Distancing. Tha. Or threatonight. And in new york city, poce now stopping out of state drivers at neof up 10,0or those warning of violating quarantine. The race for the white house and joe biden facing a backlash for appearing to suggest in an interview that most africanamericans are uniform in their views. President trump seizing on the comment. What the Biden Campaign is saying tonight. The massive power outage. More than a million customers still in the dark. Three days after the deadly storm made landfall. In new jersey, the biggest blackout since superstorm sandy. Power crews called in from as far as canada and florida. Roads washed away. Some residents completely cut off. Surviving the blast. The miraculous stories. How that bride taking her wedding photos escaped death. A woman giving birth when the explosion tore through the maternity ward. And tonight, the desperate search for the missing. The arrest nearly 50 years in the making. A cop shot by a suspect as he escaped jail, never giving up on his hunt for justice. How he helped track down the fugitive after 46 years on the tonight, the reunion. Goning, and thanks for joining us on a busy thursday night. sur death toll in america and President Trump contradicting virtually every Health Official in his administration, saying hes optimistic a vaccine may be ready by election day. New numbers as we come on the air. The u. S. With more than 159,000 lives lost. An additional 2,000 reported since this time last night. The White House Task force warning positive tests are increasing in nine cities and californias central valley. Dr. Anthony fauci calling it a predictor of trouble ahead. The president , without citing evidence, timing a possible vaccine to november 3rd, saying, quote, it wouldnt hurt his election chances. Ine at the forefront of the battle against the virus now testing positive, moments before he was supposed to welcome President Trump at the airport in cleveland today. And as more districts prepare to start the new school year, teachers in michigan today protesting against returning to the classroom. The president again insisting students should be in school, downplaying the viruss effect on them, saying, quote, very Young Children are incredibly powerful. Abc lead us off. Reporter as the president was landing in ohio today, one of the first people he was hoping to meet, governor mike dewine, was sharing that he had just tested positive for covid19. I just said, i look forward to seeing the governor, they said, sir, he just tested positive. But hes a great guy, hes done a fantastic job. Reporter anyone meeting with the president has to be tested and thats how governor dewine learned his diagnosis. The republican, who closed bars and restaurants long before many of his peers in other states, is highly popular at home and says he has no symptoms. And when i got to the airport i found out, shortly thereafter, that i had tested positive. Reporter President Trump, who wore a mask as he toured a an appliance factory, is hopeful that a vaccine could be ready by election day. Im optimistic that it will be probably around that date. I believe well have the vaccine before the end of the year, certainly, but around that date, yes. I think so. Will that help you in the election . It wouldnt hurt. It wouldnt hurt. But im not im doing it not for the election. I want it fast because i want to save a lot of lives. Reporter but many of his own scientists think it will be later. My projection, which is only a projection, is that somewhere towards the end of the year, the beginning of 2021, we will know whether we have a safe and effective vaccine. Reporter theres hope in some of the numbers. New cases in 11 states are decreasing. But the number of people dying is still alarming. More than 158,000 americans, and more than 2,000 reported in the last 24 hours. Tonight, the White House Task force is warning authorities in nine cities and the cent theyre at risk for a jump in cases. I give it two weeks and someone that didnt have to die. Reporter many teachers across the country are scared and in the streets, trying to talk their schools out of inperson instruction. The stress. The fear. Reporter these pictures all over the internet of crowded hallways from a school in paulding county, georgia, arent helping ease concerns. The mother of the student who recorded them says her child has been suspended. A principal was heard on the schools p. A. Discouraging students from sharing these photos. There will be consequences for both students or anyone who sends out those pictures. Please be careful. Reporter the consequences of getting sick were incredibly painful for the riches family in florida. Their grandmother and her two sons died in one week and had to die alone. I just hope that when he passed away i just hope that when he passed away, he was able to build his stairs to heaven. Finding some grace during this very painful time. Steve osunsami joins us now from atlanta, and steve, a new model out from the university of