and he is proud of being an immigrant to this country from ukraine. his family emigrated when he was very younhe bravery in combat to this country, that people on both sides of the aisle could cut him very good morning to you. a little slack and give him the benefit of the doubt that he's i'm jim schudiutto. an honest man. no indication of anything goodness, things are moving fast. >> it is a big day. different. and i find it just as a veteran, i'm poppy harlow. i find it offensive that we a white house official and would be attacking his active duty army officer who was motivations or his intentions wounded in an ied attack and a especially given what he has done and what he has bled for person on the infamous call this country. >> well said, admiral. between president trump and the listen to this. president of ukraine that is not a description of a group of this struck us from the people. sometimes reporting this it's one man. morning. lieutenant colonel alexander even as he, vindman, expressed vindman. and today he is an impeachment alarm about the pressure campaign, the colonel and other officials worked to keep the witness, one planning to tell house investigators he was so united states relationship with ukraine on track. troubled by the administration's at the direction of his pressure on ukraine and the superiors at the nsc, including president's ukraine call john bolton, then the national believing it could undermine national security that he security adviser, colonel reported those concerns to his vindman drafted a memorandum in boss twice. >> don't listen to the noise. mid-august that sought to look at that resume. restart security aid being

see if you see credibility in withheld from ukraine, but mr. there. that testimony coming as house trump refused to sign it. the significance of that and speaker nancy pelosi is giving republicans what they had been also how much more imperative you think it makes bringing demanding. a house vote on impeachment. bolton in for questioning. set for this thursday. >> yeah, two big pieces of this vote on procedures for the significance there. it even ups the stakes more on inquiry not authorizing the john bolton's testimony. inquiry itself but the vote shows you john bolton was could still undercut a key gop putting the brakes on what he talking point the inquiry is saw happening here. unfair to the president. doesn't have broad support in he recognized it to be improper and irregular. the fact that bolton took the congress. joining us from capitol hill, time to write a memo, this is manu raju. so there was a lot of pushback what lawyers do when they say, against this broader vote, something is going bad here. i want to make clear -- concern from nancy pelosi that this might put, in particular, >> vindman drafted the memo. >> but it went up to bolton. swing state democrats at risk in you see the lines, the pros 2020. but now she's made the decision to move forward. do we know why? versus the pretenders. the real diplomats against this >> yeah, big part of the reason why is procedural. whole rudy, sondland, rick perry when they moved forward to open group. >> as you look at this, this hearings, one of the reasons, question of a quid pro quo, was democrats want to have open hearings to allow some staff the aid being withheld, was the members to ask questions, which meeting between trump and is not currently allowed under zelensky being held back in the rules. and this resolution would essentially allow just that. exchange for this politically but also it signals a new phase motivated investigation of the

of this investigation where bidens. what you have here is you have they're moving from closed door to open hearings and democrats multiple officials involved. are arguing this is not to that's what they saw. that's what they saw playing out authorize this inquiry but in front of them. they're going to use this as a way to push back against the and sondland, according to "the republican arguments that there wall street journal" account of have been no votes to allow this his testimony, even he said he saw a quid pro quo there. to go forward. there will be a series of closed >> yeah. he kind of had to -- to clarify door depositions this week, up to next week and i'm told that a little bit. i think just as elie has been there's a push to get these open hearings before thanksgiving and talking about, the weight of then decide about whether to evidence on the one side here of vote on articles of impeachment, a clear quid pro quo request. maybe have those articles of and it wasn't just for an impeachment vote in december, investigation of the bidens. potentially before christmas. today is critical. it was for a public announcement of an investigation of the alexander vindman coming to bidens. testify. it was that specific. the first foreign testify who and not to mention the military was on that july phone call aid. but the weight of the evidence between president trump and from credible witnesses is just president zelensky. and someone who raised serious become -- concerns about what he was >> sorry to interrupt. hearing in the white house. this is vindman now arriving on heed said this. i was concerned by the call. the -- we're going to let the i did not think it was proper to cameras settle his shot there. demand a foreign government this is him arriving. investigate a u.s. citizen, and you'll see him behind those i was worried about the implications for the u.s. cameras and the police officer, government's support of ukraine. i realize that if ukraine bicycle mounted police officer pursued an investigation into the bidens and burisma, it would there. here they come. and note that vindman arriving,

