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☆ Judge rejects Fox motions, allows Dominion's $1.6 billion defamation suit to go to trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

A Delaware judge on Friday said Dominion Voting's $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox Corp. and its networks could go to trial in April. Judge Eric Davis of Delaware's Superior Court rejected Fox's arguments that it should bypass a trial since it's protected by the First Amendment. We look forward to going to trial," Dominion said late Friday afternoon. The former president, who was indicted Thursday in an unrelated criminal matter, has repeatedly made false claims about the election being rigged against him. The depositions of both Murdochs, as well as other Fox Corp. executives, are to be included in the trial, too.

☆ A judge just delivered a crushing blow to Fox News in Dominion's defamation lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Delaware judge handed Dominion a major victory in its defamation lawsuit against Fox News. In the same ruling, Davis denied all the claims from Fox News and Fox Corporation, which argued that Dominion failed to prove they should be held liable for the falsehoods. Dominion filed its lawsuit against Fox News, parent company Fox Corporation, and an array of individual hosts in March 2021, asking for $1.6 billion in damages. Dominion alleges that Fox News's hosts should have never had them on in the first place, and either endorsed or didn't sufficiently push back against their false claims. Allies like Rupert Murdoch and Sean Hannity indicated they were "disgusted" by Trump's claims of election rigging, filings show.

New York CNN —Dominion Voting Systems’ historic defamation case against Fox News will proceed to a high-stakes jury trial next month, a Delaware judge ruled Friday, declining to declare a pretrial winner. But in his Friday ruling, Davis said that the evidence Dominion presented shows Fox News aired falsehoods about the company. “The evidence developed in this civil proceeding demonstrates that is CRYSTAL clear that none of the Statements relating to Dominion about the 2020 election are true,” Davis wrote. The on-air statements, from various Fox News hosts after the 2020 election, had accused Dominion of rigging the election by flipping millions of votes from Donald Trump to Joe Biden. Incriminating texts and emails have shown how Fox executives, hosts and producers didn’t believe the claims the network was peddling about Dominion.

☆ Dominion’s historic defamation case against Fox News will go to trial, judge rules, in major decision dismantling key Fox defenses
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Marshall Cohen Oliver Darcy | Marshall Cohen | Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

New York CNN —Dominion Voting Systems’ historic defamation case against Fox News will proceed to a high-stakes jury trial in mid-April, a Delaware judge ruled Friday, in a major decision that dismantled several of the right-wing network’s key defenses. Both sides had asked Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis for a pretrial ruling in their favor, declaring them the winner. After thousands of pages of filings and exhibits, and a series of courtroom clashes, Davis decided the case should go to trial. Incriminating texts and emails have shown how Fox executives, hosts and producers didn’t believe the claims the network was peddling about Dominion. Despite what appeared on air, Fox News executives and hosts privately criticized the Trump camp for pushing claims of election fraud.

☆ Prince Harry back in UK court for battle with Daily Mail publisher
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Michael Holden | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, March 30 (Reuters) - Britain's Prince Harry returned to the High Court in London on Thursday where his lawyer was fighting an attempt by a newspaper publisher to throw out his and other high-profile figures' lawsuit which alleged widespread unlawful acts by journalists. Harry, the singer Elton John and five other high-profile people are suing publisher Associated Newspapers, alleging they were the victims of phone-hacking and other serious privacy breaches by journalists from the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday or private investigators working on their behalf. The publisher's lawyer Adrian Beltrami told the court on Wednesday the claims were rejected "in their entirety". The judge, Matthew Nicklin, is not expected to rule for some weeks on whether the case should proceed to trial. During an exchange with Sherborne, he suggested that if it did, it would be a "massive trial" which would last a "substantial period of time".

Fox News, however, did suggest it wants to put Scott, Wallace, Hannity, Carlson, Bartiromo, and Baier on the stand as witnesses. But in past court filings, Fox News has highlighted the fact that Baier said on-air shortly after the 2020 election that there weren’t indications of widespread fraud. Both Fox News and Dominion asked Davis in court this week to declare them the outright winner without a trial. Fox News has argued that it can’t be held liable for airing inherently newsworthy allegations from public figures that Dominion rigged the 2020 election, even if those claims were false. Fox Corporation has argued that Dominion overstated its role in Fox News’ editorial coverage of the 2020 election and asked to be dropped from the lawsuit – but the judge let the case move forward.

