right now on "america this morning," poison plot. the disturbing new reports from the war zone. what happened to a russian billionaire and negotiators from ukraine as they met for peace talks. also this morning, the major new victory ukraine is claiming on the battlefield. will smith apologizes to chris rock for that slap at the oscars. what the actor is revealing about the joke told about his wife, plus the consequences smith could now face and what his mother is saying this morning after seeing her son assault someone on live tv. changing the rules, the new move the nfl is making to guarantee more coaching opportunities for minorities and for women. caught on camera, cars and trucks colliding one after the

other, 60 in total, as drivers flee into the woods for safety. what we're learning about this deadly pileup. plus, the tense rescue effort to save this dog trapped in a fast-moving river. and later the man who wanted to play pickleball and got in big trouble with the law. does the punishment fit the crime? good tuesday morning, everyone. we begin with the developing story from the war in ukraine. a new round of peace talks gets under way this morning. it comes as ukrainian forces take back some territory. in the meantime, questions are being raised about whether negotiators, including a russian billionaire, were the targets of a plot during a previous round of peace talks earlier this month. >> we're learning more about the conditions they suffered. abc's em nguyen is here now with the very latest. em, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, mona. as peace talks between russia and ukraine resume today, negotiators from previous talks

are recovering from what is being described as a possible poisoning. this morning, shocking claims of a suspected poisoning affecting negotiators who attended peace talks in ukraine including russian billionaire roman abramovich, owner of one of england's biggest soccer teams. a source tells "the wall street journal," abramovich and two ukrainians suffered symptoms consistent with a chemical poisoning after a meeting in kyiv earlier this month. the men who have reportedly improved consumed only chocolate and water in the hours before the symptoms appeared, which included red eyes, constant and painful tearing and peeling skin on their faces and hands. some are blaming hard-liners in moscow who want to sabotage the talks, but reuters reports a u.s. intelligence official suggests an environmental reason is to blame, not a poisoning. this comes as ukraine claims an important victory in the suburbs

of kyiv. president zelenskyy saying ukrainian forces have retaken the city of irpin stopping russia's push to encircle the capital. >> and that's significant because irpin sits on one of the major highways running west out of kyiv. if they can hold it, and it's a big if it could give kyiv more breathing room. >> reporter: still russian forces are pounding mariupol, a southern city of 500,000 before the war. officials say about 5,000 people have been killed in the city. the mayor calling it a genocide. meanwhile, president biden is standing by what he said about vladimir putin over the weekend. >> for god's sake, this man cannot remain in power. >> reporter: biden says he's not walking back his remark. >> i'm not walking anything back. the fact of the matter is i was expressing the moral outrage i felt. i want to make it clear i wasn't then nor am i now articulating a policy change. i was expressing moral outrage that i feel and i make no apologies for it. >> reporter: the president not ruling out a future meeting with putin.

>> it depends -- no, it's not a question -- the question is, is there something to meet on that would justify him being able to end this war and be able to rebuild ukraine? >> reporter: meanwhile, ukraine now claims the war has caused more than $560 billion in damage to the country's infrastructure and economy. mona. >> em, thank you. turning to the pandemic, a second covid booster shot could be authorized for some americans as soon as tomorrow. the fda is expected to authorize a second booster for people age 50 and over saying it's being offered instead of fully recommended. the cdc must also approve. an early study from israel finds a second booster could reduce the risk of death among seniors by nearly 80%, at least during the first few weeks after the shot is given. we turn now to the fallout from will smith slapping chris rock at the oscars. he's now apologizing directly to rock as we learn about the potential consequences he could face. >> oh, wow. >> this morning, will smith is

