Alex Jones-aligned company offers $7 million for Infowars after failed auction
A company doubled its offer to purchase Alex Jones’ Infowars platform, which is at the center of several defamation lawsuits after a federal judge blocked a previous auction. First United American Companies, a firm tied to Jones, now wants to pay more than $7 million for it.
The new offer comes after the parent company of satirical news site The Onion outbid First United American in November. However, a judge rejected that deal, citing a lack of transparency and concerns that the sale did not generate enough money.
Jones’ financial troubles stem from defamation lawsuits filed by the families of the victims who died in the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Jones made false claims that the tragedy in Connecticut was a hoax to push a gun control agenda. As a result, a judge ordered Jones to pay $1.5 billion in damages. It forced him to put up Infowars as collateral to help settle the judgments.
The trustee handling Jones’ bankruptcy case announced Monday, Jan. 13, that First United American made the new offer despite no formal request for a rebid following the failed auction.
The Onion’s parent company, Global Tetrahedron, previously bid nearly $2 million to purchase Infowars and make it a parody site. In contrast, First United American initially offered $3.5 million in cash, with the intention of letting Jones continue Infowars.
The trustee is expecting a new offer from Global Tetrahedron.
Most of the Infowars sale proceeds will go toward paying off defamation damages for the families of Sandy Hook victims. Any remaining funds will be distributed among Jones’ other creditors.
Feds say SC peach farm pressured workers to make political donations
The Labor Department says it is working to pay over $130,000 in wages recovered from a South Carolina peach farm. The agency says Titan Farms illegally deducted money from migrant workers’ paychecks by charging cleaning fees and soliciting political donations.
The Labor Department did not say what the donations related to but did say the total deductions brought employees’ paychecks below the required minimum wage.
Titan Farms participates in the H-2A visa program, which allows it to hire seasonal migrant workers from other countries. The program requires companies to pay at least $11.13 an hour when factoring in benefits and fees.
A company spokesperson told two local newspapers in South Carolina that the company did not require donations from employees or deduct such money from their wages. The company also denied any wrongdoing related to the cleaning fees that the Labor Department alleges it collected.
Affected workers who the Labor Department hasn’t located yet can check their status on the agency’s database at DOL.gov.
Amazon joins other companies in scaling back DEI programs
Amazon is scaling back some of its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, joining a growing list of major corporations making similar moves in light of increasing political scrutiny. The company’s Vice President of Inclusive Experiences and Technology Candi Castleberry sent out a recently uncovered memo to employees last month, Bloomberg reported.
In it, Castleberry said the company was winding down outdated diversity and inclusion programs.
“Rather than have individual groups build programs, we are focusing on programs with proven outcomes — and we also aim to foster a more truly inclusive culture,” Castleberry said.
The note didn’t say which programs the company planned to drop, but The Washington Post reported sections from its website including “Equity for Black People” and “LGBTQ+ Rights” were removed from the page, along with all mentions of “transgender.”
Amazon’s site currently still has other diversity sections listed, including “Latinos at Amazon,” “Amazon People with Disabilities” and “Black Employee Network.”
In 2020, Amazon set a goal of doubling the number of Black employees in vice president and director roles and announced the same goal in 2021 in addition to pledging to hire 30% more Black employees in top positions.
Other major companies have also recently curbed DEI programs. On Friday, Jan. 10, Straight Arrow News reported Meta was ending its diversity, equity and inclusion programs effective immediately.
McDonald’s, Ford and Walmart also made similar moves.
The DEI changes come ahead of a second term for President-elect Donald Trump, who signed an executive order toward the end of his first term in 2020 banning diversity training in government agencies, contractors and institutions that get federal funding.
President Joe Biden signed an executive order when he took office asking government agencies to promote chief diversity officers and hold DEI training, which some are now anticipating Trump will eliminate.
The changes for companies also come after conservative criticism of DEI programs and the Supreme Court’s ruling against affirmative action in 2023, reversing a decades-long effort to boost enrollment of racial minorities at universities.
