Multiple people taken to trauma center after fiery crash (2025)

GOOD AFTERNOON. I’M SUSAN SHAPIRO. TWO WILDFIRES ARE STILL BURNING IN MICHAUX STATE FOREST IN CUMBERLAND COUNTY. OFFICIALS CONFIRM THE FIRES HAVE BURNED MORE THAN A THOUSAND ACRES. THE FIRST FIRE, WHICH STARTED WEDNESDAY IN THE AREA OF SHIPPENSBURG AND BALTIMORE ROADS IN SOUTHAMPTON TOWNSHIP, HAS BEEN BURNING FOR MORE THAN 24 HOURS. RESIDENTS WHO LIVE ALONG THOMPSON HOLLOW ROAD AND THREE TURN ROAD ARE BEING ASKED TO EVACUATE TO 2460 SHIPPENSBURG ROAD TO GET SUPPORT. A SECOND FIRE STARTED YESTERDAY AFTERNOON NEAR RIDGE AND COLD SPRING ROADS, NEAR HAMMONDS ROCKS. OFFICIALS SAY THE DRY CONDITIONS, LEAF LITTER AND DRY TREES ARE MAKING IT HARD TO PUT OUT THE FIRES. THE FRANKLIN FIRE COMPANY SAYS THE FLAMES FROM BOTH FIRES HAVE BURNED NEARLY A THOUSAND ACRES. THE TEMPERATURES DROPPED DURING THE NIGHT, SO THAT USUALLY DAMPENS FIRE ACTIVITY A LITTLE BIT. BUT THEN IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE AVAILABILITY OF THE FUEL. THE STUFF OUT THERE THAT’S ABLE TO BURN. SO IF IT IF THAT MATERIAL IS STILL VERY DRY, IT WILL CONTINUE TO BURN THROUGH THE NIGHT AND IT WILL SLOW DOWN FOR SURE, BUT IT WILL LIKELY STILL PUT ON SOME ACRES OVERNIGHT. INVESTIGATORS SAY THEY ARE STILL NOT SURE AT THIS POINT HOW THE FIRE STARTED. THEY WILL FOCUS ON GETTING THEM UNDER CONTROL BEFORE THEY INVESTIGATE A FULL AND FULL INVESTIGATION ON THE CAUSE. THE YORK COUNTY CORONER’S OFFICE IDENTIFIED THE MAN KILLED IN A FIRE TUESDAY AS 64 YEAR OLD WESLEY KUNKLE. INVESTIGATORS SAY HE WAS TRAPPED INSIDE THE BURNING HOME ON KOPENHAVER ROAD IN CONEWAGO CREEK, CONEWAGO TOWNSHIP. THE CORONER’S OFFICE SAYS ROUTINE TOXICOLOGY TESTS WILL BE DONE, BUT THERE WILL NOT BE AN AUTOPSY. HIS 16 YEAR OLD GRANDSON TRIED TO SAVE HIM AND THEN ESCAPED THE FIRE. THE FIRE CHIEF SAYS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM CAUSED THE FIRE. A FIRE IN YORK FORCED SIX PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR HOMES, WHO ARE NOW BEING HELPED BY THE RED CROSS. THE FIRE STARTED YESTERDAY, AROUND NOON IN A DUPLEX ON WEST LOCUST STREET. A NEIGHBOR TELLS NEWS EIGHT HE WENT KNOCKING ON DOORS TO ALERT RESIDENTS OF THE FIRE. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION. IT’S THE EXTRAORDINARY THING ABOUT FIREFIGHTERS. THEY PUT PEOPLE BEFORE THEIR OWN INTERESTS. AS WE WERE RUSHING TOWARD SAFETY, THEY WERE RUSHING TOWARD DANGER. GOVERNOR JOSH SHAPIRO CONTINUES TO RECOGNIZE FIRST RESPONDERS AFTER THE ARSON AT THE GOVERNOR’S RESIDENCE, AND HE PLANS TO INVEST IN THE COMMONWEALTH’S FIREFIGHTERS. HE SPOKE YESTERDAY AT AN EVENT IN ERIE. HE TALKED ABOUT THE ARSON ATTACK AT THE GOVERNOR’S RESIDENCE ON APRIL 13TH. HE HAS BEEN VISITING SEVERAL FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND COMPANIES IN PENNSYLVANIA SINCE THEN, TAKING TIME TO THANK FIREFIGHTERS WHILE ALSO RETELLING THE NEWS. PART OF THE WHAT HAPPENED AT THE