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Four Dead, 10 Hurt After Shooting At Family Gathering In California; Major Winter Storm Impacts Post-Thanksgiving Travel For Millions; U.S. And Ukraine To Resume Peace Talks; Rubio To Skip Meeting Of NATO Foreign Ministers This Week; 146 Dead In Hong Kong Apartment Fire; Airline Ignores President Trump's Declaration That Venezuelan Airspace Is Closed; Vigil Held To Honor National Guard Members Shot In Washington, D.C.; Pope Leo Preparing To Depart Turkey And Travel To Lebanon. Missing High School Coach Wanted On Child Porn Charges; Opening Statements Set To Begin In Trial Of Brian Walshe; Major Winter Storm Impacts Post-Thanksgiving Travel For Millions; Rabbit Alerts Family To House Fire In Atlanta; Flowers Bring Beauty & Opportunity To Chicago Neighborhood. Aired 6-7a ET

Aired November 30, 2025 - 06:00   ET

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

[06:00:45]

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. It is Sunday, November 30th. Welcome to CNN THIS MORNING. I'm Isabel Rosales in for Victor Blackwell.

Here's what's happening today. We're following breaking news out of California, a mass shooting at a family gathering. Police say it was targeted. And that shooter is still on the run this morning.

Plus, a major winter storm causing interstate pileups and a mess that some of the nation's busiest airports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were pushed back because it was delayed for a couple of hours. Then we were able to get another flight, that was delayed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: We're seeing impacts from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes and beyond, and we've got your forecast that's coming up.

Pivotal peace talks to try to find an end to the Russia-Ukraine war. They're happening in Miami today. Delegations from the U.S. and Russia will be there. What's at stake and what comes next.

And Pope Leo is wrapping up his trip to Turkey, his farewell ceremony slated to happen in Istanbul here in just a few moments. We're live with the key takeaways and looking ahead to his next stop.

We'll start with that breaking news overnight out of California. Four people are dead and 10 others are hurt after a shooting at a family gathering. And right now, a manhunt is underway for a suspect. This happened inside a banquet hall last night in Stockton. That's about 40 miles south of Sacramento. Stockton's mayor is urging anyone with information to come forward.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTINA FUGAZI, STOCKTON MAYOR: You know, this is Thanksgiving weekend. This is when families come together, celebrate, share memories, give each other love. And unfortunately, tonight, heaven is a little bigger with the individuals, children and adults that unfortunately did not make it. Stockton is better than this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: The sheriff's office says this may have been a targeted shooting. Children and adults were among those shot.

Well, happening right now, millions of people heading home after Thanksgiving are running into real trouble. This was in Saint Louis just yesterday. You can see that whiteout conditions making it nearly impossible to see. Similar scenes are playing out across several states.

In Newton, Iowa, some drivers ended up stranded in all of that snow. Take a look at that. Officials are asking travelers to use extreme caution if they're hitting the roads. All of this spilling into air travel too more than 700 delays and over 400 cancellations nationwide so far.

CNN's Allison Chinchar joins me now. And, Allison, what should people know? And also, I heard a little bit of a tease. You're tracking another system.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. There's not really going to be much --

ROSALES: Yes.

CHINCHAR: -- of a break after this one is done before the next one arrives. So, really getting -- kind of limit that cleanup time for a lot of those roadways in some of these states.

So, here's a look at where we have the impacts for. The rest of the day today, anywhere you see the pink and purple color here on the map is where the threat for the snow is going to be. And notice, yes, we even do have some down across portions of the mid-Atlantic and states like North Carolina and Virginia.

Here's a look at the snow. All of that purple color you see here is where the snow is. The darker the purple color, the heavier the snow is. But yes, you'll also notice as we slide this down, you've got some pink and purple here across areas of Virginia, North Carolina, and West Virginia where we do have a little bit of that wintery mix taking place. So, this is stretching pretty far south, just simply because the temperatures are so cold at this hour. Now, where we do have the warmer temperatures, you are getting some very heavy rain. We've even got some strong thunderstorms sliding through the Houston area as we speak and eventually making its way down towards Corpus Christi as we go through the rest of the morning.

