eva pilgrim standing by and mary bruce live from the white house. we're also tracking that 'e the east coast at th dangerous winds, heavy rain, several inches of snow possible in some parts, from the carolinas up to maine tonight. there are alerts in washington, philadelphia, and new york city right now. rob marciano standing by to time this out. the breaking headline from ukraine tonight. president zelenskyy saying russia's new military offensive is now under way. what the pentagon is saying tonight. and it comes amid a deadly 24 hours. a barrage of russian missiles hitting ukraine, including lviv. james longman live from ukraine tonight. here at home, the urgent manhunt tonight for multiple suspects in pittsburgh after a deadly mass shooting. video showing the panic erupting at a crowded party. at an airbnb. more than 90 shots fired. and just in tonight, what airbnb is now saying about this. the case that made national headlines. the mother in california who for five years stood by her story, tonight, now pleading guilty to faking her own kidnapping. sherri papini, the mother of two, breaking down, and what she acknowledged. also tonight, the horrific murder investigation in new york city. the mother whose body was found in a duffel bag. the autopsy now released tonight. and what police are now saying about a possible suspect. with earth day this week, the alarming new report tonght on the colorado river. some 40 million americans depend on it for water. our team on the river tonight with new reporting. and america strong tonight. the incredible moment at the end of the boston marathon today. you have to see it. good evening and it's great to start a new week with all of you at home. and we are following several developing stories as we come on the air tonight. the spring nor'easter moving in tonight. dangerous winds, rain, several inches of snow possible in some places, and so rob marciano is standing by on that. but we are going to begin tonight with the other breaking headline, that federal judge in florida striking down the federal travel mask mandate, saying the cdc overstepped its authority. just moments ago, the biden administration saying no more masks required on planes and public transportation. and of course this all comes amid this new spike in covid cases in at least 34 states. the original travel mask mandate was set to expire today, but the biden administration, as we reported right here, had just extended it for two more weeks, because the cdc is concerned with these new numbers. the spike in new cases fueled by the omicron subvariant. but tonight, it's now believed the airlines will no longer require masks. with this comes concern from the largest flight attendants union, alarmed by the new cases and by the changing rules they'll have to enforce. but again, tonight, the tsa will no longer enforce the mask mandate. mary bruce live at the white house. the response from the biden administration just in. but first, abc's eva pilgrim leading us off on this ruling from a florida judge, changing the rule. and where we are in this country amid these new cases tonight. >> reporter: tonight, masks are no longer required on planes and public transit after a federal judge in florida overturned the federal mask mandate, saying the rule "exceeding the cdc's statutory authority." the move signaling another sweeping change for americans. >> i think it's for our own protection, because covid is still going around. so if we have to do it longer inside doors, it's fine with me. >> i think people are so tired of wearing masks, so, i think it's a good idea. >> reporter: the travel mask mandate was supposed to expire today, until the cdc extended it for a fifth time, until may 3rd, pointing to a wave of new covid infections fueled by the ba.2 subvariant. >> so, this is obviously a disappointing decision. the cdc continues recommending wearing a mask in public transit. >> reporter: tonight, the administration saying tsa will not enforce mask use in public transportation and transportation hubs at this time. the cdc recommends that people continue to wear masks in indoor public transportation settings. but delta airlines' ceo ed bastian saying it's time to move past mask mandates. >> we've done it for two years and it's time to move beyond that and now make that the responsibility of individuals. >> reporter: it comes as the battle over masks heats up all over again. the city of philadelphia today putting its indoor mask mandate back into effect to curb a spike in new cases. >> being careful. being careful is the best way to be. >> reporter: but some frustrated businesses and residents are now suing to stop the mask rule. >> people have just generally had enough of this sort of government overreach. >> all right, so, here's where we are tonight. eva with us live, and eva, bottom line, no federal travel mask mandate moving forward, so the airlines are no longer going to require this? >> reporter: that's right, david. the airlines for weeks have been lobbying the federal government to lift this mask mandate and the airlines saying tonight they will not require passengers for now to wear those masks on planes. the flight attendants union asking for patience and calm, and reminding people that you can wear a mask if you want to. david? >> yes, let's keep that in mind. give everyone the space they of course let's think about nd.