InBrief
Judge Blocks Infowars Sale • A federal judge in Texas rejected the auction sale of Alex Jones’ Infowars to The Onion satirical news outlet, criticizing the bidding for the conspiracy theory platform as flawed as well as how much money families of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary shooting stood to receive. The decision is a victory
for Jones, whose Infowars site was put up for sale as part of his bankruptcy case in the wake of the nearly $1.5 billion that courts have ordered him to pay over falsely calling one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history a hoax. Families of the Sandy
Hook victims had backed The Onion’s bid. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez said he would not approve the sale, citing concerns about transparency in the auction. The Onion had planned to kick Jones out and relaunch Infowars as a parody.
Albertsons Calls Off Kroger Merger • Grocery giant Albertsons has given up on its plan to merge with rival Kroger in what would have been the largest grocery store merger in U.S. history. The move came after
two U.S. judges, in separate court cases in Oregon and Washington, blocked the merger, citing the risk to competition and consumer protection laws. The companies wanted
to join forces to help them better compete with Walmart, Costco, and
20 NEWSMAX | JANUARY 2025
Amazon, but the Federal Trade Commission objected, saying the move would raise prices and lower workers’ wages by eliminating competition.
Senators Hit Airline ‘Junk Fees’ • Members of a U.S. Senate subcommittee took aim at airline executives for charging customers for early boarding, better seats, and other comforts that used to be part of the ticket price. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said he thinks the federal government should perhaps fine the airlines for their use of what he called junk fees.
Blumenthal, the chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, said seat fees were pure profit for the airlines because they don’t have to create new seats or incur other expenses by allowing customers to pick where to sit. His colleagues expressed frustration that airline executives could not explain how they set the fees, saying the pricing makes it hard for consumers to budget for trips.
$330M Plan to Save Swamp • Louisiana has long relied on a vast levee system to rein in the Mississippi River and protect surrounding communities from flooding. But cutting off the natural flow of the river has been slowly killing one of the nation’s largest forested wetlands. The 176-square-mile
LPGA Bans Trans Golfers
T
he Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) has
updated its gender policy and players assigned male at birth who have gone through male puberty will not be eligible to compete. The new policy comes into effect in the 2025 season,
U-TURN After Hailey Davidson celebrated a victory on the NXXT Women’s Pro Tour, over 275 female golfers signed a letter calling for the repeal of all policies that allow biological males to compete in women’s events.
and covers the LPGA Tour, Epson Tour, Ladies European Tour, and all other elite LPGA competitions, where athletes who are assigned female at birth are eligible to compete. “Our policy is reflective of an extensive, science-based,
and inclusive approach,” LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan said in a statement. “The policy represents our continued commitment to ensuring that all feel welcome within our organization, while preserving the fairness and competitive equity of our elite competitions.”
Maurepas Swamp west of New Orleans holds Louisiana’s second-largest contiguous forest, a beloved state wildlife refuge filled with water tupelo and bald cypress trees. The swamp also houses bald eagles, ospreys, black bears, and alligators, and serves as a way station for hundreds of different migratory birds. The state has now broken
ground on an ambitious project to replenish the ailing trees by diverting water from the Mississippi back into the swamp. Brad Miller, who has shepherded the project for the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority since 2006, likened the $330 million river diversion to watering a garden: “The swamp needs river water to be a good swamp.”
Amazon Sued Over Deliveries • The District of Columbia
sued Amazon alleging the company stopped providing its fastest delivery service to residents of two Black neighborhoods, while still charging millions of dollars for a membership that promises the benefit. The complaint filed
in D.C. Superior Court revolves around Amazon’s Prime membership, which costs consumers $139 per year or $14.99 per month for fast deliveries — including one-day, two-day and same-day shipments — along with other enhancements. Amazon says it made
the change based on concerns about driver safety. “There have been specific and targeted acts against drivers delivering Amazon packages” and the company made the change to “put the safety of delivery drivers first,” Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said.
HAILEY DAVIDSON/INSTAGRAM
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