A link to an interview from ScheerPost; other articles and interviews are accessible by clicking on its name below. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

End the U.S. dollar chokehold on the world. Robert Scheer of ScheerPost and Nomi Prins, a former Goldman Sachs managing director and author most recently of Permanent Distortion: How the Financial Markets Abandoned the Real Economy Forever (2022), talk about, among other things, how the Republicans and the Democrats and their high-end donors interrelate, and how the world economy is evolving away from the U.S. Click HERE for an introduction, the conversation, and a transcript.

For today, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, and National Public Radio, and to commentary from Middle East Eye ; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

Israeli bombardment kills dozens in Gaza as health officials prepare polio campaign, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi and Mohammad Salem | Reuters  CAIRO / GAZA — Israeli strikes today killed at least 48 people in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian health authorities said, as clashes took place in central and southern areas of the enclave ahead of the planned start of a polio vaccination campaign. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from AP.

–   –   –

Children in Gaza get polio vaccines but the virus may already be spreading. Reported by Aya Batrawy and Scott Simon | NPR  Palestinian children in Gaza will have access to polio vaccines this weekend as the UN rushes to reach families displaced and without access to healthcare following the detection of the virus in wastewater flowing through its war-ravaged streets. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

–   –   –

West Bank attacks: To western leaders, there are no red lines for Israel’s slaughter, by Lubna Masarwa | Middle East Eye  The Israeli military’s assault against four refugee camps and almost every town in the north of the occupied West Bank, using battlefield weapons, commando-style helicopter landings, drones and bulldozers, cannot be classed as a response to the war on Gaza. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to eight reports: from Reuters, the Moscow Times, the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and the Kyiv Independent, and the Kyiv Post, and to commentary from Foreign Policy; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

Russia says five killed, 46 injured in Ukraine strike on Belgorod. From Reuters. MOSCOW — Five people were killed and 46 injured in a Ukrainian attack on the southwestern Russian city of Belgorod late on Friday, the local governor said, the latest . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from the Moscow Times.

–   –   –

5 killed by Russian strike as Moscow continues its latest push in Ukraine’s east. From AP. Five people were killed by Russian shelling in the town of Chasiv Yar today as Moscow’s troops continue their push on Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region. The attack struck . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

NATO chief Backs Ukraine offensive in Russia’s Kursk Region. From AFP. Ukraine was fully within its rights to launch its surprise offensive into Russia’s Kursk border region as an act of self-defense, according to NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg. The offensive launched on Aug. 6 . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for report from Reuters and the Kyiv Independent.

–   –   –

Ukraine to get 4,000 Javelins as share of U.S. Army $1.3 billion contract. From Kyiv Post. The U.S. Army has awarded a $1.3 billion follow-on production contract to the Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Javelin Joint Venture to produce FGM-148 Javelin Advanced Anti-Tank Weapon System-Medium missiles and related equipment and services. This includes . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Media investigation identifies 66K Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine. From AFP. Independent Russian media outlet Mediazona said today more than 66,000 Russian military personnel have died during the war in Ukraine according to its estimates. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM AUG. 28  The murky meaning of Ukraine’s Kursk offensive, by Stephen M Walt | Foreign Policy / Antiwar.com  Is Ukraine’s surprise counteroffensive into Russia a critical turning point in the war, a meaningless sideshow, or a strategic misstep on Kyiv’s part? It has been mostly a success in the short term, but . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to 12 reports: from the Anadolu Agency, Reuters, the Associated Press, Middle East Eye, Middle East Monitor, National Public Radio, and Common Dreams; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date, so far, and a MEDIA entry are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

Harris rules out Israel arms embargo: ‘Israel has a right to defend itself,‘ by Michael Hernandez | Anadolu Agency  WASHINGTON — U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday staunchly ruled out the possibility that she would institute an American arms embargo on Israel as it continues to wage a devastating war on the besieged Gaza Strip. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Israeli delegation leaves Doha with no progress in Gaza cease-fire talks. From Anadolu Agency. ANKARA — The Israeli delegation that arrived in the Qatari capital Doha on Wednesday for high-stakes negotiations on the Gaza cease-fire has left without reaching any agreements, Israeli media claimed today. According to Haaretz . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Israeli forces kill local Hamas commander in West Bank, by Ali Sawafta | Reuters  ZABABDEH, West Bank — Israeli forces killed a local commander of the Islamist movement Hamas in the flashpoint city of Jenin today as they pressed a major operation in the occupied West Bank for a third day, the Israeli military said. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from AP. 

