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David Tan of Middleton, Wisconsin, spent 40 years in the cockpit as a military, professional and private pilot and he’s still in the air, but now his co-pilots are mostly rescue dogs. Since 2012, he’s flown more than 360 dogs to safety as well as 23 cats, a potbelly pig and even a bat that he helped deliver to a rescue preserve.

Tan transports the animals in his Aermacchi SF-260, a two-person Italian plane used for aerobatics and by countries with smaller air forces.

It all started back in 2012 when he heard about Pilots N Paws, a 501(c)(3) organization that brings together pilots and shelters to transport pets to safety or new forever homes.

“The intent of Pilots N Paws is to provide an environment in which volunteers can come together and arrange or schedule rescue flights, overnight foster care or shelter, and all other related activities,” the organization’s website reads.

Tan is one of 6,000 volunteer pilots who donate their time, planes and fuel to transport pets in desperate need of help. Typically, a rescue will require multiple pilots who fly legs of around 250 miles before handing the animal off to another plane.

Tan says that most of his rescue missions are in the southern states. In March, Tan picked up a rescue named April who was abandoned by her owners because she went to the bathroom in the house so they brought her to the vet to be euthanized.

“There are just some terrible stories out there [about] how cruel people can be to animals, especially down south; the abandonments are horrible,” Tan told Madison Magazine. “A family would just leave them, discard them like a piece of old furniture or something. So that kind of gets me. I feel good when at least … I can contribute toward where they go.”

Tan also works one-on-one with a network of rescuers that he’s met over a decade of flying pups around the country.

His job is usually to transport the animals between the airports, but sometimes he’s lucky enough to introduce them to their new forever families. “You sort of say, ‘Hope you have a great rest of your life,’ you know?” he says. “‘Hope these people love you forever.’”

Sometimes the families will hand him a few bucks for his efforts but he never keeps the money. He gives it back to the rescues, as they are always in desperate need of funds to pay for medical costs associated with the animals they save.

“They’re always short, especially when it comes to medical care for the animals,” Tan said. “It just costs so much nowadays.”

u201cIt’s National Rescue Dog Day! We’re celebrating all the puppies, dogs, and yes kitties too, that have found their furever homes thanks to all our volunteer pilots. Do you have a rescue dog? u2708ufe0f ud83dudc3e ud83dudc36 ud83dude0dn#pilotsnpaws #nationalrescuedogday #rescuedog #rescuepup #volunteersinactionu201d

— Pilots N Paws (@Pilots N Paws)
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Flying requires constant practice so pilots need a lot of flying time to maintain their skill set. Tan believes that his work rescuing dogs helps keep him in tip-top shape.

“If you fly, it’s a perishable skill and you must keep current,” he says. “So rather than take a flight and go somewhere for what we call the proverbial $200 hamburger, I’d rather be flying dogs.”

Sometimes pets are what keeps people struggling with addiction and other mental health issues going. Pets provide a level of responsibility outside of yourself and they thrive on routine. For example, if you have trouble waking up in the morning, don’t just set your alarm, start feeding your animal at the time you’d like to wake up. After a week or so of this new and rewarding habit for your pet, they will be sure to remind you it’s feeding time. By simply existing, pets can give their owners purpose on top of all of the great mental health benefits. It’s no wonder that pets can also be the reason people don’t seek out treatment for substance use issues, especially if it requires a lengthy stay away from home. But now, people in Utah struggling with addiction no longer have to choose between their sobriety and their pet.

Some people that find themselves addicted to drugs or alcohol can become isolated from healthy relationships with their friends and family. Being isolated makes it difficult to find someone trustworthy to care for your pets while you’re caring for yourself. As one could imagine, if the social network is depleted and if the only people available to help with pets are other people struggling with addiction, it makes sense to them to prioritize their pet’s safety over seeking treatment. When you’re deep in the throes of addiction, clinging to the one thing that is holding you together most days is understandable.

Ruff Haven Crisis Sheltering typically offers free short-term housing for pets while their owners are going through a difficult time like domestic violence or homelessness. It recently partnered with Odyssey House, Utah’s largest comprehensive addiction program, which offers residential programs for teens and adults. The nonprofit also offers sober housing and a program designed for single parents. With Ruff Haven Crisis Sheltering working hand in hand with Odyssey House, potential clients can rest assured their animals will be cared for during their time in treatment.

