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Quest Means Business
At Least Five Dead, 2,000 Structures Destroyed In LA Fires; State Funeral Held For 39th President Jimmy Carter; Strong Winds Fueling Los Angeles Fires; 115-Year-old Altadena Golf Course Destroyed By Eaton Fire; Canadian PM Justin Trudeau Speaks To CNN After Announcing Resignation; Venezuelan Opposition Leader Claims "Violently Intercepted" During Protest. Aired 4-5p ET
Aired January 09, 2025 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[16:00:49]
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Intense winds may pick up again this evening in Los Angeles creating new challenges for firefighters.
The Venezuelan opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado is detained at a protest in Caracas.
And Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with our Jake Tapper.
Live from New York, it is Thursday, January 9th. US stock markets are closed for the state funeral of former President Jimmy Carter.
I'm Paula Newton, in for Richard Quest and this is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.
A very good evening to you tonight. The most destructive fire in the history of Los Angeles has exploded in size, and it is still completely
uncontained.
The Palisades Fire has grown to nearly 7,000 hectares. That's about 70 square kilometers, scorching the seaside area between Malibu and Santa
Monica and that's just one of five major infernos tearing through the area at this hour, leaving 180,000 people in Los Angeles County under evacuation
orders, many more are on warning. Five people are confirmed to have died so far. The county sheriff saying he expects that number to rise.
CNN's Kyung Lah has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
YVETTE ANDERSON, HOME DESTROYED IN EATON FIRE: My kitchen table, my living room table right there, my stove and everything.
KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Finally able to return home in Altadena, Yvette Anderson is finding an entire life's
possessions gone.
ANDERSON: There's nothing. There's nothing left. I literally just have the clothes on my back. There's nothing. I thought I would come back home and
find something, but there is nothing here.
LAH (voice over): Her story repeated for miles across this middle class community in Northeast Los Angeles to the Palisades.
CHIEF KRISTIN CROWLEY, LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPARTMENT: It is safe to say that the Palisades Fire is one of the most destructive natural disasters in the
history of Los Angeles.
LAH (voice over): For a third straight day, firefighters across the region face out-of-control infernos. But signs of hope in the battle, water drops
from the air as winds weaken.
CROWLEY: Today, we expect winds to subside somewhat, which will allow fire crews to increase containment lines. However, I want to be very clear here
as well, we are still under red flag warning with extreme fire behavior possibilities.
LAH (voice over): And wide-ranging, five wildfires continue to blaze across the county.
MAYOR KAREN BASS (D) LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: We continue to confront a big one level firestorm.
LAH (voice over): The Palisades Fire has grown to more than 17,000 acres and is zero percent contained. LA's Fire Chief says extreme fire behavior
and wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour are still challenging first responders.
CHRIS GROEL, WORKPLACE DESTROYED IN PALISADES FIRE: It has been, you know, heartbreaking, pretty loss for words.
LAH (voice over): Where once thriving neighborhoods graced the hills, apocalyptic scenes have replaced them.
GROEL: Something this big and this fast that, you know, kind of just wiped out the whole town was something that I personally and I think a lot of
people from around here never saw coming.
LAH (voice over): Nearly 180,000 are under evacuation orders.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's time, mom. Let's get out of the house.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where are the car keys?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mom.
LAH (voice over): Harrowing tales of escape from the Palisades to Rustic Canyon, where this now viral video --
TANNER CHARLES, EVACUEE: Let's all get out of here. We tried, we tried, bro.
LAH (voice over): Capture the moments when Tanner Charles and his friend, Orly Israel made their escape from Israel's burning home.
ORLY ISRAEL, HOME DESTROYED IN PALISADES FIRE: You know, I feel like we fought a losing battle, but we fought it and I am glad we made it out
alive.
SHERIFF ROBERT LUNA, LOS ANGELES COUNTY: Right now, frankly, we don't know yet. We eventually will.
LAH (voice over): But worry is growing across the region. At least five deaths have been confirmed, but officials stress those numbers may rise.
LUNA: At one point, we will be able to do a more thorough search of these impacted areas. Some of them look like a bomb was dropped in them, where we
will be able to bring in K-9s and other things to help us hopefully not discover too many fatalities, that's our prayer, but this is a crisis and
we don't know what to expect.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[16:05:18]
NEWTON: Nick Watt is in Pacific Palisades, California for us again this evening.
I mean, Nick, look, you've been at this really since we saw the first signs of trouble. It is not heartening to hear what the Sheriff just said. What
are you seeing now in terms of the conditions? And what is the danger ahead in the coming hours?
NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, one thing I would say for certain, Paula, is that anger is beginning to rise.
People who have lost their homes are beginning to ask who is going to be held accountable for this? There is a lot of talk about the fire hydrants
running dry here. There is a lot of talk about just not enough firefighters, cuts to the LA City firefighter budget, which the mayor says
had nothing to do with this.
