the president has called her an important voice. tonight, joe biden calling her, quote, an absolute disgrace and that the president is also trying to scare suburban voters. and tonight, one of the president's staunchest allies now testing positive, just before he was going to board air force one with president trump. the new interview tonight. the president pressed about reports of russia's alleged bounties on u.s. troops. russia allegedly paying the taliban. the president pressed on his recent phone call with vladimir putin, did it come up? the president saying the call was to discuss other things. and the major move involving 12,000 u.s. troopsonedn germany. a key u.s. ally. here at home tonight, the alarming images. the partial bridge collapse as a train goes off the tracks. on high alert in the northeast tonight. the sharks, nine sightings off new york shores in just the last two days. it comes after a deadly attack, the wife and mother who was killed off maine. and we're also tracking that tropical threat now passing near puerto rico. and the shift in the track tonight. what it now means for florida and the east as this moves north. good evening and it's great to have you with us here on this wednesday night. and we begin tonight with that grim new milestone. the death toll in this country now topping 150,000 from the coronavirus. 150,000 lives lost. so many families affected in this pandemic. tonight, the federal government now pointing to 98 hot spots, they say now emerging across 30 states. some of them where the virus had already been slowed. more than 4.4 million americans testing positive and, of course, that death toll tonight. florida reporting a record number of deaths in the last 24 hours. 217 more deaths. more than 9,000 new cases there. texas tonight reporting 313 deaths and 9,000 new cases there, a total number of cases in texas now more than 400,000, joining california, florida and new york. and the emotional debate tonight in jeffersonville, indiana, for one, parents were told they could choose virtual or in-class. some parents saying they had no choice but to send their children, even if they fear for their health, saying they have no choice because they have to work. that is their reality. vice president pence and education secretary betsy devos paying a visit to a private school in north carolina. secretary devos saying there is no national plan for reopening schools. and so we begin tonight on all of this, including those new hot spots and the debate, what are parents to do with the school year about to begin and so many unanswered questions. abc's victor oquendo leading us off. >> reporter: tonight, the country topping a once unimaginable toll. 150,000 american lives lost to the coronavirus. florida and texas seeing their deadliest days yet. doctors are pushed to the breaking point. >> they're exhausted. there's not a deep bench of physicians. >> reporter: e.r. doctor robert rodriguez is back in his hometown of brownsville, texas, helping on the front lines. >> we're trying everything, but these patients are extremely, extremely sick. >> reporter: behind every patient, a family. in arizona, 20-year-old adrian garcia, who had diabetes, lost his battle with the virus. his entire family was infected, but adrian was the only one who didn't recover. he leaves behind a 3-month-old daughter. >> for the average person with no underlying health conditions, you'll be okay. we're okay. but my son is not. >> reporter: the nation's death toll is surging. an internal fema memo obtained by abc news revealing a 30% inkreegs in deaths from the previous week. homeland security identifying 98 emerging hot spots across 30 states. and tonight, a new front in the war on covid. dr. anthony fauci telling our dr. jen ashton he's concerned about cases ticking up in states like ohio, tennessee, kentucky and indiana. >> which is a sure-fire hint that you may be getting into the same sort of trouble with those states that the southern states got into trouble. >> reporter: today in jeffersonville, indiana, about 70% of students were back in school with masks and social distancing. parents can choose virtual or in-person learning. some parents feel they have little choice. >> honestly, the options were limited. my husband and i both work outside of the home. >> reporter: in florida, latoya floyd is a single mother of two, an essential worker at a grocery store. she's worried about sending her kids back to the classroom. >> i absolutely have no choice but to send them to school, because i work 45 hours a week. >> reporter: with the debate raging over safely reopening schools, doctors in florida demanding more robust safety measures. >> putting hundreds and thousands of young people, teachers and staff together in enclosed spaces like school buildings is an invitation for a covid-19 super spreader event. >> reporter: officials taking no chances south of orlando, ordering nearly 300 students to self-quarantine, after one person who attended an outdoor graduation ceremony tested positive. today, the vice president, who has pushed for the reopening of in-person classes, visiting a private elementary school in north carolina, where teachers and students wore masks. taking off his mask for a time to talk to kids. >> we really do believe it's in the best interest of our children to be back in the classroom. >> reporter: education secretary betsy devos acknowledging there is no national plan for schools. >> there's not a national superintendant, nor should there be, therefore, there's not a national plan for reopening. >> reporter: here in miami-dade county, the