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NEWS STREAM
President Trump Recognized Jerusalem as Capital of Israel; Trump's White House; Wildfires Ravaging Southern California; Key U.S. Vote to Shape Future of Internet; Developing Story; Australia Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired December 7, 2017 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN NEWS STREAM SHOW HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong and welcome to "News Stream."
A reporter is on the ground in the West Bank as protests turn violent a day after a controversial decision on Jerusalem.
California fires spreading to the outskirts of Los Angeles and forcing the evacuation of 150,000 people from areas in danger.
And vote that could affect millions of people. U.S. regulators are considering net neutrality.
Backlash from across the Muslim world after Donald Trump bucked decades of U.S. foreign policy and recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Now this is the scene in the West Bank. Crowds of protesters rock throwing huge clouds of thick smoke. Now the Palestinian group Hamas has called for
new uprising, and leaders of the Islamic Jihad in Palestine say it is ready for armed struggle. Around the world, fierce reaction keeps pouring in over
President Trump's decision. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, Pakistan among those who have condemned the move.
CNN spoke to the foreign minister of Jordan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AYMAN SAFADI, JORDANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: There is a very difficult reality in the Middle East. The most difficult reality is that there is an
occupation. There is an injustice. And we believe this decision consolidate that feeling of injustice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: The foreign minister of Jordan there. Now we we want to bring in Ian Lee, who joins us live from Ramallah, West Bank. Ian, three days of
rage have been called for, what's the situation where you are right now?
IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kristie, right now, we are walking towards where Palestinians and Israelis have been having this pitch battle back and
forth. Palestinians are using slingshots and rocks. Israeli forces are responding with tear gas, with rubber bullets. I saw one person who was
shot in the arm with the rubber bullet.
It looked like it could possibly have been broken, but we have seen ambulances just coming back and forth ferrying people all day long as this
battle continues. It seems to be for the most part dying down a bit. There was just about 30 minutes to an hour ago, there are thousands of people
here.
The violence was peaking between both sides. You had ambulances just ferrying people. Here, you can kind of see what, you know, people are
breaking up pieces of rock. They break this up to get smaller rock that they can use in their slingshots. Also right here, there is -- this is a
tear gas canister, one of many that have been fired in this direction.
It is something, Kristie, that Arab leaders, Palestinian leaders, European leaders warned could happen. This kind of violence with the announcement of
Jerusalem as the capital of Israel by the United States, by President Trump.
This isn't the only place. There has been violence in the West Bank also in Bethlehem, and we are hearing dozens of people have been injured in these
ongoing clashes. But again, right now, it seems to be dying down a bit. But we need to remember, this is Thursday.
On Friday, that's the first day of the weekend in the Arab world and a lot of times, that's when you see the largest protest. So, could this possibly
be a precursor? We don't know. But it definitely is a lot more people here protesting today than we've seen at this spot in the past, Kristie.
LU STOUT: Yes, you are reporting that the clashes are winding down today. We are seeing the thick black smoke behind you presumably from tires that
were set ablaze. As you point out, tomorrow is Friday. This is just the beginning of the three days of rage. Friday means Friday prayers. Are
security forces bracing for an even more fierce response on the streets?
LEE: Well, Israelis did say that they are preparing for this to happen, this sort of violent reaction. And we do see the army in the background.
They have been able to keep -- yes, this no man's land right here has been fairly stable.
Every once in a while, they will fire tear gas and the tear gas will push everyone back. But this has been a fairly stable no man's land.
Palestinians just using rocks and slingshots. We haven't seen any other weapons like guns or anything. This is, you know, like you pointed out, the
blacks smoke, that's tires. We have seen protesters continue putting tires there
[08:05:00] to keep this smoke screen, if you will, in place, rolling dumpsters out there to hide behind as they throw rocks. But, again, this
kind of pitch battle is something that leaders thought could happen. And we are seeing it unfold here in Ramallah, Kristie.
LU STOUT: Yes, there are pitch battles earlier. It is winding down, but there will be more angry protests ahead, probable anger in the streets ever
since Donald Trump made that announcement. Is the outrage being expressed on the streets being directed firmly at Donald Trump or at Israel?
