fleeing the fire. thousands of people are told to leave their homes as an out of control wildfire streaks through northern california. >> it was fire everywhere. like you turn around everywhere, it's on all sides of you. campaign controversy. a u.s. senate race takes center stage when one candidate is asked if he believes rape victims should be allowed to have a brgs. >> if it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to shut that down. a hazing video taken at the new york giants training facility lands some players in new york giants training facility lands some players in hot water. captioning funded by cbs >> this is the "cbs morning news" for monday, august 20, 2012. good morning everybody. good to be with you. i'm terrell brown.

this morning northern california is once again reacting to flames burning out of control. the record heat and dry weather this summer created optimum conditions for wildfire. thousands of people in a rural area east of redding have been told to leave their homes as a fire nearly 19 square miles continues to grow. the ponderosa fire has been -- has destroyed at least seven others. firefighters would rather rip down these trees than allow them to burn. they spent sunday trying to establish a fire line to keep the flames from reaching a cluster of homes. >> this fire's path is directly headed towards many of these homes. our number one goal is to get them out and get your firefighters in to put this fire out. >> the fire started saturday morning. the cause hasn't been determined. but it started after a series of lightning strikes in the area. >> this has been a fast moving fire due to the fact that conditions are dry, the brush, the grass, even the timber is incredibly dry. >> as the flames spread sunday,

officials declared a state of emergency and told thousands of people to leave their homes. >> i looked up, everything was black. i drove through it and i couldn't breathe and then it was fire everywhere, like every -- you turn around everywhere it's on all sides of you. >> it's been an active season for wildfires. in aho, more than a thousand firefighters held off a fire. that fire destroyed eight structures and prompted a mandatory evacuation order. the taylor bridge wildfire east of seattle could be contained today. since starting a week ago, the fire consumed more than 23,000 acres and burned dozens of homes. >> one friend barely got out, and he came back today and found everything is gone. >> an evacuation order was lifted for a community in northern utah that was threatened by a fire that scorched 550 acres.

about 40,000 wildfires burned 6 million acres of land. that's one million more than average. to politics now and controversial comments from a republican candidate in missouri. todd achin is running against claire mccaskill. achin says he misspoke when asked if he would support abortions for women who had been raped. >> it seems to be first of all, if it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole inning down. >> the comments brought a rebuke from mitt romney's campaign. governor romney and congressman ryan disagree with the statement and they would not oppose abortion in situations of rape. senator mccaskill found the comments offensive and quote it's beyond comprehension that someone can be so -- brought on by rape. mitt romney and his running mate, paul ryan campaigned

together in manchester, new hampshire. romney attended church there. mr. obama plans to campaign in ohio tomorrow. famed hollywood director tony scott died after jumping from a los angeles county bridge. he directed beverly hills cop 2 and crimson tide. the good wife. los angeles times reports investigators found a suicide note at his office. scott was the brother of producer and director ridley scott. tony scott was 68 years old. overseas now. in the political scandal in china over the murder of a british businessman, the wife of litician bow she lie was given a suspended death sentence for the murder of neil haywood. media reports that she confessed to murder. she suffered a mental breakdown and that haywood threatened her son. a suspended death sentence is usually commuted to life in

prison. her husband once on the fast track for leadership lost his job. this morning, julian assange remains holed up in london. foreign ministers from 12 south american -- meanwhile, assange wanted for questioning in sweden a sex assault case. isn't giving in. on sunday, he shifted the focus to the united states and said he is the victim of a witch hunt. here's the report. >> julian assange stepped on to the balcony of the ecuadorian embassy like -- the wikileaks founder lashed out at the u.s., reading a list of demands. >> the united states must renounce its witch hunt against wikileaks. the united states must pledge before the world that it will not stop journalists for shining a light on the secret crimes of the powerful. >> it's the latest bizarre

scheme in his fight against extradition to sweden. assange was arrested in london in 2010 accused of sexually assaulting two former wikileaks volunteers in sweden. >> if it's true, wrs the evidence. >> he says it's a smear campaign, retribution for putting the u.s. government's mill tariff secrets on wikileaks. he's afraid the swedes will pass him to the united states for a trial and possibly the death penalty. the alleged source, army private bradley manning is facing criminal charges and a life sentence. assange called manning a hero and political hero. >> bradley manning must be released. >> there was no mention of the sexual assault allegations or his extradition. assange ran out of legal options in may when britain's highest court shot down his appeal. ecuador granted him asylum, but to get out of this country, he has to set foot outside the

embassy where dozens of british officers are waiting to arrest him. >> he's been living in a small room with little more than a bed and an internet connection the here for the past two months now. despite that, he showed no signs of being fed up or ready to give in. it will be left up to ecuador, britain and sweden to work out a compromise. cbs news, london. in afghanistan, another insider attack against american forces. it took place yesterday evening in kandahar province. two afghans opened fire, one u.s. soldier was killed, another wounded. ten troops have been wounded in the past two weeks. widespread protests are reported in syria. president bashar al assad made his first public appearance he attended a mass yesterday. heavy fighting between rebel and government troops was also reported yesterday. one activist group claims more than 100 people were killed. after a quick break on a

