Breaking news, explosive growth of the wildfires in texas. One just became the second largest in state history. It is 0 contained we have new reporting on who needs to take cover in very shortly, ivf families will rally at the Alabama State house. Could a major about face be imminent after the state Supreme Court controversial ruling that some say put ivf in jeopardy. Sara is out today. Im john berman with kate baldwin. This he is Cnn News Central okay so you know, you love capitol hill drama. You dont have to admit it, but you know, you love it. And today is going to be one of those days. Very soon President Bidens son, hunter is arriving on the hill and heading Behind Closed Doors for what has become a highly anticipated moment, the facetoface with republicans lawmakers, and the biggest moments so far in the republican Led Effort Toward ImpeachingPresident Biden. Cnns paula reid. Shes watching all this tracking all of this hopefully as sneakers on because its going to be wild. Paula, what is going to happen today . And what questions is he likely to face like i definitely wear my sneakers afford today. Let me tell you how significant this is. There actually moving this deposition to a bigger room. Than the one they usually use because they anticipate a Record Number of remembers are going to attend. This is a makeorbreak moment for gop lawmakers who so far have not been able to provide clearwater evidence to support their allegation that President Biden benefited from his sons foreign Business Dealings. Know initially a hunter biden said, you would only testify publicly. They said but they were worried about selective leaks from republican lawmakers, but republicans agreed not to videotape this deposition, unlike other witnesses in this inquiry and having videotaped and also swiftly released. The transcript. So these are two concessions that they needed to make an order to get hunter biden to sit for this interview. Now, among the topics that i think prickly democrats and may want to bring up is the fact that disappearance comes just two weeks after the Justice Department would charge an informant who had alleged that the bidens received millions of dollars in foreign bribes with lying about that with you fabricating those allegations that are at the heart of the gops inquiry here. So i think democrats are really going to seize on that. And again, this is makeorbreak for republicans. I think theyre going to try to find any way to get something to support the merits of this Impeachment Inquiry. So this is going to be one to watch. It could be a late de and right now, were just waiting for the president s son to arrive here on capitol hill. When that happens, well bring it to you. We have cameras all over capitol hill. Great to see you, paula. Thank you. All right. With us now, former Deputy Assistant attorney general, harry litman and former assistant special watergate prosecutor nick akerman. Harry, i want to start with you and let me stipulate. I have never been under federal indictment as far as you know, war i to be id be pretty reluctant to answer any questions to a Congressional Committee when what i could say could ultimately be used against me in a different trials. So what im getting at here is i know theres a lot of anticipation about this but how much is hunter really going to answer . So i think a lot depending on the category youre totally right. Hes under indictment for two different crimes. Those will both be off limits and his lawyer, abbe lowell will jump in and say, we cant talk about that. Hes under indictment. What does that leave . For them . The motherlode. And just as paula said, this is really the whole investigation is at risk of just ending with a whimper and the stakes are high for republicans the mother lode would be anything about joe bidens Business Dealings with him . I think thats going to be a dry hole. Nine witnesses have already testified theres nothing there. This will be the tanjil say so hes already made public statements to that effect. What does that leave for a gang . The one its to get at anything stuff about hunters career has art. Anyway, hes gotten money and therell be sort of Sneering Questions about his art career and attempt to just insinuate that hes been exploiting the biden brand. And thats what well see on the periphery. How far will that go . How aggressive will it get . Itll depend somewhat on abbe lowell, but he can expect a very aggressive set of Questioners Today and nic, how much does todays deposition, how much is it different now as paula was talking about what happened just two weeks ago, which was there at that to that point, the republicans star witness and star information, this formerfbi and hes indicted. Thats right. This is totally anticlimatic hi, there is nothing thats going to come out of this. Harry was 100 right . What theyre going to do, and if you really want the see the roadmap of what theyre going to question about. Its in jim jordans tweet that he put out there a couple of days ago where he goes through all of these Conspiracy Theories and all of these dredged up allegations made over the years. And essentially what it all comes down to is that hunter biden was trading off his dads name essentially, this is the same thing that weve seen prior with Lyndon Johnsons brother, with jimmy carters brother, with Richard Nixons brother. I mean, this is no different. Its basically what my dad said to me. You can pick your friends but you cant pick your relatives my sister what can we pause here . Hello. And hunter biden. Since hunter biden is taken out, abbe lowell, his counsel, theres been this aggressive defense here against particularly the congressional investigations. But if youre walking into this hearing right now, i imagined they