>> miguel almaguer with those breaking details. miguel, thank you. >>> now to america's withdrawal from afghanistan. president biden today moving up his timeline to pull troops out he is also defending his decision amid intensifying pressure, because as the u.s. leaves, the taliban is rapidly making gains kelly o'donnell is at the white house. >> reporter: today answering criticism and questions. the president defended his decision to end the war in afghanistan august 31st. >> i judged that it was not in the national interests of the united states of america to continue fighting this war indefinitely >> reporter: long before he became commander in chief, mr. biden, who made multiple visits to afghanistan, was himself a vocal critic of keeping u.s. forces there indefinitely achievable goals he said happened long ago. >> to get the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 and to deliver justice to osama bin laden >> reporter: but dangers remain real and expanding. after the draw-down was announced in april, taliban fighters rapidly gained

>> reporter: miguel almaguer tonight, thanks >>> this evening philadelphia and new orleans are the latest cities to now recommend mask wearing indoors even if you are vaccinated this is an issue, as you just heard, also getting new attention from the white house kelly o'donnell has more >> reporter: the delta variant mask debate. tonight president biden says he has talked to his covid experts about mask rules for vaccinated americans, but so far no change is planned >> 25-person group we put together are looking at all the possibilities of what is happening now. >> reporter: the cdc director has a message for the fully vaccinated mask wearing is up to you. >> you may choose to have an extra layer of protection by putting on your mask, and that's a very individual choice. >> reporter: but in covid hot spots, some local officials push for broader mask wearing. authorities in new orleans and philadelphia now recommending masks indoors for the fully vaccinated today atlanta public schools said masks will be mandatory for all students and staff regardless of vaccine status while urging more am

miguel almaguer has the latest >> reporter: painting a grim picture of the new reality inside some hospitals, tonight the numbers from the cdc reflect our nation slowly slipping back towards crisis as we surpass 50,000 infections a day, new cases, hospitalizations, even daily deaths are spiking again. >> it is one of the most infectious respiratory viruses we know of and that i have seen in my 20-year career >> reporter: struggling to contain the delta variant, florida, texas and missouri, three states with lower vaccination rates, now account for 40% of the nation's new cases. one kansas hospital turning away patients as they struggle to manage their own caseload >> we're kind of at a tipping point. yeah, we're past the tipping point. we're in trouble. >> reporter: meantime, center, expanding unty, their just-shuttered covid ward in the nation's former covid capital, new infections increased nearly 2,000%. >> we are talking about reopening covid wards and all these beds in the hallways, is it disheartening to see? >> it is really, really hard. >> reporter: nurse manager chris rice says with

protection officials met with pfizer to discuss whether there's a need for a booster shot here is miguel almaguerh that. >> reporter: after a private zoom meeting with pfizer monday night, today the cdc and fda say there's still not enough evidence americans need a booster the nation, struggling to get 98 million americans their first shot, much less their third. and now there's growing concern over protecting the 28 million school-age kids under 12 who are still likely months away from qualifying for a vaccine before heading back to campus >> if you're not vaccinated, i do prefer that they wear masks. >> reporter: parents say they're frustrated by the conflicting messages and lack of planning the cdc says any student not vaccinated needs a mask at states have no uniform plan to require them of the 25 million children old enough for vaccination, roughly a third are fully inoculated any outbreaks could lead to closuressn seem to be any planning being done right now, and that we're just setting ourselves up for failure, for another chaotic school year. >> reporter: with nearly 20,000 new covid infe

miguel almaguer has the latest >> reporter: these are the apocalyptic conditions firefighters in northernalifornia face, a perfect recipe for disaster, fuelled by scorching temperatures and extreme drought, the beckwourth complex fire doubled in size saturday, grew by 20,000 acres sunday, and forced some to run for their lives. >> i planned on staying, but when you see the firemen running like that, it's probably a good idea to go ahead and leave. >> reporter: 58 wildfires are burning across the west. the bootleg fire in oregon, the nation's largest, is racing out of control >> normally we see fire behavior like this in these big fires not until august or september >> reporter: extreme heat is also cooking the region >> this is a climate crisis. >> reporter: scientists say this is a clear hallmark of climate change after the hottest june on record, las vegas and st. george, utah, hit weekend records of 117 degrees. death valley an unbearable 130 >> we're heating up the planet and changing the climate in a way that humans have never experienced before, and we're already dealing with the co

