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Bridge: Dec. 13, 2023

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:27:39 GMT

“Got all your Christmas gifts wrapped?” I asked Unlucky Louie in the club lounge.“Insofar as I am able,” Louie sighed. “My wife says if you’ve ever seen a butcher wrapping a package of pork chops, you have some idea of my skill at wrapping Christmas gifts.”In today’s deal in a penny game, Louie played at 3NT, and West led the ten of hearts. Louie won in dummy, pondered briefly and led a diamond to his ten. West took the king and led another heart. Louie won that and cashed the ace of diamonds -– and came unglued when West discarded. Louie had eight tricks but no chance for another.OVERTRICKWith good luck in diamonds, Louie might have made an overtrick, but to wrap up nine tricks, he needs only two diamond tricks.To play safe, Louie leads a diamond to his ace at Trick Two. When the king falls from West, Louie is safe. If instead both defenders played low diamonds, Louie would lead a second diamond toward dummy. No matter how the suit lay, Louie would be sure of a second diamond trick...

Ask Amy: He says I’m not small enough to marry yet

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:27:39 GMT

Dear Amy: I’m a woman in my mid-20s, and I’ve been with my boyfriend since high school. I fell in love with him in ninth grade and (honestly) pursued him for a couple of years until I let him catch me (ha ha).Related ArticlesAdvice | Ask Amy: I’m a big tipper, and I want to be thanked for it Advice | Ask Amy: The teachers won’t explain why they call my son disrespectful Advice | Ask Amy: How did my adventurous life end up like this, and can I get it back? Advice | Ask Amy: My husband can’t see why these houseguests disturb me Advice | Ask Amy: My neighbors want money because the leaves fall in their yard I’ve always been quite large and overweight, and my weight is a huge issue for him.He only showed an interest in dating me after I had lost a considerable amount of weight in high school.I’ve mainly kept this weight off, but it has been a struggle. I’m down to a size 8.We are talking ab...

How Israel Commodifies Mass Killing Through Its “Palestine Laboratory”

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:27:39 GMT

For more than two months, the Israeli military has waged a scorched-earth campaign against Gaza, and the death toll has risen to over 18,000 Palestinians, including more than 7,000 children. Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, violent Israeli government-armed and funded settlers continue their violent campaign to purge Palestinians from their homes as the Israel Defense Forces lay siege to Jenin and other cities. This week on Intercepted, Jeremy Scahill discusses the dystopian game show that Israel is subjecting Palestinians to in Gaza, kettling them into an ever-shrinking killing cage. While the scope of the war against Gaza is unprecedented, it has been preceded by a decadeslong cycle of regular Israeli ground and air attacks against the Palestinians of both Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Independent journalist Antony Loewenstein discusses his groundbreaking new book, “The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World.” For two decade...

Column: Tomlin to the Commanders isn’t as crazy as you think

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:27:39 GMT

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin once said “never say never … but never” to leaving Pittsburgh, but could Washington change his mind? Rob Woodfork lays out how the Commanders could make a home run hire. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)When the Washington Commanders play their final game of the 2023 season against the Dallas Cowboys on Jan. 7, Ron Rivera will coach the Burgundy and Gold on his 62nd birthday under the likely assumption it will be his final game at the helm — bringing to a close a 4-year tenure in which he never had a winning campaign.Managing partner Josh Harris will begin his first full year in control of the franchise, making crucial decisions about the direction of a team in dire need of an organizational enema after decades of ineptitude that even predates the previous owner. Presumably, a new lead football executive will be at the top of his to-do list. But there’s one man I think would signal a true shift that would take the Commanders from NFC Ea...

Will declaration on fossil fuels at UN climate talks lead to action? Consider 5 previous decisions

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:27:39 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — United Nations climate negotiators on Wednesday declared the world must transition away from oil, gas and coal, a significant decision by nearly 200 countries in nearly 30 years of climate talks. But will countries keep their word, moving away from planet-warming fossil fuels and toward more green energies like solar and wind?History may provide some insight into that question. Below are five of the most important decisions to come from climate talks, and what has happened since.EMISSIONS CUTS IN KYOTOThe third climate summit took place in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997 — one of the warmest years recorded in the 20th century.Known as the Kyoto Protocol, the agreement asked 41 high-emitting countries across the world and the European Union to cut their emissions by a little more than 5% compared to 1990 levels. Emissions cuts can come from many places, from deploying green energies like wind and solar that don’t produce emissions to making things that ...