So people are getting angry because, I mean, it is like, if you pull out, look at -- I mean, look at the scene. I mean, this was a whole beautiful
coastal community that frankly, Paula, is gone.
And, you know, now we hear today, you know, they're coming in with 16 arson investigators to try and figure out how this started. They're going to use
a dog that can sniff out accelerants and you know, the death toll, we don't know.
They're going to be going house to house again with dogs, you know, to find out just how many people lost their lives.
We know that the damage overall here is probably in the tens of billions of dollars, but you also wonder how a community like this comes back, you
know, when so much of it is destroyed. The downtown, the neighborhoods, you know, that's the fabric that's just been ripped.
So, you know, I spoke to another guy just down there who was trying to find any keepsakes that he could in the ashes of his home, a home that his
grandparents moved into after the Second World War that's been handed down generation to generation as each generation raised their own kids, he is in
there and he has lost it through no fault of his own, through an Act of God or as I said before, people are looking for someone else to blame other
than the Lord.
It is a terrible, sad, tragic situation. And the other thing we are dealing with now is, you know, this smoke. This is a wildfire, but this is an urban
wildfire. So think of all the plastics and chemicals in these homes that are now going up in smoke and being breathed in by the firefighters and
also by the people coming back trying to figure out if there is anything left to salvage. It is a terrible situation.
I mean, the wind, as you can tell, Paula, has dropped significantly. That is huge. You know, I live a couple of miles that way. We could hear those
planes coming in overnight, all night, dropping the retardant, dropping the water and that was such a comforting sound at this time, to hear those
planes.
So, you know, the winds again, are going to pick up. They are going to blow through Friday, then they are going to pick up again next week, these
infamous Santa Ana Winds that we've heard so much about.
You know, we knew the winds were coming. We knew something was coming. We knew there was going to be a fire. But nobody, Paula, expected it could be
anything like this.
I know people who live around here, you know, my friends and I, we are always like, oh, they'll never let the Palisades burn. I am not saying they
let the Palisades burn, but it is hard to imagine a community that, you know, going up in smoke.
I cover a lot of wildfires in other people's communities. I've had sympathy for them. Now, we have empathy because we've seen it happen here, you know,
where we live. It is going to take a long time for a lot of people to get over this -- Paula.
NEWTON: yes, a major US city there, and the fact that Los Angeles really will never be the same again and so much personal trauma from all of that.
Nick, continue with your great reporting. We appreciate it. And we certainly hope things get better in the next few days. Appreciate it.
Now authorities say they finally made some progress fighting the infernos. That's such good news. Firefighters have prevented the spread of the Eaton
Fire near Pasadena, although this is the key here, it still remains uncontained.
Mayor Karen Bass says air operations, you just heard that from Nick, have led to significant progress in Hollywood. She says the evacuation order
there has now been lifted, and the smaller Woodley Fire has been fully contained at 12 hectares.
Brian Rice is the president of California Professional Firefighters. I thank you for joining us. I cannot imagine what your members have been
through right now.
Can you give us some insight as to what they're facing to come in the next few hours? And if you believe that containment will be significant enough
as we get a break in these winds to really try and get, you know, ahead of these fires.
[16:10:00]
BRIAN RICE, PRESIDENT, CALIFORNIA PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS: I think what you can expect to see from the firefighters, one, the men and women right
now are into this fire by at least 72 hours, plus. They're not going to be taking a break until the wind truly breaks. You're going to see them
through the morning and the afternoon build as strong containment lines as they can, but they're preparing for the wind to pick up later today.
And until the Santa Ana's move all the way through, I don't expect to see real containment numbers until the wind dies down.
And, you know, as we look at this fire, if you look back in the history of California, for me, this is comparable to the 1906 earthquake in California
and the level of catastrophe and disaster here is high. And there is one reason that we are seeing a fire this ferocious. It is the weather. And the
number one piece in the weather is the wind.
This is a wind-driven fire that no matter how many firefighters you put in front of it, until the wind breaks, you're not going to stop it.
NEWTON: Yes, it certainly just seems so futile at times. We saw our own correspondents and people just were having trouble standing up at times,
just the wind was so ferocious. You're talking about trying to fight a fire in hurricane force winds.
What are some of the challenges now, though, that perhaps could have been, you know, planned for? I mean, Nick Watt was talking about the fact that
these hydrants have run dry. I mean, is there anything that you see that could have been done better, even though we perfectly realize that the
firefighters themselves, as you said, they are still out there. They were on the job from the moment this started.
RICE: I think there are some things -- right now, emotions are high and everybody wants answers and I fully understand that, but here is something
that we should all think about.
Our water systems, they were not designed to handle this kind of a catastrophe. And what I want you to think about is think about a
neighborhood with 200 homes in it, and you have a fire front coming to it. Many of these homes in the Palisades, they've prepared for this type of
fire for years. Homeowners put sprinklers out, they do things to impede the approach of the fire. Then they get the evacuation call.
