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AP Top 25: Oregon is the unanimous No. 1 team again; Georgia is back in top 10 and LSU out of Top 25

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Oregon remained the unanimous No. 1 team in The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll Sunday after its close call at Wisconsin, Notre Dame and Alabama each jumped up two spots and Georgia returned to the top 10. LSU is unranked for the first time in two years.

The unbeaten Ducks are atop the AP Top 25 for the fifth straight week, passing Texas as the No. 1 team for the most polls this season. They received all 62 first-place votes for the third week in a row after scoring their fewest points in 37 games in the 16-13 win over Wisconsin.

Oregon also holds the top spot in the College Football Playoff rankings and will attempt to complete its first perfect regular season since 2010 when it hosts Washington in two weeks.

The Ducks were followed in the AP poll by No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Texas, No. 4 Penn State and No. 5 Indiana for the second straight week. The top five could be due for a shakeup this week with Indiana visiting Ohio State for one of the most anticipated games of the season.

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Notre Dame, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee rounded out the top 10. Georgia got a three-rung promotion to No. 8 with its 31-17 win over Tennessee.

Mississippi, which was idle Saturday, rose one spot and Tennessee dropped four but stayed in the top 10.

The Big Ten again held four of the top five spots, and the Southeastern Conference had five of the top 10.

BYU’s 17-13 home loss to Kansas dropped the Cougars from No. 7 to No. 14 and put them in a first-place tie with Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes in the Big 12. The Buffs are No. 16.

A season-high four Group of Five teams are in the Top 25. No. 12 Boise State remains the highest ranked of those programs and first in line for the guaranteed playoff spot. No. 23 UNLV joins Boise State as Top 25 Mountain West teams. No. 18 Army and No. 20 Tulane give the American Athletic Conference two ranked teams as well.

LSU — which dropped to 6-4 following its third straight loss, 27-16 at Florida — is out of the Top 25 for the first time since Oct. 16, 2022. The Tigers were ranked in 36 straight polls.

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Poll points

Oregon’s win over Wisconsin was its third by three points or fewer this season. The Ducks’ 16 points were their fewest since a 49-3 loss to Georgia in their 2022 opener.

Tulane went from No. 25 to No. 20 for the week’s biggest promotion. The Green Wave’s 35-0 win at Navy marked their first shutout of a conference opponent since 1960 and set up a matchup with No. 18 Army in the AAC championship game on Dec. 6.

No. 16 Colorado has its highest ranking since it was No. 11 on Dec. 4, 2016, and No. 19 South Carolina has its highest since it was No. 13 on Sept. 21, 2014.

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In and out

No. 21 Arizona State is in the Top 25 for the first time since Oct. 10, 2021. The Sun Devils (8-2), who are coming off a win at Kansas State, have their most victories since 2021.

No. 22 Iowa State, which beat Cincinnati after two straight losses, is back following a one-week absence.

No. 23 UNLV, which was ranked for one week after a 4-0 start, has won four of its last five.

No. 24 Illinois makes its eighth appearance in the Top 25 this season, its most since 2001.

Missouri, Kansas State and Louisville joined LSU as teams knocked out of the rankings following losses.

Conference call

SEC — 7 (Nos. 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 19).

Big Ten — 5 (Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, 24).

Big 12 — 4 (Nos. 14, 16, 21, 22).

ACC — 3 (Nos. 11, 13, 17).

AAC — 2 (Nos. 18, 20).

Mountain West — 2 (Nos. 12, 23).

Pac-12 — 1 (No. 25).

Independent — 1 (No. 6).

Ranked vs. ranked

— No. 5 Indiana at No. 2 Ohio State: The magnitude of this game has increased with each week as the Hoosiers have rolled through 10 straight unranked opponents. Just how good are the Hoosiers? Finally, we find out.

— No. 14 BYU at No. 21 Arizona State: The Sun Devils suddenly they control their destiny thanks to Kansas’ win over the previously unbeaten Cougars. A win here moves ASU into a tie with BYU for first or second place in the Big 12 and holding the tie-breaker for entry to the conference championship game.

