First, links to reports by the Associated Press, Reuters, and National Public Radio; click on news agencies’ names below for other stories. Then, two essays by Edward Curtin, one on the prospect of “nuclear annihilation” in an imminent World War III, the other on anti-Russian propaganda among “progressives.” Next, via Popular Resistance, links to Margaret Kimberly writing on “liberals” and censorship, and to a Scheer Intelligence podcast on the news media’s excluding critics of the U.S./Western policies and actions regarding the war in Ukraine. Finally, links to a song Scheer uses to introduce and end his podcasts, and to a brief Wikipedia entry about the singer. — MCM
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Russian soldier sentenced to life at Kyiv war crimes trial, by Elena Becatoros, Oleksandr Stashevskyi and Ricardo Mazalan | The Associated Press KYIV — A Ukrainian court sentenced a 21-year-old Russian soldier to life in prison today for killing a Ukrainian civilian, in the first war crimes trial since Russia’s invasion. Sgt. Vadim Shishimarin was accused of shooting a Ukrainian civilian in the head in a village in the northeastern Sumy region in the early days of the war. He pleaded guilty and testified that he shot the man after being ordered to do so. He told the court that an officer insisted that the Ukrainian man, who was speaking on his cellphone, could pinpoint their location to the Ukrainian forces. During the trial, Shishimarin asked the widow of the victim to forgive . . . READ MORE . . .
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Ukraine says it has held off the latest Russian assault in the east, by Pavel Polityuk | Reuters * Russian mine clearers sweeping captured Azovstal plant * Ukraine says its forces repel latest Russian assault on Sievierodonetsk * Russia forces control largely unbroken swathe of east and south | KYIV/MARIUPOL, Ukraine — Ukraine said today it had held off the latest assault on an eastern city that has become the main target of Moscow’s offensive since Russian forces finally seized Mariupol last week. Russian forces tried to storm Sievierodonetsk, but were unsuccessful and retreated, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s office said. The city, on the banks of the . . . READ MORE . . .
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Millions of Ukrainians rushed to leave — the line to return home stretches for miles. Ari Shapiro of National Public Radio visits a border crossing between Poland and Ukraine to chronicle the journeys of Ukrainians returning to their homeland. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.
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Russia’s war in Ukraine is threatening an outpost of cooperation in space. Reported by Geoff Brumfiel and Alina Selyukh | NPR On the ground, tensions between the U.S. and Russia are running high. Russian President Vladimir Putin falsely claims the U.S. is working with Nazis in Ukraine, while President Biden calls Putin a “war criminal.” Aboard the jointly controlled International Space Station (ISS), however, the tone is very different: American astronauts live side-by-side with Russian cosmonauts; they regularly . . . Click HERE to read more and listen.
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The national average price for diesel is up 75% from a year ago. Reported by Brittany Cronin | NPR It now costs more than $5.50 to buy diesel. The surging price of the fuel is making everything even more expensive, and that’s posing a major threat to the economy. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.
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Average U.S. gasoline price jumps 33 cents to $4.71 per gallon. From AP. CAMARILLO, Calif. — The average U.S. price of regular-grade gasoline spiked 33 cents over the past two weeks to $4.71 per gallon. Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg of the Lundberg Survey said Sunday that the price jump comes amid higher crude oil costs and tight gasoline supplies. The average price at the . . . READ MORE . . .
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Ukrainian judge hands down a sentence in the first war crimes trial in that conflict. Reported by Steve Inskeep and Greg Myre | NPR The court gave a life sentence to a 21-year-old Russian army sergeant for shooting and killing an unarmed Ukrainian man during the first days of the war. Its the first war crimes trial of the war. Click HERE to listen and, tomorrow, read.
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It’s About Time, by Edward Curtin | Behind the Curtain Isn’t it always. With the start of World War III by the United States “declaring” war against Russia by its actions in Ukraine, we have entered a time when the end of time has become very possible. I am speaking of nuclear annihilation. . . . This is not uplifting, but it’s true. The nuclear weapons are primed and ready to fly. The U.S. insists on its first-strike right to launch them. It openly declares it is seeking the overthrow of the Russian government. Russia says it will use nuclear weapons only if its existence is threatened, which has . . . READ MORE . . .
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The Subtleties of Anti-Russia Leftist Rhetoric, by Edward Curtin | Behind the Curtain While the so-called liberal and conservative corporate mainstream media . . . pour forth the most blatant propaganda about Russia and Ukraine that is so conspicuous that it is comedic if it weren’t so dangerous, the self-depicted cognoscenti also ingest subtler messages, often from the alternative media. [Reading something recommended] about the war in Ukraine . . . got me thinking again about why people so often miss the untruths lying within articles that are in many parts truthful and accurate. I notice this constantly. They are like little seeds slipped in as if no one will notice; they work their magic nearly unconsciously. Few do notice them, for they are often . . . READ MORE . . .
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Liberals Drive State Censorship, by Margaret Kimberley | Black Agenda Report Liberals are the force behind censorship efforts. They defend the state and seek to silence anyone who questions its narratives. Twice in the month of April Barack Obama spoke about “disinformation.” First at the University of Chicago and then at Stanford University he claimed that democracy is at risk because of social media. Democracy is certainly at risk but not because of anyone’s tweets. His words were really meant to frighten Americans into accepting censorship should anyone dare to present a narrative that differs from the state’s. Of course, that isn’t what Obama said. He spoke . . . READ MORE . . .
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It’s scoundrel time in the good ol’ U.S.A. Podcast hosted by Robert Scheer | Scheer Intelligence. Critics of the West’s role in the Ukraine war, such as CIA veterans Ray McGovern and John Kiriakou, are being ostracized from the American media landscape. Click HERE to listen.
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‘Rien de rien.’ Song by lyricist Charles Dumont and composer Michel Vaucaire popularized by Edith Piaf. Snatches of it are heard beginning and ending Scheer Intelligence podcasts. Words are HERE. Piaf singing it is HERE and HERE. A bio of Piaf is HERE.