RESIDENCE. AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT NO PENNSYLVANIAN SHOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH. BUT AS A RESULT OF IT, IT HAS GIVEN ME AN ADDED PERSPECTIVE ON THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF FIREFIGHTERS. I SAID BEFORE TO BOBBY MANY TIMES, YOU KNOW, MY MY VIEWS ON SUPPORTING OUR FIREFIGHTERS CERTAINLY HAVE NOT CHANGED AS A RESULT OF THIS, BUT MY DEEP PERSONAL CONNECTION TO FIREFIGHTERS, I THINK HAS. SHAPIRO’S PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES $30 MILLION IN GRANTS TO BUY EQUIPMENT, AS WELL AS RECRUIT AND RETAIN FIREFIGHTERS. HE ALSO ADDED A PROGRAM TO HELP FIRE COMPANIES WORK TOGETHER, AS WELL AS PROVIDE FREE YEARLY CANCER SCREENING FOR FIREFIGHTERS. LOOKING LIVE FROM OUR SKYCAM NETWORK ON THIS FRIDAY LOOKS A LITTLE BIT CLOUDY OUT THERE AT THIS HOUR. METEOROLOGIST MIKE SUSKO IS HERE WITH A LOOK AT OUR FORECAST. HOW’S THE WEEKEND LOOKING, MIKE? WELL, SUSAN, WE’RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT SOME SHOWERS AS WE GO INTO TONIGHT AND EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. AND WE’LL SHOW YOU THAT HERE COMING UP IN A LITTLE BIT. BUT FOR TODAY AS WE GET READY TO GO INTO THE WEEKEND, WE DO HAVE ANOTHER ELEVATED FIRE RISK FOR THE ENTIRE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY EXCEPT MIFFLIN COUNTY. NOW, THAT DOESN’T MEAN THAT YOU CAN BURN. AND EVERYTHING IN MIFFLIN COUNTY JUST MEANS THAT THE CONDITIONS THERE ARE NOT AS FAVORABLE FOR FIRES TO SPREAD IF STARTED. THE CURRENT TEMPERATURES ARE IN THE 60S UP IN LEWISTOWN AS WELL AS SELINSGROVE, BUT 70 FOR EVERYBODY ELSE, SOMETHING WE WILL BE WATCHING THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND ARE THE WINDS, AND WE WILL BE SEEING THEM INCREASE THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND. RIGHT NOW THEY’RE ON THE LIGHTER SIDE AND MOSTLY OUT OF THE SOUTH, AND THAT IS WHY YOU’RE SEEING THE SMOKE HERE. THIS IS THE SURFACE SMOKE. YOU CAN SEE THE FIRE THERE IN CUMBERLAND COUNTY. IT WILL GO FROM SOUTH TO NORTH THROUGH MOST OF THE DAY TODAY. BUT THEN AS WE GO INTO THE WEEKEND, THE WINDS ARE GOING TO START TO SHIFT TO THE FROM WEST TO EAST. AND THAT WILL BE MOVING FROM THE SMOKE AS WELL. YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT SMOKE WILL START TO MAKE THAT WEST, THAT TURN TOWARDS THE EAST. THERE AS WE GO INTO TOMORROW. WE’LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT AND HAVE YOUR FULL WEEKEND FORECAST COMING UP IN A BIT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. A COACH BUS DRIVER WILL BE CITED FOR RUNNING A RED LIGHT AND CAUSING A CRASH THIS MORNING ON ROUTE 30, IN YORK COUNTY. WEST MANCHESTER TOWNSHIP POLICE SAY A BUS T-BONED A CAR AROUND 830 THAT WAS TURNING EAST ONTO ROUTE 30 FROM KENNETH ROAD. TWO PEOPLE IN THE CAR WERE TAKEN TO YORK HOSPITAL WITH NON-LIFE THREATENING INJURIES. THE BUS DRIVER WAS NOT HURT. NO ONE ELSE WAS ON THE BUS. NEW AT NOON, STATE POLICE SAY A MOTORCYCLE