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Timberwolves vs. Heat preview: Why the under 238.5 could be the play in tonight's matchup

21 October 2026 at 20:06

The NBA returned to action yesterday, and I had two plays for us, and we started perfectly with wins in both games. It won't always be a rosy outlook, but it was nice to get off to a good start in the NBA. We had the appetizer of three great games yesterday, and today we have 11 different matchups to choose from. The first one I have circled is on ESPN as the Timberwolves take on the Heat.

The Minnesota Timberwolves should probably be given a little bit of credit for all of the tinkering they've done with their roster over the years. We see a lot of teams build a roster and then leave it alone for a few years to see if it will work out. The Timberwolves have given their team a chance, and then they adjust based on the results of the squad. For example, they've traded for Rudy Gobert, then they traded away Karl-Anthony Towns when the pairing didn't work. They realized they needed a point guard, and they traded for LaMelo Ball in the offseason.

The problem with the trade is that they got rid of one of their best players, Naz Reid, in the deal. He will be missed off the bench and in key moments. However, Ball should make the offense look a little more dynamic. Ball has plenty of flaws. He has terrible shot selection, seems to be a complete disaster on defense in isolation situations, and he is injury-prone. There is no denying his talent, though. When his shot is falling, he is elite. He is great in transition, and he will now be a second option to Anthony Edwards, who seems to already really like playing with him.

LAMELO BALL TRADED TO TIMBERWOLVES TO TEAM UP WITH FELLOW TOP PICK ANTHONY EDWARDS IN BLOCKBUSTER DEAL: REPORT

The Miami Heat come into this game with a new look as well. They still have some key mainstays like Erik Spoelstra as their coach. I've removed any doubt about his abilities. He seems to find a way to get things to work regardless of who he has on the roster. That doesn't mean they always win, but he certainly gets the most out of his team. Pat Riley is also willing to shake things up as he tries to get the team back to championship contention.

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There is no doubt they are close again because they added one of the best players in basketball in the offseason with Giannis Antetokounmpo coming to the team. Giannis will now be the offensive force for the team. If you're going to question anything about the roster, the main question should be: where will the shooting come from? No one on the roster, outside of Klay Thompson, is a great 3-point shooter, and he is on the wrong side of his career to be relied on. Probably the same with Tim Hardaway Jr.

The Heat might have the best defensive five in basketball. Davion Mitchell is an elite defender, even if he doesn't get much recognition for it. Thompson and Wiggins have both likely lost a step, but both are still good defenders. Giannis and Bam are potential Defensive Player of the Year candidates. It is a bit hard to take the under in this game because the Timberwolves could absolutely be an offensive force, and no one really will stop Giannis on their team, but I think the Heat defense, plus the lack of 3-point shooting from Miami, give the under 238.5 a good shot.

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For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024

Spain Logs Record 5,807 Heat Deaths in Summer 2026

13 October 2026 at 22:49
The number of deaths, attributable to high temperatures, has surpassed the figures for the two deadliest summers since 2015. Photo: EFE.

Spain recorded 5,807 heat-related deaths during the summer of 2026, the highest figure in a decade, according to the national mortality monitoring system (MoMo).


The estimate, reported on Tuesday, is based on final data collected between May 15 and September 30, the period covered by the National Plan for Preventive Actions against the Effects of Excess Temperature on Health.

The toll surpasses the two deadliest summers since the series started: 2022, with 4,789 deaths, and 2025, with 3,832.

RELATED: France Records 53 Days of Heat Waves This Summer

It is more than 51% above last year’s figure and 188.61% of the 2024 total, when 2,012 deaths were estimated. Even so, it remains well below the summer of 2003, when around 13,000 people died in Spain because of heat, a catastrophe that led the Health Ministry to design a national prevention plan.

🌡️ September 2026 was the 2nd warmest globally & 3rd warmest in Europe on record.

🇪🇺 Western Europe saw exceptional heat, with parts of France, Portugal, Spain & Italy 4–6°C above average.

🛰️ #CopernicusEU tracks climate extremes.

