tonight, breaking news. authorities in los angeles at this hour warning of life-threatening winds starting in the overnight hours tonight. 12 million people now under extreme fire risk in l.a.

also, the tense moments on capitol hill. and you'll see it. and caitlin clark's alleged stalker in court. the bizarre outburst. what he told the judge. first tonight, red flag warnings overnight for l.a. and ventura county. santa ana winds gusting up to 70 miles per hour, starting in the middle of the night, but expected to continue right through tomorrow. also, the new fire overnight. three major fires now burning. our team across the fire zone, and ginger zee standing by on the winds now coming tonight and how long they last. also tonight, this dangerous and brutal cold from minnesota all the way to the east coast. it will feel like 9 below in chicago. and what's coming across the northeast tomorrow. the tense questioning on the hill. president-elect trump's pick for defense secretary, former fox host pete hegseth, pressed on what he has said about women in the military. on allegations of infidelity, alcohol abuse, and financial mismanagement. how hegseth responded today. and does he have the support he needs tonight? less than a week before president-elect donald trump

takes office, the justice department tonight releasing jack smith's final report on trump and january 6th. smith saying he believes there was enough evidence to convict trump. but that voters re-elected him to the white house instead. the developing headline at this hour. the american hostages, and will there be a cease-fire between israel and hamas, and is it close? ian pannell and what he's learning right now. back here in the u.s., that outburst in court with caitlin clark's alleged stalker. what he said to the judge. what he's accused of doing. princess catherine's new message about her cancer battle, declaring she's in remission. the first time she has used that word. and america strong tonight. the firefighters and what they have found buried in the ash. there were tears, and this is really something. >> announcer: from abc news world headquarters in new york, this is "world news tonight" with david muir. >> david: good evening. we do begin tonight with two breaking stories.

the tense moments on capitol hill. president-elect trump's pick for defense secretary grilled. but we begin tonight with the warning from los angeles authorities of life-threatening winds now coming tonight, in fact, 12 million people in southern california are on hugh alert right now, an extreme fire risk. winds up to 70 miles per hour. expected to start right in the middle of the night through tomorrow. already overnight, a new fire breaking out in ventura, just north of l.a., the otto fire, they're calling it, prompting evacuations. firefighters jumping into action, keeping it away from homes. tonight, the palisades and eaton fires are still burning. hot spots flaring up. crews battling the flames on the ground. and in the air tonight, planes dropping fire retardant. protecting neighborhoods, leaving them coated in what's become that all too familiar color from the retardant. and tonight a new look at the damage in malibu. the iconic neighborhood along the pacific coast highway. home after home now gone. and across the fire zone, for families trying to rent or find another home for their family, the reality of what they're now facing. the bidding wars, and competition to rent a place to live.

ginger zee standing by on these winds now coming. they start right in the middle of the night. and abc's chief national correspondent matt gutman leading us off from california tonight. >> reporter: tonight, with another potentially dangerous wind storm battering through, weary and anxious families across southern california on a knife's edge. >> i don't want people to start thinking everything's okay now. everything's not okay yet. >> reporter: those winds sparking a new wildfire in ventura county overnight. the otto fire starting in a dry river bed. heavy brush fueling the names. meanwhile, crews racing to snuff out hot spots in the eaton fire before this new round of winds can stoke another inferno. we were there with crews on the front lines. and down below, there are hundreds of firefighters who have carved this fire break through this canyon down to the other side, all the way up there. the palisades fire still just 17% contained. fire officials have been throwing tremendous resources at this fire. fire engine in this driveway, two in that driveway.

