yes!! and once in a lifetime moments. two tickets to nascar! yes! find rewards like these and so many more in the xfinity app. good evening. the reckless outrageous lies of alex jones and the conspiracy theories he spread about the mass shooting at sandy hook elementary school that killed 26, now carries a price for him and a big one. $45.2 million.

i'm jim sciutto in again for anderson tonight. that's how much a texas jury awarded punitive damages to the parents of a child killed during one of america's deadliest mass shootings. it comes a day after the same jury awarded $4.1 million in compensatory damages. shortly after, one of the parents, spoke to reporters about her son and spoke about the need for those lessons at this moment in time. >> care and concern is so important and we saw what happens when there is a lot of that. i hope that everyone who is reading these articles and choose love with your kids because you can, that means being present in the moment with them. looking into their eyes, giving

them a hug and just moving from there. just every moment realize that you have a choice and your choice is love. >> that's good advice and they are brave words from a mother who lost who was most precious to her. now we should point out that the judge in this trial could reduce today's figure due to a texas law that will not, though, mark the end of alex jones' legal troubles. two more lawsuits ahead brought by more parents of those killed at sandy hook, plus the fate of records of his private conversations now sought by the january 6th committee. let's begin tonight with drew griffin, who has been following this trial from the start. so first, let's begin with this award, $45.2 million awarded to neil heslin and scarlett lewis today. how did the jury come to this decision? >> well, the jury was given a bunch of financial information, the net worth that they thought

that alex jones was worth and more importantly, as you said, this is the punitive phase. this is the punishment phase. not what damages emotionally did alex jones put upon these two parents, but how should we punish him for what he did to these parents and to make sure he never does it again, jim. which he has done over and over again to other people. so the jury was asked that question, three different questions. they came back with their sum and is the sums added up to this pretty big punishing blow. this would be about 75% of the generated income from alex jones' media empire in a year. so it is a big hit. if it holds, as you said, there are caps in texas on these punitive penalties. >> just that figure, as you say, not even all that he earns in a year, shows that there's money in the business of disinformation. can you explain what happened earlier this morning when the plaintiffs called an economist to the stand. what was revealed about his

finances? >> well, i think the first big thing that was revealed is just like in this trial, alex jones and his attorneys were not forthcoming in giving information to the plaintiffs about what they had. so the economists said, look, i had bare bones, i had to dig around for this information. what he said was the alex jones empire is worth between 135 and $270 million a year. he also said that in the last year, there's been some interesting moves. in 2021 is when alex jones collectively lost these three lawsuits which he now has to pay for. it was after that he started moving around. he took a loan of $62 million or pulled $62 million out and then $11,000 a day was being transferred into other businesses or another business that he controls. so, you know, the economist was basically saying there's a lot of money there. we can't find it all. there's a lot of moving around

that took place, but i think the jury did agree that this alex jones empire is worth a lot of money, it makes a lot of money and now if this jury holds up, this jury verdict holds up, he's going to have to pay a lot of money. >> as they say, follow the money. do stay with us because i want to bring in cnn legal analyst paul kellen as well. to your credit, you said last night you expected a far larger award in the punitive phase of this, i do want to play what jones' attorney said immediately after the verdict. have a listen. >> i think the verdict was too high. as for punitive damages, texas law caps them at $750,000 per plaintiff. so this verdict today amounts to $1.5 million in punitives. alex jones will be on the air today. he'll be on the air tomorrow. he'll be on the air next week. he's going to keep doing his job holding the power structure

accountable. that's our only statement. >> you've spoken to mr. jones today. what was his reaction? >> his reaction was that, you know, he had been found guilty before he ever had a chance to defend this case on the merits. that the -- the first amendment is under siege and he looks forward to continuing the fight. >> from a legal standpoint, paul, you know that texas law. it has these caps here. is it a hard cap or is there a way around that? >> well, it's -- you know, it's an indication that the texas legislature doesn't trust its own juries to make a decision. that cap was meant to prevent large corporations like gm from being put out of business by a trillion dollar verdict. it wasn't meant to put somebody like alex jones out of business and here you have the audacity of this attorney representing him to celebrate the fact that he's going to be back on the air again immediately.

