right now on "america this morning," the delta variant of the coronavirus tightens its grip. new cases up more than 300% in parts of texas, up more than 100% in part of florida and now a study claims the j&j shot may not be as effective against the delta variant. the experts weigh in on booster shots, new restrictions and another variant of the virus found in a major city. extreme conditions. smoke from wildfires burning in the west travels nearly 3,000 miles to the east coast. the air quality alert and overseas another once in a century flood disaster leaves kindergarten students stranded in waist high water in a subway tunnel. party in milwaukee. the bucks are nba champs for the first time in 50 years.

the mvp talks about struggling to pay for food just eight years ago in greece. after his historic flight to space, amazon founder jeff bezos faces criticism for his comments about his employees and customers. swimming in extra cash. how one couple made $100,000 renting out their pool. and from the future of train travel to tom brady's comedy at the white house to the breakfast cereal that's really popping, all the trending stories for your wednesday morning. good wednesday morning, everyone. we begin with the delta variant of the coronavirus being described as a raging forest fire overwhelming some hospitals. >> about 3,000 americans are now being hospitalized every day and one major concern is children. doctors in florida report infections among kids under 12 who are not eligible for the vaccine rose 87% in the last week.

>> more restrictions are being announced in clark county, nevada, home to las vegas, a new indoor mask mandate for employees. in new york city a new requirement that health care workers get vaccinated or be tested weekly, and in houston, the mayor is closely watching a new variant of the virus. meanwhile, a small new study is raising some concern about the j&j vaccine. abc's alex presha is here with the latest on all of this. alex, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, andrew. as cases spike because of the delta variant, doctors are now watching a new variant found in the u.s. called the lambda variant. this morning a hospital in houston is reporting its first case of the lambda variant of the coronavirus, a strain shown to be more transmissible first discovered in peru last summer but doctors say the biggest concern remains the delta variant that now accounts for 83% of covid infections. ma deaths from covid-19 are now

occurring in unvaccinated people. vaccines are widely available across the country, and this suffering and loss is simply and entirely preventible. >> reporter: the country is now averaging 26,000 cases per day, up 25% in the last week. public health researchers in arkansas described a sharp rise in infections and hospitalizations as a raging forest fire. in tennessee hospitalizations have doubled this month. >> did you think at the time you'd have to re-open this? >> absolutely not. >> reporter: abc's trevor ault is visiting a hospital in memphis, which just re-opened its covid unit. >> it seems to be surging back. we've had a huge uptick of cases over the past few weeks, and it's disheartening because we had been in such a good spot. >> reporter: and this morning the mayor of chicago is warning of new restrictions if cases keep rising. >> i know many of you are enjoying summer in chicago and a return of our iconic fairs and c

>> reporter: adding to the concern, a new study finding the one shot johnson & johnson vaccine may be less effective against the delta variant. health experts caution the small study has not been peer reviewed and other studies have found the j&j vaccine is effective, but the study is helping fuel the debate over the need for booster shots. the cdc director tuesday acknowledged the durability of the vaccines will decrease but slowly. >> fortunately we're anticipating that this will wane and not plummet, so as we see that waning, that will be our time for action. >> reporter: now regarding booster shots, cdc advisers are meeting tomorrow to discuss the latest research, andrew. >> alex, thank you. more breakthrough covid cases have been confirmed at the white house and on capitol hill. a white house staffer has tested positive along with a spokesperson for house speaker nancy pelosi. both aides are fully vaccinated. meanwhile, a heated exchange erupted on capitol hill between senator rand paul and dr.

anthony fauci. paul accused fauci of lying to congress about funding research at a lab in wuhan, china. dr. fauci fired back. >> all the evidence is pointing that it came from the lab and there will be responsibility for those who funded the lab including yourself. >> i totally resent -- >> allow the witness to respond. >> i totally resent the lie that you are now propagating, senator, and you are implying that what we did was responsible for the deaths of individual. i totally resent that. >> it could have been. it could have been. >> and if anybody is lying here, senator, it is you. senator paul, you do not know what you are talking about, quite frankly, and i want to say that officially. >> dr. fauci has been the target of conservatives. some want him fired. more than 80 wildfires are burning across the west, and now the smoke has reached all the way to the east coast. the smoke was so thick, it obscured the new york city skyline. an estimated 40 million

americans are now experiencing poor air quality because of the fires, and the fire threat because of extreme drought conditions in eastern washington state is so severe, that huge tracts of state land will now be closed to the public, and north of the border smoke from 1 of nearly 300 fires burning in british columbia darkened the daytime sky. air quality warnings are posted across canada. breaking overnight, the milwaukee bucks are nba champions for the first time in half a century. they beat the suns in game six last night, 105-98. giannis antetokounmpo scored 50 points and was named mvp. the win set off a massive celebration for thousands of fans which included fireworks. the mvp said he learned at an early age not to give up on your dreams. >> 8 1/2 years ago when i came to the league, i didn't know where my next meal would come from. you know, my mom was selling stuff in the street like, and now i'm here sitting at the top of the top.