and this is significant, in his likely be interpreted as a partisan play which would full uniform. he's not a veteran. he's a current -- undoubtedly result in ukraine >> active duty. losing the bipartisan support it >> active duty member of the has thus far maintained. u.s. military. so 20 years. this would all undermine u.s. he earned a purple heart. national security. injured in an ied attack. following the call, i again i think it's notable that he's reported my concerns to the nsc's lead counsel and also walking in to that room here to significantly in this testimony today, he's going to contradict deliver testimony of conscience some see elements of gordon about his view of the call. sondland's sworn testimony and i think you could say, too, before this committee. he is, of course, the eu that the consistent attack on the whistle-blower's complaint ambassador and someone who made has been, it's all hearsay. some different interpretations some unnamed partisan about what happened, bureaucrat. i think that's the language that particularly in the july meeting where there were discussions the white house has used here. about investigations into the bidens and the like. nevertheless, that's going to be in fact, a number of people saw an area of also inquiry going forward, guys. >> manu, you had a really this exchange, this pressure and they were uncomfortable with it. >> you make such a good point to telling exchange with the sitting member of congress, a call it with his conscience why republican from nevada. he's doing this today. can you tell us about it and he'll say in his opening remarks perhaps play some for us. that -- he'll say, i am a >> yeah, congressman mark patriot. i have deep appreciation for amaday, a republican from nevada american values. who initially had suggested he he'll talk about his service overseas, and then he'll tell may be open to an impeachment inquiry. then said he's not open to an his personal story that his family fled the soviet union

impeachment inquiry. i asked him a simple when he was 3 years old. straightforward question. came to this country in 1979. whether or not the president was -- it was appropriate for his father worked multiple jobs him to ask for ukraine and later to support them while he learned ask for china to investigate his english. political rivals. this is an american hero who you and he dodged the question. said admiral kirby bled -- the substance of the things that literally bled for this country. have come out is that the >> yes, he did. he literally bled for this president asked for a public country. and it's really important for investigation into his rivals people to understand. and also ukraine aid was being whether we know this man or not, he has served his country withheld. and bill taylor -- honorably in combat and he made >> that's your conclusion. >> that's not my conclusion. a choice. that's what's come out. nobody forced him into the army. >> we disagree on the question. there wasn't a draft. >> the president has asked for he was an immigrant to this the ukrainians to investigate the bidens. country, proud of that, proud of is that okay? >> the president has asked for his background, but prouder the whistle-blower complaint to still to raise his right hand, go through the normal process. take the oath of office and join we've seen nothing of that. the army. and then go off to combat. so beyond that when you say that you've made the conclusion, we don't have time to talk about you're a gifted guy because it the all-volunteer force and how isn't over and you already know we fought this long war, longer what you think. >> the white house transcript than we've ever fought a war with all volunteers but it's that was released had president important to remember as you look at him today, that man is a volunteer. trump asking president zelensky he signed up to do this. to -- >> do you know if they've even >> yeah. listen, his family fled the got plans to call the soviet union. you might say that vindman has a whistle-blower?

because i heard they didn't. >> you're not answering my sense of the threat from russia question about the substance of the allegation. today which is at the core of >> i disagree with your conclusion. it's a conclusion, not a this. russia invaded and is at war question. >> i'm asking what's in the with ukraine. transcript. >> my english teacher says you u.s. military assistance to ukraine was intended to help have a conclusion. >> you're interviewing me. them defend against this and >> why don't you want to answer that aid was withheld as the the question about, is it okay administration was demanding a for the president to ask a politically motivated foreign country to investigate investigation. that's the essential conflict the bidens. here. >> why don't you do an interview the folks at home have to say, are they comfortable with that? instead of interviewing yourself. >> the president asked -- >> and, jim, not only does he >> will you answer my question? >> the president asked them to get that from being an immigrant but he's a foreign area officer expert. investigate the bidens. is that okay? it's a specialty inside the >> if you don't want to army. and he has focused his -- the interview me, then interview bulk of his career on the yourself. >> i'm asking you a question. >> i don't understand. eurasia, on russia and ukraine >> thanks for doing the best you and that part of the continent. so he's educated in this. he's had multiple assignments could. >> so there you have it. that have given him a chance to not answering it, but pretty get even deeper knowledge of ukraine and russia. straightforward question. this is a man who knows what whether or not it was okay for the white house to -- for the he's talking about when he talks president to ask a foreign about russia's actions in the government to investigate his world. >> and i've known some faos. political rivals. and we've seen this time and that's not an easy job to get. you have to know your subject again from republican senators, republican congressmen, not matter to get that job. >> yes, indeed. wanting to give a >> he's no light weight. straightforward answer because, in a lot of member's views, it's

