with david muir is next. see you at 4:00. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] tonight, several developing stories as we come on the air. the u.s. inand russia in a raceo find that downed american drone. and here in the u.s., another close call on the runway. the air traffic controllers urging a united flight to cancel takeoff clearance. first tonight, russia and the u.s. scrambling to find that multimillion dollar american reaper green intercepted by two russian fighter jets. the u.s. says one of those russian jets colliding with the drone. tonight, defense secretary lloyd austin and his message to his russian counterpart. martha raddatz standing by. here in the u.s., that new close call. at least seven incidents now so far this year. a united flight forced to abort takeoff from reagan national airport. what happened on that runway? and it comes just as the faa holds a safety summit today.

gio benitez reporting. here in new york city tonight, the mysterious fire breaking out in a luxury building, just hours after the fbi arrest of an exiled chinese billionaire. and a one-time close ally of steve bannon. and what authorities have just revealed tonight. aaron katersky in new york. this new cross-country storm moving east tonight. 18 states now on alert from california all the way to michigan. the midwest and south bracing for this. and then the northeast. rob marciano timing it out. your money. and the growing concern tonight beyond u.s. banks. one of europe's largest banks and the stock price plunging to an all-time low. authorities here with the reality check tonight on the safety of your money. and erielle reshef on wall street. the disturbing scene. seven sheriff's deputies arrested and charged with murder following an inmate's death in virginia. some punching him and using pepper spray. the deputies then allegedly holding him down for 12 minutes while handcuffed. pierre thomas reporting tonight. all eyes on a texas judge

this evening on the issue of abortion, and the decision that could effect women across the country on an abortion bill the fda says has been used safely for more than 20 years in this country. the urgent manhunt in this country for the man who tried to steal a helicopter from a city airport. a major development in the deadly shooting on that movie set in the case against alec baldwin. the sinking car, a 3-year-old boy still in his car seat. and you will see the remarkable police rescue tonight. and we celebrate a singer and songwriter and the song you will surely remember. good evening and it's great to have you with us here on a very busy wednesday night. and we begin tonight with the u.s. and russia both racing to find that $30 million american reaper drone now at the bottom of the black sea. the drone destroyed after being intercepted by russian fighter

jets in international air space. raising tensions between the u.s. and russia even higher since the start of the war in ukraine. russia tonight says it is looking for that drone. and the u.s. says one of those russian jets hit the drone's propeller, knocking it down. russian pilots accused of harassing that drone for 30 minutes, making 19 close passes, dumping fuel on the drone before it was hit. tonight, defense secretary lloyd austin speaking with his russian counterpart for the first time since october, calling russia's actions dangerous, reckless, unprofessional. and making it clear that the u.s. will continue to fly where international law allows. the chairman of the joint chiefs mark milley also holding a high level call today. and what we've learned tonight about u.s. intelligence being wiped from that drone. abc's chief global affairs correspondent martha raddatz leading us off again tonight. >> reporter: tonight, russia and the u.s. racing to recover that multimillion dollar reaper drone from the bottom of the black sea, after that russian war plane collided with the unmanned vehicle.

defense secretary lloyd austin today in a rare call with his russian counterpart, the first since october, delivering a strong message. >> the united states will continue to fly and to operate wherever international law allows. it is incumbent upon russia to operate its military aircraft in a safe and professional manner. >> reporter: which was not the case in this incident. over a period of about 30 minutes, two russian fighter jets made 19 close passes around the drone, sprayed fuel on it multiple times, and then one of the jets on a final pass approaching the drone vertically and colliding with the drone's rear propeller. >> we know that the intercept was intentional. we know that the aggressive behavior was intentional. the actual physical contact, not sure yet. >> reporter: but a u.s. air force official said they do not think the pilot hit the drone on purpose, saying the russian pilot was simply

"incompetent" and "flat out dumb." russia denies the fighter jet collided with the drone, but u.s. officials say video evidence confirms it. as for the recovery of the drone, chairman milley said that may be difficult in 4,000 to 5,000 feet of water. >> it probably broke up, then probably not a lot to recover, frankly. as far as the loss of anything of sensitive intelligence, et cetera, as normal, we would take, and we did take mitigating measures. so we are quite confident that whatever -- whatever was a valu. >> that was really interesting today. let's get to martha raddatz. we heard general milley there saying if the russians recovered this drone, the u.s. is very confident they will not gain access to any valuable u.s. intelligence here. >> reporter: right, david. the drone operators were able to gain some control of the drone, even after the collision, and were able to wipe out or scrub all the sensitive information remotely and render the drone

inoperable, even if it is recovered by the russians. david? >> all right, martha raddatz, thank you. meantime, here in the u.s., we're learning about yet another close call at a u.s. airport. at least seven incidents so far this year, and this time, a united flight forced to abort takeoff from reagan national airport. tonight right here, you will hear air traffic controllers urging that cockpit to halt takeoff. so, what happened on that runway? and it all comes just as the faa held a safety summit today. here's gio benitez again tonight. >> reporter: tonight, after a string of recent near-collisions involving commercial jets, another close call reported at reagan national airport. an air traffic controller warning a united pilot not to take off. >> united 2003, cancel takeoff clearance. >> aborting takeoff. aborting takeoff. >> reporter: the faa says on march 7th, a republic airways flight crossed a runway without clearance as the united airlines flight was preparing to take off on the same one. that makes at least seven close calls already this year.

secretary of transportation pete buttigieg vowing all hands are on deck to investigate the issue. how concerned are you? >> i'm very concerned. this year, we're on track to have more than 20. and even one is one that i would not like to see happen. >> reporter: at the faa safety summit today, leaders holding a sweeping review of what's going wrong, and how to calm the public's concerns. >> flying is safe, but in order to keep it that way, we have to be relentlessly focused, and frankly, it is our duty to be concerned. >> reporter: the union representing air traffic controllers saying there's a "staffing issue" currently, with 1,200 fewer atc operators than ten years ago, and emphasized it is training its workforce to face the post-pandemic travel surge. and david, while we haven't seen a deadly commercial crash in america in 14 years, the ntsb chairwoman says that the absence of a fatality does not mean the presence of safety.

david? >> i think everyone will say that that is smart words, indeed. gio benitez, thank you. here in new york city tonight, the mysterious fire breaking out in a luxury building just hours after the fbi arrest in the early morning hours of an exiled chinese billionaire and one-time close ally of steve bannon. and all day today, the questions, was this in any way connected, and what authorities have just revealed tonight. here's our investigative reporter aaron katersky now. >> reporter: tonight, investigators are looking into a mysterious fire that occurred just hours after the fbi arrested this exiled chinese billionaire, who once worked closely with trump ally steve bannon. federal agents taking into custody just after 6:00 a.m. inside his $32 million penthouse. six hours later, agents were still inside when the fire started, forcing them to evacuate. >> our units responded in less

than four minutes. we encountered heavy fire and smoke on the 18th floor of this structure, which is 37 stories high. >> reporter: guo splitting his time between that penthouse and this 50,000-square foot mansion, while federal prosecutors say he orchestrated a billion dollar fraud, lining his pockets with the proceeds. his 152-foot, $30 million yacht "lady may," is where bannon was arrested back in 2020 for allegedly defrauding investors of his "we build the wall" campaign. bannon has not been charged in this case. and we're told now that the fire was called in initially as smoke coming from a light fixture, but the fire marshal is now working to determine how it occurred, whether it was intentional. otherwise, david, it is some coincidence. >> aaron katersky tonight. aaron, thank you. also here in new york this evening, two major signs that the grand jury investigating former president trump's hush money payment to stormy daniels may be coming to its end. stormy daniels agreed to answer

questions. meantime, donald trump's former fixer michael cohen completing his grand jury testimony today. cohen arranged the $130,000 payment to daniels in 2016. the former president has denied he and daniels ever had an affair. a decision on whether to indict trump could come within days now. we turn next tonight, tracking this new cross-country storm moving east at this hour. 18 states on alert from california all the way to michigan. the midwest and south bracing, and then, of course, the northeast. let's get right to senior meteorologist rob marciano, timing this all out for us. hey, rob. >> reporter: hi, david. winds blowing behind that nor'easter. now we're watching this west coast storm that is stretching out. a lot of alerts and they go all the way into the great lakes and flood watches up for the southwest. that's where the heavy rain is. the heavy snow tonight is going to be across southern denver, you go from 70 to snow in the morning. two to maybe eight inches of snow across minneapolis, already above average for this time of year. and rain ahead of it in places like chicago. we're really worried about severe weather threat tomorrow afternoon through tomorrow night. san antonio to shreveport, with

the bulls eye right over dallas. damaging winds and tornadoes potential through tomorrow morning. david? >> rob marciano, our thanks to all week here. and now to your money tonight, and the growing concern this evening, even beyond u.s. banks. one of europe's largest banks now, and the stock price plunging to an all-time low today. the turmoil being felt on wall street. the dow dropping about 280 points. it had been down more than 500. but tonight here, authorities with a reality check on the relative safety of your money. abc's erielle reshef on wall street for us. >> reporter: tonight, fears of a banking crisis sending stocks tumbling on wall street and around the world. overseas, credit suisse, one of europe's biggest banks, plunging 24% to an all-time low after its largest shareholder, the saudi national bank, said it won't pump more money into the struggling bank. and here at home, looming concern over america's regional banks. first republic stock diving 21% after its credit rating was

downgraded into so-called "junk" territory. but analysts say no matter what happens, your bank account is secure. >> if you have your money in first republic, it is still safe. there's an implicit guarantee by the feds over the weekend. that said, depositors aren't going to get hurt here. we're going to look at all the regional banks and make sure that depositors get their money back. >> reporter: it comes as federal investigations into the failed silicon valley bank ramp up. sources tell abc news, bonuses and company stock sales are now under the microscope. a trust held by the ceo greg becker sold nearly $3.6 million in stock just weeks before the bank collapsed. and there are growing questions about how regulators missed the warning signs the bank was at high risk of failure. >> this is not really rocket science. so -- and obviously people made money off of that. why didn't the regulators pick it up? >> reporter: silicon valley bank was not forced to undergo stress tests like the bigger banks, after regularuadnionith support

from republicans and some but critics argue the federal reserve was still responsible k. >> there were numerous red flags waving all over the place that this bank was operating in a high risk, reckless manner that the federal reserve's supervisors should have seen this, should have forced this bank to change its activities, to reduce its risk. >> reporter: and david, senator elizabeth warren is leading the charge to reinstate those regulations that were rolled back in 2018. that would mean that the smaller banks would be subject to the same stress tests as the bigger banks each year. >> erielle reshef, thank you. tonight, in virginia, seven sheriff's deputies have been arrested and charged with murder following an inmate's death. authorities say some punching him and using pepper spray. the deputies allegedly holding him down for 12 minutes while handcuffed. here's our chief justice troernt pierre thomas tonight. >> reporter: tonight, these seven virginia deputies accused of murdering a man with mental

health issues at a state psychiatric hospital. the prosecutor saying today the deputies killed 28-year-old irvo otieno using excessive force in yule fashion roughly a week ago. among the disturbing accusations allegedly caught on video, the seven deputies holding otieno down for 12 minutes, even as he's handcuffed. >> it's just cruel and a demonstration of power that is unlawful. i mean, it killed him. >> reporter: a preliminary cause of death -- asphyxiation. and the prosecutor says there is another video from before he was transported allegedly showing otieno being punched in the chest and pepper sprayed by three of the deputies. >> while he was in the cell alone, not posing a danger to anyone. >> reporter: the deputies are also accused of a coverup, with prosecutors claiming that they washed otieno's handcuffs and did not call the virginia state police to investigate for more than three hours after otieno died at the hospital. authorities say the henrico

sheriff's deputies brought otieno to the hospital on march 6th at 3:58 p.m. to admit him as a patient. state investigators were told he became combative during the admission process, but the prosecutor said today that there was no evidence of otieno being combative. if convicted, the officers face up to 40 years in prison. but the attorney for one of the officers said today, when all the evidence comes in, his client will be vindicated. david? >> our chief justice correspondent pierre thomas, thank you. tonight, to the issue of abortion, and all eyes on a texas judge and a decision coming that could effect women across this country on an abortion pill that the fda says has been used safely for more than 20 years in this country. abc's mireya villarreal in texas tonight. >> reporter: tonight, all eyes on a texas judge who's decision could pull a key abortion pill off the market, in a ruling that could affect millions of women nationwide. the fda's more than 20-year approval of the drug mifepristone, challenged by the alliance defending freedom, a

