u.s. open begins in a few hours in new york city. coronavirus concerns mean there will not be any fans or a number of top players, including men's defending champion rafael nadal. those are some of our top stories on this monday, august 31st. good monday morning. thank you for starting your week with us. will reeve is going to be with us all week. we begin this half hour with the devastation in louisiana days after hurricane laura. >> at least 18 people were killed in louisiana and texas. more than 300,000 still in the dark with no electricity in louisiana. and officials say power and water outages could last for weeks. some people are now living in hundreds of thousands of people still in dire need. no electricity or water. in hard-hit lake charles, many are living in their cars with temperatures feeling like the triple digits. >> we just do the best that we can. if it rains, we stand out in the rain just to cool ourselves off. >> reporter: this new drone video showing hurricane laura's destruction along this street. at this walmart, hundreds of storm victims lining up for food and supplies. >> we were just passing by, i saw the salvation army over there. as we pulled by, they started another line over here and we jumped in it. >> reporter: the city's mayor painting a grim picture. almost every building severely damaged, saying they're trying to make the best out of a bunch of bad options. residents need help. >> i'm emotional about my neighborhood. but now, okay, i have to come back. i have to figure out ways, how to help my city. >> reporter: the medical staff in one of the area's last remaining hospitals still open powering through. >> that's the biggest issue, i think, is uncertainty from the staff that haven't been able to get out, and those that have been able to get out and have seen that they've had devastation to their home, you know. >> so your staff's having to work here, knowing that their home is damaged or destroyed? >> some of them are, yeah. >> reporter: the shock is wearing off, exhaustion setting in for storm victims. we just are now beginning to start this very long road to recovery. we have four more areas of activity in the atlantic basin to watch as we head into september. historically the most active part of hurricane season. rob marciano, abc news, ryebrook, new york. >> rob, thank you for that. now to the growing unrest over racial injustice heightened by another fatal clash. president trump is facing off with the mayor of portland, oregon, after a right-wing supporter was killed over the weekend there. the governor of wisconsin is asking the president to cancel his planned visit to kenosha. abc's megan tevrizian has more. >> reporter: cities across the country in turmoil. one man in portland, oregon, shot and killed right after a political rally involving a caravan of cars with flags supporting president trump. this video showing a man opening fire saturday. [ shots fired ] >> reporter: immediately after hitting the victim, the gunman running away. the cause of the shooting is unknown, but the man who died was wearing a blue lives matter flag, the suspect still at large. the president and portland's democratic mayor continuing to be at odds after the city has seen sometimes violent protests for more than 90 days. trump calling portland's mayor, ted wheeler, a fool on twitter, saying his supporters saturday night are, quote, great patriots. portland's mayor firing back. >> i'd appreciate that either the president support us or he stay the hell out of the way. >> reporter: in kenosha, wisconsin, hundreds marching in peaceful protests. one week after police shot jacob blake in the back seven times, paralyzing him. blake's family asking for the clashes to stop, but saying the president may be responsible for inciting the violence. >> i mean, how could they not be feeding on violence when our man in the white house is steady drumming it up? did you think it wouldn't dribble down to the streets? it has. >> reporter: president trump planning to visit the region on tuesday. but it's unclear if he will meet with blake or his family. now wisconsin's democratic governor sending a letter to the president, voicing his concerns that his visit could do more harm than good. meanwhile, democratic nominee for president, joe biden, will be back on the trail in southwestern pennsylvania where he will address safety in america under president trump. megan tevrizian, abc news, san diego. >> megan, thank you. the tragic death of chadwick boseman at just 43 is shining a much-needed light on colon cancer and who is at risk. the disease disproportionately impacting african-americans, especially black men. doctors say the key to survival is early detection. abc's alex presha has more. >> reporter: tributes pouring in from friends and fans shocked at the death of chadwick boseman. twitter announcing this final post from his account is now the most-liked tweet ever, calling it a tribute fit for a king. boseman underwent treatment and surgeries for colon cancer even while filming some of his most famous roles. >> in my culture, death is not the end. it's more of a stepping-off point. >> reporter: the actor's private four-year battle now sparking conversations about a disease that disproportionately affects black men. blacks have the highest rates of colorectal cancer of any racial ethnic group in the u.s. black men roughly 10% higher than white americans. >> there may be some biological factors, but certainly access to screening and access to care is one issue that's preventible. >> reporter: dr. timothy cannon is an oncologist that knows these statistics well. >> i think there's just so much information that we need to get out there to really help avoid the situation we saw with chadwick boseman. >> reporter: dr. cannon says that starts with paying attention to symptoms, including change in bowel habits, bleeding, abdominal pain, unintended weight loss. these signs are important because younger patients with colorectal cancer tend to be diagnosed at a more advanced stage. timothy mitchell was 43 when he was diagnosed in 2006. he had a checkup earlier in the year but says by summer he just had been feeling tired, slow. he went back to the hospital. >> they did a colonoscopy. and they saw a large mass. >> reporter: timothy was stage 3. the same stage as boseman when he was diagnosed. he underwent 12 rounds of chemo. he and his wife dedicate their efforts to breaking down health stigmas for black men. that starts with a simple conversation. >> early detection is key. not paying attention to your body, not taking care of your body, it could really end sooner than you want it to, because tomorrow's not promised. >> reporter: the american cancer society recommends that men start getting screened for colon cancer at age 45. but boseman was just 43. dr. cannon saying that while the overall numbers for the disease are going down, the incidences of it appearing in men under the age of 50 are actually going up, which is just another reason to be vigilant about the signs. alex presha, abc news, washington. >> thank you for that, alex. switching to the pandemic, major news in the air. united airlines eliminating change fees on all domestic premium and standard economy tickets. a waiver permitting unlimited changes on all tickets has been extended through the end of the year. united lost $1.6 billion in the second quarter. now to a big step for a flying car project in japan. >> the battery-powered flying car circling a field for about four minutes with a pilot on board. it's still a work in progress, the four minutes would give that away, with more test flights planned. the company is looking to launch a two-seater version in 2023. this could retail