strategic reserve? will it make any difference at the pump in time for holiday travel? welcome to our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm jim acosta. you're in "the situation room." this is cnn breaking news. >> and let's get right to the breaking news. the verdicts in the civil case against organizers of the unite the right rally back in 2017. brian todd is in charlottesville. what did the jury say? >> well, this is a devastating financial blow to some of the most notorious white supremacists and white nationalist groups in the country. the lives' attorneys declaring victory saying this sends a clear message to anyone who comes to a town like charlottesville to deliver messages of hatred. tonight the jury awarded the plaintiffs in the unite the right trial more than $26 million in compensatory and punitive damages on several claims. among them, finding five defendants were liable for racial, religious or ethnic harassment or violence under a virginia state law and that all the defendants participated in a conspiracy. >> i think this verdict today is a message that this country does not tolerate violence based on racial and religious hatred in any form. >> reporter: in addition, james alex fields jr., the driver of the car that plowed into the crowd of counterprotesters killing one and injuring dozens was found liable for more than $12 million for assault or battery and for inflicting emotional distress. >> there's going to be accountability for the people who did this. >> reporter: more than half of the damages against fields, the rest spread among various defendants from the white nationalist movement. >> the defendants in the case are destitute. none of them have any money. i don't know how any of the plaintiffs are going to get anything for any of this. >> reporter: the organizers conspired to commit racial violence or failed to prevent it. the evidence included victim testimony about the injuries they sustained from brawling at the rally and fields' car that rammed through the crowd and private communications allegedly showing organizers discussing the potential for violence, quote, cracking skulls. and even whether it's legal to drive into protesters. >> you will not replace us! >> reporter: but the defendants didn't plan the violence. it wasn't their fault and that what they said before the rally was hyperbole and is protected free speech. the damages awarded by the jury mean a judgment against some of america's most notorious white nationalists including richard spencer, jason kessler and christopher cantwell. the damages will go to the plaintiffs who include some of those most severely injured in the car ramming and brawling. >> we did a decent job on the defense side cutting the damages down to side, even though it is many millions of dollars. >> reporter: this civil trial an effort to financially cripple the white nationalist movement. >> it sets a precedent which is if you conspire to commit violent acts, especially on racial grounds, you should expect that plaintiffs will file suit against you under these federal and state laws in the future. so the trial in that way is a deterrent against future white supremacist conduct of the kind we saw in charlottesville in august 2017. >> the attorneys for defendants, at least two of the attorneys for the defendants have told us a short time ago that they are going to try to reduce the amount of damages, to reduce those dollar amounts assessed to their clients in this case. some of these people, these white supremacists have already been financially crippled by this and other similar lawsuits. but this is not over for many of them because the plaintiffs' attorneys also told us on those two counts that they could not reach verdicts on, those two counts of conspiracy to commit racially motivated violence, those federal counts, they are going to try to bring those cases again, jim, so they'll keep going after these people. >> a bad day for people who spread hate and violence. brian todd, thanks for that report. also cnn's ellie reeve. as someone who was there back in 2017, reporting on these rallies, witnessing the hate firsthand, i wanted to get your reaction to these verdicts. what did you think? >> well, so the unite the right rally really meant to unite the right, to bring together mainstream groups with hard-core neo-nazis. but there's a divide between those groups. the hard right, they had a lot more experience organizing in real space so they didn't go to the torch march because it didn't have a permit and they thought that would spare them from the conspiracy charge, but it didn't. the jury hit every person who was involved. the other thing that it revealed was that the plaintiffs wanted to argue that all of their online organizing, all their jokes and banter was just having fun. it wasn't actually a conspiracy. and the jury said, no. all of those jokes about killing people, about the holocaust that constituted plans to do violence in charlottesville. >> elie reeve, thank you. let's discuss with the president of the naacp, derek johnson. we're also joined by legal analyst elliott williams. derek and elliott, thanks for being with us. what's your reaction to this verdict today? >> it's important because we know from our african-american experience if you allow white supremacists the domestic terrorism to continue out accountability, you can be assured to have more terror in communities across the country. so finally we're seeing verdicts like this, although it's a civil trial. in a civil trial, the burden