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Connect the World

Red Cross on Evacuation Efforts Amid California Wildfires; Life- Threatening Wildfires Sweep Across L.A. County; Trump Won't Rule Out Using Force on Panama Canal & Greenland; U.S. Secretary of State to Talk "Challenges" in Europe, Middle East; Three Wildfires Raging Out of Control in L.A. County; Trump Asks Supreme Court to Pause Sentencing in Hush Money Case. Aired 9-10a ET

Aired January 08, 2025 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Well, this is the scene in the Greater Los Angeles area, where ferocious wildfires are raging out of

control and expected to get worse in the coming hours. It is 06:00 a.m. in Los Angeles. It's 06:00 p.m. here in Abu Dhabi. I'm Becky Anderson, you're

watching "Connect the World".

The other major story that we are following for you, world leaders pushing back on Donald Trump's talk about taking over Greenland, Canada and the

Panama Canal. Well, the stock market in New York will open about 30 minutes from now. We will bring you the markets as they open. The futures certainly

indicating a slow start to the trading day. More on that at 09:30 Eastern Time.

Well, massive destruction, harrowing escapes and fears for those trapped in a trio of out-of-control wildfires sweeping across Los Angeles County. As

we start our show, daylight will be breaking in the next hour in Southern California, and the scenes of devastation are apparent.

The wildfires spread by a fierce wind storm with gusts reaching hurricane strength. Tens of thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate. Well,

containment has been nearly impossible, so first responders are focused on getting people out of harm's way and saving lives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPTAIN SHEILA KELLIHER, LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPARTMENT: I wish you could see. I don't know if you can see over here, but this hillside, it's probably

hard to see with my camera is burning and it's just whipping tornado like - - you know columns and spouts. So, it's the perfect storm as they say.

People understand how bad a hurricane is, or how bad a tornado is? You know, you can't stop those. The wind is so strong, there's nothing you can

do. You wait till it passes through, and then you fix what's left, right? Well, on at fire on top of that, and that's what we're up against.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, this is the warning today from the National Weather Service's LA Office. You can see the wide area around the city impacted

with vicious winds still fanning the flames. The danger, folks, remains extreme. We don't have any casualty figures as of yet, and the damage, of

course, cannot be assessed. It is not yet daybreak, but it will be colossal.

CNN's Nick Watt and his team covering the fires, here's what they saw as flames engulfed a home there in a matter of minutes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICK WATT, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We don't know how many homes have been lost. I mean, this just one of them, cars in that garage, a

beautiful house on a beautiful little suburban street gone. We have seen so many of these houses. The heat coming off this thing is intense right now.

And look, if you can see these embers in the air, Chris, can you show so that's the problem. Look at those embers on the wind. That shows you how

fast the wind disgusting. But every one of those embers could be another fire. I saw something just crowd and if you can see just popped up behind

that hedge just about five minutes ago. That's an ember, a spot fire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, CNN Meteorologist Derek Van Dam tracking the conditions in Southern California. You and I spoke about this yesterday. I don't think

either of us could have imagined that it would be as bad as this 24-hours on. Can you just get his bang up to date? What is the very latest?

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: OK, look at -- this Nick reporting that he had on just a moment ago was fantastic, kind of setting the scene and

how quickly these fires can spread. This is erratic fire behavior. It's one of the most extreme fire situations in terms of the ingredients all coming

together, and unfortunately, it's unfolding in real time on television in front of everybody watching today.

So, the palm trees that are so synonymous with Southern California, they've become blow torches for this area. They are bursting into flames because of

the embers that are getting catapulted into the air several hundred yards and landing on these dry tinder box trees and igniting them on fire.

And look how quickly the embers race across the roadways here Becky. I mean, this is all being driven by winds over hundred miles per hour. It's

almost shaking the vehicle where that individual was filming from that particular location. Here's a better perspective.

So, we're taking you into space now, showing you a satellite perspective of Southern California. This is Los Angeles County. Here's the Palisades fire.

There it is erupting the moment it actually started on Tuesday afternoon, local time. And look at the wind direction. This is so critical, because

for the majority of this event so far, it's been out of the northeast.

[09:05:00]

You can see the plume of smoke that's just billowing into the Pacific Ocean. But this is important, because if the winds change even ever so

slightly, if they back in a counterclockwise direction, meaning they're coming more from a north to northwesterly direction. Then the winds start

fanning the flames this way.

