >> reporter: in louisiana, critical care nurse, now covid patient mary lubrano is having trouble breathing. >> you don't want to end up this way. this is the scariest i've ever been in my whole life. you take breathing for granted. >> reporter: she was planning to get vaccinated but delayed it until she recovered from surgery and radiation for breast cancer. >> everyone needs to be vaccinated, or we'll never beat this any other way. >> reporter: across the south, medical teams are facing a flood of covid patients. doctors pitching in to help nurses. >> i was giving bed baths on sunday, emptying trash cans, changing sheets, rolling patients to mri. >> reporter: in mississippi, hospitals warning the system could fail within a week. the state asking the biden administration for the usnc comfort ship. the 1,000-bed floating hospital that was docked off than mat tan at the height of the pandemic. in texas, hospitals say they're

running out of nursing staff in e.r.s, icus and operating rooms. >> this pace is simply not sstainable. we will not have enough hospital space. we will not have enough nursing staff. >> reporter: 1,500 covid patients now streaming into hospitals, but the state tonight has just 368 icu beds available. covid patients like tim cotto have been waiting for days for an open icu bed. >> the nurse comes running out that he'd gotten a bed in new mexico. we were so excited, and we celebrated, but unfortunately, since then, my husband has taken a turn for the worse and he desperately needs an icu bed in the houston area. >> reporter: tonight, he's finally in an icu bed in critical condition. the governor of texas, who has fought against mask mandates, is now asking for medical help from outside the state. he's asking hospitals to put unnecessary surgeries on hold. tonight, as the governor now begs for help, cities like nd s

fighting back against his opposition to mask mandates. two judges ruling local officials can now require masks. san antonio's mayor say lives will now be saved. >> it is effective immediately. it's already going to have impact and we believe it'll save lives. >> reporter: in florida, two school districts man dating masks, too. in open defiance of governor ron desantis. >> no more masks! >> reporter: in williamstown county, tennessee, protesters heckling health care professionals who spoke about the benefits of masks at a school board meeting. some could be heard shouting, "we will find you." tonight, the cdc is urging pregnant women to get vaccinated. pointing to growing evidence that the vaccine poses no increased risk for miscarriage and no safety concerns for pregnant women or their babies. but just 23% received one dose of a vaccine during pregnancy. in utah, grayson bakes was pregnant but didn't get the vaccine. she got infected with the delta variant and is now fighting for her life on a ventilator after her baby was safely delivered by an emergency c-section. >> her baby shower was actually

scheduled for saturday, but instead of a baby shower she got a ventilator. >> we have to keep telling these stories from across the country. and victor, let's get back to that breaking headline late today. the fda now expected to approve a booster shot for the immunocompromised who have already been vaccinated. give us an idea, a bottom line here of the timing over the next few days, how soon could we see this potential third shot for some vaccinated americans? >> reporter: david, first, we expect the fda to give the green light tomorrow. and then on friday, a panel of government advisers is set to meet to discuss the benefits of the booster shot. if that panel signs off, we would expect the director of the cdc to recommend that third shot and shots would go into arms right away. also tonight, dr. anthony fauci telling abc news he believes that eventually boosters will be recommended for everyone. david? >> all right, a lot of moving parts tonight. victor, thank you. and you heard victor report there on the scene in texas, as well. the governor in that state who

fought against mask mandates now pleading for outside help, doctors and nurses to help with the situation in texas text. and tonight, a new announcement from that governor, so, let's get right to marcus moore, he's live in houston for us. marcus, what have you learned? >> reporter: well, david, texas governor greg abbott has just announc announced the deployment of 2,500 medical personnel to help hospitals across the state. and those hospitals right now are in dire need. here at lbj hospital in houston, they've set up overflow tents and the covid cases at emergency departments here in texas have been skyrocketing. more than 1,500 covid patients were admitted across the country to the e.r. just yesterday. and that has caused a grid lock at many of the locations. and officials tell me that right now, nearly 600 people are waiting for beds. and more than 100 of them have covid. and david, in a sobering moment, an official told me today that some people are dying waiting for beds. right now, here in houston, there are 94 icu beds available, but in some parts of the state, david, there are none.

