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In Arizona Senate, Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly is ahead of Republican Blake Masters by 115,000 votes with 80% in. On Dobbs, the national exit poll showed 27% of voters picking abortion as their No. And remember that our final NBC News poll found Trump as one of the most unpopular political figures we measured, especially compared with President Biden. In each state, those Democratic secretaries of state nominees were running against Republicans who cast doubt on the 2020 election result. Two of those five feature Democrat vs. Democrat contests, thanks to the state’s Top 2 primary, so those will stay in the Democratic column.

☆ Alex Jones Ordered to Pay $473 Million More for Sandy Hook Claims
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Erin Mulvaney | Jonathan Randles | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A Connecticut judge ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay an additional $473 million in punitive damages for making defamatory claims that the Sandy Hook school massacre was a hoax, bringing the total judgment against him in the case to $1.4 billion. Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis imposed the penalty Thursday on top of a nearly $1 billion jury verdict last month, which capped a weekslong trial to determine how much Mr. Jones should pay for claiming the 2012 massacre, where a gunman killed 20 children and 6 adults, was a government conspiracy.

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and his company were ordered Thursday to pay an additional $473 million in punitive damages to families of the victims of the Sandy Hook massacre over promoting the falsehood that the 2012 school shooting was a hoax. Christopher Mattei, a lawyer for the Sandy Hook families, told The Associated Press he hoped that the punitive damages awarded Thursday send a message to conspiracy theorists who profit from lies. Twenty children and six educators were killed after a gunman entered Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and opened fire on Dec. 14, 2012. The Connecticut trial was the second related to his Sandy Hook conspiracy theories. In August, a Texas jury ordered Jones to pay nearly $50 million in damages to Scarlett Lewis and Neil Heslin, whose son Jesse was killed in the massacre.

Nov 10 (Reuters) - Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones must pay $473 million in punitive damages for his defamatory claims about the 2012 Sandy Hook mass shooting, a Connecticut judge ruled on Thursday. On Dec. 14, 2012, a gunman murdered his mother, then killed 20 children and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School before killing himself. Some experts doubt the move will offer much protection for Jones’ assets, even if he is not able to pay the full judgments against him. The Sandy Hook families have intervened in the case, urging a judge to freeze Free Speech Systems' assets and investigate its finances. They claim Jones pulled $62 million from the company while burdening it with $65 million in “fabricated” debt.

New York CNN Business —A Connecticut judge on Thursday ordered right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay an additional $473 million in punitive damages over the lies he told about the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Under Connecticut law, a judge determines the amount of punitive damages to award. The decision in Connecticut came after a separate jury in Texas determined that Jones and his company should award two Sandy Hook parents who sued in that state nearly $50 million. While Jones initially lied about the 2012 shooting, he later acknowledged that the massacre had occurred as he faced multiple lawsuits. But he failed to comply with court orders during the discovery process of the lawsuits in Connecticut and Texas, leading the families in each state to win default judgments against him.

☆ Kyrie Irving's 'sorry' to Jews shows how celebrity apologies have become meaningless
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Lux Alptraum | Lux Alptraum Is A Writer | Producer Who Served As Development Producer For Fusion S Peabody-Nominated Show | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Are we really supposed to believe that it’s a genuine change of heart and not a response to a pressure campaign from his employers? Like most Instagram apologies, Irving’s felt a bit perfunctory and performative, not least because it came the same day he was suspended indefinitely by the Nets over the controversy. Are we really supposed to believe that Irving underwent such a massive amount of personal growth in the span of hours? Are we really supposed to believe that it’s a genuine change of heart and not a response to a pressure campaign from his employers? And if they’d actually done that, well — who knows, they might have even spared us from having to read yet another celebrity apology on Instagram.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver blasted Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving on Thursday, calling out the player's "reckless decision" to post "deeply offensive antisemitic material." “Kyrie Irving made a reckless decision to post a link to a film containing deeply offensive antisemitic material," Silver said in statement. “I think the NBA dropped the ball,” Hall of Fame player and prominent basketball commentator Charles Barkley said on TNT earlier this week. But I have the right to say, 'No, you're not going to take my $40 million and insult my religion.'" "I think the NBA they made a mistake" not taking immediate action against Irving, Barkley said.

☆ Oath Keepers begin defense in trial over U.S. Capitol attack
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Chris Gallagher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Defense lawyers on Thursday opened their case in the trial of Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes and four others over their alleged roles in the attack on the U.S. Capitol, arguing the defendants were in Washington to do security work and did not plot to stop the transfer of presidential power. The first defense witness, Watkins’ fiancé Montana Siniff, testified that Watkins had had no intention to try to stop the election certification. Prosecutors presented evidence including text and audio communications among the defendants in the run-up to Jan. 6, and called witnesses including FBI agents and former members of the Oath Keepers. Stanley Woodward, an attorney for Meggs, said in an opening statement that he would present an alternative motive for Meggs' actions. Rhodes, a Yale-educated attorney and former U.S. Army paratrooper, is expected to take the stand at some stage as the defense presents its case.

☆ An Oath Keeper thought the Electoral College was a place where politicians 'went to get educated,' defense lawyer says at trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( C. Ryan Barber | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Defense lawyers argued at trial the Oath Keepers were a community-minded service group. In their month-long case, federal prosecutors presented text messages and other evidence detailing the Oath Keepers' planning ahead of January 6. Rhodes is standing trial alongside Harrelson and three other Oath Keepers members — Jessica Watkins, Kelly Meggs, and Thomas Caldwell — on charges related to January 6. In another opening statement Thursday, a defense lawyer for Oath Keepers member Kelly Meggs argued that the group was providing security on January 6. "The testimony in this case will show the Oath Keepers chose community involvement, disaster recovery, security, personal security," Woodward said.

☆ Ohio Democratic Senate candidate Tim Ryan avoids talking about Trump on the trail as he paints GOP opponent JD Vance as extreme
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Insider spent a day following Rep. Tim Ryan across Ohio as campaigned for US Senate. He's running a tight race against GOP nominee JD Vance, despite Trump winning Ohio twice. "You are grounded, go to your room," Ryan mock-replies, before drawing his story back to the reality of his Senate campaign. Republican Senate candidate JD Vance at a GOP unity event in Canton, OH on October 27, 2022. Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio at a rally for Ryan in Cleveland, OH on October 27, 2022.

Eight people donned "fight antisemitism" shirts in courtside seats at Monday night's Brooklyn Nets game in protest of star player Kyrie Irving's sharing a link to a film that includes dangerous tropes. One of the fans, 23-year-old Lindsay Haimm, said the group's protest was aimed at antisemitism in general and less so against Irving in particular. "Just anyone who has so many followers, speaking about antisemitism and him supporting this antisemitic movie, it speaks to so many people. Irving spoke to the fans after the first quarter, she said, and the exchange was cordial. After Monday night’s game, Irving was not made available to reporters.

☆ Kyrie Irving: Brooklyn Nets star defends his tweet about a documentary deemed antisemitic and stands by sharing a video by Alex Jones
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving said that he is “not going to stand down on anything I believe in” after he was condemned by the owner of his NBA team for tweeting a link to a documentary deemed to be antisemitic. “I’m disappointed that Kyrie appears to support a film based on a book full of anti-semitic disinformation,” Nets owner Joe Tsai tweeted Friday night. Mike Stobe/Getty ImagesIrving said in the press conference that he “respects what Joe [Tsai] said,” but claimed that he had not tweeted something harmful. Irving should clarify now.”Kyrie Irving during the Indiana Pacers game on Saturday. “The Brooklyn Nets strongly condemn and have no tolerance for the promotion of any form of hate speech,” the team said in a statement to CNN.

☆ Brooklyn Nets denounce Kyrie Irving for promoting antisemitic film known for extremist content that refers to European Jews as the 'synagogue of Satan'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Bethany Biron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Brooklyn Nets are condemning Kyrie Irving for promoting antisemitic content on Twitter. He shared a link to a film called "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America," known for extremism. "I'm disappointed that Kyrie appears to support a film based on a book full of anti-semitic disinformation," Joe Tsai said. "I'm disappointed that Kyrie appears to support a film based on a book full of antisemitic disinformation," Tsai wrote. "The Brooklyn Nets strongly condemn and have no tolerance for the promotion of any form of hate speech," the statement reads.

