Riding. As big papi reveals he had the virus. Man, this is no joke. Will his warning sink in . Bracing for beta. The slowmoving Tropical Storm on the way to texas already churning up waters. Up to 15 inches of rain and strong winds expected. Plus, look at this. Caught on camera. This incredible smokenado. The bobcat fires fury intensifying. Tiktok deal . President trump okaying a possible agreement just hours before the app was to be banned for download in the u. S. Two Companies Joining forces to make it happen. And emmy night is here. No red carpet, no audience, no problem. How the show will be different this year, but with plenty of star power. Things are going to be quite different. As the Creative Arts emmys are handed out overnight with the historymaking moment. Good morning. Definitely not a slow end of summer sunday. So much news happening. Coronavirus deaths in the u. S. Just short of 200,000 this morning. The number of cases rising in 19 states, plus washington, d. C. And puerto rico as schools struggle with those outbreaks and quarantines. Were also live on the gulf coast tracking beta, the latest storm to threaten that part of the country. Texas looks to be the target here, but exactly when and where, well get the latest from rob coming up. But we begin here with ruth Bader Ginsburg. The political battle now over replacing her on the Supreme Court and what it means for the president ial campaign. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered state landmarks to be lit in blue in honor of her. Time magazine releasing a special commemorative cover featuring the late justice, and overnight this vigil where senator Elizabeth Warren led the crowd in a chant of i will fight to support ginsburgs stances on dreamers and affordable care. Abcs rachel scott is joining us now from outside the Supreme Court in washington, d. C. With the very latest. Rachel, good morning. Reporter whit, good morning. There is a sense of grief and anticipation playing out here in washington. Outside the Supreme Court, a growing memorial as so many grapple with the loss of ruth Bader Ginsburg. The president , though, is pressing forward announcing he will nominate a woman in the coming days to fill her seat. Overnight, hundreds flooding the Supreme Court to honor ruth Bader Ginsburg. Ruth Bader Ginsburg is one of my heroes. Reporter a moment of silence in the shadow of the u. S. Capitol where a fierce political battle over her replacement is heating up. Less than 45 days out from election day, President Trump racing forward urging se republicans to f seat withoould g reporter weve learned Senate Majority leader Mitch Mcconnell has already spoken to the president about the next steps, promising his nominee will receive a vote on the senate floor. And the president is now narrowing down his choices telling his supporters in North Carolina he will nominate a woman. I will be putting forth the nominee next week. It will be a woman. [ cheers and applause ] reporter sources tell us three female judges are on his short list with conservative judge Amy Coney Barrett emerging as an early frontrunner. In 2017 the devout catholic was pressed by democrats about her stance on roe v. Wade during her confirmation hearing to serve on the conservative bench. The dogma lives loudly within you, and thats of concern. Its never appropriate for a judge to impose that judges personal convictions whether they derive from faith or anywhere else on the law. Reporter not every republican is on board with that speedy timeline. One of them, senator susan collins. In a statement she said, i do not believe the senate should vote on the nominee prior to the election. Democrats agree. Let me be clear that the voters should pick the president and the president should pick the justice for the senate to consider. Reporter republicans can only afford to lose three votes, and a small group of moderate and vulnerable senators could split from their party to stop it. Now we have some senators that, you know, forget it. Think of it. I wont say it. I wont say it, susan. I wont say it, susan. Reporter a day of mourning quickly turned political. Less than 24 hours after ginsburgs death. Spotlighting the divide in america. I think us being here sends a message not just to honor her, but to really send a message to the gop saying, you know, we are here as people to stand with her. Reporter protesters lining the streets outside of mcconnells home demanding the senate vote be delayed. The vacancy injecting a new sense of urgency into an already chaotic and divisive election year. Republicans will now have to figure out if they have enough votes in the senate to confirm that nominee by election day. But it would have to move at a rapid pace. On average, it takes about 70 days for a nomination to get through the senate, and we are less than 45 days out from election day. Eva . Rachel scott for us there at the Supreme Court. Now to how ginsburgs death may affect the president ial race. A poll last month suggested most people on both sides consider Court Appointments to be very important, and many people are starting to take advantage of early voting and mailin ballots. Abcs Andrew Dymburt joins us with more from alexandria, virginia. Reporter good morning, eva. Even as Election Officials prep for a surge in mailin ballots, we are still seeing voters flock to the polls to vote early and vote in person. Scores of voters braving long lines and coronavirus concerns t weekend with early voting under way in at least four states. We have too much that were fighting for to keep our liberties, to