Kyle Chalmers touched the wall, popped up his head to check the results, then stood up and brought his index finger to his lips.
The Australian had just won the men’s 100m freestyle, a Commonwealth Games gold six years in the making – his first at a major international event since becoming Olympic champion at Rio 2016.
And after a week of unfounded speculation and relentless questions about his private life, his time of 47.51 seconds symbolically silenced all the unwelcome attention.
“I thought about it before,” Chalmers told the Seven Network after the race, in which England’s Tom Dean and Scotland’s Duncan Scott won silver and bronze respectively.
“Normally I do a bit more powerful celebration after a win but that one was one that probably means more than giving a fist bump or flexing the muscles.
“It is special to win, but unfortunately I think it is hard to enjoy the moment when all that has happened has gone on. It makes it a challenging time.
“I am grateful that I was able to block it out enough to stand up and win tonight. I hope this is a learning point for everybody, and I hope nobody else has to go through what I have gone through.”
On a day when table-toppers Australia again added to their already-bulging Birmingham medal tally, with Emma McKeon, Kaylee McKeown, Matthew Levy (swimming), Matthew Glaetzer (track cycling), Georgia Godwin (gymnastics), Ellen Ryan (lawn bowls) ) and Tinka Easton (judo) among the gold medalists, Chalmers said he was uncharacteristically emotional before the race.
“This last 48 hours has been hell, it has been an emotional rollercoaster,” he said. “I appreciate all the support that I have had. I would not have been able to get through [without] Item.
“Yesterday there were points where I thought I would not continue on. That just lets the media win. For me, I had to stand up and do it, not for myself but for everybody at home, everybody going through similar things. I hope I can inspire and I will continue this conversation.”
Also at the pool, McKeown cruised to 200m backstroke victory to add to her 100m triumph, beating Kylie Masse and breaking the Canadian’s Commonwealth Games record in the process.
And Levy won gold in the men’s 50m freestyle S7 to bring down the curtain on an illustrious career featuring a string of Paralympic, world championship and Commonwealth Games gold medals.
“It is great to finish here and to back it up from four years ago,” Levy said. “I’ve had a very long career and it is great to continue that high standard throughout 20 years and I’m very proud of tonight and proud of my career.”
Meanwhile, Cody Simpson advanced to the men’s 100m butterfly final, qualifying fifth fastest with a third place in his semi-final.
“Pretty wild, pretty special,” Simpson said. “That was my goal, to make sure I got into the night. Just relieved that I am.”
At the velodrome, Glaetzer put two days of setbacks behind him to win the 1km time trial and equal Anna Meares’s Australian record of five Commonwealth Games cycling golds.
Meares said her former teammate’s performance in defending his four-lap title by edging Australian silver medalist Tom Cornish – a race he said was likely his last at a Commonwealth Games – made her emotional.
“When you consider he had a heavy fall in the keirin, then got relegated from the medals after winning the [sprint] bronze last night, and that he’s come back from thyroid cancer and his coach Gary West passed away from motor neurone disease, he’s had so many challenges,” Meares said.
In the gymnastics, Godwin won the individual vault to bring her haul to two gold medals and two silver, in a campaign that has almost single-handedly thrust gymnastics into the spotlight.
“I do my best to try and show that gymnastics is a safe sport and that everyone should feel safe doing gymnastics,” the 24-year-old said. “And we’re heading in the right direction, so that is really exciting to see.”
Lansing — Oakland County Circuit Judge James Cunningham issued a temporary restraining order Monday stopping 13 county prosecutors with abortion providers within their jurisdictions from enforcing the state’s abortion ban.
The order was issued in response to a request from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer after the Court of Appeals ruled earlier Monday that county prosecutors were not blocked from enforcing the state’s long-dormant abortion ban by a preliminary injunction issued in the Court of Claims.
In his order, Cunningham said the order was “necessary to prevent the immediate and irreparable injury that will occur if defendants are allowed to prosecute abortion providers under (the 1931 law) without a full resolution of the merits of the pending cases challenging the statute. “
The judge scheduled a Zoom hearing on the matter for Wednesday.
Cunningham’s order came shortly after Whitmer made the request in her lawsuit against 13 county prosecutors with abortion clinics in their counties.
Whitmer sought the injunction just came hours after the Court of Appeals ruled an injunction in a separate Planned Parenthood of Michigan case challenging Michigan’s abortion ban did not extend to county prosecutors, just state officials such as the attorney general.
Several county prosecutors have said they would enforce the law if they brought a case that met the threshold set by the 1931 law. But Planned Parenthood, the plaintiff in that case, said prosecutors are barred from acting on Monday’s Court of Appeals decision during a 42-day appeal window.
Whitmer’s team said Monday’s order, regardless of when it takes effect, creates uncertainty across the state and merits immediate action from Oakland County Circuit Judge Jacob Cunningham.
