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Bridge: July 26, 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:23 GMT

Wednesday, July 26. It was hot in Los Angeles. We were working the Daywatch out of Bunco. My partner’s Bill Gannon. He’s a good player. My name’s Friday.We got a call about a scam at a Hollywood club. We checked it out. The suspect was still playing. One of his opponents spoke with us.“It was terrible, officer.”“Just the facts, ma’am.”“I was East. South swindled us out of a slam!”South had blasted into six hearts with no idea if he could make it. West led the ten of spades, and South took the K-A and ruffed a spade with his nine of trumps.GOOD SPADES“My partner naturally overruffed with the ten,” East said, “and led a trump. South drew trumps with his ace and dummy’s seven and took the good spades. What a scammer!”We let South off with a warning. He said he’d bid slam because he’d seen West defend before. The opening lead was indeed poor, and overruffing the third spade — when...

Protests in Israel: The Right’s Further Consolidation of Power

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:23 GMT

Despite months of widespread protests, Israel’s right-wing government passed a law on Monday curbing the authority of the country’s Supreme Court to block government decisions. This legislative action is just the beginning of a larger plan aimed at bolstering the nationalist Israeli right’s grip on power. This week on Intercepted, Jeremy Scahill and Murtaza Hussain are joined by Mairav Zonszein, an Israeli American journalist and a senior analyst on Israel-Palestine at the International Crisis Group. Zonszein sheds light on the social-political dynamics driving the protests, the far-reaching implications of curtailing judiciary power on Israel and Palestine, and the future of Israel-U.S. relations.Transcript coming soon.The post Protests in Israel: The Right’s Further Consolidation of Power appeared first on The Intercept.

Marine Products: Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:23 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — ATLANTA (AP) — Marine Products Corp. (MPX) on Wednesday reported earnings of $14.3 million in its second quarter.The Atlanta-based company said it had profit of 42 cents per share.The recreational boat maker posted revenue of $116.2 million in the period._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on MPX at https://www.zacks.com/ap/MPXSource

RPC: Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:23 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — ATLANTA (AP) — RPC Inc. (RES) on Wednesday reported net income of $65 million in its second quarter.The Atlanta-based company said it had profit of 30 cents per share.The oil and gas services company posted revenue of $415.9 million in the period._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on RES at https://www.zacks.com/ap/RESSource

Penske: Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:23 GMT

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. (AP) — BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Penske Automotive Group Inc. (PAG) on Wednesday reported second-quarter earnings of $300.8 million.The Bloomfield Hills, Michigan-based company said it had profit of $4.41 per share.The results beat Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of five analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $4.08 per share.The auto dealership chain posted revenue of $7.47 billion in the period, which also topped Street forecasts. Four analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $7.06 billion._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on PAG at https://www.zacks.com/ap/PAGSource

HBCUs in Maryland, Virginia among schools to get $33 million for agriculture projects

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:23 GMT

This content was republished with permission from WTOP’s news partners at Maryland Matters. Sign up for Maryland Matters’ free email subscription today.The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday announced $33 million in funding to support research and education projects at 19 historically Black colleges and universities designated as land-grant institutions, including the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.The funding through USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture will support 82 projects in sustainable farming practices such as reducing use of plastics, enhancing nutritional value in vegetables and addressing shortages in sunflower seed oil.“The work these universities will take on as a result of this funding have ripple effects far beyond the walls of their laboratories and classrooms,” Agriculture Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small said in a statement.Torres Small said the investments will help “deliver real-life, applicable s...

Prosperity Bancshares: Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:23 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — HOUSTON (AP) — Prosperity Bancshares Inc. (PB) on Wednesday reported second-quarter net income of $86.9 million.The Houston-based bank said it had earnings of 94 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for costs related to mergers and acquisitions, were $1.21 per share.The results beat Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of nine analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $1.19 per share.The financial holding company posted revenue of $400.1 million in the period. Its revenue net of interest expense was $276.1 million, falling short of Street forecasts. Seven analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $282 million._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on PB at https://www.zacks.com/ap/PBSource

Central Pacific Financial: Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:23 GMT

HONOLULU (AP) — HONOLULU (AP) — Central Pacific Financial Inc. (CPF) on Wednesday reported net income of $14.5 million in its second quarter.The bank, based in Honolulu, said it had earnings of 53 cents per share.The operator of Central Pacific Bank posted revenue of $79.8 million in the period. Its revenue net of interest expense was $63.2 million, which did not meet Street forecasts._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on CPF at https://www.zacks.com/ap/CPFSource

Materialise: Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:23 GMT

LEVUEN, Belgium (AP) — LEVUEN, Belgium (AP) — Materialise NV (MTLS) on Wednesday reported a loss of $530,000 in its second quarter.The Levuen, Belgium-based company said it had a loss of 1 cent per share.The 3D printing software and medical and industrial products company posted revenue of $70.4 million in the period._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on MTLS at https://www.zacks.com/ap/MTLSSource

ANÁLISIS | China está borrando la mención de su exministro de Relaciones Exteriores, Qin Gang. Pero todavía no ha dicho por qué

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:23 GMT

(CNN) — Hace cinco semanas, el mundo vio cómo el ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de China, Qin Gang, se reunía con el secretario de Estado de EE.UU., Antony Blinken, en Beijing para mantener conversaciones de alto nivel entre las dos potencias.Pero cualquiera que busque una referencia a ese importante evento en el sitio web del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de China se sentirá decepcionado, ya que esa reunión, y todas las actividades de Qin como ministro de Relaciones Exteriores, se borraron del registro luego de una reorganización vertiginosa del liderazgo este martes que vio a Qin ser reemplazado abruptamente por su predecesor Wang Yi.La sorpresiva destitución, aprobada por un órgano superior dentro de la legislatura de sello de goma de China, había seguido semanas de preguntas y especulaciones sobre el destino de Qin después de que desapareció de la vista del público a fines de junio, sin una explicación clara.El último giro en la saga, el borrado completo del manda...