–   –   –

Aid workers killed in Israeli strike on humanitarian convoy. From Middle East Eye. An Israeli air strike has hit a humanitarian aid convoy laden with medical supplies and fuel for an Emirati-run hospital in Rafah, killing several workers. Israeli forces claimed . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for reports from AP and Anadolu Agency.

–   –   –

UN condemns Israel minister’s call to displace Palestinians from West Bank. From Middle East Monitor. The UN human rights office today condemned an Israeli minister’s call to displace people from the West Bank, saying these statements only serve to escalate an already “very dire situation.” READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Inspector general examines the U.S. aid pier meant to get food into Gaza. Reported by Steve Inskeep | NPR  In March, President Biden proposed a workaround to aid not getting into Gaza. The U.S. military would build a floating pier on the Gaza coast. Was the project a success? Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

–   –   –

FROM AUG. 29  The U.S. urges major changes to Israel’s evacuations in Gaza, a leaked memo says. Reported by Kat Lonsdorf, Daniel Estrin and Hadeel Al-Shalchi | NPR  TEL AVIV — The Biden administration is urging Israel’s military to make major changes to its “drastically increased” pace of mass evacuation orders that is driving repeated displacement of tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza, according to a U.S. Embassy memo obtained by NPR. Click HERE to listen and read.

–   –   –

FROM AUG. 29  UN chief demands ‘immediate cessation’ of Israel’s assault on West Bank, by Edward Carver | Common Dreams  United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres late on Wednesday called for an immediate stop to Israeli military operations in the occupied West Bank, which continued into a second day on Thursday, leaving at least 18 Palestinians dead after two days of escalated attacks. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM AUG. 29  Israeli minister’s call to displace people from West Bank ‘completely unacceptable’: EU foreign policy chief, by Nur Asena Ertürk | Anadolu Agency  ANKARA — The Israeli foreign minister’s call to displace people from the West Bank is “completely unacceptable,” the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borell said Thursday. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to six reports: from Reuters, the Associated Press, the Kyiv Independent, the Kyiv Post, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date and a MEDIA entry are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

Russian attack kills two, injures 11 in Ukraine’s Sumy, authorities say. From Reuters. KYIV — A Russian attack overnight damaged a factory in Ukraine’s northern city of Sumy, killed two women and injured at least 11 people, Ukrainian authorities said today. Officials said the factory manufactured . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Ukraine says U.S. experts are helping figure out why a Ukrainian F-16 crashed in the war with Russia, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — U.S. experts have joined a Ukrainian investigation into why an F-16 warplane that Ukraine received from its Western partners crashed earlier this week during a Russian bombardment, the country’s air force commander said today. READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for reports from the Kyiv Independent and Kyiv Post.

–   –   –

FROM AUG. 29  Why Russia has struggled to halt Ukraine’s incursion in the Kursk region. From AP.  It all comes down to Russian manpower and Russian priorities. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

What is known about situation in Kursk Region. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Ukrainian armed forces lost over 380 troops and 22 armored vehicles, including a tank, in the Kursk area in the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

Links to reports from National Public Radio and U.S. News & World Report, and to commentary from ScheerPost, CraigMurrary.org.uk, Substack, and Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or addresses below. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

The latest chapter in a feud between Elon Musk and a Brazilian Supreme Court justice. Reported by Julia Carneiro and Steve Inskeep | NPR  Elon Musk’s X, formerly known as Twitter, faces possible suspension in Brazil — in a showdown with a powerful Supreme Court justice there. Click HERE to listen and, later, read, and HERE for report from U.S. News & World Report.

