>> stay with us for "gma." right now on "america this morning," the cordial questioning turns tense from health care to same-sex marriage, key moments from judge amy coney barrett's supreme court nomination hearing and what's next. plus, president trump's new claim at a jam-packed rally in pennsylvania. a new setback in the fight against covid-19. another clinical trial is halted over safety concerns. what we are learning with more hospitals on the brink and cases rising. plus, the stimulus stalemate. speaker nancy pelosi on the attack after a news anchor asks why she won't just call president trump and make a deal. car share nightmare. one man's warning to anyone considering using a new app to rent their car for extra cash. also this morning, delay the super bowl? the new discussions in the nfl.

epic selfie. how one tourist got to enjoy one of the world's most amazing destinations all by himself. and sharing a laugh. >> don't condescend me, zippy. i'll snap you like a butter bean. >> we remember one of tv's crudest but most beloved housekeepers. good wednesday morning, everyone. i'm mona kosar abdi. >> and i'm will reeve. we begin with judge amy coney barrett getting grilled by democrats. >> she was confronted with several big issues including obamacare and abortion, and overnight president trump weighed in during a rally in pennsylvania where he also insisted that we're turning the corner on the pandemic. >> under three weeks until the election, more states have started early voting. some people waiting in line all day. in texas yesterday a record 128,000 people voted in harris county alone. >> but let's begin with the supreme court confirmation hearings resuming today.

abc's elizabeth schulze has the latest. good morning, elizabeth. >> reporter: mona and will, the 11 hours of questioning so far has been calm and cordial, but there were some tense moments when barrett was questioned about health care, women's rights and the upcoming election. this morning, judge amy coney barrett insisting she gave no commitments to the white house pending her confirmation to the supreme court. >> i have no mission and no agenda. judges don't have campaign promises. >> reporter: at a rally in pennsylvania last night, the president praising his nominee after her first day of questioning by senators. >> amy's made a great impression. [ crowd chanting "fill that seat" ] >> reporter: at tuesday's hearing both democrats and republicans zeroed in on hot button issues including health care. >> the democrats claim that you're being put on the supreme court so you can vote to repeal the affordable care act. is that your agenda? >> absolutely not. >> reporter: the supreme court will hear a case on the affordable care act one week after the election.

vice presidential candidate kamala harris grilling barrett on obamacare which she has criticized. >> would you consider the 135 million people who gained protections under the affordable care act when deciding a case that challenges that law? >> i would consider all the protections that congress put in place. >> reporter: republicans pushing back on the questioning. >> this is all about their concern that a constitutionalist judge on the supreme court just might get in the way of their push to implement government run health care. >> reporter: on same-sex marriage, barrett was forced to clarify this comment. >> i have never discriminated on the basis of sexual preference. >> reporter: barrett used the phrase sexual preference. gay rights advocates say that term suggests sexual orientation is a choice. >> when you did use the term sexual preference earlier today rather than sexual orientation, is there a difference, and what is it? >> senator, i really in using that word did not mean to imply

that i think that, you know -- that it's a matter -- that it's not a -- that it's not an immutable characteristic or that it's solely a matter of preference. i honestly meant no offense. >> reporter: she listed several cases she believes cannot be challenged. roe v. wade is not one of them. >> roe is not a super precedent because calls for its overruling have never ceased but that doesn't mean that roe should be overruled. it just means that it doesn't fall on the small handful of cases like marbury versus madison and brown versus the board that no one questions anymore. >> reporter: and with the presidential election now 20 days away, barrett was asked if it would be appropriate for her to be involved in a potential election dispute case. president trump has said he's counting on barrett and the court to, quote, look at the ballots. >> i certainly hope that all members of the committee have more confidence in my integrity than to think that i would allow myself to be used as a pawn to decide this election for the american people. >> reporter: perhaps the most charged moment of the hearing came when senator dick durbin asked barrett, the mother of two

black children, about the fight for social justice. >> have you seen the george floyd video? >> i have. >> what impact did it have on you? >> senator, as you might imagine, given that i have two black children, that was very, very personal for my family. for vivian, you know, to understand that there would be a risk to her brother or the son she might have one day of that kind of brutality has been an ongoing conversation, and it's a difficult one for us like it is for americans all over the country. >> reporter: now, more questioning is ahead today. the senate judiciary committee is expected to approve barrett tomorrow setting up her confirmation by the full senate before the election. mona. >> elizabeth, thank you. now to the fight against the coronavirus. another major trial has been put on hold. the news comes as hospitalizations rise in all but seven states. meanwhile, we're getting new insight on so-called superspreader events. this morning the fight against

covid facing a new setback as another major drug trial was put on hold. pharmaceutical giant eli lilly pausing phase 3 of its testing on its antibody cocktail citing undisclosed safety concerns. >> we have very little knowledge exactly what is the concern at this moment. >> reporter: the treatment is different than the one given to president trump. this marks the second trial to be postponed in as many days. on monday johnson & johnson paused its phase 3 vaccine trial because of an unexplained illness. >> the very fact that the trial has been paused and the data are being reviewed is a very good thing. it shows you that the system that we have in place to monitor the safety of the vaccines and the rigorous conduct of the trial is in place, and it's working. >> reporter: it comes as 34 states report new increases in cases. connecticut now seeing its highest level of infection since june. officials in michigan now warning the state may be seeing a second wave, and hospitals in

