U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche may not have been trying to be funny yesterday, but I thought he was hilarious.
It seems that federal charges of drug trafficking and money laundering have been levied against Virginia State Senator L. Louise Lucas — who just happens to be the most powerful Democrat in the Virginia legislature, and an outspoken adversary of Donald Trump.
Senator Lucas of course has not admitted the allegations, and there aren’t enough facts publicly available at this time to draw any conclusions as to her likely guilt or innocence.
But in commenting on the investigation, Blanche — not known to possess a rollicking sense of humor — cracked me up when he told reporters at yesterday’s press conference that Lucas had:
“ . . . put her own financial interests before the people she was elected to serve . . .”
. . . and then, denying any political motivation for the investigation, he had the cojones to add:
“We don’t do political paybacks. . . . No one is above the law.”
[Source: AP News, October 22, 2026.]
Excuse me? “We don’t do political paybacks”??!!! When did you stop?
Such blatant hypocrisy would be laughable at any time, coming as it did from a member of the Trump administration. But are we really supposed to believe it was purely coincidental that the announcement of such an investigation — one that Blanche claims was initiated well before Donald Trump’s second term in office — was only made public 12 days before the midterm elections in a state that could play a major role in shifting the balance of power in the U.S. Congress?
Thanks for the laughs, Todd. If you ever get tired of playing Attorney General, I hear they’re running auditions at the Improv.
On Thursday, a day after his meeting with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff , Vladimir Putin said in a TV interview that Russia is ready to resume U.S.-mediated talks with Ukraine next month.
Steve Witkoff and Vladimir Putin – October 21, 2026
But of course, there are conditions. He said that future talks should focus on security guarantees for both Ukraine and Russia, as well as an overall framework for security throughout Europe. And he reiterated that he was interested only in seeking a satisfactory end to the conflict, and not a short-term ceasefire, saying:
“The goal of these talks will be to ensure the security of Ukraine and Russia after reaching peace agreements, in their final form, not as a result of a temporary ceasefire for some short period of time. We are ready to resume these contacts to achieve this goal.” [Vladimir Soldatkin and Maxim Rodionov, Reuters, October 22, 2026.]
He added that Witkoff had stressed that discussions must extend to “the architecture of European security as a whole. And I [Putin] agree with that too. Well, let’s see how things develop in the coming days.” [Id.]
On Ukraine’s part, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, after earlier having met with Witkoff, that Ukraine is ready for talks that support “any proposals for a ceasefire, an end to the war, an energy ceasefire as well as humanitarian initiatives.” [Id.]
Volodymyr Zelensky
It was not clear whether Putin himself would finally meet with Zelensky (and presumably Donald Trump), or where any such meetings would be held. Further, Putin again reinforced his insistence that those areas of Ukraine already occupied would remain Russian territory.He also claimed that residents of those regions — presumably Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia — had voted in a referendum during the first year of the war to become a part of Russia. The legitimacy of that referendum is questionable, of course, and remains a subject of dispute. But, according to Putin:
“Firstly, my attitude on this matter is that this is not their territory. It’s the territory of historical Russia.” [Id.]
Clearly, the two sides are still worlds apart, and it’s hard to see what, if anything, might be accomplished by further meetings as long as Putin remains recalcitrant on the question of territory. In addition, his insistence that Ukraine must waive any future consideration of membership in either NATO or the EU brings into serious question what he will propose regarding “the security of Ukraine and Russia . . . [and] the architecture of European security as a whole.”
But, as Putin so blithely remarked, we’ll see how things develop.
*. *. *
In 1986, Bjorn Ulvaeus and Tim Rice wrote the lyrics to a wonderful musical called “Chess,” about an imaginary chess match between an American and a Soviet chess master. In one song, titled “Nobody’s Side,” one of the characters sings:
“Everybody’s playing the game, But nobody’s rules are the same. Nobody’s on nobody’s side.“
It seems that some things never change. The Cold War may be officially over; the Soviet Union has splintered into 15 parts; and Mikhail Gorbachev has been replaced, first by Boris Yeltsin, and now by Vladimir Putin. But U.S.-Russian relations remain precarious at best.
