right now on "america this morning" the battle over re-opening schools. president trump says it's safe and says children don't transmit the coronavirus very easily. this morning, we ask if that's true. plus, word overnight that a worker on the white house campus has now tested positive. and this morning, what we're learning about the unemployment benefits for millions of americans set to expire at the end of the month. abc news exclusive, is china running a spy center in houston? we hear from the man in charge of the chinese consulate ordered to shut down by tomorrow. just hours after his workers were seen burning documents in metal barrels. th lightning, hail and major flooding hit several big cities in the east. trees down, and overtight a tropical storm watch issued along the gulf coast. new this morning, stranded

in the wilderness for 40 hours, a hiker documents his wild ordeal. the new research on people who spend too much time on social media. what it really says about your personality. and from a new warning about a nationwide beer shortage to martha stewart like we've never seen her before, all the trending stories for your thursday morning. good thursday morning, everyone. dr. anthony fauci says it is clear we are not winning the battle against covid-19. >> he's been called to testify next week on capitol hill about the response to this pandemic, and breaking overnight, word from washington that a cafeteria worker on the white house campus has now tested positive. >> coronavirus deaths are on the rise in 28 states with record numbers in the south. there is some good news. the percentage of positive test results is leveling off or decrs. the mato of thisaggeri.w di

virus. 12 of them in the same month. >> but we begin our coverage with the breaking news overnight from washington. this morning, a coronavirus scare hitting close to the white house. sources confirming to abc news overnight that two of the cafeterias on the white house campus are now shut down after a worker tested positive for covid-19. the cafeterias are in two buildings next to the white house. officials say staff at both facilities have been wearing masks and gloves, and there's, quote, no need for any white house staff to self-quarantine. it comes as the u.s. closes in on 4 million coronavirus cases and the grim new statistic owing deaths in mpared to the previous week. the former fda commissioner says we could surpass 300,000 deaths by the end of the year. >> if we continue on the current trajectory, right now we have close to a thousand casualties a day. so if we don't change that trajectory, you can do the math and see where we are.

>> reporter: on the same day dr. anthony fauci acknowledged we are not winning the battle to contain the virus. three more states, ohio, indiana and minnesota, along with washington, d.c., announced mandatory mask orders. that makes 31 states where masks are mandatory in public. the surge in cases coming as students return to school even though it's still july. >> they are so excited to get back to being in school with their friends and with their teachers. >> reporter: the alcoa school district in tennessee became one of the first in the country to welcome students back for in-person classes wednesday. students will be in the building one day a week, and classes will have no more than ten students. >> these administrators and teachers love our children just as much as we do, and so i have no doubt they have put in place every pr mre >>epter: in s angeles ty whe covis on the adg cause of death, county officials are now exploring using parks and libraries as classrooms. >> i would like to see the

schools open, open 100%, and we'll do it safely. we'll do it carefully. >> reporter: at his briefing last night, president trump again pushed for schools to re-open claiming children, quote, do not transmit the coronavirus very easily. >> a lot of people are saying they don't transmit, and we're looking at that, and we're studying, jon, very hard that particular subject that they don't bring it home with them. >> reporter: dr. deborah birx from the white house coronavirus task force appeared on fox news just moments later and was asked whether that claim is true. >> there's still open questions there. that's why the president concluded with, we're studying this very hard. >> reporter: in the meantime, a story of survival in new york from a man who's earned the nickname miracle larry. >> it happened so fast. i was an early case. >> reporter: this morning, larry is home after spending four months in the hospital, 51 of those days on a ventilator. >> i was so overow many prayers and thoughts, and i know that is incredible. >> and when it comes to traveling, more airlines are enforcing tougher mask policies. now everyone is required over