RIDER WAS KILLED IN A CRASH WEDNESDAY IN PARADISE TOWNSHIP, LANCASTER COUNTY. INVESTIGATORS SAY A VEHICLE HIT THE MOTORCYCLE WHEN THE MOTORCYCLE RIDER FAILED TO SIGNAL A RIGHT TURN FROM CARNEGIE HILL ROAD WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS TURNING LEFT. POLICE SAY THE MOTORCYCLE DRIVER WAS DEAD AT THE SCENE. THE DRIVER OF THE CAR WAS NOT HURT. MANOR TOWNSHIP POLICE IN LANCASTER COUNTY SAY NO ONE WAS HURT AND A SHELTER IN PLACE ORDER HAS BEEN LIFTED AFTER A POLICE INCIDENT YESTERDAY ON STONE MILL ROAD. POLICE SAY A FAMILY MEMBER CALLED IN AROUND NOON ABOUT A MAN WHO HAD A WEAPON AND WAS EMOTIONALLY DISTRESSED. WHEN POLICE ARRIVED. THEY SAY THE MAN WAS THE ONLY ONE IN THE HOME AND THREATENED TO HARM HIMSELF, BUT NOT OTHERS. OFFICERS ALSO NOTIFIED NEARBY PENN MANOR SCHOOL DISTRICT. WE COORDINATED WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHO WERE WHO WERE VERY RESPONSIVE. WE GAVE THEM A LOT OF NOTICE ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON, AND THEY THEY REDID THE ROUTES AND NOTIFIED THE PARENTS OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING. AFTER HOURS OF NEGOTIATION, POLICE SAY THE SITUATION ENDED SAFELY AROUND 730 LAST NIGHT. POLICE SAY THE MAN WAS TAKEN TO A MEDICAL FACILITY. STATE POLICE CONFIRMED TODAY THAT A NUMBER OF DEADLY FARM ANIMAL SHOOTINGS IN LANCASTER COUNTY ARE CONNECTED. THREE SHOOTINGS TOOK PLACE MARCH 15TH, THE FIRST KILLING TWO COWS ON A FARM ON SCHOOLHOUSE ROAD IN COLERAIN TOWNSHIP. TROOPERS SAY THEY BELIEVE THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THAT SHOOTING WENT TO A FARM ON SOUTH VINTAGE ROAD IN SADSBURY TOWNSHIP AND SHOT A HORSE AND A COW. THE HORSE SURVIVED, BUT THE COW DIED IN THAT SHOOTING, AND STATE POLICE SAY THEN MULTIPLE HORSES AND COWS WERE SHOT AT A FARM ON GESSNER ROAD IN SALISBURY TOWNSHIP, AND MULTIPLE COWS DIED IN WALL STREET ON THIS FRIDAY. A MIXED BAG AT THIS HOUR, THE DOW IS DOWN ABOUT 141 POINTS, THE NASDAQ UP 66.75, AND THE S&P HAS GAINED ABOUT SIX POINTS. STUDIES SHOW A POTENTIAL MEASLES EPIDEMIC COULD HAPPEN IF VACCINATION RATES DON’T CHANGE. THE TRUMP AND THE BIDENS WILL BE IN ATTENDANCE AT POPE FRANCIS’S FUNERAL. WE’LL BE RIGHT BACK. PRESIDENT TRUMP DIRECTED THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO INVESTIGATE THE LEAD DEMOCRATIC FUNDRAISING PLATFORM. THE PRESIDENT SIGNED AN ORDER ACCUSING ACTBLUE OF ILLEGALLY FACILITATING, QUOTE, STRAW OR DUMMY CONTRIBUTIONS. A SPOKESPERSON FOR ACTBLUE SAYS IT PLANS ON CHALLENGING THE DIRECTIVE IN COURT. SEVERAL DEMOCRATIC GROUPS, INCLUDING THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE AND THE DEMOCRATIC GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION, SAID IN A JOINT STATEMENT THAT TRUMP’S MEMO IS, QUOTE, DESIGNED TO UNDERMINE DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION. FORMER NEW YORK CONGRESSMAN GEORGE SANTOS WILL BE SENTENCED TODAY AND WILL SPEND AT LEAST TWO YEARS IN PRISON UNDER