Investigators have eliminated "all accidental causes" of the fire that has destroyed 210 homes and injured two in Santa Barbara County since Thursday, and arson is suspected, spokesman Doug Lannon said.

"We need the public's help in identifying any activity in or around the afternoon of November 13," Lannon said.

The fire has burned 1,940 acres, including a monastery and several mansions in the Montecito community, where celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, have homes. It was 75 percent contained Sunday, Lannon said.

Authorities believe the fire started in the Tea Garden Estate, a privately owned multi-acre property, about one mile north of Santa Barbara's exclusive Westmont College. On Friday, arson investigators cordoned off the estate after several eyewitnesses told authorities they believed the fire originated in that area, according to Lannon.

The other major fires burning Sunday were in the northern Los Angeles area and in Orange County, east of Los Angeles. The three blazes have scorched 20,000 acres and have forced more than 10,000 people to flee their homes, authorities said.

Authorities on Sunday were searching through the wreckage of nearly 500 mobile homes destroyed Saturday in the northern Los Angeles area blaze, known as the Sayre Fire.

As of early Sunday afternoon, a third of the mobile homes had been searched, and "no human remains have been found," according to Los Angeles Deputy Police Chief Michael Moore.

Police had not received any reports of missing persons from the park. Moore said 134 residents had been accounted for, and that the others should check in with city authorities.

Los Angeles County Coroner Ed Winter said authorities believe "most of the people from this mobile home park were evacuated," and that the search was precautionary.

The Sayre Fire erupted late Friday in the steep terrain of the Angeles National Forest on the outskirts of the Sylmar neighborhood, about 20 miles north of downtown Los Angeles.

The Sayre Fire has burned about 9,500 acres in the San Fernando Valley and was about 30 percent contained, California fire officials said Sunday.

Nine other homes and 10 businesses had been destroyed in Los Angeles by Saturday evening, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said.

Firefighters were struggling to contain the third blaze, in Orange County, said Lynette Round, a spokeswoman for Orange County Fire Authority. iReport.com: 'Insurmountable' wall of flames looms

Firefighters were hoping that strong winds in southern California would die down Sunday, helping them to quell the blazes.

"If the winds die down it will give the firefighters an upper hand on fighting this," Round told CNN on Sunday morning. "It is a wind-driven fire and with those gusty winds up to 25 miles an hour, it's giving the firefighters a really difficult time. It's hopscotched throughout the county."

Round said 168 homes were destroyed or damaged in the Orange County area. The so-called Triangle Freeway Complex Fire had also damaged a building at a high school, Round said.

That blaze, which has burnt 10,475 acres, is not contained at all, and is spreading throughout Orange County, posing threats to Yorba Linda, Corona, Brea, Chino Hills and Anaheim Hills neighborhoods, according to California fire officials. Watch residents as fire approaches their homes »

Winds -- which have joined with low humidity and unseasonably high temperatures to help strengthen the fires -- were gusting up to 80 mph Saturday. The high temperature in Los Angeles reached 92 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared states of emergency for the affected counties after the fire damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes and closed major freeways.

The move frees up any state resources needed for fire-fighting, and makes the counties eligible for federal assistance grants.

In Los Angeles, Villaraigosa declared a city emergency early Saturday morning and called for the public's cooperation in conserving energy as potential blackouts loomed. iReport.com: Share wildfire photos, video

Augustine Reyes and his family left their home in Sylmar about 2 a.m. Saturday when they could no longer stand the oppressive heat and smoke encroaching from the hills behind their home.

When Reyes returned to survey the scene Saturday afternoon, all that remained were heaps of charred rubble.

Reyes dabbed his eyes with a bandana as he worried over how to describe the loss to his 7-year-old son.

"He's autistic and doesn't do well with change, so this is going to be very hard to explain to him," Reyes said

By Saturday afternoon, people were taking refuge in evacuation shelters set up in three high schools in the area, officials said.

