Kushner Asked to His Face Why Anyone Should ‘Have Any Confidence’ In His Negotiations
Excerpted from MEDIAite article Alex Griffing Sep 7th, 2026
Two roving US foreign envoys as seen by the Observer Status studio
NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel grilled President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and foreign policy envoy, Jared Kushner, during a press conference in Ukraine over the weekend, asking why anyone should have confidence in him, given his track record.
“This is for Mr. Witkoff and Jared Kushner. You have been involved in numerous negotiations around the world. Why should people have any confidence in your capacity to succeed here?” Engel began, adding:
You were involved in the Gaza negotiations, but Gaza remains a wasteland. There’s been really no progress there. Iran, you were involved in those negotiations. The war is still going on. You’ve been involved in several rounds of negotiations in this conflict. It’s only getting more intense. So you’re relaunching negotiations now. What’s the likelihood they will succeed, when other negotiations you’ve been involved in have not?
“These are some of the hardest problem sets in the world, and I think that you have to try and you have to bring to it. Obviously, Steve and I bring different approaches to these things, but we work very well together as partners. But we’re not bringing our approaches. We’re really representing President Trump, and we’re doing it the way that he wants to see these things done,” Kushner replied after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday and Vladimir Putin on Saturday.
The Russian State Museum of Honorary Art home to the finest collection of friends of Russia; immediately commissioned a grand painting of two roving US foreign envoys. The work was officially unveiled by President Putin.
OTTAWA — Ottawa’s new framework for guiding the development of artificial intelligence data centres is failing to win over critics.
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Variation on Swarm Storm
The federal government unveiled five principles Thursday aimed at addressing growing concerns about the centres, including a duty to minimize water use and environmental harm, a pledge to ensure electricity costs aren’t passed on to Canadians, and a commitment to be transparent about projects.
But the framework has no legal force, and critics say there is little to stop companies from ignoring the principles.
Variation on Swarm Storm
“With most of these items, if the data centre companies decide to renege on any of these commitments, what will be the consequences? As far as I can tell, there’ll be no consequences at all from the federal government,” said Dru Jay, executive director of the Council of Canadians.
“I think we need to be clear that this is the federal government passing the buck and saying we’re not going to do anything to enforce standards. We’re not going to enforce any standards of transparency. We’re not going to enforce any standards of environmental impact.”
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Variation on Swarm Storm
Swarm Storm variation in preparation for installation.
Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation Minister Evan Solomon supervising installation of government commissioned Swarm Storm variations.
This artist agrees to standing in the back of the room of world events, with no seat at the table other than casting an eye, pointing a finger and painting a picture.
And it is responding. Prime Minister Mark Carney is standing up to Trump. I admire him for that. Canada cannot allow an American president to threaten our economy every time he doesn’t get what he wants. We need new markets, new trading partners and far less dependence on the United States.
But something else is happening in the rush to protect ourselves.
Climate policy is getting trounced.
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When building more fossil-fuel infrastructure is framed as standing up for Canada, opposing it becomes politically harder. When weakening climate rules is framed as protecting Canadian jobs and sovereignty, climate policy starts to look like something we can no longer afford.
Economic sovereignty and climate policy must not be presented as opposing choices. Just as we need to tackle housing costs and public health, we need to keep both climate action and economic independence on our list of priorities. Otherwise, we are solving one massive challenge by making another harder.
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Digital collages from Boreal Smouldering Series/2026 ,Allan Harding MacKay
Compiler of this new series of posts , AHM has been granted observer status by a well-placed, anonymous source. Future posts will be published under the “Observer Status” designation. Please note that all artwork and illustrations are created using digital tools & techniques however are not AI prompted and generated. Text sources are acknowledged where appropriate. Archives of the Court Painter series will remain available on the site.
With the observer status designation, this artist agrees to standing in the back of the room of world events, with no seat at the table other than casting an eye, pointing a finger and painting a picture.
Premier Smith explaining Alberta sovereignty to a dazed prairie dog
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In spite of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s recent weak sauce remarks on the Fox Business Network :
Canadians are currently not confused and disappointed by the actions of the Orange Toddler Menace to the South, rebranding Lake Ontario as Lake America!
