breaking news tonight. the major ruling in florida on abortion rights. florida's supreme court saying the state's six-week abortion ban can take effect in 30 days, but also ruling that voters should have the ultimate say by putting the abortion issue on the ballot in november. the growing national battle. also tonight the suv ramming a security gate at the fbi's atlanta field office.

the driver in custody. what we're learning. the spring storms and tornado threat across the country. and is april snow headed for new england? al roker is here. the significant progress in the race to reopen the port of baltimore after that massive bridge collapse. the temporary fix to get ships in and out. the major escalation in the middle east. iran accusing israel of striking its consulate in syria and killing two top generals. convicted double murderer alex murdaugh back in court, sentenced to 40 more years for stealing from his clients. why some of his victims say they forgive him. a lawyer for nfl star rashee rice says he's cooperating with police after reports his car was involved in a major crash. authorities asking for help i.d.-ing the man in this video. and he's young and driven. the gamer turned nascar star who just claimed his first major checkered flag. >> announcer: this is

nbc "nightly news" with lester holt. good evening and welcome. breaking tonight, a pair of closely watched abortion rulings late today by florida's supreme court. the conservative majority panel opening the door for a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. a point at which some women don't know they are pregnant. but in a separate ruling the court will leave it to florida voters to decide whether to restore abortion rights when they go to the polls in november. senior legal correspondent laura jarrett starts us off tonight. >> reporter: tonight florida's highest court paving the way for a strict abortion ban to go into effect, while also sending the issue back to the voters this november. the conservative court finding the state's constitution does not protect abortion rights, which will now allow florida to ban the procedure as early as six weeks into pregnancy, before many women know that they're pregnant. that law signed last year by republican

governor ron desantis, now set to go into effect in the next 30 days. >> we are here today to defend those who can't defend themselves. >> reporter: it's all likely to usher in a sea change not only in florida but throughout the south as the state has seen a surge in patients from surrounding states that have passed stricter bans since roe v. wade was overturned. but at the same time the court today also approving key language for a constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights after advocates gathered enough signatures for voters to decide the issue this november. >> i feel like women should not be told what to do. >> i don't think they should have abortion at all. >> reporter: if passed, it would guarantee the right to abortion before viability, which is usually around 24 weeks, or when necessary to protect the patient's health. >> and laura, it's not just florida that could have abortion on the ballot in november. >> reporter: that's right, lester. several different states are considering ballot measures like these. some they've already succeeded. the advocates have

succeeded getting them on the ballot. but in the meantime, in the short term, lester, this abortion ban, this six-week abortion ban is going to start in the next 30 days in florida. >> all right. laura, thanks very much. just developing tonight, a driver near atlanta ramming his car into the front gate of the fbi office there. blayne alexander reports he is in custody tonight. >> reporter: tonight, a major security scare at the fbi field office in atlanta when agents say a man driving this vehicle used it to try and force his way inside. >> we can confirm a person rammed into the fbi atlanta's front gate shortly after noon today. he was not associated with this facility. >> reporter: the fbi says the driver tried to get past the security checkpoint by following an employee's vehicle inside. but the security barrier engaged and the suspect crashed his car into it. officials say he then jumped out of the car and tried to run toward the building but only made it a few feet before being tackled. >> several of our special agents who

were passing by apprehended him. his motives at this point are not known. the suspect was taken to a local area hospital, where he's being evaluated. >> reporter: the suspect was never close to actually getting inside of the building, officials say, and note it's too early to tell whether this was a potential act of terror. tonight, fbi officials are not releasing the name of the suspect and say no weapons were found inside the car. and tonight officials are considering both state and federal charges. lester? >> blayne alexander, thank you. tens of millions are in the crosshairs of severe weather tonight and tomorrow in the midwest and south from the same storm that caused major flooding and surprisingly heavy snow in california over the weekend. al roker is tracking it for us. al, a dangerous situation brewing. >> in fact, lester, it is developing right now. a volatile situation. we have 8 million people under tornado watches from st. louis, kansas city down to oklahoma city and just north of dallas until late tonight.

