Month: August 2022

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Business

Regional Victoria rental shortage at crisis point

Regional Victoria rental shortage at crisis point

He looked for a rental property, but the homes on offer drew anywhere from 50 to 150 applications.

“I went through about 30 properties before it sunk in, ‘well, this is not happening’,” he said.

Tim Ferrari has been living in a tent after facing tough competition for rental properties.

Tim Ferrari has been living in a tent after facing tough competition for rental properties.Credit:Justin McManus

Trudi Ray, deputy chief executive of Haven Home Safe, a homelessness organization that provides housing solutions in Geelong and Bendigo, said about 25 key workers were sleeping rough in a campground in Bendigo’s north due to lack of affordable housing.

“It’s a Bendigo outrage how these people don’t have anywhere to stay,” Ray said during his presentation at the conference run by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute and Homelessness Australia.

Some are itinerant workers picking fruit, while others had full-time jobs in Bendigo. They did not consider themselves homeless because they either worked, or had job prospects, but were simply unable to find a house.

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“They’re not our clients because they think they’re OK,” she said. “They just can’t find a rental.”

The rental vacancy rate in central Bendigo is a wafer-thin 0.9 per cent, Domain data shows. Greater Bendigo rents rose 10.5 per cent over the past year to a median $420 per week.

Tenants who try looking further afield may have no more luck, as the vacancy rate is just 0.5 per cent in the nearby region of Heathcote-Castlemaine-Kyneton, and in Loddon-Elmore it is 0.2 per cent.

The issue is widespread in regional Victoria. Geelong rents are 5.9 per cent more expensive than a year ago and the vacancy rate in central Geelong is 0.7 per cent. Ballarat’s vacancy rate is also at 0.7 per cent and rent has increased 5.6 per cent in a year.

Kevin Woodroffe is an itinerant worker who has been traveling between NSW and Victoria during the past few months. He has been sleeping in a car he inherited after his father died, and has been unable to find an affordable place to live.

“I don’t work [at the moment] and I can’t find a house,” Woodroffe said.

Bendigo City Council Mayor Andrea Metcalf said there had been high demand for rentals as new residents arrived from Melbourne, which was happening even before the pandemic, albeit at a slower rate.

I bless Major Andrea Metcalf.

I bless Major Andrea Metcalf.Credit:Bendigo Council

“It was starting to show the cracks, but I would think that the pandemic has exacerbated it more,” Metcalf said.

Melbourne lost 85,000 residents in 12 months during the depths of COVID-19 restrictions, Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows.

Council figures show that about 3000 people in Bendigo need housing and the area needs more affordable housing to attract skilled workers. The council introduced an Affordable Housing Action Plan in September last year, which will require developers to have inclusionary housing zones in every development.

Metcalf said adding more one- to two-bedroom homes to the mix would mean older people, single people and those moving out of home for the first time would have more choice, as would those who need affordable options.

“We can do things like the Affordable Housing Action Plan … but a lot of the fixes around affordable housing sit with the state and federal governments,” Metcalf said.

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The state government’s Big Housing Build has promised $85 million to Bendigo.“We’ll be really pleased to see those houses being rolled out and people moving into them,” Metcalf said.

Ray said the Big Housing Build would offer 12,000 new and existing properties over the next four years, and there were additional housing promises from the federal government, but there would still be a shortage even when they were all built.

Ray said one in 30 young people aged 15 to 19 had experienced first-time homelessness during the pandemic. The issue hit twice as many women and girls as men last year. About 5060 young people who presented to homelessness services in Victoria were unable to be housed due to a lack of supply, she said.

Meanwhile, homes across Victoria were being under-utilized, she said.

“We’re seeing a lot of homes that are full on the weekend – the ‘weekenders’ for city folk – but they are certainly vacant during the week,” Ray said.

Bendigo is not the only regional center with a rental crisis.

Bendigo is not the only regional center with a rental crisis.

In Yarriambiack Shire, which includes Warracknabeal, 680 homes are unoccupied.

Even someone looking for a temporary stay in a hotel may struggle. Booming tourism in the Bendigo area, while a boom for local businesses, had filled hotel rooms. The recent Elvis exhibition meant hotels were fully booked for four months, she said.

Companies in areas like the Wimmera had started providing housing for their workers, while others in areas like Castlemaine or Colac were providing transport to and from factories to overcome housing shortages.

Ballarat was also facing a rental squeeze, and the manager of homelessness services at church-based group Uniting Ballarat, Adam Liversage, said there were few rental homes available.

“We had a representative from a real estate agency [speak to us] who said they had 500 rentals in Ballarat and surrounds and only one property was available to rent,” Liversage said. “Warrnambool has a similar trend to Ballarat … where there’s only 151 properties available for rent.”

Ray said: “We also provide over 3500 food vouchers. What we know is one in four families, regardless of their socioeconomic status, coming to us now are accepting food relief.”

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Categories
Technology

All Bug Out! 2022 Field Research Tasks and rewards in Pokemon GO

Pokemon GO trainers bug hunting during the Bug Out! event (Image via Niantic)

Pokemon GO’s Bug Out! event has returned this year, and trainers can now catch both old and new Bug-type Pokemon. Trainers have access to various new sets of research tasks to complete, including Field Research.

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Field Research in Pokemon GO differs from the game’s Special Research, as it is obtained primarily from spinning Pokestops. The tasks that trainers receive are randomized from a pool, and each task has its own rewards linked to it.

Below, trainers can find a list of what is required for the event’s Field Research and what will be rewarded when the research is completed.

