president biden returning to the white house to meet in person with dr. fauci and his covid-19 response team. health experts stressing it's far too soon to know if omicron causes more severe illness than other variants, but a major concern, how well will the current vaccines protect against this highly mutated variant? dr. fauci saying, we should know within about two weeks. >> i don't think there's any possibility that this could completely evade any protection by a vaccine. it may diminish it a bit, but that's the reason why you boost. >> reporter: both pfizer and moderna working to adapt their vaccines to fight omicron if necessary, a process that could take two to three months, and tonight the u.s. just hours away from implementing a new travel ban on most foreign nationals from these eight countries. the biden administration says it will buy the u.s. time to prepare. >> i think i got on the last flight. i made it earlier because of the variant. >> reporter: new york state pre-emptively declaring a state of emergency to boost hospital capacity and inc

former president trump's threat to his own party on his way out of the white house. >>> and the manhunt after a deadly shooting at a target. >>> the school bus crash. the middle school students onboard. and the injuries tonight. >>> the hand signal seen on tiktok videos that authorities say saved a teenage girl's life. >>> and we stand up for heroes, right here tonight. >>> good evening. it's great to start another week with all of you at home. we begin with two major headlines, the hugs today, the thousands of reunions for the first time in at least 18 months. the u.s. lifting travel restrictions on 33 countries, including canada, mexico, and most of europe. pfizer late today likely to ask for authorization for millions 18 and older. and flights taking off from heathrow, bound for new york city. passengers required to have proof of vaccination and a negative covid test within three days of traveling here. images of emotional reunions coming in. a couple hugging following a flight from germany to chicago's o'hare airport. and cars lining up at the canadian border, waiting to come in. an

. >>> and late-breaking tonight, white house press secretary jen psaki testing positive for covid. the details just coming in. >>> the other major developing nightmare at major airports. american airlines grounding more than 1,800 flights since friday. thousands of passengers stranded. what we're learning tonight. >>> also tonight, the challenges facing the vaccine roll-out for children. the new reporting on preparations for those smaller pfizer doses, when the first shots could be administered. phil lipof seeing how this hospital is gettin ready firsthand. >>> plus how the vaccine battle is heating up nationwide. firehouses left short-staffed. what's next in the showdown? >>> the final sprint in the virginia governor's race, a major test for democrats ahead of the midterm elections. the race now neck and neck in a state president biden won by ten points. >>> the deadly shooting on the set of the movie "rust." cinematographer halyna hutchins laid to rest tonight, and alec baldwin speaking out on camera for the first time. >>> and tonight the terrifying attack on a metro train, more

today, the committee was supposed to hear from former white house chief of staff mark meadows, but he didn't show up. meadows helped spread trump's lies about election fraud. as i report for the first time in my book, "betrayal: the final act of the trump show," he also played a pivotal role in pressuring vice president mike pence to overturn the election, sending the vice president a memo written by trump lawyer jenna ellis on new year's eve, outlining how pence should nullify joe biden's electoral votes on january 6th. pence refused and had to be evacuated from the senate chamber as rioters stormed the capitol chanting, "hang mike pence." >> hang mike pence! hang mike pence! >> reporter: in an interview for "betrayal," i asked trump about that and he defended the rioters calling for pence's execution. were you worried about him during that siege? were you worried about his safety? >> no, i thought he was well-protected, and i had heard that he was in good shape. no, because i had heard he was in very good shape. but -- but -- no, i think -- >> reporter: because you heard those chant

abc's stephanie ramos from the white house. >> reporter: president biden arriving back at the white house today after visiting walter reed medical center for his first physical as president. >> i feel great. nothing's changed. we're in great shape. >> reporter: unlike the trump white house, the biden team releasing a detailed health summary. the president's doctor pronouncing him a healthy, vigorous 78-year-old fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency. biden declaring it a good day in more ways than one. >> i've had a great physical and a great house of representatives vote. >> reporter: this morning, the house finally passing his sweeping $1.75 trillion domestic agenda, including universal pre-k and a historic investment to fight global warming. >> the build back better bill is passed. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: cheers in the house, but still a long way to go. the bill now heads to the senate where passage is anything but certain. david, earlier at walter reed, president biden also underwent a colonoscopy. he was under anesthesia, so for exactly 85 minutes vice

