good morning, america. good morning, america. breaking overnight, will smith resigns from the academy nearly a week after slapping chris rock at the oscars. the benefits he'll lose and the new lengthy apology. plus, more of that abc exclusive with oscars producer will packer. attacks in russia. the kremlin saying ukraine forces carried out this air strike on a fuel depot. what president zelenskyy is now accusing russian forces of doing as they retreat from cities they once controlled. plus, on our doorstep. ukrainian refugees and russian dissidents in mexico ready to seek asylum here, and could the pope be visiting kyiv? energy standoff.

russia demanding that european countries pay for russian fuel with rubles as president biden releases millions of barrels of oil from our reserves. how it could affect your next fill-up. plus, sticker shock, the supermarket items facing price increases and the swaps for savings. ready to run. sarah palin jumps back into politics. the former vice presidential nominee making her first run for public office in more than a decade. under fire, republican congressman madison cawthorn taking heat from his own party after accusing colleagues in washington of organizing lewd parties with drugs. what he said overnight about his comments. and ready to launch. countdown to liftoff of the first all private mission to the international space station. >> and this is opening a new era in human spaceflight. as two teams launch into the ncaa finals, uconn now set to meet south carolina.

sorry, i just have to take a moment to enjoy the fact that south carolina is going to be in the title game. >> you've been very excited about this. >> i'm wearing my garnet and black today. congratulations to both teams. good morning, america. we are so happy to have gio benitez on the desk with us again this morning. we begin with breaking news on the new fallout over that slap on stage during the oscars. >> yeah, will smith overnight submitting a letter resigning his membership in the academy of motion picture arts and sciences as the academy considers additional disciplinary action. >> he also offered up another apology for his actions that shocked the celebrities in the audience and the tv viewers around the world. abc's zohreen shah is at the dolby theatre in hollywood with the latest now. zohreen, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, gio. about a week ago i was standing right here in front of the dolby theatre watching the stars come out. there was a lot of shock, and there was a lot of confusion, and now will smith, one of the biggest actors of our

generation, is resigning from the academy, and he says he is ready to face more consequences. this morning, the shocking resignation. will smith stepping away from the academy nearly a week after assaulting chris rock at the oscars. >> oh, wow. >> reporter: and lashing out at the comedian for an unscripted joke directed at his wife. >> wow. will smith just smacked the [ bleep ] out of me. >> reporter: in a statement released overnight, smith stating in part, my actions were shocking, painful and inexcusable. i betrayed the trust of the academy. i deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. i am heartbroken. i am resigning from membership in the academy of motion picture arts and sciences. smith can still be nominated for future work, but he loses many perks. >> he can't vote for the oscars. he doesn't get any of the perks of being part of that club.

>> reporter: the academy stating overnight they received and accepted smith's immediate resignation, and they will move forward with disciplinary proceedings. smith stating he will fully accept any and all consequences for my conduct. its conduct that was initially very confusing for everyone watching. even the show's producer. in an exclusive interview, will packer telling t.j. holmes he thought the slap was staged. >> i figured, okay, you know, he's going to say something or come at him. something funny is going to happen, because that's the nature of chris, and that's the nature of will. >> reporter: packer also touching on lapd approaching rock about his options. >> that's an absolute fact. the lapd made it clear, we will do whatever you want us to do, and one of the options is that we will go and arrest him right now. >> reporter: the academy states packer is speaking for himself. their next meeting to discuss will smith will be on april 18th. a lot of options could be discussed at that next meeting.

the academy could ban will smith from ever being nominated again. they could ban him from ever attending the oscars again. although, look, most people don't expect him to walk up those stairs again next year, gio. >> all right, zohreen shah in los angeles, thank you. in our next half hour here, many americans, they are divided in their reaction to that slap at the oscars. we're going to dive deeper into that coming up. whit. gio, now to the war in ukraine. ukrainian forces regaining control of multiple towns and new videos posted online show air strikes at a fuel depot in russian territory. officials in moscow saying the attacks were carried out by ukraine as the u.s. and allies coordinate to send more weapons and aid to the region. abc's terry moran is on the ground in lviv with the latest. >> reporter: good morning, whit. this morning, russia continues redeploying more forces from those battlefields right around the capital city of kyiv after those fierce ukrainian counterattacks there. ukrainian officials tell us those russian units are heading east where a major battle is

shaping up as president zelenskyy pleads for more heavy weapons to fight it. this morning, the fallout from that daring surprise attack on a fuel depot inside russia. online video show missiles apprarently fired from two helicopters slamming into fuel tanks near the russian city of belgorod 20 miles from the ukrainian border. flying low and fast, the helicopters make their escape. the kremlin accused ukraine. it's the first time russia has admitted to an attack inside russia by ukraine since the invasion began. ukraine's defense ministry would not confirm or deny their involvement. in the city of mariupol, that besieged and strategically critical port, russia's relentless assault has blocked aid agencies like the red cross from bringing lifesaving relief to roughly 100,000 people there trapped and desperate, and evacuations are stalled. >> behind me there's medicine, there's food, there's hygiene items for people who are really in a great need.

