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Sports

NBA 2022 news: Ben Simmons leaves Brooklyn Nets group chat, Kevin Durant

NBA 2022 news: Ben Simmons leaves Brooklyn Nets group chat, Kevin Durant

Ben Simmons has been savagely exposed for leaving his teammates hanging during a crucial NBA playoff contest.

Simmons was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in the middle of the 2021/22 season in a blockbuster trade that landed the Philadelphia 76ers James Harden.

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After having not suited up throughout the regular season, Simmons’ return to the hardwood gained momentum in the lead up to the playoffs.

The Athletic reported his return had been earmarked for the Nets in Game 4 of their first round series against the Boston Celtics.

Down 3-0, the Nets were on the brink of elimination and a Ben Simmons injection could have delivered the spark they required.

Prior to the do-or-die contest, Simmons pulled out due to back soreness that eventually required surgery. He did not sit on the bench alongside his teammates for the game which the Celtics won 116-112.

But now a new damning report has shown Simmons’ withdrawal went a step further. NBA analyst Ric Bucher spilled the beans, exposing Simmons’ bizarre snub.

“They’re having a team chat before game four, thinking he’s going to play against the Celtics, and from what I’m told, Ben just left the chat,” Bucher told Colin Cowherd on The Herd.

“They asked him, ‘Are you going to play?’ Ben left the chat. Like he didn’t even answer the question. He just left the chat.”

The damning report sent basketball social media into a spin with many rocked by the unbelievable move from the Aussie.

Podcaster Mike Golic Jr wrote: “Not sure anyone involved ever recovers and I’m only kind of joking.”

ESPN’s Sarah Spain wrote: “WELP”.

Barstool Sports’ Dan Greenberg wrote: “I’m sorry what”.

The news comes on the same day Kevin Durant’s bombshell trade demands came to light, with the superstar putting an ultimatum on team owner Joe Tsai.

The 26-year-old required surgery in May on his lower back after withdrawing from that crucial playoff clash with the Celtics.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Simmons needed back surgery after experiencing “pain soreness” the day before the Nets were eventually eliminated.

“Brooklyn Nets swingman Ben Simmons will require three to four months of rehabilitation after undergoing back surgery, but is expected to be fully recovered to return to the court well ahead of pre-season training camp in September, sources told ESPN on Wednesday,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski wrote.

Read related topics:Ben Simmons

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Australia

Kalgoorlie journalist Amber Lilley allegedly groped at a bar after Diggers and Dealers Forum event

A woman stands with her hair out and arms folded

The Goldfield’s largest newspaper says reform in the mining industry is needed after a 23-year-old journalist was allegedly groped after this year’s Diggers and Dealers Mining Forum.

Kalgoorlie Miner deputy editor Amber Lilley made the allegations on the front page of Tuesday’s newspaper in the wake of last week’s showcase mining event.

Ms Lilley alleges she was groped and sexually propositioned in a crowded bar after a conference event which left her “shocked and disgusted” and “feeling vulnerable”.

“A man in mining told me he had a ‘rager’ over me,” she said.

“He then proceeded to tell me to ‘call him daddy’ before groping me as I walked away through the crowd, and he followed.”

The Kalgoorlie Miner, owned by the West Australian, which also ran an editorial titled ‘Diggers is done unless it cleans up its act’, has lodged a complaint with the man’s company and West Australian Police.

Not an isolated incident

The incident came after the June release of a scathing report into sexual assault and harassment within WA’s fly-in, fly-out mining industry, which found women had been subjected to “an appalling range of behaviours”.

Ms Lilley said the groping was not the only instance of inappropriate behavior she experienced while covering the event, with comments on her appearance and gender also made by event goers while at a bar.

“Those comments included how great I looked in my outfit, how maybe I could do skimpy bar work, how grateful women should be for their current standing in the industry, and how there aren’t many female industry leaders,” she said.

A balding man in foreground in pink shirt in front of town hall.
John Bowler says the Diggers and Dealers Forum has been unfairly targeted.(ABC Goldfields-Esperance: Nathan Morris)

Kalgoorlie-Boulder Major John Bowler called the article an unjust criticism of the conference.

“Diggers is getting an unwarranted bad rap because of one poor joke by one poor comedian and one sexist comment by one stupid delegate,” he said.

Mr Bowler said he applauded Ms Lilley for calling out the man who made the sexist remarks at a bar but, said the connection to Diggers and Dealers was “ridiculous”.

