. wildfire wreckage. the massive fire in northern california has destroyed dozens of buildings, many of them homes. defying the party. missouri senate candidate todd akin ignores republican pressure to drop out of the race. deadly derailment. two young women send tweets from a train bridge minutes before they were killed by a derailed a train bridge minutes before they were killed by a derailed locomotive. captioning funded by cbs this is the "cbs morning news" for wednesday, august 22, 2012. good morning everybody. good to be with you. i'm terrell brown. we begin in northern california. officials there say a massive wildfire has destroyed 50 buildings, many of them homes. the ponderosa fire is 170 miles

north of sacramento. 33 square miles of land has been destroyed. it's 30% contained. our sacramento station, kovr, is on the fire line. >> it tears through trees, torching, charring everything in its path. these flames getting fierce with the heat of the day as it blows freely with the wind. >> they're really working hard at it. you know, nature, is sometimes very evil. >> as the olsons witnessed the fire creep up their canyon, they got that dreaded warning to get out. >> are you guys telling everyone to leave here? >> giving gwen minutes to move. >> where are you guys headed? >> i don't know. we're going to payne's creek store right now. >> firefighters stepped in with families out of the way. digging, spraying. >> they sprayed liquid on this home from top to bottom which created this orange mess. the idea is if flames get to the building, it might cause a burn on the outside but the structure should still be standing.

this mess is a small price to pay and the homeowner will just have to hose it all off. >> the real attack comes from the sky. drop after drop appear insignificant when we're talking about a 33 square mile fire. the planes like the dc-10 are the best weapons in this battlefie battlefield. >> we've been here for 15 minutes, it's moved from down here up to the top. >> it destroyed 50 structures as it ripped through neighborhoods. >> we saw fire trucks literally come down our street, then it was time to leave. >> about 3,000 residents rushed out and now as night falls all evacuees can do is hang tight and hope the wind shift in their favor. firefighters continuing to torch through the dry brush, through the night, taking advantage of the cooler temperatures and lighter wind hoping to increase some of this containment. >> national guard troops have joined the firefighting effort. fire officials hope for improved weather conditions today. a tropical storm brewing in the atlantic poses a possible threat to next week's republican

convention in tampa. tropical storm isaac is moving west. it could become a hurricane by thursday. a watch is in effect for puerto rico and the u.s. virgin islands. it may hit as early as sunday morning. forecasters warn long-range storm predictions are notorio notoriously inaccurate. there is a cloud of a different sort over the gop. congressman todd akin remains the candidate for the u.s. senate in missouri. he ignored pressure to drop out following his remarks on rape and pregnancy. even paul ryan who co-sponsored a bill with akin opposing abortion even in the case of rape said it's time for him to go. >> the statements were outrageous, i don't know anyone who wouldn't agree with that. >> ryan says even though he opposes abortion, a romney

administration would support in the case of rape and incest. dwindling support and disappearing campaign funds. he insists the political crisis will pass. wyatt andrews reports. >> todd akin insists his comments about rape and women were just a mistake and that he could still win the missouri senate seat held by incumbent democrat claire mccaskill. akin announced his final decision on the mike huckabee radio broadcast. >> that i misspoke one word in one day and all of a sudden overnight everybody decides, well, akin can't possibly win. i don't agree with that. rape could lead to pregnancy. >> akin also apologized in this ad for suggesting that rape victims are somehow able to avoid pregnancy. >> i ask for your forgiveness. >> but forgiveness from mainstream republicans isn't happening. mitt romney suggested that akin quit, paul ryan called him yesterday to ask directly. senate majority leader mitch

mcconnell told akin when the future of our country is at stake, sorry is not sufficient. the republican party withdrew $5 million and the karl rove super pac, american crossroads, withdrew all funds in the pipeline for akin. >> there's no way he can recover in my opinion. our group decided to, if he remains the nominee, there's no reason to throw good money after bad by trying to win this seat. >> before this controversy, republicans were certain they could beat mccaskill and possibly win a majority in the senate. now the missouri seat is in play and democrats are using akin to rekindle the abortion rights debate. in tampa, republicans preparing for next week's convention called for a human life amendment granting legal rights to the unborn which democrats say could result in a ban on abortion nationwide without exception for rape and incest. democratic candidates like elizabeth warren in massachusetts are making abortion rights a national issue