The debate has critics who argue DEI policies violate the principle of equal treatment under the law when it comes to admissions, hiring and promotions against advocates who say diversity programs are still necessary to address inequality.
Biden administration proposes new rules limiting AI chip exports
With just a week left until he leaves office, President Joe Biden is making his last few policy changes as president. On Monday, Jan. 13, the Biden administration proposed a new framework for how advanced computer chips used to develop artificial intelligence are exported.
The changes would help facilitate sales to allied nations while curbing access to countries where there are national security risks, like China. However, the proposal is raising concerns of chip industry executives, who said the rules would limit access to existing chips used for video games.
They also said the rules would restrict the chips used for data centers and AI products in 120 countries, limiting access to U.S. allies like Mexico, Portugal, Israel and Switzerland.
The Biden administration said the framework is designed to “safeguard the most advanced AI technology and ensure that it stays out of the hands of our foreign adversaries” but also enable the broad “diffusion and sharing of the benefits with partner countries.”
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the framework would ensure that the most cutting-edge aspects of AI would be developed within the United States and with its closest allies, instead of possibly being handed over to other countries.
Because the framework includes a 120-day comment period, President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration would be in charge of seeing it through and determining the rules for international sales of advanced computer chips.
Luxury market still thriving despite expected shrinkage
While the global luxury market is expected to shrink in 2025, the U.S. remains the second largest, valued at $106 billion. According to AP News, Europe holds the top spot. This highlights the need for advanced technology to combat counterfeit schemes.
The Hollywood Reporter says Cool Kicks, a popular sneaker store in Los Angeles, attracts 200 to 600 customers daily at its Melrose location. Customers bring in shoes for the store to buy and resell.
To reduce the risk of counterfeit goods, Cool Kicks partners with AI company Entrupy. Entrupy uses a system that takes detailed photos of products from multiple angles to analyze their authenticity.
According to Entrupy, its app compares the photos with a database of verified goods, ensuring accuracy in authentication.
Traditional methods still in use
Before the rise of AI, and still today for some companies, physical inspections were –– and are –– used to verify luxury goods. For instance, real UGG boots have security labels with QR codes and holographic logos.
At sneaker resell stores, inspectors look for signs like uneven stitching, poor-quality leather and mismatched logos. Some luxury bag companies have introduced microchips for digital verification.
Counterfeiters continue to evolve despite these measures, making their products harder to detect.
Last November, retailer Lacoste began using AI to identify counterfeit items returned to their stores. According to a press release, the technology delivers over 91% accuracy in real-world scenarios.
Counterfeits fuel organized crime
Buying counterfeit goods may seem harmless, but it poses risks beyond financial losses. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reports that counterfeit goods are part of a multi-billion-dollar global industry linked to transnational organized crime.
The best way to avoid fake luxury goods is to shop from authorized retailers and check for authenticity certificates. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
At least 24 dead as strong winds return to fuel California wildfires
Fire crews continue to battle deadly wildfires in Southern California as the death toll rises and strong winds are set to return. And a potential end to the Israel-Hamas war could be in sight as progress was made toward a ceasefire and hostage release deal. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, Jan. 13, 2025.
At least 24 dead as strong winds return to fuel Los Angeles area wildfires
At least 24 people are now confirmed dead and dozens more At least 24 people are now confirmed dead and dozens more are missing as multiple fires continue to rage in Southern California. Firefighters said they’re making progress against the wildfires that have now been burning for almost a week in the Los Angeles area.
Still, the threat remains high as dangerous Santa Ana winds will pick up again starting Monday, Jan. 13.
Weary fire crews said it’s not safe enough in many areas to assess the true total damage. Three fires continued to burn into Monday, Jan. 13: the Palisades, Eaton and Hurst fires, all of which broke out last Tuesday, Jan. 7.