>> reporter: ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy in an interview with fox news renewed his demand for tanks and aircraft to change the dynamic on the battlefields and then at the bargaining table. >> powerful weapons are needed to ukrainians. heavy weapons will give us an opportunity to talk with them at the negotiation table. >> reporter: this morning, "the new york times" reports that the biden administration will work with u.s. allies to send soviet-era tanks to bolster ukrainian forces in the eastern donbas region of the country. ukrainian forces meanwhile claim to have beaten back russian forces north of kyiv, and russians have withdrawn in several locations, but human rights watch says the russians are deploying banned anti-personnel mines to cover their retreat. still, there's pride and moments of jubilation. across ukraine everyone does something in the war effort. we visited the secret warehouse in lviv in western ukraine where volunteers sort, pack and ship out essential goods to the front lines.

everything you see in this vast warehouse has been donated by private citizens around the world. there's medical equipment, humanitarian supplies and munition and military equipment and this first aid kit from chicago. in the car the mayor of lviv tells me something you hear a lot in ukraine. >> i believe in victory. we must. we must for freedom. we must for all democratic countries. >> reporter: they're fighting for us. that's what you hear from ukrainians. meanwhile, pope francis has said that he is considering coming here to ukraine, to kyiv, in what would be an extraordinary call for peace. the pope said the idea is, quote, on the table. eva. >> terry moran for us there in ukraine. and with millions of people fleeing the violence in ukraine, some are making it all the way to the u.s. border to seek asylum. abc's will carr has that story from tijuana. >> reporter: these are the faces

of the ukrainian families camped out at the border in mexico waiting to claim asylum into the united states. this woman's family sleeping on the mexican sidewalks this week. her kids drawing the ukrainian flag in chalk on the concrete to pass the time. what are you telling your kids right now? [ speaking foreign language ] "that the war will be over soon," she tells me, "and that ukraine will rebuild." it's a sentiment shared by the ukrainians on this block in tijuana, a camp growing exponentially over the last week. at times nearly a thousand people packed in. they fly to mexico because it doesn't require a visa to enter the country, then head to tijuana where there is an order to the chaos, ukrainian americans keeping a list on this yellow legal pad of who is next in line. while this is just a small fraction of the more than 4 million refugees who fled ukraine, authorities have only been processing 30 people every couple of hours. >> if the war continues we expect to see more people fleeing the war.

>> reporter: while ukrainians continue to arrive, there are already far more migrants from other countries in tijuana. >> a lot of people stay here for two years. right now these people is in the shelters. the shelter right now is full. >> reporter: federal authorities announcing that title 42, a controversial trump-era policy continued by the biden administration that restricts migrants from seeking asylum during the pandemic, will be phased out in late may. >> it needs to be ended as soon as possible so that people, not just like the ukrainians from all over the world who are seeking refuge have that opportunity. >> reporter: well, the ukrainian camp in mexico continues to grow. federal authorities tell us a big reason why they've decided to wait till the end of may to phase out title 42 is to set up a vaccination program at the border, guys. >> all right, will, thank you. now to actions being taken at home and abroad as the cost of fuel skyrockets around the globe. lama hasan joins us this morning with more. lama, good morning. >> reporter: yeah, good morning to you, gio. russian gas is still flowing

through european pipelines this morning even though president vladimir putin warned on friday he would cut off supplies if countries refuse to pay in russia's currency in rubles. now he's trying to boost the ruble, which has been hit hard by western sanctions. until now contracts have been paid in either euros or dollars so eu countries are refusing to pay in rubles as a breach of existing contracts. the kremlin spokesman dmitri peskov said gas supplies will not be cut off immediately but germany is calling putin's decision blackmail. with the eu relying heavily on russia's supplies, it is the consumer feeling the pinch. energy prices are soaring and responding to the market turmoil the international energy agency announced it will be releasing more oil from its emergency reserves to try to stabilize global energy markets. and, of course, this comes on the heels of president biden's decision to release 1 million barrels of oil a day for the next six months from the strategic petroleum reserves, the largest release ever from the u.s. and, of course, the hope is that this would bring

the price of gas down. the president says the price could come down really significantly, but the question is when. whit? >> yeah, how soon and how much. lama, thank you. and with inflation at its highest levels in decades, the usda releasing a stunning new report about the increase in food prices and the impact on everyday americans. deirdre bolton is joining us now to break it all down. deirdre, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. so this report shows that the cost of products from grocery stors, supermarkets up 1.4% between january and february this year. but look at this from a larger lens. grocery prices higher by 8.6% from february 2021 compared to the previous year. as for the cost of food in restaurants, prices up 0.4% in february of this year, but 6.8% higher than the year before. for this year the usda forecasting grocery prices will climb between 3% and 4%, restaurant food may increase between 5.5% and 6.5%. the biggest culprit, protein.