— No. 18 Army vs. No. 6 Notre Dame, Yankee Stadium: This is the first time since 1958 that both teams are ranked entering their meeting. Notre Dame (9-1) has won 15 in a row in the series since Army (9-0) won that game in ’58

Texas judge sets overtime rule back to 2019 Trump-era level

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Millions of Americans who would have become eligible for overtime pay at the start of 2025 are now unable to receive that benefit, after a judge in Texas has blocked a federal exemption rule.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) under President Biden set a rule to raise the minimum annual salary threshold that makes an employee exempt, and therefore ineligible for overtime, to $58,656. The threshold was recently set at $43,888, which was enacted in July and was up from a 2019 Trump-era threshold of $35,568.

But the increases received pushback from the state of Texas and several businesspeople. The entities filed multiple lawsuits challenging the DOL rule, and U.S. District Judge Sean Jordan for the Eastern District of Texas wrote in his judgment Friday—as provided by Bloomberg—that the DOL “exceeded the authority delegated by Congress” in issuing the rule in July. Instead, Jordan wrote, the rules should be based on workers’ job duties rather than their salary.

Jordan, a University of Texas graduate who was appointed to the bench by President Trump in 2019, has set the minimum threshold for exemption back to the 2019 level of $35,568. The DOL did not immediately offer a statement.

When announcing the new rules in April, the DOL said it “conducted extensive engagement” with employees, employers and unions, among others, in coming up with the new thresholds

“This rule will restore the promise to workers that if you work more than 40 hours in a week, you should be paid more for that time,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su in a press release. “Too often, lower-paid salaried workers are doing the same job as their hourly counterparts but are spending more time away from their families for no additional pay. That is unacceptable. The Biden-Harris administration is following through on our promise to raise the bar for workers who help lay the foundation for our economic prosperity.”

Ruling aside, it was widely believed that Trump, who will once again assume the office of the president in January, would have repealed at least some of the Biden administration’s work.

1 death reported in E. coli outbreak linked to carrots; 39 cases across country, CDC says

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a warning of a deadly E. coli outbreak linked to carrots.

A total of 39 people have been infected with E. coli in 18 states.

Fifteen were hospitalized and one person died, according to the CDC.

Officials said organic whole and baby carrots sold by Grimmway Farms are linked to the outbreak.

Grimmway Farms recalled the implicated carrots. Multiple brands and sizes of bagged organic whole and baby carrots were recalled.

Illnesses have been reported in Washington, Oregon, California, Wyoming, Colorado, Texas, Minesota, Missouri, Arkansas, Michigan, Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

The outbreak may not be limited to the states shown in map. The true number of sick people is likely higher. Many recover without medical care and are not tested for E. coli.
The outbreak may not be limited to the states shown in map. The true number of sick people is likely higher. Many recover…Show moreCDC

The company issued a voluntarily recall of the following products:

Baby Organic Carrots

-Best-if-used-by dates ranging from 9/11/2024 to 11/12/2024

-Brands: 365, Bunny Luv, Cal-Organic, Compliments, Full Circle, Good & Gather, GreenWise, Grimmway Farms, Marketside, Nature’s Promise, O-Organic, President’s Choice, Raley’s, Simple Truth, Sprouts, Trader Joe’s, Wegmans, Wholesome Pantry

Whole Organic Carrots

-Were available for purchase in stores approximately from 8/14/2024 through 10/23/2024

-No best-if-used-by-dates are on the bags of organic whole carrots.

-Brands: 365, Bunny Luv, Cal-Organic, Compliments, Full Circle, Good & Gather, GreenWise, Marketside, Nature’s Promise, O-Organic, President’s Choice, Simple Truth, Trader Joe’s, Wegmans, Wholesome Pantry

See more details of the recalled items here.

Winner of ‘The Voice’, Texas native, Sundance Head, shot when hunting at ranch, police say

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MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — Country singer and Texas native Sundance Head is recovering after being shot in the stomach after an incident at his ranch, according to the singer’s camp.

