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☆ Aaron Rodgers Has More on His Mind Than Football. A Lot More.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Katherine Rosman | Ken Belson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Aaron Rodgers, perhaps the most gifted N.F.L. quarterback of his generation, spent a week last month in Costa Rica with a handful of fellow pro football players in search of transformation. First, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the independent candidate for president, said that he was considering making Mr. Rodgers his running mate, a partnership that did not ultimately materialize. The next day, CNN reported that Mr. Rodgers had suggested in 2013 that the massacre of 20 children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., was a hoax or an inside government job. Mr. Rodgers responded on social media, saying that he had “never been of the opinion that the events did not take place.”

Persons: Aaron Rodgers, N.F.L, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Rodgers, ” Organizations: CNN, Sandy Hook Elementary Locations: Costa Rica, Newtown, Conn

☆ Live updates: RFK Jr. vice president announcement
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Andrew Menezes | Isabelle D'Antonio | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to name attorney and entrepreneur Nicole Shanahan as his running mate Tuesday, The New York Times reported. Other people whom Kennedy reportedly considered as a vice presidential pick included:Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse VenturaNFL quarterback Aaron RodgersFormer Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of HawaiiRepublican Sen. Rand Paul of KentuckyFormer Democratic presidential candidate Andrew YangFormer television host Mike RoweMotivational speaker Tony RobbinsCivil rights lawyer Tricia LindsayFollowing reports that Kennedy had met with Rodgers about the possibility of joining the campaign, CNN reported that the NFL star had shared in private conversations conspiracy theories about the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting not being real, including in one instance to CNN anchor Pamela Brown. In response, Rodgers said in a social media post he has “never been of the opinion that the events did not take place” and called the shooting “an absolute tragedy.” In a statement to CNN, Kennedy campaign spokesperson Stefanie Spear called the Sandy Hook shooting “a horrific tragedy.”Last week, CNN reported that Robbins and Kennedy had met as early as 2023 about Robbins being Kennedy’s running mate. But Robbins made clear to Kennedy that he did not believe this was the right time for him to run for public office.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Nicole Shanahan, Kennedy, Jesse Ventura, Aaron Rodgers, Tulsi Gabbard, Hawaii Republican Sen, Rand Paul of, Andrew Yang, Mike Rowe, Tony Robbins, Tricia Lindsay, Rodgers, Sandy, Pamela Brown, Stefanie Spear, ”, Robbins Organizations: The New York Times, Former Minnesota Gov, Democratic, Hawaii Republican, CNN, NFL, Sandy Hook Elementary Locations: Rand Paul of Kentucky

☆ RFK Jr. set to announce his vice presidential pick in California
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Eva Mckend | Aaron Pellish | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The event marks a critical moment for Kennedy’s White House bid that could accelerate his efforts to gain ballot access in all 50 states. His vice presidential pick will also be tasked with broadening Kennedy’s appeal and helping raise money for his big-spending campaign. Kennedy campaign ballot access attorney Paul Rossi suggested Nevada Democrats were attempting to block Kennedy from gaining ballot access in the state – a claim the secretary of state’s office rejected. “Vice presidential candidates don’t tend to push elections very far, even for the major-party candidates. “I would never choose a vice presidential candidate based on how much money they have,” Kennedy said in a NewsNation interview last week.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy, Nicole Shanahan, Jesse Ventura, Aaron Rodgers, Tulsi Gabbard, Republican Sen, Rand Paul, Andrew Yang, Mike Rowe, Tony Robbins, Tricia Lindsay, “, ”, we’ve, ” Kennedy, John F, Kennedy’s, Shanahan, Sergey Brin, Rodgers, Cecilia Heston, Paul Rossi, ” Heston, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Sandy, Pamela Brown, Stefanie Spear, Robbins, Biden, Angela McArdle, Trump, –, Cornel West, Bernard Tamas, Tamas, CNN’s Gregory Krieg Organizations: CNN, Independent, Minnesota Gov, NFL, Democratic, Republican, Oakland, Bay Area Fox, KTVU, Google, University of California, PAC, White, Nevada Democrats, Democratic National, Federal, Kennedy, Democratic Party of Hawaii, Sandy Hook Elementary, Children’s Health Defense, Libertarian Party, ”, Trump, Biden, Valdosta State University, FEC, New York Times Locations: Oakland , California, Minnesota, Oakland, Chico , California, Berkeley, Washington, Utah, New Hampshire , Nevada, Hawaii, Arizona , Georgia, Michigan, South Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Georgia

