tonight. the u.s. and russia meeting today. what they said after and the gunfire as our correspondent was reporting, interviewing a ukrainian general on the front lines. a reality check tonigh on rising tensions there. and justice department here at home arresting a texas man for threatening elections officials in georgia. tonight you will hear the threats, and is there more coming on this front? pierre thomas with late reporting. what the fbi just revealed tonight in the gabby petito case. what they found in brian laundrie's nobody. the images coming in, the high school shooting in maryland. the school on lockdown. and the tributes pouring in for rock 'n' roll powerhouse meatloaf, the driving force behind one of the most epic rock albums of all time. ♪ i can see paradise by the dashboard lights ♪ >> a well known median, and how he's being remembered as well. good evening. it's great to have you with us as we near the end of another week together. we'll get to this ice storm as hitting as we're on the air. j ginger zee standing by on that front. but we'll start with the pandemic. the cdc with strong evidence booster shots do provide strong protection from omicron. two vaccine doses without the booster for 57% effective against hospital devastations, but that the booster shot, a third shot, brings protection back up to 90% against omicron. and people 65 and older who were fully vaccinated and boosted were 90 times less likely to die than unvaccinated people in that age group. this all comes as omicron is still raging across much of the country, and this eye opening number tonight -- one quarter of all confirmed covid cases since the beginning of this pandemic have been in just the last month. 18 million new cases of covid in just four weeks' time. still, 745,000 new cases a day, as we see cases come down slightly in areas that were the first epicenters. that is encouraging. the very real strain on hospitals continues. 160,000 patients nationwide. 21,000 new covid patients admitted every day. and the battle over masks in schools. one mother in virginia threatening to bring all of our guns, she said, loaded and ready to school if they made her kissed wekids wear masks. the early news on the subvariant of omicron now under investigation in the uk. it has been seen in the u.s. as well. what we know so far. marcus moore leading us off from oklahoma tonight. >> reporter: tonight the first clear evidence from the cdc showing vaccine boosters are a critical weapon against omicron. a new study found that two doses was 57% effective against hospitalizations six months later, but a third shot boosted protection back up to 90%. >> protection against infection and hospitalization with the omicron variant is highest for those who are up to date with their vaccination, meaning those who are boosted when they're eligible. >> reporter: but less than half of americans who are eligible have gotten their booster. the cdc says older people benefit the most from that extra shot. those 65 and older who were fully vaccinated and boosted were 90 times less likely to die than the unvaccinated in that age group. and tonight british scientists are investigating a subvariant of omicron called ba.2. it's been detected in 40 countries, including the u.s. they say there is no evidence it is more dangerous and it has not been labeled a variant of concern. but earlier today dr. anthony fauci said we always need to be on guard for new variants. >> we have to be prepared for it. so, we hope for the best and prepare for the worst. >> reporter: for now hospitals across this country are buckling under the crush of patients. at smaller hospitals in oklahoma, teams are caring for their neighbors. >> they're people you work with. they're people that go to your church. they're people you see in walmart every day. but you have to take care of them. you have to do it any way. so you do. and then the next day comes and you do it again. >> reporter: after nearly 1 million pediatric infections last week, there is renewed debate over protecting children. a proposal in california would let kids 12 and older to get vaccinated without their parents' consent. >> covid is taking away their happiness and futures. and we can't ignore this crisis anymore. >> reporter: but in virginia, the new governor reversing school mask mandates starting monday. >> as we battle covid, it's parents that should decide the health measures taken for their children. >> reporter: but after some districts pushed back, one mother at this school board meeting threatening to bring guns to her children's school if it tried to enforce the mandate. >> no mask mandates. my child -- my children will not come to school on monday with a mask on. all right? that's not happening. and i will bring every single gun, loaded and ready. i'll see y'all on monday. >> reporter: police say that mother later apologized. the incident under investigation, but no arrest has been made. >> marcus moore with us tonight. the cdc also revealing what we thought for some time here, that omicron has brought more breakthrough infections than delta did, but the vaccines and boosters significantly helped knock this down. >> reporter: yeah, david, researchers found that omicron is more likely to cause breakthrough infections than delta, even among people who were boosted but that protection from more serious illness remain high. >> that's been a good thing. marcus, thank you. as