| This is Bloomberg Opinion Today, a diesel-powered submarine of Bloomberg Opinion's opinions. Sign up here. Early in the pandemic, the CDC said we didn't need to wear masks. Not long after that, it said we did. Then in May, it said fully vaccinated individuals could take their masks off in most public settings. Two months later, it revised that guidance too. It's easy to get whiplash from all the advice out there about where, how and whether to mask. Fortunately Therese Raphael and Elaine He created an extraordinarily helpful guide to help you get through the winter without any masking issues. The good news is that most of us can actually de-mask without guilt or worry in many instances — and not just outdoors. The bad news? You may have been wearing masks wrong for the past eighteen months. And that's where Therese and Elaine come to the rescue: They break down the make, model and fit of your mask options to show you exactly how to get the most protection. Those gaps you try not to notice? They're really hurting your performance:  It doesn't have to be this way. Here's a handy hack that involves tying the straps of your surgical mask to help you make it fit even better:  Watch the full tutorial for more tricks (and shoutout to Lara Williams, who now can add "paid model" to her resume). And read Therese and Elaine's whole piece. Bonus Mask Mania Reading: Attacks by angry mobs and governors over mask mandates are good reasons to make school boards stronger, not weaker or more fearful. — Andrea Gabor It's America's favorite time of the year again. That's right, it's debt ceiling season, baby! Kidding, Americans don't actually care about that. But maybe they … should? Without raising the debt ceiling, America can't pay its bills, which triggers a series of terrible things, including a default, a bad credit rating and disasters for the economy and stock market. The deadline for raising the ceiling is rapidly approaching. But congressional Republicans refuse to help, leaving it to the fractious Democrats to avert disaster. This despite the Dems helping the GOP raise the ceiling when it was on its own spending spree one presidency ago.  Bloomberg LP founder Michael R. Bloomberg calls the party on its shenanigans: "The trouble isn't only that the deficit continues to grow no matter which party is in power, burdening future generations with debt payments that will limit their ability to provide for themselves and their children. It's also that Republicans are playing partisan games with the credibility of the United States, not to mention the stability of global financial markets." This game is getting old. And to be honest, the debt limit has never made a sliver of sense, writes Jonathan Bernstein. Karl Smith agrees: "They should set the limit so high that they'll almost certainly never have to vote on it again." Bonus Congressional Chaos Reading: Could greater polarization lead to more bipartisanship? — Karl Smith If you had told me in 2020 that submarines would create more drama in 2021 than Nicki Minaj, I wouldn't believe you. And yet here we are:  Australia this week canceled a $66 billion French submarine contract in favor of a stronger defense pact with the U.S and U.K., causing much zut alors-ing and gnashing of teeth. While Dan Moss thinks this development is hardly earth-shattering, Lionel Laurent disagrees: "The next phase of this spat is going to get uglier. France is once again playing the role of European Union's geopolitical alarm clock, warning that the bloc risks drifting into a more dangerous century with no real means to defend its interests beyond trade." Bonus Deep Sea Reading: Apple has been busier making hit TV shows like "Ted Lasso" than breaking new technological ground, and it shows in the ho-hum new iPhone, writes Tara Lachapelle. John Authers illustrates how the U.S. stock market managed to get less than halfway to a correction. What's 40% of a correction? Literally, it's a "corr."  Think like an economist with this oNe wEiRd TrICk. — Tyler Cowen China's secondhand business is booming, thanks to 26 million tons of tossed-out clothing. — Adam Minter Did Steven Mnuchin lay the groundwork for his new investment fund while traveling to Saudi Arabia on government business? — Tim O'Brien Evergrande borrowed money from absolutely everyone. — Matt Levine Hong Kong gets a taste of China's "improved" electoral system. — Matthew Brooker Biden pledged to double U.S. financial support to fight global warming and shift to clean energy. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau won a historic third term but didn't snag the majority. U.K. soft drink makers are running out of carbon dioxide. Your middle school science fair volcano just got one-upped, big time. This 23-year-old woman has been to every country in the world. (h/t Scott Kominers) Would you eat a mozzarella stick that someone sat on by accident? I would. Notes: Please send pre-sliced, low-moisture mozzarella and feedback to Jessica Karl at jkarl9@bloomberg.net. Sign up here and follow us on Twitter and Facebook. | 
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