“…healthcare providers in Michigan presently are forced to choose whether to continue offering healthcare services to women in this state or potentially face criminal prosecution, creating irreparable harm for women who need healthcare now,” Whitmer’s motion for a temporary restraining order said.
The Michigan Court of Appeals’ Monday ruling could allow county prosecutors to file criminal charges against doctors and health workers who provide abortion services under Michigan’s 1931 abortion ban. The 91-year-old law contains a narrow exception for abortion in cases when terminating a pregnancy is necessary to save the life of the mother.
Planned Parenthood of Michigan has argued the ruling doesn’t take effect for 42 days — the window for a potential appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court — and any prosecutor who attempts to enforce the law before that appeal period is expired should be held in contempt of to court order.
“Planned Parenthood of Michigan will continue to provide abortion services in accordance with the law,” a statement from the group said. “PPMI patients can keep their appointments and our doors remain open.”
But David Kallman, a lawyer for the two prosecutors in the case, pushed back on the group’s claim that an appeal period remained the effectiveness of the ruling. The wording of the order doesn’t just say prosecutors are free to enforce the law going forward; the order says county prosecutors were never blocked from enforcing the law in the first place, Kallman said.
While prosecutors differ county-by-county on whether they will enforce the 1931 law, hospitals and health care systems say they’re trying to keep up with the varying developments in Michigan courts and adjust their policies accordingly.
Implications for prosecutors, providers
In their Monday order, the appeals court judges said the Michigan Catholic Conference, Right to Life of Michigan and the two prosecutors lack standing to request Court of Claims Judge Elizabeth Gleicher’s injunction in a suit filed by Planned Parenthood of Michigan be overturned and her case assumed by the higher court. Gleicher’s injunction has been in place since May, before the US Supreme Court overturned a half-century of abortion rights on June 24.
Jackson County Prosecutor Jerard Jarzynka and Kent County Prosecutor Christopher Becker, the panel ruled Monday, are not bound by the injunction because they are not parties to the case nor could they be because the Court of Claims order covered state actors only.
“The preliminary injunction does not apply to county prosecutors,” the three-judge panel wrote.
Kallman called the decision “a victorious defeat.”
“That’s exactly what we wanted,” he said of Jarzynka and Becker. “They were both very pleased with the result.”
“Neither of them has a pending case in front of them right now. If a case is brought to them and the elements are there, they will prosecute,” Kallman added.
Right to Life of Michigan and Michigan Catholic Conference, on the other hand, lack standing because “they have not suffered any injury as a result of it,” the Courts of Appeals judges ruled.
Becker in a Monday statement said he appreciated “the clarification” from the Court of Appeals.
“I cannot and will not ignore a validly passed law,” Becker said. “If a report is presented to this office, we will review it like we do any other report of possible criminal behavior.”
Likewise, Jarzynka said he was bound by the state’s “validly passed law on abortion.”
“If a police agency submits a police report for a possible violation of Michigan’s abortion statute, we will review it like we do for any other report for possible charging and it will depend on what evidence is submitted and can we provide a criminal charge beyond a reasonable doubt,” Jarzynka said.
Prosecutors in Cass, Charlevoix, Clinton, Hillsdale and Saginaw counties told The News on Monday they also would enforce the law if presented with findings meeting the criteria for a violation of the state’s abortion ban.
Implications of the ruling are being considered by health care systems with hospitals or clinics in counties where prosecutors have indicated they are willing to enforce the 1931 abortion ban.
“We are aware of the Michigan Court of Appeals’ decision. We’re reviewing the implications for our patients and providers,” Henry Ford Health, which has hospitals in Jackson and Macomb counties, said in a statement released Monday.
McLaren Health Care owns more than a dozen hospitals in Michigan including McLaren Macomb Hospital, as well as hospitals in Ohio and Indiana.
Ohio enacted a “heartbeat” law immediately following the US Supreme Court’s rollback of Roe v. Wade, and the Legislature there is considering a near-total ban. In Indiana, the GOP-controlled Senate passed a bill that would ban abortion at all stages with nearly no exceptions during a specially agreed session on Saturday.
“McLaren Health Care and our system hospitals are committed to providing the best care to our patients and communities we’re privileged to serve,” McLaren Health Care Chief Medical Officer Dr. Justin Klamerus said in a statement to The Detroit News on Monday. “This is a complex legal and ethical matter for our society, our patients and the medical community.
“We are working with our patients and providers to stay aware of the changing laws while also ensuring the care provided is within those laws,” Klamerus added. “We will continue to closely monitor legal proceedings occurring nationally and within state jurisdictions where we operate in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.”
pending cases
The Monday order from Court of Appeals judges Stephen Borrello, Michael Kelly and Michael Gadola came after the groups requested the higher court exercise superintending control by taking jurisdiction of Gleicher’s case and vacating her injunction.
