let's get right to abc's senior meteorologist rob marciano. and rob, some of the most dangerous we thinker is coming late tonight. >> reporter: it is, whit. this is going to be an expansive high-impact holiday event. you mention the advisories. check them out on the ma cold air, and flood watch across an area devastated by tornadoes a couple weeks ago. storm emerges into the plains. firestorm in colorado. pushes east into lincoln, nebraska. ice tomorrow morning in kansas city. heavy rain from arkansas all the way up through the ohio river valley. the severe weather threat in the warm sector, that's what i'm worried about the most. birmingham, atlanta, nashville could see tornadoes. the mild air feeding that is pushing towards the east. temperatures way above normal in the east. ringing in the new year on the mild side. whit? >> rob, thank you. >>> now to the new travel warning from the faa. expect for flight cancellations in the coming days. more than 1,500 flights grounded again in less than 24 hours making it six days in a row with more than

abc 7 news at 6:00 starts right now. >> now from abc 7, live breaking news. ama: that breaking news, the destruction of 500 homes in just a few hours, with thousands more at risk. from the shop from this camera. it is scary. 40 foot tall flames are ripping through colorado, pushed by winds of 100 miles per hour. the fires are burning 20 miles north of denver. at least one person has been injured. the sheriff did not rule out the possibility of more injuries or even deaths. lots we know that there are structures, both homes and businesses that have been burned and lost. hundreds of structures. i want to assure you our fire personnel are working as hard as they can to save additional structures as we speak. ama: more than 1600 acres have burned, forcing the evacuation of 35,000 people in the communities of superior and louisville. broomfield is under pre-evacuation orders. let's take a live look from boulder county where you can see this fire ravaging what used to be at home. gosh, barely anything left at a this point. so sad to see. good evening. thank you for

next and stay with us for abc 7 news at 4:00. we will see then. >>> tonight, breaking news as we come on the air. life-threatening wildfires sweeping through parts of colorado. late today, the governor declaring a state of emergency. reports of multiple injuries, burn victims rushed to the hospitals. high winds fueling the flames. tens of thousands of people in the denver suburbs told to get out right now. evacuations under way throughout boulder county. powerful gusts downing power lines. transformers exploding. store customers rushing for the exits. the area expecting snow tomorrow, but it may not come soon enough. rob marciano standing by with the fire conditions and severe weather threats ahead of the new year. >>> also tonight, the highly contagious omicron variant surging across america. the national case average climbing to an all-time high. 316,000 cases per day. and with the record number of hospitalizations among children, reports tonight that booster shots for 12 to 15-year-olds could be authorized within days. the cov

let's get right to abc's senior meteorologist rob marciano. and rob, you're watching major tornado threats tonight. >> reporter: yeah, we had record heat today across the southeast again, whit, and that is feeding these storms that are rolling through dixie alley. take a look at the tornado watches now extending all the way into georgia until at least 10:00. that line that moved through tupelo and nashville has some damaging winds, it's moving through huntsville and eventually it will make its way through atlanta. we had temperatures that broke records in shreveport, over 80 degrees there. that's feeding this. it goes away by tomorrow morning. that next system now dropping into california. we'll get all the way into southern california and stays there for a good day or so. san diego, look at that plume tomorrow morning. flash flood watches posted there. more mountain snow and that energy gets into the plains for another severe weather threat come new year's eve. whit? >> concerns heading into the new year. rob, thank you. >>> and news out of w

here's abc's mireya villarreal. >> reporter: tonight, fbi agents and local police are pouring over at least seven different crime scenes. the deadly gun battle playing out across denver, spilling into a busy shopping mall. >> this is the holiday season. to have this type of spree take place is not normal for our community. >> reporter: sources confirming to abc news the spree started at a tattoo parlor just after 5:00 p.m., with the intended victim, an acquaintance of the shooter, according to law enforcement. he survived, but two women inside were killed, including alicia cardenas, who leaves behind a 12-year-old daughter. >> like no one you've ever met. very gregarious, very friendly. but she's very -- she was a very determined person. she knew where she was going. >> reporter: the suspect sources tell abc news is lyndon james mcleod. and law enforcement was aware he harbored extremist views and had a history of mental episodes. police say before exchanging gunfire with officers, mcleod killed another man a few blocks away from the tattoo parlor. then fled to the denver suburb of la