instead of demonstrating some remorse for these remarks that he said, saying that the shattered bodies of these elementary school children were really crisis actors pretending to be dead, that's what he did. he doesn't deserve to be on any outlet and he deserves to be in jail in addition to that. perjury occurred in this trial and i really think that austin prosecutors should be looking carefully at that. >> just on that larger question, he's claiming that this is a freedom of expression case. what's the legal history here, right, when someone -- let's be frank. this is not holding the power structure accountable here. he was lying about a demonstrable crime here, dead children, it's real. and he was lying about it and making money about it. how do courts -- how does the law see that kind of expression? >> well, this is complete and utter nonsense that the first amendment somehow protects him.

it doesn't protect him any more than it protects somebody yelling "fire" in a fear. theater. the first amendment protects you from having the government come after you for exercising your free political speech. it doesn't give you the right to make up lies to sell nutritional supplements which is what -- his business model is amazing. this came out during the trial. he's got a whole staff of people that he's hired to make up lies and create these stories like the story he made up about sandy hook and then that draws in an audience and then he tries to sell them nutritional supplements that will make them manly men. that's his business model. if he thinks the first amendment of the united states protects that business model, he's got another thing coming. it doesn't. and no court will say it does. >> drew, you've been covering this for some time. has his audience suffered from the revelation, if you want to

call it that, but the confirmation that he's been peddling lies. based on his income, seems like he's still got an audience. >> yeah, based on what we can tell, it's only bolstered. in fact, he was deplatformed by google, all the outlets. we thought his business would take a hit. it turns out, that's not the case. actually, he may have had a covid boost because part of his scare tactics also involved buy these new nutritional supplements. they'll prevent covid or whatever garble. if you watch his show, which unfortunately i have had to do, you will realize these people are way down the rabbit hole, jim. and they believe what alex jones tells them. and what alex jones has told them about this trial, believe it or not, is george bezos is running some sort of beta program with the democratic party to attack him in this court, and this is going to spread out through the rest of the country to anybody else who

is seeking truth like alex jones. it's horse cocky, but these people believe it. >> listen, they do. and sometimes they follow through on it. that's why a gunman showed up at a pizza place here in d.c. based on some of these lies. paul, is this a symbolic award, i suppose, is the question. given texas law, what avenues do the plaintiffs have to get the money the jury awarded them or is it more likely a symbolic victory? >> well, i think that the first part of the verdict, the 4.1 million is a pretty secure amount that they'll be able to collect and they be able to collect 1.5 million in punitive damages. what the texas law does is it caps punitives at $750,000 per person. now, could they take that up to the supreme court of the united states and test the constitutionality of it? maybe.

at some point in time, but i wouldn't be overly optimistic about that number or that law being ruled unconstitutional because a lot of states have enacted caps on punitive damages. they're up against that. bear in mind, it's not over for this guy. he's facing at least eight other trials in connecticut where there will be enormous verdicts against him as well and hopefully those verdicts will be enough to wipe him out and take him off the air where he does not deserve to be. >> another chapter of this, drew, is -- of course these text messages that will reveal that his own attorney supplied to the plaintiffs' attorneys here, we know the january 6th committee is interested in that because of his alleged role in the january 6th insurrection. what is the latest? >> this was really surprising. after the jury was let go, the proceedings continued, the judge was wrapping up a few emotions and mark bankston, those guys who has those two years of text

messages asked the judge what should i do? can i give these to congress? and he said, i thought you already had. and she said, there's -- i'm summarizing now, but she basically said, i'm not going to stand between you and congress in what you guys want to swap material. so basically i think if mark bankston wants to give those communications to the january 6th committee, whom apparently has asked for them, according to mark bankston, that could be in the hand of the recommittee right now, as far as i know. >> thank you so much. coming up next, the shout out that alex jones got today at the conservative movement's big conversation. that and the showcase it became for the newest wave of election deniers fresh from primary victories in some key states. later, democratic senator amy klobuchar on what is shaping up to be a big legislative win for the president, but at the same time calls from fellow democrats for 2024.

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. 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.