. >>> but first, here is miguel almaguer with late developments. >> reporter: tonight los angeles, theation's largest county, taking a step back, requiring masks indoors, even for the vaccinated effective sunday, impacting 10 million people here and breaking with cdc guidance, it's a clear signal concern is growing over the highly contagious delta variant. meantime, for some of the 48 million children under 12 and their parents who were hoping to get them vaccinated this fall, a longer wait. the fda will now review several additional months of safety data, meaning a vaccine for kids won't likely be available until early next year. >> it makes it a very stressful time to be a parent, an educator and a child that all schools should have very strong contingency plans. one of the metrics by which we could go back to virtual learning. what will we do to keep children and staff safe >> reporter: while more than four million children have contracted covid, less than 2% have been hospitalized and only a small fraction have died but now our nation is bracing for a tidal wave of new infects as e

here's miguel almaguer >> reporter: tonight after large fourth of july gatherings, in some pockets of the country there's little reason to celebrate. the delta variant is fueling a worrisome rise in covid cases now being recorded in a third of all states where vaccination rates are low, infections are exploding in missouri over the weekend, one hospital treating covid patients briefly ran out of ventilators. in the past two weeks, cases here have risen nearly 50% and covid wards are reopening. >> this time it's not only faster, but it's more aggressive people are getting sicker quicker. and we are seeing an increased amount of sickness in a younger population >> reporter: even where vaccination rates are high, like california, in may, delta accounted for 5% of all cases. now that number has ballooned to 35%. experts who say you didn't need a mask indoors say now you should probably wear one with restrictions being lifted nationwide, tonight the president says the fight against the virus isn't over yet >> as i speak to you, millions of americans are still unvaccinated and unprotected a

promising major changes following accusations of bullying and harassment within his organization miguel almaguer explains >> reporter: the $10 million fine is the harshest ever levied against an nfl team. the league announcing late today the front office of the washington football team set a disturbing tone for serious misconduct in the workplace. following a year-long investigation, commissioner roger goodell concluded bullying and intimidation frequently took place, and many describe the culture as one of fear and numerous female employees reported having experienced sexual harassment and a general lack of respect. how troubling are these allegations? >> so this has been going on for at least 15 years and that's a long time for a team not to really take any action and it's sort of deeply troubling. >> reporter: after nearly 150 current and former employees were interviewed, team owner dan snyder will temporarily step away from day-to-day operations with his wife taking over control. "the washington post," which in a series of reports last year detailed numerous allegations against the team, al

>> miguel almaguer, thanks. >>> with the white house still struggling to convince more americans to get vaccinated, tonight president biden is asking states to pay people to get the shot. kelly o'donnell is at the white house. kelly, there are also new vaccine >> lester, the president will require federal workers and contractors to swear they are vaccinated or under go testing. he also expects the defense department to require vaccinations for the military, the timing of that to be determined. and then there is that new $100 incentive. the president wants to use covid relief funds to pay the newly vaccinated for finally getting the shots. the president described the unvaccinated as a, quote, problem to themselves, their families and coworkers. he said mandates for vaccines at work are legal, but he does not yet know if the federal government can require vaccines for everyone. >> and kelly, i know there is also health news about first lady jill biden tonight. >> that's right. the first lady is undergoing a procedure tonight at walter reed for a foot injury she suffered in hawaii coming b

fuel an already very active fire season it's putting lives and homes in immediate danger nbc's miguel almaguer has more >> reporter: these are the apocalyptic conditions firefighters in northern california face. a perfect recipe for disaster fueled by scorching temperatures and extreme drought. the beckwourth complex fire doubled in size saturday, grew by 20,000 acres sunday and forced some to run for their lives. >> i planned on staying, but when you see the firemen running like that, it's probably a good idea to go ahead and leave >> 58 wildfires are burning across the west. the bootleg fire in oregon, the nation's largest is racing fes, not until august or septemg the region >> this is a climate crisis. scientists say this is a clear hallmark of climate change after the hottest june on record, records were hit of 117 degrees. death valley an unbearable 130 >> we're heating up the planet and changing the climate in a way humans have never experienced before and we're already dealing with a consequences it's a question of how bad do we want it to get >> the extreme heat is fueling this epic d

