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A Connecticut jury orders Alex Jones to pay nearly $1 billion to families of the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting, and neighbors help with a woman's harrowing escape from captivity. Plus, Kaley Cuoco shows off her baby bump after revealing she is pregnant with her first child.

Alex Jones is ordered by a jury to pay nearly $1 billion in damages to the families of Sandy Hook victims.

Infowars host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones must pay $965 million to the families of eight victims of the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, a Connecticut jury found yesterday. He faced liability for defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and other accusations for creating a fake narrative that the mass shooting was a hoax. The families claimed Jones profited off the lies while they were harassed and abused by those who believed him. The jury made 15 individual awards that ranged from $28.8 million to $120 million. Some family members wept in the courtroom, while Jones appeared on his online show and mocked the amounts awarded while laughing. His lawyer said he will appeal the decision. 

How neighbors helped a woman they found wearing a metal collar escape from captivity in a basement in Missouri.

Residents in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, described how they took action after hearing anguished cries from a young woman they found with a metal collar and padlock around her neck. The woman said she had been held captive and assaulted for weeks in the basement of a nearby home. One neighbor described how she called 911 even though the alleged captive warned "he's going to kill us both" if she contacted police. Another neighbor said her grandmother took the woman in, fed her and gave her water before police arrived. Timothy Haslett Jr., 39, has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree rape, aggravated sexual offense, first-degree kidnapping and second-degree assault, according to a complaint. Officials have not detailed any possible connection between the woman and Haslett.

Kaley Cuoco shows off her baby bump after sharing that she is pregnant with her first child.

"The Flight Attendant" and "Big Bang Theory" star shared some memorable moments of her pregnancy yesterday after announcing on Tuesday that she and "Ozark" actor Tom Pelphrey are expecting a baby girl. Cuoco shared a photo of her baby bump while standing with her stunt double, as well as one of her in bed trying to work through pregnancy sickness while on set, plus more candid shots. See all the photos here. 

☕ Is regular coffee or decaf better for your heart?

Caffeinated coffee — but not decaffeinated — was associated with a lower risk of irregular heart rhythms in a new study of nearly 450,000 British adults. The study found that coffee may be good for your heart and lead to a longer life if consumed in moderation. Caffeinated coffee also surprisingly helps improve irregular heartbeats. “People should think of coffee as a healthy part of their diet,” said study co-author Dr. Peter Kistler. In addition to drinking coffee, here are 7 simple lifestyle and diet changes that can lead to better heart health.

Achieve your life goals with easy tips.

When it comes to specific exercises that will help shrink your midsection, it's all about burning calories and doing strength training to tone your core. These 15 exercises from TODAY fitness contributor Stephanie Mansour can be done at home and will help slim your waist and strengthen your core. However, Stephanie also points out that it takes more than just ab exercises to shed fat around the waist — they need to be combined with a healthy diet, quality sleep and regular exercise. 

Allow us to do the meal-planning for you.

Take a staple of New Orleans and add some flavor of Mexican culture with these Mexican barbecue shrimp from New Orleans restaurateur and Food Network star Aarón Sanchez. His adobo seasoning gives the Gulf shrimp some spice, which combines nicely with a Worcestershire-based barbecue sauce. Ancho chiles add plenty of heat, but it's not overwhelming, and if you're not a fan of anchovies, use capers or olives for robustness and depth.  

A little pick-me-up before you go.

Pennsylvania dad Adam Perry has cracked the code of how to get a kid to give a nice, big smile in pictures. It all boils down to saying one word, which he demonstrated with side-by-side photos of his 5-year-old son on Twitter. "My son when I tell him to smile vs when I yell out ‘poop!’" Perry wrote. Other parents have since used the approach. "They're like, I tried it and it worked!'" Perry told us. "Also, it doesn't just work with kids. Adults are doing it too to make each other laugh in pictures." 

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Written by Scott Stump | Edited by Philip Caulfield

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