making news in america this morning, new evacuations overnight in the southern california inferno. historic winds fanning the flames. >> so scary. >> it was time to go. it was frightening. >> fire reaching one of l.a.'s most famous neighborhoods. cameras rolling as this building in the distance explodes. this morning the air quality concerns, the schools closed and the shocking video as a man runs into the flames to rescue a rabbit. what happened next. democrats turn on al franken. the senator set to make a big announcement today amid new calls for his resignation and new sexual misconduct allegations. >> enough is enough. >> the next step for democ

wild shoot-out. guns pulled on this busy street. how road rage set off this dramatic keen in texas and how it ended. the security scare for prince george the suspect inspyinging a target against the royal family. how tom brady's good looks are being used to stop drivers from speeding. a good morning to you all. we begin with wind-driven wildfires in southern california where officials have expanded evacuation orders to include the ventura county town of ojai. overall 150,000 are now under mandatory evacuation. >> so that fire in ventura county has already burned more than 140 square miles and fire crews say they're nowhere near containing it. in the meantime, l.a.'s fire chief warns that today's brush burning

number used to rate the threat of a brush fire is the highest he's seen in three decades. >> wow, at least five fires are burning. more expected to erupt today because wins could reach hurricane force and kenneth moton has the latest from the front lines. >> reporter: new from overnight the california wildfire threat exploding. from the air this intense wall of flames in ventura county. >> look at this. >> reporter: the skirball impact the 405. literally sitting next to burning hillsides. >> this is really frightening. there are a lot of hopes here. >> reporter: the fires already taken out several multimillion dollar hopes in bel air. 350 firefighters on the ground. abc's matt gutman right there. >> reporter: that house is completely engulfed and the smoke coming out is noxious. it's like breathing in tear gas. the helicopter overhead now.

dropping water right now so might get wet. >> reporter: thousands of homes are in the threat zone in southern california. sparking mandatory evacuations. in ventura 90,000 acres burned. people returned to find their houses reduced to rubble. >> 16-year-old son and it's the house he grew up in so it's hard for him but he has a good attitude. >> reporter: thoses who homes were spared pitching in to help neighbors. >> i'm sad for my neighbors and the way they look. it's horrible. >> reporter: those santa ana winds reaching 70 miles per hour in some areas. some relief expected by the weekend. kenneth moton, abc news. >> our thanks to kenneth there. always know most people are scrambling to escape the fast-moving flames. >> that's right but this man risked his life to save a wild rabbit. he ran up to those flames along the roadway and after a few minces he did manage to grab that rabbit and carry it to safety. we move on to the big news that is happening

democratic sources tell abc news they expect senator al franken will resign today. two more women have come forward accusing him of sexual misconduct bringing the total to eight. one of the new accusers claims franken tried to kiss her. another says he groped her. doz dozens of democrats are caulk on him to step down. >> you are saying he should resign. >> i get no pride or pleasure in saying that. >> i think today's revelations just further add to a fact pattern here that's just unacceptable. >> if he resigns minnesota's democratic governor will choose the replacement until a special election is held. donald trump jr. spent nearly eight hours being questioned by the house intelligence committee. but he reportedly refused to answer questions about the conversations he had with his father after his 2016 meeting with a russian lawyer became public. the committee's

says trump junior cited attorney/client privilege because there were attorneys present. some are questioning whether that privilege applies in this case. new information about some text messages allegedly sent by former national security adviser michael flynn during president trump's inaugural address in january. a whistle-blower claims flynn text the a former business partner that a plan to build nuclear reactors in the middle east was good to go. this is according to a letter released by the top democrat on the house oversight committee. now, the plan involved russian partners, now, the whistle-blower claims flynn suggested that u.s. sanctions on russia would be ripped up. the details have now been shared with special counsel robert mueller. the middle east is on edge this morning one day after president trump defied warnings and officially declared jerusalem the capital of israel. anti-american sentiment is running high among palestinians and some of america's closest allies are calling on the united nations to hold an emergency meeting.

