It was where we were doing this. This is the cbs evening news. Mason and this is our western edition. Good evening. Im Anthony Mason. The highestranking u. S. Military officer took questions today on the deadly ambush in the african nation of niger 19 days ago. But he had few answers on what went wrong in what was supposed to be a lowrisk operation. Four american soldiers were killed, and among the Unanswered Questions why it took two days to recover one of the fallen geericans. Nancy cordes begins our coverage. The perception is the department of defense has not ten forth coming. O reporter the chairman of the onint chiefs of staff tried to dispel that perception today. The assessment was that contact with the enemy was unlikely. Ro reporter general Joseph Dunford said the group of u. S. Soldiers and 30 nigerians had had been on a reconnaissance patrol 85 kilometers from nigers capital city. They came under attack from approximately 50 enemy using small arms fired, rocket propelled grenades and technical vehicles. Ri reporter he describes the enemy as local tribal fighters affiliated with isis. He said the u. S. Forces equipped idth machine guns and small arms lp fno air cover didnt radio for help for an hour. Reporter my judgment would be was that that unit thought they could handle the situation without additional support. S reporter he said an unmanned drone was overhead in minutes. French mirage jets arrived an hour later. Two wounded americans were f rlifted during the firefight, and the bodies of three killed in action were evacuated that rgening. But Sergeant Ladavid Johnson was still missing. I want to know why it took d. Em 48 hours to find my husband. My reporter johnsons widow teshia told abc today that she still has not been told where her husbands body was found and why she wasnt allowed to open knocasket. E, i know my husbands body from head to toe, and they wont let me see anything. I dont know whats in that box. It could be empty for all i know. Ti there are times when we make a suggestion to the family that they may not want to review the remains. At the end of the day, the policy is its the familys decision as to whether or not they do that. Reporter dunford promised ilansparency and said investigators are still working to gather answers for the families and for members of congress. Evme key Lawmakers Said they werent even aware that the u. S. Had 800 Service Members stationed in niger until after this happened, anthony. Mason nancy cordes. Thanks, nancy. Espor garrett has been looking into the white house response to this. Reporter Myeshia Johnson spoke for the first time about the call she received from President Trump. The president said he knew what he signed up for, but it hurts anyway. He couldnt remember my husbands name. Reporter mr. Trump said on poitter the conversation was respectful and that he spoke johnsons name from the d. Ginning, without hesitation. Johnsons widow disagreed. The only way he remembered my husband name because he told me he had my husband report in front of him. D frieorter mrs. Johnson is a wonstituent and friend of congresswoman frederica wilson, a member of Congress Since 2011 and before that the florida legislature. Calson listened to the president s call last week and accused him of insensitivity, prompting a barrage of white house criticism that persisted ofrough the weekend. Ede president described her three times on twitter as wacky. Press secretary Sarah Huckabee sanders. As we say in the south, all hat, no cattle. Reporter and chief of staff john kelly piled on. Even for someone that is that erpty a barrel, we were stunned. Reporter again sergeant johnsons widow disagreed. What she said was 100 correct. Reporter mrs. Johnson was asked if she had anything to say to the president. N no. I dont have nothing to say to orm. Reporter arizona senator john mccain, a former prisoner of war in vietnam, joined other republicans in urging the president to end the dispute ldth the johnson family. We should not be fighting about a brave american who lost his life serving his country. That should not be the topic of discussion in america today. Reporter in a different interview, mccain indirectly criticized the five vietnam war stferments mr. Trump received, the last in 1968 for bone spurs. Afcain said during vietnam the poor were drafted in droves while the rich could buy their way out of combat with concocted diagnoses. Anthony . Mason Major Garrett at the r. Ite house. Boanks, major. Army Sergeant Bowe bergdahls sentencing trial got under way t fort bragg, north carolina. Bergdahl was held by the taliban ior five years. Last week he pleaded guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, which could put him behind bars for life. Corgdahls lawyer claim the case should be dismissed because comments by the president made it impossible to get a fair trial. The president called him a dirty, rotten traitor. The allegations against Harvey Weinstein have opened a window into Sexual Misconduct in film studios. Over the weekend, writer and director james toback was accused of Sexual Harassment by 38 women. Ye denies it. Now there are reports that bill oreilly, the former fox tv