tonight, the supreme court upholding a law that could ban tiktok in the u.s., but will it actually be enforced? the unanimous ruling allowing the ban to take effect just days

from now for tiktok's 170 million users in the u.s. unless its chinese owner sells it, citing national security concerns. but the biden administration saying it will leave tiktok's ultimate fate in the hands of president-elect trump. what he's saying tonight and what happens to your phone sunday if the law takes effect. also tonight, the winter storm sweeping the plains to the northeast, an arctic blast bringing the coldest air of the season to tens of millions, and that deep freeze forcing monday's inauguration to be moved inside for the first time in 40 years. the last-minute scramble. the confirmation hearing for president-elect trump's homeland security pick kristi noem, what she revealed about the immigration overhaul he plans on day one. the battle against california's wildfires. new tonight, many of the 31 people still missing now identified. moments ago, israel's full cabinet approving the gaza cease-fire deal.

new details on how and when the hostages will be released. and it started as a way to help friends displaced by the fires. after a boost from some big names, the overwhelming response. ♪♪ >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. good evening and welcome. the future of a wildly popular social media app that has helped define a younger generation of americans is being decided at the country's highest levels tonight. first, the supreme court today upheld a law that would ban tiktok from operating in the u.s. that ban was set to go into effect sunday, but there is now growing uncertainty as the biden administration, which in the past has called the chinese-owned app a national security risk, now says it will let the trump administration deal with it all. their decision will impacting a creative online community of some 170 million american tiktok users. what is unclear is what happens in the meantime. savannah sellers is covering that for us tonight.

>> reporter: in a unanimous decision, the supreme court said the tiktok ban stands, rejecting the company's free speech argument. the court upholding the law passed in april that says the video-sharing app had to divest from its chinese-based parent company bytedance or effectively be shut down in the u.s. as of this coming sunday. >> always remember this moment. when you think of the future, oh, is the governor going to do the right thing? no. >> reporter: some users quick to make their feelings known. >> all nine supreme court justices, you guys are mean bullies. >> reporter: but the supreme court said tiktok's very popularity is what makes it a threat to national security, noting a foreign adversary's ability to leverage control over the platform to collect vast amounts of personal data from 170 million u.s. users. while the court's ruling was clear, what happens next is anything but.

today the biden administration saying tiktok should remain available to americans, but simply under american ownership. with a sale by sunday seemingly all but impossible, the administration says now it won't implement the very law president biden himself signed. rather, it will punt next steps to the trump administration, that move giving tiktok hope. the company's ceo posted this message today. >> i want to thank president trump for his commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps tiktok available in the united states. >> reporter: as president in his first term, trump tried to ban tiktok, but has signalled support for it more recently. today trump says he spoke by phone with china's president xi about the app and posted to social media that his decision on tiktok will be mate in the not-too-distant future. >> savannah and our legal correspondent laura jarrett joining me now. savannah, what are your rs sources telling you about what could happen on sunday? >> one source told me, quote, it is totally up in the air.

there is a chance it could look exactly like it does right now, no change. tiktok is in active conversations with all the companies that essentially make the app work to see if they're willing to continue providing services. going dark would be a last resort. >> laura, that gets back to the idea of legal jeopardy for those who do business. >> absolutely. they're still at risk as of today. companies like apple and google that host tiktok. now the president-elect president trump could decide not to enforce this law, but as of today they are still legally on the hook should the political winds change on the hook for massive fines. >> thanks to both of you. also tonight, a winter storm hitting north dakota and minnesota today with the mid atlantic and northeast expected to get a few inches or more starting tomorrow. and most of the country is in for a bitter blast of arctic air with temperatures 20 to 40 degrees below average tomorrow and next week. that includes washington, where today the decision was made to move president-elect trump's inauguration on monday indoors. kelley o'donnell joins us.

