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Americans across the country received harmful hate messages via text after the election. The communication industry has been trying to figure out how it happened.

(Image credit: Daniel Hertzberg for NPR)

The tools the US used to contain previous bird flu outbreaks just aren't working this time, according to some agricultural experts. Some egg farmers have called for vaccinations for poultry.

(Image credit: Terry Chea)

Rethink Your Position. That spontaneous movement can be your body's way of telling you it's time to move.'/>

That spontaneous restless movement plays an important role in our health. Here's what to do the next time you find yourself bouncing your knee or clicking and unclicking your pen.

(Image credit: Kiersten Essenpreis for NPR)

You know that feeling when someone you're dating does this one thing that you just can't look past? Here's what scientists say about why we react this way and whether the feeling is reversible.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he will discuss "victory over Hamas," countering Iran and expanding diplomatic relations with Arab countries in his meeting with President Trump.

(Image credit: Maya Alleruzzo)

When the cops visit Ray Shoesmith’s home in season 2 episode 2 of Mr Inbetween to ask him about threatening one of the other parents at his child’s school, all Ray will say is, “I don’t answer questions”.

He repeats the same phrase in response to any question the police ask him until, utterly bamboozled and getting nowhere, they leave. “It’s just weird”, one officer says to the other as they walk back to the car, completely defeated.

That moment is the quintessence of Mr Inbetween – Ray is a bundle of contradictions that leaves you intrigued, yet never getting the answers you’re looking for, because for you, the viewer, there are no answers. Remember, Mr Inbetween doesn’t answer questions.

Ray Shoesmith is played by the show’s creator and writer Scott Ryan, who gives us probably the finest depiction of an emotionally-repressed, violent-but-likable, anti-hero you’re likely to see since we were first introduced to Tony Soprano in one of the best Max shows The Sopranos. Ray has a job working security for his friend’s night club, but it’s really a cover for his true vocation as a hit man for hire who has to balance his underground criminal activity with the rhythms of daily life, of being a father, a friend, a brother and a lover.

Australian TV shows often take the edge off their male characters with somebody like Bryan Brown playing a version of a laconic Australian male, or go completely over the top in the sort of otherwordly insanity you see in the Mad Max films. Mr Inbetween is neither. Ray feels authentic, almost like someone you might know in your real life, but he’s also somebody who comfortably steps outside of society’s conventions and lives by his own moral code. In Ray’s world actions have consequences, and he’s not afraid to hand out a quick headbutt to anybody who needs one. He has a smile that can go from please-to-meet-you to shark bite in a moment’s notice, but at the same time you can see the abysmal loneliness and repressed emotions buried deep within.

While the original 2005 feature film, The Magician, on which the series is based, offered only the faintest outline sketch of the younger hit man, here we see the fully fleshed-out version of Ray. He’s older, he has a daughter, he has an ex, he has a brother with motor neurone disease and he’s in a relationship. Each episode of Mr Inbetween lifts the cover of Ray’s life and lets us peep inside.

It’s sometimes mundane, sometimes funny, usually shocking, but often heartbreaking and profoundly meaningful. You never quite know where an episode is going to go at any moment, which is why it's one of the best Disney Plus shows in the UK (the series is streaming on Hulu in the US and Binge in Australia).

• Watch Mr Inbetween on Hulu in the US
• Watch Mr Inbetween on Disney Plus in the UK
• Watch Mr Inbetween on Binge in Australia

Ray’s brother Bruce, played in an acting masterclass by Nicholas Cassim, eloquently shows us what the final stages of his illness look like, and how it affects the people who love him. Chika Yasumura’s, Brittany, Ray’s daughter, perfectly captures the moment when you change from being the center of your child’s world to being a mild embarrassment, worthy of only the occasional teenage side-eye. And his girlfriend Ally, played effortlessly by Brooke Satchwell, skillfully shows how Ray’s choice to embrace violence affects the people around him, even if that violence would never be directed at them.

Rarely do we feel such affection for a volcanic personality who isn’t in some Hollywood revenge movie, but Ray is not one of the good guys. If somebody paid him enough to kill you, he’d probably do it, and without asking too many questions, either. But for most of the time the people he kills deserve it. Throughout all three series Ray remains the beating heart of the show. We see his efforts to hang on to those around him despite the danger his occupation frequently puts them in contrast against his efforts to move forward and let go of his terrible past, particularly his unhappy childhood and abusive father. Unlike Tony Soprano, Ray doesn’t enter therapy at any point, but he is sent to anger management class (for bashing a couple of guys, who deserved it), with hilarious results.

Mr Inbetween is perhaps the finest mediation on violence to have graced our TV screens in recent memory. It asks the tough questions like, when is violence acceptable in society? What happens when the legal system fails us and there’s nowhere left to turn? Is anger always a bad thing? But don’t expect any easy answers. Remember, Ray doesn’t answer questions.

I keep recommending Mr Inbetween to friends who have never heard of it before (I'm sure it might be different in the US and Australia, though), only to have them come back a few days later saying they had to binge the whole first series, and now there are only two series left to watch, and what are they going to do with their lives when the show ends?

