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Sexton back from suspension and Van der Flier benched for Ireland’s Rugby World Cup opener

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:52 GMT

BORDEAUX, France (AP) — Top-ranked Ireland begins its bid to win the Rugby World Cup for the first time with flyhalf Jonathan Sexton back from suspension and flanker Josh van der Flier, the reigning world player of the year, given a rest for the team’s opening pool match against Romania on Saturday.Sexton has served a three-match suspension for aggressive behavior toward match officials at Leinster’s loss to La Rochelle in the European Cup final in May and comes straight back into Andy Farrell’s team as captain.Van der Flier will start among the reserves for what should be the easiest of the four Pool B matches for the Irish while there was no Mack Hansen in the matchday squad, with Keith Earls starting instead on the wing.Ireland is missing three forwards because of injury — hooker Dan Sheehan and back rower Jack Conan (both foot) and prop Dave Kilcoyne (hamstring).Joe McCarthy is one of six in the team making a World Cup debut and slots in the second row, with Ta...

GW resumes classes as manhunt for murder suspect escapee continues

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:52 GMT

An escaped murder suspect triggered a shelter-in-place at the George Washington University campus. (WTOP/Heather Gustafson) An escaped murder suspect triggered a shelter-in-place at the George Washington University campus. (WTOP/Heather Gustafson) In-person classes and events at D.C.’s George Washington University resume Thursday, where the campus is much calmer, after a shelter-in-place order was lifted Wednesday night.That shelter-in-place order was issued earlier in the day, after a man charged with a homicide offense escaped the custody of police at George Washington Hospital.The FBI is now offering a $10,000 reward to anyone with information about Christopher Haynes’ whereabouts and anything that ...

MATCHDAY: Ronaldo reflects on Messi rivalry ahead of playing for Portugal in Euro 2024 qualifying

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:52 GMT

A look at what’s happening in European Championship qualifying on Friday:GROUP JCristiano Ronaldo has been in reflective mood as he brings up 20 years in Portugal’s national team, saying he and great rival Lionel Messi “changed the history of soccer” and that he still wants to raise the bar at the age of 38. Ronaldo’s debut for Portugal was in August 2003 and two decades later the most prolific scorer in men’s internationals — with 123 goals in a record 200 games — will be playing for the team in a European Championship qualifier at Slovakia. “I am proud of the numbers I reached. But I want more,” Ronaldo said. “When I play, the bar has to be up here, I want to think big.” On his rivalry with Messi, Ronaldo added: “If you like Cristiano Ronaldo, you don’t have to hate Messi. We are both very good. We changed the history of soccer. We are respected all over the world. That is the most important thing. He has marked his path, I have marked mine.” Portugal has won all...

How Montgomery County plans to end child hunger

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:52 GMT

Every day, children come to school in Montgomery County, Maryland, hungry.Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, who used to teach in the county’s school system, said he’s still “haunted” by an incident at the school where he used to teach.One day, one of his elementary school students was crying inconsolably. Elrich said when he and other school staff were able to calm the child, the boy told them he hadn’t eaten for days.That anecdote drew audible gasps from those attending the unveiling of the Strategic Plan to End Childhood Hunger. This was particularly striking when considering those assembled for the event at Highland Elementary School in the Wheaton-Glenmont area work in the fields of education and with organizations that fight hunger.According to Montgomery County Council member Gabe Albornoz, who led the effort to develop the plan, 14% of the county’s children “don’t know where their next meal” is coming from. Roughly 46% qualify for federal food a...

Denver weather: More sunshine, hot temperatures to end week

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:52 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) —  Denver's weather will stay hot and sunny through the end of the workweek and the start of the weekend with highs near 90 degrees. Can Denver go from 90 degrees to 1st freeze? The next big change arrives on Sunday with the chance for rain and cooler temperatures. Weather today: Another sunny and hot daySunshine on Thursday will help bring high temperatures near 90 degrees. The hottest temperatures will be in southeastern Colorado where temperatures could reach the mid to upper 90s. Pinpoint weather: Daily high temperatures on Sept. 7. Weather tonight: Mainly clear, mildThursday night, Denver will stay under a mainly clear sky. Lows will fall to the mid-50s, which is close to normal for this time of year. Pinpoint Weather: Overnight low temperatures for Sept. 7. Looking ahead: Rain returns over the weekendSaturday, Denver will see another warm and sunny day with a high near 90 degrees.  Temporary traffic signs causing problems near Empower Field The next big cha...

