China what?

Blinken lays out US policy toward Africa and deliberately avoids mentioning China

The approach is a significant shift from Trump whose top diplomat, Mike Pompeo, often railed against Chinese-led infrastructure projects as “debt traps” during his three-country trip to Africa in 2020 and criticized telecom projects in Africa by the Chinese firm Huaweii.

But coooold

Growing late

I bought a $1.99 item at CVS…

…and got a 43-inch receipt. You can do the math.

November sky

Fallen

Poolside diplomacy?

Biden muzzled: WH scraps presser with Canada, Mexico leaders amid prez blunders

“He’s going to be holding [meetings] with both of the leaders tomorrow. There will be pool sprays at the top of each of those. And then the North American Leaders Summit, where we’ll have a pool spray at the top of that,” White House spokesman Chris Meagher told reporters on Air Force One.

What's going on here with the pool sprays? I need an interpreter just to read the news. 

The Unburdening

The second-biggest program in the Democrats’ spending plan gives billions to the rich

The tax cut would partially reverse a tax hike from President Donald Trump’s signature 2017 tax bill that was particularly burdensome to high-income, high-tax states.

[Washington Post via Apple News] 

The pen might not be mightier, but it's definitely quieter

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — All aircraft operated by the U.S. and South Korean militaries will be grounded Thursday on the Korean Peninsula as high school seniors take a highly competitive college entrance exam.

Shhhh!

A Frosty Morning, or Trash Day in November

Trash day mornings I spend my first waking moments figuring out which end of the fresh plastic trash bag is the end that opens and, in November, my second waking moments thinking maybe I should have put a jacket on for my trip to the curb.

There won't be any question about the jacket in a few more weeks. Or about boots.

Also, next time I'm buying the bags with drawstrings at the top—and I mean it, too.

End game

The News

High fives (or maybe tens) for the Cubs

New 10,000-square-foot pot dispensary opens within 400 feet of Wrigley Field

Sunnyside Wrigleyville opened less than 400 feet from the Friendly Confines Monday with the hopes of serving weed-inclined fans, concert-goers and other North Siders.

Duck! Eggs!

Blasted

Team lost today? Thought nothing worse could happen?

The boss of Britain’s biggest ports operator has warned that supply-chain disruption is likely to persist until 2023 as the crisis begins to derail the economic recovery.

Think again.