A fire like this is so big that you can't necessarily have firefighters on every fire. But if fire moves through, a home burns down and all of the
sprinklers and the pipes in the homes that have burned down fail. So you have a bunch of open water mains, just free flowing water.
Add into that, you know, 20, 30, 40 fire engines trying to pump off of a fire hydrant and the and the system doesn't have the pressure nor the
capacity to withstand it and what I really want people to understand is, the water that comes out of your faucet at home, whether it is your kitchen
faucet or the inside faucet to flush your toilet, to brush your teeth, to take a shower, that's the same water that comes out of the fire hydrant.
And, you know, it is not just necessarily the fire that failed, it is the plumbing system in the individual homes. If it is a gravity-fed system in
areas that's going to have an electrical component to open and close valves, if it is an electrically pumped system, fire impinges and makes
everything fail. It makes the electrical infrastructure fail. It makes the communication infrastructure fail, and it affects the water supply system,
too.
And I know that our elected leaders and officials are going to look at everything. It is too soon to cast blame or try to find responsibility.
Right now, for me, as the president of California Firefighters, I have thousands of men and women on the line and they are moving and working hard
to get Californians out of harm's way. That is our focus right now.
And I think what we are going to see with this, it is like any disaster, there are always failures. The job is what worked? What didn't work? Fix
it. If there is a break in the system or a weakness in the system, identify it and fix it.
But right now, the most important thing people can do, and you guys touched on it, if you don't live in the area, stay out. If you're within an
evacuation zone, be prepared. Know where your pets are, know where your kids are, have your valuables ready to go.
But the biggest part of it is, don't breathe that smoke. It is a toxic soup and it is very dangerous for firefighters. We don't even have the
technology yet to have wildland or urban interface respiratory protection. We do for structural fires. It is very cumbersome. And you can't -- you
know, you can't move around in a neighborhood setting with that kind of gear on and the community is breathing the same smoke that we are, and it
is carcinogenic.
The International Agency on Cancer Research has named firefighting a cancer-causing occupation and we see that in the number of firefighter
deaths.
So my big caution for folks, don't go sightseeing. If you can smell the smoke, you're breathing the smoke and it is dangerous for you, stay out of
it.
[16:15:11]
NEWTON: In fact, the air quality in the area was some of the worst on the planet in the last 24 hours.
Brian, I have to ask you, obviously, firefighters, first responders, they go to this and they are heartbroken with every structure, home that they
can't save. What are some of them going through on a personal level right now? Because a lot of them will have family members that have been
evacuated or maybe about to be evacuated, or even, unfortunately, homes, businesses that were lost.
RICE: We have firefighters on the frontline right now that have lost homes in in the Palisades Fire area. We are working to get those identified. The
California Fire Foundation, I am also the president of the State Union, but the chair of the foundation, we work hard in the community not just to
provide community relief, but also support firefighters and their families.
There is a big effort going on. What are they going through? We are firefighters. We don't lose. We don't like to lose. And this is tough. I
was in Paradise and I was on the ground within 20 hours and it is a very emotional event.
And then, you know, you interact with the community or you have a community member ask, can you check my home and you know, if you're in a position to
be able to do that, there is nothing worse than letting somebody know that their home is not standing or take a cell phone picture of a mailbox in
front of a burned out house.
The men and women on the fire line are staying focused on the job and their job right now, and their mission is to make sure lives are saved and then
make sure property is saved.
We take this very, very personally, and what helps us the most is to know our community is behind us. We know that our elected leaders are behind us,
and that's what keeps us going and that is what is going to make the Palisades and Altadena and all of these areas resilient, we stick together.
We will figure out what went wrong, we will correct those problems.
But right now, the main focus is a community that lives there. Get them safe, get the firefighters the things that they need to put the fire out
and support them.
And you know, for me, you know, Godspeed to these communities and the men and women on the front line, just stay the course and they are going to be
at this without a break, probably through late Saturday maybe into Sunday.
NEWTON: As you said, without a break and I do want to point out that they have saved so many lives just in the early hours of this, when things were
gridlocked, telling people, get out of your cars and get away, it is so life-saving in the first few hours.
Brian Rice, we will leave it there for now, but thanks so much. I really appreciate it and good luck to all of you as you continue to face this
catastrophe.
RICE: Thank you. And our communities out there, you're in our hearts. We are in this with you. Thank you.
NEWTON: Now, the 39th US President Jimmy Carter, was remembered today at a State Funeral. We will reflect on his life and legacy as he is laid to rest
in his home of Plains, Georgia.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:20:58]
NEWTON: Dignitaries and world leaders bid farewell today to Jimmy Carter at an emotional State Funeral. The service was held inside the National
Cathedral in Washington, DC. You see some of the pictures there. Speakers remembered the 39th president for his honesty and his character.
All five living presidents, past and present, were there with Donald Trump and Barack Obama seated side by side.
