Month: August 2022

Categories
Business

The Overnight Report: Hold Your Breath

The Overnight Report: Hold Your Breath

Daily MarketReports | Aug 10 2022

This story features NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED, and other companies. For more info SHARE ANALYSIS: NAB

World Overnight
SPI Overnight 6892.00 – 39.00 – 0.56%
S&P ASX 200 7029.80 + 9.20 0.13%
S&P500 4122.47 – 17.59 – 0.42%
Nasdaq Comp 12493.93 – 150.53 – 1.19%
DJIA 32774.41 – 58.13 – 0.18%
S&P500 VIX 21.77 + 0.48 2.25%
US 10-year yield 2.80 + 0.03 1.16%
USD Index 106.30 – 0.09 – 0.08%
FTSE100 7488.15 + 5.78 0.08%
DAX30 13534.97 – 152.72 – 1.12%

By Greg Peel

One More Sleep

A choppy session in a tight range for the ASX200 yesterday ended with the third session in a row of little net movement, ahead of tonight’s US CPI. Not that there weren’t some definitive sector moves.

The banks fell -0.8% after a quarterly update from National Bank ((NAB)) disappointed. NAB blamed the erosion of higher rate benefits in the period due to competition, and higher expenses required to address regulatory concerns about suspected breaches of anti-money-laundering and counterterrorism financing laws undermining earnings. NAB shares fell -2.9%.

Had it not been for NAB it would have been a more positive session. Aside from a small fall in staples (-0.2%) and some give-back in utilities (-0.8%), every other sector closed in the green.

This time it was not about resources, given energy and materials each rose only 0.1%.

The standout was communication services (+1.8%) and it had little to do with Telstra, rather a 6.7% jump for REA Group ((REA)) on its earnings result, 5.9% for major REA stakeholder News Corp ((NWS)) , 9.0% for rival Domain Group ((DHG)) and 2.6% for Domain stakeholder Nine Entertainment ((NEC)).

But let us not get carried away. REA’s growth reflected the boom in housing over the period ahead of the beginning of the downturn as the RBA released the rate hike dogs. REA does not expect a repeat performance this half.

Communication services was also increased by a 10.0% pop for Megaport ((MP1)) on result.

Consumer discretionary surprisingly rose 1.4% despite the Westpac consumer confidence index falling to 81.2 this month from 83.8 in July (100-neutral). Confidence is now down -23% since November.

(Apologies that this release was slotted in for today on our calendar. The Westpac survey is ALWAYS on the Wednesday following the NAB business survey on the Tuesday, but for some reason wasn’t this month.)

Conditions have improved for Australian business, with the NAB survey for July showing a 6 point increase from June in conditions to +20 (zero-neutral) along with a 5 point increase in confidence to +7. The drivers have been identified as strong demand and a very tight labor market.

Strength in REA’s numbers appeared to flow over to the real estate sector (+1.2%), while technology ignored the Nasdaq and rose 1.7%.

The S&P500 fell -0.4% last night but our futures are showing down -0.6%, or -39 points this morning, despite some strong gains in base metal prices.

Recent history suggests that seemingly oversized moves in the futures reflect hedging of a big order set to hit the physical market in the morning. T’would be a bold move ahead of tonight’s CPI, or maybe it’s a square-up for safety’s sake.

Inflation Consternation

It is widely assumed tonight’s US headline CPI will come in lower than June’s 9.1%, confirming a peak in inflation may have been seen, given falls in oil prices, various commodity prices (from copper to lumber) and freight costs. But Wall Street may not be too happy if that dip is only minimal.

Moreover, it is also expected the core CPI, ex food and energy, could actually tick up, and this is more pertinent for the Fed.

The problem is the biggest component of the index is rent, and rents have continued to rise with US mortgage rates, despite an apparent rollover in the housing market, due to higher mortgage rates. As I have noted before, rents can quickly go up but will not quickly come down unless an economic slump leads to vacancies. With unemployment at historical lows, mass vacancies are unlikely.

Wall Street posted another session last night that was largely stable ahead of the CPI, otherwise impacted by more falls in the chip sector dragging down both the Nasdaq and S&P500.

On Monday night heavyweight sector Nvidia fell -6.3% after warning of lower revenues ahead due to supply chain problems and a fall-off in gaming demand. Last night peer Micron fell -3.7% after echoing Nvidia completely. Nvidia fell another -4%.

While these falls are not massive, problems in the chip business resonate across the wider tech sectors, including the Mega-Techs.

The moves come on the day the president signed the CHIPS Act into law, which green lights subsides and incentives to build chip manufacturing facilities in the US. Like chipmaker Intel, Micron also has plans ready for construction of such a facility, but like Intel, no spade has yet broken the ground. The benefits will be long term.

