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Bridge: Aug. 13, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:53 GMT

When a player takes an unsuccessful action — but one he is sure was correct — he may appeal to higher authority. Players often come to me seeking support for a bid or play, or asking me to assess blame for a partnership mix-up.It’s not a pleasant job; I’m sure to make at least one person unhappy. Moreover, bridge is an ego-driven game, and no matter what I say, a player will tend to remain persuaded by the logic that led him to the losing action.Two players brought me today’s deal. Against four hearts, West had led a spade, and East took the queen and ace. South won the third spade and drew trumps. Finding no miracle in diamonds, he lost two diamonds.The point of contention was the bidding.“Four hearts was a poor contract,” North argued. “We’re better off at 3NT. We make it if West leads a spade and have a chance with a club lead. My partner should bid 2NT or 3NT at his second turn.”“Bidding notrump with J-3-2 in spad...

Horoscopes Aug. 13, 2023: John Slattery, take responsibility for your happiness

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:53 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Shani Davis, 41; Debi Mazar, 59; John Slattery, 61; Dawnn Lewis, 62.Happy Birthday: Trying to convince others to follow your lead this year will waste time. Size up your situation and configure a plan that you can embrace alone. Opportunities will come from unexpected sources and tempt you to make a move or change that will redirect your life and improve your lifestyle. Trust in yourself and your ability to take responsibility for your happiness. Your numbers are 8, 14, 20, 28, 31, 36, 42.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Bypass feeling sorry for yourself or taking on burdens that don’t belong to you. Focus on what you can do to improve yourself and your position. Leave nothing to chance or up to someone else. Honesty is necessary to achieve the best outcome. 2 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Remain where you feel comfortable and you’ll achieve more. Taking on too much or letting temptation take over will set you back. Pick and choose your course of...

Kylian Mbappe returns to training with PSG after constructive talks with the club

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:53 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Kylian Mbappe has returned to training with Paris Saint-Germain after “constructive and positive talks” between the two parties, the club said Sunday.Mbappe watched from the stands on Saturday night as defending champion PSG drew 0-0 at home to Lorient because he is mired in a contract standoff. He wants to play this season and leave for free when his contract runs out, but PSG wants to sell him to stop this happening.“After very constructive and positive discussions between Paris Saint-Germain and Kylian Mbappe before the PSG-Lorient match, the player has returned to training with the first-team group this (Sunday) morning,” PSG said in a statement.The World Cup star was left out of the pre-season tour to Japan and South Korea and then trained apart from the first-team regulars last week. Now he could play away to Toulouse on Saturday.PSG received a world-record $332 million bid from Saudi Arabian team Al-Hilal for Mbappe, who reportedly refused to meet with representa...

Police respond to serious crash on Mass Pike in Newton

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:53 GMT

State police are investigation a serious crash overnight on the Mass. Pike in Newton.Video from the scene showed state troopers with flashlights looked over two damaged vehicles in the westbound lanes. No additional information was immediately available.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

Orioles break through in 10th to beat red-hot Mariners, 1-0, as Félix Bautista once again dominates extra frame

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:53 GMT

The Mariners honored King Félix on Saturday. The Orioles showed a new reign has begun.After Seattle inducted Félix Hernández into their hall of fame, Baltimore beat the Mariners, 1-0, in 10 innings, with Ryan Mountcastle singling in automatic runner Cedric Mullins in the top half of the extra frame before closer Félix Bautista stranded Seattle’s free runner in the bottom half with three strikeouts in his second inning.It marked the fourth time manager Brandon Hyde has tasked his All-Star reliever with pitching both the ninth and 10th innings. In those appearances, Bautista has pitched eight scoreless innings, allowing four base runners with 15 strikeouts. He has retired all 12 batters he has faced in those 10th innings with nine strikeouts.“What he’s done this entire season is unbelievable,” Hyde said. “There’s no other closers that are doing that.”Mariners fans booed when Bautista entered for the bottom of the ninth; alt...