even though her opponent, senator scott brown, supports abortion rights and has criticized akin. >> the republicans would like to pretend that akin is just a one all, a real shocker in the republican party. but we've got to remember, he is part of an ongoing republican agenda. >> two sources tell cbs news that akin's real agenda here is to hang tough for now to see if he can generate enough money and support to justify staying in this race. in other words, his final decision may not be final. wyatt andrews, cbs news, washington. on the campaign trail, president obama is in las vegas this morning pitching his education policy in an effort to win over young voters. susan mcginnis has more this morning. good morning to you. >> hey, good morning terrell. the akin controversy has stolen the spotlight from the issues the candidates want to talk about, but they keep on trying. right now they're trading barbs over education. president obama campaigns in the swing state of nevada today. >> hello, reno!

>> focused on a crucial group, young voters. it's the second day the president is talking education. he says mitt romney wants to make it harder for students to get loans and grants. >> this is his plan. that's his answer to a young person hoping to go to college. shop around and borrow money from your parents if you have to. >> but the president says he understands the struggles that students face. >> i want you to understand, i speak from experience here. >> we only finished paying off our student loans about eight years ago. >> the romney-ryan team says that they did students no favors saying too many young americans are suffering from higher college costs, more debt and a lack of good jobs when they graduate. and campaigning in texas, romney told donors that he's planning to unveil a comprehensive energy policy later this week. he's campaigning today in iowa. susan mcginnis in washington this morning. thank you so much. cbs learned that the alleged

gunman who opened fire at a colorado theater, james holmes has seen three mental health professionals in denver. he had been a ph.d. candidate there. not clear how he met each one or the depth of their involvement before the massacre. the campus were -- as was the school's threat assessment team. it's not clear what action, if any, was taken. when we come back on a wednesday morning, back on land, diana nyad tells us about her latest attempt to swim into the record books. this is the morning news. e a sit 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

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are a sizzling deal, starting at 6 bucks. try our new lunch-size chicken fajitas, sauteed onions and peppers topped with grilled chicken, served with soup or salad. chili's lunch break combos, starting at 6 bucks. marathon swimmer diana nyad is back in florida after 41 hours struggling through two storms and getting stung by jellyfish nine times. an exhausted nyad gave up her fourth try to swim from cuba to florida without a shark cage. a person on her team said a powerful gulf stream had pushed her badly off course. nyad is not disappointed because

she got a shot at making history. >> but the sport and this particular ocean are different than they used to be. these jellyfish are prolific and you know what, to me there's no joy in that. >> nyad said this was probably her last attempt. i bet she goes back at it. she turned 63 today. cbs "moneywatch" on a wednesday. process plunge for best buy while barnes and noble sees 50 shades of green. erica ferrari with that and more in new york. >> good morning terrell. market are lower. the nikkei fell a quarter percent. hong kong's hang seng lost 1%. on wall street. the s&p 500 touched the highest point since 2008 on talks to the european central bank may buy bonds from struggling governments. meanwhile, the dow lost 68 points and the nasdaq fell 8. best buy appears to be in dire straits. they reported second quarter earnings fell to just $12 million from $128 million the

year before. that's a 91% drop. its stock is near a nine-year low and they've suspended profit forecasts to give new ceo time to put together his own turn around plan. barnes and noble shareholders have "50 shades of grey" to thank for a positive earnings report. the book seller said its revenue rose while losses fell in the last quarter. sales of the 50 shades series have brought shoppers into barnes and noble stores and digital content sales, such as e-books, apps and newspapers were also up 46%. another price hike at united airlines. yesterday, it tacked on $10 round trip flights longer than 500 miles. on friday, united and other big airlines matched southwest's increase on shorter flights. so far united is the only airline to raise prices on longer flights. and some drivers may say bp stands for bad petrol.

the company recalled more than 2 million gallons of gas after hundreds of drivers reported car trouble after filling up at bp stations in indiana. the gas is contaminated with a residue that turns the fuel into a goo that clogs up the car's fuel system. the company has set up a website for drivers who think they may have been affected by the tainted gas. it's bp response.com. terrell? all the money you pay for it, it better be right. erica merary in new york. thank you so much. when we come back, your weather forecast and in sports, one word. nasty. the nationals stephen strasburg mows down the braves. wow. but you can help fight muscle loss with exercise d ensure muscle health. i've got revigor. what's revigor? it's the amino acid metabolite, hmb to help rebuild muscle and strength naturally lost over time. [ female announcer ] ensure muscle health has revigor and protein to help protect, preserve, and promote muscle health.

