First, links to reports from the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, National Public Radio, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Then, a link to an article by Anne Applebaum in The Atlantic magazine posted on Sept. 11, noted by Scott Ritter in an article posted on this blog yesterday. — MCM

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Pressure on Russian forces mounts after Ukraine’s advances, by Jon Gambrell | AP  KYIV — Western defense officials and analysts said today they believed the Russian forces were setting up a new defensive line in Ukraine’s northeast after Kyiv’s troops broke through the previous one and tried to press their advances further into the east. The British Defense Ministry said . . . Moscow “likely sees maintaining control of this zone as important because . . . READ MORE . . .

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99 Percent Of Exhumed Bodies Have ‘Signs Of Violent Death’: Ukraine Official. From AFP. Ninety-nine percent of exhumed bodies had signs of violent death, Ukraine’s regional administration head said Friday of the mass burial site discovered after Kyiv’s forces recaptured the east Ukrainian town of Izyum. . . . Earlier Friday, AFP journalists saw that at least one of the bodies uncovered at the burial site in a forest outside Izyum had bound hands. It was . . . READ MORE . . .

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Outside a liberated Ukrainian town, inspectors search for evidence of war crimes. Reported by Scott Simon and Kat Lonsdorf | NPR  On the outskirts of the recently liberated town of Izium, investigators have found what Ukrainian officials are calling a mass grave. It is now being inspected for possible evidence of war crimes. Click HERE to listen and, another time, read.

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Over 120 Ukrainian troops killed during attempt to launch offensive in Kherson Region. From Tass. MOSCOW — Two units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces unsuccessfully attempted to launch an offensive near the Pravdino settlement in the Kherson Region, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov told reporters today. . . . He said the Russian army “killed over 120 Ukrainian troops, destroyed seven tanks and 13 infantry fighting vehicles in a few hours.” READ MORE . . .

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For older Ukrainians in front-line cities, visits from social workers bring comfort. Reported by Elissa Nadworny and Claire Harbage | NPR  Many of those living along the front lines of the war in Ukraine are older people. Because of their advanced age or poor health, they stay behind — and struggle with difficult access to food, water, heat and medicine. They’re also living with nightly shelling and missile attacks. About 15 miles from the front line . . . Click HERE to listen and read.

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Heads of China, Russia and India were among the world leaders at security forum. Reported by Emily Feng,Charles Maynes and Lauren Frayer | NPR  China’s Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and India’s Narendra Modi are among the world leaders in Uzbekistan for a security forum. What unites them is a distrust of the American-led world order. Click HERE to listen and read.

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5 things the U.N. boss is very worried about and signal ‘a time of great peril.’ Reported by Mary Louise Kelly, Lauren Hodges and Christopher Intagliato | NPR  As the annual U.N. General Assembly began in New York City, Secretary-General António Guterres pointed to wars, poverty, hunger, and what he described as “climate chaos.” He called for solidarity and cooperation, even while acknowledging . . . Click HERE to  listen and read.

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It’s time to prepare for a Ukrainian victory, by Anne Applebaum | The Atlantic “What really surprises us,” Lieutenant General Yevhen Moisiuk, the deputy commander in chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, told me [on the morning of Sept. 10], “is that the Russian troops are not fighting back.” READ MORE . . .

The article by Scott Ritter that begins below was published around Sept. 12 by Consortium News. In a future entry I’ll provide links to some of Ritter’s previous articles and appearances this year. — MCM

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Why Russia will still win, despite Ukraine’s gains

By Scott Ritter | Consortium News

The Ukrainian army began a major offensive against Russian forces deployed in the region north of the southern city of Kherson on Sept. 1. Ten days later, the Ukrainians had expanded the scope and the scale of its offensive operations to include the region around the northern city of Kharkov.

While the Kherson offensive was thrown back by the Russians, with the Ukrainian forces suffering heavy losses in both men and material, the Kharkov offensive turned out to be a major success, with thousands of square kilometers of territory previously occupied by Russian troops placed back under Ukrainian governmental control.