of proof is lower, but more importantly, they'll be held accountable. i think that's most important in this moment. >> what do you make of this verdict and what does it say that the jury deadlocked on two of these most serious federal charges in the case. >> let's start with that question. they deadlocked on the two federal charges but it bears mentioning that on the other charges which were the virginia state law charges, the law is incredibly clear on this under virginia law. just a quick word on how the law works and federal court state law will govern depending on where the court is. so let's not focus on those two deadlocked cases and frankly, we don't know if it was one juror or none of them could agree. so i wouldn't fixate on that as much as the fact this is as mr. johnson said, a profound statement for people who are going to commit acts of hate and terror in the united states. the federal bureau of investigation, fbi and department of homeland security have said that domestic terrorism remains the greatest threat that continues to confront the united states. and so it is quite significant that for -- in spectacular fashion, people who have worked together and conspired to commit these acts are going to be held accountable. so this is a big deal. >> it's a very big deal. it's a very big dollar figure. some of the nation's most prominent white supremacist leaders and groups are liable for more than $26 million in damages. how important is it for them to face this kind of accountability? >> extremely important. one of the strategies used in the late '70s was going after white supremacist groups and bankrupting them. creating bankruptcy. it paralyzed their activities. we must be as aggressive now against these groups, more than ever before. the republican party is allowin these groups to exist within their party. it is now being debated whether or not the push to protect rights to votes in white supremacist behavior is somehow okay by one of the major political parties in this country. i'm going to keep talking about the republican party because the past administration had white supremacists live in the white house, operate from the white house, allow for the message to germinate from the white house and started in charlottesville. we began to see it spread across the country whether it's in pittsburgh or louisville or wisconsin. we must, as a nation, hold individuals who are domestic terrorists accountable or we're facing another january 6th. our democracy cannot afford that again. >> you're right. elliott, how far could this go in hindering some of these hate groups? is this going to slam the brakes on some of the groups we saw involved in the unite the right rally? >> we keep hearing the word statement today. it's very clear that if someone is a member of a hate group or these groups that if you try to coordinate together, and commit acts of terror, you can be sued by groups of plaintiffs. and so to the extent that's -- look. i'm not a member of a hate group. so i don't know what exactly will deter them. you could end up with a multimillion-dollar settlement. to the extent they are rational actors, yes, this is a profoundly big deal and ought to deter people from engaging in these terrible acts. >> let's hopo. elliott williams, derek johnson, thank you. coming up, a live report from the courthouse in brunswick, georgia, where jury deliberations are under way in the killing of ahmaud arbery. stay with us. you're in "the situation room." ♪ limu emu... & doug ♪ ♪ superpowers from a spider bite? i could use some help showing the world how liberty mutual customizes their car insurance so they only pay for what they need. (gasps) ♪ did it work? only pay for what you need ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ spider-man no way home in theaters december 17th football, is a game of inches. but it's also a game, of information. because the nfl is connected. and at any moment, the fate of the season can come down to this. billions of secure connections, per second. when the game is on the line and the game is always on the line touchdown! the nfl relies on cisco. i've spent centuries evolving with the world. that's the nature of being the economy. observing investors choose assets to balance risk and reward. with one element securing portfolios, time after time. gold. agile and liquid. a proven protector. an ever-evolving enabler of bold decisions. an asset more relevant than ever before. gold. your strategic advantage. we're following all the news out of brunswick, georgia, where the fate of three men charged with killing ahmaud arbery is in the hands of a jury. martin savidge is standing by for us. the jury began deliberations this morning. give us the latest. >> reporter: hey, jim. the jury has been deliberating a little over five hours. we've not heard any of communications or questions they've had. we have heard they've worked through lunch. and we definitely know they've got a lot to go over. tonight the jury deliberating the fate of the three men accused of killing a black man running through a coastal georgia neighborhood last year. >> the law of the case. >> reporter: the judge placing the controversial case into the hands of a jury. 11 of whom are white, just one african-american. >> so with that, i ask that you retire to the jury room. >> reporter: the prosecution getting the final say, retelling how an armed father and son, gregory and travis mcmichael, aided by a neighbor, william "roddie" bryan pursued ahmaud arbery, eventually cornering and killing