the end there, who is teaching holocaust lessons that day before she had to rush out. jurors who went into her classroom likely saw with a small group of reporters saw today, a bloodstained book called, tell them you remember. or even the learning objective that is still on the wall that reads, be aware of the world and its surroundings. erin? >> leyla, thank you so much. and thank you so much to all of us for being with us. ac360 starts now. >> that there is a nine to you. four point $1 million accounted. that is how much the lies and conspiracy theories spread by alex jones about the next shooting at sandy hook elementary school will be remembered, that killed 20 check children and six adults, will now cost him. i'm jim sciutto down in for

anderson. -- >> was far less than families have requested. -- still the question of punitive damages. plus, the infowars host also faces two more trials involving families of those killed in sandy hook. today an attorney for the parents in this texas case told cnn they are, quote, thrilled by the jury's decision. remember, jones is the man who claimed repeatedly -- including, directly to the parents of the children murdered in sandy hook -- that it was all a lie and never happened. let's go right to cnn's drew griffin, who has been following this trial from the start. first, drew, break down this for [inaudible] us. how did the jury get to this figure, one point $4 million? >> the jury was asked a series of questions. keep in mind, the jury came in only for the -- i look jones was found liable by default in this case. one of the default cases was against the father of six-year-old jesse lewis. name is neil heslin and he

claims defamation. that -- jury will voted the release for. $110,000. but for both parents -- for scarlett lewis and for neil heslin, the jury said, for the infliction of emotional distress, now and in the future, awarding them each $2 million each. as you say, that is far, far below the $150 million ask for. and jim, i just viewed an up noxious video by alex jones that he put out on his website as he begged for money from his viewers, calling this a major victory for truth, alluding to the fact that he thought this whole trial was a democratic party run plot against him. and he is going to be unfairly treated tomorrow's punitive damage phase. but again, alex jones trying to spin this as a major victory for truth. >> he's been consistent throughout. listen, i imagine this has

never really been about the money for heslin and scarlett lewis. >> what this is about, in particular, for neil heslin, this is about getting alex jones to shut up about his did son. getting alex schoen's to never again say his son, who was shot and killed at sandy hook elementary school, wasn't shot and killed. and wasn't even a real person. this is about taking that stress, that emotional stress, off his back and making sure that alex jones and all his followers realized that the sandy hook's massacre was not a hoax, was not a false flag, it was in fact a horrific parable how horrible event. >> i watch parents beacon that courtroom. and it's just beyond imagination what they have been through. drew, do stay with us, because i want to bring in cnn legal analyst paul callan. also new york times -- elizabeth williamson, who's in the courtroom today, and she's the author of sandy hook, an american tragedy, and the

battle for truth. paul, the first legal answers to this -- ten and 12 jurors came to this decision. it was not unanimous, interestingly. what do you think of the verdict and that dollar figure, given it was so far below what the parents had sought? >> i thought the verdict was a little bit on the low side. but i'm not stunned by it in any way shape or form. i think first, what people were maybe forgetting, there were 20 children and six adults who were murdered on that horrible day in sandy hook. and all of them have to be compensated by different verdicts. if the jury was to award a normal amount of money, the $150 million for instance, in this particular verdict, well, what would be left for the other victims? they would be out of money and they would be out of luck. so, i suspect that the jury was thinking about that and trying to come up with a fair number that could be used, maybe, as a template, going down the road, to compensate other victims

here. >> that's a smart point there. two parents of the many victims there. >> elizabeth, you were in the courtroom all week. i wonder -- and just even watching from the outside, my stomach was turning during some of these moments here. describe what it was like today when the verdict was read. and any explanation for why jones was not in the courtroom for that moment? >> jim, jones has been avoiding the courtroom for almost the entire trial. it was actually an error in scheduling that put him front in front of scarlet lewis, -- insisting on speaking to him personally for those 90 minutes earlier this week. but it was a kind of sedate and quiet day. because it was proceeded by so much emotionally powerful testimony, particularly by neil heslin and scarlett lewis. so today was quite quiet and almost pensive.

