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Bridge: June 14, 2023

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:50:47 GMT

The loser-on-loser play may be declarer’s most valuable tool, useful in many situations: in establishing a suit, preparing an end play or executing an “avoidance” play.In today’s deal, North’s bid of 2NT would have been an artificial forcing spade raise were he not a passed hand; as it was, his bid was natural and invitational, showing a balanced 11 or 12 points.Against four spades, West leads the jack of hearts: queen, king, three. South wins the heart return with dummy’s ace and counts nine winners: six trumps and three side aces. Where can he get a 10th trick?THIRD TRICKSouth should lead a diamond to his ace at the third trick, lead a trump to dummy’s nine and return the queen of diamonds. When East follows low, South discards his last heart — a loser on a loser.West takes the king, and leads a third heart. South ruffs and reaches dummy with the king of trumps to discard a club on the jack of diamonds. He loses one club at the end b...

Word Game: June 14, 2023

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:50:47 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — INTEGER (INTEGER: IN-tih-jer: A member of the set of whole numbers or their negatives.)Average mark 24 wordsTime limit 40 minutesCan you find 33 or more words in INTEGER? The list will be published tomorrow.YESTERDAY’S WORD — DEMOTES deem deet demo demote does dome dose dote emote meet mete mode modest most mote teed teem toed tome seed seem smote some steed stemTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!RULES OF THE GAME:1. Words must be of four or more letters.2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe at [email protected].

Ukraine on the Offensive

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:50:47 GMT

The Ukrainian military’s counteroffensive against Russia is underway. Aided by the U.S. and other Western powers, Ukraine is making a push to expel Russian troops. This week on Intercepted, Jeremy Scahill and Murtaza Hussain are joined by Rajan Menon, the director of the Grand Strategy program at Defense Priorities and author of several books, including “Conflict in Ukraine: The Unwinding of the Post-Cold War Order.” Menon was recently in Ukraine, and he describes the developments in the country, more than one year since the Russian invasion began. Menon breaks down the regional differences in Ukraine and the geopolitical challenges to ending the conflict.Transcript coming soon.The post Ukraine on the Offensive appeared first on The Intercept.

‘Where it gets complicated’: What needs to be done to curb ‘rampant homelessness’ in DC area

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:50:47 GMT

The D.C. region had bucked the national trend of rising homelessness for years, seeing a consistent decrease in the homeless population year after year starting in 2019. That ended in 2023.A recent Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments report found an 18% increase in homelessness across the Greater Washington area between 2022 and 2023. Suburban areas saw the largest increase.For Donald Whitehead, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, this latest spike wasn’t a surprise. “We’ve seen dramatic increases in housing costs all across the country, especially in this region. Year over year from 2020 to 2021, housing costs increased by 18%,” Whitehead said. “What we’ve seen is more people in unsheltered homeless situations, and it’s continuing to grow since those COVID resources weren’t on the table.”The one-two punch of rising rents and the evaporation of COVID-19...

Philippine volcano’s eruption, which has displaced thousands, can last for months

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:50:47 GMT

LEGAZPI, Philippines (AP) — A gentle eruption of the Philippines’ most active volcano that has forced nearly 18,000 people to flee to emergency shelters could last for months and create a protracted crisis, officials said Wednesday.President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. flew to northeastern Albay province to reassure villagers who were forced to evacuate from mostly poor farming communities within a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) radius of the Mayon volcano’s crater since volcanic activity spiked last week.Marcos distributed food packs and other aid to displaced villagers, and was expected to meet Albay town mayors later Wednesday to discuss the unfolding crisis. The eruption is the latest natural calamity to test the administration of Marcos, who took office in June 2022 in a Southeast Asian nation regarded as one of the most disaster-prone in the world. About 20 typhoons and storms a year lash the Philippines, and the poor archipelago with 23 active volcanoes wrestles with frequent earthquakes.“U...

