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It’s hazing season on college campuses. State safeguards are uneven

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:54 GMT

Amanda Hernandez | (TNS) Stateline.orgMax Gruver spent the early morning hours of Sept. 14, 2017, heavily intoxicated and passed out on a couch inside the Phi Delta Theta chapter house at Louisiana State University.He had been forced to repeatedly chug 190-proof Diesel liquor in a hazing ritual called “Bible Study,” during which pledges are quizzed on fraternity facts. The incident caused Gruver, a freshman majoring in political communications, to inhale his own vomit into his lungs.By the time fraternity members finally sought medical aid the next morning, Gruver’s pulse was weak and they couldn’t tell if he was breathing. Gruver’s blood alcohol level was .495, more than six times Louisiana’s legal driving limit, when he died from what an autopsy concluded was “acute alcohol intoxication with aspiration.” He was 18.As college students begin a new semester this fall, many will participate in rituals to bring in new members of a Greek fraternity or sorority, a sports team or other cl...

Mill Valley Film Feast 2023: Here’s what to see in a ridiculously packed lineup

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:54 GMT

Let’s be honest. The 46th annual Mill Valley Film Festival won’t be the celebrity magnet it was before COVID-19 and the actor’s strike hit Hollywood.Doesn’t matter.What does matter is that MVFF’s lineup is packed with 148 buzzworthy indie films, some of which are likely to be in play when awards season arrives. And while still-striking actors are unable to show up and promote their movies, some A-List directors — from Sofia Coppola (“Priscilla”) to rising star Cord Jefferson (“American Fiction”) — will be coming to town.The fest kicks off Oct. 5 with the B&W boxing drama “Day of the Fight” and wraps up Oct. 15 with Bradley Cooper’s hailed Leonard Bernstein biopic, “Maestro.”In between lies a cinematic buffet table overflowing with awards contenders, international Oscar submissions, documentaries, Bay Area-set features, shorts and a clutch of films centered around the classroom.There’s a lot to take in. So we’ve come up with a handy MVFF guide to 17 ...

Search suspended for person missing after possible shark attack at Point Reyes beach

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:54 GMT

(KRON) -- The United States Coast Guard said on Monday it has called off the search for a person who reportedly went missing in the water Sunday after friends said they saw a shark in the area.A person went missing in the water off Wildcat Beach at Point Reyes National Seashore, according to the Marin County Sheriff’s Office. Friends of the missing person reported to authorities that a shark was seen in the area along with blood in the water where their friend was last seen. At this time, officials have not confirmed a shark attack occurred."The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search in the frigid waters this morning, but a ground search is being conducted by first responders from the NPS, the Marin County Sheriff's Office and the Marin County Fire Department, and the Stinson Beach Fire Department," according to an advisory from the National Park Service.The initial search was conducted by and, water and air, according to officials.Point Reyes NPS first reported the active search on ...

Oakland homicide suspects arrested following police chase

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:54 GMT

(KRON) -- Two suspects in a fatal shooting in Oakland Sunday were arrested in Pleasant Hill following a vehicle pursuit, according to the Oakland Police Department. The shooting occurred in the 7800 block of Arthur Street.Officers responded just after 9:30 p.m. to investigate a ShotSpotter activation. At the scene, officers were directed to a man suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim, an Oakland resident, was transported to the hospital in grave condition. Person missing after possible shark attack at Point Reyes beach Officers were also directed to a vehicle wanted in connection to the shooting. Officers attempted a vehicle stop, however the vehicle fled, according to OPD. Officers received air support from the OPD ARGUS helicopter.The suspects, a man and woman, both Oakland residents, were taken into custody in Pleasant Hill.Shortly after midnight on Oct. 2, the victim succumbed to their injuries and was pronounced deceased. Investigators from the OPD Homicide Section respo...

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

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:54 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 Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:54 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 Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:54 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 Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:54 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 Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:54 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 Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:54 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...