kpix.com. and by the way, 6'2". >> i knew you were gonna say that. he's 6'0". captioning sponsored by cbs >> oliver: tonight, deadly collapse. a hotel under construction in new orleans comes crashing to the ground, workers near the scene running for their lives. the desperate search tonight for survivors. raging infernos-- firefighters on the front lines in california, massive wildfires still burning at this hour. the new concern tonight as snow blankets the city of angels. under scrutiny: president trump's personal attorney accused of breaking the law. why federal prosecutors are looking into his dealings with ukraine. critical report: regulators condemn boeing and the f.a.a. over the 737 max. how long before the troubled aircraft once again takes flight? flipping amazing: how simone biles vaulted her way into the

record books. and there's no debate-- this harvard coach is helping students find their voices. this is the "cbs weekend news. >> oliver: good evening, i'm meg oliver. tonight, rescue crews are searching for survivors after a building collapse in new orleans. it was a terrifying scene. part of the hard rock hotel came crashing to the ground. the building that sits in the outskirts of the city's famous french quarter was under construction. workers nearby were seen running for their lives. tonight, at least one worker is dead and two are missing. kenneth craig now with the dramatic video and the aftermath. >> reporter: huge sections of the hard rock hotel came down with a thunderous roar... >> oh, my god! >> reporter: pancaking floors on top of each other, sending

debris flying on to the road and people on the street running for their lives. the hotel, under construction, gave way without warning, crumbling several floors just after 9:00 this morning. >> get to the back. get to the back. >> reporter: passengers inside a trolly tried to take cover as a plume of dust and debris blanketed the streets. the deadly collapse happened in a busy part of downtown new orleans on the edge of the french quarter, fire officials say leaving the structure unstable and at risk for further destruction. >> there was a very strong possibility of further collapse of this crane right now, which is why we have evacuated. we have a very unstable building, and you will continue to search until you can determine the condition of those folks unaccounted for. >> reporter: rescue crews pulled several people from out of the hotel and brought at least 18 to the hospital. authorities evacuated several surrounding buildings and are sending drones up in the air to figure out what's stable and what's not. >> a search-and-rescue mission is under way tonight because

officials believe there are two people still trapped inside one of the construction sites, and one of them they are not sure they can reach. fire officials say it will be quite some time before investigators figure out why all >> oliver: absolutely terrifying scene. kenneth craig, thank you. a suspected gunman is under arrest in new hampshire tonight after opening fire inside a church. it happened during a wedding ceremony in pelham, near the massachusetts border. police say the man arrived and began shooting after the ceremony started. the bride and the bishop were shot. guests tackled the suspect and held him until police arrived. tonight, the death toll is rising as wildfires continue raging in southern california. two major fires are burning near los angeles at this hour. at least three people are dead. tens of thousands of people have been forced from their homes, the air across the region filling with smoke. errol barnett is on the front lines of the firefight. >> reporter: flames continue to rip hillsides north of los angeles today as they've been doing since thursday. >> these houses are starting to

go. >> reporter: 31 homes have been destroyed, with many others remaining unlivable. 100,000 people were ordered to evacuate as embers flew in all directions. this morning, more than 200 residents lined up at this l.a.p.d. checkpoint for five-minute escorts back into their homes. what are you most in need of? >> right now, i just need to get back home to get insurance paperwork. >> reporter: leone lee saw wind gusts bring fire to her backyard. >> there were embers flying everywhere. >> reporter: it's still unknown how the fire began, though neighbors say an electrical transmission tower belonging to southern california edison could be to blame. >> the brush underneath that tower was on fire. and the wind was blowing so hard it just-- it took off. >> reporter: california's governor declared a state of emergency for los angeles county and riverside county 90 miles east.

there, 76 calimesa mobile homes were lost. authorities confirmed 89-year-old lois arvickson died, along with at least one other person. the probable cause has been traced to this trash truck. witnesses recorded smoke pulled over and dumped burning trash near the brush. >> i pulled up to him, and i said, "you can't-- you cannot stay here with the wind and then the field right there. you're going to catch everything on fire." >> reporter: the trailer park is now a crime scene, investigated by cal fire and the riverside county central homicide unit. it is a stark reminder of how easily these wildfires can quickly flare up and become deadly. so fire officials here are imploring people to clean off any leaves, needles, and other dry brush blown by the seasonal winds, because, meg, this is only the beginning of fire season. >> oliver: stark reminder, indeed. errol barnett, thank you. from fire to snow and ice. an autumn snowstorm is hitting an area from north dakota to wisconsin.

