Chandler, Ariz. — Republican Blake Masters won the GOP primary for Senate in the crucial swing state of Arizona on Tuesday, NBC News has projected, and will face Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly in the fall.
With more than three-quarters of the vote in, Masters led the primary race Wednesday morning with 39 percent of the vote.
The projected Republican nominee won a hard-fought race that features several leading candidates who have embraced former President Donald Trump. He has scored Trump’s endorsement and has touted it in campaign speeches and TV ads. The limited polling in the run-up to the primary showed Masters with an edge against businessman Jim Lamon and state Attorney General Mark Brnovich, the other major candidates.
Kelly, meanwhile, cruised to a primary victory after running unopposed for the Democratic nomination as he seeks re-election. He was projected by NBC News to win the nomination shortly after polls closed in Arizona.
Kelly was not in Arizona to watch the results come in. He was in Washington, where the Democratic-controlled Senate is voting this week on medical care for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits and, potentially, on a better climate, health care and tax bill.
Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters arrives for a campaign rally hosted by former President Donald Trump in Prescott Valley, Ariz., on July 22, 2022.Mario Tama / Getty Images file
The Arizona contest is shaping up to be one of the most hotly contested races this fall and could determine which party controls the Senate for the next two years. Democrats have a 50-50 majority and Republicans need a net gain of one seat to seize control.
Arizona, once a reliably Republican state, has become more competitive in recent cycles: Voters there elected Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema in 2018. And the state was narrowly won by President Joe Biden in 2020, the same year Kelly won a special election by 2.4 points.
Sahil Kapur is a senior national political reporter for NBC News.
WA’s biggest independent food distributor has warned consumers to expect further hikes at their favorite pubs and restaurants – and eventually supermarkets – as supply chain pressures and skyrocketing input costs continue to drive up prices.
The price of vegetable oil supplied by New West Foods to hundreds of eateries across WA has almost doubled since August 2020, with eggs up 75 per cent over the same two-year period.
Salmon has jumped 50 per cent while cheese and bacon are both up around 35 per cent.
Even the humble frozen chip – a staple of takeaway menus everywhere – has climbed 25 per cent.
The scale of price rises over the past two years. Credit: The West Australian
The majority of those price rises have come in the last 12 months as myriad factors combined to create what New West Foods managing director Damon Venoutsos said was the “perfect storm” for food costs.
Mr Venoutsos described distribution businesses like his own as the “canary in the coal mine” for price increases because – unlike supermarkets and fast-food chains – they did not enter into long-term agreements with suppliers.
“Most of the time we get 30 days’ notice from our suppliers that prices are going up whereas your big retailers (such as Coles and Woolworths) and quick service restaurants (such as KFC) can lock in their prices for anything up to six months ,” he said.
“Often we’re using the exact same supplier so while I don’t know when (the supermarkets) are going to catch up, it’s inevitable they will have to.”
Mr Venoutsos said prices had increased “very quickly and very dramatically” in recent months and that practically no food type had been spared, although some – such as fish, meat and dairy – had been impacted worse than others.
The biggest riser – vegetable oil – is in short supply globally, with exports largely cut off from war-torn Ukraine which traditionally produces 50 per cent of the sunflower oil used around the world.
New West Foods clients include Optus Stadium, King Edward Memorial and Sir Charles Gairdner hospitals and hundreds of restaurants and cafes.
New West Foods managing director Damon Venoutsos has warned of more price hikes. Credit: simon santi/The West Australian
Mr Venoutos said takeaway-oriented restaurants such as fish and chip shops and pizzerias were among the hardest hit with practically all their staple ingredients surging in price.
Independent Food Distributors Australia chief executive Richard Forbes listed half a dozen reasons for the escalating costs including clogged ports globally, COVID lockdowns in China, a shortage of sea containers and spiraling domestic energy and transport prices.
Last month, Manjimup-based WA Chips – the State’s only local manufacturer – revealed its gas bill was up $400,000 (60 per cent) compared to the previous year.
Mr Forbes said additional costs were being incurred at every step of the production, distribution and storage supply chain.
