CHP officers arrested a woman Friday who they say caused a fiery multi-car crash in Windsor Hills that killed 6 people, including a baby and a pregnant woman.
Nicole L. Linton, identified by multiple law enforcement sources as a nurse from Texas, will be booked after she’s released from a hospital where she’s being treated for injuries she sustained in the wreck.
Clients at a Windsor Hills gas station watched in horror as a fiery crash left six people dead. Lauren Coronado reports for the NBC4 News at 11 pm on Aug. 4, 2022.
The arrest was also confirmed by members of Linton’s family.
Public records in Texas show someone with the same name as a registered nurse with a current, valid license.
Kaiser Permanente released the following statement regarding the crash:
“Everyone at Kaiser Permanente is deeply saddened by Thursday’s horrific crash. It’s impossible to imagine the pain those involved are experiencing. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy. At this time, we are not able to comment on what has been reported as a criminal investigation. Any further questions about should be forwarded to law enforcement authorities.”
The high speed crash happened around 2 pm Thursday at the intersection of Slauson and La Brea Avenues and was captured by a security camera at a gas station nearby.
As of Friday morning the CHP said 6 people died in the crash and at least 8 others were injured.
A Call Of Duty server outage caused a delay during this year’s League Championship, with it affecting four titles overall.
The outage, (spotted by Twitter page Intel CDL) affected Black Ops 3, Black Ops 4, Warzone, Cold Warand 2021’s Vanguard which is the start of this year’s League Championship. Thankfully, Vanguard was resolved, allowing the tournament to continue (as well as Black Ops 4), however according to Activision’s Support Page, the other three are still experiencing server issues as of the time of publication.
Call of Duty: Vanguard. Credit: Activision
The outage, which occurred just after the first game of the tournament, unsurprisingly left viewers with a bad taste in their mouths. One user posted, “THIS IS RIDICULOUS #CANCELCDL needs to start trending. Wake these people up. Too much money is made for us to wait this long it’s a joke” in response to a tweet from the official League Championship account promoting the second match.
Another stated, “Nah this is straight up fucking embarrassing. You aren’t ready for champs and it is clear. How can this esport ever compete with the likes of Valorant etc when we are waiting in hour long delays every single fucking event”.
The event, which is awarding teams with just over $2.5million (roughly £2.05million) has continued without issue so far.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II. Credit: Infinity Ward.
On Sunday, Activision will be sharing information on Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 during the event. While no specifics have been mentioned, those interested will need to go to the official Call Of Duty League YouTube channel on August 7 at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm BST to see more on the game. Modern Warfare 2 is set to release on past generation consoles, current generation consoles (excluding Switch), and PC on October 28.
In other news, multiplayer shooter Overwatch 2 won’t be getting another public beta.
I arrived first, my date was running a couple of minutes late so as I was chatting to the staff and being walked to our table, I noticed a dude with a backpack sitting in the corner and thought, oh god, please not him. Thankfully it wasn’t and my date arrived soon after.
Lily’s verdict: 9.5/10 Credit: John Koh/The West Australian
My first impressions of Connor III were that you picked a good one. He was tall and very easy to talk to. It didn’t feel forced at all.
We started off with some stock standard questions about work, how many siblings do you have etc., then once we both had a drink and relaxed a little, conversation just flowed. There were no awkward silences or any awkward moments actually. You can tell talking to people comes very easily to him. I mentioned he had recently been to a really crazy wedding. He told loads of good stories and made me laugh a lot.
I’d describe Connor III as funny, charismatic and likeable.
For dinner, we shared some plates. I’ve been to Lotus before so I knew even if my date wasn’t great, the food/cocktails would be. To be honest, I had set my expectations low for this date but funnily enough, we ended up staying until about 10pm. We shared a bottle of red and just took our time. I didn’t feel rushed or anything like that – it was just easy conversation. It was really bad weather, so we just decided to stay put instead of checking anywhere else out.
He showed me his application to Blind Date and it was hilarious – I can see why you picked him.
We exchanged numbers and may have exchanged a kiss or two. I have also asked for my work email.
I messaged him when I got home and sent him a screenshot of all my friends checking in on me while the date was happening asking if I needed them to call with a fake emergency.
I’m 90 per cent sure there will be a second date.
Verdict: 9.5/10
CONNOR III, 27, SAYS:
I have zero regrets being convinced to message PerthNow at 2.43am on Saturday for this date.
