memeorandum: Satire publication The Onion buys Alex Jones' Infowars at auction with Sandy Hook families' backing (Dave Collins/Associated Press)

12:20 PM ET, November 14, 2024

Top Items:

Benjamin Mullin / New York Times:

The Onion Says It Has Bought Infowars, Alex Jones's Site, Out of Bankruptcy — The satirical news site planned to turn Infowars into a parody of itself, mocking “weird internet personalities” who peddle conspiracy theories and health supplements. — The Onion, a satirical publication …

Discussion: CNN, Washington Post, USA Today, CBS News, Fortune, The Information, Mother Jones, RedState, Raw Story, Variety, Forbes and Consequence, more at Mediagazer »

Nikki McCann Ramirez / Rolling Stone:

The Onion Just Bought Infowars — and Alex Jones Is Pissed — The satirical newspaper acquired the conspiracy theorist's company after a judge ordered his assets be auctions off — The satirical newspaper The Onion has successfully acquired Infowars and its associated intellectual property …

Discussion: Status, Mediaite, The Verge and The Onion

NBC News:

The Onion wins Alex Jones' Infowars in bankruptcy auction — The satirical news company plans to shutter Jones' InfoWars and rebuild the website featuring well-known internet humor writers and content creators, according to a person with knowledge of the sale.

Discussion: Politico, UPI, Houston Public Media, IJR, Digby's Hullabaloo, Hollywood Life, NPR, Law & Crime and Crooks and Liars

Dave Collins / Associated Press:

Satire publication The Onion buys Alex Jones' Infowars at auction with Sandy Hook families' backing — The satirical news publication The Onion won the bidding for Alex Jones' Infowars at a bankruptcy auction, backed by families of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims whom Jones owes …

William Kristol / The Bulwark:

Trump's Shock, Mock, and Roll 'Em Strategy — A headline not from the Onion: The Onion now owns Infowars. Oliver Darcy of Status reports: … It's not all bad out there, is what we're saying. Happy Thursday. — Those Poor, Poor Vichy Republicans — by William Kristol — What a 24 hours!

Discussion: The Nation and Argus Leader

Stephen Collinson / CNN:

Why Trump is trying to outrage Washington with his controversial Cabinet picks — Donald Trump's increasingly provocative Cabinet picks have left some Republican senators aghast and Washington in shock. — But they really shouldn't. Because the outrage is the point.

Discussion: New York Times, Politico, Daily Mail, Raw Story, The Hill, The Message Box, ABC News and Washington Post

New York Times:

House Ethics Panel Was Set to Vote to Release Report Critical of Matt Gaetz — The committee has been investigating allegations that Mr. Gaetz, President-elect Donald J. Trump's pick for attorney general, engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use. — The House Ethics Committee …

Discussion: Bloomberg, NBC News, Defense One, New Republic, Rolling Stone, Washington Post, New Jersey Online, CBS News, Associated Press, Law Dork and The Independent

Wall Street Journal:

Matt Gaetz Is a Bad Choice for Attorney General — He's a nominee for those who want the law used for political revenge, and it won't end well. — President-elect Trump's cabinet is shaping up to include many good people who will reassure the public that it didn't blunder by betting on a second term.

Discussion: The Wrap, Hollywood Life, The Hill, The DSR Network, Raw Story, Cafe Hayek, The Gateway Pundit and Axios

Sarah Fortinsky / The Hill:

McCarthy says Gaetz won't get confirmed: ‘Everyone knows that’ — Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) predicted Wednesday that former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), President-elect Trump's pick for attorney general, will not get confirmed by the Senate. — Asked for his response …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, New York Times, The Gateway Pundit, Mediaite, al.com, Bloomberg, New Republic, The Guardian, Axios and Deadline

Daniella Diaz / Politico:

House Ethics chair reiterates he does not plan to release Gaetz report — House Ethics Chair Michael Guest is seemingly sticking to his decision to not release his panel's report about Matt Gaetz after the Floridian's abrupt resignation Wednesday. “What happens in Ethics is confidential.

