First, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on the organizations’ names below. Then, via Popular Resistance, a link to Moon of Alabama’s assessment of NATO countries’ likelihood to increase their combat readiness. — MCM

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Russia claims pivotal Ukraine city; Kyiv says fight ongoing, by Oleksandr Stashevskyi and Francesca Ebel | The Associated Press KYIV — Russia today claimed control over the last Ukrainian stronghold in an eastern province that is key to achieving a major goal of its invasion. But Ukraine’s president said the fight for the city of Lysychansk was ongoing. If confirmed, a Russian seizure of Luhansk province would provide its forces a stronger base to capture Donetsk, the other province that makes up the Donbas . . . READ MORE . . .

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Blasts Kill 3 In Russian Border City, Lawmaker Blames Ukraine, by Pavel Polityuk, Simon Lewis and Nick Starkov | Reuters * At least three people killed, buildings damaged in Belgorod * Regional governor says attack intentionally targeted civilians * Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for strikes in Russia | At least three people were killed and dozens of residential buildings damaged in the Russian city of Belgorod near the Ukraine border, the regional governor said, in what Moscow said was a Ukrainian missile attack. . . . At least 11 apartment buildings and 39 houses were damaged, including five that were destroyed, Belgorod Vyacheslave Gladkov said on . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine’s farmers face Russia’s blockade and ordnance in their farms this harvest. Reported by Peter Granitz | National Public Radio MYKOLAIV OBLAST, Ukraine — It only took Mykhailo Liubchenko homemade vodka to salvage some of his business. Liubchenko, 72, farms wheat and sunflowers on the front lines of the Ukraine war’s southern campaign. He says he paid off Russian soldiers with samogon — moonshine — so they wouldn’t torch his fields or steal his equipment in the early weeks of the war in February. “They were completely drunk,” he . . . Click HERE to listen and read.

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As tech evolves, deepfakes will become even harder to spot. Shannon Bond of NPR speaks with UC Berkeley professor Hany Farid about the prevalence of fake images and information generated by artificial intelligence and other technologies. Click HERE to listen and, one day, read.

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The U.S. ambassador to NATO outlines the challenges ahead for the alliance. Michel Martin of NPR hears from Julianne Smith, United States Permanent Representative to NATO, some “key takeaways from this year’s summit — and the challenges that lie ahead for the alliance.” Click HERE to listen and read.

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What the U.S. enhancing its military presence in NATO nations could look like. Reported by Michel Martin | NPR The Commander of the NATO Combined Air Operations Centre in Torrejon, Spain, says more American bases on European soil will make it easier for NATO to activate troops. Click HERE to listen and read.

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No, NATO Will Not Get Ready for War, by Moon of Alabama | Educate! NATO does not have 300,000 troops to put on high alert. The troops are controlled by member states and I see no willingness by any of them to shoulder the costs that a real high alert status would have. Units on high alert means that they fully manned with no one on vacation and with enough supplies ready to sustain weeks of battle. All of that costs money. Member states will instead . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

First, a link to an Associated Press report. Then, via Global Research, a pair of analyses calling into question two years of accepted government and media reportage about Covid-19, cases and deaths, and vaccines rushed into production and use. — MCM

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For now, wary U.S. treads water with transformed COVID-19, by Carla K. Johnson | The Associated Press The fast-changing coronavirus has kicked off summer in the U.S. with lots of infections but relatively few deaths compared to its prior incarnations. COVID-19 is still killing hundreds of Americans each day, but is not nearly as dangerous as it was last fall and winter. . . .  With more Americans shielded from severe illness through vaccination and infection, COVID-19 has transformed — for now at least — into an unpleasant, inconvenient nuisance for many.“It feels cautiously good right now,” said Dr. Dan Kaul, an infectious diseases specialist at . . . READ MORE . . .

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Biggest Lie in World History: There Never Was A Pandemic. The Data Base is Flawed. The Covid Mandates including the Vaccine are Invalid, by Michel Chossudovsky | Global Research The PCR “Covid-19 confirmed cases” are meaningless. The multibillion-dollar antigen and home test project is fake. Destabilizing the social, political and economic structure of 190 sovereign countries cannot constitute a “solution” to combating the virus. But that was the imposed “solution” which was implemented in several stages from the very outset of the corona crisis in January 2020. . . . The lies were sustained by a massive media disinformation campaign. 24/7, incessant and repetitive “Covid alerts” in the course of the last two years. The  historic March 11, 2020 lockdown triggered . . . Click HERE to read more and access a video of Chossudovsky stating his case.

