right now on "america this morning," in the red zone. the new warning for 21 states identified by the coronavirus task force and what we learned overnight about the increasing death toll as president trump once again clashes with dr. anthony fauci, plus, teachers now threatening to strike over re-opening schools. >> tech ceos on the hot seat from bezos to zuckerberg, the historic antitrust hearing today. how the top executives from amazon, facebook and others plan to defend their companies from claims they're too powerful. how big is too big? covid-19 relief rip-off. new details about the man accused of using coronavirus relief money to buy a $300,000 lamborghini. what we've learned about his past. running mate mystery. the photo giving us a glimpse at joe biden's notes.

what they say about a potential vp pick. ready to play. the changes coming to "wheel of fortune" and "jeopardy" to get them back on the air during the pandemic. and zooming into the future. a rare look inside buckingham palace as the queen's daughter tries to teach mom how to use a video conferencing app. good wednesday morning, everyone. we begin with the new government report warning that 21 states are now in the so-called red zone when it comes to the coronavirus. >> that means doctors are recommending more restrictions in those states to stop this virus. a fema memo obtained shows deaths from the virus rose by 30% in the last week. >> with the u.s. death toll about to surpass 150,000, president trump falsely claimed last night much of the country is free of the virus. he also once again defended the drug hydroxychloroquine. >> meanwhile as parents across the country try to prepare for

school this fall, a major teachers union warns teachers may go on strike if they don't feel safe. abc's megan tevrizian begins our coverage. >> reporter: this morning authorities say covid-19 is killing one american every minute and a half as deaths surge across the u.s. >> we are still seeing significant outbreaks occurring from birthday parties, graduation parties, family reunions. >> reporter: the coronavirus task force now identifying so-called red zones urging 21 states with major outbreaks to put more restrictions in place with concern moving from the sun belt north. but this morning, the president seemingly driving a new wedge between the white house and the task force. >> and he's got this high approval rating, so why don't i have a high approval rating? >> reporter: voicing frustration about dr. anthony fauci's growing popularity while once uting hydrox as a >> it does you kn w? because i recommend it.

when i recommend something, they like to say, don't use it. >> reporter: fauci not mincing words about the president's recommendation. >> the overwhelming prevailing clinical trials that have looked at the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine have indicated that it is not effective in coronavirus disease. >> reporter: the doctor also responding to trump's recent retweets that accused fauci of misleading the public. >> i have not been misleading the american public under any circumstances. >> reporter: one of the nation's largest teachers union now saying it will support teacher strikes in areas that re-open classrooms without adequate safety measures. some school districts in california say parents are skipping signing kids up for school agent together. >> we're down about 50%. a plano the state managing to control a surge in the spring. but as summer drags on, growing concern about people ignoring social distancing guidelines.

♪ governor andrew cuomo calling for an investigation into this concert in the hamptons. the headliner, the chainsmokers now potentially facing civil fines and potential for criminal liability. meanwhile, major league baseball is facing another setback. >> we all want to play but always with health and safety in the primary decision-making of that. >> reporter: more games postponed. the miami marlins season is suspended until at least this weekend as their team outbreak grows with 17 players now infected. but new progress is being made on a vaccine. two companies, moderna and now pfizer, are beginning large-scale trials after just months. >> that's not happened before in human history as far as we can tell in the developed world. so an incredible achievement. it is very credible that we could have tens, the high tens of millions of doses of fda authorized or approved vaccine this year. >> reporter: and back to sports. there are more than 15 nfl

players opting out of the upcoming football season because of coronavirus concerns. six players on the new england patriots alone. kenneth, mona. >> megan, thank you. kodak, the company known for cameras and film, is being tapped by the federal government to help produce generic prescription drugs. it received a $765 million loan to make pharmaceutical products. it's part of the trump administration's plan to ship drug production back to the u.s. from overseas. now to the historic hearing today on capitol hill. tech ceos will be grilled by lawmakers, some of whom claim companies like google and amazon have too much power. here's abc's alex presha. >> reporter: this morning the chief executives for the world's biggest tech companies preparing to appear on capitol hill for a historic antitrust hearing. amazon's jeff bezos, facebook's mark zuckerberg, apple's tim cook and google's sundar pichai, a group thatud ts richest men.

