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Miss Manners: I won’t be going on the cruise. How do I explain my absence?

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:50:55 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My daughter wants the entire family to go on a cruise — both families.Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: Can I poke them if they sleep during my son’s performance? Advice | Miss Manners: He insists on the grandchildren using this ridiculous name Advice | Miss Manners: We cleared dinner, and then this guest walked in Advice | Miss Manners: The neighbors ask if this rich woman left me anything. She did, but I don’t want to tell them. Advice | Miss Manners: Our friend doesn’t have a husband but she still wants the big bedroom I have no desire to go on a cruise, even if it means missing time with my grandchildren. I would never feel safe and be able to relax. How do I explain this?GENTLE READER: By telling her that you will not feel safe or be able to relax, even if not seasick, and thus you’ll be a bad risk as a cabin mate. And Miss Manners suggests invit...

Dear Abby: I never thought the driver would be so stupid, but I was stuck with him

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:50:55 GMT

DEAR ABBY: A cousin I hardly know was visiting (he’s 20 years older than I am and has lived hundreds of miles away my entire life). He offered to drive me to have dinner at his brother’s house, about 30 miles away.Related ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: Do I owe an apology to the restaurant owner after this blow-up? Advice | Dear Abby: Was it illegal what she did with my brother’s body? Advice | Dear Abby: My husband says I ruin his fun at parties, but I’m mortified by what he does Advice | Dear Abby: I don’t want my daughter’s bully in my house, and her mother is no help Advice | Dear Abby: I was taken aback by her appearance, and I hope my face didn’t give me away The last 15 miles were on narrow country roads. Five miles from our destination, he stopped to buy beer — then, as he was driving, he asked his girlfriend to pop one open for him, and he drank it.It...

Shankule weathers hot conditions to lead 1-2 finish by Ethiopia in the women’s marathon at worlds

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:50:55 GMT

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Amane Beriso Shankule led a 1-2 finish by Ethiopia in the women’s marathon on a warm Saturday morning at the world championships. Shankule powered through the city streets of Budapest to finish in a time of 2 hours, 24 minutes, 23 seconds to edge defending champion and teammate Gotytom Gebreslase. Fatima Ezzahra Gardadi of Morocco took bronze.The 31-year-old Shankule said the Ethiopian team worked together to make it difficult on the rest of the runners to keep up. “After we got rid of the rest, then it was a battle with my tough teammates,” Shankule said. “Gebreslase is a strong athlete and she wanted to defend her title.”Of the 77 runners who started, 65 finished in a race that began with temperatures at 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit) and soared to 29 Celsius (84 Fahrenheit) by the end. There were heat warnings in effect for later in the day when it’s expected to climb to around 35 Celsius (95 Fahrenheit).“I know it is very hot but ...

Gas tax could be come a relic as Md. commission eyes new revenue streams

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:50:55 GMT

toggle audio on and off change volume download audio WTOP's Kate Ryan explains the proposed surcharge for miles driven in Maryland $(function () { $('.wtop-audio-container .fa-play').on('click', function(){ var audio_filename = $('div.wtop-audio-file').data("mp3-url"); ga('send', 'event', 'Audio', 'play', audio_filename); }); }); This content was republished with permission from WTOP’s news partners at Maryland Matters. Sign up for Maryland Matters’ free email subscription today.Maryland’s gas tax may one day become a relic if substitutes being considered by a new state transportation commission get traction.Decreases in r...

Marlins host Washington Nationals, look to break home losing streak

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:50:55 GMT

Washington Nationals (60-69, fourth in the NL East) vs. Miami Marlins (65-64, third in the NL East)Miami; Saturday, 4:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Nationals: Jake Irvin (3-5, 4.56 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 81 strikeouts); Marlins: Eury Perez (5-4, 2.91 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 83 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Marlins -207, Nationals +173; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Miami Marlins aim to break their three-game home skid with a win over the Washington Nationals.Miami is 65-64 overall and 37-28 in home games. The Marlins have a 40-8 record in games when they scored at least five runs.Washington has a 60-69 record overall and a 31-33 record in road games. The Nationals have a 17-11 record in games when they did not allow a home run.Saturday’s game is the eighth time these teams meet this season. The Marlins hold a 6-1 advantage in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Luis Arraez has 27 doubles, three triples and five home runs for the Marlins. Jake Burger is 14-for-38 with two ...