apologizing to chris rock for the first time since the actor slapped the comedian for making a joke about his wife, jada pinkett smith. i was out of line and i was wrong reflecting on his actions at the oscars saying, quote, jokes at my expense are part of the job, but a joke about jada's medical condition was too much for me to bear. and i reacted emotionally. ending the post by saying, i am a work in progress. smith's statement is the first time the actor has addressed rock directly. he offered an apology sunday while accepting his best actor oscar but not to rock. >> i want to apologize to the academy, i want to apologize to all my fellow nominees. >> reporter: smith's new apology comes hours after the academy of motion picture arts and sciences condemned his actions saying, quote, we have officially started a formal review and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our bylaws, standards of conduct and california law, and now there are new details about the moments after the slap. "the new york times" reports there were serious discussions about removing smith from the

theater during the 45 minutes between the slap and the award for best actor fueling speculation that smith could be expelled from the academy. the academy's code of standards states, it is categorically opposed to any form of abuse, harassment or discrimination. the code also states, the academy's board can suspend or expel those who violate the code of conduct or who compromise the integrity of the academy. three people have been expelled from the academy in recent years, harvey weinstein, bill cosby and director roman polanski. while smith awaits his potential consequences, the court of public opinion is in full gear. social media platforms have been flooded with reactions and memes. "shameless" star shanola hampton tweeting, quote, there is never a justification for violence never, ever, ever. others are calling out rock's joke as over the line considering pinkett smith suffers from the medical condition alopecia. janet hubert who played his aunt on "the fresh prince of bel-air"

saying there is only so much one can take. sometimes you have to slap back. both actions were incorrect, but chris didn't need to go there. rock has yet to comment on the incident, but a source tells tmz he was unaware of pinkett smith's condition when he made the joke. rock back in 2009 produced "good hair," a documentary about black women's hair in which rock interviews a woman with alopecia. >> the reason hair is so important is because our self-esteem is wrapped up in it. it's like a type of currency for us even though those standards are completely unrealistic. >> reporter: "the hollywood reporter" says the academy's board of governors has called a meeting tomorrow to discuss the will smith incident. >> speaking of the will smith incident, will smith's mother and sister spoke exclusively with our philadelphia station wp last ni they said will's behavior during the oscars came as a complete shock. >> that's the first time i've ever seen him go off, the first

time in his lifetime. >> i've had conversations with him, and it's like it really kind of broke my heart listening to the things that he said he had to go through to get to where he is. >> i am proud of him being him. >> reporter: the family said will always puts his family first and is the one who keeps the family together. >> the house committee investigating the january 6th attack on the u.s. capitol is recommending two more former trump aides be held in contempt of congress. former trade adviser peter navarro and former communications chief dan scavino have refused to comply with subpoenas stemming from attempts to overturn the election. the full house will now decide whether to refer them to the justice department for possible charges. meanwhile, a federal judge has acknowledged it is, quote, more likely than not that former president trump broke the law by trying to block congress from certifying the election. now to the dramatic video from a highway in pennsylvania. a deadly pileup in snowy

conditions. police believe this pileup in northeast pennsylvania involved up to 60 vehicles including several semi trucks. video from the crash on interstate 81 showing one vehicle after another slamming into the pile. >> all of a sudden it was just noise, car hitting car, truck, explosion. >> reporter: a large truck spewing black smoke and orange flames into the air. >> look at that fire. oh, my god. oh, watch out. watch out. oh, god. >> reporter: this driver swerving to avoid a truck, instead slamming into another car. that vehicle spins nearly hitting a person. drivers who got out of their damaged cars were forced to run into the woods for safety as a tow truck came barreling through. >> oh, look at that. i need to get off the road. damn! this is crazy. >> reporter: at least three people were killed. more than a dozen others were sent to the hospital. officials believe a snow squall

clouded visibility and likely contributed to the accident. just last month 50 vehicles were involved in another pileup in that same area. weather was also blamed for that crash. and with that it's time now for a look at your tuesday forecast. it's another january-like morning from the great lakes to the northeast with windchills in the teens and single digits. many of those readings are 20 degrees below normal. meanwhile, severe weather could hit tonight from kansas to texas. tornadoes are possible along with damaging winds and hail and those storms move to the southeast tomorrow. checking today's high temperatures, it's warm ahead of that storm system. 70s and 830s across the south but only 60s in the southwest. coming up, the major retailer that will stop selling cigarettes. also ahead, a massive

