cdc is the common defense of the country against health threats. our work to prepare and respond to health emergencies require that we build on our day to day work in two particular areas. number one, our long-standing partnership with state and local health departments and number two, our medical, scientific and program expertise. i will describe the three pillars of our defense strategy, science, surveillance and service. first, cdc has a unique collection of scientific expertise that exists nowhere else in the world. we have the ability to identify agents causing illness whether that illness is the cause -- caused by an infectious microbe or chemical or radiation exposure. ready to respond to a broad range of threats, including diseases like ebola, smallpox and influenza. cdc plays a key role in discovering new and emerging infectious diseases using advanced detection techniques to identify pathogens quickly and more accurately. every year, laboratories from all over the world send hundreds of thousands of specimens to cdc for testing. the secon

cdc. delighted to have you back today. >> next we will hear from.terry stotts gotlieb. dr. kadlec exist the commission or the food and drug administration. the fda plays a critical role in our emergency preparedness and response capabilities through its review of medical countermeasures including drugs, vaccines diagnostic tests and ensuring these countermeasures are safe and effective. further the 2013 rappers asian of pappa aim to improve regulatory certainty and predictability for medical countermeasures under review at the fda while also providing the agency with additional authority to support rapid response of emergencies. we are delighted to have you here are delighted to have you in that position at fda. finally we will hear from doctors stephen redd the director of public health response and preparedness. the cdc serves a number of roles under the papa framework and has built strong relationships with state and local public health departments and important aspect of preparing for

the last government shutdown impacted the cdc for 16 days. >> those that worked at the cdc during the last shutdown said that it was the only time they felt like they couldn't protect americans. >> those flu numbers, they keep getting bigger and bigger. just last week, 32 more people under the age of 65 died of the flu in california. that brings the seasonal number of flu deaths up to 74. doctors say the flu shot is still the best preventative method and it's not too late to get a shot. you can go to abc7news.com to find out where you can still get a flu shot. >>> leslie brinkley joining us from the antioch children's hospital with more. >> reporter: we just got news just about 15, 20 minutes ago from the contra costa county da's office, they just announced they filed formal charges against the suspect in this auto accident, noel 2-year-old camilla is still here in the hospital on life support. the cardoza family is inside hospital right now, the dad told me a candle light vigil is under way right now at the family's home in pittsburgh. >> we're just praying, we just keep on praying f

it will hurt the cdc's ability to fight the flu. the cdc serves as a surveillance agency about anything related to the flu and other diseases. the cdc assures clients it works 24/7 saving lives and protecting people. if there is a government shutdown, the promise will immediately go away when it comes to the flu program. >> less information on how influenza is spreading and how it is affecting people in terms of severity of illness. >> reporter: this at a time when flu season hitting its peak in many states. >> this year is proving particular difficult. >> all of states, 49 are reporting in the same week wide spread activity. >> reporter: with a government shutdown no updates like that one on data collected. another concern is flu samples taken by local health departments a departments and sent to the cdc would not be analyze. local bay area say they have plenty of the vaccine in case of a local outbreak. >> definitely concern if the cdc was shut down for more than a short period of time. >> reporter: other data collected by the cdc

everything from the cdc and their effort to fight this deadly flu, to our military. tonight no deal yet and abc's mary bruce leading us off from the hill. >> reporter: with just hours to go until a shutdown, a beaming democratic leader chuck schumer walked out of the west wing and returned to capitol hill. >> senator schumer, how was the meeting? >> we discussed all of the major outstanding issues. we made some progress. >> reporter: sources say the two new yorkers getting together to hash things out was the president's idea. trump called schumer this morning, inviting him to the white house. sitting down in the oval office, just the democratic senator, the republican president, and their chiefs of staff. >> unlike some of my republicans colleagues, i'm glad they're talking and i think president trump is a good dealmaker and maybe we'll get a deal. >> i hope that the president can talk some sense into senator schumer and the democrats. >> reporter: but for some republicans, the 90-minute sitdown set off alarm bells. "i'm terrified trump is going to hose us," one gop