In that message, I claimed to be a “fun-loving rollerblader who lets my hair run free in the wind, an overly avid recycler and a diligent and vigilant sensei of the roads”. None of this was true. Not even close. For the record, I blame that on The Court’s two for $22 vodka Vs.
As such, I was concerned that I’d be matched with someone looking for the type of bloke who could be a contestant on Beauty and the Geek.
Connor III’s verdict: 9/10 Credit: John Koh/The West Australian
I couldn’t have been more wrong. Lily is a total babe. In fact, she could be a BATG contestant herself.
I was extremely nervous because I had recently lost all three of my camouflage fedoras which are essential to my self-belief. I had a strawberry Up & Go and watched a re-run of Deal or No Deal before I left. The contestant (Toby) took a deal of $34,000 which instilled me with some confidence.
We had a reservation at Lotus, a restaurant within the Beaufort. By the time our massaman curry arrived we were already a bottle of red deep and mildly bullying each other.
Lily was born in New Zealand, spent some time in Brisbane and enjoys a four-shot coffee with vanilla. She has an identical twin, recently signed a 12-month lease extension and once ordered a ham and cheese toastie from HJs. I know all this because I was taking notes with an Artline text throughout the evening.
She has a great laugh and is super genuine, which I really liked. She was dressed to impress, which she did. The photographer took about eight times as many photos of her as he did of me.
As it was a Tuesday, Connections had its weekly mud wrestling competition on, so we ventured into Northbridge and took part. I was brimming with confidence and attempted a rear naked choke. I slipped and was submitted in the opening 12 seconds. OK, that part didn’t actually happen.
We did exchange numbers though and afterwards I secretly trailed her home on my e-bike. I checked her water meter de ella as I was curious to know how much H20 she used on her garden de ella before deciding whether to ask her out de ella on another date.
So now we know. Despite the assurances by Daly Cherry-Evans that his Manly team remained unified even after seven players chose to trash the season rather than support the rainbow jersey, now comes the truth.
“[The seven] are still saying they weren’t consulted about the [rainbow] jersey and it went against their religious and cultural beliefs,” an anonymous first-grader told Wide World Of Sports columnist The Mole.
“We weren’t consulted when a betting sponsor was placed on our jersey – the guys wear that every week … I’m not sure what their god would say about that.
“No one asked us when our oval was renamed after a brewery – I don’t think their god would have been crazy about that either. And I can tell you very few young blokes in our club live by the 10 commandments – nor most young blokes in Australia for that matter.”
Bravo. How could you be anything other than still pissed off with the seven players who did this? What have they got to say for themselves? Funny you should ask. Step into the next section.
Standing strong – on rocky ground
At last, the Manly Seven speak!
Or at least one of them did, passing on his thoughts to Danny Weidler, for his column last Sunday.
“I can speak on behalf of all the players, the seven, plus another player who was asked to replace the players,” the player said, “the view of the group is united, the players will not be taking part in a pride exercise .”
Jason Saab, Christian Tuipulotu, Haumole Olakau’atu, Josh Aloiai and Josh Schuster are five of the seven Manly players who drew from the pride round clash.Credit:Getty/NRL Photos
Great, so they’ll trash next season’s rainbow jersey plan, too, and tear apart some within the club rather than even be tangentially involved with a gesture supporting the idea that gays are just like everyone else and deserve respect. But they’re not homophobic, so do bear that in mind! Look, If I was a potential Manly sponsor right now, I’d run screaming from the room. And if I was the incoming Manly CEO Tony Mestrov, I’d resign sooner than re-sign any of them.
The implacability of the Seven, was backed up by an intermediary telling Weidler: “The players will not be told what to believe.”
Great. Believe what you damn well please, no matter how absurd. God made everything, but he strongly disapproves of gays – really?
“They won’t tell others how to believe or behave and want the same respect given to them.”
So, you will unsettle the season rather than stand with the notion of equality inclusivity for gay players and fans, but you want respect? Any thoughts that they might deserve some, too?
“While consultation was important, the real issue relates to their religion. The players have been criticized for playing in a sports betting jumper at a beer field. The critics may not have read the Bible. There is nothing to say it’s not OK, just not in excess…”
Champion, bring it in tight. The bible doesn’t come out against beer, or betting on sports outcomes by using points spread? And you are being freaking seriously?
