It’s been another no-news week on the hostage front, so I’m taking advantage of the lull to focus on the seven Americans still known to be held in Russian prison camps and penal colonies . . . plus one who was released last year and immediately vanished.

Let’s start with the missing man, Joseph Tater. I first reported on his story on June 10, 2025. At that time, Tater — who had been arrested in August of 2024 on charges of hooliganism, but instead of being tried as scheduled was sent to a psychiatric facility in April of 2025 — was said by Russian news agency TASS to have been released “for outpatient treatment” as allegedly “the clinic had no reason to keep [him].” [RFE/RL, June 6, 2025.] The article in TASS added that “Tater was no longer in Russia but that his current whereabouts were unclear.” [Id.]

And there the trail runs cold. There is no verifiable indication that he received any follow-up outpatient treatment in Russia, that he actually exited Russia, or where he might have gone if he did leave. When he was originally admitted for psychiatric evaluation, he was said to have been in a confused state. Yet he was supposedly released, basically on his own recognizance — an unheard-of action involving a foreigner in Russia.

Joseph Tater’s fate is unknown, and his case is growing colder by the day. My thoughts? I don’t believe he ever left Russia, and I fear that he may no longer be alive. That is not based on any special information — it’s just a hunch based on the way the system works in Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Something happened to him, and someone knows what . . . but no one is talking.

As for the other seven Americans remaining as “guests” of the Putin regime, they are:

DAVID BARNES: Since 2024, he has been serving an extraordinary 21-year sentence for an unproven charge of abuse alleged by his former (Russian) wife to have been committed, not in Russia, but back home in Texas — where local investigators found no evidence of any wrongdoing.

STAFF SGT. GORDON BLACK: Sentenced in 2024 to three years and nine months for theft . . . also on the basis of unproven accusations by his former (Russian) girlfriend, who had lured him to Russia in the first place.

ROBERT GILMAN: Arrested in January 2022 on specious charges of engaging in an altercation with law enforcement officers who approached him when he was on his way to the U.S. Embassy in Moscow to report an earlier incident in which his passport had been mysteriously damaged while he was ill and receiving treatment. Sentenced to 4-1/2 years, he is supposed to be on the fast track to release, but U.S.-Russian negotiations have allegedly been held up by the present stalemate on the war in Ukraine.

STEPHEN JAMES HUBBARD: A retired teacher sentenced in October 2024 to six years and 10 months in prison for the mortal sin (in Putin’s mind) of having served in a Ukrainian defense unit.

MICHAEL TRAVIS LEAKE: In July 2024, sentenced to 13 years for “attempted drug smuggling” — a common form of entrapment in Russia.

ROBERT (ROMANOV) WOODLAND: A Russian-born American citizen, Woodland (originally named Roman Romanov) was adopted as a baby by U.S. scientists. While in Russia in 2024, he was similarly accused of drug trafficking and sentenced to 12 years and six months in a maximum-security penal colony.

EUGENE SPECTOR: Another American of Russian birth, Spector was sentenced in December 2024 to a 15-year prison term for allegedly having leaked biotechnology secrets to the United States.

*. *. *

There may be negotiations for the release of these hostages underway behind the scenes that have not been made public — nor should they be, until there is something substantive to report. But it is impossible to know whether the recent quiet means that there will soon be good news, or that — worst-case scenario — the hostages have been overlooked in the chaos of other world events.

That is why I continue to post reminders that these Americans — and the thousands of other political prisoners incarcerated in Russia and elsewhere — are still out there, awaiting our help. So once again, here is the list of those known, which sadly remains only a fraction of the total:

Prisoners of War:

The 20,000+ Kidnapped Ukrainian Children
The People of Ukraine

Immigrant Detainees in Russia:

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

Endangered Exiles:

Pavel “Pasha” Talankin
Mikita Losik
Yulia Navalnaya
Countless Journalists and Other Dissidents

Political Prisoners:

In Afghanistan:

Mahmoud Habibi (Afghan-American)
Paul Overby (American, missing since 2018)

