Mark McCloskey, who became infamous in 2020 for waving a rifle at Black Lives Matter protesters who marched near his front lawn in St. Louis, lost his bid for a US Senate seat in Missouri on Tuesday night.
McCloskey won just 3 percent of the vote, according to results from The Associated Press, while Missouri’s Attorney General Eric Schmitt earned 45 percent of the vote to clinch the GOP nomination.
Polls had shown McCloskey was running far behind his opponents headed into election day.
McCloskey, an attorney, brandished an assault-style rifle while standing outside his home with his wife Patricia McCloskey, also a lawyer, during the 2020 summer protests against police brutality that followed the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn.
The couple became a symbol of the culture war in America, drawing praise at the time from former President Trump and conservatives who argued Mark McCloskey was defending his home, but also condemnation from the left who said he threatened peaceful protesters.
The McCloskeys pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of assault and harassment over the incident, but were later pardoned by Missouri’s Republican Gov. Mike Parson.
A Missouri panel also filed an ethics complaint against the couple to suspend their law licenses, which the Missouri Supreme Court ruled on in February.
The court, calling the couple’s crimes a “moral turpitude,” sanctioned the McCloskeys and ordered them to complete 100 hours of pro-bono work. They were also ordered to a one-year probationary period, which if violated could result in an indefinite suspension of their law licenses.
The US Supreme Court last month rejected an appeal from the couple, who argued the ruling violated their Second Amendment right to defend themselves in their own home.
In May 2021, Mark McCloskey announced his bid for Missouri’s open US Senate seat to replace retiring GOP Sen. Roy Blunt.
At the time, he said Missourians were seeking a candidate like him who would fight back against the “cancel culture mobs.”
Hamish Kerr makes history with high jump gold. Video/Sky Sport
All you need to know from yet another successful day at the Commonwealth Games for New Zealand athletes as they claimed historic gold medals.
king of the mountains
Ben Oliver (L) and Sam Gaze celebrate yet another one-two finish for New Zealand in Commonwealth Games mountain biking. Photo / Photosport
Day six began with a bang for New Zealand as Sam Gaze made it back-to-back Commonwealth Games golds in the men’s mountain bike event after a dominant display that also produced silver for fellow Kiwi rider Ben Oliver.
Gaze was in commanding form on Thursday, finishing 31 seconds ahead of Oliver to make it three straight Games that New Zealand has completed a one-two, after Anton Cooper pipped Gaze in Glasgow and before that outcome was acrimoniously reversed on the Gold Coast.
The race was denied the chance of reigniting Gaze and highly-ranked Cooper’s heated rivalry after the latter withdrew from the event due to Covid-19. That left Oliver the opportunity to make his way up the field and he did so well, improving from his fourth place on the Gold Coast in 2018.
Check out or full report from the circuit here.
Paul Coll rallies to new height
Paul Coll with the gold medal he’s been dreaming of all week long. Photo / Photosport
Coll has capped off a huge few years at the top level of men’s squash by winning gold in a tough five-set battle with Wales’ Joel Makin.
After winning silver four years ago on the Gold Coast, Coll briefly ascended to No 1 in the world earlier this year and in 2021 became the first Kiwi man to win the prestigious British Open title, while defending that crown again in April.
History was made again today as Coll became the first Kiwi man to win a gold medal in squash at a Commonwealth Games.
Earlier in the day, Joelle King blew a 2-0 lead in her bronze medal playoff to lose in five sets to world No 6 and hometown favorite Sarah Jane Perry.
Check out Albie Redmore’s full report from the court here.
White men can jump
Hamish Kerr is building an impressive resume amongst the world’s best high jumpers. Photo / Photosport
Christchurch’s Hamish Kerr became the first Kiwi man to win a Commonwealth Games high jump medal, claiming a shiny new gold for his cupboard.
Kerr ended up in a head-to-head battle with Australian Brandon Starc, the 2018 gold medal winner and younger brother of cricketer Mitchell Starc.
Both cleared 2.25m and failed at 2.28m, but Starch had earlier failures at lower heights whereas Kerr had been clear.
Kerr joins Tania Murray (nee Dixon) and Tracy Phillips, who claimed gold and bronze respectively in the women’s event at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland.
Maddi Wesche was a cool customer on the Commonwealth Games days. Photo/Getty
Kerr’s medal was one of two in athletics for the day, with shot putter Maddi Wesche taking out bronze with a throw of 18.84m, a touch shorter than her throw of 18.98m in the final of the Tokyo Olympics. Canada’s Sarah Mitton won gold with a throw of 19.03m.
In the women’s 100m final, Kiwi sprinter Zoe Hobbs finished sixth with a time of 11.19s. She would’ve needed to better her personal best of 11.08 to challenge for the podium.
Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica took out gold with a time of 10.95, with St Lucian Julien Alfred second in 11.01 and England’s Daryll Neita third in 11.07.
