>> david: tonight, several breaking stories as we come on the air. the storm moving up the east coast, washington, d.c., to new york city to boston. the watch is up right now. in new york city tonight, the national guard being sent into the subway to protect riders.

and nikki haley dropping out of the presidential race. it's now biden versus trump. where will nikki haley's voters go? first tonight, the storm hitting right now, blinding rain for millions and the dangerous evening commute. the watches now posted from new york city to boston. rob marciano is standing by. in new york city, the dramatic move, sending in the national guard deployed on the subways amid crime. a subway conductor had his throat slashed and another conductor attacked today. the united flight, the emergency landing and the loud bang shortly after takeoff. the passenger jet then violently shaking. tonight, nikki haley out of the race for president and what president biden said today to nikki haley's supporters and the high-stakes moment for biden in front of the nation tomorrow night with donald trump leading nationally and in the key battlegrounds as well. tonight, did russia target president zelenskyy? this evening, the russian missile strike coming within 300 feet of zelenskyy. what ukraine and russia are now saying. james longman reporting. for the first time, it has turned deadly.

the iranian-backed militants firing missiles at commercial ships. at least three crew members have been killed, and martha raddatz is standing by with late reporting tonight. the american mother of two who suddenly died, falling ill on vacation in the dominican republic. what they noticed on the plane. we have breaking news tonight. the verdict just in on the "rust" murder trial. the armorer charged. what the jurors have just decided. your health tonight, and a new report warning of acne creams and a cancer-causing ingredient found in them. what researchers are saying, what the companies are saying now as well. the famous song "hotel california" and the sudden move in the criminal case over the eagles classic. ♪ welcome to the hotel california ♪ >> david: tonight, what just happened in court. and the robin roberts exclusive with college basketball star caitlin clark who broke the women's scoring record and the men's scoring record, too. what she told robin.

>> david: good evening tonight from washington. we have a verdict just in tonight on the "rust" movie trial, also the national guard sent into the new york city subway. we do begin with the storm moving right up the east coast. heavy rain hitting just as millions drive home. washington, d.c. to philadelphia to new york city to boston. flash flood alerts for 33 million americans from new jersey to new york to new england. blinding rain well into the night. another system taking shape in the middle of the country reaching the east by friday night. rounds of heavy rain soaking the region. there are real flood concerns as we head into the evening. the storm coming up from the south. cars underwater on flooded streets in roswell, georgia. senior meteorologist rob marciano timing this out for us. hey, rob. >> hi, david. it came in quick and it's been steadily increasing throughout the day in new york and on the i-95 corridor with the worst of it on the doorstep. check out the radar, it is smothered and covered from

portland, maine, back through pittsburgh, buffalo, burlington as well. there i do see the squeeze play. the heaviest rumbling now up the garden state parkway in through long island and getting a tap from the atlantic and tropical here, hence the heavy downpours. and watch as the bright colors move up from new england and that's where the heaviest will be and it does end around daybreak, but boston, i think, will still be a mess for the morning commute. we've got another one right behind this over the wee between those two, 2 to 4, maybe 5 inches of rain in the northeast. and a severe weather threat with the next one tomorrow and friday from dallas to new orleans back to mobile. tornados and damaging winds possible here in the northeast and upwards of an entire month's worth of rain through sunday. david? >> david: we'll be watching it right here with you. rob marciano leading us off tonight. thank you. we also, as i mentioned, have breaking news. this verdict in the "rust" jury trial. the armorer, hanna gutierrez, charged, and the jury finding

her guilty of involuntary manslaughter. let's get right to abc's mola lenghi outside the courthouse in santa fe for us. mola? >> reporter: it took the jury two and a half hours to find hannah gutierrez guilty of involuntary manslaughter. gutierrez was the armorer on the movie set of "rust" she was taken into custody tonight. the defense said gutierrez was being used as a scapegoat. jurors agreeing with prosecutors' argument that gutierrez skirted critically important weapons safety checks and carelessly brought live bullet rounds into the set just days before that alec baldwin rehearsal, firing a live bullet in october 2021, killing cinematographer halyna hutchins. his trial is scheduled to begin in july. >> david: mola lenghi with the breaking news. the guilty verdict for anna gutierrez, involuntary manslaughter. mola, thank you. meantime tonight, in new york city the dramatic move. the national guard being sent into the new york city subway to protect riders. tonight here, new york's governor kathy hochul on the

