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The southwestern volcano in Japan erupted and spreads ash to 5 cities

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ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos

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Your trusted source for breaking news, analysis, exclusive interviews, headlines, and videos at ABCNews.com

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Gordon Hayward snapped his ankle last night playing the Cavaliers. He jumped up for an alley-oop and landed wrong on his leg

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The Meyers sea horse fountain in Kansas city is down for repair this one the most biggest and vised fountains in Kansas city.

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One of Kansas City's showiest and most prominent fountains has remained dry since flooding in its pump room two years ago made it inoperable.

After nearly $1 million in repairs and rehabilitation work, funded in part by a deluge of private donations, the Sea Horse Fountain at Meyer Circle on Ward Parkway is about to return to its former glory.

Workers are completing the finishing touches. Later this month the fountain will be rededicated at which time the water will start flowing again.

"Ward Parkway is one of the showcase boulevards in Kansas City - a few years back it was named one of the top streets in America," said David Fowler, who led the fountain fundraising campaign.

"Because we're the 'City of Fountains' and that fountain sits so prominently on that key boulevard in Kansas City . . . it gets a lot of visibility," he said.

More than 40,000 people a day drive past the fountain that sits in the traffic circle at Meyer Boulevard and Ward Parkway.

"Nothing sends a negative message more than a dry fountain," Fowler said.

The fountain was damaged in the fall 2015 when the fountain's underground vault containing its pump, plumbing and electrical service flooded, causing significant damage and leaving the fountain inoperable. Additionally, the fountain developed leaks in its pool basin.

After seeing the fountain sit dormant and dry for a year, Fowler decided something needed to be done.

"It was discouraging," Fowler said. "It was embarrassing that it had gotten to that point where it was dry for over a year.

"It's like a piece of art. I wanted to enjoy it and I wanted the visitors and residents in Kansas City to enjoy it."

The original fountain with a sea horse sculpture was purchased by J.C. Nichols in the 1920s in Venice, Italy, and placed into operation in 1925. The sea horse sculpture was replaced years ago with a cherub.

In addition to its location and large size, the fountain's spray of the water makes this fountain stand out.

"The way the water sprays from the nozzles as it shoots out creates this mist that in early morning and late afternoon reflects the sun and makes it particularly enjoyable to observe," Fowler said.

Funding for the repairs came from a neighborhood initiative to collaborate with the city to raise the money. Rather than asking corporations for donations, organizers turned to area neighborhoods in both Kansas and Missouri.

Fowler calls the project a bi-state collaborative success story.

Along with the City of Fountains Foundation, the neighborhood associations raised nearly $600,000 in donations, of which $350,000 was raised as an endowment for future maintenance of the fountain.

Kansas City provided about $660,000 for the repairs.

Jordan Cline, project manager for Kansas City Parks and Recreation, said workers were completing testing and working on punch list items this week.

The fountain will be filled later this week and a walk through will be completed Monday afternoon. A run-through of the new LED lights will be conducted Monday night.

"We are pretty much in the closing stages," Cline said.

A re-dedication celebration will be held the week of Oct. 23. The date hasn't been finalized.

Repairs on the fountain began in April and included rebuilding the vault and refurbishing or replacing its circular pool basin, water pipes, jets and masonry, Cline said.

In July, the Kansas City Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners authorized the addition of perimeter rope lighting, improved waterproofing for the basin and a heavy-duty door to the underground pump room..

"It gives me a lot of relief," said Cline, who joined the city about a year ago and took over managing the project. He said that having such a prominent job as his first project was "definitely an awakening."

"This is such an important project in Kansas City - I'm glad for it to come to a close and finally be up and running," he said. "There were definitely a lot of people concerned about this fountain and a lot of eyes upon it."

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Know that sad, empty fountain at Meyer Circle? Ward Parkway drivers, take heart

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One of Kansas City's showiest and most prominent fountains has remained dry since flooding in its pump room two years ago made it inoperable. After nearly $1 million in repairs and rehabilitation work, funded in part by a deluge of private donations, the Sea Horse Fountain at Meyer Circle on Ward Parkway is about to return to its former glory.

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A maintenance worker said he told hotel dispatchers to call police and report a gunman opened fire from his high-rise suite into a crowd at a nearby music festival.

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LAS VEGAS -- A maintenance worker said Wednesday he told hotel dispatchers to call police and report a gunman had opened fire with a rifle inside the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino hotel before the shooter began firing from his high-rise suite into a crowd at a nearby musical performance.

The revised timeline has renewed questions about whether better communication might have allowed police to respond more quickly and take out the gunman before he committed the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

Worker Stephen Schuck says he was checking out a report of a jammed fire door on the 32nd floor of Mandalay Bay when he heard gunshots and a hotel security guard, who had been shot in the leg, peeked out from an alcove and told him to take cover.

"As soon as I started to go to a door to my left the rounds started coming down the hallway," Schuck said. "I could feel them pass right behind my head.

"It was kind of relentless so I called over the radio what was going on," he said. "As soon as the shooting stopped we made our way down the hallway and took cover again and then the shooting started again."

Police said Monday they believe gunman Stephen Paddock shot a hotel security guard through the door of his suite six minutes before he unleashed a barrage of bullets into the crowd of concert-goers, killing 58 people and injuring hundreds more.

The injured guard used his radio and possibly a hallway phone to also call hotel dispatchers for help.

That account differs dramatically from the one police gave last week when they said Paddock fired through the door of his room and injured the unarmed guard after shooting into the crowd.

The company that owns Mandalay Bay has questioned the new timeline.

"We cannot be certain about the most recent timeline," said Debra DeShong, a spokeswoman for MGM Resorts International. "We believe what is currently being expressed may not be accurate. This remains an ongoing investigation with a lot of moving parts."

Las Vegas police did not respond Tuesday night to questions about the hotel's statement.

"Our officers got there as fast as they possibly could and they did what they were trained to do," Las Vegas assistant sheriff Todd Fasulo said earlier Tuesday.

Gunshots can be heard in the background as Schuck reported the shooting on his radio, telling a dispatcher: "Call the police, someone's firing a gun up here. Someone's firing a rifle on the 32nd floor down the hallway."

It was unclear if the hotel relayed the information to Las Vegas police, who did not respond to questions from The Associated Press about whether hotel security or anyone else in the hotel called 911 to report the gunfire.

Joseph Giacalone, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a retired New York City police sergeant, said the new timeline "changes everything."

"There absolutely was an opportunity in that timeframe that some of this could've been mitigated," he said.

Nicole Rapp, whose mother was knocked to the ground and trampled at the country music concert said she's "having a hard time wrapping my head around" why police changed the timeline of the shooting.

"It's very confusing to me that they are just discovering this a week later," she said. "How did we not know this before? It's traumatic for the victims and their families not to be sure of what happened."

The six minutes that passed between the hallway shooting and the start of the shooting into the crowd wouldn't have been enough time for officers to stop the attack, said Ron Hosko, a former FBI assistant director who has worked on SWAT teams. Rather than rush in without a game plan, police would have been formulating the best response to the barricaded gunman, he said.

"Maybe that's enough time to get the first patrolman onto the floor but the first patrolman is not going to go knock on that customer's door and say 'What's going on with 200 holes in the door?'" Hosko said.

Undersheriff Kevin McMahill defended the hotel and said the encounter that night between Paddock and the security guard and maintenance man disrupted the gunman's plans. Paddock fired more than 1,000 bullets and had more than 1,000 rounds left in his room, the undersheriff said.

"I can tell you I'm confident that he was not able to fully execute his heinous plan and it certainly had everything to do with being disrupted," McMahill said. He added, "I don't think the hotel dropped the ball."

Law enforcement tells CBS News they're getting "a very good response" to billboards asking the public for help with information about Paddock and the shooting massacre.

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Worker warned hotel before Las Vegas shooter opened fire on crowd

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A maintenance worker said Wednesday he told hotel dispatchers to call police and report a gunman had opened fire with a rifle inside the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino hotel before the shooter began firing from his high-rise suite into a crowd at a nearby musical performance.

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the Meyers sea horse fountain in Kansas city is down for repair this one the most biggest and vised fountains in Kansas city.

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One of Kansas City's showiest and most prominent fountains has remained dry since flooding in its pump room two years ago made it inoperable.

After nearly $1 million in repairs and rehabilitation work, funded in part by a deluge of private donations, the Sea Horse Fountain at Meyer Circle on Ward Parkway is about to return to its former glory.

Workers are completing the finishing touches. Later this month the fountain will be rededicated at which time the water will start flowing again.

"Ward Parkway is one of the showcase boulevards in Kansas City - a few years back it was named one of the top streets in America," said David Fowler, who led the fountain fundraising campaign.