not defensible for what the president said. elie honig and john kirby, stand you saw that in that exchange bye. we'll be right back. with that republican congressman. >> you know, sam donaldson used this one grows fuel. to say, in reporting, sort of ♪ exxonmobil is growing algae for biofuels. lessons. if you ask someone, did you steal the money and the answer is anything other than yes or that could one day power planes, no, then you've got a problem. it's a simple question. >> manu, not only are you -- was propel ships, and fuel trucks... that a good interview and an important question, you're one of the best there is. and cut their greenhouse gas emissions in half. so don't let him get you down. thank you, manu. algae. we appreciate it. so much of what we've its potential just keeps growing. learned so far from key witness testimony has backed up the ♪ facts laid out in the whistle-blower complaint and echoed in the transcript that the white house released. however, it is important to note that alexander vindman in his opening statement in about 24 minutes will contradict what ambassador gordon sondland said regarding a july 10th meeting in washington between, cra ukrainid u.s. officials. sandland started to speak about ukraine delivering specific investigations in order to secure the meeting with the president at which time

ambassador bolton cut the meeting short. he'll go on to say, i stated to ambassador sondland his statements were inappropriate, that the request to investigate biden and his son had nothing to do with national security and that such investigations were not something the nsc was going to get involved in or push. >> and this is the thing. tune out the noise. sworn testimony now from several witnesses, in espect corroborates the whistle-blower complaints. and also vindman now, his account corroborating what ambassador and military veteran bill taylor said in his sworn testimony as well quoting here. in the same july 19th phone call, they gave me an account of the july 10th meet with the ukrainian officials at the white house. they told me that ambassador sondland connected investigations with an oval office meeting for president zelensky which so irritated ambassador bolton that he abruptly ended the meeting telling dr. hill and mr. vindman they should have nothing to do with domestic politics. he also directed dr. hill to

brief the lawyers. >> that's contradictory testimony from bill taylor and then coming soon from colonel when you're looking for answers, it's good to have help. because vindman. both of those statements the right information, at the contradict sondland because right time, may make all the sondland said this under oath in his deposition. difference. at humana, we know if ambassador bolton, dr. hill or any others harbored any that's especially true when you're looking for a medicare supplement insurance plan. misgivings about the propriety of what we were doing, they that's why we're offering seven things every medicare supplement never shared those misgivings should have. it's yours free with me then or later. >> problems here, one, because just for calling the number on the testimony corroborates the your screen. and when you call, a knowledgeable licensed whistle-blower complaint, of course. contradicts many statements by agent-producer can answer any the president and others but questions you have, and help you sondland in particular because choose the plan that's right for he swore under -- he testified you. the call is free, and under oath. raises the question whether they there's no obligation. you see, bring him back to reconcile this medicare covers only about 80 testimony. we have elie honig and retired percent of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. that's why so many people rear admiral john kirby. purchase medicare supplement insurance plans, like those the democrats are basically offered by humana. they're designed to help you save money playing this out like a legal case. and pay some of the costs so you had sondland say, they medicare doesn't. depending on never came to me with any of the medicare supplement plan you these concerns, one, but now select, you could have no deductibles or co-payments for vindman is saying not only he doctor visits, hospital stays, and others did. emergency care and more. you can do democrats bring back sondland