tonight, the white house christmas decorations on full display. 41 trees throughout the white house, including the official tree in the blue room. first lady dr. jill biden revealing the theme. >>> and speaking of gifts, we're marking ten years right here tonight of asking that question -- what's your one thing this year made in america? we start the list with your help right here in a moment. cyber moy sale is on now! score unbelievable savings with our biggest sale ever! like ge appliances up to 40% off rugs up to 80% off and lighting up to 65% off. plus get bonus savings with a wayfair credit card and free shipping on thousands of products. don't miss our cyber monday happening now through november 29th. only at wayfair.com. ♪ things you start when you're 45. coaching. new workouts. and screening for colon cancer. yep. the american cancer society recommends screening starting at age 45, instead of 50, since colon cancer is increasing in younger adults. i'm cologuard®. i'm convenient and find 92% of colon cancers... ...even in early stages. i'm for people 45 plus at average risk

. >> rachel scott at the white house. president biden appearing to send a message to his fellow democrats in congress. voters want democrats, he said, to get things done. of course we know moderates pointing the finger at progressives for refusing to pass that bipartisan plan passed in the senate until they get their way with the president's other bill. and the american people are watching all this, the voters sending a message. so, are democrats on the hill going to vote, are they going to get anything done here on the president's domestic agenda? >> reporter: david, this was a wakeup call for many democrats. house speaker nancy pelosi insists the agenda has not changed. she is promising to bring both bills to the floor for a vote by the end of the week. but a growing number of democrats say after last night's results, they cannot afford to miss another deadline. david? >> rivhe ch, thank you. >>> now to the pandemic. tonight, children across this country 5 to 11 years old are now getting vaccinated, less than 24 hours a

tonight, the white house says hundreds of thousands of new jobs, roads, bridges, and broadband. and tonight, some of the communities that will see the results. >>> new subpoenas late today in the january 6th investigation. targeting several members of former president trump's inner circle. and tonight, new reporting from jonathan karl. former president trump's threat to his own party on his way out of the white house. >>> also as we come on the air tonight, the manhunt right now after a deadly shooting outside of a target. >>> the school bus crash. the middle school students onboard. and the injuries tonight. >>> the hand signal seen on tiktok videos that authorities now say saved a teenage girl's life. what the sheriff is saying tonight. >>> and we stand up for heroes, right here tonight. >>> good evening. as we come on the air in the west, it's great to start another week with all of you at home. we begin with two major headlines, the hugs today, the thousands of reunions for the first time in at least 18 months. the u.s. lifting travel restrictions on 33 countries, including

and with americans facing rising prices for groceries and gas, the white house argues that provisions in that bill to expand child care and paid family leave will help with the record inflation by getting more people back to work safely. >> if we want to get inflation down, i think continuing to make progress against the pandemic is the most important thing we can do. >> maryalice joins us from outside of the white house now. the biden administration says they're confident the build back better deal will pass in the house this week. but do they have enough votes? >> reporter: while the white house may sound sure, it's not clear that speaker pelosi has the votes right now to pass the build back better bill in the house. several moderates say they're waiting to see if the congressional budget office confirms the bill as written is paid for, like democrats have been promising. linsey? >> maryalice, thank you. >>> steve bannon is scheduled to turn himself in tomorrow, charged with two counts of contempt of congress. and today, word that another trump adviser, mark meadows, may soon be fac

