Links to reports from National Public Radio and Reuters, and to a memorandum from Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity* via Consortium News; other published material or at least headlines is accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll up or down for UKRAINE, LEBANON, WEST BANK, GAZA, IRAN and MEDIA, and down for CUBA 5-23-26.) — MCM

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FROM JUNE 2  Rubio testifies on Capitol Hill about Cuba. Reported by Michele Kelemen | NPR  Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Cuba needs systemic reforms. But the administration is talking to Cuban officials like ex-leader Raul Castro’s grandson. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM MAY 28  Cuba sees higher risk of U.S. military aggression as talks stall. From Reuters. Cuba’s Deputy Foreign Minister Josefina Vidal sees the risk of U.S. military aggression against the island growing as negotiations between the nations stagnate, she said on Thursday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 29  Avoiding catastrophic failure in Cuba. From VIPS.* Dear President Trump: We are deeply concerned that the current U.S. approach to Cuba makes an ugly humanitarian disaster — for which the U.S. will be responsible — increasingly likely. We also believe that any military option will draw us into a losing war. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 19 Cuba is out of oil. What now? Reported by Fiona Geiran, Tinbete Ermyas and Scott Detrow | NPR  Detrow speaks with Jorge Piñon, an energy researcher at the University of Texas at Austin and a former oil executive, about the energy crisis taking place in Cuba. Click HERE to listen and read.

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TO BE CONTINUED

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*  As VIPS apparently doesn’t have a website, this link is to a collection of links to VIPS memorandums on the Consortium News website.

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Links to a report from National Public Radio, to commentary from Consortium News, to an interview from CBS News, and to part of an opinion column from the New York Times; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names. (Scroll up for UKRAINE, LEBANON, WEST BANK, GAZA, IRAN and CUBA, and down for MEDIA 6-1-26.) — MCM

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’60 Minutes’ correspondent Scott Pelley fired amid rising tensions at CBS News. Reported by David Folkenflik and Leila Fadel | NPR  Scott Pelley, the longtime “60 Minutes” correspondent, was fired from CBS a day after a heated staff meeting exchange with the show’s new executive producer. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM JUNE 2  The systematic murder of international law, by Patrick Lawrence | Special to Consortium News  Have we entered an era defined by the total absence of international law and the decisive destruction of the institutions founded to encode, adjudicate and enforce it? There are (in)famous cases — familiar if one does not rely on corporate media. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 10  Full transcript of Major Garrett’s interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. From CBS News. Mr. Prime Minister, Good to see you. Click HERE to read and for 79-minute video of extended interview.

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FROM MAY 28  Israel’s isolation is deepening fast, by Shira Efron | The New York Times  At the Eurovision song contest, Israel drew protesters as well as boycotts by Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Iceland and Slovenia. Days later . . . Click HERE to read a bit of New York Times column.

Links to SIX reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, and Tass; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll down for LEBANON and IRAN, and for UKRAINE 5-31-26.) — MCM

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Massive Russian attack kills 18 people across Ukraine, officials say, as Moscow escalates fighting, by Samya Kullab and Vasilisa Stepanenko | AP  KYIV — Russia launched hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles against Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities overnight, killing at least 18 civilians and wounding 131 others, authorities said today. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish; and HERE for others. Click HERE and HERE for two reports from Reuters; and HERE, HERE and HERE for reports from Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent and Tass.

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Links to SIX reports: from Reuters, the Cradle, National Public Radio, and the Associated Press, and to commentaries from the Cradle and ScheerPost; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll up for UKRAINE and LEBANON, and down for IRAN 6-1-26.) — MCM

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Iran studying deal to halt war as stalemate persists. From Reuters. DUBAI — Iran is reviewing a proposed agreement with the United States to halt their war, Iran’s Mehr news reported today, after U.S. President Donald Trump said talks to reach a deal were continuing. READ MORE . . .

