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France captain Dupont cleared to resume full contact training at Rugby World Cup

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:05 GMT

PARIS (AP) — France captain Antoine Dupont was a step closer to playing again at the Rugby World Cup after being cleared to resume full training on Monday.The surgeon who repaired Dupont’s broken right cheekbone gave him a green light after a final checkup on Monday.Dupont was due to begin full-contact training in the afternoon.It was up to the coaches now whether the star scrumhalf was fit to lead France or come off the bench against defending champion South Africa in the quarterfinals on Sunday at Stade de France.“The key factor is apprehension,” team medical director Bruno Boussagol said on Monday. “We need to remain close to Antoine and help him across the board for him to be in the best position to apply for selection.”Dupont was injured by a head-on-head tackle on Sept. 21 against Namibia. He had surgery the next day and rejoined the team 10 days later. He has trained solo under medical supervision, and done contact work with tackle pads with fitness staff.His abse...

Stock market today: Oil prices and defense stocks climb after Israel declares war on Hamas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:05 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices are climbing, and stocks are slipping Monday as violence in the Middle East injects more unease into financial markets.The S&P 500 was 0.5% lower in its first trading since Hamas launched a surprise attack over the weekend against Israel, which then formally declared war. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 137 points, or 0.4%, as of 10:50 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.9% lower.The area under conflict is not home to major oil production, but fears that the fighting could spill into the politics around the crude market sent a barrel of U.S. oil up 4.2% to $86.23. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 4% to $88.00 per barrel.One potential outcome is that the Israel-Hamas fighting could lead to a slowdown in Iranian oil exports, which have been growing this year, according to Barclays energy analyst Amarpreet Singh. Less supply of crude would raise its price, all else equal. The conflict could also hurt the possibility of...

Carlos Alcaraz advances to the fourth round at the Shanghai Masters

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:05 GMT

SHANGHAI (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz had to rally from a break down in the first set to beat 30th-seeded Daniel Evans 7-6 (1), 6-4 Monday and advance to the fourth round of the Shanghai Masters.In the second set, the Spaniard committed only two unforced errors.“It was a really tough match. It was one of the toughest matches I have played outside of the Grand Slams,” Alcaraz said. “Every time I play Daniel it is a tricky match and I have to play my best to beat him. Both of us played a high quality of tennis and I am really happy to get through.”Alcaraz will next face 18th-seeded Grigor Dimitrov, who beat 13th-seeded Karen Khachanov 7-6 (6), 6-4.Also Monday, fifth-seeded Andrey Rublev hit 35 winners as he defeated 31st-seeded Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 6-0. The Russian player will next play 12th-seeded Tommy Paul after the American beat 19-year-old Arthur Fils 6-4, 6-7 (7), 6-4.Wild-card Diego Schwartzmann upset eighth-ranked Taylor Fritz 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (5) for his first win over a top-10 player...

Flag football is coming to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:05 GMT

Flag football took a key step toward becoming an Olympic sport in 2028, a victory for the NFL and organizers in Los Angeles who will bring a distinctly American sport into the world’s largest sports festival.Two people familiar with a proposal from the Los Angeles organizing committee told The Associated Press on Monday that the committee had delivered its proposal to the International Olympic Committee, setting it up for a vote later this month at the IOC’s meeting in Mumbai, India. The people did not want to be named because the LA committee was expected to release the information later Monday.Other sports on the list included baseball and softball — which were in the Tokyo Games in 2021 but will not be played next year in Paris — lacrosse, squash and cricket, a sport with a much wider global reach that will go over well in Brisbane, Australia, which is hosting in 2032, and in India, where the vote will take place.___AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olymp...

What does the science say about the grass vs. turf debate in sports?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:05 GMT

Which playing surface is safer for athletes: natural grass or artificial turf?The question is important not just in football, but also for soccer, recreational sports and high school and college athletics — anywhere athletes make sudden shifts in direction that can twist joints and tear ligaments. Scientists continue to study the question, but there are challenges to getting the answer right. There are variables to take into account: the player’s age and physical shape, weather and surface conditions, the type of shoes and whether the injuries involved contact with other players. And surfaces have changed over the years with new technology.The debate was revived when Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles’ tendon during an NFL game on artificial turf. Although Rodgers’ injury may have been just as likely on grass because of the circumstances, that hasn’t stopped the wrangling.What does the science say and what are the challenges?LOOKING BACK AT INJURY RATESSome studies lo...