In Azerbaijan:

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

In Belarus:

Andrei Chapiuk
Uladzimir Labkovich
Andrzej Poczobut
Marfa Rabkova
Valiantsin Stafanovic
Yuras Zyankovich

In Georgia:

Mzia Amaglobeli

In Russia:

The “Crimea 8”:
— Oleg Antipov
— Artyom Azatyan
— Georgy Azatyan
— Aleksandr Bylin
— Roman Solomko
— Artur Terchanyan
— Dmitry Tyazhelykh
— Vladimir Zloba

James Scott Rhys Anderson (British)
Aleksandr Andreyev
David Barnes (American)
Gordon Black (American)
Hayden Davies (British)
Anastasia Dyudyaeva
Antonina Favorskaya
Konstantin Gabov
Robert Gilman (American)
Stephen James Hubbard (American)
Sergey Karelin
Timur Kishukov
Vadim Kobzev
Darya Kozyreva
Artyom Kriger
Michael Travis Leake (American)
Aleksei Liptser
Grigory Melkonyants
Nika Novak
Leonid Pshenychnov (in Russian-occupied Crimea)
Nadezhda Rossinskaya (a.k.a. Nadin Geisler)
Sofiane Sehili (French)
Igor Sergunin
Dmitry Shatresov
Robert Shonov
Grigory Skvortsov
Eugene Spector (American)
Joseph Tater (American, disappeared)
Laurent Vinatier
Robert Romanov Woodland (American)

You have not been, and will not be, forgotten.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/3/26

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. That being the case, Donald Trump must truly admire Vladimir Putin, considering the way he keeps bending over backwards to suck up to him.

His most recent impersonation of Putin was a comment he made during remarks in Florida yesterday while trying to convince the world that he has everything under control in Iran. Warning that people shouldn’t talk about the U.S. not winning the war with Iran despite his having notified Congress earlier that the hostilities have “terminated,” he said:

“We get the radical left to say, ‘We’re not winning, we’re not winning.’ They [Iran] don’t have any military left. It’s unbelievable. It’s actually, it’s actually, I believe it’s treasonous, okay. You want to know the truth — it’s treasonous.” [Kit Maher, CNN, May 1, 2026.]

Consider this:

> In 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Putin passed wartime censorship laws making it illegal to refer to the conflict as a “war” or “invasion,” instead labeling it a “special military operation.” (Trump himself has referred to his invasion of Iran as a “military operation,” denying that it is a war in order to avoid the necessity of seeking Congressional approval.)

> The Russian laws provide for a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment for spreading false information about the Russian armed forces. Even repeatedly “discrediting” the military — including through social media posts, public acts, or simply wearing blue and yellow clothing — can result in criminal charges and imprisonment.

> And as we all know, independent journalists and media outlets have been shut down en masse, with many being forced to flee the country.

If that all sounds too familiar, it should. JHearing Trump speak of “treason” in the context of individuals stating their opposition to his illegal, immoral, expensive, completely unnecessary war against Iran is like listening to Putin himself dictating the text of his newest edict as he proclaims imminent victory in Ukraine.

The echoes of their words — including the nearly identical verbiage — ring in my head like so many alarm bells. And I have a mental image of our Constitution being shredded into ever-smaller pieces.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/2/26

“ON UNSPEAKABLE CRIMES . . . AND PUNISHMENT”

Most animals don’t copulate
Unless it’s time to procreate;
We humans are the only ones who do it just for pleasure.

It isn’t reproductive need — oh,
No, it’s simply our libido
That guides us in deciding how to use our time of leisure.

*. *. *

But look at where it’s gotten us,
That ever-present driving lust,
Combined with the entitlement that comes with tons of money:

Those lovely girls, so young and sweet,
Destroyed at Jeffrey Epstein’s feet,
By his debauched, disgusting friends who think it’s all so funny.

*. *. *

And those who have protected them,
By one who has directed them
To hide the trail of evidence that surely would reveal them

Will fry in hell one day as well,
Despite the bill of goods they sell,
When Trump, no longer president, won’t be there to conceal them.

