teacher found his laptop that still worked, containing a message from students in phoenix that moved him to tears. >> and their school wanted to adopt our school. for the students, they said, you know, clothing, blankets, letters of support, and that's all wonderful. you know, that's where you find moments of life. >> absolutely. aivson will start classes in a temporary site. not clear when that will start, but governor newsom allowed displaced students to attend class in other districts or t porary t >> will you resign as secretary of defense if you drink on the job? >> once you have babies, you therefore are no longer able to be lethal? >> i am shocked that you would stand here and say you are completely cleared. >> norah: president-elect donald trump's pick to lead the defense department faces tough questions from democratic

senators. >> i'm not a perfect person. >> norah: a critical 24 hours for california, with millions under extreme fire weather alerts. >> firefighters have never seen wind so fierce. >> norah: and in tonight's "eye on america," the long road to rebuilding, with homeowners' insurance in question. >> did they give a reason why? >> it's the fire hazard. >> norah: the "cbs evening news" starts now. ♪ ♪ good evening. i'm norah o'donnell, and we begin with tough new questions about the man hoping to lead the pentagon, one of the most powerful jobs here in washington. members of the senate armed services committee grilled pete hegseth. why? well, the secretary of defense manages a nearly $1 trilliona nn budget and 3.4 million personnel. democratic senators today zeroed in on his limited management experience and allegations of sexual assault and heavy drinking. there were also concerns raised

about what he said about women in combat. the 44-year-old military veteran and former fox news personality was combative and unapologetic, denying many accusations. hegseth has vowed not to drink if confirmed to the top defense post but did not say he would resign if he faltered. cbs's nikole killion leads off our coverage tonight from capitol hill. >> reporter: defense secretary pick pete hegseth arrived on capitol hill this morning casting himself as a change agent. >> now it is true and has been acknowledged that i don't have a similar biography to defense secretaries of the last 30 years. but it's time to give someone with dust on his boots the helm. >> reporter: but the former army major was quickly bombarded by rapid fire, grilled about his views of women serving in combat. >> i'm straight-up just saying we should not have women in combat roles. >> please explain these types of statements, 'cause they're brutal, and they're mean. and they disrespect men and women who are willing to die >> well, senator,

>> well, senator, i appreciate your comments. and i would point out i have never disparaged women serving in the military. i respect every single female service member that has put on the uniform. >> reporter: the ex-fox news host was also pressed about accusations of sexual assault at a monterey, california, hotel in 2017. >> at that time, you were still married to your second wife, correct? >> i believe so. >> and you had just fathered a child by a woman who would later become your third wife, correct? >> senator, i was falsely charged. fully investigated and completely cleared. >> so you think you were completely cleared because you committed no crime? that's your definition of "cleared"? you had just fathered a child two months before by a woman that was not your wife. i am shocked that you would stand here and say that you are completely cleared. can you so casually cheat on a second wife and cheat on the mother of a child that had been born two months before, and you tell us you were completely

cleared? how is that a complete clear? >> senator, her child's name is gwendolyn hope hegseth, and she's a child of god. and she's seven years old. >> reporter: hegseth underwent an fbi background check, but democrats claim it did not include interviews with hegseth's accuser or ex-wives. >> i believe the investigation was insufficient, frankly. >> reporter: according to "the new yorker," republicans joni ernst and susan collins turned down meetings with hegseth's alleged accuser, which they both disputed. do you want to hear from the accuser, senator? did someone reach out to your office, senator? yes or no? as for hegseth's overall qualifications, republicans accused democrats of being hypocritical. >> how many senators have showed up drunk to vote at night? [laughter] have any of you guys asked them to step down and resign from their job? and then how many senators do you know have got a divorce for cheating on their wives? did you ask them to step down? >> reporter: tonight,

senator ernst announced she will vote for pete hegseth after he provided reassurances that he would support women in the military who have been sexually assaulted. ernst, who is a survivor of sexul assault, is seen as a critical vote. a committee vote on hegseth's confirmation is set for next week. norah? >> norah: nikole killion on capitol hill. nikole, thank you very much. tonight, red flag warnings stretch for about 300 miles, from california's central coast all the way to the san diego area. those powerful santa ana winds have returned, and gusts could top 70 miles per hour, threatening to expand the deadly palisades and eaton fires in the los angeles area, in addition to possibly fueling new fires. we have two reports from the fire zone, starting with cbs's jonathan vigliotti. >> reporter: this is a dramatic look at what could be the origin of the devastating eaton fire. cbs news has confirmed this video was shot just 3 minutes after that fire ignited near electrical towers above

