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Final Round of Gaza Ceasefire Talks Bring New Hope; High Winds Returning as Crews Race to Contain L.A. Fires; Senators to Consider Defense Secretary Nominee Pete Hegseth; Pope Francis Release Autobiography Today. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired January 14, 2025 - 04:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[04:30:00]

CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. Here are some of the top stories we're following today. The Justice Department has publicly released Special Counsel Jack Smith's final report on Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

The 130-page report outlines what it calls Donald Trump's criminal efforts to retain power. Smith says if Trump had not been re-elected, the evidence against him would have resulted in his conviction at trial.

Well, dangerous winds picking up overnight in Southern California, fueling four burning wildfires. Parts of Los Angeles and Ventura County are under what's called a particularly dangerous situation red flag warning until tomorrow. Officials say the next 48 hours are critical.

And the Kremlin says Vladimir Putin will host Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Russia on Friday, where the two will sign a strategic partnership pact. The leaders are expected to discuss a wide range of topics, including trade and culture.

FOSTER: Many months of tireless diplomacy in the Middle East may finally be paying off. Israeli officials say a ceasefire with Hamas could be announced soon, ending the more than 15-month war. Negotiators have been meeting in Doha, could announce a deal any time now.

Becky is there. Hi, Becky.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR, CONNECT THE WORLD: Hi, and you'd be forgiven for feeling a sense of deja vu at this point, but one Arab official, very close to these talks, has told me that we are closer to a deal than ever to halt this fighting. But we are not, he says, there yet.

As we speak here in Doha, proximity talks are going on between the key stakeholders. That is the U.S., Israel, Hamas, and Qatar as the lead negotiator on this. And the idea of these talks here, as we speak, are to nail down what they describe as the final details. So what do we know about this emerging agreement? [04:35:00]

Well, here are the facts. Phase one of this deal would last 42 days. And during that time, as we understand it, 33 hostages of the 94 who remain in Gaza and were taken on October the 7th will be released. Most, but not all of those hostages are believed to be alive.

During this time, the Israelis will retain a presence in what is known as the Philadelphi Corridor, that's a short strip of land between Egypt and Gaza but will slowly withdraw from there and what is known as the Netzarim Corridor, which is, again, a short strip of land that divides Gaza between north and south. They will slowly withdraw to what will be described, or what is described as a buffer zone between Israel and Gaza.

It is not clear how long that will take, but that is the received sort of understanding at this point. Gazans will be allowed to return freely back to the northern part of the strip. So many of those, of course, as we know, are displaced in Gaza at present.

Palestinian prisoners will be released. The number's not clear at present, but more than 1,000, it is understood, will be released. Where they will be released to, as yet unclear, very unlikely, certainly for those deemed to have killed Israelis on October the 7th and during other times. It is clear, it seems, that they will not be released to the West Bank, but unclear where they will be released to at this point.

And very importantly, on day 16 of what is this temporary halt in the fighting during which, over the days, hostages will be released in phases. But on day 16, and this is absolutely crucial, negotiations will begin, which are intended to end the conflict in its entirety.

So what's changed? What's changed, effectively, is the imminent inauguration of Donald Trump, who has said, very clearly, that all hell will break loose if a deal isn't inked before he comes into power. And the involvement of the Trump administration, very specifically Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, who has been involved in the shuttle diplomacy on this and the negotiations since the end of November, has been absolutely crucial in building the momentum for where we are now.

This, of course, is completely different from what happened over the last 15 months, since the last temporary halt in fighting in November of 2023, and indeed the beginning of this conflict on October the 7th, because, of course, that was just the Biden administration in negotiation for a ceasefire deal.

The emerging details, Max, do look very much like the deal that was proposed by Joe Biden back in July, if not similar to the details of a bridging proposal which was presented by the U.S. back in May. But this is where we stand, and certainly more than cautious optimism at this point, that a deal can now be struck.

Will it be inked imminently? Well, no, not necessarily. This, any deal, has to go through and get agreement from the Israeli security cabinet and indeed from the wider government cabinet.

And there are issues there. The national security minister, for example, Ben-Gvir, has already said he hates this deal. He's always said he doesn't want to see an end to the fighting. He doesn't want to see a win, as he describes it, for Hamas in Gaza.

So Benjamin Netanyahu at present negotiating behind the scenes to see who we can get on board with this. The other outlier in all of this is Smotrich, who is the finance minister, again, a right-wing member of Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet, and reports suggesting that Benjamin Netanyahu will see Smotrich today.

