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CNN This Morning

At Least 10K Properties Destroyed In California Wildfires; L.A. Fire Chief Calls Out City For Slashing Fire Budget; Strong Winds Expected Today In G.A., Calmer Than Earlier In Week; 11 Million People Under Winter Weather Alerts; At Least 11 People Dead In California Wildfires, 100,000 Under Evacuation Orders; "I Feel Helpless": Residents Return To Ruins After Fires; Confirmation Hearings For Trump's Cabinet Picks To Begin; Biden Pledges Federal Support For Los Angeles Wildfires; Laker's Coach's Home Destroyed In Palisades Fire. Aired 7-8 ET

Aired January 11, 2025 - 07:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:00:18]

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: Hi everyone, good morning and welcome to CNN THIS MORNING. It is Saturday, January 11th. I'm Amara Walker.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Victor Blackwell. Thank you so much for joining us this morning. We are tracking the latest developments out of California, those devastating wildfires blamed for at least 11 deaths.

We're looking now at new video taken early this morning. Look at this. This is where the Palisades fire is still raging, moving quickly east, only eight percent contained. At last report, we had a Cal Fire on just a few moments ago.

This is one of at least six wildfires burning in Southern California, barely contained as I said. But some of those smaller fires, if you look at the screen, are closer to 100 percent containment. In all, close to 36,000 acres have burned, more than twice the size of Manhattan.

Now, red flag warnings for high winds did expire last night. So, firefighters say they hope to make more progress soon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Then, we're just dealing with normal red flag conditions, which is totally different than the monstrosity that we've been dealing with. We have all the units in place, we've got over 3,000 firefighters on this fire, we've got over 350 engines, 54 crew buses, helicopters, dozers, we've got the world out here working on this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: The Los Angeles fire chief told CNN's Jake Tapper, the city failed her department when it slashed the budget by $17 million.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF KRISTIN CROWLEY, LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPARTMENT: We have over 100 fire apparatus out of service and having these apparatus in the proper amount of mechanics would have helped, and so it did absolutely negatively impact. I want to also be clear that I have, over the last three years, been clear that the fire department needs help. We can no longer sustain where we are. We do not have enough firefighters.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: Well, a source tells CNN, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass has met with the Fire Chief. Also, Governor Gavin Newsom is calling for an independent investigation into what caused some hydrants to lose water pressure during the height of these relief efforts. At least 100,000 people are still under evacuation orders right now. And for many, like Katya Mayer, they had just minutes to pack up and escape.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATYA MAYER, RESIDENT: I went outside and my neighbors were, everyone was sort of coming out and checking out the smoke and thinking, should we leave, do we stay? Like, what's happening? No one really knew what was happening. But then the evacuation alerts started coming like you may need to evacuate and then it was like, OK, you need to evacuate. So, all of a sudden, I went into this fight or flight mode, and I just started grabbing clothes and throwing them into a suitcase.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: It's a tragedy that will continue to grow. As fire officials say it is not safe enough to assess the true number of deaths in these fires. And new this morning, UCLA is asking if students to be ready to evacuate at any time.

They stress that there are no evacuation orders at the moment, but the fire has crept closer to the campus, so students should be ready to leave if they are ordered. Joining us now is Ginger Black and Ali Pringle, mother and son there. Ginger lost her home in Altadena. Welcome to you both.

And first off, I'm so sorry for what you and so many Southern Californians are going through right now. Could you just tell me a little bit about how you've been holding up and where you are staying right now?

GINGER BLACK, LOST HOME IN ALTADENA: It's been very hard for us. We're currently at my parents' house. Thankfully, they've opened their doors to us, whereas we know that a lot of our friends really don't have anywhere to go. We feel for them, but yes, we're very fortunate to be here.

WALKER: Can you tell me about, you know, how you ended up first evacuating? I understand that you did have time to return to your home to retrieve a few more things before you ended up at your parents' house.

