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President-Elect Trump Prepares To Leave For Washington D.C. For His Inauguration; President-Elect Trump's Inaugural Ceremony To Be Held Indoors Due To Cold Weather; TikTok Announces Plans To Shut Off Unless Biden Administration Clarifies Ban Won't Be Enforced Immediately; Israeli Prime Minister Says Hamas Must Provide List Of Hostages To Be Released As Part Of Ceasefire Deal; First Lady Dr. Jill Biden Expresses Disappointment About Nancy Pelosi Convincing President Biden To Not Run For Second Term; Parts Of Southern California Devastated By Wildfires Looking Towards Recovery; Patrick Mahomes's Wife Brittany Gives Birth To Baby Girl; Three-On-Three Women's Basketball League Founded By Breanna Stewart And Napheesa Collier Debuts. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired January 18, 2025 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[14:00:05]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Saturday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Right now, President-Elect Trump Donald Trump is gearing up for what will be a rather busy weekend ahead of his inauguration on Monday. In just a few hours, he'll board a plane in Palm Beach, Florida, en route to the nation's capital, where supporters are getting ready to take part in inaugural celebrations. But some of those events will look a little different as Trump takes his second oath of office. His swearing in will now be inside the Capitol Hill rotunda because of dangerously cold weather forecast for Monday.

CNN's Steve Contorno is live in West Palm Beach ahead of the president-elect's departure. So, Steve, what are his plans as he gets ready to depart?

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Well, as you said, Fred, Donald Trump will leave West Palm Beach in south Florida for the last time as president-elect in just a few hours. And he will head to Virginia and one of his properties there, where he intends to take place -- take part in in a pre-inauguration reception. Tomorrow morning, he will appear at Arlington National Cemetery, where he will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. And then he is off to D.C., where he will hold a rally, very much like a campaign style rally at the Capital One Arena in the city. It will be the first time he's addressing his supporters in D.C. since January 6th, 2021. Of course, that speech on the National Mall was the prelude to what turned into an attack on the U.S. Capitol. All these events will precede Donald Trump's inauguration. As you said, it's undergoing a bit of a change. No longer outside, they will be holding the swearing in inside in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

WHITFIELD: OK. And then, Steve, you know, today, the president-elect is commenting on that TikTok ban. What's he saying?

CONTORNO: Yes, this decision being left on Donald Trump's lap by the outgoing administration, and Trump telling NBC just moments ago that he is considering a potential 90 day delay on this ban that could potentially give TikTok an opportunity to find a U.S. seller. It could give Congress time to reconsider whether or not it actually wants to ban the Chinese based app from participating -- from the U.S. marketplace.

But remember, this is an app that there was bipartisan support for banning, including at one point from Donald Trump. And many Republicans followed him down this line of reasoning that it didn't deserve to be operating here because of its ties to the communist regime in China. However, Donald Trump has certainly undergone an about-face there, partially as a result of utilizing the app successfully during his campaign, and he actually intended to have the CEO of the company as one of the several tech executives attending his inauguration, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, and then just, you know, days before he is to take the oath of office, he's launched a new money making venture. What is that?

CONTORNO: Yes, there are Trump sneakers, Trump watches, Trump cologne, Trump coins, and now there is a Trump meme coin. Thats "meme" m-e-m-e, which he decided to launch on Friday, just days before taking office. Now, a meme coin is a sort of cryptocurrency. It's in this class of cryptocurrencies that are highly volatile. They are -- they are styled after Internet fads and phenomena. They don't really have much use or trade value, but it is an opportunity to put his name on another company just before taking office. And we have seen Donald Trump do this all throughout his post-presidency and the campaign.

One of the key distinctions about this product, though, is that it creates a potential conflict of interest for Donald Trump as he takes office. He has someone who has pledged to be a pro cryptocurrency president. He has already said one of his close allies, tech investor and billionaire David Sacks, will oversee cryptocurrency policy when he takes office. And now he's launching a coin where he and his family, his family business, could potentially stand to benefit financially from the very decisions that he makes when in office.

And so we don't really have an understanding of how or if Trump intends to disentangle himself from this company. The Trump Organization has put out a white paper saying that he will not have a window into the company's finances. But here we are, just days before the inauguration, and he is on social media acting as the pitchman for a new venture. Fred?

