incredible employee they have. >> right now on "america this morning" breaking news, a massive wildfire engulfing an entire town in northern california. much of the downtown now burned to the ground and conditions today set to get even worse. the new images just coming in. a new prediction about the coronavirus. just how many americans could be hospitalized by the end of this month and the growing concern about a new and potentially far more dangerous variant. plus, the latest on vaccine mandates for u.s. troops and foreign visitors and a surprising twist in the fight o cuomo's last stand. a key ally of the new york governor now saying cuomo must go in the wake of that bombshell sexual harassment report.

the new criminal investigations this morning. plus, bill gates breaks his silence about his divorce and his ties to sex offender jeffrey epstein. big news about who could replace alex trebek on "jeopardy!" and later, one man's fight to live in a cabin in the woods takes a dramatic turn. how this 81-year-old is standing his ground. good thursday morning, everyone. we begin with breaking news. a massive wildfire engulfing an entire town in northern california. >> that's right. the images are just coming in from the town of greenville where much of the downtown gone and another fire has forced more to flee their homes. >> weather conditions are only going to get worse with heavy winds in the forecast. these scenes of utter devastation are emerging from a northern california town where a

wildfire destroyed everything in its path. witnesses in greenville say flames from the dixie fire have leveled the town. the town's sheriff's office, jail, library, stores, restaurants and a hotel all reportedly burning to the ground. and this video showing home after home on fire, but this dollar store seemingly untouched. local congressman doug lamalfa getting emotional during a facebook video with a large smoke bloom visible in the background. >> we lost greenville tonight, and there's just not words for it. >> reporter: the three-week-old dixie fire is now the eighth largest fire in state history destroying more than 278,000 acres. the forest service is calling this fire season a national crisis fueled by extreme drought. 2021 is already outpacing last year, which was the most destructive fire session on record. congressman lamalfa saying

something has to be done. >> all of us and the government hasn't been able to get the job done for you. we'll take up the fight even harder. >> there are no reports of injuries. most of greenville's 800 residents had already evacuated. a grim new forecast when it comes to the pandemic. the cdc now predicts covid hospitalizations could triple this month, and one expert now says every unvaccinated american will likely be infected at some point. meanwhile, we've learned defense secretary lloyd austin is expected to announce a vaccine mandate for u.s. troops. an announcement that could come this week. abc's alex presha is in washington with the very latest. alex, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, mona. more hospitals are warning about the spike in covid cases, warnings about shortages in beds and staff. this morning, a top doctor in mississippi says the state is running out of icu beds. >> six. that's how many open icu beds we

have in the state of mississippi this morning. six. >> reporter: dr. luann woodward at the university of mississippi medical center fears the worst is yet to come. >> we're very concerned with what we see on the horizon for the nxt few weeks, the rest of this month and perhaps even into next month. >> reporter: the highest infiction rate in the country is in louisiana where hospitalizations are up nearly 500% in the last month. abc's marcus moore visited this hospital in shreveport. >> i'm putting people that are my age and my parents' age in body bags, and it is my worst fear for it to be one of them. >> i've seen a lot of tears here today. >> yeah, to be honest i probably cry most days at work, and i cry when i go home. i'm tired. i've been doing this for a year and a half, and it just -- it feels like there's never going to be an end. and if you're not going to get

the vaccine, at least wear a mask. try to be part of the solution. >> reporter: it comes as dr. anthony fauci warns covid infections could hit 2,000 a day within the next six weeks. another expert predicts every unvaccinated american will likely catch covid at some point. >> if you decide to try to run the game clock out, don't try to do it. this virus will find you, it will infect you eventually. >> reporter: the highly contagious delta variant now accounts for 93% of new infections. but doctors fear the lack of herd immunity could give birth to a more dangerous variant. >> it's happening as the virus is randomly mutating all the time, and if we keep letting it replicate, eventually more virulent strains can show up. who knows what the next contagious strain will be. >> reporter: in the meantime, battles over mask mandates are intensifying. [ crowd chanting ] >> reporter: in colorado hundreds of parents protested a mask requirement in schools. and arkansas' governor now says he regrets signing a ban that bans mask mandates. he wants to give schools the

