Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

CAL FIRE: "Significant Concern" L.A. Wildfires Will Grow; 100,000 Plus Residents Under Evacuation; ATF Investigating Palisades Fire Origin; Mexico Sends Firefighters to Aid in California; Health Risks from Wildfires; Jack Smith Steps Down. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired January 12, 2025 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers in the U.S., here in the U.K., and all around the world. I'm Ben Hunte in London. And it is so good to have you here with me.

We are of course following breaking news this hour. As we head into day six of the devastating wildfires in Southern California. Firefighters are racing against the clock. Officials are warning there's a very significant concern that the fires will grow in the hours ahead as the Santa Ana winds regain strength. That comes as the death toll climbs to 16.

California's governor is doubling the number of National Guardsmen deployed. Seven other U.S. states, Canada, and Mexico, are sending in firefighters to help. The powerful winds are picking up as crews make progress on the largest blaze burning in Los Angeles, the Palisades Fire.

The operations chief says there's minimal activity in some parts as they stop the spread of the fires boundary. But that work could be lost with flames inching closer to Brentwood, Bel Air and other communities near UCLA. The mayor of Malibu says that city has already lost one-third of its eastern edge to the Palisades Fire, which is 11 percent contained right now.

More than 100,000 people remain under evacuation orders. California's attorney general explained why these orders are so important at a news conference on Saturday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROB BONTA, CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL: I urge everyone in the greater L.A. area to please pay attention to official alerts, red flag warnings, and evacuation orders. That will keep you safe.

Our law enforcement officials and first responder's top priority is your safety. So, when you hear that siren or get the mandatory evacuation notice, please comply. Please comply immediately. And don't wait until the last minute. If you think you might need to leave, pack a bag and collect your things now so you're ready if the time comes. There are many things in your home that are very valuable to you and I understand that. But nearly everything in your home is replaceable. You are not. Your family is not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: L.A.'s police chief says a new investigative task force is being created in response to the wildfires. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is taking the lead in determining the origin and cause of the Palisades Fire. Sources tell CNN the same national response team that investigated the Maui wildfire is expected to join the investigation.

CNN's Leigh Waldman has more from the devastated Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Winds are picking up here in Pacific Palisades. It's a race against the clock for first responders who are trying to get a greater level of containment for the fires that are currently burning here in L.A County.

But we heard from the CAL FIRE chief who said there is a significant concern that with those winds picking back up that the wildfires could grow.

WALDMAN (voice-over): The firestorm in Southern California stretching East Saturday and now new concern over the wind speeds increasing posing a further threat. The multiple blazes combined singeing nearly 40,000 acres in Southern California, decimating communities.

VANESSA PELLEGRINI, OWNER OF RESTAURANT THAT BURNED DOWN: It's OK, Alyssa.

It's like your heart's been ripped out.

We have everything, we have our lives.

And stomped on and thrown away. And you're just trying to find a piece to put it back together.

WALDMAN (voice-over): The Pellegrini family lost a restaurant of 40 years. Like so many others, they've lost so much.

DAN O'CONNOR: Two doors down, the house is gone. One door up, the house is gone. The house above me is gone. The house is across the street were burning all day.

WALDMAN (voice-over): Dan O'Connor is one of the few residents whose home is still standing in Malibu, but around him is nothing but mangled metal and charred debris. This home, only the staircase is left standing.

The largest of the wildfires, the Palisades Fire, devouring the Malibu area. GINGER BLACK, HOME DESTROYED BY L.A. FIRES: It's devastating and heartbreaking for all, but it's great to see the -- you know, the community come together.

WALDMAN (voice-over): The winds calming down Saturday morning, allowing crews to make progress, fighting the flames by air and reducing the risk for firefighters.

CHIEF JASON KEELING, PECHANGA FIRE DEPARTMENT: You're not having those, you know, strong, strong winds that are providing ember casting and starting spot fires in front of the head of fires.

WALDMAN (voice-over): But the dry conditions still leaving much of Southern California under a critical level for fire danger. The Santa Ana winds are expected to pick up Sunday, which could worsen fire risk.

[04:05:00]

WALDMAN (on camera): California Governor Gavin Newsom doubled the amount of National Guardsmen who are here helping to respond to these fires. We also are getting help from Mexico firefighters and also firefighters coming from Texas, all with the same goal in mind, trying to protect the people and communities in the path of these blazes.

