and i think it's really -- it's really special, you know. >> and that's the "overnight news" for this fr ay. from the cbs broadcast center in new york city, i'm meg oliver. 2019. this is the "cbs morning news." raging wildfires. tens of thousands of california residents are evacuating their homes as strong winds fuel the flames. >> i'm literally seeing sticks and fire of what used to be our home. criminal inquiry. the justice department expands the review of the russia investigation, and why some are concerned that the president is using the government to target his opponents. and a russian circus bear attacks its trainer during a live performance. how another worker was able to stop the bear as it approached stop the bear as it approached the audience.

captioning funded by cbs good morning from the studio 57 newsroom at cbs headquarters here in new york. good to be with you. i'm anne-marie green. well, several major wildfires are raging out of control in california this morning, destroying homes and prompting mandatory evacuations. more than half a dozen active wildfires are burning across the northern and southern parts of the state. in wine country, a fire has burned at least 49 buildings, and one of the largest fires is in the state and is burning near santa clarita, about 30 miles outside of los angeles. nichelle medina is there. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, anne-marie. i can tell you more than 500 firefighters arere working what been called the tick fire here in santa clarita. you can see that i'm standing just right here at the command center with numerous agencies. they've been on scene, it's been very active overnight. many of them just coming in here to take a break and get some rest. so far, this fire has burned

nearly 4,000 acres. it is a tough fight as firefighters try to get ahead of these wind-driven flames across the state. pacific gas and electric says it's too soon to know whether its equipment started this wildfire in northern california. >> cal fire, the experts in this, will draw that ultimate conclusion. >> reporter: fire crews are now doing what they can to limit the damage. there's almost nothing left of these homes in geyserville. >> we absolutely are up against the clock. not only with just the continually drying fuel moisturizers, but the wind predicted over the next couple of days. >> reporter: 70 mile-per-hour winds have fueled the kinkade fire. >> you could actually hear the wind coming down the canyon, my neighbors to here, it sounded like a rocket. >> reporter: it moved so quickly, it nearly trapped news crews in the area. >> i'm not getting stuck behind that. >> reporter: multiple fires here

in southern california have also been fueled by these high winds. officials are asking residents to heed evacuation orders. >> we cannot let our guard down. we are going to fight this aggressively. >> reporter: people scrambled to leave their homes as flames from the tick fire towered overhead. >> we couldn't get here quick enough unfortunately. >> reporter: alejandra watched as her home burned to the ground. >> i'm seeing my bed frame and going, wow. it's impactful. >> reporter: she and her daughter saved their animals. power companies are warning of more blackouts due to dangerous weather conditions. there's a break from the wind at least for now. of course once the sun goes up, those winds are expected to pick up back again. i can tell you for now, this fire is only 5% contained. no doubt going to be a very long fight. anne-marie? >> indeed, nichelle medina. thank you so much. cbs news has learned the justice department has opened a criminal investigation into the

origins of the 2016 russia probe. the move expands an administrative review that is already underway. laura podesta is in new york. laura, what exactly does this mean for the trump administration? >> reporter: well, this decision will allow the prosecutor overseeing the case to subpoena witnesses, to enlist a grand jury, and possibly file criminal charges. so this is essentially a political win for president trump who for two years has attacked the russia investigation as a hoax. the president we know has repeatedly insisted the russia probe was started by, quote, deep state intelligence officials who wanted to prevent his election. back in may, attorney general william barr agreed to look into these allegations and appointed u.s. attorney john durham to review the matter. durham is a veteran prosecutor known for investigating cia torture and the mafia. this raises concerns that president trump and his allies may be using them to go after opponents. it comes as the president is

