Curtain Raiser

A few shoes have already dropped . . . China and Russia! We’re still hoping that Netanyahu and Israel will come to their senses, and abide by international law! Read on, friends. — YUR

CollTales

Rulings and Reparations, Colltalers

The scary but thoroughly expected explosion of new COVID-19 cases in the world has a common cause, the rush to restart economic activity even if people are dying as a result of it, and a disheartening realization: the coronavirus is now an integral part of our near future. But a vaccine may not be.
Meanwhile, constitutional decisions in Israel, Hong Kong, and Russia may further erode human rights and the ability of democracy to truly represent people. That’s why the Black Lives Matter uprising has been so crucial exposing the racist complacency of American society. Now, to reparations?
But let’s start with the proposed settlements of lawsuits brought up against Bayer and Johnson & Johnson over two of their cancer-causing products. Bayer offered $10.9 billion to settle 75% of 125,000 cases against its subsidiary Monsanto’s weedkiller Roundup. And J&J agreed to pay $2.1 billion in damages for people who…

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Cryptoquote Spoiler – 07/02/20

“You must learn from the mistakes of others.  You can’t possibly live long enough to make them all yourself.”   —   Sam Levenson

(Clever and true.  Sam looks like he was a jolly fellow.  His bio is – strangely – on the sparse side.  We’ve seen him here before though.  Possibly with this same quote.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Image courtesy of Google

Jumble Spoiler – 07/02/20

Visual Description:  In Joisey, they’re at the shore.

SEFHR  =  FRESH,  YKALE  =  LEAKY,  BAREHL  =  HERBAL,  ANNCNO  =  CANNON   —   Giving us:  EHEKYEBCAN

Clue/Question:  They swam and built a sandcastle.  It was going wonderfully.  Everything was – – –

Answer:  “BEACHY“ KEEN

(Well, that’s just . . . peachy!  Of course, it’s a bit of a stinky pun.  But, it’s not like it’s low-tide, or anything.  Today’s Jumble reminds me of a once popular expression:  Life’s a beach . . . and then you die!

We’re having a successful run of no new clue words.  Three of the jumbles are coming up as new, but we’ve definitely seen “ykale” before.  It took me a few looks to see “herbal”.  The answer letter layout was a splendid ten letter jumble.  Without the quotation marks this might have been a more difficult solve.

The cartoon has a little bit of everything.  A nice family, enjoying a picnic on the beach.  You can see the sandcastle they built earlier.  The waves are lapping the shore.  There’s a gull on the ground, and one in the air.  And, you have the classic sinking sailboat on the horizon!  “Who could ask for anything more?  Who could ask for anything more.”  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Images courtesy of Google