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U.S. pressures Oman to sever ties with Iran: report. From the Cradle. White House officials are pressuring Oman to distance itself from Tehran and sever diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic, allegedly growing “increasingly frustrated” with Muscat’s neutral stance, the Wall Street Journal reported today, citing U.S. and Arab officials. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 1  Iran calls off talks with U.S. over Israeli strikes in Lebanon, Gaza. Reported by Hadeel Al-Shalchi | NPR  Iran says it is suspending all talks with the U.S. due to Israel’s expanding occupations in Lebanon and Gaza.  Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., shares his thoughts on the U.S.-Iran peace talks. Leila Fadel of NPR asks Democratic Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, for his view of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire and negotiations. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Iran’s inflation hits World War II levels, deepening economic pain, by Jon Gambrell and Nasser Karimi | AP  DUBAI — Year-on-year inflation in Iran reached a level in May unseen since World War II, underlining the economic pain average Iranians face as the Islamic Republic worries about the war with Israel and the United States restarting. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish; and HERE for others.

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Iranians back online after a government-imposed blackout. Reported by Arezou Rezvani | NPR  People in Iran are back online after a government-imposed digital blackout that lasted nearly three months. Reconnecting has been bittersweet for many Iranians. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM JUNE 1  Why Oman now holds the key to Hormuz, by Omar Ahmad | The Cradle  On May 5, Iran announced the establishment of the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, a body presented by Tehran as a mechanism for regulating transit through the Strait of Hormuz and collecting fees from commercial passage. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 1  Trump: ‘We shouldn’t have been in Iran,’ by Joshua Scheer | ScheerPost  In an interview conducted not by a journalist but by his daughter-in-law on Fox News, Trump stumbled into a confession that cuts through months of White House triumphalism, media cheerleading, and endless declarations of victory. He casually admitted something extraordinary. Click HERE for article and video of interview with Lara Trump.

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Links to NINE-plus reports (11): from Reuters, the Cradle, the Associated Press, Middle East Monitor, Middle East Eye, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names. (Scroll down for GAZA, IRAN and MEDIA, and for LEBANON 5-31-26). — MCM

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NEWER  Trump says he spoke to Lebanon’s Hezbollah through intermediaries. From Reuters. WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump today said he spoke with Iran-aligned Lebanese militia group Hezbollah through intermediaries and secured a pledge that it would not attack Israel. READ MORE . . .

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Netanyahu orders military to resume attacks on Beirut. From the Cradle. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz announced today that the army has been ordered to resume airstrikes on the southern suburb of Beirut, one day ahead of U.S.-hosted Lebanon–Israel talks that have so far failed to achieve de-escalation. READ MORE . . .

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Trump says Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to dial back fighting, by Bassem Mroue, Kareem Chehayeb and Natalie Melzer | AP  BEIRUT — U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to dial back fighting after he held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and communicated with the Lebanon-militant group through mediators. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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Hezbollah drone strike kills Israeli occupation soldier near historic Beaufort Castle. From the Cradle. Hezbollah resistance fighters killed an Israeli soldier and injured several others near the historic Beaufort Castle in south Lebanon today after Israeli troops occupied the castle and erected its flag above it a day earlier. READ MORE . . .

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Israel seeks Trump administration approval for wider air strike in Beirut. From Middle East Monitor. Israel has asked the United States to allow it to expand its military operations in Lebanon to include large-scale air strikes on Beirut, rather than limiting its actions to targeted assassinations, according to Israeli Channel 12. READ MORE . . .

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Iran stops exchange of messages with U.S. over Israel’s war in Lebanon. From the Cradle. Iran’s negotiating team is stopping exchanges of messages with the ​U.S. due to Israel’s ongoing bombardment and invasion of Lebanon, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported today. READ MORE . . .

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Lebanon parliament speaker says he guarantees Hezbollah’s commitment to ceasefire if Israel ends war. From Middle East Monitor. Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said he could guarantee that Hezbollah would fully comply with a ceasefire if Israel halted its land, sea and air military operations and stopped demolishing homes and bulldozing land in Lebanon. READ MORE . . .

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Israel seizes strategic hilltop in Lebanon as U.S.-Iran talks remain in limbo. Reported by Greg Myre and A Martínez | NPR  Israel expands its invasion of Lebanon capturing a strategic hilltop as U.S. talks aimed at ending the war with Iran appear to be in limbo. Click HERE to listen and read, and HERE for all three Iran war-related reports today from NPR’s “Morning Edition.”

Iran says it will not ‘tolerate’ Israeli attacks on Lebanon. From Middle East Eye. The Iranian Armed Forces accused Israel of taking advantage of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire to commit what it described as “blatant aggression” against Lebanon. READ MORE . . .

