Correction: it doesn't exist in French dictionaries, but some people have learned of "apricity" and are starting to use "apricité" www.redbubble.com/fr/i/impress...

I checked 2 Portuguese dictionaries: it is derived from the Latin aprīcus, «sunny», through aprīcĭtās , -ātis «tepid temperature». Maybe the English author derived it the same way. BTW, the Portuguese word is (currently) obscure. I learned of it just a few years ago. It doesn't exist in French.

The problem in the USA is that they have a similar mechanism (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continu...) but it also needs a vote instead of being automatic. (3/3).

previous year. It is not ideal (there are some expenses that can't be done), and I think it doesn't cover inflation, but the normal functions of the state continue and people are paid normally (in fact salaries and pensions are one exception which can be paid even they exceed the "twelfth"). (2/3)

My country (Portugal) is far from perfect, but our budget law specifies that, if the budget is not approved in time, the government continues to function with "duodécimos" (twelfths=1/12), which means that, for each month, each minister/department/etc. receives 1/12 of its budget from the (1/3)

Minor typo: "today iwe are seeing" -> "today we are seeing"?

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

About "lowering barriers": "companies[...] have to provide [...] certifying the origin, weight and value of any steel in their products right down to nuts and bolts." www.theguardian.com/business/202...

From a book about Steve Jay Gould's legacy: "Most of the contributors to this volume were Steve’s students, to whom he was first and foremost a teacher and mentor. He was not always warm or gentle, or even friendly, to his students,"..."He was a difficult role model."

Minor typo? "Could a rerival" -> "revival"
BTW, last week: "but rather hat it is expensive" -> "that"
BTW2, "The government is not raising enough in tax." The government had/has a very good excuse: "due to Trump's tariffs and Putin's aggression, regrettably we have to increase taxes"

BTW, I hope you don't mind me asking: that looks familiar, is that near Castro Marim (south-east Algarve, Portugal)? That is where I took my picture.

During the George W. Bush administration the "Hague Invasion Act" was passed to prevent that:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America...

Flamingos at sunrise on a Saturday morning

Typos? "Did I catch this ... on a bad night." -> should end with a question mark ?
"would hav loved -> have"

I just searched google news and a couple of Portuguese newspapers and I didn't find any recent article. The next 4 weeks there is a electoral campaign (for local elections) so I suppose the government won't think about this subject for now.

Apropos: St. Vincent - Fuzz Pedal F...
youtu.be/11JiKTyMm7M?...
(Someone made a compilation of the bits of distorted guitar from one of her concerts.)