0 his top domestic priority and taking aim at what he calls the gop's ultra maga economic policies how republicans are firing back. also tonight the dramatic capture, the sheriff saying a fugitive inmate and an alabama corrections officer planned for a shootout with police before a car crash ended the 11-day manhunt. the officer apparently taking her own life the arsenal police say the fugitives had and the tip that led officers to them. the deadly missile strike in the critical port city of odesa. a shopping mall destroyed. our team inside ukraine tonight. celebrity chef mario batali, the verdict in his sexual misconduct trial the senate on the eve of a vote on abortion rights and now the growing battle can states block women from going out of state for abortions? the extreme fire danger in the southwest and tracking severe storms in the central u.s. and elon musk weighing in on donald trump's twitter ban, would he lift it if he takes over the company good evening fill her up is becoming a cringeworthy term for a lot of american drivers these days with it costing more than $50 to fill the average size car the price of gas reaching a new record average today, $4.37 a gallon, michigan, ohio and new jersey all places where the price at the pump has gone up between 17 and 24 cents a gallon in just a week the price of gasoline, the most dramatic symbol of inflation that's eating at the bottom lines for many americans with new inflation numbers expected to be released tomorrow, today president biden declared soaring prices a top economic challenge saying he understands the frustration while reminding of the global impact of russia's war in ukraine and the pandemic peter alexander reports now from the white house. >> reporter: for americans on the road tonight another speed bump gas prices today reaching a new all-time high. >> they're horrible. >> they're ridiculous. seems like you're working for gas. >> reporter: regular unleaded average ing $4.37 a gallon and president biden is highlighting his efforts to slow the spike. >> i'm taking inflation very seriously, and it's my top domestic priority. i know you got to be frustrated. i know i can taste it >> reporter: inflation now at a 40-year high, prices surging on gas, groceries and rent. auto repair shop owner wilson halley says prices for parts are so high it's costing him business >> customers aren't coming in because they have to hold off on repairs. >> reporter: and this single mother tells us she has to work multiple jobs. >> i could go in the grocery store and spend $60 and i'm like, what did i purchase? >> reporter: from groceries and higher rent. >> one paycheck now just covers the rent i shouldn't have to work three jobs just to do the extra. one job should suffice. >> reporter: but tonight president biden insists he is not to blame for prices that have been skyrocketing for nearly a year. >> i think our policies help not hurt. >> reporter: and taking aim at former president trump's maga movement and its allies. >> the maga republicans are counting on you to be as frustrated by the pace of progress, which they have everything -- they've done everything they can to slow down that you're going to -- will hand power over to them. >> reporter: a top republican tonight is blasting the president. >> let's look at the biden agenda right now we have 8.5% inflation, we've got the highest gas prices ever. so i mean he doesn't have any ideas. >> so, peter, everyone bracing for those new inflation numbers due out tomorrow. >> reporter: yeah, that's right, lester the president told me he's weighing whether to lift former president trump's tariffs on chinese products that could help lower costs here, lester >> peter alexander at the white house, thanks. tonight dramatic new details of how the manhunt for those alabama fugitives came to an end. the sightings, the tip and the final encounter with police that prevented a shootout sam brock is in evansville, indiana, and has the latest. >> reporter: tonight two of america's most publicized fugitive, casey and vicky white dramatically caught after 11 days on the run. their cadillac crumpled after a short-lived pursuit from police in evansville, indiana >> members of the u.s. task force basically rammed the vehicle and pushed it into a ditch and we later found out had they not done that, the fugitive was going to engage in a shootout with law enforcement. >> reporter: an arsenal of weaponry found in the car. >> we could hear her on the line saying she had her finger on the trigger. >> reporter: but the only person to fire a shot, the highly regarded corrections officer vicky white set to receive the employee of the year award next week but took her own life before deputies could reach her. u.s. marshals telling nbc news casey got out of the car, surrendered and said please help my wife. she just shot herself in the head and i didn't do it. authorities say there is no indication the two were married but they were clearly disguising themselves quite masterfully with wigs and glasses. tristan berger was staying at the same motel down the hall following the case and had no clue and you definitely saw her. >> yeah, i definitely saw her. she was walking around hair dyed and everything. >> reporter: officials ultimately getting a crucial tip from james stinson, an indiana car wash owner. >> that truck setting right there. >> reporter: who spotted an abandoned ford f-150 with tennessee plates early in the