it will hurt the cdc's ability to fight the flu. the cdc serves as a surveillance agency about anything related to the flu and other diseases. the cdc assures clients it works 24/7 saving lives and protecting people. if there is a government shutdown, the promise will immediately go away when it comes to the flu program. >> less information on how influenza is spreading and how it is affecting people in terms of severity of illness. >> reporter: this at a time when flu season hitting its peak in many states. >> this year is proving particular difficult. >> all of states, 49 are reporting in the same week wide spread activity. >> reporter: with a government shutdown no updates like that one on data collected. another concern is flu samples taken by local health departments a departments and sent to the cdc would not be analyze. local bay area say they have plenty of the vaccine in case of a local outbreak. >> definitely concern if the cdc was shut down for more than a short period of time. >> reporter: other data collected by the cdc

response hhs and the director of the office of public health preparedness and response for health at cdc and dr. gottlieb commissioner of the fda. this is the first of two hearings we plan to have on this topic. the second tuesday january 23. senator murray and i each have been openingng statements or any opening remarks they may haverk after that we will introduce our panel and hear their testimony then each minute -- member has up to five minutes for any remarks or questions. first welcome to the chairman for giving me the opportunity to have this hearing that discusses the topic critical to national security and has seen many years of bipartisan work in this committee and congress. we have developed strength in the name work with and other nuclear threats with the potential to jeopardize the health of all americans. this created a framework as we have learned. we should be proud of the accomplishments in the progress made over the last decade. resulting in strong partnerships with our states inhi counterparts, create a greater certainty and accountability to bring forward medical coun

what the cdc has now revealed about baby boomers. and if you are caring for someone with the flu, should you be on tamiflu as well? >>> the entire board of the usa gymnastics resigning tonight, and nearly 20 survivors, with our elizabeth vargas and what they are demanding. >>> the scandal in las vegas tonight. the man behind one of the most famous casinos and resorts. what he is accused of doing to female employees. some of them reportedly hiding in closets and bathrooms to avoid him, and what he is saying tonight. >>> good evening, and it's great to have you with us here on a friday night, and we begin with president trump reportedly ordering the special counsel robert mueller be fired. the white house counsel refusing to do this last june. president trump returning tonight from davos, and serious questions await here at home about why he moved to fire robert mueller. the president denying the claim, but "the new york times" breaking the story, and the outlets of "the washington post" to fox news to our team, confirming that the pre

other data collected by the cdc include those with the flu who have been admitted to hospitals. that won't be collected if there is a shutdown. and the number of flu deaths will not be recorded. in the newsroom,ly ann melendez. >>> while some national parks are close, others will stay open. we learned tonight alcatraz will be open tomorrow no matter what happens in washington. also yosemite national park will remain open. employees will be placed on mandatory furloughs. the park's gates will be open, but they will be unstaffed. that means admission will be free. in arizona the state promised to keep the grand canyon open with state money. the park is the state's biggest tourist attraction and the governor is promising to provide up to $100,000 to keep everything up and running. >>> for a complete look at government shutdown impacts in the bay area we have a list for you on our website, abc7news.com. >>> getting to the weather. the rain is moving out. the chill is moving in. >> meteorologist sanny patel tracking it all for us for the weekend. >> the weekend is going to start off

the cdc reports two-thirds of pregnant women have not gotten a flu shot, but the message is spreading. over the weekend lines stretched out the door in connecticut for free or low cost vaccines. >> i thought now was the time to be more proactive. >> reporter: nationwide, the cdc says there is enough supply, but the skyrocketing demand has prompted some urgent care centers to scramble. >> typically during this time in january you see health care organizations are returning unused flu vaccines, and for us to be on our third order just speaks to the demand. >> reporter: doctors say it is a myth that the shot itself will give you the flu. >> when you get the flu shot you might actually feel a little under the weather, body aches, low grade fevers, arm soreness. that's because your immune system is starting to get activated to fight the flu. >> reporter: karl igg can't help but wonder if getting the vaccine might have saved his daughter. >> this is not just a news report where somebody else died of the flu. there's a whole family, little kids that there is no normal for them. it is the onl

. >> and this tonight from the cdc. it's hitting baby boomers unusually hard. >>> new calls to otect the special counsel after revelations that president trump ordered robert mueller fired but backed down when his white house counsel threatened to quit. >>> a bombshell report about casino billionaire steve wynn, one of the most powerful mega moguls in vegas, trump confidant and republican power player, accused of repeated sexual misconduct. >>> a demand for answers after a rescue mission gone wrong. the fbi tries to save a kidnapped man but mistakenly shoots the hostage to death. >>> and our exclusive first look at the hot new idea to cut down on all those flight delays and cancellations because of snow and ice. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >>> good friday evening, everyone. there's a growing chance tonight that either you or someone you know has been hit with the flu. as we're all finding out, one way or the other, this is the worst flu season in nearly a decade. the cdc confirming today w