And yes, I gather the Old Testament actually does have some stuff against gays. That, however, would be the same text that, as in Exodus 21:7, says you can sell your youngest daughter into slavery? And let’s not forget Exodus 35:2 which says “Whoever does any work on [the Sabbath] is to be put to death.”
Say, don’t you professional footballers play on Sundays? Isn’t that your job?
I could go on, but if you google “President Josiah Bartlett and Leviticus”, you’ll get the drift from that famous episode of West Wing. He speaks for many of us.
Don’t get upset. They’re our beliefs, yo’?.
No London buzz for Commonwealth Games
The Colonial Games?
No doubt there’s been lots of fine sporting moments, and good luck to all the competitors. But as one who has been in London for the last week researching a book, it has been instructive.
Not even here, in the host country, it is a particularly big deal. It’s on, and when England wins something there is a good smattering of polite applause. But it doesn’t come up in conversation, nor on the street. It’s happening over in Birmingham, wherever that is, and that’s fine, but there is precisely zero buzz.
What They Said
Peter V’landys on the NSW Government developing a spine and – citing the Lismore floods, and COVID-19 costs – standing up to the NRL on the absurdity of building endless stadiums for a non-tax paying business that already has stadiums: “I find it appalling that they’re using human tragedy of the floods to renege on an agreement.” I daresay the people of Lismore might find endless expenditure shoveled into the gaping maw of stadiums even more appalling?
Premier Perrottet reacting to the threat that – brace yourself subsequent – the NRL grand final might go to Brissie because of it: “Sydney will always be the home of rugby league and, if Peter V’landys wants to take the grand final away from his home, then he can explain that to the fans.”
Former Sports Minister Stuart Ayres: “If the NRL took the grand finale from Sydney, after the NSW government has spent in excess of $1.5 billion on sporting infrastructure that massively benefits the NRL … if the NRL walked away from the home of its sport here in NSW, the state where the grand final has always been played in with the exception of the COVID grand final from last year, that would be an extraordinary move.” See, Premier? We need that kind of money to “massively benefit,” NSW, not the NRL.
Gray Wiggle Andrew Redmayne on the abuse from Peruvian fans. “Half of me wishes I could speak and read Spanish, so I could know what they’re saying. But on the other half I’m glad I can’t, I think.” It’s better that you don’t understand anything, Rojomayne.
Rick Williams, who invented the refereeing “bunker” on which the NRL one was modeled: “When it first started, I said to Graham [Annesley], ‘you are getting guys into the bunker who want to referee the game. You can’t do that, it’s not right.’ That’s the way it has gone, which is unfortunate. It’s a brilliant tool for them, but it should just be for scoring. It’s just gone further and further and this is what happens.”
Kyle Chalmers denying there was any tension between him and his former partner Emma McKeon, after they’d won gold as part of a mixed relay: “I think the media really need to start to grow up and focus on the good things. You look at America, they jump on the winners, they support. No matter what I do these days, the media wants to jump on when I have done nothing but give all to this country. I stand and talk to you guys after every race. Bad, good, I’ve always stopped to give you guys the time of day.” Mighty big of you, Tex!
Chalmers on what will happen if we of the media don’t go into the room full of mirrors, take a good look at ourselves, and stop making shit up about him: “There’s definitely going to be a time when I stop [talking to you after races]if that is going to be the case.” We can’t say we haven’t been told.
Charles Barkley on not going to commentate on the LIV Tour and staying to do basketball which will be his last contract: “I don’t want to overstay my welcome. I’ve been doing it 21 years already. First off, dude, I’m almost 60 years old now. I’m very aware of my body disintegrating, like all the older guys’ bodies are disintegrating. I would like to be on vacation somewhere instead of sitting in Turner’s studio as I decay. I don’t want to decline on television.”
Charles Howell III, 43, formerly ranked No. 15 but now 150 spots lower, on what motivated him to take the blood money of the LIV mob and join the Saudis: “No, money was not a factor.” Perish the thought! Rather, he said, he believed that “Golf can be a force for change and good.”
team of the week
Emma McKeon. I honestly can’t keep track, but she seems to have won everything going in the pool at the Comm Games.
Emma McKeonCredit:john shakespeare
Wallabies. Begin the Rugby Championships early Sunday morning in Mendoza.
Premier Perrottet. Finally, a Premier that stands up to the NRL.
Women’s Soccer. 87,192 fans at Wembley for the final was record for a European finals match – men’s or women’s!
Jess Fox. Successfully defended her world title in Extreme Slalom.
