“In the year Churchill was born, General Sir Garnet Wolsely signed a treaty forcing the defeated King Koffee of the Ashanti to end human sacrifice ;in the year he died, the spaceship Gemini 5 orbited the earth, and the Beatles released “Ticket To Ride.”

“Churchill: Walking With Destiny”: Andrew Roberts. Page 966

Capt. ‘Sully’ on Boeing’s aviation safety: ‘They have lost their way’

“In a survey of 3,000 British teenagers in 2008, no fewer then 20% of them thought Winston Churchill to be a fictional character. (In the same survey, 58% thought Sherlock Holmes and 47% thought Eleanor Rigby were real people.)

“Churchill: Walking With Destiny” Andrew Roberts Page 982.

Ten seeks to reopen Bruce Lehrmann defamation case after ex-Seven producer Taylor Auerbach’s evidence

• EXCLUSIVE

By stephen rice

• NSW Editor
• 6:09PM March 31, 2024

In a dramatic last-minute move, Network Ten has launched an urgent application asking the Federal Court to reopen its case in the defamation action brought against it by Bruce Lehrmann, after it received sensational new information from former Seven producer Taylor Auerbach.
The application by the network will be heard by Justice Michael Lee on Tuesday, just two days before the judge was due to deliver his verdict in the long-running trial.
On Sunday, Ten filed an application for “leave to reopen the … case for the purpose of adducing fresh evidence be granted”.
It is understood Ten has been given new evidence about how the Seven Network’s Spotlight program came into possession of material it used in its interview with Mr Lehrmann, including recordings of a five-hour pre-interview meeting between Lisa Wilkinson, her producer Angus Llewellyn, Brittany Higgins and her partner David Sharaz.
Mr Lehrmann has long denied that he was the source of the recordings, and of vision of Ms Higgins and Mr Lehrmann inside Parliament House which was used on the program.
However it is believed that affidavits have been provided to Ten by Taylor Auerbach, who left the Spotlight program last year, claiming that the source of the information was from Mr Lehrmann.

Mr Lehrmann was provided with evidence obtained by police during their investigation of the rape allegations against him by Ms Higgins, but such evidence is provided on the understanding that it is not to be used beyond the scope of the criminal trial.
Mr Auerbach used Seven’s corporate credit card to allegedly spend thousands of dollars on Thai massages for himself and Mr Lehrmann, claims Mr Lehrmann denies.
Auerbach is now threatening to sue Lehrmann for defamation after the former Liberal staffer claimed the suggestion he received an expensive massage at the TV producer’s house was ­“bizarre and untrue”.
It’s also understood Auerbach is considering legal action against other parties relating to reporting of his alleged interactions with Lehrmann. At the time, Auerbach had been tasked with trying to woo Lehrmann, who was accused of raping Brittany Higgins, to agree to an exclusive interview with Spotlight, which he did. Mr Lehrmann has consistently denied raping Ms Higgins.

Auerbach was identified by the ABC’s Media Watch program last Monday as the source behind a ­series of stories relating to the appointment of journalist Steve Jackson as the head of the NSW Police Force Media Unit.
Auerbach and Jackson were colleagues at Spotlight but are no longer on speaking terms.
It was reported last week that Jackson, who had nothing to do with nor any knowledge of the procurement of the Thai masseuses, had advised Auerbach in November 2022 on how to pay back the debt he had incurred on the company credit card.
On Thursday, NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb cancelled Jackson’s contract.
The Australian has sought comment from Mr Lehrmann and Mr Auerbach.

Far out! Check out the underwater vision going here. The fish are thriving. Put it up on the big screen.

Their ability to stay under water with one breath for long periods of time is impressive.
____

B2B Castaways (Strick and Fran)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkZUQsCtJtU

Latino voters scoff at CBS News reporter asking if Trump’s a threat to democracy: ‘Don’t buy that argument

Wodney seemed angry today.
But I am sure God will forgive his outburst.

Newspoll: Labor sinks in WA, losing support among younger voters

• Exclusive

By simon benson

• Political Editor
• 9:30PM March 31, 2024
• No Comments

Support for federal Labor has nosedived in Western Australia, with the Coalition now ahead in the key resource state and drawing level in NSW for the first time since the last federal election, as male voters turn against the Albanese government.
That dip in support has been offset by a lift in support in Queensland.
Younger voters have also swung towards the Coalition, with Labor’s traditional advantage significantly eroded in a 10-point turnaround towards the Liberal-Nationals.
An exclusive Newspoll demographic and state by state breakdown shows that while the average national vote remains unchanged since the final quarter of last year, with Labor leading 52-48 in two-party-preferred terms, it is down 6 per cent on its election result in WA and sliding in NSW.
The most significant demographic movement in voting intention nationally since the beginning of the year has been among male voters and younger voters.
For the first time, the Coalition and Labor are equally split among men at 50-50, marking a six-point fall to 31 per cent in the primary vote for Labor and a three-point two-party-preferred swing against the government since the end of last year.
This is set against a one-point fall in support for the Coalition among female voters, with Labor ahead 53-47 two-party-preferred.
Among the younger voting group – the 18 to 34 year-olds – the Coalition has gained five points to a primary vote of 27 per cent, with Labor falling five points to 33 per cent.
This is the strongest result for the Coalition in this age group since the election, with its primary vote now higher than the Greens, which fell a point to 24 per cent.
However, Labor has pulled further ahead in the 35- to 49-year-old age bracket following the Prime Minister’s campaign to ­target “Middle Australia” with cost-of-living relief and tax cuts.
On a state-by-state comparison, the Coalition is leading Labor on primary vote in Victoria for the first time, with the government losing ground to the Greens, which have risen to 16 per cent. That churn of votes on the left has maintained Labor’s 55-45 two-party-preferred lead.
Both parties declined in South Australia, with Labor falling three points and the Coalition two points, reducing Labor’s two-party-preferred lead by a point to 54-46.
The analysis shows the ­Coalition ahead of Labor, two-party-preferred, in WA and Queensland and drawing level in NSW.
The analysis of the electoral landscape over the first quarter of 2024 shows Labor still leading nat­ionally by 52-48 when averaged over polls conducted since early February. This is unchanged on the last quarter of 2023.
However, with gains in WA and a lift in support in NSW, the analysis points to a net loss of seats for Labor if the vote was repeated at an election.
Anthony Albanese remains confident Labor will be able to hold on to a majority at the next election but on the current trend, the possibility of a minority Labor government remains high.