Embattled All Blacks coach Ian Foster has urged his players to move on quickly from their Mbombela mauling and focus only on the rematch with South Africa at Ellis Park this weekend. The All Blacks’ 26-10 defeat in the Rugby Championship opener was their worst in 94 years in South Africa, triggering fresh calls in New Zealand for Foster to be sacked.
The three-times world champions have now slumped to a record low of fifth in the world rankings and head to Johannesburg after a fifth defeat in six Tests. With another loss to the Springboks on Saturday widely expected to make Foster’s position untenable, the coach said players and staff needed to take a deep breath.
“We know there’s a lot of pressure on, and we’re feeling that. But our job is to look at our performance and how we can grow it,” he said. “I understand the frustration, but that doesn’t change what we have to do here. There’s no point sulking about it for too long. We’ve just got to get into Ellis Park and keep growing our game and still believe.”
Many in New Zealand no longer believe in the team under Foster. In a front page editorial on Monday the New Zealand Herald, the country’s largest newspaper, said Foster needed to go, calling him a “decent man who is out of his depth in a brutal business”.
Foster’s hopes of rallying his team at Ellis Park appear bleak with injury concerns over flyhalf Beauden Barrett and his fullback brother Jordie. Beauden has a sore neck after landing heavily from a mid-air tackle by South Africa winger Kurt-Lee Arendse, who was red carded for the rash challenge, while Jordie left the field with an ankle injury.
Foster complained that Arendse had also clattered into Jordie unfairly as the All Black rose for a box kick in the 11th minute. Barrett was instead penalized for a knock-on. Foster confirmed the All Blacks would be addressing South Africa’s mid-air challenges with officials and said he expected more protection from them.
“It*s becoming a free-for-all for jumpers just to be able to jump and stick a hand out and say they’re competing. It needs to be addressed,” he said.
TAIPEI, Aug 8 (Reuters) – China’s military announced fresh military drills on Monday in the seas and airspace around Taiwan – a day after the scheduled end of its largest ever exercises to protest against last week’s visit to Taipei by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
China’s Eastern Theater Command said it would conduct joint drills focusing on anti-submarine and sea assault operations – confirming the fears of some security analysts and diplomats that Beijing would continue to maintain pressure on Taiwan’s defences.
Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan last week infuriated China, which regards the self-ruled island as its own and responded with test launches of ballistic missiles over Taipei for the first time, as well as ditching some lines of dialogue with Washington.
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The duration and precise location of the latest drills is not yet known, but Taiwan has already eased flight restrictions near the six earlier Chinese exercise areas surrounding the island.
Shortly before the latest drills were announced, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met visiting St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, telling him she was moved by his determination to visit despite China’s military pressure. read more
“Prime Minister Gonsalves has expressed in recent days that the Chinese military drills would not prevent him from visiting friends in Taiwan. These statements have deeply touched us,” Tsai said at a welcome ceremony for Gonsalves in Taipei.
It was unclear if Tsai had invited Gonsalves before or after Pelosi’s visit. “We don’t disclose internal planning or communications between governments,” the Taiwanese foreign ministry said when asked by Reuters.
Beyond the firing of 11 short-range ballistic missiles during the four earlier days of exercises, Chinese warships, fighter jets and drones maneuvered extensively around the island.
Shortly before those drills ended on Sunday, about 10 warships each from China and Taiwan maneuvered at close quarters around the unofficial median line of the Taiwan Strait, according to a person familiar with the situation who is involved with security planning.
MILITARY TALKS SHELVED
Taiwan’s defense ministry said Chinese military ships, aircraft, and drones had simulated attacks on the island and its navy. It said it had sent aircraft and ships to react “appropriately”.
China’s defense ministry meanwhile maintained its diplomatic pressure on the United States, defending its shelving of military-to-military talks in protest at Pelosi’s visit.
“The current tense situation in the Taiwan Strait is entirely provoked and created by the US side on its own initiative, and the US side must bear full responsibility and serious consequences for this,” defense ministry spokesman Wu Qian said in an online post.
“The bottom line cannot be broken, and communication requires sincerity,” Wu said.
China called off formal talks involving theatre-level commands, defense policy co-ordination and military maritime consultations on Friday as Pelosi left the region.
Pentagon, State Department and White House officials condemned the move, describing it as an irresponsible over-reaction.
