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US

Republicans May Regret Pushing the DOJ to Release the Search Warrant

Republicans May Regret Pushing the DOJ to Release the Search Warrant

  • Many of Trump’s GOP allies have clamored for the DOJ to release its Mar-a-Lago search warrant and supporting documentation.
  • On Thursday, the DOJ moved to do just that, asking a court to unseal portions of the warrant.
  • Legal experts and political strategists say Trump’s backers bit off more than they could chew and the DOJ called their bluff.

Former President Donald Trump’s allies have spent this week clamoring for the Justice Department to release details from its search warrant for Mar-a-Lago and other supporting documentation.

Now, it looks like they might get what they asked for.

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Thursday at a news conference that the Justice Department has filed a motion to unseal portions of the warrant following Trump’s “public confirmation of the search.”

But legal experts and political strategists warn that Trump’s allies may have bitten off more than they could chew and that the maneuver could ultimately backfire on the former president and his party as this year’s midterm elections loom.

“Republican strategists have no clue how bad this is gonna be yet,” said Luis Alvarado, a longtime GOP consultant.

Right-wing reactions in the wake of the Mar-a-Lago raid have failed into one of two camps.

Many of Trump’s more hardline supporters — like House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthyFlorida Rep. Matt Gaetz, and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene — threatened to investigate the Justice Department and issued calls to “defund” the FBI.

Other Republicans, including former Vice President Mike Pence, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, have asked the Justice Department to publicly talk about his investigation into Trump.

Cruz issued a tweet demanding that the department “RELEASE THE WARRANT NOW.”

“The American people deserve to see it,” Cruz wrote. “NOW.”

But Alvarado expressed skepticism toward those demands.

“They were saying it and crossing their fingers and hoping they don’t turn around and release that information immediately,” Insider told. “Because right now, we still have primaries that are happening around the country. And they don’t want that to fill the space.”

Fox Business’ Charles Gasparino tweeted on Wednesday that Trump’s own legal team would “likely seek a court order to force the @FBI and @TheJusticeDept to turn over a physical copy of the search warrant, the affidavit, and a complete inventory of what was taken in the Mar-a-Lago raid .”

The department’s motion on Thursday rendered that option moot.

“This is a big fucking deal,” one former DOJ official, who requested anonymity to candidly discuss the subject, said of the request to unseal. “Never happens. It’s unheard of.”

But the attorney general likely made an exception in this case “because of everything that’s been going on the last few days, including Trump himself and his backers crying foul, accusing the FBI of planting evidence, what have you,” the former official said.

“There is a heightened level of interest in this,” they added. “There’s a relevance here because it really does go to the heart of the system. It’s not just people throwing stones at DOJ and FBI, they’ve gotten that for decades. This is a systemic questioning of DOJ and FBI by the former president, a fair number of elected officials, and the population.”

Garland calls Republicans’ bluff

Garland at DOJ

Attorney General Merrick Garland.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images


Shortly after the department’s motion was filed Thursday, magistrate judge Bruce Reinhart ordered the DOJ to confer with Trump’s lawyers and let the court know by Friday afternoon if Trump’s team agrees with or objects to the government’s request to unseal.

In other words, the department’s motion will force Trump to put up or shut up.

“Brilliant move by Garland: make motion to unseal everything including material Trump has already (warrant and return); so now the ball is in his court to object or consent,” Andrew Weissmann, a former FBI general counsel who later worked on the Mueller investigation, tweeted after Garland’s news conference. “Called Trump’s bluff.”

David Weinstein, a Miami criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor, told Insider that even if the department’s motion to unseal is denied, Republicans could still regret pressing the DOJ because it will inadvertently put more pressure on Trump and his lawyers to produce their copy of the search warrant.

Multiple people on Trump’s team, including his son Eric, awning Gasparino that they did not get copies of the warrant or supporting documentation. But Garland debunked that claim Thursday, saying copies of both the warrant and the FBI receipt were given to Trump’s counsel.

“Trump and his lawyers have a copy of the search warrant that lists exactly what laws the FBI believes and the Department of Justice believes have been violated,” Weinstein said. “So if they wanted to show that to the world, they’re afraid to do so. And quite frankly, if it was just the presidential records, I think they’d be waving it around like an American flag.”

