right now on "america this morning," you're fired. president trump fires the homeland security official who denied trump's claim that the election was rigged and now another key official is resigning. this while the pentagon moves forward with a controversial troop withdrawal plan overseas. experts from both sides of the political aisle speak out. what it could mean for national security. breaking overnight, republican officials in michigan refuse to certify results of the election but then change course. what changed their mind. plus, rudy giuliani responds to reports that he wants $20,000 per day in legal fees from the trump campaign. a new record high in the daily coronavirus death toll. the new curfews and the new mask mandates, plus a potential game changer as the fda approves a new at home test. pharmacy of the future.

what amazon's new move could mean for drug prices. from "people" magazine's new sexiest man alive to the people's choice to replace alex trebek on "jeopardy" to this massive flock of flamingos on the move. all the trending stories for your wednesday morning. good wednesday morning, everyone. we begin with several stories breaking overnight. president trump has fired his top cybersecurity official who denied there was any fraud during the election and now another homeland security official is resigning. >> in the meantime, a new setback for the trump campaign just as rudy giuliani takes over legal efforts to overturn the election results. >> president-elect joe biden is still being shut out from the transition process even as the white house moves forward with plans to withdraw troops from afghanistan and iraq. >> and the pandemic is raging

out of control with daily deaths now hitting the highest level since may. but we begin with that high-level firing in washington. this morning, president trump's top cybersecurity official is out of a job after he described the election as the most secure in american history. the president tweeted that chris krebs has been terminated adding that krebs' statement about the election is highly inaccurate. krebs led a team in the homeland security department which released a statement last week saying, there is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes or was in any way compromised. krebs said honored to serve. we did it right. defend today, secure tomorrow. democrats and republicans alike are now slamming the president's move. >> you know, it doesn't surprise me. this has been the story of the trump administration for four years. anyone that had the audacity to speak truth to power, anybody that wouldn't carry the president's false line. it's a terrible tragedy. >> gop senator ben sasse said

krebs did a really good job, and he obviously should not be fired. and now abc news has learned krebs' deputy is now resigning. the latest upheaval comes days after trump fired defense secretary mark esper who recently warned the white house about a rapid withdrawal from afghanistan, but yesterday trump's new defense secretary made it official. >> by january 15th, 2021, our forces, their size in afghanistan will be 2,500 troops. our force size in iraq will also be 2,500 by that same date. >> reporter: within hours of that announcement, rockets were launched near the u.s. embassy in iraq reportedly killing a child. this morning, president-elect biden is still not receiving security briefings, mostly due to a lack of official acknowledgement from the general services administration. as president trump refuses to concede the election, but senate majority leader mitch mcconnell insists the transition of power will be orderly. >> we're going to have an orally transfer from this

administration to the next one. what we all say about it, frankly, is irrelevant. >> reporter: the trump campaign has filed at least 18 lawsuits to contest the election results. rudy giuliani was seen last night leaving court in pennsylvania where he argued ballots were illegally counted. giuliani has claimed that republican observers were illegally denied access in philadelphia and other areas. but the state supreme court ruled in a similar suit that they had acted properly. in the meantime, giuliani is denying a "new york times" report that he asked the president's campaign for $20,000 per day for his legal services. meanwhile, in georgia election officials say a second county found another batch of votes that were not included in the initial vote count. the nearly 2,800 votes were not enough to change biden's win in the state where a recount is expected to be finished today. breaking overnight, a new twist in the michigan vote tally. republican officials in the state's largest county initially refused to certify the election results claiming there were irregularities in detroit, but the wayne county board members

reversed course after an outcry from residents accusing them of trying to steal votes. >> it appears that the truth won in this scenario. basically the evidence is clear there were no irregularities, there was no evidence of widespread fraud and, in fact were simply minor clerical error, actually less than in past elections. >> president trump praised the initial refusal tweeting, quote, courage is a beautiful thing. powerful republican lawmaker chuck grassley has tested positive for covid. he spoke in the senate monday. he is 87. he says he's feeling fine and quarantined with no symptoms. there's more evidence that the coronavirus is spreading out of control. the number of daily deaths across the u.s. just hit the highest level since may, new curfews being imposed from ohio to california and even sioux falls, south dakota, has imposed a mask mandate. abc's elizabeth schulze has more. good morning, elizabeth.