"Because we're the 'City of Fountains' and that fountain sits so prominently on that key boulevard in Kansas City . . . it gets a lot of visibility," he said.

More than 40,000 people a day drive past the fountain that sits in the traffic circle at Meyer Boulevard and Ward Parkway.

"Nothing sends a negative message more than a dry fountain," Fowler said.

The fountain was damaged in the fall 2015 when the fountain's underground vault containing its pump, plumbing and electrical service flooded, causing significant damage and leaving the fountain inoperable. Additionally, the fountain developed leaks in its pool basin.

After seeing the fountain sit dormant and dry for a year, Fowler decided something needed to be done.

"It was discouraging," Fowler said. "It was embarrassing that it had gotten to that point where it was dry for over a year.

"It's like a piece of art. I wanted to enjoy it and I wanted the visitors and residents in Kansas City to enjoy it."

The original fountain with a sea horse sculpture was purchased by J.C. Nichols in the 1920s in Venice, Italy, and placed into operation in 1925. The sea horse sculpture was replaced years ago with a cherub.

In addition to its location and large size, the fountain's spray of the water makes this fountain stand out.

"The way the water sprays from the nozzles as it shoots out creates this mist that in early morning and late afternoon reflects the sun and makes it particularly enjoyable to observe," Fowler said.

Funding for the repairs came from a neighborhood initiative to collaborate with the city to raise the money. Rather than asking corporations for donations, organizers turned to area neighborhoods in both Kansas and Missouri.

Fowler calls the project a bi-state collaborative success story.

Along with the City of Fountains Foundation, the neighborhood associations raised nearly $600,000 in donations, of which $350,000 was raised as an endowment for future maintenance of the fountain.

Kansas City provided about $660,000 for the repairs.

Jordan Cline, project manager for Kansas City Parks and Recreation, said workers were completing testing and working on punch list items this week.

The fountain will be filled later this week and a walk through will be completed Monday afternoon. A run-through of the new LED lights will be conducted Monday night.

"We are pretty much in the closing stages," Cline said.

A re-dedication celebration will be held the week of Oct. 23. The date hasn't been finalized.

Repairs on the fountain began in April and included rebuilding the vault and refurbishing or replacing its circular pool basin, water pipes, jets and masonry, Cline said.

In July, the Kansas City Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners authorized the addition of perimeter rope lighting, improved waterproofing for the basin and a heavy-duty door to the underground pump room..

"It gives me a lot of relief," said Cline, who joined the city about a year ago and took over managing the project. He said that having such a prominent job as his first project was "definitely an awakening."

"This is such an important project in Kansas City - I'm glad for it to come to a close and finally be up and running," he said. "There were definitely a lot of people concerned about this fountain and a lot of eyes upon it."

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Know that sad, empty fountain at Meyer Circle? Ward Parkway drivers, take heart

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One of Kansas City's showiest and most prominent fountains has remained dry since flooding in its pump room two years ago made it inoperable. After nearly $1 million in repairs and rehabilitation work, funded in part by a deluge of private donations, the Sea Horse Fountain at Meyer Circle on Ward Parkway is about to return to its former glory.

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President Trump says that NBC News made some "fake news" about him reporting tenfold increase to the nations nuclear arsenal during a national security meeting this summer. He said it was "disgusting" that the reporters can write whatever they want.Trump took to Twitter and shut down those fake news situation. He also went to the Pentagon to meet with senior military officials to receive a briefing that touched on military readiness and operations around the world. Another U.S. official was asking that president some questions during a meeting like, why doesn't the U.S. has as many nuclear weapons as the Russians.

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President Donald Trump shot down NBC News reports Wednesday that he called for a reported tenfold increase to the nation's nuclear arsenal during a national security meeting this summer and slammed the media for spreading what he calls "fake news."

During a meeting in the Oval Office with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Trump said it was "absolutely disgusting" that the press is able to "write whatever they want to write" and insisted the reporting that he had called for more nuclear weapons was not true.

"But I want modernization and I want total rehabilitation. It's got to be in tip-top shape," he said.

Trump was responding to a report originally published by NBC News that detailed a Pentagon meeting in July which Trump allegedly said he wanted to boost the nation's nuclear weapons supply by 10 times the current amount.

ABC News has reached out to NBC News for comment.

On air and on social media, NBC News stressed that they never reported that the president actually called for an increase -- just that he talked about it -- and that there are no plans to increase the nuclear arsenal.

NBC News didn't report Trump "called for" more nucs. On the contrary, we reported Trump said he wanted more but no one took it as an order.
- Courtney Kube (@ckubeNBC) October 11, 2017

Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis also refuted the claims in a statement released this afternoon.

"Recent reports that the president called for an increase in the U.S. nuclear arsenal are absolutely false. This kind of erroneous reporting is irresponsible."

Earlier in the day, Trump objected to the NBC News report on Twitter and suggested that the broadcaster's license should be challeged.

Fake @NBCNews made up a story that I wanted a "tenfold" increase in our U.S. nuclear arsenal. Pure fiction, made up to demean. NBC = CNN!
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2017

With all of the Fake News coming out of NBC and the Networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their License? Bad for country!
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2017

On July 20, Trump visited the Pentagon to meet with senior military officials to receive a briefing that touched on military readiness and operations around the world.

A U.S. official told ABC News that, as part of that meeting, there was a briefing related to the modernization of the nuclear triad that reaffirmed the budget prioritization for that effort. This official had no knowledge of the reported comments attributed to Trump about a tenfold increase in the nuclear arsenal.

According to another U.S. official, during that portion of the meeting the president asked several questions, including why the U.S. did not have as many nuclear weapons as the Russians.

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Trump denies calling for increase in nuclear weapons

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President Donald Trump shot down NBC News reports Wednesday that he called for a reported tenfold increase to the nation's nuclear arsenal during a national security meeting this summer and slammed the media for spreading what he calls "fake news."

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From floods to landslides that tropical Storm in Vietnam  left there are 43 dead and 34 missing people. The storm destroyed over 1,000 homes, and submerged over 16,740 houses. The hardest part of the storm hit a northern provinces of Hoa Binh. 17 people were found dead while 15 others were missing. Four families died from their houses being totally destroyed by a landslide. Over 200,000 people in Ninh Binh province were told to evacuate. Up to 20 inches of rain were reported over a three-day-span.

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Floods and landslides after a tropical depression have killed at least 37 people and damaged homes and crops in northern and central Vietnam.

The Vietnam Disaster Management Authority said in a statement Thursday that another 40 people are missing. The disasters injured 21 people and destroyed or damaged more than 1,000 houses, submerged another 16,740 homes and damaged infrastructure and crops in six central and northern provinces.

In the hardest-hit northern province of Hoa Binh, 11 people died and 21 others were missing. The casualties include four families whose houses were buried in a landslide, killing six and leaving another 12 missing, disaster official Quach Viet Hoang said.

The tropical depression hit central Vietnam on Tuesday and brought heavy rains.

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Floods and landslides kill 37, leave 40 missing in Vietnam

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Floods and landslides after a tropical depression have killed at least 37 people and damaged homes and crops in northern and central Vietnam. The Vietnam Disaster Management Authority said in a statement Thursday that another 40 people are missing. The disasters injured 21 people and...

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A Canadian pastor and his wife are facing more than two dozen charges Wednesday after being accused of sexual assault.The pastor, 34-year-old Samuel Emerson, and his wife, Madelaine Emerson, 37, allegedly assaulted people from 2015 until 2017, CBC News reported.

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A Canadian pastor and his wife are facing more than two dozen charges Wednesday after being accused of sexual assault.

The pastor, 34-year-old Samuel Emerson, and his wife, Madelaine Emerson, 37, allegedly assaulted people from 2015 until 2017, CBC News reported.

Samuel was a pastor in Surrey, British Columbia, at the non-denominational Cloverdale Christian Fellowship Church, according to the BBC.
ALABAMA PASTOR, WIFE ARRESTED AFTER BRINGING INFANT TO BAR, CHARGED WITH BEING DRUNK
The pastor was charged with 13 counts of sexual assault, 11 counts of being in a position of authority and touching a person for a sexual purpose and one count of sexual touching of a person under the age of 16.

Madelaine faces one charge of sexual assault, being in a position of authority and touching a person for a sexual purpose, and threats to cause death or bodily harm.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Cpl. Scotty Schumann told CBC that the sexual assault allegations were against someone under the age of 16, in addition to "several other young adults."

"A lot of us, especially parents for example, entrust that these people are going to have the best interests of our children at heart and when that trust is broken, you certainly feel terrible as a community but terrible as a parent for not being able to protect your children," Schumann said.

There may be other victims that may be nervous to come forward, Schumann said.
BOSTON PASTOR ARRESTED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING, POSSESSION
Cloverdale Christian Fellowship Church has seen a dip in membership since news of the allegations broke, Samuel's father, Randy Emerson, told CBC News.

Randy, a senior pastor, said those involved in the church have dropped to 60 people, from around 250 people last May - when the Emersons were arrested.

"We're just very sad, and we're praying about the whole thing," Randy said. "A sacred trust has been broken in many people's minds."

Randy said his son was a pastor with the church for seven or eight years.

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Canadian pastor, wife face series of sexual assault charges

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A Canadian pastor and his wife are facing more than two dozen charges Wednesday after being accused of sexual assault. The pastor, 34-year-old Samuel Emerson, and his wife, Madelaine Emerson, 37, allegedly assaulted people from 2015 until 2017, CBC News reported.

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Harvey Weinstein speaks out after sex allegations: 'We all make mistakes

Weinstein, 65, has reportedly left Los Angeles headed to a rehabilitation clinic for behavioral issues including sex addiction.

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Harvey Weinstein spoke publicly for the first time since numerous women have come forward with allegations of sexual harassment and, in some cases, assault.

"Guys, I'm not doing OK but I'm trying. I got to get help. You know what, we all make mistakes. ... A second chance, I hope," Weinstein said in a video shot Wednesday outside daughter Lily Weinstein's Los Angeles home obtained by ABC News.

Weinstein, 65, has reportedly left Los Angeles headed to a rehabilitation clinic for behavioral issues including sex addiction.

"Mr. Weinstein has further confirmed that there were never any acts of retaliation against any women for refusing his advances," according to a statement from Weinstein's representative. "Mr. Weinstein obviously can't speak to anonymous allegations, but with respect to any women who have made allegations on the record, Mr. Weinstein believes that all of these relationships were consensual. Mr. Weinstein has begun counseling, has listened to the community and is pursuing a better path. Mr. Weinstein is hoping that, if he makes enough progress, he will be given a second chance."

The New York Police Department said this morning it will review Weinstein's background "to identify and locate and interview any potential victims" of the famed movie producer.

Police officials reiterated they will not reopen a 2015 assault allegation that resulted in no prosecution by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office told ABC News in statement Tuesday, "If we could have prosecuted Harvey Weinstein for the conduct that occurred in 2015, we would have. Mr. Weinstein's pattern of mistreating women, as recounted in recent reports, is disgraceful and shocks the conscience."

It continued, "While the recording is horrifying to listen to, what emerged from the audio was insufficient to prove a crime under New York law, which requires prosecutors to establish criminal intent. Subsequent investigative steps undertaken in order to establish intent were not successful. This, coupled with other proof issues, meant that there was no choice but to conclude the investigation without criminal charges."

Weinstein was terminated Sunday by the board of The Weinstein Co. in light of the allegations. His attorney Charles Harder said last week that the initial New York Times story, which also included allegations that Weinstein had reached confidential settlements with his accusers, was "saturated with false and defamatory statements" and said that he was preparing a lawsuit.

Representatives for Weinstein and the company bearing his name did not immediately respond to ABC News requests for comment.

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Harvey Weinstein speaks out after sex allegations: 'We all make mistakes'

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Harvey Weinstein spoke publicly for the first time since numerous women have come forward with allegations of sexual harassment and, in some cases, assault. "Guys, I'm not doing OK but I'm trying. I got to get help. You know what, we all make mistakes. ... A second chance, I hope," Weinstein said...

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The home of meat ( Arby ) is expanding to the venison and elk category again. Arby is bringing back the fan favorite venison sandwich and making the elk sandwich. Arby is bringing it back to kick off hunting season. The sandwiches are being release on October 21.

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The famed "home of the meats" is expanding that title to include deer and elk.

Arby's is bringing back the fan-favorite Venison Sandwich as well as rolling out a completely new item, the Elk Sandwich - just in time to kick off hunting season.
MAN ARRESTED AFTER MAKING BOMB THREAT TO AVOID BILL AT PA SANDWICH SHOP
The sandwiches will be available October 21, but only while supplies last, the fast food chain said in a press release.

Last year, the Venison Sandwich was released in only five states and "sold out within hours."

"The positive response to our limited offering of venison last year was so widespread and passionate that we knew we had to find a way to offer it nationwide," said Jim Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer of Arby's Restaurant Group, Inc.
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS
This year, the thick-cut deer meat, marinated in garlic and topped with a juniper-infused Cabernet steak sauce and crispy onions will be available in all states for a limited time.

However, the juicy elk steak sandwich, drenched in a blackberry port steak sauce and loaded on a toasted specialty roll, is only at restaurants in Colorado, Wyoming and Montana.

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Arby's releases venison and elk sandwiches to kick off hunting season

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The famed "home of the meats" is expanding that title to include deer and elk. Arby's is bringing back the fan-favorite Venison Sandwich as well as rolling out a completely new item, the Elk Sandwich - just in time to kick off hunting season.

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The cub scouts are going to start letting girls join them starting next year. They are starting a program and 2019 for older girls to get the same curriculum as the boys.

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FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports

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IRVING, Texas - In a historic change, the Boy Scouts are announcing plans to admit girls into the Cub Scouts starting next year and to establish a new program for older girls using the same curriculum as the Boy Scouts.

Under the plan announced Wednesday, Cub Scout dens - the smallest unit - will be single-gender, either all-boys or all-girls. The larger Cub Scout packs will have the option to welcome both genders if they choose.

The program for older girls is expected to start in 2019 and will enable girls to earn the coveted rank of Eagle Scout.

Boy Scout leaders say the change is needed to provide more options for parents. The Girl Scouts organization has criticized the initiative, saying it strains the century-old bond between the two groups.

FOX 4 reached out to the Heart of America's Boy Scout Council and it issued the following statement:

Today, October 11, the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America's Board of Directors unanimously approved to welcome girls into its Cub Scout program and to deliver a Scouting program for older girls.

Starting in the fall of 2018, families can choose to sign up their sons and daughters for Cub Scouts. Using the same curriculum as the Boy Scout program, the BSA will also deliver a program for older girls, which will be announced in 2018 and projected to be available in 2019. This approach allows the organization to maintain the integrity of the single gender model while also meeting the needs of today's families.

Locally, the Heart of America Council will adhere to all policies and procedures set forth by the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Today's decision will allow us to serve more youth in the Kansas City Metro area and help us deliver the character development and values-based leadership programs that Scouting provides to prepare young people for future success.

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Boy Scouts to let girls in some programs

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IRVING, Texas -- In a historic change, the Boy Scouts are announcing plans to admit girls into the Cub Scouts starting next year and to establish a new program for older girls using the same curriculum as the Boy Scouts. Under the plan announced Wednesday, Cub Scout dens - the smallest unit - will be single-gender, either all-boys or all-girls.

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Firefighters worked tirelessly to battle fast-spreading flames in Northern California's wine country as the return of dangerous winds threatened to worsen the blazes that killed 23 people.

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As the cluster of fires that has killed 23 people burns, officials ordered residents in some additional areas to get their bags ready in case they need to evacuate.

At least 285 people are still missing in a blaze that has affected almost the entire community. And as sleep-deprived, soot-covered firefighters work to contain the wildfires, some of their homes are being devastated as well.

"This is not easy for anybody. We have firefighters who've either lost their homes or who have family members who have lost their homes," said Jonathan Cox, Cal Fire battalion chief.

Pierre Birebent has made wine at Signorello Estate in Napa Valley for 20 years. The blaze gutted buildings at the popular winery, leaving charred remains strewn across the landscape.

"I want to cry. I'm trying not to," Birebent said.

He pointed at piles of ash and rubble. "This was my file cabinet. The door was here ... there's nothing left," he said.

A few steps away, the winery's barrel room is intact, along with its vintages from last year.

Gusts had died down early this week, but on Wednesday they blew between 20 and 40 mph and conditions were still extremely dry, with low humidity and no rain. Similar conditions are forecast for Thursday.

More than 20,000 people had been ordered to evacuate as of Wednesday, and authorities encouraged others to pack "ready-to-go bags" with documents and medication in case they had to flee the fast-spreading flames on a moment's notice.

Latest developments

* At least 23 people killed -- 13 of those in the Tubbs wildfire in Sonoma County, officials said

* More than 170,000 acres scorched throughout the state by the 22 fires.

* At least 285 people are still missing in Sonoma County, according to the sheriff. Authorities believe communications issues are preventing many of the missing from checking in with relatives.

* Smoke is forcing some flight cancellations at San Francisco International Airport

* The entire city of Calistoga is under a mandatory evacuation order, along with parts of Geyserville.

* Napa city residents were warned to be ready if an evacuation order gets issued

The largest fires were in Northern California's Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties, filling the picturesque landscape of the state's wine country with charred rubble and clouds of smoke.

Scores missing

Among the dead was a couple who relatives said had known each other for nearly 90 years: Charles Rippey, 100, and his wife, Sara, 98.

They died shortly after the largest fire started Sunday night, engulfing their home near the Silverado Country Club north of Napa.

In addition to those killed, hundreds are still missing.

Derek Southard has been worried about his 71-year-old father, Daniel, since Sunday. The two live in Santa Rosa, California, but the son was at a wedding in Monterey when the fire hit their neighborhood.

"I had been texting him that day at the wedding. I told him I'm call him that night. And then he never called me back," Southard told CNN in tears. "He texted me at midnight and asked if I was having fun at the wedding. I guess the fire came an hour or two after that."

When Derek Southard got back to Santa Rosa on Monday, the neighborhood was still closed off. He called the sheriff and asked him to go have a look.

"The sheriff said his house was burned to the ground and his car was melted in the driveway, but I've still got my fingers crossed that he made it out somehow," he wrote on Facebook Tuesday.

Derek talked to his next-door neighbors, who told him that they barely got out. In the scramble to escape, they weren't able to knock on his dad's door, they said.

Neighborhoods gutted

A large part of Santa Rosa was evacuated. In the city's Coffey Park neighborhood, homes are in ruins -- the fire consumed everything that wasn't steel, concrete or brick. At some properties, all that is recognizable are the remains of washers, dryers and water heaters.

Heather Nappi, 33, lived in the neighborhood for three years, along with her husband, Robert, who works for the Rancho Adobe Fire Protection District. Their house was destroyed.

"It was a wonderful home to us," she said. "We had our daughter there. We decorated our nursery there. It's got a lot of memories in it for the short amount of time that we've been there."

When she fled the fire, she forgot her wedding ring.

Her husband has recovered lost items for other fire victims in the past, she said. She hopes he can help find her ring.

CNN's Dan Simon, Miguel Marquez and Jake Carpenter contributed to this report from Santa Rosa, California. CNN's Christina Zdanowicz and Paul P. Murphy also contributed to this report.

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California fires: 23 killed, hundreds missing as blazes rage

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As the cluster of fires that has killed 23 people burns, officials ordered residents in some additional areas to get their bags ready in case they need to evacuate. At least 285 people are still missing in a blaze that has affected almost the entire community.

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A worker at the hotel where the shooter was, said he warned the hotel before the shooter opened fire at the crowed. The worker says Paddock shot a security guard in the leg throw a door. The guard used his radio and possibly a hallway phone to call hotel dispatchers for help.

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LAS VEGAS -- A maintenance worker said Wednesday he told hotel dispatchers to call police and report a gunman had opened fire with a rifle inside the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino hotel before the shooter began firing from his high-rise suite into a crowd at a nearby musical performance.

The revised timeline has renewed questions about whether better communication might have allowed police to respond more quickly and take out the gunman before he committed the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

Worker Stephen Schuck says he was checking out a report of a jammed fire door on the 32nd floor of Mandalay Bay when he heard gunshots and a hotel security guard, who had been shot in the leg, peeked out from an alcove and told him to take cover.

"As soon as I started to go to a door to my left the rounds started coming down the hallway," Schuck said. "I could feel them pass right behind my head.

"It was kind of relentless so I called over the radio what was going on," he said. "As soon as the shooting stopped we made our way down the hallway and took cover again and then the shooting started again."

Police said Monday they believe gunman Stephen Paddock shot a hotel security guard through the door of his suite six minutes before he unleashed a barrage of bullets into the crowd of concert-goers, killing 58 people and injuring hundreds more.

The injured guard used his radio and possibly a hallway phone to also call hotel dispatchers for help.

That account differs dramatically from the one police gave last week when they said Paddock fired through the door of his room and injured the unarmed guard after shooting into the crowd.

The company that owns Mandalay Bay has questioned the new timeline.

"We cannot be certain about the most recent timeline," said Debra DeShong, a spokeswoman for MGM Resorts International. "We believe what is currently being expressed may not be accurate. This remains an ongoing investigation with a lot of moving parts."

Las Vegas police did not respond Tuesday night to questions about the hotel's statement.

"Our officers got there as fast as they possibly could and they did what they were trained to do," Las Vegas assistant sheriff Todd Fasulo said earlier Tuesday.

Gunshots can be heard in the background as Schuck reported the shooting on his radio, telling a dispatcher: "Call the police, someone's firing a gun up here. Someone's firing a rifle on the 32nd floor down the hallway."

It was unclear if the hotel relayed the information to Las Vegas police, who did not respond to questions from The Associated Press about whether hotel security or anyone else in the hotel called 911 to report the gunfire.

Joseph Giacalone, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a retired New York City police sergeant, said the new timeline "changes everything."

"There absolutely was an opportunity in that timeframe that some of this could've been mitigated," he said.

Nicole Rapp, whose mother was knocked to the ground and trampled at the country music concert said she's "having a hard time wrapping my head around" why police changed the timeline of the shooting.

"It's very confusing to me that they are just discovering this a week later," she said. "How did we not know this before? It's traumatic for the victims and their families not to be sure of what happened."

The six minutes that passed between the hallway shooting and the start of the shooting into the crowd wouldn't have been enough time for officers to stop the attack, said Ron Hosko, a former FBI assistant director who has worked on SWAT teams. Rather than rush in without a game plan, police would have been formulating the best response to the barricaded gunman, he said.

"Maybe that's enough time to get the first patrolman onto the floor but the first patrolman is not going to go knock on that customer's door and say 'What's going on with 200 holes in the door?'" Hosko said.

Undersheriff Kevin McMahill defended the hotel and said the encounter that night between Paddock and the security guard and maintenance man disrupted the gunman's plans. Paddock fired more than 1,000 bullets and had more than 1,000 rounds left in his room, the undersheriff said.

"I can tell you I'm confident that he was not able to fully execute his heinous plan and it certainly had everything to do with being disrupted," McMahill said. He added, "I don't think the hotel dropped the ball."

Law enforcement tells CBS News they're getting "a very good response" to billboards asking the public for help with information about Paddock and the shooting massacre.

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Worker warned hotel before Las Vegas shooter opened fire on crowd

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A maintenance worker said Wednesday he told hotel dispatchers to call police and report a gunman had opened fire with a rifle inside the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino hotel before the shooter began firing from his high-rise suite into a crowd at a nearby musical performance.

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Firefighters worked tirelessly to battle fast spreading flames in North California's wine country as the return of dangerous winds threatened to worsen the blazes that have killed 23 people. 285 people remain missing and about 170,000 acres wiped out by the flames.

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As the cluster of fires that has killed 23 people burns, officials ordered residents in some additional areas to get their bags ready in case they need to evacuate.

At least 285 people are still missing in a blaze that has affected almost the entire community. And as sleep-deprived, soot-covered firefighters work to contain the wildfires, some of their homes are being devastated as well.

"This is not easy for anybody. We have firefighters who've either lost their homes or who have family members who have lost their homes," said Jonathan Cox, Cal Fire battalion chief.

Pierre Birebent has made wine at Signorello Estate in Napa Valley for 20 years. The blaze gutted buildings at the popular winery, leaving charred remains strewn across the landscape.

"I want to cry. I'm trying not to," Birebent said.

He pointed at piles of ash and rubble. "This was my file cabinet. The door was here ... there's nothing left," he said.

A few steps away, the winery's barrel room is intact, along with its vintages from last year.

Gusts had died down early this week, but on Wednesday they blew between 20 and 40 mph and conditions were still extremely dry, with low humidity and no rain. Similar conditions are forecast for Thursday.

More than 20,000 people had been ordered to evacuate as of Wednesday, and authorities encouraged others to pack "ready-to-go bags" with documents and medication in case they had to flee the fast-spreading flames on a moment's notice.

Latest developments

* At least 23 people killed -- 13 of those in the Tubbs wildfire in Sonoma County, officials said

* More than 170,000 acres scorched throughout the state by the 22 fires.

* At least 285 people are still missing in Sonoma County, according to the sheriff. Authorities believe communications issues are preventing many of the missing from checking in with relatives.

* Smoke is forcing some flight cancellations at San Francisco International Airport

* The entire city of Calistoga is under a mandatory evacuation order, along with parts of Geyserville.

* Napa city residents were warned to be ready if an evacuation order gets issued

The largest fires were in Northern California's Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties, filling the picturesque landscape of the state's wine country with charred rubble and clouds of smoke.

Scores missing

Among the dead was a couple who relatives said had known each other for nearly 90 years: Charles Rippey, 100, and his wife, Sara, 98.

They died shortly after the largest fire started Sunday night, engulfing their home near the Silverado Country Club north of Napa.

In addition to those killed, hundreds are still missing.

Derek Southard has been worried about his 71-year-old father, Daniel, since Sunday. The two live in Santa Rosa, California, but the son was at a wedding in Monterey when the fire hit their neighborhood.

"I had been texting him that day at the wedding. I told him I'm call him that night. And then he never called me back," Southard told CNN in tears. "He texted me at midnight and asked if I was having fun at the wedding. I guess the fire came an hour or two after that."

When Derek Southard got back to Santa Rosa on Monday, the neighborhood was still closed off. He called the sheriff and asked him to go have a look.

"The sheriff said his house was burned to the ground and his car was melted in the driveway, but I've still got my fingers crossed that he made it out somehow," he wrote on Facebook Tuesday.

Derek talked to his next-door neighbors, who told him that they barely got out. In the scramble to escape, they weren't able to knock on his dad's door, they said.

Neighborhoods gutted

A large part of Santa Rosa was evacuated. In the city's Coffey Park neighborhood, homes are in ruins -- the fire consumed everything that wasn't steel, concrete or brick. At some properties, all that is recognizable are the remains of washers, dryers and water heaters.

Heather Nappi, 33, lived in the neighborhood for three years, along with her husband, Robert, who works for the Rancho Adobe Fire Protection District. Their house was destroyed.

"It was a wonderful home to us," she said. "We had our daughter there. We decorated our nursery there. It's got a lot of memories in it for the short amount of time that we've been there."

When she fled the fire, she forgot her wedding ring.

Her husband has recovered lost items for other fire victims in the past, she said. She hopes he can help find her ring.

CNN's Dan Simon, Miguel Marquez and Jake Carpenter contributed to this report from Santa Rosa, California. CNN's Christina Zdanowicz and Paul P. Murphy also contributed to this report.

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California fires: 23 killed, hundreds missing as blazes rage

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As the cluster of fires that has killed 23 people burns, officials ordered residents in some additional areas to get their bags ready in case they need to evacuate. At least 285 people are still missing in a blaze that has affected almost the entire community.

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Firefighters worked tirelessly to battle fast-spreading flames in Northern California's wine country as the return of dangerous winds threatened to worsen the blazes that have killed 23 people so far.

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As the cluster of fires that has killed 23 people burns, officials ordered residents in some additional areas to get their bags ready in case they need to evacuate.

At least 285 people are still missing in a blaze that has affected almost the entire community. And as sleep-deprived, soot-covered firefighters work to contain the wildfires, some of their homes are being devastated as well.

"This is not easy for anybody. We have firefighters who've either lost their homes or who have family members who have lost their homes," said Jonathan Cox, Cal Fire battalion chief.

Pierre Birebent has made wine at Signorello Estate in Napa Valley for 20 years. The blaze gutted buildings at the popular winery, leaving charred remains strewn across the landscape.

"I want to cry. I'm trying not to," Birebent said.

He pointed at piles of ash and rubble. "This was my file cabinet. The door was here ... there's nothing left," he said.

A few steps away, the winery's barrel room is intact, along with its vintages from last year.

Gusts had died down early this week, but on Wednesday they blew between 20 and 40 mph and conditions were still extremely dry, with low humidity and no rain. Similar conditions are forecast for Thursday.

More than 20,000 people had been ordered to evacuate as of Wednesday, and authorities encouraged others to pack "ready-to-go bags" with documents and medication in case they had to flee the fast-spreading flames on a moment's notice.

Latest developments

* At least 23 people killed -- 13 of those in the Tubbs wildfire in Sonoma County, officials said

* More than 170,000 acres scorched throughout the state by the 22 fires.

* At least 285 people are still missing in Sonoma County, according to the sheriff. Authorities believe communications issues are preventing many of the missing from checking in with relatives.

* Smoke is forcing some flight cancellations at San Francisco International Airport

* The entire city of Calistoga is under a mandatory evacuation order, along with parts of Geyserville.

* Napa city residents were warned to be ready if an evacuation order gets issued

The largest fires were in Northern California's Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties, filling the picturesque landscape of the state's wine country with charred rubble and clouds of smoke.

Scores missing

Among the dead was a couple who relatives said had known each other for nearly 90 years: Charles Rippey, 100, and his wife, Sara, 98.

They died shortly after the largest fire started Sunday night, engulfing their home near the Silverado Country Club north of Napa.

In addition to those killed, hundreds are still missing.

Derek Southard has been worried about his 71-year-old father, Daniel, since Sunday. The two live in Santa Rosa, California, but the son was at a wedding in Monterey when the fire hit their neighborhood.

"I had been texting him that day at the wedding. I told him I'm call him that night. And then he never called me back," Southard told CNN in tears. "He texted me at midnight and asked if I was having fun at the wedding. I guess the fire came an hour or two after that."

When Derek Southard got back to Santa Rosa on Monday, the neighborhood was still closed off. He called the sheriff and asked him to go have a look.

"The sheriff said his house was burned to the ground and his car was melted in the driveway, but I've still got my fingers crossed that he made it out somehow," he wrote on Facebook Tuesday.

Derek talked to his next-door neighbors, who told him that they barely got out. In the scramble to escape, they weren't able to knock on his dad's door, they said.

Neighborhoods gutted

A large part of Santa Rosa was evacuated. In the city's Coffey Park neighborhood, homes are in ruins -- the fire consumed everything that wasn't steel, concrete or brick. At some properties, all that is recognizable are the remains of washers, dryers and water heaters.

Heather Nappi, 33, lived in the neighborhood for three years, along with her husband, Robert, who works for the Rancho Adobe Fire Protection District. Their house was destroyed.

"It was a wonderful home to us," she said. "We had our daughter there. We decorated our nursery there. It's got a lot of memories in it for the short amount of time that we've been there."

When she fled the fire, she forgot her wedding ring.

Her husband has recovered lost items for other fire victims in the past, she said. She hopes he can help find her ring.

CNN's Dan Simon, Miguel Marquez and Jake Carpenter contributed to this report from Santa Rosa, California. CNN's Christina Zdanowicz and Paul P. Murphy also contributed to this report.

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California fires: 23 killed, hundreds missing as blazes rage

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As the cluster of fires that has killed 23 people burns, officials ordered residents in some additional areas to get their bags ready in case they need to evacuate. At least 285 people are still missing in a blaze that has affected almost the entire community.

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Breaking news, Caitlin Coleman, her husband and her kids where kidnapped while hiking in Afghanistan and were just released...five years later. Caitlin Coleman and her husband, Rob Boyle was seven months pregnant when abducted in 2012 and gave birth to two children while while held in captivity. The family had made several videos pleading for both sides to work out a compromise to set them free. James Mattis the Defense Secretary and Gen. Joseph Dunford has stated to Congress "Pakistan will no longer be a sanctuary for terrorism."

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The daring plan to bring home an American woman and her family from Afghanistan, where they were held captive by a Taliban-affiliated group, appeared to hit a snag Thursday, with officials telling Fox News the woman's husband is refusing to board a plane out of the Middle East.

Caitlan Coleman, 32, was seven months pregnant when she and her husband, Josh Boyle, were abducted in Afghanistan in 2012 by the Haqqani network. The couple and their three children -- all of whom were born in captivity -- were freed Thursday in a "negotiated release," an official told Fox News.

The family has "been essentially living in a hole for 5 years," White House Chief of Staff John Kelly told reporters Thursday.

But Boyle is refusing to board an American military plane in Pakistan waiting to take them home, fearing he'll be arrested, a U.S. official said. Some officials say Roberts is fearful of perhaps being sent to Guantanamo Bay, based off his background.

Boyle was previously married to the sister of Omar Khadr, a Canadian man who spent 10 years at Guantanamo Bay after being captured in 2002 in a firefight at an Al Qaeda compound in Afghanistan.

The Canadian-born Khadr was 15 in 2002 when he tossed a grenade in a firefight that killed U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Speer, a special forces medic.
TRUMP RAMPS UP PRESSURE ON PAKISTAN IN SPEECH
Other officials had discounted any link between that background and Boyle's capture by the Haqqani network, with one describing it to The Associated Press in 2014 as a "horrible coincidence."

The family was still in Pakistan Thursday afternoon and details of their departure are being worked out, a source told Fox News.

The Pakistani military confirmed the release and said the family was "being repatriated to the country of their origin."

"Please don't become the next Jimmy Carter"
- Caitlan Coleman in a 2016 plea to former U.S. President Barack Obama

The couple has told U.S. officials that they wanted to fly commercially to Canada, according to an official who spoke to The Associated Press.

The operation that set Coleman, Boyle and their children free remains somewhat mysterious. Pakistan's armed forces said in a statement an operation was undertaken by Pakistani forces based on actionable intelligence provided by U.S. authorities. U.S. intelligence agencies had reportedly been tracking the hostages and shared the location with Pakistani counterparts when the hostages shifted into Pakistani territory Wednesday.

But a source told Fox News that U.S. officials had been working on the release for a long time and had been placing pressure on the Pakistani government -- the Haqqani network has ties to Pakistan's intelligence services. The U.S., however, did not pay for the hostage release and no other hostages were released in a quid-pro-quo, sources said.

"Today they are free. This is a positive moment for our country's relationship with Pakistan," President Trump said in a statement Thursday. "The Pakistani government's cooperation is a sign that it is honoring America's wishes for it to do more to provide security in the region."

It is believed the family's captors are holding two other American hostages: Kevin King, a university professor who taught in Kabul and was captured in August 2016, and Paul Overby, a Massachusetts writer, who vanished in May 2014, the source said.

Trump appeared to hint at the news of Coleman's release during a speech in her home state of Pennsylvania a day earlier.

"Something happened today, where a country that totally disrespected us called with some very, very important news," Trump said Wednesday. "And one of my generals came in. They said, 'You know, I have to tell you, a year ago they would've never done that.' It was a great sign of respect. You'll probably be hearing about it over the next few days. But this is a country that did not respect us. This is a country that respects us now. The world is starting to respect us again, believe me."

Coleman and Boyle were last seen in a hostage video in December 2016 pleading for their governments to intervene.

The two vanished after setting off in the summer of 2012 for a journey that took them to Russia, the central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, and then to Afghanistan.

Coleman's parents, Jim and Lyn Coleman, had previously last heard from their son-in-law on Oct. 8, 2012, from an Internet cafe in what Josh described as an "unsafe" part of Afghanistan.

The news of the release comes a month after President Trump announced a new strategy to deal with Afghanistan and Pakistan, saying the Taliban and other militant groups would no longer find safe haven in Pakistan.

Defense Secretary James Mattis and Gen. Joseph Dunford told Congress last week Pakistan would no longer be a sanctuary for terrorism.

"I applaud the innumerable lines of effort from across the U.S. government," Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Thursday in reaction to the family's release.
TRUMP APPROVES SENDING 4,000 MORE TROOPS TO AFGHANISTAN, SENIOR OFFICIAL SAYS
In the 2016 YouTube video, Coleman refers to "the Kafkaesque nightmare in which we find ourselves" and urges "governments on both sides" to reach a deal for their freedom. She then adds: "My children have seen their mother defiled."

Two young children appear in the video with them, and Coleman has told her family that she gave birth to two children in captivity. It was revealed Thursday that Coleman had a third child.

"Please don't become the next Jimmy Carter," Coleman said in the 2016 video, reading a prepared statement and making a plea to former President Barack Obama. "Just give the offenders something so they and you can save face so we can leave the region permanently."

The Haqqani network has orchestrated a vast array of brutal attacks in Afghanistan in recent years, against both locals and the U.S. military, but unlike their Taliban associates, they are deemed to be more motivated by money than faith.

In that interview with Circa News in 2016, Jim Coleman issued a plea to top Taliban commanders to be "kind and merciful" and let the couple go.
Fox News' Jennifer Griffin, Lucas Tomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Caitlan Coleman family refuses return to US; husband fears Gitmo over past

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The daring plan to bring home an American woman and her family from Afghanistan, where they were held captive by a Taliban-affiliated group, appeared to hit a snag Thursday, with officials telling Fox News the woman's husband is refusing to board a plane out of the Middle East.

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At least 285 people are missing as all of the wildfires start to grow. 21 people have passed away.  Including a married couple married for 75 years, Charles and Sara Rippey. "We often talked among ourselves about how either one of them would deal with life without the other," Mike Rippey told KPIX. "Especially my father. He loved my mother."

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They spent 89 years together, including their final moments in their Napa home, son Mike Rippey told CNN affiliate KPIX. Charles was 100; Sara was 98.

The couple's children marveled at their parents' longevity, both in life and in marriage.

"We often talked among ourselves about how either one of them would deal with life without the other," Mike Rippey told KPIX. "Especially my father. He loved my mother."

Charles and Sara Rippey were among the 17 people killed by California's raging wildfires, which are still roaring across the state with no end in sight.

In many areas, the smoke is thick and the sky is orange. And the families of more than 500 people are still searching for their missing loved ones.

Here's what we know about some of the victims and those still missing:

The victims lost

The Rippeys' love affair started early -- Charles was in the sixth grade, and Sara was in the fourth grade, their son Mike said.

After Charles went to fight in World War II, he returned and had five children with his beloved, Mike Rippey told KPIX. They recently celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary.

Mike Rippey said he believes his father died trying to save his mother. Charles Rippey's body was found in the charred remains of the hallway just outside where his wife was sleeping.

"From where they found his body, he was trying to get from his room to her room," he said. "He never made it. Even if he had gotten there, he wouldn't have been able to get her out. ... And there is no way he would have left."

Christina Hanson saw the flames coming from afar. But the 28-year-old, who lived in an apartment next to her father's house in Santa Rosa, was confined to a wheelchair.

Hanson first tried to reach her father, but to no avail, her aunt Cathy Riordan said. She then called her father's ex-wife, saying she saw an inferno and was scared.

Concerned neighbors told the family they called 911 to the property, but it's unclear what happened after those calls, Riordan said.

After a day of panic and uncertainty, Christina's cousin confirmed she had died.

"Sadly, we just found out that Christina did not survive the fire," cousin Brittney Vinculado said Wednesday.

Hanson's father, 55-year-old Michael Hanson, suffered third-degree burns on over half his body and was at Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital before it was evacuated, Riordan said. He was in a medically induced coma

Sutter tried to transfer him by helicopter to San Francisco for treatment, but smoke prevented the chopper from taking off, Riordan said. Instead, he was transferred by ambulance.

Riordan said she believes her brother was injured trying to help his daughter.

"I know that's how he got burned," she said. "(He) was trying to save her."

The loved ones still missing

More than 500 people have been reported missing, authorities said. And spotty cell phone service has severely hampered relatives' ability to connect.

And the situation could worsen, as firefighters keep battling 22 wildfires that have already scorched 170,000 acres.

The Red Cross has a website where residents can mark themselves safe and relatives can search for their loved ones. Sonoma County officials said those needing to report a missing person can call 707-565-3856.

CNN's Paul Murphy, Laura Díaz-Zúñiga and Jason Hanna contributed to this report.

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wildfires kill couple married for 75 years

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Wildfires kill couple married for 75 years and leave 500+ missing

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They spent 89 years together, including their final moments in their Napa home, son Mike Rippey told CNN affiliate KPIX. Charles was 100; Sara was 98. The couple's children marveled at their parents' longevity, both in life and in marriage.

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California Wildfires have killed at least 23 people. Thousands have been left homeless by the 22 large fires. 300 people are missing but police think they may have evacuated because of the high risk of wildfires. The fires are among the deadliest in California's History. Santa Rosa, a city of 175,000 people, was burn to ashes. Some of the victims were Charles Rippey, 100, and his wife, Sara, 98, who had recently celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary and they died on Sunday at their home in Napa because of the fires.

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California officials have ordered an entire town to evacuate as "conditions have worsened" in wildfires that have now killed 26 people.

All residents of Calistoga were directed to leave the area on Wednesday night, Napa County officials said.

About 60 prison inmates have joined hard-pressed firefighters in battling the fast-moving blazes, the state fire chief says.

Among the areas scorched by the 22 blazes are marijuana farms.

'Explosive vegetation'

On Thursday morning, Sonoma County Sheriff Rob Giordano said 463 people are still unaccounted for.

Nine hundred people have been reported missing since the fire started on Sunday night, but a large number have been located, he added.

The night before, all 5,000 residents of Calistoga, in Napa County, were told to leave as police blocked traffic from approaching the area.

Geyserville, a town of around 800 people, and the community of Boyes Hot Springs, both in Sonoma, were also evacuated.

Wineries count cost of wildfires disaster

The prisoners fighting wildfires in California

"It's going to continue to get worse before it gets better," state fire Chief Ken Pimlott said.

He warned that the death toll could rise further.

"We are still impacted by five years of drought," he added.

"These fires were driven by the critically dry fuel bed. We are literally looking at explosive vegetation."

The wildfires, fanned by 50mph (80km/h) wind gusts, have razed more than 3,500 buildings and homes spanning 170,000 acres (68,800 hectares).

Renewed high winds are fanning the "catastrophic" blazes, said state fire officials, which were spreading unpredictably in their fourth day.

Firefighters are going door to door in the state's wine-producing region, evacuating those left behind ahead of the next wave of blazes.

Some homeowners complained that the flames had reached their doors ahead of any official warnings.

Many residents did not receive notifications on their mobile phones, similar to the Amber Alert issued for missing children.

Sheriff Giordano said Sonoma County uses a system that requires sign-up to receive such messages.

The wildfires have damaged or demolished at least 13 Napa Valley wineries, a vintners' trade group says.

Cannabis plantations in fire-scorched Mendocino County could lose millions as many are uninsured, according to Nikki Lastreto of the local industry association.

Marijuana farmers cannot insure their businesses since federal law bans the drug.

Though recreational cannabis was legalised in the state in 2016, California's retail market does not open until next January.

This means some farmers who have invested millions may be left without a business once the smoke clears.

The fires are among the deadliest in California's history and have sent smoke as far south as San Francisco, about 50 miles away.

More than 200 fire engines and crews are being rushed to California from the rest of the US, officials said.

Mr Pimlott said 73 helicopters, 30 air tankers and nearly 8,000 firefighters were currently battling the blazes.

The conflagration has reduced entire neighbourhoods in the city of Santa Rosa, a city of 175,000 people, to ash.

Fourteen of the deaths have occurred in Sonoma County, officials say.

Some 25,000 people across the county have been evacuated and 40,000 homes are without power.

Six people have died in Mendocino County, four in Yuba County and two in Napa County, officials said.

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Worsening California wildfires clear towns

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Prison inmates help weary firefighters tackle blazes so intense that they detonate vegetation.

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North Korea foreign minister: Trump has 'lit the wick' of war.

US President Donald Trump has "lit the wick of the war" against North Korea, a Russian state news agency quoted North Korea's foreign minister as saying on Wednesday.

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The boy scouts of america will now allow girls to join the ranks of its Cub Scouts program, as well as create a Scouting program for older girls, the organization announced today.

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The Boy Scouts of America will now allow girls to join the ranks its Cub Scouts program, as well as create a Scouting program for older girls, the organization announced today.

Cub Scout "dens," as they are referred to, will be single-gender, allowing the organization "to maintain the integrity of the single-gender model while also meeting the needs of today's families," the Boy Scouts of America said in a press release.

"The historic decision comes after years of receiving requests from families and girls, the organization evaluated the results of numerous research efforts, gaining input from current members and leaders, as well as parents and girls who've never been involved in Scouting -- to understand how to offer families an important additional choice in meeting the character development needs of all their children," the press release reads.

The program for older girls, which will allow them to attain the rank of Eagle Scout, is expected to be formally announced next year and is projected to be available in 2019, according to the press release.

The Boy Scouts of America "has offered co-ed programs since 1971 Exploring and the Venturing program," the press release notes.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for more updates.

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Boy Scouts allowing girls into Cub program, but will keep them separate

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The Boy Scouts of America will now allow girls to join the ranks its Cub Scouts program, as well as create a Scouting program for older girls, the organization announced today.

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Colorado authorities have accused two women of murder in the deaths of two young girls whose bodies were found last month. Nashika Bramble and Madani Ceus, 37, were originally arrested on charges of child abuse causing death, along with two other men and one other woman. Prosecutors added murder charges against them on Friday. Police have said the girls were between the ages of 5 and 10. They also believe that their bodies were dead for several weeks before being discovered.

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Authorities in Colorado have formally accused two women of murder in the deaths of two young girls whose bodies were found last month.

Nashika Bramble and Madani Ceus, 37, were originally arrested on charges of child abuse causing death, along with two other men and one other woman. Prosecutors added murder charges against them on Friday.

Investigators have not elaborated on what led to the murder charges. An attorney for Ceus who is from Haiti, declined comment on Tuesday. An attorney for Bramble couldn't be immediately reached.

Police have said the girls were between the ages of 5 and 10. Investigators believe they were dead for several weeks before the bodies were located on a farm outside Norwood, about 30 miles west of the ski resort town of Telluride.

"In my 37 years as Sheriff, I have never seen anything as cruel and heartless as this," San Miguel County Sheriff Bill Masters said when the bodies were found.

Authorities have shared few other details about the case that shocked the town of about 500 people. It's not clear how any of the defendants are connected to the children. Authorities haven't released any details about what caused their deaths, and affidavits in the case have been closed to public view.

The others arrested in the case have been identified as Frederick Blair, 23, of Norwood; Ika Eden, a 53-year-old woman from Jamaica and Ashford Archer, a 50-year-old man from Haiti.

Blair and Archer also have been charged with acting as an accessory to a crime.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Two women charged in killings of two girls on Colorado farm

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Authorities in Colorado have formally accused two women of murder in the deaths of two young girls whose bodies were found last month. Nashika Bramble and Madani Ceus, 37, were originally arrested on charges of child abuse causing death, along with two other men and one other woman.

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The newest member of the Arizona Cardinals has a lawsuit from his bank for $2.4 M loan

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Bank files lawsuit against Adrian Peterson over $2.4M loan

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As Adrian Peterson prepares to make his Arizona Cardinals debut following a trade from the New Orleans Saints, one situation from his previous life in Minnesota is making headlines.

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israelis hacked into rassan baced aintivirus compony Kasperskys lab

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Israeli intelligence officers watched Russian hackers use software from Moscow-based cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab to search for U.S. secrets, the New York Times reports.

The hackers reportedly searched computers across the globe for the code names of U.S. intelligence programs.

Citing current and former government officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, the report says that Israeli officials who had hacked into Kaspersky's network alerted their U.S. counterparts. The intrusion, which was detected more than two years ago, prompted the U.S. Government's recent decision to ditch Kaspersky Lab software, the Times said.
DHS vs. KASPERSKY LAB: WHY THE US GOVERNMENT IS DITCHING THE RUSSIAN SOFTWARE GIANT
The Russian operation reportedly stole classified documents from a NSA employee. The documents were improperly stored on the employee's home computer, on which Kaspersky Lab software was installed, according to the New York Times.

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Russian hackers used Kaspersky Lab software installed on a NSA contractor's computer to steal sensitive information. However, the role of Israeli intelligence in uncovering that intrusion and Russian hackers' broader use of Kaspersky software in the search for U.S. secrets was not previously known, the New York Times said.

The NSA declined to comment on this story when contacted by Fox News.
RUSSIAN CYBERSECURITY FIRM KASPERSKY LAB A 'DANGER' TO US SECURITY, SENATOR WARNS
Last month the Department of Homeland Security banned federal agencies and departments from using Kaspersky Lab products, citing national security concerns. U.S. officials, who alleged ties between the company and Russian intelligence, gave American government agencies and departments 90 days to get rid of Kaspersky Lab software.

Kaspersky Lab has repeatedly denied the allegations that its products are a threat to U.S. national security, a message it reiterated following the New York Times report. "Kaspersky Lab was not involved in and does not possess any knowledge of the situation in question," it said, in a statement emailed to Fox News. "As the integrity of our products is fundamental to our business, Kaspersky Lab patches any vulnerabilities it identifies or that are reported to the company."

"Kaspersky Lab reiterates its willingness to work alongside U.S. authorities to address any concerns they may have about its products as well as its systems, and respectfully requests any relevant, verifiable information that would help the company in its own investigation to certifiably refute the false accusations," it added.
ISRAEL SECURITY CHIEF: TECH PREVENTED MORE THAN 2,000 'LONE-WOLF' TERROR ATTACKS LAST YEAR
The Russian and Israeli governments have not yet responded to a request for comment on this story from Fox News.

Attention is now focused on a mysterious 2015 cyberattack on Kaspersky Lab. A report released by the company in June of that year described the attack as a variant of the existing 'Duqu' malware, which it dubbed 'Duqu 2.0'. While Kasperky Lab's report made no reference to Israel, security experts have drawn comparisons between Duqu and the Stuxnet worm that crippled Iran's nuclear production in 2010. The U.S. and Israel have been linked to the development of Stuxnet.