☆ Dominion wants Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, other Fox News hosts to testify at trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Dominion's live witness list of Fox Corp .'s right-wing TV networks includes Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, Maria Bartiromo and Jeanine Pirro, as well as former host Lou Dobbs and Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott, according to court papers. Dominion has pointed to 20 broadcasts in which they believe the hosts on Fox News and Fox Business repeated false claims of election fraud and continuously had on guests who repeated those claims. Documents, including text messages and emails, show Fox's TV hosts were skeptical of the election fraud claims being made on air. Dominion is also requesting the depositions of Fox Corp. executives, including Chairman Rupert Murdoch and CEO Lachlan Murdoch, as well as others, be included in the trial. "Dominion's needlessly expansive live witness list is yet another attempt to generate headlines and distract from the many shortcomings of its case.

☆ Prince Harry and Elton John are going to court in a high-profile fight against the Daily Mail
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Both Prince Harry and Elton John were in court on Monday as proceedings commenced in an explosive lawsuit brought against Daily Mail publisher, Associated Newspapers. Even the Daily Mail published an article on their arrival in court. A spokesperson for Prince Harry told Reuters that the Duke of Sussex wanted to be present to signal public support for the case. It’s no surprise that Prince Harry would use his celebrity to gin up attention about the lawsuit. But if it does go to trial, it is safe to say that it will be precisely the type of trial that an outlet like the Daily Mail relishes in covering.

NEW YORK, March 27 (Reuters) - A newly fired Fox News producer is seeking to recant testimony she said network lawyers coerced her into providing as Fox defends against Dominion Voting Systems' $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit. Grossberg said Fox fired her on Friday, four days after she originally sued and was put on administrative leave. Fox, part of Rupert Murdoch's Fox Corp (FOXA.O), said Grossberg "ignored" its warning that she might lose her job if she revealed privileged communications with lawyers. The cases are Grossberg v Fox Corp et al, Delaware Superior Court, No. N23C-03-180; and Grossberg v Fox Corp et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

These included hacking mobile phone messages, bugging calls, getting private information such as medical records by deception or "blagging", and "commissioning the breaking and entry into private property", their lawyer David Sherborne said. Harry, who flew in from his California home, sat just feet away from reporters, watching intently and taking notes. Elton John, Furnish, Frost and another claimant, Doreen Lawrence, mother of Black teenager Stephen Lawrence who was murdered in a 1993 racist attack, were also in court on Monday. Harry hugged Lawrence at the end of the day's hearing and chatted to her and Furnish, and gave a thumbs up to crowds outside as he left court. [1/8] Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, arrives at the High Court in London, Britain March 27, 2023.

☆ Rupert Murdoch is getting married for the fifth time at 92 years old. Here's a complete timeline of his past marriages.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Lauren Frias | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Anna Murdoch MannRupert Murdoch with his wife, Anna and their baby daughter, Elizabeth, at London Airport in 1968 Evening Standard/Getty ImagesShortly after his divorce from his first wife, Murdoch met his soon-to-be second bride, Anna Murdoch Mann, whose maiden name was Torv. They first met when Murdoch Mann was 18 years old when she had the opportunity to interview Murdoch while she worked for the Sydney newspaper, The Daily Telegraph, which he owned. The media mogul and Scottish-Australian novelist were married for 32 years and had three children together, Elisabeth Murdoch, Lachlan Murdoch, and James Murdoch. Murdoch and Torv divorced in 1999. "I thought we had a wonderful, happy marriage," she said in an interview with Australian Women's Weekly in 2001.

☆ Fox, Dominion urge judge to rule in $1.6 billion defamation suit ahead of April trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

However, Fox and Dominion didn't close up their arguments on Tuesday and will meet in court Wednesday morning. (Trump's false claims of election fraud are at the center of multiple criminal probes.) Chairman Rupert Murdoch said some anchors parroted false fraud claims in the months following the election. Fox has consistently denied the claims it knowingly made false claims, and has argued it is protected by the First Amendment. These cases are often settled out of court or quickly dismissed by a court judge, but neither said has had such discussions, CNBC previously reported.

☆ Texts from the Dominion lawsuit reveal the real Fox News
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | Rebecca Zisser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Among the messages is a thread where Tucker Carlson privately bashes Trump. Dominion captured a number of texts that show Fox employees' apprehension about the growing conspiracy claims about the company's voting machines in the wake of the election. Top Fox News hosts, including Tucker Carlson, privately insulted Chris Wallace and hatched a plot for a rebellion — November, 16, 2020. In a group chat between the three biggest hosts, Carlson, Hannity, and Ingraham, few colleagues, including then-"Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace, were spared. In a group chat between the three biggest hosts, Carlson, Hannity, and Ingraham, few colleagues such as then-"Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace were spared.

WILMINGTON, Delaware, March 22 (Reuters) - Lawyers for Fox Corp (FOXA.O) and Dominion Voting Systems clashed in court on Wednesday over whether top Fox executives including Chairman Rupert Murdoch should be considered liable in the voting-technology company's $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit over 2020 U.S. election vote-rigging claims aired by Fox News. Dominion has argued that liability for the claims extends to the highest echelons of Fox. A Fox lawyer disputed the claim on Wednesday, arguing that executives including Murdoch were not directly involved in the allegedly defamatory television appearances by Trump lawyers, who falsely claimed Dominion stole the election. Dominion lawyer Justin Nelson argued that evidence amassed during the discovery phase of the case, including emails, shows that top Fox executives did not believe the claims but aired them anyway in pursuit of ratings. Dominion maintains that Fox knowingly spread false information or acted with reckless disregard for the truth, thereby meeting the "actual malice" standard necessary to win a defamation case.

☆ 'Succession' star Brian Cox gets into character at final season premiere
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Alicia Powell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, March 21 (Reuters) - "Succession" actor Brian Cox briefly turned into his commanding patriarchal character Logan Roy on the red carpet on Monday, as the cast of the hit HBO drama premiered its fourth and final season. Season four will see Logan edge closer to selling his company to tech boss Lukas Matsson, creating more family divisions and power struggles. “We're going to see a lot of fascinating rides and it's a bit like a roller coaster," Cox told Reuters at the New York premiere. I think people are going to love it... A lot of American shows go on well past their sell by date. Reporting by Alicia Powell; Writing by Marie-Louise Gumuchian, editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Fox bosses ‘shut down’ fact checking with 2020 conspiracies, Dominion lawyer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Dominion is suing Fox News over the right-wing channel’s airing of false claims of election fraud around the 2020 presidential election. Fox News argued that Dominion should instead rely on the “lengthy depositions” that these witnesses already gave. It claims Dominion hasn’t shown anything strong enough to overcome the high bar that the First Amendment provides, protecting good-faith journalists from speech-chilling defamation lawsuits. Dominion lawyer Rodney Smolla said its high-stakes defamation case against Fox News will protect the public discourse and hold accountable people who deliberately lied about the 2020 election. “They endorsed,” Murdoch said, referring to Fox hosts Sean Hannity, Jeanine Pirro, Maria Bartiromo, and former host Lou Dobbs.

☆ Inside the demise of Vice, from turning away a $3.5 billion Disney offer to a 'painful' downward spiral that has the media giant scrambling for a buyer
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +19 min

The talks fizzled, Disney backed off, and Smith set off for California to drum up other interest in Vice Media. Vice Media Group co-CEOs Bruce Dixon, left, and Hozefa Lokhandwala. Vice Media GroupOne former Vice insider familiar with the current situation told Insider that staffers were warning vendors they needed to threaten to stop work in order to get paid. Just a few months later, Rupert Murdoch tweeted, "Who's heard of Vice Media? Refinery29 quickly lost key staff and was not well integrated into Vice Media, the two former staffers said.

☆ Rupert Murdoch, 92, is getting married for the 5th time. He says he's 'looking forward to spending the second half' of his life with his fiancée.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch is getting married for the fifth time, at the age of 92. The New York Post is one of the many publications that the Australian-born American billionaire owns. Murdoch married Hall in 2016. Murdoch told Adams that he was "very nervous" about falling in love again. Murdoch's media empire includes publications like The Wall Street Journal, Fox Corp, the New York Post, HarperCollins publishers, and more.

☆ Rupert Murdoch is engaged to Ann Lesley Smith
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Toyin Owoseje | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch is preparing to walk down the aisle for the fifth time. The 92-year-old tycoon revealed he’s engaged to marry Ann Lesley Smith in an article published Monday in the New York Post, one of his own publications. Smith was previously married to Chester Smith, a country singer and radio and TV executive, who died in 2008. Murdoch was previously married to former flight attendant Patricia Booker, journalist Anna Murdoch and entrepreneur Wendi Deng. CNN has reached out to representatives of Murdoch and Smith for further comment.

