Latest news with #Fitz
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
'Mind-blowing' series is now available to stream for free
The critically-acclaimed series has a 93% Rotten Tomatoes rating, and is based on the real-life hunt for the Unabomber, who terrorised the US with a 20-year bombing campaign The celebrated US drama Manhunt: Unabomber, with an impressive 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, is now accessible for streaming at no cost in the UK. Initially launched on Netflix, the series has found its new home on STV Player, which serves viewers across the UK. Manhunt: Unabomber offers a dramatised retelling of the gruelling FBI pursuit to capture the 'Unabomber', a notorious criminal genius whose campaign of domestic terrorism spanned decades, resulting in three fatalities and 23 injuries. In this compelling eight-part series, A-list actor Sam Worthington portrays Jim "Fitz" Fitzgerald, a rookie FBI profiler determined to apprehend the cunning terrorist. The intelligence and skill of the Unabomber aren't the only hurdles for Fitz, as he confronts the internal struggles within the UNABOM Task Force – the joint law enforcement group established to pursue the Unabomber's case, reports Surrey Live. Although Fitz introduces the innovative technique of forensic linguistics to the investigation, it faces scepticism from his peers in the task force due to its unorthodox nature. With obstacles looming, the question remains whether Fitz can navigate the bureaucratic impediments to secure the capture of the mastermind behind two decades of terror in the United States. Adding to the star-powered cast, BAFTA nominee Paul Bettany features as Ted Kaczynski, the mathematical prodigy and ex-Berkeley professor, who was eventually exposed as the Unabomber in 1996. Critics have showered the series with accolades, with The Hollywood Reporter describing it as "interesting in its depiction of how years of using traditional methods and failing to catch America's most notorious serial bomber gave way to something experimental and new". The Los Angeles Times has extolled the series, which is part thriller, part true-crime drama, as a "win on all fronts". Fans of the Manhunt anthology can also indulge in the second series, Manhunt: Deadly Games, available on STV Player, following the FBI pursuit of the 1996 Olympic Games bomber. If Manhunt isn't quite your thing, STV Player offers a rich variety of alternatives. Among these are the Canadian legal drama Burden of Truth, the Irish police procedural Red Rock, and New Zealand's longest-standing soap opera, Shortland Street, all ready for viewing.
The Age
24-05-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Jason Falinski: The Libs should reconcile with the Nats. Just not yet
Fitz: Given this last result, can you acknowledge the bleeding obvious that choosing Peter Dutton as the opposition leader in 2022 was a mistake? JF: I think that Peter Dutton performed really well, he kept the party together. He came up with some interesting policies. You know, we cannot underestimate the impact that Donald Trump had on the dynamics of Australian politics through 2025. Fitz: Jason! I've sold you to my editors as 'a straight shooter'. I respectfully submit to you that saying Peter Dutton was a great choice, and he came up with great policies is not right. I mean, what were these great policies? I can name nuclear, which was a rolled-gold disaster, a cut in the fuel excise – which generated no fewer than 17 photo ops – and getting rid of working from home for the surviving public servants after they sacked 41,000 of them, both of which they caved in on. JF: [ A little chastened. ] Yeah, look, [it did get tough] you're absolutely right. We ended up in a Mexican standoff with the ALP over who could give out more subsidies, and if you're talking about giving out subsidies, then the Labor Party is going to win that war every time, because they have more experience at it, and people believe that the Labor Party is going to do that much more than they believe we will. And so ultimately we got completely boxed in. Fitz: OK, you now run a strategic advisory firm, whatever that is. We know you think the best advice you can give the Libs is they must say to the Nats, 'Don't let the door hit your arse on the way out.' My advice would be to listen to their own Charlotte Mortlock who noted that the average Liberal Party member is a 70-year-old male, while the average Australian voter is a 36-year-old female. These days, you could probably make it into the Young Liberals as a 50-year-old, so long as you still went to Shore and wear a tie. It is obvious to me, that has to change. Surely their policy star from here, has to be what will bring in young women. Do you agree? JF: Broadly. We've got to start reaching out, and bring more people of all kinds in. There's a great Reagan quote, along the lines of, 'We've got to stop talking to ourselves about ourselves, and go out there and tell the people that while we're fewer in numbers, we've got the values and principles you've been looking