i mentioned off the top tonight we're also tracking that dangerous ice storm. freezing rain, sleet, and snow, treacherous weather from the texas to virginias and carolinas. carolinas, a half inch of ice could accumulate on roads, trees and power lines. power companies are on stand by as we go into the night. a ambulance slid down an icy road. the patient who was already in cardiac arrest did not survive. two others were injured. the brutal cold moving in across several states as we start this weekend. ginger zee back with us again tonight. she's tracking it all for us. hi, ginger. >> reporter: hi, david this. savage cold that we are enduring here has made it to the ground level down in south carolina and north carolina. but up higher, it's warmer, so rain is falling, but it's into this freezing surface, so it's freezing on contact, and that's where you get that ice. you can see it on the radar. from maryland back to georgia there were alerts. b ttce we about taking down power lines, obviously covering roads. the bulk of the storm happens t people are awake, but unfortunately, if you were to lose power, look at the wind chills. it will be single digits up here and sub zero as you get closer to the canadian border. david. >> ginger zee doing double duty. we appreciate it. we turn overseas to the high stakes along the border. russian troops positioned nearby. he was interviewing a ukrainian general when gunfire went off, just underscoring the growing tension there in the region. meanwhile in geneva, what was said after the u.s. secretary of state met with russia's foreign minister. here's ian pannell again tonight from ukraine. >> reporter: tonight, no breakthrough in these high-stakes talks, but the u.s. and russia appearing to take a step back from the brink in the standoff over ukraine. secretary of state blinken offering to send american proposals in writing to russia's foreign minister lavrov next week and even opening the door to a possible summit with putin. >> if it proves useful and productive for the two presidents to meet, to talk, to engage to try to carry things forward, i think we're fully prepared to do that. >> reporter: the kremlin demanding a guarantee ukraine won't join nato, as over 100,000 heavily armed russian troops mass on ukraine's borders. eyva. lavrovti d but blinken vowing a swift and severe response if they do, repeating president biden's warning after biden came under fire this week for saying quote, response. that went down badly with the soldiers here in eastern ukraine who've been facing russian backed rebels for eight years. we're moving through the trenches towards front lines against russian-backed separatist forces. the failure to reach a political agreement has only made the tension here -- and the risk -- even greater. even our interview with lieutenant general alexander pavluk interrupted by gunfire. >> you it can't be an empire. >> don't know whether you heard that there. we just heard a gunshot [ gunshots ] >> reporter: the general commands 50,000 soldiers and takes issue with biden's comments. i don't know what a small invasion could be, he says. any russian invasion would come straight through here, and for the front line soldiers, putin can't be trusted. vladimir putin says he's not going to invade, he's not going to attack. do you believe him? >> i can't believe him. ! you don't believe him. >> because you can say anything what you want. >> let's bring in ian pannell again tonight, reporting from eastern ukraine. ian, as you reported there, it would appear both sides, the u.s. and russia, appear to have taken a step back from the brink. on the other hand we saw you witness gunfire in your interview with the general. what is the real level of tension along the front lines there? >> reporter: that's right, david. in my ways it feels more tense than when we were here in december. one officer telling me last month he didn't think an invasion was likely. i met him today and now he's convinced it is, even though blinken and lavrov agreed to have the meeting for now, diplomacy still seems to be alive, what they want is more american military aid and the general i met today thinks it's u.s. military aid that's the best deterrent against a russian attack. david? >> ian pannell and our team in ukraine again tonight. ian, thank you. this evening, the u.s. confirmed it's conducting air strikes in syria to help kurd i ish forces put down an assault on a prison there. the prison houses some 5,000 isis fighters, some attempting a jailbreak as a car bomb went off and isis fighters attacked. syrian kurd traps are working. causing those to flee. news coming in late today, what the nib revealed in the gabby petito case. what they now say they discovered from brian laundrie's notebook. here's victor oquendo. tonight, the stunning new details into the investigation of the killing of gabby petito. saying her former boyfriend, brian laundrie, admitted to killing her in a notebook. saying in a statement, a review of the notebook revealed written statements by laundrie claiming responsibility for ms. petito's death. that notebook found near his body along with a gun and backpack. authorities adding the investigation did not identify any other individuals other than laundrie directly involved in the tragic death of petito. her body was found in wyoming in september. the coroner concluding petito died of blunt force injuries to the head and neck with