hacklink hack forum hacklink film izle hacklink marsbahisizmir escortsahabetpornJojobetcasibompadişahbetBakırköy Escortcasibom9018betgit casinojojobet

News

Tag: Bid

  • Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s famous name and controversial views collide in his bid for top health job

    Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s famous name and controversial views collide in his bid for top health job

    WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said vaccines are not safe. His support for abortion access has made conservatives uncomfortable. And farmers across the Midwest are nervous over his talk of banning corn syrup and pesticides from America’s food supply.

    The 71-year-old, whose famous name and family tragedies have put him in the national spotlight since he was a child, has spent years airing his populist — and sometimes extreme — views in podcasts, TV interviews and speeches building his own quixotic brand.

    A son of a Democratic political dynasty, Kennedy is seeking to become the nation’s top health official under President Donald Trump. To get there, he’s softening those long-held beliefs, hoping to win approval from the Republican Party.

    At stake is Kennedy’s control of the nation’s sprawling $1.7 trillion U.S. Health and Human Services agency, which oversees food and hospital inspections, health insurance for roughly half of the country and vaccine recommendations. The job would finally give him the kind of political power Kennedys have wielded for decades.

    He made a long-shot bid for the presidency last year, following uncles John, who won the White House in 1960, and Edward, who lost his bid in 1980, along with his father, Robert, a leading contender who was assassinated after winning the California primary in 1968.

    With a strong resemblance to his father and lawyer credentials to match, he found ardent followers who embrace the critiques he’s lodged against unhealthy foods, pharmaceutical companies and chemicals.

    But he couldn’t get Democrats on his side, with some of his relatives shunning him over his vaccine views. His has been a flexible ideological journey, part liberal Democrat, part libertarian, and now, an adherent of the MAGA agenda after dropping out of the race last year to back Trump.

    The president has since directed him to “go wild” on health. Together, they’ve even hatched a new slogan: “Make America Healthy Again.”

    Kennedy’s aspirations now rest with the Republican-controlled Senate, where he can lose only three GOP votes if all Democrats oppose him.

    As Kennedy’s confirmation hearings approach this week, he faces a coordinated effort to stop his nomination. A television and digital ad campaign is highlighting his anti-vaccine work. And former Vice President Mike Pence, a stalwart of the conservative anti-abortion movement, is lobbying against him, too.

    Kennedy’s closest supporters believe he’ll prevail. He plans to focus on issues that have bipartisan consensus, like reducing food additives and increasing access to healthier foods. When concerns about his views on conservative priorities like abortion come up, he’s promised to follow Trump’s lead.

    Then there is Kennedy’s biggest advantage — and maybe, too, his biggest liability for someone working under Trump — his star power.

    “Bobby K. is coming in with a bigger microphone than any HHS Secretary,” said Calley Means, a close adviser to Kennedy.

    Kennedy’s numerous remarks, anti-vaccine nonprofit and lawsuits against immunizations are likely to haunt him.

    He’s rejected the anti-vaccine label, instead casting himself as a crusader for “medical freedom” who wants more research. He and Trump have vowed not to “take away” vaccines. To defuse criticism, he resigned from the Children’s Health Defense, his nonprofit that has filed dozens of lawsuits against vaccines, including the government authorizations of some of them.

    But critics have argued that his work advocating against vaccine use has cost lives. Democrats are poised to home in on his social media campaigns and work in Samoa, the island nation in the Pacific Ocean where doctors say he and his anti-vaccine acolytes seized on a tragedy to campaign against childhood inoculations.

    In 2018, two Samoan children died from botched vaccinations, prompting the government to suspend the childhood vaccination program.

    Kennedy showed up with his wife, actor Cheryl Hines, to meet with the prime minister, health minister and other health officials in 2019. Kennedy says he promoted a “medical informatics system” that would “assess the efficacy and safety of every medical intervention or drug on overall health.”

    Later that year, a measles epidemic killed dozens of infants and children.

    Democrat Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, an emergency room doctor who organized flights loaded with 50,000 vaccine doses, doctors and nurses to administer inoculations, has led the campaign to highlight Kennedy’s role. He shared during one-on-one meetings with a handful of senators earlier this month what he witnessed there, including accounts from villagers who told them about Facebook posts that scared them away from vaccinations.

    “He went there and used celebrity status to scare the country away from vaccinating,” Green said of Kennedy. “You have to ask yourself, ‘Why, RFK Jr., would you go to Samoa and do this to innocent people?’”

    Kennedy has denied playing any role in the outbreak.

    A Democratic group is running digital ads that accuse Kennedy of spreading misinformation in Samoa. The campaign is targeting senators in nine states, including Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and John Curtis of Utah, which boasts a significant Samoan population.

    Another they’re targeting is Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, chair of the Health, Education, Labor and Pension Senate committee, which holds a hearing Thursday. Cassidy, who is also a doctor, stopped short of endorsing Kennedy after they met and is seen as swayable.

    Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who suffered from polio as a child, may also be in play. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, McConnell dipped into his own campaign funds to urge Kentucky residents to vaccinate against the virus.

    Last month, McConnell sent a warning about attempts to discredit the polio vaccine.

    “Efforts to undermine public confidence in proven cures are not just uninformed — they’re dangerous,” McConnell said. “Anyone seeking the Senate’s consent to serve in the incoming Administration would do well to steer clear of even the appearance of association with such efforts.”

    Other conservatives have question Kennedy’s abortion views, after he said last year that it should be legal for full-term pregnancies. His campaign later clarified that he supports abortion rights until fetal viability, around 22 to 24 weeks.

    In meetings with some senators, he’s promised to follow Trump’s directive on the issue.

    Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, for example, said he was convinced after talking to Kennedy that he would be a strong anti-abortion advocate.

    But skepticism remains, with Pence’s advocacy group highlighting his abortion views in an ad campaign.

    “RFK Jr. has made certain overtures to pro-life leaders that he would be mindful of their concerns at HHS, there is little reason for confidence at this time,” his group said in a letter sent to senators last week.

    In Iowa, Kennedy’s nomination both excites and worries corn and soybean farmer Brian Fyre.

    The sixth-generation farmer and Republican thinks Kennedy will offer a fresh perspective, but he also can’t afford the ban on corn syrup or pesticides that Kennedy has promised. If confirmed, Kennedy would oversee the Food and Drug Administration, which has the power to enact restrictions.

    “We’d be pinched out. It would devastate rural, Midwest communities,” Fyre said. “You’re talking about a food supply for a nation. You can’t upend that without a viable alternative.”

    Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said he planned to offer some “educating” on agriculture to Kennedy.

    Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican from a dairy farm state, sees it differently, telling a crowd at the Heritage Foundation last month that Kennedy’s agriculture ideas are a promising part of a bigger goal: “to Make America Healthy Again.”

    Source link

  • Alex Jones keeps Infowars for now after judge rejects The Onion’s winning auction bid

    Alex Jones keeps Infowars for now after judge rejects The Onion’s winning auction bid

    A federal judge in Texas rejected the auction sale of Alex Jones’ Infowars to The Onion satirical news outlet, criticizing the bidding for the conspiracy theory platform as flawed as well as how much money families of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary shooting stood to receive.

    The decision late Tuesday night is a victory for Jones, whose Infowars site was put up for sale as part of his bankruptcy case in the wake of the nearly $1.5 billion that courts have ordered him to pay over falsely calling one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history a hoax. Families of the Sandy Hook victims had backed The Onion’s bid.

    Following a two-day hearing in Houston, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez said he would not approve the sale, while citing concerns about transparency in the auction. That clears the way for Jones to keep — at least for now — Infowars, which is headquartered in Austin, Texas. The Onion had planned to kick Jones out and relaunch Infowars in January as a parody.

    “We are deeply disappointed in today’s decision, but The Onion will continue to seek a resolution that helps the Sandy Hook families receive a positive outcome for the horror they endured,” Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion’s parent company, Global Tetrahedron, posted on social media late Tuesday.

    Lopez cited problems — but no wrongdoing — with the auction process. He said he said he did not think that those involved in the auction acted in bad faith and that everyone “put their best foot forward and tried to play within the rules.”

    Still, Lopez said he said he did not want another auction and left it up to the trustee who oversaw the auction to determine the next steps.

    The Onion offered $1.75 million in cash and other incentives for Infowars’ assets in the auction. First United American Companies, which runs a website in Jones’ name that sells nutritional supplements, bid $3.5 million.

    The bids were a fraction of the money that Jones has been ordered to pay in defamation lawsuits in Connecticut and Texas filed by relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook shooting. Lopez said the auction outcome “left a lot of money on the table” for families.

    “You got to scratch and claw and get everything you can for them,” Lopez said.

    Christopher Mattei, a lawyer for the Sandy Hook families who sued Jones in Connecticut, said they were disappointed in the judge’s ruling.

    “These families, who have already persevered through countless delays and roadblocks, remain resilient and determined as ever to hold Alex Jones and his corrupt businesses accountable for the harm he has caused,” Mattei said in a statement. “This decision doesn’t change the fact that, soon, Alex Jones will begin to pay his debt to these families and he will continue doing so for as long as it takes.”

    Jones, who did not attend the proceedings, went back on his program late Tuesday to celebrate the judge’s ruling, calling the auction “ridiculous” and “fraudulent.”

    Although The Onion’s cash offer was lower than that of First United American, it also included a pledge by many of the Sandy Hook families to forgo $750,000 of the auction proceeds due to them and give it to other creditors, providing the other creditors more money than they would receive under First United American’s bid.