- those flight crews who have had to enforce the rules no matter what they are for so many months now. we're thinking about them tonight, too. eva, thank you, on the breaking headline tonight. the biden administration saying they are disappointed, was the word the white house used earlier today by the judge's decision on this travel mask mandate, but then just before we came on tonight, they did make it clear that there would be no more mask mandate on publictransportation and planes. so, let's get to our senior white house correspondent mary bruce, because when there's a decision like this, we always ask, bottom line, will there be an appeal, but it sounds like the white house isn't going to. >> reporter: david, i'm told the white house is still reviewing this decision and assessing what comes next. they still haven't decided whether or not they are going to appeal this, but the white house tonight is urging calm and recommending that all travelers still mask up, even though it is no longer required right now on planes, trains, and in other transportation hubs. the bottom line here, the white house knows this is confusing, this is complicated, and they say they are working as quickly as possible to determine what exactly comes next. david? >> and a quick follow to you, mary, this was just a two-week extension from the biden administration anyway, so, can you get an appeal that quickly? they're just in the meantime saying, wear one if you'd like to and we suggest you do? >> reporter: in the meantime, they recommend you wear that mask, they suggest that, they say it is what will keep you the most safe, but is not required as of right now, david. >> no longer required. mary bruce live at the white house. thank you, mary. in the meantime, to the other developing headline, the late season nor'easter slamming the atlantic coast at this hour. 15 states from the carolinas all the way up into maine on alert for rain, inland snow, up to a foot of snow in some places. as we're on the air tonight, washington, d.c., philadelphia, new york city all in the path of this storm. drvers sliding off the road, this is i-64 in northern virginia. let's get right to senior meteorologist rob marciano tracking the storm for us tonight. hey, rob. >> reporter: hi, david. this system is gathering strength. the rain about to start here. it's not a warm system, it's a cold one. there's snow on the back side of this. look at all the winter alerts. a good chunk of new york state under a winter storm warning. along the coast, heavy rain will lead to flooding. we've got wind coming in, too. the heaviest rain on the radar, d.c. into baltimore, all riding up i-95. boy, it's been snowing all day in places like detroit. that snow moving through pennsylvania and new york and our models show just a messy night for all the northeast overnight tonight. wind, rain, heavy snow, 1 to 3 inches per hour. gusty winds to 50 miles per hour. probably see some power outages because of that. most of the precip will end tomorrow morning in the big cities, but we could see 6 to 12 inches of snow in places like binghamton, through upstate new york, snow that is not welcome for the most part in mid-april. david? >> rob marciano, thank you. we'll be tracking this right here with you. in the meantime, we're also following news coming in from ukraine tonight. just a short time ago, ukraine's president volodymyr zelenskyy saying that russia's battle for eastern ukraine, this new offensive, they say, now under way. what the pentagon is saying about this tonight. meantime, russia claiming to have attacked hundreds of targets in just the past 24 hours with missiles, including the first deadly attack on lviv in the west. until now, considered relatively safe for people trying to flee war. now, at least seven people have been killed. and russia appears to be on the brink of taking mariupol. ukrainian troops inside a large steel plant refusing to surrender tonight. but the battle in mariupol also a street fight. this video from a right wing group working with the ukrainian national guard claiming to show one of its fighters tossing explosives over a wall toward a russian vehicle. and tonight, this new image of russia's humiliating loss, its ship, just before it sank. abc's james longman from inside ukraine again tonight. >> reporter: tonight, as russia launches the biggest barrage of missiles across ukraine in