oklahoma on the brink. doctors say every icu bed in oklahoma city is taken. the state's mask mandate has been extended through december while in wisconsin -- >> we're seeing somewhat of a perfect storm. >> reporter: -- more than 3,000 new cases and a record number of deaths reported tuesday. doctors warning everyone to keep their guard up. >> we see this cycle where cases go down a bit, and then people get complacent, institutions get complacent, and then cases rise back up as there's a loosening. >> reporter: but overnight a different message from president trump. >> who's had it? who's had it here? who's had it? yeah, a lot of people. a lot of people. well, you're the people i want to say hello to because you are right now immune. >> reporter: the president telling a jam-packed crowd in pennsylvania that they're immune if they've had the virus, an unproven claim, which doctors warn could be dangerous. >> we shouldn't be cavalier. there are people who are going to get reinfected, and some people will get reinfected and be sicker the second time around. >> reporter: across the country

cities are seeing new clusters linked to so-called superspreader events. >> we have not seen an event like this before at any time throughout this pandemic. >> reporter: near new york city at least 37 people were infected and hundreds are now in quarantine after a sweet 16 party. in brooklyn school officials are accused of flouting safety restrictions that forced classrooms to close. hundreds of students could be seen here leaving one school and piling onto buses. meanwhile, health officials say new outbreaks in offices around boston could be linked to carpooling. and the venue that held that party in new york now faces a $20,000 fine. there's still no break in the stalemate over a new coronavirus stimulus package. house speaker nancy pelosi got into a heated exchange on cnn over her decision not to accept a $1.8 trillion offer from the white house. she insisted the needs of americans are not addressed in that bill, especially when it comes to child care. >> yesterday i spoke to andrew yang who says the same thing. it's not everything you want but there's a lot there. >> but you know what, okay,

honest to god, i really can't get over it because andrew yang, he's lovely. ro khanna, he's lovely. they are not negotiating this situation. they have no idea of the particulars. >> why not call him and say, mr. president, let's work out a deal? >> what makes me amused, if it weren't so sad, is how you all think that you know more about the suffering of the american people than those of us who are elected by them to represent them at that table. >> republicans have scheduled a vote next week on a scaled back bill, but it is not expected to go anywhere. these are tough times for movie theaters. amc now says it could run out of money by year's end. new details about the alleged plot by a militia group to kidnap michigan's governor. prosecutors have revealed virginia's governor was also a target. his spokesperson says the governor was never in danger. the suspects allegedly considered posing as a pizza deliveryman in michigan to reach the governor's door.

time now for a look at your wednesday morning weather. checking out the radar here, we can expect rain today from washington and oregon across the northern plains into the upper midwest. high elevations in the rockies could see more than a foot of snow, and looking at today's temperatures, the high heat from colorado to california along with strong winds, low humidity, those have triggered red flag fire warnings. phoenix could set a record today for number of days this year over 100 degrees. it's near 70 degrees in the northeast today. nice fall day. coming up, the moment a world war ii era bomb was blown up underwater. also ahead, a car share nightmare. how one man ended up losing his vehicle after using an app to make some extra cash. and later a wild police chase turns violent and

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we are back with a bang. look at that. a world war ii era bomb exploding in poland. underwater divers trying to defuse it. they were far enough away they weren't injured, and the nearly six-ton bomb was used during a british attack on a german ship. a marine commander has been fired after a deadly training accident. seven marines and one sailor drowned near san diego in july. another died later from his injuries. the marines say lieutenant colonel michael regner was relieved of duty because of a loss in trust. we turn now to a car-sharing app becoming more popular during the pandemic. one man's experience using the app did not go as planned. here's abc's megan tevrizian. >> reporter: this morning, a car share nightmare for a denver man. >> i was in denial for a long time. >> reporter: john listed his

ford f-150 on the car-sharing app getaround, a kind of airbnb for vehicles that more people are using to make extra money during the pandemic. >> list the truck on the site. people in your neighborhood and your city rent it from you. >> reporter: but the renter of his truck had a run-in with police. >> i got a call from denver police department, and they said, your truck's been involved in an incident. we found drugs, money and weapons in your vehicle, so we have to confiscate it. >> reporter: police arrested the man, seized john's truck and then sold it at an auction for $5,200. the police never called to tell john. instead they sent a letter to his old address. at first the people at getaround said they would make it right, but after emailing back and forth, the company ultimately backed out of paying him for the truck. >> this is a big corporation using their lawyer-speak or fine print to write me off and say, sorry, you lost. >> reporter: but now after questions from our affiliate

denver 7, getaround is getting to change its stance and paying john $10,000 for the lost truck. >> i mean i think there's people renting nice cars like teslas and porsches, and i don't think they realize the implications if the wrong person starts to use it, that it could just disappear. >> reporter: getaround released a statement saying it's working to resolve the matter for good. will, mona. >> all right, megan, thank you. now, coming up, what we learned about the new iphone. is it worth upgrading? also, remembering a woman who made everyone laugh. who made everyone laugh. hd 4

