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Federal judge dismisses Seth Rich case against Fox News

Mary Rich, the mother of slain DNC staffer Seth Rich, at a press conference. Photo: Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post via Getty Images

A federal judge has dismissed the lawsuit filed by the parents of Seth Rich, the former DNC staffer who was murdered in 2016, against Fox News, a reporter and a guest commentator over a retracted news story that tied his death to a conspiracy theory, CNN reports.

The details: Judge George B. Daniels from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York cited the plaintiff's "failure to state a claim." He explained that "each of the Plaintiffs' claims fail to adequately allege essential elements of the causes of action asserted," according to CNN.

Seth Rich's brother has also filed suit against the Washington Times, a Texas businessman, and an internet activist seeking damages for reputational harm and emotional distress.

The backstory: Seth Rich's parents filed the lawsuit earlier this year against Fox News, reporter Malia Zimmerman, and guest commentator Ed Butowsky over a 2017 article that tied his death to a conspiracy theory that Rich had a hand in WikiLeaks' release of hacked DNC emails. They alleged the "sham story," later retracted, exploited their son's murder "through lies, misrepresentations, and half-truths."

  • They argued Fox News and the writers were liable for "intentional infliction of emotional distress" with the story's publication.

Go deeper

Margaret Harding McGill, Sara Fischer
4 hours ago - Technology

Tech scrambles to derail inauguration threats

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Tech companies are sharing more information with law enforcement in a frantic effort to prevent violence around the inauguration, after the government was caught flat-footed by the Capitol siege.

Between the lines: Tech knows it will be held accountable for any further violence that turns out to have been planned online if it doesn't act to stop it.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow
Dave Lawler, author of World
4 hours ago - World

Uganda's election: Museveni declared winner, Wine claims fraud

Wine rejected the official results of the election. Photo: Sumy Sadruni/AFP via Getty

Yoweri Museveni was declared the winner of a sixth presidential term on Saturday, with official results giving him 59% to 35% for Bobi Wine, the singer-turned-opposition leader.

Why it matters: This announcement was predictable, as the election was neither free nor fair and Museveni had no intention of surrendering power after 35 years. But Wine — who posed a strong challenged to Museveni, particularly in urban areas, and was beaten and arrested during the campaign — has said he will present evidence of fraud. The big question is whether he will mobilize mass resistance in the streets.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Jonathan Swan, Zachary Basu
4 hours ago - Politics & Policy
Off the Rails

Episode 1: A premeditated lie lit the fire

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Beginning on election night 2020 and continuing through his final days in office, Donald Trump unraveled and dragged America with him, to the point that his followers sacked the U.S. Capitol with two weeks left in his term. Axios takes you inside the collapse of a president with a special series.

Episode 1: Trump’s refusal to believe the election results was premeditated. He had heard about the “red mirage” — the likelihood that early vote counts would tip more Republican than the final tallies — and he decided to exploit it.

"Jared, you call the Murdochs! Jason, you call Sammon and Hemmer!”

Go deeper (6 min. read)Arrow

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