Kane Cornes and David King have named who they believe to be the most underpaid players in the AFL.
Herald Sun is about to release a list of the top 100 best paid players in the game, but on the flip side, which players should be earning more?
Cornes, a big advocate for player wages to be made public, thinks two emerging young stars are performing well above their current salaries.
“We often criticize players for being overpaid and some players not delivering to their contracts,” Cornes told SEN Breakfast.
“Who’s underpaid? Who are the underpaid players in the game do you think that they are giving extraordinary value to their team and don’t necessarily get the pay check that some others do?
“The most underpaid player in the competition this year is Nick Daicos. He’s the most underpaid player in the game.
“If he was not in his first year, what would his contract value be worth? He would be a $600,000 to $700,000 player I would assume if he wasn’t on a set contract in his first year.
“I think he’s the most underpaid player in the game and young Sam De Koning is probably not far behind him for what he’s doing at Geelong.”
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The Magpies signed father-son Daicos to a four-year deal, while De Koning is contracted through until the end of 2023.
King is a huge fan of Richmond star Shai Bolton and his match-winning capabilities.
Bolton’s current deal, which expires at the end of next year, is worth a reported $600,000 a season.
“On what I’ve seen this year, and I think this guy would be on reasonable coin, he’s a senior core player and has been in the system for quite some time,” King said.
“I would say Shai Bolton, in terms of being able to swing games and influence matches with a team that’s had its injury challenges all year.
“I reckon he’d be in that conversation.”
Bolton and his manager have opened early contract talks with the Tigers, according to Herald Sun.
Hundreds of dead fish have been found on the banks of several central Queensland waterways, but authorities say there could be a simple explanation behind the deadly occurrence.
Key points:
About 350 to 400 dead barramundi have been found at Callide Dam, while 100 have been found at Lake Awoonga
Queensland’s Department of Environment and Science is monitoring the situation
Adverse weather conditions are believed to have played a part in the fish deaths
About 350 to 400 dead barramundi have been found at Callide Dam, just outside Biloela.
Colin Bendall, the executive general manager for Sunwater — the government organization that operates the dam — said the dead fish were large, about 10 kilograms and 1.2 meters in size.
“We have seen increased numbers over the past week,” he said.
“Most of those are introduced barramundi.”
About 100 dead barramundis have also been found in the past month at Lake Awoonga, near Gladstone.
Cause of fish deaths
Darren Barlow of the Gladstone Area Water Board said those fish were showing signs of a seasonal fungal infection, likely caused by adverse weather conditions.
“Conditions such as unseasonal winter rain, prolonged strong westerly winds, and limited access to warm water bays due to current lake levels can all impact fish health,” Mr Barlow said.
“While there is potential for more fish death sightings at Lake Awoonga, don’t be alarmed if you find a sick or dead fish.
“This event is rare… [but] similar events have occurred at Lake Awoonga and many other impoundments in the past.”
Queensland’s Environment and Science Department says highly variable temperatures have coincided with the fish deaths.(ABC Capricorn: Tobi Loftus)
Mr Bendall said it was too early to tell whether the fish in the Callide Dam had also been impacted by a fungal infection.
But across winter, a minimum of minus 0.5 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 21.5 degrees have been recorded at Callide Dam.
The changes in temperatures are believed to have played a part in those deaths.
“Our main concern is making sure we get the fish cleaned up as soon as possible … as obviously it’s quite concerning for locals visiting the dam and also the fish stock society,” he said.
He said the incident had not impacted water quality from the dam, which provided drinking water to Biloela.
“We take regular samples of the water quality, and we’re also working closely with the local council,” Mr Bendall said.
Callide Dam is located near the Callide Power Station just outside Biloela.(ABC Capricorn: Tobi Loftus)
Fishers and recreational users at both dams have been urged not to touch the dead fish due to the risk of injury or potential infection.
A spokesperson from Queensland’s Department of Environment and Science said it was aware of both incidents and was monitoring for further reports.
“Members of the public can report fish deaths to the department’s pollution hotline on 1300 130 372,” the spokesperson said.
John Bolton urged the Biden administration to cease negotiations with Iran after a federal indictment revealed an alleged plot to assassinate the former Trump adviser. Bolton said others are also being targeted and called for the US to work on removing the regime from power.
