Month: August 2022

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Business

Interest rates, inflation: Expert reveals four ways you can save money fast

Interest rates, inflation: Expert reveals four ways you can save money fast

Inflation is through the roof, interest rates are rising and many families are struggling to keep up with their mounting bills.

Finding ways to reduce financial stress can be overwhelming.

For many people, the figures themselves are difficult to grasp — but they know it means they have to tighten their belts.

The Reserve Bank of Australia this week increased the cash rate target by 50 basis points to 1.85 per cent.

Annual CPI inflation also increased to 6.1 per cent in the June quarter, due to higher dwelling construction costs and automotive fuel prices.

So what can you do to relieve your financial pressure?

Curtin Business School instructor and financial planner Elson Goh told NCA NewsWire there were four key ways people could save money.

REFINANCING YOUR LOANS

Mr Goh said everyone with a loan should first contact their current lender to try to get a better deal.

“It is often more costly for a lender to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one,” he said.

“Go into a bank branch and introduce yourself to the lending manager. It can be easier than dealing with a call center representative.”

Mr Goh also recommends people use a mortgage broker.

“A good broker will negotiate a better deal with your current lender and present other suitable opportunities,” he said.

“Your current lender may respond more favorably if your case is presented well.

“For example, it is pointless to be asking your lender to match the rate that your colleague at work was talking about when their loan size is $800,000 while yours is only $350,000.

“You need the right information such as estimated value of your property and whether or not you have 20, 30 or 40 per cent equity in your home.”

Comparison websites can be a useful tool but Mr Goh warns they are not perfect.

“You have to be cautious as some products may be heavily promoted on these sites and not every lender is represented,” he said.

“Additionally, you cannot focus on just the interest rate or the comparison rate, as there are other things like fees, loan features, loan term and product flexibility that must be considered.

“If you are refinancing your home loan, be mindful of the remaining term of your loan.

“If you have had the property and loan for say five years, and you take up a new loan for over 30 years again, you may be delighted that the monthly repayments are much lower and seemingly more affordable.

“But if you only pay the minimum repayments, you may end up paying more interest over the entire duration and take longer to be mortgage free.”

SWITCHING YOUR SUPERANNUATION

The main types of super funds are employer, retail, industry and self-managed.

Mr Goh said before making a switch you should seek advice if you have a defined benefit scheme, constitutionally protected fund, or benefits paid by the employer.

“You will not be able to restore your entitlements once you switch out to another fund,” he said.

“This can also apply to any insurance policies that you currently have in force within your existing fund.

The tax office website is a good place to start your research.

“However, it is futile to chase after returns as past performance is not a good indicator of future outcomes,” Mr Goh said.

“What you should consider is to ensure that you are paying for services and features that you need and check if the fund is investing at a risk level that you are comfortable with.”

INSURANCE AND UTILITIES

Insurance includes personal, home and content, motor vehicle and health, among others

Mr Goh recommends people seek advice when dealing with personal insurance.

“Your health condition was accepted by the insurance company at the time of application,” he said.

“You are covered under the terms of the agreement as long as you pay your premiums, regardless of the changes to your health.

“Any alterations of your personal insurance may result in reassessment of your current health conditions, which may attract a loading of premiums, exclusion of benefits or outright decline of cover.”

General insurance is different and a cheaper policy is often a result of having less coverage or stricter definition for payout.

But Mr Goh said there were things to consider to ensure you pay for what you need.

“For example, your home insurance cover should only be the amount needed to rebuild your house, not the full purchase price,” he said.

“The excess that you pay upon making a claim is a form of self-insurance.

“Your premiums will become cheaper as you increase the excess on your policy. You can increase the excess if you have available funds saved up and have a low claims history.”

FOOD, GOING OUT AND SUBSCRIPTIONS

When it comes to everyday costs like food and going out, Mr Goh recommends people involve the whole family.

“Rather than trying to formulate a battle plan on your own, you may be surprised by the variety of suggestions that would arise from people with different perspectives,” he said.

Mr Goh said people should make small changes over long periods of time, rather than drastic abstinence.