. >>> there's a new alert from the cdc today. this year's deadly flu outbreak has now expanded to every state but hawaii. this flu season is shaping up to be three times worse than last year. doctors warn the strain is taking a drastic toll on children across the country. we sent our gabe gutierrez to the cdc headquarters for details. >> take a nice deep breath. >> reporter: tonight for the first time in 13 years the flu is just about everywhere in the continental u.s., widespread in 49 states, and the rate of hospitalization has nearly doubled since last week. the cdc is now reporting 20 pediatric deaths so far this season compared to 3 at the same time last year. jonah rieben was just 4 years old and had health problems, so he was more vulnerable. his family near dayton, ohio, is heartbroken. >> one of the most difficult things that i've ever had to do was to tell my other children on saturday morning that their little brother wasn't coming home. >> reporter: this year's dominant flu strain, h3-n2, is particularly dangerous for

>>> the cdc next week will tell the public how to survive a nuclear attack. >>> if you own a iphone, mac, pc, what authorities say you need to do immediately. a lot more news ahead tonight. that's why there's purina one true instinct. nutrient-dense, protein-rich, real meat number one. this is a different breed of natural nutrition. purina one, true instinct. when you have a cold, stuff happens. ♪ { sneezing ] shut down cold symptoms fast [ coughing ] with maximum strength alka seltzer plus liquid gels. >>> next tonight, that health scare for alex trebek taking a leave of absence as he recovers from brain surgery after a fall. here's matt gutman. >> reporter: tonight, speaking a shade more deliberately than his normally peppy clip on jeopardy -- we learn alex trebek is taking a medical leave from the show. >> during the holiday break, i had a slight medical problem. subdural hematoma. by a fall i endured about two months ago. >> reporter: trebek suffering complications checked into a hospital for brain surgery. subdural hem tomato mas are pools of

. >>> the cdc director resigns amid scandal. right as the agency is fighting this flu emergency exploding in 49 states. >>> kids and migraines and the unusual way doctors are treating them. would you believe botox? >> i saw a night and day difference. >> parents say it's a life changer. >>> and meet the real life heroes turned movie stars playing themselves in clint eastwood's new hollywood blockbuster. >> announcer: this is nbc "nightly news" with lester holt. >> good evening, everyone, thank you for being here. we start with the frightening moments on the rails for republican members of congress today. it was a deadly collision between the chartered amtrak train they were aboard and a garbage truck. one of those in the truck was killed. another critically injured. some of those on board the train tonight describing a loud noise, a sudden jolt, belongings scattered everywhere. the rush to attend to those who were hurt. tonight the ntsb is joining the investigation into the crash. our kasie hunt reports from the scene in crozet,

the cdc says the flu is now widespread in every state in the u.s. except hawaii. >> the season started back in many november and has had a really rapid rise and is probably peaking right about now. >> the u.s. could be in for a severe season. the h3n2 virus is dominating this season which tends to cause more severe illness, hospitalizations and death especially in children and older adults. so far >> we -- >> these parents in ohio are mourning the loss of their 4-year-old son who died last need. jonah rivan had underlying medical conditions. >> the absolute joy that jonah brought into our lives any sorrow that comes along with it. >> the cdc is urging anyone who has not been vaccinated for the flu to get the shot now even though the season could be peaking. >> it could be 13 more weeks of affluenza still to come. the predominant strain right now is h3. however. h1n1 seems to be making an entrance right now. and affluenza b notoriously shows up late and can effect older and younger individuals. >> if there's one thing we know about the unpredictable.