and then we've also got, as you can see, this line of showers and thunderstorms moving into the midwest. flood watches for 16 million people. tonight we are really concerned about this area right in central oklahoma where we've got damaging hail, wind gusts, nocturnal tornadoes. these are twice as deadly as daytime tornadoes. fort smith, joplin, st. louis, poplar bluff, and then we move into tomorrow. the threat ramps up to 55 million people in the upper ohio river valley from columbus, nashville, chattanooga, birmingham. we're looking at rainfall amounts anywhere from two to three inches. and on the back side of this system, lester we've got a major snowstorm, blizzard conditions possible in parts of northern new england for up to 18 inches of snow. >> al roker, thank you. six days since baltimore's key bridge collapsed after being struck by a cargo ship there is progress in the urgent effort to reopen the port. officials saying crews have already opened a narrow channel to allow recovery vessels

to access the disaster site. aaron gilchrist is there. >> reporter: tonight authorities battling more bad weather in the urgent mission to get a portion of the baltimore port back open. today announcing a temporary channel now complete. >> it will help us to get more vessels in the water around the site of the collapse. >> reporter: we were out on the water with the coast guard late today. with this temporary shipping channel now open, we're seeing one of the first ships to go through off in the distance here. a barge being pushed by a tugboat. the operation in full swing six days after the francis scott key bridge collapsed when a container ship struck one of its pillars. we know crews were out this weekend with cutting torches slicing these pieces of metal. you're looking at now some of the first pieces that were cut and they're waiting to be removed. the new 11-foot-deep temporary shipping lane expected to allow only vessels essential to salvage operations. more than 370 engineers, technicians, logistics experts and others working around the clock. the plan, clear the bridge wreckage from the channel, stabilize the "dali," remove the bridge span from its

bow and eventually remove some cargo containers so the massive ship can be refloated and brought back to port. all of this expected to take weeks at least. >> we're going to move as rapidly as possible, but we're going to continue to do it safely. >> reporter: every day the port remains closed to have a major impact on both the supply chain and the 8,000 jobs that directly depend on this busy waterway being open. 140,000 workers have some connection to this shipping hub. >> it stung seeing it come down. >> reporter: chris elliott is a longshoreman, the folks who handle all the products moving from ship to shore at the port. since the bridge collapse chris has been in limbo. >> the uncertainty has to be hard, though. >> yeah, it is. every day you're thinking about the future and the uncertainty. you know, you lose some sleep over it. got bills to pay. >> reporter: tonight we're also learning the owner of the container ship petitioned the court to limit its liability for this accident. and president biden plans to visit the wreckage on friday. lester? >> all right, aaron, thank you.

in south carolina a new sentence for alex murdaugh today for federal financial crimes. priya sclidar joins us. priya, this comes on top of multiple state sentences including for the murder of his wife and son. >> that's right, lester. today murdaugh was sentenced to 40 years in prison and $8 million in restitution for stealing millions from his family law firm's personal injury clients. this is in addition to the two life sentences without parole he's already serving for killing his wife and son and 27 years in state prison for similar financial crimes. murdaugh appeared in court today in an orange jumpsuit and shackles and addressed the judge for 13 minutes. he said he's remorseful and embarrassed about what he did and that he thinks about his victims every day. two of his victims also appeared in court today and said they forgive him. lester? >> priya sridhar, thank you. tonight a lawyer for nfl player rashee rice said he is cooperating as authorities investigate a

six-vehicle crash in dallas that may have involved one of his cars. priscilla thompson now with late details. >> reporter: for the first time since this terrifying crash kansas city chiefs wide receiver rashee rice is responding amid reports that his car may have been involved. his attorney writing in a statement that rice is cooperating fully with authorities and will take all necessary steps to address this situation responsibly, adding his thoughts are with everyone impacted. the response comes 48 hours after this six-car crash caused, police say, by this lamborghini and corvette speeding down the expressway. >> major accident on the freeway at the 6700 block of north central expressway northbound. >> reporter: dramatic dashcam video shows the moment police say the drivers lost control, one car slamming into the center median as the other appears to spin out. kayla quinn says she and her 4-year-old son were headed home after a day at the zoo when they were among those

hit. "this could have ended way worse," she wrote on social media. "both cars hitting me yet me and my baby walked out untouched." police say all injuries were minor and the occupants of the lamborghini and the corvette all ran from the scene. moments after the crash a bystander captured this video. >> you guys all right? >> yeah. my chest. >> where are you guys heading? you guys all right? >> yeah. >> you guys just going to leave it? >> reporter: tonight the nfl not commenting. but the chiefs president telling kcml talk radio this. >> we'll get to the bottom of it. we'll gather the facts. and then we'll react accordingly. >> reporter: dallas police are not saying if rice was involved in the actual crash, and they're asking for the public's help in identifying the men in the video. lester? >> priscilla thompson, thank you. in the middle east iran is claiming tonight that an israeli air strike in syria killed some of its senior commanders at an iranian diplomatic building in damascus. raf sanchez has more.

