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Bridge: Dec. 12, 2023

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:47:33 GMT

“I have this ability to tell what’s inside a wrapped package. I think it’s … a gift.” – graffitiSome players think “card reading” – figuring out what the opponents hold – is a skill for experts and maybe a gift. But logical thinking is for all.Today’s West leads the eight of spades against 3NT. Declarer could succeed by grabbing dummy’s ace, but he fears that West might have led from a doubleton. Declarer plays the queen from dummy. If East takes the king and returns the jack – a natural play – South wins and loses a club finesse. The defense takes two more spades, but South has the rest, making three.NINE OF SPADESEast should wonder why declarer made it easy for him to continue spades. West’s lead of the eight marks South with the nine, so South could have played low from dummy effectively. Logic suggests that declarer fears a shift. At Trick Two, East should lead the jack of diamonds. The defense will get three diamonds, a spade and the king of clubs.When you play against a capabl...

Horoscopes Dec. 12, 2023: Jennifer Connelly, get things done

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:47:33 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Mayim Bialik, 48; Madchen Amick, 53; Regina Hall, 53; Jennifer Connelly, 53.Happy Birthday: Stick to the truth and get the facts. Go through ups and downs using your high energy, creativity, strength and courage to ensure you get things done and reap the rewards. It’s up to you to keep tabs on every aspect of your life if you plan to reach your destination and feel good about how things unfold. Showing gratitude will enrich your life. Your numbers are 6, 13, 22, 28, 39, 45, 47.ARIES (March 21-April 19): An open mind will help you decide what’s feasible and how best to use your energy to reach your goal. Discuss your plans with anyone who will be affected by your decisions. Positive relationships will give you the strength to manifest your dreams. 5 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t let anyone talk you into donating something you can’t afford to lose. Showing generosity can be uplifting, but not if you end up suffering. Think i...

Newcastle’s rise under Saudi ownership faces big test with Champions League future on the line

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:47:33 GMT

Newly flush with Saudi cash, Newcastle has chosen to tread a strategic and methodical path in its bid to reach the summit of European game under the richest owners in soccer.The club is encountering some teething problems by playing the slow game.Qualifying for the Champions League last season arguably came ahead of schedule for Newcastle and manager Eddie Howe, and they’re struggling to juggle the demands of playing in Europe’s top competition while also keeping up with their rivals in the Premier League.With a relatively shallow squad hit by a spate of injuries and running on empty amid a packed fixture schedule, the team has dropped to seventh in the league following back-to-back losses last week and, on Wednesday, faces the very real prospect of being eliminated from the Champions League before the knockout stage.Newcastle hosts AC Milan with both teams on five points, two behind second-place Paris Saint-Germain and five adrift of already-qualified Borussia Dortmund. Newcastle n...

Analysis: Jackson says he hasn’t learned his lesson from illegal hits because NFL isn’t a good tutor

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:47:33 GMT

PARKER, Colo. (AP) — Denver Broncos suspended safety Kareem Jackson admittedly hasn’t learned his lesson after forfeiting nearly $1 million of his salary for a series of illegal hits that have resulted in a pair of ejections, multiple fines and six weeks’ worth of lost wages.That’s because the NFL isn’t a very good tutor, Jackson said.The 14-year veteran argues he’s being singled out by the league and that the NFL has no adequate answers about how he’s supposed to change his hard-hitting playing style to conform to today’s game where the league scorns the collisions it once celebrated.Jackson was granted an audience with Commissioner Roger Goodell two weeks ago following his second suspension and it didn’t exactly go as he had hoped.“I was told that I’m responsible for the offensive guys’ protection,” Jackson said Monday night before hosting 50 youth from the Boys & Girls Club of Denver for his annual “JackaClaus Shopping Spr...

Young Orlando Magic are off to an impressive start thanks to their commitment to defense

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:47:33 GMT

Two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference standings will face off this week when the Boston Celtics host a pair of games against the … Orlando Magic?No, that’s not a misprint.After a 104-94 win over Cleveland on Monday night, the Magic are tied for second place in the East with Milwaukee, just a game behind the Celtics. Orlando announced its presence with a nine-game winning streak that began in mid-November — a run that included wins over Denver and Boston — and now the Magic will take on the Celtics again Friday and Sunday.“We don’t want to be the doormat anymore, and a team that people talk about as, ‘It’s just the Orlando Magic,'” guard Jalen Suggs said. “We want to be that tough team, and you’ve got to scout and bring full mental energy and physicality when you come play us.”Orlando hasn’t made the playoffs since 2020, and even that doesn’t totally tell the story of the franchise’s recent futility. The Magic haven’t won a playoff series ...

