An appeals court reduced the award to the parents of one victim to $6 million from $49 million, citing a Texas damages cap. The conspiracy theorist owes over $1 billion in other cases.

© Nic Antaya for The New York Times

Appeals court slashes judgment to $1.5m in a significant legal victory for the rightwing Infowars founder

A Texas appeals court has slashed the $50m judgment to $1.5m against Alex Jones, founder of the rightwing platform Infowars, over falsely calling the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, a hoax.

The ruling does not affect a $1.4bn judgment against Jones in Connecticut, but is a significant legal victory for Jones after he and his company, Free Speech Systems, were found liable for damages for claiming the mass shooting didn’t happen.

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© Photograph: David J Phillip/AP

© Photograph: David J Phillip/AP

© Photograph: David J Phillip/AP

The pen Mr. Paxton pocketed more than a decade ago has resurfaced as a campaign issue.

Why so many kids in Minnesota aren’t getting vaccinated.

A federal agent facing assault charges in Minnesota has been jailed in Texas since May. Gov. Greg Abbott has not granted an extradition request.

© Christopher Lee for The New York Times

The Trump administration has been carving a path through some of the beloved national park’s major natural attractions.