and i think people didn't quite know what to think. because you had the 150 million dollar request on the side of the families. and then you had elections saying he would only pay a single dollar for each of the eight charges in this case. >> goodness. paul, there is another face of the trial, -- phase one. that's for punitive damages. so explain what the jury looks at for this next step. i imagine the point you made earlier regarding these damages might apply again, that there are other parents, eventually, to be compensated. >> yeah, that thought process, i think, would apply. but it's a very different situation than what happened today. today, they were going down a list and trying to figure out how to compensate somebody for real damages. i mean, like, medical bills and expenses. things like that factor in with compensatory damages. what happens tomorrow is very different. it is about punishment and it

is about sending a message. these are called punitive damages -- or, in some places like texas, exemplary damages. and it's meant to send a message. not only tim, to alex jones, and the horrific things that he did, but two other people across the country, who might be peddling false, defamatory conspiracies that hurt other people. there is a price to be paid. and the jury will tell us what that price is tomorrow. and i am suspecting it will be a lot larger than this price. >> that's what i was going to, just briefly there. do they have a [inaudible] they have to operate in for punitive damages. >> no. they can award whatever number they think is an appropriate number. now, i will tell you, when appellate courts look at these kinds of cases, a lot of times they look at what is the multiple of the compensatory damages. so, for instance, if it was a 10 million dollar compensatory verdict, maybe only 40 million -- or four times that or five times that -- would be held as a punitive

verdict. and texas is four times will has been held in a lot of cases. >> interesting -- drew, yesterday, jones told a courtroom that any decision in excess of $2 million would, quote, sink infowars. based on your reporting -- and you have been covering this for a long time and [inaudible] -- is that true? >> no. he makes anywhere from 55 to upwards of $70 million a year. i don't know how he spins spends that money. -- but there is significant in plum income flow running into that operation. basically, his kind of nutritional supplements and the guys that [inaudible] on the show, he was, though, tonight, i was just watching this, this disgusting post he put up, begging his audience, saying that we are broke, we are going broke, you want to keep us on the air? by a t-shirt, by some nutritional pills, by something. in other words, using this

verdict as kind of a sales pitch to try to keep him on air, because he says he is broke. he's going to have to prove he is broken bankruptcy court in order to get away with that. and we will just have to wait and see, jim. >> just a reminder that this information is big news. this stuff sells. elizabeth, you were also in the courtroom earlier today. that's when the attorneys for the families spoke about intentions to cooperate with the january 6th committee and law enforcement regarding that revelation in the courtroom yesterday that the entire conference of jones phone had been shared with prosecutors. what happened, in particular, regarding that? and how [inaudible] this >> so, today, mark banks, who is the attorney for the families in this case, he asked the judge for permission to release the contents of alex jones's phone to the january 6th committee and to law enforcement, should they requested. and she is still considering his ask. so, he expects more news on

that tomorrow. but he has the intention of delivering those contents to the proper authorities. >> -- interested as well. drew, jones facing a similar trial, mark bankston, the lawyer for the -- has now contacted the plaintiffs of the attorneys there, about medical records. how does that play into this? >> well these are part of the records that were, quote unquote, inadvertently passed on, including medical records. some of the folks in connecticut, they should have never been passed. so now, in connecticut, the lawyer who passed them on, apparently, could be in some kind of trouble. we will have to see how all this shakes out. there's a lot of attorneys here pointing fingers in a lot of different ways. and i'm not quite sure what to make of it being bluster or real damage. but certainly, a big mistake was made by alex jones's attorney by releasing those phone records.

and not getting them back immediately. >> yeah. questions [inaudible] raised in the courtroom. drew griffin, paul callan, elizabeth williamson, thanks so much to all of you. >> thanks. >> we sure to catch drew's special report, megaphone for conspiracy, the alex jones story. that's tomorrow night, 11 pm eastern time on cnn. and next for us tonight, exclusively reporting, on talks underway between lawyers for president trump and the justice department about the doj's january 6th criminal probe. and later, another cnn exclusive. house select committee vice chair liz cheney. her thoughts on potential criminal charges against him. her and her father, dick cheney, now calling the former president a coward. discover is accepted at 99% of places in the u.s.. ["only wanna be with you" byby hootie & the blowfish] bubbles bubbles

so many bubbles! as an expedia member you earn points on your travs, and that's on top of your airline miles. so you can go and see... or taste or do absolutely nothing with all those bubbles. without ever wondering if you're getting the most out of your trip. because you are. new astepro allergy. now available without a prescription. astepro is the first and only 24-hour steroid free spray.