>> reporter: mona, when it comes to covid infections, november is now the worst month of the pandemic, and today's only the 18th. many hospitals reaching their breaking points. this morning, covid infections are on the rise in every state. 2 million americans have tested positive so far this month, and more than 1,500 deaths were reported yesterday, the highest daily total since may 14th. in washington state officials are warning 300 people who attended a wedding after 40 covid cases were linked to the event. >> it's the kind of thing that really is what they refer to as a superspreader. >> reporter: in los angeles, new restrictions will be imposed including a 10:00 p.m. curfew for businesses. >> i don't really go out past 10:00, so for me it would just be living life normally. >> i'm no scientist, but covid doesn't sleep from 10 to 6, so i just think that it's kind of just blowing smoke for no reason. >> reporter: ohio and maryland now imposing similar curfews. meanwhile, the city council in

sioux falls, south dakota, has voted in favor of a mask mandate. the mayor allowed the vote after rejecting the idea just last week. the public common portion of the meeting lasted three hours, both sides making argument. >> we just moved here from new jersey like three weeks ago, and i came here to get away from people that want to push masks on you. >> we're living in the epicenter of a pandemic right now, and, quite frankly, i'm disgusted being here to help try to convince you to put a mask mandate in place. >> reporter: masks will soon be required in montana statewide. in oklahoma doctors tell abc's matt gutman they're trying to treat the influx of patients even while running low on beds and equipment. >> if someone comes in the hospital and they need icu care, there's nowhere to send them. >> what happens if a bus crashes on the interstate and a whole bunch of people need intensive care? >> then you see all these people that are doing the groundwork, they do more.

that's all you can do. >> this is what keeps you up at night. >> i'm not sleeping very well these days. >> reporter: near philadelphia 800 nurses went on strike claiming dangerously low staffing levels. >> there are days that we have six patients each, seven patients each. in the icus it should be one or two nurses per patient. >> reporter: hospital owners say they offered to boost pay and hire more staff, but the union says more help is needed. >> covid patients are very hard and difficult to take care of and take a lot of time and energy to do it right and give them the care they deserve, and you can't do that when you have multiple patients to take care of. >> a quarter of all hospitals in the u.s. now say their icus are near capacity, mona. >> elizabeth, thank you. and late they are half hour, we'll talk to a doctor about the new at home covid test just authorized by the fda. >> at least a dozen homes

and other buildings have been damaged or destroyed by a wildfire in nevada. more than 1,200 acres burned near reno. officials say the flames' forward progress has been stopped. nevada's governor declared an emergency. time now for a look at your wednesday weather. widespread damage reported after hurricane iota slammed nicaragua. the government says it was the most powerful storm on record in that country. at least four deaths are blamed on the storm, but many people remain unaccounted for. here at home a storm system along the west coast brings more heavy snow to the mountains. wind gusts today in los angeles could hit 50 miles an hour. it's unseasonably warm across the middle of the country, but parts of the northeast will see the coldest air of the season so far. 39 in new york. coming up, who will replace alex trebek? thousands of fans have made their choice. but first a wild side. a man with a flame thrower on

top of a city bus. and more stores, big and small, are imposing limits on what you can buy as a new wave of panic buying begins. what consumers need to know. ♪ it's still warm. ♪ thanks, alice says hi. for some of us, our daily journey is a short one. save 50% when you pay per mile with allstate. pay less, when you drive less. you've never been in better hands. allstate. click or call for a quote today. for over 25 years, home instead has helped seniors stay at home. recently, that's taken on a new meaning. staying home has become essential. but some can't do it alone. if you care for others, you already have what it takes. seniors need help to stay home and stay safe.

