warning china's president xi there will be consequences if china provides materiel support to russia what happened on their high-stakes call also tonight, tracking severe storms on the move. powerful winds, damaging mobile homes in the southeast in texas, explosive wildfires forcing evacuations. a deputy killed trying to rescue victims. plus, moderna going farther than pfizer, asking the fda to okay a fourth covid shot for all adults as the omicron subvariant spreads in the u.s the consumer alert for the millions burdened by medical debt and underdogs. pulling off a march madness upset for the ages >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt >> good evening. i'm shepard smith in for lester tonight, a violent reminder that nowhere

in ukraine is safe the russians extending their assault west to lviv near the border with poland. it's a city overrun with people fleeing from the east of ukraine. in the south, officials say hundreds remain trapped in the rubble of that theater bombed in the port city of mariupol the united nations now estimates 6.5 million ukrainians are displaced from their homes. that's on top of the more than 3 million who have already fled to neighboring countries. and still defiance and protest on display the empty strollers set up in a town square to represent each of the 109 children that ukraine says have been killed since the invasion began. we begin with chief foreign correspondent richard engel reporting from kyiv. and a warning, some of these images are disturbing >> reporter: with its military advance stalled, it seems that russia is increasingly targeting civilians. a missile exploded here in kyiv around

8:00 a.m. this morning. ilitary targets anywhere in sight. apartme a kindergarten an elementary school and a grocery. an entire community devastated in a split second attacking apartment complexes like this is a terror campaign to frighten ukrainians into surrendering. but it's not working, and all the damage here and across this country is only convincing ukrainians of the need to fight even harder or lose everything in front of her building, natalia was having a first cup of coffee when suddenly her window exploded into shards. "everything started crumbling. i felt the shockwave, and i fell on the floor," she says but even covered in iodine for all the cuts, she's optimistic "our wonderful boys and girls are fighting, and we will win. our enemies, those damned occupiers, say we have some nazism here i don't understand

what's happening in those brains of theirs." >> this my mother's, this my father >> reporter: nearby, eugenia was salvaging what she could, from her apartment especially photos. eugenia visited a neighbor who was grateful to be checked in on. it's okay, eugenia tells her. just promise me on our victory night you'll drink champagne with me but in russia, vladimir putin is determined for that toast to never happen. in a mass stadium rally today, bristling with russian flags, he praised the troops on the anniversary of the annexation of crimea from ukraine eight years ago and said this war is going to plan as russia attacked new locations today, including an aircraft repair facility outside lviv near the polish border. lviv has been a relative safe haven, a transit point for millions of exiting refugees activists in the city lined up 109 empty strollers for the 109 children ukraine says russia has killed so far.

in a war that has also now claimed american jimmy hill from minnesota. he was in ukraine to be with his partner who has a chronic medical condition. >> jimmy was a friend to everyone, but he had a love for irini that they were a bond. and if you can find that, you are so fortunate. >> reporter: the fates of many other civilians remain unclear in the devastated city of mariupol new video shows body after body laid out on the ground some marked with makeshift crosses. it's the same city where this week russia bombed a theater, even though there were signs outside in russian that it was full of children ukrainian officials say 130 people have been rescued from a shelter beneath the theater but that hundreds still remain trapped. >> richard joins us

now from kyiv. richard, you've been in ukraine for two months what are officials you're speaking with expecting to come next from putin >> reporter: president zelenskyy is obviously very worried, which is why every day he's asking for more weapons and a no-fly zone, and multiple u.s. military officials tell me that they are deeply worried that putin, cornered, could try and escalate his way out of this, potentially even using chemical or biological weapons. shep >> richard engel reporting from kyiv. president biden warned the chinese president xi today, do not help russia. no military might and no money kristen welker is at the white house with more on that and some breaking news. kristen? >> shep, good evening. that's right nbc news has learned an american marine osprey carrying four service members went down in northern norway it was a part of a nato exercise, and the cause is still under investigation. that news comes on the heels of that high-stakes call between president biden and his chinese

counterpart. >> reporter: in a critical test, president biden held a nearly two-hour video call with chinese president xi jinping, warning there would be consequences if china provides materiel support to russia in its invasion of ukraine, according to the white house. >> china has to make a decision for themselves about where they want to stand >> reporter: the backdrop to the call tense after u.s. officials accused russia of asking china for military and economic aid something both countries deny the secretary of state added to the urgency thursday with this >> we're concerned that they are considering directly assisting russia with military equipment to use in ukraine >> reporter: in an apparent attempt to downplay concerns, china in its readout of the call said president xi told mr. biden the ukraine crisis is something that we don't want to see, adding conflict and confrontation are not in anyone's interest but china still has not condemned the invasion >> we'll continue to watch until we see what actions they take