In Pacific Palisades. I'm Leigh Waldman, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: The Federal Emergency Management Agency says it's received more than 16,000 applications for assistance because of the wildfires. A FEMA spokesperson says people who apply will receive a onetime payment to help with things like water and food. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles County supervisor promises to eliminate unnecessary red tape that could slow down recovery efforts.

I want to stay on this story, so let's bring in Peter Divito, a real estate agent and a resident of Altadena, California. He lost his home to the Eaton Fire. And he's joining me now from Napa, California.

I'm so sorry you're experiencing this. That's the first thing to say. The images have just been so shocking. I'm sat here just in shock. This is wild. What is the latest on your situation and how are you doing at the moment?

PETER DIVITO, LOST HOME IN L.A. FIRES AND ALTADENA, CALIFORNIA RESIDENT: Thank you, Ben. I appreciate it. I mean, look, right, like we're, right now, it's a mix of all the emotions, as you can imagine, from sadness and complete utter devastation of our community.

I have friends, I have clients that have lost everything and that are completely displaced or disheartened, you know, you don't know where to begin, right? Like this -- obviously there are limitations to how, you know, responses can be had and what can be done, but it's really hard to not have big, big questions about how this was handled. How we were not better prepared for this. HUNTE: Yes.

DIVITO: Right? I mean, we didn't get a call. We didn't get a text. No one came to tell us what was happening. Our neighbor literally screaming our names over our fence, and thankfully, we heard her and we came out and she's like, we need to run. We need to leave. I said, why? We need to leave now. Look what's happening.

And it was happening so fast. We're lucky to have our lives as you know. I just -- we just don't get it, Ben. This doesn't make sense, right? Like the Santa Ana winds, this is not new information, right? Like we go from when -- we go to -- this is not new information, Ben, nothing was done.

How is the Santa Ynez reservoir completely empty since February of 2024, right? Our mayor cut 17.8 million in funding last year. I just don't understand. It's incomprehensible. And quite frankly, it's inexcusable. What is going on?

HUNTE: Well, I'm sensing real anger there, and of course, I completely understand it. I mean, I've been looking at some of the coverage that we've been reporting over the past few days, I'm like, when are people going to get angry about this? It has been shocking to me that people have lost everything, I guess that's the first reaction, right, it's just to stand there in shock. and just take it. But maybe that is turning now.

One of the things I'm trying to get my head around is how it seems that there was no warning for these fires, just like you said there. So, people evacuated their homes with nothing. It seems like there wasn't even really alerts around this and it was neighbors knocking on doors, shouts over fences saying to get out. When did you first hear about the fires then and how long was it before everything was gone?

DIVITO: So, we heard about the Palisades at -- you know, honestly, I don't even remember the time. The day is a bit of a blur. But for us in Altadena, it was my sister who lives in Cleveland, Ohio, who texted my wife and I at about 6:30 our time. We literally had just gotten home. We had some takeaway. We were kind of hunkering down. We obviously heard about the winds. It was really, really eerie and scary. And we're there. We're eating.

Thankfully, we had some power because we have a tesla power wall that also save power during the day. And then, we saw all the power went out and then our power stayed on. And then, we looked outside and it's like, here are the winds. It's eerie. We were like, we're OK. Let's just -- we're going to stay put. There's -- you know, we don't know what to do. There's nothing happening as far as we know, in terms of our city.

Cut to roughly an hour later, it was about 7:37, 7:45 that we hear our friend and our neighbor screaming and yelling.

HUNTE: Oh, my gosh.

DIVITO: And then, literally when we -- you know, we walk out and I go, why, where do we need to go? Why do we need to leave? And we look and we see the fire literally coming over the hill.

And, you know, I was not as alarmed as my wife was. I was like, look, that doesn't look super close. And she's like, Peter, that's close. You guys need to pack your things. You need to get Bella and Missy and you need to leave the house immediately. And ultimately, we -- look, our gate was stuck. We have a gate and we figured out how to open the gate. And it was awful. It was awful.

[04:10:00]

And look, we're one of thousands, tens of thousands of stories. Look, L.A., we're never going to be the same, right? And a government is provide -- is to provide a few things, safety and security, right?

HUNTE: Yes.

DIVITO: The very, very least. They have failed on all accounts here, Ben. All accounts. We are not safe. We are not secure. It is beyond reproach. Let me give you another situation. I have a dear friend, of course, many friends down the street from he stayed at his home from 3:00 in the morning until 8:00 in the morning with a garden hose fighting off flames.

HUNTE: Oh, my goodness.

DIVITO: Nobody came, not a soul. He actually was able to save two structures on his property. One of them in the back, one of the back houses gone. However, 7:30 a.m., OK, 7:30 a.m. a fire truck shows up. He's like, oh, thank God. Right. They're going to come. They're going to help. They pull up to his -- just across the street from his house is a nursing home. There's a patch of grass that is burning. They get out, they put out the patch of grass.

Meanwhile, Ben, the entire block is in flames, including my friend and his house. The fire truck turns around and leaves.

HUNTE: I mean, this is --

DIVITO: I don't know -- I don't understand. I just don't understand.

HUNTE: And these are the kind of stories that are going to be coming out over the next few days, where people are going to be asking some serious, serious questions. I just want to get a sense from you about the level of devastation you're seeing and potentially the lack of empathy that's online.

We are obviously covering this as breaking news, my studio is all red because of that. But there are some people saying that we shouldn't be covering these stories because people have money in these areas, they're wealthy, they're rich and because of that it's almost as if they can just get on by and this doesn't matter. What are your thoughts and what would you say to those people who say that there's still serious suffering here?

DIVITO: Look, suffering is suffering at the end of the day. And right, it is an awful situation. We're all living in the world comparing to Gaza, to the United States loss is loss and anyone's pain is warrantable, regardless of if you have money, if you have means, we all are human beings and we're all experiencing complete tragedy.

Like, above all else -- first of all, also, a lot of these people don't have insurance. We're very thankful. We're very lucky that we do have it. The fire insurance has been canceled and being canceled for years, right? Like, Ben, I am in the real estate industry. I see it. I hear every single day. And people have not been -- they've not been able to renew. They've been being canceled. State Farm is one of the biggest culprits who have been canceling policies. They are already rejecting claims.

HUNTE: Wow.

DIVITO: It's -- yes, it's insane. And look, even people that live in L.A. and that haven't lost their homes, Ben, L.A., this beautiful, magical place is never, ever going to be the same. I don't care how you rebuild or what you rebuild. In addition to that, what do you think the cost of insurance is going to be? $100,000? Who's going to be able to afford -- who is going to be willing to insure anything in our city?

HUNTE: Yes, yes.

DIVITO: It's one comprehension. And regardless of what your means are, you have memories, you have lives that have been lived. Our home, Ben, was a home of healing, of love that we cultivated and we created, that everyone was accepted. We are a people that love everyone. And we've done everything we can to be a very special place.

And you can ask any of our friends, everybody loved our home. Everybody loved our home. It was a special place. And this is for everybody that has a home.

HUNTE: Yes. I'm so sorry.

DIVITO: -- to be missing. It's just -- there's no words. There are no words.

HUNTE: It's absolutely devastating. Peter, I want to thank you for staying up late, first of all, for speaking to me, I genuinely appreciate that. Your passion is coming across. I completely understand that this is just devastating. It's so much. But thank you for sharing that with our audience and we genuinely appreciate it. And we're going to be covering this for the next few hours as well. So, thank you. We wish you the best of luck. I'm sure we'll be talking very soon.

DIVITO: Thank you. It's the least I can do to at least share one of the many stories for all the people that are losing what they're losing and, you know, it's -- thank you. Thank you for the time and bless all of us.

HUNTE: Thank you. And please do keep telling your story as well. Let's stay with this news because there is so much happening. I want to go now to Todd Hall, senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service. He's in Oxnard, California.

[04:15:00]

Todd, I mean, we were just hearing some absolutely devastating stories about what people are going through right now. Tell me about the conditions that the teams are dealing with on the ground. What's going on?

TODD HALL, SENIOR METEOROLOGIST, NOAA/NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE: So, currently we have -- starting to recover. We're just trying to --

HUNTE: We're trying -- we're just having some tech difficulties there. I think we're going to come back to you in a moment, if that's OK, Todd. We'll be back on that.

But we are going to stay on this story. California governor Gavin Newsom is calling for an independent investigation into what caused some fire hydrants to lose water pressure. He also wants to know why as key reservoir was out of service. On Saturday, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said all Pacific Palisades and west side hydrants were, quote, "fully operational before the fire." But they say the system lost water pressure due to unprecedented and extreme water demands to fight the wildfire without aerial support.

Other U.S. states have sent help to California. Now, neighboring Mexico is joining the fight. We're going to get more on that story just after this quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:20:00]

HUNTE: These firefighters from Mexico are now in Los Angeles to help battle California's wildfires. They're joining more than 14,000 other people already fighting the Palisades Fires. The State of Texas is also entering the fight. Governor Greg Abbott says he's sending more than 135 firefighters, emergency management and medical personnel. Texas will also provide 45 fire engines, ambulances, command vehicles, and equipment. California Governor Gavin Newsom thanked those helping his state.

Obviously, we want to stay on this story because there's so much happening. Let's now go to Todd Hall, senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service. He's in Oxnard, California. Todd, so much going on right now. What are teams dealing with on the ground in terms of conditions?

HALL: Yes. So, currently we're seeing wind gusts between 35 and 55 miles per hour across our mountain areas. Those winds are expected to increase again as we approach sunrise. So, we'll see wind gusts between 45 and 65 miles per hour by this morning across our strongest locations.

So, we're gearing up again with critical fire weather conditions. We're gearing up for another round of Santa Ana winds here. HUNTE: And tell me what conditions going to be like over the next few days. This kind of breaking news coverage we're doing because of the wind picking up, is this going to continue?

HALL: Yes. So, the fire typically will respond to these drier conditions. So, we will -- you know, there is a chance that we will see some spotting starting to take place if -- with any numbers that could be there. And there's -- certainly, the fire will respond. So, we'll start to see a little bit more blow ups because that dryer air moves in and it changes the fire weather conditions across that -- those -- across those fires that are active -- actively burning at this time.

HUNTE: Now, I am no meteorologist at all. Barely understand the weather. But how comes people didn't know about the impact that was going to be hitting them? We've heard about people who were sat at home expecting to just ride it out and then neighbors screaming at them to leave because they expected things to be worse than they usually are. Was there just no way of predicting this level of devastation based on weather patterns?

HALL: You know, I take it from my standpoint, we knew about these eight days in advance, and we were providing this level of information. We put out a particularly dangerous situation, red flag warning that was issued on Sunday before -- two days in advance of the winds, letting our fire partners know that this was going to be a different event. We were forecasting winds between 60 and 80 miles per hour gust up to 100 in some spots.

We totally recognize this from the National Weather Service standpoint. So -- and we were giving these briefings to county and emergency managers fire captains across Southern California. I can't speak to as far as the preparedness within different communities, but I can speak from the standpoint of the level of preparedness that we were activated as meteorologists.

HUNTE: We know that today's news isn't necessarily tomorrow's news. The focus and attention moves on. We got into another story. When do you predict that the worst of these fires will be over and we'll be onto something else?

HALL: As far as the weather conditions, the weather conditions are expected to take a change for better actually on Thursday. So, we still have another two Santa Ana winds. We have the Santa Ana wind this morning to get through and then we have another event potentially for Monday night into Tuesday.

So, we -- the earliest we can expect this is probably by Wednesday afternoon where we could start to see the weather conditions improve for these firefighter personnel in these fires.

HUNTE: My goodness. Another few days yet. Well, Todd, I'm sure we're going to be speaking to you again. Thank you so much for now, at least. I appreciate it.

CNN's Bill Weir spoke to a former firefighter who did whatever he could to save his home as the flames inched closer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIRO SERRELL FREED, FORMER FOREST SERVICE FIREFIGHTER: This tree, like the fire came right up to the property, like that tree torched out.

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For the last five years, Miro Serrell Freed was a hotshot, putting out wildland blazes around Southern California, and all the while he knew his own home atop a Sierra Madre Ridge was a ripe fire target.

FREED: I've been doing like fuel reduction and defensible space. So, I've been like lifting all the trees and like cutting everything back. So, in case a fire does happen, it can't get up into the trees and like torch out the building.

WEIR: And that paid off.

FREED: It paid off, if I didn't do that, this would have -- all this would have been gone.

WEIR: Right.

[04:20:00]

WEIR (voice over): But he never imagined he'd have to defend his own neighborhood from a moving hellscape with a garden hose and a chainsaw. He says that during repeated trips over multiple days, he had to beg for help from passing fire crews and even evade a police barricade.

FREED: Told me I looked tired and I should go find somewhere to sleep, and then threatened to put me in the cop car. So, I know Sierra Madre. I know another way to get in. So, I snuck back up here and put out a bunch of fires and saved four or five homes from burning.

WEIR (voice over): When fire crews from Arizona finally arrived, Miro found himself in command.

FREED: I've been, like, telling them what's going on and, like, telling them what to do. It's been crazy. Like, I'm not even paid for this. Like I always said, for the Forest Service, I like to do it, not for the money. It's like a great way to be outside and give service. But I never thought I'd be doing this -- for free. Like its insane. Insane.

WEIR: Do you feel like you're in the clear yet? I mean, can you even relax?

FREED: Here we're fine. There's going to be another wind event. But the damage has been done. Like, everything is burnt and there's nothing left to burn, yes.

WEIR: What does that feel like? Have you been able to process that yet in terms of -- FREED: Yes, last night. I was up here by myself and, like, the lights

were out and I was just crying. Just, we drove through, went by my dad's house and we we're just crying the entire time. And just, yes, I called a couple of my crew members that I worked with, that are laid off and, yes, I just cried to them and yes, it's unreal, it's crazy.

WEIR: Miro tells me he resigned from the Forest Department as a hotshot. He's going to start his own business helping people with defensible spaces, clearing brush from around homes, and maybe getting rebates from insurance companies for doing that going forward.

Now, that the winds have been calm at least for the last few hours, and now that there's a lot more crews in from other states even, the help is noticeable. There's some relief in these places, but those red flag warnings could be kicking back up. And these days, it's anybody's guess what happens next.

Bill Weir, CNN, Sierra Madre.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: Wildfires rage across Los Angeles and we're following the latest. Our breaking news coverage continues next.

Plus, we speak with a California health official about the toxin spreading through wildfire smoke. More than a growing concern over long-term health risks after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:30:00]

HUNTE: Welcome back to our viewers in the United States, here in the U.K., and all around the world. I'm Ben Hunte. And this this is CNN Newsroom.

Firefighters are making progress on the Palisades Fire, one of the four major blazes burning across Los Angeles County. At least 16 people are now confirmed dead. And the dry winds that fuel the flames are expected to regain strength.

One official says the stronger winds could actually be a blessing if they change the fire's direction. But another says the problem is not knowing what's to come.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEPUTY CHIEF BRICE BENNETT, CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY AND FIRE PROTECTION: California is the best in the world at this, at moving resources and preparing for these types of disasters. However, we don't know what mother nature is going to bring us and she's in charge.

So, we'll do everything we can with what we have. But all in all, in the end, it's how strong are the winds? How dry are they, where they come from and if and when they blow the fire a different direction? (END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: L.A. County has extended its smoke advisory until 10:00 in the evening local time on Sunday due to what it caused the area's unhealthy air quality. L.A.'s chief deputy director of public health, Anish Mahajan, spoke with CNN about the problem. He says he's very worried about the long-term health risks associated with exposure to this level of smoke and ash. He cautioned residents to stay indoors, if possible, and to wear filtration masks outside. Mahajan is also worried about the county's water.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANISH MAHAJAN, L.A. CHIEF DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH: There's an even greater problem of these toxins that you're describing with the burnt-out areas of the houses and all the chemicals that we live with that are now burned to ash they also can find their way into the water. So, we have several water districts here in L.A. indicating that residents do not use the water. And that means you should not only not drink it, but you should also not use it for things like bathing, brushing your teeth or other activities. And instead, you should be using an alternative source.

And so, these are steps that we are asking folks to take here in Los Angeles to avoid the health risks of this wildfire smoke and ash.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Mahajan says toxins from wildfire smoke can cause serious problems, especially for children, the elderly and people with respiratory and heart issues and can cause long-term health problems. Let's stick with this story. Dr. Scott Miskovic is president and CEO of Premier Medical Group USA. He joins me now from Kailua, Hawaii.

Dr. Miskovic, welcome. Thank you so much for being here. How are you doing?

DR. SCOTT MISKOVIC, PRESIDENT AND CEO, PREMIER MEDICAL GROUP USA: OK, Ben, thanks for having me. And boy, it just is so hard watching these guests, their passion their anguish. It's just incredible.

HUNTE: Yes, it's tough stuff. It's a really tough watch, but it's important. As if things weren't bad enough now with houses burning down, we're also concerned about the health of people either watching their houses burn down or those working and volunteering in those areas. Can you just tell me about some of the biggest health risks that are associated with these wildfires?

DR. MISKOVIC: Yes, Ben. The problem is there just so many risks and it's just not right now. These risks go on and on. You know, I hate to say it, but the itchy eyes and the scratchy throats are just the beginning for these poor people in Southern California.

And so, the first thing people have to understand is if you have yourself or your relatives or people in your family that have any kind of heart disease or what we call COPD, or even asthma in the youngers, they need to be wearing those masks. They need to be out of the smoke because that can cause an acute problem, that can cause someone to be, you know, going into cardiac arrest or someone to be rushed to the emergency room with difficulty breathing.

Second, pregnant women. We have many studies that look at the first and trimester -- first and second trimester exposures will lead to potential problems with birth weight and premature, and they even studying it longer. So, you know, that's the first.

[04:35:00]

But as we go further, then we start looking at other things that, you know, we have to look at what is burning? It's not just the tree, it's a house, and what is in that house, that gases that are burning and the smoke contains so many different concerning chemicals, carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, benzene. We've all heard those words, but there are things that are dangerous. You don't want them in your system in any significant quantities.

And, you know, so another one, formaldehyde, it is something that even if you burnt your carpeting or other things that are commonly in the house, you would have major problems. And then a couple other names, asbestos and arsenic, those can be in paints and other parts of the older homes. So, there's some real serious things that are out there in that smoke right now, Ben.

HUNTE: Yes, indeed. And I was actually reading in your notes that even if people's homes are still standing, they could still be a risk from the pollutants that are now inside them, right?

DR. MISKOVIC: Yes, that's on -- we had a study that came out of Colorado. Because here's the thing that people also have to understand right now. There have been so many increased wildfires across the United States, across Canada, across the world that medically we have very valid data. There are very solid research projects that go on to study this.

One came out of Colorado, which unfortunately has had fires, and it showed that the people whose homes did not burn, internally within their home had higher levels of these types of chemicals inside the home than were outside their home. So, after your home is in an area where the burn has occurred, people are going to have to do some real deep cleaning and, you know, to look for some of these chemicals, whether it's in their sofas and furniture and things like that. And these volatile organic chemicals, as they're called, they can be they can be anywhere.

HUNTE: Yes. And these are obviously the immediate concerns. But let's talk about the longer-term as well. Let's talk about the risks of the first responders, the firefighters, the volunteers. What kind of things could they be facing as a result of exposure to this stuff?

DR. MISKOVIC: Yes, that's something that, you know, as I reach out to you here from Hawaii. You know, we just had this in Maui, and I was consulted in many different ways on this and I've been working on treating personally and in my group in all of our regions first responders and individuals that would respond to things like this. Their long-term cancer risk goes up significantly between lung, bladder, and different blood cancers.

It's to the point where in Hawaii, if you're a firefighter that's had any exposure, you don't have to file and say, prove that the cancer you have is workers comp or work related, the law says it's automatic because you fought and gave your life out there to protect. It's automatic that the cancer will be covered for our first responders. And so, everybody sees them out there, but they are putting their lives on their line.

And you know, it's -- you don't always have the perfect equipment. You're trying to breathe, but you're rushing. There's so much that's going on at the time. It's a real -- the -- I've talked to them. I watched them. I hold their hands as they're going to their end stage. It's very challenging.

HUNTE: It sounds -- and I think Hawaii is probably quite forward thinking in that approach as well. I'm sure that people across the U.S. wish for a similar approach and to these long-term health conditions. Dr. Scott Miskovic, thank you so much for your time. And thank you for staying up late for me. I appreciate it.

DR. MISKOVIC: Sure. Anytime, Ben. And bless the people in Southern California.

HUNTE: Most definitely. Most definitely. Thank you. Next, the man tasked with investigating Donald Trump's efforts to overthrow the 2020 election is stepping down. Details on Jack Smith's departure from the Justice Department next on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:40:00]

HUNTE: You're looking at a rare display of open dissent in China, angry crowds clashing with police in the northwestern Shanxi region. Protesters had gathered outside a vocational school where a 17-year- old student reportedly died earlier this month. The angry crowds accused Chinese officials of a cover up. Authorities say the student died in an accident after falling from a building. But his family rejects that explanation and told a human rights group that they haven't been able to examine his body or see any surveillance video.

Special Counsel Jack Smith has resigned from the Justice Department. The departure comes amid a legal fight to keep Attorney General Merrick Garland from releasing Smith's report of his investigations into Donald Trump. That probe focused on Mr. Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and his alleged mishandling of classified documents after leaving office.

Smith's office has been winding down his efforts for weeks. His resignation before Trump takes office was expected.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg made headlines this week when he announced the company was making several changes related to fact-checking, hate speech, and diversity programs. Critics say the adjustments cater to the views of Trump and MAGA Republicans. Just a few days later, Zuckerberg traveled to Mar-a-Lago for another meeting with the incoming president. Steve Contorno reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: For the second time since Donald Trump won election in November, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg had a face-to-face meeting with the incoming president at Mar-a-Lago.

Last week's meeting on Friday caps what has been a remarkable change of direction in Facebook and Instagram under Zuckerberg's leadership in hopes of currying favor with the incoming administration. It includes eliminating fact-checking and other guardrails on posts, ending diversity, equity and inclusion programs, donating $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund, increasing its outreach to conservative media, appointing Republican Joel Kaplan as head of global policy, and naming UFC CEO and Trump ally Dana White to META's board.

[04:45:00]

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT-ELECT: I watched their news conference and I thought it was a very good news conference. I think they've -- honestly, I think they've come a long way, Meta, Facebook, I think they've come a long way. I watched it. The man was very impressive.

CONTORNO: Speaking on comedian Joe Rogan's podcast earlier this week, Zuckerberg talked about what he is hoping to get from a Trump administration.

MARK ZUCKERBERG, CEO, META: I do think that the American technology industry is a bright spot in the American economy. I think it's a strategic advantage for the United States that we have a lot of the strongest companies in the world. And I think it should be part of the U.S.'s strategy going forward to defend that. And it's one of the things that I'm optimistic about with President Trump, is, I think he just wants America to win.

CONTORNO: All of these changes come after Trump threatened Mark Zuckerberg with life in prison if he didn't make changes to his company. I asked Trump earlier this week if he believes that is what is behind these moves. Here's what he said.

Do you think he's directly responding to the threats that you have made to him in the past.

TRUMP: Probably. Yes, probably.

CONTORNO: Trump's dinner with Zuckerberg at Mar-a-Lago is his latest face-to-face with a tech billionaire in recent weeks. He has also met with Apple CEO Tim Cook as well as Amazon's Jeff Bezos. And of course, Elon Musk is a constant present in his orbit as well.

Steve Contorno, CNN, West Palm Beach, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE) HUNTE: The prime minister of Greenland is urging everyone to respect the island's wish for independence. His comments come after President- Elect Donald Trump said he wants the U.S. to take control of the Danish territory, calling it, quote, "an absolute necessity." Isabel Rosales shows us how Greenlanders are reacting.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Greenland in the spotlight with a population of more than 57,000 people and an economy mainly based on fishing, this remote, mineral rich territory is once again on the top of U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump's wish list.

So much so, Trump says he would not rule out using military or economic action to acquire it. It's strategic northern location and vast resources make it an attractive deal. But Greenland's prime minister has said it's not for sale. And some residents say they have no interest in changing their status.

NIELS NIELSEN, GREENLAND RESIDENT (through translator): We have been together in a union for 300 years. We don't need to talk about that stuff.

ROSALES (voice-over): Greenland is a semi-autonomous part of Denmark. That's self-governing. But relies on Denmark for its national defense, foreign policy, and annual subsidies, which cover roughly half of its public budget.

