Categories
Sports

Alligator Blood a shock scratching from Victorian spring carnival after ruling from integrity officials

Alligator Blood has been banned from racing in the Victorian spring carnival. Picture: Grant Peters–Trackside Photography

EXCLUSIVE: Alligator Blood banned from Victorian spring carnival

Alligator Blood has been banned from racing in the Victorian spring carnival. Picture: Grant Peters–Trackside Photography Alligator Blood has been banned from racing in the Victorian spring carnival. Picture: Grant Peters–Trackside Photography

Headline horse Alligator Blood has been sensationally banned from racing in the Victorian spring carnival.

In a bombshell development, News Corp can exclusively reveal the two-time Group 1 winner has been barred by Victorian integrity officials.

Victoria has followed the NSW lead in banning Alligator Blood from racing, due to owner Allan Endresz’s undischarged bankruptcy status.

“In relation to horses where you hold a majority interest: Stewards will not allow any horse in which you hold a majority share to race in Victoria until: (a) you annul your bankruptcy; and (b) resolve the ownership ascertainment issue to the Stewards’ reasonable satisfaction,” a letter from RV deputy chief steward Rob Montgomery to Endresz reads.

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“For the avoidance of doubt, the prohibition outlined in this section 2 includes the following horses: Alligator Blood and American Pioneer.”

Endresz said he may seek an immediate legal injunction over the matter – he will be on a hook-up with his legal team on Friday.

“We could seek an injunction or appeal the decision to try to keep Alligator Blood going,” Endresz said.

“I could also put an application in that converts 60 per cent of the ownership over to the other owners.

“But then they (integrity officials) say they might need to do due diligence on the finances of the other owners, that’s absurd.

“It’s distressing for Alligator Blood’s fans they have taken this hard-nosed approach, this was a specific rule introduced for me, there is no doubt about that.

“They (Racing Victoria) allowed Alligator Blood’s Cox Plate nomination and now they have done this today.”

Alligator Blood winning the Stradbroke Handicap. Picture: Grant Peters–Trackside Photography

In terms of banning Alligator Blood, Racing Victoria told Endresz “any future ownership application to amend your interest in the racing ownership of the named horses will be subject to stewards review and approval.”

Horses in which Endresz owns a minority interest may be allowed to race in Victoria, subject to stewards’ discretion.

Alligator Blood, trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, was set to be a huge Victorian spring carnival drawcard.

He secured a famous and emotional win in the Stradbroke Handicap, giving Waterhouse her first Stradbroke win and her 150th Group 1 triumph.

Endresz’s wife – terminally ill Joy – was on death’s door when Alligator Blood won the Stradbroke and she passed away the following day but not before waking up and asking if the horse had won.

Bott said he would work with Victorian authorities to try to understand the decision, but rich Hong Kong races in December loomed as one potential option.

As it stands, Alligator Blood can still race in Queensland so there is also the option of the rich Magic Millions day on the Gold Coast in January.

“Where can we race? If it is Magic Millions we will look at that, or if it is an international campaign we will look at that,” Bott said.

Earlier on Thursday, before News Corp broke news Alligator Blood had been banned from the Victorian spring, Endresz also revealed he had nominated the star horse for the Japan Cup in November.

News Corp sighted a letter from Japanese racing officials about the matter.

“We recognize that Alligator Blood is one of the great horses in Australia,” a representative from the Japan Racing Association writes to Endresz.

“The nomination for the Japan Cup will close on 4 October. The JRA Selection Committee will be held as soon as possible after closing.

“We wish Alligator Blood continued success at the spring carnival.”

Allan Endresz with wife Joy, who passed away the day after Alligator Blood won the Stradbroke. Picture: Twitter/Facebook

It is a bold and unorthodox move to even consider as the Japan Cup is run over 2400m and Alligator Blood has never stretched out beyond 1600m.

“They said they were setting Better Loosen Up a task when he won the Japan Cup (in 1990) and this horse (Alligator Blood) has already proven the doubters wrong,” Endresz said.

