JustOneMinute

All According To The Plan Of the Gloriously Eternal Xi

China's sudden switch from 'Zero COVID' to 'Zero Plan' is not going well.

But no news is good news:

China’s top health body stops publishing daily Covid case figures as infections soar

People turn to other clues for facts on the ground. Or under them:

Shares of China-based funeral company are surging as Covid infections spike

Anecdotal, but hospitals are swamped:

Medical staff on front line of China's COVID-19 fight say hospitals are 'overwhelmed'

Just floating a theory here, but... Putin's disastrous invasion of Ukraine looked like a lock for the evidently coveted "You Call THAT Crazy?!? Hold My Beer!" award for 2022. Elon Musk made a late run with his flameout at Twitter but now Xi is a making a strong run with his Zero COVID reversal. Up for grabs!

Federal Reform Of Marijuana Laws - On Hold Until 2025?

Modest refroms to Federal marijuanna laws have died in this Congress and its considered to be unlikely that House Republicans will be more enthusiastic next session.

Brittney's Back! And Two Men Left Behind...

Brittney Griner is swapped for Viktoe Bout, the Merchand of Death.

The Times writes on The Other Guys - two Americans known to be stuck in Russia.

Paul Whelan's saga could be titled The Accidental Spy. The US insists he's just a tourist caught in a web of Soviet lies but his life reads like the profile of a spy from a Le Csrre novel: multiple passports, a law enforcement/ military background, and a deep interest in Russia which had grown to include a large number of on-line and In Real Life Russian friends.

 

Marc Fogel has been a teacher at the Anglo-American school in Moscow. A great way to meet lots of parents and recruit for the CIA? The Russians may think so, and it seems weird that the US has yet to declare him to have been unlawfully detained:

Marc Fogel, 61, was arrested in August 2021 when he tried to enter Russia with a small amount of medical marijuana that had been prescribed for chronic pain. A native of Pittsburgh, Mr. Fogel had been teaching in Russia for a decade, capping a long career at international schools in countries including Colombia, Venezuela, Oman and Malaysia.

In any case, the US has run out of high level Russians to offer in a swap. Not good.

Gettingg WAAAY Too Ready For Some Football

When the smoke clears, Georgia will have beaten Michigan for the national title. I just hope the Big Ten doesn't embarass themselves.