in arizona, they opened their doors with no mask regulations in place decision up to parents. jennifer lewis' sixth grader kellan is too young to be vaccinated and lives in a multi-generational household. she decided he will wear a mask in school. so you wish there was a mask mandate in place? >> i do. yeah, i wish there was. >> i don't want to get sick and bring it home to my mom and my grandma. >> reporter: arizona seeing a rise in daily infections. in maricopa county alone, daily cases have increased nearly 75% in the last week. the state among eight where lawmakers have banned districts from enforcing mandatory mask wearing, despite urging from the american academy of pediatrics. still, families like the o'briens say they welcome being able to make their own decisions about their first grader addison. >> if we're asked to wear masks, great. if we don't have to wear masks, great. and as long as everybody's okay with that, we're okay with that. >> reporter: and, david, arizona's governor also banning school districts from mandating quarantine for potentially exposed students

justices issuing a ruling on arizona's voting restrictions. how the decision could effect challenges to other voting laws across the country. >>> news tonight about the massive fireworks explosion during a police sting. more than a dozen people hurt. homes, businesses and cars damaged. >>> the fourth of july getaway under way tonight. gas prices at their highest level of the year and climbing. >>> and the former astronaut trainee and avi pioneer, af wait and at the age of 82, she's about to become the oldest person ever to fly into space. >>> good evening and it's great to have you with us on this thursday night. i'm linsey davis, in for david. we begin with the new legal jeopardy for the trump organization and its chief financial officer, accused of compensating top executives off the books to avoid paying taxes in what prosecutors call a sweeping an audacious illegal payment scheme over 15 years. cfo allen weisselberg, one of the trump organization's longest serves and most loyal employees. he arrived at the court to hear the charges, handcu

and as schools in chandler, arizona, right there re-open today, the renewed debate across this country over masks in schools. the american academy of pediatrics, as we reported here, now recommending masks for all children and adults in school even those who are vaccinated to protect everyone.s you'll hear right here tonight, are divided. and the numbers tonight, 186 million americans have received at least one dose of vaccine, 65% of people 12 years and older. abc's whit johnson leading us off. >> reporter: tonight, the coronavirus roaring back in the u.s. daily cases tripling in the last month to more than 35,000 per day. >> this is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated. >> reporter: and growing concern for unvaccinated kids. more than 23,000 new pediatric cases in the last week. nearly double the number reported at the end of june. in georgia, the family of wyatt gibson says he was a healthy 5-year-old before he contracted covid, strep, and staph. passing away on friday. his father, a sheriff's deputy, writing on facebook, i have lost my best friend. across the country, nearly 22,

the west forcing authorities to issue new quality alerts in six states from washington to wyoming to arizona. the alerts all the way east to boston this week. and we're tracking severe storms moving into the nooegs tomorrow. washington, d.c., philadelphia, new york included. >>> the tragic death, the high school football player collapsing on the first day of practice. >>> in new york, shark sightings for a third day in a row. authorities closing beaches outside new york city. on long island, where they're tracking the sharks tonight. >>> good evening and it's great to have you with us here on a wednesday night. and we begin tonight with the coronavirus and the highly contagious delta variant racing across the country. we're now seeing nearly 57,000 new cases a day in this country, that's up 400% in just five weeks. and the new evidence that fully vaccinated people with those breakthrough infections of the delta variant can potentially spread the disease to others. that new cdc guidance urging americans in areas with a surge in cases to wear masks indoors, even if you're vaccinated. and for s

aleve it, and see what's possible. >>> next tonight arc terrifying scene in arizona. authorities say one man was killed and five others injured, attacked by a massive swarm of bees. three firefighters among those hurt. one stung about 60 times. the bees coming from a 100-pound hive that was near a home. most of these bees have now been removed. >>> in banning, california, authorities are investigating a deadly plane crash. two people killed when this small plane went down near an airport. the plane crashing in a vacant lot and catching fire. no one on the ground was hurt thankfully. no word yet on that cause. >>> when we come back, massive mudslides trapping people overnight in their cars. we'll tell you about the rescue effort today. i'm a mother of four-- always busy. i was starting to feel a little foggy. just didn't feel like things were as sharp as i knew they once were. i heard about prevagen and then i started taking it about two years now. started noticing things a little sharper, a little clearer. i feel like it's kept me on my game. i'm able to remember thin

. >> reporter: seven states have banned mask mandates in schools, including arizona, where students are already back in the classroom, masks optional. and with the delta surge, a warning from the former head of the cdc dr. tom frieden that covid cases could soar. >> we're heading into a rough time. it's likely, if our trajectory is similar to that in the united kingdom, that we could see as many as 200,000 cases a day. >> reporter: in houston, doctors are seeing a repeat of moments like this from last summer's surge. >> in the last 14 days, we've had a 500% increase in the number of admissions. >> reporter: and in florida, hospitals overwhelmed. some doctors pleading for extra staffing. in ft. lauderdale, the family of 15-year-old paulina velazquez says she was planning to get the vaccine when she got covid. she's now fighting for her life on a ventilator. paulina's vaccinated mother is experiencing a breakthrough covid infection herself, not leaving her daughter's side. >> it was terrifying for me, because i said, why me? why not, you know, why my daughter, why not me? it was very sad.

