>> all right, kaylee hartung tonight. kaylee, thank you. you heard dr. fauci say there, we must remain focused on the delta variant here in this country, still spreading and quickly, particularly among children. but there is also concern over this new variant, the mu variant, first seen in colombia. and still major questions about the potential for booster shots, a third shot. so, let's get right to dr. ashish jha, dean of the brown university school of public health. dr. jha, always great to have you with us. first, we heard dr. fauci reiterate there that the delta variant is still the vast majority of the cases we're seeing in the u.s., but on this new variant, the mu variant and questions if it could possibly resaid vaccines, give us a reality check here tonight. what do we know so far about this variant and how concerned are you? >> yeah, david, thank you for having me back. you know, we're still learning a lot about this new mu variant. so far, i don't see any evidence that this variant is going to be able to displace delta, the very contagious delt

abc's kaylee hartung has reaction from los angeles. >> it's a re a really big deal. >> reporter: this is the moment britney spears and her fans had been waiting for. a los angeles judge suspending britney's fatheronsesh and saying the toxic environment required it. >> this is the goal and britney is very happy and therefore, i'm very happy. >> reporter: since 2008 when she suffered a public meltdown her father, jamie, has been in charge of the $60 million estate. the judge did not dissolve the conservatorship entirely instead appointing a temporary conservator recommended by the singer and her attorney. and her supporters like kevin wu say that's a win. >> it just feels great to know that we were able to effect positive change, both for britney and for everyone else who is trapped in the system. >> reporter: wu joined the free britney army in 2019. they're a group of super fans who built a movement around freeing britney from the conservatorship. this court hearing coming just days after bombshell allegations made in the new documentary "the new york times" presents "controlling britn

>> kaylee hartung, thank you. >>> next tonight, the enhanced federal jobless benefits that had been in place to help unemployed americans during the pandemic have now expired. so, what does it mean for the millions who had been receiving those checks? here's abc's white house correspondent mary alice parks. >> reporter: tonight, more than 7 million americans are losing unemployment benefits put in place during the pandemic. april stokes, an optician and single mom, has not worked full time since schools closed early last year -- unable to find affordable childcare for her two kids. >> i have four job interviews this week. getting a job has never been the issue. it's what do i do with the kids, who get off of school at 4:00, until 7:00 when i get home from work? >> reporter: she says her expanded unemployment payments have kept her family afloat. >> realistically i have no idea where i go from here. >> reporter: most republican controlled states have already rolled back the expanded benefits. some conservatives arguing, they hurt the economy by keeping people out of the workforce, but n

here's abc's kaylee hartung now. >> reporter: tonight, victory for britney spears. after more than 13 years, a los angeles judge suspending her father as the head of her conservator ship. but not going as far as dissolving the entire arrangement. britney's lawyer pleading for jamie's immediate suspension, telling a judge, mr. spears cannot be in my client's life for one more day. ♪ stronger than yesterday ♪ >> reporter: today's ruling putting britney one step closer to the freedom she's been fighting for. since 200, when the singer suffered a public meltdown, her father has been in charge of the pop star's now estimated $60 million estate. in june, britney testifying against the conservatorship publicly for the first time, calling it abusive, saying her father should be put in jail. telling a judge, i just want my life back. tonight's court decision comes as new documentaries present vivid claims of wide-ranging surveillance of britney's actions and communications. >> her phone, her own phone and her own private conversations were used so often to control her. >> re

here's abc's kaylee hartung. >> reporter: tonight, the desperate scene unfolding at a colorado amusement park. >> glenwood caverns for a party that fell out of a shaft ride. >> reporter: a 6-year-old girl fatally injured while riding this attraction that plunges riders 110 feet inside a mountain. >> party's at the bottom of the shaft now. we're still trying to get further. >> we're about to go down the mine shaft. >> reporter: but first responders unable to save her life. >> we are calling the coroner now. >> reporter: glenwood caverns adventure park posting this video of the haunted mine drop just after it opened. "usa today" naming it their best new amusement park attraction of 2017. the small, family-owned park promoting the ride as "the first drop ride in the world to go underground, in what feels like a free-fall." whit, authorities have not confirmed exactly how the girl died, but an investigation is under way and the park, they say they are deeply saddened by what has happened and it will be closed at least through tomorrow. whit? >> kaylee hartung with those late developments, th