for $300,000 to $500,000, the price dropping by 2030. i will start saving up. >> i said earlier, i'm not a hater, i'm not, i promise i'm not. but to me, a flying car is, i need to see a toyota in the sky, i need to see a ford f-150 flying -- i need to see my 2008, shout-out to my 2008 toyota corolla, my first car. i need to see that flying. for that price, i need to see a bugatti flying. $300,000 for four minutes in the sky? go back to the drawing board. but i'm not a hater. i'm not a hater. not shots fired. >> yeah, i mean -- we'll get back to you on that. coming up, covid-19 on campus. what students and parents need to know. plus the social media sensation who's taking to tiktok to give a new voice to so many without one. and later, the heroes in the hospital. the brave nurses whose quick thinking saved some of their most vulnerable patients in the target of a hurricane. if you're age 50 to 85, and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three p's. what are the three p's? the three p's of life insurance on a fixed budget are price, price, and price. a price you can afford, a price that can't increase, and a price that fits your budget. i'm 54. alex, what's my price? you can get coverage for $9.95 a month. i'm 65 and take medications. what's my price? also $9.95 a month. i just turned 80. what's my price? $9.95 a month for you too. if you're age 50 to 85, call now about the #1 most popular whole life insurance plan, available through the colonial penn program. it has an affordable rate starting at $9.95 a month. no medical exam, no health questions. your acceptance is guaranteed. and this plan has a guaranteed lifetime rate lock, so your rate can never go up for any reason. so call now for free information. and you'll also get this free beneficiary planner. and it's yours just for calling. so call now. back with this dangerous maneuver over the black sea. two russian aircrafts buzzing a u.s. b-52 bomber. the russian jets coming within 100 feet of the bomber multiple times. it caused major turbulence. the pentagon says the b-52 was in international air space and it's calling the move unsafe and unprofessional. now to the coronavirus pandemic, where the worldwide number of cases has crossed 25 million. >> nearly one-quarter of those are in the united states, which approaches 6 million, 2 million more than any other nation. the number of deaths in the u.s. now more than 183,000. >> and the total number of deaths, the actual number is being thrown into question this morning with the cdc now suggesting the vast majority of covid-19 deaths were actually due to other underlying conditions. i spoke earlier with dr. alok patel. good morning, dr. patel, thank you for joining us. let's begin with the rising coronavirus cases on college campuses. cases at georgia tech have more than doubled in one week and new york's governor has sent a medical s.w.a.t. team to suny oneonta. uror are quarantined at utah state and california. we heard cal state chico has canceled in-person classes because of the spike in cases. what do parents need to know, and should their kids immediately come home when cases are reported or does that just increase the risk of spreading it? >> one thing i think kids and parents are colleges are going to have outbreaks, it's going to happen. it really comes down to what they're going to do to mitigate the spread. colleges should have some type of ability to isolate and quarantine on campus, because it's not necessarily a good thing to send every kid back to their home communities, if they're out of state, whatever, to spark more outbreaks. >> next to a surprising headline. the cdc says 94% of coronavirus deaths were people with underlying health conditions. what is the takeaway here? >> the takeaway is this headline cannot be misconstrued and it already has on twitter. this headline is basically saying, 6% of death certificates for people who died from coronavirus listed covid-19 as the only cause. so 94% had covid-19, but also another comorbidity. it could have been obesity, heart disease, asthma, et cetera. so it's not saying that only 6% of deaths are real, which is what's misconstrued on social media. >> here's another interesting stat that's out this morning. a study finds that 90% of people infected with coronavirus may not carry enough of it to infect anyone else. does this change anything? >> what this headline is basically speaking to is the pcr tests. i think people might see this headline, get a false sense of reassurance. but the pcr test is essentially looking for genetic material in the virus, and it's amplifying it. what some people are saying is it might be amplifying it too much so it's too sensitive. so instead of focusing on a test that's catching people with a really small amount of virus, we should be focusing on a more rapid, widespread test that may not be as sensitive but will catch some of those asymptomatic people or some of those super spreaders early. so what we need to be focusing on is how sensitive the tests really are. and if we can quantify how much of the virus people have. it just throws us another monkey wrench and variable to think about when it comes to testing and catching those cases. >> our thanks to dr. alok patel. coming up, giving a new voice to a community that often goes unheard. >> the tiktok star who's teaching us all how to talk to people who stutter. if you're ag, and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three p's. what are the three p's? the three p's of life insurance on a fixed budget are price, price, and price. a price you can afford, a price that can't increase, and a price that fits your budget. i'm 54. alex, what's my price? you can get coverage for $9.95 a month. i'm 65 and take medications. what's my price? also $9.95 a month. i just turned 80. what's my price? $9.95 a month for you too. if you're age 50 to 85, call now about the #1 most popular whole life insurance plan, available through the colonial penn program. it has an affordable rate starting at $9.95 a month. no medical exam, no health questions. your acceptance is guaranteed. and this plan has a guaranteed lifetime rate lock, so your rate can never go up for any reason. so call now for free information. and you'll also get this free beneficiary planner. and it's yours just for calling. so call now. ♪ hey now you're an all star get your game on go play ♪ ♪ hey now you're a rock star get the show on get paid ♪ welcome back to "world news ♪ hey now you're an all star get your game on go play ♪ ♪ hey now you're a rock star get the show on get paid ♪ welcome back to "world news now." this morning we're shining the spotlight on a young man who truly is an all star. >> he's creating quite a following on tiktok. our own will ganss is here now with the first in our new series, "social spotlight," where we'll introduce you to people using social media to make the world a better place, not the other people. >> no, yeah, it's all about good vibes this morning, mona and will. marc winski said he never wanted to get a tiktok in the first place, but now he's become an unlikely influencer who's using the platform to shine a light on the stutter community, which he calls the "stam-ily." >> hi, guys. i'm marc winski, and i'm a person who s-stutters. >> reporter: marc winski giving voice to a community that often goes unheard, literally. >> i -- i -- i -- >> reporter: that tiktok thing? >> i'm not going to get a tiktok. i'm not going to be doing arm dances and -- and -- that just -- what -- what -- wasn't something for -- for me. >> reporter: his friends talked him into it anyway. one night the new york city actor and singer posted this video. >> and i just wanted to make a quick psa on how to talk