Here's a look at that system, again, that should continue to make its way through the north and east as we go through the rest of the day today. Still, some of those heavier rain showers along the eastern seaboard through the evening, but then start to take a look at this, this thing you see down here, this cluster of storms, that's going to be the next wave that starts to come through on Monday, really kind of setting up across areas of the Ohio, the Tennessee Valley and portions of the Midwest.

Some of the same areas that just got hit with this particular system, that's what's going to slide up. And unfortunately, Monday morning, Monday evening, bad commutes for several spots around these particular areas before it continues to slide up as we go into the day on Tuesday.

[06:05:04]

So, one after another for some of these spots.

ROSALES: What a headache. And so early in the season well be seeing this.

CHINCHAR: Yes.

ROSALES: Allison Chinchar, thank you. Well, happening today, a White House official says that the U.S. and Ukraine will resume their peace talks in Miami. Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Trump's son- in-law, Jared Kushner, will be heading up those discussions. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will also be part of the talks.

In the meantime, body cam video captured the dramatic rescue of a 10- year-old Ukrainian boy from a partially collapsed apartment building in Kyiv, hit by one of those strikes. The barrage of Russian drone and missile strikes make up the largest air attack of Ukraine in a month. The latest attacks come as focus shifts to diplomacy in Miami. CNN's senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes has more on what we can all expect.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner will all meet with a Ukrainian delegation on Sunday in Miami to go over the president's peace plan. Now, this meeting comes as the White House has been increasingly optimistic that they can come to some kind of agreement between Russia and Ukraine that will end the war in Ukraine.

Of course, we have to note the White House has been optimistic in the past, only to have the Russian president pull the rug out from under them, change their -- change his mind or change direction. But at this point, it does feel as though this is a little bit more serious. They have been hammering out a lot of these sticking points between Russia and Ukraine.

President Trump saying he doesn't want to get involved until they've actually made a deal. But we do know that there are still some sticking points, one of them being likely territory. President Trump, the administration has told Zelenskyy in the past that he's going to have to cede some territory to President Putin. And in the past, Zelenskyy has essentially said that that was a red line for him.

The other part of this is likely those security guarantees. Russia has already said that they will not approve of Ukraine being part of NATO, but we heard from our European allies that they believe that this peace plan will only work and that everyone should sign off on it if there are far more robust security guarantees.

Now, reading some of the tea leaves, it is interesting. Next week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is skipping a meeting of the foreign ministers of NATO. The reason that's so interesting it is our NATO allies who have been pushing for those more robust security guarantees. Of course, though, there are questions that could be for any reason the White House has not gotten back to us as to why he's not going to that meeting.

Now, we also expect for special envoy Steve Witkoff to eventually go meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Russia. And secretary of army Dan Driscoll is also expected to meet with Ukrainians at some point next week. So, a lot of moving parts here.

Again, the White House feeling very optimistic, but we are still waiting to hear what this plan could actually entail and how they're working through some of these last sticking points --Isabel.

ROSALES: Kristen Holmes, thank you. Well, let's discuss all of this with Michael Bociurkiw. He's a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center and a global affairs analyst. Good morning, Michael. How are you?

MICHAEL BOCIURKIW, SENIOR FELLOW, ATLANTIC COUNCIL: Hey, Isabel. Good to be with you.

ROSALES: Thank you for being here. Well, we know that the 28-point peace plan that was put forward by President Trump certainly triggered alarm in Kyiv as that original draft heavily favored Russia. So, how significant is this Miami meeting for Ukraine?

BOCIURKIW: Well, as your colleague pointed out, there are a lot of moving parts. And secondly, Mr. Trump is well-known for pulling the rug out from negotiators. So, I think this is just another element of an evolving kind of circus where, you know, the Trump team are trying to get their own way.