    The sale of Infowars is part of Jones’ personal bankruptcy case, which he filed in late 2022 after he was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion in defamation lawsuits in Connecticut and Texas filed by relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook shooting.

    Jones repeatedly called the shooting that killed 20 children and six educators a hoax staged by actors and aimed at increasing gun control. Parents and children of many of the victims testified in court that they were traumatized by Jones’ conspiracies and threats from his followers.

    Jones has since acknowledged that the Connecticut school shooting happened.

    Most of the proceeds from the sale of Infowars, as well as many of Jones’ personal assets, will go to the Sandy Hook families. Some proceeds will go to Jones’ other creditors.

    Trustee Christopher Murray had defended The Onion’s bid in court this week, testifying that he did not favor either bidder over the other and was not biased.

    He also revealed that First United American submitted a revised bid in recent days, but he said he could not accept it because the Sandy Hook families in the Connecticut lawsuit objected.

    The Onion valued its bid, with the Sandy Hook families’ offer, at $7 million because that amount was equal to a purchase price that would provide the same amount of money to the other creditors.

    In a court filing last month, Murray’s lawyers called First United American’s request to disqualify The Onion’s bid a “disappointed bidder’s improper attempt to influence an otherwise fair and open election process.”

    Jones’ attorney, Ben Broocks, noted that the Sandy Hook lawsuit judgments could be overturned in pending appeals and got Murray to acknowledge that the Sandy Hook families’ offer in The Onion bid could fall apart if that happens. That’s because the percentage of the auction proceeds they would be entitled to could drop sharply and they wouldn’t get the $750,000 from the sale to give to other creditors.

    Up for sale were all the equipment and other assets in the Infowars studio in Austin, as well as the rights to its social media accounts, websites, video archive and product trademarks. Jones uses the studio to broadcast his far-right, conspiracy theory-filled shows on the Infowars website, his account on the social platform X and radio stations. Many of Jones’ personal assets also are being sold.

    Jones has set up another studio, websites and social media accounts in case The Onion wins approval to buy Infowars and kicks him out. Jones has said he could continue using the Infowars platforms if the auction winner is friendly to him.

    Jones is appealing the money has been ordered to pay in judgments citing free speech rights.

    Source link

  • The Onion’s bid for Infowars is still in court as judge reviews auction

    The Onion’s bid for Infowars is still in court as judge reviews auction

    A bankruptcy judge scrutinizing The Onion’s bid for Alex Jones ’ Infowars platform was expected to hear a second day of testimony Tuesday after an auctioneer defended the satirical news outlet’s winning offer in November.

    It is not clear how quickly U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez in Houston will decide whether to approve the bid. The Onion, which wants to turn Infowars’ website and social media accounts into parodies, offered $1.75 million for Infowars’ assets in the auction.

    Jones did not attend Monday’s start of the key hearing and instead continued to broadcast from his studios in Austin.

    Jeff Tanenbaum, president of ThreeSixty Asset Advisors, was grilled by lawyers for Jones and the company in a Houston courtroom on Monday over how The Onion’s bid came to be valued at $7 million and why a live auction was not held. He defended both the value of the bid and its selection after the two sealed offers were opened.

    Lopez could ultimately decide whether to void The Onion’s bid, name the Jones-affiliated company the winner or hold another auction, among other possibilities.

    Jones and First United American Companies, which runs a website in Jones’ name that sells nutritional supplements and submitted the other bid, are alleging fraud and collusion in the auction that concluded on Nov. 14. The trustee and The Onion deny the allegations, accusing Jones and the company of sour grapes. First United American Companies bid $3.5 million.

    The sale of Infowars is part of Jones’ personal bankruptcy case, which he filed in late 2022 after he was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion in defamation lawsuits in Connecticut and Texas filed by relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut. Jones repeatedly called the 2012 shooting that killed 20 children and six educators a hoax staged by actors and aimed at increasing gun control.

    Most of the proceeds from the sale of Infowars, as well as many of Jones’ personal assets, will go to the Sandy Hook families to help satisfy judgments issued by juries and judges in state courts in Connecticut and Texas. Some proceeds will go to Jones’ other creditors.

    The Onion’s bid also included a pledge by many of the Sandy Hook families to forgo some or all of the auction proceeds due to them to give other creditors a total of $100,000 more than they would receive under other bids.

    The trustee, Christopher Murray, chose The Onion, saying its proposal was better for creditors because they would receive more money. The Onion valued the bid, with the Sandy Hook families’ offer, at $7 million, because that amount was equal to a purchase price that would provide the same amount of money to the other creditors.

    Tanenbaum testified that he agreed with the $7 million valuation and believed The Onion’s bid conformed to the auction rules.

    A lawyer for Jones, Ben Broocks, asked Tanenbaum how it was possible that the Sandy Hook families’ offer boosted The Onion’s offer to such a high amount.

