right now on "america this morning," a major decision in the fight against covid-19. what the fda is expected to decide today, when it comes to vaccine booster shots. new details overnight in the gabby petito case, hours after confirmation that her body has been found, a new witness comes forward, and describing an argument between gabby and her girlfriend. and the manhunt for laundrie intensifying, with this image in the spotlight. the volcano disaster in the atlantic. lava on the move, after residents evacuated. we'll take you there. and the man known as handcuff johnny under arrest. accused of planting pipe bombs

outside of cell phone stores. the $32 million jackpot. and tributes pouring in, over a "sex and the city" star. and the world-famous first pitch. it's wednesday, september 22nd. ♪ hit me with your best shot fire away ♪ good wednesday morning, everyone. we begin with a major milestone in the fight against the coronavirus. >> the fda will likely authorize vaccine booster shots from pfizer today. it comes while ten states are reporting a record number of covid hospitalizations. >> and this image caught our attention. a funeral home advertisement in north carolina, urging people not to get vaccinated, so the funeral home gets more business. we have new details on what's ahead today. ike, good morning.

>> reporter: good morning, mona. the news from pfizer is another tool to stave off the delta variant. good news for the millions of americans 65 and up. sources tell abc news, a third pfizer vaccine will likely be authorized for the elderly, those at high-risk for severe illness, and possibly front line essential workers, after an fda decision and a critical cdc meeting. the news on the heels of johnson & johnson, reporting the second dose of the single-shot vaccine, two months after the first, dramatically increases against symptomatic disease. up to 94%. >> we have a brewing body of evidence, that a second shot will be important. it will be up to the fda to figure out when and how that happens. >> reporter: the vaccine developments are critical, as the race against the clock continues. the delta variant is spreading. six states have 10% or less of icu beds available.

alabama, reporting more deaths in 2020 than births for the first time in its history. arizona, rural hospitals are losing patients due to the lack of resources. >> a gentleman passed away in our e.r., unable to transfer him. >> reporter: in tennessee, a state with one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country, announcing it is preserving the antibody treatment for only the unvaccinated. and in ohio, the highest numbers to date for young people being hospitalized. >> if you're young and unvaccinated, it's now probably only a question of when, not if, you get covid-19. and when you get it, without the protection of a vaccine, there's a very real risk you'll end up in the hospital, or even in the obituary pages. >> reporter: and later today, president biden is expected to hold a virtual summit with world leaders to discuss the coronavirus. >> ike, thank you.

on capitol hill, lawmakers are facing a government shutdown next thursday unless they reach a new spending bill. the house would fund the government into december and extend the debt limit. but republicans in the senate are expected to block the bill. their proposal would not address the debt limit and would include money for israel's civil defense system. now, to the gabby petito case. the 22-year-old's body has been found in wyoming. her fiance is missing for more than a week. we are learning more about the argument they had during their road trip. this morning, drones, atvs and hospital s helicopters. all looking for brian laundrie, after the death of his fiancee, gabby petito. the search is on swampland not far from his home in florida, where his family said he was going hiking last week. >> i saw the preserve down in florida, i think that was a

sham, to be honest with you. >> reporter: 500 miles away, near pensacola, a motion camera captured this image. the local sheriff is not ruling out it could be laundrie. abc news contributor and former chief of detectives, says he believes laundrie is alive. >> i've seen it time and time again. people commit atrocious acts and they will act like they are attempting decide but they don't. >> reporter: law enforcement officials are facing growing scrutiny over the case, including how police in florida lost track of laundrie, the only person of interest in gabby's disappearance. also under fire, the officers that responded to a fight between the couple in utah, days before the last day gabby was seen alive. the witness that called 911, said laundrie was the aggressor. >> we drove by and the gentleman was slapping the girl. >> slapping her? >> yes. >> reporter: and overnight, a man telling police he saw the couple fighting on the same day,

saying at one point, they were sort of fighting over a phone. i think the male took the female's phone. it appeared he didn't want her in the white van. >> i don't think they acted incorrectly. i think they acted as we do every day. we mitigate and we move on. and that's what happened here. unfortunately, this went bad afterwards. petito was reported missing ten days after laundrie returned home without her. this morning, a memorial is growing in north port, where the city put up a sign that reads, this area reserved for gabby petito memorial. >> i prayed for her family and i prayed for justice. >> reporter: in the meantime, families of other missing people are asking the police and the media to give their loved ones the same attention as petito. like daniel robinson, last seen in june. his damaged jeep was found four miles from where he was last seen. and the mother of three last seen nine months ago at her home

near san diego. her husband has been named a person of interest in her disappearance. >> we just wish we had the same urgency as, you know, as -- >> gabby. >> as gabby. >> reporter: police have been sharing updates on the case, but the family wants more. >> please, come and help us. bring maya home. we need more eyes out there. >> as for gabby petito, the coroner says she died by homicide. but the cause of death is under investigation. the biden administration has began new measures to stop ransomware attacks. it's asking companies to improve cyber security. the latest victim is an iowa farming group that received a ransom demand to restore its computer system. a michigan man known as handcuff johnny is charged of planting pipe bombs outside of two cell phone stores. he wrote letters, demanding the

