tonight -- >> this is our historic moment of crisis and challenge. in unity there's a path forward. and we must meet this moment as the united states of america. and so today at this time in this place let's start afresh, unity. unity. >> tonight's country celebrating its new president. no inaugural fancy balls but there is a virtual party, raj. >> it's happening as we speak. let's look into what's happening and there's the new vice president kamala harris. let's listen in. >> i see it in the scientist who is are transforming the future. i see it in the parents, in the innovators and the educators,

and everyone building a better life for themselves, their families and communities. this, too, is american aspiration. this is what president joe biden has called upon us to summon now, to see beyond crisis to do what is hard, to do what is good, to unite, to believe in ourselves, in ourcotry, in what we can do together. thank you. and may god bless america. >> a live look at this inaugural event for all of us to watch. this is the live look. we'll be showing this in its entirety at 8:30 on nbc. there is the new vice president.

so many people celebrating across the country and here in the bay area. john legend now singing there in front of the lincoln memorial. it's about 90 minutes in its entirety. we'll show it to you at 8:30. the event has been filled with celebrities. tom hanks serving as the host for this event, bruce springsteen, justin timberlake giving musical performances and president biden delivered remarks about 30 minutes ago. another big appearance, braden harrington, he was about the 13-year-old boy who bonded with joe biden over their shared stutter. tonight he joined the virtual party by doing a reading from jfk's inaugural address. >> in the long history of the world only a few generation have is been granted the role of defending freedom in the hour of maximum danger. i do not shrink from this responsibility. i walk it. >> a job well done.

that party continuing at the white house. make no mistake that administration hit the ground running already working. nbc bay area's kris sanchez joins us from outside the white house. it is calm there now but a flutter of excitement during the day and more to come tomorrow hitting the ground running. >> reporter: and more to come. the lights have been dimmed. that's because the fireworks show will be starting shortly. and so as joe biden's first day in office comes to an official close it will end with a bang of sorts. and we know it will have been an eventful one filled with pomp and circumstance and as you mentioned a little bit of work as well. outside the u.s. capitol where he worked for decades joe biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the united states facing a field of flags in place of supporters who could not safely travel to washington. president biden vowed to beat back the pandemic and bridge the jagged political divide.

>> today, on this january day, my whole soul is in this, bringing america together, uniting our people, uniting our nation. and i ask every american to join me in this cause. you hear me clearly. disagreement must not lead to disunion and pledge this to you i will be a president for all americans -- all americans. >> reporter: after the inauguration ceremony president biden made his way here to the white house to spend his first night here as his primary residence. he signed more than a dozen executive orders including climate change and mask wearing. president biden unveiled a sweeping immigration reform

bill. we know that we have been watching that closely as we are partners with telemundo and know so many people are waiting to hear some relief, something that will make them feel better about keeping their families intact. in washington, kris sanchez, nbc bay area news. >> kris, thank you. we look forward to the fireworks as well. this sends a message to the world that america is united. did we do that today and are we doing that as we speak? our political analyst, larry gerston, what's your takeaway from the last 12 hours? >> raj, talk about images, let's go back just two short weeks ago, exactly the day you saw thousands of people assaulting the capitol, image what an image we all saw. a week later the house of representatives impeaching the president, only the second time any president has ever been impeeped.

today the image of what happened today on the capitol steps, the same building that was intruded two short weeks ago. it blows one's mind to think of the ups and downs we've seen in this country in that short period of time. >> the world is watching. what are they seeing? >> what they see i think a lot of what the president said, a country that has come out of a very, very difficult time proud, strong and together. look, what we've gone through is something you see in other countries. you don't see it in the united states and even today what those 25,000 troops surrounding the u.s. capitol, and that was a source of worry, that image alone, still, what were they protecting? they were protecting the same thing we've done every four years just like before. it was different, covid-19 got in the way, of course, yes, it was different. a limited number of people could

be there. you saw former presidents, you saw the cabinet people, the supreme court folks. all the people who make up this great government of ours and the president presiding. >> it's a feel good story with kamala harris being from san francisco. what does it really mean for california? are we relevant again politically? >> we're relevant not only because of vice president harris, try saying that, vice president harris, but relevant because of the new role that speaker nancy pelosi had. yes, she's still speaker but now she has a player on the other side, chuck schumer becomes the majority leader. vice president harris is there to break ties, so suddenly this person, the vice president, who really has been in the backdrop the last four years is in a very important spot and i think that will pay dividends for a lot of people aend look forward to seeing a lot of good things happen in california as well.

governor newsom was sent a list of the things he hopes will come out of future legislation. we have access in ways we haven't had in the past. >> i'm sure that's a long list. we had more than 140 republicans voting against the certification of president biden. he spoke for 22 minutes in his inauguration speech about uniting the country. there is hope there. we saw a lot of republicans at this inauguration. >> there is hope. i have to tell you i saw real irony. the minority leader for the republicans in the house, one of those 140 signatures protesting the outcome of the election, there he was with the president for president biden. it's interesting what goes around comes around. sometimes it comes in a funny way. there's no question all the people were there.

