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US

Alex Jones on trial: Jury finds Infowars founder should pay $45.2 million in punitive damages to Sandy Hook parents

Alex Jones on trial: Jury finds Infowars founder should pay $45.2 million in punitive damages to Sandy Hook parents


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A Texas jury has decided to penalize Alex Jones with $45.2 million in punitive damages in a lawsuit filed by the parents of Sandy Hook shooting victim Jesse Lewis.

The award, which the judge could reduce, came one day after the jury settled on $4.1 million in compensatory damages.

The jurors began deliberating around 12:30 pm CT on Friday, after Judge Maya Guerra Gamble reminded them that in a default judgment against him Jones was already found liable for defamation and “intentional infliction of emotional distress” against Lewis’ parents, Scarlett Lewis and Neil Hesslin.

In an emotional closing argument Friday, Lewis and Heslin’s attorney Wesley Todd Ball said to the jury, “We ask that you send a very very simple message, and that is, stop Alex Jones. Stop the monetization of misinformation and lies. Por favor.”

Ball urged the jurors to “deter Alex Jones from ever doing this awfulness again” and “to deter others who may want to step into his shoes.”

Jones’ attorney, Federico Andino Reynal, argued for a far lower sum, suggesting that the jurors should multiply Jones’ purported earnings per hour of $14,000 and the 18 hours that he said Jones talked about Sandy Hook on Infowars, for a sum of around a quarter million dollars.

On Thursday, in the first phase of the trial, the jury awarded the parents $4.1 million in compensatory damages, a far smaller amount than the $150 million the parents’ attorneys had sought. In his closing argument, Ball thanked the jury for their decision to award the $4.1 million, saying it had already made a huge difference in the parents’ lives, and asked them to award enough in punitive damages to bring the total to $150 million.

Bernard Pettingill testifying on August 5.

Punitive damages are a form of punishment for a defendant’s behavior. Jones, the head of the conspiratorial media outlet Infowars, repeatedly lied about the Sandy Hook massacre. I have stoked conspiracy theories about the victims and their families, prompting multiple defamation lawsuits. He has since acknowledged that the mass shooting occurred.

Jones claimed in his testimony that a jury award of just $2 million would destroy him financially. But on Friday morning the jurors heard testimony about Jones’ wealth from an economist, Bernard Pettingill, Jr., who estimated Jones has a net worth of between $135 million and $270 million.

Pettingill, Jr., who examined several years of records for Jones and Infowars’ parent Free Speech Systems, said Jones used a series of shell companies to hide his money.

Jones used two large loans to make it appear he was broke when in fact he was not, Pettingill, Jr. testified.

“Alex Jones knows where the money is, he knows where that money went and he knows that he is going to eventually benefit by that money,” Pettingill, Jr. said.

After one of the jurors asked about the difference between Jones’ money and his company’s money, Pettingill, Jr. said “you cannot separate Alex Jones from the companies. He is the companies.”

Jones “monetized his shtick,” he added, even suggesting that Jones could teach a college course about his techniques.

Jones’ fear-mongering rants on Infowars have, for many years, been paired with ads for supplements, documentaries, and other products Infowars sells. Pettingill, Jr. said the money poured in, identifying nine different companies that are owned by Jones.

“He is a very successful man, he has promulgated some hate speech and some misinformation, but he made a lot of money and he monetized that,” Pettingill, Jr. said on the stand. “My thinking about him is he didn’t ride a wave, he created the wave.”

Jones testified earlier in the week about his alleged financial troubles after social media giants like Facebook and Twitter banned his content from their platforms.

“I remember him saying that, but the records don’t reflect that,” Pettingill, Jr said.

During closing arguments, Ball asserted that Jones has even more money hidden away in other places and argued that $4.1 million was a drop in Jones’ proverbial bucket. “He’s probably already made it back in donations” from fans, Ball said.

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Business

Elon Musk’s desperate plea to his dad ignored: ‘Please keep quiet’

Elon Musk's desperate plea to his dad ignored: 'Please keep quiet'

Elon Musk has begged his father to “please keep quiet” after he gave an interview about their relationship to the Kyle and Jackie O show on Kiss FM.

Errol Musk, 76, told the Australian radio station he was not proud of his billionaire son when quizzed on the matter live on air earlier in the week.

But the retired electrical engineer later said he misspoke at the time because he hadn’t heard the question properly.

Speaking to the Daily Mail Australia, Errol said his three daughters were so upset with the comments he made on Kyle and Jackie O they refused to speak to him for days.

“Elon knows it’s not true, so he would never get upset about it. He just laughs this kind of stuff off,” Errol said.

“But the last message Elon sent to me was: ‘Dad, the press play you like a fiddle so please keep quiet’.”

It comes after Elon accused Twitter of fraud, alleging the social media platform misled him about key aspects of his business before he agreed to a $44 billion buyout, as their court battle heats up.

The Tesla boss lodged the claim late Thursday as he fights back against Twitter’s lawsuit seeking to force him to close the deal, which he has tried to cancel.

Elon argued in the filing to a Delaware court that the number of users who can be shown advertising on the platform is far below the firm’s figures.

“Twitter’s disclosures have slowly unraveled, with Twitter frantically closing the gates on information in a desperate bid to prevent the Musk Parties from uncovering its fraud,” the claim alleged.