the nation's largest school system they will no longer quarantine entire abc's victor oquendo leads us reporter: witth sue rord g 240,000 cases a day, scenes reminiscent of the early days of the pandemic. lines of cars stretching as far as the eye can see. >> right in there. you are all set. >> reporter: from virginia to new jersey, miami to philadelphia, americans spending this holiday week waiting hours for covid tests. >> it's crazy. i can't even go to my neighborhood drugstore. and then coming here, well, we just got shut down, saying they're not taking anymore people. >> reporter: tonight, soaring demand for tests and a backlog of holiday reporting have driven covid cases to 440,000, the highest one-day total ever. but a true snapshot of the winter surge won't be known until after new years. still, hospitals under strain are warning it will only get worse. >> we have no beds. we're holding patients in the e.r. for multiple hours, if not days, multiple days. >> reporter: and tonight, new clues about omicron. a cdc report suggests the incubation period may be as little as three days

thanks for joining us. >> you are watching abc abc abc news at 6:00. in the mountains there are a number of road closures because conditions are too dangerous. on top of the snow and white out conditions, trees have been coming down, making things more treacherous for drivers. the latest wintry blast set a record. uc berkeley's central sierra snow laboratory says this is the snowiest december as an history at donner pass. -- december in history at donner pass. >> drew tuma joins us now. the images we are seeing are just incredible. snow in the bay area over the weekend because it was so cold. the trend might even continue. >> we are finding snow above 3000 feet, places like mount hamilton and st. helena. tomorrow could see another dusting of snow on our highest peaks. tahoe right now, feet of snow. the showers, the snow showers are winding down. we still have a winter storm warning in effect until 9:00 p.m. for an additional two to

that stormow n aivrring in the northet asand abc's rob marciano is tckraing it all. ro wb,here could the roads really g ietcy tonig?ht >>ep rorter: llwe, a good chunk of theno rtheast, whit, especilyal away fmro the water. 'll sho iwt to you o tnhe rada rrehe. all the winter advisieors are - out foras etern pennsyanlvia, a od chunk of new york and new gland and mostly inhe t form ofle set and freezgin rain. a litetl bit ofno sw minixg in there. that comes through, mosytl ears out by 3:,00 004:, 005: tinhe moinrng. the erwill be leftover slick spots. be aware of that. it wl ilbe chiyll in the rning. anotherla bst of swno and rain comingnt io the stwe. ok at the aisdvories up. avanalche warnings. atth's becoming a huge obprlem. wi,nd as we.ll 16 feet of snow falling, tt'has the record you spoke of. at piece of erengy getti ng in ttohe plain asnd we'reoi gng see aev sereea wther thrtea around weesdnday. whit? >>ob r, tnkha you. > w,no to that breinakg story out of fort udlaerdale. a devastating hit andun r crash, driverar ceening tarowds a ougrp of chdrilen, killing at

here's abc's james longman. >> reporter: his was a laugh and joy that inspired millions. but underneath that smile, desmond tutu had a steely resolve to fight injustice. >> our march to freedom is unstoppable! >> reporter: alongside nelson mandela he fought to end apartheid in south africa and he became an iconic spiritual leader and global peace advocate. >> to be members of one family. ♪ >> reporter: his charm allowing him to champion serious issues which in later years including gay rights and the environment. and tonight tributes are pouring in from around the world. barack obama awarded him the presidential medal of freedom in 2009. >> desmond tutu possesses that sense of generosity, that spirit of unity, that essence of humanity that south africans know simply as ubuntu. >> reporter: he today called tutu a friend, a moral compass for me and so many others. president biden sending his condolences to tutu's wife leah and their family saying his legacy transcends borders and will echo throughout the ages. queen elizabeth praising him as someone who tirelessly champio

