The anticipation surrounding the announcement speaks to the allure of the society itself - a place where the elite come to socialize, network, and sometimes even find love. Its members are no strangers to the spotlight, often finding themselves at the center of gossip and speculation. For many, being part of the D Society is not just about social status, but also about the connections and relationships that are formed within its exclusive walls.A notorious vegan activist who filmed herself accusing a veterinarian of “eating [her] own patients” during a bizarre outburst has been ordered to pay almost $300,000 in damages. Tash Peterson entered a Perth vet clinic in September 2021 to confront its owner Dr Kay McIntosh over what she deemed the “enslaving” of two pet birds that lived inside the business, in an encounter filmed by the campaigner’s partner Jack Higgs. That video and a caption accompanying it were published to Peterson’s popular Facebook page, sparking a chain of events that left Dr McIntosh and her husband Andrew, who run Bicton Veterinary Clinic, deeply distraught, the West Australian Supreme Court heard. Peterson and Higgs were at a cafe next door to the clinic on September 23, 2001 when they saw the cockatiels and became upset. Bruce and Gandalf are beloved long-term residents of the business and live inside a large cage measuring 60 centimetres wide and 1.3 metres tall. Tash Peterson's antics are well documented. Dr McIntosh effectively inherited the pets, thought to be about 14 years old, when she acquired the business four years ago. Bruce and Gandalf have become something of local celebrities, with people – especially children – paying visits regularly, and they are well looked after, the judgement noted. The court heard the duo “would not be able to survive outside in the wild”. When weather permits, the cage is wheeled outside so the birds can have fresh air, and they’re given regular opportunities to fly around inside. The birds were outside in their cage, prompting Peterson and Higgs to confront clinic staff because “they considered that keeping the birds in a cage, for the purpose of a business, was wrong and that the birds did not have shade and that it was a warm day”. A brief conversation ensued but was interrupted by the clinic telephone ringing. The activists left and went home. Peterson and Higgs entered the vet clinic to confront staff about two pet birds. Vegan activist Tash Peterson is known for her wild attention-seeking stunts. Picture: Instagram Peterson and Higgs returned the following day, when she filmed an introduction outside the clinic describing the presence of the pets as “immoral” and akin to “slavery, before entering and confronting staff. The activist asked Dr McIntosh if she “eats her own patients” and accused her of “enslaving animals”. Peterson repeated the insinuation that the vet ate animals in her care. Dr Kay McIntosh was left distraught by the defamatory video and Facebook post. The couple was asked multiple times to leave but refused. Police were called but Peterson and Higgs had left by the time they arrived. But before they did, Peterson took the phone from Higgs and filmed herself saying: “Blatant animal abusers. Disgusting. Give me the phone. I’m filming this slavery.” She shared an edited clip titled ‘Exposing Vets for Being Hypocrites’ to her Facebook page, accusing Dr McIntosh’s clinic of “advertising animal slavery” and condoning animals being “forcibly bred into existence and used for human pleasure”. The clip included Peterson’s bizarre accusations that Dr McIntosh ate her animal patients. The post attracted “many thousands” of views and likes and was shared widely, with users from across the country adding their own damaging commentary. Tash Peterson and her boyfriend Jack Higgs. Picture: Facebook In his judgement, Supreme Court Chief Justice Peter Quinlan found Peterson and her partner Jack Higgs published defamatory claims. The video and its publication on Facebook left Dr McIntosh “deeply affected”, with the implication she abused animals, from a hypocrite, and ate pets causing deep distress. Peterson and Higgs were ordered to pay some $280,000 in damages. Tash Peterson’s anti-meat protest at a steak restaurant turned ugly. The judge emphasised the case was “not about the correctness of [their] views in relation to animal rights” and that “in a number of respects” their advocacy was “admirable”. But Peterson’s video and post on Facebook were found to be defamatory and she and Higgs’ defences had not been established. The judgement detailed how Peterson “went through something of a Damascene conversion” – a descriptor of a kind of revelation that sparks a dramatic transformation in beliefs – in early 2017 after watching a documentary called Food Choices. She immediately became a vegan. She met Higgs, a fellow animal rights activist, in 2019. A few years later, she began engaging in “disruptive protests” that were often filmed and shared across various social media accounts. She has dressed in a cow costume to protest at fast food restaurants, gone topless in supermarkets, donned bloodied clothes while brandishing a severed pug’s head, stormed stores with a lamb carcass, and worn lingerie while smeared with blood while barging into high-end retailers, among other stunts. “Ms Peterson and Mr Higgs engage in what they describe as ‘disruptive protests’, which are designed to bring widespread attention to their views concerning animal exploitation,” the judgement read. “Those disruptive protests use both confronting imagery (such as blood and a pig’s head) and overt sexuality (Ms Peterson often protests semi-naked or wearing only lingerie). Ms Peterson and Mr Higgs also use strong, graphic and anthropomorphic language to describe humans’ treatment of animals: ‘murder’, ‘slavery’, ‘rape’ and ‘torture’. “As a means of attracting attention to their cause, Ms Peterson and Mr Higgs’ disruptive protests have evidently been very successful.” Run-ins with