this morning on "world news now," deadly wildfires in the south. >> as firefighters work to keep flames contained, there's worries the flames intensify once storms pass through the region. we have the latest and a close up look at the town burned to ashes. a pipeline explosion near a major airport. the flames seen reaching through the night sky as invest gaiters raced to the scene. the tax you may have to pay for watching shows online. hear why a growing number of city and states are charging you for cutting the cord and watching netflix and amazon. the key to a long life? many say they have it, but a study reveals which activities are best to maximize longevity. is your hobby on the list?

from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning to you all. we start this morning with the tennessee wildfires. they've now become deadly as well as destructive. >> i want to show you still pictures of just some of the damage in the mountain resort town of gatlinburg. homes burned to the ground by the flame, and more than 150 destroyed. >> time lapse video of the flames engulfing the mountain, more than 7400 feet above gatlinburg. the fire ash in the city. >> flames continue to threaten roads, delaying evacuation efforts, and three people confirmed dead, more than 14,000 residents displaced, organ abc has more from tennessee. >> reporter: race to escape flames. >> go, go, go. >> reporter: flames over the windshield, riding shotgun driving through the fire in the great smokey mountains.

hour fanning the flames. police rushing door to door evacuating the entire city of gatlinburg. >> police pounded on the door and said, you got to go right now. >> reporter: the wall of fire engulfing this cabin. terrified guests trapped inside the park vista hotel as the one next door erupts. >> you had to lay, like, perfectly flat on the ground or the smoke was just too thick. >> reporter: three dead, officials calling it apocalypse. >> this is a fire for history books because it is unlike anything most we've seen. >> blotted out the sun. >> reporter: sunrise bringing images of the devastation in the hardest hit areas. just look at this home, completely burnt to the ground. you can see the giant steel beam twisted and bent by the heat of the fire. it's still smoldering. more than 150 homes and businesses destroyed. >> there's areas in there, it looks like a bomb has gone off. >> reporter: the great smokey

home of dolly parton's theme park, dollywood, 12 cabins burned, but the main park safe. she's praying for the families affected and the firefighters working so hard. the mayor said it's critical putting out fires like this at the burnt down motel. the bad news? winds are expected to whip up, but there's much expected rain coming wednesday morning. abc news, gatlinburg, te california where a prison escapee has been captured. campbell was returned to the santa clara jail since being on the run since the night before thanksgiving. he and three others escaped by sawings through the bars on a window and repelling to the ground with bed sheets. he was awaiting sentencing on a robbery conviction at the time. we'll turn to the president-elect dining out with mitt romney, the man who slammed

he's changed his tune as he's a contender for secretary of state. they talked about world affairs and described the discussion as enlightening, interesting, and engaging. that one image from the dinner is getting a lot of attention. some remarking on romney's facial expression, you see there, bloomberg reported he and trump will meet again today. >> maybe it was because of the frog legs. >> maybe. not to his taste. the trump transition team i expected to announce today his peck for treasury of secretary, and he's naming steven a former goldman sachs, and trump's legislated elaine chao. donald trump is sparking a new debate tweeting that flag burning should be a crime posting anyone who burns the

consequences, possibly loss of citizenship or jail. it came after out after a massachusetts college removed american flags after one set one on fire to protest trump. a supreme court previously ruled that flag burning is protected under the first amendment. trump and vice president-elect mike pence go to indiana tomorrow after viking a deal to keep a thousand jobs from moving overseas. carrier planned to shut down in indianapolis and shift manufacturing to mexico, with trump and expected to unveil details today. now to the deadly plane crash in south america likely to be a long investigation into its cause. 71 people on board and killed including most of the members of the brazilian soccer club on their way to medellin, colombia. the crew reported an electrical

this emotional scene taking place at the team's stadium in brazil. fans cheering, clapping in the stands, a candle lit memorial was also set up in the team's locker room. in south carolina, closing argument set this morning in the case of a police officer who killed an unarmed black man. he took the stand in defense saying he felt total fear when the victim, walter scott, got control of his taser pointing it however, scott was dozens of feet away from the officer and his stun gun before he was shot. >> i didn't know the distance, so i fired the firearm until the threat was stopped. >> he had trouble explaining what he's doing here, picking up the taser from one location moving it closer to scott's body. he faces 30 years to life if convicted. an ohio state university

judgment about the student who launched the attack. isis called the student one of their soldiers and investigators are searching for ties to the terrorist group. brian ross with more. >> reporter: isis is claiming the ohio state attack is carried out by what its called one of his soldiers of the islamic state. just five months ago, he was graduating with honors from community college in ohio. leading one of the wonder what happened. >> pictures of the graduation shows a jubilant young man, so for this to happen four to five months later, yes, i would be very interested to know all the circumstances. >> reporter: all smiles in facebook, his name now is added to a long list of at least 14 young people linked to terrorist attacks in the u.s. in his statement posted on facebook before the attack in which he was shot dead, he wrote, if you want us muslims to

attacks, then make peace. authorities say he was not known to the fbi and has agents seek o learn more, victims begin the healing process. serving two tours in iraq uninjured, only to be injured on an american college campus. >> went, turned to swing the knife at me, and i reached up with the left hand and grabbed the blade so it couldn't get back in the building to get away from him. >> reporter: to determine the connection to isis, the fbi is going through his phone and computer records looking to see who he might have been in contact with. brian ross, abc news, new york. iraqi forces launch an assault on isis fighters trying to regain control of the city of m mosul. the spokesperson said the front line in the city has been fully destroyed, but suicide bombers

