q-t, mona. and kenneth. >> news and love in america this morning. have a good weekend. right now on "america this morning," the fight to re-open. armed protesters crowding into one state capitol as some lawmakers defy the governor and on the west coast, a new legal fight over closing the beaches. what's expected today. plus, president trump's new claim about where the coronavirus came from. a new month today brings a new struggle for millions of americans who can't pay their bills. the growing protests against landlords collecting rent and the new warning about the number of americans who could lose their homes. breaking his silence, former vice president joe biden set to address the sexual assault allegation against him for the first time. what we're learning. plus, wild wind. the terrifying moment these window washers were sent spinning out of control. an unusual delivery.

should the government be delivering beer and cigarettes to addicts to keep them in quarantine? the growing debate. and just in time for the weekend, a smelly strategy to get people to stop gathering in parks. we do say good friday morning on this 1st of may. and more of america is re-opening today. ten more states are easing restrictions. >> but a new poll finds most americans are uneasy about returning to normal life. 72% say moving too quickly to re-open is a greater threat to the country than moving too slowly. >> but there is growing concern about so-called quarantine fatigue. new york city police are now cracking down on large gatherings. in one case a teenager was taken into custody for allegedly pushing a police chief. this video right here posted online is being reviewed as part of the police investigation. meanwhile, president trump now says evidence suggests the coronavirus came from a lab in wuhan, china.

here at home one day after los angeles said it will offer all residents a free coronavirus test, there are new questions about whether that's really necessary or effective. but we begin our coverage this morning with more of america re-opening. this morning with a new month getting under way, more states are easing restrictions just as others tighten them. >> several hundred beachgoers now crowding the huntington beach pier. maybe upwards of a thousand. even swimmers in the water. it was pictures like that that prompted the governor's order. >> reporter: in california people packed huntington beach hours after the governor announced he's closing that beach starting today. the governor says he's putting a temporary pause on orange county beaches only due to overcrowding. >> people that are congregating there that weren't practicing physical distancing that may go back to their community outside of orange county and may not even know that they contracted the disease. >> reporter: in texas, dine in restaurants can open today with some requirements including disposable menus.

condiments only by request and no buffets. >> we are working on sanitizing, disinfecting everything, the chairs, even the legs. >> reporter: retail stores in texas can also open with capacity limits unlike churches which can open with no limits, the slow reboot comes as texas reports 50 coronavirus deaths in 24 hours, a record high for the state. >> we do strongly suggest that if you do go out, you wear a mask and, most importantly, we strongly suggest if you're 65 and older, continue to stay at home. [ crowd chanting "usa" ] >> reporter: in michigan where stay-at-home orders have been extended to may 15th, lawmakers say they wore bulletproof vests to the state capitol as hundreds protested, some of them armed. inside the house chambers a tense standoff between protesters and officers as the republican-led legislature refused to extend the emergency declaration by the state. but democratic governor gretchen

whitmer responded by using a law declaring a new 28-day state of emergency. across the country at least 32 states will be easing some restrictions by the end of next week, but cases of the virus are rising in at least 18 states. dr. anthony fauci is urging caution. >> you can't just leap over things and get into a situation where you really are tempting a rebound. that's the thing i get concerned about. >> reporter: in the meantime, president trump is making a stunning claim, saying the u.s. has information that the coronavirus may have come from a chinese lab. >> have you seen anything at this point that gives you a high degree of confidence that the wuhan institute of virology was the origin of this virus? >> yes, i have. >> reporter: the president wouldn't reveal any further details. the director of national intelligence offered a rare statement thursday saying that the intelligence community concurs with the wide scientific consensus that the covid-19 virus was not man-made or genetically modified and saying the investigation into the origins of the outbreak are ongoing. meanwhile, the world health

organization says china is refusing to allow the w.h.o. to join the investigation into how the virus spread. 900 workers have reportedly tested positive for coronavirus at a tyson plant. that's 700 more infections than reported last week and tyson has also suspended operations at a plant in nebraska. meanwhile, in arkansas, video shows workers crowded shoulder to shoulder inside this poultry plant with no social distancing. worker advocates say this video was shot this week. >> they are just waiting to see when are they going to get sick and if they're going to get sick, they're going to die, and if we don't protect them right, we are going to see a food crisis. we are going to see a health crisis. we are going to see an economic crisis. >> across the country 6,500 meatpacking workers have been infected with the coronavirus. at least 22 processing plants have been closed, but many are preparing to re-open under president trump's executive order to prevent a meat shortage. breaking overnight, a