the dakotas are getting the worst of it, though. some places are experiencing blizzard conditions with poor visibility. harvey, north dakota, has gotten two and a half feet of snow. there's mounting trouble tonight for president trump's attorney, rudy giuliani, over his dealings with ukraine. the u.s. attorney's office in new york, that giuliani once ran, is looking at whether he broke any laws. as natalie brand reports, it comes as president trump steps up his defense. >> they know they can't win on election day, so they're pursuing an illegal, invalid, and unconstitutional ( bepen ( cheers and applause ) >> reporter: president trump has hit the campaign trail with a new rallying cry, revving up his base against the expanding impeachment inquiry. >> it's a whole big fat disgrace. >> reporter: the president's personal attorney, rudy giuliani, remains a central figure in the congressional investigation into allegations the president and his allies

pressured ukraine to investigate former vice president joe biden and his son hunter. cbs news has learned federal investigators are now looking into giuliani's involvement and possible business dealings with two of his associates, lev parnas, and igor fruman, who were arrested on thursday on federal campaign finance charges. the indictment for parnas and fruman also connects them to efforts to recall then-ambassador to ukraine, marie yovanovitch. the career diplomat testified friday behind closed doors for nearly nine hours. >> i think she is a courageous example for others. >> reporter: cbs news has learned fiona hill, the administration's former top aide on russia and europe, is expected to testify on monday that giuliani and e.u. ambassador gordon sondland avoided her and the national security process, instead running their own ukraine policy. >> well, i don't know.

>> reporter: the president appeared to distance himself from giuliani on friday, but then defended him on twitter today, saying "he may seem a little rough around the edges, but is also a great guy and wonderful lawyer." cbs news has learned giuliani will remain on the president's legal team but will not be involved in matters related to ukraine. as for the reports of an investigation by federal prosecutors, giuliani tells us he has no knowledge of that. meg. >> oliver: natalie, president trump is also touting his partial trade deal with china. what do we know about that so far? >> reporter: well, meg, this deal still has to be finalized on paper, and it's only considered phase one. but the president says the agreement, in principle, includes progress on intellectual property issues and says china has agreed to purchase $40 billion to $50 billion worth of agricultural products, touting it as a big win for farmers. in exchange, the administration says it will hold off on this month's tariff hike. meg. >> oliver: natalie brand

reporting from the white house. thank you. tonight, the arab league is calling on the u.n. security council to force turkey to halt its offensive against the kurds in northern syria. it comes as turkey claims a major victory, saying pro-turkish forces have made their way into the key town of ras al-ayn. charlie d'agata is on the ground with a report some viewers may find disturbing. >> reporter: the turkish military stepped up its bombardment of america's allies in northern syria, ignoring the trump administration's threats to shut down the turkish economy. new video has emerged alleging to show pro-turkish militias executing kurdish soldiers on the roadside. those same forces who fought beside u.s. troops in the fight against isis today asked for help. "we ask for our allies to take a moral responsibility," this spokesman said, "and honor their commitment to protect us." as turkish forces push deeper

into northern syria, more and more kurds are fleeing the fighting. the u.n. just upped their estimate to around 100,000, but some weren't able to get out quickly enough. badi sabri had just packed his three children into his car when a turkish mortar slammed into his home. he hadn't realized his wife, juliette, had gone back into the house to grab something. a chunk of shrapnel pierced her back. how is your wife doing now? "not well," he said. "i just hope she won't be paralyzed. at least she survived." and what happened to your neighbor? "he was standing behind me, just saying nothing would happen, when shrapnel took off his head." as casualties mount, kurdish civilians caught up in the violence are beginning to abandon hope that america will do anything to make it stop. charlie d'agata, cbs news, in northeast syria. >> oliver: aviation regulators are criticizing both boeing and the f.a.a. over the grounded 737

max. the report condems boeing for withholding key information and the f.a.a. for lacking expertise during the approval process. here's kris van cleave. >> reporter: the new report identified failures by both boeing and the f.a.a. allowing design flaws on the 737 max to go unnoticed. while the max was in development, boeing did not fully explain the anti-stall system, known as mcas, to the f.a.a. and did not sufficiently update safety regulators on changes being made to that system. mcas played a central role in both max crashes, pushing the plane's nose down, causing pilots to lose control. the report also found f.a.a. staff had only limited experience and knowledge about key technical aspects of the plane. also faulted were assumptions made by the f.a.a. and boeing about how pilots would respond to an mcas failure. it is hard to see these two accidents happening without mcas. >> i think that's a fair point.