jerusalem with the latest. good morning, molly. >> reporter: diane, good morning. that's right. it is the biggest news here. everyone is talking bit on the cover of every single newspaper here. here you've got "the jerusalem post." trump on jerusalem. "u.s. recognizes jerusalem as the capital of israel" and a picture of the american flag and israeli flag projected on the walls of the old city. the state department is warning israel so restrain its reaction to that announcement to tamp down any anti-american sentiment in the region. >> i have determined that it is time to officially recognize jerusalem as the capital of israel. while previous presidents have made this a major campaign promise, they failed to deliver. today i am delivering. >> reporter: and just like that, in a matter of

trump reversed nearly 70 years of u.s. policy and did what no peace process has ever done, named jerusalem as the capital of israel. he also started the process to move the u.s. embassy no other country on earth has an embassy in jerusalem. >> we cannot solve our problems by making the same failed assumptions and repeating the same failed strategies of the past. >> reporter: but the reaction was swift. palestinian president omar mateen sayimahmoud mahmoud abba could lead to wars. french president macron saying it was regrettable and protests, declaring jerusalem their capital and saying the blood of martyrs won't be wasted. the only positive comments overseas -- >> this is a historic day. >> reporter: now prime minister netanyahu is thrilled, of course, but

jerusalem, all the shops are closed. they called for three days of rage yesterday, today and tomorrow but tomorrow, guys after friday prayers is what we'll be watching. >> that, indeed. our thanks to molly hunter in jerusalem. time now for a look at your weather on this thursday morning. >> good morning, serious situation continues here over southern california with very low amounts of humidity and fierce wins from the north and east and also talking about warm temperatures and, again, hopes will continue to be threatened here through friday with these explosive fire conditions. and to the northeast chilly air making its move on in along with gusty winds and even significant lake-effect snow and meanwhile, over the southeast talking about travel delays due to wet conditions along the 10. i'm justin povick with your accuweather forecast.

changing its name. >> but first road rage leading to this wild shoot-out on a busy street. what police say sparked the violence. later we take you inside jay leno's new historic mansion. we will never have time to show you all the rooms but we're going to

this frightening scene was caught on camera by a news crew in houston. that's two men opening fire at each other in broad daylight on a busy road. this all started as a rear end collision before it escalated into a dangerous case of road rage. >> the guy in the jeep said drop the gun and the other guy is like pulling the gun like that and then it's like crazy. >> a woman grazed by a bullett is expected to

injured but not seriously. a volkswagen executive has been sentenced to prison for the company's scheme to cheat on emissions inspections. oliver schmidt has been involved. rigged devices were placed in diesel cars to circumvent federal emission tests. the results of the new crash test are out this morning. the insurance institute for highway safety says cars from hyundai, kia and subaru performed the best. passenger side crashes and headlight inspections were factored in the ratings. our website has the complete list of cars that fared the best at atmfans.com. walmart has changed its name. ready for this one dropping the word stores from its official legal name as part of a marketing plan to emphasize online shopping and it's also dropping

separate wal from mart. we're learning more details about that massive data breech at uber. route series saying a 20-year-old man who lives with his mother was behind that cyberattack that compromised the data of millions of users. uber reportedly paid that man $100,000 to destroy the data and keep the breach a secret. a source says the man did it because he wanted to help pay the bills at mom's house. >> well, mom -- >> mom is a tough landlord. >> it's not free. new research about birth control and health risk for certain women. but first the picture of a 4-year-old prince george at the center of an alleged terrorism plot. the suspect now facing charges. plus, the mystery buyer who paid $450 million for a da vinci paint something finally revealed. t on my mind. could this happen again? was my warfarin treatment right for me?