you are watching abc seven news at 6:00, live. according to flightaware, more than 10,000 flights have been delayed and more than 2400 canceled outright. our reporter was at sfo, where families are stranded and the staff says the worst is yet to come over the holiday weekend. >> call it the nightmare before christmas as omicron fears jet into holiday panic. >> i keep seeing these cael

this is abc 7 news. not just wet roads flooded roads, and you don't have to go outside to feel the effects of this storm. it is invading homes and threatening holiday plans. good evening. thank you for joining us. i'm on a date and i'm dan ashley. you're watching abc 7 news at 6 live here on abc 7 hulu live wherever you stream. that is certainly the sound of the day the rain triggered the most storm damage. we've seen all week. even though today's storm actually only ranks one on the abc 7 news storm impact scale still quite in effect live doppler 7 looks quiet at the moment. so let's get right to abc 7 news meteorologist santia patel for the details of what still coming our way sandia? yeah. what's coming our way? alma and dan is colder storms potential for some snow over ohio elevation. so i want to show you live doppler 7 right now because it is quiet, but we do have a couple of showers nothing like the intensity of this morning right now in the north bay as we take you into street level radar here ho

let's get straight to abc's chief meteorologist ginger zee. ginger, where can we see the rain and snow impacting the holiday travel? >> reporter: right, so, christmas eve is probably when people will be on the road and that same burst of snow that made its way and caused accidents in wisconsin, it's coming here overnight. and by tomorrow morning, we stopped the clock there so you can see i-95, 91 going to be slick through connecticut. and then you see that little mix of rain and ice, that's on eastern long island. we have to go west and see all those wind advisories. the avalanche warnings into the sierra, where you saw will with up to ten feet of snow. one more note, linsey, we could have the warmest christmas eve on record from texas through oklahoma and even missouri. >> warmer temperatures, the one time of year people actually like to see the snow. ginger, thank you. >>> and we turn now to the latest on the pandemic. omicron spreading rapidly, driving cases past the peak of delta and it's only expected to get worse. new york and new jersey

the abc news exclusive. with america bracing for omicron, now the dominant variant here in the u.s., my one-on-one with president biden at the white house. tonight, so many of you asking, where are the test kits? we ask the president about the long lines across this country. americans waiting for hours. and those empty shelves at pharmacies. how soon will there be help? also, the major announcement from the fda tonight, authorizing the first covid pill in the u.s., the pfizer pill. we asked the president, how much has the government purchased? how soon before it's available for americans who need it? we also ask tonight about family gatherings this christmas. we also ask about boarding planes. should vaccines be required? the president tonight on senator joe manchin and the president's build back better plan now stalled. and we ask the president about running for re-election and on any potential rematch with donald trump. >>> also tonight, the new evidence just in, how severe could this new variant be and ho

this is abc 7 news. and look at this, live doppler 7 is lit up with activity from tonight's storm which started in the north bay just hours ago. the bay area will not see a completely dry day for -- mark your calendars -- a week! thank you for joining us, i am ama daetz. dan: and i am dan ashley. this is a live a l golden gate bridge, the camera covered in raindrops. the rain has spread throughout the bay area. abc 7 was in this area as the rain came down. umbrellas out, bottles in the parking loss as well. so let's bring in the expert. ama: abc 7 news weather anchor spencer christian who is tracking it all. it is just the beginning. spencer: it is, at least a weeks worth of rain almost every day. let's look at live doppler 7 and you can see it is wet just about everywhere. heavy rain reaching land in the east bay, moving towards walnut grove. out towards antioch right now. have got a batch of downpours just offshore ready to move on shore in the next few minutes. so it will be pretty wet. the storm we h

