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US

Richmond police officer shot: Officer Seara Burton

Richmond police officer shot: Officer Seara Burton

RICHMOND, Ind. — A Richmond police officer is fighting for her life after being shot during a traffic stop, authorities said. The suspect who shot her was arrested.

Richmond Officer Seara Burton and her K9 Brev
Richmond Officer Seara Burton and her K9 Brev

According to the Indiana State Police, the shooting occurred near 12th Street and C Street in Richmond at approximately 6:30 pm on Wednesday. Police confirmed 28-year-old Officer Seara Burton was shot. She was flown to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio.

“She is in a very critical condition fighting for her life,” said Richmond Police Chief Mike Britt. “Those of you who pray I ask you to pray for her, because she can use it.”

Officer Burton is a four-year veteran and was recently elevated to the K-9 unit. Burton was also engaged and supposed to be married soon, Britt said.

According to the Indiana Fraternal Order of Police, Burton is undergoing surgery.

Police said Burton responded to a call from other officers to help with a traffic stop at North 12th Street and C Street. Officer Burton found a moped driven by a male, identified as 47-year-old Phillip M. Lee.

Indiana State Police say Officer Burton’s K9 partner Brev indicated the possible presence of narcotics sniffing around the moped.

ISP said while officers were talking with Lee, he pulled out a firearm and shot several rounds toward officers. Officer Burton was struck. At this point, police have not released how many times she was shot.

Other officers on the scene returned fire, striking Lee, but they ran off. Officers were able to get him into custody after a short foot chase. Police did not release how many times Lee was shot.

Lee was transported to Reid Hospital in Richmond. He has been arrested on probable cause. The Wayne County Prosecutor will determine what charges he will face.

FOX59 spoke to witnesses at the scene who said the officer was shot in the head. Police did not confirm this information.

Chief Britt did say the entire department suited up to come to the scene and offer help in response to the incident. Britt said the department was devastated, calling Burton a “fine officer.”

Joyce Deloney told FOX59 she witnessed part of the shooting, at first thinking she was hearing fireworks before she walked across a parking lot and saw gunfire striking a building causing Deloney to turn and run.

“I think everyone is in shock, maybe a little bit of disbelief that this was happening here,” Deloney said, adding that the neighborhood has lots of families and children.

“It’s tragic that this happened… I think this could have been prevented.”

“Tonight our deepest thoughts and deepest prayers are with Officer Burton and her family,” said Richmond Maj. Dave Snow.

Additional reporting by Courtney Spinelli

Categories
Technology

Google Sues Sonos, Escalating Ongoing Smart Speaker Dispute

Google Sues Sonos, Escalating Ongoing Smart Speaker Dispute

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(Credit: GettyImages)

Google and Sonos have been at each other’s proverbial throats for the entirety of the pandemic, and tensions are not easing anytime soon. If anything, the patent dispute between the companies is escalating. Google has now filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Sonos, alleging that the audio firm has copied proprietary voice assistant technology.

The new legal challenges were filed in California federal court this week, citing seven Google patents related to smart assistant technology. Google has been active in this area for years before it launched the revamped Google Assistant platform in 2016 alongside the first Pixel phones and Google Home speaker. However, most of the patents at issue in this case are from the last few years, and all of them are hyper-specific, low-level technology patents with titles like “Device Designation for Audio Input Monitoring” and “Apparatus and Method for Seamless Commissioning of Wireless Devices.” It also tossed in an old wireless charging patent for fun.

Google and Sonos collaborated on several occasions, including from 2016 through 2019 to add support for Assistant on Sonos products. Sonos accused Google in early 2020 of infringing on its patented technology for controlling networked audio devices. It has seen some success in the case, which has forced Google to remove volume controls and instant setup features from its Chromecast and Assistant speaker devices.

Google’s Assistant-powered smart home gear is less smart after the Sonos lawsuit.

The US International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled earlier this year that Google violated five Sonos patents, just in time for Sonos to release a voice control feature. That, along with Google’s ITC loss, may have precipitated the new legal volley. Google tells Gizmodo that it has no choice but to file a lawsuit as Sonos has launched an “aggressive and misleading campaign against our products at the expense of our shared customers.” Although, Google made the decision to remove features rather than license technology from Sonos. That’s made its ecosystem more frustrating, especially if you have more than one Cast-enabled device on your network.