Gleicher issued her injunction in May in a suit brought by Planned Parenthood of Michigan against Attorney General Dana Nessel. She ruled Planned Parenthood was likely to succeed on the argument that there was a right to abortion in Michigan’s constitution that overrode the state abortion ban, a law that dates back to the 1840s.
The judge ordered Nessel, who declined to defend against the suit, to convey her order to county prosecutors.
But Jarzynka and Becker pushed back, arguing the injunction could not extend to them since they were county elected officials with their own authority independent from Nessel’s. Nessel has argued as much in the past as well.
“…under the totality of the circumstances, the core nature of a county prosecutor is that of a local, not a state official,” the panel wrote. “Because county prosecutors are local officials, jurisdiction of the Court of Claims does not extend to them.”
Kallman noted that, under the law, prosecutions of abortion-related crimes have a six-year statute of limitations. While some prosecutors might now be committing not to prosecute abortion, their successors could decide to do so.
Monday’s Appeals Court ruling came three days after Gleicher denied a motion from the GOP-led Michigan House and Senate to disqualify herself from the litigation because she has made donations to Planned Parenthood in the past.
Gleicher ruled Friday that recusing herself over “small contributions” to the abortion provider would be “simply unprecedented.”
At least seven Democratic county prosecutors said earlier this year they would not enforce the abortion ban within their jurisdictions. The prosecutors refusing to enforce include those representing Wayne, Oakland, Ingham, Washtenaw, Genesee, Marquette and Kalamazoo counties.
Other county prosecutors earlier this year said they hoped the Legislature would make amendments to the law since its last update was more than nine decades ago.
“It needs to be updated before they expect local prosecutors to take away people’s liberty based on that,” St. Clair County Prosecutor Mike Wendling said in May.
Apart from the filing seeking superintending control, the House and Senate have filed appeals in the Court of Appeals regarding Gleicher’s ruling. That appeal is still pending.
The same day Planned Parenthood of Michigan filed its case against the attorney general in April, Whitmer filed a separate suit against 13 county prosecutors in Oakland County Circuit Court seeking a similar ruling that found a right to abortion is already enshrined in the state constitution.
Whitmer also made several requests to the Michigan Supreme Court, asking the justices to rule on her case rather than allowing it to be decided and appealed in the lower courts first.
The state Supreme Court has not yet committed to taking up the case by bypassing lower courts, but the higher court did send several follow-up questions to Whitmer and has been allowing differing parties to weigh in via amicus briefs.
Whitmer’s filing for a temporary restraining order is one of the most significant filings in the Oakland County case in recent weeks. The Oakland County lawsuit has largely been the more sedated of the two suits while the Planned Parenthood preliminary injunction was believed to have blocked county prosecutors.
From the start, state officials had argued the Oakland County case would address the issue of county prosecutors more directly than the Planned Parenthood case. Nessel pointed out as much earlier this year.
Nessel has said she won’t enforce the state’s abortion ban, a position she said deprived the Planned Parenthood case of the case or controversy it needed to have jurisdiction. Prosecutors named in Whitmer’s suit on the other hand, Nessel argued, could create a case or controversy down the road should they attempt to enforce the law.
“Planned Parenthood would be better off if they were focusing on the governor’s case and filing an amicus on behalf of the governor and her actions,” Nessel said in May.
Two clinical psychologists have accused Community Corrections Tasmania of incorrectly applying a sexual offender risk assessment tool to determine whether or not a Nepalese man is likely to reoffend — and say the tool has likely been misused in other cases.
Key points:
A Nepalese man caught masturbating in his car at a public reserve was reported by council workers
The man, who moved to Australia in 2015, faces deportation if he’s placed on the sex offender’s register
The man’s lawyer is arguing the man has been placed into a category of offender that is beyond the level of offending
The man, who moved to Australia in 2015, faces being placed on the sex offenders register, which his lawyer says could lead to him being deported.
The 26-year-old Nepalese man was working as a food delivery driver in Hobart in 2021 when the offense occurred.
Hobart Magistrates Court heard earlier that on the day in question, the man had finished his early morning delivery shift and headed to Rosny Park.
Assuming no one was around, he began to masturbate in his car.
The court heard a council worker then approached the car to let the man know he could not park there. When he knocked on the window he realized the man was masturbating and the council worker told him to leave.
The man immediately drove away — he was later charged with one count of prohibited behavior to which he pleaded guilty.
As part of the court case, Community Corrections Tasmania (CCT) was asked to undertake a risk assessment to determine whether or not he was at risk of reoffending, which could then be used by the court to determine whether or not he should be placed on the sex offenders register.
CCT found he had a medium risk of reoffending.
That finding was challenged by the man’s lawyer, Dinesh Loganathan.
CCT ‘applying tool incorrectly’
Mr Loganathan commissioned reports from two separate clinical psychologists — Dr Grant Blake and Dr Emma Collins — who both refuted CCT’s assessment, finding the man had a very low-risk of reoffending.
