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Working from Montecito “CBS This Morning’s” Gayle King wakes early to keep America informed

MONTECITO, Calif. - An alarm clock goes off at 1 a.m. inside a guest house in Montecito. A small but dedicated crew is getting ready for another day of network news on the west coast.

"CBS This Morning" anchor Gayle King has set up shop (and life for that matter) at the sprawling Montecito compound of good friend Oprah Winfrey.

“We call it the Santa Barbara Bureau,” King said with a laugh.

For weeks now King and her crew have been reporting the news from their new home away from home. After living and working through the beginning of the Coronavirus Pandemic in New York City she wanted to get out of there. Or get out at all.

"I have a great apartment in New York but it has no outdoor space," King said. "So in 100 days I left maybe five times. I was so freaked out. You're sitting there on the news, you're reading all these horror stories"

She joined us via Zoom, as most conversations are conducted these days. Sitting in the shade of a large oak tree in the sun soaked yard we talked about the wild times we're in. And what it's like covering these ever-changing and life altering stories. From COVID-19 to Black Lives Matter to what it's like living at the Big "O's" guest house.

"Listen, it's her guest house but it goes without saying," she smirked. "She has a very nice guest house."

After leaving NYC and arriving in Montecito, King and her crew quarantined for 14 days. Took the Coronavirus test. It came back negative and she shared a big hug with her best friend as they were finally reunited.

With an east coast start time, that 1 a.m. alarm clock is no joke. She wears an Apple Watch to track her sleep. The day we talked to her the watch said she got less than three hours of sleep. "My goal by the way is eight hours,” she added.

As if a global pandemic wasn't enough America has been flung into another discussion about race. The conversation sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the hands or knee of police officers.

Our conversation with King came just days after the death of Congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis.

"[He] worked his whole life trying to unite the country and make us a better place. And I remain optimistic, despite as painful and as upsetting and jarring as the murder of George Floyd is," King said. "I remain optimistic because of the diversity and the age of the crowd and the people who are out there protesting who were seeking a better place for all of us."

Recent protests and destructive riots in Portland, Oregon are another concern for King. Fearing that the Black Lives Matter message is being hijacked for other purposes. And by people are not seeking the peace and justice of BLM.

Overall, King's time on the west coast has been positive and even refreshing. Despite the early hours.

"It's a pretty place and you know the California vibe. I always say Southern hospitality is no joke. And it's true," King described. "People are very friendly in the South, but California has a very different mellow vibe. People are, I think, a little looser, they're a little more relaxed and I think that they're a little more welcoming."

Welcome to town Gayle! Say hi to Oprah for all of us.

You can catch Gayle King every weekday morning on "CBS This Morning" from 7 to 9 a.m. on NewsChannel 12.

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Joe Buttitta

Joe Buttitta co-anchors the Morning News on News Channel 3-12 and NewsChannel 3 Midday. To learn more about Joe, click here

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