poultry prices could move up by 6% to 7% this year. the cost of eggs, slightly less, 2 1/2% to 3 1/2%. the best value for your dollar, fresh vegetables. prices didn't really change that much this past february and they are forecast to rise only 1% to 2% this year, so moms everywhere are correct, we all have to eat our veggies. >> we do. we got to listen to mom on that one, but we've been talking about inflation. are there signs pointing to a possible recession? >> reporter: there sure are. it's a huge concern. it's not only groceries, gas, 47% higher right now than it was time this last year, rents are spiking, all kinds of borrowing, more expensive as well. mortgage payments, car payments, credit card rates, all moving higher as the feds raise rates. americans spending more on basics and they have less pocket money. consumer spending two hired thirds of our gdp so

it dictates how far our economy grows. mark zandi at moody's says there is a one out of three chance the economy will go into a recession over the next 12 months. >> let's hope it doesn't go in that direction. deidre, thank you. >> sure thing. turning to sarah palin, the former vice presidential candidate announced overnight that she is running in a special election to fill the vacancy left by republican representative don young who died last month after serving 49 years in the house. abc's karen travers has more. good morning to you, karen. >> reporter: good morning, eva. sarah palin has been out of politics for nearly 13 years, but now she says she's jumping back in, and she is already shaking up the race for alaska's only house seat. the former republican vice presidential candidate writing on facebook, public service is a calling adding, america is at a tipping point. as i've watched the far left destroy the country, i knew i had to step up and join the fight. when john mccain picked her to be his running mate back in

2008, sarah palin was the governor of alaska, but she was unknown to most americans. she quickly became a political star. despite losing that race for the white house and then stepping down as governor, palin became a hero to what became the tea party movement. she helped mainstream the populist strain of republican politics that was later embraced by former president donald trump. in many ways she blazed a trail for trump and his outsider candidacy. palin may have left office, but she remained in the public eye. she wrote some books, she made appearances on cable news, and she even starred in a reality television show, and sarah palin's entry into this house race is already dramatic. "the anchorage daily news" reporting that on friday she was at the election office just before the deadline to file paperwork and palin is joining a very crowded field. there are more than 40 candidates running in the special election, gio. >> all right, we'll see what happens.

karen travers, thank you. we turn to capitol hill where congressman madison cawthorn is responding to the backlash he's received after making some really explosive claims about fellow members of congress. abc's congressional correspondent rachel scott takes a look at what republicans are saying right now. >> reporter: this morning, republican congressman madison cawthorn, under fire from members in his own party after presumably linking gop lawmakers to sex parties and cocaine. >> then all of a sudden you get invited to like, well, hey, we'll have a sexual get-together at one of our homes. you should come. what did you just ask me to come to? and then you realize they're asking you to come to an orgy or the fact some of the people are leading on the movement to try and remove, you know, addiction in our country, and then you watch them do cocaine right in front of you. this is -- this is wild. >> reporter: cawthorn is the youngest member of congress, seen as a rising star in the party. a loyal trump supporter who spoke at that rally on january 6th. >> my friends, i will tell you right now that there's a new

republican party rising. >> reporter: but now republicans say he has crossed the line. house republican leader kevin mccarthy summoned cawthorn to his office to tell him his comments were unacceptable. >> he lost my trust. he'll have to earn it back. he's got a lot of members very upset. >> reporter: mccarthy telling reporters, cawthorn had no evidence and did not tell the truth. sources say cawthorn was asked to publicly apologize. overnight, he claims his comments were taken out of context. >> congressman, what did you make of those comments? >> well, irresponsible. irresponsible. >> reporter: but all of it has left his republican colleagues on capitol hill frustrated. >> i just think it puts us in a bad light. what he's saying can't possibly be true. >> reporter: cawthorn still has one big name in his corner, donald trump. the former president announced cawthorn will be a special guest at his rally in north carolina. rachel scott, abc news, capitol hill. >> our thanks to rachel for that report. now to the pandemic. a ruling overnight allowing new york city's mask mandate for