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. my active psoriatic arthritis can slow me down. now, skyrizi helps me get going by treating my skin and joints. along with significantly clearer skin, skyrizi helps me move with less joint pain, stiffness, swelling, and fatigue. and skyrizi is just 4 doses a year after two starter doses. skyrizi attaches to and reduces a source of excess inflammation that can lead to skin and joint symptoms.

with skyrizi, 90% clearer skin and less joint pain is possible. serious allergic reactions and an increased risk of infections or a lower ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, had a vaccine, or plan to. with skyrizi, there's nothing like the feeling of improving my skin and joints... ...and that means everything. now's the time to talk to your doctor about how skyrizi can help treat your psoriatic arthritis- so you can get going. learn how abbvie can help you save. ♪ got my hair got my head ♪ introducing new one a day multi+. a complete multivitamin plus an extra boost of support for your immunity, brain, and hair, skin & nails. new one a day multi+.

alex jones had few people in court today. there some of the leading names of the maga verse including the former president who will be there tomorrow was marjorie taylor greene. she had her usual complaints about the media and the january 6th committee, but also took a moment to highlight the people she claims are persecuting alex jones. >> why do they get to lie about president trump, his administration, republicans like me, why do they get away with it? yet at the same time, you want to know something, like, somebody like alex jones who did say some things but yet, he's being politically persecuted right now and being forced to pay out millions and millions of dollars and no one agrees with what he said. but what we're tired of is the political persecution. >> yesterday's keynote speaker, you should know, hungarian prime minister viktor orban.

the one who recently said he wanted to prevent europe from becoming -- and these are his act words -- a mixed race continent. as you imagine, election conspiracy theories were everywhere there. and here's mypillow guy talking about sinister voting machines. >> over 54 countries have been taken by the machines and you never get to go back. venezuela, australia, they're gone. you don't get to vote out the machines once they're there. once they're there, you don't get your country back. >> there's no evidence of that. also on decision play in dallas, performance art jail cell depicting a january 6th defendant. and along with all of that, some of the next wave of trump acolytes fresh from primary victories this week. we have more now from cnn's kyung lah. >> reporter: fresh off a

republican primary victory for arizona's governor, kari lake arrives to a hero's welcome at the conservative political action conference in dallas. >> we did it. >> reporter: in her home state, he's leading in every single county centering her campaign on donald trump's lie about the 2020 election, a position she pledges she will not pivot away from. >> we outvoted the fraud. we didn't listen to what the fake news had to say. the maga movement rose up and voted like their lives depended on it. >> trump endorsed election-denying candidates won up and down arizona's ballot tuesday. u.s. senate candidate blake masters and secretary of state candidate mark finchem, who says he wants to eliminate all voting machines. >> paper ballots, all counted in one day. we can do that. we used to do it. >> reporter: election experts say that would mean months long counts. not just in arizona.

>> thank you, michigan. >> reporter: but in michigan this week, republican gubernatorial nominee tudor dixon. >> yesterday, do you know donald trump legitimately won the 2020 election in michigan? >> yes. >> reporter: now dixon is dodging that question. >> there were some things that happened in michigan that didn't happen in other states which are very concerning. >> reporter: these wins are just the latest in the steady advance by those sowing distrust in elections being put on the november ballot. in nevada, jim marchant is republican nominee for secretary of state, running to oversee his state's elections. he told us this earlier this year. >> i believe it was stolen, yeah. i believe that there were enough irregularities that we need to do an audit. >> reporter: and then there's michigan's christina karama, another secretary of state candidate who doesn't believe the 2020 results. election liars on state ballots

show trump's grip on the develop celebrated by mike lindell at cpac. >> everybody is going to vote these great candidates like kari lake and override the machines. >> reporter: on the cpac agenda. >> they stole the 2020 election. >> reporter: it is relitigating 2020 and also looking ahead to november and beyond. >> they want to rig elections, institutionalize voter fraud, we're not going to allow it. >> i see your hat there. how important is it for you to talk about 2020 as we look at 2022. >> he won. he won in 2020 hands down across the nation. >> reporter: what does this say about where the republican party is in this country? >> maga. they're with maga. they're with trump. they're trump followers. >> reporter: and that woman including the gentleman before her say that they are eagerly awaiting tomorrow's closing speaker. that speaker will be donald trump. we fully expect that he will be talking about his chosen slate of primary winners.

