manslaughter for shooting and killing donte wright, who was unarmed during a traffic stop. she claims she confused her gun for her taser. donte wright's mother testifying about her final phone call with her son when he was stopped by the police. tonight, on capitol hill, the head of instagram grilled about its effects on children, particularly young girls. so, what's being done? rachel scott on the hill tonight. it was a case that horrified the country, so tonight, why was convicted killer scott peterson back in court today? the family of lacy peterson watching it all again in that courtroom. tonight here, the never before seen photos revealed at the trial of ghislaine maxwell. the photos with jeffrey epstein and what prosecutors are hoping these images demonstrate. tonigh ian pannell on the ukraine border and 24 hours after that video call with president biden, what vladimir putin is now signaling. hillary clinton making news tonight. something she has never done before. and she breaks down while doing it. also tonight, tiger woods and the big announcement. and our made in america your ideas pouring in. good evening and it's great to have you with us here on a wednesday night. and we begin tonight with the major news this evening on the effectiveness of these vaccine boosters with this new omicron variant. tonight, pfizer now reporting that early data suggests that the booster does bring your antibodies back up, restoring protection to its highest level. tonighten, in pfizer's new study, it did show that the new vasht did chip away at the effectiveness of those two doses of the vaccine, but that after the third shot, the booster, there was a high antibody response. health officials tonight say that's reason enough to get a booster shot now and dr. fauci, for one, saying today this news makes him breathe a little easier. tonight, our dr. jen ashton with rare access inside the cdc's emergency operation center where they are tracking covid, of course, and this new variant in the u.s. right now. and all of this as delta continues at an alarming rate. this new surge with the colder weather here. people, of course, back indoors. more than 117,000 new cases every day now. that's up 46% in a week. new hospital admissions up more than 14% from last week and in children, this was alarming, hospital admissions up nearly 37%. so, tonight here, several questions answered. what has the cdc director most concerned about this new variant, dr. jen ashton with that. and what about these boosters and this news they're now working? dr. jha on that in a moment. but we're going to fin with whit johnson leading us off here. >> reporter: tonight, pfizer releasing early data suggesting two shots plus the booster appear to stand up against the new variant, and could be a key tool in the fight against omicron. dr. ant hadny fauci saying the news makes him, quote, breathe a little better. >> when you get that third shot boost, it dramatically increases the level of laboratory-projected protection. this is good news about the booster protection. >> reporter: early results from pfizer found that high levels of antibodies from a booster may better defend against omicron. but when the standard two-dose vaccine took on the new variant, antibody levels dropped 25 times lower. pfizer saying two doses may not stop infection, but are still likely effective in preventing severe disease. >> people should go get their third dose now, not wait. >> reporter: pfizer's data coming on the heels of a small study out of south africa that also found omicron appeared to chip away at two doses of the vaccine. here in the u.s., cases of omicron have been detected in at least 21 states. our dr. jen ashton today, getting a rare look inside the cdc's war room where scientists are tracking omicron across this country. taons.he >> these are all the mutations. >> these are the spike proteins. these are all the mutations. >> reporter: while early signs show omicron might be less severe than delta, they still believe it's highly transmissible. that it spreads easily, and has them concerned about the sheer numbers. >> we have some concerns about this new variant in terms of its transmissibility. we don't know what it's going to do in terms of disease severity. even if it is not more severe, if we have many people who get it -- >> large denominator. >> right, a larger denominator. and we could have a problem with disease severity anyway because there are just more people who have it. >> reporter: but right now, it's the delta variant making up nearly all new cases nationwide. an 83% increase since late october. hospitals feeling the surge, even in highly vaccinated areas like the northeast. >> delta is incredibly infek thus, and those, you know, 5% to 10% of the people that haven't been vaccinated, that's who delta is going at right now. >> reporter: in massachusetts, one trauma center at umass