diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 19f530e..ad274dd 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,17 @@ All notable changes to **Tiger Core** (`webtigers/tiger-core`). Format follows
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [1.36.0] — 2026-10-21
+
+### Changed
+- **TIGER-335 migration (batch 5)** — migrated the `_isAtLeastAdmin()` call sites (the worst-defect form)
+  in **comment** (TIGER-343) and **newsletter** (TIGER-344). Comment's "is a moderator" checks (edit/
+  delete-another's, the edit-window bypass, the moderate + datatable gates) now ask the **moderation
+  capability** `_isAllowed('moderate')` instead of `inheritsRole('admin')`; newsletter's admin gates ask
+  `_isAllowed('<method>')`. Behavior-preserving — `moderate`/`datatable`/the Audience grants resolve to
+  the same admin-and-inheriting-roles set the old helper matched. Updated the acl.ini comments that cited
+  the removed helper. After this, no non-test code calls `_isAtLeastAdmin()`.
+
 ## [1.35.0] — 2026-10-21
 
 ### Changed
diff --git a/library/Tiger/Version.php b/library/Tiger/Version.php
index d476547..d0942fc 100644
--- a/library/Tiger/Version.php
+++ b/library/Tiger/Version.php
@@ -9,5 +9,5 @@
 class Tiger_Version
 {
     /** Current Tiger Core version. Keep in lockstep with the git tag cut for a release. */
-    const VERSION = '1.35.0';
+    const VERSION = '1.36.0';
 }
diff --git a/modules/comment/configs/acl.ini b/modules/comment/configs/acl.ini
index 0ba8c5f..2e3c106 100644
--- a/modules/comment/configs/acl.ini
+++ b/modules/comment/configs/acl.ini
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 ; This matters for DISCOVERY as much as dispatch: the /api catalog + MCP `tools/list` reflect
 ; exactly the methods a role is ALLOWED, so a blanket guest allow advertised the admin ops
 ; (comment__comment__{moderate,datatable,delete}) to anonymous callers. Execution was already
-; gated in-service by _isAtLeastAdmin()/ownership (defense-in-depth) — this stops ADVERTISING
+; gated in-service by _isAllowed('moderate')/ownership (defense-in-depth) — this stops ADVERTISING
 ; them. Every call still re-checks the SUBJECT's own ACL resource, so a thread never exposes
 ; content the caller can't see.
 [production]
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ acl.rules.comment_delete.resource   = "Comment_Service_Comment"
 acl.rules.comment_delete.privilege  = "delete"
 acl.rules.comment_delete.permission = "allow"
 
-; Admin-only: the moderation queue's data + actions (also enforced in-service by _isAtLeastAdmin()).
+; Admin-only: the moderation queue's data + actions (also enforced in-service by _isAllowed('moderate')).
 acl.rules.comment_moderate.role       = "admin"
 acl.rules.comment_moderate.resource   = "Comment_Service_Comment"
 acl.rules.comment_moderate.privilege  = "moderate"
diff --git a/modules/comment/services/Comment.php b/modules/comment/services/Comment.php
index d6249c2..c38beda 100644
--- a/modules/comment/services/Comment.php
+++ b/modules/comment/services/Comment.php
@@ -179,9 +179,9 @@ public function edit(array $params): void
 
         $userId = (string) ($this->_user_id ?? '');
         $mine   = $userId !== '' && (string) $row->user_id === $userId;
-        if (!$mine && !$this->_isAtLeastAdmin()) { $this->_error('core.api.error.not_allowed'); return; }
+        if (!$mine && !$this->_isAllowed('moderate')) { $this->_error('core.api.error.not_allowed'); return; }
 
-        if ($mine && !$this->_isAtLeastAdmin() && (time() - strtotime((string) $row->created_at)) > Tiger_Comment::editWindow()) {
+        if ($mine && !$this->_isAllowed('moderate') && (time() - strtotime((string) $row->created_at)) > Tiger_Comment::editWindow()) {
             $this->_error('comment.error.edit_window'); return;
         }
 
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ public function edit(array $params): void
     public function moderate(array $params): void
     {
         // Authorization BEFORE the feature flag: "not allowed" must never be masked by "not enabled".
-        if (!$this->_isAtLeastAdmin()) { $this->_error('core.api.error.not_allowed'); return; }
+        if (!$this->_isAllowed('moderate')) { $this->_error('core.api.error.not_allowed'); return; }
         if (!$this->_enabled()) { return; }
 
         $status = (string) ($params['status'] ?? '');
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ public function delete(array $params): void
 
