let's get to whit johnson tonight. i know this is also a big weekend ahead for parents across the country when it comes to children 5 to 11 who are finally able to get their vaccinations. and you've got news on that front tonight. >> reporter: david, both walgreens and cvs will start offering covid shots for kids over the weekend. plus parents can now search from 10,000 locations across the country on the federal website vaccines.gov or call their pediatrician. the full rollout for younger children expected to ramp up next week. david? >> whit johnson, we'll see you here this weekend. whit, thank you. >>> we're going to move on to the nation playing its final respects to general colin powell, an american life dedicated to public service. remembered as a trailblazer, a leader, a unifying force. presidents of both parties attending his funeral today. president biden embracing powell's wife, alma. former president obama offering his condolences. former president george w. bush there, too. and former secretary of state hil

>> all right, whit johnson leading us off on the breaking news tonight. whit, thank you. >>> also dropping at this hour, that intense showdown on hill. the full house forced to decide on stripping marjorie taylor greene of her assignments. also suggesting the parkland and newtown school massacres were staged. today, greene saying she regrets her words, quote, worlds of the past, she said, but there was no apology in front of the cameras. republicans deciding overnight not to strip greene of those assignments, so now the democrats forcing a full house vote so that every member of congress will be on record about what she has said and whether she should be on any committees. rachel scott on the hill again tonight. >> reporter: tonight, embattled congresswoman marjorie taylor greeneac eagues, after a last ditch effort to defend herself. she's under fire for promoting a wide range of racist and anti-semitic conspiracy theories, raising questions about whether the 9/11 attack on the pentagon happened and whether school shootings at parkland and sandy hook were

>> all right, whit johnson, thank you. >>> overseas tonight and to afghanistan. secretary of state antony blinken saying the u.s. is working around the clock to help about 100 americans now still in afghanistan. four americans have been rescued. the harrowing story of how they got out. and it all comes as the taliban appoints its new government and troubling signs already tonight. women taking to the streets of kabul to protest. the taliban firing weapon to disperse the crowds. and tonight, our chief global affairs correspondent martha raddatz on that promise from the taliban to allow planes to take off, but they're not. >> reporter: the chartered planes have been sitting on the tarmac empty at this airport in northern afghanistan for more than a week. nearly 600 people waiting to board. and despite the taliban's promise to allow americans safe passage, for the first time tonight, the secretary of state confirming there are a small number of americans among the group stopped by the taliban. >> they have said that those without valid documents, at this point, can'

whit johnson with late reporting tonight, how soon those booster shots could begin and what new york city is staying. >>> authorities securing the u.s. capitol ahead of that protest in support of the hundreds arrested in the january 6th attack on the capitol. fences going back up, every capitol police officer will be on duty. and tonight former president trump's new and encouraging words for those who took part on that day. rachel scott live on the hill. >>> there is news tonight in a case making national headline, the missing young woman vanishing during a cross-country trip with her boyfriend. authorities now releasing body camera video from the days before she vanished. her family pleading for her return tonight. the boyfriend this evening considered a person of interest and tonight his sister breaking her silence to abc news. >>> joe seas france says it has killed the dangerous isis leader who claimed responsibility for the deadly ambush of four american service members in niger. tonight what we're now learning about the operation to take him down, ian pannell standing by. >>> a

>> whit johnson leading us off here tonight. whit, thank you. >>> there's also late word tonight on those seven confirmed tornadoes, at least seven now, from the philadelphia area to new jersey. and tonight, the staggering damage. abc's janai norman from pennsylvania. >> holy [ bleep ]. >> reporter: tonight, a total of at least seven confirmed tornadoes touching down in the philadelphia area and southern new jersey area, as those historic storms walloped the northeast. >> look at that tornado! >> reporter: this one in south jersey seen on video tearing through multiple communities. >> we were down there about 15 minutes before -- when the warning went off and we have a walkup basement, luckily, so, we were able to get out through that, thank god. if not, we would not have been able to get out. >> reporter: that twister in mullica hill at least an ef-3, with winds more than 135 miles per hour, ripping apart at least two dozen homes and damaging 100 more. this ef-2 twister just northwest of philadelphia causing a tree to collapse

