>> thanks for tonight, the major headline on the coronavirus here in the u.s. the main variant now in this country and the key new study tonight on how long they're seeing antibodies after you've been vaccinated. tonight, the cdc director revealing the uk variant is now the dominant strain in the u.s. the cdc reporting younger americans, many in their 30s and 40s, helping to drive the new spikes in cases. and tonight, dr. anthony fauci on the news. how long they're seeing those antibodies after one of the key vaccines. and what this could now mean for all three of them. also tonight, news in the tiger woods crash. tonight, authorities say woods was driving up to 87 miles per hour at nearly double the speed limit, seconds before the crash. why there will be no charges. authorities saying there has been no special treatment in

this case. the trial of former officer derek chauvin, charged in the killing of george floyd. a police expert saying chauvin used deadly force when, quote, no force should have been used. the defense raising repeated questions about drug use and about the bystanders who were there that day. president biden tonight defending his $2 trillion inf infrastructure plan and his plan to raise corporate taxes to pay for it. he says creating millions of jobs. repairing roads, bridges and power grids. expanding internet access to small towns and rural america. tonight, right here, some of the bridges in the middle of this country due to be fixed. and the local business owners who say, get it done. former president trump tonight and the statement this evening after reports florida congressman matt gaetz floated the idea of a blanket pardon for himself with the trump white house. the images coming in late today. the apartment complex up in flames. fire shooting through the roof. authorities on the scene. and news tonight on jack

hanna. his family and their very personal reveal. good evening and it's great to have you with us here on a wednesday night. and we begin tonight with the coronavirus here in the u.s. tonight, the cdc is now saying the troubling uk variant is the dominant strain. tonight, cdc director dr. rochelle walensky saying the case counts, these spikes we're seeing, are still way too high to be thinking that we've won this race. the cdc had warned for weeks that the uk variant would become the dominant strain and now it's here. highly contagious and likely more deadly. authorities report more cases now among the young in day care, young people in sports and now more people in their 30s and 40s getting sick in several states. they're seeing them hospitalized with severe disease. hospital admissions are up 10% or more in at least 16 states. but there is some encouraging news tonight. new data involving the moderna

vaccine indicating antibodies lasting six months out. and dr. anthony fauci on what this could mean for all three vaccines. tonight, at least 109,408,000 have received one dote. 42% of all adults in this country. abc's whit johnson leads us off. >> reporter: tonight, the cdc says the uk variant is the most dominant covid strain in the u.s. highly contagious, believed to be more deadly. and now fueling what some experts fear could be the start of a new surge. >> i think we're way too high to be thinking that we've won this race. >> reporter: and the cdc increasingly worried about younger, unvaccinated americans, tracking clusters of cases connected to day care centers and youth sports. >> hospitals are seeing more and more younger adults, those in their 30s and 40s, admitted with severe disease. >> reporter: hospital admissions are on the rise in at least 16 states. cases in michigan nearly tripling in the last three weeks. doctors there are seeing many

children needing critical care. in chicago, 18-year-old zamia bell loved dancing. >> she brought light into the room. >> reporter: her family says she got covid in march, was hospitalized and went into cardiac arrest. her mom rushing to her side. >> all i could hear in my head, don't leave me, momma. don't leave me, momma. just stay with me. >> reporter: but her condition rapidly deteriorating. the high school junior passing away from complications from the virus. her mother tonight with a warning for other parents. >> this is not over. this virus is killing, no age to it, no race to it, nothing. it don't care. >> reporter: more vaccines are starting to reach younger americans. 38 states opening vaccinations for everyone 16 and older. >> i actually was tagged in a

post that someone shared on instagram, so i just quickly hopped on it, because it's very hard to find appointments. >> reporter: those vaccines believed to work against the variants. and tonight, more evidence protection from vaccines will last. new data shows high levels of antibodies at least six months outs from the moderna vaccine. >> an tip botibodies persist at through six months and likely from the shape of the curve, well beyond that. >> reporter: and more than six months into its study, pfizer also reporting its vaccine is highly effective. >> that was good news, as well. but specifically on antibodies, promising news on the moderna vaccine, those anti--ed bos, dr. fauci say todaying he believes that we're going to see this in all three vaccines. and we should point out that this is still very early. the lasting effects could be even longer, whit. >> reporter: david, that's right. dr. fauci was specifically talking about the promising new data from the moderna vaccine at that moment, but he went on to

say that he expects other vaccines like pfizer and johnson & johnson will offer similar results and that six-month timeline is all they've been able to study so far. he also thinks that protection will last longer. david? >> whit johnson leading us off tonight. whit, thank you. we turn next tonight to the tiger woods crash. tonight, authorities say he was going up to 87 miles per hour at the time of the crash, in fact, hitting the tree at 75 miles per hour. saying speed was the cause of the crash and that there will be no charges. also saying there was no special treatment in this case. here's our chief national correspondent matt gutman from california tonight. >> reporter: tonight, six weeks after that crash nearly sheared off the front of tiger woods' car, the l.a. sheriff's department concluding speed alone caused the wreck. >> the primary causal factor for this traffic collision was driving at a speed unsafe for the road conditions and the inability to negotiate the curve o the roadway. >> reporter: he was going up to 87 miles per hour, nearly twice the 45-mile-per-hour speed

