northern coast, the czu lightn captioning sponsored by cbs ♪ ♪ >> yuccas: tonight, wildfires burn out of control, scorching the west. california is hardest hit. flames destroy homes and force a daring rescue. in the east, double trouble: two tropical storms threaten millions along the gulf coast. also tonight, in a rare saturday session, the house approves billions in new funding for the post office. >> i'm the only thing standing between the american dream and total anarchy, madness, and chaos. >> yuccas: plus pandemic punch-- schools struggle as students return. indianapolis gets set to race the 500 without fans. also, a putin critic is evacuated from russia in a coma. supporters say he was poisoned.

we'll check on iowa's recovery days after a devastating derecho. and later, covid can't cancel this slice of americana: the good news being carved from 90 t's close to our heart. >> this is the "cbs weekend news." >> yuccas: good evening. i'm jamie yuccas in los angeles. here in the west, wildfire season is just beginning, and already resources are overwhelmed. tonight, there's worry about a new weather forecast. right now, nearly 14,000 firefighters are in an uphill battle against hundreds of wildfires, many of them raging ere'ncerout ol. state's lod giant redwoo t, ap califora's est for a major disa declaration. at least 13 states are battling sajor wildfires from the

northwest to the rockies, smoke spreading all the way to nebraska. but the golden state is hardest hit with no relief in sight. cbs' danya bacchus has the latest. >> reporter: ferocious wildfires are ravaging landscapes in communities across northern california, the inferno scorching nearly a million acres. resources are stretched thin. hundreds of wildfires have exploded in california's wine country and burned historic redwoods. >> firefighters are working 72-plus hours straight on the line in 100-plus degree temperatures in some parts of this complex. >> reporter: last night, fast-moving flames trapped these two firefighters who had to be airlifted to safety. >> see how close it is, guys? >> oh, my god. it's just unbelievable, honey. >> reporter: bill jannisse stayed behind to protect his home >> i need help up here. >> reporter: with no

firefighters in sight, he tried to cut down his own firebreak. more than 140,000 people are under evacuation orders. >> it makes me feel horrible. it's scary. >> reporter: jason johnson is helping his parents pack up the home they've lived in for over 40 years. >> there's smoke everywhere in the background. it just looks like this everywhere. the hardest part of this is just seeing this happen, being a witness to all these trees going up. >> reporter: more than 500 structures have been destroyed. ruins are all that remain in some areas. a combination of searing heat, wind, and nearly 12,000 lightning strikes have fueled the fires, some of the largest ever in california. and there doesn't seem to be any relief in sight. forecasters expect more lightning and strong winds to arrive tomorrow. jamie, the national guard has been activated to provide fire- fighting support. >> yuccas: danya, thank you.

to the east now, where the gulf coast is on alert for a one-two weather punch. with two storms threatening to hit the u.s. next week back to back. cbs news meteorologist jeff berardelli is tracking both systems. jeff, what challenges do two storms bring? >> jamie, this is going to be an extraordinarily challenging forecast. one of the reasons is both these systems are going to interact early this week in the gulf of mexico. now, don't worry. they're not going to merge and become a super-caine. that does not happen. but, usually, the stronger storm with its rising air pushes down on the smaller storm and weakens it. that could happen. and, also, the storms could kind of dance around each other, presenting not only an intensity challenge but also a directional forecast challenge. that right there is tropical storm laura. that is tropical storm marco. marco makes landfall first, probably in southeast louisiana. this is a big shift from the national hurricane center, maybe as a cat-1 storm on monday. then just 36-48 hours later, here comes laura, making alall t