The animal crisis shelter can keep the animals for up to three months of free boarding while the pet’s owner is receiving treatment. Ruff Haven’s foster coordinator, Beth Henry, told The Salt Lake Tribune, “This is really person-based, like person-led.” Henry explained that the animals are kept safe in a foster home until the owner completes treatment and reaches a place of safety and stability. Before the pet is placed in a foster home, the owner must complete an application, which includes the owner’s current situation. Once the application is complete, the animal is assessed regarding its general condition including vaccinations and if it’s fixed or scheduled to be. After all criteria is met, the pet is matched with a foster and the client can check in on their pet once a week via text. This includes foster parents sending pictures and videos to the owner to help ease their minds while they focus on getting clean.

Some animals are even able to get visitation with their humans at the Dogs All Day facility, where the owner can schedule some much-needed cuddles with their pooch. Ruff Haven’s Executive Director Kristina Pulsipher told the paper, “A lot of times [owners] worry that they’re gonna forget them during that period — the pets never forget their person. The reunions are why we do this. And we have many people who have been clients that volunteer with us now, or foster for us.”

This program is such a compassionate solution to a difficult situation and will hopefully catch on in other states. It’s so important for people to be able to get the help they need without worrying about abandoning their pets. Since Ruff Haven opened in June 2020, it has already helped around 500 animals and 320 families.

The world takes a collective breath as the dumpster fire that was the Depp v. Heard trial has come to an end. While some people had no interest in watching the trial, others set up tents in the camps of the actor they found most believable. One conversation emerging from the trial, no matter which side you’re on or how indifferent you feel about the verdict, is that men can be victims of domestic violence too.

If you’re a fan of “Law & Order SVU,” you’ve heard of the perfect victim idea. It’s that if the victim isn’t absolutely and unequivocally perfect, they won’t be believed in court or in the public eye. There is some truth to that. Victims come in all shapes and sizes and from many different backgrounds, and the same is true regarding domestic violence victims. Women report being victims of domestic violence at a higher rate and are more likely to die at the hands of their perpetrator than anyone else, especially when they are leaving the relationship or pregnant.

Knowing that women are the most likely victims of domestic abuse doesn’t negate that men can also be abuse victims. For so many people, the perfect victim thought happens automatically—if the man claiming abuse isn’t small framed and timid, they have a hard time being believed. But abuse doesn’t usually start out as physical violence—abuse starts psychologically. The abuser typically starts by saying small things to slowly break a person’s spirit only to gaslight them into believing they’re overreacting. Before long, abusers tend to isolate you from your family and friends as they continue to slowly chip away at your self-confidence. Once they’re sure you aren’t leaving, that’s when the physical abuse starts and the cycle of abuse intensifies.

While for some people it may be difficult to imagine a woman being the abuser of a much larger man, it’s not unheard of. Men are victims of domestic violence and they don’t have to be smaller than their abuser for it to be true. Male victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) are much less likely to report their abuse to the authorities, which makes data a little scarce. But, according to the CDC, approximately 1 in 10 men in the United States experienced sexual violence, physical violence and/or stalking. It reports that 97% of men that reported domestic violence only had female partners.

The statistics are staggering, and the CDC is calling IPV against men a significant public health problem. Domestic violence is an issue that needs to be talked about, but we can’t let our bias allow us to jump to conclusions about who the victim is. All victims deserve to feel heard. They deserve to know that people are in their corner and will believe their story, even if the victim doesn’t fit into the image we’ve painted in our minds.

Believing men can be abused by their female partners does not mean that we have to stop believing female victims. Abusers do not care what anatomy you possess. Anyone can be a victim of domestic violence. Men, women and gender nonconforming people can all be victimized, and this trial has ignited a much-needed conversation on the topic.

Early on in Reservoir Dogs, Quentin Tarantino’s 1992 feature directorial debut, the soon-to-be auteur who also played a small role in the film as Mr. Brown, tells a group of his fellow criminals with equally colorful names about how Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” is about a guy with a big dick. The scene received a lot of attention and turned QT into “that guy” who dives deep into the psychology of pop culture. Two years later, he doubled down on that reputation with a cameo in Rory Kelly’s indie dramedy Sleep With Me, in which he lays out the many reasons why Top Gun, with its many homoerotic undertones, is actually a gay film. As Tarantino’s character explains:

“It is a story about a man struggling with his own homosexuality. That is what Top Gun is about. You’ve got Maverick: He’s on the edge, man. He’s right on the f**king line, alright? And you’ve got Iceman and all his crew. They’re gay; they represent the gay man, alright? And they’re saying: ‘Go! Go the gay way, go the gay way.’ He could go both ways.”