washington is now predicting nearly double where we are right now, 300,000 deaths by the end of the year . Reporter thats right, tom. And thats a model the administration follows, and that model also predicts that if everyone in america walked out of their homes and wore a mask, that we would save about 66,000 lives. Here at this high school behind me, the School System is approaching things cautiously. Students here will remote learn. Tom . Steve osunsami with that big new prediction out tonight. Steve, thank you. Americas two largest cities tonight launching crackdowns, hoping to contain the virus. New york city setting up random checkpoints at bridges, tunnels and train stations to track visitors from 34 high risk states. The city says onefifth of new cases here are coming from outside new york. Los angeles threatening to pull the plug on homes hosting huge parties. Heres abcs gio benitez. Reporter americas two largest cities tonight cracking down to prevent any additional covid19 spread. Los Angeles Police shutting down this wedding wednesday night and targeting house parties like this one. Hundreds of revelers, few masks and no social distancing in sight. And starting tomorrow, theyre cutting off utilities. By turning off that power, shutting down that water, we feel we can close these places down. Reporter and new york city, setting up random quarantine checkpoints, stopping cars at key entry sites including here on staten island. Even warning travelers at penn station. It has to become clear that this is Serious Business and it comes with consequences. Reporter travelers entering new york from 34 states plus puerto rico must quarantine for 14 days. And new york city Officials Say theyve already stopped 50 cars with 100 compliance, but violators may face some big fines. Were talking about up to 10,000, tom. 10,000. All right, gio, than that. Now, to the race for 2020. Joe biden facing backlash for appearing to suggest most africanamericans are uniform in their views. President trump seizing on that comment, turning it into a new attack. The Biden Campaign responding late today. Heres abcs mary bruce. Reporter it was a chance for joe biden to further his ties with the black and hispanic communities. But in a discussion over immigration, the former Vice President seemed to suggest the black community lacks diversity of thought. What you all know but most people dont know, unlike the Africanamerican Community with notable exceptions, the Latino Community is an incredibly Diverse Community with erent th. Reporter the president pounced. Joe biden this morning totally disparaged and insulted the black community. What he said is incredible and i dont know whats going on with him. Reporter bidens campaign insists he was not suggesting the black community is a monolith, but rather was referring to diversity of attitudes among latinos when it comes to immigration. Late today, biden tried to clarify. We can build a new administration that reflects the full diversity of our nation. The full diversity of latino communities. Now when i mean full diversity, unlike the Africanamerican Community and many other communities, youre from everywhere. From europe, from the tip of south america, all the way to our border and mexico, and in the caribbean. Reporter the president has a long history of racially charged and divisive remarks. Trump recently tweeting a video of a man shouting the racist phrase white power, and calling black lives matter a, quote, symbol of hate. Okay, the president today also unleashing a new line of attack, mary, on joe biden, going after his religion . Reporter tom, the president said that biden, a devout catholic, is, quote, against god. Bidens team was quick to slam that as hypocritical, saying, quote, bidens faith is at the core of who he is, hes lived it with dignity his entire life. Tom . Mary bruce with the back and forth from the campaign trail tonight. Mary, thank you. Now, to a major legal showdown. New york state suing to break up the nra. The state attorney general filing a lawsuit against the powerful gun rights lobbying group. Heres abcs Senior National correspondent terry moran. Reporter a stunning announcement new York State Attorney general Letitia James declaring that the evidence of alleged wrongdoing at the nra that her office has uncovered shows that the powerhouse Gun Rights Group must be put out of business for good. The nra diverted millions and millions of dollars away from its Charitable Mission for personal use by senior leadership. We are seeking an order to dissolve the nra in its entirety. Reporter nra Ceo Wayne Lapierre stands accused in todays filings of misusing nra charitable donations to support a lavish lifestyle, including numerous private jet flights for himself and his family. Membership fees at golf clubs. And a half Million Dollars worth of vacations in the bahamas. Three other current and former executives of the nra were also named in the suit. The nra has countersued the new York Attorney general and is out with a blistering statement, calling her lawsuit a premeditated attack on our organization and the second amendment. And Wayne Lapierre with his own statement, saying, were ready for the fight, bring it on. Tom . Terry, thank you for that. And Important News tonight about american jobs. Roughly 1. 