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Here are some hints — and the answers — for Connections No. 553 for Dec. 15.

Here are some hints -- and the answers -- for the Dec. 15 Strands puzzle, No. 287.

Here are some hints and the answer for Wordle No. 1,275 for Dec. 15.

Here are some hints — and the answers — for Connections: Sports Edition No. 83 for Dec. 15.

Switch to renewable energy to take advantage of Massachusetts’ solar property tax exemption and state tax credits. Here’s everything you need to know.

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 #553) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• THUMB
• KEY
• LEAF
• STYLE
• MACE
• MAR
• FLAIL
• FLIP
• SPEAR
• CLOVE
• TANK
• PEPPER
• RIFFLE
• FLOUNDER
• NUTMEG
• FLOP

NYT Connections today (game #553) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Seasonings
• GREEN: Below par
• BLUE: Browsing
• PURPLE: Popular vocalists

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 #553) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: SPICES
• GREEN: PERFORM POORLY 
• BLUE: SKIM THROUGH, AS PAGES 
• PURPLE: POP SINGERS MINUS "S" 

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

NYT Connections today (game #553) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #553, are…

• YELLOW: SPICES CLOVE, MACE, NUTMEG, PEPPER
• GREEN: PERFORM POORLY FLAIL, FLOP, FLOUNDER, TANK
• BLUE: SKIM THROUGH, AS PAGES FLIP, LEAF, RIFFLE, THUMB
• PURPLE: POP SINGERS MINUS "S" KEY, MAR, SPEAR, STYLE

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

As someone who is known to PERFORM BADLY at Connections, it’s no surprise that I landed on the Green group first today – although I did momentarily think the connection was “Things you do when drunk”.

POP SINGERS MINUS “S” was a good one, especially as SPEAR could have been a weapon along with RIFLE and MACE.

I’m off to listen to Empire State of Mind.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, 14 December, game #552)

• YELLOW: FISH FLUKE, MULLET, SOLE, TANG
• GREEN: WORDS IN AN AUCTION-ENDING PHRASE GOING, ONCE, SOLD, TWICE
• BLUE: GLOBAL CURRENCIES POUND, REAL, SOL, YUAN
• PURPLE: WORDS BEFORE "CUP" BUTTER, DIVA, SOLO, WORLD

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.

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Moonlighting

NYT Strands today (game #287) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• QUEST
• TEAR
• BEST
• RESCUE
• TAPE
• NEAR

NYT Strands today (game #287) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Satellite stages

NYT Strands today (game #287) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 5th row

Last side: right, 5th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #287) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #287, are…

• FULL
• WANING
• WAXING
• GIBBOUS
• QUARTER
• CRESCENT
• SPANGRAM: LUNAR PHASE

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Many wonderful songs mention the moon – Moon River, Fly Me to the Moon, Moondance, Bad Moon Rising – but few mention a particular LUNAR PHASE, today’s Spangram.

A couple of exceptions…

The fabulous Whole of the Moon by The Waterboys, is a tribute to someone with greater otherworldly talent than the singer, Mike Scott. “I sighed, you swooned," he croons. "I saw the crescent / You saw the whole of the Moon”.

Another favorite is Easy from Now On by Emmylou Harris, which describes running away from a bad relationship and finding yourself beneath a “Quarter moon in a ten-cent town”.

Finally, a tune about the phase of the moon when it appears bulging outward but is not yet full: the off-kilter lament Gibbous Moon by Momus: "This world is lugubrious/ Aghast beneath a gibbous moon/ Waxing and waning with the death of all feeling/ But we will be free soon.”

Thank you, Strands, for this little Spotify rabbit hole.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, 14 December, game #286)

• FIRE 
• PASSION
• DRIVE 
• DEVOTION
• INTENSITY
• PURPOSE
• SPANGRAM: GO GETTER

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 #1056) - 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 #1056) - 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 2.

Quordle today (game #1056) - 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 #1056) - 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 #1056) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• D

• S

• L

• G

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

Quordle today (game #1056) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1056, are…

• DROVE
• STILT
• LINEN
• GIANT

I started with Point and Break today. There are no repeat letters, so it’s not a bad punt – and well, it’s my tribute to one of the greatest films of all time.

But where did my gamble get me? I went to the red zone as I ran out of lines for LINEN and climbed on board the last train to Loserville.