deadly coronavirus outbreak at a california prison. officials say four inmates have now died at terminal island prison, and 600 more inmates have tested positive. here in new york a big move to stop the spread of the virus beginning next week. the subway system, which typically runs 24/7, will shut down during the overnight hours for cleaning. now to the other big story this morning, former vice president joe biden is expected to break his silence today and address the allegations that he sexually assaulted a former staff member, tara reade, back in 1993. abc's ines de la cuetara has the latest. >> reporter: tara reade was a staff assistant in joe biden's senate office in 1993 when she says aides told her to bring him his gym bag. she says she found biden in a corridor and she described what she says happened next in interviews with abc and other outlets including democracy now. >> i was up against the wall, and i remember his hands underneath my blouse and underneath my skirt and his fingers penetrating me as he was

trying to kiss me and i was pulling away. >> reporter: reade tells us at the time she complained to the senate personnel office that biden had, quote, made her feel uncomfortable but she says she did not mention an assault and has no record of the complaint. she says she shared similar concerns with three other biden staffers. all three of those staffers tell abc news that's not true. reade claims she was forced out of her job. in a statement biden's campaign says the former vice president, quote, firmly believes that women have a right to be heard and heard respectfully. what is clear about this claim, it is untrue. this absolutely did not happen, end quote, but biden himself is now under growing pressure to comment. this is not the first time reade has gone public with accusations against biden, and her claims have evolved. last year the candidate came under fire from women who accused him of physical contact they felt was inappropriate like unwanted hugs. at that time reade came forward

to say biden touched her on the shoulder and neck in a way that was uncomfortable, but she did not mention any kind of assault. nothing like the incident she describes today. reade says after the alleged assault in 1993, she told a few people. she referred us to a friend who says reade told her biden put his hand up her skirt during an unwanted encounter. the friend didn't want to be named. reade also put us in touch with a former neighbor, lynda lacasse, who says reade told her about the alleged assault several years later. abc news also spoke with reade's brother, collin moulton, and said his sister mentioned in 1993 she was experiencing harassment at work. he said he did not know the details until recently but later texted us to, quote, clarify that he does remember his sister telling him that biden more or less cornered her against the wall and put his hand up her clothes. house speaker nancy pelosi on thursday said she's satisfied with the biden campaign's response. as for president trump he called

on biden to respond to the allegations. at least 17 women have accused the president of inappropriate sexual behavior including sexual assault and rape. the president says they're all lying. kenneth and mona. >> ines, thank you. time now for a look at your friday morning weather. look at this. a strong gust of wind uprooted that tree in chester county, pennsylvania, and you see it slam right into a house almost slicing it in half. wind-driven rain knocked down trees across the northeast. the radar shows more heavy rain this morning from new york to boston and showers from roanoke to dayton. rain also likely from montana to the dakotas. looking at today's temperatures, highs in the 60s for new york, boston, chicago and minneapolis. 70s and 80s in the south. 60s in the pacific northwest. 102 in phoenix. coming up, why 80,000 people are stranded at sea in american

waters. also ahead, refusing to pay the rent. the growing protest movement on this may 1st. and later, a wild ride for these window washers. people at higher risk, must take extra precautions. you are at higher risk if you are over 65, or if you have any serious underlying medical conditions, like heart disease, chronic lung disease, diabetes, or if your immune system is compromised for any reason. if you're at higher risk, wash your hands frequently

with soap and water for twenty seconds. avoid touching your face. disinfect frequently touched objects. and wash up after being in public spaces. and when it comes to social situations...less is better. stay six feet or two arm lengths away from other people. better still, stay home if you can. if you're sick, please stay home and away from others. and if you think you've been exposed to the virus, call your health care provider before going to their office. in challenging times, the choices you make are critical. please visit coronavirus.gov for more information. you may not be thinking about blood donation, but blood is needed to save the lives of people who are sick with a range of illnesses. it's easy and safe to give. if you are in good health,

please donate. we need heroes now. visit red cross blood dot org to schedule an appointment. and we are back now with word that clothing retailer j. crew is about to file for bankruptcy. cnbc reports the company is now scrambling to come up with $400 million to bankroll operations. today is may 1st, and that means rent is due for millions of americans. >> it is also decision day for high school seniors choosing a college, but money woes and stay-at-home orders have left many frustrated. this was one protest in los angeles with people demanding the mayor cancel rent payments. abc's kimberly brooks reports. >> reporter: this morning a difficult day for millions of

