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Australia

Private schools go on $100 million property buying bonanza

Private schools go on $100 million property buying bonanza

Despite that, Ascham has been on an acquisition spree. In the six months to March records show the school paid $18.24 million to buy five of six apartments in the art deco block next door, leaving one outstanding apartment.

Of a row of three retail outlets that front the school to New South Head Road, one was purchased in 2019 and another last year for $5.25 million, leaving the third in the hands of Hong Kong’s Ho family.

Ascham now owns two of three retail outlets that front New South Head Road, with the Ho family retaining the one beside the school's main entry gate since 1989.

Ascham now owns two of three retail outlets that front New South Head Road, with the Ho family retaining the one beside the school’s main entry gate since 1989.Credit:Janie Barrett

“When you list a house that’s near a school the first buyer you take it to is the school,” said Alexander Phillips, of PPD, who last year sold a Victorian Italian mansion called Villa Palmyra for $5.25 million to St Catherine’s in Waverley.

A spokeswoman for St Catherine’s said they are still considering what to do with the grand 1888-built residence, but purchased it because land is limited and buildings close by are useful for non-teaching purposes like administration and uniform shops.

Phillips said St Catherine’s paid market value for Villa Palmyra, but that schools often end up paying over.

Lewisham’s recent sale of a freestanding house on 650 square meters for $4.2 million shocked local property watchers, until settlement revealed the buyer was the Christian Brothers’ Trustees of Edmund Rice Education Australia.

Ascham has bought five of six apartments in an art deco block (left), SCEGGS Darlinghust bought a corner terrace, and St Catherine's bought Villa Palmyra (right).

Ascham has bought five of six apartments in an art deco block (left), SCEGGS Darlinghust bought a corner terrace, and St Catherine’s bought Villa Palmyra (right).Credit:

“Nothing has sold for more than $4 million in Lewisham outside the grand Victorian homes on The Boulevarde,” said Shad Hassan, director of The Agency Inner West.

“People who own next door to these sorts of schools usually know what they’ve got and are hanging out for these sorts of deals.”

A pink corner terrace in Darlinghurst was recently bought by one of the state’s most expensive schools, SCEGGS Darlinghurst, for $2.925 million for use as a wellbeing hub and to accommodate school counsellors.

Head of school Jenny Allum announced the purchase in the June school newsletter: “As a property with an entrance and driveway in St Peters Street, we have long considered this one of the most strategic properties around us.”

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In Mosman, Queenwood forked out $8.4 million to buy a period house next door to its Balmoral Beach grounds, and Mosman Preparatory bought a Federation house for $4.4 million, funded in part by the sale of a house two doors up for $3.21 million.

Barker College, a co-education Anglican school set on 15 hectares on the upper north shore, bought two retail spaces next door for $3.63 million and $2.5 million.

“There are no current plans to use the properties recently acquired for teaching,” said head of Barker College Phillip Heath, although one is being considered as space for staff.

Newington College’s Stanmore campus is set on 10 hectares in the inner west, a footprint that has been increasing since the mid-1990s, when the school started amassing 15 of the 19 homes that back onto it on Middleton Street, of which the most recent was a rundown bungalow in April for $2.175 million.

But it isn’t just Sydney’s most expensive schools looking to expand. Muslim co-education school Al Sadiq, where school fees start at $2400, recently bought a three-bedroom weatherboard house for $1.25 million adjoining its Greenacre campus.

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And the Bankstown campus of Islamic Al Amanah College has bought five of its neighboring properties in the past decade, of which the most recent was a block of land for $1.5 million.

Hopes are already high that Al Amanah will add a sixth to its parcel on August 20 when a four-bedroom house next door goes to auction with a $1.1 million guide, given Pace Property’s Luke McFadden said the school had already flagged its interest.

Categories
US

Three dead after lightning strike near White House on Thursday

Three dead after lightning strike near White House on Thursday

Three people, including a husband and wife from Wisconsin, have died after a lightning strike Thursday evening in Lafayette Square, just north of the White House, DC police said Friday.

Four people — two men and two women — were critically hurt in the strike just before 7 pm in the center of the park, in a grove of trees about 100 feet southeast of the statue of Andrew Jackson, fire department spokesman Vito Maggiolo said at a news briefing Thursday night. The US Secret Service and the US Park Police rendered aid to the victims, assistance that fire officials credited with all the victims’ initial survival.

