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First Move with Julia Chatterley
Trump Heads To L.A. To Survey The Fire Damage; Trump Suggests Eliminating FEMA; WH: Deportation Flights Have Begun; U.S.-North Korean Relations; Djokovic Withdraws from Australian Open. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired January 24, 2025 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
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JESSICA DEAN, CNN ANCHOR: It is 7:00 a.m. in Taipei, 3:00 p.m. in Los Angeles, 6:00 p.m. here in New York. I'm Jessica Dean in for Julia
Chatterley. And wherever you are in the world, this is your "First Move."
A warm welcome to "First Move." Here's today's need to know. President Trump heads to Los Angeles to survey the fire damage after proposing
getting rid of FEMA. The White House is sharing pictures of handcuffed migrants boarding a military plane saying deportation flights have begun.
And Hamas names the next Israeli hostages set to be released. Plus, tennis great Novak Djokovic pulling out of the Australian Open with an injury. All
that and plenty more coming up.
But first, President Trump said to be in California surveying disaster-hit areas there. He is expected to visit the Pacific Palisades, that
neighborhood devastated by that massive fire that started on January 7th. His arrival coming as firefighters battle another major fire that broke out
in the Los Angeles area Wednesday. They say the Hughes Fire now is more than 50 percent contained.
Before heading to California today, the president visited hurricane ravaged areas in North Carolina. And it's there that he said he may get rid of the
Federal Emergency Management Agency, known as FEMA.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We're looking at the whole concept of FEMA. I like frankly, the concept when North Carolina gets hit, the governor takes
care of it. When Florida gets hit, the governor takes care of it. Meaning, the state takes care of it. They have a group of people come in from an
area that don't even know where they're going in order to solve immediately a problem is something that never worked for me. I'd like to see the states
take care of disasters.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: Veronica Miracle is in Altadena, California. Veronica, of course, you're at the site of one of the most horrible fires, the most destructive
fires that we saw there over the -- a couple weeks ago. And now, people are left to pick up what remains and try to build back and make their
communities whole. What are we expecting from President Trump once he gets there to California? This, of course his first domestic trips since
becoming president. He first started in North Carolina going to end the day there in California.
VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, he'll be meeting with people. He will also be flying over the burn zone and taking a look at all of the
damage and destruction. And we've spoken to people here to ask him what their thoughts are on his visit, those victims here who are so desperately
making -- seeking the funding that they need, including FEMA.
I spoke to one woman, Elissa Lopez, who -- you know, she is going through so much. She and her husband, they lost their rental home. And, you know,
they have had to rely on assistance. They actually have had to sleep in their car for a couple of nights because they haven't been able to get the
funding that they need. It's been a very confusing process. Just take a listen to what she has to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELISSA LOPEZ, ALTEDENA RESIDENT: I was able to stay with my daughter for 10 days, and then we kind of bounced around, stayed in the car for a couple of
days. We did fill out paperwork for FEMA, but FEMA can't do anything until the renter's insurance is done. And so, we're kind of like in a no man's
land, waiting and trying to process stuff as much as possible.
They told us that it was a total loss, but if we could salvage anything to do it today. Our home is red tagged. It's not safe to go in and do it.
We're doing it on our own accord.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MIRACLE: Yes. So, heartbreaking and of course, Elissa and her husband's story, it's just one of thousands of people who've been impacted. So, I
asked Ellisa, what did she think of his -- what does she think of President Trump's visit today? She says she's so stressed and overwhelmed by
everything that's happening to her she doesn't want to talk politics. But she did say that she hopes this incoming administration will not cut
funding for all of the victims who so desperately need it.
Now, currently, there are a couple of recovery centers around Los Angeles, and there's going to be one opening here in Altadena on Monday, where
they're going to have representatives from local, state, and federal agencies, including FEMA, as a bit of a one stop shop to help people, walk
them through the process to make sure that they can get the funding that they need as long as it is available. Jessica.
DEAN: And, Veronica, President Trump, of course, going to touch down there in California, where we're watching there at these live pictures. It
appears that Air Force one is on the ground there.
[18:05:00]
But, of course, the governor of California, Gavin Newsom, and Trump have sparred with each other. Newsom has certainly been a foil to Trump. And
he's there. Well, what are we expecting to see in terms of that relationship?
MIRACLE: Well, Governor Newsom over at least the past week, last couple of weeks, while these fires have been raging, he has expressed his interest in
working with the Trump administration to really help the victims in need, trying to put that first instead of, you know, the political differences
that they've had.
Just yesterday Governor Gavin Newsom, he approved and signed $2.5 billion in relief. So, that'll be state funding that'll go to the victims. But of
course, he has expressed interest in working with the federal government to get more aid for those victims here.
