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A Russian rocket hit the southern city of Zaporizhzhia on Friday following a week of deadly strikes on civilian targets in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russian officials said their air defenses had shot down rockets in the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine. Russia's Rostov region is to receive residents of Ukraine's occupied Kherson region on Friday, according to Russian authorities, after Moscow announced evacuations in the face of Ukraine's counteroffensive. Russia continues to face international backlash for the war. European lawmakers voted overwhelmingly Thursday to declare Russia a "terrorist" regime. Meanwhile, a new intelligence analysis shows Western sanctions are hurting Russia’s ability to replenish military supplies in Ukraine. Moscow could potentially leave its grain deal with Ukraine, Russia’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva said, according to reports. The deal was brokered to unblock ports on the Black Sea and allow the safe passage of grain and oilseeds.

CNN Business) - Far-right talk show host Alex Jones should pay eight families of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims and one first responder nearly $1 billion in compensatory damages, a Connecticut jury decided Wednesday, capping a wrenching weeks-long trial that put on display the serious harm inflicted by the conspiracy theorist's lies. With its punishing award, the decision could shrink or even doom Jones' Infowars media empire, which has been at the center of major conspiracy theories dating back to former President George W. Bush's administration and was embraced by President Donald Trump. The decision marks a key moment in the years-long process that began in 2018 when the families took legal action against Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems, the parent of the fringe media organization Infowars. Jones baselessly said again and again after the 2012 mass shooting, in which 26 people were killed, that the incident was staged, and that the families and first responders were "crisis actors." The plaintiffs throughout the trial described in poignant terms how the lies had prompted unrelenting harassment against them and compounded the emotional agony of losing their loved ones. Plaintiffs in the trial included family members of eight school students and employees, in addition to one FBI agent who responded to the scene. The three cases were all condensed into the single trial. Christopher Mattei, an attorney for the plaintiffs, urged jurors to award at least a half a billion dollars for having permanently mangled the lives of his clients. The figure, he said, would represent the more than 550 million online impressions Jones' Sandy Hook lie allegedly received online. You may say that is astronomical. It is," Mattei said. "It's exactly what Alex Jones set himself up to do. That's what he built. He built a lie machine that could push this stuff out. You reap what you sow." The decision in Connecticut comes two months after a separate jury in Texas determined that Jones and his company should award two Sandy Hook parents who sued in that state nearly $50 million. Later this month, the judge in that case will consider whether to reduce the punitive damages awarded under Texas law. While Jones initially lied about the 2012 shooting, he later acknowledged that the massacre had occurred as he faced multiple lawsuits. But he failed to comply with court orders during the discovery process of the lawsuits in Connecticut and Texas, leading the families in each state to win default judgments against him During the latest trial, families of the Sandy Hook victims offered emotional testimony, telling the jury in haunting terms how Jones' lies about the shooting had permanently altered their lives and compounded the pain of losing their loved ones. p Jones, who was cross-examined by the plaintiffs' attorneys, but chose not to testify in his own defense as was originally planned, sought to portray himself as a victim of an elaborate "deep state" conspiracy against him. a particularly explosive moment in the trial, Jones tangled with an attorney for the plaintiffs, accusing him of "ambulance chasing," before descending into an unhinged rant in court about "liberals."The judge overseeing the case admonished Jones several times during his testimony, warning him even at one point that he could be held in contempt of court if he violated her rules moving forward. Jones has attacked the judicial process, even acknowledging in court that he had referred to the proceedings as those of a "kangaroo court" and called the judge a "tyrant." He has already indicated that he plans to appeal.

CNN — Two law enforcement officers were killed and a third has serious injuries after a shooting late Wednesday night, Connecticut State Police said. Connecticut State Police told CNN they were requested Wednesday night to assist the Bristol Police Department with an investigation.

CNN) The former San Antonio police officer who was charged and arrested Tuesday in the shooting of an unarmed 17-year-old at a McDonald's parking lot was released early Wednesday on bond, according to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office. James Brennand turned himself in Tuesday night on two charges of aggravated assault by a public servant. He was released at 4:03 a.m. CT after posting $100,000 bond for each count, the sheriff's office said. The October 2 shooting, which left teenager Erik Cantu in critical condition, was a "failure for one individual police officer," the San Antonio police chief said Tuesday. He has since been fired.