monday morning, all joking aside, major budget cuts for the tonight show. jay leno takes a pay cut amid dozens of layoffs. this is the morning news. ow all those screens that keep you connected are sucking moisture from your eyes, causing irritation and dryness? [ thud ] really? [ male announcer ] revive your eyes with visine®. ahh. [ male announcer ] only visine® has hydroblend, a unique blend of 3 moisturizers that soothe, restore and protect eyes for up to 10 hours of comfort. which means all day comfort... for my non-stop day! [ male announcer ] visine® with hydroblend, find it in these visine® products. [ male announcer ] visine® with hydroblend, if you think occasional irregulathink twice.ig deal, it may be a sign that your digestive system could be working better. listen to this. with occasional irregularity, things your body doesn't use could be lingering in your system, causing discomfort. but activia has been shown in clinical studies to help with slow intestinal transit when consumed 3 times per day.

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dallas resumed it's battle. >> reporter: dallas officials hope to have the city and county sprayed by monday night. the west nile virus killed ten people in the area and sickened more than 250. the mars rover curiosity fired its laser gun yesterday. not to fight off aliens, but to drill a hole in a nearby rock. curiosity shot the rock with 30 pulses over a period of ten seconds. they also said it's the first extraterrestrial stone to undergo a laser he's. on cbs "moneywatch," a look at the new honda accord. erica ferrari with more. >> good morning, terrell.

cbs news learned that new york state will learn the method of extracting natural gas from the earth known as fracking. the process is under fire by environmental groups who say it threatens water and crop supplies. supporters point to the economic benefits of fracking and say it can be done safely. new york officials say if fracking moves forward, it will be done with the strictest standards in the nation. the any key gained a fraction to hit a three month closing high. the hang seng lost a fraction. we'll get earnings reports from dell, hewlett-packard. >> the dow added 67 points. the nasdaq gaining 59. greece is expected to pay a $4.7 billion debt to the european central bank and is set to meet with the chancellor to discuss new terms of the bailout. germany's finance minister says greece must go along with the

terms of the bailout including sticking with austerity budget. today honda begins production on the 2013 accord. the mid-size sedan has been one of the biggest sellers in the u.s. for years. but it's facing increased competition from ford, hyundai and volkswagen. the newly designed accord will be similarly priced to last year's model starting at $21,000. no laughing matter at the tonight show. nbcuniversal laid off about two dozen workers on friday. roughly 10% of the staff and host jay leno has taken a huge pay cut, as much as $10 million. he reportedly took the cut to help other staffers keep their jobs. the cuts are expected to trim the program's weekly budget by about 25%. terrell? erica ferrari in new york. appreciate it. thank you so much. when we come back, your monday morning weather and in sports, the ice tub toss that got the insuring giants in hot water. is this hazing or bullying?

mornings aren't always perfect.

that's why i give them carnation breakfast essentials. it's packed with 21 vitamins and minerals and protein so kids get the nutrition they need to start the day right. carnation breakfast essentials. good nutrition from the start. here's a look at the weather in some citiesment new york, cloudy with showers, 73. afternoon thunderstorms in miami, 91. same deal in chicago, 74 degrees. mostly sunny skies in dallas, 91. partly sunny in los angeles, 86 degrees. let's check your national forecast. showers and thunderstorms will develop across the northeast. parts of the south and the four corner states in the west. downpours could top 1 inch from

the southeast. a portion of louisiana to the florida panhandle. the midwest will be mostly dry and pleasant with temperatures slightly below normal. in sports, the yankees had another big night against the red sox thanks to suzuki. in the fourth he swatted a homer to left. in the sixth, he did it again. for that he got a curtain call. yanks -- they take the series two out of three games. talk about a marathon game. 19 innings. the longest game this year by innings. in the majors, lasted a head-nodding 6:07. pittsburgh scored three times in the 19th. the pirates are two games ahead of st. louis and the hunt for the last wildcard spot in the national league. heads up play. to keep the score tied in cincinnati, should be out at first. the red sox -- he's off the bag. fires to third. gets the runner. in the bottom of the ninth, han began hits a game-winning rbi.

the reds beat the cubs. a bizarre twist in the doping kais of cabrera. paid $10,000 to create a website and fake product to prove he took a banned substance. investigators quickly unraffled that plan. last week he was suspended for 50 games and according to the associated press, the case has been referred to federal investigators. pre-season football. colts and the steelers. the nfl's top draft pick andrew luck tossed a couple of interceptions. he helped his team to a lead at the half. with seconds left in the game, colts almost blocked this 22-yard field goal. but it squibs through the uprights. questions about a video taking in the new york giants training camp is this hazing oi bullying? . jason pierre-paul dumping osi umenyiora into a tub of ice water. he isn't a rookie i and he was

dumped last year. the video was posted and later tweeted this, i want to apologize for the fans, the video was distasteful. our team is a family and we love each other. i'm sorry to the fans. sometimes you're just a guy that gets picked on. i'm that guy now. i live with that. when we come back, making waves. 62-year-old diana nyad runs into trouble at her latest attempt at a record long distance swim. [ birds chirping ] are you a fan of demoisier? uh, um... [ thinking ] demois-a-who? okay, you can't get by on just your looks forever. okay. [ thinking ] you just ordered a premium roast coffee and a savory sausage mcmuffin for only a dollar each off mcdonald's dollar menu at breakfast. so you know you're smart. he has a certain... je ne sais quoi, you know? [ speaking french ] yeah. oh, yeah. all the time. [ male announcer ] the simple joy of being smart.