Every Pokemon GO Field Research Task and reward for Bug Out! 2022 listed

Mega Scizor makes its debut in Bug Out! 2022 (Image via Niantic)
Mega Scizor makes its debut in Bug Out! 2022 (Image via Niantic)

This year, the majority of Bug Out!’s Field Research Tasks require Pokemon GO trainers to catch Pokemon. Trainers will also want to practice their throwing mechanics, as some research tasks require certain throw qualities to be completed.

There are also a few miscellaneous tasks to consider. However, they’re fairly simple to complete in-game and won’t be as complex as searching for and catching Pokemon.

Overall, trainers will need to complete 11 different Field Research Tasks.

All Field Research Tasks and Rewards for Bug Out! 2022

  • catch 5 pokemon – Caterpie or Weedle encounter
  • Catch 10 Pokémon – Volbeat, Illumise, Dewpider, Wimpod, or Venipede encounter
  • Catch 15 Pokémon – Burmy encounter, including any of its variants
  • Catch Ten Bug-type Pokemon – Volbeat or Illumise encounter
  • Make Two Excellent Throws – Never encounter
  • Make Three Great Throws – Grubbin encounter
  • Make Three Great Throws In a Row – Paras or Dwebble encounter
  • Make Three Nice Throws – Venonat or Kricketot encounter
  • Make Three Nice Throws In a Row – Silcoon or Cascoon encounter
  • Take Three Different Snapshots of Different Bug Pokemon You’ve Caught – Ledyba, Spinarak, or Yanma encounter
  • trade pokemon – Karrablast or Shelmet encounter
  • Use Ten Berries to Catch Pokemon – Combee or Sewaddle encounter

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The good news for Pokemon GO trainers who are looking to complete this research is that they can use the rewards they obtain to complete other tasks. For example, if players obtain a Venipede from a task, they can capture it and take a picture of it for their snapshot task.

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Additionally, during the reward catch encounters, excellent/great/nice throws should also count towards Field Research requirements. The throw requirements may be the toughest out of all the event tasks, as hitting Bug-type Pokemon with accurate throws can be tricky due to their size.

Trading may also be tricky, but Niantic, fortunately, released the Campfire app recently that allows Pokemon GO players to coordinate better if they reside in a similar area. If trainers don’t have any friends nearby, it may not be a bad idea to check out Campfire and look for any trainers in the community that may be nearby.

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Categories
Sports

Ex-Roo, Brownlow Medalist react to shock Horne-Francis call

Ex-Roo, Brownlow Medalist react to shock Horne-Francis call

Jason Horne-Francis has been dropped by North Melbourne for Round 22.

The 19-year-old No.1 draft pick has collected 13, 21, 11 and 12 disposals in his last four games after returning from hamstring issues and suspension.

It is the first time he’s been omitted from the senior side.

The call to drop him ahead of the upcoming game against Adelaide comes as a shock to the footy community, with David King one who questioned the decision when the news dropped.

“Wow, gee, that’s interesting,” the dual-premiership Kangaroo said on SEN’s The Picks.

“Why would you drop Horne-Francis? He’s going back to Adelaide to play in front of family and friends, why wouldn’t you give him that opportunity? I don’t understand that.

“Just put him there in front of his friends and family because he’ll want to perform.”

Horne-Francis, a South Australian, will now miss out on all three games against SA sides after not playing the Crows and Port Adelaide earlier in the year.

1988 Brownlow Medalist Gerard Healy also weighed in on sports day.

“A big omission, Jason Horne-Francis – the number one pick – has been dropped, which really puts a bookend to a pretty disappointing season,” he said upon learning the news.

North Melbourne recalled Ben Cunnington following a battle with testicular cancer for the weekend’s game at Adelaide Oval, with Ben McKay and Jackson Archer also on the list of ins.

Flynn Perez, Hugh Greenwood and Josh Walker join Horne-Francis going out of the side, with the latter two also axings.

Horne-Francis has averaged 16.3 disposals, 3.6 clearances and 2.4 inside 50s a game in 16 games 2022.

North interim coach Leigh Adams confirmed earlier on Friday that while he was happy with the youngster’s development, the club hadn’t helped Horne-Francis by where he’s played in his debut season.





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Categories
US

‘No more car for me’: will a $23 toll finally rid Manhattan of gridlock? | New York

Could a moonshot policy finally rid the nation’s most congested city of its incessant, noisy, polluting traffic? Soon, over a million drivers a day could be forced to cough up as much as $23 to enter midtown and lower Manhattan – a toll that planners say will raise $15bn to fund New York public transit while cutting vehicles in the area by as much as one-fifth.

Among the cars that would be leaving the streets of Manhattan is a white Honda Accord that was parked on East Broadway in the Lower East Side on Wednesday.

“If they add even more fees, then that’s it,” said Felicita Mercado as she stepped into the vehicle. “No more car for me.”

Instead, the 77-year-old lifelong New Yorker said, she will start taking the bus.

The plan is called congestion pricing, and New York City is poised to become the first city in the United States to implement it. Similar policies have long been in place in cities including Singapore, which has had congestion pricing since 1975, and London, where a congestion charge has been in place since 2003. But in New York, a city synonymous with gridlock, the policy struggled to overcome opposition for decades before it was finally signed into law in 2019.

On Wednesday, transportation authorities released a much-awaited environmental assessment for the policy, a major milestone that explains how the plan will affect the city. “Bottom line: congestion pricing is good for the environment, good for public transit and good for New York and the region,” said the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s (MTA) chair and CEO, Janno Lieber, in a statement.