almost in tcta same place, possibly as a stronger hurrica stronger hurricane. now, this is bound to change, so everybody in the northern gulf coast area should watch this very closely and make plans to prepare. jamie. >> yuccas: yikes. jeff, thank you. in a rare saturday session, the democrat-led house of representatives approved sending $25 billion to the u.s. postal service and block any operational changes that could delay mail this november. president trump says he will delaythe legislation if the bill passes in the republican-led senate. cbs' ben tracy is at the white house. >> reporter: with protests to save the post office taking place around the country ... >> our postal service is in chaos. >> reporter: ...house democrats delivered $25 billion for the struggling u.s. postal service d that money?arty-line vote. >> do we need that money? solutely not.t. >> reporter: the democrats' bill also forces postmaster general louis dejoy, a republican megadonor, to reverse his widely criticized cost-cutting moves, such as removing mail-sorting

machines and slashing overtime, which have slowed down mail delivery. >> i decided to stop it, and we'll pick it up after the election. >> reporter: during a senate hearing friday, dejoy said he will pause but not reverse those changes. he did promise to prioritize election mail. >> that the postal service is fully capable and committed to ted toring the nation's election mail securely and on time. >> this is really a very serious problem. >> reporter: president trump continues to make unfounded attacks on mail-in voting, saying it will lead to election-night chaos. >> you're not going to know what happened. i don't think you'll know two weeks later. i don't think you'll know four weeks later. and i don't know what's going to happen. >> reporter: the president is now also accusing his own f.d.a. of delaying a coronavirus vaccine, claiming the "deep state" at the f.d.a. is making it difficult to find people to be part of vaccine trials to hurt the president's reelection chances. >> this was a very dangerous statement on the part of the president, even for him. >> reporter: in his first

interview since becoming the democratic nominee, joe biden says he's willing to shut down the country again to control the virus. >> i would be prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives because we cannot get the country moving until we control the virus. >> yuccas: ben, president trump >> yuccas: ben, president trump is said to be heavily is said to be heavily involved in the planning of the republican national convention. any revelations on what he has planned? >> reporter: well, we are told to expect some sort of surprise each night of the convention. we do know president trump will be down in charlotte on monday. that's where about 300 delegates will actually nominate him in person. he will accept that he will accept that nomination here at the white house on thursday night. he's going to do a big speech on the south lawn. they're currently building a big stage and lighting rig out there verallct to at. lot of president tru. going to be a fairly unusual participation level by the president. >> yuccas: and it will all be live. ben, thank you. tomorrow morning on "face the nation," margaret brennan's

guests will include republican national committee chair ronna mcdaniel; former f.b.i. director james comey; and los angeles mayor eric garcetti; plus the president of the university of arizona, dr. robert robbins, on the struggle to reopen schools. tonight, new concerns about the coronavirus. health officials in several states are linking new infections to the 10-day motorcycle rally in sturgis, south dakota. schools are also struggling, this as the u.s. death toll today topped 176,000. that's the worst of any country by far. here's michael george. >> hi! >> reporter: as students move on to campus for fall classes in a pandemic... a pandemic... >> i wanted the full experience, which i won't be getting this year, but it is what it is. >> reporter: the first lesson students may learn this fall-- what not to do. theensiod at se

notre dame student newspaper put it bluntly, "don't make us write obituaries." at the university of virginia, football players have been kept a bubble.e. the coach now questioning how the coach now questioning how he'll keep them safe from returning classmates. >> i love the idea of student athlete, in that order, and it's very difficult for me to reconcile having football players on grounds and no other students on grounds. >> reporter: in tennessee, under friday night lights, playing smart with masks. but that wasn't the case at this alabama high school football game. today, as feared, health als in three states are now reporting new infections is, soh dakota. at 'sorcycle indy 500, known as the greatest spectacle in racing, the stands will be empty. >> it's going to be different without fans, so, yeah. for me, it's going to be the first race with empty grandstands. >> reporter: the lights of the

great white way remain dark. nearly 15 million saw broadway shows last year. now thousands are out of work. but the industry still plans to hold a virtual tony awards this fall. jamie. >> yuccas: a new normal. michael, thank you. tonight, a prominent kremlin critic is in a coma fighting for his life in a german hospital. chris livesay has the latest. >> reporter: russia's fiercest dissident, alexei navalny, has finally left the country, accused of trying to kill him. doctors in siberia had refused to let navalny seek treatment abroad and wouldn't let his wife see him. but after an international uproar, the voice of russia's opposition was flown to a berlin suspected poisoning, from this cup of tea. fits of agony were recorded on his flight two days ago. igvalny has gained widespread

