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

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Ukraine piles pressure on retreating Russian troops, by Elena Becatoros and Hanna Arhirova | AP  KHARKIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian troops piled pressure on retreating Russian forces today, pressing a counteroffensive that has produced major gains and a stunning blow to Moscow’s military prestige. It was not yet clear if the Ukrainian blitz in the northeast after months of little discernible movement could signal a . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine pushes to retake all land from Russia, calls for Western arms, by Tom Balmforth | Reuters  * Ukraine has seized back dozens of towns in rapid advance * Many fleeing Russian troops have exited Ukraine – U.S. official * Zelenskiy calls for anti-aircraft systems from West | ON ROAD TO BALAKLIIA, Ukraine — Ukraine said on Tuesday it aimed to liberate all of its territory after driving back Russian forces in the northeast of country in a rapid offensive, but called on the West to speed up deliveries of weapons systems to back . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia says delivering ‘massive’ strikes on Ukraine front lines. From AFP. MOSCOW — The Russian military said today it launched “massive strikes” on all frontlines in Ukraine, after Kyiv’s forces made dramatic advances in a counter-offensive. “Air, rocket and artillery forces are . . . READ MORE . . .

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Lavrov, several Russian delegates to UN General Assembly obtain U.S. visas, MFA reports. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and a number of members of the Russian delegation to the 77th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) have obtained their U.S. visas today to travel to New York, where UN headquarters is located, the Russian Foreign Ministry told TASS today. READ MORE . . .

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Russia ‘not discussing’ mass military mobilization, Kremlin says. From the Moscow Times. Russia is not planning to declare a mass national draft for the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin said today. The denial comes amid growing speculation that Russia may be looking to reverse its flagging fortunes in its six-month invasion of Ukraine by declaring mass mobilization and shoring up . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainians celebrate as troops make gains. Reported by Mallory Yu and Kathryn Fox | NPR  Ukrainians react to the gains made by Ukrainian forces in a military offensive carried out in recent days. Click HERE to listen and read.

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How Ukraine broke the stalemate with Russia. Reported by Greg Myre | NPR  In a counteroffensive, Ukrainian forces have claimed swaths in the east of the country, dealing a heavy blow to Russian forces as the war marks 200 days. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Ukraine played a game of misdirection and caught Russian forces off guard. Reported by A Martínez and Greg Myre | NPR  Behind Ukraine’s dramatic battlefield push and Russia’s rapid retreat is a surprise tactic. With public attention focused on movements in Ukraine’s south, Ukrainian forces struck in the east. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Ukraine’s counteroffensive has some Russian officials calling for Putin to resign. A Martínez of NPR talks with Sergey Radchenko, professor of Russian history at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, about President Putin’s supporters questioning Russia’s strategy. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Examining 2 recent cyberattacks against NATO members. Reported by A Martínez and Jenna McLaughlin | NPR  The war in Ukraine has put a spotlight on NATO. For alliance members, an attack on one is considered an attack on all. But those obligations are less clear in the cyber sphere. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

First, links to two stories from western Massachusetts newspapers; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (Access to them may be limited to paid subscribers.) Then, the speaking order and times of participants in last Saturday’s symposium of the Lawyers’ Committee for 9/11 Inquiry. More to follow. — MCM

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A day that lives in ‘infamy,’ by Matt Martinez | The Berkshire Eagle The Sept. 11 attacks killed nearly 3,000 people. Two planes were flown into the World Trade Center in New York City and another attack damaged the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., part of a terror plot orchestrated by Osama bin Laden, leader of the militant organization al-Qaeda. The attacks led to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Western Mass. remembers victims of Sept. 11 attacks at multiple ceremonies, by Jeanette Deforge | The Springfield Republican Melissa Harrington-Hughes, who grew up in West Springfield and was living in California, was at a business conference in New York when two planes flew into the World Trade Towers. Trapped on the 101st floor, she left a message on her husband’s answering machine saying “I’ll love you always” which was later immortalized in a documentary. “When I want a good cry I put it on and listen to her, Robert Harrington said. Yesterday . . . READ MORE . . .

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Lawyers’ Committee Symposium Speakers, by Segment. As noted previously (HERE) the Lawyers’ Committee for 9/11 Inquiry held a four-hour symposium last Saturday. For people who want to watch the recorded event in smaller bites, here are the six main participants and their times: Lawyer Mick Harrison (0:03:00 to 0:37:07), architect Richard Gage (0:39 to 0:52:00), firefighter Erik Lawyer (0:52:1:26:00), researcher and author Charlotte Dennett (1:26:30 to 2:07:00), researcher and author Barbara Honegger (2:07:00 to 2:55:00), and lawyer Daniel Sheehan (2:55:05 to c. 3:39:00). Filmmaker Kristina Borjesson introduces the main participants. Click HERE for a YouTube video of the symposium. 

