[MUSIC PLAYING] LINSEY DAVIS: Mass shooting foiled. High powered rifles, shotguns, handguns, and a large cache of ammunitions. How authorities are saying a mass shooting was averted in one of the country's biggest cities. Spy balloon. US officials confirm China has a giant spy balloon surveilling the US in none other than Montana. A device the size of three buses. How the government is responding and what, if any, international laws may have been broken. Arctic blast. A brutal and dramatic temperature drop could be the coldest felt in years. The latest on the powerful cold front hitting large parts of the country, with some areas expecting windchills that could be as low as 65 degrees below. Plus, kicked off the dramatic escalation on Capitol Hill after Republicans voted to oust Congresswoman Ilhan Omar from a top committee. We'll speak to one of the congresswoman's Democratic colleagues for reaction and how her party expects to respond. And stolen orphans in Prime Original tonight, we go deep into the untold story of the children of Ukraine taken and transported into Russia after troops took the entire orphanage. We speak with one expecting parent who says she was traumatized over the fate of her adopted daughter and fought to get her back. - And at that point, I just-- I was really starting to feel very hopeless. If they're really captured by the Russians, there's a good chance we never get to see her again. - Good evening, everyone. I'm Linsey Davis. Thank you so much for streaming with us. We're following all that and much more, including the shocking killing of a New Jersey Councilwoman and the desperate search for her killer, plus the strange theft of 12 Monkeys from a zoo. But first, it might seem like a scene out of a spy movie. But tonight, the Pentagon has confirmed a Chinese spy balloon the size of three buses was spotted in American skies. It happened right over the state of Montana. And air traffic was actually grounded in and around Billings briefly on Wednesday. Late today, senior defense officials confirmed this isn't the first time a balloon like this has been spotted over the US. But this time, they're saying there is one key difference. We're also learning President Biden was briefed on the incident and even asked for military options. So what was he advised to do? And how much of a possible threat is this balloon? We've got you covered. ABC News live anchor Terry Moran leads us off tonight from Washington. TERRY MORAN: Tonight, a senior defense official says authorities are tracking a giant Chinese spy balloon that has been hovering over the northern US for several days. CHASE DOAK: This thing is up in the sky. And I have no idea what it is. PATRICK RYDER (ON AUDIO): The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now. TERRY MORAN: Sources tell ABC News, the unmanned, high-altitude balloon is the size of three buses with a technology bay underneath. Officials say President Biden asked for military options, but decided to follow the recommendation of senior military leaders not to shoot the balloon down due to safety risks for people on the ground. That balloon spotted over Montana forcing a temporary ground stop Wednesday at the airport in Billings. That ground stop covering a 50 mile radius. No flights, including commercial air traffic, were allowed to land or take off for at least an hour. Montana is home to several sensitive nuclear weapons sites. The US moved quickly to shield them. PATRICK RYDER (ON AUDIO): Once the balloon was detected, the US government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information. - Really seems like something out of a movie. Terry Moran joins us now from the White House. Terry, we know the Pentagon briefed reporters on this late today. What are officials saying about the suspected Chinese spy balloon tonight? - Well, Linsey, they are saying that they are convinced this spy balloon does not pose any threat to civilians and that it does not pose a significant intelligence risk. They also tell us it is not the first time. That a handful of times over several years, dating back into previous administrations, they have seen balloons like this float over the United States. However, they do say they have communicated their concerns to China. - All right, Terry Moran from the White House. Thanks so much, Terry. For more, let's bring in former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and ABC News contributor Mick Mulroy. Thanks so much for joining us, Mick. Tensions. Of course, are on the rise between the US and China. What concerns you most about this balloon? - So, Linsey, I think what concerns me most is what's been reported that this balloon has the capability and is staying longer than it usually does over areas that we would consider very sensitive. I'm actually in Montana. I live here. As Terry reported, there are intercontinental ballistic missiles, the Minuteman III, that have silos right here in the United States. It's also been reported that these balloons have the ability to steer themselves, to go into the wind, and therefore, longer in the area. So that is somewhat concerning. LINSEY DAVIS: Why Montana do you think? - I think it's most likely because of those Minuteman III silos that are here in Montana. And perhaps, they're trying to observe them more closely for intelligence collection purposes. But as been reported, the administration acted quickly and moved to shield what I think was likely those and other key sensitive facilities in the Northwest of the United States. - So is the intent primarily to be able to take pictures of the ground? - So I don't know what type of sensitive collection devices are on this. It may also include what's called sigint, or signals intelligence, that they could potentially gather from key sites that we don't want them to. But also, absolutely, you're right. It would be imagery that may be higher resolution because of the lower altitude that these stratospheric balloons linger in as compared to spy satellites. - The US could have intervened here militarily. But it has so far elected not to take this balloon down. Why not? - You're right. They did scramble the Raptor F-22 and other aircraft. They could have easily shot these very slow-moving, undefended balloons down. But I believe they did not because of the potential for damage on the ground and also because, quite frankly, they can collect most of this information via satellite. Some would say that this is likely to send a message. Secretary Austin's been in the Philippines, looking to move four new bases there, which China obviously does not like. And, of course, Secretary Blinken will be traveling to China. So this may be an attempt to send a message to the United States by China. - What kind of message? - One, that they're watching us and that they can look at our most sensitive sites. They probably knew that this will be reported. We have an open press in the United States. And they want the Americans to see that they do have the capabilities to put sensitive military collection devices like these over the continental United States. - So potentially, a muscle flex here by China. Do you expect the US to do anything to retaliate? - So I don't think so. I mean, there's certainly other things we could do. We have collection capabilities that far exceed the Chinese. We don't-- although, we do test these type of balloon intelligence collection systems. I don't think that they're necessary. The United States is moving to shore up our allies in the Indo-Pacific region to include the Philippines and Japan, something that China does not like. And so I think if we do anything, it will just be continue on and, perhaps, double down on our military presence in this area. LINSEY DAVIS: ABC News contributor Mick Mulroy, we thank you so much for your time and insight. - Thanks, Linsey. - Now to a potential mass shooting thwarted by Los Angeles Police. They were called to an apartment about a man making serious threats. Inside, they say they found multiple weapons and more than a thousand rounds of ammunition. ABC'S chief national correspondent Matt Gutman has those details. MATT GUTMAN: Tonight, the man accused in a potential mass shooting plot in the heart of Hollywood in court, facing solicitation of murder and weapons charges. The LAPD uncovering this arsenal in a high rise, saying the rifles were loaded and by a window. - I believe that something tragic here was certainly averted. MATT GUTMAN: Officers responding to this building on the famed Sunset Boulevard around 10:00 AM Tuesday after police say they got a call about a man threatening residents and security and possibly, having a mental health breakdown. The man identified as 24-year-old Braxton Kyle Johnson, who had been an army infantryman. Officers getting a search warrant and making sure to serve it while Johnson was out. What authorities say they found inside the 18th floor apartment-- chilling. - When they first went into the apartment, in plain view, they observed three rifles and a shotgun laid out on the floor. MATT GUTMAN: As if prepared for something? RAYMOND VALOIS: As if prepared for something, yes. MATT GUTMAN: At least some of the weapons neither registered nor legal in the state of California. Also in that arsenal, police say high-powered scopes, putting in range targets hundreds of yards away, including the street below and a dog park. - Matt Gutman joins us now from Los Angeles. Matt, what else are police telling you about the suspect and this investigation? - Linsey, LAPD tells me that the suspect had just recently moved into that building. Now, they're working on tracing his firearms. They're also looking into possible previous arrests in other states. Now, they found no manifesto. They say no writings to indicate his intent. But just moments ago, his first appearance, the suspect pleading not guilty. He's now being held on a $1 million bond. Linsey. - Potential tragedy averted there. Matt Gutman, our thanks to you. Tonight, roughly 60 million Americans are in the path of some bone-chilling and life threatening cold. Temperatures as low as 60 below in some places. 