Gene Rossi, a longtime former federal prosecutor, also told Insider this week that he would be “shocked” if the affidavit supporting the warrant didn’t include probable cause suggesting Trump violated other laws including statutes against obstruction, insurrection, sedition, and more.

“You only get one shot at doing a search of Donald Trump’s home,” he said. “The Department of Justice is not going to blow their wad, in my view, on just looking at… the records statute.”

Ultimately, said the former DOJ official, Trump “talked himself into” the department moving to unseal its Mar-a-Lago search warrant.

“The old axiom by lawyers is that you want a client to shut the hell up,” the former official added. “That doesn’t apply to this president. So while he and his supporters are screaming about what the FBI took, the DOJ’s saying, ‘You know exactly what they took. You’ve got a piece of paper that says what they took. But you want the world to know? Fine.'”

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Business

2024 Kia ​​Sorento Facelift Rendered To Imagine Fresh Look

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The current generation of the Kia Sorento debuted in 2020 and went on sale in the United States for the 2022 model year. Despite the model still feeling so new, a refresh is on the way. This rendering from Kolesa imagines how the crossover’s updated face might look.

The two images below show this rendering next to the 2022 Kia Sorento. The upper grille has the biggest changes. For the updated model, the running lamps incorporate into the main part of the headlights. Spears of metal run from the headlights to the center of the grille.

Kia Sorento Refresh Rendering

Kia Sorento Refresh Rendering

2022 Kia Sorento SX

2022 Kia Sorento

The lower fascia is slightly different. There are now vertical lights there. The separation between the upper and lower grilles is now one, unified pieces rather than having a split between them.

From the side, the only changes to expect from the updated Sorento are different wheel options.

At the back, look for a minor evolution of the current appearance. The taillights might be different, and the bumper might receive slightly revised sculpting.

Technical changes accompanying the refresh are still a complete mystery. There are currently several powertrains available with the Sorento. The entry-level mill is a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder making 191 horsepower (142 kilowatts) and 182 pound-feet (247 newton-meters) of torque. A turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder offers 281 hp (210 kW) and 311 lb-ft of torque (422 Nm). A turbocharged 1.6-liter with hybrid assistance makes a total of 227 hp (169 kW). A plug-in hybrid with the turbo 1.6-liter mill and a 13.8 kilowatt-hour battery provides 261 hp (195 kW).

Based on a trademark filing, Kia intends to launch a rugged X-Pro variant of the Sorento and Telluride. They would likely follow the tweaks to this trim on the latest Sportage. On that model, there are 17-inch matte black wheels with BF Goodrich all-terrain tires, LED fog lights, and heating for the windshield and washer nozzles. A two-tone roof is an option.

Kia hasn’t yet announced details for the 2023 Sorento. However, this seems too soon to launch the refresh. Maybe, we could see the updated model for the 2024 model year.

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Technology

‘Tower Of Fantasy’ players compensated for long queue times

'Tower Of Fantasy' players compensated for long queue times

Developer Hotta Studio is compensating tower of fantasy players for waiting in long queues, among other issues.

tower of fantasy has officially launched but players are currently experiencing long queue times, disconnections due to the high number of people trying to get into the free-to-play game, as well as problems with registering an account (via PCGamesN).

One player took to Twitter and explained that they had been trying to get into tower of fantasy for 25 hours until the servers went down. They provided a screenshot to prove how long they had to wait.

Although most of the major issues are now resolved, mainly the registration issue, Hotta Studio is issuing players compensation today (August 11) for their patience. However, the items are only being sent out to “all Wanderers who registered by August 11 at 23:59 GMT (UTC+0)”.

This includes 300 dark crystals for the server disconnection and queue issues, as well as 300 dark crystals for failed account registration and login issues.

Players will be able to claim their dark crystals by navigating to their in-game mailbox. They should be sent out to players within 24 hours of the announcement but players will have only 14 days to claim the dark crystals.

On top of the compensation, all players who register before midnight on August 17 GMT time, will receive 10 gold nucleus items as thanks for the game reaching “the top of the free games charts in 22 countries before the global version of tower of fantasy was launched.”

tower of fantasy is a free-to-play role-playing game now available on PC, iOS and Android mobile devices. The game has been compared to the massively popular Genshin Impact and features 3D anime-style characters, an open world, and a playable roster. Unlike HoYoverse’s gacha game, however, tower of fantasy includes full character customization.