keep the doctors you have now, and say, how do you reconcile ones you know and trust, with no these two? >> i think you do. i'm not sure sondland should go referrals needed. plus you can back in. he may have potential exposure get medical care anywhere in the country, even when you're travelling. with humana, you get here. if i'm his lawyer i say we might a competitive monthly priu ana be needing to take the fifth amendment here. it's two against one. healthcare partner working to now it's taylor and vindman make healthcare simpler and against sondland. easier for you. you can chose look at the credibility. from a wide range of taylor and vindman are career standardized plans. each one is designed to work seamlessly with nonpartisan military diplomatic officials. medicare and help save you sondland is a hotel magnate who money. so how do ya find the gave a million to the trump plan that's right for you? one inauguration in order to get his that fits your needs and your position. who's got more credibility, and budget? call humana now at the it's two against one? doesn't stack up well for number on your screen for this sondland. >> admiral kirby, how free guide. it's just one of the significant is this testimony ways that humana is making from vindman? healthcare simpler. and when you we have his entire opening call, a knowledgeable licensed agent-producer can answer any statement here. and this is a guy who is very questions you have, and help you chose the plan that's right for uncomfortable with what he heard you. the call is free and and complained twice about it. there's no obligation. you know >> it's very significant. medicare won't cover all your he's a career military officer, medical costs, so call now! and infantry, a foreign area officer see why a medicare supplement specialist in the eurasia area plan from a company like humana, of the world. just might be the answer.

he's got great credibility. not just as an active serving officer in the army, but also our love is one of a kind from his long expertise in this strong brilliant part of the world. unbreakable and if you look at that ♪ statement, and i'm sure you have it's pretty nondispassionate. engagement rings now 20- 40 percent off he just kind of lays it out fact by fact, date by date. shop unique bridal styles at zales, the diamond store what he saw and what concerned them. and it wasn't just the july 10th you may have gingivitis. when you brush, meeting that he issued complaints about. and the clock could ck he also was able to listen to receding gums, and possibly... when you brush, the july 25th call and make tooth loss. help turn back the clock so twice now he has heard and . on gingivitis with parodontax. leave bleeding gums behind. parodontax. said he saw evidence of an effort to investigate the bidens, express national security concerns about that and it's, again, a dispassionate just moments ago, lieutenant statement. >> it is important to detail colonel alexander vindman this role. the fao position, foreign area arriving on capitol hill for his sworn testimony today. officer position, this is for a critical moment, possibly someone serving in the military, in uniform. damning for the president and the impeachment inquiry. comes into the white house with that's because he is the first area expertise and serves their person who was on the call government while a member of the between the president and the president of ukraine when this military. adds some credibility to the point of view. pressure was applied here. i'm not going to repeat the he has enormous credibility.

character assassination attempts this is quite a moment in this against vindman which have started already. they were repeated this to investigation. broadcast and on others last >> let's talk about it. julie pace, washington bureau chief for the associated press night. somehow claiming because he wise and garrett joins us as well. born in ukraine, therefore, he's as we have seen, some not loyal to his country. you served in the military. republicans try to undercut him you served in the state department. you served in the pentagon. with slurs that we will not even i want to give you an bring up on this broadcast. opportunity to push back against how consequential is hearing that character assassination. this from vindman based on what he lays out in his opening >> look, im, but he literally statement? >> i think it's quite consequential for two reasons. one, he has firsthand knowledge bled for this country. he earned a pur of the calls that the president had with the ukrainian leader. also firsthand knowledge of other actions within the administration related to ukraine. and one of the knocks from the white house and trump allies about this whole process is that the whistle-blower didn't have firsthand knowledge. now that's largely irrelevant because lawmakers are hearing from people who did. and the second reason is that this is not a person who is a political appointee. this is not someone who comes to

this from a political position. this is a person who has served in the u.s. military, who is a decorated member of the military. someone who has served as a foreign service officer. so someone who is outside of the political sphere. and i do think that those people come to the table with more credibility. doesn't mean that republicans and trump allies are not going to try to discredit them but i do think that's tougher given >> the president just called him a never trumper. not clear what he's basing that on. vindman would have volunteered for this position in the trump administration. and to your point, as julie is saying, the initial white house and president attacks on the whistle-blower have been hearsay. partisan. et cetera. now that the hearsay argument has been well undermined and undercut, we're seeing the focus on character assassination really here. is that really the only option going forward as this sworn