the court blocking for now the release of white house records sought by the house committee investigating the january 6th attack on the capitol. some of the material was set to be turned over tomorrow. trump has claimed executive privilege over white house phone logs, draft speeches and other documents from the sixth and the days that led up to it. the appeals court will now hear arguments in the case later this month. >>> when we come back, that olympic gold medalist revealing she was the victim of an attack. : stand up to moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. and take. it. on... with rinvoq. rinvoq a once-daily pill can dramatically improve symptoms... rinvoq helps tame pain, stiffness, swelling. and for some, rinvoq can even significantly reduce ra fatigue. that's rinvoq relief. with ra, your overactive immune system attacks your joints. rinvoq regulates it to help stop the attack. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious infections and blood clots, sometimes fatal, have occurred as have certain cancers, including lymphoma, and tears in the

the white house says the bill pays for itself. and tonight, the congressional budget office appearing to agree. still, though, there is a long road ahead. the bill facing major head winds over in the senate, where president boyden cannot afford to lose a single democratic vote. david? >> all right, stephanie ramos in washington. stephanie, thank you. >>> and we continue to follow this global headline, the growing alarm over the fate of the chinese tennis star not seen in public since accusing a former chinese official of sexually assaulting her. and tonight, fellow champion serena williams among the latest now to speak out. here's abc's kaylee hartung. >> reporter: she's the latest major tennis star to voice outrage and concern over the disappearance of chinese tennis player peng shuai. serena williams tweeting, "i am devastated and shocked to hear about the news of my peer, peng shuai. i hope she is safe and found as soon as possible. tis must be investigated and we must not stay silent. sending love to her and her family during

cecilia with us live from the white house. we were on the air this afternoon for this bill signing into law and you were saying the president knows this, the white house knows this, this victory was needed, especially given these new poll numbers this dismal approval rating for the president. >> reporter: david, 42%, he is currently under water as we speak. the president, the white house, democrats all know that he needs to now get out there and convince americans that this inf infrastructure plan will dire directly benefit them and their families. so, he is going to take this sales pitch on the road, he starts in new hampshire tomorrow, where he will be visiting a crumbling bridge. he will later in the week go to michigan, where he will be talking about electric vehicles. two key battleground states. >> cecilia vega with us tonight. thank you, cecilia. and we should note you heard the president there compare our inf infrastructure spending to china's. well, president biden tonight holding a virtual meeting with chine esesidt

the white house released a statement, they say they are confident they can get him to support this. no mention on the blow that he delivered today. but the bottom line, they still need his vote and this is not the headline they wanted on this major trip. >> all right, cecilia vega, thank you. and we're going to turn now to the pandemic. >>> we are now just hours away from what could be the final green light for millions of children when it comes to vaccines. the cdc meets tomorrow on children 5 to 11. and already tonight, millions of pediatric doses shipped out, some arriving at this clinic in washington, d.c., then rushed into those waiting refrigerators. while in new york city tonight, the vaccine mandate for city workers taking effect and thousands of front line workers defiant, staying home instead of getting vaccinated. 18 fire companies out of service because of sick calls. >> but tonight, the mayor now vowing emergency response time is normal and saying the mandate is working. here's abc's erielle reshef tonight. >> reporter: tonight, new york city enforcing its new vaccine m

kayleigh mcenany, the former white house press secretary. she was pushing lies about voter fraud in the days after the election. >> there are very real claims out there that the campaign is pursuing. >> reporter: also senior adviser stephen miller, john mcentee, who at just 29 years old, became one of trump's most powerful and fiercely loyal aides. and molly michael, his personal secretary, who sat right outside the oval office. today's subpoenas followed those issued yesterday for michael flynn, rudy giuliani's associate bernie kerik and several campaign officials, including a woman named angela mccallum, who the committee said was pressuring local lawmakers to overturn their state's election results, citing this voicemail to a michigan state representative. >> you do have the power to reclaim your authority and send a slate of electors that will support president trump and vice president pence. >> reporter: the question now is whether any of those subpoenaed today and yesterday actually testify. the answer to that may depend on what happen