Carter's family shared memories of their patriarch, who died last month at the age of 100. Grandson, Jason Carter said his Papaw was a humble man
despite his many achievements.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JASON CARTER, JIMMY CARTER'S GRANDSON: In my 49 years, I never perceived a difference between his public face and his private one. He was the same
person, no matter who he was with or where he was.
Sometimes I feel and felt like I shared my grandfather with the world. Today is one of those days. But really, he shared the world with me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Eva McKend is in Jimmy Carter's hometown of Plains, Georgia, where they await his homecoming for the final time.
I mean, Eva, so much of what has been said about Jimmy Carter really starts there in Georgia.
EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: It does, Paula.
We are waiting here at the Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains. In many ways, President Carter never really left Plains. He always came back to his
hometown of just a few hundred people and the small town living here, it informed every part of his life, from the Governor's Mansion to the White
House and his post-presidency.
Inside the church, there is a wooden cross at the front of the church, and that is actually something that President Carter made himself, a congregant
was telling me after service this week.
Maranatha also going to feel his imprint in a number of ways for the years to come. President Carter very notably broke with the Southern Baptist
Convention over this issue of women serving as pastors. Well, this church actually just a few months ago, elevated their first female pastor.
And prior to that, they had their first Black pastor, Tony Lowden, and he is the one that is going to eulogize President Carter.
We got a bit of Pastor Lowden's remarks, and in it, he is going to talk about how President Carter actually lived in public housing in Plains, and
so he could identify with the Americans that he would go on to serve because he knew what it was like to come from humble beginnings.
A lot of pomp and circumstance to come. Prior to the service here at the church, we are going to see 21 F-18 planes fly over the church to
commemorate President Carter's Navy service. There is later on going to be a 21-gun salute over at the family home where President Carter will be
buried next to his forever love, Rosalynn Carter -- Paula.
NEWTON: Indeed. And what a marriage that was for so many decades. I will say we learned these last few days, we were reminded he was a president
right from the last century, and was on the right side of history for so many issues we face today in this century. What a life.
Eva McKend, thanks for being there for us. Appreciate it.
Now thousands of structures have been destroyed by the wildfires in Los Angeles. The 115-year-old Altadena Golf Course was caught in the Eaton
Fire. Well speak to the chief operating officer of the company that owns it. we will have that after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:27:39]
NEWTON: Hello, I'm Paula Newton, and there is more QUEST MEANS BUSINESS in a moment when, days after announcing his resignation, Canadian Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau sits down with CNN's Jake Tapper, and we will speak to the chief operating officer of a century-old golf course destroyed by
devastating wildfires this week.
Before that, though, here are the headlines this hour.
Former US President Jimmy Carter is being remembered as an honest man and a leader ahead of his time. Carter was honored at a State Funeral today in
Washington with all five living US presidents attending the service. He will be buried in his hometown of Plains, Georgia next to his wife of 77
years, Rosalynn Carter.
The Biden administration has announced its final military aid package for Ukraine, just before President-elect Trump takes office. The half billion
dollar package includes additional missiles, air to ground munitions and more equipment to sustain Ukraine's F-16s.
The Palisades Fire in Los Angeles County has exploded to nearly 70 square kilometers in size. Five major infernos are tearing through the area,
leaving 160,000 people under evacuation orders. Five people are confirmed to have died so far. The county sheriff is saying he does expect that
number to rise.
And of course, we are seeing those awful images of the destruction from the wildfires raging right across Los Angeles County this hour. Just look at
the widespread devastation. I can hardly believe these pictures, honestly. Everything from homes to cars to trees completely scorched.
There are still five major fires raging across Los Angeles County right now. The wind relaxed, thankfully earlier Thursday, which helped efforts to
fight the fires. That break for the fire crews, however, is not expected to last long.
Chad Myers is following all of this for us. And Chad, like, look, they got a good break. How much longer can they expect that break, especially to
keep those planes in the air and helicopters?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I think the planes stay in the air all day. We do have gusts just upwind of the fire, like over the mountain on the
other side, blowing toward the fires that are at 35 miles per hour. So close to 50 kilometers per hour. But they're not there yet.
Burbank, which is a big area there in Downtown Los Angeles, winds are at three. So that's great, three miles per hour, five kilometers per hour, we
will take that.
Here are some new max air pictures there that we are just getting here. This is Malibu. And if you drive, this is the Pacific Coast Highway. You go
all the way back out toward Ventura County and you drive along this highway.
These buildings are right along the road. There is barely a spot to parallel park all along here and you can see it right there on the beach.
This was the before picture and this is the absolutely devastating after picture where, well, there are three homes still here, but all of the other
homes all along the stretch of the highway, they are all gone.
[16:30:43]
Pacific Palisades, though, will pick up some winds. But notice the direction, Paula, from the wrong direction, from the south, from off the
ocean. That hasn't happened in a very long time. All of these winds were blowing downhill. Well, now with that switch of the wind, we think that's a
good thing. But the firefighters may not think that's a good thing because where they thought the fire was going and they were out of the way, well,
now they're in the way.
