BREAKING NEWS ON WJCL 22 MORNING NEWS ... AN *URGENT SEARCH FOR A MISSING ONE YEAR OLD IN GEORGIA. WHAT WE LEARNED ONLY - *MINUTES AGO FROM INVESTIGATORS.. ABOUT - *WHO THE CHILD COULD BE WITH THIS MORNING. RIGHT NOW ON WJCL 22 MORNING NEWS ... SCHOOL SHOOTING TESTIMONY. THE UNEXPECTED PERSON ... NOW AGREEING TO TESTIFY ... IN THE TEXAS SCHOOL SHOOTING ... THAT KILLED 19 STUDENTS AND TWO TEACHERS. THE PRESIDENT WILL SIGN OFF ON A HISTORIC GUN LAW. I'M AMY LU IN WASHINGTON WITH THE MIXED FEELINGS OVER THE MEASURE FOLLOWING MORE MASS SHOOTINGS. NEW ... ELUSIVE ... POWERFUL COVID VARIANTS ... POPPING UP THIS SUMMER. THE CONCERNS FROM HEALTH OFFICIALS THIS MORNING ... AND HOW IT'S AFFECTING OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES. HERE'S A LIVE LOOK FROM SHELTER COVE COMMUNITY PARK ... ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND. THANKS FOR STARTING YOUR DAY WITH WJCL 22 NEWS. GOOD MORNING - - I'M EMMA HAMILTON. AND I'M OLIVIA WILE. METEOROLOGIST MELISSA HALL IS JOINING US NOW .... NOW, HERE'S YOUR STORM TRACKER RADAR... MONDAY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS, MAINLY AFTER 3PM. HIGH NEAR 87. LIGHT AND VARIABLE WIND BECOMING SOUTH AROUND 6 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION IS 80%. NEW RAINFALL AMOUNTS BETWEEN A HALF AND THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH POSSIBLE. MONDAY NIGHT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY, MAINLY BEFORE 1AM. MOSTLY WARE COUNTY, SOUTH GEAORGIA PARKWAY AT VICTORY DRIVE IN WAYCROSS BREAKING RIGHT NOW ... A ONE-YEAR- OLD GEORGIA BOY IS MISSING. AN AMBER ALERT IS IN PLACE RIGHT NOW ... OUT OF COFFEE COUNTY. TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT LUCAS HORNE. THE GEORGIA BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION SAYS HE'S MISSING OUT OF DOUGLAS GEORGIA THIS MORNING. THEY BELIEVE HE'S WITH JOSEPH HORNE. HERE'S A PICTURE OF THE MAN YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR THIS MORNING. NO WORD YET ON THEIR RELATION. ALTHOUGH THEY SAY THE TWO ... ARE IN A FOUR- DOOR GREY CHEVY SILVERADO ... WITH LICENSE PLATE X-N- G-ONE-THREE-SIX. IF YOU SEE THE TRUCK ... OR HAVE ANY INFORMATION ... CALL POLICE. HAPPENING TODAY ... THE UVALDE COUNTY SHERIFF ... IS SET TO TESTIFY ... BEFORE THE PANEL INVESTIGATING THE MASSACRE AT ROBB ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. IT'S BEEN ABOUT TWO MONTHS ... SINCE A GUNMAN KILLED 19 CHILDREN ... AND TWO TEACHERS THERE. AND UNTIL NOW ... WE HAVEN'T HEARD MUCH FROM SHERIFF RUBEN NOLASCO. TODAY ... HE'S SET TO TAKE PART IN A VIDEO CONFERENCE. AT FIRST ... HE REFUSED TO TESTIFY. THEN ... CHANGED HIS MIND AFTER RECEIVING AN OFFICIAL NOTICE. WHAT DO WE WANT? JUSTICE. WHEN DO WE WANT IT? NOW. ALL WEEKEND LONG ... HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE MARCHED IN UVALDE ... DEMANDING ANSWERS ... AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE SCHOOL SHOOTING MASSACRE. I WOULD'VE NEVER BELIEVED I'D LOSE MY 10 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WHO HAD A DREAM TO GO TO UNIVERSITY ... TO GUN VIOLENCE. THE COMMITTEE IS SET TO RELEASE ITS REPORT ... WITHIN THE NEXT TEN DAYS. THIS MORNING ... GEORGIA IS MOURNING A FORMER REPUBLICAN STATE SENATOR. MIKE CROTTS DIED AT THE AGE OF 75 SATURDAY. HIS FAMILY SAYS HE HAD A MEDICAL EMERGENCY ... WHILE TRYING TO HELP THE VICTIMS OF A DEADLY CRASH ... *RIGHT OUTSIDE HIS HOME. GEORGIA GOVERNOR BRIAN KEMP TWEETED ... CROSS WAS A GREAT FRIEND AND GREAT GEORGIAN ... WHO SERVED THE PEOPLE OF OUR STATE WELL. HIS FUNERAL IS SET FOR WEDNESDAY. THIS MORNING .. A TEEN GIRL IS DEAD... AFTER A SHOOTING AT A SOUTH CAROLINA MALL/ IT HAPPENED SATURDAY NIGHT ..AROUND ELEVEN- THIRTY.. AT THE ANDERSON MALL. AUTHORITIES HAVEN'T SHARED ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THE SUEPCT.. BUT THEY DO BELIEVE THE GUNMEN *KNEW THE TEEN GIRL. HERE'S A LIVE LOOK AT OUR NATION'S CAPITOL ... WHERE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN WILL FORMALLY SIGN THE "BIPARTISAN SAFER COMMUNITIES ACT" LATER THIS MORNING. THIS IS THE MOST - *SIGNIFICANT PIECE OF GUN LEGISLATION WE'VE SEEN ... IN NEARLY 30 YEARS. WE WANT TO CHECK IN WITH OUR AMY LU IN WASHINGTON ... WITH THE MIXED REACTIONS TO THIS MEASURE. LAWMAKERS WORKED TO GET THE BIPARTISAN SAFER COMMUNITIES ACT APPROVED FOLLOWING THE SHOOTINGS IN BOTH UVALDE AND BUFFALO. EVEN THEN -- GUN CONTROL ADVOCATES SAY THE LAW IS LIMITED. JUST 16 DAYS AFTER THE LAW WENT INTO EFFECT -- ANOTHER MASS SHOOTING -- THIS TIME IN HIGHLAND PARK ILLINOIS -- KILLED SEVEN PEOPLE. THE LAW INCREMENTALLY TOUGHENS REQUIREMENTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE BUYING GUNS -- AND HAS MONEY FOR MENTAL HEALTHCARE. IT DENIES FIREARMS TO DOMESTIC ABUSERS AND HELPS STATES ENACT RED FLAG LAWS -- TEMPORARILY TAKING GUNS AWAY FROM PEOPLE DEEMED TOO DANGEROUS. THE LAW DOES NOT INCLUDES RESTRICTIONS ON ASSAULT-TYPE WEAPONS AND BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR *ALL GUN TRANSACTIONS -- MEASURES THAT DEMOCRATS WANTED. PRESIDENT BIDEN/NO SUPER "GOD BLESS US WITH THE STRENGTH TO CONTINUE TO WORK TO GET THE WORK THAT'S LEFT UNDONE DONE, AND THE LIVES LOST THAT CAN'T BE SAVED THAT OBVIOUSLY ARE GONE BUT WILL BE AN INSPIRATION FOR US TO DO MORE...."> GUN ADVOCACY GROUPS WILL BE MEETING OUTSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE TODAY -- CALLING ON BIDEN TO SET UP A DEDICATED OFFICE TO ADDRESS GUN VIOLENCE WITH A GREATER SENSE OF URGENCY. AT THE WHITE HOUSE. I'M AMY LU. PREVIOUS INFECTIONS FROM OMICRON ARE NOT GIVING THE SAME LEVEL OF ANTIBODY PROTECTION AGAINST THE NEW VARIANTS. YOU COULD THEORETICALLY BE INFECTED WITH MULTIPLE OMICRON SUBVARIANTS. ALL NEW THIS MORNING ... A NATIONWIDE COVID CASE SPIKE. THE CONCERNS NOW ... NEW VARIANTS EMERGING THIS SUMMER. CHECK OUT THIS MAP ... SHOWING NEARLY THREE- QUARTERS OF THE U-S ... NOW IN A MEDIUM OR HIGH RISK OF COVID. GREEN IS LOW ... YELLOW IS MEDIUM... ORANGE IS HIGH. HERE'S A CLOSER LOOK AT OUR AREA ... ACCORDING TO THE C-D-C ... BEAUFORT ... HAMPTON ... COLLETON ... LIBERTY ... EVANS ... AND MCINTOSH COUNTIES ARE IN MEDIUM RISK. THIS MORNING ... HEALTH EXPERTS WARN .... THE B-A- POINT-FIVE SUB- VARIANT ... MAKES UP MORE THAN *HALF OF ALL CASES. DR. PATEL: THE MUTATIONS IN OMICRON BA5?S SPIKE PROTEIN GIVE IT THE ABILITY TO BE INCREDIBLY INFECTIOUS AND ESCAPE ANTIBODIES. AND OMICRON BA.2.75 HAS EVEN MORE MUTATIONS SCIENTISTS SAY THEY'VE ONLY SEEN TWO CASES OF *THAT NEW VARIANT IN THE U-S SO FAR ... BUT IT'S BEEN DISCOVERED IN ABOUT TEN