US sports betting crisis grows as MLB’s Clase and Ortiz indicted over alleged rigged pitches

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The betting crisis in US sports has spread further after Cleveland Guardians players Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were indicted over an alleged scheme to rig pitches during games.Bettors in the US can gamble on whether individual pitches will be balls or strikes.Prosecutors allege claim that Ortiz was paid $5,000 for throwing an intentional ball during a game on 15 June.His teammate Clase, a three-time All-Star, is alleged to have been given $5,000 for facilitating the rigged pitch.Prosecutors claim the pair did so again in a game on 27 June, receiving $7,000 each.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that Ortiz was arrested in Boston on Sunday, while Clase has not yet been taken into custody,“MLB contacted federal law enforcement at the outset of its investigation and has fully cooperated throughout the process,We are aware of the indictment and today’s arrest, and our investigation is ongoing,” Major League Baseball said in a statement on Sunday,The pair face up to 65 years in prison if found guilty of the allegations, which include charges of fraud, conspiracy and bribery,Ortiz earned $782,600 in salary last season while Clase, one of the league’s best closers, was paid $4.

5m.They have been on paid leave since July while MLB investigated unusual betting activity during games in which they pitched.“We are aware of the recent law enforcement action, We will continue to fully cooperate with both law enforcement and Major League Baseball as their investigations continue,” the Guardians said in a statement.The news comes after Chauncey Billups, a Hall of Fame NBA player, was arrested in connection with a poker operation linked to the mafia, while Miami Heat star Terry Rozier was accused of taking part in a scheme to manipulate games.
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Seth Meyers: ‘Trump has no idea what regular people are going through and he doesn’t care’

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Seth Meyers on Mamdani’s win: ‘The kind of energy Democrats have been desperately seeking for years’

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Garden shed of vaccine pioneer Edward Jenner added to heritage at risk register

Hut where father of immunology trialled first smallpox vaccine among 138 additions to Historic England listA rustic, ordinary-looking English garden hut regarded as the birthplace of immunology – revolutionising global public health and saving countless lives – has been added to the nation’s heritage at risk register.The hut belonged to Edward Jenner (1749-1823), regarded as someone who has saved more lives than any other human. It was there that he first trialled a vaccine for smallpox in the late 18th century.The hut, built from brick and rubble stone with a simple thatched roof, was christened “the Temple of Vaccinia” by Jenner.Today the structure in Gloucestershire is in a sorry state and is one of 138 buildings and sites added by Historic England to its annual heritage at risk register

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Miss Piggy movie on way from Jennifer Lawrence, Emma Stone and Cole Escola

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Colbert on Pelosi calling Trump a vile creature: ‘You know who agrees? Most Americans’

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De Niro to JLaw: should celebrities be expected to speak out against Trump?

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