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Conflict of Interest: Reuters ‘Fact Checks’ COVID-Related Social Media Posts, But Fails to Disclose Ties to Pfizer, World Economic Forum, by Megan Redshaw | Children’s Health Defense / Global Research From the onset of the pandemic, social media giants, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, have flagged COVID-related posts the social media giants deem “false or misleading.” . . . Reuters, owned by the $40 billion international multimedia company, Thomson Reuters Corporation, is also in the business of “fact checking” social media posts. . . . Last week, Reuters announced a new collaboration with Twitter to “more quickly provide credible information on the social networking site as part of an effort to fight the spread of misinformation.” In February, Reuters announced a similar partnership with Facebook to “fact check” social media posts. However . . . Reuters [has] made no mention of this fact: The news organization has ties to Pfizer, World Economic Forum (WEF) and Trusted News Initiative (TNI), an industry collaboration of major news and global tech organizations . . . READ MORE . . .

First, links to an analysis from the Associated Press, a Reuters news story, and three National Public Radio segments; more are accessible by clicking on the organizations’ names below. Then, links to two opinion pieces by Paul Craig Roberts, one of them via Global Research, and  the other by Jeffrey D. Sachs, via Consortium News. — MCM

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Russia’s messages with missiles tell West to back off, by Tamer Fakahany and Cara Anna | The Associated Press KYIV — The latest in a litany of horrors in Ukraine came this week as Russian firepower rained down on civilians in a busy shopping mall far from the front lines of a war in its fifth month. The timing was not likely a coincidence. . . . Were the attacks a message . . . ? READ MORE . . .

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Blasts rock Ukraine southern city as Russia grinds out gains in the east, by Pavel Polityuk and Simon Lewis | Reuters * ‘Stay in shelters!’ Mykolaiv mayor tells residents * Ukrainian troops say Russian artillery flattens buildings * Zelenskiy denounces ‘deliberately targeted Russian terror’ * Moscow says its forces ‘do not work with civilian targets’ | KYIV/KONSTYANTYNIVKA, Ukraine — Blasts shook Ukraine’s southern city of Mykolaiv today as Russia’s artillery helped grind out gains in the east, after a week when the civilian death toll from Russian missile strikes climbed in urban centres well behind the frontline. “There are powerful explosions in the city! Stay in shelters!” Oleksandr Senkevych, mayor of the Mykolaiv region which borders the vital Black Sea port of Odesa, wrote . . . READ MORE . . .

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Odesa maintains some normalcy despite Russian aerial assault on southern Ukraine. Reported by Peter Granitz | NPR Russia has increased its aerial assault on southern Ukraine, firing missiles at areas outside of the Donbas. But despite the threat, it’s almost as if the war hasn’t touched the port city Odesa. Click HERE to listen and read.

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NATO commits to focusing on Russia and China. Reported by Frank Langfitt | NPR NATO wrapped up its summit in Madrid with a clear, unified message, but there were unsettling reminders of the brutal road ahead in Ukraine and political turmoil back in the U.S. Click HERE to listen and, one day, read.

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Two Ukrainian fighters describe the current state of the frontlines against Russia. Reported by Frank Langfitt | NPR Two Ukrainian fighters — one a volunteer solider, the other, a commander — describe what they’re seeing on the frontlines of the war against Russia. Click HERE to listen and, one day, read.

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Russia’s Ukraine Miscalculation, by Paul Craig Roberts | IPE / Global Research Russia’s Ukraine miscalculation dates to 2014 when the Kremlin refused the request of the Donbass Russians in Eastern Ukraine to be reunited with Russia. Historically part of Russia, the Donbass region was attached to the Ukrainian province of the Soviet Union by Soviet leaders as was Crimea. These Russian populated territories . . . rejected the anti-Russian rule installed in Kiev when Washington overthrew the Ukrainian government and installed a puppet regime.  Had the Kremlin . . . READ MORE . . .

