On today’s show: Israel and Hamas inch closer to a ceasefire. What to know about special counsel Jack Smith’s final report on Trump's election-interference case. TIME explains why so many incarcerated firefighters are battling the L.A. fires. President Biden attempted to shore up and reflect on his foreign policy legacy in a speech Monday. CBS News has more. And Pete Hegseth, Trump’s Pentagon pick, faces a tough confirmation test that begins today. Liz Goodwin, a congressional reporter at the Washington Post tells us that is just the start for Trump’s nominees. Today’s episode was hosted by Shumita Basu.
Chapter 1: Why are incarcerated firefighters battling wildfires in California?
A second volume of the special counsel's report focusing on the classified documents case against Trump has not been publicly released. As always, you can follow the latest on breaking news in the Apple News app. Now to Southern California, where wildfires have leveled entire communities over the past week.
While firefighters are making progress, dangerously strong winds in the forecast could halt that progress and threaten even more communities. Battling a disaster of this magnitude requires a lot of hands on deck. More than 15,000 people are part of firefighting efforts, and not all of them are from California. Some are from nearby states, others from Canada and Mexico.
Here's Governor Gavin Newsom speaking on Saturday.
Yeah, we're blessed. Prime Minister in Canada called, reached out. Foreign Minister in Mexico reached out, offered assistance. You've seen that assistance right here from Mexico. Our Canadian partners are coming in Monday. We have all the Western states that are providing mutual aid.
Chapter 2: What percentage of California's firefighting force is made up of incarcerated individuals?
Private firefighters are also on the ground, employed by wealthy Los Angeles residents and, in some cases, insurance companies to protect property. One notable group among the firefighting personnel right now is incarcerated people. There are nearly 1,000 imprisoned people out on the front lines battling multiple fires for the past week.
Chapter 3: What are the benefits for incarcerated firefighters?
About 10 to 15 percent of California's firefighting force is made up of incarcerated people. Incarcerated firefighters in California are technically volunteers. They choose to join the fire program. They do get paid about $5 to $10 a day, plus an extra dollar per hour in active fires. They also have to be accepted to a specialized training program before they're sent out.
Working as a firefighter in prison was a very coveted position. It was hard to kind of get accepted.
Chapter 4: What challenges do incarcerated firefighters face after serving?
That's Amika Mota, a formerly incarcerated person who worked as a firefighter in California, speaking to NowThis. Mota says that convicted people can shave time off their sentences for volunteering, which she says is a big reason a lot of prisoners try to get into these programs. But despite that, she says the low compensation and dangerous conditions are a steep price to pay.
Chapter 5: How has the law changed for former incarcerated individuals seeking firefighting jobs?
Chapter 6: What ethical concerns surround the use of incarcerated firefighters?
Working as a firefighter in prison was a very coveted position. It was hard to kind of get accepted.
That's Amika Mota, a formerly incarcerated person who worked as a firefighter in California, speaking to NowThis. Mota says that convicted people can shave time off their sentences for volunteering, which she says is a big reason a lot of prisoners try to get into these programs. But despite that, she says the low compensation and dangerous conditions are a steep price to pay.
And while some prisoners volunteer in the hopes of securing a career in firefighting when they get out, a California state law barring former felons from obtaining EMT licenses, which is a requirement for most municipal firefighting jobs, has prevented many incarcerated people from doing that.
Our skills are so valued where we are right then. And then we're just, you know, worthless and not recognized as folks that are worthy of maintaining these jobs later down the line when we come home.
Governor Newsom signed a law in 2020 making it easier for former prisoners to have their records expunged, eliminating some of the barriers. But critics say it hasn't helped enough people. Still, for those it has helped, it's turned into a worthwhile career.
Royal Ramey, a former incarcerated firefighter who now helps former prisoners get jobs fighting fires, told ABC he saw the volunteer program as beneficial.
You get better food, you get visits in a park-like setting, dormitory living. You get out in the community and folks are eligible to get time off. But for me, it exposed me to that career that I love now.
The Marshall Project spoke to some prison firefighters who say, yes, it's risky work. Yes, it's low pay. And yes, even though it's voluntary, the ethics around it are murky. But it's also the best job they can get behind bars. Let's turn now to President Biden's legacy, which we're going to continue to examine during his final week in office.
Yesterday, we looked at some of his domestic achievements. We'll spend more time talking about his struggles at home. But today we're going to focus in on foreign policy. Biden delivered what was billed as his final foreign policy speech yesterday.
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Chapter 7: What is President Biden's foreign policy legacy?
Almost exactly four years ago, Biden spoke about the importance of countries working together to confront the major crises of the moment. He promised not just a change in specific U.S. policies compared to Trump's administration, but a fundamentally different approach.
Diplomacy is back at the center of our foreign policy. As I said in my inaugural address, We will repair our alliances, engage with the world once again, not to meet yesterday's challenges, but today's and tomorrow's.
In his address yesterday, Biden claimed he accomplished those goals.
The United States is winning the worldwide competition. Compared to four years ago, America is stronger. Our alliances are stronger. Our adversaries and competitors are weaker. We have not gone to war to make these things happen.
And that's true in some ways, looking at things like the U.S. 's standing in NATO, which has improved significantly under Biden compared to Trump. But Biden's foreign policy legacy will certainly be defined by three major crises. First, the U.S. 's chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, during which more than a dozen U.S. troops and 170 civilians were killed. Second, Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
And finally, Hamas's attack on Israel and the war in Gaza that Israel launched in response, which has killed over 46,000 Palestinians. The withdrawal from Afghanistan accomplished a goal that eluded Biden's predecessors, but the way it happened significantly tarnished his reputation at home and abroad.
On Ukraine, Biden did help bolster international support for Ukraine, but the administration faced criticism from both sides that it was doing either too much or not enough. NPR national security correspondent Greg Meary explained on a recent episode of the NPR Politics podcast how perceptions of that war have changed in Washington.
Biden is now facing pushback from Republicans about his Ukraine policy. The Ukrainians feel the U.S. has been too cautious holding back weapons or restricting their use. Many Ukrainians feel the U.S. is providing them with enough not to lose but not enough to win. And there is the sense that the war is dragging on. Ukraine is struggling to hold the front line.
Now President-elect Trump says he wants negotiations to end the war. Ukraine could be the place where we see the most immediate and dramatic change in policy from Biden to Trump.
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