him. the final moments caught on video. >> you can't force someone to defend themselves against you, so you get to claim self-defense. >> reporter: defense lawyers say the men were attempt a citizens arrest after arbery was seen trespassing inside of a home under construction. it turned deadly when arbery attacked travis mcmichael as he was pointing a shotgun at him and travis says he shot in self-defense. the prosecution pushing back saying the men that day never told police they were attempting a citizens arrest. >> the defendants never ever saids is the arrest. they never said we're making an arrest. they never said we saw him commit a crime. so where in the world did this citizens arrest thing come from because it didn't come from the defendants on february 23rd, 2020. >> reporter: the state argued self-defense was not an option since the father and son initiated the chase saying an armed travis mcmichael in a truck never really feared an unarmed arbery. >> there's no fear here. there's only anger. do you really believe he had no other choice but to use his shotgun? >> reporter: the state arguing if any one of the defendants had not taken part in any of these crimes, ahmaud arbery could still be alive. and that his race was a motivating factor. >> what's your emergency? there's a black man running down the street. >> reporter: both arbery's family and defense attorneys said they had faith in the jury. >> we're confident that this jury will seriously consider all the evidence and come back with a verdict that is reflective of what actually happened, which is the brutal and unjustified murder of ahmaud arbery. >> the confidence in the evidence and now we'll see what the jury feels is justice. and we'll accept the verdict whatever it is. thank you. >> reporter: it is unclear exactly how long the jury plans to deliberate into the night. it's quite likely the judge will let them go as long as they wish. especially with the impending holiday coming up on thursday. meanwhile, a prayer vigil is getting set to get under way. the community of brunswick knows that regardless of the outcome of this trial, it will have to try and live with it. jim? >> absolutely. we know you'll be there to cover it. martin savidge, thanks for that report. for more on the trial, i want to bring in legal analyst areva martin and shan wu. thanks to both of you for being with us. areva, the prosecutor said this is about the facts, not whether the defendants are good or bad people. how effective was that closing argument in your view? >> i thought the prosecutor's closing argument, both her initial argument and rebuttal were masterful. actually a class of how to do a closing argument. powerful, persuasive, logical. and one thing she did really well was to make her arguments plain. make them simple and make them relatable for this jury. and saying that this isn't about whether someone is good or bad, i thought was important, particularly in light of what we saw yesterday with the attorney for greg mcmichael. she grade to ingratiate herself to the jury by telling stories of her father being an insurance salesman and then went on attack, on ahmaud accusing him of being a nefarious individual in this neighborhood where he didn't belong. what we saw today by the lead prosecutor was, you know, her letting this jury know that indeed it's the narrative that she's been putting forth. and the evidence that is what should resonate with this jury. i just think she did an outstanding job of really shooting down this theory that there was some reliance on citizens arrest or even that law, that affirmative defense applies in this case. she made it very clear these defendants had no knowledge of -- immediate knowledge of a crime being committed. no crime occurred in their presence. therefore, citizens arrest doesn't apply. if you don't have citizens arrest, you don't get to self-defense. >> shan, this jury has to consider three different men. three different roles in the killing. each facing nine charges. i have them up on the screen right now. how complicated are these deliberations having to sort through all of that? >> they could be complicated, but i agree with areva. the prosecutor has done a very good job at making it very simple for the jury. she talked about how to use the verdict form to start with the underlying felonies, which is what you need to find to get you to felony murder. so i think even though there are three different defendants, the wisdom of the defendants in choosing to be tried together because there's a certain atmospheric taint to that, but even though there are three different defendants with three different roles, i think she has spelled out quite easily how the evidence goes to each person and the idea that like her bank robbery analogy, a lookout person is just as guilty of the shooting that may go on inside the bank as the shooter is. she's done a good job with that. and i think the case has gone in well for the prosecution. i wouldn't expect this to be a long verdict, and you also have the added pressure of a holiday. that jury is working through lunch. they're anxious to get out of there. >> do we expect a lengthy deliberation? what do you think? >> i don't think so. i agree with shan. i think these jurors are humans. they have families. they have big dinners they want to get to. i would expect them to go as late as they can today, maybe past 6:00 or 7:00. if they don't come to a decision by this evening to be back in court early tomorrow morning. but i would be surprised if they go past 5:00 