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talk to your asthma specialist about dupixent. if your financial situation has changed, we may be able to help. back now with video of a different type of fire ban on a new york city bus. police are investigating what appeared to be a man on top of a bus with a flame thrower. thankfully no one was hurt. officials called the incident just plain stupid. >> we turn now to concerns about a new wave of panic buying. people rushing to stock up on supplies as the coronavirus emergency takes a turn for the worst. abc's megan tevrizian reports how stores are responding. >> again? >> reporter: this morning, an increasing number of empty shelves at grocery stores across

the country as coronavirus cases surge. >> it got crazy while i was in there. i had to get out as soon as possible. >> reporter: products like toilet paper, paper towels and cleaning supplies once again in high demand. walmart now reporting shortages of paper towels in some stores and amazon is nearly sold out of disinfecting wipes. this costco in new jersey wiped out of paper towels. >> unfortunately, the main culprits are still popping up, disinfecting wipes, the toilet paper. the variety may be lunatic. your smaller stores may struggle to get certain supplies. >> reporter: some grocery store chains are now limiting the number of items shoppers can buy. kroger, one of the largest grocery chains in the country, telling "good morning america," to ensure all customers have access to what they need, we've proactively and temporarily set purchase limits to two per customer on certain products. but while this brings back memories of those supply shortages last spring, experts say many of the big chains are

better prepared now than back in march. >> we have ample amounts of food so it just may not be in the right sizes. that's what's causing the issues. >> we will survive. we don't need to stock up on a year's worth of supplies. >> reporter: contributing to the shortages, roughly 10% of employees at manufacturing plants are calling out sick, mainly because they've been in contact with someone who tested positive for covid-19. kenneth, mona. >> all right, megan, thank you. fans are speaking out about who they think should replace alex trebek on "jeopardy." actor and "reading rainbow" host levar burton is being supported by more than 90,000 people through an online petition. burton says he's flattered. oddsmakers now place him third on the list of most likely trebek replacements after ken jennings and our very own george stephanopoulos. and coming up, amazon getting into the pharmacy business. what it could mean for drug prices. first, the new move to get cruise ships back to floating.

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back now with this beautiful video captured by a drone showing a massive group of pink flamingos flocking together. they were gathered around a lake in central asia making a pit stop while flying south for the winter. >> just beautiful. 100,000 volunteers have now signed up to help royal caribbean begin cruising again. the volunteers agreed to help the cruise line run simulated trips to comply with cdc coronavirus guidelines. passengers have to acknowledge

in writing that they're putting themselves at risk of getting the virus and that they're okay with it. >> there's going to be a lot of naysayers, i'm sure i probably have them in my family that would probably say, don't do this. are you crazy, but for us, you know, i think each person has to make that decision for themselves. >> if someone has symptoms, they may have to quarantine. test cruises begin this the spring. amazon is shaking up another industry launching its own pharmacy online. amazon pharmacy is offering commonly prescribed medications including refrigerated drugs like insulin that can be delivered to customers within two days. free for amazon prime members and most insurance is accepted. the news is rattling the competition. cvs, walgreens and rite aid saw their stocks tumble tuesday. turning back to the coronavirus, doctors say your voice could provide clues as to whether you're infected. also this morning, the fda has now authorized a new at home covid test. the first of its kind but not everyone can get it. earlier i spoke with dr. alok patel.

let's begin with testing. the fda has authorized the first at home rapid covid test. can you tell us how it works? >> mona, i think it's a really cool step in the right direction. basically you have to get a prescription from your doctor if you're 14 or above and you get this home kit. you switch it around and put it in this little base and you get a result in about 30 seconds. it says positive or negative. what's really interesting about this kit is you actually are getting it at home and get the results at home as well. >> now, a new cdc report details the benefits of pool testing. who can this apply to? >> pool test something a really cool concept in theory. what it basically is you batch a bunch of individuals together in a test and you run that as one sample. so in theory you can test multiple people using a less amount of chemicals or reagents. now if that sample comes back positive you then would go in and investigate the group you were testing. this really only works if you're looking at a group of low prevalence or

screening an asymptomatic population. >> losing your smell or taste could be a sign that you may have covid. but some new research finds your voice could provide clues as to whether you have covid. it sounds futuristic but what are you hearing? >> it does sound futuristic. you know this, company is working with the mayo clinic. and what they are basically find something there signal in asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals in their voice. and they're actually studying it now to look to see can you use this in addition to a symptomatic questionnaire to screen people? sounds futuristic but this is the beauty of medical innovation. we're all learning something new. there's another study out of mit found there is a signal in forced coughing, so i think all this together on top of everything we're already to keep ourselves safe could be a good way to screen and just kind of learn more about all the little nuances we need to know to see who is at risk, who is symptomatic and who needs further testing and so forth. >> our thanks to dr. patel.