    “It means the purchase price value has gone up because another purchase price would have to be higher than that value in order to provide the same net benefit to that group of creditors,” Tanenbaum said.

    During his opening argument, Broocks said there was no way The Onion should have been chosen over First United American.

    “How does a $1.75 million bid beat a $3.5 million bid?” he asked. “How is that $1.75 million greater? Well, it’s voodoo economics to use a phrase.”

    Joshua Wolfshohl, an attorney for Murray, told the judge Monday that no wrongdoing occurred during the auction. He called the complaints by Jones and First United American Companies unfounded.

    “The vast majority of their complaints are just fantastic, imagined conspiracy theories that have no basis in reality,” he said.

    Murray, The Onion and the Sandy families deny allegations of wrongdoing. In his own court filing, Murray called the allegations “a disappointed bidder’s improper attempt to influence an otherwise fair and open auction process.”

    Up for sale at the auction were all the equipment and other assets in the Infowars studio in Austin, Texas, as well as its social media accounts, websites, video archive and product trademarks. Jones uses the studio to broadcast his far-right, conspiracy theory-filled shows on the Infowars website, his account on the social platform X and radio stations.

    Jones has set up another studio, websites and social media accounts in case The Onion wins approval to buy Infowars and kicks him out. Jones has said he could continue using the Infowars platforms if the auction winner is friendly to him.

    Jones is appealing the $1.5 billion in judgments citing free speech rights but has acknowledged that the school shooting happened.

    Source link

  • The Onion’s bid to buy Infowars goes before judge as Alex Jones tries stopping sale

    The Onion’s bid to buy Infowars goes before judge as Alex Jones tries stopping sale

    A bid by The Onion satirical news outlet to buy Alex Jones’ conspiracy theory platform Infowars is scheduled to return Monday to a Texas courtroom, where a judge will be deciding whether a bankruptcy auction was properly run as Jones alleges collusion and fraud.

    U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez in Houston is set to hear testimony about the November auction and how a trustee chose The Onion over the only other bidder — a company affiliated with Jones that offered twice as much money as The Onion.

    The sale of Infowars is part of Jones’ personal bankruptcy case, which he filed in late 2022 after he was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion in defamation lawsuits filed by relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut. Jones repeatedly called the 2012 shooting that killed 20 children and six educators a hoax staged by actors and aimed at increasing gun control.

    Most of the proceeds from the sale of Infowars, as well as many of Jones’ personal assets, will go to the Sandy Hook families to help satisfy judgments issued by juries and judges in state courts in Connecticut and Texas. Some proceeds will go to Jones’ other creditors.

    The Onion, which wants to turn Infowars’ website and social media accounts into parodies, offered $1.75 million for Infowars’ assets in the auction, while First United American Companies — which runs a website in Jones’ name that sells nutritional supplements — bid $3.5 million.

    The Onion’s bid also included a pledge by many of the Sandy Hook families to forgo some or all of the auction proceeds due to them, in order to give other creditors a total of $100,000 more than they would receive under other bids.

    The trustee, Christopher Murray, chose The Onion, saying its proposal was better for creditors because they would receive more money.

    In court filings, Jones and First United American Companies accused Murray, The Onion and the Sandy Hook families of illegally colluding on the bidding, committing fraud and violating the judge’s rules for the auction.

    Murray, The Onion and the families deny the allegations. In his own court filing, Murray called the allegations “a disappointed bidder’s improper attempt to influence an otherwise fair and open auction process.”

    Up for sale at the auction were all the equipment and other assets in the Infowars studio in Austin, Texas, as well as its social media accounts, websites, video archive and product trademarks. Jones uses the studio to broadcast his far-right, conspiracy theory-filled shows on the Infowars website, his account on the social platform X and radio stations.

    Jones has set up another studio, websites and social media accounts in case The Onion wins approval to buy Infowars and kicks him out. Jones has said he could continue using the Infowars platforms if the auction winner is friendly to him.

    Jones is appealing the $1.5 billion in judgments citing free speech rights but has acknowledged that the school shooting happened.

    Source link

  • Fox News loses bid for Smartmatic voting-tech company’s records about Philippines bribery case

    Fox News loses bid for Smartmatic voting-tech company’s records about Philippines bribery case

    Smartmatic won’t be required to give Fox News a trove of information about U.S. federal charges against the voting machine company’s co-founder over alleged bribery in the Philippines, a judge ruled Thursday.

    Fox News and parent Fox Corp. sought the information to help fight Smartmatic’s $2.7 billion defamation suit over broadcasts about the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Smartmatic says its business was gutted when Fox aired false claims that the election-tech company helped rig the voting.

    Fox says it was simply reporting on newsworthy allegations made by then-President Donald Trump and his allies.

    The Aug. 8 indictment of Smartmatic co-founder Roger Piñate and two other executives concerns a geographically distant matter: Smartmatic’s efforts to get work in the Philippines between 2015 and 2018.