memorial running out of beds. >> there's 75 patients waiting in the e. repd for a bed, e including seven icu patients. and there's really no end in sight, which is the scary part for all of us. >> reporter: and hospitalizations in connecticut more than doubling in the last month. >> right now, 100% of our patients who are admitted to the hospital at greenwich hospital, 100% are unvaccinated. evy dattle bit like going into battle. and we recognize that this is not over yet. >> reporter: this current wave driven by the highly transmissible delta variant. and tonight, dr. walensky warning about the impact of another highly contagious variant like omicron. >> if we have a much more transmissible variant, you end up with a much larger population of people with disease. and then even small amounts of that very large population that end up in hospital, you end up with a real crisis at the hospitalization level and potentially lots of poor outcomes. >> yeah, so even if it's less severe, still highly transmissible, which could add up in the numbers, we've seen this before. dr. ashton with her exclusive at the cdc today. whit johnson with us now live. and we know the cdc director made news tonight, revealing what we know so far about the 40 or so cases of omicron they've already found here in the u.s. what can you tell us? >> reporter: yeah, david, dr. walensky says more than 40 people in the u.s. have been infected with the omicron variant so far. more than three-quarters of them were fully vaccinated. and about a third had received booster shots. but she says so far nearly all of those cases have been mild. david? >> mild and that was encouraging, as well. whit johnson tonight. whit, thank you. we know you have a lot of questions at home, so, as always, dr. ashish jha back wi'c likegh till b . iaveed aut antibody response several times on our air and now pfizer saying early data, it's early, but very encouraging that the boosters appear to spike that antibody response. >> yeah, david, thanks for having me back. it is really encouraging. the data shows there's a sharp dropoff in your antibodies' ability to take on omicron, but the third shot seems to make a big difference. >> i want to go back to something you told me before, that you're seeing in many cases after the booster, the antibodies could be actually at a higher level than even after the second vaccine shot. >> that's right. the booster really gives your good opportunity to rev up and get ready for this virus. that's why i think boosters are so essential for every adult right now. >> we know we have a lot of parents watching us here every single night, hanging on your every word. if the boosters are working and you showed it tonight, why do we still have to wait as long before we get our child boosted? >> i have three kids that have been vaccinated, same question in my household. we think in the first few months after the shot, you have the protection. we need more data before we give the boosters to kids. >> dr. jha, thank you. we turn to the other news this wednesday night, and testimony now under way in the trial of former minnesota police officer kim potter in the death of donte wright during a traffic stop, after he began to struggle, officer potter rushing to his car, firing, claiming she mistook her handgun for her taser. donte wright's most, the first witness to take the stand today. abc's stephanie ramos from minneapolis tonight. >> reporter: tonight, an emotional start to the criminal trial of former police officer kim potter, accused in the death of 20-year-old donte wright. potter, a 26-year veteran of the police department, in the courtroom today. she faces first and second-degree manslaughter charges after shooting wright in the chest last april. the defense says she mistook her taser for her gun. katie bryant, wrigt's mother, called as the prosecution's first witness. >> i wanted to protect him, because that's what mothers do. >> reporter: bryant detailing the last phone call with her son as he was pulled over for an air freshener in the rear view mirror, which is illegal in minnesota, and an expired tag. >> he just sounded really nervous but i reassured him that it would be okay. >> reporter: the call abruptly ending. that mother later making a video call. a woman in the car with wright answering the phone. >> she said they shot him and she faced the phone towards the driver's seat. and my son was laying there and he was unresponsive and he looked dead. >> reporter: bryant rushing to the scene. >> i didn't want to believe that was my son laying there on the ground, but i could tell it was him because of his tennis shoes. >> reporter: during that traffic stop, wright struggled with officers who were attempting to apprehend him after discovering an outstanding warrant for his arrest. potter pulling out a firearm. >> taser! taser! >> reporter: realizing she had shot wright