Add to that the deeply ingrained animosity between Putin and Zelensky; stir in a dose of Trump’s infatuation with Putin leading to his indefensible betrayal of Ukraine; and it becomes painfully obvious that chess is not the only game in which “nobody’s on nobody’s side.”
This week, we celebrated the release of two Americans — Robert Gilman and Stephen Hubbard — from Russian prisons, both having been held as political hostages for around four years on trumped-up charges.
Steve Witkoff with Vladimir Putin – Moscow, October 21, 2026
But, while we rejoice at their homecoming, we cannot overlook the fact that it was accomplished at some as-yet-unknown cost to the United States and benefit to Vladimir Putin. We had already been made aware of the lifting of sanctions, the purchase of Russian diesel fuel, and the invitation to Putin to attend the G20 summit in Miami in December. What else is happening behind closed doors remains a mystery for now.
Of course, it is always necessary to negotiate with our enemies if we wish to accomplish anything. And it is expected that some concessions will probably be required . . . ideally on both sides.
But to show obeisance to a ruthless, tyrannical, warmongering mass killer like Vladimir Putin is absolutely unforgivable. Yet that is precisely what U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff did in Moscow when Hubbard’s release was finally assured. He did everything but genuflect as he told the Russian leader:
“You talk so much about my president, President Trump, being a humanitarian, you are a humanitarian also, sir, and I salute that, I commend you, and I thank you again.”
[Source: Mike Eckel, RFE/RL, October 21, 2026.]
*. *. *
I suddenly find myself entertaining visions of Dante’s 9th Circle of Hell (“Treachery”). I wonder why.
I’ve never received mail from a president before, so I should be excited. Shouldn’t I?
Well … maybe not so much.
To begin with, the envelope was not from the White House; it was a window envelope from the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. My first thought was, “Oh, crap! They’re increasing the Medicare premiums again.”
But I already knew that was happening; it was revealed along with the news that next year’s Social Security payments will increase by a whopping 3.6%. So it wasn’t that.
With trembling hands — well, okay, I exaggerate — I slit the envelope open, removed the single page, and began to read: “Dear Medicare enrollee [sic] . . .”
But first I noticed that the letter was dated October 8, 2026, and that it had taken two weeks for the U.S. government to deliver it to me. Then I saw that it contained information I had already read about on the internet . . . two weeks earlier, when it was originally announced.
Next my attention was caught by some darker scratch marks at the bottom of the page. They looked vaguely, startlingly, depressingly familiar. And I thought:
“I hope this isn’t an invitation to dinner at the White House!”
Obviously, it wasn’t. As for the contents, I’ll let you read it yourself:
At that point, I wanted to retch. But I wasn’t near the bathroom, so I controlled myself, folded the letter, placed it back in the envelope, and began composing a response. I’m not actually going to send it, of course, but I thought I’d share it with you, just for fun:
“Dear Donnie,
I know the proper way to address a president is “Mr. President.” But I didn’t vote for you, I can’t stand you and what you’re doing to my country, and I don’t think you deserve the respect.
You say that ‘Healthcare Dollars should benefit Patients, not insurance Companies or Government Bureaucrats.’ Well, I couldn’t agree more. But the $90 to which you refer, and which you so magnanimously present as though it were a personal gift from you, is in truth my money. I pay those f*cking premiums every single month out of my Social Security check. And those premiums don’t cover diddly-squat when it comes time for Medicare to pay the doctors . . . which means I have to carry supplemental insurance that costs me an additional $695 a month (it increased $100 a month last year alone!), and that doesn’t include my separate prescription policy for the five medications that are keeping me alive.
As for any governmental insurance plan, or your so-called TrumpRx, I wouldn’t put my trust in any program administered by your administration. Money just seems to slip right through your fingers and into your own pockets, and as crazy as it may seem, I’d rather deal with the private insurance companies.
Your ideas about rooting out waste, fraud and abuse, and restoring affordability, are excellent. But I would make one little suggestion here, and that is that you might want to start by cleaning out your own house first.