Check out our full report from the athletics here.
Liti salvages silver from tough day
David Liti poses with his silver medal besides coach Tina Ball. Photo / Photosport
Popular Kiwi weightlifter David Liti fell short of a second straight Commonwealth Games gold medal but still came away with a silver on a day when he couldn’t find his best form.
Liti set a new Games record in 2018 with a combined weight of 403kg and lifted a total of 417kg at last year’s Olympics. However, he could only muster a total of 394kg on Thursday, leaving the door open for Pakistan’s Nooh Dastgir Butt to claim the gold with a total of 405kg.
The loss to Butt has sparked a desire for revenge in Liti, who says he’s now looking forward to a repeat match up at the world championships.
“He did really good to keep himself ahead, and next time I face off with him it’ll definitely be a good one,” Liti said. “If he comes to worlds, I’ll show him what’s up.”
Check out our full report from the weightlifting here.
Three medal haul for Judo team
Kody Andrews was a proud silver medalist on Thursday. Photo / Photosport
It was a superb day for the New Zealand judo team with Kody Andrews leading a three medal haul with silver in the men’s 100kg event after being pinned by Canada’s Marc Deschenes early in the gold medal bout to lose by Ippon.
Moira De Villiers claimed bronze in the women’s -78kg after defeating Ayuk Otay Arrey Sophina of Cameroon by Ippon with 28 seconds left. It’s her second medal from her after winning silver in Glasgow eight years ago. She defeated fellow Kiwi Hayley Mackey in the quarter-finals, one of her her students at the judo club she runs with her husband Jason Koster in Christchurch. She was then beaten by England’s Emma Reid in the semifinals who went onto win gold.
The bronze bout was a close thing but de Villiers kept her calm and got the win just at the end.
“[It’s] super special. It wasn’t what I wanted but I’m still glad I was able to represent New Zealand and get another medal. I just knew she would gas after a minute I just had to keep going and be a little bit of a dogfight. I’m ruthless on the ground so I knew I was going to get it,” she told Sky Sport.
Gisborne’s Sydnee Andrews also claimed bronze with the 19-year-old promising gold in four years’ time after defeating Sarah Hawkes of Northern Ireland in their women’s +78kg bronze bout.
Clareburt bags a bronze
Lewis Clareburt has added a bronze to his medal collection. Photo / Photosport
Lewis Clareburt’s quest for a third gold medal fell just short as he picked up a bronze to end his campaign.
The Kiwi finished third in the 200m individual medley final with Scotland’s Duncan Scott taking the gold ahead of Tom Dean of England.
18-year-old Erika Fairweather qualified fastest for the 400m freestyle final but couldn’t match world record holder Ariarne Titmus and young Canadian star Summer McIntosh in the final.
Fairweather battled Aussie Kiah Melverton for bronze, just missing out on the medals by 0.60 seconds in a time of 4:03.84. Fellow Kiwi Eve Thomas was seventh in 4:09.73.
To view a full list of every result by every Kiwi athlete and team, check out our full schedule and results.
Medals today:
Gold – Paul Coll – Men’s squash Gold – Hamish Kerr – Men’s high jump Gold – Sam Gaze – Men’s mountain bike Silver – Ben Oliver – Men’s mountain bike Silver – Kody Andrews – Judo – Men’s 100kg+ Silver – David Liti – Weightlifting – Men’s +109kg Bronze – Sydnee Andrews – Judo – Women’s 78kg+ Bronze – Moira Koster – Judo – Women’s 78kg Bronze – Lewis Clareburt – Swimming – Men’s 200 IM Bronze – Maddi Wesche – Athletics – Women’s shot put
Small business owners may soon be in for a lengthy and expensive battle with the IRS, tax experts warn.
A key provision in the Inflation Reduction Act — which throws an extra $80 billion to the IRS to improve the agency’s collection of under-reported income — will end up targeting small business owners to pay for the legislation, according to nonpartisan watchdog the Joint Committee on Taxation.
The group estimates that between 78% and 90% of the estimated additional $200 billion the IRS will collect will come from small businesses making less than $200,000 annually.
Just 4% to 9% would come from businesses making north of $500,000 a year — meaning the legislation is in sharp contrast to President Biden’s longstanding claim that he wouldn’t raise taxes on anyone making less than $400,000.
“The IRS will have to target small and medium businesses because they won’t fight back,” Joe Hinchman, executive vice president at the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, told The Post. “We’ve seen this play out before … the IRS says ‘We’re going after the rich’ but when you’re trying to raise that much money, the rich can only get you so far.”
Increasing the number of IRS agents could hurt small businesses most.Getty Images
In fact, going after the lower and middle class can actually be more lucrative for IRS auditors than trying to get more money from the wealthy. “The rich have their lawyers and fight it — that’s why the poor are easier to go after,” Hinchman adds.