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TO BE CONTINUED

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

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Ukraine keeps up momentum, claims it reached Russian border, by Elena Becatoros and Hanna Arhirova | AP  KHARKIV, Ukraine — Ukraine claimed today that it took several more villages, pushing Russian forces right back to the northeastern border, part of a lightning counteroffensive that forced Moscow to withdraw troops from some areas in recent days. After months . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia shrugs off retreat in northeast Ukraine as Putin focuses on economy, by Mark Trevelyan | Reuters  * Kremlin says ‘special military operation’ will meet its goals * No response to question on Putin’s confidence in commanders * Putin chairs meeting on economy, silent on retreat | LONDON — Faced with one of its worst defeats in nearly seven months of war in Ukraine, the Kremlin insisted today it would achieve its military goals and President Vladimir Putin maintained an air of business as usual as he chaired a meeting on the economy. . . . Seizing the initiative after months of deadlock, Ukraine says . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian army abandons positions near airport, shelling of DPR subsides, officer says. From Tass. MOSCOW — Ukraine’s armed forces have relinquished their positions in the vicinity of the Donetsk airport’s landing strip which has led to significantly reduced intensity of attacks against Yasinovataya, and the Kievsky and Kuybyshevsky districts of Donetsk adjacent to the airport, an officer of the DPR’s People’s Militia told said today. “Gradual progress . . . READ MORE . . .

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How much did Russia’s war with Ukraine change in a single weekend? Reported by Steve Inskeep and Elissa Nadworny | NPR  On Saturday and Sunday, Ukrainian forces reclaimed a wide swath of territory in the northeast in a swift-moving counteroffensive that appeared to catch the Russians by surprise. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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The last reactor at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant has stopped. Reported by Steve Inskeep and Geoff Brumfiel | NPR  Operations at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant were fully stopped on Sunday as a safety precaution. Russia and Ukraine are accusing each other of shelling the plant. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.

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Kremlin says Ukraine operations to continue ‘until objectives achieved.’ From AFP. Russia’s military action in Ukraine will continue, the Kremlin said today, after Ukrainian forces reclaimed significant territory in a counter-offensive in the country’s east. “The special military operation continues and will continue until the objectives that were originally set are achieved,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that he saw “no prospects for negotiations” between Moscow and Kyiv. READ MORE . . .

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Russia says carrying out strikes on areas retaken by Ukraine. From ANSA-AFP. MOSCOW — Russia said today its forces were carrying out strikes in parts of Ukraine’s Kharkiv region retaken by Kyiv’s forces in recent days. The defence ministry in its daily briefing said Russian air, rocket and artillery forces were “delivering precision strikes on units and reserves of the Ukrainian armed forces”, including in the urban hubs of Kupiansk and Izyum. The Kremlin said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Putin received reports on regrouping of Russian armed forces in Kharkov Region — Kremlin. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin receives reports on everything that is everything going on during the special military operation, including on the regrouping of Russian troops, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters today. “Of course . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

Presented here are links to two news reports and a newspaper column from this morning, which marks 21 years since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks; others are accessible by clicking on the names or initials below next to the reporters’ or authors’ names. Then, a link to a reprint of a still-fresh 2016 essay in which the author writes, “the corporate mainstream media serve the function of the government’s mockingbird . . . repeating and repeating  and repeating the same narrative in the same language. Words have a power to enchant and mesmerize.” — MCM

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9/11 attacks still reverberate as U.S. marks 21st anniversary, by Jennifer Peltz, Karen Matthews and Julie Walker | AP  NEW YORK — Americans remembered 9/11 today with tear-choked tributes, and pleas to “never forget,” 21 years after the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil. Bonita Mentis set out to read victims’ names at the ground zero ceremony wearing . . . READ MORE . . .

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On 9/11 anniversary, Biden recalls American unity, vows vigilance, by Nandita Bose | Reuters WASHINGTON — U.S. President Joe Biden today invoked the memory of America’s united response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks by al Qaeda and vowed to “never give up” in the face of terrorist threats in a solemn commemoration at the Pentagon. Biden’s remarks about national unity on the 21st anniversary of the attacks stood in contrast to his warnings in recent days about dangerous divisions in American society, including . . . READ MORE . . .

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‘We need to be good to one another,’ by Cynthia G. Simison | csimison@repub.com  | The Springfield Republican If there is something to be learned on this anniversary of the 2001 terror attacks on America, James C. Hagan says he hopes it involves our learning to be better to one another and to treat each other with kindness and respect. They are among the attributes he remembers best about his good friend and roommate at Suffield Academy 40-plus years ago. As we talk on a rainy Tuesday afternoon, Jim Hagan also remembers Daniel P. Trant’s passion for basketball. “This is the kind of day . . . Springfield Republican subscribers can click HERE to read more.

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Why I Don’t Speak of 9/11 Anymore, by Edward Curtin | Behind the Curtain Although this article about September 11, 2001, was written five or six years ago, I think it is still pertinent. I have nothing new to add to it, except the link near the end to an excellent new article by Graeme MacQueen and Ted Walter. Most people now have little interest  in that infamous and key day, but in the years to come history might find such work important in confirming the truths expressed here. Click HERE for the article.

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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MAY BE CONTINUED

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