Morning Wire - SoCal Fire Risk Rises & Confirmations Hearings Begin | 1.14.25

Episode Date: January 14, 2025

Extreme winds return to Los Angeles creating a recipe for fire, the process of vetting Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees begins, and President-elect Trump has high support ahead of his inauguration. Get the facts first with Morning Wire. Good Ranchers: Visit https://goodranchers.com and use code WIRE for an exclusive discount. Lumen: Head to http://lumen.me/WIRE for 20% off your purchase. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Extreme winds return to Los Angeles as fires continue to rage across Southern California, endangering more homes and lives. There is a red flag warning in effect for this area until 6 p.m. Wednesday. We're expecting north-northeast wind gusts, very low humidity, and again, the vegetation is still very, very dry. Why are many residents worried they won't be able to rebuild? I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire, editor-in-chief John Bickley. It's Tuesday, January 14th, and this is morning. Wire. The process of vetting Donald Trump's cabinet nominees begins today, starting with his pick for

Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegset. Well, he certainly has the qualities that we need to lead the Pentagon. He knows about a fit fighting force. He has a distinguished record of service in the military. And Donald Trump is cruising into his inauguration with historically high approval ratings and support for his agenda. Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know. Hey guys, producer Brandon here. Tired of mystery meat at the grocery store. This new year, it's time for new meat from good ranchers.com. They deliver 100% American beef, chicken, and wild-caught seafood straight to your door.

No antibiotics, no hormones, just pure quality like it used to be. Their steakhouse grade cuts come pre-trimmed and vacuum sealed, making meal prep a breeze and helping you spend less time cooking and more time with family. Subscribe now using Code Wire to get $25 off free express shipping and your choice of free ground beef, chicken or salmon, every order for an entire year. Good ranchers, American meat delivered. Southern California continues to burn with extreme winds expected today through Wednesday. Red flag warnings are in effect this morning through most of tomorrow.

Here to discuss is Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presta Giacomo. So Amanda, a harrowing situation getting even more dangerous in the next day or two. What's the latest? Hey, Georgia. Yeah, it's been confirmed that at least two dozen people have died from these fires. But unfortunately, dozens more are missing so that number is expected to rise. The fires have been raging for a week now starting last Tuesday, and forecast show a return to extreme winds, so there will likely be more devastation and increasing challenges for firefighters. In L.A. County alone, tens of thousands of people are under evacuation orders.

Now, over the past week, there have been numerous rumors about arson. Do we have any information about the cause of the fires? The New York Times reports that authorities on the ground do believe that the Palisades fire could have been caused by human origins, but not necessarily arson. There are several popular hiking trails in the area where teens sometimes have fires, so that's being investigated as a possible cause. As for the arrest related to arson, there have been three so far, but none have been linked to any of the large, devastating fires.

The Kenneth fire is still being investigated as a possible cause of arson. There have also been a variety of unconfirmed videos circulating online of individual setting fires in and around L.A., So that has caused a lot of anger and worry. LA Times has also reported that an electrical tower is being investigated in association with the Eaton Fire in Pasadena, though the company is denying that. Now, another major concern is how California is going to pay to rebuild from all this damage. Are homeowners having trouble getting covered? Yeah, this is a huge issue.

Thousands of Los Angeles homeowners were dropped by the insurers this past year or so, many in just the past three months. As we highlighted last week, there's a massive insurance. crisis in California. A recent Wall Street Journal editorial pinned that crisis on the state's politicians. For example, in California, companies are barred from raising premiums to reflect the increasing fire risks. As a result, insurers have limited their coverage or just stopped doing business altogether in California. And the state's supposed safety net for those left without private insurance, which is called fair, that has a $458 billion exposure, while it only has around $700 million in cash on hand to pay out claims. President Joe Biden has already promised federal funding for those affected

by the fires, including low-cost loans for those with uninsured properties, and House Speaker Mike Johnson was asked on Monday about sending financial assistance to California, and he said that should come with conditions. There's been water resources management, forest management, mistakes, all sorts of problems. And it does come down to leadership. And it appears to us that state and local leaders were derelict in their duty in many respects. So that's something that has to be back with in. Now, speaking of leadership, people are extremely unhappy about how this has been handled. What is that going to mean for Mayor Karen Bass?

