san francisco standard and got the latest from california's epidemiologist dr. arab pan, who suggests tonight, as we come on the air, the major storm moving across this country. from colorado to missouri, from new york to maine. 30 states bracing for snow, ice, dangerous winds. and this ice and rain mix. the very real flooding threat from missouri to new york. the possible tornadoes and straight-line winds. ginger zee standing by to time this out. tonight, russia claiming its pulling back some troops. the biden administration tonight saying, to be clear, we have seen the opposite. troops amassed at the borders. field hop hospitals set up. and now russia's unproven claim of alleged mass graves in ukraine. terry moran from ukraine with late reporting tonight. back here at home and the pandemic and news this evening the cdc will soon update its mask guidance for the country.

what cdc director dr. rochelle walensky is now saying tonight. and just in here, what dr. fauci just told us about what he sees coming next. and tonight here, parents fed up with schools in this pandemic. in san francisco, a liberal city, parents and the three school board members who have been forced out tonight. some parents arguing they spent more time on other issues including renaming schools than on getting children back into the classroom. tonight, bob saget, the medical examiner saying he died of blunt head trauma. well tonight, the family of the actor -- the rest of the investigation private. and what a judge has decided for now. tonight, the new questions after video of police officers breaking up a mall fight. some asking why one teenager was handcuffed and held face down while the other appears to be left alone, sitting on a couch. the governor say iing it is deeply, deeply disturbing.

the fightening collision between a car and a passenger train. the driver raced to the hospital. why is this happening more often? the deadly and chilling shark attack at a major travel destination. the first in decades. queen elizabeth seen for the first time after prince charles and camilla both tested positive with covid. the prince had been with the queen. and america strong tonight. the schoolhouse found in the woods. and the history saved. good evening and it's great to have you with us here on a wednesday night. we have news just coming in on russian troops and the numbers, what is white house has just told us. a change in mask guidance for the country likely coming from the cdc. dr. walensky and dr. fauci, you'll hear from them here tonight. but we do begin tonight with this major winter storm. snow, ice, freezing range, and dangerous winds.

100 million americans in the path. this will be a multi-day winter storm. alerts posted already at this hour for at least 30 states, from tkts tex from texas to the northeat. a real flooding threat, because this will be ice and a lot of rain, too. bracing for possible tornadoes and straight-line winds in many states. reaching the northeast tomorrow night into friday. let's get right to chief meteorologist ginger zee with the newest timing for all of this tonight. hi, ginger. >> reporter: hi, david. snow and ice, you mentioned. you had the tornadoes. the flooding. but also blowing dust, high wind. you look at this map and you have misery loving company. because there are so many folks, over 2,000 miles, smoothered in alerts. let's start from el paso to denver and the winter storm warning, they're getting the snow as we speak. move it all the way up with those warnings from kansas city to chicago, detroit. now, the flooding on the front end of it. the severe storms, that's what we're worried about overnight tonight from dallas and oklahoma city, into tomorrow, and

tomorrow it's all about that enhanced risk. jackson, tennessee, back to jackson, mississippi, and birmingham. i want you on alert, two ways of getting a warning would be best. then we move this low and time it out for you. we know that's happening tomorrow in the deep south. you look at that ice on the front, the top of that cold front, and the snow that's going to be heavy there. agai again. heavy rain for cleveland. the storms don't stop there. and it mostly will be rain on the east coast, but you could even wake up in new york city to thunderstorms early friday morning, david. >> it is february. we're not in the clear from winter yet. ginger zee tonight. thank you, ginger. we move onto other news this wednesday evening and now to russia responding tonight to president biden and his speech, saying russia is tired of threats about an attack that russia has no intention of doing, were their words, claiming they are actually pulling back some troops. the u.s. tonight saying they have no proof that's happening, and news just coming in from a senior administration official at the white house, telling our