nation's fourth largest school district, they'll be starting the year with online learning. and that's the same story in other major cities in florida. but other districts will start with in-person classes, something that the governor repeatedly pushed for. just today, he said, if his kids were old enough, he'd have no problem sending them back to school. david? >> all right, victor oquendo leading us off. victor, thank you. tonight, president trump once again saying he supports that controversial doctor who said masks don't work and who pushed hydroxychloroquine, along with the president, even though his own team of advisers and doctors have said it's dangerous and ineffective for treating covid-19. that doctor in the past has said that illnesses are caused by demons and witches. tonight, joe biden taking aim, saying the doctor is an absolute disgrace. and a key supporter of president trump, a congressman tonight, has now tested positive for the virus, just before he was going to board air force one. abc's mary bruce on it all. >> reporter: president trump today doubled down on his support for a fringe doctor who is spreading lies about the coronavirus, even after learning she claims demons and witches cause illnesses. >> i was very impressed with her. i know nothing about her. i had never seen her before. but certainly you can put her up and let her have a voice. >> reporter: trump had retweeted a video of that doctor denouncing the use of masks and promoting hydroxychloroquine, even though the nation's top health officials warn the anti-malaria drug is ineffective at treating covid-19 and potentially dangerous. joe biden today urged the president to knock it off. >> president trump should stop tweeting and start doing something about it, damn it. and stop going on and talking about this crazy woman he talked about last night about -- who's an absolute disgrace. >> reporter: one of the people who spread that misleading video, the chief of staff for republican congressman louie gohmert. today, gohmert announced he's tested positive himself. >> i'm asymptomatic. i don't have any of the symptoms that are listed as part of covid-19. >> reporter: the congressman has frequently been spotted on the hill without a mask. sources tell us his staff has even been scolded for wearing them. >> masks really complicate things. this is the first time in american history when we have punished or restricted people who are not sick. >> reporter: just yesterday, he was seen walking alongside attorney general bill barr, neither of them in a mask. barr's staff says the attorney general is now getting tested. the congressman sat for hours in two separate hearings yesterday. tonight, senior lawmakers from both parties going into quarantine. gohmert himself only learned he was positive because he was required to take a test before he was set to fly with the president. >> now that i apparently have it, i will be very, very careful to make sure i don't give it to anybody else. >> reporter: today, as he prepared to drive to texas to self-quarantine, gohmert promised to wear a mask, quote, religiously. >> all right, so, let's get to mary tonight. because we know moments ago, house speaker nancy pelosi now announcing anyone on the house floor must wear a mask. and mary, you reported there tonight that joe biden is taking aim again at the president and his handling of the pandemic, but biden making news himself overnight, after that image appeared of his own notes while speaking to reporters before we came on the air last night. in those notes, we could all see the talking points on senator kamala harris. a lot of people trying to read the tea leaves in the last 24 hours. >> reporter: david, photographers there getting a glimpse of biden's notes yesterday and right there on top, talking points about senator kamala harris. biden's former rival now under consideration to be his running mate. and the first note there, saying, quote, do not hold grudges. biden says he will make his choice next week. david? >> mary bruce on the campaign trail. mary, thank you. we turn next here tonight to the move involving 12,000 u.s. troops. the pentagon transferring those troops from germany, a key u.s. ally. there has been immediate reaction to this tonight. and a new interview with the president, after reports russia allegedly paid bounties to the taliban for the killing of u.s. troops in afghanistan. the president was asked about his recent call with vladimir putin and whether the safety of our troops was brought up. here's terry moran. >> reporter: tonight, after those reports that russia might have been paying bounties to the taliban to kill u.s. troops in afghanistan, president trump admitting in an interview with axios that he never even raised the matter in a call with vladimir putin last week. >> we discussed numerous things, we did not discuss that, no. >> and you've never discussed that with him? >> i have never discussed it with him, no. >> reporter: trump also denied he'd heard anything about the bounties, despite reports the intel did make it into the president's daily brief. >> it never reached my desk. you know why? because they didn't think it -- intelligence, they didn't think it was real. >> it was in your written brief, though. >> they didn't think it was worthy of -- i wouldn't mind -- if it reached my desk, i would have done something about it. it never reached my desk. >> reporter: when asked about russia supplying arms to the taliban, trump said the u.s. did the same thing in afghanistan, too. >> well, we supplied weapons when they were fighting russia, too. you know, when