ASRock is no longer an exclusive AMD partner. Just a few years after the entering the GPU business and making Radeon cards, the company has now announced its first Intel GPU, also becoming one of the first companies to do so. This card is called Challenger ITX, and it is based on Intel ARC A380 GPU.
The company announced their card is a factory-overclocked model with a GPU clock of 2250 MHz, but as it turns out this clock is actually higher in real world tests. Even in stress test Furmark (often referred to as GPU power virus), the clock speed goes as high as 2300 MHz while it is 2450 MHz in games. One should note that this would be the same frequency as GUNNIR Photon OC model. Both cards are equipped with a single 8-pin power connector, but ASRock is not confirming the TDP for its SKU.
Under full load the fan speed goes up to 1683 RPM and temperature goes up to 85°C. The board power in Furmark is 54.9W, so less than Arc A380 reference TDP of 75W.
The card was demonstrated in synthetic tests and ASRock is providing some figures. It appears that the core is invalid because it was ended prematurely, but the 3DMark software is not listing Intel’s Advanced Performance Optimizations as enabled.
ASRock Arc A380 Challenger ITX in 3DMark, Source: ASRock
ASRock also provided gaming performance for a few titles, including popular AAA titles, and modern games utilizing DirectX12 API which in most cases is well optimized for Arc architecture.
The journey Nathan and Kate Stapleton have been on this year has been devastating, heartwarming and everything in between.
The former footy star became a quadriplegic, but nothing was going to stop him from being at the birth of his second son.
Nathan and Kate’s positivity, love for one another and unbreakable bond have seen them stare down tragedy and overcome it.
READMORE:Aussie families get back to basics amid cost of living pressures
Former footy star Nathan Stapleton became a quadriplegic, but nothing was going to stop him from being at the birth of his second son. (Nine)
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“You don’t ever expect to find yourself in this situation but I’m just so proud of his determination and strength and just how strong he’s been for us,” Kate said.
Ex-Cronulla Sharks player Nathan ‘died’ for 16 minutes after breaking his neck playing rugby league.
“To be gone for 16 minutes and still to be here with my family and everything, I’m just so grateful because I still get to watch my boys grow up,” Nathan said.
“That was the scariest thing for me because I love, I love my boys and I love my wife and I didn’t want to miss out on that.”
Nathan and Kate Stapleton are each other’s rock.
They’ve been together for 15 years. They’ve shared half of their lives together. The husband and wife are inseparable.
Ex-Cronulla Sharks player Nathan ‘died’ for 16 minutes after breaking his neck playing rugby league. (Nine)
“For her to still be strong and by my side, I consider myself probably one of the luckiest men alive,” Nathan said.
It’s an extraordinary comment that shows Nathan is a lot more than a former NRL star.
I have played 61 games and scored 17 tries for the Cronulla Sharks.
He’s no stranger to injury, but never made a fuss.
After retiring from professional rugby league, Nathan and Kate got married, welcomed son Harry, and were living life happily on a farm in country New South Wales.
But on April 9 this year, their lives changed forever.
Nathan was playing his first and only game for Boorowa Goldies in West Wyalong.
Nathan and Kate Stapleton have been together for 15 years. (Nine)
“It was just like a normal, typical game I was actually enjoying, having fun. I was playing with Kate’s brother which is what we’ve always wanted to do,” he said.
But in the second half, Nathan was almost killed.
“The last thing I remember from the game was Kate’s brother’s hands on my head.” Nathan said.
“That’s when I knew something… it wasn’t good.”
His neck was broken and his spinal cord was significantly injured.
“I was pronounced dead on site,” Nathan said.
“I was gone for 16 minutes. It’s hard to think about that because everyone was thinking the worst, obviously.”
Luckily off duty nurse Louise McCabe was there.
She kept Nathan alive until an ambulance arrived.
“If she wasn’t there, I wouldn’t be here to tell the story,” Nathan said.
Kate was seven months pregnant.
At the hospital, she was told to prepare for the worst.
“They advised me that it was highly likely that Nathan was going to have severe brain damage, which for me was worse than any of his neck fractures,” Kate said.
But Nathan wasn’t going anywhere without a fight.
“When I finally came out of sedation and realized what was going on, it was tough,” Nathan said.