So looking ahead tonight, the fundamental issue will be whether Wall Street becomes more certain the Fed will go another full 75 points in September, or the 50 hinted at by Jerome Powell. The strong July jobs number has already provided concern.

The US will see another jobs number and another CPI result before then.

commodities

Spot Metals, Minerals & Energy Futures
Gold (oz) 1793.90 + 4.70 0.26%
Silver (oz) 20.51 – 0.14 – 0.68%
Copper (lbs) 3.58 + 0.00 0.09%
Aluminum (lb) 1.21 + 0.01 0.61%
Lead (lbs) 0.99 + 0.02 2.33%
Nickel (lb) 9.85 + 0.10 1.01%
Zinc (lbs) 1.69 + 0.10 6.31%
West Texas Crude 90.50 – 0.26 – 0.29%
Brent Raw 96.40 – 0.32 – 0.33%
Iron Ore

109.28 – 1.67 – 1.51%

Glencore’s warning last week that it would have to cut back production at its zinc smelters due to too-high energy costs is continuing to resonate across the base metal spectrum.

The Aussie is down -0.2% at US$0.6968.

Today

The SPI Overnight closed down -39 points or -0.6%. If it comes to pass that would take the ASX200 back below 7000.

Ahead of tonight’s US numbers, China will report July inflation data today.

Commonwealth Bank ((CBA)) and Mineral Resources ((MIN)) are among those reporting earnings today.

The Australian share market over the past thirty days…

BROKER RECOMMENDATION CHANGES PAST THREE TRADING DAYS
AMC Amcor Downgrade to Equal-weight from Overweight Morgan Stanley
asx asx Downgrade to Lighten from Hold Ord Minnett
IPC Century Industrial REIT Upgrade to Outperform from Neutral Credit Suisse
DHG Domain HoldingsAustralia Downgrade to Neutral from Buy citi
NVA Evolution Mining Downgrade to Neutral from Buy UBS
IPL Incitec Pivot Upgrade to Overweight from Equal-weight Morgan Stanley
LOV Lovisa Holdings Downgrade to Neutral from Buy UBS
OZL OZ Minerals Upgrade to Accumulate from Lighten Ord Minnett
Downgrade to Hold from Add Morgan’s
RBL Redbubble Upgrade to Buy from Neutral UBS
OER REA Group Downgrade to Neutral from Buy citi

For more detail go to FNArena’s Australian Broker Call Report, which is updated each morning, Mon-Fri.

All overnight and intraday prices, average prices, currency conversions and charts for stock indices, currencies, commodities, bonds, VIX and more available on the FNArena website. Click here. (Subscribers can access prices on the website.)

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Categories
Technology

How to back up worlds in Minecraft: Bedrock Edition

Minecraft: Bedrock Edition's world select menu (Image via Mojang)

Sometimes Minecraft players require the ability to make a copy of or “back up” a given world for various reasons. They may be transferring their world to a new device, or perhaps they simply want to copy a world before they make alterations to it, in case they make a mistake.

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For Minecraft: Bedrock Edition players, the process of backing up a world is made incredibly easy and should only take a few moments. Once players back up their world, they’re free to do whatever they want with it, and can even import the backup to a server or realm if they’d like. Regardless, players can find a quick guide to backing up their world in Bedrock Edition below.

Minecraft: How to back up a world in Bedrock Edition step-by-step

Minecraft Bedrock's create/edit world menu (Image via Mojang)
Minecraft Bedrock’s create/edit world menu (Image via Mojang)

It goes without saying that before Minecraft players can back up a given world, they’ll need to have one made first. It’s also possible to back up worlds obtained elsewhere such as the Minecraft Marketplace or from the World Export function via Realms.

As long as the world is accessible from a player’s play menu, they’ll be able to back it up all the same. Furthermore, once the backup is created, it’ll be accessible from the play menu the same as any other world, providing easy access.

How to Back Up Your Bedrock Edition World

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  1. Open the game and click the play button on the main menu.
  2. By default, players will be brought to their world list. Find the world you’d like to back up and click the pencil icon next to the world’s name.
  3. In the world settings menu, scroll down the right window all the way to the bottom. Here, players should find multiple buttons including the export, copy, and delete world buttons.
  4. If players would like to make a standard backup to use in the game that’s currently running, simply click the Copy World button. Doing so will create a localized copy that players can access alongside the main world.
  5. If the players need their world transferred to a different device, select Export World. This will convert the world into a .MCworld file which can then be transferred to another device running Bedrock Edition.

However, it should be noted that the console version of Minecraft: Bedrock Edition does not contain the export world function. This is due to most consoles not permitting file browsers on their hardware, so players would have no way of exporting the file and then moving it.

Players who have homebrewed their console may be capable of manipulating the game’s files and can back the world up manually, but homebrewing tends to be against a console manufacturer’s policy and will void its warranty.