they were fighting, when the taliban -- in afghanistan. >> that's a different era. >> well, it's a different -- i'm just saying, yes. i'm just saying, we did that, too. >> reporter: and the president also making a major strategic move in europe, withdrawing a third of u.s. troops from germany, citing his longstanding gripe that germany doesn't pay its fair share for defense in europe. >> we don't want to be the suckers anymore. >> reporter: there was bipartisan condemnation of the move. those american troops in germany have been the cornerstone of u.s. security in europe for decades. senator mitt romney calling the withdrawal "a grave error" and "a slap in the face of a friend and ally." the biden campaign blasted trump in a statement, saying, "the withdrawal does not reflect a thoughtful defense strategy. this is a gift to vladimir putin." david, nearly half of those 12,000 troops being culled out of germany, they'll be rotated to other parts of eastern europe. the pentagon saying they'll help deter russian aggression, but president trump made crystal clear, this is a lot more about punishing germany than deterring russia. david? >> all of this with the election nearing. terry moran, thank you tonight. we're going to turn next this evening to that partial bridge collapse in arizona. the flames after a train carrying hazardous materials derailed. it happened in tempe. the bridge partially collapsing there. some of the cars falling, as well. and abc's clayton sandell is on the scene tonight. >> reporter: tonight, the flaming freight train inferno outside phoenix, arizona, derailing on a bridge in tempe just after 6:00 this morning. >> got a fire on the mill avenue train bridge. >> reporter: part of that bridge collapsed, a mess of twisted metal, tracks and train cars falling into a park below. nearly 100 firefighters raced to the scene, as flames raced to engulf cars loaded with lumber, grain and other products. >> the fire is traveling north along the train bridge, which is making it extraordinarily difficult for our firefighters to fight. >> reporter: union pacific says tanker cars that fell off the bridge contain a hazardous and highly flammable chemical. the fire department says one tanker is leaking and is using heavy equipment to pull the car upright, stop the leak and prevent another fire. as flames raged, a light rail passenger train on a nearby bridge slowly pushed its way through the smoke. valley metro rail telling us it was safer for this final train to pass through than stop on the bridge. federal investigators now working to figure out why the derailment happened. and david, firefighters tell us that the chemical leaking from that tanker ignites very easily, which is what makes this such a delicate cleanup operation. they say it could last for days. and keep in mind, the crews are doing all this work in the heat. temperatures hovering around 110 degrees. david? >> yeah, still some very tough hours ahead. clayton sandell, thank you. now to minneapolis tonight. authorities say they are now searching for a man that they allege is seen in a viral video, smashing windows and inciting violence after the death of george floyd. they say he is a white supremacist who wanted to fuel racial unrest. here's alex perez. >> reporter: tonight, authorities in minneapolis say they have finally identified the man they claim incited days of violent protests there after george floyd was killed. dubbed "the umbrella man" on social media, he was captured in this viral video breaking windows at this autozone, dressed in black, holding an umbrella. in a court filing this week, police identifying him as a white supremacist. brad svenson recorded the may 27th incident. >> it was strange, because he was just casually walking through this war-like space. >> reporter: according to court documents, the man also spray painted the words "free expletive for everyone zone" on the business's doors. not long after, looting and fires began in the area, police say. an officer telling the court, until "umbrella man," the protests had been relatively peaceful. this individual's sole aim was to incite violence. after a tip, investigators zeroing in on the 32-year-old, police say also a known member of a whites-only motorcycle gang. and david, investigators are working to obtain the man's cell phone location data. at this point, charges have not yet been filed. david? >> alex perez with us tonight. alex, thank you. there are questions tonight after an arrest at a rally here in new york city by the nypd's warrant squad. a team of plainclothes officers grabbing a woman and putting her in an unmarked car while bike cops held the crowd back. witnesses recording it all. the nypd tonight saying it was executing a warrant for the arrest of 18-year-old nikki stone, seen in this video they say vandalizing several surveillance cameras. she was booked and released. witnesses say it was excessive. there is growing concern over sharks in the northeast. nine sightings in just two days and it comes, of course, after that deadly attack, the wife and mother who did not survive. here's eva pilgrim. >> reporter: tonight, lifeguards on alert and helicopters patrolling beaches near new york city after multiple days of shark sightings. at least three sightings today. >> i saw a fin of a shark. >> reporter: on monday, lifeguards in hempstead, new york, spotted a shark near swimmers about five feet from shore. >> people were screaming and yelling a little bit, but the lifeguards did a great job of getting everyone out. >> reporter: the shark identified as a bull shark, which can weigh up to 500 pounds