News Wrap: At least 11 killed in latest Russian missile strikes on Kherson, Ukraine

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• William Brangham:

  Good evening. I'm William Brangham. Judy Woodruff is away.

  On the "NewsHour" tonight: a major merger. Kroger is trying to buy Albertsons in a multibillion-dollar consolidation of the country's two biggest grocery chains. What the deal could mean for shoppers and food prices.

• Then:

  the price of precious metals. Miners in Zimbabwe are exposed to toxic mercury while working in illegal gold mining operations.

• Clemence Tembo, Mining Agent (through translator):

  I would wake up with a rash on my face, no taste in my mouth. Then I would have delayed speech and memory loss. So, this kept worsening over time, up until I became mute.

• William Brangham:

  And it is Friday. David Brooks and Jonathan Capehart weigh in on the latest headlines.

  All of that and more on tonight's "PBS NewsHour."

  (BREAK)

• William Brangham:

  A newly liberated city in Ukraine is reeling tonight from a hail of Russian missiles, with no respite in sight.

  Officials in Kherson say two days of intensive attacks have killed at least 11 people. The Russians retreated from the city two weeks ago.

  Meanwhile, in Moscow, President Vladimir Putin sat down today with mothers of Russian troops. He complained of what he called lies about the war, but tried to offer sympathy.

• Vladimir Putin, Russian President (through translator):

  For those of you who are here and who have lost your sons, of course, Mother's Day is connected with thoughts about this tragedy. It's impossible for me to come out with some formal stock phrases expressing my condolences. But I want you to know that I personally and the entire leadership share your pain.

• William Brangham:

  This month, the Pentagon estimated that Russia and Ukraine have each had more than 100,000 troops killed or wounded.

  In Indonesia, officials now say that 310 people died in the powerful earthquake that struck Western Java early this week. They say 24 remain missing. Rescue teams continued to scour the debris today for more victims. They're finding many of the bodies buried under landslides that were triggered by the quake.

  Here at home, police say a Walmart supervisor who killed six co-workers and himself in Chesapeake, Virginia, left a so-called death note on his phone. In it, the shooter claimed he'd been mocked and harassed at work. Then, he went on to say — quote — "Sorry, everyone, but I did not plan this. I promise things just fell in place, like I was led by Satan."

  Authorities also say he bought his weapon just hours before the shooting.

  Unions in the U.S. and other nations called on Amazon workers to strike on this Black Friday. The Make Amazon Pay Campaign said walkouts were planned in more than 30 countries. In Germany, there were demonstrations at nine out of 20 Amazon warehouses. Organizers called for better wages and working conditions, especially during the holidays.

• Petra Kusenberg, Union Representative (through translator):

  Everybody is looking at Black Week. There is Black Week now, not just Black Friday. Everybody is looking for bargains here. But, quite honestly, these bargains are made on the backs of our colleagues. They just don't earn enough money for it.

• William Brangham:

  Amazon said it did not expect the strikes to have any effect on customers.

  Panic buying hit grocery stores and delivery apps in parts of China's capital today, as daily COVID cases hit another record. It came amid rumors of possible lockdowns, with Beijing officials ordering faster construction of field hospitals and quarantine centers. But, elsewhere in Beijing, normally busy streets were almost empty, as many people avoided crowded areas and unnecessary travel.

  Iran's political upheaval has again spilled over at soccer's World Cup. Mass protests have rocked Iran since September, when a Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, died in police custody. Today, protesters outside a stadium in Qatar were dogged by backers of Iran's government, who filmed them, chanted, and waved Iranian flags.

• Vanya, Iranian Student (through translator):

  We have heard that the regime has sent about 5,000 of its supporters free of cost to Qatar for the World Cup to just show support for the regime. We have heard about that.

  So, I think there is a very unfair imbalance between the supporters of Iran, and I don't think they should be given the right to do this.

• MAN:

  Iran.

• Vanya:

  Can you stay away, please?

• MAN:

  Islamic Republic of Iran.

• William Brangham:

  In Iran, state media reported more hard-line Revolutionary Guards are moving into Kurdish areas, as the government's crackdown on protesters intensifies.

  And a World Cup spoiler alert here: The U.S. and England played to a scoreless draw in their match today. The Americans held their own against the favored English team, but missed a number of chances to score. Now the U.S. squad faces Iran on Tuesday in a must-win match in order to advance to the next round.

  And on Wall Street, a holiday-shortened trading day ended with mixed results. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 153 points to close at 34347. But the Nasdaq fell 59 points and the S&P 500 slipped one point. For the week, the Dow was up 1.8 percent, the Nasdaq added 0.7 percent, the S&P was up 1.5 percent.