♪ ♪ good evening. i'm norah o'donnell, and thank you for being with us. we have several major stories that we are following tonight, including that massive blizzard out west, plus president biden's big announcement before gaza as hundreds of thousands are under threat of starvation. but we begin tonight with new developments in that terrifying accident and dramatic rescue in louisville when a semitruck was left dangling off a bridge. nearly 100 feet over the ohio river. the female driver miraculously escaped without suffering any serious injuries but was taken to a local hospital out of precaution, and we are hearing from the incredibly brave rescuers who say they train for this kind of thing "all the time." cbs's mark strassmann starts us off tonight with a harrowing video as first responders arrived on the scene. >> reporter: high drama above the ohio river, like a scene from a tom cruise thriller. >> a semi over the edge of a bridge, hanging over the water. >> reporter: a tractor-trailer dangling from a clark memorial bridge and a repelling firefighter trying to pluck its female driver to safety. >> this is very much a worst-case scenario. it's extremely lucky. not so much that it would detach from the trailer, but just that the entire truck didn't go into the river. >> reporter: that's louisville firefighter bryce carden, rappelling to rescue the driver. both of them hovering roughly 7r connecting kentucky and indiana. >> she was just praying. she was praying a lot. and i prayed with her. >> reporter: the semi had crashed through the guardrail after a four vehicle accident. the driver trapped in the cab for about 40 minutes. carden slowly, carefully guided them both back over the guardrail to safety.% >> once i reached her, she was super calm, collected, and helped me do what i need to do to get her to safety. we have generally done a few crazy things, but yes, this tops it so far. >> reporter: that bridge remains closed in both directions until officials can figure out how to remove that truck. norah? >> norah: those first responders are incredible. mark strassmann, thank you so much. well, now, to that potentially historic blizzard blasting the west. more than 25 million people are in the path of the biggest winter storm of the year, which could drop up to 12 feet of snow in parts of the sierra nevada. cbs's carter evans reports tonight from northern cali california. unrelenting snowfalls. they are hunkering down in the mountains spanning california and nevada prepared to be buried in up to 12 feet of snow this weekend. this behemoth of a blizzard has already produced wind gusts topping 145 miles per hour. and with snow falling 5 inches an hour, emergency responders are dealing with dangerous white house white house whiteout conditions beard speak with wind can pick up and with the blowing snow it can really make the roadway literally disappear in front of your eyes. >> reporter: this is what they mean when they talk about whiteout conditions. i am standing in the middle of ater state 80. some big rig drivers here in the town of truckee don't have a choice. that means taking every precaution before heading further up the mountain. this is the last spot truckers can chain up before making the drive up over donner summit, and it will be slow going. several ski resorts are closed under avalanche warnings. and authorities across the sierra nevada are also preparing for collapsed roofs, downed trees, and power lines. that is because scientists say this could be an epic storm. >> snowfall totals could be upwards of 4-5 feet in a single day, and that is what makes this one so unique. >> reporter: now and just a couple of hours, the road here could be covered in feet of snow, and firefighters tell me they are prepared to use snowplows to cut a path for emergency vehicles responding to calls. norah? >> norah: stay safe out there. carter evans, thank you very much beard well, how long will the storm stick around and where has had? let's bring in meteorologist chris warren, from our partners at the weather channel. good evening, chris beard >> good evening, norah. extremely difficult to impossible travel conditions in the california mountains, with blizzard conditions expected through saturday. this was a long-lasting snow event, strong winds possible, power outages expected with this i must know not wrapping up until late on sunday. when it is all said and done, higher elevations, 5-10 feet of snow. also strong winds extending into the desert, so vegas could see winds up to 50-60 miles per hour. those winds also, norah, translating into the plains, where fire weather conditions are not looking good at all for firefighters battling the fires they are. >> norah: chris warren, thanks. tonight, a major victory for reproductive rights advocates. two of america's largest pharmacy chains just announcing they will begin selling a widely used abortion pill this month, expanding access for women in states where the drug is legal. we get details now from cbs's nikki battiste. >> reporter: tonight, a historic decision by major pharmacy chains, walgreens, to begin dispensing mifepristone. the pill is used for more than half of abortions in the u.s. and to manage miscarriages. >> it's absolutely a game changer. this kind of dispensing is going to be huge for patients who struggle to travel. we are going to see much better health outcomes. >> reporter: in a statement, walgreens says it expects to begin dispensing within a week and select locations to ensure quality safety and privacy. cvs will begin in the weeks legally permissible in the weeks ahead. >> is this now the most accessie mifepristone is ever been? >> yes. so it is going to be a huge step forward. >> reporter: walgreens will sell mifepristone in some five states, cvs and all of its pharmacies in massachusetts and rhode island. in either chain will provide the medication by mail. until now, the drug had only been available from authorized doctors, clinics, or telemedicine abortion services. >> it has been shown to be safe and effective beard and apposition on the other side cannot really counter that evidence. >> reporter: mifepristone is used in combination with another drug, misoprostol, to end a prophet is not my pregnancy at ten weeks. that's the pill will cost $75 but may be covered by insurance for some patients and will require a prescription. >> i think it is a really sad day in america for the women of this country. i would encourage women to seek out a local pregnancy center and talk to them before taking this pill. there are other alternatives available. >> norah: and nikki joins us now. i do have to ask you, could this pill eventually be available in all 50 states? >> reporter: cbs and walgreens both say they hope to sell the drug and about half the u.s. states, but the future of mifepristone lies with the supreme court. norah, it will hear a case about restrictions on the pill march 26th. >> norah: it will be a closely watched case. nikki battiste, thank you. well, there is new guidance tonight on the cdc on when you should isolate if you test positive for covid. people can now return to work or regular activities of their symptoms are mild and improving, and if it has been 24 hours since they had a fever without taking fever reducing medications. masks and distancing are still recommended to protect the elderly and others with weakened immunity. the u.s. will begin air dropping humanitarian aid into gaza as early as this weekend. the biden administration's decision comes as the situation there is deteriorating, with the u.n. warning that hundreds of thousands are on the verge of famine. cbs's weijia jiang is at the white house. >> reporter: president biden announced the decision to carry out air drops just days after more than 100 people were killed when israeli troops opened fire on a crowd surrounding trucks delivering aid in gaza city. >> the truth is, aid flowing to gaza is nowhere nearly enough now. it is nowhere nearly enough. innocent lives on the line and children's lives on the line, and we won't stand by. >> reporter: the white house said food aid will be a top priority amid warnings from the u.n. that gaza is on the brink of famine. jordan and france have both begun air dropping supplies. what are the risks associated with an air drop like this? >> the biggest risk is making sure that nobody gets hurt on the ground, and so you've got to locate out areas to drop. this is a war zone. so there is an added element of potential danger to the pilots and aircraft. >> reporter: the administration has grown frustrated with israel's execution of the war and their refusal to open additional land crossings to allow more aid in. >> we are going to insist israel facilitate more trucks and more routes to get more and more people the help they need. >> reporter: a former official for the u.s. group in charge of administering foreign aid tells cbs news that ground transport is key because he says air drops are expensive and inefficient. each one provides 2 truckloads of aid and gaza needs 500-1000 truckloads every day. norah? >> norah: weijia jiang at the white house, thank you. a judge in atlanta says he hopes to rule within two weeks whether to remove fulton county district attorney fani willis from former president donald trump's election interference case. trump's attorneys say willis should be disqualified because of her romantic relationship with an outside attorney that she appointed as lead investigator. willis' attorneys say the hearings are shown no evidence of a conflict of interest. turning overseas to moscow and in a remarkable public display of mourning outside the funeral of russian opposition leader alexei navalny. more than a thousand people risked being arrested as they showed support for putin's chief critic. cbs's rainy cbs's ramy inocencio reports. >> reporter: a solemn and sorrowful goodbye. russia's most famous opposition leader alexei navalny was laid to rest on the outskirts of moscow. as his wife, yulia navalnaya, no longer in russia, took up his mantle, staying on social media, she would try to make him proud. earlier, as navalny's coffin arrived with his mother and father, thousands of mourners chanted his name, risking retribution and defiantly shouted that russia would one day be free from president vladimir putin. all this watched by a heavy police presence. "we were very afraid when we arrived, hiding our flowers and camrose," this woman said. "but now i realize we need to do this and speak up." thousands more supporters staked the 1.5 miles to the cemetery where navalny was buried. each person saying their own final farewell. at 47 years old, alexei navalny died two weeks ago today. detained since 2021 on charges from embezzlement to terrorism, which his supporters were say were trumped up. this video of him joking with prison officials in arctic penal colony was the last time he was seen alive. one day before he died, his wife says he was poisoned in prison, but his official death certificate claims he died of natural causes. today in moscow, the mood was mostly peaceful and respectful, more than 90 people were arrested on top of hundreds more detained since he died. for them, their brightest light for a better russia is now gone. ramy inocencio, cbs news, london. >> norah: there are new development in the manslaughter trial of hannah gutierrez-reed, the armor are for alec baldwin's western film "rust." the movie's director, who was wounded and survived the deadly onset shooting, took the stand today. cbs's omar villafranca reports on the gripping testimony. >> i remember initially thinking, had she been startled by ed? but then i saw the blood on her back. >> reporter: movie director joel souza described the pain and shock he felt moments after a bullet killed cinematographer halyna hutchins, then lodged in his shoulder, why mama said of the movie "rust." souza told the court it was a chaotic scene. >> i still didn't quite know what had happened. nothing made sense. >> reporter: hannah gutierrez-reed was in charge of weapons on the set, including the one held by actor and producer alec baldwin that killed hutchins and injured souza. she has been charged with voluntary manslaughter end and that is tampering. >> right away, let's reload. >> reporter: yesterday, jurors watch video of baldwin rehearsing with a prop gun on the set and heard from first assistant director david halls, who already pleaded no contest to negligent use of a deadly weapon. >> did you speak to miss hutchins when you approached her? >> i did. >> what did you say? >> are you all right? >> did she respond? >> yes. she said, "i can't feel my legs." >> reporter: prosecutors want to know how at least six live rounds had made it onto the side of the western movie. gutierrez-reed has pleaded not guilty. a jury could make a decision on this case as early as next week. as for eldon alec baldwin, his involuntary manslaughter trial was set to start in july. norah? >> norah: omar villafranca, thank you. two passengers force a united airlines flight to make an emergency landing. and later, two parents waiting on a major arrival. look at this. tonight's "heart of america." y♪ because it stinks. ♪have you tried downy rinse and refresh♪ it helps remove odors 3x better than detergent alone. it worked guys! ♪yeahhhh♪ downy rinse and refresh. ♪♪ missing out on the things you love because of asthma? get back to better breathing with fasenra, an add-on treatment for eosinophilic asthma that is taken once every 8 weeks. fasenra is not for sudden breathing problems or other eosinophilic conditions. allergic reactions may occur. don't stop your asthma treatments without talking with your doctor. tell your doctor if your asthma worsens. headache and sore throat may occur. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. step back out there with fasenra. ask your doctor if it's right for you. hi, i'm greg. i live in bloomington, illinois. i'm not an actor. i'm just a regular person. some people say, "why should i take prevagen? i don't have a problem with my memory." memory loss is, is not something that occurs overnight. i started noticing subtle lapses in memory. i want people to know that prevagen has worked for me. it's helped my memory. it's helped my cognitive qualities. give it a try. i want it to help you just like it has helped me. prevagen. at stores everywhere without a prescription. 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"on the road" is next, with a college basketball coach whose message of hope is leading to wins on and off the court. ♪ ♪ i'm so glad i can still come here. you see, i was diagnosed with obstructive hcm. and there were some days i was so short of breath. i thought i'd have to settle for never stepping foot on this trail again. i became great at making excuses. but i have people who count on me so i talked to my cardiologist. i said there must be more we can do for my symptoms. he told me about a medication called camzyos. he said camzyos works by targeting what's causing my obstructive hcm. so he prescribed it and i'm really glad he did. camzyos is used to treat adults with symptomatic obstructive hcm. camzyos may improve your symptoms and your ability to be active. camzyos may cause serious side effects, including heart failure that can lead to death. a risk that's increased if you develop a serious infection or irregular heartbeat or when taking certain other medicines. so do not stop, start or change medicines or the dose without telling your healthcare provider. you must have echocardiograms before and during treatment. seek help if you experience new or worsening symptoms of heart failure. because of this risk, camzyos is only available through a restricted program. before taking camzyos, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions, including current or planned pregnancy. today with camzyos, i don't lose my breath as often. my symptoms have improved, helping me go from expecting less to experiencing more. my name is mike. and this is my camzyos moment. call your cardiologist today and see if a camzyos moment may be in your future too. i'll be honest. by the end of the day, my floors...yeesh. but who has the time to clean? that's why i love my swiffer wetjet. it's a quick and easy way to get my floors clean. wetjet absorbs and locks grime deep inside. look at that! swiffer wetjet. 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[laughs] they are also very affectionate with each other. and i just love that they are the models for how to do it right. >> norah: well, their eggs are begin to expect know my expected to begin hatching this weekend. jackie and shadow, tonight's "heart of america." absolutely beautiful. that is tonight's "cbs evening news." i'm norah o'donnell. good night, and have a great weekend. ♪ ♪ "overflowing with ideas and energy." that's the san francisco chronicle endorsing democrat katie porter for senate over all other options. porter is "easily the most impressive candidate." "known for her grilling of corporate executives." with "deep policy knowledge." katie porter's housing plan has "bipartisan-friendly ideas to bring homebuilding costs down." and the chronicle praises "her ideas to end soft corruption in politics." let's shake up the senate. with democrat katie porter. i'm katie porter and i approve this message. >> judge judy: when did she bail you out? >> at the time i was arrested. >> judge judy: and that was 7 years ago? >> announcer: a deadbeat boyfriend reappears. >> i get a random facebook message from him saying, "hey, was thinking about you." >> judge judy: are you married to somebody else now? >> i am. >> announcer: then she went into debt all over again. >> judge judy: for some reason, you gave him $2,500. >> she wanted to be back with the bad guy, your honor. >> judge judy: where do you live, in what universe? >> announcer: "judge judy." you are about to enter the courtroom you are about to enter the courtroom of judge judith sheindlin. captions paid for by cbs television distribution christina martinezsu