“Anyone that refrigerates product in bulk – which would be practically all distributors – have seen those costs go from around $50,000 to $80,000,” he said.
Labor shortages were also a major issue, with Mr Forbes estimating there were 160,000 vacancies between the agriculture, transport, warehousing and hospitality sectors.
With the August 1 deadline passed, Reece Walsh will definitely see out the rest of the season with the Warriors and he says he’s determined to give it everything in his last five games for the club.
Walsh was given an early release from his contract to rejoin the Broncos next season and the Warriors have signed Te Maire Martin on a three-year-deal as his replacement.
But Walsh could have gone even earlier than initially expected, to play out the remainder of this year’s campaign with the Storm.
It could have been a great experience for Walsh to spend time working under Craig Bellamy, play footy finals and potentially win a Premiership.
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However, Warriors CEO Cameron George refused to entertain the possibility of Walsh heading to Melbourne, despite a number of calls from the Storm inquiring about it.
In the end, the Storm picked up David Nofoaluma from Wests Tigers, who’s certainly not a player of Walsh’s quality.
MARTY MELVILLE/PHOTOSPORT
Te Maire Martin is joining the Warriors on a three-year deal from next season.
So instead of contemplating picking up his first premiership ring, Walsh will head to the Sunshine Coast this weekend for the Warriors’ game against the Rabbitohs.
“I didn’t look into it too much,” Walsh said of the interest from the Storm.
“I was going through a bit at the Warriors and wanted to get back in the team.
“I sort of feel for the Melbourne boys, they’re going through a bit of adversity, but the Warriors have been through adversity for the last three years and they’re the sort of club that can get themselves out of it.
“That transition isn’t going to happen for myself and I’m going to be here at the Warriors.
“I send all my regards to the Storm boys and I’m backing them to play some good footy and prove all the naysayers wrong.”
Walsh isn’t kicking stones about playing out the season with the Warriors and judging by his performance in the 24-12 loss to the Storm last Friday, it’s not affecting how he’s playing.
“I’m not saying in the weeks before that I hadn’t put in the effort or anything like that, but it was a bit of a statement game for myself,” Walsh said.
“If I can keep getting better each week, I’ll put my heart and soul into my jersey each week.
“If I can keep doing the right things, hopefully we’ll go in the right direction.”
The Warriors take on a Rabbitohs team lying seventh on the ladder, so they’ll be desperate for the two points on Saturday to stay in the top eight.
For their other four games in 2022, they take on the top two teams in the NRL, the Panthers and Cowboys, but also have winnable games against the Bulldogs and Titans.
Winning two of their remaining five games will be a pass mark for the Warriors, more would be a bonus and Walsh feels their closer score against the Storm last week compared to when they lost 70-10 on Anzac Day, shows the improvements the club’s making .
“I’m not saying losing is alright, but if you look at where we’re going, we’re going in the right direction,” he said.
“We’ve got a couple of tough games coming up and it’s going to really show our character and what we’re like as a team, so we’ve got to stay tight, keep working hard for each other and go out there and enjoy playing footy.”
Meanwhile, Wayde Egan is to start at five-eighth against the Rabbitohs on Saturday, with Chanel Harris-Tavita out injured.
Darren England/AAP via Photosport
Wayde Egan will start his first game ever in the halves on Saturday.
Egan filled in for Harris-Tavita when he went off with a knee injury against the Storm last weekend.
Despite it being his first game in the halves at NRL level, Egan did superbly well.
After the game Egan hinted that he’d like to play in the halves again, but didn’t expect it to happen again so soon.
However, Warriors coach Stacey Jones has decided to give him the No 6 jersey for this weekend, with Freddy Lussick named at hooker.
As well as Harris-Tavita, Jazz Tevaga is also out for this round 21 game. He had an arm in a sling after the Storm loss and management were concerned whether he had a serious shoulder at the time. With Tavaga out, Aaron Pene starts at lock.
There are other significant changes to the Warriors team, with Adam Pompey dropped to the reserves and Euan Aitken moved from the second row to center.
Josh Curran has been named on the interchange bench, so there is a new-look second row, with Bayley Sironen wearing the No 11 jersey and Jack Murchie at 12.