[14:05:05]

WHITFIELD: All right, Steve Contorno, thank you so much.

All right, the arctic blast working its way across the country will arrive in Washington, D.C., on inauguration day. CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar is here with the latest on what is expected to be the coldest inauguration in 40 years.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: The cold in D.C. on Monday is not just going to be your average winter temperatures. It is going to be dangerously cold. The afternoon high temperature Monday is only expected to get up to 25. That wind chill is going to feel more like nine degrees at the time when all of these people will be out for inauguration festivities. This makes it the coldest inauguration to take place since Ronald Reagan's second one back in 1985, when the temperature was only seven degrees outside.

Now, all of this cold air is coming behind this cold front. It's going to bring rain and snow, but behind it, that's where that significant cold air is really going to come down from.

Take a look at this. These are morning low temperatures, not wind chill, the actual temperature. Minus 17 in Minneapolis on Tuesday morning. D.C. looking at 11 degrees. The high temperatures the next few days, not all that better. In fact, even southern cities like Atlanta are really going to struggle to even get above the freezing mark as we head into the early portion of the week.

Now, we talked about the moisture with this front as well. You've got rain on the southside where the temperatures will be above freezing, but a little bit farther north, you're looking at snow into the mix. Starting Sunday morning, progressing into the mid-Atlantic by Sunday afternoon. And yes, that does include places like Washington, D.C., also Baltimore and Philadelphia. Most of the snow is out by late morning on Monday, but that's when the cold air really starts to sweep into a lot of these places.

Snow on the ground. Most of these areas likely about two inches, but you'll notice that purple color where we could be seeing four to even six inches of snow. The key thing to note is because it's so cold, that snow is not going to go anywhere anytime soon.

WHITFIELD: All right, Allison Chinchar, thanks so much.

All right, we're just now hours away from that U.S. TikTok ban taking effect. The popular app, owned by Chinese parent company ByteDance, says it will go dark on Sunday unless the Biden administration clarifies that the ban won't be enforced and that fines won't be levied against the company and its service providers. TikTok's statement coming after the U.S. Supreme Court voted unanimously to uphold a bipartisan law that would ban the platform here in the U.S. The White House fired back at TikTok a short time ago. And earlier, I talked to CNN's chief media analyst, Brian Stelter, about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: This is a new statement from Karine Jean-Pierre about what it called, what she calls a stunt by TikTok. So the White House is pushing back on TikTok's statement, saying that it will have to shut itself down in the United States on Sunday morning if the White House does not intervene and say more explicitly that this law will not be enforced. That's basically what the current standoff is about. The White House has said this is the next administration's problem.

This is Trump's problem. But Sunday, the Biden administration is still in charge, the Biden DOJ is still in charge. And TikTok says its service providers are concerned that they will face steep, steep fines and penalties if they allow TikTok to stay online on Sunday.

So here's the new statement from Karine Jean-Pierre. She says, "We have seen the most recent statement from TikTok, and it is a stunt. We see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take actions in the next few days before the Trump administration takes office on Monday." She continues, "We have laid out our position clearly and straightforwardly. Actions to implement this law will fall to the next administration." She says, "TikTok and other companies should take up any concerns with them." So that's the White House position.

WHITFIELD: So what does this mean for users? I mean, users are thinking they're going to go to their TikTok app and there will be nothing there. Or might it be the case there will be something there, but perhaps it won't be updated? Or does it mean you go to your Apple app store, and it's not, it's no longer available. I mean, what are the potential scenarios?

STELTER: As of this moment, TikTok is saying that it will turn out the lights, meaning it will on its own decide to make the app inoperable starting at 12:01 a.m. eastern time on Sunday, 12 hours from now. In fact, I reached out to a TikTok spokesperson. I read them that statement from the White House. TikTok has no immediate response to the White House. We'll see if they comment later today.

But for now, this app will stop working right after midnight, and that will be TikTok's choice because technically, the law would allow it to be online if there was action from the Biden administration or, in this case, the Biden administration saying were not going to enforce it, don't worry.

The problem, I think, Fred, is the White House and the DOJ saying those words in a, kind of in a statement, is different from a legal letter.