CNN) - A Trump employee has told the FBI about being directed by the former President to move boxes out of a basement storage room to his residence at Mar-a-Lago after Donald Trump's legal team received a subpoena for any classified documents at the Florida estate, according to a source familiar with the witness' description. The FBI also has surveillance footage showing a staffer moving boxes out of the storage room, the source told CNN. The witness account of Trump's actions after the subpoena was served in May coupled with the footage could be key to the federal criminal investigation that's looking into a range of potential crimes, including obstruction, destruction of government records and mishandling of classified information. FBI agents executed a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago in August and seized thousands of documents, including about 100 marked as classified. The FBI also subpoenaed the Trump Organization for surveillance video from the resort. The Trump employee initially denied handling sensitive documents or boxes at Mar-a-Lago, according to the source. But the FBI developed evidence that prompted investigators to go back to the witness, who revised their story to say Trump had given instructions to move the boxes, the source said. The Washington Post was the first to report on the witness account.

Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir said his country partnered with Russia to slash oil production in order to stabilize markets and denied that there were political motives behind the decision, which has enraged US leaders and sparked calls to rethink ties with Riyadh. “We’re trying to make sure we don’t have erratic swings in prices,” al-Jubeir, one of Saudi Arabia’s top diplomats, told CNN’s Becky Anderson on Wednesday. “Our track record has been clear — we have always worked assiduously to maintain stability in the oil markets.” Last week, OPEC+, the oil cartel led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, agreed to slash production by 2 million barrels per day, twice as much as analysts had predicted, in the biggest cut since the Covid-19 pandemic.

CNN) - Eight people have been detained over Saturday's blast that damaged the only bridge connecting annexed Crimea with Russia, marking a critical juncture in Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed the main intelligence department of the Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, its head Kyrylo Budanov, and its employees and agents organized the "terrorist attack" on the Kerch Strait road-and-rail bridge, Russian state media RIA Novosti reported Wednesday.

Ukraine’s defense ministry shared a video and said a soldier shot down a Russian cruise missile with a portable air defense system.

Hong Kong(CNN) Malaysia's 97-year-old former leader Mahathir Mohamad is to run for parliament in the country's looming general election, but is remaining tight-lipped on whether he could be prime minister for a third time. Mahathir, who was hospitalized earlier this year with a heart condition, said Tuesday he will defend his seat representing Langkawi, a popular tourist destination. But he said the alliance he represents -- the Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) or Homeland Movement -- has not decided who would be prime minister should it win the election, expected in November. as a candidate for future prime minister, just as a candidate for lawmaker," he told a news conference. "We have not decided who will be prime minister because the prime minister candidate is only relevant if we win," he added. Mahathir, who was discharged from hospital last month after falling ill with Covid-19, has been prime minister of Malaysia twice before, his first stint running for 22 years until 2003. He came out of retirement in 2018 to lead his then coalition -- the Pakatan Harapan or Hope Alliance -- to a shock election win and returned to power aged 92. That victory saw Mahathir's former protege Najib Razak pushed out of office and ended six decades of rule by the United Malays National Organization party or UMNO. Mahathir said he had been moved to act after Najib became embroiled in the multibillion-dollar financial scandal surrounding the state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Najib has since been jailed for 12 years on money laundering, abuse of power and other charges relating to the scandal but remains a political force amid speculation he could receive a royal pardon. Mahathir warned Tuesday that Najib could be freed if UMNO wins the election. Malaysia's current Prime Minister is Ismail Sabri Yaakob of the ruling UMNO party. He dissolved parliament on Monday, paving the way for the election but a date has yet to be set. In a televised address, Ismail said that on Sunday he had presented a letter of request to Malaysia's head of state, King Abdullah of Pahang, to dissolve the parliament.