And this is Santa Monica. There's the Santa Monica Pier right here. There's the famous beach. Look at the residential, densely packed area you can see

on this image. So, what you're looking at here, that shading of red is actually the burned area so far, we don't have a full comprehensive picture

of that because they can't even fly the aircraft necessary to map out the burned areas so far.

The winds are too strong and too erratic, but this is the best information we can pass and provide. So, what you're noticing here is that the shading

of red the burned area, there's the canyons, and these are the individual spot fires that Nick was commenting on a few moments ago, right?

So, you've got these winds tunneling down the valleys in the canyons below towards the coastline, taking the embers, spreading them to new locations

and starting additional fires. We've got three large, major, out of control wildfires as we speak. The winds peaking right now.

So, the next few hours are the most critical in this firefighting effort, before we get a break in the winds today, later this afternoon, and then

they pick up again into the overnight hours tonight, Becky.

ANDERSON: It's good to have you, sir. Thank you very much indeed. Derek Van Dam in the house. Well, as we've been reporting, tens of thousands of

people have been ordered to evacuate as these fires rapidly spread across Los Angeles County. The conditions were so terrifying that some drivers

abandoned their vehicles on Tuesday, choosing to flee the flames on foot. Listen to how people described what they saw around them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CINDY FESTA, PACIFIC PALISADES RESIDENT: Fires were this close to the cars. People left their cars on Palisades drive burning up the hillside, the palm

trees, everything's going and the wind and the firemen are great, but we do so much.

PETER, PACIFIC PALISADES RESIDENT: I got within 300 yards of my house and some gentlemen picked me up. The rest of the way, Fire Department stopped,

and as it stopped, we saw some literally flaming debris landed in the road near where we were standing. So, it seemed to me -- let's -- let's get out

of here. Whatever I lose, I lose, and there's nothing I can do about it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We got in the car to go, and then all the cars were abandoned, so I had nowhere to go, so I just had to get out of my car and

start walking. The smoke is so bad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: We get you to Mimi Teller with the American Red Cross. She joins us from one of the shelters that's been set up in Los Angeles. And just

tell us very specifically where you are and what you are doing to help support residents fleeing these wildfires. What's this operation about?

MIMI TELLER, AMERICAN RED CROSS: So, we currently have two shelters open right now, and I'm currently at the one in Westwood, which is about five

miles from where the fires are raging close to Santa Monica, the UCLA campus. We have 70 people fast asleep right now in our dormitory, and we're

here to just make sure that they are safe and that they get the information and the support that they need.

ANDERSON: How much preparation can people do for an event like this? This is not unfamiliar. I know to you. I know and it may not be wildfire season,

per se, in this part of the world, but so many residents will be relatively familiar with these-sort-of-awful-conditions. What can people do ahead of

time?

TELLER: Well, the one thing we're trying to impress in our community is that there is no longer a season for wildfires. The last few that we've had

that were really intense were this time of year, so we have to get rid of that notion. But as far as for preparation, we ask that people have a go

kit.

They know where they're going to go. They communicate with their families where to go. And there's a lot of resources, especially on the red side

websites. And also, we have an app that they can load to their phone that gives them alerts, emergency alerts, and also advises them on how to be

prepared.

ANDERSON: How are those 70 who are currently sleeping there in the dorm? Of course, it is early morning, not even light at this point, just after six

o'clock in the morning.

TELLER: Well, the people that I've met that came in, they were very rattled and shocked, and we are just trying to give them the support that they

need.

[09:10:00]

Pretty much, we just got them settled into their sleep area and make sure that they have food and water. And -- you know, I think as the sun comes

up, we'll have a better idea of the needs of people and the questions they have. Right now, some of them are trying to connect with family that they

haven't been able to reach. There's a lot of power outages. So, we are here our team is just trying to answer all the immediate needs, top of which is

safety for everyone seeking it.

ANDERSON: Absolutely, it's good to have you. Thank you very much indeed, and thank you for your work. CNN's Stephanie Elam joining us now from the

Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. Steph, just explain where you are? What you're seeing? What's going on around you?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. Becky, I'm standing on the Pacific Coast Highway, which is a beautiful, internationally known stretch of

highway that runs along the California Coastline for miles. Right back this way is the Pacific Ocean. But right here, you can see that something is

starting to glow there behind this building.