DEAN: Right. All right. So, Veronica, we're going to continue to monitor this. Are we expecting -- I know the president is going to do a flyover of
some of those areas. Are we expecting him to meet with any of the victims as well?
MIRACLE: At this point, according to his schedule, he'll have the flyer over -- flyover rather, and he'll be meeting with local representatives,
state representatives here. In terms of victims, that is not clear, but it is highly possible. Jessica.
DEAN: All right. Veronica Miracle there in Altadena, California. Thank you so much. Let's turn now to Larry Sabato. He's the director of the Center
for Politics at the University of Virginia. Larry, great to see you.
We are waiting for the president to come off of Air Force One there in Los Angeles, California. He's preparing to tour around these fire ravaged areas
where so many people have lost everything they have. We're here on a Friday, Larry, we're really starting to see the impact of President Trump's
first days back in office speaking about California, he says he wants -- he's thinking about conditioning aid to the State of California for these
wildfires, he floated the idea today of getting rid of FEMA. Should any of these things be surprising to anyone at this point?
LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Well, it's Trump, so you should never be surprised about anything. But on the
other hand, this is totally out of the American character, and even what took place mainly during Trump's first term. It's unheard of for a
president to turn a disaster into an opportunity to score partisan points, which he did in North Carolina.
For a while, it looked like a Republican rally and he was talking about how bad President Biden was. And we don't do these things. Natural disasters
are an opportunity for unity. And usually Democratic and Republican officials turn up and join hands and say good things and try to comfort the
victims, but that's not Donald Trump's way.
Now, North Carolina went fine because it's a red state. Yes, he had the Democratic governor there, but mainly he was surrounded by Republicans and
evangelicals and so on. Now, California is another thing entirely.
Fortunately for California, Trump did better in 2024 than he did in his two prior presidential races. And I understand people are pointing that out to
him, to curry favor with him. But it's really not the way the system is supposed to work. And the idea of destroying FEMA is just absurd. You need
a national perspective on these national -- natural disasters.
Think about Hurricane Katrina, Jessica, back during President George W. Bush's second term. Louisiana, a good piece of it, not just New Orleans,
was wiped out. You needed tens and hundreds of billions of dollars to recover, and the State of Louisiana never would have been able to afford it
or run that operation. You needed FEMA. You needed all the states pooling their money to help Louisiana. So, the idea that every state is going to
run its own natural disaster recovery efforts really is just in orbit.
DEAN: It is interesting as you're talking. I'm thinking back to Hurricane Sandy, Superstorm Sandy, when we saw Chris Christie hugging Barack Obama. I
mean, you're talking about that's kind of what we typically see in these disaster zones when the president comes to visit.
But of course, Donald Trump is his own man and there's a million reasons why that we could tick them all off. And you can't help but think about
politics, unfortunately, at this moment, because you have Donald Trump about to get off this airplane, Air Force One, and see Gavin Newsom, who
he's been calling Gavin New-scum, and -- oh, there's the president there right now with First Lady Melania Trump. They have arrived in Los Angeles,
California.
[18:10:00]
And again, the two of them are going to be surveying damage from those historically horrific and damaging fires that we saw just a couple of weeks
ago, burning a swath of land bigger than Manhattan, just absolutely leveling homes. You see him shaking hands there with California's governor,
Gavin Newsom.
As I was just saying to Larry, these two have certainly traded a lot of barbs. And Trump has really criticized him for the response, California's
response to this fire. And has, again, earlier today, talked about conditioning aid, which would mean he floated convincing them to pass a
voter ID law and also, some -- changing some policy around water flow there.
But again, President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump there with California's Governor Gavin Newsom. It looks like they're walking over the
pool. Let's see if the President does talk. Let's listen for a second.
TRUMP: North Carolina, a little while ago we have that in very good shape. We have the congressman in charge and Michael Whatley and we're going to do
a lot of work. We have the Army Corps of Engineers working as they are here. And I think you're going to see some very big progress. They left him
high and dry, and now we're going to be taking a little tour with some of the people from the area.
I appreciate the governor coming out and meeting me. Kevin, thank you very much. And we'll be talking a little bit. We want to get it fixed. We want
to get the problem fixed. And there'll be some ways. It's like you got hit by a bomb, right?
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): Yes.
TRUMP: Like you got hit by a bomb. Would you like to say something?
NEWSOM: Most importantly, thank you for being here. It means a great deal to all of us. Not just the folks in Palisades, the folks in Altadena that
were devastated. We're going to need your support. We're going to need your help. You were there for us during COVID. I don't forget that. And I have
all the expectations that we'll be able to work together to get this speedy recovery.
