In our backtoschool series, the search for Three Million students nationwide who havent been to school in a year. In depth the eviction wave. We will meet a landlord who is homeless, after her tenants stopped paying rent. Heat and humidity. The 95 Million americans who face extreme temperature. Plus, why Lake Tahoe now has the worst Air Pollution in the country. Williams sisters drop out. Why two of tennis top players are skipping the u. S. Open. And, the power of determination. How a wounded warrior became a paralympic medalist. This is the Cbs Evening News with norah odonnell, reporting from the nations capital. Odonnell good evening to our viewers in the west and thank you for joining us. There is a lot of News Tonight out of afghanistan, where the u. S. Withdrawal has reached a critical phase. As the evacuation of americans and our afghan allies reaches the final days, we have just learned tonight that the u. S. Military is secretly rescuing americans stuck outside of the kabul airport, using helicopters and even some ground troops. About 4,500 americans have been flown out of the country so far, and the State Department now says it does have a clearer idea of how many remain, and is desperately trying to contact them. In a moment, we will speak with the top u. S. Diplomat in afghanistan about what happens to americans who do not get out before the president s August 31 deadline to withdraw u. S. Forces. For now, the military flights out of kabul continue. All told, more than 88,000 people have been evacuated since july. But tonight, the biggest threat to this historic evacuation is a real and immediate threat u. S. Officials warning the terrorist Group Isisk has the ability to attack the airport. Cbss Nancy Cordes is going to lead us off tonight from the white house. Good evening, nancy. Reporter good evening, norah. And tonight, we are learning that the military has been conducting more Emergency Missions to rescue both american citizens and c. I. A. Personnel outside of the kabul airport, using choppers to do so. Today, the Secretary Of State saying that, of the 6,000 or so americans who were in afghanistan at the start of the month, about three quarters of them have now been evacuated. This is very high risk. Reporter Secretary Blinken said the State Department has contacted about 500 americans in the past 24 hours, giving them instructions on how to get to safety. But that leaves about a Thousand Americans whose wishes and status are unclear. Were aggressively reaching out to them, multiple times a day, through multiple channels of communication phone, email, Text Messaging to determine whether they still want to leave, and to get the most uptodate information and instructions to them for how to do so. Reporter more than 70,000 afghans have now been evacuated, but thousands more slog through sewage and wait in makeshift camps outside kabuls airport, as soldiers guard the walls. Reporter Secunder Kermani from our Partner Bbc spoke to some who have the papers to leave, and many dont. Many dont. Weve been waiting here for ao come here. But we cant we can reporter there are also reports of afghans being beaten or forced to pay bribes by taliban fighters as they try to get into the airport even as pentagon officials insist the taliban is cooperating. Not saying its been perfect, but by and large, the people that we have made clear to the taliban that we want to have access through the checkpoints, have been able to get through. Reporter but he had choice Words Today for two unannounced Airport Visitors Democrat Seth Moulton and republican peter meijer, who flew there yesterday. They certainly took time away from what we had been planning to do that day. Reporter the two congressmen called it oversight. Some of their colleagues called it a stunt. It was not, in my view, a good idea. Reporter the Secretary Of State insisted today that the u. S. Will continue to help americans and qualified afghans get out of the country even after the u. S. Military departs in six days. But he was intentionally vague, norah, about how the u. S. Plans to pull that off once all the troops are gone. Odonnell Nancy Cordes, thank you. We want to turn now to our exclusive interview with the top u. S. Diplomat in afghanistan. Earlier today, we spoke with ambassador ross wilson. Hes no longer at the embassy in kabul, but instead working out of that airport. We asked him about The Americans still in the country. Weve been working our way through through the lists, and through the numbers. We have, through the State Department and through our consular officers in the region around afghanistan and elsewhere, been placing Phone Calls to all virtually all of those who are who have registered with us, to find out, are they still in afghanistan . Are they interested in leaving afghanistan . Do they need help in leaving . That work has produced a significant additional set of people. Odonnell when the u. S. Pulls out, will diplomats stay behind . Im not sure i want to give you a Firm Answer on that. There are still decisions to be made in washington about the future shape of our presence and our activities here. And, and maybe i will just leave it at that. Odonnell the question has been raised why didnt the u. S. Get out americans and our afghani friends before the taliban were able to take control of kabul . You warned about this in a cable. Were you ignored . We put out repeated warnings every three weeks to americans, going back to, i think, march or april. Each one in stronger terms, leave now. Leave immediately. Never in my 40 years of working, since i began working at the State Department, have i seen such strong such strong language used. People chose not to leave, thats their business. Thats their right. I we regret now that many may find themselves in a position that they would rather not be in, and we are determined to try to help them. Odonnell ambassador, August 31 is the deadline for boots on the ground. But if an american or afghan wants to get out, they have to get to the airport before that date, correct . Well, i we would like for all those who wish to get out of this country to do so, and to be able