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L.A. County Fire Threat To Remain "Critical" Through Wednesday; Final Round Of Gaza Ceasefire Talks To Begin In Doha; Los Angeles Fires Worsen Insurance Crisis In California; L.A. Food Bank Sees "Overnight" Spike in Demand Due to Fires; People See What's Left of Their Homes after L.A. Wildfires; Final Round of Gaza Ceasefire Talks to Begin in Doha; Biden Expresses Optimism Over Possible Ceasefire Deal; Ukraine Says Video Shows Captured North Korean Troops; Millions of Hindus Attending the Maha Kumbh Mela in India. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired January 14, 2025 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[01:00:44]
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: L.A. bracing for explosive fire growth. Hello, I'm John Vause. Coming up here on CNN Newsroom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF KRISTIN CROWLEY, LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPARTMENT: We are not in the clear as of yet and we must not let our guard down.
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VAUSE: As strong gusty winds return to a fire ravaged Southern California, the next 48 hours will be critical.
Closer than ever to a ceasefire in Gaza.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Never, never, never ever give up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: U.S. President Joe Biden optimistic, hostages will be free within days. But did a threat from President-elect Donald Trump break the stalemate?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT: If they're not back by the time I get into office, all hell will break out in the Middle East.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News. VAUSE: Counting down the hours now for the return of powerful strong gusty winds in Southern California raising the threat of an explosive fire growth in a region already battling the most destructive wildfires in the state's history. The Santa Ana wind event will be mostly felt in areas away from the current fire zones. But the danger remains of possible new outbreaks as well as threatening progress firefighters have made against the Palisades and Eaton fires which have already burned more than 15,000 hectares.
And with powerful winds, firefighting aircraft could be grounded. The L.A. fire chief says the threat for the area remains critical through Wednesday and warns residents to prepare for more evacuations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: We urge the public to stay diligent, to stay ready as the danger has absolutely not passed. Please adhere to any evacuation warning and orders immediately and prioritize your safety.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And we begin our coverage with CNN's Veronica Miracle reporting in from Southern California.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dire warnings coming at a critical stage for firefighters.
CROWLEY: We are not in the clear as of yet and we must not let our guard down.
MIRACLE (voice-over): In their nearly week-long battle against the deadly Los Angeles blazes.
CHIEF ANTHONY MARRONE, LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT: Severe fire weather conditions will continue through Wednesday. The anticipated winds combined with low humidities and low fuel moistures will keep the fire threat in all of Los Angeles County critical.
MIRACLE (voice-over): A fresh round of Santa Ana winds bringing gusts in excess of 50 miles an hour and the perilous possibility of further spread or even new flare ups.
CROWLEY: I've strategically pre-positioned engine strike teams and task forces which are dedicated to rapid response.
MIRACLE (voice-over): A relatively calm weekend allowed firefighters to make progress. The Eaton fire in Altadena, which has damaged or destroyed at least 7,000 structures, now 33 percent contained. To the west, the Palisades fire has chewed through more than 23,000 acres.
CROWLEY: We have crews from up and down the state, outside of the state have made excellent, excellent work overnight, mopping up flare ups and hot spots. MIRACLE (voice-over): Thousands of firefighters on the ground and from the air working day and night to beat back the flames. Still, more than 90,000 people are under evacuation orders, not knowing when or if they'll be able to return. The LAPD halting a service to assist residents to retrieve small items and pets from their homes.
DOMINIC CHOI, ASSISTANT CHIEF, LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPT.: But we tried to be compassionate and put together a team to escort residents to their homes to either retrieve small pets or their medication. But that line became exceedingly large and it was causing more problems than solutions.
MIRACLE (voice-over): In the fire's wake, the stories of loss echo across the region.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People like me lost everything, not only the home, but every single thing in it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lots of tears, anger. We're going through the stages of grief.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's just really overwhelming because you feel like you lost everything, but then so did everybody that you know. So how do you mourn the loss of your life? And then also everybody is mourning the loss of every -- it's -- it's overwhelming.
[01:05:09]
MIRACLE (voice-over): The Gellers (sp?) like thousands of their neighbors forced to flee, only to return to utter devastation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's as if there's flew over the community and completely decimated the community.
MIRACLE (voice-over): Veronica Miracle, CNN, Altadena.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Joining me now from Sacramento is David Acuna, Battalion chief and public information officer for Cal Fire. Chief, thank you for talking with us and thank you for the thousands of firefighters who are working to bring the fires under control.
DAVID ACUNA, BATTALION CHIEF & PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, CAL FIRE: Thank you very much, John.
VAUSE: So what are the conditions there right now? What are you expecting and what's the plan in the coming hours?
ACUNA: Well, the winds have already picked up. It's already getting 30 to 40 miles per hour. Expected top out around 70. And as you mentioned, the area that's most affected is going to be just north of the current fires, but that entire area is still going to be subject to winds that are significantly stronger than normal. With the fire perimeter still frail, as well as the threat of additional fires for any new starts, the -- the threat is real. VAUSE: Is there one area in particular which you're especially concerned about?