[14:10:02]

The general counsels, the lawyers for these tech companies, they believe they need it in writing in a more serious way. So there's a little bit of a standoff now between the government and TikTok. And I think, frankly, TikTok is trying to assert its power and leverage here. If they turn off the lights at midnight, that's going to send a big, bold message, and it's going to put even more pressure on Trump to resolve this on Monday and beyond.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: Brian Stelter, thank you so much.

All right, still to come, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to bring all the hostages home, but also had a warning for Hamas if the Gaza cease fire deal is not followed. And the devastating wildfires in California will also have a long-

lasting impact on the children who have lost not only their homes but also their schools.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:15:27]

WHITFIELD: All right, we've got breaking news. The ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that was set to begin hours from now is now in limbo. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a short time ago that Israel would not proceed until Hamas provided a list of Israeli hostages to be released as part of this deal. He also gave this warning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Both Biden and Trump agree that Israel can go back to war during the negotiations. The first task is to return to fighting if necessary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Three Israeli hostages are supposed to be released tomorrow as part of the ceasefire. CNN anchor and senior global affairs analyst Bianna Golodryga is in Tel Aviv, and CNN's Nada Bashir is in Jerusalem. Bianna, you first. How are people feeling to hear this news?

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN SECURITY GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Fred, I'm standing in hostage square, where a program in honor of the hostages with speakers, family members of those hostages that currently remain in Gaza, as well as hostages who were released in the initial ceasefire deal back in November of 2023, spoke. This event just ended a short time ago, so not many people here, I would imagine, had an opportunity to listen to Prime Minister Netanyahu's prerecorded message. But as you noted, he is facing a lot of pressure here domestically, internally, within his own coalition.

We saw the resignation of national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir earlier, and he threatened to do all along this week as talks of a ceasefire hostage deal were building up and leading to yesterday's ultimate decision from the cabinet to agree to this deal. He is facing domestic pressure here, and that was the crux, I believe, of a lot of the language that he used in that speech that he said, one time thanking the cooperation of both President Biden and incoming President Trump.

But what was notable is that he also went on to say this was a, quote, temporary ceasefire. It is how he how he described the conversation and the agreement that he had with President Trump. He said, as we approach the next stages of the agreement, we are keeping significant assets in our hands in order to bring back all of our captives and meet all of the goals of the war. President Trump and President Biden gave their full backing to Israel's right of return to fighting if Israel concludes that the negotiation for phase two are futile. So, Fred, what we're still waiting for tonight, right now, as you

mentioned, is the names, the list that was expected to be delivered from Hamas to Qatar and then from Qatar to Israel of the three hostages that are expected to release, to be released tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. eastern -- 4:00 p.m. local time. We have yet to receive that list or any indication of the names, and thus we don't know what impact, if at all, that will have on the timing of events as they are scheduled to begin tomorrow morning, 8:30 local time, is when were expecting the ceasefire to begin. And it is at 4:00 when we are expecting to see the transfer of the hostages. And it is when those hostages are in the hands of the IDF, is when we would expect to see the release of the Palestinian prisoners.

But again, this deal for now remains in place. No indication that that's not the case. But it is a very fragile deal to begin with. You heard those words from Prime Minister Netanyahu, defiant that they will continue all of their goals in this operation and that that is bringing home all of the hostages, and also the full elimination of Hamas. So we'll see what happens over the course of the next few hours, if we will hear the names of those, excuse me, those civilians who are expected to be released tomorrow, three female civilians, what was what we were expecting to hear in terms of the names. Tonight, we are still waiting to get that list, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Bianna, thank you so much.

Nada, to you now. What do we know about the Palestinians who are set to be freed in exchange in this deal?

NADA BASHIR, CNN PRODUCER: Well, Fredricka, just as you heard from Bianna, this is a fragile deal. And it does reflect somewhat what we saw back in November of 2023 when we saw that four-day truce between Israel and Hamas, and, of course, the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

[14:20:00]

And in that four-day truce, we also saw similar delays in the release of the names of hostages and subsequently the release of the names of confirmed Palestinians to be released from Israeli jails. So, of course, there may be some delays tomorrow. We know that the release will not take place until after 4:00 p.m. local time.

