Monday morning news: January 13, 2025

Los Angeles wildfires latest » Catastrophic wildfires in the Los Angeles area have now killed at least 16 people while causing unimaginable damage.

LA County Sheriff Robert Luna:

LUNA:  And driving around some of these areas, they literally look like war zones. There are downed power poles, electric wires. There are still some smoldering fires. It is not safe.

He’s urging residents in affected areas not to try and return home before getting the all clear from authorities.

150,000 people in LA Country were under evacuation orders as of Sunday.

Thousands of firefighters continue to battle elements as they struggle to reign in the flames. LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone:

MARONNE:  Elevated critical fire weather conditions will continue through Wednesday. The Los Angeles County Fire Department is prepared. These winds combined with low relative humidities and low fuel moistures will keep the fire threat in Los Angeles County very high.

Over the next couple of days, forecasters expect sustained winds of 50 mph and gusts in the mountains reaching 70 mph.

In addition to the 16 confirmed deaths, authorities say another 16 people are missing.

LA wildfire blame » As the fires continue to burn, many in California and in Washington have questions about the emergency preparedness in Southern California ahead of this disaster.

President-elect Trump has been highly critical of environmental policies in the state that he says have diverted water away from Southern California. And Vice President-Elect JD Vance said Sunday:

VANCE:  I mean, some of these reservoirs have been dry for 15, 20 years. The fire hydrants are being reported as going dry while the firefighters are trying to put out these fires.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he’s ordered an independent review of why some of those hydrants ran dry, forcing firefighters in some cases to helplessly watch houses burn to the ground.

He also said he’s hopeful that President-elect Trump will not, in his words, politicize the disaster.

L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger says she has extended an invitation to President-elect Donald Trump to visit the LA area:

BARGER:  I look forward to welcoming president elect Trump to our communities so he can see the desperate need, but also the incredible opportunity, hope, and perseverance of our impacted neighbors.

Some GOP lawmakers say they expect hearings soon to discuss an aid package for California, but add that they’ll want answers about the state’s response.

Lankford on deportations / Trump planned executive orders » President-elect Donald Trump will take the oath of office one week from today. And he is preparing more than 100 executive orders that he plans to sign as soon as he’s sworn in.

Securing the border will be a top priority. And Trump says efforts to deport those who have entered the country illegally will start on day one.

And Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma says on that, Republicans are in lockstep.

LANKFORD:  To be very clear, if someone has violated the law in the United States, there should be consequences for violating the law in the United States. I'm not going to come out and say, hey, if someone breaks the law, we're just going to look the other way. That's not who we are. We are a nation of laws.

Also among Trump’s day-one orders. He will likely once again invoke Title 42, which allows the government to rapidly deport migrants at the border over public health concerns. And he intends to cut off federal funds to so-called sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with immigration and customs enforcement.

Confirmation hearings this week » Senate hearings are set to begin this week for Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks.

Many nominees have been meeting with senators individually for weeks. Now, they'll go before the committees overseeing the agencies that Trump wants them to run.

Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso says he’s rolling up his sleeves:

BARRASSO:  I've met with just about all of them. I support every one of these nominees. As the whip, my job is to make sure they get across the finish line, get on the job. And President Trump deserves a team early.

Some of Trump’s nominees could breeze through the confirmation process. But others, not so much. Democrats seem largely united against Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth.

Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly:

KELLY:  There is not a job that's more serious and more critical to our national security than Secretary of Defense, and we need a qualified individual in that job. And he just does not seem to have the qualifications.

Most Republicans say he is qualified. A hearing on Hegseth’s nomination is slated to start tomorrow.

Among the others under the microscope this week include Doug Collins for the Department of Veterans Affairs, Doug Burgum at the Interior Department, and Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio.

Waltz on ending Ukraine war » The president-elect’s incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz says Trump is determined to see the war in Ukraine come to an end soon. And he told ABC’s This Week, that will mean bringing both Russia and Ukraine to the bargaining table.

WALTZ:  Everybody knows, uh, that this has to end somehow diplomatically. I just don't think it's realistic to say we're going to expel every Russian from every inch of Ukrainian soil.

Both sides have signaled a willingness to negotiate, but both with stipulations that could make opening those peace talks in earnest challenging.

Gas prices » Gas prices have held steady over the past few weeks, according to industry analyst Trilby Lundberg. Her national survey puts the current cost at $3.14 per gallon.

But she warns that prices could be on the rise soon after a recent increase in oil prices and the California wildfires.

LUNDBERG:  The timing is unknowable, but we will also have a surge of demand as California attempts its recovery, which may be long, very long and very painful. It'll place a heavy demand on all petroleum product, as well as pretty much any commodity and equipment.

Lundberg says Houston has the cheapest gas of any many metro area in the country right now, $2.53 per gallon.

Honolulu has the highest pump prices at $4.50.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: the Supreme Court hears arguments for and against the TikTok ban. Plus, the Monday Moneybeat with David Bahnsen.

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