right now on "america this morning," confusion at the airport after a judge strikes down the mask mandate on planes and other public transportation. >> if you choose to, you may remove your mask. >> the response of airlines, and we hear from one parent furious at the decision after booking a flight with a child too young to be vaccinated. breaking overnight, a nasty april nor'easter turning deadly. up to a foot of snow, heavy winds, and potential coastal flooding. what to expect this morning. all-out war in the east. ukraine says russia has now launched a major new assault. how the u.s. is helping ukrainian fighters. and new information on thousands of people holed up in a steel plant, refusing to surrender. battle over the border as

concerns grow about a new surge of migrants trying to enter the u.s. signs that more democrats may be splitting with the biden administration on the issue. moving company mixup. one woman's ordeal after coming home only to find everything gone and thrown into dumpsters. and netflix for $1 a month? how more people are avoiding subscription costs for streaming services and what's being done about it. >> announcer: from abc news in new york, this is "america this morning." good tuesday morning, everyone. we begin with mask confusion just hours after a judge struck down the mask mandate on planes and other public transportation. >> for the very first time in two years, masks are coming off at airports. however, mask requirements could still vary by airline or destination. >> a message from denver's airport pretty much sums up the confusion. many travelers feel the airport tweeting we are following the direction of tsa, who is no longer enforcing the mask

mandate. it will take some time for us to remove the mask signage, though. abc's em nguyen has more. >> reporter: this morning, masks are no longer required on planes and public transit despite an uptick in covid-19 cases nationwide. >> i think it's for our own protection because obviously covid is still going around. >> i think people are just so tired of wearing a mask. >> reporter: a federal judge in florida appointed by former president donald trump struck down the travel mask mandate claiming it exceeds the cdc's statutory authority. the white house confirming this means the mask order is no longer in effect on a federal level. now i authorities to enforce mandates. >> this is obviously a disappointing decision. the cdc continues recommending wearing a mask in public transit. >> reporter: the cdc stressing it's too soon to put the masks away in indoor transportation settings. still, the ceos of major airlines like delta saying it's time to move on.

this announcement heard onboard one of its flights. >> masks are optional for employees, customers. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: but some are making the case that airlines for now should honor its initial masking guidelines. >> some will be masked and some will not be. we are hoping that the protection will be enough because our child is not vaccinated. >> reporter: the american academy of pediatrics says infection rates among children are soaring for the first time since january with hospitalization rates for children under 4 currently at their highest point of the pandemic. across the country, new covid cases are rising in at least 34 states. rates overall up over 20% in the last week. em nguyen, abc news. now to our other major story overnight. a fast-moving nor'easter turning deadly, delivering snow and rain to millions. pennsylvania, upstate new york, and parts of new england got a

winter-like dose of heavy, wet snow. up to a foot is expected in some areas, causing concern about power outages. one person was killed when a tree fell on a home in maryland. rain is also raising flood concerns on the coast. and experts say the cold weather is partially to blame for a spike in natural gas prices. they've just hit their highest level since 2008. we'll have the full forecast in just about five minutes. let's go now to the war in ukraine and new signs overnight that russia may be launching its biggest assault yet. this morning, russia's long anticipated offensive in eastern ukraine appears to be under way. a u.s. defense official estimates russia has recently added 11,000 troops to its forces already in ukraine. ukrainian president zelenskyy saying a very l othe fose this offensive. in the strategic port city of mariupol, the far-right azov battalion fighting with ukraine claims russia is now dropping bunker buster drops on a

sprawling steel plant where thousands of ukrainian forces have been holed up, refusing to surrender, abc news overnight could not independently verify the battalion's claim. ukrainian authorities say civilians are also sheltering at the plant in a network of underground tunnels. meanwhile, rescue efforts are under way on the outskirts of kyiv, where russian troops have withdrawn. abc's marcus moore found two firefighters from california helping search and rescue teams. >> the other house that we cut apart yesterday, there's nothing left. just the flames burned so hat. >> one of the bodies was recovered. neighbors said they could hear moaning and screaming for two days but due to the area being under russian control, rescue teams are not allowed to get in. >> reporter: the latest american to join the ukrainians is a familiar face on cable news. >> russia doesn't do things just because a door is open. >> reporter: malcolm nance, an analyst on msnbc and a former navy intelligence officer posting this image of himself from ukraine holding a rifle.

nance writing, i'm done talking. officials say the first shipments from an $800 million u.s. military aid package have now arrived in ukraine, and the u.s. will be training ukrainians on how to use the howitzer artillery systems that are being sent. breaking overnight, a murder charge after a california teenager was stabbed at her high school monday. police say anthony gray killed 15-year-old softball player alicia reynaga at a high school in stockton. investigators now call it a random attack and say the 52-year-old suspect had been trespassing on school property. he was caught shortly after the stabbing. few details about him were revealed overnight. police are still trying to determine a possible motive. education officials in florida are defending their decision to reject 40% of the math textbooks submitted for the next academic year. they claim dozen of the textbooks contain prohibited topics such as critical race theory. the governor has suggested the publishers were trying to, quote, indoctrinate students.