Horses and other large animals were taken to a makeshift shelter in Hansen Dam Park. A mobile kennel was set up at Sylmar High School, and small pets can be taken to the Mission animal shelter.

As for the Santa Barbara County fire, Lannon urged anyone who may have spotted suspicious vehicles or people in the area of the Tea Garden Estate in Montecito to call fire investigators at 951-969-2537, 951-314-0420 or 661-330-0129.

The 54-year-old guard, Gregory J. Boyle, was shot in the chest but was expected to survive, and a suspect was arrested on charges including attempted murder and assault.

Hotel guest Christine Cataldo said she was looking at a display of engagement rings near the entrance to the store, Cellini Jewelers, when she heard the first shot.

"It sounded like a bomb. One big boom. And then people started running," said Cataldo, of Long Island. "I looked up, and I saw a man in a suit with silver hair grabbing another guy."

The mayhem began when the black-garbed suspect, identified as Rafael Rabinovich-Ardans, 20, pulled out a gun in the jewelry store and used the weapon to smash two display cases full of expensive rings and necklaces, said a police official who spoke on condition of anonymity because detectives were still investigating.

Boyle, a retired New York Police Department detective, confronted the man. About three gunshots rang out as the two wrestled and fell to the floor, though it wasn't clear who fired, the official said. Both were armed.

One bullet hit Boyle in the left upper chest, the official said.

Another hotel employee then tackled the suspect, the police official said. The suspect's gun went off again as they grappled, but that bullet apparently struck no one. Hotel security staffers arrived and took Rabinovich-Ardans into custody.

No telephone number could be found for Rabinovich-Ardans, of Queens, and police did not know whether he had a lawyer. It was unclear whether he had any previous connection to the jewelry store, they said.

Witness Jeff Johnston of Raleigh, N.C., said he was near the store when chaos broke out.

"All of a sudden people were running and hiding behind hotel furniture," he said.

Boyle was in stable condition late Saturday at Bellevue Hospital, police said.

The Waldorf-Astoria was the world's largest hotel when it opened in its current Park Avenue spot in 1931, according to the hotel's Web site. It was previously on Fifth Avenue.

The Art Deco hotel quickly became synonymous with luxury and part of popular culture, appearing in the 1945 Ginger Rogers film "Weekend at the Waldorf" and garnering a mention in the classic Cole Porter song "You're the Top."

Cellini Jewelers, a high-end boutique that specializes in luxury watches adorned with diamonds and gold, opened in the hotel lobby in 1977.

No one answered the phone at the store Saturday. A saleswoman at Cellini's sister store in Manhattan said she hadn't heard from the managers at the location where the shooting took place and had no additional

 More than a week after voters in California, Arizona and Florida passed ballot initiatives outlawing same-sex marriage, thousands of people across the country protested the bans in simultaneous rallies Saturday.

"What do we want?" chanted some on Washington's National Mall, some carrying rainbow-colored signs. "Equal rights," others answered.

"When do we want it?"

"Now!"

In New York, protesters in lower Manhattan stood behind barricades, holding signs.

"Love and Unity not hate," one read. "All we need is love," another said.

"Yes, we will," they chanted at one point.

In Los Angeles, thousands of demonstrators were met by counter-demonstrators.

"There is nothing civil about a man marrying another man," one protester yelled. "You lost. It is not a civil rights issue. It is an issue with morality."

Meanwhile, those protesting the bans chanted, "Gay, straight, black, white; marriage is a civil right."

"We will come out tomorrow in numbers this world has not yet seen," said Amy Balliett, the co-founder of JoinTheImpact.com, in a news release posted on the Web site Friday. See iReporters' experiences in cities nationwide

JoinTheImpact.com, which organized the rallies,was established three days after Election Day, when the three states passed the ballot initiatives.

"Rain or shine, our community will take to the streets to get the word out that equality is a human right and one that we will not stop working toward until it's afforded to all citizens," said Willow Witte, the other JoinTheImpact.com founder and organizer.

