tonight, breaking news on several fronts tonight. the reports of bloody battles inside that steel plant in ukraine. what about the civilians still inside? also, the breaking headline involving one of the covid vaccines here in the u.s. and bracing for severe storms right now. first tonight, video from a group of ukrainian fighters showing what could be their last stand against russian forces at that steel factory in mariupol. video posted by pro-russian separatists showing brutal bombings from the air. up to 200 civilians including children trapped in the tunnels and bunkers. also tonight, the pentagon now responding to reports that u.s. intelligence may have helped ukrainians kill top russian commanders. what the u.s. is now saying tonight. ian pannell in ukraine. the pandemic tonight and

that breaking headline from the fda involving the johnson & johnson vaccine tonight. what they're now saying about taking it. there is also news coming in tonight on paxlovid. some reporting symptoms coming back after taking it. what authorities are saying about that, as well, tonight. also here at home, the stock market and the dow plunging just 24 hours after the fed raised interest rates. rebecca jarvis standing by on what this means and how long this instability could last. the fences going up around the supreme court. demonstrators on both sides across this country. and tonight, what democrats are now going to do to try to make roe versus wade federal law. will moderate republicans susan collins and lisa murkowski support the effort, after collins once said she was confident justices kavanaugh and gorsuch would not overturn roe versus wade. rachel scott live tonight with the reality check on the votes. the new tornado watches up at this hour. storms from texas to kentucky. at least ten reported tornadoes

in just 24 hours. and then the east bracing. the storm system then reaching the northeast by week's end. and rob marciano will time this out. another deadly attack near tel aviv tonight. at least three people killed, several wounded. erielle reshef, who just rode with israeli forces fighting against this new wave of attacks, on this again tonight. the flight to new york's jfk forced to turn around after what they learned about one of the pilots. also news on pope francis tonight. and the new white house press secretary, history made. and america strong. what so many of you did for ukraine. the milestone tonight for an american company. good evening and it's great to have you with us here on a thursday night. the breaking news on the johnson & johnson vaccine. why the fda is now steering americans away from that vaccine

because of concern over potential blood clots. but first here tonight, the war in ukraine, and news this evening of bloody battles playing out right now at that steel plant in mariupol. hundreds of civilians inside, including children. the ukrainians say russian troops have breached the perimeter. a ukrainian commander saying those heavy battles now under way. this video tonight now emerging, undated from the azov battalion, a far-right group now part of ukraine's forces, showing dark smoke billowing from that massive plant. and the pentagon tonight now responding to reports that u.s. intelligence has helped the ukrainians kill multiple top russian commanders. what the u.s. is now saying about that. abc's senior foreign correspondent ian pannell leading us off tonight from inside ukraine. >> reporter: tonight, a band of ukrainian fighters defiantly still holding out against the russian army in what are described as "heavy, bloody battles" inside the azovstal steel plant in mariupol. this new, undated video is from the far-right azov battalion

fighting on the ukrainian side. other undated video posted by pro-russian separatists show brutal bombings from the air. one official calling it "bleak hell," where up to 200 civilians, including children, are trapped. evacuation hopes shattered again today by nonstop russian shelling, but another rescue mission planned tomorrow. russia also striking key infrastructure across the country, trying to cripple ukraine's supply lines. today, the pentagon responding to a "new york times" report that the u.s. is providing intelligence, including russian troop movements and the location of mobile headquarters to ukraine, which has led to the deaths of a dozen russian generals. u.s. officials saying the shared intelligence is meant to help ukraine in its fight, and is not given with the intent to kill top russian commanders.

>> we do not provide intelligence on the location of senior military leaders on the battlefield or participate in the targeting decisions of the ukrainian military. >> reporter: but u.s intelligence and weapons have been crucial in helping ukraine's battlefield successes. russians have now been driven 25 miles away from the country's second-largest city, kharkiv, one of the first places to be heavily shelled. and ukrainian artillery is now hitting occupied towns located right by the russian border itself. we went to dergachi, one of at least five towns recently liberated from the russians. the trail of destruction has seen 80% of its population flee. olexander's home was destroyed by a russian rocket. he says the russians ruled here with fear, destroying most of the town during the fight to liberate it. he now lives with his elderly