Dr Blake even described the man’s risk of future offending as “far-fetched” and “fanciful”.
In court on Monday, Mr Loganathan told Magistrate Andrew McKee that despite the reports, CCT would not shift its position.
“We have two certified trained clinical psychologists who have provided a report to the court that Static-99R [the risk assessment tool] should have never be administered to [the man] and the administration was flawed,” he told the court.
“We have Community Corrections who have provided a recommendation that [he is at] medium risk of offending.
“On the other hand, there’s Dr Blake, who quite forcefully provides a view that Community Corrections has been wrongly administrating [assessments] for however long they’ve been doing it.”
Magistrate McKee then questioned the claim that CCT had “wrongly” administered assessments beyond the current case, to which Mr Loganathan responded by reading out some of Dr Blake’s report.
“Community Corrections must be informed they are continuing to use risk assessment tools incorrectly,” he read to the court.
“It is unethical, unacceptable practice. It cannot continue.”
Mr Loganathan said Dr Blake’s position was that the risk assessment should never have been applied to the man and CCT “continue to use it for people within Category B”.
The court heard Dr Collins’s report also stated it was wrong to use Static-99R to assess Category B offenders.
Tool developed by Canadian, UK researchers
According to the manual for Static-99R, Category B offenses include “sexting”, “consenting sex in public places” and “indecent behavior without a sexual motive”.
Static-99R was developed by researchers in Canada and the United Kingdom and is meant to apply in “cases where an actual sex offense has occurred with an identifiable victim”.
Community Corrections representative Emily Drysdale, who did not undertake the assessment, said it had been applied “based on the fact there had been sexual offending.”
“My communication with senior management is that it was correctly applied,” she told the court.
She said CCT did not have a position on whether or not the man should be placed on the register and that was up to the court.
When Magistrate McKee asked her if she accepted that the assessment had been applied incorrectly, Ms Drysdale deferred to her manager’s advice.
“In their understanding it was applied correctly,” she told the court.
Magistrate McKee said Community Corrections had assessed the man was at a “higher risk than a routine sample of offenders”.
“[Based on that] I would need to give significant consideration to the register,” he said.
When asked about what CCT thought of the psychologists’ opinions that the assessment tool was being used incorrectly, Ms Drysdale said she had passed on their feedback.
“I have submitted that to that particular manager and haven’t received a particularly favorable response,” she told the court.
While Ms Drysdale did not say that she was challenging the psychologists’ reports, Magistrate McKee said that by standing by CCT’s assertion it had applied the risk assessment tool correctly, she effectively was.
“Your manager has told you ‘we were right’, therefore, the only inference is that Dr Blake and Dr Collins are incorrect and I’ve got to sort it out,” he said.
The case has been adjourned and will potentially lead to a disputed facts hearing.
Spatial audio is not entirely new. Forms of virtual surround sound processing have been around for decades. The difference today is that the technology behind the effect is getting good. Really good.
Apple Music introduced its take on spatial audio last year, meaning you could enjoy advanced surround sound on just a regular pair of headphones or earbuds (though it works best, of course, with Apple-based ones).
Now Netflix is bringing the idea to your TV and movie viewing experience.
One reviewer on Tom’s Guide says that spatial audio “blew me away.” He was able to enjoy surround sound with a minimal number of speakers. And that’s the upside. You don’t need to install a bunch of new speakers to benefit from the enhanced cinematic effect. Instead, you can just use your existing speaker setup. Even your built-in TV speaker or soundbar will do the trick.
Netflix is rolling out spatial audio for no additional charge — so existing subscribers, regardless of tier, can enjoy the feature. However, the catalog of titles is limited at launch. stranger things is one of the flagship shows that you can watch to enjoy expanded soundstages thanks to spatial audio. Rich, 80’s-inspired synthesizers would surely sound fantastic thanks to the additional processing.
I’m a firm believer that there’s absolutely no substitute for additional speakers and the immersion they can provide. A few years back I expanded my setup to support 5.1.4 Atmos. That means 5 regular speakers (front left, center, front right, rear left, rear right), a subwoofer and 4 ceiling Atmos speakers (2 in front and 2 in rear). I was fortunate that the ceiling speakers already existed and were wired in place when our home was built back in the 2000’s. The result is just incredible. And you can up-mix existing 5.1 material to take advantage of the additional Atmos speakers so things like rain, helicopter effects and most ambience effects will really take your home theater experience to the next level.
Still, adding speakers isn’t always a possibility. Cramped spaces, apartments and dorm rooms for instance; there, this sort of virtual spatial audio can be a blessing.
This software processing reminds of what we’re seeing with computational photography. Apple is a leader here, using software to improve the iPhone’s built-in camera. In the past cameras needed mostly hardware to take a great photo. That’s clearly no longer the case. Instead, software magic can do things that we never thought of before possible — automatically applying filters and backgrounds are simple examples.