Suicide bomber attacks police station in northwest Pakistan, killing 23 officers and wounding 32

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:47:33 GMT

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A suicide bomber detonated his explosive-laden vehicle at a police station’s main gate in northwest Pakistan early Tuesday, killing at least 23 troops and wounding 32 others, and causing a part of the building to collapse upon impact, the military and officials said. The suicide attack — one of the deadliest attacks since January — led to “multiple causalities,” Pakistan’s army said in a statement. It added that six militants also opened fire and a shootout ensued for hours between them and security forces before “the terrorists” were gunned down. Local police officials also confirmed all six attackers were dead.Separately, the statement said that “troops killed 27 insurgents” in multiple operations in the same region.The death toll from Tuesday’s attack was likely to rise as some of the officers were in critical condition, authorities said. The bodies of the 23 security forces killed were transferred to a hospital, Mohammad Adnan, a...

Top-ranked Arizona takes on No. 3 Purdue in marquee men’s college basketball matchup

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:47:33 GMT

Top-ranked Arizona is headed for a showdown with No. 3 Purdue on a neutral floor in Indianapolis on Saturday.If neutral can be about 70 miles from the Boilermakers’ campus in West Lafayette, Indiana.That should hardly bother the Wildcats, though, who solidified their hold on No. 1 in the AP men’s college basketball poll Monday by receiving all but one of 63 votes cast by media members. They were downright dominant in a 98-73 blowout of No. 23 Wisconsin last weekend, which Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd called “the best team we’ve played to this point.”Bold statement, considering Arizona already played a true road game against No. 22 Duke.The Blue Devils, ranked second at the time, gave the Wildcats all they could handle that night at Cameron Indoor Stadium in one of the first marquee games of the college basketball season. But not only prevailed but served notice to the basketball world that they would be contenders for the national championship in Lloyd’s third s...

Denver weather: Cooler, cloudy before snow chances

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:47:33 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Cloudy skies move in across Colorado on Tuesday with cooler but more seasonal temperatures. Snow chances move in on Wednesday in the Denver weather forecast. However, they mostly focus on southern Colorado.Weather today: Cloudy and coolerMainly cloudy skies will be across the state Tuesday with cooler temperatures. Highs around 40 degrees are very close to seasonal averages as winds stay light. These new Colorado laws go into effect in 2024 Pinpoint Weather: Daily forecast on Dec. 12 Weather tonight: Possible flurryDenver will see a light breeze pick up early Tuesday night as cloudy skies stick around. Lows will dip into the middle 20s with a possible flurry in the metro before sunrise.Pinpoint Weather: Overnight forecast on Dec. 12 Looking ahead: Warming into the weekendBetter chances for snow are in the southern half of the state on Wednesday. The chances are focused from mid-morning through the early evening hours. Denver may end up with a half inch of snow with...

Multi-vehicle crash causes delays on SR-826 South in Hialeah

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:47:33 GMT

A multi-vehicle crash resulted in the blockage of two left lanes on State Road 826 South at Northwest 103rd Street, Tuesday morning. The incident is causing traffic disruptions, causing commuters to drive cautiously in the affected area. As a result of this crash, the Florida Highway Patrol blocked off the express lanes nearby. Around 7 a.m., emergency responders remained on the scene to address the situation. The circumstances leading to the crash and any injuries sustained are yet to be reported.Motorists are advised to seek alternative routes and expect delays as authorities work to clear the roadway and investigate the incident.

Zelenskyy in Lilliput: Someone Shrunk Ukraine’s War Coalition

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:47:33 GMT

For a second week in a row, Washington is the most important theater in Russia’s war on Ukraine. Billions in military and economic aid for Kyiv hang in the balance. As does, with only a bit of exaggeration, Ukraine’s fate as a nation, stability in Europe and America’s credibility as a world power. It’s a big moment. So why do the players on this stage all look so small?You have Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose heroic aura has diminished with every visit here (Tuesday’s stop will be his third). The Ukrainian president’s host in the White House is a shrunken figure with poor polls and reelection prospects. Fresh off their latest bout of dysfunctional bloodletting, Republicans on the Hill are their own species of Lilliputians. Missing in this group picture but would fit right in: The Europeans, who act is if the worst armed conflict since World War II isn’t playing out in the heart of their continent.There are a couple players in this drama who’ve avoided the shrinkage of the rest. You may h...