>> all right, stephanie ramos leading us off here on a monday night. stephanie, thank you. and a lot of questions tonight. let's bring in dr. ashish jha, dean of the brown university school of public health. we don't want to alarm people, we just want them to be informed as we watch this closely. and first off, how likely is it that the omicron variant is already here in the u.s.? >> good evening, david, thank you for having me back. i think it's very likely that it probably is here, if it's not, it will be in the next few days. it has spread in much of the world and there's no reason to believe america has been immune. >> you heard dr. fauci saying that he believes the vaccines we have should have some protection here, but it's too early to say so definitively. do you agree with that, that the vaccines will help to work knock this down? >> i do. they may take a little bit oaf a hit on effectiveness, but especially if you got that booster, it will provide a certain amount of protection. maybe a lot of protection. we don't know yet. >> i know it's early, but what are we hear

>> stephanie ramos leading us off tonight from nng new jersew >>> one more headline involving coe have and vaccines. nfl star aaron rodgers, in recent days, confirming he was unvaccinated, tonight, rodgers now saying he takes full responsibility to anybody who felt misled. here's abc's trevor ault. >> reporter: mvp quarterback aaron rodgers is playing defense tonight. >> i made some comments that people may have felt were misleading, and to anybody who felt misled by those comments, i take full responsibility for those comments. >> reporter: after testing positive for covid last week, the nfl superstar igniting a firestorm friday when he confirmed he was unvaccinated, claiming to be "in the crosshairs of the woke mob," and saying when he was asked about his vaccine status in august, this answer wasn't a lie. >> are you vaccinated, and what's your status on vaccinations? >> yeah, i've been immunized. >> reporter: in the fallout, health care company prevea ending its partnership with rodgers. and state farm insurance standing by the qb, but significantly scaling back his appearances in t

. >> abc's stephanie ramos is at youngkin's campaign headquarters. stephanie?> reporter: juju, you can hear the crowd behind me here at campaign headquarters for glenn youngkin. they are excited. and we have seen this excitement, heard this excitement, for the last several hours. he will be virginia's newest governor. youngk youngkin, he can attribute two things to his victory. he managed to get the endorsement from former president donald trump while keeping his distance. he also hit on cultural hot-button issues. for instance, speaking out against critical race theory, and also transgender rights in schools, and these were issues that riled up enthusiasm in voters across the state of virginia. >> stephanie ramos, our thanks to you. the race is being viewed as a national referendum on president biden and his agenda. here's abc's kenneth moton. >> reporter: tonight, republicans in virginia and across the country celebrating. voters in the commonwealth elected a republican governor for the first time in over a decade. the election an early referendum on the bide

>> all right, stephanie ramos in washington. hanie, thank you. >>> and we continue to follow this global headline, the growing alarm over the fate of the chinese tennis star not seen in public since accusing a former chinese official of sexually assaulting her. and tonight, fellow champion serena williams among the latest now to speak out. here's abc's kaylee hartung. >> reporter: she's the latest major tennis star to voice outrage and concern over the disappearance of chinese tennis player peng shuai. serena williams tweeting, "i am devastated and shocked to hear about the news of my peer, peng shuai. i hope she is safe and found as soon as possible. tis must be investigated and we must not stay silent. sending love to her and her family during this incredibly difficult time." the grand slam doubles champion has not been seen publicly in two weeks, her social media going dark after alleging she was sexually assaulted three years ago by a former high-ranking chinese government official. the head of the women's tennis association

>> all right, stephanie ramos tonight. stephanie, thank you. >>> and we turn next this evening to closing arguments in the ahmaud arbery case. the prosecutor telling the jury three white men killed arbery, quote, because he was a black man running down the street. the defense claiming they were trying to make a citizen's arrest. here's abc's steve osunsami. >> reporter: one of the first things the prosecutor drove home as she began her closing arguments today is the issue of color really mattered. >> and they made their decision to attack ahmaud arbery in their driveways because he was a black man running down the street. >> reporter: she said it was three on one, with their guns and pickup trucks, versus an unarmed young black man who wasn't even carrying a cell phone or a wallet. >> if you are the initial unjustified aggressor, you don't get to claim self-defense. >> reporter: defense lawyers told jurors that this killing was self-defense because when they look at this same disturbing cell phone video from that sunny feb