I think as much as they say they like to see peace and an end to the killing, I think, there's still a massive obsession with Mr. Trump getting that Nobel Peace Prize. And also, you know, they want to ensure that there's some enrichment going on. I'm not saying directly of the Trump circle, but also the United States. That's why minerals in the ground are so important here. But, you know, when Mr. Trump was a TV host, he loved -- he loved to say, you're fired. And given what these negotiators have not achieved in Gaza and elsewhere in the world, you would have thought he would have done that by now. So, I'm not expecting very much. I think it will still continue to be a plan that will tilt heavily towards the Russian side.

ROSALES: And the Ukrainian delegation is going to be led by Rustem Umerov after Zelenskyy's chief negotiator resigned following a corruption raid. I mean, that took over international headlines.

BOCIURKIW: Yes.

ROSALE: What does Umerov bring to the table, and how might his approach differ from his predecessor?

BOCIURKIW: Yes. Mr. Umerov is a very skilled negotiator, especially when it comes to dealing with the Turks, the Saudis and others who have been involved in previous talks and prisoner of war swaps.

[06:10:09]

So very, very trusted. But yes, you know, the Russians could not have scripted this better in terms of this massive, massive corruption scandal appearing at this crucial time, but also, Mr. Yermak, the chief of staff, being forced out from the president's office. I mean, these two fellows, Yermak and Zelenskyy, were like Siamese twins, you know, attached at the hip. And, Mr. Zelenskyy doesn't have a very wide circle of trusted confidants, and I think he's going to be in a bit of a vacuum at the moment.

Fortunately, there are a couple of folks out there that he could turn to, including the former Ukrainian ambassador to United States, Oksana Markarova, and the former minister of foreign affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba. But he's got to move fast because there's not much time left for negotiations until they bounce over to Moscow. And we all know what happens then. You know, Putin's line takes over everything else and somehow gets into Mr. Trump's ear.

ROSALES: Right. A short window of opportunity there. I want you to listen now to what President Trump said aboard Air Force One about these talks and about any potential deadline. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't have a deadline. I just --you know, the deadline for me is when it's over. And I think everybody's tired of fighting at this moment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: And we just heard Putin say this week that an end to the war is only possible if Ukrainian troops withdraw from Ukrainian territories that Russia claims to occupy. Is there evidence that any real progress is being made here with these talks? BOCIURKIW: Well, you know, the thing about Mr. Putin, the autocrat, the dictator, the war criminal is that he needs deadlines. You need to tell him, OK, in two weeks, if you're not prepared to do what is required, for example, loosen your demands for Ukraine to reduce its army and to take over territory that Russia doesn't even control, unless you do that, he will continue what he does best, and that is prodding for soft tissue, unleashing his hybrid war all over Europe, but also playing the long waiting game so that he can tire everybody out.

But, you know, Isabel, I got to tell you, I just attended the G20 here in South Africa. And, there is a feeling that Russia should actually be reentered or reabsorbed back into the international community as quickly. I asked a senior South African minister what he thought about Russia coming into the back into the G7, making it the G8. And he said, well, it's better to have them in the room than outside. So again, that adds to the feeling amongst many of us that time is not on Ukraine's side.

ROSALES: Yes, better the enemy you know, than the enemy you don't. Or at least have it around.

BOCIURKIW: Indeed.

ROSALES: Michael Bociurkiw, thank you so much for your time.

BOCIURKIW: My pleasure. Thank you.

ROSALES: Thanks. Well, we have a tragic update in that deadly Hong Kong apartment complex fire. The death toll has surged this morning to 146 people dead. And there's a chance that number will go up even more.

An official said today that searching the burned-out building will likely take three to four weeks. So close to a month. It's still unknown what caused this fire, but authorities have arrested 11 people already. Investigators say some of the construction materials being used to renovate the buildings were not up to safety standards.

At least one airline is ignoring President Donald Trump's proclamation that Venezuelan airspace is closed. Panama's Copa Airlines says it is in constant contact with the federal aviation administration, and that the FAA hasn't changed its official alert level.

Earlier Saturday, Trump told all airlines, pilots, drug dealers and human traffickers his quotes to consider the Venezuelan airspace closed. Venezuela promptly denounced that as a, quote, "colonialist threat."