Alligator Blood headed north from NSW to race in the Queensland winter carnival after Racing Queensland did not follow the NSW decision to ban Endresz-owned horses from racing.

With Alligator Blood banned from racing in Victoria, it has left the headline horse in no man’s land, unable to race in either of Australia’s biggest racing states.

On Thursday morning, the TAB fixed odds market had Alligator Blood as a $26 chance in the Cox Plate.

But after the news he had been banned, TAB removed Alligator Blood from all its spring carnival betting markets including the Cox Plate.

Alligator Blood had been set to have a trial at Cranbourne next Tuesday.

Categories
Australia

ADF, Border Force called in as government establishes foot-and-mouth disease task force

A grey-haired, bespectacled man in a dark suit.

The Army is being called in to advise the federal government on Australia’s preparedness for a potential outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).

Australia has been free of the disease, which affects pigs, goats, cattle and sheep, for more than a century, but an outbreak detected in Indonesia in May has authorities on high alert.

Agriculture Minister Murray Watt says the new task force will provide urgent advice over the next four weeks on Australia’s response in the event of a potential outbreak.

“The new exotic animal disease preparedness task force will include officials from a range of government departments, including the Australian Defense Force, Australian Border Force and Animal Health Australia,” Senator Watt said in Canberra.

“By bringing together the best expertise from across government, we can ensure that everyone understands their roles and responsibilities if there were to be an outbreak, and that there are no gaps in our response.”

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US

Restructuring officer for Alex Jones’ business questioned about tens of millions withdrawn from company

Restructuring officer for Alex Jones' business questioned about tens of millions withdrawn from company



CNN Business
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The accountant now in charge of overseeing right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ company Free Speech Systems through its bankruptcy was questioned Wednesday by attorneys for families of Sandy Hook shooting victims over $62 million in funds Jones has drawn from the company over the years.

Free Speech Systems, which runs Jones’ conspiratorial outlet Infowars, filed for bankruptcy protection on Friday, amid proceedings in two states to determine how much Jones owes in damages to families of Sandy Hook victims over his false claims that the shooting was a hoax and they had not actually gone through the experience of losing a child in it.

Marc Schwartz testified he signed a contract to take over as Chief Restructuring Officer for the company in June and now controls all bank accounts, payroll and hiring decisions. Schwartz testified that Jones withdrew about $62 million dollars from the company over 14 years, and testified that $30 million of those withdrawals was paid to the IRS.

Schwartz also testified during the hearing, which ran for more than six hours, that Infowars received about $9 million in cryptocurrency donations and that “they went directly to Mr. Jones.”

Schwartz said during his testimony that Free Speech Systems should be allowed to use cash it has on hand to be able to pay vendors, saying otherwise it will have to shut down.

“If we can’t pay the critical vendors then we will be shut down,” Schwartz said. “The company’s in a situation right now where there’s not a whole lot of breathing room.”

US Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez said Wednesday he would not allow more withdrawals moving forward and that he found some of Schwartz’s testimony “troubling.”

Court documents filed Friday as part of Free Speech Systems’ bankruptcy showed the company has between $10 million and $50 million in estimated assets and between $50 million and $100 million in estimated liabilities. An attorney for Free Speech Systems said at the hearing Wednesday that the company has about $1.3 million cash on hand.

Schwartz stressed the importance of being able to pay vendors that allow the company to broadcast and sell products online, saying that when Jones is not on the air discussing products he sells, the company sees a 30% drop in sales.

“If we can’t broadcast, we can’t sell,” Schwartz said.

Schwartz testified the management structure of Free Speech Systems was not set up the way a successful business should be managed.

“There is Alex and then there is everybody else,” Schwartz testified.

Schwartz said accounting controls were, as far as he could tell after taking control of the company, “nonexistent,” that the people responsible for maintaining the company’s books did not have accounting degrees and that there had been no financial reports produced in at least 18 months when he took over.

Lawyers homed in on Jones’ salary under the bankruptcy plan, saying documents showed Jones’ salary before the bankruptcy was $625,000 a year, and under a restructuring plan, it would amount to about $1.3 million. Schwartz said Jones’ salary could be considered reasonable because of his value to the company.