young children to remain in place amid a recent uptick in covid cases fueled by that new omicron subvariant, ba.2. phil lipof joins us now with more on that. phil, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, guys. it is a win for new york city this morning allowing the mask mandate to remain in place for anyone in a child care setting age 2 or older who were medically able to tolerate a mask need to wear one indoors. parents had sued to end that. a judge sided with them, but overnight an appeal was granted for the city. at the same time, because of the rise in cases attributed to that ba.2 variant, mayor eric adams and the city's health commissioner again want to see masks on more than just children in more than just schools asking everyone to wear masks in indoor settings. the commissioner adding that while there is a great deal of covid fatigue, he acknowledges he is expecting a steady increase in cases of the ba.2 variant in the city, so he is asking new yorkers to use every tool available to protect

themselves. in addition to masks, things like getting vaccinated, boosted and, of course, tested. gio. >> oh, incredible that two years in we are still talking about this. > and still fighting about it. >> yeah. absolutely, phil, thank you so much. it was a busy week of severe weather with dozens of reported tornadoes including this damage from an ef-3 tornado in florida, more severe weather is in the forecast for florida today. but let's go ahead and get a now it is time for a moment now it is time for a moment i've been waiting for all

morning, march madness and the women's championship is set. south carolina ousting louisville overnight, and uconn taking down defending champion stanford to clinch spots in the title game. abc's kenneth moton and fellow gamecock alumni is in minneapolis with the highlights from the final four, and, kenneth, i know who you're cheering for. >> reporter: you know, eva. you already know but, yes, two thrilling games on this court last night, and we are down to two incredible programs, connecticut and south carolina. the huskies trying to be top dogs again after their back-to-back-to-back-to-back national championships a few years ago, but the gamecocks are planning to bring a strong game. >> the south carolina gamecocks are one win away from title number two. >> reporter: the final two. >> and that will do it. >> reporter: overnight, the women lit up the court in minneapolis. in the battle of the

powerhouses, uconn knocking out defending national champion stanford in a march madness nail-biter. the huskies and legendary coach of 37 seasons geno auriemma playing for a national title f the first time since 2016. paige, top scorer, 14 points and you're heading to the big dance. how do you feel? >> i'm really excited. i'm really proud of this team and how far we've come but also a feeling of we're not satisfied and we still got one more game to go. >> just doing exactly what we've been doing and try to like not say, you know, to anybody, none of the players anyway, man, it's the biggest game of their life. [ laughter ] >> reporter: earlier the louisville cardinals falling to the indomitable number one seed the south carolina gamecocks. >> this is a special team we have and we're able to catch the dub and make it to a national championship game. >> reporter: national player of the year aaliyah boston backing up the new title with 23 points and 18 rebounds. hall of famer and coach of the

year south carolina's dawn staley focused on that next and final game. >> we got to get the job done. we got a core group of players in there that left the final four last year in tears, so i want them to -- i want them to cry happy tears on sunday night. >> reporter: and sunday night uconn will be working to get their 12th national championship. the gamecocks, their second. now, guys, as a journalist i say good luck to both, but we all know where eva and i stand, proud gamecock alums here. [ laughter ] >> yes, and i love that you had the subdued gamecock shirt on today. >> we'll be right back. your mission: stand up to moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. and take. it. on... ...with rinvoq. rinvoq a once-daily pill can dramatically improve symptoms... rinvoq helps tame pain, stiffness, swelling. and for some...rinvoq can even significantly reduce ra fatigue. that's rinvoq relief. with ra, your overactive immune system attacks your joints.

rinvoq regulates it to help stop the attack. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tb. serious infections and blood clots, some fatal; cancers, including lymphoma and skin cancer; death, heart attack, stroke, and tears in the stomach or intestines occurred. people 50 and older with at least one heart disease risk factor have higher risks. don't take if allergic to rinvoq as serious reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you are or may become pregnant. talk to your rheumatologist about rinvoq relief. who do you think you are? rioq. lp you save on riv tell your doctor if you are or may become pregnant. canceling plans, commanding a room, being your own biggest fan. who said you could do that? say no to settling, no to compromising. yes to getting all of the above. who? no, really. tell us. who do you think you are? oh, you're you.

and tj maxx is where you can afford to be you to the maxx. (both) [laughing] oh. (purina one mom) blue buffalo huh? (blue mom) yeah. purina one? (purina one mom) yeah. (blue mom) i used to feed purina one, but then i read the ingredients. (purina one mom) oh yeah. (blue mom) yeah, it's right there. (purina one mom) chicken. rice flour. corn gluten meal. whole grain corn. chicken by-product meal. what's in blue? (blue mom) deboned chicken. chicken meal. brown rice. barley. oatmeal. (purina one mom) yeah, but those ingredients cost a lot more. (blue mom) blue's about 40 cents more a day.

