x02a3 People Advance

A $50 million judgment against Alex Jones has been reduced to $1.5 million by a Texas appeals court. The judgment came after Alex Jones was sued by the parents of the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting. Jones claimed the shooting was a false flag operation. The appeals court ruled the trial court “abused its discretion” by applying a judgment greater than the statutory limit.

Texas judge wipes $50 million judgement against Alex Jones– www.washingtonexaminer.com
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A Texas appeals court has reduced a $50 million judgment against Alex Jones for falsely claiming the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a staged hoax to $1.5 million.

The ruling stems from a 2022 trial in which Jones, a Texas-based right-wing political commentator and conspiracy theorist, was found liable by default for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress after repeatedly claiming the massacre was fabricated. A trial court ordered Jones to pay $50 million in damages to the parents of Jesse Lewis, a 6-year-old boy killed in the shooting.

The 3rd Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that Lewis’s parents, Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, failed to provide sufficient evidence that harassment stemming from Jones’s claims reached a level allowing them to exceed Texas’s $750,000 statutory cap on damages.

Investigative journalist James O’Keefe saw a $130,000 judgment against him thrown out by a three-panel D.C. appeals court. The judgment came after a Democrat group sued O’Keefe’s Project Veritas. The group claimed Project Veritas’ video called “Rigging the Election” was fraudulent and in violation of wiretapping rules. A D.C. jury ruled in their favor.  After the judgment, O’Keefe filed an appeal, claiming the judgment was a violation of the Freedom of Press. The panel ruled 2-1 he was right.

Circuit Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson wrote in the ruling, “The principal question in this appeal is whether the jury’s damages award violated the First Amendment by punishing the defendants for publishing a news story. We conclude that it did. The separate issue is whether, under D.C. law, one of the media defendants became the fiduciary of her own news target by tricking him into hiring her as an unpaid intern. We conclude that she did not.”

Court sides with conservative activist James O’Keefe in First Amendment case– www.washingtonexaminer.com
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O’Keefe, the founder and former CEO of Project Veritas, had appealed a lower court’s 2022 jury decision to award the Democratic consultant targeted by his media company’s undercover video $130,000 in damages based on claims of fraudulent misrepresentation and wiretapping. O’Keefe’s appeal proved successful on Friday, when the three-judge panel agreed, with one judge dissenting in part, to discard the $130,000 damages judgment.

Trump Brings U.S. Marine Home After Biden Abandoned Him in a Russian Prison for Four Years– gellerreport.com
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Biden abandoned a U.S. Marine. Trump brought him home.

Biden traded drug carrying basketball player Brittney Griner for a convicted Russian arms dealer “merchant of death” Viktor Bout.

Harvard lays off nearly one-third of social sciences staff covered by latest restructuring– www.thecollegefix.com
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Restructuring aims to close $365 million budget shortfall

Harvard University laid off almost one-third of its social sciences staff affected by its latest restructuring this month, resulting in 75 direct layoffs.

About 15 of those employees were offered a different job or the choice to take the layoff instead. Three other people either got new roles or quit on their own before the official notices went out, The Harvard Crimson reported.

This is more than twice as many people as the number cut at Harvard College the month before.

“The cuts make the social sciences the hardest-hit part of the [Faculty of Arts and Sciences] restructuring disclosed so far,” The Crimson reported.

The layoffs most heavily impacted the coordinator, faculty assistant, and financial associate positions.

“Twenty-two out of 30 faculty assistant, faculty coordinator, or faculty support specialist roles were slashed, and five of 14 financial associate and senior financial associate positions,” according to The Crimson.

The staff restructuring aims to close a $365 million budget shortfall. Last week’s cuts were the fifth and largest wave of job changes since mid-July, after three smaller rounds in May and June.

Enes Kanter Freedom declares himself an eligible WNBA prospect | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com
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“I look forward to the WNBA honoring its stated principles. See you at training camp.”

Amid controversy surrounding who can and should play in the Women’s National Basketball Association, former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom has declared himself to be an eligible prospect. The announcement challenges the assertions of WNBA coaches and some players who say that trans women, also known as men, should be able to compete on women’s sports teams.

In a video, Freedom said “after careful consideration and reviewing the current eligibility guidelines, I am officially declaring myself a WNBA prospect. If simply declaring who you are is all that’s required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA.”

“My team and I have carefully examined the WNBA’s eligibility criteria and governing framework surrounding self-identification and inclusion. Based on the current guidelines, I can and am officially declaring my eligibility for the upcoming WNBA draft in May 2027,” he continued.

“I am definitely not here to mock, make fun of, or disrespect and community or personal choices. I am simply asking that the current rules be equally applied to everyone, the rules that represent the very values that many WNBA players and coaches have publicly advocated for.

“My team and I are prepared to ensure these guidelines are applied equally, consistently, and without exception. And I look forward to the WNBA honoring its stated principles. See you at training camp.”

U.S. Manufacturing has shown an expansion that hasn’t been seen since 2022, right when the world was recovering from the Covid shutdowns. The Institute for Supply Management showed only one of its 16 industrial categories, chemical production, was contracting. In July, U.S. manufacturing reached 55.6 according to the ISM’s ratings, a level not seen since May 2022.

American Manufacturing Expands At Fastest Pace Since 2022– www.breitbart.com
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The U.S. manufacturing sector is expanding at the strongest pace in four years as output surges, firms add workers, and demand continues to grow, according to a key measure of factory health released Monday.

The Institute for Supply Management’s July barometer of U.S. manufacturing rose to 55.6, the highest since May 2022. This was the seventh consecutive month in which the sector’s reading came in above the threshold of 50 that separates growth from contraction. The reading was higher than economists had forecast.

The employment gauge indicated payroll growth for the first time since September 2023. New orders expanded for the seventh straight month. The measure of production rose to its best reading since late 2021.

Valerie Kloosterman has won $410,000 from the University of Michigan Health-West because of a lawsuit against the hospital. Kloosterman sued after the hospital fired her in August 2021 for refusing to conform to the transgender ideology. She would not reject the gender binary.

Christian Physician Assistant Fired for Resisting Transgender Dogma Gets $410,000 Lawsuit Settlement– www.breitbart.com
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A Michigan physician assistant (PA) who alleged she was fired after refusing to comply with hospital transgender policies because of her religious beliefs is receiving a $410,000 settlement in her wrongful termination lawsuit.

Valerie Kloosterman sued University of Michigan Health-West (UMHW) filed suit in 2022 after she was fired in August 2021, alleging the 200-bed suburban Grand Rapids teaching hospital was requiring her to go against her conscience as a Christian.

“All I wanted to do was provide the best care possible to my patients without being forced to violate my Christian beliefs,” Kloosterman said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

She was represented in the lawsuit by First Liberty Institute, which documented that Kloosterman had “received positive performance reviews throughout her employment before raising faith-based objections to mandatory gender identity training,” the news outlet reported.

The legal advocacy nonprofit reported she was terminated after requesting a religious accommodation from finishing training that “required her to affirm statements about gender identity that were in violation of her Christian faith.”

No effort was made to accommodate her, according to the institute which takes on civil rights cases to “reclaim religious freedom in America.”

According to Fox Digital’s report:

The lawsuit says University of Michigan Health-West officials called her to a meeting, where they disparaged her religious beliefs, called her “evil” and a “liar,” told her she could not bring her Christian beliefs into the workplace, and accused her of contributing to suicides among individuals with gender dysphoria.

The CEO of Cracker Barrel that decided to redesign the franchise for modern audiences has been fired. As the CEO, Missy Masino implemented a “modern audiences” change to Cracker Barrel that was soon cancelled after major pushback from the public. Now, she has been officially fired as CEO, replaced by David Deno.

Cracker Barrel has a new CEO– www.americanthinker.com
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Hooray! After trying to remediate Julie Masino, including lessening her responsibilities, Cracker Barrel has announced a new CEO. Interestingly, the outgoing Julie will retain an advisory role until only October 9, which is not long at all (often, CEOs who step down to “spend more time with family” consult for longer periods, perhaps even transitioning to the board).

As I type, the stock is marginally down, but that’s because the incoming CEO, David Deno, will clean house. The cracked company needs to be resealed. A deep, purifying purge could be disruptive for short-term traders, but mandatory to roll out the splendidly refurbished old Barrel.

Missy Masino missed the mark. Her Woke focus on logos and store decors undermined the traditional appeal and charm of Southern comfort foods. Ruining such an established, highly-valued brand is unforgivable in and of itself, even if the menu retained its gastronomical delights.

It did not!  More like gastronomical frights, with service that slights.

In fact, the quality of food and service deteriorated while Julie obsessed about asserting her own unneeded and unwelcoming embellishments. Just look at this wannabee chicken and dumplings meal that degenerated into slop before hitting the table. Given a choice in side-by-side bowls, my old dog would probably have gone for his dry kibbles rather than that gunk — and he wasn’t a food snob.

A Federal District Court has ruled that the state of Illinois cannot offer in-state college tuition benefits to illegal aliens. Federal law explicitly prohibits states from providing college aid to illegal aliens. The ruling struck down a law passed by the Illinois legislature and signed into law by Progressive Governor J.B. Pritzker.

The Judge ruling in the case wrote, “Put simply,” he wrote, “U.S. citizens or nationals must be treated no worse than illegal aliens.” The state has 14 days

Court Strikes Down Illinois In-State Tuition Benefits for Illegal Aliens– legalinsurrection.com
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In a rebuke to Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, a federal district court has struck down Illinois laws providing in-state tuition benefits to illegal aliens—a setback to the sanctuary-state governor’s broader immigration agenda.

The ruling also marks the latest win in the Trump administration’s campaign to end taxpayer-funded tuition benefits for illegal aliens, a fight Legal Insurrection has covered from the beginning.

Illinois’ laws allowed illegal aliens to qualify for reduced in-state tuition rates and for other benefits, including scholarships. Meanwhile, American citizens from other states were not offered these same reduced tuition rates or benefits.

Sophie Cunningham is going viral for her multiple acts of defiance against wokeness in a women’s basketball league that embraces it. She plays for the Indiana Fever, which is also home of the league’s superstar, Caitlin Clark. When asked by reporters about her stance against men presenting as women playing in women’s sports, she unapologetically doubles down on her stance.

Sophie Cunningham Shuts Down Reporter Over Her Stance on Transgender Athletes in Women’s Sports– townhall.com
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Indiana Fever shooting guard and team enforcer Sophie Cunningham is making the rounds, first becoming a viral sensation with her pointing meme from a June 24 game against the Phoenix Mercury: she and DeWanna Bonner got into it in a tense fourth quarter filled with technical fouls and drama. Cunningham’s pointing and trolling of Bonner has become a fan favorite staple.

Yet, she has now angered progressive audiences by rightly claiming that transgenders shouldn’t be allowed to compete in women’s sports. The funny part is that this isn’t a controversial topic, since 70 percent of Americans agree. That side lost the plot, with faces of the movement appearing too unhinged, too moronic, too stupid, and prone to public collapses. This is America—people will disagree, and if you can’t handle that, you should do something else. Activism isn’t for you.

Cunningham was asked about her stance in a pre-game press conference, where she shut down a reporter trying to stir the pot. She struck a sensible tone, adding that she’s not political and everyone is deserving of love and respect, but there are the rights of biological women that must be protected. She’s not compromising on that position.

The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down New Jersey’s recent ban on “assault weapons.” This is the first time a Federal Appeals Court has directly ruled against any state’s “assault weapons” ban.

3rd Circuit strikes down New Jersey’s assault weapons ban on AR-15s – Michigan Lawyers Weekly
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The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on July 17 ruled that New Jersey’s assault-weapons law barring possession of semiautomatic rifles like AR-15s and large capacity magazines containing more than 10 rounds of ammunition is unconstitutional.

The ruling marked the first time a federal appeals court had found that a state’s assault weapons ban violated the Second Amendment.

That issue is already in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, which agreed last month to review rulings that had upheld similar bans adopted in Cook County, Illinois, and Connecticut against powerful semiautomatic rifles. The Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority.

The Trump administration announced efforts to root out U.S. citizenship naturalization fraud. The White House intends on conducting the “largest denaturalization effort ever.” The White House posted on X, “When you commit fraud during the naturalization process, you forfeit the right to keep your U.S. citizenship…”

US Launches ‘Largest Denaturalization Effort Ever’– gellerreport.com
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The strategy is to use fraudulent information or incomplete information that was used in the immigration process to secure legal status as grounds for deportation….

From the Justice Department: The Department of Justice announced today that it filed denaturalization actions in various U.S. district courts against 10 individuals accused of serious offenses—including sexual abuse of a child, health care and wire fraud, immigration fraud, and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine. The complaints were filed over the last 30 days. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a naturalized U.S. citizen’s citizenship may be revoked, and certificate of naturalization canceled, if the naturalization was illegally procured or procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation (Justice).

Donald Trump’s unsigned housing bill just banned the U.S. digital dollar – thestreet.com
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The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act became law at midnight, and President Donald Trump’s signature was never on it.

Buried inside the bipartisan housing-affordability bill, and having nothing to do with housing, is a provision barring the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency, a government-run digital dollar.

The ban runs until December 31, 2030, and it stops the Fed from issuing a digital dollar either directly to the public or indirectly through banks and other intermediaries. Any future attempt would require Congress to authorize it first.

A new rule change from the EPA effectively ends California’s stranglehold on the car parts industry. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced “Americans should not be forced to solely rely on California to certify aftermarket products. Starting today, Americans can trust that products certified by SEMA meet federal requirements and can be used to repair vehicles.

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 President Trump’s plan to help children build up a nest egg for their 18th birthday officially begins. The program has been dubbed “Trump accounts,” which are stock portfolio accounts for children. President Trump said, “Children, at the age of 18 and after, become very wealthy people, come into the world with essentially no money and end up, at a pretty young age, being very rich.”

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In the wake of a wave of crackdowns on Christians by Chairman Xi’s China, President Trump has successfully convinced the leader to let a Christian pastor go free. The pastor is Ezra Jin Mingri, who appears to have been released as a token “gift” to President Trump.  He was released two months after President Trump’s Beijing visit.

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Haitians and Syrians with Temporary Protection Status had been prevented from being deported by a lower Federal court ruling. That ruling was overturned by SCOTUS in a 6-3 decision. Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the decision, “The TPS statute plainly bars consideration of respondents’ nonconstitutional claims.”

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Eight Antifa street fighters have been sentenced to a combined 450 years in prison for assaulting an ICE facility. The ringleader of the Democrat-inspired, and potentially funded, insurrectionist attack, Benjamin Song, was sentenced to 100 years. Seven more Antifa street fighters will be sentenced on July 1, 2026.

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The tapes and transcripts of former President Joe Biden’s testimony related to his handling of classified documents can be released according to a U.S. district judge’s ruling. The files reveal Joe Biden’s level of cognizance while still President. The Heritage Foundation is the one requesting the files. They filed a FOIA request in 2024.

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