TRUMP: We're rolling. We got to get it done. Tremendous numbers of lives have been affected. A lot of real estate's been affected. Nobody's ever
probably seen anything like this. You can almost say since the Second World War, when you think of it. I mean, nothing like this has happened. And
we're going to get it fixed. We'll get it permanently fixed so it can't happen again.
And again, we'll be talking a little bit later and we're going to work it out, OK?
NEWSOM: I appreciate it, Mr. President.
TRUMP: Thank you.
NEWSOM: Thank you. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President, you have disagreed a lot over the past week over what has happened in this state? How do you plan to --
TRUMP: We've got to get it finished. We're looking to get something completed, and the way you get it completed is to work together. He's the
governor of this state, and we're going to get it completed. They're going to need a lot of federal help. Unless you don't need any, which would be
OK.
NEWSOM: We're going to need a lot of federal help.
TRUMP: So, we're going to take care of things, OK?
NEWSOM: I have all the confidence in the world we'll work that out.
TRUMP: Thank you both. Thank you. I guess some of you are coming with us and some of you not. Thank you very much. Thank you. I'll see you --
DEAN: Kind of a -- just a remarkable moment there, watching Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, governor of California, President Donald Trump, again, shaking
hands. I think Larry Sabato is still here with us.
But, Larry, we did see them coming together and it was a much more positive words that were said than what we heard from President Trump earlier today
about California and federal aid. There was that moment where he said, unless you don't need anything and that'd be fine too. But you could tell
Governor Newsom trying very much to remind President Trump how much his presence matters and how much the federal aid is going to matter.
SABATO: Absolutely. And look, all governors and for that matter, foreign heads of state know how to deal with Trump. You praise him, you make him
feel as important as possible and you say he's brilliant. Do whatever you need to do and he will turn nicer.
I will say this for Trump, he has an amazing ability to turn from nasty to nasty nice and occasionally to nice. You can be an enemy one minute, and
you're a frenemy the next. You never quite get to friend, but he can move quickly from one posture to another.
Of course, the instant Newsom leaves, I guarantee you he will be nasty again. That's just the way Trump is.
DEAN: I know it was really interesting to watch that play out. But the president did seem, at least in this moment -- and, Larry, you make a great
point. We have to take it in this moment and for what that's worth. But at that moment, he was able to shake hands, be nice. And also, I think most
importantly for the people of California, express his commitment to trying to help them. He said he wants to make it better. He wants to fix it.
[18:15:00]
But this is -- you know, I was saying, while we were watching him come down, the scale of destruction in Los Angeles. I mean, people have
described it as -- you know, in terms of its Impact obviously very different situations, but in terms of affecting so many people like a 9/11
for Los Angeles in a lot of ways in terms of how long it's going to take to come back and the amount of damage and the amount of trauma that it's
inflicted upon a lot of people. You know, that's going to take a lot of cooperation between local state federal government.
SABATO: And sustained cooperation. That's always the problem, not just with Trump, but I think especially with Trump. Because this has got to extend
over many months, probably years, the rebuilding, which means the money infusion has to continue. Well, it's hard when you're a liberal Democratic
governor of California and you're dealing with a conservative Republican president to keep things on a happy, even keel for years.
I don't know that it's possible. And Trump -- it isn't just the governor, it is also the new U.S. Senator from California, Adam Schiff, who was a
member of the January 6th Committee. And Trump hates him. He loathes him. And he spends as much time attacking Schiff as he does the governor. So,
there are a lot of complications here.
But you know what's different, Jessica? In the past, even though politicians always think about politics, that's how they relate to people,
and even disasters. Disasters were about the victims, and you have presidents come and governors come to the sites to comfort the victims.
They're supposed to be the center of the action. But not this time.
DEAN: All right. Well, we'll watch again as he's scheduled to take a helicopter ride and fly over some of that damage. Larry Sabato, director
for Center -- for the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. Always great to have you, Larry. Thank you.
SABATO: Thank you. Jessica.
DEAN: The Trump administration is also moving quickly to implement new immigration policies, including deportation flights. The White House
releasing these photos showing migrants handcuffed and boarding a military aircraft. And in Mexico, temporary shelters are being built to house people
evicted from the United States.
The mayor of Newark, New Jersey is accusing federal immigration officials of misconduct. He says his city was, quote, "unlawfully terrorized."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAS BARAKA, MAYOR OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY: Obviously, some ICE agents raided a business in our city without a warrant. They went in the back of the
establishment. We believe that there were three people who they say were undocumented that they detained, but they also detained folks that were, in
fact, citizens of this country. One person showed their military veteran identification and was still questioned anyway.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: Raul Reyes is an attorney and a CNN opinion writer. Thank you so much for being here with us. I just want to start first, these photos that the
White House is putting out, it is not an accident. They're clearly meant to put a chilling effect across the country and beyond. What did you gather
from those photos? Again, just to give people some context, it's not abnormal for migrants who are being deported to be handcuffed. What was
deeply abnormal about this was the military planes that they were being put on and transported by.