Democrats and Republicans share core values but still distrust each other

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:50:47 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans on the right and the left have a lot more in common than they might think — including their strong distrust of each other.A survey published on Wednesday finds that when asked about core values including fairness, compassion and personal responsibility, about nine in 10 Democrats and Republicans agreed they were very or extremely important. Yet only about a third of either group said they believed the same was true for the opposing party.The results of the survey, conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago and the nonprofit group Starts With Us, reveal a stark truth at the source of the polarization that has a powerful grip on American politics: While most Americans agree on the core principles underlying American democracy, they no longer recognize that the other side also holds those values.“This is a hidden opportunity for Americans to reestablish a sense of shared values,” said Tom Fishman, chief executive at Starts With Us, a nonpartisan organiza...

Fresh off 2nd back surgery in a 13 months, Mark Stone captains Vegas to Stanley Cup

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:50:47 GMT

Mark Stone, as captain of the Vegas Golden Knights, got to skate up to Commissioner Gary Bettman, who presented him with the Stanley Cup.Stone then lifted the 34 1/2-pound trophy over his head, an incredible achievement for the veteran winger who recently had two back surgeries in a span of nine months.“The look in my teammates eyes when I got it is one of the craziest feelings I’ve ever had,” Stone said. “Just to know that I did it with my 25, 30 best friends makes it that much more special.”Stone had a hat trick in Vegas’ series-ending Game 5 victory Tuesday night, giving him nine points in the Cup Final against the Florida Panthers. “He’s a great leader: He’s really passionate in terms of how he plays,” general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. “The more you watch him, the more you appreciate him. … He makes the people around him better.”Stone has been the Golden Knights’ leader since he was named the franchise’s first captain in 2021. He was also their biggest trade pick...

Pro leagues balance profit, integrity risks in legal betting era

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:50:47 GMT

When Calvin Ridley was suspended for betting on NFL games in 2022, it was largely dismissed as an isolated incident among the four biggest North American professional leagues in the era of legalized sports gambling.He served a yearlong suspension, penned a lengthy apology calling it “an isolated lapse in judgement,” and was reinstated in March. But in April when three players were disciplined for betting on NFL games and two more for placing wagers on non-league games, followed this month by an investigation into another player, a spotlight shone not just on the NFL but U.S. sports betting as a whole. While none of the players’ actions were related to attempts to fix games, the incidents have driven a public conversation about the integrity of pro sports as legalized sports betting takes a greater hold in this country. “Leagues are dancing with the devil,” said Declan Hill, a professor at the University of New Haven who consults for Interpol and pioneered the first online anti-match...

Las 5 cosas que debes saber este 14 de junio: Si Trump no es un espía, ¿por qué lo acusan bajo la Ley de Espionaje?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:50:47 GMT

Así fue el drama de los niños en la selva de Colombia. Ucrania logra avances. La “Messimanía” en China: los seguidores claman por ver al astro argentino. El poder de Nikola Jokić. Esto es lo que debes saber para comenzar el día. Primero la verdad.1. Si Trump no es un espía, ¿por qué lo acusan de espionaje?Donald Trump ya fue imputado formalmente en Miami con cargos federales, algo sin precedentes. La acusación federal describe cómo de manera descuidada acumuló documentos clasificados en sus clubes privados, pero no necesariamente que haya vendido secretos a un país extranjero. ¿Por qué entonces lo acusan bajo la Ley de Espionaje?Trump comparece en acusación histórica y se declara inocente de 37 cargosTrump hace visita inesperada al famoso restaurante cubano Versailles2. La dieron por muerta, pero estaba viva golpeando el ataúdUna mujer que había sido declarada muerta fue encontrada con signos vitales y golpeando su ataúd durante su funeral en Babayoho, una ciudad costera...

Greek authorities say the number of migrants who died after their boat capsized has risen to 32

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:50:47 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek authorities say the number of migrants who died after their boat capsized has risen to 32.Source