Yeah, things are not looking good for Bass. First, she was on a different continent when these fires started, and her more than 24-hour absence is only compounding what many view as her leadership failures. There's an online petition signed by more than 30,000 people demanding the mayor's resignation, and even legacy media is turning on the mayor. LA Times owner, Dr. Patrick, Zun Shiyang called his paper's endorsement of Bass a mistake. I think we were one of the few to say competence matters.

Maybe we should think about how we elect people on the basis of, did they actually run a job? Did they actually make a payroll? Do they understand what it is? And rather than having professional politicians whose only job is ready to run for office. Well, this is going to be a defining moment for Los Angeles no matter what. Amanda, thanks for reporting. You're welcome, Georgia. This morning, Congress will begin.

whirlwind few days of confirmation hearings for some of Donald Trump's most high-profile nominees. Here with a look at what's sure to be a momentous week in Washington as Daily Wire Deputy Managing editor Tim Ricey-Tim. So a lot happening on Capitol Hill this week with the confirmations. What can we expect? You know, John, Trump said he was going to hit the ground running on inauguration day, but with the slate of hearings we have, it seems like he's getting the ball rolling a week early. 13 of his 15 cabinet nominees have hearings scheduled this week. That's every except HHS nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Labor Department pick Lori Chavez-Daremer, two of Trump's more controversial picks. But that doesn't mean this week is going to be without

controversy. Things are starting off on a relatively easy note at 9 a.m. when Veterans Affairs nominee Doug Collins meets with the Veterans Affairs Committee. But at 930, we have what will likely be the most watched hearing of the season as Pete Hegseth takes the hot seat before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Right. Hegseth has probably drawn more scrutiny than any of of Trump's picks. What's the latest there? Well, listeners may remember that there have been two main criticisms of Hegsef. The first is that he was unqualified for the job, which usually goes to a general or a top Pentagon official. Here's Wyoming Senator John Barrasso on that. The current nominee compared to who's been in the Pentagon in the last four years where they had

a woke military where recruitment went down, morale went down. I think Pete is going to be terrific in terms of recruitment, in terms of morale, in terms of returning America to a fighting force, which is what the American people really want. But even more notable were the attacks on Hegset's personal life. Reports surfaced that a woman accused him of sexual assault in 2017, and stories began circulating that Hegseth was often drunk at work at Fox. Hegsteth says the 2017 encounter was consensual, and a police investigation resulted in no charges being filed.

And around a dozen of Hegseth's Fox co-workers dismissed the claims of him drinking as totally ludicrous. He later dismissed those claims in an interview with Megan Kelly. First of all, I've never had a drinking problem. I don't, I'm never, no one's ever approached me and said, oh, you should really look at getting help for a drink. Never. I've never sought counseling, never sought help. I respect and appreciate people who do.

Just yesterday, Punchbowl news reported that senators have been told Hegseth's FBI background check was, quote, unremarkable. So we should expect Republicans to lean heavily on that while Democrats keep up their same criticisms. Seems like that will be a lively hearing to say the least. Now, you mentioned Doug Collins. What can we expect from his hearing? Well, that one's going to be a lot less interesting, which is no doubt a relief for Collins. He's a veteran himself and a former congressman, and the VA is a historically troubled department. So senators are really just looking for someone with a proven commitment to helping vets,

and they've got that in Collins. He's got tons of support from Republicans and not much pushback from Democrats. So this is probably going to be one of the easier confirmation hearings. Now, looking ahead quickly, who's scheduled for the rest of the ones? week. Yeah, tomorrow's the big day with seven hearings scheduled. That includes Christy Nome, Trump's pick to lead to the Department of Homeland Security, and Marco Rubio, his choice for the State Department. Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi will have the first of two hearings tomorrow and will wrap up on Thursday when Treasury nominee Scott Bessent and EPA pick

Lee Zeldon will also take center stage. Also appearing Thursday is North Dakota Governor Doug Bergam, whose hearing was originally scheduled for today, but got pushed at the 11th hour. Now, you may think that will be another easy one. Bergam's pretty non-controversial. He was in the spotlight a lot during his presidential campaign, and the Department of the Interior just isn't something lawmakers tend to get excited about. But remember, Trump also tapped Bergam to lead the newly created National Energy Council, where he'll be in charge of bolstering fossil fuel production.