police had forced her out of employment as a swimming teacher and lifeguard after she lost safety and working with children clearances. Her main source of income is now derived from two OnlyFans accounts, which the court heard totalled some $383,000 in 2021-22. Tash Peterson’s antics have landed her in hot water with police on multiple occasions. Tash Peterson protested at a Louis Vuitton store in Melbourne. Picture: Facebook While Higgs sometimes participates in Peterson’s disruptive protests, his primary role is to film and photograph her antics, the judgement noted. The judgement criticised her “feigned innocence and naivety” about her intentions at the vet clinic on the day, which was “entirely disingenuous”. “Ms Peterson ... knew perfectly well that her reputation preceded her and knew why Dr McIntosh would think she was there to cause trouble.” When she walked into the clinic with her camera recording, she had “every intention” that her planned social media post would cause damage. Peterson and Higgs were found to have defamed Dr McIntosh and must pay almost $300,000 in damages. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift Similarly, some of Higgs’ evidence, such as claiming to be “surprised” and “confused” about being asked multiple times to leave the vet clinic, was deemed “contrived and disingenuous”. “Equally disingenuous, in my view, was Mr Higgs’ evidence, which he maintained under cross-examination, that he did not regard Dr McIntosh’s initial requests to ‘leave’ as being directed at him personally, but only to Ms Peterson ‘because Tash was the one speaking’.” The court heard Dr McIntosh has practised as a vet for more than two decades and had a clear commitment to the welfare of animals under her care. She has run the clinic for almost five years and she employs six staff. “Dr McIntosh impressed me as a thoughtful and caring individual,” Mr Quinlan said, adding she also appeared to be “a truthful and considered witness”. The judge did make note of the fact her husband, a biosecurity expert and former fire investigator, offered evidence “that was, in my assessment, clouded by the outrage he feels”. “His anger towards Ms Peterson was palpable and it is fair to say that he has become obsessed with Ms Peterson, in general, and with the Facebook post, in particular,” the judgement read. As a result, the judge felt Mr McIntosh was “combative, belligerent, and refused to make even the most obvious concessions”. But his presentation and demeanour “can be explained by the emotional impact on him” from the activists’ conduct. More Coverage Vegan activist divides with latest stunt Claudia Poposki Huge blow for controversial vegan activist Duncan Evans and Eli Green Originally published as Vegan activist Tash Peterson and boyfriend ordered to pay $300K for defaming Perth vet Real Life Don't miss out on the headlines from Real Life. Followed categories will be added to My News. Join the conversation Add your comment to this story To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout More related stories Real Life Influencer’s shock death at 28 caught on cam A popular beauty influencer has tragically died on camera – despite desperate efforts from onlookers to save her. Read more Real Life If your boyfriend does this, leave him now Experts are warning that a worrying relationship “red flag” has become normalised after new data revealed it’s on the rise in Australia. Read more
Title: Female Master's Graduate Found After Missing for Over 10 Years, Now a Mother of Two! Niece of Host: Why Didn't She Leave When She Was ConsciousApple Cash: How to use it to send and receive moneyAbout eight years ago, Plaza hotel-casino CEO Jonathan Jossel looked around the property during the annual National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. Others in the industry said the city-wide 10-day event was a boon to their bottom line during an otherwise slow period — but Jossel didn’t see it, even as a sponsor. But the property did decide to try something new: use its undeveloped land south of the parking garage to build an equestrian arena for additional rodeo events. “It was a risk, but I was willing to take the gamble because we weren’t busy then,” Jossel said of the December 2018 opening.” Six years later, Plaza’s CORE Arena is an equestrian center in Downtown Las Vegas and walking distance of the tourist-heavy Fremont Street Experience. Up to 5,000 spectators can watch ranch sorting, pole bending, barrel racing, breakaway roping and other free rodeo events during the hotel-casino’s rodeo programming. “There are different promoters that come in and do the other events, and we sponsor them and make their events more viable, then they buy hotel rooms,” Jossel said. “It’s become arguably the best 10 days of the year now for the consistent stretch.” It’s not just the National Finals Rodeo that gets people to Las Vegas in early December. With performances selling out every night at Thomas & Mack Center, rodeo fans interested in alternative events to watch can visit about half a dozen venues in the region as properties look to attract fans with their own offerings and diversify their revenue streams. Rodeo beyond Thomas & Mack While the top rodeo athletes may be the original draw to town, a growing slate of additional competitions that take place at at least six venues around Las Vegas are bringing thousands of additional rodeo fans to the area, said Bo Gardner, vice president of corporate marketing at Las Vegas Events. “Those are for the people that don’t have tickets to NFR,” Gardner said. “They want to be cowboys, and this is where the cowboys are.” One successful vertical has been youth competition. His organization is responsible for coordinating and planning NFR around Las Vegas, and they saw youth events like the Junior World Finals at the Las Vegas Convention Center as a way to bring hotel guests to properties that otherwise didn’t see a piece of the action. “Even the Las Vegas board said, ‘Why