LEE: Well, both, Kristie. There is anger directed towards a lot of people. First, you do have anger directed towards President Trump because, you
know, past U.S. administrations, the belief was that status of Jerusalem would be negotiated in a final peace settlement.
And this is what a lot of Palestinian have told me is the Americans showing their true color, that they never were a neutral party in any sort of
negotiations. There is anger at Israeli, you know, of course, they're angry that Israel is claiming all of Jerusalem as their capital.
The Palestinians want a East Jerusalem as their capital, the future Palestinian state, if they get to that point. But there is also anger and
frustration towards Palestinian leadership. People we have spoken with said, you know, we just don't have any guidance on how to move forward,
what's going to happen. They're waiting to hear from their leaders.
They say they haven't heard anything and haven't been inspired by anyone about what the plan is to move forward. And so they say the street, the
street is where the Palestinians are coming out. And we have seen this in the past. Street pushes the narrative. It's the peopled, not the
politicians that say say that they're angry. It's the people who are coming out and protesting.
LU STOUT: Tell us more about the Palestinian people who are coming out to protest. Who are they?
LEE: You have a cross-section of Palestinian society here. You have women, men, old and young coming out here. You can't really say. Of course, you
know, when you get closer to the front line, you see more men. But there is a lot of women out here, too. This is all Palestinian society coming out,
what we have seen, angry about what is going on here, what the United States is doing.
And, you know, I have been to this point before during clashes. And the crowds we saw here today are a lot larger than we've seen in the past.
Usually in other protests, you see a lot more men, but today it has been a mix of both. Women, men, young and old coming out, voicing their anger at
what is happening in Jerusalem, what happened in Jerusalem, and what President Trump did.
You know, a while ago, there was also some men, you know, just to show the anger at the United States. He had an American flag. He put in that smoke
in the fire right over there. Burnt the flag. You know, people are frustrated. People are angry. And this is how they are expressing it today,
Kristie.
LU STOUT: Ian Lee reporting live for us from the scene there in Ramallah. Many thanks indeed for your reporting. Ian there talking about the pitch
street battles that took place earlier today. It's winding down, but everyone is bracing for more violence ahead.
While there is outrage around the region after Mr. Trump's Jerusalem move, there is one place where his decision means very little. Ben Wedeman
reports from a refugee camp in Lebanon.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Jerusalem is less than 150 miles from Beirut's Shatila Palace (INAUDIBLE) refugee
camp. Reminders of the holy city are on the walls as are the faces of their hero's past.
But for the thousands who called the camp home, the uproar over President Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital is a world
away.
Ninety-two-year-old Abdullah Talib shows me a hatchet, he says, was left behind by Lebanese Christian militia men who slaughtered hundreds of
Palestinian civilians here in September 1982, allowed into the camp by Israeli troops.
Abdullah's anger is focused not on the Israelis or the Americans, but rather on Arab leaders who loudly profess support for the Palestinian's
claim to Jerusalem can do nothing.
All the Arab states are traitors, he says. They're all the same, traitors.
The first generation of refugees is dying out. The camp teams with children, the latest generation of refugees.
(on camera): Plus, to the inhabitants of this refugee camp never set foot in Palestine and given the failure of all intents to solve the issue
probably never will.
[08:10:00] (voice over): Palestinian refugees in Lebanon are at best second-class citizens, most restricted to living in ramshackled camps like
this, barred from a variety of professions. With no solution in sight, this bleak existence is their lot for the foreseeable future. Against the odds,
the dream of return lives on in the heart of 77-year-old Akmed Hadid.
"Until judgment day, I will wait," he says. "And I will tell my children and my grandchildren our land is Palestine."
The location of the American embassy in Israel won't make much difference to the people here. It's a minor detail.
Ben Wedeman, CNN, Shatila refugee camp, Beirut.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: Now, two White House officials tell CNN that recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel could temporarily derail the Middle East
peace process. Let's bring in senior Washington correspondent Joe Johns live for us in Washington. Joe, so, why did he do this? I mean, we know
President Trump is a disruptor, but why did he go ahead and decide to do this now?