It also has the right to declare independence from Denmark through a referendum, and independence movement has gained traction in Greenland in recent years. And in 2023, Greenland's government presented its first draft constitution. It's a desire for change that many residents and the prime minister support. It's just not exactly the change that Trump has touted.

JENS OSTERMANN, GREENLAND RESIDENT (through translator): Denmark doesn't matter a lot to me. It's just a small country. We can't use them any longer because there are so many great powers in the world. So, our partner should be a great power because Greenland is very wealthy and we have everything.

ROSALES (voice-over): Denmark's prime minister says the future of the Arctic Island lies in the hands of Greenland's people. And Greenland's leader says he's open to talking with Trump about future collaborations with the U.S.

Whether or not that will be enough for Trump is unclear. His interest with the territory seemingly on display when his son Donald Trump Jr. made an unofficial visit there on Tuesday.

DONALD TRUMP JR. DONALD TRUMP'S SON: We're really excited to be here.

ROSALES (voice-over): But so far, Greenland is standing firm. Its leader says it won't replace one controlling power for another.

MUTE EGEDE, GREENLAND PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We don't want to be Danes. We don't want to be Americans. We want to be Greenlandic. And of course, it is the Greenlandic people who decide their future.

ROSALES (voice-over): Isabel Rosales, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: 2024 was the hottest on record. Ahead, see how it fueled natural disasters all around the world.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:50:00]

HUNTE: A winter storm pushed into the northeast on Saturday, bringing snowy conditions to the mid-Atlantic and New England. It was the same system that dumped snow on the Southern U.S. on Friday, bringing some areas to a standstill. Hundreds of flights were cancelled in and out of Atlanta.

Heavy snow has swept across central and northern Japan. Plows had their work cut out for them in Niigata Prefecture, clearing heavy snow from the streets. The region received nearly a foot of snow, or up to 30 centimeters, in just 24 hours. Officials are urging residents to remain vigilant for snow falling from rooftops and avalanches.

Three of the world's biggest weather monitoring agencies say 2024 was the hottest year on record. And scientists say fossil fuels are to blame. Here's a look at how the climate crisis led to natural disasters all around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE (voice-over): 2024 was not only a scorcher of a year, it was one for the record books. NASA, NOAA, Copernicus, all top global weather monitoring agencies say it was the warmest year on record. Copernicus also warns of another major climate change red flag. It says 2024 was 1.6 degrees Celsius hotter than pre-industrial levels. That would make it the first calendar year to reach the 1.5-degree limit set in the Paris Climate Agreement.

Although NASA and NOAA's figures were still below that mark, scientists say the warmer conditions are having far reaching effects beyond those sweltering summer days.

DR. KATHERIN CALVIN, CHIEF SCIENTIST AND SENIOR CLIMATE ADVISER, NASA: The impacts we see depend on where you live. So, in coastal regions, there's sea level rise. It's affecting storm surge and coastal flooding. We're seeing extreme heat events across the country. We see changes in the water cycle, which means more heavy precipitation events, and in some regions, more droughts.

[04:55:00]

HUNTE (voice-over): In 2024, there were back-to-back hurricanes in the U.S. In Spain, a year's worth of rain fell in just eight hours, causing catastrophic floods. On the African continent, the normally barren Sahara Desert flooded for the first time in decades. Amazon rivers fell to unprecedented lows because of drought. And the Philippines experienced a supercharged typhoon season with six in just 30 days.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is no one to one relationship between any of these events and climate change, but the scenario is conducive to this event becoming more intense and more frequent.

HUNTE (voice-over): While the winds are a major reason for the spread of the raging wildfires in California, experts say warming temperatures are creating conditions where fires can flourish.

DR. CALVIN: Fires are very complex and there's multiple factors that contribute and we're still learning about these fires. But in general, we know is that climate change does increase the risk and severity of fires.

HUNTE (voice-over): Forecasters say 2025 may not be as hot as last year, in part because the La Nina climate pattern has begun, which tends to have a cooling global influence. But scientists say the long- term trend still points to hotter times to come, which could mean more record-breaking years for all the wrong reasons.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE (on camera): OK. Well, that's all I've got for you. That wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom. It's been heavy, but it's been real. Let's do it again in just a moment.

I'm Ben Hunte in London. Feel free to come and join me on social media @beninldn. I'll be back with more news after this quick break. See you in a bit.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:00:00]