We've been watching it. I can tell you the top of that building was much taller on this right-hand side. We watched that burn down this morning. The

gusts of wind are hurricane strength. It's really like, it's weird. It's like covering a hurricane, but instead of being caught in the rain, you're

surrounded by sand, dust and fire, like it's just a bizarre combination of things.

We watched that part burn down as the wind gusts brought up the flames really strongly, and now something is burning back between these two

buildings. I've seen how law enforcement is now blocking off the road. We've seen firefighters rush up there as well to get up there. And it is

getting more and more smoky out here.

We've watched a building to the left. You can see just a tiny ember of it that's left. That was an entire building when we got here that is pretty

much all burned down. And it's not just here. There's another fire that is burning, the Eaton fire, that is on the other side of Los Angeles. So, if

you look and you think, I'm standing out here by the Pacific Ocean Los Angeles, up here in the foothills, there's another fire, the Eaton fire,

that is up by Pasadena and Altadena.

There are evacuations happening now because of these winds spreading fire. This is something that is unprecedented. This strength of wind combined

with the fact that everything is so dry, this is the driest start to a wet season in LA County, on record. On record the fact that we're dealing with

these massive blazes in January is just crazy. That's not something we do here, like you expect to have this maybe even going into December now. But

this is just, this is just something we haven't dealt with.

On top of it, the Pacific Palisades. It's a beautiful place to live. You have great views of the ocean. You've got the canyons, lots of nature, but

you also have very small, tight, windy roads that make it very difficult for people to evacuate. So, people were running out of their cars

yesterday. LA fire having to go in and bulldoze cars out of the way so that they could get in there.

All of this now shutting down schools across the area, LA County Fire. You can see the wind in front of those lights. You see how quickly it's moving?

How smoky it is? LA County Fire, asking people, their employees, if they are off, to come back into work early, because this is an all-hands-on deck

type response that is needed.

This is something we have not seen here, like this. And I have to tell you, Becky driving here, I've never had an experience like that, and I've

covered a lot of wildfires, but this was one of the most treacherous drives that I had to make to get to where I am right now.

ANDERSON: Yeah. And I know that area well, and I know how many of these wildfires you've covered, because you and I have talked on a regular basis

over the years, sadly, about the damage, deadly damage, wrought by some of these fires.

The fact that you are saying, I can hear it in your voice, struggling to speak there, of course, because of that smoke. But I can hear just how

shocked you are by what you are witnessing. And it is not yet daylight. The sun is up, as I understand it, just before 07:00 a.m. LA time. What are

your biggest fears at this point? Because, I guess the scope and scale of this, the damage wrought, not clear at this point, correct?

ELAM: No, it's not. And they haven't been able to contain any of this. This is really about saving life and saving property. Those are the first few

things. And I can tell you the other thing that these trucks that just went by, these are fire trucks coming in from other municipalities nearby.

This is something that California has mastered, and other regions are doing as well, but we have this system where they can call in fire trucks and

support from different regions when they need to get more manpower out here. So, that is very important. I feel like we are safe where we are

because we've got the highway between us.

[09:15:00]

But trust me, we've mapped out how we're going to get out of here. We know how we will get out of here if we need to, and if everything changes. But

right now, watching this, if worse comes to worse, Becky, I will run directly behind us and jump into the Pacific Ocean if I have to, but I do

feel safe where we are standing right now, but far enough away to watch what's happening here to show people so that they can stay away.

We don't want people coming out here. Part of the reason why we do this is so that other people don't. This is not some place you want to come see on

top of it, I can tell you that it's not just wood burning now there's a metallic scent and taste to when a building is burning, and I can smell

that now.

I also see some black smoke coming off of there. That's why I know something is burning back there, other than just shrubbery. So, all of

those things, we know these cues because we've been out here this many times, but this is why we want people to stay away from coming out here.

ANDERSON: Well, Steph, do stay safe, and as the sun comes up, we will get back to you, because Stephanie was just explaining there, it will not be

until daybreak that the authorities there can really assess the damage wrought in what are these fires raging uncontrollably? It has to be said as

we speak. Thank you. Stephanie. Well, Donald Trump has some expansionist designs on America's neighbor to the north.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND CURRENT PRESIDENTIAL-ELECT: Canada and the United States that would really be something.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: What Canada has to say about that idea that is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Well, we're seeing some serious pushback today from across the globe to Donald Trump's sweeping America First agenda. In a news conference

on Tuesday, Trump set our aspirations to effectively redraw the map of the Western Hemisphere to a degree absorbing Canada into the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Economic force, because Canada and the United States, that would really be something you get rid of that artificially drawn line. And you

take a look at what that looks like, and it would also be much better for national security. Don't forget, we basically protect Canada.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, Canada, of course, an ally of the United States. The Outgoing Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau there, says that is not going to

happen posting on X there isn't a snowball's chance in hell that Canada would become part of the U.S.