In other news, Sunday Gold has an official release date and a free-to-play demo available now.

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Entertainment

Many standouts in a vibrant portrait of Sydney’s inner west

Many standouts in a vibrant portrait of Sydney's inner west

Here Out West ★★★★½

Standing in front of her bedroom mirror, smoking, selecting a lipstick and choosing a hair accessory, Nancy (Genevieve Lemon) is preparing to go out. But when a car pulls up and hastily deposits a young girl at her doorstep, she has to adjust her plans for her. Nancy has forgotten to cancel her child-minding arrangement. She still heads out, but now she has young Amirah (Mia-Lore Bayeh) in tow. A Lebanese migrant who speaks no English, Amirah, carrying her pet spider in a jar, is a watchful observer who keeps her thoughts from her to herself, although they’re revealed to viewers via subtitles.

Written by Nisrine Amine and directed by Lucy Gaffy, We the Spiders is the first of the eight loosely connected stories that make up Here Out Westa carefully curated portmanteau film that has been deftly scripted by eight writers (Amine, Arka Das, Bina Bhattacharya, Matias Bolla, Claire Cao, Dee Dogan, Vonne Patiag and Tien Tran) and fluidly directed by Gaffy, Ana Kokkinos, Leah Purcell, Fadia Abboud and Julie Kalceff.

Leah Vandenberg in the Eternal Dance, one of the standout stories in the portmanteau production Here Out West.

Leah Vandenberg in the Eternal Dance, one of the standout stories in the portmanteau production Here Out West.Credit:John Platt

Nancy’s destination, the local hospital in Sydney’s inner west where her daughter has just given birth, becomes a key location where many of its racially diverse characters cross paths. And an impulsive action by the new grandmother becomes the springboard for the events that follow.

Nothing goes smoothly for the characters in Here Out West. Everyone’s plans are disrupted and they have to find ways to adapt. Flowering into a vibrant mosaic, the beautifully assembled telemovie is made up of stories about people under pressure and it smoothly draws together a wide cross-section of migrant communities. What’s more, it does so without waving a self-congratulatory flag for its representation of diversity. This, it is perceptively showing but not blatantly declaring, is the melting pot that is Sydney’s west.

There are parents who’ve been separated from their children or are fighting with them. There are children struggling with or rebelling against expectations. There are migrants endeavoring to honor the traditions of their homelands while battling to adapt to the realities of a more recently adopted country: trying to find work, to meet the demands of employers, to keep their businesses afloat, to cope with health issues.

Arka Das, Rahel Romahn, Thuso Lekwape in Here Out West, a beautifully assembled telemovie set in Sydney's migrant communities.

Arka Das, Rahel Romahn, Thuso Lekwape in Here Out West, a beautifully assembled telemovie set in Sydney’s migrant communities. Credit:ABC

All manner of compromises are seen to be required in order for them to get by. There’s stress and strain everywhere and, in such an environment, small gestures of kindness assume great significance. Events unfold in unpredictable ways and nothing is overstated. The drama is poignant without ever sliding into sentimentality.

Two of the standout stories – and there are no doubts – are The Eternal Dance and The Musicians. The first, written by Bhattacharya and directed by Kokkinos, finds Ashmita (Leah Vandenberg) hurrying to visit her father in hospital, her mother sitting nervously at his bedside. She rushes in looking worried, carrying her favorite sweets from her, and promptly snaps at a terse, over-worked nurse (Anita Hegh).

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Sports

FIFA World Cup 2022 match schedule changed so Qatar opens tournament

FIFA World Cup 2022 match schedule changed so Qatar opens tournament

FIFA has officially brought forward the opening match of this year’s World Cup by one day to November 20 in a rare change so that hosts Qatar feature in the gala game.

Football’s top officials universally approved the decision, FIFA said in a statement while Qatar said it would give unspecified help to fans affected by the change.

On the old schedule, Qatar against Ecuador was to be the official inauguration match on November 21 but Senegal against Netherlands would be the first match of the day. England against Iran would have been second.