for.' And by the way, I don't think Charlotte's right, I think most Liberal Party meetings that I go to, it's actually probably 70-year-old women, and there are some older men, and to be fair they want younger people to come through. Fitz: Indeed, a problem. The point has also been made that in the whole of NSW, the Liberal Party does not get a single harbour view, and along the entire NSW coast from Victoria to Queensland you have only one coastal view, in Scott Morrison's old seat of Cook, which has somehow held on! JF: That's right, and that speaks to our challenge, and also speaks to why we must go our own way from the National Party. Fitz: OK, so you think it shouldn't be a trial separation, it should be a divorce, with a custody battle over who must take Barnaby? JF: [ Laughs. ] No. I do hope the couple can still get back together, but before they can, they need to deal with the fundamental issues that have driven those problems. And I don't think we should just reconcile with the Nats just because it looks better. I think we should reconcile only after we've dealt with the fundamental issues underlying the problems that we face. We Liberals now need to go and do the hard, arduous work of talking to and being in dialogue with the Australian people, so that in a year's time, when we start coming up with ideas, we have a far better understanding of what problems and what challenges they're facing. Then, and only then, should we come back together and talk to the Nationals to see what they've come up with. But I repeat: If we don't develop polices for our natural constituencies in the big cities, we will be completely lost. Fitz: Aren't you already lost? Laura Tingle has said that, basically, the Liberal Party's manoeuvred itself to be little more than an observer in the current House of Reps and that's fair. Without the Nats, you're hobbling around on one leg, and can't really run a proper campaign in an election. JF: I don't agree with you or Laura. We're still the official opposition party in the lower house and in the Senate regardless of whether we're with the National Party or not. What we need to do most of all now is look after our patch, and let the Nats go and look after theirs. Fitz: Do you agree that, whatever happens, David Littleproud's crazy-brave insistence that nuclear must stay on the table is batshit crazy when you went to the polls with that as your major policy, only to come up – dot three, carry one, subtract heaps – 50 seats behind! Can you explain how it is even possible for the Libs to get back together with the Nats if they are stuck with that insane policy? Loading JF: Look I think it is batshit crazy to lock it in for another three years without actually undertaking a fundamental review of it. But there actually is an argument that as everything turns electric, the demand for electricity will be five times what it is now, and we will only be able to meet those demands in 2050 by having nuclear as part of it. You may be right that we can do all of this on renewable energy, but there is no one else in the world that is saying that. At the moment we're relying on coal to make up the difference, but it might have to be nuclear in the end. I don't think 'nuclear with government subsidies', but you could allow market forces to come into play. Fitz: On the subject of coal, you were a strong voice against Matt Canavan's contention in 2021 that our future was coal, coal, coal. Yet I remember a recent controversy where the lobby group you are involved with, Australians For Prosperity, took $725,000 from coal interests? JF: Sure. Coal Australia is a major supporter of mining in Australia, and they represent a lot of mining communities, and yeah, they did donate money to us to help us to stand up for economic policies that are about driving prosperity in the Australian community, and I don't think we've had a lot of that in the last generation, and it's something we've got to get back to. Our group was founded on the proposition that there's too much time spent in Australian politics talking about social and cultural issues, and how do we divide the cake? And no one – or very few people in Australian politics these days – talks about, how can we actually grow the cake so everyone gets a little bit more than they've got, or a lot more than they've got at the moment. Fitz: Traditionally, that is the argument made by the Liberal Party. To finish though, is it possible that the Coalition is just … done? You know, that all of the debate, all the manoeuvres of the next three years is no more than a 'bouncing of the rubble', because the whole thing has collapsed in on itself? JF: [ Long pause. ] It's possible, but improbable. For now, we need to re-engage with our people, and listen to them – and let the Nats do the same. Then and only then should we even contemplate re-forming the Coalition. Regardless of what happens, a lot of people in this country want the government to promote fairness and stand up for the right and freedoms of individuals. If we want to survive and thrive, that is what we need to do.