BLACK: Oh, absolutely. We, actually, we had more time -- right shortly after we saw the flames, he forced us to actually leave. And I said, no, it's fine, we're going to be OK. We have time. He says, no, we need to go. So, at that time, you know, we weren't prepared. I know where our documents are. So, I grabbed that. It's just total chaos in our house.

But at the time, we just didn't know where to start, so we just grabbed whatever we could, packed up the car, came to my parents' house, and he suggested, let's go back. I said, no, it's going to be fine. So, he forced me again, and I'm like, OK, fine, let's go.

We went up a second time, and the flames at that time didn't look that bad, so we just grabbed a few things. And now, Wednesday morning, when my neighbor had called and she was crying and she actually saw our place go up in flames.

WALKER: Ali, tell me how you knew that you know it was so urgent that you had to leave immediately, like your mom is saying.

ALI PRINGLE, LOST HOME IN ALTADENA: I kind of figured with how strong the winds were that night. It was, I kind of knew it was going to happen, but at the same time, I was kind of leaning towards I was overreacting. And I kind of wish I just stuck to my gut, but things went the other way, unfortunately.

[07:05:55]

WALKER: Ginger, if you can talk about your community there in Altadena. You were saying that you were on the phone with your neighbors, but I mean, entire communities are gone. I mean, grocery stores, schools, businesses. Can you describe, if you will, the sense of loss that you are all feeling right now?

BLACK: I think what people don't know about Altadena is that it's a truly unique place where many residents have lived there for 20-plus years as such ourselves and some homes have been passed down through generation and generation, and it's heartbreaking to see, you know, the challenges our community is facing at this time. With nowhere to go, some of our friends have lost their loved ones as well. So, yes, it's devastating; heartbreaking for all. But it's great to see the community come together.

WALKER: Yes, I'm sure. So, lastly, what's next for you? Do you return, do you rebuild?

BLACK: Well, right now, we're still kind of like numb of it all and taking things day by day. We've been discussing that, but as of right now, we're just taking it day by day. That's it. That's all we can do.

WALKER: That's all you can do right now. I'm sure of that. Well, Ginger Black, I know, and Ali Pringle, I know it's a really tough time for both of you, and we're glad that you have your lives and you have each other. Thank you so much.

PRINGLE: Thank you.

BLACK: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: Let's take you out to Pacific Palisades now. CNN's Marybel Gonzalez is there. So, what's the plan for firefighters today? Winds calming just a bit.

MARYBEL GONZALEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Victor and Amara. That is very good news for firefighters here. The winds have subsided. Those previously posing a very big challenge to them when trying to get to those hard to reach areas. But we know, and as of yesterday, we also heard planes doing their aerial drops. That is also the plan for today.

The Eaton Fire, which is the second largest fire here in the county, now making a little bit of progress. Here in Pacific Palisades, the fire is at eight percent containment. The hope is that the winds subsiding will give firefighters a leg up today to try to get to those areas that need the most help.

WALKER: All right, is there any update on the effectiveness of the overnight flyovers?

GONZALEZ: Yes, as I just mentioned, the Eaton fire, which is over in the Altadena area, that one is now at around three percent containment, which is very good news because we know that that fire was threatening so many homes in that area. I should also mention that there are planes from Canada and Mexico also helping the local firefighters here to try to combat those fires.

BLACKWELL: All right, Marybel Gonzalez for us there in Pacific Palisades, thank you so much. Three percent containment is better than where it was just 24 hours ago or so at zero percent, making progress and they're hoping for more today. Thanks so much. So, as Marybel mentioned, the strong winds expected to pick back up, making firefighters work even more difficult.

You can hear how strong those Santa Ana winds were early this week. The high winds really helped those fires explode. Listen to that.

CNN Meteorologist, Allison Chinchar, is here now. The winds are expected to not be that bad, but you talk about a narrow window that these firefighters have.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, and I cannot emphasize enough how short this window is. So, it began last night, they got a little bit of a break. It will carry through the morning hours, but by the time we get to the latter half of the day today, they're going to start right back up again and really peaking again Sunday. Then, another wave yet again on Monday through Wednesday. So, again, there's some fine, a few limited hours really for a lot of these firefighters to be able to utilize the help that they're going to get from Mother Nature.