crime they're seeing on the subway and what they're doing about it. aaron katersky in new york tonight. >> reporter: tonight, the national guard is set to patrol the new york city subway system, a show of force after a series of violent attacks. >> i've certainly noticed a difference in crime in subways particularly that even have me as an nypd employee fearful of my safety. >> reporter: while crime in the city overall is down, the start of the year has seen a spike in the subways, and the governor says it's giving riders anxiety. >> saying things are getting better doesn't make you feel better, especially when you've just heard about someone being slashed in the throat or thrown onto the subway tracks. >> reporter: 750 national guard members along with 250 state and transit police officers will patrol the platforms and check bags for weapons, joined by teams of mental health workers. the deployment comes after a subway conductor's throat was slashed just last week. our station wabc was there when that conductor met the doctor who was on the train and saved his life. >> god bless you.

you're a good man. my angel. >> reporter: just today, we learned of another attack. a conductor hit by a bottle. she's going to be okay, david. police believe many of these crimes are being committed by repeat offenders, so the governor is trying to figure out some way to prevent them from riding. david? >> david: aaron katersky reporting from new york tonight. aaron, thank you. we turn now to that united flight from houston to fort myers. passengers hearing a loud bang just before takeoff, then seeing flames shooting out of one of the engines. the passenger jet violently shaking and the pilot forced to turn back. here's abc's matt gutman now. >> reporter: tonight, that midair scare. a passenger filming as flames shoot out from the engine of a united plane on its way to fort myers, florida. >> i was texting my family, and i didn't know what was going to happen so i was just telling them that i loved them very much. >> reporter: united airlines flight 1118 taking off from george bush international airport in houston, texas, around 6:30 p.m. monday. minutes later, passengers

hearing a loud bang and feel violent shaking. >> panic set in with a lot of people and a lot of people around me were screaming and crying. >> reporter: david gruninger taking this video, the orange flames erupting from the engine. the pilot telling air traffic control there are 167 people on board. >> we've got both engines, one of them just had a surge or stall. >> reporter: the aircraft landing back in houston less than an hour later. emergency crews waiting on the tarmac. in a statement tonight, united saying the plane experienced an "engine issue." adding "the flight landed safely, and the passengers deplaned normally." david, united said that no one was hurt and it secured a new plane to take the passengers to fort myers that evening. the faa says it is now investigating the incident and the latest involving a 737, and that plane is due back in the air tomorrow. >> david: matt gutman reporting tonight. matt, thank you. we turn now to the race for the white house and tonight after super tuesday, a big night for donald trump, governor nikki haley tonight bowing out of the

race. it is now a biden/trump rematch. governor nikki haley congratulating donald trump and not endorsing him. tonight president biden reaching out to haley's supporters and the president's high stakes moment. his speech, the state of the union in front of the country tomorrow night, with donald trump ahead in the polls. here's rachel scott. >> reporter: tonight, donald trump's lone remaining republican challenger calling it quits. >> i said i wanted americans to have their voices heard. i have done that. >> reporter: nikki haley congratulating trump, but not endorsing him. instead urging the former president to heed the message of her supporters, who have serious reservations about another trump term. exit polls show 79% of haley voters would be dissatisfied with trump as the republican nominee. 79% also say he would be unfit for office if convicted of a crime. >> it is now up to donald trump to earn the votes of those in our party and beyond it who did not support him. and i hope he does that. at its best, politics is about bringing people into your cause,

not turning them away. this is now his time for choosing. >> reporter: president biden quickly promising haley's supporters have a place in his campaign, saying, "i know there is a lot we won't agree on. but on the fundamental issues of preserving american democracy, on standing up for the rule of law, preserving nato and standing up to america's adversaries, i hope and believe we can find common ground." trump now the de facto republican nominee, predicting the party will come together. >> and we're going to have unity, and it's going to happen very quickly. >> reporter: today, one of the last remaining republican leaders falling in line. senate minority leader mitch mcconnell hasn't spoken to trump in three years, publicly blaming him for january 6th. >> there's no question, none, that president trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day. >> reporter: but today, mcconnell endorsing trump, saying "it should come as no surprise that as nominee, he will have my support."