A PLEA DEAL. PROSECUTORS SAY THEY WANT 87 MONTHS OR JUST OVER SEVEN YEARS FOR SANTOS. SANTOS WAS CONVICTED LAST YEAR OF WIRE FRAUD AND IDENTITY THEFT AFTER ADMITTING TO CAMPAIGN FINANCE FRAUD AND LYING TO CONGRESS. HE WAS ELECTED TO REPRESENT PARTS OF QUEENS AND LONG ISLAND IN 2022, BUT SERVED LESS THAN A YEAR BEFORE HE WAS OUSTED BY CONGRESS. LIBRARIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY COULD FACE BIG FEDERAL CUTS UNDER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION SAYS HALF OF ITS EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED AND PROGRAMING GRANTS FOR SEVERAL STATES HAVE BEEN CUT. THE ORGANIZATION SUED THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, ARGUING THAT THE ATTEMPT TO DISMANTLE THE INSTITUTE FOR MUSEUM AND LIBRARY STUDIES IS UNLAWFUL, AND CONGRESS IS THE ONLY ENTITY THAT HAS THE POWER TO DISMANTLE THE IMLS. FOR MANY LIBRARIANS, THE CUTS MEAN HAVING TO PICK AND CHOOSE WHAT SERVICES THEY OFFER. OUR PATRONS HEAVILY RELY ON OUR BOOKS, BUT THEY ALSO HEAVILY RELY ON OUR PROGRAMING. SO THERE’S A BALANCING ACT THAT WE THEN HAVE TO GO IN. I’M GOING TO BET THE MAJORITY OF POLITICIANS, THE MAJORITY OF OUR REPRESENTATIVES, WENT TO STORYTIME WHEN THEY WERE A CHILD. I WANT THEM TO WANT THAT FOR OTHER PEOPLE. THE EXECUTIVE ORDER TARGETS THE LIBRARY FUNDING AND ALSO CUTS FUNDS FOR SEVERAL OTHER ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA BROADCASTER VOICE OF AMERICA AND THE U.S. INTERAGENCY COUNCIL ON HOMELESSNESS. A NEW STUDY SHOWS THAT MEASLES COULD BECOME ENDEMIC IN THE U.S. IF VACCINATION RATES DON’T IMPROVE. THAT’S DESPITE IT BEING DECLARED ELIMINATED IN 2000 AND OVER A 25 YEAR PERIOD, THE RESEARCHERS PROJECTED ALMOST 900,000 MEASLES CASES COULD BECOME CASES IF RATES STAY THE SAME. VACCINATION RATES ARE DOWN IN THE U.S. SINCE THE COVID PANDEMIC. THE CDC REPORTS THAT OUTBREAKS IN WEST TEXAS AND SURROUNDING STATES, WITH SOME CASES IN OTHER AREAS. THE CDC RECOMMENDS THAT CHILDREN GET THEIR FIRST DOSE OF THE MMR VACCINE WHEN THEY’RE 12 TO 15 MONTHS OLD. IT SAYS THEY SHOULD GET A SECOND DOSE BETWEEN THE AGES OF FOUR AND SIX. IT GIVES AN ESTIMATED 97% IMMUNITY FROM THE DISEASE. CHINA APPEARS TO HAVE ROLLED BACK RETALIATORY TARIFFS ON SOME SEMICONDUCTORS THAT ARE MADE IN THE U.S. THREE IMPORT AGENCIES IN THE SOUTHERN TECHNOLOGY HUB OF SHENZHEN SAY THAT CHINESE AUTHORITIES HAVE CONFIRMED THE EXEMPTION EXEMPTIONS PUBLICLY, BUT THE IMPORT AGENCIES FOUND OUT ABOUT THEM LATE THURSDAY. CHINA RAISED ITS RECIPROCAL TARIFFS APRIL 12TH TO 125% FOR ALL GOODS THAT ORIGINATE FROM THE U.S. THAT WAS IN RESPONSE TO PRESIDENT TRUMP’S MOVE TO HIKE LEVIES ON CHINESE GOODS TO 145%. WELL, GOOD FRIDAY AFTERNOON. WE UNFORTUNATELY HAVE ANOTHER HIGH FIRE DANGER ACROSS THE AREA FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES HERE ACROSS THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY BECAUSE OF LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND RELATIVELY BREEZY WINDS. SO PLEASE, NO OUTDOOR BURNING TODAY. AND IF YOU’RE GOING TO BE GRILLING, BE VERY CAREFUL. HERE’S A LOOK AT YOUR CURRENT WINDS. THEY ARE OUT MOSTLY OUT OF THE SOUTH HERE OF LEAST SOME FASHION AROUND 5 TO 10MPH. SO THEY ARE LIGHT, WHICH IS DEFINITELY SOME GOOD NEWS FOR THOSE WHO ARE FIGHTING THE FIRE THERE IN CUMBERLAND COUNTY. FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS AND CURRENT RELATIVE HUMIDITY IS ACTUALLY GOING UP A LITTLE BIT. SO THAT IS ALSO HELPING THAT A LITTLE BIT OF MOISTURE TO THE AIR. SO WE’RE SEEING A LITTLE BIT OF IMPROVEMENT THERE AS WELL. SO IN TERMS OF FOR CUMBERLAND COUNTY AND REALLY THE ENTIRE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY, WE WILL BE SEEING A FEW EVENING SHOWERS THIS EVENING. AND LIGHT SOUTHERLY BREEZE THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON. AND THIS EVENING BEFORE RAIN SHOWERS AND EVEN A FEW THUNDERSHOWERS BECOME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABUNDANT OVERNIGHT TONIGHT, SO WE’LL SEE A LITTLE BIT OF RAIN THAT COULD PROVIDE SOME RELIEF AS WE GO THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. TONIGHT INTO YOUR SATURDAY. SATURDAY, THOSE SHOWERS BEGIN TO MOVE OUT AS WE HEAD INTO THE AFTERNOON, BUT THE WINDS PICK UP. IT’S GOING TO BE OUT OF THE WEST NORTHWEST WITH GUSTS UP TO 35MPH. POSSIBLY AS WE GO INTO TOMORROW. NOW STORM TEAM LIVE RADAR NETWORK SHOWING THE CLOUDS. WE EVEN HAVE A FEW SPRINKLES. IT LOOKS LIKE UP BY LEWISTOWN. THERE IN MIFFLIN AND JUNIATA COUNTY. BUT ZOOMING OUT, YOU CAN SEE A LITTLE BIT OF MOISTURE THERE OFF TO THE WEST THAT’S COMING IN. AND THAT WILL OFFER SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS. LIKE I SAID, AS WE GO INTO THIS EVENING, LEBANON RIGHT NOW, THOUGH, AND LEBANON COUNTY, JUST SEEING SOME OF THE CLOUD COVER AND A FEW PEEKS OF SUN, WE’LL CONTINUE TO SEE THOSE CLOUDS INCREASE AS WE GO THROUGHOUT THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THOSE RAIN CHANCES INCREASING THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. THAT’S WHEN OUR BEST SHOT OF GETTING SOME SHOWERS IS FOR THE AREA. SO LET’S TIME THIS OUT FOR YOU. A COUPLE SCATTERED SHOWERS HERE AROUND 4 OR 5:00. HOPEFULLY IT DOES GO OVER RIGHT OVER THE FIRE THERE IN CUMBERLAND COUNTY TO HELP EFFORTS WITH THAT. AND THEN WE WILL SEE IT BUILD IN SLOWLY THROUGHOUT THE EVENING ACROSS THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. THERE COULD BE SOME RUMBLES OF THUNDER WITH THIS AS WELL AND A LITTLE BIT OF LIGHTNING. SO JUST BE AWARE OF THAT AS WE GO INTO TONIGHT. INTO TOMORROW IS DEFINITELY GOING TO BE A LITTLE MORE WIDESPREAD IN COMPARISON. AND THEN WE’LL SEE IT BEGIN TO MOVE OUT AS WE HEAD INTO THE AFTERNOON, HOWEVER, WE COULD SEE A LINE THAT TRIES TO DEVELOP HERE BEGINS TO AT LEAST DEVELOP AS WE HEAD INTO THE AFTERNOON. BUT MOST OF THIS AFTERNOON ROUND SHOULD FORM OFF TO THE EAST. BUT DON’T BE SURPRISED, ESPECIALLY EAST OF HARRISBURG IF YOU