or 6:00 tomorrow evening. now the court has said if they don't reach a decision by tomorrow, he will give them thanksgiving off, but they will be back in court on friday and knowing what i know about jurors, if there is agreement that can be reached, it's likely to be done tomorrow rather than on friday or thereafter. >> shan, speaking of the jury and the make-up of the jury, 11 white jurors, 1 african-american juror. at the end of the day, what is your sense as to whether or not this is going to make a difference? >> i think it was a big strategy question, i think, for the prosecution as to how much weight to give that. i and others have been critical that they didn't raise as a motive for the murders, but i think the prosecutor has done a good job with that. i thought it was very, very powerful evidence in her closing. she mentioned that 911 tape. what is your emergency? it's a black man running down the street. and i really think that may have been enough to do it. i think as a prosecutor, you have to be careful about worrying so much about a jury possibly being biased that you start to tailor your case towards that. i think you have to trust in the jury. you picked them, wanting them to be fair. i don't think you can try your case assuming that you have a bunch of racists on the jury that aren't going to convict. you have to put in your evidence the best way you can. so 2020 hindsight if it doesn't work out well, they'll be wondering, maybe there should have been more evidence about the racial animus. but i think they've done a solid job. >> areva, your thoughts. it seemed at times, obviously, members of the defense team were trying to push people's buttons with some of the dog whistles that we heard during the trial. what do you think? >> yeah, jim, we heard a lot of dog whistles. we don't want any black pastors in the courtroom and this is akin to a public lynching. those statements were clearly dog whistle, racist statements. i agree with shan, though. the prosecution had a decision to make. you're in georgia. not in new york. not in los angeles. and the way -- the issues of race may play out in bigger cities isn't necessarily the way it plays out in a smaller community in georgia. there are federal hate crimes that all three of these defendants face as well. the racial epithets that we have heard were made by one of the defendants. if there is not, and even if there is, guilty verdicts in the state case, we know we're going to see a case played out in federal court that will expose all of the issues of racial animus. i think the prosecution made a good call to be measured in how she talked about race. she made it clear enough that there was no reason for this man to be chased other than the fact he was a black man. i think that resonated with the jurors without having to beat it over the head over and over again. there was enough evidence to convict with the amount of evidence on race that has been presented by the prosecution. >> all right, shan wu, areva martin, thanks for those perspectives. we appreciate it. more breaking news ahead. the man accused of killing several people when he plowed his suv into a christmas parade just appeared in court. hours. that to2 12 hours?! who studies that long? 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(burke) seventeen-car garage you got there? ♪we are farmers♪ ♪bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum♪ what makes salonpas arthritis gel so good for arthritis pain? salonpas contains the most prescribed topical pain relief ingredient. it's clinically proven, reduces inflammation and comes in original prescription strength. salonpas. it's good medicine. ♪ ♪ xfinity rewards are our way of thanking you just for being with us. ♪ ♪ enjoy rewards like movie night specials. xfinity mobile benefits. exclusive experiences, like the chance to win tickets to see watch what happens live. andy cohen: hey! it's me! and tasty recipes from bravo's top chef cheftestants that'll have you cooking like a pro. the longer you've been with us... the more rewards you can get. join for free on the xfinity app our thanks. your rewards. darrell brooks, the man accused of driving his suv into a christmas parade in waukesha, wisconsin, making his first court appearance. he faces charges in connections with the deaths of five people and prosecutors have just now revealed a sixth person has died, but charges have not been filed yet. cnn's adrienne broaddus is in wau waukesha. very sad news coming in. >> tough news indeed. this is not the outcome anyone had hoped for. not only are we learning moments ago that a sixth person, a child has died, but the number of injured has increased from nearly 50 to now 62. and that's a number that could likely go up. the accused is in court behind me right now and prosecutors are asking for a $5 million cash bail. as citizens rushed in to help the dying and injured along the waukesha parade route, the man suspected of running them over was asking for help, too. new video obtained shows the suspect darrell brooks approaching a private home, urgently asking for a ride. >> can i call some -- i called an uber and i'm supposed to be waiting for it over here, but i don't know when it's coming. can you call me for it please? >> reporter: the resident invited brooks in, even gave him a sandwich, without knowing the circumstances. authorities say the red suv used to hurt so many had been left in a nearby backyard and police were not far behind. >> hands up. put your hands where i can see them. >> whoa, whoa, whoa. >> brooks