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More Evidence of Russia’s Lack of Political Realism: Russian toleration of U.S. neoconservative ambition is leading to war, by Paul Craig Roberts | PCR / IPE In her weekly briefing, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zakharova asks the gentlemen of Brussels and Lithuania” if Russia’s understanding is correct that “you have unleashed a war?”  Why does she have to ask the question?  Why not make a declarative statement?  https://mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/news/1819949/ Washington is brewing endless problems for Russia. Washington bribed the president of Kazakhstan, whose country Russia recently saved . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine Is the Latest Neocon Disaster, by Jeffrey D. Sachs | Common Dreams / CN The war in Ukraine is the culmination of a 30-year project of the American neoconservative movement. The Biden administration is packed with the same neocons who championed the U.S. wars of choice in Serbia (1999), Afghanistan (2001), Iraq (2003), Syria (2011), Libya (2011), and who did so much to provoke Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The neocon track record is one of unmitigated disaster, yet Biden has staffed his team with neocons. As a result . . . READ MORE . . .

First, a link to an Associated Press report on reinfections of Covid-19 among the vaccinated. Then, links to two looks at “Sesame Street” promoting Covid vaccines for young children. Next, from the America First Report, a link to a report of the plane crash last Sunday in which an “anti-vaxxer” Dr. Carrie Madej was injured, along with a recent interview with her, and another link to an article by immunologist Joseph Mercola and a CBS News report, both on booster shots and their reliability to prevent Covid-19 infections. — MCM

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A viral reprise: When COVID-19 strikes again and again, by Laura Ungar | The Associated Press For New York musician Erica Mancini, COVID-19 made repeat performances. March 2020. Last December. And again this May. “I’m bummed to know that I might forever just get infected,” said the 31-year-old singer, who is vaccinated and boosted. “I don’t want to be getting sick every month or every two months.” But medical experts warn that repeat infections are getting more likely as the pandemic drags on and the virus evolves — and some people are bound to get hit more than twice. Emerging research suggests . . . READ MORE . . .

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‘Sesame Street’ uses Elmo to hype COVID vaccines for 3 year-olds, by Jack Hobbs | New York Post “Sesame Street” just got a little safer thanks to Elmo. Well, depending on whom you ask. The beloved furry Muppet received his first jab of the COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday in an effort to get nonpuppet parents to get their young children vaccinated against the deadly virus. Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind the iconic kids show “Sesame Street,” shared a new public service announcement . . . . The now-viral campaign comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded the use of the coronavirus vaccine to children 5-years old and younger . . . READ MORE . . .

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Left Pushes Vaccines on Children: ‘Elmo Got the COVID Vaccine Today,’ by Hannah Bleau | Breitbart The famed Sesame Street character Elmo on Tuesday announced on social media that he, too, got vaccinated for the Chinese coronavirus, telling children “Elmo’s doctor said the vaccine would help keep Elmo healthy.” . . . Sesame Street’s most recent vaccine pitch follows the U.S approval of Pfizer’s and Moderna’s coronavirus vaccines for children under the age of five. The DeSantis administration is among those who has raised concerns over the vaccine for children as young as six months. As a result, the Florida does not recommend it, although parents can still obtain the vaccine through their doctor. “I would just caution people look at the actual data in the clinical trial,” DeSantis said . . . last week. READ MORE . . .

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Days After Exposing New World Order in Bombshell Interview, Anti-Vaxx Doctor Carrie Madej’s Plane Mysteriously Crashed, by JD Rucker | America First Report A plane carrying Dr. Carrie Madej and her boyfriend crashed on Sunday, leaving both in the ICU. It occurred less than a week after I interviewed her, during which she revealed connections between the Metaverse, Covid jabs, and the depopulation agenda of the New World Order. The video had over 150K views when her plane crashed. It was her last interview; within three days she canceled all future speaking events and interviews after finding out she was being investigated by various medical boards. Did something she said . . . Click HERE to read more and listen to a recent interview Madej had with JD Rucker.

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Why Three Covid Jabs Are Worse Than Two, by Dr. Joseph Mercola | America First Report Believe it or not, we’re now at the point where even mainstream media are reporting that COVID-19 is more prevalent among the boosted, compared to those who quit after the initial series. That doesn’t mean that sanity is returning; it’s just interesting that they’re not able to ignore it completely, even though their efforts to rationalize it teeter on the verge of lunacy. June 6, 2022, CBS News reported:¹ “As COVID-19 cases began to accelerate again this spring, federal data suggests the rate of breakthrough COVID infections in April was worse in boosted Americans compared to unboosted Americans . . . Meanwhile, federal officials are also preparing for key decisions on future COVID-19 vaccine . . . Click HERE to read more and watch the CBS News segment.

