Tag: Not Sports But Whatever

The Onion buying InfoWars from Alex Jones, explained

The Onion buying InfoWars from Alex Jones, explained

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new information.

Welcome to FTW Explains: A guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. You may be trying to wrap your head around The Onion buying InfoWars and are wondering what’s up with that. We’ve got you covered.

This is not satire. This is real life. The Onion — known for decades for an empire of satirical news, videos and beyond — announced on Thursday that it had purchased InfoWars, known for being run by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones before a lawsuit by families of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting took the site down.

Let’s explain it all for you.

Wait, so The Onion REALLY bought InfoWars?

Sure did.

Why was InfoWars for sale?

Because Alex Jones was ordered to pay over $1 billion in compensation to the families of Sandy Hook victims who suffered harm from Jones spreading lies that the shooting was a hoax.

A U.S. Bankruptcy judge approved an order this year to have Jones’ assets — including the site — sold off.

And The Onion bought it? This isn’t just some wacky prank or headline?

Nope! They really did it. From The New York Times:

The Onion said that the bid was sanctioned by the families of the victims of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, who in 2022 won a $1.4 billion defamation lawsuit against Mr. Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems. …

The publication plans to reintroduce Infowars in January as a parody of itself, mocking “weird internet personalities” like Mr. Jones who traffic in misinformation and health supplements, Ben Collins, the chief executive of The Onion’s parent company, Global Tetrahedron, said in an interview.

What did The Onion have to say about this directly?

In only the way The Onion can:

Founded in 1999 on the heels of the Satanic “panic” and growing steadily ever since, InfoWars has distinguished itself as an invaluable tool for brainwashing and controlling the masses. With a shrewd mix of delusional paranoia and dubious anti-aging nutrition hacks, they strive to make life both scarier and longer for everyone, a commendable goal. They are a true unicorn, capable of simultaneously inspiring public support for billionaires and stoking outrage at an inept federal state that can assassinate JFK but can’t even put a man on the Moon.

What is The Onion going to do with InfoWars?

Sounds like the plan is to mock Jones and others of his ilk. But there’s more. From The Associated Press:

 The Onion said its “exclusive launch advertiser” will be the gun violence prevention organization Everytown for Gun Safety.

“Everytown will continue to raise awareness on InfoWars’ channels about gun violence prevention and present actual solutions to our nation’s gun violence crisis, including bipartisan, common-sense measures and public safety initiatives backed by Everytown,” The Onion said in a statement Thursday.

Is Jones trying to stop this?

Yep, per The AP he’s going to “file legal challenges to stop it.”

And it looks like we’ll have to wait a week to see how things proceed, as a judge has put a hold on the sale due to bidding transparency concerns.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=421393231]

The Hall County, Texas blue alert that alarmed everyone, explained

Texans were pulled out of their slumber by an unexpected alarm on Friday morning.

Just before 5:00 a.m. in Texas, people across the state were pulled from their slumber by an unexpected alarm. It was a blue alert, something intended to aid authorities in finding people that are suspected in a crime related to injuring law enforcement. The alert went out to search for a 33-year-old in Memphis, Texas, a part of Hall County, after a police officer was injured in a shooting Thursday night.

Recipients of the blue alert were warned to look out for 6-foot-2 Seth Altman, but told not to approach him and instead call the authorities. The system is designed to warn residents of potential public safety issues, including the more common AMBER Alerts or Silver Alerts for missing people.

But for a lot of Texans, the message was a jarring way to wake up.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=421393231]

When does Daylight Saving Time end in 2024? Here’s the answer.

Fall is almost here, and that means we’ll be “falling back” very soon.

Fall is almost here, and that means we’re just a few short months away from every sleep enthusiast’s favorite holiday: the end of Daylight Saving Time, which began on March 10.

This year, Americans will “fall back,” at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3, gaining an extra hour of sleep as opposed to the dreaded “spring forward” in March in which snoozers lose an hour.

Daylight Saving Time was implemented nationwide in the United States in 1966 with clocks being set forward an hour on the second Sunday of March and set back an hour on the first Sunday of November.

However, not every state and territory in the United States recognizes Daylight Saving Time. Arizona and Hawaii do not, as well as Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa.

As the leaves change color and the air starts to get cooler, worry not. Your extra hour of sleep is coming soon — unless you live in one of the places mentioned above, unfortunately.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=421393231]

Fall Back: When does daylight saving time end in November 2023?

Congratulations! You’re getting an extra hour of sleep this weekend.

It’s time to “fall back” this weekend.

Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday morning, and most people across the country will need to set their clocks back one hour at that time as the nation returns to standard time.

There are several areas in the United States that do not observe daylight saving time — which was standardized nationwide in 1966 — namely the state of Arizona and Hawaii.

Daylight saving time is also not observed in the territories of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa.

While the dreaded “spring forward” will come on March 10 when we lose an hour of sleep and return to daylight saving time, you can enjoy the extra hour this weekend.

So if you were looking for a justification to stay up and watch the “Pac-12 After Dark” matchups on Saturday night and still catch the Chiefs-Dolphins game in Frankfurt, Germany, early Sunday morning, there you go.