Sydney Morning Herald
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Jason Falinski: The Libs should reconcile with the Nats. Just not yet
Fitz: Given this last result, can you acknowledge the bleeding obvious that choosing Peter Dutton as the opposition leader in 2022 was a mistake? JF: I think that Peter Dutton performed really well, he kept the party together. He came up with some interesting policies. You know, we cannot underestimate the impact that Donald Trump had on the dynamics of Australian politics through 2025. Fitz: Jason! I've sold you to my editors as 'a straight shooter'. I respectfully submit to you that saying Peter Dutton was a great choice, and he came up with great policies is not right. I mean, what were these great policies? I can name nuclear, which was a rolled-gold disaster, a cut in the fuel excise – which generated no fewer than 17 photo ops – and getting rid of working from home for the surviving public servants after they sacked 41,000 of them, both of which they caved in on. JF: [ A little chastened. ] Yeah, look, [it did get tough] you're absolutely right. We ended up in a Mexican standoff with the ALP over who could give out more subsidies, and if you're talking about giving out subsidies, then the Labor Party is going to win that war every time, because they have more experience at it, and people believe that the Labor Party is going to do that much more than they believe we will. And so ultimately we got completely boxed in. Fitz: OK, you now run a strategic advisory firm, whatever that is. We know you think the best advice you can give the Libs is they must say to the Nats, 'Don't let the door hit your arse on the way out.' My advice would be to listen to their own Charlotte Mortlock who noted that the average Liberal Party member is a 70-year-old male, while the average Australian voter is a 36-year-old female. These days, you could probably make it into the Young Liberals as a 50-year-old, so long as you still went to Shore and wear a tie. It is obvious to me, that has to change. Surely their policy star from here, has to be what will bring in young women. Do you agree? JF: Broadly. We've got to start reaching out, and bring more people of all kinds in. There's a great Reagan quote, along the lines of, 'We've got to stop talking to ourselves about ourselves, and go out there and tell the people that while we're fewer in numbers, we've got the values and principles you've been looking for.' And by the way, I don't think Charlotte's right, I think most Liberal Party meetings that I go to, it's actually probably 70-year-old women, and there are some older men, and to be fair they want younger people to come through. Fitz: Indeed, a problem. The point has also been made that in the whole of NSW, the Liberal Party does not get a single harbour view, and along the entire NSW coast from Victoria to Queensland you have only one coastal view, in Scott Morrison's old seat of Cook, which has somehow held on! JF: That's right, and that speaks to our challenge, and also speaks to why we must go our own way from the National Party. Fitz: OK, so you think it shouldn't be a trial separation, it should be a divorce, with a custody battle over who must take Barnaby? JF: [ Laughs. ] No. I do hope the couple can still get back together, but before they can, they need to deal with the fundamental issues that have driven those problems. And I don't think we should just reconcile with the Nats just because it looks better. I think we should reconcile only after we've dealt with the fundamental issues underlying the problems that we face. We Liberals now need to go and do the hard, arduous work of talking to and being in dialogue with the Australian people, so that in a year's time, when we start coming up with ideas, we have a far better understanding of what problems and what challenges they're facing. Then, and only then, should we come back together and talk to the Nationals to see what they've come up with. But I repeat: If we don't develop polices for our natural constituencies in the big cities, we will be completely lost. Fitz: Aren't you already lost? Laura Tingle has said that, basically, the Liberal Party's manoeuvred itself to be little more than an observer in the current House of Reps and that's fair. Without the Nats, you're hobbling around on one leg, and can't really run a proper campaign in an election. JF: I don't agree with you or Laura. We're still the official opposition party in the lower house and in the Senate regardless of whether we're with the National Party or not. What we need to do most of all now is look after our patch, and let the Nats go and look after theirs. Fitz: Do you agree that, whatever happens, David Littleproud's crazy-brave insistence that nuclear must stay on the table is batshit crazy when you went to the polls with that as your major policy, only to come up – dot three, carry one, subtract heaps – 50 seats behind! Can you explain how it is even possible for the Libs to get back together with the Nats if they are stuck with that insane policy? Loading JF: Look I think it is batshit crazy to lock it in for another three years without actually undertaking a fundamental review of it. But there actually is an argument that as everything turns