I suspect most won’t be willing to pay extra for fancy photo/camera tricks or spatial audio for their music listening sessions. However, such features can be useful differentiators and a way for companies like Apple and Netflix to leverage them for marketing campaigns. Some will find these things more useful than others. It just depends on personal preference. Typically I like to hear a song in its native stereo (or even mono!) format. Often the spatial audio equivalent has an expanded soundstage, yes, but also tends to fatigue with its overtly echo-like reverb, even if subtle.
Regardless, if you’re a Netflix subscriber you should definitely give spatial audio a listen and see what you think. stranger things already sounds like the stuff of a fever 80s neon fantasy, now imagine all of that turned up to eleven.
Tip: per Netflix, typing “spatial audio” into the search bar and selecting a show or film that supports it in the search results.
Adam Peaty Will Not Go To Doha Worlds In 2024; Tom Dean – Not A Good Call From FINA
Adam Peaty won’t be going to the 2024 World Championships in Doha and believes the meet will be poorly attended weeks before Olympic trials season gets under way.
There has been growing criticism of FINA’s decision to stage the 2024 worlds from 2-18 February and to also make it a relay qualification meet for the Paris Games to be held from July that year.
Peatys Coach Mel Marshall accused the decision-makers of ignoring “the people that really matter in this sport,” and criticized the lack of consultation over the scheduling given its proximity to the trials season with the Olympics following five months later.
Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Perottino / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
British Swimming head coach Bill Furniss said it was “a question of fairness” and pointed to the advantage that will be enjoyed by some teams who qualify their relays at Fukuoka worlds next July.
Peaty and six-time Olympic medalist Duncan Scott were both critical of the decision while James Guy was unequivocal, stating “I ain’t going”.
Three-time Olympic champion Peaty on Saturday returned to the water for the first time since April following injury when he was the only man inside the one-minute barrier in the 100br heats at the Commonwealth Games.
The 27-year-old, who is seeking his third straight 100 Commonwealth crown and his first 50, looked ahead to Doha, saying:
“I can’t really see the bigger nations going just because the prep for the Olympics is so specific and you need that winter block and that is January, February.
“I’m not going to go, a lot of the British swimming team probably won’t go so how many world champions are going to be Olympic champions? Not many.”
Olympic 200m freestyle champion Tom Dean called for FINA to reschedule Doha, saying:
“I think putting a world champs in the same year as the Olympics is not a good call from FINA, personally I don’t believe that is the best approach to take.
“I think they need to review the calendar and look at it say everything got pushed back because of Covid, there’s nothing we can do about that now, let’s try and make it as normal as possible going forward for the athletes and give them the best chance to perform at the biggest competition which is the Olympics.”
The double Olympic champion is competing at Commonwealths weeks after taking bronze at the World Championships inBudapest.
Following Birmingham, a British team will head for the European Championships in Rome making it three major meetings in the space of two months.
Photo Courtesy: Andrea Staccioli / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
“I think it’s always tough when two meets are not close enough that you can just bounce on and stay tapered and relaxed but not far enough apart that you can get a solid block of work in.
“So it’s up to the coaches to plan how we deal with being in no-man’s land in that respect: my coach Dave McNulty is able to do that very well but unfortunate to be in that position.”
He also called for more athlete representation when it comes to decision-making that affects them, saying:
“I think athletes should always have to say in all decisions made by international governing bodies. That’s true not just of swimming but all sports.
“I think it’s something that in my talks with members of FINA it’s something they want to do more of but I think we are holding out to see that actually coming to fruition.”
A side agreement reached between Democratic leadership and Sen. Joe Manchin III (DW.Va.) as part of their broader deal on an economic package would overhaul the nation’s process for approving new energy projects, including by expediting a gas pipeline proposed for West Virginia, according to a one-page summary obtained by The Washington Post.
To win Manchin’s support for the climate, energy and health-care package that was etched last week, Democratic leaders agreed to attempt to advance separate legislation on expediting energy projects. These changes would fall outside the bounds of the Senate budget procedure the party is using to pass its budget bill, making it impossible for Democrats to approve that with just 51 votes. The new agreement would require 60 votes to be approved and would need GOP support to be signed into law. Republicans have supported similar measures in the past, but the agreement could face defections from liberal Democrats, who have warned against making it easier to open new oil and gas projects.
The 100-seat Senate is now evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, but Vice President Harris can cast a tiebreaking vote.
The two-week scramble that saved Democrats’ climate agenda
The side deal would set new two-year limits, or maximum timelines, for environmental reviews for “major” projects, the summary says. It would also aim to streamline the government processes for deciding approvals for energy projects by centralizing decision-making with one lead agency, the summary adds. The bill would also attempt to clear the way for the approval of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, which would transport Appalachian shale gas about 300 miles from West Virginia to Virginia. This pipeline is a key priority of Manchin’s.
