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Skywatch: Venus and Mars say goodbye while Saturn says hello

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:22:50 GMT

July stargazing this year kicks off with the first full “supermoon” of the year on July 3. The term “supermoon” has always bugged me. Its origin comes from astrology rather than the actual science of astronomy. Nonetheless, it’s become a media darling. A supermoon is generally defined as a full moon that’s a little closer to Earth than average. Because the moon’s 27.3-day orbit around Earth is an ellipse and not a perfect circle, the moon has maximum and minimum distances from Earth in each orbit. The full moon this month, and three other full moons this year, will be a little closer to Earth than average. As a result, this month’s full moon will be slightly larger and brighter than usual. I certainly wouldn’t describe the difference as “super,” though.(Mike Lynch)After the first week of July, stargazing will improve with most of the bright moonlight out of the early evening sky. The bright planet Venus is still hangi...

Sunday Bulletin Board: When Pat & Vanna are on the scene, he can’t stop yakking at the screen!

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:22:50 GMT

Everyone’s a (TV) critic! . . . Game Show/Advertising DivisionsLadies and gentlemen, please welcome back THE MIGHTY WICKARD (“Hailing from Blaine – Ask Your Doctor If It’s Right for You”): “Subject: Spin Class.“‘Wheel of Fortune’ has always seemed to be a perfect targeting of a specific niche of viewers. One can determine the ‘bullseye’ of an audience by the commercials in any show. The ‘Wheel’ is packed end-to-end with commercials for newish medications named with 30 consonants and crowds of prancing and smiling people — but with half of every commercial warning you of side effects that sound more akin to the final stages of a Third World plague than the effects of something presumably designed to HELP you.“Of course it would be more persuasive if the commercial actually indicated the condition it was treating (if you’d be so kind as to tell me what I have). Instead, we’re advised to consult with our doctor to ...

Big lineup for book lovers at Loft’s Wordplay Festival

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:22:50 GMT

It’s all about books and reading Saturday, July 8, during the Loft Literary Center’s fourth Wordplay Festival in the Mill City district of Minneapolis. This is the first time the event has been held in person since the inaugural festival in 2019 that drew thousands of readers. The pandemic forced the festival to be virtual in 2020 and 2021, and production was paused in 2022.So the Loft is eager to let people know about the great lineup of Wordplay events. From 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., attendees will have a chance to hear from and interact with writers at workshops, readings and Youth Stage programs. Guest authors, who have varied backgrounds, work in a wide range of genres offering different perspectives. They include:Alexander Chee, fiction writer, poet and journalist; Adrian Matejka, editor of Poetry Magazine; Rebecca Makkai, author of the novel “The Hundred-Year House” and other work, as well as pop culture connections Caroline Kepnes, whose series of novels was...

Q&A: Mayor Melvin Carter discusses his guaranteed income program launched in St. Paul

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:22:50 GMT

In 2020, Mayor Melvin Carter established one of the first guaranteed income programs in St. Paul, giving 150 families $500 a month for an 18-month period.This year, Carter was featured in the “It’s Basic” documentary, a film about more than 20 mayors across the country promoting basic income for low-income residents. The film, directed by Marc Levin, was premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York earlier this summer.Carter spoke last week with the Pioneer Press about his involvement with Mayors for a Guaranteed Income and his vision for St. Paul. The following interview is edited for clarity and conciseness.Q: Why is St. Paul featured in this documentary?A: I am one of the national co-chairs of the Mayors for a Guaranteed Income organization. It started in Stockton, Calif., which was the first city to launch a guaranteed income program. The former mayor of Stockton, Michael Tubbs, and I are friends, and he asked me if I wanted to join him and I said absolut...