18 states are on high alert. Tonight, our Senior Meteorologist Rob Marciano reports. ROB MARCIANO: Tonight, the sound of heavy equipment and chainsaws piercing the air north of Austin. A race to clean up a tangled mess of ice covered trees and power lines. Limbs snapping after days of ice and sleet. - We are experiencing one of the most widespread ice storms to hit Austin and, certainly, one of the worst. ROB MARCIANO: Hundreds of thousands in the dark across the storm zone. Our Alex Presha, south of Little Rock, Arkansas, with crews restoring power and facing multiple challenges. SAMMY PLEDGER: Slick roads and the terrain and ice. You know, tree limbs falling out of trees. ROB MARCIANO: As the system pushes east, it's pulling down the coldest air of the season so far. Boston declaring a cold emergency, closing schools, and opening warming centers. - By sunset tomorrow, it is down into the single digits and the wind is going to be howling. ROB MARCIANO: That wind will make it feel like more than 50 below in spots. New Hampshire's governor warning families need to take this seriously. - At negative 30 degrees, hypothermia can set in just 10 minutes. And we know it's going to be even colder than that across the entire state. - Just downright frigid. Rob joins us now. Rob, the low temperatures that we might see in some places are truly eye popping and dangerous. I mean minus 60 in parts of Maine. - Yeah, that would be an all time record low wind chill for Caribou, Maine. And this is indeed life-threatening stuff that's right now over Quebec and Ontario. But the leading edge of it is about to cross the border. You see it here on the maps. And it will drive south of the I-95 corridor tomorrow. It's kind of being dragged along by the heavy rain, that wave along the South-- Southeast. That's what brought all that icing to parts of Texas and the mid-South. That's finally pushing off into the Atlantic. And it's pulling this cold air down just a little bit. There'll be some snow squalls with overnight tonight, maybe an inch, a dusting. But you see that red blob up there in Northern Maine, that is a blizzard warning not for how much snow will be falling, but how much that will be blowing. You get sub-zero temperatures, the snow that's already on the ground turns into a fine dust and that could drop visibilities through Saturday. All right, tomorrow morning, we're looking at widespread cold. Minus 10 in Albany. It'll feel like below zero in places like Chicago and Omaha. But on Saturday morning-- tomorrow night into Saturday morning, that's when the really potentially deadly cold comes in. Minus 62 is the forecast for a windchill in Caribou. That would set an all-time record. But look at Concord-- minus 42. Minus 34 in Boston. And 30 below in Burlington. That sort of temperature to exposed skin will give you frostbite in less than 10 minutes. So if you have to go outside, cover up. But, obviously, if you can on a Saturday, stay inside. LINSEY DAVIS: Yes, stay home, if you can. Frostbite in 10 minutes. Rob Marciano, our thanks to you as always. Today, House Republicans ousted Democrat Ilhan Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee, citing repeated anti-Semitic and anti-American remarks. Though the Congresswoman has apologized, Omar spoke before the vote, next to a photo of her as a nine-year-old, saying, "I'm a Muslim, I am an immigrant, and interestingly, from Africa, is anyone surprised that I am being targeted?" ABC'S senior congressional correspondent Rachel Scott has reaction from Capitol Hill. RACHEL SCOTT: Tonight, House Republicans voting to kick Congresswoman Ilhan Omar off the House Foreign Affairs Committee for anti-Semitic remarks she made several years ago, for which she has apologized. - Is anyone surprised that I am being targeted? There is this idea that you are a suspect if you are an immigrant, or if you are from certain parts of the world, or a certain skin tone, or a Muslim. RACHEL SCOTT: But House Speaker Kevin McCarthy says the Congresswoman needs to be held accountable for her words. Among them, her suggestion that American supporters of Israel were buying political support, tweeting, "It's all about the Benjamins, baby." - We just do not believe when it comes to foreign affairs, especially the responsibility of that position around the world with the comments that you make. She shouldn't serve there. RACHEL SCOTT: Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries acknowledges Omar has made mistakes, but insists today's vote was nothing more than a political stunt. - It's not about accountability. It's about political revenge. RACHEL SCOTT: Democrats say it's pure retaliation for their decision to boot two Republicans from committees when they controlled Congress-- Marjorie Taylor Greene for her own history of embracing conspiracy theories, including anti-Semitic ones, and Paul Gosar for posting an animated video in which he kills a Democratic colleague. - It's a double, triple, quadruple, and beyond standard. RACHEL SCOTT: Tonight, McCarthy insists today's move is, quote, "not tit for tat." - He says this is not about playing politics. Rachel Scott joins us now. Rachel, so is there anything at all the Democrats can do to contest this at this point or is Omar simply off the committee? - At this point, there is nothing that Democrats can do, because this came for a full vote before the House and Republicans now have this razor thin majority. They were able to boot her off of this specific committee. And that will last for the entirety of this Congress, and then things will start again over. So House Speaker Kevin McCarthy making it clear tonight that Omar can still serve on other committees, but she cannot serve on the Foreign Affairs Committee. Linsey. - Rachel Scott from the Capitol for us. Thanks so much, Rachel. For more on the drama surrounding Omar's ousting, we're joined now by Democratic Congresswoman Shontel Brown of Ohio. Congresswoman, thank you so much for joining us. - Thank you for having me. - You're a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, as is Representative Omar. First, just give me your reaction to her removal from the Foreign Affairs Committee. - Well, I want to say that I stand with Representative Omar and what played out to be a retaliatory, revengeful, and racist vote to remove her from the House and Foreign Affairs Committee. Since working with her, I've gotten a chance to know Omar and I understand that her service in Congress to the Foreign Affairs Committee is very valuable. She has brought a unique voice and perspective in the fact that she's a war survivor, a refugee, and the first African-born ranking member of the subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations. So for them to do this is just another demonstration of what leader Jeffries pointed out is the double standard, the hypocrisy, and their shamelessness. - Ahead of the party line vote, Congresswoman Omar asked if anyone was surprised that she was being targeted, saying, "When you push power, power pushes back." What do you think this means for the future of this Congress and how the parties will be able to interact? - Well, let me say this. I am still hopeful that we can find bipartisan solutions. But when you start out with a Congress that is chaotic and confusing-- based on chaotic and confusion with the Republicans holding the majority, it leaves very little hope. But I'm an optimistic person. I think that it is just demonstrating, again, their inability to actually present real legislation. And performative politics is their order of the day. This is nothing but a mere distraction. We've been in Congress now a full month, and we have yet to see any meaningful legislation that focuses on the quality of life issues to improve the quality of life for people in America and Ohio's 11th congressional district, specifically, where I represent. So I hope that we can come together and focus on real issues like jobs, and justice, and stop the nonsense and get back to the business of doing the work for the people. - You said that you think that this is merely retaliation. Was this something that you expected-- that you saw coming? - I think when you consider that they have allowed members who have threatened the lives of their own colleagues, who have played out murders via cartoons, and who have sat and had dinner with white nationalists, nothing comes as a surprise to us. So this was to be expected. But again, we are trying to do our best on the other side of the aisle to continue to focus on issues that matter to the public. This is unproductive. This is a very poor use of time and resources. And we came to work day one unified and ready to do the work of the people, handling the people's business, talking about issues, protecting Medicare and Social Security. Those have been the priorities of the Democrats. Defending and delivering results for American people continues to be Democratic priorities. And I certainly hope that my Republican colleagues can get on board, so we can get some real work done. - Just one more question on that, then I want to move on. Representative Omar had apologized for comments that she's made in the past. Did