2 Million People filing unemployment claims last week. The u. S. Losing more than 1 million jobs a week for the last 20 weeks. Talks of a new stimulus package at a stalemate. Democrats demanding Congress Restore full expanded jobless benefits including that 600 federal supplement. President trump weighing possible executive actions if theres no deal after tomorrow. And overseas tonight, new images from the devastating explosion that killed at least 137 people in beirut. 16 port workers arrested in connection with the blast and were now hearing remarkable stories of survival. Heres abcs senior Foreign Correspondent ian pannell. Reporter tonight, as the search goes on for the missing and the dead, incredible stories of survival and sacrifice in beirut. This video, taken of a woman in labor. The explosion tearing through the hospital. Just blocks away from the blast site. Delivering the boy in the dark amid the broken glass and debris. And this is baby george. Its a miracle hes alive. Others had miraculous escapes, too. Dr. Isra al seblani from detroit had gone to beirut to get married, but this is how her wedding day ended, running for her life. I started to notice that color of the sky, which changed from blue into pink and after that, when i hear the explosion. Reporter today, returning to where she was taking those wedding photos. Luckily, she was not at her hotel, which was heavily damaged. But so many did not live to tell their stories. Sahar fares, a young firefighter, was at the scene of the blast, one of the first to respond. The rest of her team, still missing. Her fiance posting on instagram, my beautiful bride. I will always love you until we are back together. So, 16 people from the port now arrested, but now that we know that there were warning letters that were ignored and given the public mood in lebanon, theres going to be real pressure on investigators to push their investigation far higher than just a group of local officials. Tom . Still so many questions on this. All right, ian, thank you for that. Back here at home and frustration building for more without power along the east coast. Utility crews racing to repair the damage caused by isaias. Families told they may not be back online until next week, in this summer heat. Heres abcs Adrienne Bankert. Reporter three full days after isaias made landfall in continue to struggle. In calvert county, maryland, families cut off after their road washed away, using a basket to send medical supplies to someone whos diabetic. In the northeast, neighborhoods are still a mess and patience is running thin. They keep saying tomorrow, tomorrow, and every day we check and its tomorrow again. We have Senior Centers that are out with power. All the live wires are down and theres nobody coming to he. Reporter new yorks National Guard helping direct traffic. Crews from as far away as canada and florida now joining the war to restore power. Many wondering how the biggest blackout since Hurricane Sandy could happen with a Tropical Storm like isaias. The trees have been the same, the wires have been the same, they should have prepared for this. All right, Adrienne Bankert joins us live now from new jersey. Adrienne, we see the problem there right behind you, and theres more trouble on the way . Reporter yes, thats right, tom. Residents here tell us theyve been told they may not get power restored until early next week. And it could be a double whammy for some, with thunderstorms forecast for the midatlantic and northeast through saturday. Tom . Adrienne, thank you. Next tonight, a 46year manhunt coming to an end in new mexico. Threstina futive officer. The former officer he shot helping to track him down. Heres abcs clayton sandell. Reporter tonight, luis archuleta, a fugitive decades on the run, is back in custody, thanks to an excop who never quit. I made him a project. I mean, ive been tracking this guy for 46 years. Reporter in 1971, Daril Cinquanta was a he spots archuleta, who had recently escaped from a prison camp. Archuleta pulls a gun. He leveled that gun and shot me. Back then, we didnt have bulletproof vests. We didnt have radios that came out of the car. So i had to crawl to the car, get in and call for help. Reporter archuleta was eventually caught, but escaped again. Confidential sourc this person says, im going to tell you where your guy is. Reporter cinquanta alerted the fbi and police and yesterday, archuleta, now 77, was arrested at a home in new mexico. Its very satisfying that i got him and i got bragging rights that i did get him. Reporter cinquanta says he never gave up because he took getting shot personally. Tom . Makes a lot of sense. All right, clayton, thank you for that. When we come back, the deadline for