news app on your cell phone or connect to tv. i'm tom hanson, cbs news, new york. it's thursday, march 31st, 2022. this is the "cbs morning news." bad intel? the pentagon says advisers are lying to vladimir putin about russia's progress in ukraine. how it could jeopardize a peace deal. hunter biden investigation. the president's son comes under more scrutiny as documents shed new light on his business deals with a chinese company. breaking his silence. for the first time chris rock talks about getting slapped by will smith at the oscars. well, good morning, and good to be with you. i'm anne-marie green. military forces in ukraine are under new attacks, and this is after russia claimed that it would scale back operations near the capital of kyiv. in his nightly address,

president volodymyr zelenskyy said that his country's defense against the invasion is at a turning point, and he called for tanks, aircraft, and artillery systems. russia continued bombarding areas near kyiv yesterday, throwing doubt on a potential progress in the peace talks which continue tomorrow. bradley blackburn is in new york with the very latest. bradley, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. there's another factor complicating those peace talks -- a growing sense that russia' information about what's happening with his own troops on the ground. the white house says senior advisers to russian president vladimir putin are afraid to tell him the truth about the war in ukraine. >> we believe that putin is being misinformed by his advisers about how badly the russian military is performing. >> reporter: officials say that could complicate a future peace agreement if putin thinks he's in better shape than he really is. >> he may not be fully understand the degree to which his forces are failing in ukraine. that's a little discomforting.

>> reporter: a top british spy chief noted the struggles russian forces are having in the battlefield. >> we've seen russian soldiers short of weapons and morale refusing to carry out orders, sabotaging their own equipment, and even accidentally shooting down their own aircraft. >> reporter: tatiana chornovol is a former politician and mother of two. now she serves on ukraine's front lines taking out tanks. she told cbs news this was one of her hits. "the russians are fighting stupidly," she says, "they don't have a strategy or tactics. they're falling into the same traps." ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy thanked president biden for an additional $500 million in aid which will go services. and there are new numbers from the united nations this morning. they say four million people have fled ukraine since the russian invasion began. that number is more than the

worst case predictions that were made at the start of the war, and anne-marie, roughly half of those refugees are children. >> bradley blackburn, thank you so much. >> thank you. here at home, powerful storms packing dangerous winds and possible tornadoes are pounding parts of the south this morning including places that were hard hit by severe weather just last week. seven people were hurt in arkansas yesterday after a tornado tore through the region destroying homes and businesses. a school in springdale near the missouri and oklahoma borders was heavily damaged. no one was inside at the time, though. in louisiana, a tree crashed through the roof of a home narrowly missing a baby sleeping in a bed. >> i said, wait a minute. let me go through the wash room. i went through the wash room, to my room, and the baby was sitting up between two trees on the bed. and she was smiling at me.

>> in jackson, mississippi, a large tree snapped and crashed right outside the governor's mansion. more than 100,000 people are still without power in several states this morning. president biden will outline his plan on how to reduce gas prices in the u.s. oil prices have shot up after steep sanctions were placed on russia following its invasion of ukraine. mr. biden is expected to order the release of up to one million barrels of oil per day from the nation's strategic petroleum reserve for several months. the national average price of gas is currently $4.23 a gallon. that is 62 cents more than last month. california's average price of $5.91 a gallon is the highest in the nation. and there are new details about the federal investigation into president biden's son, hunter, and his business dealings with chinese energy company. here's catherine herridge. >> reporter: multiple sources tell cbs news that the federal investigation into hunter

biden's business practices is broader than previously known. the probe is exploring whether the younger biden and his associates violated tax, money laundering, and foreign lobbying laws. business records reviewed by cbs news and documents released by republicans in congress indicate multiple financial transactions involving hunter biden, his firm, and a chinese energy company called cefc. republicans allege that the company is an arm of the chinese government. in 2017, the year after joe biden left the vice presidency, a $1 million retainer was signed with the chinese energy company for hunter biden's services as a lawyer. his clients, a cefc official, patrick ho, was later convicted of international bribery and money laundering charges for unrelated work in africa. this week on the senate floor, republican chuck grassley presented financial records that he said showed six-figure payments from the chinese energy company to hunter biden's firm. >> hunter biden and james biden

served as the perfect vehicle by which the communist chinese government could gain inroads here in the united states. >> reporter: allegations about hunter biden's foreign dealings reached a fever pitch during the 2020 campaign. >> hunter was being paid for access to his vice president father. >> reporter: earlier this month white house spokesperson jen psaki was asked about the current investigation. >> i pointed to the department of justice and hunter biden's representatives. i'm a spokesperson for the united states. he doesn't work for the united states. >> reporter: an attorney for hunter biden did not respond to cbs news. last year he told correspondent anthony mason the president did not financially benefit. >> have you ever given your father money from any of your business ventures? >> no, no. >> nothing? >> nothing. >> directly or indirectly? >> directly or indirectly. >> reporter: the white house declined to comment on the record and directed reporters to earlier statements that president biden has never

considered being in business with his family or any businesses overseas. catherine herridge, cbs news, washington. comedian chris rock was back on the standup stage for the first time since will smith slapped him at the oscars. now rock briefly referred to the incident during a soldout show last night in boston. he said that he was still processing what happened, and at some point he would talk about it. he received several standing ovations. smith slapped rock for making a joke about his wife. ticket prices for rock's previously scheduled show last night skyrocketed after the confrontation. >> i guess i was hoping he would say something. but i wasn't surprised, you know. taking the high road. >> he has a script written from prior to the weekend, so he's going to go with that. >> smith apologized to rock on monday, admitting that he was out of line. meanwhile, the organizers of the academy awards say smith was asked to leave sunday's oscars after he slapped rock, but he refused.