they're expected to face questions over whether they stifle competition. in his prepared statement zuckerberg will tell lawmakers that companies aren't bad just because they're big adding facebook became successful the american way, by starting out with nothing and providing products that people find valuable. zuckerberg telling a senate facebook has a lot of competitors. >> the same service you provide? >> well, we provide a number of different services. >> is twitter the same as what you do? >> it overlaps a portion what have we do. >> you don't think you have a monopoly? >> it certainly doesn't feel like that to me. >> okay. >> reporter: bezos, who has never testified in front of congress before, will focus on his personal background in his prepared remarks calling himself a garage inventor who as a teenager invented an automatic gate closer out of cement filled tires, a solar cooker out of an umbrella and tin foil and alarms made from baking pans to entrap my siblings. some lawmakers have repeatedly argued for the breakup ofbig tech companies including senator

elizabeth warren. >> you don't get to be the umpire and have a team in the game. >> reporter: but many financial experts insist big tech companies benefit the economy including the vice chairman of morgan stanley who recently told cnbc, what would we have done during the pandemic if we didn't have companies like amazon? as for apple's tim cook he is expected to address criticism over apple's app store, which is the only way that iphone users can download apps. kenneth and mona. >> alex, thank you. partisan snipping prevailed during a long awaited hearing on capitol hill featuring attorney general william barr. he defended the federal response to civil unrest in several cities including portland, and in response to criticism from democrats, barr denied using the justice department to help president trump politically. i'm supposedly punishing the president's enemies and helping his friends. what enemies have i indicted? >> are peaceful protests violent, mr. attorney general? >> no. >> do peaceful protests destroy businesses? >> no.

>> do peaceful protests injure officers? >> no. >> can you commit today the department will not use federal law enforcement as a prop in the president's re-election political campaign? >> we are not. >> now you are projecting fear and violence nationwide in pursuit of obvious political objectives. shame on you, mr. barr. >> can i just say -- >> shame on you. >> can i just say -- >> my time is expired. >> barr was also asked about the president's claim that the election will, quote, be rigged. barr said he has no reason to think it will be. the tributes to the late congressman john lewis move to georgia today. the civil rights icon will lie in state at the capitol building in atlanta. before his casket left washington, d.c., a symbol of hope appeared in the skies. look at that. a rare double rainbow appeared over the capitol building. >> time now for a look at your wednesday morning weather. a tropical storm warning is in effect for puerto rico and the virgin islands as a storm system gathers strength.

officials in puerto rico are bracing for power outages. the long-term forecast shows the storm heading towards florida but experts say it's far too early to be certain about that tract. checking today's high temperatures, another day of 90 plus degrees in the northeast. mid-80s around the great lakes and in the plains where showers and thunderstorms are expected from oklahoma all the way to the carolinas. 94 in the nation's capital. coming up, a photo reveals some personal notes that joe biden took about a potential vp choice. also ahead, new details about the woman killed in a rare shark attack in maine. what may have increased her risk. plus, the man accused of lief money to buy a mborghini. whe've learned about his whe've learned about his past. ♪ ♪

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back now with presumptive democratic nominee joe biden. he says he'll announce his choice of of a running mate next week, but a close-up of his notes during an event yesterday may offer a clue. take a look there. there was a section in his notes devoted to senator kamala harris and next to her name were phrases including do not hold grudge, talented and great respect for her. new details about the woman killed in a rare shark attack in maine. the 63-year-old former fashion executive from new york city was bitten by a great white. investigators say she was wearing a wet suit and was likely mistaken for a seal. meanwhile, a great white known to researchers as miss may was spotted off atlantic city, new jersey, yesterday. scientists tracking the shark say it was well offshore but three other shark sightings have prompted beach closures on new york's long island. we're learning more about the florida man accused of taking millions of dollars

in coronavirus relief money and going on a wild spending spree even allegedly buying a lamborghini. this isn't the first time he's come to the attention of police. this morning, new details about the man accused of using covid-19 relief money to buy a lamborghini. >> hilarious and disturbing. >> reporter: days before his arres arre arrest david hines was fined for not wearing a mask in public calling it a nonexistent pandemic. >> it is so ridiculous. >> reporter: prosecutors say hines received nearly $4 million in loans from the government's paycheck protection program meant to help small businesses during the crisis. hines allegedly claimed to be the head of four companies and then used the money on dating websites, jewelry, clothes and the $300,000 sports car. hines is now at his home wearing an ankle monitor. he had no comment when reporters knocked on his door. >> [ bleep ]. >> investigators say the lambo