Braves seek to prolong win streak, play the Giants

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:50:55 GMT

Atlanta Braves (83-44, first in the NL East) vs. San Francisco Giants (66-62, third in the NL West)San Francisco; Saturday, 4:05 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Braves: Max Fried (4-1, 2.83 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 45 strikeouts); Giants: Ryan Walker (4-2, 2.14 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 53 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Braves -154, Giants +131; over/under is 7 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Atlanta Braves will try to build upon a three-game win streak with a victory against the San Francisco Giants.San Francisco has gone 35-29 at home and 66-62 overall. The Giants have gone 38-12 in games when they scored at least five runs.Atlanta has gone 39-22 in road games and 83-44 overall. Braves hitters have a collective .344 on-base percentage, the best percentage in the NL.The teams square off Saturday for the fifth time this season. The Braves lead the season series 3-1.TOP PERFORMERS: Wilmer Flores has 19 doubles and 18 home runs for the Giants. Thairo Estrada is 15-for-41 with four doubles and a home run o...

Padres look to stop 3-game road skid, play the Brewers

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:50:55 GMT

San Diego Padres (61-68, fourth in the NL West) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (71-57, first in the NL Central)Milwaukee; Saturday, 7:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Padres: Pedro Avila (0-0, 1.17 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 28 strikeouts); Brewers: Freddy Peralta (10-8, 3.91 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 168 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Brewers -138, Padres +117; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The San Diego Padres will attempt to stop their three-game road losing streak in a matchup with the Milwaukee Brewers.Milwaukee has a 71-57 record overall and a 36-27 record in home games. The Brewers have a 26-11 record in games decided by one run.San Diego has gone 26-35 in road games and 61-68 overall. The Padres have gone 45-19 in games when they record at least eight hits.Saturday’s game is the sixth time these teams meet this season. The Brewers hold a 4-1 advantage in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Christian Yelich has 30 doubles, two triples and 16 home runs for the Brewers. Willy Adames is 14-...

Pittsburgh Pirates host the Chicago Cubs Saturday

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:50:55 GMT

Chicago Cubs (67-61, second in the NL Central) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (58-71, fourth in the NL Central)Pittsburgh; Saturday, 7:15 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Cubs: Javier Assad (2-2, 3.12 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 53 strikeouts); Pirates: Colin Selby (1-0, 7.27 ERA, 1.96 WHIP, 13 strikeouts)BOTTOM LINE: The Pittsburgh Pirates host the Chicago Cubs on Saturday.Pittsburgh has a 58-71 record overall and a 32-34 record at home. Pirates pitchers have a collective 4.51 ERA, which ranks ninth in the NL.Chicago has a 67-61 record overall and a 32-31 record in road games. The Cubs have a 32-19 record in games when they did not allow a home run.The matchup Saturday is the ninth time these teams meet this season. The Cubs have a 7-1 advantage in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Jack Suwinski ranks third on the Pirates with 38 extra base hits (17 doubles and 21 home runs). Liover Peguero is 9-for-35 with two home runs and five RBI over the past 10 games.Jeimer Candelario has 37 doubles, three triples an...

Diamondbacks host the Reds on home winning streak

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:50:55 GMT

Cincinnati Reds (67-63, third in the NL Central) vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (68-61, second in the NL West)Phoenix; Saturday, 8:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Reds: Brett Kennedy (1-0, 5.06 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, eight strikeouts); Diamondbacks: Zach Davies (0-0)BOTTOM LINE: The Arizona Diamondbacks will try to keep a six-game home win streak alive when they play the Cincinnati Reds.Arizona is 68-61 overall and 34-31 in home games. Diamondbacks hitters have a collective .419 slugging percentage to rank fifth in the NL.Cincinnati has gone 36-29 in road games and 67-63 overall. The Reds have the fifth-ranked team on-base percentage in the NL at .326.The teams meet Saturday for the sixth time this season. The Reds are up 3-2 in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Corbin Carroll leads the Diamondbacks with a .278 batting average, and has 24 doubles, six triples, 22 home runs, 49 walks and 63 RBI. Gabriel Moreno is 14-for-37 with two home runs and nine RBI over the past 10 games.TJ Friedl has a .275...

Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals play in game 2 of series

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:50:55 GMT

St. Louis Cardinals (56-73, fifth in the NL Central) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (70-58, second in the NL East)Philadelphia; Saturday, 7:15 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Cardinals: Dakota Hudson (5-0, 3.95 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 32 strikeouts); Phillies: Zack Wheeler (9-6, 3.64 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 165 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Phillies -197, Cardinals +164; over/under is 9 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Philadelphia Phillies play the St. Louis Cardinals, leading the series 1-0.Philadelphia has a 37-25 record at home and a 70-58 record overall. The Phillies have a 49-31 record in games when they record at least eight hits.St. Louis has a 56-73 record overall and a 28-36 record in road games. The Cardinals have the fourth-ranked team slugging percentage in the NL at .430.Saturday’s game is the second meeting between these teams this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Kyle Schwarber has 15 doubles, a triple, 35 home runs and 83 RBI for the Phillies. Bryce Harper is 14-for-37 with a double, a triple, fi...