Alex de Minaur. The Australian tennis player won his sixth ATP title.
R.I.P. Johnny Famechon. One of our greatest boxers has died, aged 77. Among other achievements, he won the World featherweight title in 1969.
The impact of what a national Indigenous Voice to Parliament might achieve has had a real-life example in Sydney’s Redfern this week.
Key points:
On Monday, it was announced the NCIE was due to be closed within a week
The community planned a sit-in next Monday to prevent the doors from being locked
The center has become a home away from home for a wide cross-section of the community
There were tears, cheers, relief and cautious celebration on Friday when the immediate closure of the National Center for Indigenous Excellence (NCIE) was averted.
Federal ministers Linda Burney and Tanya Plibersek heard the voice of the people who had rallied for five days after being told on Monday their jobs, sports facilities and cultural programs would be forced to close within in a week.
Rugby league players, boxers and wrestlers joined with local Indigenous kids and staff at the centre, which has been a community magnet for 16 years, to hear the news.
“Here is the bottom line,” Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney told them.
“I want to see the tenants who work out of NCIE given permanency… I want to see that this place stays open, and most importantly that people keep their jobs.
“I am saying very clearly to the people making decisions about this place, you’ve got a week to sort it out.
“It can’t be beyond people to sit down and negotiate in good faith because this joint is important.
“Voices need to be heard on this and the fact that you’ve got so many people here, hundreds of people, is a very loud voice.
“To the parties involved, get your act together and sort this out.”
Community members gather during a meeting about the future of the National Center of Indigenous Excellence.(AAP: James Gourley)
Regular users of NCIE’s gym and sporting facilities include NRL players from the Rabbitohs, the governor-general, members of the police and air force, but mostly members of the indigenous community for whom NCIE has become a hub and cultural safe space.
NCIE also provides crucial after school care, job-ready programs, health and cultural classes, as well as learn to swim programs for toddlers through to elders.
Out of the shadow of the 2004 Redfern Riots, with contested facts around a bicycle and a police car that resulted in the death of teenager TJ Hickey, an idea was born to improve community relations with the NCIE’s “sole purpose of creating long-term improvements.” in wellbeing”.
For 16 years it has done just that, making a positive contribution to closing the gap and improving community relations. Crime rates and arrests trended downwards while education and confidence levels trended up.
The former Redfern Public School was bought by the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC) but the land the center is built on was divested to the NSW Aboriginal Land Council (NSWALC) in June, with the ILSC retaining the license for the operation of the centre.
The sport facilities at the National Center of Indigenous Excellence are used by a vast cross-section of society.(AAP: James Gourley)
Tenants, staff and community leaders were shocked to be told on Monday the center would remain operational for one more week with all staff offered redundancies and one-off payments to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
Their silence was not bought. They rallied instead and declared a sit-in at the site next Monday to prevent the gates at the facility being permanently locked.
“This place is for our local community,” local member and federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek told those gathered at Friday’s rally.
“I remember when it was a school, I was against the closure of the school. And I remember when the proposal was… the ILSC will buy it and it will forever be for the community.
“That’s what the promise was and that’s the promise we expect to be kept. This place has to be for the kids … but it’s not just the kids, it’s for the whole community.”
When it comes to measuring success, the community’s measurement stick is at odds with a traditional business model focused on profit.
Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek speaks at the National Center of Indigenous Excellence.(AAP: James Gourley)
NCIE costs money, and it doesn’t make money. It currently has a $2 million deficit, which for now will be covered.
Strategic projects advisor Indu Balachandran worked at NCIE for five years.
Part of her job was measuring the social impact of the organization.
“The question we need to ask ourselves today is … what do we need to do to make this place work for community wellbeing?” Ms Balachandran said.
The first social return on investment (SROI) report found for every dollar spent on NCIE created three times the value for members of the community, according to Ms Balachandran.
“[That was] in terms of health, wellbeing, culture, gathering … we had a technology program, we had job-ready … we were building a really beautiful organisation,” she said.
“After I left the SROI was done again, from with an Aboriginal framework. The SROI was actually three times more [than originally reported].”
The NRL’s Indigenous round was launched at the NCIE in May.(Facebook: NCIE)
Western business models do not value the same outcomes as the local Indigenous community.
“When you ask Aboriginal people what mattered about this place and then valued that – cultural, social, educational, health, gathering value, people value, the value of having a place for people to come together in Redfern — is that worth $2 million? That’s the question to ask.”
