A link to commentary from Tucson Agenda: Two Southwesterners look at border concerns in the Northeast. — MCM

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Is it time to close the East Coast? by Curt Prendergast and Caitlin Schmidt | tucsonagenda.substack  After decades of reporters from the East Coast writing about border states as if they were some exotic locale, why not turn it around and write about New York the way they often write about us? You know, leaning hard on Wild West theatricality and ignoring how most of us . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, the Moscow Times, Reuters, Tass, and National Public Radio, followed by links to commentary from an Australian observer, recommended by Consortium News; others articles are accessible by clicking on the sources’ names or initials below. — MCM

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Putin marks anniversary of annexation of Ukrainian regions as drones attack overnight, by Susie Blann | AP  KYIV — Russian President Vladimir Putin today insisted that the residents of four Ukrainian regions that Moscow illegally annexed a year ago “made their choice — to be with their Fatherland.” In an address, Putin insisted that it was carried out “in full accordance with international norms,” and claimed that residents of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions had again expressed . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia to draft 130K young men in fall military call-up. From the Moscow Times. Russia’s military will enlist 130,000 young men for compulsory service this fall, according to a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin on Friday. Combined with the 147,000 men drafted during the spring draft, Russia’s Defense Ministry will field 277,000 conscripts in 2023. Putin last month raised the upper age limit . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine lures Western weapons makers to transform defence industry, by Olena Harmash | Reuters KYIV — President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said today he wants to turn Ukraine’s defence industry into a “large military hub” by partnering with Western weapons manufacturers to increase arms supplies for Kyiv’s counteroffensive against Russia. At a forum his government convened with international producers to discuss how to jointly develop industrial capacity to build and repair weapons in Ukraine . . .  READ MORE . . .

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About 50,000 construction workers engaged in reconstruction of new Russian regions. From Tass. LUGANSK — About 50,000 construction workers are engaged in reconstruction efforts in Russia’s new regions, Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin said today as the Kremlin observed the Day of Reunification of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, and the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions with Russia. “Literally the entire nation is here to help, he wrote on Telegram. “Reconstruction efforts involve . . . READ MORE . . .

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Slovakia’s elections could have big implications for Europe and war in Ukraine. Reported by Rob Schmitz | NPR  Slovakia, a member of both NATO and the EU, holds national elections on Saturday. The likely winner is an party that rejects NATO’s military support of Ukraine and is sympathetic toward Russia. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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People are dying for inches In Ukraine, by Caitlin Johnstone | CaitlinJohnstone.com.au / Consortium News  There’s a heartbreaking graphic going around right now showing the almost microscopic changes to the frontline of the war in Ukraine this year despite nonstop death and destruction of unfathomable horror the entire time. The graphic comes from a New York Times article titled “Who’s Gaining Ground in Ukraine? This Year, No One.”, which eventually gets around to acknowledging . . . READ MORE . . .

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

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Putin orders former Wagner commander to take charge of ‘volunteer units’ in Ukraine. From AP. Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered one of the top commanders of the Wagner military contractor to take charge of “volunteer units” fighting in Ukraine, signaling the Kremlin’s effort to keep using the mercenaries after the death of their chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin. Putin told Andrei Troshev Thursday that his task is to “deal with forming volunteer units that could perform various combat tasks, primarily in the zone of the special military operation” — a term the Kremlin uses for . . . READ MORE . . .

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Putin discusses Ukraine war with top Wagner commander Troshev, by Guy Faulconbridge | Reuters MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin was shown today meeting one of the most senior former commanders of the Wagner mercenary group and discussing how best to use “volunteer units” in the Ukraine war. The meeting Thursday underscored the Kremlin’s attempt to show that the state had now gained control over . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ex-Prigozhin aide to oversee volunteer fighters in Ukraine – Kremlin. From AFP. Russian President Vladimir Putin has tasked a former aide of late Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin to oversee volunteer fighter units in Ukraine, according to a Kremlin statement today. The meeting was attended by Wagner commander Andrei Troshev, known by his nom de guerre “Sedoi” (“Gray-haired”), and Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov. It underlined . . .  READ MORE . . .