or don't take. >> reporter: meanwhile, russia called a u.n. security council meeting today to present claims of u.s. biological weapons labs in ukraine. the u.s. ambassador to the u.n. called that a bizarre conspiracy theory, blasting her russian counterpart's assertions >> president biden has a word for this kind of talk. malarkey >> reporter: but vladimir putin putting on a defiant show, holding a rally in moscow where he quoted a bible verse. saying, greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends the white house dismissing the event as a misinformation and propaganda rally kristen welker, nbc news, the white house. the defiance we've seen in ukraine is leading to growing concern that the russians may use a new tactic to keep control of cities they capture. they might kidnap mayors here's gabe gutierrez. >> re ravagee cities, ttacks ukrainian and u.s.

officials say pus playbook will likely increasingly include the systematic kidnapping of local leaders. >> this is a terror tactic grab local officials, depose local governments, put proxies in their place. >> reporter: ukrainian authorities say at least four mayors have already been captured. one has been released, they say, as part of a prisoner swap. he's the mayor of melitopol, southern ukraine, who officials say was whisked out of city hall ing a bag over his h s subseqelease and use of an expletive duri celebratory phone call maresident zelenskyy crack a smile. [ speaking foreign language ] >> reporter: but fear is spreading today this refugee told us the mayor of her city in southern ukraine was in hiding in another town about 75 miles from kyiv. the mayor is now surrounded by armed guards many ukrainian leaders defiant. today we spoke with lviv's mayor just hours after a russian

air strike blew up a repair facility near the airport. >> the mayor has to be together with his community whatever >> repr: the kremlin hat commented on the kidnappings. this is etially what the soviets did in easurope during the cold war, ast ger. in czechvakia. in the othersaw pact natio and what i'm suggesting is it won't work in ukraine. >> reporter: how russian forces handle the cities already under their control could provide clues to putin's game for this invasion. clearly, tkrainian resistance has not made it easy shep >> gabe, thanks. there's another problem growing more acute tonight in ukraine. finding enough food. jacob soboroff reports. >> reporter: the situation here is desperate. millions of ukrainians without a place to live and increasingly without food to eat. irina fled from sumy

she says the only food there is bread and even that's rare the conditions especially dire in mariupol aid workers have called it apocalyptic. food is quickly running out, and humanitarian convoys haven't been allowed in "it is cruel," this woman says "my child is hungry. i don't know what to give him to eat. getting supplies to ukraine's bombed out cities is growing more dangerous by the day this massive warehouse in kyiv used to hold 50,000 tons of food. it was hit not once, but twice. we find a different reality in lviv where food is still sold on the street, for now. president zelenskyy has encouraged you all, food producers, not to stop. don't stop producing your food. will you do that maria tells me, "if we're alive, we're healthy, we'll continue doing this. if the food supply chain in ukraine is further disrupted or markets like this continue to be attacked, things are going to look a lot different. hundreds of thousands have sought refuge in this city. what's in here >> these are hot meals. >> reporter: world

central kitchen is trying to feed as many of them as possible. >> we've got this incredible network of chefs and restaurants and delivery drivers >> reporter: these friends fled irpin what about to have a hot meal like this every day? "of course we're so happy," she says "in our city, there's no gas no water nothing. today a cloud of smoke rose from behind another world central kitchen warehouse in lviv, the aftermath of a russian strike nearby it didn't stop the work of feeding the hungry jacob soboroff, nbc news, lviv back home, severe storms are causing destruction in the south, and in texas, a deputy killed while trying to rescue wildfire victims late details tonight from morgan chesky >> reporter: tonight, dangerous weather wreaking havoc across the country. >> it happened so fast everything just like for a split second it just went black. >> reporter: in south alabama, the town of atmore left reeling after a possible tornado struck,

leaving at least three people injured >> that was the most scariest experience. i heard my baby hollering. she said, mama, mama i felt like i couldn't get to her fast enough >> reporter: the high wind shredding homes, tearing one mobile home park to pieces, where some residents only had seconds to find shelter the danger stretching to the florida panhandle where sheets of blinding rain had yet another possible tornado that tossed trees into homes tonight, nearly 11 million people remain at risk for severe weather stretching from ohio to tennessee and south to the gulf coast. meanwhile, in texas, high winds making for a desperate fight to contain a fast-moving wildfire hundreds evacuating about two hours west of dallas. the small town of ranger devastated. >> i've been a fire chief here 40 years. when you have something like this, it hurts it hurts the whole community. >> reporter: tonight, the fire taking a deadly turn. authorities sharing that deputy barbara fenley was killed after she ran back