host, paid tens of millions to settle claims. Breanna goladriga is following this. Never one time was there any complaint filed against me with Human Resources or anybodys legal team. Reporter thats bill oreilly responding today to the bsew york times bombshell report that he paid lees weil 32 million to settle a Sexual Harassment claim. Former fox news host megyn kelly disputed oreillys statement today. Oreillys suggestion that no one complained about his behavior is false. I know, because i complained. Reporter in an interview both the times, oreilly was erfiant, saying what his family. As been through is horrible. We have physical proof that this is bleep . bleep . R. Ay. So its on you if you want to eistroy my children further. Reporter weil initially claimed oreilly repeatedly harassed her and emailed her gay pornography. She then signed a sworn affidavit renouncing the allegations. 21st century fox reportedly knew of the settlement but signed r. Reilly to a fouryear, 100 million deal just one month later. The Company Issued a statement saying it was informed by mr. Oreilly that he had settled the matter personally. According to the times, this is the sixth known settlement that either oreilly or fox news has made. News of oreillys earlier settlements came on the heels of fox news chief roger ailes ouster following claims by boetchen carlson. Oreilly was asked about carlson when he was on cbs this morning promoting his childrens book. Im not that interested in this . No. T Sexual Harassment . Youre not interested in Sexual Harassment . Im not interested in basically litigating something that is finished that makes my network look bad. Eday. Im not interested in making my network look bad at all. That doesnt interest me one bit. Reporter today oreilly posted friendly letters on his website. He says kelly and carlson wrote to him when they worked together. Sgyn kelly says she complained to the copresident s of fox news about them at the time, one of llem, bill shine, was ousted. The other, jack abernathy, remains president of the company. Mason thanks, breanna. Police in florida are searching test test test heat waived of weach has centersthe threat of new wildfires from san diego to dash. Here is jamie yuccas. Annalise tansy wanted to go to the beach in santa monica. We thought better ways, at santa monica and eating some good food. Noirldz a good idea when beaches get cool those winds could gust to 40 to 60 miles per hour, and this has firefighters concerned wildfires will start under the intense triple digit temperatures. Kind of like a perfects storm. Eric scott is from the Los Angeles City fire department. Engines and aircraft will be ready. We predeploy engines and other resources, we can hit it hard, hit it fast and we can keep these fires small before they get out of control. Red flag warnings the highest alert for fires are in effect from Santa Barbara to san diego. More than 85 schools from san diego will close because of lack of air conditioning. Coronado schools were closed today because of heat. The heat today and tomorrow could break records across southern california, including here at dodgers stadium writ could be the hottest ever when the houston as stroas play the dodgers. It is expected to be 100. Thanks, jamie. Today, the highest honor was awarded to mike gary rose, for extreme heroism in an ea secret war. Inspires us reporter mike gary rose was a Green Beret Medic in 1970 when he and 15 other americans were sent on a topsecret mission velyde laos. This was a relatively cleared area. Reporter which explains why it took him to so long to get the medal. It wasnt what we were doing, it was where we were doing it. Laos was originally a country where the u. S. Could not go. The north vietnamese were using it as a base camp from which to launch attacks into south vietnam, so the u. S. Military oint in secret. All rose was told was to bring extra medical supplies. What does that tell you about a e mission . Ve its going to be a tough one, and it proved to be. Rs reporter helicopters carried the americans and a company of about 120 montagnard tribesmen to miles inside laos. We took two casualties going in, and we hit the ground running. And it became a running gun ayttle for the next four days, which seemed like one long day. St reporter this is the one picture that exists from those four days, taken during a rare break in the fighting. According to the citation, rose continuously exposed himself to intense fire as he fearlessly moved from casualty to casualty. He is credited with treating 60 ne 70 wounded. If i had done anything less e an what i did on those four days, i would have failed myself, the guy on my left, and the guy on my right. He reporter rose himself was hit by shrapnel in the foot. How bad was the wound to you . About that deep, about big yround as my thumb. Reporter that would qualify as a serious wound. In that location and that environment, yeah, not a serious wound. Reporter rose was on the last chopper out and saved the life of a crewman who had been anot through the neck. He was going into shock, and i remember leaning down to him, sad i said, can you say this on tv . Reporter try it. Listen, you