Puzzle Notes

Dear subscribers: 

The American Values Club welcomes as a guest constructor this week the talented Samuel A. Donaldson, whose "Battery Change" is 2/5 in difficulty. Sam is a law professor at Georgia State University in Atlanta who has published in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, among other venues. He is also a contributor to the puzzle blog crosswordfiend.blogspot.com.

It was a pleasure working with Sam on this puzzle, and I think you'll enjoy the results. 

Oh, and enjoy the relatively easy ride this week next up is a true 5/5.

-Ben and the AVCX crew [avxwords.com]