keep calling, >> your watching live on abc seven. many of us are in for a white christmas. -- white christmas. -- wet christias. >> you can see see see see through the bay area. rain is reaching other parts of the region between a level one and level two, it will be intense at times. through tomorrow morning, periods of light to moderate rainfall, greasy to gusty at times. notice how steady the rain is. into the early morning our our r steadier path is showers. it will still be wet out there. day through the next week ahead. in the sierra, there is going to be snow. totals range from from from inches of rain and there will be a winter storm warning in effect , i will show you that in a moment. >> we will look forward to that. moving onto the pandemic and omicron cases area president biden said the situation is far different than 2020. >>.

this is abc 7 news. >> i try to check walgreens and cvs and they did not have an available slot today. >> he looked online and he found this store, that's why i drove down here. >> the pressure on to get covid tests as people across the bay area gear up for holiday gatherings. >> thank you for joining us. the cdc announced omicron is the most common coronavirus variant in the country, accounting for nearly three quarters of covid cases. here are the key headlines. the director general of the world health organization is recommending canceling or delaying holiday events because of omicron. he says it is more likely vaccinated people or even those who have recovered from covid could be infected or reinfected. daily cases have nearly doubled since late october. federal data shows the u.s. averaging more than 125,000 new cases every day. moderna announced today its booster increases antibodies against the omicron variant within a month of getting the shot. >> as we get closer to the christmas holiday, more people are trying to get covid tests, especially at home tests, before gathering wi

abc 7 news at 6:00 starts right now. announcer: building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc 7 news. dion: the omicron variant has overtaken all over covid-19 mutations. federal health experts say it is something to be reckoned with. what does that mean for safety of our holiday gatherings. with that, we say good evening and thank you for joining us, i'm dion lim. the omicron variant is fueling the latest surge in covid cases. in developing news, abc news reporter marcus moore has expert advice on how to handle the holidays. marcus: president biden will deliver a speech on tuesday to address the omicron variant as the country faces another unrelenting surge in covid cases. the u.s. now averaging more than 125,000 new cases every single day. at the end of october, the nation was averaging about half that, 64,000 new cases per day. demand for testing is on the rise. long lines outside testing centers across the country. >> as we go into the holiday season, testing is really important so that p

you are watching right here on abc 7 and hulu live and wherever you stream. when something like crime affects the entire country, we focus our efforts here on making this place safer and a better place to live. big announcements at local and state level to fight drugs and crime. anxiety, i want to acknowledge that it is unacceptable what is happening. >> flanked by state law agencies, the governor announced a package of support to combat violent crimend

i'm larry beil and dion limb, you're watching abc 7 news at 4 live here on abc 7 hulu live and wherever you stream today, san francisco's mayor declared a state of emergency in the tenderloin the move comes only days after announcing a major crackdown on drug and street crimes. this declaration will allow the city to bypass some zoning laws planning codes and city contract rules to quickly tackle the crisis in the neighborhood mayor breed's plan focuses on getting those addicted to opioids into treatment at a repeat offenders who simply refuse to get help too many people. are a plan to address it. san francisco saw more than 700 drug overdose deaths in 2020 and this year's total is expected to exceed that number governor newsom today unveiled new statewide public safety proposal. s both drugs and the wave of violent crime across the state and here in the bay area abc 7 news reporter leslie. simply spoke with the governor at chp's office in dublin. i want to acknowledge. that anxiety i want to acknowledge that it's unacceptable what's happening flanked by state law enforcement agencies a

abc's stephanie ramos leading us off tonight. >> reporter: tonight, a cdc panel voting unanimously to recommend that going forward, americans who have a choice should get pfizer or moderna vaccines over johnson & johnson, after a review of rare blood clots linked to the vaccine. >> they have 15 yeses, 0 nos. the acip vote passes as listed here. >> reporter: nine people have died from thrombosis out of 17 million shots. the blood clots were more common in women in their 30s and 40s. >> it's very clear that the mrna vaccines are just slightly more effective and slightly more safe. so, it makes absolute sense the cdc would preferentially recommend the moderna and pfizer vaccines. >> reporter: it comes as health officials are pleading with americans to get vaccinated and boosted, with the omicron variant now spiking across 38 states and d.c. cases doubling every two to three days. >> it is inevitable, when you look at the pace of the infections now, that things will get worse as we go into the depth of the winter. and with omicron breathing down our back, things could get really bad, part