So we're already hearing reports that Democrats are going to grill Bergam about that and try to get him to commit to protecting certain land from drilling. There will also probably be some questions about conflicts of events. interest since Bergham is a wealthy investor. That's part of why Democrats move to delay the hearing. They say they still haven't received Bergam's financial disclosure forms. Of course, be watching these hearings closely and we'll be back tomorrow with any highlights. Tim, thanks for reporting. Anytime. With inauguration day, just six days away, the president-elect is coming into office with

historically high approval ratings for him and widespread support for his agenda. Here to break it all down is Daily Wire reporter, Tim Pierce. So, Tim, what can we expect to see at Trump's second inauguration? Yeah, so the weekend will be packed with all sorts of dinners, meetings, ceremonies, and a Make America Great Again victory rally. The weekend is even expected to feature several performances by the village people. That's the band that first performed the song YMCA, a staple at Trump's rallies about half a century ago.

On inauguration day, acclaimed country artist, Carrie Underwood is slated to perform America the Beautiful. She'll be accompanied by the Armed Forces chorus, and the Naval Academy Glee Club. After Trump is sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts, he will head down the parade route to the White House where he's expected to sign a slew of executive orders with special attention to immigration and the border.

Now, all of this comes as Trump is arguably more popular than ever, correct? Right, the polls have been clear on that front. According to a morning consult poll out last week, Trump's favorability rating is at a seven-year high. Americans generally approve of Trump's transition, but while Trump's approval rating is high for him, it's still low relative to past presidents. According to pollster Harry Inton, Trump's net favorability rating is about minus one. Contrast that with Joe Biden's plus 23 point favorability in January 2021.

A 2009 Gallup poll put Obama's favorability at plus 54. And in 2001, Bush entered office with a 28-point positive approval rating. That said, a signal poll last month found a majority of Americans back, key planks of Trump's agenda. 60% of Americans support Doge reforms led by Elon Musk and 56% support Trump's commitment to mass deportations.

While many Americans may have their doubts about Trump personally, they like his agenda and want him in Washington to shake things up. Now, over the weekend, his vice president, J.D. Vance, also gave his first interview since the election. What did he say? Yeah, Vance covered a lot of topics in that interview,

but one issue that has gained a lot of attention is Trump's seriousness about acquiring Greenland. Vance doubled down on that. Here he is. Greenland is really important for America strategically. It has a lot of great natural resources. My friend Donald Trump Jr. was there a couple days ago. And you know what they told them? They want to be empowered to develop the people of Greenland want to be empowered to develop the resources there. We also need to make sure that Greenland is properly cared for from an American security perspective. And frankly, the current leadership, the Danish government has not done a good enough job of securing Greenland.

I think there actually is a real opportunity here for us to take leadership, to protect America's security, to ensure that those incredible natural resources are developed. And that's what Donald Trump is good at. He's good at making deals. And I think there's a deal to be made in Greenland. Now, this is going to be a complicated discussion moving forward. Denmark has said it doesn't want to sell Greenland, but the Danish government is open to negotiating more U.S. influence over the Arctic island.

And Greenland's premier favors independence from both the U.S. and Denmark. but he's also open to a closer working relationship with the U.S. The other major foreign policy issue is Trump's approach to the conflict in the Middle East. Vance said that Trump's team wants a deal for Hamas to release hostages before inauguration day. It's very clear that President Trump threatening Hamas and making it clear that there is going to be held to pay as part of the reason why we've made progress on getting some hostages out. We're hopeful there's going to be a deal that's struck towards the very end of Biden's administration, maybe the last day or two, but regardless of when that deal is struck,

it will be because people are terrified that there are going to be consequences for Hamas. To that point, reports on Monday said that Israel and Hamas were close to a deal and that more hostages could be released at any time. So a positive sign at least. And with inauguration coming up, Daily Wire is going to be on the ground with all of the big news next week. Tim, thanks for reporting. Good to be on. Thanks for waking up with us.

We'll be back this afternoon with more news you need to know. Hey guys, producer Brandon here. Did you know that 80% of resolutions fail by February? You, however, can beat the odds and improve your health with Lumen, the world's first handheld metabolic coach. By simply breathing into your Lumen each morning, you'll discover if your body is burning fats or carbs. The app then provides personalized nutrition plans and lifestyle guidance based on your unique metabolism. Take the next step in improving your health. Go to Lumen.me. slash wire to get 20% off your L-L-U-M-E-N.

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