And a night to honor two National Guard members shot in Washington, D.C. Dozens gathered in Summersville, West Virginia, to pay their respects to U.S. army specialist Sarah Beckstrom. She died Thursday. At Saturday night's vigil, Beckstrom's former principal says she was the kind of student that any teacher would hope for.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GABRIEL MARKLE, PRINCIPAL, WEBSTER COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL: She carried herself with quiet strength, a contagious smile and a positive energy that lifted people around her. She was sweet, caring and always willing to help others.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: Another National Guard member, U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe. He is still in critical condition.

Next on CNN THIS MORNING, we're watching as Pope Leo is getting ready to leave Istanbul. This is a live look at the tarmac as people are gathering, preparing for him to leave Beirut. We will take you there live.

[06:15:01]

Plus, a high school football team keeps winning without its head coach. The manhunt for that coach continues. He's facing serious charges. We'll explain and give you an update on that search.

And a high-profile murder trial begins tomorrow in Boston. Brian Walshe is accused of killing his wife and dismembering her body. But her body has not been found. What to expect from tomorrow's opening statements.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:20:14]

ROSALES: Welcome back. At this hour, Pope Leo is saying farewell to Turkey and preparing to travel to Lebanon. This is a live look right now at the tarmac where the Pope is scheduled to leave here within the next hour. Now, earlier, Pope Leo praised the Armenian people who were slaughtered by Ottoman Turks during and after World War I. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE LEO, CATHOLIC CHURCH LEADER: This visit provides me with the opportunity to thank God for the courageous Christian witness of the Armenian people throughout history, often amid tragic circumstances.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: CNN's Salma Abdelaziz joins us live from Istanbul. Salma, good morning. What's next for the Pope?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Isabel. As you see there on those live images, the papal plane is waiting for him to depart anytime within this hour. It's also known as Shepherd One, the papal plane. And he's really wrapped a very busy few days here in Turkey. His first visit overseas, of course, to a Muslim majority country.

He has walked a very fine line, a very fine balance between communicating with Christian communities here, but also outreaching to the Muslim majority country. This is a 99 percent Muslim country, and now he's moving on to Lebanon, where that spirit of cooperation, of unity, of peace, of diplomacy through dialog is going to be ever more important.

It was only a few days, of course, ago that Lebanon was struck by Israeli warplanes. It is very much a country at the heart of a conflict, something that Pope Leo is sure to touch on. But if I may reflect a little bit on the last few days here in Turkey, as I've followed his tour, because this isn't not -- this is not just an opportunity for him to push his papal message, but also an opportunity for him to showcase his style, his message, his personality six months into his papacy.

I think one of the key moments was, of course, coming into Turkey on Thanksgiving day. He is the first American Pope. And on the papal plane he acknowledged that. He said, happy Thanksgiving to the some of the reporters and received gifts of pumpkin pie and pecan pie. It was really a moment where you got to see who he is and where he came from.

There's also this key moment where he walked out of a cathedral and he was high fiving the faithful again, just giving that casual style. There was a really key moment yesterday where he walked into the Blue Mosque, took off his shoes as is custom, but chose not to pray, something that distinguished him from his predecessors, who had in the past, when visiting mosques, had carried out prayers. Instead, he chose to reflect in silence.

And perhaps the most picturesque moment of all during his Turkey visit was him acknowledging 1,700 years since the first ecumenical council in Nicaea, ancient city now known as Iznik, standing over that lake with these beautiful images. And we're going to see more of him, more of who he is, more of what he has to say, and more of his style as he touches down in Lebanon in a few hours' time as well.

ROSALES: That was a beautiful breakdown. Salma Abdelaziz, thank you so much. And for more on Pope Leo's first trip abroad, I want to bring in Susan -- Dr. Susan Reynolds, associate professor of Catholic Studies at Emory University. Thank you so much for being with us here at CNN THIS MORNING.

SUSAN REYNOLDS, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF CATHOLIC STUDIES, EMORY UNIVERSITY: Happy to be with you.