Oh, and if you’re worried about the ending, particularly given the phenomena of channels canceling TV shows before the story really plays out, then don’t worry – Mr Inbetween has a proper ending, and it’s perhaps one of the better endings of any TV show on the best streaming services you’ll see.

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Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Feb. 2.

• Permission to build data center in Hertfordshire has been approved
• Owner is likely to be a hyperscaler operator, though application was done by an obscure company
• It is expected to draw 400MVA from the National Grid when it goes live in 2030

Who doesn’t enjoy a good whodunnit? Approval has been granted for a large data center to be built in Hertfordshire, UK, near London’s M25 motorway, but the identity of the future occupant, believed to be a major hyperscale operator (so potentially AWS, Microsoft, Google or Meta), is as yet unknown.

The planning application was submitted last year by DC01 UK Ltd, and approved by Hertsmere Borough Council shortly after the UK Government launched its AI Opportunities Action Plan, for which new AI data centers will play a major role.

Following the news, a spokesperson for DC01UK said, “We want to thank Hertsmere Borough Council for their open and pragmatic approach to DC01UK’s plans. They understand our ambition for both the project and the borough. It will bring huge benefits for local people through a stronger local economy, more skilled jobs and better opportunities. Our plans also include a raft of upgrades for local transport, including new and existing bus routes, expansion of the local cycle hire scheme and road improvements.”

Operational by 2030

DC01UK will be Europe’s largest cloud and AI data center, with up to two million square feet of space, and draw 400MVA (Megavolt-Amperes) of power from the National Grid, which is enough electricity to power 20,000 homes. 400MVA is the total power supplied, including both real power (MW) and reactive power (MVAR, which accounts for inefficiencies in the system). The location of the project, which is just East of South Mimms Services, places it close to the Elstree (Letchmore Heath) substation.

DC01UK claims “Economic projections estimate the construction value of the project at £3.75bn with a year-round generation of £21.4m in business rates once the data center is operational. The positive economic impact of the data center would also see the creation of 500 skilled on-site jobs during the construction phase, 200 permanent, skilled jobs once up and running and a further 13,740 indirect jobs, 10,900 of which would be in the South East. DC01UK is also estimated to generate approximately £1.1 billion per annum GVA (Gross Value Added) indirectly per year.”

The data center will be built in 85 acres of grounds (54 percent of which DC01UK says will be retained as green space) with construction planned to begin in 2027. The data center is expected to become operational three years later in 2030.

As to who that hyperscaler might be? The Register was told by a DC01UK spokesperson, "Since the announcement last September, we've received significant interest and there are active, ongoing discussions that will be finalized in the near future. We will make a further announcement in due course," which seems to suggest that DC01UK doesn’t know who will be moving into its data center just yet either.

More from TechRadar Pro

• Why the data center of 2030 will look very different from today
• Quite a lot of Brits have never heard of data centers
• Spending on data centers hit a high in 2024, but it won't last

Investigators are still working to piece together key details to determine the cause of the crash that killed 67 people.

(Image credit: Samuel Corum)

The new defendants added into the legal filing included Lego, Nestlé, Tyson Foods, Abbott Laboratories, Colgate-Palmolive, Pinterest and Shell International.

(Image credit: Al Drago)

"I think the information that you’re going to have about this is available to you right now,” Stephanie Holmes told workers at Elon Musk's DOGE who pressed for detail on offers of “deferred resignation.”

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #336) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Album of the year

NYT Strands today (game #336) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• GRASS
• DOWLE
• MODE
• WORN
• NOSE
• WINE

NYT Strands today (game #336) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Presented by the Recording Academy

NYT Strands today (game #336) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 1st column

Last side: bottom, 4th column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #336) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #336, are…

• SWIFT
• WONDER
• HILL
• CROSS
• STYLES
• KING
• JONES
• SPANGRAM: GRAMMY WINNERS

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

This collection of Album of the Year winners omits a few other artists whose names are also words – Beck, Plant (Robert) and Garland (Judy) failing to make the cut.

Meanwhile, JONES could refer to both Norah (who won a Grammy in 2003 for Come Away With Me) and Quincy (whose Back on the Block was a surprise success in 1991). Quincy Jones is also one of only three artists who have won Grammys as an artist and as a producer, the others being Lauryn HILL and Bruno Mars.

Taylor SWIFT holds the record for most Album of the Year victories with four and is among the nominees this year for The Tortured Poets Department.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, 1 February, game #335)

• KESTREL
• EAGLE
• HAWK
• CONDOR
• FALCON
• OSPREY
• VULTURE
• SPANGRAM: RAPTORS

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,000 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1105) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1105) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1105) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1105) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1105) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• L

• P

• C

• S

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1105) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1105, are…

• LOUSY
• PENNE
• CHUMP
• SALVE

There’s no game like Quordle for feeling like you’re pulling rabbits out of hats getting unlikely words like PENNE. The truth is, it’s not really magic when you’ve only got a few options left, but it can feel like it.

I got SALVE pretty quickly too and I’m sure that’s because it’s cropped up before and is hardwired into my brain somehow.