mother, who doesn't want to leave her home, despite the shelling. "when she hears the shelling, she jumps out of bed and prays," he says. "everyone's scared." he struggles to talk about the pain and the fear of being under russian occupation. >> and so let's bring in ian pannell tonight from eastern ukraine. and ian, news of yet another attempt in the coming 24 hours to try to rescue those civilians still trapped in the midst of all this fighting at that steel pant in mariupol. but as you've reported here, many of these efforts have failed already in the past. >> reporter: yeah, i mean, so true. it has been incredibly difficult and dangerous mission to try to get those people out. they're trapped in many bunkers built underneath the steel plant. and in truth, no one really knows quite how many civilians are still in there. but as you say, another convoy is now on its way towards mariupol, it is expected to get there early tomorrow morning and to try and get some of those last people out, as that battle rages and the russians close in. david? >> ian pannell in eastern ukraine tonight. ian, thank you

there are also several developing stories back here at home tonight, to the pandemic and breaking news from the fda tonight. they are now urging americans to avoid the johnson & johnson vaccine if you have access to pfizer or moderna instead, because of concerns over potential blood clots. we also have news here tonight on that anti-viral, paxlovid, that so many americans are now taking with the omicron subvariant now sweeping the country. reports that some have said their symptoms have come back after taking that anti-viral. here's whit johnson. >> reporter: tonight, the fda moving to limit the use of the johnson & johnson vaccine, saying the one-shot should only be given to americans who either don't have access to the moderna or pfizer vaccines or won't take them. the fda pointing to the real but rare risk of blood clots after the j&j shot. it comes as covid hospitalizations and deaths are expected to climb for the first time in months. in the last two weeks, e.r. visits up 44%. >> for the most part, people are well-protected from the

vaccines, but those that are unvaccinated make up a large portion of those that are in hospitals, and well as the elderly and immunocompromised patients that can't amount an effective immune response. >> reporter: and tonight, health officials also reporting more people are turning to the drug paxlovid. its use up ten-fold in recent weeks. but now a team of scientists is investigating some reports of a relapse in covid symptoms in patients who took the anti-viral drug. paxlovid, which can cut the risk of hospitalization by nearly 90%, is for people with mild to moderate covid symptoms at high risk of severe disease. john donoghue says he, his wife, and mother-in-law all saw their covid symptoms dramatically reduced after taking the pills. >> after about another five days, we started having symptoms again. all three of us. we had another five days or so of feeling ill, where we tested positive. >> reporter: donaghue says the second time around, the symptoms were milder.

the cdc says the reports of relapse are a reminder that "anyone who develops symptoms of illness during or after isolation should remain isolated, masked, and seek out testing and clinical care." for patients who get recurrent covid symptoms, the fda says there is no need to take more paxlovid. tonight, many health experts remain confident in the drug's benefits. >> the main thing is, paxlovid is to prevent progression to severe disease, hospitalization, and death, and it does. >> all right, that's the news on paxlovid. in the meantime, let's get back to whit johnson. i want to go right back to the news from the fda late today just before we came on limiting the use of the johnson & johnson vaccine, saying to get pfizer or moderna if you can, instead, pointing to this risk of rare blood clots. but i've got to think about all the people out there, whit, who are asking themselves, i got this many, many months ago, should i be concerned? >> reporter: exactly, david. millions of americans got the j&j vaccine and while there is a low risk of blood clots, that's only been seen in the

short-term. the days and weeks after the shot. health officials have been recommending the other vaccines for months now because they don't carry the same level of risk, but this is the furthest they've gone in actually limiting access to j&j. david? >> all right, whit johnson on the breaking news tonight. whit, thank you. to the economy tonight, and the stock market. the dow plunging today, just 24 hours after the federal reserve raised interest rates to slow down the economy and inflation in this country. the market falling steeply today. the dow closing down more than 1,000 points, losing more than 3%. but yesterday, the markets right after the fed raised those rates, jumped. the stock market shooting up. economists had said that the markets jumped because they had factored in the fed interest rate hike, that they knew it was coming. well, what happened today? let's bring in our chief business and economics correspondent rebecca jarvis. rebecca, how did folks on wall street explain the plunge then today? >> reporter: well, david, as one wall street veteran put it to me, this u-turn is reality setting in. reality is, inflation is at

historic highs, the jobs market is strong, and in order to stabilize prices, the fed has to continue hiking interest rates, which can ultimately slow down the economy. and the stock market has responded. so far this year, the s&p 500, which is what's in most 401(k)s, is down about 13.5%, meaning if you put $1,000 into the start of the market at the start of this year, today, you'd have about $865. keep in mind, there should be more volatility ahead, but you also have to remember history. since 1980, the stock market has returned on average 9% a year, which is why you have to be in it for the long-term. david? >> yeah, historical norms, but it's tough to stomach when you're watching it go up and down. rebecca jarvis with us again tonight. thank you, rebecca. we move on tonight, to the deeply personal debate over abortion rights across this country. fences going up at the supreme court. workers tightening security around the court with a 12-foot tall fence standing around the perimeter now. tonight, the white house and