>> all right, whit johnson with us. whit, thank you. >>> we are also tracking severe storms in the middle of the country right now and the northeast. reports of a tornado on the ground just before we came on the air. and of course, the massive fires burning out of control in the west at this hour. already destroying more than 1 million acres. firefighters battling the flames but also the heat and the drought. lake levels dangerously low. a entire community in washington state evacuated. residents running for their lives. we have all of this covered including the track of these storms and that tornado. here's our chief national correspondent matt gutman now. >> reporter: tonight, 68 large fires are burning in 12 western states. more than a million acres scorched. that's nearly as big as the state of delaware. overnight in washington state, the entire town of nespelem running for their lives. horses and humans got out safely, but some homes were lost. >> i've been here for 20 years, you kind of grow attached to it. nice l

whit johnson leading us off again tonight. whit, thank you as always. >>> now to the other major news this thursday night, the department of homeland security issuing a new warning tonight that some heading to washington in support of people charged in support of people in the january 6th riot may seek to engage in violence. security now ramping up across washington, fencing up again around the capitol. video surveillance now installed and the new comments from former president trump tonight, supportive words for those who were there that day. rachel scott on the hill tonight. >> reporter: tonight the fencing around the u.s. capitol is back up. washington bracing for saturday's rally in support of those charged in the january 6th riot. the department of homeland security tonight issuing a bulletin that people either involved in or posting this weekend's event may seek to engage in violence. most trying to distance themselves. the number two republican telling "the new york times" there are a lot of clearly angry people who wan

>> all right, whit johnson leading us off tonight. whit, thank you. >>> of course, this news coming in tonight, president biden, the white house, indicating all adults will be eligible for a vaccine by may 1st, the latest, is what the administration is saying, and if we all remain vigilant, masks, social distancing, getting a vaccine when your turn arrives, we could be getting together with loved ones, our families, neighbors, for the fourth of july. so, we asked dr. ashish jha to call in tonight for his reaction to this developing news and dr. jha, when you hear this coming in from the administration, the white house tonight, do you believe the president's new goals are doable? >> good even pg, david, thank you for having me on and i do. i am thrilled to hear the president say this. i think we have enough vaccines, we're working on distribution. these vaccines are going to become widely available certainly by may. >> and when he says we must continue to do our part, dr. jha, is that one of the factors that remains sort of something t

whit johnson with us live and, whit, you mentioned there l.a. county for one seeing a dramatic spike in case, of course, so many other cities and communities see this too. tonight news that authorities in houston and philadelphia are revisiting discussing once again mask recommendations? >> reporter: david, it's happening in more american cities. in houston officials say they're seeing uncontrolled spread and they're now urging everyone to wear masks. and in philadelphia, officials are reporting a small but disturbing increase in hospitalizations among children. officials there also recommending masks indoors in public spaces regardless of vaccination status. david. >> all right, whit johnson leading us off tonight, whit, thank you. >>> tonight, major concerns about the virus on the eve of the opening sear moaning for the olympics in tokyo. the new number tonight, more than 90 people inside the bubble now infected with rus. and what will be different about that opening ceremony? james longman again tonight from tokyo. >> reporter: tonight, with

>> whit johnson with the late reporting tonight. thank you. >>> also developing at this hour, the intense showdown on capitol hill. the full horse forced to decide tonight to strip congresswoman marjorie taylor greene of their committee assignments, and they have done so tonight, taking her off those committees, after her extremist views about qanon and suggesting part of 9/11 didn't happen. her worlds on the pentagon. and also suggesting the parkland and newon the school massacres were staged. today, greene saying she regrets her, quote, worlds s words of t past, but there was no apology in front of the cameras. republicans deciding overnight not to strip greene of those assignments, so now the democrats forcing a full house vote so that every member of congress will be on record about what she has said and whether she should be on any committees. rachel scott with reporting from the hill tonight. >> reporter: tonight, embattled congresswoman marjorie taylor greene facing the judgment of her colleagues, after a last-ditch effort to