and check that roof. this entire house and that roof have been plastered with that pink phos-chek. in fact, the entire canyon has. and thousands of families who lost their homes facing an uncertain future. outside the post office in pasadena, everyone with a need and a story. our kayna whitworth with d.j. acevedo, hoping to give his son a sense of normalcy. >> pick up some stuff. funny enough, we had ordered my son some shoes. so i'm hoping that those are in there. >> that will make him happy. new shoes for a 4-year-old goes a long way. >> for sure. for sure. >> reporter: los angeles mayor karen bass announcing executive orders to speed up the recovery process, and allowing families to rebuild their homes as they were. saying the city can handle the rebuilding process. >> i am completely confident that we will be able to do this, because we will be correcting deficiencies in our bureaucracy in order to expedite the building. >> reporter: zayier calvin, who

has lived in this altadena neighborhood his entire life, telling me about the night the eaton fire hurtled toward them. >> it was literally shooting like fairballs. it looked like a volcano. >> reporter: getting your mother -- >> getting my mother, we're going. i go to the left, and -- my sister's car is still there. >> reporter: but his sister, 59-year-old evelyn mcclendon, got separated. he found her the next day. >> me and my cousin came back and climbed over there and checked and got a shovel and that's where they found her -- found her remains. and -- just -- i don't know why she didn't leave. it's just so much. it's just so much. >> reporter: and it feels like with the loss of this community, like, the oxygen has been taken away from you, the air is taken right out. >> the air's been sucked, the life has been sucked out of us as a community.

>> reporter: and david, folks like zayier calvin say they want to rebuild, they just need the financial support. and fema is here on the ground. they say they've received 40,000 applications, have disbursed $8 million, and are encouraging every head of household to apply. david? >> david: we're thinking of zayier calvin and his loss, and all of these families in the middle of this nightmare. matt, thank you. let's get right to chief meteorologist ginger zee, she's tracking these winds. and you know those words, the national weather service with this warning again, particularly dangerous situation. they say it starts right in the middle of the night, when it's most dangerous? >> those pds red flag warnings, david, go into effect again for the next wave, at 3:00 a.m. pacific time. so in that overnight critical time, and they've extended them until 3:00 p.m. pacific time tomorrow. then, things relax, but those red flag warnings go all the way down to the mexican border. we saw a couple of spot fires in the san diego county mountains. we'll be keeping an eye on all of it. but this area, where you have extreme fire risk, san fernando valley, back to thousand oaks, the western santa monica mountains, we're watching really

closely for wind gusts of 45 to even 70 miles per hour. it won't be consistent, it will come through canyons, but when it comes, it can make explosive fire growth. we even stopped it there, 9:00 a.m. pacific time. you see fillmore at 50-mile-per-hour winds. oxnard at 47. that is big-time problems to try to fight fires. let's go to the cold. wind chills as cold as 20 below in appalachia early tomorrow morning with extreme cold warnings. 1 below detroit. david, unfortunately, this pattern sticks, even colder next week down to texas, and that means more offshore flow and santa ana winds for southern california. david? >> david: we are stuck in this pattern. i know you'll have late reporting on the winds first thing in the morning on "gma." thanks, ginger. now, to the tense questioning on capitol hill. president-elect donald trump's nominee for defense secretary. former fox host pete hegseth grilled on what he has said about women in the military, alcohol abuse, and financial mismanagement. how he answered these questions, and where his support now stands tonight. rachel scott on the hill. >> reporter: tonight, in a tense, often explosive hearing, defense secretary nominee pete

hegseth, a veteran and former fox news host, defending his qualifications to lead the world's most powerful fighting force. >> we will re-establish trust in our military. addressing the recruiting crisis, the retention crisis, and readiness crisis in our ranks. >> reporter: from the outset, democrats making their objections clear. >> i do not believe that you are qualified to meet the overwhelming demands of this job. >> reporter: hegseth casting himself as the victim of false and anonymous smears, but often finding himself on the defensive, particularly concerning the role of women in the military. >> in ways direct, indirect, overt, and subtle, standards have been changed inside infantry training units, ranger school, infantry battalions to ensure that -- >> give me one example. please give me an example. i get you're making these generalized statements. >> commanders meet quotas to have a certain number of female infantry officers or infantry

enlisted and that disparages those women -- >> commanders do not have to meet quotas. commanders do not have to have a quota for women in the infantry. that does not exist. it does not exist. >> reporter: last year, hegseth said point blank, women should not be allowed to serve in combat. today, he seemed to have addressed the concerns of one key republican senator, joni ernst, herself a combat veteran. >> as secretary of defense, will you support women continuing to have the opportunity to serve in combat roles? >> yes, women will have access to ground combat roles, given the standards remain high and we'll have a review to ensure the standards have not been eroded. >> reporter: but democrat elizabeth warren accused hegseth of changing his position. >> this issue has always been about standards, and unfortunately, because of some of the people that have been in political power for the last four years -- >> excuse me, mr. hegseth, let's just stop right there. let's just stop right there. >> priorities other than -- >> mr. hegseth, i'm quoting you -- i'm goquoting you from t

