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The Rugby World Cup has been largely predictable so far. The final pool games may offer a few twists

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:59:17 GMT

Outside of Fiji’s rise and Australia’s demise, the first 3 1/2 weeks of the Rugby World Cup have been, in a large sense, predictable.Yet none out of the big four of top-ranked Ireland, new No. 2 France and the southern hemisphere powers of South Africa and New Zealand are guaranteed a place in the quarterfinals heading into the final set of pool matches starting on Thursday and running through to Sunday.Wales and England — which no one gave much thought to — are the only teams to have both feet in the last eight and the luxury of looking ahead.So there might still be a twist or two when the remaining six quarterfinalists are decided in a furious four days of last-minute jostling.Look out for Scotland, which holds the fate of both Ireland and defending champion South Africa in its hands. Italy could upset the campaign of host France and become the most unpopular team at the World Cup.Scotland and Italy are very long shots for the quarters, but given almost everything has ...

Cavs executive Altman feels awful about distraction from OVI arrest, has spoken to team owner

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:59:17 GMT

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman regrets becoming a distraction for his recent arrest for driving under the influence and has spoken to owner Dan Gilbert about the situation.Altman was arrested on Sept. 15 after he was pulled over by the Ohio Highway Patrol for a traffic violation near downtown. The 41-year-old failed a field sobriety test and was taken into custody.On Monday, Altman made his first public comments since the arrest as the Cavs held their media day at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.“I feel awful about the distraction that this incident has caused our organization and team,” Altman said in his opening remarks. “I’ve had several conversations across the building with players, coaches and ownership on down and have expressed that same sentiment to them as well.”Altman did not provide any specifics about his talks with Gilbert.“I’ve had several conversations across the building and with ownership and Dan,” Altman said. “Like ever...

Montana is appealing a landmark climate change ruling that favored youth plaintiffs

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:59:17 GMT

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The office of Montana’s Republican attorney general is appealing a landmark climate change ruling that said state agencies aren’t doing enough to protect 16 young plaintiffs from harm caused by global warming.The state filed notice on Friday that it is going to appeal the August ruling by District Court Judge Kathy Seeley, who found the Montana Environmental Policy Act violates the plaintiffs’ state constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment. The 1971 law requires state agencies to consider the potential environmental impacts of proposed projects and take public input before issuing permits.Under a change to that law passed by the 2023 Legislature, the state Department of Environmental Quality does not have to consider the effect of greenhouses gases when issuing permits for fossil fuel projects unless the federal government declares carbon dioxide a regulated pollutant. The plaintiffs argued they were already feeling the consequences ...

Music Review: Allow Jorja Smith to reintroduce herself on her sophomore release, ‘Falling or Flying’

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:59:17 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Breaks are privileges awarded veteran acts, most often an effect of long-lasting relevancy. The opposite is also true: New acts are rarely given permission to take a beat, or risk slipping into obscurity. The horrible irony is that deadlines have never been muses for great art. The alternative is, of course, to say screw it all and work on your own timeline, likely as an independent artist.That’s something Jorja Smith knows well.Five years ago, the British musician released her debut LP, “Lost & Found,” defining an era of R&B-pop-trip-hop. Or simply British soul, depending on who you ask — or which country you ask it in. Now she’s released “Falling or Flying,” an eclectic sophomore release built from the pieces of her past and present. For it, Smith relocated to her hometown of Walsall, in the West Midlands of the U.K., from London working largely with the local production duo DameDame(asterisk). The grounding effects are immediate. These...

Israel detiene a Andrés Roemer Slomiansky, exdiplomático mexicano por presuntos delitos sexuales

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:59:17 GMT

(CNN) — Israel detuvo este lunes a un exdiplomático mexicano tras una solicitud de extradición de las autoridades mexicanas por acusaciones de delitos sexuales. Andrés Roemer Slomiansky, exembajador de México ante la UNESCO y cónsul general en San Francisco, es buscado por las autoridades mexicanas desde 2021. Tras una solicitud de extradición presentada por México, Slomiansky fue arrestado este lunes por la mañana por la policía israelí, según funcionarios mexicanos e israelíes.La Policía israelí detuvo a Roemer después de que la Fiscalía del Estado de Israel aprobara una solicitud de extradición presentada por las autoridades mexicanas, informó la Fiscalía del Estado de Israel en un comunicado.En 2022, México solicitó formalmente la extradición de Roemer, acusado de violación contra múltiples mujeres en Ciudad de México, según el comunicado israelí. Roemer, que ha sido llamado el Weinstein mexicano, en referencia al productor de cine estadounidense caído en desgracia, ha neg...