was taken into custody, adding to a long criminal history dating back to the 1990s. as recently as november 2nd, court documents show brooks used his car to hit a woman claiming to be the mother of his child. the criminal complaint alleges brooks, quote, intentionally and without consent ran her over with his vehicle while she was walking through the parking lot of a gas station. cnn reached out to brooks' attorney regarding the incident but hasn't received a response. authorities say at the moment he raced his car through the parade route, brooks was out on a $1,000 bail and driving away from another domestic disturbance. at least 62 survivors remain injured, including badly wounded children. >> my sister and her family is a part of the waukesha dance xtreme team. they had just passed us. >> reporter: ryan says his 11-year-old niece who was dancing in the parade is in intensive care with several serious injuries. >> ldowntown waukesha, last tim i saw her. my children were with me and they seen it, too. >> reporter: a gofundme page for her says she is not fully aware of the severity of her injuries but managed to say, quote, just glue me back together. >> reporter: again for those of you who may be just joining us, at this hour, the 39-year-old suspect is still appearing before a judge at this hour. and the last few minutes we learned a sixth person, a child, has also died. the prosecutor telling the judge she intends to file additional charges. jim? >> all right. just before thanksgiving, just so, so sad. adrienne broaddus, thank you. also breaking news in washington. the house select committee on the january 6th insurrection issued another round of subpoenas this afternoon. let's go to cnn law enforcement correspondent whitney wild. this latest -- these latest targets include these right wing extremist groups who played a major role is january 6th. tell us about it. >> a major role in the violence. to put it plainly, the committee says they're going after individuals they believe are linked to the violence. there are several big name groups here. notably the proud boys and specifically their leader enrique tario. we now know dozens of members of the proud boys have been indicted for their roles. the violent insurrection. further, they've subpoenaed the oath keepers and leader, we know that dozens of those members have been indicted. and further several have been charged with conspiracy for their role in the insurrection. and here's a group you may not be that familiar with. a group we haven't talked about a lot on cnn, the first amendment pretorian. they are a group who was listed as security for events at the freedom plaza on january 5th. that's important because they are an extremist group and the subpoena points out that on january 6th, around 4:13 p.m., hours after the violence took place, hours after police were battling hand to hand with rioters, that group tweeted the cost of truth is pain, jim. >> well, that is something the committee definitely wants to sink its teeth into. this comes on the heels of what we saw yesterday. the subpoenas being issued yesterday for people like roger stone, alex jones, more lower level trump aides and associates. they are certainly spreading the net wide it seems. they're not taking time off it seems during this run up to thanksgiving. they're busy. >> right. exactly. so what we've see is more than 40 subpoenas. and what's clear is what the committee is trying to do is draw stronger connections between what was going on at the white house, between people who were at the very center of the stop the steal rally and then eventually in what way that connected to the violence. for example, we know the oath keepers, again, committing acts of violence on the -- at the insurrection, on capitol grounds, according to the department of justice. we also know according to the subpoena that members of the oath keepers provided security for roger stone. one of those people was indicted for his role in the insurrection, jim. it's become very clear, again, they are trying to draw a connection between the money, the rally, the white house, the violence. >> and the people close to trump. >> whitney wild, thank you very much. coming up, just ahead, a big announcement from biden intended to bring down gasoline prices. will it work? 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(vo) buy your car online. love it or return it. with carvana. bye mom. my helpers abound, i'll need you today. our sleigh is now ready, let's get on our way. a mountain of toys to fulfill many wishes. must be carried across all roads and all bridges. and when everyone is smiling and having their fun i can turn my sleigh north because my job here is done. it's not magic that makes more holiday deliveries to homes in the us than anyone else, it's the hardworking people of the united states postal service. president biden is tapping into the strategic petroleum reserve, a new move aimed at tamping down soaring gas prices ahead of a busy holiday travel season. >> and while our company -- our combined action will not solve the problem of high gas prices overnight, it will make a difference. it will take time, but before long, you should see the price of gas drop where you fill up your tank. and in the longer term, we will reduce our reliance on oil as we shift to clean energy. >> let's discuss with democratic congressman ro khanna of california. thanks for joining us. you just heard president biden admit this move will not solve gas prices overnight, as he put it. is this a band-aid for a much bigger problem? >> jim, the president has always been a straight shooter. i applaud him for taking this step, and he has gotten a lot of other countries to tap their reserves, and it will eventually bring down the price, and the president is just being honest that it may help ten, 15 cents a gallon but it's not going to be a panacea. >> and that will help a lot of folks out there. 