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Entertainment

Tony Armstrong is not secretly married, despite rumor

Tony Armstrong is not secretly married, despite rumor

Beloved ABC star Tony Armstrong is this week’s Stellar magazine cover star – and in the accompanying interview, the recent Logie winner for Most Popular New Talent opens up about some of the more unusual attention he’s received in his rise to fame.

The 32-year-old AFL player and ABC NewsBreakfast presenter addressed one surprising rumor that’s sprung up about his personal life. No, Tony Armstrong is not secretly married.

“If I had a secret wife I’d been hiding all this time, do you think I’d tell you?” I have told Stellarwhile also opening up about whether he’d consider getting hitched in the future.

“It’s got to be someone pretty special and I suppose I’ve got to be in a space where I can also give them what they need… I don’t want anything. The only, you know, money worries I’ve got are, ‘Can I service my mortgage and live a life I want to?’

“Everything other than that, I think, is superfluous. I’m just trying to remind myself to enjoy the ride and not buy into things when they’re going well. And don’t buy into it completely when they aren’t.”

Armstrong also downplayed his recent Logies win for the coveted Graham Kennedy Award for Best New Talent.

“Nowhere on the Logie does it say that you’re actually good at your job. It’s for the most popular new talent. What that means is f***ing nothing, apart from a popular vote. I mean, it’s flattering … and I’m very smug to my friends about it – it’s how I finish every argument. But that’s it.”

Armstrong’s appearance at this year’s Logies made headlines for another reason, after he clapped back at a Twitter troll who accused him of “virtue signaling” for making an acknowledgment of country while he was on stage.

The Twitter user – who insisted it was time to “drop this nonsense” – copped a surprised reply from Armstrong, who quickly put him in his place: “Shut up bro,” he responded. “I’m a blackfulla and I am duty bound to respect the land I’m on.”

speaking to StellarArmstrong said it was a no-brainer for him to respond.

“To be honest with that stuff, I couldn’t give af**k what people think. I’m going to say what I think is right. I could never pretend to speak on behalf of all Indigenous people but I can talk about what I know to be right. I don’t always get it right… but I try not to ever be complicit.”

Armstrong batted away another rumor about himself in a recent interview with news.com.au, laughing off speculation that he could one day find love on TV on a show like TheBachelor.

“The more interested that people are in talking to me, the less I want to do in a public space,” he said with a laugh when asked about persistent bachelor rumours, adding that his “anxiety inducing” red carpet debut at the Logies was enough of a foray out of his comfort zone.

“I really didn’t enjoy the red carpet… going to events and stuff like that, it’s just not ever going to be me,” he said.

Truth about Tony’s OnlyFans

One wild rumor about Armstrong that turned out to be true: Yes, he did start an OnlyFans account last year (despite initially denying it was really him).

Armstrong was spotted in a verified account on the raunchy subscription-only platform.

At the time he denied was him, as news.com.au reported, but he’s since come clean that it was actually set up as a ploy to get fans to donate to The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation, cooked up with the owners of lifestyle brand Skwosh Club, Jack Watts and Jack Turner.

“I’m actually still waiting to get paid from it,” he explained to news.com.au recently.

“I did it because I was sitting with a couple of mates, Jack Watts and Jack Turner, and they had a charity run of shorts, and we thought ‘wouldn’t it be funny if we did a troll thing and tricked people into donating money’.

“Once they got into the OnlyFans, they would realize a subscription was for this charity… It was just photos of me with cups of tea or with a book or something. We ended up getting quite a few subscriptions.”

Asked whether he had permission from the ABC to join the site for the three-week stint, he sheepishly responded that he “found out later that he was meant to.”

“I wouldn’t say I got in trouble… I had ‘a chat’,” he revealed.

Read the full interview with Tony Armstrong in this week’s Stellar, available free with the Sunday Telegraph and the Sunday Herald Sun.

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Categories
Australia

Labor’s newest senator Fatima Payman is blazing trails and she hopes others will follow

Fatima Payman stands with her arms crossed inside her Parliament House office.

Tucked away in Parliament House office, once occupied by Tony Abbott and Clive Palmer, now sits the 47th Parliament’s youngest new member.

At age 27, Senator Fatima Payman is making history and it’s a pretty big adjustment.

“I’ve told my friends ‘please don’t call me senator’. I’m still getting used to the title,” she laughed.

