In other news, Raul Castro announced today that he's resigning from Cuba’s Communist Party and ending 62 years of Castro control.
Meanwhile, Russia retaliated for the Biden administration's sanctions today by expelling a group of American diplomats.
Finally, some small businesses say the only thing they've gained from the Brexit is bigger bills and red tape.
Customs checks, paperwork and border delays since the U.K. completed its withdrawal from the European Union at the start of the year are sucking cash and time out of firms from big-name retailers to small family-owned businesses. Companies, which warned for years that this would happen, take no pleasure in saying “we told you so,” but the frustration is clear as they grapple with the long-term reality. [...]
Fresh food is particularly complex, but the issues are widespread. It’s been especially dire in Northern Ireland, now separated from Great Britain by a trade border in the Irish Sea, the result of the unloved Northern Ireland Protocol. Ashley Pigott, managing director of AJ Power, a maker of diesel generators in Craigavon, says charges to bring components from Great Britain will add about 100,000 pounds ($137,000) a year to his bills.
“By the time we get through to July, we’ll start to see those costs really starting to bite,” he says.
I don't know about all of you, but my brain is fried at the end of this week. And I'll tell you what, the weather isn't helping. It's way too cold and ugly for mid April. I'm going to stay in bed as long as I possibly can this weekend.
As much as I try to shake it off, the truth is waking up to a new anti-trans bill virtually every day is exhausting. And there's so many of them now -- introduced or passed in over 30 states -- that I can only cover the worst ones. There are days when I have nothing left; no outrage left in the tank. I think I may take a mental health break at the end of the month when I am due for the second dose of vaccine in any case, but I will see you here next week.