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☆ Behind The Onion's bid for Alex Jones's Infowars — which is now on hold as a judge reviews it
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-16 | by ( Geoff Weiss | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementThe Onion's bid for Infowars came together with help from Sandy Hook families. On the surface, The Onion's announcement that it had purchased Alex Jones's Infowars at auction on Thursday may have sounded like a bizarre joke. But behind the scenes, the bid came together through strategic coordination — with the support of Sandy Hook families and a nonprofit that is backed by Michael Bloomberg. "The sale is currently underway, pending standard processes," Collins told Variety Friday in a statement. Advertisement"They've long loved The Onion," Collins told Yahoo, nodding to a headline the outlet publishes verbatim every time there's a mass shooting.

Persons: Infowars, Sandy Hook, Ben Collins, Alex Jones's Infowars, Michael Bloomberg, Collins, Alex Jones, Jones — who'd, Christopher Lopez, weren't, Lopez, Variety, John Feinblatt, who've, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Elon Musk's X, Jones Organizations: Yahoo, NBC, First United, Companies, Southern, of Texas's, Bloomberg News, Safety, ABC News, Bloomberg, Business, Variety, Free Speech Systems Locations: Texas

☆ Top proxy advisor ISS recommends against Elon Musk's $56 billion Tesla pay package
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Taylor Hill | Getty ImagesTop proxy advisor Institutional Shareholder Services on Friday recommended Tesla shareholders vote against the re-approval of CEO Elon Musk's $56 billion pay package and withhold their support from the re-election of News Corp . Tesla's shareholder meeting is on June 13. Tesla's board is seeking shareholder approval to reinstate Musk's pay after a Delaware court voided the package earlier this year. The proxy advisor recommended support for some shareholder proposals that Tesla management opposes, including one that would declassify Tesla's board. Pay package pushTesla has been courting shareholder support in both time-tested and novel ways.

Persons: Elon Musk, Elon Musk's, James Murdoch, Glass Lewis, Tesla, Innisfree, Robyn Denholm, Leo KoGuan, KoGuan, Go Nakamura Organizations: Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Getty, Services, News Corp, CNBC, ISS, FGS Global Locations: Los Angeles , California, Taylor, Delaware, Texas, Austin, Austin , Texas, U.S

☆ Houston could be without power for weeks after hurricane-force storms smash through
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Paul Squire | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

At least 4 people are dead and almost 1 million are without power. AdvertisementA series of powerful thunderstorms packing hurricane-force winds smashed through Houston on Thursday, leaving at least 4 people dead and nearly 1 million without power. And damage to the grid could leave some parts of Texas's largest city without electricity for weeks, one county executive said. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said on Friday that the storm flipped an 18-wheeler and toppled power transmission towers. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: Houston, —, Lina Hidalgo Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Houston, Texas's, Harris

☆ The TikTok divest-or-ban bill is a First Amendment disaster, but it may still stand up in court
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Maybe…Earlier attempts to ban or force a sale of TikTok often haven't stood up in court. Other parties, like TikTok creators, may launch separate legal challenges in the coming weeks, as they have done in the past. AdvertisementTrump's 2020 order to ban TikTok was halted by a federal judge who said it likely exceeded executive authority. While the bill is framed around forcing US ownership of TikTok, it's likely to result in a ban, which strengthens the free-speech argument. Congress hasn't proven that an outright sale or ban of TikTok is the only way to protect national-security interests.

Persons: Joe Biden, ByteDance, TikTok, haven't, TikTokers, Matthew Schettenhelm, Hans, Lena Shapiro, Ramya Krishnan Organizations: Service, Business, ACLU, Bloomberg Intelligence, Cornell Law School, TikTok, University of Illinois College of Law, Chinese Communist Party, Intelligence Law, CCP, Columbia University Locations: Montana, Texas, Washington, China

☆ Katie Britt says being played by Scarlett Johansson on 'SNL' wasn't on her 'bingo card' but she's 'here for it'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Sen. Katie Britt addressed Scarlett Johansson's portrayal of her on "Saturday Night Live." In an appearance on fellow Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas's "Verdict" podcast, the Alabama senator said being portrayed by Scarlett Johansson on "Saturday Night Live" wasn't on her "bingo card" for 2024. "Look — Scarlett Johansson is hot," said Cruz, noting that he's "genuinely jealous" of Britt for being portrayed by Johannson. Advertisement"At least you are played by a woman," Cruz later said. "I mean, Scarlett Johansson.