he had a very good week when it came to picking the winners in michigan, arizona, and across the country. not on the official schedule tomorrow, jim, is kari lake, but she did tweet that she will be the speaker right before trump. jim? >> kyung lah, thank you so much for covering. joining us now political analyst, cnn analyst and washington correspondent maggie haberman. and a cnn political commentator during the trump white house. good to have you both on tonight. thanks so much for joining. maggie, just heard from kyung lah. in terms of his endorsements, it's been a good week for the former president in several of these primaries in a number of states. what is your sense of what he believes he gains from these endorsements and speeches and do you believe -- and you've been covering him longer than anyone -- this is building up to another presidential run? >> the honest answer, jim, is what he gains from it is

attention and people talking about him as we are and other people are. and that's how he looks at this. now, he tends to treat these endorsements and all of politics in general as if it's a scoreboard, sort of an ongoing amassing of supporters. he dives into some of these primaries, you know, at the last minute, like in the case of tudor dixon. in some cases it's without giving it much forethought. he also had a weird thing in missouri where he endorsed two of the three i think it was acres in the senate race. so he did have a good week in terms of the fact the candidates he backed won. whether it is all building to another presidential campaign, i think that, you know, the main impetus for him running again, jim, is not because he wants the job again, although he will talk about that, but the second that he says he is not running, the crown in the republican party goes to somebody else. and i think it's as simple as that. >> do the ongoing prosecutions

both january 6th committee but more notably the doj possible criminal prosecution, is that a factor? you've heard theorizing that he wants to run because he thinks that would head off potential criminal charges, indictments. >> yeah, i believe it is based on my reporting, yes. this is something that he has alluded to in some conversations. he tries to project confidence about -- at least about the doj investigation. he has openly talked more worriedly about the georgia investigation in fulton county into his actions in that state. however, donald trump fears investigations generally speaking and the fact that the doj is calling in witnesses from the white house only ups the level of concern. >> alissa, it was notable when you saw the speeches among well-known election deniers, that was senator rick scott at the end talking about stolen elections, elections and

democrats wanting to institutionalize voter fraud. he's the chairman of the republican party senatorial committee. he's trying to get senators elected around the country here. has trumpism -- does it own the party? certainly you see folks are pushing back at it, the liz cheneys of the world and so on, but does it own the party right now? >> it does. it does. and, listen, the former president's grip is very strong on the party but i actually think much of what he created is even more powerful than him. denying the results of the 2020 election is essentially a litmus test now to be an elected republican in office. rick scott, i thought very highly of him hen he was a governor. this is not man who thinks that the election was not won by joe biden, but you're not expected to hear him say that. i'm seeing more and more very kind of sound-minded, serious people who have served in office before starting to embrace the big lie. and i'll say this. maggie makes a good point. i'm of the mind that the former president is going to announce and is going to run again. and it is simply because it could just as easily be a ron

desantis or someone else that could hype up his base and energize them. >> state by state, are these maga candidates, the election deniers strong or weak candidates in the general election in your view, alissa? >> largely -- statewide, they're largely weak. i worry as a republican for some of these candidates. j.d. vance is not doing nearly as well as he should in consummately red ohio against tim ryan, a popular moderate democrat. i think that there are some instances statewide. in georgia, herschel walker is not doing as well as he should be. but to be honest, in reality 60% of republican voters think that either the election was stolen or there was some sort of significant fraud. so this is an issue that is about educating the voters, like we can't just blame the candidates so much as party leaders at every level have embraced this lie and it's bled down into the voters.

peter meijer, for example, an incredible veteran, a good member of congress, lost. while they did put money against him in support of boosting his candidate, republican voters still came out for that person. that's the problem. we got to educate the voters. >> i asked senator klobuchar about that phenomenon. maggie, we've heard a lot from congresswoman liz cheney on cnn in the past 24 hours talking about how -- how it is more important for her to stop donald trump in her view from becoming president again than to save her own congressional career as she's about to face a primary. does she have a viable shot at the republican nomination in 2024 if she were to decide to run? >> it's very hard, jim, to see what the lean in this republican party is for liz cheney. i think there are places where she might do better than others. what i do think she would do is provoke donald trump if she ran. i think she would be in the same way she's done something others

have not done. she's focused attention on allegations of donald trump and misdeeds in a way that very few people have. some of that is the fact that he's not on twitter. some of it is the structure of this house select committee. some of it is the fact that he's not in office anymore. but all of that combined means that she has sort of laid out this factual case in a way that others haven't and i imagine she would continue doing that except she would get a lot of national media attention while running against him. and i think that would be something he would have to grapple with on a day-to-day basis as long as she was in a race. while i don't think there's a way for her to win, in her mind, there's probably a way that she could help him lose. >> maggie haberman, alissa, so good to have you on. hope you have a good week. >> thank you. coming up next, what it looks like a big victory for president biden and the democrats ahead, but also doubts within his own party about whether he should run again. i asked senator amy klobuchar about those topics and that's coming up.