“Early on I just thought I was in a bad dream. I woke up and I thought, ‘this isn’t happening.”
Nathan’s mind was intact – but he was paralyzed from the shoulders down.
“The doctors came around and basically said, ‘you’re not going to have any movement. You’re not going to be able to walk again,'” he said.
“It’s something that no one wants to hear, so it was like my worst nightmare had come…reality.
“And then obviously seeing Kate and seeing my family come down and everyone being so upset as well, because everything was so fresh.”
However, Kate said she was relieved, her personality remained the same.
“Even though he was so highly sedated, the fact that he could say a couple of things and he was still getting really pissed off in situations. I was like, ‘it’s still Nath’ and it was such a relief,” she said.
Nathan’s mind was intact – but he was paralyzed from the shoulders down after the accident. (Nine)
But Nathan was grieving his body and his former life.
He said he was faced with a decision.
“I had to make a choice. I could either sit here and feel sorry for myself and bring everyone down with me, or suck it up, accept it for what it is and focus on the things that I can do,” Nathan said.
And that included being at the birth of their second son just weeks later.
“My biggest fear, obviously, was not having Nath there,” Kate said.
So Nathan’s ICU team at Sydney’s Prince of Wales Hospital and the adjoining Royal Hospital for Women moved mountains to make that happen.
“It’s about his dignity and their whole experience as a family,” Clinical Nurse Consultant Steph Rhodes, said.
Rhodes planned the massive team effort, making sure staff and equipment would be available to get Nathan into the birth suite when Kate went into labour.
“I’ve worked in ICU for about 10 years and I’ve never even heard of this kind of thing happening and to be honest, it’s not really a situation that arises too often, it’s a pretty remarkable and pretty rare situation,” Steph said.
Photographer Alisia Mason, from Sydney Birth Stories captured the incredible birth on camera.
The footage shows Nathan whispering words of encouragement to his wife while she was in labour.
“Through your nose out through your mouth darling, nice and slow, that’s it,” Nathan says.
Footage shows Nathan whispering words of encouragement to his wife while she was in labour, before meeting his new son. (Nine)
“Just breathe through it. You’ve got this darl.”
Kate delivered little Angus and he was placed on Nathan’s chest.
The couple say he’s their good luck baby.
“We’re very thankful and blessed that we could be there together at birth and it’s something that we’ll never forget,” Nathan said.
But with the miracle moment came mixed emotions.
“It’s hard because the one thing you want to do when you’re having your second child is to comfort your wife physically, hold her hand, but I just couldn’t do it,” Nathan said.
“I got to witness the whole thing and I still got to hold my own boy, and I still got to kiss my wife and tell her how amazing she was. It was bittersweet.”
He said his wife is “incredible.”
Nathan and Kate wanted to thank all those who made it possible for him to be at the birth.
The incredible experience wasn’t lost on the dedicated angels around them either.
“I can’t be prouder. As a nurse manager of my team, they’re outstanding,” ICU nurse manager Megan Pinfold said.
“The birth of Angus was such an amazing uplifting moment for the whole unit. Everyone stepped up and went above and beyond.”
Pinfold says the full extent of Nathan’s injury won’t be known for another year, but that his pre-injury health and mental strength, is making a world of difference.
“We definitely do think that his pre-injury fitness was superb and on top of that he was working as a farmer as well,” she said.
However he is likely to be on a ventilator forever.
Nathan’s now getting used to his new wheelchair, which he controls with his chin, and his laptop which he commands with facial expressions and voice to text.
The family’s looking forward to eventually getting him out of hospital, and back to the country.
Toddler Harry has also adapted better than they ever expected to dad being in hospital.
Nathan and Kate wanted to thank all those who made it possible for him to be at the birth. (Nine)
“I think the question was, ‘why is Dad in bed?’ and ‘why is he here? What are all these tubes on Dad?’ Nathan said.
“But now over time, it’s just normal and it’s so beautiful because for a toddler to understand that dad’s okay, and that means the world to me.”
Nathan’s outlook remains positive.
“The injury, we can’t change it. It is what it is,” he said.
“No one wants to be where I’m sitting but at the end of the day there’s so much to look forward to.
“I’ve got a beautiful wife, I’ve got two beautiful boys and I’m blessed I can still be there for them.”