, this is abc 7 news. >> it ain't over until it's over and it's not over. live doppler 7 shows the evidence of a storm blanketing the bay area. i am ama daetz. dan: and i am dan ashley. we are on storm watch because it's a level two storm in the bay area right now. gusty winds and rain and sometimes downpours will be with us for the next few hours. live doppler 7 shows you where the worst of the storm is right now. ama: we have live team coverage. our reporter is in the north bay. let's hear from spencer christian who is tracking the storm. spencer: the rain is spreading to all parts of the bay area right now. the north bay is the area getting hardest hit. drenching downpours developing and other areas and in the santa cruz mountains. a lot is moving into the east bay at the moment. let me give you a look at the wind gusts that are accompanying these drenching downpours. we have gusts ranging from 24 to 48 miles per hour across the bay area so this is a wind driven rain storm. it's a level two. through tomorrow morning, moderate to heavy rainfall at times.

abc's elwyn lopez from mayfield again tonight. >> reporter: tonight, with this region bracing for heavy rain on the way, president biden on they th in mayf dawson springs. meeting withs, he's never seen destruction like this. more than 70 lives lost in the state. the governor breaking down as he introduced the president. >> i never thought in my life i'd be able to introduce a president, and i wish there were different circumstances. >> reporter: and the president acknowledging the pain and suffering in the community. >> i met one couple on the way up, said they're still looking for four of their friends. they don't know where they are. and those who have lost someone, there's no words for the pain of losing someone. a lot of us know it. >> reporter: announcing the federal government will cover 100% of the cost of all emergency work for the next 30 days. >> to all the families here, keep the faith. we're going to get this done, i promise you. no one's walking away. we're in this for the long haul. >> reporter: david, people are racing to cover up what's left of their homes with blue tar

abc's stephanie ramos leading us off tonight from new jersey. >> reporter: tonight, health officials are warning the highly transmissible omicron variant, already detected in at least 34 states, is now on track to take over the delta variant. >> it is going to be dominant in the united states, given its doubling time. >> reporter: omicron is now estimated to make up about 3% of cases nationwide and 13% of cases in new york and new jersey. >> what we're seeing in some of these other countries is doubling times of about every two days or so. so really rapid increase in the amount of omicron that's out there. >> reporter: in upstate new york, cornell university today moving final exams online after finding suspected omicron among many of the 600 covid cases detected in the last week. freshman kc winslow packing up and heading home. >> it's really scary to know that i could possibly get covid and might have to miss christmas with my family. >> reporter: hospitalizations in new york state spiking 70% since thanksgiving. >> cases are escalating. hospitalizations are escalating. and the num

you are watching abc 7 news at 4:00. the mayor's proposal includes a plan to flood san francisco cost tenderloin neighborhood with police to confront and arrest drug dealers. it addresses the growing retail theft problem. >> our reporter was at the press conference and she is here with a closer look at the plan. >> it is a crisis, which is why the department of emergency management will be leave -- leading this. the mayor plans to tackle the need for amending laws to give police officers access to cameras on the streets. after a wave of crime through san francisco, today mayor london breed announced what she categorized as an aggressive response plan to tackle public safety. >> it comes to an end when we take the steps to be more aggressive with law enforcement, more aggressive with the changes in our policies, and less tolerant of all the [beep] that has destroyed our city. >> she called for increased overfunded -- overtime funding for the police in certain areas. >> substance abuse and linking people in crisis to care