AT A GLANCE
Warriors: Reece Walsh, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Marcelo Montoya, Euan Aitken, Edward Kosi, Wayde Egan, Shaun Johnson; Addin Fonua-Blake, Freddy Lussick, Tohu Harris, Bayley Sironen, Jack Murchie, Aaron Pene. Exchange: Taniela Otukolo, Bunty Afoa, Eliesa Katoa, Josh Curran. Reservations: Jackson Frei, Dunamis Lui, Daejarn Asi, Adam Pompey, Viliame Vailea.
When scuba diver Dorian Borcherds turned on his video camera, he became transfixed by the giant translucent mass bobbing along beside him.
Key points:
The jellyfish could be Chirodectes maculatus, first spotted in 1997 by a team of scientists on the Great Barrier Reef
Spotted off Papua New Guinea, this jellyfish has scientists excited
Experts are determining whether it is in fact a new species
What he had captured on film in the watery depths off Papua New Guinea now has marine biologists excited.
The jellyfish was believed to be one officially sighted only once before off the coast of Far North Queensland — a quarter of a century ago — but it could also be a new species, a researcher believes.
The owner of a Kavieng-based scuba dive company, Mr Borcherds was diving with a customer in December when he spotted the strange creature and described it on social media.
“Saw a new type of jellyfish while diving today. It has cool markings and is a bit bigger than a soccer ball and they are quite fast swimming,” he wrote at the time.
Still stumped, Mr Borcherds enlisted his daughter in South Africa for help.
“I thought it was interesting as I had never seen one of these before, so I felt [the video] to my daughter who downloaded a jellyfish app,” he said.
“It couldn’t be identified, so she uploaded the footage to the app and within half an hour she had a very excited jellyfish expert on the phone from Tasmania.”
That expert was Lisa-ann Gershwin from the Australian Marine Stinger Advisory Service, who at first thought it was the same jellyfish caught on the Great Barrier Reef in May 1997.
Screenshots from a video shot in 1997 of the original specimen that was found on the Great Barrier Reef.(Supplied: Queensland Museum)
“I was completely gobsmacked when they sent me through the photos,” Dr Gershwin said.
“I thought, oh my God, what is this thing and where is it?
“This species had only been spotted once on the Great Barrier Reef in the 1990s.”
Chirodectes maculatus was first described in 2005 by a team of Australian scientists after they caught and preserved a specimen in 1997.
The scientists initially described the species as Chiropsalmus.
Dr Gershwin said she published another paper on the organism’s classification a year later and officially moved it to the genus Chirodecteswhere it was accepted.
After researching the video, Dr Gershwin worked closely with the Queensland Museum in Brisbane where the original Queensland specimen was stored.
“They sent me the video and I was able to go through it frame by frame,” Dr Gershwin said.
“We compared the two separate jellyfish and I concluded that the one filmed off Papua New Guinea [by Mr Borcherds] is a new undiscovered species.
“I called Dorian and said, ‘Are you sitting down?’ and when I told him I thought it was a brand new species, he was very excited.”
Dr Lisa-ann Gershwin, who developed the jellyfish app, is one of the world’s leading experts on jellyfish.(Supplied: Dr Lisa-ann Gershwin)
A new species?
While Dr Gershwin is convinced it is a new species, she is yet to submit her findings in a paper to be peer-reviewed.
“A new species is considered like a hypothesis, it has to be tested,” she said.
“It’s not technically discovered until it has been formally named and classified.
“I’m being very meticulous as I was involved in the re-classification of the original species, so I want to be more than right, I’m crossing every t and dotting every i.
“On top of that, we still have the mystery of where did the Great Barrier Reef specimen come from?”
WASHINGTON (AP) — A bill enhancing health care and disability benefits for millions of veterans exposed to toxic burn pits won final approval in the Senate on Tuesday, ending a brief stalemate over the measure that had infuriated advocates and inspired some to camp outside the Capitol .
