Timur Kishukov, a native of Kabardino-Balkaria in the North Caucasus region of Russia, became a U.S. citizen in 2017. In late 2024, he flew from his home in Chicago back to his former home to visit friends and relatives. On November 19th, he was to return to the U.S., but never made it to the airport.

The night before his scheduled departure, he was detained by Russian FSB (successor to the KGB) officers, who bound his wrists with tape, covered his head and face with a jacket, and took him away without advising anyone where they were taking him.

He was brought to a basement room and questioned for over three hours about his views on Russia’s war in Ukraine, and about any Russians he may know who have worked for U.S. intelligence. They then attempted to recruit him to work with Russian intelligence, spying on Russian-speaking people in his community in Chicago. [Aleksandra Sokolova, RFE/RL, August 27, 2025.]

When he refused, he was beaten and threatened with criminal charges. He later said they told him it would be easy to produce witnesses who would “say whatever is needed” against him.

By the end of the day, he had been charged with participating in a terrorist organization, undergoing terrorism training, and taking part in an illegal armed formation — commonly-used accusations in the predominantly Muslim region since the time of the two Chechen wars at the turn of the century. [Id.]

Now on trial in a military court in Rostov-on-Don, Timur has been accused of fighting in Syria against the Russian-backed former government of Bashar al-Assad. If convicted, he could face a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Authorities say they have three witnesses against him, whose identities have not been revealed; but they have presented no additional evidence against him. [Id.]

Acquittals in such cases are almost unheard-of in Russia. As with others we have seen, it is likely just a question of how long his sentence will be, and where it will be served.

And so we add Timur to our list of American political hostages in Putin’s prisons and penal colonies.

As a naturalized U.S. citizen, he is, of course, entitled to the same protections and the same efforts to secure his release as any other American citizen. But in view of his ethnicity, and in light of the Trump administration’s onerous new immigration policies, Timur’s case must be monitored carefully to ensure that he receives those protections.

*. *. *

And here again is our roll call of known hostages:

Immigrant Detainees:

Migrants from the Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan

Prisoners of War:

The People of Ukraine
The Azov 12

Endangered Exiles:

Mikita Losik
Yulia Navalnaya
Countless Journalists and Other Dissidents

Political Prisoners:

In Azerbaijan:

The “Azerbaijan 7”:
— Farid Mehralizada
— Ulvi Hasanli
— Sevinj Abbasova (Vagifqiai)
— Mahammad Kekalov
— Hafiz Babali
— Nargiz Absalamova
— Elnara Gasimova

In Belarus:

Ales Bialiatski
Andrei Chapiuk
Uladzimir Labkovich
Ihar Losik
Marfa Rabkova
Valiantsin Stafanovic
Yuras Zyankovich

In Russia:

David Barnes
Gordon Black
Antonina Favorskaya
Konstantin Gabov
Robert Gilman
Stephen James Hubbard
Sergey Karelin
Timur Kishukov
Vadim Kobzev
Darya Kozyreva
Artyom Kriger
Michael Travis Leake
Aleksei Liptser
Grigory Melkonyants
Nika Novak
Nadezhda Rossinskaya (a.k.a. Nadin Geisler)
Igor Sergunin
Dmitry Shatresov
Robert Shonov
Grigory Skvortsov
Eugene Spector
Laurent Vinatier
Robert Romanov Woodland

John Fitzgerald Kennedy knew the meaning of diplomacy. He also understood his principal adversary — the crude, blustering, unfiltered Nikita Khrushchev — and had talked Khrushchev back from the brink of nuclear holocaust in October of 1962 by means of calm reasoning combined with unwavering strength of purpose. He didn’t waffle; he didn’t offer concessions; he didn’t buy into the Russian leader’s threats or promises. He stood his ground, and — in the vernacular of the day — Khrushchev blinked. The Soviet nuclear missiles were withdrawn from Cuba, and the world heaved a collective sight of relief.