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>> tech: that's service you can trust. >> singers: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace. ♪ a violent end to this police chase in australia. a stolen car crossing the median slamming head first into an suv. it then bursts into flames. both drivers did survive. the suspected car thief was placed under arrest. and closer to home, a close call for a driver on i-95 in florida. this huge chunk of metal came crashing through his windshield. it was actually a piece of a tow truck, if you can believe it. >> yikes. we're getting an exclusive look this morning at the new iphone 12. apple's four new models are the first iphones with 5g, the next generation wireless network which experts say is 100 times faster than the current technology. abc's becky worley got an exclusive look at the devices. she also spoke with an expert about whether it's worth getting a 5g phone now. >> reporter: this is the iphone 12 and the iphone 12 pro. the first thing i notice is the

squared off edges. hardly anybody can get it. is it worth upgrading to this phone just for that? >> i don't think you really need to go get a 5g phone yet. you may not use it, but this is kind of a way to future-proof yourself. >> another important note, unlike past models, the iphone 12 will not come with free air buds or a charging base. this morning tributes are pouring in for actress conchata ferrell. her name may not be familiar to you, but her comedy likely will be. from brash housekeeper -- >> but as long as we're discussing dining choices, why don't you bite me. >> reporter: -- to surly judge. >> you need to get out of my chambers. >> reporter: and everything in between. >> i wouldn't let that moron in the door. >> reporter: conchata ferrell was known for her pull no punches comedy style. >> whoo! feeling crazy. >> reporter: sometimes literally. >> i was a rodeo clown for six years. you're going to have step it up a notch, shorty. >> reporter: but she was without a doubt best loved for her role as berta on "two and a half men." >> charlie.

good, i don't have to give him mouth-to-mouth. >> reporter: when she auditioned for the role, producers asked her to do an eastern european accent. instead conchata told them, quote, it works better in trailer park. >> sophisticated? she's two marbles rolling around in a tin can. >> reporter: the role would score her multiple emmy nominations and the adoration of fans and co-stars alike. after hearing the news of her death, charlie sheen calling ferrell, a genuine friend writing, berta, your housekeeping was a tad suspect. your people keeping was perfect. conchata ferrell was 77 years old. >> so you want to know what goes on underneath this gruff exterior, whether somewhere inside me there's a tiny girl who once dreamed of being a famous ballerina. >> is there? >> if there is, it's because i accide accidentally ate one and haven't passed her yet. >> reporter: she had been hospitalized since may after a heart attack and died surrounded by family. in sports the nfl says it's

open to delaying the super bowl due to covid-19 scheduled changes. it may also add a week to the regular season. as for the playoffs, the league opposes using a bubble. meanwhile, last night the titans beat the bills, and in baseball, the rays and the braves won last night. >> how about that sports update. coming up, the famous tourist attraction that opened for just one person. also ahead, why cow hugging is getting so popular. also why cow hugging is getting so popular. also why cow hugging is dy for it. a digital foundation from vmware helps you redefine what's possible... now. from the hospital shifting to remote patient care in just 48 hours... to the university moving hundreds of apps quickly to the cloud... or the city government going digital to keep critical services running. you are creating the future-- on the fly. and we are helping you do it. vmware. realize what's possible.

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when the pandemic hit. he waited seven months to see it. now he gets to. >> machu picchu opens to the rest of the world next month. next to a chicken nugget going where no chicken nugget has gone before. >> yeah, outer space. a british grocery store sent this chicken nugget 110,000 feet above earth and watched it parachute back down. it was all to celebrate the store's anniversary. next to a moo-ving experience. >> it's called cow hugging. apparently it's all the rage now. you do it by hugging or cuddling up next to a cow. >> apparently the cow's warm temperature and slow breathing are soothing in these troubling times. researchers say cows become more relaxed when people hug them. >> to say nothing of the smell. next, some rescue dogs from california are in the halloween spirit. >> the group called the rescue boys has already tried on various costumes. their collection includes characters from the "teenage mutant ninja turtles," "winnie the pooh" and "the lion king." speaking of halloween spirit, look at this house in western new york. it's got a giant spider on the

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warning going into effect right now. there's high fire danger in more areas than usual. mike is tracking the dry and windy conditions. my computer cannot work. my phone cannot work, then we lost a lot of money. >> residents and business owners bracing for blackouts. with the high fire danger pg&e warning they could cut power to thousands today. good morning, it's wednesday, october 14th. >> good morning, julian. happy to have you with us this morning. >> lots to get to at 5:00. we're starting with this high fire danger. want to get to meteorologist mike nicco with a look at what we should be keeping an eye out for this morning. >> hi, everybody. thanks for joining us. 5:00 straight up, that means the red flag warning just came into effect. it's for more areas. it's just not up in the hills and mountains but the national weathe