a honeymoon people, maybe they are anxious to cooperate, will get together and get some legislation through beginning with the stimulus bill. we'll have to see. a at least for now things are calm. it's a different page in america and we look to see how it plays out. >> calm is the key word there. thank you, larry. president trump arrived at his florida resort, mar-a-lago, this morning as he begins his post presidency life. hundreds of supporters lined the streets of trump's motorcade as it made its way through west palm beach just as presidential biden's inauguration ceremony was under way in washington, d.c. okay, the tradition continues. the moment between president biden and al roker. stay with us.

back in 1989 "today" show weatherman willard scott got a

kiss on live tv. looking at this video al roker lured the new vice president joe biden over to the sidelines for a handshake. precovid, of course. today he was back in action hoping the president biden would give him some love. >> mr. president, how does it feel to be president finally? how are you, sir? it's good to see you. >> we have to keep doing this. 2. >> well, got to fist bump. there you go. >> good job, al. jessica, for the record, we believe this is official that president biden's first interview as a president was with al roker. it wasn't a big interview, just a quick comment and a fist bump. >> roker gets them all. absolutely. our two favorite weathermen, roker and then jeff, of course. >> hey, i like that.

good job, roker. big-time weather changes coming our way. we'll talk about some rain, daytime highs in the 40s and some low snow. snow that could go down to the valley floor. i'll show you some early takes on this coming up in about six minutes. >> reporter: the inauguration took place quietly but the crowd has been loud online. i'm chris chmura. a few popular post that is caught our eye next.

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let's take you back to washington, d.c., where you can see the white house lit up, lots of action going on there. the president officially in his first night at the white house and there is a celebration party. this one is happening on the internet. both president biden and vice president kamala harris delivered remarks. we've also seen musical performances from bruce springsteen, and just moments ago we heard from john legend.

♪ flying high you know how i feel ♪ >> this inaugural celebration party kicking off with the song "feeling good." >> and we didn't see those massive crowds today but we did have a lot of massive crowds at a massive party on social media. we asked chris chmura to keep an eye on the notable posts. a lot of bernie memes. some not safe for work. >> reporter: for sure. this was fun and a team effort. we called in an expert abby fernandez who hosts our instagram show. you were obsessed with bernie sanders and the mittens. what else were you liking online during the inauguration today? >> listen, chris, i wish i was wearing purple because that was the statement color at today's inauguration. like this twitter user is pointing out not only was vice president kamala harris wearing it but also former secretary of state hillary clinton and former first lady michelle obama were all rocking different shades of

purple and people are pointing out that, you know, combining or blending in both party colors red and blue creates a purple color and symbolizes unity. it is also used to symbolize women's equality, justice and dignity. so that was really -- i don't know if they planned it, but what a nice touch to today's inauguration day. >> i have a fashion related post i want to share, too, and this is courtesy of ben who describes himself as an economics professor. his post mashs up images of janet yellen, she's smiling, glaring, and today she was chilling because temperatures were in the 40s there. i can absolutely understand that. i participated in inauguration years ago and it was absolutely freezing there. i'm happy to be in the warmth of the building. i imagine you would be bundled up outside of the capitol, abby. >> i would, too. and those mittens, too. another thing that i noticed that really caught my eye today

and that i absolutely loved really was seeing all of those pictures of kids watching the inauguration as it was playing out. all over every social media platform. a few of the ones i love the most. kamala harris gets sworn in and then we have a twitter user who posted a picture of her kids watching on a laptop on top of a toilet, super practical there. they're watching, right, and then janelle wang, who post add picture of her daughter haley watching kamala, too. it's so beautiful. they blessed my time line and brought me so much hope and excitement. >> we have time for the mittens. a fantastic mashup here. there are other people posting

pictures of bernie. with fdr and stalin and churchill, but there he is, bernie on the b.a.r.t. i think that's probably where bernie would be actually if he were riding around in the bay area and might be dressed up like that. whenever i'm on b.a.r.t. i need to be dressed up like that. it's cold in the summertime. >> i love that bernie picture on b.a.r.t. people are so quick. the memes are out in a second. love it. >> it's astounding how good they are. abby, thank you very much. jess, over to you. >> thank you very much, chris. >> thanks, chris. well, it is hard to overstate the importance of what we all witnessed today and that's especially true for the next generation. as vice president harris was there we were there to watch it with ten high school seniors. they tell us they were inspired and they completely understand the weight of this moment.

>> anything that i can do to just signify or embody her today i'm going to do because it's so special and something i will remember the rest of my life. >> i think it's really cool to see a person of color in a position of power. i think it's really inspiring for a lot of little girls like me who grew up not really seeing anyone in the media who looked like me. if i could go back and tell my kindergarten self that there would be a woman of color in the vice presidency, i think that's amazing. >> amazing for sure. kamala harris's niece attended the school in 1999. one pour point of pride for the school and its students. >> i love seeing all these stories with all the young people. we're awaiting president biden and vice president harris to head to the white house balcony any minute now. we're going to bring you that live when it happens.