>> all right, miguel almaguer, thank you. >>> a worsening situation tonight in alabama. that's the state with the lowest vaccination rate. hospitalizations are surging, and the governor is being quite blunt about it all, blaming it on the unvaccinated. gabe gutierrez is there. >> reporter: at the university of alabama am today icu nurse barbara thornton learned one of her covid patients in her 20s had just died. >> it's really sad to see people so sick and to see their families suffer because they can't be with them in the hospital. >> did you any there would be another wave of this? >> i honestly didn't. i thought that we were on the otheride of it. >> reporter: and yet hospitalizations in alabama have soared more than 300% since july 1. 34% of the state's population is fully vaccinated, the lowest rate in the country. >> it's time to start blaming the unvaccinated folks, not the regular folks. it's the unvaccinated folks that are letting us down. >> reporter: over the weekend a sharp rise in covid patients from 35 to 48, far less than it sees back in january. but these

with more on that, here is miguel almaguer >> reporter: tonight as washington and oregon become among the final states to move into a full reopening -- >> just glad we're not going to have to wear any more masks >> reporter: authorities now confirm the delta variant has officially been detected in every state, threatening to explode in pockets of the country where vaccination rates are low, the strain remains the nation's most serious threat. >> i don't know why we're in such a rush i think we need to be a little bit more careful. >> reporter: citing growing concern from delta, connecticut's governor says the state will follow cdc guidelines, not yet lifting mask mandates in school this fall. and now doctors say those infected with the delta strain may have symptoms similar to a bad cold, which may lead to less testing and further spread but there is a way to eliminate the threat. >> if you're vaccinated, you are safe from the variants that are circulating here in the united states we have three vaccines that we know are safe and effective. >> reporter: for now the cdc says the vaccin

miguel almaguer, thank you. >>> president biden once again wearing a mask outdoors as he is expected to order all civilians who worked for the federal government to get vaccinated or face strict covid protocols. peter alexander is at the white house. >> reporter: tonight president biden back at the white house, back to wearing a mask. just weeks after celebrating a return to mask-free life for the vaccinated. >> let this be the summer of joy and freedom. >> reporter: but today a major u-turn. the white house now ordering mask mandates inside federal buildings, even for the vaccinated where the virus' spread is high. and president biden's tomorrow is expect todman date all federal civilian employees be vaccinated or submit to strict covid protocols. a dramatic reversal for the president who was asked just months ago if he supports a vaccine mandate. >> no, i don't think should it be mandatory. just like i don't think masks have to be made mandatory nationwide. >> reporter: under the expected new policy, officials here say those who do not show proof of vaccination would have to be tes

miguel almaguer reports. >> reporter: painting a grim picture of the new really inside some hospitals, the numbers from the cdc reflect our nation's slowly slipping back towards crisis as we surpass 50,000 infections a day, new cases, hospitalizations, even daily deaths are spiking again. >> it is one of the most infectious respiratory virus that is we know of and i have seen in my 20-year career. >> reporter: struggling to contain the delta variant, florida, texas, and missouri. three states with lower vaccination rates, now account for 40% of the nation's new cases. one kansas hospital turning away patients as they struggle to manage their own caseload. >> we're kind of at a tipping point -- we're past the tipping point. we're in trouble. >> reporter: in los angeles county, construction teams are back at providence st. joseph's medical center expanding the just shuttered covid ward. in the nation's former covid capital, new infections have increased nearly 2,000 percent. >> talking about reopening covid wards and beds in the hallways. is that disheartening to see? >> it's really, re

. >> our thanks to miguel almaguer for that report. >>> the state department and cdc both issued theirg about traveling to the uk. yesterday's warning comes as england lifted its restrictions. the uk added 54,000 new cases saturday and 48,000 on sunday, more than indonesia, the current pandemic epicenter. >>> meanwhile canada is easing restrictions at the border next month, allowing fully vaccinated u.s. visitors to enter for non-essential travel. it takes effect august 9th follow criticism of u.s. lawmakers. travelers must be fully vaccinated, iowa sim matic, and a covid test taken within 72 hours of arrival. they must present the original copy at the border. canada plans to open its borders to visitors from all country in september. >>> still ahead, president biden addresses voters who were worried about inflation. but could rising prices hurt extras. >>> plus, another texas democrat who fled the state tests positive for covid. we'll be joined by one of their texas colleagues currently in washington, but before we go to break, we want to know just why are you still awake right now. e