If players have a .MCworld file that they’d like to transfer, it should be placed in a reliable location. As a next step, open the game, press the play button and select Import World. Players should then be able to browse to the .MCworld file’s location and import the world to a new device.

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Categories
Entertainment

Anne Heche in ‘dire’ condition, had cocaine in system

Anne Heche in 'dire' condition, had cocaine in system

Anne Heche was allegedly under the influence of cocaine and possibly fentanyl at the time of her horrific car crash last Friday.

Los Angeles Police Department sources told TMZ that the actress’ blood test results came up positive for both substances.

However, the law enforcement insiders cautioned that fentanyl may have been administered to Heche at the hospital to help manage her pain after the accident, so they will do more testing to determine whether the fentanyl was in her system at the time of the crash, Page Six reports.

The actress, 53, was not under the influence of alcohol, reports TMZ, despite a photo taken shortly before the accident that showed a red-capped bottle in her car’s cupholder.

Additionally, the outlet described her condition as “dire,” as she has “not improved” since being admitted to hospital.

Heche’s “close friend” echoed those sentiments, telling the Daily Mail she is “in terrible condition” and that “the smoke inhalation is life-threatening”.

The friend requested that people “please pray” for the actress, saying: “Only God can save her now.”

The LAPD did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment, and a rep for the actress declined to comment.

On Wednesday, officials escalated their investigation to a felony DUI after the woman whose home Heche crashed into claimed she was injured and needed medical assistance as a result.

Page Six confirmed on Monday that the department had obtained a warrant to test the actress’ blood to determine whether she was under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs when she crashed her blue Mini Cooper into the woman’s LA home, igniting a massive fire.

Later that day, her rep told us she was “in critical condition.”

“Shortly after the accident, Anne Heche became unconscious, slipping into a coma,” her spokesperson shared.

“She has a significant pulmonary injury requiring mechanical ventilation and burns that require surgical intervention.”

It’s unclear how much progress doctors have been able to make.

This story originally appeared on Page Six and is republished here with permission

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Categories
Sports

Barcelona signings, news, debt, how did Barcelona sign players? Spotify sponsorship, Frenkie de Jong latest

Barcelona signings, news, debt, how did Barcelona sign players? Spotify sponsorship, Frenkie de Jong latest

Barcelona’s attempts to establish themselves once again as a force in La Liga and the Champions League this season have seen the heavily-indebted Catalans gamble with their future to enable a striking summer spending spree.

A year after being forced to let Lionel Messi go as eye-watering reported debts of 1.35 billion euros (A$1.96 billion) crippled the club, Barcelona have spent 153 million euros (A$222m) on transfer fees alone to strengthen their squad, with Robert Lewandowski the most notable new arrival.

“This is a really exciting season. Nothing would give me more pleasure than to make all the fans happy,” coach Xavi Hernandez said before last weekend’s 6-0 friendly win over Mexican side Pumas UNAM.

“That means winning trophies. That is our main objective.”

Watch the world’s best footballers every week with beIN SPORTS on Kayo. LIVE coverage from Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Serie A, Carabao Cup, EFL & SPFL. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

Mat Ryan joins FC Copenhagen | 02:10

After three years of struggles, on and off the field, the summer has seen hope return to the Camp Nou, with president Joan Laporta talking of an exciting “new era” when the club unveiled Lewandowski as a Barcelona player.

“Euphoria” was the headline on the cover of local daily Sport the same day. Even partisan Madrid-based sports daily Marca admitted that Barca were “frightening” in the wake of their drubbing of Pumas UNAM last weekend, when Lewandowski scored his first goal since his arrival from Bayern Munich.

Yet how Barcelona have gone about raising the funds to sign Lewandowski, as well as centre-backs Jules Kounde and Andreas Christensen, AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie, and Leeds United’s Brazilian winger Raphinha have raised eyebrows.

Faced with severe limits on spending in order to comply with La Liga’s financial controls, Barcelona knew they needed to raise money quickly to be able to invest in any signings and, crucially, to register any new players.

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– PULLING ‘LEVERS’ –

They quickly set about selling off assets to bring in money by activating a series of what have been called economic “levers”.

The club sold 25 per cent of their domestic television rights for the next quarter of a century to US investment firm Sixth Street for some 400 million euros.

Barcelona sold 24.5 per cent of Barca Studios, which manages the club’s digital business and audiovisual productions, to Socios.com for 100 million euros on August 1, and then another 25 per cent to US investment firm GDA Luma for 100 million euros more.

In the space of a few weeks, 600 million euros had been brought in to fill the coffers.

The aim was to clean up the club’s finances, make it possible to increase the salary limit set by La Liga and allow the new signings to all be registered for the start of the season.

On top of that, Barca signed the biggest sponsorship deal in their history with Spotify, bringing in a reported 435 million euros for the music streaming giant to feature on the club’s shirts and to have naming rights to the Camp Nou.