Other provisions would limit legal challenges to energy projects and give the Energy Department more authority to approve electric transmission lines that are deemed to be “in the national interest,” according to the document.
“This is a pretty vague outline, but if you had this kind of efficient streamlining it could lead to the necessary build-out of energy infrastructure not just for fossil fuels but for all types of energy that are necessary for reliability and decarbonization,” he said Neil Chatterjee, former commissioner and chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
How the Schumer-Manchin climate deal might impact you and change the US
Still, the agreement poses new challenges for Democratic lawmakers who are weighing these permitting changes as the necessary price to pay to secure Manchin’s support for hundreds of billions in new clean energy investments. Climate groups have largely said that trade is worth while, because Manchin’s vote on the broader package will unlock long-sought subsidies and tax credits for solar, wind and other forms of renewable energy.
Many Democrats have been wary. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) said previously: “I really want to see all the details on the permitting. We all knew that any deal that would be struck between Schumer and Manchin would have a lot of fossil fuels in it. The question is on balance.”
Still, the agreement appears to have been the only way to secure Manchin’s vote for the broader climate deal. Manchin had voiced concerns about approving hundreds of billions of dollars in government subsidies for fossil fuel projects that could be defeated by red tape or climate lawsuits, and said the United States must do much more to avoid its dependence on authoritarian petrostates.
In both public and private talks, Manchin has made it clear that he views approving the Mountain Valley Pipeline as a top priority. Supporters have characterized it as a way to help make the United States an exporter of liquefied natural gas, which the United States is sending to help Europe amid the war in Ukraine.
Climate groups have opposed the project, with a 2017 analysis by Oil Change International, an advocacy group, finding that the greenhouse gas emissions from the Mountain Valley Pipeline would approximate 26 coal plants or 19 million passenger cars.
With news that house prices are falling sharply in several capital cities, millions of renters may be looking forward to paying the landlord a bit less.
Key points:
Though house prices are dropping nationally, rents are tipped to go up as much as 10 per cent over the next year
Reasons for this include rising interest rates, returning students and more holiday homes for the wealthy
Rents may “hit a ceiling” and become too much for households to pay, experts say
CoreLogic data released this week shows house prices in Australia are dropping at their fastest pace since the global financial crisis.
The median price in Sydney saw the sharpest value falls in almost 40 years, while values in Melbourne, Hobart, Brisbane and regional Australia also dropped last month.
So rents should fall too, right?
Wrong. For most of the 2.4 million households renting from private landlords, rents will go up at a historically rapid clip over the next year.
Here’s why.
Prices go down, but rents keep going up
Rents have jumped about 2.8 per cent in the past quarter, and are expected to rise further still, said CoreLogic’s research director Tim Lawless.
“We’ve already seen rents up 9.8 per cent over 12 months to July,” he said.
“By this time next year I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s been a similar increase of around 10 per cent.”
The chart below shows the relationship between dwelling (houses and apartment) values and weekly rents from 2010 to 2022.
As you can see, for most of the past decade, rents have trudged upwards while housing values have fluctuated more wildly.
Basically, there’s no short-term relationship between the change in house prices and the amount tents pay their landlords.
Since August 2020, the fairly flat and predictable trajectory of rental payment increases has taken a sharp upwards turn.
In fact, the increase has been so sharp that Mr Lawless expects we’re approaching a “ceiling” on what renters are “able to pay”.
“Rental affordability is already challenging, and it’s going to become worse,” he said.
“I think a time will come when renters can’t fathom higher rents.”
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
House prices decline at fastest rate since GFC as building costs climb
Interest rates, returning students and COVID getaways for the wealthy
The reason rental payments will increase as house prices fall is due to a combination of factors, from rising interest rates, returning international students, and housing market changes wrought by COVID.
Higher interest rates means larger mortgage payments, which landlords are simply handballing to their tenants.
The return of international students with the opening of Australia’s borders will increase demand for rental accommodation.
Since the 1990s, house prices have risen from 2.5 times annual household income, to over six times today.(Supplied: ACT Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate)
The resumption of tourism will also have an impact, said Chris Martin, a researcher at UNSW’s City Futures Research Centre.
“There’s probably been properties that have moved out of the rental sector to Airbnb and the tourism sector,” he said.
The pandemic has also seen more people with higher incomes owning a holiday home that they do not rent out, he said.
“If that happens often enough that would affect rental supply and could make rents even more expensive for people,” he said.
This increase in demand and reduction in supply will be counteracted by more tenants moving back into sharehouses, said CoreLogic’s Tim Lawless.
“Rental households became smaller during the pandemic as tenants looked for space,” he said.
That is, couples and individuals in sharehouses moved into places of their own, which meant they were paying more for rent.
This was highlighted in a recent speech by the Reserve Bank’s Luci Ellis, who noted, “On the question of who you would rather be locked down with, at least some Australians have voted with their removalists’ van, by moving out of their share house and in with their partner.”