whit johnson and mary bruce standing by. >>> we're also tracking a major winter storm across more than a dozen states tonight. bracing for up to two feet of snow. in fact, the national weather service now warning of, quote, impossible travel conditions. rob marciano in denver timing this out for us. >>> in new york city tonight, the newly released body cam. the shooting at a famous cathedral. the images revealing just how close this was to being much worse. and the woman appearing to play dead to survive. >>> the unruly passenger fined more than $14,000 after forcing a flight from new york to turn around. among other things, he'd been asked to wear a mask. >>> and it was something so many of you saw right here this week that moved us all. so who is our person of the week? >>> good evening. it's great to have you with us here as we near the end of another week together, and like so many friday nights before, this is not a slow one. there's news on the virus, on one of the key vaccines. those stimulus checks in some americans' accounts as early as tonight now. but we do begin with the br

whit johnson reporting. >>> tonight, the bulletin warning of a threat to an american electrical grid. abc news obtaining a newly released intelligence bulletin revealing a potential plot to disrupt an electrical grid in the northeast. tonight, homeland security describing the alleged plot involving a drone. gio benitez with late reporting. >>> guns in new york state. tonight, the supreme court taking up the biggest second amendment case in more than a decade. justices hearing arguments over new york's strict gun control laws, banning most people from carrying guns in public. but what the justices signaled today. pierre thomas standing by. >>> the explosive new allegation about the deadly movie set shooting in santa fe. the attorney for the woman in charge of the guns now suggesting sabotage may be to blame. >>> the stunning story overseas tonight. the daring rescue. police saving a 4-year-old girl kidnapped during a family camping trip more than two weeks ago. so, how did they find her? >>> the nfl star charged in a deadly dui crash. prosecutors today saying he was going 156 miles per

whit johnson with late reporting. >>> in the northeast at this hour, we're tracking severe storms as we come on the air tonight, the potential for dangerous storms from washington, d.c., to philadelphia to new york. potentially heavy rain and straight-line winds up to 70 miles per hour. and the second system from texas to the dakotas. rob marciano tracking it all. >>> a possible break in the case tonight, the highway shootings authorities say about 100 incidents of windows shot out in just a matter of weeks. what police are now saying tonight. >>> the case that made national headlines. the mother and her new husband charged with murdering her two children. they had maintained the children were safe. >>> and tonight, the honor for a beloved actor who died too soon. >>> good evening. and it's great to have you with us here on a wednesday night. and we begin with that news that came in today and the horror and the exhaustion across this country, yet another mass shooting. what we're now learning tonight about the shooter this time at a workplace in san jose, california. the santa clara

>> all right, whit johnson. great to have you, whit, thank you. >>> and next tonight, the new warning about a threat to an electrical grid in the northeast. abc news obtaining a newly released intelligence bulletin revealing a potential plot involving a drone to disrupt and electrical grid in pennsylvania. here's gio benitez. >> reporter: tonight, a newly released intelligence bulletin obtained by abc news reveals a potential plot to disrupt the u.s. electrical grid. this is a modified drone recovered from the top of a building in pennsylvania, right next to an electrical substation. two ropes hanging from the rotor arms. at the end of them, a thick copper wire strung in between. the department of homeland security tonight saying it "was likely intended to disrupt operations by creating a short circuit to cause damage to transformers or distribution lines." and concern tonight that illicit use of drones over energy infrastructure and other potential targets is only growing. >> drones are very difficult to detect