But while Kennedy and the U.S. emerged victorious from that confrontation, it didn’t bring about the end of the Cold War, which was to continue for another three decades. It did, however, point out a serious flaw in communications between the two countries. During those 1962 negotiations, encrypted messages had to be relayed by telegraph, or radioed between the Pentagon and the Kremlin, sometimes creating serious — and potentially disastrous — delays.

The Cuban Missile Crisis ultimately led to the signing of a nuclear test-ban treaty, and to the creation of a “hotline” between Washington and Moscow, which became operational 62 years ago today: August 30, 1963.

In today’s environment of instant electronic communications, that “new” method seems incredibly slow and unwieldy. Kennedy would start by relaying a phone message to the Pentagon, where it would immediately be typed into a teletype machine, encrypted, and fed into a transmitter. That transmission would reach the Kremlin within minutes, rather than hours as previously required. [“This Day In History, History.com, August 30, 2025.]

Still, it was a vast improvement, and eventually led to the instantaneous communications we know today . . . all because Jack Kennedy was a president who understood and valued diplomacy, focused on the important issues, and placed his country’s security and welfare above all else.

Less than three months later, Jack Kennedy was shot dead in Dallas, Texas, and the greatest period of hope and prosperity this country had ever known — the “Camelot” of the Kennedys — came to a mournful end. But he left an enduring legacy, and an example of devotion and service to this country and to democracy for his successors to emulate.

Sadly, no one seems to be paying attention.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/30/25

It’s mind-boggling, the way Vladimir Putin keeps dishing it out, and Donald Trump keeps lapping it up.

On August 15th, they held a so-called summit in Anchorage, Alaska, allegedly to seek a path to a solution of the “conflict” in Ukraine. As we soon learned, the only thing that came out of that trip was an indication that both parties would love to resume trade and technology exchanges. In fact, Putin said in Moscow the day after the meeting:

“Russian-American business and investment partnership has huge potential.” [Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, August 16, 2025.]

Prior to the meeting, Trump had threatened damaging sanctions if Putin continued to stall on ceasefire negotiations. But instead of following through, he gave Putin another two weeks, echoing his Russian adversary’s words that peace talks should precede a ceasefire, and promising that there would be a direct meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky, with or without Trump, in a matter of days.

Well, the two weeks are up. The idea of a bilateral or trilateral meeting was quickly shot down by the Kremlin, and the only words from Moscow have been . . . well, not so much words, as this:

And these . . .

these . . .

and these:

Dozens of men, women and children killed and injured by Russian missiles as they slept . . . slaughtered on the orders of a man in Moscow who swears that his military does not target civilians.

The same man who told reporters after meeting with Trump two weeks ago that Russia and the U.S. could do more business together — as, for example, between their Pacific coastlines — to which Trump replied:

“We look forward to dealing.” [Joe Wallace, Costas Paris, Alex Leary and Collin Eaton, The Wall Street Journal, August 26, 2025.]

While that all sounds nebulous at best, what was not revealed was that secret talks were already underway between the two countries’ biggest energy companies — America’s Exxon and Russia’s Rosneft — in hopes of finding a means of going back into business together.

Along with numerous U.S. and other Western companies that had been doing business in post-Soviet Russia, Exxon — despite the resulting heavy losses — withdrew from its venture with Rosneft following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022.

But around the time of Donald Trump’s inauguration in January of this year, discussions between the two energy giants gained new momentum. And in February, while ceasefire talks between senior U.S. and Russian officials were taking place in Saudi Arabia, Russia quietly hinted at investment opportunities for American companies, including in Arctic energy developments — which, of course, would be right up Exxon’s alley. [Id.]

And it has been reported that Exxon Senior Vice President Neil Chapman has met in Doha, Qatar, with Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin — who, as a close ally of Putin, is under blocking sanctions by the U.S. [Id.]

But with the right contacts, enough money, and a blatant disregard for legalities, it seems that no obstacle is so great that it can’t be overcome. So, while a deal between Exxon and Rosneft has not yet been engraved in stone (as far as is known), the mere fact that discussions are underway is an indication of the sort of off-the-record talks that have been taking place between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in recent months.

