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Bridge: Dec. 21, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:45:55 GMT

I asked Dr. Ed Fitch, our club president, whether he had found time to put up his Christmas lights.“I never took them down from last year,” he admitted. “I kept putting it off and finally I said forget it. Besides, they looked really nice on the pumpkin.”Procrastination can be beneficial if you do it now. In today’s matchpoint duplicate deal, West leads the queen of diamonds against four spades. Suppose declarer takes the ace and leads the queen of trumps to finesse. East wins and returns a diamond, forcing out South’s king, and when West takes the ace of clubs, he cashes a diamond. Making only four.FOUR LOSERSSouth is in danger of three losers, but he can hope to discard a diamond from dummy on a club winner. He should procrastinate in trumps and instead try for that discard promptly; if he loses an early trump finesse, time will be on the defenders’ side. At Trick Two, South leads a club to dummy’s queen, then a club to his ten and West’s ace.South can win the diamond return and d...

Horoscopes Dec. 21, 2023: Steven Yeun, make a difference

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:45:55 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Steven Yeun, 40; Ray Romano, 66; Samuel L. Jackson, 75; Jane Fonda, 86.Happy Birthday: Action is the path forward. Stop complaining and start doing. Change what you don’t like, and protect and nurture what makes you happy. Life is about choices, and it’s time for you to step up and make a difference. Get involved in interest groups and connect with people who want to contribute to your cause. Don’t be afraid to show your emotions or stand up for your rights. Your numbers are 2, 5, 17, 24, 31, 39, 44.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Reunions, trips and fun with friends are on the horizon. At the very least, contact someone you miss and catch up or plan to get together. Speaking from the heart will open up a new possibility that can improve your lifestyle. 3 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Look for a window of opportunity, and you will gain insight into something you want to pursue. A change of plans will bring you closer to someone you love. B...

Ask Amy: She was such a fun friend, and I’m stunned she turned on me like this

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:45:55 GMT

Dear Amy: My friend is 15 years older than me. She has her Ph.D. and teaches at a university. She lives beyond her means and is now working two jobs to help pay her credit card bills. She has been married and divorced twice.Related ArticlesAdvice | Ask Amy: I’m annoyed when people give gifts to children for no occasion Advice | Ask Amy: I felt awkward when my boss made this odd comment Advice | Ask Amy: A boy reading Judy Blume, and other inspiring tales Advice | Ask Amy: I swear we will move without her if she can’t get her stuff packed in time Advice | Ask Amy: Could my mother really believe I owe it to her to have children? She is fun to be around; we laugh for hours.She recently asked us if my husband would build a tiny house on our property for her to move into. She expects my husband to build it for her (she would pay for the materials).My husband and I said no. We don’t wish to do this...

France’s Macron says a security crisis could force rethink of Paris’ huge Olympic opening show

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:45:55 GMT

LE PECQ, France (AP) — The giant opening ceremony extravaganza that Paris is planning to hold on the River Seine to launch next year’s Olympic Games could be moved if France is hit again in the run-up by extremist attacks, French President Emmanuel Macron said.Macron’s comments in a television interview on Wednesday night were a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the deep layers of planning for the July 26 ceremony. Many details about the show remain shrouded in secrecy to preserve its hoped-for wow factor. The security, with tens of thousands of police and soldiers deployed, will be intense.The athletes will be paraded through the heart of the French capital on boats on the Seine — for the first Summer Games opening ceremony held outside of a usual stadium setting. Both banks of the river will be lined by hundreds of thousands of spectators.“We are preparing an opening ceremony that is unique, which I hope will make the French very proud,” Macron told public broa...

Irlanda prohibe la venta de productos de vapeo a menores de 18 años

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:45:55 GMT

DUBLÍN – El Gobierno irlandés prohibirá a partir de este viernes la venta de productos de vapeo a los menores de 18 años con una nueva ley que prevé multas de hasta 4,000 euros y pena de cárcel de hasta seis meses.El ministro irlandés de Sanidad, Stephen Donnelly, anunció este jueves que adoptará el próximo año más medidas para controlar la industria del tabaco, al tiempo que destacó que la nueva legislación entrará en vigor antes de las navidades.“Me comprometí a incluir en una ley la prohibición sobre la venta de productos de vapeo a los menores antes de Navidad y estoy encantado de que haya sido posible”, declaró hoy el titular del ramo.Donnelly agradeció a los legisladores de las dos cámaras del Parlamento de Dublín su apoyo para sacar adelante “rápidamente” este paquete legislativo, después de lanzar el pasado noviembre un “proceso consultivo” al respecto. ¿Piensas viajar a Francia? Podrías recibir una multa si fumas en es...