that's not too much for my chester. centrum multigummies aren't just great tasting... they're power-packed vitamins... that help unleash your energy. loaded with b vitamins... ...and other key essential nutrients... ...it's a tasty way to conquer your day. try centrum multi gummies. now with a new look. what if you were a major transit system with billions of passengers taking millions of trips every year? you aren't about to let any cyberattacks slow you down. so you partner with ibm to build a security architecture to keep your data, network, and applications protected. now you can tackle threats so they don't bring you to a grinding halt. and everyone's going places, including you. let's create cybersecurity that keeps your business on track. ibm. let's create

♪ (mmm) (mmm) (hmm) (mmmhmm) ♪ milk chocolate beyond words. classic recipe by lindt. boom! i won't be cleaning mold and mildew next week.yond words. thanks to this. did you know lysol disinfectant spray can actually prevent mold and mildew growth? spray it every week to break the cycle. is your bathroom over 10 years old? i'm mike holmes, here with ivan from agm renovations america's kitchen and bathroom renovators thanks mike! bathrooms over 10 years old cause major water damage, flooding, and mold. [mike] ivan, i've seen a lot of this. homeowners often don't realize what's behind the walls. agm are the only bathroom renovation specialists i recommend. visit agmrenovations.com today, and renovate before it's too late!

and remember - we do kitchens too! ♪ agmrenovations.com ♪ announcer: building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc 7 news. >> san francisco's laguna honda hospital is at risk of losing critical funding and facing possible closure. our state and federal regulators are threatening to withdraw

medicare funding. this comes after the hospital reported two nonfatal overdoses last year. laguna honda has until april 14 to fix a number of issues that put the hospital out of compliance. let's get a check of the forecast. lisa: it is a little milder out there. you can see some haze from emeryville. 45 in mountain view with a 43 -- a cool 43 on the coast. upper 30's in santa rosa. we are looking at temperatures once again 10 degrees above average in lynn. upper 70's they are. >> the

hi, i'm jimmy. [ cheers and applause ] please, please, settle down. you're going to offend the other jimmy. >> hi, i'm jimmy fallon, and welcome to "the tonight show." it's freaky friday tonight. >> guillermo is like, what's going on here? yes, we're back with that hilarious late night switch-a-roo. jimmy kimmel and jimmy fallon pulling off a legendary april fools' day surprise. everyone checking the channel. do i have the right channel? same outfits. good stuff. >> that would have been very confusing. >> i always wondered when they were going to do it. i knew it would come at some point. >> which jimmy is it going to be tonight? >> a good april fools' joke. well, we have a lot to talk about this morning. here are some of the stories we're following right now. authorities say hope solo,

the former u.s. women's national team goalkeeper was arrested in north carolina on dwi, resisting an officer and child abuse charges. she was allegedly found passed out behind the wheel with her 2-year-old twins in the backseat. amazon workers in staten island have voted to form a union. it's the first successful american organizing effort in the company's history. amazon is the nation's second largest private employer. the company says it is disappointed in the move and may file objections. and days afer clinching a spot in the world cup, the u.s. men's national team has learned who they'll face in the first round. the americans landed in group b along with england, iran and a yet to be determined winner of a european playoff. the high-profile match-up between the u.s. and england is set for black friday later this year. eva's husband ed, we'll have to have a viewing party together.

that will be a fun game. >> yes, he will enjoy it. hopefully i'll enjoy it too. we start this half hour with the slap seen around the world. will smith's behavior on stage at the oscars when he took aim at chris rock coming under new scrutiny this morning with reactions from across the country. abc's alex presha has more. good morning, alex. >> reporter: good morning, eva. as the fallout from that night continues, there's an ongoing discussion about will smith's actions that night, the joke and natural hair. this morning, a fierce debate over what happened the night that will smith slapped chris rock after an unscripted joke about smith's wife. jada pinkett smith, who has been vocal about her battle with alopecia. >> there's never really a good excuse for violence, and that's not a way to show love. >> you don't think? >> i am against him. >> i think if anybody showed some real masculinity, it's what chris rock did. >> people respond emotionally to things like that but obviously violence is never the answer. >> reporter: a friend close to rock claims the comedian was unaware of her condition. >> we're talking about the oscars. >> reporter: but days later, the incident is still the source of national attention even finding its way into late night comedy.