In California, the initiative, Proposition 8, overturned a May ruling by the California Supreme Court that struck down a 2000 ban on same-sex unions. It passed 52.5 percent to 47.5 percent.

Protests have been since held in several California cities, including in San Francisco, Palm Springs and Long Beach. Watch demonstrators rally in San Diego

"We will come out tomorrow in numbers this world has not yet seen," said Amy Balliett, the co-founder of JoinTheImpact.com, in a news release posted on the Web site Friday. See iReporters' experiences in cities nationwide

JoinTheImpact.com, which organized the rallies,was established three days after Election Day, when the three states passed the ballot initiatives.

"Rain or shine, our community will take to the streets to get the word out that equality is a human right and one that we will not stop working toward until it's afforded to all citizens," said Willow Witte, the other JoinTheImpact.com founder and organizer.

In California, the initiative, Proposition 8, overturned a May ruling by the California Supreme Court that struck down a 2000 ban on same-sex unions. It passed 52.5 percent to 47.5 percent.

Protests have been since held in several California cities, including in San Francisco, Palm Springs and Long Beach. Watch demonstrators rally in San Diego

"We will come out tomorrow in numbers this world has not yet seen," said Amy Balliett, the co-founder of JoinTheImpact.com, in a news release posted on the Web site Friday. See iReporters' experiences in cities nationwide

JoinTheImpact.com, which organized the rallies,was established three days after Election Day, when the three states passed the ballot initiatives.

"Rain or shine, our community will take to the streets to get the word out that equality is a human right and one that we will not stop working toward until it's afforded to all citizens," said Willow Witte, the other JoinTheImpact.com founder and organizer.

In California, the initiative, Proposition 8, overturned a May ruling by the California Supreme Court that struck down a 2000 ban on same-sex unions. It passed 52.5 percent to 47.5 percent.

Protests have been since held in several California cities, including in San Francisco, Palm Springs and Long Beach. Watch demonstrators rally in San Diego

"We will come out tomorrow in numbers this world has not yet seen," said Amy Balliett, the co-founder of JoinTheImpact.com, in a news release posted on the Web site Friday. See iReporters' experiences in cities nationwide

JoinTheImpact.com, which organized the rallies,was established three days after Election Day, when the three states passed the ballot initiatives.

"Rain or shine, our community will take to the streets to get the word out that equality is a human right and one that we will not stop working toward until it's afforded to all citizens," said Willow Witte, the other JoinTheImpact.com founder and organizer.

In California, the initiative, Proposition 8, overturned a May ruling by the California Supreme Court that struck down a 2000 ban on same-sex unions. It passed 52.5 percent to 47.5 percent.

Protests have been since held in several California cities, including in San Francisco, Palm Springs and Long Beach. Watch demonstrators rally in San Diego

"It's incredibly inspiring to see people from every walk of life, background, race, religion, creed, gathering here today to really send a powerful and purposeful and peaceful statement to the world," Jonathan Weber, who helped organize the event, said in Los Angeles.

"We have a very powerful message that's supported by a variety of people," he said. "The truth is, we are making a big difference in this issue right now. We're making tremendous progress in reaching out to hearts and minds of people across the country and gaining support from all walks of life."

President-elect Barack Obama urged Congress on Saturday to work next week on a plan to help the country's economy and in particular address unemployment insurance.

"If Congress does not pass an immediate plan that gives the economy the boost it needs, I will make it my first order of business as president," he said in his weekly address, which is posted online.

"I urge them to pass at least a down payment on a rescue plan that will create jobs, relieve the squeeze on families and help get the economy growing again," he said.

"In particular, we cannot afford to delay providing help for the more than one million Americans who will have exhausted their unemployment insurance by the end of this year."

According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Thursday, 76 percent of Americans said they believe it is likely that Obama will improve economic conditions. In addition, 73 percent of those surveyed said they believe that Obama will bring stability to the financial markets.

Obama, who won 53 percent of the popular vote on November 4, takes office January 20. Many have compared the obstacles that face him to those Franklin Delano Roosevelt confronted when he won the 1932 election.