you feel that there should have been any repercussions for those comments or once she apologized, the Republicans should have moved on? - As a Christian, "He who goes without sin, let them cast the first stone." She did apologize. And the other thing that I think that is important to point out as it relates to my colleague, Ilhan Omar, is that 90% of the Jewish House members voted to keep her on Foreign Affairs. So I think that speaks volumes as it relates to her ability to perform as well as others' ability to forgive and allow grace so that we can move forward. - You were recently appointed to the Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the US and China. And we have some late breaking news involving a Chinese spy balloon detected over the US. Any reaction to this and how significant it might be? SHONTEL BROWN: It is very significant. And the timing couldn't be more sensitive as we establish this committee to make sure that we continue to build the strength and resilience of American economy and prioritizing it regardless of party line. So I am very honored to be able to serve on this committee. And I look forward to bipartisan collaboration to advance economic interest and address the issues affecting our global security. LINSEY DAVIS: Congresswoman Shontel Brown, really appreciate you giving us your time tonight and coming on the show. - Thank you, Linsey. - A New Jersey Councilwoman was murdered in an apparent targeted attack. According to police, the 30-year-old mother was shot to death inside her car just feet away from her home. She was in her first term in office. Now, the FBI is involved in the search for her killer. Our Aaron Katersky has the latest. AARON KATERSKY: Tonight, a desperate search in New Jersey for whoever shot dead a young councilwoman in an apparently targeted burst of gunfire that has horrified the state. - It's just a shocking, shocking development. AARON KATERSKY: 30-year-old Eunice Dwumfour a rising star in local Republican politics, is the first sitting elected official to be shot and killed in New Jersey in recent memory. - I, Eunice Kate Dwumfour. AARON KATERSKY: Dwumfour, who had only recently taken office was discovered dead Wednesday night in her SUV of multiple gunshot wounds-- shot while sitting behind the wheel. Law enforcement sources told ABC News, she had just dropped someone off at her home and was heading out when the gunman approached on foot. - I heard boom! Boom-boom-boom-boom! Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom! And I'm like, oh, shoot, that is a gunfire. AARON KATERSKY: Authorities saying more than 10 gunshots were fired. Dwumfour was recently married and had a daughter. Her death stunning neighbors. - I was so shocked when I found out it was her and it broke my heart, because she's really kind. AARON KATERSKY: Police have said nothing about a motive. And they have made no arrests. The mayor said the community is shocked and saddened, and called Dwumfour a "dedicated member" of the Borough Council committed to public service. - All right, Aaron Katersky joins us now. Aaron, any word on why this happened? - Not yet, Linsey. But the authorities, we're told, are now going through every aspect of Councilwoman Dwumfour's life-- her personal life, professional life, even her religious life. She was known as a leader in her church in Newark. And she was new to this community, but already known as a really nice spiritual person. We just spoke to the Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone. She told us, at this point, investigators do not believe the councilman's politics played any role in her killing. Linsey. - All right, Aaron Katersky for us. Thanks so much, Aaron. In California, police are searching for a woman who attacked another woman and stole her maltipoo. In this surveillance video, the suspect is seen swinging at the victim as she fought back her attacker. The suspect also pepper spray the dog owner in the face. The dog napper was wearing a black shirt with plaid pajama pants and is between 18 to 25 years old. The victim is receiving medical treatment for their injuries. We're learning more today about the revisions, including in the College Board's official framework for AP African-American Studies. After weeks of criticism from conservatives, the course, will be offered in the 2024 to 2025 school year. However, the curriculum is missing material on intersectionality, queer studies, the BLM movement, and critical race theory. Though, the College Board says its frameworks often change significantly, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Department of Education rejected the course, earlier this month calling it, quote, "inexplicably contrary to Florida law and that it lacks educational value." And that's not the only academic move impacting students in Florida. Coming up later in the program, we'll hear from one instructor who's experiencing the ramifications of the state's banned book legislation and how it's affecting students and teachers alike. We turn now to the Middle East, where tensions are rising between Israelis and Palestinians after a series of raids and attacks on retaliatory violence in recent days. That includes a Palestinian gunmen killing seven people outside of a synagogue on Friday night. This comes on the heels of an Israeli military raid on the West Bank that killed 10 people. For more on what's behind the violence back and forth, let's bring in ABC News Foreign Correspondent James Longman, reporting in tonight from Tel Aviv. James, just give us the big picture on what's driving the dynamics on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides right now. - Well, Linsey, it does feel like we're approaching a watershed. There are probably three dynamics. The first is that we've just seen the election of the most right-wing government in this country's history. Benjamin Netanyahu has had to go into coalition with right-wing extremists-- some of the most right wing people in Israel-- ultra nationalists. And they believe in things like settlement expansion. They believe in things like legalizing under Israeli law, until now illegal, Jewish settlements, forced Palestinian movement, the demolishing of homes. So clearly the Palestinians see this as a massive threat. And crucially, these are people who do not believe in a two-state solution. They say as much. And that's really the first time that people like that have been at the center of power. The other dynamic that's at play is the Palestinian Authority really losing legitimacy in the eyes of Palestinians. They look at Mahmoud Abbas-- 18 years in power. They do not see anything really having improved in their lives. If you look at Jenin camp, where the Israeli raid took place the day before that terror attack on the synagogue, that is a place where the Palestinian Authority can't even go. So I think a lot of Palestinians are feeling themselves stuck between their own leaders, who they've lost faith in and a right-wing government. And the third dynamic-- just briefly-- is the fact that Israelis, apart from this Palestinian issue, feel as though the rule of law in their own country is in the balance at the moment. You've got a government, which is looking at judicial reform, which is looking at things like choosing judges to go into the Supreme Court, minority rights, gay rights. 120,000 Israelis came out onto the streets in protest to this government. So there is so much going on right now. Blinken called it a pivotal moment. And it really feels that way. - And you've been on the ground at this point for several days now. Tell us about who you've been meeting, what they're saying about this latest cycle of violence. - Well, Linsey, we went up into a settlement in the West Bank. This is, of course, an area, which the Palestinians would envisage as a future state. But we went to a Jewish settlement. We met a woman. She is a mother of seven children. She feels that she has a religious right to be there-- actually, came from Los Angeles. She said to me she wants to create a utopia for her family. And I said, "but a utopia at the expense of other people. You're creating, perhaps, hell for you to have your utopia." She said, "Absolutely not." It wasn't a combative conversation. It did feel perhaps there was a level of naivety. They live in a bubble. They don't want to look at some of the more extreme elements of the government that's in power right now. And we met a Palestinian family who had their house demolished just this past Sunday. 11 people were living in that home. And they've seen it go. And this is a process which actually could speed up Ben-Gvir-- who's one of the more firebrand politicians as part of this new government-- wants to speed up that process. They actually don't have a permit to build. A lot of Palestinians don't, because the Israelis don't give it to them. But these are the issues that are in the balance. And we met people across this country from all walks of life to see what they think. But this new government, it's changing things here. It could be for the worse. It could be for the better. We have yet to wait and see. Linsey. - But as you say, it seems that we could be on the doorstep of a watershed moment. James Longman reporting in tonight from Tel Aviv. You can see much more of James's reporting on the ground in the Middle East next week here on ABC News Live Prime. When we come back, why a major utility company is now set to face trial on involuntary manslaughter charges. But first, as the fighting in Ukraine started, a group of children in an orphanage say that they were left at the mercy of Russian troops. How three women embarked on a tireless mission to get them back. - So many-- nobody knows how many, but these aren't the only kids who were taken. We can't actually go into the mechanics of how it was done, because it needs done again, and again, and again. - Now, to an ABC News exclusive. Russian soldiers walking into an Ukrainian orphanage and simply taking over. One of those children already adopted by an American mother who details the months of hell not knowing whether she would ever get to bring her daughter home. ABC's Ines de La Cuetara has this report. [MUSIC PLAYING] INES DE LA CUETARA: Was your daughter kidnapped by Russian soldiers? - I would say yes. I just I don't know how else you would put it, because they didn't willfully choose to just go to Russia. INES DE LA CUETARA: The video is disturbing. Armed Russian soldiers going room by room at an orphanage in Ukraine. These were the men keeping watch over Beth Wight's daughter. - Especially with our situation, with having ours be adopted, obviously, she didn't want to be there. She wanted to come home to her family. INES DE LA CUETARA: This is a story about the war's most vulnerable. 