Google and Sonos are headed back to court. After Google lost an earlier patent case over speaker volume controls, Google is now suing Sonos over voice control technology. Google confirmed the lawsuit to The Verge this morning, with the company saying it wants to “defend our technology and challenge Sonos’s clear, continued infringement of our patents.” Google alleges infringement of seven patents related to voice input, including hot-word detection and a system that determines which speaker in a group should respond to voice commands.
Sonos has typically supported the Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa for voice control, but Google and Amazon are also Sonos’s biggest speaker competitors. So Sonos launched its own voice assistant feature in May, opening it up to this new pile of Google patents. (For now, Sonos supports all three options.)
Google rarely uses patents offensively, but this is part of a multi-lawsuit battle that has sent the company’s smart speaker line reeling after Google lost a previous ruling in January. Rather than pay royalties to Sonos, Google decided to reach into customers’ homes and start breaking devices they had already bought. Google stripped Nest Audio and Google Home speakers of the ability to control volume for a speaker group, turning what was an effortless and common-sense task into an order requiring a screen full of individual sliders. It’s hard to overstate how annoying this is for consumers, as volume control is a primary function of any speaker.
Sonos originated the connected speaker concept, but it has been facing competition from Big Tech giants in recent years. Sonos says it gave Google an inside look at its operations in 2013 while Sonos was asking for Google Play Music support and that Google used that access to “blatantly and knowingly copy” Sonos’s technology. Google’s first smart speaker launched three years later.
After the shock of Joel and Elle quitting and the arrival of replacement team Rachel and Ryan, our Blockheads look forward and launch into the biggest Bathroom Week in Block history.
Why is it the biggest? Because the winner will walk away with an eye-watering $250,000 bonus prize.
Stream the latest episodes of The Block for free on 9Now.
Tom, who is conveniently a plumber, adds up the pressure to win Bathroom Week.
“If you win this week, you’re gonna win $10,000 for the week, plus $250,000 for the kitchen, plus $10,000 again because you’re probably gonna win Kitchen Week,” he explains.
With so much at stake, Ankur and Sharon want to make sure that it’s fair play.
And so too does Foreman Keith. He is on Ankur and Sharon’s case about the amount of trade cars they have on their site blocking important access points.
Ankur tells the cameras about Foreman Keith’s stern warning to them. “He said, ‘Mate, you’ve got too many trade cars up at your sight. You will be shut down if you don’t get rid of them.'”
While Ankur and Sharon spend lots of time rectifying their mistake and doing things by the book, it comes to their attention that Omar and Oz have trade cars parked all around their site too.
“I don’t think everyone’s doing the right thing because as you can see next door – not to dob them in – they’ve still got all their utes and stuff there,” Sharon spills to the cameras.
Ankur goes a step further and makes a point of it to Foreman Keith.
Ankur dobs Omar and Oz in to Foreman Keith. (Nine)
“Not to be a dibber dobber by any sense, but just for fairness, House 5 is the same,” Ankur tells Keith.
“I sound like a dibber dobber but I’m not,” Ankur adds.
It sounds a bit like dobbing to us.
Foreman Keith agrees that House 5 “is out of control” and makes his way over to Omar and Oz.
“Now, I remember this morning telling you to remove the vehicles,” Keith reminds the boys.
“We have rules on The Block for a reason. So lads you haven’t listened to me and you’re going to learn, we’re going to have an hour off,” Keith says, shutting down Omar and Oz’s site.
Foreman Keith shuts down Omar and Oz’s site. (Nine)
Omar and Oz agree that they should’ve just listened in the first place but they’re privy to the fact that Ankur and Sharon dobbed them in.
The husband and wife hope their tattle tailing ways haven’t landed them in hot water with the other team. Like Sharon says, “Snitches get stitches.”
Foreman Keith is clearly unhappy with the team. (Nine)
The boys take the shutdown in their stride, but are annoyed when Ankur and Sharon deny snitching on them.
Even though it’s only an hour, the shutdown sets Omar and Oz back in a big way. They’re unable to finish their floor or walls and won’t make Waterproof Wednesday.
Omar and Oz are suspicious of Ankur and Sharon. (Nine)
Elsewhere on The BlockDylan and Jenny have their hearts set on a raked ceiling. They call on Foremen Keith and Dan to approve their plans and their exact words are “We’ll see what we can do.”