RAUL REYES, ATTORNEY AND CNN OPINION WRITER: Right. What we're seeing here with these pictures of the deportation flights in the White House saying
that deportation flights have started is an example of how the administration is willing to use immigration, obviously, for political
purposes, because the truth is, over the last five years, and this is according to Department of Homeland Security statistics, there have been
1,778 deportation flights. These flights occurred even during the COVID pandemic.
This may be -- the images we're seeing may be the first time they are being done on military flights -- using military aircraft, but deportation
flights occurred under President Biden, under President Obama and during the first Trump administration. So, they are a bit misleading in that
regard.
DEAN: Right. Let's talk about ending birthright citizenship. That's another big piece of Trump's policies. It's already being challenged in court.
Obviously, this could affect a number of people beyond those who are here illegally.
REYES: Right, right. I think for many people, when, as we discuss, the issue of birthright citizenship, they automatically think about
undocumented people who might have children here. But the way this order is written, and it's written very broadly, it would also impact the children
potentially born to anyone here, say, on an employment visa or even a tourist visa.
[18:20:00]
And there are many people, for example, in the Silicon Valley, high tech workers who come from foreign countries to work in their fields, sometimes
on renewable contracts that could go for 10 or 12 years. It's almost inevitable that they will start a life here and have children. And this
injects an element of an uncertainty into what will happen to their kids.
Now, I have to say, there's really no sound legal argument in favor of Trump's executive order. It's, you know, part of the 14th Amendment. It's
been upheld for over 157 years by the Supreme Court. But just the idea that it is now being discussed again, I think shows how -- again, how this
administration is using immigration in a strategic way, perhaps making people question that what it means to be an American and what it means and
looking at themselves and others and questioning their parentage.
DEAN: And kind of to your point about just the legality of this -- the president of the United States can't unilaterally change the Constitution.
REYES: Right, right, right, right. Exactly.
DEAN: It doesn't work that way.
REYES: Right. That's a really high legal hurdle for this administration to clear, because it's -- as I said, it's in the Constitution. It's settled
law. If the country did decide that we wanted to end birthright citizenship, it would take a Constitutional amendment and require Congress
and then approval from, I believe, three quarters of the states, which is clearly not the case here.
And I think it's worth mentioning also that, you know, with the current Supreme Court that we have where this case will surely end up, under
different circumstances, I would say it's pretty sure thing that they would strike it down, but we have a Supreme Court here in the U.S. that has shown
a willingness, for example, on abortion to upend precedent that existed for decades. So, it's not a sure thing.
I think the way the order is written right now, it's also perspective. It will only affect children born, say, after February 19th. But in the
unlikely event that the Supreme Court upheld it, we could see then Trump -- the Trump administration issue another executive order that expanded its
scope and maybe perhaps start examining past -- extend the orders to be more retroactive, which would involve the denaturalization of citizens.
That might sound like a wild idea, but in 2018, in the first Trump administration, they actually had what was called the Denaturalization Task
Force, which looked at -- look decades back and looked at people's citizenship applications, tried to find fraud or any material reason to
take away citizenship.
So, this is something that all Americans, certainly people in the immigrant community should be concerned about.
DEAN: All right. Raul Reyes, attorney and CNN opinion writer, thank you so much for your time. We appreciate it.
REYES: Thank you.
DEAN: Straight ahead, we're going to have more on President Trump's visits to fire ravaged Los Angeles and storm hit North Carolina.
Plus, the future of U.S.-North Korean relations during Trump 2.0. Experts believe a high-level summit could be in the cards later this year. We'll
have a report from Asia. That's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:25:00]
DEAN: Welcome back. A Friday pullback on Wall Street topping today's Money Move. All the major U.S. averages finishing the session lower with the S&P
500 pulling back from record highs. But that said, stocks finished in the green for a second week in a row. Investors gearing up for a slew of high-
profile earnings next week. Some of the biggest names in tech, including Microsoft, Meta, Tesla, and Apple, all set to report quarterly results.
Stocks mostly higher in Asia, a bit of weakness in Japan though, as it's Central Bank rose interest rates by a quarter percentage point. Chinese
stocks higher after President Trump said he would rather not impose new tariffs on China.