While the war rages on.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
August 30, 2025

I have a dear friend, of almost 40 years’ standing, whose birthday arrives every year, like clockwork, near the end of September. And for reasons I’ve long since forgotten, it has become tradition for me to write a poem for each of his natal days . . . always on a humorous note, and often incorporating a soupçon of snarky political commentary. It’s not what you’d call great (or even good) poetry, but it’s a lot of fun. And it’s time to get started on this year’s offering.

But September is meaningful to me in a number of other ways as well. As a youngster, of course, it meant heading back to school after the long, lazy summer. In those years, schools didn’t open until after Labor Day, which may have had something to do with the fact that the buildings weren’t air-conditioned.

September also meant that we could no longer wear white shoes. There was no law or regulation against it, of course; it just wasn’t “done.” It was time to put away the cottons and pastels until the following Easter, and pull out the woolens and plaids — at least in the northeast corner of the U.S. where I grew up.

Over the years, a lot of things happened to our family in September . . . mostly deaths. I remember my grandfather and great-grandmother dying within days of each other when I was just eight years old. Years later, my mother’s older sister passed away in September; and then, later still, my mother also succumbed to what had become known as the family’s “September curse.” For years, my sister and I scarcely dared to breathe for those 30 days, and only exhaled at midnight on October 1st.

And speaking of my sister, she was born in September. I lost her nearly eight years ago — but at least she had the decency to hold on until October. And my precious, beautiful granddaughter Emily came into our lives prematurely one memorable September . . . only to leave us after just 26 years.

It’s a month that reminds me of the inexorable passage of time.

*. *. *

But September is also a time for celebration. It’s the precursor to my favorite season — autumn — when the days gradually grow shorter and cooler, and the air begins to smell better: somehow cleaner, crisper. The sun slants down at a different angle, trees dress themselves in their autumn colors, and the people finally emerge from their air-conditioned cocoons . . . at least, until the first nor’easter blows in.

It’s the month when retailers jump head-first into the holiday season, urging us to get our Christmas shopping done early. Personally, I’d like to celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving first, if that’s okay.

And if you’re Jewish, it’s the start of a new year. Rosh Hashanah begins on September 23rd this year, bringing blessings and hope for a better, more sane, less traumatic year than the last one has been.

And on that note, as my beloved Bubbe used to say: “From your mouth to God’s ears.”

Happy September, everyone.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/30/25

If you once thought this was America’s worst nightmare:

Or even this:

Then perhaps you haven’t considered this:

The U.S. Constitution and the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 set out the following order of succession in the event of the death, resignation, or incapacity of the U.S. President (for the sake of simplicity, I have only listed the first seven):

Vice President
Speaker of the House
President Pro Tempore of the Senate
Secretary of State
Secretary of the Treasury
Secretary of Defense
Attorney General

Our country has been taken over by an autocratic, xenophobic, misogynistic, racist, narcissistic, mentally incompetent fascist. Armed military troops and tanks are patrolling our city streets; innocent people are being disappeared into concentration camps simply because of their ethnicity; the mass media are being stifled; our highest courts are being rendered impotent. And as we Americans wake up to the bitter truth, calls are being heard for the tyrant’s removal from office.

But is that really the best answer? Because — believe it or not — things could be even worse.

Let’s look at that order of succession again. At this time in our history — when the entire governmental structure has been stacked with Donald Trump’s openly corrupt and totally unqualified cronies — it is terrifyingly clear that the alternatives may be as bad as, or even worse than, what we have now.

Just consider who currently fills those seven seats:

> Vice President: JD Vance

> Speaker of the House: Mike Johnson

> President Pro Tempore of the Senate: Chuck Grassley

> Secretary of State: Marco Rubio

> Secretary of the Treasury: Scott Bessent

> Secretary of Defense: Pete Hegseth

> U.S. Attorney General: Pam Bondi

*. *. *

So we might want to rethink the best way out of this mess we’ve gotten ourselves into. Is impeachment really the best answer? It would be unspeakably disruptive and demoralizing for the entire nation; and with a Republican majority in both houses of Congress, it’s unlikely to result in a conviction. That, in turn, would simply send Trump into a tailspin of fury and retribution greater than anything we’ve seen so far.