In its own filing, Twitter rejected the mercurial billionaire’s argument, calling it “as implausible and contrary to fact as it sounds.” “According to Musk, he – the billionaire founder of multiple companies, advised by Wall Street bankers and lawyers – was hoodwinked by Twitter into signing a $44 billion merger agreement,” Twitter said.

Elon last week filed his countersuit, which was finally made public on Thursday, along with a legal defense against Twitter’s claim that the billionaire is contractually bound to complete the takeover deal.

‘Distortion, misrepresentation’

“The counterclaims are a made-for-litigation tale that is contradicted by the evidence and common sense,” Twitter argued in the filing.

A five-day trial that will consider Twitter’s lawsuit against Elon has been scheduled for October 17.

The Tesla boss wooed Twitter’s board with a $54.20 per-share offer, but then in July announced he was ending their agreement because the firm had misled him regarding its tally of fake and spam accounts.

Twitter, whose stock price closed at $41.06 on Thursday, has stuck by its estimates that less than five per cent of the activity on the platform is due to software “bots” rather than people.

Twitter told the court that Elon’s claim that the false account figure tops 10 per cent is “untenable.” The company also disputed Elon’s assertion that he has the right to walk away from the deal if Twitter’s bot count is found to be wrong, since he didn’t ask anything about bots when he made the buyout offer.

Twitter accuses Elon of contriving a story to escape a merger agreement that he no longer found attractive.

“Twitter has complied in every respect with the merger agreement,” the company said in the filing made to Chancery Court in the state of Delaware.

“Musk’s counterclaims, based as they are on distortion, misrepresentation, and outright deception, change nothing.” The social media platform has urged shareholders to endorse the deal, setting a vote on the merger for September 13.

Billions of dollars are at stake, but so is the future of Twitter, which Elon has said should allow any legal speech – an absolutist position that has sparked fears the network could be used to incite violence.

– With AFP

Read related topics:Elon Musk

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Categories
Technology

Galaxy Z Fold 3 Long-term durability report: Here’s what Samsung still can’t get right

Here's what Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 3 looks like after a year in the real world.

Foldable phones are still kind of awkward, unknown devices. But over the last three generations (with a fourth presumably on the way), Samsung has made major strides with its designs, paving the way for innovative (though sometimes quite pricey) alternatives to the typical glass brick. And when you combine that with sales of nearing 10 million devices last year, it feels like Samsung’s foldables are finally beginning to break into the mainstream.

But despite a number of improvements over the years, there’s one aspect of Samsung’s foldable that still needs a lot of work: durability. Last year, after purchasing my own Z Fold 2, I documented some of the issues I faced after owning it for 10 months. And after upgrading to the Z Fold 3 last fall, I’m here to report back on how Samsung’s latest flagship foldable is holding up just shy of one year later.

Even after a year, the Z Fold 3's exterior screen is still nearly pristine
Aside from one scratch at the bottom (which I take sole blame for), my Galaxy Z Fold 3’s exterior Cover Screen is still almost pristine.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Now at this point, some people might be wondering why I upgraded at all. The bubbles my Z Fold 2’s screen suffered from were certainly annoying, but they weren’t so bad I considered switching back to a standard candy bar handset. Instead, my main goal for buying the model (aside from professional curiosity) was to get a foldable that might better survive a newborn.

Compared to typical smartphones, the Z Fold 2’s lack of water resistance was all but guaranteed to become a problem after my son was born. It felt like I would have to keep the phone in a separate room, lest I chance some small amount of spit up or drool ruining the device. And that simply wasn’t something I wanted to do, which is what drew me to the Z Fold 3 and its IPX8 rating. I figured if a phone can withstand sitting in water for up to 30 minutes at a depth of up to five feet, it could handle anything a baby could throw (or spit) at it too.

The back of the phone has also held up very well, apart from one ding on the edge of the frame.
The back of the phone has also held up very well, apart from one ding on the edge of the frame.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Thankfully, I think my strategy worked, because even though it cost around $800 to upgrade after trading in my Z Fold 2, that money has already paid for itself. My Z Fold 3 has been peed on, it’s been vomited on and it’s had milk splashed all over it, and it’s been totally fine. The phone has also been gnawed on more than a handful of times to no effect. So while the addition of water resistance to Samsung’s foldables might not be all that exciting, considering regular phones that have had it for years, it’s a huge enhancement to everyday usability.

The rest of the phone’s body has held up pretty well too. There’s a relatively large scratch on its frame and a couple of scuffs on its hinge, but those are all cosmetic dings. I should also mention I’m not someone who puts phones in skins or cases, this thing has lived naked since the day I got it. So while I haven’t been traveling much, the sheer number of times this phone has endured being knocked out of my hand or fallen on the floor while rushing to grab my kid after a nap is kind of impressive. Even dust and crumbs have been handled by the extra bristles Samsung put inside its hinge.

There are also some small scuffs on the hinge, but that's sort of to be expected considering I never put the phone in a case.
There are also some small scuffs on the hinge, but that’s sort of to be expected considering I never put the phone in a case.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

The big exception to the Z Fold 3’s improved durability is once again its built-in screen protector. For this model, Samsung says it switched away from the TPU material it used on the Z Fold 2 to a new PET film while also using a stickier adhesive, which was designed to prevent bubbles from forming between the protector and the display itself. But in my experience, none of that helped.