All up, that series of deals totals 1 billion euros – so Barcelona look well placed to become serious title contenders again as they prepare to host Rayo Vallecano this weekend.

Only time will tell if mortgaging part of the club’s assets in exchange for an immediate influx of cash will bear fruit.

Chelsea sell Werner back to RB Leipzig | 01:19

– DE JONG TO LEAVE? –

Yet, Barcelona are still waiting for La Liga to allow them to register their five new signings, although they hope to be able to do so in time for the season starting this weekend.

They are also hoping to further ease their financial problems by reducing their wage bill.

The Catalans have been trying to persuade Frenkie de Jong to leave, with suggestions even made that a contract he signed in 2020 was not legal. The Dutch midfielder says he wants to stay.

FULL STORY: Barca threaten legal action over contract drama — Rumor Mill

Martin Braithwaite, Samuel Umtiti and Memphis Depay are also candidates to depart the Camp Nou, with the latter reportedly a target for Juventus.

On top of that, efforts have been made to persuade certain players, including Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets, to accept wage reductions.

Barca’s “economic miracle”, as the press have called it, still has to be transformed into a footballing miracle.

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Categories
Australia

WA charity shops run low on stock as local governments and others remove donation bins

A sign inside a Salvos store in Perth.

If you’ve been driving around with bags of clothes in your boot ready to off-load at the nearest charity bin but can’t find one, you’re not alone.

For years now, local governments, private landowners — and sometimes charity shops themselves — have been removing the bins which are all too often left in an unsightly state due to illegal dumping and vandalism.

Despite the mess often scattered around them, the bins generate much-needed funding for not-for-profit organizations and provide equal opportunity employment to West Australians.

Good Sammy employs 300 people in WA with disabilities.

CEO Kane Blackman said the organization had gone from having 500 charity bins in the WA community, to just 200.

A smiling man talks to some women at a clothing collection centre.
Good Sammy CEO Kane Blackman wants to see more accessible community collection points. (ABC News: Ashleigh Davis)

“We have 40 per cent of our workforce with a disability, and we need donations through these charity collection points so people can have a job and sell to our customers,” he said.

“Each community collection point collects about 10,000 kilograms of textiles each year, so having [charity bins] is critical for Good Sammy’s supply of recycled goods to sell in stores.

“[About] 30,000 West Australians enter one of our 27 shops every week and our core mission is disability employment.”

Drop-in donations

Mr Blackman said the quantity of donations had been significantly affected by some local governments banning charity bins.

And while people could still drop off donations in store, this option was not as popular, leaving charities with a big shortfall.

“We certainly notice in tougher times that there are a lot of people that do come into our stores because of the low price point,” Mr Blackman said.

A woman wearing a gray jumper sorts through clothes at a second-hand shop.
Monica sorts through recent donations at a Sammy’s shop.(ABC News: Ashleigh Davis)

“And we like to be able to keep servicing them as best we can.”

Mr Blackman said dropping off pre-loved items was one of the most effective ways to reduce waste and contribute to the circular economy.

“The best way to do that is to promote recycling, to work with charities, and to have accessible community collection points,” he said.

Australians are some of the biggest consumers of textiles in the world — buying an average of 14.8kg or 48 new items of clothing every year.

A woman dressed in black organizations donated clothes.
Jo working at a Good Sammy’s store. (ABC News: Ashleigh Davis)

The Australian Fashion Council estimates charities sort through 720 million items of clothing per year, some 190,000 tonnes of pre-loved fashion.

The shortfall felt at Good Sammy has also been noticed at Alinea, formerly known as the Spine and Limb Foundation, which has lost around 100 charity bins over the past nine years.

Joseph Tuscon, the manager of Alinea’s commercial services ParaQuad Industries, said it was disappointing some local governments banned the bins regardless of where they were placed or how well they were kept.

“I think they take the easy way out sometimes,” he said.

“I’d like local governments and the community in general to just see the vendors for what they are — a convenient means for people to redistribute and help society by donating used and unwanted goods.”

Alinea and Good Sammy have implemented measures to reduce dumping, including putting up CCTV cameras, placing the bins in well-lit, well-trafficked areas, and having people regularly tend to the bins and remove donations and rubbish.

Councils seek alternatives to bins

In 2015, the City of Joondalup became the first local government in WA to ban the bins on council-owned land.

They now hold days where residents can drop off goods to the council, which then works with charities to distribute the donations.

But due to the pandemic, the last clothing donation day was held in January 2021.

City of Joondalup Deputy Mayor Christine Hamilton-Prime called the last donation day an overwhelming success.

“Many people were using charity bins as convenient places to dump unwanted goods and bulk rubbish, which is a littering offence,” she said.

“The ban only applied to city-owned land and not privately-owned land, such as shopping centres, where charity bins were still permitted.”