Well, among Trump's other comments on Tuesday, he refused to rule out U.S. military action to take control of the Panama Canal as well as Greenland,

which is an autonomous territory of Denmark. France's Foreign Minister says the European Union will not tolerate an attack on its sovereign borders.

[09:20:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEAN-NOEL BARROT, FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER: You are asking me if I think the United States will invade Greenland, the answer is no. Have we entered an

era that sees the return of the survival of the fittest? The answer is yes, and so should we let ourselves be intimidated? Should we let worry take

over? Of course, not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, Trump also put pressure on the ongoing negotiations between Israel and Hamas, indirect negotiations, of course, threatening all hell

will break out if the October 7th hostages aren't returned by the time he takes office 12 days from now. Well, we are going to hear from two of the

regions where Trump is looking to exert influence.

Jeremy Diamond is in Tel Aviv for you and for the view from the Caribbean, where Trump has his eyes on the Panama Canal. We have Patrick Oppmann in

Havana in Cuba. And Patrick, let me start with you. I want to play Trump's comments about the Panama Canal last night. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you assure the world that as you try to get control of these areas, you are not going to use military or economic coercion?

TRUMP: No, you're talking about Panama and Greenland. No, I can't assure you on either of those two, but I can say this, we need them for economic

security. The Panama Canal was built for our military.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- will not use military --

TRUMP: I'm not going to commit to that --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, Panama, one assumes, has reacted to what is Donald Trump, the President-elect at this point, refusing to rule out the use of military

or economic coercion to regain control of the canal. What has been the response?

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, if there's one issue that unites all Panamanians, it's that the canal is theirs. For many, many

years, Panamanians felt it was deeply unfair that, essentially, gunboat diplomacy over 100 years ago, had forced them to give up this strip that

cut through right through the middle of their country, this important economic lifeline, which is the Panama Canal.

And we should point out that many people think the Panama Canal, of course, was built 100 years ago to sort of this relic of the U.S. Monroe Doctrine,

but the Panama Canal has been expanded just nine years ago to the which was done by Panama.

So, it's not quite that simple that the Panama Canal was something the U.S. built and then gave back under pressure because it became such an eyesore

and a proof of kind of this ugly American attitude around the region where the U.S. took what it wanted.

Panama Canal is not run by China. That's just false. It is run by Panama, and has been run quite successfully by Panama over the years. There's much

more traffic that goes through the Panama Canal, despite the challenges of global warming of droughts in recent years, the Panama Canal makes a lot of

money for Panama, but also is very important about six -- 5 or 6 percent of all maritime traffic goes through the Panama Canal.

So, you know, Donald Trump thinks that by threatening Panama, that somehow that is going to help the price of goods in the U.S. go down. He's quite

mistaken. Will probably have the exact opposite effect. And Panamanians, who consider themselves allies of the U.S. stable democracy.

Now, you know, ever since Manuel Noriega was forced from Panama, are really kind of confused by the saber rattling. They were just considered to be

bluster or crazy talk, if we're not coming from the next president of United States.

ANDERSON: Yeah, well, what isn't bluster or crazy talk, because it's already being sort of acted on, is the fact that he wants to rename the

Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of America. Look at many years has every right, I guess, to do that if you want something to be known as something else going

forward from the sort of stateside perspective. I mean, how's that going down regionally?

OPPMANN: You know, I think the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum just a little while ago. You just sort of made a joke, because, of course, it's

the United States of Mexico is official name of Mexico. And she said, well, maybe we'll call it the Gulf of America, of Mexico.

You know, this is just head scratching for many people in the region, because it just screams of kind of ugly Americanness. And you know, past

that, many people here thought had long been forgotten or the page had been turned upon. But you know, Donald Trump is not quite president yet.

[09:25:00]

President of Panama yesterday, when he responded to these threats by the Donald Trump. He said, we'll talk when he's present, of course, you know

when he actually is in the Oval Office. No one really expects this to get any better. So, I think people in the region are buckling up for a long

four years.