avalanche cuts off more than 100 homes. how long it could take to clear the snow. and a new study on the impact of social media that it's having on kids and which teens are the most vulnerable online. ♪ ♪

create a season full of curiosity. your happiest spring starts at lowe's. okay care coalition, alaska airlines is still frontrunner for most caring airline. funshine bear, you did some of your own research, right? i sure did. ♪ according to the web, their program's number one, ♪ ♪ earning alaska miles is quicker and more fun! ♪ cute! ooh, that was wonderful, sweetie! oh, oh, oh, i have a song about their cheese plates. ♪ cheese please! cheese please! cheese please! cheese please! ♪ uh- it's time for lunch. aw... ♪ ♪

back now with a wall of snow that's cut off more than 100 homes outside anchorage, alaska. the avalanche left up to 80 feet of snow across a main road. it could take two more weeks to clear the snow. no one was trapped, and no homes were damaged, but experts called it a once in a century event. the bill dubbed by critics as the don't say gay bill is now law in florida. governor ron desantis signed the measure monday banning instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade.

critics claim the law will marginalize the lgbtq community, but desantis says the law is designed to leave discussion of those subjects up to parents. >> they don't want to admit that they support a lot of things we're providing protections against. for example, they support sexualizing kids in kindergarten. they support injecting woke gender ideology into second grade classrooms. and so what they're doing with these slogans and these narratives is they are trying to camouflage their true intentions. >> desantis says he wants to make sure parents can send their kids to school to get an education, not an indoctrination. walmart says it will stop selling cigarettes in some of its stores even though they boost revenue. the company says decisions to remove cigarettes will be made on a store-by-store basis. locations in california, florida, arizona, and new mexico could be among the first to make the change. there's growing concern about the number of teens on track to developing diabetes.

the rate of pre-diabetes among teens has more than doubled in the last two decades to 28%. african americans have been disproportionately affected. coming up, the nfl's changes. the rules on hiring minority coaches. also ahead, a teenager who became a star on tiktok tells a judge why she needs protection from a stalker, and what the from a stalker, and what the judge decided. i'm so glad we did this. i'm so glad we did this. i'm so glad we did this. i'm so glad we did this. i'm so... ...glad we did this. [kid plays drums] life is for living. let's partner for all of it. i'm so glad we did this. edward jones what's the #1 retinol brand i'm so glad we did this. used most by dermatologists? it's neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair® smooths the look of

fine lines in 1-week, deep wrinkles in 4. so you can kiss wrinkles goodbye! neutrogena® (jackie) i've made progress with my mental health. so when i started having unintentional body movements called tardive dyskinesia... i ignored them. but when the twitching and jerking in my face and hands affected my day to day... i finally had to say, 'it's not ok.' it was time to talk to my doctor about austedo. she said that austedo helps reduce td movements in adults... while i continue with most of my mental health medications. (vo) austedo can cause depression, suicidal thoughts, or actions in patients with huntington's disease. pay close attention to and call your doctor if you become depressed, have sudden changes in mood, behaviors, feelings, or have suicidal thoughts. common side effects include inflammation of the nose and throat, insomnia and sleepiness.

