President trump fires back. He was an incompetent president. And new questions this morning about trumps firing of the state Department Inspector general. Was he investigating allegations against mike pompeo, including a staffer ordered to walk his dog . Tropical storm warning. Arthur, the first named storm of the 2020 Hurricane Season heading towards the North Carolina coast. Were tracking the latest. Road to recovery. The emotional meeting. Our reporter who recovered from covid19 surprises the patient who received her plasma donation. And now your sixtime world championhicaulls repeat threepeat. When phil said it was the last dance, it was the last dance. The showstopping finale, revealing the truth behind Michael Jordans famous flu game, the drama with dennis, and who really broke up the fab fours dynasty. We could have won seven. Jordans kids join us live on growing up with the greatest of all time as a dad. And the show must go on. American idol crowning a champion. Thank you so much, america. I would have never, ever expected this. The winner, just sam, and the runnerup joining us live. Plus superstar katy perry with not one but two huge surprises only on gma. Good morning, america. Two showstopping finales last night for the last dance and American Idol. Robin, i was sad to see them both end. Okay, i can see it in your eyes, michael. You stayed up late just like i did. You stayed up late watching. I did. It was totally worth it. Couldnt help it, couldnt help it, going back and forth. But im so glad i saw those idol judges, katy perry, Lionel Richie, luke bryan, the way they came together with the final contestants and idol alumni. What a spectacular performance. We are the world, that was a moment, george. It certainly was, robin. Lovely to see that. As so much of america opened this weekend, crowds headed outside to beaches and parks. At least 49 states have lifted some restrictions as the number of coronavirus cases across the United States approaches 1. 5 million. The number of deaths is nearing 90,000. We begin our coverage with the big debate coast to coast on how to quickly reopen as new hot spots pop up across the country. One of them in texas. Marcus moore starts us off from dallas with the latest. Good morning, marcus. Reporter michael, good morning. Here in texas covid19 is not easing its grip in some parts of the state. As they have increased testing, the number of positive cases seems to have spiked in some areas as this state and others look to reopen. This morning, with nearly every state in the nation relaxing at least some restrictions, the u. S. Reaching a grim milestone. 1. 5 milln cases cdeath to nng0. This weekend, thousands flocking to newly opened beaches in los is now against the rules. I think people are being pretty respectful. Reporter boardwalks packed in new jersey. Nail salons in new orleans using plastic barriers. One restaurant in maryland even using inflatable doughnuts to keep patrons away from servers. This restaurant in cincinnati packed. Near orlando, florida, seven people arrested after a chaos at a block party. Deputies say they were hit with glass bottles. All as americas favorite past times show signs of awakening. Sunday the green flag waving. Nascar returning for the first time in ten weeks but without spectators in the stands. Drivers having their temperatures taken on the way to the track. Golfers back on the course as well. Pros carrying their own bags, no caddies. President trump calling in to the pga charity event. We want to get sports back. We miss sports. We need sports in terms of the psyche, the psyche of our country. Reporter in hardhit new york city, parks using designated seating circles and officers Walking Around with banners to make sure sun bathe have six feet of distance between them. Hospitalizations slowing in the city. On friday, only 77 new patients entered hospitals with covid symptoms, down from a high of nearly 1,700 at the end of march. And as tests become more readily available, the states governor, andrew cuomo, encouraging anyone with symptoms to get a test to help with tracing, even getting one himself on camera. Thats it. Nothing else . Reporter and finger pointing in washington. White house adviser Peter Navarro blaming the cdc for the countrys initial lag in testing. Early on in this crisis, the cdc which really had the most trusted brand around the world in this space really let the country down with the testing. Reporter now, as the u. S. Opens, eight states still seeing an increase in the number of new cases, including texas which reported its highest daily rate on saturday with 1,800 new cases, many of them from meat packing plants. Were going through 110 gallons of sanitizer a week. Reporter food packing plants nationwide hot spots, along with correctional facilities and Nursing Homes which have accounted for onethird of u. S. Deaths. Back here in texas, gyms and Office Buildings will reopen today, up to 25 capacity. The governor is expected to hold a News Conference later today to make additional announcements, robin, as they work to control this outbreak. Many are. Okay, marcus, thank you. For more now lets bring in abc news contributor and former white House Homeland Security adviser, tom bossert. Tom, always good to have you with us and dont have to tell you about this debate thats raging, whether or not its too soon to reopen. What will be the indication whether or not thats the case . Good morning, robin. You know, unfortunately its a debate as if theres only two answers, and the real answer is that were going to have to start planning to toggle between mitigation and suppression. So were heading out of the suppression phase now, the one thats more effective, and were accepting some Community