right now on "america this morning," the bombshell recordings of president trump admitting he downplayed the coronavirus back in the winter. overnight the president defending his actions. also, the new reporting in bob woodward's book. what the president said about white privilege. breaking news, a boy and his grandmother among the dead as raging wildfires destroy entire towns on the west coast. the number of people missing unknown. a new look at the destruction, row after row of homes gone. trick-or-treat debate. what happened when one major city tried to cancel halloween this year because of the pandemic. miracle at the mall. the new plan to save jcpenney and thousands of jobs. countdown to kickoff. nfl r tonight. what's different and why the commissioner warns there will be speed bumps.

and from justin timberlake's new mission to a new gig for jay leno to the mom making a surprise visit during her daughter's audition video, all the trending stories this thursday morning. good thursday morning, everyone. we begin with the white house firing back after the release of those bombshell audiotapes. >> the tapes reveal that president trump admitted downplaying the coronavirus back in february. he spoke out late last night. abc's faith abubey begins our coverage. >> reporter: this morning, the white house fighting back responding to recordings made public in which president donald trump acknowledged he understood the deadly threat posed by the coronavirus back in february but misled the public about it. journalist bob woodward interviewed the president february 7th, 1 of 18 on the record interviews for woodward's book, "rage." >> it goes through air, bob.

that's always tougher than the touch. you know, the touch, you don't have to touch things, right, but the air, you just breathe the air, and that's how it's passed. and so that's a very tricky one. it's also more deadly than your, you know, even your strenuous flus. this is more deadly. this is five per -- you know, 5% versus 1% and less than 1%, you know, so this is deadly stuff. >> reporter: but just three weeks later the president told the american people coronavirus is like the flu contradicting what he told woodward. >> this is a flu. this is like a flu. within a couple of days it will be down to close to zero. that's a pretty good job we've done. >> reporter: in another interview in march, the president acknowledged he was not being up front with the public. >> now it's turning out it's not just old people, bob. just today and yesterday some startling facts came out. it's not just older people. >> yeah, exactly.

>> it's plenty of young people. >> it's clear just from what's on the public record that you went through a pivot on this to, oh, my god, the gravity is almost inexplicable and unexplainable. >> well, i think, bob, really to be honest with you -- >> sure, i want you to be. >> i wanted to -- i wanted to always play it down. i still like playing it down. >> yes. >> because i don't want to create a panic. >> reporter: the president on fox news last night defending his actions. >> i'm the leader of the country. i can't be jumping up and down and scaring people. i don't want to scare people. i want people not to panic, and that's exactly what i did. >> reporter: the president insists his travel restrictions on china opposed by many democrats at the time saved countless lives, but joe biden calls the president's downplaying of the virus a life and death betrayal. >> the idea that he knew what was going on, he denied that he was briefed, remember, he said he wasn't briefed by the

intelligence community, how bad it was, he didn't read it. he just flat lied. that's wrong. it's totally irresponsible. >> reporter: dr. anthony fauci, who according to woodward said the president's attention span is, quote, like a minus number defended the president wednesday. >> i don't think he distorted things that i spoke to him about. he would want to, you know, make sure that the country doesn't get down and out about things, but i don't recall anything that was any gross distortion in things that i spoke to him about. >> reporter: woodward's book also detailed a conversation in june amid protests for racial justice. according to "the washington post," woodward asked the president about white privilege suggesting both of them as white men with privileged backgrounds have a responsibility to better understand the anger felt by black americans. the president told woodward, no, i don't feel that at all. the book also reports former defense secretary james mattis told the director of national

intelligence the president was dangerous and unfit, and woodward reveals north korean dictator kim jong-un called president trump your excellency but it's the coronavirus that woodward focuses on sitting down with "60 minutes" for an interview airing sunday. >> in that february 7th interview, it's clear that the president knows what the stakes are, but he's not sharing that with the public at that time. >> yes, this is the tragedy. a president of the united states has a duty to warn. the public will understand that but if they get the feeling that they're not getting the truth, then you're going down the path of deceit and cover-up. >> reporter: last night the president was critical of bob woodward saying his previous books have been political hit jobs. the president says he gave woodward access to the white house to, quote, give it a shot while the white house says that proves the president is transparent with nothing to hide. kenneth, mona. >> and the presidential republican allies on capitol

