. this morning new details surrounding the alleged russian bombing of a children's hospital plus the evacuation of ukrainians are blocked as force against civilians continues. every day life in moskow taking a turn on the fast food front hurt russians, as economic sanctions begin to hit everyone under putin's regime the trial for everyone planning to kid nap governor gretchen whitmer is under way.

a couple who tried to get their primi born twins from ukraine. the third week of russia's invasion of ukraine has begun and the assault is growing more brutal by the day. devastating images are emerging from the city of mariupol. mothers carried out on stretchers after an air strike at a children's and mutrpt hospital authorities report at least three people were killed including one child. the mayor says this is the third hospital russian troops have destroyed. >> the biden administration has ruled out the transfer of fighter jets to ukraine. poland had offered to deliver the aircraft to a u.s. air base in germany before they'd be taken to ukraine, but the pentagon rejected that offer calling it a high risk step that would raise serious concerns about pulling the entire nato alliance into that conflict. >> house speaker nancy pelosi had a call with ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy

about u.s. aid to ukraine. during that call zelenskyy condemned world leaders for not imposing a no-fly zone >> you have to inform our people and say sorry we didn't do it one week ago, we didn't push putin, we didn't speak with him a lot, we didn't find the dial with him, we didnothing. and it's true. yesterday the world did nothing. >> according to zelenskyy tens of thousands of ukrainians were able to evacuate using humanitarian corridors on wednesday, and that effort is expected to continue today nbc's molly hunter joins us now live from lviv, ukraine. and the escape routes for the families are far from safe and getting more dangerous >> that's right. when we're talking about these humanitarian corridors, it's

important to note these are temporary cease-fires. these are precarious arrangements and they're not totally safe and not not leading to totally safe areas. they're just getting people out hopefully out of immediate danger so residents in mariupol which we've heard so much about, according to the red cross more than 200,000 people there are desperate to get out they're out of water,out of food for the most part, no electricity, no heat, no way to charge their phones and communicate with the outside world. so our fldsing is families are waking up for thesickth day in a row with the possibility of a humanitarian car dor there are seven evacuation routes thursday including that suburb we've talked about. and i want to add we got information, mariupol is not the only city that's been under siege in the last week kharkiv, a state we've been

talking about a lot according to the minister 23 kindergartens have been hit. >> ukrainian officials are raising alarms about the chernobyl power plant losing power. what are the safety concerns with that? >> that's exactly right. as of now the iaea says there's no cause for panic they're monitoring that very, very closely and we'll get more information about that and whether or not there is any reason for the rest of the country to be put on high alert. frances? >> thank you civilians in youcrine are getting caught up in russia's relentless onslaught as home and hospitals are being targeted nbc's jay gray is on the ground. jay, what's the latest on this crisis >> reporter: steven we've been

trying to show you the plight of these refugees and their journey. this is the border this is the border between poland and ukraine you can see it here. and this is what they are walking into take a look around a day ago all of this wasn't here you can see the tents that line this area. they're providing food for those just crossing into poland, those that desperately need this type of support bombed and burned out homes, a maternity and children's hospital left in ruins after an air strike it's becoming increasingly clear there's no line between soldier and civilian in the kremlin's war plan evidence of brutal attacks on families fills ukraine's hospitals and fuels the resolve of volunteers like this father and son now training to fight. >> we parents must defend the

children, but we're together because it's not possible to have it another way because it's our motherland and we have to defend our motherland. >> reporter: while mothers struggle with a very different battle, leaving loved ones behind to protect the youngest victims of this war. >> i believe the kids shouldn't see, shouldn't hear the bombs on their city that's why we're hoping something will change. >> reporter: and hoping they'll be able to go home again yeah, and again, so this is the path that so many take and i want to tell you we continue to see more and more families crossing this line, making this walk, and it's just continuing to build, steven. >> just incredible stories you've been bringing us from