Public transportation advocates are calling it a long-awaited victory. “This is a massive deal for all New Yorkers,” said Danny Harris, the head of Transportation Alternatives, a nonprofit that has fought for the policy. “There’s not a corner of the city that isn’t negatively impacted by our car-first policies. This is a big step for not being so car-centric that reduces the number of people who drive and increases the amount of people who take other sustainable modes to get around.”

people walk through station as train is at platform
New York’s Penn Station subway stop in April. Photograph: Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images

Manhattan is an island connected to its neighbors by a network of bridges, tunnels, train routes and ferries. An estimated 7.7 million people enter Manhattan’s central business district every weekday – twice the population of Los Angeles, according to the report. Of those people, just under a quarter – or 1.85 million – enter in a motor vehicle. All that traffic has slowed travel speeds to an agonizing crawl: from an average of 9.1 mph in 2010 to just 7.1 mph in 2019. That costs the average New York City driver 102 hours of lost time every year.

Meanwhile, the public trains and buses used by the majority of the city are in dire need of upgrades. Many of the MTA’s railroads and subway tracks are more than a century old and require billions of dollars in repairs. Studies have found that most of the city’s bus routes – which are especially important for the city’s lower-income residents – are excruciatingly slow and unreliable. And ridership numbers have worsened dramatically since the pandemic, amid fears of Covid and crime.

That dynamic has produced enthusiasm for congestion pricing among residents of lower Manhattan.

“There’s too many people driving in for no good reason,” said one Chinatown bike shop owner, who declined to be named. “They’re not coming in for work, they’re not coming in to do anything specific – they’re just driving because they’re lazy or they’re afraid of the subway. It just sucks that people are driving behaviors that are unnecessary and also destroying our infrastructure, which is causing cascades of other problems in the city.”

“I fully-throatedly support strong congestion pricing on private cars,” said Ben Eckersley, a 31-year-old lifelong Manhattan resident who lives on the Lower East Side. “We have a public transit system that is only designed to get in and out of Manhattan from every borough. The fact that people use lower Manhattan as a pass-through location to get to New Jersey is bogus. The local pollution problems it causes, the traffic problems it causes are outrageous. We just don’t have the infrastructure for it.”

The new study offers policymakers a number of tolling scenarios, with peak-hour tolls ranging from $9 to $23 per vehicle. In some scenarios, vehicles such as taxis and transit buses and would be exempt from the toll completely, while some other vehicles would be charged the toll a maximum of once per day. In another scenario, vehicles including taxis, rideshare vehicles, trucks, and buses could be hit with the congestion charge every time they enter or re-enter the zone in a given day.

Residents of the congestion area making under $60,000 a year will be eligible for a tax credit to make up for the cost of the tolls, and emergency vehicles and vehicles carrying people with disabilities will be exempt from the tolls, according to the 2019 law.

people walk on london street near double decker bus
A congestion charge sign is displayed in London in October, shortly before the city expanded its ultra-low-emission zone. Photograph: Hollie Adams/Getty Images

The reward to all residents of the area should be noticeably less traffic and cleaner air. The study projects that the number of vehicles in the area each day will decrease between 15.4 to 19.9 percent. Harmful airborne PM2.5 and PM10 particles, which have been shown to cause cancer, would be reduced by over 11 percent.

New York’s policy does not go as far as London’s, where drivers who enter a designated “ultra low emissions zone” must pay a fee if their car doesn’t meet fuel efficiency standards. As of last year, that zone covers most of the British capital.

Harris, the public transportation advocate, praised New York’s toll as a first step of recognizing driving’s true impact on society.

“The truth is, people have never had to pay the actual cost of driving because it’s been so incredibly subsidized,” he said, citing policies like the city’s millions of free street parking spots.

But the toll’s success also depends on whether the city can fast-track infrastructure for alternatives to driving, such as bikeshare docks, protected bike lanes and bus-only lanes, before the toll is formally implemented, he said. Congestion pricing shouldn’t be about “taking cars away from people”, he said, but about “providing options for you to get around”.

“If you live in a community where you’re forced into a car, forced into car payments, and forced into wasting much of your life in traffic, it means your city and the car industry have continued to fail you. This is about giving people freedom from that.”

Categories
Sports

Barcelona signings Christensen, Kessie could leave club on free transfers if not registered in time

Barcelona signings Christensen, Kessie could leave club on free transfers if not registered in time

1:43 PM GMT

  • sam marsden

  • Moses Llorens

New signings Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie could both leave Barcelona for free if they are not registered before Saturday’s LaLiga opener against Rayo Vallecano, various sources have confirmed to ESPN.

Christensen and Kessie both joined Barca on free transfers earlier this summer from Chelsea and AC Milan respectively. With three days to go until the new campaign starts, however, neither has been registered with the Spanish league.

– Why can’t Barca register summer signings yet?
– The impact of Messi’s exit, one year on
– Don’t have ESPN? Get instant access

Sources have told ESPN that if they are not registered before Barca’s opening fixture against Rayo, both players could choose to execute a clause that allows them to leave for free.

Fellow summer arrivals Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde are also yet to be inscribed with LaLiga, while the contract renewals signed by Sergi Roberto and Ousmane Dembele have not been registered either.

ESPN understands Christensen and Kessie’s situations are slightly different, though, given they joined Barca for free. Therefore, if they so choose, they would be entitled to leave for free before the transfer window closes.

Sources say at this stage there is no indication it will come to that and president Joan Laporta continues to transmit optimism that all seven players will be registered in time, but Barca are cutting it fine before the start of the season.

In the worst case scenario, sources told ESPN Barcelona would seek to speak with the players’ agents to avoid such an extreme outcome because they have until the end of the month to register signings.

Barca have spent over €150 million this summer and have raised over €600m by selling 25% of their domestic television rights for 25 years and a 24.5% stake in Barca Studios.

A league source has told ESPN that it is still not enough incoming cash for Barca to be able to register all of their signings and contract renewals, although some could be registered now. This would depend on the cost and combination of the deals.

Therefore, Barca are looking to sell a further 24.5% stake in Barca Studios and continue to negotiate wage adjustments with other players, including Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique.

