In today's newsletter: Pacific Palisades residents recall the first hours of the destructive fire. The reaction to Donald Trump's impending second term is much different than after his 2016 election victory. And the Supreme Court's seeming decision to uphold a law to ban TikTok leaves the company with few paths forward.

Here's what to know today.

For Palisades Fire victims, the shock of seeing the beginnings of the blaze on Tuesday and quickly evacuating are still fresh in their minds.

Francine Sohn, 72, didn't wait for anyone to tell her to evacuate when she saw a fire less than a mile behind her neighbor's house. "I ran in the house, woke up my friend, threw my dog in the car along with as many photo albums I could carry and hightailed it out there," she said.

Beni Oren, 24, was on a trail run with friends when they smelled smoke and saw flames about 100 feet away. They ran back in a panic. "It was a bizarre experience," he said, "realizing like, f---, is all this about to be on fire?"

It would.

Minutes after Oren saw the flames, firefighters would describe the blaze as a 10-acre brush fire. As of early Saturday, the Palisades Fire is 21,596 acres and 8% contained. Last night, officials expanded evacuation orders and warnings north and east approaching the San Fernando Valley. (The second largest fire in the Los Angeles area, the Eaton Fire, is 14,117 acres and 3% contained as of early Saturday.)

Other residents in the Palisades Highlands described the surprise, fear and heartbreak they've endured in the days since the fire first broke out.

Read the full story here.

Weekend forecast

Though the forecast overnight called for diminishing winds, the National Weather Service predicts the return of the Santa Ana winds. Overnight Saturday into Sunday, there could be 50 to 70 mph gusts in the San Gabriel Mountains, Santa Susana Mountains and western Santa Monica Mountains.

Follow our live blog for updates.

More coverage of the L.A. wildfires.

The reaction to Trump's win is different this time

Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement this week that Meta would replace its fact-checking program with a community-driven system followed a noticeable shift in the months since Donald Trump won the presidential election. Yesterday, the company announced it would end programs aimed at diversifying the workforce.

Whereas in 2016 there was a march leftward to counter Trump’s influence on America, this time there is a shift in the other direction. Executives, like Zuckerberg, are bending their policies and bending a proverbial knee in manners that can appeal to Trump. Leaders of major media platforms — like Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos — appear to be reorienting their coverage to be less antagonistic. And Democratic politicians have taken a wait-and-see approach rather than launch an active resistance.

The shift is due in no small part to how Trump won last fall, winning the electoral vote and the popular vote. “The resistance is dead,” a GOP operative close to Trump’s circle said.

But Trump hasn’t even taken office yet. And some Democrats suggest maybe the shifting energy in favor of Trump won’t last forever.

More politics news:

TikTok has few options after skeptical Supreme Court reception

The Supreme Court appeared likely to uphold a law that would effectively ban social media platform TikTok in the U.S. Although justices did not appear convinced by TikTok's free speech arguments, there remains some uncertainty over how the court will handle the case, especially with Trump taking office a day after the Jan. 19 deadline for the law to take effect.

Trump has filed an unusual brief asking justices to temporarily block the law so that he can "pursue a political resolution" when he takes office. If that were to happen, one of his options would be to grant a 90-day extension for TikTok to continue to find an American buyer, though parent company ByteDance said it will not approve a sale of the app. Trump could also direct the Justice Department not to enforce the law, one expert said.

And if a TikTok ban does take effect? "I think it will fundamentally change the landscape with respect to what ByteDance will consider," Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar said in court. Read the full story here.

A soccer-loving nun in Brazil is now the world record holder for what?

A. World’s fastest woman
B. World’s tallest woman
C. World’s oldest person
D. World’s longest fingernails

Find out the answer and test your knowledge of this week's most-read stories. (The answer to the question is also at the bottom of this newsletter.)

'Mufasa' and 'The Fire Inside' director does double duty

What do "Mufasa: The Lion King" and "The Fire Inside" have in common? Both films, which are in theaters now, are directed by Oscar winner Barry Jenkins. And though you might think the commonalities between "Mufasa," is based on characters in the Disney classic, and "The Fire Inside," about the first American woman to earn a gold medal in boxing, end with their director, think again. Jenkins spoke to NBC News about why he was attracted to each project and the themes they share.

— Elizabeth Robinson, newsletter editor

Does your dog deserve a snack? Of course they do, which is why we spoke to multiple veterinarians to find the best dog treats that are both nutritional and filled with the best ingredients. Our editors also spoke to experts to find the best way to clean your dirty pillows.

Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown. Today's newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Robinson.

By the way, the answer to the quiz question above is C. World's oldest person.

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