>> marcus moore with the worstening situation in texas tonight. marcus, thank you. we are also tracking severe storms at this hour. we're on the watch here in the east. washington, d.c. up through philadelphia and the images coming in tonight, this was a possible tornado in wisconsin. tornado watch in effect at this hour. of course, we're also tracking tropical storm fred, set to hit the u.s. by the end of the week. let's get right back to senior meteorologist rob marciano with us again tonight. hey, rob. >> reporter: hi, david. we'll start with the severe. active day with 200 storm reports, three tornadoes in wisconsin. that watch still up there. watches in michigan and ohio and pennsylvania. new jersey, all the way through virginia. this is fueled in part by the extreme heat and humidity. heat advisories up again. 34 states on heat alerts. hotter in the northeast tomorrow and the northwest. meanwhile, fred is now over the dominican republic and weakening for now but will strengthen on its track to florida. all of florida will be impacted

this weekend. david? >> rob, thank you. we move on now to the fallout, 24 hours after new york governor andrew cuomo's bombshell reveal that he will resign. tonight, lieutenant governor kathy hochul talking for the first time today about all of this. she's set to make history as she becomes governor now. what she declared today, her message to new yorkers. and what she said when asked about governor cuomo. here's abc's erielle reshef tonight. >> reporter: tonight, the first woman poised to be governor of new york making it clear it will be different when she's in office. >> the governor and i have not been close. no one will ever describe my administration as a toxic work environment. >> reporter: lieutenant governor kathy hochul addressing the attorney general's explosive report which found governor andrew cuomo fostered an environment rife with fear and harassment. claims he denies. >> no one is named -- who was named as anything -- doing anything unethical in the report will remain in my administration. >> reporter: hochul telling reporters she was not aware of any of the allegations against the governor prior to the

report. >> regarding his decision to step down, i believe it is appropriate and in the best interest to the state of new york. >> reporter: at 62-years-old, hochul is a mother, a lawyer and served in congress before later running for lieutenant governor with andrew cuomo. so, today, when she began taking questions, she started with her hometown. >> jerry zaremski from "the buffalo news." >> i want to ask you about this 14-day transition period. did the governor explain why he wanted to wait that long before leaving office and how do you feel about having to wait that long to take the reins? >> it's not what i asked for, however i'm looking forward to a smooth transition which he promised. i'm prepared to take office as any lieutenant governor is, from the very first hour you're sworn in as lieutenant governor. >> reporter: and the woman about to make history made a promise to new yorkers. >> i will fight like hell for you every single day. like i've always done and always

will. >> reporter: and signaling it's not cuomo or her that is most important -- it's keeping new yorkers safe. >> the delta variant is still raging and it's going to take all of us to defeat it. our children are heading back to school soon. a lot of anxiety from the moms and dads i speak to. and the teachers, as well. it's going to take all of us working together to keep our children safe, our teachers safe and anyone who works at a school safe. small bitzs are just starting to bounce back into an uncertain world. >> quickly trying to pivot to the issues at hand. erielle back with us tonight. erielle, state lawmakers i know are still debating governor cuomo and whether they should move forward with impeachment, which, of course, could determine whether he could ever serve in office again. >> reporter: that's right, david. even though cuomo says he will resign, lawmakers are now weighing whether or not to take action to prevent him from

holding state office ever again. one lawmaker saying it is now up to the judiciary committee to consder what's best for new yorkers. david? >> erielle reshef following it all again tonight for us. erielle, thank you. meanwhile, in washington tonight, president biden marking another victory, at least for now. 24 hours after passing his trillion dollar infrastructure plan with democrats and republicans, the senate now approving his $3.5 trillion budget resolution, but democrats only this time, and this is just the start. will moderate democrats stay onboard with this price tag? let's get right back to rachel scott live on the hill tonight. you pressed senator bernie sanders last night on the broadcast if this price tag would hold and tonight you're already hearing, not surprisingly, that moderate democrats have concerns here. >> reporter: that's right, david. just hours after the senate passed that budget resolution, moderate democratic senator joe manchin of west virginia released a statement, saying he has, quote, serious concerns about congress spending $3.5