keep our safety, and to leave a legacy thats going to be good for our children. Reporter some feeling inspired to get out early after the death of iconic Supreme Court justice ruth Bader Ginsburg. Its sort of, you know, the exclamation point at the end of the sentence rather than the primary reason but definitely a bit of a factor, yeah. Reporter with covid19 still raging in parts of the country, many voters looking to cast their ballots, but skip the inperson crowds. Election os are bracing for an unprecedented wave of mailin ballots and problems have already begun in some parts of the country. I was furious that my ballot wasnt counted. Reporter in miami beach, a voters ballot was returned. Miamidade county elections say the error was an anomaly. In new mexico, a major mixup with absentee ballot request forms leads to more than 14,000 ballots with incorrect names. These requests for an absentee ballot were made to our address with our last name with obviously fictitious first names. Reporter a spokesperson for calling it an unfortunate mishap that was caught early. The president continuing his antimailin voting crusade. This is going to be the scam of all time. Reporter washingtons republican secretary of state accusing trump of politicizing the process. So to suggest that this is somehow some sort of scam by one or the other Political Parties is just not valid on its face. Reporter and in minnesota, Election Officials there say theyre already shattering records for absentee ballots. So far, the state has already received over 1 million requests. Dan . Andrew dymburt in virginia. Thank you. So much to talk about this morning, so lets bring in our chief anchor George Stephanopoulos. Hell be hosting this week later this morning. Good morning, sir. Good morning. You like to think strategically. Do you have a sense of which party or which candidate the Supreme Court vacancy could aid . Boy, its just so hard to know. Were in completely uncharted territory right now. Traditionally it hasnt been a huge voting issue at a president ial election. The Supreme Court has not been decisive, but weve never seen a vacancy this close to an election, clearly in this partisan environment as well. Also traditionally, you have had more conservatives who seem energized by the idea of a Supreme Court pick than progressives, than democrats, but, you know, the early indications coming since the death of Justice Ginsburg could suggest that that is changing huge contributions, breaking all kinds of records friday night to organizations that are working to elect democratic senators, and Democratic House members. Is there a difference strategically to having the vote before the election, or could there be advantage to holding it after on the republican side . I think Mitch Mcconnell is still trying to figure that out. Notice in his statement on friday he said the president s nominee will get a vote. E didnt say when the prid vote. We already have those two republican senators that say the next president should make the decision, senator collins and senator murkowski of alaska. I think for a lot of the others they dont know yet. If you have the vote before the election, does that take away the issue . Does that motivate the democrats more . If its holding out through the election, does that increase motivation on both sides . But then you face the question of, theres a risk involved in waiting as well. If say they hold republicans hold it until after the election and joe biden and the democrats win decisively, will they really be able to move a Supreme Court nominee in a lame duck session after losing on november 3rd . Thats a tough one. Then you also have this potential new senator, a democrat from arizona who could get seated during that. If he wins and gets seated. This is like five heidi mentional chess, and thats the other question. You referenced senators murkowski and collins saying, lets do it after the election. The republicans need if there are four republican defections, that shuts this whole thing down. Weve got two on the books. Are there other senators out there on the republican side that could cross over and say, lets not do this . Hard to know for sure. Remember back in 2016 when president obama was trying to nominate merrick garland, almost every republican senator said you have to wait until after the election. They flipped on it, including the chairman of the Senate JudiciaryCommittee Lindsey Graham but i think the ones to watch right now are mitt romney who voted to impeach President Trump this year, and Charles Grassley who used to be the chairman of the Senate Judiciary committee, and he said earlier this summer that if he were still chairman, he would not hold a hearing and he would advise graham not to hold a hearing in october. Other possibilities to look at include corey gardner, and others who are up for reelection in his state. Its a state thats unlikely to punish him if he votes for a new nominee before the election. So much interesting stuff going on, and youll be talking about it on your show this morning. Do not forget to watch this week later this morning. George women go oneonone with the former president bill clinton to talk about the legacy of ruth Bader Ginsburg. Plus, exclusive interviews with House Speaker nancy pelosi and senator ted cruz on the political battle to fill ginsburgs seat. George, thank you again, really appreciate it. Whit, over to you. Dan, turning now to the pandemic which has killed nearly 200,000 americans. According to a brandnew abc news ipsos poll, 53 of americans have no confidence