out-of-work americans. >> it's scary. >> reporter: for many may 1st marks the second new month without a paycheck. >> rent, car insurance, car payment, electricity. >> reporter: major bills like rent and mortgage payments now due. and with at least eight states still permitting evictions and foreclosure, housing advocates are warning about a widespread crisis of people losing their homes thanks to unemployment and stimulus payments still trapped in the backlogs. >> priority is the mortgage to keep that up, to keep the lights on, just to keep surviving. >> reporter: it comes as employees from target, walmart, amazon and other retailers prepare to walk off the job today. protesting what they say are unsafe working conditions. protesters even painted the street outside the home of amazon ceo jeff bezos calling for more worker protections. >> what do we want? [ crowd chanting ] >> when do we want it?

[ crowd chanting "now" ] >> reporter: also this morning, protesters are taking aim at colleges and universities. students picketing schools saying they're not getting what they paid for. >> it's just not the same. >> reporter: now that most colleges and universities have shut their doors and gone remote, those who enrolled are fighting to get their spring tuition refunded. >> we would like monetary reimbursement that reflects an online education. >> make sure that we were providing some refunds on meal plans, that we were providing refunds on the housing. >> reporter: but this morning, institutions are facing mounting financial troubles creating an uncertain future for high school seniors who need to commit to college by today. >> now i'm scared to get my hopes up for like freshman year. >> reporter: but with low fall enrollment numbers schools are pushing back the enrollment deadline and possibly opening up new opportunities for students looking to get into a top institution. >> there's going to be far fewer international students who take up many places at elite colleges. they can't come to the u.s. or they're going to be afraid to be

stuck in the u.s. if there's a second wave. >> reporter: now, guys, this may not only open up more slots but it also opens up financial aid, and experts are saying it definitely doesn't hurt to apply for it. kenneth, mona. >> all right, kimberly, thank you. the coast guard says 80,000 workers are still stranded on cruise ships in u.s. waters. most of the crew members have been stranded for weeks even though they're not sick and no passengers are on board. the cruise lines are working with the cdc on plans to get them safely home. >> i spend 21 hours a day in my cabin, 21 hours a day. i haven't hugged anybody in weeks. i haven't touched anybody in weeks. >> we were being vilified as carriers of a disease that we don't have, which at this point i'm more in danger of getting covid-19 by trying to go home than you are in danger of getting it from me at this point. >> reporter: two cruise lines are facing class action lawsuits from workers. and coming up, the big sport event that's now been canceled.

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with relief of your worst symptoms, including itchy throat. plus an immediate blast of cooling sensation. feel the clarity and live claritin clear. we're back with a job that's not for the faint of heart. scary moments near miami. two workers were hanging on for their lives as their scaffolding was blowing around outside the ritz-carlton hotel in sunny isles beach. their co-workers eventually helped them climb onto a balcony. >> unbelievable. quarantine is tough for healthy people but it can be a real struggle for addicts, so officials at a recovery center near seattle run by the county government came up with a controversial idea. they're providing cigarettes and beer and until recently marijuana to addicts so they'll stay inside during the lockdown. most neighbors seem to support the idea. >> keeping everyone safe, public health, the general health of all is a priority, and so this is informed by that. it seems like a good idea.

>> i'm all for helping anybody with covid. i'm not sure doling out marijuana and cigarettes and beer. >> officials say no taxpayer money is being spent. they say it is all privately funded. we are learning more about the race to develop a coronavirus vaccine. earlier i spoke with dr. edward jones-lopez from southern california. i asked if testing everyone is practical and what's involved in choosing a vaccine that works best. >> it's really about trying to select the best candidate vaccine, and again there's dozens if not probably over a hundred vaccine candidates that are being worked on and the ultimate success of one or more than one vaccine will depend on two things, one is the safety of the vaccine itself through the process of phase one, two and three trials and then the efficacy of the vaccine meaning its protective force in essence. >> we first reported yesterday that los angeles is offering

free covid-19 testing to all l.a. county residents but a county official is questioning the approach. is it practical to test everyone or a waste of time potentially giving people who test negative a false sense of security? >> the test that we have, both the pcr to detect the virus itself to indicate active disease, and the antibody tests that are being produced as we speak do have false positives and false negative issues like any other test obviously. so there are certain protocols you need to follow and understand the test, how they perform themselves before you can make decisions. so in some cases you need to do, for example, second test if the suspicion, the clinical suspicion is high enough, so there's ways around these limitations of testing, but there is no doubt that testing both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients to really have a handle on how many cases you have is a key point to try and open the country again. >> good information there. our thanks to dr. edward jones-lopez.

