america this morning." in america this morning." right now on "america this morning," bracing for assault. ukrainian cities facing intense bombing as russian troops take aim. new attacks appearing to target civilians. >> a tv tower and a holocaust memorial bombed. the refugee crisis growing. this morning, what the pentagon is predicting and we focus in on a 40-mile russian convoy stalled outside of kyiv. >> president biden and state of the union message for putin. the new punishment for russia just announced. plus plans to tackle inflation and critics speak out on gas prices rising again overnight. >> again, no deal.

why there is a lot less of america's past time this spring with the major league commissioner is now revealing. good wednesday morning, everyone. let's get right to the situation in ukraine. the capital kyiv is bracing for a major assault. >> in the state of the union address, president bud yun biden said that vladimir putin has no idea what is coming. but right now it's the ukrainians preparing for the worst. 350 people have been killed since the invasion began. >> people are running out of fuel and food. we have not seen the full power of the russian military. new video shows rescue teams running into burning homes as russian missiles targeted a residential neighborhood with a hospital nearby. ukraine's emergency services

saying the strike killed at least two people, shattering the hospital's windows. this morning the pentagon is urging caution about reports that russian military progress is slowing down. a 40-mile long russian convoy headed to kyiv appeared to stall tuesday. parts of the convoy reportedly running out of gas and food. but a senior u.s. official tells abc news russian president vladimir putin has ratcheted up his determination to carry on and putin is going to put ukraine in a vice grip. this air strike hit a television tower knocking ukraine's news broadcasters off the air. the attack also hitting a holocaust memorial which honors the memory of 33,000 jews slaughtered in that very spot by nazis. desperation is growing among ukrainians who refuse to leave. people are waiting in long lines for bread. and the shelves and many grocery stores are empty.

>> okay? >> but ukrainian fighters and citizen soldiers insist they are ready to fight. the protesters blocking russian vehicles from advancing and some laying down in the streets to stop them. this video posted to social media shows ukraine protesters trying to stop russian fighters. >> there are scenes like this being played out across the city and across the country. up until a week ago, these guy has regular jobs and regular lives. today, they have weapons and ready to stand and fight the russian invasion. >> the pentagon says morale has suffered. videos online show captured russian soldiers thought they were being deployed for exercises not combat. president zelenskyy is granting tv interviews from a bunker in kyiv. >> can you see your family? >> no. no. i can't.

>> unshaven, in a t-shirt and with combat boots on, the president telling reporters he hasn't seen his family in three days. zelenskyy says since the invasion began, it's been work and sleep, that's it. and the ukrainian official claims a russian hit squad was sent to assassin zelenskyy but the plot was foiled. global plashgts markets are responding to the u.s. and other countries to release oil to stop prices from skyrocketing. we are watching the market from hong kong. brit? >> andrew, oil prices climbing overnight. release of reserves failing to calm markets. brent oil breaking $110 a barrel. there is growing concern too now about food prices, wheat up to the highest levels since 2008. now russia and ukraine supply around 14% of the global wheat production. so the ramifications really being felt across the world here with the prices of basic goods like cereal and bread expected

to be driven higher, too. now among the big news overnight to boeing deciding they will suspend all airplane parts, maintenance and technical support to russian airlines. boeing adding to a growing list of companies responding to the russian invasion of ukraine. >> brit, thank you. during the state of the union address, president biden said he is banning russian planes from the u.s. saying now is our moment. the president also discussed everything from inflation to the pandemic. abc has more from washington. good morning. >> good morning. the president walked a fine line between celebrating his domestic victories and being mindful of the many challenges ahead. president biden dedicated the first 12 minutes of his speech to the war in ukraine. announcing he is banning russian planes from entering u.s. airspace. biden also declaring a new moment in the fight against covid-19 and announcing a

so-called test and treat plan. saying people who test positive will soon be able to get free anti-viral treatments at pharmacies. the president also calling for an end to pandemic related shutdowns. >> people working from home can feel safe and begin to return to their offices. and our schools are open. let's keep it that way. >> critics like iowa governor kim reynolds slamming biden's comments as too little, too late. iowa opened classrooms full time early last year. >> i was attacked by the left. i was attacked by the media. but it wasn't a hard choice. it was the right choice. >> biden also appearing to rebrand his economic agenda, avoiding the term build back better, the name of the massive social spending bill that failed to pass. instead, he said, fighting inflation is his top priority. >> i think i have a better idea to fight inflation. lower your costs not your wages. instead of relying on foreign supply chains, let's make it in america. >> and when it comes to rising crime, biden rejected calls to