i hope this can give everybody around the world hope, i mean, allow them to believe in their dreams. >> an inspiration to us all. at age 26, he's the youngest mvp since 2014. one day after jeff bezos' flight to space, the amazon founder is facing criticism after thanking amazon workers and customers for funding his trip. he's responding to those who say he could have used his billions for more practical purposes. meanwhile, the next blastoff in the space race among billionaires is said to be far more ambitious. >> and touchdown. >> reporter: this morning jeff bezos and crew already talking about what's next after their flight to the edge of space. >> that's incredible. >> whoo. >> reporter: bezos, his brother mark, 82-year-old wally funk and 18-year-old oliver daemen spent three minutes in weightlessness. >> is it everything you thought it would be? >> fantastic. >> reporter: with breathtaking views of earth 62 miles above the surface. the capsule landing just ten minutes after takeoff.

bezos reflecting on the experience with "gma's" michael strahan. >> any initial thoughts? >> my initial thought is i can't believe, even though i've heard it and read it, i can't believe how tiny the earth's atmosphere is. >> reporter: but the amazon founder quickly came under fire after giving credit to amazon workers and customers for funding his flight. >> i want to thank every amazon employee and every amazon customer because you guys paid for all this. >> reporter: the online criticism swift, one person posting, i'd like a refund. bezos later responding to criticism that his money could have been better spent. >> if you don't focus on the future, then you don't have explorers, you don't have progress. you know, what if you said to wilbur and orville wright, hey, guys, you know, why don't you work on something a little more practical. >> reporter: bezos also announcing a $200 million

donation to nonprofits here on earth, $100 million each to chef jose andres and former obama administration advisor van jones. next up in the billionaire space race, elon musk. his company spacex is planning a far more ambitious spaceflight in september for civilians. the inspiration4 mission will take four civilian astrona astronauts 330 miles above the surface of the earth, five times higher than bezos or richard branson flew all to raise money and awareness for st. jude's children's hospital. back to jeff bezos and the future of space travel, he said we need to get good at going to space so we can save earth. all right. time now for a look at your wednesday weather. slow-moving storms across the southeast could result in big rainfall totals and flash flooding today. another day of monsoon rain storms in the southwest could also cause flooding. rain is also expected in the rockies and northern plains, but more dry conditions along the

west coast. checking today's high temperatures, extremely hot for interior parts of the west, 99 in salt lake city, 92 in both denver and washington, d.c. and 70s today for the northwest and great lakes. coming up, the fastest train in the world hitting nearly 400 miles per hour. but first the man accused of posing as an uber driver to murder a college student goes on trial. the dna evidence in question. plus, the couple who could now face prison time for a gender reveal party that went horribly wrong. it takes a certain kind of person to change the world. my great-great-grandmother, my great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather was that kind of person. he looked after his community. she built an empire. he protected this nation. they lived their lives in extraordinary ways. with ancestry, i learned the story of peter vaughters... william lacy... madam c.j.walker.

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their class. eight inches fell in one hour. 100,000 people had to evacuate. and subway passengers had to be rescued from chest high water under ground. >> bewe turn to the man accused of killing a south carolina student. his trial is under way. dna in the spotlight. >> this morning, prosecutors laying out the case. charged with kidnapping and murder. 21 year-old back in 2019. police say he had called an uber after a night out with friends. but got in the wrong car. prosecutors say he had been circling the popular five points district. before picking her up. her body was found the next day by turkey hunters. 65 miles away. >> found alone in the woods. covered in her own blood. dead.

she had been stabbed multiple times. from the bottom of her feet. throughout her torso. throughout her face. her neck and head. >> she was last seen on video getting into the backseat. police tracked that car. and say they found bleach, cleaning wipes. window cleaner and her phone in the car. the child locks were activated so the back doors couldn't be opened from inside. the defense argues he couldn't be responsible. arguing someone else dna was found on her body. not his. >> hear this number again. that is zero. that's the amount of dna on her body. that matches his. zero. >> the death sparked ride share companies uber and lift to make safety changes.

including adding a 911 feature in the app. lawmakers in south carolina required drivers to make their license plate visible in the front of the vehicle. and impose criminal penalties for people who impersonate drivers. other safety legislation is considered by congress. >> prosecutors say upcoming witness will testify she saw him with the knife. that was used to kill her. he could face up to life in prison. if convicted. >> thank you. california couple who gender reveal party sparked a deadly wild fire last year is facing eight felony charges. involuntary manslaughter for the death of a firefighter. they could face 20 years in prison. if convicted. >> coming up. could the olympics be cancelled? >> a summer of frustration. with long lines and delays effecting travel. and shoppers. and shoppers. a possible solution next. why hide your skin if dupixent