Dylan and Jenny take it as a green light of sorts and decide to get started on their unapproved plans to save time.
Their plan to get ahead backfires when their raked ceiling doesn’t get the tick of approval from Keith and Dan, leaving them to spend hours worth of work.
Tom and Sarah-Jane also suffer a setback as the horrible windy and wet weather holds up their plastering, plumbing and electric work for eight hours.
(Nine)
But most importantly, the rain is also getting in the way of Sarah-Jane’s beauty sleep. And while husband Tom loves the outdoors, Sarah-Jane is less accustomed to sleeping in a tent.
Tom saves the day by getting his wife a caravan. While it’s definitely a step up from the tent they were sleeping in, it turns out the caravan isn’t waterproof.
New kids on The Block Rachel and Ryan consider themselves bathroom experts and are so far ahead they’re confident that they can bag the $250,000 prize.
But their dream run comes to an end when they have to decide between their show-stopping design or finishing their bathroom.
In the end Foreman Keith says “the entire group is behind the eight ball”, with none of the five teams ready for Waterproof Wednesday.
It’s not the start to The Block‘s biggest Bathroom Week that the teams had in mind. Time will tell if they can finish their rooms.
In Pictures
Scotty’s house renovation so far
Sneak peek at the first three rooms.
ViewGallery
The Block airs Sunday at 7.00pm and Monday to Wednesday at 7.30pm on Nine. Catch up on all thelatest episodes on 9Now.
Hannah Gadsby’s memoir, Ten Steps to Nanette, opens at the scene of a fancy Hollywood garden party at the home of actress Eva Longoria.
Celebrities are queuing to talk to Gadsby, whose Netflix comedy special, Nanette, had just sucker punched the world.
But the world-famous comedian extracts herself from a conversation with celebrated singer-songwriter Janelle Monáe to examine the preternaturally green lawn underfoot.
It’s an immediate insight into Gadsby’s brain, where thoughts and ideas bubble over — often clashing abruptly with the real world.
“My world is so much different than it was five years ago. I cannot explain how different it is,” she tells ABC RN’s Big Weekend of Books.
She’s referring not only to the global success of Nanette and its follow-up show, Douglas, but also to her 2017 diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and ADHD.
“It was an eye-opening thing, to start to understand that you think differently,” Gadsby says.
‘Begin at not normal’
Ten Steps to Nanette details Gadsby’s quest to understand her own biology, beginning in her conservative and isolated hometown in north-west Tasmania.
Her memories from childhood and her teen years have jagged edges, often tinged with self-loathing and confusion over her sexuality and neurodiversity.
“Back then, I wasn’t aware that women could have autism — it’s not part of the popular conversation,” she says.
After decades of mental health struggles, the diagnosis came as “a revelation.”
“Once you get the diagnosis, particularly if you’re diagnosed later in life, it comes as no surprise,” Gadsby says.
“It’s given me more solid ground to stand on.
“Before my diagnosis, I was just trying to make sense of myself in front of an audience, and now I can just sit back and relax and think, ‘Well, I’m atypical, so that’s where I begin.’
“It’s freed me up in a lot of ways. I’m not trying to twist myself to feel normal, I’m just standing straight and going, ‘Well, we can begin at not normal and move off from there.'”
Gadsby recounts how she was told she was “too fat” and “too female” to be autistic.(Supplied)
A large part of the memoir is dedicated to explaining how Gadsby’s autism functions: how the color blue (which she wears exclusively) calms her frazzled synapses; how the clink of a teacup hitting a saucer causes her tangible pleasure; how art history helps her make sense of a bewildering world.
“Of course, everyone on the spectrum has a different experience, but from what I understand, talking to a lot of people from my community, it’s like we think about ourselves inside our own body before how other people perceive us,” she tells ABC RN.
“Often that leads to bullying at school, but as you get older, I think it becomes slightly more freeing, as you understand yourself and the contortions you don’t want to fold yourself into anymore.”
She also writes, with painful clarity, about the challenges of negotiating and communicating as an autistic person in a sometimes hostile world.
“We move through a world where every space is demanding every inch of our attention,” she says.