Judy Jarratt is a local grandmother who relies on the center for after school care provided by community group RYC (Redfern Youth Connect).
“My grandson’s 13, he lives with me, he’s been with me since he was two,” Ms Jarratt told The Ticket.
“He attends after school care here for cultural programs, mentoring, they get fed, they do sporting activities and I’d be lost without it.
“I work two jobs … this is my big concern. They’ve got nowhere else to go, this is like extended family, they look after Junior. If I’m working late they pick him up and hold him for me until I can get home.
“They go above and beyond to make sure the kids are looked after.”
Six-year old Kyeh is a regular visitor to NCIE.
“I come here to play with my 10 cousins and swim in the pool,” he said.
He has ambitions of being an Olympic swimmer and what he calls a zoo doctor, “because my dad is worried all the animals are dying.”
Children show their support for the Redfern Youth Connect.(ABC Sport: Tracey Holmes)
For Kyeh and hundreds of other children, NCIE provides regular community connection and sports activities.
Dean Widders, 22, is a trainer and gym manager.
“I’ve grown up in the Redfern community since I was a young boy,” he said.
“My mother and father, my grandfather, my nan, we’re all a big part of the community around here… it’s been such a great turnout… to see everyone supporting us and to see how much this facility means to Redfern.”
One fitness center employee is a refugee from the Middle East. He gave his full name to the ABC but in order to protect him, we’ll call him Farhad.
He describes NCIE as his home, his family having worked there for five years since being released from immigration detention.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke at Garma over the weekend.(ABC News: Michael Franchi)
“NCIE is like a house for me – not a second house, first house because I have spent more time at NCIE than my own place,” he said.
“I’m a refugee from a different country but I don’t feel that, I feel I belong to this community … they are really warm with me, they really respect me a lot.
“Since Monday when we heard the news I can see with my own eyes, and I can feel it, how bad it [closure] can be for the community.
“Straight away after we got the news people got teary and started crying. I was like a lost person. I had a flashback to what happened to me, I lost everything when I had to leave my country. It’s definitely going to have bad consequences for the community.”
For now, that imminent threat has been averted.
Gym manager Dean Widders spoke to the people protesting against the NCIE’s closure.(Supplied)
Community elder Aunty Margaret Campbell understands the sense of loss Farhad and others were feeling.
“It’s almost like there’s another terra nullius,” she told The Ticket, pointing to the failure of the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation and the NSW Aboriginal Land Council to reach an agreement on the long-term future of NCIE.
“We need to work out how we can work together and develop a program and governance to make it [NCIE] viable.
“We feel stuffed up by the whole process, so our confidence has been shattered by them… but I am also excited in one way because it’s taken this community to make them realize that all of these voices are there.”
Her sentiments are echoed by others. There is a shared sense of frustration, the feeling that each time they build something it is ripped out from underneath them by others.
While Monday’s closure is temporarily off the table, there are those in the community who know it will take more than words to guarantee the long-term future of their cultural hub.
They have been burned before, but now there is a glimmer of hope that those in authority are not just hearing their voices but actually listening.
The Florida state attorney suspended by Gov. Ron DeSantis insisted Friday that he still has a job — but the Republican governor’s office said he ca n’t even get into his old office.
Andrew Warren, who served as Hillsborough County’s top prosecutor until DeSantis announced his Thursday, insisted to CBS that he was still on the job.
“He does not have the authority to suspend me,” he told the network, adding that “the people elected me to serve in this position and I am going to continue doing it to keep our neighborhoods safe.”
Warren asserted that the move was “unconstitutional” and that he refused to recognize its legitimacy.
Those comments drew a Twitter rebuke from DeSantis spokesperson Christina Pushaw Friday, who said Warren was being “delusional.”
“Andrew Warren tells the media that he is still the State Attorney because he identifies as a State Attorney,” she wrote. “Sorry but that doesn’t fly here. In Florida we live in the real world. His badge from him wo n’t even work to access his former office from him today. ”
DeSantis said he removed Warren because he wasn’t prosecuting serious crimes and had pledged to ignore current or future restrictions on abortion or gender-reassignment surgeries on minors.
Former Florida State Attorney Andrew Warren insisted that Gov. Ron DeSantis does not have the authority to suspend him.Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via APDeSantis claimed he suspended Warren because he was not prosecuting criminals.Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP
“We are not going to allow the pathogen that’s been around the country of ignoring the law, we are not going to allow that to get a foothold here in the state of Florida,” the governor said Thursday. “We are going to make sure our laws are enforced and no individual prosecutor puts himself above the law.”
