The item below concerns a hearing to be held this morning EDT, July 20, 2023,  in the U.S. House of Representatives. — MCM

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‘The weaponization of the federal government’

WASHINGTON, D.C. — At least three witnesses will speak at a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee’s Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, beginning today at 9 a.m.

The hearing “will examine the federal government’s role in censoring Americans, the Missouri v. Biden case, and Big Tech’s collusion with out-of-control government agencies to silence speech,” according to an official announcement.

Witnesses will include Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., attorney and candidate for the Democratic Party’s 2024 presidential nomination; Emma-Jo Morris, a journalist at Breitbart News; and D. John Sauer, Special Assistant Attorney General, Louisiana Department of Justice.

The hearing will be live-streamed, and may be watched HERE.

Kennedy “will describe the effects of unconstitutional censorship not only on his campaign but on the rights of the American people,” according to a release put out by his campaign.

In it, he made the following statement:

“Recent revelations in the Twitter Files and Missouri v. Biden show how deeply institutionalized government censorship has become. It is dressed up in euphemisms like, ‘working with our partners in tech,’ but make no mistake, this is a systematic program to control what Americans can say and think. As such, it is antithetical to democracy. In a democracy, the people tell the government what to think, not the other way around.”

The official announcement of the hearing, to take place in Rayburn House Office Building 2141, is HERE.

The essay linked below is at least a “three-fer”: it seeks to clarify some medical and historical issues commonly misunderstood; it offers advice to an outspoken presidential candidate who ventures into subjects candidates customarily avoid; and it faults some “mainstream” news coverage and opinion. (Readers may contest, however, the author’s attribution of a saying solely to Churchill.) Access to the essay may require a subscription to her Substack account. NOTE: This is the fourth entry today. — MCM

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This Jewess says RFK Jr. is right, by Naomi Wolf | Substack The two entities that initiated the attacks on RFK Jr, and that provided the media with the early grist in the form of howls of [Democratic National Committee] outrage and sober “assessments” by fully compromised medical voices, are the two entities who stand to lose the most from a President Kennedy . . . READ MORE . . .

A link to commentary. An investigative reporter tries out a new format in an interview, which may require a subscription to his Substack account to access. NOTE: This item is the second entry today. — MCM

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Ordinary people by the millions. Seymour Hersh of Substack talks with author Thomas Frank on changes in U.S. politics. Frank: “So what if the Democrats are no longer the clearly dominant party, as they were from roughly 1930 to 1994. So what if their great victories are won by the tiniest of margins. All that constant flattery, all those contributions, all that money, these things feel good. The Republicans, meanwhile . . . READ MORE . . .

For now, links to reports from Reuters, Agence France-Presse, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. Then, via Consortium News, commentary from People’s Dispatch.— MCM

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Kyiv says Russia targets grain infrastructure with strikes on Ukraine’s Odesa port, by Max Hunder | Reuters KYIV — Russia launched an extensive air attack on the Ukrainian city of Odesa for a second night in row, but authorities vowed today not to be intimidated by the “hellish” onslaught from working to keep grain exports moving from its ports. The attack was “very powerful, truly massive,” Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesperson for the . . .  READ MORE . . . 

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Ukraine says conducted ‘successful operation’ as Crimea fights fire. From AFP.  Ukraine said today its forces had carried out a successful operation in the Russian-annexed Crimea peninsula after authorities there said a fire at a military facility prompted mass civilian evacuations. Kremlin-installed authorities in the Black Sea territory . . . READ MORE . . .

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The latest on the Ukraine grain deal that collapsed after Russia backed out. Reported by Ailsa Chang and Joanna Kakissis | NPR Ukraine says it wants to keep exporting grain from its ports in the Black Sea, saying it needs partners to keep those exports flowing. in the port city of Odesa, the U.S. offered additional help. Click HERE to listen and read.

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In Ukraine, U.S. adds to barbaric cluster-bomb legacy, by Abdul Rahman | Peoples Dispatch / Consortium News The U.S. supply of cluster munitions is a part of a fresh $800 million military aid package to Ukraine, which came on the eve of the NATO summit at Vilnius in Lithuania. The dangerous nature of cluster munitions, especially for civilians . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For now, links to reports from Tass, Reuters, the Associated Press and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Then, via the Greanville Post, commentary first published last December by the Real News Network. — MCM