Three clothing donation bins.
Charity clothing bins like these have been disappearing off Perth streets over the past few years. (ABC News: Ashleigh Davis)

Mr Tuscon said when it came to local governments, it was a mixed bag.

“The Town of Cambridge and City of Subiaco are just as severe as the City of Joondalup who have blanket banned charity bins on any city land,” he said.

“City of Melville, City of Stirling are good and they support us. The City of Canning aren’t too bad, but a lot of the others just won’t have bins at all.”

St Vincent de Paul manager of social enterprise Carl Prowse said with the rising cost of living, more people than ever were accessing the charity’s crisis services.

A man wearing a high-vis vest stands in front of a pile of donated clothing.
Carl Prowse says about five to 10 per cent of donated items end up in landfill. (ABC News: Ashleigh Davis)

“From mental health to homeless and youth services, a lot more people are requesting support from us in what is a true sad state of affairs,” he said.

Mr Prowse said Vinnies kept its charity bins on private property like churches and school grounds, so donation numbers remained high and local governments could not have them removed.

“We have less dumping than what some of the other charities have, because we’re not in shopping center car parks and so on. We have less people rifling through the donations and breaking into the bins,” he said.

“But it’s still a regular thing. Too often, to be honest, it happens.”

“And sadly, when people start splitting bags open, if it then does rain, if everything’s wet, there’s not much we can do with it, it really has to go to the tip.”

But Vinnies has another problem.

Mr Prowse said his organization was struggling to deal with the quantity of donations, as volunteer numbers were so low they often had to intermittently refuse donations at some stores.

A warehouse full of clothes and other donations.
Vinnies’ Canning Vale center sorts through about 12 million items a year.(ABC News: Ashleigh Davis)

“We were 2,500-3,000 volunteers. We’re sitting at about half that at the moment at a time where there’s more people needing our support and stock being donated at our shops but not enough volunteers to sort through it,” he said.

Good Sammy’s Kane Blackman is calling for thoughtful, warm donations this winter, and local governments to come to the table.

“We’re calling for quality donations, around the winter period, thick winter coats. You know, in terms of thick pants in terms of beanies, we’re always after those quality donations,” he said.

“We would like to see more local governments say yes to charity collection points. We believe that’s important to help divert items from landfill and achieve the recycling and sustainability goals that are set for our state.”

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Categories
US

Rocky Mount officer Thomas Robertson sentenced to over 7 years in Jan. 6 riot

Rocky Mount officer Thomas Robertson sentenced to over 7 years in Jan. 6 riot

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A Virginia police officer who prosecutors say lied about his actions before, during and after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, including his military service and his marriage, was sentenced Thursday to 87 months in prison.

Thomas Robertson and Jacob Fracker were members of the police department in the small western Virginia town of Rocky Mount when they joined the mob that stormed the Capitol. Both have since been fired.

“You were not some bystander who just got swept up in the crowd,” Judge Christopher R. Cooper said at Robertson’s sentencing Thursday in US District Court in Washington. “It really seems as though you think of partisan politics as war and that you continue to believe these conspiracy theories.”

Robertson, 49, was found guilty by a jury earlier this year of six crimes, including using a large wooden stick to block police outside the Capitol and destroying his phone when he got home. Fracker, who pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge, testified at the trial.

Cooper said Robertson’s case was similar to that of Guy Reffitt, a member of the far-right anti-government militia group Three Percenters, who confronted an officer outside the Capitol with a gun. Reffitt was sentenced to 87 months in prison by a different judge.

At his sentencing, Robertson depicted his actions on Jan. 6 as an aberration in the life of a respected member of a law-abiding and respectable community. The government’s filings suggest he became radicalized under the influence of those around him, including the chief of a small neighboring police department and a retired FBI agent.

Prosecutors took the unusual step of publishing two detailed FBI investigations into the claims Robertson made in his appeal for mercy.

Retired police chief Dennis Deacon wrote the court saying that he had helped train Robertson as a police officer and that these crimes were “completely out of character.”

The agent produced a text conversation from March 2021, in which Robertson told Deacon, “I can kill every agent that they send for at least two weeks” and that he was “prepared to die in battle.” Deacon replied that Robertson should “be smart, pick battles, plan logistics, very carefully recruit and hope its not going to come down to it… we need a place to go… remote, defensible, water, very rugged terrain.”

Cooper said he found it particularly “disturbing” that Robertson made those comments after law enforcement officers were critically injured at the Capitol.

In an interview, Deacon said he was telling Robertson to recruit “friends” for “whatever inevitable things may happen … a flood or a hurricane,” or in the “extremely unlikely” event that “the government is overthrown by others from outside.”

Deacon retired last year as chief of police in Boones Mill, Va., near Rocky Mount. (When he was promoted in 2013, he said he was also the only officer on the force; there have been as many as seven.)