All 32 NFL teams as Halloween candy: 2023 edition

Some teams give you a delicious Halloween treat. Others are gross and stick to your mouth.

Here at For The Win, a very serious place of business, we often have hearty staff debates. About anything, really, but especially food. Simply mentioning that you enjoy a certain salad or cookie or how you take your coffee will turn many of us feral. We’ll react viscerally, baffled that someone, somehow, enjoys a different texture, flavor, mix, what have you.

So in the Halloween spirit, smack dab in the middle of the 2023 NFL season, we decided to compare all 32 NFL teams to a specific Halloween candy (or any candy otherwise). And you won’t be surprised to learn that we professionals immediately hounded someone (this fair but courageous writer) for daring to have a dissenting opinion about chocolate and fruity gold.

One might even say such a pack mentality is a little spooky. Dear reader, this is the cross I bear for my colleagues.

Below, you will find the very scientific candy consensus we came to for every NFL team this Halloween. Some team choices and blurbs are obvious. They are the evergreen peanut butter cups of professional football. They are a treat. Others, unfortunately, stick in our craw in the worst way, necessitating whole globs of water to wash away the disgusting taste out of our mouths. You only wish they were a trick.

Note: The list is in alphabetical order, not by ranking of what is and isn’t delicious.

FEMA emergency test: Why everyone’s phones and TVs will simultaneously sound on Wednesday

Why your phone buzzed or pinged on Wednesday, Oct. 4.

At 2:20 p.m. ET on Wednesday, you may notice your phone make a sound … along with the phones of everyone around you, at the very same time.

That will also coincide with a message on your television if you’re watching.

What’s the deal with that? Here’s the answer: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be conducting a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System on Wednesday, Oct. 4, which makes sure that in the case of an actual emergency, we can all be alerted.

So no need to panic — as the alerts on our TVs used to say back in the day, “this is only a test.”

6 reasons Buc-ee’s lives up to the hype as the GOAT rest stop and gas station

As Buc-ee’s continues to expand, here’s why you need to go there.

Full disclosure: I’m from the Northeast, so I had no idea what Buc-ee’s was for years.

Then, on a road trip from Austin to Dallas, my buddy and I made a pit stop. And it was there that I discovered that Buc-ee’s isn’t just any old gas station with a convenience store attached to it.

It was a destination unto itself, a stop that you have to make if you can find one of its locations. And with news that it’s expanding up to Ohio, you may be wondering: What is Buc-ee’s and why is it so hyped?

I have answers, with reasons why it’s the GOAT:

The 15 best types of cookies, ranked

These cookies stand out above the rest as the best of the best.

There’s no better snack in the world than freshly-baked cookies. Given just how many varieties of cookies there are, there’s always going to be something for everyone no matter what they like.

That being said, there are a handful of cookies that are clearly a cut above the rest. The best of the best, if you will. For one reason or another, these cookies have become commonplace in our lives, either through tradition or just plain and simple tastiness.

Except you, oatmeal raisin. You are a terrible excuse for a cookie and I’m not afraid to say it.

Without further ado, here are the 15 best types of cookies!

An Iowa TV sports reporter had to cover a blizzard and looked completely miserable doing it

“Can I go back to my regular job?”

With a massive, arctic cold front sweeping across the country, this is no time to be outside if you can help it.

Unfortunately for this Iowa TV sports reporter, duty called in the worst way possible. As inclement weather and frigid temperatures are engulfing a large portion of the United States — and impact betting lines for the NFL — KWWL-TV sports reporter Mark Woodley was called upon to fill in as an on-sight weather man in the midst of a blizzard.

Thankfully, Woodley survived his freezing, snowy ordeal covering the brutal weather in the late evening and early morning hours near Waterloo, Iowa. That being said, he sure didn’t look happy about it!

Talk about going above and beyond for your job! Woodley’s snark even well into a long night of reporting is hilarious too. Hopefully now Woodley is taking a well-deserved day off cuddled under as many blankets as possible.

[mm-video type=video id=01gmvpyp9tmg6hk4dy4c playlist_id=none player_id=01evcfkb10bw5a3nky image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gmvpyp9tmg6hk4dy4c/01gmvpyp9tmg6hk4dy4c-700b9249fae51619116d06a1e5c3ba1c.jpg]

[listicle id=1996559]

Chicago weatherman adorably loses it on-air after realizing his TV is a touch screen

“I can do that? No way!”

Touch screens are pretty much everywhere nowadays. From your phone and tablet to even your computer, the tactile technology is part of our daily lives at this point.

And yet, ABC 7 Chicago weatherman and meteorologist Greg Dutra was adorably gobsmacked when coming face to face (hand to screen?) with this technology. On-air during Thursday morning’s weather report, Dutra moved his hand across his screen when the image suddenly shifted due to the touch screen.

Dutra and his coworkers Terrell Brown and Val Warner then immediately stopped in the middle of the weather report to mess around with the TV screen in the most wholesome moment captured on live television.

The power of technology, baby!

[mm-video type=video id=01g9jqnwkt18cwdkxbd8 playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g9jqnwkt18cwdkxbd8/01g9jqnwkt18cwdkxbd8-9171904eabdce142a378dbb112fef3f2.jpg]

[listicle id=1946488]