15 Ukrainian orphans taken by Russian soldiers, put on Ukraine's missing persons list, and reappearing almost a year after the war began in Tbilisi, Georgia. - [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] INES DE LA CUETARA: The group sharing their story for the first time, speaking exclusively with ABC News about the heroic efforts to get them to safety. Tell me about how you got out of Ukraine. - [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] - [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] INES DE LA CUETARA: What these children say happened to them is some of the clearest evidence yet of what Ukrainian officials have been claiming for months. And while Russia rejects allegations it has been kidnapping children, just last week, Ukraine's top presidential advisor for human rights said Russian troops have abducted close to 14,000 Ukrainian children. The forcible transfer of children constitutes a war crime. It can even qualify as genocide. - [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] [AIR RAID SIRENS] - [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] INES DE LA CUETARA: Natalia, the head of this orphanage, says she and the kids packed up as soon as the war broke out, waiting to be evacuated only to find out no one was coming for them. - [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] INES DE LA CUETARA: Among the 15 children, the daughter of an American family, Yulia had just been adopted. Her paperwork finalized just four days after the war broke out. - Literally, the only thing left was to get her visa, and get her on a plane, and bring her home. That's all we had left to do for her. INES DE LA CUETARA: Her mom growing increasingly concerned. And then came the day she lost all contact with Yulia. - I felt like my life just really, really stopped. If they found out she was adopted by an American Family, like that it could put her and everybody else at massive risk as well. So I know they were just trying to keep that down. INES DE LA CUETARA: Back at the orphanage, there was nothing left to do but hunker down. The kids moving into the basement below their school as the region quickly fell. Russian soldiers soon coming to the orphanage. - [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] INES DE LA CUETARA: Natalia says that while the children were treated well, the soldiers barred them from leaving and were furious to learn she'd been asking for help evacuating. - [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] INES DE LA CUETARA: Beth, meanwhile, was establishing contact with American volunteers, Ash and Kathy, who had been working to help evacuate people in Ukraine, both making it their mission to help find these children. - I couldn't-- I just couldn't stand to have them be thinking that they didn't matter and they were just like leaves that are being blown around with no direction and no destination, to say we know we're getting you out. We know it. INES DE LA CUETARA: The two women working their contacts to try and figure out where the children were and how to get to them. Kathy even driving down close to the orphanage only to realize it was behind Russian lines. - And then at that point, I just-- I was really starting to feel very hopeless, because I was just like if they're really captured by the Russians, there's a good chance we're never going to see her again. Even though our adoption is final, she was our daughter. INES DE LA CUETARA: But things would get worse before they got better. In July, Russian soldiers told Natalia and the kids they would be moved to the Kherson region in Southern Ukraine. - [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] - This is the director in Kherson. - [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] INES DE LA CUETARA: In Kherson, Natalia says the children were under constant surveillance and that they were repeatedly used for propaganda videos like this one aired by the Russian National Guard. Soldiers claiming to have rescued the children. - [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] INES DE LA CUETARA: And as Russian forces began losing ground in Kherson, the children were moved again. They weren't told where they were going until they realized they'd been brought to Russia. - I didn't fully give up hope, but it was really hard. And a lot of times, where that grief just like really hit you, and just like-- especially, like walking by the room that we've had prepared for her for a year, it will be a year since we had court and like legally adopted her on that day, and she's still not home. And for most of that time, we just didn't even know if she would. INES DE LA CUETARA: Then in November, nine months after the war broke out, all 15 children crossing the Russian border into Georgia and Beth finally getting the news she'd been waiting for. The women who made it all happen say they're just getting started. - We can't actually go into the mechanics of how it was done, because it needs done again, and again, and again. INES DE LA CUETARA: The children now have a new orphanage in Georgia. And as for Yulia, she's finally home. [CHEERING] From war and captivity to freedom, touching down in Wyoming to the warm embrace of her new family, becoming a US citizen the moment she set foot on US soil. When we asked what she's most excited about when it comes to her new life, it's a one-word answer-- - [NON-ENGLISH] INES DE LA CUETARA: "Peace." - What a sentiment. Our thanks to Ines for that. Still ahead here on Prime, the fallout for a Philadelphia Eagles player charged with rape and kidnapping just days before the big game and record spikes at the gas pumps have led to record profits for oil companies. We take a closer look by the numbers. [MUSIC PLAYING] Welcome back, everyone oil and gas company Shell reported record annual profits today-- just the latest oil giant to do so in recent days. And that's drawing renewed scrutiny after those record price spikes at the gas pumps from last year. Let's take a look by the numbers. Shell reported that its profits hit nearly $40 billion in 2022. That was double their profit for 2021 and the highest profits in the 115 years that the company has existed. They join Exxon, which reported nearly $56 billion in profit for last year, which the White House called outrageous. And Chevron brought in more than $36 billion in profits. In total, the largest oil and gas companies raked in nearly $200 billion in profit combined for 2022, according to industry tracking data. Average US gas prices rose to nearly $5 last summer as oil prices spiked in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and high demand for travel returned as the pandemic waned. But while oil companies cashed in as the price of oil rose to as much as $128 a barrel last year, they've now fallen back to about $83 as demand has slowed. And now, oil companies are focusing on returning some of their profits to their investors. Shell, today, announced a $4 billion stock share buyback and increased its dividend by 15%, moves that tend to drive stock prices up for their investors. Exxon and Chevron made similar moves. Oil companies have drawn bipartisan backlash and accusations of price gouging, with some critics calling for windfall profit taxes as well as pursuing more investments in renewable energy sources. And we still have lots to get to here on Prime tonight. The software that could help catch the growing number of students using artificial intelligence to do their homework and the search to find dozens of monkeys allegedly stolen from a zoo. But first, a look at our top trending stories on abcnews.com. [MUSIC PLAYING] REPORTER 1: The US has transferred a long time Guantanamo Bay detainee to Belize-- Majid Khan, the first detainee to be transferred out of the facility under the Biden administration. Khan worked with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in terror planning and was captured by the CIA in 2003. He was taken to their black site prisons and subjected to harsh interrogation until being brought to Guantanamo. Khan served a 10-year sentence after pleading guilty in 2012. He's the first of 14 high value detainees once held at those black sites to be released. There are now 34 detainees left in Guantanamo Bay. - We remain dedicated to a deliberate and thorough process focused on responsibly reducing the detainee population at Guantanamo Bay and, ultimately, closing the facility. REPORTER 2: Pacific Gas and Electric will face a trial over its alleged role in a 2020 wildfire that killed four people. The utility will face 11 charges, including involuntary manslaughter and recklessly starting a fire in connection with the Zogg fire in Northern California. Officials said the fire began when a pine tree fell on a PG&E distribution line. California officials said the tree had been marked for removal, but the company failed to take it down. The fire burned 88 square miles of land and destroyed more than 200 homes. The utility has faced numerous charges and settlements for other devastating fires since 2017. Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman has been indicted on rape and kidnapping charges stemming from 2019. Josh Sills was indicted in Guernsey County, Ohio. The attorney general's office said he raped a woman and held the victim against her will in December 2019. The victim reportedly went to high school with Sills. The 25-year-old Sills, who only appeared in one game this season for the Super Bowl bound Eagles, was placed on the NFL's commissioner's exempt list and will not be allowed to participate in practices, or games, or travel with the team. Sills has a court appearance in Ohio scheduled for February 16. REPORTER 3: The Department of Homeland Security released new details about efforts to reunite families separated at the Southern border. The DHS said 74% of more than 3,900 children separated from their families during the Trump administration have been reunited with their families. The announcement comes on the second anniversary of a task force built to bring families separated at the border back together. DHS also said there were 148 children who are in the process of reunifications. REPORTER 1: OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT released a new tool to decipher if text was written by a human or machine. The AI text classifier comes amid concerns about how AI generated text could be used, especially its capacity for spreading misinformation and for academic dishonesty in classrooms. The company says the tools success rate is still fairly low and should be used along with other methods to decide how the text was written. The tool is also said to work best on English text and on longer texts of 1,000 or more characters. REPORTER 2: A Louisiana zoo is searching for 12 squirrel monkeys that were allegedly stolen. Officials at Zoosiana and Broussard said the monkeys were taken just before midnight Saturday, with the thief targeting facilities of smaller primates. The remaining squirrel monkeys in the exhibit were said to be OK. The theft in Louisiana comes amid a series of suspicious incidents at the Dallas Zoo. Most recently, the theft of two tamarin monkeys. They were eventually found safe and returned to the zoo. The Dallas zoo's investigation is also ongoing with a $25,000 reward being offered for any information on the incidents. - A new guidance in Florida has some school districts directing teachers to cover up or remove books in their classrooms. The State Board of Education ruled last month that a law restricting school libraries from displaying or giving students certain books that have not been vetted, like those viewed to contain sexual content, also applies to books displayed in classrooms. Any teacher that violates this could face up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Joining us now is Don Falls, who teaches history and American government at Manatee High School in Florida. Thank you so much for joining us. You've said that you don't want to go through the vetting process, because you have hundreds of books in your classroom. Do you have titles in particular that you're worried will violate this guidance? - Not specific titles. But I do have an extensive library of literature and history books. I have books on slavery, on race. I have books on-- for example, I have a book on the history of abortion in America. And I'm not sure how they would go through the vetting process, but I'm not really concerned about it. My concern, from the standpoint of vetting the books, is just a matter of a practical ability to be able to do it. That many books going-- trying to enter them into a system, it's time that I could be spent with my students and doing other things and not putting books into a computer base. - We reached out to the Manatee County School District, and they say books that aren't being vetted need to be covered. But you're being told something different now about covering up the books. DON FALLS: Well, we were told last week-- or earlier this week, that the covering is not necessary as long as books that have not been vetted are not given out to students. So if I have books on my shelf that have not gone through the system, then they can be visible, but they can't be given out to the students. That was the last information that we were given as far as how to handle our libraries in our classroom. - Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz, Jr., has said this about the law on Twitter, "A teacher or any adult faces a felony if they knowingly distribute egregious material, such as images which depict sexual conduct, sexual battery, bestiality, or sadomasochistic abuse. Who could be against that?" End quote. How do you respond? - Well, I agree with Mr. Diaz. I mean, I would never put pornography in a student's hands or whatever. But he's only referring to part of the issue here. HB-7, the anti-Woke Act, also limits the kind of information that we can give students. For example, if a student feels bad, if we make a student feel uncomfortable about the content that is being presented, whether I'm presenting it in a classroom situation or they read it in a book, then we've also violated the law. And my understanding is we've faced similar kind of penalties. So the idea that it's only books about bestiality, and pornography, and so forth, it's much broader than that-- what they're looking at. And frankly, in all my years of teaching, those things that Mr. Diaz is referring to, they've always not been allowed. Teachers have never given out pornography and bestiality books to students. And to me, that's one of the big issues here, that this is an attempt to mold public opinion into believing that these things are somehow were regularly occurring. And they haven't. - You're a history and American government teacher. How have Florida laws regulating what students can be taught and exposed to impacted your usual curriculum? Are there certain things that now you're no longer teaching? - So far, I haven't taken anything out of my curriculum. But I will say that I think a lot more carefully about the presentation, how students react to it. For example, last week, I was doing a couple of lessons on civil rights, looking at the Albany movement, Birmingham, 1963. And, of course, some of those images of those periods are quite-- can be quite upsetting. You know, dogs turned on little girls, fire hoses, things such as that. So as we're going through this and I'm talking about-- I'm showing them some of these images, in the back of my mind, I was thinking, well, if a student here gets upset about these, have I violated the law? But the information to me is too important to deny students, so I'm still going to continue to do what I'm doing. LINSEY DAVIS: Well, Don Falls, we thank you so much for all that you do as teachers, who just don't get the recognition that they deserve. And so we salute you and really appreciate you giving us your time and insight tonight. - Well, I thank you for highlighting this issues. I think it's an important issue that people need to be aware of. So thank you very much. - Thank you. And it's a long shot, but the Patriots' longtime owner Robert Kraft has made an offer for now retired quarterback Tom Brady. Kraft wants Brady to resign with his old team for one day, so that he can retire as a Patriot. Brady started his career with New England, and spent 19 years there, and won six of his seven Super Bowls. Tom Brady has already signed a much more lucrative contract inking a $375 million contract with Fox Sports. It's Ticketmaster's next big test-- Beyoncé's highly anticipated tour, her first and five years. There's plenty of excitement, but also fear that another meltdown could happen like the one during the Taylor Swift ticket sale debacle. Our Lara Spencer has more. [BEYONCE, "BREAK MY SOUL"] But you won't break my soul. LARA SPENCER: Beyoncé fans buzzing after this announcement on her Instagram page, reading simply, "Renaissance World Tour 2023," generating nearly 8 million likes and counting. The tour running from May to September. [BEYONCE, "I'M THAT GIRL"] I pull up In these clothes. Looks so good. LARA SPENCER: High demand forcing Ticketmaster to take measures to avoid a Taylor Swift style debacle. [TAYLOR SWIFT, "ANTI-HERO"] It's me. Hi, I'm the problem. It's me. LARA SPENCER: Last November, the ticket behemoth canceling sales for Swift's tour after the Ticketmaster site crashed during the pre-sale. Even Congress getting involved, a bipartisan committee looking into the widespread outages and hours long wait times. - Ticketmaster should look in the mirror and say, "I'm the problem. It's me." LARA SPENCER: Ticketmaster blaming bots for the issue. Overnight, the company saying, they have instituted new policies to ensure fans are able to purchase the Beyoncé tickets. [BEYONCE, "BREAK MY SOUL"] I just fell in love. And I just quit my job. LARA SPENCER: Instead of putting tickets for all shows on sale at once, they're implementing rolling sales dates depending on the city. But in order to have a chance for the golden ticket, you must sign up as a verified fan, which will discourage bots and ticket resellers. A