Canadians are currently not confounded by the actions of the Orange Toddler Menace to the South!
Canadians currently perfectly understand why Americans following the Orange Toddler Menace to the South would want Canada to be weaker!
It’s currently time for Premier Smith to reboot her assumptions!
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Prime Minister Carney in recent call to Premier Smith
Princess Smith seen with a winged Prince Manning in cosplay display.
EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is pushing her message for an end to the fierce U.S.-Canada trade war directly to Americans. Smith, appearing on the Fox Business Network, says Canadians are confused and disappointed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent effort to rebrand Lake Ontario as Lake America.
She says it’s particularly confounding given the two countries’ long-standing economic and military relationship. Smith says Canadian troops stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Americans in Afghanistan, and the upcoming 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks against the U.S. is a reminder of the close relationship.
The premier says Canadians don’t understand why Americans would want Canada to be weaker. She says the trade war will topple small businesses and decimate jobs on both sides of the border.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 31, 2026.
It is with much shock and sadness that word was received of the passing of John Will, who died peacefully on Wednesday, July 15 after many months of declining health. As many of you know, John willingly and with good humour and stylish grace accepted and played the performative digital role of Court Painter for the past 14 years.
His loss is felt not only by me personally AHM, his long time friend and artistic partner on the CP project, but also by the many family members, friends, and art world colleagues who had the good fortune to know such a generous creative spirit, influential artist and teacher.
Future Court Painter postings will be put on hold out of respect for John. However, knowing him as I do, I am confident that even in his absence, he would encourage future posts to continue in the digital studio he so artistically and fashionably occupied.
A classically styled Latin version of Prime Minister Carney’s remarks made on the way into the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey; were rendered in the periodic prose style characteristic of Golden or Silver Age Latin and produced by Dee P S Eek Quaesitor (DeepSeek), the resident Latin scholar of the Court Painter Studio.
The reason for undertaking this Latin translation was not disclosed at the time of this posting, though one may surmise that the prime minister’s message, in whatever language it appears, could be seen, alas, as yet another tilt of support toward U.S. belligerence.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney has backed the latest U.S. strikes on Iran, calling it an appropriate response to ceasefire violations.The remarks were made on the way into the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, where U.S. President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire over.Trump again bashed the Western military alliance for not joining the U.S. and Israel in the war.For the most part Western leaders, including Carney, lined up behind the U.S. action.
“Iran had been acting irresponsibly, attacking Saudi and Qatari targets particularly,” Carney said on his way into the summit. “There has been a response, as appropriate. Obviously, we look to de- escalation of hostilities.
Carney chooses German submarines for Canadian navy fleet
Contract expected to be worth $100B over its lifetime
German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) is Canada’s preferred choice to build the navy’s new fleet of submarines — a multibillion-dollar defence program that is expected to be the largest in the country’s history.
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s announcement dockside in Halifax on Monday put an end to long-running speculation about the future of the highly contested program which will determine the navy’s future for decades.
Source CBC News July 6/26
Upon hearing the news of Canada’s immense financial and strategic bet on investing in a new fleet of 12 submarines : Court Painter engaged Euria and DeepSeek in flushing out the downside of this decision in the face of rapidly changing war technologies.
Court Painter has taken the liberty of introducing some of his favourite submarine designs which he hopes will be given consideration should this contract proceed in spite of the criticism particularly from the unmanned aqua-drone lobby!
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EURIA Infomaniak was asked to outline the downside of investing in a submarine fleet in the face of changing war technologies.
Investing heavily in a traditional submarine fleet faces significant downsides given the rapid evolution of modern warfare technologies, primarily due to the diminishing element of stealth.
The most critical vulnerability is the dramatic improvement in anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities, including advanced passive and active sonar networks, satellite-based ocean monitoring, and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) that can patrol vast areas continuously. These technologies are eroding the historical advantage of submarines as “silent hunters,” making it increasingly difficult for them to operate undetected without massive, continuous investment in next-generation acoustic quieting and countermeasures.