testimony mounts? >> jim, i think what you're seeing from trump and from his political allies is an attempt to undermine people whose very credibility they know is really the most important question here. vindman is important for a number of reasons. julie outlined some of them, but one of the things he does that's going to be very, very difficult for the white house to counter is he builds on the testimony and the dates and the calendar and the note taking of other career professionals. most notably and specifically bill taylor last week whose testimony really changed the -- all the dynamics of notes.

his opening statement goes date by date through what he sees as a terrible trajectory after the election of zelensky last spring. he says zelensky and trump had a good phone call. it was positive. he, vindman, is doing his job. he's saying, great, here's how we build on that and how we go forward in this consequential relationship. these are the things i'm going to do. and then he describes how that relationship started to go south because of what he sees as outside maligned influences that start to change president trump's mind. he'll outline that today and he's going to have, as bill taylor said, he's going to have the receipts. >> julie, let's talk about what was announced overnight and the fact nancy pelosi on thursday is going to hold basically a rules vote, a procedural vote on the impeachment inquiry.

it's sort of half of what republicans were pressing. unless you have a vote of inquiry on the house floor, a rule vote is not the same thing. i don't know if you can look at it both ways. some say she's caving and others saying, look, your argument this isn't formal now is moot because it is formal. how do you see it? >> i think she's going to make her members vote and that is something that -- vote on anything involving impeachment at this phase was looked at as pretty untenable for some of these more moderate members. now she's saying we'll go forward with that. so that's a change in position. it's not the full vote to authorize the inquiry. but i do think it's notable that pelosi has made clear she doesn't think she needs this vote based on how impeachment is set up under the constitution but she also has a court ruling now from last week that backs this up where a judge, in a quite lengthy and detailed ruling, made clear that the impeachment inquiry already is

legal. now this is a process argument. and any time you're arguing about process, you are generally not winning, but that is where republicans really are. they are fully in a process argument. pelosi is trying to take a little bit of that away from them. i do think that they want to argue on that for the gop does, because the stubstance as we're laying out with vindman. >> process plus character assassination. julie pace and ann guerin. we'll speak to a democratic congressman about what could be the explosive sworn testimony from colonel alexander vindman. also moments from the opening bell on wall street. u.s. futures mixed this morning. the s&p 500 hit a record high yesterday. stocks have been up after the u.s. trade representative said last week that it was close to finalizing a phase one trade deal with china. the president says all of this is happening ahead of schedule. we just don't have any details yet on what that u.s./china agreement may actually look

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he's the national security council's top ukraine expert. a serving member of the military. could he also be the witness democrats have been hoping for. lieutenant colonel alexander vindman just arrived on capitol hill. these are pictures. his testimony gets under way any moment. he's the first person who is on that now-infamous july 2 5th call between trump and the ukrainian president that's the focus of the house impeachment inquiry. joining us to discuss, john garamendi, member of the armed services committee. thank you for being with us. >> good to be with you. >> for weeks with the whistle-blower's complaint first came to light, the principal trump complaint about it, or criticism, as well from his allies is that it's all based on hearsay. now we have someone on that call and says he heard the same thing

and expressed concerns. does this put the hearsay argument to bed in your view? >> well, it's one more step in that process and certainly a very big and important step. others have come forward with direct information, not so much on the phone call but the issue surrounding it. i'm thinking of ambassador taylor specifically here. and we also do not know the exact testimony given in many of the depositions, but this is a very important moment. this is a person that was there. there will be others asked to testify. and when we do, we'll have firstperson account of what actually took place and, really, we ought to get the tape itself that's hidden in that super computer or super safe computer white house. >> where many of these conversations were moved to protect them from eyes, even within the administration. i want to quote from vindman's opening statement because it gives us a vision into his opening statement. this gets to whether ambassador sondland, trump appointee, u.n. ambassador, lied in his testimony. so vindman says that ambassador