and grow to 11 feet. >> they're aggressive creatures and the biggest concern is, they go to the shoreline. >> reporter: the warnings in new york coming after 63-year-old julie dimperio holowach was attacked and killed by a great white shark in maine monday. holowach was swimming in a wetsuit. experts say the shark may have mistaken her for a seal. shark attacks on humans are very rare, but they are a protected species and their numbers are growing. >> as it recovers, it is re-establishing its historic range. and when you mix that with the recovery of the seal and a lot more people in the water, now suddenly, we look like their food and so occasionally, they'll make a mistake. >> reporter: researchers are watching at least 16 tagged sharks right off the coast here of new york. at least ten of those are great white sharks. david? >> all right, eva, thank you. when we come back here tonight, there's news just coming in on tomorrow's funeral, the service for the late representative john lewis. we have learned who will deliver the eulogy and the former presidents who will be there. and of course, more on that tropical threat now moving toward the east. groovin, and golden. it's about getting more than health insurance and a partner who listens and acts. humana calls it human care. it's talking to a doctor from your couch, or helping you find a cheaper prescription before you ask. it's helping you fix the rugs so you don't fall, and keeping you social, online or off. it's getting to know you, so you can be your healthiest. that's our superpower. that's human care. from humana. try nature's bounty hair, skin and nails gummies. the number one brand to support silky hair, glowing skin, and healthy nails. beauty comes naturally, only from nature's bounty. so we collaborate ♪ ocean spray works with nature every day to farm in a sustainable way ocean spray works with nature every day walk to end alzheimer's alzheis everywhere.tion all of us are raising funds for one goal: a world without alzheimer's and all other dementia. because this disease isn't waiting, neither are you. go to alz dot org slash walk. your bank can be virtually any place you are. you can deposit checks from here. and you can see your transactions and check your balance from here. and pay bills from here. because your bank isn't just one place. it's virtually any place you are. just download and use the chase mobile app. visit chase.com/mobile. we live in the mountains so i like to walk. i'm really busy in my life; i'm always doing something. i'm not a person that's going to sit too long. in the morning, i wake up and the first thing i do is go to my art studio. a couple came up and handed me a brochure on prevagen. i've been taking prevagen for about four years. i feel a little bit brighter and my mind just feels sharper. i would recommend it to anyone. it absolutely works. prevagen. healthier brain. better life. we continue to track that tropical threat passing near puerto rico at this hour. then florida. heavy rains and gusty winds and 90% chance of this becoming a tropical storm. look at the track tonight. it shows it on course for southern florida by this weekend and then beyond. we'll be tracking it. when we come back, more on the funeral for congressman john lewis and who will be there to pay respects and to deliver the eulogy. >> techand your car., we're committed to taking care of you >> tech: we'll fix it right with no-contact service you can trust. >> tech: so if you have auto glass damage, stay safe with safelite. >> singers: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace. ♪ now i have end-stage copd. my tip is, if you keep smoking, your freedom may only go as far as your oxygen tube. (announcer) you can quit. for free help, call 1-800-quit now. an extra 15% credit on car and motorcycle policies? >>wow...ok! that's 15% on top of what geico could already save you. so what are you waiting for? idina menzel to sing your own theme song? ♪ tara, tara, look at her go with a fresh cup of joe. ♪ gettin' down to work early! ♪ following her dreams into taxidermy! oh, it's...tax attorney. ♪ i read that wrong, oh yeeaaaah! geico. save an extra 15 percent when you switch by october 7th. ♪ give it up for tara! my age-related macular degenso today i made a plan with my doctor, which includes preservision... because he said a multi- vitamin alone may not be enough. and it's my vision, my morning walk, my sunday drive, my grandson's beautiful face. only preservision areds2 contains the exact nutrient formula recommended by the national eye institute to help reduce the risk of moderate to advanced amd progression. it's how i see my life. because it's my vision... preservision. you try to stay ahead of the but scrubbing still takes time. now there's powerwash dish spray it's the faster way to clean as you go just spray, wipe and rinse it cleans grease five times faster dawn powerwash. spray, wipe, rinse. the late congressman and civil rights icon john lewis has returned to georgia tonight, lying in repose in the state capitol. his funeral tomorrow. we have learned tonight former president obama will deliver the eulogy. former presidents bill clinton and george w. bush will also be there. abc news will carry the service live at 11:00 a.m. and i'll be there for a special edition of "world news tonight." when we come back, two young sisters with something special in the kitchen. thousands omen with metastatic breast cancer, which is breast cancer that has spread tobo,are ling in and taking ibrance. thousands omen with metastatic breast cancer, ibrance with an aromatase inhibitor is for