right now on "america this morning," new fallout after the president suggested delaying the november election claiming mail-in ballots will lead to fraud and lengthy delays in the vote count this fraud. the new problems being reported at the post office. testing troubles. the man in charge of coronavirus testing nationwide releasing new information on just how long test results are taking and when wait times will improve. plus, the new prediction about the coronavirus death toll and what could finally slow the surge. hurricane warning. the tropical storm gaining strength overnight after slamming puerto rico. the damage and widespread power outages. is the storm on a collision course with the east coast of the united states? the latest track this morning. also breaking overnight, new

allegations of misconduct on the set of "ellen." how the talk show host is responding. the new season in a bubblseo new lengths for lunch. good friday morning, everyone. as we get ready for another summer weekend, 21 states are now being labeled coronavirus red zones. >> florida just reported a record number of deaths for the third consecutive day, and a new poll this morning shows 66% of americans disapprove of the way president trump has handled this pandemic. >> we're getting new information about coronavirus testing. one expert says most test results are now coming back within five days, and he says much faster results will be widely available by the fall. >> meanwhile, the other big story this morning is concern about mail-in voting. that's for this fall's presidential election. president trump yesterday

suggested the election should be delayed, and now there's word of potential problems at the post office. >> abc's alex presha begins our coverage. >> reporter: this morning new concerns about delays at the post office as the debate rages over mail-in voting ahead of the november election. "the washington post" reports the postal service is experiencing days long backlogs across the country after a top trump donor running the agency put in place new procedures described as cost-cutting efforts which "the post" reports could undermine the postal service's ability to deliver ballots on time for the november election. the election is expected to bring in record numbers of mail-in ballots because of the coronavirus pandemic. the president thursday suggested the election be delayed tweeting, with universal mail-in voting 2020 will be the most inaccurate and fraudulent election in history. it will be a great embarrassment to the usa. delay the election until people can properly, securely and safely vote? top democrats and republicans immediately shot down the idea. >> never in the history of the country through wars,

depressions and the civil war have we ever not had a federally scheduled election on time. >> reporter: later in the day the president downplaying the suggestion. >> i don't want to delay. i want to have the election, but i also don't want to have to wait for three months and then find out that the ballots are all missing and the election doesn't mean anything. that's what's going to happen, steve. that's common sense. and everyone knows it. smart people know it. stupid people may not know it. >> reporter: but vice president mike pence did not reject the idea when asked about the president's suggestion. >> i think the president has just expressed a real concern about the integrity of our election. >> reporter: president trump himself voting absentee earlier this year in the florida primary has claimed mail-in ballots would lead to widespread fraud. abc reached out to election officials to see if they're worried. >> we've heard from 27 so far

across the country and not one of them, republican, democrats, not one of them have expressed any concern that mail-in voting would cause any significant fraud. >> reporter: as for the biden campaign, it's repeatedly warned president trump might try to use the pandemic to delay or delegitimize the election. >> my greatest concern. my single greatest concern, this president is going to try to steal this election. >> reporter: the president does not have the authority to delay the election. that would take an act of congress. meanwhile with joe biden leading in the polls, abc news has learned the trump campaign has pressed pause on tv ad spending to conduct a review of its overall strategy just three months before the election. kenneth and mona. >> alex, thank you. and more than 30 million americans are losing their federal unemployment benefits because congress and the white house have failed to reach a deal on extending them. both sides remain far apart. republicans want to reduce the $600 a week benefit to just $200 but democrats want to extend the entire benefit into next year. another 1.4 million people filed for unemployment benefits last

week, and that means even longer lines at food banks with more people struggling to feed their families. >> we're not beggars. we're not asking for, you know, anything. we want to get out of this. what has me stressed out the most is running out of money. >> more talks on unemployment benefits are expected today between congressional leaders and the white house. a new prediction about the coronavirus this morning. researchers are now forecasting another 80,000 deaths in the d f amics do masks but there is some good news this morning. abc's andrea fujii has the latest. >> reporter: this morning, states across the country seeing more people die from the coronavirus. fema reporting deaths up nearly 30% from last week. louisiana reporting its highest number of fatalities in 2 1/2 months. >> there's more covid-19 in louisiana and in every community