'Difficult to get up in the morning' for Payton after another Broncos loss

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:05 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Everyone knows there are bad days in the office, just ask the Denver Broncos after their embarrassing loss Sunday to the New York Jets with a final score of 31-21.Unfortunately, there isn’t a desk big enough to hide under.“It's difficult to get up in the morning,” said head coach Sean Payton on his Monday Zoom call. “It's unpleasant, but I think I have pretty good instincts relative to how to approach the team and guide them to the next challenge. That's what we're going to do this week.” Could Taylor Swift come to Denver when the Chiefs are in town? Not only did Denver fall to their former head coach turned Jets offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett, but the Broncos sunk to 1-4. They are winless at home in three games this season. And to make that even worse, they held a lead in those home games, only to be outscored 44-21 after halftime.“With our margin for error, we’re going to have to be more patient and better at running the football,” said Payton. The Denv...

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will run for president as an independent and drop his Democratic primary bid

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:05 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Longtime environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Monday he will run for president as an independent and drop his Democratic primary bid, adding a wrinkle to a 2024 race heading toward a likely rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.Kennedy, a member of one of the most famous Democratic families in politics, was running a longshot primary bid and has better favorability ratings among Republicans than Democrats. It’s unclear whether GOP support would translate to a general election when Kennedy would also be running against Trump. Both Biden and Trump allies have at times questioned whether Kennedy would be a spoiler against their candidate.Biden’s allies so far have dismissed Kennedy’s primary campaign as unserious. Asked for comment on his potential independent run, a Democratic National Committee spokesman responded with an eye roll emoji.Awaiting Kennedy’s remarks Monday, hundreds of s...

SWAT standoff ends peacefully in SW Miami-Dade neighborhood

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:05 GMT

A SWAT situation unfolded in Southwest Miami-Dade leading to one person in custody, Monday. The incident started at Southwest 178th Terrace and 152nd Avenue when police responded to a domestic dispute. A man barricaded himself inside the home, but after several hours, law enforcement successfully took the individual into custody. While the exact details of the domestic dispute remain undisclosed, authorities have yet to announce the charges the man may face.

Doctors disconnect half of 6-year-old’s brain in life-changing surgery

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:05 GMT

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, California (KABC) — When a doctor asked 6-year-old Brianna Bodley of San Bernardino about her headache, she tried not to move when she answered.“Tell him where your head hurts,” the girl’s mother told her while gently holding her hand.The stitches are still fresh after pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Aaron Robison at Loma Linda University Health meticulously took 10 hours to disconnect half of Brianna’s brain.“After surgery, her entire left side of her body is turned off,” said the girl’s mother, Crystal Bodley.Last year, Brianna was diagnosed with Rasmussen’s Encephalitis, a rare, chronic inflammatory disease that affects about 500 children in the U.S. every year. A vibrant young girl who used to love singing, dancing and reading had daily debilitating seizures that would eventually lead to learning disabilities and paralysis.“Her leg would bend up all the time and she would have trouble walking,” s...

Newly discovered snail in Florida Keys is named after Jimmy Buffett song

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:05 GMT

(CNN) — The late singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett has an unsuspecting figure to add to his legacy — a newly discovered species of sea snail found in the Florida Reef.Named Cayo margarita as a nod to Buffett’s song “Margaritaville,” the bright yellow specimen is a worm snail, a type of mollusk that sticks to hard surfaces within the coral reef and forms a tubular shell around itself, according to a study published Monday in the journal PeerJ. (Buffett died September 1 at age 76.)Biologist Rüdiger Bieler, the report’s lead author, first saw the snail while scuba diving and noted its citrusy color, which reminded him of the popular cocktail.“In some ways, our team was no stranger to the regional signature drink. And of course, Jimmy Buffett’s music,” Bieler said, calling himself “a bit of a Parrothead,” as fans of the singer are known. “So when we came up with a species name, we really wanted to allude to the color of the drink and the fact that it lives in the Florida Ke...