The Three Things for the week of Aug. 14, courtesy of The Corners magazine (episode 4)

Welcome back to The Three Things with Preston Smith, which covers politics, current affairs, crime, spy/intrigue and all things in between in Central Europe. Each section of the Three Things runs approximately 15-20 minutes, and we have provided markers to help you get where you need to go. This week’s topics include: The first thing: Alexei Navalny--the imprisoned opposition leader received an additional 19 years on Aug. 4, yet still he stands defiant. In this segment we take a hard look at his past controversies and current plight as a political prisoner. The second thing: an interview with Michael Houlehan, president of , an NGO doing big things in Ukraine. Houlehan spent the past seven weeks in Ukraine, and his take when it comes to Ukrainian morale and the counteroffensive is noticeably more optimistic than that of many US news teams. The third thing: the Ukrainian war update. The Russian offensive toward Kupiansk continues, but Ukraine has made progress in the south. Also, be sure to check out , where the quarterly magazine is available, and where updates appear daily on the site and also on the paid-for Patreon site, accessible from the main site, that offers just a bit more. Although much, much more is coming soon. And if you would like to support Ukrainian families in need, the Christian Joy Foundation is a great way to help, and account and foundation information is listed below: Chrześcijańska Fundacja Radość ul. Przyleśna 3, 04-807 Warszawa @ KRS: 0000245205 NIP: 952-198-19-33 Rach. Bank.: PL 77 1050 1025 1000 0023 0001 5076 SWIFT: INGBPLPW USD account: PL 44 1050 1025 1000 0090 8190 1911 EUR account: PL11105010251000009081936552 GBP account number: PL 92105010251000009072321715 PayPal: biuro@