are you bringing youth in when this is Las Vegas?’” Gardner said of the initial response to youth rodeo events in 2015. “We have all these properties that would not participate in the NFR unless those youth events were here. You’re bringing your kid, now they’re bringing mom and dad and sisters. We have 740-plus contestants in just our event over 10 days.” Other events with adult rodeo athletes give visitors something to do if they don’t have an NFR ticket. At South Point’s arena and equestrian center, the Miss Rodeo America Pageant and the World Series of Team Roping competitions fill the 4,600-seat arena with semi-professional contestants for more than a week. Last year’s prize pool was $18 million. South Point has long been the center of rodeo action year-round. Around NFR, the resort-casino annually hosts the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association’s national convention, the Gold Buckle Gala, PRCA Awards, a Western gift convention and countless live broadcasts from the hotel side. With so much going on, General Manager Ryan Growney said they don’t sell hotel rooms to the general public during that time — relying only on hotel room blocks. The roughly 4,000 horse stalls, a mix of permanent spaces under the arena and 2,800 temporary ones, see similar levels of demand. “Before this rodeo ends, we’ll be 200 rooms oversold for next year, maybe more,” South Point General Manager Ryan Growney said. Establishing a rodeo presence Some newcomers to the Strip see arena programs as a way to make an impression on the rodeo tourist crowd. Resorts World, which opened in June 2021, saw a chance early on when it became the host partner for the Bullfighters Only World Championships. Solomon Schwartz, head of sponsorships and activation at Resorts World, said at that time they heard the event was preparing to move from the Tropicana. The COVID-19 pandemic also helped, he said, because routines were disrupted and long-time tourists were trying new things. “It was also a benefit for us that it was right after COVID, the norms were changed,” Schwartz said. “These customers are creatures of habit. It’s really hard to make them leave a location that they’ve become accustomed to. We filled that gap when they hadn’t been here for two years.” Schwartz said the five days of bullfighting take place at the Complex, an approximately 1,500-seat arena built on Resorts World’s 88-acre modular land. That event space was most recently used during Formula One as the site of a go-karting and fan fest experience. “When you think of NFR, you have the event from 5:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m., probably a lot of people go to Cowboy Christmas during the day, and then, really, what are you doing before the rodeo starts? This is filling that gap there,” he said. “They usually go on around 1 p.m. and end around 3 p.m. It brings more foot traffic to the property during some of these slower periods of the day.” Schwartz said the event space is just one piece of the property’s activations. Other rodeo programming includes watch parties, country music performances and athlete meet-and-greets. Adding authenticity At the Plaza, Jossel said CORE Arena has been key to building up the brand’s association with NFR in the minds of returning customers. The events — plus 260 horse boarding stalls, a steakhouse, the on-site gift show Downtown Christmas Expo , among other NFR preparations — help illustrate the property’s approach to rodeo and Western culture. “We wear the hats, we wear the jackets, we get to know the customers, and that’s what they want,” Jossel said. “They want familiarity and good service. And if you give them that, this becomes their home. And I think we built a database on people that consider the Plaza, and this equestrian center, as their place for the 10 days of NFR.” To Growney, other hotel-casino operators who want to beef up their NFR programming should consider how it can be done authentically. Sometimes that can take years, he added. Contestants, programmers and stock contractors will see it if the property’s staff is familiar with rodeo. But Growney’s first piece of advice to new operators during NFR isn’t about authentic programming — it’s about knowing your audience: “Lower your beer prices,” Growney said with a laugh.
5. **Snack Attack:**FBI Director Wray says he intends to resign at the end of Biden's term in January
Well-known market watcher (and often bear) David Rosenberg appears to have given up on his bearish call on the market. That's the kind of thing that can often indicate that market sentiment is going into overdrive. He specifically says he "is in no way throwing in any towel" but it sure sounds like he is as he talks about a new valuation paradigm (at least for 2025) around AI. "I have shifted from my view that we are in a classic bubble to now questioning — not totally abandoning, but indeed questioning — that thesis," he writes . Rosenberg notes: Market is pricing in a "Model Shift" driven by AI revolution and productivity gains Traditional P/E metrics may not capture long-term earnings potential from AI transformation Pro-business Trump policies (deregulation, energy) adding support for corporate margins Bond outlook improving as productivity gains could offset inflation concerns Still expects near-term 5-10% correction but now advocates "buying the dip" He compares the current period to the 1995-2000 tech boom. For sure he's not the first to make these points but it's notable for sentiment that a bear is giving up. That's certainly not something you see in the early innings of a bull market but it highlights the potential for a capitulation from bears, or a 2021-style mania. "I do hate to ever use the term 'new era' or 'it's different this time,' but we do not have a large sample size of data points historically on such major inflection points on the technology curve," Rosenberg writes, nothing that he's keeping an open mind about 2025. Read the full note here .None