Persons: Sen, Katie Britt, Scarlett Johansson's, Britt, —, Joe Biden's, Republican Sen, Ted Cruz, Scarlett Johansson, — Scarlett Johansson, Cruz, Johannson, Aidy Bryant —, I've, Mitch McConnell, who's, Mitch McConnell's, Mitch, McConnell, Mike Johnson Organizations: Alabama senator's, Service, Union, Republican Locations: Alabama senator's State, Joe Biden's State, Alabama, Cancun

☆ Austin experimented with giving people $1,000 a month. They spent the no-strings-attached cash mostly on housing, a study found.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A guaranteed basic income program in Austin gave people $1,000 a month for a year. AdvertisementA guaranteed basic income plan in one of Texas's largest cities reduced rates of housing insecurity. Austin was the first city in Texas to launch a tax-payer-funded basic income program when the Austin Guaranteed Income Pilot kicked off in May 2022. On average, program participants spent more than half of the cash they received on housing, the report's authors wrote. Harris County, which includes Houston, earlier this month launched a guaranteed basic income program that gives low-income residents up to $500 a month.

Persons: —, Austin, Taniquewa Brewster, KXAN, it's, Sen, Paul Bettencourt, Bettencourt, Tonaeya Moore Organizations: Service, Austin, Urban Institute, Washington DC, NBC, Houston Chronicle, Baltimore Young Locations: Austin, Texas, City, Washington, Houston, Harris County, United States, Baltimore

☆ Texas is exploiting a loophole in a new Supreme Court ruling to keep putting up razor-wire fencing at the border
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewTexas is apparently taking advantage of a loophole in a recent Supreme Court ruling involving the US-Mexico border in order to keep putting up more razor-wire fencing along the Rio Grande riverbank. "Texas' razor wire is an effective deterrent against the illegal border crossings encouraged by [President Joe] Biden's open border policies," Abbott said. AdvertisementTexas’ razor wire is an effective deterrent against the illegal border crossings encouraged by Biden’s open border policies. Republicans, like Texas Rep. Chip Roy, have urged the state to ignore the Supreme Court's ruling. Paxton said in a statement on Monday after the Supreme Court ruling that the order "allows Biden to continue his illegal effort to aid the foreign invasion of America."

Persons: —, Biden, Greg Abbott, Joe, Abbott, PE8wiMYaYI — Greg Abbott, Chip Roy, there's, Jonathan Meyer, Ken Paxton, Paxton Organizations: Service, Business, Republican, Texas, Texas National Guard, Fifth Circuit, US Justice Department, Border, Department of Homeland Security, Department Locations: Texas, Mexico, Rio Grande, @GregAbbott_TX, Eagle, Shelby, America

☆ Ted Cruz tries to turn his 2021 Cancun disaster into an awkward punchline: 'Humor is always a good thing'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sen. Ted Cruz keeps joking about how he fled to Cancun during deadly storms in Texas in 2021. AdvertisementNearly three years ago, Sen. Ted Cruz committed severe political malpractice. wrote Cruz. pic.twitter.com/cgVjhbqK7b — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 15, 2024It wasn't the first time he'd referenced the Cancún incident unprompted. Cruz wrote last May, including a photo of him gesturing at the sign for a restaurant called "Cancún Grill" in Midland, Texas, affixing "#Cancun" to the tweet.

Persons: Sen, Ted Cruz, Cruz, who's, —, Aidy Bryant, cgVjhbqK7b — Ted Cruz Organizations: Service, Texas Republican, Texans Locations: Cancun, Texas, Cancún, Midland , Texas, Midland , TX

☆ Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to be deposed in Texas facial recognition case
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Facebook co-founder and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg sits in his seat inside a bipartisan Artificial Intelligence Insight Forum for all U.S. senators hosted by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 13, 2023. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg must take part in a deposition as part of an ongoing lawsuit in Texas involving the company's facial recognition technology. In Tuesday's ruling, the state of Texas claimed that Zuckerberg has "had unique personal knowledge of discoverable information" that's relevant to its lawsuit, alleging that Meta violated state laws related to the collection of biometric data and deceptive trade practices. Meta settled a facial recognition-related class action lawsuit in 2021 for $650 million. WATCH: Three Buys and a Bail: Meta, Amazon, Microsoft and Apple

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Chuck Schumer, Jeff Rambin, Zuckerberg, Ken Paxton, Meta Organizations: Facebook, Intelligence, Senate, U.S, Capitol, Washington , D.C, Appeals, Texas, Meta, Texans, Microsoft, Apple Locations: Washington ,, Texas, Texas's

☆ Does ambition die in Austin? These tech workers don't think so.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementAn aerial view of a Union Pacific train entering downtown on April 21, 2023 in Austin, Texas. "Now it seems like there's a ton of really, really impressive people," Entwistle told Insider in July. Austinites still feel connected to the tech scene, but aren't ruled by it. AdvertisementAdvertisement"One of the things that we were so grateful for is access to outdoor activities," she told Insider. "Austin was one of the last places towards the end of my time traveling around that I had visited," he told Insider.