to someone who st-st-st-stutters. >> and that next morning it just blew up. i was blown away. >> reporter: millions of views and thousands of followers later -- >> i -- i -- i think the -- n-need that was there, because s-stuttering is out there. and i honestly don't think that people really understand or know w-what to do. >> reporter: roughly 3 million americans stutter, and it affects people of all ages. one of the biggest misconceptions you would say the general public has about the stuttering community? >> i'd probably say t-the top two are that we're -- n-nervous and anxious. and that's why we stutter. that is not the case. and that we don't know -- w-what we're trying to say. >> reporter: on tiktok, marc breaking down the dos and don'ts of talking to someone who stutters. often with humor. ♪ it's crazy we finish each other's ♪ >> sentences. >> don't fill in my words for me. >> i do think that people are really trying to help when they're filling in words. and i think a good m-majority of people who stutter d-don't -- don't need that or -- want that. >> reporter: especially powerful for those who do stutter. a community marc lovingly calls his "stam-ily." >> people saying, i've n-never seen anything like this come up on my screen. and i thought i was alone. and i thought that i was the only one. and i -- i think that's why i'm doing it. s-stuttering is not something that needs to be f-fixed or hidden or be a-ashamed about. and that it's -- n-not their f-fault. >> in addition to former vice president joe biden, other famous members of the "stam-ily" include shaquille o'neal, nicole kidman, j. edgar hoover, elvis presley, and of course now our friend marc there. for info on marc or the stuttering community, you can find him on tiktok. >> thank you, will, for bringing this to light and providing him a platform. there's so much we can learn from each other. he said it best. he said, it's not something that you fix, and it's not something to be ashamed of. we're all different, let's just accept it and listen to each other. >> fantastic stuff. coming up, it's often said not all heroes wear capes. introducing the future of fitness. it's every class you can imagine, live. welcome back to the mirror. you've got this john. and on demand. it's boxing... cardio... yoga... and more. it's an interactive, goal crushing...whole family...whole body fitness machine. it's so cool! the future of fitness is at home. the mirror. ♪ ♪ don't you worry about a thing ♪ ♪ don't you worry about a thing ♪ welcome back. this past week there was plenty of worry to go around with hurricane laura bearing down on the gulf coast. >> but inside one hospital directly in laura's path, one brave team of nurses had it all covered. here's abc's tom llamas. >> reporter: when hurricane laura started barreling through louisiana this wee lake charles memorial hospital for women raced into action to protect their most vulnerable patients, premature infants. >> we had 19 critical babies. we're not just talking about carrying babies across town, we're talking about the isolette beds, feeding tubes, breast milk, all the things these infants would need, we'd have to transport. >> reporter: that's nursing director leah upton. she and her staff had just three hours to get those babies to higher ground. >> you have a duty and a responsibility to these patients. these babies, we treat them like they're our own. >> reporter: by 10:30 that night, the power went out. the hospital working off a generator. it was all hands on deck. this brave team of 22 working together. >> grabbing mattresses, everybody's putting them into the windows. moving what babies we could out into the hallway. there were some babies on ventilators and oxygen and equipment that would not reach out into the hallway. >> reporter: by 1:00 a.m. -- >> our whole building was shaking and moving. and you could feel it. we had water coming in under the window. our room was just a puddle. we had to mop up the whole night to make a dry space around these babies. >> reporter: a grateful mother reuniting with one of those babies. leah saying, it was all teamwork. >> we came together and transferred 19 babies in a little under two hours. and we weathered the storm, you know. put our fears aside and put these babies first. >> our thanks to tom llamas. if 2020 has shown us anything, it is that nurses are always on the front lines. being super heroic. we see them, like she said, these babies are like our own, we treat them like our own, and they jumped right into action. >> the babies have all been transferred to other hospitals, because a lot of lake charles is still without power or water and is in dire need of help. >> that is very important to note. that's it for this half hour. >> you can always follow us on facebook at wnnfans.com. this morning on "world news now," tensions continue to is this morning on "world news now," tensions continue to grow nationwide over the police shooting of jacob blake in wisconsin. in portland, oregon, a man dying over the weekend after violent clashes between trump supporters and black lives matter protesters. president trump unleashing on twitter. also this morning, with college coronavirus outbreaks on the rise, a warning to students from dr. deborah birx, don't go home. she says students should stay on campus even if they are sick. this as the u.s. approaches a grim n this morning on "world news now," tensions continue to grow nationwide over the police shooting of jacob blake in wisconsin. in portland, oregon, a man dying over the weekend after violent clashes between trump supporters and black lives matter protesters. president trump unleashing on twitter. also this morning, with college coronavirus outbreaks on the rise, a warning to students from dr. deborah birx, don't go home. she says students should stay on campus even if they are sick. this as the u.s. approaches a grim new milestone. plus "black panther" actor chadwick boseman passing away at the age of 43 from colon cancer. this morning, so many of his fans, his friends, and his closest colleagues sharing tributes. and the first live awards show since our pandemic pause. how lady gaga stole the show at last night's vma awards, and the throwback move that was just so miley. it is monday, august 31st. ♪ good morning to all of you. hope you had a good weekend. i hope you had a good weekend as well, you're back bright and early to join us. >> glad to be here, always. >> i think we kind of just gave away what she did. but before i saw that video i was thinking, it could be that she was twerking, that she wore a blond wig like hannah montana. she's been through so many phases that i didn't even know which miley showed up to this vmas. >> there's always something in store for us as fans when miley hits the vma stage. we begin with president trump weighing in on the escalating unrest over racial injustice. >> tomorrow the president heads to kenosha, wisconsin, where police repeatedly shot jacob blake in the back and where a 17-year-old trump supporter is accused of killing two protesters. the president is making the trip even though the governor made it clear he's not welcome. and the president's feud with the mayor of portland, oregon, is intensifying after the shooting of a right-wing supporter over the weekend. >> reporter: cities in america on edge as violence erupts among protesters. one turning deadly. in portland, trucks driving into the city, people waving pro-trump flags. the counter protesters clashing with marchers demanding racial equality. this truck appearing to hit protesters with pepper spray. later in the night this video showing a man opening fire. [ shots fired ] >> reporter: immediately after hitting the victim, the