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NEW YORK, May 19 (Reuters) - The families of Sandy Hook victims are preparing to sue Alex Jones' wife and other family members to help satisfy $1.5 billion in judgments they won from lawsuits against the bankrupt right wing conspiracy theorist over his lies about the deadly 2012 U.S. school massacre. The families have a "very strong case" to claw back certain payments to Jones' family, including a $1 million payment from Jones to his wife, Zensky said. "You can imagine that if someone was to sue their wife over transfers, that's a little hard in the home," Driver said. The families have accused Jones and FSS of profiting off lies about the shooting for years and sued him for defamation. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez, who is overseeing the bankruptcies, said Jones and the Sandy Hook families should make one last effort to reach a settlement.

☆ Tucker Carlson's next move
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Aaron Short | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Tucker Carlson's dismissal signals a new realignment in conservative media. Nobody at Fox "was as connected to the MAGA base as Tucker Carlson," one ex-Trump official said. Whatever the reason, Carlson's dismissal signals a new realignment in conservative media. Last month, Tucker Carlson Tonight was the top-rated program among all news channels with 3.25 million viewers including 421,000 viewers in the coveted age 25-54 demographic. His previous work includes the 2022 profile of Carlson, The Tucker Carlson Origin Story.

☆ Facebook, Twitter Rebuffed Sandy Hook Families’ Request for Data in Alex Jones Case
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Ted Mann | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Alex Jones, accompanied by private security guards, arrived in October at the Connecticut Superior Court in Waterbury, Conn.Twitter and Facebook rebuffed subpoenas from families of the Sandy Hook school massacre victims, who were seeking internal company data to show how conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’s false claims about the killings spread on social media, according to court documents and lawyers for the families. The fight last year over access to the social-media platforms’ data played out largely behind the scenes of the legal battle to hold Mr. Jones liable for his claims. The families of the victims in the 2012 massacre, in which a gunman killed 20 first-graders and six educators inside a Newtown, Conn., elementary school, sued Mr. Jones and his companies, including the website Infowars, for defamation. Mr. Jones had claimed the shooting was an elaborate hoax.

☆ InfoWars' Alex Jones purchased a $4,000 cryogenic chamber and spent $100,000 on guns, filing shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Alex Jones spent bought a cryogenic-freezing chamber that can help with mental disorders, it is claimedThe revelations were made in a new filing in a Texas bankruptcy court. Jones has been accused of trying to shield his wealth from paying $1.5 billion to Sandy Hook families. Jones claimed on his InfoWars show in December that he was "officially out of money, personally," per CBS News. Jones reported earning roughly $38 million from InfoWars in 2021 and 2022. The judge presiding over the bankruptcy case of InfoWars' parent company said he was "troubled" on Monday after discovering that Jones had redirected $157,000, initially intended for InfoWars, for personal use.

☆ Here are 9 Twitter promises that Elon Musk has failed to deliver on as ‘chief Twit’
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Elon Musk’s record on delivering on the deluge of pledges he has made as “chief Twit” is less than ideal. Since then, Musk has made a number of wild changes and promises pertaining to Twitter. ► Maximal free speech: Musk repeatedly talked about Twitter being a home for free speech. When I reached out to Musk on Wednesday morning with questions about his failed promises, he didn’t respond. But I did receive an auto-reply poop emoji from the press@twitter.com email address, a feature Musk recently said he would implement.

☆ Staring down a possible indictment, Trump holds a rally in Waco. A Texas newspaper said the choice isn't a dog whistle but an 'air horn' to far-right groups.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Sarah Al-Arshani | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Thirty years ago, federal agents seized the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas. Trump's scheduled rally in Waco falls in the middle of the anniversary of the months-long standoff. The New York Times reported that Trump's visit to Waco falls on the 30-year anniversary of the Branch Davidian siege. Although no indictment has been announced, Trump has continued to rally his supporters and make allusions to violence. Trump supporters like Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Matt Gaetz of Florida as well as conservative pundits like Dan Bongino have spoken out in support of Trump.

☆ Kanye West's hateful comments about Jews may have inspired dozens of antisemitic incidents, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Charles R. Davis | Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Anti-Defamation League counted 59 incidents in which antisemites cited the rapper formerly known as Kanye West. Overall, ADL researchers found there was a 59% increase in antisemitic incidents last year. Overall, ADL researchers found there was a 36% spike in antisemitic incidents in 2022 compared to the year before, with the ADL tracking just under 3,700 cases across the country, the highest on record. "We're deeply disturbed by this dramatic and completely unacceptable surge in antisemitic incidents," ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement. The ADL report comes after the FBI last year said that white supremacists "pose the primary threat" of domestic terrorism.

☆ Elon Musk has been chit-chatting with a QAnon-linked influencer on Twitter: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk has been chit-chatting with a QAnon-linked influencer on Twitter, a Media Matters report says. According to a record of Musk's tweets compiled by Media Matters, Musk interacted with a Twitter user named KanekoaTheGreat at least 18 times since February 20. Media Matters said it tracked KanekoaTheGreat's online presence and found that they were part of a QAnon influencer group known as We The Media. Musk's question echoed a right-wing conspiracy theory about depleting testosterone levels pushed by shock jock Alex Jones and Fox News host Tucker Carlson. KanekoaTheGreat posted on their Telegram channel in December that they had obtained "the Elon Musk stamp of approval," and highlighted other occasions where Musk has responded to them.

☆ Alex Jones is transferring his money away so he doesn't have to pay Sandy Hook victims, NYT reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Sarah Al-Arshani | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Alex Jones owes families of Sandy Hook victims close to $1.5 billion. Jones has been transferring his assets to family and friends, The New York Times reported. The Times reported that Jones' company, Free Speech Systems, has already transferred tens of thousands of dollars to another company he owns with his parents. And he's started new business partnerships with companies founded and owned by his friends, the Times reported. Jones is still broadcasting Infowars, and The Times reported his lawyers have said in court that business is "booming."

☆ Alex Jones is trying to swing a bankruptcy plan where he still gets paid $520,000 a year
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones filed for bankruptcy, but he wants to be paid $520,000 per year. Jones owes around $1.5 billion to the relatives of the Sandy Hook shooting victims. Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems — which he fully owns — filed for bankruptcy separately in December and July, respectively. As part of the bankruptcy proceedings, Free Speech Systems filed a reorganization proposal on Tuesday. It sources some of its products from a company called PQPR Holdings, to which Free Speech Systems owes $54 million.

☆ Tucker Carlson, with help from Kevin McCarthy, tries to sanitize the very real violence of the January 6 attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“Taken as a whole the video record does not support the claim that January 6th was an insurrection,” Carlson claimed. McCarthy, of course, knew precisely what he was doing when he handed over the footage to Carlson while denying it to actual news organizations. So when McCarthy bows and grovels at the feet of Carlson, it is worth paying close attention. McCarthy, like the rest of his flock in Congress, knows that Carlson is the real boss inside the Republican Party. And it appears to have worked for the moment, with Carlson on Monday night offering some praise for McCarthy.

☆ Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis taps ex-pastor to Disney oversight board who once said men are turning gay because 'there's estrogen in the water from birth control pills': report
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Sarah Al-Arshani | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

One nominee, former pastor Ron Peri, previously said he thinks estrogen in water turns men gay, CNN reported. Ron DeSantis' appointee to the new Disney oversight board once claimed men were turning gay because of estrogen in tap water, CNN reported. One of his nominees was former pastor Ron Peri, who is also the CEO of The Gathering – a Christian ministry. In 2015, Jones asserted that "chemicals in the water" were "turning the friggin' frogs gay," The Texas Observer reported. The district will now be called the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and Disney employees, owners, or operators will be prohibited from becoming board members.

The Sandy Hook families said that they need specialized assistance to review Jones' assets, income, and ability to pay those verdicts. Jones filed preliminary financial statements earlier in February, but listed several trusts that held unknown assets. Jones filed for personal bankruptcy in December, saying he could afford to pay less than 1% of the judgments handed down in two Sandy Hook defamation trials. Lopez will decide in March if Jones has to face a third Sandy Hook defamation trial. The Sandy Hook families have expressed concern that Jones is using bankruptcy to limit payments on the defamation judgments while attempting to collect income outside of the bankruptcy court's oversight.

☆ Alex Jones claims authorities want to take his expensive cat because he's bankrupt. He's leaving out the fact he gave his wife and parents $1.3 million last year.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Joshua Zitser | Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Bankrupt Alex Jones owes almost $1.5 billion in court-awarded damages to Sandy Hook families. His wife shared a video of him on Thursday complaining that authorities want to take his cat. Jones' wife, Erika Wulff Jones, posted a bizarre video on Twitter on Thursday of her husband complaining about the authorities' attitude towards the pet. "They were very serious about the cat and its value, and they may want the cat for the Sandy Hook families," he said. Jones' personal bankruptcy has so far protected him from paying out defamation judgments and creditor collection efforts, but he is required to list all the personal and household items he owns.

☆ Alex Jones bankruptcy filing shows that he has guns that belong to Jan. 6 rioters
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Taiyler Simone Mitchell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Alex Jones is holding onto firearms for January 6 rioters, The Washington Post reported. Jones filed for bankruptcy after a judge ordered he pays the families of Sandy Hook victims. Among the items, Jones wrote that he's "holding firearms for certain January 6th participants," the document reads, per the Post. Before Jones was ordered to pay the families, InfoWars had also filed for bankruptcy, but only after it transferred millions to other entities. According to the bankruptcy filing, in 2021 Jones reported making a gross income of $617,143.02 and approximately $639,000 in 2020.

☆ Bankrupt Alex Jones, who owes almost $1.5 billion to relatives of Sandy Hook victims, is spending nearly $100k a month
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Alex Jones is spending almost $100k a month, according to bankruptcy paperwork. Jones declared bankruptcy after being ordered to pay almost $1.5 billion in court-awarded damages. But the bankrupt conspiracy theorist is still spending nearly $100,000 a month, according to bankruptcy paperwork. According to the filings, Jones' estimated monthly expenses total $99,645. The bankruptcy filings show that Jones currently owns three homes in Austin, Texas, three cars, and two boats.

It would be the third defamation trial against Jones and his company Free Speech Systems, after two previous ones found Jones and FSS liable for a combined $1.5 billion in damages. A Texas court previously found them liable and the proposed trial would determine how much Jones owes the parents. He estimated a two-week trial would cost $600,000, reducing the amount of money available to pay Pozner, De La Rosa and other Sandy Hook parents with legal claims against him. Jones filed for personal bankruptcy in December after those two trials concluded, saying he could afford to pay less than 1% of the Sandy Hook defamation judgments. Sandy Hook parents raised concerns at Tuesday's hearing about Jones's recent recording of a podcast similar to his Alex Jones Show in a new studio space and under a brand not affiliated with FSS.

☆ Elon Musk's Twitter just reinstated the account of white nationalist Nick Fuentes, who previously said Hitler was 'cool'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk's Twitter has reinstated the account of white nationalist Nick Fuentes. Fuentes is known for making antisemitic remarks and has praised Hitler, calling him "cool." Fuentes has also praised Hitler in a video repeating that he is "cool" and "awesome." In a December interview with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, Ye — who was joined by Fuentes — praised Hitler and made a number of overtly antisemitic remarks. Musk suspended Ye's Twitter account after the interview over repeated antisemitism saying: "I tried my best.

☆ Why Davos conspiracy theories have gone mainstream
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —The World Economic Forum’s annual meeting at Davos has long been a lightning rod for conspiracy theories. In the past, however, these farcical conspiracy theories have largely been confined to the fringe corners of the internet — places like Infowars. The radical ideas promoted by the likes of Jones have gone mainstream, having been popularized by some of the most influential personalities in right-wing media. The Associated Press’ Sophia Tulp reported this week that use of “The Great Reset” has been on a steady rise at Fox News. The danger of conspiracy theories has not been lost on attendees at Davos.