“It is going to be different and don’t get me wrong, there’s still good and bad days to come – it is a rollercoaster ride but we’re still blessed we can still bring our boys up together.”
Kate said the wheelchair isn’t an issue for her, all she wants is Nathan by her side.
“I’m so proud of him. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster to be honest,” she said.
“If I’ve Nathan and his personality, that’s all, all I care about so we’re good.” she said.
An online fundraiser has been set up to support Nathan’s recovery.
The Cronulla Sharks are auctioning players’ worn jerseys, and details can be found on the team’s website.
The Sharks are also teaming up with Flow Athletic for a yoga and silent disco fundraiser, Flow After Dark on September 7 at Pointsbet Stadium
Nathan and Kate say they couldn’t have got to this point without the support of the community and their loved ones.
They have a long list of people they’d like to thank, including their families and friends, the Cronulla Sharks, Rugby Australia, and the Boorowa and Tenterfield communities.
The mother who pulled her unconscious son from a car and cradled him on a busy north-west Melbourne roadside has been reunited with the good Samaritan couple who rushed to help her.
Key points:
Madeleine Crawford’s child had a seizure on the way to hospital on August 3
Thi and Cindy Le assisted in getting him there but the group did not exchange details
They were all reunited after Ms Crawford put the call out through ABC Radio Melbourne
Madeleine Crawford, and 20-month-old Stirling, met Thi and Cindy Le of North Sunshine at an emotional weekend reunion.
It was the first time they had come together since Ms Crawford put out a call to find them so she could finally say thank you.
Suffering a fever, chesty cough and struggling to breathe, Stirling was being driven by Ms Crawford to the Royal Children’s Hospital emergency department on August 3 when he started having a seizure in the back seat.
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Melbourne mum searches for ‘good Samaritans’ who came to her aid when her son had a seizure
A clean bill of health
Desperate for help, Ms Crawford pulled over on the corner of Churchill Avenue and Ballarat Road in Maidstone, grabbed Stirling from the back seat, and stepped onto the median strip.
Ms Le and her husband had been driving only a few vehicles behind and did not hesitate after spotting Ms Crawford gesturing wildly at passing traffic.
“I immediately knew something was wrong,” she said.
“I didn’t know what else to do so I told Madeleine I’d hold baby Stirling while she drives to the closest hospital.
“Thankfully my husband was a quick thinker and drove in front with hazard lights on to escort us to the hospital safely.”
They made it to Footscray Hospital where Ms Crawford ran inside and Stirling was immediately triaged by the nurses.
Reunited via radio
There was no time to exchange details.
Ms Le said when the pair arrived home, she could not stop thinking about what had happened.
“As a mother myself, I knew how distressing it would’ve been to have experienced that,” she said.
“But I would never have thought Madeleine would try to find us. I just did what I could at the time to help.”
Both families were reunited on Sunday after Ms Crawford put out the call to find them via ABC Radio Melbourne.
“It was incredible to be able to express our gratitude in person,” Ms Crawford said.
“It was a very special afternoon — lots of hugs and smiles.”
Ms Crawford wanted to thank the couple who came to her aid.(Supplied: Madeleine Crawford)
A clean bill of health
Stirling was diagnosed with respiratory syncytial virus but has since been issued a clean bill of health.
Ms Crawford said it was his seizure that had caught her off guard and urged other parents to learn how to respond to a similar situation.
In a twist, the Le family revealed their own granddaughter, Aria, had been through a similar experience only months ago.
Their daughter, Anita, had phoned them for help after her sick toddler started having a seizure.
According to the Victorian government, about one in every 20 children between six months and six years old will experience a febrile seizure while suffering a high fever. While alarming, it is not epilepsy and it does not cause brain damage.
“It is absolutely terrifying if it happens to your child,” Ms Crawford said.
“I would recommend parents read the guidance so they can be as prepared as they can if or when it happens.”
DENVER (KDVR) — Interstate 70 was closed in both directions between York and Steele due to flooding.
FOX31’s Gabby Easterwood was on a scene on I-70 right before the Brighton Boulevard exit where the road was completely flooded. Water rescues were underground.
According to Denver Fire, at I-70 and York, 11 people needed assistance getting out of their cars. Over on 38th and Blake, the crew was working to help eight people.