 

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

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Russian missiles kill at least 19 in Ukraine’s Odesa region. From the Associated Press. KYIV — Russian missile attacks on residential areas in a coastal town near the Ukrainian port city of Odesa early today killed at least 19 people, authorities reported, a day after Russian forces withdrew from a strategic Black Sea island. . . .  The Ukrainian president’s office said three X-22 missiles fired by Russian bombers struck an apartment building and two campsites. READ MORE . . .

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Russia seizes control of Sakhalin gas project, raises stakes with West, by Yuka Obayashi, Emily Chow and Ron Bousso | Reuters * Putin signed decree to secure all rights on Thursday * Five-page decree follows tightening Western sanctions * Move raises risks for Western firms still in Russia * Shell was already in talks to sell up Sakhalin stake | TOKYO/LONDON — President Vladimir Putin has raised the stakes in an economic war with the West and its allies with a decree that seizes full control of the Sakhalin-2 gas and oil project in Russia’s far east, a move that could force out Shell and Japanese investors. The decree, signed on Thursday, creates. . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

Richard Gage is best known as the founding director of Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth, from which he departed last September over board members’ disappointment over some parts of his interview with filmmaker Spike Lee that led to the shortening of the fourth and final segment of Lee’s “NYC Epicenters” for HBO Max. Several months ago Gage started his own website, richardgage911.org. His interview with the British communications scholar Piers Robinson, promoted below, will be viewable online today beginning at 4 p.m. EDT today. It is part of a series under the rubric “Richard Gage: UNLEASHED!” — MCM

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9/11: The Propaganda War | Piers Robinson, PhD

Was 9/11 a propaganda event?

My guest on “RichardGage911:UNLEASHED!” is Dr. Piers Robinson!

What is propaganda and what role does it play in democracies?

Watch on Rokfin after 1PM Pacific Today!

How was propaganda deployed by the Government, and the media, on & following 9/11?

Who is Hill+Knowlton? Who hired them? What role did they play in the lead up to war in Iraq?

What role did propaganda play with respect to enabling the Global War on 

Terror” and “regime change war doctrine”?

What is revealed in the planning documents and exchanges between Tony Blair & George Bush immediately following 9/11?

Who was Edward Bernays? How has he shaped the minds of Americans?

What are the techniques & mechanisms of propaganda?

How was the deception of omissions and distortions used on 9/11?

Was “deception” deployed to initiate the subsequent wars? 1. Afghanistan: with the “democracy/rights” narrative? 2. Iraq: with the “WMD” narrative? 3. Syria and Libya: with the “evil dictator” and “chemical weapon” narratives?

How does the legacy media maintain these deceptions?

How are these deceptions maintained in the academic communities?

How was “suppression of science” arrayed against the work of Steve Jones, Kevin Ryan, Niels Harrit and the University of Alaska, Fairbanks WTC 7 Study?

How is the “conspiracy theorist” smear tactic used? And where did it originate?

Who is the government official Cass Sunstein? And what is “cognitive infiltration”?

How can we, as citizens, see through propaganda in real time?

What is the best way to expose propaganda when we find it?

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

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Russia and China slam NATO after alliance raises alarm, by Jill Lawless, Joseph Wilson and Sylvie Corbet | The Associated Press MADRID — NATO faced rebukes from Moscow and Beijing on today after it declared Russia a “direct threat” and said China posed “serious challenges” to global stability. The Western military alliance was wrapping up a summit in Madrid, where it issued a stark warning that the world has been plunged into a dangerous phase of big-power competition and myriad threats, from cyberattacks to climate change. NATO leaders also formally invited Finland and Sweden to join the alliance, after overcoming opposition from Turkey. READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces withdraw from Ukraine’s strategic Snake Island, by Max Hunder | Reuters KYIV — Russian forces have withdrawn from Ukraine’s Snake Island, a strategic outpost in the Black Sea, Russia’s defence ministry and Ukraine’s president’s office said today. . . .”KABOOM! No Russian troops on the Snake Island anymore. Our Armed Forces did a great job,” Andriy Yermak, head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s office, wrote on Twitter. Russia’s defence ministry confirmed Russian troops had withdrawn from Snake Island, calling it a “goodwill gesture” . . . . [It] added the move showed Russia was not impeding U.N. efforts to organise a humanitarian corridor to export agricultural products out of Ukraine. READ MORE . . .

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Secretary Blinken and Spanish Foreign Minister Albares on new NATO Strategic Concept. Michel Martin of National Public Radio moderated a panel on Wednesday with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares at the NATO Public Forum in Madrid about Ukraine and immigration. NATO leaders approved a new strategic concept, a blueprint for the alliance going forward. Among its priorities . . . Click HERE to listen and read.

