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

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Ukraine forces advance further after fall of Russian stronghold, by Pavel Polityuk and Tom Balmforth | Reuters  * Ukrainian forces push further north, south and east – army commander * Ukraine’s capture of railway hub cuts supplies *  Could be a decisive turning point in six-month war * Ukraine shuts down Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant | KYIV, KHARKIV — Ukrainian forces kept pushing north in the Kharkiv region and advancing to its south and east, Ukraine’s army chief said today, a day after their rapid advances made Russia abandon its main bastion in the area. . . . Ukraine’s chief commander, General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, said  the country’s armed forces have regained control of more than 3,000 square km (1,158 square miles) since the beginning of this month. The retreat from the city of Izium marked Russian forces’ worst defeat since they were were pushed back from the capital Kyiv in March, as thousands of Russian soldiers left behind ammunition and equipment . . . READ MORE . . .

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Last reactor at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant stopped, by Karl Ritter | AP  KYIV — Europe’s largest nuclear plant has been reconnected to Ukraine’s electricity grid, allowing engineers to shut down its last operational reactor in an attempt to avoid a radiation disaster as fighting rages in the area. The six-reactor Zaporizhzhia plant lost its outside source of power a week ago after all its power lines were disconnected as a result of shelling. It was . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine makes surprise advances in the east; Russian-held nuclear reactor powers down. Reported by Ayesha Rascoe and Elissa Nadworny | NPR  Ukraine has retaken a number of villages in the country’s east. These gains come as the operator of the Russian-held nuclear power plant said it will power down the last working reactor there. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For now, a link to an Associated Press report; others are accessible by clicking on AP’s initials below. ALSO, please scroll down for the reminder about recent entries related to the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. — MCM

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Russia ‘taken by surprise’ as Ukraine advances in the east, by Karl Ritter and Joanna Kozlowska | AP  KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian officials on Saturday claimed major gains in a counteroffensive against Russian forces in the country’s northeast, saying Ukrainian troops had cut off vital supplies to front-line hotspot. The reports followed several days of apparent advances by Ukraine south of Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, in what . . . READ MORE . . .

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A REMINDER

The Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks occurred 21 years ago this coming Sunday. Previous entries of this blog call attention to:

* Two online symposiums tonight and tomorrow, HERE.

* A structural engineer’s webinar on the collapse of World Trade Center Building 7, HERE.

* A new paper on how TV networks helped create and perpetuate official myths shrouding the destruction of three World Trade Center skyscrapers, HERE.

* An essay on the importance of continuing efforts to expose those myths, HERE.

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

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The top U.S. military officer discusses Ukraine’s renewed efforts to push Russia out. Steve Inskeep of NPR talks with Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, about Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russian troops at the Dnipro River, and the long game in the war. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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U.S. approves up to $675M in further military aid to Ukraine. From AP. RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday President Joe Biden has approved additional military aid to Ukraine worth up to $675 million, an announcement that came as he gathered allies to renew their commitment to military support “for the long haul.” Austin said Biden approved the latest tranche of U.S. assistance on Wednesday. He said that the package includes howitzers, artillery munitions, Humvees, armored ambulances, anti-tank systems and . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian forces threaten Russian supply lines after breakthrough, by Max Hunder and Tom Balmforth | Reuters * Zelenskiy says forces have recaptured towns and villages * Blinken visits Kyiv with new U.S. aid package | KYIV — Swiftly advancing Ukrainian troops were approaching the main railway supplying Russian forces in the east today, after the collapse of a section of Russia’s front line caused the most dramatic shift in the war’s momentum since its early weeks. In a video address . . . READ MORE . . .

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Supplying Weapons Won’t Bring Peace to Ukraine: Chinese Envoy. From teleSUR. A Chinese envoy warned on Thursday that supplying weapons to Ukraine will not bring peace. “China has always maintained that dialogue and negotiation is the most realistic and feasible way to resolve the crisis,” said Geng Shuang, China’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations. “Only by seeking common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security can . . . READ MORE . . .