The Palisades Fire remained the biggest and least contained, at more than 23,000 acres with only about 13% containment. Officials expanded evacuation orders for the Palisades Fire as it moves east, threatening the Brentwood and Encino areas.
The Eaton Fire was just over 14,000 acres and 27% contained on Monday. According to CalFire, the two fires are now the second and fourth most destructive in state history.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department said flames destroyed more than 7,000 buildings in the Eaton Fire alone. Investigators are only about a quarter of the way through their damage assessment.
The county is now under a public health emergency over smoke and particulate matter, which could cause long-term harm.
Progress made in Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks, officials say
Mediators with the U.S., Qatar and Egypt said they’ve made significant progress in brokering a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. However, nothing has been finalized just yet.
The deal would result in the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip ever since the terror group attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
It is believed there are a total of 98 hostages; however, as many as three dozen are feared dead.
Officials briefed on the negotiations said there was a breakthrough in Doha early Monday morning following talks between Israel’s spy chiefs, President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff and Qatar’s prime minister.
In addition, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Joe Biden spoke about the cease-fire deal on the phone Sunday, Jan. 12.
Officials said negotiators for Israel and Hamas took a proposed final draft of the deal back to their leaders for approval. However, this is not the first time a deal to end the war has been closely considered. The U.S. has said several times over the past year that a deal was imminent, only for it to fall through.
An Egyptian official said an agreement will likely take a few more days and both sides are aiming for a deal before Trump’s inauguration next Monday, Jan. 20. However, Hamas said there are still issues it says need to be resolved, including an Israeli commitment to ending the war and details about the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the hostage-prisoner exchange.
JD Vance, Christopher Wray speak on Jan. 6 ahead of Trump inauguration
Incoming Vice President JD Vance and outgoing FBI Director Christopher Wray shared their thoughts with Fox News and CBS News with just one week until President-elect Donald Trump’s Inauguration Day.
In his first interview since leaving the Senate, Vance spoke to Fox News Sunday of executive orders concerning illegal immigration on day one of the Trump administration and of being hopeful there soon will be a cease-fire deal in the war between Israel and Hamas. Vance was also asked about Trump’s plans to pardon those convicted in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021 storming of the Capitol.
“I think it’s very simple,” Vance said. “Look, if you protested peacefully on January the 6th and you’ve had Merrick Garland’s Department of Justice treat you like a gang member, you should be pardoned. If you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldn’t be pardoned. And there’s a little bit of a gray area there but we’re very much committed to seeing the equal administration of law and there are a lot of people, we think, in the wake of January the 6th who were prosecuted unfairly. We need to rectify that.”
On 60 Minutes, FBI Director Christopher Wray explained his decision to step down three years before the end of his 10-year term. Trump appointed Wray in 2017, during his first administration.
The FBI director then oversaw investigations into Trump, as well as President Joe Biden and Biden’s son Hunter. Trump intends to replace Wray with former aide Kash Patel.
“Well, my decision to retire from the FBI, I have to tell you it was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make,” Wray said on 60 Minutes. “I care deeply, deeply about the FBI, about our mission and, in particular, about our people. But the president-elect had made clear that he intended to make a change, and the law is that, that is something he is able to do for any reason or no reason at all. My conclusion was that the thing that was best for the Bureau was to try to do this in an orderly way, to not thrust the FBI deeper into the fray.”
Wray was also asked about Trump’s plans to pardon many of the roughly 1,500 people charged with federal crimes in the Jan. 6 riots.
“I do think it’s important to step back and remember that we’re talking about hundreds of people who are convicted, most of them pled guilty of serious federal crimes,” Wray said. “Heck, I think 170 or so of them pled guilty to assaulting law enforcement, dozens of them with dangerous or deadly weapons. And there’s a whole bunch that were convicted of seditious conspiracy.”
After Vance’s interview aired on Fox, the vice president-elect responded to a critic on X saying Trump will be looking at each case concerning Jan. 6 individually.