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it's not gonna happen. new light & fit greek. be light and fit and satisfied. here's a look at the he they are. thunderstorms in new york, 83 degrees. same deal in miami, 91. mostly sunny skies in chicago, 80 degrees. partly sunny in dallas, 94, clouds and sun and in los angeles, 84 degrees. let's check your national forecast. it will be mainly dry and mostly sunny midwest and pacific northwest. scattered and thunderstorms across parts of the carolinas and in the southwest possible local flash flooding from heavy downpours and severe storms. in sports this morning, a battle for the lead in the national league west. lincecum on the mound, striking out four against the dodgers. in the fourth, angel pa began smacks a single past second base. they take down the dodgers to

extend the lead to 1.5 games. talk about a nasty curve ball. one of stephen strasburg's 10 ks. struck out the side. he blast aid three-run shot deep. washington over atlanta 4-1. the seven-game lead over the second place rivals. there's one, there's two. quick toss to first for three. the oakland a's turn a triple play against the twins. just the third triple play in the season. anderson struck out seven, his first start since elbow surgery over a year ago. the a's demolish the twins 4-1. get ready for rocket 4.0. roger clemens officially unretired again. he announced he's going to play foor the skeeters. he's come out of retirement so many times, we've lost track. he's 50 years old, can join the aarp and has an 87 miles an hour

fastball. not bad. is this a first step back to the majors? >> i've been to the major leagues and back a couple times and i've retired and unretired. so i wouldn't even consider thinking about that far ahead. i've got to get through saturday. >> that's when he takes the mound for the first time in five years. here we go again. when we come back on a wednesday, another look at the top stories this morning and final moments, the last twitter messages from two teenagers right before they were killed in a train derailment. huh. [ 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 in some cities around the country. in d.c., thunderstorms, 84 degrees. mostly sunny skies in atlanta, 86. sunny and 88 in st. louis. afternoon thunderstorms in denver, 90 degrees. mostly cloudy skies in seattle, 68. top stories now on a wednesday. fire officials in northern california say a massive

wildfire destroyed at least 50 buildings. it's unclear how many are homes. ponderosa fire burned more than 33 square miles since it started saturday. this morning, it's 40% contained. missouri congressman todd akin ignored pressure from top republican leaders and says he will remain in the race for the u.s. senate. akin's comment on rape and pregnancy cost him the party's support and millions of dollars in funds. the national transportation safety board is looking into what caused the deadly train derailment in maryland. a csx train went off the tracks in he will cot city killing two college students enjoying one of the last nights of summer before they returned to school. a tragic twist, the young women shared some of their final moments on twitter. this was one of the last tweets rose mayer sent. the picture shows the bare feet of she and her friend elizabeth. they were sitting on a train bridge near downtown he will cot city, levitating is the caption. the tweet reads, drinking on top of the city sign with rose

petals. minutes after those tweets were sent, a freight train bound for baltimore loaded with coal careened off the tracks killing the 19-year-olds. >> it was like screeching like it was stopping. it was really loud. i felt like even my table shake a little bit. it was really, really intense. >> the first 21 cars of the 80-car train derailed, tomorrow willing off the bridge and into a downtown area of the city. mayer had just shared a bird's eye view of the street minutes before it became the scene of a tragedy. the two high school friends were spending time together before returning to college. mayer, a nursing student at the university of delaware, nash beginning her second year at james madison university in virginia. trains have run through this city for nearly 200 years much this was the worst derailment in the city's history. investigators hope april camera mounted on the train helps them determine what caused the crash. three crew members escaped the accident unhurt. >> i've reviewed their statements. all of their statements indicate that they felt nothing and they

saw nothing before emergency braking occurred on their train. the brake application i spoke about was an automatic brake application. >> not clear if the women's presence on o the fran played a role. the ntsb will take into account everything you can think of. a tennis referee for the u.s. open is in a new york city jail this morning. 70-year-old lois goodman was arrested yesterday before getting on a bus to go to the tournament. she beat her husband to death with a coffee mug in their california home on april 17th. she originally told them he fell down the stairs. goodman will be taken back to l.a. to face charges. prosecutors want to set bail at $1 million. the mars rover takes its first test drive today to prepare curiosity. wiggled its four corner wheels from side to side. it's expected to move forward ten feet, turn right and back up slightly. it also flexed its robotic arm for the first time. engineers say the wind center was damaged.