>> reporter: f.a.a. administrator steve dixon spoke to cbs news last month. >> we're looking at the overall certification protocols to see where there may be gaps or where those processes could be improved. and, also, if there were any flaws in execution. >> reporter: the max has been grounded since march. this week, united and american joined southwest in pulling the plane from flight schedules until at least january. american airlines c.e.o. doug parker. what are you going to do to convince people that they're safe? >> we're going to have american airlines pilots flying that airplane and when our customers know an american airlines pilot says they're comfortable flying that plane, that plane is safe to fly. >> reporter: being boeing says safety it at its core. company sources tell me they are very close to finishing the software changes to fix the max. kris van cleave, cbs news, washington. >> oliver: more than two dozen children kidnapped and buried alive. ue'from

ctims four decades later. plus, the history-making movie studio 2,200 miles from hollywood. and later, don't argue with these kids. you won't win.

hearing from victims of one of the most notorious mass kidnappings in america. 43 years ago, 26 california children and their driver were taken from a bus and buried alive. the abductions took place in the central california city of chowchilla. david begnaud is looking into this case for "48 hours." ( cheers and applause ) >> reporter: it was the summer of 1976. this bus pulled into the small town of chowchilla, california. inside the bus were 26 traumatized children. these children had been through an unimaginable ordeal-- kidnapped and buried alive in an old moving truck that had been hidden beneath a rock quarry.

six-year-old larry park was one of those kids. >> this man carried me off the bus, and he put me in my mom's arms. i felt-- i felt like i was finally safe. >> reporter: police immediately zeroed in on 24-year-old fred woods. he was the son of the man who owned the rock quarry, and two of fred woods' friends, james and richard schoenfeld. jill klinge is an assistant district attorney in alameda county. >> fred woods had keys to that quarry. >> reporter: investigators executed a warrant to search fred woods' father's estate, and they found a treasure trove of evidence there, now shared with "48 hours." >> you actually have a document labeled "plan," and it sets out the way they were going to commit the kidnapping. >> reporter: they also recovered a draft note, but the kidnappers were never able to deliver their demand. >> because of the number of calls that were coming in

worldwide, the phone lines were jammed. they couldn't get through, so they took a nap. and by the time they woke up, they saw on the news that the kids had been found. >> oliver: you can watch david begnaud's full story tonight at 10:00 on "48 hours." simone biles once again dominating the mat. ahead, what the superstar gymnast did today that will go down in history.

>> oliver: california is snuffing out smoking at state parks and beaches. a new law taking effect next year bans traditional cigarettes and cigars, as well as vaping. there is an exception for tv and movie productions. the latest medal for gymnast simone biles is extra special. her victory today in the women's vault competition at the world gymnastic's championships is her 23rd. that ties the record for most world medals for any gymnast.

the 22-year-old has two chances to break the record tomorrow with balance beam and floor events. good luck. and in vienna, olympic runner eliud kipchoge of kenya blew through one of the most challenging barriers in sports, completing a marathon in under two hours. he ran the course in one hour, 59 minutes, and 40 seconds, in an event specifically set up for the attempt. since it wasn't an open race, kipchoge's accomplishment isn't an official world record. tyler perry has become the first african american to own a major film studio. up next, a look at the new atlanta-based complex, and what the movie mogul says inspired him to make history.