As the rain thunders down on my laptop and the waves crash, there is only one thing left to say word-surfing Quordle friends…

Vaya con Dios.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Daily Sequence today (game #1056) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1056, are…

• SHARD
• CHURN
• MACRO
• PRANK

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #10545, Saturday 14 December: SPIEL, ONSET, TIGER, DITTO
• Quordle #1054, Friday 13 December: ERECT, REBAR, MOIST, IDIOM
• Quordle #1053, Thursday 12 December: MILKY, CRIER, STORK, DRIER
• Quordle #1052, Wednesday 11 December: BRIAR, NASAL, SHARD, FLUFF
• Quordle #1051, Tuesday 10 December: BEGAN, TRIAL, IDEAL, GUIDE
• Quordle #1050, Monday 9 December: TITAN, FORTE, SPEED, BRIAR
• Quordle #1049, Sunday 8 December: BUNCH, SHINY, MOULT, INTRO
• Quordle #1048, Saturday 7 December: SHAKY, CROOK, GHOUL, VERSE
• Quordle #1047, Friday 6 December: BRAWL, UNTIL, DOWRY, STING
• Quordle #1046, Thursday 5 December: AGING, BICEP, CLOVE, SPILL
• Quordle #1045, Wednesday 4 December: JUDGE, GIVER, GNASH, CLOAK
• Quordle #1044, Tuesday 3 December: FUDGE, THICK, CRANK, STASH
• Quordle #1043, Monday 2 December: TROPE, HOVER, SAUNA, SHAPE
• Quordle #1042, Sunday 1 December: NAIVE, CIRCA, STEAD, MICRO
• Quordle #1041, Saturday 30 November: MAMMA, SNUCK, CRYPT, TAROT
• Quordle #1040, Friday 29 November: JOIST, DROOL, DUSKY, GLIDE
• Quordle #1039, Thursday 28 November: GRADE, WORRY, NOISE, DAISY
• Quordle #1038, Wednesday 27 November: HEART, ROGUE, INEPT, UTILE
• Quordle #1037, Tuesday 26 November: PRIED, FAINT, HURRY, WOOER
• Quordle #1036, Monday 25 November: NUDGE, SNOOP, SHACK, DRYLY

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Recent reports have revealed that high-cost southern border surveillance technology is failing to deliver on its purpose.

A leaked memo obtained by NBC News reveals that nearly one-third of the cameras on the border’s primary surveillance towers are currently offline.

The report reveals that out of the 500 cameras installed on surveillance towers along the border between the U.S. and Mexico, about 150 are currently inactive.

Overlapping agencies and fragmented responsibilities

One of the core problems with the surveillance towers lies in the complicated web of federal oversight. While the Border Patrol depends on these systems to monitor remote areas, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is responsible for maintaining the towers. This division of responsibility creates delays in repairs and maintenance, undermining the network’s effectiveness.

The Remote Video Surveillance System, where many of these cameras are installed, is only one part of the broader surveillance network. However, the entire system has been hampered by poor coordination, frequent project cancellations, and incompatible technologies developed by different vendors.

The history of surveillance technology at the border is marked by delays, budget overruns, and cancelled programs. One prominent example is the Secure Border Initiative Network (SBInet), which aimed to deploy towers across the U.S.-Mexico border. By 2010, after spending $1 billion, only 15 towers had been installed along a 53-mile stretch of Arizona’s border, covering just a fraction of the 387-mile expanse. The program was eventually scrapped in 2011 following internal reviews that criticized its performance and high costs.

There have been attempts to replace SBInet with new initiatives, such as the Arizona Border Surveillance Technology Plan and the Southwest Border Technology Plan. However, they are also struggling.

Over the past two decades, the U.S. government has spent nearly $6 billion on surveillance towers and made efforts to consolidate the various systems into the Integrated Surveillance Towers network. However, there are challenges due to incompatible components and outdated technology.

A recurring issue with the surveillance towers is the absence of meaningful performance metrics to evaluate their effectiveness. In a 2017 report, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) criticized the Border Patrol for failing to assess whether these technologies were improving security. The GAO urged the agency to develop performance metrics, but recent assessments suggest that little progress has been made.

In February 2023, the GAO noted that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials expect operational shortfalls of up to 36% by 2025, putting more towers at risk of becoming non-functional. Without clear benchmarks for success, it remains difficult to determine how much these expensive surveillance systems contribute to national security efforts.

The outages have frustrated Border Patrol agents, who rely on the cameras to monitor vast, remote regions. There are legitimate concerns about officer safety and border security due to non-operational towers.

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