Transmission as a result of this crushing blow to our economy. The sign is going to be like it was in the beginning, outbreak numbers going from small flareups to larger trends in any community. Its not going to result this time though in a whole nationwide blanket shutdown. This time it should be city by city looking for cases that arent contained in Nursing Homes or small areas. Many people are encouraged because in many areas we are seeing a down trend with the numbers, which again, is quite encouraging, and the testing, testing, where do we stand with that now, tom . Yeah, its encouraging and its also planned in this approach. And so what you want to do is be happy but controlled or, you know, a little bit modulated in our optimism because now this return out of social distancing, its a little bit different, right, robin . So its not less important to stay away from people. Testing is a problem. We dont have enough of it, but the testing standard is better now. So now anybody who wants a test or would even not feel sick should be able to get that test before they go into certain areas, congregate areas. We dont have enough of them yet. We dont have enough of them for the surveillance effect to take place, but i think were going to see it result in a summer of low cases and then a fall of a return. What are you hearing with the doctors . Are their tests available . Governor cuomo are saying there are people that should be tested and theyre not. Theres not enough tests to spread out into the entire community to start this Surveillance Program looking for new flareups. A lot of people are returning to meat packing plant. They need to be tested as they go into work daye nr for when foreed r well turn to breaking dr. Ashton joins us. Good morning, jen. Some positive news from one of the Companies Working to produce a vaccine. Miderna reported good safety data in phase one Clinical Trials and safety and efficacy in phase two. Theyre set for phase three trials in july. Its important to remember phase one very small, looking at safety. Phase two is a little larger to look at safety and efficacy. Reaccepters will be focussed on longterm safety. Theyre concerned about an enhanced immune response which has been seen with other coronaviruses in Animal Studies where they get a negative reaction instead of positive. Were looking at land speed record, 12 months since this started, and that was february. George . To the white house now where President Trump is clashing with former president obama. After a week of trump tweets attacking obama, the former president leveled notsoveiled criticism of how the Trump Administration has handled the pandemic in a pair of commencement addresses. Cecilia vega is in washington with the details. Were seeing some hints of how big a role obama will play in the biden campaign. Reporter yes, george. Good morning to you. The former president has rarely weighed in since leaving office but now that hes formally endorsed joe biden we can expect to hear a lot more from him. Speaking to College Graduates in a pair of commencement addresses, obama blasted the Trump Administrations handling of the coronavirus pandemic. More than anything this pandemic has torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what theyre doing. A lot arent even pretending to be in charge. Reporter the former president stepping off the sidelines to deliver an implied swipe at his successor, never once mentioning his name. Doing what feels good, whats convenient, easy, thats how little kids think. Unfortunately, a lot of socalled grownups, including some with fancy titles and important jobs, still think that way which is why things are so screwed up. Reporter President Trump quick to fire right back. I didnt hear it. Look, he was an incompetent president. Thats all i can say, grossly incompetent. Reporter in recent days both sides ramping up the attacks. Former president obama blasted the Trump Administration in a leaked call with former staffers. It has been an absolute chaotic disaster. Reporter and President Trump is back to pushing his unfounded claims that president obama was behind the russia investigation in an attempt to bring down his presidency, tweeting last week about the impeachment, russia and socalled obamagate more than 160 times. Now, sources tell abc that former president obama plans to weigh in more than he has been in the past and were told he will not be pulling any punches along the lines of what we heard in that leaked phone call but his message is likely to be centered around what you saw in a recent tweet, george, just one word. It said vote. That is his core message. Meantime, cecelia, we also learned late friday night that President Trump has fired the state Department Inspector general. Thats the fourth Inspector General hes moved to firing in just the last few weeks. Reporter and democrats, george, are already launching an investigation into this latest one. The white house ousting that state Department Inspector general, the president saying he no longer had confidence in him. We dont know exactly why he was fired but a source tells us that this ig was investigating whether secretary of state mike pompeo was using state Department Employees to run personal errands like walking his dog, picking up dry cleaning and making dinner reservations for him and his wife. The new ig is a Career Foreign Service officer with close ties to the Vice President , george. Theyre supposed to bring in independent oversight. Okay, cecelia, thank you so much. Robin . All right, george. Now we move on to the dire warning from the fed chairman about the economy saying that the recovery could take longer, could take until the end of 2021 in fact. Rebecca jarvis joins us now with the latest on that. Good morning, rebecca. Reporter good morning to you, robin. Thats right, fed chair powell called this the biggest shock in living memory to the economy and said he doesnt believe that the economy will fully recover from the lockdowns until the end of 2021. If you look at unemployment today, it is 14. 