ACUNA: It's the entire area between Ventura and San Diego. Anything that is not currently on fire or was not on fire means that it's a potential start. There's so much fuel on the ground, and by that I mean grass and brush. And then of course, as you know, the L.A. basin is quite densely populated. So then we also have the structures, if any of them happen to go with a wildland fire, that will just make it that much more challenging.
VAUSE: And you -- you touched on this. Beyond the next 48 hours, Southern California remains bone dry. Strong winds forecast in some areas like Ventura Valley to -- in the north, San Bernardino Mountains in the east. So what is the risk assessment for, you know, the entire region in the next couple of weeks and even months?
ACUNA: Well, for the next 10 days, there's no predicted rain. So we have a mobilization center set up down in Southern California with additional overhead staff, engines, crews, heavy equipment just waiting in case there is another fire to be able to respond immediately. And then as we continue to go, we're going to wait to see what happens as the winds die down on this fire probably on Wednesday, there's going to be a wind shift as the winds travel back the other direction. So we're just going to be busy with this until at least the weekend. And then let's see what the forecast brings.
VAUSE: At this point, you know, you've been battling these fires not just for this week, but a fire season which seems to never end. What is the impact on your manpower situation?
ACUNA: Well, you're exactly right. In fact, we have done away with the fire season term because we've been having fires all through November through December. And we had fires on the December 30th, December 31st, and now starting January 7th. So we now refer to it as the fire year. And yes, crews are weary, but as they've stated before, it's hard to rest when there's houses burning. So now that the really tough work of making sure everything is contained and then as we move into suppression repair operations, that's really going to be critical once we get out of this next wind event.
VAUSE: And just quickly into the investigation into how all of this began. What's the progress there?
ACUNA: So the -- each jurisdiction is conducting its own investigation on their fire, the Palisades one and Eaton the other. We don't have any results yet on those, but as soon as we do, they'll announce. Just keep in mind that in the initial three days, everything was all about life safety. So every hand available was focused on that.
VAUSE: Chief David Acuna, thank you, sir, for being with us.
ACUNA: Thank you.
VAUSE: Well, for more on how you can help those affected by the Los Angeles wildfires, please go to CNN.com/impact. After more than a year of on again, off again negotiations, a ceasefire hostage deal in Gaza appears to be imminent. A final round of talks will begin in the coming hours which could see 33 hostages freed, including children, women, the elderly and the sick. Family and friends of the hostages are ramping up pressure on the Israeli government, holding a vigil in Tel Aviv urging lawmakers to bring their loved ones home.
And U.S. President Joe Biden is optimistic a deal which he has championed is on the brink of potentially being finalized.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: We're pressing hard to close this. The deal we have a structure would free the hostages, halt the fighting, provide security to Israel and allow us to significantly surge humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians who've suffered terribly in this war that Hamas started. They'd been through hell.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[01:10:07]
VAUSE: Sources tell CNN that members of the Biden and Trump teams have been working with mediators to try and resolve the last sticking points. And President-elect Donald Trump says, quote, there's been a handshake and they're getting it finished.
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TRUMP: We are very close to getting it done and they have to get it done. If they don't get it done, there's going to be a lot of trouble out there, a lot of trouble like they have seen before and they will get it done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: CNN's Jeremy Diamond has the very latest now reporting in from Tel Aviv.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, Israel and Hamas are indeed on the brink of a ceasefire and hostage deal, closer than they ever have been to reaching this agreement. After more than a year of war in Gaza, months of negotiations, it does finally appear as if these two parties may indeed cross the finish line with this agreement. But at the same time, all of my sources are expressing caution about this, making clear that it is possible that this could all get derailed at the last moment.
That being said, there is now a final draft agreement being circulated between the mediators and Israel and Hamas. As one source told me, all of the big blocks have now been resolved and they are working to finalize the details and the implementation mechanisms of this agreement.
A senior Israeli official saying that Hamas is expected to release 33 hostages in the initial phase of this agreement. Those hostages are mostly believed to be alive, but there is also an expectation that there will be some of the bodies of deceased hostages released during that phase as well. That first phase will be 42 days of temporary ceasefire, the longest pause in the hostilities, if indeed it comes to fruition that Gazans have seen since this war broke out more than 15 months ago.
And in addition to that much needed respite, there will also be hundreds of trucks of humanitarian aid that are expected to enter the Gaza Strip if indeed this agreement moves forward. Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails are also expected to be released in exchange for those 33 hostages. Some of those are likely going to be individuals who've been charged with killing Israelis. Those individuals, I'm told, will not be released into the West Bank, but rather into Gaza or in third party countries that have agreed to accept them.