“The organizers cannot do any more to distance the event from the skimpy barmaid image and they cannot be made responsible for any drunken behavior late at night,” he said.

“What about the other 2,599 delegates and more importantly, what about the women who own and run the forum, who were justifiably proud after last week, but must now feel devastated at what seems like a smear campaign that will only end when Diggers moves out of Kalgoorlie.”

Professionalism needed beyond conference

Speaking on ABC radio, Ms Lilley said her experience did not apply to the conference itself, but was instead a reflection of the behavior she witnessed while covering all aspects of the forum.

“My observations and experience do not apply to the conference itself,” she said.

“Diggers and Dealers in the daytime was an outstanding display of professionalism.

“Outside of the conference and away from the main event, when conference-goers let their guards down, things were often very different.”

A close image of a man in a blue suit.
Rob Carruthers says more needs to be done to stamp out sexual harassment.(ABC Goldfields-Esperance)

West Australian Chamber of Minerals and Energy chief executive Rob Carruthers said more needed to be done to eliminate sexual assault in the industry.

“This type of behavior has no place in any part of society, including extensions of the work environment,” Mr Carruthers said.

He said the chamber and its member companies condemned the behavior in the strongest terms.

“We again reiterate our commitment to ensuring it is not only eliminated from the workplace, but from all work-related environments,” he said.

“As an industry, we must do better, by continuing to educate our people about what is and isn’t appropriate and by clearly calling out behavior when it doesn’t meet the required standards.”

Ms Lilley said industry leaders had the “right attitude” and a “willingness” to stamp out sexual assault in the mining industry, but said “it would never be enough until zero women were sexually harassed.”

The organizers of Diggers and Dealers have been contacted for comment.

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Categories
US

Matthew DePerno: Trump-backed GOP candidate for Michigan AG under criminal investigation for possibly tampering with voting machines, docs say

Matthew DePerno: Trump-backed GOP candidate for Michigan AG under criminal investigation for possibly tampering with voting machines, docs say



CNN
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Michigan’s Democratic attorney general is calling for a special prosecutor to investigate her Donald Trump-backed challenger after finding evidence linking him to a potentially criminal plot to seize and tamper with voting machines used in the 2020 election, according to a letter obtained by CNN and documents released Monday by the attorney general’s office.

For months, the Michigan State Police and the attorney general’s office have been investigating a series of voting machine breaches that took place in several counties around the state last year. According to the documents released Monday, that probe has led investigators to Kalamazoo-based lawyer Matthew DePerno, a Republican candidate running against incumbent Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.

Trump has thrown his support behind DePerno, and he picked up an endorsement earlier this year from Michigan Republican Party activists, paving the way for him to officially become the GOP nominee for attorney general at the party convention later this month. He is one of several Trump-backed election deniers who are currently running to become the top law enforcement officer or the top election official in their states.

Nessel is now asking for a special prosecutor to be appointed to avoid a potential conflict of interest. The investigation into voting machine breaches has unearthed facts that indicate DePerno and two other associates may have broken the law when they “orchestrated a coordinated plan to gain access to voting tabulators,” according to Nessel’s office.

“When this investigation began there was not a conflict of interest. However, during the course of the investigation, facts were developed that DePerno was one of the prime instigators of the conspiracy,” Nessel’s office wrote in an August 5 petition for the Prosecuting Attorneys Coordinating Counsel to appoint a special prosecutor.

The DePerno campaign tweeted a statement late Sunday saying he has reviewed the petition for a special prosecutor and “denied the allegations presented.” The statement also says, “the claims presented by Nessel show a completely unwarranted and erroneous attack based on political prosecution.”

The request from Nessel’s office alleges that DePerno was present in a hotel room in early 2021 when a group of individuals performed unauthorized “tests” on voting tabulators they had seized from multiple Michigan counties – suggesting investigators have evidence that directly links him to the potentially illegal breaches.

“We have requested the appointment of a Special Prosecuting Attorney to review the case for the issue of possible criminal charges against several of the individuals involved. We view the actions of these individuals to be very serious,” Nessel’s office wrote in a letter to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a fellow Democrat, summarizing the investigation’s findings.

Reuters first reported DePerno’s alleged role in the voting machine breaches. The Detroit News first reported Nessel’s request for a special prosecutor.