    But Fox maintains the criminal case is pertinent to Smartmatic’s business prospects, and therefore to the election-tech company’s claims about what it lost and stands to lose because of Fox’s 2020 coverage.

    “As of Aug 8, governments will have to take into account the risks of doing business with a company (where some executives have been) accused of serious corruption by the U.S. Department of Justice,” Fox lawyer Brad Masters told a New York court Thursday.

    He asked the court to order Smartmatic to provide any documents that it has given to the DOJ for the bribery investigation; any customer inquiries about the criminal charges; and any staff communications about the matter and its impact on the company.

    The indictment accuses Piñate and two other Smartmatic executives of scheming to pay over $1 million in bribes to a Filipino election official to deploy the company’s machines and pay promptly for them. Federal prosecutors say the payments were made through sham loan agreements and via a slush fund created by overcharging for the machines.

    Piñate, who has served as Smartmatic’s president, has pleaded not guilty to conspiring to violate the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and to money laundering. It’s unclear from court records whether the other two executives have entered pleas.

    Boca Raton, Florida-based Smartmatic itself isn’t charged in the criminal case. The company put the executives on leave and sought to reassure voters that elections are “conducted with the utmost integrity and transparency.”

    Smartmatic’s lawyers contend the indictment is irrelevant to the defamation suit, which is about election-fraud allegations made by Trump’s attorneys.

    “There’s merely an allegation, which is probative of nothing,” Smartmatic attorney Caitlin Kovacs argued Thursday. She suggested Fox wanted to “stand up here and play prosecutor to the jury” and “accuse Smartmatic of a crime that they didn’t commit.”

    Judge David B. Cohen denied two similar requests from Fox while the federal investigation was ongoing, and said Thursday that the indictment didn’t change his mind.

    “It’s a mere accusation. It raises no presumption of guilt,” he said.

    Smartmatic is suing Fox and multiple current or former on-air hosts over shows in which Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell portrayed the company as part of a broad conspiracy to steal the 2020 vote from Trump, a Republican and the winner of this year’s election.

    Federal and state election officials, exhaustive reviews in battleground states and Trump’s own then-attorney general found no widespread fraud that could have changed the outcome of the 2020 election. Nor did they uncover any credible evidence that the vote was tainted. Dozens of courts, including some presided over by judges whom Trump appointed, rejected his fraud claims.

    Fox News ultimately aired an interview with an election technology expert who refuted the allegations against Smartmatic.

    Fox is countersuing Smartmatic, claiming the defamation case violates a New York law against baseless suits aimed at squelching reporting or criticism on public issues.

    Smartmatic recently settled defamation suits against One America News Network and Newsmax. Fox News settled for $787 million last year with another voting-technology company, Dominion Voting Systems.

    Source link

  • Judge in Alex Jones’ bankruptcy to hear arguments on The Onion’s bid for Infowars

    Judge in Alex Jones’ bankruptcy to hear arguments on The Onion’s bid for Infowars

    A bankruptcy judge is set to hear arguments Monday in conspiracy theorist Alex Jones ’ effort to stop the satirical news outlet The Onion from buying Infowars and turning it into a parody.

    Jones alleges fraud and collusion marred the bankruptcy auction in which The Onion was named the winning bidder on Nov. 14 over a company affiliated with him.

    It’s not clear how soon U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez in Houston will issue a ruling. He could allow The Onion to move forward with the sale, order a new auction or name the other bidder as the winner. At stake is whether Jones gets to stay at Infowars’ studio in Austin, Texas, under a new owner friendly to him, or whether he gets kicked out by The Onion.

    The other bidder, First United American Companies, runs a website in Jones’ name that sells nutritional supplements.

    Regardless, Jones has set up a new studio, websites and social media accounts that would allow him keep airing his show. And his personal account with 3.3 million followers on the social platform X was not part of the sale, although Lopez will be deciding whether it should be included in the liquidation and sold off later.

    Jones’ bankruptcy and the liquidation of his assets came about after he was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion to relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Jones was found liable for defamation and emotional distress damages in lawsuits in Connecticut and Texas for repeatedly calling the 2012 shooting that killed 20 first graders and six educators a hoax staged by actors to increase gun control.

    Proceeds from the liquidation are to go to Jones creditors, including the Sandy Hook families who sued him.

    Jones alleged The Onion’s bid was the result of fraud and collusion involving many of those families, the humor site and a court-appointed trustee who is overseeing the liquidation.

    First United American Companies submitted a $3.5 million sealed bid, while The Onion offered $1.75 million in cash. But The Onion’s bid also included a pledge by Sandy Hook families to forgo some or all of the auction proceeds due to them to give other creditors a total of $100,000 more than they would receive under other bids.

    The trustee, Christopher Murray, said that made The Onion’s proposal better for creditors and he named it the winning bid. He has denied any wrongdoing.

