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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

The Onion, the satirical news company that repeatedly spoofed conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, has won the bankruptcy auction for control over his media empire — most notably Infowars, the far-right, conspiracy-minded website that served as Jones’ primary online platform. The Onion plans to shutter Jones’ Infowars and rebuild the website featuring well-known internet humor writers and content creators, according to a person with knowledge of the sale. About an hour and a half after the announcement of the sale, Infowars' website was shut down. Details of Wednesday’s auction, including how much was offered for Free Speech Systems, the parent company of Infowars, and related assets, were not immediately known. “All you leftists celebrating the end of Alex Jones and Infowars, you’re fools,” he said.

Persons: Alex Jones, Jones, “, ” Jones, Infowars, Sandy, Sandy Hook, Chris Mattei, divesting Jones, John Feinblatt, Ben Collins, Collins, Christopher Murray, ”, Jeff Lawson, InfoWars Organizations: U.S, First United American Companies, Free Speech Systems, Sandy Hook Elementary, Gun Safety, NBC News, Onion News, ThreeSixty, Bankruptcy, Southern, Southern District of, Global, Onion staff, O Media, Speech Systems Locations: Connecticut, Texas, Winnebago, Austin , Texas, Southern District, Southern District of Texas, Sandy Hook, Newtown , Connecticut, “

☆ The Onion buys Alex Jones' Infowars — and that's not a joke
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Onion, the satirical news site, bought Alex Jones' Infowars at an auction. Jones was found liable for defaming the Sandy Hook families and ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion. Under The Onion, the revamped Infowars is set to feature ads from Everytown for Gun Safety. AdvertisementThe conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' Infowars has a new home — and it's not the one he wanted. AdvertisementThe Associated Press reported that The Onion would acquire Infowars' social-media accounts, its trademarks, its video archive, and its studio in Austin.

Persons: Alex Jones, Jones, Sandy Hook, —, it's, Infowars, weren't, John Feinblatt, Ben Collins, Collins Organizations: Gun Safety, Service, Safety, Sandy Hook Elementary, Associated Press, New York Times Locations: Austin

The political arm of Everytown for Gun Safety plans to spend $9 million to boost Democratic candidates in state legislative contests in five states, the group's first investment in such races this election cycle. “So much of the national progress we’ve made on gun safety can be traced back to pioneering laws passed at the state level,” Everytown for Gun Safety President John Feinblatt said in a statement. “Over the last few election cycles, Everytown has built a winning playbook for electing gun sense champions in key state legislative seats in order to flip chambers and pass life-saving legislation,” he added. The States Project, a Democratic-aligned group, plans to spend $70 million on state legislative races in nine states this cycle, while Forward Majority, a Democratic super PAC, plans to spend $45 million. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee is aiming to spending $60 million on such races, while the Democratic National Committee and the American Civil Liberties Union are also pumping money into those contests.

Persons: we’ve, John Feinblatt, we’re, Everytown, Republican Pamela Carter, Ron Robinson, Democrat Nate Shannon, Julie Greene, Republican Owen Michaelson Organizations: Gun Safety, Democratic, NBC News, Senate, Republican, Democrat, States, PAC, Democratic Legislative, Democratic National Committee, American Civil Liberties Union Locations: House, Arizona , Michigan, Minnesota , New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, ”, Arizona, Phoenix, Michigan, Detroit, Minnesota, Minneapolis, Democratic

☆ Biden has spent millions on gun policy, but future violence prevention depends on who wins the presidency
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementThe future of gun violence prevention policy will likely depend on who works in the Oval Office. But continued federal action hangs on whether Congress passes the Office of Gun Violence Prevention Act of 2023, a bill that would cement an office of gun violence prevention in the US Justice Department. As election season gears up, gun-related injuries have surpassed car crashes as the leading cause of death for young people, and 18,874 Americans lost their lives to gun violence last year, per the Gun Violence Archive. Breaking down Biden's investment in gun violence preventionIt's been almost six months since The Biden-Harris Administration created the first White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention , tasked with reducing gun violence across the country through executive and legislative action. The White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, specifically, is funded through Congress' annual executive office appropriations.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Nikki Haley —, It's, Harris, Biden, John Feinblatt, Biden's Organizations: of, Service, US Justice Department, Republican, Fox News, Brennan Center for Justice, Biden, Harris Administration, White, Safer, Democratic, —, Gun Safety, Justice Department, American Civil Liberties Union, Senate, Congress

Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation Monday that prohibits individuals convicted of a misdemeanor related to domestic violence from possessing firearms for at least an eight-year-period. State law currently includes firearm restrictions for those with felonies related to domestic abuse, but no law had existed for misdemeanor domestic violence. The overhauled gun laws follow two deadly mass school shootings that happened in Michigan within a 14-month period. Federal law already prohibits those charged with felonies or misdemeanors related to domestic violence from purchasing or possessing a gun. Guns were used in more than half, 57%, of those killings in 2020, a year that saw an overall increase in domestic violence during the coronavirus pandemic.

Persons: Gretchen Whitmer, ” Whitmer, “, Whitmer, Democratic State Sen, Stephanie Chang, Governor Whitmer, ” John Feinblatt, Maggie Wardle, Maggie, Rick Omillian, Maggie’s Organizations: — Michigan Democrats, Democratic State, District of Columbia, Federal, “, Safety, for Disease Control, Kalamazoo College Locations: LANSING, Mich, Kalamazoo, Michigan, “

☆ Supreme Court allows Biden ‘ghost gun’ regulations
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Lawrence Hurley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON — A divided Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed the Biden administration to enforce regulations aimed at clamping down on so-called ghost guns — firearm-making kits available online that people can assemble at home. Plaintiffs also include gun rights groups and makers and sellers of ghost guns. Tuesday's ruling was not a final decision and the Supreme Court could still hear the case and issue a detailed decision on the merits. On July 28, Justice Samuel Alito temporarily put the Texas ruling on hold while the Supreme Court decided on what next steps to take. The ghost guns case, however, is on a separate legal question related to ATF's regulatory authority, not the right to bear arms.

Persons: WASHINGTON, Biden, John Roberts, Amy Coney Barrett, John Feinblatt, Reed O'Connor, Jennifer VanDerStok, Michael Andren, David Thompson, Tuesday's, Elizabeth Prelogar, Samuel Alito Organizations: Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, of Alcohol, Gun Safety, Manufacturers, ATF, Gun Control, Circuit, Appeals, Supreme Locations: Glendale , California, Texas, New Orleans

☆ Major gun safety group turns its attention to sheriff races with new ads
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Alex-Seitz-Wald-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Alex Seitz-Wald | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — The country’s largest gun safety group is turning its attention down ballot by pumping money into local sheriff races this election. Everytown for Gun Safety, the massive gun control group founded by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, told NBC News on Friday it's “leaving no stone unturned in the fight to end gun violence” and will spend $300,000 on digital ads in two sheriff races this year. County sheriffs, unlike most law enforcement officers, are directly elected by voters in most parts of the country. “Sheriffs are elected to enforce the law, not make them,” said John Feinblatt, head of Everytown for Gun Safety Victory Fund. The Bernalillo County race in New Mexico race falls along more familiar partisan lines.

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