–   –   –

FROM AUG. 29  The sound of enforced silence, by Patrick Lawrence | Original to ScheerPost  Of the many recent incidents of censorship, suppression and intimidation, the one that got me to the keyboard concerns Sharmine Narwani, who founded, three years ago this month, an online journal of news and comment called The Cradle, as in . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM AUG. 27  Pavel Durov & the abuse of law, by Craig Murray | CraigMurrary.org.uk | Consortium News  The detention of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov is being portrayed as a result of the EU Digital Services Act. But having spent my day reading the EU Services Act, it does not appear to me to say what it is being portrayed as saying. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –   

FROM AUG. 25  On the arrest of Richard Medhurst, by Chris Hedges | Substack  The arrest of the reporter Richard Medhurst, who has been one of the most ardent critics of the genocide in Gaza and Israeli apartheid state, at Heathrow airport is part of the steady march towards the criminalization of journalism, something . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM AUG. 26  NYT uncritically reported Israel’s version of Golan bombing, by Bryce Greene and Lara-Nour Walton | Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting / ScheerPost  As the U.S.-backed genocide in Gaza continues, U.S. media assist in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to widen the war, parroting the words of the aggressor. A consequential example of U.S. press support for escalation was Western media’s coverage of the July 27 strike that killed 12 Druze children . . . READ MORE . . .

Links to reports from the Associated Press and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

FROM AUG. 26  Schools are competing with cellphones. Here’s how they think they could win, by Carolyn Thompson | AP  Educators say their tried and true lesson plans are no longer enough to keep students engaged at a time of struggling mental health, shortened attention spans, reduced attendance and worsening academic performance. At the crux of these challenges?  READ MORE . . .

–   –   –   

FROM AUG. 27  As more schools ban cell phones, this is how it’s working at one Colorado school. Reported by Rachel Cohen | NPR  More schools across the country are starting to ban students’ cell phones during classes. As one Colorado school tries it out, staff like it, but students not so much. Click HERE to listen and read.

For today, links to four reports: from Reuters, the Associated Press, the Anadolu Agency, and Middle East Eye, and to commentary from Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date and a MEDIA entry are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

Fighting rages in Gaza as Palestinians hope for a pause for polio vaccinations, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi and Mohammad Salem | Reuters  CAIRO / GAZA — Palestinians in Gaza were waiting today to see if there would be a pause in fighting to allow a polio vaccination campaign to begin, as the conflict raged across the besieged enclave, killing at least 34 people. The United Nations is . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Israel kills prominent militant as it wages its deadliest West Bank raids since the Gaza war began, by Majdi Mohammed and Melanie Lidman | AP  TULKAREM, West Bank — The Israeli military said it killed five more militants, including a local commander, early today in the West Bank as it pressed ahead with what appeared to be the deadliest military operation in the occupied territory since the start of the war in Gaza. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Israeli military operation in northern West Bank ‘may continue for several days,’ army says, by Abdelraouf Arnaout | Anadolu Agency  JERUSALEM — A military spokesman said today Israel’s ongoing military operation in the northern West Bank “will continue as long as necessary to achieve its security goals, meaning . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

How has Israeli aggression escalated in the occupied West Bank since 7 October? by Katherine Hearst | Middle East Eye  Israeli forces have conducted near daily raids on towns and cities across the West Bank since declaring war on Gaza last October. MEE details the surge in Israeli aggression in the occupied West Bank under cover . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Arab rulers ‘discuss’ the chaos, even as Gaza burns, by Yvonne Ridley | Middle East Monitor  When I first began to study Islam, I was overwhelmed by stories of honourable men and women from the Arabian Peninsula who surrounded and followed Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Like many aspiring converts . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to eight reports: from from the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, the Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date and a MEDIA entry are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

Russia launches a heavy missile and drone bombardment of Ukraine for the third time in 4 days, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — Russia conducted a heavy aerial attack on Ukraine for the third time in four days today, again launching missiles and scores of drones that mostly were intercepted, Ukraine’s air force said. Russian forces fired . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Russian attacks on power sector pose risk to nuclear facilities, Ukraine says, by Pavel Polityuk and Olena Harmash | Reuters  KYIV  —A Russian drone and missile attack on Monday forced Ukraine to disconnect several nuclear power units from the grid, posing a risk to the nuclear power sector, a Ukrainian mission to the International Atomic Energy Agency said. Russia used more than 200 missiles and drones . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

1 killed, 2 injured in strikes on Russia’s Belgorod Region. From AFP. Ukrainian strikes on the southwestern Belgorod region killed one person and injured two others, regional authorities said early today. On Monday authorities in Belgorod said six civilians had been killed in attacks. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

F-16 reportedly crashes in Ukraine. From Kyiv Post. One of the Western F-16 fighters Kyiv received reportedly crashed on Monday during Moscow’s power grid strike against Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal, citing comments of an unnamed US official, said the incident was likely caused by pilot errors and that the plane was not shot down . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from the Kyiv Independent.