gunman runs away. still at large. the cause of the shooting unknown, but the man who died was wearing a blue lives matter flag. >> we ask that anyone with information or video or eyewitness accounts please come forward and share that information with our investigators. >> reporter: president trump unleashing a twitter barrage, calling portland's mayor, ted wheeler, incompetent and retweeting a video of the caravan of trucks coming into the city calling them great patriots. >> do you seriously wonder, mr. president, why this is the first time in decades that america has seen this level of violence? it's you who have created the hate and the division. >> reporter: tensions also erupting in tallahassee, florida. police say black lives matters protesters attacking this man who was documenting their demonstration. he pulls his registered gun. protesters fleeing for cover. police taking the man into custody and releasing him with no charges. the violence escalating in the wake of the shooting of jacob blake last sunday. an officer shooting him seven times in the back as he tried to enter a vehicle. [ shots fired ] efulhes kosha were g anndo the clashes but placing some of the blame on the president. >> for people who are instigating violence at some of these rallies, what's your message to them specifically? >> well, i mean, how could they not be feeding on violence when our man in the white house is steady drumming it up? did you think it wouldn't dribble down to the streets? it has. >> reporter: the chaos after the shooting resulted in two deaths in kenosha. 17-year-old kyle rittenhouse allegedly shot and killed two in confrontations just moments apart. his attorney claiming he acted in self-defense. the president weighing in on all this as well. liking a tweet saying, kyle rittenhouse is a good example of why i decided to vote for trump. the democratic governor here sending a letter saying he and other leaders are concerned by what trump's presence could mean for kenosha and the state, adding, he fears a visit could hinder the community's healing. zohreen shah, abc news, kenosha. >> zohreen, thanks. moving to the pandemic, sunday, white house coronavirus response coordinator dr. deborah birx urges americans to do the right things as the u.s. rushes to find a vaccine. the country is approaching 6 million cases, 2 million more than any other nation. the death count exceeding 183,000. and now a warning for students from dr. birx as more cases appear on high school and college campuses. here's abc's trevor ault. >> reporter: an urgent warning from one of the nation's top infectious disease experts as coronavirus cases soar on college campuses. >> they don't know that they're infected. >> reporter: dr. deborah birx calling for aggressive testing, urging infected students to stay on campus so the virus doesn't spread to more vulnerable family members. >> please isolate at your college. do not return home if you're positive and spread the virus to your family, your aunts, your uncles, your grandparents. >> reporter: in philadelphia, temple university suspending in-person classes for two weeks in response to more than 100 positive cases. central new york's suny oneonta making the same decision, governor cuomo sending in a s.w.a.t. medical team of testers and tracers. >> covid-19 is not done yet, that it could rear its ugly head quickly. >> reporter: ohio state suspending more than 200 students for violating campus guidelines. >> i'm kind of scared because theorizing exponentially. >> people are kind of ignoring the precautions. >> reporter: the university of north carolina, chapel hill, with more than 1,000 cases, despite already canceling in-person classes. >> so it was just kind of a point where, what's going to happen? when are we going to get kicked out? and are we going to go home healthy? which -- spoiler alert, we did not go home healthy. >> reporter: california expected to become the first state to surpass 700,000 infections. only four countries have more. but the virus remains a global problem, with americans still banned from traveling to much of europe, the highest case totals in months now being reported in spain, france, germany. protesters there pushing back against restrictions. in south korea, the mayor of seoul now calling for a 10 million citizen standstill week in response to 300 south korean infections reported. while several potential vaccines are in phase 3 of trials, the head of the fda, dr. stephen hahn, says it's possible the agency could grant early approval before those trials are finished if the fda considers it appropriate to do so. trevor ault, abc news, new york. >> trevor, thank you. former vice president joe biden is hitting the campaign trail for the first time since the coronavirus shutdown. biden will deliver remarks today in pittsburgh, pennsylvania. his campaign announcing he will address a core question voter have, are you safe in donald trump's america? biden is expected to accuse trump of fanning the flames of division and letting covid run unchecked. now to the tragic death of chadwick boseman, his transcendent life and career cut short by cancer at just 43 years old. >> tributes continue to pour in. fans and friends remembering his grace, talent, and iconic movie roles. "black panther" director ryan coogler calling him an epic firework display. coogler didn't know the actor was battling cancer until after his death. boseman didn't just portray heroes, he was one in real life. as jackie robinson, he was a heavy hitter in the quest for equality. >> i didn't come here to make friends. >> reporter: in "marshall," he embodied the power of a social justice warrior. >> how can a man have a fair trial when he's denied counsel of his choice? >> reporter: as a black panther, he was a force to be reckoned with. >> wakonda forever! >> reporter: chadwick boseman's powerhouse performance as king that challenge la defined a film that reached across generations. >> all of the little black boys and girls that saw him up on that screen finally got the chance to see themselves as that hero. >> reporter: boseman embodied that wakonda forever spirit both on and off the big screen, standing for social justice at every opportunity. and forming connections with those who looked up to him, taking time to visit cancer patients in the hospital and mourning their loss. that emotional moment even more poignant as the world learns of boseman's own health battle. >> when i found out that they -- yeah. it's -- it means a lot. >> reporter: his family revealing the 43-year-old had been undergoing treatment for colon cancer since 2016, making movies during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy. colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the u.s., with more than 53,000 people projected to die from the disease this year. and doctors say race plays a major factor. >> african-americans are more likely to get and die from colorectal cancer. >> reporter: the news of boseman's passing evoking an outpouring of grief and tributes. >> he had this combination of being an old soul with the most incredible twinkle in his eye. >> they get to dream about and wish about and make wishes on the shooting star that was chadwick boseman's. >> you were my superhero. you were my black panther. >> a huge loss in hollywood. and that tweet announcing his passing was the most-liked tweet ever. twitter calling it a tribute fit for a king. >> there's a quote that i think about and say often and try to live by. it's "a hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles." chadwick boseman is a hero. >> i would say he fits that role. coming up, how police in new jersey helped a man propose to his girlfriend. and the u.s. open