defund the police. >> we should all agree the answer is not to defund the police. it's to fund the police. >> reporter: after the speech, republicans discussing a long list of criticisms from oil and gas prices to the culture wars. >> americans are tired of a political class trying to remake this country into a place where an elite few tell everyone else what they can and cannot say. >> the joke of him talking about the 60 million barrels of oil is a joke. by his regulations just in north dakota he cut the amount of production by 500,000 barrels a day. every day. and you know how much we import from russia a day? 480,000 barrels. >> reporter: and biden acknowledged stephen breyer's

retirement. he briefly covering his face during standing ovation. and special guest joshua davis stole the show, the 13-year-old diabetes patient is working to lower the cost of insulin. >> joshua is here tonight. yesterday was his birthday. happy birthday, buddy, by the way. >> reporter: joshua clearly delighted with his presidential shoutout, his face quickly turning red. also last night president biden announced a mental health initiative. he is establishing a national hotline for people battling mental health. >> thank you. former presidential candidate beto o'rourke won the democratic primary in texas. he'll face incumbent greg abbott in the race for governor. the attorney general race is headed for a runoff facing george p. bush. three men charged in a plot to kidnap the governor of michigan will stand trial. it comes off a judge ruled the men were not entrapped by the fbi. they tried to argue that an informant pressured them into supporting the plot. your weather forecast could

more be accurate thanks to this launch in florida. a satellite will help track weather systems on the west coast. >> seems like a good time then to check your wednesday weather. ♪ more rescues in the pacific northwest are likely as rain and snow continue to move down the west coast. seattle received more than one month's worth of rain in just three days. on the radar, there is snow, sleet, and freezing rain from the northern plains to the great lakes. rain and snow is also possible in northern new england later today. checking today's high temperatures, mostly in the 70s from los angeles to kansas city to atlanta. 50s for the northwest today. 79 in miami. ♪ coming up, the cargo ship that caught on fire carrying thousands of luxury cars meets its fate. >> the tinder swindler, mastermind of a dating scam is

facing new legal trouble. but first, the families torn apart by the ukraine refugee crisis. the new problem being addressed. for you i wish many things... to see all the world can be. but most of all... i wish you'll never stop wishing. ♪ ♪

the ill fated felicity ace is now a sunken cargo ship. the vessel carrying thousands of luxury cars, including porsches, finally sank in the atlantic yesterday nearly two weeks after it caught fire. the disaster has cost an estimated $155 million. now to d new images of the refugee crisis tearing families apart. now the government is addressing yet another concern, discrimination. here's abc's andrea fujii. >> reporter: this morning ukraine's foreign minister addressing the plight of people

of color trying to flee the country, whose exits have been delayed because of their race, tweeting, africans seeking evacuation are our friends and need to have equal opportunities to return to their home countries safely. this man living in ukraine originally from the congo says white men were allowed to board trains while men of color were turned away. >> it was clear. it was clear because we are black. that's why they were acting that way. >> reporter: he eventually made it to poland but says racial discrimination kept him from getting here sooner. so far, more than 700,000 refugees have arrived in neighboring countries. american james burke and his ukrainian wife and baby fled their home in kyiv and have been stuck in lviv, trying to catch a train out. >> a plane flew over very quickly. then you heard them trying to shoot it down. we just rolled over and laid on our baby. >> reporter: at train stations,

mothers fearful themselves, try to console their children whose fathers have stayed behind. all the women here with their hands raised have husbands who have stayed behind to fight the russians. this ukrainian mother, olea, sharing in polish the painful questions her daughter asks about her father. >> reporter: but signs of unity and strength as refugees like olea sing ukraine's national anthem after arriving in poland. and glimmers of happiness as some families reunite with friends and loved ones across the border, with hopes they'll soon be able to return home. the u.n. says up to 4 million people may flee ukraine. the biden administration is promising $54 million in humanitarian aid. mona, andrew. >> andrea, thank you. coming up, we talk to a former cia official about what's next for vladimir putin.

and later, $10 toothpaste? america's battle with inflation. people everywhere living with type 2 diabetes are waking up to what's possible... with rybelsus®. the majority of people taking rybelsus® lowered their blood sugar and reached an a1c of less than 7. rybelsus® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't take rybelsus® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop rybelsus® 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. tell your provider about vision problems or changes. taking rybelsus® with a sulfonylurea or insulin increases low blood sugar risk. side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. wake up to the possibility of lower a1c with rybelsus®. you may pay as little as $10 for up to a 3-month prescription.