Senator Payman’s small team consists of young women just as eager as her for the first sitting fortnight of the new parliament.

David Pocock and Fatima Payman walk into the Senate
David Pocock and Fatima Payman arrive in the Senate for the first sitting day of the new parliament.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)

It’s safe to say Fatima Payman is vastly different from the men who’ve sat at this very desk and in the Senate chamber she now frequents.

She came to Australia with her family as a refugee from Afghanistan in 2003 and was raised in the northern suburbs of Perth, where she became a union organiser.

Now, she’s the youngest member of the 47th Parliament and the first Afghan-born hijab-wearing senator. She says she’s a “representative of modern Australia.”

“It just feels unreal to me. It’s an absolute privilege,” Senator Payman said.

The new Labor politician is representative of an election result that demonstrated Australians wanted politics done differently, electing an array of fresh faces in what is now one of Australia’s most diverse parliaments yet.

She said she wanted to turn a tide in Australian politics, having gone to the 2022 federal election with a focus on ambitious climate action, an “anti-corruption commission with teeth”, and fee-free TAFE courses.

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‘An absolute privilege’: Senator Fatima Payman on her journey in politics so far

But with her new role comes a unique kind of pressure, one that few of her colleagues have experienced.

Senator Payman says she’s already trying to manage the expectations of the many diverse groups she’s part of – including her Afghan and Perth communities, young Australians, women, migrants, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

“Having people’s hopes and dreams attached to your sort of progress and the work you do is quite a lot of pressure,” she said.

Nevertheless, she said the pressure was born out of knowing how important it is for all Australians to see themselves reflected in the nation’s most important institution — something she wished her late father could have seen her achieve.

“As ethnic households, politics is discussed at the dinner table all the time, but it never occurred to me that it was a career that I would take upon,” she said.

Anthony Albanese and Richard Marles stand alongside Fatima Payman as she signs the Labor roll
Fatima Payman officially joining federal Labor’s parliamentary caucus.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)

What’s most notable about Senator Payman is her youth. She was giddy and nervous as she watched the cameras and lights set up for her sit-down interview, repeating “I’m new to all of this” and hiding her slightly chipped nails from the camera’s view.

As the third-youngest senator in Australian history, she follows West Australian Greens senator Jordon Steele-John, who became the youngest-ever senator at age 23, and former South Australian senator Natasha Stott Despoja, who famously strode into Parliament House wearing Doc Marten boots at age 26, before going on to become the youngest elected leader of a political party.

Senator Payman looks at her youth as a strength, one that makes her, and her fellow young senators stand out in the stuffy, old building on Capital Hill.

She said she was using her age as a tool to advocate for other young Australians, who she said went into the federal election having lost faith in the political system and were continually ignored when it came to important legislation.

“I hope that my presence will be welcoming but also a beacon of hope for many out there, especially the young demographic that often see themselves slip through the cracks when it comes to massive legislation,” she said.

“It’s important that young people are brought to the table.”

New senators stand in a semi-circle inside the Senate
Fatima Payman with the class of 2022 Senate intake.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)

Senator Payman used her now-viral first address to the Senate to mark the historic moment of her election to the 47th parliament.

“Who would’ve thought that a young woman born in Afghanistan and a daughter of a refugee would be standing in this chamber today,” she told the Senate.

“One hundred years ago, let alone 10 years ago, would this parliament have been this accepting? 100 years ago, let alone 10 years ago, would this parliament accept a woman choosing a hijab to be elected?”

She used the opportunity to tell young girls who chose to wear a hijab to do so with pride.

“For those who choose to advise me about what I should wear or judge my competence based on my internal experience, know that the hijab is my choice,” Senator Payman said.

“I want young girls who choose to wear a hijab to do it with pride and knowledge they have the right.”

The historic moment comes shy of five years since One Nation’s Pauline Hanson wore a burqa in the Senate to call for the dress to be banned in Australia.

“I think it’s unfortunate that I can’t claim to be the first person who has worn Muslim attire inside those same chambers,” Senator Payman said.

“Heck, this is who I am. I want people to accept me for who I am.”

Fatima Payman sits at a desk in her Parliament House office
Fatima Payman wants more young people to enter federal politics.(ABC News: Nick Haggarty)

First speeches often allow a politician to tell their life story.

Senator Payman also used her address to thank her late father, becoming emotional as she acknowledged his sacrifices when bringing her family to Australia.