hill noticeably quiet this morning, faith. thank you. the homeland security department is denying claims from a former top official who says he was ordered to stop producing intelligence reports on russian interference in the 2020 election. brian murphy says acting homeland security secretary chad wolf delivered the order saying it came from the white house and murphy claims he was told to withhold an intelligence bulletin on russian efforts because it, quote, made the president look bad. the white house says murphy is disgruntled. the death toll is rising from the historic wildfires on the west coast. a boy from oregon and his grandmother are among the victims. the governor says this could be the greatest loss of life and property from fire in state history. and in northern california at least four people have died. thousands have fled their homes. one fire carved a 25-mile path of destruction. this morning, high winds and high heat fueling nearly 200 major fires on the west coast. some of them wiping out entire neighborhoods.

new video near portland, oregon, showing rows of homes destroyed. these satellite images showing towns before and then after the fire. >> this isn't safe. >> oh, you can feel it. >> oh, my god, people, go. >> reporter: oregon's governor saying at least 35 large fires are burning across the state warning the damages could be catastrophic. >> this could be the greatest loss of human lives and property due to wildfire in our state's history. >> reporter: overnight a 12-year-old boy and his grandmother identified as two of those victims from a wildfire south of portland. the two disappeared early tuesday after getting separated from their family as flames forced them to evacuate. the boy's father spoke to reporters earlier in the day when rescuers were still searching for them. >> he means everything to me and like, i don't know, i can't -- i can't do anything right now without knowing that he's -- not knowing where he's at, what's going on. >> reporter: and now tragedy in washington where a 1-year-old has died near spokane.

firefighters finding the family's severely burned truck near their home. the child's parents left in critical condition. in california, nearly 14,000 firefighters called to the front lines fighting dozens of major wildfires. in the bay area an apocalyptic orange-tinged sky. san francisco's golden gate bridge barely visible in this picture taken in the middle of the day. abc's matt gutman is in the fire zone. >> i've been covering fires for half a dozen years or more. i've never seen anything like this. a sky completely orange at 11:00 in the morning. later matt surveying the damage. the devastation here is so widespread that the only way you can get a sense of the scope is to drive through it. >> reporter: and now hundreds of thousands of families facing the task of rebuilding their lives. >> the house ain't even recognizable. it's just not. there's nothing -- i'm so surprised that the people was able to get out of here alive

looking at what there is. it's hard to believe. >> and a fire is also threatening paradise, california, where evacuation warnings have been issued. fire destroyed that town in 2018. it was the deadliest fire in state history. a former columbia university doctor is under federal indictment on charges he used his position to sexually abuse dozens of female patients. prosecutors say robert hadden's victims include minors. the wife of former presidential candidate andrew yang says hadden assaulted her while she was pregnant. a white college professor who reportedly admitted she was pretending to be black for most of her adult life has now resigned from her position at george washington university. in a blog pest jessica krug was quoted saying her mental health demons don't justify pretending to be black. time now for a look at your thursday morning weather. new video shows the hurricane-force winds this week toppling semi trucks in utah. much of the state is cleaning up

and at least one death has been blamed on the fierce winds. checking the radar right now, more september snow today in the southern rockies. some areas could get 6 inches. heavy rain in west texas could cause flash flooding. looking at today's high temperatures, 69 in dallas, still very warm and dry on the west coast, 60s around the great lakes, 70s for the northeast. coming up, mcdonald's testing out a new way to serve coffee. also ahead, the nfl season kicks off tonight. what will be different and what won't be different this year. and later one city tries to cancel halloween because of the coronavirus. our medical expert weighs in on the debate over trick-or-treating this year.

we're back with a new plan we're back now with a new plan to save jcpenney. the department store chain has reached a deal to sell its stores to a group of mall owners and bankruptcy lenders which will save the company from being liquidated. the deal is expected to save 600 stores and 70,000 jobs. a change may be coming to mcdonald's. it will soon test reusable cups for hot drinks to reduce waste. once you finish your coffee, you can return the cup to mcdonald's or a designated drop-off point. the cup will then be washed and prepared for the next customer. today is the day football fans have been waiting for. the nfl is back tonight, but abc's andrea fujii reports the game will look a lot different. >> reporter: this morning the countdown to kickoff under way for football fans. the defending super bowl champs, the kansas city chiefs, hosting the houston texans tonight. but with the threat of coronavirus, the season will look a lot different. on the field, no cheerleaders, mascots or sideline reporters.