>> stephanie ramos with us tonight. thank you. >>> when we come back here, the olympic gold medalist, the gymnast revealing she was the victim of a racist attack. ♪ just like the men and women who wear it on their uniforms and the country it represents. they're all only meant to move one direction which is why we fly it this way on the flanks of the all-new grand wagoneer. moving boldly and unstoppably forward. with less moderate-to-severe eczema why hide your skin if you can help heal your skin from within. with dupixent adults saw long-lasting, clearer skin and significantly less itch. don't use if you're allergic to dupixent. serious allergic reactions can occur including anaphylaxis, which is severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems, such as eye pain or vision changes, or a parasitic infection. if you take asthma medicines don't change or stop them without talking to your doctor. talk to your doctor about dupixent. with directv stream, i can get live tv and on demand... without talking to your do

>> stephanie ramos at the white house. stephanie, thank you. >>> we're going to turn now to the diane sawyer exclusive, the story that gripped this country. 13 children, the turpin children, held captive by their parents for years. for the first time you will hear and see the moment one of the daughters gets out of the home. she didn't even know what the neighborhood would look like on the outside. she describes calling 911, and we see for the first time what officers find when they show up at that front door, the stunned parents opening the door. here's diane. >> this is 911. do you have an emergency? >> i just ran away from home. >> do you know what street you're on? >> no. i just ran away from home because -- i live in a family of 15, okay? can you hear me? and we have abusing parents. >> what's your name? >> jordan turpin. >> reporter: nearly four years later, this is jordan turpin, remembering that night. >> my whole body was shaking, and when i was holding the phone, i remember the phone was like, i couldn't really d

>> stephanie ramos on the virus tonight.nk you. >>> we're going to turn now to the american economy and jobs tonight and a record number reveal involving the number of americans walking away from their jobs. 4.4 million american workers quitting in septembr. so what's driving this and this need for workers across the country playing into this. inflation now gripping the country. here's rachel scott. >> reporter: tonight, the white house on the defensive amid the news that a record 4.4 million americans quit their jobs in september. press secretary jen psaki putting a rosy spin on the numbers. >> ultimately, that's a good thing. many workers feel this is a time to look for a better job with greater pay and more benefits. >> reporter: experts say that's not the only reason so many people are quitting. there's also the difficulty of finding childcare during the pandemic, a mismatch between skills and available jobs, and a large number of retirements. the government also surged support for americans during the pandemic -- stimul

stephanie ramos back with us tonight. and stephanie, i wanted to get back to these booster shots for all adults 18 and older. we know the fda has been weighing a request from pfizer and abc news learning tonight that authorization for boosters for adults 18 and older could come by week's end? >> reporter: right, david. we're learning tonight the fda could green light moderna boosters at the same time as pfizer. a government official tells us both options are on the table and we could see these vaccines after the cdc panel makes its recommendation on friday. david? >> all right, stephanie, thank you. >>> we're going to turn now to the state of emergency tonight after that storm hammered the northwest, washington state. hundreds forced from their homes. winds gusting up to 82 miles per hour. flooding rains and high winds right there. this semi tipping over on the deception pass bridge, stopped by the guardrail. that driver was unharmed. a family of five, these images tonight, their dog, too, all rescued from their flooded h

abc's stephanie ramos in virginia. >> reporter: today, virginians lining up to vote in the razor-tight race for governor. democrats haven't lost a statewide contest here in more than a decade. >> i need you to call on your friends, girlfriends, boyfriends, whatever you got. >> reporter: but tonight, former governor terry mcauliffe locked in a neck-and-neck battle with republican businessman glenn youngkin. >> it's election day. we feel pretty darn good, i have to say. >> reporter: youngkin campaigning on kitchen table issues, but also on cultural flashpoints. >> let me be clear, on day one, we will not have political agendas in the classroom and i will ban critical race theory. >> reporter: even though critical race theory is not currently taught in virginia public schools. youngkin has the support of former president donald trump. >> i'll tell you what. glenn youngkin is a great gentleman. truly successful. >> reporter: still, youngkin has kept trump at arm's length, even as his opponent reminds voters of that endorsement. >> glenn youngkin has been endorsed by donald trump ten times.

