right now on "america this morning," about-face. the cdc changing its mask guidance now affecting even vaccinated people. what's behind the new concern and the new protests across this country including the pastor who says anyone wearing a mask in his church will be kicked out. plus, a major new step by president biden to get federal workers vaccinated. the new details from washington overnight. breaking overnight, simone biles withdraws from another major olympic event. what we're learning about her medical evaluation and whether she'll compete again in tokyo. the next step in the january 6th capitol attack investigation one day after the dramatic testimony after four police officers fought for their

lives that day. >> i too was being crushed by the rioters thinking to myself this is how i'm going to die, defending this entrance. >> could former president trump be subpoenaed? what a key lawmaker is saying this morning. and consumer alert. the back to school shopping nightmare from items in short supply to sky high prices to a new warning about scams online. what you need to know to save money and time. good wednesday morning, everyone. we'll get to that breaking news about simone biles in a moment, but we begin with the cdc reversing course now saying vaccinated people in some areas should wear a mask indoors. >> it's all because of new evidence that shows even vaccinated people can transmit the delta variant of the coronavirus. and now a major new step from president biden. he's expected to announce a vaccine mandate for all federal employees affecting more than 2 million people.

>> meanwhile, protests across the country. in los angeles this crowd rallied against mask mandates and in tennessee one pastor insists anyone wearing a mask will be thrown out of his church. >> he's one example of the growing anger and confusion as we enter a new chapter of the pandemic. the cdc is urging millions of americans to mask up once again as the delta variant threatens to overwhelm hospitals. >> there are many who wanted to declare victory over this pandemic several months ago, but it's far from over. >> reporter: the cdc now advises fully vaccinated people to return to wearing masks indoors in areas of, quote, substantial or high levels of transmission. right now more than 63% of .com -- counties across the u.s. fall under that category. dr. anthony fauci citing new data for the changing mask guidance. that data suggests that vaccinated people may transmit the delta variant to other people iraose people were ccat,

ey were even asymptomatic nasal pharynx is extremely high and it has been well documented that they can and do transmit the infection to uninfected people. >> reporter: the cdc also now recommending kids and teachers wear masks in school even if they're vaccinated. a reversal from guidance given just two weeks ago. it comes as hospitals across the country report beds filling up, mostly with unvaccinated patients. louisiana where vaccination rates are among the lowest in the country is now seeing the highest spike in daily hospitalizations since march of 2020. >> this really is the perfect storm, and the conditions are ripe for catastrophic outcomes for far too many individuals and families. >> reporter: according to the white house, 100 million eligible americans have not been vaccinated. tellss own foci wors

requiring proof of vaccination or a weekly test. and new frustrations in the nfl. the coach of the washington football team who was a i'm beyond frustrated. i'm immune deficient, okay, so with this new variant, who knows. >> back to the new mask guidance, nevada is imposing a new indoor mask thandate that includes casinos. another bombshell announcement from simone biles. she's withdrawing from the women's gymnastics individual all around competition tomorrow. biles is the defending champion in that event. her withdrawal follows her surprise exit from the team competition yesterday citing her mental health. now, team officials say biles will be evaluated each day before a decision is made about whether she'll compete in other events next week. usa gymnastics released a

statement overnight saying, we wholeheartedly support simone's decision and applaud her bravery in prioritizing her well-being. her courage shows yet again why she is a role model for so many. we'll take a closer look at biles' decision and its impact coming up later this half hour when we hear from a mental health expert. breaking overnight from tokyo, american swimmer katie ledecky won her first gold of the games winning the women's 1500-meter freestyle. americans alex walsh and kate douglas won silver and bronze in the 200-meter individual medley and the u.s. men's basketball team easily beat iran, their first win since losing to france. more from tokyo coming up. at least two people have been killed after an acid leak at a chemical plant near houston. dozens of people were rushedth , and it's unclear what caused the leak at the facility which is run by the dutch chemical company lyondellbasell. authorities say the leak did not affect air quality outside the plant. two colorado police officers

have been arrested in connection the disturbing scene was caught on camera in the denver suburb of aurora. unarmed suspect kyle vincent was allegedly pistol whipped and choked by officer john haubert who is now charged with felony assault. his partner allegedly did nothing to stop him. >> we're disgusted, we're angry. this is not the aurora police department. this was criminal. >> the officers were responding to a trespassing call. the suspect needed stitches. now to washington and the fallout from that dramatic hearing on capitol hill. four police officers describing how they fought for their lives during the january 6th riot. the big question now is what happens next? could the committee investigating the riots subpoena former president trump? abc's faith abubey is here with more on that. .> reporter: hey, good morni during the sel heing yesterday, four violence they endured while