China’s cutting of some of its few communication links with the US military raises the risk of an accidental escalation over Taiwan at a critical moment, according to security analysts and diplomats. read more
One US official noted that Chinese officials had not responded to calls from senior Pentagon officials amid the tensions last week, but that they did not see this as a formal severing of ties with senior figures, such as US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Asked directly about those reports, defense ministry spokesman Wu said, “China’s relevant counter-measures are a necessary warning to the provocations of the United States and Taiwan, and a legitimate defense of national sovereignty and security.”
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Reporting by Beijing Newsroom and Sarah Wu in Taipei; writing by Greg Torode. Editing by Gerry Doyle and Raju Gopalakrishnan
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Elon Musk says Tesla is working towards a production of 20 million new cars annually – which, if all sold, would be twice the sales figures of the world’s number one carmaker, Toyota.
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Tesla is preparing to boost production, with CEO Elon Musk telling shareholders the electric vehicle company is aiming for 20 million new cars annually.
The Tesla boss said the ‘run rate’ – the average production number from each factory – is set to increase to two million cars each year, up from one to 1.5 million currently, according to Automotive News Europe.
The new target means at least ten of the company’s ‘Gigafactories’ will need to be operated, which when boosted to an average of two million electric vehicles, would equate to a total annual production of 20 million new cars.
The world’s biggest car company, Toyota, sold about 10.5 million new cars in 2021, with Volkswagen Group coming in a second with 9.3 million reported sales.
Tesla reported a total of 936,000 vehicles produced in 2021.
Musk said the company’s two newest plants, located in Germany and Texas, were working through solving “10,000” small problems, despite both enjoying a run rate of 1.5 million cars.
“If all goes as planned, we will be exiting 2022 at a two million annual run rate.”
The key to Tesla’s long-term profitability is in its manufacturing, Musk told shareholders, with the carmaker revolutionizing production processes with its ‘Giga Press’, which replaces hundreds of welded steel parts by creating one large aluminum piece.
Ben Zachariah is an experienced writer and motoring journalist from Melbourne, having worked in the automotive industry for more than 15 years. Ben was previously an interstate truck driver and completed his MBA in Finance in early 2021. He is considered an expert in the area of classic car investment.
At Kotaku, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you’ll like it too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.
The best part about any new generation of Pokemon is trying to guess what kinds of weird and wonderful critters that Game Freak will dream up for us. After last week’s Pokémon Presents, we waited with bated breath for the new pocket monsters that would join our teams in Gen 9.
We already know that Paldean Wooper (aka the People’s Pooper) will become an honorary member of our team. Meanwhile, it seems inevitable that Fidough is bound to evolve into Purebread, otherwise it’ll be a sorely missed opportunity. And we’re all ready for our boy, Lechonk to grace our dinner tables… uh, we mean battle up a storm.
But what other Pokémon are we hoping will be unveiled in the lead-up to the worldwide release of Gen 9? After all, aren’t the next few months meant to be a time of speculation and anticipation? This is the time when we’re allowed to dream big and place bets on what ‘mons will battle by our sides once we get our greasy, hairy mitts on our version of choice.
Here’s a list of our new Pokémon demands hopefuls that we’ll get to see in Scarlet and violet.
A new Eeveelution
Image: TV Tokyo
Nintendo, Game Freak, hey, hi – you there? Are you listening? We think it’s high time we got a new Eeveelution and we will be taking no excuses. We truly think that pokemon’s been taking us all for a ride over the last month.
While the most recent Pokémon Presents aired last week, many of us who are obsessed with Eevee were hoping – no, expecting – an Eeveelution announcement.
Any type of sign that Eevee might get a new evolutionary form has been painstakingly stamped out. If we look back at previous generations, we received Vaporean, Jolteon and Flareon in Gen 1, Espeon and Umbreon in Gen 2, Leafeon and Glaceon in Gen 4 and Sylveon in Gen 6. Following that pattern, we should have gotten a new evolution in Gen 8 via pokemon sword and Shield.
Then, on the 30th and 31st of July, pokemon’s Instagram account shared a video of Espeon and Umbreon on those respective dates. There was no context, save for a couple of emojis.
On 1 August, the Pokémon Presents date was announced. This led many to speculate that maybe, just maybe, we were about to get the Eeveelution we’ve been dreaming of. And yet, nothing.
The anticipation was only heightened when some fans peeked ahead at the episode summary guide for Pokemon Ultimate Journeyswhere two episodes named Koharu and Eievui – The Miracle of Evolution and Koharu and Eievui, the Possibilities are Endless! were due to air on 22 July and 29 July in Japan. Spoiler alert: as it turns out, Koharu (or Chloe, as she’s known in the English dub) did n’t evolve her from her Eevee, much to everyone’s dismay.