the age of 2 to wear a face covering. republicans on capit economic stimulus package. they say the white house has agreed to support new funding for coronavirus testing, but the big issue remains whether to extend the $600 in unemployment benefits that expire at the end of the month. sources say republicans do not support a short-term extension and would rather see that amount lowered. next to texas and our exclusive interview this morning as the trump administration orders the chinese consulate in houston to shut down. critics say the consulate is a, quote, massive spy center with employees seen burning documents in metal barrels. now we're hearing from the man in charge of that consulate. he sat down with our houston station ktrk. abc's andrew dymburt reports. >> reporter: this morning the chinese consul general speaking out for the first time about the looming showdown between china and the u.s. in texas. >> translator: yeah, yeah, i'm surprised. >> reporter: the u.s. ordering

china to close its consulate in houston by tomorrow accusing beijing of massive illegal spying. chinese officials were seen outside the building wednesday burning documents before time runs out. the consul general of houston does not dispute burning documents calling it standard procedure for diplomatic compounds to burn internal papers before leaving a foreign post, but he also stopped short of disputing accusations of economic espionage. >> are you saying the state department is lying? >> i didn't mention -- i don't want to make accusations. give us some evidence. >> reporter: the order to vacate comes after the u.s. indicted two chinese nationals accusing them of hacking and trying to steal information from companies working on a coronavirus vaccine. senator marco rubio calls the consulate a spy shop. >> it's kind of the central mode of a massive

espionage, defense espionage and also influence agents to try to influence congress, and so it's long overdo that it be closed. >> reporter: experts predict beijing will retaliate possibly by closing the american consulate in wuhan where the coronavirus outbreak began, but the consul general in houston says most americans he's met want de-escalation and peace. >> when i meet with american people and so i feel that from the bottom of heart they want to have a good relationship, friendship between china and the united states. >> reporter: the consul general was allegedly involved in using false i.d.s to escort chinese travelers out of houston's airport. beijing, meanwhile, calls the closure of the consulate political provocation and says it will sabotage u.s./china relations. kenneth, mona. >> andrew, thank you. the former minneapolis police officer charged with murderingeorge flo now faces multiple felony counts of tax evasion. derek chauvin and his estranged wife are charged with underreporting their income for six years. they're also accused of failing to file three years of tax returns.

breaking news from portland, oregon, the mayor has been teargassed during a protest that police are calling a riot. this unfolded outside the federal courthouse downtown where protests over racial ngfferfflast nig are needed to protect federal buildings from vandalism. several fires were set overnight. authorities responded with warnings before firing flashbangs and tear gas. there was no immediate word on any injuries. a new tropical system is taking aim at the gulf coast. right now it's called tropical depression 8. a tropical storm watch has been issued for the texas coast from tomorrow night through saturday. it's expected to strengthen into a weak tropical storm possibly tonight before making landfall. some areas could get six inches of rain. let's take a closer look now at your thursday morning weather. witnesses say this church in queens, new york, caught fire

after a lightning strike. the storm last night packed 60-mile-per-hour winds. lady liberty stood tall as bolts of lightning seemed to surround her last night. flash flooding was alsutveretor temperatures, 93 in washington, d.c. low 80s around the great lakes and 70s along the west coast today. coming up, surprising new information about when humans first arrived in north america. but first dramatic video as children try to escape this fire in a high-rise building hanging from the window. what happened next. and a hiker breaks his leg and ends up stranded for 40 hours in the wilderness recording everything. how he was found.

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we're back with a dramatic scene from a high-rise fire in france. first we must report that that child was okay. two young brothers escaped the flames after someone dropped them from a third floor apartment window. both were caught by the crowd below. the boys, ages 3 and 10, along with several others were treated for smoke inhalation. >> just incredible. and back in this country, a hiker who was stranded for 40 hours in the california wilderness is sharing his story. he has video of the entire ordeal after he broke his leg. abc's andrea fujii shows us what happened. >> help! help! >> reporter: yelling for help was all robert ringo says he could do after he broke his leg while hiking alone in california's joshua tree national park. >> man, the next thing i knew, i was airborne, and i landed right on my left hip.