Sonos isn’t taking this lying down, telling Reuters that Google’s case is an “intimidation tactic designed to retaliate against Sonos for speaking out against Google’s monopolistic practices, avoid paying Sonos a fair royalty for the roughly 200 patents it is currently infringing, and grind down a smaller competitor.” It’s fair to note, however, that Google rarely uses patents offensively like this. That suggests there’s real animosity between the companies, and a cross-licensing deal is therefore unlikely. If Google wins its case, it could force Sonos to pay license fees or remove offending features from its devices.

Nowread:

Categories
Entertainment

Mumford & Sons’ Marcus reveals he was sexually abused

Mumford & Sons' Marcus reveals he was sexually abused

Mumford & Sons frontman Marcus Mumford has revealed he was sexually abused as a child.

The singer, 35, told GQ that he felt “layers of shame” after the abuse, which started when he was just six years old.

“Like lots of people – and I’m learning more and more about this as we go and as I play it to people – I was sexually abused as a child,” Marcus said.

“Not by family and not in the church, which might be some people’s assumption. But I hadn’t told anyone about it for 30 years.

“And for some reason, and I can’t really understand why, I didn’t become a perpetrator of sexual abuse – although I’ve done my fair share of c**tish behaviour.”|

Marcus added that his mother only found out what had happened after hearing it in the lyrics of one of his songs, Cannibal.

The lyrics read: “I can still taste you and I hate it / That wasn’t a choice in the mind of a child and you knew it.”

Marcus is married to Carey Mulligan and they have two children together.

He was raised by parent John and Eleanor, who were leaders of the evangelical Christian group, the Vineyard Churches.

He plays in the folk band alongside Ben Lovett and Ted Dwane, with fellow Mumford member Winston Marshall quitting the band last year.

They shot to fame in 2009 with their album Sigh No More, which included tracks The Cave and Little Lion Man.

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Categories
Sports

Koch makes call on Hinkley’s Port Adelaide future

Is it time for Power to go in a new direction?

Ken Hinkley will coach Port Adelaide in 2023.

Port Adelaide president David Koch confirmed the club’s position on Thursday evening amidst plenty of speculation.

Hinkley is contracted for 2023 but is currently coaching his worst-ever season at Alberton. Port will miss finals this season after playing in a home preliminary final in 2022.

On Monday Koch put the football department on alert when saying: “turn it around or watch out”.

However, just days later, he’s now guaranteed Hinkley his position for next year.

“The club has maintained all year Ken Hinkley is contracted and will be our coach in 2023,” Koch told 7 News Adelaide.

Hinkley has coached 211 games for a win percentage of 58.77 per cent at Port Adelaide. Koch’s statement backs up Hinkley’s account earlier in the week when the Power coach said conversations behind the scenes he has assured him his job for next year.

Port Adelaide plays Essendon on Sunday evening in Round 22.

Sports-News Port Adelaide





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Categories
Australia

Attempts to deport Kiribati High Court Justice David Lambourne back to Australia lead to airport stand-off

Two men stand in high court judge gowns and wigs.

Attempts to deport a Kiribati High Court judge back to Australia have led to a lengthy airport stand-off, with Justice David Lambourne having since been placed in immigration detention.

Justice Lambourne is a long-time resident of the Pacific nation.

He was suspended from his job by the government in May over alleged misconduct.

On Thursday morning, he was served a deportation notice and taken to the airport in Kiribati’s capital Tarawa to be placed on a flight to Fiji.

However, an urgent application that his lawyers filed to the court of appeal prompted the court to order the Attorney-General to stop the deportation.

Despite the court order, police and immigration officers at the airport tried to force him to board the flight, according to Justice Lambourne and a local journalist present at the scene.

A stand-off was triggered when the government refused to let the plane depart unless the justice was on board, while the pilot of the Fiji Airways flight did not want him to board against his will.

After several hours, the government backed down and allowed the flight to leave without Justice Lambourne.

He has since been taken into immigration detention without a valid visa.