In other business news today, the World Economic Forum has wrapped up after a whirlwind five days of discussions on the economic and political road
ahead. Richard Quest was in Davos, Switzerland. And while there, he spoke to Robin Vince, the CEO of financial services giant BNY, about the outlook
for global growth.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBIN VINCE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, BNY: We don't know that growth is going to happen. It's not a foregone conclusion. And so, one of the things
that countries, I think, are going to grapple with, which is what CEOs of businesses have had to grapple with for a long time, is that you have to
get all of the pieces lined up and everybody pointing in the same direction.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR-AT-LARGE AND CNN ANCHOR, QUEST MEANS BUSINESS: The new emphasis on crypto and cryptocurrency, now at BNY, you
have put an emphasis into that in recent years with all the challenges that come with it. Do you see that as being a good growth area as we work out
the machinations of regulation?
VINCE: We're investing in it because we think it can be interesting. We think the opportunity for the technology, the smart contracts, the ability
to make financial markets more efficient, that's exciting. But A.I. is exciting too. And so, it's not the only innovation that we've got to keep
an eye on.
QUEST: The plus and the minus of your job is you're the CEO, and therefore, the buck stops with you. That's both the good and the bad in a sense,
because it means I get to throw -- you can't say it's above my pay grade.
The change on things like social policies, DEI and the like, that we've seen many companies reversing DEI initiatives, policies, procedures. What
are you going to do at BNY?
VINCE: Our objective is not to try to dictate social policy in the U.S. We have elected officials who get to be able to steer the country forward.
What we're doing is steering our company and doing it in a way where we've got the whole team part of that journey and excited about it.
QUEST: But when we've had a last -- goodness knows how many years, of companies adding specific HR policies, specific rules. And I -- you know,
over breakfast this morning, I read the EO on DEI, to forgive all the abbreviations. And I read it and it's quite clear what the elected
officials are now going to do. But individual corporations now have to decide what they want to do in terms of the policies put forward.
VINCE: But what's a corporate purpose for us? It's to ultimately be able to do an amazing job for our clients, be able to generate the return for our
shareholders and do it in a way where our team is excited about the mission.
And so, if you're going to be a great company, you've got to have a great team and you've got to have the team be excited. And so, that's what we're
doing. We're creating a culture inside the company where people want to belong.
QUEST: Hours worked monitoring that for younger staff?
VINCE: Of course. We want to make sure that people come into the office most of the time, but we also want balance. At the end of the year, we did
a two weeks of recharge. We encouraged our people not to work from the office for two weeks. We encourage them to be able to have a better
vacation or have a better quality of life with friends and family over the holiday.
Yes, we want them to work super intensely during the year, but we also want them to be able to have a balance and be able to recharge at the end of the
year. That's been very popular with our people.
QUEST: I'm sure that's right. Time to go to the board. What -- first of all, you get to choose the color.
VINCE: Oh, I'm a blue guy.
QUEST: What's your one word to describe the next four years as we go into it with the new administration in Washington?
[18:30:00]
VINCE: Well, look, I think it's inherent on us as leaders to try to be a little bit optimistic about the world. So, maybe my backup word would be
optimism. But at the end of the day, what is the thing that powers everything else that we need in order to be able to pay for the other
things that we want as we bring everybody along on the journey? It's growth.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DEAN: All right. We'll be right back. Stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DEAN: And returning to our top story this hour, President Donald Trump making a whirlwind tour of states grappling with recent natural disasters.
Right now, the president is in Los Angeles, where wildfires have killed more than two dozen people. And just hours ago, he was in North Carolina,
visiting communities there, still rebuilding from Hurricane Helene.
And right now, you are looking at a helicopter flying over the damaged parts of Los Angeles. President Trump is in one of those helicopters
surveying the damage. California's Governor Gavin Newsom was there to greet President Trump on the tarmac. He's there with First Lady Melania Trump.
Again, during that moment, the two, who have obviously been at odds many times, shook hands. The president saying that he wanted to make sure that
everything was taken care of there in California. Singing a very different tune than we heard from him earlier today when he said that perhaps he
would condition aid to California. He and Governor Newsom pledging to work together to make sure people can rebuild. So, we're going to keep an eye on
that.
In the meantime, we have Nick Watt, who is there in Los Angeles. And, Nick, we were just looking at live pictures of the president's helicopter going
over some of those areas. What more can you tell us from the ground?
NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jessica, we just saw Marine One, the President's helicopter, fly that way towards Pacific Palisades. He will be
taking an aerial tour, then he'll be on the ground walking around what was known as the Alphabet Streets, one of those parts of the Pacific Palisades
that now looks like a hellscape. It has been completely destroyed.
[18:35:00]
Then the president is going to have a roundtable in the firehouse with some local politicians. That could get interesting because, as you said, there
is an issue between the president and the governor of this, the most populous state in the country.
Governor Gavin Newsom is kind of an emblem of the blue resistance to the reinvigorated MAGA movement now that President Trump is back in the White
House. And these two men have history, they don't get along.