>> we don't want things like math to have, you know, some of these other concepts introduced. it's not been proven to be effective, and quite frankly, it takes our eye off the ball. >> some of the textbooks were banned for including common core standards and social and emotional learning. authorities on the southern border are bracing for a major surge in the number of migrants trying to cross into the u surge could be historic, and now some democrats appear to be splitting with the biden administration on the this morning, president biden faces a deepening rift within his own party over the administration's approach to immigration. title 42 is ending next month. that's the trump-era rule that allows border patrol to turn away illegal migrants to prevent the spread of covid-19. now democratic senator gary peters, chairman of the homeland security committee, is suggesting a delay before lifting title 42, saying, unless we have a well thought out plan, i think it is something that should be revisited and perhaps

delayed. peters joins more democrats speaking out against lifting the policy, including raphael warnock, catherine cortez masto, and mark kelly, all of whom are up for re-election this fall. >> i don't think they've come to the realization of what level it will be, and that it could be a humanitarian crisis. >> reporter: the white house is reminding critics that title 42 was a public health order, and it's the cdc that's ending the policy. >> i think it's important to remember this is not an immigration authority. it is a health authority that congress gave the cdc authority to make a determination about, about whether it needs to stay in place or not. >> reporter: republicans argue ending title 42 will cause a surge of migration at the border. authorities are already stopping migrants at record levels. border patrol reports more than 220,000 encounters with migrants last month. the highest level in two decades. and a 34% increase from the previous month. >> i was on the border patrol for 33 years. i've never seen this kind of

chaos at the border in my entire career. it's never been as busy at that border than it is right now. >> the fight over ending title 42 is now tied to a coronavirus aid package which republicans are threatening to block. let's turn now to your tuesday weather forecast. >> good morning. a potent storm bringing rain, wind, and snow to the northeast. into this morning, this storm goes up the coast. it brings heavy rain and wind from the coast to the i-95 corridor. these winds are going to mean business, folks. we're going to have power outages, tree limbs down from boston down to d.c. those gusts could exceed 60 miles an hour. and looking at the snowfall forecast through tuesday night, 6 to 12 inches from the adirondacks to the catskills to the poconos. i'm accuweather meteorologist kevin coskren. coming up, the latest plan to slow down mail delivery. also ahead, the search for a

killer who brutally stabbed a new york mother to death. her body found dumped in a park. what the autopsy reveals. and later, how some people are getting streaming services like netflix for only $1 a month and what's being done to stop it. ♪ ♪ [ bird chirps ] springfest is back! [ sprinkler & birds chirping ] these are the mowers i was telling you about. and right now, you'll find everything your lawn and home needs this season. [ food sizzling and happy family chatter ]

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there's been an arrest in connection with this month's massive fire at a home depot in san jose, california. officials haven't released a motive or the suspect's name. the news came as new records show the store had been cited for not having proof that its sprinklers worked properly. the postal service has announced cost-cutting measures aimed at slowing down delivery for about a third of all first class packages. some packages will take up to two days longer to arrive as they rely less on air

transportation. the postmaster general said the change will save money and improve reliability. it is now scheduled to take effect on may 1st. now to the mystery surrounding the murder of a new york mother whose body was found in a park. she had been stabbed nearly 60 times. here's abc's andrea fujii. >> reporter: this morning, new york city police are on the hunt for the killer of a mother found viciously stabbed to death and stuffed in a duffel bag. orsolya gall's body was found under a bridge saturday. police called to a scene in queens after someone spotted blood on the bag she was in. police followed the blood trail several blocks to gaal's home, where the 51-year-old mother of two lived with her family. at the time of the murder, her husband was on a trip with her eldest son, looking at colleges. police say gaal went out friday night and returned home with a man. investigators say she was stabbed dozens of times, apparently in her basement. the medical examiner's office says she died from sharp force injuries to her neck.

>> when you see 60 stab wounds and it looks like a prolonged fight, it looks like she grabbed the knife and was trying to defend herself. so that's really unusual. and that usually provides more evidence at the crime scene than someone shot or anything like that. >> reporter: police say after the murder, a threatening text message was sent to her husband saying, your whole family is next. detectives now looking to speak with three men whose numbers were found in gaal's phone. neighbors say they're shocked. >> i never expected anything like that to happen. she was a lovely lady, always very attentive to her family, her kids. just an amazing person, and she's going to be missed from all of us that knew her. she was really just wonderful. >> reporter: police say the killer was seen on multiple security cameras. experts predict it's only a matter of time before he's found. police say there was no sign of forced entry.

gaal's 13-year-old son was home, upstairs, at the time of his mother's murder. but he told police he doesn't know what happened. andrew, dion. >> still so many questions in that brutal murder. andrea, thank you. coming up, one moving company's big mixup. but first, what we're learning about the moments just before a 14-year-old fell to his death from an amusement park ride in orlando. with downy infusions, let the scent set the mood.