In May, CNN reported that Michigan State Police had expanded its investigation into whether third parties gained unauthorized access to voting machine data after the 2020 election, and that the probe was looking into potential breaches in multiple counties. The investigation began in February after Benson’s office uncovered a breach of vote tabulator components in Roscommon County, in rural northern Michigan.

The probe in Michigan reflects a growing number of uncovered incidents around the country where Trump supporters attempted to gain access to voting systems, as part of efforts to overturn or undermine the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. It also comes as several Trump-endorsed candidates have won the Republican nomination for roles that could position them to oversee future elections in key battleground states going forward.

They succeeded in at least one instance in late November 2020, when a team of pro-Trump operatives traveled to Antrim County, Michigan, and conducted an audit of voting systems there, according to court documents released as part of a failed lawsuit filed by attorneys working on behalf of the former President at the time.

The lawsuit was led by DePerno and led to a since-debunked report issued by a team of analysts from a Texas-based company, Allied Security Operations Group, alleging irregularities in Dominion Voting Systems that was consistently cited as evidence in multiple failed legal challenges in Michigan and other swing states. (There is no evidence to support GOP claims of wrongdoing by Dominion.)

Among the evidence investigators in Michigan say they have uncovered as part of their probe into voting machine breaches are digital IDs that DePerno had used as evidence in the failed suit.

“There must be consequences for those who broke the law to undermine our elections in order to advance their own political agendas,” Benson told CNN in a statement.

She added, “The Republican, Democratic and nonpartisan election clerks of this state do their jobs with professionalism and integrity, and we will continue to ensure they are equipped with a full understanding of the legal protections in place to block bad actors from pressing them to gain access to secure election systems.”

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Categories
Business

EnergyAustralia suffers a $1.6b loss due to ‘extreme’ market conditions

EnergyAustralia suffers a $1.6b loss due to 'extreme' market conditions

The electricity crisis caused EnergyAustralia to suffer a whopping $1.6 billion loss for the first half of the year as the company battled with “extreme” conditions in the market.

The Melbourne-based company, owned by Hong Kong’s CLP Group, also warned that household power bills would continue to face pressure due to ongoing volatility in global fuel prices.

The mega loss experienced by the third biggest energy retailer was in stark contrast to last year when it recorded a $146 million profit.

The chief executive of parent company CLP Group, Richard Lancaster, said it would be “proactive” in seeking out partnerships for EnergyAustralia to transition to low-carbon energy.

Six weeks before the loss was reported, the company had issued a profit warning to the market.

On Monday, it revealed its earning had taken a huge hit as it was forced to buy up expensive supplies to meet customer demand amid “unprecedented market volatility”.

Shortfalls in energy production from its Yallourn and Mount Piper coal plants was one of the main reasons it had to shell out more money for supplies.

Its Yallourn plant in particular was hit by delays due to a fire on a coal conveyancer system and recurring maintenance issues, according to CLP Group.

However, the outlook on pricing continued to be bad, according to the company.

“Volatility in spot prices in response to weather variations and changes in supply and demand looks set to continue amid the net-zero transition in Australia,” CLP Group said.

However, EnergyAustralia’s competitors, AGL Energy and Origin Energy, have also sounded the alarm about profits due to issues such as coal power outages and supply problems at some plants.

Mr Lancaster said while the last six months were not representative of the market in general, volatility was something to expect in Australia.

Last month, the credit agency Standard & Poor (S&P) warned EnergyAustralia could be at risk of breaching one of its loans and suggested it may need financial assistance from its parent company.

EnergyAustralia signed a $1 billion credit facility in July to provide a bigger financial buffer for its operations, with S&P giving it a negative outlook due to its weakening credit position.

In its half yearly report, EnergyAustralia said it would “continue to strengthen its capital structure to fund its current and future investment needs, providing the reliable supply needed to support customer demand and the transition to a lower-carbon power market”.

But other retailers going under – with a spate collapsing including Byron Bay community-owned electricity provider Enova, Victorian provider Electricityinabox, LPE, Discover, Elysian and Future X – was a win for EnergyAustralia, which saw its customer base leap to 2.45 million.

EnergyAustralia said it had plans in place for the rest of the year to ensure electricity supply.

“Additional short-term coal and gas purchases have been made to enable EnergyAustralia’s power stations to support customers and the broader energy market in the second half,” CLP said.