don't take austedo if you have liver problems, are taking reserpine, tetrabenazine, or valbenazine. austedo may cause irregular or fast heartbeat, restlessness, movements mimicking parkinson's disease, fever, stiff muscles, problems thinking, and sweating. (jackie) talk to your doctor about austedo...it's time to treat td. td is not ok. visit askforaustedo.com. we're back now with a new study on teens and social media. it found the more time younger teens spend on social media, the more likely they are to report a lower satisfaction with their lives. researchers found girls ages 11 to 13 and boys 14 to 15 were the most vulnerable. a florida teen who became a star on tiktok is back in the news months after a stalker showed up at her door. abc's rhiannon ally reports this time the teen is worried about her safety because of a boy at school. >> reporter: this morning, a florida tiktok star has taken

the stand, asking for a restraining order against her former classmate. 15-year-old ava majury testifying monday. she first made headlines months ago after police say a stalker from maryland showed up at her home with a shotgun. her father then shooting and killing him. ava says shortly after the shooting, she noticed one of her classmates behaving oddly, following her around school, staring at her. >> tonight is not about the incident that happened on july. it's about the nightmares that i've had ever since. >> reporter: majury and her parents say they filed complaints with the collier county school district, but no action was taken. in court monday, ava also claimed her classmate had been in contact with her stalker from maryland. >> and you have evidence to show that? >> that's the problem. it's an open investigation. >> reporter: ultimately, the florida judge denied the request for a restraining order. >> although today didn't go as we wanted it to, i'm glad i got

my truth out and my story was told. hopefully we can continue this process. >> reporter: ava gained more than a million followers on tiktok during the pandemic. >> about a year ago today, i was a normal 15-year-old girl living my life, playing soccer, going to high school, and spreading positivity all over my social media. now i'm afraid to even leave my house. >> reporter: now she's shifted to remote learning, saying she's afraid to go to school. >> she needs to get her normal life back. she's lived in a post-terror world where she almost was murdered by a crazy person who came from maryland to kill her. >> reporter: ava's dad has not been charged in the stalker's shooting. ava's attorney says she likely won't return to school anytime soon. >> rhiannon, thank you. the nfl is expanding its minority hiring efforts, and it will now require all teams to hire a minority as an assistant offensive coach this season. the new coach can be a female or a member of an ethnic or racial minority. the goal is to increase the

number of minorities who could eventually be hired as head coaches. a thrilling game in college basketball. uconn needed double overtime to beat north carolina state 91-87 last night. the huskies are now headed to their 14th consecutive final four. they face stanford on friday. >> they sent the wolf pack packing. congratulations to uconn. coming up, former president trump's claim about hitting a hole in one. also ahead, an extraordinary also ahead, an extraordinary effort to rescue people with moderate to severe psoriasis, are rethinking the choices they make like the splash they create the entrance they make, the surprises they initiate. otezla. it's a choice you can make. otezla is not a cream. it's a pill that treats plaque psoriasis differently. with otezla, 75% clearer skin is achievable. don't use if you're allergic to otezla. it may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. otezla is associated with an increased risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts or if these feelings develop.

some people taking otezla reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. upper respiratory tract infectio . and may stop treatment. tellabout your medicines, and if you're pregnant or planning to be. otezla. show more of you. you'd think the sax player would be getting ready for his solo... but no. he's currently checkin' his investments. you gotta have a plan outside the band, man. digital tools so impressive, you just can't stop. what would you like the power to do? okay everyone, our mission is to provide complete balanced nutrition for strength and energy. woo hoo! ensure, complete balanced nutrition with 27 vitamins and minerals. and ensure complete with 30 grams of protein. ♪ ♪ where does your almondmilk come from? almond breeze starts here, with our almond trees and our blue diamond orchards in california. my parents job is to look after them, and it's my job to test the product. try new almond breeze extra creamy, our creamiest almondmilk ever.