All of that aside, I did of course retain the $90 that was auto-deposited to my account over a week ago. I have read that a lot of people used that extra little windfall to contribute to a favorite charity or to the Congressional candidate of their choice, either of which is a fine thing to do.
I hope you won’t mind, but I chose to take a different path. Since Social Security is my only means of support, and I am rather old and somewhat infirm, I used it to buy groceries. It didn’t buy a lot, but every little bit helps these days. I guess you wouldn’t know about that, though.
Just one thing more: Concerning the letter itself — which I assume you either composed yourself or approved after Natalie drafted it — you really need to watch out for the incorrect usage of capital letters. I take it English wasn’t your best subject in school.
Very truly yours, A Concerned Citizen
P.S. I just realized that your letter appears to have been signed with — OMIGOD! — an Autopen!! I might have to call that to President Biden’s attention; I’m sure he’ll appreciate the irony.”
Today, one day after the release of Robert Gilman from a Russian prison, we learned that a second American citizen is returning home: Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired school teacher from Michigan who was arrested by Russian forces in 2022 for allegedly having served with Ukraine’s armed forces in its defense against the Russian invasion.
So, a double celebration today! Welcome home, Mr. Hubbard. May you know nothing but peace and happiness from this day forward.
Stephen Hubbard (R), with U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff
That said, I will have more tomorrow on the story behind the release of both Robert Gilman and Stephen Hubbard, as well as the ongoing discussions — about the remaining hostages and other matters — between the Trump and Putin regimes.
For the time being, though, I just wanted to share the happy news.
Never mind the billions of dollars spent on missiles and materiel.
And don’t even think about the cost of rebuilding the damaged and demolished structures in the cities, towns and villages.
This is the only loss that really matters:
Inna and Anhelina: Before the Attack
Inna was 28; little Anhelina was just a year old. They were killed by a Russian-launched drone while strolling through the park on a lovely fall day in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine. They had everything to live for.
There has been a lot of talk lately about Donald Trump’s very outspoken obsession with various people’s physical attributes. Much of what he says is insulting: calling people fat (look who’s talking!), ugly (ditto), effeminate, and in one case even — heaven help us — “Mongoloid.”
Then there are those he admires. Slender women with long blonde hair, big smiles, and a striking resemblance to his daughter Ivanka seem to head the list. And of course there’s the contingent of those who appear to be keeping at least one unethical plastic surgeon in business producing various iterations of the “Mar-a-Lago Face.”
Some men — but mercifully not all — are shallow enough to seek only two qualities in a woman: sex appeal and subservience. And that shallowness doesn’t seem to decrease with age; they just transition from disgusting young men to dirty old men.
But what about Trump’s comments on the physiques of other men? That has become truly bizarre of late, and was topped off on Saturday at a rally in Kentucky when he mentioned — not for the first time — his admiration of Ohio Republican Senator Jon Husted’s muscular build, saying:
“I examined his ass, and then I looked at his shoulders. I looked at his feet. I looked at his hand. I looked at his jawline. I then patted him on the shoulder, and it was like a piece of steel. I’m still recovering.”
[Source: Patrick Svitek, CNN, October 18, 2026.]
“Oh, please . . . no more!”
There are many who attribute this . . . um . . . let’s say “unacceptably unpresidential behavior” to a form of cognitive decline, perhaps dementia. Others just call it sexually aberrant. And maybe they’re right. Maybe it’s a bit of both. But I have another theory.
I am not a mental health professional. But I suspect it may just be the sad case of a mentally and physically deteriorating old narcissist who realizes he no longer has what it takes, and is so totally, insanely envious of younger, stronger, better-looking men that he can’t avoid making comparisons between them and himself.
Unfortunately, he also can’t stop sharing those thoughts with the rest of the world, usually trying to pass it off as a joke. Maybe that’s where the derangement comes in: he no longer possesses a verbal or moral filter (if he ever did).
It is, of course, deeply embarrassing to our country to have to admit that this shell of a man is our president. But, no matter how despicable and amoral an individual may be, it is sad to see any human being fall apart before our eyes.