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister backed the suspension, asserting that local law enforcement had grown frustrated with what they viewed as Warren’s prosecutorial leniency.
Warren has ripped his removal, arguing that his office has not handled any cases related to abortion or gender-reassignment surgeries and that he was being punished for hypothetical misconduct.
A Florida governor’s office spokesperson claimed that Warren can no longer access his old office.REUTERS/Octavio JonesWarren called the decision to suspend him “unconstitutional.” Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP
DeSantis has repeatedly blasted progressive DAs in cities like New York and Los Angeles, arguing that they’ve allowed crime to spiral.
Warren was scrubbed from the state attorney’s website shortly after his suspension as DeSantis appointed Susan Lopez to take his place.
Fans around the world are excited for the upcoming November release for Pokemon Scarlet and Violetthe next mainline releases by Game Freak in the Pokemon franchise. As with any upcoming popular video game, and especially with new games in the Pokemon series, gamers are on the lookout for any and all leaks, rumors, information, and general content that will reveal new details about Pokemon Scarlet and Violet prior to its release.
The new trailer for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet revealed many details about the games’ new Paldea region as well as some other gameplay mechanics, characters, gym challenges, new and returning Pokemon, and the new Terastal gimmick. And of course, gamers and fans all over are watching the trailer frame by frame to catch any other small details that may reveal more information about the game.
GAMERANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
RELATED: Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Artwork Reveals Map of Paldea Region
Redditor Mc Nugget noticed one of these details in the trailer and posted about it in the PokeLeaks subreddit, where many people come to find information about upcoming Pokemon games. Mc Nugget points out that one of the characters, who appears to be a teacher at Pokemon Scarlet and Violet‘s Pokemon Academy, has a haircut that looks strikingly similar to the popular fighting Pokemon from the first generation, Machamp. The teacher looks to have his hair styled in three distinct spikes from front to back, resembling the same three spikes that adorn Machamp’s head as well.
Many fans in the comments believe that this character may be one of Pokemon‘s Gym Leaders, who, for those that are unfamiliar, are like dungeon bosses and, collectively, make up some of the game’s most challenging battles. The fans are also talking about previous leaks and rumors that have stated that the gym leaders in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will likely have other jobs, mainly at the Pokemon Academy, which would suggest that this teacher resembling a Machamp may be a Physical Education teacher.
Of course, this is all conjecture that is based simply on the character’s hairstyle and the unique setting involving the Pokemon Academy – but fans still gravitate towards any and all rumours. And even if the rumors or leaks don’t actually amount to anything, gamers still enjoy the simple act of talking to each other about them, which builds a community for the game as well.
Each iteration of Pokemon games always changes certain details or tweaks some mechanic in slight ways to create fresh experiences for gamers – like how Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are revamping their Legendary Pokemon. Fans can look forward to learning even more information about the upcoming games as the release date draws near.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet release November 18 for Nintendo Switch.
MORE: How Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Tera Raids Can Change The Game
Nothing captures the global media’s attention – and reveals its knack for distracting from the issues of the moment – quite like a good old-fashioned triumph-of-the-human-spirit tale, especially if it involves cute kids being rescued by an international cohort of heroes.
So it was in July 2018, when a Thai junior soccer team was saved from an underground cave by the efforts of local Navy SEALS, volunteers, and British and Australian divers – an operation that dominated news headlines for what seemed like forever.
Filmed in large part on the Gold Coast, Thirteen Lives – directed by Oscar winner Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind) from a script by Gladiator writer William Nicholson – is the latest and most high-profile of the inevitable screen versions of that event, following the 2019 Thai film The Cave and last year’s National Geographic-produced documentary, The Rescue. (A six-part Netflix drama is due next month; what a time for armchair spelunkers.)
After 10 days, British divers John Volanthen (Farrell) and Richard Stanton (Mortensen) found the group alive 4km from the cave opening.(Supplied: Amazon Prime)
The prolific Howard is nothing if not a steady hand behind the camera, and he certainly has formed in putting collaborative heroism on the screen: in films like the firefighting drama Backdraft, and his tense, gripping space hit Apollo 13, the director’s workmanlike formalism proved to be a perfect match for his subjects.
For Thirteen Lives, Howard appears to be self-consciously shirking Hollywood-style heroics, taking his narrative cues from no fuss – and no frills – news reporting, in which the facts get checked off with minimal dramatic embellishment.