here's abc's stephanie ramos tonight. >> reporter: fighting back against an alarming spike in covid cases, new york state now mandating masks inside any business that does not require proof of a vaccine. >> this is a pandemic. people are sick. this thing keeps mutating. wear a mask, it's not a big deal. >> i just can't wait for this to end. i mean, i can't wait until i can take this off. >> reporter: and california today following suit, reinstituting its indoor mask mandate for the next month. it comes as the delta variant is driving a covid surge nationwide. and the country closing in on yet another horrific milestone -- almost 800,000 lives lost to covid. and with the omicron variant now in 30 states and washington, d.c., health experts insist a booster shot restores high antibody levels and is the best weapon to fight against it. early studies suggest just two doses of the pfizer vaccine take a hit from omicron but still protect from severe disease. >> it appears to be able to evade some of the immune protection of things like monoclonal antibodies, convalescent plasma, and the antibod

abc 7 news at 4:30 starts righ i now. it started with gunshots, fire, and ended with a man who got into a standoff with police. good evening and thanks for joining us this evening. i'm j.r. stone.

one passenger telling abc pennington had refused to wear a mask. the flight eventually reaching its destination here in los angeles. >> he was pretty much, like, yelling that people were trying to tell him what to do. >> reporter: there have been more than 5,500 cases just this year of unruly passengers, the most in faa's history. >> it's scary to experience something like that, especially being however many thousand feet in the air and not knowing what to do. >> reporter: pennington could face federal charges, and the fbi is now investigating. david? >> zohreen shah tonight. zohreen, thank you. >>> we turn next to the horrific accident in southern mexico. a truck carrying more than 160 mgrants slamming into a pedestrian bridge, ripping apart. at least 54 people killed. more than 100 injured. most believed to be from central america, paying thousands of dollars to smugglers for that ride. >>> in washington today, a final farewell for the late senator bob dole. today, senator bob dole's casket entering the washington national cathedral. his wife of

dan: you're watching abc 7 news at six live on abc 7, who live and wherever you stream. safety is at the core of our effort to build a bait -- better bay area. our sense of security has been shattered lately, with videos like these. crowds of thieves running into stores and running out with all kinds of stolen goods. now, after a show of force from police, there has been a decrease in retail theft. ama: ryan curry spoke with san francisco's police chief about how long they plan to keep officers reporter: in union square. reporter:reporter: if you're planning on heading out to union square, you will likely be stranded by police. >> i did nice a place presence, i felt comfortable being out about last night. >> sfpd increase the number of officers. >> making people feel it is ok to come to union square to shop. it is really important. >> the chief says so far it is working. increased patrol his lead to crime being significantly redu

this is abc 7 news. >> we have seen a significant drop in crime overall. i'm talking about from saft to cars being broken into, to burglaries -- from t cars being broken into, to burglaries. >> trying to ease fears after the mass retail theft hit union swear. >> this after hotels are getting relief in the form of tourists. they are back. good afternoon. thank you for joining us. i am larry beil. >> i am kristen sze. larry: union square was hit by that massive retail theft three weeks ago and this obviously is not the first time it has happened but it came at the start of the holiday shopping season and after a show of force from officers, there has been a decrease in retail theft. larry: ryan curry spoke with the police chief today about how long they plan to keep officers near union square. ryan: if you are planning on heading out to union square, you will likely be surrounded by police. >> i did notice a police presence but i felt comfortable being out and about last night. ryan: sfpd increased the amount of officers. their goal was to make the area safe

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 daunte 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, wright'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. >