sondland emphasized the importance that ukraine deliver the investigation in the 2016 election, the bidens, burisma. i stated his statements were inappropriate that the request to investigate biden and his son had nothing to do with national security and it was not something the nsc was going to . he express ee eed misgivings ano says that fiona hill then entered the room, asserted to ambassador sondland that his statements were inappropriate. you have those two folks voice their misgivings. sondland testified if ambassador bolton, dr. hill or others harbored any misgaivings, they never shared those misgivings with me then or later. >> the fact of the matter is that the president's allies have been doing their very best to first stonewall. then to do character

assassinations and misdirect or flat out lie. we'll see what comes of sondland. it doesn't look good for him, and, yeah, that would be something you can go to jail for if, in fact, you lied under oath. >> should he be called back to testify, to reconcile that contradictory testimony? >> well, i think he'll probably have a chance to do that, perhaps in open hearing. but the facts are coming out one by one, testimony by testimony, the reality is that the president did try to extort a political favor from the ukrainian president, from the ukrainian government. all of which is clearly a -- his oath of office, national security, all of those questions have been raised and quite probably would be a campaign finance violation. >> let me ask you this. i should give you credit that you're one of the first democrats, and you did so on this broadcast with poppy harlow, calling for a housewide

vote on the impeachment inquiry. now, after resisting for some number of weeks, speaker clos y -- pelosi has called for that. have democrats -- have you been hearing from constituents, from voters that you need a house vote to legitimize the inquiry? >> no, absolutely not. the inquiry is fully legitimate. federal court said so just last week that it is the right and proper and legal thing for the house to do. so it's not a question of legitimacy. it's a question of arming ourselves to be fully prepared for what is going to be a very difficult fight. i know that if i'm going into a football game, i want to be fully prepared for that encounter. and so, too, now that we move from the -- what amounts to a grand jury investigation, the depositions to lay out the facts, to get the information, now we move into the public phase. and it's appropriate that at this point, we lay out how

that's going to be done, what the role is of the various committees and also making it very, very clear that the republicans and the president have an opportunity to present their case in these open hearings. all of that is going to be in the resolution that would be voting on thursday. so, yes, it's all been proper all along. the judge said so. pelosi was quite correct and now to take this additional step to lay it all out. >> but the fact is this will put some democratic house members, particularly in swing districts in some political danger here. i just wonder in your view, did the democratic leadership yield to republican complaints here? >> no, i don't think so. i think that it's the right thing to do. to lay it out in the public, to put a resolution on the floor that this is how things will be conducted. with regard to those few democrats that are uncomfortable with this vote, they can always vote present and legitimately

say they're not prepared given the information to vote for this resolution. right now clearly the votes are available to push this resolution forward. if nothing else, pelosi knows how to count votes. >> very kwuk quickly, have any republican colleagues of yours told you they're willing to vote for this inquiry to go forward? >> first, are they willing to vote for it? no. do they think the inquiry should go forward? yes. >> okay. that's a difference. >> yes, it's a difference. we see a lot of that. congressman, thanks for coming on. >> thank you, jim. we do have some breaking news. the president has just written this on twitter. let me read it to you. just confirmed that abu bakr al baghdadi's number one replacement has been term nated by american troops. most likely would have taken the top spot. now he is also dead. there's a lot we don't know, including when he was killed. was it in the same raid? we'll bring you more as soon as

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>> here's what the president wrote just confirming that abu bakr al baghdadi's number one replacement has been terminated by american troops. would have taken the top spot. now he is also dead. >> barbara starr is at the pentagon. do we know who the president is referring to and in what operation this took place? >> there was a different raid, and it is believed that a top isis operative was, in fact, killed in that raid. whether that is what the president is referring to or not, i think we need to still figure out. it's not always clear what he means in his tweets. but the thing is the person that was killed is portrayed in some circles as a potential number two to abu bakr al baghdadi, or replacement, rather. and i think the president is sort of caveating it that way because some people also refer to the operative that was killed as a top spokesman for the organization. so we will see. important to remember, isis is a