☆ Rodgers responds to CNN report that he shared false Sandy Hook conspiracies in private conversations
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Aaron Pellish | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers responded on Thursday to CNN reporting that he shared in private conversations false conspiracy theories about the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting. Another source, to whom CNN has granted anonymity so as to avoid harassment, recalled that several years ago, Rodgers claimed Sandy Hook “never happened” and that the children were “actors.”“Sandy Hook never happened … All those children never existed. A gunman in December of 2012 opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, killing 20 children and six adults. In a statement to CNN on Thursday, Kennedy campaign spokesperson Stefanie Spear called the Sandy Hook shooting “a horrific tragedy.”“Mr. Kennedy believes the Sandy Hook shooting was a horrific tragedy.

Persons: Aaron Rodgers, Sandy Hook, Rodgers, ”, ” Rodgers, Sandy, Robert F, Pamela Brown, Sandy Hook “, Kennedy, Stefanie Spear, Mr, ” Spear, who’s, ” Kennedy, CNN’s Pamela Brown, Jake Tapper Organizations: CNN, NFL, ” CNN, Sandy Hook Elementary, ESPN Radio Milwaukee, Fox News Locations: Sandy, Connecticut

☆ RFK Jr.’s VP prospect Aaron Rodgers has shared false Sandy Hook conspiracy theories in private conversations
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Pamela Brown | Jake Tapper | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has confirmed that among his potential vice-presidential prospects is New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who in private conversations shared deranged conspiracy theories about the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting not being real. Hearing that she was a journalist with CNN, Rodgers immediately began attacking the news media for covering up important stories. Such conspiracy theories were also later at the center of lawsuits brought by victims’ families when they sued conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on the matter. This person, to whom CNN has granted anonymity so as to avoid harassment, recalled that several years ago, Rodgers claimed, “Sandy Hook never happened…All those children never existed. Kennedy told CNN in an interview on Tuesday that he had recently met with Rodgers, as well as former Minnesota Gov.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Aaron Rodgers, Sandy Hook, Rodgers, Pamela Brown, Brown, Alex Jones, Jones, ”, “, ” Rodgers, Kennedy, Jesse Ventura Organizations: CNN, Independent, New York Jets, Kentucky Derby, Green Bay Packers, Derby, Sandy Hook Elementary, Minnesota Gov Locations: Sandy, Connecticut, Oakland , California

WASHINGTON (AP) — Each time Donald Trump refers to a Georgia prosecutor 's colleague as her “lover,” he's invoking a strikingly familiar turn of phrase. He's jumped on allegations of affairs and leveled claims of bias against agents, prosecutors and judges. “This case is a Hoax, just like Russia, Russia, Russia (and all of the rest! The Comey memo revealed that Trump had asked him to end an investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn. But to Trump and his supporters, the disclosure became an opening to attack Comey as a “leaker."

Persons: Donald Trump, ”, Trump, He's, Reid Schar, Rod Blagojevich, ” Trump, Fani Willis, Nathan Wade, Willis, Georgia's, “, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, Strzok, ” “ Trump, Greg Brower, Christopher Steele, James Comey, he'd, Comey, Michael Flynn, Robert Mueller's, Trump's, Mueller, — Mueller, Virginia —, Christopher Mattei, John Rowland, Sandy, Alex Jones, Trump “, he’s Organizations: WASHINGTON, Trump, “ Prosecutors, of Justice, Illinois, DOJ, American, The Justice, Associated Press, FBI, Justice, Former, Connecticut Gov, Elementary Locations: Georgia, Russia, Fulton County, America, Virginia, Connecticut

