Sun - Shana Tova! No Truth, Not Social, No Money

Putin and the Mullahs Sitting in a Tree, K-I-L-L-I-N-G

Ukraine says the southern port city of Odesa was hit by Iranian-made drones, two days after a similar Russian attack reportedly killed two civilians. Iran denies its drones are used in the conflict.

Thank Jail You For Your Service

In an alarming statistic, roughly one-third of U.S. military veterans say they have been arrested and jailed at least once in their lives, compared to fewer than one-fifth of civilians, a report released last month by the Council on Criminal Justice found. The nonpartisan think tank cited service-related trauma, including PTSD, and substance abuse issues as some of the driving factors.

Now, advocates say, a unique, new Minnesota law may turn the tide at a critical point for millions of post-9/11 veterans, as many struggle to put the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War, the nation’s longest war, behind them.

Last August, Minnesota became the first state to allow veterans with service-related trauma to avoid serving time for certain crimes, while ensuring a conviction does not stain their record.

The Veterans Restorative Justice Act is not a get-out-of-jail-free card, and the measure does not show leniency to serious violent crimes, such as murder and manslaughter. But supporters say it is a compassionate way to hold veterans accountable for many less-severe cases, including theft and DWI, while treating underlying issues, such as PTSD.

Russia Better Hurry to Send In Their Untrained Old Men

The counteroffensive in Kharkiv that kicked off in the first week of this month set a pace that is hard for the Ukrainian army, or any army, to match. In a matter of days, they blasted through the Russian line that had held for months at towns like Balakliya, and drove over 60km straight across Kharkiv Oblast. At the same time, forces fanned out, liberating what had been one of Russia’s most important locations at Izyum and pressing Russian forces all the way to the border in the north. Over 8,500 square kilometers were liberated between September 6 and September 12 about halfway between a Delaware and a Connecticut worth of ground.

The end of that counteroffensive never happened. Or at least, hasn’t happened yet. Because on the heels of liberating Izyum and pushing to the west side of the Oskil River at places like Kupyansk, Ukraine immediately began making bridgeheads in new territory.

At multiple locations, Ukraine pushed across the Silverskyi Donets River, constructing pontoon bridges and successfully establishing forces in the same area where Russia attempts to cross the river had repeatedly met with massive losses. They moved across the Oskil River at least three locations upsteam, and crossed the bridge east of the town of Oskil, forming up a new line that faced to the northeast.

The expectations set by the success of the first days of this counteroffensive were so great, that it’s hard to realize that Izyum was liberated just 12 days ago. It wasn’t until September 14 that President Volodomyr Zelenskyy came to Izyum to thank the military and greet the liberated citizens of the city.

In the last two weeks, it may seem that things have slowed down, but they have absolutely not been slow. Here’s a map from September 7, the day after the counteroffensive really got rolling, and also the day we first learned that Ukrainian troops on the north side of the Siverskyi Donets were more than a few special forces paying a visit



That September 7 map doesn’t really show much north of Lyman. Mostly, that’s because there was nothing to see. Nothing but red. Everything in that area was occupied by Russia, and had been since April.



Here’s a look at where things stood a week later. Ukraine was still fighting to remove a remaining pocket of Russian forces in the city of Oskil and just starting to press a line of cities across the river. It was fighting to take places like Studenok and Sosnove. The liberation of Svyatohirske had just been confirmed. Take a look in the yellow area at the northwest of this map and spot Studenok. We’re going to look at it again.

Here’s a good guess at where things stand this Sunday morning. You can measure Ukraine’s progress just by how many new locations are identified on this map — locations that had been deep in Russian occupied territory.



See Novomykhailivka out there beyond Ridkodub? Russian sources indicate this is actually beyond the last line of Russia’s defense in the area. Russia is shooting back at Ukrainian forces that have moved north of their positions

Ukraine has liberated around 600 sq. kilometers (230 sq miles) in the last week.

The concern on Russian Telegram channels is no longer about holding onto Borova or even Lyman. The concern is that, with Ukraine again moving swiftly to capture locations well behind Russia’s fortified positions, the entire defensive line in this area is “fast collapsing.” Multiple sources indicate that Ukrainian forces are, right now, going for Makiivka, which is on a highway that acts as a supply line for those Russian forces to the south. And also happens to be in Luhansk Oblast.

All He Needs is a Miracle

The Ukrainian counteroffensive is yet another major development in the Russia–Ukraine war that took Russia entirely by surprise. Images of fleeing Russian soldiers, leaving behind equipment as well as evidence of war crimes, have once again filled the media. Wiping out months of Russia’s territorial gains, quick Ukrainian advances caused a domino effect; massive and chaotic Russian retreat left a huge hole in their defences.

Unable to stabilise the frontline after devastating defeats in Izyum and Kupiansk, Russia was forced to retreat along the Oskil and Seversky Donets rivers, leaving itself exposed to further Ukrainian advances and decimating any remnants of morale. Even the most pessimistic observers must admit that the way things are going, Russia needs nothing short of a miracle to avoid a devastating defeat.

Putin needs nothing short of a miracle to avoid a devastating defeat in Ukraine

Who Lost the Week?

Donald Trump, the focus of a NY State civil suit for falsifying loan and tax records, with the attorney general referring to the scheme as the Art of the Steal

The Trump adult children, also named (as part of the Trump Organization) as part of the NY State civil suit for their involvement in a massive fraud scheme

Doug Jensen, the Des Moines man seen at the front of the pack of rioters inside the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, found guilty of all seven charges against him

Donald Trump, as E. Jean Carroll, the writer who claims she was raped by Donald Trump decades ago in New York, is now planning to sue him for sexual battery under the state’s newly enacted “Adult survivors” law later this year

Trump judge Aileen Cannon, whose ruling granting Trump not only a special master but also delaying the examination of top-secret documents as he wanted – having the 11th Circuit unanimously overturn parts of her ruling: in one day

Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, a Jan 6th rioter who held a security clearance (and has dressed up as Adolf Hitler), sentenced to four years by a Trump judge who found his claim that he didn't know Congress met at the Capitol … to be laughable

Donald Trump, as his hand-picked special master (Raymond Dearie) is ordering his attorneys to present (in court) what their client has emphatically stated (on conservative media) where there is no sworn testimony

State party leader Kelli Ward (R-AZ), whose lawsuit to block a subpoena issued by the January 6th committee (to obtain her phone records) was dismissed by a judge, as Ward organized a slate of fake electors in the 2020 election

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), hit with two lawsuits over his scheme to dishonestly lure migrants from Texas onto flights to liberal enclaves: one on civil rights grounds, another on using Florida taxpayer money to fund the scheme

Donald Trump, on general principles

Vladimir Putin, whose war effort is going so badly he has threatened to clamp down on international travel in order to prevent potential conscripts from fleeing Russia, afraid of its largest mobilization since WW-II

There's No Truth and It's Not Social.  And Now There's No Money

There’s more bad news for the company that’s supposed to merge with Donald Trump’s Truth Social to take it public: Investors are beginning to jump ship.

Digital World Acquisition Corp. — the special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) that Truth Social needs to go public — revealed in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Friday that investors have backed out of $139 million in commitments of the $1 billion previously announced by the company.

There’s likely more to come. Investors, who agreed to put up the money nearly a year ago, can now drop their commitments because Digital World missed its initial Sept. 20 deadline to merge with Truth Social.

DWAC is extending the time frame for the deal by three months after shareholders refused to approve its bid for a 12-month extension. But investors can still back out.

It’s just the latest trouble for Digital World and Truth Social.

A key vendor complained last month that Truth Social bills were going unpaid. A major web-hosting operator said Truth Social owed about $1.6 million in contractually obligated payments, an allegation suggesting the operation’s finances are in “significant disarray,” Fox Business News reported.

In another setback, Truth Social’s application for a trademark was turned down last month because its name was too similar to other operations.

Truth Social is hardly the juggernaut some investors had hoped. The social media platform is largely a forum for Trump, who repeatedly posts messages touting himself and reposts articles from right-wing media praising him each day.