“I do think it’s important for people to understand that this plot, this effort to kill me… and I’m certainly not alone in this, they’re after plenty of people, including average citizens, not just former government employees — that shows the real nature of the regime,” Bolton told Yahoo News in an interview Thursday.
On Wednesday the Justice Department unsealed charges against a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in what court documents describe as a brazen murder-for-hire plot to assassinate the former national security adviser to avenge the death of Iran’s top military general Qassem Soleimani. This comes after the Biden administration and Iranian officials recently concluded talks in Vienna to potentially revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iran nuclear deal.
The US withdrew from the agreement in 2018 under the Trump administration but is now trying to resuscitate the deal.
A flag with an image of senior Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani is displayed by Hezbollah soldiers in Lebanon during a ceremony marking the first anniversary of his killing. (Aziz Tahr/Reuters)
“I wouldn’t restart the nuclear talks,” Bolton said. “To me, going back in the deal is a huge strategic mistake for the United States. So what I would do would be to terminate discussions. I don’t think you’re ever going to achieve peace and security in the Middle East as long as the current regime in Tehran is in power. So my policy would be removing the regime.”
He said this could be done by exploiting factions and rivalries within the regime’s military and leadership.
“I think finding those potential dissident military officers in particular, and very carefully communicating with them to separate the regime at the very top is the way, with careful planning, I think you can bring it down,” he told Yahoo News. “It’s not going to happen overnight. … It takes time. It’s hard. It’s very risky.”
The White House did not respond to Yahoo News’ request for comment on Bolton’s call for the US to topple Iran’s regime.
Bolton said this is the only way forward and skewered the Biden administration for solely focusing on restoring the 2015 deal.
An FBI wanted poster of Shahram Poursafi, also known as Mehdi Rezayi, of Tehran, Iran, who has been charged with plotting to murder John Bolton, the national security adviser to former President Donald Trump. (FBI/Handout via Reuters)
Bolton described the administration’s efforts to revive the deal as “the holy grail for them,” and said it would take something “extraordinary” for the administration to stop their efforts.
“I know many of the people involved in this in the administration, they are pursuing this with a religious zeal,” Bolton said.
Yahoo News reported on Wednesday that an unnamed second target, referred to as a former senior high-ranking Trump administration official, is former Secretary of State and CIA Director Mike Pompeo. A source close to Pompeo said the Justice Department contacted the former secretary of state last week to notify him of the plot and the charges.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani denied the allegations in a statement, calling them “fiction,” according to Israeli news outlet i24NEWS.
“The Islamic Republic warns against any action that targets Iranian citizens by resorting to ridiculous accusations,” Kanani said.
John Bolton, national security adviser, left, and Mike Pompeo, US secretary of state, in 2018. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The plot against Bolton stems from the death of Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, according to the indictment. In January 2020, the Trump administration conducted a drone strike that killed Soleimani while he was on a trip to Iraq. Since then, the regime in Tehran has threatened revenge against those it deems responsible and has made a series of threats and started legal proceedings against US officials.
Bolton left the Trump White House prior to Soleimani’s death but his hawkish views on Iran and other past actions have been cited by Iran as reason for wanting him killed.
An intelligence report obtained by Yahoo News last month stated that the “Iranian regime is waging a multipronged campaign — including threats of lethal action, international legal maneuvering, and the issuance of Iranian arrest warrants and sanctions — against select US officials to avenge the death of IRGC-QF Commander Soleimani in January 2020, raising the threat at home and abroad for those Iran views as responsible for the killing.”
IRGC-QF stands for Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, an elite division of Iran’s military.
According to the report, Tehran has “consistently identified former President Donald Trump, former Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, and former CENTCOM Commander General Kenneth McKenzie as among its priority targets for retribution” since January 2021.
Former national security adviser John Bolton speaking at Duke University in North Carolina, February 2020. (Logan Cyrus/AFP via Getty Images)
Yahoo News previously reported that concerns about retaliatory attacks after Soleimani’s death against officials involved in the strike against him prompted Congress to appropriate $15 million for security for departing Secretary of State Pompeo and others.
“I think in the White House, their brains are compartmentalized,” Bolton told Yahoo News Thursday. “Here, you have the nuclear problem here, you have the terrorist problem. They’re not compartmentalized in Iran. And unfortunately, Iran is the adversary that’s threatening us. So … at a conceptual level in the White House, they can distinguish between the nuclear program and attacks on Americans on American soil. That’s not how they see it in Tehran.”
