First Thing: Alex Jones ordered to pay Sandy Hook families $965m

Infowars host punished over promotion of lie 2012 massacre never happened. Plus, 70% of animal populations wiped out since 1970

Good morning.

A jury has ordered the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay almost $1bn to people who suffered from his relentless promotion of the lie that the 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school massacre was a hoax.

I'm done saying sorry'. While Jones acknowledged he had been wrong about Sandy Hook during testimony, he called the proceedings a kangaroo court", mocked the judge, called the plaintiffs' lawyer an ambulance chaser and labeled the case an affront to free speech rights.

How much can he afford to pay? Jones has claimed he could not afford any judgment over $2m, but one economist has testified that Jones and his company were worth as much as $270m. He has vowed to fight the decision and put out a fresh call for donations on Wednesday.