ROSALES: Thank you so much. Run us through this first trip abroad for Pope Leo. Was there anything that stuck out to you?

REYNOLDS: Well, as was just mentioned, the trip falls on the 1,700 anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. That's a really important moment in Christian history, because as Christians all over the world know, we recite the Nicene Creed. I believe in one God, the father almighty et cetera, et cetera. That was a creed that was put together essentially at the Council of Nicaea as a way of saying, you know, we have many divisions, but these are some fundamentals that we all agree on. Seventeen hundred years later, Protestants, Catholics, Orthodox Christians all recite the same creed.

So, the message of this visit was really one of unity and hope for unity and peace among Christians and among all people in the world.

ROSALES: Yes. The 1915 mass killings of Armenians, which many historians and dozens of countries recognized as a genocide, remain one of the deepest points of contention between Turkey and Armenia. Pope Francis used the term openly during a visit that he made there, sparking backlash.

Do you think that that history was a backdrop for Pope Leo? Was that present at mine and how he chose to comport himself here?

REYNOLDS: Oh, absolutely yes. Francis caused a great deal of controversy when he named that outright as a genocide, a term that's been very contested. Leo was a little bit more diplomatic in a way. I don't believe he used the term genocide, but he still invoked the memory of the slaughter of the Armenians in this space, again, as a way of calling to mind the plight of Christians in the Middle East, something that many Christians throughout the Middle East and Lebanon, especially, as I'm sure we'll talk about in a moment, are really hoping that the Pope speaks to in this moment.

[06:25:21]

ROSALES: Did we gather any more clues as to his identity as a pope? Salma mentioned how reserved he was at the Blue Mosque. He took off his shoes. He was very respectful. He chose not to pray. What have you learned about him?

REYNOLDS: He's -- for lack of a better word, he's kind of a low-key guy. I love when his sort of classic Midwest shines through. Something that feels very recognizable to me as an American.

Something that's so interesting is that while he's in the Middle East, he has been and will be speaking English and French in Lebanon as well. Typically, popes speak in Italian.

ROSALES: Right.

REYNOLDS: And there's, you know, translation that needs to happen. Or they speak heavily accented English. It's interesting to see his American sort of bona fides play this diplomatic role in his ability to communicate in English.

ROSALES: And he did spend his formative years in Chicago. We see, I think, glimpses of that in how he's -- his behavior is during this trip. Is there a broader message here about the Vatican's approach to interfaith and interfaith relations in the region?

REYNOLDS: I think there is, especially during this time, the Vatican has been very outspoken. Both Pope Francis and now Pope Leo have been very outspoken in support of the plight of Gazans during the Hamas- Israeli conflict in this moment, which has garnered them some favor in a way in the Muslim world.

ROSALES: Yes. He's going to Beirut next.

REYNOLDS: Precisely. ROSALES: Which was bombed by Israel.

REYNOLDS: Precisely, very -- I mean, continuously. And then very --

ROSALES: Right.

REYNOLD: -- recently as well. With that said, I think the real message of this visit is one of, as we said, unity, but also peace.

A couple of days ago he and the leader of Orthodox Christians, the Patriarch Bartholomew, issued a joint statement essentially condemning all war and conflict in the name of religion, something that we see throughout the world today. You know, God invoked a religious faith, invoked as a -- as a reason for war. And they unequivocally condemned that while calling for peace.

I would say that's really been so far, kind of the overarching message of Leo's pontificate is this condemnation of war in all forms and this call for peace. And I think that's what we're going to see from him pretty consistently in Lebanon as well.

ROSALES: Yes. I think it's been very apparent that he's been so face forward about dialog, not violence, rejecting violence.

REYNOLDS: Precisely.

ROSALES: Dr. Susan Reynolds, thank you so much. Really appreciate your time --

REYNOLDS: Happy to be here.

ROSALES: -- to explain all of this. Thank you. Well, next, the holiday travel weekend is winding down. Whether traveling by car or in the air, there remains a lot of uncertainty if you're going to get back home on time. We'll give you an update on what travelers can expect. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:32:39]

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN ANCHOR: This morning, a manhunt is underway for a high school football coach in Virginia.