ANDERSON: Well, perhaps this is not all stuff and nonsense. I mean, we know that Donald Trump is uses his threats in negotiation. So, let's see where

this all lands over the next four years. Jeremy, let me bring you in, because we are going to talk about something which is very much more short

term than that.

Trump is demanding that the hostages in Gaza, including Americans, be freed before he moves back into the White House in 12 days, or else. Let's listen

to that moment late yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: If they're not back by the time I get into office, all hell will break out in the Middle East. And it will not be good for Hamas, and it

will not be good, frankly, for anyone. All hell will break out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, that threat, Jeremy, coming as he deploys his pick for Middle East Envoy to the region, Steven Witkoff. What can you tell us about

the chances of a hostage release in the next 12 days or at least a deal of some sort that can be executed on or affected around the time of an

inauguration?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think it's very hard to predict the chances of a deal actually materializing in that time. What

is clear, though is that both the Biden Administration and the incoming Trump Administration are both clearly rowing in the same direction, pushing

for a hostage and cease fire deal to be reached before Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20th.

And that's why we saw today, Steve Witkoff, President-elect Trump's incoming Special Envoy for the Middle East is set to arrive in Doha, Qatar,

to join the -- you know, the U.S. delegation that is already there, led by -- currently led by Brett McGurk, President Biden's top adviser on Middle

East affairs.

We've been told that Witkoff and any other incoming Trump Administration officials aren't directly participating in the negotiations in the room,

but that they're there to kind of present a united front. And we know that Witkoff has been having meetings and conversations with some of the other

mediators, the other countries involved in these negotiations.

Witkoff said that he has seen some, quote, really great progress in recent weeks, giving him a sense of optimism that a deal can be reached before

Trump comes into office. We have heard, you know, a little bit more caution from Israeli officials over here, where I am, and also from Biden

Administration officials, who acknowledge that the conversations around reaching a cease fire still do indeed remain very difficult.

And so, you know this is hard to tell whether or not a deal can actually be reached before. But you did hear in that clip, you played that warning from

the president-elect that all hell will break out in the Middle East, that it will be especially bad for Hamas if a hostage deal is not reached before

he comes into office.

You know, the question is whether or not the political will is going to be there on both Hamas and Israel's side to actually reach that deal in time,

Becky.

ANDERSON: Yeah, that is not clear. Is it, what he means by all hell will break loose. He has not detailed what he means by that, nor how he might

implement that hell breaking loose in the region. But it is -- it's a threat, and clearly one that we should take seriously. Still to come. Thank

you.

In the dusk of his role as U.S. Secretary of State, then Antony Blinken is in Paris for a final push on challenges in Europe, the Middle East and

beyond. And of course, we are keeping an eye on these pictures out of Southern California as these wildfires rage on. We are just 30 minutes from

sun up, when we expect to get a better idea of the damage.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:30:00]

ANDERSON: Welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi. You're watching "Connect the World". Time here in Abu Dhabi is just after half past six in

the evening. We've just seen the opening bell on the U.S. markets. They are open on Wall Street, and this is the picture, just slightly lower, not an

awful lot of volume and movement in these markets today as they open.

These are your headlines this hour a state of emergency in California, as apocalyptic wildfires rage across Los Angeles County, forcing thousands of

people to flee their homes. Wind gusts up to 160 kilometers an hour is fanning those flames torching homes, businesses and cars.

The wildfire conditions are expected to get even worse before they get better over the coming hours. Well blunt and swift international reaction

to Donald Trump's expansionist threats made Tuesday. Panama rebuffing suggestions U.S. could take the Panama Canal by force.

France says the EU will not let America invade Greenland. And Canada's Justin Trudeau says there's no way his country will be compelled to merge

with the United States. Rescue teams are searching for survivors after a deadly earthquake in Tibet. China's state broadcaster says at least 126

people have been killed after a 7.1 magnitude quake struck a remote region of Tibet on Tuesday.

Tremors have been reported across the Himalayas in neighboring Nepal. America's top diplomat is in France today, meeting with President Macron

and senior French officials in one of the final days of his role as U.S. Secretary of State. The U.S. State Department says Antony Blinken will

discuss challenges in Europe, Middle East and beyond.

These are live pictures coming to you there from France. We are expecting to see U.S. Secretary of State momentarily. We'll get to that as we get it.

Following talks in Paris today, French President Manuel Macron will also present the U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken with France's highest

honor, which is the Legion d'Honneur.