while other allergy sprays take hours astepro starts working in 30 minutes. so you can... astepro and go. step up. prep up. to help keep you free from the risk of hiv. descovy for prep, the smallest prep pill available, is a once-daily prescription medicine that helps lower the chances of getting hiv through sex. it's not for everyone. descovy for prep has not been studied in people assigned female at birth. talk to your doctor to find out if it's right for you. descovy is another way to prep. descovy does not prevent other sexually transmitted infections, so it's important to use safer sex practices and get tested regularly. you must be hiv-negative to take descovy for prep. so, you need to get tested for hiv immediately before and at least every 3 months while taking it. if you think you were exposed to hiv or have flu-like symptoms, tell your doctor right away. they may check to confirm you are still hiv-negative. serious side effects can occur, including kidney problems and kidney failure. rare, life-threatening side effects include a buildup of lactic acid and liver problems. the most common side effect was diarrhea. tell your doctor about all the medicines and supplements you take, or if you have kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis.

if you have hepatitis b, do not stop taking descovy without talking to your doctor. ask your doctor if descovy for prep is right for you. get help paying for descovy for prep. learn more at descovy.com. oh, hey. buying a car from vroom is so easy, all you need is a phone and a finger. just go to vroom.com, scroll through thousands of cars. then, tap to buy. that's it. no sales speak. no wasted time. just, straight up great cars. right from your phone to your driveway. go to vroom.com and pick your favorite. wooo. oh yeah, she digs it. buy your car on vroom.com vroom. get in. my a1c stayed here, it needed to be here. ruby's a1c is down with rybelsus®. my a1c wasn't at goal, now i'm down with rybelsus®. mom's a1c is down with rybelsus®. (♪ ♪) in a clinical study, once-daily rybelsus® significantly lowered a1c better than a leading branded pill.

rybelsus® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't take rybelsus® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop rybelsus® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. tell your provider about vision problems or changes. taking rybelsus® with a sulfonylurea or insulin increases low blood sugar risk. side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. need to get your a1c down? (♪ ♪) ask your healthcare provider about rybelsus® today. exclusive exclusive new reporting new reporting tonight on the tonight on the justice department justice department's 's january six criminal january 6th criminal investigation. investigation. it's the it's the latest latest indication that indication that their probe is their probe is now now focused on focused on the the highest highest echelon

echelon members of the members of the former ministration, former administration, up to and up to and including including the former the former president president himself. himself. in in short, cnn georgia, cnn has has learned that his legal team is now speaking directly with doj officials, another cnn exclusive, january six committee vice chair liz cheney updates us on the progress she and her colleagues were making. also on whether she things the former president ought to face criminal charges now if the evidence supports it. first, though, cnn senior reporting, our carris canal joins us regarding wet -- tell us exactly what we know about these conversations and the topic of those conversations with the doj? >> jim, sources tell our team that the justice department attorneys investigating january 6th and trump's legal team are having talks now that it revolves around the issue of executive privilege. that is, whether the former president can shield certain communications that he had while president from federal prosecutors. this has become a significant

issue in this investigation and is very significant that these conversations are happening already. it shows that the justice department is very focused on the west wing and the activities and conversations that people have had with the former president. they have already subpoenaed for testimony before the grand jury. to the former vice president mike pence, and they have subpoenaed for testimony before the grand jury, trump's former white house counsel, pat cipollone and his deputy patrick -- this is a significant development. what we are learning from our reporting is we've reached out to the trump spokesperson and they get this indication that they are intending to begin on this issue and this is what he told us. how can any future president have a private conversation with his attorney counselors another senior advisers if any such advisor is forced either during or after the presidency in front of an select committee or other entity -- privilege comes financial discussions. we reported that the justice

department is preparing to take this battle into court and our sources say that they're confident that they will win. >> i understand your also learning details about the former president himself and his views on all this what's you've been focused on as he speaking with attorneys? >> trump has had meetings with his attorney and a warned him they think they could be indictments in this investigation, and they discussed with him with certain defense strategies of his could be. and some of these briefings understand that trump has been very skeptical and grilled his attorneys of whether it was actually facing criminal charges. and has given the impression that he doesn't think that he would. other sources tell us that he has had conversations with his inner circle and those people believe that he is more concerned about this and he has led on. his attorneys have also advised him that he should could've communications with certain people that are under scrutiny, whether it's from the house select committee investigating january 6th are potentially by the feather federal prosecutors,