[07:10:02] Now, behind me again, you can see we've got both Saturday and Sunday where we're dealing with that elevated and critical fire threat not just in L.A. but a large swath of Southern California in general. You've got all of the fires here with their containment numbers. And yes, some better than others, but the key thing to note is that each one of them has had at least some improvement in the last 24 hours.

We talk about those winds, yes, through the overnight hours and early today, they are still going to remain on the low side. This will allow those firefighters to hopefully make some accomplishments in those containment numbers. As we go into the latter portion of the day, especially by tonight, those numbers start to go back up. By tomorrow, you're once again talking 30, 40, 50-mile-per-hour gusts in a few spots. Then, that will continue as we head into the upcoming week.

The other thing to note, the winds going down is a good thing for the firefighters. It helps them make advancements in the containment. However, it doesn't always be -- it's not always a good thing in terms of air quality because then the air just becomes stagnant. There's no air to move it around. So, you'll often find that the air quality can get quite poor in the short term during that time.

So, you've got all of these areas under air quality alerts because of how bad that smoke is expected to be in these areas. And that wind will start to shift in directions taking the smoke with it, but it also in turn will take those fires and shift directions, which can make it even more difficult for the firefighters as well.

WALKER: Yes, the shifting, that's concerning as well. Allison Chinchar, thank you so much.

And of course, you can help those impacted by these devastating wildfires. Go to CNN.com/Impact to get more information on how you can help.

All the wildfires are pumping smoke into the air, and that of course poses a health hazard for the millions of people in Southern California. An expert explains the danger coming up.

BLACKWELL: More than 50 billion people are under those winter weather alerts after storms slammed into the southeast. When things will start to thaw out?

WALKER: Plus, House Republican leaders are expected at Mar-a-Lago for meetings with President-elect Trump this weekend. What they are planning for the start of the new administration?

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[07:16:46]

BLACKWELL: Los Angeles County is under a public health emergency declaration. County officials warned of poor air quality, of course, from the dangerous fires and the powerful winds. Authorities say, the thick smoke poses immediate and long-term risks to the public. To find out what those risks are, we're joined now by Susan Anenberg. She's the Environmental and Occupational Health Department Chair at George Washington University. Thank you for being with me. So, let's start here with just the question, the risks in the smoke -- what are they in these particles?

SUSAN ANENBERG, ENVIRONMENTAL AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT CHAIR AT GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: Well, wildfire smoke is a toxic mixture of pollutants. It includes particles, like really solid, tiny solid and liquid particles that can penetrate really deeply into our lungs and get into our bloodstream and really affect every organ of our body.

But when you're considering this type of situation, when it's not just vegetation burning, it's also all the materials in our homes, in our cars, in our businesses, in our roads, all the electronics and plastics and paints and metals, that's contributing not just to the typical wildfire smoke that we might see in a typical wildfire, but also a variety of metals and toxic gases like benzene and formaldehyde.

So, the first thing we want to be concerned about is respiratory effects. You might already be experiencing scratchy throat, a cough, possibly itchy eyes. Now, not everyone who experiences those symptoms of exposure will then experience health effects associated with wildfire smoke, but some will.

We do see hospital admissions, and emergency department visits rise when there are wildfire smoke events like this. We want to be concerned about asthma exacerbations and shortness of breath. People are at higher risk of cardiovascular effects, things like stroke and heart attacks. And so, this is not something to be, to take lightly. We want to be concerned about that exposure and try to reduce it as much as we can.

BLACKWELL: I read in a story in which you were quoted that some research links wildfire smoke. And of course, you mentioned how this is more than just the vegetation, but it's linked to neurological effects like dementia and Alzheimer's disease. How close is that correlation?