Well, CNN'S Melissa Bell is in Paris for us now, where those meetings are kicking off. Blinken has talked today with his counterpart, and then, of

course, a meeting with the president. What do we expect the key takeout from this trip to be?

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we're about to see is that press conference you mentioned, Becky, the result of

those talks that have been held between Secretary of State, Blinken and Jean-Noel Barrot the French Foreign Minister. On their plate, we expect

them to discuss a great deal Syria.

The French Foreign Minister has just returned from there. He was there with his German counterpart.

[09:35:00]

The first Europeans to make the trip to Damascus and to have talks with -- and HTS. He will be trying to convince his American counterpart of the need

to ease the sanctions in order that the humanitarian catastrophe currently unfolding in Syria can be relieved. That's something that we heard from him

upon his return, that he'll be trying to press upon his American counterpart, and -- Blinken, we know the Biden Administration knows, of

course, it has very little time to get a number of things done.

And we understand that one of its aims will be to try and ease some of those sanctions, while it still can, not entirely, but certainly to ease

the humanitarian suffering of the Syrian people. So that's likely to be very much on their agenda. And top of what we hear from the two men when

they begin to speak.

But also, of course, the hopes of a ceasefire and a hostage release in Gaza and Ukraine, there will be a lot of concern about what the incoming and

American inspiration is going to be changing in terms of its relationship with Europe, and what Europeans can continue to get from in terms of

assurances or any promises or pledges or cost iron guarantees going forward that are likely to stand -- withstand the change.

But really, this is the last foreign trip for Secretary of State Blinken. He's been in Korea. He's been in Japan. We understand that he's going to

make one final trip to Rome to meet the Pope with President Biden, a last trip for the two before they hand power over. And this really a last

opportunity for Secretary of State Blinken, who's had such strong ties with Europe, to speak to some of those counterparts he's not going to be seeing

again on some of the issues that someone else will be dealing with very shortly, Becky.

ANDERSON: And you make a very good point, of course, somebody else will be dealing with all of these issues shortly. So, I mean, this does beg the

question, what's the point of this? Apart from a sort of fear, you know, farewell meeting, as it were. There is, of course, a point, isn't there?

That Emmanuel Macron is also set to present the U.S. Secretary of State with France's highest honor. Just remind us what the Legion d'Honneur

represents in terms of France's relationship with the with the outgoing Secretary of State?

BELL: Well, there is a great deal of sadness, I think, from a number of European officials and leaders that seeing this particular administration

go. There were strong relationships built with Antony Blinken and others. And of course, on so many policy areas, they really did see eye to eye and

understand that that's about to change in many respects.

The Legion d'Honneur is the highest civilian honor here in France, and I think it speaks to that strong relationship that Secretary of State Blinken

has built with French officials, not just during this administration, but even when he made his trips to Europe under the Obama Administration at the

time.

This is a man who speaks fluent French. He spent time here as a young man as a child, and has always been well liked by the French, even as he has

spoken highly of his ties with the French. So, the highest civilian honor that will be given to him in the Elysee Palace later on today, he'll have a

meeting with President Macron as well.

But again, it speaks to his strong affinity to France and to the sadness I think of many French and European leaders at seeing this particular

administration leave, Becky.

ANDERSON: Yeah. Which brings me to my last question to you. Just what is the sort of preparation for a Trump Administration? We've already had the

foreign secretary responding to Donald Trump's suggestion that Greenland territory, of course, of Denmark, might be bought by the U.S. going

forward, and the foreign secretary in France suggesting that's not going to happen.

It's not for sale, as Justin Trudeau suggested, the same about Canada potentially being bought by the U.S., by Donald Trump. Look, you know, how

is this president and this current government preparing?

BELL: Yeah, when we've heard from European leaders so far, I've heard this from a number of different sources in Europe, is that many of them have

been pleasantly surprised, frankly, Becky, at Donald Trump's initial talks with them. That is when he came in, the first time they felt a lot more

belligerence, a lot less of a man, an incoming president who was across the many dossiers and issues.

This time, a lot of them have been pleasantly surprised, and I think that's interesting. They do expect, though, that there will be a change of tone, a

change of attitude, and that the relationships will change substantially. You've mentioned the remarks by the French Foreign Minister yesterday over

Greenland, and they were quite interesting.

