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Skywatch: Bootes, the happy hunter

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:16:57 GMT

It starts happening every mid-summer. Bootes, the hunting farmer, begins his close pursuit of Ursa Major, the Big Bear. These two constellations are right next to each other in the early evening west-northwestern sky and are very easy to see.Ursa Major, Latin for Big Bear, contains the most famous star pattern in the sky — the Big Dipper. The Dipper is the bear’s brightest part, outlining the great beast’s rear end and tail. The rest of the stars in the Big Bear aren’t nearly as bright, but if you have a dark northern sky, you’ll see the skinny triangle that allegedly outlines the bear’s head and the two faint lines of stars that make up the legs.(Mike Lynch)Right on the bear’s tail in the northwestern sky after evening twilight is Bootes, the hunting farmer that looks much more like a kite than a farmer. Arcturus, one of the brightest stars in the sky, is at the kite’s tail. Just follow the arc of the Big Dipper’s handle beyond ...

While calling for new workforce goals, public sector has retrenched from downtown St. Paul

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:16:57 GMT

In 2017, three years before the pandemic hit, the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency signed a 10-year lease for a floor of office space within Treasure Island Center in downtown St. Paul, otherwise known as the former Macy’s building. Some 10 or 20 employees still show up regularly to the state agency’s Wabasha Street headquarters, but upwards of 90 percent of the workers no longer work from the office. As “occupied” downtown workspace goes, the floor sits largely vacant.“Thank you for calling Minnesota Housing,” says the recorded greeting on the phone line. “Currently all staff are working remotely and our offices are closed.”A similar scenario is playing out nearby at the Golden Rule building off Seventh Street, where both the Minnesota Department of Health and Minnesota Department of Human Services maintain satellite locations that remain underutilized in the era of remote work.By mid-2024, both field locations will close and workers ...

Literary pick for July 23: Remembering Humphrey’s moment

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:16:57 GMT

… Humphrey quailed at bringing the civil rights plank to the fall convention. Biemiller and Rauh would write it, true, but it was Humphrey who would have to stand there at the podium, in isolation, and sell racial equality to delegates who considered it snake oil, just as worthless as the Peruna that H.H. had long ago peddled door to door. And who was Humphrey, after all, to defy a president? He was the ‘”boy mayor,” as the newspapers put it. He was a “pipsqueak,” at least compared with the party elders. How could taking on Harry Truman turn out to be anything but a suicide mission? — from “Into the Bright Sunshine”Seventy-five years ago this month, Minneapolis Mayor Hubert Humphrey gave an impassioned speech to delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. The 37-year-old Humphrey, well known in Minnesota but without a national reputation, galvanized the delegates with his plea for Democrats to embrace civil r...

Ask Amy: Husband’s spiritual quest leads him astray

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:16:57 GMT

Dear Amy: I have been with my husband for 29 years.For the most part, we are happy and compatible.However, over the last three years he has changed course on me.What I mean is that we were both Christians, until he embraced a New Age philosophy that is in no way compatible with my Christian beliefs.He stopped attending services with me, and has no interest in our church anymore.This hurts me deeply. I feel betrayed.I still love him, but this has put up a barrier between us. It has also caused trust issues on my part, due to some of the comments he has made.For instance, he says that God wants us to be happy, so we can just throw our inhibitions to the wind.Also, he sees no problem with women going out in public half-naked.According to him, God does not want us hiding our bodies.Also, he believes it is OK for a partner to cheat if he or she is unhappy, because God wants us to be happy.Related ArticlesAsk Amy | Ask Amy: Wronged wife chooses to stay — for now Ask Amy | ...

Horoscopes July 23, 2023: Woody Harrelson, the time to show off is now

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:16:57 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Daniel Radcliffe, 34; Krysta Rodriguez, 39; Alison Krauss, 52; Woody Harrelson, 62.Happy Birthday: You’ll have to push your way to the top if you want to make a difference. Don’t let the changes others make back you into a corner. Regroup and continue until you are happy with how your year unfolds. Step into the spotlight instead of sharing it with those trying to bump you out of the limelight. The time to show off is now. Your numbers are 5, 16, 21, 28, 32, 36, 41.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Plan to have fun, but don’t let temptation and poor behavior take over. Offer intelligent conversation, and do your best to look the part of someone who’s successful and knows how to take control. Social events, romance and personal gain are favored. 3 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Keep a low profile and put your energy where it counts. Let your achievements, not your opinion or criticism, be your calling card. A challenge or competition wil...

