right now o right now on "america this morning," two major developments in the fight against the omicron variant. will the u.s. follow? also this morning, word that the u.s. military is close to developing a new vaccine that could fight all potential variants. meanwhile americans coast to coast frustrated over the lack of testing. will president biden's new plan be enough? our experts weigh in. >> safety in the skies. the 5g wireless network and the safety of air travel. the urgent new warning from boeing and how millions of travelers could be affectaffect the new way police hope to find the six-year-old's killer.

now hope for the driver sent to prison for this crash. millions signed a petition to protest his sentence. what's happening now. plus, caught on camera. an escalator malfunctions. and from the umpire accused of being frudrunk on the diamon. to the downside of holiday bonuses. it's wednesday, december 22nd. from abc news the new york, this is "america this morning." >> we begin with the fight against the omicron variant. >> the cdc warns the number of covid infections the next few weeks could be higher than all the other peaks we have seen during the pandemic. even though omicron seems to be less severe, the sheer number of

cases could overwhelm hospitals. new york city is now paying people $100 to get a booster. >> the u.s. army is reportedly developing a new vaccine effective against all potential variants. a director at walter reed says that phase one of human trials wrapped up this month. meanwhile, when it comes to the current vaccines, there are new questions about whether we will need a fourth shot this winter. >> reporter: this morning countries around the world is racing to fight the spread of omicron. israel preparing to distribute a fourth dose of the vaccine for people over age 60. the prime minister tweeting, we intend to be active and ground breaking. adding, the world will follow us. >> even before the rise of omicron, i think we knew there was going to need to be at least one more round of boosters. but omicron's swift spread across the country means it

could be coming here in the next few months. >> doctors say it appears omicron can evade vaccines, but a booster shot restores protection. the fda is expected to authorize pills to treat infection. and according to bloomberg, that authorization could come as soon as today. >> we all want this to be over. >> reporter: on tuesday, president biden outlined his plan including the deployment of 1,000 military personnel to help overwhelmed hospitals and new federal testing sites, along with the distribution of 500 million free at home covid tests. y the spike in infections is fuelling massive demand for testing. these vehicling snaking around a drive through testing side in miami. from new york to los angeles, people waited in these lines for hours. >> it is pretty busy in there, but it moves.

>> this morning the white house is offering few specifics on how the at home tests will be distributed. only saying americans will be able to order them through a website next month and that website will be able to handle high demand. >> covid is spreading so rapidly, if you notice. it just happened almost overnight, just in the last month. >> many health officials are now criticizing biden for claiming this surge of cases was not anticipated. >> many of us did predict we would have a winter surge, even though we didn't have the specifics of omicron. for more than a year, many of us have been calling for a significantly ramped up home testing that we were nowhere near. >> demand for testing is so high right now chains like cvs and wlgreens are limiting the number of at home tests you can

guy. >> prosecutors in new york say tests that cost around $20 are now being sold for $70 or more online. delta airlines is warning the omicron variant could create significant disruptions at the airline. it's asking the cdc to shorten the time that fully vaccinated people must isolate after a breakthrough covid infection. currently the isolation period is ten days. delta wants it lowered to five days. federal invest figators heading to the scene of a deadly accident. the debris field is extensive. here's christine sloan. >> reporter: a bizarre midair crash near houston. a small plane collided with a paraglider, then plummeted to the ground. the cessna coming down at a shooting range now littered with debris. >> i could hear a low-flying plane coming over and then,

boom, i heard the crash. i was probably half a mile away. >> reporter: one witness says the plane went into a nose dive crashing only 20 feet from where he was standing. >> i thought, oh, it was must be a low flier doing some test runs or whatever. well, a split second later i see the plane and it goes down. >> reporter: the plane was headed to victoria, texas, about 140 miles away. >> there was no smoke from it and didn't look like there was any gas leaking whatsoever, but it was terrifying. >> reporter: investigators saying the paraglider's body was found in a near by neighborhood. and part of the parachute found 10 miles away where a pilot sits in a harness. on average, a paraglider can soar up to 15,000 feet. local media report the area is a

popular spot for gliders. the ntsb will now investigate. urging the biden administration to delay the rollout of the 5g wireless scheduled next month. the ceos of both companies say the new technology could pose a danger by causing interference with the plane's vital instruments. several major airlines raised similar concerns warning that 5g could trigger major flight delays. at&t and verizon dismissed the concerns saying other countries have had no concerns. kim potter says she mistook her gun for her taser. jurors are already concerned they may not reach a unanimous decision. stephanie ra moss is covering the trial. >> reporter: the jury wanted to know what happens if they cannot agree on a verdict and what steps should be taken to get there.