As for Kelly McGillis, who plays the love interest of Tom Cruise’s Maverick? She represents heterosexuality, in Tarantino’s diatribe. “She’s saying, ‘No, no, no, no. Go the normal way. Play by the rules, go the normal way’ and they’re saying ‘No! Go the gay way. Be the gay way. Go for the gay way.’ That is what’s going on throughout that whole movie.”

That McGillis plays a Top Gun instructor—a woman in a man’s world—only further illustrates Tarantino’s point. His character claims that McGillis sees Maverick’s struggle and attempts to pull him back into heterosexuality by becoming more masculine. Ultimately, it’s Maverick and Iceman’s final interaction that convinces QT (and the character he is talking to, played by Todd Field) that Maverick is now Team Iceman, which you can watch above.

While the scene was clearly meant as comic filler, there are millions of people who would agree with at least parts of Tarantino’s argument—or simply point to the movie’s excessive sweating and oiled-up beach volleyball scene (a sport that was practically required to be shown in all ‘80s films).

Last year, when Top Gun celebrated its 35th anniversary, Vulture asked producer Jerry Bruckheimer about the film’s standing as an iconic moment in gay cinema. While he admitted that that wasn’t a conscious intention while making the movie, he embraces the legacy.

“When you make a movie, people can interpret it in any way they want and see something in it that the filmmakers had no idea they were tapping,” he said. “So we’re surprised every time we hear something talked about, or written about, the films that we make that have no real context for the filmmakers or what the filmmakers wanted to do. And yet there’s a relevance to them, because people believe it.”

When asked specifically about Tarantino’s monologue, Bruckheimer enthusiastically explained that it was a great thing for the movie—and that Tarantino and Top Gun director Tony Scott were great friends. “In fact, Quentin came in and helped Tony and myself on Crimson Tide,” Bruckheimer said. “He came in and wrote a couple of scenes for us. So there was a great camaraderie and respect between Quentin and Tony. Coming from Quentin, it’s always a compliment.”

Resident Evil 4 is one of the most beloved horror games ever made. Resident Evil is largely credited with popularizing the survival horror genre, but as many of its tropes such as tank controls static camera angles became overused and outdated there was a need for the genre to once again be modernized and Resident Evil 4 was the one to do it. It brought a behind-the-shoulder camera, more action-focused gameplay, and established a new formula the mainline franchise would follow until Resident Evil 7.

The gameplay style of Resident Evil 4 was so popular that games like Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 were eventually remade in the style that Resident Evil 4 created. So as rumors of a Resident Evil 4 remake raged it led to a common question, what can a remake do that the original could not? During PlayStation’s State of Play event for the summer, we finally got a look at what that remake might look like.

Unfortunately, the trailer didn’t give us too much to go on when it came to actual gameplay we can expect. Most of what was shown in the trailer were how they plan to make the upcoming game more cinematic than its predecessor, but that isn’t a bad thing! A more cinematic and story driven Resident Evil 4 could be very fun depending on how it’s handled.

We also got a release date of March 24, 2023 so we still have to wait a little bit longer for what will surely be one of the most anticipated games of the year.

Fans who have yet to secure their tickets to see Coi Leray on tour are in luck, as the New Jersey artist has pushed back her tour supporting her debut album Trendsetter to kick off on June 10 at Governor’s Ball in New York City. The Monster Energy Outbreak Tour Presents: Coi Leray Trendsetter Tour was originally set to launch on May 31 in San Francisco, but like everything in the music industry, plans changed. No reasoning has been provided, but the 25-year-old is excited nonetheless.

“Trendsetter the album, now Trendsetter the tour! I can’t wait to bring my new album to life on stage every night with Monster Energy Outbreak. Y’all better be ready!” the artist said. It is especially exciting for her as the additions to the tour include international stops in Amsterdam, Portugal, and Ireland plus more domestic stops in Chicago, Detroit, Nashville, and more with a final stop in San Diego on August 25. If that isn’t enough, Coi Leray will be appearing at a slew of festivals, namely Houston Pride, Lollapalooza, and Metro Metro Festival.

Trendsetter was released back in April of this year led by the singles “Twinnem,” “Anxiety,” “Blick Blick” featuring Nicki Minaj, the “No More Parties” remix with Lil Durk, and massively popular “Big Purr” alongside Pooh Shiesty. Trendsetter set the record for the biggest first week for a debut album by a female hip-hop artist in the United States this year.

Check out the updated Trendsetter tour dates below.

06/10 — New York City @ Governors Ball
06/25 — Houston @ Houston Pride 2022
07/02 — Amsterdam @ Woo Hah! 2022
07/03 — Ireland @ Longitude 2022
07/07 — Portugal @ Rolling Loud Portugal 2022
07/28 — Minneapolis @ Amsterdam Bar & Hall
07/29 — Chicago @ Lollapalooza 2022
07/29 — Chicago @ Avondale Music Hall
07/31 — Toronto, ON @ Veld Music Festival 2022
08/01 — Detroit @ The Shelter
08/04 — Philadelphia @ The Foundry
08/06 — Montreal, QC @ Ilesoniq 2022
08/07 — Boston @ Paradise Rock Club presented by Citizens
08/09 — New York City @ Gramercy Theatre
08/10 — Washington, DC @ Union Stage
08/11 — Charlotte, NC @ The Underground
08/13 — Atlanta @ The Loft
08/14 — Nashville @ The Basement East
08/17 — Dallas @ The Cambridge Room at House of Blues
08/22 — San Francisco @ Great American Music Hall
08/23 — Los Angeles @ The Roxy
08/25 — San Diego @ Voodoo Room at the House of Blues

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Andrew Myers is an artist of many trades. The materials used in his vast body of work include screws, oil paint, charcoal, bronze, cement, and found objects. Even old paintbrushes have made an appearance. Perhaps his most widely known work consists of sculptures made out of thousands of screws drilled into wooden boards to create 3D images that are then painted.

These distinctive and engaging pieces have contributed to his success and brought him around the world.

Myers’ latest project honors the legendary Anthony Bourdain — a celebrity chef, author, travel documentarian, and longtime friend of UPROXX. With the two-year anniversary of Bourdain’s death approaching, Myers wanted to create something special in his memory. “Gone With The Wind” is a dynamic piece that pays tribute to Bourdain’s “on the move” persona while also referencing his all-too-fleeting life itself.

“As an artist, one of my main goals is to be unique and be different,” Myers notes. “I look up to very few people in life, but I’ve always enjoyed Anthony Bourdain’s writing and I look up to him because I think he’s absolutely unique and one of a kind. He was always himself and he didn’t apologize for being himself. And I think that’s a very important aspect to be an artist, to be a writer, to be a creator.”

Myers’ unique project is a 48-inch by 60-inch piece made with charcoal, oil paint, wood board, and canvas. He takes his creativity a step further in his Bourdain tribute by putting aspects of the piece in motion. Bourdain’s portrait is made of various flaps of material that individually flutter up and down. However, the artist has yet to share exactly how he has achieved this movement within the piece. Get a glimpse of the piece in motion by watching the video below.

Disclaimer: While all of the products recommended here were chosen independently by our editorial staff, Uproxx may receive payment to direct readers to certain retail vendors who are offering these products for purchase.

Welcome to SNX DLX, your weekly roundup of the freshest sneakers to hit the internet. Last week we had an insane 11-sneaker list of drops, which was the biggest roundup in SNX history. It’s kind of hard to follow up a week like that, so we’re coming at you with a tight list of seven and while there aren’t any exciting celebrity collaborations like last week’s Travis Scott Nikes, this week’s list is still pretty damn solid. In fact, our top sneaker of the year just might be in this week’s roundup — the elegant, minimal, and dope as f*ck A Ma Maniere Jordan 2 Airness.

A Jordan 2 snagging the top spot in a year-end sneaker roundup? It could happen. We stan Peter Moore here (RIP).

Aside from the Jordans, this week brings a lot to love for sneakerheads who have a soft spot for late ‘80s early ‘90s silhouettes. If you’re a fan of more modern sneakers go ahead and sit this one out, this isn’t your week.

Here are this week’s seven best sneaker drops and wear to buy them.

Nike A Ma Maniére Air Jordan 2 Airness

We called it back in 2020 — the Air Jordan 2 is supremely underrated. Since then the late Virgil Abloh has dropped a version, UnionLA unveiled a Jordan 2 this year, and now the Atlanta-based brand A Ma Maniére — the same label that dropped the best Jordan colorways last year 00 has applied their minimal luxurious aesthetic to this ahead of its time sneaker. We’re taking full credit for the Jordan 2 renaissance!