as the car drove off. >> i just shot him. >> reporter: the defense today placed the blame on wright, saying all he had to do was stop and he'd still be here. the prosecution arguing, as a veteran of the police officer force, potter should have known the difference between her taser and gun. potter is expected to take the stand in her own defense next week. david? >> all right, stephanie ramos from minneapolis. thank you, stephanie. we turn next tonight to a story that horrified the nation. scott peterson was back in court today and so was the family of lacy peterson, watching it all again. it was a resentencing hearing after the murder case nearly 20 years ago. scott peterson, you'll remember, convicted in the killing of his pregnant wife lacy and their unborn son on christmas eve in 2002. tonight, peterson in court, confront bd lacy's still grieving mother and siblings. and why was he in court? here's kayna whitworth. >> reporter: it with us a case that horrified the nation. and tonight, scott peterson is back in court. long after the christmas eve murders of his wife lacy and unborn son, scott peter zone in court today, because the california supreme court overturned peterson's death sentence last year, ruling jurors in his original trial were improperly screened for bias about the death penalty. because of that, peterson no longer faces the death penalty. the judge today resentencing him to life in prison without parole. and lacy peterson's heartbroken family once again finding themselves in court with the man who killed their daughter. lacy's mother confronting him, telling him, quote, lacy and connor will always be dead and you will always be their murderer. peterson sitting in silence. lacy's sister in tears, telling hip, it makes me sick being here today in front of you again. nearly 20 years ago, peterson admitted to an affair, but denied the killings, in an exclusive interview with diane sawyer. >> did you murder your wife? >> no, no. i did not. >> reporter: tonight, peterson's attorney maintaining his innocence and saying the judge denied his client's request to speak at the hearing. >> he wanted to make it clear that there is no way he could have possibly harmed lacy and connor. >> reporter: and david, scott peter zone is still trying to get his conviction overturned. his lawyer is asking for a new trial and they have a hearing for that in february. david? >> all right, kayna whitworth with us tonight, as well. kayna, thank you. meantime tonight, on capitol hill, the head of instagram grilled about its effects on children, particularly young girls. so, what's being done and how soon? rachel scott on the hill tonight. >> reporter: tonight, the head of instagram appearing before congress for the first time, defending the popular social media app from blistering bipartisan criticism that instagram is toxic for children, especially young girls. >> how do you square a business model that prioritizes user time and engagement with knowing there's a direct correlation between time and harm? >> senator, respectfully, using our platform more will increase any effect, whether it's positive or negative. but if people don't feel good about the time that they spend on our platform, that's something i personally take seriously. >> reporter: adam mosseri pointing to outside research showing more teens use tiktok and youtube. today, introducing a new safety net hours before the hearing, telling lawmakers the company will take more steps to protect children. including prompts to suggest users take a break, and other parental controls. but senators say damage has already been done. >> instagram is addictive. >> senator, respectfully, i don't believe that research suggests that our products are addictive. >> reporter: many of those claims directly contradict a whistleblower who came forward weeks ago, accusing the company of choosing profit over safety. and as for those new parental controls, those will not be added to instagram until march. david? >> thank you, rachel. next, to the sex trafficking trial of ghislaine maxwell. jurors seeing new images of maxwell with jeffrey epstein. attempting to portray them as partners in crime. a third accuser also taking the stand, using the pseudonym carolyn, claiming she was just 14 when she first went to epste epstein's home and maxwell scheduled some of her explicit massa massages. maxwell handing her $300 payments, according to the testimony. tonight, 24 hours after that high takes video call between president biden and vladimir putin. what putin is now signaling. ian pannell from ukraine again tonight. >> reporter: tonight, president biden saying russian president putin, quote, got the message, after their video call on ukraine. >> i made it very clear, if, in fact, he invades ukraine, there will be severe consequences. >> reporter: abc news tonight given exclusive access to ukrainian forces training with u.s.