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look familiar? an excerpt from the poem "the cure at troy." one of president biden's favorite poets. this is from tonight's virtual inaugural ball which airs at 8:30, jessica. >> of course made hamilton famous. we've also heard from the president himself, and from vice president kamala harris. a live look at some of the events. that's demi lovato with the short haircut looking a little different. you can see inside the family is

together. the president holding the cute little grandchild. >> and this is cool. the big party with the thousands of people but make no mistake there is a party with the small group of the biden family in the white house and the harris family as well. let's bring in jeff ranieri as we talk about this white house event. i just looked at the weather. it's 36 degrees and clear in washington, d.c. so good for fireworks which is about to start. very chilly there and we'll see temperatures colder than that coming our way here as we head through the next seven days, even low areas of snow. everybody make sure you know where that heavier jacket is because things will change and fast. so let's bring knew that microclimate forecast. tonight you can see over walnut creek we do have mostly clear skies with us. it was a wonderful day, whatever you did, if you went outside and had to do storm cleanup or a jog, took the dog out, it was amazing. you can see temperatures

dropping down to the 40s by 9:00, 10:00 and also 11:00. as we hit tomorrow morning's forecast we'll start off on the cold side here, mostly clear. 43 in the tri-valley. the south bay at 45. and we'll continue with more of these 40s right through the east bay and the north bay down to 42. everybody looking good as we start off the day. high clouds starting to increase ahead of our next storm system and that will help temperatures drop by 3 to 6 degrees. finally feeling more like january. we started off with record setting highs in the 70s. now we're back down to 63 in napa. 67 in san jose and 50s from san francisco over to half moon bay. what about those changes? let's get to it. this cold blast of air from friday into next tuesday. not only the colder temperatures but rain and even some low snow.

i've been talking about this chance of low snow. i want to share with you what i know now. that's really a big thing in the bay area. it usually only happens a handful of times over a 20 to 30-year period. monday at 9:00 a.m. we are looking at a little dusting, rain/snow mix over concord and livermore with the best chance over mt. hamilton. wednesday night we could see an additional push of colder air which would continue to keep that snow level maybe at 500 feet and below. we'll see the rain friday into next wednesday. more looks the next hour. back to you. fireworks are going on right now over the white house and the nation's capitol.

today on this january day, my whole soul is in this, bringing america together, uniting our people, you're nighting our nation, and i ask every american to join me in this cause. and i pledge this to you, i will be a president for all americans, all americans. >> the party continues into this evening right now. president biden's virtual event is in its second hour. raj, we just saw fireworks, just a few minutes ago lighting up the white house. >> katy perry singing, the bidens, the first family looking over the white house balcony across to the washington

monument and across washington, d.c. a lot of fireworks there through the night. a live look now at the white house. let's take a look at what it looked like a short while ago. ♪♪ ♪ like a lightning bolt your heart will glow ♪ ♪ you just have to ignite the light ♪ ♪ and let it shine just own the night ♪ like the fourth of july ♪♪ >> katy perry singing. a little while ago we saw demi lovato singing, part of the musical performances throughout the night. >> just incredible to see this and the outfit was stunning. her voice was amazing. and what's he going to call himself, the second gentleman, douglas emhoff, a part of this. you see mr. and mrs. biden, dr.

jill biden. the fireworks show just wrapped up. we will show it to you in its entirety. there were serious moments as well. >> we heard from some of the frontline workers who talked about working in the hospital, how thankful they are president biden will help them get the resources they needed. we heard from one of the first nurses to get a vaccine and it really was a moving tribute to the frontline workers risking their lives to take care. more than 400,000 people have died in this country because of the covid vaccine. as usual a lot of dignitaries were on hand. one notable exception the man joe biden replaces, president trump . kris sanchez joins us with more on that part of the story and, kris, you had a front view of

all those fireworks. it must have been very moving. >> it was super exciting because it was a little taste of what you might expect from a normal inauguration and maybe a treat for the folks who couldn't get closer to a mile to the white house, the capitol, for this inaugural festivity. even though president trump was no longer here, did not see that because he's already at mar-a-lago at his golf course, three other former living presidents did attend the ceremonies. former presidents bill clinton, george bush and obama watched as biden was sworn in and joined mr. biden at the arlington national cemetery where he laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier. once in the oval office president biden said mr. trump did leave him a letter. >> the president wrote a very generous letter. because it was private, i will

not talk about it until i talk to him. it was generous. >> reporter: as for former president jimmy carter he was unable to attend but did call president biden last night. so the festivities are wrapping up here. all of the logistical stuff is wrapping up. we will be here with you through 11:00 tonight and we will be back with you tomorrow morning on "today in the bay" starting at 5:00 in the morning. >> we love that backdrop. we could look at it all night, kris. the next 100 days should be active in the fight against covid. president biden is calling in the national guard to help set up mass vaccination sites across the country. how does that impact here in the bay area? marianne favro is in san jose with a look. >> reporter: the doctor i spoke with said the best way to achieve herd immunity is through mass vaccinations so she was encouraged to see that was a major goal of the biden plan. today just minutes after

reaching the oval office president joe biden signed an executive order mandating mask wearing at all federal buildings and during interstate travel. as part of his coronavirus plan he's pledging to give 100 million covid vaccinations during his first 100 days in office. >> this is one of the most challenging operational efforts we have ever undertaken as a nation. we'll have to move heaven and earth to get more people vaccinated, to create more places for them to get vaccinated. >> reporter: the president plans to spend $50 billion on testing and $20 billion on vaccinations. ucsf infectious disease specialist dr. monica gandhi says while she considers the president's overall plan solid she would like to see more money go to vaccinations. >> testing is going to become less important than getting out the vaccine because the way to get out of other aspects like masks, distancing, testing,