It was Pique’s wage cut last summer which allowed Memphis Depay and Eric Garcia to be registered on the eve of last season, while similar actions from Busquets and Alba permitted Sergio Aguero to be signed up with the league before the transfer window closed.

Barca’s LaLiga-imposed spending cap was -€144m at the end of last season, the only negative limit in the league, and will have to be increased substantially to register all their summer activity.

The Catalan club hope that the sale of club assets, coupled with a sponsorship deal signed with Spotify earlier this year, will eventually increase their cap to allow them to register everyone.

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Categories
US

Trump news – latest: FBI boss reveals ‘deplorable’ Mar-a-Lago threats as former president pleads Fifth Amendment in NY

Trump news – latest: FBI boss reveals 'deplorable' Mar-a-Lago threats as former president pleads Fifth Amendment in NY

Eric Trump blames Biden administration after FBI raid on Mar-A-Lago

FBI chief Christopher Wray has criticized “deplorable” and “dangerous” threats circulating online against federal agents and the Justice Department after the agency’s raid on Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home.

“I’m always concerned about threats to law enforcement,” Mr Wray said. “Violence against law enforcement is not the answer, no matter who you’re upset with.”

As the fallout from the FBI’s raid on Mar-a-Lago continues with rumors of a Trumpworld informant tipping off authorities, Mr Trump yesterday pleaded the fifth amendment in his sworn deposition to the long-running New York State probe into his real estate dealings.

Mr Trump has repeatedly condemned the investigation as a politically motivated “witch hunt”. His children Ivanka and Donald Jr both recently gave depositions in the civil investigation after months fighting against subpoenas for their testimony.

Meanwhile, reports have revealed that before its raid on Monday, the FBI had already obtained surveillance tapes from Mar-a-Lago via a subpoena to the Trump Organization. The former president has claimed without providing proof that agents may have planted evidence at his home.

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Is Trump being investigated over national security concerns under the Espionage Act?

The potential criminal violations at issue in the FBI’s Mar-a-Lago search could be more severe than simple breach of records law, John Bowden writes.

One possibility that has begun to be discussed by analysts familiar with presidential records procedures is an alleged breach of the Espionage Act, a World War I-era law most known for dealing with the theft of information that could harm national security.

While the law typically is thought to involve acts of spying against the United State (hence the name), it also contains one provision that could very well deal with the situation that has arisen at Mr Trump’s resort home: the handling of classified documents related to US defense policy or capabilities, and the punishments for negligent management of such files.

The Act specifically states that anyone who “through gross negligence permits [such documents] to be removed from [their] proper place of custody” can face a fine or imprisonment of up to ten years.

Read the full piece here:

Is Trump being investigated over national security concerns under the Espionage Act?

Potential criminal violations could be more severe than simple breach of records law

Andrew Naughty11 August 2022 11:20

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Why doesn’t Donald Trump release the FBI search warrant for Mar-a-Lago?

The former president either does not have the warrant, is hiding its potentially damaging allegations, or is using the political firestorm to his advantage as 2024 looms, Oliver O’Connell writes.

Read the full story here:

Why doesn’t Donald Trump release the FBI search warrant for Mar-a-Lago?

Former president either does not have the warrant, is hiding its potentially damaging allegations, or using the political firestorm to his advantage as 2024 looms

Andrew Naughty11 August 2022 10:55

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Has someone in Trump’s inner circle flipped?

With each passing day, it becomes harder for a casual observer to distinguish between the post-presidential life of Donald Trump and that of late-season Tony Soprano.

In the past week alone, Mr Trump’s home has been searched by the FBI as part of an investigation into his handling of classified documents, he has pleaded the Fifth in a separate case into his business dealings in New York, and now, according to several reports, he is trying to flush out a rat in his orbit.

Read more from The Independent‘s Richard Hall.

Trumpworld smells a rat. Has someone in his inner circle flipped?

Trumpworld is “abuzz” with rumors that a close aid to the former president has “flipped,” according to reports. Richard Hall looks at the possible candidates.

Oliver O’Connell11 August 2022 10:30

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‘Dark Brandon’ is reclaiming far-right memes, but experts have a warning…

After a string of “good news” for the Biden agenda, White House officials elevated a meme from terminally online obscurity, reclaiming ironic images of a tired and gaffe-prone president cast as a demi-god-like figure.

Alex Woodward reports on the “Dark Brandon” phenomenon.

‘Dark Brandon’ reclaims far-right memes. Extremism experts warn against normalization

The fascist ‘Dark MAGA’ aesthetic flourished in fringe online spaces with explicit calls for violence. Liberals embraced Joe Biden’s ironic transformation as a laser-eyed antidote, Alex Woodward reports

Andrew Naughty11 August 2022 10:05

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GOP congressman whose phone was seized by FBI goes silent on Fox News

Hardcore right-wing Arizona Congressman Scott Perry saw the FBI seize his cell phone on Tuesday, with the precise reason still unclear. However, it is reported to be in connection with the bureau’s probe into plans to overturn the 2020 election via the deployment of fake voters in Congress on 6 January 2021.

Mr Perry was outraged by the seizure of his phone, and appeared on Fox News last night to discuss it. But when asked whether the FBI has got his phone back, he went eerily silent:

Mr Perry’s name has come up in the 6 January hearings, where it was revealed that he sought a blanket pardon from the Trump White House after the Capitol attack – this having been an enthusiastic participant in efforts to subvert Joe Biden’s victory.

Graeme Massie has more on the still-mysterious phone incident.