Elon Musk set the tone for his first full day as head of Twitter with a response to @catturd2. “I will be digging in more today,” Musk tweeted in response Friday morning. As of Friday morning, Trump’s account was still suspended, and trending topics included everything from the news of the day (Paul Pelosi) to culture (#FridayFeeling, Rihanna). “Elon” was one of the top trending topics of the morning, and many conservative influencers who had been critical of Twitter’s moderation were already celebrating what they saw as a tectonic shift. Those downloads, however, are still less than 5,000 per day, while Twitter often still sees hundreds of thousands of downloads per day, according to Adam Blacker, vice president of insights at Apptopia.

☆ Conservatives and anti-vaxxers are frantically lobbying Elon Musk to lift Twitter bans on their idols after he took over
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

An assortment of conservatives are lobbying Elon Musk to undo Twitter bans on prominent allies. Musk has said he opposes permanent bans and plans to roll back moderation on Twitter. But Twitter is enforcing legal sanctions on the networks in the EU and UK which prevents people seeing their content. Twitter has said it never shadowbans anybody, though Musk said Friday he was "digging in" to the allegations. Evolutionary biologist and podcaster Bret Weinstein, who has long questioned COVID-19 vaccine efficacy, also called for Musk to reinstate anti-vaxxer Dr Robert Malone.

☆ Alex Jones seeks new trial after $1B Sandy Hook verdict
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Christopher Mattei, a lawyer for the 15 plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Jones, declined to comment on the filing Saturday, but said he and other attorneys for the Sandy Hook families will be filing a brief opposing Jones’ request. Twenty first graders and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School died in the attack on Dec. 14, 2012. The verdicts came after another jury in Texas in August ordered Jones and his company to pay nearly $50 million in damages to the parents of another slain Sandy Hook child. A third trial over the hoax claims, involving two more Sandy Hook parents, is expected to be held near the end of the year in Texas. Pattis, Jones’ lawyer, wrote in the motions filed Friday that there was a lack of evidence directly connecting Jones with the people who harassed and threatened the Sandy Hook families.

☆ Alex Jones seeks new trial after $1 billion Sandy Hook verdict
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Alex Jones arrives at the court house as he faces a second defamation trial over Sandy Hook claims in Waterbury, Connecticut, September 22, 2022. Christopher Mattei, a lawyer for the 15 plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Jones, declined to comment on the filing Saturday, but said he and other attorneys for the Sandy Hook families will be filing a brief opposing Jones' request. Twenty first graders and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School died in the attack on Dec. 14, 2012. A third trial over the hoax claims, involving two more Sandy Hook parents, is expected to be held near the end of the year in Texas. Pattis, Jones' lawyer, wrote in the motions filed Friday that there was a lack of evidence directly connecting Jones with the people who harassed and threatened the Sandy Hook families.

An attorney for Jones, Norm Pattis, said in an email Friday that he is confident the verdict will be reversed on appeal. The families say they suffered a decade of harassment and death threats from people who believed the bogus claims. The Connecticut jury found Jones and Infowars parent company Free Speech Systems LLC should also pay punitive damages, which are set to be determined by a judge after several days of hearings next month. In their filing Friday, the families offered various methods of calculating punitive damages in similar cases. The Connecticut verdict came several months after a jury in Texas awarded two Sandy Hook parents $49.3 million in damages.

☆ Why is Alex Jones getting sued — and why lawsuits are not enough
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Yunkang Yang | Dr. Yunkang Yang Is An Assistant Professor Of Communication At Texas A M University. An Expert In U.S. Right-Wing Media | Social Media | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

A Connecticut jury on Wednesday ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay nearly $1 billion for defaming the families of the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting victims. Misinformation purveyors often use a variety of rhetorical techniques to create misleading impressions without making demonstrably false statements. Indeed, misinformation purveyors often use a variety of rhetorical techniques to create misleading impressions without making demonstrably false statements. These different layers provide a multiplicity of points of resistance to the efforts to hold misinformation purveyors accountable. But they are not a solution to the lie machines built by incredibly savvy, incredibly cynical pundits like Alex Jones.

☆ Alex Jones faces long odds hiding assets after $1 billion Sandy Hook verdict
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Jack Queen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

It also comes three months after a Texas jury awarded two Sandy Hook parents $49.3 million in a similar case. An economist in the Texas case estimated that Jones is personally worth between $135 million and $270 million. “No bankruptcy judge would allow Alex Jones and his dad to stand in line in front of the plaintiffs,” Myers said. 'EGREGIOUS' CONDUCTInfowars founder Alex Jones speaks to the media after appearing at his Sandy Hook defamation trial at Connecticut Superior Court in Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S., October 4, 2022. D’Amico said a billion-dollar verdict is appropriate given the uniquely tragic circumstances of the case and egregious nature of Jones’ conduct.

“He may be forced to live a subsistence type of life,” said Richard Signorelli, a New York attorney and former federal prosecutor. Jones and his companies today are worth $135 million to $270 million, forensic economist Bernard Pettingill testified in August at another defamation trial for Jones in Texas. The amount eventually paid out by Jones may be less, according to Ryan O’Neill, a defamation lawyer and professor at Quinnipiac University School of Law. If it is found to be dischargeable, Jones would be required to make disclosures about his finances, Gessin said. “I don’t think he’s going to be able to escape this judgment,” he said.

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones was ordered to pay $965 million in damages by a Connecticut jury for repeatedly claiming on his Infowars platform that the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre was a government hoax. What happened in the Connecticut case against Mr. Jones? Mr. Jones was found liable for defamation in a case brought by eight of the families whose loved ones died in the elementary school shooting, as well as a Federal Bureau of Investigation officer who was a first responder. On Wednesday, a jury rendered a verdict on how much Mr. Jones should pay.

☆ How much will Sandy Hook parents actually get from Alex Jones?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN Business —Alex Jones owes $965 million to eight family members of Sandy Hook shooting victims and a first responder. Jones was hit with that staggering jury award Wednesday for compensatory damages caused by his repeated lies about the shooting. Plaintiffs in the case said the reason they sued was to stop Alex Jones from continuing to spread lies and hurt other people. The fact that Jones might be reviled, and the plaintiffs are so sympathetic, shouldn’t be a factor, he added. “In the justice system, Alex Jones and Mother Teresa should be treated the same,” Rustad said.

☆ Alex Jones’ conspiracy empire hangs in the balance after jury’s nearly $1 billion award to Sandy Hook families
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN Business —Judgment Day arrived on Wednesday for Alex Jones — and he said that it felt like he landed in Hell. “This must be what Hell’s like,” the notorious right-wing conspiracy theorist said on an Infowars livestream as a Connecticut jury awarded plaintiffs a staggering nearly $1 billion in damages. The families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School victims actually know what Hell feels like. Jones put them there with his heinous conspiracy theories and lies about the 2012 shooting, which he repeated again and again over the years, ignoring pleas to stop. And it is, unfortunately, more popular than ever, with right-wing media stars and top Republican politicians emulating Jones’ modus operandi.

Infowars founder Alex Jones speaks to the media after appearing at his Sandy Hook defamation trial at Connecticut Superior Court in Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S., October 4, 2022. The plaintiffs were relatives of 20 children and six staff members who were gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012. The families, meanwhile, suffered a decade-long campaign of harassment and death threats by Jones’ followers, attorney Chris Mattei said. The trial was marked by weeks of anguished testimony from the families, who filled the gallery each day and took turns recounting how Jones’ lies about Sandy Hook compounded their grief. In August, another jury found that Jones and his company must pay $49.3 million to Sandy Hook parents in a similar case in Austin, Texas, where the headquarters of Jones' Infowars conspiracy theory website is located.

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