Another man described as a retired FBI agent went to the Capitol with Robertson and Fracker but did not go inside, according to the court records. That man, who could not be reached for comment, called the Capitol Police “cowards” who “will be on their knees before us” in text messages to Robertson, records said.

Fracker is set to be sentenced on Tuesday.

In his letter to the court, Fracker said he had been labeled a “rat,” a “snitch” and a “back stabber” by community members for testifying against Robertson. “It really is just heart breaking,” he said.

Robertson was a mentor to him and a “once valued father figure,” Fracker wrote.

A video from the Jan. 6 hearing on June 9 used multiple sources, including security and body camera footage, to walk viewers through the attack on the Capitol. (Video: The Washington Post)

At least two dozen people with past or current law enforcement affiliations are charged with criminal involvement in the Jan. 6 attack. Michael German, a former FBI agent who has studied far-right radicalization of police at NYU Law School’s Brennan Center for Justice, said the bureau is in “continuing denial” about the problem.

“Law enforcement has a lot of power to harm people,” he said. “Why don’t we see an aggressive project designed to protect the public?”

In a statement from the FBI, a spokeswoman said: “We cannot and do not investigate ideology. The FBI investigates when someone crosses the line from expressing beliefs to violating federal law.”

Robertson’s letter to the court explained his angry social media posts before the riot as a product of alcohol abuse and isolation while his wife was working in New York.

“I was… all alone at home,” he wrote. “I sat around at night drinking too much and reacting to articles and sites given to me by Facebook algorithms.”

However, an FBI agent wrote that Robertson’s wife went to New York after Jan. 6, not before, and that Robertson appeared to be having an extramarital affair while she was gone. Moreover, the agent said that if Robertson was drunk when he wrote the messages on Facebook that he would meet Joe Biden’s victory with violence, he was either drinking on a police shift or just before one.

At his sentencing, Robertson blamed Fracker for destroying their phones after the riot, something prosecutors noted is contradicted by both trial testimony and text evidence.

“Truth has no meaning to this defendant,” Assistant US Attorney Elizabeth Aloi said in court. “He’ll say whatever he thinks he needs to say to get out of a situation.”

Robertson also misled the court, Rocky Mount police, journalists and friends about his military achievements, according to the FBI. He has indicated in various interviews and conversations that he trained as an Army sniper, Ranger and parachutist in the 1990s; he served as an infantryman, sniper and sergeant when he reenlisted in the 2000s; and received a Bronze Star and was awarded a Purple Heart after an injury.

The FBI agent said that Robertson was discharged three weeks into basic training in 1991 for “lack of motivation”; he reenlisted in 2006 but served only as a military police officer and had no apparent training for any other specialty. He spent about eight months in Iraq with the Virginia National Guard and then went to Afghanistan as a contractor in 2011. He was injured there, but contractors are not eligible for the Purple Heart. The agent also said that Robertson exaggerated his recovery time on him.

The agent suggested that Robertson may have committed a crime with those falsehoods, under a law that prohibits using “stolen valor” for material benefit.

Defense attorney Mark Rollins said that while Robertson “may have boasted about his background” and “made some clear mistakes,” he served his country and community in ways that cannot be faked. “He has always served his fellow man,” Rollins said. “He’s bled for this country.”

Robertson was released after his arrest in January 2021 but was jailed months later after going on what Cooper described as a “remarkable shopping spree for high-powered assault weapons” while becoming “further radicalized.” Robertson could be charged with illegal firearm possession, the judge noted.

Categories
Business

Thanks To TikTok, Folks Discovered Starburst Was Discontinued In Aus

Thanks To TikTok, Folks Discovered Starburst Was Discontinued In Aus

The lolly bowl at your family barbecue just got a whole lot sadder because TikTok has helped uncover a devastating truth. It turns out Starburst was quietly discontinued in Australia. I know, I know: lay out your lolly wrappers in loving memory.

Aussie TikToker and bonafide investigative journalist Nariman Dein posted to TikTok earlier this week positing a conspiracy theory that Starburst had been discontinued.

“Can someone tell me where these lollies went?” Dein said.

“I’ve been looking for them everywhere in Australia… Big W, Coles, whatever.

“These lollies don’t exist.”

She then questioned whether the lollies’ existence was a “Mandela effect”.

“I’m having some conspiracy theory like, did they just stop selling them and no one noticed?” she said.

@nariman.dein @starburst i need some answers #comedу #westernsydney #fyp #aussie #aussiethings #woolworths #coles #shopping #conspiracy ♬ Clarinet main lazy atmosphere song(878137) – Yukito Hitoe

And it turns out Dein’s instincts were correct, ‘cos Mars Wrigley — which owns Starburst — has now confirmed the lollies were discontinued Down Under back in June.