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Biden is wrapping up a week of high-level meetings with allies in Europe. Reported by A Martínez and Tamara Keith | NPR While in Europe, President Biden committed more U.S. troops to NATO and worked with G-7 leaders on Russia. Before heading home, he’ll take questions about the domestic issues waiting for him. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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TO BE CONTINUED

Below please find the beginnings of an email I and dozens of others got from Lionel this morning. As I’ve noted before, I had never heard of him before attending a conference in New York City marking the 15th anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He made a lot of sense that day while entertaining. He doesn’t mention 9/11 below. In recent months this blog has focused mostly on the war in Ukraine and related events. Below, Lionel mentions that only once directly and a few times tangentially. Readers are invited to enjoy his messages and see what they agree with and what they don’t. They are also urged to look at today’s previous entry. — MCM

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Greetings from a Parallel Universe

By Lionel

If you can’t convince them, confuse them. — Harry S Truman

If, to expose the fraud and imposition of monarchy . . . to promote universal peace, civilization, and commerce, and to break the chains of political superstition, and raise degraded man to his proper rank; if these things be libellous . . . let the name of libeller be engraved on my tomb. ― Thomas Paine, The Thomas Paine Reader

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It may be too much to ask citizens to be conversant with that they rail against.

* If it’s on cable news it’s a lie.

* You’re not watching news. You’re watching distractions.

* The greatest fable yet concocted. An incredible yarn. The product of desperation. The Hail Mary. When all else fails. Going for broke. Meanwhile the country exhales in collective ennui nonchalance and habituated boredom. Been there, done that. Next! Do you really think Trump went this crackers? Ever? No way. And now we find out. Now? What timing, huh?

* You can always guarantee that during any form of political or societal contretemps Howard Stern through his publicity units will invariably enter the fray with yet another seemingly irrelevant reference just to prove to the world he’s still alive.

* The era of the unipolar world is over.

* “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” —Daniel Patrick Moynihan

* Being Hutch’d. Alas poor Cassidy. So young to be set up this way . . . READ MORE . . .

To begin, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. Then, via Consortium News, links to two analyses from caitlinjohnstone.com and Common Dreams. — MCM

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U.S. to boost military presence in Europe for Russia threat, by Darlene Superville and Zeke Miller | The Associated Press MADRID — President Joe Biden said today that the U.S. will significantly increase its military presence in Europe for the long haul, including by establishing its first permanent presence in Poland, to bolster regional security after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. . . . Biden said “NATO is strong and united” and that steps to be taken during the gathering will “further augment our collective strength.” The White House said Biden’s commitments mean the U.S. will maintain a presence of 100,000 troops in Europe, up 20,000 from the levels before the Ukraine war began, for the “foreseeable . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian missiles rain down on Ukraine as West pledges enduring support, by Pavel Polityuk | Reuters * Battle for Lysychask grinds on * You could be next, Zelenskiy tells NATO leaders * Mykolaiv attack sign of stepped-up Russian offensive * NATO says more weapons in pipeline | KYIV — Russian forces struck targets in the Mykolaiv region of southern Ukraine today and intensified attacks on fronts across the country as NATO members met in Madrid to plan a course of action against the challenge from Moscow. The mayor of Mykolaiv city said a Russian missile strike killed at least three people in a residential building there, while Moscow said its forces had hit what it called a training base for foreign mercenaries in the region. In the east . . . READ MORE . . .

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NATO meets in Madrid for what the alliance calls a transformative summit. Reported by A Martínez and Frank Langfitt | National Public Radio In a last minute deal, Turkey dropped its objections to Finland and Sweden joining the security alliance — all but ensuring NATO’s enlargement in the midst of the war in Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and read.

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NATO will boost military defenses especially on the eastern flank nearest Russia. A Martinez of NPR talks to retired Navy Adm. James Stavridis, a former NATO commander, about measures the security organization can adopt to betteR defend itself against Russian aggression. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Russia is facing a huge geopolitical price for its invasion of Ukraine. Reported by Brian Mann | NPR Russia has won significant ground on the battlefield in eastern Ukraine but a growing number of experts say the growing costs to Moscow’s military, economy and stature far outweigh the gains. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Germany aims to offset living costs and gas demand with discounted public transport. Reported by Rob Schmitz | NPR This summer, one can travel in Germany on public transportation for less than $10 a month. It’s part of a government package to tackle the soaring cost of living by using more public transportation. Click HERE to listen and read.

