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This evening's music features Gatemouth Moore. Enjoy!

“Rich men have dreams. Poor men die to make them come true.”

-- Glen Cook

News and Opinion

Worth a full read:

OceanGate and How the Wealthy Kill

The saga of the OceanGate Titan submersible was the sort of story that rivets millions of people. Not only was it revealed that passengers paid $250,000 to see the wreck of the Titanic, but the vessel was poorly built, and its creator ignored warnings about its defects and continued to use it. When the incompetence and arrogance of its creator was revealed, the jokes began in earnest, as the internet is the perfect place to make light of serious issues. The readiness to make fun of the feckless and arrogant is understandable. In fact, there is a positive side in the willingness to engage in schadenfreude over the deadly debacle. After all, no one should argue against hostility to rule by the wealthy.

Yet there is a missing side of this story about the wealthy and how they create suffering and death. The concentration of wealth grows more and more extreme and depends entirely upon exploiting millions of people and putting their lives at risk.

In March of this year, a video showed the stark reality for one group whose exploitation is the foundation of great wealth for others. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has most of the world’s reserves of coltan, a mineral needed for electronic devices. DRC also has large reserves of cobalt, copper, diamonds, and gold. Nine men were trapped in a gold mine collapse at Mitondo Hill in Nyange, South Kivu province. A video taken by an onlooker showed the men being pulled out one by one, after having been trapped for 18 hours. Their rescuers used their bare hands and a shovel, and like other workers, had no mechanical equipment or protective gear. Death is a common occurrence in DRC mines and huge profits are created for other people in Europe, Canada, the U.S., and China.

These artisanal miners may be the most exploited people on earth, enduring dire working conditions for pennies per day, but providing everyone else with the ability to run electric cars, cell phones, computers, and every electronic instrument needed to perform the most mundane activities. The men, women, and children whose labor makes convenience possible for the rest of the planet work in terrible conditions in a country that is regularly invaded by U.S. proxies Uganda and Rwanda. Those two countries are bankrolled by the U.S. and ensure that there is no one in Congo who will benefit that country and its people. ...

The rich get richer because of their bag men and women in elected office, people like Joe Biden and all of his predecessors. Biden was known as the “Senator from Mastercard” before taking office as Vice President and then President of the United States. He promised the oligarchs that, “Nothing would fundamentally change,” and all the members of the House and Senate are on the same page. They pledge to help the rich get richer as they accelerate the race to the bottom, no pun intended, for everyone else. Biden and the rest of the errand boys and girls are doing just as they are ordered. Poverty itself is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S.

Ukr Southern Offensive Stuck, Ukr Refocus Bakhmut, Rus Claims Kramatorsk Strike Killed Ukr Generals

Heh, it's getting pretty funny how frequently it seems there's a hullabaloo about missing generals on both sides of this conflict. Needless to say, this is from The Guardian's propaganda catapult:

Russian general who may have known about Wagner mutiny goes missing

A Russian general who previously led the invasion force in Ukraine has not been seen in public since Saturday, with US intelligence reportedly claiming he had prior knowledge of the uprising led by the Wagner chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin. Gen Sergei Surovikin is the head of the Russian aerospace forces and formerly Moscow’s supreme commander in Ukraine. Prigozhin had welcomed his appointment to that post in 2022, calling him a “legendary figure” and “born to serve his motherland”.

The well-publicised links between Surovikin and Prigozhin have fuelled rumours that Surovikin may be purged or put under investigation for supporting the mutiny. When Prigozhin launched his uprising, Surovikin made an unambiguous statement against it and in support of the Russian government late on Friday. “We fought together with you, took risks, we won together,” Surovikin said. “We are of the same blood, we are warriors. I urge you to stop. The enemy is just waiting for the internal political situation to escalate in our country.”

However, the New York Times, citing western intelligence sources, reported on Wednesday that Surovikin had prior knowledge of Prigozhin’s armed mutiny, in which his Wagner mercenaries captured the city of Rostov and moved on Moscow before cutting an amnesty deal. ...

Most analysts in Russia and abroad were sceptical that Surovikin, a loyalist who had taken on command of Russian forces while they were under heavy pressure from a Ukrainian counterattack, would participate in a full-blown mutiny.

Ukraine defence minister expects Nato guarantee for after war

Ukraine’s defence minister has raised the stakes before the next Nato summit, saying he expects a guarantee that his country will be invited to join the military alliance at the conclusion of the war with Russia, describing membership as non-negotiable.