For the first six months I had it, my Z Fold 3’s screen was pristine. There were no blemishes, bubbles or anything. But then one winter day while I was walking down the street, I opened the phone and heard a crack. At first, I feared the worst, thinking its exterior cover screen had shattered or something important inside had broken. But upon closer inspection, I noticed there was a fine line running down the middle of the phone near the crease, as if the protector had been pulled or stretched.

This is what the bubbling looked like in June, when I first attempted to get it repaired.
This is what the bubbling looked like in June, when I first attempted to get it repaired.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

And while I’m still not sure what the exact cause was, my theory is that after pulling the phone out of my pocket, the cold winter air made the screen protector unusually brittle, causing it to snap instead of bend when I opened the phone . This is an issue a number of other Z Fold owners have run into, and once you suffer that initial crack, it’s only a matter of time until bubbles begin to form. Over the past few months, those bubbles have grown into an air gap that runs down the entire middle of the screen, and no amount of pressing or trying to smooth things out has much of an effect. Recently, some dust has gotten wedged between the protector and the screen itself, which is frankly kind of gross. And because I’m trying to abide by Samsung’s insistence that the screen protector should only be replaced by certified technicians, I haven’t tried to fix it on my own.

Naturally, the next step was to take the phone to one of Samsung’s retail locations to have it serviced, at which point I discovered I’m far from the only person dealing with this. When I arrived, there were three other people already on the waitlist — and all of them were waiting to get the screen protector on their Z Fold replaced. Admittedly, this is merely an anecdotal observation, and I’m sure my choice to go to Samsung’s flagship 837 location in NYC had something to do with the unusually high concentration of $1,800 foldable phones.

This more close-up shot shows how gross the display can get after dust and dirt finds its way beneath the Z Fold 3's built-in screen protector.
This close-up shot shows how gross the display can get, because once bubbles start forming, there isn’t much you can do to stop dust and first from getting beneath the screen protector.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

But, this wasn’t a coincidence either. After talking to two of the other customers, I learned that they were also running into issues with bubbles around the six to eight month mark. On top of that, one of the Samsung Care+ reps I talked to essentially confirmed that this was a somewhat widespread issue, saying that screen protector replacements are the most commonly requested repair for Samsung’s foldables. Unfortunately, because it takes about an hour to have the screen protector replaced and I was fourth in line, I couldn’t wait around to get my Z Fold fixed. So here’s a pro tip, if your phone needs to be serviced, make sure to schedule your appointment online, so you can avoid the line.

In the end, while I plan on returning to have my screen protector replaced, my big take away after owning both a Z Fold 2 and a Z Fold 3 is that there’s a good chance you’re going to run into bubbles after half a year or so And without some sort of radical upgrade to the screen construction, the company’s next generation of Z devices will probably suffer the same fate. That’s kind of a bummer, because having to sit around for hours to fix something that’s probably going to happen again sucks. And that goes double or triple for anyone who has to mail in their device because they don’t live near a certified repair location.

This is how my Z Fold 3's screen looks after one year. The bubble now covers the entire height of the display. And while its appearance is more tolerable indoors, it's still far from ideal.
This is how my Z Fold 3’s screen looks after one year. The bubble now covers the entire height of the display. And while its appearance is more tolerable indoors, it’s still far from ideal.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

As it stands, the bubbling is certainly annoying and not very pretty. Thankfully, the side effects are much less noticeable indoors or at night, so while it’s far from ideal, it’s tolerable. I will also admit that I had not been planning on writing this story, I would have gotten the screen protector replaced months ago. And if you’re running into a similar issue with your Z Flip or Z Fold, I’d highly suggest you address any bubbling as soon as possible, before any other related issues pop up.

But if Samsung ever wants its foldables to be as popular as the S or A-series phones, the screen protectors bubbling is an issue that needs to be solved sooner rather than later. As for me, while I haven’t decided if I want to upgrade again or not, I’m just hoping that anyone on the fence will now have a slightly more realistic idea of ​​what living with a foldable phone is actually like.

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Categories
Sports

F1 world reacts to McLaren sacking Daniel Ricciardo: ‘Done dirty’

F1 world reacts to McLaren sacking Daniel Ricciardo: 'Done dirty'

Daniel Ricciardo might sit well outside the top 10 in the F1 driver rankings but he remains one of the sport’s most popular figures.

And his army of supporters was out in full force after it was revealed McLaren plans to replace him with young Australian driver Oscar Piastri next season despite Ricciardo being contracted for 2023.

Watch Every Practice, Qualifying & Race of the 2022 FIA Formula One World Championship™ Live on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

The 33-year-old’s career has been on some what of a downward spiral since his days of outdriving Sebastian Vettel and regularly challenging Max Verstappen at Red Bull. But no one wants to see it end this way.

ESPN’s Nate Saunders reported four teams have sounded Ricciardo out recently to “see where his head is at” and slammed McLaren for its treatment of the Aussie.

“It reflects very poorly on Brown and McLaren how they have treated Ricciardo over the past six months,” Saunders wrote. “Ricciardo, the only McLaren driver to have won an F1 race since 2012, has been the first to admit his performances have not been up to the standards he set at Red Bull and Renault but it feels as though he has been made as a scapegoat to deflect away from deeper problems at the team.”

He wasn’t alone in hailing the Aussie’s class during a turbulent season.

“Amid all the rumpus and pressure you have to commend Ricciardo on his grace and professionalism over these last few months,” tweeted Tom Gaymor. “El Says everything about him as a man, he is a class act and I hope he keeps smiling and doing it his way.”