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Russia has no plans for further mobilization — Defense Ministry. From Tass. MOSCOW — The General Staff of Russia’s Armed Forces “has no plans for a further mobilization,” according to Rear Admiral Vladimir Tsimlyansky, deputy head of the General Staff’s main organization and mobilization department. There are twice-yearly call-up periods in Russia, the next beginning on Oct. 1. Last fall’s . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

Two items: First, thanks to Chris Bergier of Boston 9/11 Truth for emailing out the top message below; the 15-minute segment Chris refers to on the Redacted program on the Internet begins 71 minutes in following unrelated matters; visitors can fast-forward directly to it. Secondly below, word of an organization launched last June 12, the International Center for 9/11 Justice, whose Ted Walter speaks with Redacted’s Clayton Morris in the segment recommended by Chris. — MCM

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RFK Jr. on the ‘strangeness’ of Building 7’s collapse at the World Trade Center. From Chris Bergier. “At minute 1:11:30 in the following recent CNN interview, RFK Jr. talks about the strangeness of Bldg. 7 dropping down at freefall speed on 9/11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3GI7kme0kY RFK Jr. also admits not having spent much time researching the 9/11 Truth movement’s great gathering of information that contradicts the official story. Perhaps someone in the 9/11 Truth Movement could direct RFK Jr. to the research of Dr. Leroy Hulsey. It would also be great if RFK Jr. and Dr. Leroy Hulsey could get together and do a zoom meeting interview discussing Dr. Leroy Hulsey’s research.”

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Announcing the International Center for 9/11 Justice. From ic911.org. To the 9/11 truth community and the world: It is with great hope and a deep commitment to achieving truth and justice regarding the events of 9/11 that we are announcing the launch of the International Center for 9/11 Justice. The Center is a new iteration of the former International Center for 9/11 Studies, founded in 2008 by . . . READ MORE . . .

For now, links to reports from Reuters and the Moscow Times; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. — MCM

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Russia launches big wave of drone strikes on Ukraine. From Reuters.  KYIV — Russia carried out a big wave of air strikes on three Ukrainian regions early today in which Ukrainian officials said some attack drones had hit their targets but did not say what was damaged. Ukrainian air defences shot down 34 of 44 incoming “Shahed” drones, the air force said. The strikes targeted the regions of Mykolaiv and Odesa in the south and Kirovohrad in central Ukraine, the military . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia says repelled incursion in border region. From the Moscow Times. Russian authorities sad today that an attempted incursion on the country’s southwestern border with Ukraine had been thwarted. “Border guards, together with other security forces, engaged in a battle on the border,” the Belgorod region’s emergency response center said. It . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

Here is a link to a report heard Monday on “All Things Considered”; others from recent programs are accessible by clicking on NPR below. — MCM

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FDNY deaths from 9/11-related illnesses now equal the number killed on Sept. 11. 2001. Reported by Becky Sullivan | NPR  Since Sept. 11, 2001, as many New York Fire Department employees have died from World Trade Center-related illnesses as died there on that day, the department says. About 11,000 current and former fire department employees suffer from World Trade Center-related illnesses, including some 3,500 with cancer, the FDNY says. Click HERE to listen to interview and read article.

First, links to reports from the Associated Press and Tass, followed by a link to one posted yesterday on Substack and a promotional advisory from Popular Resistance; other articles from these sources are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. NOTE: In comment on the Substack report, Moon of Alabama refers to a Financial Times article, HERE, accessible by FT subscribers. — MCM

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Russia accuses Ukraine’s Western allies of helping attack its Black Sea Fleet headquarters, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — Russia today accused Ukraine’s Western allies of helping plan and conduct last week’s missile strike on the Black Sea Fleet’s headquarters in annexed Crimea. “There is no doubt that the attack had been planned in advance using Western intelligence means, NATO satellite assets and reconnaissance planes and was implemented upon of the advice of American and British . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine shells Russia’s Belgorod Region more than 130 times over day. From Tass. BELGOROD — The Ukrainian armed forces fired more than 130 different munitions at Russia’s Belgorod Region over the past 24 hours, according to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said. “In the Valuisky district, the village of Dolgoye was shelled 20 times. As a result, a woman was injured – she was taken . . . MORE READ . . .