David Lambourne airport
David Lambourne at Kiribati’s Bonriki International Airport awaiting deportation with his wife, opposition leader Tessie Lambourne outside.(ABC News: Rimon Rimon)

“I was fortunate that I had some very good lawyers who were able to make contact with the legal team at Fiji Airways,” Justice Lambourne told the ABC as he was being taken to detention.

“And once Fiji Airways was aware of the situation, they maintained their position — the correct position — that unless I was a willing passenger, they were not going to carry me.”

Still, Justice Lambourne suspects the government will make another attempt on Sunday, when a Solomon Airlines flight is due to depart Tarawa.

“[Let’s] see if they have more luck then,” he said.

Taneti Maamau, wearing a suit, sits at a desk. Behind him are flags and paintings.
Kiribati’s President Taneti Maamau has set up a tribunal which is investigating allegations made against Justice Lambourne.(AP: UN Web TV)

Justice Lambourne, who has lived in Kiribati for 27 years and is married to the leader of his opposition, Tessie Lambourne, was suspended in May after the government alleged he had failed to carry out his duties.

The government set up an independent tribunal, saying it had received complaints and allegations from the public against Justice Lambourne.

The allegations included “his inability to perform functions of his office and his misbehaviour,” a government statement said.

The government did not specify what the complaints or allegations were.

Last year, Justice Lambourne won a legal case against the government when he tried to refuse him entry back into Kiribati.

In June this year, when Chief Justice William Hastings was due to preside over an appeal made by Justice Lambourne, the government suspended Justice Hastings.

The suspensions have left Kiribati without a functioning high court.

The ABC has reached out to the Kiribati government for comment.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said the Australian government was “aware that suspended High Court [Justice] David Lambourne was served with a deportation order today and asked to leave Kiribati.”

“DFAT is in direct contact with Mr Lambourne and officials from the High Commission in Tarawa are providing consular assistance,” DFAT said in a statement.

“Our High Commission in Kiribati is monitoring the situation closely and has sought further information from the government of Kiribati.

“Due to our privacy obligations we cannot disclose further details.”

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Categories
US

Trump’s bond with GOP deepens after primary wins, FBI search

Trump's bond with GOP deepens after primary wins, FBI search

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump ‘s pick for governor in the swing state of Wisconsin easily defeated a favorite of the Republican establishment.

In Connecticut, the state that launched the Bush family and its brand of compassionate conservatism, a fiery Senate contender who promoted Trump’s election lies upset the state GOP’s endorsed candidate. Meanwhile in Washington, Republicans ranging from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to conspiracy theorist Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene defended Trump against an unprecedented FBI search.

And that was just this week.

The rapid developments crystallized the former president’s singular status atop a party he has spent the past seven years breaking down and rebuilding in his image. Facing mounting legal vulnerabilities and considering another presidential run, he needs support from the party to maintain his political career. But, whether they like it or not, many in the party also need Trump, whose endorsement has proven crucial for those seeking to advance to the November ballot..

“For a pretty good stretch, it felt like the Trump movement was losing more ground than it was gaining,” said Georgia Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who is urging his party to move past Trump. But now, he said, Trump is benefiting from “an incredibly swift tail wind.”

The Republican response to the FBI’s search of Trump’s Florida estate this week was an especially stark example of how the party is keeping Trump nearby. Some of the Republicans considering challenges to Trump in a 2024 presidential primary, such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, were among those defending him. Even long-established Trump critics like Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan questioned the search, pressing for details about its circumstances.

But even before the FBI showed up at Mar-a-Lago, Trump was gaining momentum in his post-presidential effort to shape the GOP. In all, nearly 180 Trump-endorsed candidates up and down the ballot have won their primaries since May while fewer than 20 have lost.

Only two of the 10 House Republicans who supported Trump’s impeachment after the Jan. 6 insurrection are expected back in Congress next year. Rep. Jaime Herrera-Beutler, R-Wash., who conceded defeat after her Tuesday primary, it was the latest to fall. Leading Trump antagonist Rep. Liz CheneyR-Wyo., is at risk of joining her next week.