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EU ministers will meet to discuss Russia’s natural gas disruptions. Reported by A Martínez and Eleanor Beardsley | NPR  Europe’s energy ministers meet today to present a common front against Russia shutting off gas supplies. They’re expected to announce considerable belt tightening measures. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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TO BE CONTINUED

People who are not structural engineers can wonder what in the world structural engineers are talking about when they question the official investigation of how a third World Trade Center skyscraper — the 47-story Building 7, which was not hit by any airplane — came down on the afternoon of Sept. 11, 2001. Roland Angle’s presentation outlined below should help demystify the matter.  Angle is a career structural who is CEO of Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth. Click HERE to see his hour-long presentation challenging 16 key decisions he says led to predetermined results at odds with science. — MCM

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Summary Analysis of Critical Decisions that Derailed World Trade Center Investigation

CONCLUSION: Each of 16 critical decisions led the investigation toward the predetermined conclusion that office fires caused World Trade Center Building 7 to collapse on Sept. 11, 2001. The consistent pattern of those decisions made by key individuals operating within a large number of personnel involved in the investigation leads unavoidably to the inference that the decisions were deliberately guided by a coherent strategy to accomplish exactly that predetermined result.

Decision 1. Not to fight fires in WTC7.

Decision 2. To destroy evidence.

Decision 3. To appoint the National Institute for Standards and Technology to conduct the investigation.

Decision 4. To fail to test for incendiaries.

Decision 5. To ignore the presence of molten metal in the debris.

Decision 6.  To ignore the effect of high-temperature steel damage.

Decision 7. To ignore evidence of explosions in WTC7.

Decision 8. To exaggerate the thermal load on structure.

Decision 9. To falsify the structural thermal effect.

Decision 10. To omit critical structural features.

Decision 11. To fabricate the cascade of floor failures.

Decision 12. To fabricate the buckling of Column 79.

Decision 13. To fabricate the collapse of the core columns.

Decision 14. To fabricate the collapse model of WTC 7.

Decision 15. To ignore the significance of free fall.

Decision 16. To refuse to respond to legitimate inquiry.

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

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Blinken, in Kyiv, unveils $2B in US military aid for Europe, by Matthew Lee and Karl Ritter | AP  KYIV — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid an unannounced visit to Kyiv today as the Biden administration announced major new military aid worth more than $2.8 billion for Ukraine and other European countries threatened by Russia. In meetings . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian general says huge gains made in lightning counteroffensive, by Max Hunder and Pavel Polityuk | Reuters * Zelenskiy speaks of good news in eastern Ukraine * Says his forces have recaptured towns and villages * Ukrainian general says 700 sq kms retaken * Russian official partially disputes Kyiv’s account * Blinken visits Kyiv with new aid package | KYIV — Ukraine has recaptured more than 700 sq km (270 sq miles) of its territory in the east and south during a lightning counteroffensive, a Ukrainian general said today, offering the first official assessment of the operation. The gains, if confirmed and held, would . . . READ MORE . . .

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U.N. probes charges that Ukrainians are forcibly being deported to Russia. Reported by Renee Montagne and Michele Kelemen | NPR  The U.N. Security Council will discuss Russia’s so-called filtration camps, where hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have supposedly been detained, interrogated and possibly moved far into Russia. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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These groups are working to help the animals affected by the war in Ukraine. Reported by Eleanor Beardsley | NPR  Six months into the war in Ukraine, thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced. Four-legged Ukrainians are also suffering, but there are groups working to help the animals. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Eurozone risks recession in case of total Russian gas cut: Lagarde. From AFP. The eurozone could fall into recession next year in the case of a total shutdown of Russian gas supplies, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde warned today. The “downside scenario” for 2023 foresees negative growth in the case of a “total shutdown of all Russian gas supply” and energy rationing in the eurozone, she said, after the ECB unleashed a record rate hike.

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Ukrainian grain deal a failure – Russian official. From teleSUR. Russia’s permanent representative to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, said the Ukraine grain deal has failed to deliver on allowing Russian fertilizers and food products to reach world markets. Russia may not commit to extending the deal, as Russian shipments have not been able to reach world markets. “The agreement was . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

Two online programs this Friday evening and Saturday should especially interest people who reject the dominant government/media accounts of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. The events are being pulled together by the two groups best known for calling attention to the falsity of those accounts and demanding justice. Both are free, but donations from attendees are requested. Participants’ names are listed alphabetically below. — MCM

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‘Forbidden Truth: 9/11 Science at 21 Years.’ This symposium in three parts is sponsored by Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth. It is scheduled to run from 8 to 11 p.m. Friday EDT. It features as speakers AE911Truth CEO Roland Angle, filmmaker Dylan Avery, British 9/11 family member Matthew Campbell, civil engineer Jonathan Cole, and fire protection engineers Scott Grainger and Brian Thompson. Click HERE for more detailed information.