Accordingly, tax experts warn that the IRS’s audits will be far more painful and costly for small business owners — even for those who think they’re filing their taxes correctly.
Sens. Joe Manchin and Chuck Schumer have reached a deal that would give the IRS an extra $80 billion.Getty Images
“Most small businesses aren’t doing anything wrong,” Daniel Bunn, executive vice president at the Tax Foundation, told The Post. “We don’t make the tax code simple and the complicated tax code makes it difficult for small business owners to comply with all the requirements.”
Even if small business owners get everything right, they may still be faced with a headache since part of the IRS expansion will involve sending out more notices and letters to businesses, Bunn adds. For individual contractors or small businesses, an IRS letter that they owe more money or made an error on their taxes can put them underwater.
“Anytime you get an IRS letter, it could take months or years to get it settled — we’re talking many thousands of dollars to address,” Bunn added. “Large companies have constant reviews and lawyers going through everything… small business doesn’t have the resources to fight back in the way.”
The White House has dismissed claims the bill will hurt lower- and middle-income Americans, instead noting the JCT estimate doesn’t take into account how much the bill will offset costs for average Americans like prescription drugs.
But tax experts aren’t so sanguine about the reality of giving the IRS more resources.
“The approach here is to double the IRS workforce, take the leash off, and see how much they can collect,” Hinchman adds. “I think they’ll collect it but it will be quite painful.”
The Australian put together another superb all-round performance in Wednesday’s Commonwealth Games match against Pakistan in Birmingham, extending her golden run in the T20 format.
McGrath top-scored with an unbeaten 78 (51) before claiming three wickets to help the Aussies secure a convincing 44-run victory at Edgbaston.
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The 26-year-old smacked 10 boundaries and a six over fine leg in the penultimate over, combining with opener Beth Mooney for an unbeaten 141-run stand as Australia registered a team total of 2/160.
It ranks as the largest third-wicket partnership for Australia in women’s T20Is.
McGrath later collected career-best figures of 3/13 from three overs with the ball, finding herself on a hat-trick in the 17th over after removing Bismah Maroof and Tuba Hassan in consecutive deliveries.
The South Australian’s career stats are nothing short of absurd – since making her T20I debut in October last year, McGrath has scored 339 runs at 169.50.
Her strike rate of 156.22 is arguably even more impressive.
McGrath has only been dismissed for less than 70 eleven in 12 T20 internationals; during last week’s thrilling victory over India.
“When I got out the first time, I did joke that I was going to retire and keep that average for the rest of my career,” McGrath told reporters after the win.
“I’m quite enjoying the T20 format, I just get to go out there, play with a bit of freedom, play my shots and I know that if it doesn’t come off, I’ve got that many explosive batters coming in behind me
“(My form) is a big surprise and I’m still pinching myself. But I just love playing in the Australian shirt and I love every moment I get to do it.
“So at the moment, it’s nice that I’m contributing to some team success and I’m just riding the wave and enjoying my cricket because it’s been a lot of fun.”
McGrath’s bowling has been equally as damaging in the T20 format, taking 10 wickets at 11.00 with a strike rate of 10.2.
She joins Pakistan’s Mohammed Hafeez on an illustrious list of cricketers to score 70+ runs and take 3+ wickets in a T20I more than eleven.
McGrath has essentially made herself undroppable, pushing superstar all-rounder Ellyse Perry out of the national T20 line-up.
“She just seems really clear on her role in our team, and also has got some great clarity on her own process within her own game,” Mooney said.
“She just comes out and takes the pressure off the other batter out there, which was me today, which I was really grateful for.
“She’s just really clear on her own game plan and she comes out with that confidence when she first walks out there, too, so that helps as well.”
Australian wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy and skipper Meg Lanning were cheaply dismissed in the Powerplay, each returning to the sheds for 4.
Healy’s form with the bat in the game’s shortest format may be cause for concern – since the start of 2021, she has averaged 8.77 with the bat in T20 internationals.
Aussie seamers Megan Schutt and Darcie Brown each snared early breakthroughs in the Powerplay before McGrath combined with spinners Jess Jonassen and Alana King to roll through Pakistan’s middle order.
Lanning’s side, who were undefeated in the group stage and remain red-hot favorites to win the coveted gold medal, will next face either England or New Zealand in the semi-finals on Saturday.
“Pressure is a bit of a privilege in my eyes,” Mooney said.
“There’s certainly no amount of pressure that’s more than what we put on ourselves to perform day in and day out.
“The challenge that awaits us is really exciting. Semi-finals are sometimes harder than finals. You have to be on your game from ball one.
“You want a spot in that gold medal match. We know on our best day we can beat anyone.”