"Make no mistake," Obama warned Saturday. "This is the greatest economic challenge of our times."

However, he added, "I am more hopeful than ever that America will rise once again."

A longtime friend of Barack and Michelle Obama has officially been named a senior advisor to the incoming president.

President-elect Obama, in a statement released Saturday morning by his transition staff, announced that Valerie Jarrett will serve as Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Relations and Public Liaison. CNN Contributor Roland Martin reported the offer to Jarrett on Friday evening.

Jarrett is currently co-chair of Obama's transition team and was senior adviser for his presidential campaign. She became the president and CEO of The Habitat Company on January 31, 2007, and was also the company's vice president. The Habitat Company develops and manages residential apartments and condominiums.

Before joining The Habitat Company, Jarrett served for eight years in government for the city of Chicago; first as deputy corporation counsel for finance and development, then as deputy chief of staff for Mayor Richard M. Daley and finally as commissioner of the Department of Planning and Development.

South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint on Friday became one of the first high-profile Republicans to publicly criticize John McCain following his electoral defeat, blaming the Arizona senator for betraying conservative principles in his quest for the White House.

The conservative senator, speaking to a group of GOP officials gathered in Myrtle Beach at a conference on the future of the Republican Party, described how the party had strayed from its own "brand," which, according to DeMint, should represent freedom, religious-based values and limited government.

"We have to be honest, and there's a lot of blame to go around, but I have to mention George Bush, and I have to mention Ted Stevens, and I'm afraid I even have to mention John McCain," he said.

DeMint offered a long list of complaints about McCain's record in the Senate and on the campaign trail.

"McCain, who is proponent of campaign finance reform that weakened party organizations and basically put George Soros in the driver's seat," DeMint said. "His proposal for amnesty for illegals. His support of global warming, cap-and-trade programs that will put another burden on our economy. And of course, his embrace of the bailout right before the election was probably the nail in our coffin this last election. And he has been an opponent of drilling in ANWR, at a time when energy is so important. It really didn't fit the label, but he was our package."

 California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger weighed in on the possibility of Hillary Clinton becoming President-elect Barack Obama's Secretary State, praising the potential choice as a "great move."

"I think she is a very very bright woman and very experienced. I think this could be a great move," Schwarzenegger told ABC's George Stephanopoulos in an interview set to air Sunday.

But Schwarzenegger, a Republican, also suggested Obama must be sure he can work with his former primary rival before he officially offers her the position.

"When it comes to those kinds of positions, what is equally as important, and I know with my cabinet, what is equally as important as who is qualified, is who can you work with. Who can you sit down with and really get in there and start becoming a partner [with], that sees things the way you see it," he said.

"And also that you maybe want to learn from that person and admire that person so much that you want to pick up some pointers and learn from that person, so that they together can go out and do this," Schwarzenegger also said.

Sources told CNN Friday Obama met with Clinton in Chicago Thursday to gauge the New York senator's interest in the top diplomatic post. Sources also told CNN Obama is considering New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson for the position.

Clinton would not comment on the speculation Friday.

Three weeks before Georgia’s December 2 Senate runoff vote, former President Bill Clinton – the last Democratic presidential candidate to carry the state – will stump for his party’s candidate Jim Martin, locked in a tight race with incumbent Republican Saxby Chambliss.

Clinton, who first visited the state for Martin last fall, will become the first high-profile Democrat to visit the state to campaign for the Senate challenger since Election Day.

The former president’s campaign event in Atlanta Wednesday will have an economic focus, according to Martin’s campaign.

Former Republican presidential nominee John McCain visited Georgia last week to campaign for Chambliss.

The man who steered Barack Obama's Senate office will now move over to the White House with the incoming president.

The Obama Transition Office Sunday morning announced that Peter Rouse, currently Obama's chief of staff in his Senate office, will serve as a senior advisor to the President. Before joining Obama in December 2004, Rouse was chief of staff for 19 years to former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota. Prior to that he was chief of staff to then-Rep. Dick Durbin of Illinois.