senate democrats working to make roe versus wade federal law now. they know they don't have the votes, but they want every senator on record. and what about moderate republicans lisa murkowski and susan collins? senator collins, who once said she was convinced justices kavanaugh and gorsuch would not overturn roe versus wade. here's rachel scott again tonight. >> reporter: tonight, metal fencing now up, protecting the highest court in the land. but still a flood of demonstrators showed up at the steps. senate democrats are now vowing to hold a vote on legislation that would make a woman's right to obtain an abortion a federal law, codifying the roe decision. >> republicans will not be able to hide from the horror they've unleashed on america. >> reporter: only two republican senators support abortion rights. one of them is senator susan collins. she voted for justices neil gorsuch and brett kavanaugh, convinced they would not overturn roe. >> so a good judge will consider as precedent of the united states supreme court worthy as

treatment of precedent like any other. >> one of the important things to keep in mind about roe v. wade is that it has been reaffirmed many times over the past 45 years. >> reporter: at the time, collins said she was given assurances. >> he noted that roe had been reaffirmed 19 years later by planned parenthood versus casey and that it was precedent on precedent. he said it should be extremely rare that it be overturned. and it should be an example -- >> you have obviously full confidence. >> i do. >> reporter: but that draft opinion indicates both gorsuch and kavanaugh will vote overturn roe after all. collins now says that's "completely inconsistent" with what they told her privately. collins supports codifying roe versus wade as federal law. but today she declared she will not support the democrats' bill because it goes too far. >> my goal is to codify what is

essentially existing law. that means roe v. wade and it means keeping the conscience protections, which appear to be wiped out by the democrats' version. >> reporter: but lisa murkowski, the other republican senator supporting abortion rights, says se is now willing to take another look at what democrats are offering. >> rachel scott with us from the supreme court tonight. and rachel, senate democrats are determined to have a vote now on this bill next week, of course, as you've reported here, they want to get all senators on record. you've also reported they don't have the votes, and so, let's ask about senators collins and murkowski. we learned from your reporting tonight that they have supported the idea of making roe versus wade federal law, so, i guess the question would be, would democrats consider joining them?

>> reporter: well, david, even though some democrats support that legislation, they do not want to take that path right now. though they haven't completely ruled it out. senate majority leader chuck schumer has promised the senate will continue to vote on legislation to codify roe versus wade, but the reality is, even with the support of two republicans, collins and murkowski, they still do not have the votes they need to get it passed. david? >> rachel scott at the supreme court tonight. rachel, thank you. now to the severe weather threat for millions of americans tonight. the tornado watch from texas to louisiana. nearly a dozen tornadoes already in just 24 hours. take a look. this massive tornado, this is near lockett, texas. seminole county, oklahoma, as well, taking a direct hit. transformers exploding, drivers rushing to safety there, just incredible. this system reaching the mid-atlantic tomorrow, the northeast will feel this, too. senior meteorologist rob marciano timing it out for us again tonight. hey, rob. >> reporter: hi, david. all of what you said plus flooding. so many hazards and impacts with this across a really big swath of the country. let's start with the severe weather boxes. they are expanding into kentucky from bowling green and nashville, back through tupelo. a tornado watch back through austin, storms are popping

there. the bulls eye tomorrow brings it to georgia and alabama, but really the threat extends all the way up into richmond, virginia, and this thing is going to spin and slow down and sit off the mid-atlantic, so, it's going to bring a lot of rain pretty much all day long from d.c. to baltimore, philly, probably all the way up to new york city. this while more storm systems set up in the plains for more severe weather threats nearly every day into next week. david? >> rob marciano with us. thank you, rob, we'll watch it with you. meantime, overseas tonight, and to new and deadly attacks in israel. a suspected terror attack outside of tel aviv now, killing at least three people, wounding several others. abc's erielle reshef, who just rode with israeli forces fighting this new wave of attacks, on the story again tonight. >> reporter: tonight, terror outside tel aviv, after israeli authorities say at least two suspects, armed with multiple weapons including an axe, attacked a group of men, killing at least three, injuring several others. the assault falling on israel's independence day, sparking an