reporters pressing the senator on how he could condemn trump in 2020 and endorse him now. >> i said in february of 2021, shortly after the attack on the capitol, that i would support president trump if he were the nominee of our party, and he obviously is going to be the nominee of our party. >> reporter: donald trump has attacked mitch mcconnell for years, even using racist insults to mock his wife, who once served in the trump administration. now the former president thanking mcconnell for that endorsement, saying he looks forward to working together. david? >> david: this rematch now under way. rachel scott tonight, thank you. let's get right to white house correspondent mary bruce, also with us here. and the state of the union address, the president knows this, the white house knows this, the stakes could not be higher. >> reporter: they could not. you've already seen the president reaching out to haley's supporters. david, this is a pivotal moment for president biden, and this white house and his campaign know it.

trailing in the polls to donald trump and facing those persistent concerns and questions about his age, the president tomorrow night has to sell skeptical voters on his accomplishments and show the american public that he is still up for another four years on the job. now, i am told he will reflect on his record and hit on some of the biggest challenges that are being posed to his campaign, issues like immigration and the economy. no word yet on whether he's going to call out trump directly by name, but this is likely going to be one of the biggest audiences the president has all year. his chance to make his case and change perceptions before the general election. david, no question the pressure is on. >> david: mary bruce live at the white house tonight. mary, thank you. we will be here for the president's state of the union tomorrow night and the republican response right after. i hope you will join us beginning at 9:00 p.m. eastern tomorrow night right here on abc. we continue with the news overnight, and overseas did russia target ukrainian president zelenskyy? a russian ballistic missile striking odesa just 300 feet from president zelenskyy and the prime minister of greece.

tonight, what ukraine and russia are saying about this. hooebs abc's james longman. >> reporter: tonight, one of the closest calls yet for ukraine's president volodymyr zelenskyy. a russian missile narrowly missing him and the greek prime minister during a visit to the port city of odesa. that strike leading to immediate concern zelenskyy was targeted. the missile landing just 300 feet away from both leaders. neither was hurt. but the ukrainian military today not officially connecting the attack to zelenskyy's visit, instead calling it russian terrorism. zelenskyy saying the two leaders saw the explosion, adding the russians "don't care where they strike," even with international guests present. the kremlin claims they targeted a hangar housing ukrainian naval drones. it comes as president biden is expected to push for more aid to ukraine in his state of the union speech. so this is waiting to be exported? >> yes. >> reporter: we got a first look inside a secret ukrainian weapons manufacturing facility struggling to fill the ammunition shortages on the battlefield. with that u.s. military aid

stuck in congress, ukraine is doing what it can to try to make as much of its own ammunition. but it will never be enough to beat russia. for that, they need the united states. ukraine says it can use as many as 20,000 shells a day, but some units are resupplied with just 50 shells daily. >> the current challenge for 2024 is to multiply our existing production. >> reporter: so you are making every month what you would normally make in a year? >> what we did in -- yeah, in 2018, 2019. so we greatly increase. >> reporter: ukraine says it is badly in need of military aid for help on the battlefield and to help try to stop the kinds of attacks that almost hit president zelenskyy today. david? >> david: extraordinarily close. james longman tonight, thank you. this evening for the first time the iranian-backed militants firing those missiles on commercial ships, those attacks have now turned deadly. tonight, at least three crew members are dead, and here's martha raddatz.

>> reporter: tonight, for the first time after months of missile attacks on cargo ships, the iranian-backed houthis have left crew members dead, killing three on board this cargo ship and critically injuring three others in the gulf of aden. the ship, a liberiaen-owned carrier seen in these drone shots billowing smoke, the surviving crew abandoning ship. a u.s.-guided missile cruiser now headed to assist. this comes days after the houthis sunk a cargo ship carrying 21 tons of fertilizer in the red sea. >> we will continue to hold them accountable, and we call on governments around the world to do the same. >> reporter: since january, there have already been four large-scale u.s. and british joint air strikes on houthi targets in yemen. including 150 missiles and launchers, which appear to have done little to slow down the houthis. the houthi missile attacks aimed at commercial vessels and u.s. navy ships have happened almost daily at one of the world's