“Who is more valuable? Nobody,” Schwartz said. Lopez authorized a lower salary for Jones to be paid, of about $20,000 every other week.

When asked how much the company had spent on legal expenses related to the Sandy Hook lawsuits, Schwartz said company records show at least $4.5 million have been spent between 2018 and 2021, but that he does not believe that number is accurate.

Schwartz also testified that Jones used a company-associated American Express card to pay for personal expenses, including housekeeping charges, regularly in the past 18 months. The card had $300,000 a month in charges, but Schwartz said accounting staff did not label what the charges were for.

“We can’t tell you whether it’s for electricity, entertainment or electronic supplies for the production studio,” Schwartz said.

Lopez said he would not authorize the current American Express bill of about $172,000 to be paid.

Schwartz said he didn’t know who Jones was before being hired, and that he doesn’t agree with many of Jones’ views but occasionally consults with him on matters involving the business.

Three smaller companies tied to Jones declared bankruptcy earlier this year, briefly pausing the suits against Jones. But the families suing him dropped those companies from their lawsuits so that the cases could move forward against only Jones and Free Speech Systems. Shortly after, the companies exited bankruptcy protection.

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Categories
Sports

Potential No.1 pick nominees for father-son selection

Potential No.1 pick nominees for father-son selection

Will Ashcroft has officially nominated to join Brisbane as a father-son selection in the 2022 National Draft.

Ashcroft, the potential No.1 pick in this year’s draft, is the son of 318-game triple-premiership Lions champion Marcus Ashcroft.

The teenager has starred for Sandringham Dragons in the NAB League and for Vic Metro in the Under 18 National Championships.

Ashcroft put his name up in lights after racking up 51 disposals for the Dragons in a NAB League match in June.

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“I can’t wait to join the Club and start earning the respect of all the players and coaching staff,” the young midfielder told Brisbane’s website.

“I was lucky enough to do some work with the midfielders last pre-season and I am really looking forward to learning from them and hopefully breaking into that group and seeing what we can become.

“To be following after dad is a privilege and if I can achieve half of what he did then I would be happy. I am also looking forward to forging my own name.

“I’d like to say a big thanks to Leon Harris (Lions recruiter) he has done heaps of work over the years to support me. And also a huge thanks to my parents and brother and sister for all they have done.”

Ashcroft is averaging 35 disposals in the NAB League and 33 touches across three games for Vic Metro.

His younger brother Levi is eligible for the 2024 National Draft.





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Categories
Australia

Father who killed toddler are doing donuts on quad bike likely to avoid jail, court hears

A blonde-haired Lincoln Browne smiles as he stands outdoors, dressed in a black t-shirt.

A Victorian father who killed his two-year-old son in a quad bike crash because he was doing donuts with the toddler on his lap has wept after learning that he is likely to avoid jail.

WARNING: This story contains details that may distress some readers.

Christopher Browne was behind the wheel when he lost control of the buggy during the dangerous manoeuvre and it overturned, flinging his son Lincoln from the vehicle at their home in Barnawartha North, near the New South Wales border, on Christmas Day in 2020.

Lincoln was sitting on his father’s knee and was only being held in place. No one was wearing a helmet.

Browne escaped the crash with minor injuries, as did his sister, who was in the passenger seat.

He today appeared in the County Court of Victoria and pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death and conduct endangering persons.

Judge Michael Cahill said he accepted that Browne was “profoundly remorseful.”

“I have formed the view in all the circumstances in this case that a community correction order is the appropriate sentence for Mr Browne,” the judge said.

“Living with the loss of his child is punishment more than any court could impose.”

Browne, who appeared by videolink from Wodonga, wiped away tears as the judge spoke.

Father was trying to ‘scare’ sister in lead-up to crash, court hears

On December 25, 2020, Browne opened presents and ate brunch with family members at his home in Barnawartha North.

Just before lunchtime, Browne took his Polaris buggy out to give his guests rides.

He got into the driver’s seat and sat on top of the seatbelt, which was already clipped in, while his sister got into the passenger side and put on her restraints.

