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Bridge: July 11, 2023

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:24:50 GMT

“Adam and Eve should have been Cajuns. They would have ignored the apple and eaten the snake.” — graffiti seen in New Orleans.Players must be aware of the temptation to draw trumps — and resist it. Today’s North-South stopped at five diamonds when six would have been a good spot. (South’s third bid was ill-considered.) West led the K-A of hearts, and South ruffed and dis-resisted when he took the A-Q of trumps. When West discarded, declarer tried the A-K of clubs. East ruffed and led his last trump, and South lost two clubs to West.“Couldn’t even make four,” South shrugged.ACE OF CLUBSSouth fell from grace when he took two rounds of trumps. (He could have survived one round.) South can take the ace of clubs at Trick Three, go to the king of spades and return a club.If East ruffs and leads a third heart — discarding is no better — South ruffs, ruffs his last low club in dummy, draws trumps and scores his K-Q of clubs a...

Ask Amy: I’m basically a single mom because of my husband’s fixation

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:24:50 GMT

Dear Amy: My husband and I have two children under the age of 3.Most of the time when my husband watches the kids, he is on his phone.Related ArticlesAdvice | Ask Amy: How do I save myself from a cruise with these pretentious women? Advice | Ask Amy: He said hurtful things about my wedding, and now I’m expected to fix our rift Advice | Ask Amy: I put in a lot of work to be the fun neighbor, and these women ruin my plans Advice | Ask Amy: I told the bride she was being rude, and now everyone’s mad Advice | Ask Amy: I don’t want him giving my wife such extravagant gifts Even when our 11-month-old is practicing walking, he holds her by the arm as he walks with his eyes glued to his other hand, which is holding the phone.If I say something, he gets all defensive.With our first child, I called him a bad dad because he was always on his phone or just holding him watching TV (basically not int...

Harriette Cole: This is my road trip, and she keeps butting in

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:24:50 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: My mom is still treating me as if I am a child, even though I am 23 years old.I understand 23 is still young, but I have moved out of the house and am paying all my own bills. She still feels as if she needs to have control over me.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: This B-list celebrity is a drag on our event Advice | Harriette Cole: Is it a red flag that he wants me to ride a bus to our first date? Advice | Harriette Cole: People are saying my friend’s bad news is just a scam to get money Advice | Harriette Cole: She fought my sentimental claim to my mom’s table. Now we don’t speak. Advice | Harriette Cole: I’m starting to believe the rumor about my ex I am switching jobs soon and need to drive halfway across the country. I want to make the drive alone because I need room in the car for my possessions. I also want to do the drive on my time and not have to ...

California Grad Students Won A Historic Strike. UC San Diego Is Striking Back With Misconduct Allegations and Arrests.

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:24:50 GMT

On May 5, as Chancellor Pradeep Khosla began his opening remarks at the 44th University of California San Diego Alumni Awards at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, some 60 academic worker activists took the stage carrying a cardboard sign. They were there to present him with UC’s “Most Overpaid Worker” award; Khosla had received a $500,000 raise while, the union says, the university was simultaneously refusing to fully implement their recently ratified collective bargaining agreement. Khosla quickly left the stage amid chants of “Pradeep, Pradeep, the rent is too steep!” When the police arrived, the graduate students had relocated outdoors to the sidewalk where, separated by a glass wall, they continued chanting their demands: “What do we want? Our promised wages. When do we want them? Now!”While the action ended peacefully, just over a month later, the university charged 59 graduate student workers from the event’s registration list with “physical assault,” ...

Live Updates | Lithuania and allies beef up security for NATO summit

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:24:50 GMT

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Follow along for updates on the summit of the NATO military alliance in Lithuania’s capital:What to know: — Turkey’s decision to end opposition to Sweden’s NATO membership boosts summit— Sweden’s rocky road from neutrality toward NATO membership— What is NATO doing to help Ukraine in the war with Russia?— Ukraine, defense plans and Sweden’s membership top summit agenda—— Lithuania and several of its allies have beefed up security for the NATO summit, with as many as 12,000 troops backed by warships, air defense systems and artillery deployed for the two-day meeting. Lithuanian authorities say almost 50 foreign delegations with 2,400 representatives are gathering in Vilnius, including 40 presidents or prime ministers and up to 150 other high-ranking politicians.Germany supplied Patriot missile defense for the summit that starts Tuesday, while Spain provided short- to medium-range NASAM ground systems.The summit in Lithuania’s capital is being hel...