here is kaylee hartung. kalee: an amusement park tragedy. >> a six-year-old female fell approximately 110 feet. how this six-year-old died, bringing national attention to this small, family-owned park. >> she fell out of the shaft ride, and little bit further. kaylee: the little girl was riding the haunted mind drop, expensing 4 g's of acceleration. first aid until health officials arrived. with your "gma" first look, i am kaylee hartung, abc news, los angeles. julian: lewis installment of -- kumasi: the latest installment is outcome and it follows bill clinton's impeachment. the actors who plays paula jones says it reframes what you think you know. >> the point of view of the women of this story, which was so ignored and taken away from these women during that time in history. kumasi: monica lewinsky is an executive producer on this series. it premieres tonight on fx. julian: first lady jill biden is headed back to in person teaching today. every tuesday and thursday, for 13 weeks, the first lady will be te

here's abc's kaylee hartung. >> reporter: on a recent night in hollywood, a ground breaking premiere.w filmed almost entirely with indigenous actors. >> produced, written and directed by an indigenous crew. and filmed on indigenous land. >> when i looked along the whole step and repeat red carpet and looking at every stop and everybody being interviewed, that was so empowering. like an oh, my god moment to see. >> i wouldn't have thought i would have ever be part of something so massive and ground breaking. but here we are. >> you have all these amazing kids. none of them look alike. they're all representing different facets of what an indigenous teenager would be like. >> hey, everyone out there in indian territory, oklahoma. >> reporter: it's a dark comedy called "reservation dogs" now streaming on fsx and hulu. >> we're selling meat pies if you want any. >> hey, y'all, this girl with stomach pains is selling meat pies. y'all want any? >> reporter: the show becoming an instant hit. already renewed for a second season. the young stars even joining the a-listers at last night's emmy a

here's abc's kaylee hartung. >> this is a really big deal. >> reporter: this is the moment britney spears fans have been waiting for. >> i'm so pleased and proud to say jamie spears is no longer conservat conservator. >> reporter: after more than 13 years, a los angeles judge suspending britney's father, jamie spears, as head of her conservatorship, saying the toxic environment described by the pop star required it. >> this is the goal, britney's very happy, therefore i'm very happy. >> reporter: the judge did not dissolve the conservatorship, appointing a temporary conservator recommended by the singer and her attorney. >> this is what she wanted. >> reporter: in court jamie's attorney said there's not a shred of evidence to support his suspension, but today's ruling brings britney one step closer to the freedom she's been fighting for. supporters like kevin say that's a win. >> it's great to know we were able to effect positive change, for britney and everyone else who's trapped in this system. >> reporter: he joined the "free britney" army, a group of superfans who have built a movemen

here's abc's kaylee hartung. >> reporter: tonight, empty shelves lining more stores nationwide. some retailers complaining product shortages are becoming as bad as they were at the start of the pandemic. costco once again limiting purchases of toilet paper and paper towels. from nike to apple, american businesses feeling the pinch. the delta variant hitting asian economies hard, meaning fewer goods are being produced. >> i'd get going right away. i mean, if you want something under the christmas tree, the proverbial tree, you might want to start shopping now because it's going to take some time to get it delivered. >> reporter: covid-19 disruptions causing a lack of workers at every part of the supply chain. fewer dock workers and truckers means record bottlenecks of cargo ships off both coasts. when you're waiting on that couch you ordered to get delivered or maybe trying to get ahead of your holiday shopping, those goods might be stuck right here, between the port of los angeles and here in the port of long beach. nearly 100 ships are out here just waiting for a place to dock.

kaylee hartung is in boise with the latest. ylee. >> reporter: good morning, michael. as cases skyrocket in idaho some hospitals are running out of beds. even more are running out of staff. they have had to turn to what officials are calling the last resort, rationing healthcare. this morning as millions of children start the school year, the u.s. setting an alarming new record. more than 252,000 children diagnosed with covid last week. the highest number of pediatric cases since the pandemic began. >> we're calling this the fourth wave but it is certainly been by far the most impactful surge, really hitting children and adolescents. >> reporter: in texas where the number of children hospitalized with covid hit an all-time high, 11-year-old levi tested positive a few days after going back to school then spent four days in a hospital bed. >> just felt horrible throughout the whole time. >> he's now recovering after fighting for his life. >> i would say to take it seriously and to protect yourselves from what can be a really, real