beginning later today. it will be a tournament unlike any other in its 139-year history. no live fans. no live fans. and a look inside the vmas and a look inside the vmas. how the first live awards show managed to that of gate social distancing while giving us a little taste of normalcy. ♪ ♪ ♪ i'm alex trebek, here to tell you about the colonial penn program. if you're age 50 to 85, and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three p's. what are the three p's? the three p's of life insurance on a fixed budget are price, price, and price. a price you can afford, a price that can't increase, and a price that fits your budget. i'm 54. alex, what's my price? you can get coverage for $9.95 a month. i'm 65 and take medications. what's my price? also $9.95 a month. i just turned 80. what's my price? $9.95 a month for you too. if you're age 50 to 85, call now about the #1 most popular whole life insurance plan, available through the colonial penn program. it has an affordable rate starting at $9.95 a month. no medical exam, no health questions. your acceptance is guaranteed. and this plan has a guaranteed lifetime rate lock, so your rate can never go up for any reason. so call now for free information. and you'll also get this free beneficiary planner. and it's yours just for calling. so call now. ♪ you are look at the first florida-based rocket to head south after liftoff since 1969. that's the spacex falcon 9 leaving cape canaveral en route to the south pole. florida launches usually go east so they don't fly over populated areas. the rocket placed three satellites into orbit before returning to earth. back here on land, the coronavirus scare is playing out inside the u.s. open bubble. >> french professional benoit paire has dropped out after testing positive for covid-19. the u.s. tennis association says paire is asymptomatic and has been advised to isolate for 10 days. this comes hours before the u.s. open is set to begin with a very different look. here's abc's erielle reshef. >> reporter: the courts are set for a u.s. open unlike any in the tournament's 139-year history. covid-19 pandemic forcing organizers to close the event to fans, normally numbering in the hundreds of thousands, flocking to see the world's top tennis pros compete. the pomp and circumstance replaced by safety protocol. players sequestered in a bubble at an exclusive hotel. tested twice in their first 48 hours, then every four days after. >> we know that millions of tennis fans around the world are starved for this play. >> reporter: on the men's side, notable stars like rauf i can't live nadal and roger federer sitting out. but more than 90 of the world's top 100 players will play. like novak djokovic, john isner, andy murray. on the women's side -- >> i will never be satisfied until i retire. >> reporter: serena williams, coco gauff, sloane stephens, six grand slam champions. naomi osaka currently sidelined by a hamstring injury. >> i have more matches under my belt with no fans than i do with fans. so i think that, to be honest, it will just take me back to when i first started on tour. >> reporter: for 15-year-old robin montgomery, the youngest player making her debut at this unprecedented open, isolation in the bubble hasn't burst her excitement. >> i'm really excited to play against these top players. i think i just want to take this moment and enjoy everything about it, because it's such a great opportunity. and then, of course, i want to win. >> our thanks to erielle reshef for that report. coming up in our next half hour, the child who literally blew away in the wind. the frightening moments overseas at a kite festival when a 3-year-old girl got herself caught in the strings of a kite and swept up into the air. we'll tell you awe it all ended. first, lady gaga stealing the spotlight in the first live awards event, sort of, since our pandemic pause began. aneee cry s the d to tell you about the colonial penn program. if you're age 50 to 85, and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three p's. what are the three p's? the three p's of life insurance on a fixed budget are price, price, and price. a price you can afford, a price that can't increase, and a price that fits your budget. i'm 54. alex, what's my price? you can get coverage for $9.95 a month. i'm 65 and take medications. what's my price? also $9.95 a month. i just turned 80. what's my price? $9.95 a month for you too. if you're age 50 to 85, call now about the #1 most popular whole life insurance plan, available through the colonial penn program. it has an affordable rate starting at $9.95 a month. no medical exam, no health questions. your acceptance is guaranteed. and this plan has a guaranteed lifetime rate lock, so your rate can never go up for any reason. so call now for free information. and you'll also get this free beneficiary planner. and it's yours just for calling. so call now. ♪ it was the awards show that we have all been waiting for, even for those of us who may not particularly care for awards shows. >> either way, last night's mtv video music awards let us feel at least a little bit normal, which is a rare and welcome pandemic occurrence. our own will ganss is the man for the job. to break it all down, he's got will. >> good morning, will, mona. a little bit normal, but wait until you see some of gaga's outfits. mtv billed it as a live show, and some of it was live, but there was no shortage of jaw-dropping performances, crazy wardrobe changes, and yeah, that's just from gaga herself. the 2020 mtv video music awards going, going -- gaga. ♪ lady gaga stealing the spotlight in the first live-ish awards show since the pandemic began. >> let me change real quick! >> reporter: changing the game literally, performing in a mask winng stf e ye receiving the first-ever tricon award. >> stay safe, speak your mind. i might sound like a broken record, but wear a mask, it's a sign of respect. >> reporter: those masks, a reminder while this awards show felt normal -- miley on a wrecking ball, hello 2013. ♪ you know it's true >> reporter: and the black eyed peas at the vmas for the first time in 17 years -- we're still pretty far from normal. the biggest award of the night, individual i don't have the year, going to the weeknd for "blinding light." >> justice for jacob blake, justice for breonna taylor. >> reporter: the two-plus-hour award show feeling very 2020. the audience a blend of special effects, which twitter loved -- the vma fake audience sounds like the crowd from guitar hero, i can't stop laughing -- and real-life socially distanced superfans. maluma performing at a drive-in. a performance at a safe distance 1,000 feet above manhattan. performers and presenters spread out across new york city and beyond. some pretaped, like bts performing "dynamite" for the first time on tv. ♪ light me up like dynamite >> reporter: some performances live. keke palmer pulling doing and pf ♪ when i'm done you can have it back ♪ >> reporter: dedicating this year's show to the late chadwick boseman. >> we dedicate tonight's show to a man whose spirit touched so many. he's a true hero. not just on screen, but in everything he did. his impact lives forever. >> a touching moment there. it was a big night for gaga, who performed for nearly ten minutes straight, took home five awards. it was a great night for armies across the world. bts taking home four awards, and shout-out t-swift, who became the first solo female to win best director for her video "the man." >> she didn't get the microphone snatched from her. that's one element we miss of live tv. >> thank goodness, yeah. >> lady gaga did give me a lot you sdonning that shiny sier asquestions. comiraic stop meer.e and the car flying. ♪ fitness. it's every class you can imagine, live. welcome back to the mirror. you've got this john. and on demand. it's boxing... cardio... yoga... and more. it's an interactive, goal crushing...whole family...whole body fitness machine. it's so cool! the future of fitness is at home. the mirror. i got this mountain bike for only $11. dealdash.com, the fair and honest bidding site. an ipad worth $505, was sold for less than $24; a playstation 4 for less than $16; and a schultz 4k television for less than $2. i won these bluetooth headphones han $40. andot these three shipping is always free. go to dealdash.com right now and see how much you can save. time now for "the mix." the last time will was here, he told me his friend got engaged, and he was telling me all the details. >> yes, they're still engaged. >> thankfully. and he was telling me all the details, i was gushing about it, i love engagement stories. i'm going to give you guys another one. this happened in manchester township, new jersey. this man helped stage this police stop with these officers because his girlfriend's father is an officer, and he wanted to give her proposal a little twist, a meaningful one. these officers decided that they were going to pull them over because they were investigating something and needed them to step out of the car. they do. she goes, do you have anything in your pockets that we need to know about? there he goes. whips it out. an engagement ring. she is in utter disbelief. how cute is that? >> very. i'm glad everything went well there. happy for them. >> yes. i am too. because -- yeah. but i mean, this is a story that they could tell, it has a special meaning to her as well because of her dad. >> of course. never forget it. and you'll probably never forget going to brazil for any reason, but especially if you already have covid. because now you can go to brazil, a specific island, if you ar tourist who already had the coronavirus. a group of these islands had been closed down. but now they're reopening, but you have to prove that you had the virus. and they have to submit a positive test that's at least 20 days old, or show that you have the antibodies. so i had the virus in february, so i'm going to head out to brazil, and i will see you later. >> that's an interesting way to get a visa. before it used to be providing the right documents, now it's show the right antibodies. very 2020. >> the covid passport, isn't that one thing we've been talking about during this never-ending pandemic? >> that is true, but i don't remember because i don't remember this summer. the jetsons told us by now we have flying cars. that was a sign of the future. in japan they're hoping to make that reality by 2023. check this out. it is a sing-seat car that looks more like a motorcycle, but it has propellers there, and it has flown in these test simulations that they do for at least four minutes. they're hoping to have it available by 2023. now to me this looks a lot -- very similar to the motorcycles that were flying in dubai that they showed us. maybe because it has a little bit more doors? but anyway. >> if they can do as good of a job with that ars they do with their toilets, i am in, sign me up for the first round. as we head to break, check out some dogs frolicking, making the best of a bad situation in the aftermath of hurricane laura. >> i feel like it's a scene from "the lion king." >> down in louisiana having a nice time. scene from this morning on "world news now," the dueling demonstrations in portland, oregon, turning this morning on "world news now," the dueling demonstrations in portland, oregon, turning deadly. a man connected to a right-wing group has died after shots rang out during a confrontation. it comes as wisconsin's governor is asking president trump to cancel his visit to kenosha tomorrow amid unrest in that city. tributes pouring in after the stunning loss of "black panther" actor chadwick boseman. new details on his private struggle and lasting legacy. the frightening moments for a 3-year-old girl who got carried away, literally, at a kite festival. how it happened and how that ir. >>. >> and lady gaga stealing the show. this year's mtv video awards, part on tape, part live. >> how both lady gaga and ariana grande changed the game and amped up the excitement later this half hour in "the skinny." it is monday, august 31st. ♪ rain on me happy last day of august. can you believe it? >> i was just about to say, i cannot believe that august is over, but i can't believe a lot of 2020. so bring on september, rabbit rabbit, let's go. >> exactly. we'll get to that performance, because it was epic. you saw the face masks there. can you also believe tt? nothing is outside the realm. >> that is true, that woman once wore a meat suit and came out of an egg. that is in "the skinny." right now we begin this half hour with the growing divide across the country and the latest round of angry protests taking a deadly turn. >> president trump hurling in portnd, oregon, after a man was shot and killed there over the weekend. that mayor is firing back, accusing the president of fueling the current climate. abc's megan tevrizian has the latest. >> reporter: this morning, new details emerging about the right-wing supporter killed during a weekend of violence in portland, oregon. chilling video from saturday showing the man getting shot. while wearing a "blue lives matter" flag. the gunman then running away. >> we ask anyone with information or video or eyewitness accounts, please come forward ask share that information with our investigators. >> reporter: the shooting came amid dueling presentations between president trump supporters and marchers demanding racial equality. a group called patriot prayer says the victim is a supporter of the group. members describe themselves as right-wing activists who reject white supremacist ideology. the group's founder identifying the victim as aaron jay danielson, calling him a good friend. and president trump retweeting an article with danielson's picture, writing "rest in peace, jay." earlier sunday, president trump sharing video of his supporters driving into portland, calling those in the caravan great patriots. the president also calling portland's mayor, ted wheeler, incompetent. the mayor then blasting trump. >> do you seriously wonder, mr. president, why this is the first time in decades that america has seen this level of violence? it's you who have created the hate and the division. >> reporter: the violence in portland escalating in the wake of the shooting of jacob blake in kenosha, wisconsin, where hundreds took to the streets in mostly peaceful protests this weekend. but wisconsin's governor now asking president trump to reconsider his planned visit tomorrow, concerned it could hinder healing efforts as the city continues to face the fallout after blake, a black man, was shot seven times in the back. trump's visit is scheduled one week after 17-year-old kyle rittenhouse allegedly shot and killed two people during a protest in the aftermath of blake's death. sunday morning the president liking a tweet thread that started with "kyle rittenhouse is a good example of why i decided to vote for trump." rittenhouse's attorneys argue those shootings in the street were in self-defense. >> we believe he incited this violence. >> reporter: blake's family has repeatedly called for peace. his uncle suggests president trump may be partially to blame for the violence. >> i mean, how could they not be feeding on violence when our man in the white house is steady drumming it up? did you think it wouldn't dribble down to the streets? it has. >> reporter: jacob blake's uncle says while his family has not heard from the president yet, he says joe biden has reached out to his family. will, mona? >> megan, thank you for that. breaking overnight, a st. louis police officer has died after being shot during a standoff. 