Special counsel Jack Smith resigns as fight to block Trump report continues
Special counsel Jack Smith, appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland to oversee the criminal investigations into Trump, resigned from the Department of Justice. While his departure was expected, it comes as Trump and his allies continue efforts to block the release of Smith’s final report on his investigations.
Smith’s resignation was made public Saturday, Jan. 11, in a brief footnote of a DOJ court filing to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon of Florida. She was appointed to the bench by Trump.
Cannon issued an order last week temporarily blocking the DOJ from releasing Smith’s investigation into Trump’s interference in the 2020 election results. The DOJ filed an emergency motion late Friday, Jan. 10, asking a federal appeals court to reverse the order.
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin scrubs New Glenn launch attempt
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin called off the planned launch of its New Glenn rocket from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Monday morning. The company scrubbed the launch due to a “few anomalies” found during the countdown.
The delay of the rocket’s inaugural attempt to reach orbit could last at least 24 hours or longer. The launch, when it does happen, will include an attempt to land New Glenn’s first stage booster on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean.
In an interview with Reuters before the launch attempt, Bezos said that the booster landing is “the thing we’re most nervous about.”
A wild ending to NFL’s wild-card weekend with 1 more game to go
The NFL’s wild-card weekend saw one wild finish Sunday night. Five teams advanced to the divisional round, and a final wild-card game will be played Monday night.
On Saturday, the Houston Texans defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 32-12 in the opening game of wild-card weekend. Then the Baltimore Ravens moved on with a convincing 28-14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
On Sunday, the Buffalo Bills dominated the Denver Broncos 31-7 while the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Green Bay Packers 22-10.
Late Sunday night, a last-second field goal — with the ball hitting off the uprights and going through, known as a “doink” — gave the Washington Commanders the 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was Washington’s first playoff win since 2005.
Monday night, the Minnesota Vikings will meet the Los Angeles Rams in a game that was moved from Los Angeles to Arizona due to the wildfires.
No fact-checks, DEI or tampons in men’s bathrooms: Meta’s policy overhaul wrap
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg made significant policy changes this week that aligned more closely with conservative values. These changes include rolling back content moderation, eliminating fact-checking, removing tampons from men’s bathrooms at Meta facilities, and ending the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
Zuckerberg told Joe Rogan on Friday, Jan. 10, that the sweeping changes were not intended to appease President-elect Donald Trump. Still, he acknowledged that the results of the 2024 election influenced his decisions.
“The good thing about doing it after the election is you get to take this kind of cultural pulse and see where people are right now and how they’re thinking about it,” Zuckerberg said. “We try to have policies that reflect mainstream discourse. This is something I’ve been thinking about for a while. I think this is going to be pretty durable.”
In the post-election environment, Zuckerberg has met with Trump on several occasions, visiting Mar-a-Lago in November and returning to the Florida estate on Friday following his three-hour interview with Rogan. These meetings and a $1 million donation from Zuckerberg to Trump’s inaugural fund last month have fueled speculation about his motives.
The New York Times reported that “more than a dozen current and former Meta employees, executives, and advisers said Zuckerberg’s shift in policy serves two purposes. It positions Meta to align with the rising conservative power in Washington as Trump prepares to take office on Jan. 20. It also reflects Zuckerberg’s personal views on how his $1.5 trillion company should be run, views he no longer wants to keep private.”
According to those employees, Zuckerberg spearheaded the recent changes and kept the information in a small circle. Most employees learned about the changes when the news became public this week.
The changes include a rollback on content moderation, allowing for more discussion on sensitive political issues. Meta has also dismantled its fact-checking program, instead relying on users to flag posts they believe contain misinformation. The company will allow more political content in Facebook and Instagram feeds—content previously suppressed.
In addition to changes in online speech, Meta has ended its DEI initiatives. The company eliminated its chief diversity officer position and removed diversity hiring goals. Transgender and nonbinary themes were also removed from its Messenger chat app.