>> i mean, alopecia. it's not leukemia. okay. alopecia is when your hair out. appalachia, when your teeth fall out. there are worse things. >> the discussion lit up the airwaves on the nationally syndicated radio show "the breakfast club" this week. >> that man had enough. how long do he have to be humble? >> reporter: the incident also spurred conversation about whether this was the appropriate way for smith to defend his wife, particularly over natural hair, a sensitive topic for many black women. >> black women were appreciative of the fact that someone stood up for their wife in a very big way on a global stage because you don't get to see that very often. you know, it really has been about feeling vulnerable in american society for a lot of these women and, again, particularly those with natural black hair. >> reporter: oscars producer will packer telling our t.j. holmes that this is a conversation that's long overdue while still calling out smith's behavior.

>> it's a very valid conversation because black women as a whole don't feel protected and they haven't been protected, but you can't use it to justify inexcusable actions. >> reporter: and sunday's oscars wasn't the first time chris rock joked about jada pinkett smith. >> jada got mad. jada says she's not coming. protesting. i'm like, don't you have a tv show >> reporter: in 2016, rock got laughs at her expense after she called for a boycott of the academy awards he hosted. but some point to will smith's own words as to why he may have acted out that night. "i've always thought of myself as a coward," will smith writing in his autobiography talking about a moment he saw his father assault his mother and how he spent years trying to atone for not stepping in. though sunday was shocking even for her. >> that's the first time i've ever seen him go off. >> reporter: and now after a

lifetime of achievement and role model behavior, some raise concerns over what kind of example has been set. >> my concern going forward is will other young black men who don't have celebrity then feel that i need in order to be a man need to assault someone who may send a bad word to my wife or my partner and i may need to defend in that manner. >> reporter: now, will smith has since apologized to chris rock. he's apologized and resigned from the academy, but the discussion on this is ongoing, and you can only hope that there's some sort of reconciliation between these two titans that so many of us have grown up watching over the years. eva. >> alex presha for us, thank you. and joining us now from l.a. is kelley carter, senior entertainment report at espn "andscape." if you look at social media people have very, very different views on this. can you talk about this great divide, and what is your take on these varied reactions? >> yeah, everybody has an opinion about this.

you know, on one side of the coin you have people that are cheering on will smith for protecting black women, for speaking up for his wife and for doing it in a very public way, and then on the other side of the coin you have people that are saying, chris rock is a comedian, you know what you're going to get with him. this was an inappropriate time and place to do this, and you should never also put your hands on another human being. and everyone is very, very strong in their opinions. you're seeing a lot of these conversations play out on social media. >> one of the other things you can't help but notice, there is a huge cultural divide here as well. >> yeah, you know, african americans in particular, you know, it's difficult i think to have this conversation in a public space because these are two men who have been famous for a very long time and who have contributed greatly to the culture and to the entertainment landscape, and so there's this need to want to protect the integrity of both men, so it's difficult to have a very public

conversation about this, and i think that's what people are kind of seeig play out right now. >> let's talk about what the future looks like. will smith resigned his membership in the academy. so what's next for him? and can his career recover from this? >> i think that his career can recover from this. i think what we probably should take away from his most recent statement is we should expect that he's going to lay low for a little bit, see if the dust settles and then re-emerge. i mean, the point of the matter is that will smith still is one of the world's biggest box office stars. i don't know if this one incident will be forever defining for him moving forward. but it remains to be seen. i think one thing is certain is people want to hear a little bit more from him, and people still want to hear from chris rock too. >> and we have a little bit more time, so i want to hear what you have to say about like what happens to chris rock next. >> i mean, chris rock right now is coming out of this looking pretty good. imean, he is the consummate professional. i think that's the takeaway

after you listen to t.j. holmes' sit-down with will packer, after you've heard what friends close to him like wanda sykes and charlamagne have said about chris' immediate response. chris apologized to the hosts and he apologized to will packer that this took away from a moment that they all should have been able to celebrate, and so i think people are -- however you feel about chris rock, however wrong you feel he was to make a joke on the oscar stage on sunday night, people are feeling like he walked out of this being a professional, because he, you know, kept his composure in a moment that clearly shocked him and shocked everyone else who was witnessing it. >> to the point that people are still talking about it. kelley carter, thanks so much for being with us. gio. >> thanks for having me. all right, it is time now for the weather. that snow in west virginia yesterday was not an april fools' joke. more light snow will fall from the

all right, coming up here on "good morning america," amto upgrade their jobs in the face of growing inflation. what it could mean for your own job search. and prepare to launch. who's on board the first ever private mission to the international space station. my a1c stayed here, it needed to be here. ruby's a1c is down with rybelsus®. my a1c wasn't at goal, now i'm down with rybelsus®. mom's a1c is down with rybelsus®. (♪ ♪) in a clinical study, once-daily rybelsus® significantly lowered a1c better than a leading branded pill. 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. need to get your a1c down? (♪ ♪) about rybelsus® today. hey! it's me! your dry skin! i'm craving something we're missing. the ceramides in cerave. they help restore my natural barrier, so i can lock in moisture. we've got to have each other's backs... cerave. now the #1 dermatologist recommended skincare brand. 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. if you don't repaint every now and then, it's like the old you is still hanging around.