electric, the demand for electricity will be five times what it is now, and we will only be able to meet those demands in 2050 by having nuclear as part of it. You may be right that we can do all of this on renewable energy, but there is no one else in the world that is saying that. At the moment we're relying on coal to make up the difference, but it might have to be nuclear in the end. I don't think 'nuclear with government subsidies', but you could allow market forces to come into play. Fitz: On the subject of coal, you were a strong voice against Matt Canavan's contention in 2021 that our future was coal, coal, coal. Yet I remember a recent controversy where the lobby group you are involved with, Australians For Prosperity, took $725,000 from coal interests? JF: Sure. Coal Australia is a major supporter of mining in Australia, and they represent a lot of mining communities, and yeah, they did donate money to us to help us to stand up for economic policies that are about driving prosperity in the Australian community, and I don't think we've had a lot of that in the last generation, and it's something we've got to get back to. Our group was founded on the proposition that there's too much time spent in Australian politics talking about social and cultural issues, and how do we divide the cake? And no one – or very few people in Australian politics these days – talks about, how can we actually grow the cake so everyone gets a little bit more than they've got, or a lot more than they've got at the moment. Fitz: Traditionally, that is the argument made by the Liberal Party. To finish though, is it possible that the Coalition is just … done? You know, that all of the debate, all the manoeuvres of the next three years is no more than a 'bouncing of the rubble', because the whole thing has collapsed in on itself? JF: [ Long pause. ] It's possible, but improbable. For now, we need to re-engage with our people, and listen to them – and let the Nats do the same. Then and only then should we even contemplate re-forming the Coalition. Regardless of what happens, a lot of people in this country want the government to promote fairness and stand up for the right and freedoms of individuals. If we want to survive and thrive, that is what we need to do.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
TSA trained to accept military IDs in lieu of REAL IDs, officials say
Military-connected travelers should be able to board domestic flights simply by showing their military ID, as Transportation Security Administration officers are trained to accept them in lieu of a REAL ID, a TSA spokesman said. As of May 7, individuals must show a REAL ID, or acceptable alternative, to board domestic commercial flights, visit military installations and access certain federal facilities. REAL ID driver's licenses are identified by a star in the upper right-hand corner. DOD ID cards, including those issued to dependents, are among the forms of identification listed on the TSA website as acceptable alternatives to the REAL ID. Still, some travelers told Military Times their military IDs have been rejected at U.S. airports. The issue has come up with military retirees, particularly those with old-style ID cards featuring an 'INDEF', or indefinite expiration date. One Air Force retiree said his retiree ID card wasn't accepted when he tried it out while flying to Virginia on May 10. The card has an 'INDEF' expiration date. 'Our officers are trained to accept military IDs at our security checkpoints,' TSA spokesman Dave Fitz told Military Times. 'In the unlikely event that an officer would not accept a military ID, the passenger should ask to speak to a supervisor.' Although the TSA page detailing the list of acceptable identification doesn't specifically mention retired military IDs, Fitz said, 'U.S. Department of Defense IDs, to include IDs for active and retired military, are acceptable forms of ID, even if they do not have an expiration date.' Military-connected passengers may also use any of the other acceptable IDs listed, Fitz noted. Among other options listed on the TSA site are U.S. passports, Veteran Health Identification Cards (VHIC), state-issued Enhanced Driver's Licenses (EDL) and Enhanced IDs (EID). Meanwhile, policies for accessing military bases for those who already have military or DOD-issued credentials, such as military retirees, dependents and surviving spouses, have not changed. But those with an old-style ID card should be aware that while they will still be able to access military bases with that ID, it's uncertain for how long. These IDs are blue, pink or tan DD Form 2, DD Form 1173, DD Form 1173-1 or DD Form 2785. More than 5 million military family members, retirees are getting new ID cards The Defense Department is working to replace these IDs with the NextGen ID. Officials advise getting the NextGen ID now to avoid any problems with installation access. For more information about the NextGen ID and how to replace it, visit this Defense Finance and Accounting Service page. DOD hasn't yet announced the deadline for the replacements. DOD previously said the transition to NextGen ID is expected to be completed by January 2026 for the 5 million non-CAC holders, primarily retirees and military family members.