These days, however, conspiracy theories and those who believe them seem to be playing an outsize role in politics and culture. On the left, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has exploited conspiracy theories about vaccines to wage his own campaign for the presidency this year. The Associated Press has examined the history of conspiracy theories in the United States. “I was suicidal before I got into conspiracy theories,” said Antonio Perez, a Hawaii man who became obsessed with Sept. 11 conspiracy theories and QAnon until he decided that they were interfering with his life. Russia, China, Iran and other U.S. adversaries have worked to amplify conspiracy theories as a way to destabilize democracy further.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, ”, John Llewellyn, Melissa Sell, Antonio Perez, “, I’ve, they've, —, Nash, peddlers, Trump, Timothy Caulfield Organizations: Associated Press, Illuminati, Wake Forest University, AP, Sandy, Elementary, Capitol, Business, U.S, University of Alberta Locations: United States, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Hawaii, U.S, Russia, China, Iran

The credible data that exists on crimes motivated by conspiracy theories shows a disturbing increase. Many of those charged said they had bought into Trump’s conspiracy theories about a stolen election. “Lies, lies lies: They're lying to you over and over and over again,” said Steve Girard, a Pennsylvania man who has protested the incarceration of Jan. 6 defendants. While they may have taken on a bigger role in our politics, surveys show that belief in conspiracy theories hasn't changed much over the years, according to Joe Uscinski, a University of Miami professor and an expert on the history of conspiracy theories. Russia has amplified numerous anti-U.S. conspiracy theories, including ones claiming the U.S. runs secret germ warfare labs and created HIV as a bioweapon, as well as conspiracy theories accusing Ukraine of being a Nazi state.

Persons: ”, Nash, Melissa Sell, Sell, Elon Musk, There's, Evan Hansen, Wired.com, Musk, It’s, ” Hansen, Donald Trump, Trump, Mark Milley, Milley, Laws, Vince Lynch, Lynch, Danielle Citron, Sandy, —, Alex Jones, Sandy Hook, Hillary Clinton, chemtrails, “, hospitalizations, Robert Palmer, they're, Steve Girard, Jan, hasn't, Joe Uscinski, ” Uscinski, “ Jan, Tom Fishman Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S ., United, Big Tech, Meta, Facebook, titans, Army, University of Maryland’s National Consortium, University of Virginia School of Law, Sandy Hook Elementary, CNN, FBI, Capitol, The Associated Press, Trump, University of Miami, Twitter, United States, U.S, . Locations: Maui, Chile, America, United States, Pennsylvania, U.S, Israel, Newtown , Connecticut, Florida, California, Wisconsin, Washington, Russia, China, Iran, Ukraine, Nazi

NEW YORK (AP) — National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre acknowledged at a civil trial Monday that he wrongly expensed private flights for his family and accepted vacations from vendors doing business with the nonprofit gun rights organization without disclosing them. The New York attorney general sued the 74-year-old CEO and three co-defendants in 2020, claiming widespread misspending and self-enrichment among certain NRA leaders. “I now know there was a limit of $25,” for NRA-sponsored gifts, LaPierre said. “They weren’t gifts; they were work items for me.”LaPierre also acknowledged authorizing private helicopter flights for NRA executives to and from the Texas Motor Speedway during NASCAR events. The attorney general’s office is calling for restitution and financial penalties for NRA officials who improperly profited from the organization's activities.

Persons: Wayne LaPierre, LaPierre, “, ”, hadn’t, ” LaPierre, Sandy, Andrew Arulanandam Organizations: Rifle, NRA, New, Texas Motor Speedway, NASCAR, NFL, Elementary Locations: Manhattan, New York

Will Trump keep that up, now that he's been hit with a $83.3 million defamation judgment? A jury on Friday found that Trump had maliciously damaged Carroll's reputation in 2019 after she went public with her accusations. If both judgments stand, Trump would owe her a total of $88.3 million. THE FIRST TRIALCarroll sued Trump for defamation in 2019, saying his statements about her were false and damaged her reputation. The $88.3 million in judgments against Trump are actually less than what some of his supporters have faced in recent defamation cases.