i can't move it for the pain. i can't move myself. >> reporter: stranded in near 100-degree temperatures with no cell service, the 67-year-old says he wanted to record himself thinking it may help. >> it's about 4:30, 4:20 on thursday afternoon. i'm up in -- well, if you get this or find it or something, you'll know. >> reporter: an experienced hiker and hunter, ringo says he planned for just a short walk and brought two liters of water, but that proved too little. he says he also managed to eat some juniper berries he found on a tree. >> it's the first time in my life i've ever experienced no saliva. >> reporter: before he left he told his family where he'd be hiking, and after he didn't come home, they called for help. >> between the dehydration and the heatstroke, the heat

exhaustion, and i'd just like to say, you know, i had no idea that i was going to spend 40 ours in the desert on my back. >> reporter: finally after nearly two days on saturday morning, he heard a search and rescue helicopter above and knew help had arrived. >> i never got to the point where i thought, i'm not going to make this. i just had a confidence and a faith. >> reporter: ringo says he can't thank his rescuers enough. he's since had surgery on his leg and is expected to recover and says he will hike again. kenneth and mona. >> brave man. andrea, thank you. one of many reasons i don't hike. new evidence suggests humans arrived in north america much earlier than previously thought. two new studies found humans may have arrived on the continent 33,000 years ago, at least 10,000 years earlier than scientists previously believed. the new evidence comes from stone tools found in a mexican cave. well, coming up, play ball. baseball returns today, but one team doesn't have a home. also ahead, president trump reveals new details about the cognitive tests he recently took

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zzzquil pure zzzs all night. fall asleep. stay asleep. back now with a frightening scene in brooklyn, new york, a truck crashing into this outdoor dining area as people were eating. three diners were injured but are expected to recover. more restaurants are setting up seating areas in the street due to coronavirus restrictions. meanwhile, police say this crash was no accident. they say a man drove through his girlfriend's building after she refused to have lunch with him. he's now facing up to three years in prison. president trump is explaining his performance on a cognitive test he took recently. last night on fox news, he explained what he thought was the toughest part of the test, repeating five words in order. >> go back to that question, and repeat them. can you do it, and you go, person, woman, man, camera, tv. they say, that's amazing. how did you do that? i do it because i have like a good memory because i'm

cognitively there. >> the president claims very few people could match his results. the federal government has now signed a contract with pfizer worth nearly $2 billion to buy the first doses of a coronavirus vaccine that still hasn't been approved. earlier i spoke with dr. yvonne maldonado about the vaccine deal but first we talked about re-opening schools and the new claim made by president trump. at his briefing last night president trump said he'd feel comfortable sending his son and grandkids back to school because he said kids don't transmit the coronavirus very easily. he also said, quote, they don't catch it easily. that seems to conflict with some of the research that we've seen just this week. i want to get your thoughts on that. >> well, i don't think we really understand exactly what's going to happen with children. it does look like they are less likely to get sick and maybe to transmit than older children and certainly adults. but we do need to have them go back to school very carefully and especially the teachers take

all the precautions not to get infected. >> and the other big headline this morning is the u.s. government spending nearly $2 billion on a potential vaccine ghhenesn rdy r taked early investment? are they jumping the gun too soon. >> i do think it's important to start tracking what vaccines are being developed, but we'll see if the vaccine is not effective. will we get our money back? i hope so. in the meantime, there are other candidates out there that are also vying for our market and the market around the world. >> and when it comes to developing a vaccine, distribution is also potentially a problem. how would that work? >> the federal government currently has a task force in place that is trying to come up with an equitable way to decide how to distribute vaccines. there are many stakeholders involved, and it's going to be a very important decision. so that the vaccine can be shared equally among high-risk groups and among the entire

population in a fair manner. >> a o big hr, dr. maldois about right now because of long wait times. some colleges and universities that are trying to re-open are turning to at home saliva test kits. what have you heard about the accuracy of such tests? >> the saliva test kits in general are not as sensitive as the nasal tests, but in general the more tests we can get out, whatever kinds they are, are better than no tests at all because we really want to make sure that students come back to school knowing that they're not infected. so they just need to realize that those saliva tests may not be as accurate and may need to be retested. >> our thanks to dr. maldonado. in sports, 17 weeks after baseball's original opening day, it's finally time to play ball. the season starts tonight with the nationals hostin d dodgerfa no fans will be in the stands. they'll be replaced by fake crowd noise. dr. anthony fauci will throw out the first pitch in washington. he admits being nervous.