Instead of launching its own counteroffensive against the Ukrainians operating in the Kharkov region, the Russian Ministry of Defense (MOD) made an announcement many people found shocking: “To achieve the stated goals of a special military operation to liberate the Donbass,” the Russians announced via Telegram, “it was decided to regroup Russian troops…to increase efforts in the Donetsk direction.”

Downplaying the notion of a retreat, the Russian MOD declared that “to this end, within three days, an operation was carried out to curtail and organize the transfer of [Russian] troops to the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic.

During this operation,” the report said, “a number of distractions and demonstration measures were carried out, indicating the real actions of the troops” which, the Russians declared, resulted in “more than two thousand Ukrainian and foreign fighters [being] destroyed, as well as more than a hundred units of armored vehicles and artillery.”

To quote the immortal Yogi Berra, it was “déjà vu all over again.”

Phases of the War

On March 25, the head of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Colonel General Sergei Rudskoy, gave a briefing in which he announced the end of what he called Phase One of Russia’s “special military operation” (SMO) in Ukraine.

The goals of the operation, which had begun on Feb. 24 when Russian troops crossed the border with Ukraine, were to cause “such damage to military infrastructure, equipment, personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine” to pin them down and prevent any significant reinforcement of the Ukrainian forces deployed in the Donbass region.

Rudskoy then announced Russian troops would be withdrawing and regrouping so that they will be able to “concentrate on the main thing — the complete liberation of Donbass.”

Thus began Phase Two.

On May 30 I published an article in Consortium News where I discussed the necessity of a Phase Three. I noted that . . .

“. . . both Phase One and Phase Two of Russia’s operation were specifically tailored to the military requirements necessary to eliminate the threat posed to Lugansk and Donetsk by the buildup of Ukrainian military power in eastern Ukraine. … [A]t some point soon, Russia will announce that it has defeated the Ukrainian military forces arrayed in the east and, in doing so, end the notion of the imminent threat that gave Russia the legal justification to undertake its operation.”

Such an outcome, I wrote, would “leave Russia with a number of unfulfilled political objectives, including denazification, demilitarization, permanent Ukrainian neutrality, and NATO concurrence with a new European security framework along the lines drawn up by Russia in its December 2021 treaty proposals. If Russia were to call a halt to its military operation at this juncture,” I declared, “it would be ceding political victory to Ukraine, which ‘wins’ by not losing.”

This line of thinking was predicated on my belief that “[w]hile one could have previously argued that an imminent threat would continue to exist so long as the Ukrainian forces possessed sufficient combat power to retake Donbass region, such an argument cannot be made today.”

In short, I believed that impetus for Russia expanding into a third phase would arise only after it completed its mission of liberating the Donbass in Phase Two. “Ukraine,” I said, “even with the massive infusion of military assistance from NATO, would never again be in a position to threaten a Russian conquest of the Donbass region.”

I was wrong.

Anne Applebaum, a neoconservative staff writer for The Atlantic, recently interviewedLieutenant General Yevhen Moisiuk, the deputy commander in chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, about the successful Ukrainian offensive operation. “What really surprises us,” Moisiuk said, “is that the Russian troops are not fighting back.”

Applebaum put her own spin on the general’s word. “Offered the choice of fighting or fleeing,” she wrote of the Russian soldiers, “many of them appear to be escaping as fast as they can.”

According to Applebaum, the Ukrainian success . . . READ MORE

First, links to reports from the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Reuters, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Then, from the Columbia University alumni periodical, a link to a Russian-American’s account of her decision to start a podcast. — MCM

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Ukraine combs mass burial site, says Russia ‘leaves death,’ by Vasilisa Stepanenko | AP  IZIUM, Ukraine — Ukrainian authorities were expected to begin recovering bodies Friday from a mass burial site in a forest recaptured from Russian forces, a delicate task that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said would help show the world “what the Russian occupation has led to.” The site, containing hundreds of graves, was discovered close to Izium after a rapid counteroffensive by Ukrainian forces retook . . . READ MORE . . .