What we are expecting, according to preliminary information released by Israeli authorities, is for some 95 Palestinian prisoners and detainees to be released following the release of three Israeli hostages from captivity in Gaza. Now, according to that preliminary list, we are expecting to see 70 women, 25 men, among them 10 minors under the age of 18 currently held in Israeli jails.

And important to underscore that in that list we are expecting to see 30 Palestinian prisoners and detainees who are currently being held under administrative detention, meaning no charges have been laid against them. There is no ongoing trials or legal processes to speak of. And this is a deeply controversial practice that we have been that we have seen enforced against Palestinians, of course, in the past. Of the more than 10,000 Palestinians currently in Israeli jails, according to NGO data, more than 3,000 are currently being held under administrative detention. And as you can imagine, there are many families, Palestinian families, anxiously waiting to see if their loved ones are on that list.

What we saw last time in 2023 were significant celebrations taking place upon the release of Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Many of them at that point were children. But of course, Israeli authorities are cracking down. They have said that they do not want to see any sort of celebrations. So it's unclear how exactly that will be enforced, particularly in the occupied West Bank.

And then, of course, we are learning now that the International Committee for the Red Cross will be playing its role again, as we saw in 2023, in coordinating the logistics of that release. The focal point we expect will be the Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank, where we are expecting to see some of those Palestinian detainees and prisoners, namely those residing in the occupied West Bank, being released, bused out, and then subsequently returned to their homes.

But of course, this is all dependent on those three Israeli hostages being released by Hamas before we see any sign of Palestinians being released from Israeli jails.

WHITFIELD: All right, lots of anxiety on all sides. Nada Bashir, Bianna Golodryga, thank you so much.

All right, let's bring in now Aaron David Miller. He has been in the Middle East and in these kinds of talks as a former State Department Middle East negotiator. He's now a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Always great to see you. So, I mean, what are your thoughts now? Has this become a fragile deal?

AARON DAVID MILLER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, the good news is that this offers some hope in 15 months of abject horrors in which Israelis and Palestinians have subjected one another to incredible trauma, loss, and suffering. The problem, Fredricka, is that you've got an indirect negotiation between two parties who fundamentally not only don't trust one another, but who are fundamentally committed to one another's destruction.

So it is not surprising that you have a degree of brinkmanship. If Hamas is obligated to turn over the names of three living females, not military soldiers, not soldiers, but civilians, and that hasn't been done. I can't imagine that won't be done in enough time to allow this deal to proceed. But it's emblematic, I think, of the fundamental obstacles that stand in its way.

The prime minister of Israel is not happy about this agreement. Among the 95 Palestinians that are to be released in exchange for three female prisoners is a guy by the name of Mohammed Abu Warda, who is sentenced to 48 life terms for a bus bombing which killed 48 Israelis in 1996. And there are others.

And the prime minister understands his government is incredibly fragile, many of whom, one, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has already resigned from the government. So you have a situation where neither side trusts one another. Theres no facilitators or mediators that are going to monitor this agreement. The Qataris, the Egyptians, the Americans will try. But it's up to the Israelis and Palestinians to fulfill their commitments. And we'll see if they do.

WHITFIELD: Can Netanyahu afford for no release of hostages tomorrow if he does not get this list?

MILLER: Look, I think when you're dealing with Hamas, he's got a large margin for maneuver. If those -- if that list is not provided, there will be no hostage exchange. And frankly, I doubt whether the key constituencies that support the prime minister, including the Biden administration, the incoming Trump administration, and much of the Israeli public, certainly his own constituency is going to disagree.

[14:25:07]

I think that you will see a hostage exchange tomorrow. The question is whether you can go forward for 42 weeks with hostages dribbling out three or four a week, with 14 or so to be provided in the final week. And then you get into phase two, where the negotiators really have to make tough decisions. Hamas would have to release the remaining, what, 60 Israeli military, half of whom the Israelis judge to be dead, in exchange for ending the war. Hamas has to commit to that too, and withdrawing Israeli forces from Gaza. I don't think, Fred, that this Israeli government will survive those decisions.

WHITFIELD: The transition to a new president is on Monday. Do you see, under the Trump administration, the phase two and phase three going according to the existing plan? Or do you see that the incoming administration will be able to manipulate, influence the phase two and phase three?