into the smoke to check on an elderly resident a neighboring department paying tribute writing, we will kneel in prayer for her family, friends, and colleagues as they mourn. with just 4% of the texas fire contained, the battle far from over morgan chesky, nbc news in just 60 seconds, medical debt. the big change that could improve the financial health of millions

drugmaker moderna is requesting fda emergency authorization for a second booster shot for all adults iting wa proton by contrast, pfizer's those 65 and older. it comes as covid cases plunge, while fears about the subvariant grow. and a consumer alert tonight for the millions of americans feeling the burden of medical debt a move by the big three credit ratings that could have a major impact on your credit score

tom costello now with the price you pay. >> reporter: it's a major development for the 20% of american households that struggle with medical debt equifax, experian, and transunion say they will wipe out nearly 70% of that debt on credit reports if it's been paid off. new medical debt won't be added to credit reports until a year after it's been given to collection agencies rather than six months debt under $500 won't be added at all. relief for people like cheryl montgomery who thousr hospital bills but collectors kept co >> medit score tanked 60 points as a result ois that's prett substantial it come things li inst rates >> rr: 43 millioericans have medical debt, potentially affecting their credit ss and ity to g car loan, buy a new w job. >> we'reried that cr reporting stem has beeed as al of cion medicalls thaye to pay

not even owe >> reporter: insured and uninsured americans incurred even more medical debt during the pandemic. in a joint statement, the credit rating agencies say after two years of the covid-19 pandemic, we're making changes to help people to focus on their personal well-being and recovery financial advisers recommend people with debt negotiate directly with the doctor or hospital who may offer much more affordable payment plans, rather than using a credit card with a steep interest rate shep >> tom, thanks she swam into college sports history. next, lia thomas' message to her critics.

history and controversy in college sports tonight as swimmer lia thomas becomes the first transgender division i champion in any sport. critics claim she had an unfair advantage. blayne alexander reports. >> looks like thomas is going to win. >> reporter: lia thomas swimming into the history books. >> thomas wins the ncaa championship. >> reporter: becoming the first openly transgender d1 athlete to win an ncaa national title >> it means the world to be here >> reporter: tonight, she's back in the pool and facing a wave of scrutiny a upenn standout, thomas spent three seasons competing on the school's men's team but after completing 34 months of hormone replacement therapy, surpassing the ncaa requirement, she's now competing on the women's team.

>> fair sport for women and girls! >> reporter: touching off a firestorm at the intersection of sports and gender identity. there have been months of petitions and open letters from teammates, parents, former swimmers, and more some supporting thomas' right to compete with women others concerned she has an unfair physical advantage. >> it is not about transphobia or not wanting somebody to be transgender. this is about, how do we have the girls and women's category that is designed for half a population to be able to win, to be able to succeed. >> reporter: but swimmer erica sullivan who won silver in tokyo says thomas is being unfairly targeted she came in third to thomas thursday night, and in a "newsweek" op-ed published hours after that race sullivan writes, women's sports are stronger when all women, including transwomen, are protected from discrimination and free to be their true selves and for thomas -- >> i try to ignore it as much as i can i try to focus on my

swimming >> reporter: and she's back in the pool tomorrow morning in her final event, the 100-yard freestyle shepard? > in indialis, we a tastetrue marcdness. the peacocks of tiny st. peter's university in jersey city, new jersey, pulled off a huge upset of mighty kentucky, a number 2 seed the peacocks beat the wildcats 85-79 in o.t. brackets busted everywhere at home, their fans went wild. st. peter's faces murray state tomorrow. next, in one community's darkest moments, he came to the rescue now they are repaying the favor and "inspiring america."

finally tonight, courage after a devastating tornado and how one man's heroic actions helped him get a second chance at life kristen dahlgren with tonight's "inspiring america. >> reporter: when a massive tornado leveled parts of mayfield, kentucky, last december, the difference between life and death came from an unexpected savior marco sanchez was an inmate at the graves county jail on work release at the town's candle factory when the tornado slammed the roof down on everyone inside. >> i honestly thought that the world had ended at that moment >> reporter: he was trapped. his foot shattered somehow he got free, but instead of escaping the danger, he went back in. >> there was more

people that were trapped in there >> reporter: his first rescue, a woman. >> she was crying. she didn't have shoes on so i took my shoes i put them on her. i told her, i'm here to save you. >> reporter: marco saved three more that night. actions that caught the eye of first responders >> there are people that would not be alive right now. >> reporter: after meeting marco, sheriff john hayden spoke with the judge. they wanted to let marco out early from his 18-month sentence on charges related to stealing a cell phone. marco said, no >> i wanted to be fully responsible for what i did >> reporter: and so, this month, he officially finished his time the once homeless inmate now welcomed into a grateful community. >> oh my god, you guys >> reporter: someone gave him a car, job offers poured in, and new friends have promised to have his back >> we need to encourage people when they're down we're all human. we all make mistakes >> reporter: a second

chance for the former inmate and the community reminded that heroes are not always who you'd expect kristen dahlgren, nbc news that's "nightly news" for this friday. a reminder, hope you'll join us for "the news with shepard smith" weeknights, 7:00 eastern, cnbc thanks for watching. for all of us here, ♪♪ don't tell me the reason that you're calling ♪