very diffuse organization with cells all over the world. >> barbara, before you go, i understand you have some new details about just how crucial of a role the kurds played in all of this. >> well, the syrian kurds now say that they had an operative deep inside baghdadi's inner circle and quite a tale it is. they say that this person was able to take possession of a piece of baghdadi's underwear. they were able then to get a dna sample from it, and that provided a base line dna sample for u.s. troops to use when baghdadi is dead. they can verify his identity with a dna sample that had already been established. jim, poppy? >> you're not able to do that without close proximity. that's a remarkable source for the syrian kurds to have. barbara starr, thanks very much. a growing danger in southern california. hurricane-force winds fueling wildfires burning there. a cnn crew is on the ground.

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powerful winds, high temperatures putting more than 25 million people under red flag warnings in california. this as crews battle at least ten wildfires across the state. the kincade fire in california's

wine country is the biggest by far, scorching more than 74,000 acres. just look at those images in sonoma county, california, from yesterday. it's twice the size of san francisco. nearly 200,000 people are under evacuation orders there. millions more without power. >> it's amazing how routine these fires have become in california. in southern california, near los angeles, the getty fire continues to smolder. the fire has burned some 600 acres of what happens to be some of the most expensive real estate in the u.s. the fire has threatened also the 405 freeway, since it sparked yesterday morning and is just 5% contained this morning. they've got a long way to go there. that's a view from the freeway. cnn's omar jiminez is live in los angeles. so, omar, big concern in that area. stronger winds tonight. winds are like rocket fuel for these kinds of fires. what do we know? >> that's right, jim and poppy. one of the biggest concerns they have is trying to get as much done as they can in the daytime hours, before we expect these wind gusts to pick back up in

the evening hours. and they're going to continue to be that way until midday thursday. and the reason this complicates the firefighting efforts is many times, it takes these embers within containment zones that these crews have worked very hard to create and sometimes spreads these even miles away and starts up fires in places there were not fires to begin with. now, all of that said, one of the things they have focused on at this point is that while fires like the kincade fire, for example, are much bigger than what we have seen here in los angeles, the real concern here is the proximity to homes. it's why the priority at this point has been trying to preserve many of these structures and evacuation zones like the one we are in right w now, in brentwood, los angeles. so that is going to be a major point of concern. and of course, just trying to get as much done before those winds gust up again, expected this evening. >> well, given that omar, because we're hearing some reporting that things are getting better in some parts. a friend of mine who lives in

brentwood told me last night that they're going to be able to go back home. do you have a sense of when that could be true for more people there? >> reporter: that is what is likely going to come out today. the good news on the evacuation front is that we have seen mandatory evacuation orders lifted in some portions and just downgraded to evacuation warnings. but i can tell you, when we were leaving this area yesterday, there were many anxious people at the bottom of the hill here, wondering when they would be able to get back in. and of course, crews are just trying to make sure it's safe before they finally let people back to their homes. >> omar, thank you. great great reporting out there. we appreciate it very much. we have a whole list of ways that you can help all of these people who have had to evacuate their homes in the wildfires, just go to cnn.com/impact. lots of ways listed there. still ahead, moments ago, a top white house ukraine expert arrived on capitol hill as a key witness in the impeachment inquiry. lieutenant colonel alexander vindman expected to testify that he twice reported concerns about the president's pressure on ukraine to his boss.

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top of the hour. good morning, everyone. i'm poppy harlow. >> and i'm jim sciutto. a member of the u.s. army for two decades wounded in combat, a volunteer to serve in this white house, testifying now under oath on capitol hill.

you see him here arriving in uniform this morning. but today, lieutenant colonel alexander vindman is facing a very different kind of battle. this time against the narrative, the dirty accusations, coming from tworks, volunteered for. vindman was on the call between president trump and the president of ukraine and this morning, he plans to tell house investigators, according to his opening statement, that he was so troubled by the administration's pressure on ukraine and that july 25th call between the president of the u.s. and ft. of ukraine that he twice reported those concerns to his boss, to lawyers, as well. >> meanwhile, house speaker nancy pelosi says she's giving republicans what they were asking for, a house vote on impeachment. but republican leadership firing back saying, it isn'txa