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Categories
Entertainment

Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson’s breakup explained

Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson's breakup explained


pete-davidson-ariana-grande

Pete was briefly engaged to Ariana Grande.


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Ariana Grande

Pete has had a lot of high-profile romances for someone his age. the King of Staten Island actor is only 28, but has dated some of the world’s most famous women. And while Pete was a familiar face from his work de él on Saturday night Liveit was arguably his relationship with Ariana Grande that kicked off his mega-fame.

The pair revealed they were in a relationship in May of 2018. Having fallen hard, they got engaged just a few weeks later.

However, five months later, they called things off, with Pete apparently covering up a neck tattoo he’d gotten in honor of the 7 Rings singer.


kate-beckinsale-silver-dress

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kate beckinsale

Pete’s preference for older women became apparent in his next relationship with Kate Beckinsale, who was 20 years his senior.

Pete and Kate were first linked at the 2019 Golden Globes afterparty, and were confirmed to be together when they were seen making out at a Rangers game in March.

They’d called it quits by April, however.

“Even though Kate has been in Hollywood for a long time, she struggled with the attention on her relationship with Pete,” an insider revealed at the time.

“He lives his life with his heart on his sleeve,” they added, and we couldn’t agree more.


Margaret-Qualley-Pete-Davidson

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Margaret Qualey

Pete briefly dated Margaret Qualley, the actress daughter of Andie MacDowell, from August to October 2019.

This was Pete’s second short relationship with someone his age in two years, marking the start of a pattern that wouldn’t be broken until Kim came on the scene.


kaia-gerber-elvis-premiere

Getty

Kaia Gerber

Pete dated Kaia Gerber next, kicking things off in October 2019.

At the time, Kaia was only about 17, and it was reported that her parents hoped the romance would fizzle quickly, given the difference in age.

Luckily for them, it was over by January 2020, when Pete checked into rehab and attempted to manage some mental health issues.

“She’s very young, and I’m f—ing going through a lot and it was before I went to rehab,” he explained in February.


pete-davidson-phoebe-dynevor

Getty

Phoebe Dynevor

Pete briefly dated Bridgerton star Phoebe Dynevor before he took up with Kim.

Rumors of a romance with the British star took off in March 2021, when Pete flew to the UK to spend time with the period drama actress.

He confirmed in April that he was dating his “celebrity crush” as pictures of them to emerge in the media.

However, like most of Pete’s relationships, it was over before it really began, with the pair reportedly splitting in August – five months later.


kim-kardashian-pete-davidson-met-gala

Getty

kim kardashian

With the exceptions of Kaia and Kate, most of Pete’s girlfriends have been roughly his age, and with barely any exceptions, he hasn’t been with any of them for long.

So, it was expected his love for Kim would be somewhat brief.

Also, it’s worth noting the major difference in life stages for the pair. While Pete has turned 28 during his relationship with Kim, Kim turned 41.

She’s also a mum to four young kids – North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm. And while it’s reported Pete got a tattoo in their honor of her, it’s probably unlikely he was ready to step up as stepdad.

A source confirmed that this might have been the reason for the split.

“Pete is 28 and Kim is 41 – they are just in very different places at the moment,” they told Page Six.

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Sports

Ben Simmons future at Brooklyn Nets, trade news, report claims Aussie left group chat

Ben Simmons future at Brooklyn Nets, trade news, report claims Aussie left group chat

Ben Simmons’ rocky NBA career has taken another turn after the Brooklyn Nets guard reportedly left a players group chat before a decisive playoff game last season.

Simmons was drafted first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2016 NBA Draft but found himself locked in a standoff with the franchise after demanding a trade.

The Australian was eventually dealt to the Nets as part of a package for All-Star guard James Harden, and was expected to don his new colors for the first time in the playoffs.

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The Athletic reported in April that Simmons was set to debut for Brooklyn in Game Four, during the first round of the playoffs.

Brooklyn were already down 3-0 to the eventual Eastern Conference champions Boston Celtics when he pulled out with back soreness.

But renowned NBA analyst Ric Bucher has made a stunning revelation about Simmons, saying that he left a players group chat without saying a word before Game Four.

“They’re having a team chat before Game four, thinking he’s going to play against the Celtics, and from what I’m told, Ben just left the chat,” Bucher told Colin Cowherd on The Herd.

“They asked him, ‘Are you going to play?’ Ben left the chat. Like he didn’t even answer the question. He just left the chat.”