protecting the capitol, and now lawmakers could be next to testify. some of the police officers who defended the u.s. capitol on january 6th making it clear tuesday they want to know what role elected officials may have played in the riot. >> i need you guys to address if anyone in power had a role in this. >> reporter: at the first public hearing, members of the house select committee investigating the attack heard from four officers, one of them insisting the rioters and those who sent the pro-trump mob to the capitol should be punished. >> if a hit man is hired and he kills somebody, the hit man goes to jail, but not only does the hit man go to jail, but the person who hired them does. there was an attack carried out on january 6th, and a hit man sent them. i want you to get to the bottom of that. >> reporter: another officer getting candid about the violence he encountered and slamming lawmakers who

downplayed the severity of the attack. >> the indifference shown to my colleagues is disgraceful, but nothing, truly nothing has prepared me to address those elected members of our government who continue to deny the events of that day. and in doing so betray their oath of office. >> reporter: this morning committee chairman bennie thompson says he expects the first wave of subpoenas to be issued soon, and the justice department has now sen letters to six officials who worked in the trump justice department telling them they can participate in the committee's investigation. congressman adam schiff says a decision to subpoena former president trump could come, quote, down the line as the panel follows the evidence, and congresswoman liz cheney, one of two republicans on the committee, saying this during the hearing. >> we must also know what phcall, every conversation, every meeting leading up to, during and after the attack. >> reporter: and the committee

has not set a date for its next hearing. however, the chairman of the committee is hinting it could come late august. mona. >> faith abubey in washington, thank you. the man sentenced to life in prison in the so-called fake uber murder case says the state did not do enough to find the real killer. nathaniel rowland made the comment shortly after he was convicted for the 2019 attack of university of south carolina student samantha josephson. she was stabbed more than 120 times. she got into rowland's car after mistaking it for her uber ride. the jury convicted rowland after only one hour of deliberations. time now for a look at your wednesday weather. time-lapsed video shows california's largest wildfire overtaking this camera. the dixie fire has burned about 210,000 acres. lightning today could spark more fires in that area. the nation's latest heat wave is broiling the middle of the

country. 38 million americans are being impacted by the extreme heat across 18 states from montana to georgia. checking today's high temperatures elsewhere, 94 degrees today in portland, oregon. cooler elsewhere along the west coast and 70s for the northeast. coming up, the brazen jewelry heist along one of the most famous streets in the world. also ahead, a back to school shopping nightmare this summer. the popular items in short supply. the sky high prices and the scams to look out for. and later a very close call on the sidewalk. my dvt blood clot left me with questions... was another around the corner? or could i have a different game plan? i wanted to help protect myself. my doctor recoended eliquis. eliquis is proven to treat and help prevent another dvt or pe blood clot. almost 98 percent of patients on eliquis didn't experience another. and eliquis has significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. eliquis is fda-approved and has both.

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[music stops] and release. [deep exhale] [fast upbeat music resumes] [music stops] a brazen heist at one of the oldest jewelry stores in paris. an armed man made off with more than $2 million worth of jewelry from the chaumet shop.

police say the getaway vehicle was a stand-up scooter. the company that made the assault weapon used in the 2012 sandy hook elementary school massacre is now offering to pay a $33 million settlement. 20 children and 6 adults were killed in the attack in newtown, connecticut, when the gunman opened with a remington bushmaster rifle. the money would go to the nine families who claim remington's marketing of the weapon contributed to the shooting. the deal must still be approved by a judge. the new warning about back to school shopping this summer. prices are on the rise and so are the scams. here's abc's andrea fujii. >> reporter: this morning a rush to buy school supplies triggering a new warning from the better business bureau. >> i'm just buying like, you know, the basics. >> reporter: with demand surging and supplies shortages stemming from the pandemic, prices are skyrocketing. >> i see it every week in the grocery store. you look at prices and you're like almost stunned.

>> what we are experiencing right now with the shortages is that lag of time that we didn't have product coming off the assembly line, and we may be feeling this shock for quite a while. >> reporter: the national retail federation predicts back to school shoppers will spend an average of $850 per family this year, up nearly $60 from last year. many colleges are also restarting in-person learning this fall boosting demand even further. experts say everything from pens and pencils to computers and tablets to sneakers and backpacks may be hard to come by. that's because covid outbreaks in some key manufacturing and shipping hubs including china are shutting down plants and ports delaying shipments. another challenge for families, potential scammers online who are cashing in. the better business bureau recommends if you buy products through ads on social media, be sure to verify those third party vendors. >> if you see those pop-up ads, use some hesitation and caution

with those, and double-check the name of the business to make sure they're legitimate. >> reporter: and use a credit card for extra protection. many teachers are also expected to ask parents for help in buying classroom supplies like paper towels and disinfecting wipes, which could cause a new wave of bulk buying and hoarding affecting us all. mona, andrew. >> andrea, thank you. and get this, coffee prices are on the rise again. they just hit a six-year high because of bad weather in brazil hurting the crop there. prices have climbed 30% this month alone. coming up, the $100 million discovery in someone's backyard. but first the bombshell at the olympics overnight, simone biles drops out of the team competition citing her mental health. we talk to an expert about the is struggling to manage your type 2 diabetes knocking you out of your zone? lowering your a1c with once-weeozempic® can help you get back in it. oh, oh, oh, ozempic®!

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against meningitis in the past they may be missing vaccination for meningitis b. although uncommon, up to 1 in 5 survivors of meningitis will have long term consequences. now as you're thinking about all the vaccines your teen might need make sure you ask your doctor if your teen is missing meningitis b vaccination. a deadly explosion in central wisconsin. a home was destroyed in the town of rome. killing a retired firefighter. officials think it was caused by a natural gas leak. >> new york city, this man is in the hospital after an under ground transformer exploded leaving him with second degree burns. the cause of the blast is under investigation. >> we turn to the olympic super-star simone biles and her decision to drop out of tomorrow's individual all around event citing mental health. >> her condition is day by day. and she could appear at four

more events. biles is struggle and response to it is having a major impact. >> we're used to seeing her pull off the unthinkable. the u.s. gymnastics doing something she's never done tuesday. withdrawing from team finals in toke koe. after a rare stumble on the vault. >> i didn't want to risk the team a medal. for my screw up. they worked too hard for that. >> put mental health first. if you don't, you won't enjoy the sport. the silver behind russia gold. on the heels of osaka's withdrawal from the french open to prioritize mental health. >> it's a positive turning point. younger and brave people are saying we need to pay attention to what counts. >> this morning, fellow

olympians rallying around following the surprise step back. former teammate. >> i can't imagine how hard it was for her. to pull out today. i'm proud of her. she knows her body better than anyone else and her mind. >> tweeting i can't imagine the pressure she has been feeling. sending her so much love. it's easy to forget she's still human. we love you. phelps weighing in saying nobody is perfect. so yes, it is okay to not be okay. >> she's setting a precedent. saying strong people can be challenged in their mental well being. and to me, that's actually a sign of greater strength. >> big shes stepping back from the individual all around competition scheduled still unknown -- next is vault and uneveryon bars.

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and retain ndemic. >> a surprising discovery in someone's backyard. >> workers were digging a well and stumbled upon a massive stone. weighing 1,000 pounds. believed to be the largest sapphire cluster. the stones were found to be high quality. >> soup getting a new look. >> take a look. the red and white labels are redesigned for the first time in 50 years. the shadow will go away and the font will get a slight tweak. >> a special art show just for dogs. >> canine art work on display in hong kong. many pieces hanging low for eye level for dogs dog sculptures. >> most of the dogs didn't seem impressed. that's probably because they can't sniff the art.

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checking the top stories.n announce a vaccination mandate for all frederal worker. urging vaccinated americans to wear a mask inside and parts of the country where virus transmission is high. the cdc is also recommending masks be worn in schools nationwide. >> in texas a congressional candidate backed by former president trump is defeated. she lost the run off to fellow republican. >> breaking over night. at the olympics. simone biles withdrawing from tomorrow's gymnastics all around competition to focus on mental well being. it's unclear if she'll participate next week. >> today's weather. showers along the east coast and severe storms in the upper

midwest. heat wave grips the middle of the country. thunderstorms gulf coast and southwest. >> a real love story. after 70 years a well known tortoise has finally found a partner. >> thanks to match makers who set the reptiles up over face time. >> reporter: it's a romantic race down the aisle. that could take a while. >> they are quite slow moving. >> the tortoise has been living at the australian reptile park since 1963. now the 400 pound reptile is ready sto settle down. at 70. that's where she comes in. his long distance girlfriend who is just 21. >> she's a female imported into australia from germany. and will be introduced after quarantine. >> she will be in mandatory

quarantine until september. so, the couple is having virtual dates on face time. taking a bit longer to come out of her shell. this is more than an effort to help him. despite the age gap the park is helpful they will have babies together. especially given the engaged status of the giant tortoise. the head of reptiles for the park saying we have always wanted to get him a girlfriend to replace the special rock he has in his enclosure. this was a great step. it's been years of him snacking solo. strolling single and bathing as a bachelor. luckily at the end of the date park declaring it love at first face time. >> giant tortoises can live for 180 years. they could have a very long, happy life together. it is never too late to find love. >> never. even if that person is

right now on "america this morning," about-face. the cdc changing its mask guidance now affecting even vaccinated people. what's behind the new concern and the new protests across this country including the pastor who says anyone wearing a mask in his church will be kicked out. plus, a major new step by president biden to get federal workers vaccinated. the new details from washington overnight. breaking overnight, simone biles withdraws from another major olympic event. what we're learning about her medical evaluation and whether she'll compete again in tokyo. the next step in the january 6th capitol attack investigation one day after the dramatic testimony after four police officers fought for their