*. *. *

That day cannot come soon enough,
When decent folks will call their bluff,
And prosecute them in the way of which they are deserving.

They’ll spend their few remaining years
Among their lowlife prison peers.
For them there will be no more lying, raping, theft or perving.

*. *. *

And all their victims will rejoice
When justice finally finds its voice,
And openly concedes that what was done was so horrendous

That, though it cannot be undone,
At least now peace to them will come,
And knowledge that the criminals no longer will offend us.

No one can hide forever.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/2/26

For years, I’ve thought I was just too old to relate.

I am old enough to remember when TV was a modern miracle, and dial telephones replaced the ubiquitous operators (except for emergencies and information). I loved the new VCRs, and welcomed the advent of the cell phone — my first one weighed a ton, was as solid as a Sherman tank, and had a retractable antenna. Even the first desktop computers were great fun, and tremendous time-savers. I mastered them all.

But somewhere along the way, things seemed to get out of hand. Technology was no longer just about speed and convenience; the arrival of “smart” devices brought with them a loss of privacy, a feeling that too many people suddenly knew too much about us, and the knowledge that, once entered into a computer, your information could never be erased. The devices were getting smarter than we were.

And, like cars, the “smarter” the devices became, the more complicated the technology was. I used to be able to fix problems with my first IBM Model B electric typewriter, or check and add oil or water to my early automobiles. Today, I live in dread of touching the wrong icon on my phone; and I couldn’t find a dipstick under the hood of a new Chevy if you gave me a schematic of the engine. If they even have dipsticks anymore.

Then came something terrifyingly called “Artificial Intelligence.” And I knew immediately that the enemy had arrived. On the upside, I finally realized that I wasn’t too old to get it; the truth was that I had been smart enough to foresee it.

And my problem with AI isn’t just that it’s smarter and quicker than I am; I’m reasonably intelligent, but certainly not Mensa material. There’s always going to be someone smarter, and I’m okay with that. No, the real issue is the potential for misuse of AI by evil people . . . much like the invention of gunpowder some 12 centuries ago.

Then, as if I needed further proof, along came a story in yesterday’s media about the use of the latest technology by U.S. federal agents to track — not only criminals and illegal aliens — but everyday, law-abiding American citizens.

In January of this year, when ICE agents arrived in the State of Maine in search of illegals, a woman named Liz McLellan was one of many local residents who watched the events unfold. She took pictures of an arrest being made, then did something foolish: she followed a federal officer driving an unmarked vehicle to see where he was headed next. To her surprise, he led her directly to her own house, blocked her driveway, and — with other federal officers who arrived in separate vehicles — boxed her car in. One agent then ominously told her:

“This is a warning. We know you live right here.” [Shane Shifflett and Hannah Critchfield, Wall Street Journal, April 30, 2026.]

How did the agent know who she was and where she lived? Simple. According to the Wall Street Journal’s findings, the U.S. government is currently spending hundreds of millions of dollars on technology that gives agents access to home and workplace addresses of American citizens, their social media accounts, vehicle information, flight history, law-enforcement records, and data to track their daily movements. [Id.]

Let that sink in.

When I first visited the Soviet Union as a tourist in 1988, it was assumed that our group — and all foreigners — would be under surveillance. Even later, when I was in Russia on business in the 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the KGB made no secret of the fact that they knew who and where I was. I was never threatened, but they made their presence felt.

I never expected that I might one day be subjected to the same sort of potential scrutiny by my own government in my own home.

According to the WSJ report, “The government’s tracking system relies on an amalgam of public and private information sifted, sorted and packaged by contractors that include Palantir Technologies, Deloitte, Japanese conglomerate NEC and smaller spyware specialists.

“The Department of Homeland Security has put these surveillance tools — facial-recognition software, location tracking and social-media scrapers once aimed largely at suspected terrorists and drug-traffickers — in the hands of federal immigration agents, who can identify, research and track virtually anyone by entering a name, license plate or by s imply taking a person’s photo.

