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Literary calendar for week of Dec. 17

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

Laura Childs Courtesy photo)MINNESOTA MYSTERY NIGHT: Laura Childs, prolific and bestselling cozy mystery author, is joined by humorist and author Lorna Landvik for what is sure to be a laugh-filled program featuring these Minnesotans. Childs is the author of 26 Tea Shop mysteries and is listed by Fantastic Fiction as one of the Most Popular Cozy Mystery Authors in the world. Landvik is a New York Times bestselling author of 13 novels as well as performing as a standup comic, playwright and producer.Minnesota writer Lorna Landvik.7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 18, Axel’s Restaurant, 1318 Sibley Memorial Highway, Mendota. Reservations can be made at 651-686-1840 for the program and pre-show dining beginning at 5:30 p.m.READINGS BY WRITERS: Ann Jenkins, wife of the late Minnesota poet Louis Jenkins, and Lars Jenkins, his son, celebrate “Louis Jenkins: Collected Poems” (2023). Guest readers will share memories of Jenkins and read from his work. They include Michael Dennis Browne,...

Skywatch: A celestial Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

Is that Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in the stars? Not exactly, but I’m going to try to give you the closest thing in the night sky that has something to do with the magic of Rudolph.The stories of most of the brighter constellations in our night skies involve Greek and Roman mythology, so it’s tough to find one that has much to do with Christmas or reindeer. Monoceros the Unicorn is the only one that even comes close, but it’s a really faint, deep-track constellation. It resembles a radio or TV antenna rising in the eastern sky on these mid-December evenings, just behind the majestic, well-known winter constellation Orion the Hunter.(Mike Lynch)A constellation on the rise in the evening this time of year doesn’t have a red nose like Rudolph, but he does have a bright red eye. It’s Taurus the Bull, prowling around the heavens almost all night at this most wonderful time of year. It’s a small but distinct constellation that’s part of a grou...

Ultralight outdoor gear store in St. Paul finds success uplifting small businesses

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

Despite being around for more than a decade, Lloyd Vogel said his outdoor gear store is a relatively hidden gem in St. Paul, getting maybe 10 in-store shoppers a day.Garage Grown Gear specializes in ultralight outdoor equipment. It doesn’t sell Patagonia, North Face or Marmot. Nearly all of its inventory comes from small businesses or “cottage brands,” as co-founder and CEO Vogel calls them.Ultralight backpacking takes a minimalist approach to hiking with the lightest equipment possible, and operates on the idea that the journey to your destination doesn’t have to be uncomfortable.This means lightweight backpacks, cooking equipment and poop trowels. Ultralight backpackers know what they need for their adventures and what they can leave behind, and are comfortable with creating their own solutions.The minimalist approach is reflected in the business model.Most of the brands stocked at Garage Grown Gear are from very small businesses that don’t even think of themselves as “brand...

Ask Amy: Family is stressed by elder’s inaction

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

Dear Amy: My father-in-law died about five years ago. My in-laws were married for 45 years.My mother-in-law is 80 and insists on living in her own house.She expects us to help with her house. Anytime anything breaks, needs fixing or work needs to be done, she expects us to tend to the issue.We both work full-time jobs and change shifts every six months.We have our own home, four acres of property to maintain, three horses and three dogs to care for. It’s not that we don’t want to help. We just don’t have time!We’ve asked her to move in with us many times, but she refuses.She is not independent.She has never learned to drive, so she has to rely on various friends or neighbors to take her shopping and/or to doctors’ appointments.Soon, we are moving out of state, and she is coming with us.For the past five years I’ve been telling her that she needs to start clearing out her house. We are now a few months from moving and she has done nothing.We are busy try...

Bridge: Dec. 17, 2023

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

A pessimist sees a tunnel; an optimist sees a light at the end of the tunnel. A realist sees a train approaching. And, according to Cy the Cynic, the engineer sees three idiots standing on the track.When I watched today’s deal in my club’s penny game, Cy became declarer at four hearts. His second bid of three hearts was competitive, not forcing, but North inferred from his spade holding that Cy’s hand was short in spades; so North optimistically raised to game.Alas, Cy’s play was neither optimistic nor realistic. When West led a spade, East won and shifted to his singleton queen of clubs. West took the ace and led the jack, and Cy scowled when East ruffed dummy’s king. Cy ruffed the next spade, led to the ace of trumps and returned a trump. When East followed with the eight and nine, the Cynic consulted the ceiling … and put up his king. Alas, West discarded, and East’s queen won the setting trick.“It was a clean guess in trumps,”...