ask your healthcare provider about rybelsus® today. find your beat your moment of calm find your potential then own it support your immune system with a potent blend of nutrients and emerge your best every day with emergen-c within this hallowed bowl is the grain of all time. heart-healthy. no artificial flavors. and ready in minutes. it's epic apples and cinnamon by the spoonful. quaker oats. a super-trusted superfood. ordinary tissues burn when theo blows. so puffs plus lotion rescued his cinnamon bnose. spoonful. with up to 50% more lotion, puffs bring soothing relief. a nose in need deserves puffs indeed. america's #1 lotion tissue.

oh! you're doing it wrong, man. what's wrong with action figures? nothing. capital one shopping instantly searches for available coupon codes and automatically applies them. whoa! i look good in miniature. capital one shopping. (in s.l.j. voice) what's in your wallet? when you really need to sleep. cyou reach for theng. really good stuff. zzzquil ultra helps you sleep better and longer when you need it most. its non-habit forming and powered by the makers of nyquil. back now with this wax museum taking down a statue of vladimir putin. u.s. officials are warning the worst is yet to come in ukraine. >> i spoke early we are a former cia official darrell blocker. darrell blocker, thank you so much for joining us. i want to start with your

overall assessment. what your thoughts what is next in ukraine? >> i think what we're seeing on the ground is not going to happen too much longer. putin is going to turn up the heat. the troops that are stalled along the lines of between the border and kyiv are going to continue to march on. so i'm very hopeful that people are holding out but the worst is yet to come. >> we've been seeing this convoy, this concern internationally about the 40 mile long russian convoy that made very little progress in the last 24 hours trying to approach kyiv. what does that indicate to you? >> could be a number of different things. they could be stalling because there is confusion in the ranks. ner is inner it could be the resist. of. >> i found this interesting. we're getting reports of more russian troops abandoning their vehicles.

letting ukrainians stop the tanks without a fight. what is the danger here for putin? could bad morale be the russians achilles heel? >> bad morale could be a part of it. but he's more along the line of his troops feel uninformed. there are reports that the troops had no idea that they were actually going into combat. that they thought this was an exercise. and if the people who are in the trenches and make no mistake about it, every war in history in man kind is won by people on the ground in the trenches. and if they decide not to fight, then guess what? there is no fight. and hopefully they will recognize the folly of their ways and just defy what putin is expecting them to do. >> speaking of leadership, president zelenskyy of ukraine is giving tv interviews from bunker and refusing to leave kyiv. he hasn't seen his family. were you surprised by the determination of this man? >> i'm not. i worked with impressive ukrainian diplomats abroad.

and it didn't surprise me even a little bit that zelenskyy is standing up and out on the streets with his troops and moving around and quite frankly, it's inspiring and it shows he's a true leader. >> darrell blocker, thank you so much for being on us with. appreciate your time. >> okay. thank you. coming up, no deal. major problem for the major leagues. also ahead, more controversy for wordle.

♪ ♪ irresistibly smooth chocolate. to put the world on pause. lindor. made to melt you. by the lindt master chocolatier. new vicks vapostick. strong soothing vapors... help comfort your loved ones. for chest, neck, and back. it goes on clear. no mess just soothing comfort. try new vicks vapostick. you founded your kayak company because you love the ocean- not spreadsheets. you need to hire. i need indeed. indeed you do. indeed instant match instantly delivers quality candidates matching your job description. visit indeed.com/hire

with less moderate-to-severe eczema, why hide your skin if you can help heal your skin from within? hide my skin? not me. dupixent helps keep you one step ahead of eczema, with clearer skin and less itch. don't use if you're allergic to dupixent. 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 doctor about dupixent. back now with sticker shock for something that we use every day. as inflation drives up prices, colgate is now marketing a $10 tube of toothpaste. the company says its optic white

pro series helps whiten teeth. critics say some price hikes are solely aimed at boosting profits. we turn to the lockout in major league baseball. the first week of games has been canceled. for the first time in 27 years, opening day for america's pastime has been canceled because of a labor dispute. >> we're not going to be able to play the first two series of the regular season, and those games are officially canceled. >> reporter: major league baseball's commissioner announcing he's canceling the first two series of regular season games after the players' union unanimously rejected the league's latest proposal. talks collapsing after nine days of negotiations. the league offered to raise players' minimum salaries from $675,000 to $700,000, but the union wants $725,000 with more increases in the coming years. >> a lockout is the ultimate economic weapon. in a $10 billion industry, the owners have made a conscious decision to use this weapon