Four former officials being targeted by Iran told Yahoo News that they were dismayed by the Biden administration’s continued efforts to negotiate with a regime actively trying to assassinate them and other former US officials. Two of these former officials told Yahoo News they supported the nuclear deal but urged the administration to put JCPOA talks on hold until Iran stops trying to kill officials on US soil.
The nuclear deal is not a good deal but it’s better than nothing, said one former official who said he supported the Biden administration efforts to revive the 2015 agreement. But, this person said, talks should only summarize if there are assurances Iran will stop trying to kill American officials on US soil. This person requested anonymity out of concern for the security of family members.
Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani, center, at a meeting with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Tehran in 2016. (Office of Iranian Supreme Leader/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
“The real concern for all of us is not what Iran is doing, it’s what the US is not doing,” said Rob Greenway, former senior director for Middle Eastern and North African Affairs of the National Security Council.
Greenway said there were steps that the White House should take immediately to respond to the threats against former officials. Greenway is one of the former US officials sanctioned by Iran; Iran requested Interpol issue red alert notices on officials including Greenway, currently an adjunct fellow at the Hudson Institute.
“I would extend protection for all government officials against whom there are active Iranian threats. Not all those threatened by Iran have government-provided personal security details,” Greenway said.
The White House did not respond to Yahoo News’ questions about providing security for additional officials.
He also said he would “recommend we cease active negotiations with Iran until compelling and verifiable assurances made publicly and privately to cease all efforts targeting US citizens including former government officials.” Greenway told Yahoo News.
A White House spokesperson told Yahoo News that the Biden administration will continue to pursue JCPOA talks as long as he believes it’s in “US national security interests.”
President Biden at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, following an Arab summit there, July 16, 2022. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
“President Biden has been clear that he will ensure Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon. He believes diplomacy is the best path to achieving that goal,” a spokesperson said. “At the same time, the Biden administration has not and will not waive in protecting and defending all Americans against threats of violence and terrorism. We will continue to bring to bear the full resources of the US government to protect Americans.”
When asked how he thinks the US should be responding to the threats, Bolton reiterated his opposition to the Iran nuclear deal, and said he doesn’t believe there’ll be peace and security in the Middle East as long as the current regime in Tehran is inpower. Bolton called for the Biden administration to remove the regime from power, but demurred when asked if he’d tried to do this when he worked in the Trump administration.
I think [the regime is] far more vulnerable than people think. I think there’s enormous dissatisfaction across the country. The government has the weapons — that’s the problem. The people don’t have the weapons. So it’s a difficult situation, but nobody should think this regime is rock solid. It is definitely not.
The plot described in court records shows the world what Iran is capable of, he said.
“It’s a look inside their soul. And it’s a confirmation [that] they can make a lot of commitments about their nuclear weapons program, [and] have no intention whatsoever of honoring them.”
More than two months after New South Wales banned lightweight plastic bags, not all small businesses have made the switch to paper, fabric or thicker plastic alternatives.
Key points:
Plastic bags thinner than 35 microns were banned from June 1
Some stores have struggled to source alternatives
From November 1, single-use plastic cutlery and straws will be outlawed
From takeaway outlets and convenience stores to school fetes and charity op shops, the entire retail sector is covered by the ban, introduced at the start of June.
NSW is the last state to ditch the disposable bags — a move supported by the state’s retail industry — but the plastic bag has not disappeared yet.
Why are some shops still using plastic bags?
The National Retail Association has been advising thousands of businesses on making the change.
Project manager Ebony Johnson told ABC Sydney most have embraced the change, but there were some “teething issues”.
Some have been hit by supply chain issues caused by the pandemic, delaying the arrival of alternatives to the plastic bags.
Other small businesses that may have sold less than expected during the pandemic were sitting on large amounts of plastic bags when the new rules kicked in.
Businesses flouting the ban face ends up to $250,000.
There is no official grace period, but the Environment Protection Agency did not say if any fines or warnings had been issued.
“The EPA has been focusing on educating and supporting businesses to transition away from single-use plastic bags,” an EPA spokesperson said.
Boomerang Alliance director Jeff Angel said it was a “mixed picture” of compliance.
“We have heard about some shops claiming their bags are one micron thicker than the banned ones… which of course means it’s still a lightweight polluting bag,” Mr Angel said.
But he agreed education was the priority at this stage rather than late, suggesting the amount of information provided to retailers in the lead-up to the June 1 ban was inadequate.