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UN wants to send team to investigate mass grave found in Ukraine’s Izyum. From AFP. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights‘ office said today it wanted to send a team to Izyum to verify Ukrainian allegations that a mass grave had been found after recapturing the city from Russia.”Our colleagues in Ukraine are following up on these allegations, and they are aiming at organising a monitoring visit to Izyum to determine . . . READ MORE . . .

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U.S. sends new military aid for Ukraine to boost momentum, by Lolita C. Bald or and Matthew Lee | AP  WASHINGTON — The Biden administration announced Thursday it will send another $600 million in military aid to Ukraine, as the U.S. rushes more weapons to fuel Kyiv’s counteroffensive that has reclaimed large stretches of the embattled country and forced Russian troops to retreat. The White House said it was the 21st time that the Defense Department has pulled weapons and other equipment off the shelves to deliver to Ukraine. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine made recent battlefield gains. How will Putin retaliate? Reported by Michele Kelemen | NPR  Ukraine’s battlefield victories are a reason for celebration. But could it could also usher in another dangerous phase — with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin lashing out in other ways. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Ukrainian ballet dancer Oleksandr Shapoval is killed on the battlefield. Reported by Elizabeth Blair | NPR  One of Ukraine’s leading ballet artists is being remembered as a “courageous romantic” after being killed on the battlefield. The National Opera of Ukraine announced, with “indescribable sadness,” the death of Oleksandr Shapoval, one of the company’s former principal dancers and a teacher at Kyiv State Choreographic College. Shapoval died Monday at the age of 48 “under enemy mortar . . . Click HERE to listen and read.

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Russian parliament to consider summoning defence minister. From Reuters. LONDON — Russia’s lower house of parliament will consider summoning Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu to face questioning in a closed session, senior lawmaker Sergei Mironov was cited as saying by Kommersant newspaper on Thursday. It is virtually unknown for the State Duma to summon a defence minister to account for himself. However . . . READ MORE . . .

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IAEA report on Zaporozhye nuke plant does not specify who shelled it — Russian envoy. From Tass. VIENNA — The report of IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant does not mention from which side the plant was shelled, this is the weakest and most problematic part of the document, Russian Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov said on Thursday in a speech to the IAEA Board of Governors. “Strange as it may seem, the report lacks any mention . . . READ MORE . . .

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Raising my voice for Ukraine, by Marsha Udensiva-Brenner | Columbia Magazine There’s no shortage of stories that need to be told: The Columbia alumna who’d spent months in Ukraine caring for her dying mother only to return to the U.S. two weeks before the invasion. The student in the Slavic-languages department who’d been finishing his dissertation and planning a wedding in Kyiv when Russia invaded. The former faculty member . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

First, links to reports from the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Reuters, and teleSUR; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. — MCM

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Xi, Putin hold summit in Uzbekistan as Ukraine war dominates. From AP. BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and leaders from India and Central Asia gathered today in Uzbekistan for a summit of a security group formed by Beijing and Moscow as a counterweight to U.S. influence. The meeting Friday of the eight-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organization is overshadowed by Putin’s attack on Ukraine and strains in China’s . . . READ MORE . . .

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Xi-Putin meeting will happen on the sidelines of a security forum in Uzbekistan. Reported by Steve Inskeep, Emily Feng and Charles Maynes | NPR  The leaders of China and Russia join other world leaders for meetings at the Eurasian summit — dealing with security and trade. Top of the agenda: regional security and Russia’s war in Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Ukraine’s Zelenskiy sees damage in recaptured towns; Russia strikes city water system, by Tom Balmforth | Reuters  * Russian missiles attack Kryvyi Rih water system, Ukraine says * Dam repair works underway, floods receding -Krivyi Rih official * Zelenskiy makes surprise visit to Izium, Ukrainian flag raised * Russian, Chinese navies conduct joint patrols in the Pacific | IZIUM, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said towns and villages recaptured from Russian forces had been devastated, while a major city stepped up efforts today to repair damage to its water system from missile attacks. READ MORE . . .