Among those who died, police said, were Donna Mueller, 75, and James Mueller, 76, a Wisconsin couple who were tourists in the city, according to a family member. The other person killed was a 29-year-old man, police said in announcing his death Friday afternoon. His identity was withheld pending notification of relatives.

What happens when lightning strikes — and how to stay safe

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement: “We are saddened by the tragic loss of life after the lightning strike in Lafayette Park. Our hearts are with the families who lost loved ones, and we are praying for those still fighting for their lives.”

A relative of the couple, reached Friday morning in Wisconsin, said family members were not yet prepared to talk about the two in depth. The Muellers were the parents of five adult children and also had grandchildren and great-grandchildren, according to the relative, who declined to give her name de ella. She said the couple were in Washington by themselves on vacation and had no connection to the two other people under the tree.

Because lightning tends to strike tall objects, experts warn that taking shelter under a tree during a thunderstorm is highly dangerous. When a tree is hit by the electrical charge, moisture and sap in the tree easily conducts the electricity, carrying it to the ground around the tree, according to a National Weather Service webpage on lightning science.

“When lightning strikes a tree or other object, much of the energy travels outward from the strike in and along the ground surface,” the webpage says. “This is known as the ground current. Anyone outside near a lightning strike is potentially a victim of ground current.”

The lightning was unleashed by a severe thunderstorm that swept across the District just before 7 pm The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for much of the Beltway area between 6:30 and 7:15 pm, cautioning of the threat of damaging wind gusts up to 60 mph and quarter-size hail.

Chris Vagasky, an analyst for Vaisala, which operates a national lightning detection network, said in a message that there was a “6 stroke flash near the White House that hit the same point on the ground” at 6:49 pm He explained that means six individual surges of electricity hit the same point on the ground within half a second.

Vagasky tweeted that between 2010 and 2021, “289 cloud-to-ground flashes occurred within 1 mile of the White House, an average of 24 per year.”

“This incident underscores the need for people to get to a safe place any time a thunderstorm is in the area,” said John Jensenius, a safety specialist with the National Lightning Safety Council, in an email. “Even a distant rumble of thunder should serve as a warning to get inside a substantial building or hard-topped metal immediately.”

Lightning strikes were unleashed during a severe thunderstorm in Washington, DC, before four people were apparently struck near the White House on Aug. 4. (Video: Dave Statter)

Lightning kills 23 people in the United States in an average year. The fatalities from Thursday’s strike in the District boosted 2022’s lightning toll to 12 — exceeding last year’s total of 11. According to the Lightning Safety Council, this is the first fatal lightning incident in the District since 1991, when a teenager was killed and 10 other people were injured at St. Albans School in Northwest Washington.

In June 2020, two National Guardsmen were injured in a lightning strike near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in Northwest Washington. In 1998, a woman was critically injured and other spectators hurt when lightning struck RFK Stadium during a concert.

What I learned from 20 years photographing lightning in DC

July and August are the peak months for lightning in the United States.

Numerous storms, containing frequent lightning, flared up in the region Thursday evening after temperatures soared into the mid- to upper 90s earlier in the day, prompting a heat advisory. Heat indexes, a measure of how hot it feels with humidity factored in, reached 100 to 110 degrees.

Thunderstorms are forecast for the Washington region again Friday and over the weekend. The Weather Service issued a flood watch for the area for Friday afternoon and evening.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Clarence Williams, Emily Davies and Razzan Nakhlawi contributed to this report.

Categories
Business

Shirtless man smashes car window with a boomerang in road rage in Victoria

An enraged, shirtless bodybuilder has beaten in the window of a couple's car with a boomerang while screaming about Covid vaccines

Wild moment a shirtless man smashes a BOOMERANG through a driver’s window during a confronting road rage rampage while ranting about Covid vaccines

  • Shirtless man filmed bashing in a couple’s car door window and ranting
  • Musclebound man broke wing mirror with a boomerang and shattered window
  • Grabbed driver screaming: ‘You both got the f**king vaccine and it’s lost a life’

By Nic White For Daily Mail Australia

Published: | Updated:

An enraged, shirtless bodybuilder has beaten in the window of a couple’s car with a boomerang while screaming about Covid vaccines.