Business Western Sydney executive director David Borger also believes education is the key.
“The best way we can ensure a smooth transition away from single-use plastics is education and communication with businesses — particularly small businesses,” Mr Borger said.
“Small businesses need support during this transition phase. They have been grappling with downturns during COVID, supply chain issues and increased costs.”
Which plastic bags are still allowed?
The ban does not cover thin produce bags without handles, known as “barrier bags”, found in the fruit and vegetable sections of supermarkets.
Only lightweight plastic bags — 35 microns in weight or less — with handles are prohibited.
Thicker plastic bags are still allowed, with the idea that they are reusable, although there is a push to ban these too.
Which bag is the best? The one that accompanies you to the shop the greatest number of times.(AAP: Peter Rae)
Western Australia has already banned them, and supermarket giant Woolworths has announced plans to ditch them from stores across the country by the end of 2023.
Boomerang Alliance, which represents dozens of environment groups concerned about packaging and plastic waste, is calling for a national standard to be set for reusable bags to prevent companies simply “greenwashing”.
The ban does include so-called biodegradable, compostable and degradable bags as they only break down when specially treated in an industrial compost facility.
What should customers do?
Ms Johnson encouraged customers to bring their own bags, just as many shoppers already do when they go to the supermarket.
“The best bag is the one that you use the most amount of times. So, if that’s plastic, and a thicker weight plastic, it’s just about how often you use it, whether it’s paper, fabric or plastic.”
The retail association advised consumers to expect the cost of reusable bags or other alternatives which are more expensive to be passed on.
“We all think twice when we have to pay for something,” Ms Johnson said. “We’re all human, we forget sometimes, so try to remember a little bit more but be prepared to pay if you do forget.”
What will be phased out next?
From November 1, single-use cutlery, plates and straws and containers without lids will also be banned.
From November 1, plastic eating utensils including cutlery, bowls and plates will no longer be allowed.( Supplied: Hornsby Shire Council)
The NSW government estimates the ban on single-use plastic products will remove almost 2.7 billion items from the environment over the next 20 years.
However, environmental campaigners have slammed the EPA for granting a two-year exemption for plastic-lined paper plates and bowls, such as “party” plates with patterns, pictures or colors printed on them.
An EPA spokesperson says the exemption is in response to feedback from suppliers and manufacturers that there is a lack of suitable food-safe printed alternatives.
Boomerang Alliance’s Jeff Angel says there is nothing to stop producers ordering and supplying more plastic-lined products once they use up their existing stock.
“When other states ban these before we do, they’ll be dumped in NSW,” Mr Angel said.
“NSW is on a go-slow really.”
Western Australia has banned plastic-lined plates and bowls and Victoria and South Australia have proposed the same ban.
Queensland is not currently enforcing its ban due to the lack of alternatives.
Tech can also disconnect us from something else that makes a fun run “fun”: other people and the carnival atmosphere.
Two years ago, as he was running past the starting line at the City2Surf, Todd Liubinskas’ training partner and co-founder of the 440 Run club, Trent Knox, told him to hand over his watch.
Todd Liubinskas (left), and Trent Knox.Credit:edwina pickles
“I had my Garmin on, and he goes ‘give it to me’ and he said ‘just focus on your breathing’,” recalls Liubinskas, who did his first City2Surf as a seven-year-old.
Knox says he could see that his friend, who shot out too fast, was already anxious about achieving his splits.
“I wanted him to get out of his head,” says Knox, who, along with Liubinskas, is leading the Under Armor run team at the race. Without the distraction of his watch from him and chronically checking his pace from him, he relaxed: “You can run a race a hundred different ways and get the same time.”
Liubinskas, whose goal was to run the 14 kilometers in under 70 minutes, did it in 64 minutes and managed to enjoy himself, too.
“There will be people who will keep looking at their watch the whole time, ‘Oh I’ve got to get this, and I’ve got to get that,’ and you miss everything,” says Liubinskas, who hasn’t worn a watch to track his runs since.
With numbers for this year’s City2Surf lower than in previous years, Knox has been asking people why they’re not signing up. They have told him, he says, they would prefer not to run because life, and COVID, have got in the way of training, and they won’t get a PB.
It’s a shame, says Knox. “It doesn’t matter if you’re not at your best; it’s about being together.”
Being together and, after COVID’s many variations as well as a nasty flu season, a celebration of being well.