mary bruce the russians have actually added about 7,000 troops in recent days. abc's terry moran tonight from ukraine. >> reporter: tonight, russia is claiming that these videos released by the russian military prove that some of its forces are withdrawing from the ukrainian border. but the u.s. and the allies are having none of it. >> unfortunately, there's a difference between what russia says and what it does, and what we're seeing is no meaningful pullback. >> reporter: instead, u.s. officials say russia is still moving troops into fighting positions at the border. ukrainian president zelensky, visiting his front line forces, said his government has not seen any serious withdrawal by the russians, either. the uk's top military intelligence officer concurs, saying in a statement, "additional armored vehicles, helicopters, and a field hospital are moving towards ukraine's borders." sources tell abc news that the u.s. government believes that today was the day that vladimir putin instructed his forces to be ready for military action. and those same sources confirm

the uk assessment that russian combat medical units have been moved into forward positions. meanwhile, the u.s. continues to bolster nato. soldiers from the 101st airborne began shipping out to europe, hours after president biden warned a russian invasion of ukraine is still a distinct possibility. >> invading ukraine will prove to be a self-inflicted wound. the united states and our allies and partners will respond decisively. >> reporter: the kremlin today fired back, saying russia is growing, quote, "tired" of hearing such rhetoric, but adding it hopes a "negotiating process will begin." and there was this -- russia announced an investigation into claims of alleged mass graves of civilians in the russian-controlled regions of eastern ukraine, the victims supposedly killed by ukrainian forces. the claims are unproven, conveniently timed, and u.s. officials suspect part of a false-flag operation to justify a russian attack. with tensions still high in ukraine itself, today was an

impromptu holiday of national unity. we attended events at the military academy here, where an instructor told us what his flag means to him. >> if we have our flag on this pole, it's raised, ukrainian flag, it means that our country exists and it will exist in the future. >> and so let's bring in terry moran from western ukraine, back with us again tonight. and terry, as you know, russia claiming they've actually begun to pull troops back from the border. the white house all day today, the biden administration, saying not only are they not withdrawing troops, they have no evidence of it. and mary bruce reporting just before we came on tonight that a senior administration official has told her russia has actually added thousands of troops. >> reporter: it's obvious to the u.s. government, to the ukrainian government, as well, and open source analysts. what's happening here is a game of hide the ball with the russian forces. shuffling these troops around. some of those that have been, quote, withdrawn, are actually moving to bases that are just as close, sometimes closer to the

ukrainian border, as russian continues to increase the pressure, increase the threat. david? >> terry moran from ukraine for us again tonight. terry, thank you. back here at home now, and to the pandemic. and news tonight that the cdc will soon update its mask guidance for the country. what cdc director dr. rochelle walensky signaled just today. and late today, what dr. fauci told us about what he sees next. here's abc's whit johnson now. >> reporter: tonight, with states racing to drop mask mandates, abc news has learned the cdc will update its mask guidance as early as next week. >> we want to give people a beak from things like mask wearing, when these metrics are better, and then have the ability to reach for them again should things worsen. >> reporter: new covid cases nationwide plunging 81% from the peak of omicron, falling below the peak of the delta surge. but ten states are still running low on icu beds, and cdc director dr. rochelle walensky

saying today hospital capacity is a key barometer for changing mask guidance. >> our hospitals need to be able to take care of people with heart attacks and strokes. our emergency departments can't be so overwhelmed that patients with emergent issues have to wait in line. >> reporter: california tonight, the latest state lifting its indoor mask mandate for vaccinated people in most public places. >> we may have a bonfire and tomorrow and just burn them all. >> i'm jus not ready yet. i mean, i don't think the pandemic is quite under control. >> reporter: starting tomorrow, disneyland -- owned by abc's parent company -- will no longer require vaccinated visitors to wear masks indoors. >> let them breathe! >> reporter: but despite protests, masks are still required in california schools. and for 10 million people in los angeles county, where only the outdoor mask mandate is lifted. health officials there insisting they want to see lower transmission levels. >> if we continue to get a diminution in cases at the rate that is going down right now, and we don't get hit with another variant -- and again

that's unpredictable. i would hope there would be a lot of relack six on restrictions. people would be able to travel much more freely and feel safe. that's what we hope happens. >> reporter: as for those benchmarks for relaxing restrictions, fauci acknowledging there is no single number. >> there's no magic number, but what you want to make sure is that the trajectory keeps going down and down and down. >> reporter: and david, in the next phase of the pandemic, dr. fauci is saying even more important than the number of infections, federal health officials are laser focused on the severity of disease, including hospitalizations. again, the cdc is actively working on updating that mask guy dance. david? >> whit johnson, we'll wait for that. thank you. now to actor bob saget and the plea from his family. tonight, a florida judge has granted a temporary injunction, blocking the release of some records including photos and videos from the investigation into the actor's death, as the family had asked. the medical examiner said saget