my doctor told me about eliquis. eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots and reduces the risk of them happening again. not only does eliquis treat dvt and pe blood clots... eliquis also had significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. eliquis had both and that turned around my thinking. don't stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. if you had a spinal injection while on eliquis call your doctor right away if you have tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily... and it may take longer than usual for bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. both made eliquis right for me. ask your doctor if switching to eliquis is right for you. ♪ and take an extra 25% off! this weekend at kohl's. give joy with jammies for the family

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we're back with video from the scene of a small plane crash outside st. louis. the single engine plane slammed into a gas station parking lot nearly hitting a tanker truck. the pilot killed. the ntsb investigating the cause. a florida man is facing a felony charge after allegedly blinding police helicopter pilots with a laser. the sheriff's office said ten flashes hit the pilot's eyes near tampa. they eventually arrested him at his home after pursuing him with the helicopter. and we turn now to team usa and the possibility that american athletes may be pulled from the 2018 winter olympics for security reasons. >> the u.n. ambassador nikki haley said it's an open question. when she was asked whether u.s. athletes will be able to attend the games in south korea in two months. haley told fox news the situation is changing by the day and plan to take every precaution to keep americans safe. sentencing day for a former u.s. gymnastics doctor who pleaded guilty to molesting teen girls. prosecutors want him to get 60

child pornography and sentenced separately on assault charges. mckayla maroney is expected to be in court today. she wants life in prison for nassar. her mother wrote a letter to the court about the toll the abuse has taken on mccayla saying she has transformed from a bubbly world class athlete into a young adult who was deeply depressed. at types i was unsure whether i would open her bedroom door and find her dead. >> a british man is in custody for allegedly helping plan an attack on prince george accused of putting a photo and information about the 4-year-old's preschool in a social media post that was encrypted. prosecutors say the 31-year-old suspect was trying to help others plot a terror attack. royal watchers say george's parents face a difficult challenge when it comes to security for the kids. >> i mean they need to be followed round the clock by royal protection officers and bodyguards but at the same time they want them to feel as though they're not

friends and that they're having normal interactions with people. and so it's a constant balancing act. >> the suspect has pleaded not guilty to the charges. now to some new research about low does birth control pills. doctors in denmark found the new pill raised the chance of developing breast cancer. results were the same for hormone infused devices such as ieds but the danger considered small so most women don't need to give up their birth control due to this. the price of viagra is about to be cut in half because the new generic version hits the market next week. it will be a little white pill. now time for sports highlights. >> let's get those from espn. >> good morning, morning people. i could use some jolly ranchers right now to give me a little pick-me-up. let's go. let's go to kansas. washington, they were all jacked up. kansas, i mean, their average

margin of victory this season 31 points, best in the country. a couple of slams right there. mike hopkins. came over from syracuse, replaced lorenzo aremromar. a top team. they shock bill self and company, 74-65. it's good to be king. and have your own way. lebron james isn't really a king. that's just a nickname. dwyane wade to jeff green right there. this is the cavs against the kings. james to green. green 17 points off the bench. james, oh, look at this. stepback, bobby jack, james an assist shy of a triple-double and cavs have won 13 in a row. that was fun. have a great thursday. >> all right. thank you and coming up the number one video of the year on

>> no. also ahead inside jay leno's historic new home and the big discount he got. plus more proof that tom brady can do it all. even slow down speeding drivers. we'll explain. #stuffynose #nosleep i got it... #mouthbreather yep, we've got a mouth breather. well just put on a breathe right strip and... pow! it instantly opens your nose up to 38% more than cold medicine alone so you can breathe... ...and sleep. go to breatheright.com today to request a free sample. daddy!! did you get my surprise? ♪ it's the little things that make life rich. ritz.

♪ time to check "the pulse" and we finally know who shot out a record $450 million for a da vinci painting. >> the new owner of "salvator mundi" is a saudi prince. according to "the new york times" the painting will hang in a museum in abu dhabi. >> "the times" says he used his money from reel real estate holdings to pay for it. number three, a group of guys doing trick shots with ping-pong balls. take a look.