Before the 33rd meeting of the alliance’s leaders taking place in a fortnight in Vilnius, Oleksii Reznikov said Kyiv recognised that accession to Nato was not possible while the conflict continued, but insisted hard pledges for the future would need to be made.

The Ukrainian government is lobbying hard behind the scenes for a bespoke route to joining Nato, jettisoning the normal membership action plan (Map) that leaves accession at risk of a last-minute veto by any of the member states.

The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, echoed his defence minister’s remarks on Wednesday, telling a press conference: “We understand that we cannot be a member of Nato during the war, but we need to be sure that after the war we will be. That is the signal we want to get – that after the war, Ukraine will be a member of Nato.

“We would want a third signal at the Nato summit that Ukraine will get security guarantees – not instead of Nato, but for the time until we are in the alliance.”

Putin clearly losing war in Iraq. Biden and Romania. Meloni, EU must ditch China.

Hawks in Congress Say Prigozhin Rebellion Should Mean More Ukraine Aid

Yevgeny Prigozhin’s brief rebellion against the Russian government has given hawks in Congress more ammunition to argue for additional spending on the Ukraine war, POLITICO reported Tuesday.

The argument is that the fractures in Russia are proof Western military support for Ukraine is working, even though the mutiny only lasted about 24 hours.

“I would hope what [the Wagner rebellion] does is reinforce to members of Congress, particularly some of my Republican colleagues, who were talking about not continuing funding Ukraine, that this is why it is important to make sure that we are funding Ukraine to push forward,” Gregory Meeks (D-NY), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Monday.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) told reporters that it’s “hard to imagine” that Prigozhin’s mutiny is “bad news” for Ukraine. “If you look around the whole world right now, the single most important mission of the free world should be the defeat of the Russians in Ukraine,” he said.

Ukraine counter-offensive stuck in a ditch

Taiwan Reaffirms That It Will Fire on Chinese Warplanes If They Fly Within 12 Miles of Island

The Taiwanese military has reaffirmed that it will fire on Chinese warplanes and naval vessels if they come within 12 nautical miles of Taiwan’s coast, which marks the beginning of the island’s territorial waters and airspace. ...

China has been flying military aircraft closer to Taiwan in response to the island’s growing ties with the US. For example, the PLA used to rarely cross the median line, an unofficial barrier that separates the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. But Since then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) visited Taiwan in August 2022, PLA warplanes have regularly crossed the line.

While China has been flying closer to Taiwan, the Taiwanese government has not reported PLA warplanes flying within the contiguous zone or coming close to its airspace. Taiwanese officials, including Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng, have previously warned that their military would fire on Chinese planes that come within 12 nautical miles of the island’s coast.

BIDENOMICS: Voters REJECT Biden Happy Talk on Economy

SCOTUS GUTS Affirmative Action In Colleges

Man pleads not guilty to manslaughter over chokehold death of Jordan Neely

The man accused of fatally strangling Jordan Neely with a chokehold in a New York City subway car last month pleaded not guilty to charges of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in a court appearance on Wednesday to enter a plea to a grand jury indictment charging him in the killing.

Daniel Penny, 24, was captured in videos recorded by bystanders choking Neely from behind for several minutes on 1 May while they rode on a train on the F line, in Manhattan.

The killing drew national attention and sparked protests in May by those angered by the police’s delay of more than a week in arresting Penny, who is white, on suspicion of killing Neely, a Black man who was unhoused and begging passengers for something to eat and drink.

Before the grand jury proceedings, Penny first appeared in the Manhattan criminal court on 12 May on a charge of second-degree manslaughter, a felony crime that carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. He was released on bond after surrendering his passport.

Charges in the grand jury indictment were unsealed on Wednesday.

Trump classified documents trial could be delayed until spring 2024

Federal prosecutors in the classified documents case against Donald Trump have asked for a tentative trial date in December, but the complex nature of the US government’s own rules for using such secrets in court, and expected legal challenges, could delay the trial until at least the spring of 2024.

Trump was charged with retaining national defense information, including US nuclear secrets and plans for US retaliation in the event of an attack, which means his case will be tried under the rules laid out in the Classified Information Procedures Act, or Cipa. The statute was passed in the 1980s to protect the government against the “graymail” problem in national security cases, a tactic where the defense threatens to reveal classified information at trial, betting that the government would prefer to drop the charges rather than risk disclosure.