nfl players to opt out of the Upcoming Season. How many players will sit out the season over covid19 concerns . And Michelle Obama opening up about her own struggles with Mental Health during this pandemic. What she said. Stay with us. Whove got their eczema under control. With less eczema, you can show more skin. So roll up those sleeves. And help heal your skin from within with dupixent. Dupixent is the first treatment of its kind that continuously treats moderatetosevere eczema, or atopic dermatitis, even between flare ups. Dupixent is a biologic, and not a cream or steroid. Many people taking dupixent saw clear or almost clear skin, and, had significantly less itch. Dont use if youre allergic to dupixent. Serious allergic reactions can occur, including anaphylaxis, which is severe. 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All day strong. Todays deadline has passed for nfl players to opt out of the Upcoming Season over covid19 concerns. 66 players have chosen to sit out this year. The new England Patriots hardest hit with eight players opting out. The nfl season is currently scheduled to begin on september 10th. And when we come back, the incredible video. Lightning striking just feet from a houston homeowner. Well show it to you. What hes saying tonight. Peoplen inflammatory conditions. Because there are options. Like an unjection™. Xeljanz. The first and only pill of its kind that treats moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, or moderate to Severe Ulcerative Colitis when other medicines have not helped enough. Xeljanz can lower your ability to fight infections. Before and during treatment, your doctor should check for infections, like tb and do blood tests. Tell your doctor if youve had hepatitis b or c, have flulike symptoms, or are prone to infections. 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I know that i am dealing with some form of lowgrade depression, not just because of the quarantine, but because of the racial strife and just seeing this administration, watching the hypocrisy of it, day in and day out, is dispiriting. The former first lady sharing those comments on her new podcast. She said working out and sticking to a routine have helped. A study by the Kaiser Family foundation found more than half of americans say the pandemic has negatively impacted their Mental Health. A houston homeowner lucky to be alive after this frightening moment. Take a look. You saw it right there. A lightning bolt striking a 50foot pine just feet from where he was standing. He says he will be okay but he can still, quote, feel it in his bones. All right, when we come back, the dog who darted into a wildfire. How he was rescued and what happened next. Stay with us. And take. It. On. With rinvoq. Rinvoq a oncedaily pill. Can dramatically improve symptoms. 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It provides exceptional cellular protection from burning uvb rays and aging uva rays. Save 25 at neutrogena. Com. Im ama daetz, next at 6 00, local kids head to camp. A program to manage distance learning. Paying it forward. A finally tonight, america strong. The lucky dog back where he belongs. Tonight, the apple fire has burned more than 28,000 acres outside of los angeles. Thousands of firefighters battling the blaze for five days now. Trying to save homes and lives. Including greg skiens. Greg took these photos as the wildfire was closing in on his home. There was one big orange flame all the way around the house. And i thought we were going to die. Reporter flames reaching right up to gregs deck. Firefighters stood their ground as greg watched. They saved his home. But in the middle of all of this, gregs dog, a blue heeler named buck, took off into the hills and greg feared for the worst. Chasing a coyote three times his size. Reporr but tee painful days later, Orange County firefighters found a dog, lost, alone, but okay. It was buck. They carried him down, got him food and water and got him into a shelter. Local authorities worked to find bucks home and this moment. Buck and greg reunited. Is this your bucky boy . How you doing, bucky boy . Thats buck . Yeah, it is. Thats your buck . Oh. Reporter buck so excited to be back by gregs side. I think he missed you. Yeah. Aw its okay. Good boy. Reporter buck now back on his porch tonight and the Orange CountyFire Department telling us those firefighters who rescued him are already back out on the front lines. Greg telling us, hes grateful for them. And so are we. Happy buck is back home. Thank you so much for watching, im tom llamas. Stay safe. Good night. A little more than 6,000 new patients. The number deaths is above average. 166 people died from coronavirus in the past day. Numbers like the ones we just show you are what determine if a county is on the states watch list. Every county in the bay area is on the list which means without a waiver, kids arent allowed to go to school in person. Today we spoke with abc news special correspondent patel about the risk children face