nbc news national correspondent miguel almaguer has more. >> reporter: painting a grim picture of the reality inside some hospitals, the numbers from the cdc reflect our nation slowly slipping back toward crisis as we surpass 50,000 infections a day. new cases, hospitalizations, even daily deaths are speaking again. >> it is one of the most infectious respiratory viruses we know of and i have seen in my 20-year career. >> reporter: struggling to contain the delta variant, florida, texas, and missouri, three states with lower vaccination rates, now account for 40% of the nation's new cases. one kansas hospital turning away patients as they struggle to manage their own caseload. >> we're kind of at a tipping point. we're past the tipping point. we're in trouble. >> reporter: meantime in los angeles county, construction teams are back at providence st. joseph's medical center, expanding their just shuttered covid ward. in the nation's covid capitol, new infections have increased nearly 2000%. we're seeing beds in the hallway. is that disheartening to see? >> it's really, really hard. >>

nbc national correspondent miguel almaguer has the latest. >> reporter: the summer spike is catchingected numbers like these, new infections, hospitalizations, even deaths are increasing when many predicted they would be at all-time lows. in missouri, more covid patients are filling beds than during the deadly winter surge, hospitals here pleetd ingpleading for mor >> the tidal wave is coming toward our unvaccinated population. it's coming quickly and will devastate those in its wake. >> reporter: the dangerous, highly contagious delta variant now makes up nearly 60% of new cases. as infections double, vaccinations are plummeting, down 54% last week. >> have you had yours yet? >> reporter: as states are going door to door offering vaccinations, the tennessee department of health will stop all adolescent outreach amid pressure from the republican lawmakers. the agency says they're re-evaluating their process and wouldn't comment on the former medical director michelle fiscus who said she was fired for not getting kids vaccinated. >> those who are not vaccinated at school, that's the t

miguel almaguer, nbc news. >>> and it's worth noting that cdc director dr. rochelle walensky recommended yesterday that people who are not fully vaccinated wear masks. dr. vivek murthy issued a warning yesterday and is calling on social media companies to take action. >> today we live in a world where misinformation poses an insidious threat to our country. moderate companies have poisoned our nation's environmental with little accountable to its users. they've allowed people to spread information, what we call disinformation, to have extraordinary reach. they've added reward buttons look like buttons and their algorithm gives us more and more to click on which pulls us deeper and deeper into a well of misinformation. >> at that same briefing. white house press secretary jen psaki said it's being spread by a small number of people. >> there are about 12 people producing 65% of anti-vaccine misinformation on social media platforms. all of them are active on facebook despite being banned on other platforms including facebook, one that facebook owns. >> faceboo

nbc news correspondent miguel almaguer has the greatest on the growing number of infections. >> reporterg. in missouri over the weekend, one hospital treating covid patients briefly ran out of ventilators. in the past two weeks, cases here have risen nearly 50%. and covid wards are reopening. >> this is not only faster, but it's more aggressive. people are getting sicker, sicker quicker. and we're seeing an increased amount of sickness in a younger population. >> reporter: even where vaccination rates are high like california, in may, delta k.d.s for 5% of all cases. now that number has ballooned to 35%. experts who say you don't need a mask indoors say now you should probably wear one. >> our thanks to miguel almaguer for that report. joining to us talk more about that the director of the columbia director of the national center, doctor, thank you for being with us this morning. we appreciate it. let's talk about the shift in this vaccine plan and effort. this is, obviously, something we've talked about for a while that this was going to be a need, once we got to the point where everyon

miguel almaguer, thank you. >>> and there's breaking new this morning. the first covid case has been found inside the athletes' village of the tokyo 2020 olympics. >> a foreign visitor involved in organizing the games has tested positive and is quarantining. the person is not an athlete, but the case adds to the concerns about infections at the games which were postponed, by the way, for a year due to the pandemic. the events will be held mostly without fans and under tight quarantine rules. we have a lot. >> dr. wolfe, let's start. there health officials have been suppressing concerns about covid cases breaking out at the olympics. organizers have banned spectators. there's all of these extremely cautious protocols in place and yet they have positive cases inside the bubble. i guess the concerns are is it possible to do the lympics under these conditions or is this the reality, that we're going to be dealing with this virus from now on? >> the olympics poses many challenges because we have people coming from many, many parts of the world and we know the