Cigna is paying over $172 million to settle claims over Medicare Advantage reimbursement

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:59:17 GMT

Health insurance provider The Cigna Group will pay more than $172 million over claims it gave the federal government inaccurate Medicare Advantage diagnoses codes in order to inflate reimbursement.The case centered around allegations that Cigna violated the False Claims Act by submitting and not withdrawing “inaccurate and untruthful” codes, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.The department said in a statement Saturday that Cigna falsely certified in writing that its data was truthful.Cigna said that the settlement with the government resolved a long-running legal case and “avoided the uncertainty and further expense” of a drawn-out legal battle.Medicare Advantage plans are privately run versions of the federal government’s Medicare program mainly for people 65 and older.Cigna also said it will enter a corporate-integrity agreement for five years with the Department of Health and Human Services inspector general office. That deal is designed to promote compliance with feder...

Review: Coldplay brings empathy — and Selena Gomez — to the band’s 2023 North American tour finale

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:59:17 GMT

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — In 2023, a Coldplay concert opens like a triumphant finale — LED wristbands flashing, confetti canons on overdrive, a singalong of 68,000 voices repeating “You’ve got a higher power,” to match frontman Chris Martin’s energy. Flags representing attendees from Argentina, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Colombia, Venezuela, South Korea and Brazil were raised; children and the elderly sang along to familiar radio hits. Live music isn’t church, but for two hours on Sunday night, the British band got close.A short film on the conservation efforts of Coldplay’s global stadium tour for their 2021 album “Music of the Spheres” previewed the band’s North American tour closer at the Rose Bowl, just outside of Los Angeles. Then: an explosion of rainbow lighting effects, tie-dye orbs, and wholesome bits — for “Paradise,” Martin asked the audience to engage in the “quietest singalong ever,” chanting the title in a whisper.In one moment, he partic...

North Dakota state Sen. Doug Larsen, his wife and 2 kids were killed in a plane crash in Utah, Senate leadership says

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:59:17 GMT

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota state Sen. Doug Larsen, his wife and 2 kids were killed in a plane crash in Utah, Senate leadership says.Source

Miami man arrested in Miami Springs road rage incident involving machete attack

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:59:17 GMT

A 61-year-old Miami man was arrested following a road rage incident in Miami Springs where he wielded a machete and attacked another man, according to Miami Springs Police.On Friday, September 29, Luis Ruiz Herrera and the victim found themselves on NW 42nd Avenue, just south of NW 36th Street in Miami Springs. It was there that Ruiz Herrera exited his vehicle, brandishing a machete, and swung it at the victim, who was seated on his scooter. Video footage captured Ruiz Herrera striking the victim on the cheek, resulting in a laceration. Following the assault, Ruiz Herrera returned to his vehicle and fled east on NW 36th Street.Courtesy Miami Springs PoliceDetectives conducted a thorough investigation, identifying Ruiz Herrera as the suspect through his license plate number. Additionally, the victim positively identified him from a photo lineup.Detectives subsequently located Ruiz Herrera at his residence, where he, during questioning, expressed remorse and admitted to the crime. He ...

Here’s where all the cases against Trump stand as he campaigns for a return to the White House

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:59:17 GMT

Former President Donald Trump was in court on Monday for the start of his civil fraud trial in New York, a case in which he and his company are accused of deceiving banks, insurers and others by misstating his wealth for years in financial statements.The judge overseeing the case, Arthur Engoron, resolved the lawsuit’s top claim before the trial even began, ruling that Trump routinely deceived banks, insurers and others by exaggerating the value of assets on paperwork used in making deals and securing loans. Engoron will decide on six remaining claims in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit, including allegations of conspiracy, falsifying business records and insurance fraud.It’s just one of many legal problems that have ensnared the former president as he runs for a return to the White House in 2024.Here’s a look at some of the other top probes against Trump:CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS CASESpecial counsel Jack Smith has been leading two federal probes...