died from blunt head trauma, likely from a backwards fall. tonight, why the family made this request, and abc's victor oquendo from florida. >> reporter: tonight, a judge in florida granting bob saget's family a temporary injunction, blocking the public release of any graphic images or video linked to investigations into his death. saget's widow kelly rizzo and three daughters filing a lawsuit against the orange county sheriff and the medical examiner's office, saying the release of certain records would lead to "immediate and widespread dissemination to the internet, as well as print and television media outlets," causing the family "irreparable harm in the form of mental pain, anguish, and emotional distress." the sheriff's office saying, "while we are sensitive to the family's concerns about the right to privacy, that must be balanced with our commitment to transparency, compliance with the law, and the public's right to know." still, fans questioning how a fall lead to the beloved "full house" star's death in an orlando hotel room in january. >> patient will be in room

962. it's going to be for a male patient. >> reporter: a medical examiner's report revealing saget died from "blunt head truma," likely from an "unwitnessed fall backwards." the 65-year-old suffering fractures to the front and back of his skull as well as bleeding in his brain. a toxicology analysis uncovering illicit drugs or toxins. according to saget's family, authorities determining that after he hit his head, he went to sleep. >> it's certainly not about the height of which you fall as traumatic brain injuries -- that can be associated with a dangerous problem -- can happen from standing height. and it's not about the force. it can actually just simply be a coincidence that you strike your head at the wrong place at the wrong time. >> reporter: the family attorney called the judge here gracious, saying that their plea they aree court focused on the human element. the sheriff has gone on the record saying that unless new information comes to light, this investigation is closed. david? >> victor oquendo, thank you. we turn now to the federal hate crimes trial of the three men convicted of murdering

ahmaud arbery. past racist slurs were at the center of testimony today. prosecutors presenting text messages and social media posts from two of the three men. prosecutors say travis mcmichael frequently using the n-word and mentioning violence in reference to black americans. william roddey bryant exchanging racist messages on martin luther king jr. day. ahmaud arbery's father outside the courtroom saying he wasn't shocked, because he already realized all the hate was in those three men. we turn now to the investigation in new jersey tonight, into how police handled a fight between two teens in a mall. the governor tonight saying he video showing the fight and then the police response. one teen appearing to be left alone, sitting down on a couch while the other is pinned on the floor and then ha be racially dispritt treatment of the boys. abc's stephanie ramos from new

jersey. >> reporter: tonight, authorities investigating the use of foricing. a fight breaking out at the bridgewater mall in new jersey over the weekend. police respond and tackle one teen to the ground while the other sits down on a couch and is then left sitting alone as both officers cuff eighth grader kye, who spoke to our abc affiliate wabc. >> they put me in cuffs and then the female officer came over, put her knee on, like, my upper back, too. then, just started helping putting cuffs on me. while he was just sitting down on the couch watching the whole thing. >> reporter: in the video, you can see the other teen holding up his hands to be handcuffed but the officer walks right past him. bridgewater township police releasing a statement, saying in part, "we recognize that this video has made members of our community upset and are calling for an internal affairs investigation." new jersey governor phil murphy speaking about the incident today. >> we have to let the investigation play out.

the appearance of what is racially disparate treatment is deeply, deeply disturbing. >> reporter: tonight, kye's mom is calling for accountability. >> to be honest, i want them to become unemployable. >> reporter: the mall here in bridgewater released a statement, saying they are aware of the statement and both young individuals have been banned from this property for the next three years. david? >> stephanie, thank you. tonight, president biden has rejected former president trump's claim of executive privilege to keep the january 6th committee from seeing white house visitor logs in the trump administration. the white house council writing to the national archives, where the logs are kept, saying president biden has determined, quote, that an assertion of executive privilege is not in the best interest of the united states. the former president can challenge this decision, but the supreme court denied an earlier request. and tonight, to local politics in these times. parents and their anger over their children's education in this pandemic.