The Senate approved the bill by a vote of 86-11. It now goes to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law. Biden described the legislation as the biggest expansion of benefits for service-connected health issues in 30 years and the largest single bill ever to address exposure to burn pits.
“I look forward to signing this bill, so that veterans and their families and caregivers impacted by toxic exposures finally get the benefits and comprehensive health care they earned and deserve,” Biden said.
The Senate had overwhelmingly approved the legislation back in June, but a do-over was required to make a technical fix. That process derailed when Republicans made a late attempt to change another aspect of the bill last week and blocked it from advancing.
The abrupt delay outraged veterans groups and advocates, including comedian Jon Stewart. It also placed GOP senators in the uncomfortable position of delaying the top legislative priority of service organizations this session of Congress.
A group of veterans and their families have been camping out at the Capitol since that vote. They had endured thunderstorms and Washington’s notorious summer humidity, but they were in the galleries as senators cast their votes.
“You can go home knowing the good and great thing you have done and accomplished for the United States of America,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., told them.
The legislation expands access to health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs for millions who served near burn pits. It also directs the VA to presume that certain respiratory illnesses and cancers were related to burn pit exposure, allowing veterans to obtain disability payments to compensate for their injury without having to prove the illness was a result of their service.
Roughly 70% of disability claims related to burn pit exposure are denied by the VA due to lack of evidence, scientific data and information from the Defense Department.
The military used burn pits to dispose of such things as chemicals, cans, tires, plastics and medical and human waste.
Hundreds of thousands of Vietnam War era veterans and survivors also stand to benefit from the legislation. The bill adds hypertension, or high blood pressure, as a presumptive disease associated with Agent Orange exposure.
The Congressional Budget Office projected that about 600,000 of 1.6 million living Vietnam vets would be eligible for increased compensation, though only about half would have severe enough diagnoses to warrant more compensation.
Also, veterans who served in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Guam, American Samoa and Johnston Atoll will be presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange. That’s another 50,000 veterans and survivors of deceased veterans who would get compensation for illnesses presumed to have been caused by their exposure to the herbicide, the CBO projected.
The bill also authorizes 31 major medical VA health clinics and research facilities in 19 states.
The bill is projected to increase federal deficits by about $277 billion over 10 years.
The bill has been a years-long effort begun by veterans and their families who viewed the burn pits used in Iraq and Afghanistan as responsible for respiratory problems and other illnesses the veterans experienced after returning home. It was named after Sgt. First Class Heath Robinson from Ohio, who died in 2020 from cancer he attributed to prolonged exposure to burn pits. His widow, Danielle Robinson, was the first lady Jill Biden’s guest at the president’s State of the Union address earlier this year.
Stewart, the former host of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” also brought increased exposure to the burn pit maladies veterans were facing. He was also in the gallery watching the vote Tuesday. He wept and held his head in his hand as the final vote began.
“I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a situation where people who have already given so much had to fight so hard to get so little,” he said after the vote. “And I hope we learn a lesson.”
The House was the first to act on the burn pits legislation. An earlier version of the House approved in March was expected to increase spending by more than $320 billion over 10 years, but senators trimmed some of the costs early on by phasing in certain benefit enhancements. They also added funds for staffing to help the VA keep up with the expected increase in demand for health care and an increase in disability claims.
Some GOP senators are still concerned that the bill will increase delays at the VA because of an increased demand for veterans seeking care or disability compensation.
“What we have learned is that the VA cannot deliver what is promised because it does not have the capacity to handle the increase,” said Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.
Sens. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Jerry Moran, R-Kan., led the effort to get the bill passed in the Senate. After passage, Tester told reporters he received a call from Biden, thanking him for “taking a big weight” off his shoulder.
For Biden, the issue is very personal. He has raised the prospect that burn pits in Iraq were responsible for the death of his son Beau.
“We don’t know for sure if a burn pit was the cause of his brain cancer, or the diseases of so many of our troops,” Biden said at his State of the Union speech. “But I’m committed to finding out everything we can.”
Moran said that when the bill failed to pass last week, he was disappointed but remembered the strength of the protesters who had sat outside in the scorching heat for days.