Trump ally Scott Perry says FBI have seized his phone following Mar-a-Lago raid

Pennsylvania congressman a leading supporter of former president’s electoral fraud claims

Andrew Naughty11 August 2022 09:40

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Christopher Wray makes first public response to FBI search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home

FBI Director Christopher Wray spoke publicly on Wednesday afternoon for the first time about his bureau’s search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. I couldn’t offer much.

FBI Director Wray makes first public comment on search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home

Mr Wray says he can’t talk about the raid as some Republicans decry his leadership

Oliver O’Connell11 August 2022 09:00

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FBI director calls online threats against federal agents and DOJ ‘deplorable’

FBI Director Christopher Wray called threats circulating online against federal agents and the Justice Department “deplorable and dangerous.”

“I’m always concerned about threats to law enforcement,” Mr Wray said. “Violence against law enforcement is not the answer, no matter who you’re upset with.”

Mr Wray spoke on Wednesday afternoon for the first time about the FBI’s search of former president Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence – though he declined to go into details.

“As I’m sure you can appreciate, that’s not something I can talk about,” Mr Wray told reporters in Omaha, Nebraska.

Maroosha Muzaffar11 August 2022 08:45

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‘We owe you big’: Jon Stewart receives standing ovation at PACT Act signing

Comedian and activist Jon Stewart received a standing ovation as President Joe Biden signed into law the PACT Act, which will provide life-saving care to veterans who have been exposed to burn pits.

Mr Biden personally thanked Mr Stewart for his advocacy on the issue during Wednesday’s White House signing, saying: “What you have done, Jon, matters, and you know it does. You should know it really, really matters.

“You refused to let anybody forget, you refused to let them forget, and we owe you big man, we owe you big.”

Jon Stewart receives standing ovation at PACT Act signing

‘What you have done, Jon, matters,’ Biden tells Stewart

Oliver O’Connell11 August 2022 08:15

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Informant reportedly told FBI about classified docs at Mar-a-Lago

An insider with knowledge of what government records former president Donald Trump still possessed more than 18 months after he left the White House reportedly tipped off FBI officials to a cache of classified documents at the ex-president’s Palm Beach, Florida home and office.

According to Newsweek, two “senior government officials” have said the Monday search of Mr Trump’s rooms at Mar-a-Lago — the mansion turned private club where he spends most of his year — came after a confidential FBI source provided agents with information on “what classified documents [Mr Trump] was still hiding and… the location of those documents”.

The officials also said the search for the ex-president’s property was based on concerns that Mr Trump was unlawfully holding on to classified national defense information.

Trumpworld informant reportedly told FBI about classified docs at Mar-a-Lago

The search of Donald Trump’s Florida residence comes after an FBI source reportedly revealed that the ex-president was concealing classified national defense information from the government he once led

Oliver O’Connell11 August 2022 07:30

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Video juxtaposes Fox News coverage of Clinton’s email scandal with footage of Trump raid

Fox News has not been enamored of the FBI’s raid on Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence as the former president’s legal troubles rapidly mount.

Fox News hosts and other leading figures in the Republican Party and conservative movement have decried the FBI’s raid on Mr Trump’s motivated residence as a politically overreach of government power. but as a DailyShow video juxtaposing Fox News commentary on the FBI investigation of the Hillary Clinton’s email scandal with footage of Mr Trump shows, the network’s hosts have not always been so opposed to FBI intervention.

Mashup video juxtaposes Fox News coverage of Clinton email scandal, Trump raid

The Daily Show reminds viewers that Fox News was all in favor of an FBI investigation when Mr Trump’s opponent was the one being investigated

Oliver O’Connell11 August 2022 06:45

Categories
Sports

Frenkie de Jong’s agents arrive in Barcelona ahead of crunch talks

Frenkie de Jong's agents arrive in Barcelona ahead of crunch talks

3:12 PM GMT

  • sam marsden

  • Moses Llorens

Frenkie de Jong’s agents have arrived in Barcelona amid continued uncertainty over the midfielder’s future at the club, with Manchester United and Chelsea still pursuing his signing.

Ali Dursun and Hasan Cetinkaya, who also represent Barcelona striker Martin Braithwaite, flew into the city on Wednesday and are expected to hold talks with the Catalan club in the coming days over both of their clients.

– Why can’t Barca register summer signings yet?
– The impact of Messi’s exit a year on
– Don’t have ESPN? Get instant access

De Jong’s future has been the subject of much attention throughout the summer. ESPN revealed in July that Barca had agreed to a fee of around €85 million with United, including add-ons, while Chelsea are also interested.

However, the player has so far preferred to remain at Camp Nou.

Barca, meanwhile, have told De Jong that if he wants to stay, he must reduce his salary, although sources have told ESPN he is reluctant to do so at this stage.

Sources confirmed to ESPN earlier this week that Barca sent a letter to De Jong’s camp in July warning that the contract renewal he signed in 2020 under the previous board had alleged irregularities.

Sources close to the player said the contract is legal and claim the letter that Barca sent was intended to put pressure on De Jong to either accept a move away or agree to a wage reduction.

Barca’s board believe there were possible irregularities in other renewals signed at the same time by Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet.

However, the timing of Barca’s tactics has drawn questions as they try to raise funds and reduce their wage bill to be able to register their summer signings.

Despite that, De Jong remains happy in Barcelona with his girlfriend and scored in Sunday’s 6-0 friendly win over Mexican side Pumas UNAM at Camp Nou.

Still, the uneasy situation was highlighted when De Jong arrived at training on Wednesday and was subjected to shouted abuse by some Barcelona fans, who called on him to accept a reduced salary.

Dursun and Cetinkaya also represent Braithwaite, who has been told by Barca to find a new club. The Denmark striker was left out of the squad for the tour of the United States last month and has not featured in preseason.

Braithwaite, 31, was even jeered by Barca supporters before Sunday’s game against Pumas. Sources have told ESPN he is open to leaving the club, who has joined as an emergency signing from Leganes for €20m in 2020, but only if the offer is right for him.