already facing scrutiny with the impeachment inquiry into his phone calls with the president of ukraine. >> laura, what's going on with the house impeachment inquiry? they sort of had to take a little bit of a break. >> reporter: republicans are essentially fighting back by attacking the impeachment process, criticizing it for what transparency. and south carolina senator lindsey graham introduced a resolution yesterday condemning the inquiry. that was just one day after house republicans tried to storm a closed door deposition. and more depositions are scheduled for next week including the first current white house staffer, tim morrison. anne-marie? >> very y interesting. laura podesta in new york. thank you. a pentagon official says the u.s. is planning to send more troops into syria to protect oil fields from isis. the move comes as russia ordered all u.s. troops out of the region, calling the americans that remain a, quote, occupying

forces. david martin reports from a pentagon. >> reporter: while most u.s. troops continue to withdraw from syria, the pentagon is planning a major increase in firepower to protect the ones left behind. if approved, a combat unit armed with tanks would be sent in to reinforce troops staying to protect the oil fields. republican senator lindsey graham said he was briefed by joint chiefs chairman general mark milly. >> there's a plan coming together from the joint chiefs that i think may work, that may give us what we need to prevent isis from coming back, iran taking the oil, isis from taking the oil. >> reporter: the u.s. troops are there to keep the oil fields from being taken over by isis. but the oil belongs to the syrian regime. now the regime's main backer, russia, is demanding all u.s. soldiers leave. last year pro-regime forces including russian mercenaries launched a large but unsuccessful attack against an american outpost near the oil

fields. sending in tanks would serve as a warning not to try again. despite all the talk of withdrawal, the american role in syria is not ending. just entering a new phase. david martin, cbs news, the pentagon. the federal government says more migrant families were separated under the trump administration than previously thought. the government tol a court more than 1,500 migrant families were separated before the trump administration's zero-tolerance policy was even implemented. this means at least 4,300 families were separated before a judge ordered a halt of the controversial practice. it's unclear if the newly identified families have been reunited. the funeral. congressman elijah cummings is set to take place this morning in baltimore. a public memorial was held for the late congressman yesterday in washington. the maryland democrat was the first african-american lawmaker to lie in state at the capitol. cummings chaired the powerful house committee on oversight and

reform, one of the committees leading the impeachment inquiry into president trump. cummings died last week after recent medical problems. he was 68 years old. and former president jimmy carter has been released from the hospital. carter suffered a fall at his georgia home earlier in week, fracturing his pelvis. this is the second time carter fell just this month. mr. carter, who recently celebrated his 95th birthday, survived a cancer diagnosis in 2015 and earlier this year surpassed george h.w. bush as the longest living u.s. president in history. so coming up on the morning news, a hunter is the hunted. an arkansas man is fatally attacked by a deer he shot. and capital murder charges in the case of a slain alabama girl. this is the "cbs morning news." wit looks like jill heading offe on an adventure.

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[ screams ] a horrifying scene during a circus act in russia this week. cell phone video captures a trainer suddenly being attacked by a 600-pound bear. another trainer rushed in to stop the bear as it went toward the audience. it was subdued with an electric shock device. the man who was attacked suffered only minor injuries. the manager of the circus says the man and the bear are doing fine. an arkansas hunter was fatally attacked by a deer that he shot. and capital murder charges in the death of an alabama girl. those are some of the headlines on the "morning newsstand." "the birmingham news" reports two people have been charged with capital murder in the death of 3-year-old kamille "cupcake" mckinney. patrick stallworth and derik irisha brown are being held t b county jail. if convicted both could face the death penalty. the district attorney yesterday said the entire incident is heartbreaking.

>> our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the family as they grieve the loss. >> mckinney was abducted at a birthday party on october 12th. the little girl's remains were discovered in a dumpster on tuesday. our cbs dallas station says the astros have fired their assistant general manager for inappropriate comments. "sports illustrated" had reported brandon taubman turned to three female reporters and yelled several times "thank god we got osuna." after the team clinched the american league pennant saturday. osuna was arrested on domestic violence charges in may of 2018. the team initially accused "sports illustrated" of making up the story. the astros gm is now apologizing. >> that original reaction by the astros was wrong, and we own it as an organization. there were many people involved in reviewing that and approving that, and i'm not going to get into the details of that.