>> all right, stephanie ramos tonight. thank you, stephanie. >>> we're going to turn next this evening to the toughest sentence yet in the january 6th riot at the capitol. a new jersey gym owner sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for assaulting a police officer. authorities say seen here in a frame of video from that day. here's our chief washington correspondent jonathan karl now. >> reporter: today, capitol rioter scott fairlamb, seen here posing with a police baton and with a pepper ball between his teeth, received the harshest sentence yet for any of the january 6th defendants. 41 months, more than three years in federal prison. fairlamb was the first to plead guilty to assaulting police officers. >> usa! >> reporter: prosecutors are now seeking a more severe punishment for the most high profile rioter, 51 onths, more than four years, for the so-called q shaman, jacob chansley, who marched through the capitol with face paint and a viking helmet, leaving a threatening note for vice president pence in t

here's abc's stephanie ramos. >> reporter: with the new variant spreading around the globe, the cdc director tonight says the country is on high alert and expanding surveillance in search of the first omicron case in the u.s. >> we have the tools and surveillance in place to identify the omicron variant. we also have the tools to prevent omicron from increasing the strain on our society and our health care system. >> reporter: the administration offering free covid testing for some international travelers at airports in new york, atlanta, newark and san francisco. and labs around the country sequencing one in seven covid positive test samples. i'm here at new york state department of health, wadsworth lab in albany, new york, where scientists are taking a closer look at positive covid samples, about 800 of them a week. researchers here started hunting for omicron just as soon as the variant, with its 50 mutations, was identified. >> is it possible it's in the air and that it's already here in the u.s.? >> that is absolutely entirely possible. the statistical power of the sequencing programs

here's abc's stephanie ramos tonight. >> reporter: with thanksgiving just days away, americans now racing to get a booster shot. >> being able to see my family and not worry about getting them sick. >> reporter: since that green light from the cdc, 3 million booster shots have gone into arms over the last three days. >> boosting people's overall protection against covid-19 disease and death was important to do now. >> reporter: but it took awhile for some to find a shot, like new york city teacher peggy rodriguez. did that concern you that you may not have as much protection as you're going to work as you did a few months earlier? >> absolutely. just being more around vulnerable populations like young children. i wanted to get that as soon as possible. various pharmacies to figure out which ones were going to have it, it was really frustrating. >> reporter: it comes as millions of americans fly for the thanksgiving weekend. but administration officials insist there will be no impact to holiday travel, after reporting 93% of tsa workers are have either gotten the vaccine or asked for an ex

here's abc's stephanie ramos tonight. >> reporter: today, the government reported the largest jump in consumer prices since 1990, for almost everything. barbara lafleur, a mother and grandmother shopping for thanksgiving dinner says she's seeing it. >> starting with gas and then clothing in stores and food, restaurant prices. everything has gone up. >> reporter: compared to this time last year, filling up your tank costs nearly 50% more. and heating your home nearly 60% more. >> it's really crazy. i spend $350 a month on gas and it's a necessity. $350 a month is like a car payment. >> reporter: and food prices are skyrocketing. steak costs nearly 25% more than last year. have you noticed a difference in prices? have you noticed them increasing? >> oh, definitely. i got my bird, because i heard there is going to be a shortage. but i don't think there is, but they are much more expensive than they have been in past seasons. much more expensive. >> reporter: late today, president biden at the port of baltimore, acknowledging americans are feeling the inflation and pointing to the supply