support as an anticorruption activist with powerful enemies, none more so than russian president vladimir putin, notorious for allegedly using radioactive nerve agents to target defectors, double agents, and critics of the kremlin. police once broke down navalny's office door during a livestream. speaking to cbs' "60 minutes," he once wondered why he was still alive. >> maybe they missed the good timing for it when i was less famous. >> reporter: but the plot thickens. here in neighboring belarus, where president alexander lukashenko recently accused navalny of stirring up these protests against him. protests against police brutality and recent elections widely seen as rigged by a longtime ally of vladimir putin. as navalny fights for his life, the president of belarus fights for his future. a massive protest scheduled right here tomorrow, perhaps the

biggest yet. and the question is will the man known as europe's last dictator respond once again with bloodshed? jamie. >> yuccas: against, chris, thank you. to australia where antarctic winds ushered in a rare august snowstorm. even the kangaroos were jumping for joy at the unexpected snowfall. take a look there. three feet fell in places that had suffered through wildfires a little bit earlier this year. and a special delivery in the nation's capital having nothing to do with the pandemic or politics. giant panda mei xiang gave birth to a cub at the smithsonian's national zoo late friday. vets there say she immediately began cradling and caring for the little baby. panda births are rare since giant pandas can only get pregnant one to three days out of the year. straight ahead on the "cbs weekend news," street smarts: even with fewer cars, roads are proving dangerous. what's driving that trend. and how a powerful midwest storm may impact what we buy at the

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streets have not made our roads safer by any means. >> reporter: national safety council vice president kelly nantel. if you look at it on paper, fewer people are dying right now. but actually are the roads more dangerous now than they were before the pandemic? >> we're certainly concerned with the rate of fatalities. we're seeing anecdotal reports of high speeds in urban and rural environments. we're seeing people not obeying traffic signs and traffic rules, driving way too fast for conditions, impaired driving and distracted driving. >> reporter: six states saw noticeable increases in traffic deaths during the first five months of the year, including new hampshire up 63%, connecticut up 39%, and louisiana up 15%. >> we are imploring drivers on the street of los angeles, please, slow down. >> reporter: police departments across the country have seen a surge in excessive speeding. >> 66, number four lane, 120. >> reporter: tickets for going 100 miles an hour on california freeways jumped 46% in march and april.

>> our freeway systems are not designed for 100-mile-an-hour speeds. our vehicles are not designed for over 100-mile-an-hour impact. >> reporter: the government estimates in the first three months of 2020, nearly 7,800 people died in crashes. police say slowing down and buckling up would save thousands of lives this year alone. kris van cleave, cbs news, washington. >> yuccas: still ahead on the "cbs weekend news," iowa picks up after a powerful storm devastates the state, crushing an american staple just before an american staple just before just beforefi orarthris... ...withumira. an american staple just before just beforefi orarthris... ...and clearer skin in psa. humira targets and blocks a source of inflammation that contributes to joint pain and irreversible damage. humira can lower your ability to fight infections. serious and sometimes fatal infections,

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>> yuccas: iowa is officially a fe federal disaster. this week, president trump granted the declaration after much of the state was shredded by a 14-hour-long wind storm called a derecho. it happened early last week. adriana diaz now on the severe damage to people and crops. >> reporter: this massive storage bin was no match for last week's derecho. >> this came crashing down. i never seen anything like it. >> reporter: hurricane-force winds plowed through dennis campbell's iowa farm and much of the midwest last week, leaving behind hurricane-like aftermath. just look at this mangled metal. >> yeah, this is tough stuff. this is not tinker toy stuff. >> reporter: the weather struck fast, and right before what was supposed to be a great corn harvest. oh, wow. these are almost flattened back here. >> so we're-- we're standing in