Now, the most interesting issue today is definitely President Trump saying that he might condition federal aid to California on two things. One,
California bringing in voter ID laws. Remember President Trump has long banged this drum that elections aren't free and fair. And he's also saying
that California must release the water.
Now, President Trump has this theory that Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a document, a document which in fact doesn't exist, that keeps fresh water
in the north of California in order to preserve the habitat of a small fish called the smelt. President Trump calls it a worthless fish.
Now, Trump argues that if that fresh water had come down to Southern California they would have had enough water to fight the fires here and
they wouldn't have been as bad. Many experts tell us that just is frankly not true, that they are two entirely separate issues, that Southern
California actually has more than the average levels of water in reservoirs right now, that the issue is there's just no municipal firefighting system
on Earth that could have handled the ferocity of the flames that we saw here. So, this is going to go back and forth.
And actually, interestingly, the lady who used to live in this house right behind me just stopped by and had a chat with us. And she said, please
don't make this about Trump vs. Newsom. We just want aid. But, unfortunately, a large part of this story now is about Trump versus Newsom,
whether we like it or not.
And if President Trump is going to condition FEMA aid, that means that some people who have lost a lot might have to wait a little bit longer or might
not get what they would normally get. So, it's kind of misery on misery, people trying not to make it a political issue But unfortunately right now
it is. Jessica.
DEAN: Especially when you're talking about that federal aid. But, Nick, you drive home an important point, which is there are thousands of people,
fellow Americans, who are suffering immeasurably right now and they need and deserve all the help they can get to get back on their feet. Nick Watt
in Los Angeles. Thank you very much for that.
Team Rubicon is a humanitarian nonprofit that's based in Los Angeles. It's led by veterans and we're joined now by its chairman and co-founder Jake
Wood. Jake, thanks so much for being here with us. We were just hearing from Nick kind of describing the situation. I know you and your team have
been in action since this all started a couple of weeks ago. Give us kind of the up to date what it looks like right now state of play for you all
and where the need is highest and what you're seeing there on the ground.
JAKE WOOD, CHAIRMAN AND CO-FOUNDER, TEAM RUBICON: Yes, well, thank you for having me. Obviously, this is a devastating disaster that happened right in
our backyard as an L.A.-based humanitarian organization.
You know, our teams at Team Rubicon have been plugged in with the Emergency Operations Center, the Offices of Emergency Management since the hours
after the fire started. And we've been out assisting both police and fire in helping to assist them with their responsibilities.
Primarily, right now, some of the things that we're doing, helping police department to man checkpoints, distributing information to homeowners that
are looking to return, distributing personal protective equipment and helping them to safely re-access their homes, again, because of that high
level of toxicity.
I think 1 of the things we're most concerned about right now that we're scrambling to work toward is mitigating what's called a fire to flood
risks. A lot of undergrowth has been burned along these hillsides and with the rainy season coming up here for L.A. and Southern California. Of
course, we don't know how, you know, heavy, those rains will be, but the risk of flash floods and mudslides post tremendous danger over the coming
months.
And so, we're working to help mitigate that with all the necessary agencies to, again, you know, protect these communities, you know, over the course
of the next couple of months.
DEAN: Yes. And I did want to ask you about that because there is rain forecasted for this weekend. There is the potential for mudslides. And I
hear you when you say that is a serious risk. What can you do? How are you helping people prepare for this?
WOOD: Yes, we're really looking at sandbagging operations right now. So, how is it that we can, you know, fortify these hillsides? How is it that we
can redirect those water flows? Again, in coordination with different agencies, Department of Water and Power, the Army Corps of Engineers.
Again, they have experts in that we're really just following their guidance and doing that heavy lifting to execute this really critical and necessary
task with our teams of volunteers. Again, as you mentioned, mostly made up of military veterans and first responders.
[18:40:00]
DEAN: Yes. And we're just looking at images right now while you're talking. This is going to be a massive yearlong to make these communities whole
again. And I would imagine it's going to take these public, governmental, private, nonprofit partnerships really kind of working all together. I hear
that you're saying you're following the lead of some of these, trying to work with these agencies as well.
How confident are you that that can happen and that these people can be made whole again?
WOOD: Well, listen, disasters are complex. And you need coordination at the federal, state, and local level across, you know, the public and private
sector. Disasters, though, they start locally and they end locally. And so, it's really going to be incumbent on the local governments, you know,
ensuring that, you know, the right regulatory regimes are put in place, that they are coordinating with necessary officials, getting the resources
that they have available to them under things like the Stafford Act to execute this recovery.
And then, obviously, a lot of this is going to come through public support. How is -- or how are these communities going to rise up, come together,
rebuild, not just the physical infrastructure, but really the fabric of these communities, that glue that held them together before these fires
raged through their town.