to do so by August 31, and especially american citizens. Our commitment in this country and our involvement in this country doesnt end on that date. We believe that there will be there will be possibilities for americans to be able to get out of this country. Thats been part of the nascent conversations, many of which have taken place in doha, about with the taliban about potential ways forward. You know, well have to see how that works out. But Americas Commitment to american citizens in particular, to our staff, to those who served our country, that isnt going to end. And i believe that those who come after us here will continue to have that at the top of their priorities, both in this country generally and especially with the taliban, and what whatever form this Country Government takes. Odonnell The American ambassador there. All right, were going to turn now to the covid pandemic. Theres big news about the johnson johnson vaccine. Studies on recipients of the J J Shot found that Booster Doses generated a rapid and robust spike in antibodies. We get more on that from cbss mark strassmann. Reporter as early as next month, boosters could go in the arms of johnson johnsons 14 Million vaccine recipients. Booster protection surged in the J J clinical trial. Antibodies against the virus jumped nine times higher with a second shot. Federal approval still required; immunocompromised recipients likely would get first priority. Todays announcement does provide some reassurance. A Booster Dose in people who initially got J J vaccine is good news. Reporter our country remains half vaccinated. In one hot spot, mississippi, barely one person in three has been fully vaccinated. As this graph shows, covid has roared back with a vengeance, its Spring Highs dwarfed by this summer surge. Kids already getting sick of school is one thing, but getting sick in school, another. Statewide, almost 12,000 students have tested positive; 5,700, last week alone. Did you have a good day . Reporter Erica Jones has two kids, including her first grader, kenley. She is also president of the Mississippi Association of educators. The group now urges a Mask Mandate in all schools. Were roughly been in school less than three weeks, and weve already had to send 30,000 students out to be quarantined. Reporter Eighthgrader Makayla Robinson never got that chance. That was my only daughter, my only child. Reporter Justin Waddell is makaylas father. The 13yearold fell sick on a wednesday, and died of covid three days later. It was a shock to everybody, the whole family. Reporter an outbreak has now closed makaylas entire School District for two weeks. Too few families have reliable internet to hold virtual classes. Covid has overwhelmed mississippis hospitals. St. Dominics here in jackson set up this Screening Tent and in the next couple of days, they are going to use it to screen and potentially test patients for the virus. Norah . Odonnell mark strassmann, thank you so much. Lets turn now to our special backtoschool series. The u. S. Department of education says enrollment in public schools during the pandemic has dropped by more than 1. 5 million students. Some have switched to private schools or athome learning. Others have just vanished from the system. Cbss Carter Evans now on americas lost students. Reporter at Tate Elementary in las vegas, counselors are working the phones. We were just concerned because they havent started the first day of school. Reporter they are looking for children still missing from class, weeks after the School Year began. Like sevenyearold george gomez. So go ahead, take a deep breathe. And let it out. Reporter The Nervous Second Grader has not been inside a classroom since kindergarten, after more than a year of remote learning. Nice to meet you. Reporter his mom finally decided to enroll him, after a doctor convinced her. What kept you from putting the kids back in school . I kind of like was scared and concerned, because none of us had a Covid Shot at all. So we all got our shot. Reporter do you feel safer now . Yes. Reporter Sarah Popek is the schools principal. We do have some students who are not back because their parents are concerned. This Zip Code in particular was hit very hard with covid. Reporter across town at orr middle school, empty desks are constant reminders of classmates who vanished. The campus normally holds up to 1,200 students. This year, only 871 were expected. And how many showed up the first day of school . Basically 400 didnt show up. Reporter 400 . Correct. Reporter that is a lot of students. It is a lot of students. Reporter nationwide, it is estimated up to Three Million children stopped attending classes in person or online after pandemic shutdowns last year. Your funding is based on how many students come to school. If these students dont show up, it may just cause a reduction in staffing. Reporter back at Tate Elementary, george is now catching up with his classmates. How does it free to be back . Good. Reporter good . Admiistrators now plan to go door to door to track down the remaining lost kids. Carter evans, cbs news, las vegas. Odonnell and tonight, weve learned a shocking number from the treasury department. Nearly 90 of the almost 50 Billion allocated by congress for Rental Assistance has not been distributed. Now, that money is meant for landlords whose tenants have stopped paying rent and cannot be evicted during the pandemic. Cbss Mola Lenghi reports In Depth on the consequences for landlords in americas eviction crisis. Reporter Brandie Lacasse has been waiting on rent for nearly a year. I have cried many nights. Like, thinking, wheres my money . Reporter lacasse owns three properties in upstate New York. But the single Mother And Air Force Veteran is functionally homeless after falling on some hard times. Lacasse says after notifying tenants they had to move out so she could move in, they simply stopped paying and stayed put. She and her daughter have been living out of her car and staying with friends. Despite more than 23,000 in unpaid rent, Lacasse Cant Force her tenants out because of state and federal moratoriums on evictions. I dont understand