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Bridge: Nov. 27, 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:00:23 GMT

The Internet has added dimensions to bridge instruction. Noted experts “stream” comments as they play, and major tournaments are shown, with expert commentary. Moreover, you can play instructive deals interactively. An excellent, inexpensive product is BridgeBee: You receive daily emails with deals to play, plus expert guidance.You play at today’s six spades. BridgeBee discusses the bidding. North’s 2NT is a conventional spade raise. South’s three clubs shows a singleton club. North signs off at game but goes to slam when South tries again with five hearts.HIGH CLUBSWest leads a heart: five, king, ace. You draw trumps, take the queen of hearts and ruff your last heart in dummy. East discards a diamond. You take dummy’s high clubs, pitching two diamonds, and lead a fourth club: East discards another diamond.BridgeBee notes that you have a count. East had two spades, two hearts and three clubs, so six diamonds. Discard another diamond. When West wins, he must concede a ruff-sluff.For ...

Rescuers attempt manual digging to free 41 Indian workers trapped for over 2 weeks in tunnel

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:00:23 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — Authorities in India said on Monday they were set to begin manual digging of what they hoped was the final phase of rescuing the 41 construction workers trapped in a collapsed mountain tunnel in the country’s north for over two weeks. Rescuers have started to drill vertically — an alternate plan to digging horizontally from the front — with a newly replaced drilling machine excavating about 32 meters (105 feet), according to officials.Devendra Patwal, a disaster management official at the site, said they were prepared for all kinds of challenges, but hoped they wouldn’t face stiff resistance from the mountain.“We don’t know what the drilling machine will have to cut through. It could be loose soil or rocks. But we are prepared,” he said.So far, rescuers have excavated and inserted pipes — after digging horizontally — up to 46 meters (150 feet), welded together to serve as a passageway from where the men would be pulled out on wheeled stretchers. The drilling m...

STAT WATCH: Sama’s 276-yard rushing night in 1st start for Iowa St. highlighted by long touchdowns

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:00:23 GMT

Abu Sama made his first start for Iowa State a memorable one.Sama’s 276 yards rushing in the snow in a 42-35 win at Kansas State were the fourth-most in the Football Bowl Subdivision this season. His big night was highlighted by touchdown runs of 71, 77 and 60 yards.He became the second FBS player since 1996 with three or more rushing touchdowns of at least 60 yards against a ranked opponent and the first player in the Big 12 with two 70-plus-yard rushing TDs in a game since Oklahoma’s Adrian Peterson in 2005.Sama joined Troy Davis (1995) and Breece Hall (2020-21) as the only ISU players with multiple runs of at least 50 yards in a game.Three other players went over 200 yards rushing.Notre Dame’s Audric Estime had 25 carries for 238 yards against Stanford; New Mexico’s Jacory Croskey-Merritt had 31 runs for 233 yards against Utah State in his second straight 200-yard game; and Missouri’s Cody Schrader ran 27 times for 217 yards against Arkansas.RUNNING ...

AP Top 25 Reality: Time for upsets passes with little chaos and ranked teams with gaudy records

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:00:23 GMT

The time for upsets have come and gone with little chaos in college football and not much movement in the AP Top 25 for much of the season.For the first time in more than 14 years, the same eight teams held the top eight spots in the poll for five straight weeks.Behind No. 1 Georgia this week was Michigan returning to No. 2, followed by Washington, Florida State and Oregon in the top-five. Ohio State slipped to No. 6 after losing to Michigan.No. 7 Texas and No. 8 Alabama held their spots. Eight playoff contenders, four unbeaten and four 11-1. All but Ohio State will play in a conference championship game next week.Throughout the entire Top 25 the records are gaudier than usual.Last year the Top 25 teams heading into championship weekend had lost 59 games. In 2021, that number was 47. This year, the Top 25 has 40 combined losses after the completion of the 12-game regular-season. Of those 40 losses, 24 have come against other teams that are currently ranked.Has that made life easy on...

Several horses killed in large Franktown barn fire

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:00:23 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Several horses were killed and one person was injured in a large fire that engulfed a barn in Franktown.Around 4:50 a.m. Monday, Douglas County Sheriff's Office deputies along with the Franktown Fire Department, South Metro Fire Rescue, Castle Rock Fire Department, Elizabeth Fire Department, West Douglas Fire Department and Elizabeth Fire Department responded to the scene. Driver says she’s ‘very lucky’ after pole smashes her windshield on I-25 Crews worked to contain a large barn fire near North Russellville Road in Franktown. (Franktown Fire Department)Crews worked to contain a large barn fire near North Russellville Road in Franktown. (Franktown Fire Department)Crews worked to contain a large barn fire near North Russellville Road in Franktown. (Franktown Fire Department)The large barn fire was burning near North Russellville Road and North State Highway 93. The large flames and smoke could be seen for miles.When crews arrived at the barn, they immediately bega...