29-year-old tamarris bohannon was with the force for three years. another officer is wounded and is recovering. police say the alleged shooter barricaded himself inside nearly 12 hours after ordering a family to leave at gunpoint. the 43-year-old man was eventually arrested and missouri's governor says eight st. louis officers have been shot since june. former vice president joe biden is returning to the campaign trailheading to the battleground state of pennsylvania after being sidelined by the pandemic. biden will ask voters in pittsburgh, are you safe in donald trump's america? he will accuse the president of fanning the flames of division and letting covid run unchecked, and he promises to offer a vision for a better future. the nation's top intelligence official is under fire over his decision to no longer give congress in-person briefings on election security. the director of national intelligence, john ratcliffe, says the briefings have reed in politically motivated leaks. democrats say the administration is trying to keep lawmakers and americans in the dark about foreign efforts to undermine the election. chadwick boseman is being remembered for his groundbreaking movie career. but for some of his youngest fans, one role stands above the others, king t'challa, a superhero who looks like him. >> reporter: paying tribute to a king. so many grieving the loss of actor chadwick boseman. best known for bringing "black panther" to life, and for the first time, giving millions of kids a superhero who looked like them. his youngest fans honoring their king t'challa, a superhero on screen, and a role model in real life. >> it's not all about being a superhero, it's also about being a good person, and that's why the prince is my favorite. >> reporter: the announcement of bozeman's death detailing his quiet battle with colon cancer liked more than 7 million times, now the most-liked tweet ever. "black panther" director ryan coogler writing, even he was in the dark. i realized that he was living with his illness the entire time i knew him. because he was a caretaker, a leader, a man of faith, dignity, and pride, he shielded his suffering. bozeman's alma mater holding a moment of silence. the school's president calling bozeman a deep thinker who had a deep passion for writing and uplifting his people. he did just that in this 2018 commencement speech. >> i don't know what your future is. but if you're willing to take the harder way, the more complicated one, is one with more failures at first than successes, the one that has ultimately proven to have more meaning, more victory, more glory, then you will not regret it. >> reporter: one tribute touching on the timing of bozeman's death came from actor-producer issa rae saying she didn't know why this one hurt so badly, saying, maybe it's because his grace, class, and kindness is so rare, or maybe it's because we didn't need to see another black man's life cut short. >> janai, thank you for that touching report. days after the deadly hurricane laura, louisiana is facing a grim reality. returning to normal could take months. more than 300,000 still have no electricity, and officials say power and water outages could last for weeks. in lake charles, many are homeless and living in their cars. we're watching several tropical systems. one is southeast of the carolinas and should stay out to sea. another in the caribbean and could become a tropical depression later this week. >> something to keep an eye on. now to a very creative gender reveal by one of baseball's top players. >> atlanta first baseman freddie freeman, wife chelsea, and their 3-year-old son, charlie, made a special instagram video to let the world know the sex of charlie's twin siblings. dad and son hit a couple of t-balls that exploded in blue to reveal baby "a," then the whole family joined in for baby "b," another boy. congratulations. >> boys everywhere. they could field a team of freemans there. also, welcome good news for them, considering that freddie has detailed his very serious battle with coronavirus from earlier in the year. >> i didn't google him, so i can't give you any more. >> i'm a baseball fan, you can come to me. >> i know, i try to outdo you. >> here's an excellent first baseman, seems like an excellent dad as well. >> there you go. i'm just glad that we stopped doing the baby reveals that require lighting a car on fire and trying to see if the flames turn blue or red or pink. >> i've not seen those. >> yeah, they were like super dangerous for a while, so i'm glad it's very simple and on topic. >> how about just going to the doctor, it's a boy! >> exactly, how about that? but this was cute. coming up, the big moment at last night's vmas. first, a little girl swept away by a gust of wind, tangled up in a kite, look at that. where it happened and how it ended safely. plus what's old is new again. how millennials are rediscovering the value of older homes as affordable housing and a way to make profit. we're back with this frightening scene in taiwan. that's a 30-year-old girl caught up in we're back with this frightening scene in taiwan. that's a 30-year-old girl caught up in a kite with strong winds sweeping through a kite festival, the tail of the kite wrapped around her stomach and dragged her several feet in the air. people in the crowd grabbed her, pulled her down to safety. fortunately she's okay and not injured, but a bit shaken up. >> something you have to see to believe. back at home, a growing movement is focusing on snapping up undervalued older homes and restoring them to their former glory, often turning a tidy profit. >> flip or flop, baby. it's a movement that has increasingly been fueled by millennials. let's go! here's abc's dan harris. >> reporter: as the old saying goes, everything old is new again. >> welcome to my home. >> reporter: this is 27-year-old betsy sweeney's dream home, built in 1892 and sold for just $18,500. it's also passion project. >> i was never going to buy new construction. i wanted something that was really impact, had a ton of historic character. even if that meant sacrificing things like walls or floors. >> reporter: betsy is just one of many millennials purchasing old homes all over the country. it's a rising trend as potential home buyers reconsider their work-from-home situation. >> where they live is negotiable. there are so many more options on the table for people now. >> reporter: elizabeth and ethan finkelstein created the popular instagram page, "cheap old houses," in 2016 and have seen a recent surge in interest for these hidden real estate gems. >> this is, think smaller, buy something you can afford, and chip away at it over time. >> hi, come on in! >> reporter: although these historic homes require serious renovation, for betsy, she says that's all part of the charm. >> it's definitely possible to do a lot yourself, it's just a matter of how much time you want to spend doing it. >> our thanks to dan harris. i could see hgtv producers right now coming up with a show just for this concept. >> i mean, yeah. why not? it's a great idea. if you have the ability and the inclination and the time to do it, go for it. great way to make money. real estate is a great asset if you know what you're doing. >> if you know what you're doing, and time. >> i am going to call dan, also follow "cheap old houses" and get going, come back and be a real estate magnate. >> don't forget us little people. >> you can visit. >> make sure there's no extra beings living in there, any casper the friendly