across louisiana than in any point up to now. >> reporter: former republican presidential candidate herman cain losing his battle with the virus. the cancer survivor tested positive after attending president trump's rally in tulsa although it's unclear where cain contracted the virus. but there is some good news, fema reporting fewer cases down an average of 3% from last week. some states trying to curb the spread with more restrictions. michigan now limiting indoor gatherings to no more than ten people. hawaii closing bars on oahu for three weeks, but dr. anthony fauci says a widespread shutdown of the economy is not needed to slow transmission. >> i don't think we need to go to lockdown again and shelter in place. >> reporter: dr. deborah birx blaming people on vacation in part for the increase in cases in certain areas. >> now we see the virus probably because of vacations and other reasons of travel moving up into kentucky, tennessee, southern ohio.

>> reporter: as testing delays plague parts of the country the federal testing czar last night said most people are now getting results within five days, and soon labs, which contribute to backlogs, may not be needed. >> by september we expect more than half the tests in the country to be point of care. >> reporter: as the debate over re-opening schools continues, hundreds of connecticut teachers drove past the governor's mansion demanding a safe plan. >> we do want to teach. that's not the question. the question is how to teach safely. >> reporter: president trump was also asked the same question at his news conference. >> how can you assure people that schools will be safe when re-opening? >> so, can you assure anybody of anything? >> reporter: charlotte, north carolina, schools reversed their course on re-opening deciding to start the year with only virtual classes. this colorado teacher's video of getting ready to welcome students now going viral. >> in what world is this an elementary school classroom? >> reporter: and parents in arizona asked to sign liability waivers before school re-opens

waiving their rights to sue if someone gets sick. the sports world also grappling with the virus. 19 miami marlins players have now tested positive. the philadelphia phillies forced to postpone a weekend series after two staffers tested positive, and 15 football players at rutgers have contracted covid-19 after a party. the entire team now in quarantine. "breaking bad" star bryan cranston announcing he had the virus. >> very lucky. very mild symptoms. >> reporter: he is urging people to take the infection seriously. johnson & johnson announcing progress on their covid-19 vaccine. they say promising data shows it can protect against infection with just one shot. it now moves to human testing. kenneth and mona. >> andrea, thank you. the top prosecutor in st. louis says he will not be charging the white police officer who shot and killed michael brown in ferguson, missouri. the 18-year-old's death back in 2014 sparked days of unrest.

the prosecutor says his office could not provide -- prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer, darren wilson, committed a crime. the justice department previously determined that wilson fired in self-defense. breaking overnight tropical storm isaias is now a category 1 hurricane bearing down on the bahamas. wind-driven rain has swamped streets across puerto rico and the dominican republic with waist high muddy water. that includes hospitals now running on generators. ahead of the storm's arrival miami-dade county has closed coronavirus testing sites along with parks and beaches. and with that let's take a closer look at your friday forecast. forecasters say hurricane isaias could pick up even more strength as it turns towards the bahamas where some areas are still recovering from last year's hurricane. it's on track to reach southeast florida this weekend before it moves northward along the east coast toward maine. checking today's high temperatures, cooler in the northeast.

79 in new york. low 80s in boston and washington, d.c. 90s in the south where rain is expected from oklahoma to the carolinas. 80s on the west coast. 88, los angeles. coming up, a deadly crash, two planes collide over a wildfire. the details coming in overnight. but first new documents released in the case against ghislaine maxwell, the accused sex trafficker and jeffrey epstein's associate. what they reveal. and ellen degeneres under fire now speaking out about claims that her show is a toxi

back now with this massive fire near philadelphia.