. -- the fda, and the cdc. it is critical we reauthorize the act before many of the provisions expire in september. i hope we can do this in a bipartisan way. i expect that has been the tradition of the law amongst all of our bills. aware of thet as devastation of the flu. i believe the figures are die of 50,000 americans the flu every year. aboutllins is talk to us expediting a universal flu vaccine when she can see soon. tennessee has seen her breaking stories this winter as the flu has put the state in the country. andady a pregnant woman, three children have died and tennessee. the act provides the framework that enables us to be prepared and able to respond to public health threats. medicineshave enough to protect americans and ensure our hospitals and state and local health departments are prepared to respond to public health emergencies. thanks to all of our witnesses for coming today, especially the doctor who has come from tennessee. thank you senator burr. holding arning we are hearing facing 21st cen

the cdc and several health departments report that we're at the peak of the flu season which started early this year. there have also been more flu related deaths this year, during the last few season, by january 2017, there had been nine deaths in california among people under the age of 65. so far we have seen 42 deaths this season. it's believed this flu vaccine is not as effective as last year's. gloria gomez got her flu shot months ago. >> when i get sick, nobody's going to take care of me. i take care of others. that's why i got the flu shot early. >> she still got the flu, even though her symptoms were mild. >> it didn't stop me from having the flu. >> so it didn't work? >> it helped i guess. >> even in a year where the effectiveness of the flu vaccine is not optimal, the vaccine still have vents millions of illnesses and tens of thousands of hospitalizations in the united states. >> the san francisco public health department reminds everyone it takes about two weeks for anti-bodies to develop in the body to protect you so they say, don't wait any longer and the flu mist nasal

the cdc and several health departments report that we're at the peak of the flu season which started early this year. there have also been more flu related deaths this year, during the last few season, by january 2017, there had been nine deaths in california among people under the age of 65. so far we have seen 42 deaths this season. it's believed this flu vaccine is not as effective as last year's. gloria gomez got her flu shot months ago. >> when i get sick, nobody's going to take care of me. i take care of others. that's why i got the flu shot early. >> she still got the flu, even though her symptoms were mild. >> it didn't stop me from having the flu. >> so it didn't work? >> it helped i gu

they're meeting at cdc head quarts in atlanta. officials are being briefed on how to reduce the spread and how to help communities experiencing a medication shortage. today's meeting comes as a south bay family is mourning the loss of their loved one hours after being admitted to the hospital. abc7 news reporter matt keller is live in san jose. matt? >> reporter: natasha, the santa clara county health department has a clinic where you can get your flu shot. that helps. but even the cdc is saying this is not a normal flu season. do you feel this has been a bad flu season? the centers for disease control and prevention says, it's true. >> this year's influenza season is proving particularly difficult. >> reporter: they held a special meeting to discuss the current flu season. they say this year's virus h3n2, is incredibly difficult to work with, predict and prevent. it's spread quickly across the u.s. with a high number of hospitalizations and deaths. 42 adults under the age of 65 in california have died from flu complications since

the cdc would keep about 37 percent of its employees working. but keep in mind they would be spread out to cover several different programs so we could be getting information slower if that happens. rick and monica. >> thank you ali. >> thanks ali. >> e-a-g-l-e-s, eagles! >> all right, back to our eagles coverage. these kids in ambler are proud to be eagles fans tonight. everyone at twin springs farm day school wore their eagles green while gathering to sing the fight song. >>> let's take a live look south philadelphia chickie's and pete's where "action news" is hosting our playoff preview party in just about two hours from now. coming up at 7:30 you can head on down for the fun as we preview the big game sunday night. you can see it right here on 6abc at 7:30. >> fans are getting a mid winter me up. motorsports expo got under way this afternoon. 250 race cars under one roof from nascar and indy racers to midgets and modifieds. the event runs tonight through sunday in oaks montgomery county. >>> there was an intense competition today among child

when it comes to hands, the cdc says you have to do mittens instead of gloves which makes sense. you have your mittens on. looks like they're working but you still said it feels good, and it looks like it's working for the most part. right, augustus. >> yeah. >> and the pets, please remind everyone about the pets. augustus brought caesar, an australian shepherd. he has nice long fur to keep him warm but that's not enough. you may want to add a sweater especially if your dog has

. >> reporter: this weekend we saw the nonessential employees from the cdc close up.