everything else we're doing is to get the mass vaccination. so i lift that equation, lift those numbers and put way more into mass vaccination. >> reporter: the plan includes more funding for genetic sequencing which led to the discovery of a new covid strain here in the bay area and schools are a big focus of the $1.9 trillion plan. >> we'll also do everything we can to keep our educators and students safe, to safely reopen a majority of our k-8 schools by the end of the first 100 days. >> reporter: dr. gandhi schools need to be part of a successful plan. the question now is whether president biden will meet the tight deadlines he's imposed. in san jose, marianne favro, nbc bay area news. >> not many people get a front row seat to history. valerie jarrett has attended two inaugurations. jarrett is senior adviser to

president obama. she posted these pictures on instagram. one of her is on the white house lawn from four years ago and then a snapshot of now president joe biden and first lady dr. jill biden with michelle obama. i asked jarrett what's ahead for the biden/harris administration. >> no two days are alike. no two hours are alike. we used to say for several months we were drinking out of a fire hose, and i'm not sure that ever stopped until the day i walked out. >> reporter: yeah, i hear you. so many eyes will be looking at kamala harris as the first woman, as the first woman of color. and that vice presidential role is so dependent on that relationship with the president. what do you see as what their role will be as a team and what her role should be carrying so much weight on her shoulders?

>> her career has been made up of breaking through glass ceilings, being the first -- the first but ensuring she wasn't the only or the last. and so i think she's comfortable with the expectations that are on her shoulder. i think the fact joe biden has served as vice president gives him a key for the appreciation of the role a vice president can play and they've had conversations about that. he has said publicly he wants her voice to be the last voice in the room, whose counsel he seeks out and values the most. >> reporter: the difficulty of being the first woman in that role and the more than likely scenario that she will face more criticism and be more under the microscope than any other vice president before.

>> it is time for a level playing field. she is capable of playing but she shouldn't have to. we should not use language used to describe women that's different than you would use to describe a man. let's stop talking about what she's wearing and words like ambition as though it's pejorative. they'd better be ambitious. it's the most important job in the land and every vice president wants to be president, too. the good news is for future generations of boys and girls alike who grow up thinking it is perfectly normal to have a woman, a black person, an indian person as their vice president. and that happens right away. >> from your book "finding my voice" and your expertise having been in the white house what advice would you give kamala harris? >> well, the good news is she

doesn't need a lot of advice. i would say trust your instincts and wake up every day and remember why you're there and just keep close to your heart why you went through to get that job to be a public servant. she understands that. i'm so proud of her. >> thank you, valerie. i appreciate you being with us and giving us your insight. >> an interesting point she made is because biden was vice president for eight years in that obama relationship and it was such a tight relationship and he was given so many big efforts to lead on his own, he feels like kamala harris is taking a similar role, that so much will be put on her shoulders just as was done with obama and biden. she said it's an amazing pairing. >> i could listen to valerie jarrett all night.

>> her insight. >> and two things that stood out, it's like drinking through the fire hose. even if it's a calm presidency, which relatively we might be seeing now, it's still really hectic, they are consumed 24/7 with their jobs. >> every day is a 10 no matter what. >> some people ask a woman, vice president harris, throughout her career, are you being too ambitious? that doesn't fly anymore. >> her niece wrote a book called "ambitious girl" which talks about that and it is that thing that that label is put on women and it's pejorative like she's too ambitious, that shouldn't be with women. it's all right to be ambitious and to own your ambition. >> nothing wrong with that. that was really cool. thanks, jessica. let's check in with president trump. welcome home. florida broke out the flags, signs and red hats in faum beach. a huge escort with speakers blasting the songs he plays during his rallies.

fans cheered. the thumbs up right there. the first president in a century not going to the inauguration. he did address his supporters before flying off. >> i wish the new administration great luck and success. good-bye. we love you. we will be back in some form. >> former vice president mike pence arrived home in indiana after attending the inauguration. speaking at the airport he congratulated the new vice president kamala harris and called being vice president the greatest honor of his life. >> at the state capitol in sacramento they planned for the worst but they got the best. despite fbi warnings that extremists would try to target state capitols sacramento saw only a few peaceful demonstrations. thom jensen showed us what it looked like there. >> reporter: the largest group

we have seen since the capitol went into lockdown marched to california's capitol building just before 1:00 this afternoon. but these were far from the type of rioters that stormed the capitol. >> a handful of people, they painted everybody with the same brush. >> reporter: joe from brentwood blowing his horn and wearing his hat to bring attention to his belief that the election was rigged. >> why didn't they give trump his day in court to show his evidence? >> reporter: and another man who questions the reality of the pandemic, president biden's right to the oval office and our legitimacy as a news crew. what brings you out here today? >> none of your business. get your microphone out of my face mr. covid-frightened person. >> reporter: the pair taunts a sacramento voter with he's not my president as she stops to show us her biden/harris sign. >> that was four years ago, too.

i understand that. >> reporter: relatively civil discourse at the foot of california's democratic center and in the face of a historically large security force. it's unclear how much longer the protection force will remain n. a written statement on its website chp said it will not comment on its deployment plan. thom jensen, nbc bay area news. >> thank you, thom. up next, not just kamala harris, the bay area well represented in today's inaugural ceremonies including the president of santa clara university. we're going to share his important role. i'm chief meteorologist jeff ranieri. i'll outline the next several days and what we can expect with big weather changes and will take you through our first chance of rain coming up here in six minutes.