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9/11 Symposium 2022: Exciting Legal Develpments. Presented by the Lawyers’ Committee for 9/11 Inquiry and free of charge to those who attend, it begins Saturday at 4 p.m. EDT and features as speakers author/attorney Charlotte Dennett, architect Richard Gage, firefighter Christopher Gioa, attorney Mick Harrison, author Barbara Honegger, firefighter Erik Lawyer, attorney Danny Sheehan. MC is Kristina Borjesson. The event is dedicated to David Ray Griffin, the most prolific author of books on the terror attacks. Click HERE for more detailed information.

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A skeptical public. In a survey conducted last year — between Sept. 4 and 6, 2021 — Pulse Opinion Research contacted 1,153 Americans with questions about their views of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Click HERE and HERE for abbreviated results of the poll.

Presented in this entry are links to reports from National Public Radio and teleSUR; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. — MCM

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On Independence Day, Brazil’s president plans to flaunt his military ties. Reported by A Martínez and John Otis | NPR  President Bolsonaro is urging supporters to take to the streets for Independence Day. This may be a precursor to more verbal attacks on democratic institutions ahead of next month’s elections. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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New York to charge former White House adviser Steve Bannon. From teleSUR. The New York State Attorney’s Office will file charges against far-right Steve Bannon, who was a White House adviser during the administration of President Donald Trump (2017-2021). He would be accused of fraud due to his involvement in the “We Build the Wall,” an initiative that sought to raise funds for the U.S.-Mexico border wall. Bannon holds that New York authorities plan to “file false charges” against him . . . READ MORE . . .

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What’s next for Chile after voters rejected a new constitution. Reported by ARI Shapiro, Miguel Macias and Christopher Intagliata | NPR  Ari Shapiro speaks with Antonia Laborde, a reporter for the Spanish newspaper El País in Santiago de Chile after voters in the country rejected a new constitution. Now the country must consider a new path forward. Click HERE to listen and read.

 

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

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Shelling resumes near Ukraine nuclear plant, despite risks, by Yuras Karmanau | AP  KYIV — Russia resumed shelling near Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, a local official said today, a day after the U.N. atomic watchdog agency pressed for the warring sides to carve out a safe zone there to prevent a catastrophe. The city of Nikopol, on the opposite bank of the Dnieper River from Europe’s largest nuclear plant, was fired on with rockets and heavy artillery, regional Gov. Valentyn Reznichenko said. The report could not independently verified. READ MORE . . .

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U.N. calls for demilitarized zone around nuclear plant in Ukraine. Reported by Geoff Brumfiel and Michele Kelemen | NPR   The United Nations is calling for a demilitarized zone around a nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and read.

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The IAEA says it’s worried about the stability of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Reported by A Martínez and Frank Langfitt | NPR The U.N.’s nuclear watchdog says it’s concerned about the stability of the plant in Ukraine under Russian control. The IAEA called for a security protection zone to prevent a nuclear accident. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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The U.N. calls for an end to the fighting around a nuclear facility in Ukraine. Rachel Martin of NPR talks to U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield about the fighting around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, and the next steps in order to try to secure the plant. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Putin casts doubt over Ukraine grain deal and gas supplies to Europe, by Patel Polityuk | Reuters * Putin accuses Kyiv and West of flouting grain deal * Says wants to discuss changing terms of deal * Threatens to cut energy exports if Europe caps prices | KYIV — President Vladimir Putin said today he wanted to discuss reopening a U.N.-brokered deal that allows Ukraine to export its grain via the Black Sea, and he threatened to halt all energy supplies to Europe if Brussels caps the price of Russian gas. In a combative speech to an economic forum in Russia’s Far East region, Putin made little reference to his invasion of Ukraine, but said in answer to a question that Russia would not lose the war and had strengthened its sovereignty and . . . READ MORE . . .