altadena. this, as southern california faces a particularly dangerous situation three times already this season. that warning has been followed by devastating wildfires, especially when fires in pacific palisades and altadena exploded, pushed by hurricane-force winds. it produced heartache, desperation, and controversy, the perfect storm met with an imperfect response. >> do you owe citizens an apology for being absent while their homes were burning? >> reporter: mayor karen bass left l.a. after the first weather warning was issued to sn of ghana's new presi of ghana's new president. the mayor returned 24 hours after the palisades fire began. at least 1,000 structures were already destroyed and more than 70,000 people evacuated. later that day, she toured the damage with california governor gavin newsom. they seemed in tandem, but 48 hours later, the governor sounded critical. >> i was getting different answers. when you start getting different

answers, then i'm not getting the actual story. >> reporter: what does he mean by that? >> i don't know. i think that's a very good question to ask him. he has not raised any challenges to me. >> reporter: the mayor has deflected criticism over whether the city was adequately prepared, but today... are you happy with how the response is going, past and present? >> well, i mean, you know, everything could be better. there is no question about that. >> reporter: looking back, would you have taken that trip overseas? >> you know, i am going to focus today -- >> reporter: but please if -- >> on what we know. >> reporter: meanwhile, fema has arrived here on scene. the agency now assisting victims with temporary housing and disaster recovery. with 12,000 homes destroyed, rebuilding will take years, norah. >> norah: jonathan vigliotti posing the tough questions. jonathan, thank you. let's turn now to cbs's rob marciano as firefighters are getting in the ready position, bracing for those high winds tonight. >> we are taking an aggressive

lean-forward posture, strategically placing fire patrols and engines in the unimpacted high fire risk areas in the city. >> reporter: with wind warnings now extended that could fan more flames, equipment and crews have surged to the battle lines of the palisades fire, but they say they're ready. this team is from colorado. they just got an assignment to head a little bit farther north. they have been strategically placed here in a neighborhood near the palisades that has not been burned. this has been the concern, with these winds kicking up, if one of these hot spots flares up, they've got to go snuff it out. so far, firefighters have only been able to establish a perimeter around 17% of the fire to prevent it from spreading. >> our orders are to kind of get the area cleaned up here as best we can. >> reporter: greg cates' unit from oregon is tasked with creating a buffer zone, clearing dry brush away from homes that could be threatened by flareups. >> obviously, if we see any hot spots, make sure that they get cold and stay cold and hopefully kind of get

things prepped for people to come back in. >> reporter: as the dry winds continue to blow, the army of firefighters remain at the ready. >> we are still pushing forward until we don't have any threat. >> and no rain in the forecast at all. >> exactly. >> reporter: yeah, no rain until further notice here at the command post. they're protected from the wind. they were happy to know the forecast winds didn't quite reach that level. but indications are they are a little bit delayed. the pds red flag warning has now ben extended through a good chunk of tomorrow, with some of those peak winds maybe coming tonight. let's take a look at that. places across the valley, simi valley in particular could very well reach 70 miles per hour for gusts tonight around 9:00 or 10:00, and then in the morning, down to temecula, same sort of deal, and then even after that warning expires tomorrow afternoon, some indications with our models up to 50, 60 miles an hour. the overall pattern even after these winds diminish and we go offshore a bit over the weekend, keeps the rain away and really

resets potentially more santa ana winds coming the beginning of next week. norah? >> norah: everyone on alert. rob marciano, thank you. well, the other big story here in washington, the justice department has released special counsel jack smith's report on donald trump's election interference case. smith says had trump not won the election and had the case been allowed to go forward, he likely would have been found guilty. cbs's scott macfarlane has details of the report. >> reporter: the final chapter of the federal investigation of president-elect donald trump's role in the january 6th attack is a 137-page closing report from special counsel jack smith. smith argues trump knowingly conspired to submit fake electors and overturn the 2020 election results, saying the evidence was sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction. smith reveals he did consider a fifth felony charge, incitement of insurrection, which would have banned trump from running for office again if convicted. but smith opted not to. trump has called smith