the judge responding by reading them the jury instructions and telling them they need to discuss the case with one another and, quote, deliberate with a view toward reaching agreement. >> the judge has approved a question. police arrested three suspects for a shooting that knocked down a mall. the suspects fled the mall area. the wounded driver was hospitalized and police are looking for two more suspects. police in colorado say dna testing could be used to help solve the murder of a six-year-old who was found dead in her family's home nearly 25 years ago. boulder police are actively looking into whether dna testing could be used in their investigation. tests done in 2008 pointed to an unexplained third party, not her parents or her brother. all right. time now for a look at your

wednesday weather. good morning. the storm that hit florida with heavy rain and wind on tuesday going up the coast on wednesday. we're concerned with slippery roads. watch out for icy conditions here outside of the major cities in the northeast. travelers beware, heavy rain and mountain snow going to be big headaches out there. as we take a look at your forecast thursday, friday, troubles in the west and the north. but in the north and the south, looking good. coming up, the man who survived a helicopter crash at sea by swimming for 12 hours. >> incredible. but first, travel trouble. what we are learning about this huge brawl at a major u.s. airport. and a major development as a truckdriver sentenced to 110 years in prison for a deadly

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what's around the corner could be worth waiting for. ask your doctor about eliquis. chaos at the airport in chaos at the airport in miami. two men arrested after this withdrawal with police. an unruly passenger grabbed a transportation cart from an employee, then fought officers who arrived on the scene. he faces battery and other charges. another man charged with trying to pull police away from the first suspect. also caught on camera, look at this, a terrifying escalator malfunction in the boston subway system. many riders were returning from a patriots football game. at least nine people were injured and some are now suing boston's transit authority and a contractor who recently

performed maintenance on the escalator. we have an update on the truckdriver who has inspired millions of people to sign a petition trying to get his prison sentence reduced after a deadly crash in colorado. this morning the controversial 110-year prison sentence for the truckdriver responsible for this fiery pile-up is being considered. a jury convicted him for the wreck in 2019 when his big rig slammed into dozens of cars, killing four people. the jury found him guilty on 42 counts, including vehicular homicide, leading to that prison sentence of more than a he made a passionate plea at his hearing, but the judge says his hands were tied. but now nearly five million people signed a petition calling the punishment unfair. truckers across the country

threatened to stop moving goods to and from colorado. and kim kardashian tweeted about him saying she's praying the governor commutes his sentence. we're just glad they took over and added their name on this petition. >> the prosecutors faced criticism for celebrating the conviction by making this trophy out of a truck brake shoe. now the district attorney herself filed a motion asking for a hearing to reconsider the sentencing. his attorney says he deserves a sentence that matches similar cases. >> what people are facing for this type of case in, you know, anything from six months to two years is what they're facing. >> families of the crash victims call the 110-year sentence appropriate under the law and say they are the real victims. coming up, foul play. the umpire who apparently had

too much to drink before a game. >> also ahead, a surprise in the mail. a box full of cash shows up in one man's office. the letter inside and the lingering mystery. [upbeat pop m] clerk: hello, how can i? sore throat pain? ♪honey lemon♪ try vicks vapocool drops. in honey lemon chill. for fast-acting sore throat relief. wooo vaporize sore throat pain with vicks vapocool drops.