Now, a senior Israeli official said that it is hard to tell whether this agreement will come together in a matter of hours or a matter of days, or whether it will indeed come together at all. But without a doubt, the stakes right now are enormous.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.
VAUSE: We will stay in Tel Aviv. And joining me now is Alon Pinkas, former Israeli consul general in New York. Ambassador, it is good to see you.
ALON PINKAS, FORMER ISRAELI CONSUL GENERAL IN NEW YORK: Good morning, John. Good to be with you again.
VAUSE: Thank you, sir. Like many in the Biden administration, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is optimistic about a deal. At the same time, he is sounding a word of caution. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAKE SULLIVAN, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: Whether or not we go from where we are now to actually closing it, the hours and days ahead will tell, but I believe it is there for the taking and we're going to do everything we can to push it, to get it across the line.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: We've been here before. There are no second prizes here for coming close to an agreement. It's deal or no deal. And even if there is a deal, there are no guarantees either side will keep their end of the bargain. Is all that just too pessimistic at this point?
PINKAS: No, it's just being correctly cautious, both you and Jake Sullivan being cautious here. Look, we've been here before as you -- as you just mentioned. We have been on the cusp of such agreements in the last six or seven months, as you just mentioned. And the most important thing, tragic rather, is that this agreement that seems -- that seems more likely to -- to happen than -- than its previous versions, this deal was there for the taking for months and yet somehow it didn't happen for political reasons, Netanyahu's political calculations to prolong the war and Hamas's reluctance to accept some of the ingredients in the deal.
But now it looks as if a deal is going to be made, if not for any other reason than Mr. Trump's inauguration next Tuesday, a week from now.
VAUSE: Since you mentioned that, here is U.S. President like Donald Trump speaking a few hours ago about the possibility of a ceasefire hostage deal. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: If they don't get it done, there's going to be a lot of trouble out there, a lot of trouble like they have never seen before and they will get it done. And I understand it's -- it's been -- there's been a handshake and they're getting it finished.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[01:15:05]
VAUSE: Donald Trump has warned of all hell breaking loose, hell to pay if the hostages are not released by the time he's sworn in, which is less than a week from now. What does that actually look like? And how much influence does that threat had on Hamas?
PINKAS: On Hamas? No, it had -- it had tremendous influence, John, on Israel. So much so that it validates those Netanyahu critics who said that he's been prolonging the war for months, waiting for Mr. Trump to get elected, and once Mr. Trump was elected in November, getting it nearer to the inauguration as possible.
Now, what Mr. Trump means by all hell to -- all hell will break loose and a lot of trouble. Honestly, I don't know what that means. What -- what is he going to do? He's going to bomb Gaza as if it wasn't bombed enough? There's this, you know, I -- I don't understand what that term means. But it does indicate that he wants this done and over with and wrapped up before he walks into the White House. He's got other things there to do. He's got Ukraine. He's got China. Talking foreign policy now. Yes, go ahead.
VAUSE: OK. I was just going to say, we have the extreme right of Israel's coalition government, which continues to pose any deal regardless of what Trump says. Finance Minister and Arab bigot Bezalel Smotrich tweeting the emerging deal is a catastrophe for the national security of the state of Israel. We will not be part of a surrender deal that would include releasing terrorist hostages, stopping the war and dissolving its achievements that were brought with much blood, and abandoning many hostages.
He then goes on to call Israel to take control of Gaza and cleanse it. Is that a call for ethnic cleansing of Palestinians? And would he be able to kill a ceasefire deal like he's threatened so many times in the past? PINKAS: No, he can't -- he can't stop the deal. It is a call for ethnic cleansing. He's been doing this for the better part of the last 15 months, since October 7, 2023. He's not saying anything that we haven't heard as abominable as it is we haven't heard before from him. It is most definitely ethnic cleansing. Having said all that, if you just count the numbers, the -- the -- count the hands voting in the -- in the Cabinet, he -- he cannot stop this deal.
What he can do, probably won't do, but you never know, is leave the coalition, which would then force an election. Look, this entire thing, John, is, and I think we've discussed this one of your shows previously, when you go to a war that has no military objectives, I'm sorry, when you go to a war that has no political objectives but only military goals, you end up with no political benefit.
And -- and what Mr. Smotrich is indirectly or even unknowingly doing is accusing Netanyahu of not having political goals, which he did not have. So you end up, remember all that talk, all that hollow, which now seems hollow and empty rhetoric about eradicating Hamas and annihilating Hamas and toppling Hamas. And -- and then there was that Philadelphia corridor which was described as, you know, the Omaha Beach, the key to success. None of that is mentioned anymore.
So, no, you know, he cannot stop the deal. But it could bring about even an election. In -- in some scenario, this could, you know, unwrap -- post precipitate the unraveling of the coalition. But that -- that first there needs to be a deal. Then, look, there is a key question here that we haven't discussed. Let's say the deal is signed and you and I and our viewers are all happy about who -- who says, who's granting us, who's guaranteeing to us that the ceasefire will hold and what would -- what would constitute a violation of the ceasefire? Is it just three guys shooting at three guys? I mean, this -- this is all very precarious.