But others saw it differently, believing Ricciardo is a spent force and he’s replacement is part and parcel of the cut throat nature of F1.

“Ricciardo is getting a taste of his own medicine when he left Renault to join McLaren and this is proof that that was not right move for him,” tweeted Sahil Mohan Gupta. “Now, he will probably end up at Alpine if not leave F1. This is crazy.”

“I’ll always be a fan of Ricciardo, but can you really blame McLaren?” added Gannon Burgett. “They’re paying him out the ass for a driver who’s scored only 20% of the team’s points so far.”

“Please Alpine don’t take him back!” Tiff Needell tweeted. “Love Daniel but he’s had 12 years in F1, stuffed a few million in the bank and there’s lots of other motorsport he could do. So give someone else a chance!”

Despite the rapid turn of events this week Ricciardo’s future could take a long time to settle because McLaren will likely face a challenge from Alpine over its poaching of Piastri.

The West Australian could spend a year with McLaren’s IndyCar team to see out his deal, or could receive a pay out and join another team. That team could even be Alpine if Piastri is able to leave.

Who is Oscar Piastri?

Born in Melbourne, Piastri joined Alpine’s academy after clinching the Formula Renault Eurocup title in 2019, securing seven wins.

He carried the form into the Formula 3 series in 2020, winning the opening race on his debut and holding his nerve to claim the title by three points in one of the most closely fought championships ever.

The following year he was on the Formula 2 grid, where he clocked six wins to unequivocally announce his arrival on the world stage, becoming just the third rookie champion after Charles Leclerc (2017) and George Russell (2018). They are both now in F1.

Despite his rapid rise Piastri was overlooked for a drive in Formula One this season because of a lack of available seats, instead lurking on the sidelines at Alpine ready to replace either Esteban Ocon or Alonso if they were forced to miss a race.

He’s managed by fellow Aussie and nine-time F1 race winner Mark Webber. “Does he deserve to be in F1? Absolutely, we all know that,” Webber says. “It’s not a question of if, but when.”

The Piastri family say they are “petrol heads” with his father Chris telling The Sydney Morning Herald that “Oscar’s bedtime stories were mainly car books”.

He started racing remote-controlled cars aged six and by nine had graduated to piloting go-karts.

“I think he’s got the determination and the ability and the intellect,” his mother Nicole told The Age newspaper this year of her son’s progression to Formula One.

“I think he’s got everything that’s required to be able to get there and to do a good job, but that’s only one very small factor.

“There are a lot of other things that come into getting a Formula One seat – politics, money, availability of seats.”

Chris Piastri pinpointed Webber’s involvement from Formula 3 onwards as key to helping their son reach his goal, opening funding and sponsorship doors to help with the soaring costs that come with making it as a racing driver.

“Mark knows everybody,” he said. “It was at that point that he started taking over the reins, dealing with the teams, managing Oscar up into the visibility of the teams.”

Webber said it was a “no-brainer” to help out. “It’s hard to turn heads, especially in the F1 paddock, as they are pretty hard to please,” he said.

“But there’s not many people who haven’t mentioned him to me – how impressed they are with him, what he’s doing, the trajectory he is on.”

– with AFP

Read related topics:Daniel Ricciardo

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Categories
Australia

Albanese gets off on the right foot

Albanese gets off on the right foot

“This is what Jennifer Westacott, the CEO of the Business Council of Australia, has said—that this legislation has ‘brought Australia a step closer to ending the climate wars that have put a handbrake on progress and become a serious economic barrier.’”

John Connor, chief executive of the Carbon Market Institute, an industry association of companies leading the transition to net-zero, says: “It is a historic moment, and it is exciting now to move into the reality of policy.”

That reality must include an investment boom. The National Australia Bank published research last week estimating that about half a trillion dollars in net new investment will be needed in Australia to achieve the 2050 target of net-zero emissions.

The Liberal Party, however, chose to stand outside all this – outside the unifying policy, outside the consensus, outside the business community, and outside half a trillion dollars’ worth of new investment.

Peter Dutton made a captain’s call months ago that the Liberals would not oppose the 43 per cent and net-zero targets, but they would not vote to legislate them, either. Instead, the Liberals decided to follow their Coalition partner, the Nationals, into a fringe fetish.

The Coalition has decided to investigate nuclear power. Not that this is a fringe in the global energy system. It’s simply unrealistic in this country’s. Nuclear power has never been economic in Australia. It couldn’t compete with cheap Australian coal; it can’t compete with even cheaper Australian solar energy.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese endorsing the government's Climate Change Bill in the lower house on Thursday.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese endorsing the government’s Climate Change Bill in the lower house on Thursday.Credit:alex ellinghausen

The Liberals’ decision opened them to Albanese’s ridicule. He not only mocked them for ignoring the power of “the biggest nuclear reactor of all” as he pointed skywards, he also brought simpsons into Question Time.

Giving the opposition’s energy spokesman Ted O’Brien carriage of an inquiry into nuclear power “bears an uncanny resemblance to Mr Burns putting Homer Simpson in charge of nuclear power safety in Springfield” Albanese jibed. “No one loves a reactor like a reactionary.”

He went on: “Remember when the Liberal Party used to have a relationship with business? Remember that? But what we saw today was them isolated and alone, stuck in the same old trench fighting a fight that has passed them by. They were by themselves with their arms crossed, saying, ‘No, no, no.’”