So where does this leave us? Eevee-less and afraid. But let’s pretend we live in a merciful world where Pokemon will deliver us the Eeveelution of our prayers. What are we hoping for?
While we’ve been granted eight out of 18 possible types, our hopes are high that the next Eeveelution will be either a Ghost, Flying or maybe even a Dragon-type.
But what do you think? Based off the theme of PokemonScarlet and violetwhat type of Eeveelution can we expect?
We don’t have a dolphin Pokémon yet
Image: Team Koitabashi
Someone once tried to tell us that Lanturn is a dolphin Pokémon and there will be no further comment on that, aside from the statement: Lanturn is based on an angler fish. You know, the big ugly fish that tried to eat Marlin and Dory in Pixar’s Finding Nemo. Cool, glad we got that out of the way.
With every new generation that’s been announced, we have patiently awaited the reveal of a dolphin Pokémon. when Sun and Moon came and went, we thought that surely with its Hawaii-inspired region that we’d be served a dolphin Pokémon on a silver platter. And yet, nothing.
Out of all of the new Pokémon that’s been introduced to us over the years, we’ve had a panda, a koala and even a bloody ice cream cone added to the Dex. There’s even been a double scoop evolution of said ice cream cone.
As much as we like a very cute, very blue angler fish, we’d much prefer a bottle-nosed dolphin Pokémon in Gen 9 instead.
Make the little worm a big wyrm
Image: TV Tokyo
We can’t help feeling that poor ol’ Dunsparce has drawn the short straw of the lot. Pokemon loves its weak, floppy ‘mons and Dunsparce is apparently the king. While Magikarp and Feebas both evolve into great sea serpents, Dunsparce has nothing. Dunsparce has been robbed.
While we absolutely froth Gyrados and Milotic, both stunningly detailed and well-designed powerhouses, we’ve tried to picture how Dunsparce’s final form could look. Dunsparce is a normal-type that is meant to be based on a “land snake” called Tsuchinoko. (Aren’t most snakes…land snakes?)
According to Japanese folklore, a Tsuchinoko translates to “child of hammer” and can swallow its own tail to roll around like a wheel.
To us, this suggests that if Dunsparce is granted an evolution, he’d probably look like some giant, yellow and winged beast that can swallow its hammer-shaped tail and roll over its Phanpy-style enemies.
that sounds sick. Game Freak, jot that down.
Please explain where baby Kangaskhan came from
Image: TV Tokyo
A certain detail that’s always irked us is the fact that Pokemon has never explained where in the hell baby Kangaskhan comes from?
We get that it’s fiction and maybe Pokémon biology does not always work the same way it does in the real world (sure), but you cannot tell us that Kangaskhan is born with a baby.
It makes no sense. What also makes no sense is the fact that in Sun and Moon, Kangaskhan got a Mega Evolution that allows Baby K to leap out of its pouch and battle. Nevermind the fact that the Kangaskhan I hatched seven days ago can Mega Evolve with a baby that, according to its Pokédex entry, can’t leave its pouch for three years.
Pokemon, please explain why Baby Kangaskhan is purple. Please also explain why it isn’t its own ‘mon yet.
Where to pre-order your copy of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
If you’re keen to find out if any of these Pokemon hopefuls will find their way into Gen 9, you better make sure you pre-order your copy of Scarlet and violet.
Below, we’ve rounded up a bunch of Aussie retailers where you can snap up your copy ahead of its November 18 release date:
If you prefer to collect both versions of the game, you can swipe a dual pack below:
pokemon scarlet and violet will be exclusively available on the Nintendo Switch and will be released on November 18, 2022.
The prospect of the 2023 Formula 1 grid not featuring Daniel Ricciardo is difficult to fathom.
Fortunately it’s not just a hard sell of the average F1 fan; several teams are also sure the eight-time race winner has more to give to motorsport’s premier series.
In the wake of persistent rumors that Mark Webber was lining up Oscar Piastri to snatch Ricciardo’s seat from underneath him in 2023, rival teams have been probing the availability of the affable 33-year-old for his next chapter.
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As many as four rival constructors have sounded out Ricciardo, per ESPN, in the weeks leading up to McLaren reportedly issuing him his intention to break his contract.
Deducing which teams ought to be a simple case of arithmetic.
Before Fernando Alonso’s bombshell move there were six teams with possible vacancies: Alpine, Alfa Romeo, Haas, AlphaTauri, Aston Martin and Williams.
Alpine assumed it wouldn’t be going to market given it thought it had Piastri on the books as a fallback for Alonso, reducing the list to five.