Persons: Donald Trump, Jean Carroll, Will Trump, he's, Trump, Carroll, Goodman, Jean, District Judge Lewis A, Kaplan, ” Kaplan, Alina Habba, Habba, CARROLL, Rudy Giuliani, Alex Jones, Sandy, Giuliani, Jones Organizations: Trump, Elle, White, House, House . U.S, District, U.S, Supreme, TRUMP, Carroll, New, New York City, Elementary Locations: Manhattan, lacy, New York, House ., Georgia, Texas, Connecticut, That's

of X Elon Musk speaks during the New York Times annual DealBook summit on November 29, 2023 in New York City. Elon Musk on Sunday reinstated the account of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on X, formerly Twitter, reneging on a year-ago vow to keep Jones off the social network. Users of the Elon Musk-led X social media platform had anticipated the reinstatement of Jones since at least Thursday, when Musk said he would consider reinstating Jones. Musk said Jones "cannot break the law," but that if he does spread misinformation, X's community notes feature will correct him. X has allowed Tate to monetize his account and Tate has said that he generated tens of thousands of dollars on X, previously.

Persons: Tesla, X Elon Musk, Elon Musk, Alex Jones, Jones, Sandy, Sandy Hook, Infowars, Musk, Andrew Tate —, Tate, monetize, Travis Brown, Jack Sweeney, Aaron Greenspan, MMfA, he's, Donald Trump Organizations: SpaceX, New York Times, Elon, Twitter, Elementary, Sandy Hook Elementary School, Associated Press, Media, America Locations: New York City, Sandy, Newtown , Connecticut, Texas and Connecticut, Romania, New York

Attendees inspect Smith and Wesson firearms at the National Rifle Association's (NRA) annual meeting, in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S., April 28, 2019. Smith & Wesson, which is incorporated in Nevada, did not respond immediately to a request for comment. The group of nuns filed the lawsuit in their role as Smith & Wesson shareholders, in what is known as a derivative lawsuit. The nuns alleged that the directors of Smith & Wesson have ignored growing legal risks from making assault-style rifles. Smith & Wesson warned in its 2022 annual report that it might have to pay significant damages due to legal proceedings against the company.

Persons: Smith, Bryan Woolston, Jeffrey Norton, gunmakers, gunmaker Remington, Adrian Dominican, Bon, Francis of Philadelphia, Jesus, Tom Hals, Alexia Garamfalvi, Leslie Adler Organizations: Wesson, REUTERS, Smith, Tuesday, Smith & Wesson, Sandy, Elementary, U.S, Supreme, Adrian, Bon Secours, St, Jesus &, Thomson Locations: Indianapolis , Indiana, U.S, WILMINGTON , Delaware, Nevada, Colorado, Connecticut, New York , Illinois, California, Adrian , Michigan, Marriottsville , Maryland, Aston , Pennsylvania, Ontario Province, Marylhurst , Oregon, Wilmington , Delaware

Sandy Hook families who won nearly $1.5 billion in legal judgments against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones for calling the 2012 Connecticut school shooting a hoax have offered to settle that debt for only pennies on the dollar — at least $85 million over 10 years. His time is up," lawyers for the Sandy Hook families wrote. But this month, a court-appointed restructuring officer upped Jones' pay to about $57,700 biweekly, or $1.5 million a year, saying he has been “grossly” underpaid for how vital he is to the media company. If Jones doesn't accept the families' offer, Lopez would determine how much he would pay the families and other creditors. Relatives, of many but not all, of the Sandy Hook victims sued Jones in Connecticut and Texas, winning nearly $1.5 billion in judgments against him.

Persons: Sandy Hook, Alex Jones, Jones, “ Jones, Vickie Driver, ”, Christopher Lopez, Lopez, Jones ’ Organizations: Free Speech Systems, Speech Systems, Monday, Sandy Hook Elementary Locations: Connecticut, Houston, Sandy, Newtown , Connecticut, Texas

BALTIMORE (AP) — A federal appeals court on Tuesday struck down Maryland’s handgun licensing law, finding that its requirements, which include submitting fingerprints for a background check and taking a four-hour firearms safety course, are unconstitutionally restrictive. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond said they considered the case in light of a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year that “effected a sea change in Second Amendment law.”The underlying lawsuit was filed in 2016 as a challenge to a Maryland law requiring people to obtain a special license before purchasing a handgun. Even though Maryland’s law doesn’t prohibit people from “owning handguns at some time in the future, it still prohibits them from owning handguns now,” Richardson wrote. Pennack said the 2013 law made obtaining a handgun an overly expensive and arduous process. Before that law passed, he said, people had to complete a more limited training and pass a background check, among other requirements.