🔗 https://t.co/uMOM5xYwWm#ImageOfTheDay pic.twitter.com/u6R6WS1VNK

— Copernicus EU (@CopernicusEU) October 12, 2026

August Deadliest Month

August produced the most fatalities, with 2,162 deaths. July followed with 2,026, then June with 938, September with 559 and May with 123.

Compared with last year, the 2026 toll stands more than 51% higher. Measured against 2024, the increase reaches 188.61%, a year in which the system calculated 2,012 deaths.

The number has not reached the historic summer of 2003, when roughly 13,000 people died in Spain as a result of high temperatures. That catastrophe prompted the health ministry to design and launch a prevention plan for the effects of heat on health.

The elderly again bore the heaviest burden. Some 97% of estimated deaths attributable to heat occurred among people aged 65 or older, and 62% among those over 85.

Women were disproportionately affected, accounting for 3,486 deaths, or 60% of the total. Men accounted for 2,321. The impact was not uniform across the country, with the highest mortality rates recorded in the north and northeast of the peninsula.

A Year of Extreme Weather

The team coordinating MoMo at the National Epidemiology Center attributes the impact to an exceptional climatic context. It described this summer as the warmest in recent history, with four heat waves identified by the State Meteorological Agency, plus an additional one in early September.

A persistent drought, large wildfires and an intense marine heat wave in the western Mediterranean compounded the situation. Those conditions combined to push mortality to levels not seen in the decade of MoMo records.

The Carlos III Health Institute said the data reinforce the importance of continuous epidemiological surveillance and stronger prevention and adaptation measures against extreme heat. The warning carries weight as climate patterns grow more volatile.

Scientists have linked the exceptional summer to broader climatic shifts, including the Super El Niño phenomenon. Studies suggest that phenomenon could cause heat-related deaths of 451,000 people worldwide over the coming six months.

This Bottle of Dijon Mustard from Costco is Crazy Hot. A Months-Long Investigation Revealed the Surprising Reason Why.

8 September 2026 at 15:36

Jake Edmiston, a business reporter for the Toronto Star, thinks highly of his mustard chicken recipe. So when one batch goes over like a lead balloon, he checks his namesake ingredients and finds that his usual glass pot of Maille Dijon Originale is extraordinarily spicy—a fact he confirms, good reporter that he is, by conducting a blind test with a professional taster. In no time, Edmiston is on the floor of one of Canada’s largest mustard mills, trying to stay dry and avoid mustard dust burns(!), and peppering Unilever, Maille’s owner, with questions. This isn’t exactly a case for Benoit Blanc, but Edmiston’s investigation takes a few surprising turns and drops some serious knowledge on glucosinolates on the way. Every ingredient is in harmony here.

“Do a little dollop,” she said, then turned her back so I could do my work in secret.

I spooned the mustard from my jar onto a plate, and some from another jar of Maille I found in the grocery store that morning. She tried the sample from my jar first and sputtered a little. 

“It’s quite spicy,” she said.

I asked her how much spicier it was than the control jar. 

“Like, 10 times,” she said.

The End of the European Summer

21 August 2026 at 20:02

Europe is warming more than twice as fast as the global average—a terrifying statistic made all too apparent this summer as heat wave followed heat wave. European cities were never designed for these temperatures, and public health, infrastructure, and tourism are all under strain. Eric Klinenberg arrives in Milan just as “Europe’s third heat wave of the summer entered its fiercest stretch” and sweats his way across the continent to see how trees, shade, water, and other measures are being deployed to adapt urban centers. But with this crisis set to deepen can these experiments really keep pace?

Of all the problems that heat poses for Barcelona, losing some of the hundred and sixty thousand tourists who typically visit each day ranks low on the priority lists of most officials and residents. Some locals have staged protests, chanting “Tourists go home” while targeting visitors with water guns. But tourism employs more than a hundred and sixty thousand people in Barcelona and accounts for around thirteen per cent of its economic output, which explains why, despite concerns that the city gets too many visitors, more than seventy per cent of residents consider tourism beneficial. At midday, when I arrived on La Rambla, the city’s most heavily visited and photographed corridor, the street had little shade and surprisingly few people. At La Boqueria market, normally jam-packed at lunchtime, I found my way to a famously busy bar counter and took one of several open seats.

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