has been seized by authoritys along with $3.4 million from hines' bank accounts. coming up, a massive fire in san francisco. the daring rescue to save a snake. also ahead, new research on school safety during the pandemic and why the teachers' location in the classroom could be crucial. courageous or dull emotions that flow like a flux it all starts in your gut hey! happy, irate, jaded, keen listen to your marvelous machine now oh my god, probiotics inside quality qualified restlessly recharged super sexy satisfied trust the taste 'n understand the ultra upbeat vital vibe welcoming wellness, xcited for xcellence yummy yogurt collecting the yeses zany, zealous, zestful, zing from a to z, your gut is where it all begins start with activia with billions of probiotics

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'til everyone can enjoy a professional clean feel... at home. back now with a massive fire that destroyed six commercial buildings in the mission district in san francisco. at least one firefighter was hurt. the cause is under investigation. one survivor of the fire was a snake named winston. it was safely evacuated from a veterinarian hospital near the scene. in medical news researchers are touting a new blood test for alzheimer's. they say it can accurately diagnose the disease among people who already have dementia. eventually the scientists say the test might be able to catch alzheimer's early enough that patients could seek treatment to slow their decline. the test could be ready for use in two to three years.

the airline industry is enlisting the help of a high-tech tool to make sure flights are coronavirus-free. jetblue testing it designed to disinfect planes with a powerful dose of ultraviolet light. they gave "good morning america" an exclusive look at how it works. it's made by honeywell which says it can disinfect a passenger cabin in less than ten minutes. >> this is technology that's been used in hospitals for many years, demonstrated to be over 90% effective on all kinds of pathogens, not just viruses, but bacteria, et cetera. >> jetblue is also hoping to use the device at check-in stations. later on "gma" we'll hear what medical experts have to say about the effectiveness of uv light. . there's new research this morning on school safety and what could protect students in the classroom this fall. also this morning, one potential coronavirus vaccine already appears to be working in certain animals. earlier i spoke with dr. alok patel about each of these headlines starting with that research on classroom safety.

let's begin with that new research from the university of minnesota on how teachers can protect students from the virus in the classroom. the researchers say if a teacher stands directly under an air vent, the coronavirus aerosols won't spread nearly as far and they released a video showing this. i want to know, what is your take on this research? >> i think it's a pretty elegant way to look at airflow. you know, we know that coronavirus can be aerosolized. that is one concern about re-opening schools, can classrooms be properly ventilated? these researchers were looking at different airflow patterns to see what was going to be the most optimal and gives them another tool, another option to make sure they're protecting their teachers. >> as we reported this week, moderna began the phase 3 trial and now saying the vaccine appears to be working in monkeys. how significant is this? >> well, it's a great preliminary kind of finding, right? obviously a nonhuman primate is not going to have the same effect as a human.

we want human data, but if you think about what a phase 3 trial is, you're comparing the effects of the vaccine versus people who don't have the virus and how they fare against coronavirus. in these monkeys, the monkeys who were vaccinated, the coronavirus replicated less in their bodies so even though we had human data, it would be a lot better than if the monkeys had no effect moving forward. so i think there's some optimism there. >> lastly a resident at a massachusetts veterans home where dozens died earlier this year has just tested positive for the virus again even though he was considered clinically recovered. what have we learned about the potential for getting this virus twice? >> there's still a lot of debate and a lot of i don't knows regarding this, so what we do know is erdos from orsahey've patnts but there is no clear scientific report of patients testing negative and actually definitively clearing the virus and then getting it again. it's possible that some people are testing positive for the

virus then they're recovering but the virus is still lingering in their body. there's a lot of things out there right now, but so far we don't think that people can truly remove the virus and get reinfected again. time will tell. >> our thanks to dr. alok patel. there was a bench-clearing brawl in baseball last night, but the players kept their social distance. it happened during the dodgers/astros game. the pitcher and batter exchanged words after a strikeout then the benches cleared but no punches were thrown, and everyone kept their distance. hopefully maybe they just need to wear masks as well when they do something like that. >> you can't hear the smack talk. >>wecomi up, bigew "jeopardy" fans. also ahead, queen elizabeth's daughter tries to teach her mom how to use a video conferencing app. looks like they picked the wrong getaway driver. they're going to be paying for this for a long time. they will, but with accident forgiveness allstate won't raise your rates just because of an accident, even if it's your fault. cut! sonny. was that good? line! the desert never lies.