The Age
17-05-2025
- Health
- The Age
‘Don't be sad. I've had a great life': John Shakespeare on the art of living
JS: I'm a realist at heart, Pete, and once I know that something is irreversible I have no choice but to accept it. There is a certain sense of peace that comes from acceptance. It eliminates the need to ask 'why me?' and 'if only'. Fitz: I have been told, wonderfully, that since that outpouring of love for you last Friday, there has been a small uptick in your prognosis? JS: Haha, I think I just had a big adrenaline rush from that one! Hard not to feel better with 209 people you love, in turn, lining up to hug you! Fitz: Are you receiving treatment for the ailment specifically, or have you moved into palliative care? JS: It's palliative care now. There's a wonderful team at St Vincent's [Hospital] who visit me once a week, or when needed. They've given me a bed, but I can still climb stairs and sleep with my darling wife, Anna-Lisa. Fitz: Johnny, I once read a famous book, Tuesdays with Morrie, which was about a former student of a professor with a terminal illness going to see him every Tuesday for a year to give comfort, certainly, but also to try and capture what it is like for someone to face their imminent death ... thoughts? JS: What's it like? For starters, it's so busy! Endless appointments, reading and answering messages, drugs to be taken, exercise, home visits from friends etc, etc. I barely have a minute for a cat nap. I am constantly tired too. As time draws closer? I guess it will be more time in bed, I'm a bit concerned about the last few weeks. I may go to the care hospice – I'm not sure I want to have the family witness that from home. Fitz: May I, gently, ask: do you feel despair? JS: No mate, very rarely. Despair does come of course, mostly when I'm in physical pain, but once the painkillers kick in I banish those negative thoughts that have no solution. I'd much rather feel happy than depressed in my final days! It's pointless to get depressed about dying. That is a given. I don't believe in hell, so I assume Kerry Packer was right – there's nothing there. Yeah, family and friends are sad for you, and you're sad to be leaving them, but it has to happen one day. I've had a great life, maybe two great lives! Fitz: Is your waking thought every day, 'Christ, this is really happening?' JS: No that, too, would just make me depressed! I don't give much air time to that one. Fitz: What you are going through will soon enough confront all of us, as we come face to face with our mortality. What advice do you have for us? JS: My motto is 'accept, adjust, adapt'. The key is to be able to accept something that can't be changed. Only then will you find some peace. Otherwise, it will be a battle with the unmovable. Sort out your financials so that your family will be as secure as possible, and that will give yourself a sense of relief to carry into your final days. Have as much fun as your energy levels allow! Fitz: You came from a very religious household and turned away from that. In this extremity, do you turn back to it now? Loading JS: Each to their own, but I can't see myself getting back on board with someone who did all this to me just as I've freshly retired! No, thanks. Plus I still don't believe a word of it, ever since that day many years ago when I found myself as a student kneeling on the floor praying for God to help me find my lost rubber! Fitz: Tell us about your art. You and I have worked together off and on for nigh on four decades – and on for a solid 15 years – and I have loved seeing your art evolve. When did you first realise you were good at it? JS: I think to be good at anything you need to be a bit obsessive (or passionate about something). I'm obsessive, so I had that ability to do repetitive practising without getting bored. The more you practise, the better you get, and soon people were noticing, and that fuelled my confidence. Fitz: Who or what were your major influences? JS: Early childhood days, Mad magazine of course, and all the superhero comics. Later years: Alan Moir, John Spooner, Patrick Cook, Leunig. Fitz: Have you drawn your last painting, or still doing a bit now? JS: No, no paint brushes for a while, but I did draw a small emoji collection while in hospital! Fitz: The prime minister and Cathy Wilcox both noted your capacity to do satirical cartoons on public figures – and this is a rarity in your game – somehow, without ever being mean to your subjects. How on earth did you manage it, when the very nature of satire is to poke fun? JS: Yes, I never see the point of making politicians ugly. I don't see the reason to insult them like that. I prefer making them look silly, as in with a 'whoops, I've done it again' expression – making fun of them. I prefer presenting political folly, rather than doing personal attacks. Fitz: You have, however, sometimes drawn me as being very overweight, with a pug nose, and a face like a dropped pie. Any chance you'll take this opportunity to say sorry now? I'm giving you one last chance, you bastard! JS: Yeah, sorry mate! I was obviously a bit crueller back then! I think I draw you as a toned Adonis now, right? Fitz: Exactly. You have a singularly fine family, a wonderful wife and a great son. I imagine they have eased your path? JS: Yes they've been amazing throughout this, but it carries the weight of worrying about them and how they'll be after I'm gone. That is the majorly sad part of this experience. Beyond that, other family and friends are sad for you, and you're sad to be leaving them, but it has to happen one day. Fitz: Anything you want to say to devoted followers of your work, as you sign off? JS: Keep smiling and have fun!! But don't be sad for me. I've had a great life, maybe two great lives! Fitz: Onya, Johnny. We love you well. Of all the people I've known in this position, I think you are one who – in a profoundly moving way – will 'go gently into that good night', but on behalf of us all, thank you for the light you have brought us in your life and work.