Court documents reveal that Browne placed Lincoln, who wanted to go for a ride, on his left knee and held him in place.

He then drove out into a paddock and performed several donuts before driving back up the driveway, where he reached speeds of up to 70 kilometers per hour.

He turned the buggy around and drove back into the paddock to perform another donut when he lost control of the vehicle and it flipped, flinging the toddler.

The court heard the buggy was estimated to be traveling at 45kph at the time.

The event was witnessed by Michael Hart, the partner of Browne’s sister.

“Lincoln fell out … and went straight under. The buggy landed straight on top of him,” he later told investigators.

The two-year-old died at the scene.

Lincoln smiles as he is held by his father in a family photo outdoors.
The court heard Browne has been overwhelmed by post-traumatic stress in the aftermath of his son’s death.(Facebook)

Browne later told investigators that he was trying to “scare” his sister.

“I tried to show my sister my new car … My brother-in-law, her partner, said not to go too hard to scare her ’cause he wanted to get one, which her being my sister made me feel like I wanted to ,” he said.

He told police that he had one mid-strength beer during lunch and a pre-mixed drink before and during brunch, but tests revealed he had no alcohol in his system after the crash.

“Mr Brown has been overwhelmed by his post-traumatic stress,” Judge Cahill said.

“At times, the only thing that keeps him going is his sense of responsibility to look after his wife and the younger child.”

None of Browne’s family members made victim impact statements to the court and he was supported by his wife during the hearing.

Prosecutor Erin Ramsay initially pushed for jail time but ultimately accepted that a community-based order was an appropriate sentence.

“There should be a very significant amount of unpaid community work attached to such an order given that the order’s really being made in lieu of what would otherwise be imprisonment,” she said.

Browne’s bail was extended ahead of his sentence next week.

He will be assessed for a community-based order.

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Categories
Sports

Scotland’s Eilish McColgan upsets Kenya’s Irine Cheptai in the Commonwealth Games 10,000m, matching her mother Liz Nuttall

A woman wears a beaming smile as she looks at a female athlete who is wrapped in a Scottish flag after a race.

The women’s 10,000m race in Birmingham has produced one of the iconic moments of the Commonwealth Games, with Scotland’s Eilish McColgan upsetting the odds to emulate her mother Liz Nuttall by taking gold in the event.

The pair had an emotional embrace in the stands after the race, which saw McColgan break the Commonwealth Games record.

Nuttall (formerly Liz McColgan), won the women’s 10,000m world title and the 10,000m crown at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh in 1986.

She went on to successfully defend her title in Auckland four years later. In the process she set a Commonwealth Games record for the event of 31 minutes 41.42 seconds.

A Scottish athlete runs to the shoulder of a Kenyan rival on the final corner of a 10,000m final, as both runners grimace.
Eilish McColgan and Irine Cheptai gave it everything in a thrilling final lap of the women’s 10,000m final, before McColgan came away to win.(Getty Images: Al Bello)

Thirty two years on, her daughter came into the 10,000m facing the task of beating favorite Irine Cheptai of Kenya.

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The 25-lap race was a tactical battle, with McColgan lifting the slow early pace before it evolved into an elite group of six, that then became a group of three with Cheptai and compatriot Sheila Chepkirui Kiprotich.

Kiprotich then dropped back with a suspected leg problem, leaving McColgan and Cheptai alone.

The crowd in the Alexander Stadium roared her on, McColgan gritted her teeth and hung in on the final lap as she refused to be broken by the Kenyan runner.

The pair ran down the back straight with Cheptai leading by a meter or so, but McColgan was still there and kept responding to every move.

As they ran towards the final turn, McColgan was on her shoulder and the crowd noise grew again.

The Scottish runner seemed to lose balance slightly but regathered herself for one last push entering the straight. She finally drew level and then moved in front.

Both women were on the limit, but McColgan had enough in reserve to draw ahead in the final stages and sprint clear for gold.

Team Scotland's Eilish McColgan celebrates her gold medal in the women's 10,000m
The emotions were high for Eilish McColgan as the Scottish runner brought the house down with a stirring win in the 10,000m, like her mother had 32 and 36 years previously.(Getty Images: David Ramos)

She raised her arms in triumph as she crossed the line, then the tears flowed for McColgan as she tried to process the fact she had won.

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Categories
US

Mark McCloskey, who waved gun at protesters, garners just 3 percent of GOP Senate primary vote

Mark McCloskey, who waved gun at protesters, garners just 3 percent of GOP Senate primary vote

Mark McCloskey, who became infamous in 2020 for waving a rifle at Black Lives Matter protesters who marched near his front lawn in St. Louis, lost his bid for a US Senate seat in Missouri on Tuesday night.

McCloskey won just 3 percent of the vote, according to results from The Associated Press, while Missouri’s Attorney General Eric Schmitt earned 45 percent of the vote to clinch the GOP nomination.

Polls had shown McCloskey was running far behind his opponents headed into election day.

McCloskey, an attorney, brandished an assault-style rifle while standing outside his home with his wife Patricia McCloskey, also a lawyer, during the 2020 summer protests against police brutality that followed the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn.

The couple became a symbol of the culture war in America, drawing praise at the time from former President Trump and conservatives who argued Mark McCloskey was defending his home, but also condemnation from the left who said he threatened peaceful protesters.

The McCloskeys pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of assault and harassment over the incident, but were later pardoned by Missouri’s Republican Gov. Mike Parson.

A Missouri panel also filed an ethics complaint against the couple to suspend their law licenses, which the Missouri Supreme Court ruled on in February.

The court, calling the couple’s crimes a “moral turpitude,” sanctioned the McCloskeys and ordered them to complete 100 hours of pro-bono work. They were also ordered to a one-year probationary period, which if violated could result in an indefinite suspension of their law licenses.

The US Supreme Court last month rejected an appeal from the couple, who argued the ruling violated their Second Amendment right to defend themselves in their own home.

In May 2021, Mark McCloskey announced his bid for Missouri’s open US Senate seat to replace retiring GOP Sen. Roy Blunt.

At the time, he said Missourians were seeking a candidate like him who would fight back against the “cancel culture mobs.”

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Categories
Sports

Commonwealth Games 2022: A historic day for golden Kiwis – day six wrap

Commonwealth Games 2022: A historic day for golden Kiwis - day six wrap

Hamish Kerr makes history with high jump gold. Video/Sky Sport

All you need to know from yet another successful day at the Commonwealth Games for New Zealand athletes as they claimed historic gold medals.

king of the mountains

Ben Oliver (L) and Sam Gaze celebrate yet another one-two finish for New Zealand in Commonwealth Games mountain biking. Photo / Photosport
Ben Oliver (L) and Sam Gaze celebrate yet another one-two finish for New Zealand in Commonwealth Games mountain biking. Photo / Photosport

Day six began with a bang for New Zealand as Sam Gaze made it back-to-back Commonwealth Games golds in the men’s mountain bike event after a dominant display that also produced silver for fellow Kiwi rider Ben Oliver.

Gaze was in commanding form on Thursday, finishing 31 seconds ahead of Oliver to make it three straight Games that New Zealand has completed a one-two, after Anton Cooper pipped Gaze in Glasgow and before that outcome was acrimoniously reversed on the Gold Coast.

The race was denied the chance of reigniting Gaze and highly-ranked Cooper’s heated rivalry after the latter withdrew from the event due to Covid-19. That left Oliver the opportunity to make his way up the field and he did so well, improving from his fourth place on the Gold Coast in 2018.

Check out or full report from the circuit here.

Paul Coll rallies to new height

Paul Coll with the gold medal he's been dreaming of all week long. Photo / Photosport
Paul Coll with the gold medal he’s been dreaming of all week long. Photo / Photosport

Coll has capped off a huge few years at the top level of men’s squash by winning gold in a tough five-set battle with Wales’ Joel Makin.

After winning silver four years ago on the Gold Coast, Coll briefly ascended to No 1 in the world earlier this year and in 2021 became the first Kiwi man to win the prestigious British Open title, while defending that crown again in April.