DEAN: Yes. And just one more note too, you mentioned the toxicity of everything, that has to be a huge piece of what you're trying to manage as
well, because you have to keep everybody safe as you do this.
WOOD: It's a huge concern. I mean, as a military veteran myself, I often try to help direct people toward framing this through that lens of toxic
burn pit exposure, which is a huge issue for post 9/11 veterans or what first responders went through in the aftermath of 9/11.
People need to take this toxicity very seriously. They need to wear the necessary personal protective equipment. And of course, we need to protect
our waterways, our agricultural communities, you know, from these toxins getting washed into our water basins, out into our beautiful oceans. We
have a lot of work cut out for us. And again, it's going to be kind of a whole of government, whole of community effort.
DEAN: All right. Jake Wood, Team Rubicon chairman and co-founder, thanks for all the work you're doing and good luck. We need people like you doing
it. Thank you so much.
We're going to have more "First Move" after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DEAN: President Donald Trump saying in an interview released this week that he will reach out to North Korean leader Kim Jong un during his first
administration. Mr. Trump made history by becoming the first sitting U.S. president to enter North Korea.
[18:45:00]
As of now, diplomatic efforts have stalled. Will Ripley has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TRUMP: I'll give you an example, Kim Jong Un.
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Some of President Donald Trump's proudest moments, these historic summits with
North Korea's leader, full of made for TV moments. Their first handshake. The garden stroll. Comparing armored limousines and security details.
Groundbreaking diplomacy that temporarily dialed back tensions.
From this --
TRUMP: They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.
RIPLEY (voice-over): -- to this.
TRUMP: I have great respect for Chairman Kim and I have great respect for this country.
RIPLEY (voice-over): In a new interview, Trump is again touting his personal relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
TRUMP: I solved that problem, and I got along with him. He's not a religious zealot. He happens to be a smart guy. Kim Jong un is a smart guy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You'll reach out to him again.
TRUMP: I will.
CHAD O'CARROLL, CEO AND FOUNDER, KOREA RISK GROUP: I think we're going to see a summit before the end of the year.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Longtime Korea watcher Chad O'Carroll says Trump 2.0 could bring a flurry of new U.S.-North Korea diplomacy.
RIPLEY: What do you think Kim would do differently this time when it comes to Trump?
O'CARROLL: I think he would expect the U.S. to come to North Korea. I think he's not going to leave the country. I think he would expect Trump to visit
Pyongyang or his massive new resort facility in Wonsan that incidentally features state function level facilities.
RIPLEY: After more than 24 hours of waiting at this luxury resort for senior North Korean military officials --
RIPLEY (voice-over): I was in Wonsan when Kim's beachfront luxury hotels were still under construction. Trump even floated the idea of developing
property there at their first summit in Singapore in 2018.
TRUMP: They have great beaches. I said, boy, look at that beach. Wouldn't that make a great condo?
RIPLEY (voice-over): Critics mocked that idea, underscoring Trump's transactional approach to diplomacy with North Korea, despite three face-
to-face meetings and a flurry of so-called love letters --
TRUMP: I just got a great letter from Kim Jong Un.
RIPLEY (voice-over): -- diplomacy during Trump's first term fell apart.
Today, North Korea's nuclear program is arguably stronger than ever. And Kim is arguably closer than ever to Russian President Vladimir Putin, even
supplying thousands of North Korean soldiers for Putin's war in Ukraine and perhaps more to come.
RIPLEY: Especially given everything we've seen with this pivot to Russia and Putin. How does Trump and the U.S. still have value for the North
Koreans?
O'CARROLL: Because if you were Kim Jong Un, you're never going to get an opportunity like this probably for a very long time to have a leader like
Trump.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DEAN: Will, thank you. Still come, inauguration week in Washington in more ways than one. We'll introduce you to the cuddly new giant pandas making
their public debut at the National Zoo.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:50:00]
DEAN: Welcome back. And today's sports move, a surprising exit from the Australian Open Tennis Tournament. Novak Djokovic retired during his
semifinal match against Alexander Zverev due to a leg injury. Some fans booed him as he left the court and Zverev came to his defense.
Patrick Snell joining us now. Tell us more about this, Patrick.
PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Hi Jessica. Yes, extraordinary scenes. I'm watching it live down under in Melbourne, the semifinals. Novak Djokovic,
he'd been hampered by a strain to his left leg, a tear to the left leg, we understand, in his quarter final four-set victory over Spanish phenom
Carlos Alcaraz, and it -- he'd come out all kind of strapped up was that left leg. It definitely impacted his play. Jessica. No question.
He was moving freely, I will say, for the most part he will probably finish -- he should have won that first set. He was in control at the times. But
in the end, it went to the tiebreaker and it would be an uncharacteristic error actually when he was right at the net at the chance to prolong that
tiebreaker, he makes the uncharacteristic error into the net and it is a victory for Alexander Zverev.