>> all right, whit johnson. whit, thank you. >>> next tonight here, a flight from new york to california diverted to denver after an alleged troubling attack on a flight attendant. the passenger allegedly punching that attendant and here's abc's trevor ault now. >> reporter: tonight, disturbing new details about the american airlines passenger accused of punching a flight attendant. a source familiar with the investigation telling abc this was an unprovoked attack. the flight attendant accidentally bumping that first class passenger in the aisle and apologizing. the man later walking to the allegedly punching her twice and returning to his seat as if nothing happened. the flight from new york to california diverting to denver. >> boo! >> reporter: american's ceo calling this "one of the worst deplaces of unruly behavior we've ever witnessed." >> this type of behavior has to stop, and the best deterrent is aggressive criminal prosecution. >> oh, lord! no! >> reporter: the assault marks the latest in a staggering

>> whit johnson, we'll see you at the anchor desk this weekend. whit, thank you. >>> the other major story this friday night, the biden administration declassifying the report on the murder of u.s.-based journalist jamal khashoggi. he was last seen walking into a saudi consulate in 2018. the biden administration pointing the finger at the saudi crown prince, accusing him of the brutal attack. sanctions have now been issued on multiple people, but not on the crown prince. here's our chief global affairs correspondent martha raddatz tonight. >> reporter: he is the crown prince of saudi arabia, heir to the kingdom, a powerful ally that a u.s. intelligence report now accuses of approving the 2018 brutal murder of saudi journalist jamal khashoggi in istanbul. the previously classified assessment citing the direct involvement of a key adviser and members of mohammad bin salman's protective detail in the operation, and bin salman's support for using violent measures to silence dissidents abroad. officials saying it's highly unlikely that saudi officials

>> whit johnson leading us off again tonight. whit, thank you. i know many of you at home have many questions about this new vaccine and vaccines in general, so let's get right to dr. ashish jha. always great to have you with us. we hear all these numbers, this new number for johnson & johnson, one of them key, 66% effective against moderate disease. but our viewers will remember when we reported pfizer and moderna's numbers they were at about 95%, so help us square this. dr. fauci saying this is still a new weapon. real implications because it's a single shot. how do you compare those numbers? >> david, thanks for having me on. i have to say, i'm really excited about this. i know the 66% is what people are going to focus on, but this vaccine really does prevent severe disease. the feared complications are hospitalizations and deaths. that's what we should be focused on. i think this is a really important weapon, especially since it's a single dose, does not need to be frozen. i think this is great news. >> you say focus on the 85% effective agai

>> whit johnson, we'll see you right here this weekend. meantime we know many of you at home have questions about booster shots i want to bring in dr. ashish jha, dr. jha, always great to have you with us. you have been saying on the air with me for some time that older americans and those at higher risk should receive the booster first, which is what the fda panel recommended today. that still makes sense to you base on the science revealed? >> good evening, thanks for having me back. it does. the science is very clear. high risk people, older people, yes. younger healthy people, we don't have to data and i'm glad that's how the fda voted. >> on the larger question of if all americans 16 and older should receive phaser boosters, you said circumstantial evidence needed, further evidence. the fda panel saying the same thing. we saw israel starting with 60 and older. this was back this july. then they moved to 50 and older. is that what we could see here, an incremental roll out as we move forward? >> absolutely. i think we're going get more

let's get back to whit johnson here in new york. i know the fda giving us a better sense of a time line to move from emergency use authorization of the pfizer vaccine to a full approval of the pfizer vaccine, and i know many health experts hope this could be an important step to convincing more people that this is not temporary. it would be a full approval. >> reporter: david, the fda granted that accelerated six-month time line for review. this could give full approval to the pfizer vaccine in those 16 and orlandolder by january 2022. some think this might persuade businesses and schools to require vaccines and perhaps give those on the fence more confidence to go ahead and get their shots. david? >> whit johnson, we know you'll be anchoring this broadcast tomorrow night. >>> in the meantime, we know a lot of you at home have questions on this fast moving delta variant. the u.s. back to more than 1,000 cases an hour on average, mostly among the unvaccinated. but there are these reports of breakthrough cases, even if you're vaccinat