The company released a statement in the wake of Dein’s TikTok.

“Our Starburst products are imported from Europe and, like many businesses that are importing products from overseas, the brand has been exposed to supply chain difficulties and rising cost pressures over the last two years,” it said, per ABC.

“After reviewing all the options, we’ve made the difficult decision to discontinue the brand in Australia from June 2022.”

So if you’re lucky the local newsagents might be hoarding a few dusty bags of Starburst Babies but after that, we’re out of luck.

Coles actually stopped stocking the delicious sweet treats back in 2018. It seems we’ve been heading on this doomed, chew-less track for a while now. Never again will I taste the sweet, medicinal juices of a cherry chew — the supreme Starburst flavour.

I think we can all agree that Starburst were some of the most elite lollies to find at the bottom of a post-party goodie bag. Of course, the Chews are the classic but I’d argue that Starburst Snakes were up there with some of the best.

The Starburst Sucks lollipop? I’ll mourn you forever. I can’t believe we failed you like this.

As if the situation wasn’t bad enough, another TikToker reckons Lift has been quietly discontinued too. I can’t believe 2022 is the end of all the best childhood treats.

You know what the worst thing is? All this chat about Starburst has made me massively crave some Starburst. Time to go hunting the local IGA for some stale Starburst Snakes. Wish me luck please.

More Stuff From PEDESTRIAN.TV

Image: TikTok / @nariman.dein

Categories
Technology

Evo 2022 Recap And Cult Of The Lamb Review | GI Show (Feat. Michael Higham & John Carson)

Evo 2022 Recap And Cult Of The Lamb Review | GI Show (Feat. Michael Higham & John Carson)

In this week’s episode of The Game Informer Showwe return from Las Vegas to talk about our time at EVO 2022 and the event’s fighting game announcements alongside special guests Michael Highham (Fanbyte) and John Carson (Former Associate Editor). Of course, that’s not all. The Newshound himself, Wesley LeBlanc, shares his Cult Of The Lamb review impressions before the larger group chats about Soul Hackers 2 and Digimon Survive.

Follow us on social media: Alex Van Aken (@itsVanAken), Wesley LeBlanc (@LeBlancWes), John Carson (@John_Carson), Michael Highham (@MichaelPHigham)

The Game Informer Show is a weekly gaming podcast covering the latest video game news, industry topics, exclusive reveals, and reviews. Join Host Alex Van Aken every Thursday for a chat about your favorite games – past and present – ​​with Game Informer staff, developers, and special guests from around the industry. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:02:49 – EVO 2022 Recap

00:33:42 – Cult of the Lamb

00:44:12 – Digimon Survive

00:55:39 – Soul Hackers 2

01:06:57 – House Keeping and Listener Mail

Categories
Sports

AFL 2022: David King weighs in on Buddy Franklin’s contract ‘arm wrestle’ with Sydney Swans

AFL 2022: David King weighs in on Buddy Franklin's contract 'arm wrestle' with Sydney Swans

Kangaroos great David King believes Buddy Franklin will eventually decide to remain at Sydney as his contract saga with the Swans drags on.

The star forward’s deal with the Swans expires at the end of the season and he has put contract talks on hold.

“At this stage conversations have been paused around my contract so I can put all my focus on playing footy,” Franklin said through his management last weekend.

Watch every blockbuster AFL match this weekend Live & Ad-Break Free In-Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

“No further comment will be made until the season is done and I have decided about my future.

“I am still undecided and need time after the season to make a family decision about whether I continue to play next year.”

The 35-year-old has been linked with a move north to the Brisbane Lions, while retirement is not out of the question either.

But King believes Franklin will agree to stay at the Swans once the contractual “arm wrestle” is finalized.

“I don’t see Buddy really desiring to go to another football club and having to prove himself over again regarding training standards, having to gather a group, getting to know a whole new club again,” the Fox Footy commentator told news.com .au.

“I don’t see him doing that all over again.

“I think he’s got a pretty good set-up in Sydney for what will probably be the last 1-2 years of his football journey.

“He’s been an outstanding person and player for our code so whatever he decides, I think we all just give him the grace that he’ll make the right decision.”

Essendon legend Matthew Lloyd said last month the Swans should be prepared to “let Buddy walk” to hold onto promising young players in a salary cap squeeze.

King agreed, saying the Swans are simply doing their due diligence and ensuring Franklin’s new contract doesn’t hurt them in the long-term.

“It is a business at the end of the day,” the dual premiership-winner said.

“Each player needs to run their contractual arrangements as a business. That’s just where we’re at.

“I don’t begrudge Buddy doing what he’s doing, I don’t begrudge Sydney doing what they’re doing. They’ve got to justify what they’re doing in building that next premiership opportunity. “They’ve got to look at life after Franklin even though he’s still there. It would be counter productive for them to set up a salary cap that would cost them a player somewhere down the track.