stephanie ramos leads us off tonight. >> reporter: american borders reopening today for thousands of fully-vaccinated visitors from 33 countries for the first time in at least 18 months. for families and loved ones separated by the pandemic, emotional reunions. >> she was a little girl when i last saw her. she's a big girl and an adult now. >> reporter: bhavna patel finally getting to meet her grandson. >> there's no words. you can't describe -- how do you describe this feeling? you know, such a joy. >> reporter: celebrations kicking off early in the uk as crowds lined up to board planes to the u.s. twin flights taking off together from heathrow airport and getting a big welcome on arrival in the u.s. >> i feel like david beckham. it's crazy. >> reporter: those visitors 18 and older must show proof of vaccination and a negative covid test within three days of traveling. and at the u.s. border with mexico and canada, proof of vaccination only. as thousands of vaccinated travelers crowd checkpoints and airports. in los angeles today, a protest against a vaccine mandate for city workers

here's abc's stephanie ramos. >> reporter: tonight, we're learning the fda is planning to authorize pfizer booster shots for all adults on friday. a cdc panel is scheduled to meet at the end of the week, with a new wave of vaccines going into arms as soon as this weekend, to slow a winter surge. a growing number of states have already gotten ahead of cdc guidelines and made boosters available to all adults. but even if those states, some people say, the mixed messages haven't made it easy to book a shot. >> they're like, "yeah, we don't care what santa clara county says, we only care what the cdc says." i'm not going to lie. i'm a very honest person. >> reporter: some health experts say the patchwork booster rollout isn't working. >> frankly, the fda and cdc have made a major strategic mistake. they have made the booster guidance so confusing that people don't know who should be getting a booster and who shouldn't be. >> reporter: but in new york, where boosters are now open to all adults, a hopeful sign. this new year's eve, times square will once again welcome back crowds who can show pr

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here's stephanie ramos. >> reporter: despite signs of a winter covid surge, health experts say vaccinated americans can gather for traditional holidays. >> if you get vaccinated and your family's vaccinated, you can feel good about enjoying a typical thanksgiving, christmas with your family and close friends. >> reporter: since the end of october, new covid cases are up 23% across the country and up 22% among children. and there's now a growing push to expand booster shots to all adults ahead of an official decision from the fda. new yorku othestr ates in aowlling booster shots for all adtsul. eth governo arnday mor of new yo urkrging aonnye who wants a osboter to get one. >>e wgoto tstay ahead of vicod. so whae ve a too al,nd it wos,rk anthd at's booerst shots. >>ep rorter: oicffials at a conntieccut nursg inhome susctpe wangni immunitply ayed a re olin oanutbreak atth infected 79 residtsen, killing eight. eyth say allut b two residents and stf afwere ful vlyaccinated, d annone of e thresintdes had gotten aoo bster yet. >>ea rlly interestg.in stephaeni with us nitoght. d steph, dr. jhaas

stephanie ramos is live outside pfizer headquarters here in new york with more. orning, stephanie. >> reporter: michael, good morning. that government official says the request from pfizer to the fda could come as early as this week. pfizer so far says they don't plan to announce anything to do with vaccine boosters but if it does happen, it could damatically increase the number of americans eligible to receive that third shot. take a look at these numbers. according to the cdc, so far 24.8 million americans have gotten boosters. right now pfizer and moderna boosters are only available to people over the age of 65 and people over 18 who have certain medical conditions or work or live in an environment that puts them at a high risk of exposure. boosters are already approved for those 18 or older if they initially received the johnson & johnson one-shot vaccine. now, pfizer says its booster trials showed people who received a third shot had a vaccine efficacy of nearly 96% which restored the protection against covid they had after receiving the initial two shots. no

stephanie ramos starts us off in fairfax, virginia. , stephanie. >> reporter: george, good morning. republican glenn youngkin has never held elected office, but he sold himself as a political outsider while trying to rally suburban voters around hot button issues like how to handle the discussion of racism in schools and mask mandates and it worked. this morning, republicans celebrating a huge win in virginia. >> all righty, virginia, we won this thing! [ cheers ] >> reporter: republican gubernatorial candidate glenn youngkin declaring victory overnight becoming the first republican to win a virginia statewide race in 12 years. >> my fellow virginians, this is our moment. >> reporter: the race between democrat terry mcauliffe and youngkin widely seen as a referendum on president biden's first year in office with youngkin keeping donald trump at arm's length and focusing on voter fears concerning jobs and education. >> together we will change the trajectory of this commonwealth. >> reporter: youngkin's speech starting at almost the exact