one of them mark meadows, former chief of staff, and sources tell us that trump has defied the advice. he is still in contact with meadows, although that relationship is not quite used to be. jim? >> let me ask, you are using his attorneys are telling the former president that they believe some people, including him, could be indicted or just some people? >> they believe that there are potential for criminal charges in this investigation. whether and how close to trump that becomes is still something that remains to be seen. this is still in an early stage of the investigation, but it has accelerated quickly. >> thank you so much for your reporting. joining us now to break it down a cnn contributor and former nixon white house counsel, john dean, and also seen senior law enforcement analyst and former fbi deputy director, andrew mccabe. andy, when you hear, that and by the way, when you look at the trump lawyers and spokesman statement there seems to be claiming as they have for some time an extensive interpretive of executive privilege.

-- is it them reiterating their position on executive privilege and kind of exploring to see what's liability they may face? >> jim, i think it's very significant. i think it's significant because what they're doing is digging in now early and aggressively to innocence pick this fight over presidential privilege. so let's remember that the issue of presidential privilege matters greatly to the president, not just leader when there may be asking for his interview or something along those lines. he wants to be able to use presidential privilege to stop the testimony of other witnesses we've been subpoenaed in front of the grand jury or layout some guidelines that the prosecutors might agree that to adhere to to avoid certain lines of questioning. they will be very forward leaning, very aggressive in trying to raise this issue. i think it's got to be

indicative of the fact that the president is very concerned about protecting conversations he knows he had with many of these people. let's be clear. he doesn't care about preserving the sanctity of future presidents ability to confer with their advisers. donald trump cares only about donald trump, and if his folks are digging in to try to shield these conversations it's because they know they will be very damaging to him. >> john, this promises to me -- does not extend to potential criminal behavior. why are we facing this question again? i >> would happened recently is i think it gave the trump people some encouragement that

they might have a privilege, in a case called trump versus thompson where trump tried to susan initial archives to get them to stop releasing all the papers they released to the january 6th committee. in the course of that decision, which was basically, they refused to take on the appeal of the supreme court, although kavanaugh noted that he thought there was a privilege of a former president. he hinted that he might go that way, and he went that, only -- the very conservative majority of the court with him. i think that's what they're trying to get to, get something and get out before the supreme court. the law is really subtle in the district of columbia on these issues, though. it will be a real reach to get to the supreme court. >> interesting that you know that. there is even more conservative as you know.

mckay justices by some measures on that court, with that extend even the criminal behavior? with the former president and current president, is there an exception for potential criminal behavior or might the court decide, you know wet? those conversations are off limits? >> it's always possible that they could decide that, but the trump team has a much higher bar to get over. now that we are talking about shielding conversations in the context of a criminal investigation, a grand jury investigation, it is very different than in the context of a congressional subpoena. they're not -- congressional staff preening are intrinsically part of the political process, which brings a different angle to this -- run by doj in front of a grand jury. that process is given enormous

deference by the courts, and i think that is what led to the settled state of the law in dc that john just refer to. >> john, sources are telling cnn that the team has worn him, as we mentioned a bit earlier that indictments are possible. i want to play with former attorney general eric holder just told siriusxm about potential indictments in his view. have a listen. >> my guess is that by the end of this process, you're going to see indictments involving high-level people in the white house. you will see indictments against people outside the white house or advise-ing them with regard to the attempt to steal the election. i think hopefully all probably be the president, former president of the united states and i did as well. >> quite a position, john, do you agree? >> i think it's a very solid position. highly potential. i think he is right on. and he is a very high level view of it.

we've never seen conduct like this in the white house. this is way beyond watergate. and the watergate special prosecutors were prepared to prosecute richard nixon, much lesser charges. i'm not surprised that mr. holder has taken that position. >> john dean, andy mccabe, thank you for joining us tonight. coming up next for us tonight, a conversation with the vice chair of the january six select committee, republican liz cheney, on whether the former president should face criminal prosecution if the evidence supports it. and our concerns about the missing text messages from the secret service, dhs and the pentagon. and the videotape that she is not getting from hard at.

the unknown is not empty. it's a storm that crashes, and consumes, replacing thought with worry. but one thing can calm uncertainty. an answer. uncovered through exploration, teamwork, and innovation. an answer that leads to even more answers. mayo clinic. you know where to go.