Persons: “, Wes Moore, ”, ” Moore, Judge Julius Richardson, Richardson, G, Steven Agee, ” Richardson, doesn’t, Judge Barbara Milano Keenan, misapplied, Keenan, ” Agee, —, Mark Pennack, he’s, Tuesday’s, Pennack Organizations: BALTIMORE, —, U.S, Circuit, Supreme, Sandy Hook Elementary, Maryland . Maryland Gov, Republican, Democrat Locations: Richmond, Maryland

The lies and taunts, which Musk engaged with on social media, turned his life upside down, Brody said. Brody filed a defamation lawsuit last month against Musk, the owner of X, formerly known as Twitter. Online conspiracy theorists soon jumped into the fray. Somehow, someone on social media had found a photo of Brody online and decided he looked like one of the people involved in the clash. The suit alleges that in August after Musk was made aware through his lawyers about Brody’s case for defamation, Musk refused to delete his tweets.

Persons: Ben Brody, Elon Musk, Brody, Musk, —, Alex Jones, Mark Bankston, who’ve, ”, CNN “, ‘ You’re, “ You’re, “, ” Brody, ‘, ” Musk, ’ ” Brody, wouldn’t, Alex Jones Bankston, Sandy Hook, Bankston, Jones, Musk’s, Ben, “ Musk, Paul Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi, “ It’s, I’m, It’s Organizations: CNN, Nazi, Twitter, Sandy, Elementary, University of California Locations: California, Nazi, United States, Riverside , California, Portland , Oregon, Riverside, Oregon, Travis County , Texas

Mass Shootings, Mass SalesIn June 2012, James E. Holmes, the Colorado graduate student, ordered 1,500 rounds of Lake City ammunition from the website BulkAmmo.com, which had been offering discounts on boxes of the 5.56. The tally includes shootings in a public place in which four or more people, not including the attacker, were killed. He did not use rounds from Lake City, but the tragedy drove a new push for gun reform — and a reflexive spike in ammunition sales. Vista Outdoor issued a statement attributed to Federal Cartridge, one of its many brands, saying it was proud of its ammunition production. backed down, and, within a year, Lake City green tips were tied to the shooting of five police officers and a deputy sheriff.

Persons: James E, Holmes, ATK, Mr . DeYoung, Vista, DeYoung, “, ” Organizations: Colorado, Lake, FedEx, Violence, Sandy Hook Elementary, Army, ATK, Walmart, Vista, Firearms, Alcohol, Tobacco, Explosives Locations: Lake City, Aurora, Newtown, Conn, U.S

☆ Opinion | Stephen King and America’s ‘Gun Problem’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

To the Editor:Re “18 More Deaths From Our Gun Addiction,” by Stephen King (Opinion guest essay, Oct. 31):Mr. King’s frustration with gun violence and his feeling of helplessness for our country are not unique, but they are born more from exhaustion than reality. “The gun problem” is just that: a problem to be solved. A good coach knows when to substitute for exhausted players, and it’s OK that Mr. King and others need some bench time. The fresh legs off the bench are many, and they are moving with optimism, impatience and persistence to find the right courses of action that will make America’s gun violence problem no longer exist. She is the author of “Stop the Killing: How to End the Mass Shooting Crisis” and “How to Talk About Guns With Anyone.”To the Editor:I agree with Stephen King.

Persons: Stephen King, King, Katherine Schweit, Sandy, “, Pam Leiter Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, Sandy Hook Elementary Locations: America, Katherine Schweit Centreville, Va, Haven, Mich

Infowars founder Alex Jones arrives to speak to the media after appearing at his Sandy Hook defamation trial at Connecticut Superior Court in Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S., October 4, 2022. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones cannot use his personal bankruptcy to escape paying at least $1.1 billion in defamation damages stemming from his repeated lies about the 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school massacre, a U.S. bankruptcy judge ruled Thursday. Courts in Connecticut and Texas have already ruled that Jones intentionally defamed relatives of school children killed in the mass shooting, and they have ordered Jones to pay $1.5 billion in damages. Lopez ruled that more than $1.1 billion of those verdicts, awarded for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress, cannot be wiped away in bankruptcy. Attorneys for Jones and the Sandy Hook families did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Alex Jones, Sandy Hook, Mike Segar, Christopher Lopez, Jones, Lopez, defaming Leonard Pozner, Veronique De La Rosa, Noah, Dietrich Knauth, Diane Craft, David Gregorio, Alexia Garamfalvi, Rod Nickel Organizations: Connecticut Superior, REUTERS, U.S, Sandy Hook Elementary, Free Speech Systems, CNN, Thomson Locations: Waterbury , Connecticut, U.S, Houston , Texas, Connecticut, Texas, Newtown , Connecticut