the academy's board of governors announced that it has started disciplinary proceedings against smith which could include suspension, expulsion, or other sanctions. the academy says smith has until april 18th to respond. coming up, switching teams. the coach who led st. peter's to a historic run in march madness is leaving for another school. we're going to tell you where he's headed. and later, bruce willis' diagnosis. the condition that's causing him to step back from his acting career. this is the "cbs morning news." is is the "cbs morning news." people with moderate to severe psoriasis, or psoriatic arthritis, are rethinking the choices they make like the splash they create the way they exaggerate the surprises they initiate. otezla. it's a choice you can make. otezla is not an injection or a cream it's a pill that treats differently. for psoriasis, 75% clearer skin is achievable, with reduced redness, thickness, and scaliness of plaques. for psoriatic arthritis, otezla is proven to reduce

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and the coach for st. peter's men's basketball team is headed to a new school, and the president is calling for new covid money. those are some of the headlines on the "morning newsstand." "the washington post" reports president biden pressed congress for new covid funding as he received his second booster shot. mr. biden was given the extra dose yesterday at the white house. it came one day after the fda authorized a second booster for people 50 and older. the president urged lawmkers to approve tens of billions of dollars to continue to fight the pandemic. >> if we need a different vaccine for the future to combat a new variant, we're not going to have enough money to purchase it. we cannot allow that to happen. congress, we need to secure additional supply now. >> the president also announced the launch of a new website, covid.gov, as a one-stop place to find vaccines, tests, and treatments.

espn says seton hall hired shaheen holloway as the new men's basketball coach after his historic run at st. peter's. holloway led the peacocks to the elite eight at the ncaa tournament before losing to north carolina last weekend. they're the first number 15 seed to ever make it that far. holloway was a star player at seton hall and later became an assistant coach. he reportedly agreed to a six-year deal. and the "associated press" says astronomers discovered the farthest star ever seen. an international team spotted the super hot, super bright, giant star with the help of the hubble space telescope. it's about 28 billion light years from earth. it formed nearly 13 billion years ago, about 900 million astronauts say that it may have been among the first generation of stars created after the start of the universe. still to come, dunkin' is running on something new. the doughnut chain is helping you get glammed up in the morning with a new collaoration.

here's a look at the forecast in some cities around the country. ♪ look who made a cameo in front this. -- front of this weather camera for a tv station in montana. this curious owl stole the show in downtown great falls yesterday. sometimes the camera catches birds or insects. the owl took flight before the morning broadcast. on the cbs "money watch," you can feel safer about your next cruise vacation, and dunkin' has a doughnut inspired make-up collaboration. what a collabo. diane king hall is in new york. good morning. can't wait to hear about that, diane. >> we've got so much from the owl to the make-up. all right.

let's get into it. let's talk futures first. they are pointing to a flat open this morning after wall street lost ground yesterday breaking a four-day winning streak. oil prices climbed, and investors are keeping an eye on the uncertain progress of peace talks between russia and ukraine. the dow ultimately fell 65 points. the nasdaq dropped 177, and the s&p 500 gave up 29. encouraging news for the cruise industry and anyone wanting to set sail following two years of some of the toughest restrictions. the cdc lifted its cdc warning yesterday but the agency advises travelers to be up to date on their vaccines before getting on a ship. according to one report, cruise companies lost collectively $63 billion and thousands of jobs between 2020 and 2021. google spinoff waymo is expanding its driverless taxi s francis. the company has run driverless n

the phoenix area for the past two years already. for the time being, only google employees will be able to use the san francisco robo taxis. no word on when they will be offered to the public. and wake up to make-up. dunkin' has teamed up with elf cosmetics to launch a limited edition make-up collection inspired by, of course, coffee and doughnuts. the wake-up and make-up collection includes the dunkin' dozen eye shadow inspired by doughnut colors, doughnut forget putty primer, and glaze for days scented lip glosses. prices range from $6 to $16. you can buy them at elf or ulta beauty stores. >> and you can complete the whole look -- whole look by sprinkling on maybe a little coffee, you know. >> yes. >> the heat points -- >> a little sprinkle, a little something, a little sparkle or something, like that. i hope they do dunkin' pink. >> something we should talk about -- these collaborations. we often end with quirky collaborations, and i wonder why companies do it. does it make a difference in terms of boosting -- >> i would try this.