But the members of that very Congress — along with the Supreme Court and the presidential Cabinet — have the power to put an immediate stop to the madness. All they have to do is wake up to the fact that they outnumber the madman in the Oval Office, and collectively they outrank him. They have the strength of the United States Constitution behind them. They can simply grow a set, stand up to him, stop kowtowing and enabling him, and force him to obey the oath of office he took on January 20th.

And if he still refuses to do the right thing — if he decides that General Custer had the right idea in making one last stand — then, but only as a final resort, impeach and convict him, and physically escort him out of the White House.

If that were to happen, what successor would have the guts to follow his example?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/29/25

It might not be the photographer. Rather, it could be the person or persons in charge of Vladimir Putin’s publicity, or some other staff member. But — according to Systema, the investigative unit of RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty (RFE/RL) — someone in the Kremlin has been recycling old photos of Putin taken at various meetings and other functions, and passing them off as current.

The question is: Why?

The discrepancy was revealed by Systema’s comparison of some of the recently-released pictures of Putin, taken in front of a particular bookcase in his office, with older photos taken in the same spot. The order of the books was seen to have changed slightly in February of this year; but some of the supposedly current pictures showed the pre-February arrangement. And a review of Putin’s official schedule for the early months of the year indicated some possible inconsistencies or gaps during the times the questionable photos were released. [Andrei Soshnikov, Yelizaveta Surnacheva, and Systema, RFE/RL, August 26, 2025.]

Putin is nearly 73 years old. He is said to take care of himself — keeping fit, maintaining a healthy diet, not smoking, etc. But he has already outlived the Russian life expectancy tables by four years, and after a while, even a Rolls Royce is bound to need more than routine maintenance. So perhaps those inconsistencies were a cover-up for a medical issue.

Or perhaps not. There isn’t a leader of any country who doesn’t have secrets . . . and particularly a country as mired in secrecy as Russia has always been. He may have been absent for days at a time for reasons he didn’t want the world — perhaps even his own staff — to know about. And if so, I would rather not speculate as to what he might have been up to. My sleep is disturbed by enough bad dreams already.

Another possibility has to do with the old rumor about plastic surgery. Putin has better taste than to adopt the Trump method of hiding his balding head with ludicrous baseball caps and his sagging facial muscles with orange makeup, which only make him look older and even more ridiculous. So maybe Vlad went out for a little nip-and-tuck.

Then there is the best-case scenario: it’s possible that the old boy just wanted a bit of time off with his longtime girlfriend (and reportedly mother of at least two of his children), former Olympic gymnast Alina Kabayeva. And who could blame him for that? After all, he has one of the most stressful jobs in the world. It can’t be easy to wage a war against Ukraine, create an entirely new world order, and manipulate someone like Donald Trump, all at the same time, without eventually burning out.

Whatever the reasons for the photographic subterfuge, kudos to the folks at Systema for their eagle-eyed reportage, and for trying to keep the truth flowing.

We could use your expertise here in Washington, if you’re not too busy . . . because there’s a lot of funny business going on that people need to know about . . . and it goes way deeper than a few old pictures.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/29/25

Xi Jinping will be hosting the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the northern port city of Tianjin, China, on August 31 and September 1, for 20 or more of his country’s closest friends and allies.

The list of attendees does not include Donald Trump, but does extend to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Together with Xi, that’s three of the five founding members of BRICS.

Also expected are leaders from Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. [Laurie Chen, Reuters, August 26, 2025.]

According to a Chinese Foreign Ministry official, this year’s summit will be the largest since the SCO’s founding in 2001. He called the organization an “important force in building a new type of international relations.” [Id.]

The meeting coincides with China’s scheduled Victory Day celebration on August 3rd, commemorating the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender ending World War II. That day will be marked by a military parade in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, undoubtedly of spectacular proportions, to showcase China’s latest weaponry, including aircraft, tanks, and anti-drone systems. [Laura Bicker and Jean Mackenzie, BBC News, August 28, 2025.]

Some 26 heads of state are expected to attend the spectacle . . . notably including, for his first-ever multilateral international meeting, North Korean strongman Kim Jong Un. [Id.]