AlphaTauri is also moving closer to re-signing Yuki Tsunoda, who Franz Tost wants to give a third season to establish himself. Anyway, signing 33-year-old Ricciardo also doesn’t click with what’s supposed to be Red Bull’s development team. Four teams remaining.
Aston Martin has also removed itself from the list, but with Alpine seemingly sure to need new blood, the group possible suitors is stable at four, including Haas, Alfa Romeo and Williams.
So which is most likely to be seriously pitching for Ricciardo’s services, and which has the best chance of attracting his attention.
Ricciardo set to be replaced by Piastri | 00:32
ALPINE: THE CLEAR FRONTRUNNER
Alpine is unlikely to have been among the teams to have reached out to Ricciardo before the Hungarian Grand Prix given it was certain to the point of complacency that Alonso would re-sign, and it assumed in the unlikely event the Spaniard left, Oscar Piastri would be aligned to replace him.
But you can guarantee that the French team has reached out in the week since the driver market kicked into gear, and it’s the obvious frontrunner for Ricciardo’s services.
why it makes sense
Alpine is the highest placed team in the constructors standings with an availability — in fact it’s a place ahead of McLaren, occupying fourth with a four-point margin, so it would represent a step forwards on the grid, even if that step would be almost imperceptibly small.
The team is also on a hiring spree to match the workforce size of the frontrunners, and having undertaken some capital works to upgrade its factory, it’s well placed to maximize its budget cap allocation in the coming seasons.
Alpine also has a weak bargaining hand given it’s now 35 races deep into a 100-race plan to be a regular podium-getter. Esteban Ocon is credible enough but really the team needs a high-caliber spearhead, and there’s no-one on the market who comes close to Ricciardo’s potential or brand value.
And then there’s a certain unquantifiable appeal for both sides—one that neither would admit to, although stranger things have happened—that they’d be united by a common adversary. Both would surely be keen to defeat McLaren in a straight fight, and they’re each other’s best chance of doing so.
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STITCHED UP DOWN UNDER? The former Aussie aced orchestrating Piastri’s Ricciardo switch
Why it doesn’t
The only thing that would prevent Ricciardo and Alpine from renewing the relationship that ended in 2020 is pride. Ricciardo would be returning to a team he’d previously ditched, and Alpine would be taking back a driver who decided to walk out after only a year of racing.
But it’s debatable that this would be a strong disincentive to join.
For one, Alpine has been through a management clean-out since Ricciardo left, meaning there could be only so much bad blood to influence decision-making.
Team principal Otmar Szafnauer was even receptive to Ricciardo as a possible re-hire as early as last week, when he was still trying to project an air of confidence about keeping Piastri.
“I mean, if you look at Fernando, for example, he comes and goes, and I think that happens to other drivers too,” he said, per autosport. “I don’t think that’s an issue [with Ricciardo] at all.”
As for Ricciardo, he’s proved during his McLaren tenure that he isn’t afraid about claiming responsibility for his actions. He’s been upfront about his underperformance, and returning to Alpine, where he had one of the best seasons of his career in 2020, would just be an extension of that.
Alpine may not have been among the early suitors of Ricciardo’s services, but it’s certainly at the head of the pack.
Piastri backflip as he denies Alpine F1 | 01:07
HAAS: TRYING ITS LUCK
Haas is the next team in the constructors standings without an obvious solution to its driver line-up if it parts ways with Mick Schumacher, whether on its own motion or because the German switches teams given the pathway to Ferrari is closed for the foreseeable future.
why it makes sense
Daniel Ricciardo is box office in the United States partly thanks to Drive to Survivepartly thanks to his love for the US and partly thanks to his personal team’s efforts to get his personality out there.
For a Haas team that’s on the up but in need of some brand cut-through, Ricciardo would be a great get — and maybe even enough to convince Gene Haas to increase his commitment to funding the team, at least for purposes of snagging a star. driver.
Ricciardo would also enjoy the relaxed and apolitical atmosphere at the midfield team, perhaps enough to sway a decision.
Why it doesn’t
While the morass of the midfield is a bit of a minefield in terms of their prospects in the next few years — Alonso clearly doesn’t think ninth-placed Aston Martin has dimmer prospects than fourth-placed Alpine — Haas has been particularly inconsistent this season . It would be a difficult sell to Ricciardo to take a punt on things moving forwards rather than backwards.
Haas might also question whether it’s ready for a driver of Ricciardo’s ambition at this stage of its rebuild.