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Quite frankly, the administration says they thought this was the moment that would be least
disruptive in terms of peace process. Also, they are hoping, of course, that well, they assume this will be a derailment, said they hope it would
be temporary.
In fact, the effort this morning at the White House is to get some reaction from administration officials to the violence in Ramallah and Bethlehem.
Generally speaking with officials here, the initial indication is that there is not a lot of undo concern, even a suggestion that it is almost
expected.
And the hope, of course, that what is happening there will be temporary. At the end of the day, the relationships with both parties in the Middle East
peace process will return to a position where they can get something done, Kristie.
LU STOUT: For Donald Trump, he believes this is merely recognizing reality and also for the U.S. president, this is a campaign promise fulfilled. Is
this a part of the Trump checklist? Is this a president who likes to be seen as a man who keeps his word?
JOHNS: Well, yes, he does like to be seen as a person who keeps his word. Also important to say, the president so far hasn't had a lot of legislative
accomplishments on Capitol Hill. So, it's important to be able to show that he is fulfilling the promises he made on the campaign trail that don't
require an act of congress.
So, that's important to him. Important also to keep promises to his base here in the United States. The Israeli lobby certainly part of that base as
well as evangelical Christians who have seen this for decades as an important step, Kristie.
LU STOUT: Yes, so praise among members of the Trump base even as we see the scenes with Ian Lee in Ramallah of outrage after this decision. Joe Johns
reporting live from the White House, thank you so much.
Now, we are watching the coming hours for an announcement from U.S. Senator Al Franken. He is under investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee for
multiple allegations of sexual harassment. And now, 32 senators from his own party have called for him to step down. MJ Lee is in the Capitol.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MJ LEE, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER: What a difference a day makes. Senator Al Franken now under fire from his own colleagues in the senate to
resign from office, more than 30 senators saying that he needs to resign amid growing allegations of sexual harassment leveled against the senator.
A group of female senate Democrats were talking about this for over a week now, I am told, and they were discussing ways to handle this matter and
they grew increasingly frustrated as they saw these stories pile up. In a devastating reality for Senator Franken, Senate Minority Leader Chuck
Schumer putting out a statement yesterday afternoon, saying that he also believes Franke should resign.
Schumer said I consider Senator Franken a dear friend and greatly respect his accomplishment, but he has a higher obligation to his constituents and
the senate and he should step down immediately.
Now, I also spent the day yesterday talking to some of his colleagues in the senate asking for their reaction and here is what two of them had to
say.
SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND (D), NEW YORK: I do not feel that he should continue to serve. I think it will better for the country, for him to offer
that clear message that he values women, that we value women, and that this kind of behavior is not acceptable.
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D), CALIFORNIA: Numerosity of the complaints and the allegations against him, I find to have weight -- they carry weight.
LEE: As you know, Senator Franken is set to make an announcement
[08:15:00] sometime today about his future. We don't yet know what that announcement will be. We will see if he actually gives in to the pressure
that he is feeling from his colleagues. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: MJ Lee there. Now, wildfires are burning across Southern California for the fourth straight days, forcing tens of thousands of
people from their homes. And strong, unpredictable winds are complicating efforts to contain the flames.
CNN's Stephanie Elam joins me from Ventura County, California. Stephanie, wow, this is a massive and a fast-moving wildfire. What is the latest
including the one right behind you? The biggest of the blazes, the Thomas Fire?
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right where we are at the Thomas Fire, Kristie. I know you spent some time in California. We are along the pacific
coast highway here which is a beautiful stretch of highway here in California. And as can you see right now, it is mainly just first
responders who are on the highway.
They closed down both directions so there is no real good thoroughfare between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. And this is why, because you may see
one car going by there right now, that is a first responder coming through there, and you can see that the fire is burning right behind it.
Some 90,000 acres have been burned by this fire. It's only five percent contained. That is the concern. The other issue here that we have in
Southern California today is Santa Ana winds are going to pick back up today. They are saying they could be between 50 and 80-mile-per-hour gusts
today into this evening.