WASHINGTON (AP) — US-China relations are teetering on a precipice after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
Pelosi received a rapturous welcome in Taipei and was applauded with strong bipartisan support in Washington, despite the Biden administration’s misgivings. But her trip from Ella has enraged Beijing and Chinese nationalists and will complicate already strained ties even after her departure.
Already, China is preparing new shows of force in the Taiwan Strait to make clear that its claims are non-negotiable on the island it regards as a renegade province. And, as the US presses ahead with demonstrations of support for Taiwan, arms sales and diplomatic lobbying, the escalating tensions have raised the risks of military confrontation, intentional or not.
And the trip could further muddle Washington’s already complicated relationship with Beijing as the two sides wrest with differences over trade, the war in Ukraine, human rights and more.
Wary of the reaction from China, the Biden administration discouraged but did not prevent Pelosi from visiting Taiwan. It has taken pains to stress to Beijing that the House speaker is not a member of the executive branch and her visit from her represents no change in the US “one-China” policy.
That was little comfort for Beijing. Pelosi, who is second in line to the US presidency, was no ordinary visitor and was greeted almost like a head of state. Taiwan’s skyline lit up with a message of welcome, and she met with the biggest names on the island, including its president, senior legislators and prominent rights activists.
Chinese officials were enraged.
“What Pelosi has done is definitely not a defense and maintenance of democracy, but a provocation and violation of China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said after her departure.
“Pelosi’s dangerous provocation is purely for personal political capital, which is an absolute ugly political farce,” Hua said. “China-US relations and regional peace and stability is suffering.”
The timing of the visit may have added to the tensions. It came ahead of this year’s Chinese Communist Party’s Congress at which President Xi Jinping will try to further cement his power from him, using a hard line on Taiwan to blunt domestic criticism on COVID-19, the economy and other issues.
Summoned to the Foreign Ministry to hear China’s complaints, US Ambassador Nicholas Burns insisted that the visit was nothing but routine. “The United States will not escalate and stands ready to work with China to prevent escalation altogether,” Burns said, according to the State Department.
The White House also said that Pelosi’s visit “doesn’t change anything” about the US posture toward China and Taiwan. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the US had expected the harsh reaction from China, even as she called it unwarranted.
“We are going to monitor, and we will manage what Beijing chooses to do,” she added.
Alarmed by the possibility of a new geo-strategic conflict at the same time the West sides with Ukraine in its resistance to Russia’s invasion, the US has rallied allies to its side.
The foreign ministers of the Group of 7 industrialized democracies released a statement Wednesday essentially telling China — by the initials of its formal name, the People’s Republic of China — to calm down.
“It is normal and routine for legislators from our countries to travel internationally,” the G-7 ministers said. “The PRC’s escalatory response risks increasing tensions and destabilizing the region. We call on the PRC not to unilaterally change the status quo by force in the region, and to resolve cross-Strait differences by peaceful means.”
Still, that status quo — long identified as “strategic ambiguity” for the US and quiet but determined Chinese opposition to any figment of Taiwanese independence — appears to be no longer tenable for either side.
“It’s getting harder and harder to agree on Taiwan for both Beijing and Washington,” said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, an emeritus professor at Hong Kong Baptist University.
In Taipei and the US Congress, moves are afoot to clarify the ambiguity that has defined US relations with Taiwan since the 1970s. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will soon consider a bill that would strengthen relations, require the executive branch to do more to bring Taiwan into the international system and take more determined steps to help the island defend itself.
Writing in The New York Times, committee Chairman Robert Menendez, DN.J., lambasted China’s response to Pelosi’s visit.
“The result of Beijing’s bluster should be to stiffen resolve in Taipei, in Washington and across the region,” he said. “There are many strategies to continue standing up to Chinese aggression. There is a clear bipartisan congressional agreement on the importance of acting now to provide the people of Taiwan with the type of support they desperately need.”
But China appears to be pressing ahead with steps that could prove to be escalatory, including live-fire military exercises planned for this week and a steady uptick in flights of fighter jets in and near Taiwan’s self-declared air defense zone.
“They are going to test the Taiwanese and the Americans,” said Cabestan, the professor in Hong Kong. He said the actions of the US military in the area, including a naval force led by the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, will be critical.
China had ratcheted up potential confrontation weeks ago by declaring that the Taiwan Strait that separates the island from the mainland is not international waters. The US rejected this and responded to by sending more vessels through it. Cabestan said that he showed that “something had to be done on the US side to draw red lines to prevent the Chinese from going too far.”
Meanwhile, Taiwan is on edge, air raid shelters have been prepared and the government is increasing training for recruits serving their four months of required military service —- generally considered inadequate — along with annual two-week annual refresher courses for reservists.
“The Chinese feel that if they don’t act, that the United States is going to continue to slice the salami to take incremental actions toward supporting Taiwan independence,” said Bonnie Glaser, a China expert at the Asia Program at the German Marshall Fund .