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German FM urges swift decision on tank delivery to Ukraine. From AP. BERLIN — Germany’s foreign minister is putting pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to decide soon whether to supply Ukraine with advanced tanks as it seeks to reclaim more of its captured territory from Russia. . . . In an interview with daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung published today, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said a decision on delivering modern battle tanks to Ukraine could only be taken jointly by Germany’s governing three-party coalition and its international partners. “But . . . READ MORE . . .

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Other buyers for Russian energy other than Europe – Peskov. From teleSUR. Amid Europe’s efforts to reduce its dependence on Russian gas, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that other countries are willing to buy Russian energy. “Europe is not the only consumer of natural gas,” he said, speaking about falling demand in the EU, “nor is it the only continent that needs natural gas to sustain rapid growth.” European demand . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

Presented here are links to reports from National Public Radio, the Associated Press, Reuters, the Moscow Times, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below.  — MCM

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Ukraine’s southern coast is enduring non-stop Russian bombardment. Reported by Joanna Kakissis | NPR  Few Ukrainian cities have suffered as much Russian bombardment as Mykolaiv, near the coveted port of Odesa. Targeted strikes led the authorities to round up suspected collaborators. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Ukraine’s Zelenskyy visits recently retaken strategic city, by Elena Becatoros and Hanna Arhirova | AP  IZIUM, Ukraine — Hand on heart, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy watched his country’s flag rise today above the recaptured city of Izium, making a rare foray outside the capital . . . .  Russian forces left the war-scarred city last week as Kyiv’s soldiers pressed a stunning advance that has reclaimed large swaths of territory in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region. As . . . READ MORE . . .

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As war began, Putin rejected a Ukraine peace deal recommended by his aide, sources say. From Reuters. PARIS — Vladimir Putin’s chief envoy on Ukraine told the Russian leader as the war began that he had struck a provisional deal with Kyiv that would satisfy Russia’s demand that Ukraine stay out of NATO, but Putin rejected it and pressed ahead with his military campaign, according to three people close to the Russian leadership. The Ukrainian-born envoy, Dmitry Kozak, told Putin that he believed the deal he had hammered out removed the need for Russia to pursue a large-scale occupation of Ukraine . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainians in a recently liberated area talk about their life under Russian control. Reported by Ashley Westerman | NPR   The rural town of Balaklia was liberated as part of Ukraine’s recent counteroffensive against Russia in the east. NPR was among the first group of journalists to go there. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Ukrainian delegation rallies Washington for support. Reported by Mary Louise Kelly, Linah Mohammad and Christopher Intagliata | NPR  Mary Louise Kelly talks with Ukrainian activist Hanna Hopko about her efforts leading a civil society delegation in Washington trying to lobby lawmakers to send more aid and weapons to Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Ex-Soviet states boost exports to sanctions-hit Russia. From the Moscow Times. Several post-Soviet republics have dramatically increased exports to Russia after its invasion of Ukraine sparked a global trade and sanctions backlash against Moscow, the RBC news website reported today. Citing foreign and UN Comtrade data, the outlet reported Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan . . . READ MORE . . .

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Mobilization in Russia is not on the agenda, Kremlin says. From Tass. MOSCOW — Mobilization in Russia is not on the current agenda, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the media. “At this moment — no, it is not on the agenda,” he said when asked if the authorities were considering full or partial mobilization. Earlier, the . . . READ MORE . . .