So we have to watch this. Yes, we have to watch what we ask for. Sometimes when you want the winds to die off, sometimes they switch directions
completely. And then here for Cedar Springs and even toward Los Angeles, you're going to see temperatures and winds from the mountains that are be
cooler but gustier. And then down the hill, warmer, but not as gusty. Just that mountain shadow effect that we always talk about.
And then by tomorrow, temperatures are going to be in the 60s. Winds are going to be lighter. 11, 10, 13, 15 miles per hour, but from a completely
different direction. And that's the thing. We're going to have to watch the direction, not just the speed. The direction will make a difference on
which way the fire moves from here. You talked about the five different fires, the Eaton Fire here into Altadena or Pasadena. The Rose Bowl would
be right there. Santa Anita racetrack right there as well.
But what you had in the Eaton Fire, and you had some spots in the Palisades fire, too, is that these houses were five feet apart. It's block after
block after block after block of homes. And we talk about this. If you have a house, please make defensible space. Thirty, 50, 40 whatever feet around
your house. Cut down all the trees. Don't let anything burn your house down. Well, when your neighbor's garage is only two meters or five feet
from your house, that's not defensible space. And that happened here. We have lots of pictures from this.
And then the Pacific Palisades pictures, too. Some of those were very, very clustered together. We think of these forest fires as a big area, a couple
hectares, and then, you know, a house. That's not how this happened. This was urban firefighters. These were urban fires that were from house to
house to house, that were right next to each other. The winds go down tomorrow. That's the good news.
There will be more, though. More episodes of wind coming in through the next part of the week. We haven't had any rain here since March, so
everything is dry. This is the wet season. We should have had at least four inches of rain by now, wet season. That hasn't happened either. Everything
is parched and when the wind and parched and a spark, you get fires.
NEWTON: Yes, we certainly hope that forecast for rain at least changes into next week. OK. Some good news in there, Chad, appreciate it. We'll continue
to keep up to date on that.
Now the Los Angeles Fire chief says thousands of structures are thought to have been damaged or destroyed. You just saw some of that. The property
damage includes the Altadena Golf Course, which was caught in the Eaton Fire. You see it there. It first opened all the way back in 1910. This
social media video shows the course up in flames there in terms of the clubhouse itself.
Tom Bugbee is the chief operating officer of CourseCo Incorporated. That company owns the Altadena Golf Course.
And let me say firstly, you know, really our thoughts go out to you and your entire corporate community because I'm sure you're just trying to take
care of your employees and your families now. I want to ask how they're doing, because dozens of them are still living through this emergency and
now face the prospect of how this is going to impact the way they make a living.
TOM BUGBEE, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, COURSECO INC.: Yes, you make a great point there. That's the number one thing right now is our employees. Our
hearts go out to them. Many of them obviously their work is being impacted, but also many of them are displaced right now. Some have lost their homes.
And so us, that's our number one worry right now is taking care of the employees and thinking about our neighbors there in the community as well.
NEWTON: 1910. 1910. Did you ever consider -- was this even a thought, the possibility that this could have happened?
[19:35:01]
BUGBEE: No. You know, you try to plan for, you know, all the things that could come up, but thinking that a fire would come through this
neighborhood in this way and impact this historic golf course, that's such a social hub for so many in the community was never even on the radar.
NEWTON: And why not, in the sense that just explained to us that, you know, you're in a community that, yes, of course, sometimes there are fires
around you, but you didn't consider the golf course at huge risk, right?
BUGBEE: No. Our company, we operate 45 golf courses. Many of them actually are out in more wildlife fire zones, but not Altadena. Altadena was in a
neighborhood. It's a community. It's surrounded by residents and other activities. Thinking of wildfire would impact us was the last thing on our
mind.
NEWTON: You know, you are vowing to build back stronger. Some may ask, you know, why or how? Does it give you second thoughts about trying to rebuild
in this area?
BUGBEE: No, there is no hesitation. After we take care of our employees and that's again forefront on our minds right now and where all of our efforts
are going, the reality is, this is an important recreational asset to that community. We're a public golf course. Affordable, accessible is what's
important to us. We have kids out there. We have seniors out there. We have families out there. And it's an important part of their lives.
They're all already reaching out, even as they're living through this tragedy, worried about how they can help us and our employees. And so our
commitment to the future, when the time is right, is unwavering.
NEWTON: That is something to hear, especially because you wouldn't blame anyone at this point in time to look at the loss and say, how do we start
again? So we do turn then to the lessons learned. I mean, look, do you just see this as kind of an act of God, a once in a century event? Or do you see
this as, look, climate change is here. We know it's a reality. And you guys run a lot of golf courses.
What can be done to make sure that, you know, you really try and protect structures and obviously people because at the end of the day, it is
impacting in terms of people's way of life. And sometimes, you know, whether or not they stay safe.