This trend will likely be reversed as rents increase and the sharehouses reform out of mutual financial benefit, said Mr Lawless.
“Renters may need to occupy the room they’ve used as a home office,” he said.
The rental market’s shifting ‘bulge’
But there’s another, longer term trend that’s also driving up rents.
Because the cost of buying a house is unaffordable for many, Australians are renting longer in their lives, and into what Dr Martin calls the “prime income years”.
“There’s been more households who would have otherwise in previous generations have been owning, but they’re renting,” he said.
“They are higher income houses and can spend that higher income on rental housing.”
This change is captured in the chart below, which shows the number of houses available for rent at various prices, from 1996 to 2016 (this is in 2016 dollar values, so inflation isn’t a factor).
Today’s unaffordable rental market is a battle of the “bulge”.(Supplied: AHURI Final Report No. 323, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute Limited.)
In 1996, there was a big bulge in properties around the $200 a week mark.
By 2016, it had shifted to $500.
Renters who could have never afforded $500 a week when they were studying 20 years ago now have careers and can stump up the money (even if they’d prefer to pay much less).
“The rental market has changed shape and the big driver has been the increasing presence of higher income tenant households priced out of home ownership,” Dr Martin said.
So, what’s the outlook?
For renters, the outlook isn’t great for at least the next 12 months, said Mr Lawless.
So long as interest rates go up and the borders stay open, rents will probably keep increasing, even if house prices fall.
For rents to eventually go down, housing prices would have to keep falling for a long period, while interest rates stayed low.
And that’s unlikely to happen on a national scale, said Mr Lawless.
“If we want to see an alleviation, we need to see government take a more active role in delivering rental accommodation,” he said.
That included more social and community housing initiatives for low and moderate Australian incomes, he said.
Dr Martin agreed.
“The way I’d like to see rents go down is if we actually had a rental sector with abundant rental housing for not for profits,” he said.
A YouTuber built a PC out of a working toilet, creating what might be the first toilet capable of both handling your waste and playing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. What a world we live in!
As spotted by Eurogamer, YouTuber Basically Homeless cut a deal with the electronics store Microcenter to create a gaming PC inside of an actual toilet, complete with all the plumbing and water that entails. It’s a wild thing, but not surprising. You see, for as long as we have had toilets and video games, many have tried to combine them. Even I have heard that siren’s call and attempted to poop and game at the same time. Countless others do so while playing games on their phones.
But Basically Homeless didn’t want to simply bring a Switch or phone or even a Steam Deck into the bathroom. Instead, he wanted to create a setup that would let him play 120hz FPS shooters with a mouse and keyboard while sitting on a toilet. And in his video of him documenting the entire process, I was shocked both by the end results and the lack of planning.
The way this thing works is one half of the tank contains all the toilet bits and bobs along with the water. Then he built a “Water Wall” out of plexiglass and glue. On the other side of the wall are all the computer parts. The idea was to keep them separate, letting you flush the working toilet while playing games. Also, built into the lid is a fan to help keep the PC cool.
It probably won’t surprise you to learn that the first time he connected the toilet to the water supply his hacked-together “Water Wall” failed and he ended up having to use a whole can of Flexseal inside the tank to protect the valuable PC electronics. However, now that he’s gotten everything working (including the RGB lighting), the finished PC/toilet hybrid is oddly impressive. Thanks to a large cutout in the front, you can see both the functioning toilet and the running PC.
According to Basically Homeless, he had to learn basic plumbing and how to cut porcelain to create this bizarre PC. The end result is both a conversation starter and a man who can now fix his own toilet. Truly a win, win situation.
Succession, the black-comedy drama series, has quickly become one of the most popular shows on television today. The series follows the dysfunctional Roy family, who begin seeking control of the huge conglomerate, Waystar RoyCo, when the family patriarch and CEO of Waystar RoyCo, Logan Roy begins declining in health.
Succession is critically acclaimed and has won five Golden Globes and nine Primetime Emmys, so far – it’s been nominated for 25 Emmys at this year’s ceremony alone, which will take place in September. Of course, you don’t need to be told how good Succession es. You’re here to see what shows are just as good, if not better.
So, without further ado, if you’re wanting a new show to watch while you wait for Succession Season 4 to be released, here are five shows that are well worth your time.
Arrested Development
Image Credit: 20th Television
8.7 IMDb score, stars Jason Bateman, Michael Cera & Will Arnett, Comedy, released in 2003, 5 seasons
If it’s the dysfunctional family dynamics and witty humor you love best about Successionthen arrestedDevelopment is for you. The Emmy-winning series follows Michael Bluth, played by Bateman, who is forced to run the family business (and keep his oddball, formerly wealthy family together) when his father is imprisoned.
Filled with hilarious antics and featuring an extremely solid cast, there’s a reason Arrested Development is considered one of the best sitcoms of all time. trust us, Succession fans will definitely enjoy this series.