♪ amazing grace ♪ >> garth brooks singing "amazing grace." soon after shaking hands in the crowd. he says his decision to perform was based on unity and not politics. before today's swearing in there was a powerful moment of bipartisan unity at a washington, d.c., church. the president inviting the leaders of both parties to join him for the traditional mass. the man who gave that mass is the president of a bay area university. scott budman caught up with father kevin o'brien who captured the attention of our country's new leaders ahead of the main event. ♪ and the rocket's red glare ♪ >> reporter: among the select few at the presidential inauguration a man who saw things through a spiritual lens. >> when we moved to the oath of

office the sun broke in a beautiful sunny day. for me maybe a sign of the darkness moving and things can really be hopeful for the future. >> reporter: father kevin o'brien is the president of santa clara university. earlier in the day he was invited to lead the pre-inaugural church service for a man he's known for 15 years. >> the way he's greeted me the last year and a half, mr. president. so now i can return the favor. >> reporter: quoting today from the gospel of st. luke to both democrats and republicans with a feeling of peace and unity among political rivals. >> going to church in a sense is an act of humility and hope. humility in that we know we can't do this by ourselves. we need other people. we need the help of god. >> reporter: starting things off by urging everyone to come together. >> no matter who we were, where we were from, we were united in

that together as believers of different faith traditions. >> reporter: president biden's grandfather attended and played football here at santa clara university. father o'brien says vice president harris told him she appreciated the bay area representation. scott budman, nbc bay area news. >> scott, thank you. the inauguration was a bipartisan event. plenty of republicans were there. mike pence was the highest ranking member of the trump administration to attend. also of the 147 congressional republicans who attended senator ted cruz and steve scalise. they were among the legislators who tried to block the certification of president biden's electoral victory. joe biden's social media handle says president of the united states. he also takes over the potus account. kamala harris a new handle as well now reads vp. and even the white house website making the transition. it features the new president

and links to his new administration's website. well, she holds the second most important job now in the country. the path for kamala harris to the white house began right here in the bay area. here is joe rosato to look back. >> reporter: there's a house in berkeley, a plain, stucco house that has been a shrine, a tribute to its former resident, kamala harris. >> never did i ever think in my time that i was going to see this. >> reporter: harris' journey to another house, the white house, is in many ways a bay area story. born in oakland, raised in this berkeley home by a mother who emigrated from india and a father from british jamaica. she was bussed to elementary school as part after desegregation plan. later she and her sister moved to quebec with her mom where they attended high school. a childhood friend reflected on the journey. >> i have a daughter who is

turning 21 next week and seeing kamala be the vp it makes her hopeful. >> reporter: harris' past wound its way through the historically black howard university in washington, d.c. >> she saw something she did not like. she did something about it. >> reporter: back to california to attend cal and hastings college of law. she started her law career as a prosecutor in alameda county before taking a job as a prosecutor in san francisco. in 2002 she successfully ran for san francisco district attorney defeating her old boss. then campaign manager debbie meslo recalled that early grass-roots campaign. >> and we were at muni stops and at grocery stores. >> reporter: harris sought to increase the conviction rate while refusing to seek the death penalty, a philosophy tested when she declined to seek death for the killer of san francisco police officer isaac espinosa. >> inspired the people around her to work harder and to take on challenging positions.

>> reporter: after seven years as a d.a. harris found a higher calling. in 2010 she was elected california's attorney general. >> we have every reason -- >> reporter: she's credited with lgbt rights and aggressively seeking consumer protections. >> submitting my name to it. >> reporter: from there it was a successful run for the senate seat vacated by the retiring barbara boxer. she took her skills to the nation's capital, tough questioning in the confirmation hearing of candidate brett kavanaugh. >> are you willing to ask the white house to authorize the fbi to investigate the claims made against you? >> reporter: and then in 2019 in observing the city of her birth -- >> i stand before you today to announce my candidacy for president of the united states. >> reporter: harris once again took aim at higher office. she hit the campaign trail traveling to the far-flung

corners of the u.s. but 11 months later her campaign ran out of steam. >> my campaign for president simply does not have the financial resources to continue. >> reporter: last august harris made history as joe biden picked her as his running mate. >> the next vice president of the united states of america, and that's senator kamala harris. >> reporter: with the election of biden and harris she became the first woman and the first woman of color to be called vice president. one more milestone in a career that has inspired young women everywhere. >> and that just opens all the doors up for all women. >> reporter: that house is a historic destination. the ground floor of a journey that is still reaching new heights. joe rosato jr., nbc bay area news. >> now on such an emotional day for so many former president barack obama had special reason for celebrating. today he tweeted a warm

throwback photo of him and his then vice president joe biden. caption, congratulations to my friend, president joe biden. this is your time. and among the dazzling firsts we saw today the first black president celebrating the first black vice president. kamala harris and husband doug emhoff arriving at the inauguration stage, harris and obama sharing a fist bump. they spoke briefly saying i am so proud of you. >> i think even if it wasn't covid they would do a fist bump. they are just cool like that. >> she has been close to his family. you can see the affection they have for each other. >> jeff ranieri picking up our weather coverage. we are ready for the cold. we're going to pack it up. what have you got? >> all right, raj and jessica, we do have that chill coming our way. we're talking about even some