“We don’t think about the aesthetic of things in terms of our own safety; we tend to think of that as icing on the cake, as opposed to just being a nurturing environment important to our mental health.
“I honestly think that if people on the spectrum designed our physical spaces, there’d be a lot less rage.”
Crafting a cultural reset
For Gadsby, crafting Nanette was a process of working with her autism and ADHD to present her trauma as a social and political statement.
In the last part of the book, she describes the various cues and fail-safes she invented to tip-toe around meltdowns and shut-downs triggered by the material she was exploring.
It’s this courage and vulnerability that shot her to superstardom after Nanette aired.
“The work I do on stage is pretty much [me] just learning on the go, and then I almost do a report and go, ‘This is what I’m learning at the moment’ — that’s certainly what Nanette was,” she says.
“That’s the spirit in which I approach new work, just trying to keep living my life as best I can, and then reporting on the lessons learned or unlearned.”
In Ten Steps to Nanette, Gadsby describes how she learned to listen to her body both on and off-stage, so she could safely revisit traumatic events in her past.(Supplied: Netflix/Ben King)
This can be tough for her family, some of whom learned of her past abuse for the first time during a live show.
“From the moment I started doing comedy, I was mining my personal life, particularly growing up,” Gadsby says.
“[My family has] grown up with me, from the smaller stakes, in front of 10 people at the Adelaide fringe, to Sydney Opera House, beaming around the globe.
“It’s a constant conversation we’re having; we’re certainly a lot closer. They’ve had to process some stuff, as I have.”
While her loved ones (including new wife Jenney Shamash) are supportive, the comedian is no stranger to rejection.
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“You just know that a certain section of the community is not going to enjoy your very existence, and there’s not much to be done about that,” she says.
“You just have to work on those who have an open mind and a caring heart.”
It’s a level of maturity and self-knowledge Gadsby says would awe her younger self.
“I always feel like if I went back in time, I’d scare the absolute shit out of myself. Me as a kid, I was not ready to know what I know now.”
A moment for diverse voices
In Ten Steps to Nanette, Gadsby explains how the intersection of her queerness and autism is a cornerstone of her identity.
After all, she grew up in a region infamous for its homophobic vitriol, in a state where homosexuality was illegal until 1997.
Douglas, like Nanette, offers a blistering critique of heteronormative patriarchy.(Supplied: Netflix/Ali Goldstein)
She’s pleased to see more diverse stories being told in art and the media, but is quick to acknowledge that her position is one of privilege.
“I think the more voices the merrier, and we’re really experiencing that, particularly with queer representation. We’re seeing a real moment for a diverse range of autistic voices, which is heartening.
“I don’t think that the comfort that I’m feeling is necessarily available to a lot of people on the spectrum. I think there [are] a lot of people who go undiagnosed, and certainly, the queer autistic community is really underserved.”
As for the future of diversity in comedy, Gadsby is a realist.
“I don’t think comedy is going to get there without the rest of the world getting there. And I don’t see that happening in my lifetime,” she says.
“I feel like it’s just something we have to actively strive for, without hope of ever seeing it.
“That’s kind of a sad place, but it’s also an empowering place because you can just put your head down and get on with it.”
Hannah Gadsby spoke to Mon Schafter for ABC RN’s Big Weekend of Books — an on-air writers’ festival featuring interviews with the writers you love. Listen back to all the conversations on the ABC listen app.
Rudy Giuliani didn’t appear in front of a grand jury in Georgia on Tuesday due to medical issues.
A doctor wrote a note saying Giuliani wasn’t cleared for air travel after heart surgery.
A state judge suggested he make a road trip instead of traveling by plane to testify in Fulton County’s election probe.
A Georgia state judge had an idea for how Rudy Giuliani could testify in Georgia after the Trump ally said he couldn’t make it due to a medical condition: turn it into a road trip.
Giuliani — who had been ordered to appear before a grand jury as part of Fulton County prosecutors’ investigation into 2020 election meddling — didn’t appear in court on Tuesday after a doctor’s note said he couldn’t travel by plane.
So Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney suggested Giuliani travel on “a train, on a bus or Uber or whatever” to arrive in court by August 17.