CNN) President Joe Biden on Tuesday for the first time addressed his son's exposure to possible criminal charges for allegedly lying on a gun-purchase application, but he said he was proud of Hunter Biden for confronting his struggles with drug addiction in an interview with Jake Tapper aired on "CNN Tonight." Hunter Biden purchased a gun during a time in which he has now acknowledged he was struggling with drug addiction -- an issue now under federal criminal investigation because federal law requires purchasers to attest that they aren't users of or addicted to illegal drugs, CNN has reported. Federal prosecutors are weighing possible charges related tax violations and for making a false statement related to the gun purchase, CNN reported. President Biden told Tapper on Tuesday that he was "proud" of Hunter Biden for being straightforward about his battle with drug addiction. This is a kid who got -- not a kid, he's a grown man -- he got hooked on, like many families have had happen, hooked on drugs. He's overcome that. He's established a new life," Biden said. "I'm confident that he is -- what he says and does are consistent with what happens," the President said. "And for example, he wrote a book about his problems and was straightforward about it. I'm proud of him." The case against Hunter Biden narrowed earlier this year and was a matter of discussion in early summer between FBI and IRS investigators, prosecutors in Delaware and the Justice Department, CNN previously reported. The discussions included assessing the strength of the case and questioning whether more work was needed before deciding on charges. Prosecutors and investigators have argued that they have enough evidence to bring charges, but a decision on charges rests with Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss and is expected after the midterm elections. An attorney for Hunter Biden didn't immediately comment. In the CNN interview on Tuesday, the President defended his son. "This thing about a gun -- I didn't know anything about it. But turns out that when he made application to purchase a gun, what happened was he -- I guess you get asked -- I don't guess, you get asked a question, are you on drugs, or do use drugs?' He said no. And he wrote about saying no in his book," Biden said. "So, I have great confidence in my son," he went on. "I love him and he's on the straight and narrow, and he has been for a couple years now. And I'm just so proud of him." The White House has consistently declined to comment on the Hunter Biden investigation, saying it's a matter for the Justice Department. But Republicans and conservative media have focused on the issue, which could become the subject of congressional inquiries should Republicans take control of Congress after this year's midterm elections. Biden told Tapper his focus right now is on November's congressional contests. But he said once those elections conclude he'd enter the decision-making process on his own political future. "I'm not going to make this about my decision. I'm going to make this about this off-year election. After that's done in November, then I'm going to be in the process of deciding," Biden said. Biden, who turns 80 on November 20, has consistently batted away questions about his age, suggesting his performance as president speaks for itself. He has said he intends to run for reelection. But he notes he respects fate, and has suggested he'll discuss the matter with his family and come to a decision early next year.

New York (CNN Business) Jerome Powell and other members of the Federal Reserve are obsessed with choking off inflation once and for all, even if the Fed's series of aggressive rate hikes slow the economy to a crawl. That could be bad news for consumers, investors and Corporate America. What's more, many market experts and economists note that the rate of inflation, while still uncomfortably high, is falling and should continue to decline -- but there is a noted lag effect. Fed vice chair Lael Brainard admitted as much in a speech Monday, saying that "policy actions to date will have their full effect on activity in coming quarters." Still, the Fed isn't done raising rates. Investors are pricing in the strong probability of a fourth consecutive three-quarters of a percentage point hike at the Fed's next meeting on November 2. And the chances of a fifth straight hike of that magnitude at the Fed's December 14 meeting are also on the rise. year. So the Fed is going to keep raising rates to prove that it is taking inflation seriously, even if that leads to a bigger pullback in stocks...and tipping the economy into a recession.

Russia's deadly strikes on civilian targets continued Wednesday as Moscow announced it arrested eight people in connection with the massive explosion that damaged the only bridge between annexed Crimea and Russian mainland on Saturday, according to state media. NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels Wednesday will focus on how to provide Ukraine with more air defense systems, according to sources, as the Kremlin continues to slam the alliance’s relationship with Kyiv. US President Joe Biden said in an exclusive CNN interview he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin is a "rational actor" who badly miscalculated his ability to invade Ukraine. He also said he doesn't believe Putin would use a nuclear weapon. External power to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has been restored following the shelling of a substation, the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog said.

CNN) Prosecutors have called on a Florida jury to recommend the Parkland school shooter be put to death, saying in a closing argument Tuesday he meticulously planned the February 2018 massacre, and that the facts of the case outweigh anything in his background that defense attorneys claim warrant a life sentence. "What he wanted to do, what his plan was and what he did, was to murder children at school and their caretakers," lead prosecutor Michael Satz said of Nikolas Cruz, who pleaded guilty to 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder for the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in which 14 students and three school staff members were killed. "That's what he wanted to do." But Cruz "is a brain damaged, broken, mentally ill person, through no fault of his own," defense attorney Melisa McNeill said in her own closing argument, pointing to the defense's claim that Cruz's mother used drugs and drank alcohol while his mother was pregnant with him, saying he was "poisoned" in her womb.