Furthermore, the opportunity cost is substantial; the billions required to build and maintain a modern fleet of diesel-electric or nuclear submarines could be redirected toward more versatile or cost-effective systems like drone swarms, cyber warfare capabilities, or long-range precision strike platforms that may offer a better return on investment in a conflict characterized by distributed, networked warfare.
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Finally, the high cost of ownership and the long lead times for construction mean that a fleet commissioned today might be technologically obsolete by the time it becomes operational, unable to counter the new threats that have emerged during its development cycle.
While submarines remain a potent deterrent, the trend suggests that a balanced approach integrating them with other technologies is more prudent than a heavy, singular reliance on them.
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DeepSeek answered the same question as follows:
Investing in a submarine fleet involves significant strategic trade-offs, particularly when viewed against the backdrop of rapidly evolving military technologies. The primary disadvantages typically fall into cost, vulnerability, and strategic relevancy.
Enormous Financial and Industrial Burden The lifecycle cost is often the most prohibitive factor. Nuclear submarines (SSNs/SSBNs) require massive upfront expenditure for reactor development and specialized materials, alongside extensive industrial infrastructure that few nations possess. Conventional (diesel-electric) submarines are cheaper to buy, but they still require complex maintenance cycles. More critically, the “opportunity cost” is substantial; funds allocated to a small number of submarines typically mean fewer resources for other high-tech assets like unmanned systems, cyber warfare, or space-based surveillance, which might offer more immediate tactical flexibility.
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Vulnerability to New Detection Methods The traditional advantage of submarines—stealth—is under increasing pressure. Advances in Quantum Sensing and Non-Acoustic Detection (such as detecting magnetic anomalies or the subtle wake a submarine leaves) threaten to make the oceans more transparent. Furthermore, the proliferation of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) and persistent seabed sensor networks means that vast areas can be monitored without risking manned assets. In a high-intensity conflict, once a submarine is detected, its slow submerged speed relative to aircraft or torpedoes makes it highly vulnerable, as it often lacks the speed to outrun modern lightweight torpedoes.
The “Achilles’ Heel” of Communication Submarines operate in an environment that inherently blocks electromagnetic signals. To receive orders, they must either surface, raise a communications buoy, or tow a long antenna array, all of which increase the risk of detection. In a future war characterized by rapid, AI-driven decision-making and swarming tactics, the inherent latency in communicating with a submerged submarine creates a significant tactical lag. This makes it difficult to integrate submarines into a “joint all-domain” kill web compared to surface ships or drones.
Technological Obsolescence and Crew Constraints Given that submarine programs often span 10 to 20 years from design to delivery, there is a genuine risk that the hull will be obsolete before it is even commissioned, particularly regarding onboard computing architecture and sonar processing. Additionally, the training pipeline for submarine officers and nuclear engineers is long and expensive. This creates a “human bottleneck,” where the force is limited less by hulls and more by the availability of highly skilled personnel. In contrast, autonomous systems offer the advantage of being expendable and operating without the physical limitations of a human crew.
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Lack of Flexibility in “Grey Zone” Conflicts Submarines are powerful for strategic deterrence (nuclear) and anti-ship warfare, but they are generally less useful for the low-intensity conflicts common today, such as counter-piracy, humanitarian aid, or presence operations where visible force is required. Their singular focus on stealth and lethality makes them a less versatile investment compared to multi-mission surface combatants or long-range strike aircraft.
Ultimately, while submarines remain a critical component of a credible nuclear deterrent, their role in conventional warfare is threatened by the rising capabilities of unmanned underwater systems and advanced sensor networks. The strategic risk is that they may become “high-value, low-utility” assets in a future conflict, acting more as static strategic symbols than dynamic warfighting tools.
Albanians have been protesting daily against a planned luxury tourism project linked to Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law. In this interview, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama spoke with DW reporter Kate Laycock about the protests, AI and democracy.
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Court Painter undertook to interpret portrait footage from the DM interview to highlight the character of leadership reflected in Albania’s Prime Minster Edi Rama’s responses…for what it’s worth.
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As a special treat a series of CP portraits add to the distasteful brew.