After a short prologue, the film wastes little time in dispatching the teen soccer team (and their 25-year-old assistant coach) to the Tham Luang Nang Non cave where they’ll be trapped by rising floodwaters, rapidly shifting its focus to the burgeoning rescue efforts – and attendant media circus – that spring up in the wake of the boys’ disappearance.
Among the anxious parents, volunteers, besieged former governor and Thai Navy SEALS, Howard zeroes in on two unassuming, middle-aged British volunteer cave divers, Rick Stanton and John Volanthen, respectively played by Viggo Mortensen and Colin Farrell with grim haircuts, dour outfits , and – in Mortensen’s case – a frequently amusing English accent that wouldn’t be out of place on an episode of SNL.
Howard told Collider he set out to “engage the nervous system of the audience.”(Supplied: Amazon Prime)
Also joining them is Joel Edgerton, as Australian cave diver and anaesthetist Harry Harris, the man called upon to render the boys unaware ahead of their dangerous – and potentially deadly – journey out of the cave.
“I didn’t come here to kill kids, Rick,” Harris protests, a line of dialogue that yields the movie’s biggest unintentional laugh. “I came here to help you save them.”
With such bare-bones characterization – as cave rescue movies go, it’s not exactly Ace in the Hole – Howard leans into the inherent drama of the situation, following the deliberations on how to extract the boys once they’ve found them. It’s a six-hour-plus dive from the cave where they’re marooned and back to safety, a journey that wends its way through treacherous underwater tunnels that only a skilled diver could possibly navigate.
To his credit, Howard creates a reasonably affective tapestry of anxiety, taking care to give us moments with the boys’ parents, the SEAL team, and the local volunteers attempting to minimize the floodwater breaching the cave.
It’s a measured, unremarkable approach that reflects a modest brand of heroism, one that eschews ego in favor of elevating idealised, collective effort.
Colin Farrell (pictured left) described the experience of filming underwater to Entertainment Tonight as “terrifying”.(Supplied: Amazon Prime)
Working with gifted cinematographer and longtime Apichatpong Weerasethakul collaborator Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (Memoria), who blends his signature misty exteriors with muddy subterranean work, Howard has gone for an earthy, low-key delivery that’s reluctant – or simply unwilling – to tap into anything in the way of big dramatic moments.
The mode is generic, global humanism; Thirteen Lives would sit comfortably on some world news channel playing as background in an over-lit airport lounge.
But it’s telling that the film’s best moments are its most traditionally crafted, when Howard’s baseball-cap auteurism – his sure grip on action and tightly edited montage – emerges to yield some dizzy, claustrophobic sequences that follow the divers in close proximity as they negotiate the dig tunnels.
Howard told Collider: “I just felt like I could make something really visceral and immediate.”(Supplied: Amazon Prime)
When Howard sticks to the action beats, Thirteen Lives is satisfying. But elsewhere, the film’s respectful, risk-averse retelling of real-life events makes for a noticeable lack of lyricism – the kinds of transformational moments that a more adventurous filmmaker might have brought to the table.
No doubt erring toward cultural caution, Nicholson’s screenplay only hints at mystical elements – how, for example, the cave’s guardian “Sleeping Princess” was rumored to be angry with the boys and trapped them in her tears.
The team, meanwhile, goes missing from the first half of the film, effectively reducing them to feel-good ciphers; mascots for global media.
Their absence feels like an oversight; after all, what’s more interesting — a bunch of middle-aged men having strategic rescue conversations or a gang of starved, filthy, likely deranged teenage boys submerged for a week in total darkness?
While Thirteen Lives is perfectly serviceable, one can’t help but wonder if a little Hollywood truth-meddling – a storytelling style that has tragically gone out of fashion – might have given it some of the dramatic flair it needed to really soar.
The film proves that the facts – or at least a dogged adherence to realism – don’t always make for a better movie.
Thirteen Lives is streaming on Prime Video from August 5.
Ricciardo’s future has been a hot topic in an underwhelming campaign and, despite telling Crash.Net “I have not forgotten how to drive” several months ago, he is set to be ushered out of McLaren.
His current contract expires at the end of the 2023 season but Zak Brown, the McLaren CEO previously revealed that clauses existed to end it early. That option will be taken at the end of this season and Ricciardo has been informed, ESPN report.
