Is it safe . And the father, an e. R. Doctor, saying even he doesnt know whether to send his child back to school. And tonight, the decision here in new york city. The interview tonight. Pierre thomas oneonone with attorney general william barr. We ask about the protesters forcibly cleared from Lafayette Park. Was it for that president ial photoop . What barr now says. Also tonight, the a. G. On black lives matter and on allegations of racial profiling by police. And amid this pandemic, should americans, concerned about their health, be allowed to vote in the president ial election by mail . What the attorney general says. After that confrontation in new yorks central park ignited outrage, the woman charged, calling police on a black man, a bird watcher, falsely claiming he was threatening her. The surprising turn tonight. What hes now saying to prosecutors. The racist rant against asianamericans inside this restaurant. A tech ceo on video lashing out. The waitress defending the families and whats happened now. The teacher who made International Headlines has died. Mary kay letourneau, convicted of raping a 12yearold student, later marrying him. He was by her side as she died. Deborah roberts on that tonight. And the tropical threat were watching along the east coast this evening, as it closes in on the carolinas and then the northeast. We have the possible track. Good evening and its great to have you with us here on a wednesday night. We do have a lot to get to. And we begin tonight with those new images, hospitals under siege. Icus overflowing tonight. And they are the kind of images that reminded us today of what we saw here in new york city when the pandemic was raging here. Tonight, the u. S. Now surpassing 3 million cases. That sobering milestone comes after a record 60,000 cases reported in just 24 hours in this country. More than 132,000 lives have been lost. More than 800 more americans dying in just the last 24 hours. And tonight, from texas, the images from inside houstons United Memorial Medical Center. The urgent effort to save patients. The moment they try to save that 66yearold woman. They were unable to, calling her family right after. And then moving quickly to the next patient in need. Abcs matt gutman leads us off tonight with the urgent need inside those icus. And the plea from dr. Deborah birx tonight to American Families to help try to slow this down. Reporter when medicine and machine failed, staff inside houstons United Memorial Medical Center worked to jumpstart this Covid Patients heart with their own hands. One two, one two, one two, come on. Put some pressure, people. Reporter they pounded her chest and pumped air into this 66yearold womans unreceptive lungs in this video shot by the a. P. This week. In the race for life, every moment counts. But like more than 130,000 american covid victims, she flatlined. And for a solemn second, they stood there. Then raced equipment to the next covid patient. The u. S. Topping 3 million covid cases today. And tonight, this is the grim reality across much of the south and the west, where covid is exploding. In coronavirus, one minute youre looking great and the next minute, youre gone. Reporter this icu unit started with 46 beds. They doubled those and now need more. We are playing Musical Chairs in the middle of the night, moving one patient from one side to another. Reporter experts calling the sun belt the covid capital of the world. In arizona, cases more than doubling in just the past week. The mayor of phoenix tells us that testing here is woefully inadequate, especially given the 33 Positivity Rate here in arizona. That means that 1 of every 3 cars that drives to a testing site like this has a covid patient inside. At todays White House Coronavirus task force, dr. Deborah birx asking those four states to roll back their reopenings even further. Its really asking the American People in those counties and in those states to not only use the face coverings, not going to bars, not going to indoor dining, but really not gathering in homes either. Reporter nearly 10,000 new infections in florida overnight. Icus at 41 hospitals at capacity. Now a new hot spot in south carolina. At this coastal hospital, dozens of staff infected. Theyve asked for the National Guard to help. Were pretty well maxed out on icu capacity. 96 , that could happen quickly. Reporter and the president tonight undercutting americas leading voice on the virus, dr. Anthony fauci, who advised americans not to take comfort in a lower death rate. I disagree with him. You know, dr. Fauci said dont wear masks and now he says wear them. And you know, hes said numerous things. Dont close off china. Dont ban china. Reporter but tonight, the scope of the crisis encapsulated back in that houston hospital. Its horrifying, because you just you cant get your breath. All you can think in your head is, am i going to end up on a ventilator . Do i have to be on a ventilator . Reporter covid has been trafficking in fear and in death. For dr. Varon, that agonizing call. Shes gone. Im very sorry. Thinking about those teams and those patients fighting it all, describing similar symptoms as this moves across the country. Matt with us from a testing side in phoenix. And matt, youve been reporting here over the last couple of nights, people have been waiting in line for seven, eight hours in the searing heat and then they have to wait for results. Some waiting several days, even weeks. Reporter up to ten days, maybe more, david. Thats if they can get tested. Now, epidemiologists tell us that means there is a lot of covid in the community