kelly, this is exceedingly rare. >> reporter: it's been 40 years since weather caused this kind of major adjustment to the iconic ceremony. the traditional parade is changing too with parts of it going inside. officials are encouraging the public not to congregate here in order to stay warm. tonight, frigid weather becomes the first clear threat to safety for monday's inauguration. president-elect trump on social media, i don't want to see people hurt or injured as he announced i have ordered the inauguration address, prayers and other speeches to be delivered in the united states capitol rotunda, noting the same move inside happened for ronald reagan. >> so help me god. >> reporter: mr. trump said the ceremony could be watched inside washington's 20,000-seat capital one arena. contingency planning prepared for changes including weather. >> the threat environment obviously changes as we move along, so we look at all of those different areas and plan from the ground up.

>> reporter: the u.s. secret service is leading this national special security event involving more than 25,000 responders, a secure perimeter, including a record 30 miles of anti-scale fencing. drones deliver expansive visibility from above. police robots ready to check packages and places for dangerous materials. washington's special agent in charge matt mccool. >> there's no stone unturned. there is no threat that's not mitigated. >> reporter: shaped by real-world crisis like the summer assassination attempt. you'll see people on roofs, you'll see lots of officers and agents on roofs. >> reporter: and the deadly new year's car attack in new orleans. >> starts with no vehicles, then checkpoints and it gets tighter as we get closer. >> reporter: here nbc news has exclusive access to this multiagency communications center, where teams of experts from across government, 40

agencies track and triage any issues, with all levels of law enforcement out on patrol. securing the city also means guarding the water. local authorities out on the potomac to detect anyone using the river to get close to official events. also at the ready, air support. fairfax county is able to keep watch and fly in live-saving medical services if needed. >> we have to get it right. it's a no-fail operation. i believe we're as well prepared as we ever have been. >> reporter: tested by brutal cold and varied threats to safeguard washington's biggest stage. kelly o'donnell nbc news. we are getting a better sense of president-elect trump's day one immigration plans from south dakota governor kristi noem, his pick for homeland security secretary at her senate confirmation hearing. here's garrett haake. >> reporter: tonight a high-stakes confirmation hearing for one of the key officials president-elect trump will turn to on immigration.

>> border security must remain a top priority. >> reporter: homeland security pick kristi noem promising to bring back the trump-era remain in mexico policy, which keeps migrants out of the u.s. while they make asylum claims. >> the president and i have talked extensively about this. i'll 100% partner with him to reinstate the remain in mexico policy and make sure it's in place. >> reporter: and previewing trump's controversial mass deportation plan. >> we would work every day to make sure people are safe and those with criminal convictions are immediately removed. >> reporter: with trump's second inauguration now just three days out, his day-one priorities now coming into focus. trump looking to bypass congress with dozens of executive orders expected from climate regulation to issuing tariffs on adversaries and allies. trump telling senators last week the border tops his agenda for his first few hours back in the oval office. >> he's going to do everything he can to get the border secure. >> reporter: some prominent

democrats have said they'll skip trump's swearing-in, including nancy pelosi and michelle obama. president biden will be there and asked today if he plans to talk to president trump. while donald trump skipped president biden's inauguration four years ago, all the living former presidents plus president biden are planning to be in attendance monday. lester. >> garrett haake, thank you. join me and our entire nbc news team for all-day coverage of the inauguration monday starting at 10:00 a.m. eastern live from washington, d.c. in california tonight, more progress reported in containing the wildfires, but there's a grim search under way for more than 30 people still missing and growing questions about what sparked the fires. our liz kreutz has details. >> reporter: tonight, as search and rescue crews continue the grim process of looking for remains, they released photos of more than 30 people still