>> oliver: tyler perry is among the most creative and influential forces in hollywood. the 50-year-old writer, bui a massive movie studio complex in atlanta, and with it, he's making movie history.

tyler perry is the first african american to independently own a major film studio. it's the largest film complex in the country, bigger than the burbank, california, lots owned by warner brothers, paramount, and walt disney studios combined. hollywood a-listers celebrated perry. beforehand, he spoke with "cbs this morning's" "gayle king. >> reporter: "the new york times" said you are the most successful mogul hollywood has ever ignored. do you think hollywood gets you? >> no, i clearly believe i'm ignored in hollywood, and that's fine. i get it. >> reporter: wait a second, is that fine? >> it is. my audience and the stories that i tell are the african american stories i grew up with, and we speak a language. hollywood doesn't necessarily speak the language. >> whoa is doing your hair? >> oliver: the perry madea films have had universal appeal. and hopes to build on the success. rodney ho has covered entertainment in atlanta for decades. what kind of legacy did he build?

>> a lot of the people who showed up there-- hank aaron, andrew young, john lewis-- i think in many ways he is the hollywood equivalent for them, for this generation in atlanta. i mean, he means so much to people here in terms of what he represents. >> oliver: the studio is built on a former confederate army base. that irony is not lost on perry, who named each of the studios after prominent african americans in the film industry. an amazing endeavor. coming up, a group of teenagers making their case. the unique way they're being introduced to the world of debate.

>> olir: finally tonight, a group of african american teens is finding its voice in the world of debate. here's mark strassmann. >> you still have to actually destroy the environment. >> reporter: making a statement... >> it is going to happen either way. >> reporter: meens firs... >> that the european union ... >> reporter: ...means first finding your voice. >> when you debate, you outwit. you don't outfight. >> reporter: brandon fleming is helping these atlanta teens

find theirs. >> your hands belong here. you are engaging your audience. >> reporter: harvard's assistant debate coach will train them for 10 months. >> i don't think that's the scenario. >> reporter: he's introducing black voices to debate... >> was it unjust? >> reporter: ...and the world world of debate... >> universal health care coverage will happen. >> reporter: ...to of debate to black voices. >> "be intrusive in the spaces that are not inclusive," is what i tell them. trailblazers don't wait for opportunities. they create them. >> reporter: every year, the harvard debate council holds a tournament. around 100 teams compete from 15 countries. fleming's atlanta team first showed up in 2017. they became the first all-black team to win harvard's tournament. the group statement is "you might have underestimated us, but we're here." >> "i was here. you felt my presence. and you heard my voice." >> reporter: the next year, the same tournament proved it was no fluke. ask d.j. roman. >> we got to the second debate, the third debate, the fourth deba, wee ke, "we

haven't lost yet." >> reporter: the atlanta team dominated again. roman and his teammates went undefeated. >> we were like, "wow, we did it. we did it." >> you must question everything. >> reporter: fleming teaches them to think first and then how to debate. >> you made a claim. you made a claim. you have to support that claim. >> reporter: he pushes a room full of smart kids. sophomore roma thomas likes feeling uncomfortable. >> they don't want you to sit down and go, "he just taught me that. i don't feel like speaking anymore." they want you to find your voice and find what to say and speak up and say. >> this could easily be stopped if the e.u. were to help china! >> reporter: and there is no debate about that. mark strassmann, cbs news, atlanta. >> oliver: voices of the future. that's the "cbs weekend news" for this saturday. later on cbs, "48 hours." i'm meg oliver in new york. for all of us at cbs news, thanks for joining us. good night. captioned by

live, from the cbs bay area studios, this is kpix5 new. >> now at 6:00, breaking news out of silicon valley where the search for a missing tech executive has come to a sad end. >> some say the new law that bans smoking at state parks doesn't go far enough. i'm katie nielsen at mount diablo with the controversy. >> 738,000 without power. thank you for your patient. >> with hundred of pg&e customers still in the dark, the utility says it has more proof of why it had to cut power in the first place. >> and anxious homeowners in southern california about to find out if they have anything left to go home to after a raging fire ripped through their neighborhoods. i'm brian hackney. >> i'm juliette goodrich. in the past hour, we learned a utah tech executive who vanished in silicon valley has

been found dead in san jose. aaron valente was last seen in palo alto on monday. she was in the bay area on a business trip and was supposed to fly home from san jose. she never made it to the airport. her family had been trying to get in contact with her ever since. a police source tells kpix5 officers found valenti's body in her rental car. there were some family members at the scene visibly distraught. there is no word on how she died or whether foul play is suspected. we are working to get the details. the diocese of oakland is mourning the loss of a pastor and archbishop killed in a car crash. he died thursday afternoon along with visiting archbishop domanic halla of india in a