There’s also a lack of clarity around whether Ferrari has finally said over Haas’s second seat as part of its technical agreement with the team, which would presumably rule Ricciardo out of the running.
Photo by SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFPSource: AFP
WILLIAMS: WITHOUT AN OBVIOUS SUCCESSOR
Williams was set to be a major player in the driver market when it was tied to Alpine’s decision-making around Oscar Piastri and Fernando Alonso, but that power was stripped from Grove when both drivers sensationally abandoned the French team.
It’s also left Williams without an obvious candidate for its second seat, currently occupied by Nicholas Latifi, who’s likely to be shown the door at the end of the year.
why it makes sense
Williams has fielded mostly rookies for the last five seasons, with the only exceptions being Robert Kubica in 2019, who was making his comeback an eight-year injury hiatus, and Alex Albon, who had two disrupted years in the Red Bull system before sitting out last year.
It means the team is without a proven, established bar with which to measure its car’s ultimate performance. Ricciardo would give the team a chance to know just how much more might be in the car or whether what we’re seeing today is the best the team’s got.
If Ricciardo were desperate to continue his Formula 1 career but unable to secure a contract at a better placed team, Williams would surely be happy to accept him.
Why it doesn’t
Much like Haas, Williams may not feel ready for a heavy hitter of Ricciardo’s stature. It’s also seriously debatable whether Daniel, with a point to prove about his last 18 months and eager to restore his reputation, would see value in a contract that would struggle to guarantee him more than lower midfield levels of performance.
Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
ALFA ROMEO: NOT IN NEED OF A LEADER
Alfa Romeo has been one of the sport’s great improvers this year and is on track for the best points haul of its independent history. It also has Zhou Guanyu out of contract this season, and though the Chinese rookie has acquired himself well, the team is yet to re-sign him.
why it makes sense
The Sauber-run Alfa Romeo team’s biggest card is that it’s reportedly in negotiations to be bought by Audi. Sauber would then become the German marque’s works constructor, complete with a power unit program.
If the best route to a championship is to race for a fully fledged manufacturer, getting in on the ground floor before Audi potentially buys in — and presumably spends big to accelerate progress where it can — might be the best shortcut to the front.
Why it doesn’t
Valtteri Bottas’s strong performances and long-term contract mean Alfa Romeo doesn’t need a team leader, no matter your opinion of the abilities of the Finn relative to the Australian.
Further, the team has an eye to promoting its development driver, Théo Pourchaire, from Formula 2. Pourchaire is only 21 points off the title lead, and if he wins the series this year, he won’t be able to enter again — and even if he missed out, another strong campaign would likely be enough to get him into F1 by 2024.
Wedging Ricciardo into Zhou Guanyu’s seat makes no sense when it’s already earmarked for one of Sauber’s own drivers.
Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
WHAT ABOUT THE LONG GAME?
There’s one other criterion that might be on Ricciardo’s mind aside from getting himself into the most competitive seat available next season: ensuring he’s available to take part in driver market movements among the frontrunners in the coming seasons.
Out of contract next year are both Lewis Hamilton, who is inching closer to retirement, and George Russell at Mercedes, and team boss Toto Wolff has previously described himself as an admirer of the Australian. A Mercedes-powered team might therefore enjoy a small boost in bargaining power.
The 2024 season is Sergio Perez’s last under his current contract, while Charles Leclerc will also be up for renewal. Fernando Alonso is understood to have signed a two-plus-one deal at Aston Martin that could also see his seat made available.
But before leaping at any such hypotheticals — if indeed they’re on his mind at all — Ricciardo will need to nail down a contract to keep him in F1 next season.
The federal government has declared it will call for a “meaningful” pay rise for aged care workers in its submission to the independent wages umpire on Monday, but has stopped short of nominating a specific dollar figure.
Key points:
The independent wages umpire is considering a case brought forward by unions
Federal government said it would advocate for a significant pay rise, but would not call for a specific increase
Increasing aged care workers’ pay was a key recommendation from the royal commission
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) is considering a case brought forward by the unions, which are calling for a 25 per cent pay increase for 200,000 residential and home care workers.
Aged Care Minister Anika Wells said while the government would push for a pay rise in its Fair Work submission, it would not call for a specific wage increase.
“We support a significant, meaningful pay rise,” she told Sky News on Sunday.
“We haven’t put a number to it because traditionally governments don’t put numbers to it, that is for the commission to decide exactly what percentage the work value case is worth.
“But we have agreed we will fund it, no matter what the decision.”
Increasing the pay of aged care workers was one of the key recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety’s final report last year.