could be in a car together on the way to capitol hill at this moment . If youre abbe lowell, what are you telling your biden and what are you advising . How are you advising him to act . Yeah. Theyve been living together for the last several weeks. Lets face it and all i think its going to say to him, rely on me, just listen to the question answered. If i come in Stop Everything and, you know, but they have had a very different strategy and its changed sadly, i think even in the last week, i think youre going to see hunter basically in response to some of these more a field questions actually aggressively defend himself as a recovering addict. I think youll hear him sound that theme and that seems to be lese matter of concern for the white house than when they first came Out Of The Box with this aggressive strategy. So its basically listen, wait, and let me come in if theres trouble, dont dont put out the fire. I put out the fire. All right. Guys. Standby for a second, if you will, because we have some Breaking News right now out of the white house cnns Arlette Saenz here with the details are what can you tell us well, john President Biden is departing the white house right now now you can actually hear marine one taking off to go to Walter Reed National military Medical Center to receive his annual physical. He told reporters this as he was awarded saying airport, marine one. And this was not previously on the president s schedule, but it does line up with the president s previous physical which he received around this time one year ago. Now, President Biden is 81 years old. If he is elected to a second term, he would be 86 at the end of that second term. And this physical while it is a routine update, it will be its expected to be conducted by his physician, dr. Kevin oconnor, who typically in the past has provided a report, an update following that physical, the president has received two prior physicals while in office back in 2021, and that again around this time back in 2023. But this physical is coming as the president s physical and Mental Fitness has been in the spotlight in the 2024 campaign. He has faced criticism from his republican opponents about on his age and his Mental Fitness and polling has shown that there is concern from americans as well about the president s of physical fitness and ability to serve a second term. A recent when it back poll found that only a third of voters thought the president had the physical fitness and the Mental Fitness for a second term in office. So this physical will be watched very closely. Mostly it is an annual routine physical that he has undergone in the past and hopefully later today, we will also be getting a similar readout of how the president is doing. Now, just two note what the president s physician, dr. Oconnor said last year back in 2023, he in his report, he said that the president was healthy, vigorous, and fit to successfully execute the duties todays of the presidency. He noted a few of the issues the president has had, like a stiff gait also being treated for afib, which he did not show any symptoms of during last years physical and also some symptoms of Gastroesophageal Reflux flux that is clearing his throat off and that is something that we often hear in the front of the president in some of his speeches. Now, one other thing that was disclosed within the past year was that the president has sleep apnea and that he was using a cpap machine to treat that. That is a very common issue that millions of americans have been diagnosed with. But certainly this physical today will be closely watched. There are some who have called for the president to receive a cognitive test. Cognitive tests have not typically been part of these president ial physical examinations. Its unclear whether it would be part this time. They didnt feel it was a warranted in the past, but we will be waiting to see what further updates we receive from the president s position. A little bit later this afternoon. Typically, these physicals take quite a few hours. We likely wont be seen him back here at the white house until later in the morning, possibly early afternoon, but we could get a clearer picture sure. Of the president s a physical state after this annual physical at a time when there has been concerns expressed by some voters about the president s physical and mental stamina heading into the 22 24 campaign. President s annual physical, it is a regular event in and of itself. However, as you said, this one is one that will be analyzed with everyone looking at the readout very carefully, maybe as soon as later today, ill let signs thank you for filling us in on what is happening behind you. We appreciate it. Kate, are continuing to follow that. Any updates coming from the president s health, we will bring to you, but were also following more Breaking News this morning out of the texas panhandle, the Smokehouse Creek fire, which weve been talking about this morning. It is now gotten larger, it is now the second largest fire in texas state history. Scorching over 500,000 acres. Now, these fast moving flames, theyre very clearly from the video weve seen making for terrifying conditions. Look so this fire is now more than aside, more than half the size rather of the state of rhode island. Its burning so fast that its scorching the equivalent of 150 Football Fields every minute and thats just one of five fires are burning in the panhandle, right now, several communities have been forced to evacuate already. Many are without water. And this morning, john spoke with a pass sure. Of one church in texas that is sheltering over 200 people now most of the people that have come in, they have lost everything and we even have people here that are helping to help with the community