20 more. militants are said to plant ieds in homes to stop the iraqis from advancing. across the border in syria, drone footage shows neighborhoods in eastern aleppo taken president the forces. captured monday and tuesday, and meanwhile, the u.s. blames human error for the air strike that kimmed syria allied forces. 62 troops killed, and the u.s. said it's only confirmed 15. back in this country, video showing a major pipeline airport. flames lit up the night sky, seen from miles away. the fire burned itself out after more than an hour. there was no damage and no one was injured, and the flights were not avffected. the cause under investigation. health officials warning anyone who took home leftovers from a free thanksgiving dinner to throw them out. three died and 17 others sick after eating the meal at the

food-born illness, but they have not pin pointed the exact cause. dozens of people arrested in the nationwide protest over the minimum wage. demonstrators in chicago, detroit, houston, minneapolis, los angeles, and new york demanded wages be increased to $15 an hour. many of those marching are fast food and child care workers who say they can't make ends meet. a long time viewer of the show know we love our real estate here on "world news now," and this i >> a huge home near houston, texas, and it's famous because it's said to have the largest closet in the whole country. the closet itself? three stories with a floating staircase, just not closet. >> and a bar. and now it can be yours. the house is back on the market for the second time in two years. it's listed -- this is a good deal, just under $8 million. >> and that's for the house, not just the closet, right?

in that case -- >> it has to. >> worth it. >> the list price in 2014 was $12.9 million, so discount. >> it's gone down. >> there you go. coming up, growing problem playing out at gun stores across america. the surge of frightening smash and grab robberies. what authorities tell abc news where the weapons are ultimately ending up. plus, how cutting the cord could cost cities and states are trying to charge you money for watching tv shows online. let us know what you think on facebook at wnnfans.com, and twitter @abcwnn. you're watching "world news new." nw." now."

? sleep in heavenly peace ? ?living well? with move free ultra's triple action joint support for improved mobility and flexibility, and 20% better comfort from one tiny, mighty pill... get move free ultra, and enjoy living well. enough pressure in here for ya? i'm gonna take mucinex sinus-max. too late, we're about to take off. these dissolve fast. they're liquid gels. and you're coming with me... you realize i have gold status? mucinex sinus-max liquid gels. dissolves fast to unleash

a-3s... but did you know your eyes, your brain, and your joints really love them too? introducing megared advanced 4in1... just one softgel delivers mega support. ?living well? with move free ultra's triple action joint support for improved mobility and flexibility, and 20% better comfort from one tiny, mighty pill...

what started as a minor fender bender turned into road rage in england. guy in the green upset after flat bed was rear ended, and he wrestles the other dude. the green guy gets back in the flat bed slamming it into the front end of the other truck. that'll teach him. that's not enough. he gets out of the truck, and the other guy won't come out. >> he's going to climb in. >> smashes the guy's window with the shovel. police are trying to track the attacker down. >> oh, okay. that's one way to handle a situation. >> calm, relax, folks.

frightsening scene on camera at a gun store in tampa, florida. >> latest in the series of smash and grab robberies in america. the problem appears to be getting worse. here's the abc news investigation. >> reporter: the hunt on for brazen thieves who used an suv to smash into the florida gun store. up to 15 crooks swarming in, grabbing dozens of weapons. abc news has learned gun store burglaries are surging across the un in texas, this thief smashing the door, then the case, gone in seven seconds. ever creative, this gang uses a truck and steel cables to rip a metal gate off the hinges. some using blow torches. a disturbing 28% spike in gun store burglaries from 2013 to 2015. more than 12,000 weapons, including assault rifles, stolen. this year, the pace of burglaries at a rate of more than one per day.