7 as of april. 20 million americans out of work, and he believes those numbers will continue to climb in the coming months, potentially as high as 25 . He believes that as the economy comes back and as the reopenings occur, people without a vaccine still wont be able to do things like go to major sporting events, concerts, even big conferences. These are all important aspects of the economy. George . Okay, rebecca, thanks very much. Now to Tropical Storm arthur threatening parts of the east coast this morning with high surf and rip currents, as tornados and flash floods slam other parts of the country over the weekend. Ginger has the latest on that. Good morning, ginger. Reporter good morning, george. Six years in a row now we have had a named storm before Hurricane Season even started. So ill get to arthur in a moment. But can we start in chicago where you probably felt like you were in a Tropical Storm the last week. You had daily record rainfalls from milwaukee to muskegon to lake michelle where you had those high water rescues and tornados from Central Illinois to louisiana. There are Tropical Storm warnings in place, so newburg this morning getting slammed with the heavy rain all the way up the outer banks. The good news, the center of it at least, is going to be moving off the coast so you will end up seeing not the center of the low, so not the winds, those 45 mile per hour sustained gusts but the moisture will hang for a bit. Ill get to that in a bit, michael. Thank you, ginger. This morning we are celebrating the life of fred willard who passed away over the weekend. We watched him playing those unique characters in modern family and anchorman. Chris connelly has more. Good morning, chris. Reporter good morning, michael. Yeah, the characters fred willard played always seemed to know what they were doing but they did not, and that made a lot of people laugh for a long time. From modern family everybody warned me this would happen. Reporter to will ferrells smash anchorman im ron burgundy . Who typed a question mark on the teleprompter . For the last time any time you put on that prompter, burgundy will read. Reporter one of the greatest comic actors around, beloved by his peers in tv and film. Steve carell, fred willard was the funniest person ive ever worked with. Billy crystal, he had great wit, elegant timing and a gentle spirit. His career defining work will be in the documentaries of Christopher Guest as a small time amateur actor. Midnight at the oasis he was a small town actor in waiting for guffman. And as a tv host on Mayflower Kennel Club dog show in best in show. Why didnt we put on one of those Sherlock Holmes hats and a pipe in his mouth . Reporter willard would see his career transformed in the 80s by a request to appear in rob reiners this is spinal tap. This wouldnt past muster, although i shouldnt talk. My hair is getting shaggy too. Better not get too close to you, theyll think im part of the band. Reporter fred willard died friday at the age 86. His final work would be with jimmy kimmel. You could always hear our staff and crew laughing loudly when fred willard was in the building, kimmel said. It was an honor to work with him. Well miss him very much. One final farewell from steve martin. Rest in peace, fred. You were always my comic hero. No greater tribute, michael. That is right, chris. Memorable roles always make you laugh. Thank you so much. Wonderful man. We have a lot more coming up this morning including an emotional meeting between our reporter you see right there, kaley hartung, who recovered from covid19. She surprised the patient who received her plasma donation. And that blockbuster finale for the last dance. Michael jordans kids are going to join us live and well hear what it was like having the g. O. A. T. As their dad. First lets go back to ginger. Reporter good morning, michael. Three to six inches of rain just over the weekend surrounding the great lakes. Look milwaukee, wisconsin. Theyve been some of those daily records were following there. The flash flooding that you have when this type of thing happens, and unfortunately this type of rain and that stuck low with the moisture kind of wrapping from kentucky down through North Carolina and virginia, were going to end up with three to even five inches of rain as this system stalls out. Ill have so much more coming up but your local weather is in 30 seconds and first weve got the select cities sponsored by unilever. Im abc 7 news meteorologist drew tuma with your Weather Forecast today. Well track scattered showers with a light level 1 storm. Temperatures only in the mid to upper 60s, so certainly cool for this time of the year. Overnight tonight, we keep the chance of an isolated shower in the forecast, mainly cloudy skies. Well dip into the mid40s in our coolest spots, low 50s around the bay shorelines. Heres the accuweather sevenday forecast, once this weather is out of here tomorrow morning, it coming up, we are teaming up with superstar katy perry for two big surprises. E noin sing. Rry, george and i you dont want to miss the surprises, trust are you sure, michael . George, you can sing if you want. Im not trying to keep up with katy perry. Her new hit daisies is out right now and were going to talk to her in just a minute. Well be right back. In the healthcare community, working to care for all of us. At novartis, we promise to do our part. As always, were doing everything we c