What a diplomatic coup for Xi, being able to pull together Putin, Kim, and Modi — still smarting from Trump’s increased tariffs on Indian imports — in one fell swoop.

With Putin and Xi hell-bent on creating a “New World Order,” next week’s gathering in China is beginning to look like an opportunistic meeting of their Executive Committee.

*. *. *

As badly screwed-up as the existing world order is at the moment, you might be thinking we’re ready for a new one. And you may be right . . . but I’d rather it didn’t look so much like someone’s dystopian nightmare.

Wouldn’t you?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/29/25

Not to worry: it’s still the Feenstras’ farm — Countryside Acres — in rural Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. But, as we learned recently, another family has moved into their newly-built guest house: Justin and Anita Pulley and their four young children, from Australia by way of the rugged Altai region of southern Siberia.

But, other than the fact that they will be living and working on the farm with the Feenstra clan, and that they have been in Russia longer and speak Russian more fluently than the Feenstras, not much else was revealed about them. So of course, I went digging. And I found them on YouTube.

It turns out that the Feenstras aren’t the only, or even the first, immigrant social media stars transplanted to the land of the tsars and the commissars. Although the Pulleys don’t really qualify as “stars.” The video from Altai in 2021 in which Justin and Anita answer questions about themselves lacked the pizazz of a Feenstra presentation. They merely sat and spoke to the camera; there was no activity; no children (they had three at the time) were in sight, other than an infant being swaddled, totally hidden, against Anita’s chest.

But they were personable and likable, and offered a good bit of information about their backgrounds and how they had landed in Siberia.

Like the Feenstras, their story indicated that they are conservative Christians, farmers, and believers in the joys of a large family. Justin was a carpenter and builder in Australia; Anita worked as a waitress and barista, and then for the Australian postal service. Both had worked from about age 15.

Justin first came to Russia in 2013 with a group that included the man who would eventually become his father-in-law; their purpose was to help build a church for a religious group. Justin said it was then that he realized he had harbored “a few misconceptions about what Russia was like,” and that it had “moved forward” since the 1990s. He returned in 2014, and decided he wanted eventually to live there.

The couple have been married since 2017, and have four children, three of them born in Russia. The video I watched — made four years ago — focused mainly on their backgrounds, and didn’t offer much insight into what they had accomplished since arriving in a mountainous area of Russia bordering Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and China.

But Justin did say that their goal was to start a farming enterprise, first as a family business and later to expand. He added that they would appreciate any support they might receive from viewers — whether just by clicking “like” and “share” on their Facebook or Telegram posts, or financially by contributions via PayPal (the link was provided at the end of the video).

During the filming session, Justin had been sipping from what appeared to be a stainless steel, drip-proof, thermal travel mug. Seeming suddenly to realize that he was holding it in his hand, he held it up and launched into a demonstration of its usefulness, its excellent design and construction, and its easy cleanability. Finally, while making sure that the name on the mug was facing the camera, he offered a disclaimer: “They are not sponsoring us; we are just very happy with the product.”

It was the perfect infomercial . . . much like the ones we see from Arend Feenstra — though Arend’s are presented a bit more subtly — for everything from tractors to insulation material to chicken feed to the (not-so-subtle) phone number of the regional immigration help center.

*. *. *

I will need to watch more of the Pulleys’ videos to learn what they’ve been up to during the past four years, and to search out some answers to the questions that naturally come to mind, such as:

> Why dd they leave Altai for Nizhny Novgorod? Was it voluntary, and if so, how did they connect with the Feenstras?

> If they were ordered to move, why? And why to the Feenstra farm? Did Arend Feenstra request help from the government, or is this part of a specific agricultural program?

> If Arend Feenstra asked for help and received it, what kind of influence does he have that he was able to make it happen?

> Or if it was due to an official order, how did the Feenstras feel about having to build a house for — and have their private lives invaded by — six complete strangers?

As always in Russia, there are far more questions than we can expect answers to. But one thing is clear: Vladimir Putin is making the most of this inexplicable influx of immigrant families from Canada, the U.S., Australia, and probably other countries as well.