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NATO Expands, Responding to War Caused by NATO Expansion, by Caitlin Johnstone | caitlinjohnstone.com Turkey’s President Erdogan has officially withdrawn Ankara’s objection to the addition of Finland and Sweden to NATO membership, with the three countries signing a trilateral memorandum at a NATO summit in Madrid. The removal of Erdogan’s objection was reportedly obtained via significant natsec concessions from the other two nations largely geared toward facilitating Turkey’s ongoing conflict with regional Kurdish factions, and it removes . . . READ MORE . . .

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NATO & a War Foretold, by Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J. S. Davies | Common Dreams As NATO holds its summit in Madrid on Tuesday through Thursday this week, the war in Ukraine is taking center stage. During a pre-Summit June 22 talk with Politico, NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg bragged about how well-prepared NATO was for this fight because, he said: “This was an invasion that was predicted, foreseen by our intelligence services.” Stoltenberg was talking about . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

To begin, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. Next, via Popular Resistance, links to two commentaries picturing the war in Ukraine as a launching pad for more global conflict initiated by the West.

NOTE: In the second, commentator Ben Norton repeatedly mischaracterizes the role of British army general Patrick Sanders, who this month became Chief of the General Staff; a footnote below provides the Wikipedia description.* — MCM

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Dozens still missing after Russian missile strike on mall kills 18, by Simon Lewis | Reuters * Moscow claims blaze at mall caused by strike on arms depot * 36 people still unaccounted for * G7 countries announce aim to cap price of Russian oil | KREMENCHUK, Ukraine — Exhausted firefighters searched today for survivors in the rubble of a Ukrainian shopping mall, where authorities said 36 people were still missing after a Russian missile strike that killed at least 18. The attack, in the central city of Kremenchuk far from any frontline, drew a wave of global condemnation . . . READ MORE . . .

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Macron says Russia can’t win in Ukraine after strike on mall, by Francesca Ebel and Yuras Karmanau | The Associated Press KREMENCHUK, Ukraine — French President Emmanuel Macron said today that Russia “cannot and should not win” the war in Ukraine, a day after a Russian missile attack on a crowded shopping mall that killed 18 put the conflict’s terrible toll on full view. Ukrainian and Western leaders have denounced the strike as a war crime and a terrorist attack and it drew swift condemnation . . . READ MORE . . .

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G7 leaders focus on Ukraine war in summit. Reported by Tamara Keith | National Public Radio Leaders of the G-7 nations met in Germany and focused on the war in Ukraine. They talked about new missile defense systems for Kyiv and a proposal for a price cap for Russian oil. Click HERE to listen and read.

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NATO summit opens with some of the biggest questions the alliance has faced in years. Reported by Frank Langfitt | NPR NATO grapples with divisions over continuing to arm the Ukrainians while also seeking a negotiated settlement to end a war that is damaging European economies. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Some European countries see prices rise a lot faster than others in the bloc. Reported by Rebecca Rosman | NPR Amid the Russia-Ukraine war, COVID-induced supply chain issues and supplier price gouging, inflation is rising in Europe. Consumer price inflation in the Euro zone hit a record high last month. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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The Neocons’ Dream — Decolonized Russia, Re-colonize China, by Moon of Alabama.| Educate! On March 26, U.S. President Joe Biden . . . speaking in Warsaw, Poland . . . called for regime change in Russia . . . . [saying of] Russian President Vladimir Putin: “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power.” The White House immediately rushed to talk back that call for regime change and a day later Biden himself denied that he was . . . READ MORE . . .

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British Army Chief Tells Troops Prepare for World War II with Russia. Reporting and commentary by Ben Norton | Multipolarista. The chief of the United Kingdom’s army, Patrick Sanders, told has his troops to prepare for World War III with Russia. Mainstream British media outlet and radio station LBC published a report on June 19 titled “British soldiers must get ready to fight Russia in Third World War, army chief warns.” General Sanders* . . . told his soldiers to prepare “to fight in Europe once again.” According to LBC, the UK military chief said, “There is now a burning imperative to forge an Army capable of fighting alongside our allies and defeating Russia in battle.” Click HERE for introduction and video analysis.

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* According to Wikipedia, Gen. Patrick Sanders is Britain’s new Chief of the General Staff and as such is “a member of both the Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Army Board. . . . Since 1959, the post has been immediately subordinate to the Chief of the Defence Staff, the post held by the professional head of the British Armed Forces.”