Friday 27 August 2026

RUSSIA AND UKRAINE

ARTICLE: Altman, Howard and Tyler Rogoway (8/26/26) “Claims swirl around CIA director’s reason for secret Moscow visit, nearly all of them are terrifying. TWZ Newsletter.

LIFE AND NEWS NOTES FROM AN ENDERLY, CHILDLESS, OVER-EDUCATED (ACCORDING TO J. F…ING D. VANCE) CAT LADY BEAVERING AWAY IN ONE OF THE SUB-BASEMENTS OF THE MINISTRY OF SNARK

· Most of the reports indicate that CIA Director Radcliff was delivering a warning to Putin. The exact nature of the warning, however, is unclear.

· One line of reasoning is that Radcliff was delivering a warning not to attack a NATO country. This is based on all the actions which seemed to be testing NATO’S resolve.

· Some reports indicate that he is mulling the use of tactical nuclear weapons.

· Other reports indicate an increase in offensive operations in Ukraine as a pay back for the damage is country is currently suffering.

ISRAEL

ARTICLE: Haaretz Editorial (8/27/26) “Israel must choose between itself and its West Bank settlements.” Haaretz.

· The argument being made is that settlements protect Israel. The opposing argument is that Israel doesn’t have enough troops to protect these settlements or deal with the friction they create.

· “Israel doesn’t need the settlements, but it wants them…”

ARTICLE: Khoury, Jack (8/26/26) “Analysis: By smashing a Palestinian monument, an Israeli far-right law-maker brought West Bank reality to light.” Haaretz.

· “Tzvi Succot took a hammer to a Palestinian monument in the West Bank, and thus exposed…the IDF doesn’t stop settlers’ violence, it often enables it.”

· Succot is a far-right lawmaker. He is a Knesset member, “who operated under the protection of the Israeli military…this is ot an isolated incient, but pat of a dangerous and continuous escalation.”

· “For many Palestinians, the distinction between a soldier and a settler has become increasingly blurred.”

· “Another soldier added, “Three battalions had to be deployed so that a Knesset member could enter for 20 minutes, takr a picture with a flag, and leave. Not a single person in that entire force didn’t feel humiliated.”

· Security resources were exploited to stage a political event.

· “It was madness.” Another soldier said.

ARTICLE: Shpigel, Noa (6/4/26) “Far-right MK Tzvi Succot attempts to break into Arab Isreali school with disc saw. Haaretz.

· According to a spokesperson, Succot arrived for a tour of a local council but was blocked from entering classrooms. Succot vowed to cut funding for schools which he said “educate for crime.” He was filmed trying to break into a school using a disc saw to cut through the school fence.

· Succot is of the Religious Zionism party.

· “Succot Has also previously sought to ban Harit’s articles from high school final exams and called for shooting Palestinians who set fire to waste and caused widespread air pollution.”

CUBA

ARTICLE: Al Jazeera Staff and Reuters (8/20/26) “U.S. pummels Cuban economy with new sanctions on mining, construction.” Aljazeera

· Another round of sanctions has been announced against Cuba. This time the sanctions are targeting nine state-owned mining, etal and construction companies.

· Cuba holds significant deposits of cobalt and nickel.

· Also sanctioned were three leaders at the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) a state organization “designed to foster international relations.”

· Earlier this year, Trump said that once attention had left the Iran situation, “Cuba is next.”

· Measures already taken have led to energy blackouts and shortages of crucial goods, including medicine. The measures also brought about accelerating infant mortality rates, a decline in survival among children with cancer, according to the UN.

Well, cleaning day is over. We have spent another day just trying to straighten out the bedroom. We got the printer up and working, but it seemed to take forever.