>> reporter: tonight the fiery aftermath of what appears to be a targeted strike in syria. smoke and flames bill logue from an iranian diplomatic building in damascus. debris scattered on the street. iran says the blast killed two generals and five officers from its revolutionary guard, and it's blaming israel and vowing revenge. israel not commenting. iran is a primary backer of both hezbollah and hamas. as fears grow of a widening conflict outside gaza, where today israel announced the end of what it calls a two-week counterterror raid on al shifa hospital, leaving behind a trail of destruction. israel says hamas used the hospital as a base and that israeli commandos killed 200 militants and captured senior hamas operatives. the u.s. saying hamas is hiding among civilians. >> hamas should not -- should not be operating out of hospitals. but as we've also

said, we do not want firefights in a hospital. >> reporter: the world health organization says at least 21 patients died during the israeli siege. and gaza's hamas-run health ministry said they found bodies of civilians decomposing in the dirt. among them dr. ahmed maqadmeh according to his family and palestinian media. a dedicated surgeon, his colleagues said he refused to leave his patients behind. >> he opted to stay in northern gaza in shifa and ali to look after his patients. >> reporter: and officials saying an iranian-made drone hit an israeli naval base. there were no casualties but israel calling it a very serious incident. lester? >> raf sanchez, thank you. in 60 seconds the $20 an hour pay hike for fast food workers in california. but what will the impact be on meal prices? next. ♪ ♪ i got the power of 3. i lowered my a1c, cv risk, and lost some weight.

in studies, the majority of people reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. i'm under 7. ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack, or death in adults also with known heart disease. i'm lowering my risk. adults lost up to 14 pounds. i lost some weight. ozempic® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't share needles or pens, or reuse needles. don't take ozempic® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. gallbladder problems may occur. tell your provider about vision problems or changes. taking ozempic® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase low blood sugar risk. side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. living with type 2 diabetes? ask about the power of 3 with ozempic®. more than 500,000 fast food workers got

a raise today to $20 an hour as a new look took effect in california. it's meant to offset the high cost of living, but it may also means you'll pay more for your burger. here's liz kreutz. >> something is better than nothing. >> reporter: for three years anisha williams has worked at jack in the box, struggling to make ends meet as a single mom in high-priced los angeles. >> they need to know that their workers are struggling. some workers are homeless. >> reporter: that's why today marks a moment she's been waiting for. anisha is among hundreds of thousands of fast food workers across california getting a raise. >> we need this. we need this so bad. >> reporter: after years of protest restaurant chains with more than 60 locations nationwide must now pay their california employees at least $20 an hour. it's one of the highest minimum wages in the country and the first time state lawmakers have mandated a minimum wage for just one industry. supporters say it's time for the billion-dollar corporations to pay a living wage. >> how's it going?

>> reporter: but many franchise owners like jessica diambra, who runs 11 mcdonald's across l.a., says the law puts an unfair strain on their businesses already operating on slim margins. >> do you feel targeted that it's specifically for fast food? >> yes. and i think people just don't realize, they see this big mcdonald brand and just think oh, they've got all the money in the world, and it's just that's not at all how it is. >> reporter: mcdonald's, chipotle and starbucks already saying they plan to raise prices to offset the rising labor costs. pizza hut pre-emptively laid off 1,200 delivery drivers like michael ojeda. >> i was very frustrated. a lot of us got our jobs taken from us. >> reporter: he was let go after eight years. >> what's the point of the raise if you don't have a job anymore? >> reporter: experts say the law may also lead to shorter hours and expedite the push to automation, replacing people with technology. >> economists often say there's no such thing as a free lunch. does that apply here? >> it really applies here. but we forget that somebody's paying for it somewhere. >> reporter: but for