oh, hello! lucky for me, there's some great golf here in the carolinas. whether you golf or not, geico could help you score some great savings on car insurance. maybe even hundreds of dollars. whoa! [chuckles] hole in one! and that's a par five, mind you. geico. switch today and see all the ways you can save. ♪ time to check "the pulse," and we begin with former president trump's rare achievement on the golf course. >> trump is now confirming he hit a hole in one. one of trump's golfing partners recently posted an image writing, trump just made a hole

in one. some had doubts, so trump put the rumors to rest last night. >> he said, it is 100% true about the hole in one, and he shared video of himself retrieving the ball. trump wouldn't say who won the match because, quote, then you will say i was bragging. >> he apparently used a 5 iron on a 185 yard par 3. next, a felony charge over pickleball. >> the sport has exploded in popularity. it's a mix of tennis, racquet ball and ping pong. i plafr was arrested in denver for felony criminal mischief after allegedly using a sharpie marker to draw boundaries for a pickle ball court on a basketball court at the recreation center. the department is demanding $10,000 in damages. friends say the 71-year-old pickleballplayer is remorseful. >> our son is devastated by this event. he has written a letter to parks and recs apologizing. >> if convicted, he faces up to three years in prison. next, owning too many shows

is a problem most of us wouldn't mind having. but a woman near chicago says enough is enough. >> she had been receiving a steady stream of shoes on her doorstep since last summer. white go-go boots, velvet stilettos, mary janes, not her size, not her style. >> now the mystery has been solved. turns out the shoes are amazon returns destined for china, and there was a mixup with the addresses. finally, rescue teams battled rushing water to save a pooch. >> it started with a woman and her dog in the l.a. river. she was pulled to safety but her dog remained in the water for hours. fortunately a good samaritan went in to help, but the dog broke free after biting the guy several times. eventually the pros took over. >> they got him. they got him. they were able to lasso him in the middle of the river. >> this is not the first canine nor the first human rescue, nor will it be the last. but we do train for this. >> it's believed the dog is back with its owner.

with its owner. my asthma felt anything but normal. ♪ it was time for a nunormal with nucala. nucala is a once monthly add-on treatment for severe eosinophilic asthma that can mean less oral steroids. not for sudden breathing problems. allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for swelling of face, mouth, tongue, or trouble breathing. infections that can cause shingles have occurred. don't stop steroids unless told by your doctor. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. may cause headache, injection site reactions, back pain, and fatigue. ask your asthma specialist about a nunormal with nucala. why is l'oréal hyaluronic acid the #1 serum? so effective, with our highest concentration of hyaluronic acid pure hyaluronic acid attracts water to help visibly replump lines and restore volume revitalift hyaluronic acid serum from l'oréal paris inner voice (furniture maker): i'm constantly nodding... ...because i know everything about furniture ...but with the business side... ...i'm feeling a little lost. quickbooks can help. an easy way to get paid, pay your staff, and know where your business stands. new business? no problem.

success starts with intuit quickbooks. ♪ ♪ flavors so fresh you won't be able to choose a favorite. well... maybe you will. ♪ ♪ if you haven't tried dawn powerwash dish spray, what are you waiting for? well... maybe you will. it's dawn's fastest and easiest way to clean everyday dishes. on simple messes... just spray, wipe and rinse. on tough messes, its spray activated suds have five times faster grease cleaning power to break down grease without water. plus, its targeted spray cleans even hard to reach places better. so, replace your dish soap with dawn powerwash

and spray your dishes clean.

(swords clashing) -had enough? -no... arthritis. here. aspercreme arthritis. full prescription-strength? reduces inflammation? thank the gods. don't thank them too soon. kick pain in the aspercreme.

announcer: building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc 7 news. this is abc 7 news. >> new peace talks underway

between russia and ukraine. ukraine claiming victory as president biden stands by what he said regarding president putin. >> a push to reduce beating in the south bay. the hope that these cameras will slow drivers down. >> the fda is expected to authorize a force shot for people over 50 years old. the omicron variant is on track to become dominant. >> the recent rain is a welcome sight after three of the driest months on record. what governor newsom is now asking for. >> good morning. kumasi is back. kumasi: i missed you all. if all four of us were on the red carpet, it would have been shut down. [laughter] >> there would have been open flames. kumasi: it was so fun. i missed you all. reggie: next year. >>