>> okay then. there you go. >> i would. >> you heard it here. it does work. diane king hall, good morning, and thank you. >> thank you. up next, bruce willis' struggle. the health challenge that he's facing as he steps away from his career. ps away from his career. this is the sound of nature breathing. and this is the sound of better breathing. fasenra is a different kind of asthma medication. it's not a steroid or inhaler. fasenra is an add-on treatment for asthma driven by eosinophils. it's one maintenance dose every 8 weeks. it helps prevent asthma attacks, improve breathing, and lower use of oral steroids. nearly 7 out of 10 adults with asthma may have elevated eosinophils. fasenra is designed to target and remove them. fasenra is not a rescue medication or for other eosinophilic conditions. fasenra may cause allergic reactions. get help right away if you have swelling of your face,

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here's a look at the forecast in some cities around the country. ♪ "diehard" star bruce willis

"diehard" star bruce willis has retired from acting after being diagnosed with a language disorder called aphasia. his family says the disorder is impacting the 67-year-old actor's cognitive abilities. sferts -- experts say that the condition can affect your ability to speak, write, and understand language. >> aphasia's probably one of the worst neurological symptoms because if it's targeted specifically at that language processing, people could be interactive, but to lose that - ability it's extremely frustrating. >> doctors say the most common type of the condition are related to stroke sometimes from a traumatic brain injury or a type of dementia. willis' family reached out to fans on instagram saying this is a really challenging time for

our family, and we are so appreciative of your conditioned love, compassion, and support. we are moving through this as a strong family unit and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him. more changes for the tampa bay buccaneers. while tom brady is back, head coach bruce arians is out. 69-year-old arians is retiring as coach after eight years. he led the bucs to a super bowl title in 2020. he will take an front office job, rather. the team announced defensive coordinator todd bowles will replace him as coach. the u.s. men's soccer team is returning to the world cup. the u.s. secured a spot despite the loss to costa rica yesterday. this will be the first world cup appearance since 2014. the 2022 world cup will be held in qatar in november. and coming up first on "cbs mornings," we'll speak with bestselling author brene brown

about her new docuseries out today called "brene brown: atlas of the heart." i'm anne-marie green. this is the "cbs morning news." of the heart." i'm anne-marie green. this is the "cbs morning news." from the inside out? say "yes" to nature's bounty. the number one brand for hair, skin and nails. with our signature blend of health and beauty nutrients to bring out more of your inner beauty. nature's bounty. live bountifully. for your most brilliant smile, crest has you covered. “nice smile, brad.” “nice!” “thanks?” crest 3d white. 100% more stain removal. crest. the #1 toothpaste brand in america.

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with hyper-gig speeds. i didn't know you went to this school. we have a lot in common. live like a gigillionaire with at&t fiber. now with speeds up to 5-gigs. limited availability. our top stories this morning -- ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy says that his country's defense against the russian invasion is at a turning point. it came hours after russia reneged on a pledge to scale back some military operations, undermining hopes for a peace deal. the white house says advisers to russian president vladimir putin are afraid to tell him how badly the russian military is faring in ukraine. and comedian chris rock was back on the standup stage for the first time since will smith slapped him at the oscars. rock briefly referred to the incident during a soldout show last night in boston. he said that he was still processing what happened, and at some point he would talk more about it. after being delayed by

covid, the 64th grammy awards is taking place this weekend. danya bacchus has a preview. >> reporter: music's biggest night will have a new look again. for the first time in grammy history, the awards show is taking place in las vegas. trevor noah is back as the host. >> it's going to be as intimate as last year but with an air of relaxation that we didn't have the last time around. ♪ >> reporter: this year, jazz artist and "late show with stephen colbert" band leader jon batiste leads the nominations with 11 including album and record of the year. ♪ but it's newcomer olivia rodrigo who is expected to win big with seven nominations. >> olivia was the breakout artist of last year. she had the killer song, she had the killer story, she had the familiarity from being in "high school musical." >> reporter: along with rodrigo,

bts, lil nas x, billie eilish, brothers osbourne, and h.e.r. are some of the artists expected to perform. >> i'm excited to see anybody on stage. that's what makes the grammys amazing is it's basically the year's biggest all-around concert. >> reporter: this year's show doesn't come without a little drama. rapper ye, formerly known as kanye west, has been barred from performing, but with five grammy nods can still attend the show. >> not all the awards he is nominated for are in the main show. but album of the year certainly is. and if he wins that or a different televised award again, he could walk up, he can say heaven knows what. >> reporter: rock group foo fighters is nominated for three grammys and was scheduled to perform but canceled all of their upcoming tour dates due to the untimely death of drummer taylor hawkins. danya bacchus, cbs news, los angeles. you can watch the grammy awards this sunday right here on cbs. it's also going to stream live on paramount plus.

coming up on "cbs mornings," a new series exploring the metaverse. tony dokoupil looks at the possibilities of the virtual world and its impact on everyday life. plus, in the series "changing the game," we'll meet the co-founder of thirteen lune, an, commerce beauty website that supports diverse entrepreneurs. first on "cbs mornings," we'll speak with bestselling author brene brown about her docuseries on the today called "brene brown: atlas of the heart." that's the "cbs morning news" for this thursday. thanks for watching. i'm anne-marie green. have a great day. ♪ have a great day. ♪