This situation is going to continue through Saturday. That is bad news for the firefighters as they are battling the blaze like this. But I got to
tell you, Kristie, earlier we went into this little town here called La Conchita that is right along the freeway. You can only get into it off the
freeway. And the flames are burning down the hillside right into that town.
It was awe inspiring to see it that close, to feel the warmth of it. But it was also threatening homes with this wind churning up. We can see the
embers blowing off of it and into this one palm tree that then ignited and it was right above about four homes. That's the problem. That's the danger.
We moved out of there because especially since there is one way in or out. With these embers now blowing in the wind, we can see that embers are now
starting to blow this way as well. And behind me, you got the pacific coast highway and then in front of me is the ocean. So I am hearing the crackling
of the fire and also the crashing of the ocean.
So even if it comes this way, there are some houses here, but there is limited area for it to go past this, but still, firefighters are really
trying to maintain this line, but most of the fire is still out of control.
LU STOUT: So certainly it's a surreal scene there. In front of you is the ocean, the Pacific Ocean behind you. It looks like hell on earth. And this
is a fire that is in the heart of Los Angeles. We know that the Getty Museum is on alert. There is, of course, a production of west world that
has been put on hold. How is this fire affecting this major American city?
ELAM: Right. So that -- so here it's about an hour and a half north of Los Angeles, but the skirball fire which is burning there in Los Angeles was a
big threat that started yesterday morning. That fire is burning some 450 acres.
And from what we understand, destroying four homes and damaging 11 others. It's a much more densely populated area within the city of Los Angeles and
also again running right along the freeway, so the freeway there, the 405 getting closed down for sometime yesterday.
But the issue again is going to be these winds, what firefighters there are really trying to do is keep that fire on the eastern side where it has been
and not letting it get to the western side where you will see the Getty Museum.
That obviously has priceless works inside of it as well, so they want to keep that safe. So far, so good. But we have another day of strong wind and
so it is going to be a battle. It is not just these areas that we know about, there are other areas that could pop up because of this wind. Such a
very dangerous time and the risk is really high right now.
LU STOUT: The winds will just whip up the flames. That means greater risk for everyone in the area including you and the crews, so please take care.
Stephanie Elam reporting live for us from the scene of the Thomas Fire, the biggest of the blazes there in Ventura County, California.
Now we are just a week away from a key vote by U.S. regulators that will affect the information that tens of millions of people if not more access
online. Just ahead, what is net neutrality? Why should we care about it and why this decision is so critical to both companies and consumers.
[08:20:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: All right. Coming to you live from Hong Kong. Welcome back. This is "News Stream." Back to our top story now. There has been global
condemnation after U.S. President Trump defied warnings from multiple world leaders and decided to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Let's bring in CNN's Nic Robertson who is in Jerusalem. Nic, we know that prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, who is -- he said that he is
profoundly grateful for Trump's decision, but there has been widespread anger and condemnation. What is the reaction there?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, here at Damascus, Katie, which is in the walls of the old city, a gate that many Palestinians
would use to come and go to the city, there has been a small protest here. It has been an ebb and flow with the police. The crowd has been moved on.
They come back. There has been an arrest.
You can just feel the tension here, while it's been nonviolent so far, the tensions are slowly building up here. Two Jewish gentlemen emerged from the
gate, walked up through the crowd, the Palestinian crowd, chanted at them, threw a few things at them.
The police moved in. You know, you can just see here a small example of how tensions rise, sort of ebb and flow between the protesters and the police.
Mostly what we've heard from the chants here, from the crowd here, they have been against the Palestinian leadership, the Palestinian authority of
President Mahmoud Abbas.
People here tell us that they think that his leadership is weak and that has been a good part of the protest here. You can just get the sense here
that while it is nonviolent, there is an ebb and flow, and things could change and essentially a hard beat here (ph).
LU STOUT: It's interesting to hear that a lot of the anger being expressed there in the crowd is being directed against the Palestinian leadership.
Your thoughts on the path for peace. What is Trump's announcement mean for the future of any peace process and a two-state solution?