The singer, who gained popularity after appearing on American Idol in 2007 and won ‘The Voice’ in 2016, was airlifted to a hospital in Tyler, Texas, on Friday.

Sundance Head’s wife, Misty, notified all fans on the singer’s Facebook page of his current condition. She said the bullet did not go far and that the singer, whose real name is Jason Head, wouldn’t need surgery.

“Doctor just called me. A bullet went in above his navel and lodged into his abdominal wall, missing all vital organs. He will not require surgery as they are not removing the bullet,” Sundance Head’s wife Misty said.

He has since been released, according to his wife.

Head’s agent, Trey Newman, sent out a release that said the 46-year-old singer from Porter, Texas, was hunting by himself at his ranch when he was shot.

Newman also says they are “100% positive” that the shooting was not self-inflicted and are awaiting further details on the incident.

No injuries reported after bullet strikes Southwest Airlines plane at Dallas airport, airline says

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DALLAS, Texas — A bullet struck the body of a Southwest Airlines airplane preparing for departure from a Dallas airport, forcing the cancellation of the Friday evening flight, the airline said.

No injuries were reported and law enforcement was contacted after the bullet struck the right side of the aircraft just under the flight deck. At the time, the crew of Flight 2494 was preparing the plane for departure from Dallas Love Field Airport, Southwest said in a statement.

The Boeing 737-800 aircraft was “struck by gunfire near the cockpit” around 8:30 p.m. while taxiing before the flight to Indianapolis International Airport. The plane returned to the gate and the passengers exited, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.

The aircraft was removed from service, according to the airline, which said it would provide another flight for the passengers.

Dallas Love Field Airport said in a social media post that the Dallas Police Department responded and runway 13R/31L was closed, but reopened later Friday night with “minimal impact” on the facility’s operations.

Exclusive: Woman told House Ethics panel she witnessed Gaetz having sex with minor, lawyer says

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An attorney representing two women who were witnesses in the House Ethics Committee’s investigation into now-former Rep. Matt Gaetz is calling for the release of the committee’s report, telling ABC News that one of his clients testified that she witnessed the Florida congressman having sex with a minor.

“My client testified to the House Ethics Committee that she witnessed Matt Gaetz having sex with a minor,” Florida attorney Joel Leppard told ABC News.

“As the Senate considers former Rep. Gaetz’s nomination for attorney general, several questions demand answers,” Leppard said. “What if multiple credible witnesses provided evidence of behavior that would constitute serious criminal violations?”

Matt Gaetz talks before President-elect Donald Trump speaks during an America First Policy Institute gala at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla.
Matt Gaetz talks before President-elect Donald Trump speaks during an America First Policy Institute gala at his Mar-a-Lag…Show moreAP Photo/Alex Brandon

“Democracy demands transparency. Release the Gaetz Ethics report,” said Leppard, who represents two women who sat for closed-door testimony with the committee over the summer.

Gaetz, who President-elect Donald Trump selected this week to serve as his attorney general, has long denied any wrongdoing, including have an inappropriate relationship with a minor. The Justice department declined to charge Gaetz last year after a yearslong investigation into the allegations.

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Gaetz did not respond to a request for comment from ABC News regarding Leppard’s claims.

The two witnesses, who ABC News is not naming, both allegedly attended parties with the congressman. Gaetz’s one-time friend Joel Greenberg is currently serving an 11-year prison sentence after reaching a deal with prosecutors in May 2021 in which he pleaded guilty to multiple federal crimes including sex trafficking of the woman when she was a minor and introducing her to other “adult men” who also had sex with her when she was underage.

MORE‘Audible gasp’: Justice Dept. officials, Republicans react to Trump picking Matt Gaetz for AG

According to Greenberg’s plea deal, the woman, who ABC News is not identifying, met Greenberg online in 2017 and began meeting him in hotels and houses in the Middle District of Florida, where he “introduced the Minor to other adult men, who engaged in commercial sex acts with the Minor in the Middle District of Florida,” court documents said.