Union Berlin signs David Datro Fofana on loan from Chelsea for next season

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:24:50 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Union Berlin bolstered its Champions League preparations on Tuesday by signing Ivorian forward David Datro Fofana from Chelsea on loan for next season.The 20-year-old Fofana rarely played for Chelsea after the English Premier League club signed him for a reported fee of around 12 million euros ($13.1 million) from Norwegian team Molde FK in January. He made only three short league appearances for Chelsea. Union hopes to give him more chances to shine in the Bundesliga.“David’s speed and his flexible offensive qualities are highly interesting for us,” Union sporting director Oliver Ruhnert said. “We want another goal-scoring player who will give our attacking game additional impetus.”Fofana is Ruhnert’s second signing in three days from English clubs following United States midfielder Brenden Aaronson’s arrival on loan from Leeds on Sunday.Union, which was promoted to the Bundesliga for the first time only in 2019, finished fourth in the league last season to clinch Cha...

Justices teach when the Supreme Court isn’t in session. It can double as an all-expenses-paid trip

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:24:50 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — For decades, the University of Hawaii law school has marketed its Jurist-In-Residence program to the Supreme Court as an all-expenses-paid getaway, with the upside of considerable “down time” in paradise. The justices have enthusiastically participated.“Your colleagues who were here most recently were Justices (Ruth Bader) Ginsburg, (Anthony) Kennedy, and (Stephen) Breyer, and I believe they all would recommend the experience highly,” the law school’s then-Dean Aviam Soifer wrote in a 2010 email trying to draw Justice Sonia Sotomayor to the school in Honolulu. “We will, of course, cover first-class airfare, excellent hotel accommodations, and all other travel expenses.”“Should we have hope of having the Justice here while the icy winds blow in Washington?” he wrote in another. In a follow-up before the justice’s 2012 visit, he included the salutation “Warm (and yet comfortable) greetings from paradise.” Teaching is encouraged as a way to demystify the n...

China’s auto sales rise 8.8% in first half of 2023, but growth is fading as economy cools

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:24:50 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — China’s auto sales rose 8.8% over a year earlier in the first half of 2023 as electric vehicle purchases surged, but growth is fading as an economic rebound following the end of anti-virus controls cools, an industry group reported Tuesday.Sales of SUVs, sedans and minivans rose to 11.3 million, decelerating from 2022’s 9.5% growth, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. Total vehicle sales including trucks and buses rose 9.8% to 13.2 million.CAAC earlier forecast this year’s annual sales growth might fall to as low as 3%.Global automakers look to China to propel sales growth as U.S. and European demand flattens and are pouring billions of dollars into developing electrics to meet government sales quotas. They face growing competition from Chinese brands that are developing rapidly, taking market share and starting to compete with global majors in their home markets by exporting to Europe and Japan.China’s economic growth rebounded...

6-year-old victim shares encounter with man arrested in Miami for attempted child abduction, abuse

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:24:50 GMT

A 6-year-old girl shared her story after a man nearly abducted her as she played outside near her Miami home. The man has been arrested and charged with kidnapping and child abuse following the incident that was reported on July 6.Detectives responded to the scene at 6530 N.E. 2nd Ave. after they were notified of the situation.Ah’Lyric said that while playing with siblings in the apartment complex courtyard, they noticed a white, newer model SUV parked near their residence. As the other children went inside to get a drink of water, the victim remained on the rear stairway of their apartment. According to the victim, the man, later identified as 32-year-old Leonardo Venegas, suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the rear of the stairs. The 6-year-old fought back and managed to break free from Venegas’s grip, but he then lifted the victim and attempted to carry her away. In an act of self-defense, the child bit Venegas’s arm, causing him to drop her. Venegas...

Miami Review Board considers designating portion of land near Miami River as archaeological site

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:24:50 GMT

The City of Miami Review Board is set to deliberate on a resolution today that could have significant implications for the future development of a portion of land near the mouth of the Miami River. The proposed resolution aims to designate the area as an archaeological site following the discovery of a prehistoric indigenous settlement during construction activities.Developers working on the 400 block of Brickell Avenue stumbled upon the ancient settlement while constructing residences in the area. The unexpected uncovering of the indigenous settlement has sparked protests over the preservation of historical sites in the rapidly developing city.If the Miami Review Board approves a report that deems the site as historically significant, the city would gain legal authority over the future development of the land, as well as the artifacts unearthed at the site.