at xfinity, we're constantly innovating. and we're working 24/7 to connect you to more of what you love. we're bringing you the nation's largest gig speed network. available to more homes than anyone else. and with xfi complete, get 10x faster upload speeds. tech upgrades for your changing wifi needs. and advanced security at home and on the go to block millions of threats. only from us... xfinity. wanna help kids get their homework done? well, an internet connection's a good start. but kids also need computers. and sometimes the hardest thing about homework is finding a place to do it. so why not hook community centers up with wifi? for kids like us, and all the amazing things we're gonna learn. through projectup, comcast is committing

$1 billion so millions more students can continue to get the tools they need to build a future of unlimited possibilities. days after the supporters of former president -- electoral revenge with ten house republicans who voted to impeach trump, all eyes now turn to their biggest target, congresswoman liz cheney. the vice chair of the january six committee faces wyoming primary voters and 12 days. she's facing an uphill fight. her campaign released a new ad featuring dick cheney her phone -- representing wyoming congress for ten years. in, and he lashes out at the

former president. >> he tried to steal the last election. using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him. he is a coward. a real man would not lie to his supporters. he lost his election and he lost it big. i know it. he knows it, and deep down i think most republicans know it. >> in an exclusive interview with cnn, congresswoman liz cheney sat down with our chief national affairs nationalists, casey hunt in wyoming, to discuss cheney's role on the january six committee investigating trump, including his attempts to overturn the election, and also whether the justice department should know prosecute him criminally for his actions. >> do you think that the biden justice department is going to stop him from becoming president again? >> i think the justice department is going to follow facts and evidence, that they clearly seen significant activity in terms of the individuals that they now have testifying in front of the

grand jury, in d.c.. and i think they are taken obligations seriously, i think we have certainly seen our hearings when you have the former attorney general or former white house counsel and former acting attorney general and former -- you have individuals who served donald trump who are nominated by him. he served at the highest levels. who has testified in front of the committee. and made clear, for example, as did pat cipollone, that president trump didn't want people to leave the capitol. now, mr. cipollone made that point trying to protect executive privilege, but i don't think anybody had any doubt of what he was saying. so i think the justice department is, from what i can tell, from the outside, committed to following the facts and evidence. and they're taking it seriously. >> some have expressed concern that prosecuting former president trump which turned him into a martyr and

potentially add to his political strength for the base that follows him pretty rapidly. do you share that concern? do you have any concern that the prosecution would strengthen donald's political -- >> i don't think that it is appropriate to think about it that way, because the question for us is, are we a nation of laws? are we a country where no one is above the law? and with that the facts and the evidence show. certainly, i have been very clear and i think he is clearly guilty of the most derelict of duty of any president of our nation's history. had a federal judge in california. say that it is more likely than not that he and john eastman committed to crimes. i think that we are going to continue to follow facts and that the department of justice will do that. they had to make decisions about prosecution, understanding what it means if

the facts and evidence are there and they decide not to prosecute. how do we then call ourselves a nation of laws? i think it's very serious balance. >> it's also you think the evidence is there and if they don't follow the evidence, it's a dereliction of duty on their part. >> the committee has been, i think, very thorough and laying out much of what we know. there's much more that we have not yet shared in hearings and we anticipate we will share in the fall, and we will also make decisions about criminal referrals and ultimately the decision about prosecutions is up to the justice department, but i would anticipate the committee will have an opinion on that. >> cnn is reporting that the pentagon, texts from january 6th are missing. this is of course after the department of homeland security and secret service seems to have lost text. to do you think that was malicious attempt behind the pentagon solution of text related to that day? >> i don't know that that is

the case. i haven't seen evidence of malicious intent. i do think it's concerning that you have text messages, apparently, and this is based on the news reporting, but text messages apparently some of the senior officials like people i cash patel, like apparently not available. certainly, as a committee we will get to the bottom of that. we have been working with secret service and the situation has been reported were text messages are not available or were erased off the phones. but we've received hundreds of thousands of documents from the secret service. and significant information from them that the committee is going through -- as we conduct interviews with secret service agents. >> how much would you say you have learned that was