ROBERTSON: Well, Palestinian people we have been talking to here feel downbeat about it. They feel that this shuts the door on negotiations. They
feel that this gives the Israelis more strength in negotiation. They feel that this undermines their position, that coupled with weak leadership.
There is a sense of real frustration and anger at many levels at many things. So at the moment, the mood here would be that, you know, that peace
talks are not going anywhere. This shuts the door further. That said, the reality of the situation is, the real politics evidence, if you will, that
it will take perhaps several more weeks, a month or so, to look back at this point.
See what's happened, what the protests were like, what came of that, what the sort of international (INAUDIBLE) to be, what's been happening behind
the scenes in peace talks that we may not be aware of, you know, perhaps between the United States with the Saudi leadership as well. All these
sorts of things will come into play in better view in weeks and a month or so to come.
So while there is anger and frustration here, these crowds in this location here could be and have been in another protests in the past, much larger,
much bigger, much angrier, much more violent. That is not how it is. So, we all need to look at and review this in a few weeks to see what has
transpired.
LU STOUT: Absolutely. And to see just how much anger is still
[08:25:00] there at that point of time. Nic Robertson reporting live for us. Thank you.
Now, the future of the internet and the information tens of millions if not more people access may hang on a key vote by U.S. regulators. One week from
now, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission is to decide whether to do away with rules intended to keep the internet completely opened. We are
talking net neutrality here.
Right now, all data comes to you at equal speeds, so whether you are watching video on You Tube, Netflix or Amazon Prime, your internet provider
is not allowed to favor one over the other by speeding up one or slowing down another.
But that ends if net neutrality goes away. Netflix will be able to pay for a fast lane to your home, which is great for you if you use Netflix, but
not if you use one of their competitors, and not great for you if you have to pay extra for it.
Joining me now is Nicholas Thompson, editor-in-chief at Wired. He is in New York. He joins us now. Nick, welcome back. Good to see you.
NICHOLAS THOMPSON, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, WIRED: Thank you.
LU STOUT: It's been a while since we talked about net neutrality, so remind us. As digital consumers, why should we care about net neutrality?
THOMPSON: Net neutrality is one of the fundamental principles that has allowed the internet to grow and to become the democratic force that it has
become. We've had some form of net neutrality regulation since the beginning of the internet or even since before what we know of as the
internet.
And that is likely to be stripped away or the process of stripping away will move along next week. So what that means is that for a long time,
you've had a guarantee, that if you start a website or you start some kind of system, people will able to get to it.
If I start a website and I start a new company, people will be able to get there, even if I compete with one of the telecom providers. Even if I say
something politically that one of the telecom providers doesn't like. My information will get to the consumers because the pipes over which that
information flows will be free. That is a key principal and that is what is at risk.
LU STOUT: OK. So the FCC vote on neutrality is taking place next week.
THOMPSON: Yes.
LU STOUT: It is expected to pass. If that happens and if there is no legal challenge, what would a world without net neutrality really, really mean
for us?
THOMPSON: Well, first off, there definitely will be a legal challenge, and there are many legal scholars who think that the FCC has so overstepped
precedent that a legal challenge could be successful. So that will begin immediately after the vote. But, if indeed these regulations are stripped
away as the FCC wants, we don't know what will happen.
The telecom provider and there is a very small number of them in this country, which is one of the problems, have said, oh, we are not going to
do anything bad. We will not harm consumers. We will not harm internet freedom. Just trust us. Let us be.
If possible, they will behave well and we won't have big problems. It's more likely that they will start setting up (INAUDIBLE), that they will
start to charge us in strange ways, and they may start to block content that they don't like because it competes with their own services or because
they don't like it another way.
LU STOUT: Yes, but, you know, to play devil's advocate here, you know, is it really that bad to repeal net neutrality? Those in favor repealing net
neutrality say, you know, trust them, the big companies, they can play fair. And also this is a good thing. It is a challenge against government
overreach. This is a win for online business. So, why don't we accept to rethink about net neutrality?
THOMPSON: Yes, the best case for repealing net neutrality will give the big telecom providers more freedom. If they have more freedom, more certainly,
they will be able to invest more, they will be able to make the pipes better, they will be able to serve consumers better.