The May 21 election showed that Australia was ready for a more active climate policy. By standing against it, the Coalition government chose oblivion. Now that it has refused to negotiate on the climate bill, it has chosen irrelevance.

If the Liberals ever hope to win another election, “they have to have the conversation about restoring the broad church,” a church embracing moderates and not only conservatives, argues Walter. “They can’t only follow a small nutty segment” on the populist fringe.

“They have to be able to bring back the disaffected Liberals who voted for teal candidates, and still manage to persuade people in the region that they have their interest at heart.”

Even after Dutton’s captain’s call, the leaders of the moderate faction in the Liberal Party argued that they should change position and support the 43 per cent target. It would be a sign that they’d heard the voice of the electorate. But Simon Birmingham, Marise Payne and Paul Fletcher lost the argument in the shadow cabinet on Monday night.

One moderate said, “we picked the wrong fight – the fight shouldn’t be about the 43 per cent target, it should be about how we meet the target”. Because that will be the hard part.

Is Dutton missing the unmissable message from the electorate? Not at all. For him, it’s about priorities. Does he try to win the next election today, or does he try to hold the Coalition together as it regroups after a devastating loss?

Opposition leader Peter Dutton addresses his coalition colleagues in Canberra on Tuesday.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton addresses his coalition colleagues in Canberra on Tuesday.Credit:James Brickwood

“Dutton’s calculus was that if we supported 43 per cent we’d have more trouble from the Nationals and from Liberals crossing the floor than we’ll have from moderate Libs by opposing it – and he was right.” Only one Liberal, Tasmania’s Bridget Archer, crossed the floor to vote with the government on the emissions target.”

“The next election will not be fought on the 2030 emissions targets,” observes the Liberal. Indeed, the government soon will need to start working on Australia’s targets for 2035, which must be lodged by 2025. “If it suddenly looks like we are struggling to meet the 2030 target, then the picture changes.”

The other major force in Parliament now are the teals. How did they conduct themselves? They, much like the Greens, campaigned for more ambitious targets but chose to support the government bill as the only available route to any progress at all.

All of which tells us what to expect from all these groups in the future. The Greens will continue to push for more, yet compromise in the service of practicality over ideology.

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So, for example, on Albanese’s draft proposal for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, “we will take the same approach on the Voice that we did on climate,” says the Greens leader in the Senate, Larissa Waters. “We said we want progress on all elements of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and we are heartened by the minister [Linda Burney] saying that’s possible.

“We will push to get improvements and push to get practical progress for Indigenous justice” including deaths in custody and the Bringing them Home Report, Waters tells me. Unsaid is that the Greens won’t veto possible gains in pursuit of impossible ones.

Albanese will continue to operate from the political centre, seeking to advance center left priorities such as climate policy and the Voice, while also working on center right areas such as a firmly defending Australian interests against Chinese Communist Party demands. Labor intends dominating the centre; the intention is to force the Coalition to either support the government or move further to the right fringe and unelectability.

And Dutton will continue to do what he can to hold together a shattered Liberal party, to survive as a leader long enough to regroup and refocus on the next election. Leading a defeated government into opposition is a high-risk task. For Dutton, survival, not relevance, is today’s imperative. Three years is a long time in politics.

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US

Florida Governor Appoints New State Supreme Court Judge Renatha Francis

Florida Governor Appoints New State Supreme Court Judge Renatha Francis

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of a new Florida Supreme Court judge while in West Palm Beach on Friday morning.The latest: WPBF 25 News coverage on PoliticsIt happened at 11 am at the Richard & Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History MuseumJudge Renatha Francis accepted the appointment with her family and will start the new position in September.”I know I’ve said this before on prior occasions, but I’ll say it again,” Francis said as she accepted the role, “I am the epitome of the American dream.”Francis will fill a vacant role left by Judge Al Lawson. To be considered, a Judicial Nominating Commission agrees and selects qualified names, which are then investigated before being presented to the governor. The governor then has 60 days to choose from that list. “Judge Renatha Francis has an incredible life story that epitomizes the American dream and proves that those who come to our country have the opportunity to pursue their dreams and, through hard work and the application of their God-given talents, reach the highest heights of whatever field they choose,” said DeSantis. Video below: DeSantis announces appointmentDeSantis had chosen Francis for the same job in 2020, but she did not meet the requirements of being a member of the Florida Bar for a decade. The appointment was struck down, and Judge Jamie Grosshans was chosen for the role. Stay informed: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News“I’m incredibly honored and humbled by Governor DeSantis’ unwavering support for my ascension to the Florida Supreme Court,” said Francis. “I may be taking my seat on the bench two years later than anticipated, but as a student of history I continue to be in awe of this country’s respect for the rule of law and the freedoms guaranteed in the text of the United States Constitution. As a Supreme Court Justice I will apply the law as written by the people’s duly-elected representatives, knowing that I am a member of the judiciary in a system with separation of powers.” Francis is currently a judge in the 15th Circuit, which is Palm Beach County. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of The West Indies and her Juris Doctorate from Florida Coastal Law School. Francis has a husband and two young sons. There will now be a 4-3 majority for DeSantis-appointed judges on the Florida Supreme Court. Follow us on social: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.—

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of a new Florida Supreme Court judge while in West Palm Beach on Friday morning.

Latest: WPBF 25 News coverage on Politics

It happened at 11 am at the Richard & Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum

Judge Renatha Francis accepted the appointment with her family and will start the new position in September.