unexpected? you obviously have a lot more information than the general public does in your head about what happened that day. but when you started these hearings earlier this year, did you have any idea how much you would know by this point? >> it's spin more information and more sophisticated and broader reaching effort then i understood coming into it. i think all of us on the committee have had that same reaction, which is that there's so much more that was happening in multiple different areas, whether it was the pressure on state officials, or the pressure on the justice department, or the attempt to corrupt -- the vice president himself. i think the volume of information has been more than i expected. certainly, obviously i came

into this very concerned. the information itself has not listened my concern at all. >> are you in contact with the former vice president, mike pence as you're learning this information? >> no. we've had discussions with his counsel, obviously, about his interactions with the committee, but not with him personally. >> what is your assessment of how he is handling potentially running for president? he's out there kind of opposing the former president, but unlike you, he's not out there criticizing former president trump? >> you know, when i would say is that vice president pence was a hero on january 6th. and it is very clear that there was tremendous pressure from a number of different places on him and he did his duty. he did not succumb to that pressure. if he had succumbed to that pressure things would've been very different.

i think we owe him gratitude for how he conducted in himself, and for his refusal to do it donald trump wanted him to do, which would have been illegal and unconstitutional. >> do you think he would be an eyeliner fight to keep trump out of the oval office? >> let me just leave it where i did. i think that has actions on january 6th are ones for which the nation should be grateful. >> there's been a lot of speculation about how the committee is or isn't making an impact with the american people. especially when it comes to this question of whether donald trump becomes the republican amani and potentially president of the united states again. do you think the committee's work is moving the needle politically? i don't think about it that way. i think about it more, because i think it's important that the companies would not be viewed through the political lens, and that is not how i think about that. i think about it in terms of

whether or not we are reaching people to understand how serious the threat was and continues to be. i think in that regard, we have done a job that i am proud of. >> do you think there are enough people out there in a country who share these concerns that you have and that many people who are also at the capitol on that they had. are there enough americans out there to move the needle? >> i think that there are the vast majority of americans, they understand how important it is that we have a peaceful transition of power. and sort of at the heart of who we are as americans and the heart of our republic is a peaceful transition of power. no matter what your party affiliation as, you have to have a president who will guarantee that. and donald trump did not. and so, i do think that as more and more facts become know people are paying attention. and understanding how serious

the threat is. >> casey now joins me. casey, 12 days, cheney faces a tough primary challenge. i wonder how she feels about her chances. why did she say? >> well, jim, we talked about it at some length. she did tell me that she intends to win her primary. you are seeing her campaign there. i think that they are aware that they are facing an extraordinarily uphill battle. when i talked to sources, both close to the cheney count but also elsewhere in wyoming, it seems pretty clear she's on the way into losing that campaign. part of it is she's been hamstrung and campaigning for security reasons in some cases. she has faced so many death threats around january 6th, but the reality is she's in a much different place than the base of the party and that base, that base that supports the former president is very active in wyoming. so it's really unlikely, i

think, at this point that she is going to be able to overcome that. >> so wet with a loss, if it were to happen, mean for the january six committee? i mean of course it would put a time limit on, because you'd be out of office by january next, year but wouldn't give her more time to focus on? it is she discuss that? >> jim, i think the working assumption is that the whole committee has the same deadline, because in the event that republicans take back control of the house of representatives, which has seemed likely, and the committee is ultimately likely to be dissolved by an incoming speaker, kevin mccarthy or another republican leader, but i think for chaney, the challenge is going to be maintaining the megaphone that she wants to have. she has said repeatedly, she has said in another portion of our interview that her mission is to keep donald trump from getting back into the oval office. obviously, losing a political race, she loses a platform. that is going to be a blow to that mission, but i do not think it is going to mean that she is going to take a step back from that. i do think there are a lot of cars on the table.

she's not made up her mind about her political future is, but i would not be surprised if you saw presidential -- from liz cheney at some point in the future. especially if donald trump is back in the frame. >> casey hunt, thank you so much. >> thanks, jim. good to see you. >> now that a russian judge's sentence, the wnba star brittney griner to nine years in prison, keep in mind for less than a gram of cannabis oil, the question is, what will it take to get her home? i speak to the cia's former top russia hand about a potential prisoner swap and how it might come about.