Perhaps he’s just trying to replace the thousands of people he’s deporting back to Central Asia.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/28/25

He may not be able to remember Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s name, or the correct pronunciation of Namibia; but when it comes to getting what he wants, Donald Trump’s mind is a steel trap. He forgets nothing.

And that includes the beautiful, resource-rich, strategically-located, autonomous Danish territory of Greenland.

Trump wants it — really, really wants it — allegedly for “security purposes.” But the Greenlanders and the Danes are determined to hold onto it. It is, after all, theirs.

There was a big push to send a U.S. delegation there last March; the locals, both in Denmark and in Greenland, strongly expressed their outrage at Trump’s presumptuous proposal; and not much more has been heard about it in recent months.

Until yesterday, that is, when the U.S. envoy to Denmark was summoned to the Danish Foreign Ministry to discuss a report that a number of American men have been attempting to conduct “influence operations” on the island. [Catherine Nicholls and Henrik Pettersson,, CNN, August 27, 2025.]

According to an investigation by Danish public broadcaster DR, at least three Americans with “ties” to Trump have been conducting active operations in Greenland, apparently attempting to influence public opinion in favor of an American annexation of their homeland.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said on Wednesday:

“We are aware that foreign actors continue to show an interest in Greenland and its position in the Kingdom of Denmark. It is therefore not surprising if we experience outside attempts to influence the future of the Kingdom in the time ahead.” [Id.]

The U.S. State Department, confirming that Charge d’Affaires Mark Stroh had met with the Danish Foreign Ministry “at their request,” also stated that theirs had been “a productive conversation [that] reaffirmed the strong ties among the government of Greenland, the United States, and Denmark.” [Id.]

The State Department spokesman then added that they had “no comment to provide on the actions of private US citizens in Greenland. The US Government does not control or direct the actions of private citizens. The President, the Vice President, and the Secretary of State have all been clear: the United States respects the right of the people of Greenland to determine their own future.” [Id.]

Really? Since when? Has Trump actually reversed his position, or is this just more bureaucratic double-speak? And who are those three mysterious American men wandering around Greenland?

No, wait! Don’t tell me . . . let me guess. Perhaps they’re just three opportunistic MAGA suck-ups who think helping Trump win control of Greenland will land them influential jobs in Washington for which they are totally unqualified. You know . . . like the rest of the administration.

Or maybe they’ve watched Dan Akroyd and Chevy Chase blundering through “Spies Like Us” one too many times, and think a little espionage activity would be a load of fun.

Not plausible? Then what? They couldn’t be the genuine article, sent by the U.S. government to snoop around and — heaven forbid! — possibly influence another country’s vote . . . could they?

Whatever the answer, it has brought Greenland — and Trump’s lust to acquire it — back into the spotlight. And I’m sure the good people of that nation are simply thrilled.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/28/25

Remember seeing pictures of these?

They are photos from mid-20th-century Moscow, USSR, when larger-than-life statues and posters of Soviet leaders were everywhere.

You still see their equivalent in countries around the world ruled by autocrats and dictators. They are a constant reminder of the omnipotence of their leaders.

*. *. *

Now take a look at this:

No, you’re not seeing things. And it’s not an AI-created picture; it is an actual photograph of the U.S. Department of Labor Building in Washington, D.C., sporting a gigantic poster of Donald Trump bearing the legend, “American Workers First.” And on the other side of the big American flag is a similar portrait of the renowned trust-busting President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, with the same legend.

The difference — well, one of the thousand or so differences —- between the two men is that Roosevelt actually did place the interests of American workers at the forefront of his labor policies, whereas Trump has done nothing but force thousands of people out of work, slash their earned benefits, and demolish their social safety nets . . . all in the interest of lining his own and his billionaire friends’ pockets.

That — and plastering his face on buildings to remind the common people who is the boss — is the stuff of which dictators are made. Yet Trump somehow felt the need, two days in a row this week, to “reassure” the American people and his Cabinet that he is most assuredly not a dictator.

Methinks the old boy doth protest too much.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/27/25