“We all understand what’s happening. It’s a contractual arm-wrestle, I’m sure it’ll sort itself out.”

Another out of contract player is Collingwood’s Jordan De Goey, who is in good form but has had several off-field indiscretions including a Bali nightclub video scandal which saw him issues a suspended $25,000 fine.

King believes the Magpies will be desperate to re-sign De Goey but any new deal will be “on Collingwood’s terms”.

“I think (Collingwood coach) Craig McRae’s handled it perfectly,” he said.

“They love Jordan De Goey the player and we see what he does with his ability to influence games, keep that scoreboard ticking over. Whether you like him or not personally, he’s a star of our competition.

“Do Collingwood want to keep him? I’m sure they do, 100 per cent. We’ve heard Craig McRae say that countless times.

“But at the end of the day it’s on Collingwood’s terms. The off-field has outweighed the on-field over the last 24 months. That’s become a concern for him. It will impact the contract tensions no doubt, but they clearly need Jordan De Goey to stay at Collingwood.”

Read related topics:sydney

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Categories
US

Armed man tries to breach Cincinnati FBI office, causing standoff

Armed man tries to breach Cincinnati FBI office, causing standoff

A standoff has ended after an attempted breach of a Cincinnati FBI building led to a pursuit of an armed suspect in Clinton County, according to officials with Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Clinton County Emergency Management Agency. According to Ohio State Highway Patrol, it started around 9 am when an armed man attempted to breach FBI Cincinnati’s visitor screening facility. An alarm went off and FBI special agents responded when the man fired a nail gun at law enforcement personnel, sources tell NBC. The man then held up an AR-15-style rifle before fleeing in a vehicle north onto I-71 leading Ohio State Highway Patrol on a pursuit. Police said during the pursuit, the suspect fired shots from his vehicle before getting off the highway, stopping near Smith Road in Clinton County. That’s when police said the suspect and officers exchanged gunfire, leading to a standoff. No officers were injured during the exchange of gunfire. It’s unclear if the suspect was struck by gunfire or injured. Clinton County Emergency Management Agency said the standoff has ended but some operations are continuing at the scene. No further details have been released yet. Hamilton County Clerk of Courts Pavan Parikh shared the following statement on the attempted breach: “As many are aware, there was an incident this morning where an armed individual attempted to breach the Cincinnati branch of the FBI. This situation is still developing. I condemn violence in any form. It is important to support peaceful disagreement and for the public to go through proper channels to express that disagreement with government institutions. The Bailiff’s Division of the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts shares responsibility for courtroom security at the Hamilton County Courthouse. Along with our partners at the Hamilton County Sheriff’s office, our Criminal Bailiffs keep our judges, clerks, courtroom staff, and the public safe. For that reason, we take any incidence of violence or threats of violence directed against our justice system and the rule of law very seriously. We hold out hope for a peaceful resolution to this situation.”This is a breaking news story, WLWT is working to learn more and will continue to update with the latest information as it comes in.

A standoff has ended after an attempted breach of a Cincinnati FBI building led to a pursuit of an armed suspect in Clinton County, according to officials with Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Clinton County Emergency Management Agency.

According to Ohio State Highway Patrol, it started around 9 am when an armed man attempted to breach FBI Cincinnati’s visitor screening facility.

An alarm went off and FBI special agents responded when the man fired a nail gun at law enforcement personnel, sources tell NBC. The man then held up an AR-15-style rifle before fleeing in a vehicle north onto I-71 leading Ohio State Highway Patrol on a pursuit.

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Police said during the pursuit, the suspect fired shots from his vehicle before getting off the highway, stopping near Smith Road in Clinton County.

That’s when police said the suspect and officers exchanged gunfire, leading to a standoff. No officers were injured during the exchange of gunfire. It’s unclear if the suspect was struck by gunfire or injured.

Clinton County Emergency Management Agency said the standoff has ended but some operations are continuing at the scene. No further details have been released yet.

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Hamilton County Clerk of Courts Pavan Parikh shared the following statement on the attempted breach:

“As many are aware, there was an incident this morning where an armed individual attempted to breach the Cincinnati branch of the FBI. This situation is still developing. I condemn violence in any form. It is important to support peaceful disagreement and for the public to go through proper channels to express that disagreement with government institutions. The Bailiff’s Division of the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts shares responsibility for courtroom security at the Hamilton County Courthouse. Along with our partners at the Hamilton County Sheriff’s office, our Criminal Bailiffs keep our judges, clerks, courtroom staff, and the public safe. For that reason, we take any incidence of violence or threats of violence directed against our justice system and the rule of law very seriously. We hold out hope for a peaceful resolution to this situation.”

.

This is a breaking news story, WLWT is working to learn more and will continue to update with the latest information as it comes in.