Discussion: Fox News, Raw Story and Washington Post

Juliann Ventura / The Hill:

Durbin demands House ethics panel share Gaetz report with Senate panel — Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin (D) urged the House Ethics Committee to “preserve and share” its report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) after President-elect Trump tapped the Florida congressman to serve as attorney general.

Discussion: WHEC.com, Semafor, Washington Post, CBS News, Raw Story, The Gateway Pundit, Fox News, Power Line, NewsNation, Daily Mail and Mississippi Free Press

Mark Joseph Stern / Slate:
No Matter How Bad You Think an Attorney General Matt Gaetz Would Be, He'll Be Worse

Discussion: New York Post, Bloomberg, Washington Examiner, New York Times, Hollywood Life, Politico, The Independent, NBC News, The Daily Caller, ABC News, New York Magazine, Vox, So What, HuffPost, al.com, Mediaite, Daily Mail and Talking Points Memo

Jeffrey Blehar / National Review: Matt Gaetz Cannot Be Allowed to Become Attorney General

Marc A. Caputo / The Bulwark:
Donald Trump Is Dead Serious About Getting Matt Gaetz to DOJ

Discussion: Mediaite, Politico, The Independent, No More Mister Nice Blog, Raw Story, New York Times, New York Post, Axios, CNN, NPR, Washington Examiner and USA Today

Politico:
Gaetz resigns from Congress — possibly skirting long-awaited Ethics report

Joshua Nelken-Zitser / Business Insider:
Matt Gaetz is emerging as the Trump pick Republicans are prepared to dunk on

Discussion: The Atlantic, Washington Examiner, HotAir, The Hill, Raw Story, HuffPost, New Republic, So What, Associated Press, New York Magazine, New York Post, Al Jazeera, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and RedState

NBC News:
Justice Dept. employees stunned at Trump's ‘insane,’ ‘unbelievable’ choice of Matt Gaetz for attorney general

Discussion: CNN, Talking Points Memo, HuffPost, Associated Press, New York Daily News and The Independent

Breanne Deppisch / Fox News:
Trump taps Matt Gaetz for attorney general

Axios:
Republicans “stunned and disgusted” as Trump taps Matt Gaetz for AG

Associated Press:
Matt Gaetz just resigned from Congress, ending a probe into sexual misconduct and drug use

Discussion: Daily Mail, Pensacola News Journal, The Sun, The Guardian, NPR, News18, Wall Street Journal, Variety, Associated Press, New Jersey Online, New York Daily News, Baltimore Sun, The 19th, RedState, Washington Times, FOX 35 Orlando and Washington Post

John Sakellariadis / Politico:

‘Left turn and off the bridge’: Trump's spy pick stuns intel world — The former Democratic member of Congress from Hawaii has many critics and no formal intelligence experience. — Donald Trump was expected to pick an outsider to lead the U.S. intelligence community.

Discussion: Washington Post, Al Jazeera, The Hill and The Times of Israel

Tom Nichols / The Atlantic:
Tulsi Gabbard's Nomination Is a National-Security Risk

Discussion: Telegraph, New York Times, Raw Story, News18 and Washington Examiner

Sarah Fortinsky / The Hill:
Bolton calls for FBI investigations before Gaetz, Gabbard confirmations

Discussion: NBC News, Washington Examiner, USA Today, CBS News, Scripps News, Raw Story, Variety, Washington Post, Washington Times, Crooks and Liars, Axios, Digby's Hullabaloo, The Independent, New Jersey Globe, UPI, Alaska Public Media and Foreign Policy

Bryan Pietsch / Washington Post:
Trump pick resurfaces questions about Tulsi Gabbard's 2017 Syria visit

Discussion: Axios

Dan De Luce / NBC News: Trump's pick for top intel job has been accused of ‘traitorous’ parroting of Russian propaganda

Julian E. Barnes / New York Times:
Trump Chooses Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence

Discussion: HotAir, News18, The Free Press, The Hill, Honolulu Civil Beat, The Guardian, CatholicVote org, CNN, Mother Jones, NPR, The Daily Signal, NBC News, The National Pulse, Washington Times and Raw Story

The Hill:

Musk's bold plans for ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ face roadblocks — Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are set to take the reins of the brand-new “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) under President-elect Trump — a panel with bold ambitions of slashing government costs and restructuring federal agencies.