public health relies on funding from cdc public health emergency preparedness grants. that funding has been introduced by nearly 30% since 2002. even th though public-health crs have declined. it should be strongly supported and in addition i believe a public health emergency continuance initiative while rapid public-health response funding and emergencies. third, we need to move ahead on the medical countermeasure development. there's been good progress but many priority is remain including sustained funding and research development manufacturing and acquisition of countermeasures, transitioning to the new flu vaccine technologies and setting morgan bush's targets for the products and emergencies so that they are ready in the course of a given pandemic were epidemic. fourth, the u.s. needs to recognize threats that could emerge from biological research. after the u.s. moratorium of the pandemic pathogen research was lifted last month, researchers can now again applie apply for g to study for example ways of making the world's most lethal viruses respiratory transmissi

public health relies on funding from cdc, public health emergency grants. that funding has been reduced by nearly 30% since 2002 even though public health crises have not declined. in addition i believe a public health emergency contingency fund should be established which would allow rapid public health response funding in emergencies. we need to move ahead in medical countermeasure development. there has been good progress with many priorities remaining. including sustained funding and research development, manufacturing of countermeasures. transition to new flu vaccine technologies, setting ambitious targets for rapid development of products. so that they are ready in the course of a given pandemic or epidemic. fourth, the u.s. needs to recognize threats that could inadvertently emerge from biological research. after the moratorium on potential panic, after death research was lifted after -- last month. studying ways of making the most lethal viruses like bird flu respiratory transitional -- transmissible. this could lead to the accidental or deliberate

. >>> the cdc said the number of few cases is up sharply. the high activity is reported in 26 states including maryland. hospitals across the country are preparing flu tents. emergency visits at one ohio hospital surged 10 to 15% in a single week. it's unclear how effective this year's vaccine will be but the cdc advised the use of antiviral treatment as soon as possible like drugs with tamiflu. >>> one of the most vulnerable victims of the flu, babies. 13 kids acrosshe this flu season. kingston is in a texas hospital fighting the flu. >> about four days ago he started breathing hard, vomiting, having fevers. >> doctors say babies lungs and their immune systems are still developing so they have a lot more complications. the cdc said the best prevention is the vaccine regardless of what you may have heard. the shot is recommended for everyone 6 months and older and it's still not too late to get protected. flu season continues until may. >>> we'll have one final look at the forecast when we return. havertys furniture helps your home look perf

that includes workers at cdc. we want to get into how this shut down is affecting public health as they deal with the worst public outbreak in years. that's after the break. and had geico help with renters insurance- it was really easy. easy. that'd be nice. phone: for help with chairs, say "chair." phone: for help with bookcases, say "bookcase." bookcase. i thought this was the dresser? isn't that the bed? phone: i'm sorry, i didn't understand. phone: for help with chairs, say "chair." does this mean we're not going out? book-case. see how easy renters insurance can be at geico.com. >>> so as we get closer to this vote at noon to maybe possibly potentially end the government shutdown, there's a lot of concern about the impact especially on your health. that's because more than half the staff at health and human services, we're talking some 41,000 people, are furloughed. that includes some people over at the cdc. all of it happening with this deadly flu outbreak that is gripping the country. this is the worst it's

and the cdc says 39 of those have especially high activity. schools in at least 12 states have canceled classes for a few days. for cleanup and recovery. the flu shut down classes today for the 815 studentthomas aquin. more than 10% of the student body gotbariki is the school superintendent. >> even if we miss anything that e have a chance to get healthy, hopefully not bring that virus back to school. >> it has tough influenza season so far this year. >> reporter: dr. jernigan with the h 3 n 2 strain of the flu is hitting patients over 65 very hard. but other strains of the flu are taking a toll on younger patients.>> since that winter h we've seen that kids are really making up the amou of influenza-like illness, taking that back to school, it's getting transmitted there, driving a lot of this visits to the outpatient clinic right now that the flu spread so fast in schools is that students are in close quarters a share everything. one of the biggest problems? cell phones. students type on them, then share them, then end up spreading the virus

so for now the cdc is pushing the vaccine it does have. >> protect your family. everyone needs a flu vaccine. >> reporter: and a lot of hand washing with as much as three months of flu season still to go. kristen dahlgren, nbc news, new york. >>> parts of the south are struggling to recover tonight after days of frigid temperatures, snow and ice. a combination that turned out to be deadly. nbc's tammy leitner has more from the frozen south. >> reporter: tonight, crashes from georgia to north carolina. at least 12 dead from a deep freeze across the south. first responders fighting through the snow after this rig jackknifed. rivers frozen solid in maine and connecticut. >> we're running into ice that's about three feet thick in some spots. >> reporter: and in tampa, rarely seen black ice. in louisiana, an 8-month-old baby died after a car lost control on an icy road. in greensboro, north carolina, the accidents kept coming. >> we had over 150 reported accidents yesterday in the city of greensboro, which is usual for us. >> reporter: forcing residents like byron bai