30 years on the fringe: Minnesota Fringe Festival returns Aug. 3-13

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:22:50 GMT

The Minnesota Fringe Festival celebrates its 30th anniversary this August, having survived a recent near-death experience or two.As stage dramas go, the COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t particularly entertaining for most of the actors, writers, directors and theater techs behind the summer festival’s 100 or so mostly homespun one-act plays and stage performances. Fringe went entirely virtual in 2020 and then hybrid in 2021, leading to some soul-searching about its future.“The financial losses from all of the cancellations brought about by the pandemic really put our existence in jeopardy,” said Dawn Bentley, executive director of the Twin Cities’ longest-running summer celebration of the performing arts. “It was the rallying cry of all the artists who raised $100,000 in donations for us in a short amount of time until we could get bolstered by the (federal Paycheck Protection Program). They saved us.”The festival returns Aug. 3-13, in the flesh, at ...

St. Paul hikes minimum wage to $13 per hour for small-to-midsized businesses

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:22:50 GMT

A new citywide minimum wage took effect in St. Paul on Saturday.The long-scheduled wage rate increases apply to large, small and “micro” businesses, including all private employers.As of Saturday, large employers in St. Paul — those spanning 101 to 10,000 workers — must pay employees at least $15 per hour. Smaller businesses of six to 100 workers must pay at least $13 per hour. And micro businesses of five employees or less must pay at least $11.50 per hour.On Jan. 1, a minimum wage increase to $15.19 took effect for “macro” businesses of more than 10,000 employees.To determine the size of a business, employers must count all employees, whether employed full-time, part-time, jointly with another employer or on a temporary basis, including employees not located in the city, according to a statement from the mayor’s office.St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter signed the citywide minimum wage ordinance into law on Nov. 14, 2018, raising the minimum wage for busine...

Ask Amy: Child development expert worries about grandchild

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:22:50 GMT

Dear Amy: I had a 42-year career as a speech-language pathologist, working with young children.Early childhood development was my professional specialty.I made sure to provide my own children with play-based preschool opportunities. As they grew and showed interest in certain activities, we provided those opportunities for them in art, music, and sports.Both children are now successful professionals.Our son and his wife are the parents of two children, ages three and one.They let us know early on that they would accept NO input or support, even when they shared their struggles and challenges.Not even a book suggestion was welcome.I have respected their wishes, and I respond to texts, e-mails, and rare phone calls with generic positive statements like, “Thanks for sharing that photo!” “It looks like he’s doing great!”Now, our daughter-in-law is sending photos and videos of our 3-year-old granddaughter in a pee-wee “cheer” program.She is on a “performance team,” complete with uniforms...

Word Game: July 2, 2023

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:22:50 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — THESAURUS (THESAURUS: thuh-SORE-us: A book of words and their synonyms.)Average mark 45 wordsTime limit 60 minutesCan you find 57 or more words in THESAURUS?TODAY’S WORD — THESAURUS tare tear thus trash tress true truss tsar hare haste hate hater hauteur hear heart heat hers hurt hussar earth east sash sate saute sear seat share shears shut shute star stare stash suer suet surah sure surest suture ashes assert asset assure aster urea user usher uterus rash rashest rate rest ruse rush russet rust ruthTo 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,...

Bridge: July 2, 2023

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:22:50 GMT

One of Unlucky Louie’s daughters is in college, studying to be a social worker.“She’s taking a course in psychology,” Louie said. “She told me the instructor was lecturing on Pavlov’s dogs, and the class was laughing about it. And then the bell rang, and they all went to lunch.”The psychological aspect of bridge may be less significant than in a game such as poker. On an internet site such as Bridge Base Online, your opponents may be thousands of miles away, not sitting at your table where their mannerisms or tempo may be revealing. Still, there are opportunities to “play the players.”In today’s deal from a team match, both Souths played at four spades after North — reasonably in my opinion — raised South’s response of one spade to two spades. Both Wests led a low heart. East took the queen and ace and led a third heart, and South’s jack won.At one table, declarer led the queen of trumps next. West&#...

Police investigating apparent break-in at Boston jewelry store

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:22:50 GMT

Police responded to a smashed window at a jewelry store in Downtown Crossing early Sunday morning.Long’s Jewelers on Summer Street was surrounded by shattered glass and crime scene tape overnight.Within the store, jewelry cases were covered with cloth, and one case was empty. It is unclear if that is related to the smashed window.Police have not confirmed any details about the suspects or if they took any merchandise.This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.