bubbles bubbles bubbles bubbles there are bubbles everywhere! as an expedia member you earn points on top of your airline miles. so you can go see even more of all the world's bubbles. ["only wanna be with you" by hootie & the blowfish] discover is accepted at 99% of places in the u.s. ["only wanna be with you" by hootie & the blowfish] republicans in congress call them "entitlements." a "ponzi scheme." the women and men i served with in combat, we earned our benefits. just like people earned their social security and medicare benefits. but republicans in congress have a plan to end so-called "entitlements" in just five years. social security, medicare, even veterans benefits.

go online and read the republican plan for yourself. joe biden is fighting to protect social security, medicare and veterans benefits. call joe biden and tell him to keep fighting for our benefits. it only takes a second for an everyday item to become dangerous. tide pods child-guard pack helps keep your laundry pacs in a safe place and your child safer. to close, twist until it clicks. tide pods child-guard packaging. discover intuitive technology at the lexus golden opportunity sales event. ever get a sign the universe is trying to tell you something? the clues are all around us...

not that one... that's the one. at university of phoenix, you could earn your master's degree in less than a year for under $11k. learn more at phoenix.edu 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.

it is a far cry from the original build back better legislation president trump biden tried to pass, but tonight with the signoff from senators joe manchin and now kyrsten sinema, a smaller, more streamlined package now looks within reach. democrats are claiming victory. republicans are united in their opposition. the truth is, though, the bill includes provisions that have

been popular with some in the gop in the past and unpopular with some democrats. when you look closely what you see are a series of trade-offs. here are the facts about what's in the legislation as it stands. for starters, it would be the biggest climate investment in u.s. history, with $369 billion set aside to combat global warming. that includes consumer tax credits on electric vehicles, solar panels and energy efficient water heaters. but there are billions of tax credits to fossil fuel companies to encourage them to invest in clean energy manufacturing, and this is key, the bill actually supports expanding investment in domestic oil and gas exploration on federal lands and in federal waters. in fact, for the next decade, any new wind or solar energy project on federal land can only be approved if a new lease is approved for oil and gas drilling as well.

on taxes, the bill abandons tax increases opposed by republicans, including raising the corporate tax rate, the personal tax rate or the capital gains tax rate. on prescription drugs, the bill would empower medicare to negotiate the prices of certain costly medications which has garnered bipartisan support. the bill would also extend the obamacare subsidies which are set to expire at the end of the year. as for that carried interest loophole that senator nixed, even president trump had expressed support for it multiple times in the past for eliminating that loophole. a word comes to mind here, a rare one in washington, d.c., these days, and that word is compromise. shortly before air time, i spoke about the bill with minnesota democratic congresswoman -- democratic senator amy klobuchar. senator klobuchar, thanks so much for joining us. >> thanks, jim. it's great to be on again. >> you have a busy week ahead but also progress on a major health care, energy, and tax bill.

joe manchin has made the point that in different times, a bill like this that, for instance, has trade-offs between green tax incentives but also more drilling permits for fossil fuel companies, that in a different time, this would get bipartisan support. what does it say to you that that's not even a question at this point? >> i can't really explain it because this is the inflation reduction act and our republican colleagues have been very focused on things in the past like deficit reduction and this actually reduces the deficit by $305 billion and it also, which i think is key, puts in a corporate minimum tax of 15% which really creates an even playing field for small businesses and retailers and others that have been paying taxes as well as regular people. that is how we get that money for that deficit reduction which every economist who is -- including ones who have been

critical in the past have looked at this and say there's a reason it's called the inflation reduction act. you add to that bringing down the pharmaceutical costs, something i've been waiting on for years, care so much about with negotiation under medicare and as you point out, the climate investments. 40% reduction by 2030 of greenhouse gasses. this is a win-win and we're excited no matter how late we're up all night, we're ready to get this done. and yes, it will be with democratic votes. >> a couple weeks ago folks might have thought this was dead in the water. but it is smaller, of course, than initial aspirations for this and your colleague, senator bernie sanders, he says that it doesn't go far enough specifically with the people who need the most relief right now. folks suffering from higher prices given inflation. what's your answer to sanders but also to folks at home who might say, what's in this for me? >> first of all, i have a lot of