40s for daytime highs, the freezing mark for morning lows. what i expect the next seven days because we did have record setting highs earlier this week. it was amazing. it was beautiful. now back to winter conditions like we haven't seen so far this winter. clouds start off ahead of our next storm system that will give us a chance for rain friday and saturday. not a major storm but looking at picking up wet weather. daytime highs in the 40s and 50s ahead. also a low rain/snow mix coming our way. monday through wednesday, next week, we could see the rain/snow level down to about 500 feet, maybe even lower. we could get a rain/snow mix 500 feet or lower. we still have a lot of time. i want to be out front on that and given you everything i know. as we take a look at the future cast, we start off sunny no matter what you have planned.

a great beginning to the day. you can see the clouds building. around 8:00 p.m. we'll see the clouds filtering back. friday we get a more consistent chance of rainfall for the morning with isolated heavier pockets the north bay, peninsula, the east bay and we'll hold on to a spotty scattered chance of some rainfall into the afternoon on friday. only a slight chance of thunderstorms with some of this colder air. so on my extended forecast we talked over the next seven days and you can see it here in san francisco, daytime highs in the 50s. morning lows in the 40s with chances of rain on and off from friday through next wednesday. overall next wednesday would be that larger storm system in the forecast. from friday through tuesday we're looking at a quarter to three-quarters of an inch of rainfall. some low chances monday, tuesday and wednesday. we only have a little bit of a

chance of snow, the larger snow, of course, over the sierra with all of these storms coming in. we're looking at anywhere from 1 to 3 feet stacking up this friday into next wednesday. a lot of weather coming our way. i did want to underscore it's not going to be nonstop rain from friday through next week. jessica, i know you have a couple umbrellas in the back of the car. why don't you be super extra generous and lend one to raj. we know he's always forgetting his. >> i'll give raj my umbrella but not my bernie sanders mittens. those are mine to keep. >> she comes so prepared, she has the boots, the jacket. she has all sorts of things. i come in with a newspaper hanging over my head. >> my paranoia is up here. thank you, jeff. up next, they left the gop when it became the party of trump.

what will these south bay politicians do now that he's out of office? more on that story as we continue our special inauguration coverage.

i give you my word i will always level with you. i will defend the constitution, i will defend our democracy.

i will defend america and i will give all of you, keep everything i do in your service thinking not of power but of possibilities, the public good. and together we shall write an american story of hope not fear. >> pretty powerful moments. we continue our special inauguration newscast. we've been documenting this historic day and night with our crew across the bay area and one of our reporters with truly a front row seat at the white house. >> kris sanchez was there. seas been there soaking it all in. it's been a day of firsts, kris, in so many ways. >> reporter: yes, and a day of such strangeness. we're used to seeing pomp and circumstance and adoring americans watching the process of our government change hands. we didn't see any of that.

tonight we thought we would have seen a ball, several balls, maybe a party. because of the pandemic and security concerns following the u.s. capitol riots, that did not happen. however, there was a little bit of taste of normal that even our west coast kids could see because it wasn't past their bedtime. take a look. this was the most spectacular fireworks show i have ever seen, and maybe it's because i was so darned close to them. they went on for quite some time, red, white and blue, absolutely gorgeous lighting up the facade of the white house. the bidens watched from the balcony of the other side of the white house. imagine watching that from your home and getting to go right to bed. that is like a dream come true for an early bird like me. we've been showing you throughout the newscast another event called celebrating america that just wrapped up. tom hanks hosted that show that featured big-name musicians like

bruce springsteen, john legend, many more, president biden, vice president harris also during that made-for-tv event. >> there are moments in our history when more is asked of us as americans. we saw that in the civil war. we saw that with dr. king dreaming from these steps across the mall. we are in one of those moments now. >> in many ways this embodies our character as a nation. it demonstrates who we are even in dark times. we not only dream, we do. we not only see what has been. >> reporter: you can watch the show in its entirety beginning at 8:30 here on nbc bay area. definitely a change in tone from what we have been used to. we'll are to see if it holds. we have seen prominent

republicans reaching across the aisle, but the rubber hits the road tomorrow when they get to work. it's a good thing everybody is going to bed early in washington, d.c. it's been a joy to be here for you. we have a couple reports coming up tomorrow morning on "today in the bay" and then we'll be back with you on friday in the bay area. kris sanchez, nbc bay area news. >> thank you, kris, and safe travels for sure. we conditionsed another moment of unity on the steps of the capitol between vice president kamala harris and former vice president mike pence. vice president harris and her husband doug emhoff had a brief conversation with the outgoing vp and his wife as the two were leaving the inauguration ceremony. the couple shared a laugh before the pences walked down the steps into a waiting suv. vice president harris and first gentleman emhoff remained on the steps and waved until that suv drove away. in the capitol rotunda congressional leaders presented a handful of gifts to president biden and vice president harris. both given flags that flew as