Prosecutors began delivering opening arguments Thursday in the seditious conspiracy trial of former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and four other members of the far-right extremist group involved in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. After the election, Tarrio posted on social media that the presidency was being stolen and vowed that his group won't "go quietly," prosecutors said. Tarrio, prosecutors say, was aware of discussions around a plan to storm the Capitol and was involved in discussions about occupying buildings, including in the Capitol complex. The group helped rile up the crowd on the day of the rally and successfully led rioters to break past police barricades and into the Capitol, prosecutors said. A protester, who claims to be a member of the Proud Boys, confronts police officers outside the Capitol in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021.

☆ Happy New Year! In 2023 kick out Trump, Elon Musk, Kanye and Depp
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Lynn Stuart Parramore | Lynn Stuart Parramore Is A Cultural Historian Who Studies The Intersection Of Culture | Psychology | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

Though in far different fields, men like Ye (formerly known as Kanye West), Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Johnny Depp and Sam Bankman-Fried will forever be linked by this ignominious characteristic. Over the past 12 interminable months, America has witnessed the rantings of Hitler-loving Ye; Musk’s edgelord trolling on his new plaything, Twitter; Depp and his toxic TikTok fanboys; and Trump being Trump on any given day. While seemingly not vain like Ye or Depp or openly thuggish like Trump and Musk, he nonetheless exhibits traits that point to something sinister behind the “just-a-regular-dude” persona. Trump seems to be losing ground, and Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee finally took down their “Kanye. Musk asked Twitter users whether he should step down as CEO, and they voted “yes.”Unfortunately, until we address roots causes, there will always be another blustering bully, another Trump, another Ye.

☆ HBO documentary filmmaker says cable news 'ramped people up' for Jan. 6th and influencers like Alex Jones deserve jail time
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Daniel T. Allen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

He interviewed far-right figures, including Alex Jones, Enrique Tarrio, and supporters of QAnon. Andrew Callaghan interviewing Alex Jones on the set of Info Wars. You interviewed Alex Jones, Enrique Tarrio, and other fringe figures for "This Place Rules." Alex Jones makes millions of dollars selling brain pills, basically. I think the people who should be in jail for it are brainwashed content creators like Sidney Powell, Michael Flynn, Enrique Tarrio, and Alex Jones.

Ali Alexander said he believed White House wanted him to lead rallygoers to Capitol "Stop The Steal" organizer Ali Alexander believed the White House wanted him to lead attendees of Trump's Jan. 6 rally to the Capitol, the report said. Alex Jones, who has claimed the White House told him to lead the march, texted Wren at 12:27 p.m. Finally one of the staffers told Trump they thought he should focus on his speech. Trump told Jan. 6 demonstrators at the Capitol in a Twitter video that he loved them but that they should go home. The information was expected to be available as soon as Thursday — the day the House Jan. 6 committee is set to issue its final report on the riot.

☆ Alex Jones said he was 'so stressed out' during his January 6 examination that he was unable to spell his own middle name correctly
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The January 6 committee released the transcript of its interview with Alex Jones on Wednesday. The far-right radio host pleaded the fifth to almost all of the questions asked by investigators. He also misspelled his own middle name, stating he was "so stressed out, I can't even spell it." an investigator, whose identity was redacted in the report, asked Jones. Jones later said on his radio show after the examination that investigators "were polite, but they were dogged."

☆ Publix grocery heiress was willing to give up to $3 million to the pro-Trump Jan. 6 rally, transcript reveals
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Publix supermarket heiress Julie Fancelli was willing to contribute up to $3 million for the Jan. 6 pro-Trump rally, a transcript shows. The transcript released by the House select committee shows Fancelli gave money to Charlie Kirk, Alex Jones, and Roger Stone, the Washington Post reported. Documents indicate that Fancelli also paid for Trump advisor Roger Stone to fly into Washington DC for the rally, the Post reported. Trump used the rally to promote baseless claims of election fraud before a group of supporters stormed the Capitol with plans to stop President Joe Biden's election certification. When the House panel asked Fancelli if she intended for the rally to become violent, she said "no."

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