>> whit johnson, we know you and linsey davis will be here at the anchor desk this weekend and we'll be watching. thank you. >>> the treasury department sent out the first of the $1,400 stimulus checks. about 85% of americans will get them. part of president biden's historic covid relief bill, and now of course it's signed into law. at a rose garden event today, the president telling american families that, quote, help is here. here'sarbre tonight. >> reporter: irose garden today,rede biden kng off a campaign to promote hi historic spl, with a promise to millions of american families. >> to every american watching, help is here and we will not stop working for you. >> reporter: not a single republican present at today's ceremony because none supported the bill. but outside washington, the law has broad support. 70% of americans back it, including 41% of republicans. the 1.9 trillion dollar plan gives 85% of americans a $1,400 check. those payments starting to hit bank accounts tonight. the law also extends unemployment benefits at $300 a week through early september and lowers health

whit johnson tonight. whit, thank you. we know you have a lot of questions at home, so, as always, dr. ashish jha back wi'c likegh till b . iaveed aut antibody response several times on our air and now pfizer saying early data, it's early, but very encouraging that the boosters appear to spike that antibody response. >> yeah, david, thanks for having me back. it is really encouraging. the data shows there's a sharp dropoff in your antibodies' ability to take on omicron, but the third shot seems to make a big difference. >> i want to go back to something you told me before, that you're seeing in many cases after the booster, the antibodies could be actually at a higher level than even after the second vaccine shot. >> that's right. the booster really gives your good opportunity to rev up and get ready for this virus. that's why i think boosters are so essential for every adult right now. >> we know we have a lot of parents watching us here every single night, hanging on your every word. if the boosters are working and you s

whit johnson leading us off. coverage of the coronavirus for tonight. >>> we move on to the other news this evening and the deadly super market shooting in tennessee. tonight, the gunman and his connection to the kroger store has been revealed. also here the harrowing stories of survival. alex perez on the scene for us. >> reporter: authorities tonight identifying the gunman they say unleashed a deadly rampage inside this kroger grocery store as 29-year-old uk thang. do you have a motive at this point? do we know why? >> i don't know that we'll ever know why. i know this -- we're going to take it where the evidence takes us. >> reporter: thang, pictured here, an official says, did business with the store as a third party vendor. we're also hearing the harrowing stories of survival. sarah wiles was buying ingredients for soup when she heard gunfire. >> we just found a metal door and a cart that was stacked with boxes, and we tucked in behind it and made ourselves a hiding spot. >> reporter: she's an icu nurse. whe

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whit johnson tonight. whit, thank you. we know you have a lot of questions at home, so, as always, dr. ashish jha, dean of the brown university school of public health back with us tonight. and he's back with us in person for a change, which we always like, though about six feet of distance still between us. first of all, you and i have talked about the antibody response several times on our air. and now pfizer is saying early data, it's early, but very encouraging that the boosters appear to spike that antibody response. >> yeah, david, thanks for having me back. it is really encouraging. the data shows that there's a sharp dropoff in your antibodies' ability to manage omicron after two shots, but the third shot really seems to make a big difference. >> and not only that, i want to go back to something you told me before, that you're seeing in many cases after the booster, the antibodies could be actually at a higher level than even after the second vaccine shot. >> that's right. that's right. the booster really gives you

whit johnson back with us tonight. and we know that nearly 59% of american adults have had at least one vaccine dose, but we heard it from the president again today, that we're not there yet. he said the number needs to be much closer to that 70% mark to really help get this virus under control. >> reporter: and david, that goal is by the fourth of july. today, president biden said, let's finish the work of beating this virus and getting everything back to normal. and those younger teenagers who make up 17 million americans, will also play a key role in the coming weeks. today, we've seen many of them at vaccination sites like this one, eager to roll up their sleeves. david? >> all right, whit johnson leading us off tonight on this major step forward. cdc director dr. walensky saying today that americans should feel confident that this is based on science, that vaccinated americans can go without their mask indoors and outdoors. of course, the exceptions, buses, planes, hospitals. president biden then reiterating very