Of course, Novak Djokovic was going for a record 25th Grand Slam singles title. No player in the history of the sport has ever got to 25. The match
ending very abruptly there. Djokovic coming around to Zverev's side of the court, shaking his hands, embracing. These two are close friends.
But then, as Djokovic started to basically move away from the court, there was some booing ringing out from some members of the fans there in
Melbourne Park. And that was not good as far as Zverev was concerned. Take a listen now for the message Zverev had for the fans in question.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEXANDER ZVEREV, GERMAN SECOND SEED: Please guys don't boo a player when he goes out with an injury. You got to understand, Novak Djokovic is
somebody that has given this sport for the past 20 years absolutely everything of his life. And he has won this tournament with an abdominal
tear, he has won this tournament with a hamstring tear. If he cannot continue a tennis match, it really means that he cannot continue a tennis
match. So, please be respectful and really show some love for Novak as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNELL: Yes. So, what did Djokovic have to say afterwards, Jessica? Well, he was saying, look, even if I'd won that first set he felt that he would have
been struggling, didn't have enough in the tank hampered by the injury, no energy. Full credits to Zverev. He's through to another Grand Slam men's
singles final.
DEAN: Oh, my goodness. And we're just hours away now from the women's final, where history will be made regardless of who wins. What do you make
of that matchup?
SNELL: Yes, I'll have to stay up really late if I'm to watch this one, Jessica. They're like 3:30 a.m. Eastern time here in the U.S. But look, so
much at stake ahead of Saturday's women's final down under in Melbourne. World number one Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus looking to become just the
sixth woman in history to win three consecutive Aussie Open titles. Hasn't been done before in over a quarter of a century.
Now, in a sense, all the pressure, I think, is on Sabalenka. Jessica, she's the favorite, standing in her way as a player who's never won a Grand Slam
title before. But what a player she is, the American Madison Keys, looking for her own piece of history by lifting her first Grand Slam trophy. She
hopes it would be huge for Keys. 29-year-old from Illinois. Must be feeling she's getting closer, she hopes, to that first major breakthrough victory.
She was a finalist at the U.S. Open in New York. That was back in 2017. But, Jessica, what she would give for her breakthrough major victory. We're
just counting down the hours now as we speak. Jessica, right back to you.
DEAN: All right. I hope you have lots of strong coffee. Patrick Snell, thank you so much.
SNELL: The pot is brewing.
DEAN: Good. The relationship between China and the U.S. has gotten more and more tense in recent years. And now, two very special ambassadors are
looking to help to smooth things over. Two giant pandas who traveled all the way from China to Washington back in October, finally making their
public debut just hours ago. They're the latest members of China's panda diplomacy, and David Culver caught an early glimpse of how they're settling
in at the National Zoo.
DAVID CULVER, CNN NATIONAL U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: All right. We're going to go see Baoli and Qingbao here at the National Zoo. I haven't seen
them since China.
MARIEL LALLY, GIANT PANDA KEEPER, NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK: We're going to go behind the scenes.
CULVER: OK.
LALLY: We're going to see Baoli first. He's out. Baoli.
CULVER: There he is.
LALLY: Good boy.
CULVER: Oh, there he is. Oh, my gosh. Target. I don't know what I was expecting to feel, but this is incredible.
LALLY: He's pretty amazing. Can you put this paw here? Nope, your paw. Good boy.
CULVER: Mariel, He's so sweet.
LALLY: He is extremely sweet. Paw. Good. Like, almost unusually sweet.
CULVER: How amazing is it to have pandas back here?
[18:55:00]
LALLY: It's incredible. And at first, I was, you know, are we going to love them as much as we loved Mei Xiang and Tian Tian? But the answer is yes. I
know. Are you ready to go inside? You can go inside. All right.
CULVER: He's so sweet. Hi. He's so sweet. Oh, my god.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DEAN: Very, very cute there. If you need your extra panda fix, you can tune in for a new episode of CNN's The Whole Story: Operation Panda. It airs
this Sunday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
And finally, on "First Move," this week's rare record snowfall in Texas forced the Houston Zoo to close for a few days, but the Winter Wonderland
bringing some of the animals outside for a little bit of fun. You're looking at a young Asian elephant named Teddy who went for a nice little
jog in the snow, as his keeper tried to keep up. A pride of lions seemed a little unsure of what to do with the snow
That deep freeze that swept across southern states from Texas to the Carolinas this week will stick around through Sunday. Yes, they're not used
to it. It looks like me in the snow. Some -- it's not for some of us. It's OK.
That's just going to wrap up the show. Thanks so much for joining us today. Have a great weekend.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:00:00]
END