McLaren opted not to comment when asked by Crash.Net.
Piastri, the F2 champion who is at the center of a tug-of-war with Alpine, will step into Ricciardo’s seat.
It is the latest major move for a fascinating 2023 F1 driver line-up kickstarted by Sebastian Vettel’s retirement and Fernando Alonso’s move from Alpine to Aston Martin.
Alpine that announced Piastri, one of the brightest emerging talents in the sport, would replace Alonso but he immediately reacted “that is wrong”.
The FIA contract recognition board has recognized Piastri’s deal with McLaren above a contract he has with Alpine which expires at the end of 2022, RacingNews365 reported.
McLaren are stalling on confirming Piastri as their new driver for 2023 until they have helped Ricciardo find a new drive, Racer.com reports.
Alpine are the obvious choice. The vacancy caused by Alonso’s move will not be filled by Piastri after all, so they need a driver.
They currently pay Alonso a reported £14.9m per season – the fourth highest salary among drivers for 2022 – so should be able to afford Ricciardo, who currently pockets £12.2m per season from McLaren.
Ricciardo spent two seasons with Renault before they rebranded and became Alpine.
Haas have not yet confirmed Mick Schumacher as their driver beyond the end of this season. Schumacher has veered between poor performances and flirting with the idea of eventually moving to Ferrari, where his father was a legend, but Ricciardo’s availability will give Haas options at the negotiating table.
Williams have a seat vacant alongside Alex Albon. Nicholas Latifi has been tipped to leave although Nyck de Vries or Logan Sargeant are younger, likelier options.
Alfa Romeo have Valtteri Bottas signed up for 2023 but haven’t confirmed Zhou Guanyu’s spot beyond the end of this year. Yuki Tsunoda’s future with AlphaTauri, who also have Pierre Gasly, is also unconfirmed. Although Zhou and Tsunoda are among the lowest-earners on the 2022 grid so replacing them with the veteran Australian would be costly.
Ricciardo has previously been linked with a switch to IndyCar, too.
Authorities have told people who attended Splendor in the Grass to be on alert for symptoms of meningococcal disease, after reporting that one man who attended the festival had since died of the disease.
Two cases of meningococcal have been confirmed in people who attended the Byron Bay music festival, including the man in his 40s from Sydney, who died this week.
New South Wales Health announced the man’s death on Friday, and issued a public health alert late on Friday night urging anyone who attended the event in the North Byron Parklands between 21 and 24 July to monitor themselves for symptoms.
“Although the disease is uncommon, it can be severe,” the authority warned.
The festival said it had notified volunteers and staff of the health alert and was “working on communicating the information” to all attenders.
“Splendour in the Grass organizers are working closely with NSW Health authorities,” a spokesperson said.
In a statement, NSW Health said the man’s infection was identified after his death and notified to authorities on Thursday.
In an email to event volunteers, seen by Guardian Australia, organizers of the festival said: “The risk to other staff and festival patrons is low.”
“We don’t want to alarm anyone but we do have the responsibility to you as our staff to alert you,” the email said.
It urged anyone with symptoms of the disease – which include fever, sore joints and muscles, nausea and vomiting, headache, neck stiffness, discomfort looking at bright light, a rash, leg pain, and cold extremities – to immediately see a doctor or go to hospital.
“People who have had close contact with the two meningococcal cases will be offered antibiotics to prevent further spread,” the email said.
Bacteria can spread between people who have had extended close contact, while symptoms can take up to a week to develop.
Children may have less specific symptoms including irritability, difficulty walking, high-pitched crying and refusal to eat.
There have been 15 cases of the disease reported in NSW this year.
“While meningococcal disease is now uncommon thanks to vaccination, it can occur year round,” NSW Health said.
“We tend to see increases in late winter and early spring, with children under five and 15- to 25-year-olds at the greatest risk of contracting the disease.
“Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself, your loved ones and community from the harmful effects of meningococcal disease.”
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While rare, up to one in 10 cases die from the disease and four in 10 result in permanent disabilities.
Most Australians are vaccinated for meningococcal as babies or children.
The executive director of health protection NSW, Dr Jeremy McAnulty, said early intervention could be lifesaving.
“Onset of meningococcal disease symptoms can appear suddenly and become very serious very quickly,” he said. “If you suspect meningococcal disease, don’t wait for the rash – see a doctor immediately.”
There were three deaths from meningococcal disease last year. In July, a two-year-old from South Australia died after contracting the disease.