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

abc's cecilia vega asking the white house, could american troops be involved in any of this? >> reporter: the high stakes secure video call lasted more than two hours. president biden in the situation room, flanked by top advisers, including the secretary of state. >> good to see you again. >> reporter: the kremlin releasing this video of vladimir putin joining alone from his residence in sochi. when it was over, national security adviser jake sullivan calling the meeting useful, saying president biden delivered a clear message, do not invade ukraine or else. >> there was no finger wagging, but the president was crystal clear about where the united states stands on all of these issues. >> reporter: the white house threatening strong economic measures, saying the u.s. is also prepared to send more weapons to ukraine and military supplies to help allies in the region. is sending u.s. troops to the region on the table here? >> our baltic allies, they will be seeking additional capabilities and potential additional deployments and the united states will be looking to respond posi

abc has a look at that debate. reporter: violent crime. that was top of mind for oakland residents who testified at this virtual city council meeting. >> i'm disheartened we have also many people in the last year. there was a murder on my block about a month ago. the police responded after the fact. >> i would like to drive down the street without worrying about being shot. reporter: on the table is a proposal to add two police academies, meaning seven academies to address the fact that 676 of 737 officer positions are currently filled. that void is occurring at a time where homicides and gun violence

you're watching abc 7 news at 6 live here on abc 7 hulu live and wherever you stream we'll begin with covid-19 developments. the us is now averaging more than 100,000 new cases per day. that's the highest. it's been in two months california's test positivity rate is going back down. it was 3% a week ago. it is now 2.2 percent new york city announced a covid vaccine mand. for all sector employees. it goes into effect december 27th. bay area health experts warn we are on the cusp of yet another covid surge across the country, but new data shows the highly transmissible omicron variant may mean our next wave will be much milder abc 7 news reporter stephanie. sierra is here with the details steph yes alma in contrast with other waves of covid our first early look at the patient's hospitalized with omicron in south africa show promising signs cases are milder patients aren't in the icu and most aren't requiring oxygen but experts warn that may not necessarily. the case here in the us. there's a lot of fear surrounding the newest highly transmissible omicron variant health experts expect th

you're watching abc 7 news at 4 live here on abc 7 hulu live and wherever you stream. so here are today's coronavirus headlines mississippi is the latest state to detect the omicron variant. the new variant has now been found in at least 18 states. new york city is enacting a vaccine mandate for all private employers in response to omicron. tournament is the first of its kind anywhere in the country and a new study shows those who received the pfizer vaccine have a strong immune response when receiving a johnson & johnson booster shot bay area health experts warm. we are on the cusp of yet another covid surge across the country, but the new data shows the highly transmissible omicron variant may mean our next way will be much milder abc 7 news reporter stephanie. sierra is live here now with the detail staff. yes kristen in contrast with other waves of covid our first look at the patient's hospitalized with omicron in south africa show. some promising signs cases are milder. they're not in the icu and most aren't requiring oxygen but experts warn that may not necessari

abc's senior meteorologist rob marciano is standing by. hey, rob. >> reporter: hi, linsey. this fast-moving system has some punch to it. already over ten inches of snow in parts of minnesota. over 200 car accidents because of the snow. look at these alerts up from the northern plains through northern new england, wind and snow alerts as the system pushes off towards the east. it will run into some warmer air and as it does so, i think thunderstorms will be a problem tomorrow morning from arkansas through the tennessee valley and kentucky. could see some severe weather. temperatures will surge ahead of this. into the 60s as far north as boston through new york, then over to raleigh. then temperatures dropping into the 40s and 30s, setting the stage for some snow midweek. >> rob, thank you. >>> when we come back, the nfl taking more action tonight in response to two players accused of misrepresenting their vaccine status. ♪ ♪ don't be fooled by the bike. or judge him by his jacket. while ted's eyes are on the road, his heart stays home. he's got gloria, and 10 grand-babie

moving forward finding solutions, this is abc 7 news. she was sort of the soul of san francisco city. all she never lost her sense of wonder for the city. she never lost her sense of love for the city. a life dedicated to public service has come to an end bay area socialite charlotte mallard schultz has died from complications of cancer. good afternoon. i'm kristen z and i'm dan ashley. thank you for joining us. remember? are flooding in this afternoon for schultz, san francisco's chief of protocol for more than several decades and the wife of former secretary of state george schultz abc 7 news. anchor dion limb is here now with more on this. oh, dan, what a remarkable life. it was charlotte schultz passed away today at her stanford home surrounded by her family and friends. he came to san francisco in the 1960s getting right to work as then mayor jack shelley's chief of protocol. essentially the city's official party giver. it's a position she held unpaid for 51 years serving 10 mayors. we spoke with abc 7 news contributor phil mateer a

