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The Onion has agreed to a new deal to take over Infowars

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− By Tovia Smith In this photo illustration, The Onion website is displayed on a computer screen, showing a satirical story titled Here's Why I Decided To Buy 'InfoWars', on November 14, 2024 in Pasadena, California.
+ By Tovia Smith In this photo illustration, The Onion website is displayed on a computer screen showing a satirical story titled "Here's Why I Decided To Buy 'InfoWars'" on Nov.
− Mario Tama/Getty Images North America hide caption The satirical website, The Onion, has a new deal to take over Infowars, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones's far-right media company.
+ 14, 2024, in Pasadena, Calif.
− If approved by a Texas judge, the deal would take away his Infowars microphone, and allow The Onion to resume its plans to turn the website into a parody of itself.
+ Mario Tama/Getty Images hide caption The satirical website The Onion has a new deal to take over Infowars, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' far-right media company. If approved by a Texas judge, the deal would take away his Infowars microphone and allow The Onion to resume its plans to turn the website into a parody of itself.
National The Onion wins auction for Alex Jones' media company Families of those killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, who sued Jones for defamation, want the sale to happen.
− They're still waiting to collect on the nearly $1.3 billion judgement they won against Jones for spreading lies that they faked the deaths of their children in order to boost support for gun control.
+ They're still waiting to collect on the nearly $1.3 billion judgment they won against Jones for spreading lies that they faked the deaths of their children to boost support for gun control.
− That prompted Jones's followers to harass and threaten the families for years.
+ That prompted Jones' followers to harass and threaten the families for years.
− The families are also eager to take away Jones's platform for spewing such conspiracy theories.
+ The families are also eager to take away Jones' platform for spewing such conspiracy theories.
The deal not only would divorce Jones from his Infowars brand, but it would turn the platform against him by allowing The Onion to mock his kind of conspiracy mongering and advocate for gun control. The families "took on Alex Jones to stop him from inflicting the same harm on others" by using "his corrupt business platform to torment and harass them for profit," said Chris Mattei, one of the attorneys for the families.
− "When Infowars finally goes dark, the machinery of lies that Jones built will become a force for social good, thanks to the families' courage and The Onion's vision, persistence and stewardship." A mourner visits the Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial on the 10th anniversary of the school shooting on Dec.14, 2022 in Newtown, Connecticut.
+ "When Infowars finally goes dark, the machinery of lies that Jones built will become a force for social good, thanks to the families' courage and The Onion's vision, persistence and stewardship." A mourner visits the Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial on the 10th anniversary of the school shooting on Dec.14, 2022, in Newtown, Conn.
− Twenty-six people were shot and killed, including 20 first graders and 6 educators, in one of the deadliest elementary school shootings in U.S.
+ Twenty-six people were shot and killed, including 20 first-graders and six educators, in one of the deadliest elementary school shootings in U.S.
history.
− John Moore/Getty Images hide caption For its part The Onion called it a "significant step in an effort to transform one of the internet's more notorious misinformation platforms into a new comedy network for satire." The company says it could announce its new rollout of Infowars in a matter of weeks if the judge approves the deal.
+ John Moore/Getty Images hide caption For its part, The Onion called it a "significant step in an effort to transform one of the internet's more notorious misinformation platforms into a new comedy network for satire." The company says it could announce its new rollout of Infowars in a matter of weeks if the judge approves the deal.
"Eight years, almost to the day, after the Sandy Hook parents first filed suit against Alex Jones, they'll finally get some justice, and even some money," said Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion.
− "This is a chance to make something genuinely new out of a very broken piece of media history." On its website Monday, The Onion posted a satirical message from the fictional CEO of its parent company, Global Tetrahedron, "Bryce P.
+ "This is a chance to make something genuinely new out of a very broken piece of media history." On its website Monday, The Onion posted a satirical message from the fictional CEO of its parent company Global Tetrahedron, "Bryce P.
− Tetraeder," stating a "dream is finally coming true." For his part, Jones already is vowing to challenge the new deal, accusing The Onion of trying to "steal and misrepresent" his identity and profit from it.
+ Tetraeder," stating that a "dream is finally coming true." For his part, Jones already is vowing to challenge the new deal, accusing The Onion of trying to "steal and misrepresent" his identity and profit from it.
"They want the name and the logo to literally try to misrepresent and say they're me and it's all hidden behind satire," Jones said.
− "Well, what you got yourselves is a bunch of lawsuits." Jones implored his audience to help support his fight, by acting fast and buying up what he said may be Infowars' last run of new merch.
+ "Well, what you got yourselves is a bunch of lawsuits." Jones implored his audience to help support his fight by acting fast and buying up what he said may be Infowars' last run of new merch.
− "In the potential twilight of Infowars itself as Infowars.com, we've launched a whole bunch of new shirts and hats that are limited edition…" he said Monday.
+ "In the potential twilight of Infowars itself as Infowars.com, we've launched a whole bunch of new shirts and hats that are limited edition …," he said Monday.
Even if Jones loses control of Infowars, he could continue to broadcast from another studio, under another name.
− Jones's attorneys did not respond to a request for comment.
+ Jones' attorneys did not respond to a request for comment.
National Bankruptcy judge rejects The Onion's bid for Infowars More than a year ago, a federal bankruptcy judge rejected The Onion's first attempt to buy Infowars through a bankruptcy auction, saying the process was flawed. Since then, the bankruptcy court clarified that because Infowars' parent company, Free Speech Systems, is not itself in bankruptcy, its property should be handled instead by a Texas state receiver. That cleared the way for the new pending deal to lease Infowars to The Onion, with the hope that a future sale could be approved. In papers filed in state court, the Texas receiver said he "determined that licensing the Intellectual Property is in the best interest of the receivership estate." The deal calls for The Onion to pay $81,000 a month to license the Infowars.com domain and brand name, which the receiver says will "cover carrying costs to preserve and protect the assets of the receivership estate" until an appeal filed by Jones is decided and the path is cleared for a sale.
− Jones's personal bankruptcy case is proceeding in federal bankruptcy court, where a trustee continues to sell off Jones's personal property, including cars, homes, watches and guns, with proceeds intended for the families.
+ Jones' personal bankruptcy case is proceeding in federal bankruptcy court, where a trustee continues to sell off Jones' personal property, including cars, homes, watches and guns, with proceeds intended for the families.
A memorial to massacre victims stands near the former site of Sandy Hook Elementary on Dec.
− 14, 2013 in Newtown, Connecticut, one year after Adam Lanza shot and killed 20 first graders and six adults at the school.
+ 14, 2013, in Newtown, Conn., one year after Adam Lanza shot and killed 20 first-graders and six adults at the school.
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