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Patriots-Saints preview: Can Bill Belichick and Mac Jones stop the bleeding?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:05:48 GMT

For the Patriots, this is a must-win game.Plain and simple.The Saints (2-2) will test them with a hard-nosed defense and balanced offense hamstrung by inconsistent play from their quarterback and offensive line. The Pats can’t wait out New Orleans, like they did against the Jets. They must deliver a knockout blow to a team built in a mirror image.The first to 20 points just might win. Game on.When the Patriots runIf life on the ground wasn’t hard enough for the Patriots, Rhamondre Stevenson popped up on the team’s injury report this week.Stevenson was limited Wednesday and Thursday by a thigh injury. If the injury is new, it won’t help Stevenson boost his 2.7 yards per carry average. The Pats’ top back has underwhelmed after a breakout 2022 season, while Ezekiel Elliott has topped 30 rushing yards in just a single game.Two Saints defenders for the Patriots to watch for: linebacker Demario Davis and defensive lineman Cameron Jordan. Davis ranks second on...

Israel battles Hamas for a second day after mass incursion and trades fire with Lebanon’s Hezbollah

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:05:48 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli soldiers battled Hamas fighters in the streets of southern Israel on Sunday and launched retaliation strikes that leveled buildings in Gaza, while in northern Israel a brief exchange of strikes with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group raised fears of a broader conflict.There was still some fighting underway more than 24 hours after an unprecedented surprise attack from Gaza, in which Hamas fighters, backed by a volley of thousands of rockets, broke through Israel’s security barrier and rampaged through nearby communities. The fighters took captives back into the coastal Gaza enclave, including women, children and the elderly, who they will likely try to trade for thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country was at war and would exact a heavy price from its enemies. Hamas leaders said they were prepared for further escalation.Israeli media, citing rescue service officials, said ...

Policeman in Egypt kills 2 Israelis and 1 Egyptian at tourist site

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:05:48 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — An Egyptian policeman opened fire on Israeli tourists in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, killing at least two Israelis and one Egyptian, according to Egypt’s Interior Ministry. Extra News television channel, which has close ties to Egyptian security agencies, quoted an unidentified security official as saying that another person was wounded in the attack, which took place at the Pompey’s Pillar site in Alexandria. It said the suspected assailant was detained. Security forces quickly cordoned off the site of the attack. An amateur video circulating on social media showed at least three ambulances apparently taking the victims to hospitals, while onlookers were seen watching behind a police barrier.Israel’s Zaka rescue service reported two people killed in Alexandria. Sunday’s attack came as Israel was battling Palestinian militants after a major incursion from Gaza.Egypt made peace with Israel decades ago and has long served as a mediator in the Israeli-Pales...

Hong Kong cancels scores of flights as Tropical Storm Koinu draws nearer

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:05:48 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — Scores of flights in Hong Kong were canceled Sunday as Tropical Storm Koinu neared the southern Chinese city after leaving one dead and over 300 injured in Taiwan. Koinu was expected to skirt about 70 kilometers (43 miles) from Hong Kong on Sunday night, dumping heavy showers, the Hong Kong Observatory said. The storm is forecast to move across the coastal waters of neighboring Guangdong province on Sunday and Monday. Koinu was packing maximum winds of 90 kph (55 mph) and gusts of up to 122 kph (76 mph), according to the observatory. Hong Kong on Sunday raised its No. 8 storm signal, effectively shutting the city down with shops and schools closing and reducing frequencies of public transport.Scores of flights to and from Hong Kong were canceled and the main Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge closed temporarily, according to state broadcaster CCTV.Koinu had earlier battered Taiwan with heavy winds and strong rain but later the typhoon had weakened into a tropical storm o...

Taliban suspend Afghan consular services in Vienna and London for lack of transparency, coordination

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:05:48 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Taliban are suspending consular services at two Afghan embassies, London and Vienna, over their lack of transparency and cooperation with authorities in Kabul, a foreign ministry spokesman said Sunday.Most of Afghanistan’s embassies and consulates are staffed by people from the former Western-backed administration, with around a dozen under the Taliban administration’s full control.Some countries retain an active diplomatic mission in Afghanistan, including Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar, and China, but the international community remains wary of officially recognizing the Taliban as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan.The suspension of consular services at the two embassies is with immediate effect and until further notice, foreign ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said. The services affected include the issue and extension of passports and visas.When asked if the ministry was looking at the activities of more embassies, Balkhi said yes as it was a norma...