Inside Meta, reactions to the changes have been divided. According to The New York Times, this internal divide mirrors the broader political landscape. Conservatives have largely hailed the decisions, while liberals have expressed caution over their potential long-term impact. Meta’s whirlwind week has captured the attention of both sides of the political spectrum.
Court rules Pfizer must face lawsuit over program promoting diversity
On Friday, Jan. 10, a federal appeals court revived a conservative group’s lawsuit against Pfizer. The lawsuit targets a fellowship program at the pharmaceutical giant meant to boost the number of Black, Latino and Native American leaders in the company.
The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals revisited its decision from last year and ruled that the advocacy group Do No Harm had standing to sue Pfizer over the program. The group alleges Pfizer’s program discriminates against white and Asian-American applicants.
The ruling may make it easier for groups to challenge race-based programs at a time when many conservatives are calling on companies to end hiring and policies rooted in diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI.
In 2023, the Supreme Court blocked colleges from using race-conscious affirmative action when considering candidates for admission.
Since then, there has been a ripple effect of new laws, lawsuits and company policy changes curbing programs promoting DEI.
And 10 states now have laws restricting or banning DEI programs, with most focusing on public institutions like colleges and universities. All 10 enacted the laws after the Supreme Court’s decision.
While the lawsuit against Pfizer can now proceed, the company has already changed its policies around the program that prompted the lawsuit. Pfizer updated the criteria to allow anyone, regardless of race, to apply.
Amazon eyes news expansion after election night special
Amazon could be making its next big move—into news. After the success of its free-to-stream special, “Election Night with Brian Williams,” the company appears to be exploring new opportunities in the media landscape.
The special, hosted by former NBC correspondent Brian Williams, was available to all viewers, including those without an Amazon Prime Video membership. According to Variety, the broadcast attracted approximately 4 million viewers, signaling strong interest in Amazon’s live news content.
While Amazon explores a potential news outlet, other media companies have faced challenges. Paramount Global laid off 2,000 employees from CBS News at the end of 2024. Meanwhile, BuzzFeed sold its popular series, “Hot Ones,” as part of a cost-reduction process. BuzzFeed announced that it cut over $150 million in debt by the end of 2023.
News wouldn’t be Amazon Prime Video’s only major endeavor. The platform holds an exclusive contract with the NFL to air “Thursday Night Football.” In addition, its new competition series, “Beast Games,” hosted by YouTuber MrBeast, showcases 1,000 contestants competing for a $5 million prize.
Amazon told Variety its news plans are in early development. The company is reportedly more interested in creating specials tied to major events rather than building a full-fledged news division.
Florida sues company tied to Dem congresswoman over $5M COVID overpayment
If the government puts a decimal point in the wrong place and overpays you by $5 million, what would you do with it? In the case of one Florida business, it may have been cashing the check and loaning money to help their CEO get elected to Congress.
It’s a decision which left the business in trouble with the law.
Florida is suing healthcare services company Trinity Health Care Services, which the state paid to register people for COVID-19 vaccinations.
Except instead of paying the planned amount of $50,578.50… Florida paid them $5,078,500.00.
And now, the state wants the money back, alleging the company took the money despite knowing it was an overpayment.
But the money may help explain a years-long mystery about how a congresswoman’s ethical report showed a massive jump in funding from 2020 to 2021.
Reporter Jacob Rubashkin with the non-partisan newsletter Inside Elections noted Trinity’s then-CEO, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, loaned herself $6.2 million to fund a congressional campaign. Chefilus-McCormick has served as a Democratic member of the House since 2022.
In the case against Trinity, the state is asking for the company to cover state costs including damages and attorney’s fees. The company did not comment to a USA Today affiliate in Tallahassee when they broke the news about the lawsuit.
Cherfilus-McCormick faces a separate, unrelated investigation by the House’s independent Office of Congressional Ethics, which is looking at whether she failed to report possibly illegal payments to a political action committee and other possible misuses of campaign funds.