Discussion: Washington Examiner, E&E News and New York Post

Jesus Mesa / Newsweek:
Donald Trump Jokes He 'Can't Get Rid' of Elon Musk Amid Growing Influence

Discussion: Atlanta Black Star, Page Six, Twitchy, Daily Mail, The Independent, News18, Mediaite and Washington Post

Stephen Robinson / Public Notice:

How a right-coded media environment boosts Trump — TikTok, X, and the manosphere push young voters away from Dems. … 🤝 — A near-majority of American voters willingly reelected Donald Trump. This harsh reality is a collective moral failure, but it's also not a choice made in sound mind.

Annie Karni / New York Times:

Republicans Ran a Dysfunctional House. Voters Shrugged and Re-elected Them. — The success of the G.O.P. push to keep the majority suggests that it paid no political price for the chaos and paralysis of its past two years in control of the House. — A historically long and divisive fight to choose one speaker.

Discussion: Raw Story, USA Today and CBS News

Russell Berman / The Atlantic:
What Trump Can (And Probably Can't) Do With His Trifecta

Discussion: Raw Story

NBC News:
House Democrat to introduce resolution reiterating Trump can serve only two terms as president

Discussion: The Guardian, Bloomberg, Boston Herald and Washington Times

John Sexton / HotAir:

‘Everyone Inside ABC News Is on One Side’: ABC Looking to Revamp The View — ABC News has plans to revamp The View in light of Donald Trump's commanding win in the 2024 election. ABC execs are said to be panicking over the fact that their roundtable features a collection of women …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Townhall, RedState, New York Post and Twitchy

John Koblin / New York Times:
Viewers Flee MSNBC, and Flock to Fox News, in Wake of Election

Discussion: RedState, more at Mediagazer »

Amanda Marcotte / Salon:

Fox News host Pete Hegseth as defense secretary: Perfect symbol of phony MAGA masculinity — Donald Trump pretends to love toughness, but the MAGA model of masculinity is snowflakes like this guy — When considering the reasons why Donald Trump picked a Fox News blowhard to run …

Discussion: Daily Mail, The Independent, Los Angeles Times and Boston Herald

Taylor Herzlich / New York Post:

FBI seizes Polymarket CEO's phone, electronics after betting platform predicts Trump win: source — FBI agents raided the Manhattan apartment of Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan early Wednesday — just a week after the election betting platform accurately predicted Donald Trump's stunning victory, The Post has learned.

Discussion: Breitbart, Townhall, The Daily Caller, New York Times, PJ Media, The Gateway Pundit, RedState, acecomments.mu.nu and UPI

Dan Primack / Axios:
FBI raids home of Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan

Discussion: USA Today, Reason, TechCrunch, Not the Bee, Reuters, The Independent, Fortune, israelhayom.com, Shore News Network, Al Jazeera, Fox Business and Bloomberg, more at Techmeme »

Ken White / The Popehat Report:

Refuge In Kakistocracy — How The Worst Of Us May Somewhat Shelter The Rest Of Us — H.G. Wells published War of the Worlds in 1897. He depicted humanity being saved from the malevolent and technologically superior Martians not by armed might or ingenuity or the indomitable spirit of man, but by a head cold:

Discussion: Raw Story

Kyle Cheney / Politico:

Judges postpone Jan. 6 trials on verge of Trump presidency — It's the first time federal judges have acquiesced to the demands of Jan. 6 defendants for delays in anticipation of potential pardons from Trump. — Two federal judges agreed Thursday to postpone criminal trials for defendants accused …