option to require masks after one school district reported 700 students and staff members in quarantine just two weeks in the school year. meanwhile in new jersey -- >> these folks have lost -- you've lost your minds. >> reporter: the governor tearing into vaccine protesters who interrupted his news conference. >> you are the ultimate knuckleheads, and because of what you're saying and standing for, people are losing their life. >> reporter: well, and get this, a new study finds that vaccinated people are three times less likely to test positive for covid than unvaccinated people. >> alex, thank you. abc news learned the biden administration plans to re-open the country to international travelers. but the administration will require foreign nationals to be vaccinated against covid. now, the white house is working with airlines to implement the policy. no timetable has been set. one potential issue, some countries use vaccines that are not yet approved in the u.s. new york governor andrew cuomo is facing new pressure to

resign amid a growing scandal and now more criminal investigations are being launched. this morning, andrew cuomo's days as governor of new york appear to be numbered after that scathing independent investigation found he sexually harassed 11 women. new york's lieutenant governor who would take over if cuomo leaves office has reportedly cleared her schedule, and in a key development the head of the state's democratic party is now calling on cuomo to resign. not a single prominent new york democrat is defending cuomo. >> the governor should resign. >> he absolutely should resign. >> reporter: president biden agrees. >> the president believes governor cuomo should do the right thing, resign and leave space for future leadership in new york. >> reporter: should cuomo not resign, he's likely to be impeached with a majority of state assembly members now supporting his removal from office. an impeachment vote could come as soon as next month. cuomo has not been seen or heard from since releasing this recorded statement tuesday. >> i want you to know directly from me that i never touched

anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances. >> reporter: cuomo losing the support of the public too. one poll showing nearly six in ten yorkers believe he should resign or be impeached. [ crowd chanting "cuomo's got to go"] >> reporter: protesters gathering outside cuomo's office and in the skies over albany, this banner declaring, the report is in. remove cuomo now. four district attorneys across new york state are now launching criminal investigations into cuomo's behavior asking any additional victims to come forward. ten people are confirmed dead after a van crashed on a highway in south texas. police say the van was carrying a total of 30 people, most of them migrants. now, witnesses say the driver was speeding and lost control. a similar crash near the california/mexico border back in march left 13 people dead. a former u.s. olympic swimmer is expected to plead guilty to charges stemming from

january's riot at the u.s. capitol. klete keller was seen in the rotunda wearing his olympic jacket during the riot and faces seven federal charges including obstruction of raw -- law enforcement and disorderly conduct. taking over the u.s. men's basketball team has advanced and overcame a 15-point deficit to beat australia, 97-78. they move on to play the winner of the france/slovenia game. and the u.s. men's track and field team has won its first gold medal in tokyo. ryan crouser won the title in shot put. he broke his own olympic record. afterwards krauser held a sign that read, grandpa, we did it, 2020 olympic champion. and a weight lifter from the republic of georgia has won back-to-back gold medals. he set three new world records lifting 1,100 pounds. >> time now for a look at your weather. in addition to the explosive dixie fire in northern california, the so-called river

fire north of sacramento has forced more than 6,000 evacuations. as many as 40 buildings have burned, and more heavy winds are expected today. looking at the radar, a coastal storm brings rain to new england 90s across the middle of the country and some part of the west will see triple digits again, 110 in phoenix. coming up, the scandal surrounding a nearly $6,000 bottle of whiskey. also ahead, a major announcement from target. how it's now keeping pace with walmart. but first bill gates breaking his silence about his divorce and his ties to jeffrey epstein.

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back now with microsoft founder responding to questions about his divorce. workplace scandal and ties to sex offender jeffrey epstein. >> this morning, bill gates is speaking out for the first time about his divorce. >> it's a very sad milestone. >> the microsoft founder worth $150 billion. >> we are communicating and working at the foundation. that partnership will continue. >> the divorce final tuesday. they announce ld the split in may. after 27 years. gates resigned from the board in 2020 after the board hired a law firm to investigate a romantic relationship he had with an employee. a gates spokesperson acknowledged the affair 20 years ago ended. allegations surfaced about an uncomfortable workplace environment. >> it's a time of reflection

and -- at this point i need to go forward. my work is very important to me. >> gates also questioned about his relationship with sex offender jeffrey epstein. gates saying he met with him only because of his charity work. >> i had several dinners with him. hoping that what he said about getting billions of global health. it was a huge mistake. to spend time with him. to give him creditability. there were lots of others in the same situation. i made a mistak. >> they had no prenup. and court documents didn't detail how the money would be splitment. >> a new move by target to keep pace with walmart.