>> rachel scott at the white house. thank you, rachel. >>> the awful news today that a fellow crew member who just flew to space with actor william shatner, that crew member has now died in the a plane crash just weeks after he and that crew made history. here's abc's gio benitez. >> reporter: he was one of the crew members on that historic flight to the edge of space with legendary actor william shatner. but tonight, word that 49-year-old businessman glenn de vries, one of the few private citizens to make it to space, was killed in a small plane crash thursday along with flight school owner thomas fisher. it was just last month when de vries soared 66 miles above the earth's surface and moment later shared with us his passion for science and research. >> we love, both of us, advocating for s.t.e.m. and science and in a few minutes, we have a lifetime of stuff to understand and inspire people with. >> reporter: that lifetime cut short on a single-engine cessna in new jersey. tonight, blue origin saying in a statement, w

kenneth moton is at the white house. >> reporter: after months of infighting and election day defeats, democrats for the moment celebrating. >> the resolution is adopted. >> reporter: with the help of 13 republicans, house democrats passing that $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill friday night. >> all the talk about the elections and what do they mean, they want us to deliver. they want us to deliver. democrats, they want us to deliver. last night we proved we can. >> reporter: the bipartisan bill, expected to be signed into law by president biden the week of november 15th, provides new investments in transportation, roads and bridges, railroads, and public transit. and upgrades to the nation's utilities, broadband, the power grid, and water infrastructure. >> it is the first time in 50 years, 50 years, we have made this kind of investment. >> reporter: but six progressives, including alexandria ocasio-cortez, ilhan omar, and cori bush voting against the bill, upset it wasn't tied to the social spending bill. democrats still fighting an intraparty battle over that $1.75 trillion plan to

all of this comes as the white house says nearly a million children 5 to 11 have already been vaccinated in just a week. and in colorado, one of at least 20 states where cases are rising, that state now institutes crisis of care protocols, we've heard this before. taking steps even before the fda and cdc, some authorities there are calling on people in colorado 18 and older to get boosters because of what they're seeing. 93% of icu beds in that state alone are now full. abc's kayna whitworth tonight from colorado. >> reporter: just a week after those first shots for 5 to 11-year-olds, the white house today announcing the country is on track to reach nearly a million vaccinations by the end of the day. >> pediatric vaccination holds the promise of protection for our children, their families and our communities. >> reporter: vaccines for younger kids now available at thousands of sites across the country. but with colder weather moving in, covid once again on the rise. and tonight, officials are sounding the alarm. >> winter is coming. i mean, covid is not taking the winter off. >> reporte

>> rachel scott at the white house. rachel, thank you. >>> and of course, the other concern going into this thanksgiving holiday, the numbers tonight. new covid cases up 40% overall in the country, as we near thanksgiving. and cases among children, this number tonight, nearly 142,000 new cases just last week. here's abc's erielle reshef. >> reporter: tonight, pediatricians warning covid infections among children are once again on the rise, up 40% since late october. nearly 142,000 new cases just last week. >> over the past two to three weeks, we've seen a significant increase. >> just a little pinch and it will be over quickly, okay? >> reporter: with children accounting for one in every four new covid cases, there's a push to get more shots into arms. >> as much as we'd all love to be past this pandemic, we're not and cases rising is always a concern. kids are not as severely affected as adults, but they certainly can and do get hospitalized. >> reporter: in virginia, 8-year-old ashlyn south was hospitalized with that

no doubt the white house is watching this closely. early exit polls are showing jobs and the economy as the top issue for voters, education right behind it. then taxes and the pandemic. as for president biden, he is underwater with voters. more than half disapprove of the job he's doing. former president donald trump, his numbers just as bad. but voters i talked to say this election isn't about either president, it is about the future of their state, david. >> we'll be watching. stephanie, thank you. >>> there's also late word from capitol hill tonight on what president biden calls his build back better bill. universal pre-k, expanded medicare, incentives to fight the climate crisis. speaker nancy pelosi tonight now saying the final details could be wrapped up by tonight. and as part of that bill, word tonight that there's now agreement on efforts to get a handle on prescription drug prices. the president now on his way back from the climate summit and he very much wants a victory on this. and what he's saying tonight about senator jo