respect for bernie and it's important for people to know he will be supporting this bill. we are united on this bill. and like me, he would like to see more. i would like to actually see -- he and i have joined together on prescription drugs. we've jointly worked on this and that means more drugs being negotiated in the future. bernie and i would like to put all the drugs in there, just like we have with the va. our veterans deserve a good deal. i use that as an example because i think it's glass half full, not half empty. >> objectively, it's been a good week, arguably a good month for the president beyond the progress on this budget bill, al zawahiri killed in afghanistan, the passing of the pact act. pog on other big legislative wins. but as you know, there is noise, public noise among some democrats about whether president biden should run in 2024. two of your house democratic colleagues from the state of

machine, dean phillips and angie craig said they don't think he should run again. and i wonder what's your response to that? >> my response is simple, he has said he's running again and i support him. i think that when we get home for august and we know these elections are coming up, the midterms, the focus actually will be on everything we got done, as you pointed out. many of these things are focused on the costs that people are facing right now. and that's going to be an important, important message for us to bring home, that we're tackling these problems for the people at home. >> as you know, michigan gop congressman peter meijer, one of ten house republicans voted to impeach the president this last year, he lost his primary last week. an his propped up his opponent. you've seen this tragedy in other races around the country. whether that was the divisive factor, we don't know. but a lot of those candidates

end up winning their protesters. is it acceptable for democrats to be boosting election deniers among republican candidates in primaries? >> well, i wouldn't be doing it in my race. i've never done things like that. i think you've seen this kind of behavior on both sides of the aisle. we've seen republicans messing around as well. what i would like to see through all of this, i don't care if you're a democrat or republican, i think that's why you're seeing democrats doing it too, i like because republicans have been doing it, i'd like to see better campaign finance laws that basically and end citizens united and all this dark money and outside money and make people responsible for the ads they're running themselves. my focus right now, fixing the electoral count act that we're very close to doing, getting the freedom to vote act passed that i've led, making sure we have those campaign finance rules. i think that would go a long way toward getting at some of what you're seeing of spending in other races. >> senator amy klobuchar, we appreciate you joining the program tonight.

>> thank you. it was great to be on. still coming up, the first piece of encouraging news for the families of brittney griner and paul whelan. the brother of paul whelan is going to join us next. your record label is taking off. but so is your sound engineer. you need to hire. i need indeed. indeed you do.

indeed instant match instantly delivers quality candidates matching your job description. visit indeed.com/hire which side are you on? americans who believe liberty and justice are for all, or traitors inciting violence against our country and trying to take away our freedoms? which side are you on? people who work for a living and care for our families, or the trump republicans who block everything our families need? this november, it's time to show which side you're on. vote for democrats. ff pac is responsible for the content of this ad.

- common percy! - yeah let's go! on a trip. book with priceline. you save more, so you can “woooo” more. - wooo. - wooo. wooooo!!!!! woohooooo!!!! w-o-o-o-o-o... yeah, feel the savings. priceline. every trip is a big deal. as a business owner, your bottom line is always top of mind. so start saving by switching to the mobile service designed for small business: comcast business mobile. flexible data plans mean you can get unlimited data or pay by the gig. all on the most reliable 5g network with no line activation fees or term contracts... saving you up to $500 a year. and it's only available to

comcast business internet customers. so boost your bottom line by switching today. comcast business. powering possibilities.

encouraging signs tonight perhaps for the families of brittney griner and paul whelan. the russian foreign minister said he's, quote, ready to discuss their imprisonment. president biden has said he is hopeful. i'm joined by the brother of paul whelan, david whelan. david, good to have you on tonight. >> thanks so much for having me. >> i know this has been a long road for you and your family. 1,316 days i believe that your brother has been held in russia. as you hear those words from russian officials, do you have a sense of hope that perhaps a deal could be coming? >> i do. i think there's still many hurdles to cross and some time to pass. but the offer that the u.s. government has made to the russian government appears to be in their self-interest to take it, and i hope that they will. >> now, the discussion has been brittney griner and your brother being released at the same time. does it concern you at all that they might be split up in some

way, that your brother would not be part of such a swap? >> absolutely. all of the detention cases are separate cases. they're separate individuals and the american government has to work on each one separately. although they've made an offer that would bring both of them home, the russians are sticklers about parity. if the u.s. government kicks out 25 russians, the russian government will kick out 25 americans. the fact that the offer that appears to have been made to the russian government includes one russian for two americans, i could absolutely see the russians coming back and asking for either an additional russian to be freed or to limit it to one american for one russian. >> i know it only adds to your family's stress and i feel for you. you have said that your parents are able thankfully to speak with paul regularly. when was the last time -- what's the most recent you've heard from him? they spoke to him this week, i think on wednesday, and he sounds like he's doing the best he can day to day.

he's aware of the offer the u.s. government has made and is hopeful i think like we are. but in order to survive 16 years in a labor colony, he focuses on today and he focuses maybe on tomorrow, but not too much further. >> it's amazing when you hear these terms, penal colony, labor colony, that they exist in the 21st century, but that's how russia operates. as i mentioned before, 1,316 days. you keep track of this on social media. and a lot of it is the uncertainty, right, because he doesn't know, you don't know how long it will be. what advice do you have for brittney griner's family for dealing with that unknown? >> i think every family has to find their own way, their own path. it's a very personal sort of experience and it's not a positive one. i would say to focus on the long term and use your resources as wisely as you can. you have limited resources. someone once said to me, i would do anything for my brother and you really want to do anything for your brother, but you have

to have a job and you have kids to take care of and parents to take care of and you will end up making choices that you'll regret having to make but you'll have to. in order to be able to survive and advocate for your loved one for 16 years. >> survival, it's an operative word. at this point, i wonder is there anything else you would like to say to secretary blinken, other u.s. officials involved to express just how much you want your brother back home? >> first i would say thank you. i think that the u.s. government really has done everything it can so far to bring paul home. it has made an offer. it has made a difficult offer. president biden has supported it. it's got the support of the inner agency and now it's up to the russian government. and i think that's where wrongful detentions become tricky. because you have to wait for the hostage taker to agree as well. >> well, david whelan, our heart goes out to you and your family and to paul. we wish you the best and we wish that good news is coming soon. >> i hope so too. thanks, jim. coming up next, long lines

for the monkeypox vaccine as the biden administration now calls the outbreak a public health emergency and takes some heat for its handling of the situation. with the farmer's dog you can see the pieces of turkey. it smells like actual food. as he's aged, he's still quite energetic and youthful. i really attribute that to diet. get started at longlivedogs.com

heyyy! (steins breaking) your cousin. ♪ from boston. ♪ it means, “ok-to-beer-fest”. another sam octoberfest? nein. make it ten! i like this guy. (cheers)

there are now monkeypox cases confirmed across the country in all but two states, wyoming and montana. the total more than 7,000. the biden administration has declared the outbreak a public health emergency. in the meantime, lines for the shots are long in some places, and there's concern over the lack of overall urgency. here's cnn's david culver. >> we started early, just before 6:00 a.m. our destination, familiar to our uber driver. we were her third passenger that morning also headed to san francisco's zuckerberg general hospital. as we arrived, so, too, the son, sun, revealing a line with

dozens, mostly men, camped out, waiting. some nearly all night. security guard telling me that this line started building around 2:00 in the morning. all of them wanting to be vaccinated against the monkeypox virus. cody aarons tells me he's been trying for weeks, from new york to now here in the barrier. >> it definitely shows that people are concerned about it. >> reporter: and willing to stand in hours-long lines that spill on to the sidewalk. inside, exhausted hospital staff face another day's surge in vaccine demand. covid-19, still raging. and now, monkeypox. >> i think one of our biggest challenges is really just the inconsistency of the supply. >> reporter: here in california, nearly all of those who have reported probable or confirmed cases, more than 98%, are men, with 97% of patients identifying as lgbtq. while deaths are rare, the symptoms are visible and painful. >> i had between 600 and 800 lesions. it was like someone taking like

a hole puncher all over my body, right under my skin. so there are points where i couldn't walk, i couldn't touch things. really difficult. >> reporter: kevin huang says his symptoms lasted some two weeks. he chronicled his recovery on social media. >> i think i really just didn't want to be alone. i wanted to connect with people and see if other people were also experiencing what i was. >> reporter: a familiar sentiment for longtime lgbtq advocates living and working in san francisco's famed castro district. >> you get a sense that there is this growing uneasiness around monkeypox. for a lot of people, it's eerily reminiscent of what they experienced here in the early '80s with the aids crisis. there's fear, there's anger, there's anxiety, and there's stigma. it's personal for tyler termeer. he runs the san francisco aids foundation and lives with hiv. >> we have a responsibility to not further stigmatize or politicize this issue. we're a community that has long faced many issues dating

all the way back to the earliest days of the hiv epidemic. >> reporter: facing mounting criticisms for its handling of the outbreak, on thursday, the biden administration declared monkeypox a public health emergency. >> the feeling that this is not getting the attention that it would if it were impacting straight people is real. >> reporter: back on san francisco's front lines. cody aarons makes his third attempt to get vaccinated against the virus. off-camera, a hospital staffer updates the crowd. i hear him announcing something. i don't know if you can make out what he is saying. just 45 minutes into the hospital's distribution -- >> oh, no guarantee for vaccines. >> reporter: they had already reached their daily limit. >> reporter: and jim, this declaration of a public health emergency, local officials expect it should help a little bit in speeding up the vaccine rollout. another big issue, though, is production backlog. they have a significant amount of the vaccine available. the issue is, it's in bulk, large bags. they're now trying to find manufacturers that can bottle, cap, and label those, so as to

get them to the front line as quickly as possible. but that's going to take time. jim? >> no question. david culver, good to have you on the story. and we'll be right back. not that one... that's the one. at university of phoenix, you could earn your master's degree in less than a year for under $11k. learn more at phoenix.edu moderate to severe eczema still disrupts my skin. despite treatment it disrupts my skin with itch. it disrupts my skin with rash. but now, i can disrupt eczema with rinvoq. rinvoq is not a steroid, topical, or injection. it's one pill, once a day, that's effective without topical steroids. many taking rinvoq saw clear or almost-clear skin while some saw up to 100% clear skin. plus, they felt fast itch relief some as early as 2 days. that's rinvoq relief. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tb. serious infections and blood clots, some fatal, cancers including

lymphoma and skin cancer, death, heart attack, stroke, and tears in the stomach or intestines occurred. people 50 and older with at least one heart disease risk factor have higher risks. don't take if allergic to rinvoq, as serious reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you are or may become pregnant. disrupt the itch and rash of eczema. talk to your doctor about rinvoq. learn how abbvie can help you save.

(jackie) i've made progress with my mental health. so when i started having unintentional body movements called tardive dyskinesia... i ignored them. but when the twitching and jerking in my face and hands affected my day to day... i finally had to say, 'it's not ok.' it was time to talk to my doctor about austedo. she said that austedo helps reduce td movements in adults... while i continue with most of my mental health medications. (vo) austedo can cause depression, suicidal thoughts, or actions in patients with huntington's disease. pay close attention to and call your doctor if you become depressed, have sudden changes in mood, behaviors, feelings, or have suicidal thoughts. common side effects include inflammation of the nose and throat, insomnia and sleepiness. don't take austedo if you have liver problems, are taking reserpine, tetrabenazine, or valbenazine. austedo may cause irregular or fast heartbeat, restlessness, movements mimicking parkinson's disease, fever, stiff muscles, problems thinking, and sweating. (jackie) talk to your doctor about austedo...it's time to treat td.

td is not ok. visit askforaustedo.com. wait!!! let me help—land o' frost premium meat. delicious and no by-products! toss it in. ay, moi? ok. weeeeeeeeee! make the smart choice. land o'frost premium meat. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ "shake your thang" by salt n pepa tune into cnn sunday night at 8:00 for the "a.c. 360" special report, what happened in uvalde. it is a closer look at the misinformation spread after 19 children and 2 teachers were killed and what took place during the 77 minutes before law enforcement finally confronted the gunman.

>> more and more officers arrive, but no one makes a move to neutralize the shooter, though clearly some officers know time is of the essence. >> we've got to get in there. we've got to get in there. he keeps shooting. we got to get in there. >> and it's clear police know where the gunman is. >> okay, guys, he's armed in the building. it's going to be in the building on the process. >> you can watch the "a.c. 360" special report, what really happened in uvalde sunday, 8:00 p.m. eastern, here on cnn. the news continues. let's hand it over to the great laura coates. in cnn center. >> thank you, from the great jim sciutto. that's nice of you to say. have a wonderful weekend, my friend. thank you, everyone. i'm laura coates. this is "cnn newsroom.