The Trump victories include a clean sweep of statewide primary elections in Arizona last week — including an election denier in the race for the state’s official chief elections. Trump’s allies also prevailed Tuesday across Wisconsin and Connecticut, a state long known for its moderate Republican leanings.

In Wisconsin’s Republican primary for governor, wealthy Trump-backed businessman Tim Michels defeated former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, an establishment favourite. And in Connecticut, Leora Levy, who promoted Trump’s lie that the 2020 election was stolen, emerged to an unexpected victory over a more moderate rival after earning Trump’s official endorsement.

On Monday, just hours after the FBI search, Trump hosted a tele-town hall rally on his behalf. Levy thanked Trump in her acceptance speech, while railing against the FBI’s search for her.

“All of us can tell him how upset and offended and disgusted we were at what happened to him,” she said. “That is un-American. That is what they do in Cuba, in China, in dictatorships. And that will stop.”

Despite his recent dominance, Trump — and the Republicans close to him — face political and legal threats that could undermine their momentum as the GOP fights for control of Congress and statehouses across the nation this fall.

While Trump’s picks have notched notable victories in primaries this summer, they may struggle in the fall. That’s especially true in several governor’s races in Democratic-leaning states such as Connecticut and Maryland, where GOP candidates must track to the center to win a general election.

Meanwhile, several Republicans with White House ambitions are moving forward with a busy travel schedule that will take them to politically important states where they can back candidates on the ballot this year and build relationships heading into 2024.

DeSantis plans to boost high-profile Republican contenders across Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Former Vice President Mike Penceanother potential 2024 presidential contender, is scheduled to appear next week in New Hampshire.

On the legal front, the FBI search was part of an investigation into whether the former president took classified records from the White House to his Florida residence. While Republicans have rallied behind Trump, very few facts about the case have been released publicly. Trump’s attorneys have so far declined to release details from the search warrant.

Prosecutors in Washington and Georgia are also investigating Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election he falsely claimed was stolen. The Jan. 6 congressional commission has exposed damning details about Trump’s behavior from Republican witnesses in recent hearings, which have prompted new concerns, at least privately, among the GOP establishment and donor class.

And on Wednesday, Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination as he testified under oath Wednesday in the New York attorney general’s long-running civil investigation into his business dealings.

Trump’s legal entanglements represent a distraction at best for Republican candidates who’d rather focus on President Joe Biden’s leadership, sky-high inflation and immigration troubles to help court moderate voters and independents in the general election.

“Today, every Republican in every state in this country should be talking about how bad Joe Biden is, how bad inflation is, how difficult it is to run a business and run a household,” said Duncan, the Georgia lieutenant governor. “But instead, we’re talking about some investigation, we’re talking about Donald Trump pleading the Fifth, we’re talking about Donald Trump endorsing some conspiracy theorist.”

Trump critics in both parties are ready and willing to highlight Trump’s shortcomings — and his relationship with midterm candidates — as more voters begin to pay attention to politics this fall.

“This is, and always has been, Donald Trump’s Republican Party,” Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison said in an interview, condemning “MAGA Republicans” and their “extreme agenda” on abortion and other issues.

At the same time, the Republican Accountability Project and Protect Democracy launched a $3 million television and digital advertising campaign this week across seven swing states focused on Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 insurrection. The ads, which will run in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, feature testimonials from Republican voters who condemn Trump’s lies about nonexistent election fraud that fueled the Capitol attack.

One ad features congressional testimony from Cheney, the Wyoming Republican who has publicly declared that Trump should never hold public office again.

Still, Cheney faces her own primary election against a Trump-backed challenger next week in Wyoming. One of Trump’s top political targets this year, she is expected to lose. Anticipating a loss, Cheney’s allies suggest she may be better positioned to run for president in 2024, either as a Republican or independent.

Trump’s allies are supremely confident about his ability to win the GOP’s presidential nomination in 2024. In fact, aides who had initially pushed him to launch his campaign after the November midterms are now encouraging him to announce sooner to help freeze out would-be Republican challengers .

“It’s going to be very difficult for anyone to take the nomination away from him in 2024,” said Stephen Moore, a former Trump economic adviser who has spoken with Trump about his 2024 intentions. “He is running. That is a certainty.”