10 to 15 cents, that means a lot per gallon for a lot of folks who are just making ends meet these days. while the president acknowledged challenges today, he also touted his accomplishment so far. how does president biden try to win credit for his infrastructure legislation, for example, and build support for that larger social economic climate bill when so many americans are feeling the impact of inflation in their everyday lives? it is there. it's happening. >> the president has to be honest, which he is being. he has to say, i understand that the price of gas is higher, that the price of food is higher, and we are making inflation a huge priority. he's tapped the strategic petroleum reserve, the build back better bill is all about lowering the cost of child care, of preschool, giving tax cuts to the working and middle class so they can afford their groceries. so the president has to link our legislation with things that will ease the inflationary pressure for the working class. >> and the fate of that build back better bill is now in the senate where senator joe manchin is raising questions about the president's strategy. do you think progressives are going to stick together and make this bill a reality even if the senate makes some big cuts, if manchin insists on some cuts, will you go along with it? >> the progressives have always been willing to compromise. we will be willing to vote yes. obviously, if some of the major climate provisions are taken out, that would be a problem, but my expectation is that more or less the president's framework will pass the president mean has the assurance of 50 senators to get that framework through. >> i want to ask you about cnn's reporting on the atmosphere in the house. some pretty chilling reporting with violent videos ongoing threats and real fears for members' safety out there as you know these days. one democrat described it to cnn as toxic. how big a toll is this taking on lawmakers? are you experiencing, are you feeling this, and what do you think it's going to take to change this climate, this dangerous climate that we're seeing up on the hill? >> jim, i fortunately have been safe but a lot of lawmakers, women of color in particular, face threats. one thing i hope americans could agree is that no lawmaker should be threatening violence against another lawmaker and we should be condemning that, regardless of party. i will say i have actually decent relations across the aisle. i worked with leader mccarthy, even andy briggs on legislation, and i remember when i went to orientation, the former president of harvard said things were a lot worse in the antebellum south in the 1850s when they used to cane people in congress, so i'm hopeful and optimistic about our democracy functioning. i still believe we're the greatest democracy in the world but we just need more americans saying, no violence. that's where we draw the line. >> an important message. congressman ro khanna, thanks for your time. >> thank you. happy thanksgiving, jim, and to all the folks listening. >> and you as well. coming up, we'll bring you an exclusive look inside the, korean defense forces patrolling the border with russia as tensions between the two countries threaten to boil over. ♪ the one desire ♪ ♪ you are, you are, ♪ ♪ don't wanna hear you say... ♪ ♪ ♪ i want it that way ♪ as americans head into the thanksgiving holiday, the covid pandemic here in the u.s. is taking a turn for the worse. cases are on the rise in 26 states with hospitalizations trending up as well. for more on that i'm joined by dr. zeke emanuel, the author of "which country has the world's best health care?" dr. emanuel, great to see you. we appreciate it. cases, as you know, are on the rise ahead of this thanksgiving holiday, but we aren't hearing the type of warnings we heard last year from health officials against big holiday gatherings. i assume that's because we have these wonderful vaccines to thank for that, to be thankful for. what are your thoughts? >> we do have those vaccines, and the boosters, and they do provide very, very good protection. on the other hand, i think one thing we shouldn't forget is that people should test ahead of time because there are breakthrough infections. unfortunately, unlike many other countries we haven't gotten the price of the tests down, which we should. and if you are among people whose vaccination status you don't know, you should protect yourself and wearing a good mask is one of those ways. but i do think people can feel more confident now. on the other hand, traveling, flying, going through airports, they're still a pretty big risk because we have to remember that 40% of the country is still not vaccinated. and that does mean that there could be a lot of virus around infecting people. >> yeah, how important for family and friends to talk about their vaccination status and take these rapid tests ahead of these get-togethers? i suppose this is our first holiday where you might have an anti-vax relative at the table. perish the thought but i suppose there will be families dealing with that. >> yeah, i think you do have to deal with it. those people