missing, men and women aging from 9 to 43. >> devastation with completely incinerated homes is tremendous. >> reporter: this, the staging area for the cadaver dogs that go home by home in the burn zone. the death toll from the palisades and eaton fires now 27 but expected to rise. >> the fire was so random. >> reporter: tonight the ceo of edison international speaking out to nbc news amid lawsuits alleging so cal edison's equipment sparked the fire. can you say your equipment did not play any role in the fire? >> for sure we did not see any sort of electric signature that would be typical when you have a spark like that. of course we want to learn more. we'll investigate more. >> so it's possible? >> there always a possibility. if there's sometng out of the ordinary or something very atypical here. >> reporter: videos and photos from altadena residents show flames at the base of the transmission equipment minutes after the fire began as winds gusted more than 60 miles per

hour in the area. >> we don't wawant to artrarily turn off power. we're hearing from customers questions like, should you have turned off the transmission lines? # the answer is no based on what we knew at the time. >> reporter: tonight, ten days after the fires started, roughly 80,000 remain evacuated struggling with where to go next amid housing crisis in l.a. county. >> we worked so hard to get here, and now to see it this way -- >> reporter: tonight, some evacuation orders have lifted in areas surrounding the fire zone. >> we're thankful our house is saved and when i thought of all the families who would not be able to do that, i started to cry. >> reporter: as families prepare to return home, new warnings about the widespread health hazards for homes still standing but covered in toxic ash. >> they're burning everything, paints, electronics, batteries. we're concerned about heavy metals and toxins and asbestos. >> liz, we know people are

anxious to get home, but even if they can get to their homes tonight, many can't stay. >> reporter: that's right, lester. many folks crossing this checkpoint will be grabbing essentials and leaving again. that's because so many neighborhoods don't have power and water in addition to concerns about toxic debris. in fact, experts say if you are repopulating you should be very careful. you should wear an n95 mask and wipe down your house and consider throwing things out like toothbrushes. even if your home is standing tonight, it might not be habitable. in the middle east tonight, israel's full cabinet voting to approve the gaza cease-fire deal as we learn new details about plans to release the hostages. >> reporter: it has been more than 15 months of war, sorrow

and destruction. gaza obliterated, nearly 47,000 people dead. and israel reeling after a savage hamas terrorist attack killed 1200 people, 250 taken hostage. tonight it may be ending. israel's cabinet agreeing to the cease-fire and hostage deal to go into effect sunday. but it will be a slow process. israel will end its assault on gaza and release palestinian prisoners. but a permanent cease-fire is still to be negotiated, and hamas has agreed to release 33 hostages in the first phase, but only three are expected to be released sunday, according to israeli media. daniel lipschitz thinks he'll wait several weeks before he sees his 84-year-old grandfather

oded. what's going through your mind? >> of course really happy. until it's done, trying to stay calm until it's done because we are dealing with the worst people on planet earth, the worst terrorists exist. >> reporter: we visited his house just after october 7th. here's the whole roof collapsed. hamas shot him, kidnapped him and his wife and burned their house down. tonight daniel telling us he's been desperately waiting for a deal. so why now, do you think? >> trump being elected. >> reporter: in gaza at a soup kitchen, this 8-year-old is waiting too, here for hours with his pot to take home to his family. the crowds are so big, he says he often leaves empty handed. when i heard there was a cease-fire, i was happy. here there's no food, he said. when the distribution begins, the chaos is total and tragic. he manages to get some rice and runs off. this is what gaza has been reduced to after 15 months of

war and siege. with a deal, fragile as it is, there's a chance for release. as for the hostage release, families have been told to expect the first three will be women. lester. lester. >> ricrd engel, thank yoha today, i chooseth how to screeneth for colon cancer! here on my land, not theirs. give me cologuard®, or give me— excuse me. we can do that for you. what, no battle? nope. just a prescription. victory! cologuard is an effective and non-invasive colon cancer screening test. false positive and negative results may occur. those at high risk should use colonoscopy. skip the drama. ask your provider or request cologuard online. incoming dishes. —ahhh! —duck! dawn powerwash flies through 99% of grease and grime in half the time. yeah, it absorbs grease five times faster. even replaces multiple cleaning products. ooh, those suds got game.