it's like driving a really big, really expensive remote control car. coming up after your local news on "cbs this morning," the five things to know about your 401(k) plan. i'm terrell brown. this is the morning news. wider awake. only the beautyrest recharge sleep system combines the comfort of aircool memory foam layered on top of beautyrest pocketed coils to promote proper sleeping posture all night long. the revolutionary recharge sleep system from beautyrest... it's you, fully charged. receive up to a $300 beautyrest visa prepaid card when you buy select beautyrest mattress sets. 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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good morning. welcome to 9news now. today is wednesday, august 22. didn't this month just begin and it's almost over now? i'm andrea roane. this week seems really long for some reasonable. just kidding. good morning.

i'm mike hydeck. good morning, monika. short month, long week. welcome back. howard. >> thanks. good weather. it's kind of cool in spots. low 60s out there this morning. the showers we had a few hours ago, those have rained themselves out. let's show you what's been happening. i want to start with the day planner. pretty quiet out there. by noon 82 degrees with highs today in the mid-80s, about where they should be. even though we're looking at a decent amount of sunshine, there could be an isolated stray thunderstorm in a couple of spots later this afternoon and even into the evening. currently 71. sunrise 6:29. we've got still a couple of hours of dark here. have the southwesterly flow. we're getting partly cloudy conscious. we had a few showers yesterday evening and late last night coming into western virginia and loudoun county. they fell apart before they got into montgomery county. this morning your temps down to 60 in frederick.

61 in winchester of the i hope you've opened the windows and enjoying the 62-degree readings in la plata. the bay keeping annapolis a little warmer. highs this afternoon generally in the mid-80s. a few lower 80s in the shenandoah valley. not bad at all for august 22. 4:26. here's tap tap. well -- here's monika samtani. welcome back. howard. that terrible train derailment in ellicott city, work continues on it. main street is closed between westchester avenue and old column would pike. you want to take route 40 instead. closer into town you do have construction on the west side of town. the one i want to tell but the most is going to be on the outer loop between route 7 and 66. there were 30-minute closures at times overnight and at times only one lane getting through so that's a big one on the west side of town. let's take you to the northbound side of 395. no problems duke street as you head up to the 14th street bridge. you're going to be just fine

this morning. we'll go back over to the maps and head to the other side of town. taking a look at the beltway, there is construction here on the inner loop after route 1. it continues to kenilworth avenue. you want to stay to the left to get around here. a quick live look at connecticut avenue. the beltway running smoothly. more coming up at 4:39. prince george's county police are revealing more information about the death of officer adrian morris. the officer was not wearing a seat belt when his patrol car struck a guardrail along i-95 on monday. >> as matt jablow discovered, according to department guidelines, morris and his partner should never have been involved in that pursuit. >> he was going to be the big man on campus one day. >> reporter: police officer adrian morris is widely described as a dedicated and courageous cop. unfortunately he apparently did not do everything entirely by the book and it may have cost him his life. according to the prince george's county police

department guidelines governing car chases, there are only four crimes that justify police pursuits: homicides, nonfatal contact shootings, argued carjackings and armed robbery. the two men whom officer morris was pursuing and apparently should not have been pursuing were suspects from an attempted theft at a laurel gas station. >> what we're calling it right now is an apparent pursuit. >> reporter: prince george's county police also confirld today that officer -- confirmed today that officer morris was not wearing his seat belt as he's required to when he was ejected. his partner who was wearing a seat belt suffered only minor injuries when their cruiser slamentd into a ditch. >> the -- slammed into a ditch. >> the department is focused on this investigation naturally. >> reporter: earlier today police arrested one of the two suspects whom officer morris was pursuing. the search continues for the second suspect. among officer morris' grieving colleagues, the search also continues for answers as to why such a good man wa