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UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine today. From Tass. UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations Security Council will hold a meeting today, at 10 p.m. Moscow time, on the situation in Ukraine, which will be attended by top diplomats from a number of countries, Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyansky said on Sunday. The meeting was requested by the British mission. . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia halts grain deal, says no link to bridge attack it blames on Ukraine, by Guy Faulconbridge | Reuters  * Russia halts grain deal * Putin’s prestige project damaged again * Two parents dead, girl injured * Russia blames Ukrainian security forces * Ukrainian media says Ukraine organised attack | MOSCOW — Russia said on today that it had halted participation in a landmark UN-brokered deal which allowed Ukrainian grain to be exported through the Black Sea, just hours after Moscow said Ukraine had attacked the Crimean Bridge. Two people were killed and . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia blames Ukraine for attack on key Crimea military supply bridge that kills 2. From AP.  Traffic on a key military supply bridge connecting Crimea to Russia’s mainland came to a standstill today after one of its sections was blown up, killing two people and wounding their daughter. Russian officials blamed the attack on Ukraine, but Kyiv officials didn’t openly admit it. The strike on the 19-kilometer bridge was carried out by two Ukrainian sea drones, according to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia halts wartime deal allowing Ukraine to ship grain. It’s a blow to global food security, by Courtney Bonnell | AP  LONDON — Russia halted an unprecedented wartime deal on today that allows grain to flow from Ukraine to countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where hunger is a growing threat and high food prices have pushed more people into poverty. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov . . . READ MORE . . .

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Explosions reported on key bridge linking annexed Crimea and Russia’s mainland. Reported by Charles Maynes and Steve Inskeep | NPR  At least two people have died and another was injured after what Russian authorities are calling an “emergency” on a key bridge linking the Russian mainland to annexed Crimea. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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How the war machine took over the Democratic Party. Chris Hedges of The Real News Network talks with former U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio in a half-hour conversation first featured by Scheer Post last Dec. 16 and republished Saturday by the Greanville Post. Click HERE to watch and listen.

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For today, links to reports from Agence France-Presse, Tass, and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Next, via Consortium News, commentary first published three days ago. Then, from Substack, commentary first published five days ago. Finally, commentary first published eight days ago in the Washington Post and linked to HERE and HERE.  — MCM

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Ukraine says ‘on the defence’ near eastern Kupiansk. From AFP. Ukraine said today its forces were on the defensive against Russian assaults near the eastern city of Kupiansk, while noting gradual progress near the hotspot city of Bakhmut. “For . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian Armed Forces foil Kiev’s drone attack on Sevastopol — Defense Ministry. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Russian military has foiled an attempt by the Ukrainian military to attack facilities near Sevastopol; no casualties or damage were reported, the Russian Defense Ministry said today. Earlier . . . READ MORE . . .

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Putin says Russia has ‘sufficient stockpile’ of cluster bombs as Ukraine gets its own supply from U.S., by Elise Morton | AP  KYIV — Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview published tday that Russia has a “sufficient stockpile” of cluster munitions, and warned that Russia “reserves the right to take reciprocal action” if Ukraine uses the controversial weapons. He said Russia has not used cluster bombs in its war in Ukraine so far. The use of cluster bombs by both Russia and Ukraine has been widely documented, including . . . READ MORE . . .

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Remilitarized Germany playing long game in Ukraine, by  M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline / Consortium News German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has pledged a new arms package worth €700 million, including additional tanks, munitions and Patriot air defense systems, putting Berlin, as he said, at the very forefront of military support for Ukraine. Fundamentally, however, Germany’s motivation is traceable to the crushing defeat by the Red Army and has little to do with Ukraine as such. The Ukraine crisis . . . READ MORE . . .

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The dissolution of NATO may be the only way to prevent WWIII, by Dennis Kucinich | Substack Here are (at least) 10 reasons why NATO ought to be disbanded: 1. NATO was formed in 1949 to protect Europe against the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union ended in 1991.  NATO fulfilled its founding purpose thirty-two years ago. 2.  NATO has . . . READ MORE . . .

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Amid promising signs in Ukraine, uncertainties abound, by David Ignatius | The Washington Post President Biden on Monday [July 10] heads to a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, in what seems an enviable position: The alliance is stronger than ever before; its ally Ukraine is slowly advancing on the battlefield and receiving more weapons every week; and Russia is in disarray at home. Yet . . . READ MORE . . .

First, links to reports from Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Tass, National Public Radio, the Kyiv Independent, and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Then, commentary by a Berkshire Eagle columnist and an Eagle review of and an AP news story about a new documentary film. — MCM

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Zelenskiy warns of Russian efforts to halt Kyiv’s troops. From Reuters. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned Ukrainians that Russia was throwing all its resources into a campaign to stop Kyiv’s troops from pressing their counter offensive, and a top general reported new progress on the southern front. But Ukrainian military analysts suggested . . . READ MORE . . .

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Korea will ‘expand scale’ of aid to Ukraine, president says. From AFP. SEOUL — South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged today to ‘expand the scale’ of his country’s humanitarian and non-lethal military assistance to Ukraine, after a summit with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. Yoon said humanitarian aid would be increased to $150 million in 2023, from $100 million last year. . . . READ MORE . . .