History was made again today as Coll became the first Kiwi man to win a gold medal in squash at a Commonwealth Games.

Earlier in the day, Joelle King blew a 2-0 lead in her bronze medal playoff to lose in five sets to world No 6 and hometown favorite Sarah Jane Perry.

Check out Albie Redmore’s full report from the court here.

White men can jump

Hamish Kerr is building an impressive resume amongst the world's best high jumpers. Photo / Photosport
Hamish Kerr is building an impressive resume amongst the world’s best high jumpers. Photo / Photosport

Christchurch’s Hamish Kerr became the first Kiwi man to win a Commonwealth Games high jump medal, claiming a shiny new gold for his cupboard.

Kerr ended up in a head-to-head battle with Australian Brandon Starc, the 2018 gold medal winner and younger brother of cricketer Mitchell Starc.

Both cleared 2.25m and failed at 2.28m, but Starch had earlier failures at lower heights whereas Kerr had been clear.

Kerr joins Tania Murray (nee Dixon) and Tracy Phillips, who claimed gold and bronze respectively in the women’s event at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland.

Maddi Wesche was a cool customer on the Commonwealth Games days. Photo/Getty
Maddi Wesche was a cool customer on the Commonwealth Games days. Photo/Getty

Kerr’s medal was one of two in athletics for the day, with shot putter Maddi Wesche taking out bronze with a throw of 18.84m, a touch shorter than her throw of 18.98m in the final of the Tokyo Olympics. Canada’s Sarah Mitton won gold with a throw of 19.03m.

In the women’s 100m final, Kiwi sprinter Zoe Hobbs finished sixth with a time of 11.19s. She would’ve needed to better her personal best of 11.08 to challenge for the podium.

Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica took out gold with a time of 10.95, with St Lucian Julien Alfred second in 11.01 and England’s Daryll Neita third in 11.07.

Check out our full report from the athletics here.

Liti salvages silver from tough day

David Liti poses with his silver medal besides coach Tina Ball. Photo / Photosport
David Liti poses with his silver medal besides coach Tina Ball. Photo / Photosport

Popular Kiwi weightlifter David Liti fell short of a second straight Commonwealth Games gold medal but still came away with a silver on a day when he couldn’t find his best form.

Liti set a new Games record in 2018 with a combined weight of 403kg and lifted a total of 417kg at last year’s Olympics. However, he could only muster a total of 394kg on Thursday, leaving the door open for Pakistan’s Nooh Dastgir Butt to claim the gold with a total of 405kg.

The loss to Butt has sparked a desire for revenge in Liti, who says he’s now looking forward to a repeat match up at the world championships.

“He did really good to keep himself ahead, and next time I face off with him it’ll definitely be a good one,” Liti said. “If he comes to worlds, I’ll show him what’s up.”

Check out our full report from the weightlifting here.

Three medal haul for Judo team

Kody Andrews was a proud silver medalist on Thursday. Photo / Photosport
Kody Andrews was a proud silver medalist on Thursday. Photo / Photosport

It was a superb day for the New Zealand judo team with Kody Andrews leading a three medal haul with silver in the men’s 100kg event after being pinned by Canada’s Marc Deschenes early in the gold medal bout to lose by Ippon.

Moira De Villiers claimed bronze in the women’s -78kg after defeating Ayuk Otay Arrey Sophina of Cameroon by Ippon with 28 seconds left. It’s her second medal from her after winning silver in Glasgow eight years ago. She defeated fellow Kiwi Hayley Mackey in the quarter-finals, one of her her students at the judo club she runs with her husband Jason Koster in Christchurch. She was then beaten by England’s Emma Reid in the semifinals who went onto win gold.

The bronze bout was a close thing but de Villiers kept her calm and got the win just at the end.

“[It’s] super special. It wasn’t what I wanted but I’m still glad I was able to represent New Zealand and get another medal. I just knew she would gas after a minute I just had to keep going and be a little bit of a dogfight. I’m ruthless on the ground so I knew I was going to get it,” she told Sky Sport.