Since that report was released, unions and industry groups have argued the pandemic has exacerbated funding and workforce issues, and say pay increases are needed to attract and retain skilled workers.
In the lead-up to the May election, Labor promised if it won government, it would make a submission to the FWC’s aged care work value case supporting a pay rise for the industry’s workforce, vowing to fund the arbitrated increase.
The commitment was criticized by then-prime minister Scott Morrison, who questioned how Labor would fund any increase, instead opting to give aged care workers across the country two, one-off payments of $400.
But Ms Wells said a permanent wage hike was desperately needed.
“The number one issue that everybody wants to talk to me about in aged care is workforce shortages, we need to do something to value aged care workers better and that starts with a pay rise,” she said.
“The complexity of their work has increased significantly not just through COVID in the past two years particularly, but in the past decades.
Anika Wells says the work aged care workers have changed in recent years.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
“The kind of work that we want them to do based on the Royal Commission recommendations for aged care and for a better standard and a better future in aged care — it is more complex work, so they should be recognized for that.”
If the union’s case is successful, the FWC would vary the aged care award, which outlines the minimum pay rates and conditions of employment.
That would mean different things for different workers, but it could see the minimum wage in aged care rise by at least $5 an hour.
A qualified personal carer’s minimum wage would be bumped up from $23.09 to $28.86 an hour, based on wage rates when the application was lodged.
Looking at weekly wages, a level 1 aged care employee could have their weekly pay increased from just over $800 to more than $1,000 a week, under the union’s proposal.
The case in the FWC has been going on since 2020 and is due to hold hearings where it hears from the government and unions this month.
Michigan’s attorney general is requesting a special prosecutor to investigate alleged election breaches concerning her Trump-endorsed challenger, Matthew DePerno, Reuters first reported Sunday.
Why it matters: DePerno was previously accused of profiting off 2020 election conspiracies by Republican state senators, by Axios Detroit’s Samuel Robinson.
Driving the news: The request is part of a joint investigation by Attorney General Dana Nessel and Michigan State Police into “a conspiracy to unlawfully obtain access to voting machines used in the 2020 General Election,” according to a petition for the appointment of a special prosecutor, obtained by Political.
“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,” the petition states.
The request was made to the Michigan Prosecuting Attorneys Coordinating Council, an autonomous entity within the state Department of Attorney General.
What they’re saying: DePerno’s campaign tweeted late Sunday that the investigation was a “Political Witch Hunt.”
His campaign manager Tyson Shepard said in to statement on Sunday night that Nessel has a “history of targeting and persecuting her political enemies.”
Read the petition, via DocumentCloud:
Editor’s note: This article has been updated with comment from DePerno’s campaign and further context.
Australian farmers have reacted furiously to suggestions major supermarkets are set to post super profits because they have the power to pass on soaring costs to consumers as experts reveal evidence of price gouging on essentials.
Major retailers, including supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths, are preparing to announce their profits for the 2021-22 financial year and market analysts expect them to post billion-dollar gains even as the skyrocketing cost of living bites consumers.
Stock market analyst Johannes Faul told the AFR that supermarkets’ ability to raise prices as needed meant profits would at least remain ‘steady’.
New analysis has predicted consumers will give up on luxuries and focus on essentials as the cost of living crisis bites, accepting high supermarket prices and allowing the big retailers to maintain profits (pictured are stallholders from Paddy’s Market, which often have lower prices than supermarkets)
Australian farmers have reacted furiously to suggestions that rising inflation could boost supermarket profits because they can pass rising costs onto shoppers (pictured is NSW farmer Chris Stillard and his son)
Another analyst, Craig Stafford, said supermarkets were ‘in good shape’ as inflation feeds into higher prices for consumers.
The profit predictions come as an independent finance sector analyst told Daily Mail Australia there ‘appears to be evidence of price gouging’ in supermarkets and called on the ACCC to investigate.
Guy Gaeta, a cherry farmer from Orange, told Daily Mail Australia the idea that supermarkets could get richer amid high inflation while families and battlers are forced to cut back ‘really pisses me off’.
‘You can’t use inflation as a reason to make money, it’s shocking. They’re ruthless,’ he said.
Mr Stillard claimed inflation is the perfect excuse to get supermarkets ‘off the hook’
Guy Gaeta, a cherry farmer from Orange, told Daily Mail Australia the idea that supermarkets could ‘get richer’ because of high inflation while families and battlers are forced to cut back ‘really pisses me off’
‘Sure, everyone is paying more for extra costs, like with fuel. But when you say “well, we’ve got seven per cent inflation, so we’ll just bump up prices 10 per cent”, that’s just price gouging isn’t it?