Union High School head coach Travis Turner. Here's his picture. He went missing just days before the team's semifinal game. Now, Virginia State Police say that he's wanted on five counts of child pornography possession and five counts of using a computer to solicit a minor.

CNN's Rafael Romo has the latest on the investigation and the search for this man.

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on-camera): Isabel, good morning.

As the search for coach Travis Turner continues, the high school football team he coaches played a second game without him Saturday afternoon.

It was a regional championship game that started at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time after the Union High School Bears won a playoff game last Saturday also without their coach. Days into their search, Virginia State Police announced on Tuesday that 46-year-old Travis Turner is wanted on five counts of possession of what it's lost called child pornography and an additional five counts of using a computer to solicit a minor. Police also said they had obtained 10 warrants relating to the charges on Monday but did not release additional details about the allegations.

In a new development, the coach's family issued a statement Friday that in part says the last known contact the family had with Travis occurred on or about Thursday, November 20th, after he left his residence to walk in the woods. He's believed to have entered a heavily wooded and mountainous area at which point no warrants had been issued for his arrest. An earlier statement from the family said he had a firearm with him but the latest statement dropped that reference.

We've reached out to the attorney to ask why. Searching the area where the coach went missing is not easy. It's nestled in a sub range of the Appalachian Mountains where the rugged topography features rivers and forests as well as elevations that vary from low valleys to high peaks.

A local woman who told CNN affiliate WCYB she has been acquainted with Turner since high school said the Union High School head football coach needs to come forward.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I couldn't see him doing it, but if the charges they just put on him are true then he needs to be brought to justice.

If he did do it, he needs to turn himself in for the sake of the victim and for his family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[06:35:03]

ROMO (on-camera): According to the Bristol Herald Courier, a local newspaper, Turner was a quarterback at Appalachia High School before it consolidated with another school to form Union High in 2011. That school's team is the one he now coaches and played a regional championship game Saturday afternoon, beating their opponent by a final score of 21 to 14.

Isabel, now back to you.

ROSALES: Yes, disturbing allegations there against that coach.

Rafael Romo, thank you.

Well, opening statements are set to begin tomorrow in the trial of a Massachusetts man, Brian Walshe. Walshe is accused of murdering his wife, Ana, in 2023.

Now, he has already pled guilty to the illegal disposal of her body, but his lawyers insist he's not admitting to her murder.

CNN's Jean Casarez has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Opening statements are set to begin Monday in the criminal case of Brian Walshe. They have 12 jurors plus four alternates. The case is supposed to last about three weeks. The big question at this point is what is the defense going to say in their opening statements? What are they going to say happened that night?

Now, the prosecution has charged Brian Walshe with first degree murder because they are saying that on the night of New Year's Eve into the actually early morning hours of January 1st, 2023, that he murdered his wife in their home with deliberate premeditation. Now, the question is, why would he do this?

Well, the prosecution does not have to prove motive, but here's what was going on in his life and his marriage. He was married to Ana Walshe, who had just gotten a very big job the year before. She was regional general manager of Tishman Speyer real estate firm in Washington, D.C. So she would work there during the week, come back home to Massachusetts where Brian was with their three very young children.

Brian had some issues going on. He had been convicted of selling fake Andy Warhol paintings. He was awaiting his sentencing. He was probably going to go to prison. So he couldn't go to Washington, D.C.

Now, Ana had actually met someone in D.C. She was seeing this guy and they were potentially going to be serious. He will be a witness at that trial that is set to begin.

But the shocker came shortly before the opening statements, because about a week ago, Brian Walshe pleaded guilty to two of the three counts intentionally misleading a police investigation and conveyance of a human body or dismemberment of a human body. He pleaded guilty, saying that he dismembered his wife. But he did not kill her.