♪ is to see if i'm alright since you've been gone ♪ ♪ 'cause i know you and i know why we're talking ♪ ♪ you're wanting me to say i'm barely hanging on ♪ ♪ well maybe that was true for a night or two ♪ ♪ but now i got better things to do ♪ ♪ i could wash my car in the rain ♪ ♪ change my new guitar strings ♪ ♪ mow the yard just the same as i did yesterday ♪ ♪ i don't need to waste my time crying over you ♪ ♪ i got better things to do ♪ ♪ check the air in my tires ♪ ♪ straighten my stereo wires ♪

♪ count the stars in the sky or just get on with my life ♪ ♪ i don't need to waste my time crying over you ♪ ♪ i got better things to do ♪ ♪ i got better things to do ♪ [cheers and applause] >> kelly: welcome to "the kelly clarkson show." give it up for my band, b5. hi. that was "better things to do" by canadian country singer terry

clark. i love her. i grew up on her. they requested that one. what do you love about that on? >> t amazing. you are a real treat -- >> kelly: that is quite a compliment. speak of the song resonates with me so much. as a child, especially growing up, the kitchen parties and having bonfires in the woods and getting the guitars and singing to it, that song was always played. it's such a mood. i might've put a towel over my head and danced singing "better things to do" in the rain and that's probably how my found out i was gay. >> kelly: were amazingly fun. >> but i love that song so much. thank you so much for singing it. you are amazing. thank you so, so much. >> kelly: thank you so much. you are in for a real good time

today everybody. she fluent -- and "judas and the black messiah." now in the new series "the last days of ptolemy gray." dominique fishback is here. and then we are going to be that show making sure las on house community has clean clothes. such a cool story. two amazing people coming together to help people. plus we have a performance with four time grammy winning group for king & country. everybody looking real cool in their photos today. but first, fresh out of st. patrick's day, we have one of our favorite irishman here. nominated for a stag award and golden globe award for his work in the oscar-nominated film "build back this year." now back with a show called "the taurus." already received high praise and readings in the u.k. no available on hbo.

say hello to jamie dornan. [cheers and applause] ♪ ♪ >> kelly: people are coming and hugging now and i'm like are we allowed to hug? is over? >> jamie: i think because i'm back and forth to the u.k. we are ahead. kind of in the future. >> kelly: always feel like a drink when people come on and i'm like here is my elbow. if you like a tool, men. >> jamie: but nobody is tested more enough. >> kelly: near here november you did something in her dressing room that i found out about later so we have a tape. let's see this. >> ♪♪ why are there so many songs about rainbows? ♪ ♪ rainbows are visions and only

allusions ♪ ♪ rainbows have nothing to hide ♪ [cheers and applause] >> kel so there is two things. one, and amazing kermit the frog impression. two, i am a human i guess that missed that song in childhood because somebody did on "the boys" and the other coaches were like how did you not know this song and i missed this song somehow. and it's a huge song. i missed it. >> jamie: wrote like all the songs for the carpenters. all the music for them. >> kelly: it sounds like that lied. >> jamie: but my favorite version of it, i'm obsessed with this youtube clip. debbie harriet singing it on "sesame street" back in the '70s. it's incredible. really incredible. she looks amazing singing it. it's amazing. >> kelly: i love that. it was so funny you said that. i might literally the only human that missed it as a child? i don't know how.

can you do any other impressions? are you good impressionist? >> jamie: no. >> kelly: me neither. do you get frightened and interviews? they're like can you act? and i'm like now. i'm not meryl streep. i am a singer. like, what? >> jamie: i am an actor. i meant to be able to do it. i can do it straight away -- >> kelly: if somebody does that i can do it. >> jamie: unless i'm doing it for a job and had months to prepare. but i can just jump into it like some people can. >> kelly: to me, go such a thick accent so i'm like that must be to try and lose. i have a thick accent. >> jamie: the last couple of things i've done i kept using my own accent. >> kelly: it is a cool accent. you should just use it all the time. you have a very musical household. your wife is a composer. i remember you telling me that. do you all saying, is a very musical? >> jamie: i think i sing too mu