>> reporter: in and out, 30 seconds? >> 30 seconds. >> reporter: leading directly to violence on the street. >> we know the guns are instantly used to commit violent crimes in our communities. >> reporter: a growing threat as heists get bigger and bigger. abc news, new york. >> that's really impressive and shocking, seven seconds for one, 30 seconds for the other? >> netting 40 weapons. >> insane. >> the atf and national sports foundation are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in that case. >> sure they are out there on the street somewhere. in the next half hour, new development in the kidnapped mom case in california. her husband is now speaking out just days after she was found badly beaten and tied up. what he's saying about speculation that his wife's 22-day ordeal was a hoax. >> first, binge watching your favorite shows online may soon cost you. hear about the tax you could

services like netflix and amazon. you're watching "world news

so some of us are still recovering from a weekend of both binge eating and binge watching. >> yeah. whether you're indulging why "gilmore girls" or "murder, she wrote." >> what's wrong with that? >> always catches the bad guy. ? ? if you are streaming it, you may

nick watt tells us why. >> i mean it. it's stress relief, do not make a stressful. >> reporter: bad news, bingeing on netflix may become not quite so chill. dozens of cities across california are considering taxing netflix and other video streaming services. >> jeepers. this is bad. >> reporter: maybe for kimmy, but not for municipalities looking to recoop costs by cord the argument? taxed on tv cable subscription, so why not streaming? with 47 million subscribers in the u.s., a potential tax pot of half a billion dollars a year. >> using a decade's old utility tax to take a tax out of the welcomes and apps like netflix, google, hulu and others. >> that would be bad. >> a disaster, ma'am. >> reporter: netflix says it's a dangerous precedent.

hulu, others are utilities, frankly, anything can be a utility. >> considering a 9.4% levy. >> how much does it cost? >> reporter: a buck a month for each of us. some in chicago agree filing a class action lawsuit after their city imposed a 9% tax on streaming last year. in pennsylvania, it's 6% statewide. >> tell me what to do. >> voters are law is on our side, and we'll see what happens. >> i feel like the story had a lot of unnecessary details in it. >> reporter: nick watt, abc news, los angeles. >> say it isn't so. >> yeah. jessica fletcher has not found a crime she's not solved." murder, she wrote," just read about it. full of zest and life. >> good song too. >> good them. the tv show, not "murder, she

>> i like them both. see you out there. old medicines' wearing off. i'm dragging. yeah, that stuff only lasts a few hours. or, take mucinex. one pill fights congestion for 12 hours. no thank you very much, she's gonna stick with the short-term stuff. 12 hours? guess i won't be seeing you for a while. is that a bisque? i just lost my appetite. why take medicines that only last 4 hours, when just one mucinex lasts 12 hours? ditch the misery. let's end this. ?living well? rise above joint discomfort with move free ultra's triple action joint support for improved mobility and flexibility, and 20% better comfort from one tiny, mighty pill...

here you go, the spare! the spare, no, i don't want to put anybody out. nonsense! we lend it to everybody. some people we hardly know. looking for balance in your digestive system? try align probiotic. for a non-stop, sweet treat goodness, hold on to your tiara kind of day.

time now for the mix, and we start with what i consider to be very good news, maybe my favorite study ever, so this happened in the u.k. a british study found that in studying over 80,000 adults over the course of 14 years, certain sports help you live >> oh. >> they include biking, for example. >> yes. >> very healthy exercise. enjoying a nice bike ride. we got racket sports are another good one, they say, to prolong your life. in addition to that, swimming and ahere's where the news come in, running and jogging -- >> what we do. >> need not apply.

your life, apparently. same goes, by the way, for football or rugby in case you played either one of those, but i just got a new excuse to not run. >> to not run, like, hey you want to run today to lose weight? nope. >> christmas came early. mystery solved down under in new zealand. the folks at the entrance of the tunnel noticed over time that these certain traffic cones, orange cones, they kept being moved. take a look at the cones and finally, they set up a cctv, and apparently, this local bird native to the area would move the cones whenever people were not around. you see it down there? so construction folks kind of assumed that the bird was trying to get attention. >> trying to punk them. >> trying to get fed, but it was always weird to them, like, all right, why are the cones

>> that's funny. they are endangered and tough to spot there so this one wanted attention. speaking of down under, we heard of bear hugs, but what about a kangaroo hug? i'd like you to meet abby, the hugging kangaroo. rescued at five months old, been at the sanctuary in australia ever since and thanks the rescues every day by giving them a massive hug. >> never forget. >> not just talking the butt's sticking out, but she is getting in there and just giving a good big hug. >> not a bear hug, but a kangaroo hug. >> called maybe the most affectionate animal in the world. >> there you go. this is a lovely sight. in singapore. emirates do great promotional stuff. this is what they did to the biggest passenger plane, it's

this morning on "world news now," wildfire emergency, the rain fanning flames in some regions. we'll talk with an official on the ground there for the latest updates. and last nights's dinner between president-elect trump and mitt romney was apparently good enough to bury the hatchet. hillary clinton's surprise appearance last night. find out what katy perry had to do with it. new this half hour, new development in the case of the missing california mom found alive after three weeks. >> her husband speaks to abc news about his wife's condition after being badly beaten and how police officers, quote, warn ed him to brace himself before visiting her in the hospital.