anisha as the cost of living rises she says a few extra dollars goes a long way. >> i'm praying that this $20 will actually do something for me and my children. >> reporter: liz kreutz, nbc news, los angeles. up next for us tonight, colleges' warnings over financial aid chaos. could it impact thousands of students' ability to go to college in the fall? to seves or crohn's disease... put it in check with rinvoq... a once—daily pill. when symptoms tried to take control, i got rapid relief... and reduced fatigue with rinvoq. check. when flares kept trying to slow me down... i got lasting steroid—free remission... with rinvoq. check. and when my doctor saw damage,... rinvoq helped visibly reduce damage of the intestinal lining. check. for both uc and crohn's: rapid symptom relief... lasting steroid—free remission... and visibly reduced damage. check. check. and check. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tb. serious infections and blood clots, some fatal;

cancers, including lymphoma and skin; heart attack, stroke, and gi tears occurred. people 50 and older with a heart disease risk factor have an increased risk of death. serious allergic reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you are or may become pregnant. put uc and crohn's in check... and keep them there with rinvoq. ask your gastroenterologist about rinvoq and learn how abbvie can help you save. personalized financial advice from ameriprise can do more than help you reach your goals. -you can make this work. -we can make this work. it can help you reach them with confidence. no wonder more than 9 out of 10 of our clients are likely to recommend us. ameriprise financial. advice worth talking about. choose advil liqui-gels for faster, stronger and longer-lasting relief than tylenol rapid release gels because advil targets pain at the source of inflammation. so for faster pain relief, advil the pain away. always dry scoop before you run. listen to me, the hot dog diet got me shredded.

it's time we listen to science. one a day is formulated with key nutrients to support whole body health. one a day. science that matters. (ethan) i remember seeing the menthol cigarette ads talking about how they were fresh and soothing. here's my tip. smoking any type of cigarette can cause a stroke. and there's nothing soothing about that. (announcer) you can quit. for free help, call 1-800-quit-now. you can feel it when your dream becomes a pursuit. and with vitiligo, the pursuit for your pigment is no exception. it's time you had a proven choice to help restore what's yours. opzelura is the first and only fda-approved prescription treatment for nonsegmental vitiligo proven to help repigment skin over time. restoring what's yours. it's possible with a steroid-free cream that you can apply yourself. opzelura can lower your ability to fight infections including tb or hepatitis b or c. serious lung infections, skin cancer, blood clots,

and low blood cell counts occurred with opzelura. in people taking jak inhibitors, serious infections, increased risk of death, lymphoma, other cancers, and major cardiovascular events have occurred. the most common side effects were acne and itching where applied. repigmentation is possible. ask your dermatologist today about starting or refilling opzelura. pursue it. we're back now with our series "kids

under pressure." we first told you last month about glitches causing chaos in college financial aid approvals. now universities are sounding the alarm that they can't process it all in time. here's stephanie gosk. >> reporter: choosing a college is hard enough. but as the enrollment deadline draws near, some students still don't know if they will get the financial aid they need to pay for school. frustrating virginia high schooler kate tunstall. >> how many schools accepted you? >> five or six. >> how many of them have told you whether or not they will offer financial aid? >> none of them. >> reporter: issues with the federal government's new financial aid form fafsa keep mounting. >> students who don't have offers, they likely will choose to not go to college in the fall, and that will be a tragedy for them and a tragedy for the nation. >> reporter: according to a recent survey of college officials, 67% don't think their school can process

financial aid in the next few weeks. >> low-income students are already facing a number of challenges to get a higher education, and aren't they the ones who are hurt the most by this? >> they are definitely the ones who are hurt the most. the irony is this was a system that was aimed at making it easier. >> reporter: the new financial aid form mandated by congress expanded eligibility and streamlined questions from 103 to about 20. but there was a late rollout and lots of glitches. >> there's no question that the transition here has been rocky and it's been challenging, not just for us but for students and for colleges. >> reporter: facing delays, dozens of colleges have pushed back the may 1st enrollment deadline. the d.o.e. has also made multiple changes, including adding department employees to deal with the issues and loosening requirements for schools. >> people are working seven days a week here, long nights, to make sure that it's going to be possible for people to get their aid offers. >> reporter: meanwhile, the tunstalls wait.

>> if we're not able to know if we can pay for the college, it's a pretty big deal. >> reporter: like many students what she doesn't want along with the college diploma is a mountain of debt. stephanie gosk, nbc news. and next tonight, how playing video games as a kid propelled him right into the fast lane of nascar and his first big win. a super thin, flexh with maximum otc strength lidocaine that contours to the body to relieve pain right where it hurts. and did we mention, it really, really sticks? salonpas, it's good medicine. nice to meet ya. my name is david. i've been a pharmacist for 44 years. when i have customers come in and ask for something for memory, i recommend prevagen. number one, because it's effective. does not require a prescription. and i've been taking it quite a while myself and i know it works. and i love it when the customers come back in and tell me, "david, that really works so good for me." makes my day. prevagen. at stores everywhere without a prescription.