whit johnson with us from a mass vaccination site in westchester, new york, and whit, you reported there that hospitalizations are doubling in michigan, for example. i know the data is still early, but are doctors seeing any link between those hospitalizations, that spike in cases, and groups that have not been vaccinated? >> reporter: david, they are. one medical group in michigan says that hospitalizations are increasing at an alarming rate among unvaccinated adults, up 800% for people in their 40s, but the rates are dramatically lower among seniors, many of them already vaccinated. david? >> we're going to continue to track this dynamic. whit, thank you very much. whit johnson tonight. >>> we turn next here to the abc news exclusive, the heartbroken parents speaking out about the death of their son following an alleged hazing incident at bowling green state university. he was just 20 years old. and what his mother says he told her on the phone just before going to that fraternity house. here's abc's will reeve tonight. >> reporter: tonight, stone 20-year-old was apprehensive before he

here's whit johnson. >> reporter: tonight, the toll of the pandemic growing day by day, 1,200 deaths report in the 24 hours, the highest single day total since early march. >> it's tough for the ones who have been through it already to see -- to see these people struggle and die. >> reporter: in just the last month, the virus spreading like wildfire. all 50 states now reporting high community transmission. in oregon, hospitalizations up nearly tenfold in the last six weeks. >> with fewer staff and fewer beds, we're struggling to meet patients' needs. >> reporter: h kentucky breaking records. the governor frustrated. >> i'm going to admit up front today i'm a little emotional and a little raw. >> reporter: but in florida tonight, a major legal victory for ten school districts defying the governor's ban on mandates. a judge ruling the governor overstepped his authority. desantis vowing to appeal. this as the country reaches a new milestone -- 50% of kids 12 to 17 years old have now had their first vaccine dose. and overall, more than a million doses administered in the last day, the mo

>> all right, whit johnson tonight. whit, thank you so much. i know many of you at home have questions about the potential for boosters on the way. so, let's bring in dr. ashish jha, dean of the brown university school of public health. dr. jha, always great to have you with us. let's get right to what the fda released today, this pfizer data. they're now suggesting this extra dose, this booster shot, a third shot, for those 16 and older, about six months after receiving that second dose. and they said this isn't necessarily because of the delta variant, instead, they said, this is because of effectiveness decreases with increasing time. essentially waning over time, which is what you and i have talked about so often here on the news. moderna releasing very similar data. are you convinced by what you saw today? >> yeah, david, thanks for having me back. what i'm convinced on based on the data today and other data that's been out, is people who are vulnerable. people who have over 65, people with chronic diseases, they clearly need that booster

abc's whit johnson now from new york. >> reporter: tonight, with covid cases creeping back up, health officials warning the country has yet to turn the corner on the pandemic. >> we are at the corner. whether or not we're going to be turning that corner still remains to be seen. >> reporter: 16 states seeing a case average increase of 10% in the last week. in michigan, cases tripling and hospitalizations doubling in the last month. >> we may have relaxed restrictions too soon. we really need all the tools at our disposal to control a virus like this that is incredibly unforgiving. >> reporter: but some experts hopeful that the increasing speed of vaccinations will keep the virus in check. >> i'm worried that we're going to see a mini surge, but i actually feel pretty confident that we're not going to see a crush of hospitalizations and a crush of deaths we saw in december and january largely because we've vaccinated so many vulnerable people. >> reporter: 28 states and washington, d.c. expanding eligibility to anyone over the age of 16. demand soaring. in arizona today, thousands of n

>> all right, whit johnson leading us off tonight. whit, thank you. >>> now to the other major news this thursday night, the dangerous and record-breaking heat. the fourth heat wave now in the west in just five weeks. nearly two-thirds of the west in extreme or exceptional drought. the heat and smoke from wildfires making conditions even worse. and then the flash floods in the southwest. we have remarkable pictures tonight. abc's kayna whitworth on the growing concern over climate change and these extremes. she's on the shore of utah's great salt lake with what they've had to do there tonight. >> reporter: tonight, the national weather service is warning that the coming heat wave could break more records and fuel more fires antely brin triple-digit temperatures. nearly two-thirds of the west is in exceptional or extreme drought, the highest number since the government started t,d monsoon inmoving into the southwest seemed to do more harm than good. >> oh, my god! >> reporter: washing away cars and stranding this family on top of their