RELATED: Qatar pushes for late World Cup change

Qatar had also been frustrated as it has invested in a huge opening ceremony show.

“Host country Qatar will now play Ecuador on Sunday 20 November as part of a stand-alone event,” said FIFA.

“The opening match and ceremony of this year’s tournament at Al Bayt Stadium have been brought forward one day following a unanimous decision taken by the bureau of the FIFA Council today.”

The bureau is made up of FIFA leader Gianni Infantino and the six heads of the continental confederations.

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‘Smooth tournament’ vow

“The change ensures the continuity of a long-standing tradition of marking the start of the World Cup with an opening ceremony on the occasion of the first match featuring either the hosts or the defending champions,” added FIFA.

Under the new plan, the Group A game between Senegal and the Netherlands has been shifted from 1pm on November 21 to a 7pm start. There is no change to England’s opening Group B clash against Iran.

Qatari organisers, who have spent billions of dollars preparing for the event, immediately welcomed FIFA’s gesture.

“Opening the first FIFA World Cup to be held in the Middle East and Arab world is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Qatar,” said the organizing committee in a statement.

“The impact of this decision on fans was assessed by FIFA. We will work together to ensure a smooth tournament for the supporters affected by the change,” they added without giving details.

Some Ecuador fans may have to change flights to arrive in Qatar earlier and football sources said the date switch could force changes to some World Cup contracts.

But many companies linked to the World Cup expressed confidence that disruption would be overcome.

“It is something we will deal with,” said Jaime Byrom, chairman of Match Hospitality, which has a deal with FIFA to organize hospitality packages for World Cup matches and has locked in 450,000 tickets for the tournament.

“It is really not – compared to the other challenges that we could have faced or have faced in the past – a particularly large problem,” Byrom told AFP.

“We have to focus on those customers who are most affected and I guess in this case we will be looking at our Ecuadorean customers who are traveling from overseas, and making sure that they are on time for the match.”

Official countdown clocks for the event were quickly changed. The 100 day countdown to the opening match will now start on Friday, instead of Saturday.

The decision was also announced as Qatar staged the first official match at the Lusail stadium which will host the December 18 World Cup final.

Before more than 10,000 fans, and with players engulfed in airconditioning to ward off stifling summer heat, Al Arabi beat Al Rayyan 2-1 in the Qatar championship.

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Australia

NSW parliament’s culture of bullying and sexual harassment revealed by investigation

NSW parliament's culture of bullying and sexual harassment revealed by investigation

Allegations of sexual assault, harassment and bullying have been uncovered in a landmark investigation into the workplace culture at NSW’s parliament house.

One in three respondents said they had experienced sexual harassment or bullying in the past five years, according to the review conducted by former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick.

The report found 52 per cent of bullying incidents were allegedly perpetrated by members of parliament.

Two per cent of workers indicated they had experienced actual or attempted sexual assault and almost 10 per cent said they had heard about or witnessed at least one sexual assault.

“Both women and men reported experiences of actual or attempted sexual assault,” the report found.

The NSW Parliamentary Executive Group announced the engagement of Ms Broderick to lead the independent review in July last year.

Premier Dominic Perrottet said the culture in parliament had become “toxic” in many instances and the report demonstrated the need for change.

“It is sobering, confronting and unacceptable,” he said.

“Every workplace across our state should be free from harassment, sexual harassment and sexual assault but this is not the case in the NSW parliament.

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‘Sobering and confronting’: NSW Premier vows to end workplace harassment in Parliament

“If parliamentarians cannot lead and provide an environment where the workplace is safe, what hope do we have for other workplaces across our great state?”

Almost 450 people, representing 27.7 per cent of all NSW parliamentary workers, participated in the review.

There were more than 100 one-on-one interviews, seven confidential group listening sessions, and 58 confidential written submissions.

The review found bullying was significant across parliamentary workplaces, describing it as “systemic” and “multi-directional”.

Workers have low confidence in structural or cultural protections to prevent bullying or to stop it once it occurs, the report said.

Some offices were described as “well-known hotspots” characterized by high rates of staff turnover related to harmful behaviours.

A woman with a red skirt walks up the front steps of NSW Parliament
Workers told the review they had low confidence that bullying would stop if reported.(Supplied: Parliament of NSW)

About half of the reported incidents occurred at parliament house with the remainder occurring at electorate offices, during work-related travel, at work-related social functions and online.