Japan and ASEAN bolster ties at a summit focused on security and economy amid tensions with China

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Leaders from Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, at a special summit in Tokyo on Sunday, adopted a joint vision that emphasizes security and economic cooperation while respecting the rule of law, amid growing tensions with China in regional seas.Ties between Japan and the 10-member ASEAN bloc used to be largely based on Japanese assistance to the developing economies, in part due to lingering bitterness over Japan’s wartime actions. But in recent years the relationship has focused more on security amid China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea, while Japan’s postwar pacifist stance and trust-building efforts have fostered friendlier relations.The summit marks the 50th anniversary of official Japan-ASEAN ties, which started in 1973 with trade talks over Japanese synthetic rubber exportsThe leaders, in a joint statement, called for strengthening their “mutually beneficial” partnership and working together for peace and stability in the Indo-Pa...

Los servicios de salud mental de Israel no pueden hacer frente al trauma masivo del 7 de octubre. Los voluntarios están tratando de llenar los vacíos

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

(CNN) — Cuando Marina Golan viajó a Ucrania a principios de este año, fue una experiencia emotiva. Ahora, con 42 años y madre de dos hijos, había abandonado el país cuando era adolescente cuando su familia emigró a Israel.Golan formaba parte de una delegación de psicólogos israelíes que se habían ofrecido como voluntarios para apoyar al país devastado por la guerra con su experiencia en el tratamiento del trauma.Mientras estuvieron allí, impartieron talleres a médicos y profesores sobre el manejo psicológico del trauma.“Fue muy emotivo y sentí que estábamos haciendo cosas muy importantes. Nuestros colegas en Ucrania no tenían este tipo de conocimiento, así que nos estaban muy agradecidos”, dijo Golan a CNN en una entrevista telefónica.Apenas unas semanas después, la situación se revirtió. “Cuando comenzó la guerra (Israel-Hamas) recibí mensajes de mis colegas en Ucrania preguntándome si necesitaba su ayuda ahora”, contó Golan.Al igual que otros profesionales de la ...

Putin has ‘no interest’ in attacking NATO, calls Biden’s warning ‘nonsense’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow has “no interest” in attacking a NATO member and called U.S. President Joe Biden’s warning that Russia would do so if it wins the war in Ukraine “complete nonsense.”Biden earlier this month warned that “if Putin takes Ukraine, he won’t stop there,” and will attack NATO countries resulting in “American troops fighting Russian troops.”Putin said Biden’s words were just an attempt to support “mistaken policy” toward Russia and the war in Ukraine.“It is complete nonsense — and I think President Biden understands that,” Putin said during an interview published Sunday by Rossiya state television.“Russia has no reason, no interest — no geopolitical interest, neither economic, political nor military — to fight with NATO countries,” Putin said.In the interview, Putin also warned of “problems” with Finland after the EU country joined NATO.“Did we have any disputes with them? All disputes, including territorial ones in the mid-20th century, ha...

Police: Pedestrian struck, critically injured by commercial vehicle in East Boston

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

A police investigation is underway in East Boston after a pedestrian was struck by a commercial vehicle, officials said.Officers responding to the area of Chelsea and Curtis streets around 5:40 a.m. found the victim suffering from life-threatening injuries, according to police.Officers could be seen conducting an investigation in a taped-off section of the roadway.No additional information was immediately available.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

UK parliamentarian admits lying about lucrative pandemic contracts but says she’s done nothing wrong

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

LONDON (AP) — A member of Britain’s House of Lords has acknowledged that she repeatedly lied about her links to a company that was awarded lucrative government contracts to supply protective masks and gowns during the coronavirus pandemic.Underwear tycoon Michelle Mone said she had made an “error” in denying connections to the company PPE Medpro and regretted threatening to sue journalists who alleged she had ties to the firm. Her husband, Doug Barrowman, has acknowledged he led the consortium that owns the company.“I did make an error in saying to the press that I wasn’t involved,” Mone said in a BBC interview broadcast Sunday. “Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I wasn’t trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes, and I regret and I’m sorry for not saying straight out, ‘Yes, I am involved.’”Mone admitted she is a beneficiary of her husband’s financial trusts, which hold about 60 million pounds ($76 million) in profits from the deal.But she argued that the couple were being made “scap...