-supplied javelin anti-tank missiles. this is part of what vladimir putin means by a red line. what he sees as america's, nato's growing involvement in ukraine. tensions still high, as we saw on the front lines, where ukrainian forces are fighting with russian-backed rebels. you can hear the sound of rapid automatic gunfire there. we were so close to the front, you could only whisper. the russian-backed accept are cysts literally about 50 yards, maybe less, just on the other side. there and beyond those lines, at the border, as many as 100,000 russian troops are now massed. by friday, biden hopes to announce a higher level meeting with some nato allies and russia to discuss the kremlin's concerns. perhaps offering a way out of this crisis. david? >> all right, ian pannell again tonight. ian, thank you. and when we come pack here, the deadly crash into the water near niagara falls. and hillary clinton breaking down while doing something she's never done before. why hide your skin if dupixent has your moderate to severe eczema or atopic dermatitis under control? hide my skin? not me. by hitting eczema where it counts, dupixent helps heal your skin from within 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to the index tonight and hillary clinton for the first time reading the speech she hoped to deliver had she won the 2016 presidential election. >> my fellow americans, today you sent a message to the whole world. that's why i've never read it before. >> this is part of the "masterclass" online series. mrs. clinton talks about the message that would've been sent to young boys and girls and going to talk about her mother dorothy, who had been abandoned by her parents. who put her on a train to california when she was just a girl. and who ended up working as a housemaid. >> i think about my mother every day. sometimes i think about her on that train. i dream of going up to her and sitting down next to her, taking her in my arms, and saying, "look at me, listen to me. you will survive you will have a good family of your own. and three children. and as hard as it might be to imagine, your daughter will grow up and become the president of the united states." >> mrs. clinton's words and her 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tonight, our made in america christmas is back. and those old home movies. and it seemed a lost tradition, but no more. gifts made in america now in our tenth year here. in mount vernon, washington, the company wrapaly. printing holiday wrapping paper, the red and green, two sided, peace on earth, written right there. >> aloha, david. >> sara smith, the founder. and what's so special about this wrapping paper? >> over the holidays, millions of pounds of wrapping paper are going to wrap up in landfills. >> sara had an idea. using the paper used for newspaper and local printing presses. >> the result is a wrapping paper that is come postable, easy to recycle. it looks beautiful and it's 100% made in america. >> printing eight tons of gift wrap this season. in hires planned in the new year. and in california, the company tea drops. no longer dangling from that tag. pour the hot water, add the tea drop and stir. it dissolves in your cup. >> hi, david. >> founder and ceo. >> these tea drops are manufactured right here in the u.s. >> 7 million tea trdrops a year. partnering with the thirst project. >> every box of tea we sell, we donate enough to supply clean water to those in need. so far, we've built four water wells. happy holidays. >> keep your ideas coming. good night. announcer: moving forward. finding solutions. >> by getting a booster, you raise your antibody level so much it is going to overcome any mutations. if you are unvaccinated, i would navigate the world really carefully. >> the push for vaccinations as we had to the holidays. and we are dealing with the newest variant. >> 19 years after the murder of his wife, scott peterson sentenced again in the death of his wife. larry kudlow -- >> you are watching abc 7 news. kristen: an emotional city -- scott peterson was resentenced for the 2002 murder of his wife. >> peterson has been on death row in san quentin since 2005. in 2020, the supreme court overturned his death sentence. laura anthony covered the disappearance 20 years ago and was one of the few reporters allowed in the courtroom. >> face to his late wife's family for the first time in nearly 17 years, scott peterson looked them in the eye as they blasted him for killing laci peterson and her unborn son. 19 euros ago today by you were in the midst of planning lacey's murder. laci is dead because she trusted you. earlier, laci's told peterson, it makes me sick to be before you now. even though the death penalty has been lifted, you will be penalized in this life and after. after the family spoke, the judge resentenced peterson to life in prison, bringing an end to his long stay on san