News
Alex Jones Ordered to Pay an Additional $472 Million
Alex Jones was ordered to pay $472 million in punitive damages and attorneys’ fees in addition to the $965 million awarded by a Connecticut jury for spreading lies about the Sandy Hook school massacre.
On Thursday, Connecticut state court judge Barbara Bellis ruled that the Infowars host’s actions warranted him paying punitive and compensatory damages to the families of the victims of the 2012 school shooting, which killed 20 first graders and six educators.
She awarded $150 million in punitive damages and $321.7 million in legal fees, which Jones must pay to the victims’ lawyers under a one-third contingency-fee arrangement.
Jones’s lawyer, Norm Pattis, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Bellis’ rulings.
Alex Jones has promoted the conspiracy theory that the government staged the shooting with “crisis actors” to influence gun-control policy. Jones was found to have defamed the families and violated a state law prohibiting the sale of products with false statements after being sued by five Sandy Hook families and a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent who responded to the shooting.
He frequently pushed vitamin supplements and survival gear on shows where he lied about the shooting.
Alex Jones was found guilty.
On October 12, a jury awarded $965 million in compensatory damages for the victims’ reputational harm and emotional distress. Despite the already-hefty verdict, plaintiffs’ lawyers urged Bellis to award the maximum possible punitive damages to deter Jones from spreading his lies.
Bellis stated that she based her punitive damages award on Jones’s degree of malice and his intentional decisions to conceal his financial resources and continue tormenting the families for profit for a decade, even on shows broadcast during the trial.
“This depravity, as well as the defendants’ cruel, persistent course of conduct, establishes the highest degree of reprehensibility and blameworthiness,” the judge wrote in her 45-page decision.
However, the punitive award was not the most severe that Bellis could have imposed. In her ruling, she stated that legal precedent would have allowed her to impose a punitive damages award equal to double the jury verdict – or nearly a billion – but she also stated that both the US and Connecticut supreme courts discouraged disproportionately large punitive damages awards that could be viewed as a “windfall” to plaintiffs.
On Thursday, a family lawyer, Chris Mattei, praised Bellis’ award. “The court recognized Alex Jones and his business entities’ intentional, malicious, and heinous conduct,” Mattei wrote in an email. “We hope this reinforces the case’s message: those who profit from lies that target the innocent will face justice.”
Alex Jones mocked the jury verdict almost immediately after it was announced, disparaging the massacre and vowing to appeal any court order. He has already requested that Bellis overturn the jury’s decision as legally flawed and order a new trial. The judge has not yet decided on that request.
Fees and punitive damages
Pattis had requested that Bellis award only nominal attorneys’ fees and punitive damages, claiming that the jury’s award was sufficient punishment. However, Pattis acknowledged that it is unclear what amount of damages – would be sufficient to change Jones’ behaviour.
The case is still hung up on whether Jones will pay any portion of the verdict. The families have accused Jones of concealing assets and stealing profits through a network of shell companies controlled by family members.
Bellis granted the families’ request earlier Thursday to temporarily prohibit Jones and his companies from transferring or disposing of assets without her permission. Mattei agreed with the decision.
“This is the first step in ensuring that Jones personally pays every penny he has to the families he has tormented for years,” he said.
The families also requested that Jones provide a complete accounting of his assets, which he has consistently refused to do, and that he bring all movable property to Connecticut for safekeeping by the court. The judge has not yet responded to those requests.
Jones declared Infowars’ parent company, Free Speech Systems LLC, bankrupt this summer and has repeatedly stated that he will never pay the families a dime. He’s asked his millions of followers to donate to him as he continues investigating the shooting and appealing the verdicts against him.
During the Connecticut trial, one of Jones’ executives testified that corporate revenues in the ten years following Sandy Hook ranged between $100 million and $1 billion. A financial expert testified in a previous Sandy Hook defamation trial that Alex Jones’ net worth likely ranges between $135 million and $270 million.
Source: Bloomberg
Keywords: Alex jones sandy hook, the Alex jones show
News
Trudeau Rocks to Taylor Swift While Montreal Burns
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has come under fire yet again after a video surfaced on X, showing him dancing at a Taylor Swift performance while anti-Nato protestors ransacked downtown Montreal.
Trudeau attended Taylor Swift’s concert in Toronto on Friday night. Before Taylor Swift approached the stage, X shared a viral video of him dancing and singing along to the song “You Don’t Own Me.”
The image of Trudeau dancing amid violent protests in Montreal generated widespread indignation online. Some social media users even compared Trudeau to the ancient Roman dictator Nero, known for “fiddling while Rome burned.”
Don Stewart, a Member of Parliament (MP) representing part of Toronto, called out the prime minister in a post on X.
Lawless protestors run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest.
The Prime Minister dances.
This is the Canada built by the Liberal government.
Bring back law and order, safe streets and communities in the Canada we once knew and loved. pic.twitter.com/PVJvR6gtmf
— Don Stewart (@donstewartmp) November 23, 2024
“Lawless protesters run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest. The Prime Minister dances,” Stewart wrote. “This is the Canada built by the Liberal government.”
“Bring back law and order, safe streets and communities in the Canada we once knew and loved,” the MP added.
