Articles by Jim Vertuno

Alex Jones’ Defamation Trial Set to Begin in Texas

Jury selection was set for Monday in a trial that will determine for the first time how much Infowars host Alex Jones must pay Sandy Hook Elementary School parents for falsely telling his audience that the deadliest classroom shooting in …

Texas Top Cop Says Uvalde Police Could’ve Ended Rampage Early on

Police had enough officers on the scene of the Uvalde school massacre to have stopped the gunman three minutes after he entered the building, and they would have found the door to the classroom where he was holed up unlocked …

Schools, not Local Health Officials, Decide on Class Start, Texas AG Says

Local health officials in Texas do not have the authority to close schools to prevent spread of the coronavirus, state Attorney General Ken Paxton said July 28, pushing that decision solely into the hands of school officials. Paxton issued a …

Texas’ Bexar County Orders Face Mask Use to Fight COVID-19; Fines Possible

Officials in the San Antonio area have ordered people to wear face masks in public when social distancing isn’t possible and warned that businesses could face fines of up to $1,000 for failing to comply with county health policies in …

Texas Legislation Would Allow More Armed School Personnel

Nearly a year after a mass shooting at a Texas high school in which eight students and two substitute teachers were killed, lawmakers in the gun-friendly state are close to passing new measures that they say would harden campuses by …

University of Texas Settles Kearney Discrimination Lawsuit for $600K

The University of Texas agreed to pay $600,000 to settle former women’s track coach Bev Kearney’s race and gender discrimination lawsuit, according to documents released Monday. Kearney and the school agreed to settle her nearly five-year-old lawsuit in June. Terms …

University of Texas to Settle Ex-Coach’s Discrimination Lawsuit

The University of Texas has agreed to settle a race and sexual discrimination lawsuit filed by former women’s track coach Bev Kearney. Kearney attorney Jody Mask on Wednesday told The Associated Press that the case will be dismissed. University spokesman …

Lance Armstrong, US Government Settle Lawsuit for $5M

Lance Armstrong reached a $5 million settlement with the federal government in a whistleblower lawsuit that could have sought $100 million in damages from the cyclist who was stripped of his record seven Tour de France victories after admitting he …

Judge Limits Key Testimony in Armstrong Lawsuit

A federal judge has set some limits on key evidence and testimony in Lance Armstrong’s upcoming $100 million civil trial, including harm inflicted on former team sponsor U.S. Postal Service and whether the government should have known the cyclist and …

Baylor Settles with Woman Who Said University Ignored Rape

The first woman to sue Waco, Texas-based Baylor University over allegations the nation’s largest Baptist school ignored or mishandled rape allegations has settled her case, her attorney said. Jasmin Hernandez sued Baylor in early 2016, two months before the school …