    Jones and First United American Companies claimed that the bid violated Lopez’s rules for the auction by including multiple entities and lacking a valid dollar amount. Jones also alleged Murray improperly canceled an expected round of live bidding and only selected among the sealed bids that were submitted.

    Jones called the auction “rigged” and a “fraud” on his show, which airs on the Infowars website, radio stations and Jones’ X account.

    In a court filing, Murray called the allegations “a disappointed bidder’s improper attempt to influence an otherwise fair and open auction process.”

    Lopez’s September order on the auction procedures made a live bidding round optional. And it gave broad authority to Murray to conduct the sale, including the power to reject any bid, no matter how high, that was “contrary to the best interests” of Jones, his company and their creditors.

    But at a Nov. 14 hearing Lopez said he was concerned about the process and transparency.

    “We’re all going to an evidentiary hearing and I’m going to figure out exactly what happened,” he said. “No one should feel comfortable with the results of this auction.”

    The assets of Infowars’ parent company, Free Speech Systems, that were up for sale included the Austin studio, Infowars’ video archive, video production equipment, product trademarks, and Infowars’ websites and social media accounts.

    Jones is appealing the $1.5 billion in judgments citing free speech rights, but has acknowledged that the school shooting happened.

    Jones has brought in millions of dollars a year in revenue by hawking nutritional supplements, clothing, survival gear and other merchandise — including more than $22 million this year through Sept. 30 from his Infowars Store website, according to court documents.

    Many of Jones’ personal assets, including real estate as well as guns and other personal belongings, also are being sold as part of the bankruptcy.

    Documents filed in court earlier this year said Jones has about $9 million in personal assets, while Free Speech Systems had about $6 million in cash and more than $1 million worth of inventory.

    Source link

  • Company affiliated with Alex Jones seeks to disqualify The Onion’s auction bid on Infowars

    Company affiliated with Alex Jones seeks to disqualify The Onion’s auction bid on Infowars

    A company affiliated with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones asked a federal judge on Monday to disqualify a bid by the satirical news outlet The Onion to buy Jones’ Infowars at a bankruptcy auction, alleging fraud and collusion.

    The company, First United American Companies, which is affiliated with a Jones website that sells dietary supplements, was the only other bidder at the recent auction, offering $3.5 million. In a filing in federal bankruptcy court in Houston, a lawyer for the company asked the judge to declare it the winning bidder instead of The Onion.

    The lawyer, Walter Cicack, claimed that the bankruptcy trustee overseeing the auction improperly colluded with The Onion and families of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut in naming The Onion the winning bidder. Cicack also alleged the trustee violated rules for the sale set by the judge, and said the company’s cash offer was twice the amount of The Onion’s.

    The bankruptcy auction was held last week as part of the liquidation of Jones’ assets, including Infowars. Proceeds from the sale will go to Sandy Hook families and other creditors. Jones filed bankruptcy in 2022 after he was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion in defamation lawsuits filed by the families for calling the 2012 shooting that killed 20 children and six educators a hoax staged by actors to increase gun control.

    Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion’s parent company, Chicago-based Global Tetrahedron, issued a statement Monday through a spokesperson.

    “We’re obviously disappointed he’s lashing out by creating conspiracies, but we’re also not surprised,” he said, referring to Jones.

    The bankruptcy trustee appointed to oversee the sale, Christopher Murray, declined to comment Monday. A lawyer for the Sandy Hook families, Christopher Mattei, also declined to comment.

    In a response filed in court later Monday, Murray called the allegations “baseless.” He said the motion by First United American to disqualify The Onion was “a disappointed bidder’s improper attempt to influence an otherwise fair and open auction process.”

    Murray also wrote, “Having failed in its prior efforts to bully the Trustee and his advisors into accepting its inferior bid, FUAC now alleges, without evidence, collusion and bad faith in an attempt to mislead the Court and disqualify its only competition in the auction.”

    Monday’s filing by First United American Companies included the formal bid submitted by The Onion, revealing that it offered $1.75 million for Infowars along with certain incentives by Sandy Hook families who won their defamation lawsuit against Jones. The families agreed to forgo up to 100% of their share of the Infowars sale proceeds and give it to other Jones creditors.

    With the families’ offer, other Jones creditors would get a total of $100,000 more than they would get if First United American Companies bought Infowars, according to The Onion’s bidding document.

    Murray told the bankruptcy judge during a court hearing Thursday that the families’ incentives made it a better offer than the one by the Jones-affiliated company.

    “The creditors ended up significantly better off,” Murray told the judge, adding that one of his responsibilities was to maximize value for creditors.

    Judge Christopher Lopez, who said he had questions about the sale process and concerns about transparency, ordered a hearing to see exactly what happened with the auction and how the trustee chose The Onion. The date of the hearing has not been set.

    Jones has been criticizing the sale process on his show and social media sites, calling it “rigged” and a “fraud.”