Still, when that person holds the future of our country in his hands, shouldn’t the national welfare — and please excuse the pun — trump whatever sympathy we may feel?
I know it’s not Sunday, but when there is good news about any of Putin’s hostages, I can’t wait for my regular weekly report to share it.
There have been hints from the Trump administration recently of ongoing hostage negotiations, but without details . . . until yesterday, when it was announced that one of the Americans being held in the Russian penal system — former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman of Texas — has been released after more than four years of incarceration for allegedly having fought with a Russian police officer.
Robert Gilman
Gilman, 32, was released on humanitarian grounds due to serious health issues. In fact, when he was arrested in 2022, he said that he was already ill, and may have accidentally kicked a police officer while being detained. He had been working in Moldova as an English language teacher, and was visiting relatives outside of Moscow when he fell ill and was then arrested.
A State Department spokesman made the following statement on Tuesday:
“Thanks to the hard work of President Trump and Special Envoy [Steve] Witkoff, Mr. Gilman joins over 100 Americans whom the United States has freed during President Trump’s second term in office. This Administration will continue to work for the release of all Americans unjustly detained in Russia, including wrongful detainee Stephen Hubbard.” [ABC News, October 20, 2026.]
This is the best news I’ve heard on the hostage situation in a very long time, though Gilman’s health remains a serious concern. According to Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.), who has worked tirelessly for his release:
“Approximately 50 days ago, Robert was diagnosed with a dissociative stupor — a condition where he is non-responsive and unable to interact or eat. He was essentially catatonic and also suffered a severe case of pneumonia. We don’t yet know the full details of his current condition or the long-term impact on his recovery. I’m grateful that Robert is now on his way back to the United States to receive the life-saving care that he desperately needs.” [Id.]
Senator Edward Markey
In thanking both Trump and Senator Markey, Gilman’s sister Lexie Hudson said:
“The Russians treated my brother so badly. They hurt him for no reason, other than that he was both an American and a Marine. What did they get out of this? Why did they do this to such a wonderful person? I am looking forward to seeing Robert. I haven’t been able to speak with him once since this all began. We will make sure that he gets the treatment and support that he needs.” [Id.]
Robert Gilman’s release was not a prisoner exchange, as most have been; and in light of the other recent transactions taking place between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, I have to wonder what price the U.S. had to pay for his return, and what will be offered for the remaining prisoners.
I don’t know the total number of American hostages released during the 21 months of Trump’s second term, though the administration claims there have been more than 100. However, only two have been prisoners held in Russia: Marc Fogel and Ksenia Karelina. Robert Gilman is the third.
Those Americans now remaining as “guests” of the Putin regime, as far as I know, number between five and ten, and will be the subject of next Sunday’s report.
*. *. *
In the meantime, a homecoming is always a time for celebration. And we welcome Robert Gilman back, with best wishes for his speedy recovery. And sincerest thanks to all those on the American side who made it possible.
I will happily delete his name from our list this week.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had a call yesterday with a bipartisan group of Members of Congress concerning the U.S. position in light of Donald Trump’s disgraceful waiver of sanctions against Russia.
(L-R) Representatives Gregory Meeks, Adam Smith and Jim Himes
Following the conversation, Representatives Gregory Meeks, Adam Smith and Jim Himes issued a joint statement that bears repeating:
“The United States Congress stands strongly and unequivocally with Ukraine. Russia’s continued campaign of war crimes and its slaughtering of innocent civilians, aided by the Trump Administration’s pro-Putin agenda, demands urgent and forceful action from Congress to reaffirm that support.
“While Donald Trump has made clear that he is abandoning Ukraine in favor of Putin, we remain committed to working urgently with Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to advance legislation to compel the Trump Administration to deliver to Ukraine the security, economic, and intelligence support it needs to defend its people from Putin’s brutal and illegal invasion. We are also committed to working together to advance legislation to fix the Graham Act and prevent President Trump from unilaterally importing Russian energy and undermining U.S. national security interests.