–   –   –

Russia was ready for talks with Ukraine before reckless move in Kursk Region, Lavrov says. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russia’s readiness for peace talks with Ukraine was beyond doubt, but it was wrecked by Kiev’s reckless move in the Kursk Region, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. “We always remember that President . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Netherlands bans Ukraine from attacking Russian civilian targets with F-16 jets. From Tass. THE HAGUE — The F-16 fighter jets transferred by the Netherlands to Ukraine can be used for attacks on Russia, but not against civilian facilities, according to Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Ukrainians hold off on having babies during the war — some families buck the trend. Reported by Ashley Westerman | NPR  Against a backdrop of a declining birth rate, many families in Ukraine are trying to have a child in wartime. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

For now, links to 12 reports: from Reuters, the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Middle East Eye, the Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor, Common Dreams, Sludge, and Antiwar.com; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date, so far, is HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

Israeli forces launch strikes across Gaza, push tanks into central Khan Younis, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — Israeli forces sent tanks deeper into Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip and launched strikes across the enclave as they battled Hamas-led militants, killing at least 34 Palestinians today, according to medics. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Israel launches a large-scale military operation in the occupied West Bank, killing 10 militants, by Julia Frankel and Nasser Nasser | AP  AL-FARAA REFUGEE CAMP, West Bank — Israel launched a large-scale military operation in the occupied West Bank overnight and into today, with its forces killing 10 Palestinian militants and sealing off the volatile city of Jenin. Israel has . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE, HERE and HERE for reports from NPR, Middle East Eye and the Anadolu Agency.

–   –   –

FROM AUG. 27  As the Israel-Hamas war goes on, Gaza’s hospitals desperately need blood. Reported by Abu Bakr Bashir | NPR  Doctors in Gaza need to treat the thousands of Palestinian who have been seriously wounded in the war. How are they getting the blood they need despite malnourished donors, who are under bombardment? Click HERE to listen and read..

–   –   –

FROM AUG. 27  For three days, Palestinians have been evacuating one of the last hospitals in Gaza. Reported by Hadeel Al-Shalchi and Anas Baba | NPR  As the Israeli military pushes into central Gaza, Palestinians evacuate the main hospital there, but many have nowhere safe to go. Click HERE to listen and read.

–   –   –

Belgian official warns of polio outbreak in Gaza. From Middle East Monitor. Belgium’s Minister of Development Cooperation, Caroline Gennez, has warned of the spread of epidemics and polio in the Gaza Strip as a result of the ongoing Israeli offensive, and called for immediate negotiations to reach a ceasefire. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Israeli evacuation orders are hindering Gaza polio vaccination, UN says, by Nader Durgham | Middle East Eye  The UN’s ability to operate in the besieged Gaza Strip has been hindered by Israel’s recurring evacuation orders, forcing Palestinians to flee to an ever-shrinking “humanitarian zone”, Under-Secretary-General Gilles Michaud said on Tuesday. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

AIPAC has spent over $100 Million on 2024 U.S. elections, by Jake Johnson | Common Dreams / ScheerPost  The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a powerful lobbying group widely known as AIPAC, has officially spent more than $100 million in the 2024 election cycle so far, pouring staggering sums into Democratic primary races in an effort to unseat progressive opponents of Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Sludge.

–   –   –

FROM AUG. 27  Israel says U.S. has delivered 50,000 tons of military aid since start of Gaza slaughter, by Dave DeCamp | Antiwar.com / ScheerPost  The Israeli Defense Ministry said Monday that the U.S. has delivered over 50,000 tons of weapons and other military equipment since the start of Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza, demonstrating the Biden administration’s staunch support for the slaughter. Since Oct. 7 . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

MAY BE CONTINUED