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declare a large section of air space off limits to planes. hundreds of flights had to detour around the area or hold on the ground, including some that had been in the air for a long time and were then short on fuel. they were forced to declare a fuel emergency to fly through that air space at their own risk. listen to this iberia pilot coming from madrid, spain, with 283 people on board. >> mayday, mayday, mayday. [ indiscernible ] >> headed to san juan, puerto rico. all planes, in fact, did land safely. elon musk has said they're now looking for a cause. the faa requiring spacex to conduct a mishap investigation before there's another launch attempt. >> boy, some nerve-racking moments. coming up, it's one of the worst flu seasons in years. hospitals are being strained with severe cases. we're in one of them, next.

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that have severe illness from it. >> what's the biggest misconception about the flu? >> i think it's folks thinking it's just a mild illness. >> reporter: deb clark learned three weeks ago just how serious it could be. her 28-year-old daughter sydney rushed to the hospital. she had the flew and acetaminophen poisoning from trying to get better. >> she's coded twice. >> reporter: machines now do the work of sydney's heart and lungs as she looks to pictures of her two children for inspiration. >> how much has this scared you? >> i'm terrified. i've never had a flu shot in my life, but i promise you i'll have one from now on. >> reporter: across the country flu activity remains elevated says the cdc. so far this season, there have been at least 12 million illnesses and 6600 deaths including 27 children, increases that can impact everyone's care. more flu patients in the icu means it's harder to attend to other patients.

and the contagious nature of the flu puts nurses, doctors and other caregivers at risk. but there are things you can do. >> it's not too late. go get the vaccine. >> reporter: wash your hands and cover your cough to defend yourself against a potentially lethal virus. anne thompson, nbc news nashville. coming up, after the wildfires, this teenager wanted to help. no one imagined the outpouring that followed. tling. if you still have symptoms after trying a tnf blocker like humira or enbrel, rinvoq works differently. rinvoq is a once-daily pill that can rapidly relieve joint pain, stiffness, and swelling as fast as 2 weeks for some. and even at the 3-year mark, many people felt this relief. rinvoq can stop joint damage. and in psa, can leave skin clear or almost clear. rinvoq can lower ability to fight infections. before treatment, test for tb and do bloodwork. serious infections, blood clots, some fatal; ...cancers, including lymphoma and skin; serious allergic reactions; gi tears; death; heart attack; and stroke occurred.

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there is good news tonight in altadena, california, barely a week after the eaton fire changed everything, one local girl's idea to help other teens is inspiring others in a big way. here's morgan chesky. >> reporter: at a warehouse in east los angeles, the donations are nonstop. and behind every gifted good is a 14-year-old doing something great. >> we are moving so incredibly fast, faster than i could have ever imagined. >> reporter: when flames took her beloved altadena school, then left dozens of friends homeless, avery culvert knew she had to help. >> these girls don't have anything. i want them to feel confident in themselves again. >> reporter: so she launched altadena girls on instagram, seeking donations for clothing, makeup, skincare and shoes. within 24 hours watched donations pour in. >> i got new pants and a jacket that's super soft. so one jacket means the absolute world when you have zero jackets.

>> reporter: avery's efforts not lost on anyone. paris hilton sharing the cause. the 14-year-old even meeting meghan markle, who encouraged her to keep going. >> it's so easy to share things and i -- that's how i think we got so big. >> reporter: her altadena girls page so successful she inspired a sequel. so this is what altadena boys is all about? >> yeah. >> reporter: its counterpart now up and running too offering teen guys a one-stop shop from body wash to ball caps, all free of charge. >> you see the debris and ashes around. it's kind of sad. but seeing everyone happy in one spot brings me up a bit. >> reporter: a cause bringing the comforts of home exactly where they need to be. morgan chesky, nbc news. >> that is so great to see. that is "nightly news" for this friday. pl

to play scheme. federal investigators released