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workers and a short alk of everything from furniture to menu items at taco bell. >> frustrating everyone from retail consumers to travelers who hoped for more of a normal summer. >> this is the summer everybody needs to have patience. the service levels are uneven. organizations are struggling to get people they need. and the quality of talent they need. >> with a record number of job openings. companies are going to new extremes to fill vacancies. recent le suggesting using prisoners a work release program to find workers. part rs of the service industry also looking into the idea. restaurants in texas. michigan, delaware and ohio use a state run program connecting them with people transitioning out of the criminal justice system. meanwhile at the airport. long lines due to a labor

shortage have contributed to a spike in violence. the head of the tsa telling congress tuesday that 85 officers have been assaulted since the pandemic began. >> two assaults yesterday. to a check point. there has been some frustration over the mask mandate. >> the worker shortage having a ripple effect on product supply chain. >> taco bell warning customers some items may not be available because of the national ingredient shortages. lack of truckers blamed for a liquor shortage. >> the alcohol week to week. we don't know what we can get. > bars decembsperate for worker. they printed help wanted signs on beer cans. >> a shortage of foam is causing delays in furniture. >> tom brady comedy steals the show.

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checking the pulse. we begin with people swimming in crash thanks to the airbnb of backyard pools. >> a couple in michigan. renting out their pool. not the house the pool. they charged $75 an hour. business boomed as public pools closed during the pandemic. >> they listed the pool on a web site. and easily covered the cost of the pool. >> next the future of train travel. china developed a train to satisfy the need for speed. >> it can hit 373 miles per hour. by using a force in the billed as the fastest ground vehicle in

the world. covering 600 miles in three hours. >> next, tom brady comedy stole the show at the white house. tampa bay buccaneers. they brought the president a jersey and election jokes. >> not a lot of people think we could have won. and in fact about 40% of the people still don't think we won. >> i understand that. >> you understand that mr. president? yeah. >> personally. it's nice for me to be back here. we had a game in chicago i forgot what down it was. i lost track of one down in 21 years of playing. they called me sleepy tom. >> he made headlines for supporting president trump. >> cinnamn toast crunch fans can munch on popcorn. the cereal has been transformed into a snack. >> how about birthday cake

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checking the top stories, 3,000 americans are now being hospitalized with covid every day with the delta variant accounting for 83% of ifections. a new study found the johnson & johnson vaccine may be less effective against the delta strain but it's a small study which has not been peer reviewed. the chairman of former president trump's inaugural committee arrested. he is accused of secretly conspiring to influence u.s. policy on behalf of the united arab emirate, the seventh person associated with the 2016 campaign to be indicted. a deadly house explosion near buffalo, new york, damaged seven nearby homes caused by gas. meanwhile investigators say monday's house explosion in plano, texas, that injured six people was also likely caused by a gas leak. today's weather, rain in new england and thunderstorms across the southeast. rain also in the northern plains

and rockies and more possible flash flooding in the southwest. finally milwaukee holds a victory parade tomorrow for the new nba champs. >> will ganss explains how the bucks overcame the odds. >> it's over. the bucks have done it. >> reporter: the wait is over. 50 years after winning their first title, the milwaukee bucks are once again nba champions. the game a nail-biter, the bucks ahead by just four with a minute left to play. khris middleton making this difficult jumper to give the buxom breathes room. the suns led by chris paul chasing their first championship coming up short in the final seconds. >> chris paul for three. rebound, middleton and they're starting to celebrate here in milwaukee. >> reporter: 65,000 fans outside the bucks stadium in deer district erupting as the clock expired. giannis antetokounmpo affectionately known as the greek freak playing more like a

greek god leading his team to victory with 50 points. >> shot is good. does it again. >> giannis, number 34, i mean, he had 50 points. >> 50. >> 50 points, 10 rebounds, that man is the g.o.a.t. he is the mvp. we love you, giannis. you better stay here forever, period. >> reporter: giannis celebrating with his wife and son overcome with emotions following the win, the greek national named mvp and lifting that championship trophy for the very first time. >> i hope this can give everybody around the world hope and allow hem to believe in their dreams. >> reporter: the family man calling his brother on instagram live to celebrate. >> i love hey,you. >> i love you, bro. >> reporter: one more note of interest, michael jordan was 28 when he won his first championship, lebron james, 27, giannis is just 26, andrew and

mona. >> so this might be the first of many. congratulations to the right now on "america this morning," the delta variant of the coronavirus tightens its grip. new cases up more than 300% in parts of texas, up more than 100% in part of florida and now a study claims the j&j shot may not be as effective against the delta variant. the experts weigh in on booster shots, new restrictions and another variant of the virus found in a major city. extreme conditions. smoke from wildfires burning in the west travels nearly 3,000 miles to the east coast. the air quality alert and overseas another once in a century flood disaster leaves kindergarten students stranded in waist high water in a subway tunnel. party inil the bucks are nba champs for the first time in 50 y