OTHER COUNTRIES. ALL NEW THIS MORNING ... RENEWED HOPE FOR THE AMERICAN BASKETBALL STAR ... IN JAIL IN RUSSIA. A VETERAN HOSTAGE NEGOTIATOR ... IS GOING TO MOSCOW TO HELP W-N-B-A STAR BRITTNEY GRINER. BACK ON THURSDAY ... SHE PLEADED GUILTY ... TO HAVING C-B-D OIL ... IN RUSSIA ... WHERE IT IS - *ILLEGAL. SHE FACES UP TO TEN YEARS IN PRISON. LAST NIGHT ... SHE BECAME AN HONORARY W-N-B- A ALL-STAR. "SELECTED AS AN HONORARY ALL STAR STARTED BY THE WNBA A LEAGUE MVP AND WNBA CHAMPION FROM THE PHOENIX MERCURY BRITTNEY GRINER." :15 FADES OUT AND DURING HALF-TIME ... PLAYERS CAME OUT WITH WARM- UP SHIRTS ... WITH HER NAME AND NUMBER ON THE BACK. COMING UP ON GOOD MORNING AMERICA ... HOW THE HOSTAGE NEGOTIATOR PLANS TO HELP ... AND WHAT'S NEXT FOR GRINER. ALL NEW THIS MORNING ... STEVE BANNON ... A CONTROVERSIAL FORMER ADVISOR TO TRUMP ... SAYS HE - *WILL TESTIFY IN THE JANUARY SIXTH INVESTIGATION. FOR MONTHS NOW ... BANNON HAS REFUSED TO SPEAK TO THE COMMITTEE ... EVEN FACING POSSIBLE JAIL TIME FOR IGNORING A SUBPOENA. NOW ... AS ABC'S JAY O'BRIEN REPORTS ... BANNON'S ATTORNEY SAYS HIS CLIENT IS PREPARED TO TESTIFY ... ONLY AFTER GETTING THE "OKAY" ... FROM TRUMP HIMSELF. THIS MORNING - STEVEN BANNON, REVERSING COURSE, TELLING THE JANUARY 6TH COMMITTEE HE'S WILLING TO TESTIFY. BANNON AND THE COMMITTEE INITIALLY LOCKED IN A LEGAL BATTLE, FOR MONTHS. THE CONSERVATIVE FIREBRAND AND FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE STRATEGIST, FACING CRIMINAL CONTEMPT CHARGES, AFTER REFUSING TO COMPLY WITH A CONGRESSIONAL SUBPOENA. HE AND FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, CLAIMING EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE - EVEN THOUGH BANNON LEFT HIS WHITE HOUSE JOB IN 2017. (GFX) BUT IN THIS NEW LETTER - OBTAINED BY ABC NEWS - TRUMP, NOW CLEARING BANNON TO APPEAR BEFORE THE COMMITTEE. SAYING "I WATCHED HOW UNFAIRLY YOU AND OTHERS HAVE BEEN TREATED" REP ZOE LOFGREN, (D- CA) JANUARY 6TH COMMITTEE MEMBER: "I EXPECT THAT WE WILL BE HEARING FROM HIM AND THERE ARE MANY QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE FOR HIM" ((SOUND OF CAPITOL ATTACK)) THE COMMITTEE MAINTAINING THERE'S EVIDENCE BANNON KNEW ABOUT THE CAPITOL ATTACK IN ADVANCE. A DAY BEFORE THE RIOT -- SAYING THIS ON HIS PODCAST. STEVE BANNON: "ALL HELL I GOING TO BREAK LOOSE TOMORROW" BANNON'S DECISION TO TESTIFY - COMING DAYS AFTER THE COMMITTEE HEARD FROM FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL PAT CIPOLLONE. ONCE THE TOP WHITE HOUSE LAWYER - CIPOLLONE, REPEATEDLY MENTIONED BY CASSIDY HUTCHINSON, A FORMER AIDE TO TRUMP'S CHIEF OF STAFF. CASSIDY HUTCHINSON, FMR AIDE TO TRUMP CHIEF OF STAFF MARK MEADOWS: "MR. CIPOLLONE SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF, PLEASE MAKE SURE WE DON'T GO UP TO THE CAPITOL" IN A RECORDED INTERVIEW, CIPOLLONE- FACING QUESTIONS, FRIDAY, FOR 8 HOURS. ADAM KINZINGER, (R- IL): "YOU'LL SEE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HEARINGS, A LITTLE OF WHAT HE SAID // BUT AT NO POINT WAS THERE ANY CONTRADICTION OF OF WHAT ANYBODY SAID." JAY O'BRIEN, ABC NEWS, WASHINGTON, D.C IN A LETTER TO THE JANUARY 6TH COMMITTEE -- STEVE BANNON'S LAWYER SAYS HIS CLIENT WOULD LIKE TO TESTIFY LIVE AND IN PUBLIC. BUT ONE COMMITTEE MEMBER SAYING THAT MAY NOT BE T