Law, Power, and Justice

7-8 May 2026: Thursday 4:30 PM
NEWS NOTES FROM A CHILDLESS CAT LADY WORKING AWAY IN A SUB-BASEMENT OF THE MINISTRY OF SNARK
Quotes:
· “It’s the most corrupt administration I’ve ever seen in my life.” David French on Nicolle Wallace, MS Now.
· “It’s a small price to pay…” for saving all those lives. (Not Your) Buddy Carter, District 1, Georgia talking about gas prices. Carter can’t even conduct a town hall. He is horrible. (5/8/26).
· “Donald Trump’s friend,…Putin…openly planning to kill Americans….scheming with Iranians to kill Americans.” Joe Scarborough, MSNow 5/6/26.
· “Donald Trump hates experts.” Joe Scarborough, 5/8/26.

News Notes: (5/7/26) Russia and Ukraine
· Russia has announced that it is “escalating the temporary transfer and deportation of Ukrainian children to participate in Russian-run summer camp programs in occupied Ukraine and Russia.” (quote from Institute for the Study of War, ISW).
· Russian Cossack organizations are “increasingly penetrating the school system in occupied Ukraine” (ISW)
· Artek International Children’s Center (sanctioned for its role in the forced transfer, deportation, and re-education of Ukrainian children) is “becoming increasingly involved in the production and provision of components for the Russian military.” (ISW)
· Ukraine has now survived four winters of systematic Russian strikes on its energy infrastructure. Kviv Independent.
· The Insider: Secret program which teaches hacking inside Bauman University. Instructor GRU. Also criticizing the Russian elite. There is disaffection with Putin.
·
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome – Johns Hopkins Connective Tissues Disorder Clinic.
Morning Joe Gossip: Joe is driving everybody crazy, especially the dreadful Mika. I think she’s going to run away with the weatherman, Bernie Rayno.

News Notes: Russia (5/8/26)
· The Economist is reporting on a document indicating that Russia at one point offered to provide Iran with unjammable dromes to fight the United States.
· Economist: “Now a confidential document obtained by the Economist from a trusted source suggests that Russia has offered to provide Iran with unjammable drones and training on how to use them against American troops in the Gulf and perhaps elsewhere. Until now, …Putin’s government is tougt to have provided intelligence that enabled Iran to target American forces in the Middle East. This is the first evidence that it may also have offered to supply innovative weapons in large enough numbers to inflict many casualties on American and allied forces….The secret plan involves Russia providing Iran with 5,000 short-range fibre-optic drones of the sort used in the war in Ukraine, an unknown number of longer-range satellite-guided drones, and training to use both. It is contained in a ten-page proposal prepared by the GRU, the intelligence arm of Russia’s armed forces, for presentation to Iran.”
· “a remarkable document” Shashank Joshi, Defense Editor. “quite detailed”
· Joshi: The U.S. must realize its limits of leverage over Iran. The eventual plan will resemble the plan hammered out by Obama. Ramping up leverage through strikes has failed. Only 25% of millile launchers. Continued strikes represent “catastrophic consequences to the world economy.”
News Notes: Trump Administration
· The Washington Post is reporting that the national debt has taken a turn upward and Washington barely notices.

News Notes: Trump Administration Graft, Greed and Corruption
News Notes: Media: Steve Bannon (5/8/26)
· Bannon has Phillip Patrick, of the Birch Gold Group on his show going on about Biden and banks buying gold. They are also whining about the national debt, as if they had nothing to do with driving it into the sky.


Life Notes: Hiram Bernard
· Hiram is rail thin and has stopped eating on his own. We are now back to feeding him through a tube in his stomach. He went downstairs when I fed the other cats and bowl-shopped their bowls even though he hadn’t finished his own. That’s a good sign. We have another appointment next week, but we are both depressed with the fact that he went back to having to be fed. We are not ready for him to leave us. He is such a precious soul.