that border. jay gray, thank you. $1.5 trillion spending bill is heading to the senate the house passed the measure last night it includes nearly $14 billion in aid to ukraine. nbc's brie jackson is in d.c. with the latest. and good morning this passed the house with overwhelming bipartisan support. >> reporter: good morning, frances. that's right it flew a little bit under the radar but last night it actually helped overt a government shutdown this weekend and gave the senate some breathing room to get it to the president's desk this spending will bill keep the lights on through september. and like you mentioned the legislation includes a cash infusion for ukraine $4 billion will go to helping nations cope with the 2 million refugees who fled the violence nearly $7 billion will go to building up and supporting ukraine's military along with our allies in the region the rest will go towards economic assistance. the house also passed a bill to ban the import of russian oil

and entry products, and also calls on the world trade organization to oust russia. party leaders would like to go even further >> i hope that we can get to a place where the migs which are the kinds of planes they've been trained on can go to ukraine, the f16s especially if we have an excess of them can back fill. >> my request the funding bill significantly increase the draw down fund available to the president and to back fill our dod stockpiles that are helping our friends in harms way >> reporter: meanwhile vice president harris who's in poland this morning to meet with leaders there about the humanitarian crisis, the country has welcomed about 1 million ukrainian refugees since the start of the war >> and as we see every day at the border that number will continue to grow

now more than 100 american companies across every industry have cut business ties in russia as a result of its invasion of ukraine. most recently starbucks, coca-cola and mcdonald's joined that list, which experts say is expected to keep growing as the war continues. nbc's keir simmons has more how russians are reacting to this backlash, and we have to note russia is cracking down on the media there, limiting what reporters can say under threat of imprisonment. >> reporter: also one of america's most iconic brand announced the temporary closure of 850 restaurants, russians young and old packing into restaurants before they miss the final take out >> we will miss because it's very delicious my friends and i really like it. >> hard times. yes, hard times are coming >> reporter: a growing list of western companies closing their russian businesses for now, though the full impact is yet to

be felt. in moskow we counted five starbucks and seven mcdonald's still open, one with a line for lunch. the kremlin accusing the u.s. of declaring economic war with russia the grand opening hype was as foreign to moskow as the hamburger. >> 30 years agrow the golden arches arrived in the communist soviet union it felt like a new chapter now that era may be over at the same restaurant it was easy to find supporters of president putin. everything is going the way it should be, this woman told us. though this man disagrees. outside mcdonald's signs of a city on edge, while inside a simple burger and fries is becoming a last supper mcdonald's like many of these western companies says it will keep paying its 62,000 russian employees, but it's not clear when it will reopen. >> and russians will continue seeing that change there the invasion of ukraine has more

and more companies pulling out of russia. in a statement unilever says it suspended imports and exports into and out of russia >> suspending operations on some of its most popular chains in russia the company said it will close all 70 kfc restaurants and pizza huts in the country. general electric is pulling the plug on its russian business ge said on twitter it would suspend operations with the exception of providing medical equipment and existing power services to the russian people hilton and hyatt both announce they would close operations in russia the duke and duchess of cambridge said last week they

stand with the people of ukraine. and in an e-mail to staff obtained by cnbc tesla says any ukrainian employees called to fight in the war would continue to be paid for three months. let's turn now to nbc meteorologist bill karins. he's tracking a big storm with significant impacts friday and saturday for the eastern u.s yesterday's storm whatever that mess was wasn't enough >> yeah, i keep waiting for that last winter forecast maybe this will be it. i doubt it tomorrow morning at this time we'll have snow breaking out from areas of north texas to oklahoma, southern missouri into areas of the ohio valley on friday we'll track that winter weather towards little rock and memphis to get some snow out of this and then the storm really gets a lot stronger on saturday so friday night we watched that snow from ohio into pennsylvania, and then saturday morning, all out snowstorm

northern virginia, central pennsylvania, southern and central portions of of new york state, mostly a rain event from the i-95 corridor and the cold wind comes in back behind this system not a lot of snow in areas from oklahoma to arkansas, but enou to shovel anghday. wind chills worse than that so appreciate the warmth today while you have it in the south we're also watching some snow even this morning we're having problems with. i'll show you where coming up. >> all right, more to come bill, thanks well, new this morning the mlb is tagging out even more games as labor talks continue. commissioner rob manford