Police operation near state fair recovers multiple guns

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:52 GMT

PUEBLO, Colo. (KXRM) — The Pueblo Police Department conducted an operation around the Colorado State Fair that resulted in the recovery of multiple guns and automatic weapons.PPD said detectives with the Special Investigations Unit worked the special enforcement around the state fair that ran from Aug. 25 to Sept. 3. During that time, PPD said 13 guns were removed from the streets of Pueblo, with two of them being fully automatic.Courtesy: Pueblo Police DepartmentCourtesy: Pueblo Police DepartmentPPD said all of the people contacted during this enforcement period were arrested and either booked on new charges or referred to the district attorney's office for charges. Some of the people arrested were referred for federal charges.Names of the suspects have not been released pending further investigation.

Meet the new dog sled team puppies at Snow Mountain Ranch

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:52 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — The YMCA of the Rockies just welcomed six adorable new puppies to its dog sledding family. And on Saturday, you can meet these furry friends. Locals refer to Denver by these nicknames On Aug. 5, Cider, a sled dog from the 2020 litter at Snow Mountain Ranch in Granby, gave birth to six furbabies. New dog sled team puppy. (Photo courtesy of Snow Mountain Ranch PR team)New dog sledding puppies (Photo courtesy of Snow Mountain Ranch PR team)Snow Mountain Ranch followed a tradition when naming the pups. The past three litters were named after themes: Halloween, wildfires of 2020 and rocks and stones. This litter’s theme is stones and gems.The puppies are named Opal, Onyx, Jasper, Jade, Zircon and Granite.When the puppies aren't sleeping, they're starting to show their individual personalities, said Snow Mountain Ranch. 2 Colorado campuses named among most beautiful in US On Sept. 9, guests at Snow Mountain Ranch can meet the puppies for the first of many weekly ...

M-DCPS Board votes against recognizing LGBTQ History Month; community voices opinions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:52 GMT

Following a prolonged debate, the Miami-Dade County Public School Board has voted against officially recognizing October as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) History Month within the district. The contentious decision, passed by a 5-3 vote, comes in the wake of the controversial “Don’t Say Gay” law that was signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis last year.The debate over Initiative H-11, which sought to acknowledge October as LGBTQ History Month within Miami-Dade County Public Schools, drew a large crowd of concerned citizens to the board’s weekly meeting. Emotions ran high as over 100 people signed up for the public comment section as they expressed both support and opposition to the proposal.Opponents of the initiative argued that recognizing LGBTQ History Month would send a concerning message to students and parents. “Some of the garbage that I’ve heard about teaching sexuality and sex and sexual orientation is insane,R...

Investigation update: Officials to review findings in Champlain Towers South collapse

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:52 GMT

Over two years have passed since the tragic collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside and the officials overseeing the investigation are preparing to provide an update on their findings. On Thursday, investigators are scheduled to review the progress of their inquiry into the devastating incident, emphasizing that this review is focused on “fact-finding” rather than assigning blame.The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is set to host a meeting to shed more light on the factors that led to the fatal collapse. During this meeting, officials will examine the current status of the investigation into the partial collapse of the condominium building in Surfside. Importantly, NIST clarifies that their goal is to gather factual information and their findings are not intended to apportion fault.As of now, only preliminary information can be released, with no final conclusions drawn.This development unfolds in the context of plans to construct a new buildi...

Abortions have increased significantly in states that border those with bans, new analysis finds

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:52 GMT

(CNN) — Abortions have increased substantially in states where they remains legal post-Dobbs, according to a new analysis. The increases have been particularly significant in states bordering others with bans, suggesting widespread travel for care.The Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization focused on sexual and reproductive health that supports abortion rights, launched a new dashboard Thursday that estimates the number of abortions provided in the United States each month. The estimates are based on a regular survey of a core set of providers and broadened to the state level using a model that also factors in historical trends. The latest findings compare the number of abortions provided in the first half of 2023 to a comparable period in 2020.New Mexico and Wyoming had the largest increase in abortions, with more than three times as many provided in the first half of 2023 compared with 2020. The number of abortions also more than doubled in Kansas and South Carol...