stupid son of a bitch, if you were going to die, youd already be dead. Then he came out of shock. Reporter three montagnards were killed on the mission, but all americans came out alive. Here they are coming out on crutches. Five decades later hes incepting the honor on behalf of all the soldiers who fought in heos. He could be accepting it on behalf of any soldier who has ever been in a desperate ontuation. Keep putting one foot in thont of the other. Thats what you do. Either that or you give up. Are you going to give up . No, youre not going to give up. Reporter sounds simple until you try to live or die by it. applause david martin, cbs news, huntsville, alabama. Mason a soldiers secret bravery, a secret no more. Maming up next on the cbs iening news, up in smoke. Legal marijuana farms were burned in the california fires. Later the kennedy assassination, the last topsecret files are due to be released. Cc1 cds, baseball cards. Your old magic set . 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Mason the cost o mason the cost of the deadliest wildfires in pllifornia history is rising. 42 people were killed. Today authorities said flames destroyed at least 8,400 homes and buildings, a significant jump. Thats not all that went up in neoke. Heres john blackstone. Reporter the fires that burned through californias wine cruntry destroyed most of the crop eric pearson had just harvested. Ri, not grapes, but marijuana. This was a 40,000 square foot barn, which is about an acre in size. Reporter not just a barn. Thats right. There was processing for marijuana in here. Reporter the first marijuana for Recreational Use became nigal in california. Rd long days of hard work but exciting. Reporter hes c. E. O. Of sparc, a company thats been running a medical marijuana dispensaries since 2009. He had hoped to capture some of the 5 billion expected to be a. Ent annually on legal larijuana in california. Last month we toured sparcs new snoma facility where marijuana g cause being processed and prepared for retail sale. Cases of marijuana were stacked along the wall. But then, wine country went up n flames. If it wasnt metal, its in the here anymore. Planeporter many of the morijuana plants survived, but e maged by smoke and ash, they will lose much of their value in the retail market. How much did you lose in this . I couldnt tell you exactly at this point. A lot. Reporter a lot. E a lot. Io reporter and hes not alone. There are at least 3,000 marijuana farming operations nearby. Ese Growers Association estimates tens of millions have seen lost. O its a setback, but on the other hand, were trying to make lemonade out of lemons. Reporter youll find some way for the business to survive this . Well figure it out, yeah. Reporter growing marijuana already faced a troubling reality. The federal government still considers the harvest a crime, so there is no Insurance Coverage for marijuana. mason still ahead, the nations five living former president s unite in a rare rablic appearance. Your eyes work as hard as you do. But do they need help making more of their own tears . If you have chronic dry eye caused by reduced tear production due to inflammation, restasis multidose® can help, with continued use, twice a day, every day, one drop at a time. Restasis multidose® helps increase your eyes natural ability to produce tears, which may be reduced by inflammation due to chronic dry eye. Restasis multidose® did not increase tear production in patients using antiinflammatory eye drops or tear duct plugs. To help avoid eye injury and contamination, do not touch the bottle tip to your eye or other surfaces. Wait 15 minutes after use before inserting contact lenses. The most common side effect is a temporary burning sensation. 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But last night she made a surprise appearance at the Country Music hall of fame tremony in nashville. Lynn, who is 85, was there to indebt alan jackson, who said he didnt mind being upstaged. Great to see her back. Its rare the see all five living former president s in one place at the same time, but it happened saturday night. Errack obama, george w. Bush, bill clinton, george h. W. Bush, and jimmy carter shared the stage in college station, texas. The former president s united to attend a concert that raised more than 31 million for victims of hurricanes harvey, irma, and maria. Siey did not talk politics, but mr. Bush did share a joke with mr. Obama behind president clinton there. Mr. Obama struggled to keep a straight face. Wed all like to know what that joke was. Up next, secret files from the j. F. K. Assassination may finally be released. [phhello. Ng] hi, its anne from edward jones. Im glad i caught you. Well im just leaving the office so for once ive got plenty of time. Whats going on . So those financial regulations being talked about . They could affect your accounts, so lets get together and talk, and make sure everythings clear. Thanks. Yeah. That would be great. Weve grown to over 900 billion in assets under care. By being proactive, not reactive. Its how edward jones makes sense of investing. People are fighting type 2 diabetes. With fitness. Food. And the pill that starts with f. Farxiga, along with diet and exercise, helps lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. Lowering a1c by up to 1. 