BUGBEE: Yes. You know, it is one of those events that I'm not sure what we could have done. You know, we are very fire conscious and safety conscious
as a company. So from pruning dead bushes to making sure that fire breaks are in place in the right locations, to making sure fire suppression is in
place in our buildings, we've made all those efforts, so I'm not sure there's a new effort to be made.
I think the biggest thing moving forward is just to continue to make sure employee safety. Guest safety is first. And then second take care of the
property when you can. And then third, deal with tragedy as it comes forward and understand that sometimes it's beyond your control.
NEWTON: Well, listen, I'm sure many in the community will be relieved to see it as a hub of the community again, hopefully in the coming months. And
we do wish you and all of those employees, especially those that have lost their homes, all the best. Really appreciate it, Tom.
BUGBEE: Thank you. And just one last thing. Just thank you to the first responders that put their lives at risk and are out there working hard for
us and tirelessly. We really appreciate all the efforts from them.
NEWTON: Yes, absolutely. And to their families as well that put up with so much during these emergencies. Thanks again, Tom. Take care.
BUGBEE: Thank you.
NEWTON: Now up next, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joins CNN. What he's saying about the wildfires ravaging Los Angeles and what Canada is
trying to do to help.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUSTINE TRUDEAU, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: There's expertise. There's things that we're having to do to deal with together as we of course, respond to
these fires, but also know that climate change means they're going to get steadily worse.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:42:11]
NEWTON: So just days after announcing his resignation as Canada's prime minister, Justin Trudeau came to Washington, D.C., to pay his respects at
the funeral of former U.S. president Jimmy Carter. In the last hour, Mr. Trudeau sat down with CNN's Jake Tapper. They discussed Carter's legacy,
the wildfires raging this hour in Los Angeles, and relations with the incoming U.S. president, Donald Trump. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: And joining us right now is Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Thank you so much for being here.
TRUDEAU: I'm glad to be here, Jake.
TAPPER: Really appreciate it. Before I get into the funeral and before I get into what's going on with you back in your home country, I do want to
ask, you know, our country and the world really is watching these horrible fires in Los Angeles. Canada has a lot of experience with similar
conflagrations. I know that you have been offering resources to the people of California and Los Angeles. What advice could you offer them?
TRUDEAU: Well, I think unfortunately over the past years we've seen it get far worse and we've seen wildfires increasingly encroaching on urban areas.
And that's an interface fire where we're having to train up more local municipal firefighters to deal with wildfires in a way that we never had
before. I've been back and forth texting with Governor Newsom. We've offered a tremendous amount of equipment that they're already accepting.
There's expertise. There's things that we're having to do to deal with together as we, of course, respond to these fires, but also know that
climate change means they're going to get steadily worse. And we have to keep stepping up on fighting climate change, too.
TAPPER: A lot of people out there might say, what does climate change have to do with this? Explain.
TRUDEAU: Well, when the summers get drier, when the weather gets hotter, when weather patterns shift, communities that were built in a place that,
you know, never saw fires are suddenly seeing fires much more frequently. There's a shift in everything. That means even what we see now is going to
just get worse and worse and worse over the coming decades if we're not serious about reducing our emissions and looking for ways to protect our
future generations.
TAPPER: So you are here in Washington, D.C., even though you just stepped down as your party's leader, and you will soon leave as prime minister. But
why was it important for you to come here to Washington today to go to President Jimmy Carter's funeral?
TRUDEAU: Well, President Carter was a dear friend of my father's. They overlapped in their times of service. And Jimmy had been down at my
father's -- up at my father's funeral 25 years ago. He was always an inspiration to me in terms of compassionate, selfless leadership. And it
was important for me, and I think it was important for the friendship between our countries that that the prime minister be there to represent.
TAPPER: President-elect Trump has been needling you a bit, calling you Governor Trudeau, talking about making Canada the 51st state. Did you have
any interaction with him today?
[16:45:03]
TRUDEAU: No, not today. But that's not going to happen. Canadians are incredibly proud of being Canadian. One of the ways we define ourselves
most easily is, well, we're not American. There is such a depth of pride that that's not actually an issue. What I think is happening in this is
President Trump, who's a very skillful negotiator, is getting people to be somewhat distracted by that conversation to take away from the conversation
around 25 percent tariffs on oil and gas and electricity and steel and aluminum and lumber and concrete.
And everything the American consumers buy from Canada is suddenly going to get a lot more expensive if he moves forward on these tariffs. And that's
something that I think we need to be focusing on a little bit more.
TAPPER: Did the reelection of Donald Trump and this more direct confrontation with Canada over this issue play any role at all in your
decision to resign as leader of your party and prime minister?
TRUDEAU: No. On the contrary, what we were able to do during the first presidency of Mr. Trump was work together in a, you know, very challenging
situation to come out with a very strong win-win in Canada-U.S. relations with the renegotiation of the USMCA. It is a great deal for both of our
countries. We've seen trade grow. We've seen opportunities grow. We've seen wealth grow in both of our countries for workers, for businesses.
Working together concretely is something that we've been able to do in the past. And I'm looking forward to continuing to work with him for the next
two months while I'm still in office.