weeks, president zelenskyy has announced vladimir putin's new offensive to take full control of the eastern donbas region is now under way. late this afternoon, zelenskyy addressing his nation, saying, "no matter how many russian soldiers are driven there, we will fight. we will defend ourselves." the pentagon tonight still assessing whether or not that major russian offensive has begun. >> we've seen the russians reinforce their forces there. they've added some battalion tactical groups into the region. so there is active fighting going on right now. >> reporter: this new video circulating online shows missiles slamming the western city of lviv, usually a place of relative safety. those strikes, deadly for the first time in this war. seven dead, nearly a dozen injured. russia claiming it hit more than 300 targets today alone. it comes as russian forces could be on the brink of seizing control of mariupol, where the resistance has been fierce. in this disturbing video, which was released by the far-right azov battalion, fighting with the ukrainians, seems to show one of their fighters climbing a wall and throwing an explosive towards that red van, marked with the letter "z." a symbol for russian troops. it's unclear when this video was filmed. holding mariupol critical for ukraine. these forces are all that's standing in the way of russia's attempt to create a land bridge between occupied crimea in the south and the eastern donbas. tonight, the first images of russia's doomed flagship, the moskva, which ukraine said it struck with two missiles. this dramatic new video circulating online, shows it on fire and listing in the black sea. it later sank. and across this country, heartache. hello katya, i'm james. katya is 14 years old. shrapnel tore into her hip and wrist when a shell landed in her garden near zaporizhia. her grandmother alexandra rushed her to the hospital. "many of my friends houses were destroyed, damaged," she says. "we live in a big village and there's so much destruction there." russia says it's fake, but she says, "they are faking it. we are real people." like bucha, they're gathering evidence of war crimes here, too. so this bullet went into a 3-year-old. >> yes. >> reporter: interviews with the young survivors. bullets and shrapnel from young bodies, collected and recorded. the doctor chokes back tears. "40 years of experience," he tells me, "i've never had to do this." in so many parts of the east, ukrainians face a terrible asha arrived in zaporizhia with her son ivan. "leaving was safer than staying," she says. where will you live? where will you stay? >> my mother -- my mommy -- >> reporter: your mother is here? >> my momma. >> reporter: with her mother, she tells me, who then suddenly arrives, overcome with the need to hug her grandson. "i have waited for this for so long," she says. and david, this offensive doesn't necessarily all happen at the same time. there are different pockets of fighting in different areas and ukraine is keen to take the fight to russia. david? >> all right, james longman inside ukraine again for us tonight. thank you, james. back here at home tonight, and to the urgent manhunt in pittsburgh at this hour after a deadly mass shooting over the easter weekend. two teenagers were killed. at least eight others wounded during a party at an airbnb. more than 90 shots fired. tonight here, what airbnb is now saying about this case, amid a violent weekend in several cities. here's abc's trevor ault. >> reporter: tonight, an urgent manhunt for multiple shooters who opened fire at a crowded pittsburgh house party. >> he got a gun. no y'all, he got a gun. >> reporter: video from early sunday shows the chaos at this airbnb as police say 200 people, many underage, were suddenly surrounded by gunfire. >> they're shooting. oh my god. >> reporter: more than 90 shots fired. in total, 15 people hurt, ten shot. and two teenagers, matthew steffy-ross and jaiden brown, both just 17, were killed. >> to see this happen to him was really heartbreaking as well, you know, because he had a very bright future. >> reporter: today, pittsburgh public schools on modified lockdown. >> no one's really safe anymore i guess, no matter how old you are or where you come from. >> reporter: and this was just one part of a tragic weekend of american gun violence. in south carolina saturday, 14 people were hurt in a shooting at a columbia mall. then hours later, nine people were shot in an alteration outside a club two hours away. while back in pittsburgh tonight, where the urgent manhunt continues, the police chief calling for a stop to this devastating trend. >> this goes back to having too many guns, too many illegal guns, on the streets. >> reporter: and david, we just heard from airbnb moments ago, they say along with banning the person who rented this location for life, the company will also now be pursuing legal action against them. david? >> of course that was a major question, as well. trevor, thank you. we're going to turn tonight to that case that made national headlines, the california mom who stood by her story for five years, but who today confessed to faking her own kidnapping, pleading guilty before a judge. sherri papini, a mother of two, now facing jail time and a massive fine. here's kaylee hartung. >> reporter: after insisting for more than five years that she was kidnapped and tortured by suspects who were never found, tonight, sherri papini admits she made it all up. >> all we can do at the end of the day is the right thing, and it is never too late to do the right thing. >> reporter: the 39-year-old, who took an 11th hour plea deal last week, pleading guilty to two of the 35 felony counts she's charged with -- lying to federal agents and mail fraud. in 2016, the mother of two's case made for gripping headlines. papini telling police she was kidnapped at gunpoint, tortured, and held in captivity for 22 days by two hispanic women. but investigators uncovering she was actually staying with an ex-boyfriend and harmed herself to cover up her lies. the plea deal recommends 8 to 14 months in prison, plus more than $300,000 in restitution for the resources multiple agencies used investigating her case. >> i wouldn't call this her doing the right thing, i'd call this her last ditch effort to do the best she can for herself. >> reporter: and david, her charges carry up to 25 years in prison, but because of that plea deal, her sentence is ultimately up to a judge and that decision is expected to come down in july. david? >> kaylee hartung tonight. thank you, kaylee. this week, we are reporting here on the leadup to earth day and tonight, the alarming new report on the colorado river. 40 million americans depend on the water from that river. we have reported here on this broadcast on the conditions in that river before. tonight, our team is back amid these troubling new findings. here's abc's kayna whitworth now. >> reporter: tonight, an ominous new report from a conservation group, naming the colorado river america's most endangered waterway. >> we're facing an unprecedented crisis. >> reporter: 40 million people depend on the river daily and since 2000, water levels have dropped 20%, threatening the environment, agriculture, and reliable water supplies as it winds through seven states. major cities throughout the southwest rely on the colorado river. >> the l.a. basin, maybe a uarter of their water supply comes out of the colorado river. las vegas is 90% dependent on the river. >> reporter: reserves in lake powell and lake mead plummeting to all-time lows. >> we haven't irrigated our lawn in four years. >> reporter: fifth generation colorado ranchers paul and doug bruchez trying to conserve the dwindling water by building cobblestone riffles, keeping the river deeper, colder, healthier. as part of one of the largest restoration efforts on the upper basin, you have installed five of these riffles right there, along a 12-mile stretch? >> that is correct. it is this region's adaptation to climate change. >> reporter: experts say as the landscape continues to dry, water levels could drop another 10% to 20% by 2050. >> so, we're faced with this new reality where we have to learn to live with less water. >> reporter: david, $8.3 billion from the infrastructure bill has been earmarked for western water, and all along the colorado river, they have hundreds of vetted, shovel-ready projects, but it takes a collective effort to put that money to use and everyone i spoke with said time is running out. david? >> we will stay on this. kayna whitworth, thank you. meantime, overseas tonight, the deadly flooding disaster in south africa. just a staggering toll emerging. more than 440 people killed. dozens still missing in the city of durbin and the surrounding area. tens of thousands now homeless tonight. rescue teams still searching for survivors. authorities do expect it will be the deadliest storm there ever on record. when we come back, the horrific murder investigation here in new york city. the body of a mother found in a duffel bag. news on possible suspects. and later tonight, the remarkable moment at the boston remarkable moment at the boston marathon.it's er refill at your favorite diner... or waiting for the 7:12 bus... or sunday afternoon in the produce aisle. these moments may not seem remarkable. but at pfizer, protecting the regular routine, and everyday drives us to reach for exceptional. working to impact hundreds of millions of lives... young and old. it's what we call, the pursuit of normal. ♪ ♪ i've got nothing to eat. nothing. hold on, i can do something. ♪ turning nothing into something ♪ ♪ turning nothing into something ♪ it's amazing what you can do with nothing, and a little best foods. 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