companies top sharing immoral content. now, president biden is facing criticism from republicans and democrats for the way officials are treating migrants in texas. this morning, the white house, struggling to address the outrage struck by the images of border agents on horseback, grabbing high grants. in the oval office, president biden and boris johnson took questions from two reporters, both of them english, after johnson suggested it. >> would it be okay, just a couple of questions. just a couple of questions? >> good luck. >> reporter: and white house staff members shouted for reporters to leave, drowning out questions about the border from american media. biden was heard saying, violence at the border is not justified. it comes as authorities ramp up the deportation of roughly 8,000 migrants, many of them haitian, who remain under this bridge in del rio, texas. some of the families are being

allowed to stay in the u.s. new video shows dozens arriving at this facility in houston. >> you may be seated. >> reporter: on capitol hill, republicans took aim at homeland security secretary alejandro major majorc majorcas. >> yes or no, mr. secretary? do you bear responsibility for the humanitarian crisis in del rio. yes or no? senator, it is my responsibility to address the human tragedy in del rio, to address that. and we are doing so. >> reporter: the former chief of border patrol is blasting the biden administration, saying they are laser-focused on expediting the flow of migrants into the u.s. and downplaying the significant vulnerability this creates for terrorists, narcotics smugglers and human traffickers. now, new concern that the number of haitian migrants coming to the u.s. could grow. a document from homeland security reportedly says more

than 20,000 people from haiti have gathered in colombia, hoping to travel to the u.s. he says the investigation into the agents on horseback could lead to disciplinary action. new video from the volcanic eruption on the island of palma. >> never seen anything like this. we're a few hundred feet from the actual volcanos. one of the fissures is there. we're being rained on with ash. it's extraordinary. >> toxic gas and acid rain are among the concerns as the lava spreads. time, now, for a look at your wednesday weather. rain around washington, d.c. today, will not be causing another scene like this. four marines in dress uniforms pushing this car out of floodwaters last week near the

pentagon. the driver called it the most american thing ever. everyone is okay. the heaviest rain will be in the southeast. flooding is possible in parts of florida and the carolinas. checking the high temperatures on this first day of fall, 77 in new york and boston. mild in the northwet. and still summer-like across the southwest. coming up, paying tribute to a star of "sex and the city" after news of his death. also ahead, a parenting alert about another troubling trend on tiktok. how congress may get involved. and later, one beer company with a very different marketing plan. i'm so glad we did this. i'm so glad we did this. i'm so glad we did this. i'm so glad we did this. i'm so... ...glad we did this. [kid plays drums]

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>> yes, i just thought it would be to a chubby jewish girl. >> that's actor willie garson in "sex and the city." his son announced the actor's death from cancer tuesday. he had reportedly been working on the new "sex and the city" spin-off. willie garson was 57. we have a parenting alert about a new trend on tiktok. it is so bad one school is paying students up to $2500 to snitch on their classmates doing it. here's abc's megan tevrizian. >> reporter: this authorities cracking down on a new tiktok challenge that has kids damaging school property across the country. the viral trend encourages them to damage schools and buildings. it started earlier prompting students to steal soap dispensers and clog toilets. in some cases it's become so destructive schools are shutting down bathrooms for repairs. >> they're still closed because we need to make sure those soap

dispensers get reinstalled. >> reporter: more than a dozen teenagers facing criminal charges. >> i am certain beyond belief that the videos will be shown and the parents will be responsible for the damages. >> reporter: tiktok says it's taking steps to stop this trend saying, we are moving this content and redirecting hashtags and search results to our community guidelines to discourage such behavior. but connecticut senator richard blumenthal sent a letter to tiktok tuesday saying its actions are too little too late. >> tiktok knows that there are 94,000 of these videos relating to destruction and theft of school property costing taxpayers. >> reporter: it comes as congress takes a closer look at the impact social media is having on kids. officials from tiktok and facebook will be among those questioned at an upcoming congressional hearing. andrew, mona. >> more to come, all right. thanks, megan. coming up, plastic surgery turning deadly. the two women now under arrest

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powerball is worth $490 million. a mother and daughter are charged with murder after a botched plastic surgery. the women are accused of illegally performing a butt-lift operation on a 26-year-old actress that had just moved to the u.s. from south africa. police say the pair presented themselves as plastic surgeons. >> these individuals have no medical training. they are not experienced. and they are putting people's lives and health at risk. they were mixing them with other chemicals and other substances. that are not appropriate for any medical procedure that would performed on a human. we turn to a special case of lost and found, involving a player for the green bay packers and a pendant he wears to honor his father. for aaron jones, this isn't just any touchdown -- >> touchdown, packers. >> the packers' running back, scoring in his first game at lambeau field, without his father rooting him on from the stands. to honor his dad, who died from

complications from covid, jones wore a necklace in the shape of a football, his dad's ashes. jones scored four touchdowns monday night. >> aaron jones, touchdown, packers. >> reporter: it was during this trip to the end zone, when jones lost the necklace. you see when it breaks free, rolling on to the goal line. >> it rolled off on the end zone. he would be happy. if you lose it anywhere, lose it in tend zohe end zone. >> reporter: a trainer with the team stepped up and would not stop looking. >> our trainer, brian engels, he went out there and found it. >> yes. >> yes. >> thank god. >> okay. >> thank god for flea. >> reporter: the trainer kept combing the end zone until just before 2:00 in the morning. >> thank you to him. he was out there, like, 1:45. >> really? >> oh, my gosh. >> yeah.

i mean, it shows how much they care about us. >> jones tweeting, i'm forever thankful. he will always look for his dad in the stands. coming up, something we never knew about "the i may have moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. or psoriatic arthritis. but we are so much more. we're team players and artists. designers and do-it-yourselfers. parents and friends. if joint pain is getting in the way of who you are, it's time to talk to your doctor about enbrel. enbrel helps relieve joint pain, and helps stop permanent joint damage. plus enbrel helps skin get clearer in psoriatic arthritis. ask your doctor about enbrel, so you can get back to your true self. play ball! enbrel may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, nervous system and blood disorders and allergic reactions have occurred. tell your doctor if you've been someplace where fungal infections are common. or if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores,

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be. >> it's courtesy of nicole richie. show posted this from her 40th birthday celebration and posted a message saying so far 40 is lit. a toy car that breaks the bank. >> a miniature car company is selling a replica of james bond's aston martin and comes equipped with all the cool gadgets from the movie. >> they include a smokescene and hidden guns. the price tag, $120,000, and, yes, again, it is a toy car. next when you hear "don't stop believing" by journey you may automatically think of "the sopranos." >> david chase says he ended the show with that song because the production crew hated it. they considered several options and that was their least favorite so he went with it. finally, one of the worst examples of a first pitch that we've seen in modern history. >> mmma fighter conor mcgregor threw out the first pitch at wrigley field. fans say his suit may have been too tight restricting his arm. i don't know about that. >> maybe he should stick to his day job, you know, throwing

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checking the top stories -- sources say the fda will likely authorize pfizer's covid booster shots today for people 65 and older and other high-risk groups. president biden is holding a virtual covid summit today with world leaders. he is expected to announce more vaccine donations to other countries. the justice department is filing a lawsuit, to block a partnership between american airlines and jetblue. it claims the alliance would hurt competition in the new york and boston markets. authorities in florida will resume searching for brian laundrie today. he is a person of interest in the murder of his girlfriend gabby petito during a road trip. a coroner has yet to confirm her cause of death. heavy rain in the southeast. and more scattered rainfall east of the great lakes. the rest of the country will be dry and warmer than normal on this first day of fall. finally, an unlikely star on

tiktok. >> fans of the 79-year-old are changing his life in more ways than one. will ganss has the story. >> that's a good one. >> reporter: amanda klein knew from the moment she met her 79-year-old neighbor, that the two were going to be fast friends. >> i said, are you kenny? he said, i am. he said -- how did he say it? it's a pleasure to know you. and that was, like, i was done. >> reporter: the middle schoolteacher for deaf and hard of hearing students, spending time with the scooter-driving navy veteran. zm >> i knew how much i loved kenny. and the world needed to know. >> reporter: amanda set him up on tiktok, where he is lovingly known as patriotic kenny. >> he is a wonderful man. just wonderful. he has his down moments. >> reporter: one day last week. >> he texted me, and i hasn't heard back. i'm coming to your house. are you okay? he said, i am. i'm just really, really down.

>> and carrots. >> reporter: his beloved scooter, broken beyond repair. >> i posted it in the comments. and it said, set up a gofundme. >> reporter: one week later, tiktok followers, friends and family, raising $100,000. >> no. you're kidding. i don't know what to say, ama amanda. >> reporter: amanda's message to her very patriotic and very grateful neighbor -- >> you're so worthy of this. everyone is. >> reporter: amanda klein, and patriotic kenny, "america strong." >> hello, humanity. it's nice to see you again. >> reporter: what are kenny and amanda going to do with all of that money? kenny's new scooter, already ordered. now, they are paying it forward. a give away for ten deserving veterans just like kenny, to score their own scooter. >> thank you, will. maybe we need to flip the camera on amanda.

she is deserving of a lot of praise. >> i can't wait t right now on "america this morning," a major decision in the fight against covid-19. what the fda is expected to decide today, when it comes to vaccine booster shots. new details overnight in the gabby petito case, hours after confirmation that her body has been found, a new witness comes forward, and describing an argument between gabby and her girlfriend. and the manhunt for laundrie intensifying, with this image in the spotlight. the volcano disaster in the atlantic. lava on the move, after residents evacuated. we'll take you there. and the man known as handcuff johnny under arrest. accused of plain