“The government surveillance system has advanced since the 9/11 terrorist attacks with the aid of artificial intelligence and the linking of government records with far-reaching commercial databases. It has been used against people whom the government alleged opposed or obstructed the immigration crackdown.” [Id.]

*. *. *

The obvious first question is whether this is legal. There are pending law suits by individuals and civil liberties groups, attempting to establish that, indeed, it is not. (For further details, I highly recommend reading the entire WSJ article.) The government, of course, claims entitlement under the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) of 1978.

But FISA only authorizes warrants for monitoring “agents of foreign powers” . . . although Section 702, which has just expired and is under Congressional consideration for reauthorization, does allow for warrantless collection of Americans’ communications when they interact with foreign targets. Luckily, that does not describe most of us.

The PATRIOT Act was signed into law in October of 2001 by then President George W. Bush following the 9/11 attacks, in order to strengthen national security and enhance information-sharing among law enforcement agencies to prevent terrorism. Unfortunately, some key provisions include expanding “roving wiretaps” and “sneak-and-peek” search warrants, raising concerns about citizens’ civil liberties.

So, while the courts try to untangle this very tangled web, the government continues on its merry search through our personal lives, using whatever information they may glean to root out and punish perceived “enemies” in our midst.

And no one — unless you live in a cave and have no electronic footprint whatsoever — is exempt.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/1/26

When in need of a touch of humor in the midst of the world’s insanity, I can always count on Ambrose Bierce, author of The Devil’s Dictionary, The Unabridged Devil’s Dictionary, and other delights. Today’s selected definition is short, sweet, and smack on target:

“Politics, n. Strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles.”

That does it for me today.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/1/26

The larger-than-life posters on government buildings in Washington . . . a $400M ballroom . . . a triumphal arch that would block the sweeping view from the Lincoln Memorial to Arlington National Cemetery . . . his image on the new U.S. passports . . . the coins and currency . . . the renaming of everything from airports to the Kennedy Center to . . .

Well, you know the rest. But apparently, none of that is enough. Nothing will ever be enough for the Ego That Ate America.

And now, there is the 15-foot gold-leaf bronzed statue, fist raised in defiance, “gracing” the entrance to Donald Trump’s Doral Golf Club in Miami, Florida. And it was installed just in time for the PGA’s Cadillac Championship Tour on April 28th.

The statue is the creation of artist Alan Cottrill, who hopefully is not delusional enough to believe he just outdid Michelangelo’s David — although that true masterpiece, which resides in the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence, Italy, is 17 feet tall, sculpted of the finest marble, and unabashedly naked. Thankfully, Mr. Cottrill had the decency to spare us that last detail.

David has survived more than 500 years; I doubt that Trump’s “Don Colossus,” as it is sometimes being called, will survive more than a week after its namesake leaves office . . . or until he loses the Doral property in a bankruptcy proceeding, whichever occurs first.

Trump’s newest likeness depicts him defiantly raising a fist following the July 2024 shooting in which he was said to have sustained an injury to his right ear. But word is that he did not commission the work himself; rather, it was the project of a cryptocurrency group known as $PATRIOT, for reasons that I cannot fully comprehend (other than, you know, sucking up). But whoever first had the brainstorm, it could not have been completed without the express permission of the person it is intended to glorify and the owner of the property on which it is installed: Donald J. Trump himself.

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: You just can’t buy class. And as proof:

I have only this to add: Enough gold already!

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/1/26

The pomp and circumstance are behind us: the rare appearance before a joint session of Congress, the state dinner at the White House, the tour of the non-existent ballroom. And it is fair to say that King Charles III was a hit with the American people.