younger zoe: i'm listening to music. so today, let's paint... ...with behr, america's most trusted paint brand, and make your home, yours. behr. exclusively at the home depot. ♪ it wasn't me by shaggy ♪ you're never responsible for unauthorized purchases on your discover card. 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. unless told by your docto. 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.

care coalition, where are we on alaska airlines? we found that people are raving about their customer care. i mean, take a look at this! wow! [dog barks] says here they have the most flights from the west coast. they fly to chicago, hawaii, cancun! wow! do they fly to my magical faraway kingdom of care-a-lot, way up in the clouds where anything is possible? they have direct flights to vegas. close enough! ♪ ♪

welcome back to "gma" and the great upgrade. more americans looking to cope with rising inflation and a job position that fits their lifestyle are submitting their resumes. deirdre bolton has more. >> reporter: this morning, millions of americans squeezed by inflation. left without enough money to cover basics, a recent survey from salary finance shows one in five americans runs out of money before payday. >> when you're living paycheck to paycheck, it hits you like a ton of bricks. >> reporter: ross is a single father from pennsylvania. he's working multiple jobs to make ends meet. he is a multimedia ad producer during the day. bartender at night. >> it's a struggle to survive every single day. >> reporter: and he's not alone. >> these numbers are not good.

they show a lot of people are in trouble. >> reporter: but a recent bright spot with the march jobs report, 431,000 jobs were added to the u.s. economy. the 11th straight month of an amount higher than 400,000. the unemployment rate is also down to 3.6%, almost back to pre-pandemic levels. for many workers, especially women who left the job market due to responsibilities at home including child care, that means they can look for new or better jobs. >> employers know there is a tight labor market and in order to attract and retain their top talent, they're being more flexible. >> reporter: savannah felt stuck in her job at the height of the pandemic. she found a new one and with the state of the job market sees a chance to upgrade again. >> i just want something that i genuinely would like to do. i don't want to hate getting up in the morning. >> reporter: for some, many opportunities may mean a nontraditional schedule or permanent work from home. >> evaluate the whole package. that includes their health care, benefits, perks.

>> reporter: other suggestions for job seekers, know the marketplace for your skill set and know your worth. don't be afraid to negotiate. think about details ahead of time including salary and hours. cast a wide net if you can work remotely. many are no longer limited by zip code. one other expert tip, have your resume up to date, be ready to go. you never know when you're going to meet a new contact, and if your materials are ready, well, then you will be too. >> got to be prepared. >> that's right. >> all right. deirdre, thanks so much. >> sure. coming up here on "gma," meeting the crew on the first private astronaut mission to the international space station. stay with us. international space station. stay with us. like the tens of thousands of people who were diagnosed with certain hpv-related cancers. for most people, hpv clears on its own. but for those who don't clear r r r e viru, it can cause certain cancers. gardasil 9 is a vaccine given to adults through age 45 that can help protect against certain diseases caused by hpv. including cervical, vaginal, vulvar, anal, and certain head and neck cancers,

such as throat and back of mouth cancers, and genital warts. gardasil 9 doesn't protect everyone and does not treat cancer or hpv infection. your doctor may recommend screening for certain hpv-related cancers. women still need routine cervical cancer screenings. you shouldn't get gardasil 9 if you've had an allergic reaction to the vaccine, its ingredients, or are allergic to yeast. tell your doctor if you have a weakened immune system, are pregnant, or plan to be. the most common side effects include injection site reactions, headache, fever, nausea, dizziness, tiredness, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and sore throat. fainting can also happen. help protect what counts. talk to your doctor or pharmacist about gardasil 9. 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. (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. ♪ ♪ you guys ever try one of these bars made over at right twix? why? our special cookie is cascaded with caramel and cloaked in chocolate. you never wondered? [ whoosh! zap! ] [ glass breaks ] aah! [ male announcer ] try both. pick a side. twix. even the smallest surprise... can make a big memory... worthy of passing on.