trillion. this is a massive package that includes several key democraic priorities. funding for universal pre-k, free community college and expanded health care programs. all of that would be paid for by increasing taxes on the wealthy and corporations. democrats have now laid the groundwork to pass this in the senate without any republican support, but they cannot afford to lose a single vote from their own party, david. >> rachel scott live on the hill tonight. rachel, thank you. we move overseas tonight and the worsening situation at this hour in afghanistan. taliban fighters now claiming nine key cities tonight. take a look at this map. showing provinces held by the taliban. this was in april when president biden first announced the u.s. troop withdrawal. and this is what the taliban holds today. almost two-thirds of the country now. here's our senior foreign correspondent ian pannell tonight. >> reporter: tonight, the escalating crisis in afghanistan as the taliban captures a ninth major city, gradually closing in on their grown jewel --

the capital, kabul. a u.s. official confirms that a military assessment suggests the capital could fall in 90 days. in a western city, taliban fighters patrolling the streets, victorious. the white flag of the taliban hoisted high over another of their latest victories. that video and ones like these released by the taliban themselves claiming to show their growing arsenal. a helicopter left behind by retreating government forces and a treasure trove of humvees and heavy equipment at a former army base now under their command. our stephanie ramos asking the president about the taliban's rapid gains. >> has your current plan to withdraw u.s. troops changed at all? >> they've got to fight for themselves.

fight for their nation. we're going to continue to keep our commitment, but i do not regret my decision. >> reporter: almost all u.s. troops have now left the country, but 650 are there to protect the embassy and the airport. but clearly, as the taliban advance, everything is under review. david? >>right, ian pannell, thank you. and coming up tonight, here at home, the two high school coaches charged with murder after an athlete collapses in the heat. and the new york city area beaches closed tonight because of multiple shark sightings. keeping the family together? was that your grandfather, paving the way for change. did they brave mother nature... and walk away stronger? did they face the unknown, with resolve...and triumph. ♪ there's strength in every family story. learn more about yours. at ancestry.

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next tonight, two georgia high school basketball coaches are facing murder charges after one of their players died following team workouts outdoors. 16-year-old amani bell collapsed while running stadium steps at elite scholars academy that was in august of 2019. she later died at the hospital. an autopsy report saying the heat index that day was over 100 degrees. the family's lawyer tonight saying she had previously been in perfect health.

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tonight, "jeopardy!" announcing not one, but two new hosts will follow alex trebek. trebek had joked that betty white should be the next host. >> i said, betty white, because they want somebody younger, somebody funnier. she checks all those boxes. >> but tonight, mike richards, "jeopardy's!" executive producer, will be the show's new full-time host. it was richards who spoke to the audience after alex trebek's death. >> this is an enormous loss for our staff and crew. >> but there will be a second host. actress mayim bialik will host "jeopardy's!" prime time specials. she had been one of the guest hosts this year. >> i was very nervous at first, i'm having so much fun. >> tonight, mike richards saying he is deeply honored, incredibly humbled. mayim bialik grateful and

>> this is abc 7 news. >> schools are doing t keep ours safe. the entire school ecosystem also submit a verification of vaccination and/or smiment to weekly testing. while we're high that colorado california nams among the highest vaccination rates in america, it's not good enough. >> all california schools now join the growing list of people required to get vaccination named to go back to work. >> you're watching abc 7 news live on abc 7, hulu live or wherever you stream. >> the f.d.a is expected to authorize a third booster shot for immune come popsed people as soon as tomorrow. the c.d.c. has endorsed vaccines

for pregnant women. it nieppedz to increased risk of miscarriage and the state of hawaii is reinforcing restrictions after an uptick in covid cases so it's back to 50% for indoor capacity of dining and social gatherings. >> a bold step to reign in the pandemic. governor newsom said all california teachers and employees, public or prievment must show proof of vaccination or get tested weekly. lawyer rhode island -- laura has more. >> the this was the first day of school here at wagner ranch elementary, exciting day for students and statue and while early in getting settled into their karass -- classrooms, the governor was making an announcement that, everyone who works in a california school.

>> just days am telling abc 7