and not nearly enough testing. The mayor of phoenix says she is asking the federal government for help, but the governor of this state, doug ducey, a state in crisis, hasnt been seen or hasnt spoken about the coronavirus in over a week. His team tells us theyre planning a briefing for tomorrow. David . More than a week. All right, matt, youll stay on it. Thank you. Of course, the heated debate over whether to open schools across this country in the fall, some as early as august. Tonight, we take you inside the school board meetings, students and teachers concerned. And the e. R. Doctor, a father, who says even he doesnt know whether to send his child back. And the new decision tonight here in new york city. Heres stephanie ramos. Reporter tonight, with the virus raging and hospitals on the brink, the president putting pressure on schools. Today, threatening to cut off funding for districts that dont reopen in person. Were very much going to put pressure on governors and everybody else to open the schools. Reporter President Trump tweeting he disagrees with the cdc on their very tough and expensive guidelines for opening schools. The president said today we just dont want the guidance to be too tough. Reporter those cdc guidelines call for Safety Measures like masks, six feet of spacing between desks, open windows, avoiding the cafeteria and playground equipment, if possible. But tonight, mixed messages from the White House Coronavirus task force. I want to make it very clear that what is not the intent of cdcs guidelines is to be used it as a rationale to keep schools closed. Reporter the director of the cdc appearing to back off those guidelines. New guidelines now expected to roll out next week. But it comes amid those new warnings about the risk of indoor gatherings in states where cases are surging. Like florida, where there is heat debate after the state ordered schools to reopen in august. I dont think its responsible to go back to school. Reporter at a tampa school board meeting, students, teachers and parents, like this e. R. Doctor, are worried. I think it would be really hard to make a decision. So, if i cant make that decision, as a physician treating Covid Patients whos comfortable in that space, im not sure how other parents can. Reporter new jersey teacher adam roth wants back in the classroom, if its safe. We can have that much greater of an impact on our student population if we are with them, but just in a safe environment. Reporter today, the countrys largest Public School system new york city unveiling its plan to reopen with a mix of Online Learning with two to three days in the classroom, leaving it up to parents. The governor blasting the president , arguing he has no authority over the decision to reopen schools. He then says, dont listen to the cdc. I disagree with them. Oh, really . Do you know, mr. President , better than your Health Experts how to protect the health of students . Reporter the president hasnt spelled out how he would cut off funding. He would need congress to cut off the little he controls. Most schools are funded by the state and local levels. But the Vice President has suggested the white house could tie the reopening of schools to coronavirus funding down the line. David . All right, stephanie ramos, live in new york. Steph, thank you. Tonight, we are oneonone with attorney general william barr. With this pandemic, the growing concern over the president ial election. Should americans concerned about their health be allowed to mail in their ballot . What barr says about that tonight. And we ask him about the police, about black lives matter and that scene at Lafayette Park, forcibly clearing out those Peaceful Protesters. Was it for a president ial photoop . What he now says. Heres our chief justice correspondent Pierre Thomas with the attorney general tonight. Reporter we pressed the attorney general about that moment in june, when mostly Peaceful Protesters were cleared out of Lafayette Park by force. Earlier, william barr standing right there. Moments later, the president stood for that photoop with a bible. Is that your bible . Its a bible. Reporter was it done because the president was going to go over and walk and have a photoop . The plan was to move the demonstrators up toward i street. It was not done to set up a photoop. Reporter barr recently said theres no systemic racism in policing. But during our interview today, he acknowledged a racial profiling problem. You know, i do think that it is a widespread phenomenon that africanamerican males, particularly, are treated with extra suspicion and maybe not given the benefit of the doubt. Reporter with the president ial election nearing and the pandemic raging, we asked about concerns about voting safely and voter suppression. In recent primaries, lines stretching for hours. Many states now pushing to vote by mail. The president repeatedly claiming millions of ballots could be stolen. We actually called every secretary of state in the country, virtually every one, and none of them said that it was an issue that they were concerned about. I was very concerned about the integrity of elections, because i feel were a very divided country. I think theres a lot of opportunity for mischief and that makes me concerned. Reporter but shouldnt we be making it easier for people to vote in a pandemic . Well, i think the states have a lot of latitude as to what form of voting theyre going to have. Im expressing concern over voter fraud, and i do think it increases the opportunity for fraud. Reporter you voted absentee voting yourself. Well, actually, one of those, i