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xeljanz. ♪ time to check "the pulse." we begin with george clooney's lucky friends. >> clooney confirm that's gave his 14 closest friends a million dollars each. he tells "gq" his friends helped him achieve his success. >> clooney also told the magazine about his brush with death. he said after a motorcycle crash in 2018, he thought he'd never see his kids again. >> from one sex symbol to another, "people" magazine has revealed this year's sexiest man alive, it is michael b. jordan. the news broke on "jimmy kimmel." >> jordan says his mom will be very excited. >> i'm sure she's not the only one. >> next, you can add apple pie

soda to your holiday drink list. >> pepsi created a liquid version of the all-american dessert available for a limited time but not in stores. >> you have to post a picture of your best baking fail with the #pepsiapplepiechallenge. >> what about crystal pepsi? remember that? this holiday season gingerbread houses are being replaced by a meteor option. >> a charcuterie chalet is apparently a thing this year. they're made by cured meat and held together by soft cheeses. people are posting examples online. >> they include mozzarella, snowmen pretzel windows and bacon log cabins. eat up. one guy ready for the holidays is a fedex driver from missouri. >> he is not a bad lip-syncer. check him out. ♪ i just want you for my own, more than you could ever know, make my wish come true ♪ >> his best rendition of mariah carey's "all i want for christmas is you." mariah and saw it and tweeted, this is how all my packages must

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checking the top stories, president trump has fired the country's top election security official who repeatedly pushed back on trump's claim of voter fraud. christopher krebs was in charge of securing the election. his dismissal was announced on twitter less than a week after he called this election the most secure in american history. the president claims that statement was "highly inaccurate." pfizer is one step closer to submitting its vaccine for emergency approval by the fda, which could come within days. meanwhile, coronavirus cases are rising in all 50 states, and more testing delays are being reported. a colorado man is the ninth tsa agent to die from covid. the 49-year-old worked at the denver airport. more than 2,800 tsa workers have contracted the virus nationwide. today's weather, more rain along the west coast and snow in the mountains. sunny across the middle of the

country. winter-like temperatures for the northeast. and finally the story of one happy reunion many months and miles in the making. >> here's will ganss. >> reporter: this year, kate olson is extra thankful for her golden retriever, walter. >> he was the runt of the litter. and that's kind of why i picked him. we just had a really special bond since the beginning. >> reporter: last year while visiting family from missouri for thanksgiving, walter slipped off his collar, kate staying two weeks to search and making return trips from new hampshire to missouri in the following months. >> i flew the first time and drove the second time. covid hit, and that just kind of put a damper on everything. >> reporter: luckily, the ladies from lost paws trapping stumbled across kate's where's walter facebook group until after almost a year, this in the middle of the night. >> she wakes all of us up screaming, check the cameras. i get a text at 2:30. >> we woke her up. and i'm like, it's him, it's him. oh, my god.

>> reporter: kate immediately booking flights to st. louis, joining her new friends in the hopes of coaxing walter into a golden retriever size trap. >> so we sat there and waited and waited. finally he showed up. finally he went all the way in to where it closes, and that's how it happened. five minutes left on friday, the 13th. >> reporter: kate's reunion with her beloved boy a year in the making. >> jumping, licking, crying. >> reporter: and now even those closest to him are still trying to figure out how walter managed by himself all that time. >> i whispered in his ear, i said, tell me what happened, tell me what happened for an entire year. there's nobody else around and he just looked at me and smiled and he said, you know what, what happened in missouri stays in missouri. >> reporter: you can find out more about lost paws trapping and ways to help on their facebook page. by the way, the whole time he was gone, walter only lost four pounds but kate says she treated him to a mcdonald's burger on his first day back. >> thank you for that report. a golden retrieval. >> walter saw some things. that's what is making news in america this morning.

>> what happens in missouri stay right now on "america this morning," you're fired. president trump fires the homeland security official who denied trump's claim that the election was rigged and now another key official is resigning. this while the pentagon moves forward with a controversial troop withdrawal plan overseas. experts from both sides of the political aisle speak out. what it could mean for national security. breaking overnight, republican officials in michigan refuse to certify results of the election but then change course. what changed their mind. plus, rudy giuliani responds to reports that he wants $20,000 per day in legal fees from the trump campaign. a new record high in the daily coronavirus death toll. the new curfews and the new mask mandates, plus a potential game changer as the fda approves a