Everything you need to solve 'Connections' #977. The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you're a baseball fan. If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. Then give these a try:Yellow: To buildGreen: SecureBlue: BaseballersPurple: RoyaltyHere are today's Connections categoriesNeed a little extra help? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey released a book in 2024 titled “Toxic Empathy.” The following year brought the release of “The Sin of Empathy” by right-wing theologian Joe Rigney. It’s a skill that many Christians have long seen as aligning with the teachings and example of Jesus Christ. But proponents of the “toxic empathy” critique now argue that empathy can cloud moral judgment or be manipulated to advance policies they see as unbiblical. “So, they deflect instead.”Calling empathy spiritually “dangerous” is a way to keep congregants tied to this MAGA Christian ideology. We see this today in the unwavering loyalty MAGA Christians have extended to Trump, whose policies frequently stand in direct contradiction to the teachings of Jesus.”AdvertisementRather than stand with the marginalized, adherents of MAGA Christianity seem to have chosen to align with the powerful.

Instead, congressional Republicans signed off on a government funding package that included money the Trump administration had advocated eliminating. “They put me on there to die,” Burchett told CNN of why he thinks House GOP leadership gave him this assignment. “The success of DOGE is in turning the Trump coalition toward fraud,” said one of the people familiar with the discussions. They’re not paying attention to conservatives,” Rep. Greg Steube, one of the 21 House Republicans to vote against the latest government funding deal, told CNN. Now, some moderate Republicans feel like they need to find ways to restore trust with federal workers and undo actions by the Trump administration.

Photo Credit: Cadillac F1 TeamMichael Bay, the director of Bad Boys II, Armageddon, and Meat Loaf’s I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That) music video, is suing General Motors’ new Cadillac F1 team for $1.5 million, claiming breach of contract, fraud, and intellectual theft. For his input, Bay is seeking director and producer fees for the project along with “general and compensatory damages” in excess of $1.5 million. Meanwhile, GM maintains innocence, admitting through a spokesperson that they had “talked with [Bay] about directing our Super Bowl ad. We were wanting to talk to him about a role as director, not taking creative ideas from him. From our standpoint, last night was a huge success, and we are very proud of the work that was done, and that’s all I can say on it.”Source:nytimes.comRelated:[VIDEO] They Tell Me There Is a Corvette in this Carl’s Jr Super Bowl CommercialAs EV Market Cools, GM Will Opt-Out of Advertising in the Super Bowl[VIDEO] Watch GM’s 2023 Super Bowl Ad Featuring Will Ferrell and Your Favorite Netflix ShowsSubscribe Now:

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Prosecutors are investigating the European Commission’s sale of 23 office buildings to Belgium two years agoProsecutors investigate the EU's executive branch over the sale of buildings to Belgium 2 years agoFILE - European Union flags flap in the wind as pedestrians walk by EU headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File)FILE - European Union flags flap in the wind as pedestrians walk by EU headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File)FILE - European Union flags flap in the wind as pedestrians walk by EU headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File)BRUSSELS -- Prosecutors have opened an investigation into the European Commission’s sale of 23 of its buildings to Belgium where it has dozens of premises, the European Union’s executive branch said on Thursday. The institution underlined that it “is committed to transparency and accountability,” and promised to fully cooperate with the European Prosecutor’s Office, or EPPO, which investigates crimes against the EU’s financial interests.

LOADING ERROR LOADINGWASHINGTON ― Senate Democrats on Thursday blocked legislation funding for the Department of Homeland Security, holding firm in their demands for reforms to the conduct of federal immigration agents following the death of two American citizens in Minnesota last month. And he dismissed an offer this week from the White House for some changes to immigration policies as unserious and insufficient. A lapse in funding at DHS won’t mean that Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol, the two agencies spearheading President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, will shut down, however. The agencies have their own funding stream set up by President Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill that Republicans passed last year. I’m over it.”But Democrats downplayed the impact of a DHS shutdown in the short term, noting that Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill included $170 billion for ICE and CBP, as well as another $20 billion for other DHS priorities.

The Department of Homeland Security could be ensnared by a partial government shutdown if Congress does not fund the agency by the end of Friday. DHS is the last federal agency lacking funding for the remainder of fiscal year 2026, which runs through September 30. But it’s unclear if they can hammer out a deal before DHS’ funding expires. Here’s what we know about a partial government shutdown affecting DHS:What is the debate around funding DHS? Even in a shutdown, ICE would still continue to operate its main functions, multiple congressional aides have contended.

), one of President Donald Trump’s foremost defenders, told reporters Thursday he was looking into the matter and suggested the Justice Department had acted inappropriately. Attorney General Pam Bondi flips through her binder before testifying in front of a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Feb. 11, 2026. AdvertisementThe binder also apparently had lists of the specific Epstein files lawmakers had looked at. Jayapal said she’d spoken to Johnson, who served alongside Bondi on Trump’s impeachment defense team, but declined to share details of the conversation. In addition to Congress passing a law requiring Epstein disclosures, the House Oversight Committee issued a subpoena for the material.

LOADING ERROR LOADINGWASHINGTON, Feb 12 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge blocked the Pentagon on Thursday from reducing Senator Mark Kelly’s retired military rank and pension pay as punishment after he urged troops to reject unlawful orders. In the clip, Kelly stated: “Our laws are clear: You can refuse illegal orders.”WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 12: U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) speaks with reporters in the basement of the Dirksen Senate Office Building on February 12, 2026 in Washington, DC. AdvertisementKelly brought a lawsuit against the Trump administration to halt the censure. Senator for his views on military policy,” Leon wrote. Trump administration lawyers had urged the judge to dismiss Kelly’s lawsuit.

Abigail Slater, who ran the antitrust division for the Justice Department for nearly a year, was forced out by the Trump administration this week, two people familiar with the matter told CNN. As its name suggests, the Justice Department’s anti-trust division enforces US antitrust laws, pursuing civil or criminal cases against companies with an eye on promoting competition. “Every antitrust case in front of the Trump Justice Department now reeks of double-dealing — Ticketmaster’s stock is already surging. In an NBC interview last week, Trump said, “I’ve decided I shouldn’t be involved. The Justice Department will handle it.” But Paramount CEO David Ellison returned to the White House last week to meet privately with Trump, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN.

a man who routinely — and several times just this week — shows himself unfit not only for the most powerful job in the world, but for just about any job . Obsequious Republicans won’t provide the votes in Congress to restrain or punish Trump, even when he’s usurped the lawmakers’ own constitutional powers . “‘A slap in the face’ to our Country,” Trump called it. (Contrast that with bad ol’ Bad Bunny giving his new Grammy to a young boy during the halftime show.) After the NFL championship, Trump even posted a demand that the winning Seattle Seahawks give him their trophy.

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AdvertisementAsked by The Times who serves on the LA28 executive committee, which according to recent tax documents “is delegated all the power and authority of the board,” an LA28 spokesperson did not respond. A representative for Mayor Karen Bass said her appointees on the executive committee include entertainment attorney Matt Johnson, real estate developer Jaime Lee and union leader Yvonne Wheeler. “Ultimately,” she said last week, “any decision on the LA28 leadership must be made by the LA28 Board.”Music Wasserman’s Epstein ties cause chaos at his music agency. AdvertisementAfter the emails were released Jan. 30, Olympic leaders and the LA28 board indicated they continued to back him as a stream of L.A. officials demanded he step down from the organizing committee of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Several LA28 Olympic board members are in Milan for the Olympics, as is a local delegation from the Los Angeles area.