Month: October 2025

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an appeal from right-wing commentator and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, effectively upholding a $1.4 billion defamation judgment against him for spreading false claims that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax. The Superme Cout did not provide an explanation for its decision.

By rejecting the appeal, the high court allowed the judgment—originally imposed after Jones was found liable in 2021—to stand. The lawsuits, brought by the families of victims of the Sandy Hook massacre, accused Jones of defamation and emotional harm stemming from his repeated false statements about the tragedy.

Last week, Jones had asked the Supreme Court to temporarily block the enforcement of the judgment while justices considered whether to review his case. Jones’ legal team argued that the staggering amount was impossible to pay, calling it a “financial death penalty” imposed on a media figure whose broadcasts reached millions. Justice Sonia Sotomayor denied that request on Monday, following the Court’s broader decision not to take up the appeal.

In 2022, a six-member Connecticut jury ordered Jones to pay $965 million in damages to 15 plaintiffs- the families of the victims – citing defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and violations of state law. A month later, a judge added an additional $474 million in punitive damages, bringing the total to more than $1.4 billion. Jones’ legal team argued in court filings that the amount was “impossible to pay.”

Jones, who founded the media outlet InfoWars, spent years repeatedly promoting the false narrative that the Sandy Hook shooting wasn’t real, and the events were staged by “crisis actors.” to push for stricter gun control.  In reality, 20 first-graders, six educators, the shooter Adam Lanza and his mother died in the 2012 school shooting. During the defamation trial, relatives of victims and an FBI agent testified that they were subjected to threats and harassment from Jones’ followers who believed his conspiracy theories. In a separate Texas case, Jones acknowledged under oath that the Sandy Hook shooting was “100% real.” Nonetheless, he continued to criticize the Connecticut proceedings, labeling them a “kangaroo court” and claiming his First Amendment rights had been violated.

Following the judgments, Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems, filed for bankruptcy. In a bizarre twist, the satirical outlet The Onion attempted to purchase InfoWars during bankruptcy proceedings, but a judge blocked the sale last December. According to Jones’ attorneys, efforts to sell InfoWars are still ongoing.

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President Donald Trump met with Argentine President Javier Milei on Tuesday, just days after Washington approved a major financial support package aimed at stabilizing Argentina’s struggling economy.

As Milei arrived, reporters asked Trump if he had a message for the people of Argentina, in which he responded: “We love them. We’ll be here for them. They have a great leader.”

Trump said on Tuesday, however, that support from the U.S. for Argentina hinges on the ruling party of President Milei succeeding in this month’s midterm legislative elections, adding that “we’re not going to waste our time” if Milei’s party doesn’t win.  Trump added: “I’m with this man because his philosophy is correct, and he may win it … He may not win, but I think he’s going to win. And if he wins, we’re staying with him. And if he doesn’t win, we’re gone.”

The meeting comes just days after the U.S. agreed to provide a major financial lifeline to the South American nation. Earlier this month, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the U.S. would back a $20 billion currency swap with Argentina’s central bank—an agreement that allows the exchange of U.S. dollars for Argentine pesos in an effort to provide financial stability.

As a result of Trump’s remarks after the meeting, Argentina’s main stock market reversed earlier gains, and was down about 2% following the President’s comments. Treasury Secretary Bessent said the package (full details of which have not been announced) is predicated on the continuance of economic policies favored by the Trump administration. Bessent said: “Going back to Peronist policies would cause a rethink,” however he added that the aid package was not dependent on Argentina ending a separate swap line arrangement with China: “American assistance to Argentina is not predicated on ending the swap with China.”

Although specific terms of the financial package have not been made public, the aid could offer Milei an important political boost as he confronts a worsening economic crisis and declining public support. His party suffered a notable defeat in a provincial election last month and now faces a pivotal midterm contest later this month.

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President Trump boarded Air Force One on Monday after the signing of the peace agreement aimed at ending the Gaza conflict, as well as his historic address to Israel’s parliament, the Knesset. The president is expected back in Washington early Tuesday morning.

Hamas released the final group of 20 surviving Israeli hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023 as part of an exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The hostages were reunited with their families in Israel. Along with the freed captives, the remains of four other hostages who were killed were also returned. Israeli authorities said that the bodies of 24 more slain hostages remain in Gaza.

Pres. Trump met with hostage families in the morning before delivering an address to Israel’s Knesset, where he said: “After so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today, the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still, and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace. Together, we’ve achieved what everybody said was impossible. At long last, we have peace in the Middle East — it’s a very simple expression, peace in the Middle East. And we’ve heard it for many years, but nobody thought it could ever get there, and now we’re there.”

Trump was awarded the Order of the Nile by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.  The award, the highest civilian honor in the country, was awarded to President Trump for “his significant contributions to promoting peace, resolving conflicts, and most recently, his pivotal role in ending the war in Gaza.”

Trump extended his thanks to the world leaders he stood with, specifically calling out the heads of state of multiple Middle Eastern countries including Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia for their help with the peace agreement. The peace accord, brokered by the United States and signed by President Trump alongside several Middle Eastern leaders, formally launched the plan to bring the war to an end. Trump expressed optimism that the deal would “hold strong.”

As part of the broader agreement, Israel is set to free around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. This group includes roughly 250 individuals serving life sentences and about 1,700 others who have been held since the Hamas-led assault on October 7, 2023. A cease-fire between Israel and Hamas took effect at noon local time on Friday, after which Israeli forces completed their withdrawal to a designated line within Palestinian territory.

The White House later released a list of countries and organizations that had participated in the peace ceremony in Egypt: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Canada, Cyprus, Egypt, EU, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Authority, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.

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Two people were killed and one person on the ground was wounded after a small aircraft crashed down on a highway in southeastern Massachusetts on Monday, amid a powerful nor’easter.

The plane went down around 8:15 a.m. EDT on a grassy median on Interstate 195 in Dartmouth, Mass (Dartmouth is about 57 miles south of Boston and 28 miles southeast of Providence, R.I.) Video shared by witnesses on social media showed the wreckage engulfed in fire as emergency crews rushed to the scene. Police cruisers, fire trucks, and ambulances lined the highway as responders battled the blaze.

According to Massachusetts State Police, the frixed-wing plane caught fire after impact, sending flames and thick smoke into the air. The police said in a statement that “preliminary information indicates the plane may have been attempting to land at New Bedford Regional Airport, though it does not appear that the pilot provided the airport with a flight plan or the number of souls aboard the aircraft. There is no information immediately available about the identity of the pilot or passengers, the circumstances of the crash, or the timing of the roadway reopening to normal traffic.” As of 10:25 a.m., both directions of I-195 were closed between Exits 19 and 22 to allow emergency crews to secure the area, according to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

Authorities later confirmed that both individuals aboard the aircraft died at the scene. The person on the ground was taken to the hospital, though officials have not released details on the extent of their injuries. That individual was taken to a nearby hospital in a passenger vehicle, police said.

The accident unfolded as a strong coastal storm lashed Massachusetts and the greater Mid-Atlantic region with fierce winds and heavy rain. It is not yet known whether weather conditions contributed to the crash. According to the National Weather Service office in Boston, the nor’easter is bringing gusty winds, periods of torrential rain, and minor coastal flooding into Monday night. Lighter rain and winds were expected to continue into Tuesday, October 14.

A spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board said it was investigating the crash, saying a Socata TBM-700 had departed from the New Bedford airport. At New Bedford Regional Airport, wind speeds exceeded 30 mph late Sunday morning, according to the NWS. Flight tracking site FlightAware reported delays at Boston Logan International Airport around 11 a.m. due to low visibility. The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to lead an investigation into the cause of the crash. FlightAware data showed that only about a dozen flights were scheduled at New Bedford Regional Airport on Sunday, most of which appeared to be operating normally,

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