that was msnbc's miguel almaguer. >> i'm trying to convince more machinerying to get the shot. how is he doing it? with more rules and incentives. >> lauren egan joins us. good morning to you. has he given specifics on what he plans to do? >> reporter: good morning, guys. the president has made his most aggressive push yet to get people vaccinated, the most notable being that vaccine requirement he announced for federal ploys. the white house hopes other states and local governments will adopt some sort of similar policy as well as private businesses. now, as who what the president can do to encourage states and governments as well as private companies to follow suit, that's unclear. take a listen to what he said yesterday as he was leaving the white house for camp david. >> can americans expect more by coming out with more statistics because of covid? >> in all probability. by the way, we had a good day yesterday. almost a million people got vaccinated, about half a million for the first time and for the second shot and so i'm hopeful that people are beginning to realize how e

we will have that in a moment but we begin with late-breaking details from miguel almaguer. >> how you doing >> reporter: when fully vaccinated students and teachers return to the classroom, they won't need a face mask, says the cdc. the new guidance, which several states stopped enforcing weeks ago now mirrors the same guidelines for inoculated adults. but vaccines are not yet available for children under 12, meaning roughly 28 million school-aged kids should still wear a mask and take preventative measures. >> it can be difficult for a school to either document the vaccine status of their students, teachers and staff. so in that situation, they might decide to do universal policies. >> the cdc's agency guidance comes as it also calls for all schools to fully reopen and also weighs in on the battle over boosters >> have you pull up your shirt >> reporter: after pfizer said its vaccine efficacy shows a decline after six months, and that americans would get added protection from a third shot, both the cdc and fda say there is no scientific evidence a booster is needed yet >> across the

here is miguel almaguer >> reporter: with children nationwide soon returning to the classroom, tonight the american academy of pediatrics says all students older than 2 and staff should wear a mask at school, an added layer of protection for the 48 million kids under 12 who still don't qualify for vaccination. the former surgeon general and others suggesting whether americans are vaccinated or not, universal mask wearing is needed again. >> it's not like we're asking people to go to the trenches with shooting war we're just asking you if it looks like it's going to help, put the mask back on for a while. >> reporter: the face of the nation's most divisive restriction is more than just a new mandate indoors in los angeles county as covid cases spike here by 300%, ten additional counties are also recommending the fully vaccinated use face coverings inside public spaces cities like new york not yet going that far. >> we do not intend mask mandate we do intend to double down on vaccination. >> reporter: while cdc guidelines say the vaccinated don't need masks, less than half the u.s. popul

wave of new cases and the risk for the unvaccinated as more covid hot spots emerge this summer miguel almaguer starts off our coverage >> reporter: tonight, new misery in the metrics as the numbers trend in the wrong direction, fuelled by the highly contagious delta variant and unvaccinated americans, new infections are spiking 70%. hospitalizations climbing 36% as deaths rise 26% >> this is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated we are seeing outbreaks of cases in parts of the country that have low vaccination coverage because unvaccinated people are at risk >> reporter: with nearly a third of the nation still not vaccinated and covid cases rising in almost every pocket of the country, the cdc says last week, four states accounted for more than 40% of new infections one in five coming from florida in nevada, the feds are deploying a team of 100 to desperately boost inoculations and after l.a. county required masks inside public spaces again for all 10 million residents, other regions are now also recommending the vaccinated use face coverings indoors. ten steps forward, like 20 steps backwar

miguel almaguer has details. >> reporter: the summer spike is catching experts by surprise who never expected numbers like these. tonight new infections, hospitalizations, even deaths are increasing when many predicted they would be at all-time lows. in missouri, more covid patients are filling beds than during the deadly winter surge hospitals here pleading for more doctors. >> the tidal wave is coming towards our unvaccinated population this variant is spreading quickly, and this variant has the ability to devastate those in its wake. >> reporter: after accounting for just 0.1 cases in april, the dangerous highly contagious delta variant now makes up nearly 60% of new cases. as infections double, vaccinations are plummeting, down 54% last week. >> have you had yours yet? >> reporter: as more states go door to door, offering at-home vaccinations, tonight a new report says the tennessee department of health will stop all adolescent vaccine outreach amid pressure from republican lawmakers. the agency says they're reevaluating their process, and wouldn't comment on former medical direc