She later revealed the speech took place on what would have been her father’s 52nd birthday.

“We have all heard ‘it takes a village to raise a child’. This truly hits home for me. I’d like my first gratitude to be expressed to my late beloved, whose sacrifices will never be forgotten and who I dearly wish was here to see how far his little daughter has come,” she said.

“Knowing the sacrifices that my dad went through as a taxi driver [and] security guard to ensure he saved enough money to make ends meet to support this family and to ensure that my siblings and I had the future that he wasn’t able to secure for himself.”

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Categories
US

Progressive groups take aim at Sinema over decision to remove carried interest tax loophole from Manchin bill

Progressive groups take aim at Sinema over decision to remove carried interest tax loophole from Manchin bill

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Progressive groups across the country are at odds with a decision made by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., to remove the carried interest tax loophole from a social spending and tax bill that is expected to pass through the Senate, claiming she is providing a “tax break” for the wealthy.

The Arizona Democrat announced Thursday that she would “move forward” in supporting the Inflation Reduction Act, the reconciliation package Senate Democrats unveiled last week. As part of the agreement, she successfully removed the carried interest tax provision, which was largely used by wealthy Americans.

In a series of statements provided to Fox News Digital, progressive groups took aim with Sinema’s decision, arguing that the loophole has historically benefited rich Americans and should be eliminated.

Cynthia Carrizales, the press secretary for the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, insisted Sinema’s move to have the carried loophole removed “only benefits wealthy Wall Street financiers.”

SINEMA AMONG TOP PRIVATE EQUITY CASH RECIPIENTS AS SHE REMOVED BILLIONAIRE TAX LOOPHOLE FROM MANCHIN BILL

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat from Arizona, is facing backlash from progressives over her move de ella to eliminate the carried interest tax loophole used by wealthy Americans from the Inflation Reduction Act.

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat from Arizona, is facing backlash from progressives over her move de ella to eliminate the carried interest tax loophole used by wealthy Americans from the Inflation Reduction Act.
(Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Cynthia Carrizales, the press secretary for the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, insisted Sinema’s move to have the carried loophole removed “only benefits wealthy Wall Street financiers.”

“Senator Sinema’s move to protect a loophole that only benefits wealthy Wall Street financiers sounds more like a job application for after she loses her next primary than an attempt to help everyday Arizonans or Americans,” said Carrizales. “Fortunately, despite Sinema, Democrats are on track to pass a law for the first time in decades that finally forces tax-avoiding corporations to pay taxes — which lowers the share of the burden on working families.”

Frank Clemente, executive director for Americans for Tax Fairness, said Sinema’s decision is an “affront” to Americans who pay their taxes.

“Senator Sinema’s insistence on maintaining the carried interest tax loophole is an affront to everyone who pays their fair share of taxes,” said Clemente. “Her support from her for a tax break that exclusively benefits ultra-wealthy money managers shocks the conscience.”

Similarly, Americans for Financial Reform, a progressive non-profit organization, favors total elimination of the loophole because it mostly benefits people who are “already rich.”

Sinema arrives for a vote at the US Capitol August 4, 2022 in Washington, DC.

Sinema arrives for a vote at the US Capitol August 4, 2022 in Washington, DC.
(Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

“AFR has long sought the complete elimination of this loophole, which mainly benefits people who are already extremely rich,” said Carter Dougherty, communications director for Americans for Financial Reform. “The draft legislation envisioned only extremely modest changes to this tax provision.”

MANCHIN-SCHUMER SPENDING BILL TARGETS TAX LOOPHOLE FAVORED BY INVESTORS

Sinema’s office, however, argued that the senator is doing “what’s best for Arizona” and concluded that disincentives to investments in businesses could be fatal to the economy.

“Kyrsten has been clear and consistent for over a year that she will only support tax reforms and revenue options that support Arizona’s economic growth and competitiveness,” her office said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. “At a time of record inflation, rising interest rates, and slowing economic growth, disincentivizing investments in Arizona businesses would hurt Arizona’s economy and ability to create jobs. Senator Sinema makes every decision based on one criteria: what’s best for Arizona.”