“Thanks to the United States Senate for demonstrating when there’s something good and a good cause, this place still works,” Moran said.
___
Associated Press staff writer Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.
Telstra has been ordered to deregister more than 150 radio sites under a court-enforceable order, after Australia’s consumer watchdog raised concerns the company was “hindering” a rival telco’s 5G rollout.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) launched a lengthy investigation after over concerns about the telecommunication giant’s registration of 315 low-band radiocommunications sites back in January.
Low-band spectrum, such as 900MHz, can transmit over greater distances and is used by mobile network operators to provide coverage and capacity.
The ACCC probe raised concern Telstra’s regulation of the 315 sites would have “hindered” or prevented its rival Optus from deploying its 5G network, thereby preventing it from engaging in competitive conduct.
Under the court undertaking, Telstra is now required to deregister all remaining radiocommunications sites registered in the 900MHz band.
The company holds a license for parts of the 900MHz spectrum band until June 2024.
But up until January, Telstra was making little use of the spectrum and had not registered a new site since 2016.
Optus successfully bid for licenses in the low-band spectrum following an auction by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) in December last year.
Telstra then registered the other 315 low-band radiocommunications sites.
They later deregistered 153, with 162 remaining registered.
The undertaking, agreed to by the ACCC, requires Telstra to deregister all remaining radiocommunications sites it registered with the ACMA in the 900MHz spectrum band in January 2022 which would have prevented Optus early access to the spectrum.
ACCC chair Liza Carver said the undertaking meant more Australians in regional and metropolitan areas would have access to a choice of 5G services.
“This is critical as 5G network coverage becomes an increasingly important factor in consumer choice in mobile phones and mobile plans,” she said.
“Competition is key to driving innovation and investment in new technology and providing consumers with greater choice, better quality services and lower prices.”
The new court order comes after Telstra announced it would return all of its call centers to Australia after ongoing consumer demand.
“What we heard loud and clear was that you wanted a change in the way we answered our calls, so we did it,” CEO Andrew Penn said last month.
Paul Gallen has confirmed his next fight – a radical double bout on the same night billed as the Blues great against Queensland.
The retired Cronulla champion told Wide World of Sports he hopes to punch on with Justin Hodges and another Queenslander back-to-back to headline a card in September.
The details aren’t yet finalized but former Queensland star Hodges is expected to be one of the two opponents.
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“The way he’s been carrying on lately I presume he would be one of them,” Gallen said of Hodges.
“The other one I’m not sure – it’s going to be a footy player, though, it’s not going to be (heavyweight champion) Justis Huni.
Paul Gallen celebrates after defeating Lucas Browne by TKO. (Getty)
“Pretty sure it’s going to be in Queensland… I’m hoping it’s going to be (against) two Queenslanders. Get a bit of an Origin feel about it.
“I’d say it will be six or eight three-minute rounds, and two opponents will do half each. That’s what I think it will be.
“It’s really only one fight, just two opponents.”
Gallen carved out a stellar rugby league career but his boxing feats are impressive in their own right.
He’s had 15 professional bouts and won 12, losing two and having a controversial draw against AFL great Barry Hall. His last fight against him was a unanimous decision loss to Kris Terzievski in May.
But the notion of fighting two different people in the one night is certainly a first for boxing.
His fitness, though, is still up to scratch and he will only need about a month to prepare.
Unseen footage shows Gallen SBW stoush
“I’ve got COVID at the moment so I’ll start next week. The preparation for a fight like this isn’t going to be like the preparation for a Huni or Terzievski, I’m not going to be sparring 25-30 rounds a week,” he told WWOS.
“I might only spar 10 rounds a week, so it’s going to be a lot better for my body and my head long-term.”
Gallen reaffirmed his commitment to retire from boxing before this year is out.
But he’s unsure if the September double header will be his last appearance in the ring, floating to a final fight in December.
Fans will be hoping that is against Sonny Bill Williams, who Gallen has been chasing for years.
“I’ve told everyone this is my last year. I have one more fight booked in for December, no idea who,” he said.
“This could be it, I don’t know. But this is my last year without a doubt.
“If I have one at the end of the year it will be a proper six-eight round fight, if it happens.”