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A California man who says he was harassed after Elon Musk amplified posts on his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that falsely placed the man at a confrontation involving far-right protesters sued the billionaire for defamation in a lawsuit filed Monday. Brody is seeking a jury trial in Austin, Texas, and unspecified damages of at least $1 million. Political Cartoons View All 1193 ImagesThe posts by Musk were still on X as of Monday. It is not the first time Musk has been sued for defamation. In August, X sued a group of researchers over accusations that their work highlighting an increase in hate speech on the platform cost the company millions of dollars of advertising revenue.

Persons: Elon Musk, Benjamin Brody, Mark Bankston, Alex Jones, Sandy, Brody, Musk, ” Brody, X Organizations: Twitter Locations: AUSTIN, Texas, California, Austin , Texas, Oregon, British

“We will not take a break and we cannot stop now, and we will continue to pass life-saving laws until we end gun violence in Connecticut. Our lives depend on it,” said Jeremy Stein, executive director of Connecticut Against Gun Violence. Immediately after it was passed, the law was challenged in court by gun rights supporters. Connecticut’s landmark 2013 gun law, passed in response to the 2012 elementary school shooting in Newtown that claimed 26 lives, is also being contested in court. Besides Connecticut, which has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, other politically liberal-leaning states including California, Washington, Colorado and Maryland also have passed gun laws this year that face legal challenges.

Persons: Ned Lamont, “, ”, Jeremy Stein, Gavin Newsom, Newsom, Vincent Candelora, Pro Tempore Martin Looney, Looney, Lamont Organizations: —, Sandy, Elementary, Democratic Gov, Besides Connecticut, U.S, Supreme, California, Republican, Assembly, Pro Tempore Locations: HARTFORD, Conn, Connecticut, Newtown, Besides, California, Washington , Colorado, Maryland, North Branford, ”, New Haven, ” Connecticut

☆ Her son was an accused cult leader. She says he was a victim, too.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Donie O'Sullivan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

The man talking on the tape was her son, Michael Protzman. Michael Protzman got swept up in this alternate reality. We spoke to dozens of Americans whose lives and families have been affected by conspiracy theories, including Protzman’s own family. After Michael Protzman died this summer, some of his followers refused to believe he had passed. Vigrass never imagined that the conspiracy theories her brother was airing at the kitchen table could lead to him to join what she views as a cult.

Persons: CNN’s, O’Sullivan, Anderson Cooper, CNN —, “ John John, … Trump, Joe Kennedy, George Patton, Mussolini … ” Colleen Protzman, Michael Protzman, ”, “, John F, Kennedy Jr, Donald Trump, Kennedy, Junior —, “ He’ll, Trump, Jesus Christ, reemerge, opportunists, Protzman, Michael Brian Protzman, Michael “, Colleen Protzman, Michael, it’s, Sandy, ” Colleen Protzman, —, QAnon, Barack Obama, Rachel Maddow, Donie O'Sullivan, Michal Protzman, didn’t, JFK, Erica Vigrass, Jason, Erica, ‘ I’m, ’ ” Protzman’s, – Protzman, Erica Vigrass ’, Vigrass, ” Protzman, Jason –, They’re, Jesselyn Cook, It’s, Diane Benscoter, General, ” Benscoter Organizations: JFK, CNN, Dealey, Junior, Junior — JFK, WFAA, JFK Jr, Trump, Kennedys, Democratic Party, Michael Protzman CNN, Dallas CNN, Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Capitol, Facebook, Twitter, Hollywood, Unification Church, US Locations: United States, Dallas, JFK, Minnesota, Seattle, Washington, Dealey, –

☆ Biden admin proposes regulation to eliminate 'gun show loophole'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Ken Dilanian | Rebecca Shabad | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement Thursday that the move is a result of the bipartisan law passed by Congress last year. The "gun show loophole" has been cited for years as a major hole in the federal background check system, allowing a vast number of private sales without background checks. The ATF currently licenses about 80,000 brick-and-mortar gun dealers, but gun sales are increasingly taking place outside that system, free of background checks. Earlier this year, Biden signed an executive order designed to expand background checks. Biden also noted that the law closed the so-called boyfriend loophole by keeping guns away from unmarried dating partners convicted of abuse.