inside the stadium masks are required, and concession stands are cashless. the nfl is taking a different approach compared to the nba opting not to play in a bubble. tonight's game will be played in kansas city, one of only six stadiums where fans will be allowed. only 22% of seats will be filled. that's about 16,000 people. >> we started planning for this back in march, so to get to the point where we're now at kickoff really feels like a terrific accomplishment, but we know that it's only part of the journey. we've still got a long season in front of us. >> reporter: major league baseball also opted not to play in a bubble. several games had to be postponed because of players testing positive, but plans may change for the playoffs. "the los angeles times" now reporting the league is finalizing plans to play some postseason games including the world series in a bubble like the nba's. back on the football field, news about super bowl mvp patrick mahomes who will be back in action tonight. espn reports the chiefs have now

added an insurance policy to mahomes' new $450 million contract. overnight mahomes tweeting this video with the caption, the countdown begins. another big change to the game, tom brady will play for tampa bay on sunday after spending 20 seasons with the patriots. his buccaneers now loaded with weapons. tom brady is 16 games away from setting a record for the most starts in nfl history, and as for safety, nfl commissioner roger goodell said in an op-ed for "the washington post" that players will be tested for covid the day before games and said they're cautiously optimistic but acknowledged there will be speed bumps. kenneth, mona. >> andrea, thank you. and coming up, a young third grade teacher dies from the coronavirus. what we're learning about her case. and late they are morning, justin timberlake on a new mission. ♪ i got this feeling inside my bones ♪ ♪ it goes electric wavy when i turn it on ♪

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back now with the school district in columbia, south carolina, mourning the death of a 28-year-old teacher. demi bannister was diagnosed with covid-19 last friday and died monday. she was known as her school's song bird because of her love for music. we have new information on why that major covid-19 vaccine trial has been put on hold. also this morning, one city is trying to cancel halloween because of the virus. earlier i spoke with dr. alok patel about these headlines, but we began with the new reporting about president trump's handling of the crisis as the u.s. death toll now approaches 190,000. let's just jump right into it and start with the new revelations in that book by bob woodward reporting that president trump admitted downplaying the threat of covid-19 in february even when we heard him tell woodward that covid was far more dangerous than the flu, but he kept telling the public otherwise. he says he didn't want the american people to panic. what's your reaction to that,

and what kind of difference do you think it would have made had the president been more forthcoming in february? >> well, first of all, my -- i was appalled, and i was shocked at it. i think had he acted earlier, had he let people prepare and not panic, we could have saved countless lives but also maybe the entire disconnect between science and misinformation wouldn't exist. you know, there's also a model predicting that 36,000 to 40,000 lives could have been saved had we socially distanced and worn masks one or two weeks earlier. imagine if we did that a month earlier. >> and, dr. patel, yesterday we reported on that covid-19 vaccine trial being put on hold because one person suffered an unexplained illness during the trial. what are we learning about that person now? how serious is this? >> what we're learning about them is that they may have something called transverse myelitis. that's just an early call. that's an inflammation of the spinal cord, which can be caused by infections or autoimmune conditions such as multiple sclerosis. we still need to wait to get the

final review. what people should know, this is why phase 3 trials take so much time. you have to make sure things are safe. >> a new study finds yet another benefit of wearing a mask. dr. patel, what are you hearing? >> what i'm hearing is that the study kind of confirms what we thought, that if you can prevent the amount of droplets going from the next person to yourself, you might get a more milder asymptomatic disease course and the researchers who looked at this modeled it after an argentinean cruise ship and oregon meatpacking factory so let's wear those masks. >> los angeles county tried to ban trick-or-treating this year because of concern about spreading the virus. but, of course, there was huge backlash, and now it's only recommending that people avoid trick-or-treating. what are your thoughts on that? and is there a safe way to go door to door? >> i can't imagine how there's a safe way to go door to door. you know, it really sucks. halloween is so much fun. it's something kids were looking forward to, but there are still ways that we can celebrate that halloween spirit in a physically distanced or a more safe setting. we just have to get creative and all be in it together. we can do an online costume party all day. >> our thanks to dr. alok patel.

a big sports headline overnight. the atlanta braves scored 29 runs against the marlins. the final score was 29-9, but they did not beat the record. the rangers scored 30 against the orioles in 2007. coming up, jay leno gets a new tv gig. also ahead, a teenager getting embarrassed by her mom like we've never seen before. on. >> tech: we'll come right to you. ♪ upbeat music >> tech: you'll get a text when we're on our way. >> tech: before we arrive, just leave your keys on the dash. we'll replace your windshield with safe, no-contact service. ♪ upbeat music >> tech: and that's service you can trust when you need it the most. ♪ upbeat music >> tech: schedule at safelite.com. ♪ upbeat music >> singers: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace. ♪

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"you bet your life." producers say in these challenging times, we need a familiar face to make us laugh. the comedy quiz show was made popular by groucho marx. >> the reboot will feature two strangers facing off for prize money and debuts next fall. >> okay, jay leno has always got a job. next, a teenager in texas was recording a song for her school audition when she was rudely interrupted. >> yeah, it was her mom whose legs suddenly crashed through the ceiling. not to worry, mom is okay and everyone had a good laugh. >> that funny video has 8 million views on tiktok and rising. >> her mom just wanted to join. finally a gator emergency in florida. >> a gator. a sheriff's deputy came to the rescue. there was a report of an alligator in a storage shed. >> but it was no match for deputy texler, who revealed it was actually a pool floatie and it's a crocodile, not an alligator. a case of mistaken identity. >> it looks like it. >> we'll check the top headlines next. stay with us. >> we'll check the top headlines next. stay with us.

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making news at 4:27, rust colored skies. get ready, because we're in for a less orange today, but the skies will be smokier. and the ominous skies beg the question, is it even safe to be outside? health officials giving us some advice. and one of the wildfires producing the smoke above us takes a deadly turn. bay area firefighters will be on the front lines of the bear fire near oroville today. good morning, everybody. it is thursday, september 10th. happy you are waking up with us this morning. i know a lot of people are waking up wondering what the skies will look like >> so let's get right into it because it is not good news. [ inaudible ] during the overnight hours, smoke from oregon entrained in

our marine layer and check it out, we have unhealthy air for even. want it hits red, it is unhealthy for everybody. and that is what you are seeing. as we head a little farther to the south, you can see that it is cleaner around the monterey m bay. and it will hang around until at least friday. and i see issues with smoke all the way through the weekend and i'll explain that when we take a look at the smoke forecast coming up. here is a look at what it looks like from our roof camera, and it is definitely smoky and fog sgi again this morning. we'll talk about why it is orange coming up. and as mike said, the skies won't be as dark and gloomy as yesterday, but everybody is still talking about the orange skies. and amy hollyfield is live with how people were coping with the really unreal conditions.

>> reporter: good morning. yeah, car dealerships like this ford dealership in walnut creek will be watching the skies today. they have got a lot of ash on their cars and they say that they won't hose all these down until this is all over. we did see a lot of people really stop and pause yesterday to capture and appreciate this moment. many paraded out to treasure island to try to take a possible once in a lifetime picture of the orange sky over san francisco. others told us that it impacted their mood. and one person telling us they missed an appoentsment because they felt so off. and then some turned to pizza saying a day like we had called for some comfort food. >> you it is you have to face it head-on. there was a craving for pizza,

there was dystopian reality. so i recommend pizza. >> reporter: and we also found some people outside out on walks or fishing just trying to find a sense of normalcy in a very odd feeling day. the air quality actually wasn't as bad as it looks. it wasn't a terrible day to be outside. and if you did exercise outside yesterday, you were the smart one because today it will look a little better, but the air quality is supposed to be a little worse. reporting live in walnut creek, amy hollyfield, abc 7 news. and that orange sky gave san francisco really a surreal look. look at what city hall looked like. a lot of people had to stop and snap a picture, it was so strange. john's grill which is usually busy for lunch empty because the darkness was keeping people