busiest and most important shipping routes. for now, this is the only plan the u.s. has to go after those houthi missiles, but they don't appear to be running out of missiles any time soon, david? >> david: martha raddatz with us here tonight. martha, thank you. to other news, the mysterious death of an american mother of two falling ill on a flight from vacation from the dominican republic. what they noticed on the plane. here's abc's victor oquendo. >> reporter: tonight, family and friends stunned by the sudden death of an indiana mother who abruptly fell ill on a flight after vacationing in the dominican republic. >> it's very frustrating, just the unknown of kind of what happened. >> reporter: last wednesday, stefanie smith was returning from a five-day vacation in the caribbean with her boyfriend. her friend maria yannotti, also on that trip, saying stefanie seemed healthy right before the flight, even taking this group photo with hotel staff. >> she loves going to the gym every day, even while we were in the dominican.

she made it a point to get up every morning to go to the gym and run on the beach. >> reporter: maria and stefanie traveling separately. at some point during her flight, the 41-year-old mother of two fell ill. >> her boyfriend said, you know, she was sitting in the seat beside of him, and he looked over at her. her head was kind of tilted back in her seat. her eyes were kind of rolled in the back, and he said she he just thought she was making fun of him like they normally do. just joke around. and then she started convulsing. >> reporter: stefanie receiving cpr. the plane making an emergency landing in turks and caicos. she was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. >> she was a special person. her kids really love her a lot. i know she really loved them, so it's tough. >> reporter: stephanie's brother says he was not aware of any pre-existing health conditions. authorities in turks and caicos say they'll be conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of death. david? >> david: victor oquendo with us

as well tonight, victor, thank you. when we come back from washington, the new report about acne creams and the cancer-causing ingredient found in them. and the famous song "hotel california," the sudden move in the criminal case over the eagles classic. and caitlin clark tonight with robin roberts. it's ripe in here. my eyes are watering. i'm a busy man. look how crusty this is. shameful. ugh, it's just too much. not with this. tide. tide can tackle any pile. that a tackle pun? just clean the pile, ron. okay. this too. that was easy. when stains and odors pile up, it's got to be tide. struggling with bowel leakage? it's more common than you think. my bowel incontinence left me feeling embarrassed and isolated for years. but that all changed when a physician specialist told me about axonics therapy. it's given me real, long-lasting relief from my symptoms. visit findrealrelief.com

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and itching where applied. repigmentation is possible. ask your dermatologist today about starting or refilling opzelura. pursue it. finally tonight he >> david: finally tonight here, the first look at robin roberts' exclusive with basketball star caitlin clark going pro. >> what is it, do you think, about your game that has people just can't wait to see you in the professional level? >> i think it's just the style of basketball that i play, but also i think people, like, love the fire and the emotion that i have and the smile i always have on my face. to be honest, i don't get nervous for games because, like, i just know, like, this is fun for me.

but, i mean, people love the long shots. people love the good passing. people lot of the fire, and that's something i've always had in my game ever since i was 7 years old. >> david: we do love the fire. robin's full interview tomorrow morning on "good morning america." good night. through the bay area today and is still affecting us right now. >> that's right. i'm meteorologist sandhya patel, still tracking showers on live doppler seven and the possibility of thunder. still with us? i'll be back with an hour by hour. look at the forecast coming up after the primary. >> it's clear california won't elect a female senator for the first time in decades. where else to find gender equality? always live.

>> abc seven news starts right now. >> unsettled weather, a mix of hail, rain and thunder. live doppler seven shows you what's happening, where you live right now. good evening. >> i'm ama daetz and i'm dan ashley. thanks for joining us. we've noticed the weather all across the bay area. of course, it was a funnel cloud in solano county. take a look at this. abc seven news viewers captured it with both video and still pictures. this was spotted near vacaville. just a few hours ago and did you see and hear the hail? it hit south san jose this afternoon along with some thunder and lightning, and we saw rain in downtown san francisco this morning. >> not much, but enough to warrant windshield wipers. abc seven news meteorologist sanjay patel is tracking all of this. >> she is sandy. what's it look like right now? >> well, it's not quite as active as earlier this afternoon. dan and anna, but still tracking some showers. so let me show you what is happening at this hour. we're going to take you in first to solano