Cipa essentially requires the defense to disclose what classified information they want to use at trial in advance, so the courts can decide whether to add restrictions. If the government feels the restrictions aren’t enough, they can decide whether they still want to continue with the case.

While Cipa established a mechanism through which the government can safely charge cases involving classified documents, the series of steps that have to be followed means it takes longer to get to trial compared with regular criminal cases without national security implications.

Cipa also requires the defense to review all classified materials and draft briefs in an ultra-secure room designed to handle secret documents called a sensitive compartmented information facility (Scif). If the only Scif is in Miami, just the back-and-forth travel could necessitate a slower schedule.

Pod Save Bros MELTDOWN Over Cornel West, Third Parties

RFK JR On NewsNation Town Hall: ‘I’ve Never Been Anti-Vaccine’; Pejorative Used To SILENCE

FERC OKs Completion of 'Reckless' Mountain Valley Pipeline

Despite opposition from climate and Indigenous groups, U.S. regulators on Wednesday gave the Mountain Valley Pipeline developer a green light to move forward with construction of the partially completed fracked gas project spanning over 300 miles across Virginia and West Virginia.

The developer "has all necessary authorizations" for the project—also known as MVP—and "is therefore authorized to proceed with all remaining construction," says the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) order. "Specifically, Mountain Valley is authorized to proceed with construction in the Jefferson National Forest, and with all remaining waterbody crossings, including waterbody crossings previously approved through the commission staff variance process."

While U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.)—a longtime proponent of the pipeline and major recipient of fossil fuel campaign cash—celebrated FERC's move, it outraged local campaigners who have spent years fighting against the project.

Russell Chisholm, an impacted community member and managing director of the Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights (POWHR) Coalition, called out President Joe Biden, who campaigned on bold climate pledges and is seeking reelection.

"The Biden administration just greenlit a reckless, unnecessary fossil fuel project during a deadly heatwave caused by climate change," said Chisholm. "The destruction wrought by this pipeline on our planet and communities is President Biden's climate legacy."

"The gas from the pipeline is unnecessary, the permanent local jobs provided are minimal, the endangerment to precious species is irreversible, water sources will be polluted, and earthquake- and landslide-prone areas stand in its wake," he added. "We are devastated but we will never give up on protecting our home."

Wondering what regulatory capture looks like? You have your answer. MVP calls the shots at @FERC and always has. @POTUS in lock step all the way.

You are governed by fossil fuel corporations.https://t.co/BxtqglvAWA

— Russell Chisholm (@baristanomics) June 28, 2023

Allie Rosenbluth, United States program co-manager at Oil Change International, also took aim at the president.

"Biden and his administration allowed MVP to skip important permitting processes meant to protect people and the environment, betraying communities and his voters," she said. "While his administration wrongly touted this project's impact on U.S. energy security, true energy security lies in transitioning swiftly off fossil fuels."

"MVP would be a climate and environmental justice disaster, with emissions equivalent to building 26 new coal plants or adding 19 million passenger vehicles to the road," Rosenbluth noted. "This pipeline also risks public health and safety, drinking water, and the environment all to benefit the short-term profits of a fossil fuel corporation."

“Climate Silence”: Corporate Media Failing to Link Wildfires, Extreme Weather to Climate Crisis

Joshua Trees win long term protection in environmental victory

California lawmakers have voted to permanently protect the iconic western joshua tree, delivering a hard-won victory for environmentalists who have warned that the climate crisis has imperilled these fixtures of the high desert.

The Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act was passed Tuesday, as part of the state’s budget agreement. It prohibits the unpermitted killing or removal of the trees, requires the development of a conservation plan and creates a fund to protect the species. It appears to be the first California legislation focused on protecting a climate-threatened species.

The western joshua tree is one of two genetically distinct types (the other being the eastern joshua tree) and its range extends from Joshua Tree national park to the northern slopes of the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountains. The spiny-crested, gangly plants can grow up to 40ft and live about 200 years. They have grown in California’s eastern desert region since the Pleistocene era, 2.5m years ago. But global heating has threatened to decimate the species.

A 2019 study led by researchers at UC Riverside found that only .02% of the species’ habitat in Joshua Tree national park would remain viable after 2070, amid unmitigated climate crisis; even in the best-case-scenario only 19% may be saved.

The law comes after California’s fish and game commission deferred a decision on whether to list the species under California’s Endangered Species Act and the Biden administration declined to protect the trees under the federal Endangered Species Act.