Where To Watch: Disney+
billions
Image Credit: Paramount Global Distribution Group
8.4 IMDb score, stars Paul Giamatti, Damian Lewis & Maggies Siff, Drama, released in 2016, 6 seasons
billions follows the intense cat and mouse game between US Attorney Chuck Rhoades and hedge fund manager Bobby ‘Axe’ Axelrod. Rhoades constantly tries to prosecute Ax for insider trading, while Ax constantly tries to avoid getting caught. billions has a few similarities to Succession – Both shows are set in New York and focus on affluent characters wanting more wealth.
billions is well-acted and well-written, just like Successiontoo.
Where To Watch: Stan
Empire
Image Credit: 20th Television
7.3 IMDb score, stars Terrence Howard, Taraji P. Henson & Jussie Smollett, Drama & Music, released in 2015, 6 seasons
When the founder and CEO of a successful record label is diagnosed with a serious medical condition, he must decide which one of his three children is best suited to take over the company when he dies. Sound familiar? And it is, Empire and Succession have very similar plots, although Empire‘sa little more melodramatic than Succession.
The gripping plots, exceptional cast and spectacular musical performances are what to make Empire a must-watch.
Where To Watch: Disney+
Mad Men
Image Credit: Lionsgate Television
8.7 IMDb score, stars Jon Hamm, January Jones & Elisabeth Moss, Drama, released in 2007, 7 seasons
Set in the 1960s, Mad Men centers around Don Draper, the most talented ad executive at New York’s most prestigious agency. The series is critically acclaimed and won numerous awards during its run, namely because of its stellar cast and well-written plotlines.
If you’re still not sold, Mad Men is a character-driven drama that reflects and examines the social mores of the 1960s; just like Succession (although, obviously the latter show reflects and examines the social mores of today’s society).
Where To Watch: Stan
Yellowstone
Image Credit: Paramount Global Distribution Group
8.7 IMDb score, stars Kevin Costner, Wes Bentley & Kelly Reilly, Drama & Western, released in 2018, 4 seasons
Yellowstone is literally Succession but set on a cattle ranch as opposed to New York and everyone wears cowboy hats rather than power suits. The series follows John Dutton, owner of the largest contiguous ranch in the United States, as he and his adult children try to protect their empire.
Any fan of Succession is sure to enjoy Yellowstone.
Ivan Cleary says the club contemplated contesting the grading of Nathan Cleary’s dangerous throw charge but didn’t want to risk the star halfback potentially missing the opening week of the finals.
Nathan took part in a light training session on Monday morning after he accepted a five-match ban for a grade three dangerous throw on Parramatta five-eighth Dylan Brown on Friday night.
The suspension has turned Penrith’s remaining five weeks of the regular season on its head with five-eighth Jarome Luai also sidelined with a knee injury until at least round 25.
Ivan said Nathan had taken his suspension “well” despite everyone still being shocked around the incident.
“We definitely thought we had a case there but in the end we thought the risk was too high for him to lose another week,” Cleary said.
“Nat is really happy that Dylan is ok, that’s probably the most important thing out of all of this.
“Because although he clearly never set out for that tackle to end how it did, the fact is it became dangerous but thank god Dylan got up and is fine, that’s really good news.
“I’ve said this before but I’m very proud of how he does own his mistakes. He did that and definitely felt for Dylan.
“The way he processes things he did that. I have trained well this morning and it seems good.”
Coach Cleary backed Nathan and Luai and to hit their straps the moment they return to a Panthers side that is planning to not use the next five games to stumble into the finals.
The defending champions sit three wins clear on top of the Telstra Premiership ladder with at least one more victory in the run home set to lock in the club’s second minor premiership in three seasons.
While the Panthers aren’t relying on results to go their way like other sides, Cleary doesn’t want the recent week of events to distract from what the side has done this season.
“Every result matters,” he said.
“You have some plans but then you’ve always got to have some flexibility around that. It hasn’t changed too much at the moment.
“We’re fortunate that we have banked a lot of points in the first half of the year but at this point we’re focused on getting a good performance out this week.
“No matter what happens you want to go into the finals with individuals in good shape and the team in good shape.
“It gives other people opportunity and there’s plenty of things in our game where it doesn’t all revolve around the halves.
Behind the scenes of Kurt Falls’ jersey presentation
“We’ve got to make sure we’re working on other stuff so when those guys come back in we can put it all together.
“Whoever wears the jersey they’ve got a job to do for this team and that’s how we’ll be approaching it.”
The Panthers will hit the road this week to Kiama for a three-day camp before arriving to Canberra on Friday in preparation for their clash with the Raiders.
Back-up halfback Kurt Falls is expected to be available and looks likely to partner Sean O’Sullivan in the halves while Stephen Crichton (ear) could also make a return and is set to wear headgear.