kaylee hartung joins us now with the latest. kaylee, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, whit.s the country, one in colorado chose a trip to an amusement park as a way to try to enjoy the long weekend, but now authorities in this tight-knit community of glenwood springs need to figure out what went tragically wrong. >> dispatch, patient will be a 6-year-old female and she fell approximately 110 feet. >> reporter: this morning authorities investigating how a 6-year-old girl died while riding this attraction at a colorado amusement park. >> glenwood caverns, a party that fell out of the shaft ride. the party is at the bottom of the shaft now. >> reporter: on vacation with her family, the little girl was riding the haunted mine drop. a ride the park promotes as the world's first drop ride to go underground dropping riders 110 feet and reaching 4gs of acceleration. >> i believe the ride was in operation when the child fell from it. >> reporter: park employees began administering first aid until paramedics arrived. >> they are doing cpr right now. >> reporter: but it was too late. >

kaylee hartung is live now outside a hard hit hospital in boise, idaho, where they are feeling the crushorning, kaylee. >> reporter: yeah, good morning, michael. since the first days of the pandemic, we have talked about covid-19 as this virus that attacks the most vulnerable among us and so we rush to protect the elderly and immunocompromised, but now this alarming new reality that children are being infected at a higher rate than any other age group. this morning a record number of covid infections among children account for one in four of all new cases. los angeles now on the verge of becoming the first major school district in the country to mandate vaccines in children 12 and older. a vote that's expected to pass set for later today. in florida wednesday a judge ruling against governor desantis and his ban on mask mandates saying school districts can require masks while the case is being appealed. the teachers union reports at least 13 employees in the miami-dade cool district have died from covid in the last three weeks, all unvaccinated. mask tensions rising across the country. in

first, kaylee hartung is in los angeles with the latest. "new york times" documentary is making big waves out of this highly anticipated court hearing this wednesday. the claims you're about to hear, they are stunning. a former employee of a security firm, jamie spears hired to protect britney alleges that they engaged in wide-ranging surveillance of her communications and activities. [ chanting ] >> reporter: in a new bombshell documentary, "the new york times" presents "controlling britney spears," insiders are speaking out about the intense surveillance system they say was ordered to monitor the pop star during her 13-year conservatorship. >> her phone, her own phone and private conversations were used so often to control her. >> reporter: in the documentary, a former employee of black box security, alex vlasov, alleges britney's iphone was mirrored so they could keep tabs on her private conversations and much more. >> you would be able to see all messages, all facetime calls, notes, browser history, photographs. they would also monitor c

kaylee hartung joins us from los angeles with more. he fire storm of an attack her team is waging against her dad. a new filing from her side now saying that if jamie spears remains conservator any longer it would impede the ability to negotiate and consummate a prenup agreement between britney and her fiance. so they are marking that september 29th court hearing as a deadline saying he needs to be removed or resign by then and they ultimately want the conservatorship completely removed later this fall. they're asking for a temporary short-term conservator, someone not a relative to replace jamie. britney's attorney tells us they are making it clear that britney spears will no longer be bullied. guys? >> thanks very much. >>> coming up, the new warning about tiktok videos why parents should be worried about what teens are seeing on the app. >>> as we celebrate hispanic heritage from "stand and deliver" to "selena" a hollywood legend is helping harness the power of storytelling. >>> get ready for a double "deals & steals". tory johnson i

kaylee hartung joins us with the actress' emotional new role. r battle with cancer we've seen shannen doherty's strength and her determination shine through. now a lifetime movie is giving her a new platform to show us what it all means to live with cancer. for the first time in her three decades long television career. >> bless telomere we're still not going to be doing this in ten years. >> reporter: shannen sthan is tackling a topic on screen that is deeply personal. >> this is the first acting thing i've done about cancer because i've been pretty careful about bringing the acting into that world. ♪ >> reporter: the "90210" alum aa fighting breast cancer determined to be a voice of strength. >> i have a responsibility to talk about cancer and perhaps educate people more, to let people know that people with stage 4 are very much alive and very active. >> reporter: doherty discussing her upcoming movie on a virtual panel. >> what do you think about a bucket list? >> reporter: the film, a chance to explore the realities of living with cancer. doh