"politically motivated" and "deraned." >> i defeated deranged jack smith. he is a deranged individual. >> reporter: smith says trump's claim that smith was influenced or directed by the biden administration "is, in a word, laughable." the former special prosecutor dropped his case after trump won reelection, citing policy prohibiting a sitting president from being subject to criminal prosecution. california democrat pete aguilar, who investigated the january 6th riot as part of a house select committee, says if smith had been appointed sooner, trump might not have avoided trial. >> the january 6th committee did a lot of work on the front end, and we would have liked to see things move a little faster. >> reporter: before the clock ran out. >> before the clock ran out. >> reporter: smith's report also says when trump publically attacked witnesses and investigators, trump's followers would then threaten them. trump has also talked of locking up some members of congress who have investigated the attack. former house select committee chairman bennie thompson told cbs news he would accept a pardon before president biden leaves office to protect him

from trump. >> there are a lot of people who take this person at his word, and i don't want him to weaponize government against people for doing their job. >> reporter: trump tried unsuccessfully to keep jack smith's final report bottled up with legal challenges that ultimately failed. trump has pledged pardons for some or all of the 1600 january 6th riot defendants. norah, those could begin as early as monday. >> norah: scott macfarlane, thank you so much. there are encouraging signs tonight from the middle east. u.s., arab, and israeli officials all tell cbs news that the first phase of a cease-fire deal in gaza has been agreed to in principle. it includes the release of dozens of hostages, both israeli and american, and could be finalized this week. cbs's elizabeth palmer has more from tel aviv. >> reporter: hidden somewhere in the ruins of gaza are 98 hostages held by hamas. the israeli military believes nearly two-thirds of them

are alive. they, along with 2 million palestinians, have been under israeli bombardment for 466 days in a war hamas started when it invaded israel and massacred or kidnapped more than a thousand people. a provisional deal struck by israel and hamas proposes a roughly 42-day truce, during which hamas will release 33 hostages: women, children, the sick, and elderly in small groups. in return, israel will pull its military back to the inside perimeter of the gaza strip. it will allow in a flood of aid and release hundreds of palestinians from its jails. the hostages' families who spent more than a year pushing israel's government to do a deal, and they fear something may still go wrong. or levy was abducted from the nova music festival. his brother, michael, is on tenterhooks.

>> we were disappointed too many times, so i try not to let myself believe too much, but at the same time, we are hopeful. >> reporter: the hostages' faces on posters and banners all over israel are a constant reminder of their tragedy and their families' ordeal. it was a final diplomatic push by egypt, qatar, and, crucially, the united states, that looked set to end it, and also the humanitarian catastrophe in gaza. norah? >> norah: elizabeth palmer, thank you. "eye on america" is next, looking at california's insurance crisis and the struggle to rebuild after the wildfires. what homeowners should know. ho. ♪ ♪ airsupra should not be used as a maintenance treatment for asthma. get medical help right away if your breathing doesn't improve

or worsens or for serious allergic reactions, like rash, mouth or tongue swelling, trouble breathing or swallowing, or chest pain. using airsupra more than prescribed could be life-threatening. serious side effects include increased risk of thrush or infections, or heart problems like faster heart rate and higher blood pressure. ask your doctor if airsupra is right for you. that is their question. and nobody knows shoppers better than shopify. the undisputed, undefeated, checkout champion of the world. businesses that want to win, win with shopify. when my hair started to thin, i thought, am i going to have any hair left. after i gave birth, my hair wasn't even thinning. it was gone. when i spoke to my dermatologist, he immediately pointed me in the direction of nutrafol. it's 100% drug free and clinically tested. within 3 months, my hair was fuller. its' longer, it's so much thicker. i had more scalp coverage. it's so nice to be noticed for my hair after hiding it for so many years. start your hair growth journey

at nutrafol.com now is the time to go back in time. and shine a light on the family journey that led to you. learn when they said, “i do.” ♪♪ when they became heroes. ♪♪ how they ruled the school. curious about what you might find? with billions of records, photos and more, you're bound to find some gems. ancestry can help you piece together the past. memberships are on sale now, so start your journey today. ♪febreze!♪ when it comes to my space... i've got to keep things fresh and tidy. just like mama taught me. so i'm always spraying febreze fabric spray... to freshen up and fight odors. [inhale] smells like home. smells like flowers to me, man. thank you, zeke. ♪lalalalala♪ (vo) struggling with moderate to severe crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis? thank you, zeke. talk to your doctor about #1 prescribed entyvio, offering two maintenance options, including the entyvio pen. infusion and serious allergic reactions can happen

during or after treatment. entyvio may increase risk of infection, which can be serious. pml, a rare, potentially fatal brain infection cannot be ruled out. tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, sores, or are prone to infections. liver problems can occur. entyvio. relief. remission. for real. ♪entyvio, entyvio, entyvio♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> norah: fighting the flames is still job one in los angeles, but questions about rebuilding are starting to move into focus, especially how to pay for it. in tonight's "eye on america," cbs's elizabeth cook reports from california, where 7 of the 12 largest insurers have frozen or restricted new business in the last two years. >> reporter: the fires that tore through altadena turned the family home of jeff and jenifer cohen from this... to this. >> i think there's some walls up.