christian conservative legal advocacy group. the lawsuit claiming the fda "exceeded its regulatory authority" when it approved the drug. >> any court, to look at the law and to look at the science, should agree that the fda has failed its responsibility to protect women and girls, and that it's time to remove these drugs from the market or at a minimum to put back important safeguards on their use. >> reporter: the fda standing by their approval, stating mifepristone is "safe and effective for the medical termination of intrauterine pregnancy under certain conditions." calling the adf's claims "without merit." today, u.s. district judge matthew kacsmaryk, a trump appointee, hearing arguments for more than four hours. julie sims was in the courtroom. >> my main concern is about the babies, that is my main concern. >> reporter: a ruling to suspend the fda's approval would temporarily take mifepristone off the market. only in-clinic procedures would be allowed in states where

abortion is legal. according to the guttmacher institute, medication abortions count for more than half of all abortions in the u.s. >> mifepristone has been approved for, i think, 23 years. it's safer than tylenol. it's safer than penicillin. >> reporter: david, this case is likely to head to appeal regardless of the outcome. it would end up in the fifth circuit of appeals and some even predicting it could go all the way to the u.s. supreme court. david? >> mir yeah ya, thank the senate today confirming eric garcetti. seven republicans voted in favor of the nomination. when we come back here tonight, the hunt for a suspect who tried to steal a helicopter from the city airport, then crashing that chopper. and the tree coming down in the san antonio zoo, you'll see the images tonight, seven people hurt. whoa. okay. easy does it. we switched to liberty mutual and saved $652. they customize your car insurance,

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finally tonight here, what you won't do for love. remembering bobby caldwell. ♪ what you won't do do for love ♪ >> he was an r&b favorite. bobby caldwell and his 1978 hit "what you won't do for love." ♪ in my world ♪ ♪ only you ♪ ♪ make me do for love ♪ ♪ what i would not do ♪ >> he first recorded it himself, it was then sampled by more than

100 artists over the years. ♪ what you won't do ♪ ♪ oh come on and do it for love ♪ >> caldwell got his break playing guitar in little richard's band in the early '70s. eventually going solo. going on to write songs for kneneil diamond, including "love doesn't live here anymore." ♪ darling ♪ ♪ love doesn't live here anymore ♪ >> caldwell would say through the years that his soufl lyrics came from the heart. his wife writing today he died in her arms at their home in new jersey. and this performance in 1991. ♪ in my world ♪ ♪ only you ♪ ♪ made me do for love ♪ ♪ what i would not do ♪ >> sure takes you back. thank you for watching here tonight. i'm david muir. i'm see you right back here tomorr

>> building a better bay area. moving forward. finding solutions. this is abc7 news. >> i've never heard the wind like that. >> it sounded like a freight train in the house. >> horrendous wins yesterday. >> just had call after call, lawyers down, trees down. >> have seen the highest levels of rainfall in california's history. >> underway after rain downed trees and power outages all across the bay area, and buckle up, because another storm is heading our way. good afternoon. thanks for joining us. kristen: we have team coverage on the wild weather fallout with cruise across to bay area and of course the upcoming storm. first check out this neighborhood in union city, where at -- at least five large eucalyptus trees fell on homes. look at that roof.

in saratoga, several trees also fell near listeria way. some fell on homes and others in backyards. larry: pg&e is facing the monumental task of repairing power lines knocked down by yesterday's winds. here is the outage map. more than 140,000 customers are still without electricity. more than 450,000 customers were impacted by storm related outages. that is the worst single day for outages since 1995. even though the weather has improved, officials say crews are running into issues. >> access to some damaged areas continues to be difficult. flooding, downed trees and unstable soil are all likely to occur and pose hazards for crews seeking safe access. larry: officials are urging patience from customers still without power and say they can find their estimated restoration times online at pg&e's outage