MILLER: It's a really good question. And Donald Trump and his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, played an important role in in bringing this to the finish line. But if the president-elect believed that somehow this issue is going to be off his agenda by January 20th, this is just beginning. Donald Trump claimed responsibility for the success of this agreement, he now owns it. He owns all of it. And the implementation, he's going to have to figure out how to manage.

He could walk away from it and blame Israel and Hamas for not fulfilling their obligations. But this is a guy who wants an Israeli- Saudi normalization agreement and a Nobel Peace prize. So all roads will lead back to Gaza and to dealing with the Palestinian issue. And it's yet to -- it's yet clear to me, Fred, as to how the incoming administration is going to deal with any number of these very contentious issues.

WHITFIELD: All right, Aaron David Miller, always great to hear from you. Thank you so much.

MILLER: Thanks for having me, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Still to come, as they prepare to leave the White House, President Biden and Vice President Harris are thanking thousands of administration employees for their service. Their messages to them, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:31:42]

WHITFIELD: All right, new today, President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris expressing appreciation to political appointees in their administration during this final weekend in the White House. The pair holding a Zoom call with thousands of administration employees earlier today, with Biden telling them in audio obtained by CNN, to, quote, "look back on these past four years with pride in your service." He also charged them to stay engaged, saying this, quote, "We're leaving office. We can't leave the fight. You're smart, you're skilled, you're passionate, you're decent, you're concerned about people. The country will need you again. So please stay engaged," end quote.

Joining us now is Kate Andersen Brower. She's the author of the books "First Women" and "The Residence, Inside the Private World of the White House," which is the inspiration behind a new Netflix series premiering in March. Congratulations, Kate. Can't wait to watch and read. Welcome.

KATE ANDERSEN BROWER, AUTHOR, "THE RESIDENCE, INSIDE THE PRIVATE WORLD OF THE WHITE HOUSE: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, so what is your takeaway from the closing message coming from Biden and Harris to their appointees?

BROWER: Well, I think it's what we see every four years. You know, this, Ronald Reagan in 1981, in his inaugural address, he called the inauguration nothing -- we accept as normal. It's nothing less than a miracle. And around the world, people will be watching what's going to be happening on Monday here in Washington. And there is an immense sense of pride, I think, that the country has in this peaceful transfer of power that happens every four to eight years.

And in hearing what the president and vice president had to say, I think that, you know, they want to inspire the people that worked for them. This if you are a Democrat, in a few years, this will change. It's a cyclical process in this country. And so they want to engender that hope in their staff who work very hard and very long hours for them.

WHITFIELD: And aside from that we also heard that first lady Jill Biden this week did comment on the Biden family's now fractured relationship with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after she pushed Biden to drop out of the election, saying to "The Washington Post," this, Dr. Jill Biden saying to "The Post," "Like I said, I've been thinking a lot about relationships. It's been on my mind a lot lately, and we were friends for 50 years. It was disappointing." All right, what do you, how do you analyze her wanting to share her point of view on that, her sentiment on that?

BROWER: I thought it was surprisingly honest. Actually, we've all heard that she is her husband's fiercest defender. And behind the scenes she was backing him to stay in the race because he wanted to stay. Right. So I think that it was a moment of honesty that we rarely see in public officials. And because she's about to leave the White House, she feels the freedom to say that.

But, I mean, if you look back in history, first, ladies are always the grudge holders in the family, right?

[14:35:00]

Betty Ford was furious when Rosalynn Carter moved into the White House and said, nobody deserves to be here as much as my husband does. Nancy Reagan, especially when you see a first term president who only serves for one term and is defeated, it's a really bitter pill to swallow. So I think that it makes total sense that Dr. Biden would, would think that the Democratic Party should have stayed, stuck by her husband.

WHITFIELD: All right, and on that note of honesty, you said, you know, you think that was just Dr. Jill Biden being very honest. Perhaps also exhibiting a type of honesty is former first lady Michelle Obama, who is not going to be in attendance at the inauguration. Her office is not necessarily providing an explanation. But there are some inferences there by not being in attendance, not at the funeral of Jimmy Carter, not a slight to Jimmy Carter, but being seated next to the Trumps, and she not being at the inauguration for President-Elect Trump. How are you looking into this?