Alcohol was considered to be a contributing factor.

Mr Perrottet said the report only marked the beginning of cultural reform in the NSW parliament and pledged to follow through on its recommendations.

These include strengthening internal policies and codes of conduct, reducing alcohol use, increasing support services and monitoring those “well-known hotspots” for bullying.

“Today, change will happen. This report will not be the end. This report will be the beginning,” he said.

Minister for Women and Mental Health Bronnie Taylor told MPs and parliamentary staff they need to set the example for behavior in the parliament.

“For those particular people that may be reading this report today, you know who you are, and my very strong advice to you is that you do not belong in the Parliament of NSW,” she said.

“I ask you to think very long and hard about this, and I ask you to make sure that if this is you that is mentioned, get the help that you need and please leave the NSW parliament.”

A man walks in NSW Parliament
The Opposition Leader said the review paints a “dark picture” on both sides of politics.(Supplied: NSW Parliament)

Opposition Leader Chris Minns said the review “paints a really dark picture” for all sides of politics.

“We all need to do better, reach across the aisle, and make sure that we’re making every possible effort to make the NSW parliament a safe workplace.”

He said the report showed there was no real avenue for people to make complaints in the workplace and he supports calls for an independent complaint process to deal with allegations against politicians, MPs and ministerial staff.

“[Currently the] only avenue is to make a complaint to somebody, potentially from the same political party, who has an in-built apprehended bias, a perceived bias or actual bias.”

Independent MP Alex Greenwich said the report painted an unacceptable and unsafe workplace at NSW parliament.

“The experience of women and LGBTIQA+ staff is harrowing, we should set the standard, not be beyond the pale,” Mr Greenwich said.

“Workplaces that welcome and support LGBTIQA+ staff are safer workplaces for everyone, and the NSW parliament has a lot of work to do in this regard.”

The review, commissioned by former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian, said ministerial offices were “unique workplaces”, where staff were under intense public scrutiny and employment protections for ministers were “vastly greater” than those of their staff.

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US

Thomas Robertson: Former Virginia police officer sentenced to more than 7 years in January 6 case

Thomas Robertson: Former Virginia police officer sentenced to more than 7 years in January 6 case

Thomas Robertson entered the Capitol with the first breach of rioters that day, prosecutors said, and marks the second rioter convicted by a jury to be sentenced. Guy Reffitt, the first riot defendant convicted by a jury, received the same sentence of 87 months behind bars — the highest sentence in a January 6 case to date.

Washington, DC District Court Judge Christopher Cooper said Robertson’s actions after the riot were the most “striking and concerning” part of the case before handing down his sentence.

“You think partisan politics is war. You continue to believe conspiracy theories,” Cooper said to Robertson, adding: “I sincerely believe you would respond to a call of duty if called to do something like this again.”

Robertson, a former sergeant of the Rocky Mount police in Virginia, wrote in a March 2021 text to a friend, “I can kill every agent that they send,” assuring they would never see him “surrender to be a political prisoner.”

Robertson is one of more than a dozen January 6 defendants so far to opt to take their case to trial instead of entering a plea agreement.

Robertson’s substantial sentence — along with the sentence given to Reffitt — could encourage January 6 defendants with sights on a trial to instead accept Justice Department plea deals. Only one accused rioter who went to trial was acquitted on all charges.

Cooper noted that Robertson, who was dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit, chose to go to trial and did not accept responsibility for his actions.

“That’s your choice,” Cooper said. “But this is the consequence of that choice.”

Robertson was convicted by a DC jury in April on all six charges he faced, including the felony charges of impeding law enforcement officers, obstructing an official proceeding and tampering with evidence.

During his trial, prosecutors detailed what they considered Robertson’s preparation for the attack. They presented a post he allegedly wrote a month before January 6, 2021, calling for an “open and armed rebellion” and told the jury he brought three gas masks and food rations to DC.

Robertson’s co-defendant and former subordinate at work, Jacob Fracker, pleaded guilty to conspiracy in March and testified for hours against Robertson, a man he said he used to affectionately call “dad.” The jury also heard testimony from DC Metropolitan Police Officer Noah Duckett, who said a man prosecutors identified as Robertson struck him and another officer with a stick.