Word Game: July 23, 2023

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:16:57 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — JUVENILES (JUVENILES: JOO-ven-iles: Young persons.)Average mark 37 wordsTime limit 50 minutesCan you find 40 or more words in JUVENILES?TODAY’S WORD — JUVENILES jive juvenile unveil veil vein venue venule vile vine vise else elusive elves enisle ensile ensue envies even evil neve nevus isle lenis lens levies lien lieu line live liven lues lune seen seine senile seven sieve sine slue snivelTo 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 “baking” are admissible.4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe at kzs...

At least 9 die and three dozen wounded in a building collapse in Cameroon

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:16:57 GMT

YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) — At least nine people were killed and nearly three dozen wounded in a building collapse, Cameroonian authorities said on Sunday.A four-story building collapsed onto a smaller one early Sunday morning in Douala, the country’s economic center and largest city, 130 miles (210 km) west of the capital, Yaounde.“The casualty figures may be higher. Rescue workers, assisted by Cameroon government troops, are still digging the wreckage to see if more bodies can be recovered,” said Samuel Dieudonne Ivaha Diboua, governor of Cameroon’s Littoral region.The military’s fire brigade has been ordered to join the country’s Red Cross and other rescue services in searching for survivors trapped under the rubble.Residents living in the Ndogbon neighborhood where the incident took place said they are in shock.“We heard people screaming … and struggled to help some out of the wreckage, but could not do it with our spades and (garden) hoes,” said Gaspard Ndoppo, who lives near the ...

Netherlands scores early then shuts down Portugal 1-0 at Women’s World Cup

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:16:57 GMT

DUNEDIN, New Zealand (AP) — Stefanie van der Gragt scored on a header in the 13th minute, leading the Netherlands to a 1-0 win over Portugal at the Women’s World Cup on Sunday as the 2019 finalists began their tournament run. The Dutch defender gathered herself as teammate Sherida Spitse lofted a corner kick her way, then headed the ball across the goal into the far side of the net. An offside review delayed the celebration. The goal by the 30-year-old van der Gragt, who plans to retire after the Women’s World Cup, was the quickest first goal of the tournament. The Dutch controlled the tempo of the game — Portugal’s first shot of the match didn’t come until the 82nd minute. The meeting with the Netherlands, ranked No. 9 in the world, marked Portugal’s first-ever tournament appearance.On hand were 11,991 spectators, who were sheltered from the rain inside Dunedin’s covered Forsyth Barr Stadium, known as the Glasshouse, which has a capacity of 25,947.Though most of the crowd app...

Rain delays start start of play on last day of 4th Ashes test

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:16:57 GMT

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Rain prevented play from starting on time on the last day of the fourth Ashes cricket test between England and Australia on Sunday.The weather forecast is bleak and it is possible that play will be washed out for the rest of the day.Only 30 overs were possible on Saturday, with plenty more rain forecast on what could be a frustrating final day at Old Trafford.Australia are more than happy to settle for a draw that would see them retain their 2-1 lead and the urn, meaning England will be forced to make the most of whatever windows of play are possible.They have already been frustrated by a 103-run stand between centurion Marnus Labuschagne and Mitch Marsh, but saw their prospects rise when Joe Root had the former caught behind.There is little margin for error after their 275-run first-innings lead was whittled down to 61 by the tourists, who will resume on 214-5.___AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

La extrema derecha podría entrar en el Gobierno mientras España acude a las urnas

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:16:57 GMT

(CNN) — Los votantes españoles se dirigen a las urnas en las elecciones generales anticipadas de este domingo en las que un partido de extrema derecha podría ingresar al gobierno por primera vez en décadas.La mayoría de las encuestas predicen que ganará el opositor Partido Popular, de centroderecha, pero no alcanzará la mayoría absoluta en el Parlamento, lo que significa que probablemente tendrían que formar una coalición con el partido de extrema derecha Vox.El presidente del Gobierno, Pedro Sánchez, en el poder desde 2018, apostó por la celebración de una votación anticipada después de que su partido sufriera grandes reveses en las elecciones regionales y locales de mayo, mientras que el PP lograba enormes ganancias.Su partido socialista (PSOE) actualmente dirige el país en un gobierno minoritario con un socio de coalición menor, el partido izquierdista Podemos, y obtiene el apoyo parlamentario de otras fuerzas de izquierda.Podemos también sufrió en las elecciones de mayo y ...