podcast. "women shouldn't be in combat at all." where is the reference to standards? that they should be there if they can carry, if they can run? i don't see that at all, mr. hegseth. >> reporter: hegseth also pressed about an accusation he sexually assaulted a woman in 2017, a charge he denies. claiming the encounter was consensual. senator tim kaine pointing out that at the time hegseth was married, and had recently had a baby with another woman. >> you acknowledge that you cheated on your wife and that you cheated on the woman who -- by whom you had just fathered a child? you have admitted that? >> i will allow your words to speak -- >> you're not retracting that today? >> reporter: democrats challenging him on reports of excessive drinking. he has promised he would not drink alcohol if he's confirmed. >> a cba staffer stated that you passed out in the back of a party bus. is that true or false? >> anonymous smears. >> reporter: republicans on the committee making it clear they've got hegseth's back. >> he is a decorated post-9/11

combat veteran. he will inject a new warrior ethos into the pentagon, a spirit that can cascade from the top down. >> reporter: and david, that key republican senator joni ernst announced just moments ago she will be supporting pete hegseth for defense secretary. it now appears he does have the full support of republicans on the armed services committee. we could see the full senate take up his confirmation as early as next week, david. >> david: all right, rachel scott with the late reporting for us. thank you. we're also following what could be a major development involving israel and hamas involving the hostages including americans still being held. will there be a cease-fire, and is it close? ian pannell from israel tonight. >> reporter: after 15 months of war in gaza, tonight, two u.s. officials say israel and hamas have agreed on core elements of a cease-fire and the release of dozens of hostages kidnapped in the october 7th attack. according to people familiar with the negotiations, both sides are working to overcome minor details, but don't believe any sticking points will derail

progress. abc news learning the details of a potential deal are broken up into three main phases, starting with the release of 33 hostages. including at least two americans. over the next 42 days, israeli forces would withdraw from parts of gaza and allow much-needed aid in. the biden administration, qatar, egypt, and the incoming trump administration all involved. >> it's right on the brink. it's closer than it's ever been before. but right now, as we sit here, we await final word from hamas. >> reporter: david, this deal appears close, but a reminder that prime minister netanyahu still has to get it through his security cabinet and government to get the green light. david? >> david: so many families waiting on this news. ian, thank you. tonight, the justice department releasing special counsel jack smith's final report on donald trump and january 6th. smith saying he believes there was enough evidence to convict trump, but that voters re-elected him to the white house instead. here's pierre thomas. >> reporter: just days before

the inauguration of president-elect trump, special counsel jack smith releasing a blistering report on trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election. saying trump would likely have been convicted on multiple felonies had voters not decided to send him back to the white house. smith, who resigned last week, standing behind his decision to charge trump, stating trump engaged in an unprecedented criminal effort to overturn the legitimate results of the election in order to retain power. suggesting his evidence was overwhelming, the special counsel stating, "trump directed the angry mob to the united states capitol to obstruct the congressional certification of the presidential election." >> we're going to walk down, and i'll be there with you. >> reporter: trump's supporters storming the capitol. some chanting "hang mike pence." >> hang mike pence! >> reporter: but trump has maintained his innocence throughout and stated he never intended for his supporters to commit violence. smith says he decided not to

charge trump with inciting an insurrection because the office did not develop direct evidence of mr. trump's subjective intent to cause the full scope of the violence that occurred on january 6th. trump's legal team overnight made a last-ditch effort to block the release of the report, arguing, "never before in our nation's history has the department of justice attempted to interfere with an incoming presidential administration." but judge aileen cannon, who was nominated by trump, rejected their request. david, tonight, trump is mocking jack smith, saying flatly, the voters have spoken, electing him again. he's well aware of the doj policy that a sitting president cannot be prosecuted, david. >> david: pierre thomas, thank you. next tonight, and to wnba star caitlin clark's alleged stalker. the suspect in court today. and the bizarre outburst. what he said to the judge. here's erielle reshef. >> reporter: tonight, the man accused of terrorizing wnba rookie of the year caitlin clark for weeks with threatening and sexually explicit online messages appearing in court. >> good morning, mr. lewis.