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time to check "the pulse" on this hump day. we begin with america's favorite game shows going back into production. >> "jeopardy" and "wheel of fortune" are returning to the studio, but there will be changes. podiums for "jeopardy" contestants will now be socially distant, and players will be a safe distance from alex trebek. >> "wheel of fortune" will reportedly feature a redesigned wheel to make sure contestants are prer separated. new episodes begin airing in september. and people around the globe have been relying on zoom since the pandemic hit, and the royal family, well, they're no different. >> cameras captured princess anne giving her 94-year-old mother, queen elizabeth, tips on how to use the video conferencing app. take a look. >> good morning at windsor. >> good morning. i'm very glad to be able to join you. >> can you see everybody? you should have six people on your screen? >> yes, well, i can see four anyway. >> actually you don't need me. you know what i look like. >> well, the queen eventually got the hang of it. the moment is part of a

documentary airing on british tv marking princess anne's 70th birthday. next, the emmy nominations are out and the famous face from the pandemic will be presented at the awards this year. >> brad pitt has been nominated for his portrayal of dr. anthony fauci on "snl." >> and when i hear things like the virus can be cured if everyone takes the tide pod challenge, i'll be there to say, please don't. and to the real dr. fauci, thank you for your calm and your clarity in this unnerving time. >> this year's emmys will be entirely virtual. netflix leads the way with a record 160 nominations. >> and finally talk about a hot seller. >> some new crocs inspired by kfc sold out before you could say colonel sanders. the $60 shoes which include a chicken scented charm went on sale at noontime. >> and just 31 minutes later they were sold out. >> like your toes, finger licking good.

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breaking news at 4:27, firefighters still on the scene of this massive fire in san francisco. dramatic video showing the flames ripping through six buildings. privacy, racism and misinformation, the ceos of facebook, google, apple and amazon facing tough questions when they testify before congress today. 6 feet apart but gathering together tragedy, the community of gilroy marks one year since the festival shooting. good morning, everybody. it is wednesday, july 29. excited that you are with us this morning. first let's check in with mike nicco. >> good morning. hi, everybody. welcome to wednesday. let's take a look at what is going on with live doppler 7. plenty of cloud cover out there

and i put the roof camera on there to show you how low it is hanging. so there may be some mist in the air in the usual are minor cooling today as a seabreeze will keep you in the low to mid-60s along the coast, 69 in antioch. happening right now, that huge fire that ripped through six businesses in san francisco yesterday morning is still smoldering. fire crews are at 14th street and south innis avenue looking for hot spots and that is where we find amy hollyfield with more. >> reporter: good morning. this is still a very active scene. look behind me at these fire trucks, also pg&e crews still hard at work trying to repair the power lines that were damaged in this fire. and we can see they have a ladder from the fire truck still

up with a light on this fire keeping a very close eye on what is happening here. the fire chief said she thinks crews will be out here for days. the huge five alarm damaged six commercial buildings, including a sheriff's building. homes were impacted too. three people are now looking for a place to live. they are also processing the scary plomt moments that they w through. >> i was woken by one of our maintenance people who lives nearby beating on the doors inside. >> hell. i thought it was going to jump t this side. >> reporter: the fire started around 6:30 yesterday morning. one firefighter was hurt but is expected to be okay. we have not been told yet what they think caused the fire, but fire officials say they plan have a briefing this morning at 7:00, so we're hoping to hear more information when their investigation and what possibly

started this huge fire. amy hollyfield, abc 7 news. and working to build a better bay area means keeping an eye on our health which is under threat from the coronavirus pandemic. but the latest statewide numbers are encouraging. state health officials say 6,000 new cases were diagnosed and that is lower than the previous 9,000. hospitalization are still trending up, and the average rate of positive tests was stable for the fifth straight day, the goal is to keep the number under 8%. state health leaders are enacting emergency health regulations to better understand how covid is impacting certain communities. anyone scheduling an appointment for a covid test now has to reveal their race and ethnicity and their gender identity. the state's health and human services