“I’m confident he can figure out a way — short of a Greyhound — to get him to Atlanta,” McBurney said during a Tuesday hearing with Giuliani’s lawyers and state prosecutors. “Do it in 3 legs. [Do] you know folks in DC? Spend the night there.”
The grand jury is investigating whether former President Donald Trump and his allies tried to interfere in the 2020 general election results in the state.
Giuliani’s lawyer, William Thomas Jr., said the former New York mayor and Trump lawyer underwent surgery to implant heart stents at the beginning of July which is what is stopping him from getting on a plane.
His lawyers offered for Giuliani to call in via Zoom or meet with prosecutors in New York, but both options were turned down by Fulton Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade in court.
The back and forth over Giuliani’s appearance started when last week his lawyers contacted Georgia prosecutors saying a recent medical procedure would stop him from traveling to the hearing, according to court records.
McBurney excused him from the originally scheduled testimony, but called Tuesday’s hearing in its place.
Prosecutors submitted evidence they said showed that Giuliani was OK to travel to the hearing. They shared documents showing Giuliani purchased airline tickets to Rome, Italy, and Zurich, Switzerland for flights between July 22 and July 29 — after his medical procedure.
On Tuesday, his lawyers said “no such travel ever occurred,” and that he had been invited to a conference overseas so “presumably,” organizers or another party bought the tickets on his behalf.
He was scheduled to give a speech in Rome, but they canceled the appearance “based solely on his health.”
Prosecutors also included a screenshot of an August 1 tweet that shows Giuliani in New Hampshire. Thomas said he traveled to the state “by a private car in which he was the passenger.”
Giuliani was one of Trump’s allies who created so-called alternate slates of pro-Trump electors in an effort to change the results of the election in states the former president lost in 2020 — one of them being Georgia.
Datamined PBE files suggest that the Steel Valkyries skin line might return in 2022.
The Steel Valkyries is a popular skin line with skin like Gun Goddess Miss Fortune and Dreadnova Gangplank. A new leak suggests that there could be more Steel Valkyries skins coming this year.
The Steel Valkyries are a series of alternate universe skins. This alternate universe contains both the Steel Valkyries skin line in addition to the Dreadnova skin line. There are a total of seven skins in this universe, five of them are Steel Valkyrie skins, and two of them are the Dreadnova skins.
Currently, Miss Fortune, Renata, Kayle, Kai’Sa, and Morgana are part of the Steel Valkyrie banner. Darius and Gangplank are part of the Dreadnova banner. The Steel Valkyrie banner consists of only female champions, and the male champions fall under the Dreadnova banner.
Big Bad Bear, a well-known leaker in the League of Legends community along with ByDanngel, has data mined some interesting information from the PBE (Public Beta Environment). They found some data regarding The Steel Valkyries skin line and what champions might be getting the skins. Furthermore, they also revealed that a Steel Valkyries VS Dreadnova event could be coming this year.
Image Credit: Big Bad Bear
The data mined information contained a chat log which suggests we could be getting a Camille skin called “Commander Camille.” There were a few more containing chat logs about other Steel Valkyries skins.
(1x) Y03 – Principality – Irelia?
(1x) Z01 – Orion – Leona/Pantheon/Varus?
(1x) S02 – Anubis – Nasus?
(1x) X09 – Zephyr W/ AI Operator (Experimental) – Janna?
Steel Valkyrie Irelia, Leona, and Janna, along with Dreadnova Pantheon and Nasus, are speculated to be revealed in the chatlogs. However, it is not sure which skins will be released as we do not have any solid information regarding the matter.
It is not confirmed yet, but Commander Camille is believed to be a Legendary skin. Which would make it Camille’s first legendary skin for her. The Steel Valkyrie Irelia skin could be a Legendary skin as well.
The chat logs also tease Steel Legion/Crownguard Garen & Lux. Whether it will be a new skin or a reference to the old skin is still unknown. They might also try incorporating the Steel Legion skin line into the Steel Valkyries universe.
Steel Valkyries Skins Release Date
We currently do not know when the new Steel Valkyries skins will be released, but the skins should come out within 2022. We will cover more details about the skin when it comes to PBE, so make sure to check us on Twitter.
Timo Werner is on the brink of leaving Chelsea to rejoin RB Leipzig, sources have told ESPN.