TAPPER: Let's talk about this potential 25 percent tariff from the United States on Canada. Economists say that will drive the Canadian economy into
a recession, and the Canadian government is preparing retaliatory tariffs if these actually go through.
Which do you think would be potentially the most effective against the United States? I don't want them, by the way, just as an American, I don't
want these tariffs, but minerals, energy?
TRUDEAU: You know, we don't want them either. We do not want to see tariffs on our side. We do not want to see tariffs on your side. It's bad for
people who have for generations made things together and been successful together to actually start creating barriers between economies like ours.
Like we have so many resources in Canada more than our market can support. So we export them to our closest friend who can rely on them. It is a win-
win for us.
We would, we would definitely respond as we did years ago when President Trump put tariffs on steel and aluminum. We responded by putting tariffs on
Heinz ketchup, on playing cards, on bourbon, on Harley-Davidsons, on things that would hurt American workers. But we don't want to do that because it
drives up prices for Canadians and it harms our closest trading partner.
TAPPER: Is there nothing that Donald Trump is saying about trade status and relations right now where you think that he has a point? There's nothing
you think that is unfair?
TRUDEAU: No. I mean, the conversation around tariffs started around border concerns. And when I spoke with him about in Mar-a-Lago was the fact that
less than 1 percent of migrants into the United States, less than 1 percent of fentanyl into the United States comes from Canada. But there are
absolutely more things we can do and we've stepped up.
TAPPER: Right. And you've pledged $1 billion to enhance border security.
TRUDEAU: And with strengthening. That's a clear win for President Trump. It got us to do even more to reduce even further the minimal amounts coming
in. On trade there's more that we can do, but we should be focused on making sure that we're replacing Chinese lithium or Chinese germanium or
Russian titanium into American productions by relying on your closest and friendliest trading partner in Canada.
We can be a strong supplier of things that the U.S. needs to compete around the world because we can do it together. That's the argument that I'm
making.
TAPPER: So the struggle that you were having domestically, your disapproval rating had to do with, as I understand it, discontent with your government
because of high inflation and the economy, and also because of immigration policies. Those are also issues that the left-wing party in this country
has faced a lot of disapproval of and just lost an election over.
It seems like voters in both of these, you know, liberal democracies are sending a message to left-wing parties, liberal parties, we don't like how
you're doing the economy when it comes to inflation. We don't like how you're doing immigration.
TRUDEAU: There are a lot of feelings involved. I mean, if you look at the actual numbers, inflation in Canada was lower, came down quicker.
[16:50:02]
Our economy bounced back faster after the pandemic than anyone else's, including the United States. We're projected to grow faster than the United
States and all other G7 countries next year. Our economy is doing very well, but when someone's paying $8 for a head of lettuce, it doesn't matter
that you're doing better than they are in Spain or somewhere else. There's a sense that, OK, something's got to give. And that's where incumbents are
in trouble everywhere across the -- everywhere around the world. Not just in our two countries.
The issue, though, is that in a time of crisis, responsible politics is around focusing on things that actually make a real difference in people's
lives. We delivered $10 a day child care. We're delivering a dental care program that provides free dental care to people who don't have coverage.
We're moving forward on putting a price on pollution that puts more money in the pockets of eight out of 10 Canadians, of middle class Canadians.
These are policies that, you know, are not short term. They're policies that will have a deep impact in the wellbeing of Canadians and of our
country for years to come. Now, you can take those policies like a child care policy and say, oh, see, that's just about wokeness and about, you
know, women's rights. Well, no, it's about getting more women into the workforce at a time where we need economic growth.
That's what it is. But when you get a -- you know, I was going to say conflagration, but at least an intersection of both, you know, right-wing
policy, right-wing attacks and social media, you end up with a lot of misinformation, disinformation, and responsible governments have to stay
focused on the policies that are making a difference. And that's what we've been doing.
TAPPER: I know you have to go. Before you go, I know you're not going to say who you want to succeed you, but whether it's Wayne Gretzky or
Christina Freeland, what's your number one piece of advice for your successor when it comes to President Trump?
TRUDEAU: Understand that the win-win is what we need. Making sure that everyone understands that we do better when we work together. That, yes,
the American president has a capacity to hurt the Canadian economy. There's no question about that. But anything an American president does to hurt the
Canadian economy will also hurt American consumers, American workers and American growth.
We do better when we work together to take on the world, whether it's China or Russia or anywhere else. When we work together, we can't be stopped. And
that's the focus that we need to have. And that's certainly what I've continued to work on with President Trump.
TAPPER: Prime Minister Trudeau, thank you so much, and au revoir.
TRUDEAU: Pleasure to be here. Merci, Jake.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Our thanks to Jake and the prime minister there.
Now protests have erupted in Venezuela. The demonstrations come as Nicolas Maduro is set to begin a contested third term on Friday.