actually did go to vote. Pressing the attorney general on whether americans should be allowed to mail in their ballots this election. In the meantime, pierre, you also asked the attorney general about President Trump and the possibility that he might pardon roger stone . Reporter david, barr maintains that stones prosecution was righteous and he deserves the three years in prison that the judge sentenced him to. But he admits its going to be the president s call as to whether to commute stones prison term or to pardon him. David . Pierre thomas tonight with the interview. Thank you. The major ruling from the Supreme Court today. The court siding with President Trump, allowing employers to opt out of the Obamacare Mandate of providing contraceptive coverage if those employers have religious or moral objections. So, lets get to terry moran. Hes covered the court for years for us. And terry, this was a big win for religious conservatives and the president. Reporter a huge win, david. The court upholding the trump administrations change to those obamacare regulations, which required employers to provide insurance that would cover Contraception Services for women. The new trump regulations allow employers who have religious or, as you said, just moral objections, to providing that kind of coverage to opt out. The impact is immediate. The government estimates between 70,000 and 126,000 women will lose their coverage under this ruling. David . And terry, i know you are watching tomorrow, the court is set to rule on another big case, this time involving the president s tax returns. Reporter oh, its huge. His tax returns, his bank statements. Three committees in the house of representatives and the manhattan District Attorney, they want to look at years of the trump financial records. The president is declaring as president , he has immunity from these kinds of investigations. The court looked at the claim against the house, on his side, but in oral arguments, they seemed very skeptical that President Trump could stop a local District Attorney from subpoenaing his accountants to help a grand injury investigate potential crimes. Its a big question of president ial power tomorrow. All right, well see you tomorrow night on that front, terry, thank you. And of course, that other headline from the Supreme Court overnight. Word that chief Justice John Roberts was hospitalized for a night last month after falling and injuring his head walking at a country club. Roberts has suffered seizures before, but doctors say this was likely due to lightheadedness from dehydration. Now to the new video tonight of a ceo of a tech company lashing out at asianAmerican Families while at a restaurant in california. And whats now happened. Heres abcs kaylee hartung. Reporter the orosa and chan families were celebrating a birthday in carmel valley, california, on the fourth of july, when they say a man at the table next to them began berating them. Suddenly i hear this loud voice, effing asians. Reporter they started recording. Oh, now youre shy . Reporter the man identified as Michael Lofthouse unleashing a string of racist obscenities at the group. Trumps going to [ bleep ] you. You need to leave now. You [ bleep ] you need to leave. You do not talk to my dad like that. You need to leave. Asian piece of [ bleep ]. Oh, my god. He was full of hate and anger. Im sad that theres still people that are like that in this world. Reporter a restaurant employee confronts lofthouse. Get out. Now. Who are these [ bleep ] they are valued guests. Oh, are they . Reporter lofthouse, the ceo of a tech Company Called solid8, later apologized, writing, my behavior in the video is appalling. This was clearly a moment where i lost control and made incredibly hurtful and divisive comments. Ray orosa and his wife have been in this country for more than 25 years. He said they have never felt anything remotely close to racism until that night. He hopes it never happens to them or anyone else again, but he forgives lofthouse. David . All right, kaylee, thank you. Tonight, the news that Mary Kay Letourneau has died. She was, of course, the teacher that made headlines two decades ago, convicted for having a sexual relationship with her sixth grade student. She later married him, and he was by her side in the end. Heres deborah roberts. Reporter to many, her life story was nothing short of bizarre. Something Mary Kay Letourneau herself admitted to barbara walters. Did you know this was something that was wrong or that society would see as wrong . I definitely knew that it was bizarre. Reporter a married mom of four, the Washington State teacher made stunning headlines when she admitted to a sexual affair with her 12yearold student, vili fualaau. When did you first feel any kind of attraction to vili . Well, there was an emotional attraction. We just had bonded. We have similar interests. Reporter she called it love. Others saw it as predatory. The state called it rape. Letourneau gave birth to the couples child before going to prison and had a second while serving her sevenyear sentence. They were married soon after her release, but got divorced last year. Letourneau died battling cancer for several months. 58yearold letourneau was surrounded by family and friends as she passed away, according to her longtime lawyer and friend, including fualaau, the father of two of her six children. On both sides of her family, they say somehow they drew strength coming together in the end to be there with her during her arduous struggle. David . All right, deborah roberts. 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