a 290-acre field of what i would call essentially flat corn. >> reporter: yeah. >> this will be very difficult he storm has >> reporter: the storm has cost campbell more than $2 million. insurance will cover most of it, but none of the lost time. >> we're taking incredible risks out here on a daily basis with our-- with our business, with our livelihoods. thereporter: the damages statewide are in the billions. tens of thousands are still without power, and in cedar rapids, some are living in tents. the derecho, which means "straight" in spanish, sped across 770 miles straight through the corn belt. 36 counties in iowa, about a third of the state, sustained severe damage affecting millions have er seen anything like this? >> no, not as far as the widespread nature of this wind event. >> reporter: mark lake is an agronomist at iowa state university. >> after the storm, we knew that there was going to be corn that was laying flat.

but then as we got into the la p wk, westarte the hus starting to turn brown, which told us that the severity of the wind probably did break off roots, hindering its ability to take up water and nutrients. >> reporter: why should americans living in cities who have no connection to the heartland care about what's happening here? >> well, this corn crop is affecting the livestock producers already. the other thing is is that we're all producing food that we're all eating. >> reporter: american farmers are also weathering a trade war with china and a pandemic that cut demand for ethanol, a l, a rble fuel derived from corn. >> we'll rebuild. we'll come back. we'll work through it.inhe boty of is resiliee. adriana diaz, cbs news, grand moowele pictur the, adrth next, on the cbs weekend news, you "butter" stay tuned for our next story. it will melt your heart. dontcha know?

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>> yuccas: the fair is a celebration of all things dairy. >> brenna connolly! >> yuccas: each year, 10 young women from across the state compete in hopes of being crowned princess kay of the milky way. >> and they're judged on how well they are able to answer questions and present the dairy industry. >> reporter: linda christensen has been sculpting the newly sashed princess and finalist for nearly five decades out of, what else? >> butter is wonderful to work with. >> yuccas: watching the 78-year-old artist mold massive blocks of salted grade a" through the clear walls of a refrigerated butter booth is a fan favorite. but in what would have been christensen's 49th year, covid-19 canceled her plans. so what's it like to have this all messed up because of a pandemic? >> i'm very sad about it. i love the fair. >> reporter: stuck in california and unable to make the trip,

christensen trusts apprentice gerry kulzer to carry on the butter bust tradition. >> it's been going on for 60-some years. you know, that's longer than i've been alive. >> yuccas: how are you feeling about it? >> a little bit nervous. >> it's really starting to look like me. >> yuccas: thanks to determination and technology, fans all over the world are watching a livestream of the carving action as the likeness of the princess and her court are revealed. >> what could be better than to be known for butter sculpting? >> yuccas: butter makes everything better. >> it's close to my heart, and it's probably not good for my heart, but it's close to the heart. >> yuccas: talk about earning your bread and butter. too cheesy? you betcha. okay, i'm done. that's it for the "cbs weekend news" for this saturday. later on cbs, "48 hours." and don't forget, "sunday morning" with jane pauley first thing tomorrow. my pal lee cowan is filling in. i'm jamie yuccas in los angeles. good night.

now at 6, damage, destruction and new evacuations in the north bay. >> and as much as i don't want to have to talk about this, there is the possibility of another round of lightning and gusty winds coming in sunday night. we will talk about that in a lot of detail coming up.>> we still don't know if we have a home or not. it can go either way right now. >> hotel rooms along the coast are filling up with evacuees who can do nothing but wait and hope. >> firefighters are attacking a officials say there is no need for anyone to evacuate that they are asking people to stay

away in the area of portland drive while they do their work.>> crews and aircraft from 10 states are now on the front lines here in california.>> the race is on to make as much progress as possible before tomorrow brings about more lightning strikes and erratic winds. >> the three major fire complexes burning are covering a combined area of just over 1000 square miles, more than double the size of the city of los angeles. but there atleast some no ntained. unately ne stesvebeen about 77,000 people have been evacuated. >> new video from chopper 5 where the deadly lnu fire complex is now the second largest fire in state history. it