Rep. Tom Rice, RS.C., predicted that Trump would “lose in a landslide” if he sought the presidency again, adding that the former president’s overall grasp on the party is “eroding on the edges.”

“In a normal election, you’ve got to win not just the base. You’ve got to win the middle, too, right, and maybe crossover on the other side,” said Rice, who lost his recent primary after voting in favor of Trump’s second impeachment.

Rice warned that Trump far-right candidates could lead to unnecessary losses for the party in November. “Donald Trump is pushing things so far to the right,” he said in an interview.

Meanwhile, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, eyeing a 2024 bid himself, warned against making bold political predictions two years before the Republican Party selects its next presidential nominee.

“We’re sitting here in August of 2022,” Christie said in an interview. “My sense is there’s a lot of water over the dam still to come before anybody can determine anybody’s individual position in the primaries of ’24 — except to say that if Donald Trump runs, he will certainly be a factor.”

___

Associated Press writers Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut, and Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.

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Categories
Entertainment

Lego celebrates 90th year with 94,128-piece birthday cake at toy company’s hometown

Lego celebrates 90th year with 94,128-piece birthday cake at toy company's hometown

Iconic toy brand Lego has marked its 90th anniversary this week with a 94,128-piece birthday cake.

The Danish company unveiled the cake to mark the anniversary and launch a series of events at stores around the world.

The cake, featuring nine layers representing nine decades of Lego play, was built by employees and put on display at the Lego House in Billund — home of the Lego brick.

The family-owned company was founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen.

His grandchild Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, born in 1947, often inspired and tested new ideas and appeared in the company’s packaging and marketing.

He went on to become Lego’s chief executive from 1979 to 2004.

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The company name came from “leg godt”, meaning “play well” in Danish.

The company’s core product, the Lego brick, was first produced in its current form in 1958.

“When my great-grandfather founded the company 90 years ago, he recognized that play could change the lives of children,” Thomas Kirk Kristiansen, Lego’s current chairman, said.

An aerial view of a small city made of Lego.
Lego produces around 100 billion bricks each year.(ABC News: Ian Cutmore)

“It brings families together and helps children develop skills that can enable them to reach their full potential.

“He only had a small workshop, but he had big ambitions to ensure as many children as possible could experience the benefits that play brings.

“Whether 1932, 2022 or on our 100th anniversary in 2032, we have and will always strive to continue Ole’s legacy by helping all families, wherever they are in the world, to play well.”

Lego produces roughly 100 billion bricks each year and employs around 24,000 people worldwide.

ABC/Reuters

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Categories
Sports

Ricciardo needs more than a ‘natural reset’ to revive form

Ricciardo needs more than a 'natural reset' to revive form

Regardless of where Daniel Ricciardo’s Formula 1 future lies given McLaren’s attempt to drop him for 2023, he needs a stronger second half of the season after a difficult 18 months. But it will take more than the “natural reset” offered by the August break that he talked about after the Hungarian Grand Prix to make that happen.

Ricciardo will certainly benefit from the break given the frenetic pace of the first 13 races of the season. And he deserves time off as, for all his struggles and amid uncertainty about his future, he has remained ultra-professional on and off track and tackled his struggles with dignity and honesty.

But any expectation that the August shutdown will automatically lead to a revival in form would be naive given the depth of those struggles. That’s something Ricciardo himself will be well aware of.

“Switching off normally gives me a natural reset to the point where I imagine 10 days/two weeks into the break, I would have got a holiday out of my system, then I’ll build that hunger back again,” said Ricciardo after his run to 15th in Hungary.

Motor Racing Formula One World Championship Hungarian Grand Prix Practice Day Budapest, Hungary

“I naturally think about it after getting time off, that’s normally how it works for me. Again, go out, be with friends, drink some beers, have fun, and then I’ll get to the point where I start to feel not guilty, but just like, ‘All right, time to turn it on again’.

“Then it’s a natural switch that will probably come back in after 14 days.”

Ricciardo might find it a little more difficult to disconnect than he usually would given the question marks over his future. We do n’t know where he sees his future from him and whether what he described last month as “the feeling in my gut” that represents his competitive fire from him really is still there. Perhaps that’s something he is asking himself right now as he considers his options from him?