Robertson destroyed his and his Fracker’s phones before he was arrested and bought 37 guns in violation of his release conditions while awaiting trial, which Cooper considered — along with Robertson continuing “to advocate for violence” — when deciding his sentence.

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Business

‘Idiotic’ driver finds car covered in passive-aggressive notes

We’ve seen all frustrating parking jobs before. Whether it’s cars taking up two spaces in Westfield, a line of vehicles parked with significant – but not significant enough to fit another car – spaces in between, or, of course, cars that block drive ways.

Most of the time we, at most, scoff and move on. But one homeowner wasn’t having any of it.

On Wednesday, British man Ryan Milner shared a photo of a local car covered in passive-aggressive notes from a nearby homeowner.

The notes called the parking job “SELFISH” and “IDIOTIC” and lambasted the driver for parking next to a bin on rubbish collection day. They also issued a stern warning: “DO NOT PARK IN FRONT OF MY PROPERTY AGAIN”.

READMORE: The discreet drink order for women who feel unsafe in a bar

Ryan Milner shares photo of bad car parking job covered in passive aggressive notes
A badly parked car covered in passive aggressive notes from a local homeowner. (twitter)

“Parking right next to a bulging skip that’s due to be collected today has cost me a lot of time and money!” wrote to local.

“At 0803hrs this morning you parked in front of my property blocking an obviously bulging skip that was due to be collected today. I have spent hours knocking on every house and asking in the shop about the owner. It’s now 1400 hrs and it’s still blocking the skip; I will not have to pay extra charges because of your selfish stupidity!!!!”

The typed note had been printed out several times and plastered across the entire car.

Though Milner was neither the homeowner nor the owner of the car, he shared some photos of the note and car “as a laugh.”

“The sun getting to people in Dovecot,” he wrote in the caption.

Ryan Milner shares photo of bad car parking job covered in passive aggressive notes
One of the signs taped to a badly parked car. (twitter)

READMORE: Bride’s outrageous demand as guests leave wedding early for funeral

Most commenters found the situation hilarious, however some were concerned about damage to the car that could be caused by the adhesive used to stick notes on the vehicle.

“If that tape peeled the clear coat off my car I’d be f—ing raging,” wrote one Twitter user.

“Won’t be easy getting that duct tape off with the heat melting it,” said another commenter.

Milner hasn’t provided an update on the situation yet, but he has continued to be bombarded with questions from other Twitter users and the media.

“Phone has absolutely blew up today from that car picture I put up. Never again,” he laughed.

For a daily dose of 9Honey, subscribe to our newsletter here.

Alarming scores from child restraint testing by NRMA and Kidsafe NSW

Alarming scores from car seat testing by NRMA and Kidsafe NSW

Categories
Technology

Soccer Story is a brand new sports RPG with a magical ball

soccer story game release date

Developer Panic Barn and publisher No More Robots have announced a brand new entry in the reemerging ‘sports RPG’ genre which will turn the world of soccer games on its head. Soccer Story is a sports-fantasy RPG that takes place in the years after a mysterious calamity ‘tore apart the very foundations of soccer’, banning the sport for everyone around the world.

In this adventure, players will be joined by a magical soccer ball that wants to bring back the glorious sport of soccer. With this ball at your side, you’ll go on wild quests, explore a vast and colorful world, make friends, and re-innovate the global soccer phenomenon.

The action looks delightful, with the game rocking a dynamic 2D-3D pixel art style that is reminiscent of Pokemonwhile maintaining his own sense of personality.

You can check out the trailer for the upcoming game below:

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Comparisons to beloved sports RPG games like Golf Story and Sports Story are fairly well-earned here, but this game is not related to the acclaimed, Australian-made series. It does feature similar ideas, however, and it’s likely you’ll enjoy this one if you liked it. Golf Story.

Read: The biggest Australian-made games coming in 2022-23

With gorgeous-looking landscapes, a colorful aesthetic and strong fantasy elements, Soccer Story should stand out in what’s becoming a very crowded ‘niche’ genre.

Like Golf Storyit appears to integrate some elements from the sport on which it’s based, but with a wider world to explore and what appears to be a multi-layered adventure system (classic RPG combat and dungeoneering get a look-in during the trailer), it should also be a wildly different experience from everything that’s come before.