A colleague of mine had been hoping to train for the event, but illness made a mockery of her plans. She has decided to run – or walk – anyway, and reset her expectations of her.
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“I used to feel frustrated if I wasn’t able to jog up heartbreak hill – if I had to resort to walking,” she says. “But now I’m just so grateful to be well enough to participate at all (as a result of having had COVID) that I’m just happy to jog some and walk however much.”
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‘I’m gonna start crying’: Angelina Jolie expresses her emotions as she drops daughter Zahara off at Spelman College
The Oscar-winning actress, 47, was seen in a clip on Instagram Wednesday
She was accompanying her daughter, 17, to the Atlanta educational institution
Jolie said she was ‘holding it together’ on the emotional day
Jolie and ex-husband Brad Pitt, 58, are parents to six children: Maddox, 21, Pax, 18, Zahara, Shiloh, 16, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 14
By Adam S. Levy For Dailymail.com
Published: | Updated:
Angelina Jolie was emotional as she dropped off her daughter Zahara Jolie-Pitt at Atlanta’s Spelman College Wednesday.
The Oscar-winning actress, 47, was seen in a clip on Instagram Wednesday posted by Darryl Holloman, who is Spelman’s vice president for student affairs, as she helped Zahara, 17, move into the college.
The Maleficent actress said, ‘I’m gonna start crying… I have not started crying yet,’ adding that she was ‘holding it together.’
The latest: Angelina Jolie, 47, was emotional as she dropped off her daughter Zahara Jolie-Pitt, 17, at Atlanta’s Spelman College Wednesday. The two posed with Darryl Holloman, who is Spelman’s vice president for student affairs
The president of the college, Dr. Helene Gayle, reassured the Eternals star that she would have ‘plenty of time’ to be emotional at other collegiate functions, joking that the events are aimed to ‘purposefully to induce’ emotions and ‘bring it all out.’
Jolie said she’s ‘holding it together still,’ adding, ‘I heard tomorrow night’s the big deal.’
Hollman asked Jolie, ‘How does it feel to be a Spelman mom?’ to which she said, ‘I’m so excited; I’m so excited.’
Hollman posted a picture of Jolie and Gayle posed together, as well as a selfie with Jolie and Zahara, which he captioned, ‘Welcome to campus..Zahara, c’2026!!’
The Maleficent actress said, ‘I’m gonna start crying … I have not started crying yet,’ adding that she was ‘holding it together’
The A-list actress chats with the president of the college, Dr. Helene Gayle, on the summer day
Jolie said she was ‘so excited’ to see her daughter embark on the latest step in her education
Jolie in July posted a group shot of Zahara with a group of her collegiate colleagues, writing, ‘Zahara with her Spelman sisters!
‘Congratulations to all new students starting this year. A very special place and an honor to have a family member as a new Spelman girl.’
Jolie and ex-husband Brad Pitt, 58, are parents to six children: Maddox, 21, Pax, 18, Zahara, Shiloh, 16 and twins Vivienne and Knox, 14. Maddox is currently attending South Korea’s Yonsei University.
Pitt earlier this month told Vanity Fair that he was ‘so proud of’ Zahara as she was set to attend Spelman, a historically Black college for women.
‘She’s so smart,’ he said. ‘She’s going to flourish even more at college. It’s an exciting and beautiful time to find her own way and pursue her interests. I’m so proud.’
I added: ‘Where does the time go, right? They grow up too fast. It brings a tear to the eye.’
Jolie in July posted a group shot of Zahara with a group of her collegiate colleagues, writing, ‘Zahara with her Spelman sisters!’
Zahara’s father Brad Pitt, 58, earlier this month said he was ‘so proud of’ her as she was set to attend Spelman, a historically Black college for women. He was snapped in LA at the Bullet Train premiere
If there was any doubt about Nick Kyrgios’ US Open hopes, there is not now.
Fresh from his three-set victory over world No.1 Daniil Medvedev, Kyrgios demolished his Australian compatriot Alex de Minaur in straight sets (6-2, 6-3).
His clinic in Canada, which sees him move into the quarter-finals, didn’t see the volatile Australian turning on his box at times.
As late as the penultimate game, Kyrgios was blowing up at his team for their “lack of support” as he was broken.
But just as quickly he responded, winning in style a game late to progress through to the final eight.
“(Today was) incredibly tough,” he said.