Sinema was widely considered the final senator needed for Democrats to pass the plan on climate, energy, health care and taxes, which, if it becomes law, will cap over a year of intra-party negotiations. With her support from her, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., said he expected all 50 Democrats to vote for the measure.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., speaks with reporters following a closed-door caucus lunch, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, July 19, 2022.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., speaks with reporters following a closed-door caucus lunch, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, July 19, 2022.
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

“I am pleased to report that we have reached an agreement on the Inflation Reduction Act that I believe will receive the support of the entire Senate Democratic conference,” Schumer said this week. “The final version of the Reconciliation bill, to be introduced on Saturday, will reflect this work and put us one step closer to enacting this historic legislation into law.”

The move by Sinema is a win for the private equity sector, which pours large amounts of cash into her campaign’s coffers.

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As previously reported, individuals and political action committees from the private equity and investment sector have provided her campaign with $282,650 in donations this election cycle, making Sinema the Senate’s sixth-highest recipient from the industry, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics .

Under the loophole, a private equity manager’s income can be taxed as a capital gain — a 23.8% levy — rather than regular income, which is taxed at 37.9%.

Fox News’ Joe Schoffstall, Tyler Olson, and Megan Henney contributed to this article.

Kyle Morris covers politics for Fox News. On Twitter: @RealKyleMorris.

Categories
Australia

‘Silent extinction’: myrtle rust fungus spreads to WA’s Kimberley | Environment

An invasive fungus attacking some of Australia’s most ecologically important tree species has spread to Western Australia while also flourishing in damp conditions along the country’s east, leading to “silent extinction” and prompting urgent calls for a national response.

Experts warn if the myrtle rust fungus detected in the east Kimberley reaches the state’s biodiversity-rich south-west, the consequences could be disastrous for those ecosystems.

Since being detected in a New South Wales nursery in 2010, the fungus – recognizable for its bright yellow spots and rusting on leaves – has established all along the east coast and been detected in every state except South Australia.

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One 2021 study predicted myrtle rust could claim at least 16 rainforest plants within a generation in an extinction event of “unprecedented magnitude”.

The fungus affects plants in the myrtaceae family – a diverse group that includes rainforest species, paperbarks, eucalypts and myrtles. The once widespread native guava has been almost wiped out by the fungus.

A team led by WA’s Department of Primary Industries detected the fungus on nine broad- and narrow-leafed paperbarks in the east Kimberley in late June. The exact species of melaleuca affected isn’t yet known.

myrtle rust
‘Myrtle rust can travel hundreds of kilometers on the wind and that’s why it’s spreading so far,’ says Dr Louise Shuey. Photographer: Louise Shuey

The department is surveying tourist hotspots and nurseries, with no new detections so far. The potential impacts were “yet to be determined”, a department spokesperson said, but the disease could cause tree death, dieback, species loss and compromise ecosystems.

Dr Louise Shuey, a forest pathologist at Queensland’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, traveled to the Kimberley to help with the detection effort.

“Myrtle rust can travel hundreds of kilometers on the wind and that’s why it’s spreading so far,” she said.

The location was sought after modeling pointed to isolated wetland as a likely location, spreading from affected plants in the Northern Territory to the east.

Alyssa Martino, a research scientist at the University of Sydney, has begun testing 25 WA melaleuca species for their susceptibility to the fungus, which originated in South America. The first three tested have shown high susceptibility.

Martino said the rust was sending plant species to extinction, so understanding how different plants reacted would help the conservation effort.

Shuey said keeping the rust out of Queensland’s biodiversity hotspot in the south-west would be crucial, as it was the planet’s most diverse area for myrtaceae – with almost half the world’s species.

Bob Makinson, a conservation botanist, coordinated a national action plan – developed voluntarily by concerned scientists and wild plant managers – through the Australian Network for Plant Conservation.

About 350 Australian species have been identified as fungus hosts. Makinson said the myrtaceae in the state’s south-west were intrinsic parts of the ecosystem.

“Many of them are part of the spring wildflower communities that attract tourists from all over Australia and the world,” he said.

“If it establishes there, we are likely to see a large increase in the number of host species and in the number of native species threatened with decline or extinction. That could be a biological disaster.”

The fungus especially likes humidity and fresh vegetation, and so thrives in new growth after rain or post-bushfire, meaning wet conditions in the country’s east had provided the perfect environment.

The national action plan was finalized in 2020 but hasn’t been formally adopted by governments.

“While some agencies and researchers are being heroically active on it, their efforts need to be broadened, stitched together and better resourced,” Makinson said.

James Trezise, ​​conservation director at the Invasive Species Council, said myrtle rust was leading to “silent extinction” among Australia’s diverse plant life.