The 26-year-old is expected to arrive in Germany for a medical ahead of a permanent move thought to be worth in the region of €30 million, although various performance-related add-ons are yet to be finalized.
– Mixed performances for Chelsea new boys against Everton – Tuchel: Alonso wants to leave Chelsea – Don’t have ESPN? Get instant access
Werner is keen to kick-start his career ahead of the World Cup in Qatar after a disappointing two-year spell at Stamford Bridge.
The Germany international joined Chelsea in 2020 for €50m, opting not to take part in Leipzig’s rescheduled Champions League quarterfinal against Atletico Madrid — delayed due to COVID-19 — to give himself more time to adapt to English football.
Werner started well, scoring eight goals in his first 12 games up to mid-November, but managed just four more for the rest of the campaign as a loss of form and confidence set in.
Chelsea signed Romelu Lukaku for a club-record €115m last summer in a fresh challenge to Werner, but head coach Thomas Tuchel began to favor Kai Havertz as his central striker.
Although Lukaku has now returned to Inter on loan, Chelsea beat Everton 1-0 in their first game of the Premier League season with Havertz leading the line.
Tuchel’s side are in the market for another forward, and Barcelona’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is among those under consideration.
Werner was completely left out of the Chelsea squad for the match against Everton as talks with Leipzig continued.
He has scored 23 goals in 89 appearances for Chelsea and although Tuchel is thought to be reluctant to part with the forward given the wider pressure to strengthen the squad, there is recognition the midseason World Cup has heightened the player’s fears over a lack of regular action .
It’s been revealed former New South Wales deputy premier John Barilaro met with then fair trading minister Eleni Petinos weeks before a building ban was lifted for the developer for whom he has been working since leaving parliament.
Key points:
John Barilaro attended a meeting with Eleni Petinos and representatives from Coronation Property
Mr Barilaro, who previously worked for the development company, says he wasn’t employed by them at the time of the meeting
Ms Petinos says she had no say in a work ban over one of Coronation’s projects
The meeting with Ms Petinos — who was sacked from cabinet last month — threatens to cause further headaches for the New South Wales government amid the ongoing inquiry into Mr Barilaro’s appointment to a lucrative US trade job.
After resigning from politics in October 2021, Mr Barilaro took a job with Sydney-based developer Coronation Property.
At the time, the company’s Merrylands Road development had been hit with a stop-work order.
On June 2 and June 21, 2022, former Small Business and Fair Trading Minister Ms Petinos met with Coronation Property representatives, with Mr Barilaro present at the latter meeting.
The stop-work order was then lifted on July 4, 2022.
The revelations come after Ms Petinos filed notes in her ministerial diary about the meetings.
Mr Barilaro said the function on June 21 was to celebrate his appointment as the state’s Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner (STIC) to the Americas, which he later drew from.
The recruitment process for that role is now at the center of a parliamentary inquiry.
“I attended a social engagement with the former minister to celebrate my appointment to the STIC Americas job,” Mr Barilaro said in a statement.
“I was no longer an employee of Coronation.
“I did not meet with the minister during my time with Coronation.”
Ms Petinos says the revocation of the stop-work order had nothing to do with her and was a decision made by the Office of the Building Commissioner.
“The issuing and revocation of stop-work orders is a matter for the Building Commissioner, not the minister,” she said.
New South Wales Building Commissioner David Chandler abruptly quit in late July, telling the public he thought the time was right for a “reset”.
The state opposition now wants to see Mr Chandler’s resignation letter after reports his relationship with Ms Petinos had soured.
Debate on a motion to compel the government to hand over a copy of the letter is expected on Wednesday.
Ms Petinos was sacked from her ministerial appointment last month over bullying allegations, which she denies.
Yesterday, Premier Dominic Perrottet was pressed about the fresh revelations concerning Mr Barilaro.
“Premier, what action will you take to investigate revelations … that John Barilaro met with the [then-]Minister for Fair Trading while representing his then employer, Coronation Group, after Mr Barilaro told the parliamentary inquiry yesterday that no such meeting occurred?” Labor MP Sophie Cotsis asked in parliament.
Mr Perrottet replied that he would seek the “requisite advice”.
A modder doing some “request work” on the 28-year-old Super Nintendo game ‘Super Punch-Out!!’ discovered some unknown cheat codes for the game, allowing players to manually select opponents and even allow a second player to control the AI.
Unlisted Cheats, which is a twitter-account specializing in “secrets nobody heard about until now,” discovered two additional cheat codes for Super Punch-Out!!, a Super Nintendo boxing game.
Previously, the only cheats known for the game included a sound test mode and a Japanese name input cheat.
Cheat codes, for the uninitiated, are a sequence of inputs via a controller that unlock bonuses or “cheats” for games.
These cheats ranged from the useful (extra lives, invincibility, and so on) to the hilarious (If your game doesn’t have Big Head Mode, you’re doing something wrong.)
Cheat codes were prevalent before the advent of the internet, but newer releases usually don’t have them anymore.
The first newly-discovered cheat unlocks a Mega Man-styled Stage Select screen, allowing the player to select any opponent from the game at will.
This cheat can be activated by holding R and Y on Controller 2, followed by pressing A or Start on Controller 1.
Once activated, the second cheat can be put in. Selecting a fighter of choice will bring you to their details page, which is where you can put the next sequence in. Hold down Controller 2’s B and Y buttons, followed by pressing A or Start on Controller 1. This allows the second controller to control the opponents, which are normally CPU-driven.
The codes were likely created as a way to “debug”, or discover and fix errors within the game, but users in the Twitter thread theorise that they could have been attempting to implement a two-player mode.
Eurogamer tested this sequence on the Nintendo Switch Online version of the game and found that it does work, and others have described the cheats working on the SNES Mini console as well.
It is unfair to pick out one player from Manchester United’s dire opening display under Erik ten Hag but Lisandro Martínez seriously struggled against Brighton. These are, of course, the earliest of days for the new centre-back but he will have to learn fast. The diminutive Argentinian is a footballer the manager knows well but there are question marks over his stature. There will be serial aerial bombardment this season of the type he failed to deal with against Brighton, with Danny Welbeck rising highest above him when missing a close-range header in the second half. Martínez might also have conceded a penalty when bundling over the same player in a performance that did nothing to suggest the 24-year-old can help plug United’s leaky rearguard. Jamie Jackson
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Klopp let down by senior players
Jürgen Klopp threw the question of whether Virgil van Dijk had actually committed a penalty-conceding foul on Aleksandar Mitrovic to the press corps. He also wondered aloud whether Jordan Henderson had been fouled in the buildup to Mitrovic’s first goal. He still had few quibbles about escaping Craven Cottage with a point. “It’s my responsibility to find out why,” he said. His experienced players of him had been most guilty. Mitrovic terrorized Van Dijk, Fulham’s striker also reintroducing those questions about Trent Alexander-Arnold’s defending. The full-back flinched as Mitrovic crashed in on the back post. Henderson struggled with Andreas Pereira and João Palhinha in midfield, Roberto Firmino flopped in attack. The positive was Darwin Núñez’s energy reviving Liverpool after replacing Firmino, aided by two former Fulham players in Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho. Might Liverpool’s old guard be suffering a hangover from last season’s disappointments? A tight, World Cup-truncated schedule will soon reveal all. John Brewin
3
City keep opposition on toes
Erling Haland of Manchester City. Photograph: Harriet Lander/Copa/Getty Images
Kalvin Phillips has been shown how to play in Manchester City’s midfield but not by Rodri, the man in theory ahead of him in the pecking order, but by Kyle Walker. The right-back repeatedly wandered off the flank into space in the middle of the park. He would get the ball and play short passes to keep City’s attacks going. The Premier League champions enjoyed 77 per cent of possession as they eased into the new campaign. It was another reminder of the surprises Pep Guardiola can implement within his tactics. It is a regular sight to see full-backs crop up in irregular places. While showing the team can adapt to the arrival of Erling Haaland, knowing that he will make his clever runs, City are constantly evolving on a game-by-game basis. They have adjusted in the final third and will keep teams on their toes with innovations across the pitch. A marker has been laid down. Will Unwin
4
Martinelli could be back-up for Jesus