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A link to a report from National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on its name or initials. (Scroll up or down for LEBANON, IRAN and MEDIA, and down for GAZA 5-31-26.) — MCM

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Funds for Trump’s Board of Peace aren’t in World Bank account. So where are they? Steve Inskeep of NPR speaks with Financial Times reporter Abigail Hauslohner about the funding of President Trump’s Board of Peace to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Links to TEN reports and analyses: from the Cradle, the Associated Press, Reuters, Middle East Eye, National Public Radio, and Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll up or down for LEBANON, GAZA and MEDIA, and down for IRAN 5-31-26.) — MCM

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Iran stops exchange of messages with U.S. over Israel’s war in Lebanon. From the Cradle. Iran’s negotiating team is stopping exchanges of messages with the ​U.S. due to Israel’s ongoing bombardment and invasion of Lebanon, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported today. READ MORE . . .

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U.S. bombs Iranian military sites and Tehran targets American troops in Kuwait, by Jon Gambrell | AP  DUBAI — The United States said today that it bombed radar and drone sites in Iran after Tehran shot down an American drone over the weekend. Iran then said it targeted American soldiers in Kuwait with missiles, which the U.S. says it shot down. The nominal ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. has . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish; and HERE for others. Click HERE and HERE reports from Reuters and the Cradle. 

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Iran says it will not ‘tolerate’ Israeli attacks on Lebanon. From Middle East Eye. The Iranian Armed Forces accused Israel of taking advantage of the US-Iran ceasefire to commit what it described as “blatant aggression” against Lebanon. READ MORE . . .

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EU is ‘ready to contribute’ to possible U.S.-Iran deal. From Middle East Eye. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Monday said that it was prepared to contribute towards a possible ceasefire deal between the US and Iran through “maritime operations, and economic incentives.” READ MORE . . .

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State Department official on the potential for a deal to end the Iran war. Steve Inskeep of NPR asks State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott about the White House’s confidence in closing a peace deal with Iran. Click HERE to listen and, later, read; and HERE for links to other Iran war-related reports from NPR’s “Morning Edition.”

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BBC probe reveals Iranian strikes heavily damaged at least 20 U.S. military bases in West Asia. From the Cradle. A BBC Verify investigation of satellite imagery and video analysis published on 1 June reveals that Iranian military strikes successfully damaged at least 20 US military sites across West Asia since the start of the US-Israeli war of aggression on the Islamic Republic. READ MORE . . .

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The end of American forward presence in the Persian Gulf, by Jasim Al-Azzawi | Middle East Monitor  The analysts who have spent careers watching American power projection are now saying what was once unsayable: the era of U.S. forward military basing in the Middle East is effectively over. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 31  Could Iran’s new air defence system be a game changer? by Jannus TH Siahaan | Middle East Monitor  The doctrine of absolute air dominance, long regarded as an unassailable pillar of Western military strategy, is facing an unexpected test over the skies of the Persian Gulf. READ MORE . . .

Links to reports from ScheerPost and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll up for LEBANON, GAZA and IRAN, and down for MEDIA 5-29-26.) — MCM

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FROM MAY 29  Balancing act at the New York Times: Nicholas Kristof wrote about Israel’s sexual torture of prisoners, the next day Isabel Kershner penned more unverified rape allegations against Hamas, by Robin Andersen | ScheerPost  The New York Times attempted to ‘balance’ Nicholas Kristof’s documentation of the systematic rape of Palestinians by Israeli forces with yet another unverified rape ‘investigation’ claiming that Hamas had weaponized sexual violence on October 7. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 30  Literary events around the world celebrate the poet Allen Ginsberg’s 100th birthday. Reported by Tom Vitale | NPR  Beat poet Allen Ginsberg’s 100th birthday is being marked by celebrations around the world — an appreciation of his importance to poetry and how his influence on the medium continues. Click HERE to listen and read.

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A link to commentary from Middle East Monitor; other published material is accessible by clicking on its name. (Scroll down for LEBANON, UKRAINE and IRAN, and for GAZA 5-30-26.) — MCM

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Israel seizes more of Gaza beyond the Yellow Line, by Binoy Kampmark | Middle East Monitor  While eyes remain peeled on Israel’s increasingly violent and expanding campaign in Lebanon, the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is proving ever more predatory with the Gaza Strip. READ MORE . . .

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