miguel almaguer leads us off tonight. >> reporter: tonight inside a growing number of hospitals across the country there is little doubt our nation has already entered a fourth wave, an explosive summer surge in covid cases few predicted, fueled by the highly contagious delta variant, now accounting for 83% of all new cases. the u.s. is already averaging 26,000 new infections a day, over 1,000 an hour. >> the reason it is so formidable is the fact that it has the capability of transmitting efficiently from human to human in an extraordinary manner. >> reporter: today on capitol hill, the nation's top pandemic doctors said it is the unvaccinated accelerating the pandemic as deaths skyrocket by nearly 50%. >> we have things open at 100%. nobody is wearing masks. >> reporter: with the highest infection rates in the nation, states like missouri, arkansas and florida have vaccination centers that are empty and hospital beds that are full >> reporter: how concerned are you that children will be at the center of the next surge in the fall? >> yes, i think that, you know, there's that concern.

statement the cdc and the fda both said that fully vaccinated people don't need covid boosters nbc's miguel almagueras more >> reporter: pfizer says a booster shot, a third dose of its current vaccine could offer americans s five to ten times me protection against covid given six months after the second dose, pfizer believes those inoculated would be highly protected against the delta variant, which is now exploding across the u.s the company expects to deliver new data to the fda within weeks. and is also working to develop a delta-specific version of its vaccine. it comes as new covid cases and hospitalalizations both climat a dangerous pace some hospitals are now the middle of their most dire days >> the competition for beds is higher now than it was during the peak last year. >> reporter: perhaps the nation's new epicenter, the delta variant, is now fueling over 9 of cases in parts of missouri, with a federal surge response team on the ground, 93% of covid patients in one icu are on ventilators >> we're seeing some younger population become very ill we see patients becoming more ill quicker than

rose 10% last week and global deaths saw uptick after nine-straight weeks of decline here is miguel almaguer with nbc. >> reporter: the summer spike is catching experts by surprise who never expected numbers like these. new infections, hospitalizations, even deaths are increasing when many predicted they would be at all-time lows. in missouri, more covid patients are filling beds than during the deadly winter surge. hospitals here pleadingfor mor doctors. >> the tidal wave is coming towards our unvaccinated population this variant is spreading quickly and this variant has the ability to devastate those in its weak. >> reporter: after accounting for just.1% of cases in april, the dangerous delta variant now makes up nearly 60% of new cases. as infections double, vaccinations are plummeting, down 54% last week >> have you had yours yet? >> reporter: as more states go door to door offering at-home vaccinations, the new report says the tennessee department of health will stop all adolescent vaccine outreach amid pressure from republican lawmakers. the agency says they're re-evaluating their proc

here is miguel almaguer. >> reporter: the ticker tape parade today in new york city honored frontline heroes. >> it's amazing. we have worked so hard every day of the pandemic. >> thank you to all the essential workers. >> reporter: leading the parade, grand marshall sandra lindsey, the first nurse and american to get inoculated after fda authorization, as many today still refuse vaccination. >> if you don't want to go to the hospital, get vaccinated. >> reporter: the delta variant is now fueling community surges. already believed the nation's most dominant strain in kansas, missouri, iowa, and nebraska, delta accounts for more than 80% of new cases. russell taylor wasn't vaccinated and spent three weeks in the icu. >> i really thought i was going to die. that was probably the closest i've ever been to dying. >> reporter: it's not just vaccines. some americans are rejecting. after scenes like these, this week some high school graduates on an american airlines flight refused to wear masks, became disruptive, and were forced to exit the plane before takeoff. tonight the pushback and the

and they're getting larger and more dangerous each year miguel almaguer has more on the concerning increase in natural disasters. >> reporter: burning hotter, faster and more explosive than ever before, wildfires in the west are threatening homes and lives. firefighters say what's unfolding here is more than one disaster feeding off another historic drought is the perfect fuel for these epic conditions but it is climate change creating infernos larger than over, with smoke powerful enough to spawn their own weather systems. the unimaginable is becoming routine -- >> we're seeing hot days and heat waves like we have never seen before, and then the wind is just a formula for disaster. >> reporter: fire chief brian fenesy and his crew say what has already been lost is devastating. but that is still at risk is mind boggling. >> these fires are blooming with such speed that it is exceeding all the models we have used for decades when trying to gauge fire spread. we hear it all the time from citizens, i deposiidn't think t fire was going to get here that quickly. >> reporter: while extreme condit