it was wrong. it was the astros decision. >> earlier this week, taubman conceded that he used inappropriate language and was embarrassed by his behavior. "the courier journal" reports laid-off kentucky miners will get back pay following months of protest. officials say black jewel has agreed to pay coal miners in harlen county after a deal. the company filed for bankruptcy july 1st and then closed the same day, leaving hundreds of miners out of a job. miners who had blocked train tracks see the compensation as a promising sign. >> it's a light at the end of the tunnel. just hopefully that it stays right and they give the money like they're supposed to. >> the miners are owed an estimated $2.5 million and another $550,000 in royalty. "usa today" reports a hunter in arkansas was killed by a deer he shot. >> very, very rare for something

like it to happen. >> the incident happened tuesday in the ozark mountains. authorities say 66-year-old thomas alexander got up close to the deer after he shot it when it suddenly got up and attacked him. he was gord several times. it's unclear whether alexander died of injuries from the attack or another medical condition. officials are searching for the deer that attacked him. still to come, you are the champions. fans of the rock band queen celebrate a milestone by creating music videos of the band's biggest hits. ♪ were made for better things than rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis. when considering another treatment, ask about xeljanz xr, a once-daily pill for adults with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis or active psoriatic arthritis for whom methotrexate did not work well enough. it can reduce pain, swelling,

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video to receive one billion views on youtube. on the cbs "money watch," a final report on a deadly lion air crash, and jeweler retailer tiffany releases an advent calendar filled with what else -- diamonds. marc liverman is at the new york stock exchange with that and more. >> reporter: good morning. a busy week of earnings wraps up today. notable companies set to report quarterly results include verizon, charter communications, and van's parent company, v.f. corporation. stocks finished mixed yesterday with gains in big tech offset by losses in health care and communications services companies. the dow was down 28 points. the s&p 500 added 5, and the nasdaq gained 66 points. the final report on a deadly crash involving a lion air jet will be released today. the "seattle times" obtained an advanced copy of the report which recommends closer scrutiny of automated control systems on the boeing 737 max. that system is believed to have played a role in last year's

crash in indonesia. less than five months after the crash, the ethiopian airlines crash led to a worldwide grounding of boeing's max fleet. three major drug chains have pulled johnson & johnson baby powder from store shelves. cvs, rite aid, and walmart will no longer sell 22-ounce bottles of the product. the move is tied to johnson & johnson's recent recall of 33,000 bottles. the fda found trace amounts of asbestos in a single bottle purchased on line. johnson & johnson says it's currently investigating that isolated incident. a new $462 billion climate program is being proposed to help get americans out of gas vehicles and into electric ones. the plan backed by new york senator chuck schumer would give

car buyers thousands of dollars to trade in a gas vehicle for an electric or hybrid one. the proposal is in direct conflict with president trump who has called for eliminating federal credits for electric cars. and luxury jeweler tiffany & co. is producing its first-ever diamond advent calendar. the four-foot-tall display is a replica of the culture's new york city flagship store and weighs 355 pounds. it has 24 doors hidinggifts including bracelets and earrings. many covered in diamonds, platinum, and gold. the cost -- only $112,000. only four of the calendars will be made available for purchase. anne-marie? >> so if somebody gets you that, are you allowed to ask for a christmas present afterwards? or would that be too much? >> i think that would be it. then again, it depends on who gets it for you.

>> something tells me the four people that buy that, i'm sure it's well within their budget. >> oh, easily. easily. >> marc liverman at the new york stock exchange. thank you so much, marc. >> sure thing.to come, a presidential honor. mr. trump bestows one of the highest civilian awards in the united states to a racing legend. nd. coughing oh no,... ...a cougher. welcome to flu season, karen. is a regular flu shot strong enough... ...to help prevent flu in someone your age? there are standard-dose flu shots. and then there's the superior flu protection... ...of fluzone high-dose. it's the only 65 plus flu shot... ...with 4 times the standard dose. and it's free with medicare part b. fluzone high-dose is not for those who've had a severe allergic reaction... ...to any vaccine component, including... ...eggs, egg products,... or after a previous dose of flu vaccine. tell your healthcare professional if you've ever experienced severe muscle weakness... ...after receiving a flu shot.