also the fallout on the supreme court's decision up holding two restrictive voting laws in arizona. stay with us. >>> the round table is all here ♪ when technology is easier to use... ♪ barriers don't stand a chance. ♪ that's why we'll stop at nothing to deliver our technology as-a-service. ♪ ♪ when you have nausea, ♪ ♪ heartburn, ingestion, upset stomach... ♪-service. ♪ diarrheaaaa. ♪ pepto bismol coats your stomach with fast and soothing relief. and try new drug free pepto herbal blends. made from 100% natural ginger and peppermint. things we don't need to experience again: headgear. renting movies from a store. running with a cd player. and having one way to buy a car. so carmax gives you options. you can buy on our lot, online or any combination in between. the way it should be. carmax. with voltaren arthritis pain gel my husband's got his moves back. the way it should be. an alternative to pain pills voltaren is the first full prescription strength gel for powerful arthritis pain relief... voltaren the joy of movement i don't just play someone brainy on tv -

. >>> and this frightening scene in arizona. one person killed and five injured by a swarm of bees coming from a 100-pound hive. >>> good evening. and it's great to have you with us on a friday night. i'm cecelia vega, in for david, and we do begin with the pandemic and that alarming news from the cdc, acknowledging that, quote, the war has changed because of the delta variant. officials now say it is as contagious as chicken pox, spreads faster than the common cold and seasonal flu, and that a vaccinated person who becomes infected can pass it on just as easily as someone who is not vaccinated. all eyes right now on provincetown, massachusetts. an outbreak of nearly 900 people. 74% of them were fully vaccinated. we are there tonight. and the breakthrough cases on the royal caribbean cruise ship. six passengers testing positive. four of them fully vaccinated. even still, the cdc is stressing that vaccines strongly protect against serious illness and death. tonight, more than 190 million people have received at least one dose. th

that puts them at odds with governors of states like arizona and florida, where they say vaccinations should not be mandatory. >> kaylee, thank you. >>> we know many of you at home have questions on the new guidance for schools and the confusion after pfizer said there could be need for a booster shot, a third shot, so let's bring in dr. ashish jha. dean of the brown public school of health. doctor, great to have you. first, i want to get your opinion on the updated cdc guidelines for schools. when they said if you're vaccinated you don't need to wear a mask, i immediately thought of kids 12 and under. that's a lot of schoolchildren who they're suggesting should still wear masks. do you agree with the guidance today? >> good evening, david. thanks for having me back. a couple of things. first of all, thrilled that cdc agrees kids need to be back in school full-time, in person. i think kids over 12 should get vaccinated. whether kids under 12 or unvaccinated kids are wearing a mask, my guess is it's going to be driven a lot by local conditions. if you're in vermont, with few infections

at the cedar fire in arizona, retired 40-year-old veteran firefighter jeff piechura and 48-year-old pilot matthew miller were killed when the plane they were flying to scout the fire crashed. piechura leaves behind a wife and five kids. the ntsb is investigating. david, as we're seeing the extent of this damage, the winds have really picked up here this afternoon and the heat's going to continue to fuel these fires into tomorrow. comes as authorities are issuing a statewide flex alert tonight, asking californians to conserve power. david? >> just a horrible scene there. will carr, thank you. we're tracking that heat, the devastating fires and, of course, the storms in the northeast at this hour. in fact, a tornado warning moments ago. chief meteorologist ginger zee with the latest track for us. ginger? >> reporter: you know, david, there is a tornado warning that just popped about 15 miles to our west. we've got severe thunderstorm warnings and flash flood warnings all over the northeast tonight. outside of philadelphia, some of the suburbs picking up four to seven inches of rain. so flas

>> reporter: washing away cars and stranding this family on top of their suv in arizona. and we've seen the images, bone-dry lakes that millions need for drinking water. but it's also having a profound effect on agriculture. montana ranchers mike and nancy eraux are worried. >> someday i might wake up and find out i don't have any water for my cows. maybe it will dry up. >> reporter: food for the cows also scarce, as hot, dry conditions are optimal for a catastroph if grhacanse x mer body >> they ate 100% of everything. >> reporter: the usda predicts this year, grasshoppers could devour nearly 35 million acres across the west. and it's possible the worst is . so, if there's another mild winter in store, what does that mean? >> our cattle won't be here. >> reporter: and david, here at the great salt lake marina, officials expect the water levels to drop to historic lows in the coming weeks. you can see behind me, they've had to pull all of the boats out of the water and they say, david, it could be two years before they can go back in. >> and just look at the air tonight b

. >> from texas to georgia, arizona to alabama, the fight over fighting rights is intensifying. all across the nation, republican state lawmakers proposing or passing legislation that critics say makes it more difficult for americans to vote including including requiring uniform id, prohibits people from passing out water to those waiting in line to vote. >> here in pennsylvania, a battleground state in 2020, the issue of election reform i is -- after widespread claims of election fraud. >> claims that are unfounded with no evidence the election outcome would change. republican state senator david argo is charging ahead any way with hopes of more restrictions. >> if you have a more restrictive time to vote, if you can't vote at night or you need to apply to vote way earlier than some people, what's the matter with that? >> i think our goal and you have heard it in other states as well to make it easier to vote but harder to cheat. and so i really, really push back hard with those folks that think that this is some kind of a threat to democracy. i think it is never been easy to v