♪ str right now on "america this morning," boiling point. protesters flooding the s right now on "america this morning," boiling point. protesters flooding the streets of several major cities overnight after the grand jury decision in the police shooting of breonna taylor. violence erupting. two officers are shot. hundreds of national guard troops called in. tear gas fired in atlanta. what we're now learning about the breonna taylor case. transfer of power. president trump's response when asked what he'll do if he loses the election in november, and this morning, one republican senator's reaction. breaking overnight, the encouraging news about the coronavirus in schools. the new research surprising the experts. plus, the powerful tributes to supreme court justice ruth bader ginsburg spanning the generations.

tom hanks revealing something we never knew about "forrest gump." the scenes that almost didn't make the movie. and some call it the robot of nightmares. the 60-foot giant now on the move. good thursday morning, everyone. thank you for joining us. i'm kenneth moton. >> i'm deirdre bolton. mona is off. we begin with the outrage and unrest after a grand jury in kentucky decided not to charge any officers for the killing of breonna taylor, a young woman shot during a drug raid in her apartment in march. >> during protests in louisville, police say two officers were shot. the grand jury's decision also sparking protests across this country. police in atlanta fired tear gas to break up the crowd of protesters at the state capitol, but this morning, the focus is on louisville. >> reporter: overnight, more

anger in the streets across america after a grand jury's decision in the breonna taylor case. >> attention, all units. i need all units that are available to go to brook and broadway. we have an officer down. >> reporter: two officers were shot in louisville less than an hour before the city's curfew. as a large crowd faced off with police in riot gear. >> here they come. oh, they shot guns at him. oh, [ bleep ]. they're shooting guns at them, real guns. >> i'm very concerned about the safety of our officers. >> reporter: kentucky deployed about 500 members of the national guard to help protect property. the protests now spreading from coast to coast after wednesday's announcement from kentucky's attorney general. >> our investigations show and the grand jury agreed that mattingly and cosgrove were justified in the return of deadly fire after having been fired upon by kenneth walker. >> reporter: one of the three officers involved in taylor's shooting has been charged, but the charges are not related to her death. taylor was shot and killed by police when they executed a

search warrant in march at 12:40 a.m. officers were investigating a suspected drug operation linked to taylor's ex-boyfriend. no drugs were found during the search. taylor's boyfriend who was with her that night told investigators the officers failed to knock or announce themselves. kenneth walker says he thought the officers were breaking into the argument, so he fired a warning shot with his legally owned gun, but during yesterday's announcement, the attorney general insisted the officers did knock on the door and said a witness backs it up. >> when officers were unable to get anyone to answer or open the door to apartment 4, a decision was made to breach the door. >> reporter: jonathan mattingly was the only officer to enter the apartment. >> he says that the male was holding a gun, arms extended in a shooting stance. sergeant mattingly saw the man's gun fire, heard a boom and immediately knew he was shot. >> reporter: the officers then returned fire and taylor was killed. this morning, former officer

brett hankison, the only person charged in the shooting, has been released on bail. he faces one to five years in prison for allegedly endangering neighbors in the apartment collection. -- complex. >> detective hankison fired his weapon ten times, including from an outside sliding glass door and through a bedroom window. >> reporter: taylor's family attorney in a statement called the grand jury's decision offensive, and another example of no accountability for the genocide of persons of color by white police officers, but president trump praised how kentucky's attorney general handled the case even quoting him during the white house briefing. >> mob justice is not justice. justice sought by violence is not justice. it just becomes revenge. >> reporter: former vice president joe biden issued a statement saying the decision in the case does not answer the call for justice by many people, and stressing the need for police reform. nba star lebron james tweeting overnight calling black women the most disrespected person on

earth. love to you queens and beyond. as for the police officers shot overnight, both are expected to recover. one suspect is in custody. after president trump -- now to the growing fire storm in washington after president trump refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the election. a reporter asked him the question at the white house press briefing at the white house. >> will you commit to making sure there is a peaceful transferral of power after the election? >> we'll have to see what happens. you know that. >> do you commit to making sure there's a peaceful transfer of power? >> get rid of the ballots and we'll have a very peaceful -- there won't be a transfer, frankly. there will be a continuation. >> the president claimed again that voting by mail could lead to widespread fraud. earlier he insisted a new supreme court justice needs to be seated before the election because he expects the court to resolve the outcome. senator mitt romney expressed alarm tweeting, fundamental to democracy is the peaceful transition of power. without that, there is belarus. any suggestion that the