Washington(CNN) Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson said he's been "blown away" by the calls for him to launch a White House bid, but maintained that his focus at the moment is raising his family. "I'm just really grounded and humbled by the interest on both sides. But the No.1 job, and my No. 1 title, that I love right now is daddy," the actor and pro wrestling legend told CNN's Jake Tapper in an interview that aired on "CNN Tonight" Tuesday. Asked if that meant he was ruling out a future presidential run down the line, Johnson left the door open. have seriously considered it. You have to. When you start looking at some of these polls, and these numbers creep up into the 46%, 50% of the country would vote for me should I run, and I have been -- I've been really moved by that," he said. "I mean, truly, it sat me down." Johnson is a father of three: Jasmine Lia, 6, and Tiana Gia, 4, with his wife Lauren Hashian, and Simone Alexandra, 21, from a previous marriage. One poll from 2021 found 58% of Americans would have liked to see Johnson as the next president of the United States. In the same poll, 58% said they would support actor Matthew McConaughey. Last year, the 50-year-old Johnson produced and starred in two major films, "Jungle Cruise" and "Red Notice," debuted his sitcom "Young Rock," saw his company Teremana Tequila have unprecedented growth and became the most followed American man on Instagram. Johnson has previously described himself as a "political independent" and "centrist" who has voted for candidates in both parties. In 2020, he endorsed President Joe Biden in what he called "arguably the most critical election our country has seen in decades." Earlier in former President Donald Trump's tenure, Johnson had made a powerful plea for change in leadership in the wake of George Floyd's death. The actor stated in a video post on his social media channels that the US is "crippled" and "on its knees begging to be heard and pleading for change." "I don't know anything about politics," Johnson told Tapper. "I will say that I -- absolutely, I'm a patriot, and I love our country and I love everybody in it, regardless of color or culture. Don't care what your bank account says or what kind of car you drive." CNN's Kelly Murray contributed to this report.

New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman discusses her conversations with former President Donald Trump around his support for Herschel Walker and his political future.

CNN) Mitch McConnell doesn't like talking about Donald Trump. But you might think he would make an exception when it came to the former President attacking his wife. You would be wrong. referring to Elaine Chao as McConnell's "China loving wife, Coco Chow" on social media was acceptable. "The only time I've responded to the President, I think, since he left office is when he gave me my favorite nickname -- Old Crow -- which I considered a compliment and after all, it was Henry Clay's favorite bourbon," McConnell said, declining to comment further on the matter. Which is pretty remarkable -- even for the famously iron-willed McConnell. (Sidebar: Chao is a naturalized American citizen who was born in Taiwan. And not for nothing, she spent the better part of the Trump administration as his Transportation secretary.) What's McConnell up to? Well, as I said above, he really doesn't want to talk about Trump. In fact, he's spent the past 18 months trying to avoid all talk about the former President, acting like the Republican Party is just moving on, even though it's crystal clear that much of the base remains loyal to Trump and his election conspiracies. The last thing McConnell wants to do a month before the midterm elections is get into a back and forth with Trump -- because you can bet that Trump would respond if McConnell said anything -- that would further amplify the former President. And so, there isn't any way -- up to and including Trump making racist comments about his wife -- that McConnell is going to go down the road of talking about the former President. It's clear that McConnell believes that the less is said about Trump, the better Republicans' chances are of winning control of the Senate in four weeks' time. So he is setting what must be -- even for him -- a difficult example: Under no circumstances let the ever-provocative Trump goad you into a conflict. It's what Trump wants, but it's a bad thing for the broader Republican cause.

Jolissa Fuentes, a Fresno County, California, woman last seen more than two months ago, was found dead inside her crashed car at the bottom of a cliff in the Sierra Nevada foothills, officials said. Selma Police Chief Rudy Alcaraz describes what happened.

Former DC Metropolitan police officer Michael Fanone reveals tapes he secretly recorded while meeting with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who said former President Donald Trump had no idea his supporters were carrying out the attack on January 6. CNN law enforcement correspondent Whitney Wild has the report.