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here's a look at the forecast in some cities around the country. ♪ president trump awarded one of the highest civilian honors to the founder of one of the world's most successful motorsports teams. yesterday, roger penske received the medal of freedom during a white house ceremony in the oval office. after a successful racing career, he built a car dealership into the penske

corporation. coming up on "cbs this morning," part two of gayle king's conversation with bruce springsteen as he talks about spending a lifetime working with friends. i'm anne-marie green, this is the "cbs morning news." upbeat music♪ no cover-up spray here. cheaper aerosols can cover up odors in a flowery fog. but febreze air effects eliminates odors. with a 100% natural propellent. it leaves behind a pleasant scent you'll love. [ deep inhale] freshen up. don't cover up. febreze. ((cat 2) fwhoa- so many choices! (cat 1) look- extra gravy! (cat 2) and lil' soups! (cat 1) there's the shreds! (cat 2) yeah friskies s it all. (cat 1) i want it all- can i have it all? (vo) feed their fantasy. friskies. hi susan!) honey? yeah? i respect that. but that cough looks pretty bad... try this robitussin honey. the real honey you love... plus the powerful cough relief you need. mind if i root through your trash? robitussin honey. because it's never just a cough.

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learn the signs at autismspeaks.org. our top stories this morning -- more than a half dozen active wildfires are burning across california. the fires are threatening homes and prompting mandatory evacuations. one of the largest fires is in santa clarita, 30 miles outside of los angeles. the so-called tick fs burned nearly 4,000 acres and is 5% contained. and the justice department has opened a criminal investigation into the origins of the 2016 russia probe. the decision allows the prosecutor overseeing the case to subpoena witnesses, enlist a grand jury, and possibly file criminal charges. this appears to be a political win for president trump who repeatedly attacked the russia

investigation as a hoax. in health news, we've all heard this advice -- if you are sick, stay home. why do millions of americans choose to go to work instead of calling out sick? we have a look. >> reporter: with the dreaded cold and flu season fast approaching, many americans with fevers, coughs, and runny noses will be forced to make a decision -- go to work sick or stay at home. >> i've gone to work in all kind of conditions. almost like maybe something broken. >> reporter: new research from the staffing firm account temps finds 90% of employees admit they've come to the office with cold or flu symptoms. most of those who went in to work say they did so because they had too much work on their plate, didn't want to use their sick time, or felt pressure from their employer to come in. >> when you think about, you know, there are more jobs than skilled talent, it is conceivable that individuals do go to work because of limited resources within that company,

as well as tight deadlines for the job that they have. >> reporter: among the 28 u.s. cities in the study, charlotte, miami, austin, chicago, and cincinnati are the top five where employees show up sick. >> if you're not feeling well and you're coughing and sneezing, it's not a good way to like take care of other people. >> reporter: according to the study, boston should also set -- bosses should also set time off and encouraging employees to work from home. >> the last thing you want is to prolong your recovery. but you don't want to get your colleagues sick, as well. >> reporter: researchers also suggest workers who feel sick think twice before pushing themselves too hard. >> stay home, get better. you know, stay home. >> reporter: no sense of guilt? >> nah. >> reporter: they say the key is to relax, rest, and recharge. cbs news, new york. coming up on "cbs this morning," part two of gayle king's conversation with bruce

springsteen as he talks about spending a lifetime working with friends and reacts to the president making him an adversary. "breaking bad" actors aaron paul and jesse clemens tell us about the sequel "el camino." seth doane takes us to the vatican where catholic church leaders are discussing whether to allow married priests in the amazon where there is a shortage of serving priests. some are warning it's a slippery slope. that's the "cbs morning news" for this friday. thanks for watching. i'm anne-marie green. have a great day. ♪