21.   A decision by the U.S. Supreme Court last year also raised the stakes.

22.   A smoking economy and the passage of time have softened racial tensions, raising the stakes for Republican candidates who employ racial tactics.

23.   Acer Inc. said it may raise its stake in the company.

24.   ADS-B would take over navigation, surveillance and communications functions now spread among four separate sets of equipment, thus raising the stakes if the system failed.

25.   After the sale, the buyer will have the right to raise the stake to a majority through a capital increase, which will be used to finance modernization.

26.   All this is handled with such panache that it seems as if Chase were daring himself to raise the stakes, and meeting his own challenge.

27.   All of this has raised the stakes for the Encores creators and performers.

28.   Both sides kept raising the stakes, bringing up new issues or making new threats in the mistaken belief that the other side would quickly back down.

29.   But another crime raises the stakes for everyone, including a retired policeman with a secret.

30.   But asked bluntly if he would quit if LVMH raised its stake in Gucci, Ford paused.