Hello, from CNN, I'm Jo Beck, with the five things you need to know for Thursday, January 23rd. The House has passed a GOP-led bill to detain undocumented migrants charged with certain crimes. It will now go to the White House to be signed into law, and it's an early win for congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump, who vowed to make an immigration crackdown a focus of his administration. And at the Southern border, thousands of extra troops are being deployed, just two days after Trump mandated that the military step up its presence there, with an official saying the first wave of 1,500 personnel will arrive within the next 48 hours.
But some cities and states have been fighting the crackdown. California Governor Gavin Newsom and other state leaders have a month's planned measures to shield progressive policies, including immigration protections. In an interview with Fox News, though, Trump said he would consider cutting federal funding to so-called sanctuary cities if they didn't comply with his immigration orders. California is a great example of if you actually polled the people, they don't want sanctuary cities, but Gavin Newsom does have these radical and politicians to.
Meanwhile, Trump's Justice Department has put a pause on plans for police reform. According to a memo issued yesterday, proposals or agreements will be put on hold if they came about because of a pattern of misconduct within forces. That comes as Trump pardoned two police officers over their roles in the death of 20-year-old Karen Hilton Brown in 2020. Washington Police Officer went after it illegal, and things happened and they ended up putting them in jail.
We're gonna give them a break. The officers spotted Hilton Brown driving a moped without a helmet and chased him, leading to him being hit and killed by another driver. As he lay dying in the street, investigators say the officers covered up the incident, turning off their body cams and tampering with the scene. Clinton was found guilty of second-degree murder, and they were both convicted of obstruction, among other charges.
But now they're both getting full and unconditional pardons. Despite Trump's comments that suggest otherwise, Hilton Brown was a US citizen and was not in the country illegally, and his partner spoke to WJLA about the president's announcement. I kind of better with Carmichael, honestly, because I don't know who told him that I don't know where he got there from. New fires have broken out in LA, putting thousands of residents under evacuation orders.
But an official says the winds aren't as strong around the new Hughes fire as previous places, which is making it easier to fight. It's nowhere near what we saw over the power states and eating fire with 80 to 100 mile an hour gust. I was there that night, and it's a completely different beast. Elsewhere in the country, the impacts are still being felt from the brutal winter storm that killed at least 11 people, as it slammed the US Gulf Coast and southeast.
Temperatures have warmed up a little in the northern US, but the bitter cold continues in the south, where there are warnings about frozen roads causing unsafe travel conditions for commuters this morning. Record ocean temperatures have taken a catastrophic toll on one of the world's greatest natural wonders, Australia's Great Barrier Reef. We asked CNNs or a Patterson for the details. Hi Joe, yes.
A team of scientists tracked the health of hundreds of corals on an island in the reef south, and they found more than 50 percent of those affected by ocean heat died last year, during the most severe and widespread bleaching to ever hit the area. They found corals dead and crumbling with some damaged by an invasive disease. Scientists say as long as humans keep burning fossil fuels, ocean temperatures will keep rising, and it's an existential threat for the world's coral reefs. Coming up, hundreds of same-sex couples have tied the knot, as Thailand's landmark marriage bill takes effect.
Communities across Canada hourly Amazon employees earn an average of over $24.50 an hour. Employees also have the opportunity to grow their skills and their paycheck by enrolling in free skills training programs for in-demand fields, like software development and information technology. Learn more at aboutamazon.ca Thailand has become the first country in Southeast Asia to recognize marriage equality. It's a momentous win for the LGBTQ plus community, which has fought for more than a decade for the same marriage rights as heterosexual couples.
And many couples didn't waste any time getting married, like this transgender woman, who until now hasn't been able to marry her partner of 22 years. From what I think the most important thing is that love is beautiful, regardless of gender. That's all for now. I'll be back with more news at 9am Eastern.