who are anti-vaxxers and probably, therefore, aren't wearing masks and taking seriously reducing their risk pose the biggest risk to other people. and because we know breakthrough infections can happen given the delta variant, which is prevalent throughout the country, that does pose a risk to people who are vaccinated. we should remember how protective those vaccines are. compared to the -- the unvaccinated have 13 times the risk of dying that's a very, very big difference. that's how good the vaccines are at protecting people from serious illness, hospitalization and death. >> it's something to be thank it ful for. great to see you. happy thanksgiving. >> thank you. take care. >> you as well. we're following a tense situation on the the border between russia and ukraine. a build up of troops is prompting deep concern inside the pentagon. the joint chief chairman held a phone call to discuss. fred pleitgen has this report. >> reporter: on patrol in some of the most contested waters in the world, ukraine's navy took us on an artillery boat just as tensions with with russia have reached a boiling point. the goal is to defend the sovereignty of ukraine from the direction of the sea. russia has been massing troops near the borders, the u.s. says, warning allies a large-scale invasion could happen soon they believe if russia decides to launch an attack, the sea could be one of the main battlegrounds. that's why they are modernizing their fleet and also their infrastructure on land as well. the coastline holds a strategic value to russia. it would allow poutin to establish a much sought land core to connect russia to crimea. they gave us rare access to the massive construction going on at the naval base. they have ordered this building program to urgently be accelerated with the russian threat looming large. in order to complete this project as quick as possible, the ukrainian military says they are working seven days a week. they say once it's finished, it will offer a did ternt against any russian aggression. upgrades seem badly needed with much of the port in utter disrepair. new facilities will allow them to base more and bigger ships here. we are ready, this officer says. that's why we are here so that at any time if there's any aggression in the sea, we can resist it. ukr ukraine's president says russia is positioned 100,000 troops near its borders, kr the kremlin denies. these images appearing to show dozens of military vehicles in southwest russia. they warned not to attack and is mulling more weapons deliveries to koiev. one official says russia's aim may be to create confusion or get concessions. they dismissed talk of a possible invasion as hysteria. they issued a clear warning. >> not only there, but also other regions close to our borders. >> reporter: ukraine's armed forces say they are on constant alert prepare ing for an armed confrontation they hope can be avoided. the ukrainian military conducted some air force exercises of their own today. the other thing they also did is drew up a new law that allow ed them to call up 200,000 reservists if bad comes to worse in the region. the ukrainians and the u.s. and allies hope that it's something that won't happen here. disturbing developments there, thank you so much. stay with us for the latest on today's multibracking story, including the verdicts in the trial of the organizers of the 2017 unite the right rally in virginia. ♪ limu emu... & doug ♪ ♪ superpowers from a spider bite? 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(tiger) this is the dimension of imagination. ♪ ♪ the xfinity black friday sales event is happening now on xfinity mobile. now new and existing customers can get our best wireless deal of the year - up to $1,000 in savings - for a limited time only. on the most reliable network nationwide, plus nationwide 5g. act now and save up to $1,000 with xfinity mobile. so you can go all out on gifts for the family - during our best wireless deal of the year... the xfinity black friday sales event. click, call or visit a store today. happening now, breaking news. a jury finds defendants partially liable in the ha hate-filled is and deadly white supremacist rally that shocked the world. they have just been ordered to pay millions of dollars in damages. we're also following the trial of ahmaud arbery. the jury deliberating the men's fate after powerful close ing arguments by prosecutors. and president biden makes a rare move in an effort to lower skyrocketing gas prices. will it actually ease the pain at the pump? welcome to our viewers in the united states and all around the world. wolf blitzer is off today. i'm jim a costa and you're in te situation room. this is cnn breaking news. >> we are going to get straight to the breaking news. brian todd is in charlottesville, virginia. the jury found five defendants liable for violating virginia law on harassment and vie is lens. tell us. >> they did indeed, finding them liable on several counts and the damages are significant. this is nothing short of a financial blow to the white nationalists. more than $26 million in compensatory damages on several claims. among them, finding five defendants were liable for racial, religious or ethnic harassment or violence under a virginia state law. and that all the defendants participated in a conspiracy. >> i think it this verdict today is a message that this country does not tolerate violence based on racial and religious lay hey tread in any form. >> reporter: in addition, the driver of the car that plowed into the crowd