in san francisco, of course, a liberal city, some parents there and three school board members who have now been forced out. those parents arguing they spent more time on other issues including renaming schools than on getting their children back into the classroom. here's abc's kaylee hartung from california. >> reporter: in san francisco, parents' anger boiling over at the ballot box -- voters ousting three members of the school board, furious they did not do enough to reopen the city's schools. >> they should have been focused on reopening schools like most districts were thinking and doing. >> reporter: an unprecedented recount election in america's most liberal city. the covid crisis pitting democrat against democrat, as b t theclassroom, w ther places i beforummer break, -cla so -- that uge loss when it comes toho socioeconomic

situations. >> reporter: voters convinced e the wrong issues. instead of tackling covid policy, they focused on renaming 44 schools, originally named for historical figures like abraham lincoln and paul revere. >> i saw the school board prioritize renaming schools over getting kids back in school. >> reporter: and david, this was not a close election. more than 70% of voters supported removing those three school board members. a sign of the power of parents and how their frustration over schools and covid is reshaping politics. david? >> kaylee hartung in california tonight. thank you. when we come back here, the frightening collision between a car and a passenger train. also, the deadly and chilling shark attack. and news on queen elizabeth tonight, the first images after prince charles and camilla tested positive for covid. the pruns had been with the queen. less asthma? with dupixent i can du more... yardwork... teamwork... long walks....

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finally tonight here, as we continue to mark black history month, the remarkable discovery in the woods. a daughter studying her family tree and it led her to an abandoned schoolhouse in virginia. tonight, she is determined to save it. tonight, the discovery in a small town and the race to rescue it. america strong. in caroline county, virginia, about an hour outside richmond, kimberly morris on a mission to save this schoolhouse. for years now, she'd been tracing her family tree. it's now led to this, a wooden schoolhouse built more than a century ago. in the middle of the woods, it's named old dawn school. abandoned for decades, it was a segregated school attended by descendants of slaves, including kimberly's own father in the 1930s. now, kimberly is determined to save it and its history.

today, she told us why. >> there's no greater feeling than tracing your roots and finding out who you really are. i got emotional. it was an emotional time for me and i could just picture them there. >> kimberly is now working with the nonprofit preservation virginia. they will start by stabilizing the now crumbling school. >> hi, david. >> will glasgow and that nonprofit now carefully surveying the school. >> old dawn is a chapter in the story of civil rights in the united states and we think that there's a lot that can be learned from this tangible connection to the past today, as well. >> a family, a community, determined to keep a piece of history alive. >> it's amazing. one of the best things that's ever happened to me. thank you. >> kimberly's race to save the schoolhouse and preserve history for generations to come. good night.

bay area moving forward finding solutions. this is abc 7 news. just great little back to normal feel like everything we're not to wear masks again every once in a while just like everywhere else. we're just figuring out. what's the norm? what's the right protocols? the masked mandate now expired in the masks and come off for most people in most places, but there are some exceptions and a warning today from san francisco. mayor london breed. please don't get into arguments about whether or not you're required to wear your mask or not. if a business asks you to wear your mask wear your mask. or choose another business. and without we say good afternoon. thanks for joining us. i'm larry beale and i'm kristen z. it's a new day in much of the bay area as mass mandates have been lifted in indoor public places. now, that doesn't mean you can burn those mass just yet. they are required in some places like schools healthcare settings and if you're back unvaccinated, here's abc 7 news reporter leslie brinkley who looks at the

first day with the expired mask mandate. i'm going into the store with no masks for some this was a moment of relief while for others. it was more of the same old routine a little bothers. little mind. yeah, that's right a couple years now. yeah, i need a pastrami and swiss but others were elated like this take out deli customer. i'm going with that one because i would have always gone with that one. i think it's a choice you want to wear masks or a mask? you want to stay home. stay home, you know, whatever works for you do it. okay, but what works for me is not concerning about it. so it's a happy day for you. it's a very happy day for me i concerned now, is that lifting the mask mandates while cases are still so high. they're higher than any prior wave in the pandemic still will create a false sense of security that the pandemic is somehow over community groups and alameda county are asking the state for more transparency on why the indoor mandate was

dropped. i