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Russia urges UN to react to Ukraine’s numerous human right abuses. From Tass. GENEVA — The Russian delegation participating in the 54th session of the UN Human Rights Council called upon relevant bodies of the United Nations to react to the Kiev government’s numerous abuses of human rights and freedoms. “We call upon . . . READ MORE . . .

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A year of lying about Nord Stream, by Seymour Hersh | Substack    Deniability, as an option for President Joe Biden and his foreign policy advisers, was paramount. No significant information about the mission was put on a computer, but instead typed on a Royal or perhaps a Smith Corona typewriter with a carbon copy or two, as if the Internet and the rest of the online world had yet to be invented. The White House was . . . READ MORE . . .

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Global days of action to end the war in Ukraine, by Medea Benjamin and Marcy Winograd | Popular Resistance Last month CNN published a poll revealing 55% of people surveyed in the United States do not support spending more money on the Ukraine war. A tone-deaf White House responded by . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

We do not have to manufacture crises in out lives; we have merely to recognize that they exist. — M. Scott Peck

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, Tass, and Agence France-Presse, followed by links to commentary from the Berkshire Eagle and Kyiv Post; others are accessible by clicking on the sources’ names or initials below. — MCM

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Russian drone strikes on Odesa region hit port area and cut ferry service to Romania, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — Russia struck the Black Sea region of Odesa in a drone barrage that damaged a warehouse, charred dozens of trucks and injured two drivers in fiery explosions that led to the suspension of the ferry service between Romania and Ukraine, officials said today. Romanian Border Police said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian Black Sea commander shown working after Ukraine said it killed him. From Reuters. MOSCOW — Viktor Sokolov, the commander of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and one of Russia’s most senior navy officers, was shown today attending a video conference, a day after Ukrainian special forces said they had killed him. In video and photographs released by the Russian defence ministry, Sokolov . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian drone downed over Kursk Region. From Tass. MOSCOW —Russian air defense systems today downed a Ukrainian drone over the Kursk Region, the Russian Defense Ministry said. “At about 05:30 local time, another attempt of the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist fixed-wing drone attack . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kremlin says U.S. Abrams tanks ‘will burn’ in Ukraine. From AFP. The Kremlin said today that U.S. Abrams tanks supplied to Ukraine would not change the outcome of its offensive and would “burn” after Kyiv received shipments of the vehicles. “All this can in no . . . READ MORE . . .

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What Russia’s Black Sea retreat means for Ukraine, by James Brooke | The Berkshire Eagle  A year ago, Russian warships roamed Ukrainian waters of the Black Sea at will, shelling Odesa and blocking exports of wheat and corn from Ukraine, the world’s fifth-largest grain exporter. In a sharp turnaround, foreign grain ships started last week to come and go from Odesa’s ports. Entering through Turkey’s Bosporus . . . READ MORE . . .

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The West’s geostrategic dilemma in promoting a Russian-Ukrainian truce, by Andreas Umland | Kyiv Post  In recent weeks there has been an upsurge in Western and non-Western demand for a land-for-peace deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. For the sake of its own, and humankind’s, survival, so the story goes, Ukraine should forego some of its territory and/or sovereignty. Presumably, such a concession by Kyiv would provide an off-ramp for Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the Russian aggression. The problem with this . . . READ MORE . . .

The interview linked below comes from a podcast affiliated with Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth. It was posted a week ago. Links to other interviews are accessible by clicking on the show’s name below. — MCM

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Media host, producer, and musician, Michael Parker. . . Unsilenced! Andy Steele of 9/11 Free Fall, talks with Parker about the array of ways the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the related censorship have affected the United States and the world. Click HERE to listen and watch.