Meanwhile, Barca continue to negotiate further wage adjustments with Pique and Sergio Busquets. Sources have said talks have gone well so far.

Both players, along with Jordi Alba, agreed to pay cuts last summer to enable Memphis Depay, Eric Garcia and Sergio Aguero to be registered, and they may have to do the same this year.

With Barca set to kick off the new LaLiga season on Saturday against Rayo Vallecano, none of their five signings have been registered with the Spanish league, nor have the new contracts signed by Ousmane Dembele and Sergi Roberto.

The club have so far sold assets worth over €600m and are now in a position to register some of their signings. However, a league source told ESPN more money must be raised — or wages cut — before Saturday to register everyone.

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Categories
US

Albuquerque killings: Muhammad Syed, described by police as a ‘primary suspect’ in the slaying of Muslim men, makes his first court appearance

Albuquerque killings: Muhammad Syed, described by police as a 'primary suspect' in the slaying of Muslim men, makes his first court appearance

Muhammad Syed, 51, of Albuquerque, is the “primary suspect” in the killings of four Muslim men that took place in the city between November and August, according to police.

He is being charged with two of the homicides, the August 1 killing of 27-year-old Muhammad Afzaal Hussain and the July 26 killing of 41-year-old Aftab Hussein.

Syed was arrested Tuesday following tips from the public, authorities said. He was stopped by police while driving near Santa Rosa, New Mexico, more than 100 miles east of Albuquerque.

Authorities found firearms during a search of his home, as well as information showing Syed may have known the victims “to some extent” and that interpersonal conflict may have led to the killings, police said Tuesday

One of the recovered firearms has been linked to bullet casings found at the scenes of two of the killings, while casings for a handgun found in his car when he was stopped were linked to one of the scenes, according to the arrest affidavit.

Syed told police “he was driving to Texas to find a new place for his family to live because the situation in Albuquerque was bad,” referring to the killing of Muslim men, the affidavit said.

On Wednesday, he appeared in court via video from a detention center.

Muhammad Syed made his first appearance in court on Wednesday via video from a detention center.

Through a Pashto interpreter, he asked to address the court during his hearing. His attorney Megan Mitsunaga followed up asking the court not to take statements from her client.

Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court Judge Renée Torres also advised Syed that remaining silent would be the best thing for him to do. “Sounds good,” Syed said in response.

4 Muslim men were killed in Albuquerque. Here's what we know about them

Syed’s case will be transferred to a district court. He is being held without bond in the meantime.

In announcing Syed’s arrest Tuesday, Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina said the department is working with the district attorney’s office on potential charges in the deaths of the two other men, 62-year-old Mohammad Zaher Ahmadi, killed November 7, 2021, and 25 -year-old Naeem Hussain, killed August 5 after attending a funeral for the two other victims.

There is evidence “strong enough that” authorities are continuing to view Syed as the “most likely person of interest or suspect” in those killings as well, deputy commander of the Albuquerque Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division Kyle Hartsock said.

Syed denied any involvement in the killings during an interview with police on Tuesday, according to the arrest affidavit.

The killings and how the investigation unfolded

The killings that Syed is being charged with — of Aftab Hussein and Muhammad Afzaal Hussain — happened just days apart and police quickly connected them after determining that casings found at both crime scenes were likely fired from the same firearm, Hartsock said.

“We quickly started looking at other cases that could be similar and identify that there might be a really active public threat,” Hartsock added.

That’s when police turned their attention to a different unsolved homicide in the city: the November 7 killing of Mohammad Ahmadi, an Afghan man who was found with a gunshot wound in the parking lot behind the business he ran with his brother.

All three of the killings involved Muslim men who were “ambushed with no warning, fired on and killed,” Hartsock said.

Hundreds of tips helped police identify and charge 'primary suspect' in killings of Muslim men, police say. Now they're searching for reason

Aftab Hussein was found July 26 with multiple gunshot wounds, lying next to a car, according to police. Detectives learned the gunman had waited behind a bush near the driveway where the victim usually parked his vehicle and fired multiple times through the bush, according to the complaint.

Muhammud Afzaal Hussain was found on August 1 with multiple gunshot wounds by officers who responded to reports of a drive-by shooting, the complaint states.

While police were still trying to piece together whether the three killings were connected, a fourth Muslim man, Naeem Hussain, was shot and killed before midnight on August 5.

The shootings caused panic within Albuquerque’s Muslim community, while also triggering hundreds of tips to law enforcement, authorities said Tuesday.

Who is Muhammad Syed?

Syed is a father of six whose family has been in the US for about six years since moving from Afghanistan, his daughter told CNN.

Hours before police announced Syed was a suspect, CNN was inside his home and spoke to his daughter, who offered insight on her father and what happened when they last saw each other, which was before his arrest and before authorities executed a search warrant on their family’s home. CNN has chosen not to name her daughter out of concern for her safety.

“My father is not a person who can kill somebody. My father has always talked about peace. That’s why we are here in the United States. We came from Afghanistan, from fighting, from shooting,” she told CNN.

The daughter told CNN she married a man in February 2018, and her father was not happy with the marriage at the time but had come to accept it more recently. She said her husband de ella was friends with two victims, Aftab Hussein and Naeem Hussain.

Syed previously had “a few minor misdemeanor arrests (from the Albuquerque Police Department) from domestic violence” and some other incidents, Hartsock said. All three previous domestic violence charges Syed faced were dismissed, Hartsock said.

CNN’s Ashley Killough, Ed Lavandera, Jason Hanna and Christina Maxouris contributed to this report.