“I know I’ve said this before on prior occasions, but I’ll say it again,” Francis said as she accepted the role, “I am the epitome of the American dream.”

Francis will fill a vacant role left by Judge Al Lawson. To be considered, a Judicial Nominating Commission agrees and selects qualified names, which are then investigated before being presented to the governor. The governor then has 60 days to choose from that list.

“Judge Renatha Francis has an incredible life story that epitomizes the American dream and proves that those who come to our country have the opportunity to pursue their dreams and, through hard work and the application of their God-given talents, reach the highest heights of whatever field they choose,” said DeSantis.

Video below: DeSantis announces appointment


DeSantis had chosen Francis for the same job in 2020, but she did not meet the requirements of being a member of the Florida Bar for a decade.

The appointment was struck down, and Judge Jamie Grosshans was chosen for the role.

Stay informed: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News

“I’m incredibly honored and humbled by Governor DeSantis’ unwavering support for my ascension to the Florida Supreme Court,” said Francis. “I may be taking my seat on the bench two years later than anticipated, but as a student of history I continue to be in awe of this country’s respect for the rule of law and the freedoms guaranteed in the text of the United States Constitution. As a Supreme Court Justice I will apply the law as written by the people’s duly-elected representatives, knowing that I am a member of the judiciary in a system with separation of powers.”

Francis is currently a judge in the 15th Circuit, which is Palm Beach County. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of The West Indies and her Juris Doctorate from Florida Coastal Law School. Francis has a husband and two young sons.

There will now be a 4-3 majority for DeSantis-appointed judges on the Florida Supreme Court.

Follow us on social: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.

Categories
Business

Can you recycle old make-up packaging? Here’s what’s happening in the $8 billion industry that creates tonnes of waste

Can you recycle old make-up packaging? Here's what's happening in the $8 billion industry that creates tonnes of waste

Australians spend billions of dollars on beauty products every year, but the leftover packaging mostly ends up in landfill.

It’s estimated that more than 10,000 tonnes of cosmetic waste goes to landfill every year in Australia, because make-up products aren’t generally accepted in kerbside recycling.

That’s because they are too small to be sorted at a regular facility and often contain complex and mixed materials as well as remnant product, which makes them tricky to recycle alongside regular glass and plastics.

So what should you be doing with your old make-up and perfumes?

What are companies doing?

More Australian and international beauty brands and retailers are now offering take-back schemes where you can return used beauty products in-store so they can be recycled.

The products, including skin cream tubes, plastic and metal eyeshadow palettes, foundation and fragrance bottles are sorted into different waste streams like glass, metal, soft and hard plastics.

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Categories
Technology

BMW M5 CS vs Mercedes-AMG GT63 S vs Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing: Motor Trend Test

2021 bmw m5 cs images 06

I’ve long been saying that the BMW M5 CS is the best driving sedan of the past few years, maybe even the past decade. It’s a sensational machine, one that feels so much better than the standard M5 that the standard car no longer deserves its M badge. I recently drove the M5’s toughest competitor, the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing and felt it far better than every non-CS M5 but that the CS was still better. But am I just a BMW fanboy or is it really that good? Motor Trend recently put the M5 CS up against the aforementioned Blackwing (a journo-favorite) and the Mercedes-AMG GT63 S.

The 2,000 Horsepower Test

Honestly, all three super sedans have their own unique reason for driving/buying them. I can see wanted to drive each under specific circumstances. For instance, the AMG’s thunderous V8 and luxurious cabin would make it a fine grand tourer. While the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is a raucous, fire-spitting hooligan that would make a fine burnout-ripping, tire-smoking monster. And the M5 CS is the sedan you want on a twisty back road, where precision and balance matter more than anything else. But which is best? First, let’s check the specs.

Cadillac CT5 V Blackwing 13 of 31 830x467

The BMW M5 CS uses a slightly tuned version of the M5’s familiar twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8, making 627 horsepower and 553 lb-ft. It’s paired with an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. The AMG’s formula is pretty familiar at this point as well, with its twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 making 630 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque. It gets a nine-speed car and all-wheel drive. It’s the Caddy that’s the outlier, using a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 with an astonishing 668 horsepower and 659 lb-ft. Unlike the Germans, there are two transmission options—a six-speed manual or a ten-speed auto—and the latter was the one used in MT’s test and that’s important. The Blackwing is also the only car of the three to be rear-wheel drive.

So which one was considered best? Well, without spoiling it, it really only came down to the M5 CS and the Blackwing, both of which were far more enjoyable than the AMG. Having driven both, I will say that they’re both excellent and I’d love to own either. However, the Blackwing was let down by its ten-speed automatic. I firmly believe the manual is the only real choice for the Blackwing, unless you physically cannot use a manual transmission, as it’s an instrumental part of the car’s character. Having said that, even with the car, the Caddy is brilliant. But so is the M5 CS. Check out MT’s review to find out which is best.

[Source: Motor Trend]

Categories
Sports

Josh Jenkins shares raw experience of Adelaide Crows camp

Josh Jenkins shares raw experience of Adelaide Crows camp

The sales pitch was a red flag:

“This will be the scariest thing you’ve ever done but the safest thing you’ve ever done.”

Immediately, we all thought of physical activities, sleep deprivation, starvation etc.

How I wish that was the case.

I resisted big time…

I recall us going around the circle and accepting the challenge whilst a couple of players needed to be withdrawn due to injury issues as well as one player being removed because of some personal trauma he’d recently experienced.