Mac Jones, Jack Jones and 28 Patriots thoughts 28 days from the season opener

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:53 GMT

The Patriots will play real football in four weeks.Real, competitive, physical football with actual stakes.Until then, there’s more preseason and training camp to cover. Based on what we’ve seen so far, here are 28 Patriots thoughts 28 days away from the season opener.1. Bill O’Brien’s offense fitsEvery practice, Mac Jones is flexing his command the line of scrimmage and quick release. JuJu Smith-Schuster frequently speeds into space on plays designed to maximize his yards after the catch. Blink, and you might miss DeVante Parker out-wrestling another cornerback for a jump ball.Everything O’Brien has installed pulsates with purpose and comes with a counter. The Patriots are not committing to a store-brand knockoff of the Rams playbook any longer. O’Brien’s system is a real offense, a modernized one, and it’s tailored to the talents of its players. Just as every offense should be.2. The O-line needs timeThe stats, for whatever they̵...

7 killed in Ukraine’s Kherson region, including a 23-day-old baby girl

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:53 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Seven people – including a 23-day-old baby girl – were killed in Russian shelling in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region on Sunday, the country’s Internal Affairs Ministry said.Artillery shelling in the village of Shiroka Balka, on the banks of the Dnieper River killed a family — a husband, wife, 12-year-old boy and 23-day-old girl — and another resident. Two men were killed in the neighboring village of Stanislav, where a woman was also wounded.The attack on Kherson province followed Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar’s comments on Saturday attempting to quell rumors that Ukrainian forces had landed on the occupied left (east) bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region.“Again, the expert hype around the left bank in the Kherson region began. There are no reasons for excitement,” she said.Kherson regional Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin said Sunday that three people had been wounded in Russian attacks on the province on Saturday .U...

Dueling GOP presidential nominating contests in Nevada raise concerns about voter confusion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:53 GMT

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Republicans in Nevada could have two chances next year to decide who they want to be their party’s presidential nominee. The catch: Only one will count.The Nevada GOP is insisting on holding its own caucus despite a new state law calling for a primary election, a move critics say is designed to benefit former President Donald Trump. The competing contests are likely to confuse some and require GOP campaigns to spend extra time and money educating voters in one of the earliest states to cast ballots for the presidential nomination.The results in the GOP primary are unlikely to matter because the state Republican Party has said it will use its party-run caucus to determine which candidate will receive the state’s delegates to the Republican National Convention. An official caucus date has not yet been set but is expected to be around the same time as the Feb. 6 primary, which falls after the Iowa caucus and primaries in New Hampshire and South Carolina.“I do believe ...

Biden and House Democrats hope to make curbing ‘junk fees’ a winning issue in 2024

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:53 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional Democrats are teaming up with the Biden administration and a progressive advocacy group to turn policy efforts to curb “ junk fees ” into a political rallying cry, betting that a small but potentially potent kitchen table issue will resonate with voters. President Joe Biden promised in this year’s State of the Union address to target unexpected fees tacked on to things like plane and concert tickets, hotel rooms, hospital and cellphone bills and housing transactions. He’s since worked with major businesses to see that pricing is more transparent about all fees. More than a dozen House Democrats around the country plan to hold events organized with help from the Progressive Change Institute to promote the administration’s effort to curb junk fees. Events have already happened in suburban Detroit, Philadelphia, central New Jersey and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Similar efforts are planned in coming weeks in Pittsburgh, New York and Las Ve...

Yes, inflation is down. No, the Inflation Reduction Act doesn’t deserve the credit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:53 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Even President Joe Biden has some regrets about the name of the Inflation Reduction Act: As the giant law turns 1 on Wednesday, it’s increasingly clear that immediately curbing prices wasn’t the point.While price increases have cooled over the past year — the inflation rate has dropped from 9% to 3.2% — most economists say little to none of the drop came from the law. “I can’t think of any mechanism by which it would have brought down inflation to date,” said Harvard University economist Jason Furman, who added that the law could eventually help to lower electricity bills.Alex Arnon, an economic and budget analyst for the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Wharton Budget Model, offers a similar assessment.“We can say with pretty strong confidence that it was mostly other factors that have brought inflation down,’’ he said. “The IRA has just not been a significant factor.’’That shouldn’t come as a surprise. When the Inflation Reduction A...