they were sworn in and framed photos of the inauguration ceremony. they were gifted crystal vases and a painting chosen by first lady dr. jill biden herself called landscape and rainbow by robert duncanson back in the 1800s. the gift sermon was done in lieu of the luncheon canceled because of the pandemic. >> president biden focused on unity, unifying this country. how realistic is that? robert handa joins us from san jose with the response across the political spectrum. >> reporter: we talked to quite a few people in the san jose shopping center and political leaders and the pattern became obvious. democrats elated, republicans skeptical, and former republicans watching and waiting. the departure of donald trump was some and the head of the republican party says he is also wary of the new president. >> let's see if his talk of

unity is matched by action. so far it's promising. >> reporter: sam liccardo promise as realistic perspective. >> the constitution doesn't enable us to inaugurate a savior. it enables us to inaugurate someone who is willing to take on the very difficult burden of leading. >> reporter: democrats we talked to say they understand but were still jubilant. >> it's time to move forward, to heal, to be unified. i thought the inauguration was very lovely. >> i'm glad president trump is gone but i'm also kind of wary and tired after this whole past year and the whole presidency. >> reporter: deb davis left the gop to become independents. san jose councilmember davis says she's not sure if she'll ever return and was moved by today's inauguration.

>> it was so nice to get back to decency and unity. >> reporter: current county supervisor candidate is uncertain about the gop's future. >> i think it's important to sl leaders in the republican party who represent a more diverse group of people. >> reporter: as with any new presidency a lot of changes are under way and many people told us they feel the unity but also said they wonder how long it will last. in san jose, robert handa, nbc bay area news. >> thank you, robert. certainly unity was the dominant theme in president biden's inaugural speech today. joining us is larry gerston and, larry, president biden used the word democracy more than any other president in history during an inaugural address. how important was that and especially not only for the country but also for the legislators?

>> it's so interesting you should say that, jessica because president biden was trying to give a couple messages. to americans, we're here, we're strong. we're always going to make it work no matter what the challenge is. i think he was also saying this to some of the former president trump supporters. it's not going to be the way that trump did it. not the way where you act so high handedly where he breaks all the norms, doesn't take into consideration the various different views of society. i think that was a subtle message and how powerful and meaningful it is and should be to all of us. >> and then right after the pageantry went to the oval office and started signing several executive orders quickly, significant, important ones. really reversing a lot of what president trump had done. the urgency of doing that for show or also just also to get the ball rolling?

>> both. both. not only was it substantive the immigration rules, environmental rules, covid. it was not only important in a substantive sense but symbolic sense. i'm not going to sit back and go with the same old. four years later the same old didn't work. doesn't work, won't work. we've got to change things up and do it in a way where it embraces this country. i think he made that very clear. when he signed those executive orders, he didn't hold it up and show his signature and what not. it was more like roll up your sleeves. we have to get the work done. let's do it now and get it going. >> speaking of getting work done, how much can he get work? 50/50 in congress. how much can he get and how much pushback will republicans give

to some of his more progressive ideas? >> you know, it looks difficult. as you pointed out it's 50/50 in the senate. vice president harris will break the tie. much more for the democrats in the house. there are two things i think that are really important. one is joe biden has a lot of friends, republican friends as well as democratic friends in the senate. he knows how to cross over the aisle. he knows how to talk with people on the other side. when he was in the senate he would stick with republicans. i think that's very valuable. that's going to buy him a lot. and the second thing is the honeymoon period where the first few months the president seems to have a bit of a leverage with congress. in this case he may have more leverage than you think because the republicans are so divided especially in the senate, and that may give that advantage to president biden to get a little

bit more done that he might not have otherwise. believe you me the honeymoon period doesn't last forever. he has to get to work and use the power of his office, the power of the pulpit, and speak in ways he believes will reach both sides of the aisle. it's not us against them as president trump started out and went through his four years. it's us being americans altogether. it's a different tone altogether. >> larry, thank you so much for guiding us through this historic day. on january 6th you might remember his actions might have saved some lives at the capitol. that capitol hill police officer got a special honor at the inauguration.

while he's been hailed as a hero for his actions during the capitol attacks, that capitol police officer got a special honor. officer eugene goodman escorted

vice president kamala harris and her husband into the billing during today's ceremony. during the riots goodman was seen on video leading a mob away from the senate door. since then he's been promoted to acting defensementy senate sergeant at arms and there's talk of him receiving the congressional medal of honor. >> there were reminders everywhere. you might have noticed this man who was tasked with wiping down the podium to disinfect it between speakers, up and down he went throughout the morning, all attendees wore masks including president biden, the first lady, the vice president and the second gentleman. we'll share a story with you next on amanda gorman. i'm chief meteorologist jeff ranieri. i'll have the latest on the pollen forecast. you might have been sneezing lately. what's been floating around in