SEE A RUMBLE OF THUNDER OR EVEN A FEW SPRINKLES. TOMORROW AFTERNOON. TONIGHT, CLOUDY SKIES, RAIN SHOWERS, BREEZY AND MILD WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW 60S. TOMORROW MORNING SHOWERS COMING TO AN END WITH A FEW ISOLATED AFTERNOON THUNDERSHOWERS WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 70S. ON YOUR SATURDAY AND TOMORROW WE HAVE THE RACE AGAINST RACISM IN LANCASTER. HERE’S A LOOK AT THE FORECAST FOR THAT. WE WILL BE GETTING INTO THE MID 60S AS WE GO INTO THE MORNING, SO JUST SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND WITH THAT SUNDAY. DEFINITELY THE BETTER HALF OF THE WEEKEND. WE WILL BE IN THE 60S FOR THE AFTERNOON 70 RETURN ON YOUR MONDAY AND THEN 80 FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. WEDNESDAY WILL BE OUR NEXT CHANCE FOR SOME RAIN AS WE GO INTO NEXT WEEK. THANK YOU MIKE. TALKS BETWEEN IRAN AND THE UNITED STATES ON TEHRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM ARE SCHEDULED TO RESTART TOMORROW. OMAN WILL ONCE AGAIN ACT AS THE MEDIATOR. NBC’S RICHARD ENGEL HAS MORE FROM TEHRAN. THERE IS NOW A FLURRY OF DIPLOMATIC ACTIVITY AHEAD OF A NEW ROUND OF NEGOTIATIONS, WHICH IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN TOMORROW IN OMAN BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND IRAN. THE MAIN ISSUE IS A WAY TO SEEK LIMITS ON IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM. IN EXCHANGE, IRAN WANTS THE LIFTING OF ALL ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, AND SO FAR, IRANIANS ARE ENCOURAGED BY WHAT THEY’RE HEARING FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP. PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS THAT THE MILITARY OPTION IS STILL ON THE TABLE, THAT IF THE TALKS FAIL, THAT IT COULD BE A VERY BAD RESULT FOR IRAN. HE SAID THAT NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT HE SAID THAT THE TALKS ARE SERIOUS, THAT HE’S SOMEWHAT OPTIMISTIC, AND HE THINKS THAT THERE COULD BE A DEAL. AND IN A NEW INTERVIEW, PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID THAT HE’S EVEN WILLING TO MEET WITH IRAN’S PRESIDENT OR THIS COUNTRY’S SUPREME LEADER. NO RESPONSE SO FAR FROM IRAN. AND IT’S NOT CLEAR WE’RE GOING TO GET ONE. THE IRANIANS ARE CLOSING RANKS. GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ARE TRYING TO BE QUITE CLOSED LIPS AS THESE NEGOTIATIONS ENTER A VERY SERIOUS PHASE. THEY HAVE A LOT RIDING ON THIS DEAL. WHAT IRANIANS HOPE IS THAT IN EXCHANGE FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY ON THEIR NUCLEAR PROGRAM, VOWS NEVER TO DEVELOP A NUCLEAR WEAPON, CONTROLS THAT WOULD ENSURE THAT THEY ARE NEVER ABLE TO DEVELOP A NUCLEAR WEAPON, THAT ALL ECONOMIC SANCTIONS COULD BE LIFTED AGAINST THIS COUNTRY, WHICH WOULD HAVE PROFOUND EFFECTS FOR THE GOVERNMENT AND FOR THE PEOPLE. RICHARD ENGEL, NBC NEWS, TEHRAN. RUSSIA STRUCK UKRAINE AGAIN, DESPITE U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S PLEA FOR RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN TO STOP ATTACKING ITS NEIGHBOR. RUSSIA LAUNCHED ITS DEADLIEST BOMBARDMENT OF THE UKRAINE SINCE THE MIDDLE OF LAST YEAR, KILLING EIGHT PEOPLE IN THE DRONE STRIKES. PRESIDENT TRUMP HAD EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION YESTERDAY OVER THE LACK OF PROGRESS ON A PEACE DEAL, SAYING HE IS NOT HAPPY AND URGING PUTIN TO STOP THE ATTACKS. TRUMP’S SPECIAL ENVOY, STEVE WITKOFF, WILL VISIT MOSCOW TOMORROW FOR FURTHER TALKS WITH PUTIN ON REACHING AN AGREEMENT. VISITORS CONTINUE TO FILE PAST THE COFFIN OF POPE FRANCIS INSIDE SAINT PETER’S BASILICA ON THE FINAL DAY OF PUBLIC VIEWING. THE FUNERAL AND BURIAL ARE TOMORROW. JAY GRAY IS AT THE VATICAN WITH MORE LAKE MAE. TENS OF THOUSANDS HAVE FILED PAST HIS SIMPLE WOODEN CASKET, INCLUDING THE FAMILY OF POPE FRANCIS, KNEELING EMOTIONAL DURING THEIR VISIT. THOUSANDS MORE WAIT IN LINES THAT STRETCH PAST PREPARATIONS FOR HIS FUNERAL. THE BEGINNINGS OF A STAGE. AN ALTAR ON THE STEPS OF SAINT PETER’S BASILICA. VIDEO SCREENS FOR THE LARGE CROWDS EXPECTED TO SPILL OUT OF THE SQUARE DURING SATURDAY’S SERVICE. IT’S A SPECIAL. LITURGY SPECIFICALLY FOR THE DEATH OF A POPE, AND TOWARDS THE END IT IS KNOWN WHAT IS WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE COMMENDATION AND THE FINAL FAREWELL. WHERE THERE BE A SERIES OF PRAYERS OVER THE COFFIN, WISHING TO BE REMEMBERED AS A SHEPHERD AND DISCIPLE, AND NOT A POWERFUL MAN OF THIS WORLD. FRANCIS CHOSE TO BE BURIED OUTSIDE OF VATICAN CITY AT THE BASILICA OF SAINT MARY MAJOR, THE FIRST POPE LAID TO REST THERE SINCE THE 17TH CENTURY. I THINK IT’S NOT A MERE. HISTORICAL DECISION. IT’S MUCH MORE THAN THAT. IT SPEAKS ABOUT HIS HUMILITY. IT’S ABOUT HOW MUCH HE WANTS TO TRUST HIMSELF TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY. HE’LL BE BURIED IN A NOOK NEXT TO HIS FAVORITE ICON OF THE HOLY MOTHER, SAYING IN HIS TESTAMENT, THE TOMB SHOULD BE IN THE GROUND. SIMPLE, WITHOUT PARTICULAR ORNAMENTATION, BEARING ONLY THE INSCRIPTION FRANCISCUS. JAY GRAY, NBC NEWS AT THE VATICAN. FORMER PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN AND FORMER FIRST LADY JILL BIDEN WILL ATTEND POPE FRANCIS’S FUNERAL TOMORROW. THEY’RE AMONG MANY WORLD LEADERS WHO WILL PAY THEIR RESPECTS TO THE LATE POPE. BIDEN, WHO WAS THE SECOND ROMAN CATHOLIC TO SERVE AS U.S. PRESIDENT, MET POPE FRANCIS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. BIDEN AWARDED HIM THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM IN JANUARY, THE NATION’S HIGHEST HONOR. PRESIDENT TRUMP AND FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP WILL ALSO ATTEND THE FUNERAL. THE TWO LEFT THIS MORNING AND SPOKE TO THE MEDIA. CALLING POPE FRANCIS A FANTASTIC KIND OF GUY. GOOD MAN. HE LOVED. HE LOVED THE WORLD, ACTUALLY. AND HE WAS JUST A GOOD MAN. I MET HIM TWICE. I THOUGHT HE WAS A FANTASTIC KIND OF A GUY. PRESIDENT TRUMP ALSO SPOKE TO REPORTERS ABOUT STEVE WITKOFF MEETING WIT