meanwhile, the blue jays started the season without a home field toronto because of covid-19 restrictions in canada, and they haven't found a stadium here in the u.s. yet. well, coming up, martha stewart like we've never seen her before. also ahead, what we're learning about a beer shortage. as we move forward, let's continue to practice these healthy habits, brought to you by lysol. wash your hands often with soap and water and monitor your health. always use the inside of your elbow to cough or sneeze. be sure to cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover around others. and keep about 6 ft distance from them. and remember to clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. the best way forward is together. lysol. what it takes to protect.

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well, next to new york declaring potato chips are not substantial food. >> bars in the state started introducing small food items to get around rules that say you have to serve food in order to serve alcohol during the pandemic. one bar even introduced cuomo chips named after the governor. but new york has now updated the rule saying food served with booze must be substantial. chips and crackers, yeah, they don't count. >> fries and burgers, please. here are two words no one wants to hear, beer shortage. >> distributors say their supplies are lacking these days. one reason is because more people are drinking at home. >> other factors include a shortage of aluminum cans. and finally martha stewart knows how to strike a pose. >> the domestic diva posted a glamorous pool selfie. stewart is 78. she turns 79 next month. she snapped the photo in her pool in the hamptons. >> she's getting rave reviews, but she gave props to her pool noting it was built 30 years ago with a natural concrete finish. a lot of natural beauty going on in that picture. go ahead. >> we'll check the top headlines next.

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♪la la la la la. now at 4:27, building a better bay area with more covid-19 testing. the new test sites opening up in san francisco . akd tnd what congressional republicans are proposing for the latest stimulus bill. and today is the start of major league baseball. the giants set to face the congressers, plus a familiar face throwing the first pitch in washington, d.c. good morning, everybody. it is thursday, july 23. happy you're waking up with us this morning. and mike nicco, i know you're probably happy about this game. >> very much so. kind of a little normalcy, absolutely. getting to watch baseball with my son, so that will be fun. yeah, i can't wait. hopefully you're having a great

morning. welcome to friday eve, it is thursday. and let's take a look at the winds. it continues through fairfield at 30, but notice the winds in the north bay, they are pointing more south and that will be the difference today even though we're wake up with pretty of the same temperatures and the same cloud cover, we'll end up just a little bit different. we're bouncing back with temperatures average to a little bit warmer than average, from 69 in san fracisco to 74 in oakland, 80 in napa to 86 in concord. that will be short lived though, cooler weather on the way tomorrow before a warming trend this weekend. your health is just one of the key areas we're focusing on at abc 7 as we work to build a better bay area. in san francisco, more than 5500 people have tested positive covid-19 and even more tests are backlogged. so now the city is ex357panding testing to help. amy hollyfield is live with what is being planned. >> reporter: good morning, yes,

city leaders are very concerned. they have announced new strategies including 400 more tests a day here at this embarcadero test site at pier 30. other things that they are doing is adding two new mobile pop-up testing sites, those will wander, they will be deployed to areas disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus. they will also add a third long term site in the southeast side of the city. this will all increase the city's testing capacity by 45%. the mayor says though that testing isn't everything, residents also need to do their part to slow the spread of the virus. >> i am tired of living in this covid-19 world just like you are. but the sooner we all act responsibly, the sooner we can get back to reopening our city. >> reporter: an average of 79 new cases are diagnosed in san francisco every day.

city officials are worried that if the curve doesn't start to flatten, the city could face the situation like we saw in new york city by next month or early fall. amy hollyfield, abc 7 news. in the east bay, hundreds of people lined up at a new covid-19 testing site that opened in alameda. it is at the marina village research part. the test is free and this one says that it gets people their results in 15 minutes. 380 people had appointments and there were 400 walk-ins. >> they started lining up at 4:00 a.m., they have their lawn chairs and some people had sleeping bags and blankets and snacks. >> city health urgent care is partnering to offer this testing. it is open seven days a week through at least september 22. and on our website, we have all the resources that you might need and that includes links to

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