Interstate 70 before the Brighton exit was completely flooded. (KDVR)
Interstate 70 before the Brighton exit was completely flooded. (KDVR)
Interstate 70 before the Brighton exit was completely flooded. (KDVR)
Drivers stuck on the highway said they had been there for more than an hour. Multiple cars were at a standstill as water levels rose after a strong storm moved down the Interstate 25 corridor.
At 10 pm, I-70 was reopened in both directions.
Gerald Louis, one of those drivers who had to abandoned his vehicle says it was a scary scene. He says he was in waters he felt safe to drive in, but a semi-truck passed by him as he was in the waters. That truck pushing him into deeper waters. “We had to wait for the fire department to get there And pull us out of the water and when they came, they got us all out and just said hey now you’re on your own.” Louis said “It was pretty bad and I have a bunch of stuff in that vehicle that I figure But I’m gonna lose and I gotta figure out a way to get home now.”
This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.
Sydney’s commuters face major disruptions to rail services on Wednesday, after the state’s train operators warned that key rail lines between central Sydney and Wollongong will be shut down for six hours in response to a planned strike.
In advice late on Monday, Sydney Trains and NSW Trains said services would not run between 10am and 4pm on Wednesday on the T4 Eastern and Illawarra, and South Coast lines. The lines connect Bondi Junction in Sydney’s east to Bombaderry, south of Wollongong.
The operators have also advised that some Sydney Trains and intercity services may be canceled or run to a reduced timetable during other parts of the day.
Trains will not operate on the Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra lines for six hours on Wednesday.Credit:Dominic Lorrimer
The looming disruption comes despite Premier Dominic Perrottet and Transport Minister David Elliott holding discussions with the head of the rail union on Monday. The two sides remain locked in a standoff over modifications to the state’s intercity train fleet, and a new pay deal.
Rail Tram and Bus Union secretary Alex Claassens said management’s decision to shut down the lines for six hours was a “disgraceful response” to rail workers’ protected industrial action, which had been deliberately designed to ensure services could continue to run.
“There is absolutely no reason for the Illawarra line to be shut down on Wednesday. The protected industrial action being taken by rail workers will, by design, impact very few workers at any one time,” he said.
Last week, the union announced escalating industrial action this month, which will disrupt various rail lines and culminate in a refusal to operate foreign-built trains on August 31. Foreign-built trains make up about three-quarters of the state’s rail fleet.
The state’s transport agency said the planned stoppage on Wednesday would disrupt commuters throughout the day, including in the morning and evening travel peaks, due to fewer services, delays and changes to stopping patterns across the rail network.
“While the union action officially starts at 10am, our customers will start to feel the effects from around 6am,” it said. “Although all staff will return to work at 4pm, customers will need to allow plenty of extra time while trains return to the network.”
Back in July, Samsung confirmed it would hold a big announcement event in the form of a new Galaxy Unpacked livestream in August. Well, August is here now, so that means you need to put this new Unpacked stream on your calendar and figure out how to watch it.
Great news: It’s easy!
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2022 will take place on Aug. 10 at 9 am ET/6 am PT. You can watch it on:
We don’t know for sure yet what Samsung plans on showing, but all signs indicate at least one new foldable device. A recent leak pointed to the existence of follow-ups to last year’s Galaxy ZFold 3 and Z Flip 3 phones. Additionally, the official marketing text on Samsung’s website in advance of the event reads “A new way to flex is coming.”
Yeah, the hint isn’t subtle.
This event is taking place almost exactly one year to the day since the unpacked event where those two older foldables were unveiled. Samsung also showed off new additions to its galaxy-watch and Galaxy Buds lines at the same stream, so updates to those devices could show up at the new Unpacked, as well.
SEE ALSO:
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 3 is not the future of phones
The only other prediction we can make right now is that, as always with foldables, don’t be surprised if the price tags are pretty hefty.
A dozen West Aussie draft hopefuls have earned invitations to the national combine in Melbourne in October.
All up 67 players selected for the three-day testing from October 7-9 with Vic Country leading the way with 19.
It’s not expected to be as big of a WA draft crop compared to recent years after just one win from four matches in the national under-18s carnival.
Claremont are the best represented of the WAFL clubs with four players, followed by Swan Districts and East Perth with two apiece.