[09:40:00]

Of course, it's not for sale. Of course, Europe will not allow this sovereign territory to be conquered by anyone. But also, does he expect

that the United States will try to conquer Greenland? No, he did not. Did he expect that the world was going to be a very different place and about

the survival of the fittest and each for his own?

ANDERSON: Yes.

BELL: Yes, he did. So, they're expecting a much different relationship than the one that they've had a lot more antagonism, a lot more of issues. The

big question, of course, for Europeans, given their security architecture, will be Ukraine. There is some hint of hope, though, that things will not

be as stark as they'd imagined when Donald Trump won the election with his pronouncements that everything could be resolved within 24 hours.

And they we had that 47-minute meeting, Becky, at the time when Notre Dame was reopened, between Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron, President Zelenskyy.

And what we've heard from sources at the Elysee about that is that essentially, Emmanuel Macron tried to say to Don Trump, of course, we

understand that you want peace in Ukraine.

You want this war to be finished, but let's be strong about it. Let's be clever about it. And it's the explained the importance of keeping all one's

cards close to one's chest and all one's cards in one hand, including the strength of NATO, even as one went into a negotiation in order not to look

weak.

Really trying to speak to Donald Trump in language that he might understand about the need to look strong, faced with Vladimir Putin as and when those

negotiations begin. So already, European leaders really adopting a different strategy in their dealings with the incoming administration, with

expectations that things will be different, but I think some hope that they will manage to work together on those key issues, Becky.

ANDERSON: Yeah, that's the sense that I get from what you are saying. There's some cautious optimism. Perhaps we should caveat this. It was such

chaos last time, as far as Europeans were concerned, in the first Trump Administration, that things perhaps could only get better.

But obviously you could argue things could get worse. So, some cautious optimism. It seems at this point, good to have you as ever. Thank you.

Well, more to come on the top story today, the very latest from the U.S. West Coast, as strong winds drive fierce fires across Southern California.

More on that is after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN K. RICE, PRESIDENT OF CALIFORNIA PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS: As a firefighter, you never feel hopeless. You might feel like you're really

behind the eight ball. And if there's one thing that we need that we're never going to have, we need to be able to control the weather, and we

can't. And right now, the firefighters on the line, these men and women, are going to put in 24, 36, 40, 48-hour shift. They're not going off the

fire line anytime soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: We are following a nightmare situation unfolding in Southern California as we speak. Three active wildfires now burning out of control

across Los Angeles County, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes.

[09:45:00]

Right now, firefighters there are focused on saving lives, as I quote them here, tornado, light winds, fan the flames, making it nearly impossible for

those firefighters to contain the blazes. The Mayor of Los Angeles says the worst is yet to come, as the wind storm is expected to pick up over the

coming hours.

Let's get you to our Meteorologist, Ariel Cohen in Los Angeles. Just set the scene for us, if you will, because there'll be viewers who say, well,

you know, this is an area of the states which is used to wildfires. This is unprecedented stuff, isn't it?

ARIEL COHEN, METEOROLOGIST AT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE: This is the worst- case scenario, a true catastrophe for Los Angeles. We are having one of the most significant wind storms in history, combined with the driest air that

we have over the area to create an exceptionally volatile combination of parameters coming together to create explosive fire growth.

This is what we call a particularly dangerous situation, one where lives are being threatened and everyone needs to be at a high state of readiness

and be ready to take action when the evacuation order comes, you must heed that order and evacuate.

ANDERSON: Look, the sun is due to rise through. It has to be said, these clouds of thick smoke in the next 10, 15, minutes or so, and you know, it

will be a lot clearer at that point just how much damage has been wrought? At this point, what should the expectations be, as far as the forecast is

concerned? I know that you're saying things will get worse before they get better. Just how much worse?

COHEN: Right now, what we've seen are paths of destruction, apocalyptic type of scenes that have spread over the Los Angeles area, that will

probably continue to expand in coverage as we head through the daytime hours. We're still having wind gusts over the higher terrain, over 80 miles

per hour ongoing, causing these fires to continue to spread out of control.

I'm pleading with everyone. Have many ways of getting evacuation information from emergency management and law enforcement. When the

evacuation order comes, you have to take it seriously. Your life depends on it. We're going to continue to see these fires spreading. We have many more

hours to go of strong winds.

ANDERSON: We -- sadly, because of the nature of California and its climate, we've talked over the years of so many wildfires clearly not as acute as

this in an area as built up as this, but we've talked about how climate change has created drier conditions, how the earliest snow melt in

California has an impact increasing wildfire frequency.