postmenopausal women or for men with hr+/her2- metastatic breast cancer, as the first hormonal based therapy. ibrance plus letrozole significantly delayed disease progression versus letrozole, and shrank tumors in over half of patients. patients taking ibrance can develop low white blood cell counts, which may cause serious infections that can lead to death. ibrance may cause severe inflammation of the lungs that can lead to death. tell your doctor right away if you have new or worsening symptoms, including trouble breathing, shortness of breath, cough, or chest pain. before taking ibrance, tell your doctor if you have fever, chills, or other signs of infection, liver or kidney problems, are pregnant, breastfeeding, or plan to become pregnant. common side effects include low red blood cell and low platelet counts, infections, tiredness, nausea, sore mouth, abnormalities in liver blood tests, diarrhea, hair thinning or loss, vomiting, rash, and loss of appetite. be in your moment. ask your doctor about ibrance. find a stock basedtech. on your interests or what's trending. get real-time insights in your customized view of the market. it's smarter trading technology for smarter trading decisions. fidelity. for spending a perfectly reasonable amount of time on the couch with tacos from grubhub? grubhub's gonna reward you for that with a $5 off perk. (doorbell rings) - [crowd] grubhub! (fireworks exploding) man: i'm 53. but in my mind i'm still 35. that's why i take osteo bi-flex, to keep me moving the way i was made to. it nourishes and strengthens my joints for the long term. osteo bi-flex. find our coupon in sunday's paper. osteo bi-flex. your bank can be virtually any place you are. you can deposit checks from here. and you can see your transactions and check your balance from here. and pay bills from here. because your bank isn't just one place. it's virtually any place you are. just download and use the chase mobile app. visit chase.com/mobile. finally tonight, america strong. across generations, finding hope with family recipes in the kitchen. in this pandemic, so many families are trying to find some comfort in the kitchen. in michigan, 15-year-old layla wallace and her cupcakes and the proceeds from them, she's now donated more than $1,000 to help the community. in georgia, grandmother patsy wilbanks. >> this is not a professional, but here we go. >> a family friend asked grandma patsy for her famous biscuit recipe. >> she told me you wanted to know how to make biscuits and instead of just sending the recipe, i'm going to make them and my grandson chris is doing this video for me. >> that recipe going viral. >> got the two and a half tablespoons of butter and we're going to spoon it on top of the biscuits. just like this. >> the finished product? >> here's your biscuits. hope that teaches you something about biscuits. good-bye. >> and in colorado, 11-year-old zaire hawkins and her 9-year-old sister charlisse started a business they call little sistas treats. >> we started planning it out on paper. our flavors and what we would do with our cone. >> mom marita on her girls and their business. >> the girls have business meetings. they are serious about this thing. >> she took her girls to see a bakery in town owned by women, too. there was a connection. >> hi, david, welcome to sugar sisters bakery here in castle rock, colorado. >> co-owners molly and rebecca saying the community has helped save their business, so now they have given the little girls more than $1,000 for their business. >> they're a startup business, they're in our community. and these poor young girls just started a new business during a pandemic. >> this was the moment. >> oh, my gosh! >> hi, david. >> zaire and charlisse with us, too. >> come on, david. little sistas treats have treats just for you. >> and tonight, their recipe for success. >> we want to hire other young girls. >> we want to inspire other children to be their own ceo. >> we're going to figure out a way to get that ice cream here. they are inspiring. emptiness seems to be everywhere. we krumplg the number to see some opportunities and drawbacks for people hoping to rental, buy or work here. >> i'm laura anthony in oakland. this long time daycare central had a waiting list for years. it doesn't nil. we'll tell you why. we are spraying, scrubbing and sanitizing. is it making any difference? experts weigh in. going through san francisco south of market, neighbors feel like touring a ghost town. an eerie empty and it is having an impact. good evening. >> 90% of the city's work force is working from home. people are leaving the city. what does that mean for real estate? as part of building a better bay area, we are dedicating this week to the housing shift that is happening really as we speak moment by moment. the coronavirus pandemic is upending some bay area real estate trends. stephanie sierra is live to break down what we know about all of this empty space that suddenly sprang up. >> before the pandemic, san francisco had the highest building occupancy rate in the country. now most of the city's sky scrapers sit empty. the question is, how long will it stay that way? >> reporter: it's an eerie feeling standing at the corner of folsom and beal, an empty office building that sits across from an empty row of condos. it mak you wonder, is allhi emptiness driving prices down everywhere? that was not the case for jason and stephanie hicks. >> severely overasking. probably $400 over asking. >> reporter: in the midst of the pandemic, embracing permanent work from home schedules, the two are leaving, hoping for a better value in