‘It’s easy money for them, they must want to buy more Ferraris – it’s just a rip off.
‘I don’t think it’s a fair business you’re profiteering from people because of inflation. I thought no-one makes money out of inflation?’
Martin North, a finance sector analyst with Digital Finance Analytics, said his company’s consumer surveys show supermarket prices have jumped ’20 per cent or more, way above CPI’ in some cases.
Farmer Chris Stillard lamented that there is no mechanism in Australia to prosecute price gouging (Pictured Mr Stillard with his family)
Supermarkets price rises are too high and do not match the extra input costs they pay because of inflation, critics say
He claimed the increase in prices paid at the checkout was larger than the increases in ‘input costs’ paid by supermarkets.
‘If you look carefully, its clear to me that these companies are taking the opportunity to bulk up and safeguard their profits to shareholders by adding more than the (rise in) input costs to their prices. In other words, firms can lift prices to protect margins, at the expense of consumers.’
Mr North claimed price-gouging was happening in ‘the supermarket sector, oil industry and gas industry’.
‘There appears to be evidence of price gouging, at a time when consumers cannot afford to pay more than they should,’ he said.
A confronting graph has illustrated the alarming rise in the cost of basic groceries, with vegetables, cereal and other household staples at the top of the list of steep price rises
Martin North of Digital Finance Analytics claimed predictions of buoyant supermarket profits pointed to a wider problem with ‘corporate ethics’
Another New South Wales farmer, Chris Stillard, who grows persimmons near the Victorian border, said the supermarkets’ confidence in future profits did not surprise him.
‘I’m not an economist, I’m a farmer, but maybe that’s what you get when you have two supermarkets controlling 70 per cent of the market,’ he said.
‘When there’s a perfect excuse like inflation, it gets supermarkets off the hook.’
Mr Stillard claimed consistent price rises on all lines of produce should never happen. He said whenever lines of produce are in oversupply – such as apples, because China stopped importing them – prices should fall to reflect that.
‘Australia doesn’t have any laws to pursue price gouging. It’s blue murder,’ he said.
He said consumers should not ‘just cop’ high prices: ‘Go and shop around.’
Last month, Daily Mail Australia proved that, on at least one day, the cost of shopping at a supermarket giant was dramatically more expensive than a fruit and veg market.
Farmer Guy Gaeta has suggested a boycott of major supermarkets because he says they rip off consumers and farmers (Pictured, from left, Guy Gaeta with wife Simonetta and son Michael)
Australia-wide the cost of meat and seafood was up 6.3 per cent in the last year
Daily Mail bought a week’s worth of fruit, vegetables and eggs from Woolworths and from Paddy’s Market in western Sydney – using an identical shopping list and buying the same weights – and the supermarket giant was nearly twice as expensive.
Coles told Daily Mail Australia: ‘At Coles, our key focus is on keeping the cost of the family shop down and delivering great value to our customers. Since January, we have reduced prices on over 1,000 items across our range of more than 20,000 products.’
The price difference of $49.75 represented a saving of 45 per cent on the Woolworths haul, with the grower’s market cheaper on all but one of the 19 lines purchased.
Woolworths said: ‘Managing industry-wide inflationary pressures will continue to be the focus for us as we work hard to provide customers with great value in partnership with our suppliers through programs like Prices Dropped for Winter and Price Freeze, as well as the thousands of weekly specials.’
The price of vegetables, fruit, breakfast cereals, meat, bread, eggs, oils, butter and margarines all jumped sharply in price in the last year according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
The ABS released its quarterly Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures – the key measure of inflation – last week, showing a 6.1 per cent jump over the last year.
The biggest jump in an everyday grocery items was the cost of vegetables, up 7.3 per cent in the last year, mostly attributed to the continued flooding in southeast Queensland and New South Wales.
Coles told Daily Mail Australia its prices are determined by ‘supply and demand’ and that ‘our team is working hard to get prices down’
Woolworths said it is ‘always working to strike the right balance so suppliers receive a fair market price and our customers’
Very few details are confirmed about Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, but one rumor suggests a controversial Sword and Shield feature will return.
Pokemon is indubitably one of the most iconic franchises in all of gaming, as it’s a household name among even non-gamers. Many gamers grew up on Pokemonand to this day, continue to play every generation and game that comes out. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is that new set of games, and when they release in November, it stands to reason fans old and new will flock to them.
