Musk restores Trump's Twitter account after online poll
Elon Musk has reinstated Donald Trump’s account on Twitter, reversing a ban that has kept the former president off the social media site since a pro-Trump mob attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as Congress was poised to certify Joe Biden’s election victory.
Musk took over Twitter. Then some users began testing chaos
Shortly after Elon Musk took control of Twitter, some conservative personalities wasted no time to jump on the platform and recirculate long-debunked conspiracy theories in a tongue-in-cheek attempt to “test” whether Twitter’s policies on misinformation were still being enforced.
Jan. 6 trial highlights missed warnings before Capitol siege
The seditious conspiracy trial against the Oath Keepers founder and four associates is raising fresh questions about intelligence failures in the run-up to the Capitol riot that appear to have allowed the anti-government group and other extremists to mobilize in plain sight.
$1B judgment against Alex Jones not the final word
The nearly $1 billion judgment against Alex Jones for spreading false conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre bought long-sought relief to family members and hopes the eye-popping figure would deter people from broadcasting falsehoods.
Lawyers: Arizona GOP chair pleaded Fifth to Jan. 6 panel
An attorney for the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol told a federal judge in Phoenix on Tuesday that Arizona Republican Party Chair Kelli Ward refused to answer the committee’s questions at a deposition.
Sandy Hook families testify about threats, fear of deniers
Two parents of children killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre and the daughter of the school’s slain principal testified Wednesday of the fear and pain they have suffered from being targeted with threats by those who believe the lie that the shooting was a hoax.
Sandy Hook witnesses testify about Alex Jones' hoax claims
A sister of a teacher killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre and an FBI agent who responded to the shooting have both emotionally described what it has been like to be accused of being crisis actors by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and others.
Alex Jones lawyer takes the Fifth during Sandy Hook hearing
A lawyer for conspiracy theorist Alex Jones invoked his right against self-incrimination during a civil court hearing in Connecticut over the possible improper disclosure of confidential medical records of relatives of some of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims.
Alex Jones ordered to pay $45.2M more over Sandy Hook lies
A Texas jury has ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay $45.2 million in punitive damages to the parents of a child who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, adding to the $4.1 million he has to pay for the suffering he put them through by claiming for years that the nation’s deadliest school shooting was a hoax.
Alex Jones ordered to pay Sandy Hook parents more than $4M
A Texas jury has ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay more than $4 million in compensatory damages to the parents of a 6-year-old boy who was killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre over Jones' repeated public claims that the attack was a hoax.
Parents of Sandy Hook shooting victim call for accountability in Alex Jones’ defamation trial
The parents of 6-year-old Jesse Lewis are suing Jones for falsely claiming that the 2012 mass school shooting was a hoax meant to take away Americans’ guns. The trial is the first of three to determine monetary penalties against the Texas-based conspiracy theorist for his lies about the tragedy.
Alex Jones’ company files for bankruptcy midway through Sandy Hook damages trial
Free Speech Systems submitted the filing during a two-week trial to determine how much the Texas-based conspiracy theorist will award the parents of a victim in the 2012 school shooting, prompting speculation about the company’s effort to avoid bankruptcy oversight as a small business.
Alex Jones' media company files for bankruptcy amid trial
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ media company Free Speech Systems has filed for bankruptcy, but his attorney says it shouldn't disrupt the defamation damages trial underway in Texas that seeks to force Jones to pay $150 million or more to the family of one of the children killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School attack.
Sympathetic portrayal of Alex Jones rebuked as ‘hypocrisy’
A producer for conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’s media company tried to paint a sympathetic portrait of him as a jury decides how much in financial damages he should pay for his past claims that the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school was a hoax.
Trial begins in Alex Jones’ Sandy Hook damages lawsuit
An attorney for the parents of one of the children who were killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting told jurors that conspiracy theorist Alex Jones repeatedly “lied and attacked the parents of murdered children” when he told his Infowars audience that the 2012 attack was a hoax.
How Sandy Hook lies and the Jan. 6 inquiry threaten to undo Alex Jones
The Texas-based conspiracy theorist recently sought immunity from federal prosecutors investigating the U.S. Capitol riot. Three of his companies have filed for bankruptcy in an apparent effort to delay his Sandy Hook defamation trial.
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The superspreaders behind top COVID-19 conspiracy theories
Legitimate questions about the virus created perfect conditions for conspiracy theories. COVID CLAIM: Boyle says the coronavirus is a genetically engineered bioweapon that escaped from a high-level lab in Wuhan, China. COVID CLAIM: Nikulin argues the U.S. created the virus and used it to attack China. He first voiced the belief in a Jan. 20, 2020, story by Zvezda, a state media outlet tied to the Russian military. EVIDENCE: There is no evidence that the U.S. created the virus or used it as a weapon to attack Iran.