“It is easier to make small manageable changes than large ones that increase your stress levels. The latter often results in increased spending through retail therapy,” he said.

“Get creative and be flexible with your meals. Substitute ingredients that have gone up in price with more affordable alternatives when cooking.

“Or try preserving vegetables and making jams with produce that are in season or abundance.

“These are some of the things that our grandparents did after the war and they managed to thrive despite experiencing similar if not worse inflationary conditions.”

Mr Goh also recommends people look into their monthly subscriptions.

“They are often payments that get overlooked. If you are not fully utilizing the service or subscription, cancel them,” he said.

He also suggests people find ways to reuse and recycle where possible.

“You can breathe new life into old furniture with a new coat of paint or a box of screws,” he said.

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Categories
Sports

Rose-gold Aussies revel in bronze as wrestler Jayden Lawrence fights for his sport’s survival in the Commonwealth Games

Rose-gold Aussies revel in bronze as wrestler Jayden Lawrence fights for his sport's survival in the Commonwealth Games

The Boomers made bronze fashionable at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, with their historic medal dubbed “rose gold” in the men’s basketball.

And at the Commonwealth Games, the rose gold glow is real.

By Australian standards, it has been a long wait for a wrestling medal of any color – 12 years.

Jayden Lawrence had been to two previous Games and missed a bronze medal in Glasgow 2014.

Two wrestlers, one wearing blue and one wearing red, compete on a yellow mat
Lawrence competed in the men’s freestyle wrestling 74kg at the Glasgow Games in 2014, but just missed the medals.(Getty Images: Richard Heathcote)

He earned another shot at bronze, this time against South Africa’s Edward Lessing, in the men’s freestyle 86kg, and he won a tight match 12-11.

“Unbelievable, honestly. I’m stoked,” he said.

“This is what Australian wrestling has been after those two previous we didn’t medal at all in the Games.

“But I guarantee you, we’re gonna get more this time around. I guarantee it.”

Lawrence suffered a torn lateral cruciate ligament in his last match, “so last two wrestles I was battling [on] one and a half legs,” he said.

The 27-year-old from Sydney collapsed on his back and put his hands over his face as he soaked in the moment at the end of the clash.

“I’ve given up a lot to do this sport, but it’s so worth it,” he said.

“We don’t get paid too much; I get nothing. But I’ll do it again.”

At this stage, wrestling is not on the program for the Victoria 2026 Games, and Lawrence hopes his success will force a re-think.

“Hopefully this brings us over the line and we get the wrestling back.”

Bronze for new diving duo

At the diving, Sam Fricker was buzzing after claiming bronze with Li Shixin in the men’s synchronized 3m springboard.

“I’m so excited, it was a dream to make the Commonwealth Games to walk away with a medal is just incredible,” Fricker said.

The 20-year-old Fricker and 34-year-old former Chinese world champion Li — who has been competing for Australia since 2019 — were competing together internationally for the first time.

Two male divers bounce off a springboard at an event
Li (right) came out of retirement to compete in Tokyo after becoming an Australian citizen.(Getty Images: PA Images/Tim Goode)

“This is the beginning. Sammy is young,” Li said.

“We have a long, long time. He’s Diving Australia’s future. I just help him get better.”

Li was recruited to Australia as a diving coach in 2014 – he earned citizenship in 2019, and came out of retirement to compete at last year’s Tokyo Olympics.

Fricker said he was honored to compete with his legendary teammate, and used some advice from one of the team veterans, Melissa Wu, to remain composed.

“You’ve just got to be in the moment,” he said.

“When you’re at breakfast, have breakfast, when you’re on the bus, enjoy the ride.

“When you have that one dive to do, that’s all you focus on, and that’s all you have control over. So whether we’re first or last, that’s what we try and do with that one moment.”

England’s Anthony Harding and Jack Laugher won gold, while the Australians finished just 2.25 points the Malaysian silver medalists Gabriel Daim and Muhammad Syafiq Bin Puteh.

Australia picked up a couple more diving medals at Sandwell Aquatics Centre, with Brittany O’Brien claiming silver in the 1m springboard, behind Canada’s Mia Vallee.

And Dom Bedgood and Cassiel Rousseau got bronze in the men’s 10-meter synchro, with gold going to England, and silver to Canada.

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Categories
US

Indiana Lawmakers Pass First Post-Roe Abortion Ban

Indiana Lawmakers Pass First Post-Roe Abortion Ban

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana lawmakers passed a near-total ban on abortion on Friday, overcoming division among Republicans and protests from Democrats to become the first state to draw up and approve sweeping new limits on the procedure since Roe v. Wade was struck down in June.

The bill’s passage came just three days after voters in Kansas, another conservative Midwestern state, overwhelmingly rejected an amendment that would have stripped abortion rights protections from their State Constitution, a result seen nationally as a sign of unease with abortion bans. And it came despite some Indiana Republicans opposing the bill for going too far, and others voting no because of its exceptions.

The end of Roe was the culmination of decades of work by conservatives, opening the door for states to severely restrict abortion or ban it entirely. Some states prepared in advance with abortion bans that were triggered by the fall of Roe. Lawmakers in other conservative states said they would consider more restrictions.

But, at least in the first weeks since that decision, Republicans have moved slowly and have struggled to speak with a unified voice on what comes next. Lawmakers in South Carolina and West Virginia have weighed but taken no final action on proposed bans. Officials in Iowa, Florida, Nebraska and other conservative states have so far not taken legislative action. And especially in the last few weeks, some Republican politicians have recalibrated their messaging on the issue.

“West Virginia tried it, and they stepped back from the ledge. Kansas tried it, and the voters resoundingly rejected it,” State Representative Justin Moed, a Democrat from Indianapolis, said on the House floor before voting against the bill. “Why is that? Because up until now it has just been a theory. It was easy for people to say they were pro-life. It was easy to see things so black and white. But now, that theory has become reality, and the consequences of the views are more real.”

The Indiana bill — which bans abortion from conception except in some cases of rape, incest, fatal fetal abnormality or when the pregnant woman faces risk of death or certain severe health risks — now goes to Gov. Eric Holcomb, a Republican who encouraged legislators to consider new abortion limits during a special session that he called. Beyond those limited exceptions, the bill would end legal abortion in Indiana next month if it is signed by the governor. The procedure is currently allowed at up to 22 weeks of pregnancy.

“If this isn’t a government issue — protecting life — I don’t know what is,” said Representative John Young, a Republican who supported the bill. He added: “I know the exceptions are not enough for some and too much for others, but it’s a good balance.”

The bill’s passage came after two weeks of emotional testimony and bitter debates in the Statehouse. Even though Republicans hold commanding majorities in both chambers, the bill’s fate did not always seem secure. When a Senate committee considered an initial version of the bill last week, no one showed up to testify in support of it: The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana called it a “cruel, dangerous bill,” Indiana Right to Life described it as “weak and troubling,” and a parade of residents with differing views on abortion all urged lawmakers to reject it.

Abortion rights protesters were a regular presence at the Statehouse during the session, sometimes chanting “Let us vote!” or “Church and state!” so loudly from the hallway that it could be difficult to hear lawmakers. Several Democrats invoked the vote in Kansas, in which 59 percent of voters decided to preserve abortion rights, as an example of the political risk Republicans were taking. Democrats suggested putting the issue to a nonbinding statewide vote in Indiana, which Republicans rejected.

“Judging by the results I saw in Kansas the other day,” said Representative Phil GiaQuinta, a Democrat who opposed the Indiana bill, “independents, Democrats and Republicans by their votes demonstrated what is most important to them, and me, and that is our personal freedoms and liberty.”

Todd Huston, the Republican speaker of the Indiana House, said he was pleased with the final version of the bill. But asked about the protests in Indianapolis and the vote in Kansas, I have acknowledged that many disagreed.

“We’ve talked about the fact that voters have an opportunity to vote, and if they’re displeased, they’ll have that opportunity both in November and in future years,” Mr. Huston said.

Democrats warned of the consequences of passing the bill and noted the state’s status as the first to do so in a post-Roe America. Business leaders sounded their concern before its passage: The chamber of commerce in Indianapolis urged the Legislature this week not to pass the bill, saying it could threaten public health and the state’s business interests.

State Senator Eddie D. Melton, a Democrat who represents parts of northwest Indiana, spoke against the bill on the Senate floor on Friday, calling it a rushed process and a power grab.

He reminded Republicans of the resounding vote in Kansas this week in support of abortion rights, a warning to Indiana lawmakers that the party could face a backlash from voters.

“If this passes, the only referendum that’s left is in November,” he said.

Jennifer Drobac, a law professor at Indiana University Bloomington, said she was concerned about the speed at which the bill in her state was passed and the relatively short window for the public to debate its implications.

“Law made in haste is often bad law,” she said. “This highlights the fact that these guys are not anticipating how unworkable this legislation will be. This is going to impact thousands of people who get pregnant in Indiana alone.”

Divisions within the Republican Party were repeatedly on display during the session. Representative Ann Vermilion described herself as a proud Republican. But she said she thought the legislation went too far, too quickly.

“The US Supreme Court made the decision to move the abortion rights to the state level, which has peeled an onion on the details of abortion, showing layers and layers of such a difficult topic that I, myself, wasn’t prepared for,” Ms. Vermilion said before voting against the bill.

Other Republicans echoed the complaints voiced during public testimony by anti-abortion residents, advocacy groups and religious leaders. They questioned how lawmakers who portrayed themselves to voters as staunch abortion opponents were now forgoing an opportunity to pass a ban without exceptions for rape and incest. Some abortion opponents have argued that rape and incest, while traumatic, do not justify ending the life of a fetus that had no control over its conception.

“This bill justifies the wicked, those murdering babies, and punishes the righteous, the preborn human being,” said Representative John Jacob, a Republican who also voted against the bill. He added: “Republicans campaigned that they are pro-life. Pro-life means for life. That is not just some lives. That means all lives.”

Similar debates have played out in West Virginia, where the House of Delegates passed a bill that would ban nearly all abortions. But disagreement broke out when the Senate narrowly decided to remove criminal penalties for medical providers who perform abortion illegally, citing fears that it could worsen the state’s existing shortage of health care workers. The legislation is stalled.

Delegate Danielle Walker, a West Virginia Democrat, said she believed the abortion referendum in Kansas was a wake-up call for the more moderate contingent of Republican legislators.

“I think they’re seeing that people are coming out to the polls because the people don’t want this, the people don’t support it,” Ms. Walker said.

Elizabeth Nash, state policy analyst at the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights, said that Indiana offered a glimpse of the dynamic that could deepen in other legislatures in the coming weeks: the difficulty in pleasing their conservative base in the face of other public opposition to abortion restrictions.

“In Indiana, the legislators are now between a rock and a hard place,” she said. “They’re between their base,” which is demanding an abortion ban with no exception, “and members of the public who are saying, ‘we support abortion access.’ You can see how the legislators, who are balancing people’s rights, are also looking at the next election.”

ava sasani contributed reporting.

Categories
Business

Woolworths supermarket checkout worker surprises Melbourne mum with newborn with kind act

Woolworths supermarket checkout worker surprises Melbourne mum with newborn with kind act

A Woolworths shopper has been left scratching her head after having an unexpected experience with an employee at her local store.

Sharing on Reddit, the Melbourne mum revealed that the incident happened while she was attempting to pay for groceries at the self-serve checkout.

After her payment failed to process, the customer was referred to the Woolworths Service Desk so she could finalize the transaction.

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With her newborn baby “kicking off”, the Woolies worker told the mum to go home with her groceries – saying that she would pay for the items herself.

In her post, the shopper said she was left “grateful” but also “mortified” over the experience.

“I just got back from Woolworths where I tried to pay with my phone on self checkout,” she said.

The shopper was attempting to pay for her items at the self-serve checkout. File image. Credit: Facebook

“It wasn’t working so they printed me a barcode and took me to the service desk to pay, but my phone payment still didn’t work.

“After trying a few times and my newborn kicking off, the staff member said, don’t worry it’s on me.

“I was really taken back and asked if I could transfer her the money. She said no and then said, seriously it’s on me.

“My baby was screaming the place down by this point. I was so grateful and also mortified.”

The Reddit user then went on to ask for advice about the incident, worried that the worker could get in trouble for her kind act.

“What I want to know is can Woolworths staff do this? Or is it a dodgy?” she said.

“I want to go back and give her something to say thank you, but don’t want to get her in trouble if she’s done something she’s not supposed to have done.”

File image of a Woolworths store. Credit: LUKAS CAR/AAPIMAGE

Many said that it wasn’t uncommon for supermarket workers to carry out kind of acts like this.

“She will have paid for it, she would want you to accept it as the gift it was meant to be,” said one.

Added another: “My partner works at a supermarket and has paid for people before. It feels good. Pay it forward.”

Write a third: “I’ve done it a couple of times. I don’t see how it’s dodgy? The customer was struggling and I just tapped my own card to pay.

“I’m 99% sure they will pay it for you. Not all of us retail employees are lazy c-word even though we are treated like lowlies on daily basis.”

One more said: “Accept the kindness, and remember it next time you see someone else in need.”

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Categories
Entertainment

Gary Lang’s Waŋa dance collaboration explores ancient and modern beliefs about death

A man and a woman in ceremonial dress on stage.

The performance of Waŋa — which means spirit — starts behind a thin veil, with a glimpse of the “in-between world” and an ancient Yolŋu funeral ceremony.

Telling the story of a spirit’s journey after death, Larrakia choreographer Gary Lang has worked with Rirratjŋu lore man and ceremonial advisor Banula Marika to create the performance.

“This performance is called Spirit and it’s the spirit of the Dhuwa clans,” Mr Marika said in Yolŋu Matha, with assistance from an interpreter.

“When I pass, my spirit will travel back to my homeland, the homeland that we’re telling this story about.”

A group of dancers surrounded by smoke on stage.
The spirit world is said to be joyful about a spirit’s return after death.(Supplied: Paz Tassone)
Two dancers perform the spirit's journey.
Waŋa is set to music by Darwin Symphony Orchestra.(Supplied: Paz Tassone)

“This is also my other home and place where my spirit comes from and my clan.”

The collaboration between the NT Dance Company, MIKU Performing Arts and Darwin Symphony Orchestra attempts to capture the pain and the relief of a spirit’s passing.

Mr Lang said his late grandmother also taught him about the spirit world.

“She said ‘what happens Gary, in the spirit world, when that spirit has to come to the physical world, there’s tears of sadness there because it’s a loss and there’s tears of joy in the physical world’,” Mr Lang said.

A portrait of two men in front of a stage.
The performance is a collaboration between Gary Lang and Banula Marika.(ABC News: Felicity James)

“and [after death] it works in reverse, there’s tears of sadness because there’s a loss and there’s tears of joy because it’s going back home.”

He said the performance tried to represent the process of passing through a veil from the physical world into an “in-between world”.

“We don’t know that in-between world,” he said.

“Between that veil and before you actually step into the heavens, I think that’s where all the ceremony happens in culture.

Waa 3
Gary Lang describes his works as ‘Indigenous ballet’.(Supplied: Paz Tassone)

“That it helps you to leave all the physical attachments behind and then you step into the world of wonder.”

Funeral ceremonies can last for days, weeks or months in Yolŋu culture, including in Mr Marika’s community of Yirrkala.

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Categories
Sports

Hockeyroos into gold medal match against England at Commonwealth Games after controversial penalty shootout

Australia players run forward with their arms in the air and smiles on their faces

Hockeyroos forward Rosie Malone suspects she’s public enemy number one in India right now, after the Hockeyroos penalty shootout win over India in the women’s hockey semi-finals at the Commonwealth Games.

Not that it bothers her.

Malone was the first penalty taker in the one on ones, after the teams finished at 1-1 at full time.

She was never in control of her attempt, and for the first time in her international career, she missed.

But there was an unexpected let-off when she was called back to re-take the shot, because the eight second countdown on the scoreboard hadn’t started.

“I was just thanking the universe for a second chance,” Malone said.

“I knew all of India would hate me if I put it in. But I was just trying to think about my team, and that final.

“I just said to myself, if I get a second chance, I’m not missing it.”

Malone’s successful do-over set the tone for the rest of the Australians, as they secured an easy 3-0 shootout win.

Australian hockey players hug after a goal in the Commonwealth Games semi-final against India.
Rebecca Greiner had opened the scoring for the Hockeyroos before India hit back.(Getty: Robert Cianflone)

And it also characterized the difference between the revitalized 2022 Hockeyroos, and the 2021 outfit that dealt with a host of off-field issues, and lost to India in the Tokyo Olympics quarterfinals.

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Categories
US

Alex Jones ordered to pay $45.2M more over Sandy Hook lies

Alex Jones ordered to pay $45.2M more over Sandy Hook lies

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Texas jury on Friday ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay $45.2 million in punitive damages to the parents of a child who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, adding to the $4.1 million he must pay for the suffering he put them through by claiming for years that the nation’s deadliest school shooting was a hoax.

The total — $49.3 million — is less than the $150 million sought by Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, whose 6-year-old son Jesse Lewis was among the 20 children and six educators killed in the 2012 attack in Newtown, Connecticut. But the trial marks the first time Jones has been held financially liable for peddling lies about the massacre, claiming it was orchestrated by the government to tighten gun laws.

Afterward, Lewis said that Jones — who wasn’t in the courtroom to hear the verdict — has been held accountable. She said when she took the stand and looked Jones in the eye, she thought of her son de ella, who was credited with saving lives by yelling “run” when the killer paused in his rampage.

“He stood up to the bully Adam Lanza and saved nine of his classmates’ lives,” Lewis said. “I hope that I did that incredible courage justice when I was able to confront Alex Jones, who is also a bully. I hope that he inspires other people to do the same.”

It could be a while before the plaintiffs collect anything. Jones’ lead attorney, Andino Reynal, told the judge he will appeal and ask the courts to drastically reduce the size of the verdict.

After the hearing, Reynal said he thinks the punitive amount will be reduced to as little as $1.5 million.

‘We think the verdict was too high. … Alex Jones will be on the air today, he’ll be on the air tomorrow, he’ll be on the air next week. He’s going to keep doing his job holding the power structure accountable.”

Jones’ companies and personal wealth could also get carved up by other lawsuits and bankruptcy. Another defamation lawsuit against Jones by a Sandy Hook family is set to start pretrial hearings in the same Austin court on Sept. 14. He faces yet another defamation lawsuit in Connecticut.

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Plaintiffs’ attorney Mark Bankston said he believes he can challenge any attempt to reduce the damages. But he said even if the award is drastically cut, it’s just as important to take the big verdict into the bankruptcy court for the family to claim against Jones’ estate and company.

Jones testified this week that any award over $2 million would “sink us.” His company Free Speech Systems, which is Infowars’ Austin-based parent company, filed for bankruptcy protection during the first week of the trial.

Punitive damages are meant to punish defendants for particularly egregious conduct, beyond monetary compensation awarded to the individuals they hurt. A high punitive award is also seen as a chance for jurors to send a wider societal message and a way to detect others from the same abhorrent conduct in the future.

Barry Covert, a Buffalo, New York, First Amendment lawyer with no connection to the Jones case, said the total damages awarded amount to “a stunning loss for Jones.”

“With $50 million in all, the jury has sent a huge, loud message that this behavior will not be tolerated,” Covert said. “Everyone with a show like this who knowingly tells lies—juries will not tolerate it.”

Future jurors in other pending Sandy Hook trials could see the damage amounts in this case as a benchmark, Covert said. If other juries do, Covert said, “it could very well put Jones out of business.”

Attorneys for the family had urged jurors to hand down a financial punishment that would force Infowars to shut down.

“You have the ability to stop this man from ever doing it again,” Wesley Ball, an attorney for the parents, told the jury Friday. “Send the message to those who desire to do the same: Speech is free. Lies, you pay for.”

An economist testified that Jones and the company are worth up to $270 million.

Bernard Pettingill, who was hired by the plaintiffs to study Jones’ net worth, said records show that Jones withdrew $62 million for himself in 2021, when default judgments were issued in lawsuits against him.

“That number represents, in my opinion, a value of a net worth,” Pettingill said. “He’s got money put in a bank account somewhere.”

But Jones’ lawyers said their client had already learned his lesson. They argued for a punitive amount of less than $300,000.

“You’ve already sent a message. A message for the first time to a talk show host, to all talk show hosts, that their standard of care has to change,” Reynal said.

Friday’s damages drew praise from the American Federation of Teachers union, which represented the teachers at Sandy Hook.

“Nothing will ever fix the pain of losing a child, or of watching that tragedy denied for political reasons. But I’m glad the parents of Sandy Hook have gotten some justice,” union President Randi Weingarten said in a tweet.

Lawyers for the Sandy Hook families suing Jones contend he has tried to hide evidence of his true wealth in various shell companies.

During his testimony, Jones was confronted with a memo from one of his business managers outlining a single day’s gross revenue of $800,000 from selling vitamin supplements and other products through his website, which would approach nearly $300 million in a year. Jones called it a record sales day.

Jones, who has portrayed the lawsuit as an attack on his First Amendment rights, granted during the trial that the attack was “100% real” and that he was wrong to have lied about it. But Heslin and Lewis told jurors that an apology wouldn’t suffice and called on them to make Jones pay for the years of suffering he has put them and other Sandy Hook families through.

The parents told jurors they’ve endured a decade of trauma, first inflicted by the murder of their son and what followed: gunshots fired at a home, online and phone threats, and harassment on the street by strangers. They said the threats and harassment were all fueled by Jones and his conspiracy theory spread to his followers via Infowars.

A forensic psychiatrist testified that the parents suffer from “complex post-traumatic stress disorder” inflicted by ongoing trauma, similar to what might be experienced by a soldier at war or a child abuse victim.

Throughout the trial, Jones was his typically bombastic self, talking about conspiracies on the witness stand, during impromptu news conferences and on his show. His erratic behavior by him is unusual by courtroom standards, and the judge scolded him, telling him at one point: “This is not your show.”

The trial drew attention from outside Austin as well.

Bankston told the court Thursday that the US House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol has requested records from Jones’ phone that Jones’ attorneys had mistakenly turned over to the plaintiffs. Bankston later said he planned to comply with the committee’s request.

By Friday, Bankston said, he had “a subpoena sitting on my desk’ from the Jan. 6 committee. But he said he needed to “tamp down expectations” that it might reveal texts about the insurrection since it appears to have been scraped for data in mid-2020.

Bankston said he’s also had “law enforcement” interest in the phone data, but he declined to elaborate.

Last month, the House committee showed graphic and violent text messages and played videos of right-wing figures, including Jones, and others vowing that Jan. 6 would be the day they would fight for Trump.

The committee first subpoenaed Jones in Novemberdemanding a deposition and documents related to his efforts to spread misinformation about the 2020 election and a rally on the day of the attack.

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Associated Press writer Michael Tarm in Chicago and Susan Haigh in Norwich, Connecticut, contributed to this report.

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Find AP’s full coverage of the Alex Jones trial at: https://apnews.com/hub/alex-jones

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Categories
Entertainment

‘Legal theft’: Balenciaga slammed for selling $2557 trash bags

'Legal theft': Balenciaga slammed for selling $2557 trash bags

Luxury fashion house Balenciaga has been blasted for its latest bag – a calfskin leather “Trash Pouch” that looks identical to a bin liner and retails for $A2577.

Dozens of people have taken to social media to accuse creative director Demna Gvasalia of “legal theft”, describing “high fashion [as] a joke at this point” after the aptly-named accessory was made available on the label’s website.

The shiny drawstring bag, made out of calfskin leather, is emblazoned with a subtle logo (to differentiate from … the ones us commoners buy off the shelves of Coles) and comes in black, white, blue, red and yellow.

Asked about the bags backstage in March, where they debuted, Demna joked to WWD that he “couldn’t miss an opportunity to make the most expensive trash bag in the world, because who doesn’t love a fashion scandal?”

Given the furore on Twitter, he certainly got his wish.

“A trash bag purse – @BALENCIAGA deliberately sells ultra expensive signals of low status,” one user wrote.

“The rich buy them to differentiate themselves from the middle class, who are afraid to wear them for fear of being mistaken for low class.”

“I’m convinced Balenciaga is a social experiment because there is no way they are charging 1.8K (US) for a trash bag???” said another.

“Idk how to feel about @BALENCIAGA and their new ‘Trash Pouch’,” tweeted a third.

“I’ve been wearing this exact look for YEARS taking out the trash Sunday nights. Winter ’22 my right eye!”

“What is Balenciaga gonna do next? Bottle up some air and sell it for $999. They’re doing too much with those trash bags,” said another.

“Whoever buys this needs to be thrown out of it.”

At Balenciaga’s March show, models trudged through a fake winter storm lugging the bags, with Demna writing in his show notes that the despair over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine informed the mood of it.

He wrote that he “became a forever refugee” when his family fled the war in his native Georgia, noting the war in Ukraine had “triggered the pain” from his past and highlighted the “absurdity” of fashion week.

“I realized that canceling this show would mean giving in, surrendering to the evil that has already hurt me so much for almost 30 years,” he said.

“I decided that I can no longer sacrifice parts of me to that senseless, heartless war of ego.”

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Categories
Sports

Positive Covid-19 test cartridge throws press conference into disarray, Manly vs Eels score

Positive Covid-19 test cartridge throws press conference into disarray, Manly vs Eels score

Friday evening’s press conference at 4 Pines Park was thrown into disarray after a positive Covid-19 RAT test was found in the venue’s designated media room.

The Parramatta Eels defeated the Manly Sea Eagles 36-20 in the Round 21 contest, with winger Maika Sivo scoring a double for the visitors.

But after the final siren, Manly captain Daly Cherry-Evans opted not to conduct a post-match press conference after reporters discovered a positive RAT cartridge in the media room.

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Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler’s interview went ahead as planned, but Eels mentor Brad Arthur played it safe and conducted his press conference in the hallway outside the toilets.

Meanwhile, Parramatta’s players refused to do interviews after the game to avoid any risk of being exposed to the deadly virus.

Parra pounce on Sea Eagles at Brookie | 02:39

News Corp’s Martin Gabor tweeted: “Drama at 4 Pines Park. A positive RAT was found in the post match press conference room. Des Hasler did his press conference but DCE played it safe. Eels are concerned and it looks like their presser will be delayed and moved.”

AAP’s Scott Bailey posted: “Absolute shambolic scenes at Brookvale. Positive RAT cartridge sitting in the designated press conference room. None of the journalists behind it. DCE opted out of presser while Brad Arthur moved his outside and no Eels players spoke as a result.”

The positive RAT test was later removed by an NRL official. It remains unclear where the cartridge came from.

It was a back-and-forth affair at 4 Pines Park on Friday, with Manly taking a lead 20-14 after the halftime break.

But the Eels fightback began in spectacular fashion as winger Waqa Blake, playing his 150th game, dived for the corner to score a stunning try in the 55th minute.

Latching onto a perfectly-directed lofted pass from young teammate Jakob Arthur, the Eels flyer lunged and somehow managed to ground the ball with his knees inches from the turf in touch.

It proved to be the turning point for the Eels, who scored three late tries to blow the Sea Eagles away and leave Manly’s season on life support.

“It was a big moment wasn’t it?” Eels coach Arthur told reporters after the 16-point victory.

“It really got us back in the hunt. Good for Jake’s confidence too.

“Really pleased for Waqa, he’s the sort of player that doesn’t get a lot of accolades but he just competes at every contest for us. He’s had some injuries over the last couple of years but he always works the hardest to get back on the field.”

With four games remaining in the regular season, the Sea Eagles are now four points out of the top eight in 10th place on the NRL ladder, while the Eels have moved into fifth on 28 competition points.

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Categories
US

Indiana abortion bill SB 1 passes both chambers, heads to governor

Members of the Indiana House of Representatives stand for the Pledge of Allegiance before a vote is held on Senate Bills 1 and 2 during special session Friday, August 5, 2022, at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis.