Butterflies!

If we wish to challenge our firing, we have to submit some forms and, as we are approaching the deadline, we have to do it now. Cornell Law School created a cartoon video to help us fill it out (!!!). The voice of the female cartoon character sounds like she is barely holding it together and is about to cry. 

I hate forms. 

Yes, I understand the irony of working for the government when I hate forms. 

Fortunately, a different lawyer gave us better and explicit instructions for filling the form out. It took three hours, two devices, two browsers, but I got it. 

I’m so grateful to all the people who have worked so hard, USAID people and attorneys, to help us.

Putin has gone to China. Trump put tariffs on India to discourage it from buying Russia’s oil. Tension is growing within Russia’s elite. If India bought less, it would really hurt Russia because Russia is already so close to recession. Janis Kluge, an economist at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs said that the economic situation is such Russia needs to resolve the war. Russia is making only incremental gains and a former but anonymous senior Russian finance official said “the war itself is at a dead end.” A Russian business executive who is also anonymous because he doesn’t want to fall out of a high window said, “If the war doesn’t end next year, there will be risk of economic crisis.” Economists say Russia can sustain its war effort for another 12-16 months with current sanctions.