The reason not to trust them is that the history of large corporations that have monopoly powers that aren't closely regulated with huge amounts of
influence (INAUDIBLE) is not great in the United States. And in fact, when net neutrality regulations, going back and forth in the courts for a long
time, whenever it seems to lapse a little bit, the company will say, oh, little more freedom, I am going to do something that is not in the
consumers' interest.
So, we don't know for sure. Maybe it won't be as apocalyptic as it seems, but my strong instinct is that this will be a step back from what allowed
the internet to flourish and made it such a great force of individuality and freedom in this country.
LU STOUT: Absolutely. This is a U.S. decision. This does affect directly American consumers. Should the rest of the world care? Why should we?
THOMPSON: Well, we have been influencing the American tech companies. We will have to adapt to this. It will change behavior. So that will have an
influence across the world. But most importantly, if it makes it harder to start a new tech company in the United States which is where a lot of the
most innovative tech companies have come from, that is a problem.
Secondly, there is a chance and this is super interesting and complicated, that what it will do is it will entrench the largest companies that exist
right now. They'll be the ones that will be able to pay off the telecom providers for easy access.
So it becomes very hard to build a new company that competes with one of the monopolistic entities that we have now dominating the internet. So, if
they get entrenched, that changes the internet for the whole world.
LU STOUT: Yes, it hurts the upstart (ph) not only in the U.S. but all around the world. Nick Thompson of Wired, thank you so much. Until next
time. Take care.
THOMPSON: Thanks, Kristie. You too.
LU STOUT: You're watching "News Stream." Still ahead, CNN is on the ground in the West Bank as fierce
[08:30:00] protests erupt.
(START VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can hear them firing the tear gas, get out of there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's coming in. Get out of there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we're out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Stay with us right here on CNN as we bring you the latest a day after Donald Trump's controversial decision on Jerusalem.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You are watching "News Stream." These are your world headlines.
Dramatic scenes in the West Bank following the U.S. president's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The Palestinian group Hamas
has called for an uprising.
Russia says the U.S. move is splitting the international community. Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan are also among those that have
condemned the move.
Israeli prime minister welcomes the U.S. decision. Benjamin Netanyahu thanked President Trump, calling the move an important step for peace. He
says there will be no change to status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem.
We are watching the next few hours for an announcement from U.S. Senator Al Franken. He is under investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee for
allegations of sexual harassment. Thirty-two senators from his own party have called for him to step down.
Multiple wildfires are burning out of control in Southern California. One blaze has reached Los Angeles, America's second largest city. Hundreds of
schools are closed. More than 100,000 people have been forced to evacuate. Strong winds make the desperate situation in Southern California even
worse.
For the latest, let's go to meteorologist Chad Myers in the CNN Weather Center. Chad, I mean, we saw the blazes live with Stephanie Elam earlier.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST AND SCIENCE REPORTER: Yes.
LU STOUT: Scary situation. These powerful winds are just complicating the fight. What's the forecast?
MYERS: The forecast is for more wind until Saturday, but it gets better after that. Now, that's a long time before we get to that point. And we get
winds like this all the time in Southern California. They come from the high desert. They blow downhill. The high pressure up here and then a low
pressure offshore. And the wind just keeps blowing through the L.A. valley.
But, this is the worst event that the Los Angeles County and Los Angeles City weather service have seen in the decades since 2007. So, here is where
we are. Yes, the wind blows, and yes, there are wildfires, but not like we've seen.
Forty thousand hectares over here, about 200 hectares here in downtown Los Angeles, not really where the buildings are, but where the Getty Museum is,
if you want to look at that. These are wild land fires that burn into houses. They start in the forests and then all of a sudden,
[08:35:00] they move into an area where people have cut down the trees and put up homes. When that happens, the homes there burn. That's where we are
right now. Smoke from the satellite, from the international space station, blowing off the channel island, Los Angeles proper right here. There is the
smaller fire right there near the Getty Museum. But here in Ventura County, that's where the 40,000 hectares are burning right now.