and the cdc estimates more than 160,000 people have hiv and don't know it. so why aren't the majority of young >> songwriters and music publishers are set to cash in as copyright authorities order streaming services toss pay more from music. it is called the copyright royalty boards and it is just ruled streaming companies must give 15.1% of their revenue to writers and publishers, the previous rate was 10.5%. streaming services pay fee every time you listen to a song. >>> a new invention providing high tech help for those colored blind. two high school juniors created a app called chrome atilt. unlike other apps, it focuses on colors people can see, not the ones they cannot. also customizeable, unlike expensive specialty glasses, this app is free. with this app, simple routines like matching clothes might no longer be as much of a struggle. >>> each full jean made up of three different pixels, so red, glean, blue, we want to change the values from red, glean and blue pixels in the way of the colors. >> our main focus right now is changing the way that peopl

the cdc reports 17 people in 13 states have gotten sick, in canada 41 people. that country's government blames contaminated romaine lettuce. u.s. health officials are now interviewing people to see what they ate in the week before they got sick. the cdc said since they haven't found the source they can't recommend avoiding a particular food. >> we think the u.s. government should be warning consumers about eating romaine lettuce until they figure out where this problem is coming from. >> reporter: cooking usually kills bacteria but lettuce is not usually cooked. >> the best advice is simply not use the romaine lettuce. switch to something else. >> reporter: the industry says it's cooperating fully with the investigation, but even if romaine lettuce is the source, it's highly unlikely to still be in stores because the last illness was reported in november. >> until there's more proof i'll continue to keep an eye out. >> reporter: it could be weeks before the cdc and the fda pinpoint the cause. gabe gutierrez, nbc news, atlanta. >>> coming up here tonight, luck o

>>reporter: the cdc is now reporting 20 pediatric deaths this season. in houston, texas children's hospital saw 17 times as many flu patients last month than the previous december. this woman's son got sick even though getting a flu shot. >> it was so aggressive. >> the cdc says the flu is now widespread in 49 states. alabama's governor has declared a public health emergency. in mississippi more than 100 nursing homes have report the fluo flu outbreaks. >> you can tell that our -- we do not have the staff to keep up with the volume. >>reporter: the cdc says to protect yourself avoid contact with sick people and wash your hands, take anti-vieviral drugs prescribed. most importantly, get that flu shot. >> we know that about 70% to 80% of those children that die aren't vaccinated. so vaccine has been proven to prevent 50% of flu deaths. >>reporter: some of reporting shortages of tamiflu but there is enough supply to go around. the flu season a peaking right about now but could continue for another 11 to 13 weeks. >> thank you. >>> coming up next, new devel

the latest estimates from the cdc are somewhere around 30% twe effective. it's not where we want it to be but perhaps is means you're 30% less likely being hospitalized if you get a severe infection so even that 30% to me is certainly something worth having and it's worth getting the vaccin even this late in the season. >> so what advice do you have for us to try to get through this season, healthy and whole by the end of it? >> i hope we all get through it healthy and whole but this is the flu and vaccination is the key path of our fight against flu. it's our main weapon, if you like. particular hygiene practices. what your grandmother told you, wash your hands and cover your mouth when you sneeze. there are pretty effective medications against flu. the problem with these is you got to take them soon after you get infected. >> what are they? >> the medications are tami flu. if you get typical flu symptoms, the rapid on set or the fever get to the doctor early and you can get these medications. >> good to know. thank you so much. richard webby, we appreciat

the cdc says still many more weeks to come. what you can do to stay protected. >>> also, the president following through on a campaign promise. why his decision has solar panel operators pretty concerned right now. >> yeah, definitely is nerve wracking. you're trying to keep your bills paid and the feeling in the back of your mind, what could happen next? he's a nascar champion who's she's a world-class swimmer who's stared down the best in her sport. but for both of them, the most challenging opponent was... pe blood clots in my lung. it was really scary. a dvt in my leg. i had to learn all i could to help protect myself. my doctor and i choose xarelto® xarelto®... to help keep me protected. xarelto® is a latest-generation blood thinner... ...that's proven to treat and reduce the risk of dvt and pe blood clots from happening again. in clinical studies, almost 98% of patients on xarelto® did not experience another dvt or pe. here's how xarelto works. xarelto® works differently. warfarin interferes with at least six blood-c