seems like the second floor collapsed onto the first. but i couldn't tell you if there is anything salvageable. >> reporter: getting money to rebuild will take time, a long time. the cohens have found temporary housing but are among 100,000 plus los angeles homeowners whose insurance have been dropped for the latest wildfires. did they give a reason why? >> it's the fire hazards. the fire danger. we were in an area that they couldn't provide insurance to any longer. >> reporter: as victims like the cohens come to grips with a devastating loss, analysts predict insurers could pay out more than $20 billion just from this wildfire disaster alone. >> the kind of risk has been changing very quickly. >> reporter: university of california associate professor frances moore studies the economics of climate change. >> any kind of healthy financial risk management, we really want the insurers to have an accurate picture of what that risk is. >> reporter: nationwide, the insurance industry already faces tens of billions of dollars in losses from natural disasters.

>> so this icon is a simulated ignition point. >> reporter: rob newbold of the company verisk says one way to financially plan for those disasters could include computer-generated catastrophic models. >> how does the climate conditions in terms of temperature and weather, taken together with where the properties are, with infrastructure and in terms of things like putting the fires out, prevalence of local fire stations, prevalence of local fire breaks, all of these come together to run simulations of what could happen over the next one year of activity. >> reporter: verisk already offers to insurers around the country models covering everything from wildfires to tornadoes to hurricanes. >> we have this deeper red color over, in and around beverly hills. that indicates there's greater loss potential, based on the ignition point, the spread rate, the intensity of the fire, as well as the value of the exposures within that zip code. the insurance company can understand this loss potential and have sufficient money on

hand to pay claims. >> reporter: under an old law to protect consumers, california regulators prohibited using models like these to help set rates, but the state is lifting that ban. verisk is the first company to submit its models for approval. what have you done? what has this experience been like trying to find new insurance? >> so that was quite an ordeal. >> reporter: the cohens eventually found coverage, but only through a government-sponsored pool, and it's at a much higher cost than what they paid. but even that pool may not have enough money to cover the expected los angeles fire damage claims. will you rebuild in california? >> we don't know. >> we don't know. >> we don't know. >> i don't know. >> we're just mourning the lost of, you know, the things that are irreplaceable. >> reporter: precious memories were in that home. >> those are the irreplaceable things. >> reporter: today, they live in limbo, after the fires burned their home of 23 years to the ground. for "eye on america," i'm elizabeth cook in los angeles.

>> norah: britain's future queen is sharing some good news about her health. that's next. that's next. r healt. that's next. ♪ ♪ tis symptoms... ...with my psoriatic arthritis symptoms. but just ok isn't ok. and i was done settling. if you still have symptoms after trying a tnf blocker like humira or enbrel, rinvoq works differently. rinvoq is a once-daily pill that can rapidly relieve joint pain, stiffness, and swelling as fast as 2 weeks for some. and even at the 3-year mark, many people felt this relief. rinvoq can stop joint damage. and in psa, can leave skin clear or almost clear. rinvoq can lower ability to fight infections. before treatment, test for tb and do bloodwork. serious infections, blood clots, some fatal; ...cancers, including lymphoma and skin; serious allergic reactions; gi tears; death; heart attack; and stroke occurred. cv event risk increases in age 50 plus with a heart disease risk factor. tell your doctor if you've had these events, infection, hep b or c, smoked, are pregnant or planning. don't take if allergic or have an infection.

done settling? ask your rheumatologist for rinvoq. and take back what's yours. (♪♪) (vo) zuke's tasty, tender dog treats andcan turn every outingrs. into an adventure. from park to peak... wherever you roam... don't forget the zuke's. zuke's dog treats. choose your adventure. (cough cough) (sneeze) (♪♪) new alka-seltzer plus cold or flu fizzy chews. chew. fizz. feel better fast. no water needed. new alka-seltzer plus fizzychews. mom where's my homework? mommy! hey hun - sometimes, you just need a moment. self-care has never been this easy. gummy vitamins from nature made, the #1 pharmacist recommended vitamin and supplement brand.