president might not respect this constitutional guarantee is both unthinkable and unacceptable. the president will travel to the supreme court today to pay his respects to justice ruth bader ginsburg. this was the scene overnight. thousands of mourners filed past her casket. earlier the eight remaining justices gathered inside the court for a ceremony where chief justice john roberts reflected on ginsburg's extraordinary life. >> it was said she wanted to be an opera virtuoso, but she became a rock star instead. of course, she will live on in what she did to improve the law and the lives of all of us, and yet still ruth is gone, and we grieve. >> some of to those people right there traveled from around the country to pay tribute to ginsburg who will lie in state tomorrow at the capitol. one girl was spotted outside dressed up as superwoman offering a final salute to the late champion of women's rights. now to the coronavirus and a heated exchange on capitol hill

between dr. anthony fauci and senator rand paul, clashing over the definition of herd immunity. both spoke out last night after the tense moments. meanwhile, some encouraging news for teachers and parents. "the washington post" reports researchers have found little evidence that the virus is spreading inside school buildings so far. they say unlike college students, outbreaks among children have not been as numerous as feared, but cases are rising in the middle of the country, and one governor has tested positive. abc's alex presha reports. >> needless to say it's been quite a day here at the -- at the mansion. >> reporter: this morning, governor mike parson of missouri announcing he and his wife have tested positive for the coronavirus. >> no symptoms of any kind. >> reporter: the news coming after a stark reality check from the director of the cdc as lawmakers grilled the nation's top health experts on the response to the virus. >> a majority of our nation, more than 90% of the population

remains susceptible. >> reporter: during that hearing, an exchange between dr. anthony fauci and senator rand paul getting heated when the senator questioned why new york city has beaten back the virus. >> they are looking at the guidelines that we have put together from the task force of the four or five things of masks, social distancing, outdoors more than indoors, avoiding crowds, and washing hands. >> or they've developed enough community immunity that they're no longer having the pandemic because they have enough immunity in new york city to actually stop it. >> i challenge that, senator. >> i'm afraid -- >> please, sir. i would like to be able to do this because this happens with senator rand all the time. you are not listening to what the director of the cdc said that in new york it's about 22%. if you believe 22% is herd immunity, i believe you're alone in that. >> reporter: fauci last night reacted to that confrontation

during an interview with actor alan alda. >> i have nothing against senator paul. i have respect for him. hopefully we can reconcile this at some time. >> reporter: but senator paul sticking to his statement. >> he wants to say it's because everyone is washing their hands. >> right. >> i don't believe that. i think they were washing their hands in april and we still had all these deaths. so there's something going on, and i can't say with eacertaint but over the next couple of months, if there is no significant surge again without a vaccine in new york, it will look like herd immunity. >> reporter: health experts tried to convince americans to take a vaccine when one becomes available, but now president trump is accusing the fda of playing politics with the vaccine. apparently reacting to reports the fda claims they will release tougher standards for vaccine makers. >> that has to be approved by the white house. we may or may not approve it. that sounds like a political move. >> reporter: it comes as a potential fourth vaccine from johnson & johnson heads to the final testing stage, but unlike others, this would require one shot.

the others being tested would require two. this morning, the head of the fda insisting the agency can be trusted. >> our thorough review processes in science will guide our decisions. fda will not permit any pressure from anyone to change that. >> reporter: as for the economic toll of this crisis, a new poll found that 40% of american households faced serious economic problems during this pandemic. kenneth and deirdre? >> all right, alex. thank you. time now for a look at your thursday weather. what's left of tropical storm beta is moving across the south. heavy rain is expected in mississippi, tennessee and georgia. up to 5 inches in some areas. the pacific northwest is also seeing heavy rain today, but more heat and gusty winds are expected there next week. checking today's high temperatures, 70s and dry for the northeast. near 80 around the great lakes where thunderstorms are possible, and 84 degrees in southern california today. 106 in phoenix, 87 in

albuquerque. coming up, new video of what's being called a trash tsunami coming ashore. also why "tiger king" star and "dancing with the stars" contestant carole baskin is being sued and the new documentary about her husband's disappearance. and later, the big changes coming to times square this new year's eve. o times square this new year's eve. ♪ here's to the duers. to all the people who realize they can du more with less asthma thanks to dupixent, the add-on treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma. dupixent isn't for sudden breathing problems. it can improve lung function for better breathing in as little as 2 weeks and help prevent severe asthma attacks. it's not a steroid but can help reduce or eliminate oral steroids. dupixent can cause serious allergic reactions including anaphylaxis. get help right away if you have rash,