    Over the weekend, Collins posted a series of comments about the auction on X, formerly known as Twitter.

    “Long and short of it: We won the bid and — you’re not going to believe it — the previous InfoWars folks aren’t taking it well,” he wrote.

    Collins said last week that The Onion planned to turn the Infowars website into a parody site, taking aim at conspiracy theorists and other social media personalities while promoting gun violence prevention efforts.

    Cicack also said in Monday’s court filing that the trustee improperly changed the auction process “from a live auction to a secret process.” Cicack said that after sealed bids were submitted Nov. 8, it was expected that there would be a round of live bidding on Nov. 13.

    But instead, he said, Murray decided to ask the two bidders to submit another offer as their final and best proposal, which they did. Murray then chose from those final bids without holding a round of live bidding. He alleged Murray violated the auction rules.

    Lopez’s 20-page order on the sale procedures, issued in September, made such a live bidding round optional. And it gave broad authority to Murray to conduct the sale, including the power to reject any bid, no matter how high, that was “contrary to the best interests” of Jones, his company and their creditors.

    Cicack called the Sandy Hook families’ portion of The Onion’s bid “Monopoly” money with no value.

    “It is also the product of impermissible collusion with the Onion in an effort to ‘rig’ the auction with the goal of achieving a specific result desired by the Connecticut Families,” he wrote.

    Source link

  • Pakistan declare war on India’s 2036 Olympic bid in retaliation to CT stance

    Pakistan declare war on India’s 2036 Olympic bid in retaliation to CT stance

    Pakistan National Cricket Team are all set to make things difficult for the India National Cricket Team. As per the reports in GEO News, it is learned that the BCCI’s denial to send the Indian team to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is set to have major implications for sporting ties between the two countries.

    The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is all set to take place in Pakistan during February and March of next year. But the major question that has been keeping many engaged is whether the India National Cricket Team will be traveling to Pakistan for the tournament or not.

    India National Cricket Team reportedly has refused to travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025

    India National Cricket Team reportedly have refused to travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy. There have been reports which claimed that the Indian government hasn’t given clearance to the Board of Control for Cricket in India to send a team to the neighboring nation.

    The reports claimed that BCCI has explained the entire situation to the International Cricket Council and has formally written to them that they won’t be able to travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. This has seen rise to the talks of the tournaments being played in the Hybrid model.

    As per the reports, it is learned that the ICC Champions Trophy will be played in the Hybrid model, and all the India games will be played in Dubai or Sri Lanka. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board, on the other hand, has denied all the talks.

    Pakistan to withdraw from playing against India in any international event

    But with India denying to visit for the Champions Trophy, it is learned that Pakistan is prepared to withdraw from playing against India in any international event until the Men in Blue visit them.

    Not only this, they are set to take some more actions.

    Pakistan will act as a massive hurdle in India’s bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games

    As per the reports, Pakistan will act as a massive hurdle in India’s bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games. It is learned that the Pakistani government has planned to formally communicate to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that India has ‘politicized sporting competitions.’

    Coming to the Olympic bid, India recently sent a letter of intent to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympics games to the Future Hosts Commission (FHC) of the IOC. This move comes after India’s intention to host the mega event was made public by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 141st IOC Session held in Mumbai last year.

    However, if the Pakistani government intends to spoil their party, it will be a massive blow to India as well as their government. It remains to be seen what will be the impact of the Indian not traveling to Champions Trophy 2025 on the sporting ties between the two nations.

    Also Read: ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Pakistan issue a new threat through veterans after India’s denial

    Source link

  • India Makes Official 2036 Olympic Bid

    India Makes Official 2036 Olympic Bid

    The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) submitted their official Letter of Intent to host the 2036 Summer Olympic Games this week.

    Though a location is not yet final, the Indian Express reports that western city Ahmedabad is a frontrunner. The campaign is pushing to add yoga, chess, and squash along with other traditional Indian sports like kho kho and kabaddi to the 2036 program.

    If selected, this would be India’s first time hosting a major international multi-sport event in over 25 years. Most recently, New Delhi served as the host of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, which was riddled with criticism and controversies.

    During the construction of the games there were reportedly dozens of workers that died. Workers also reported receiving compensation below minimum wage. Furthermore, several publications reported evidence of child labor at the commonwealth games.

    The week before the start of the games, 10,000 volunteers backed out from helping the event.

    There were also swimming-specific issues at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. On the first night, debris from the ceiling fell into the pool, causing meet delays. The pool’s water filtration system also broke before the final session of competition.

    Despite controversies of India’s Commonwealth Games, India’s 2036 plan has been backed by current IOC president Thomas Bach. Additionally, French president Emmanuel Macron supported the bid and said his country would exchange expertise from the Paris 2024 Olympics if India were to be selected.