Watch: A longtime Obama friend was named a senior White House advisor this weekend

The Obama transition team also announced that Mona Sutphen will serve as a deputy chief of staff. Sutphen is a member of the transition team staff and has been managing director of Stonebridge International LLC, an international strategic consulting firm based in Washington. From 1991 to 2000 she was a U.S. foreign service officer, and among other assignments she served in the White House at the National Security Council from 1998 to 2000, under President Bill Clinton.

Jim Messina was also named a deputy chief of staff. Messina's currently the director of personnel for the President-elect's transition team. He saved as a national chief of staff for Obama's presidential campaign. Prior to that Messina served as a chief of staff for Sens. Max Baucus of Montana, Byron Dorgan of North Dakota and for Rep. Carolyn McCarthy of New York. President-elect Obama, in a statement released by the transition team, said "these individuals are important additions to a team with the experience and ability to help our nation overcome pressing challenges at home and around the world."

The agreement sets June 30, 2009, as the deadline for U.S. troops to withdraw from all Iraqi cities and towns, Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said.

The date for all troops to leave Iraq will be December 31, 2011, he said.

These dates are "set and fixed" and are "not subject to the circumstances on the ground," he said.

Twenty-seven of the 40 Cabinet members in attendance voted in favor of the agreement, said Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari. One minister abstained.

The Cabinet consists of the prime minister, two deputy prime ministers, and 37 other ministers.

The approved draft will be sent to the Council of Representatives, Iraq's 275-seat parliament, later Sunday, where it will be put to another vote. "There is great optimism that they will pass it," said Industry Minister Fawzi Hariri.

Al-Dabbagh said the parliament speaker and his deputies will decide when the parliament will vote on the agreement. He said there were "positive attitudes" when the major political blocs met to discuss the draft plan on Saturday.

Zebari said the parliament will reach a decision before it takes a 15-day recess on November 25.

In Washington, a spokesman for the National Security Council described the agreement as "an important and positive step."

"While the process is not yet complete, we remain hopeful and confident we'll soon have an agreement that serves both the people of Iraq and the United States well, and sends a signal to the region and the world that both our governments are committed to a stable, secure and democratic Iraq," said Gordon Johndroe.

"While there is still much work to be done, U.S. forces continue to return home and there will be 14 Brigade Combat Teams at the end of this year, down from 20 at the height of the surge," he added.

Earlier, Sami al-Askari, an adviser to the Iraqi prime minister, said the draft included changes that made it "satisfactory" for the Iraqis.

For months, the United States and Iraq have been negotiating a proposed status of forces agreement. It would set the terms for U.S. troops in Iraq after the U.N. mandate on their presence expires at the end of this year.

Many Iraqi officials say they will oppose any deal that hints at compromising the country's sovereignty.

Iraqi cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said in a statement on his official Web site last week that he will "forbid any stance that targets the sovereignty of Iraq no matter how small it is."

In late October, Iraqi officials submitted several amendments to the draft plan to U.S. negotiators in Baghdad.

Zebari said at the time that the proposed changes called for a fixed timetable for U.S. troop withdrawal; a specific number of sites and locations that would be used by the U.S. military; and Iraqi jurisdiction over U.S. forces who commit certain crimes in Iraq.

Al-Dabbagh said the Cabinet on Sunday also approved a "draft framework" agreement between the U.S. and Iraq.

This agreement "establishes the principles of cooperation and friendship in the political, diplomatic, educational, health and environmental fields in addition to economic, energy, information technology, communication fields," al-Dabbagh said.

Republicans praised the prospect of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Sunday.

Former Nixon and Ford Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said Sunday that Clinton would be an “outstanding” selection.

“She is a lady of great intelligence, demonstrated enormous determination and would be an outstanding appointment," Kissinger told the World Economic Forum's India Economic Summit in New Delhi, according to Bloomberg News.

Clinton is reportedly President-elect Barack Obama’s top pick for the post.