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harness to be loosened, apparently to accommodate the boy's size. >> these misadjustments allowed the safety lights to illuminate, improperly satisfying the ride's electronic safety mechanisms that allowed the ride to operate even though mr. sampson was not properly secured in the seat. >> the ride's operator has not been publicly identified. we turn now to a nightmare at the dentist's office. a man from illinois inhaled a tool his dentist had been using. it took a delicate operation to get him smiling again. this ct scan shows the inch long dental drill bit that was lodged deep in the man's long after a routine visit to the dentist's office. >> i was at the dentist, getting a tooth filled. the next thing i knew, i was told i swallowed this tool. so i didn't really even feel it going down. all i did was really felt a cough. >> reporter: doctors say inhaling just before he coughed sent the metal object deep into the 60-year-old's airways.

so deep, normal scopes couldn't reach it. >> when i saw the ct scan and where that object is sitting, it was really far down on the right lower lobe of the lung. >> what happens if he can't get it out? and really the answer was part of my lung was going to have to get removed. >> reporter: that's when doctors decided to try a newer device, one not designed for removing foreign objects. >> it's more for early detection of cancer, especially lung cancer. >> reporter: the size of the catheter allowed the medical team to navigate the narrow airways, reach the drill piece, and pull it out safely. no harm done. >> i was never so happy in my life when i opened my eyes, and i saw him with a smile under that mask, shaking a little plastic container that had the tool in it. >> unbelievable. good to see him smiling, though. he now keeps that drill bit on a shelf at home. a family in nebraska is starting over after a mixup resulted in all of their possessions being thrown away. a mother and her three kids had

moved in just days earlier, but they arrived home to find their belongings thrown out in five dumpsters. a crew hired by the apartment complex mistakenly emptied the wrong apartment. >> we walked in, and there was nothing in our apartment except for a mattress. my kids' stuff was gone. all their clothes, everything. >> to see my kids hurt is what hurt me the most. i have an autistic and adhd son, and he just doesn't understand. >> how is that for spring ceaning? the complex says it will pay to replace everything. coming up, the new optical illusion confounding the internet. but first, one brother's love at the boston marathon.

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breaking the rules when it comes to streaming services. >> apparently more online sites are popping up illegally selling passwords to netflix, hbo marx, and disney+ for as little as $1 a month. "the l.a. times" reports streaming services were lin up $25 billion a year on password cheaters. >> some experts say companies will likely take a new approach, perhaps allowing subscribers to add more family members to their account for only a small fee. >> you know, whether they choose to offer them a per-user type of fee structure or a pack of users, add your whole family, five members for $10 a month or something, however they choose to do it, i think they're going to take a nuanced approach in order to preserve as much customer goodwill as possible. >> a study found 36% of netflix subscribers share their password outside their household. the other 64% are probably lying. next, an emotional moment at the boston marathon as 20-year-old henry richard finished the race. >> he was running in honor of

the brother he lost. henry was 10 and martin was 8 when he died in the marathon bombing back in 2013. henry paused at a memorial for the victims monday before crossing the finish line into the arms of his family. >> so many people out there for me, all my friends, my family. motivation was the least of my worries. there was so many people to support me. it was wonderful. i couldn't believe it. >> henry said he could feel his brother with him on the course. next, new insight into royal life during the covid lockdown. >> apparently queen elizabeth's adviser, angela kelly, says windsor castle held movie and jenga night and even had a so-called bubble olympics with the queen giving out prizes. >> kelly says she's also become the queen's hairdresser. it was so stressful, she needed a bottle of gin after it was over. do not let your eyes deceive you. a new optical illusion is causing a big stir online.

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i'm dan o'dowd and i approved this message. you are watching actual videos of the tesla full self driving technology as recorded by the drivers. from turning too tightly and hitting a pylon... [ expletive ] to swerving toward a pole. jesus. watch the bicyclist on the right almost get hit before the driver takes over. sometimes it seems the tesla doesn't want the driver to take over. i'm trying. this driver had to hit the brakes when the tesla didn't understand a detour sign. ok. here it almost hit a truck. obviously, i had to take over. and here it swerves into an oncoming lane. look at that! often, the tesla doesn't know what it wants to do. what is it doing? or just doesn't know how to turn. jesus, oh my god! tesla's full self driving software for drivers and pedestrians, it's unsafe at any speed. tell congress to shut it down.

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this is abc. 0 -- this is abc7news. >> new mask roles. we dig -- ne-yo mask -- new mask rules. where you will still need your mass candy. >>0 -- where you will still need your mask handy. drew: much of the rain is focused in the east bay. you will find scattered light rain into parts of east right now from san ramon, alto mont, even some showers as you move to the south now. there is that rain around san jose. certainly wet spots, 280, as we head towards the morning commute. these