At the time, the minor “represented that she was an adult” on the website where she met Greenberg — and according to his plea agreement, he acknowledges that he “acted in reckless disregard of the fact that the Minor was less than 18 years old when he engaged in commercial sex acts” and had a “reasonable opportunity to observe” that she was underage.

Leppard’s statement comes after attorney John Clune, who represents the former minor at the center of the probe, called for the release of the Ethics Committee’s report on Thursday.

Donald Trump is backing Matt Gaetz to be the next Attorney General in a stunning pick that had lawmakers offering reaction Wednesday.

“Mr. Gaetz’s likely nomination as Attorney General is a perverse development in a truly dark series of events. We would support the House Ethics Committee immediately releasing their report. She was a high school student and there were witnesses,” Clune said in a statement.

The woman, who is now in her 20s, testified to the House Ethics Committee that the now-former Florida congressman had sex with her when she was 17 years old and he was in Congress, ABC News previously reported.

In a statement responding to that reporting, Gaetz said, “These allegations are invented and would constitute false testimony to Congress. This false smear following a three year criminal investigation should be viewed with great skepticism.”

MOREMatt Gaetz, under House ethics investigation, is Trump’s pick for attorney general

The Justice Department spent years investigating the allegations against Gaetz, including allegations of obstruction of justice, before informing Gaetz last year that it would not bring charges.

Gaetz has long vehemently denied any wrongdoing related to the Justice Department probe. In September, he released a detailed response to questions sent to him by the House Ethics Committee, which was investigating allegations of alleged sexual misconduct and illicit drug use.

“Your correspondence of September 4 asks whether I have engaged in sexual activity with any individual under 18. The answer to this question is unequivocally NO. You can apply this response to every version of this question, in every forum,” Gaetz said in a statement posted to his social media account.

Gaetz resigned from office this week after being selected to lead Trump’s Justice Department, which ended the House Ethics Committee’s probe that sources tell ABC News had been entering its final stages. Prior to Gaetz’s resignation, the committee had planned to meet this week to discuss whether to release their report on the investigation — leaving it unclear if the report will ever see the light of day.

FULL LISTTrump’s cabinet, administration picks include close allies from his campaign

House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Friday that he does not think the House Ethics Committee should release the findings of its investigation into Gaetz, now that the Florida Republican is no longer a member of Congress.

I believe it is very important to maintain the House’s tradition of not issuing ethics reports on people who are no longer members of Congress. I think it would open a Pandora’s box,” he said.

Leppard told ABC News he supports the release of the report.

“What if sworn testimony detailed conduct that would disqualify anyone from serving as our nation’s chief law enforcement officer?” the attorney said in his statement to ABC News.

LATIN GRAMMYS WINNERS: JUAN LUIS GUERRA TAKES HOME MOST AWARDS

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BY INDIRA ZALDIVAR & EDWARD SAENZ

The 25th Latin Grammy Awards kicked off on November 14 with an energetic performance by Person of the Year Carlos Vives, who delighted the crowd with hits like “Fruta Fresca” and “La Bicicleta.”

Dominican icon Juan Luis Guerra and his band 4.40 were major winners at the 25th Latin Grammy Awards on November 14, taking both Album of the Year for Radio Güira and Record of the Year for “Mambo 23.” This recognition marked a powerful moment for Guerra, a 67-year-old legend who has been performing with 4.40 for over four decades. The album Radio Güira also earned Best Merengue/Bachata Album, while “Mambo 23” claimed Best Tropical Song, reinforcing Guerra’s enduring influence in Latin music since his breakthrough in 1990 with Bachata Rosa.

The night featured standout performances, with Person of the Year Carlos Vives opening the show, and award highlights including Carín León’s win for Best Contemporary Mexican Music Album and Edgar Barrera and Nathy Peluso each earning three awards. Barrera won Songwriter and Producer of the Year along with Best Regional Mexican Song, while Peluso took home Best Long-Form Video and Best Alternative Song for her album Grasa. Other winners included Rawayana, Chiquis, Feid, and Residente, with Bizarrap and Shakira earning Best Latin Electronic Music Performance.