WMATA violated First Amendment by rejecting Metrobus ads, lawsuit says

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:27:39 GMT

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) policies behind the decision to reject a company’s advertisements for a Metrobus violated the First Amendment, the ACLU said in a lawsuit filed Monday.The suit, filed on behalf of the company WallBuilder Presentations, argues the transit agency’s advertising guidelines of violating free speech.The rejected Metrobus advertisements both show historic paintings, with a link to the company’s website and QR code that would take people directly there, according to Arthur Spitzer, senior counsel at the ACLU-D.C.One of the ads features George Washington kneeling in the snow, and the other has a scene from the Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia, Spitzer said. The company wanted to send people to its website to learn about its views on the role of religion in the founding of the country, and the role it thinks religion should play in the country now, he said.But the transit agency rejected the ads, S...

A Russian missile attack on Kyiv injures more than 50 people as Ukraine pleads for more Western help

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:27:39 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s capital came under another ballistic missile attack early Wednesday, injuring at least 53 people on the ground, including six children, and damaging buildings, officials said.A series of loud explosions could be heard in Kyiv at 3 a.m. local time as the city’s air defenses were activated for the second time this week. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 10 ballistic missiles toward the capital and all were intercepted by air defenses.The attack on the capital underscored the continuing threat to Ukraine from the Kremlin’s missile arsenal in the 21-month war. Russia has in recent months been stockpiling its air-launched cruise missiles from its heavy bomber fleet, according to a recent assessment by the U.K. Ministry of Defense.That may herald another heavy winter bombardment of Ukraine’s power grid. Moscow last year targeted energy infrastructure in an effort to deny Ukrainians heat, light and running water and break their fighting spirit.Uk...

Delegates at UN climate talks in Dubai agree to ‘transition away’ from planet-warming fossil fuels

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:27:39 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — United Nations climate negotiators directed the world on Wednesday to transition away from planet-warming fossil fuels in a move the talks chief called historic, despite critics’ worries about loopholes.“Humanity has finally done what is long, long, long overdue,” Wopke Hoekstra, European Union commissioner for climate action, said. After nearly 30 years of talking about carbon pollution, climate negotiators in a key document explicitly took aim at what’s trapping the heat: the burning of coal, oil and natural gas.Within minutes of opening Wednesday’s session, COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber gaveled approval of the central document — the global stocktake that says how off-track the world is on climate and how to get back on — without asking for comments. Delegates stood and hugged each other.“It is a plan that is led by the science,’’ al-Jaber said. “It is an enhanced, balanced, but make no mistake, a historic package to accelerate clim...

Dictionary.com’s word of the year is a common one. But it doesn’t mean what you think

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:27:39 GMT

(CNN) — “Hallucinate” is Dictionary.com’s word of the year — and no, you’re not imagining things.The online reference site said in an announcement Tuesday that this year’s pick refers to a specific definition of the term pertaining to artificial intelligence: “to produce false information contrary to the intent of the user and present it as if true and factual.” In other words, it’s when chatbots and other AI tools confidently make stuff up.Grant Barrett, head of lexicography at Dictionary.com, told CNN this particular definition of “hallucinate” was added to the site earlier this year, though its use in computer science dates at least as far back as 1971. As staff at the online dictionary considered contenders for the defining words of 2023, Barrett said it became clear that AI was increasingly changing our lives, working its way into our language as well.“When we looked at the different words associated with artificial intelligence, we saw that ‘hallucinate’ really encapsulat...

Residents gearing up for CAMACOL’s annual food drive

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:27:39 GMT

In anticipation of the holiday season, South Florida residents are already forming lines along Northwest 16th Avenue as they gear up for CAMACOL’s food distribution. For almost four decades, CAMACOL has been a beacon of hope, providing food baskets to families in need. The event kicks off at 8 a.m. at CAMACOL headquarters, located at 1401 West Flagler Street and 14th Avenue. Food baskets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis and among those eagerly awaiting their turn is Jose Leonarte, who has been a participant for 49 years.“Every year I do this you know for my family and you know they giving a good basket, good product for the whole family and I’m glad for that with the CAMACOL do that every year,” he said.Wednesday’s Holiday Food Basket Giveaway holds special significance as it honors Mario O. Gutierrez, past President of CAMACOL and PepsiCo executive. Gutierrez’s vision initiated this food drive almost four decades ago, start...