Confronting video shows the man yelling at the middle-aged couple through their car window by the side of the road somewhere in Victoria.

He began beating on the driver’s side window and wing mirror, pausing to bizarrely look at his reflection in the mirror.

‘You broke my f**king boomerang,’ he yelled as the wooden weapon split in half from the force of bashing on the window.

An enraged, shirtless bodybuilder has beaten in the window of a couple's car with a boomerang while screaming about Covid vaccines

An enraged, shirtless bodybuilder has beaten in the window of a couple’s car with a boomerang while screaming about Covid vaccines

This did not deter his attack as he produced another boomerang and only grew more enraged.

Seconds later he shattered the wing mirror, ripped the glass out of its mounting and smashed it against the window, shouting ‘you c**ts, you f**king piece of shit’.

With two more punches from his fist and open hand he shattered the window, to the shock of the couple inside, and began his anti-vaccine rant.

Breaking his weapon did not deter his attack as he produced another boomerang and only grew more enraged

'Leave me alone,' the man in the driver's seat told him, as the shirtless attacker grabbed his shirt

Breaking his weapon did not deter his attack as he produced another boomerang and only grew more enraged, smashing the window then grabbing the driver’s shirt

‘F**king idiots, you got the vaccine and it didn’t bother ya. You both got the f**king vaccine and it’s lost a life,’ he appeared to yell.

‘Leave me alone,’ the man in the driver’s seat told him, as the shirtless attacker grabbed his shirt.

The young man then stormed off in a huff, disappearing behind nearby stationary cars.

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Categories
Technology

Activision Is Earning More Money From Mobile Than PC And Console Combined

Activision Is Earning More Money From Mobile Than PC And Console Combined

Here’s a sign of the times: Activision has confirmed via newly released financial documents that it made more money on its phone games last quarter than it did on all of its console and PC games combined.

As spotted by tweaktown, Activision’s quarterly report was published last week and sheds some light on how its biggest games across PC, console, and mobile are doing financially. And because of games like Devil Immortal, Call of Duty Mobileand Candy Crush Sagathe beleaguered Call of Duty publisher’s making a lot of cash off phone games. In fact, more than half of its total earnings for the second quarter of 2022 came from mobile titles and not console or PC games.

According to the report, about 51 per cent of Activision’s total earnings from the Q2 2022 period came from mobile games. That adds up to a total of $US831 ($1,154) million in mobile game earnings. Meanwhile, its console games earned around $US376 ($522) million and PC games brought in a bit less, $US332 ($461) million. Finally, it made $US105 ($146) million from events and esports.

What you might not expect, especially if you don’t realize how massive mobile gaming has become over the last decade, is that of the $US831 ($1,154) million made off phone games, most of it came from King’s titles and not stuff like Call of Duty Mobile. In the report, Activision says that King titles like candy crush and FarmHeroes brought in over $US680 ($944) million.

ReadMore: Lawyer To Pay Activision For Not Playing Call Of Duty

What these numbers reveal is that for big publishers like Activision, the future is likely one where it invests even more resources and money into mobile games and focuses less and less on console games. In an era where AAA games are more expensive to make than ever, take years to create, and often flop, mobile games have become a lifeline for large game companies looking to keep their heads above water.

For Activision it’s especially important as Call of Duty continues to lose millions of players and underperform. Seeing as the company has spent years focusing much of its energy on Call of Duty — at one point even having every studio it owned working on the franchise in some capacity — it’s likely it will seek to diversify into mobile more, not less, moving forward.

It should also be noted that Activision’s hugely successful mobile games are one of the main reasons Microsoft began the process of buying the company earlier this year following a huge, public fallout after the company was sued over years of sexual harassment and discrimination.

in some way, Call of Duty and warcraft are more like bonuses that Xbox gets top of King and his money-printing games.

Categories
Entertainment

Banksy painting sprayed on West Bank resurfaces in Tel Aviv

A long-lost painting by the British graffiti artist Banksy has been resurfaced in a swank art gallery in downtown Tel Avivan hour’s drive and a world away from the concrete wall in the occupied West Bank where it was initially sprayed.

