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Good Tuesday afternoon. The U.S. is preparing to punish Russia for the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the roommate accused of killing two people at a Colorado university dorm is due in court, and former “momfluencer” Ruby Franke has been sentenced for child abuse.

Here is what’s in our Nightly Rundown.

U.S. to impose ‘major sanctions’ on Russia for Navalny’s death, White House says

The White House said today it will impose “major sanctions" against Russia, in response to the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

The new sanctions will be announced on Friday, a day before Russia’s war on Ukraine reaches the two-year mark, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said today.

The effort comes as Navalny’s mother is making a personal plea to President Vladimir Putin to hand his body over to his family for burial.

“I appeal to you, Vladimir Putin. Resolving this issue depends on you alone. Let me finally see my son,” Navalny’s mother, Lyudmila Navalnyaya, said today in a video message.

Navalny’s team says Russian authorities told them his body would be held for at least 14 days while it undergoes a “chemical examination.”

Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny’s widow, has accused Putin of fatally poisoning her husband with the nerve agent Novichok, and alleges that Navalny’s body is being hidden to cover up his killing in an Arctic penal colony. 

The Kremlin today called Navalnaya’s accusations “unfounded and vulgar,” and has rejected calls for an international investigation into Navalny’s death.

Russia detains California woman for sending money to Ukraine

Russia authorities announced today they have detained a dual Russian-American citizen, on suspicion of treason for raising funds for Ukraine.

The country’s Federal Security Service did not name the detainee, identifying her only as 33-year-old woman who lives in Los Angeles.

Perviy Otdel, a group of Russian lawyers who handle treason cases, said the woman was charged for giving just over $50 to a New York-based non-profit that sends assistance to Ukraine, The New York Times reported. 

California faces more heavy rain and flooding from atmospheric river

Nearly 35 million people remain under flood watches across California today, as a storm fueled by an atmospheric river brings more heavy rain to the water-logged state.

Another 1 to 3 inches of rain can be expected today across southern California, potentially leading to more mudslides and debris flows.

A massive sinkhole has shut down an exit lane on the busy 405 Freeway through Los Angeles, while north of Malibu, large boulders blocked a roadway, according to authorities.

Near Santa Barbara, the relentless storms have caused 100-year-old palm trees to collapse into the ocean at Refugio State Beach.

Los Angeles has received nearly a foot of rain in February, more than 75% of the city’s average annual rainfall in less than one month.

Suspect in Colorado university dorm shooting was victim’s roommate, police say

The man suspected of fatally shooting two people inside a University of Colorado-Colorado Springs dorm was the roommate of one of the victims, police said.

Nicholas Jordan, 25, is expected to make his first court appearance this afternoon, and is being held on $1 million bond, according to online booking records.

Jordan was arrested on murder charges Monday, three days after Samuel Knopp, a senior at the school, and Celie Rain Montgomery, 26, who was not a student, were found dead in a campus dorm room, police said.

Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez confirmed to NBC News today that Jordan was Knopp’s roommate.

Alabama’s top court rules frozen embryos are children

In an unprecedented decision, the Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that frozen embryos created during fertility treatments are children, raising alarm among IVF advocates.

The case involved a lawsuit brought by couples who said a fertility clinic had mistakenly destroyed their frozen embryos.

The court found that IVF embryos are protected under the state’s Alabama’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act.

IVF advocates warn the ruling could affect the availability of fertility treatments, because it raises questions about what should be done with unused embryos in storage, and whether parents or facilities can be charged if they are destroyed.

What else we're watching:

Former YouTube “momfluencer” Ruby Franke was sentenced to four one-to-15 year terms in prison today, after pleading guilty to four counts of second-degree aggravated child abuse in December.

The Supreme Court will not review a challenge to a Virginia high school’s admissions policy aimed at encouraging diversity.

The U.S. has vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza, and is instead pushing a rival resolution that calls for a six-week pause in fighting.

A small plane made an  emergency landing on a Long Island parkway today.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has entered his final court battle in the U.K. to avoid extradition to the U.S. to face spying charges.

Credit card mega-merger: Capital One has struck a deal to buy Discover for $35 billion.

This major airline is raising checked baggage fees to $40, and will begin limiting which bookings through travel agencies are eligible for frequent flyer miles.

Who gets better health benefits from exercise, men or women, according to a new study?

Watch us this evening at 6:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. CT on NBC, or check your local NBC station listing. After the broadcast, access Nightly News video on NBCNightlyNews.com or the NBC News app.

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