Aug 30, 2018

Judge denies Alex Jones' motion to dismiss defamation lawsuit

The Alex Jones facebook page. Photo: Eric Baradat/AFP via Getty Images

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' motion to dismiss a defamation lawsuit against him filed by parents of a Sandy Hook shooting victim was denied in a ruling by a Texas judge on Thursday, reports the New York Times.

Why it matters: Jones will now have to go to trial and defend himself in court. For years, the conspiracy theorist has spread false rumors that the Sandy Hook shooting was a staged government event part of an effort to abolish the second amendment, and that the shooting's victims were crisis actors.

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Axios
Updated 5 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 8 p.m. ET: 11,982,883 — Total deaths: 547,931 — Total recoveries — 6,511,854 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 8 p.m. ET: 3,040,957 — Total deaths: 132,195 — Total recoveries: 953,420 — Total tested: 36,866,416 — Map.
  3. Public health: Houston mayor cancels Republican convention over coronavirus concerns — Deaths are rising in hotspots — Déjà vu sets in as testing issues rise and PPE dwindles.
  4. Travel: United warns employees it may furlough 45% of U.S. workforce — How the pandemic changed mobility habits, by state.
  5. Education: New York City schools will not fully reopen in fall — Harvard and MIT sue Trump administration over rule barring foreign students from online classes.
  6. 🎧 Podcast: A misinformation "infodemic" is here.
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Rashaan Ayesh
1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times

Photo: Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.

Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.

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Bryan Walsh
3 hours ago - Health

Fighting the coronavirus infodemic

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

An "infodemic" of misinformation and disinformation has helped cripple the response to the novel coronavirus.

Why it matters: High-powered social media accelerates the spread of lies and political polarization that motivates people to believe them. Unless the public health sphere can effectively counter misinformation, not even an effective vaccine may be enough to end the pandemic.

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