do your dry eyes still feel gritty, rough, or tired? with miebo, eyes can feel ♪ miebo ohh yeah ♪ miebo is the only prescription dry eye drop that forms a protective layer for the number one cause of dry eye: too much tear evaporation. for relief that's ♪ miebo ohh yeah ♪ remove contact lenses before using miebo. wait at least 30 minutes before putting them back in. eye redness and blurred vision may occur. what does treating dry eye differently feel like? ♪ miebo ohh yeah ♪ for relief that feels ♪ miebo ohh yeah ♪ ask your eye doctor about prescription miebo.

>> norah: princess catherine shared today her cancer is in remission. she made the announcement on instagram, along with a picture of her visit to the hospital where she had been treated. catherine, who just turned 43, had abdominal surgery one year ago and underwent chemotherapy, but the palace has not revealed her type of cancer. if you plan to hang out at starbucks, you'd better bring your wallet along with your laptop. the coffee giant is putting a lid on its open-door policy. starting january 27th, you'll have to buy something if you'll want to sit at a table or use the restroom. starbucks sales have been sagging in recent years and the new rules are meant to prioritize paying customers. they are among the most vulnerable victims of the l.a. wildfires. what's being done to help them, when we come back. ♪ ♪ >> announcer: this portion of the "cbs evening news" is sponsored by voltaren. the joy of movement.

which penetrates deep to target the source of pain with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicine directly at the source. voltaren, the joy of movement. staying healthy can be hard, but this. this is a party. premier protein, my ride or die. boom! if you know, you know. let's go. this stuff changed my life. so good. high protein. check. one gram of sugar. oh, yeah. and a flavor for every vibe. (♪♪) (♪♪) premier protein. sweeten the journey. when my doctor gave me breztri for my copd... i noticed things changed. breztri gave me better breathing starting within 5 minutes. it also reduced flare-ups. breztri won't replace a rescue inhaler... for sudden breathing problems. it is not for asthma.

tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. don't take breztri more than prescribed. breztri may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling ...problems urinating vision changes, or eye pain occur. ask your doctor about breztri. (vo) oof, stuck paying for that old phone? vision changes, or eye pain occur. don't be. ♪ you know, at verizon, we'll pay off your phone. and you'll get iphone 16 with apple intelligence, on us. now with genmoji. that's a value of up to sixteen hundred dollars. only on verizon. can neuriva support your brain health? mary. janet. hey! eddie. no! fraser. frank. frank. fred. how are you? support up to seven brain health indicators, including memory. when you need to remember, remember neuriva.

some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking allstate first. okay, let's get going. can everybody see that? like you know to check your desktop first, before sharing your screen. ahh...that is not. uhh, oh no. no no no. i don't know how that got in there. no. that, uhh. yeah, checking first is smart. okay, uhh. everybody get out. so check allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. you're in good hands with allstate. today, i chooseth how to screen for colon cancer! give me cologuard, or— excuse me. you just need a prescription. victory! cologuard is for people 45+ at average risk, not high risk. false positive and negative results may occur. ask your provider for cologuard.

oh, it's cold outside. time to protect your vehicle from winter's wrath. of course, the hot sun can be tough on vehicles too. you need weathertech. laser measured floorliners and cargo liner will shield the carpeting from sand and snow. for your interior, there's seat protector and sunshade. plus, mud flaps and bumpstep for the exterior. impactliner, with shock absorbing rings, safeguards your truck bed from costly damage. order american made products at wt.com surf's up!

and i'm juliette goodrich. she was evacuated during the firestorms, not once but twice. >> it just it is very difficult. hard to put into words being displaced like this. >> now, she and others are facing another sleepless night as the winds pick up in southern california. the

potential to cause even more damage. while oakland had to cut its firefighting force another city is expanding. >> it is monumental. is is more weapon for us. it is more tools in the tool box. weeks away from closure but the shelves are already bear. the frenzy to empty out the safeway in san francisco's fillmore. this is cbs news bay area with juliette goodrich. a week after the l.a. firestorms began millions of californians are, once again, on high alert. the santa ana winds are back and the fear is they can undo the progress and cause more disruption tonight. the most critical time will be during the overnight hours, the winds are expected to pick back up. it is an all hands on deck approach to