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Here is who NRL legend Paul Gallen has fought during his colorful boxing career
Cave explorers have traversed what’s now the deepest known cave in Australia.
A group of explorers discovered a 401-metre-deep cave, which they named Delta Variant, on Saturday in Tasmania’s Niggly-Growling Swallet cave system within the Junee–Florentine karst area.
It’s depth just beat out its predecessor, the Niggly Cave, by about four meters.
With a descent that lasted 14 hours and took many months to prepare for, Delta Variant is causing a stir among explorer communities.
But it holds a different kind of fascination for researchers such as myself, who study the interaction between groundwater and rocks (including in the context of caves).
On Saturday a group of explorers discovered a 401-metre-deep cave, which they named Delta Variant, in Tasmania’s Niggly-Growling Swallet cave system within the Junee–Florentine karst area. (Supplied)
This helps us learn about natural processes and how Earth’s climate has changed over millions of years.
A team of nine cavers from the Southern Tasmanian Caverneers discovered Australia’s deepest known cave on Saturday.
Exciting as Delta Variant is in an Australian context, it is arguably just an appetizer in the wider world of caves; the deepest known cave, located in Georgia, goes more than 2.2 kilometers into the earth.
So how exactly do these massive geological structures form, right under our feet?
Put simply, caves form when flowing water slowly dissolves rock over a long time. Specifically, they form within certain geological formations called “karst” – which includes structures made of limestone, marble and dolomite.
Karst is made of tiny fossilized microorganisms, shell fragments and other debris that accumulated over millions of years.
Long after they perish, small marine creatures leave behind their “calcareous” shells made of calcium carbonate.
Corals are also made of this material, as are other types of fauna with skeletons.
This calcareous sediment builds up into geological structures that are relatively soft.
As water trickles down through crevices in the rock, it continuously dissolves the rock to slowly form a cave system.
Unlike much harder igneous rocks (such as granite), calcareous rocks dissolve on contact with water that is naturally acidic.
When rain falls from the sky, it picks up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and soils along the way, making it acidic.
The more acidic the water is, the faster it will erode karst material.
So, as you can imagine, cave formation can become quite complex: the specific composition of the karst, the acidity of the water, the level of drainage and the overall geological setting are all factors that determine what kind of cave will form.
In geology there’s a lot of spatial guesswork.
So being able to see how deep a cave formation goes is a bit like getting into the deepest layers of a cake, where you may not find the same thing in all directions.
Stalagmites and stalactites
From a research perspective, caves are incredibly valuable because they contain cave deposits (or “speleothems”) such as stalagmites and stalactites.
These are sometimes spiky things that point up from cave floors, droop from the ceilings, or form beautiful flowstones.
Cave deposits form as a result of water passing through. Like trees, they contain growth rings (or layers) that can be analyzed.
They can also include other chemical signatures the water contained, and reveal processes that occurred at the time of formation.
While they may not seem like much, we can use these deposits to unravel past secrets about Earth’s climate.
And since they’re a feature of the interaction between rock and water during cave formation, we basically expect to find them in most caves.
Natural formation of crystals by falling water droplets in Jenolan Caves, Blue Mountains in Australia. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Descending deep into a cave system is no small feat. You can’t use your mobile (since there’s no reception), it’s incredibly dark and you’re usually relying on a guide line to find your way back out.
There could be many dead ends for explorers, so effectively mapping the space requires time and great spatial exploration skills.
While cave systems are usually stable (shallow caves can, in theory, collapse and form sinkholes, but this is very rare) – there’s always risk.
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The unexpected geometry of caves means you could find yourself making tricky manoeuvres, twisting and swaying in all kinds of uncomfortable manner as you abseil into darkness.
Although the air pressure doesn’t change to a dangerous extent as you descend, other gases such as methane, ammonia and hydrogen sulfide can sometimes pool and lead to suffocation risk.
Despite all of the above, cave exploration is something people continue to do, and it brings great benefit for researchers in various sub-fields of geology.