On Saturday, the day after Taylor Swift’s concert, Trudeau condemned the anti-NATO protests, calling them “appalling.”
Anti-NATO activists set off smoke bombs and marched through Montreal’s streets waving Palestinian flags. According to the Montreal Gazette, rioters set fire to automobiles and battled with police.
Pro-Palestinian protests
Protesters also tossed tiny explosives and metal objects at officers. At one point, the mob torched an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Police used tear gas and batons to disperse the gathering, and three persons were arrested for attacking officers and impeding police operations.
Masked protesters were seen burning flares and bashing storefront windows in videos and photographs shared on social media. Pro-Palestinian protests have been taking place across Canada since the Israel-Gaza conflict began late last year.
Critics have lambasted Trudeau for doing nothing to stop the violent pro-Palestinian marches, with some claiming he has fueled anti-Israel sentiment in Canada.
On Friday, Trudeau stated that Canada would respect the orders of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued an arrest warrant for Mr Netanyahu, even if it meant arresting the Israeli prime leader on Canadian soil.
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News
Calgary Zoo Admits Human Error in Death of Baby Gorilla
The Calgary Zoo has admitted in a public statement that a zookeeper’s negligence caused the death of a 2-year-old baby gorilla. Eyare, a newborn gorilla, died last week after being slammed in the head by a hydraulic door.
The accident occurred when a zoo worker attempted to separate Eyare from the rest of the gorilla tribe for a solitary training session.
The gorilla died from significant head injuries, according to the zoo’s statement.
“This tragedy has struck us all in the deepest way imaginable,” Colleen Baird, director of animal care at the Calgary Zoo, said during a news conference. “Eyare’s brief but meaningful existence gave so much joy to our community, and all will sorely miss her. We will do everything possible to prevent repeat accidents.”
According to Baird, the staff member involved was immediately removed from the workplace and will be reassigned to another area of the zoo. The Calgary Zoo stated that it would take preventive steps, such as specialist personnel training and animal behavioral training, to avoid a similar incident.
Calgary Zoo Questioned
It is not the first time an animal at the zoo has died from negligence at the Calgary Zoo. A capybara was accidentally crushed by a hydraulic door similar to the one that killed Eyare in 2019.
An otter died in 2016 after being entangled in an “unauthorized” pair of jeans that a zookeeper had dropped in its enclosure. In 2013, a penguin died in “a freak accident” after swallowing a stick.
Animal Justice, a Canadian group that promotes animal welfare, has called for an independent investigation of animal safety and oversight at the Alberta facility.
“The Calgary Zoo appears to have a higher rate of animal deaths compared to other zoos, and in light of Eyare’s death there should be a systematic review of the zoo’s operations and practices, conducted transparently by the government or another outside party,” according to Camille Labchuk, the executive director of Animal Justice.
The Calgary Zoo refuted that it has more animal deaths than other zoos, emphasizing that it adheres to operating requirements and has maintained accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ independent Accreditation Commission since 1978.
“We love and care for more than 4,000 animals representing over 100 species that call our zoo home,” stated a Calgary Zoo representative.
“Human error-related deaths in animals are quite infrequent. We have lost two animals in the last ten years: a North American river otter in 2016 and ‘Eyare’ this week.
While rare, even one human-caused death is too many. These unfortunate instances have served as vital learning experiences, prompting us to examine and tighten protocols to provide the greatest level of care.”
Baird said at the news conference that using hydraulic doors is “common practice with accredited zoos,” adding that the facility will consider switching to alternate doors to improve safety.
The Calgary Zoo, which established the Wilder Institute in 2021, caters to nearly 4,000 creatures, including six more western lowland gorillas.
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Canada’s Lotto Max jackpot Climbs to $80M
Lotto Max in Canada has reached $80 million for only the second time in Canadian lottery history. Friday’s draw sought a winner for a $75 million pool, but the top reward remained unclaimed as of Saturday, increasing the jackpot.
Only once did the jackpot reach $80 million in September, when it broke the previous record. Before that, the prize was $75 million, a record.
The Lotto Max prize maximum was boosted earlier this year, enabling for jackpots of more than $70 million. The cap is now at $80 million.
While a greater fee may encourage more people to play, the odds of winning the lottery remain extremely low.
According to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, the odds for a $5 ticket are around one in 33,294,800.
While there was no jackpot winner in Friday’s draw, someone did match six of the seven winning numbers, plus a bonus, earning them a payout of more than $320,000.
Lotto Max History
Lotto Max is one of three national lottery games in Canada, overseen by the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation. The game was introduced on September 19, 2009, and its inaugural draw occurred on September 25, 2009. It replaced Lotto Super 7.
The odds of winning the Lotto Max are 1 in 33,294,800. This is correct to a point but misleading.
Let’s have a look at the rules:
- Players choose 7 numbers out of 50
- Numbers cannot be repeated
- Numbers are automatically sorted into ascending order
- Each play buys 3 lines
- Each play costs $5
Seeing that players choose 7 out of 50 non-repeating numbers, the equation for the total number of possible combinations (this is different from permutations where the order in which the numbers appear is significant) when playing the Lotto Max is 50! / (7! x 43!)
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