VAUSE: Yes, exactly. Who is going to guarantee that both sides live up to their end of the bargains? That's the mystery in all of this, in many ways. And it could fall apart. Let's hope it doesn't. Let's hope those hostages are back home. Let's hope this ceasefire comes to fruition. The tragedy is it could have happened months ago. Ambassador Pinkas in Tel Aviv, thank you, sir.
PINKAS: Thank you, John.
VAUSE: Well, the U.S. Justice Department has handed to Congress the special counsel report on Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election. It's more than 130 pages long. Federal Judge Aileen Cannon cleared the way Monday, saying there was insufficient basis for blocking the release of the report. Special Counsel Jack Smith has extensive details of Trump's criminal efforts to retain power, including pressuring state officials to adopt a fraudulent electors plan. Much of what's in the report is already known. Smith dropped the election subversion case after a controversial Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity.
[01:19:59] Well, back to our breaking news in Los Angeles after a very short break. And how the wildfires will make California's insurance crisis even worse.
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VAUSE: U.S. President-elect Donald Trump may visit Los Angeles as early as next week. No details have been finalized, but sources tell CNN, Trump plans to survey the wildfire damage and review the recovery efforts. California Governor Gavin Newsom sent a letter to Trump, Friday, inviting him to see the devastation firsthand, meet with those affected by the wildfires. Trump has repeatedly criticized Newsom as well as Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass over the wildfire response and has also called for Newsom to resign as state governor.
Meantime, there could be strings attached to potential aid from Washington to help California recover. And it could become the latest hot button -- button issue to divide lawmakers given new remarks from House Speaker Mike Johnson. Here's what he told CNN's Manu Raju.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: We've got to have a serious conversation about that. Obviously, there's been water resource mismanagement, forest management mistakes, all sorts of problems. And it -- it does come down to leadership. And it appears to us that state and local leaders were derelict in their duty in -- in many respects. So that's something that has to be factored in. I think there should probably be conditions on that day. That's my personal view. Well the consensus is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Not all Republicans share Johnson's opinion. Senate Majority Leader John Thune says the government will have to evaluate what California needs, and he says there will be a discussion on the role each level of government should play.
Los Angeles fires are sure to make an already crippling insurance crisis in California even worse. Some homeowners -- homeowners who lost everything had no coverage after a wave of cancellations in the past few years. Details now from CNN's Brian Todd.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Francis Bischetti tells CNN his home in Pacific Palisades, California, is completely gone, burned down in a scene he described to us as mayhem.
FRANCIS BISCHETTI, HOME BURNED DOWN, UNINSURED: It was just really intense, like -- like -- like intense at a level that I've never, ever experienced.
TODD (voice-over): Bischetti says he tried to protect his home by watering the property year round. He says he had to do that because last year he learned that the annual cost of his homeowner's insurance policy was skyrocketing.
BISCHETTI: We got a notice that our fire insurance went up from approximately 4,500, I want to say, per year up to, I think they -- they jumped us to $18,000 a year. And those are numbers that -- that we just could not afford.
TODD (voice-over): He says he also could not afford to get on a program set up by the state called the California Fair Plan, which has higher premiums, less coverage, and would have required him to cut down several trees on his property, which was too expensive for him. So Bischetti says he basically was forced into an untenable position.
BISCHETTI: We sort of agreed between me and my sisters that -- that what we'll -- what -- what we ought to just cancel the fire insurance.
[01:25:08]
TODD (voice-over): Francis Bischetti's story is not an isolated case. For several years, major insurance companies have been hiking up rates at an astounding pace in California and not renewing policies.
RICHARD GILLER, INSURANCE RECOVERY LAWYER IN LOS ANGELES: The insurance companies decided not to write new policies or they decided just to not renew people. And that left a number of homeowners scrambling to try and find other private insurance.
TODD (voice-over): The California Department of Insurance says that between 2020 and 2022, insurance companies declined to renew 2.8 million homeowner policies in California, including 531,000 policies in Los Angeles County, where the current wildfires are causing so much devastation. State Farm, California's largest home insurer, announced last summer that it was seeking increases in rates of as much as 52 percent for some renters citing increased costs and risks. State Farm had already stopped selling insurance for new homes in California in 2023.
GILLER: It's incredibly risky in high risk areas. Some people are estimating that we could be looking at 50 or $60 billion in losses.
TODD (voice-over): In recent days, California's insurance commissioner issued a bulletin to protect homeowners affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires for one year.
RICARDO LARA, CALIFORNIA INSURANCE COMMISSIONER: I am using my moratorium power to stop all non-renewals and cancellations.
TODD: When State Farm announced it would stop new home insurance sales, the company issued a statement specifically citing skyrocketing construction costs and the risks posed by wildfires like the ones we're seeing now. Farmers Insurance, which was Francis Bischetti's carrier, did not respond to CNN's request for comment on his case, but told the "Los Angeles Times" it could not comment on Bischetti's assertions because the company does not discuss individual policyholders.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington. (END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: The U.S. Justice Department special counsel -- special counsel who investigated Hunter Biden has issued a final report slamming his father who is the U.S. President. David Weiss accused Joe Biden of making gratuitous and wrong accusations that the long running investigation was unfair and politically biased. Investigation was kneecapped by President Biden's unconditional pardon for his son back in December.
He claimed Hunter was the victim of a selective prosecution and it was a miscarriage of justice. Hunter Biden had been convicted of unlawfully buying and owning a firearm while abusing illegal drugs and he pleaded guilty to various tax crimes. His lawyer said the new special counsel report proves the investigation was an abuse of prosecutorial power.
Well, as firefighters work to contain the spread of wildfires across Los Angeles, some are returning to what's left of their homes. The destruction, the devastation and desperation in a moment.
Also, a Gaza ceasefire deal might finally be on the horizon. Details of what could be, might just be the final round of negotiations.
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[01:30:24]
VAUSE: Welcome back, everyone. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
The unprecedented mass displacement of Los Angeles residents is draining vital resources like never before. Nearly 100,000 people remain under evacuation orders, and red flag warnings are in effect through Wednesday, meaning it will be several more days before many are allowed back into their homes.
With so many evacuees, food insecurity is now a concern. And CNN spoke with the head of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, which reports a spike in demand for assistance.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL FLOOD, CEO, LOS ANGELES REGIONAL FOOD BANK: Well, it feels like another version of the pandemic to us, where demand has spiked up overnight, as it did when the pandemic hit in 2020 but for different circumstances in dealing with the fires. So that's what it feels like.
And you know, we're responding in that regard as far as bringing in more resources -- food, water, other grocery, non-food item resources. The volunteer response has been huge, but we also have agency partners who've lost volunteers because they've lost their homes.
You know, the number of homes and structures and businesses that have been lost here is massive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Those strong, gusty winds have been closely followed by meteorologists. Earlier, I spoke with Todd Hall, a senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service, about the current red flag warning in effect and counties dealing with the fires.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TODD HALL, SENIOR METEOROLOGIST, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE: We have a potentially, particularly dangerous situation. Red flag warning going into effect at 4:00 a.m. tonight. And that will continue through at least noon Wednesday.
So we're continuing to see warm and dry -- Warmer than normal and dry conditions continue across the area and humidity is dipping down into the teens already currently.
So we're -- we have gusts to 45 miles per hour in our mountains. And we're seeing gusts between 25 and 35 across our coastal and valley areas.
VAUSE: And you're confident in those forecasts. Is there a chance that maybe the winds could be stronger or maybe not as strong?
HALL: There's still an outside chance that our -- that Tuesday night into Wednesday could have some broader impacts across the L.A. metro area. That's just a small chance at this point.
We're continuing to monitor those latest forecasts and adjust as necessary. But we're not expecting anything that's nearly as strong as what we saw last Tuesday and last Wednesday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Well, firefighters continue to battle new outbreaks, some residents have been allowed to return to areas which has already been left devastated.
CNN's Gary Tuchman is there with some of them.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: 89-year-old Sam Bachner, walking up his driveway with his daughter, Jenn, about to see for the first time what the Palisades fire did to his home.
This video shows what it looked like from the outdoor deck on Sam's Pacific Palisades house on Tuesday night.
And hours later after he evacuated, this video from outside his house.
If anyone knows this house, just a huge house. There's embers and it looks like there's a gas line back there. We're going to tell the firefighters.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just go slow. TUCHMAN: As Sam walked in his home, he saw little damage on the right
side of the house. But it turns out the fire raged through the left side.
SAM BACHNER, PACIFIC PALISADES RESIDENT: Just check to your left. That's my office. That's where I work.
TUCHMAN: Many portions inside and outside the house destroyed. Sam and his late wife, Arlene raised three daughters here.
And I know this all quite personally, because Sam was and is best friends with my dad. They've been friends since kindergarten. That's Sam on the right, my dad on the left when they were both 16 years old in Chicago in 1951.
BACHNER: There are people less fortunate, more ravaged, more displaced. We have a family that stays together and sticks together, and we started supporting each other.
These are material things that are not as important to anybody. Living things are most important.
TUCHMAN: Sam's three children and their families all live close to each other in mandatory evacuation areas. Jenn and her husband, Damon, raised four children in their home.
DAMON PORTER, BRENTWOOD RESIDENT: Thank God our house is here.
JENN PORTER, BRENTWOOD RESIDENT: We're so lucky.
TUCHMAN: Damage here and at her sister Laurie's house, very limited.
[01:34:45]
J. PORTER: This is the only neighborhood I've ever known my whole life. I've been here for 56 years, a mile apart from my sisters and my parents.