After yesterday’s wipeout I’ve got my mojo back. For now.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Daily Sequence today (game #1105) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1105, are…

• LOUSY
• GROSS
• STINK
• ESTER

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1104, Saturday 1 February: FACET, BLISS, FLUFF, FRANK
• Quordle #1103, Friday 31 January: PARER, SYNOD, BRAWN, BANJO
• Quordle #1102, Thursday 30 January: WEEDY, CHIRP, STALE, SUGAR
• Quordle #1101, Wednesday 29 January: CROWN, SCENE, AGILE, CRANK
• Quordle #1100, Tuesday 28 January: TOKEN, DAISY, INANE, PLIED
• Quordle #1099, Monday 27 January: ANGEL, GLOBE, MAYOR, BRAVE
• Quordle #1098, Sunday 26 January: WATER, ORBIT, BRIDE, TOUCH
• Quordle #1097, Saturday 25 January: GIVER, GROOM, GUSTO, MAKER
• Quordle #1096, Friday 24 January: GRIND, STOCK, SERVE, TOUCH
• Quordle #1095, Thursday 23 January: RUGBY, SASSY, WORRY, BANAL
• Quordle #1094, Wednesday 22 January: SLANT, TRUNK, WOOZY, EATEN
• Quordle #1093, Tuesday 21 January: CHART, VIGOR, PRINT, SPAWN
• Quordle #1092, Monday 20 January: SIXTY, THONG, TATTY, ROBIN
• Quordle #1091, Sunday 19 January: WREST, RINSE, SCOUR, CANNY
• Quordle #1090, Saturday 18 January: BLARE, ITCHY, BICEP, PIPER
• Quordle #1089, Friday 17 January: CATCH, WEARY, SWOON, LATHE
• Quordle #1088, Thursday 16 January: PARTY, BLUNT, TWEED, PLANT
• Quordle #1087, Wednesday 15 January: RISEN, PLATE, RURAL, ENVOY
• Quordle #1086, Tuesday 14 January: SWARM, SCRAP, ONION, BELCH
• Quordle #1085, Monday 13 January: EYING, GIDDY, CHEAP, PETAL

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need clues.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #602) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• SWISS
• SWALLOW
• SORRY
• STREET
• MUNSTER
• MART
• BLUE
• HAWK
• DUCK
• DOWN
• POP
• PARTRIDGE
• GRIFFIN
• GROUSE
• PICKLES
• HANGDOG

NYT Connections today (game #602) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Depressed 
• GREEN: Winged words 
• BLUE: A list missing the Simpsons 
• PURPLE: Think of a letter

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #602) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: DEJECTED BLUE, DOWN, HANGDOG, SORRY
• GREEN: BIRDS THAT ARE VERBS DUCK, GROUSE, HAWK, SWALLOW
• BLUE: TV COMEDY FAMILIES GRIFFIN, MUNSTER, PARTRIDGE, PICKLES
• PURPLE: WORDS AFTER "K" MART, POP, STREET, SWISS

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #602) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #602, are…

• YELLOW: DEJECTED BLUE, DOWN, HANGDOG, SORRY
• GREEN: BIRDS THAT ARE VERBS DUCK, GROUSE, HAWK, SWALLOW
• BLUE: TV COMEDY FAMILIES GRIFFIN, MUNSTER, PARTRIDGE, PICKLES
• PURPLE: WORDS AFTER "K" MART, POP, STREET, SWISS

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 2 mistakes

As the owner of a hangdog expression (especially when my team loses), gathering together a bunch of words that mean DEJECTED was a relatively easy task. Less so was the TV COMEDY FAMILIES, which took a mistake to find – my very obvious error being to include SWISS (as in Family Robinson). PICKLES was a guess that I would never have got otherwise, merely based on the fact that I’ve got a friend whose surname is Pickles and I enjoy calling him Mr Pickles.

BIRDS THAT ARE VERBS was my other mistake, as I initially included PARTRIDGE before realising the error of my random ways.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, 1 February, game #601)

• YELLOW: TINT HUE, SHADE, TINGE, TONE
• GREEN: COMPONENTS OF A MYSTERY ALIBI, CLUE, DETECTIVE, SUSPECT
• BLUE: TAKE ISSUE WITH CHALLENGE, CONTEST, DISPUTE, QUESTION
• PURPLE: STRIKE A __ CHORD, DEAL, MATCH, POSE

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Starting Tuesday, nearly all imports from Canada and Mexico will be charged a 25% tariff, while goods from China will be charged a 10% tariff.

(Image credit: Alfredo Estrella)

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The Army released the identity of the third crew member aboard the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the deadly airport crash near DCA as Capt. Rebecca Lobach, an aviation officer and past ROTC cadet.

(Image credit: Samantha Brown)

A growing number of US government websites have gone offline as of Saturday, including several related to USAID and others focused on youth programs, Africa, and more.

Here are some hints — and the answers — for Connections: Sports Edition No. 132 for Feb. 2.

Here are some hints -- and the answers -- for the Feb. 2 Strands puzzle, No. 336.