So where do we go from here? Right now, we have about 56 kilometer per hour wind. That's clearly enough to take those embers and blow them a kilometer
or so down before they land and start a new fire. That's what the problem is now, the spot fires that burn ahead of what we call the head of the
fire. It just keeps blowing in one direction.
And that's what we've had in the past couple of days, wind from one direction. And even for tomorrow and into Friday night and Saturday, we
will see winds somewhere in the 30 to 40 kilometer per hour range. Now, this is all part of that same high pressure that I talked about. High
pressure sits over Nevada. Really, almost places like Las Vegas.
And it's the high pressure that acts a lot like a blow dryer. There is a low offshore that acts like a shop vac or vacuum cleaner. The high pressure
here wants to blow through the canyons, down through the canyons just like wind blows through downtown city buildings, like a wind tunnel. And that's
where we are right now, Kristie.
LU STOUT: Thank you very much, indeed. Chad Myers there giving us the very visual explainer of what is happening as these fires continue to burn in
Southern California.
Now, I want to take you back to the West Bank. Ian Lee joins us now from Ramallah, where earlier today, there were fierce clashes. This was all just
an angry response to U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Ian, there were these fierce clashes earlier today. What is the situation now?
LEE: Well, Kristie, they've moved on, but they've picked back up. You can see here right now, this is the front line on the Palestinian side. You
have the burning tires. You have these dumpsters that they put up, which they hide behind to shield themselves from rubber bullets. Let's swing over
here for a second, my cameraman turn around, we can show you.
This is where it was, just down there, and the protesters have been able to push forward. The Israeli military has pulled back a bit and now they are
down here. We are still seeing people injured. Just a short while ago, we saw a young woman who was hit it looked like in her shoulder. She went down
screaming. She was carried away into an ambulance and taken out.
You know, this sort of area is known for protests or clashes, but this is a side that we haven't seen really in years. This number of people here,
angry, protesting, clashing wit the military. This is a lot larger number. You know, we also have seen a cross section of Palestinian society. This
isn't just young men. We've seen a lot here, but you have young men, young women.
Boys, girls, young and old coming out here, protesting, venting their anger about the decision that was made yesterday when President Trump declared he
is going to move the embassy to Jerusalem as well as declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel. You have this ongoing pitch battles and you can just
here the rubber bullets, the tear gas that keeps coming in, keeps hitting these areas.
These protesters keep pushing back. And if you look, I think maybe you can see just down there not too far away is the Israeli military. So you're
talking maybe about a couple hundred meters, 300 meters down there. So, fairly close to each other, growing distance really between the front line
and the other front line, definitely within (INAUDIBLE) distance.
But this battle continues to go. I think we have been bringing this up time after time again. This is a Thursday. This is not a typical day of protest
in the Arab world. Fridays are especially after mid-day prayers. So that is something we are also going to be watching for, is this level of violence
continue?
This level of violence? The violence that Arab leaders around the region as well as other U.S. allies warned could possibly happen if President Trump
made that decision. Kristie?
LU STOUT: Got it. Ian Lee reporting live from the West Bank, reporting on this cross section of Palestinian society gathering there on the streets,
expressing their anger on the back of Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. These protests likely to go on and
perhaps to get even more violent.
Ian Lee, thank you. You're watching "News Stream." We'll be back right after this.
[08:40:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LU STOUT: All right. Coming to you live from Hong Kong. Welcome back. This is "News Stream." Australia's prime minister says that this is a great day
that belongs to every Australian. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the country has legalized same-sex marriage.
(START VIDEO CLIP)
MALCOLM TURNBULL, PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA: What a day. What day for love, for equality, for respect.
(APPLAUSE)
TURNBULL: Australia has done it. Every Australian had their say and they said it is fair, get on with it. And the parliament has got on with it, and
we have voted today for equality, for love. It is time for more marriages.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: Absolutely for equality and for love. Supporters have fought for years for this vote. Australia is now the 24th country in the world to
allow same-sex couples to marry.
And that is "News Stream." I'm Kristie Lu Stout, but don't go anywhere. "World Sport" with Rhiannon Jones is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:45:00] (WORLD SPORT)
END