settlement in Fox vs. Dominion defamation case

A settlement of $787.5 million was reached on Tuesday in Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation lawsuit against Fox News.

According to the Associated Press, the network agreed to the deal – half of what Dominion was asking – in order to avoid having to go to trial in which its falsehoods about the 2020 election being “rigged” in favor of Joe Biden would have been further revealed. It also allowed Fox personalities to avoid being called to testify in court on the matter. “The truth matters. Lies have consequences,” said Justin

Nelson, attorney for Dominion. In a statement, Fox News commented, “We are hopeful that our decision to resolve this dispute … allows the country to move forward from these issues.”

The New York Times reported that while other news outlets were giving wide coverage to the settlement, Fox News devoted six minutes to the story.

Four people killed in Maine shooting

A suspect has been arrested in connection with two incident near Portland, Maine in which four people were killed and three wounded.

According to USA Today, four bodies were found in Bowdoin on Interstate 295. Police say they have arrested Joseph Eaton, 34, a resident of that city.

Angels beat Yanks. Clippers burned

Shohei Ohtani homered and drove in two runs as the Los Angeles Angels (9-8) beat the the New York Yankes 5-2 Tuesday night.

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Mets 5-0 to square their record at 9-9. They’re in second in the National League West.

The Los Angeles Clippers lost 123-109 to the Phoenix Suns in Game Two of the NBA Western Conference playoff series. Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points in a losing cause.

Weather: Get warmer

The thermometer will be slowly showing that summerlike weather is coming to the West Orange County area. The forecast for Wednesday is calling for mostly sunny skies and a daytime high of 70 with an overnight low of 50. Thursday will be warmer with mostly sunny skies and a high of 81(56).

Sun will dominate on Friday with a high of 89 (61).

Retorts: Fears of different years

Continued from page 3 land office business digging underground bomb shelters, many of which remain in backyards across Orange County and the U.S.

Being kids, some of us questioned the logic of these precautions. If a nuke went off, what’s the point in ducking and covering? Weren’t we going to be incinerated? Why stockpile white bread when there will be no one left to eat it? Our portly teacher, Mrs. Farkle, well, there was no way she was going to fit under that desk.

Patiently, although a little rattled, the folks answered. The blast wave of compressed air from the explosion would travel a lot further than the actual detonation. That would mean that class windows would be shattered and send thousands of sharp slivers flying across the room.

Food was being panic-bought only because your next-door neighbor was doing the same. Even if the war never happened, there might be an artificial shortage of Wonder Bread for a while. Somewhat like COVID-19.

As for Mrs. Farkle, well … they didn’t have an answer for that.

Our drills were about our world coming to an end, but it didn’t. Cooler heads prevailed. But today, there’s no end in sight to the terror. Almost all heads can be cool, but if one or two people remain aggrieved at the wrong time and in possession of dad’s rifle, (it’s almost always a male) tragedy can result, and it does.

Determined disturbed kids and adults have found ways around the painfully permeable protections we grown-ups have put in place. Windows can be shot out. Doors can be left open. Fences can be climbed.

So, I’ll take the days under the desks and the scary bell any time. A theoretical threat from thousands of miles away is easier to live with than the fear that that guy you offended two days ago was going to come back, that look in his eyes …

Jim Tortolano’s Retorts column appears on Wednesdays and Saturdays.