University of St. Thomas adds modern machinery intro courses, backed by Defense Department

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:05:48 GMT

The University of St. Thomas will be partnering with a U.S. Department of Defense initiative to offer introductory courses in machinery.The courses specifically focus on computer numerical control machining and 3D modeling, two skills that are in high demand, said John Wentz, associate professor and chair of the university’s Mechanical Engineering Department.Wentz said the program offers St. Thomas students hands-on experience with machines.“It’s the difference between reading a manual on how to fix your brakes and fixing your brakes yourself,” Wentz said.Wentz said that jobs requiring computer numerical control skills can start at $30 per hour, and are needed in “medical device industries as well as broadly across Twin Cities industry.”Wentz also said summer “boot camps” would be offered to high school students as well as week-long courses aimed at older people, specifically military veterans and anyone else looking to “reskill.”The week-long summer courses would be more like...

Word Game: Oct. 8, 2023

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:05:48 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — MARSUPIAL (MARSUPIAL: mar-SOOP-ee-ul: A mammal that carries her young in a pouch on her abdomen.)Average mark 45 wordsTime limit 60 minutesCan you find 61 or more words in MARSUPIAL?TODAY’S WORD — MARSUPIAL mail marl maul mural alarm alas alias alms alum amir aria arms aura aural rail ramp rasp rump sail salami samurai sari sirup slam slap slim slip slum slump slur slurp spam spar spiral spur sump supra pail pair palm palmar pilau plasma plum plus pram prim primal prism psalm puma purism purl impala lair lama lamp liar limp lisp lumpTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!RULES OF THE GAME:1. Words must be of four or more letters.2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “bakin...

Horoscopes Oct. 8, 2023: Sigourney Weaver, take advantage of unique opportunities

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:05:48 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Ksenia Solo, 36; Bruno Mars, 38; Sigourney Weaver, 74; Chevy Chase, 80.Happy Birthday: Decide your goal and put a long-term plan in place. You can venture down new avenues this year if you add to or use your skills, experience and connections diversely. Updating your image, qualifications and attitude to fit trends will help you see the possibilities and take advantage of unique opportunities. Make personal gain, love and saving for something special your priorities this year. Your numbers are 6, 14, 25, 29, 31, 37, 43.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Put more energy into relationships. Make contact, share thoughts and put plans in motion. How you respond to others will make a difference in what you receive. Keep your money and possessions safe and temptation at bay. Romance is in the stars. 5 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t let the little things get to you. If you think matters through, you’ll find a simple solution. Put your energy into pos...

Ask Amy: The neighbors’ girl was crying in the street, and what I saw in the house scared me

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:05:48 GMT

Dear Amy: I have serious concerns about new neighbors, who moved in about a year ago. They have two young daughters.I suspect the mother is an alcoholic. Her actions are putting the girls in danger.On several occasions I and other neighbors have seen her drive erratically down our street, once with a little girl on her lap holding the steering wheel.Another time she was chugging a bottle of wine outside. She was yelling about how she was free because the girls were alone inside: “Hooray, I’m free!”The latest issue was most frightening. I was walking my dog and one of the little girls was naked and standing in the street. She was crying, saying that she could not find her mommy.I took her to her house and searched the home for the mother.The house was filthy and looked like it had been ransacked. There were no sheets on the beds, and the kitchen was trashed. I was scared that something had happened.I ended up finding the mother curled in a bedroom corner with the second daughter. Aft...

National Zoo’s annual ZooLights event will cost you $6 per ticket this year

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:05:48 GMT

The Smithsonian National Zoo says its annual ZooLights event in D.C. will return from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. starting on Nov. 24 and continuing through Dec. 30.But it won’t be free.The annual event, now in its 15th year, will cost $6 per person, and children over 2 will have to have a ticket, the National Zoo said. Additionally, people can pay a flat-rate parking fee of $30.Money from the ticket sales will go to “animal care and conservation science at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute,” the zoo said.“Paid tickets are a change from past years when this special event was free to attend,” the zoo said in a release. “The ticket fee will offset the significant increase in costs associated with running this event.”Just like in previous years, people will see LED lights, illuminations and animal lanterns. They can also see live music performances, do some holiday shopping and enjoy food favorites.“Special wint...