week. >> i said this is probably the guy from alabama as soon as i seen it, i mean, the windows are down, keys in ignition, perfectly good truck. >> reporter: also the question of why park the car here of all the places casey white could have left his truck, he picked this bay at a car wash next to a sign that says security cameras in use. that security camera capturing the image of casey that broke the case casey white waved his extradition headed to alabama tonight. now some relief after a nearly two-week-long saga has ended lester. >> sam, thanks let's turn to the war in ukraine now and a new warning this evening about the world's food supply. as russian forces intensify their assault on the critical port city of odesa, kelly cobiella has more from inside ukraine. >> reporter: tonight the crucial southern port city of odesa in the crosshairs again ukraine says russia has fired seven missiles at the city hitting a shopping center and warehouse killing a security guard. "this facility has nothing to do with the military," odesa's mayor said "there are no ammunitions depots here and never have been." several buildings have been reduced to rubble. odesa almost untouched in the first two months of war is now being targeted nearly every day. tonight ukraine's president zelenskyy warning the russian blockade of ports like odesa is threatening the world's food supply ukraine produces about 20% of the world's high grade wheat used to make bread the u.n. says nearly 25 million tons of grain is now stuck in silos. while the war still rages across the east, anna and her husband told me they fled their home city now under constant russian shelling "there was no gas, no water, and my best friend was killed when she went out to find water." i'm so sorry "it's so hard to bear," she says she told me her husband lost his eye when he was 10 during the siege of st.petersburg during world war ii now both living through another war. who do you blame "putin, of course, it's russia we didn't invade anyone" she says in russian. "even though we're old," she told me, "we still want to live." anna and her husband are now among the more than 12 million ukrainians displaced because of the war. lester. >> kelly, thank you. one of america's most famous chefs, mario batali, was found not guilty today of indecent assault and battery. a boston judge delivered the verdict in the nonjury trial a woman accused batali of forcibly kissing and groping her at a bar batali's lawyer said the woman lied for fun and she lied for money referring to a lawsuit she filed. let's turn to the growing state battles over abortion rights after the leak of that draft supreme court decision that could overturn roe v. wade. new efforts tonight aimed at both abortion protection and possible prosecution here's stephanie gosk. >> reporter: there's a new abortion law in connecticut. >> we're doing everything we can to stand up on behalf of the reproductive rights of all our citizens. >> reporter: setting up a battle between states >> texas, don't mess with connecticut. [ applause ] >> reporter: the law expands abortion access and protects providers like those in this clinic from being sued or even criminally charged by another state. >> i am very grateful for it and i think it was necessary in our political climate. >> we're not going to sit here with our residents, with our doctors, nurses, our facilities undefended we're going to stand up for these rights here in the state of connecticut. >> reporter: state representative matt blumenthal says it was in direct response to the abortion law in texas and in anticipation of roe versus wade possibly being overturned >> people are already coming to connecticut from places like texas to seek safe and legal care >> reporter: missouri state representative mary elizabeth coleman drafted a bill similar to the one in texas that would allow private citizens to sue abortion providers should a doctor in connecticut be concerned that they may be sued from a private citizen in missouri if they performed an abortion on a missouri resident? >> no, i don't think that's an accurate reading of the law. >> reporter: her bill has not yet been passed. >> because the abortion issue has been decided by the courts for so long that taking this back into the state legislatures, there's rhetoric that is ramping things up in ways that isn't particularly helpful. >> reporter: scholars say the criminal and civil law has not been tested and anti-abortion states might push boundaries if roe is overturned which is why states like connecticut are acting quickly >> you see connecticut looking at that kind of mess and saying, we want clarity. we don't want to wait for things to shake out in the courts. >> what kind of world are we potentially going into if roe is overturned? >> i'm afraid a world where this conflict is uglier and messier than the one we're in now. >> reporter: stephanie gosk, nbc news, hartford, connecticut. billionaire elon musk said today he will restore donald trump's twitter account once his deal to acquire the company is done the former president was permanently suspended from twitter after the capitol riot musk calls himself a free speech absolutist and says only twitter accounts that operate bots or spread spam should be banned. in 60 seconds the new fire and severe weather alert we'll tell you where and when and americans feeling the housing squeeze as rents and mortgage rates soar. what you should know