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Western countries cling to the old world order: Putin. From teleSUR. Western countries are trying to preserve the old world order despite irreversible transformations happening in the system of international relations, Russian President Vladimir Putin said today during the plenary session of the 7th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok, Russia. “Western countries are trying to maintain yesterday’s world order, which is only beneficial to them, to force everyone to live according to the notorious . . . READ MORE . . .

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Erdogan: West is staging ‘provocations’ against Russia. From AFP. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accuses the West of staging “provocations” against Russia that have forced it to cut energy supplies to Europe. Erdogan has maintained good working relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin while trying to stay neutral in the conflict and supplying Ukraine with weapons and combat drones. He tells . . . READ MORE . . .

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European energy prices soar after Russia cuts off a natural gas pipeline to Germany. Reported by Jackie Northam | NPR  It’s a move seen as retaliation by the Kremlin for western sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. The energy crisis is not limited to Europe as other countries are also feeling the impact. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Russia ready to turn on Nord Stream 2 – Putin. From Tass. VLADIVOSTOK — Russia is ready to start pumping gas through the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, Russian President Vladimir Putin said today at the Eastern Economic Forum. “We are not  . . . READ MORE . . .

First, linked from Popular Resistance, two former war correspondents discuss reporting on the war and how norms of war coverage have changed in the last half-century. Then, reports from National Public Radio, Reuters, the Associated Press, Tass, and Agence France-Presse. Others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. — MCM

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Ukraine and the crisis of media censorship. From The Real News / Popular Resistance Chris Hedges and Patrick Lawrence see the press in the United States and most of Europe as overseeing “a public discourse that is often unhinged from the real world. It openly discredits or censoris anything that counters the dominant narrative about Ukraine, however factual. . . . How did this happen?” Click HERE to watch their half-hour conversation and read a transcript.

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How blowing up a dam in Ukraine flooded a village but stopped Russian forces. Reported by Elissa Nadworny | NPR  A community in Ukraine blew up a dam and flooded their village to stop the Russian army’s advance into the capital Kyiv. Six months later, they’re still pumping water out of their houses. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Ukrainians prep for winter. If Russia hits heating systems, cities will freeze. Reported by Tim Mak | NPR  The temperatures in the Ukrainian capital have been in the 70s lately. But as summer wanes, residents are already preparing for a harsh winter ahead. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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War has decimated tourism in Ukraine, but people are still determined to travel. Reported by Ashley Westerman | NPR  The Carpathian Mountains are a wildly popular domestic getaway spot for Ukrainians in the summer. But Russia’s invasion has deeply affected the tourism industry there this year. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Putin approves new foreign policy doctrine based on ‘Russian World’. From Reuters. LONDON — President Vladimir Putin on Monday approved a new foreign policy doctrine based around the concept of a “Russian World”, a notion that conservative ideologues have used to justify intervention abroad in support of Russian-speakers. The 31-page “humanitarian policy”, published more than six months into the war in Ukraine, says Russia should “protect, safeguard and advance the traditions and ideals of the Russian World”. While presented as a kind of soft power strategy, it enshrines . . . READ MORE . . .

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U.S.: Russia to buy rockets, artillery shells from North Korea, by Aamer Madhani | AP  WASHINGTON — The Russian Ministry of Defense is in the process of purchasing millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea for its ongoing fight in Ukraine, according to a newly downgraded U.S. intelligence finding. A U.S. official, who spoke . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian troops perform multiple launch of Iskander-M missiles at Vostok 2022 drills. From Tass. SERGEYEVSKY TRAINING GROUND/Primorye Krai, Russia — The Russian military destroyed a command post of a notional enemy using a multiple launch of Iskander-M tactical missile systems during the final stage of the Vostok 2022 (East 2022) strategic command and staff exercise at the Sergeyevsky training ground in the Primorsky Region, the Russian Defense Ministry said today.”In order to achieve . . . READ MORE . . .

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Putin attends military exercises involving Chinese forces: Kremlin. From AFP. Russian President Vladimir Putin attended large-scale military exercises today involving China and several other Russia-friendly countries, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told local news agencies. Putin was meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and military chief of staff Valery Gerasimov at the Sergeevski military range and could . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED