Had you merely cast your eyes over the day’s racing results without watching a kilometre of live coverage, you may have thought upon seeing yet another Jumbo-Visma podium lockout that the Dutch team were simply continuing their run of domination this season at the Vuelta a Burgos .
However, this 1-2-3 was more the result of a horrible crash with 500m to go at the end of stage 2.
David Dekker, fourth in line of the Jumbo-Visma train and the rider the Dutch team were trying to set up for the stage win, fell as the bunch hit a speed bump with the tempo ratcheted up to warp speed as the finish line neared. His fall from him precipitated a mass pile-up behind, so big that the three Jumbo-Visma lead-out men ahead were clear to take the stage win.
Timo Roosen led Edoardo Affini across the line with Chris Harper third.
“It was really hectic already, and we took the front, Affini just pulled full gas and it was an all-out effort,” Timo Roosen said after the finish. “There was some speed bump out of nowhere, I didn’t really see it. I heard something behind me, but I didn’t know what happened. I looked behind me, and I thought it was David, and then I heard he had crashed. I went to the final corner at 250m and just sprinted to the line. Because of the crash, I was there, and I could win.”
Roosen was nevertheless happy with his fourth professional win, despite the circumstances leaving a bit of a sour taste.
“It’s a nice one to have on the palmares, but I hope to have it a different way,” he said. “I heard it was a big crash, I didn’t see anything. It’s not the most beautiful way to win a race.”
“I can say I got my birthday present today,” Matteo Trentin added. “I have no idea how I avoided the crash. Hope all the guys involved are OK! What a mess.”
Bahrain-Victorious’ Santiago Buitrago leads the race with three stages still to come, holding a three-second advantage over Ruben Guerreiro (EF Education EasyPost), Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Tao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos Grenadiers).
Bull sales across New South Wales have exceeded expectations despite the looming threat of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).
Key points:
Bull prices for July sales are up about 20 per cent on last year
A Gloucester-based stud sold its top bull this season for $190,000
A new national record for the highest grossing single-vendor cattle sale – $5.8m – has been set at Warialda
Knowla Livestock, a stud based near Gloucester on the Mid North Coast, sold his top bull for $190,000 — the highest price paid nationally for a bull so far this season.
“It was unbelievable — $40,000 was our top price until this year, so we didn’t only break our own record, we absolutely smashed it,” principal James Laurie said.
The stud sold all of the 82 bulls it put to market for an average price of about $26,500.
Mr Laurie had been concerned sale prices would be adversely affected by the FMD outbreak in Indonesia.
Australia is ramping up biosecurity measures to prevent FMD from crossing the border, which would likely lead to mass culls of infected animals and cause major disruption to the meat and livestock trade.
The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) estimates an outbreak could cost the country $80 billion over 10 years.
Mr Laurie said with FMD front of mind for many, he was not sure what kind of demand to expect at the sale.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty in the market at the moment, in both the physical market and from these overseas issues, so we were just thinking that might take the edge off it,” he said.
“But the interest we had that came from a lot further afield than what we’ve ever had before — that probably waylaid those fears.”
The Knowla livestock team’s previous record price for a bull was $40,000.(Supplied: James Laurie)
Prices up to 20 per cent
Auction Plus chief economist Tim McRae said the market had experienced a huge jump in prices for bulls compared with last year.
“For July we saw bull prices average 20 per cent above the same time last year — and prices were pretty high last year,” he said.
“But also the clearance rates [were high]so the number of bulls that have been getting sold per auction was well in the 90 per cent area.”
Mr McRae said the conditions over the last two years and rising cattle prices were behind the results.
“The very good seasonal conditions are enabling producers to make long-term decisions,” he said.
“There’s still pretty good confidence [in the industry]barring some of the recent downturns in the commercial market.
“The outlook for the beef industry is still very good and commercial producers are very keen to make sure the genetics they have help them optimize that in years to come.”
Industry experts and sellers say people have confidence in the future of the beef industry.(Supplied: James Laurie)
Struan Pearce of Stud Stock Sales agreed that concerns about FMD had not impacted sales.
“People are certainly aware of it,” he said.
“But I suppose they can’t just give up on it and concede defeat, so they’ve just got to keep moving forward, purchasing their bulls and new genetics and keep producing the steers that they’re earning their money from.”
Mr Pearce said prices were strong across the country.
“Geographically there’s been some terrific sales up in Queensland, right through NSW into Victoria and South Australia,” he said.
The Texas Angus crew saw the average price for their bulls rise by $7,000 on last year’s sale.(Supplied: Texas Angus)
record smashed
Recently at Warialda, NSW, a new record was set for the highest grossing single-vendor sale of sheep or cattle in Australia when Texas Angus stud earned a remarkable $5.8 million for its bull and heifer sale.
Owners Ben and Wendy Mayne sold 209 bulls at an average price of $28,000.
“We were just hoping if we could get anywhere near the average of last year we’d be happy, but to go from an average price of $21,000 to $28,000 with an extra 40 bulls was surreal,” Mr Mayne said.
Ms Mayne believed the sale showed there was plenty of optimism about the future of the beef industry.
“The confidence at our sale was phenomenal and it was positive,” she said.
“There was no mention of any biosecurity issues on the day.
“We just believe we’ve had a little bit of a hiccup with biosecurity and things, but I think [industry confidence] only get stronger.”
The creep accused of slashing an Asian woman in Times Square with a box-cutter had been arrested for a violent robbery just days before the random attack — but a lax Queens judge let him walk free, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Anthony Evans, 30, was cut loose on supervised release by Judge Denise Johnson on July 27, despite facing second-degree robbery charges for allegedly slugging aa grocery store worker and, in a separate case, swiping a case of beer, according to officials and records.
Prosecutors with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office cited Evans’ being free on a violent felony as part of their argument for why he should be held on $200,000 bail over the Sunday attack, which is being investigated as a possible hate crime.
The judge ended up ordering the suspect held pending a mental evaluation at the arraignment early Wednesday in Manhattan Criminal Court.
Cops say Evans attacked a 59-year-old seamstress pulling a rolling cart on Seventh Avenue and West 42na Street on Sunday morning — leaving her with 19 stitches on her hand, according to a criminal complaint.
Anthony Evans was cut loose by Judge Denise Johnson days before the Times Square slashing.Robert Miller for NY PostEvans is accused of slashing an Asian woman in Times Square with a box cutter. NYPD
The slashing came only a week after Evans on July 22 allegedly stole a package of noodles from SkyFoods on College Point Boulevard, according to court records.
A manager, who spotted the theft on surveillance footage, followed Evans out of the store and got clocked in the face when he confronted him, the criminal complaint said.
Four days later, Evans allegedly walked into a Walgreens, picked up an 18-pack of Miller Light and strolled out of the store without paying, according to court records. A female employee grabbed the beer from him outside, the complaint said.
Evans previously was caught on camera stealing from a Walgreens and a SkyFoods. NYPD
Evans was arrested July 26 and charged in both cases. He faces charges of second-degree robbery, which is considered a violent felony, as well as Petty Larceny, over the grocery store incident, records showed.
Prosecutors had requested bail be set at $50,000 during his arraignment on July 27, according to a spokesperson for the Queens District Attorney’s Office. But Johnson released Evans without setting monetary bail, according to officials and records.
Both those cases were added until Sept. 22, the DA’s office said.
In the slashing incident, Evans faces charges of assault, attempted assault and criminal possession of a weapon.Paul Martinka for NY Post
Evans is now facing additional charges of assault, attempted assault and criminal possession of a weapon in the caught-on-video Times Square attack on July 31.
He was seen in the video rushing up to the woman, raising his hand above his head and bringing the apparent box cutter down to her hand, according to court records.
Evans also had two misdemeanor convictions of assault and a robbery for which he was granted youthful offender status.
He is due back in court Aug. 25, according to the Manhattan DA.
Johnson — who was elected in November 2021 — caught heat a few months later when she cut loose a reputed gang member charged in a bar shooting after cops tracked him down to North Carolina, despite even his defense lawyer calling $50,000 bail “appropriate,” The Post reported at the time.
Will Ashcroft, the son of a triple premiership Lions great and the best player in this year’s AFL draft pool according to many scouts, will join the Brisbane Lions next year.
The Lions on Thursday confirmed they had formally agreed to join the club as a father-son selection at this year’s national draft after officially nominating Brisbane as his preferred destination earlier in the day.
It means Brisbane now gets the opportunity to match a rival club bid on Ashcroft, who’s widely regarded as the Pick 1 favorite for November’s draft.
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One recruiter told foxfooty.com.au Ashcroft “could play AFL this week” as he was on a “different level” to most of this year’s draft class.
Ashcroft’s father is Marcus Ashcroft, who played 318 games with the Lions and was part of the club’s famous three-peat premiership from 2001 to 2003.
He trained with the Lions’ AFL list last summer then played two games with the club’s VFL team in early May. He starred, of course, for the Lions against both Sydney and Coburg, averaging 28 disposals, eight tackles, six inside 50s and five clearances across the two matches.
Will Ashcroft of Vic Metro. Picture: Dylan BurnsSource: Getty Images
Ashcroft has impressed at every level he’s played so far this year, including in the recent AFL Under 18 National Championships. He booted two goals and averaged 33.3 disposals, 15.0 contested possessions, 10.0 clearances, 6.7 tackles and 6.7 inside 50s from his three Vic Metro matches.
The 18-year-old is the hot favorite to claim this year’s Larke Medal – the award given to the best player of the annual carnival — when it’s awarded next month. Recent winners of the honor include Stephen Coniglio, Lachie Whitfield, Dom Sheed, Jack Graham and Sam Walsh – the latter, of which, Ashcroft has been compared to for his elite on-field consistency and leadership, as well as his off-field professionalism of the.
“I can’t wait to join the club and start earning the respect of all the players and coaching staff,” Will Ashcroft said.
“I was lucky enough to do some work with the midfielders last pre-season and I am really looking forward to learning from them and hopefully breaking into that group and seeing what we can become.
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“To be following after dad is a privilege and if I can achieve half of what he did then I would be happy. I am also looking forward to forging my own name.
“I’d like to say a big thanks to Leon Harris (Lions recruiter) he has done heaps of work over the years to support me. And also a huge thanks to my parents and brother and sister for all they have done.”
Lions football boss Danny Daly said it’ll be exciting to see Ashcroft follow in his father’s footsteps.
“Will is one of the most talented young players in the country and to have him choose the Brisbane Lions to start his AFL career is a huge moment for all involved,” Daly said.
Will Ashcroft of the Sandringham Dragons. Picture: Morgan HancockSource: Getty Images
“He has impressed at every level he has played at this year, and like our members, we cannot wait for him to pull on a Brisbane Lions jumper.”
Possibly complicating matters, in a positive way, for the Lions is they have another father-son prospect in first-round calculations, with Jaspa Fletcher – the son of Adrian Fletcher who played 231 games for four clubs including 107 for Brisbane – rising up draft boards following an three strong carnival games for the Allies.
It means the Lions could spend most of this year’s trade period banking selections to match rival club bids on Ashcroft and, possibly, Fletcher. As of July 26, the Lions held Picks 16, 34, 44 (via Port Adelaide) and 70 in the draft, but will need more picks in their arsenal to secure Ashcroft if his name is called at Pick 1.
Ashcroft’s main competitor for the Pick 1 mantle is seen as George Wardlaw – a powerful, competitive and combative inside midfielder that models his game on Melbourne’s Clayton Oliver.
Severe weather warnings are in place in five states and territories as gale-force winds and thunderstorm conditions near a NSW ski resort.
Winds of up to 100km/h have hit NSW, Victoria and Tasmania early on Thursday.
Canberra could see two months’ worth of rain fall in just 24 hours after 40mm of rain hit the ACT since midnight.
The cold front that whipped up damaging winds in Western Australia earlier this week has moved east across the Great Australian Bight overnight.
A complex low pressure system moving across the Great Australian Bight and an associated through and cold front are causing vigorous north-westerly winds across southeast NSW.
NSW and Victorian snowfields are set to suffer under a downpour of rain and gale-force winds, prompting Thredbo resort to close all lifts for the day.
Damaging north-westerly winds and dangerous surf are forecast throughout the day in South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, NSW and the ACT, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Heavy rainfall is expected in some regions, and the bureau is monitoring the situation for isolated major flooding possible in catchments in southern NSW, northern Tasmania and Victoria’s northeast.
Sheep graziers across the south of NSW, ACT and parts of South Australia are warned that cold temperatures, showers and gusty winds are expected through Friday. There is a risk to lambs and sheep exposed to these conditions.
NSW/ ACT
Damaging wind gusts of more than 125km/h are likely for alpine areas above 1900m on Thursday.
Khancoban, behind Perisher Valley recorded a wind gust of 100 km/h at 2am while nearby Cabramurra recorded a gust of 98 km/h just after midnight.
The Snowy Mountains and South West Slopes could receive between 45mm and 60mm of rainfall.
Lightning and gale-force winds are expected throughout the day and have prompted Thredbo resort to shut down all lifts for the day to the disappointment of holiday-makers.
Just 22 of Perisher resort’s 53 lifts are open on Thursday and will continue to be monitored throughout the day for safety.
Inland water catchments are on flood watch as heavy rainfall across the central and southwest of the state could bring minor to isolated major flooding.
Saturated soils in the Central Tablelands and Illawarra will bring an increased risk of fallen trees and powerlines in powerful winds.
The west ranges of the ACT, east to Bombala, south to Crookwell and north to Oberon can expect damaging winds of up to 90km/h on Thursday morning.
South Australia
Strong to damaging winds smashed the western and southern coasts of the state on Wednesday afternoon.
They will return again on Thursday, bringing showers and thunderstorms to widespread areas of the south.
Up to 60mm of heavy rainfall is possible for parts of the Lofty Ranges into Thursday evening and Friday morning.
The area is on watch for a localized riverine or flash flood threat.
Victory
High-speed winds of up to 100km/h lashed the alpine regions on Wednesday and may return on Thursday.
Mt Hotham recorded 56.4mm in the 6 hours to midnight this morning.
Some parts of the state will receive up to 60mm of heavy rainfall throughout the morning, though most will average under 40mm.
A severe thunderstorm warning was canceled on Wednesday but conditions may return.
Rainfall of between 5mm and 10mm brought minor flood warnings for Seven and Castle creeks near Shepparton.
Tasmanian
Winds of up to 100km/h reached the state’s higher ground overnight and strong winds are expected to stick around through Thursday in coastal areas.
A minor flood warning is current for the Mersey, Meander, North Esk and Macquarie rivers.
Thunderstorms in the north and west of the state may drive more strong wind likes and higher rainfall totals.
Trevor Noah spent a few minutes of his DailyShow monologue digging into Alex Jones, “far-right commentator and man who makes Donald Trump seem like a reasonable human being,” whose defamation trial took a shocking turn on Wednesday after it was revealed that Jones’ own lawyer had accidentally sent a trove of damning text messages to the opposing counsel representing the families of the Sandy Hook shooting victims.
“Today in the trial, one of the funniest moments came when he found out that his inept lawyer had screwed up and sent the prosecution evidence that proved Alex Jones committed perjury,” the host explained before sharing an extended clip from the proceedings with viewers in which the InfoWars founder is caught red-handed.
“Oh shit, that was funny!” Noah said, barely able to control his laughter at him. “Oh man, I like how he was so shocked he started turning into every emoji.” He added that, “at one point he even tried to give himself COVID,” joking that Jones’ coughing fit may have been him pretending to have the disease he’s been calling fake for years now.
“You know you’re in trouble when the truth chokes you up like you’re on an episode of hot ones,” Noah continued. “But you realize, this moment is huge. Because it shows that Alex Jones probably committed perjury, which means Alex Jones lies about stuff.”
That “shocking” realization led Noah to wonder if “chemtrails from planes aren’t turning the frogs gay,” before asking, “Was that also a lie?!”
For more, listen and subscribe to The Last Laugh podcast.
For centuries, nay millennia, people have been obsessed with finding the fountain of youth. Rich mythology from the times of Alexander the Great and the legends of Greek history onwards have spoken about the quest for eternal youth.
Conquistador Juan Ponce de León was said to have been searching for the fabled fountain in the 16th century when he met his untimely demise in Florida, becoming an early example of “Florida Man”.
Perhaps Ponce de León would have been better off searching in and around Seymour: That’s where David Mundy hails from. Despite the endless march of the clock, Mundy seems to get better each year.
On Monday, Mundy called time on his illustrious and lengthy career. Since 2005, Mundy has been a rock for the tribe in purple, a constant force.
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His journey is unique, aging like a portrait of Dorian Gray and following a path that few, if any, players had forged before.
Blue Mundy
Mundy’s place as one of the competition’s best midfielders in the 2020s would have been utterly inconceivable in late 2004. Back then, Mundy was a talented junior player plying his trade for a talented Murray Bushrangers’ side, as well as for Vic Country.
David Mundy started his career with the Dockers in 2005 in defense.(Getty Images: Adam Pretty)
But Mundy wasn’t playing through the middle, instead playing as a full-back.
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A surplus of talented midfielders for the Bushrangers led the coaches to call for volunteers to play down back. The selfless Mundy volunteered for the new role, and he thrived in it.
Mundy started his career in defense, with his first AFL season ending with third place on the Rising Star list.
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But Mundy’s future was in the middle, a move that has paid dividends. His years in defense improved his ability to read the flight and bounce of the ball. Mundy is able to snatch the ball from the grasp of opponents at will.
His teammates — such as longtime teammate Michael Walters — attribute his ongoing ability to his footy IQ.
“He’s one of the smartest players I’ve ever played with. He knows his way around the footy field which obviously gives him the longevity,” Walters said last year.
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On the field Mundy shapes as the hardest worker out there, often jumping and reacting before others can get a jump on the play. It’s perhaps why his game has aged so well, reliant less on speed than smarts.
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That’s not to discount his athletic abilities. One of the reasons that Mundy was a credible, tall defender was his sheer size and strength. At 193cm and 93kgs, Mundy was arguably one of the first of the current wave of “big bodied midfielders”, paving the way for Patrick Cripps, Marcus Bontempelli and Christian Petracca.
David Mundy’s disposal locations in 2022.(Supplied: Cody Atkinson and Sean Lawson)
Few can win the ball on the inside then drill the perfect ball down the throat of a leading forward. Mundy is able to release the ball to teammates via pinpoint handballs or shred opposition defenses via foot, with his disposal skills getting sharper over time.
He’s also got a knack of impacting the game when it matters.
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Mundy stands almost alone for how his game has aged and improved over time. His 20 Brownlow Medal votes last year was the most of his career, and the most for a player over 34 years of age since 1985.
help the aged
Major milestones have become a regular occurrence for footy fans in recent years. Of the 98 players to play in at least 300 games, 63 have played in the 2000s.
In the past three years, the 10 “oldest” sides in VFL/AFL history have all been fielded by the ladder-leading Geelong.
The rules about player age and performance are being rewritten on a yearly basis, with improved fitness regimes and sports science programs as a contributing factor.
However, the long hangover from the Coulter Law — instituted in 1930’s VFL, capping payments and outlawing sign-on bonuses and other inducements — and lessons learned from it, might have finally eased on selection panels and recruiting departments across the league.
In the last round of the 1947 season, Melbourne spearhead Fred Fanning walked off the field triumphantly after kicking 18 goals in an afternoon of footy.
Despite the Fuchsias missing the finals by a game, Melbourne had real hope for the future, led by their 25-year-old goal master.
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However, it would be Fanning’s last game in the red and blue. Fanning received an offer for at least three times more money to play and coach in his wife’s home town of Hamilton. Fanning led his new club to a premiership immediately and kicked bags of goals for years to come.
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Fanning was far from the only player to leave the VFL in their prime. Peter Box is the only Bulldog to win a Brownlow Medal and a Premiership and was just 25 years old when he played his last VFL game. Box left for more money in towns like Goreng Goreng and Narrandera, where he dominated the competition.
The Coulter Law, in existence from 1930 to 1970, limited players to a meager wage, three pounds, for much of the time. Players would often build a platform in the VFL, before chasing proper professionalism in the VFA or lower leagues.
That law chased older and successful players out of the game, and gave clubs with good commercial contacts a huge edge.
Many of the long-term stars of the era were appointed as player-coaches — who were exempt from the law, such as Ted Whitten and Dick Reynolds — to keep them at their clubs.
The hangover from the Coulter Law took decades to overcome, alongside expansion of the competition. Recent studies have pointed to the effectiveness of players in their 30s on the field, with availability and health a bigger concern than loss of skill.
In the future, greater retention of older players — as Geelong has experienced with — might be the standard.
The Happy Mundys
When asked what he wants to accomplish before retirement, Mundy’s answer was simple: six more wins.
That would see the men in Purple hoist their first Premiership trophy aloft, going one better than their near miss in 2013.
In that game, Mundy was perhaps Fremantle’s best, nearly turning the match the Dockers’ way. Just three players remain from that Grand Final team, with Mundy, Nat Fyfe and Michael Walters still among the Dockers most important players when firing.
Few players get to go out with a Premiership win in their last game at AFL level, but Mundy’s career has followed the unbeaten path. For Freo to taste the ultimate success, Mundy will likely have to dive into the fountain of youth one last time.
The release of Tobias Friedrich Moran, accused of murdering his German backpacker girlfriend, must be determined by the NSW Supreme Court after a magistrate said the case against him was not the strongest.
Magistrate Margaret Quinn in the Downing Center Local Court on Thursday accepted submissions from Moran’s barrister there was no new evidence connecting him to the murder of Simone Strobel in 2005.
And while the Crown submitted new witness statements taken from people in Germany showed that he lied about the state of their relationship, that evidence was not currently before the court.
The magistrate said evidence showed the couple had been fighting, drinking a lot and perhaps on some drugs about the time of the alleged murder.
“(But) it doesn’t appear in this case to be any direct or indirect evidence connecting him to the offence,” Ms Quinn said.
“It’s not the strongest circumstantial case I have seen.”
Prosecutor Scott Jaeger confirmed they would be appealing to the Supreme Court to revoke bail and his release was delayed for three days.
Moran must wait in prison until that determination before he can potentially return to live with his wife and family in City Beach, Western Australia.
His wife has offered $200,000 in security if he fails to show up in Lismore court when required, while another $250,000 has been offered as an undertaking.
The 42-year-old is charged with murdering his then partner, 25, and acting with intent to pervert the course of justice between 11pm on February 11, 2005 and 3.30pm the following day.
Police allege Moran suffocated or smothered his girlfriend in a camper van in Lismore and disposed of her body nearby.
Moran reported the school teacher missing before she was found days later 100 meters from the camper van.
Her body was too decomposed for a coroner to determine the cause of death, but it is believed to be asphyxiation.
Moran reported the school teacher missing before she was found days later 100 meters from the camper van. Credit: NSW Police/SuppliedSimone Strobel and Tobias Suckfuell. Credit: Supplied
The magistrate disagreed with the Crown’s submission that Moran had not co-operated with police, acknowledging he had refused to show up for an inquest in 2007.
But he had submitted plenty of DNA samples to police, one of which was lost, and most recently put himself forward for extradition, she said.
Bail conditions – if granted – stipulated he must report to police three days a week and must not communicate via any encrypted websites.
Moran’s sister Katrin Suckfuell, pictured, and friend Jens Martin were also traveling with the pair. Credit: Facebook/Facebook
Police last week confirmed they were communicating with German authorities about two arrest warrants for suspects who had been “persons of interest from the very beginning”.
Moran’s sister Katrin Suckfuel and friend Jens Martin were also traveling with the pair.
SACRAMENTO — Widening his attack on Republican states for their positions on guns, civil rights and abortion, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California on Wednesday called on Hollywood to “walk the walk” on liberal values by bringing back their film and television productions from states such as Georgia and Oklahoma.
Mr. Newsom issued the challenge through an ad in Variety that asked the state’s left-leaning creative community to “take stock of your values — and those of your employees — when doing business in those states.”
The Democratic governor on Wednesday simultaneously endorsed a legislative proposal that would provide a $1.65 billion, five-year extension of California’s film and television production tax credit program.
It marked the second time in recent weeks that Mr. Newsom has used California legislation as a cudgel to rip Republican leaders elsewhere. Last month, I signed a bill allowing residents to sue makers of illegal guns and took the opportunity to rebuke Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas for previously enabling its residents to sue abortion providers.
Mr. Newsom’s statements on Wednesday underscored the pressure that intensifying culture wars have placed on US corporations, particularly in states where the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade has severely constrained reproductive rights for women.
Some of the country’s biggest businesses, including the Walt Disney Company, Netflix and Comcast, which owns NBCUniversal, have announced programs to help employees who need abortion access but cannot obtain it in their home states. Hundreds of entertainment figures also have denounced policies in Republican-led states that have weakened safeguards for LGBTQ people. Last week, some 400 television creators and showrunners publicly demanded that production companies protect pregnant employees in states where abortion is outlawed.
But entertainment companies have not yet announced major plans to cancel expansions or relocate offices. “Tulsa King,” Taylor Sheridan’s upcoming crime drama starring Sylvester Stallone, has been filming this summer for Paramount+ in Oklahoma.
In Georgia on Monday, Gov. Brian Kemp announced that film and television productions generated $4.4 billion in the state this fiscal year, a new record. “Spider-Man: No Way Home” was filmed in the state, the governor noted, as was the fourth season of “Stranger Things.”
“I was happy to name Gavin Newsom Oklahoma’s Economic Developer of the Year Award in 2021 and I’m glad to see he’s making a run for two years in a row,” Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma joked in a statement on Wednesday. Mr. Stitt took a similar jab at the California governor last year in reference to the state’s pandemic shutdowns, which Mr. Stitt said drove business to his state.
The Motion Picture Association, the trade group representing major film studios and Netflix, declined to comment on Wednesday.
Moving a production can be exceptionally costly and logistically complex, and some of the entertainment industry’s biggest companies are deeply invested in states with conservative leaders. Disney, for example, has maintained extensive operations in Florida despite a bitter and expensive standoff between its employees and the state.
After Disney — pressured by its employees — opposeda Florida ban on LGBTQ-related instruction, state legislators and Gov. Ron DeSantis stripped the company of the special authority it had over the swaths of land where Disney World and other company properties are located. Disney, meanwhile, has delayed a planned relocation of some 2,000 high-profile jobs from California to Florida.
Mr. Newsom has been in the thick of that power struggle for months, trolling Mr. DeSantis on Twitter and inviting Disney to rethink its Florida investments. The Variety ad was the latest in a series of initiatives by Mr. Newsom to take his defense of “California values” onto a national stage.
A $105,000 spot that ran in Florida last month — attacking Mr. DeSantis and inviting Florida businesses to come to California — was the opening salvo in a national effort by Mr. Newsom that has included newspaper ads in Texas attacking Mr. Abbott on abortion restrictions and a highly publicized trip to Washington, DC, to discuss, among other things, gun legislation.
In widening his attacks to include Oklahoma and Georgia, Mr. Newsom targeted not only two of California’s most aggressive rivals for film, television and other content production but two of the nation’s most conservative states on social issues.
Oklahoma, which aggressively ramped up film production incentives during the pandemic, has banned nearly all abortions since the Roe v. Wade reverse. And Georgia, which has one of the nation’s most generous packages of film production incentives, has granted fetuses full legal recognition. This week, a Georgia tax agency found that pregnant women could take a $3,000 personal tax exemption for any fetus with a detectable heartbeat.
Mr. Newsom noted that California’s abortion rights are among the most secure in the nation. The state has also enacted some of the nation’s toughest laws on gun safety and civil liberties for LGBTQ people.
California’s film tax credit — which the state created in 2009 after productions began decamping for Canada — has been of debatable value, even with an expansion and overhaul in 2014. The incentive allows filmmakers to recoup as much as 25 percent of their spending — up to the first $100 million — on crew salaries and other costs, excluding star salaries. But other states, including Georgia, offer more significant rebates.
Critics complain that the tax credit encourages bidding wars and rarely keeps productions in the state over the long term. A 2019 analysis by the state’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office found that one-third of the projects that received the subsidies probably would have been made in California regardless.
“While the credit probably caused some film and television projects to be made here, many other similar projects also were made here without receiving any financial incentive,” the report said.
But Newsom on Wednesday touted another study, conducted this year for the Motion Picture Association by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp., that concluded that California’s program had helped create more than 110,000 jobs and tens of billions of dollars in economic output. In recent years, the tax credit has also helped bring shows such as “American Horror Story,” “Veep” and “Lucifer” back from other states and countries to California.
A week after calls were made to unify Australian motorsport, the ownership group behind Supercars has revealed that may soon come to fruition.
Supercars is owned by a consortium dubbed Racing Australia Consolidated Enterprises Ltd (RACE) which is made up of three main parties – QMS Media APAC CEO Barclay Nettlefold, investment advisory firm Henslow, and promoter the Australian Racing Group (ARG).
On Wednesday, it emerged ARG had sold part of its shareholding in RACE, prompting a response from RACE chairman Nettlefold.
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The ARG-run Bathurst International and Supercar-operated Bathurst 1000 joined forces for a rare combined event in 2021 (Supplied)
In it, I have detailed the possibility of buying ARG outright.
In the statement, Nettlefold said the promoter did not have shares in RACE – despite its confirmation last year specifically mentioning ARG among the ownership group – rather, the shares belonged to individuals who were part of ARG.
Although Nettlefold stopped short of naming them, it has been reported the shares were owned by property developer Brian Boyd of PAYCE, who is a co-founder of ARG.
ARG owned roughly 30 per cent of RACE prior to the sale, which is understood to have been to existing shareholders Henslow.
Garry Rogers Motorsport co-owner Barry Rogers owns the remaining ARG portion of the pie.
“In the normal course of business shareholders buy and sell shares,” Nettlefold said in a statement.
“I wish to note ARG as an entity does not have a corporate holding in RACE, however individual shareholders that may be regarded as related parties of ARG do hold shares.
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The Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series is into its third season (Supplied)
“A recent sale has been completed and the purchase of those shares has allowed for further consolidation in the shareholding of RACE.
“Regarding the potential sale of ARG to RACE as part of the initial RACE whole of sport strategy which is well documented, management and directors of Supercars and RACE continue to work through due diligence items in relation to a potential transaction and expect to finalize any recommendation this month.”
ARG had initially sought to buy the Supercars business on its own but consolidated its effort with Nettlefold and Henslow to form RACE.
RACE bought Supercars last year from Archer Capital and the existing teams.
In an interview with Wide World of Sports, Rogers said he had been disillusioned by the ownership group that he said had made false promises.
Rogers had been told there would be a greater presence of ARG categories at Supercars-run events.
A bumper 29-car Trans Am grid will take to Queensland Raceway (Supplied)
However, that has not been the case. In the interview, Rogers threatened to abandon the ownership group if attitudes did not change.
Soon, RACE could end up owning ARG with a decision to be made by the end of August.
ARG owns several properties including the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series, S5000, Turtle Wax Trans Am Series, Gulf Western Oil Touring Car Masters, Australian V8 Touring Car Series (as Dunlop Super3 Series) and Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS.
It also promotes two events at Mount Panorama, the Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour and Supercheap Auto Bathurst International as well as AWC Race Tasmania at Symmons Plains.
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