It's surreal, for sure.
TUCHMAN: But it's drastically different situation for the third sister, Dana and her husband, Rick, who have also come to see their house for the first time since the fire started raging.
RICK RIVERA, PACIFIC PALISADES RESIDENT: Oh my God, babe.
TUCHMAN: Dana and Rick's Pacific Palisades home of 32 years has been destroyed. A total loss for the parents of four, grandparents of six.
They are here with two of their sons and their daughter-in-law.
R. RIVERA: Oh, give me a hug, baby.
Oh my God.
TUCHMAN: This is what their house looked like just a few days ago. And this is video a neighbor sent them of the wildfires that started burning their house and taking over the neighborhood.
Four years ago, their son Luke married Brianna and the wedding party was in the house.
R. RIVERA: Careful, sweetie.
DANA RIVERA, PACIFIC PALISADES RESIDENT: Oh my God.
TUCHMAN: They are profoundly sad. But like Sam, the patriarch of the family, Dana and Rick say they realize how fortunate they still are.
D. RIVERA: We raised our four children here under this roof for 32 years, and it had magic in it.
TUCHMAN: And they have a guiding philosophy.
What do you do next?
R. RIVERA: You want me to go?
D. RIVERA: Yes. You go.
R. RIVERA: Because she always says, are we going to be ok?
D. RIVERA: Yes.
R. RIVERA: And the answer is always yes.
TUCHMAN: As for Sam.
You're grateful for what you've gotten.
BACHNER: Grateful for what -- I' standing here, what I got on my back right now, and being here and being able to talk to you and being able to go forward tomorrow morning. That's God's gift.
TUCHMAN: Sam and his daughter, Dana and her husband Rick, are all staying in a hotel. Dana and Rick have their three large dogs with them. There are lots of dogs staying in L.A. Hotels right now.
They want to rebuild their homes, but they know it will be a long process.
This is Gary Tuchman, CNN -- in Pacific Palisades, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: It has been 465 days since Hamas militants launched a devastating surprise attack on Israel, killing more than 1,200 civilians. It's been 464 days since the Israeli military began a devastating assault on Gaza, killing more than 46,000 Palestinians.
And a ceasefire deal is now closer than ever. Talks to finalize the agreement will be held in Doha in the hours ahead, that's according to a diplomat close to negotiations. Families of dozens of hostages currently being held in Gaza are
continuing to pressure the Israeli government, holding a demonstration in Tel Aviv Monday.
Hamas is expected to release 33 of almost 100 hostages during phase one of the emerging agreement.
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GIDEON SAAR, ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER: We see some progress in the negotiations. Israel wants a hostage deal. Israel is working with our American friends in order to achieve a hostage deal. And soon we will know whether the other side wants the same thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: U.S. President Joe Biden appeared incredibly optimistic about the possible deal during his speech focused on foreign policy, in which he offered his own first draft of history and framed his presidency as transformational when it comes to U.S. power abroad.
CNN's M.J. Lee reports from the White House.
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M.J. LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Biden on Monday, speaking at the State Department, delivered a legacy- burnishing speech talking about his foreign policy accomplishments of the last four years.
He said that America had been thoroughly tested while he was in office, but that the country is coming out stronger for it. Its alliances are stronger now and that its adversaries are weaker than they were four years ago.
Regarding the situation in Gaza, President Biden publicly saying what we have been hearing from U.S. officials, both in public and in private, that a deal for a ceasefire in Gaza and a hostages release -- that that might be on the cusp of coming to fruition.
Now, it's been a really long time since we have heard this kind of real optimism, at least coming from the Biden administration. On the possibility of a ceasefire in Gaza.
Of course, nothing is final until it is final, and there's always going to be that sense of caution. But U.S. sources have told us that a ceasefire and hostages deal could be achieved in the coming days in the final week of President Bidens presidency.
And this is what the president himself said on Monday about what would be achieved if a deal could be finalized. This is what he said.
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JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're pressing hard to close this. The deal we have in structure would free the hostages, halt the fighting, provide security to Israel and allow us to significantly surge humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians who have suffered terribly in this war that Hamas started.
LEE: Now we are, of course, in the middle of a transition, and that means that both Biden and Trump officials have been closely engaged in these negotiations.
For example, we know that the White House's current Middle East coordinator, Brett McGurk, has been in the region for at least the last week or so, and he has been joined by incoming President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and that they have been working closely together to try to get some of these final deal details hammered out.
And they've even had, I'm told, by sources, joint conversations with Israeli officials, including the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Now of course, this is a deal that has been elusive for President Biden and his White House for so long as this war has continued to go on and has caused so much for President Biden, politically speaking, as well.
And while President Biden and the incoming President Donald Trump may not have a ton in common in terms of their policy priorities, this is one where the two men have a shared goal. They would both very much like to see an end to this conflict before President Biden leaves office in exactly one week.