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How Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is reshaping the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. A Martínez of NPR talks with Paul Stronski of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, about how Russia’s war with Ukraine is reshaping the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Zelenskyy’s former spokesperson writes about working with the Ukrainian president. Reported by Mary Louise Kelly, Jonaki Mehta and Courtney Dorning | NPR  Mary Louise Kelly talks with political adviser Iuliia Mendel about her book, The Fight of Our Lives: My Time with Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s Battle for Democracy and What it Means for the World. Click HERE to listen and read.

Presented below is the beginning of a paper published last week by two authors who are staff members of Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth. It is the second of two related papers. P.S. Thanks to Edward Curtin of Behind the Curtain for mentioning this paper HERE, alerting me that I had missed it. — MCM

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Triumph of the Official Narrative: How the TV Networks Hid the Twin Towers’ Explosive Demolition on 9/11

By Graeme MacQueen and Ted Walter

Editor’s Note: Two appendices at the end of this article contain 169 video clips of television news coverage from the day of 9/11. An immense debt of gratitude is owed to AE911Truth Operations Manager Andy Steele for the time and care he put into preparing the video clips.

A PDF of the article with video links is available HERE.

This article is the second installment of a two-part research project we began in July 2020 with the article “How 36 Reporters Brought Us the Twin Towers’ Explosive Demolition on 9/11.”

In that article, our goal was to determine the prevalence, among television reporters on 9/11, of the hypothesis that explosions had brought down the Twin Towers. Through careful review of approximately 70 hours of news coverage on 11 different channels, we found that the explosion hypothesis was not only common among reporters but was, in fact, the dominant hypothesis.

Presented here are links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Tass, the Moscow Times, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. — MCM

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Ukraine piles pressure on retreating Russian troops, by Elena Becatoros and Hanna Arhirova | AP  KHARKIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian troops piled pressure on retreating Russian forces today, pressing a counteroffensive that has produced major gains and a stunning blow to Moscow’s military prestige. It was not yet clear if the Ukrainian blitz in the northeast after months of little discernible movement could signal a . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine pushes to retake all land from Russia, calls for Western arms, by Tom Balmforth | Reuters  * Ukraine has seized back dozens of towns in rapid advance * Many fleeing Russian troops have exited Ukraine – U.S. official * Zelenskiy calls for anti-aircraft systems from West | ON ROAD TO BALAKLIIA, Ukraine — Ukraine said on Tuesday it aimed to liberate all of its territory after driving back Russian forces in the northeast of country in a rapid offensive, but called on the West to speed up deliveries of weapons systems to back . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia says delivering ‘massive’ strikes on Ukraine front lines. From AFP. MOSCOW — The Russian military said today it launched “massive strikes” on all frontlines in Ukraine, after Kyiv’s forces made dramatic advances in a counter-offensive. “Air, rocket and artillery forces are . . . READ MORE . . .

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Lavrov, several Russian delegates to UN General Assembly obtain U.S. visas, MFA reports. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and a number of members of the Russian delegation to the 77th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) have obtained their U.S. visas today to travel to New York, where UN headquarters is located, the Russian Foreign Ministry told TASS today. READ MORE . . .

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Russia ‘not discussing’ mass military mobilization, Kremlin says. From the Moscow Times. Russia is not planning to declare a mass national draft for the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin said today. The denial comes amid growing speculation that Russia may be looking to reverse its flagging fortunes in its six-month invasion of Ukraine by declaring mass mobilization and shoring up . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainians celebrate as troops make gains. Reported by Mallory Yu and Kathryn Fox | NPR  Ukrainians react to the gains made by Ukrainian forces in a military offensive carried out in recent days. Click HERE to listen and read.

