I intended to post about our walk this morning. My husband likes to say it’s hard to get me out, but once I am on the beach it’s even harder to get me to come back in. Today I found two pieces of sea glass and a handful of agates and interesting crystals and pebbles. Once a year or so a wave catches me. Today was one of those days. I was focused on finding agates and glass, I failed to see the huge sneaker wave, and though my husband shouted, I didn’t move quickly enough to avoid getting my feet soaked.

That was supposed to be my topic as a reward for scoring the last of a set of essays this morning.

And then I read about Russian ties to the NRA. The student essays will have to wait. It seems Russian agents have infiltrated the National Rifle Association. “National” as in the United States of America. My nation.

Rumors of Trump’s connections to Putin came out a while ago, a potential fire that Trump fanned by repeatedly expressing admiration for the despot (more than 80 times). There was talk of Putin “having something on Trump”—porn or sex scandal—but I didn’t believe that. I didn’t even believe it when Trump was revealed on camera boasting of sexually molesting women. Trump has never seemed to me to be any sort of “sport” person. Not even the sort the rumors were about. It isn’t that I think Trump is too smart to do such a thing, but Putin is that smart. Trump continually does stupid things—and a lot of people fail to object. Nevertheless, it all sounded too conspiratorial and I am so very weary of conspiracies.

Trump tends to lash out at people, especially people threatening his superiority. Trump always wants to be bigger and better. He must be bigger and better. For example:

“North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the ‘Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times,’” Trump tweeted two days after Un made the menacing statement about the nukes.

“Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!”

And then just the other day, Putin broadcasted his own weapons boast:

A cruise missile, powered by nuclear technology, that can reach the United States. Nuclear weapons that can evade any missile defense system. Unstoppable drone submarines that can be used to blow up foreign ports.

Those are the weapons Russian President Vladimir Putin claims he now has. If true, Putin has purposefully raised the stakes in the decades-long nuclear standoff between Washington and Moscow — threatening to worsen deteriorating ties between Russia and the West.

Putin spent much of his annual state of the nation speech on Thursday talking about Russia’s improving weapons arsenal. He even went so far as to show a video of nuclear missiles striking Florida.—Vox

And Trump promptly responded . . . with silence. Sad or scary?

Many people expected Trump to fire off a volley of Mine’s-Bigger-than-Yours tweets. Most people around the world expected Trump to express some objection to what sounds like dangerous boasting. There would be reasons to hold back, but holding back isn’t Trump’s style. So now I believe the rumors of ties between Trump himself and Putin. The Russian leader has some hold over Trump. I don’t think it’s sex, but money? Yes, money seems likely. It is the only thing Trump genuinely cares for.

Trump has said “trade wars are good and easy to win.” I wonder what he would know about winning a trade war, this born-wealthy real estate developer and self-promoter? And “good” for whom, I wonder? Probably not me or mine. Good for some investors, perhaps? Not me. Trump is so goodly he would run into a trade war unarmed.

And then this morning, that woman in a Thai jail who says she has videos . . .

So now, while the sneaker rushes up behind America’s back, isn’t anyone going to shout a warning?