ghosts. >> that's a great promotional tool. >> no, i'm out. i'm out. when we come back, the big moments and big surprises at last night's vmas. and the big reveal from sly stallone for fans of "rocky." o , and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three p's. what are the three p's? the three p's of life insurance on a fixed budget are price, price, and price. a price you can afford, a price that can't increase, and a price that fits your budget. i'm 54. alex, what's my price? you can get coverage for $9.95 a month. i'm 65 and take medications. what's my price? also $9.95 a month. i just turned 80. what's my price? $9.95 a month for you too. if you're age 50 to 85, call now about the #1 most popular whole life insurance plan, available through the colonial penn program. it has an affordable rate starting at $9.95 a month. no medical exam, no health questions. your acceptance is guaranteed. and this plan has a guaranteed lifetime rate lock, so your rate can never go up for any reason. so call now for free information. and you'll also get this free beneficiary planner. and it's yours just for calling. so call now. ♪ skinny just gimme the skinny ♪ skinny just gimme the skinny time now for "the skinny." we begin with music's most wild night of the year. the mtv music awards. >> the show was part live, part pretaped, took place at locations all over new york city. the weeknd took off the show 1,000 feet above manhattan at the edge of fireworks serving as his backdrop over the hudson river. he won the biggest award of the night, video of the year for "blinding lights." >> i believe that was pretaped on thursday and that was what everyone was seeing, all those fireworks. >> they also saw pictures of him walking out of the hotel with the bigow, dy ga's nearly fo"raion me," both mrae everal performers in masks. >> maluma performed at a drive-in theater in brooklyn, performing for fans watching. >> and for the first time on tv, bts performed their hit song "dynamite." it was a big night for the boys, who also walked away with trophies for best pop, best k-pop, best group, and best choreography. love that they got best pop too, because they're not just k-pop, they're pop too. >> all right, let it be noted. the show lasted a little over two hours. it was hosted by our friend and colleague, keke palmer. she also delivered a performance of her own, her new single "snack" from brooklyn. keke began the night by dedicating the show to the memory of the late chadwick boseman. a sweet snap of country music's superstar. >> keith urban cozied up to wife nicole kidman on a bench. kidman shared the image on instagram to promote his latest love song. >> urban released "tumbleweed" over the weekend and kidman gushed to her 7 million followers that she would be listening to the song on repeat all weekend. >> the couple is currently holed up in a spanish-style mansion by the sea in new south wales while she films her new tv series," nine perfect strangers." the house is said to cost a perfect $20,000 a week. >> look at us pocket watching. big news for "rocky" fans from rocky himself. >> sylvester stallone has nouned he is in the middle of working on a director's cut for "rocky iv" for the film's 31st anniversary. >> stallone announced on instagram, "so far it looks great, soulful," but he was quick to note a very bizarre '80s gimmick, pauley's robot, will be cut from the movie entirely. >> good to know. finally to the headline from illusionist and stunt master david blaine. >> blaine is offering new details about his latest stunt, sharing the photo of a recent practice run floating 18,000 feet, nearly 3 1/2 miles, carried by 52 helium-filled water balloons. >> weather balloons. water balloons i don't think could fly. >> sorry, trying to look out of the corner of my eye at the video. >> the stunt is called "ascension," of course evocative of the movie "up." this is something everyone's wanted to do. it will stream live this week on youtube, the exact date and time tbd, weather, not water, permitting. >> hey, we should try water balloons, up the stunt. >> it wouldn't go anywhere. >> he hopes to float over the hudson river from new jersey to manhattan, but that plan was scrubbed because of expected high winds. now he'll be doing it over a desert in arizona. should be interesting to see. he once was in a coffin buried underground over water. he just adds so many layers to it. there's never just like, hey, i'm going to, i don't know, be in a closet for two hours. >> he is always pushing the envelope and doing things the rest of us would never even fathom or be able to pull off. >> that's right, he makes great tv, though. coming up, paying tribute to a hollywood star whose light dimmed far too early. >> chadwick boseman, a hero on and off screen. i'm not king of all people, i am king of wakonda. i'm not king of all people, i am king of wakonda. and it is my responsibility to make sure our people are safe and it does not fall into the hands of a person like you. >> that's chadwick boseman in the role that defined his career, "black panther." >> director ryan coogler penned an emotional tribute to the actor, calling him a man of faith, dignity and pride. >> bozeman died friday at age 43 after a battle with colon cancer. amid so many touching tributes we leave you this half hour with the words of the hero himself. >> wakonda forever! >> i stand here today knowing that my howard university education prepared me to play jackie robinson. james brown. thurgood marshall. and that challenge la. >> tell me how to best protect wakonda. i ought to be a great king, baba. >> we knew that we had something special that exemplified a world that we wanted to see. >> i want a player who's got the guts not to fight back. >> you give me a uniform. you give me a -- a number on my back. i'll give you the guts. >> sometimes you need to get knocked down before you can really figure out what your fight is. >> thurgood marshall with the naacp. we are not like most lawyers. we only represent innocent people. people accused because of their race. that's our mission. >> but if you're willing to take the harder way, the more complicated one, the one with more failures at first than successes. ♪ the one that has ultimately proven to have more meaning, more victory, more glory, then you will not regret it. >> earlier we mentioned that tweet that announced that he passed has become the most-liked tweet ever. his impact will be felt for generations, and his life will be a true testament of what it's like to live your purpose. because i believe he truly did. >> at most, in a generation there's a handful of entertainers who transcend what they do to entertain us. and end up inspiring us. chadwick boseman absolutely at the top of the list for his generation. >> he will be missed. and we even heard from issa rae, who said that this one hurt more. you could see that from his colleagues. he was just 43 years old. and i think people knew that he was going to have a long career. but he left a lasting legacy. >> have a great monday. right now on "america this morning," unrest in america. leading to new violence in portland. a deadly weekend amid dueling demonstrations. new details about the shooting of a right wing activist as portland's mayor takes on president trump. what the president is saying now about the violence in the streets. growing concern on college campuses. schools from coast to coast announce new action to fight a surge in coronavirus cases as a new study finds most people may not be as contagious as we feared. our medical expert weighs in. plus, a milestone day as the u.s. open tennis tournament begins. one player already testing positive. remembering a king. >> wakanda forever.