The Royals could have two players inside the first round with defender-turned-midfielder Reuben Ginbey storming up the charts after winning WA’s carnival MVP award and key back Jedd Busslinger also a strong chance to go early.
Powerful Swan Districts midfielder Elijah Hewett is another tipped to get picked up in the opening round.
From a Next Generation Academy point of view, classy forward Tyrell Dewar (Subiaco), part of West Coast’s NGA, made the cut after an eye-catching carnival.
The Eagles have priority access to Dewar, provided he falls outside of the top-40 picks which is likely.
Son of a gun Ed Allan, a rangy 194cm utility whose father Ben captained and coached Fremantle as well as playing in a premiership at Hawthorn, is among the famous names on the list.
The Claremont and Scotch College product’s dad was two games away from him qualifying as a Hawks father-son prospect.
Claremont midfielder and Hale School captain Harry Cole and his colts teammate and Christ Church defender Hugh Davies, both late additions to WA’s under-18s squad who made the most of their opportunities, were also included.
Peel Thunder key defender Jed Adams is another who has emerged this season, impressing in the final two games of the national carnival down back after coming in for Busslinger, with his booming left foot and ability to read the play and intercept standing out.
A whopping nine players were invited from NAB League powerhouse Oakleigh Chargers including top-10 fancies George Wardlaw, Elijah Tsatas, Matthew Jefferson and father-son gun Alwyn Davey Jnr.
Players can still be added with late-season form and enough interest from AFL clubs.
There will also be various state combines around the country, with WA’s to be held on October 16.
Around 50-60 players will be invited to those, likely to be revealed by next week.
A Federal Court injunction that halted the construction of a contentious $1.25 billion highway in Western Australia’s south has been extended, as an environmental legal challenge gets underway.
Key points:
At $1.2 billion, the road is WA’s most expensive
A last minute environmental challenge has been mounted in court
A halt on construction has been extended as proceedings enter a second day
Bulldozers began clearing bushland for the final leg of the Bunbury Outer Ring Road last week but work suddenly stopped on Friday afternoon when a local environmental group mounted a legal challenge, and an injunction was enforced.
Opponents say the road’s environmental and social impact is too great, but both the state and federal governments say the risks can be managed.
In the first day of proceedings, Justice Craig Colvin heard arguments for and against Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek’s approval of the project in late June.
Justice Colvin ordered a pause on construction must remain until midday tomorrow as the case enters its second day.
Possum species ‘might vanish’
Lawyer Angel Aleksov, representing the Friends of the Gelorup Corridor group, put forward a series of legal arguments he said proved the ministerial approval of the project had been unlawful.
That included a claim that much of the environmental mitigation plan the project’s approval rested on would not occur until much later.
He said by that stage, it would be too late for animals such as the critically endangered western ringtail possum, which “might vanish from this earth.”
Western ringtail possums are only found in pockets of WA’s south west.(Supplied: GeoCatch )
Mr Aleksov claimed Main Roads WA was working on an assumption that 9,000 western ringtail possums remained in the region but that “Wikipedia” showed there could be as few as 3,000 possums left.
I have conceded delaying the project was costly but said the cost “does not outweigh risk to species that might leave this earth”.
It was revealed in court the project had already been delayed from April to August, at a cost of up to $10 million.
“There are large financial ramifications, but there are very, very large environmental consequences,” Mr Aleksov said.
Lawyers argue all procedures followed
Both the Solicitor General of WA, Joshua Thomson, and Commonwealth lawyer Emrys Nekvapil argued all procedures had been followed and every measure taken to mitigate environmental damage.
Mr Thomson argued the Friends of Gelorup Corridor’s legal argument was not strong enough to grant an injunction.
“If so…why was it overlooked until this time?” he said.
The northern section of the Bunbury Outer Ring Road largely passes through cleared farmland.(ABC South West: Anthony Pancia)
Mr Thomson said if the project was stalled now, it would have to be delayed another seven months, due to the western ringtail possums’ breeding patterns.
He said there were major benefits to the completion of the Bunbury Outer Ring Road, including separation of freight and local traffic and economic benefits to the entire region.
“This must be weighed against bringing [the project] to a shuddering halt for seven months,” he said.
He said three western ringtail possums had been found dead due to predation during the past weeks’ clearing.