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How Ukraine broke the stalemate with Russia. Reported by Greg Myre | NPR  In a counteroffensive, Ukrainian forces have claimed swaths in the east of the country, dealing a heavy blow to Russian forces as the war marks 200 days. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Ukraine played a game of misdirection and caught Russian forces off guard. Reported by A Martínez and Greg Myre | NPR  Behind Ukraine’s dramatic battlefield push and Russia’s rapid retreat is a surprise tactic. With public attention focused on movements in Ukraine’s south, Ukrainian forces struck in the east. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Ukraine’s counteroffensive has some Russian officials calling for Putin to resign. A Martínez of NPR talks with Sergey Radchenko, professor of Russian history at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, about President Putin’s supporters questioning Russia’s strategy. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Examining 2 recent cyberattacks against NATO members. Reported by A Martínez and Jenna McLaughlin | NPR  The war in Ukraine has put a spotlight on NATO. For alliance members, an attack on one is considered an attack on all. But those obligations are less clear in the cyber sphere. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

First, links to two stories from western Massachusetts newspapers; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (Access to them may be limited to paid subscribers.) Then, the speaking order and times of participants in last Saturday’s symposium of the Lawyers’ Committee for 9/11 Inquiry. More to follow. — MCM

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A day that lives in ‘infamy,’ by Matt Martinez | The Berkshire Eagle The Sept. 11 attacks killed nearly 3,000 people. Two planes were flown into the World Trade Center in New York City and another attack damaged the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., part of a terror plot orchestrated by Osama bin Laden, leader of the militant organization al-Qaeda. The attacks led to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Western Mass. remembers victims of Sept. 11 attacks at multiple ceremonies, by Jeanette Deforge | The Springfield Republican Melissa Harrington-Hughes, who grew up in West Springfield and was living in California, was at a business conference in New York when two planes flew into the World Trade Towers. Trapped on the 101st floor, she left a message on her husband’s answering machine saying “I’ll love you always” which was later immortalized in a documentary. “When I want a good cry I put it on and listen to her, Robert Harrington said. Yesterday . . . READ MORE . . .

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Lawyers’ Committee Symposium Speakers, by Segment. As noted previously (HERE) the Lawyers’ Committee for 9/11 Inquiry held a four-hour symposium last Saturday. For people who want to watch the recorded event in smaller bites, here are the six main participants and their times: Lawyer Mick Harrison (0:03:00 to 0:37:07), architect Richard Gage (0:39 to 0:52:00), firefighter Erik Lawyer (0:52:1:26:00), researcher and author Charlotte Dennett (1:26:30 to 2:07:00), researcher and author Barbara Honegger (2:07:00 to 2:55:00), and lawyer Daniel Sheehan (2:55:05 to c. 3:39:00). Filmmaker Kristina Borjesson introduces the main participants. Click HERE for a YouTube video of the symposium. 

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TO BE CONTINUED

First, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, Tass, National Public Radio, Agence France-Presse, and Agenzia ANSA; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. More to follow. — MCM

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Ukraine keeps up momentum, claims it reached Russian border, by Elena Becatoros and Hanna Arhirova | AP  KHARKIV, Ukraine — Ukraine claimed today that it took several more villages, pushing Russian forces right back to the northeastern border, part of a lightning counteroffensive that forced Moscow to withdraw troops from some areas in recent days. After months . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia shrugs off retreat in northeast Ukraine as Putin focuses on economy, by Mark Trevelyan | Reuters  * Kremlin says ‘special military operation’ will meet its goals * No response to question on Putin’s confidence in commanders * Putin chairs meeting on economy, silent on retreat | LONDON — Faced with one of its worst defeats in nearly seven months of war in Ukraine, the Kremlin insisted today it would achieve its military goals and President Vladimir Putin maintained an air of business as usual as he chaired a meeting on the economy. . . . Seizing the initiative after months of deadlock, Ukraine says . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian army abandons positions near airport, shelling of DPR subsides, officer says. From Tass. MOSCOW — Ukraine’s armed forces have relinquished their positions in the vicinity of the Donetsk airport’s landing strip which has led to significantly reduced intensity of attacks against Yasinovataya, and the Kievsky and Kuybyshevsky districts of Donetsk adjacent to the airport, an officer of the DPR’s People’s Militia told said today. “Gradual progress . . . READ MORE . . .