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“It’s clear the system for dealing with this major environmental threat isn’t working,” he said.

“Australia already has the inglorious title as a world leader on mammal extinctions. If we do not strengthen our threat abatement and biosecurity systems, we may find ourselves as a world leader in plant extinctions also.”

The federal environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, agreed that a coordinated response was needed and said the government was working to implement a national action plan.

“There’ve been targeted investments to do a national stocktake of myrtle rust-susceptible species and deliver specific myrtle rust training to Indigenous rangers and landowners in NSW and Queensland,” she said.

Categories
US

Trump easily wins Texas CPAC 2024 GOP presidential nomination straw poll; DeSantis second

Trump easily wins Texas CPAC 2024 GOP presidential nomination straw poll; DeSantis second

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DALLAS – Former President Donald Trump convincingly won the 2024 GOP presidential nomination straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) three-day gathering in Texas

Trump, who’s repeatedly teased making another presidential run in 2024 to try and return to the White House, captured 69% of ballots cast in the anonymous online straw poll, according to results announced by CPAC on Saturday.

The support for the former president, who remains the most popular and influential politician in the Republican Party and continues to play a kingmaker’s role in GOP primaries, is up from his 59% showing in the anonymous online straw poll at the CPAC gathering in Orlando, Florida in February.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis came in second on the 2024 presidential nomination question, at 24%, down from his 28% showing him at CPAC in Orlando five months ago.

2024 WATCH: CPAC ATTENDEES CHOOSE FAVORITE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE AS TRUMP, DESANTIS REMAIN POPULAR

Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Texas on July 11, 2021. (Photo by Andy JACOBSOHN / AFP) (Photo by ANDY JACOBSOHN/AFP via Getty Images)

Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Texas on July 11, 2021. (Photo by Andy JACOBSOHN / AFP) (Photo by ANDY JACOBSOHN/AFP via Getty Images)
(Photo by ANDY JACOBSOHN/AFP via Getty Images)

DeSantis has seen his popularity surge among Republican voters in his state and around the nation over the past two and a half years, thanks in large part to his relentless pushback against COVID-19 restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic as well as his aggressive actions in the culture wars.

WHAT TED CRUZ, AT CPAC, TOLD FOX NEWS ABOUT 2024

While DeSantis has repeatedly deflected talk of a potential run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, political pundits view him as a potential White House contender.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida, US February 24, 2022. REUTERS/Octavio Jones/File Photo

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida, US February 24, 2022. REUTERS/Octavio Jones/File Photo
(Reuters)

The CPAC Texas straw poll results were released just ahead of the confab’s keynote speech by Trump. DeSantis, who appeared at the Orlando conference earlier this year, did not attend the Texas gathering.

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who spoke Friday at the conference, grabbed 2% support on the straw poll ballot. Not one else among the 21 names listed on the ballot topped one percent.

“President Trump remains the most dominant force in American politics, and as yet another poll shows, it’s a reality that will propel the growth and success of the Republican Party through the Midterms and beyond,” Trump spokesman Taylor Budowich told Fox News after the results were released.

The 2024 straw poll also included a second list without Trump. His name was replaced by his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr.

DeSantis topped the second 2024 ballot, at 65%. Donald Trump Jr. grabbed 8% support, with Cruz at 6% and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at 5%. No one else topped two percent on the second ballot question.

The former president’s strong performance on the unscientific survey comes as no surprise. CPAC, long the largest and most influential gathering of conservative leaders and activists, has become a Trumpfest since his 2016 presidential election victory.

In a separate question on whom CPAC attendees would like to see as Trump’s running mate in 2024 if he launched a campaign, DeSantis grabbed 43% support, with South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem at 9%, and Pompeo at 7%.

No one else topped four percent on the running mate ballot question.

Voting on the CPAC Texas straw poll ballot was only open to attendees of the confab, with voting once again conducted through the CPAC app.

Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union, which runs CPAC, said “there’s an unbreakable bond between President Tump and the conservative movement. He simply did the things he promised to do and for that they are grateful.”

Veteran Republican pollster Jim McLaughlin told Fox News the CPAC straw poll ballot is “the ultimate barometer of what’s going on in the conservative movement.”

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McLaughlin and Associates, which conducted polling for Trump’s successful 2016 election and unsuccessful 2020 re-election bid, once again oversaw the CPAC straw poll.