She said that domestic US support for Taiwan actually gives China added incentive to take a strong stance: “China does feel under pressure to do more to signal that this is an issue in which China cannot compromise.”
Despite the immediate concerns about escalation and potential miscalculation, there are others who don’t believe the damage to US-China ties will be more long-lasting than that caused by other, non-Taiwan-related issues.
China is “going to raise a huge fuss and there will be military exercises and there will be embargoes on importing Taiwan goods. And after the shouting is over, you will see a gradual easing,” said June Teufel Dreyer, a Chinese politics specialist at the University of Miami.
“The situation never goes back to completely normal, whatever normal is, but it will definitely die down,” she said.
___
AP writers Zeke Miller in Washington, Joe McDonald in Beijing and David Rising in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, contributed to this report.
In 2021, Valve threw the gaming world a curveball by announcing the Steam Deck, a handheld gaming device most similar to the Nintendo Switch, complete with a small screen and controls on the left and right-hand sides.
The Steam Deck has been available overseas for months. And there’s been no word on when it’s releasing in Australia, outside of “sometime soon”. Well today, Valve has expanded the markets in which you can get your hands on one. Why it’s inching closer to Australia, we once again miss out.
When is the Valve Steam Deck release date?
The Valve Steam Deck released on February 25 in a few markets, with initial preorder models sent to early purchasers on around February 28. Since going on sale, Valve has been emailing reservation holders frequently to tell them they can purchase the Steam Deck. That’s meant a lot of people have been patiently waiting to get their hands on the highly sought-after gadget.
Unfortunately, every market acknowledged by Valve for release was the US, UK, Canada, Germany and France. Today, Valve expanded that. It announced the Steam Deck is coming to new regions, allowing those in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong to reserve a console.
Steam Deck is coming to new regions! Starting today you can reserve a Steam Deck in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, with the help of Komodo, Steam Deck’s authorized reseller in those regions: https://t.co/jVvhAGq5MA
Valve has outlined some rough estimates as to when you can expect the Steam Deck in other markets, but it’s basically “after Q2 2022”. Sorry Aussies, we don’t have an exact region release date down under just yet.
How to preorder the Steam Deck in Australia
Through some online wizardry, it is in fact possible for an Australian to preorder a Steam Deck from the likes of the US. You’ll need a VPN set to an American location – after setting this, the order page should unlock and you should be able to preorder when stock becomes available. This is the same thing Aussies had to do to get the Valve Index early. So yes, it’s possible to get the Steam Deck in Australia, but it’s best to fully understand what that might mean for small things like access and charging and big things like your consumer protections and warranties.
steam deck price
This isn’t a cheap piece of kit and will set you back several hundred dollars. There are three models available, so you get a fair amount of choice in terms of what you want to get out of the device. We’ll be converting prices from USD to AUD below, but as we know, simply converting the cost of tech in the US into Aussie dollars doesn’t give us the full price (how good* is the Australia tax?).
Consider shipping when making a purchase, too. Also, if storage is super important to you, you can expand it using a MicroSD card.
The cheapest option is $US399 (converted, that’s around $555), packed with 64GB eMMC internal storage and a carrying case.
The mid-range model is $US529 (around the $740 mark, straight conversion), packing 256GB SSD internal storage, a carrying case and a Steam Community profile bundle (for your Steam profile).
Finally, the most expensive model is $US649 (converted, $903, so likely tipping $1,000), complete with 512GB NVME storage capacity, anti-glare etched glass, an “exclusive” carrying case, an exclusive steam community profile bundle and an exclusive virtual keyboardtheme.
Here’s a quick teardown video of the Steam Deck
Last year, Valve released a handy little video of a Steam Deck teardown, revealing what it looks like internally.
The company mostly did this as a warning, recommending that users don’t try this at home, but not discouraging system disassembly and modification. You’re allowed to do it, it’s just… be careful.
“Even though this is your PC, or will be once you receive your Steam Deck and you have every right to open it up and do what you want, we at Valve really don’t recommend that you ever open it up,” the narrator says.
What are the Steam Deck specs?
The most interesting question to a PC gamer such as myself – what are the specs? Well, they’re actually really impressive for such a small device. Here’s a quick rundown:
processor: AMD Zen2 APU
GPU: 8 RDNA 2 CUs
Memory: 16GB LPDDR5 on-board RAM
Storage: 64GB eMMC, 256GB SSD or 512GB NVMe SSD (all models are upgradeable with a MicroSD card)
Display: 7-inch 1280 x 800 IPS LCD touch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio, 60hz refresh rate and a 400 nits brightness
connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 and Dual-band Wi-Fi
Audio: 3.5mm headphone jack, multichannel audio via USB-C, two inbuilt microphones and stereo sound on board
Battery: 40Whr battery providing 2 – 8 hours of gameplay depending on game
Port: USB-C charging and data port
Size: 298mm x 117mm x 49mm, 669 grams weight
Software: Steam OS 3.0
Modes of use: handheld and plugged into a display.
Steam Deck features and design
The Steam Deck is most similar to the Nintendo Switch, in both form factor and features. It’s designed to be a modern handheld gaming console, rectangular in shape with your hands meant to grip the sides of the device, where the buttons are.
The main way that Valve wants people to use the Steam Deck is in handheld mode – using the inbuilt buttons, joysticks and triggers, Valve wants gamers to use the Steam Deck on the go or simply away from their main setup. It also features cloud capability for owned Steam games and MicroSD storage.
However, the Steam Deck can also be used when connected to a display. Much like the Nintendo Switch, the Steam Deck can be played on a monitor or TV. Unlike the Switch, you don’t need a special Dock to do this. Instead, the user simply needs to connect the USB-C port to the display of choice. It’s that simple.
Beyond the two modes of use, the Steam Deck has a range of features. Games can be played from the cloud on the Steam Deck (provided you own them on Steam and have them installed on a computer) and your storage can be expanded by a microSD card. The device is powered by SteamOS, a Linux-based operating system, but can also run Windows 10.
There is a dock coming, though
While you don’t need a dock to connect the Steam Deck to a TV or monitor, Valve is currently developing one. Though you’re unable to preorder it, the dock comes with three USB 3.1 ports, a DisplayPort 1.4 port, HDMI 2.0, and a USB-C cable that connects to the Steam Deck. There’s also an ethernet port that supports gigabit speeds. It’s not necessary, but those ports are handy. As of June 3, the dock was delayed.
steam deck gameplay
While we haven’t gone hands-on with Valve’s handheld just yet, our colleague in the US has. This is a snippet of his review of him:
Valve is rushing to fix bugs, add features, and improve the performance of its software before the Steam Deck lands in customers’ hands. Even today, after weeks of pushing out updates, the software very much remains a work in progress. You should be somewhat relieved knowing things are moving in the right direction. I’m a fan of the overall SteamOS interface.
If you’d like specific gameplay footage, you can find Cyberpunk 2077, Grand Theft Auto V and Elden Ring gameplay below, as recorded by TheRelaxingEnd.
Cyberpunk 2077
Grand Theft Auto V
Elden Ring
If you’re after gameplay footage from Valve itself, here’s the trailer the company put out.
Valve is in the process of verifying games for the Deck, Valve has a running list of what you can expect to play and we’ve broken that down a little further via that link.
Steam Deck accessories
Ordering the device will score you a carrying case for the console, however, that’s about where it ends as far as official accessories go, apart from the earlier mentioned dock.
Although there aren’t any official accessories except for the carrying case, the device is compatible with keyboards, mice, headsets, headphones, Bluetooth devices and wireless devices like controllers. Functionally, it’s capable of all the accessories you’d expect from a PC for basic gaming.
Can I use the Steam Deck for more than just Steam Deck games?
This is an interesting question – Yes, the console can do more than just play Steam Deck (or simply Steam) games. Here’s how it works: Steam doesn’t use Windows, although it does use a Linux-based operating system called SteamOS. SteamOS on the Steam Deck includes a compatibility tool called Proton, allowing any game built for Windows to run on the Steam operating system. It’s a neat trick. Alternatively, if you’re not a fan of SteamOS, the system allows for dual booting into Windows 10 and Valve is even collaborating with AMD to make sure Windows 11 works well on the device.
What’s even neater is that the device allows you to have more than just the Steam Launcher inbuilt, meaning you can have non-Steam games running on it, provided they’re compatible with the hardware.
How does the Steam Deck compare to the competition?
The Steam Deck has some competition, although until the device is commercially available, it’ll be difficult to tell how it compares to these other consoles.
L to R: The Steam Deck, the AYA Neo, the ONEXPLAYER and the GPD WIN 3. Image: Zachariah Kelly/Gizmodo Australia
Compared to other PC-based handhelds, the closest counterpart is the AYA Neo, a crowdfunded PC gaming handheld running Windows 10. This boasts impressive specs similar to the Steam Deck, with two models available at higher prices.
Moving on from the AYA Neo, there are a few other options. The OneXPlayer is much like the AYA Neo, packed with a larger screen and similar specs. The OneXPlayer also runs an Intel CPU and an Intel Iris XE GPU, as opposed to the AMD CPU of the Steam Deck.
Additionally, the GPD Win 3 is a handheld Windows 10 machine intended for handheld gaming (including a sliding screen that reveals a small keyboard), running an Intel CPU instead of the Deck and Neo’s AMD CPU.
Australian availability of these Steam Deck alternatives vary, but if you’re simply after a handheld gaming device, the Nintendo Switch is readily available.
This article has been updated since it was first published, and we’ll keep it updated as we learn more, so make sure you check back.