If it is, then surely he will pursue the chance to return to Alpine. A different car and a new team – albeit one he knows of old – will at least allow him to test whether his struggles were McLaren-specific. If that is his course of him then a stronger second half of 2022 will be the ideal springboard.

If not and Ricciardo is set to walk away from F1 – something he has said he’s not ready to do but has to be taken seriously as a possibility – then he will be determined to go out on something approximating a high over the final nine races. That’s only befitting a driver who has had such a successful grand prix career and it’s hard to see him abandoning his constructive approach just because he knows McLaren no longer wants his services from him.

Motor Racing Formula One World Championship Hungarian Grand Prix Race Day Budapest, Hungary

“Start that second half of the season with a positive bang” and “set some strong intentions” were phrases Ricciardo used about the upcoming post-break restart at Spa. He also admitted that it was “easier said than done”, which is a wise position to take.

After all, last year the August break did appear to have changed things. Ricciardo produced his two best finishes of the season in the post-shutdown triple-header – fourth in the farcical Belgian GP after a strong wet qualifying performance and that famous win at Monza. But the struggles continued thereafter.

The break last year perhaps helped Ricciardo have the fortitude to produce those performances, and he said at Monza that “having some time off in August helped”. But nothing really changed as he struggled for the rest of the season. The break, at best, helped him to rebuild energy levels but didn’t change the story.

So there’s no reason to expect a few August weeks off to change things for Ricciardo this year. What will make the difference is continuing to battle to improve. It’s clear there are characteristics of the McLaren that he does not get on with, but what’s unarguable is that Norris consistently extracts more from the car – one that he also says does not suit his default style.

Ricciardo has long complained about the inconsistency of the car, which not only lacks the turn-in characteristics he requires to achieve the necessary rotation but also appears to catch him out too often.

Motor Racing Formula One World Championship Hungarian Grand Prix Qualifying Day Budapest, Hungary

“There are some lapses that I’ll put together and it kind of makes sense and I’m like, ‘That was sweet’,” said Ricciardo. “But then a couple of lapses later, I might drop four tenths or something.

“It’s still sometimes not [the case that you] start at one, go to two, get to two, you know what I mean? It’s not as simple as a dot-to-dot. There are some hurdles before getting to the next dot, so that’s a little complicated.”

“Today [race day in Hungary] with the wind, these cars are so sensitive that probably does make it more hard to find that consistency.

“When it’s on more of a knife-edge, when there’s more variables, that’s where it starts to become that step more difficult.”

The ‘joining the dots’ analogy is apposite because Ricciardo has looked disjointed as a driver for the past 18 months. At his best, he’s smooth and committed and capable of carrying tremendous speed into corners. But to meet the requirements of the car he’s deconstructed that technique and struggled for pace having done so. He’s learned a huge amount about his strengths and weaknesses from him as a driver but that’s never translated into the moment when everything clicks and he’s back to his best from him.

Motor Racing Formula One World Championship Hungarian Grand Prix Practice Day Budapest, Hungary

And while last year’s struggles were primarily down to what he called a “peculiar” McLaren – and that’s a view shared by Norris and predecessor Carlos Sainz – this year Ricciardo’s difficulties are down to a combination of McLaren’s weaknesses and aero inconsistency through the speed range and the generic characteristics of the 2022 cars.

“Certainly one of the most,” said Ricciardo, when asked by The Race if the McLaren-Mercedes MCL36 is the most difficult car he’s driven in F1.

“In a race stint [in the past]you could stay within three tenths probably for a 20-lap stint at time and be very in control, whereas I feel like stint variation is a lot bigger this year.

“Maybe it’s just me, or maybe it’s the whole field. But I’d be surprised if you see someone doing 0.1s, 0.1s, 0.2s etc, so I think they’re just more difficult this year.”

None of these problems are going to vanish in the second half of the year, although McLaren can perhaps make a little progress in ameliorating them.

So Ricciardo faces a long run-in that’s likely to seem very similar to the first 13 races, during which he’s managed only four points finishes, with the August break nothing more than a much-needed temporary respite.