There are those who also blame changing forest management programs and suggest that these could be a significant factor. What's your sense?

COHEN: My sense is that everyone needs to be prepared at any time, as we know Southern California is prone to getting wildfires. And we know that

with all the precipitation we got over the past couple of years, we walked into a fire season, not just a fire season, but a fire year where we have a

tremendous amount of potential energy built up for destruction to occur.

We need to be ready at any point, going into the future for such destruction, and we need to be taking the preparedness steps now,

practicing our safety plans, knowing where to go, because seconds matter when it comes to saving life.

ANDERSON: It's good to have you. Thank you very much indeed. We are going to take a very short break here on CNN. I'm Becky Anderson, you're watching

"Connect the World". It is 10 to 7 in the evening here, 10 to 7 in the morning in Los Angeles. More from there after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:50:00]

ANDERSON: Well, we've been keeping an eye on the global reaction to Donald Trump's wide ranging news conference on Tuesday, when he talked about a

myriad of things, including plans for several regions of the world, including North America. President-elect says he wants to rename the Gulf

of Mexico, the Gulf of America. The Mexican President responded to that with a proposal of her own.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, MEXICAN PRESIDENT: Obviously, the name Gulf of Mexico is recognized by the United Nations, by a United Nations agency. Why don't we

call it Mexican America? It sounds nice, right? Since 1607, the Constitution of Apatzingan refer to it as Mexican America.

We're going to call it Mexican America. It sounds beautiful, right? And the Gulf of Mexico has been recognized internationally since 1607 as well.

Yesterday, President Trump was misinformed. He was told that Felipe Calderon and Garcia Luna still govern in Mexico, but no. In Mexico the

people govern.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, happening a short time ago, Donald Trump has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to pause the sentencing in his hush money case, Trump, of

course, was convicted in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records in New York. Sentencing in that case is scheduled for Friday.

For more on this, I want to bring in CNN's Joan Biskupic, who is standing by in Washington. What should we make of this news?

JOAN BISKUPIC, CNN CHIEF SUPREME COURT ANALYST: It's a last-ditch effort here, Becky, because his scheduled sentencing is at 09:30 East Coast time

on Friday. And what he's done is he's gone to the Supreme Court and urged the justices to intervene in what is a state case matter.

You'll probably remember, last May, the president-elect was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a hush money case that

dates all the way back to 2016 when he allegedly had his lawyer pay hush money to the adult film star Stormy Daniels for sexual affair.

Now Trump has denied that -- affair, but a jury found him guilty, and that whole trial finished last May, but the judge, the trial judge, has

repeatedly had to postpone the sentencing because of Trump's appeals in that case and other proceedings against him, but now it's scheduled for

this Friday.

And he went to the trial judge earlier and said, you know, he should have immunity from sentencing, based on a Supreme Court decision that was issued

last July involving his immunity from criminal prosecution, not for being a president-elect, but for involving official acts back from, when he was

president during the first term, Trump is trying to broadly extend that, and the trial judge had said no.

He said the Supreme Court decision delayed the sentencing, but it did not preclude it, and the case that President Trump -- President-elect Trump, is

trying to make, has to do with his situation right now as an individual trying to sort of take on new responsibilities and burdens during this

transition.

And he's urging the Supreme Court to sort of heed how he's involved in very sensitive tasks, he writes, of preparing to assume the executive power in

less than two weeks. All of which are essential to the United States National Security and vital interests.

[09:55:00]

Becky, the justices this morning did give the prosecutors in the Manhattan case until tomorrow morning, Thursday morning to respond, but they're all

up against the clock because he's scheduled for, as I say, Friday morning for this final sentencing. And the judge has indicated, Becky, that he's

not going to even get jail time.

So, this, the stakes here have to do with Donald Trump's reputation much more than any kind of time behind bars, certainly, Becky.

ANDERSON: Yeah. I mean, until this point, he must have been feeling quite emboldened, given his legal team success in disappearing some of these

cases that he faced over the last 12 months. We'll see what happens in the next 24 or 48 hours. It's always good to have you genuinely.

Thank you very much indeed for joining us. And we have a lot more on the breaking news out of California in the next hour. Sun is just coming up

there in Los Angeles. We will get back there in the next hour to find out just what sort of damage has been wrought by these unprecedented fires

still raging, three of them. More after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END