Gisborne’s Sydnee Andrews also claimed bronze with the 19-year-old promising gold in four years’ time after defeating Sarah Hawkes of Northern Ireland in their women’s +78kg bronze bout.

Clareburt bags a bronze

Lewis Clareburt has added a bronze to his medal collection. Photo / Photosport
Lewis Clareburt has added a bronze to his medal collection. Photo / Photosport

Lewis Clareburt’s quest for a third gold medal fell just short as he picked up a bronze to end his campaign.

The Kiwi finished third in the 200m individual medley final with Scotland’s Duncan Scott taking the gold ahead of Tom Dean of England.

18-year-old Erika Fairweather qualified fastest for the 400m freestyle final but couldn’t match world record holder Ariarne Titmus and young Canadian star Summer McIntosh in the final.

Fairweather battled Aussie Kiah Melverton for bronze, just missing out on the medals by 0.60 seconds in a time of 4:03.84. Fellow Kiwi Eve Thomas was seventh in 4:09.73.

To view a full list of every result by every Kiwi athlete and team, check out our full schedule and results.

Medals today:

Gold – Paul Coll – Men’s squash
Gold – Hamish Kerr – Men’s high jump
Gold – Sam Gaze – Men’s mountain bike
Silver – Ben Oliver – Men’s mountain bike
Silver – Kody Andrews – Judo – Men’s 100kg+
Silver – David Liti – Weightlifting – Men’s +109kg
Bronze – Sydnee Andrews – Judo – Women’s 78kg+
Bronze – Moira Koster – Judo – Women’s 78kg
Bronze – Lewis Clareburt – Swimming – Men’s 200 IM
Bronze – Maddi Wesche – Athletics – Women’s shot put

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Categories
US

Why IRS’ $80B expansion is a ‘nightmare’ for small businesses

Why IRS' $80B expansion is a 'nightmare' for small businesses

Small business owners may soon be in for a lengthy and expensive battle with the IRS, tax experts warn.

A key provision in the Inflation Reduction Act — which throws an extra $80 billion to the IRS to improve the agency’s collection of under-reported income — will end up targeting small business owners to pay for the legislation, according to nonpartisan watchdog the Joint Committee on Taxation.

The group estimates that between 78% and 90% of the estimated additional $200 billion the IRS will collect will come from small businesses making less than $200,000 annually.

Just 4% to 9% would come from businesses making north of $500,000 a year — meaning the legislation is in sharp contrast to President Biden’s longstanding claim that he wouldn’t raise taxes on anyone making less than $400,000.

“The IRS will have to target small and medium businesses because they won’t fight back,” Joe Hinchman, executive vice president at the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, told The Post. “We’ve seen this play out before … the IRS says ‘We’re going after the rich’ but when you’re trying to raise that much money, the rich can only get you so far.”

I.R.S.
Increasing the number of IRS agents could hurt small businesses most.
Getty Images

In fact, going after the lower and middle class can actually be more lucrative for IRS auditors than trying to get more money from the wealthy. “The rich have their lawyers and fight it — that’s why the poor are easier to go after,” Hinchman adds.

Accordingly, tax experts warn that the IRS’s audits will be far more painful and costly for small business owners — even for those who think they’re filing their taxes correctly.

manchin
Sens. Joe Manchin and Chuck Schumer have reached a deal that would give the IRS an extra $80 billion.
Getty Images

“Most small businesses aren’t doing anything wrong,” Daniel Bunn, executive vice president at the Tax Foundation, told The Post. “We don’t make the tax code simple and the complicated tax code makes it difficult for small business owners to comply with all the requirements.”

Even if small business owners get everything right, they may still be faced with a headache since part of the IRS expansion will involve sending out more notices and letters to businesses, Bunn adds. For individual contractors or small businesses, an IRS letter that they owe more money or made an error on their taxes can put them underwater.

“Anytime you get an IRS letter, it could take months or years to get it settled — we’re talking many thousands of dollars to address,” Bunn added. “Large companies have constant reviews and lawyers going through everything… small business doesn’t have the resources to fight back in the way.”