ANENBERG: Well, researchers are still working on this, but we do know now that the particles that exist within this wildfire smoke, as well as in all the products of combustion that we typically have in diesel smoke and oil smoke and gasoline, those do contribute to dementia and Alzheimer's and other neurological effects. And I think we do want to be concerned about that.

The mental health consequences of an event like this are not only limited to the exposure to those particles, of course, but people who are displaced from their communities, who are experiencing loss of their home, their community, that can have really serious mental health consequences as well.

BLACKWELL: Yes, as it relates to the smoke, I mean, covering floods and earthquakes, the zone of impact is kind of well-defined. You can see it, but with smoke from these fires, it may not be as obvious. So, how far out from the flames, from the, the immediate area, are the risks?

[07:20:08]

ANENBERG: Well, smoke certainly does not respect any administrative boundaries, any boundaries set from the fire itself. It can actually travel very long distances even across the country, possibly even beyond that as well. We're very fortunate now that we have satellites and other types of computing systems that can track where the smoke is going.

And so, I do encourage everyone to pay attention to the Air Quality Index, to the Environmental Protection Agency's, Airnow.gov Web site -- that will tell you where the smoke is. And there are even forecasts for where the smoke is going, so you can plan your activities accordingly to try to reduce your own exposure.

BLACKWELL: And if you're planning activities that require you to go outdoors, what should we do? Should you limit time, wear a mask, what works?

ANENBERG: You know, this is the case where the dose makes the poison. So, any reduction in exposure you can get is good. So, the first thing to do is to try to remove yourself from the smoke. If you can't do that, stay indoors, shelter in place, close your doors and windows, and try to reduce the amount of outdoor air that's getting in.

If you're indoors, you can run an air filtration system, preferably HEPA filters, if not MERV-13 or higher. But if you do need to go outside, and of course people do need to do that, you can wear a mask. And we're all too familiar with the N95 mask during COVID, the KN95 or N95, and those are going to be pretty effective at reducing the particles from the air that you're breathing in, but they will let the gases through as well.

There are masks that you can get and you can look for protection against organic vapors and those will protect from both particles and gases.

BLACKWELL: All right, Dr. Susan Anenberg, a lot to think about, a lot to protect ourselves. Great information there, thanks so much.

ANENBERG: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: And be sure to watch tomorrow for a special hour on these deadly fires in Los Angeles and the people who are facing unthinkable tragedy. Join Anderson Cooper for the whole story Sunday, 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

WALKER: Treacherous travel after one of the strongest storms in years slams the South. Meteorologist Allison Chinchar is back to track today's snow and ice threat for millions.

Also, many families in Southern California are dealing with the unimaginable loss of their homes and their communities. We're going to hear from one family that's trying to figure out what's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:26:55]

WALKER: A powerful winter storm has much of the South in a deep freeze this morning. Governors in Tennessee, Arkansas, Georgia, and Alabama, South and North Carolina have all declared states of emergency.

BLACKWELL: Snow, and sleet, and ice fell over much of the Southeast, including Atlanta. Saw its biggest snowfall in close to seven years. CNN's Rafael Romo joins us now from Atlanta. Out there looking comfy cozy on a cold Saturday morning, but is it still slippery and slick on those roads?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is very much slippery and slick, Victor and Amara. And let me tell you, I lived in Chicago for many, many years. Amara, you lived in Chicago as well. Snowstorm of several inches is nothing to the Midwest, but in this part of the country, it's a major headache. And I wanted to show you what people are waking up to this morning.

Take a look at this street right here. It has been treated, it has been plowed, salted, brine was put on it, it's in very good condition. But most people, when it comes, especially -- when it comes to residential streets, are going to be in a situation like the one behind me. And that, what you see behind me, is pretty much ice. So, very treacherous conditions for drivers this morning.

I was taking a look at some numbers from the Georgia Department of Public Safety. 1,400 weather-related calls on Friday, including 269 crashes, 203 people who are requiring assistance. So, that gives you an idea of the hell they went through also at the airport nearly 3,400 flights that were canceled on Friday.