>> whit johnson with us tonight. whit, thank you. >>> next here, news this evening on president biden's infrastructure plan. the president in what the white house is calling a major concession to republicans, suggesting he won't raise the tax rate on corporations from 21% to 28% for this plan, but instead saying corporations that have been paying little or no taxes at all should now pay a minimum of 15%. tonight, republican leaders say that won't happen. so, what's next? and when does the negotiating end? here's our senior white house correspondent mary bruce tonight. >> reporter: tonight, some major concessions from president biden as he tries to get republicans onboard with his infrastructure plan. the president initially asked for $2.3 trillion, now he's come down to roughly $1 trillion. and for now, he's willing to table his plan to raise corporate taxes from 21% to 28%. instead, he's asking corporations who pay little to nothing now to pay a minimum of 15%. no more loopholes. >> let me just give you a simple fac

>> all right, whit johnson on the breaking news from the cdc. whit, thank you. we know many of you at home have questions tonight. so, let's bring in dr. ashish jha, dean of the brown university school of public health, back with us tonight. dr. jha, always great to have you with us. two kwey questions here tonight. you've been saying this, that this vaccines are working. the efficacy holding up pretty well, but what does the data show already? how much more protection do you get from these boosters? >> good evening, david, yes, thanks for having me back. the boosters are really helpful. the vaccines are working well in preventing severe infections, we are seeing breakthroughs and we see very clear evidence now that boosters make an enormous difference in reducing those infections. >> i wanted to ask you about this small study we've been reporting on here this weekend envalving the johnson & johnson one-hot vaccine. this particular study shows that mixing and matching with an mrna vaccine, pfizer or moderna, one of their boosters, and that the study saw signific

>> all right, whit johnson leading us off tonight. whit, thank you. i know many questions at home with millions of americans who got moderna and johnson & johnson still waiting on these boosters. let's get right to dr. ashish jha, dean of the brown university school of public health. dr. jha, always great to have you here. you know, it seems this blueprint for the moderna boosters today recommended by this panel, very similar to what we saw with the pfizer boosters. 65 and older first, along with 18 and older if you have a health condition or a job that puts you at higher risk. one thing i thought was interesting, though, today, moderna's booster will be given as a half dose, 50 micrograms. that's compared to 100 micrograms in their first two shots. so, why a half shot when we were getting a full shot of pfizer for a booster? was moderna a more powerful shot to begin with? >> yeah, so, david, thank you for having me back. first of all, they absolutely follow the same blueprint, same groups of individuals, high risk people getting the booster. and the

>> all right, whit johnson leading us off tonight. whit, thank you. >>> and we have heard from dr. fauci there for days to keep an eye on this variantm. africa. ha it's he, what more to we know and what are they sighing in south africa right now, where more than 90% of the new cases there are this new variant. here's our foreign correspondent james longman tonight. >> reporter: south africa was already overwhelmed by coronavirus and now it's the epicenter for that new, seemingly more contagious b.1.351 variant taking over the country. >> it is quite horrible. all the icu, all the hospitals are full. >> reporter: with two cases now detected in the u.s., at least 31 countries are now facing this strain, too. by some estimates, it could be up to 50% more infectious. scientists caution they're still studying it. in south africa, a ventilator shortage. hospitals stretched thin. morgues unable to keep up. has it ever been as bad as it is in south africa? >> this is the worst. the number of patients is just overwhelming. we've allowed patients to die because we could not ventilate them. >