>> guilty as charged. >> no. >> reporter: 55-year-old michael lewis charged with stalking for allegedly sending the 22-year-old indiana fever star multiple messages and posts via the platform x, starting in mid-december. in one message, lewis allegedly telling clark that he drove around her house three times a day and in another, he allegedly stated his plan to go to a game and sit behind her team's bench. police say lewis even traveled from his home in texas to indianapolis to be closer to clark. investigators tracking him to a hotel near the team's home arena, and questioning him about the messages. lewis allegedly claiming, "it's an imagination, fantasy type thing. it's a joke." police warning lewis to cease contact with clark, later arresting him on sunday after they say the messages continued. david, the court entered a not guilty plea on lewis's behalf. the judge questioning his mental state. he's now being held on $50,000

bail. he's been ordered to stay away from clark and the arena she plays in. david? >> david: erielle reshef. erielle, thank you. when we come back here, we are learning of at least 50 vehicles in a chain reaction crash. the images are coming in, we'll have them in a moment. princess catherine tonight, and what she has said for the first time. and the discovery tonight in the ash, and this is really moving. america strong, in a moment. s, picture what life could look like with... vyvgart hytrulo, a subcutaneous injection that takes about 30 to 90 seconds. for one thing, could it mean more time for you? vyvgart hytrulo can improve daily abilities and reduce muscle weakness with a treatment plan that's personalized to you. do not use vyvgart hytrulo if you have a serious allergy to any of its ingredients. it can cause serious allergic reactions like trouble breathing and decrease in blood pressure leading to fainting and allergic reactions such as rashes, swelling under the skin, shortness of breath, and hives. the most common side effects are respiratory and urinary tract infections, headache,

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finding the melted remains of her engagement ring by what had been her front door. fearing the wedding band was gone. firefighters nearby offering to help. and suddenly, a firefighter calling out that he had found something. it turned out it was victoria's wedding band. fighting back tears, victoria holding that ring once more. tonight, grateful to those firefighters and her husband, marco, joking if the ring survived the fire, she was forever stuck with him, too. and right here tonight -- >> hi, david. >> david: victoria on her moment of joy in the midst of so much sadness. >> getting my ring back is just such a symbol of love and family that, you know, a fire may tear down our house, but our little family still exists, and the love will always be there. altadena is such a beautiful community. it's trees as far as you can see. mountains.

it's los angeles, but it's just its own little piece of nature and community, and i know we're going to rebuild and it's going to be amazing. and i can't wait to have all my neighbors in our backyard again, toasting to the next chapter. >> david: victoria, we just love that message. we love that you have your ring back. and we love your husband's sense of humor, saying if you've got the ring, you've got us all forever. i'm david muir. thanks for watching. i'll see you right here tomorrow night. good night. after house, block after block. a new bird's eye view shows the destruction done by those wildfires in southern california. >> i'm meteorologist sandhya patel. i'm tracking the winds that are keeping extreme fire danger going heading into tomorrow. >> i'm j.r. stone live in the pacific palisades neighborhood

of los angeles. evacuations are still in place, but there is hope tonight. my story up next. >> he has the obligation to protect consumers, and he is simply not doing it. >> seven on your side investigates. what will the state's insurance commissioner do about california's homeowners insurance crisis? >> always live abc seven news starts right now. >> it has been a week straight of southern california wildfires. what feels like a never ending disaster has people both weary and wary of what more high winds could bring in the next 24 hours. >> it's. i never expected this. i think it's a nightmare. i think, what am i going to wake up? >> if only? good evening. >> i'm ama daetz and i'm dan ashley. thanks for joining us. windy conditions in southern california are expected to intensify overnight, leading to a particularly dangerous situation and escalation to the already serious red flag warnin