CNN — President Joe Biden said in an exclusive CNN interview Tuesday he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin is a “rational actor” who nonetheless badly misjudged his ability to invade Ukraine and suppress its people. “I think he is a rational actor who has miscalculated significantly,” Biden told Jake Tapper as Russian bombardments on civilian targets in Ukraine signaled another turning point in the months-long war. Coming as the conflict in Ukraine approaches its eighth month, the interview with Biden provided fresh insight into his thinking as top US officials watch the fighting unfold in Ukraine with escalating concern. Biden, who warned last week the risk of “nuclear Armageddon” was at its highest level in 60 years, said in the interview that threats emanating from Russia could result in catastrophic “mistakes” and “miscalculation,” even as he declined to spell out how precisely the United States would respond if Putin deploys a tactical nuclear device on the battlefield in Ukraine. And he said there would “consequences” for Saudi Arabia after it partnered with Moscow to announce a cut in oil production, a move that could cause gas prices to increase as November’s midterm elections approach.

New York CNN Business — The countdown is now on for Elon Musk and Twitter to close their $44 billion acquisition deal by October 28 or be forced to again prepare for a trial after a judge agreed on Thursday pause the legal proceedings. What everyone is now waiting on: Musk needs to actually have the money to hand over. Even the world’s richest man needs a little help for an acquisition of this size. In April, Musk announced he had lined up $46.5 billion in financing for the deal, including two debt commitment letters from Morgan Stanley and other unnamed financial institutions (one for $13 billion and another for $12.5 billion, the latter of which was later reduced to $6.25 billion). Musk himself also committed approximately $21 billion in equity to fund the deal, and later raised an additional $7 billion in equity from investors such as Oracle founder Larry Ellison and cryptocurrency firm Binance. Much of the sticking point between Musk and Twitter (TWTR) now appears to be over uncertainty around the status of those financing arrangements. Elon Musk walks from the the justice center in Wilmington, Del., Monday, July 12, 2021. The Twitter-Musk trial is now on pause Musk’s team had said in a filing earlier Thursday that there was no need to press on with the ligation because he had committed to closing the deal at the originally agreed upon terms and the banks that had committed debt financing to help him pay for it were “working cooperatively to fund the close.”

In the midst of Russian missile strikes in Kyiv, Ukrainian parliament member Inna Sovsun found shelter inside a subway station. She tells CNN’s Kate Bolduan about the experience, and shares video of the many Ukrainians singing the national anthem while sheltering. 03:51 - Source: CNN

London CNN Business — For the second time in two days, the Bank of England has been forced to offer extra support to UK markets still reeling from the government’s announcement last month that it would slash taxes and increase borrowing. The central bank warned Tuesday that there was still a “material risk to UK financial stability” from a sharp-sell off in government bonds that has sent yields soaring, pushing up borrowing costs across the economy and forcing some pension funds to dump assets to raise cash. A slump in UK government bonds that promise to protect investors from inflation — known as index-linked gilts — was the latest source of risk, it said. “Dysfunction in this market, and the prospect of self-reinforcing ‘fire sale’ dynamics pose a material risk to UK financial stability,” it said in a statement. The extent of the bond market strain was underscored Tuesday when the UK government sold £900 million ($994 million) of index-linked gilts due in 2051 at the highest yield since October 2008, according to Reuters. Starting Tuesday, the Bank of England will include index-linked gilts in its emergency £65 billion ($71.7 billion) bond-buying program announced on Sept. 28. “These additional operations will act as a further backstop to restore orderly market conditions,” it added. The bank said the program would end as planned on Friday. City workers walk near the Bank of England (BOE) in the City of London, UK, on Monday, Oct. 3, 2022. How meltdown in a $1 trillion market brought the UK to the brink of a financial crisis On Monday, it doubled the daily limit on its bond-buying to £10 billion through the end of the week. It also announced a new facility that will make it easier for banks to tap central bank cash by accepting a wider range of assets as collateral. That program will continue once the emergency bond-buying program ends.

Washington, DC CNN Business — Drivers are putting too much trust in their vehicles’ driver-assist features, which may lead to dangerous situations, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The organization, which researches vehicle safety, released a study Tuesday finding that 53% of General Motors’ Super Cruise users, 42% of Tesla Autopilot users and 12% of Nissan’s ProPilot Assist users were comfortable letting the system drive the vehicle without them watching what was happening on the road. Some even described being comfortable letting the vehicle drive during inclement weather and in parking lots.

Photographer Ella Ling speaks to Don Riddell about the “raw” photo she took of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal holding hands at the Laver Cup after the final match of Federer’s career. 05:28 - Source: CNN