limit. and according to the investigation, the car's so-callso-call ed black box that instead of slamming on the brakes, woods hit the gas. >> it is believed he hit the accelerator instead of the brake pedal. >> reporter: his car went rocketing over a median, across a road, through brush and then crashing into a tree at 75 miles per hour. but the car still had momentum. >> the impact of the vehicle when it hit the tree caused the vehicle to go airborne and do a somewhat peer wet, landing on its side. >> reporter: police say woods' driving was unsafe, but not reckless and not under the influence. >> no open containers in the vehicle and no evidence of medication in the vehicle or on his person. >> reporter: authorities say he won't even be cited for speeding, because there were no witnesses to the accident. the sheriff insisting woods got no special treatment. and tonight, woods tweeting a statement thanking fist responders who pried him out of

that crumbled suv for "helping me so expertly at the scene and getting me safely to the hospital." there, woods underwent emergency surgery. doctors inserting a medal rod in his right tibia to stabilize the shattered bones. screws and pins implanted into his foot and ankle. injuries which have forced the golf great to undergo a series of additional procedures. woods missing out on his beloved masters tournament this week. >> the return to glory! >> reporter: which he won in spectacular fashion in his last comeback in 2019. celebrating his fifth masters with that hug from his son. david, you can still see the path that tiger woods' suv carved through the vej lake behind me. now, i have been speaking with senior officials at the l.a. sheriff's department and they continue to insist that woods received no special treatment. they say it's doubtful that anyone driving that car in that accident would have been cited and they say that's primarily because there were no eyewitnesses, no traffic cameras out here and no police officers

to document it. david? >> all right, matt gutman live in california. thank you, matt. now to the trial of former police officer derek chauvin tonight in the death of george floyd. a police expert testifying that chauvin used deadly force when no force should have been used. and the defense raising repeated questions about drug use and about the bystanders who were there that day. alex perez again tonight from minneapolis. >> reporter: today, an expert on the use of force testifying derek chauvin used deadly force against george floyd at a time when no force was necessary. prosecutors asking whether floyd posed a threat. >> no, he did not. >> and why not? >> because he was in the prone position, he was handcuffed. he was not attempting to resist. >> reporter: the defense has argued the crowd of bystanders were a threat. >> i did not perceive them as being a threat. >> and why is that? >> because they were merely filming and they were -- most of

it was their concern for mr. floyd. >> reporter: chauvin's lawyers returning again and again to floyd's drug use, arguing his opioid addiction led to his death. >> you've seen sort of white substance forming around mr. floyd's mouth? >> yes. >> that would be consistent with someone who is possibly using controlled substances? >> correct. >> reporter: the defense playing this body cam video to the chief investigators in the case, james ryerson. listen closely. did you hear that? >> yes, i did. >> it iappear mr. floyd say, "i hate too many drugs." >> yes, sir. >> is there a discussion about drug use in attempting to speak to mr. floyd? >> yes. >> having heard it in context, are you able to tell what mr. floyd is saying there? >> yes, i believe mr. floyd was

saying, "i ain't do no drugs." >> reporter: late today, a forensic investigators acknowledging when she searched the police squad car where officers struggled with floyd, she missed a few pills, which were later determined to have floyd's dna on them. >> didn't have any information that i was looking for anything like a pill or resembling a pill. so, at the time, i didn't give it any forensic significance. >> reporter: the defense is arguing that floyd spit the drugs out in his tussle with police. and david, the prosecution here really trying to get ahead of the defense, not denying floyd's drug use and calling in expert witnesses who all say they do not believe that crowd of bystanders posed a threat to the officers. david? >> alex perez, thank you. and next this evening, president biden defending his $2 trillion infrastructure plan and his plan to raise the corporate tax rate to pay for it. he says the projects across this country will create millions of jobs, rebuilding roads and

bridges, bringing internet access to all of america, small towns in rural america. and tonight here, some of the bridges due to be fixed and what we're hearing on the ground. our senior white house correspondent mary bruce traveling to kentucky. >> reporter: with his $2 trillion infrastructure plan facing resistance from republicans on capitol hill, president biden today with a blunt warning to the gop. saying he's open to compromise, but not inaction. >> we'll be open to good ideas and good faith negotiations, but here's what we won't be open to. we will not be open to doing nothing. inaction simply is not an option. >> reporter: the president pushing back against critics who say his plan is far too sweeping. >> but to automatically say that the only thing that's infrastruinfra stru structure is a highway, a bridge, that's just not rational. >> reporter: the president is calling for $100 billion to expand broadband internet to

