The Countdown: Verdict handed down to Alex Jones over Sandy Hook claims
In this edition on 'The Countdown,' we dig deeper into the verdict handed out to right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who was ordered to pay nearly a billion dollars to the families of victims in the Sandy Hook school gun massacre for spreading lies that the shooting was a hoax.
Some members of those families broke down in tears as the decision was handed out.
ABC News investigative reporter Aaron Katersky analyzed the developments.
Here are the other headlines from Wednedsay's show:
COVID boosters for kids
The U.S. on Wednesday authorized updated COVID-19 boosters for children as young as 5, seeking to expand protection ahead of an expected winter wave. Tweaked boosters rolled out for Americans 12 and older last month, doses modified to target today's most common and contagious omicron relative. While there wasn't a big rush, federal health officials are urging that people seek the extra protection ahead of holiday gatherings.
Midterm election update
We're about a month away from a critical midterm election in this country. FiveThirtyEight says the data suggests we're heading for a split decision in Congress, with Democrats holding onto the Senate and Republicans taking over the house. But that is only part of the picture. Nationally, polls have steadily been creeping towards a more favorable landscape for Democrats, though that doesn't appear to be the case in New York.
War in Ukraine
Russia's relentless air strikes on Ukrainian civilian sites continued for a third day. The assault has killed more than a dozen citizens and wounded more than 100. Military experts consider these recent attacks desperate, raising concerns Russia's presidents could feel pressured to launch nuclear weapons. President Joe Biden says he does not actually believe Vladimir Putin will use nuclear weapons, but describes him as a leader who miscalculated this war on Ukraine.
You can watch 'The Countdown' live Monday-Friday at 6:30 p.m. on ABC7NY.com or our ABC7NY app on Roku, FireTV, Apple TV and Android TV.
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