And though we’ve come a long way, there are always nooks and crannies we can’t get inside – after all, humans aren’t tiny. I’m sure there are small spaces, too snug for us to explore, that open into much longer or bigger systems than we’ve ever discovered.
Security camera footage shows a convenience store owner facing off with an armed robber in California.”It’s not his first rodeo,” a woman named Marnie, who works for the store’s owner, 80-year-old Craig Cope, told CBSLA. “He saw on the surveillance, he saw them coming out of the vehicle with weapons.” . Security cameras show the suspects, one of whom was hit in the arm by Cope’s shot, running back to a black BMW X3 that was parked outside.”He shot my arm off, he shot my arm off,” one of the suspects can be heard screaming. Cope then checks the security camera to make sure the suspects left. “I’m proud to call him my boss,” Marnie said. “He makes us feel better about being here, you know.” Marnie told CBSLA that Cope had a heart attack following the incident, but is expected to make a full recovery and plans to return to the store, which he’s owned since 1967. to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the four suspects involved traveled to a Southern California hospital, where the suspect who was shot is still recovering. The other three suspects are in jail. Marnie said the store’s high-definition security cameras, which Cope installed due to an increase in robberies, helped save Cope’s life from him. “The sheriff came in and warned me, about eight months or so, that this was going on and to keep an eye out and pay attention, be on your toes,” Marnie said.
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. (Video above: CBSLA via CNN) —
Security camera footage shows a convenience store owner facing off with an armed robber in California.
“It’s not his first rodeo,” a woman named Marnie, who works for the store’s owner, 80-year-old Craig Cope, told CBSLA. “He saw on the surveillance, he saw them coming out of the vehicle with weapons.”
When attempted robbers approached the store around 2:45 am Sunday, Cope can be seen grabbing a shotgun from behind the counter and firing at one of the suspects.
Security cameras show the suspects, one of whom was hit in the arm by Cope’s shot, running back to a black BMW X3 that was parked outside.
“He shot my arm off, he shot my arm off,” one of the suspects can be heard screaming.
Cope then checks the security camera to make sure the suspects left.
“I’m proud to call him my boss,” Marnie said. “He makes us feel better about being here, you know.”
Marnie told CBSLA that Cope had a heart attack following the incident, but is expected to make a full recovery and plans to return to the store, which he’s owned since 1967.
According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the four suspects involved traveled to a Southern California hospital, where the suspect who was shot is still recovering. The other three suspects are in jail.
Marnie said the store’s high-definition security cameras, which Cope installed due to an increase in robberies, helped save Cope’s life.
“The sheriff came in and warned me, about eight months or so, that this was going on and to keep an eye out and pay attention, be on your toes,” Marnie said.
Elden Ring fanshave been blown away by the number of boss encounters in the game, but some of these bosses are annoying. Players who come across these bosses at the appropriate skill level may not have difficulty defeating them. However, there are aspects to their fights that may frustrate even the most experienced Soulsborne player.
Boss fights are a staple in every Soulsborne game. Some of these bosses may be considered optional, so defeating them rewards players with cool items or runes/souls. However, there are other bosses that players must defeat if they want to progress through the game. But in every Soulsborne game, there are boss fights that many players can agree on being annoying, even if they aren’t as difficult as some of the franchise’s more punishing fights. And out of the many bosses that Elden Ring has, several of them fall into this category.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
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The challenging bosses in Elden Ring will require players to study their move sets or summon help. However, there is a difference between a difficult boss and an annoying boss. An annoying boss may have ridiculous attacks, or they may not be alone during the fight. No matter their character level or skill, some players will struggle with these bosses.
Elden Ring – Rennala, Queen of Being Annoying
Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon is one of Elden Ring’s main bosses that players can encounter early in the game. She can be skipped since only two Great Runes are needed to reach the Altus Plateau. However, players who want or need to respec stats in Elden Ring may prioritize defeating Rennala. Assuming a player reaches Rennala at the appropriate level, she is not overly difficult to fight; she is weak to bleed and physical damage, which players can use to their advantage of her.