A tree taped off within the Gelorup road reserve that is marked for clearing to make way for the highway.(ABC South West: Asha Couch)
Mr Thomson said there were very strong steps in place to project animals including fauna spotters on site and GPS collars tracking the locations of possums at all times.
Mr Emrys Nekvapil, acting for the Ms Plibersek’s office, said there was “not a serious question to be tried”.
He said the plan to ameliorate or mitigate the impact on the environment was completely orthodox.
Justice Craig Colvin ordered court resume at 9.30am WST on Tuesday.
Bunbury bypass ‘not Roe 8’
Opponents of the road had likened its construction through the Gelorup corridor to the aborted Roe 8 highway project in Perth.
Land clearing for the six-lane freeway through the Beeliar wetlands had well progressed in the lead-up to the 2017 WA election.
The McGowan government had campaigned on canceling the $1.9 billion project, which they did almost immediately after winning the election.
Amid a large amount of community opposition, the McGowan government campaigned on canceling the Roe Highway extension which traversed the Beeliar Wetlands.(Supplied: Main Roads WA)
But speaking ahead of today’s hearing, Premier Mark McGowan said it was an incorrect comparison to make.
“They’re very different projects. Roe 8 and Roe 9 weren’t really necessary because the port was going to fill,” Mr McGowan said.
“Whereas a road around Bunbury will just save many lives and ensure that people’s commute between the south west and the city is much more efficient and quick.”
Mark McGowan said his government was committed to building the road.(ABC News: James Carmody)
Mr McGowan defended the project’s environmental merits.
“Look, it’s been through two rounds of environmental approvals,” he said.
“We’ve done everything we can to ameliorate the environmental impacts by offsets and other plantings and fauna initiatives costing many millions of dollars.
“I understand people’s concerns. We just want to get on and complete this project.”
Concerns for community, environment
The southern section of the road, which involves the clearing of 71 hectares of native vegetation, has received full state and federal environmental approvals.
Clearing on the southern section of the Bunbury Outer Ring Road was stopped after five days due to the court injunction.(ABC South West: Anthony Pancia)
In May, Environment Minister Reece Whitby said it was clear the proposal would have a long-term impact on the local environment, and noted the “uncertainty” as to whether the Gelorup population of western ringtail possums could recover in 10 or 15 years.
“It is accepted that 72 [western ringtail possums] will be lost from the area due to the permanent loss of habitat,” he said.
He said that environmental offsets to counterbalance the loss of habitat would include acquisition of land and revegetating other areas, including in nearby state forest.
The road has garnered bitter debate in the south west, with locals expressing concern it will split the suburb of Gelorup in two.
Main Roads has long said that the chosen route has the least environmental impact, compared to other options.
A repeat of those exact same circumstances would, of course, depend on the results of other races around the country. But the battle for control of the Senate is finely balanced between both parties right now — and the mere thought of the chamber hanging in the balance well after the November election is filling some Georgia organizers with dread.
“Nobody wants a runoff. Nobody wants a runoff,” Sukari Johnson, chair of the Clayton County Democratic Party, repeated with emphasis. “Because it’s very difficult for people to come back out, and at that point you’re spending time and money to get people to come back out. And nobody wants to do that after November.”
the polling average of the Warnock-Walker race from FiveThirtyEight shows Warnock with a 3-point edge — the same margin the Democratic senator enjoyed in the most recent survey from the home-state duo of the Atlanta Journal Constitution and the University of Georgia. Oliver garnered 3 percent support in that survey published at the end of July.
Warnock’s consistent polling advantage has come even as Republican Gov. Brian Kemp has enjoyed small leads over Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams in most surveys. It’s a slice of ticket-splitting that reveals some discomfort with Walker among voters who are prepared to cast GOP ballots in the state’s other big contest.
If the Senate campaign “is a small race, and it’s just down to two personalities, then I think Warnock might win,” former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a Georgia native who appeared with Walker at a campaign event last week in Alpharetta, told POLITICAL. “But if this is a big race, and it comes down to Warnock’s being part of 9 percent inflation and highest price gas in history, and you can go down the list, then I think Warnock loses.”
Those competing cross-currents are what is keeping the race so close — and with a close race comes the chance of a runoff. And at that point, Democrats concede, fatigue could become a factor as there have been near-nonstop political battles in Georgia over the last few years.