one potentially dangous rouse closure is the cdc flu center. this is the most serious flu season in years. the shutdown could mean that local health departments will continue to collect flu samples but cdc may not test them which is necessary to detect new strains. for a complete look at the impact of the shutdown in the bay area, we have a list on our website, abc7news.com. >>> happening today, the bay area is ready for the women's march. and this year brings a new call to action. abc7 news reporter katie marzullo has the story now from downtown san jose. >> everyone is with here. no hate, no fear. >> reporter: the first women's march was a reaction to president trump taking office. organizers say this year is different. >> this year it's a proactive march. >> reporter: in san jose the group will march from city thool rein green near the sap center. there, 46 community organizations will be waiting. >> people can learn how they can get engaged in the commune on issues they care about like immigration, reproductive rights, protection for surviv

more than half of cdc employees are expected to be furloughed right in the thick of a deadly flu season. and the irs will feel the pain, too, as they scramble under a new gop tax law. >> if the irs stops working, how do you actually implement your policy? >> hallie, it's why we don't want the government to shut down. it's why we don't want the irs not to have workers here. >> reporter: mike works for the epa where it's business as usual next week. but week after that, who knows? >> i feel badly for the employees at our office, some of which live paycheck to paycheck that are worried about where is my next paycheck coming from? >> reporter: president trump had been planning to spend the anniversary of his inauguration tomorrow at his mar-a-lago resort. but tonight we're told he will stay in washington until this shutdown drama gets resolved. savannah? >> hallie jackson at the white house, thank you. >>> while most of the oxygen in washington is consumed by shutdown talk, the president did

authorize the cdc children's preparedness unit which is proven to be an invaluable resource of the cdc pediatrician community schools and child serving institutions during recent emergencies such as zika. this unit is a vast -- best practice example of an effective public and private sector partnership that has brought tremendous value to preparedness preparedness. finally to reiterate the comments that have been made let's maintain the grant programs that are distinct programs with strong pediatric measures and increased funding biggest disasters in universal wristwatches influence at can occur anywhere in the nation is essential all jurisdictions have a baseline level of preparedness aided by each of these programs. i want to thank the committee for the opportunity to testify and i look forward to your questions. >> as evidenced by the fact that i'm not sure we have in the past had a pediatrician in related hearings it shows that we understand the need to get it right. i might say it's probably one of the most challenging areas because it's hard to incorporate pediatrics and the cutt

. >>> the deadly flu and what the cdc revealed late today. the growing list of victims. from the mother, to the 21-year- old to the 19-month-old and what you need to know about the flu shot. >>> and in new york city what they're calling the miracle on the subway. how did they get her out? good evening and it's great to have you with us on a busy friday night beginning with president trump and that growing firestorm facing massive backlash over his profane and racially offensive comments at the white house. the president trying to backtrack from the comments on a day celebrating dr. martin luther king jr., a report asking are you a racist? one democratic senator describing what happened in that meeting applauding the republican he says stood up to the president. abc's chief white house correspondent jonathan karl leading us off tonight. >> reporter: on a day when he is under fire for racially explosive comments, the president signed a proclamation honoring martin luther king, jr., even joined by a member of the king family, but he couldn't avoid the blunt question, are yo

happening today the cdc is going to discuss this year's severe flu season. >> members will provide key information for public health professionals on how to reduce the spread of the flu. they will adjust to shortages and antiviral drugs because of how high the flu has been in some areas. experts say the worst may be yet to come. >> it's just a problem bug. we hate it when the bug shows up. this year is one of those and we are probably going to see a lot of hospitalizations and deaths. >> the cdc is calling this year's spread an epidemic sweeping across nearly every state. there are 13 weeks remaining in the flu season. >>> disgraced gymnastics dr. larry nassar will face victims in court. during a four-day sentencing hearing as many as 125 people will read impact statements. nassar will be sentenced for sexually assaulting the gymnasts he treated. it is not known if simone biles will be court. aly raisman has said she will not. >>> this morning we're hearing from friends of a beloved tennis coach from san jose missing and presumed dead after a freak accident in new zealand. tyler nee wa