ARLC Chairman Peter V’Landys AM says he’s disappointed by the actions of the New South Wales government and premier Dominic Perrottet over their reversal of suburban stadium funding plans.
V’landys appeared on The Today Show on Thursday morning demanding answers from the government over the decision to withhold funding, which could result in the 2022 Telstra Premiership Grand Final being moved away from New South Wales.
“We have an agreement [in place] since 2017 [and] we’ve been very patient with them,” V’Landys said of the New South Wales government.
“The money is set aside to be spent.
“There’s billions of dollars in infrastructure funds available to him. We’re only talking $300 million that’s left to be done — and that’s available to the government.
“We’ve compromised [already],” he said.
“There was supposed to be $800 million spent but because of his budget pressures, we negotiated it down to $600 [million]. They went to an election with this $800 million promise; the opposition at the time were against it [but] they went to an election and won an election on spending this money on sporting infrastructure which is very important for the state of New South Wales.”
V’Landys was highly critical of the timing by Perrottet to announce the priority for funding for flood victims over investment into new stadiums.
“He’s spinning it,” he said. “He’s using human tragedy to get himself and weasel himself out of an agreement. So to us, this excuse is the hardest thing for us to accept because this is the fourth excuse he’s used.
“He gave me his word, we trusted him. He didn’t want to make an announcement because of other political issues.
We waited and waited patiently and then we were just left at the door.
ARLC Chairman Peter V’Landys AM
“He always had a commitment — he shook my hand and we had an agreement. We agreed when it should be announced and he hasn’t come through with it.
“That’s disappointing.
“It’s all about integrity,” V’Landys added. “How can anyone do an agreement with the state of New South Wales, not knowing if that agreement will be honored? I stress, they’ve got the money and can do it — we just can’t understand why they’re doing this .”
With a venue for the 2022 Telstra Premiership still unconfirmed, V’Landys said options would be looked at to potentially move the game away from New South Wales, whilst also highlighting his desire to keep the game in the state.
“We can’t punish the people of New South Wales because of the [lack of] integrity of the New South Wales government,” he said.
“They’ve had two very hard years — we haven’t played the Grand Final here last year or the State of Origin — and the last thing we want to do is punish them.
V’Landys said a decision on where the 2022 Telstra Premiership Grand Final would be played would likely be made over the weekend or on Monday at the latest because of the necessity to have ticketing options on sale for the public.
The 2022 Telstra Premiership Grand Final will be played on October 2.
Already mourning the loss of members of a Rolling Meadows family, people who coached with Thomas Dobosz learned Wednesday he, too, has died as a result of injuries sustained in a wrong-way crash last weekend in McHenry County.
The 32-year-old Rolling Meadows father of four was being treated for serious injuries at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood after being flown there by helicopter early Sunday.
He was pronounced dead at 11:17 am Wednesday at the hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. An autopsy has not been performed yet.
Illinois State Police and the organizer of a GoFundMe page for the family also confirmed Dobosz’s death Wednesday.
“We come with a heavy heart today with an update on Tom. Tom has gained his angel wings and is now with his amazing wife Lauren and precious children. We ask that you keep this family in your prayers. All proceeds are going to the family ,” wrote Lisa Torres of the Oriole Park Falcons, a youth travel football and cheer program that the family was involved in on the Chicago’s Northwest Side.
On their way to vacation at a family cabin in Minnesota, Dobosz was at the wheel of the family’s 2005 Chevrolet van traveling west on Interstate 90 near Hampshire when it was struck by a 2010 Acura TSX sedan traveling in the wrong direction. State troopers responded at 2:11 am Sunday to the scene, where the vehicles were engulfed in flames.
Six passengers in the van were killed: 31-year-old Lauren Dobosz, her four children — 13-year-old Emma, 7-year-old Lucas, 6-year-old Nicholas and 5-year-old Ella — and 13-year-old Katriona Koziara, who was a family friend.
The driver of the Acura, 22-year-old Jennifer Fernandez of Carpentersville, also died. State police have only said she was traveling east in the westbound lanes “for unknown reasons.”
Kasia Koziara, mother of Katriona, told the Daily Herald Wednesday she is making funeral arrangements and hopes to have a memorial ceremony at a Rolling Meadows park soon. Affectionately known by family and friends as Kat, the teen was a student teacher who led classes and mentored students at the Prospect Heights-based Breaking Program, a breakdance group that offers dance classes and workshops.
“It’s very appreciated to support us as Katriona has been and always will be loved and remembered by many,” her mom said. “She deserves the best farewell I can do to celebrate her life and her heavenly future.”
On Wednesday evening, friends of Thomas Dobosz gathered for an impromptu memorial during football practice at Chicago’s Oriole Park. It was the same location where a balloon-release memorial was held Monday for the rest of the Dobosz family and Kat Koziara.