Dad UP for Bronny James alley-oop! | 00:21

The 26-year-old required surgery in March on his lower back after withdrawing from that crucial playoff clash with the Celtics.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Simmons needed back surgery after experiencing “pain soreness” the day before the Nets were eventually eliminated.

“Brooklyn Nets swingman Ben Simmons will require three to four months of rehabilitation after undergoing back surgery, but is expected to be fully recovered to return to the court well ahead of pre-season training camp in September, sources told ESPN on Wednesday,” Wojnarowski wrote.

“The decision to undergo the surgery was reached after ‘consultation with multiple back specialists,’ the team said Wednesday.”

Simmons said that mental health was the reason behind his ugly exit from Philadelphia, as he opened up on his “dark times.”

However, sports radio host Ben Maller believed that it was just an excuse for the Melbourne-born talent to leave the Sixers.

“Ben Simmons in Philadelphia was a charlatan, a fake, a phony and a fraud,” Maller said on Fox Sports Radio in February

“This guy has been hiding behind the mental health card playing it from the bottom of the deck, knowing that it makes you untouchable in a polite society.

“The establishment media are afraid of even slightly criticizing someone who makes this claim, like Ben Simmons.”

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Categories
US

Dry lightning has sparked some of California’s most destructive fires. Scientists say it could happen more often

Dry lightning has sparked some of California's most destructive fires. Scientists say it could happen more often

Researchers found that over the past few decades, nearly half of the lightning strikes that hit the ground during spring and summer had been dry — there was no rain falling nearby. Dry lightning tends to happen in storms over areas of extreme drought, like the one California has been in for the past several years. The air is so dry that the rain evaporates before it hits the ground.

And the conditions that favor dry lightning are becoming more widespread and more frequent as the climate crisis fuel’s the West’s megadrought.

Dmitri Kalashnikov, lead author of the paper and a doctoral student at Washington State University, pointed to the wildfires that scorched California in 2020 — particularly the August Complex Fire, the largest wildfire in the state’s history — as the motivation for the research.

The August Complex Fire was originally more than three dozen fires that were sparked by dry lightning. Those fires merged to become the largest in state history, burning more than a million acres in seven counties. California firefighters were exhausted that summer, CNN reported at the time, and they were particularly concerned about the potential for more and more fires sparked by dry lightning.
All of the seven largest fires in California history have occurred in the past five years, and four of those were caused by lightning, according to data from Cal Fire.

“With warming and drying and drier vegetation, it doesn’t take a whole lot of lightning to start wildfires,” Kalashnikov told CNN. “So even if, on the off chance, dry lightning decreases in the future, it just takes one outbreak one day in a year to cause a lot of fire and a lot of damage, if that were to happen.”

The study, funded by NASA and published Monday in the journal Environmental Research: Climate, is the first to develop long-term climatology of dry lightning in California, specifically focusing on Central and Northern California, an area where lightning is a significant cause of wildfire .

Dry lightning was found to occur most frequently in July and August, the researchers found, though lower elevation regions tended to see activity peak later in September and October, when vegetation is even drier.

Researchers found that around Sacramento, San Francisco, Redwood, Sequoia and Yosemite, lightning sparked nearly 30%, of fires which accounted for nearly 50% of the total burned area.

“That is a lot of fires started by lightning, which are usually more difficult to attack because they tend to be more remote than human caused fires,” Chris Vagasky, a meteorologist and lightning applications manager at Vaisala, told CNN.

Lightning strikes east of the eastern front of the McKinney Fire in the Klamath National Forest in California.

Vagasky, who is not involved with the study, said the findings provide “excellent background” for weather forecasting and wildland management communities to better determine the conditions that are favorable for dry lightning to occur in advance.

“This really highlights the importance of understanding when dry lightning can be expected so that crews can be at the ready in the event of fire starting,” he said. “So it’s good to see that there is now a study for this region of the US that shows not just the time of year, but the type of meteorological conditions that appear favorable for dry lightning.”

Nebraska and Colorado are sparring over water rights. It could be the new norm as rivers dry up

The research is just the first step, Vagasky said. “When thunderstorms do develop, first responders need to be aware that dry lightning conditions may be possible, but they will also have to be able to quickly respond to areas that are impacted,” he added.