- common percy! - yeah let's go! on a trip. book with priceline. you save more, so you can “woooo”ore. - wooo. - wooo. wooooo!!!!! woohooooo!!!! w-o-o-o-o-o... yeah, el the savings. priceline. every trip is a big deal. my little family is me, aria, and jade. just the three of us girls. i never thought twice about feeding her kibble. but about two years ago, i realized she was overweight. she was always out of breath. that's when i decided to introduce the farmer's dog to her diet. it's just so fresh that she literally gets bubbles in her mouth. now she's a lot more active she's able to join us on our adventures. and we're all able to do things as a family. ♪ get started at longlivedogs.com

non-gaming tribes have been left in the dust. wealthy tribes with big casinos make billions, while small tribes struggle in poverty. prop 27 is a game changer. 27 taxes and regulates online sports betting to fund permanent solution to homelessness. while helping every tribe in california. so who's attacking prop 27? wealthy casino tribes who want all the money for themselves support small tribes, address homelessness. vote yes on 27.

they'll come was expected. a sentence extreme. a moscow area court today found wnba star brittney griner guilty of drug smuggling. the judge sentenced her to nine years in appeal colony all forward griner told the court was an honest mistake. she was arrested at the airport in moscow with less than a ground. less than a gram of cannabis oil. the sentencing comes after cnn reporting of a proposed prisoner's not -- swap for griner and another american held by russia, paul whelan. >> we urge the russians again to seriously consider that proposal, to act on it, and let's get these two americans home where they belong. >> separately today, federal

officials are about to get their hands on alexander vending, a russian national facing money laundering charges. he is being extradited from greece after a long battle with russia over him. perspective now from someone who knows how these things don't work. in russia, -- former chief of russia operation at the cac. , if good to have you. we've seen these trials before and russia. they have judges there, they have terms and they have various guidelines for sentencing, zit setter. but, we also know that the kremlin influences these things very directly at times. when americans watch this trial, how should the view this outcome? >> it's not even really influence, jim. this is entirely controlled. it's a stage managed production. even a defense attorneys which people they were upset they didn't get what they wanted. everybody has a role that the kremlin gives. something over cyclical for they can go and precisely how far they can go in the case of

the defense attorneys. they're just trying to convince people like you and me in the west that they have a legitimate justice system in russia, which they do not. >> russia has a history of taking hostages. if you look at the case of navalny and others. is this and should we see this through the prison of the broader u.s. russia relationship at this point? including the war in ukraine? as russia using this as leverage to punish the u.s. over that conflict? >> absolutely. that's really what this is all about. this is the farthest thing from weather mask-wearing or had any cannabis on her or, that's all the relevant to putin, who by the way has a chip on his shoulder since the end of the soviet union. so of course now he's upset because of ukraine, and because of how it's not going particularly well for them, largely because of western arms. you have to remember that it wasn't that long ago that russian athletes were banned from the olympics because of

drug abuse. that was state sponsored. all of these things come together for putin who has a very strong sense of vengeance and is basically saying to himself i'm going to extract the highest price i possibly can for griner and whelan and others. >> even in the midst of this trough, if you want to call it that, crisis and russian relations, you did have a prisoner swap earlier this year. how likely is it then exchanged come together now as you know, the americans already offered victor boot, a convicted armed smuggler and the russians -- that by the, way for griner and paul whelan the russians say hey how about this convicted murderer held by journey as well? is it just about finding the right exorbitant price at this point? >> i think now is the time when real negotiations are going to start and it will be very much behind the scene -- how much do you let it become public, whether it's american russian side. overall, i'm consciously optimistic that a deal will be

reached, simply because this is how vladimir putin and the kremlin play the game. they want to extract the highest price to get what they want whether it's another person, whether it's a guy like victor blue or others are loyal to the kremlin or whether it's also a bit of an emotional satisfaction, frankly, with a vengeance for as dc them, dishonourable things that have been and russia. >> not so much a legal process or a case of extortion. steve, always good to have you on. >> thanks. >> coming up, federal charges filed against four currents and former -- kentucky police officers involved in that fatal -- the allegations from the doj coming u

with xfinity internet, you get advanced security that helps protect you at home and on the go. you feel so safe, it's as if... i don't know... evander holyfield has your back. i wouldn't click on that. hey, thanks! we got a muffin for ed! all right! you don't need those calories. can we at least split it? nope. advanced security that helps protect your devices in and out of the home.