So the big question on Monday is, what is the defense going to say happened? You dismember your wife. You don't kill her. So was it an intruder? Was it a terrible, terrible accident? Was it self-defense? Was it suicide? Or none of the above? That's what we're waiting to see. But the trial of Brian Walshe in Massachusetts is set to begin on Monday.

Jean Casarez, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROSALES: And we know there's a lot of eyes on this trial. Jean Casarez, thank you for breaking that down. And next hour, we're going to hear from Court TV anchor Judge Ashley Willcott about her take on the case and what to expect from opening statements.

Next on CNN "This Morning," we have some travel tips to help navigate your way back home from the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

And later, a hero hare to the rescue. Yes, you heard that right. A family's pet rabbit hopped into action and actually saved them from a house fire. We're going to tell you about this unforgettable act of heroism.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:43:49]

ROSALES: This morning if you're heading home after the Thanksgiving holiday, you could run into some major trouble.

A winter storm is creating headaches for millions of people on the roads with gas prices just under $3 a gallon. AAA says about 73 million people are expected to drive, but officials are urging everyone to take it slow.

This was in Iowa City yesterday. Take a look at this, drivers trying to get around a jackknife semi and air travelers, they aren't being spared either. We're already seeing more than 800 delays within the U.S.

Joining me now is Clint Henderson, Managing Editor at The Points Guy.

Clint, so good to see you this morning. Hi.

CLINT HENDERSON, MANAGING DIRECTOR, THE POINTS GUY: Good to see you. Happy holidays. I guess we can start saying that now, right?

ROSALES: We can't -- this the season. And Clint speaking of --

HENDERSON: It is.

ROSALES: -- what comes with the holidays is always a travel headaches. For anyone that is staring at a delay this morning, what's the very first thing that you recommend they do?

HENDERSON: So, I would say first of all look at -- look is -- see if there's a backup flight that you can take potentially. If it's a real big mess like we saw in Chicago yesterday with rolling delays, tons of cancellations, those cancellations spreading today into New York area airports, Boston, JetBlue pretty severely affected today. You might say to yourself, you know what, I'm going to reschedule my trip for a day or two from now.

[06:45:14]

And the airlines are being really good these days about issuing weather waivers, allowing you to change your flight, go a day early, a day late. That's why you should be really paying attention to your departure airport, but also your arrival airport and where your plane is coming from. Because if it's going through a hub like Chicago or Dallas that were severely affected yesterday, your plane might not make it to you.

So you really have to be flexible these days with your travel plans, especially when we get into the weather season like we are right now.

ROSALES: Is that a Department of Transportation dashboard that would let you know your rights depending on the airline? Is that still a thing? Because these are acts of God. Do they actually have to give you any sort of compensation?

HENDERSON: No, the short answer is no, they don't. But the airlines do are required by law now to give you a prompt refund if your flight is severely delayed or canceled.

So you are required if you decide not to take the trip, which sometimes I say, you know, it's better if you're in a major mess situation like we're seeing today, yesterday. Sometimes it's better just to scrap the trip. You are entitled to a refund within three weeks to your original form of payment. So sometimes you have that safety backup.

And then a lot of times if you book your trip with a credit card that has trip delay and cancellation protections, they will compensate you in case you have to get a hotel room and an Uber and stuff like that. So, it really matters how you book the trip as well.

But the airlines themselves, they're not required to compensate you. I will say they have been very good with customers getting hotel rooms, even giving food vouchers and things like that in the case of really big messes like we've seen this year.

ROSALES: What are your best tips and tricks to avoid getting stuck altogether? And then if you're unfortunately canceled, how to quickly get rebooked? Because we've seen people that are on the phone for hours with the airlines.

HENDERSON: Yes. Yes. If you're in a situation like we saw in Chicago yesterday, I wouldn't even bother calling the domestic airline. I would have the airline app installed in your phone. That's number one, because you can rebook yourself and also track your flights.

But then have the overseas customer service phone number if they have one. A lot of times the Australia call centers, for example, you'll be able to get through on the phone there. Follow the airlines on social media.

So, I was in Chicago a couple of weeks ago. I got a rolling delay situation. I was able to direct message American Airlines on X and then they were able to get me a backup flight just in case. So, you've got to use all the tools in the toolbox.