The relocation of the painting — which depicts a slingshot-toting rat and was likely intended to protest the Israel occupation — raises ethical questions about the removal of artwork from occupied territory and the display of such politically-charged pieces in radically different settings from where they were created.

The painting initially appeared near Israel’s separation barrier in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem and was one of several works created in secret around 2007. They employed Banksy’s trademark absurdist and dystopian imagery to protest Israel’s decades-long occupation of territories the Palestinians want for a future state.

The Banksy of a slingshot-toting rat in its new location. (AP)

Now it resides at the Urban Gallery in the heart of Tel Aviv’s financial district, surrounded by glass and steel skyscrapers.

“This is the story of David and Goliath,” said Koby Abergel, an Israeli art dealer who purchased the painting, without elaborating on the analogy. He said the gallery was simply displaying the work, leaving its interpretation to others.

The Associated Press could not independently confirm the authenticity of the piece, but Abergel said the cracks and scrapes in the concrete serve as “a fingerprint” that proves it is the same piece that appears on the artist’s website.

The Banksy painting of a slingshot-toting rat once stood near Israel’s separation barrier and was one of several works created in 2007 that protest Israel’s decades-long occupation of territories the Palestinians want for a future state. (AP)

The 70-kilometre journey it made from the West Bank to Tel Aviv is shrouded in secrecy. The 408-kilogram concrete slab would have had to pass through Israel’s serpentine barrier and at least one military checkpoint — daily features of Palestinian life and targets of Banksy’s biting satire.

Abergel, who is a partner with the Tel Aviv gallery, said he bought the concrete slab from a Palestinian associate in Bethlehem. He declined to disclose the sum he paid or identify the seller, but insisted on the deal’s legality.

The graffiti artwork was spray-painted on a concrete block that was part of an abandoned Israeli army position in Bethlehem, next to a soaring concrete section of the separation barrier.

The original location of a missing mural by Banksy. (AP)

Some time later, the painting was itself subjected to graffiti by someone who obscured the painting and scrawled “RIP Bansky Rat” on the block. Palestinian residents cut out the painting and kept it in private residences until earlier this year, Abergel said.

He said the relocation involved delicate negotiations with his Palestinian associate and careful restoration to remove the acrylic paint sprayed over Banksy’s work. The massive block was then enclosed in a steel frame so it could be lifted onto a flatbed truck and rolled through a checkpoint, until it arrived in Tel Aviv in the middle of the night.

It was not possible to independently confirm his account of his journey.

A mural by secretive British graffiti artist Banksy is covered with protective glass inside a gift shop, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. (AP)

The piece now stands on an ornately patterned tile floor, surrounded by other contemporary art. Baruch Kashkash, the gallery’s owner, said the roughly 2-square-meter block was so heavy it had to be brought inside by a crane, and could barely be moved from the doorway.

Israel controls all access to the West Bank, and Palestinians require Israeli permits to travel in or out and to import and export goods. Even when traveling within the West Bank, they can be stopped and searched by Israeli soldiers at any time.

Israeli citizens, including Jewish settlers, can travel freely in and out of the 60 per cent of the West Bank that is under full Israeli control. Israel prohibits its citizens from entering areas administered by the Palestinian Authority for security reasons, but there’s little enforcement of that ban.

A painting by Banksy that was mysteriously transferred from the occupied West Bank is revealed in Urban Gallery in Tel Aviv, Israel. (AP)

The Palestinians have spent decades seeking an independent state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war. The peace process ground to a halt more than 10 years ago.

Abergel said the artwork’s move was not coordinated with the Israeli military, and that his Palestinian associates, whom he declined to name, were responsible for moving it into Israel and crossing through military checkpoints. He said he has no plans to sell the piece.

Tourists take photos of a mural by secretive British graffiti artist Banksy at in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. (AP)

According to the international treaty governing cultural property to which Israel is a signatory, occupying powers must prevent the removal of cultural property from occupied territories. It remains unclear exactly how the 1954 Hague Convention would apply in this instance.

“This is theft of the property of the Palestinian people,” said Jeries Qumsieh, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Tourism Ministry. “These were paintings by an international artist for Bethlehem, for Palestine, and for visitors to Bethlehem and Palestine. So transferring them, manipulating them and stealing them is definitely an illegal act.”