“Fatigue, people feeling overworked, and then people not recognizing that their vote is a powerful tool that they can use to change their circumstances and to change the world around them,” said Nsé Ufot, CEO of the Abrams-foundedNew Georgia Project, listing off challenges she and her voting rights organization are facing this year.
Jacquelyn Bettadapur, chair of the Democratic Party of Cobb County, agreed that the party faced an enthusiasm and energy deficit heading into the midterm’s homestretch. “This race is about who’s better at mobilizing the grassroots and getting people to turnout and vote. And I think the Republicans have a slight advantage with that … we’re seeing a lot of Republican enthusiasm similar to what the Democrats had in 2017 [after Donald Trump was first elected].”
Bettadapur said she believes people will still go and vote in November, but when it comes to getting volunteers to door-knock, text and phone bank and do other direct voter contact, there’s less enthusiasm than there was four years ago. Gwinnett County Democratic chair Brenda Lopez Romero, for example, is leading an effort to knock on doors and prepare media outreach in five different languages: English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean and Chinese.
Republicans have obstacles of their own to navigate. In Muscogee County, home to the city of Columbus, the party is working to flip the 2nd Congressional District and increase their vote share in a strongly Democratic area. Muscogee County GOP Chair Alton Russell is battling fears among base Republicans that their votes don’t matter. Stoked by former President Donald Trump’s insistent falsehoods about voter fraud and the results of the 2020 election, they’re the same fears that may have cost the GOP critical voter turnout in the last Senate runoffs.
“That’s a concern that I have — about people not voting because they have the opinion that everything is crooked, and Trump really won, and that their vote don’t count, and they’re just not going to vote at all. And I see that every day,” Russell said.
He added that there are several ways to engage GOP voters despite these concerns — including priming Republicans to get ready to vote out Joe Biden in 2024. But some Republicans get mad when they are encouraged to move on and look forward to the next election, Russell continued.
While Warnock is ahead in the polls, no one on his campaign believes the lead with last on his own.
“There are going to be polls in all directions over the course of this campaign. Here’s what we know: this race will be close, which is why we can’t take anything for granted and are working hard every day to reelect Reverend Warnock,” said Quentin Fulks, Warnock’s campaign manager, in a statement to POLITICO.
Walker’s campaign did not respond for comment. But Russell, the Muscogee County GOP chair, noted again how important voter outreach will be for the next three months.
“In Georgia, and in every county in Georgia, what’s gonna make the difference is turnout,” he said. “If we turn out, we will win. If we stay home, we won’t.”
Senior executives at Qantas are being asked to trade their high-profile positions to work as ground handlers as part of a plan to combat labor shortages.
The embattled airline’s chief operating officer, Colin Hughes, told staff in an internal memo that Qantas is seeking expressions of interest for a contingency program over a three-month period.
“People who respond to the EOI will be trained and rostered into the ramp environment at Sydney and Melbourne airports,” Hughes wrote. “These people will support our ground handling partners, who are managing the Qantas operation, over a three-month period from mid-August.”
At least 100 managers will be recruited to sort and scan bags and transport luggage. Hughes added: “There is no expectation that you will opt into this role on top of your full-time position.”
At least 1,600 baggage handlers were sacked during lockdown, with the service outsourced to contractors, a decision that the federal court has ruled unlawful. Qantas has vowed to appeal the decision.
The once-highly regarded airline has apologized after a litany of complaints from frustrated passengers who have endured delayed and canceled flights, long queues at airports and lost baggage.
Qantas is hoping to address the problems by scheduling fewer flights in the next month and hiring more staff.
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The airline’s domestic and international chief executive, Andrew David, acknowledged that Qantas had been plagued by problems as it recovered from the Covid-19 lockdown period.
A spokesperson said the airline was committed to improving its services: “We’ve been clear that our operational performance has not been meeting our customers’ expectations or the standards that we expect of ourselves – and that we’ve been pulling out all stops to improve our performance.
“As we have done in the past during busy periods, around 200 head office staff have helped at airports during peak travel periods since Easter.
“While we manage the impacts of a record flu season and ongoing COVID cases coupled with the tightest labor market in decades, we’re continuing that contingency planning across our airport operations for the next three months.”