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Categories
Business

Regional WA tourist hotspots Broome and Busselton feeling the house price boom

A family of three walk along a beach to the backdrop of a sunset

Western Australia’s coastal holiday hotspots Broome and Busselton are experiencing surging house prices, with real estate agents reporting increased interest in regional living from city dwellers.

New data released by the Real Estate Institute of WA (REIWA) shows both locations were the top-performing regional centers in the June quarter.

Broome’s median house sale price lifted 4.7 per cent in the past three months to $649,000, while Busselton’s increased by 4.5 per cent to $610,000.

On an annual basis, both areas saw more than 15 per cent growth in housing prices.

REIWA deputy president Joe White said price growth was being driven by people migrating from the cities.

“The local market [in Broome] is strong and demand for property is high with many people moving to the regional center for a sea change,” he said.

“There is also the FIFO factor, with three companies now flying workers directly out of the Busselton Margaret River Airport.”

Four blue huts on a jetty overlooking the ocean.
Busselton is the most popular city south of Perth for real estate.(Flickr: Jean and Fred Hort)

‘Undervalued’ suburbs also booming

It is not just the popular seaside communities seeing growth — locations that are typically more affordable are also feeling the heat.

The suburb of Carey Park in Bunbury, two hours south of Perth, has normally had cheaper house prices, but local real estate agents said that it was starting to change.

A for sale sign in front of a house on a suburban street.
Real estate agents are accepting offers on houses in Carey Park before the first open home has even been held. (ABC South West WA: Anthony Pancia)

Bunbury-based agent Melanie Hurst said some areas had been overlooked until now.

“Carey Park, traditionally it’s been undervalued,” she said.

“Because for a long time rents were low, houses prices were low, but that has all changed probably in the last 18 months.”

REIWA south-west branch president Drew Carey agreed.

“I think probably those areas are going to enjoy a bit of a renaissance to get them up to what I would consider to be long overdue par value,” he said.

“I think longer term we’re going to continue to see prices continue to travel up in WA, at least compared to the eastern states.”

High prices not good for everyone

But the increase in housing prices puts more pressure on regional centers already experiencing housing stress.

A drone shot of a regional suburb with houses and trees and playgrounds
Experts say traditionally lower socio-economic suburbs like Carey Park have been undervalued until now. (ABC South West WA: Anthony Pancia)

Just Home Margaret River community development officer Geraldine Clark said her organization had seen an increase of people experiencing homelessness.

“There are very little rentals, very few houses for sale, and the prices of both are enormous,” she said.

“We’re not just lacking social housing and affordable housing, we’re lacking housing in all facets now.”

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Categories
Sports

Why Piastri’s F1 attempt to join McLaren has risky implications

Why Piastri's F1 attempt to join McLaren has risky implications

Anthony was sufficiently wounded about the situation at McLaren that he felt the need to express his thoughts to this writer.

The gist of it was that he and his son were frustrated by a lack of information from McLaren about the future. Naturally, Hamilton Sr felt that his son was more than ready for F1, and he wanted McLaren to promote him to a race seat. If they don’t, Anthony suggested, we’ll go somewhere else.

Just a few weeks later, McLaren announced that Hamilton was indeed going straight into an F1 seat for 2007, alongside Fernando Alonso.

Sixteen years on and history is repeating itself. Once again the man of the moment and his management appear to have become frustrated with the team that has been supporting his career. And oddly enough, Alonso and McLaren again figure in the story.

The big difference is that this time the young man in a hurry has really skipped off and left his mentors in the lurch, having determined that the grass is greener elsewhere.

The saga of Oscar Piastri and Alpine is far from over, and it remains to be seen how it plays out legally.

However, both parties have made their positions clear. Alpine is convinced that it has a contractual hold on the youngster for 2023, while Piastri and his management believe that they were free to sign for McLaren.

Oscar Piastri, Reserve Driver, Alpine F1 Team arrives into the paddock

Oscar Piastri, Reserve Driver, Alpine F1 Team arrives into the paddock

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

To recap, it was in January 2020 that Piastri was announced as a member of what was then the Renault Driver Academy. His signing was a result of his win in the Eurocup series, as the opportunity to be affiliated with the F1 team was one of the prizes, should the driver want it.

Mark Webber helped to seal the deal, but it was only several weeks later that the former Red Bull driver was publicly confirmed as Piastri’s manager in a press release from his company, JAM Sports Management.

JAM is not a one-man band. Webber works with a team led by his wife Ann, who did so much to further his own career from him, and a CEO in the form of Aussie entrepreneur Jason Allen. JAM also looks after Formula E racer Mitch Evans, javelin world champion Kelsey-Lee Barber, and several rising stars from two-wheeled motorsport.

The company website notes that “our approach to business is based on simple core values; integrity, honesty, loyalty, respect, responsibility and commitment”.

Through 2020 and 2021, Renault and then Alpine supported Piastri to his victories in the FIA ​​F3 and F2 championships, successes that propelled him to the door of F1 perhaps quicker than anyone expected.

That created a problem. With Alonso and Esteban Ocon signed up for 2022 Alpine had no choice but to put Piastri on hold in a reserve driver role while preparing for F1 with private testing in an old car, the odd FP1 session, and endless sim running.

Problem two was always going to come in 2023. Ocon was still signed up, and it was obvious that Alonso fully intended to extend his stay.

That’s why a few months ago Alpine began talking to Williams about a temporary loan deal, similar to the one that ultimately worked so well for George Russell and the Grove team.

Then at some stage in the last few weeks, McLaren came into the picture. Team principal Andreas Seidl worked closely with Webber in their Porsche WEC days, and they have remained close. In addition Piastri was named in March as a McLaren reserve driver, with Alpine’s permission.

Thus it wasn’t difficult for McLaren to ask Webber the simple question: Would Piastri come to us if we can offload Daniel Ricciardo?