whit johnson. and whit, the fda saying yes to boosters. the cdc now meeting so what's the timeline here and what's this news, boosters potentially soon for everyone 40 and older? >> reporter: david, that cdc advisory panel will vote on recommendations for boosters tomorrow. then the cdc director will give the final sign-off and millions more americans could be eligible by this weekend. and as you noted, there are reports that the fda is also considering booster shots for everyone 40 and older, but that likely won't be addressed until next month. david? >> all right, whit johnson with us again tonight. thank you, whit. >>> we're going to turn now to that very difficult scene playing out in a florida courtroom today. parkland school shooter nikolas cruz taking responsibility for the worst school shooting in u.s. history. cruz standing there, pleading guilty to 17 counts of murder. and then speaking directly to the heartbroken parents in that courtroom. tonight, how the parents reacted and abc's victor oquendo was there. >> reporter: standing

>> all right, whit johnson with us again tonight. thank you, whit. >>> we're going to turn now to that very difficult scene playing out in a florida courtroom today. parkland school shooter nikolas cruz taking responsibility in one of the worst school shootings in u.s. history. cruz standing there, pleading guilty to 17 counts of murder. and then speaking directly to the heartbroken parents in that courtroom. tonight, how the parents reacted and abc's victor oquendo was there. >> reporter: standing before the judge, the parkland school shooter listened as every victim's name was read, every count listed and made his plea. >> count 16, murder in the first degree of jamey guttenberg. how do you wish to plea? >> guilty. >> count 17, murder in the first degree of peter wang. how do you wish to plea? >> guilty. >> reporter: anguished families of the victims wiping away tears. then nikolas cruz spoke directly to them for the first time. >> i am very sorry for what i did and i have to live with it every day. and if i were to get a second ch

>> whit johnson, live tonight at yankee stadium. whit, thank you. >>> with the news of this third vaccine, the potential new weapon, and of course also that concern over the variants already being seen in this country. we know a lot of you at home have questions, so let's bring in dr. ashish jha. the dean of brown university school of public health. dr. jha, as always, great to have you. we know the fda is set to meet february 26th right now to discuss johnson & johnson's emergency use authorization. you have said right here on this broadcast that this single dose vaccine will be really significant. 85% at preventing severe disease, 100% effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths. you believe a true game-changer if approved? >> i do, david, and thank you for having me on. this is going to be really important. we have got to see the full set of data. the fda is going to do a careful review. once this vaccine becomes widely available -- it's easy to store, a single shot -- i think it's going make a big difference. >> also, th

>> whit johnson leading us off tonight. whit, thank you. >>> and one more key point on this. how effective will the vaccines be against the new variant, after seemingly different messages from pfizer and moderna. tonight, our martha raddatz with rare access inside moderna, where they are racing to tweak their vaccine if needed. so, we ask, how soon could it be ready? we also ask, does moderna agree with pfizer that the current vaccines will likely help knock this town? here's martha tonight from massachusetts. >> reporter: tonight, abc news getting an exclusive look at the moderna research team preparing to take on omicron. here at the moderna labs in norwood, massachusetts, they say production could begin on a new vaccine within the month. this facility produces 70% of moderna's vaccine in the u.s., and they're ready to make another shot specifically designed to fight the new variant. do you have the facilities to do both and do them rapidly? >> we do. we do have the capacity to do both and do them fast. >> reporter: it's still unclear whether that will be necessary, but mod

whit johnson joins us now from times square tonight. and whit, there are new studies also out showing that there's more evidence now of the effectiveness of the pfizer vaccine against concerning variants? >> reporter: david, these are two new real world studies and they show the pfizer vaccine is highly effective against those concerning variants from the uk and south africa. especially when it comes to preventing severe outcomes like pneumonia and even death. david? >> all right, whit johnson from times square tonight. whit, thank you. >>> we turn next here this evening to the terrifying moments onboard a packed school bus in south carolina today. authorities say an army trainee with a rifle highjacked the bus with 18 elementary school children onboard. surveillance showing him holding that rifle to the bus driver's head. here's abc's steve osunsami tonight. >> reporter: authorities in south carolina tonight are sharing this security video from the bus full of kids that was on its way this morning to an elementary school in columbia. a