Kalashnikov said there are still uncertainties when it comes to lightning research, whether dry lightning will occur more often as the climate changes. But one thing is certain, he said, as the Western drought persists, conditions are much more favorable for dry lightning to take shape. In just the last year alone, dry lightning has sparked deadly and destructive wildfires such as the Bootleg Fire in Oregon that burned more than 400,000 acres.

“We know it’s getting hotter and drier — California is becoming hotter and drier,” Kalashnikov said. “So we can say that no matter what the trend in lightning is doing, when lightning happens with a hotter, drier atmosphere and vegetation, it’s just going to lead to more of a risk of these kinds of wildfire outbreaks like we saw in 2020. “

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Categories
Business

Elon Musk’s dad Errol Musk backtracks on stunning remark

Elon Musk's dad Errol Musk backtracks on stunning remark

Elon Musk’s father has back-pedaled on his comments about his billionaire son after he said he wasn’t proud of his famous offspring.

During the latest episode of Piers Morgan Uncensoredavailable to stream on Flash, Errol Musk, 76, addressed the stunning remark and said he was misquoted.

“I never said anything like that,” he said on the show.

“I have been proud of him since the day he was born.

“A person doesn’t suddenly become proud of your child. That’s ridiculous.

“As far as saying, I don’t like him. I mean, that’s crazy. I love him.”

Watch Piers Morgan Uncensored live on Sky News on Foxtel Tuesday to Friday at 9pm or by streaming on Flash. Flash gives you 25+ news channels in one place. New to Flash? Try one month free. Offer ends October 31, 2022

The elder Musk made headlines last week after he took a savage dig at the Tesla CEO.

In an interview with KIIS FM’s Kyle and Jackie Othe South African engineer dismissed his son’s success.

“Your offspring is a genius. He’s worth so much money and has created so many things, you can’t take that away from him. Are you proud? Jackie O asked.

“Nope. You know, we are a family that have been doing a lot of things for a long time, it’s not as if we suddenly started doing something,” Errol replied.

The 76-year-old also took a swipe at his son’s physical appearance while discussing recent shirtless photos of Elon on a yacht in Greece.

“Elon is very well-built and he is very, very strongly built, but he’s been eating badly,” he said.

Errol said he had recommended his son take a weight loss supplement called garcinia cambogia, which he claimed has helped him shed the kilos.

Elon is Errol’s eldest son with his ex-wife, model Maye Musk. The former couple also share are Kimbal and daughter Tosca.

The latest episode of Piers Morgan Uncensored will air tonight at 9pm AEST on Sky News. Watch on Foxtel, Stream on Flash.

Read related topics:Elon Musk

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Categories
Sports

transfer news, contracts, re-signings, Siosifa Talakai, Will Kennedy, Ronaldo Mulitalo, Jesse Ramien, Sharks

transfer news, contracts, re-signings, Siosifa Talakai, Will Kennedy, Ronaldo Mulitalo, Jesse Ramien, Sharks

The Sharks “have got a challenge in front of them” with five stars from their backline all free to talk to rivals since November 1.

Fullback Will Kennedy, wingers Ronaldo Mulitalo and Sione Katoa as well as centers Jesse Ramien and Siosifa Talakai come off contract at the end of 2023.

That means they can field offers from rivals in just under three months time which is why news corp journalist Brent Read pointed out on Triple M that the Sharks have “a huge month coming up” if they want to lock in all five players before the November 1 feeding frenzy.

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“I reckon Cronulla have got a huge month coming up,” Read said.

“I was talking to them this morning about Siosifa Talakai because they’ve been trying to re-sign him — he’s one of the November 1 guys.

Wests Tigers opt not to take legal action | 00:47

“The Sharks have been talking to him ages about trying to get a new deal done, they put it off during Origin but they’ve ramped them up again.

“What makes this really interesting is that if you look at the Cronulla backline — Will Kennedy, Ronaldo Mulitalo, Jesse Ramien, Siosifa Talakai and Sione Katoa — can all sign with another club since November 1. Basically their entire backline, the club’s got about three months to tie those guys down.

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“They’ve got a challenge in front of them in terms of keeping that squad together and you’ve got to hope that it doesn’t become a bit of a distraction during finals time.

Read also highlighted how Talakai’s value has undoubtedly increased since the Sharks began talks with him given the 25-year-old has made his State of Origin debut since then.

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“I would have thought his price has gone gangbusters since then,” he said.