"With regards to unverified assertions that this situation relates to Duqu2, a sophisticated cyber-attack of which Kaspersky Lab was not the only target, we are confident that we have identified and removed all of the infections that happened during that incident," said Kaspersky Lab, in its statement emailed to Fox News. "Kaspersky Lab publicly reported the attack, and the company offered its assistance to affected or interested organizations to help mitigate this threat."
US, EUROPEAN ENERGY FIRMS TARGETED BY SHADOWY CYBER ESPIONAGE GROUP, EXPERTS WARN
Nonetheless, the New York Times report of "spies watching spies watching spies" keeps Kaspersky Lab firmly in the cybersecurity spotlight at a time when U.S. lawmakers are closely scrutinizing the Russian company.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H, has been a vocal critic of federal government's use of Kaspersky Lab products. Following the Wall Street Journal report last week, Shaheen wrote a letter to the leadership of the Senate Armed Services Committee requesting a hearing on the matter. Shaheen is a member of the Armed Services Committee.
Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers

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Israel hacked Kaspersky Lab, tipped off US about Russian hackers, report says

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Israeli intelligence officers watched Russian hackers use software from Moscow-based cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab to search for U.S. secrets, the New York Times reports. The hackers reportedly searched computers across the globe for the code names of U.S.

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The wind known as the Diablo is picking up again, the air is dry, there is no rain in sight and the killer wildfires that have scorched the wine country of Northern California remain almost completely uncontained. Officials warned Wednesday that some of the big fires could merge, while thousands have been told to evacuate or prepare to leave their homes. with 23 dead and hundreds missing the wildfire isn't letting up

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The Washington Post 7 hrs ago Cleve R. Wootson Jr., Kristine Phillips, Joel Achenbach

Slideshow by photo services

SANTA ROSA, Calif. - The wind known as the Diablo is picking up again, the air is dry, there is no rain in sight and the killer wildfires that have scorched the wine country of Northern California remain almost completely uncontained. Officials warned Wednesday that some of the big fires could merge, while thousands have been told to evacuate or prepare to leave their homes.

Amid these grim bulletins, the huge utility company PG&E acknowledged that the extreme winds late Sunday and early Monday had knocked trees into power lines in conditions conducive to wildfires.

"The historic wind event that swept across PG&E's service area late Sunday and early Monday packed hurricane-strength winds in excess of 75 mph in some cases," said Ari Vanrenen, a PG&E spokeswoman, in a statement released after the San Jose Mercury News first reported on a possible link between the wildfires and the power grid.
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"These destructive winds, along with millions of trees weakened by years of drought and recent renewed vegetation growth from winter storms, all contributed to some trees, branches and debris impacting our electric lines across the North Bay," she said.

Vanrenen said the company was up to date in the maintenance of its infrastructure and the surrounding vegetation but that excess rain last winter, followed by a drought, has created a lot of dry brush.
[An elderly couple just celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary. Then the Napa wildfires came.]

Officials with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said they have yet to determine the cause of the fires, which have killed at least 23 people in Napa, Sonoma, Yuba and Mendocino counties.

The conflagrations have led tens of thousands of people to flee their homes. Evacuations continue, including one order Wednesday afternoon covering the entire city of Calistoga in Napa County. About 4,400 are in shelters and will not be able to go home for many days, officials said. The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office said of the 600 people reported missing, 315 have been located safe. Another 285 are still reported missing, but many may have lost cellphones or Internet access and may not have been able to reach friends or family.
[Apocalyptic images show the devastation caused by California]
Statewide, 8,000 firefighters are working to contain 22 wildfires that cover 170,000 acres - a collective area larger than the city of Chicago. The worst are in Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino counties, where 4,500 homes and businesses had been burned at last count.

The fire has put a strain on federal resources, too. Coming on the heels of catastrophic hurricanes, the California wildfires in total represent just one of 22 disasters that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is managing across the nation. Eighty-five percent of FEMA's 9,900 full-time employees are working "in the field," away from their assigned offices, agency spokesman Mike Cappannari said.

In some areas in wine country, the smoke and haze is so thick that the sun is a faint orange sphere in the sky. Most stores are sold out of air filtration masks. People pumping gas, shopping for groceries or walking dogs look like carpenters or surgeons, depending on which type of mask they were able to pick up.

Families crowd areas off the interstate highway, their cars packed with belongings. Highway 101 cuts through rolling hills that dominate the California coast, and entire hills are scarred black. In Santa Rosa, it is possible to trace the direction of the wind by which buildings were reduced to ashes and which remained untouched.

Cal Fire Chief Ken Pimlott said a major fire in Napa County, known as the Atlas fire, was 3 percent contained. The same modest progress had been made against the Tubbs fire, which invaded the city of Santa Rosa amid winds after midnight Monday morning and immolated entire neighborhoods.
Mapping the wildfires in Northern California's wine country]
In Santa Rosa on Wednesday, Ameir Kazemi stared at the smoldering remains of his business, the Mohawk Sign Company. It has been a Santa Rosa institution for 50 years, and Kazemi, 33, has owned it for a decade. Now, it's a pile of ashes and charred wood.

On Monday at 3:45 a.m., Kazemi's friends began calling him at home, warning him that a wildfire had jumped the highway. He wanted to dash to the store, but he couldn't leave his pregnant wife. Two hours later, a local TV station broadcast video of his building on fire. The station replayed the clip constantly.

"It was pretty sickening," he said. "I just wanted to come see if there was any chance that anything survived - the artwork, 10 years' worth of stuff on my hard drive. It's all gone."

Jennifer Pierre returned to her Santa Rosa neighborhood to see what was left of her house: almost nothing. Everything was ashes, including her children's baby blankets that she used to spray with her perfume, her wedding dress and her wedding ring. Even the valuables in their fireproof safe had burned or melted.

She and her husband had escaped with the clothes on their backs, and the couple now smelled like the smoky remains of their home.

"I could not wash that smell off me," she said. "You just want to scrub it out of you and get the smell out of you. Every time you breathe, this whole ordeal immediately comes back to you."

Christina Hanson, 27, who has spina bifida, a neural tube defect, and uses a wheelchair, was one of the people reported missing. Late Tuesday, her family posted the news that she did not survive the fire that struck her home on the north side of Santa Rosa.

Frank Vinculado, Hanson's cousin by marriage, had used social media to alert the community that she hadn't been accounted for in the wake of the fires. "Help me and my wife find her cousin!! We have lost contact with her in the Santa Rosa fires!" he wrote.

But late Tuesday, after a fire inspector reportedly visited the home, Vinculado wrote on Twitter, "To all who have retweeted, searched, called, text we have gotten news we have lost an angel."

Sonoma County Sheriff Robert Giordano said he expects the death toll to rise when officers begin going into the "hot zones."

"We can't even get into most of the areas," he said. "When we start doing searches, I expect that number to go up."

Sheriff's office spokeswoman Misti Harris said sometimes the only way to spread crucial information is with boots on the ground. "Deputies were running toward the fire, banging on doors, getting people out of their houses," she said.

Giordano said the mandatory evacuation zones in the county remain off-limits 24 hours a day, and he doubted that residents would be able to return to their homes this week.

Reporters asked Giordano about anecdotal accounts from residents saying they hadn't gotten alerts by phone about the oncoming fires. The sheriff cited a technological change in society that has undermined one automated system using landlines.

"People don't have landlines anymore," he said. He urged citizens to sign up for an alert system that sends messages to their cellphones.

With some of the fires in the Sierras and Southern California nearing containment, Cal Fire is shifting resources - which include 73 helicopters and 30 air tankers - to the most dangerous fires in and around wine country. The U.S. Forest Service said it has dispatched 740 personnel.

"We are in a wickedly dangerous fire situation and when one of us needs help, all of us come," said Bob Baird, director of fire and aviation management for the Forest Service's Pacific Southwest region.

Many Forest Service personnel are dealing with threats to their own homes. On Wednesday morning, as Baird was coordinating firefighting efforts, he received a text from his wife telling him that they were being asked to evacuate their home in Fairfield.

"The Atlas fire is three miles from the [Fairfield] city limits. The fire is about five miles away. Normally, that would be far away, but not with this fire," he said.

"We're literally looking at explosive vegetation. These fires are burning actively during the day and at night," said Pimlott, the Cal Fire chief. "This is a serious, critical, catastrophic event."

Phillips and Achenbach reported from Washington. Lea Donosky, Alissa Greenberg and Breena Kerr in Santa Rosa, and Abigail Hauslohner and Kimberly Kindy in Washington contributed to this report.

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Deaths rise to 23 with hundreds missing as wildfires scorch California wine country

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The Washington Post 7 hrs ago Cleve R. Wootson Jr., Kristine Phillips, Joel Achenbach Slideshow by photo services SANTA ROSA, Calif. - The wind known as the Diablo is picking up again, the air is dry, there is no rain in sight and the killer wildfires that have scorched the wine country of Northern California remain almost completely uncontained.