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NEWTON: Venezuela opposition leader's team say she was violently intercepted -- their words -- after making her first public appearance in
months. Now Maria Corina Machado attended a protest in Caracas, you see her there, ahead of Friday's inauguration of President Nicolas Maduro. The
government denies she was ever detained. Both maduro and the opposition candidate claim to have won July's presidential election.
Stefano Pozzebon continues to follow this developing story for us.
And Stefano, can you help us untangle this in terms of was she ever detained. I mean, we know what each side is claiming right now.
[16:55:08]
STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: Yes, exactly. And just a reminder, as you and I know very well, Paula, well, Venezuela is the country where everything is
possible. The latest that we're hearing from Caracas and at least from Maria Corina Machado's team is that she was attacked and briefly detained
by members of the government, security officials, but then allowed to go away for free. And that she will address this in the upcoming hours.
She will release probably what is a video statement to her supporters in the upcoming hours, and we'll make sure that we'll bring that up to you.
The government is denying any involvement with this. They are openly saying that Maria Corina Machado is -- has not been detained at all, and that it
is all a fake and a provocation.
What is interesting are two things. The first one is that these alleged detention drew immediate criticism and an international outcry from sitting
presidents, former heads of state, U.S. senators who are looking at Venezuela really, really close today and especially tomorrow, as we see
that Maduro intends to proceed with inauguration of a third mandate.
And the second thing to note is that Maria Corina Machado was galvanizing an opposition rally with thousands of people on the streets of Caracas.
This despite a widespread intimidation campaign from the government. And that means that the appetite for protest has not gone away in Venezuela,
despite, as I was saying, the recent crackdown on security.
Edmundo Gonzalez instead, despite lamenting the alleged detention of Maria Corina Machado, has also said that he does intend, still intends to enter
Venezuela between today and tomorrow to inaugurate what he calls his own mandate. He claims to have won that election thanks to electoral tallies
that gave him the victory with 67 percent.
In terms of crackdown, this is happening, well, Edmundo Gonzalez's own son in law was detained the day before yesterday. Other opposition leaders have
been detained in the last few days and weeks. Maria Corina Machado apparently is free. Her team is telling us. But that doesn't mean that the
tensions are going down at any point in Caracas.
It's a very, very intense situation down in Venezuela and an upcoming showdown between Maduro and Gonzalez probably the day of Friday -- Paula.
NEWTON: Yes, Stefano, I'm wondering what the posture is of the Maduro regime at this moment when they saw that international condemnation. They
do have Marco Rubio coming in in the United States as secretary of state. I mean, do you think this could be a warning to them to at least not detain
any of these opposition leaders?
POZZEBON: Yes, we talked about it many, many times that these upcoming Trump administration seems to have made Latin America a priority for them.
And arguably, no issue is more important, no dossier is more important in Latin America than Venezuela. It's a country that holds enormous oil
reserves. But more importantly, as a country that has in the past had been abandoned by more than eight million migrants that have left Venezuela
under Maduro's rule.
So, of course, Washington, one of the reasons why Washington roots for Maduro to step down is that it will immediately reverse one of the largest
migration trends and waves in the history of the western hemisphere. And this is why we know that Maria Corina Machado has had intense conversations
with the upcoming administration. Gonzalez was in Washington this week. He met with the sitting president, Joe Biden.
But he also met with the upcoming National Security adviser for Donald Trump, meaning that at least as soon as Donald Trump takes office later
this month, he will have important decisions to make when it comes to Venezuela. It's an early test for the upcoming presidency -- Paula.
NEWTON: Yes, absolutely. And in the meantime, Stefano, the next 24 hours is crucial.
POZZEBON: Crucial.
NEWTON: I don't have a lot of time left, but do we expect -- what time can we expect, you know, the opposition candidate, the person who considers
himself the real president to actually arrive in Venezuela?
POZZEBON: We don't know. We know that even today, government officials have threatened him with arrest. We know that he is traveling or intends to be
traveling to the country with at least nine former presidents and heads of state across Latin America. One of them is Andres Pastrana, former
president of Colombia, Vicente Fox and Felipe Calderon, former presidents of Mexico, also pledging to accompany, to join Edmundo Gonzalez on his way
to Caracas.
But it's a fact that Maduro does still control the army, the police, the entire security apparatus, and that as soon as Gonzalez would set foot in
Venezuela, he would likely be detained. We were saying the same about Maria Corina Machado, and now we're saying that maybe she's actually been let --
she was let go after a brief detention. So a lot of confusion in Venezuela, a crucial showdown and a crucial test for democracy.
And as soon as we hear anything further and anything certain, it's important here to distinguish the facts from what we are hearing out of
Caracas because the rumors are aplenty. But the facts are limited.
NEWTON: And you've seen it all, Stefano, over a decade. Every crucial point. We're grateful that you're on the story and we really appreciate it.
We'll have more in the coming hours.
POZZEBON: Thank you so much.
NEWTON: That is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS. I'm Paula Newton.
"THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER" is next.
END