Persons: WASHINGTON —, General Merrick Garland, Biden, Garland, Thursday's, Barack Obama, Pat Toomey, Joe Manchin Organizations: Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, Biden, Congress, Safer, ATF, NBC News, Justice Department, Sandy Hook Elementary, Senate, Republicans Locations: Washington ,, WASHINGTON, Midland, Odessa , Texas, Newtown , Connecticut

☆ Sandy Hook Families Say Alex Jones Cannot Hide Behind Bankruptcy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Elizabeth Williamson | More About Elizabeth Williamson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Lawyers for the Sandy Hook families who won historic defamation damages against the Infowars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones told a federal bankruptcy judge in Houston on Tuesday that Mr. Jones should not be allowed to use his Chapter 11 filing to evade $1 billion-plus verdicts made against him. If the judge rules in the families’ favor, Mr. Jones would likely be working the rest of his life to pay the debt. Mr. Jones spent years spreading lies that the 2012 shooting that killed 20 first graders and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., was a hoax aimed at gun control. Families of 10 victims sued him for defamation, and in trials in Texas and Connecticut were awarded about $1.4 billion in damages. As the cases went to trial, Infowars declared bankruptcy, and Mr. Jones declared personal bankruptcy late last year.

Persons: Sandy Hook, Alex Jones, Jones, Christopher Lopez, Infowars, Jones’s, Chris Davis, Veronique De La Rosa, Noah Pozner Organizations: Sandy Hook Elementary Locations: Houston, Sandy, Newtown, Conn, Texas, Connecticut

[1/2] The entrance to the Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial on the 10th anniversary of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, U.S., December 14, 2022. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado/File PhotoAug 3 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Thursday rejected a gun rights group's challenge to an assault weapons ban the state of Connecticut adopted after a gunman in 2012 killed 20 children and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. The National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR) filed a lawsuit in September, arguing the 2013 ban violated the right to bear arms under the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment, citing a major U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year that expanded gun rights. But U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven in a 74-page ruling rejected those claims, saying the group failed to establish that assault weapons and large capacity magazines are commonly bought and used for self-defense. Arterton, an appointee of former Democratic President Bill Clinton, cited "persuasive" evidence by the state that assault weapons are instead more often sought out for their militaristic characteristics and are often used in crimes and mass shootings.

Persons: David, Dee, Delgado, NAGR, Janet Bond Arterton, Bill Clinton, William Tong, Hannah Hill, Nate Raymond, David Gregorio, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Sandy, Sandy Hook Elementary, REUTERS, National Association for Gun Rights, U.S, Supreme, New York, Democratic, National Foundation for Gun Rights, Thomson Locations: Newtown , Connecticut, U.S, Connecticut, Sandy, Newtown, New Haven, Bruen, Boston

☆ Longtime Democratic Rep. John Dingell, who helped make the NRA's lobbying arm into a political force, privately sought to repeal the 1994 assault weapons ban that he voted for: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The late Rep. John Dingell played a major role in the rise of the NRA's lobbying operation in DC. In the 1970s, Dingell advocated for the NRA, in an era where many Democrats backed the group. The New York Times examined a trove of documents which outlined Dingell's relationship with the NRA. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. But according to Debbie Dingell, her late husband's views on the NRA and guns had shifted during his nearly 60-year political career.

Persons: John Dingell, Dingell, John Dingell of, Bill Clinton, Dingell's, Debbie Dingell, — Organizations: DC, NRA, New York Times, Service, Democrat, The New York Times, The Times, Capitol, Republicans, Times, Columbine High School, Sandy Hook Elementary Locations: Wall, Silicon, John Dingell of Michigan, Detroit, Midwest, Littleton , Colorado, Newtown , Connecticut

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