However, this presence in the industry isn’t without its drawbacks. Some Pokemon fans believe the games are too heavily marketed and designed for children, even if they are designated family-friendly at their core. Many fans believe Pokemon games have become too easy, hold players’ hands throughout it all, and haven’t evolved with the times, potentially evidenced by the fact that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are the first open-world games in 9 generations. All of this is, of course, up for debate, but one controversial element about the “Pokemon games are too easy” debate may rear its head again.
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The EXP Share has long been part of Pokemon video games, beginning as a way to confer extra experience to a single Pokemon and by Sun and Moon becoming a toggleable way to give all Pokemon in the party XP. Pokemon Sword and Shield included the EXP Share too, but in what amounted to tons of controversy, it could not be turned off in someone so chose. The recent remakes of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl did not allow for it to be toggled off either. Now, rumors suggest the EXP share will return in pokemon scarlet and violet, which comes as no surprise, but it would seem that it cannot be toggled off either. This means it will likely operate as it did in Pokemon Sword and Shield and BDSP.
A recent tweet by Pokemon S/V leaker Blaines suggests that EXP is “forced on by default,” and while this doesn’t necessarily mean it can’t be toggled off, it highly suggests it. The writing was already on the walls. With EXP Share being forced on in Pokemon Sword, Shield, Brilliant Diamondand shining pearlthere’s really no way it won’t be a permanent mechanic in the new generation.
It should be noted that the EXP Share’s impact on Pokemon Scarlet and Violet‘s open world will be interesting to see, unlike the guided adventures of the previous titles. It would seem that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet doesn’t feature level scaling, and because of this, perhaps the EXP Share will find a more fair use and a better reception in the new generation of games. Fans should keep in mind this is only a rumor for now, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see it come from legit.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet release on November 18 on Nintendo Switch.
MORE: Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Are Breaking a Longstanding Legendary Tradition
Gold Coast’s leadership group has made an impassioned plea for out-of-contract young star Izak Rankine to reject Adelaide’s advances and remain a Sun.
News Corp revealed last week that the Crows were making a major play for Rankine, offering him a five-year deal worth as much as $800,000 per season to return to his home state.
Gold Coast is highly unlikely to match that financial offer and will instead rely on convincing him that his best chance of realizing his potential is at the Suns, while still being willing to pay him about $650,000 a year.
Adelaide is increasingly confident Rankine will request a trade to play for Matthew Nicks’ side, but that wouldn’t come until after Gold Coast’s season ends.
Suns chairman Tony Cochrane told News Corp on Monday they would do “all we can to retain him”.
“I think the club has proven over four years we’re doing everything possible to keep him there and obviously he’s a required player,” Cochrane said.
Izak Rankine is weighing up a five-year offer from the Crows. Picture: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
“We’ve got a great association and relationship with Izak, as everyone has around the club. He’s bought a house up here, he’s very much settled in up here, so that’s just our position for the moment.
“He’s an incredibly popular person around the club. I know first-hand how much time and effort people like (coach) Stuart Dew have put into him and, importantly, I know how highly Stuart rates him.
“He’s got that message loud and clear at the Gold Coast footy club.”
Co-captain Touk Miller also made it clear that convincing the “special” small forward to stay was a top priority, having already re-signed Ben King, Jack Lukosius, Ben Ainsworth, Elijah Hollands and Mac Andrew this year.
“I know there’s a lot of speculation around him and his future, but for us we really want him to be at this club. He’s a special person, a special player,” Miller said.
“We’ve gone to him and had a few chats about how much he means to us and means to the club, so whether that plays a part in the decision, hopefully it does.
Stay or go? Izak Rankine has a big call to make on his playing future. Picture: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
“As a leadership group; that’s part of what you have to do. This club wants success, and he can be a key part of that.”
Miller sympathized with Rankine’s situation as he weighs up a career- and life-changing decision, especially with the Suns looking to have turned the corner as a club.
“I know speculation like that can make it really hard around the club and can make things awkward and nervous, but we want him to feel as comfortable as possible, feel like he can still be himself and play his best footy,” he said.
“He’s human. I can say it’s not easy for him and you probably do have your head down a bit more. In saying that, we’ve still got a lot of good things out of him on game day.
“I’m not in his head, I can’t exactly say what he’s going to do, but we really want him to stay. He’s such a special part and key part to our club going forward. We’d love to have him.”
Miller was famously forthright with ex-Gold Coast co-captain Tom Lynch when he revealed in 2018 he was exercising his free agency rights to join Richmond after meeting with several Melbourne-based clubs.