☆ Media mogul Rupert Murdoch engaged to Ann Lesley Smith
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Helen Coster | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Tennis - US Open - Mens Final - New York, U.S. - September 10, 2017 - Rupert Murdoch, Chairman of Fox News Channel stands before Rafael Nadal of Spain plays against Kevin Anderson of South Africa. REUTERS/Mike Segar/March 20 (Reuters) - Fox Corp (FOXA.O) Chairman Rupert Murdoch is engaged to former San Francisco police chaplain Ann Lesley Smith, his spokesperson confirmed on Monday, which will mark the fifth marriage for the 92-year-old media mogul. Murdoch and Smith, 66, first met in September at his vineyard Moraga in Bel Air, California, and he called her two weeks later, Murdoch told the News Corp-owned NY Post, which broke the news of the engagement. Smith is a widow whose late husband was Chester Smith, a country singer, radio and TV executive. On March 17 in New York, Murdoch presented Smith with an Asscher-cut diamond solitaire ring, according to the Post.

☆ Fox News is unlikely to face pushback from professional journalism groups after court documents revealed it lied to viewers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The White House Correspondents' Association doesn't police member conduct, a former board member said. A number of professional organizations told Insider that Fox News fell well short of the standards expected in the profession. "Journalism receives significant protections from the First Amendment and with those protections come profound responsibilities," McCarran told Insider. Evidence made public in Dominion's lawsuit shows how Fox employees — beyond just hosts of opinion shows — had priorities other than telling their viewers the truth. "There are left-wing publications, right-wing publications, there are government-owned publications — there's Voice of America, foreign news organizations," the former board member said. "

☆ Blackface, booze, and blurred lines at the $2 billion tech firm Rokt
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Jack Newsham | Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +25 min

A cropped version of an image shared with Rokt employees at the 2020 meeting. Buchanan told Insider. "We think it's important that we stand up and fight it," he told Insider when asked about that message. In an email, Viles told Insider that he hasn't had any day-to-day involvement with Rokt since 2020, when he did some contract work. Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesOne employee told Insider they were encouraged to post the photos and proclaim 2023 to be Rokt's "best year yet."

☆ What Fox News Insiders Said Privately About Election-Fraud Claims
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Rupert Murdoch | Isabella Simonetti | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Dominion Voting Systems is suing Fox News for defamation, alleging the network aired false claims that its technology helped rig the 2020 election. Internal Fox News communications released in the legal proceedings show that the network was concerned about alienating its audience and gave airtime to election-fraud claims. Dominion is citing that evidence to argue that Fox knowingly spread falsehoods. Fox says it simply reported newsworthy allegations, and that Dominion has taken internal communications out of context. A trial is scheduled to begin April 17.

☆ Rupert Murdoch appears to confirm that Kimberly Guilfoyle left Fox News due to 'inappropriate' behavior, after reports claimed she faced a sexual harassment accusation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An email from Rupert Murdoch said Kimberly Guilfoyle was fired from Fox due to "inappropriate behavior." In 2020 reports emerged suggesting she had faced a sexual harassment accusation from a female assistant. The reports said that Fox had been in the midst of a year-long investigation into the allegation when she left. Kimberly Guilfoyle during the final round of the Bedminster Invitational LIV Golf tournament in Bedminster, N.J., Sunday, July 31, 2022. Representatives for Fox News and Kimberly Guilfoyle were not immediately reachable for requests for comment from Insider.

The voting technology company made the eye-popping damages claim as part of its 2021 lawsuit, which alleges Fox destroyed its reputation by airing falsehoods. A Dominion spokesperson said in a statement that the evidence will show Dominion was a "valuable, rapidly growing business" when Fox began "endorsing baseless lies" about its machines. "Following Fox’s defamatory statements, Dominion’s business suffered enormously, and its claim for compensatory damages is based on industry-standard valuation metrics and conservative methodologies," the statement read. Four different pre-election valuations of Dominion in 2020 averaged $226 million, Fox said, citing exhibits that have not been made public. If the jury concluded that Fox defamed Dominion but decided Dominion's business losses were minimal, it could still hit the company with significant punitive damages.

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