Hearing he was removed because his personal trauma may be too much on top of what we were about to endure had ALARM BELLS ringing inside my head.

I consider myself as a matter of fact person, a realist, I’ll call it as I see it… to a fault – some may accuse me of being too cold and calculating (my wife would even accuse me of that on occasion and I thank her for her support the whole way through.She remains devastated and furious at the way our time in Adelaide ended).

BUT I had to be true to myself and true to my mates.

This all smelt terribly and in my heart I knew we were going down a bad path.

But off the back of a Grand Final loss, when I personally had played so poorly, I only had so much leverage.

After around 40 minutes of resistance, I agreed to be a part of Group 1 – in part because I knew it was a month or so away and I had time to work back channels to get removed.

not joy I could not get out. Group 1 was for me.

As Eddie stated in his book… I also took a phone call with the supposed counselor and – again, expressed my desire that my unusual upbringing was of no significance to me as an athlete or teammate.

I – in a naive bid to allow these people to improve me – explained to this person how I was raised by my non-biological grandmother and have had no meaningful relationship with my parents.

My childhood is a source of shame, pain and pride.

I am proud I am where I am today despite any potential hurdles thrown my way as a young person, but I will always have the pain of not having a family to lean on in tough times or to celebrate with on celebratory occasions.

Even as an adult, small things can stay with you. I recall the awkwardness I felt when I didn’t have anyone to invite into the rooms for my debut jumper presentation. No matter how far you go, some things can always nibble away at you.

I explained my upbringing had probably led me to being more skeptical and isolated – with a determination to do things my way.

I also stated I was proud of the person I was and that in no way was my childhood of any relevance to anything I was doing as a professional athlete.

I stated more than once I wanted none of my upbringing to be used or even spoken of during or after the camp. Something which was promised to me – but in my view, a promise that was broken.

From there, we went to the Gold Coast.

THE CAMP

Two words which vary from annoying for fans of the Crows right through to damaging for individuals.

We arrived on the Gold Coast knowing something big was in store.

The secrecy and lack of information was astounding.

Our welfare manager – who was receiving 90%+ approval ratings in the AFLPA surveys – was iced out of discussions and planning as well as everything afterward.

She fought the good fight for us players and I will always be grateful for that.

She no longer works at the Crows or in the AFL.

You know all the detail about fake guns, macho men, people dressed in costumes asking to be called Richmond.

None of that faced me.

I was thinking… you guys know that I know those AK47s are not real, right.

But as we began to do camp activities things went from dumb to disgraceful.

We sat under a tree and witnessed an unknown man to us go through the harness ritual.

The reasons why he was on the harness are up for conjecture, but I heard comments thrown his way – including some from him – about sexual misbehaviour and womanising.

Following that person’s harness ritual I got up from under the tree we were all sitting under – fronted Don Pyke and Heath Younie and said, “we lost a game of footy, we are all good people, this is rubbish and I think we should all leave”.

After a heated conversation between me and camp coordinators, and mostly to honor the greater good, they convinced me to stay and watch a few of my teammates go through the ritual first.

The youngest member in Group 1 went first.

Each player was scolded with abuse and physicality so they’d be physically and emotionally worn out.

This is where I’m happy to try and explain why some rituals were confronting and some were ‘nothing to see here’ and easily moved on from for others.

In my view… the boys who had had a more ‘normal’ or traditional upbringing without any real trauma or tragedy in their lives had very little to be poked and prodded about apart from the general back and forth about being a better team mate and person .

Those – like me, Eddie and perhaps others – had experienced different things that were more raw when focused on – especially when we’d been assured, essentially promised, nothing like this would be raised.

I specifically asked for assurance pre-camp that nothing regarding my childhood would be raised or used on the camp to spur me on or ‘break me down’.

It’s my belief this promise was broken. And I’m not certain I’ll ever forgive those involved for that.

Nor am I sure anyone has even truly taken responsibility for what went on and why it was allowed to happen.

When my turn on the harness arrived, I was fighting against three or four teammates who would then let go of the rope so I would fall to the ground – all of this was at the request of a camp facilitator … and during the harness rituals, his word was gospel.

Looking back, the ‘rite of passage’ as it was labeled was strange.

There was also a man on a set of drums who said he was drumming in time with the beat of his heart.

At different stages, comments were thrown at me whilst on the harness in regards to the way I was raised and why I act like I do at the club and on the field.

Some were from teammates being prompted to verbally jab me and some were from camp facilitators who had obviously shared intel on me as a person.

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I’m choosing not to reveal some of those comments because I know people who care about me are reading… but I can say for sure those comments were fed to the facilitators and I believe some of the info was passed along from people within our club .

I recall some of the barbs thrown at Eddie – and others – and recall glaring at one of our coaches who quickly picked up my emotions.

Everyone went through the ritual and on the last morning, we had a relaxed discussion with the facilitators – which is also when we were told how to discuss what we’d done with our teammates and family members.

I distinctly recall the role playing on what to say to partners and teammates.

I got into a chat with one of the facilitators who told me he occasionally gets voices in his head… I asked how do you get them to stop… he said he sits under a tree until the voices stop.

He said they took two days to stop so he sat beneath a tree for two days.

I only include that info to explain how misguided this whole situation was… how could you possibly allow someone of that nature to be in control of high-performing professional athletes?