Jokes aside, we’re happy to see this sneaker — designed by the late Peter Moore — finally get the attention it deserves. This is, straight up, the best Jordan 2 colorway of all time. Featuring A Ma Maniére’s signature color combination, the Airness features a leather upper, a quilted liner, black laces, a black wing tongue logo, and a snakeskin pattern across the sneaker’s midsole.

The snakeskin midsole is a cool callback to the Jordan 2’s original design, which featured lizard skin paneling to reflect the luxurious aesthetic Jordan and Moore were going for with the design. The Airness makes good on that original concept, this is the luxurious and elegant look this sneaker strived for before it was cool.

The Nike x A Ma Maniére Air Jordan 2 Airness is out now for a retail price of $225. The sneakers are sold out on the official A Ma Maniére store, so pick up a pair from your favorite aftermarket site.

Nike Air Trainer 1 Photon Dust and Light Smoke

Nike’s Air Trainer 1 is getting a Photon Dust and Light Smoke colorway, which pairs well with this sneaker’s late ‘80s vision of the future aesthetic. The sneaker features a premium nubuck leather upper with Air cushioning in the heel, a mid-rise collar, and a forefoot strap.

Rounding out the design is a layered-over swoosh, embroidered branding at the heel, and an off-white midsole, which gives this sneaker a sort of sophisticated and aged look.

The Nike Air Trainer 1 Photon Dust and Light Smoke is out now for a retail price of $120. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Nike Women’s Dunk Low Rose Whisper

Nike has been dropping fire women’s size exclusive Dunks and Jordans all year which has probably resulted in you catching a lot of Ls on the SNKRS app. Fear not, it’s only in June. We’ve got six months left in the year, you’re bound to catch at least one pair!

Hopefully, you get lucky and score this week’s Rose Whisper because it’s one of the freshest Dunks to drop all year. Featuring a white leather upper with slightly shimmery pink overlays, the Rose Whisper sits atop a matching outsole with matching laces and a large wraparound swoosh.

The Nike Women’s Dunk Low Rose Whisper is out now for a retail price of $100. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT.

Air Max 90 Pro Green and Pale Ivory

The Air Max 90 has had a lot of classic colorways, you’ve got the Laser set, the Silver Surfer, the Bacon, and of course, Eminem’s coveted ’06 colorway, but we haven’t had many classic colorways this decade. The Pro Green and Pale Ivory feels like it could be the first.

Featuring a twill tongue, a nubuck mudguard, suede overlays, and a gum outsole, this sneaker combines grey tones at the base with forrest green overlays, and a beige and white midsole giving the sneaker a sort of warm and inviting appearance, in contrast to the typical mechanical coldness offered by past colorways.

It’s a new look for the Air Max 90, but we’re digging on it.

The Air Max 90 Pro Green and Pale Ivory is set to drop on Nike SNKRS for a retail price of $150. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Air Max2 CB ’94 White and Varsity Purple

One of Tinker Hatfields most underappreciated designs, the Air Max2 CB ’94 returns this week with a new White and Varsity Purple colorway that looks like an outtake out of the OG Space Jam. If the colorway and embroidered ’34’ at the heel didn’t give it away enough, the CB in the sneaker’s title refers to Charles Barkley, who helped popularize the sneaker during his time with the Phoenix Suns.

It’s a great sneaker for Barkley and Suns fans alike, and also for anyone who loves dope design.

The Air Max2 CB ’94 White and Varsity Purple is set to drop on June 3rd for a retail price of $160. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Air Force 1 Pale Vanilla/Light Bone and Coconut Milk

I don’t know who told Nike that we needed a cute version of the Nike Air Force 1, but they gave it to us (two versions in fact) and we’re totally on board! The Pale Vanilla and Light Bone and Coconut Milk feature a coconut white midsole with a leather upper and a short and fat Jewel Swoosh. Both sneakers are very similar, but the Light Bone iteration features a contrasting collar that really pops and makes it our definite favorite of the two colorways.

The Air Force 1 Pale Vanilla/Light Bone and Coconut Milk is set to drop on June 3rd for a retail price of $130. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Adidas Yeezy 350 V2 CMPCT Slate Carbon

The Yeezy 350 V2 is getting a brand new design and we’ve got all sorts of questions now. Dubbed the 350 V2 CMPCT this version features a more compact design with a lower profile that totally changes the shape of this now iconic sneaker. But why? Why are we getting a more compact version of the Yeezy 350, why didn’t Ye just call this one the Yeezy 350 V3, does this mean we’re getting a V3 soon?