“After yesterday’s big high, after playing Daniil and the crowd was amazing, it’s a day I’ll probably never forget.
“Today was really hard mentally for me to go out and play Alex, we’re such good friends and he’s been having such a good career so far and carrying the Australian flag for so long, it was tough mentally to play a friend, especially if they’re Australian.
“I just got out here and got the job done. I played the way I had to play. He’s a helluva player, if he plays to his strengths from him, he’s one of the best players from the back of the court and he’s so fast.
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Nick Kyrgios is through to the quarter-finals. Photo: Getty ImagesSource: AFP
The win means more than meets the eye because it sees him move back inside the world top 30 in the ATP rankings and crucially a seeding at the US Open, which gets underway on August 29.
With his round of 16 win Kyrgios is now the new world No.27. A win in the quarter-final over Hubert Hurkacz will see him climb as high as No.21.
“It was a goal, more so that I don’t get one of the big titans or gods the first-round, I can actually work my way through the draw, if the draw is kind,” he said on court.
“I always feel as if my game is right there. I feel like no matter who I play, today I felt amazing, and let’s keep it going.”
Indeed, de Minaur appeared “shell shocked” as a “mature” Kyrgios ran riot in the opening set, where the Wimbledon runner-up claimed the opening four games.
De Minaur eventually got on the scoreboard in the fifth game as he managed to hold serve for the first time in the match.
But with his fourth ace of the opening set, Kyrgios moved to a 5-1 lead and soon after claimed the first set 6-2 in just 23 minutes
“As flawless as sets come,” it was said in commentary. “A quite ridiculous level from Nick Kyrgios.”
Alex de Minaur lost in straight sets against Nick Kyrgios. Photo: Getty ImagesSource: AFP
After being on his best behavior during the first set, Kyrgios starting firing up early in the second set.
He actions were described as “pure venting” as he turned on his box in the opening games of the second set.
Nonetheless, Kyrgios took an early break in the second set and never looked back.
Squeezed between tropical wetlands and the Great Barrier Reef, the wetlands of Mungalla Station should be a colorful haven teeming with life.
Key points:
Many of Australia’s coastal ecosystems, such as oyster reefs and kelp forests, are heavily degraded
New research has identified a series of barriers to critical restoration work, including a lack of funding
Scientists have called for a national road map to restore coastal ecosystems
The former pastoral property in north Queensland was, until not long ago, choked with weeds and devoid of fish.
James Cook University’s Center for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research associate professor Nathan Waltham describes efforts to restore it to health as the most rewarding project he has ever worked on.
It involved seven years of exchanging scientific knowledge with the Nywaigi traditional owners.
“It’s been a two-way learning street and seeing country slowly healing and seeing the Indigenous rangers become so inspired, creating jobs for Indigenous youth has just been so rewarding,” Dr Waltham said.
“Unfortunately, it’s very small scale, and we need to now be thinking about this as an example that can be taken to much larger scales.”
Harder than it needs to be
Restoration projects like the one at Mungalla have experienced success around Australia.
But new research led by Megan Saunders, a senior research scientist at the CSIRO’s oceans and atmosphere division, and Dr Waltham reveals there are major barriers to projects going ahead at the scale required to restore the nation’s degraded coasts.
Mungalla Station is now restored to a coastal wetland.(Supplied)
They found there was insufficient funding to restore many degraded sites and that Australia lacked a consistent approach to mapping and classifying coastal and marine ecosystems.
Processes to engage with traditional owners on restoration projects are often not even executed, they found.
Mungalla’s health has also slightly declined since its restoration project concluded, highlighting the need for ongoing love and care.
Sometimes when restoration projects do receive funding, they are brought unstuck by complex approval processes.
“[It can be] anywhere from 50 per cent, 60 per cent of the allocated funding time just to get the approval and, unfortunately, that is a challenge we have to break down,” Dr Waltham said.
“That has possibly huge implications on projects even starting.”
Dr Saunders is the lead author of the research into scaling up coastal and marine restoration work.(ABC Far North: Christopher Testa)
Climate the biggest threat
The main threat to coastal low-lying areas is, unsurprisingly, climate change and its associated threats such as more severe storms.
Scientists this month confirmed frequent El Niño events caused hundreds of kilometers of coastal mangroves in the Gulf of Carpentaria to die.
Dr Saunders, who specializes in coastal and marine restoration, said Australia needed a national plan to restore coastal ecosystems, involving state and local governments, First Nations people, philanthropic groups and the finance sector.