M.J. Lee, CNN -- at the White House.
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VAUSE: Joining us now, Steven Cook, a senior fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of "The End of Ambition: America's Past, Present and Future in the Middle East".
It's good to see you, Steve. Thanks for being us.
STEVEN COOK, SENIOR FELLOW, MIDDLE EASTERN STUDIES AT THE COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: Thanks very much, John.
VAUSE: So this is the deal, though, which the U.S. President Joe Biden, the current one, proposed early last year, but only now it seems there is in fact, a deadline. Here's President-Elect Trump speaking last week.
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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: If those hostages aren't back, I don't want to hurt your negotiation, if they're not back by the time I get into office, all hell will break out in the Middle East.
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VAUSE: Is it overly simplistic to say there is a deal now because of that threat? COOK: I think it is a little simplistic because of President-Elect
Trump's bellicose rhetoric on the issue. Clearly, the Biden administration and its partners in Qatar and Egypt have been working very, very hard to get this done.
I think that President Biden has wanted to get this done before he left office. So there is a meeting of the minds between the current administration and the incoming administration.
But there's a lot of political pressure on the Israeli leader and on the Hamas leadership to get this whole thing done and bring it finally to an end. There are diminishing returns for the Israelis in Gaza.
VAUSE: Well, president -- Vice President-Elect, I should say, J.D. Vance explained over the weekend what "all hell will break out" actually means. Here he is.
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J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: Regardless of when that deal is struck it will be because people are terrified that there're going to be consequences for Hamas.
Now, what does that look like? I think number one, it means enabling the Israelis to knock out the final couple of battalions of Hamas and their leadership. It means very aggressive sanctions and financial penalties on those who are supporting terrorist organizations in the Middle East.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Are there similarities here to the release of American hostages by Iran? They were released the same day Ronald Reagan was sworn in as president back in 1981.
COOK: Well, history certainly rhymes, but I think this is a somewhat different situation. And I think that the vice president-elect, hasn't been paying enough attention to his briefing books.
I'm not quite sure what else the United States can provide for the Israelis to help them knock out those remaining brigades of Hamas fighters. In fact, we now know from a number of Israeli and American press reports that Hamas is able to recruit at a greater rate than the Israelis can kill Hamas militants. So it really has nothing to do with the Biden administration withholding or not withholding weapons.
And as far as sanctioning those who enable and support terrorism, the United States has a robust set of sanctions on all of those peoples and countries that are state supporters and supporters of terrorism.
I think what's happened in recent months is the Iranians have backed away from both Hezbollah and Hamas, leaving Hamas standing alone in the Gaza Strip at the mercy of the Israelis. And they have demonstrated renewed interest in cutting a deal.
VAUSE: Well, on the Israeli side, finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and among others among the far right, describe a potential hostage deal as a catastrophe.
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VAUSE: Here's part of his tweet from X. "This is the time to continue with all our might to occupy and cleanse the entire strip, to finally take control of humanitarian aid from Hamas, and to open the gates of hell on Gaza until Hamas surrenders completely and all hostages are returned."
So while Hamas -- Hamas may be under pressure to make a deal, is the Israeli prime minister sort of on the other side of the coin here, under the same pressure, politically, not to.
COOK: Yes. This is really the kind of thing that you've been hearing from Bezalel Smotrich and his people for the better part of a year.
The right wing of Israel's right-wing coalition is adamantly opposed to any deal, and they call it a surrender. At the same time, whereas the Hamas leadership that's based outside of the Gaza Strip in Doha is interested in a deal and feels under pressure to make a deal, the leadership within Gaza also doesn't want to make a deal, believing that they have still much to gain by continuing the fighting in terms of undermining Israels international legitimacy.
So you have a number of different factions that are opposed to each other, both internally in Israeli politics as well as Hamas internally. And although progress has been made, I don't think that we can confidently say that there will be a ceasefire and hostage deal until the ink is dry on whatever needs to be signed.
VAUSE: Well, there's very little which the outgoing and incoming administrations in the U.S. actually agree on.
So with that in mind, here's U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken talking about Steve Witkoff, Trump's Mideast negotiator. Here he is.
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ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Steve Witkoff has been a terrific partner in this, and also President-Elect Trump in making clear that he wants to see this deal go forward and go forward before January 20th.
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VAUSE: The president-elect personally sent Witkoff to the Mideast. Has something like that ever happened before?
COOK: Not to my mind. I don't remember anything like this happening. There's only one president at a time in the United States. But again given the fact that there is an overlap between the Trump -- incoming Trump administration and the Biden administration and an interest in getting this deal, it isn't surprising that Witkoff went out to the region.
He does have -- doesn't have the same kind of baggage as the Biden people do with the Israelis. And it's likely that he can take a tougher stand with them than could any of the Biden people.
VAUSE: Steven Cook, thank you. It's good to see you.
COOK: Good to see you.