“If it is true, it will show a couple of things," Kissinger said. “It shows great courage on the part of the president-elect to appoint a very strong personality, who has an independent constituency, into a cabinet position. It also shows willingness on the part of Clinton to subordinate herself to someone whom she lost out to."

On CNN’s Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer, Tennessee Rep. Marsha Blackburn said Clinton would be a good fit for the position. “I think that Hillary Clinton will probably accept that, from what I am hearing. I think it would be a nice gesture. I think that she is well qualified,” said the Republican congresswoman.

“She does have a certain standing in the world that is required in order to be able to demand the respect from other countries to deal with issues that are going to be affecting not only us but other of our allies, our trading partners. And I think that she would be a well placed in that position.”

Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona also said Clinton would be a good choice for the post. “It seems to me she's got the experience, she's got the temperament for it," he said on Fox News Sunday. “She would be well-received around the world."

Also on Sunday, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger praised the potential choice as a "great move."

"I think she is a very very bright woman and very experienced. I think this could be a great move," Schwarzenegger told ABC's George Stephanopoulos.

Obama met with both Clinton and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, also a reported Secretary of State candidate, in Chicago last week.

T

he potential collapse of the auto industry would be "a disaster" amid today's economic crisis, President-elect Barack Obama told CBS' "60 Minutes" in a wide-ranging interview airing Sunday.

"It's my belief that we need to provide assistance to the auto industry," Obama tells veteran correspondent Steve Kroft, according to excerpts released by CBS. "But I think that it can't be a blank check."

The Senate is expected to vote this week on emergency loans to the auto industry, though the measure faces strong opposition from many Republicans.

The bill would authorize loans to the auto industry from the Treasury Department's $700 billion fund to bail out the financial services industry.

Detroit auto executives are scheduled to plead their case in public hearings in the House and Senate.

Obama, in the "60 Minutes" interview, says, "My hope is that over the course of the next week, between the White House and Congress, the discussions are shaped around providing assistance but making sure that that assistance is conditioned on labor, management, suppliers, lenders, all of the stakeholders coming together with a plan -- what does a sustainable U.S. auto industry look like?

"So that we are creating a bridge loan to somewhere as opposed to a bridge loan to nowhere. And that's, I think, what you haven't yet seen."

Obama, joined by his wife Michelle, discusses the impact his election victory has had on his family, as well as his priorities, including the economy and the Iraq war.

"The challenges that we're confronting are enormous," he says. "And they're multiple. And so there are times during the course of a given a day where you think, 'Where do I start in terms of moving -- moving things forward?'

"And I think that part of this next two months is to really get a clear set of priorities, understanding we're not going be able to do everything at once, making sure the team is in place, and moving forward in a very deliberate way and sending a clear signal to the American people that we're going to be thinking about them and what they're going through."

HOUSTON, Nov. 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. space shuttle Endeavour reached the International Space Station Sunday afternoon, NASA said.

With commander Chris Ferguson at the controls, Endeavour docked with the space station's Harmony Node at 5:01 p.m. EST. The station and shuttle crews were to open the hatches between their vehicles and greet each other about two hours later.

Before hooking up with the space station, Ferguson put Endeavour through its rendezvous pitch maneuver, or backflip, so the station astronauts could photograph the shuttle's thermal protection system. The pictures will be sent to Earth for more analysis to make sure the heat shield wasn't damaged during take-off.

Astronaut Sandra Magnus, who arrived aboard Endeavour, will take over as flight engineer from astronaut Greg Chamitoff, who will return to Earth.

The space agency's ground crew piped in the Rolling Stones rocker "Start Me Up" to get the seven-member crew up and on deck for its first full day in space following Saturday's lift-off from Cape Canaveral.

The crew's first order of business Saturday was an inspection of the Endeavour's fuselage for any damage that occurred during the launch. CNN said a camera on the shuttle's robotic arm spotted a loose piece of the protective thermal blanket, but program managers did not consider it to be a significant problem.