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How much did Russia’s war with Ukraine change in a single weekend? Reported by Steve Inskeep and Elissa Nadworny | NPR  On Saturday and Sunday, Ukrainian forces reclaimed a wide swath of territory in the northeast in a swift-moving counteroffensive that appeared to catch the Russians by surprise. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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The last reactor at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant has stopped. Reported by Steve Inskeep and Geoff Brumfiel | NPR  Operations at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant were fully stopped on Sunday as a safety precaution. Russia and Ukraine are accusing each other of shelling the plant. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Kremlin says Ukraine operations to continue ‘until objectives achieved.’ From AFP. Russia’s military action in Ukraine will continue, the Kremlin said today, after Ukrainian forces reclaimed significant territory in a counter-offensive in the country’s east. “The special military operation continues and will continue until the objectives that were originally set are achieved,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that he saw “no prospects for negotiations” between Moscow and Kyiv. READ MORE . . .

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Russia says carrying out strikes on areas retaken by Ukraine. From ANSA-AFP. MOSCOW — Russia said today its forces were carrying out strikes in parts of Ukraine’s Kharkiv region retaken by Kyiv’s forces in recent days. The defence ministry in its daily briefing said Russian air, rocket and artillery forces were “delivering precision strikes on units and reserves of the Ukrainian armed forces”, including in the urban hubs of Kupiansk and Izyum. The Kremlin said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Putin received reports on regrouping of Russian armed forces in Kharkov Region — Kremlin. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin receives reports on everything that is everything going on during the special military operation, including on the regrouping of Russian troops, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters today. “Of course . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

Presented here are links to two news reports and a newspaper column from this morning, which marks 21 years since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks; others are accessible by clicking on the names or initials below next to the reporters’ or authors’ names. Then, a link to a reprint of a still-fresh 2016 essay in which the author writes, “the corporate mainstream media serve the function of the government’s mockingbird . . . repeating and repeating  and repeating the same narrative in the same language. Words have a power to enchant and mesmerize.” — MCM

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9/11 attacks still reverberate as U.S. marks 21st anniversary, by Jennifer Peltz, Karen Matthews and Julie Walker | AP  NEW YORK — Americans remembered 9/11 today with tear-choked tributes, and pleas to “never forget,” 21 years after the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil. Bonita Mentis set out to read victims’ names at the ground zero ceremony wearing . . . READ MORE . . .

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On 9/11 anniversary, Biden recalls American unity, vows vigilance, by Nandita Bose | Reuters WASHINGTON — U.S. President Joe Biden today invoked the memory of America’s united response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks by al Qaeda and vowed to “never give up” in the face of terrorist threats in a solemn commemoration at the Pentagon. Biden’s remarks about national unity on the 21st anniversary of the attacks stood in contrast to his warnings in recent days about dangerous divisions in American society, including . . . READ MORE . . .

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‘We need to be good to one another,’ by Cynthia G. Simison | csimison@repub.com  | The Springfield Republican If there is something to be learned on this anniversary of the 2001 terror attacks on America, James C. Hagan says he hopes it involves our learning to be better to one another and to treat each other with kindness and respect. They are among the attributes he remembers best about his good friend and roommate at Suffield Academy 40-plus years ago. As we talk on a rainy Tuesday afternoon, Jim Hagan also remembers Daniel P. Trant’s passion for basketball. “This is the kind of day . . . Springfield Republican subscribers can click HERE to read more.

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Why I Don’t Speak of 9/11 Anymore, by Edward Curtin | Behind the Curtain Although this article about September 11, 2001, was written five or six years ago, I think it is still pertinent. I have nothing new to add to it, except the link near the end to an excellent new article by Graeme MacQueen and Ted Walter. Most people now have little interest  in that infamous and key day, but in the years to come history might find such work important in confirming the truths expressed here. Click HERE for the article.