how they can give my private property to somebody to live for free. I bought that property, i fixed it up with my blood, sweat and tears. Reporter the policies were meant to protect vulnerable renters during the pandemic, but some Property Owners say they have become collateral damage. One thing thats very clear is, we have no housing safety net. Reporter vincent reina, a Housing Policy Expert and professor at the university of pennsylvania, coauthored a new Report Showing that nearly 10 of landlords around the country collected less than half of their rent in 2020. Small landlords owning fewer than six units were most affected. Were forcing lowincome households and owners to essentially bear the cost of that in this current moment, and that is unfair to both parties. I feel bad that i have not been able to pay her. Reporter Carla Mcarthur is lacasses tenant. With Child Care costs for her daughter, and an autistic son, she says she cant pay rent. We had two incomes. I had covid19 twice. My kids all have had it once. My husband has had it once. Weve been affected by the virus. Reporter mcarthur has been approved for Rent Relief in New York, but the State Hasnt paid lacasse yet. So far, New York has sent about 8 of its federal allotment of 2. 6 billion relief dollars directly to landlords. Im not sure what she may do when it ends thats what im afraid of, becoming homeless. Reporter two families, trying to avoid the same fate. I invested in these properties, never thinking i wouldnt have a place to live. Reporter . On opposite sides of a looming crisis. I just want my house. Thats it. I just want my house. Reporter Mola Lenghi, cbs news, New York. Odonnell lets get them the help that was approved by congress. All right, there is still much more news ahead on tonights Cbs Evening News. 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The feelslike temperature in springfield, massachusetts is expected to top 100. The mercury could soar to 115 in yuma, arizona. Be safe out there. Well, tonight, the Caldor Wildfire is not only threatening thousands of homes near californias Lake Tahoe, its making the air dangerous to breathe. The area, shrouded in ash and yellow smoke, now has the worst Air Pollution in the country. This big News Both Serena and venus williams dropped out of the u. S. Open today. Serena says she needs more time to heal from the torn hamstring she suffered at wimbledon, which also forced her to miss the olympics. Venus is also nursing a leg injury. And on the mens side, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are sidelined because of injuries. Lots of injuries. All right, up next, an athlete who knows no barriers, from the battlefield in iraq to the paralympics in tokyo. Just press firmly and it continuously eliminates odors in the air and on soft surfaces. For 45 days. 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Grand larceny. How about we get back to the savings . [ everyone agreeing ] Odonnell Melissa Stockwell helped to lead the u. S. Team as a flagbearer at the paralympics. The Iraq War Vet was the first female american soldier to lose a limb in combat. Representing the u. S. Means everything to her. And heres cbss dana jacobson. Reporter just three weeks into melissa stockwells 2004 iraq deployment, a Roadside Bomb changed the course of her life, taking her leg and sending her to walter reed army medical center. I remember getting there and i looked around, and i saw soldiers who were missing both legs; they had a Leg And Arm missing; they had lost their eyesight. And i thought, holy cow, am i lucky. I mean, all i lost was one leg. Reporter she found refuge in the hospital pool. I jumped in the pool for the first time and i didnt have to wear a prosthetic leg, and it was just, like, this freeing feeling. Reporter four years later, she was swimming for the u. S. At the beijing paralympics. This flag that i am so passionate about, looking back, it was what was meant to be. Reporter you wanted to serve the country. Uhhuh. Reporter and you were. After beijing, she tackled new challenges motherhood, and the triathlon. I used to think triatheletes were crazy, because its like, you swim, you bike, and you run, like, all in the same day. Like, who wants to do that . Reporter turns out, she did. At the rio paralympics on september 11, 2016, stockwell won a bronze medal. But when she showed it to her thentwoyearold son . I threw it, it hit my prosthetic leg, which then dented my brandnew medal, which i was upset about for all of like 30 seconds, and then im like, you know what . That adds character. I am so pumped reporter in tokyo, stockwell is hoping for a new medal one without a dent u. S. A. reporter when she competes in the triathlon friday. Dana jacobson, cbs news, colorado springs. Odonnell and good luck to melissa and the team. 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Concerning issue, a new one forces a sudden stop to the effort to shore up San Franciscos sinking skyscraper. My heart goes out to the family. A 12yearold Boy loses his life in a horrific crash. What a witness reported seeing seconds before impact. And unlikely disaster in San Francisco where heavy Flood Damage put an early end to the stern grove festival. Temperatures heating up and smoke likely to return. I am checking both in the forecast. Four a public Safety Catch 22, the Police Officers refusing to work over the cities vaccine mandate. A pair of republican candidates make their pitches in the play area. Keep an eye on your bank balance, you could have hundreds of dollars coming your way. Right now on Kpix 5 news at seven, the effort to shore up San Franciscos sinking Millennium Towers hit a new low. Kpix 5s Andria Borba is live at the Millennium Tower where work to stop the thinking has suddenly stopped. Reporter the 10 year, 100 Million fix to put pilings underneath the slab of Millennium Tower came to a stop when it revealed that the fix was causing more problems. The heavy equipment outside 301 Mission Street sits idle tonight as the work to level the sinking Millennium Tower may have caused even more settling. As much as an inch in the past month. The buildi