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two survivors in the crash. he told reporters, my time to die hasn't come yet. >> incredible story of survival there. back in this country, the human society in nebraska has removed nearly 600 animals from one home near omaha. charges are pending against the man who lives there. a perfectly preserved fossil of a baby dinosaur still in its egg is offering new clues about the evolution of birds. the 66 million year old skeleton is being studied in china. scientists say there are many similarities to a bird. we turn now to a surprise in the mail. a college here in new york received a box full of cash, lots and lots of cash. and now there is a mystery everyone wants to solve. >> i have never seen this kind of money before in my life. >> the chair of the physics department at the city college of new york opened this package

recently and got the surprise of his life. >> there was bubble wraps. i opened the bubble wrap and there was all this money. >> the box sat there for nearly a year unopened and unsecured. inside stacks of 50 d$50 and $1 >> i closed the thing up. held it on my chest, called up the dean. classroom since march of 2020. when he finally returned, there it was, a cardboard box mailed in the fall of 2020. the sender, a mystery. the package does have a return address, but a person by that name at that address in florida does not exist. and a letter inside the box offers only one obvious clue. the donor is apparently a former student. the letter thanks the school for the excellent opportunity that led to a long, productive, immensely rewarding scientific career. >> the person doesn't want to come forward.

i respect their decision to do so. >> the physics and math department decided to use the money to award two full scholarships worth $7,500 for the next 12 years. >> the fbi was notified just to make sure that everybody was legit. in sports the nfl played games on a tuesday for just the fourth time since 1948. the rams were trailing the seahawks until cooper kupp caught two touchdown passes leading l.a. to a 20-10 win. the eagles beat washington 27-10. now, an adult beverage at a baseball game isn't usually a problem unless you are the umpire. this umpire in mexico was removed by his colleagues because they thought he was drunk. he was stumbling and making ein obscene gestures to the crowd. also ahead, how a man looking to profit off tom brady was caught red handed.

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♪ time to check the pulse. we begin with holiday bonuses. it is nice to get one, but there is a downside this year. >> it turns out that americans have been quitting their jobs in record numbers. we have heard this. but experts say some holiday bonuses will only make that problem worse. some are predicting a second great resignation. the first, of course, due to the pandemic and people changing their priorities. >> but now people are making new year's resolutions and some experts say with extra cash in hand, more americans will be saying, i quit. next a divorce settlement unlike any other. >> a british judge ordered the ruler of debau due dubai to pay

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checking the top stories this morning, americans are expressing frustration at the lack of covid testing available. president biden has announced 500 million free at home tests will soon be available to order online. meanwhile, israel is now preparing to distribute a fourth dose a fourth dose of the vaccine to people over 60. there has been no indication that u.s. officials will follow suit. the fda could authorize two pills to treat covid as soon as today. michael flynn is the latest trump ally to sue the january 6th committee to block a subpoena for his records. before the capitol attack, flynn suggested using martial law to re-run the election. fresh express is recalling a variety of package salads. they were distributed in 19 states across the midwest.

a list of all the affected salads. today's weather rain and snow clear across the plains. and finally this morning, the man finding social media fame thanks to his tiny apartment. >> here's what it's like living in the smallest apartment in new york. brand-new to new york city, but he's already feeling at home. >> all 100 square feet of it. >> yeah. that's what the place was missing. >> i have two beds but only one me. some nights i'm a queen guy. other nights i chill on the twin. >> racking up more than 20 million views on tiktok. his bathroom down the hall, yes,

it's shared and it's byotp. >> not so bad. kind of harming. >> the least favorite thing would be the thin walls. >> but the 22-year-old says he digs his new digs. >> i'm happy because where i was before this was in a car just leaving out of a 2000 volvo. >> do you dream of something nicer one day? >> i dream of a stove, will. that's what i dream of. a nice burner. a gas range. >> it is a pan right now. a single burner stove. i wouldn't joke to you, will. >> plenty of room for a sense of humor and an incredibly positive outlook. >> where i'm at now regardless of how odd it may seem is certainly better than where i have been. >> of course everybody wants to know how much he's paying in rent in this apartment in the

right now on "america this morning" -- two major developments in the fight against the omicron variant. israel, rolling out a fourth covid vaccine shot. will the u.s. follow? >> wo word that the u.s. military is in the works of a new vaccine. americans coast-to-coast, frustrated over the lack of testing. will president biden's new plan be enough? our experts weigh in. safety in the skies. new concern of the rollout of the 5g wireless network. the urgent new warning from boeing and how millions of travelers can be affected. the jonbenet ramsey mystery, back in the news. the