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How many Russians have died in Ukraine? New data estimates soldier casualties. Mary Louise Kelly of NPR speaks with Mika Golubovsky, English-language editor for one of two independent Russian media outlets. Golubovsky talks about the how the outlets — Meduza and Mediazona — arrived at the estimated total number of Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine so far: approximately 47,000. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Moscow condemns Kiev’s attempts to attack Russian nuke plants – diplomat. From Tass. MOSCOW — Moscow “resolutely condemns” Kiev’s plans to use terrorist methods against Russian nuclear power plants that may cause a large-scale nuclear disaster in Europe, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said today. She spoke in the wake of a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian town of Kurchatov where the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says it destroyed Russian S-400 missile system used in deadly strike on Kramatorsk. From the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine’s military said today that it destroyed a Russian S-400 missile system that was used to launch a June strike on Kramatorsk, which killed 13 people, including three children. According to the Operational North Command, an American-provided HIMARS, short for High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, was used . . . READ MORE . . .

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Why allowing Ukraine to ship grain during Russia’s war matters to the world, by Courtney Bonnell | AP  LONDON — Agreements that the United Nations and Turkey brokered with Ukraine and Russia to allow food and fertilizer to get from the warring nations to parts of the world where millions are going hungry have eased concerns over global food security. But they face increasing risks. Moscow has . . . READ MORE . . .

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Putin looks weak after his Prigozhin flip-flop, by James Brooke | The Berkshire Eagle Immediately after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan quelled a military coup attempt in 2016, he detained 77,000 people, including 10,000 soldiers. When Russian President Vladimir Putin faced a similar military mutiny last month, he went on national television calling the mutineers “traitors.” But five days later, he . . . READ MORE . . .

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An unflinching look at seemingly endless suffering in Ukraine, by Leonard Quart | The Berkshire Eagle  This month, Frontline is showing “20 Days in Mariupol” on PBS. Mstyslav Chernov — a Ukrainian videographer, photographer, photojournalist, filmmaker, war correspondent and novelist — directed the documentary that traces the Russian siege of the port city of Mariupol that began in March 2022 in all its horrifically violent and intimate detail. Mariupol is . . . READ MORE . . .

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What to know about the harrowing Ukraine war doc ’20 Days in Mariupol.’ From AP. NEW YORK — Theatergoers in select cities will soon be able to watch “20 Days in Mariupol,” the visceral documentary on Russia’s early assault on the Ukrainian city. The 94-minute film is a joint production by The Associated Press and PBS “Frontline” and has been met with critical acclaim and . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For today, links to reports from Agence France-Presse, Tass, the Kyiv Independent, Reuters, and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Next, a link to an investigative report from a Substack account, which may require a subscription to access. Finally, via Popular Resistance, a link to commentary from Educate!  — MCM

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Ukraine says advanced nearly 2 km along southern front this week. From AFP. Kyiv said today its troops had advanced nearly two kilometres along the southern front over the past week as Ukraine pushes ahead with its counteroffensive. Mykola Urshalovych, a senior representative of the National Guard . . . READ MORE . . .

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NATO summit shows Russia needs to meet special operation’s goals — diplomat. From Tass. MOSCOW — Analysis of the latest NATO summit’s results leads to a conclusion that Russia needs to fulfill the goals of its special operation in Ukraine, strengthen its armed forces and develop ties with allies, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said Thursday. “I can . . . READ MORE . . .

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Biden says Putin won’t use nukes; U.S. cluster munitions already in Ukraine, by Alexander Khrebet | The Kyiv Independent * Ukraine receives cluster munitions from US, says commander * Biden: ‘No real prospect of Putin using nukes’ * Ukraine confirms striking on Russian military barrack in occupied Berdiansk * EU parliament adopts plan to increase ammunition production for Ukraine | The U.S. has already delivered the cluster munitionsit had pledged as part of the latest $800-million aid package to Ukraine just a week ago, Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, the commander for Tavria military sector, said Thursday.  “We just got them . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia’s Putin snubs Prigozhin, Biden jokes about poison, by Guy Faulconbridge | Reuters MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin offered Wagner mercenaries the opportunity to keep fighting at a meeting just days after their failed mutiny but suggested Yevgeny Prigozhin be moved aside in favour of a different commander, the Kommersant newspaper said. Mystery surrounds . . .  READ MORE . . .

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For a group of Ukrainian women, painting is a form of therapy to help them cope with loss, by Hanna Arhirova | AP  KYIV — Iryna Farion’s artwork depicts two intertwined trees held together by their roots, as though in embrace, and a radiant yellow sun shining against a moody blue background. “I feel like it’s me and my husband, who was killed in the war,” Farion says of the trees. “They are like two . . . READ MORE . . .

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Fear and loathing on Air Force One, by Seymour Hersh | Substack Last week Jake Sullivan, President Biden’s national security adviser, called in a few journalists to insist that Putin’s squabble with Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner militia, was an armed mutiny that showed weakness in the Russian’s leader command and control of his military. There’s simply no evidence for such assertions. If anything, . . . READ MORE . . .

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NATO’s big climb down, by Moon of Alabama | Educate!  From the: Vilnius Summit Communiqué issued by NATO heads of state and government participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Vilnius 11 July 2023: “11. We fully support Ukraine’s right to choose its own security arrangements. Ukraine’s future is in NATO. We reaffirm . . . READ MORE . . .