Categories
Australia

Former NSW building commissioner David Chandler’s resignation letter released

a man with hands lifted sitting behind a desk with his hands lifted

The resignation letter of NSW building commissioner David Chandler has revealed he held concerns about the relationship between sacked minister Eleni Petinos and the property development group that hired former deputy premier John Barilaro.

In his letter, Mr Chandler detailed how he received calls from both Ms Petinos and Mr Barilaro after he issued a stop work order to the Coronation Property Group.

At the time, Coronation had run into trouble with the building commissioner over compliance at a major residential development in Merrylands in Western Sydney.

A building industry veteran, Mr Chandler abruptly resigned last month after three years in the role, which was created to crack down on building standards in the wake of the Opal Towers and Mascot Towers debacles.

In his resignation letter dated July 7, 2022, Mr Chandler spoke about “problematic” dealings with the office of Ms Petinos and voiced concerns about her relationship with the Coronation Property Group.

Eleni Petinos addresses the media
Eleni Petinos was sacked from the NSW ministry after allegations of bullying.(AAP: Bianca De Marchi)

He said the problems came to a head over Coronation’s Merrylands development.

“These concerns crystallized at the time of the Stop Work Orders issued under the Design and Building Practitioner’s Act…” he wrote.

“As advised to you I received a call from the Minister’s Office shortly after a draft order was issued on Coronation’s Merrylands Development.”

Shortly after that, I received another message from John Barilaro.

“This contact came to me on my personal phone requesting a meeting with me,” he wrote.

Mr Chandler said he was aware that Mr Barilaro had recently joined the Coronation board.

The building commissioner subsequently met with Mr Barilaro “to answer his questions”.

Mr Barilaro has said the pair met but did not discuss the building ban that Coronation faced.

“We never spoke about the stop work order nor did I request anything in relation to the stop work order,” Mr Barilaro said in a statement today.

a man standing and smiling
The former deputy premier acknowledges meeting with Mr Chandler but denies discussing the building ban.(Facebook: Dave Layzell)

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Mr Barilaro also met with Ms Petinos in the weeks before the stop work order was lifted on July 4, 2022.

Giving evidence at a parliamentary inquiry on Monday, Mr Barilaro said he was no longer employed by Coronation at the time of the meeting with Ms Petinos which he said was to celebrate his appointment as NSW trade commissioner in New York.

Mr Chandler’s parting sentiments were made public after Labor successfully moved a motion in the upper house on Wednesday compelling the state government to produce the letter within 24 hours.

The Premier last month sacked Ms Petinos as the state’s fair trading minister, citing bullying allegations involving her staff, which she denies.

Yesterday, Mr Perrottet stood by his earlier statement that Mr Chandler’s resignation had nothing to do with Ms Petinos.

The resignation letter was addressed to Mr Chandler’s manager, Department of Customer Service Secretary, Emma Hogan.

It’s been revealed that Mr Perrottet spoke to Ms Hogan shortly before sacking Ms Petinos.

In parliament today, the Premier was pressed on the content of those discussions.

“Was one of those issues concerned about the relationship between Minister Petinos, the Coronation Group, or Mr Barilaro?” Labor Leader Chris Minns asked.

“I had a discussion with the department secretary and the main purpose of that discussion was in relation to staff matters,” Mr Perrottet responded.

“The matters raised in relation to the question that the Leader of the Opposition has asked was peripheral.”

The departing building commissioner concluded his resignation letter by stating: “Given where all the above matters now rest, I believe my continued role as NSW Building Commissioner is no longer viable.”

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Categories
US

What investigations is Trump facing? : NPR

What investigations is Trump facing? : NPR

Former President Trump arrives at a rally Friday, Aug. 5, in Wisconsin. Trump has been the subject of several ongoing investigations into his businesses and his actions while in the White House.

Morry Gash/AP


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Morry Gash/AP

Former President Trump arrives at a rally Friday, Aug. 5, in Wisconsin. Trump has been the subject of several ongoing investigations into his businesses and his actions while in the White House.

Morry Gash/AP

Agents from the FBI searched former President Donald Trump’s Florida home Monday in what appears to be part of an investigation looking into White House records from the White House that Trump took with him. The records were supposed to be turned into the National Archives when he left office.

