and she's already a hero. right now on "america this morning," back to school covid concerns. infections among children hitting a record high and now president biden set to outline a new strategy to fight the coronavirus as more states call on the military to help treat patients at overwhelmed hospitals. doctors weigh in on what's different right now. breaking overnight, a strong earthquake jolting a popular resort town in mexico. the images just coming in. abortion ban backlash. what the texas governor said when asked why the state's new abortion law lacks an exception for rape victims. >> britney's big win. the surprising new statement from the pop star's father.

monica lewinsky speaks out. her message to former president bill clinton. from the new scientific discovery about cats to the group of zebras on the lam in maryland. all the trending stories for your wednesday morning. good wednesday morning, everyone. we begin with the pandemic and more hospitals being pushed to the limit. >> as covid cases surge, the number of children testing positive has hit a new high, and now more states are asking the military for help treating patients in overwhelmed hospitals. idaho is the latest state to declare a crisis. >> president biden is set to outline a new strategy to fight the rising number of infections. abc's elizabeth schulze joins us with the latest. elizabeth, good morning. >> reporter: andrew, good morning to you. as more kids head back to school the number of children hospitalized with covid is rising steadily. as millions of students head back to the classroom, the country's grappling with a rapid

surge of pediatric coronavirus infections. in the last week, nearly 252,000 children have tested positive. the highest since the pandemic began. >> what i say to the parents is if your child is 12 or older, get them vaccinated. it's the first line of incredibly strong defense against covid. >> reporter: the spike in cases already forcing the suspension of in-person learning at 1,400 schools across 35 states, but when it comes to adults, a new vaccleston morning. ret asonsea vid cc stl e s. eshe number of infections and double the number of covid hospitalizations compared to one year ago when there was no vaccine. icus in several states are overwhelmed with unvaccinated patients. >> this is a crisis that is largely being driven by people

who have not yet been vaccinated against covid-19. >> reporter: doctors in oregon have this warning for anyone who might need a hospital bed. >> our hospitals have reached the saturation point. our health systems are not able to provide care to everyone arriving at their doors. >> reporter: in idaho which has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country hospitals are beginning to ration care. the state's health department calling it a last resort adding it means we've exhausted our resources to the point that our health care systems are unable to provide the treatment and care we expect. this morning, one covid patient asking for prayers is former nba player cedric ceballos who tweeted this picture of himself in a hospital bed. the former all-star saying he's been in the icu for ten days. the white house says tomorrow president biden will unveil a new six-pronged strategy to fight the delta variant of the coronavirus and to boost vaccinations he is expected to urge more companies to impose vaccine mandates. andrew.

>> elizabeth, thank you. next breaking news from mexico. a powerful earthquake shaking millions overnight. the quake centered near the resort city of acapulco where a hotel's pillars collapsed damaging cars. the magnitude 7 earthquake is blamed for at least one death felt 200 miles away panicking riders on a shaking subway platform and sending many into the streets. the threat of a tsunami has already passed. there's growing concern this morning about the taliban's n newly announced government in afghanistan filled with hard-liners and no women. some officials who served in the old reveal have been given similar roles in the new government, and the new interior minister responsible for policing afghanistan is on the fbi's most wanted list with a $5 million bounty on his head. meanwhile, we're learning more about the family who fled over land. the texas mom and her three children reportedly traveled 300 miles through 20 taliban checkpoints paying up to $4,000

per person at every checkpoint. back here at home new fallout in louisiana in the aftermath of hurricane ida. state health officials have revoked the licenses of seven nursing homes that were evacuated as the storm approached. seven residents from those homes died after being moved to a warehouse where conditions were described as inhumane. louisiana's attorney general is now investigating the deaths. meanwhile, a floating replacement bridge leading to the hard hit town of lafitte, louisiana, opens today. the previous bridge damaged during the hurricane. president biden toured ida's flood damage in new york and new jersey tuesday. the white house is requesting $24 billion in disaster relief from congress. the president says the storm was a wake-up call about the impact of climate change, which he called everybody's crisis. >> for decades scientists have warned of extreme weather would be more extreme and climate change was here, and we're living through it now. we don't have any more time. and if we don't do something --

we can't turn it back but can prevent it from getting worse. >> the president says now is the time to rebuild the nation's infrastructure and pushing a $3.5 trillion spending plan, but it faces new opposition. the website axios reports democratic senator joe manchin is only willing to support one-third of that plan. now to texas where new comments from the governor about the state's new abortion ban have ignited a firestorm. at issue is the abortion law's lack of an exception for rape victims. this morning growing backlash over how the governor of texas is defending the state's new abortion law which makes no exception for rape or incest. >> i find governor abbott's comments disgusting. >> reporter: during a signing ceremony tuesday for the new voting restrictions, a reporter asked governor greg abbott and its impact on rape victims. >> rape is a crime and texas will work tirelessly to make sure that we eliminate

all rapists from the streets of texas by aggressively going out and arresting and prosecuting them and getting them off the street. >> reporter: according to the fbi in 2019 more than 9,000 rape incidents were reported in texas. only 1,100 of them were committed by a stranger. congresswoman alexandria ocasio-cortez slamming governor abbott last night for saying texas will eliminate all rapists from the streets. >> these aren't just predators that with walking around the streets at night. they are people's uncles, they are teachers. they are family friends. >> reporter: governor abbott has not called on lawmakers to take up any new rape prevention legislation, but he defended the abortion's law lack of exception by saying rape victims will still have the chance to terminate their pregnancy. >> it provides at least six weeks for a person to be able to get an abortion. >> i'm sorry we have to break it down on -- you know, break down biology 101 on national

television, but in case no one has informed him before, six weeks pregnant means two weeks late for your period and two weeks late on your period so you don't have six weeks. >> meanwhile across the border tuesday, mexico's supreme court ruled abortion is not a crime saying it's unconstitutional to punish it. the city of chicago is facing a massive lawsuit over its police department's stop and frist policies. more than 2 million people are reportedly eligible to join the suit that claims the stops made by police without cause took place over a seven-year period and targeted mostly black and latino residents. the department has since agreed to reform its tactics. a man from las vegas added himself to the faa's list of unruly passengers. video captured him growling, yelling racial slurs and removing his mask on this american airlines flight monday. he was charged with public intoxication and disorderly conduct. the faa has cited nearly 4,200 unruly passengers this year. let's take a look now at your wednesday weather.

okay, so parts of the upper midwest saw powerful storm with large wind gusts of over 70 miles an hour and rail. trees came down near chicago and thousands lost power. those storms are moving toward the northeast now. flash flood warnings posted in some areas hit by record flooding last week. heavy rain is also expected today across the southeast and checking today's high temperatures, 82 degrees in atlanta. high 70s near the great lakes and 90s today from texas all the way to montana. 90 in miami. coming up, a warning for car owners, the surprising device in your car that thieves are stealing in droves. also ahead, what we're expecting today as former tech billionaire elizabeth holmes goes on trial for fraud. the email that could be crucial evidence. owg

back now with the fiery rescue near san diego. good samaritans saved this couple from a burning car. the husband and wife both in their 90s suffered some burns but are expected to be okay. they've been married 64 years. no word on what started the fire. authorities are reporting a surge in thefts of converters the device in your car changes harmful engine emissions into safer gases. thieves want them because of the precious metals inside worth thousands of dollars. experts say they're easily stolen and virtually untraceable. we turn now to elizabeth holmes going on trial today. her fall from grace as a rising star in the tech world self-made billionaire now under scrutiny as she claims her ex-boyfriend

emotionally abused her. here is abc's megan -- >> reporter: this morning, opening statements in the highly-anticipated trial of former billionaire elizabeth holmes. >> do you have anything to say to us? >> reporter: the 37-year-old once poised to become's silicon valley next superstar as the youngest self made female billionaire in history faces 12 counts of fraud and could spend decades in prison if convicted. the founder of the disgraced blood testing company is accused of engaging in multimillion dollar scheme to defraud investors, patients and doctors. >> i know that we made so many mistakes on the front. >> reporter: jury of seven men and five women ranging in age from 19 to 60 years old will begin hearing the case today. >> it's the old addage first impressions are everything. so the jury is going to make some sort of snap decision about how they feel about this case based solely on opening argument. so it's a pretty big deal. >> reporter: just last week, a

bomb shell development that holmes plans to claim she was the victim of a decade-long abusive relationship with her ex-boyfriend and theirs no executive sonny who deny the allegations. >> prosecutors have to prove her state of mind and show she had a criminal intent to deceive. that's pretty difficult in cases like this. >> reporter: holmes' defense indicated plans to introduce evidence about the relationship including an email with the subject line amor, spanish with love. >> we will change our lives and our world. >> reporter: holmes claims he controlled what she ate, how she dressed how much money she could spend and with whom she could interact. >> the trial was previously delayed due to the pandemic and holmes giving birth in july. it's expected to last 13 weeks. andrew, mona? >> megan, thank you. it was a block buster weekend for amc theaters topping pre-pandemic levels with 2

million movie goers. amc says more people went to its theaters thursday through sunday during the same weird in 2019. amc said they may not survive the pandemic. coming up, britney spears' big legal victory the surprising new statement from her father. also ahead, monica lewinsky speaking out as she thanked bill speaking out as she thanked bill people with moderate to severe psoriasis, are rethinking the choices they make like the splash they create the entrance they make, the surprises they initiate. otezla. it's a choice you can make. otezla is not a cream. it's a pill that treats plaque psoriasis differently. with otezla, 75% clearer skin is achievable. don't use if you're allergic to otezla. it may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. otezla is associated with an increased risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla reported weight loss.

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back now with a shocking development in britney spears' legal battle. it comes after a surprising statement from her father. ♪ i'm stronger than yesterday ♪ >> reporter: overnight a surprise legal victory for britney spears. her father now asking a los angeles court to end the pop star's 13-year conservatorship. in a petition filed tuesday, lawyers for jamie spears saying, quote, if ms. spears wants to terminate the conservatorship and believes that she can handle her own life, mr. spears beieves she should get that chance. it's a complete reversal for jamie spears who long maintained that the guardianship imposed in 2008 due to concerns about britney's mental health. ♪ >> reporter: britney has been trying to get her father removed as the overseer of her $60 million estate for months telling the court in june the arrangement was abusive and humiliating. last month jamie spears said he would step aside once a new conservator could be found but

he gave no time line and just weeks ago, britney's attorney accused jamie of asking for $2 million in exchange for his resignation. ♪ toxic ♪ >> reporter: but now jamie spears says the conservatorship should end altogether. tuesday's court filing saying, quote, ms. spears has recently demonstrated a level of independence that calls into question whether a conservator of the person is required. overnight britney's lawyer hailing the petition but adding that it does not absolve jamie spears of his alleged misconduct saying, quote, this filing represents a massive legal victory for britney spears as well as vindication. having exposed his misconduct and plan to hold his daughter hostage by trying to extract a multimillion dollar settlement. mr. spears has now effectively surrendered. there is no smem to the extent mr. spears believes he can try to avoid accountability and injustice, he is incorrect and our investigation into financial mismanagement and other issues will continue.

the decision to end the conservatorship to end now rests with a judge. the next hearing is september 29th. monica lewinsky is speaking out about the new tv series that revisits her affair with former president bill clinton. the scandal is the subject of "impeachment: american crime story" on the cable channel fx. lewinsky says she no longer needs an apology from clinton but says he should want to apologize. >> i think there there was a long period before my life changed the last six or seven years where i felt a lot in terms of there not being there resolution, and i'm very grateful that i don't have that feeling anymore. i don't need it. he should want to apologize in the same way that i want to apologize any chance i get to people that i've hurt. >> lewinsky is also a producer for the series which she calls a dramatization. coming up, the special way two young boys thanked a military veteran for his service. and scientists discover

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with blue wilderness. ♪ time to check "the pulse." we begin with a special moment caught on camera in indiana. >> two boys came across a funeral service for a military veteran while riding their bikes. a passer-by snapped this photo after the boys hopped off their bikes to pay respects standing silently with their hands behind their backs totally unproumted. >> the woman who took the picture said the boys went on their way after the gun salute. how do cats get their stripes? >> one specific gene determine's a cats fur pattern and slight changes can mean the difference in tab by markings or other paernts but some are worried that this discovery could lead

to so-called designer pets with owner es selecting how their cats will look. speaking of stripes. some zebras are on the run outside the nation's capital. >> the zebras have apparently been on the lam for three days after escaping from their owner's property. a feed station has been set up to try to catch them. next, we know dolphins have to catch fish to eat. >> dolphins in florida hitting fish with their tail sending them flying through the air. >> that is a home run right there. finally we always think of ols being wide awake but not this little guy. >> this guy is going viral after being shared by "good morning america" people are writing in saying the ole is everyone on the first day of school. that's us every morning, though. oh, no, yawning is contagious. >> yeah. i need a nap.

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up in the california recall election with less than one week to go. governor newsom and his opponents are on the road. the names campaigning in the bay area. >> the mu variant is not the last one that you will hear about. >> the new covid variant that should be on your radar, doctors tracking it spread in the bay area. >> elizabeth holmes accused in a multimillion dollar fraud case. what to expect when openingen statements are set to begin in a few hours. it is wednesday, september 8. >> this morning drew is with us. >> so happy to be here with you guys. at least today will be the last intense heat of the week. outside you know it is fog-free