. >> reporter: the white house today reassuring americans that if necessary, it would take about three months for vaccines makers to update the vaccine for omicron and get shots into arms. >> the estimate of a few months is all inclusive. >> reporter: just hours after moderna's ceo warned the vaccines will be less effective at tackling omicron, saying all the scientists i've talked to say this is not going to be good, the founder of pfizer's partner biontech said even if the variant brings more breakthrough infections, the vaccine should protect the vaccinated from severe illness. tonight authorities reminding americans a booster might be the best protection saying antibody levels are higher after the third shot. >> we know from every variant that we have dealt with that the more neutralizing antibodies you have on board, the more effective those vaccines are against variants. and we expect, even if it's not perfect, certainly the more neutralizing antibodies, the fact that you're boosted, the greater protection you can have. >> reporter: dr. anthony fauci ecoing that point just today.

the white house announcing today that 2.6 million, almost 10% of eligible kids, have gotten a shot. >> the fact that he gets to get his first vaccine today is important. >> reporter: with cases creeping up, dr. anthony fauci warning the country will need to ramp up first doses and booster shots to combat a winter surge. >> when you have a virus as transmissible as delta, in the context of waning immunity, that dynamic is going to negatively impact even the vaccinated people. so it's a double whammy. >> reporter: and david, health experts point out that 4 out of 5 americans who are eligible for booster shots right now still haven't gotten one, but demand is expected to grow once the fda makes a decision for all adults. today, moderna joined pfizer in officially asking for its booster to be authorized for everyone 18 and older. david? >> we await this big news tomorrow. whit, thank you. >>> next tonight, to capitol hill, where the house took the very rare step to sense your one of their own. arizona congressman paul go sarr. this hasn't happened in a decade. it comes after gosar tweeted

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abc's white house correspondent mary alice parks is traveling with the president. >> reporter: president biden spending part of his thanksgiving day expressing gratitude to u.s. service members from all six military branches. greeting members of the u.s. coast guard on nantucket, where he is spending the holiday with his family. >> what am i thankful for? i'm not joking when i say i'm thankful for these guys. thankful for them and everybody -- i mean that from the bottom of my heart. they make me proud. i really mean it, from the bottom of my heart, guys. >> reporter: the president saying the country is back after nearly two long years of battling covid, calling into the macy's thanksgiving day parade. >> my message is, after two years, you're back, america is back. there's nothing we're unable to overcome. >> how are you feeling, mr. president? >> reporter: and tonight, the president's doctor giving him an update on his health. giving him the all-clear. after a small polyp removed during his colonoscopy last week in a memo, the president's physician now saying it was a besign, but poten

we've learned president biden deciding to stay at the white house tonight. rachel scott leads us off with late reporting from the hill. >> reporter: tonight, president biden could be on the verge of a major victory. nancy pelosi announcing they will vote before the day is done. urging reluctant progressives to vote yet. >> the american people want to see project in their communities. it's very important that we pass it. i hope they make a judgment on the merits of the legislation. >> reporter: tonight, pelosi hoping to call the bluff by scheduling the vote. after she spoke, the progressive caucus huddling behind closed doors. president biden calling the chair of the caucus, congresswoman pramila jayapal. earlier today, biden demanding that congress pass the bill right now. >> let's get this done. >> reporter: it would install electric vehicle charging stations across the country. it's estimated to create more than a half a million >> do you have 218 votes to pass it? >> we'll see. >> rachel, where does it stand? >> reporter: house progressives have been meet