miguel almaguer has the latest. >> reporter: as americans face infection and hospitalization at a staggering rate, tonight new findings from the cdc say the war has battle against covid. new data made public today likens the delta variant spread to the chicken pox. as the virus leaps person-to-person, it's more contagious than the common cold, likely triggering more severe disease than previously known, the delta variant is also infecting the vaccinated at higher rates as they carry more viral close in their nose and throat as unvaccinated. while they too may easily spread the virus, the inoculated are rarely hospitalized. >> the message is not enough people are getting them. the efficacy of a vaccine that isn't given is exactly zero percent. >> reporter: despite the spike in cases, it's important to remember we are nowhere near last winter's surge in cases or the daily death count. still, with the new data providing some concrete numbers on breakthrough infections, the concerning findings are why the cdc called also wear masks indoors in hi elier this week. but scientists recommended the cd

here is miguel almaguer. >> are you ready? >> reporter: hoping to mil tonight johnson & johnson says their own study proves its vaccine is effective against the contagious and dangerous delta variant. accounting for a quarter of all new cases, all three vaccines offer a high level of protection against delta, but roughly 147 million americans still have not been vaccinated. >> we are certainly not done with this pandemic. that is absolutely the case. but it's not going to cause a national epidemic. it's going to be much more regional. >> reporter: with the white house deploying surge response teams to emerging outbreaks, this fourth of july weekend, the u.s. is expected to fall short of the president's goal, partially vaccinating 70% of all adults. >> i am concerned. lives will be lost. >> reporter: with millions on the move -- >> were you nervous? >> vaccinated. we've got our masks. >> reporter: and many celebrating the holiday with large gatherings -- >> there is still the variants out there. >> reporter: st. louis is now fo

here is miguel almaguer >> reporter: burning hotter, faster, and more explosive than ever before, tonightires in the west are threatening homes and lives.at's unfolding here is more than one disaster feeding off another. historic drought is the perfect fuel for these epic conditions. but it's climate change creating infernos larger than ever, with vortex of smoke powerful enough to spawn their own weather systems. the unimaginable is becoming routine >> we're seeing hot days and heatwaves like we've never seen before and then the winds is just a formula for disaster. >> reporter: fire chief brian fennessy and his crew say what's already been lost is devastating, but what's still at risk is mind-boggling. >> these fires are moving at such speed that it's exceeding all of the models we've been using for decades when trying to gauge fire spread. we hear it all the time from citizens, i didn't think the fire was going to get here that quickly. >> reporter: while extreme conditions aren't new, the intensity and duration is this year, texas was buried under historic snow and ice tropical storms

but first, miguel almaguer has the latest on a new call for all school children over the age of 2 to wear masks. >> reporter: with children nationwide soon returning to the classroom, the american academy of pediatrics says all students older than 2 and staff should wear a mask at school. an added layer of protection for the 48 million kids under 12 who still don't qualify for vaccination. the former surgeon general and others suggesting whether americans are vaccinated or not, universal mask wearing is needed again. >> it's not like we're asking people to go to the trenches with shooting war. we're just asking you if it looks like it's going to help, put the mask back on for a while. >> reporter: the face of the nation's most divisive restriction is more than a new mandate indoors in los angeles county as covid cases spike by 300%, 10 additional counties are also recommending the fully vaccinated use face coverings inside public spaces. cities like new york not going that far. >> we do not intend mask mandate. >> reporter: while cdc guidelines say the vaccinated don't need masks, le

here's miguel almaguer. >> reporter: as more help arrives at hard-hit hospitals in cities, like springfield, missouri. tonight, across the country, growing frustration from those on the front lines of a pandemic that should not be spiraling out of control, again. >> it's a little like being on the titanic and offering people life boats and having them, you know, repeatedly turn you down. >> reporter: with stressed-medical centers facing another influx of hospitalizations and deaths, preventable infections are climbing in every state. the cdc director calls this a pivotal moment, as more republicans, including the governor of alabama, say it's the high number of unvaccinated pushing the nation towards crisis. >> what is it going to take to get people to get shots in arms? >> i don't know. you tell me. i have done all i know how to do. i can encourage you to do something but i can't make you take care of yourself. >> reporter: in nevada, authorities are also baffled as covid wards fill up and vaccination sites sit empty. >> if you are dying today in america from covid, it's because essentiall