Slightly better but still smoky

Friday 17 July 2026 12:32 CDT      David Braverman
ChicagoClimate changeEnvironmentJokesSummerTime zonesWeather

The AQI has dropped to 204 at Mayfair, Chicago reporting station, just barely in the "very unhealthy" category and almost down to "unhealthy." For the first time in two days, I can see the beach 1,300 meters away:

The view on 2026-07-17 at 12:15 CDT

One can only hope that the smoke blows away to the east soon. Of course, it's still 33 damn degrees outside, with a heat index now at 41.5°C, into which I must now take Cassie so she can pee. So it's not all puppies and rainbows in Chicago today.

Meanwhile, I loved XKCD's response to the House bill for year-round daylight saving time:

XKCD comic 3272 about time changes

Sadly, the people who most need to understand the joke will not understand the joke. So goes the 119th Congress.

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