elizabeth schulze, abc news, washington.: worries about an imminent invasion of the ukraine sent stocks plummeting. the dow ended the day down more than 500 points, 34,738. the nasdaq was off 334 points. the s&p 500 dropped 85 points. dan: abc 7 news spoke with a man who runs a charity that provides aid to the ukraine. he is understandably on edge, of course, about what is going on back home. >> ukraine will fight very hard to keep its independence and sovereignty. this will not be an is it, quick war -- this will not be an easy or quick war. i feel like we need to unite together to fight stop putin. we really need help from the u.s.. dan: russia has invaded ukraine before. in 2014, troops took over the crimean peninsula and russia annexed it. ama: still ahead, acknowledging a dark part of american history care coalition, it's so good to see you all! alright! let's brainstorm. any ideas for new members? i'd like to nominate alaska airlines. this neck pillow i'm dating says great things! a caring airline?! wait, those exist?!

abc's elizabeth schulze has more on this story. rning. the olympics are putting a spotlight on how some young athletes are buckling under intense pressure and what coaches and parents can do to help. this morning a new push to ease the pressure on young athletes after 15-year-old star figure skater kamila valiyeva meltdown on the olympic stage. >> we were viewing the adults failing these young teenage girls. we were viewing abuse on the biggest stage in the whole world. >> reporter: now a movement to raise the minimum age for female olympic skaters from 15 to 17 is gaining traction. >> i truly believe that the age limit needs to be increased. right now we're seeing that this push of what can you get done before you go through puberty and it's really detrimental. >> reporter: former olympic cater adam rippon watched in horror and disbelief as the russian phenom embroiled in doping allegations fumbled her free state routine and other while her coach seemed to be scolding her as she burst into tears coming off the ice. her teammates wi

elizabeth schulze, abc news, washington. dion: to the peninsula, where families received free covid tests and masks today at libraries across san mateo county. libraries began giving away four at home antigen rapid tests and five masks per household. no appointments are necessary, and everything is available first-come, first-served. libraries are closed tomorrow, but if there are supplies left, they will be available monday until the kits are all given away. >> it is terrific. i would like to see it publicized more because it is not something i have heard about before i came in. if i had known, i probably would have made a beeline right to the library to pick these up earlier. dion: today was also today wasa day that free covid 19 home tests were available from the santa clara county library district. if you want to stay up-to-date on the latest covid headlines, we have more information on our website, including a place where you can ask questions. all that can be found at abc7news.com/coronavirus. just ahead, four people w

inflation, forced to make some painful decisions about how to stretch their paychecks, and abc's elizabeth schulzeg. >> reporter: hey, gio, good morning. well, the national average price for a gallon of gas is up 18 cents in the past month, and this is just one part of the economy where families are feeling the pinch and making financial trade-offs because of higher inflation. this morning, with prices rising at the fastest pace in four decades, soaring inflation is squeezing americans' budgets. grocery prices up more than 7% over the past year. forcing danielle clarkson in washington state to cut back on food purchases for her family of four. >> it's not just, you know, one thing or two things that's going up. it's everything all at once. are we going to have enough for gas in our budget? are we going to have to borrow from our savings or miscellaneous that we budget for? >> reporter: at the capital area food bank in washington, d.c., more families are showing up seeking fresh produce and meatd. me peoplare cong in worst was over, and i didn't have to stand in this line to be able to get food any

abc's elizabeth schulze has more. >> lia thomas will ca 2 freestyle with a time of 1:43.12 seconds.friday the ivy en's cha. >> 3.78, so lia thomas, a new pool record, a new meet record. >> reporter: thomas who was assigned male at birth competed on penn's men's team for three seasons before undergoing more than two years of hormone therapy. struggling to define its rules for trans athletes like thomas, the ncaa reversed course on a policy this season requiring competitors to undergo a year of estrogen or testosterone suppression to be able to compete. isaac henning, a trans man with delayed hormone treatment competes on the women's team and has beaten thomas in competition. in an interview with "nightline's" juju chang he defended thomas. >> i think she's, you know, incredibly strong for doing what she continues to do as she should. you know, she deserves to be here just as much as anyone. >> reporter: schuyler bailer the first openly transgender athlete on a division 1 men's team calls thomas' success a step forward for trans representation. >> watching a trans person thrive in spo