that have lost everything. But yet theyre here showing compassion and love to one another cnns lucy kafanov, shes on the ground for us in amarillo, texas thats right. Well, let me set the scene for you. We are in amarillo, texas where there is low visibility extremely high winds. All of that due to the five wildfires burning in the surrounding areas. Now the air here is still full of smoke oh, good burns your eyes at burns your mouth and throat residents are being encouraged to stay inside to keep their pets inside. This is also one of the areas that folks who can get here from neighboring counties are being encouraged to come here for evacuation. We actually visited a shelter late last night. The reagan work pots to make it more comfortable to people who have sought refuge and shelter here Governor Greg Abbott, issuing a Disaster Declaration for 60 counties that 60. And as of this warning, that Blaze Exploding to more than 500,000 acres now, the smokehouse greek fire thats the largest of the fire thats burning. Being described as the second largest in Texas History now, a lot of these areas are rural that means its not just people that are impacted, but ranches wildlife. There were some dramatic footage of horses and other animals trying to flee the smoke and the flames the main facility that disassembles Americas Nuclear arsenal is located about 17 myers miles. Pardon me from where we are standing, that is the pant x plant that had to shut down on tuesday and is back online as of wednesday morning. Meanwhile, the city of fritch, one of the areas that was a vacuum he weighted residents were asked to limit the water use that fire trucks could be filled they are also that city asking for outside help to bring their water system back online after that Massive Wildfire knocked out power their canadian texas, another area that was very hard hit by the blades its one of the motel owners they are told cnn that look like armageddon. All of the trees are covered in white ash. The local hospital there had to evacuate all of their patients due to the fire on tuesday in other parts of the panhandle, people had to take shelter in schools, in churches not safe enough just to stay home, the blaze, just so powerful there now we are learning those fires spreading to neighboring oklahoma, that to you all right. Thanks to lucy kafanov for that report. Were now joined by brick brooke mcquiddy. She is in childress, texas, forced to evacuate from her town in her mothers home, was burned at brooke. Thank you so much for being with us this morning. Just walk us through what you went through last 24 hours yes. Thank you. In the last 24 hours myself, my mother and my son, along with many friends, friends, and family were evacuated from canadian texas. Although some had to stay behind because roads closed after we my family actually left we had to evacuate to the neighboring town as we got there, we all stayed around, watched, waited and rode back, awaited from that town to the next neighboring town, or the same thing happened. And then we were evacuated to the next neighboring town so weve been out running the smoke and outrunning the fires all while sitting and waiting to hear whats happening back home. Whats happening to our friends and our family that are still caught inside the city limits of canadian, where they were told to gather at the Football Field and the high school and to shelter in place we were looking at im going to many of the homes. Yeah. Im sorry. I didnt mean to interrupt rook, but i was we were looking at some of the pictures you had taken and shared with us moments ago, just this this bright orange, everything on fire. Your mother at one point said it looks like armageddon. Can you just describe what you were looking at it went from Smoke Billowing in that was white to the sunshine coming through that looked like we were engulfed in flames all around two then it got very dark and gray. And as we were leaving, we could turn around and it did it looked like armageddon. It looked like our town was just being engulfed in black and it was just disappearing right before us as we were walking, driving in our rearview mirrors, we all were wondering, what is this, whats going to happen . Are we going to be able to return is theyre going to be anything to return to do you have any reports about your homes . Do you know if theres something to return to myself . My home. I enable return to it is safe. My mothers home, unfortunately, has burned to the ground and theres absolutely nothing left she has lost everything many of her neighbors on the street, locust that she lives on have lost theirs. I do know that our her neighbor, which is the sheriff, bread clap across the street, lost his home as well the neighbors to both sides. One house is standing, the other house is also gone it seems that inside city limits houses are okay. But if you lived on the outright on the outskirts of the city limits . The fire engulfed many of those homes my sons best friend she and her family lost their home so its wade we have confirmation that highways are open back into canadians are residents can return home north Plains Electric has crews coming to canadian and glaser to begin restoring power grants out. Many do not have power and we will be returning as soon as we can to go assess damages hug our friends, our families and be thankful that we are all alive and start rebuilding we are so sorry for your mother that she lost her home. What you have each other and you have her and you got her out safely. And i imagine thats whats truly important. Do you know of anyone . Is anyone missing as far as you know, did everyone you know, get out . Have you been able to account for everybody as far as i know, yes. Everyone is accounted for i d