stephanie ramos joins us now from a cvs in new rochelle, new york, with all the latest. , stephanie. >> reporter: michael, good morning. there's still a lot we don't know about this omicron variant, but scientists are working to determine how serious it is and if our current covid vaccines and boosters are enough to protect against it. this morning the u.s. bracing for omicron, the new covid-19 variant already detected in at least 18 countries across the globe. scientists racing to discover if the variant is more transmissible than delta. could it make people sicker or evade our vaccines? the cdc sharpening its recommendation on boosters for those 18 and over previously saying people 18 to 49 years old may want to get a booster. now recommending everyone 18 and older should get a booster shot six months after receiving the pfizer or moderna series or two months after their initial johnson & johnson vaccine. abc news learning that in the coming days, pfizer is going to ask the fda to expand access to its booster to include 16 and 17-year-olds. president biden reassuring am

>> stephanie ramos, thank you. >>> we move onto the horror in tokyo. people injured when a knife-wielding man in a joker-like costume was on a subway. ian pannell has the latest. good morning, ian. >> reporter: that's right. at least 17 injured in that horrific subway attack in japan. the man dressed in a costume similar to batman's joker stabbing terrified passengers in tokyo. also setting fire to some seats in the carriage. commuters desperate to escape having to climb through the windows. firefighters, police and paramedics having to rescue passengers. authorities say 17 were injured, one man in his 70s who is in serious condition. the attacker was identified as a 24-year-old man. he was arrested on the spot, and he's now being investigated for attempted murder. his motive is unknown. the japanese police telling abc news the suspect confessed he wanted to kill and get the death penalty. george? >> what a story. ian, thank you very much. robin? >> what a story indeed. >>> now to the world series and the houston astros force a game six. will reeve is

stephanie ramos is at a polling station in virginia with what it all could mean for the country in 2022hanie. >> reporter: robin, good morning. this race is getting a lot of national attention as a sort of progress report on president biden's administration so far, but also what it could mean for democrats and republicans in the midterm elections next year. this morning, decision day in virginia's tight governor's race. >> let's bring this baby home. are you ready to win tomorrow? [ cheers ] >> reporter: all eyes are on virginia. democratic candidate terry mcauliffe and republican glenn youngkin statistically tied. the race's outcome seen as a referendum for both political parties. it will serve as a blueprint for elections in the country. overnight, the candidates made a final appeal to voters. >> on day one we'll launch a governmentwide audit of every department rooting out fraud, rooting out waste. raising transparency. >> reporter: youngkin reinforcing talking points popular with republicans nationwide focusing on education. >> we will not have political agendas in the classroom. i

stephanie ramos starts us off on capitol hill. good morning. >> reporter: good morning.ing to pass that spending bill in the house overnight, but hit a roadblock. kevin mccarthy the republican hoping to delay the vote, and it worked. >> reporter: the president casting the $2 trillion build back better plan after the top republican in the house kevin mccarthy did his best to delay it. >> if i sound angry, i am. i'm just getting geared up. i know some of you are angry at me, think i spoke too long. but i have haenough. erica has had enghou. >> reporr:tecc marthy complaining during ape sech on eth floor that eth cost of the ll will tbeoo high. >> neveran myme arican history has so muchee bnpe snt at one time. >> reporr:te buthe t ngressiolna budget office says eth bgeudt adds16 $0 billio tno eth decifit, but thehi wte house disagrs eesaying i dtoesn't accoun ftor allot pential sangvis and tt hathe bill will y for itlfse. >> that's whayot u are trygin to ypa this blil from. >> rorepter: tenonsis flinarg. >> nobyod elected joe bideno t be fdr. r>>eporter: marccthy choosg in t