The FBI is not commenting on the details of the investigation or the search, and Trump was quick to say he had previously been cooperating with authorities investigating the records, though he did not add any specifics.

This isn’t the only investigation Trump is a subject of at the moment. Authorities have several open on the former president, including investigations into his businesses, his tax returns and his actions leading up to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.

Trump says he refused to answer any questions under oath in today's New York testimony

These investigations brew as Trump weighs another presidential run. The political consequences of the probes are unclear, as are how, or whether, they would impact his decision.

Here are is a recap of some of the investigations involving Trump.

White House documents

This is the investigation that appears to be connected to the raid at Mar-a-Lago Monday, though there is no official confirmation from federal authorities as to what they were seeking.

In February, the National Archives and Records Administration said they retrieved 15 boxes of White House documents from Mar-a-Lago, a violation of the Presidential Records Act, since those records should have been at the National Archives. Attorney General Merrick Garland said at the time they included classified material.

Mystery at Mar-a-Lago: What were FBI agents looking for and what are the consequences?

There’s also a potential violation of a federal statute that dictates how classified material is handled. the Washington Post reported that many of the records were taped together or arrived back at the Archives still in pieces. The records contained letters from foreign leaders like Kim Jong Un and the letter former President Obama wrote to Trump when he came into office in 2017.

The Jan. 6 Capitol riot and the attempt to overturn the 2020 election

The ongoing House Select Committee investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol riot has shown Trump’s involvement in trying to deny the results of the 2020 presidential election and turn them in his favor.

While the House committee can’t prosecute Trump, it can decide to make referrals to do so. The Department of Justice could, though, as part of its probe into what happened on Jan. 6. So far, the department has charged more than 870 people, and it’s investigating those who backed political rallies held ahead of the Capitol attack.

“We will hold accountable anyone who was criminally responsible for attempting to interfere with the transfer, legitimate, lawful transfer of power from one administration to the next,” Garland told NBC News in July.

The Jan. 6 committee says the Trump campaign ripped off donors. But was it illegal?

Also revealed in the House committee’s investigation is that Trump and his campaign misled campaign donors who gave money to fight Trump’s false claims of election fraud. The committee says the former president’s campaign took in $250 million in donations for a legal defense fund that was never created. It’s possible that Trump could face charges of wire fraud.

Meanwhile, Trump is facing another investigation on the state level. In Fulton County, Ga., the District Attorney Fani Willis is looking into whether Trump violated the law in attempting to overturn the 2020 Georgia election results, specifically when he called Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and asked him to “find” enough votes for him .

Republicans in other states, including Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, also sent in fake voter results and it could be another pathway that leads the DOJ close to Trump.

Trump’s businesses in New York

Trump pleaded the Fifth Amendment on Wednesday as part of a civil investigation in the state of New York. That case looks at whether Trump inflated the value of his businesses like golf courses and skyscrapers, misleading tax authorities.

Trump said on social media that “under the advice of counsel” he “declined to answer questions under the rights and privileges afforded to every citizen under the United States Constitution.”

Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump, two of the former president’s children, also testified in recent days.

Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan, headquarters of the Trump Organization, the former president’s family business.

Spencer Platt/Getty Images


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Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan, headquarters of the Trump Organization, the former president’s family business.

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

New York Attorney General Letitia James is running that civil probe, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s office has also investigated Trump. The fate of the Manhattan probe has been uncertain since two lead lawyers quit earlier this year and the grand jury investigating Trump expired, though DA Alvin Bragg has insisted that he would not end the work.

Trump’s tax returns

The Manhattan District Attorney’s office, as part of that criminal investigation, was able to obtain Trump’s tax returns in 2021 after a lengthy legal battle.

Now, after years of requesting, the House Ways and Means Committee will also be able to obtain Trump’s tax returns from the IRS, according to a court opinion issued Tuesday. Trump may still appeal, but the committee says they are confident they will get the documents quickly.

It’s not so much an investigation as a legal ruling, but Trump is the only president in the last 40 years to not release his taxes, and the documents have been sought after by legislators and voters since he announced his run for the White House in 2015 .