That's why governor camp says if you don't have to go anywhere, it's a better idea to just stay home.

WALKER: I think comfy cozy -- oh, I thought he was going to toss back to us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. BRIAN KEMP (R-GA): You know try to find those lanes that we've been able to plow and potentially retreat later in the day and just slow down and be very careful out there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: Victor and Amara, in our last hour, I was reporting that there were nearly 90,000 customers without power across the state. That number has gone down about 10,000 already. So, those crews are trying their best, but again, this kind of storm is something we don't see here in the south quite often and it's just a major headache for many of them. Now back to you.

WALKER: And on, but on the positive side for a lot of people who did stay indoors or stayed home or perhaps took a walk to the park, I mean, they did, they were able to have some fun, you know, building their snowmen, and sliding down those hills.

Rafael Romo, thank you so much. Good to see you.

BLACKWELL: Right now, about 11 million people are still impacted by winter weather alerts. CNN's Allison Chinchar with us now. So, what's happening next? Where's this going?

CHINCHAR: Right, so it's going out into the Atlantic Ocean.

BLACKWELL: Oh, that's good.

[07:30:02]

CHINCHAR: And it's going to take the snow with it. It's not done yet, but it's getting there.

BLACKWELL: Oh.

CHINCHAR: The key component here is those temperatures are going to stay cold. So, for a lot of those areas that got snow, it's not going anywhere anytime soon. And that is going to be a concern for even some places where, say, it warms up a little bit this afternoon, you get some melting, but then it refreezes all back over again tonight.

Look at some of the numbers you have. Again, from southern states, Oklahoma, Tennessee, portions of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, all ended up having measurable snow and sub point.

Now, again, we mentioned, the system is now finally starting to spread out over the open Atlantic, but it's not done yet. You do still have some of those snow showers in portions of the Northeast, areas of the Mid Atlantic, especially some pretty heavy snow coming down right now across West Virginia.

But those will start to exit here in the next couple of hours. So, you still have a few lingering watches and warnings still in effect, at least for a couple more hours today. But yes, the temperatures. Take a look at these.

Again, it is very chilly. Some of these places barely getting above freezing for the high temperature today. Some of that melting will occur. You've got the sun coming out today, so some of it will melt, but again, then those temperatures drop right back down again, overnight tonight, refreezing it on any of those roads that are not treated. And that's the key.

For the main highways, main thoroughfares, those should be fine. It's those side roads, a couple of the neighborhoods, that's where you're going to have the problem.

Look at Atlanta, though, even for the rest of the week, that high temperature is going to stay below average where we would normally see this time of year, all for the next week.

So, again, it looks pretty, enjoy it while it's there. Keep that coat handy, because even once the snow goes away, those temperatures are still going to stay on the cool side.

BLACKWELL: Thank you, Allison.

All right, still to come, devastation in California. Families are mourning the loss of loved ones, their homes, memories, their community, what they're dealing with as they try to move forward? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:36:35]

BLACKWELL: Let's talk about these evacuations this morning, as the six wildfires burned throughout Los Angeles County.

WALKER: Yes. Thousands of people have lost everything, with entire neighborhoods and communities just wiped out by these raging fires. Some are just now able to return to their homes, or at least what's left of their homes.

CNN's Kyung Lah has more now from Altadena, California.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERT LARA, HOME DESTROYED BY LOS ANGELES FIRES: I feel helpless, and I feel like I need the help. I don't know where to go.

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Robert Lara believed it was a blessing to have this entire family all in Altadena, California, the Eaton Fire, it became a curse.

LARA: My uncle was on this street. His house is gone. My mom's house is gone. I'm gone.

LAH (voice over): Lara recorded as fire engulfed his street. His home, and his uncle's home on the same street burned. His mother had already seen her home a few blocks away go.

LARA: I had my last little dinner here, we had -- there was no power, and I still said, I'm holding the fort. I'll be the last one to leave. My house is not burning, and it's gone. It's gone.