As the Savior of Soccer, it appears you’ll have your work cut out for you – you’ll need to corral ghostly soccer players, tear down the world’s hatred of soccer, and discover long-buried secrets to get your league thriving.

Soccer Story is set to launch in 2022, with beta signups now available on the game’s website. Keep an eye on this adventure – it looks to be a real treat.

Categories
Entertainment

Steph Claire Smith is doing the 30-day sex challenge with her husband

Fitness entrepreneur Steph Claire Smith has revealed she and her husband are completing a 30-day sex challenge where they must be intimate with each other every day for a month

Fitness star Steph Claire Smith, 28, shares the month-long ‘sex challenge’ she’s trying with her husband – and the strict rules they’re sticking to

  • Fitness star Steph Claire Smith revealed she’s taken on a 30-day sex challenge
  • She and her husband have to be intimate daily for a month straight
  • The 28-year-old said the pair have defined intimacy as anything ‘beyond kissing’
  • She said some days sex can be a ‘full-on task’ and she ‘can’t be bothered’
  • But admitted increased intimacy has bought the couple closer together

By Louise Allingham For Daily Mail Australia

Published: | Updated:

Fitness entrepreneur Steph Claire Smith has revealed she and her husband are completing a 30-day sex challenge where they must be intimate with each other every day for a month.

On her KICPOD podcast, the mum-of-one confessed to co-host Laura Henshaw that she was on day 13 of the challenge with her husband, Josh Miller, and listed the rules they’ve set.

Steph said she and Josh have to be intimate with each other beyond kissing every day and while it’s been ‘really hard’ and there are times she ‘just can’t be bothered’, the test has brought the pair closer together.

Fitness entrepreneur Steph Claire Smith has revealed she and her husband are completing a 30-day sex challenge where they must be intimate with each other every day for a month

Fitness entrepreneur Steph Claire Smith has revealed she and her husband are completing a 30-day sex challenge where they must be intimate with each other every day for a month

The mum-of-one told her podcast co-host Laura Henshaw she and Josh (right) were on day 13 of the challenge and have to be intimate with each other beyond kissing every day

The mum-of-one told her podcast co-host Laura Henshaw she and Josh (right) were on day 13 of the challenge and have to be intimate with each other beyond kissing every day

‘The way we’ve defined it is further than kissing but doesn’t necessarily have to be all the way to sex, if you can read between the lines,’ she explained and added they decided to take on the challenge after Josh saw it on-line.

Laura was audibly shocked by the saucy news and asked Steph if she was tired.

The 28-year-old admitted daily sex can sometimes feel like a ‘full-on task’ and the couple, who have a one-year-old Harvey, find it difficult to keep up the challenge if they’ve had an argument.

‘There have been days where we have had an argument and then it’s like ‘oh now we have to have sex as well’,’ she said.

‘But in the back of our minds, we really want to do this for each other so you just work through it and it happens and then you’re in a really good mood before you go to bed.’

Steph (pictured with her son Harvey, one) said while it's been 'really hard' and there are times she 'just can't be bothered', the challenge has brought the pair closer together

Steph (pictured with her son Harvey, one) said while it’s been ‘really hard’ and there are times she ‘just can’t be bothered’, the challenge has brought the pair closer together

The 28-year-old admitted daily sex can sometimes feel like a 'full-on task' and the couple find it difficult to keep up the challenge if they've had an argument

The 28-year-old admitted daily sex can sometimes feel like a ‘full-on task’ and the couple find it difficult to keep up the challenge if they’ve had an argument

Steph said some days are easier than others and she sometimes ‘just can’t be bothered’.

‘There are some days, as there are without a challenge, where you genuinely really feel up to it naturally without it being a task so there have been times where it’s felt easier and it has felt like more of a habit but it’s still hard, ‘she said.

She said her and Josh are typically intimate at the end of the day but they’re ‘trying to fix that’ and the challenge has had its benefits on their relationship.

‘When we are close and intimate like that everything is better we get along better, we’re more cuddly throughout the day and we’re nicer to each other,’ she said.

‘I’m interested to see if it gets easier or it gets harder and what comes from the rest of the challenge.’

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