PBS NewsHour - Segments

In California, the effort to control two major wildfires remains a struggle. Northern California's Camp Fire has become the deadliest fire in the state's history, claiming at least 42 lives and covering nearly 200 square miles. Meanwhile, the Woolsey Fire in the southern part of the state remains 35 percent contained but has left 200,000 people under evacuation orders. William Brangham reports.

Tuesday in our News Wrap, Amazon announced it will split its new headquarters between Crystal City, Virginia, and Long Island City in Queens, New York. The retail giant pledged to spend more than $5 billion dollars on the sites and create at least 25,000 new jobs. Also, Hamas and other Palestinian militants accepted a cease-fire. Brokered by Egypt, the deal aims to end a recent wave of attacks.

As three major fires blaze in California, we consider some of their causes, both human and meteorological. Science correspondent Miles O’Brien has been filming a NOVA documentary on megafires and witnessed the Camp Fire not long after it began. He joins William Brangham to describe that stunning experience, along with the broader scientific context around these destructive phenomena.

In Florida, extremely close vote margins have triggered machine recounts in three races, including those for governor and Senate. As in the presidential election of 2000, Broward County finds its election practices under intense scrutiny. Adam Smith of the Tampa Bay Times joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the technical details and how confident Florida voters can feel about the results.

The statistics are sobering: according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is now the second-leading cause of death for ages 10 to 18, and the number of teens reporting feeling sad, hopeless or suicidal has risen. But experts say suicide is preventable. Special correspondent Lisa Stark of Education Week reports on how one Virginia high school is confronting the problem.

It’s been nearly two months since Hurricane Florence made landfall in North Carolina and then drenched the state for days, leading to devastating flooding in many inland areas and causing an estimated $17 billion dollars worth of damage. Special correspondent Cat Wise traveled to Jones County recently, where one hard-hit town is still struggling with the storm’s messy aftermath.

In April 1986, fire raged through the Central Library in downtown Los Angeles, damaging or destroying more than a million books. Journalist and author Susan Orlean resurrects this nearly forgotten story in “The Library Book,” which also explores the emotional attachment so many of us feel to books and libraries. Jeffrey Brown shares this true-life tale of loss and revitalization.

Over a dozen active fires continue to wreak destruction across California, from the northern part of the state to Malibu and Oak Park outside Los Angeles. Nearly a quarter million people have been displaced and hundreds are missing. Amidst dry, windy weather, 8,000 firefighters statewide struggle to contain the blazes. Mary MacCarthy of Feature Story News joins Judy Woodruff with the latest.

Deadly fires are closing major highways and threatening the homes of thousands under evacuation as they continue to grow in Butte and Los Angeles counties. And in Southern California, many were also mourning the recent shooting of 12 people at a Thousand Oaks bar. Sharon McNary from Southern California Public Radio joins Hari Sreenivasan for the latest.

In a politically divided America, the results of the midterm elections in several states are still up for debate with accusations of voter fraud, summons for recounts and more. Miles Parks, a reporter for NPR who is keeping track of the tallies, joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss.

More than 60 percent of voters in Florida chose on Election Day to restore voting rights to 1.5 million people with prior felonies, amending state policy enforced during the 19th century and upheld until Tuesday. Myrna Perez, who leads the Brennan Center’s Voting Rights and Election Project at New York University joins Hari Sreenivasan to talk about what this means for them and the country.

When Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi in the late 1800s built a neo-Gothic mansion in Milan, he envisioned a bustling sanctuary for professional musicians who were not earning livable incomes. Since then, Casa Verdi has hosted 1,500 residents and become an exclusive retirement home for elderly players. Special Correspondent Christopher Livesay reports.

In Northern California, the town of Paradise has been ravaged by a fast-moving wildfire. Officials say a campfire started the blaze, which has grown to cover more than 70,000 acres and destroyed buildings and cars in its path. William Brangham reports, and Amna Nawaz speaks with KQED's Jeremy Siegel for details on the 'increased intensity and increased frequency' of California wildfires.

Friday in our News Wrap, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation that would block immigrants who illegally cross the southern border of the United States from seeking asylum. Also, the president appeared to be attempting to put some distance between himself and Matthew Whitaker, the newly appointed acting attorney general.

Although Election Day has passed, races in several states have yet to be finalized--and may not be without legal action. Florida’s Republican governor, Rick Scott, has already filed a lawsuit in a tight Senate race against Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson. Outcomes in Arizona, California, and Georgia are also unknown. Lisa Desjardins speaks with Tammy Patrick of the Democracy Fund for details.