BROWER: I mean, I was surprised. I do think that Melania Trump has kind of changed the game in terms of what is expected of a first lady. She is the first modern first lady not to invite her successor for a tour of the White House when she didn't invite Dr. Biden to the White House. I think Michelle Obama has done everything that's expected of her. She moved with her family, uprooted their two young daughters to move to Washington, a really difficult transition for them having two little kids.

And then Melania just doesn't move to Washington right away, right. And she kind of changes the game and makes it clear that these are norms and precedents, but they're not prerequisites. They do not have to do this. I mean, being first lady is a tough job. There is no job description. There is no pay. There are endless expectations. And so I think Michelle Obama is saying, I'm just, I don't feel like doing it.

I think, again, it's like Dr. Biden speaking out about Nancy Pelosi. It's just honest. It's an honest reflection of how she's feeling about the state of the country, and does she want to be up there sitting and kind of having to do phony smiles and interactions with people that she doesn't feel are sincere.

WHITFIELD: Interesting. Perhaps that's in that same category. I mean, you just reminded us, I mean, Dr. Jill Biden did invite Melania to come to the White House, and she didn't. And we still don't really know what that's all about either. But as you said, maybe people feel like instead of just kind of playing the role, they are honest with their feelings in an unspoken way sometimes.

All right, Kate Andersen Brower, thank you so much. Good to see you. All right, up next, how firefighters are working to gain as much

ground on the fire lines before the forecast return of the dangerous Santa Ana winds.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:42:47]

WHITFIELD: All right, now to the latest on the California wildfires. Five major lenders will provide a 90-day grace period on mortgage payments for California wildfire victims. Governor Gavin Newsom made the announcement in a statement earlier today. This is happening as more areas previously under evacuation orders are now open for residents to return home. CNN's Julia Vargas Jones is in Altadena, California. Julia, what can you tell us about what's going on there right now?

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, were in this first phase, Fred, of the recovery efforts. We just have some crews on the street that were on, coming on and cleaning up some of these trees that were burned by the fire, starting, the beginning of it all, Fred, if I may say.

Of course, these homes are also being inspected. The homes that are still standing for gas and electric lines and other safety concerns. All of this as the city is starting to get a real grasp on how real and widespread this damage is. And there's a lot of grief at this point from the families that have lost so much and had to be evacuated. But there is also a lot of solidarity, of kindness and of the community coming together, neighbors helping each other.

But also we have the Los Angeles Dodgers, the World Series champions, yesterday, handing out some essential items to some families that need it the most. We caught up with one of those families. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNIFER SEIFERT, EATON FIRE EVACUEE: The kids, their schools burned down, Little League burned down, Altadena musical theater burned down. My business, Creativity RX, used to do all my festivals in Altadena because that's where we live and that's where we raise our children, it's all gone. It's all gone.

JONES: How does it feel to not be able to be in your house and without standing?

SEIFERT: It's a really, it's bizarre, actually, because it's a survivor, it's survivor's guilt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: One of many families that's going through that situation, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Yes. I mean, it's devastating, and so widespread. All right, Julia Vargas Jones, thank you so much.

[14:45:00]

All right, it's not just homes and businesses lost in the fires. Entire schools, as we heard the one woman say, have had to relocate students after the wildfires destroyed their facilities. CNN's Natasha Chen goes to Brentwood as kids from the burned down Palisades charter school begin classes at a different campus.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

STACY BERMAN, PARENT: Honestly, this morning is the best I've felt in a week. Like I'm with my people. I'm with my people. And so yes, we all just fall into each other's arms and cry. And this is who I belong with. So yes, this is a good day.

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A good day compared to January 7th, when the flames from the Palisades fire began.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my god.

CHEN: As some scrambled to pack what they could from their homes, this close-knit community banded together to scoop up their children to escape.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I brought them with me to Brentwood, and they are all in the car crying, looking behind. And one of them came to me the other day and said, you know, you pinky swore to me that my house -- that my house wouldn't burn down. And I feel so horrible because I promised her that her house would be OK.

CHEN: But many of their homes are gone, just like their beloved school, Palisades Charter Elementary. This first grader's family is moving into their third Airbnb in one week.

How are you feeling today? What's your first day here?