VAUSE: We had this note. The latest Israeli strikes killed at least 45 people in Gaza Monday. According to a hospital director, women and children are among the dead. Many of those who have been hurt need amputations, adding a shortage of supplies saying this hospital is unable to treat the wounded.
The Israeli military says it tried to mitigate risk of harm to civilians, adding operations against terrorists will continue.
A spokesperson for the Hamas military wing said fighters are still inflicting heavy losses on Israeli forces.
Still to come, Ukraine shares details about the North Korean soldiers, which were captured while fighting for Russia.
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VAUSE: While Moscow continues to deny North Korean forces are bolstering Russian troops in the Kursk region, Ukrainian officials say they have evidence to the contrary, and that would be two captured North Korean soldiers.
Here's CNN's Nick Paton Walsh.
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NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Their presence, something Ukraine has railed at for months, saying China's ally North Korea is now fighting for Russia and this war is turning global as it enters its fourth year.
At the weekend, hard proof emerged, video including this drone footage of what they said was the capture of two North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region, one ferried away on a frontline stretcher.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said they could be exchanged.
"If Kim Jong-un remembers the citizens, he said, at all and can organize an exchange for our soldiers held in Russia, we can transfer such soldiers."
Undoubtedly, there will be other prisoners from North Korea.
The Ukrainian security services released this footage, controversially, of two injured North Koreans answering questions from their captors even as they recovered from medical treatment.
A Korean translator helped the first man who we have blurred, his hand injured and in pain, explain, he thought he was on a training exercise, not fighting Ukraine.
He said after a January the 3rd assault, he hid in a dugout for two days until capture.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He said that, essentially, he'll do as he's told. If he's required to return, he'll go back. If he's given the chance to stay here, he'll stay.
WALSH: A second is unable to properly speak owing to a jaw injury. He says his family do not know where he is. He nods his assent when asked if he wants to go home.
The Ukrainians showed these Russian papers, repeating the suggestion the North Koreans had been given false identities from Tuva, a Russian republic bordering Mongolia.
Rare and controversial images released at a time when Ukraine's war is widening, intensifying and entering a new, uncertain phase where Kyiv must adapt to a new White House and a steady Russian advance.
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN -- London.
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VAUSE: Coming up inside the massive effort to rescue pets and other animals affected by the southern California wildfires.
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VAUSE: Welcome back.
The Pasadena Humane Animal Shelter is caring for hundreds of pets affected by the California wildfires. The group says it's taken in more than 600 animals. It's also caring for pets trapped in houses after their owners evacuated.
Hollywood's award season is moving ahead. The Grammys will still be held February 2nd in downtown Los Angeles, and the recording academy CEO says the ceremony will raise funds for wildfire relief and recognize the work of first responders.
As for the Oscars, the usual nominees' lunch is canceled due to the fires, but the award ceremony is still set for March 2nd at Hollywood's Dolby Theater.
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VAUSE: The world's largest religious festival is now underway in northern India. Millions of Hindus have come together for the start of Maha Kumbh Mela.
CNN's Polo Sandoval has details.
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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Excitement lights up the night as fire dancers celebrate ahead of the Maha Kumbh Mela festival in India.
For the next six weeks, the city of Prayagraj will be the center of spiritual devotion in Hinduism, attracting an expected 400 million pilgrims from India and around the world.
They bathe in the confluence of three sacred rivers in the largest religious festival on earth. It's a trip of a lifetime for many devotees.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A visit here helps cleanse sins of several lives. It was by God's grace that we could come here. I had never seen something as wonderful as this. Never been to such a massive festival before.
SANDOVAL: The Maha Kumbh Mela, or Festival of the Sacred Pictures, is held every 12 years and is considered holier than the Kumbh Mela festival that occur roughly every three years.
Pilgrims take a dip in the waters to wash away their sins and receive salvation from the cycle of life and death.
And though it's a spiritual festival, there are some very earthly logistical challenges to hosting such a large event. 4,000 hectares of land have been transformed into a pop-up city with thousands of tents, kitchens and port-a-potty set up for the visitors.
More than 40,000 police personnel and cyber-crime experts are part of a web of surveillance, and authorities say A.I. will be used to monitor the crowds. Indian police say they've been conducting security and rescue drills to prepare for any emergencies.
PRASHANT KUMAR, POLICE DIRECTOR GENERAL, UTTAR PRADESH (through translator): There is full security. As you can see, we are alert and prepared. The area is covered by cameras and our foot soldiers in civilian clothing will be present on the ground as well.
SANDOVAL: The festival runs until February 26th and having it run smoothly without any major security issues would be a win for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has promised to showcase India's religious and cultural symbols to appeal to his Hindu base.
Polo Sandoval, CNN -- New York.
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VAUSE: Thank you for watching. I'm John Vause.
CNN NEWSROOM continues with our friend and colleague Rosemary Church in just a moment. Hope to see you right back here tomorrow.
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