“The Trump Administration has shown it cannot be trusted to do the right thing in support of Ukraine. Sapping Ukraine’s ability to defend itself will not result in a just and durable peace and is therefore both immoral and counter to the interests of the United States and our partners and allies. Congress must act and do what this administration refuses to do: Stand up for Ukraine, defend America’s interests, and make clear that autocratic aggression will not be rewarded.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
Thank you, Congressmen, for standing up — not only for Ukraine — but for the honor of the United States as well. Thank you for doing the right thing, and not caving in to the evil forces that threaten our democracy. And thank you for proceeding despite the Speaker’s forced recess.
The world looks forward to seeing your words translated into action.
Early yesterday afternoon, as I sat with my iPad in my lap, perusing Monday’s news and deciding what I would write about for today’s post, my screen suddenly froze. I was able to navigate between apps, but none of them functioned.
So I checked my settings, and learned that my internet was not available.
Well, I already knew that, didn’t I? I just didn’t know why. But then a text arrived on my phone (which, thank goodness, has 5G and was still alive) from my service provider, saying that there was a problem at my address and they were working on it.
The bottom line is that it was fixed, but not for a couple of hours. It seems the landscapers for our apartment complex were working just outside my windows and . . . well, you can guess.
It was during those hours — cut off from the world, or so it seemed — as I finally decided to get up out of my easy chair and do a few chores because what else is there to do when your internet is down — that I thought about the people who actually are in Moscow right now.
If you haven’t heard, Ukraine has finally, after nearly five years of devastation and death at the hands of Vladimir Putin’s bloodthirsty military, been giving Russia a taste of its own medicine. They’re not hitting schools, hospitals, apartment buildings, or other civilian facilities, but going straight for the industries that directly support Russia’s war: oil refineries and supply terminals, fuel tankers and other delivery systems, military installations . . . and now also the data centers belonging to Yandex.
Yandex is the “Russian technology company often described as the ‘Google of Russia’ because it operates the country’s most popular internet search engine and a vast ecosystem of digital services.” [Source: Google AI Overview.]
A Yandex Data Center
Oh, but it is so much more than just a repository of information. It is the nervous system that controls virtually all automated business transactions that people in Russia rely on every day: banking, ordering a taxi or food, online shopping, digital file storage . . . even the digital house keys used by some people. [Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, October 19, 2026.]
In a city of approximately 13 million people, imagine how many have been unable to access their money, pay their rent, buy groceries, and even get into their own homes. As one woman who was interviewed said:
“The uncertainty was scary. We realized just how much hangs on Yandex. We did not quite appreciate it before.” [Id.]
And the outages are not restricted to the Moscow area; they have been reported across the nation.
Moscow … but it could be anywhere in the world
When I lived in Moscow in 1993, nearly everything was still done manually and in person. There were no cell phones, no home computers, no internet, no digital anything. Many people didn’t even have cars or home phones; the waiting lists were years long. “Service industry” was an unknown concept.
In just 30 years, Russian society has made the leap from an absence of nearly everything to a wealth of 21st-century technology, and embraced it with the fervor of a child visiting his first toy store. And now, just as they’ve become dependent on the conveniences, their lifestyle is being threatened.
But before you reproach Ukraine for attacking civilian infrastructure, consider what else Yandex does . . . and the reason it’s been targeted.
Data centers are increasingly being utilized for their military value. Both sides — Russia and Ukraine — use battlefield data to improve operations and commanders’ situational awareness, potentially with AI-assisted planning. [Id.]
And Russia has for some time been targeting Ukraine’s data centers. So it should come as no surprise that Ukraine would strike back. It is an efficient means of disrupting Russia’s technical capabilities, but without the human casualties that Russia has been inflicting on Ukraine since 2022.
Attacking Civilians in Kyiv
So don’t feel too sorry for the Russian people who are being temporarily inconvenienced. Historically, they have lived through much worse, and have been adept at finding work-arounds to their problems.
At least they’re alive and in one piece . . . unlike the thousands of Ukrainian civilians who have so far become casualties of Putin’s war.