♪♪ stay ahead of your child's moderate—to—severe eczema, and they can show off clearer skin and less itch with dupixent. the number one prescribed biologic by dermatologists and allergists, that helps heal your child's skin from within. serious allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems such as eye pain or vision changes, including blurred vision, joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines without talking to your doctor. ask your child's eczema specialist about dupixent. [cars honking] i'm a guy who lost a bet. and my dignity. get out of the way! as if watching my team lose wasn't punishment enough. what are you looking at huh... it's a one speed. hahaha. hahaha. and if you have cut rate car insurance, odds are you'll be paying for that yourself. so, get allstate and be better protected from mayhem... like me. hey, i'm walking here!

♪ i have type 2 diabetes, but i manage it well ♪ ♪ jardiance! ♪ ♪ it's a little pill with a big story to tell ♪ ♪ i take once-daily jardiance ♪ ♪ at each day's start! ♪ ♪ as time went on it was easy to see ♪ ♪ i'm lowering my a1c! ♪ jardiance works twenty-four seven in your body to flush out some sugar. and for adults with type 2 diabetes and known heart disease, jardiance can lower the risk of cardiovascular death, too. serious side effects may include ketoacidosis that may be fatal, dehydration that can lead to sudden worsening of kidney function, and genital yeast or urinary tract infections. a rare, life-threatening bacterial infection in the skin of the perineum could occur. stop jardiance and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of this infection ketoacidosis, or an allergic reaction. you may have an increased risk for lower limb loss. call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of infection in your legs or feet. taking jardiance with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. ♪ jardiance is really swell ♪ ♪ the little pill ♪ ♪ with a big story to tell! ♪

[tense music] one aleve works all day so i can keep working my magic. just one aleve. 12 hours of uninterrupted pain relief. aleve. who do you take it for? ...and for fast topical pain relief,try alevex. sad news tonight about a world war ii hero. lou conter, the last living survivor from

the "uss arizona," has died at the age of 102. the "arizona" was bombed. it sank during the japanese attack on pearl harbor in 1941. more than 1,000 american sailors and marines were on board and were killed. and finally, he went from playing video games to driving in nascar. and at the age of 21 he's just getting started. sam brock now with his story. >> reporter: for fans of 21-year-old rajah caruth -- >> there it is! rajah caruth wins it in las vegas! first career win. >> reporter: his accomplishments might seem to be flying in at breakneck speed. >> are you telling me -- because you're 21 now, right? only four years ago was your first race? >> yeah. coming on five. it will be five in june. and so to be at this level i feel pretty proud so far. >> reporter: the number 71 truck for spire motor sports. caruth just became the third black driver in nascar's history to win a national series race after wendell

scott and bubba wallace. did you see that as part of your mission? >> the passion was the main thing, and it still is, right? it's authentic to my background and who i am and my family. but at the same time, you know, i'm here to be a racer. >> reporter: video games as a kid -- >> so you even have like tire pressure in there? >> oh, yeah. you can see all that stuff. >> reporter: and i-simulator machines as a teen serving as a springboard straight to nascar's drive for diversity program here in north carolina, following in the footsteps of drivers like wallace and daniel suarez. >> well, for me it was literally the sole reason why i was able to make the jump from racing online to in real life. >> reporter: and critical support coming from his family. >> going through the cadence of any driver and any parent that wants to support a child doing something. but as far as it being a very unique thing, that's a difference. right? >> do you think rajah's accomplishments are opening the door for other people to come on through? >> yeah, absolutely. >> reporter: now with a full garage. >> i appreciate their work. >> reporter: caruth an inspiration. >> last year was the dream. and now the dream is

reality. so it's really cool. >> reporter: and success story. that's only beginning to rev up. sam brock, nbc news, moorsville, north carolina. >> and that's "nightly news" for this monday. thank you for watching. i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night.

reaching new heights. the real estate market is heating up. the latest numbers showing how difficult it is to make it in the bay. good afternoon. welcome to nbc bay area news at 4:30.