And good evening. We do begin here with that terrifying and deadly explosion that shattered a suburban indianapolis neighborhood in the middle of the night. The blast could be felt for miles. Firefighters rushing to the scene. You can see one of the homes here on fire and then soon, several of them up in flames. Witnesses say you could hear the screams in the night, families huddled outside, hugging their pets. And then today, the image of a charred neighborhood. In a moment here, a tour of the scene, but first, abcs John Schriffen with the newest clues. Authorities speaking just moments ago. Reporter this gaping hole is all thats left. Charred foundations, burntout roofs, surrounded by pieces of homes scattered everywhere. An explosion so intense at least two people are now dead and at least eight others injured. Garage doors blown in, windows blown in, houses completely leveled, nothing left. Reporter late last night, this suburban community outside of indianapolis was rocked from their beds when a blast obliterated two homes and ignited several others. Nearly 200 people were forced to quickly flee into the streets, many wearing pajamas, clutching their pets. A scene so desperate, neighbors rushed in to help. As soon as i got to the house and i heard those people screaming, the only thing i could think of was, these people have to get out or theyre not going to make it. I just ran in, without even thinking, me and andrew here and just pulled them out. As fast as we could. Reporter investigators are combing through the rubble, looking for clues. So far, the survey has indicated there are no gas leaks in the area. However, weve got a lot more investigating to do. That News Conference just moments ago. John with us here on the desk. And so many people watching this are going to wonder, was there any gas, did anyone smell anything before all of this . Reporter thats whats so puzzling. In the days before the blast, no reports of any smells of gas in the area. Now, to give you an idea just how powerful this explosion was, look at this aerial image. Only a few blocks radius, but people say they could hear and feel it close to three miles away. Three smiles. John, thanks for leading us off tonight. The team at our station, wrtv, on the screen all day. On the scene all day. Drew smith among the first reporters to get inside that neighborhood and he reported in just a short time ago here. Reporter david, theres just massive destruction here inside this Richmond Hills subdivision on the Southeast Side of indianapolis. You can see there are bulldozers out here. People are working, trying to get everything cleaned up. What used to be five homes less than 24 hours ago are nothing more than rubble. At least 80 homes severely affected by the blast that went off shortly after 11 00 eastern time last night. Windows blown out. And you can see the cleanup here is going to take quite some time. Authorities are working with federal authorities here in indianapolis to try to figure out exactly what happened and what caused the massive devastation. David . Our thanks tonight to drew smith and wrtv, the picture from indianapolis tonight. But we do move on now and to fastmoving developments this evening after the stunning resignation of general david petraeus. And this image we showed you at the top of the broadcast. Petraeus cia confirmation hearing. His wife holly, to the left, and just a few seats away to the right, the other woman at the center of all of this, her name paula broadwell, his biography. Abcs Senior Foreign Affairs correspondent, martha raddatz, with more on a third woman who alerted authorities, the red flag that set all of this into motion. Reporter Dave Petraeus secret affair may never have been discovered if not for the threatening emails his lover sent to jill kelly, wife of a tampa surgeon, a long supporter of the military. Officials say she was not romantically involved with petraeus, but was a family friend of petraeus and his wife. Officials say the anonymous emails to kelly were so disturbing and obsessive, she called the authorities. They traced them to paula broadwells computer. Where eventually evidence of an affair between the cia director and broadwell was discovered. Petraeus is claiming the affair with broadwell did not begin until after he retired from the military in august 2011. It was a week later he became cia director. Friends say the affair ended four months ago, about the time jill kelly received the emails. Friends say it was petraeus who ended the relationship. Broadwell had extraordinary access to petraeus, but when she was chosen as his biographer, she had never even written a book. She struck me as a very ambitious young woman and i think, you know, she appealed to general petraeus because of that combination of sort of intellectual prowess and the fact that shes very physically capable. Reporter those around them found her embarrassing and far too gushy about petraeus, evident in her interview on jon stewart. Yes, hes a very high Energy Person and i think he does gain energy from feeling like hes consequential in