Persons: —, Brandon Bell, Hailey Eustace, Evan Baehr, Austin, Alicia Teagle, Austin —, Teagle, it's, John Andrew Entwistle, John Andrew Entwistle John Andrew Entwistle, talent's, Entwistle, Eustace, Austinites, aren't, San Francisco who've, Austin wasn't oversold, White, Sarah Hollingsworth, Robert Johnson, Robert Johnson Robert Johnson Organizations: Service, Austin Chamber, Union Pacific, Health, Learn, Apple, Google, Austin, Austin —, Lone Star State Locations: Austin, San Francisco, New York, Texas, Austin ., Austin , Texas, Francisco, Germany, Miami, Savannah, New York City, San Antonio, Lake Austin

State and local officials have touted the settlements as providing desperately needed relief to communities hit hard by the crisis. But when the money will be paid out, and who will get it, remains far from clear, Reuters has found. Among the states where money is already reaching organizations on the ground are Massachusetts, Kentucky and Arizona. Most states share a significant portion of their total settlement funds with their city and county governments, which make their own independent decisions about how to spend. But in May, the board overseeing the state’s opioid settlement denied a joint application by Challenges and a county health department to fund harm reduction efforts, without explaining its decision.

Persons: Johnson, ”, Brandon Marshall, Julie Burns, Chris Bryan, Glenn Hegar, Lisa Ruzicka, “, Ruzicka, “ I’ve, drugmakers Johnson, Lauren Kestner, Tricia Christensen, –, we’re, ” Marc Burrows, Brendan Pierson, Disha, Alexia Garamfalvi, Claudia Parsons Organizations: Johnson, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Reuters, District of Columbia, Reuters Graphics Reuters Graphics Reuters, Brown University School of Public Health, Rhode, Texas, Hope Foundation, Walgreens, Alliance, state’s Department of Health, Human Services, Prevention Services, Community Education Group, Alabama Attorney, University of Mississippi Medical, Inc, Thomson, & $ Locations: Massachusetts, Texas, United States, Maryland, Illinois, . Arkansas, Kentucky, Arizona, Rhode, RIZE Massachusetts, RIZE, Kansas, North Carolina, Charlotte, Appalachia, Mississippi, Alabama, New York

☆ The biggest universities in Texas are blocking students from accessing TikTok on campus WiFi
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Austin have blocked TikTok from campus WiFi. Texas A&M University — thought to be the state's biggest university with close to 70,000 students — is blocking TikTok from its IT network under a directive by Governor Greg Abbott, local news outlets reported on Tuesday. Lamar University and the University of Texas at Dallas told students that TikTok would continue to work at its residence halls. Even then, access would only be granted on devices connected to cellular services, not to the university's WiFi or wired network. Do you study or work at a US university that has banned the use of TikTok on campus WiFi?

☆ Package theft is now a felony in 8 states and counting as lawmakers crack down on 'porch piracy'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Package theft is a staple of the e-commerce age, and is more common in some states than others. And even if they had logged the theft with police, the crime of package theft is filed and charged differently depending on the location. Oklahoma — Package theft can be charged as a felony if the perpetrator is convicted of three instances within 60 days. There isn't much of a correlation between the states cracking down on package theft and the places that experience it. Only one of the top 10 metro areas experiencing the most package theft is in a state where porch piracy is a felony.

Democrat Vicente Gonzalez is the winner of Texas's 34th Congressional District race in South Texas, defeating Republican Rep. Mayra Flores. The win is critical for Democrats who faced tougher than expected competition from Republicans in the traditionally Democratic and heavily Latino South Texas region. With 85% of the votes in, Gonzalez garnered 52.7% and Flores received 44.2%, according to the NBC News Decision Desk. Flores won the 34th District seat in a special election held after the incumbent, Filemon Vela, retired. Gonzalez jumped from the 15th District to run in the 34th after his district was redrawn to favor Republicans and his home was moved into the 34th District.

☆ Ohio's new abortion law forces doctor to fight to protect her patient's life
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Elizabeth Cohen | Danielle Herman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

After careful consideration, Tara and Justin chose to terminate the pregnancy, both to protect Tara's life and to prevent Griffyn from suffering. But she says she consulted with a hospital lawyer, who said Tara couldn't get the abortion because of the new Ohio law. "I literally have never felt more helpless in my life," Justin added. In her email, Whitmarsh said that protections for the mother are "extremely clear" under Ohio law and that "the life of the mother is protected by the law undeniably." She explained that she then had "an abortion to save my life for a baby that had absolutely no chance."

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