Shelter-in-place lifted following armed barricaded situation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:00:23 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Jefferson County Sheriff's Office deputies were working to contact an armed barricaded suspect in Littleton. According to the sheriff's office, deputies and Jeffco SWAT were working to contact a suspect barricaded inside a home on South Holland Way. Deputies said the suspect was armed with a gun.A shelter-in-place was issued for homes in the immediate area. Driver says she’s ‘very lucky’ after pole smashes her windshield on I-25 Shortly after 5 a.m., the sheriff's office said the situation had ended and there was no threat to the public. Deputies will remain at the home in the 4300 block of South Holland Way while they continue to investigate.West Quincy Avenue was closed from South Garrison Street to South Kipling Street and has since been reopened. The 4300 block of South Holland Way will remain closed.

Amazon’s Hialeah warehouse in overdrive as Cyber Monday begins

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:00:23 GMT

As Cyber Monday sweeps in, the Amazon warehouse in Hialeah is a hive of activity, expecting to handle thousands of packages on this shopping bonanza. Drones of robots, guided by artificial intelligence, traveled across the warehouse as workers packaged and labeled items.The process involves placing secured items on a conveyor belt, which then organizes packages by zip code before dispatching them onto waiting trucks for delivery to eager consumers. Located at 1125 SE 8th St., this same-day shipping warehouse ensures that items ordered on Monday reach buyers on the very same day.With an array of deals enticing online shoppers, experts project a staggering $12 billion in revenue from Cyber Monday sales. Riley Knott, the Amazon site leader, reassured that preparations for this retail holiday are in “full swing.” Knott shared insights into the meticulous process. “A pod gets notified, and once it arrives at one of our stations, an associate picks out the item,” h...

“Cooler” Changes Coming

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:00:23 GMT

“Cooler” changes are coming!Right now, there are some reports of patchy fog around inland areas.A warm and humid day is ahead as a front approaches South Florida. Temperatures will run a few degrees short of a record, but if the front slows down (crossing early to mid-afternoon), it could come close in Miami.Clouds are set to increase and linger through Tuesday, which could make it hard to determine the low temperatures on Tuesday morning.Models are going with lows in the mid 60’s for Broward and Miami-Dade and upper 60’s to low 70’s for the Florida Keys.The coolest morning should be Wednesday with widespread low 60’s for Broward and Miami-Dade.This is certainly the type of weather that will have us sporting a light jacket or sweater, but it is not going to be considered cold or chilly.Mild air running about 10 degrees below normal should stick around through Thursday.Warming trend starts Friday.Have a wonderful day South Florida and make it a saf...

UAE plotted to use COP28 to push for oil and gas deals, leaked notes show

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:00:23 GMT

The world’s top climate summit has become embroiled in a hypocrisy scandal, days before the start of key talks.The United Arab Emirates (UAE) schemed to use its position as host country of the imminent COP28 United Nations climate talks to discuss oil and gas deals with more than a dozen countries, leaked documents show.Briefing notes prepared by the UAE’s COP28 team for meetings with foreign governments during the summit, which starts Thursday in Dubai, include talking points from the Emirati state oil and renewable energy companies, according to documents published Monday by the Centre for Climate Reporting.Germany, for example, is to be told that the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) — whose CEO, Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, is COP28’s president — “stand[s] ready to expand LNG supplies to Germany.”The briefing notes for China say that ADNOC is “willing to jointly evaluate international LNG opportunities (Mozambique, Canada, and Australia).”...

‘Vast worldwide sewer’: Paris mayor quits X with swipe at Elon Musk

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:00:23 GMT

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo on Monday announced she would leave X, formerly Twitter, because the social media platform has become a “weapon of mass destruction of our democracies” in recent years.Without naming him, Hidalgo pointed to Elon Musk’s responsibility for changes made to the site since he took over the company in October 2022.“This platform and its owner act deliberately to exacerbate tensions and conflicts,” Hildago said in a statement posted on X, adding it had become a “vast worldwide sewer.”“It’s a clear political project which wants to do without democracy and its values in favor of powerful private interests,” the socialist mayor said, adding: “I refuse to endorse this fateful scheme.”Hidalgo is the first high-profile French politician to announce they are quitting the platform.X has faced criticism over the spread of disinformation since Musk bought the company, which culminated in recent weeks rel...