making a difference. Reporter despite that, friends of petraeus told me that todayed they were certain dave and Holly Petraeus would stay together, though, david, there are still many questions. Martha raddatz, thank you. And now to the timeline. When this fbi investigation began, and new questions tonight about why the white house and congress did not hear of it until much later. Heres abcs senior justice correspondent Pierre Thomas tonight. Reporter sources tell abc news jill kelly considered those harassing emails a threat not only to herself, but petraeus. After the fbi was contacted, and an investigation uncovered a sordid affair between petraeus and paula broadwell, there were early concerns that the cia directors secure government emails could have been hacked. But the probe never turned up evidence of National Security being compromised. What it did find, as one source put it, was lots of human drama. Key members of Congress Want to know why didnt they werent told. We received no advance notice. It was like a lightning bolt. Reporter top intelligence officials were not informed until election day. The president was told the day after. The president should have been told about it at the earliest date. Reporter but a former fbi agent said the bureau followed protocol. The initial complaint was harassment. It possibly could have gone to email hacking. But there was no substantive information that this had anything to do with National Security. Reporter Administration Officials said the timing of the disclosure had nothing to do with politics, but congress is vowing to investigate, david. Pierre thomas, thank you. And the other major headline from washington this evening, the socalled fiscal cliff, now quickly approaching. And on this sunday, new signals republicans are willing to work with the president , to a point. Heres Abcs David Kerley now. Reporter across the dial today, the parties sounded like they could make a deal. I think theres aasis for the deal. I absolutely believe there is. Reporter its the same tone we heard from the major players. Im open to compromise. Its just time to get the job done. Reporter Speaker Boehner even told his republican members they would have to avoid nasty fights, and according to the new york times, they seemed to listen. But those words dont change a basic disagreement that could push the country off the fiscal cliff, the first of january. Thats when a number of tax cuts expire, dubbed taxmageddon, meaning the average family will pay an extra 3,700 a year. And severe cuts to defense and Government Spending will be trigg triggered. The Sticking Point on avoiding that cliff . Taxes. The president campaigned on and won on letting tax cuts for the rich expire. Today, a leading republican said no. No republican will vote for higher tax rates. Reporter if that sounds a lot like the argument weve already heard, youre right. And democrats appear emboldened that rates for the rich rise. If the republicans will not agree with that, we will reach a point at the end of this year where all the tax cuts expire and well start over next year. Reporter the two sides have four more days to lay out their markers. On friday, congressional leaders come here to the white house to start negotiations in earnest. David . David kerley at the white house tonight, thank you. And with so much swirling in washington, the election might already seem like a lifetime ago to you. But tonight, a new message from mitt romney, as Campaign Sources offer a raw and telling portrait of the most painful week of romneys political career. By weeks end, mitt romney and his wife ann driving themselves to Campaign Headquarters in boston. Gone were the secret detail and the motorcade that had trailed them in the final months of the campaign. Instead of the long lines of supporters, there was now a line of dozens of staffers outside of romneys office door. Some waiting to shake his hand, others looking for a quiet moment with the governor. After a loss that stunned a confident campaign. The former president ial candidate eating pizza out of the box in his office. Mrs. Romney in jeans and a sweater. Just hours after the loss last week, romney calling a staff meeting. Emotions raw, romney and his wife arriving to deafening applause and chants of mitt, mit mite, as they walked into the office. A source there saying romney was clearly moved, mrs. Romney crying as they stood before the team. Sources telling me Campaign Manager matt rhoades telling the governor and his wife, we would rather lose with you than win with anyone else. In the days after defeat, a source close to mrs. Romney said she described the moment she walked onto that stage as surreal. Saying mrs. Romney wondered to herself, are we really conceding . It was mrs. Romney that remained most optimistic as returns starting pouring in, playing with her grandchildren election night. In the hours after the concession speech, mitt romney offering praise for his top advisers and his body man, garrett jackson. Jackson often capturing and tweeting images of the governor during private moments. Among