kinder joy treat plus new spring toys a little surprise goes a long way and we are back now on "gma" to tell you about the first ever private astronaut mission to the

international space station. the crew is set to lift off next week on a trip of a lifetime. this morning, we're just days away from that historic launch to the international space station, the first all private crew to the iss, a ten-day mission with the private space company axiom. former nasa astronaut michael lopez-alegria is the commander. >> this is opening a new era. human space flight. >> reporter: going with him eytan stibbe and mark pathy and pilot larry conner. all entrepreneurs spending tens of millions to launch aboard a spacex crew dragon. >> we are taking the first step in a next generation platform initiative that's going to bring working, living and research in space to a much broader and more international audience. >> reporter: "gma" speaking with conner last year. at 72 years old he will be the second oldest person to go to the iss. john glenn was 77.

what's your wife saying to you? >> she's seen me do a lot of really unusual things, so the look is usually like this and that's, here he goes again. >> reporter: the crew will spend eight full days on the international space station. among the goals, scientific research, especially medical. >> we are ready to fly. >> reporter: axiom is the same company that announced in january that it plans to build a production studio module for the space station as part of a plan to launch tom cruise into space to film a movie. and the launch is scheduled for wednesday at noon eastern time, of course, we will all be watching. and we'll be right back with our "play of the day." 'll be rih our "play of the day." ♪ rich, indulgent chocolate with a luscious caramel filling.

with love from san francisco. ghirardelli caramel squares. makes life a bite better. what's going on...? jake from state farm! the perp just confessed. i think... i don't know. uh... what? oh, i can't afford streaming anymore. so... here we are. don't give up what you love. state farm has options to personalize your policies, so you get a rate that fits your budget. oh, that's great. cause subtitles would be nice! for surprisingly great rates that fit any budget... like a good neighbor, state farm is there.® call or click to get a quote today. like a good neighbor, state farm is there.® before discovering nexium 24hr to treat her frequent heartburn... claire could only imagine enjoying chocolate cake. now, she can have her cake and eat it too. nexium 24hr stops acid before it starts for all-day, all-night protection. can you imagine 24 hours without heartburn?

i have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. now, there's skyrizi. with skyrizi 3 out of 4 people achieved 90% clearer skin at 4 months, after just 2 doses. skyrizi may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. before treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tuberculosis. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms such as fevers, sweats, chills, muscle aches or coughs,

or if you plan to or recently received a vaccine. ♪ nothing is everything ♪ talk to your dermatologist about skyrizi. learn how abbvie could help you save. ♪ ♪

talk to your dermatologist about skyrizi. create a season full of curiosity. your happiest spring starts at lowe's. at hampton by hilton, hot breakfast means daddy-daughter time and waffles with extra chocolate sauce. and extra giggles. and extra napkins. book our family of brands at hilton.com. to new memories. hilton. ♪ ♪ ♪ and we are back now with our "play of the day" and a little concert confusion. emily's mom thought that she bought tickets for them to see a red hot chili peppers concert. when they reached the venue, they got a big surprise. take a look at what was actually on stage.

♪ see the difference? close. the red hot chili pipers. pipers, not peppers billed as the most famous bagpipe band on the planet. afterwards emily said they still had a great time. the show was awesome and new love for bagpipe music. >> it looks like a good show. >> great show. >> and they probably played some red hot chili peppers? >> not sure about that. we'll be back in a moment.

>> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc 7 news. liz: good morning, everyone. i liz kreutz. i hiring a bit, hoping to hire more than 100 people. usps says they are looking for mail handlers, clerks, delivery,

and breeders. jobs are open to anyone 23 and older. the job openings are today on shoreline avenue. volunteers will be out to beautify a cleanup china state park. this is just one of several planned the volunteer events in partnership with the foundation. they will work to clear areas to help staff retread the trail, for better :00 to 11:00 this morning. -- from 9:00 to 11:00 this morning. we thing? lisa: temperatures are cool. 45-- lisa? lisa: temperatures are not that cool. looking at the golden gate bridge, the sea breeze cover get to play today, but that will not keep the temperatures down.

cool at the coast, 47 napa, 43 livermore. the afternoon sea breeze, look at san francisco, 67, high clouds, low 70's across the bay, with upper 70's inland. today, and warm day, as much as 10 degrees above average. we get in the sunday, and we are looking cooler, by about five to 10 degrees. winds will pick up before we turn road with summerlik

good morning, america. it's our second hour. breaking overnight. will smith resigning from the academy less than a week after slapping chris rock on stage at the oscars. what giving up his membership means for the best actor winner. regaining control. ukrainians taking back multiple cities as the kremlin accuses ukraine of air strikes. the u.s. and allies coordinating to send more aid and weapons. we're on the ground in ukraine with the latest. food prices on the rise. what a new usda report reveals about those sky-high grocery price tags, and how to get more bang for your buck. formula 1 driver lewis hamilton opening up. his struggles with mental health, this as f1's popularity hits the fast lane.