Top nominees included Edgar Barrera, with nine nominations, followed by Karol G and Bad Bunny, each with eight. This year’s Best New Artist nominees included Agris, Kevin Aguilar, Darumas, Nicolle Horbath, and others. The 25th Latin Grammy Awards are broadcast on Univision, Galavisión, and ViX.

Here is the full list of winners:

Record of the year

“Mambo 23,” Juan Luis Guerra y 4.40

Album of the year

Radio Güira”, Juan Luis Guerra 4.40 –

Song of the year

“Derrumbe,” Jorge Drexler, songwriters (Jorge Drexler)

Best new artist

Ela Taubert 

Best pop vocal album

El Viaje,” by Luis Fonsi

Best traditional pop vocal album

García, Kany García 

Best pop song

“Feriado,” Rawayana, songwriters (Rawayana)

Best Latin electronic music performance

“Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53 (Tiësto Remix),” Bizarrap, Shakira

Best urban/fusion performance

“Tranky Funky,” Trueno 

Best reggaeton performance

“Perro Negro,” Bad Bunny Featuring Feid 

Best urban music album

Mañana Será Bonito” (Bichota Season), Karol G 

Best rap/hip-hop song

“Aprender A Amar,” Pablo Drexler, Alberto Escámez López & Nathy Peluso, songwriters (Nathy Peluso)

Best urban song

“Bonita,” Daddy Yankee, songwriter (Daddy Yankee)

Best rock album

El Dorado (En Vivo), Aterciopelados

Best rock song

“No Me Preguntes (Live)”, Jesús Quintero & Draco Rosa, songwriters (Draco Rosa) 

Best pop/rock album

Reflejos De Lo Eterno” – Draco Rosa 

Best pop/rock song

“5 Horas Menos,” Conociendo Rusia & Natalia Lafourcade, songwriters (Conociendo Rusia Featuring Natalia Lafourcade) 

Best alternative music album

Autopoiética, Mon Laferte 

Best alternative song

“El Día Que Perdí Mi Juventud,” Devonté Hynes & Nathy Peluso, songwriters (Nathy Peluso)

Best salsa album

Siembra: 45° Aniversario (En Vivo en el Coliseo de Puerto Rico, 14 de Mayo 2022), Rubén Blades and Roberto Delgado & Orquesta

Best cumbia/vallenato album

“Ta Malo, Silvestre Dangond

Best merengue/bachata album

“Radio Güira,” Juan Luis Guerra 4.40

Best traditional tropical album

Rodando Por El Mundo,” José Alberto “El Canario”

Best contemporary tropical album

“Tropicalia,” Fonseca 

Best tropical song

“Mambo 23,” Juan Luis Guerra, compositor (Juan Luis Guerra 4.40) 

Best singer-songwriter album

Pausa,” Leonel García

Best singer-songwriter song

“Derrumbe,” Jorge Drexler, songwriter (Jorge Drexler) 

Regional-Mexican

Best ranchero/mariachi album

Te Llevo En La Sangre,” Alejandro Fernández

Best banda album

Diamantes,” Chiquis

Best Tejano album

Imperfecto,” El Plan

Best Norteño album

El Comienzo,” Grupo Frontera 

Best contemporary Mexican music album

Boca Chueca, Vol. 1, Carín León 

Best regional song

“El Amor De Su Vida,” Edgar Barrera & Kevyn Mauricio Cruz, songwriters (Grupo Frontera, Grupo Firme) 

Instrumental

Best instrumental album

Tembla,” Hamilton De Holanda & C4 Trío 

Traditional

Best folk album

Raíz Nunca Me Fui, Lila Downs, Niña Pastori, Soledad 

Best tango album

Apiazolado, Diego Schissi Quinteto

Best flamenco album

Historias De Un Flamenco, Antonio Rey 

Best Latin jazz/jazz album

Pra Você, Ilza, Hermeto Pascoal & Grupo

 Christian

Best Christian album (Spanish language)

