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NBC News - The Nightly News
 
By Dan Donahue, NBC Nightly News
Good Monday afternoon. Ukraine’s president says tens of thousands of civilians have been killed in Mariupol, a major U.S. city is reinstating its indoor mask mandate as Covid cases rise, and parts of the U.S. could be slammed by a historic spring blizzard.
Here is what’s in our Nightly Rundown.
 

Ukraine braces for major Russian assault in the east

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned today that Russia is deploying troops to “prepare for new attacks” in the country’s east.
Satellite images appear to show an 8-mile-long convoy of Russian military vehicles moving toward Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, according to Maxar, a commercial firm that works with the U.S. government.
In the southeastern port city of Mariupol, Zelenskyy said tens of thousands of people had likely been killed after weeks of relentless attacks by Russia.
Mariupol’s mayor said today that 10,000 civilians have died in the Russian siege, and that the death toll could surpass 20,000.
With the war poised to enter a bloody new phase, Russia has now appointed Gen. Alexander Dvornikov to take over operations in Ukraine, a U.S. official and a Western official confirmed.
Dvornikov is known as the “butcher of Syria” after overseeing Russia’s brutal intervention in that country’s civil war, according to retired Adm. James Stavridis.
In Russia today, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer became the first EU leader to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in person since the war began.
Their discussion was “very direct, open and tough” and it was “not a friendly visit,” according to a statement from Nehammer’s office.
Russian forces focus on eastern Ukraine as Putin appoints new general to oversee invasion
Russian forces focus on eastern Ukraine as Putin appoints new general to oversee invasion
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Philadelphia reinstates indoor mask mandate as Covid cases rise

Philadelphia is bringing back its indoor mask mandate for public places, schools and day cares, beginning next Monday, April 18, city health officials announced today.
And the federal travel mask mandate for planes, trains, buses, airports and transit that’s set to expire on April 18 could be extended, Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House's new Covid czar, told the “TODAY” show.
Several major cities like Philadelphia, New York, and Washington, D.C., have seen a jump in Covid cases recently.
And at least 24 states have seen an increase over the last two weeks, fueled by the highly transmissible Omicron BA.2 subvariant.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib is the latest lawmaker to announce she has tested positive, part of a mini-wave of new cases in the nation’s capital.
And New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced on Sunday he has also tested positive.
Adams is among at least 72 people to test positive after attending the Gridiron Dinner in Washington on April 2.
 

Historic blizzard and severe storms threaten millions

For the fourth week in a row, tens of millions are at risk of severe weather across the country.
Today 13 million people are under the risk for severe storms across the Southern Plains to Tennessee River Valley, with the potential for very large hail, strong winds, and some tornadoes.
On Tuesday, 39 million are at risk along a 1,000-mile stretch from southern Minnesota to the Gulf Coast. Very large hail and a few strong tornadoes are the greatest risks.
By Wednesday, 62 million will be in the risk zone from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast, with the threat of strong tornadoes, very large hail and damaging winds.
A powerful snowstorm is expected to develop on the northern side of the system, capable of producing up to two feet of snow and wind gusts to 50mph.
Blizzard warnings are up for portions of Montana and the Dakotas.
 

Biden unveils new crackdown on “ghost guns”

President Joe Biden announced a new rule today to reign in so-called “ghost guns” amid the nation’s rise in gun violence and crime.
Ghost guns can be 3-D printed at home, or assembled from kits bought online, and are often untraceable.
The Justice Department is making it illegal for a business to manufacture those kits without a serial number, and prohibiting licensed dealers from selling them without a background check, Biden said at the White House.
“It's going to help save lives, reduce crime, and get more criminals off the streets,” Biden said.
Last week, a ghost gun was used in a shooting that killed a 16-year-old honor student in New York City, police said.
Biden also announce he’s nominating Steve Dettelbach, a former U.S. attorney from Ohio, to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, after the White House withdrew its last nominee in September amid Republican opposition.
Biden to nominate Steve Dettelbach to serve as ATF director
Biden to nominate Steve Dettelbach to serve as ATF director
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