and in sports nascar will be back late they are month. the circuit will return in darlington, north carolina, may 17th, but no fans will be at the race. disappointing news for baseball fans. the little legal world series has been canceled for the first time in its history. >> that's tough to see. coming up, a smelly strategy to stop people from gathering in parks. a legendary rock song gets a redo. that's next. love is strong, beautiful. love makes us rise and heal and overcome. there's nothing that love can't do. ♪our love is a diamond if you've found your true love let's find the right ring at zales.com. get zero down special financing on the diamond credit card on purchases of $300 or more. zales the diamond store on purchases of $300 or more. non-drowsy claritin cool mint chewables. feel the clarity of new

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medical workers. all proceeds go to charity. >> should have a lighter swinging back and forth. the coronavirus canceled graduation ceremonies across the country, but a high school principal in texas is making dark is mark the occasion 600 times over. >> wiley high school principal virdie montgomery has visited every high school senior at home making 612 separate house calls, all while social distancing. >> i get emotional real easy with my kids and virdie. didn't feel like i was doing enough. it seemed like the right thing to do. >> it took him two weeks and covered 800 miles visiting all those students, bravo. a new idea to stop large gatherings in the park. >> a town in sweden has spread chicken manure all over the grass in the town park to stop picnics and partying. >> must have smell-o-vision because i can smell it. surfers got a special treat. they were riding what looked like glowing waves. you see it there.

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now your health, your safety. this is abc7 news. making news right now at 4:27. reopen california now. protesters around california will demand governor newsom end the shelter-in-place today. and the governor is taking action to close some beaches in southern california, but a legal battle already brewing. coronavirus apparently cannot stop the power of love. couples in california can now say i do over zoom. good morning, everyone. it is friday, may 1st. before we get to all those stories we want to check in with mike nicco for a look at our day ahead. good morning, mike. >> hey, kumasi. sorry, i can't hear you. i'll take the weather and roll

with it. good morning, everybody. we made it to friday and you can see by live doppler 7, it is very quiet outside. the lack of clouds out there and some fog this morning. here's a look at our winds. remember how breezy it was yesterday, we're not feeling that this morning except for right around sfo where it is 16 miles per hour and then there's this for the afternoon hours. temperatures about the same as yesterday, which is pretty close to average. maybe a little bit warmer as we head inland. 61 in half moon bay to 65 in san francisco and upper 60s to low 70s around most of the bay. mid to upper 07s in the north bay and south bay and any 80s will be in the east bay. cooler weekend and a chance of wet weather coming up tomorrow. back to you. protesters around the state will come together to demand governor newsom end california's shelter-in-place and one of the biggest demonstrations we have seen in the country so far. julian glover is live with more on this so far. julian? >> hi, kumasi, good morning. these aren't just people who are

fed up with the shelter-in-place at this point. a number of these protesters are small business owners worried that this lockdown the shelter-in-place continues for much longer no way they can bounce back as far as their businesses are concerned. protests are planned for noon today in sacramnto and dozens of cities across the state, including san francisco where demonstrations will take place just outside of city hall. now, organizers say they sent thousands of e-mails to governor newsom disagreeing with the stay-at-home orders and organizers feel they have not been heard, though. >> at this point he is acting like some tyrannical king out of control and had the rights of people are being suspended and the constitution trampled on and that's the biggest problem we have at this point in time. >> now, the group organizing are organizing through the facebook group reopen california in the lockdown. in it they say the protests will be peaceful.

outside of the state capitol today where they will be doing a peace. in-vehicle protest and they will not be getting out of their cars and see exactly what happens there. reporting live this morning, julian glover. >> thank you, julian. happening today, governor newsom's order to hard close all the beaches in orange county will take effect. he announced the beach closures yesterday in response to thousands of people crowding the beaches last weekend there. now, last night the city councils of huntington beach and dana point voted to pursue legal action to block the closure order. >> why this draconian measure to close the beach when we really were doing a good job and we are going to step it up. we saw those people come in and we'll step it in. >> people that were congregating there that weren't practicing social distancing may go back to their community outside of oe o orange county and may not know they contracted the disease