McLaughlin, who’s been attending CPAC for decades, said that “just like back in the old days when Ronald Reagan defined and was setting the tone for the conservative movement, it’s the same thing right now with Donald Trump.”

Paul Steinhauser is a political reporter based in New Hampshire.

Categories
Business

2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 resellers threatened with voided warranty

2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 resellers threatened with voided warranty

Chevrolet Corvette Z06 customers are being threatened with a voided warranty if their car is sold within 12 months from new, while General Motors is offering financial incentives to those who hold on to their purchase for more than a year.

Jordan Mulach
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US car giant General Motors (GM) says it will void the warranty on Chevrolet Corvette Z06 supercars sold within 12 months from new, while also announcing incentives worth up to $US5000 ($AU7200) for customers who keep the vehicle for more than a year.

While it is unclear if General Motors – or any car company – can enforce or introduce such restrictions under US law, General Motors says it plans to “limit the transferability of certain warranties” in North America.

General Motors is yet to announce similar measures on Corvette sports cars or Silverado pick-ups sold in Australia, though the company says it is legally powerless to stop dealers charging exorbitant dealer-delivery fees.

Under Australian Consumer Law it may also not be possible for General Motors to restrict the transfer of warranty on new vehicles sold locally.

The drastic measures being adopted in the US are aimed at limiting the number of resellers for its in-demand 2023 Corvette Z06, GMC Hummer electric vehicle and high-performance Cadillac Escalade-V SUV.

According to jalopnik – which published excerpts of a leaked US dealer bulletin, later confirmed by General Motors as being accurate – Chevrolet will void the Corvette Z06’s bumper-to-bumper, powertrain, sheet metal, tire and accessory warranties on cars resold less than 12 months after the original purchase date.

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Resellers will also be banned from ordering GM’s future high demand models, though it is unclear how the car giant will keep track of those customers.

In the leaked bulletin, General Motors vice president Steve Carlisle advised dealers the company’s brand image could be damaged by resellers.

“When vehicles are quickly resold, particularly by unauthorized dealers or other resellers that do not adhere to GM’s standards, the customer experience suffers and GM’s brands are damaged,” said Mr Carlisle wrote.

“As a result, on certain high demand enthusiast products, we are limiting the transferability of certain warranties and barring the seller from placing future sold orders or reservations for certain high demand models (as identified by GM) if the vehicle is resold within the first 12 months of ownership.

“These changes are being implemented to ensure an exemplary customer experience, to ensure our brands remain strong, and to help prioritize ownership by brand enthusiasts and loyal customers.”

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General Motors also promised financial incentives for new Corvette Z06 owners who hold on to their cars for more than a year.

Corvette Blogger reports owners of the Corvette Z06 will be given up to 500,000 points to use within the company’s My Chevrolet Rewards program if they meet the criteria.

Representing roughly $US5000 ($AU7200) in value, the points can be used to pay for accessories and services – or towards paying off loans with General Motors finance.

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However, high demand for the Corvette Z06 might result in owners being able to sell their cars for more than the $US5000 incentive, triggering the non-transferable warranty notice.

On US car classified website auto traderused examples of 2020 Corvettes are advertised for about the same price as – or even higher than – 2022 models due to long wait times for new showroom stock.

Demand for the high-performance Corvette Z06 is also expected to be off the charts.

In Australia, the 2022 Corvette is for now only available in two variants, the 2LT and 3LT, starting at $160,000 and $175,000 plus on-road costs respectively – but the Corvette Z06 is due here next year.

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While pricing for the C8 Corvette Z06 has been announced for the US and Canada, General Motors Specialty Vehicles (GMSV) is yet to confirm how many Australian buyers can expect to pay for the flagship Corvette.

Based on calculations by Drive, the cheapest the Corvette Z06 1LZ variant in Australia could have an RRP of $220,000 plus on-road costs when it arrives next year.

If GMSV decides to bring the more expensive and better equipped 2LZ and 3LZ variants to Australia, Corvette Z06 prices could eclipse $235,000 or $250,000 plus on-road costs.

Jordan Mulach

Jordan Mulach is Canberra/Ngunnawal born, currently residing in Brisbane/Turrbal. Joining the Drive team in 2022, Jordan has previously worked for Auto Action, MotorsportM8, The Supercars Collective and TouringCarTimes, WhichCar, Wheels, Motor and Street Machine. Jordan is a self-described iRacing addict and can be found on weekends either behind the wheel of his Octavia RS or swearing at his ZH Fairlane.