Xavi: Barcelona needs to ‘wake up’ and show some ‘soul’ if it still wants to succeed this season

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:45:55 GMT

MADRID (AP) — The jeers from the fans and the criticism from the media are usually a sign that things have not been going well for Barcelona.Recent lackluster performances and poor results have left the Catalan club on the brink of a crisis. Coach Xavi Hernández apparently has had enough, and is demanding immediate changes if the team still wants to succeed this season.Xavi didn’t spare anyone in a heartfelt news conference after yet another disappointing performance by his team to beat last-placed Almeria 3-2 in the Spanish league on Wednesday. Fans jeered Barcelona as it struggled against the only team yet to win in La Liga.“If we aren’t going to take our chances, at least we need to be aggressive and show some soul,” he said. “Unless we run like animals we won’t get anywhere. Unless we leave our skin out there we won’t win anything. We need to wake up. It’s not a football issue, it’s about soul.”The coach said the players need to step up and understand that the team can’t live of...

Republican Kim Taylor wins 82nd district race after recount, Democrats maintain majority in Va. House of Delegates

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:45:55 GMT

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Republican Kim Taylor narrowly defeated Democrat Kimberly Pope Adams in their race for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates following a recount.Adams conceded defeat Wednesday after a hearing in Dinwiddie County Circuit Court in which a panel of judges reviewed a handful of disputed ballots.Taylor led by 78 votes, out of nearly 29,000 ballots cast, before the recount. The recount narrowed Taylor’s winning margin by 25 votes, according to the Virginia Department of Elections.Adams congratulated Taylor in a written statement.“This race was far closer than many anticipated, and we petitioned for this recount to ensure every eligible voter had their ballot counted. With the final results in, it is now clear we came up just short,” she said.Taylor, in a written statement, thanked her volunteers and elections officials.“Although this was a long process, we knew November’s results would be upheld,” she said.Even with Taylor’s victory, Democrats w...

Congreso de EEUU cerca de acuerdo sobre seguridad fronteriza

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:45:55 GMT

En medio de negociaciones, se empieza a dilucidar el bosquejo de un acuerdo sobre inmigración y seguridad fronteriza en el Congreso estadounidense, si bien los legisladores han entrado en receso sin revelar detalles del paquete que será clave para desbloquear la ayuda a Ucrania.Las negociaciones entre la Casa Blanca y senadores clave no se han distanciado de tres áreas principales bajo discusión: endurecer los protocolos para pedir asilo, fortalecer la seguridad fronteriza con más agentes y sistemas tecnológicos y disuadir a los migrantes de hacer la travesía.El líder de la mayoría demócrata en el Senado Chuck Schumer y el líder de los republicanos en esa cámara, Mitch McConnell, en una inusual declaración conjunta, dijeron que las negociaciones avanzan. Se reunieron el miércoles para analizar maneras de impulsar la política fronteriza y permitir el paquete de 110,000 millones de dólares en ayuda para Ucrania, Israel y otros temas de seguridad nacional.“Todos sabemos que hay un prob...

Tinder expands offering of invite-only $499 monthly membership

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:45:55 GMT

(CNN) — Tinder is now offering users a highly exclusive $499 monthly subscription option, but only if they receive a coveted invitation and get through the application process.Tinder SELECT offers users perks beyond those granted to the average swiper. Paying nearly $6,000 a year gives users the chance to see and be seen by the app’s “most sought after profiles,” to direct message other profiles without first matching, enjoy early access to new features, turn off advertisements and sport a badge on their page announcing their SELECT status.Since the initial batch of invitations went out in September, Tinder has been steadily inviting additional users to apply as part of a gradual expansion, but the option remains highly exclusive.According to the company, less than 1% of the app’s users get a spot.But getting the invite and being willing to hand over nearly $500 is not enough to unlock the new tier. Those online daters who want to join need to first apply, as well as meet ...

Football’s Super League gets win at EU top court

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:45:55 GMT

European football was rocked on Thursday, as the top European Union court ruled that governing bodies UEFA and FIFA breached competition law by attempting to block the breakaway Super League. The Court of Justice said that the governing bodies had abused their dominant position running the sport and that “FIFA and UEFA rules making any new interclub football project subject to their prior approval, such as the Super League, and prohibiting clubs and players from playing in those competitions, are unlawful.”The judgment is a shock for football on the Continent and threatens to upend nearly 70 years of established governance of the world’s most popular sport. Real Madrid and Barcelona, fronted by Super League promoter company A22 Sports, had accused UEFA of running an illegal monopoly in European football and aimed to topple it from its position as European football’s competition organizer and regulator. While the Spanish giants’ dreams of creating a Super League still ...