We hope so (the 380 doesn’t count) because as much as we like this remixed 350 V2, it’s not different enough to really wow us.

The Adidas Yeezy 350 V2 CMPCT is set to drop on June 4th for a retail price of $230. Pick up a pair via the Adidas Confirmed App or Yeezy Supply or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.

Adidas Wales Bonner Country Shoes Mesa/Core Black

Adidas tapped Wales Bonner for a new vintage football-inspired sneaker that combines design elements from the ‘70s and ’80s with a modern lightweight build that looks retro but meets today’s expectations of comfort and feel.

The Country Shoes feature a lightweight nylon upper with a satin lining and suede and leather detailing and drop in two different colorways, Mesa/Easy Yellow/Cream white, and Double Core Black/Easy Yellow. Both are pretty dope if you have a love for vintage kicks.

The Adidas Wales Bonner Country in Mesa and Core Black are set to drop on June 4th for a retail price of $180. Pick up a pair via the Adidas Confirmed App.

Though the summertime calls for upbeat jams that will soundtrack brunches and BBQs, Giveon is looking to shake things up on the R&B side with a new announcement. The Long Beach artist took to Twitter and Instagram today (June 2) to announce his debut album Give Or Take will arrive on June 24. His caption thanked fans for their patience as the demand for more music from him has been very high.

The 27-year-old baritone specialist quickly rose in popularity in early 2020 after Drake released their collaboration “Chicago Freestyle.” Despite some comparisons to another Drake collaborator, British singer Sampha, the “Heartbreak Anniversary” singer was quick to set himself apart with his first project, the Grammy-nominated eight-track EP Take Time which came on March 27th. Less than seven months later, Giveon delivered the four-song follow-up When It’s All Said And Done, which included a Snoh Aalegra collaboration on “Last Time,” a linkup they teased with an Instagram Story selfie a few months prior. In a new but likely soon-to-be common move, he combined the two EPs into one compilation When It’s All Said And Done… Take Time and added a new record, “All To Me.”

Leading into Give Or Take, Giveon has released singles “For Tonight” and “Lie Again.” He also appeared on Drake’s Certified Lover Boy and Justin Bieber’s Justice, specifically the Grammy-nominated “Peaches” which also featured Daniel Caesar.

Check out Giveon’s exciting announcement above. Give Or Take is out 06/24 via Epic Records. Pre-save it here.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine isn’t going over nearly as smoothly as he had hoped. He still threw a silly parade to celebrate war victory even though victory isn’t on the immediate table, and he’s not only lost access to his Botox supply (those sanctions are no joke) but has fired military officials (and secret agants) left and right because he’s so frustrated at not being able to immediately topple President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Ukraine army.

A recent Meduza report (via The Daily Beast) indicated that Putin’s inner circle thinks this whole war is so disastrous that they’re maneuvering to install a successor while noting that “in the fairly foreseeable future he will not run the country.” Now, Newsweek has heard from three senior leaders of U.S. intelligence, who claim to have viewed reports that confirm rumors of Putin suffering from ill health. That includes recent cancer treatment and a credible threat upon his life. Via Newsweek:

Vladimir Putin was treated for cancer in April, says a classified U.S. intelligence report. The Russian president at the Tauride Palace on April 27, 2022, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The assessments also confirm that there was an assassination attempt on Putin’s life in March, the officials say.

The high-ranking officials, who represent three separate intelligence agencies, are concerned that Putin is increasingly paranoid about his hold on power, a status that makes for a rocky and unpredictable course in Ukraine. But it is one, they say, that also makes the prospects of nuclear war less likely.

Even more telling: one official declared (also to Newsweek), “Putin’s grip is strong but no longer absolute” before adding, “The jockeying inside the Kremlin has never been more intense during his rule, everyone sensing that the end is near.”

However, it’s worth nothing that Putin’s staying very isolated, not only due to the ongoing pandemic but obvious security concerns. To that end, it’s difficult for any media outlet to secure confirmation of these claims. Still, that isolation is only breeding more speculation, so it’s anyone’s guess whether Putin will be outta there sooner rather than later. With Russia unable to make bond payments as Putin’s assault on Ukraine continues, though, one can imagine that we might hear more accounts about his difficulty in maintaining power.

(Via Newsweek & New York Post)