i mean, can i have a bite? only from xfinity. nah. unbeatable internet. made to do anything so you can do anything. the fbi's arrested four former and current louisville, kentucky police officers. they are now facing civil rights

charges as well as other counts. this in connection with the 2020 fatal shooting of breonna taylor. the 26-year-old black woman was killed in a botched police raid at her apartment. the case, you may remember, sparked nationwide protest. joining us now with details, cnn's josh campbell. josh, first tell us what these charges entail, exactly. >> well, jim, this is significant. these are the first federal charges in the killing of breonna taylor back in march of 2020 and one the justice department alleges is that two of these officers falsified the affidavit that was used to get the search warrant that officers wanted to go to her home as part of a drug trafficking investigation. a third officer is charged with conspiracy in that incident. i spent a career in law enforcement. i think most people would be surprised to learn the power officers v. they go before a judge. the judge doesn't check every single fact but relies on their integrity as they swear an oath. here the justice department says

they violated that oath and falsified the records that were used. the attorney general and other department officials spoke about that earlier today. >> the affidavit falsely claimed that officers had verified that the target of the alleged drug trafficking operation had received packages at ms. taylor's address. in facts, defendants james and good lap knew that was not true. >> that false affidavit set in motion events that led to ms. taylor's death when other lmpd officers executed that warrant. >> reporter: now, a fourth officer is also charged with allegedly using excessive use of force on the day of that raid. authorities say he fired into a window at taylor's home that was covered by blinds and curtains ten rounds. that violates all the attenets law enforcement. you have to know what you're shooting at, what is around your target. you're responsible for every round. here is alleged officers used

excessive use of force firing into that room without knowing what was in it, jim. >> sochl these officers lying to obtain a warrant but conspiracy after the fact to cover it up. tell us the details. >> reporter: yeah, this is so striking. again, authorities aren't just saying they lied to get the warrant. they're also saying that after this botched 2020 raid, two of the officers met in a garage discussing how they're going to get their stories together to try to evade investigators allegedly. and it, again, is just so stunning that these officers that are trusted with enforcing the law, it's alleged they not only did this actual cover-up after the fact but then lied to investigators as well. of course we've reached out to their attorneys for comment, but significant charges by the justice department. >> josh campbell, thanks so much. and we'll be right back. ♪ from boston. ♪ it means, “ok-to-beer-fest”.. another sam octoberfrfest? nein.

make it ten! i like this guy. (cheers) ♪ ♪ the thing that's different about a vrbo vacation home. you always have the whole place to yourself. no stranger at the dinner table making this awkward. or in another room taking up spe. it's just you and your people. because why would you ever share your vacation home with someone you wouldn't share your vacation with. ♪ ♪ new astepro allergy. no allergy spray is faster. with the speed of astepro, almost nothing can slow you down. because astepro starts working in 30 minutes, while other allergy sprays take hours. and astepro is the first and only 24-hour steroid free allergy spray. now without a prescription.

astepro and go. trelegy for copd. [coughing] ♪ birds flyin' high, you know how i feel. ♪ ♪ breeze driftin' on by... ♪ if you've been playing down your copd,... ♪ it's a new dawn, it's a new day,... ♪ ...it's time to make a stand. start a new day with trelegy. ♪...and i'm feelin' good. ♪ no once-daily copd medicine... has the power to treat copd in as many ways as trelegy. with three medicines in one inhaler, trelegy helps people breathe easier and improves lung function. it also helps prevent future flare-ups. trelegy won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. do not take trelegy more than prescribed. trelegy may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating, vision changes, or eye pain occur. take a stand and start a new day with trelegy. ask your doctor about once-daily trelegy,

and save at trelegy.com. this... is the planning effect. this is how it feels to have a dedicated fidelity advisor looking at your full financial picture. this is what it's like to have a comprehensive wealth plan with tax-smart investing strategies designed to help you keep more of what you earn. and set aside more for things like healthcare, or whatever comes down the road. this is "the planning effect" from fidelity.

-- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com the news isn't going anywhere, so let's hand it over to my good friend laura coates and "cnn tonight." >> nice seeing you, jim. 12 hours apart. 9:00 a.m. it's wonderful to see you as always. i'm laura coates and this is "cnn tonight." no conspiracy theories here, just the hard truth. alex jones has to pay up. now, these families, of course, can never ever be made whole for what they've lost. but with compensatory damages, the jury endeavors to