We’ve all heard and read his speech to Congress, which drew several standing ovations from Democrats and Republicans alike. And we’ve chuckled at his witty remarks to the beautifully-dressed gathering at the white tie dinner. But what stood out most glaringly to me — and to millions of others — was one delicately-worded swipe at Donald Trump’s ongoing decimation of the U.S. Constitution, in which he pointed out the shared origin of our two countries’ legal systems:

“The U.S. Supreme Court Historical Society has calculated that Magna Carta is cited in at least 160 Supreme Court cases since 1789, not least as the foundation of the principle that executive power is subject to checks and balances.”

– King Charles III, Address to the U.S. Congress, April 28, 2026

The Magna Carta was signed by King John of England in 1215 to establish that everyone — including a king — is subject to the law of the land. It also guaranteed due process, trial by a jury of peers, and other fundamental rights. It later became a principal basis for the framing of our own Constitution.

The reference could not have been clearer, and the members of Congress rose to their feet to let the world know that they understood its meaning. Now, if they will only act accordingly.

Well done you, King Charles. Well done you.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
4/30/26

This week, a nation that was formed 250 years ago in protest of a mad king (George III) welcomed his direct — and very sane — descendant, King Charles III, and cheered as he showed us what inspirational leadership looks like.

Let me start with a disclaimer: My feelings about royalty in today’s world are very much the same as my feelings about Christmas. Having been raised in the Jewish tradition, the holiday holds no religious significance for me. But I love the more secular inspiration behind it, of “peace on earth, good will toward all.” And I revel in the beauty of the season: the lights, the music, the sharing of our bounty with those we love and those in need.

Similarly, while I feel that royalty in the modern world is something of an anachronism, I do understand and respect the attachment of a people to their ancient history and traditions. And there is something awe-inspiring in the pageantry, the devotion to public service, and the continuity that invokes a sense of security and national identity.

While today’s kings and queens are largely considered to be no more than figureheads, divorced from the “real” — or more accurately, the sordid — world of politics, they provide the sort of moral compass we so desperately need in an age consumed by greed, malice, and an insatiable lust for power.

And that is what King Charles brought to the former American Colonies this week.

Yes, he had the expertise of the royal speech writers behind him. But his personal touch was evident in the words; and the passion, dignity, and quiet force with which he delivered them moved even the Republican side of the U.S. Congress to reward him with several standing ovations.

In his quiet manner, he continued that evening to exhibit a breathtaking combination of good breeding, subtle humor, and diplomatic savvy throughout the State dinner at the White House, while the resident oaf struggled to retain even a modicum of dignity.

So, thank you, Your Majesty, for making the trip despite our recent differences, and for bringing a much-needed touch of class and good sense to Washington.

All of which makes me wonder: If the colonists had been patient long enough to survive the reign of George III, deep-sixed the Revolution, and instead remained under British control, would we have been better off today?

Possibly not . . . but a comparison of the present state of our two countries — and yes, I have been to England and experienced it for myself — leads me to think that it would not have been a bad thing.

Not bad at all.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
4/30/26

What is truth? To me — and according to the English-language dictionary — it’s what can be scientifically or empirically proven: “a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle, or the like . . . ideal or fundamental reality apart from and transcending perceived experience,” etc. Everything else can be classified as faith, opinion, prejudice, or wishful thinking . . . in my humble opinion.

In today’s political environment, however, truth has become a rare commodity, with an over-abundance of lies and prejudices being too easily disseminated and enhanced by the ready availability of social media.

But how do we combat the evil forces of untruth? Once again, I found a beautifully simple answer in the writings of my old friend William Shakespeare, in a play with which I admit I am not familiar — thus sparing you my usual synopsis (you’re welcome):

“And I can teach thee . . . to shame the devil
By telling truth. Tell truth and shame the devil.
If thou have power to raise him, bring him hither,
And I’ll be sworn I have power to shame him hence.
O, while you live, tell truth and shame the devil!”

– Shakespeare, King Henry IV, Part 1 – Act III, Scene 1

Which is why leaders are so desperately trying to silence those who speak the truth: because they know that, given the light of day, it will defeat them.

In L. Frank Baum’s classic The Wizard of Oz, all it took to melt the Wicked Witch of the West was a bucket of water; in real life, all we need are facts . . . and the courage to “tell truth and shame the devil.”