them, a smiling romney backstage watching his wife address millions of americans from the Republican National convention. And this weekend, romney sending a note to supporters, this was more than just a campaign. This was a national movement, he wrote. He did not specifically reference his loss to the president , writing, we still believe that better days are ahead. And in talking with my Campaign Sources over the weekend, even many of those closest to romney dont know what hell do next. The romneys are expected to travel to their san diego home to spend time with family. Many do expect romneys focus to include board work and his work with the morton church. We turn tonight now to the major weather headline, and a huge cold front marching across the center of the nation, already dropping heavy snow in Salt Lake City and up to 48 inches in the utah mountains. And in kansas tonight, 50 reports of severe weather. These thunderstorms in kansas all part of the season. Abc meteorologist ginger zee tracking this since Good Morning America this morning. This is a real clash. Reporter it is. Such a big part of the country. Minneapolis had a record high yesterday of 69, today, in the 20s. So, some 40degree drop. And thats going to get severe weather, thats what were dealing with tonight. A sliver of the south has to have that slight risk. That is damaging wind, large hail, outside chance of a tornado. Some tornado warnings earlier. Little rock is going to be just east of it but down into far eastern texas. Be on alert tonight. Many celebrating the holiday tomorrow, marking it, what do they expect . Reporter in the east, one more day of beauty. We deserve that little break. New york city will make it to 65. 66, d. C. But look at chicago, they were 70 today. Tomorrow, 39. Tale of two countries tonight. Ginger zee, thank you so much. And as i mentioned, this is veterans day, of course. Tomorrow, the nation will observe the national holiday. At Arlington National cemetery today, president obama and the first lady taking part in the timehonored tradition on this day, laying a wreath at the tomb of the unknown. Tonight here, so many tributes that caught our eye. So, here are two of them. One, from a veteran on a marathon. The other from a little boy, waiting for dad to come home. Army veteran mike ehredt has been running a marathon every every day now for the past ten weeks. 2,10 miles. A journey that began in minnesota. Morning, fourth day. On minnesota 53. Reporter and came to an end today in galveston, texas, passing through nine states. Theres this lonely feeling coming over me. But it also made me get up and move. Reporter at every mile, mike stops, not to take a break or to catch his breath, but to plant a small american flag, each inscribed with the name, age and rank of a fallen soldier lost in afghanistan. And then, a salute from mike. His own journey to remember. And on this veterans day, this little boy in north carolina. Preparing to read his own handwritten words for his father. Cabe ellis remembering his dad james, a father of four and a first class petty officer, serving in afghanistan. His fifth deployment. Listen to how his son describes him. Im so proud of him. He is my hero right next to jesus. Reporter then, moments later, the principal says, look. That little boys hero, walking towards him. His father james, a former football star in their hometown, who said later he would not forget this heros welcome from the town, nor his son. I mean, its the greatest honor of my life to serve my country. The team at wlls, our abc station there saying that that little guy held onto his dad for a good 25 seconds before letting go. There is still much more ahead on world news on a sunday night. One mans fight to save his home. He could lose it, all over an unpaid utility bill . And tonight, were learning hes not alone. 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That smaller bill is there, but after you add the interest, after you add the 18 and the lawyer fees, its unjust. Its wrong. Reporter burton refused to pay. But the city of baltimore turned to a controversial tactic to collect. Selling burtons debt to a private company, which then put a lien on his home. Then you have no choice to pay or lose your home. That cant be right. Reporter now, the company, lien logic, is asking for additional interest and high legal fees, too. Ballooning burtons tab to limb 5,000. Could actually lose their home for the failure to pay a 200 or 300 water or sewer bill. Reporter the National Consumer law center says thousands of homeowners all over the u. S. Are threatened with foreclosure every year because of unpaid utility bills and taxes. In rhode island, a 474 sewer bill cost one woman her home. The company that took possession later sold it for 85,000. Back in baltimore, Vicky Valentine lost her house over a partially paid water bill. Youd been in this home for 33 years . Yes. Reporter and now all of a sudden, youre out on the street. Yes, and thats not a fun place to be. Reporter lien logic makes 100 million a year, profiting from its lien busin