PUZZLES Thursday, January 6, 2022 Widespread Outrage by Julian Lim Universal Crossword edited by David Steinberg ACROSS 1 It’s made in the morning 4 Threaded fastener 9 The “Star Wars” movies, for one 13 A super long time 15 Samuel of the court 16 Pony’s gait 17 Not wear boxers, say (In this clue’s answer, note letters 5, 7 & 9) 19 Baptism or marriage 20 Defendants’ outs 21 Where the Mekong River flows 22 Palindromic songbird 24 Existed temporarily (... letters 3, 5 & 7) 28 Feels it after CrossFit 30 Jeers for the other team 31 Cider season 32 Theresa of “Long Island Medium” 35 John Grisham’s subject 38 How the needy live (... letters 4, 6 & 8) 41 Kyoto cash 42 Getting the job done 43 If not 44 ___ gel (soothing stuff) 45 Cold-blooded 46 Meaty lunch option (... letters 3, 5 & 7) 52 Once around a track 53 Historic times 54 Get some air 56 “Let’s chat privately,” on Insta 57 Furious, or a theme hint 61 Bunches 62 Extra life, in video games 63 Mixer with whiskey 64 Greek god with a bow 65 35-Across school subjects 66 Gesture of comprehension DOWN 1 Pretzels’ package 2 Praise may boost it 3 Literally, “ten contests” 4 Dance that originated in Rio 5 Insurance request 6 Lather, ___, repeat 7 Takeoff guess, for short 8 Try to win over 9 They’re stuck in juice boxes 10 Become evident 11 Was accepted 12 Gave no peace to 14 Sun, in Spanish 18 Rap battle devices 22 Saltwater treat 23 “It matters to me” 25 Is adjacent to 26 “That’s so uncool!” 27 Modern prefix with “scrolling” 29 Street of horror 32 Camera brand whose name sounds like something that takes shots 33 Started a poker pot 34 Smooching on the subway, e.g. 35 Athleisure company 36 Whale watching, say 37 Puppy 39 “Hey,” in Honduras 40 “___ the fields we go ...” 44 Take stock of 45 “Eternals” star Gemma 46 Wall of some mazes 47 Set of plates? 48 Dance in a Lou Bega hit’s title 49 Car part that moves in arcs 50 Two cents, idiomatically 51 Fish and ___ 55 Some TVs 57 Trending 58 Plastic ___ Band 59 Commotion 60 “Pops” Block Parties by Drew Schmenner Universal Crossword edited by David Steinberg ACROSS 1 Soak (up) 4 Bottle lid 7 It cuts with the grain 13 One might be fraternal 15 National bird of Australia 16 Pop star Grande 17 Place that accepts plastic 20 Yearly 21 Colorful fish in a pond 22 Stitches 23 Last letter in the Greek spelling of “Cyclops” 24 Sch. in Cambridge 26 “___ Week” (Barenaked Ladies hit) 28 Worker with a stop sign 35 Peter Hernandez, ___ Bruno Mars 36 Catch some rays 37 “Wowzers!” 38 What a bloodhound tracks 40 Toupee, slangily 42 Astronomer Carl 43 Dehydrate 44 Org. with many return envelopes? 46 Web destination 47 Hook, line, sinker, etc. 51 Keanu’s role in “The Matrix” 52 Arid 53 Chatterbox’s “gift” 56 SIMPLE savings plans, e.g. 60 Graffiti, to some 62 Llama’s smaller relative 64 Stereotypical nerd accessory, or a punny hint to the football positions at the ends of 17-, 28- and 47-Across 67 Look up to 68 Curve 69 Like feet after a long hike 70 Less shallow 71 “I’m not impressed” 72 ICU workers DOWN 1 Helmet fastener 2 Olympic legend Jesse 3 Folks with a blanket and basket, say 4 Musician such as Yo-Yo Ma 5 Buddy, in Bordeaux 6 Trick, slangily 7 Competing on a track 8 Wrath 9 Strikes topple them 10 Make full 11 Once more 12 Armed conflicts 14 Sch. in Greenwich Village 18 Clothing for hunting, briefly 19 Hoodlum 25 Pre-Soviet ruler 27 They often clash in Hollywood 29 Dude ___ (vacation spot) 30 Arctic native 31 Option if one wants to make a move? 32 Site with content from many sites 33 Genuine 34 Locale for thieves 35 Inch-long berry 38 Coppertone letters 39 Like insubstantial evidence 41 June honoree, familiarly 45 Hit the cue ball into a pocket 48 More tidy 49 Trail mix 50 Actor Chandler 54 Part of a squirrel’s hoard 55 Uncovers 56 Tablet with a mini variety 57 Traveled on a Harley 58 Peak 59 Ditch, as a class 61 Airport conveyance 63 Alternatives to Macs 65 Before, in a sonnet 66 Mineral deposit East Oregonian A11 HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY MATHIS FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 2022 Lunar Conjunction to Neptune The lunar conjunction to Neptune in the sensitive, soulful sign of Pisces has some of us more in touch with feelings of displacement. The ocean of emotion is deep indeed, all the more reason to find floatation devices and keep bobbing on the surface. Nurture social connections. They don’t have to be perfect to buoy you and keep you on the lighter side. ARIES (March 21-April 19). You take pride in doing a fine job with the maintenance of your life. This sends a signal to the universe that you’re happy for what you have. You’ll soon find yourself with even more of it. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). The uncomfortable rub between you and another person is an external manifestation of an argument inside your mind. Sort out your thoughts and the problem goes away. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). When learning to communicate, children go from using one style in every situation to developing different modes -- formal, professional, informal, intimate, etc. You’ve a knack for using just the right tone for the time to great success. CANCER (June 22-July 22). You solved a problem in the way you could at the time. Now you’re wondering if it was really the best way. You now have the luxury of giving it another look and experimenting with different solutions and approaches. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Modern life often gives the sensation of flying above human physicality, but the reality is that you are an animal, physically expressed, alive in motion. Your mind works best when you tend to the needs of the body. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). While it’s easy to tell when you’re progressing inside of a game or even at work, social advancement is a trickier equation. Much relies on your ability to correctly read subtle cues. You’ll be brilliant at this now. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You’ll find the intersection of what you want to give and what they want to pay for. Success depends on doing what people care about, talking about what people are interested in and generally thinking of others. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Moods come and go. You prefer to make decisions based on your overall vision of your life, not the moment-to-moment minutiae of feelings. You refuse to give a mood too much sway over your schedule. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Children can spot a phony from a mile away. You’ll be gifted with similar instincts about people. The less you know about a person, the more spot-on your initial impressions will be. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You signed up for something a long time ago and now that the moment has arrived, you simply aren’t that into it. However, it will be very fortunate indeed to honor your original commitments. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You’re no stranger to compromise -- you do it almost every day. That’s why today is so special. No need to serve the pleasure of others. The most responsible thing you can do is whatever you please. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Familiarity comes with its own kind of blindness. It’s better to know a little about people than to know too much. The more you learn about your heroes, the less heroic they may seem. TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Jan. 7). You’re a romantic realist. You’ll believe in a fairy tale, but it’s a modern one, updated for your current circumstances and sensibility. Truly magical things happen when you go all- in with plans, feet firmly planted in what’s real. A major accomplishment will have you living pretty in May. The excellence of family boosts all. Libra and Virgo adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 8, 14, 30, 38 and 1. Universal SUDOKU SOLUTIONS HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY MATHIS SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 2022 Sun-Kissed Venus When the choice is to go it alone or to team up, there is really no contest. We can do more together than we could even imagine from the lonely recesses of isolation. The sun kisses Venus in Capricorn, illuminating the power of love. No matter how capable you feel, include someone else in your plans. It will change the entire plot. ARIES (March 21-April 19). You enjoy being part of a winning team and you’ll do more than your share of the work to keep the group strong. If everyone contributes with a similar enthusiasm, you’ll have an unstoppable unit. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Until your first laugh, the day hasn’t really started yet, and humor will keep pulling you through. You won’t have to mine for it. If humor were diamonds, they would be gleaming from the cave’s mouth, right out in the open. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). There is no hurry. Slow down. This will prevent you from making mistakes -- and because you don’t have any time to lose, mistakes will be even more costly. Go fast by going slow. CANCER (June 22-July 22). It’s possible that the finished piece exists already in your higher consciousness and all you are really doing is getting it down. Inner silence allows you to hear the whispers about what to do next. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). When things feel claustrophobic, there’s a good reason. Tight clusters of people who believe the same thing are dangerous. Move to open spaces where a more balanced exchange of ideas will be possible. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Charm eases the way. You’ll cater to your people and take the time to figure out what pleases them. You’re likely to strike the right tone and hit the main buttons. When in doubt, say less and do less, with a smile. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). The day will have many moods. So when you slip into one, however euphoric or irritating it might be, keep the awareness that it’s but a brief moment. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Putting yourself first doesn’t come naturally but do it anyway. It’s what your crew needs now. Your health and happiness are integral to the well-being of the entire group. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Strangely, taking on responsibility makes you feel lighter. The more people depend on you, the easier the work becomes to you because it simply must get done. You’re gaining strength and becoming capable of more. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Don’t be afraid to leave the party early. After you’ve done what you set out to do, found what you were looking for and gotten what you came for, what you really want more than anything else is sleep. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Sparkling interests are born out of restlessness or long, boring stretches of nothingness. So don’t worry when things slow down. It’s setting up the next adventure. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). The nature of fun is that it’s somewhat unpredictable and can’t be totally controlled. People will have fun around you because they’re not quite sure how you’re going to react or what you’re going to do next. TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Jan. 8). The care you put into your environment will support many happy moments. Interesting work will allow you to beautify and revitalize your home life. Vibrant get-togethers and exciting projects will be a large part of the fun, though your domestic scene will also be a place of comfort and peaceful retreat. Leo and Sagittarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 4, 21, 24, 9 and 16. Universal SUDOKU SOLUTIONS