Kennedy is also in line for a pay rise after claiming the Sharks’ Player of the Year honors last season, while Ronaldo Mulitalo became a Kiwi international this year and Jesse Ramien has been in red-hot form, as was Sione Katoa before his season- ending shoulder injury.

“It’s going to cost them a lot of money to keep all of those guys,” Read said.

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Categories
US

Uvalde school district looking for interim police chief as Pete Arredondo awaits termination hearing

Uvalde school district looking for interim police chief as Pete Arredondo awaits termination hearing

“We continue to search and talk to different organizations about an interim police chief or an interim team,” Harrell said in a public meeting Monday evening. “There have been four officers who have been recommended for hire. They are all from out of town and they look like very promising candidates, lots of years of experience. So we will continue on that progress as well.”

The board’s search was previously reported by the local online newspaper Uvalde Hesperian, citing comments given by school board President Luis Fernandez at a Rotary Club meeting last week.
Arredondo was placed on unpaid leave following his highly criticized handling of the massacre at Robb Elementary School in May, in which 19 children and two teachers were killed. Officials have said Arredondo was the on-scene commander during the shooting, but the chief has disputed this, saying he did not believe he was in charge.

The Uvalde superintendent recommended Arredondo be fired in the wake of the tragedy and amid growing anger from residents and families who demanded the chief be terminated from the position.

The school board has postponed Arredondo’s termination hearing twice because of requests from his attorney involving his right to due process. Most recently, the board pushed off the meeting due to a “scheduling conflict” which prevented the hearing from being held on August 4, the district said. A new hearing date was not set at the time.

Harrell also provided updates on safety measures being implemented for the new school year, including at least 500 cameras to be purchased for the district, designated points of entry for parents and visitors and the continued installation of fences, although it’s not clear if the fences will be completed by the first day of school.

The school district recently completed a wifi audit to see what needs to be strengthened and is also in the process of getting an estimate for security film and glass, Harrell said. He said the school district has spent approximately $4.5 million on security and community support this summer, which was from a variety of funding resources.

The Texas Department of Public Safety has officially agreed to have 33 officers assigned to Uvalde school campuses and will remain there throughout the school year, Harrell said. I have added that each officer will be assigned to a designated campus.

Harrell also announced that there will be an option to attend school virtually in the upcoming year.

Uvalde parent, Adam Martinez, said he will likely keep his two children in virtual learning, saying that even though some of the security measures are reassuring, his son said that an increased number of officers doesn’t make him feel safer because he believes officers didn’t help during the massacre.

“As of right now, we’ll just continue virtual and see if somehow we can change the perception of the school officers or the police officers in general because right now, it seems like the children don’t have any confidence. They are going to school scared,” Martinez told CNN.

Martinez said he is one of the parents helping to file grievances against the school board, Harrell and other school staff. So far, they’ve filed at least six complaints and want Harrell removed, he said.

Fernandez confirmed the school district has zeroed in on a property to replace Robb Elementary, which the district has said students will not return to, according to the Uvalde Hesperian report.

Additionally, Fernandez said the district will approach fire drills differently, using the intercom system instead of sirens, the paper reported.

CNN has reached out to the school district and the Texas Department of Public Safety for confirmation and comment, and has not immediately heard back.

Termination hearing for Uvalde school police chief Pete Arredondo is delayed again
Following the massacre, a report from a Texas House Investigative Committee identified widespread failures across responding law enforcement agencies during the shooting. The report also concluded Arredondo failed to assume his responsibility for him as the on-scene commander during the incident.
Responding officers arrived at the school within minutes of the shooter entering the building on May 24, but it took more than an hour for law enforcement to enter the adjoining classrooms and kill the gunman, according to a timeline from the Texas Department of Public Safety.

“At Robb Elementary, law enforcement responds failed to adhere to their active shooter training, and they failed to prioritize saving the lives of innocent victims over their own safety,” the report said, adding, “The void of leadership could have contributed to the loss of life as injured victims waited over an hour for help, and the attacker continued to sporadically fire his weapon.”

Arredondo has resisted officials’ statements identifying him as the leading officer, saying he “was responding as a police officer” and did not consider himself to be in charge.

However, video footage from body-worn cameras and security cameras shows officers on the scene deferring to Arredondo when they are unsure of their role during the shooting and also shows Arredondo giving orders and coordinating personnel, according to a CNN analysis of the footage.

CNN’s Elizabeth Wolfe and Taylor Romine contributed to this report.

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