Kintsugi,” Un Corazón

Best Portuguese language Christian album

Deixa Vir – Vol II (Ao Vivo), Thalles Roberto 

Portuguese Language

Best Portuguese language contemporary pop album

Os Garotin De São Gonçalo, Os Garotin 

Best Portuguese language urban performance

Best samba/pagode album

Xande Canta Caetano, Xande De Pilares 

Best MPB (Musica Popular Brasileira)/MAPB (Música Afro Portuguesa Brasileira) album

Se o Meu Peito Fosse o Mundo, Jota.Pê

Best Sertaneja music album

Boiadeira Internacional (Ao Vivo), Ana Castela 

Best Portuguese language roots album

Mariana e Mestrinho, Mariana Aydar, Mestrinho 

Best Portuguese language song

“Ouro Marrom,” Jota.Pê, songwriter (Jota.Pê) 

Children’s

Best Latin children’s album

¡A Cantar!, Danilo & Chapis 

Classical

Best classical album

Fandango, Anne Akiko Meyers & Gustavo Castillo; Gustavo Dudamel, director; Dmitry Lipay, producers (Los Angeles Philharmonic) 

Best classical contemporary composition

“Fandango,” Arturo Márquez, composer (Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel, Anne Akiko Meyers) 

Arranging

Best arrangement

Night In Tunisia,” Hilario Durán, arranger (Hilario Durán And His Latin Jazz Big Band Featuring Paquito D’Rivera) 

Recording Package

Best recording package

En Vivo – 100 Años de Azúcar, Nelson Albareda, Sebastian Aristizabal, Kemelly Figueroa-Mouriz, Omer Pardillo-Cid & Albertico Rodríguez, art directors (Celia Cruz)

Karma, Carlos Ortiz, art director (Diana Burco) 

Songwriter

Songwriter of the year

Edgar Barrera

Production

Best engineered album

Se o Meu Peito Fosse o Mundo, Thiago Baggio, Will Bone, Leonardo Emocija, Rodrigo Lemos & Felipe Vassão, engineers; João Milliet, mixer; Felipe Tichauer, mastering engineer (Jota.Pê) 

Producer of the year

Edgar Barrera

Music Video

Best short form music video

313,” Residente Featuring Penélope Cruz & Silvia Pérez Cruz; Residente, director; Carolina Wolf, producer Best long form music video

Best long form music video

Grasa” (Album Long Form), Nathy Peluso; Agustín Puente, directo

Satire news site The Onion buys Alex Jones’ Infowars at auction with help from Sandy Hook families

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The satirical website The Onion purchased InfoWars on Thursday, a capstone on years of litigation and bankruptcy proceedings following InfoWars founder Alex Jones’ defamation of families associated with the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre.

Those families backed The Onion’s bid to purchase InfoWars’ intellectual property, including its website, customer lists and inventory, certain social media accounts and the production equipment used to put Jones on the air.

The Connecticut families agreed to forgo a portion of their recovery to increase the overall value of The Onion’s bid, enabling its success.

The sale price was not immediately disclosed.

The families said the purchase would put an end to Jones’ misinformation campaign.

“We were told this outcome would be nearly impossible, but we are no strangers to impossible fights. The world needs to see that having a platform does not mean you are above accountability — the dissolution of Alex Jones’ assets and the death of Infowars is the justice we have long awaited and fought for,” said Robbie Parker, whose daughter Emilie was killed in the Sandy Hook shooting.

In 2022, the families that brought the case against Jones in Connecticut secured a $1.4 billion verdict in their defamation lawsuit. A Texas bankruptcy court ruled on the liquidation of Jones’ assets in June of this year, handing over control to an independent trustee tasked with selling them off to generate the greatest possible value for the families.

“From day one, these families have fought against all odds to bring true accountability to Alex Jones and his corrupt business. Our clients knew that true accountability meant an end to Infowars and an end to Jones’ ability to spread lies, pain and fear at scale. After surviving unimaginable loss with courage and integrity, they rejected Jones’ hollow offers for allegedly more money if they would only let him stay on the air because doing so would have put other families in harm’s way,” said Chris Mattei, attorney for the Connecticut plaintiffs and partner at Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder.