         $userId = (string) ($this->_user_id ?? '');
         $mine   = $userId !== '' && (string) $row->user_id === $userId;
-        if (!$mine && !$this->_isAtLeastAdmin()) { $this->_error('core.api.error.not_allowed'); return; }
+        if (!$mine && !$this->_isAllowed('moderate')) { $this->_error('core.api.error.not_allowed'); return; }
 
         try {
             $this->_transaction(function () use ($model, $row) {
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ public function delete(array $params): void
      */
     public function datatable(array $params): void
     {
-        if (!$this->_isAtLeastAdmin()) { $this->_error('core.api.error.not_allowed'); return; }
+        if (!$this->_isAllowed('moderate')) { $this->_error('core.api.error.not_allowed'); return; }
         if (!$this->_enabled()) { return; }
 
         $dt     = $this->_dtParams();
diff --git a/modules/comment/services/Settings.php b/modules/comment/services/Settings.php
index 269127e..ce52082 100644
--- a/modules/comment/services/Settings.php
+++ b/modules/comment/services/Settings.php
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ class Comment_Service_Settings extends Tiger_Service_Service
      */
     public function save(array $params): void
     {
-        if (!$this->_isAdmin()) { $this->_error('core.api.error.not_allowed'); return; }
+        if (!$this->_isAllowed('save')) { $this->_error('core.api.error.not_allowed'); return; }
 
         $wanted = !empty($params['spam_agent']);
 
diff --git a/modules/newsletter/configs/acl.ini b/modules/newsletter/configs/acl.ini
index b1688a6..cedc190 100644
--- a/modules/newsletter/configs/acl.ini
+++ b/modules/newsletter/configs/acl.ini
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 ; the admin method (datatable) and the audience service (segments/members) are granted only to
 ; admin+. This governs DISCOVERY as well as dispatch: the /api catalog + MCP tools/list reflect the
 ; methods a role is ALLOWED, so a blanket guest allow would advertise the admin ops to anonymous
-; callers. Execution is also re-checked in-service by _isAtLeastAdmin() (defense-in-depth).
+; callers. Execution is also re-checked in-service by _isAllowed() (defense-in-depth).
 [production]
 
 acl.resources.newsletter_subscribe_svc.resource = "Newsletter_Service_Subscribe"
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ acl.rules.newsletter_index_ctrl.role       = "guest"
 acl.rules.newsletter_index_ctrl.resource   = "Newsletter_IndexController"
 acl.rules.newsletter_index_ctrl.permission = "allow"
 
-; Admin-only: the subscriber grid's data (also re-checked in-service by _isAtLeastAdmin()).
+; Admin-only: the subscriber grid's data (also re-checked in-service by _isAllowed('datatable')).
 acl.rules.newsletter_datatable.role       = "admin"
 acl.rules.newsletter_datatable.resource   = "Newsletter_Service_Subscribe"
 acl.rules.newsletter_datatable.privilege  = "datatable"
diff --git a/modules/newsletter/services/Audience.php b/modules/newsletter/services/Audience.php
index 7685499..f750d2c 100644
--- a/modules/newsletter/services/Audience.php
+++ b/modules/newsletter/services/Audience.php
@@ -23,14 +23,14 @@ class Newsletter_Service_Audience extends Tiger_Service_Service
     /** /api (admin): the newsletter segments an email tool / export can target. */
     public function segments(array $params): void
     {
-        if (!$this->_isAtLeastAdmin()) { $this->_error('core.api.error.not_allowed'); return; }
+        if (!$this->_isAllowed('segments')) { $this->_error('core.api.error.not_allowed'); return; }
         $this->_success(['segments' => self::listSegments((string) ($this->_org_id ?? ''))]);
     }
 
     /** /api (admin): resolve a segment to its contacts. @param array $params segment */
     public function members(array $params): void
     {
-        if (!$this->_isAtLeastAdmin()) { $this->_error('core.api.error.not_allowed'); return; }
+        if (!$this->_isAllowed('members')) { $this->_error('core.api.error.not_allowed'); return; }
         $this->_success(['members' => self::resolveMembers((string) ($this->_org_id ?? ''), (string) ($params['segment'] ?? ''))]);
     }
 
diff --git a/modules/newsletter/services/Subscribe.php b/modules/newsletter/services/Subscribe.php
index d1c9add..175c242 100644
--- a/modules/newsletter/services/Subscribe.php
+++ b/modules/newsletter/services/Subscribe.php
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ public function unsubscribe(array $params): void
      */
     public function datatable(array $params): void
     {
-        if (!$this->_isAtLeastAdmin()) { $this->_error('core.api.error.not_allowed'); return; }
+        if (!$this->_isAllowed('datatable')) { $this->_error('core.api.error.not_allowed'); return; }
 
         $dt     = $this->_dtParams($params);
         $status = (string) ($params['status'] ?? '');