It took three months for Gabriel Martinelli to get off the mark last season but only 20 minutes to open his account this time around. His header from him at Selhurst Park was well taken and it was a reminder that, for all the excitement around Gabriel Jesus, Arsenal have another potentially explosive Brazilian forward in their ranks. It is easy to forget Martinelli has only just turned 21; he tends to be deployed on the left but rotated positions with Jesus to good effect during the first half and there is a strong sense his long-term future from him lies down the middle. While many Arsenal fans crave a backup centre-forward to take the load off Jesus and Eddie Nketiah, Martinelli would surely be able to fill that position adeptly if needed. For now there is plenty to like about the instinctive relationship the Brazil teammates appear to have struck up. Nick Ames
5
Burn shines under pressure
Sven Botman cost Newcastle £35m from Lille this summer but the much admired 22-year-old Dutchman was made to wait to make his debut at centre-half until stoppage time as Eddie Howe opted to stick with Dan Burn as his left-side, left-footed central defender alongside Fabian Schär. With Botman also left-footed the consensus was that the former Brighton defender would be the player to make way but, as Newcastle beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 at St James’ Park on Saturday, Burn made it clear he will not give up his place of him without a fight. Arguably only the midfielder Bruno Guimarães shone brighter than Burn, with the latter earning Howe’s technical-area applause after, at one point, dispossessing Forest’s accelerating forward Brennan Johnson with copybook timing and composure. Schär, meanwhile, broke Forest’s resistance courtesy of a stunning 25-yard shot before Callum Wilson’s clever goal sealed victory. louis taylor
Antonio Conte rarely looks that content with life but the Italian’s demeanor after Tottenham’s impressive comeback against Southampton was an indication of the progress made over the summer. While three new signings – Ivan Perisic, Clément Lenglet and Yves Bissouma – were given only late cameos, by which time Spurs were 4-1 up. Conte knows that a bench that was missing the suspended Richarlison but also included Fraser Forster and Djed Spence now has the depth to compete on all fronts. “The message was very clear that we’ve signed new players to improve our squad because our squad was really poor last season and the Champions League spot was a big achievement,” he said. “Our first goal was to improve the squad, not just players physically but also mentally. We wanted the right players for my philosophy.” Ed Aarons
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Tuchel: Sterling can lift flat forwards
Chelsea’s Kalidou Koulibaly. Photograph: Jon Super/AP
A rare win at Goodison Park, a clean sheet plus fine debuts from the summer signings Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly and latterly Marc Cucurella left Thomas Tuchel content on the opening day, although he seemed unsurprised and unperturbed by Chelsea’s lack of creativity. “We were joking at half-time saying maybe it is a typical Chelsea game – we win 1-0 and Jorgi scores with a penalty,” the manager admitted. So it proved. Despite Sterling’s probing, Mason Mount and Kai Havertz were anonymous while 16 corners and a host of inviting free-kicks failed to trouble Everton’s injury-hit defence. “I think Raheem will lift Kai and Mason and Pulisic up,” said Tuchel. “Because the center of our formation is in the three centre-backs and the two number sixes it is a deep formation in which you rely heavily on the two wing-backs. We didn’t have enough from the wing backs to create more freedom for the inner players. From there we go.” Andy Hunter
8
It’s a new dawn for Leicester
As Leicester City prepare for what could be a new era, how much will they miss Kasper Schmeichel? Their captain of recent times had started every opening game of the season for over a decade before his move to Nice last week. Danny Ward, his patient deputy for the past four years, performed well in the 2-2 draw with Brentford, but the dynamic clearly changes for Brendan Rodgers’ team. Schmeichel was a very vocal and impassioned figure, and a great shot-stopper. But Leicester’s horrendous record at conceding from set-pieces last season indicates gives Ward has the chance to help the team improve. “He was very assured and strong and we looked strong at set-pieces,” Rodgers said. “He’s our No 1 goalkeeper – he’s got the No 1 shirt and [he offered] presence, command of the box [and was] very good with his feet.” peter lansley
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Elland Road can be a fortress for Leeds
Leeds won only four games at home in the Premier League last season, including three against the teams that were relegated. They stayed up on the final day and will want to avoid a similar struggle this time around. In order to do so, they will need to improve their form at Elland Road. “The good thing about last year is that we found some important points in away matches but we didn’t win enough at home,” Jesse Marsch said. An opening-day victory over Wolves, thanks to Rodrigo and an own goal, gives Leeds a platform to build on. Fans were behind the team from the first minute on Saturday, giving them a boost even when Wolves took the lead. “I come out of the tunnel for the match today, of course I am excited it’s our first match, and after 30 seconds I want to play,” Marsch said of the atmosphere. “It’s awesome.” Will Unwin