Examples of coastal restoration in environments that have been irreversibly altered include the retrofitting of seawalls in Sydney Harbor to make them a more suitable habitat for marine life to flourish.
Dr Saunders said adopting a road map similar to the one set out in their research paper could make Australia a “world leader” in coastal restoration.
Mangroves along the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria have died in recent years due to the effects of climate change.(ABC North West Queensland: Lucy Murray)
Meanwhile, she said, across the nation, there was a lot of work to do.
“Oyster reefs in Australia have declined by 92 per cent since the arrival of Europeans and the coastal development activities that have happened,” Dr Saunders said.
“We’ve also lost 95 per cent of Tasmanian kelp beds more recently due to warming water temperatures, so our natural assets, in particular, are in decline due to climate change.”
House Democrats appear determined to forge ahead with the Manchin-Schumer social spending and taxation plan despite their lack of knowledge on the fiscal implications of the legislation.
According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), a nonpartisan agency that analyzes the impact of legislation on the budget, it will be “weeks” before an updated analysis can be completed on the bill, officially called the Inflation Reduction Act.
“Given the scope of the amendments to title I, Committee on Finance, CBO expects that it will be a few weeks before we can fully analyze and estimate those budgetary effects, at which point we will provide a complete cost estimate for the legislation,” CBO Director Phillip Swagel wrote in a Thursday letter to Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who serves as chairman of the Senate Committee on the Budget.
The CBO completed an analysis on the original “Build Back Better” bill that passed the House in November, but not on the latest version of the bill agreed to by Sen. Joe Manchin, DW.Va., and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., that passed in the Senate on Sunday.
VULNERABLE HOUSE DEMOCRAT SAYS HE WILL SUPPORT MANCHIN-SCHUMER SPENDING BILL, POINTING TO ITS LIKELY PASSAGE
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi listens as President Donald Trump speaks at the 68th annual National Prayer Breakfast, Feb. 6, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Despite the unavailable data, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has scheduled a vote on the bill for Friday, raising questions about why Democrats seem to be in a rush to pass the legislation amid uncertainty over party unity behind it and sharp criticism from Republicans.
The rush to vote on the legislation also serves as a stark reminder of Democrats’ heavily scrutinized efforts to pass a health care reform bill, known as ObamaCare, in 2010 without members of Congress knowing the full contents of the bill.
“We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it,” Pelosi said at the time.
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According to Democrats, the Inflation Reduction Act spends $433 billion, but would raise $739 billion in revenue over a period of years.
Brandon Gillespie is an associate editor at Fox News. Follow him on Twitter at @brandon_cg.
Popular video game engine Unity has had a lot of bad press over the last year, the result of things like large-scale layoffs and some really terrible comments from its CEO. Today the trend continues, as it was recently announced that the company has signed a new multi-million dollar, three-year deal with a technology company that will see it become the “preferred real-time 3D platform” provider for the US government and its various defense agencies and militaries.
Unity is a widely used video game engine that is often cited as being lightweight, easy to work with, and flexible, allowing indie devs and large studios to create games that can scale across multiple platforms, like Xbox, PC, and Switch. The engine powers numerous games, like Among Us, V Rising, Call of Duty Mobile, and Cuphead. But this flexibility and power have also attracted the attention of folks outside of the game industry, including companies that help build simulations and other systems for the US government and military.
As announced earlier this week, Unity is parenting with CACI International on what the company calls an “exciting” three-year, multi-million dollar deal that will help it become the “preferred real-time 3D platform for future systems design and simulation programs across the US Government.”
If you, like most folks reading this, don’t know what CACI is, here’s how the company describes itself on its own website:
CACI is a $US6 ($8) billion company whose mission and enterprise technology and expertise play a vital role in our national security, safeguarding our troops, and enabling our government to deliver cost-effective and high-quality support for all Americans.
This sounds a lot like Unity is once again cutting deals to help the US government and military in developing technology that could aid soldiers and the country’s ability to fight wars overseas. And while some might not mind working on such tech, as we saw last year, many staff members at Unity did indeed have an issue with how the company was handling these deals. There were reports that some employees were working on parts of the engine that would benefit Unity’s government and military contracts, yet the devs had no idea.
Kotaku has contacted Unity about this latest contract and how it plans to keep its game engine devs separate from or informed about its military and government contract work with CACI.