at least four people were rushed to the hospital after flames consumed this three-story apartment building. our philadelphia station wpvi to have predated fire walls. fire crews also had issues with water pressure. new documents out this morning reveal emails sent between sex offender jeffrey epstein and his alleged accomplice ghislaine maxwell. a judge ordered the documents released as part of a civil case against maxwell. the emails are from 2015. one month after an epstein accuser filed allegations against him. in the exchange epstein tells maxwell she did, quote, nothing wrong, but the documents confirm maxwell was in contact with epstein five years ago contradicting her recent claim that they had no contact with each other in the last decade. maxwell's accused of helping epstein recruit and traffic underage girls. ellen degeneres is speaking out about allegation of a toxic work environment at her show and overnight new claims of sex misconduct came to light.

will ganss has more on ellen's letter to her staff. >> and here are the values that i stand for. i stand for honesty, equality, kindness, compassion, treating people the way you want to be treated and helping those in need. >> reporter: those values a far cry from allegations made public in the past several weeks. former employees of the ellen show accuse show runners and producers of racisms, unfair terminations and intimidation. >> the show is sort of built on this premise of be kind, be good, be nice, and what you're now finding out is be good, be kind, be nice is not really the mantra of the sort of behind-the-scenes culture of the show. >> reporter: but this morning, the 30-time emmy winner is apologizing. in a letter to staffers ellen saying in part, my name is on the show and everything we do and i take responsibility for that. as we've grown exponentially i've not been able to stay on top of everything and relied on others to do their jobs as they knew i'd want them done. clearly some didn't. that will now change, and i'm committed to ensuring this does not happen again. >> so what's happened now is she sent a note to her crew saying,

we hear you, i'm sorry, changes are going to be made. >> reporter: her memo continuing, we have identified several staffing changes along with appropriate measures to address the issues that have been raised and are taking the first steps to implement them. thr reporting this morning that one of those changes will be the removal of ed glavin, one of the producers at the center of the claims. new reports just coming in overnight from former "ellen" staffers alleging, quote, rampant sexual misconduct and harassment committed by producers on the show. abc reached out to warner brothers for comment. kenneth, mona. >> thank you, will. coming up, new research on how the coronavirus affects childrens. also ahead, like we've never seen them before. the powerful moments and the unusual sights as the nba restarts its season.

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wildfire. two air tankers helping to fight the bishop fire north of las vegas slammed into each other killing both pilots. investigators are trying to determine what led up to the crash. and we have new research this morning about how the coronavirus affects children. it comes as parents and teachers debate re-opening schools amid uncertainty over how easily kids can spread the virus. earlier i spoke with dr. laleh gharahbaghian about that study. the study that just came out is raising new concerns regarding the push to re-open schools. it shows infected children have at least as much of the coronavirus in their nose and throats as infected adults. while the research didn't prove that children are passing the virus to others, how alarming is this finding? >> it's actually not surprising at all. what it proves is that children can get this virus. this virus does not discriminate based on anything, especially age. most kids will not be severely ill from it, which is the good news. the problem comes when the kids can spread those viruses then to

others who are at risk who can get very ill and potentially die, and that's the biggest risk still to the community today. >> our thanks to dr. gharahbaghian. the nba season finally restarted last night. lebron james and other stars are back in action after a long delay and several unusual changes to the game. after a four-month delay, pro basketball is back. >> the ball is up, and the nba is back. >> reporter: before both games last night the social issues that have come to the forefront of american life in recent weeks were on full display. ♪ every player kneeling in unison during the national anthem and wearing black lives matter shirts. ♪ so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming ♪ >> reporter: new orleans pelicans star zion williamson with the words "peace" written on the back of his jersey.

the teams along with the rest of the nba have been isolated at espn wide world of sports complex near orlando. so far the so-called bubble has not been breached by the virus. the league saying this week that out of 344 players tested, none has tested positive for coronavirus. >> we wanted it. fans wanted it. just for the whole world to get back to it, get back to the season. >> reporter: the tip and the game unlike anything we've ever seen. >> you think a player can talk smack with a virtual fan. >> reporter: with virtual fans in the stands coaches no longer required to wear suits while living in the bubble and the referees now using whistle covers. the nba suspended all games in march when utah jazz player rudy gobert tested positive after he jokingly touched several microphones during a news briefing but the season picking up where it left off. it was gobert who scored the first basket last night. >> rudy gobert gets things started. >> before the games the