lottery-style process will determine which fans get unique access codes and be placed on the waitlist. - Our thanks to Lara. Let's see if it works this go round. Before we go tonight, the image of the day-- Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning, predicting six more weeks of winter on this Groundhog Day, just as much as the country braces for one of the coldest Arctic blasts in years. But just a little note, Phil is known to be accurate only about 40% of the time. And that is our show for this hour. ABC News Live is here for you all night with the latest news, context, and analysis. You can always find us on Hulu, the ABC News app, and, of course, on abcnews.com. We'll be right back. [THEME MUSIC] Coming up in the next hour, we're staying on top of a few things. Why dozens of families are suing Snapchat over deadly drug overdoses. What new surveillance video is revealing about the moments before a suicide bomber killed more than 100 people inside a mosque. Welcome back, everyone. I'm Linsey Davis. Thanks so much for streaming with us. We're monitoring several developments here at ABC News at this hour. The DHS announced 74% of more than 3,900 children separated from their families during the Trump administration have been reunited with them. The announcement comes on the second anniversary of a task force built to bring families separated to the border back together. DHS also said that there were 148 children who are in the process of reunifications. In California, police are searching for a woman who attacked another woman for her Maltipoo. In this 18-seconds surveillance video, the suspect is seen swinging at the victim as she fought back her attacker. During the assault, the suspect also pepper spray the dog owner in the face. The dog napper is seen wearing a black shirt with plaid pajama pants and is between 18 to 25 years old. The victim is receiving medical treatment for their injuries. NASA has selected veteran astronaut Joe Acaba as Chief of the Astronaut Office at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston. A decorated veteran of multiple space flights, as well as a former US Marine and former educator, he is the first person of Hispanic heritage selected to lead the office. All right, at first, it might seem like a scene out of a spy movie. But tonight, the Pentagon has confirmed a Chinese spy balloon the size of three buses was spotted in the American skies. It happened over the state of Montana. And air traffic was actually grounded in and around Billings briefly yesterday. Late today, senior defense officials confirm this isn't the first time a balloon like this has been spotted over the US. But tonight, they are saying there is one key difference this time. Terry Moran reports. TERRY MORAN: Tonight, a senior defense official says authorities are tracking a giant Chinese spy balloon that has been hovering over the northern US for several days. CHASE DOAK: This thing is up in the sky. And I have no idea what it is. PATRICK RYDER (ON AUDIO): The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now. TERRY MORAN: Sources tell ABC News the unmanned, high-altitude balloon is the size of three buses with a technology bay underneath. Officials say President Biden asked for military options, but decided to follow the recommendation of senior military leaders not to shoot the balloon down due to safety risks for people on the ground. That balloon spotted over Montana, forcing a temporary ground stop Wednesday at the airport in Billings. That ground stop covering a 50 mile radius. No flights, including commercial air traffic, were allowed to land or take off for at least an hour. Montana is home to several sensitive nuclear weapons sites. The US moved quickly to shield them. PATRICK RYDER (ON AUDIO): Once the balloon was detected, the US government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information. - Our Thanks to Terry Moran. Now, to a potential mass shooting thwarted by Los Angeles Police. They were called to an apartment about a man making some serious threats. Inside, they found multiple weapons and more than a thousand rounds of ammunition. ABC'S chief national correspondent Matt Gutman has the details. MATT GUTMAN: Tonight, the man accused in a potential mass shooting plot in the heart of Hollywood in court, facing solicitation of murder and weapons charges. The LAPD uncovering this arsenal in a high rise, saying the rifles were loaded and by a window. - I believe that something tragic here was certainly averted. MATT GUTMAN: Officers responding to this building on the famed Sunset Boulevard around 10:00 AM Tuesday after police say they got a call about a man threatening residents and security, and possibly having a mental health breakdown. The man identified as 24-year-old Braxton Kyle Johnson, who had been an army infantryman. Officers getting a search warrant and making sure to serve it while Johnson was out. What authorities say they found inside the 18th floor apartment-- chilling. - When they first went into the apartment, in plain view, they observed three rifles and a shotgun laid out on the floor. MATT GUTMAN: As if prepared for something? RAYMOND VALOIS: As if prepared for something, yes. MATT GUTMAN: At least some of the weapons neither registered, nor legal in the state of California. Also in that arsenal, police say high-powered scopes, putting in range targets hundreds of yards away, including the street below and a dog park. - Our thanks to Matt Gutman. Tonight, roughly 60 million Americans are in the path of a bone-chilling and life threatening cold. Temperatures are as low as 60 below in some places. 18 states are on high alert. Senior Meteorologist Rob Marciano reports. ROB MARCIANO: Tonight, the sound of heavy equipment and chainsaws piercing the air north of Austin. A race to clean up a tangled mess of ice-covered trees and power lines. Limbs snapping after days of ice and sleet. - We are experiencing one of the most widespread ice storms to hit Austin and, certainly, one of the worst. ROB MARCIANO: Hundreds of thousands in the dark across the storm zone. Our Alex Presha south of Little Rock, Arkansas, with crews restoring power and facing multiple challenges. - Slick roads, and the terrain, and ice. You know, tree limbs falling out of trees. ROB MARCIANO: As the system pushes east, it's pulling down the coldest air of the season so far. Boston declaring a cold emergency, closing schools, and opening warming centers. - By sunset tomorrow, it is down into the single digits and the wind is going to be howling. ROB MARCIANO: That wind will make it feel like more than 50 below in spots. New Hampshire's governor warning families need to take this seriously. - At negative 30 degrees, hypothermia can set in just 10 minutes. And we know it's going to be even colder than that across the entire state. - Just downright frigid. Rob joins us now. Rob, the low temperatures that we might see in some places are truly eye popping and dangerous. I mean minus 60 in parts of Maine. - Yeah, that would be an all-time record low wind chill for Caribou, Maine. And this is, indeed, life-threatening stuff that's right now over Quebec and Ontario. But the leading edge of it is about to cross the border. You see it here on the maps and will drive south of the I-95 corridor tomorrow. It's kind of being dragged along by the heavy rain-- that wave along the south, southeast. That's what brought all that icing to parts of Texas and the mid-South. That's finally pushing off into the Atlantic. And it's pulling this cold air down just a little bit. There'll be some snow squalls with overnight tonight, maybe an inch, a dusting. But you see that red blob up there in Northern Maine. That is a blizzard warning, not for how much snow will be falling, but how much that will be blowing. You get sub-zero temperatures, the snow that's already on the ground turns into a fine dust and that could drop visibilities through Saturday. All right, tomorrow morning, we're looking at widespread cold. Minus 10 in Albany. It'll feel like below zero in places like Chicago and Omaha. But on Saturday morning-- tomorrow night into Saturday morning, that's when the really potentially deadly cold comes in. Minus 62 is the forecast for a windchill in Caribou. That would set an all-time record. But look at Concord-- minus 42. Minus 34 in Boston. And 30 below in Burlington. That sort of temperature to exposed skin will give you frostbite in less than 10 minutes. So I mean, if you to go outside, cover up. But obviously, if you can on a Saturday, stay inside. LINSEY DAVIS: Yes, stay home, if you can. Frostbite in 10 minutes. Rob Marciano, our thanks to you as always. Today, House Republicans ousted Democrat Ilhan Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee, citing repeated anti-Semitic and anti-American remarks. Though, the Congresswoman has apologized. Omar spoke before the vote next to a photo of her as a nine-year-old saying, "I'm a Muslim, I'm an immigrant, and, interestingly, from Africa, is anyone surprised that I am being targeted?" ABC'S Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott has a reaction from Capitol Hill. RACHEL SCOTT: Tonight, House Republicans voting to kick Congresswoman Ilhan Omar off the House Foreign Affairs Committee for anti-Semitic remarks she made several years ago, for which she has apologized. - Is anyone surprised that I am being targeted? There is this idea that you are a suspect, if you are an immigrant, or if you are from certain parts of the world, or a certain skin tone, or a Muslim. RACHEL SCOTT: But House Speaker Kevin McCarthy says the Congresswoman needs to be held accountable for her words. Among them, her suggestion that American supporters of Israel were buying political support tweeting, "It's all about the Benjamins, baby." - We just do not believe when it comes to Foreign Affairs, especially the responsibility of that position around the world with the comments that you make. She shouldn't serve there. RACHEL SCOTT: Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries acknowledges Omar has made mistakes. But insists today's vote was nothing more than a political stunt. - It's not about accountability. It's about political revenge. RACHEL SCOTT: Democrats say it's pure retaliation for their decision to boot two Republicans from committees when they controlled Congress-- Marjorie Taylor Greene for her own history of embracing conspiracy theories, including anti-Semitic ones, and Paul Gosar for posting an animated video in which he kills a Democratic colleague. - It's a double, triple, quadruple, and beyond standard. RACHEL SCOTT: Tonight, McCarthy insists today's move is, quote, "not tit for tat." - Our thanks to Rachel for that. A New Jersey Councilwoman was murdered in an apparent targeted attack according to police. The 30-year-old mother was shot to death inside her car just feet away from her home. She was in her first term in office. Now, the FBI is involved in the search for answers. Our Aaron Katersky has the latest. AARON KATERSKY: Tonight, a desperate search in New Jersey for whoever shot dead a young councilwoman in an apparently targeted burst of gunfire that has horrified the state. - It's just a shocking, shocking development. AARON KATERSKY: 30-year-old Eunice Dwumfour, a rising star in local Republican politics, is the first sitting elected official to be shot and killed in New Jersey in recent memory. - I Eunice Kate Dwumfour. AARON KATERSKY: Dwumfour, who had only recently taken office, was discovered dead Wednesday night in her SUV of multiple gunshot wounds, shot while sitting behind the wheel. Law enforcement sources told ABC News, she had just dropped someone off at her home and was heading out when the gunman approached on foot. - I heard boom! Boom-boom-boom-boom! Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom! And I'm like, oh, shoot, that is a gunfire. AARON KATERSKY: Authorities saying more than 10 gun shots were fired. Dwumfour was recently married and had a daughter. Her death stunning neighbors. - I was so shocked when I found out it was her. And it broke my heart, because she's really kind. AARON KATERSKY: Police have said nothing about a motive. And they have made no arrests. The mayor said the community is shocked, and saddened, and called Dwumfour a "dedicated member" of the Borough Council committed to public service. - Our thanks to Aaron for that. Now, to another day of dramatic new testimony in the trial of once prominent South Carolina Attorney Alex Murdaugh, accused of murdering his wife and son. Today, the defense grilled an investigator on what she did and did not find at the house the day after the murders. Eva Pilgrim reports once again for us tonight. EVA PILGRIM: Tonight, the defense team for Alex Murdaugh pressing a state investigator to acknowledge what she didn't find when she searched the Murdaugh home the day after Paul and Maggie Murdaugh were shot to death at their dog kennel on the family property. ATTORNEY: And you're telling this jury you saw no evidence of blood, tissue, or anything that would indicate somebody had showered, or washed off, or bathed to remove evidence of a crime from them. Is that what you're telling me? - Yes, sir. There was nothing visible to me. EVA PILGRIM: Investigators had a search warrant, but didn't execute it. Instead, they were escorted around the property by the family's lawyer and one of Murdaugh's brothers. - Multiple family, close friends were at the house. - And you didn't want to have to ask all those people to leave? - Some of them were very upset. EVA PILGRIM: It comes after this newly-released Snapchat video. - Better than it was, ain't it? EVA PILGRIM: It shows Alex Murdaugh planting trees on the property on the same day as the murders, wearing a different outfit than the clean white shirt and shorts he's wearing when police arrive later at the grisly scene. Murdaugh telling them, he touched the bodies before calling for help. - And I ran over to Maggie-- and, actually, I think I tried to turn Paul over first. POLICE OFFICER: Did you touch Maggie at all? - I did. I touched them both. POLICE OFFICER: OK. EVA PILGRIM: Tonight, the judge is weighing whether jurors will hear evidence about Alex Murdaugh's alleged financial crimes as a potential motive. With the jury out of the room, the CFO for his law firm describing how Murdaugh allegedly stole millions of dollars from his clients and law partners. She says she confronted him the day of the murders. - He turned and looked at me when I came up and said, what do you need now? And gave me a very dirty look. I told him that I had reason to believe that he had received the funds himself, and that I needed proof that he had not. - Eva Pilgrim joins us now. Eva, how significant could it be if jurors are allowed to hear that evidence presented when they were out of the courtroom today? - Linsey, it's very significant. Prosecutors have said that Murdaugh killed his wife and son as a way to gain sympathy and distract from financial crimes that we're about to be exposed. Linsey. - Eva Pilgrim for us. Thanks so much, Eva. A new lawsuit against Snapchat is accusing them of enabling drug dealers. ABC News obtained the lawsuit and the details of how big a role the social media app played in fentanyl poisonings are stunning. ABC'S Will Reeve has the details. WILL REEVE: Snapchat sued by the families of 50 victims of drug overdoses, accusing the social media giant of enabling dealers to sell fake prescription pills laced with deadly doses of fentanyl to minors and young adults. - They all lost a child to fentanyl poisoning through counterfeit drugs obtained through Snap, not through Instagram, not through TikTok, but through Snap. This isn't an internet problem, this isn't a social media problem, this is a Snapchat problem. WILL REEVE: According to the lawsuit obtained by ABC News, from 2020 to 2022, Snapchat was allegedly a conduit for over 75% of the fentanyl poisoning deaths of children between the ages of 13 to 18, who connected with a dealer over social media. The dealers selling what they say are prescription drugs, but are often counterfeit and contain lethal levels of fentanyl. - No parent should have to go through this. WILL REEVE: Fran Humphreys says her 20-year-old daughter Sophia was sold fake Percocet pills through Snapchat in June of 2021. Two days later, she was found unresponsive in her bed. - Immediately, law enforcement took her phone. And the detective called us shortly after and said that they were able to see that she had purchased it from a Snapchat dealer. AD ANNOUNCER: Download the mobile app. WILL REEVE: The lawsuit claims Snapchat's features, including disappearing messages appeal to drug dealers, making their illegal activity hard to track. In a statement, Snap Inc. Telling ABC News it cannot comment on active litigation. But claiming it's using cutting-edge technology to proactively find and shut down drug dealers accounts and is continually expanding its support for law enforcement investigations. - Our thanks to Will Reeve. Still to come, what's fueling devastating wildfires in Chile as flames scorched through more than 1,000 acres. He was once praised for his skills, but a personal decision led to intense criticism. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf tells us about the new documentary chronicling his rise and fall in professional sports. [MUSIC PLAYING] Welcome back. We're tracking several headlines around the world. In Chile, wildfires have burned thousands of acres and affected nearby homes and local businesses. According to officials, the fires being caused by high temperatures, dry conditions, and winds coming from the nearby Argentine grasslands. In Pakistan, CCTV footage of the suicide bomber that killed more than 100 people is now under review. The bomber was seen wearing a police uniform the day he attacked innocent people during a noon prayer. In the footage, you can see him entering a high security area riding a motorbike, passing through the main police checkpoint. The police guards admit they thought that he was a police member and did not check him. In Brazil, they celebrated the Day of Yemanja, the Queen of the Seas. Dozens arrived at the beach dressed in white and traditional costumes to pay tribute to the goddess. Flowers were dropped into the sea and rituals to the rhythms of the drums were offered to the Sea Queen as worshippers believe she will bless them in return. Yemanja is one of the deities of the Yoruba religion, the tradition was brought over to Brazil by African slaves hundreds of years ago. - This dude torturing the Lakers. - He was Steph Curry before Steph Curry. - Quickness and creative flair he had. - He wasn't good, he was great. He looked like I was watching God play basketball. - He wasn't good, he was great. All that praise is for former Denver Nuggets point guard Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, who had led the team in scoring and was considered among the best in the game. But the praise turned to criticism in 1996 when Abdul-Rauf, a recent convert to Islam, refused to stand for the national anthem before games, choosing to stretch or stay in the locker room. MAN 1: I noticed that Mahmoud was not standing for the national anthem. MAN 2: He believes the flag symbolizes