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theguardian.com – by Adam Gabbatt – In the months following the 2020 US presidential election, rightwing TV news in America was a wild west, an apparently lawless free-for-all where conspiracy theories about voting machines, ballot-stuffed suitcases and dead Venezuelan leaders were repeated to viewers around the clock. There seemed to be little consequence for peddling the most outrageous ideas on primetime.

But now, unfortunately for Fox News, One America News Network (OAN), and Newsmax, it turns out that this brave, new world wasn’t free from legal jurisdiction – with the three networks now facing billion-dollar lawsuits as a result of their baseless accusations.

Group aims to strip Fox News of ad revenue over ‘fueling next insurrection’

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In June, Dominion Voting Systems, which provided voting machines to 28 states, was given the go-ahead to sue Fox Corp, the parent company of Fox News, in a case that could draw Rupert Murdoch and his son, Lachlan, into the spotlight.

In the $1.6bn lawsuit, Dominion accuses Fox Corp, and the Murdochs specifically, of allowing Fox News to amplify false claims that the voting company had rigged the election for Joe Biden.

Fox Corp had attempted to have the suit dismissed, but a Delaware judge said Dominion had shown adequate evidence for the suit to proceed. Dominion is already suing Fox News, as well as OAN and Newsmax.

“These allegations support a reasonable inference that Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch either knew Dominion had not manipulated the election or at least recklessly disregarded the truth when they allegedly caused Fox News to propagate its claims about Dominion,” Judge Eric Davis said.

More… https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/jul/04/fox-oan-newsmax-lawsuits-election-fraud-claims 

latimes.com – By Alene Tchekmedyian – At Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s swearing-in ceremony in 2018, a section of seats up front was cordoned off for deputies from the East L.A. sheriff’s station. The special treatment raised eyebrows. The station had been under scrutiny at the time because of an alleged assault involving deputies linked to the Banditos — one of the controversial groups scattered across the department often referred to as “deputy gangs.”

Matthew Burson, at the time a captain in the Sheriff’s Department who was overseeing a criminal investigation into the assault, took particular notice.

“You’re sheriff of the entire county — you don’t single out one station as your favorite,” Burson, who was promoted by Villanueva to chief and is now retired, testified Friday before the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission.

Burson appeared as part of the commission’s ongoing public hearings into the “deputy gangs,” which have plagued the department for decades. Under oath, Burson said he was directed to steer the investigation away from the Banditos, confirming a written declaration filed in a lawsuit last month in which Burson said he was ordered to direct investigators not to ask questions about the group.

More… https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-07-01/sheriff-deputy-gang-hearing 

nj1015.com – Erin Vogt – LYNDHURST — The latest New Jersey employees to consider unionizing are possibly the only ones who work out of a castle. A group of 40 actors, stunt performers and stable hands at the Lyndhurst location of Medieval Times, a medieval-themed dinner theater show, have joined with the American Guild of Variety Artists. The collective has dubbed itself Medieval Times Performers United.

A July 15 vote has been slated during an in-person National Labor Relations Board-facilitated election.

Medieval Times has struggled with staffing, security and safety after reopening from its COVID-19 pandemic closure, according to a written statement from organizing committee members.

The workers also are seeking a pay increase to “keep up with” similar positions in the industry and what is “necessary for a living wage in Lyndhurst.”

Read More: Medieval Times, NJ actors, stablehands will vote on joining union | https://nj1015.com/labor-joust-in-nj-medieval-times-workers-will-vote-on-joining-union/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

nbcnewsnewyork.com – By David Bauder – The news story that reportedly caused former President Donald Trump to throw his lunch against a White House wall came from an exclusive interview that former Attorney General William Barr had arranged with The Associated Press.

The scoop, which was published on Dec. 1, 2020, quoted Barr as saying that the U.S. Justice Department had uncovered no evidence of widespread voter fraud that could change the outcome of the 2020 election. It was a bombshell that contradicted the concerted effort by Trump, his boss, to subvert the results of the election.

In testimony before the Jan. 6 committee on Tuesday, former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson recalled “hearing noise coming from down the hallway” around the time the AP interview was published.

More… https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/the-story-behind-the-news-that-caused-trump-to-throw-lunch/3755108/?amp 

cnbc.com – By Kevin Breuninger and Dan Mangan – Herschel Walker, the Republican nominee from Georgia for the U.S. Senate, confirmed that he has two more previously unknown children, adding another “secret” child that the former football star admitted to earlier this week.

Walker now says he has four kids, only one of whom was previously known.

Walker’s disclosure is the second time this week the former star professional football player, who has been repeatedly publicly critical of African American absentee fathers, has been forced to admit he had children out of wedlock after media reports of their existence.

Until earlier this week, Walker, whose candidacy to unseat Democratic incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock, has been heavily backed by former President Donald Trump, had only publicly mentioned his 22-year-old son Christian Walker.

More… https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/16/gop-georgia-senate-nominee-herschel-walker-reveals-more-children.html 

upi.com – By Ben Hooper – A 5-year-old British girl earned a Guinness World Record when she published a book that she wrote and illustrated. Guinness World Records confirmed Bella Jay Dark earned the record for youngest person to publish a book (female) when her book, The Lost Cat, sold more than 1,000 copies, the minimum set by the record-keeping organization.

Dark wrote and illustrated the book with help from her mother, Chelsie Syme, and the tome was published by Ginger Fyre Press.

“Both her dad and I are very proud,” Syme told The Dorset Echo. “It’s about a cat that goes out getting lost and realizes she should not go out without her mum, so it has got a good message to it.”

Syme said she received confirmation from Guinness World Records this week.

More…https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2022/06/15/Guinness-World-Records-youngest-to-publish-a-book/8351655310832/ 

usnews.com – By Michelle Nichols – UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Russia’s U.N. envoy said on Friday he is willing to meet his U.S. counterpart to discuss aid deliveries into Syria from Turkey, but that it was “a bit funny” that she warned him about leveraging Russia’s war in Ukraine during talks on Syria.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said on Thursday she intended to meet Vassily Nebenzia soon to kick off the talks – expected to be contentious – and she will not let Moscow use Syria aid deliveries as a “bargaining chip” on Ukraine.

More… https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-06-03/russia-says-its-funny-that-u-s-warned-against-using-ukraine-in-talks-on-syria-aid