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Mix of extremists who stormed Capitol isn't retreating
FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, Trump supporters gather outside the Capitol in Washington. Militia members, white supremacists, paramilitary organizations and fervent supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump stood shoulder to shoulder, unified in rage. I’m afraid that we’re going to have to be prepared for some worst-case scenarios for a while," said Amy Cooter, a senior lecturer in sociology at Vanderbilt University who studies U.S. militia groups. To understand the mix of extremists in the Capitol melee, it helps to look at history. ___This story has been corrected to show that the “Texas Militia” group gathered at the Statehouse in Auston while Trump was at the Texas border.
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Self-described American nationalist is held in NYC bomb hoax
This photo, provided by the New York City Police Department, Monday, Jan.4, 2021, shows the hoax explosive device at a mall in the Queens borough of New York. A police spokesman said that an initial investigation showed there was no explosive device. "An investigation is underway into the hoax," NYPD Sergeant Edward Riley said in an emailed statement. via AP)NEW YORK – A self-described American nationalist suspected of leaving a hoax explosive device in a car at a New York City mall is facing criminal charges after turning himself in to police, authorities said Tuesday. He mocked media coverage as “fake news” and derided reporters covering his arrest as "morons.”“It was a Tesla car being charged," Shenker said.
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Court upholds Alex Jones sanctions in Sandy Hook case
The lower court judge barred Jones from filing a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, as a penalty for his actions. The families said they have been subjected to harassment and death threats from Jones’ followers because of the hoax conspiracy. Jones' former lawyer, Norman Pattis, who argued the case before the state Supreme Court, has said the pornography was in emails sent to Jones that were never opened. “I hope Mr. Jones seeks U.S. Supreme Court review.”An email message seeking comment was sent to Jones and Infowars on Thursday. Sandy Hook families sued Jones and others in several states for defamation related to the hoax conspiracy.
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FDA warns Alex Jones to stop pitching bogus virus remedies
WASHINGTON – U.S. health officials are warning conspiracy theorist and radio host Alex Jones to stop pitching bogus remedies for the coronavirus. The Food and Drug Administration sent a warning letter Thursday ordering Jones to stop falsely claiming that toothpaste, mouth wash and other products sponsored by his show can help prevent COVID-19. FDA warnings are not legally binding, but the agency can take individuals to court if they are ignored. The FDA warning follows earlier government warnings against Jones last month. New York’s attorney general Letita James sent a cease-and-desist letter March 12 demanding Jones stop promoting many of the same phony products.
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$10 toilet paper? Coronavirus gouging complaints surge in US
In all, 41 states responded with numbers that included both tips and formally filed complaints against mom-and-pop stores and big-box retailers alike. In Maine, investigators had photographic evidence from a shopper showing the $10 rolls of toilet paper. Oklahoma’s attorney general is shifting agents to its consumer protection unit. Both were targets last week of cease-and-desist letters from New York's attorney general, and the federal government has sent seven warning letters over false claims. In Michigan, Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office issued cease-and-desist letters instructing businesses and online sellers to correct their pricing or risk further action.
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Infowars’ Alex Jones arrested on DWI charge
AUSTIN, Texas – Infowars founder and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones was arrested in Texas on a charge of driving while intoxicated, the Travis County Sheriff’s Office said. The deputy who stopped him early Tuesday was responding to a family disturbance call, according to an affidavit. After getting into an argument with his wife, Jones said he walked home, about three miles away, the document said. Jones claims he tested below the 0.08 legal limit and that a "countywide dragnet" was started because of a low number of DWI arrests in Travis County. Jones was released shortly after 4 a.m. after bonding out on a personal recognizance bond, according to Dark.
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Stone judge calls back jurors to address misconduct claims
Roger Stone, center, departs federal court in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)WASHINGTON, D.C. – A federal judge on Tuesday brought in nearly all members of the jury that convicted Trump ally Roger Stone on charges related to the Russia investigation in order to answer questions on allegations of juror misconduct. Stone has claimed the jury forewoman was biased and requested a new trial; his first such request was denied. Jackson said jurors had faced harassment even before they commented, and she worried for their continued safety. “There has rarely been a juror so tainted as the forewoman in the Roger Stone case,” he tweeted.
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Judge orders Alex Jones to pay $100,000 in Sandy Hook case
Similar lawsuits against Jones have been filed by other Sandy Hook families in Connecticut courts. He ordered Jones to pay legal fees to attorneys representing a Sandy Hook father who brought the lawsuit, Neil Heslin, and denied a request to dismiss the case. Families of the Sandy Hook victims say they have been subjected to harassment and death threats from Jones’ followers because of the hoax conspiracy promoted on his show. Jones has since acknowledged that the Sandy Hook killings occurred. In June, the father of 6-year-old Noah Pozner, one of the Sandy Hook victims, won a defamation lawsuit against the authors of a book that claimed the shooting never happened.