in President Trump at all in confirm the safety and effectiveness of a potential coronavirus vaccine. Thats coming as schools are an ongoing concern. Some dealing with new quarantines and outbreaks. Abcs trevor ault joins us now with the very latest. Trevor, good morning. Reporter whit, good morning. You know, it seems unfathomable. Today across the country, so many sites are planning to pay tribute to 200,000 american lives lost to this virus, and the country is still trying to chart the best path forward in schools and beyond. This morning, outrage in massachusetts after a student tested positive for covid19 and their parents sent them to school anyway. This one was an egregious reporter 30 students in close proximity that day all in quarantine. This is really frustrating. Reporter in utah where the state just reported a new record daily case total, one high School Reporting 40 positive cases, 500 students in quarantine. Some parents frustrated by the choice to go online only for two weeks. Why are you sending home healthy kids . They are wearing masks. Theyre being distanced as theyre asked to. Reporter the American Academy of pediatrics now with new guidance recommending in in part athletes who show symptoms get an electrocardiogram to d hlrtea befod yd edarac arrest in the hospital. I was scared. Im not going to lie. The whole process was scary. It was just at first i didnt i didnt think i was going to pull through myself. Reporter as the u. S. Prepares to pass 200,000 covid deaths, some massive gatherings like missouris bike fest are continuing unimpeded. 100,000 bikers expected, no masks or helmets required. Anything going on in the world, it aint going to stop us riding. Vitirevealing during thel star red sox broadcast on friday he had the virus, and it sent his brother to the hospital too. Man, this is no joke, you know . You dont realize how crazy this is until they hit home. Reporter and with so Many Americans skeptical of vaccines, astrazeneca now releasing a blueprint. Some experts say the company has not been forthcoming after two astrazeneca trial participants in britain became seriously ill, eva. We are all watching to see what happens on that vaccine. Trevor, thank you. Now to Tropical Storm beta almost standing still in the gulf of mexico, but setting its sights on texas. Abcs elwyn lopez is in galveston this morning with more. Elwyn, good morning to you. Reporter good morning, eva. The storm about 200 miles aywery ng water rising along parts of the texas gulf coast. Weve already seen storm surge pushing debris onto roads just east of here, but the worst of it is expected to begin in the next 24 to 36 hours. It is betas slow pace though that has people taking their time to prepare for this one. Officials have gone ahead and issued a voluntary evacuation for lowlying areas including here in galveston, and one of the main concerns is this is going to be a rainmaker for days to come and could see up to 15 inches of rain in coastal areas and 4 feet of storm surge, and it is important to understand, guys, forecasters warn it doesnt take a hurricane to see lifethreatening storm surge. Thank you. Lets hone in on the forecast with rob. Rob, good morning to you. Good morning, dan, and welcome to elwyn. The baptism by fire. She was down with Hurricane Sally last week. Here we go. Were into the greek alphabet, and as she pointed out, its going to be more of a rainmaker with this one. Buts slow moving and always a problem and intensity forecasting is always an issue as well. So we have some question marks with this system which as she mentioned is 200 miles off the coastline there. We have Tropical Storm warnings, and hurricane watches have been dropped at least for now. North of corpus christi, so the folks who are dealing with the recovery of hurricane laura in lake charles are going to have to deal with beta here in some capacity. Making landfall likely monday night as a strong Tropical Storm, maybe stronger than that, and crossing over to houston. But, again, the rainfall is going to be huge. Well probably get at least a foot and this persistent wind much like sally will see storm surge. Locally 4 feet, and were already seeing some of that action right now and the rains will be heavy at times through texas city, galveston bay, and even back towards corpus christi. How much rain do we think well get . 10 to 15 inches of it right not used to talking about Tropical Weather in a puffy vest, but thats the kind of chill we have in the air here in new england. Well talk about hurricane teddy in the next half hour. Guys, back to you. Thank you, rob. Well appreciate it and talk to you soon. We want to transition to the excitement building for televisions biggest night, the emmys. This year, the pandemic has changed everything as we know, and overnight we got a taste of whats to come with Creative Arts emmys already awarded. Abcs Chris Connelly joins us from los angeles with more. Chris, good morning. Reporter hey, good morning, whit. Yeah, Creative Arts emmys wrapping up last night. Primetime emmys tonight hoping to use comedy and creativity to navigate the social distancing era. Tonight, amid the pandemic it will be a primetime emmys unlike any other. No red carpet outside staples center. No audience inside it and no problem for this years show with jimmy kimmel as your host. How will we pull it off this year . I dont know. What is your favorite season . Awards. Reporter from the sweetly comic roses surviving and thriving up the creek, and the ee lipgsamerican loved one a man treated like a woman, but is officially a ma