The Israeli military and COGAT, the Israeli Defense Ministry body responsible for coordinating civilian affairs with the Palestinians, said they had no knowledge of the artwork or its relocation.

A Palestinian remains under a mural by Banksy at a gas station in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. (AP)

Banksy has created numerous artworks in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in recent years, including one depicting a girl conducting a body search on an Israeli soldier, another showing a dove wearing a flak jacket, and a masked protester hurling a bouquet of flowers. He also designed the “Walled Off Hotel” guesthouse in Bethlehem, which is filled with his artwork of him.

A spokesperson for Banksy did not respond to requests for comment.

This is not the first time the street artist’s work has been lifted from the West Bank. In 2008, two other paintings — “Wet Dog” and “Stop and Search” — were removed from the walls of a bus shelter and butcher shop in Bethlehem. They were eventually bought by galleries in the United States and Britain where they were exhibited in 2011.

Koby Abergel, an Israeli art dealer, shows a photo on his phone of him in the West Bank city of Bethlehem with a painting by Banksy that was mysteriously moved. (AP)

Abergel says it’s up to viewers to draw their own conclusions about the artwork and its implications.

“We brought it to the main street of Tel Aviv to be shown to the audience and to show his messages,” said Abergel. “He should be happy with it.”

Categories
Sports

St George Illawarra Dragons, James Graham, sacked, released, axed, let go, parted ways, coaches, Peter Gentle, Mathew Head

St George Illawarra Dragons, James Graham, sacked, released, axed, let go, parted ways, coaches, Peter Gentle, Mathew Head

The Dragons’ coaching clean-out has continued with the club letting go NRL great James Graham from his role mentoring the club’s elite pathways.

Graham is a hugely respected figure in the game but the former England captain becomes the third St George Illawarra staffer to be axed in the past fortnight.

Dragons coach Anthony Griffin decided to part ways with his assistant coaches Peter Gentle and Mathew Head last week.

Stream every game of every round of the 2022 NRL Telstra Premiership Season Live & Ad-Break Free During Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

Round 21

NRL

Aug 04 7:50pm AEST

FT

Roosters

Roosters

3. 4

broncos

16

MATCH CENTER

*Odds are current as of 6th August 2022, 7:30am AEST

VIEW ALL SCORES

NRL

Aug 05 6:00pm AEST

FT

Storm

32

titans

14

MATCH CENTER

*Odds are current as of 6th August 2022, 7:30am AEST

VIEW ALL SCORES

NRL

Aug 05 7:55pm AEST

FT

Sea Eagles

twenty

eels

36

MATCH CENTER

*Odds are current as of 6th August 2022, 7:30am AEST

VIEW ALL SCORES

NRL

Aug 06 3:00pm AEST

rabbitohs

Warriors

MATCH CENTER

$1.08

$8.00

BET

*Odds are current as of 6th August 2022, 7:30am AEST

VIEW ALL SCORES

NRL

Aug 06 5:30pm AEST

raiders

panthers

MATCH CENTER

$2.20

$1.67

BET

*Odds are current as of 6th August 2022, 7:30am AEST

VIEW ALL SCORES

NRL

Aug 06 7:35pm AEST

Shark’s

Dragon’s

MATCH CENTER

$1.26

$3.90

BET

*Odds are current as of 6th August 2022, 7:30am AEST

VIEW ALL SCORES

NRL

Aug 07 2:00pm AEST

bulldog

cowboys

MATCH CENTER

$3.90

$1.26

BET

*Odds are current as of 6th August 2022, 7:30am AEST

VIEW ALL SCORES

NRL

Aug 07 4:05pm AEST

Tigers

knights

MATCH CENTER

$1.45

$2.75

BET

*Odds are current as of 6th August 2022, 7:30am AEST

VIEW ALL SCORES

But the trio shown the door have agreed to see out the remainder of the season, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Graham is reportedly now setting his sights on working for England at the World Cup at the end of the year.

James Graham at the Dragons.Source: Supplied

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Graham has also worked at the club in a corporate executive role this season, where his profile was a major lure for sponsors.

The 36-year-old played 423 first grade games in the Super League and NRL, while also representing England 44 times.

Graham has a strong influence in rugby league, with high-profile media roles on Fox League and Triple M.