The White House has dismissed claims the bill will hurt lower- and middle-income Americans, instead noting the JCT estimate doesn’t take into account how much the bill will offset costs for average Americans like prescription drugs.

But tax experts aren’t so sanguine about the reality of giving the IRS more resources.

“The approach here is to double the IRS workforce, take the leash off, and see how much they can collect,” Hinchman adds. “I think they’ll collect it but it will be quite painful.”

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Categories
Sports

Commonwealth Games 2022: Tahlia McGrath masterclass steers Australia to victory over Pakistan, cricket news

Commonwealth Games 2022: Tahlia McGrath masterclass steers Australia to victory over Pakistan, cricket news

Tahlia McGrath just can’t be stopped.

The Australian put together another superb all-round performance in Wednesday’s Commonwealth Games match against Pakistan in Birmingham, extending her golden run in the T20 format.

McGrath top-scored with an unbeaten 78 (51) before claiming three wickets to help the Aussies secure a convincing 44-run victory at Edgbaston.

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The 26-year-old smacked 10 boundaries and a six over fine leg in the penultimate over, combining with opener Beth Mooney for an unbeaten 141-run stand as Australia registered a team total of 2/160.

It ranks as the largest third-wicket partnership for Australia in women’s T20Is.

McGrath later collected career-best figures of 3/13 from three overs with the ball, finding herself on a hat-trick in the 17th over after removing Bismah Maroof and Tuba Hassan in consecutive deliveries.

The South Australian’s career stats are nothing short of absurd – since making her T20I debut in October last year, McGrath has scored 339 runs at 169.50.

Her strike rate of 156.22 is arguably even more impressive.

McGrath has only been dismissed for less than 70 eleven in 12 T20 internationals; during last week’s thrilling victory over India.

“When I got out the first time, I did joke that I was going to retire and keep that average for the rest of my career,” McGrath told reporters after the win.

“I’m quite enjoying the T20 format, I just get to go out there, play with a bit of freedom, play my shots and I know that if it doesn’t come off, I’ve got that many explosive batters coming in behind me

“(My form) is a big surprise and I’m still pinching myself. But I just love playing in the Australian shirt and I love every moment I get to do it.

“So at the moment, it’s nice that I’m contributing to some team success and I’m just riding the wave and enjoying my cricket because it’s been a lot of fun.”

McGrath’s bowling has been equally as damaging in the T20 format, taking 10 wickets at 11.00 with a strike rate of 10.2.

She joins Pakistan’s Mohammed Hafeez on an illustrious list of cricketers to score 70+ runs and take 3+ wickets in a T20I more than eleven.

McGrath has essentially made herself undroppable, pushing superstar all-rounder Ellyse Perry out of the national T20 line-up.

“She just seems really clear on her role in our team, and also has got some great clarity on her own process within her own game,” Mooney said.

“She just comes out and takes the pressure off the other batter out there, which was me today, which I was really grateful for.

“She’s just really clear on her own game plan and she comes out with that confidence when she first walks out there, too, so that helps as well.”

Australian wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy and skipper Meg Lanning were cheaply dismissed in the Powerplay, each returning to the sheds for 4.

Healy’s form with the bat in the game’s shortest format may be cause for concern – since the start of 2021, she has averaged 8.77 with the bat in T20 internationals.

Aussie seamers Megan Schutt and Darcie Brown each snared early breakthroughs in the Powerplay before McGrath combined with spinners Jess Jonassen and Alana King to roll through Pakistan’s middle order.

Lanning’s side, who were undefeated in the group stage and remain red-hot favorites to win the coveted gold medal, will next face either England or New Zealand in the semi-finals on Saturday.

“Pressure is a bit of a privilege in my eyes,” Mooney said.

“There’s certainly no amount of pressure that’s more than what we put on ourselves to perform day in and day out.

“The challenge that awaits us is really exciting. Semi-finals are sometimes harder than finals. You have to be on your game from ball one.

“You want a spot in that gold medal match. We know on our best day we can beat anyone.”

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