Toll is rising, up to 1,000 people still unaccounted for on the island. The Historic Community of lahaina which stood for centuries, now a wasteland. Hundreds of homes, businesses and cultural landmarks Reduced To Ashes by a fastmoving inferno. Shelters packed with survivors. Residents say they had little to no warning before being forced to evacuate. Fire officials now being pressed on why Warning Sirens were not activated when the fires began. The governor says its likely the largest Natural Disaster in hawaiis history. Whit johnson in maui tonight. Also on this friday night, the surprise turn in the hunter biden investigation. After the plea deal for president bidens son fell apart in federal court, today attorney general Merrick Garland granted Special Counsel status to u. S. Attorney david weiss. What this means for the case. Could hunter biden now stand trial . Pierre thomas in washington. Mary bruce at the white house. The judge warning donald trump about his public attacks, possibly intimidating witnesses and tainting the jury pool. The former president s ability to share evidence in the January 6th Case now limited. Jonathan karl standing by. Bail revoked for ftx founder san bankmainfried. A 250 million bond. Why the former billionaire, accused of scamming millions from his clients, is suddenly back behind bars. The war in ukraine, a Russian Missile strike hits a hotel used by the u. N. And u. S. Aid workers. Missiles targeting civilians. And president zelenskyy fires all of his Military Recruitment chiefs. Ian pannell in ukraine. Tracking severe storms through the weekend. Large hail and damaging winds. Strong thunderstorms moving into the northeast tomorrow. Rob marciano times it out. A judge in california tonight charged with murdering his wife. Prosecutors now say he texted his court clerk and bailiff, telling them he did it and, quote, i wont be in tomorrow. And rescue at the grand canyon. A 14yearold boy plunges over the side and surviving. Announcer from abc news World Headquarters in new york, this is World News Tonight with david muir. Linsey good evening, everyone. Thanks for joining us on this friday. Im linsey davis in for david. Tonight the attorney general has named a Special Counsel to investigate hunter biden, raising the possibility the president s son could face trial. Well get to that in a moment. But we do begin with the terrible reality sinking in after wildfires raced across maui. The death toll rising to at least 59 and likely to go higher. The urgent search for the missing and the painful questions about the states disaster warning system. The stunning aftermath. Historic buildings turned to ashy rubble. The once vibrant landscape now devoid of color. Along the Waterfront Cars abandoned and burned. New images tonight of homes on fire. The fierce wind whipping, fueling the flames. Family allowed to go home even as firefighters are tamping down the burning embers. Some people are coming back to very little and struggling to find a place to go. In the midst of the staggering loss, there are stories of generosity and grace. The people of maui finding strength in community. Abcs whit johnson leads us off tonight from maui. Oh, my god. Reporter across maui tonight, the catastrophic toll of this historic disaster coming into focus. Oh, my god. Reporter the massive fires claiming the lives of at least 67 people. I do not know what the final numbers going to be. And its going to be horrible and tragic when we get that number. Reporter and with no power, no internet, and no way to communicate in some places, authorities are still desperately trying to locate as many as a thousand people. The shelters here overcrowded. Hawaiis governor saying some residents will be able to return today to see their homes for the first time, while asking others to open theirs. If you have Additional Space in your home, if you have the capacity to take someone in from west maui, please do. I got about two blocks from my house and everything was engulfed in flames. You saw the fire . Saw the fire. Reporter Kesa Stoddart and her family lost their home in the fire, leaving everything behind in just ten minutes. Did you receive any kind of warning that the fire was coming into the town . There was no warning. We are supposed to get, you know, on your cell phone evacuation notices. Alerts. Alerts. We got nothing. Nothing. Not one alert to evacuate. So your only signal to get out was the explosion and the flames . Yes, and the smoke and people leaving town. Reporter tonight, mounting questions from some members of the community over whether officials sounded the alarm fast enough or whether Power Outages prevented alerts from reaching people. Was there a widespread alert . No, no. There wasnt. It was it seemed sporadic. Im gonna have to say that the government could have done a little bit better. The local government could have done a little bit better. Reporter hawaii officials telling the Associated Press there are no Emergency Management records indicating mauis Warning Sirens were activated tuesday when the fires began. The fire chief asked about those alerts. Our department is not responsible for that. The fire that day moved so quickly that from where it started in the brush to where it moved into the neighborhood, communications back to those who make those notifications were physically to nearly impossible. Reporter in lahaina the once capital of hawaii, which holds deep cultural and historical significance, the raging fires taking nearly everything. We see it firsthand as we approach the harbor by boat. This is the historic lahaina town harbor. Ive been here a number of times over the years. This is my first time seeing it after the fires. Its unrecognizable. Its difficult to get your bearings because there arent many buildings left standing. People tell us it all happened so fast. The Flaming Embers started raining down from the sky, igniting buildings all around them. Many had just seconds to flee. Some even jumping into the ocean to escape the flames. Overnight we spoke to emergency doctor, reza danesh, telling us he rushed into lahaina with his mobile clinic and immediately began treating patients. All of a sudden i started getting Text Messages from paramedics and firefighters that i know went in and out. They said, doc, theres bodies on the ground. Reporter this woman knows many who lost their homes during the fires. Telling us this community is strong, but still in desperate need. Right now its not about me. Its about the community and the people of lahaina. Im just one of thousands of people with this story, one of thousands. We need help. Linsey the need is clear, so too is the strength and spirit of the community there. Whit, incredible what that family had to endure. Now that authorities are allowing residents to return to their homes, what are you hearing from some of those families . Reporter ive been communicating with a few families who do plan to go back today to that lahaina neighborhood if they can get through. The governor said if they can present i. D. At the check point, theyll be allowed to see whats left of their homes. In fact, we saw a long line of cars of people already trying to get in. But its not just lahaina. We are here in the kula neighborhood. You can see behind me this is one of several homes burned to the ground. We can hear the waterdropping helicopters overhead, giving you a sense of the widespread devastation across the island. Linsey . Linsey Maui Unrecognizable as you say, whit. Thank you. Now to the attorney general elevating the u. S. Attorney investigating hunter biden to the status of Special Counsel. Its a stunning turn for the president s son who just weeks ago believed he had a Plea Agreement to end the investigation and settle the charges. But now it appears he could be put on trial. Abcs Chief Justice correspondent Pierre Thomas. Reporter tonight, the president s son now under investigation by a Special Counsel and likely headed to trial. Hunter biden still in the investigative crosshairs of federal prosecutors, still clearly in legal jeopardy. Im here today to announce the appointment of david weiss as a Special Counsel. Reporter it was a Surprise Announcement from attorney general Merrick Garland, elevating david weiss, the trumpappointed u. S. Attorney, who had already been investigating hunter biden for five years, to Special Counsel, due to what garland called the extraordinary circumstances of the case. This appointment confirms my commitment to provide mr. Weiss all the resources he requests, it also reaffirms that mr. Weiss has the authority he needs to conduct a thorough investigation and to continue to take the steps he deems appropriate independently. Reporter and then, another surprise. Weiss telling the court that the chances for a plea deal, on the table just two weeks ago, have all but disappeared. Weiss writing, the parties are at an impasse and the government believes this case will not resolve short of a trial. No plea deal means hunter biden now likely facing prosecution on tax charges in washington, d. C. And california, and a gun charge. But Hunter Bidens team saying that weiss designation as Special Counsel doesnt change our understanding of his authority, and they expect a fair resolution not infected by politics. While Hunter Bidens supporters suggest hes being unfairly targeted because hes the president s son, many on the right have Criticized Weiss for being too lenient. Tonight, some republicans say naming a Special Counsel is the right move. I think its about time that we saw the appointment of a Special Counsel to get to the bottom of not only what hunter biden was doing, but what the biden family was doing. The American People deserve answers and i welcome it. Reporter others skeptical. Nobody in their right mind believes that making him a Special Counsel, mr. Weiss, cleans up the mess thats been created. Linsey lets get to Pierre Thomas at the Justice Department tonight. Pierre, this signals the investigation into hunter biden is far from over. Is there a possibility of more charges . Whats next . Reporter there absolutely could be more charges. Weiss and his team already indicated in court that separate and apart from the failed plea deal that Hunter Bidens financial dealings are still being investigated. Linsey . Linsey pierre, thank you. President biden and the first lady have said very little about hunters legal woes except that they love and support him. Abcs chief White House Correspondent mary bruce joins s any indication this turn of events might change that posture . Reporter no. The president and the white house arent commenting. They have long stressed the independence of this investigation. The president doesnt want to say anything that could fuel claims this has somehow been politicized. This is not what the white house was hoping for. Just a few weeks ago they thought this was largely behind them. Now, tonight instead Hunter Bidens plea deal has fallen apart and he could be facing a criminal indictment and a trial in the middle of his fathers reelection campaign. It is clear that bidens republican rivals are not going to let this go. Linsey . Linsey certainly not. Mary, thank you. Meantime president trumps lawyers were in court today where the judge overseeing the Election Interference Case warned their client against making inflammatory statements. Saying his words could backfire and pressure her to speed up the trial. Heres abc Chief Washington correspondent jonathan karl. Reporter the judge overseeing the Special Counsels Election Interference Case issued a warning today to former president trump. I will take whatever measure, whatever measures, necessary to safeguard the integrity of these proceedings, judge Tanya Chutkan said. This comes after trump had been accused of trying to intimidate potential witnesses, including his former Vice President , mike pence. In one social media post, trump said, quote, if you go after me, im coming after you. In court today, judge chutkan told trumps lawyers, quote, to the extent your client wants to make statements on the internet, they have to always yield to Witness Security and witness safety. When trumps team said its all about his right to free speech, the judge replied, mr. Trump, like any american, has a right to free speech, but that right is not absolute. Trump has signaled he would not abide by any limits on what he can say about the case. I will talk about it. I will. Theyre not taking away my First Amendment right. Reporter trump can talk about the case all he wants. At issue today, however, was whether there should be a socalled Protective Order to keep him from publicly revealing sensitive and Confidential Information, including secret grand jury transcripts that the Special Counsel is required to share with him. The judge ruled that trump would have the same restrictions on revealing Confidential Information as anyone else. Hes a criminal defendant, she said, hes going to have restrictions like every single other defendant. The Special Counsel in this case has requested that the trial begin on january 2nd. That would be just two weeks before the iowa caucuses. Trumps lawyers say its simply too quick and would interfere with his president ial campaign. The judge has not made a decision, has not set a court date yet, but she made it very clear today she wants a quick trial and this her decision will not be driven by the political calendar. Linsey . Linsey the timing will be complex. Jon, thank you. In new york city ftx founder Sam Bankmanfried is behind bars tonight after prosecutors accused him of trying to influence witnesses and a judge revoked his bail. Hes accused of defrauding investors in his cryptocurrency business of billions of dollars. Hes been under house arrest on a 250 million bond. Hell now be awaiting his trial from jail. Heres abcs trevor ault. Reporter tonight, disgraced former billionaire and cryptocurrency ceo Sam Bankmanfried sent back to jail after prosecutors accused him of giving a document to a media outlet to intimidate a witness. A Judge Revoking the 31yearolds 250 million bail, remanding him into the custody of u. S. Marshals. Prosecutors say bankmanfried tried to discredit a trial witness and taint the jury pool when he shared excerpts of his exgirlfriend caroline ellisons personal documents with the new york times. Ellison led bankmanfrieds Alameda Research fund. Shes pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate into the investigation into allegations that bankmanfried defrauded customers and lenders of his now bankrupt Cryptocurrency Company ftx. Speaking with our George Stephanopoulos late last year im trying to focus on what i can do Going Forward to be helpful and let whatever regulatory and legal processes are happening play out as they will. Reporter bankmanfried has pleaded not guilty to all charges. He has already filed an appeal to the judges decision to revoke his bail. Linsey . Linsey trevor, thank you. Now to the war in ukraine, Russian Missiles striking civilian targets in southeast ukraine. Video circulating online shows children playing in a Playground Ducking as a Russian Missile soars overhead, exploding nearby. Tonight president zelenskyy firing every Regional Military recruitment chief. Abcs chief Foreign Correspondent ian pannell is in ukraine. Reporter tonight, a devastating Russian Missile strike in zaporizhia in the southeast of ukraine. Video circulating online showing the moment one of the Ballistic Missiles flew overhead yesterday. And the terrifying moment it lands, exploding. Residents running for their lives. Two missiles slamming next to a hotel. One woman died, 19 were injured including 4 children. According to the state governor. And tonight, president zelenskyy firing every single Regional Military enlistment chief across ukraine, amid a major corruption scandal. Linsey, some of these officers are accused of taking bribes so people can dodge military enlistment. And zelenskyy saying the way they treat actual warriors is immoral. Linsey . Linsey ian, thank you. Millions are on alert for strong winds and severe thunderstorms heading to the north east. Abc senior meteorologist rob marciano joins us now. Where are the dangerous storms hitting now . Reporter we have three pockets and some folks have got hit this week. Alabama, georgia, a cluster down there. Kansas city you have to watch. Then around minneapolis, thats up until 10 00. Those storms brought 76mileanhour winds. Theyll bring some damage and die off overnight and resurface during the day tomorrow across the ohio river valley, pennsylvania, New York State as well. Tornados possible towards new york and into parts of connecticut. The heat continues to expand across the south and now were watching excessive Heat Warnings built into the pacific northwest. Portland, oregon, will see temperatures up and over 100 by monday. That is debilitating heat for the northwest. When we come back, a judge in california charged with murdering his wife. Prosecutors say he texted his court clerk after the shooting. And a rescue at the grand canyon, a 14yearold boy going over the edge. Struggling with the highs and lows of bipolar 1 . Ask about vraylar. Because you are greater than your bipolar 1, and you can help take control of your symptoms with vraylar. Some medicines only treat the lows or highs. Vraylar treats depressive, acute manic, and mixed episodes of bipolar 1 in adults. Proven, fullspectrum relief for all bipolar 1 symptoms. And in vraylar clinical studies, most saw no substantial impact on weight. Elderly dementia patients have increased risk of death or stroke. Call your doctor about unusual changes in behavior or suicidal thoughts. Antidepressants can increase these in children and young adults. Report fever, stiff muscles or confusion which may mean a lifethreatening reaction, or uncontrollable Muscle Movements which may be permanent. 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Judge Jeffrey Ferguson is now charged with murder in southern california. He allegedly texted his court clerk and bailiff after the shooting saying, quote, i just lost it. I shot my wife. I wont be in tomorrow. Authorities say the couple had been arguing. Police say they found 47 weapons in their home. His Attorney Says the shooting was an accident. When we come back, rescue at the grand canyon. The teenager plunging over the edge. Inding the Psoriasis Treatment shes been looking for. Sotyktu is the firstofitskind, oncedaily pill for moderatetosevere Plaque Psoriasis for the chance at clear or almost clear skin. Its like the feeling of finding your back. Is back. Or Finding Psoriasis cant deny the splendor of these thighs. Oncedaily sotyktu is proven to get more people clearer skin than the leading pill. Dont take if youre allergic to sotyktu; serious reactions can occur. Sotyktu can lower your ability to fight infections including tb. 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Vabysmo is the first fdaapproved treatment for people with wet amd that improves vision and delivers a chance for up to 4 months between treatments. Which means doing more of what i love. Vabysmo is the only treatment designed to block 2 causes of wet amd. Vabysmo is an eye injection. Dont take it if you have an infection or active swelling in or around your eye, or are allergic to it or any of its ingredients. Treatments like vabysmo can cause Eye Infection or retinal detachment. Vabysmo may cause a temporary increase in eye pressure after receiving the injection. Although uncommon, there is a potential risk of heart attack or stroke associated with blood clots. Open up your world a chance for up to 4 months between treatments with vabysmo. Ask your doctor. Linsey to the index now, a scare at the grand canyon. Park Officials Say a 14yearold boy fell 70 feet over the north rim. A helicopter was unable to reach him. But a rescue team used ropes to pull him back to safety. He was then rushed to a Pediatric Trauma Center for treatment. When we come back, the people of maui and their unbreakable spirit. Takes you off course. Put it in check with rinvoq, a oncedaily pill. When i wanted to see results fast, rinvoq delivered rapid Symptom Relief and helped Leave Bathroom urgency behind. Check. When uc tried to slow me down. I got lasting, steroidfree remission with rinvoq. Check. And when uc caused Damage Rinvoq came through by visibly repairing my colon lining. Check. Rapid Symptom Relief. Lasting steroidfree remission. And the chance to visibly repair the colon lining. Check, check, and check. Rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tb. Serious infections and blood clots, some fatal; cancers, including lymphoma and skin cancer; death, heart attack, stroke, and tears in the stomach or intestines occurred. People 50 and older with at least 1 Heart Disease risk factor have higher risks. 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Reporter linsey, this is a special community, proud of its history and culture. Many are already promising to rebuild. Amid the devastation, displaced residents on Maui Finding Shelter and comfort in each other. Thousands, like phil bailey, who escaped the wildfires, now recovering at this Evacuation Center set up at the war memorial gym. Myrna and Abraham Ahhee came to the shelter desperate for information on abrahams brother, who is missing. But beyond the heart break, there is also hope. Our Gio Benitez First met an emotional Steven Scott In Lahaina on wednesday. He was looking for his wife. Im trying to find my wife. I know shes safe. I think shes safe, but i havent found her yet. Reporter and when he found him again yesterday, his wife patricia was by his side. Reunited with the help of a good samaritan. You just happened to find someone, you said, with 6 battery left on their phone. He said enough to make one call. And i asked him, please let me try. So, i called her and she answered. Oh, unbelievable. Reporter ohana means family here. But its much more than that. Its the spirit of strength and resilience in community, helping to lift each other up. Weve just been so inspired by the people we met here on maui. If you would like to help the victims of this tragedy, scan the qr code on the screen or go to our website, abcnews. Com for a list of organizations ready to assist. Linsey . Linsey whit, thank you so much. Whit will be anchoring the show from maui tomorrow night. Thanks so much for watching. Tonight, stories of survival from people who escape the flames in maui for the first time. They are being allowed to return home. We hit the streets to see what changed in San Francisco after Driverless Cars got the green light to expand. Get ready for the sound of summer at the san jose jazz summer fest. Building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions. This is abc7 news. No driver, no problem. If you want a ride, now you have to pay. Thanks for joining us. It has been about 24 hours since the cpuc voted in favor of Driverless Car activity. They can operate around the clock crews can charge people for for taking a ride at any time of day. They dont need a Human Backup Driver in the cars anymore. Dan Lian Melendez has ridden in both cruise and we mow cars, she is our inhouse expert. She has a look at what has changed. Thank you for the title expert. We saw not much had changed. We had been told before that they were not immediately going to flood the streets with their Driverless Cars. But we learned the price to ride one of them i will now call for a vote. We know the outcome of the vote favored the driverless
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