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Cherries still need reinforcement
On the eve of Bournemouth’s first game back in the top flight, the words of Stuart Webber, Norwich’s sporting director, sprung to mind. Webber conceded he sent Daniel Farke to war without a gun after being relegated with 21 points two years ago, though they managed only a point more as they suffered the same fate last season despite spending £50m. Bournemouth have made three signings but only one, Marcus Tavernier, brother of the Rangers captain James, was fit enough to start their opening-day victory over Aston Villa. Tavernier hit the ground running with a lively display but Scott Parker requires further reinforcements. The Argentina centre-back Marcos Senesi, who is set to sign from Feyenoord, will provide some welcome ammunition. “We are trying to give the players we have some help to secure ourselves for a long season,” Parker said. “We definitely need more players.” Ben Fisher
A federal appeals court panel ruled Tuesday that House Democrats are entitled to review Donald Trump’s tax returns for 2015 to 2020, rejecting several legal arguments by the former president, who has sought for years to keep his financial records private.
The decision by a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit was a victory for the House Ways and Means Committee, whose chairman, Rep. Richard E. Neal (D-Mass.), first requested in 2019 that the Internal Revenue Service turns over copies of Trump’s tax returns to the committee. The Treasury Department initially declined, and the issue has been tied up in litigation ever since.
The former president has a week to appeal the panel’s ruling, including asking the full appellate court to hear the case, before the judgment takes effect. Trump’s attorney Cameron T. Norris, who is handling the appeal, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) applauded the decision, calling it “an important victory for the rule of law.”
“Access to the former president’s tax returns is crucial to upholding the public interest, our national security and our Democracy,” Pelosi said in a statement. “We look forward to the IRS complying with this ruling and delivering the requested documents so that Ways and Means can begin its oversight responsibilities of the mandatory presidential audit program.”
Judges scrutinize demand for Trump tax returns
The panel’s 3-0 ruling caps another round in the legal battle between Trump — who promised as a presidential candidate to eventually release his tax returns but never did — and the committee, which argues that it is entitled by federal law to review any person’s taxes in the process of creating stronger financial-disclosure and auditing legislation.
After Trump left office, the committee in 2021 renewed its request for his tax returns, and the Biden administration’s Treasury Department agreed to provide them, which prompted a lawsuit by Trump.
In trying to keep his records private, Trump asserted that the committee had no “legitimate legislative purpose” for seeking the tax returns; that the committee was violating the separation of powers; that the law allowing the committee to review tax returns is “facially unconstitutional”; and that the Treasury Department, in agreeing to turn over the records, was violating Trump’s constitutional rights by retaliating against him.
The appellate panel rejected all four arguments.
The committee has “identified a legitimate legislative purpose that it requires information to accomplish,” the ruling says. “The mere fact that individual members of Congress may have political motivations as well as legislative ones is of no moment. Indeed, it is rare that an individual member of Congress would work for a legislative purpose without considering the political implications.”
The status of key investigations involving Donald Trump
As for the separation of powers, “this case has required much discussion of the intrusion by Congress into the Executive Branch and the personal life of [Trump] and the burden that such intrusions impose,” the decision says. While that burden “is concrete,” it is “tenuous at best,” and is “insufficient to require us to join the Chairman’s Request for the returns and return information.”
In rejecting Trump’s claim that the law that allows the committee to review tax returns is unconstitutional, the ruling says, “This statute can be properly applied in numerous circumstances, including the one before the court.”
And the panel rejected the assertion that President Biden’s Treasury Department was violating Trump’s constitutional rights by acting with an improper motive — retribution — when it agreed to the committee’s request for the tax returns.
“The improper motive must be a but-for cause of the government action, ‘meaning that the adverse action against the plaintiff would not have been taken absent the retaliatory motive,’” the ruling notes. Trump “cannot show that Treasury’s decision to comply with the 2021 Request would not have happened absent a retaliatory motive.”