here's a look at the weather. d.c., clouds and sun, 82ment thunderstorms in atlanta, 82. partly sunny skies in st. louis, 84 degrees. afternoon thunderstorms in denver, 79 and pleasant in seattle. 76 degrees. deadly violence in u.s. cities is growing at an alarming

rate. more people have been killed in chicago this year than the number of u.s. troops in afghanistan. often the victims and those suffering the most are children. ines ferre reports on those that offer a safe-haven. >> 11-year-old karen spends afternoons at still waters in a storm. a reading and writing sanctuary in brooklyn. >> i like something. i'm focused in the story and i for get everything. >> i like to write to express my feelings when i can't express them in words. >> when she writes, 11-year-old maria finds calm amid the chaos. >> i write about how maddy get or how happy i can get or how sad. >> this is a place where they can come and be at peace. >> one day there was a crazy manno owe. >> steven haas a former new york city public school teacher

opened still waters four years ago. >> they'll sometimes write about things they have seen or heard on the streets. problems, gunshots, losses that they've suffered. just a rough daily struggle. >> so what came up today? >> here children write stories and poems with the encouragement of volunteers. 18 years ago this man was one of his high school students. he belonged to a neighborhood gang. >> the spider -- >> instead of handing him detention slips for cutting class, he says haas handed him books showing him a world beyond his tough neighborhood. >> i just want to make sure that they don't go down a road that's definitely not needed and just making sure they stay focused on the right path. >> once upon a time, there was a girl who wished to be the one reflected, not the reflection. >> he hopes this road will keep them safe and encourage them to give back to their community.

ines ferre for cbs news new york. swimmer diana nyad is trying to cross from cuba to florida. she's gone almost 28 times. her crew hopes it wasn't as painful as saturday night. this is her third attempt since last summer to cross this. >> a man with no arms or legs completed a dream by swimming between alaska and russia. he used specially designed flippers to swim the 2.2 miles. it took him about an hour and a half. old iron sides sets sail in boston harbor. the u.s.s constitution, the oldest commissioned warship sailed uer its own power sunday for about 17 minutes. it was to mark the constitution's victory over a british warship. 200 years ago during the war of 1812. she is old, but she has still got some tug. get it, girl. coming up after your local news on "cbs this morning," how your blood type may affect your risk of heart disease.

i'm terrell brown. this is the "cbs morning news." if you think occasional irregularity is no big deal, think twice. it may be a sign that your digestive system could be working better. listen to this. with occasional irregularity, things your body doesn't use could be lingering in your system, causing discomfort. but activia has been shown in clinical studies to help with slow intestinal transit when consumed 3 times per day. 7 out of 10 doctors recommend activia. and the great taste is recommended by me! ♪ activia

we are going to start out and stay cloudy most of the day today. in the 60s, near 70 degrees in town, we'll keep on going with highs in the afternoon near 80. chances are slight for a late day shower but there is a possible. we are having a little bit of fog here. in west virginia and virginia and maryland, off toward the east overall temperatures have been fairly mild and moisture will continue to stay in the

east. 65 at andrews air force base. we'll stay code yellow today because of showers and storms. mid temperatures tuesday and back into the middle 80s by wednesday. monika? >> reporter: for those of you getting up to get your kids off to school, i can say construction has been cleared up on the west side of town. on the dulles toll road it is clear. no issues to report in springfield. leaving route 644 up to the beltway or on to 35, very light this monday morning. back over to the maps, looking good on the bw parkway, the entire stretch in prince george's county, a live look at 270 on the southbound side. also clear from frederick on

the beltway. andrea and mike? as we have been saying today is the first day of school for children in prince george's county and drivers are reminded to be extra careful as youngsters walk to and from bus stops. >> your child's bus stop may have changed. changes include maximum walking distance is now a half mile between homes and bus stop locations. walk zones have been adjusted approximately 24 schools and in some cases, middle and high school students are going to share bus rides, which is a common practice in some of the neighboring districts. a man believed to have been high on pc phas been shot by prince george's county police officers. officers responded to a report of a suspicious person in the 5000 block of barn by lane.

an ems crew arrived to treat the suspect, police say that is when he began to fight them. the man was tased by police, but he charged an officer. the officer shot the man one time. the man is expected to recover from the shooting. we are starting to learn more now about the severe beating of a dc man. 2-year-old thomas mazza lynn is in a coma after undergoing brain surgery. sue rae chin has more. >> reporter: michael boudreaux lives just a couple of doors down from where thomas mass lynn was found. he is lying in a coma at the hospital. thomas, who goes by tc, had gone to a nats