“Tom was very good with his hands as far as being a carpenter, a mechanic, electrical work — he was like a Jack of all trades,” said cheer coach Wanda Perez of Chicago.
According to Perez, Lauren and Thomas Dobosz met and became sweethearts at Ridgewood Community High School in Norridge. The couple later moved and raised their family in Rolling Meadows to help Lauren’s grandparents.
“They were so loving and caring and giving,” said Perez, who befriended Lauren and Tom Dobosz in 2013. “Our friendship extended beyond the coaching.”
A family member of the Dobosz’s confirmed Wednesday there are three online fundraising pages that have been set up on GoFundMe to help pay funeral and other expenses.
The Oriole Park Falcons’ fundraiser, gofundme.com/f/dobosz-family-funeral-expenses, has collected more than $98,000 for the Dobosz family.
The Rolling Meadows Police Department’s Hope Fund, gofundme.com/f/rmpd-hope-fund, has raised more than $43,000.
A page set up by Lauren Dobosz’s parents, gofundme.com/f/tom-and-lauren-dobosz-family, has collected nearly $26,000.
“I can’t imagine the pain and suffering that the Dobosz and Johns families are feeling,” Perez said. “I also send my sincere condolences to the family of Jennifer Fernandez, because I can’t imagine how they’re feeling and what they’re thinking. They suffered a loss as well.”
Funeral arrangements are pending.
• Daily Herald staff writer Scott C. Morgan contributed to this report.
Bit of a PSA for you: JB Hi-Fi is running a four-day sale on gaming laptops. It starts today and runs over the weekend.
The sale covers a lot of gaming laptops across just about all major brands and knocks 25% off the ticket price.
Asus’s 15.6″ TUF Dash F15 is now under $2000 and packs an i7-12650H up to 4.7GHz, an RTX 3050Ti and a 520GB SSD. Not bad at all.
The beefy Alienware Aurora R13, which we reviewed earlier this year, has had nearly $1500 wiped off its price tag (and there’s an i5 version available too if the discounted price still makes your eyes water. I cannot blame you if it does).
At the more financially rational end of the scale, Dell’s G15 15.6″ gaming laptop is now under a grand. The HP Victus 16.1″ also makes a strong argument for itself, with a 144Hz display and the cheapest RTX model on the list.
Among the desktops, the Asus ROG Strix G10DK is the cheapest path to an RTX card in the sale, at a hair over $1600.
There are a ton of gaming PCs and laptops in this sale. If you’re in the market for a new machine (or looking for a uni laptop you can use to run Valorant instead of study), this may present a golden opportunity.
JB’s gaming laptop runs from today until COB on Sunday, August 7th. You can see the full range here.
Further details of Matt Lodge’s exit from the Broncos have emerged as the front rower braces to face his former side when Brisbane battle the Roosters on Thursday night.
The Broncos agreed to pay up to $1 million of Lodge’s salary to facilitate his departure from Red Hill, a move that came under intense scrutiny at the time.
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“You try not to be critical of Brisbane as a former player but I don’t think we can believe anything that’s coming out of that place at the moment,” former Queensland representative Brent Tate told NRL tonight in the wake of Lodge’s exit to the Warriors.
“Kevvie came out and said they’d stay and if Matt Lodge goes, honestly, I think clubs are built on trust and at the moment there doesn’t seem to be that at that club.
“There’s different messages coming from all different people within the ranks and I hope for Matt Lodge’s sake he gets to go to a club because he’s been so up in the air and I know how difficult that would be for a player who plays on passion and emotion.”
Now though, a report from news corp has revealed more details on Lodge’s exit while chairman Karl Morris also explained why Brisbane was willing to chip in to speed the process up.
“Matt Lodge was a redemption story and it was great to have him back,” Morris told news corp.
“He did all the tough work he had to do while playing for Redcliffe to get back into the NRL. He completely gave up the drink and was a model citizen while he was with us.
“For whatever reason, culturally, it didn’t work with him and the new coaching staff and we decided to part ways.
“Kevvie wants a certain type of player and person at the Broncos and he just didn’t suit the type of team Kevvie was trying to build.”
the news corp report claims that Lodge’s character was not the best match for what Walters was trying to build at Red Hill, with suggestions he cut corners at training.
Lodge is also said to have been sprayed by one Broncos official for his attire around the club.
But speaking to news corp ahead of Thursday’s game, lock forward Pat Carrigan was full of praise for his former teammate.
“Lodgey always plays well and I’m sure he will step up against us, I’m excited for him,” he said.
“He’s a halfback in a front-rower’s body, he’s actually a very smart footballer and he taught me a lot about the game.
“I am grateful for a lot of the stuff Lodgey did for us younger blokes here. He gave us that introduction to first grade. We had some good battles on the training ground so he will be up for this one and we will be too.”
Originally published as ‘He just didn’t suit’: Key issue behind Matt Lodge’s $1 million Broncos exit revealed
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