intense manhunt around the town of elad, with checkpoints set up along main roads. helicopters also searching for a vehicle that fled the scene. israel already on high alert, after a spate of attacks since march that have claimed the lives of at least 18. it comes just weeks after a palestinian assailant opened fire inside a crowded tel aviv bar, killing three israelis. israeli forces saying they're responding with pinpoint raids in the northern west bank. >> reporter: in recent weeks, abc news exclusively riding along with an idf infantry unit as they geared up for one of those operations. tensions also rising as palestinians and israeli police clashed at the al aqsa mosque, a religious flashpoint that helped ignite an 11-day war with hamas last year. and so far, no claim of responsibility, but tonight, hamas and islamic jihad have praised that attack in elad. israel extending its closure of the west bank and gaza through sunday. david? >> erielle reshef on this again

for us. erielle, thank you. and when we come back here, news tonight about a flight to new york's jfk forced to turn around after what they learned about one of the pilots. my sister's managing a lot, including her type 2 diabetes. but she's found new ways to stay on top of it all. once-weekly trulicity is proven to help lower a1c and it can help you lose up to 10 pounds. trulicity is for type 2 diabetes. it isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. it's not approved for use in children. don't take trulicity if you're allergic to it, you or your family have medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2.

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it's my cue to help protect them. embrace this phase. help protect them in the next. ask their doctor about hpv vaccination today. tonight, we have learned a virgin atlantic flight from london to new york city was forced to turn around because the co-pilot apparently was not qualified to fly. the passenger jet was over ireland when the captain learned the first officer had not completed the airline's training program. the company tonight calling it an administrative error, insisting safety was not compromised. when we come back here tonight, history made at the white house. she'll soon be a household name. and news tonight here about pope francis, the image today that made immediate news. people with plaque psoriasis, are rethinking the choices they make. like the shot they take. the memories they create. or the spin they initiate. otezla. it's a choice you can make. otezla is not a cream. it's a pill that treats plaque psoriasis differently. with otezla, you can achieve clearer skin.

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avoid live vaccines. by helping control your asthma, tezspire™ can help you be you. no matter who you are, ask your asthma specialist about tezspire™ today. to the index of other news tonight and history made at the white house. after nearly a year and a half on the job, white house press secretary jen psaki will be stepping down next friday. karine jean-pierre will be the next press secretary, becoming the first black person and first openly lgbtq person to serve as white house press secretary. and overseas tonight, pope francis appearing for the first time in public in a wheelchair. the pope suffering chronic pain in his right knee, making it difficult to walk. the 85-year-old smiling and shaking hands during an audience with a group of nuns at the vatican. that pain, though, forcing him to cancel several events in recent days. when we come back here tonight, the american company and what they did to help the people of ukraine. and then what you did. it's extraordinary.

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what an american company is doing for ukraine and how you helped. america strong. tonight here, what so many of you did. it is america strong. in door county, wisconsin, the door county candle company. we first introduced you to them when the war in ukraine began. making blue and yellow candles to raise money for relief efforts. co-owner christiana, a third-generation ukrainian american. >> we all knew that we couldn't just keep feeling helpless and we had to do something. >> mom natalie, dad george, grandma luba pitching in, too. >> this is my baba. she's from ukraine and she's here and she's helping us label some bags for our store. >> hi, david, slava ukraini. >> glory to ukraine, she told us.

after our reports here, they tell us so many of you at home placing orders. 60,000 candles and counting. tonight, raising more than a half million dollars now, $525,000. and we learned that some viewers even called the candle company to join them in wisconsin. >> hi, david. i'm storm. >> storm russell seeing our report and headed to wisconsin from california. >> came in from half a continent away. thank you for just keeping on and keeping on. thank you. >> hi, david. >> and tonight, christiana with a message of gratitude. >> i want to say thank you to everyone who has supported ukraine and got a candle, because one candle at a time, we have been able to make a donation over half a million dollars and i find that to be so incredible. >> it is. americans traveling from other states for this. good night

home park had the chance to come home again. i am cornell barnard. >> the first bay area test to treat -- abc 7 news at 6:00 starts right now. >> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc 7 news. >> this is the poster child projects. >> it turns out the journey is not over for journeys and. good evening and thank you for joining us. question i, we revisit the neighborhood that suffers from the wildfires which rank among the most destructive and

deadliest in california history. the rest of the wildfires was the tubbs fire which swept through santa rosa, jumping highway 101 on that first terrifying october night. among the casualties a mobile home park named journeys and. ashes, all that was left of homes and lives. abc 7 news reported cornell barnard is live in santa rosa because this is building a better bay area. >> that is right. construction is happening. >> this is the former side of the journeys and mobile home park. this is where it once stood. residents are getting ready to come back. >> i love journeys end.