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tonight, try pure zzzs all night. unlike other sleep aids, our extended release melatonin helps you sleep longer. and longer. zzzquil pure zzzs all night. fall asleep. stay asleep. ♪ time to check "the pulse" on this friday. we begin with comedian tim allen reminding the world he's still alive. >> he saw his name trending on twitter and that prompted rumors that he had passed away. so 2020. by the real reason he was trending was because a sports blogger made a joke about him. >> he responded by tweeting, imagine my surprise when i woke up this morning to a beautiful day in michigan only to find out i'm dead? how did it happen? can anyone tell me?

i'm dying to know. >> it's social media. >> what was the joke, by the way? >> yeah. well, next, nobody likes digging through the trash unless you're a hungry bear. >> check out this bear looking for lunch. it stood up on two legs and rolled a trash can to a more private spot for a closer look. >> oh, he knew he struck gold. he found lasagna tossed away by the homeowners all to himself. >> nice. coca-cola is adding some kick to its sparkling water. >> the company is jumping into the growing hard seltzer market. a booze-infused version of its top chico brand will hit stores next year. >> coke had alcohol on its menu since getting rid of a wine business in 1983. >> who knew? well, speaking of wine, one woman found a creative way to enjoy a glass during the pandemic. >> people in 1983 knew. check out the face mask with the well placed wine flap. the open something a lid from a pack of baby wipes. >> oh, she joked she's taking orders if anyone wants some. maybe some coke zero. they still have that on the market?

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from the number one toothpaste brand in america. crest. making news right now at 4:27, another shooting involving officers in the east bay. this time the scene, a cvs store in berkeley. and $600 a week has been a financial life line for people who have lost their jobs in the pandemic, but it is disappearing today. every county in the bay area is now on the state's watch cing t off rnin everybody. it is friday, julyhappy friday,. >> happy friday, kumasi. how are you? >> i'm well, how about you? >> i'm doing well. thank you. i love your dress there. that is so bright, festive, so ready for friday. yes, ma'am. love it.

let's find out what is going on with the weather as we look into the weekend, hopefully you have plans to get out and enjoy this nice streak of weather we've had. visibilities are okay, lowest right now about 3 in santa rosa. let's take a look from the camera around the shark tank, 87 there. looking north and you can see that it is cloudy as far south as san jose. the clouds will be a little slow to arrive into the east bay valleys and they will get out the quickest and that is why you will be the warmest. low to mid-90s today. we'll have mainly low to mid-80s in the north bay, mid-80s in the south bay, 70s around the bay, mid to upper 60s clothes aoast i san francisco. prelimina flames lit up the north on palace street near bay just before 2:00 this firefighters rescued one person from that building better than and they are being treated at the hospital. right now we want to take you out to see what it looks like right now live there, and you

can see it is still very active. in addition to that person, a don mcgahn was al don mcgahn w dog was rescued. and officials are looking for the cause. more developing news, berkeley police are investigating a possible officer-involved shooting, it happened just before 9:30 last night at a cvs as police were trying to detain several suspects in a parking lot. >> she was in the area and she encountered this in progress and the store trying to prevent it. and an officer involved shooting invtors don k if anybody was injured because the suspects jumped in a car and took off. standard procedure though, the officer is placed on paid administrative leave while the police department and the district attorney's office vez

ga investigate. a big part of our commitment is focused on help for people who have lost their jobs because of the pandemic. today millions of people are losing a major federal benefit they depend on to survive. julian glover is live with how they are caught in a political battle. >> reporter: good morning. washington can just not agree on this one. s are pushing to cut that $600 weekly unemployment benefit to $200, democrats are fighting to keep it at $600. neither will have it at that point with the senate leaving washington yesterday on thursday. and we know a lot of americans all across the country are depending on this help. 1.4 million people filed for unemployment last week as those benefit checks expire today. both parties agreeing that another stimulus plan is needed, but they agree on