The former Bulldogs and Dragons player was reportedly shocked by the club’s decision to let him go.

Walker perfection sets up Butcher | 01:20

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Categories
Australia

Kevin Rudd says Tony Abbott is wrong on the Voice to parliament

Kevin Rudd says Tony Abbott is wrong on the Voice to parliament

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd has launched a scathing rebuke of the emerging conservative campaign against a referendum on an Indigenous Voice to parliament, attacking his longtime rival Tony Abbott for suggesting the body would change Australia’s system of government.

In response to the former Liberal prime minister, who has claimed the Voice could undermine the function of parliament with veto-like powers, Rudd said the proposed constitutional amendments to establish the body were “modest” and ensured the body would have only an advisory role to governments.

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd has called the Voice referendum question “a modest proposal”.

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd has called the Voice referendum question “a modest proposal”. Credit:alex ellinghausen

“Although these are modest proposals, we still have congenital bad actors like Tony Abbott screeching that such amendments would ‘change our system of government’ by establishing the Voice as ‘part of our parliament’, and enable ‘judicial intervention’ to strike down laws ,” Rudd said in an opinion piece for The Sydney Morning Herald and TheAge.

“On both counts, Abbott is wrong. It speaks volumes that his most trusted Indigenous adviser in government, Noel Pearson of the Cape York Institute, has strongly endorsed Albanese’s proposal. Like on climate action, Abbott seems determined to stoke anxiety and fear.”

Responding to Rudd’s remarks, Abbott said he did not want to get into “a slanging match with a fellow former PM” but stood by his concerns about the way the body would function.

“What’s the point of the Voice if it’s not to change the way government works? And any constitutional change requiring the government to consider ‘representations…on matters relating’ to Indigenous affairs leaves government action more open to legal challenge,” Abbott said.

The clashing views of the two former prime ministers give a flavor of the forthcoming rival Yes and No campaigns on the Voice, as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese looks to hold a referendum this term on whether to enshrine the body in the constitution.

Writing in TheAustralian, Abbott suggested the Voice would have “something approaching a veto” over decisions of the parliament, and would change the way government works “because a particular group will have an unspecified say, over unspecified topics, with unspecified ramifications”.

Categories
US

Sinema made Schumer cut carried interest loophole from 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 in the Senate split 50-50 by party.

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 Republicans and Democrats — 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 he spoke with 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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Categories
Business

Married At First Sight star outraged over $27 meal in Auckland

Married At First Sight star outraged over $27 meal in Auckland

A furious Married At First Sight star has slammed a New Zealand cafe for their “tiny” salad that set him back $27.

Former MAFS contestant Samuel Levi took to Instagram to share a photo of a salad that he was served at an unnamed Auckland restaurant.

The 29-year-old described the “small” meal as a “piece of s**t” and slammed the salad’s $27 NZD [$24 AUD] price tag as “daylight robbery.”

“Paid $27 for this tiny and small piece of s**t salad… blood hell Auckland” he wrote.

“This is damn rough and day light robbery.”

Samuel not to name the restaurant where he got the meal, but instead decided just the general location.

“I won’t tag the place directly, but I’ll put the location of the place below where not to go and visit while in Auckland” he said, followed by an eyeroll and facepalm emoji.

The salad consisted of some greens, cherry tomatoes, avocado, parmesan cheese and some large bits of toasted bread on the side.

With the cost of living soaring in recent months, the price of produced has skyrocketed – causing many restaurants in Australia and New Zealand to adjust their prices.

In New Zealand, the inflation rate from March to June 2022 increased 1.7 per cent, and the inflation rate year on year is 7.3 per cent, compared to 6.9 per cent for the previous quarter.

Earlier this week, honeymooners in Greece were left shocked after getting stuck with an $850 bill for a “quick snack”.

Lindsay Breen and her husband Alex, both 30, were left in shock after being surprised by the outrageous bill at DK Oyster in Mykonos.

The couple, who hail from Toronto, Canada, was exploring the picturesque town when they decided to pop into one of the local restaurants.

“We went to the oyster bar for a bite to eat and a drink,” Lindsay explained.

“They immediately said ‘do you want oysters?’ They were very presumptuous. We said yes and he said ‘a dozen?’ so we said yes because a dozen is a typical order.