This was all I really wanted to get to, and all I found was nothing.

LAH: What is that?

LARA: This was a passport. So, now, I don't even have a passport. This was a passport book, and it's gone.

Yesterday, I had it all. I had a roof. I had a lawn for my dogs, and now, I'm in a little confined square, not knowing where I'm going to go next.

LAH (voice over): Domitia Hinojosa is Lara's mother, a diabetic who cares for her disabled son. DOMITIA HINOJOSA, HOME DESTROYED BY LOS ANGELES FIRES: This morning when I'm wake up, I say, oh, I need to go back to my house. What happened with my home? I want to go back. But I can't. But I can't go back.

LARA: Mom, come in. Come inside.

LAH (voice over): This is what aftermath looks like. Donated clothes and living in a relative's Airbnb.

LARA: For it just 12 months.

LAH (voice over): Dealing with the maze of home insurance.

LARA: This is definitely going to take a lot longer than 12 months.

LAH (voice over): And money.

LAH: A lot of people outside of California think it was celebrities who lost homes, rich people. Is that true?

LARA: This is your everyday hard working. I work in construction, gardening, housekeeping, your everyday essential workers with nothing.

We still have to cover our mortgage. I called my lender and I still have to continue paying.

LAH (voice over): This family of faith is left grasping for meaning.

HINOJOSA: I hear the voice that God told me. I give it to you everything and I lost in one second. You need to follow me only. Follow me. I believe in God. And I think that one day I'm going to have a house, and I'm going to have everything.

[07:40:03]

LAH (voice over): They only hope God is listening now.

LARA: Is somebody going to help us? Are we helpless? What do we do? Who do we call? I don't know.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAH (on camera): All three of these families did apply for FEMA assistance, and they heard a response from FEMA. It was the same for all of them. They got this response that said that the request for housing assistance on personal property had, "not been approved".

Now, FEMA tells CNN that this isn't an atypical response. The first time around, a lot of victims don't fill out the forms properly. But what these three families are saying is, perhaps, FEMA needs to come out and take a look at what they are trying to navigate and deal with. All this trauma, all this loss, that the bureaucracy needs to be simpler for these families.

Victor, Amara. WALKER: Just more than frustrating for these families. Kyung Lah, thank you for that story.

Still to come, just over a week until Inauguration Day, and Republicans are planning for the incoming Trump administration. Their focus as they look to the future.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:45:42]

WALKER: Preparations for a second Trump presidency are ramping up. A number of President -elect Donald Trump's Cabinet picks are expected to get confirmation hearings next week before the Senate.

Republicans are also looking to push Trump's agenda ahead. As the president elect stressed at a meeting with the Senate GOP that he wants to pass his agenda as urgently as possible.

Joining me now is former Republican Congressman Charlie Dent. Good morning to you. Thank you so much for joining us.

You know, President-elect Trump, he met with members of the House Freedom Caucus last night, and we know that more House Republicans are headed to Mar-a-Lago for these strategy meetings, if you will.

You know that Speaker Mike Johnson is pushing for this one big, beautiful bill. Senate Majority Leader John Thune prefers breaking it up into two separate bills. Isn't a good idea when it comes to Johnson's strategy to jam border policy, these tax cuts, raising the debt ceiling, all into one bill, when first of all, we're talking about such a razor thin majority in the House?

CHARLIE DENT, FORMER REPRESENTATIVE OF PENNSYLVANIA: Well, I think -- I think Speaker Johnson and President-elect Trump would be wise to listen to Senator Thune, who has advocated, I think, for a two-step approach. I think it's much harder to jam everything into one big bill, including a debt ceiling.

If you're going to put border policy, energy policy, tax policy in a bill, I think it makes this process much harder.

Thune has advocated for doing a border and energy I think, in the first bill, thinking it would be easier to get a victory. I think that's easier politically. I think they are smart to try to move in that direction.