100% of the country, small towns and rural america. and $45 billion to replace every lead pipe. moves, he says, that will create millions of jobs. also $115 billion to fix 20,000 miles of roads. and more than 10,000 bridges badly in need of repair. bridges like the skuter falls bridge in pennsylvania, or this bridge in louisiana and the scrumabling brent spence bridge over the ohio river. over 50 years old, it is crucial to commerce across this country. so, we are now one of the more than 160,000 vehicles that cross this bridge every single day. the thing is, it's only designed to handle half that amount. in the shadow of the bridge, brad slavo helping to run a concrete business. but the bridge in constant disrepair ends up costing everyone. >> if it takes twice as long to get to a project, that means either half the service or twice the amount of equipment and

drivers to supply. >> reporter: this old bridge is costing you time and money. >> right. >> reporter: the bridge runs from ohio to kentucky, the home state of republican leader mitch mcconnell. even he wants the bridge fixed, but not biden's way. >> this package that they've laid out at the beginning styled inf infrastructure is a trojan horse for massive tax increases and a whole lot of more debt and a whole lot of spending. >> reporter: tonight, the president defending his plan to increase the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%, which would still be lower than under the obama and bush administration. and tonight, amazon ceo jeff bezos says he's for the corporate tax increase. >> all right, so, let's get to mary bruce, live in kentucky tonight. and mary, the biden administration, i would guess, clearly hoping people on the ground like that business owner you just spoke with there, are going to eventually help drive the politics on this in washington, but that's a tough hill to climb. >> reporter: well, david, the white house has been quick to

note that these kinds of investments are supported by voters in both parties. that businessman today telling me that washington should do whatever it takes, saying he's willing to see some taxes go up if it means they can finally fix this bridge. david? >> mary bruce with just one of those bridges over her shoulder tonight. mary, thank you. former president trump now weighing in tonight after reports that florida congressman matt gaetz allegedly lobbied the trump white house for a blanket pardon for himself during the final months of the trump administration. here tonight, our chief washington correspondent jonathan karl. >> reporter: today, donald trump broke his silence on the investigation into whether one of his most fervent supporters in congress had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl. congressman matt gaetz has never asked me for a pardon, trump said in a written statement. it must also be remembered that he has totally denied the accusations against him. gaetz may never have directly asked trump for a pardon, but multiple former trump administration officials tell abc news that the now embattled

congressman had urged the trump white house to grant blanket preemptive pardons for trump's political allies, including gaetz himself. gaetz had even talked about the idea publicly. >> he should pardon everyone from himself to his administration officials to joe exotic. i think that the president ought to wield that pardon power effectively and robustly. >> reporter: sources familiar with the alleged request tell abc the idea was quickly dismissed inside the white house. in a statement today, a gaetz spokesperson said the congressman's public calls for mass pardons had nothing to do with the, quote, false and increasingly bizarre, partisan allegations against him. the department of justice is investigating whether gaetz had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl and paid for her to travel with him. potentially violating sex trafficking laws. the investigation started last summer under trump attorney general bill barr. despite the controversy swirling around congressman gaetz, he is still quite active on the trump political circuit. in fact, he is a scheduled

speaker at an event coming up this friday at the club at the trump doral club, an event sponsored by a pro-trump women's group that was also one of the primary sponsors of the rally that preceded the capitol riot on january 6th. david? >> jon, thank you. and one more note from washngton tonight. a tribute to capitol police officer william evans, who lost his life in last friday's attack. his body carried to the funeral home today, right past the capitol. his fellow officers standing in salute. officer evans will lie in honor in the capitol rotunda next tuesday. when we come back here tonight, the massive fire this evening here in the northeast. an apartment complex. the images coming in now. and later tonight, that very personal news involving jack hanna.

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finally tonight, his love of animals still inspires us all. for decades, millions of americans have welcomed him and his love of animals into their homes. >> hi, everybody, i'm jack hanna. >> jack hanna would introduce the world to the animals he fought so hard to save. >> jack, are you -- >> late night tv with the baby tigers. >> i'll take jack hanna for the block please, tom. >> all right, jack hanna. >> on "hollywood squares." >> that's a sloth. >> oh, okay. >> on "gma" with charlie and diane. >> diane's a good sport. >> jack hanna on land, at sea, always connecting, always

teaching, always with a focus on conservation. the turtles. >> there you go! >> the grizzly bears. >> the joy i had of seeing that bear free again. >> and tonight, his daughters now revealing their father has dementia, they believe alzheimer's. he is now 74 and they write, he spent his life connecting people and wildlife because he has always believed having people see and experience animals is key to engaging them in more impactful conservation. he always said, you have to touch the heart to teach the mind. we are thinking about jack hanna tonight and the animals. good night.

a building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc7 news. >> it is a critical time now. >> this variant is a brand-new ballgame. >> we are seeing the numbers go up. >> covid-19 cases on the rise again but not here california. what is happening? as the state prepares to reopen, will we see >> california has reported more than 2200 newly confirmed covid- 19 cases. the seven-day positivity rate is under 2%. now to stephanie sierra with a look at a possible fourth wave. >> california's top epidemiologist are cautiously optimistic the bay area will avoid a fourth surge always.

experts say it is possible and the next two weeks will be critical. >> as covid cases surge in many parts of the midwest and east coast, >> dr. george rutherford, the lead epidemiologist said it looked back at the rate of transmission. we are talking less than 1% over the past week. only only napa and solano counties reached above that with more than 2%. >> 2% is almost nothing. >> most of the case rates have stabilized. >> we have seen high compliance with rules and regulations. >>