oppression. - Am I saying that everything in America is bad? No. But wherever the bad is, as a Muslim, we don't stand for it. LINSEY DAVIS: That clip is from a new Showtime documentary called Stand about the rise and fall of Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, who joins us now. Welcome to the show. - Thank you for having me. - So let's start from the beginning, you come from humble beginnings in Mississippi, have OCD, Tourette's syndrome. What did it take for you to climb to the highest heights in basketball? - Oh, well, I'm always going to mention the importance of my belief in God. Even as a child, that was something that I focused on relentlessly. But then just the work ethic-- waking up every morning, making the decision that this is what I wanted to do, but also having a feeling that it was life or death. That if I don't make it, I don't know my life is going to say for itself. So that kept propelling me forward. LINSEY DAVIS: During your time in the league, you converted to Islam, changed your name, decided to no longer stand for the national anthem. What caused you to do that? - I began to read. I became a Muslim. Ramadan came around. I had finished the whole quarter and I began to have dialogue. And knowledge has a way of when you engage in conversation, you develop confidence. The confidence turns into courage. And eventually, you realize you know I've got to do something with this information. - You were a leading scorer on the Denver Nuggets. Was there a time when you started to think about the repercussions and the risks of your actions? - Of course. In reading history, you see the John Carloses, the Tommy Lees, the Muhammad Alis, what happens when a person speaks their conscience. And I wasn't unaware of it. But at the same time, you have this delusional hope that maybe things have changed. People understand now. But you're quickly awakened to that's not the case when you articulate certain things. - Over time, you were ultimately traded, then cut, had to play overseas. Kind of walk us through that time, your mentality, and outlook then. - Oh, my, it was some of the toughest moments of my life. Not being able to get a job in the NBA, then going overseas, and because they know you can't get that job, they're getting for cheap, right? And then you spent most of your life honing your skills to do this. So you don't feel like, in a sense, there's not much else you can do. And so the money, because-- we, African-Americans-- we don't have generational wealth. So we take care of a lot of families. And if we don't have things, the money goes fast. And so that was a period when I lost everything. And so but I kept it quiet, and kept asking God to guide my steps, and here I am. - Of course, there are the inevitable comparisons between you and Colin Kaepernick. How do you feel that there is-- I mean, there's about 20 years between the two situations. How do you feel that his has ended up differently from yours? - I think the difference is when I was taking my position at that time, there was no social media. So the media could control the narrative more. In social media, things have shifted. It wasn't as easily controlled. And I was talking to Dr. Harry Edwards, and he put it in perspective, and I never heard it before. He said, when Muhammad Ali took his stand, there was a Black Power movement to frame it under, when Colin Kaepernick did it, there was the Black Lives Matter movement. He said when you and Craig Hodges did it, there was no movement. It was like you're in an ocean all by yourself. I said, well, that's interesting. But I think the difference is social media and the attention. Because I had a lot of mail that came through death threats, but I also had as much support mail-- atheist, Christians, Black, white, women, men. But you would have never, never known, because social media wasn't alive then. - When you look about-- when you look back on just how you were vilified, are there things that you say, you know, I would have done this differently? - Well, I mean, with the luxury of hindsight, I would like to have thought that I could have been more knowledgeable, more articulate. But in terms of making the decision, no, I would have still made the decision. Because afterwards, I've never stopped. Yeah. And I think teams are important. I love what Kaepernick did in terms of having Know Your Rights Campaign to follow it up. That's something that if I had the chance to do it again, I would have liked to have said that I would have done something down those lines. LINSEY DAVIS: You still play basketball? - Yeah, of course. - Do you feel at all that the NBA owes you an apology? - That's a very good question. I'm going to leave that up to the NBA. I'm not going to beg them for an apology. But as far as I'm concerned, apologies, in and of themselves, by themselves mean nothing. It's like someone apologizing for slavery, but there's no reparation. So because families were destroyed, that could have been helped. And a person's career was destroyed. But if they were conscious and wanted to do the right thing, that's what they would do. LINSEY DAVIS: How did this documentary come about? MAHMOUD ABDUL-RAUF: I think the timing was right, due to all that's happening in the world, with athletes being more vocal. But also I'm 53 now. I've lived, I've experienced more, and I feel I'm in a position where I can sort of articulate what I went through compared to when I was younger. LINSEY DAVIS: What's next for you? - Oh, wow. You know, I'm looking to at some point do a podcast. I'm writing another book. I do a lot of speaking engagements. I'm looking to travel the world to do that on different topics. So just trying to stay versatile and busy. LINSEY DAVIS: All right, Mahmoud. The Steph Curry before Steph Curry as they say. - I'm humble. LINSEY DAVIS: We thank you so much for your time and sharing your story. Want to let our viewers know that Stand will be available on Showtime and on-demand platforms starting tomorrow. And still to come, taking a look at the role that hair plays in the Black community. Destinee Wray tells us how she's encouraging millions to embrace their natural textures in this week's Tik Talk. [MUSIC PLAYING] We go now to our weekly segment, Tik Talk, where we take a closer look at the story behind the sensation. Black History Month is upon us. And we are taking a look at the importance of hair and how it plays an integral role in the Black community. According to a study at the National Institutes of Health, women who used relaxers or hair-straightening chemicals were more than twice as likely to develop uterine cancer compared to those who did not use the product. Currently, hair influencer Destinee Wray is encouraging her 3.6 million followers to embrace their textures and curl patterns. Destinee joins us now. Welcome to the show. - Thank you so much for having me. - I love your hair, by the way. Of course, Destinee, you're known for your beautiful curly hair. Talk to us about your own personal natural hair care journey. - So I think it was in high school when I started my natural hair journey. So it was about 15 years of me straightening my hair and begging my mom to do relaxer treatments to have permanently straight hair. And once I decided that I wanted to go natural, I completely cut my hair all off, started from the beginning. And then from there, I just started sharing my journey. - Your TikTok bio reads, "I'll make you start loving your hair." In your videos, you teach people the basics of curly hair. Why did you decide to use your platform as an educational tool? - I decided to use my platform as an educational tool, because I know how important representation is, because I know how it felt to not be represented. LINSEY DAVIS: Do you often have people coming up to you and saying, can I touch your hair? Does that happen? DESTINEE WRAY: Oh, all the time. LINSEY DAVIS: And what do you say? - Sometimes, I'll be like sure? But other times, I feel like they can tell by my body language that I'm kind of not wanting them to. But, yeah, it definitely happens a lot. - You also have a series called "Straight hairstyles on curls." What was the inspiration behind those videos? - So I found that for myself when I decided that I was going to go natural, the hardest part for me was figuring out styles that I felt were popular. And a lot of the hairstyles that are popular are hairstyles that are commonly seen on straight hair. So I made that series, so people with curly hair could see themselves in those styles. - Historically, we've seen many Black women being discriminated against for their natural hair in the workplace. And the pressures of society also to really emulate Eurocentric hair has contributed often to that factor. What do you think that we can do as a society to really try to move past this thinking? - I feel like we really have to praise women when they start to wear their natural hair instead of questioning them for it. - Share with us three quick and easy tips on how to maintain curly hair. - Oh, OK, that's hard. I would say figure out your hair type-- one, figure out your hair porosity, and then you're going to have to do some trial and error with the products. But if you figure out your hair type and porosity, then finding products should be a bit easier. - All right, Destinee, we thank you so much for joining us. You can learn more curly hair tips on her TikTok page @DestineeWray. And that's our show for tonight. Be sure to stay tuned to ABC News live for more context and analysis of the day's top stories. I'm Linsey Davis. Thanks so much for streaming with us. Have a great night. [THEME MUSIC]