Rennala has two phases to her fight, but the first phase is the most annoying. During the first phase, players must destroy her protective barrier by killing the correct student in the room. Running around and finding the right student sounds simple, but during this phase, her students of Ella are throwing items at the player and dropping chandeliers. Meanwhile, Rennala will use a powerful beam attack to devastate unwary players. If a player is not careful during this first phase, they can begin Rennala’s second phase with not enough health or flask of crimson tears.
Elden Ring – Irritating Commander Niall
Commander Niall is another annoying boss. He can be found in Castle Sol in Elden Ring’s Mountaintops of the Giants region. Commander Niall is optional, so players can avoid him and the Castle, but defeating him is essential for players who want the Haligtree Secret Medallion (Left) to access the Consecrated Snowfield location.
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Commander Niall is a difficult boss, but what makes him annoying is the two ghostly Banished Knights that he summons at the beginning of the fight. Winning the fight depends on how well a player can manage the two knights along with Niall himself. The knight with the dual swords is aggressive and should be taken care of first. But if a player defeats both knights, Niall will become aggressive. It is an annoying fight that may make players decide the Consecrated Snowfield is not worth it.
Elden Ring – The Most Annoying Royal Revenant
The Royal Revenant is an optional boss found in the Kingsrealm Ruins in the northwest section of Elden Ring‘s Liurnia of the Lakes. Players can reach the ruins early in the game and find the boss room beneath an illusionary floor in the ruins. While revenants and royal revenants are challenges that can be found in other locations of the game, fighting this Royal Revenant is annoying because of how small the boss room is. Getting pinned against the wall while being poisoned and hit by the boss is a huge possibility. And if players are not careful, they can be killed as soon as they enter the room.
Elden Ring – Most Irritating Erdtree Burial Watchdog
The Burial Watchdogs are common bosses and enemies found in many dungeons throughout Elden Ring. Beating the Erdtree Burial Watchdogs in Elden Ring is possible for all players. However, the Erdtree Burial Watchdog in the Impaler’s Catacombs may be annoying for every player, regardless of their character level. The reason this specific Erdtree Burial Watchdog is annoying is because of the imps that accompany this boss. During this fight, it is easy for the imps to surround a player and inflict bleeding, while the Burial Watchdog finishes the job. There is even a chance that the imps will kill the player before the Burial Watchdog can even reach them. To defeat the boss, players must clear out the imps while avoiding the Burial Watchdog’s attacks.
Elden Ring – Astel, Naturalborn Of The Void And Annoyance
Players can encounter the boss Astel, Naturalborn of the Void late in the game. Defeating him is not necessary for the game’s main storyline; however, if players want to complete Ranni’s storyline, they must defeat Astel. And beating Elden Ring‘s Astel, Naturalborn of the Void is not easy, even for those seasoned Soulsborne players. If players can get close enough to him, they will find he is not that hard, but reaching him is annoying.
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Astel has a lot of AoE attacks, along with several powerful grabs. He teleports around the arena and will use his mandibles from him to bite the player. Plus, when players first enter the arena, Astel does a beam attack that has a chance to one-shot the player. Getting one shot over and over before even getting close enough to him is exhausting. Astel is an annoying fight that can probably be skipped unless players are completing Ranni’s quest. Later in the game, another version of Astel called Astel, Stars of Darkness can be encountered in the Yelough Anix Tunnel.
Elden Ring – Putrid Crystalian Trio Is Not Fun
Elden Ring‘s Putrid Crytalian Trio within Sellia Hideaway is another annoying boss encounter. Crystalians are common enemies and bosses in the game, and they can be especially problematic for players without weapons to deal blunt damage. However, the Putrid Crystalian Trio are the most annoying Crystalians in the game. There is a Staff, Spear, and Ringblade Crystalian who all deal Scarlet Rot when they attack the player. In theory, players should defeat the Staff Crystalian first, but that is a challenge when the Spear and Ringblade Crystalians are chasing the player. Spirit Ashes may help, but they should inflict blunt damage.
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Czarina Gallardo is a Game Features writer for Screen Rant. She loves both writing and playing video games, along with reading up on future game releases. When not writing for Screen Rant, Czarina spends her free time writing for herself or playing video games.