China on course to hit wind and solar power target five years ahead of time

China is shoring up its position as the world leader in renewable power and potentially outpacing its own ambitious energy targets, a report has found.

China is set to double its capacity and produce 1,200 gigawatts of energy through wind and solar power by 2025, reaching its 2030 goal five years ahead of time, according to the report by Global Energy Monitor, a San Francisco-based NGO that tracks operating utility-scale wind and solar farms as well as future projects in the country.

It says that as of the first quarter of the year, China’s utility-scale solar capacity has reached 228GW, more than that of the rest of the world combined. The installations are concentrated in the country’s north and north-west provinces, such as Shanxi, Xinjiang and Hebei. In addition, the group identified solar farms under construction that could add another 379GW in prospective capacity, triple that of the US and nearly double that of Europe.

China has also made huge strides in wind capacity: its combined onshore and offshore capacity now surpasses 310GW, double its 2017 level and roughly equivalent to the next top seven countries combined. With new projects in Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Gansu and along coastal areas, China is on course to add another 371GW before 2025, increasing the global wind fleet by nearly half.

‘It gets worse every day’: why are sea lions and dolphins dying along California’s coast?

Since the beginning of June, dead sea lions and dolphins have been turning up all along the southern California coast – from the tiny Butterfly and Miramar beaches, down south to Santa Monica beaches in Los Angeles and even further to Laguna Beach in Orange county. “The flood gates opened and it just gets worse every day. We’re getting 30 to 60 reports an hour and more than 300 reports a day,” said Ruth Dover, co-founder at Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute (CIMWI), the marine mammal rescue organization in Santa Barbara.

The culprit is an algae named pseudo-nitzschia, which produces an amino acid that can act as a neurotoxin. A similar outbreak last year sickened dozens of sea lions and other marine life, but many think this year’s outbreak is even worse. Sam Dover, a co-founder of CIMWI and its director of veterinary medicine, notes that “in 35 years of doing this work, the current crisis is just unprecedented”.

Santa Barbara has been deemed the outbreak hotspot by the California Harmful Algae Risk Mapping (C-Harm) System, which tracks algae including the one that produces domoic acid. This epicenter has collided with pupping season which can bring upwards of 70,000 female sea lions to the Channel Islands in Santa Barbara to give birth in June. ... In addition to an estimated more than 1,000 sick and dying sea lions, 110 dolphins have also been killed along the California coast. And these numbers don’t include those that may be dying at sea or out on the Channel Islands.

While the outbreaks are naturally occurring, scientists say their intensity appears to be increasing. ... Like so many of the ocean’s one-celled organisms that produce rich nutrients and fatty acids for filter fish at the bottom of the food chain, pseudo-nitzschia can be harmless in normal conditions. But complex and dynamic ocean water changes can effectively “turn on” the production and proliferation of the algae and increased amounts of domoic acid, creating a harmful situation. While some marine life is not affected at all by domoic acid, the neurotoxin can accumulate in animals lower on the food chain and affect those higher up who are feeding on the filter fish that count algae as their main food source. Sea lions, who are eating copious amounts of affected filter fish or other organisms at this time of year to make milk for a pup or sustain a pregnancy, seem to be especially susceptible to domoic acid as a neurotoxin.

Also of Interest

Here are some articles of interest, some which defied fair-use abstraction.

Daniel Ellsberg Is Lauded in Death by the Same Media That Lets Assange Rot in Jail

Ukraine SitRep: Prigozhin Affair - Kramatorsk Missile Attack

Seymour Hersh: The Ukraine Refugee Question

Racism & US Empire

America Has Just Destroyed a Great Empire

This is the Bank Chart that Is Alarming Fed Insiders

Israel’s Massive Colony Expansion

Care Denied: The Dirty Secret Behind Medicare Advantage

Artificial Intelligence Is Making The Housing Crisis Worse

Twitter rips into Jeremy Corbyn’s ‘pretentious’ poetry – except it’s actually by Shelley

A Little Night Music

Gatemouth Moore - Boogie Woogie Papa

Gatemouth Moore - You're My Speciality Baby

Gatemouth Moore - Beale Street Ain't Beale Street No More

Gatemouth Moore - Did You Ever Love A Woman

Gatemouth Moore - I Ain't Mad at You Pretty Baby

Gatemouth Moore - Everybody Has Their Turn

Gatemouth Moore - Goin' Down Slow

Gatemouth Moore - Graveyard Disposition

Gatemouth Moore - My Mother Thinks I'm Something