manual strangulation. lay-upped ri on the run for a month before his remains were discovered. their attorney saying we truly appreciate the fbi's diligent and painstaking efforts in this truly complicated case. the quality and quantity of the facts collected by the fbi leave no doubt brian laundrie murdered gabby. investigators say laundrie also sent text messages between his phone and hers in an attempt to deceive law enforcement to make it seem like she was still alive. >> victor oquendo with us tonight. thank you. the justice department revealing a texas man has been charged for making death threats against election officials in georgia. this is the first known arrest brought by a special election threat task force at the justice department. here's our chief justice correspondent pierre thomas tonight. >> reporter: tonight the justice department releasing evidence of the growing threats facing election workers across the nation. 850 reports since june alone. >> we have all seen that americans who serve and interact with the public at every level, many of whom make our democracy work every day, have been targeted with violence and threats of violence. >> reporter: today the rocurs a the arrest and indict of a texas man accused of threatening to kill election workers in georgia. at one point on craigslist calling on, quote, georgia patriots, quiting, if we want our country back, we have to exterminate these people. sources telling abc news one of those threatened, georgia secretary of state brett raffensperger. >> president trump and his allies pressured georgia's secretary of state in public and in private. >> so look, all i want to do is this. i just want to find 11,780 votes. >> reporter: one top georgia election officials said the pressure was putting lives at risk. >> death threats, physical threats, intimidation -- it's too much. it's not right. >> reporter: that texas suspect faces up the phi years in prison in convicted of making interstate threats. authorities said there's dozen of investigations under way into these threat against officials. >> pierre thomas tonight. thank you. the fbi now says that hostage standoff at a synagogue in colleyville texas is being investigated as a hate crime and act of terror. the standoff lasting nearly 12 hours. british suspect malik akram holding several people hostage. she was shot and killed as the hostages were escaping. tonight a federal judge in texas suspected the biden administration's vaccine mandate for workers. calling it an overstep of federal authority. judge vincent brown citing the recent supreme court decision blocking the mandate for employers. it applies to 3.5 million american workers. the white house saying more than 98% are now vaccinated. the doj immediately filing an appeal. when we come back on this busy friday night, news of a high school shooting. that school put on lockdown, and two passings to note tonight. we pay tribute to a beloved comedian and actor and celebrate a rock legend. it could mean a chance to live 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"the rocky horror picture show." ♪ hot patootie bless my soul ♪ ♪ i really love that rock 'n' roll ♪ >> reporter: and "fight club." >> the first rule is -- i'm not supposed to talk about it. >> reporter: but more than anything, it's his voice fans are celebrating tonight. ♪ well, let me sleep on it baby baby let me sleep on it ♪ ♪ let me sleep on it i'll give you an answer in the morning ♪ >> so many times people feel like they're in a situation and nobody else is in that same situation. that's what i make music for, so that people feel that they're never alone in a bad situation or a good situation. and that's why i'm here. >> reporter: tonight, his family saying meat loaf passed away surrounded by his wife, his daughters and close friends, writing from his heart to your souls, don't ever stop rocking. ♪ no i won't do that ♪ ♪ anything for love ♪ ♪ oh, i would do anything for love ♪ ♪ i would do anything for love but i won't do that ♪ ♪ no i won't do that ♪ >> his songs playing in our heads all day, and we've loved it. good night. >> i am authorized to call a strike vote. >> we have not taken it l t because this is a very serious matter. >> oakland students on a safety strike this week. next week, it could be teachers walking out. >> the wind really started to pick up in the north bay and especially here where meteorologists are expecting wind gusts up to 55 miles an hour. >> now from the north bay to the south bay, high wind has already taken down trees. this morning, a fence toppled right on top of a house. also a tree fell right under 17th street. there's a car under their that smashed -- there is a car under there. you can see that smashed suv. quick stronger wind is expected to move in soon. -- >> stronger wind is expected to move in soon. mike: this one has the same parameters we would normally feel and experience during a fall fire weather event. thankfully because everything is green and has lindy of moisture, we do not have the fire threat, but we could have the same speed of wind. right now, we are gusting up to 41, our fastest wind and we are not even close to the peak yet. 40 in oakland hills and mount tam. the window is going to open up from about 5:00 to about, say, 4:00, and even narrower, from about 8:00 to 4:00. about an eight-hour window for the fastest wind. we are under a warning for just about -- for everywhere