2 points. Do not take if allergic to farxiga. If you experience symptoms of a serious allergic reaction such as rash, swelling, difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking and seek medical help right away. Do not take farxiga if you have severe kidney problems, are on dialysis, or have bladder cancer. Tell your doctor right away if you have blood or red color in your urine or pain while you urinate. 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Like any standardized Medicare Supplement insurance plans, they help cover some of what medicare doesnt pay. So dont wait. Call now to request your free decision guide and learn more. Small boxes popping up all over san jose state campus, how the devices will help police solve crimes next on kpix5 news. Ioom the j. F. K. Assassination are due to be released on thursday. Thats the deadline set by congress 25 years ago. Will they finally answer all the questions . Heres chip reid. Something has happened here. We understand there has been a shooting. Reporter november 22, 1963, president john f. Kennedy was shot as his motorcade passed through deeley plaza in dallas. O cret Service Agent clint hill leaped into the limousine and was horrified by what he saw. I assumed it was a fatal eeund. Reporter Lee Harvey Oswald was captured and charged with murder, but while he was being transferred to jail, he was shot and killed. In 1964, a special commission ld aluded oswald acted alone, vet in 2013, the 50th anniversary of kennedys death, 61 of Americans Still said they believed others were involved in a conspiracy. Clint hill believes oswald did act alone, and he hopes to learn why. De perhaps somewhere in that material will give us some idea as to the motive. We reporter its unknown if the thousands of documents to be released this week will solve the many mysteries of the j. F. K. s death. Joe kennedy iii, a great nephew of the former president and the current massachusetts congressman, supports release of the file, but he wishes the white house had handled it whiterently. It would have been nice if there was some communication between the administration and members of our family. Reporter most of the documents have been released over the years. One concern about this final batch is that it could ignite new conspiracy theories to go along with so many others, including an unfounded one suggested last year by then candidate donald trump, who tried to link senator ted cruzs father to j. F. K. s death. Pr his father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to oswald being shot. Reporter the c. I. A. Is reportedly demanding that some of the files remain secret in the interest of national security. Its now up to President Trump and the white house has suggested it is possible that some of the documents will never see the light of day. Bsip reid, cbs news, washington. Reporter and thats the cbs evening news. Im Anthony Mason in new york. Thanks for watching. Good night. Captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by Media Access Group at wgbh access. Wgbh. Org country. Heated moments today as officials plead with homeowners kpix5 news begins with plans late out for a class sal cleanup job in wine kun colossal cleanup job in wine country. Its the next major challenge for the north bay, clearing the mounds of toxic debris in neighborhoods that were burned by the wildfires. Today the government said many people wont be able to Start Building before next spring. Kpix5s betty yu with our first details of a timeline for this daunting operation. Betty . We are talking about an epic cleanup. Officials understand that they need to move fast, but they also have to be very careful and systemic about addressing all of the hazards. Their goal is to be done cleaning up by early next year. The office of Emergency Services is mobilizing resources at every level of government. First the federal epa will be on the ground this week to start removing toxic materials from homes, things like batteries, propane tanks, paints and pesticides in garages. S with homeowner only after the epa has finished next the u. S. Army corps of engineers will move into neighborhoods with homeowner permission to clear debris. The soil will need to be tested as well. Ial. So for example what we dont want to happen is for people k and have lots of were asking that no one do large scale debris removal until weve had a chance to make sure that the way the debris is being removed is the best way to manage Hazardous Material. So, for example, what we dont want to happen is for people to fill up a dump truck and haul lots of Hazardous Material in it and it goes down the highway. The army corps of engineers says that it will use local label as much as possible. So the money label as much as possible so the money labor as much as possible so the money from the federal government stays in the community and it wants to help workers get back on their feet as early as this weekend. At times in the News Conference members of the public got frustrated for who will pay for