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
4/29/26

I’m thoroughly confused.

After a period of silence, a video of Anneesa Feenstra and the younger children appeared several days ago — obviously having been filmed some days or weeks earlier, judging from the weather and the clothes they were wearing — in which she announced that they were winding up their stay in North Carolina and heading back to Canada. There were even shots of Arend arriving at the campsite to drive them all back.

Then, three days ago, there was a YouTube video of their tenants, the Pulley family, back on the farm in Nizhny Novgorod, in which they excitedly told us that the Feenstras were due back “on Friday.” Again, the date was unclear, but based on the weather there, they also appeared to be in that transition period between winter and spring, when shoots are popping up from beneath the earth’s surface but the weather gods still occasionally hit you with a surprise snow squall. It looked like late March or early April in Russia as well.

Justin and Anita Pulley have been busy this winter, keeping the snow cleared from around the house and other farm buildings; tending to the cows, sheep, pigs and chickens (not to forget Lucy the dog); dealing with van and tractor troubles, a broken barn door, frozen water troughs . . . all the things that farmers deal with throughout a snowy winter season. So they will surely be happy to see the Feenstras again.

And then . . . this happened:

But yesterday, a new episode was posted on YouTube by Arend Feenstra — also showing bare trees and a dreary landscape as though filmed in late March or very early April — in which the family is seen in their camper, driving through Virginia’s Cumberland Gap as they head north toward Canada. And at long last, some of my questions were answered.

With Arend narrating, I learned that the video was made on April 6th — early April, as I had guessed. They planned to stay another couple of days before hitting the road for Canada, where he said he might do another week’s work before flying back to Russia.

(Question: Can they be sure of getting last-minute plane reservations? I hope so.)

He then reiterated what he has said before about the reason for the trip: that he needed to earn enough money for some much-needed farm equipment, to replenish their depleted savings, and to cover the $25,000 in plane fare plus other expenses of the trip. I have to say, Arend and son Wes must have worked their butts off to earn that kind of money in just over three months. I do hope they remember to pay their Canadian taxes next year.

And then Arend went on to answer the question some of his viewers have asked as to how they could leave the farm for such a long time. Expressing his gratitude to the Pulleys for taking over in their absence, he said that there would have been virtually nothing for them to do on the farm this winter, and that this would probably be their last chance to take advantage of the lull.

But there’s always busy work on a farm, as Justin Pulley will no doubt gladly testify. So what it all boils down to, again, is the opportunity — available in Canada, but not in their beloved Russia — to earn a substantial amount of money to carry them until their farm becomes profitable, hopefully this year.

*. *. *

So there you have the Feenstra update, at least through April 6th. I’m still left wondering when they actually arrived back at their ancestral home in Canada, and when they’re expected to return to their adopted home in Russia . . . if they’re not already there. These long periods of air silence are unusual for a family that has been so highly visible for so long, normally sharing with us all of the daily adventures of their hard-working, sometimes peripatetic lives.

From the time they first announced that they would be heading off on their months-long sabbatical to Canada and the U.S., I have been puzzled by the Feenstras’ scant explanations of the trip’s purpose, how they were able to afford it, and — most interestingly — how they were able to leave Russia and their farm for such an extended period. Arend’s most recent “answers” are no different from what he has said before, and I am still not satisfied that there is no government propaganda ploy behind it all. Between Russia’s restrictions on immigrants, and diplomatic relations with the West complicating travel, they would otherwise have had to untangle some major red tape in order to make it happen . . . just as they needed official approval and assistance to obtain their farm in the first place.

But then, nearly everything about the Feenstras of Ontario and Nizhny Novgorod raises questions that never seem to be answered. And that, of course, is part of the fascination. So I continue to look forward to the news, and videos, of their homecoming to the farm in their adopted Russian paradise. Meanwhile . . .

Добро пожаловать домой, Feenstras! (“Welcome home, Feenstras!”)

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
4/29/26