the company is offering free college tuition for employees. books will be included. and the benefit will be available to part-time workers as well. it comes as retailers struggle to hire and retain workers during the pandemic. >> u.s. government trying to track down a $5,800 bottle of whiskey. given to former secretary of state. he received taz a gift from the japanese. government officials are not allowed to accept gifts worth more than $400. he has no memory of receiving it. >> fans react to the news of tom brady and manning. >> 81 year-old man who lived in the woods of new hampshire for decades. what can i du with less asthma? with dupixent, i can du more....beginners' yoga. namaste... ...surprise parties. aww, you guys. dupixent helps prevent asthma attacks...

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♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ back now with new images of a wall of flame threatening villages on a greek island near athens forcing residents to evacuate. one local official calls it incalculable. dozens of homes destroyed. a shocking case of mistaken identity kept a homeless man locked inside a mental hospital in hawaii for nearly three years. he was arrested after falling asleep on a sidewalk where police mistook him for another man with outstanding warrants. he was sent to a mental hospital where he was forcibly injected with drugs. he has since been released, sent on his way with only 50 cents in his pocket. we turn now to one man's fight to live in a cabin in the woods.

he is in jail in new hampshire this morning, and now his story has taken a dramatic turn. authorities in new hampshire are investigating what caused a fire at his remote cabin just hours after the man living there, an accused squatter, faced a judge. the cabin so remote it burned down before firefighters even arrived. >> so no fire trucks could make access to the scene. >> reporter: 81-year-old david lidstone has lived in the cabin for 27 years, growing his own food and tending to his chickens but river dave has been in jail since july 15th for disobeying a court order to stay away from the property. that's because the owner of the land, who lives in vermont, wants to tear down the cabin. he apparently didn't know lidstone was living there. lidstone claims they had a verbal agreement, but the owner's lawyer isn't buying it. >> how far is he supposed to go in order to turn his wood lot into a habitable lot for somebody else who is there trespassing. >> reporter: on wednesday a judge agreed lidstone wasn't

hurting anyone but said the law is clearly on the land owner's side. >> in this case, your guy is not really hurting anybody, and you're doing your own thing in the live free or die state. so there's a lot of sympathy to you for that. there is a lot of weight on the other side of the balance sheet. >> reporter: the judge ruled lidstone can be released if he agrees to leave the cabin, but lidstone remains defiant. >> it's corrupt judges like you that step on little people like me but you step on me, i'll bite your ankle. >> reporter: hours after the cabin catches fire. >> still no word on what caused it. lidstone will have to serve another two weeks in jail for his defiance. the new host of "jeopardy!" has alex trebek's replacement finally been chosen? the best 7-eleven store ever.

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time to check the pulse. we begin with the emerges front runner to replace alex trebek. >> jeopardy executive producer mike richards. in advanced talks to be the permanent host. >> impressed with his command of the game. true sportsmanship on display. from two super-stars. >> they met 17 times on the football field. this weekend they'll be together again. manning is inshrined in the hall of fame sunday. brady will be in the house cheering on his former rival. manning retired after the 2015 season. brady who just turned 44,

playing like he's 24. is preparing for another season. the go to place for food at the olympics. 7 eleven. >> most reporters are not allowed to venture out because of covid. they are going to convenience stores attached to hotels in tokyo. so far the reviews are good. >> a reporter posted this video. with the caption. iced coffee heaven. and called the egg salad sandwiches. >> we love a good review. they recommend the octopus and broccoli salad. >> those not confined can drink and dine at the reptile cafe. snakes and lizards. these spots offer a chance to get up close and personal with nature in the big city. >> speaking of, unusual bear encounter in alaska. >> hikers got a look as a brown bear strolled through the marble park. watch what happens. he sees a sign warning about the bears in the park.

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now at 5:00, a wildfire destroying a northern california down. new vio from wntown greenville as another fire forces more to leave him. people who say i do not want to get vaccinated because it is me and i'm not having any impact on others. that is not the case. >> the delta variant raging across the u.s. dr. anthony fauci explaining how the unvaccinated are putting everyone at risk. there are slippery spots out there this morning. you are watching abc 7 mornings life on abc 7, hulu live, and wherever you stream. >> i have the drizzle all morning. it is widespread and heavy enough and aggressive enough that it is causing slippery spots. that will be the case through the morn