Jones confirmed The Onion’s acquisition of Infowars in a social media video Thursday and said he planned to file legal challenges to stop it.

“Last broadcast now live from Infowars studios. They are in the building. Are ordering shutdown without court approval,” Jones said on the social platform X.

Jones was broadcasting live from the Infowars studio Thursday morning and appeared distraught, putting his head in his hand at his desk.

Trump picks Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead Health and Human Services

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President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday he has picked Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, he announced in a social media post.

Trump said that Kennedy will “restore” the agencies under HHS “to the traditions of Gold Standard Scientific Research, and beacons of Transparency, to end the Chronic Disease epidemic, and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!”

HHS oversees major health agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, among others.

The job requires Senate confirmation.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at Macomb Community College, Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, in Warren, Mich.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campai…Show moreAP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson

Kennedy, who suspended his independent presidential campaign in August and endorsed Trump, said ahead of Election Day that Trump had “promised” him “control of the public health agencies.”

Kennedy has broadly advised Trump and the transition team on health related-appointments, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News. Kennedy had also been spotted at Mar-a-Lago multiple times and had been engaging in presentations that included candidates for specific Cabinet and health related jobs, sources said.

Kennedy has been an anti-vaccine activist and founded the Children’s Health Defense, a prominent anti-vaccine nonprofit that has campaigned against immunizations and other public health measures like water fluoridation. Medical experts expressed concerns about a rise in medical misinformation through Kennedy’s candidacy. Notably, Kennedy has falsely claimed that childhood vaccines cause autism, despite the retraction of the study that originally suggested this link, and numerous subsequent high-quality studies disproving this theory.

Kennedy has said publicly that he wants to reduce government overreach, which he often frames as an issue of medical freedom.

On the campaign trail, Trump touted Kennedy’s role in helping him “straighten out our health,” but joked that he’s worried about his strong stance on the environment, Trump saying he wants to keep drilling.

Trump first floated the idea of Kennedy leading his administration’s health efforts during the Al Smith Dinner last month. He said Kennedy will “make us a healthier place.”

“We’re gonna let him go wild for a little while, then I’m gonna have to maybe rein him back, because he’s got some pretty wild ideas, but most of them are really good,” Trump said at the dinner. “I think he’s a he’s a good man, and he believes, he believes the environment, the healthy people. He wants healthy people, he wants healthy food. And he’s going to do it. He’s going to have a big chance to do it, because we do need that.”

Trump and Kennedy haven’t always gotten along with both hurling insults throughout their campaigns.

When Kennedy first signaled plans to jump into the 2024 race, Trump said he felt confident that Kennedy would take votes away from President Joe Biden, labeling him a far-left liberal.

“Kennedy is a Radical Left Democrat, and always will be!!! It’s great for MAGA, but the Communists will make it very hard for him to get on the Ballot,” Trump posted on his social media platform in March.

Kennedy fired back in an April post on X, criticizing the former president and saying that Trump’s rant against him “is a barely coherent barrage of wild and inaccurate claims” and challenged Trump to a debate

Houstonian arrested and charged for allegedly creating pro-ISIS propaganda, FBI says

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HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A 28-year-old man was arrested from his southwest Houston apartment after allegedly attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), according to the FBI.

U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani and FBI Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams Jr. said Anas Said was arrested on Nov. 8 and is set for a detention hearing on Thursday.

According to court documents, authorities discovered multiple social media accounts linked to Said showing his support for ISIS and the violent attacks carried out in its name in October 2023 via messages and posts.

The FBI said law enforcement searched his home, vehicle, and electronic devices, which revealed that multiple encrypted messaging application accounts detailed his efforts to create and disseminate propaganda on behalf of ISIS.

Investigators say that the messages allegedly glorified ISIS’s violence and had records of Said’s alleged attempts to materially support them through the creation of pro-ISIS images, videos, and flyers.

If convicted, Said faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.