VIVALDI ALAVIAN, FIRST GRADER: I'm good. A little freaking out.

CHEN: Amid the personal upheaval, this entire student body of more than 400 is now joining another existing school, Brentwood Science Magnet Elementary.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can go into the hallway.

CHEN: It's a first day of school unlike any other.

HALEY OSORIO, FIFTH GRADER: My friends lost their homes. And I can't go back to my school anymore.

CHEN: Can't go back to the campus where she grew up. The two charter elementaries that burned in the Palisades had educated children from all over Los Angeles, not just the immediate neighborhood, but every single member of this community is connected to someone whose homes turn to rubble.

JULIET HERMAN, PRINCIPAL, PALISADES CHARTER ELEMENTARY: I have two teachers who are unable to be here because of their displacement. I have substitute teachers in those classrooms. That's hard for kids. So really, just being here for people, making sure everybody is feeling OK.

CHEN: The principal of Palisades Charter Elementary says many staff and students lived in homes passed down by their families who cannot afford to move back. The tightknit community doesn't know if they'll ever be geographically close again. But going to school together in a new location is a start.

JACKIE SENIS, PARENT: I tell my child, these are your people. We're Pali strong, and we'll get through this.

BERMAN: Everything is gone except for this. That's all we have.

CHEN: Natasha Chen, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: And as the NFL season is winding down, fans could have something new to watch. Details on the new pro league looking to capitalize on the growing popularity of women's sports.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:52:29]

WHITFIELD: All right, the NFL playoffs will resume later on today with Kansas City Quarterback Patrick Mahomes making a run at his third straight Super Bowl. CNN's Carolyn Manno joins us now with a preview of today's NFL matchups and a miraculous halfcourt shot to win a car.

CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, a great weekend of football overall with two playoff games today, two more tomorrow, and then college football's national championship between Notre Dame and Ohio State in Atlanta on Monday. The divisional round of the NFL kicks off at 4:30 eastern in Kansas City, with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs hosting the Texans. And this is going to be the second time that Mahomes faces Houston in the playoffs. The first back in 2020 when he led the Chiefs to one of the biggest comebacks in postseason history, rallying from being down 24-nothing to win 51-31, in route to his first Super Bowl title.

Now he has three rings, and there's been a lot to prepare for lately. Mahomes, now a dad to three kids, all of them under the age of four after his wife Brittany gave birth last Sunday.

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PATRICK MAHOMES, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS QUARTERBACK: It's been cool. I mean, I'm just supporting. Brittany crushed it. But it's been cool to welcome another baby girl in our family and see how my other kids react to her and having a baby sissy and stuff like that. So it's been a lot of fun. And it was cool that football was on T.V. when I was in the hospital, so I get to watch a little bit. And Brittany was kind enough to let us watch football as she was getting ready to give birth to our second daughter. (END VIDEO CLIP)

MANNO: A very nice nod to Brittany there, and there are plenty of games for the family to watch with their new addition in the fold, so congratulations to them.

Elsewhere, unrivaled debut last night, a new 36-player, three-on-three women's basketball league founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier which features some of the biggest stars in the WNBA. This is really a new chapter in the landscape of women's professional basketball. It gives some players an option to remain home in the United States during the WNBA's off season as opposed to going overseas to support their families financially. There are six teams in the league, six players each. And last night, the Lunar Owls took down the Mist before the final, won game two over the Rose. Two more games today beginning at 2:00 p.m. eastern, and you can watch every game this season on our sister channel, TNT. You can also stream it on Max. It was a lot of fun.

And Minnesota had a great shooting night at Madison Square Garden, but so did one Knicks fan, draining a half-court shot and winning a car in the process.

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Of course, he got swarmed afterwards, but then, check this out. He starts heading towards the sideline to give a hug to somebody, and ends up wrapping his arms around Hollywood star Ben Stiller. The Knicks might have lost, Fred, but that fan is walking away with one heck of a story and a pretty slick game souvenir at that. Back to you.

WHITFIELD: Oh, very fun. Walking away, driving away. All right, thank you, Carolyn.

All right, coming up, President-elect Trump is getting ready to move to the White House for a second time. Preparations are underway for his inauguration on Monday. We've got details.

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