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well, she certainly had people intently listening. a 22-year-old poet from los angeles created a very different kind of breakout moment today. amanda gorman is the youngest poet to recite her work at a presidential inauguration. she was a standout in her yellow coat, but it was her words that resonated. >> know to put our future first we must put our differences aside. we lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another. we seek harm to none. >> the inaugural poem she read will be published this spring in a special. >> she was wonderful. >> i had to rewatch it and watch it again. a lot of people googling amanda gorman. she's made a big impact in her hometown. here is kim baldonado from our

sister station. thousands of students marched for blocks, undocumented and unafraid. will my friend rosa find the power to bloom, her spirit the bedrock of her community. >> reporter: when she recites her poetry you can feel her passion. >> don't say no, i can stop a man's heart with one word, write the future like i'm dragging my future through wet sand. >> reporter: the los angeles native who graduated from harvard writes about social and racial justice by putting pen to paper. tyrants fear the poet. now that we know it we can't blow it. >> reporter: she draws inspiration and insight from her mother, dr. joan wix who teaches at a middle school in watts. >> there's a poem in los angeles wide as the pacific tide in a

window also classroom teaching black and brown students in watts to spell out her thoughts so her daughter might write this poem for you. >> reporter: while in high school gorman was named the first youth poet lureate of los angeles. >> i must write. i must speak up. too many people have been kept from that opportunity. >> reporter: gorman had a speech impediment growing up and writing poetry helped express herself. that determination and her talent will now put her center stage on a history making day. >> there's a place where this poem dwells. it is here. it is now and the yellow song of dawn's bow writes an american lyric. we are just beginning to tell.

>> she was amazing. it makes me think of maya angelou. she would call her a phenomenal woman. >> she tweeted and said amazing, everyone. my book sales are number one and number two on amazon day one. it resonated with a lot of people. jeff, take it away. we have a lot of weather changes coming our way. >> we do including some rain, colder temperatures, even low snow chances. that high definition in san jose where we had a lot of sunshine today, continues to be mostly clear out here right now and we're checking in with 56 degrees. covid lockdowns are in place. make sure to take that jacket. we'll be going down to colder 40s so as we move through tomorrow my weather headlines, looks really great.

mostly clear skies to start. by the afternoon i see our next storm system and speaking of which rain and low snow chances. we'll get to that here in a second or two but i want to begin with tomorrow morning, chilly in the south bay. 47 in the tri-valley at 43 and we'll continue with more 40s over the east bay, san francisco and the north bay. daytime highs drop another three to six degrees. 63 in santa rosa. 67 here in san jose. now one thing that could be bothering you here is the pollen, cedar, ash and elm in the high category. some rainfall on the way that will help to wash this away. not only the rain but this cold blast from friday into tuesday. check out my seven-day forecast.

a lot of rain chances from friday through next tuesday these on again/off again chances. wednesday looks like the larger storm out of all of those days. for the inland valleys daytime highs dropping down to 49 on sunday. look at the morning lows down to 31 degrees as we continue with 40s for highs next week. by monday, tuesday and wednesday in the early morning and late evening there is the chance for some rain/snow mix down to about 500 feet, maybe even a little bit lower. so we have flip-flops, or i did, shorts, t-shirt on. now time for the heavier jacket. what did i say yesterday? three months worth of weather in a week here across the bay area. it's been pretty wild. >> thank you, jeff. we'll handle it. up next a special gift from the warriors to madam vice president. we'll show you. stay with us.

mvp, madam vice president. >> that's pretty cool. the warriors honoring vice president harris with their very own jersey signed by steph curry. >> you don't have to put this up in your office at the white house but it would probably be a good idea. we're rooting and supporting you the whole way. >> this means so much to me. i will proudly, proudly display this in the office of the vice president of the united states, an office i am about to occupy. >> pretty cool, right? >> the custom edition oakland jersey sports the number 49 in honor of harris becoming the 49th vice president of the ited states and she's a warriors fan and told us the team brings her pride and joy as the daughter of oakland. >> and steph has girls so he knows how historic this is. the sharks have a connection

to president biden as he flew back and forth he used the sharks' team plane. that's it right there. the biden campaign contracted it from kaiser air and applied its own design to the outside. of course he'll be riding in style on air force one now. >> it's nearly 11:00 in washington, d.c. it has been a historic day. >> thankfully everything was peaceful. it has to be the start of something else. here is garvin thomas. >> we've learned again that democracy is precious. >> reporter: as eloquent as the new president's words might have been -- >> this is america's day. >> reporter: as lofty as the imagery he summoned, there isn't a speechwriter alive nor likely ever was who could fix with a single set of words what ails this country at this time. >> i joseph robinette biden -- >> reporter: joseph r. biden assumed the leadership of a

fractured nation. of red and blue, both purple with rage. whether fueled by injustice or stoked by disinformation our political divisions have devolved into personal vendettas. the miles of fencing surrounding this inauguration, a fitting metaphor for a country of neighbors having trouble finding common ground. president biden will likely not be one to incessantly poke at the country's wounds only making them hurt more but there is only so much one man, even the president, can do. it will be up to the rest of us to do the real work of healing. if there is to be hope on this inauguration day perhaps it's this ultimately peaceful transfer of power can be the start of a more powerful transformation in how we agree

to disagree, less screaming, of more soul-searching and less name calling. instead of trying to score points against those who think differently, try and start a dialogue. president george w. bush once said too often we judge other groups by their worst example while judging ourselves by our best intentions. as president biden takes office, there are tens of millions on either side of that divide. in such a setting unity might be a stretch but civility shouldn't be. and that, like the new administration, can start today. >> well written by garvin thomas. our coverage continues next.

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from nbc news -- inauguration of joseph biden. here's lester holt and savannah guthrie. >> life of the country, president and vice president, beginning with the pomp and ceremony. most of you are thrilled. in the oval office, the vice president.