    India, the second-largest country on earth by population and fifth-largest economy on earth by GDP, has begun to catch the attention of the IOC for its commercial potential. Cricket, which is wildly popular in India, is being added as an Olympic sport by Los Angeles 2028 organizers, and the IOC is even considering moving the events from Los Angeles to the American east coast to make the time zone more convenient for fans in India.

    Observers hope that a rapid modernization in India over the last decade along with increasing political influence will help it avoid some of the pitfalls that the Commonwealth Games faced.

    India becomes one of four 2036 official bids thus far, joining Istanbul, Türkiye; Santiago, Chile; and Nustantra, Indonesia. The IOC reports that dozens of other locations have expressed interest in hosting the 2036 games. Other prominent campaigns include Doha, Qatar, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

    The host of the 2036 Games will not be decided until after next year’s IOC elections.



    Source link

  • Stanford football’s upset bid against Clemson falls flat due to turnovers

    Stanford football’s upset bid against Clemson falls flat due to turnovers

    There was little, if any, belief that Stanford football (2-2, 1-1 ACC) would be able to keep Saturday’s game against Clemson close. The Tigers, one of college football’s premier programs, had come off back-to-back blowout wins, even scoring 59 points in last week’s victory against NC State.

    But despite the 40-14 loss, Stanford’s ability to keep the game within striking distance for three quarters should warrant approval by fans.

    The rushing attack was potent, with the Cardinal tallying 236 yards on the ground. Micah Ford was the leading rusher, with 122 yards on 15 attempts. Junior quarterback Ashton Daniels also excelled on the ground, to the tune of 87 yards on 10 attempts, and only taking one sack. 

    Stanford’s first ever trip to Clemson was marred by mistakes, and although there were glimpses of hope, the final score of 40-14 showed that Stanford still has a ways to go to compete at the level they want to. 

    The Cardinal’s defense excelled for their second straight game in a hostile environment, showing signs of being a unit that the team can lean on. Junior cornerback Collin Wright displayed why he should be on NFL draft boards, getting his first pick of the season while also tackling well in space. The defense forced Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik into a rare inaccurate performance, as Klubnik completed less than 50% of his passes.

    But self-inflicted wounds eventually came back to bite Stanford.

    Early in the game, two turnovers and a failed fourth down conversion killed promising drives for the Stanford offense. A couple of ill-advised throws from Daniels in the first quarter began a disappointing day for the passing offense. Daniels passed for 71 yards and nine completions on 19 attempts, to go along with a touchdown and three interceptions, before exiting the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent ankle injury. 

    “We just did a poor job of taking care of the football,” Taylor said in a post-game press conference. “We should have had two field goals at the beginning. Then I really think it’s a different game.”

    “If you’re gonna come into a place like this against a great team, you can’t have that many mistakes.”

    Taylor lauded Daniels for his performance in the run game.

    But, “quarterback is one of those [positions] where you can have 70 good plays and you have three bad plays, and it’s a rough game,” he said. “That’s just the nature of the position.”

    Redshirt junior quarterback Justin Lamson came in for the remainder of the fourth quarter, and threw four completions and a touchdown in eight attempts. But Lamson also had the fumble on the first drive of the game that wiped away a first down, setting up a short field for Clemson’s first score.

    Unfortunately, too many quick drives and turnovers by the offense kept the defense on the field for a long part of the night, and they were unable to keep Klubnik from connecting on deep passes late in the game. Stanford also missed some opportunities for scores due to Taylor’s aggressiveness on fourth down, but the former Sacramento State head coach does not regret his strategy.

    “We’re not here to play to keep it close,” he said. “So we play the game and we make calls to go for it on certain downs to win the football game.”

    Up next, Stanford will head back home to face the Virginia Tech Hokies (2-3, 0-1 ACC) on Oct. 5. While the Hokies possess a losing record, their controversial loss to Miami on Friday should keep Stanford fans on their toes for the rest of game week.

    Injury Report

    • Daniels was knocked out of the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent ankle injury. Taylor said there were no updates on Daniels’ status during the post-game press conference.
    • Junior safety Jaivion Green also left the game during the first quarter after being injured on Klubnik’s 34-yard touchdown run. Similar to Daniels, Taylor noted there was no update on Green’s status.
    • According to Stanford play-by-play announcer Troy Clardy, junior wide receiver Mudia Reuben is out for the rest of the season. Reuben was injured in Stanford’s game against Syracuse last week. 
    • Fifth-year defensive lineman Tobin Phillips had his first start since his injury against Cal Poly earlier this month.
    • Freshman wide receiver Emmett Mosley V made his collegiate debut after battling injuries during the first three games of the season. Mosley also had the first touchdown reception of his career in garbage time and tallied seven receptions for 48 yards for the game.
    • Inside linebacker Jahsiah Galvan made his Stanford debut in Saturday’s game. Galvan tallied his first sack in a Stanford uniform during the third quarter.

    Source link