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Australia

Dominic Perrottet proposed new trade role to minister

Dominic Perrottet proposed new trade role to minister

In response to a detailed series of questions, the premier’s office yesterday responded: ″⁣Whoever the premier considers appointing to his ministry is a matter for the premier alone.″⁣

Elliott and Perrottet have had an at-times strained relationship, while Elliott and Kean have made no secret of their mutual loathing.

Sources with knowledge of the discussion say Perrottet also spoke to Elliott about the role of agent-general in London and described Stephen Cartwright, who holds the position, as “a problem”.

Ayres, who resigned as trade minister on Tuesday after a draft excerpt of an independent probe into the Barilaro appointment raised questions about whether he breached the ministerial code of conduct, also spoke to Elliott about his political plans.

Ayres went to Elliott’s office to discuss whether the minister intended to stay in parliament and also spoke about the agent-general, two with knowledge of the conversion have confirmed.

The Sun-Herald Perrottet’s office yesterday whether he discussed the position of agent-general with Elliott, whether he raised any issues with Cartwright with Elliott, whether the premier asked Ayres to speak to Elliott about his plans for staying in parliament and whether the premier asked Ayres to speak to Elliott about the agent-general role. It declined to answer.

The London role is a statutory appointment, meaning it comes under the responsibility of the public service and not ministers.

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The nature of the agent-general discussions is unclear but the revelation may attract the attention of the parliamentary inquiry investigating Barilaro’s appointment. The London position has already featured in the inquiry after it emerged there had been “protracted” and “difficult” contract negotiations when Cartwright was appointed to the role. Cartwright is a former chief executive of the state’s peak business lobby group Business NSW.

The inquiry is probing the recruitment process that led to Barilaro being awarded the New York job.

He claimed the role after an earlier offer was made to bureaucrat Jenny West and then later rescinded.

Investment NSW boss Amy Brown, who employed Cartwright, told the inquiry that whenever negotiations hit a “particularly difficult” patch, Cartwright would say “Well, I’ll just escalate this to the deputy premier or the premier”. “I got the impression that I [Cartwright] felt he had some sort of elevated status,” Brown said.

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The Barilaro saga has been a rolling crisis for seven weeks but intensified recently when more evidence emerged about Ayres’ apparent influence on the decision-making.

On Friday, NSW public service commissioner Kathrina Lo gave a searing review of the Barilaro recruitment process, saying she would never have signed off on a final selection report if she knew then what she knows now. Lo told the inquiry she has since learned key information that was never disclosed to independent panel members.

In addition to Ayres, Perrottet was also forced to sack fair trading minister Eleni Petinos last week over workplace bullying allegations.

He initially said he was confident that an anonymous complaint made against her had been appropriately dealt with. However, new allegations emerged and Perrottet removed her from cabinet.

Perrottet yesterday used a meeting of the Liberal Party faithful to support the modernization of the organization following the federal election defeat. In his first state council address of him as premier,

Perrottet acknowledged the uphill battle ahead for a party “disillusioned” by the horror May poll but insisted the failure presented a chance to reset.

“We cannot be a party that runs on its record, but doesn’t set a vision for the future,” he said. “This may be controversial to say in this room, but I believe we failed to do that at a federal level.”

Perrottet announced candidate preselection for the March state election would open in two weeks, directly calling out the federal preselection debacle and conceding branch members were right to feel they had been stripped of their democratic right. “One of the most important rights of party members is the power to select candidates to represent your values,” he said.

With Lucy Cormack

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Categories
US

Homan slams Mayor Bowser, Mayor Adams for immigration hypocrisy and ‘out-of-control crime’ in sanctuary cities

Homan slams Mayor Bowser, Mayor Adams for immigration hypocrisy and 'out-of-control crime' in sanctuary cities

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Retired acting ICE director Tom Homan responded to Democratic leaders criticizing Texas Governor Greg Abbott over migrant buses by highlighting the hypocrisy over immigration and sanctuary cities. On “Fox & Friends Weekend” Saturday, Homan argued Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and New York City Mayor Eric Adams are not doing “everything they can” to make sanctuary cities safe and apply pressure on the Biden administration to address border security.