canceled 93 additional games through april 13th the league and players union are still apart on things like player salary and international draft. in a statement commissioner manfred said he stands by the decision should more games be canceled the league wide celebration of jackie robinson day could also be in jeopardy the 75th anniversary of robinson's mlb debut is april 15th hundreds forced to evacuate as a volcano erupts multiple times overnight. and the trial for the men plotngo ti tkid nap michigan governor gretchen whitmer gets under way. we're back in one minute and longer. zzzquil pure zzzs all night. fall asleep. stay asleep. is now a good time for a flare-up? enough, crohn's! for adults with moderate to severe crohn's or ulcerative colitis, stelara®

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to slow the police response. the government says under cover fbi agents monitored that group closely. defense attorneys say all those agents and informants were egging the men on, pushing them deeper into that plot. a dunkin' donuts employee in tampa, florida, who was accused of fatally punching a cu against him last year was sentenced to two years of house arrest. it happened in may when a 77-year-old customer was asked to leave after using the slur in the drive-thru and then proceeded to go inside and repeat the slur. the 27-year-old was ordered to complete 200 hours of community service and attend an anger management course. indonesia's volcano spewed avalanches■■ of hot clouds overnight. this forced 250 residents to flee to temporary shelters there. it evented seven time unleashing

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wall street snapping a four day losing street. the dow soared about 650 points while the s&p had its best one day rally since june of 2020 the nasdaq climbed 450 points, its best day since november 2020 >> oil prices helped fuel that market rally dropping nearly 12% yesterday after opec nations voiced support for increasing their output gas prices, though, are still

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about tremfya® today. fast forwarding into thursday as inflation hit a 40-year high a breaking report today. last month's inflation data revealed the average cost of goods and services went up by 7.5% disgraced empire star jussie smoelt will be sentence in his hate crimes case he faces jail time or brobation. michigan coach jawan howard is back in the game. he returns from a five game suspension for hitting a coach

in the head. children of war. the russian invasion of you yan is having a major effect on pregnancies and childbirth there, and one u.s. couple is speaking out this morning after a rescue team evacuated their twin preemies born by a surrogate. the twins were born in kyiv just after russia began its attack on ukraine. nbc's jessie kerch as their story. >> reporter: for days one american couple could only see their newborn twins through a camera with war engulfing ukraine they were born by surrogacy february 25th in kyiv they arrived early at just 32 1/2 weeks putting these preemie twins at even greater risk >> you know, if the hospital loses power, they're going to die. >> reporter: their american parents watched in anguish from the u.s. doing what they could by phone that's when brian and project

dynamo stepped in assembling a team of doctors and ambulance drivers for what stern was says was really areal life mission impossible >> we evacuated and rescued literally thousands of people by now between afghanistan and ukraine, and this is by far the most complex and sensitive operation we've ever done. >> reporter: but stern's team remarkably found a way the rescue team documening its westward escape, passing this massive checkpoint line on the way to poland where their dad was waiting. >> it was dangerous, exciting, scary, hopeful >> reporter: and finally relieving monday as the boys arrived safely at a polish hospital where they're getting stronger >> i think the most incredible thing about this is seeing them alive and seeing how tiny and precious these little babies are. >> reporter: alex specter finally able to do something so simple, reach out and embrace his baby boys. soon they'll meet mom, too

>> for us it's the happiest story in the world >> such a harrowing situation and unbelievable >> and they have what so many families will not have

. they shunned hear the bombs. >> right now at 4:30, the violence in ukraine is escalating as russia ramps up its attacks on the country from air and the ground. civilians desperately fleeing for their lives. new talks between russia and ukraine leaders overnight. >> plus, planning ahead. what the bay area's big city mayors do should another covid variant threaten our communities. this is "today in the bay." >> good thursday morning to you.