That’s why I was so strong on the doctor and welfare manager being involved. They would’ve put a stop to this and I think the club knew it… hence their lack of engagement.

POST CAMP

The club completely fell apart.

We were sworn to secrecy even from teammates on different versions of the group.

Myself and a coach stood up one session and demanded we tell each other what happened and the CEO or Football Manager (I cannot recall who exactly who) stood up and said we were unable to because the club had signed confidentiality agreements on everyone’s behalf.

I said, “I did not sign a damn thing.”

We continued to undertake activities like beating our captain for failing us on the biggest stage. Something that made me feel uncomfortable at the time and still does.

Some things you cannot say.

As fractures were beginning to become gigantic, portions of the playing group were beginning to say they were no longer willing to participate in the leadership program.

On one occasion when we met as a large group (some staff included) the outcome was to exclude the indigenous players from the program.

I stood up and said, and I recall vividly, because I knew it was the beginning of the end for me as an Adelaide Crow…

“You cannot be seriously considering isolating a fifth of our playing list in favor of this program.”

Countless occasions, players told me of their discomfort and unwillingness to be involved anymore and much of that messaging was left to me.

Which of course caused friction between me and the club.

In the end, when I knew where my future was headed, I looked forward to these conversations – which I regret because my time as a Crow has been significantly soured.

In the end, I was moved on from the Crows as a problem child, an argument starter and even in one piece of literature I saw labeling me as ‘cancerous’.

The only cancer at the club was the idea that taking us on a psychologically unsafe camp that was supposedly going to make us better parents, siblings and teammates.

I suppose overcoming the loss of your senior coach to a senseless murder and making the Finals two months later and making a Grand Final two years later was not enough.

It’s made us better because we’ve finally been able to reveal the truth about the nonsense we were forced into.

I hold my head high today.

Crows fans, consider this, my words are not an attack on the logo or the club. I love the Crows and what it provided my family and I am so proud my name will be on the No.4 locker forever!

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But you cannot do things like this to people and not be held accountable.

The last thing I’ll say is this…

There is a report from our club doctor Marc Cesana, whom I sat with on countless occasions where he assessed my welfare and did the same with others…

He wrote a lengthy report off the back of his dealings with us as players and people.

No one has ever acted on that report – which I know is damning.

The report must see the light of day. It’s the only example of a medical professional who had day-to-day dealings with the people and players who were involved.

He was concerned about us.

He expressed his disappointment to me about what happened to us, but never disclosed the details of what he’d discussed with other players.

Hence why the report needs to see the light of day.

I recall, during one meeting, our doctor expressed in front of the entire playing group and most of the staff that what occurred on the camp was totally unacceptable – and I know the report captures that!

Today is a good day and a really sad day.

Categories
US

Sinema made Schumer cut carried interest piece of reconciliation bill

Sinema made Schumer cut carried interest loophole from reconciliation bill

US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) holds his weekly news conference after the Democratic caucus party luncheon at the US Capitol in Washington, August 2, 2022.

Jonathan Ernst | Reuters

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Friday that Democrats had “no choice” but to drop a key tax provision from their major spending bill in order to gain Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s support.

Sinema, a centrist Democrat from Arizona, had held her support of the Inflation Reduction Act, the sweeping bill that includes much of the Biden administration’s tax, climate and health care agenda. Senate Democrats need her support from her to pass the bill through the Senate on a party-line vote using the budget reconciliation process, which requires a simple majority vote. The chamber is split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans.

Sinema announced Thursday night that she would indeed back the legislation, following an agreement “to remove the carried interest tax provision.”

She was referring to the bill’s inclusion of language that would narrow the so-called carried interest loophole, a feature of the tax code that both Democrats and Republicans — including former President Donald Trump — have tried to close.

Carried interest refers to compensation that hedge fund managers and private equity executives receive from their firms’ investment gains. After three years, that money is taxed at a long-term capital gains rate of 20%, instead of a short-term capital gains rate, which tops out at 37%.

The Inflation Reduction Act aimed to narrow that loophole by extending the short-term tax rate to five years. The bill’s provision was projected to raise $14 billion over a 10-year period.

“I pushed for it to be in this bill,” Schumer, DN.Y., said of the proposal to narrow the loophole.

But “Senator Sinema said she would not vote for the bill, not even move to proceed unless we took it out,” he said. “So we had no choice.”

Sinema stressed Thursday night that after the reconciliation bill passes, “I look forward to working with [Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va.] to enact carried interest tax reforms, protecting investments in America’s economy and encouraging continued growth while closing the most egregious loopholes that some abuse to avoid paying taxes.”

A spokeswoman for Sinema defended the senator’s record when asked by CNBC on Friday about Schumer’s remarks and her stance on carried interest.

Sinema “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,” the spokeswoman said. “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.”

Schumer said that another tax piece from the Inflation Reduction Act was taken out in order to secure the deal with Sinema. This one came from a proposal to impose a 15% corporate alternative minimum tax aimed at rich corporations that are accused of skirting their tax obligations. It was projected to raise $313 billion — more than 40% of the bill’s revenue.

While that part of the bill was altered, “$258 billion of that remains, so the vast majority remains,” Schumer said.

And while the carried interest provision was nixed, Schumer said Democrats added in an excise tax on stock buybacks that will bring in $74 billion. He said that multiple legislators are “excited” about that update.

“I hate stock buybacks. I think they’re one of the most self-serving things corporate America does,” Schumer said. “I’d like to abolish them.”

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