♪ >> so the video has 93 million views since april. not bad. next up the second most popular video of the year. ♪ >> that's a group of dancers and their routine to ed sheeran's "shape of you" raking in 119 million viewers. but can you guess number one? top video of 2017, check it out. ♪ >> what in the world? what nightmares are made of >> that's a man dressed as an oyster. this is part of a singing competition in asia featuring masked celebrities. an elaborate costume, has 183 million views. >> to quote the poet future i would like for him to take the mask off. next tom brady

traffic just about anywhere. >> especially around boston. now there's hope the patriots star can slow down cars as well. >> a teacher attached a sign and hopes brady's mug will get drivers to pay attention and slow down and so far it's working. >> all right. well, jay leno, by the way, now owning a new stunning oceanfront home. >> amazing so he bought this mansion in newport, rhode island, for $13.5 million. it was listed for 17 million. >> it has eight bedroom, 11 bathrooms. he may have to add another garage for his car collection, though, because it only has a six-car garage. >>custody at the scene of a fire. what they're accused of, and what investigators know about those flames. plus, wind-driven wildfires continue to burn in california. the area is being evacuated, buildings are leveled, and crews are having trouble getting the fires under control. we have the latest.

good morning washington. toss to julie w/traffic alerts - cold start; seasonably cool finish - another cold push of air

weekend - tracking a coastal system this weekend; little to no impact in the dmv - staying unseasonably cold next week today: partly to mostly sunny. breezy, at times. highs: 47-53 winds: nw 5-10+ mph tonight: mostly cloudy and cold. lows: 27-34 winds: nw 5 mph friday: partly to mostly cloudy. unseasonably cold. highs: 41-43 winds: nw to sw 5 mph breaking right now -- a townhouse

and one person taken into custody. fire broke out at a home on cedarwood drive around two this morning. police arrested one person suspected of arson. we will bring you more information as it becomes available. also breaking -- a man is dead, after being shot.. in southwest d.c. it happened around 11 p.m. on forrester street. police have not released the victim's name. and it's unclear what led up to the shooting. at this point.. there's no word of any arrest. new developments -- about the case of an 11-year-old in critical condition after being shot by a neighbor in suitland. his family releasing a statement -- saying: "we would like to thank those who have reached out to us during this difficult time. we are currently still processing what has happened as our beloved family member remains in critical condition." a spokesperson for the family says the boy's parents consider this an accident as previously reported by police. this all happened tuesday night when a 33-year-old man, who is ex-military, was watching the child. he claims the gun accidentally went

sources tell abc7 news investigators will soon search an area near i-95 in stafford county for the remains of a d-c woman killed back in 2009. pamela butler was 47 when she was killed. she worked for the federal government. this past october, her boyfriend, jose rodriguez-cruz, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. and he promised to show where her body is. in return, he was sentenced to only 12 years. butler's brother spoke after rodriguez-cruz's court appearance. rodriguez-cruz admitted to killing butler in the basement of her home on fourth street in northwest d.c. he says he then removed her body through a window and drove away. the man charged in the killing of an artist in d-c - has been indicted on murder charges. el-hadji toure is accused of breaking into corrina mehiel's capitol hill apartment...

sexually assaulting her... then stabbing her to death last year. meheil was from pennsylvania and was in d-c working on an art exhibit. right now - the route 355 bridge over the monocacy river.. shut down until further notice. this after - a truck crashed.. slamming into the bridge's supports. sky trak seven video shows serious damage. the bridge is often used as a way to avoid backups on nearby i-270, just south of frederick. right now - it's not clear how long the bridge will be closed.... but a local newspaper - says it could be days. it's xx and we're just getting started. right now -- wind -- boosting wildfires in california. nearly 200 homes destroyed, tens of thousands of people being forced from the area! how crews are working to get those flames under control. plus -- a big announcement expected from senator al franken today. a look at the senators now calling for his resignation, and his newest accuser who just came forward.

good morning washington. - cold start; seasonably cool finish - another cold push of air