JONES RIPS LAWMAKERS OVER BORDER CRISIS: THEY WERE ALL ABOUT COMPASSION UNTIL THEY WERE ON THEIR LAWNS

TOM HOMAN: It’s devastating these communities. I’ve been on the southwest border a dozen times this past year. and look, Muriel Bowser and Mayor Adams, if you want this to stop, how about calling the White House, tell President Biden to secure the border? We did it under the Trump administration, the highest level we ever had. The playbook is there, just dust off the playbook and secure the border. But both of these cities take pride in the fact they’re sanctuary cities, both of them out-of-control crime rates right now, right at each of these cities, releasing criminal aliens to the streets every day. They used to work with ICE. We used to have a dozen agents from Rikers Island. Now, if you’re an illegal alien in New York City and you get arrested for a violent crime, after they’re done with you, they release you back on the street to re-offend. So are these majors doing everything they can to address the crime rate? No. So stop your sanctuary city policy. I got news for you, Mayor Adams. They’re coming to New York anyway. They’re coming there. And you didn’t say a d— word when President Biden was flying people in the middle of the night. That was fine, but when a Republican governor does it, all of a sudden it’s a problem.

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Categories
Business

Penguin Random House-Simon & Schuster merger: Explaining the billion-dollar deal and how Stephen King got involved

Multiple stacks of books cover a table.

It’s a story that’s got the makings of a best-seller — a billion-dollar deal, a court battle, and an endorsement from the King of Horror.

Penguin Random House, a publishing titan, is hoping to buy its rival Simon & Schuster in a mega-deal that would reshape the publishing industry.

But the Biden administration has sought to intervene through the US courts, with the Department of Justice (DOJ) suing to block the merger from happening.

Let’s get you up to speed on the court case that’s gripping the publishing industry.

What’s the story?

In 2020, German media giant Bertelsmann announced its plan for its Penguin Random House division to buy fellow publishing giant Simon & Schuster for $US2.17 billion from TV and film company ViacomCBS.

The merger would reduce the so-called Big Five of publishing — which also includes HarperCollins, Hachette Book Group and Macmillan — to four.

The announcement was not well received and drew intense scrutiny from government regulators.

The US Justice Department argues that the merger would hurt authors and, ultimately, readers as well.

The Simon and Schuster logo on the spine of a black book.
Penguin Random House argues the combined publishers could turn out books more efficiently.(AP: Jenny Kane)

It says the deal would thwart competition and give Penguin Random House gigantic influence over which books are published in the US and beyond, not just how many authors are paid, giving consumers fewer books to choose from.

The new company, if approved, would be by far the biggest book-publishing entity in US history.

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Categories
Sports

Jemima Montag wins 10,000 meter race walk gold in Birmingham

Jemima Montag wins 10,000 meter race walk gold in Birmingham

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“You just had to have a careful balance of taking risks and being a bit cheeky where it was possible – stealing scraps of food, running from one line to another if it meant not being put to the gas chamber – and then sticking by the rules when it was the right thing to do.”

Montag’s grandfather Richard was in the same concentration camps as his grandmother at the time, but the pair did not meet there.

“She was about 12 years old going into the camps, and they did not cross paths, and the love story which is really beautiful is that the war finished, everyone fled to different spots and he fled to Melbourne, she fled to Paris, married someone else and had a child but [her husband then] died of diabetic liver complications,” Montag said.

“So she is a widow, she has lost her sister, she has lost everyone except her father, and she is living in Paris with her six-month-old baby girl, and she receives this letter from Melbourne saying, ‘Hi Judith, my name is Richard, you have got no reason to trust me, but I heard from a friend that we went through similar camps and you are now a widow. Melbourne is pretty great, a land of opportunity and if you get on that boat I promise to look after you’. She thought, ‘I have had enough bad luck, what have I got to lose?’ And got on the boat. They married, she had my dad and his brother. I think what a beautiful love story.”

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After that, who cares what happened in the race at the Commonwealth Games? That was only the end of the story, for the heroes of this gold medal are Judith and Richard, the grandfather Montag never met.

Montag had them in her mind and was happy and proud as she was able to walk her final lap knowing she already had victory assured. She had lapped nearly every other competitor and allowed herself the chance to enjoy the crowd and the celebration in the final lap.

She won in 42 minutes, 34.03 seconds and was given the gold medal for her efforts. But the real gold was a small bracelet on her wrist.

Get all the latest news from the Birmingham Commonwealth Games here. We’ll be live blogging the action from 4pm-10am daily.