kaylee hartung is at the courthouse in los angeles with more on this. in. it's time for a judge to decide what is in britney spears' best interest. the irony is on paper, to a point, britney and her father seem to want the same thing, to terminate this conservatorship. they are making very different arguments for how and why they want to get to that end goal. ♪ now i'm stronger than yesterday ♪ this morning, decision day for britney spears. the 13-year conservatorship possibly one step closer to ending. this afternoon, the los angeles judge expected to decide whether to remove her father, jamie spears, as conservator of her estimated $60 million estate or end the conservatorship altogether. the singer pleading with the court to suspend her father on september 29th followed by the prompt termination of the conservatorship this fall. but jamie contends there's no adequate basis for his removal, instead asking the court to dismantle the conservatorship in its entirety immediately. his petition stating, if ms. spears wants to terminate the conservatorship an

the gold over america tour bringing together celebrated gymnasts headlining her own show and kaylee hartung, robin. this is unlike any show that's ever gone on tour before because simone dreamed it up. now she has a chance to get back to the pure joy of performing, do it with some of her best friends and inspire the next generation of female athletes. ♪ >> simone biles. >> reporter: she's back in action like never before. simone biles gymnastics' greatest of all time launching her own tour. >> it's fun, it's personality. it's golden. it's absolutely just amazing. olympians, world champions, i mean it's pretty crazy. we do have the best of the best on this tour. ♪ everybody ♪ >> reporter: "gma" getting the first look at the gold over america tour just before opening night in tucson. ♪ don't you worry about a thing ♪ >> 35 cities, seven weeks, are you ready? >> i think so. >> it's going to be super exciting especially since we didn't have fans in okyo. so for them to watch is going to be exciting. tucson, i hope you're ready. >> two years you've been working on this, right? >> yes. to have it

our kaylee hartung inside one of the state's overwhelmed hospitals. an icu filled to capacity.y patients only in their 30s and 40s. one health care worker telling her it's becoming difficult to even ask about vaccines. >> when we ask did you happen to get vaccinated, it already sets the tone and creates a rift and that tone in the room because there's a feeling of, well, you're going to treat me differently because i didn't get vaccinated. that is far from the truth. >> reporter: and starting today the biden administration will be cracking down on those who refuse to wear a mask on planes, trains and buses. the tsa now doubling fines. repeat offenders could be forced to pay as much as $3,000. the president's message if you break the rules, be prepared to pay. cecelia? >> that definitely is the message. rachel, thank you. >>> we want to turn to rebecca jarvis joining us now with a reality check on what these vaccine rules mean for american businesses and workers. rebecca, good morning. i think so many folks wondering what the penalty is if workers and companies refuse this. >> r

kaylee hartung joins us with details and the pop superstar's new reaction this morning. multiple new unauthorized documentaries are being released acknowledging on instagram she's watched a little bit but her lawyer is making it clear they're enraged by the claims in "the new york times" documentary that the security firm hired by her dad allegedly mirrored her phone to monitor her and even put an audio recording device in her bedroom. her attorney saying jamie spears engaged in unconscionable activity saying it's overwhelming evidence mandating the immediate suspect dollars suspension of jamie ahead of tomorrows a court hearing. now since hearing britney describe the abusive conservatorship she says she's been trapped in for 13 years in that court hearing back in june it's generated a lot of bigger picture questions about the nature of these guardianships and a senate hearing will address the need for reform, michael. >> thank you so much, kaylee. case continues to go on. thank you. robin. >>> michael, now a magical night at the met opera. history was made on opening nig

kaylee hartung is outside the courthouse in los angeles where it all happened. kaylee. >> reporter: hey, george. this morning, britney spears is waking up for the first time in more than a decade without the fear of her father's control. the judge here saying the toxic environment that was described to her required jamie spears' suspension. now britney is one big step closer in the fight for her freedom. >> it's a great day for britney spears and it's a great day for justice. >> reporter: a milestone victory for britney spears. [ cheers ] after more than 13 years a los angeles judge ending jamie spears' control over his daughter's life suspending him as her conservator effective immediately. >> britney spears has been faced with a decade-long nightmare orchestrated by her father and others and she's so pleased and she's so thankful to all of you. [ cheers ] >> reporter: though the pop star didn't join the hearing her attorney quoting her testimony from previous appearances, reminding the judge that she believes her father is abusive, cruel and toxic. the judge de