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of gas-powered vehicles. the governor's ban calls for only new electric cars and trucks to be sold in the state by 2035. it's an aggressive move to fight climate change, which has been blamed in part for fueling recent historic wildfires. we turn now to one of the stars of the netflix series "tiger king." she's facing a lawsuit just as a new documentary is being released about the disappearance of her ex-husband. here's abc's andrea fujii. ♪ what's new pussycat ♪ whoa, oh, oh >> reporter: as famed big cat rescue queen carole baskin battles her way across the dance floor, this morning the "dancing with the stars" contestant is also facing legal drama. the family of her ex-husband, don lewis, is filing a defamation lawsuit while seeking more information about how lewis mysteriously disappeared more than two decades ago. >> i keep it inside and wait until everybody's gone before i can break down. >> reporter: the suit stems from baskin's silence on "dancing with the stars" when her former

husband, don lewis, was referenced. the lawsuit claims baskin is currently appearing on "dancing with the stars" and is complicit with jokes about don lewis' death. baskin's fame stems from the netflix documentary "tiger king" in which the star, joe exotic, accused her of murdering lewis. baskin has denied those allegations. but now a new docuseries called "joe exotic: tigers, lies and cover-up" on investigation discovery is taking a deeper dive. an investigator on the show questions why baskin allegedly sold properties only one month after lewis' disappearance. properties reportedly valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars but sold for under $10,000. >> a $9,000 transaction looks a whole lot different than a $10,000 transaction because anything over $10,000 would have to be reported with a paper trail. >> reporter: baskin claims the properties were overvalued and says she was trying to help the

buyer. she tells "the associated press" she had nothing to do with her late husband's death and would never make jokes about him. lawyers for baskin say they can't comment on pending litigation. coming up later on "good morning america," more on that docuseries, including an exclusive look at the theories of what could have happened to don lewis. kenneth, deirdre? >> all right, andrea, thank you. coming up, new hope for millions of americans out of work. also ahead, a new push to ban sugary snacks at the check-out line at grocery stores. i wanted more from my copd medicine that's why i've got the power of 1, 2, 3 medicines with trelegy. the only fda-approved once-daily 3-in-1 copd treatment. ♪ trelegy ♪ the power of 1,2,3 ♪ trelegy ♪ 1,2,3 ♪ trelegy woman: with trelegy and the power of 1, 2, 3, i'm breathing better. trelegy works three ways to open airways, keep them open and reduce inflammation, for 24 hours of better breathing. trelegy won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. trelegy is not for asthma. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition

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event to fill 25,000 jobs. experts say these jobs traditionally offer a stepping stone to permanent roles. new details this morning about how the coronavirus is mutating as we enter the fall. earlier i spoke with dr. ivan maldonado. we also discussed a controversial way restaurants are seating people outdoors. >> what are the takeaways from this early study on how the virus is changing? could it affect vaccine development? >> we do know that all viruses will mutate, and i think that the manufacturers are watching for that. so far it doesn't look like it will affect any of the current vaccines. but once a vaccine is developed and works, we know that they can be modified pretty quickly if the virus should mutate over the next several months or even years. >> we're learning more about so-called long haulers, people who've recovered from covid-19 but have conditions that arise weeks or months later. dr. anthony fauci said yesterday

there's a disturbing number of patients who have inflammation of the heart. others have cognitive problems like the inability to concentrate. what's your take on these concerns? >> again, it's a new virus. we don't really know what the long-term effects might be, and people with covid will need to be followed for at least a year or two. >> the director of the cdc testified yesterday that 90% of the u.s. population remains susceptible to the coronavirus. one of president trump's advisers is disputing that number. what do you make of that assessment? >> i have to say that the cdc director is a very smart man and i think that he's probably right. >> there's a controversy brewing here in new york over a restaurant that's set up bubbles for outside dining. this will help people stay warm as temperatures drop. but critics argue containing people in such a small space is exactly what we should avoid. what do you think? >> i took a look at the bubbles and they're actually only two sides -- they only have walls on two sides and the other sides are open.

so it does allow some air flow, which is still pretty helpful. and yet protects people against wind or the elements. so i think at least for now they appear to be okay. >> our thanks to dr. maldonado there. coming up, the new 25-ton robot of the future. also ahead, what tom hanks just revealed about "forrest gump" and the scenes that were nearly cut. about "forrest gump" and the scenes that were nearly cut. waking up to what's possible with rybelsus®. ♪ you are my sunshine, my only sunshine... ♪ rybelsus® works differently than any other diabetes pill to lower blood sugar in all 3 of these ways... increases insulin... decreases sugar... ...and slows food. the majority of people taking rybelsus® lowered their blood sugar and reached an a1c of less than 7. people taking rybelsus® lost up to 8 pounds. rybelsus® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. don't take rybelsus® if you or your family

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next, satisfying your sweet tooth at the grocery store is going to be a lot tougher in one city. >> the city council in berkeley, california has voted to ban foods high in sugar and salt at check-out lines and replace them with healthier snacks. >> the ban is thought to be the first in the country. next, new revelations about forrest, forrest gump. >> in a new interview tom hanks reveals that he and the director paid out of their own pockets for some scenes to be filmed. he says the scene where forrest runs across the country almost didn't get filmed because of budget issues. >> what? >> i know. that's iconic. come on. another scene almost scrapped because the insurance was too expensive. >> in exchange for covering the costs, paramount promised hanks and the director a bigger share of the profits and hanks made $65 million. >> okay. what looks like a "transformers" movie character coming to life. >> this happened in japan. a 60-foot robot which weighs 25 tons was put into motion for the first time. >> took 60 years to make. it will be a tourist attraction. >> ooh. >> cha, cha, cha. cha, cha, cha.

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checking the top stories, protests have erupted across this country after a kentucky grand jury declined to charge louisville police officers in the shooting death of breonna taylor. two officers were shot last night during a demonstration in louisville. their injuries are not life-threatening, and a suspect is in custody. the city's under curfew with nearly 500 national guard troops standing by. president trump refusing to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the election. the president told reporters, "we're going to have to see what happens." he then criticized mail-in voting, repeating his claim that it could lead to fraud. eric trump has been ordered to appear for a deposition within two weeks. a new york judge has rejected requests by the president's son to wait until after the election. state investigators are trying to determine if the trump organization lied about its value to get loans and tax

benefits. hundreds of pilot whales washed up in australia in the country's worst ever mass stranding. so far nearly 400 whales have died. about 70 have been released back into the ocean after being pushed off sand bars. today's weather, another pleasant day along the east coast. more rain and flooding in the southeast from what's left of tropical storm beta. rain also around the great lakes and in the pacific northwest. finally, a massive boulder that george washington apparently tried to knock over. it has finally been toppled. >> will ganss explains time finally did what washington could not. >> reporter: for thousands of years the rock you see leaning on its side here was a balancing boulder in holliston, massachusetts outside boston. >> let's say 10,000 to 15,000 years. >> reporter: the five-ton boulder had been sitting like this since a glacier melted and dropped it there. but sometime monday or early tuesday morning it came down. >> time and weathering. we call that process of the

rocks breaking down and deteriorating, we call it weathering. >> reporter: the rock has been a part of holliston's history since the early days of the united states. local legend has it that george washington himself, while touring massachusetts in 1789, spotted the rock and tried to push it over. >> coming by and seeing this large boulder, and perhaps because it was a leisurely trip and he was on the scenic route, he got off apparently, got up here and tried to push it off. >> reporter: the town says the rock will stay like this because even heavy machinery couldn't push it back up. >> it's going to stay like that. because i think gravity won. >> reporter: the people of holliston have been stopping by to see with their own eyes what they had heard. the balancing rock no longer balancing. >> this is definitely how we want to see it. it's like 2020 just keeps on giving gifts that nobody wants. >> reporter: will ganss, abc news, new york. >> thank you, will. washington, he gave it the push, right? just what it needed. >> that's right. that's right. just took a century-plus to get

right now on "america this morning," boiling point. protesters flooding the s right now on "america this morning," boiling point. protesters flooding the streets of several major cities overnight after the grand jury decision in the police shooting of breonna taylor. violence erupting. two officers are shot. hundreds of national guard troops called in. tear gas fired in atlanta. what we're now learning about the breonna taylor case. transfer of power. president trump's response when asked what he'll do if he loses the election in november, and this morning, one republican senator's reaction. breaking overnight, the encouraging news about the coronavirus in schools. the new research surprising the experts. plus, the powerful tributes