But if your flight gets canceled, remember, you're competing with all those other people on the plane to get rebooked. And especially during the holidays, when the seats are all taken already, it's going to be really hard to get an alternate flight.

So, you want to be among the first to get rebooked. Run to that customer service line. If you have lounge access, a lot of times the airline lounges, they have agents there. They can help you without the lines, but also message them on social media and potentially chat features. A lot of the airlines have chat features now. So, you've got to use all those tools.

ROSALES: Yes, don't worry. I'd be sprinting down the hallways trying to get that first agent. You always have the best tips. Clint Henderson, thank you so much.

And especially useful, as we heard from our meteorologist, another weather system is on the way. Thank you so much.

HENDERSON: Yes. Thank you.

ROSALES: Well, next, a look at another CNN Hero nominee turning vacant lots into vibrant flower farms.

How one Chicago man is helping low-income neighborhoods bloom while creating jobs for local youth.

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[06:53:15]

ROSALES: Welcome back.

It was a hare-raising wake-up call for one Atlanta family. Flames tore through their home early Friday, but their hero wasn't a firefighter. It was Coco, the family rabbit. When smoke started to fill up the room, Coco started thumping and jumping, alerting his owner.

Now, the owner grabbed her 92-year-old mother, sister, and of course Coco, and then escaped before the fire spread. Thankfully, they were not hurt.

And now, to a CNN Hero nominee who is turning his decaying Chicago neighborhood into a blooming opportunity.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUILEN BLACKWELL, OWNER, SOUTHSIDE BLOOMS: Most people wouldn't expect to see a full-flower farm here on the south side of Chicago. It's really cool to be able to bring that beauty to places where people least expect it.

I've been living in Englewood since 2015. It's one of the more dangerous neighborhoods, high poverty, high urban blight.

So, you can kind of see storefronts that are boarded up. The building gets condemned. They'll knock the building down, and now it's a vacant lot.

Yes, these aren't parks. Most people will see the trash, the vacant lots. But for me, I see potential. We're here to try to bring life.

Southside Blooms is a farm-to-vase florist. We'll take over vacant lots, grow our own flowers, design them in our flower shop, and then we do retail bouquets, weddings, corporate events, and everything in between. This is about creating opportunity in a place that desperately needs it.

Try to get some good stem length, you know the drill.

A big part of what we do is creating jobs in the floral industry for at-risk youth.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's your favorite flower?

Q. BLACKWELL: The lily, cosmos.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My favorite, it would be the red rose.

Q. BLACKWELL: Growing up, I was very fortunate. I had a bevy of opportunities. I came to Chicago, started tutoring at a high school in Englewood, and I started to just realize I could be any one of these kids.

[06:55:07]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to do them tiger lilies and geese.

Q. BLACKWELL: There are people who want a chance at something better.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have to grow up fast around here. I lost a lot of friends, ended up in jail. I was looking for a job. One of my friends, he was like, hey, bro, I got a job. I'm like, bro, flowers, what?

Working here, I see myself changing. Calmer, into nature. This was just an empty parking lot. We did this. We started all this. We cleaned it up. It's our community. I'm proud.

Q. BLACKWELL: Ready for the event?

HANNAH BLACKWELL, OWNER, SOUTHSIDE BLOOMS: Getting there.

Q. BLACKWELL: My wife, Hannah, trained as the florist. Figured out the youth training program.

H. BLACKWELL: It's a feel, so teaching kind of the basic concept and then kind of letting their creativity go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I learned, I paid close attention, I asked questions, and I fell in love with it.

I'm an example. I purchased my first apartment. I purchased a car. I try to tell everybody it's an opportunity. Every place you step in, you take advantage of it.

Q. BLACKWELL: Our young people are blossoming and blooming every single day.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROSALES: And you can meet Quilen and all of our nominees next weekend. Anderson Cooper and Laura Coates will host CNN Heroes and All-Star Tribute next Saturday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

We'll be right back.

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