“My husband ordered a beer and I asked for a cocktail menu and he came back with the beer but I had to ask again for a cocktail menu and he started rhyming off different kinds of alcohol he had, vodka, gin but I asked for a menu.”

After finishing their snack and “comically large drinks,” the couple was ready to pay and continue with their day.

“When we were ready to leave, I went to the washroom and they had my husband go into a back room to pay which is sketchy,” Lindsay remembered.

“They gave him the bill which was over 400 euros. He was shocked and asked for a breakdown. They had a computer screen that they turned to him and it was all in Greek but we don’t speak Greek.”

Although he was completely shocked by the large bill, Alex paid without any issues after he got a “sketchy vibe” and “didn’t want to get himself in a bad situation.”

“He definitely felt intimidated and he’s the friendliest guy so even if the bill was double he probably would have paid it to avoid any problems,” Lindsay admitted.

“It was pretty crazy. I’m glad in hindsight that we didn’t cause an argument or refuse to pay because it could have ended up worse for us. They know when you’re tourists they take advantage.”

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New Steam Shooter Is Basically Half-Life 2 And It Rules

New Steam Shooter Is Basically Half-Life 2 And It Rules

I’ve probably written this before on this very website, but whenever someone asks me what my favorite video game is, my default answer is half life 2. So any game that tries to capture half life 2‘s excellent mix of exploration, action, puzzle-solving, and emptiness has my attention. And if that game succeeds and also includes its own gravity gun, well, I’m over the moon about it. Lucky for me and others half life fans, the newly released indie shooter adaka is one of those games.

released last week, adaka is a first-person shooter that is a self-described throwback to the late 1990s and early 2000s. This was the era of the “linear-but-not-stuck-in-hallways shooter.” stuff like half life 2, Haloand farcry. The kind of shooters where you, yes, only have one path through each level and playspace, but the areas are larger than doom‘s hallways, are interesting to explore, and are often filled with environmental puzzles. and-while adaka is pulling from a lot of these shooters, it’s most similar of all to half life 2and not by accident.

Within the first 20 minutes of adaka, you’re given a gravity gun-like arm and forced to fight space cops who emit a loud blast of static and electronic screeching when killed. And like Gordon Freeman, the main star of Valve’s half life series, your main character never speaks on their long, unbroken journey from point A to point B. If you’ve played half life 2 or its subsequent episodes, all of this should sound pretty familiar. But if it ain’t broke…

Screenshot: Siris Pendrake / KotakuScreenshot: Siris Pendrake / Kotaku

The single developer who made adaka clearly understands what made half life 2 and its contemporary work. For example, an early section involves a train, a desolate bridge, and not much else but the sound of a distant crow. While limited, the level works, mainly because having to time when to move forward and when to squeeze to the side to let the train fly by is made more intense by all the space cops shooting at you. Of course, just like in half life 2, you can also grab a big box and use it to block some of the bullets. Or fling it at the bastard shooting at you, knocking him off the bridge entirely.

Another level features limited ammo and loads of small objects you can fling at zombie-like enemies. Or you can use bigger ones to create obstacles to slow them down while you figure out how to escape. You always have options in Adaca.

What makes this indie shooter stand out is how it routinely nails the flow and pacing of a half life game, even if some parts feel less polished than Valve’s classic shooter. This is most noticeable in some small areas, like stairways, where you’ll clip through walls or stairs. Other times I ran into performance issues or empty rooms that felt unfinished. And characters aren’t voiced; instead, they do the Banjo-Kazooie “chirping” thing. None of this made it harder to enjoy adaka, it just reminded me of the scale of the game and its limited resources. It was also a reminder of how much of a passion project this game appears to be.

Screenshot: Siris Pendrake / KotakuScreenshot: Siris Pendrake / Kotaku

when adaka is working and nailing that Half-Life 2-feel, it’s one of my favorite games I’ve played this year. Anyone who loved half life 2 or alyx or any of the episodes should at the very least check out the game’s free demo.

I’ve not even mentioned that this game also contains a full, alternate open-world campaign. So once you get tired of reliving the past, you get a whole other mode that plays more like a modern, large-scale shooter, like recent farcry games. What a value!

adaka is available on Steam and Itch.io for PC. It also has a free demo available to play now if you want to try it before you buy.