problem updating multiple python programs

[Robert Huff]

Hello:
        On a system running:

FreeBSD 14.0-CURRENT #0 main-f0a15aafcb
Mon Oct 31 08:19:54 EDT 2022
amd64

        I am suddenly getting this when trying to update multiple
programs:

  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/setuptools/__init__.py", line 
18, in <module>
    from setuptools.dist import Distribution
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/setuptools/dist.py", line 34, in 
<module>
    from ._importlib import metadata
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/setuptools/_importlib.py", line 
39, in <module>
    disable_importlib_metadata_finder(metadata)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/setuptools/_importlib.py", line 
28, in disable_importlib_metadata_finder
    to_remove = [
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/setuptools/_importlib.py", line 
31, in <listcomp>
    if isinstance(ob, importlib_metadata.MetadataPathFinder)
AttributeError: module 'importlib_metadata' has no attribute 
'MetadataPathFinder'


        What's wrong?
        More important: how do I fix it?


                        Respectfully,


                                Robert Huff