But that is where things stand at present. And we are not there yet. This is the emerging detail of a deal.

But I've been covering this story day in, day out since October the 7th. I was here back in November when that original period was struck for a temporary halt, when more than 150 prisoners were released. That was the last time we had any progress or potential end to this fighting.

[04:40:00]

And I can certainly tell you that sources that I've been speaking to are more optimistic than ever that we are at least very, very close at this point to a deal -- Max.

FOSTER: OK, Becky, thank you so much. Back with you whenever we get an update. I mean, as we were hearing from a former hostage negotiator, it's quite complex the way they announce these things, because there isn't a piece of paper, effectively.

MACFARLANE: Yes, and as Becky was saying, there's so many stakeholders involved. And we will wait to see how that ceasefire deal is presented when it comes. Hopefully, when it comes.

FOSTER: More than 15,000 first responders are racing to control the deadly wildfires that are threatening the Los Angeles area. The Palisades fire, now 14 percent contained. The Eaton fire, 33 percent contained.

Forecasters say the coming hours will bring more dangerously strong winds as well, providing more fuel for those fires.

MACFARLANE: Well meanwhile, federal investigators have arrived in Los Angeles. A law enforcement source tells CNN that the probe into the source of the Palisades Fire is underway. The U.S. attorney for the Central District of California explains.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARTIN ESTRADA, U.S. ATTORNEY, CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA: We are going to fully investigate the origins of these fires. We have powerful federal arson statutes told accountable with mandatory minimum sentences anyone who is found to have recklessly or intentionally caused these fires. (END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer is accusing his Republican colleagues of trying to rush Donald Trump's cabinet nominations through Congress.

FOSTER: The first confirmation hearings start today, including for Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth, the controversial one, as CNN's chief congressional correspondent Manny Raju reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Pete Hegseth's nomination heading to the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, where he'll be grilled, particularly by Democrats, who are now ramping up their criticism of Donald Trump's choice to lead the Pentagon. They say that he is not qualified. A former Fox News host, a military veteran, someone they say should not be in charge of the nation's military apparatus in setting defense policy and the like and questioned the reports about his past.

Allegations of mismanaging two veterans organizations, allegations of excessive drinking, allegations of womanizing, including sexual assault from 2017.

Now, Hegseth has denied all of this. He said that those reports are false. He has denied that sexual assault claim. He noted that no criminal charges were ever filed against him. But those will be part of the discussion in this open session that will occur on Tuesday.

Democrats plan to push him on these questions. And they're also criticizing the FBI background check into Hegseth. They say it was not thorough enough. He did not interview enough people in his past, including some of the women, including his ex-wives, they believe should have been part of this investigation. Some of them coming out of a closed door meeting said there are many more questions they believe need to be answered.

RAJU: Are you going to vote for Mr. Hegseth?

SEN. JACK REED (D-RI): He has to have an opportunity to testify.

RAJU: But you have concerns with his nomination more general?

REED: Yes, I do.

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): On the public record that we have right now, put aside all the charges of sexual impropriety and alcohol abuse, there has never been a nominee for an office of such serious consequence who is so unqualified and unprepared in recent American history.

RAJU: Even with all the Democratic criticism, none of that really actually matters at the end of the day if he has all Republicans on board, or at least Pete Hegseth can afford to lose three Republicans in the full Senate. Remember, a simple majority. That's all you need in order to get confirmed by the United States Senate.

And on the Senate Armed Services Committee, he can get by if he has Republican support, even if the Democrats come out and vote against his nomination. So a lot of questions will be if any Republican minds are changed ahead of this critical nomination hearing on Tuesday. Will the Republicans fall in line, or will any break ranks?

That will be one of the big questions, but Democrats expect to bring a lot of fireworks and heat in their questions to Hegseth ahead of this critical hearing, during this critical hearing on Tuesday.

Manu Raju, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACFARLANE: Pope Francis is releasing his long-awaited memoir today. We've got the details on what the pontiff is saying next.

FOSTER: Let's think about it.

[04:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Pope Francis has a book out today. Chrissie has it in her hand.

MACFARLANE: I'm having a quick read. It looks intriguing. The memoir titled "Hope" charts his rise from humble beginnings in Argentina to the highest seat in the Catholic Church.