. >>> the abc news exclusive tonight. george stephanopoulos one-on-one with alec baldwin, after the deadly shooting on that movie set. baldwin insisting he never pulled the trigger. tonight, news on that front. what the assistant director is now saying. >>> breaking news from capitol hill at this hour on efforts to avoid a government shutdown. the vote that just happened, rachel scott live on the hill. >>> and tonight, we remember a beloved actor from a classic tv sitcom. >>> good evening and it's great to have you with us here on a very busy and active thursday night. we begin tonight with the breaking news as we come on the air. the new cases of the omicron variant here in the u.s. and of course, we knew this was coming, given what we're seeing all over the world. tonight, at least three more states here in the u.s. seeing this new variant. a short time ago, we learned of five cases now discovered right here in new york state. minnesota and colorado also reporting new cases today. dr. fauci has said the vaccines and the

co-anchor: you're watching abc 7 news at six wherever you stream it. less than a week ago, the world health organization named omicron the newest coronavirus variant of concern. now that we know it spread through two dozen countries, including the united states, we will spend 10 minutes looking at its impact. the state of the pandemic and what is being done to protect your health. ama: the diagnosis was made by this lab at ucsf, the sample delivered at 6:00 last night but through -- put through genetic sequencing. the lab confirmed it was omicron. dr. charles chu was the first to identify that the patient was indeed affected with a variant. dr. two: the person potentially infected by the vi recentlyr traveled in south africaus, thing --why we prioritize sequencing. ama: he says having the sample will help determine if omicron is more contagious than other variants. they will study its impact on the effectiveness of our vaccines. dan: san francisco city leaders urged the public not to be alarmed about the variant. ryan curry has their reaction to today'

abc's terry moran who has covered the court for years, with the audio tonight. what the justices today cede in this case. >> reporter: at the supreme court today, the first signs that roe versus wade's days my be numbered. outside the court, protesters gathered. while inside, the justices heard arguments on that mississippi law that bans most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. no exceptions for rape or incest. roe versus wade established a woman's constitutional right to have an abortion and if the court upholding the mississippi law, it would undermine or overrule roe altogether. today, it seemed clear the conservative justices are ready to do exactly that. chief justice john roberts zeroing on a key issue -- viability. right now, roe and other cases prohibit states from banning abortion before viability, about 24 weeks. the chief justice saying mississippi's ban on abortions after 15 weeks gives women plenty of time to choose. >> viability, it seems to me, doesn't have anything to do with choice. but if it really is an issue about choice, why is 15 weeks n

. >> announcer: from abc news world headquarters in new york, this is "world news tonight" with david muir. >>> good evening. great to have you with us on a busy tuesday night. there's breaking news on this omicron variant, what the cdc is doing in the u.s. to track this. >>> we begin with the deadly school shooting in michigan at oxford high school, about an hour north of detroit. three students killed, at least eight others injured including a teacher. an alleged lone gunman, a 15-year-old student is in custody at this hour. police say he was armed with a semi-automatic handgun. multiple agencies responding to the call of an active shooter. ambulances in the driveway. the school principal getting on the p.a. with the code word for lockdown. the stories of students barricading themselves inside. teachers putting paper on the windows of classrooms, then barricading the doors with tables. some students climbing through a window running for their lives across the snow. others carried out on stretchers to the ambulances waiting outside. of course that sadly familiar students taken to a n