against the greatest asset they have, the players. >> reporter: also at issue, bonus pay for top performing younger players not yet eligible to negotiate new contracts. this morning, the commissioner saying no future talks have been scheduled. players will not be paid for canceled games. new legal problems for the so-called tinder swindler, whose alleged dating scam is the subject of a netflix documentary. shimon hayut now faces a lawsuit in israel. he allegedly scammed women by claiming he was the son of an israeli diamond mogul. that mogul is now suing, claiming that the scam has damaged his family's reputation. players of the online game wordle are once again asking whether "the new york times" has ruined the game. the new criticism comes after tuesday's word, rupee. critics say it's an example of the game becoming too hard since "the times" bought it. >> you said you got it, right? >> yeah, i got it. >> there you is the standard.

>> it has gotten hard. >> it has gotten hard. but it's five-letter is now a good time for a flare-up? enough, crohn's! for adults with moderate to severe crohn's or ulcerative colitis, stelara® can provide relief, and is the first approved medication to reduce inflammation on and below the surface of the intestine in uc. you, getting on that flight? back off, uc! stelara® may increase your risk of infections, some serious, and cancer. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, sores, new skin growths, have had cancer, or if you need a vaccine. pres, a rare, potentially fatal brain condition, may be possible. some serious allergic reactions and lung inflammation can occur. lasting remission can start with stelara®. janssen can help you explore cost support options. ♪ whatever the morning brings, sip your sunshine!

with 100% vitamin c, tropicana. king c. gillette is a complete lineup of tools and facial hair care products. whatever the morning brings, sip your sunshine! this is the style master. designed to style your stubble in one stroke, a pivoting metal head that defines every edge, and three comb lengths for added versatility. one tool that helps you choose, change, and master your style. king c. gillette where does your almondmilk come from? almond breeze starts here with our almond trees in our blue diamond orchard in california. my parents' job is to look after them. and it's my job to test the product. the best almonds make the best almondmilk. blue diamond almond breeze. ♪ got my hair ♪ ♪ got my head ♪ make the best almondmilk. ♪ got my brains ♪ ♪ got my ears ♪ ♪ got my heart ♪ ♪ got my soul ♪ ♪ got my mouth ♪ ♪ i got life ♪ people today... they could spend half their lives over 50. but it's gonna to take some planning. what can you do for me? make sure your money lives as long as you do.

the younger you are, the more you need aarp. join today.

if you have advanced non-small cell lung cancer, your first treatment could be a chemo-free combination of two immunotherapies that works differently. it could mean a chance to live longer. opdivo plus yervoy is for adults newly diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer that has spread, tests positive for pd-l1, and does not have an abnormal egfr or alk gene. together, opdivo plus yervoy helps your immune system launch a response that fights cancer in two different ways. opdivo plus yervoy

equals a chance for more time together. more family time. more time to remember. opdivo and yervoy can cause your immune system to harm healthy parts of your body during and after treatment. these problems can be severe and lead to death. see your doctor right away if you have a cough; chest pain; shortness of breath; irregular heartbeat; diarrhea; constipation; severe stomach pain, nausea or vomiting; dizziness; fainting; eye problems; extreme tiredness; changes in appetite, thirst or urine; rash; itching; confusion; memory problems; muscle pain or weakness; joint pain; flushing; or fever. these are not all the possible side effects. problems can occur together and more often when opdivo is used with yervoy. tell your doctor about all medical conditions including immune or nervous system problems, if you've had or plan to have an organ or stem cell transplant, or received chest radiation. here's to a chance to live longer. ask your doctor about the combination of two immunotherapies, opdivo plus yervoy. thank you to all those in our clinical trials.

moving forward, finding solutions. >> the state the union is strong because you, the american people, are strong. reggie: president biden delivering his first state of the union address. the domestic issues plus russia's war against ukraine. kumasi: san francisco unified school district, the positions that will be eliminated. reggie: covid restrictions listed in the south bay. kumasi: a foggy morning, plus the showers we are expecting tomorrow. reggie: i never know what kind of behavior i am going to see when i pull out the morning in my neighborhood. i thought, what is all this smoke? then i realize, it is fog. that was my first reaction, someone is burning something. drew: that fog is