Mark Webber, Oscar Piastri and Ann Webber

Mark Webber, Oscar Piastri and Ann Webber

Photo by: Uncredited

Inevitably, Webber and Piastri were interested, as McLaren would clearly be a step up from Williams. The big difference was that Zak Brown and his colleagues from him wanted to have full claim on the youngster and not leave Alpine with him “on a string” to be reeled back in 2024 or 2025.

Webber confirmed that in his view Piastri was indeed contractually able to sign for McLaren, without any Alpine ties.

It was only after such a deal was agreed, initially for Piastri to take a 2023 reserve role pending a settlement with Ricciardo, that Alonso stunned Alpine by signing for Aston Martin – without even formally stopping talks about 2023 and beyond.

That meant his Alpine seat was suddenly available for Piastri. However, that ship had sailed…

By the time the saga unfolded at the start of last week, Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer and CEO Laurent Rossi were already well aware that Piastri had been romanced by McLaren. They soon played their legal hand by announcing that he would race for Alpine next year, knowing that the likely response would be ‘No, I’m not’, which is exactly what happened.

The McLaren camp insists that he’s free of Alpine, and that the relevant bit of paper simply wasn’t signed (there was no July 31st cut-off on an option, or anything like that).

The implication is that the Alpine management took its eye off the ball and misjudged the driver market, while not anticipating that Alonso and Piastri would both find other opportunities, and that the team would suddenly go from having three drivers in to just one.

Alpine sources refute that and suggest that the paperwork the team has ensured that it still has until December 31st to decide what to do with Piastri next year, whether that be to put him in the Alpine seat or place him at Williams. There is an option for 2024 that runs until mid-September of ’23.

Oscar Piastri, Reserve Driver, Alpine F1 Team

Oscar Piastri, Reserve Driver, Alpine F1 Team

Photo by: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Images

Whatever the legal situation, have Webber and Piastri made the right call?

Naturally every driver wants to be in the best possible car as quickly as possible.

However, a year or even two alongside Alex Albon at Williams would have been a decent place to learn. Not going straight into a major team didn’t do any harm for Russell, or indeed the likes of Alonso at Minardi, Max Verstappen at Toro Rosso, and Kimi Raikkonen and Charles Leclerc at Sauber, to name just a few.

As it turns out, Piastri is actually walking away not from Williams, but from the chance of starting his career at Alpine, a works manufacturer team, lest we forget.

Ocon has been there for a while and is well established, but Piastri himself has been in the camp for three years. He would have had the full support of a team that had invested in him, and would thus have given him time to find his feet from him and make the sort of mistakes that rookies usually have to go through and learn from.

At McLaren he’ll be in an unfamiliar environment, and up against Lando Norris, Zak Brown’s protege, who will be in his fifth year in the team. Norris is seriously good, and totally at home in the Woking camp, having come through the ranks as a McLaren junior.

Piastri, hugely talented as he obviously is, will be the outsider, the man who also has to justify to the world that he was worth offloading Ricciardo for. History may relate that he does just that, but it’s a tough ask.

Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren MCL36

Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren MCL36

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

There remains an obvious question: Will McLaren be more competitive than Alpine over the next three or four years? No one can answer that yet, and thus going to McLaren is a toss of a coin in some ways.

It’s inevitable that the dispute will now progress to the Contract Recognition Board, the body that F1 teams agreed many years ago would make judgments on such matters.

It may well turn out that Piastri and Webber prove to be in the right on a legal technicality, and that Alpine did indeed overlook something, or forget to tick a box, allowing the younger Aussie to escape any commitments. You could argue that it was a typical piece of F1 sharp practice – the Piranha Club in action.

However, Alpine has made clear that there’s something here that goes beyond any legal jargon buried in a contract, and that’s loyalty and the other core values ​​highlighted by JAM’s own website.

Sometimes young drivers tied to F1 teams can find themselves at a dead end, and you can’t blame them for wanting to break free.

However, Renault/Alpine had a genuine intention to bring Piastri from Formula Renault to F1, and the team did everything possible to make that happen, notwithstanding the Alonso/Ocon log jam that looked set to oblige him to undertake his F1 apprenticeship at Williams.

Consider what Alpine has put into Piastri’s career just in 2022. Thus far he’s undertaken some 3500kms of a planned total of 5000kms of private testing, including a run in the RS18 at Paul Ricard in February, followed by sessions in the A521 at COTA, Doha , the Red Bull Ring, Silverstone and Monza.

Two FP1 outings were planned to take place at some point after the summer break.

The team has spent millions of dollars providing that testing and readying him to arrive in F1 as prepared as he could possibly be.

And in return Piastri and Webber appear to have waved the proverbial middle finger at Alpine and headed off into the Woking sunset.

In so doing they have angered not only Alpine and the wider Renault Group, but also Williams, snubbed in favor of McLaren.

Piastri may well turn out to be so good and in such demand that McLaren will soon be fighting off the advances of the likes of Ferrari, Mercedes and even Red Bull, and thus he won’t have to worry about having alienated teams lower down the grid.

Oscar Piastri, Alpine

Oscar Piastri, Alpine

Photo by: Alpine

However, F1 is a small world. You never know when Piastri might need a favor further down the line. You could also speculate that the next time Webber has a young driver in tow he might not find it quite so easy to drum up support.

The bigger picture is what this case could mean for junior programs across motorsport. A company like Renault, with board members and shareholders to answer it, may think twice the next time it’s asked by its F1 team to back a young driver.

Why invest millions if the guy can skip out so easily?

There remains a strong possibility that Alpine’s next step could go beyond the CRB and into the civil courts, should the team decide that it wants to recover what it has spent on readying Piastri for F1.

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