And remember, too, there are many members of the House Freedom Caucus who will never, ever, never vote for a debt ceiling increase. So, throwing that debt ceiling increase into the reconciliation package and hoping that it will pass on a partisan basis is a very risky strategy for Republicans.

WALKER: Yes.

DENT: So, I'm really -- I think, this is a very compressed time frame, and I'm not sure they're going to be able to do all this as quickly as they think they can.

WALKER: Yes, let's talk about the compressed time frame. And also, on the note that this is going to be quite difficult.

You know, that this week, we heard from Senator Rand Paul that he believes there are 38 members, at least, in the House and Senate, who don't want the debt limit to be part of the bill. So, this could perhaps turn into a protracted fight.

But regarding Trump's agenda, he wants it passed as urgently as possible, and you talked about this complicated budgeting process known as reconciliation, to get this done quickly.

Speaker Johnson, I believe, is aiming to get this massive bill passed by the end of April. Does that timing sound feasible?

DENT: Well, I think that's really an aggressive time frame. Is it possible that the House could pass a reconciliation package by Easter? Yes, I think it's possible. I don't think it's probable at this point. When you think about all the things they have to do, Trump has to stand up an administration, confirmation process, you have the debt ceiling that will ripen, perhaps even before that time frame of Easter, and don't forget, they have to fund the government by March the 14th, I believe. That's also thrown into this mix.

And then, you throw reconciliation on top of it. It is much harder than they realize, and especially, if they put it all in the one big dirty deal. That's why I think they are smart to listen to Senator Thune and try to just deal with the border piece first, and then, deal with the tax piece later, and that will be hard enough on its own.

WALKER: And the big picture is Republicans, Congressional Republicans have this tight window. The two years between January 20th and the 2026 midterms. It's a critical period, right, for Trump and the Republicans to get his agenda done.

Ron Brownstein, he recently wrote about this, and he noted, "The past five times a president went into a midterm election with unified control of the government," voters ended up revoking it.

So, if you will talk about how the historical trend impacts the dynamic in Congress and the risk of extreme agendas that are associated with it.

DENT: Well, Ron Brownstein points out the political volatility of the particularly of this century that we're in now. One, there is always been a change of control in each election since the year 2000, except for two years: 2004 and 2012. He is absolutely right about this.

So, what parties do when they have this very short window, they know their -- the House Republicans, for example, realize that their likelihood of keeping their majority is quite slim going into 2026.

[07:50:00]

So, they are going to try to jam as much as they can into this reconciliation package as trying to do it as fast as they can. But remember, they have a very slim majority.

And you just pointed out that, you know, you have Republicans who are saying they are not going to vote for a debt ceiling. You just quoted, Senator Paul.

You know, they're not going to want to do this. So, I -- you know, I -- call me as -- call me a little bit skeptical that they're going to be able to do all these things. And also remember too, there are differences among Republicans on some of these issues, particularly as it relates to the state and local tax deduction.

There are some Republicans in the northeast who want to reinstate it or extend the cap. There are others who don't want to deal with it. They are going to have to make a whole lot of compromises among themselves, because they are not going to get any help from the Democrats on this bill, and especially, if they put the debt ceiling in it.

So, you know, you stay tuned, but this is tough, and Brownstein is right that -- so, each side --

(CROSSTALK)

WALKER: Yes.

DENT: They know this window is so short, they are going to jam it in and hope for the best.

(CROSSTALK)

WALKER: Quickly before we --

DENT: Expect it to be defeated in the midterm.

WALKER: Right, exactly. And before we go, you know, regarding that the fires that are raging in California, we've been covering it all morning and all week. We heard President Biden say that, you know, the federal government will cover 100 percent of recovery for the next six months, but he is only got nine days left in office. How do you expect President-elect Trump to deal with this disaster?

DENT: Well, speaking of the compressed time frame, throw disasters into the -- into the mix. Because the Congress just passed the, you know, additional funding for the Disaster Relief Fund at the end of last year.

Now, with these fires, I suspect they are going to need to replenish that once again, and so, now, this is another problem for Donald Trump to deal with. Again, and that's going to have to be dealt with immediately, on top of everything else we just discussed. So, it's tragic what's happening out there, which is going to take a lot of -- this is going to take a lot of congressional effort and time, in addition to all the other things on the agenda.

WALKER: Charlie Dent, great to have you this morning. Thanks again. BLACKWELL: The college football national championship matchup is set. Ohio State will fate -- face Notre Dame. Buckeyes pulled out the win in an instant classic last night. We'll take a look ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:56:32]

BLACKWELL: College football's national championship game is set after an instant classic between Ohio State and Texas in the Cotton Bowl.

WALKER: Andy Scholes, joining us now. Andy, this game came down to big plays, and the Buckeye just made a few more of them.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Oh yes, and some very big ones at the end, Victor and Amara.

And, you know, so, now we're going to have Ohio State taking on Notre Dame to be January 20th in Atlanta for the national championship. And it turned out to be a long-life Buckeyes fan that sent them to that national title game.

Texas down seven at first and goal from the one, but the Ohio State defense an incredible stand. They stopped the run twice, didn't force it in completion. It all came down to this fourth and goal play.

Senior Jack Sawyer, who grew up right outside Columbus, dreaming of winning a national title for Iowa State he came through. He forced that fumble of Quinn viewers, those two were actually roommates, freshman year at Ohio State, when yours was a member of the Buckeyes, Sawyer, 83 yards the other way to put the game away.

Ohio State sideline, as you can imagine, was just going nuts as they win 28-14 booking their ticket to Atlanta.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACK SAWYER, DEFENSIVE LINEMAN, OHIO STATE: A kind of blacked out on the run over. Well, I picked it up. But I mean, you know, coach, listen to co-petitioner.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Top 10, man! Top 10!

RYAN DAY, HEAD FOOTBALL COACH, OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY: I can't say enough about Jack Sawyer. He's a guy who loves being a Buckeye, he loves his teammates. He's done everything his ass has him to do. He's a captain. He is everything, you know, that we could possibly ask for in a captain and to make a play like that in that moment that we talked about before the game, you want to leave a legacy behind, to become a legend. He just became a legend in Ohio State.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Yes, certainly, did. Ohio State will look to win their six national titles. They take on Notre Dame, January 20th in Atlanta. Bucha, huge, nine and a half point favorites for that game. In the meantime, the NFL playoffs are going to kick off later today. You got the wild card round starting with charge that Texan's out one's fault by AFC North showdown between the Ravens and the Steelers.

All right, Laker's coach, J.J. Redick, meanwhile, he was among the thousands of people in the L.A. area who have lost everything to the devastating wildfires.

Yesterday, he was pretty emotional as he talked about returning to his home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood for the first time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.J. REDICK, HEAD COACH, LOS ANGELES LAKERS: I was not prepared. I was not prepared for what I saw. It is, it's, it's complete devastation and destruction. Everything we owned that was of an importance to us, almost 20 years together as a couple, and 10 years of parenting was in that house. And there's certain things that you can't replace that will never be replaced.

Of course, my wife and I are emotional. I'm not sure I've wept or wailed like that in several years. The Palisades community has really just been so good to us, and that's -- I think that's the part for us that we're really struggling with, is just the loss of community. All the churches, the schools, the library, like it's all gone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: It's got a feel for everyone there. The NBA, Amara has postponed the Lakers and Clippers games that were scheduled for tonight, guys. The Lakers also had this game on Thursday, postponed.

The league saying they just don't want to take away any resources that can be used to help fight what's going on there.

WALKER: Yes, it makes sense. And the entire state just going through a tough time. Andy, thank you so much.

SCHOLES: Yes.

WALKER: Well, "FIRST OF ALL" is up next. Victor, what do you have coming up?

[08:00:01]

BLACKWELL: Pack show. Of course, we started with the latest on the fires in Los Angeles, and we're highlighting some of the communities and groups impacted and working to stop the fires that you likely have not seen coverage of yet.