Originally set to release after his death, the Pope has decided to publish his story early to coincide with the theme of the Vatican's 2025 Jubilee Year Pilgrims of Hope.

FOSTER: Looks like you've worn a jacket to match the book. You're part of the publicity campaign.

MACFARLANE: Very convenient. Christopher's here to talk to us a bit more about it. So the first memoir by a living pontiff. He definitely breaks the mold, doesn't he, Pope Francis?

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's very unusual for a Pope to sit down and write a memoir like this. He has collaborated with other memoir-type books. But yes, this is really quite significant.

And one of the striking things about this book, I think, is the Pope's willingness to admit he feels unworthy to have the role of Pope. He goes into the past about his mistakes and sins. He even talks about getting into a fight as a young man, knocking someone out.

He goes into a lot of detail about that sense of unworthiness and his own personal sinfulness, which is very striking. I mean if you're looking for major revelations about the papacy --

FOSTER: I think the fight's a bit of a revelation.

LAMB: Yes, exactly. Those are the main revelatory elements, his early life. It doesn't go into giving major new details about the papacy and the controversies he's had to deal with.

It does address the Catholic Church's sexual abuse crisis. He says that when he took on the role of Pope, he received a box of documents from his predecessor, Benedict, with all the scandals in the Church that he's had to deal with and address. But it's a bit tantalizing because he doesn't then go into what was in the box.

I think this book is really about trying to help people get to know Francis, the person. And you do get that sense, because he does go into a lot of detail about how he grew up, his formative influences on his life.

FOSTER: Why is he writing it, though? Is it some sort of looking ahead to when he may leave the role?

LAMB: Well, I think he tries to use all the different levers to communicate. He is a pope who's given a lot of interviews. He wants to try and reach people outside of the walls of the Catholic Church.

[04:50:00]

And I think that's been the kind of driving force of his pontificate. So I think this book is a sort of evangelizing tool, primarily, which I think that is why he has taken the time to do it. It's taken six years for this to be written.

MACFARLANE: How successful do you think he has been in bringing a more personal touch to the Catholic Church and putting a more personal face on the Catholic Church? Because this is really what it's an attempt to do, right? It's to go beyond a church in crisis and to -- it's an outreach, right, to people. Do you think he is being successful in that attempt?

LAMB: Well, I think he's been quite successful in reforming the papacy and how he exercises that role. It's no longer seen as such an aloof or inaccessible position. The Pope has tried to connect with people. And I think he has been successful in that.

We see the stories of why he decided to not live in the Vatican's apostolic palace, but in a guest house in the Vatican. He's tried to connect with people. That, I think, is a lasting legacy.

Whether he has succeeded in the major reforms of the Catholic Church that he wants to see, that is more of an open question. But I think certainly he has reformed the papacy.

MACFARLANE: Well, I have it now. I shall give it a read. Christopher, thank you so much.

FOSTER: Still to come, an emotional victory for the LA Rams on Monday night. See how they honor the people fighting the Los Angeles fires. Just ahead. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:55:16]

FOSTER: The NFL paid tribute to first responders working to contain the wildfires in LA last night. The LA Rams' playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings began with a moment of silence to remember those who died in the fires. The team also wore custom hats and shirts from the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The fires forced the league to move the game from Los Angeles to Glendale in Arizona.

MACFARLANE: On a night of tribute turned into a night of victory for the Rams. They beat the Vikings 7 -- 27 to 9. The scoring included this fumble recovery that led to a touchdown. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford reflected on the game.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEW STAFFORD, LOS ANGELES RAMS QUARTERBACK: We knew what we were playing for today, you know. It was go get this win. But man, those are the people of Los Angeles struggling right now.

It's been unbelievable to watch the whole community, you know, the state, the country kind of get behind them. It's a tough time to be back there. And we're just happy that we came out and played like this tonight to get to, you know, something to be happy about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACFARLANE: Well, the Rams faced the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round of the playoffs this Sunday in Philadelphia.

And obviously, Australian Open as well. I think a lot of tennis players have been paying tribute to the LA fires as well. So it's being felt in the sports as well.

FOSTER: Yes, I mean, a lot of people that travel a lot have got links, haven't they, with LA?

MACFARLANE: Yes, they do.

FOSTER: Thank you for joining us here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster.

MACFARLANE: I'm Christina Macfarlane. CNN "THIS MORNING" is up after this quick break. Stay with us.

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