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The day's news roundup + tonight's musical feature: Wayne Bennett

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Hey! Good Evening!

This evening's music features blues guitarist Wayne Bennett. Enjoy!

^{Bobby 'Blue' Bland featuring Wayne Bennett - Driftin' Blues}

"I also think there are prices too high to pay to save the United States. Conscription is one of them. Conscription is slavery, and I don't think that any people or nation has a right to save itself at the price of slavery for anyone, no matter what name it is called. We have had the draft for twenty years now; I think this is shameful. If a country can't save itself through the volunteer service of its own free people, then I say: Let the damned thing go down the drain!"

-- Robert A. Heinlein

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News and Opinion

The US Is Preparing For WWIII While Expanding Draft Registration

So I guess we should probably talk about the way NATO powers are rapidly escalating toward hot war with Russia at the same time the US is expanding its draft policies to make it easier to force more Americans go and fight in a giant war.

In an article titled “NATO: 500,000 Troops on High Readiness for War With Russia,” Antiwar’s Kyle Anzalone highlights NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s comments on Friday stating the alliance actually has a far greater number of troops it could deploy than the 300,000 it had previously set as its goal.

“Allies are offering forces to NATO’s command at a scale not seen in decades,” Stoltenberg said on Friday. “ Today we have 500,000 troops at high readiness across all domains, significantly more than the goal that was set at the 2022 Madrid Summit.”

Anzalone writes the following:

“The alliance hit its goal as its members significantly ratcheted up support for Kiev in recent weeks. The US and several other nations also recently gave a green light for Ukraine to use their weapons to strike targets inside Russia.

“The Netherlands and Denmark plan to supply Kiev with F-16s in the coming months, and say the advanced aircraft could be used to bomb Russia. Stoltenberg added that he welcomes the policy shift, and said it should not be considered an escalation by Russia.”

This comes shortly after we learned that NATO is developing multiple “land corridors” to rush troops to the frontline of a future hot war with Russia in eastern Europe.

It also comes as we learn from Stoltenberg that NATO is considering increasing the number of nuclear weapons it has on standby, meaning ready to use in a nuclear war. White House spokesman John Kirby bizarrely told the press that this aggressive move should not be seen as a provocation towards Russia, because NATO is a “defensive alliance”.

“How can this not be perceived as provocation or an escalation of tension in Europe?” Kirby was asked regarding Stoltenberg’s recent comments.

“Who would perceive it as a provocation or an escalation?” Kirby responded.

“Russia,” the reporter answered.

“Oh, Russia, Russia, the same country that invaded Ukraine which posed absolutely no threat to them,” Kirby replied indignantly, saying, “NATO is a defensive alliance and NATO countries are some of the most sophisticated in the world when it comes to military capabilities. And it would be irresponsible and imprudent if we weren’t constantly talking to our NATO allies about how to make sure we can meet our commitments to one another across a range of military capabilities, and that’s as far as I’ll go.”

One of the dumbest things the empire asks us to believe these days is that surrounding its official enemies with existentially threatening war machinery should always be seen as a defensive measure. The last time a credible military threat was placed near the US border, Washington responded so aggressively the world almost ended. Yet nations like Russia and China are expected to let the US and its allies amass military threats right near their borders without even regarding this as a provocation.

White House spokesman John Kirby was just asked if NATO's plans to deploy more nukes are a "provocation."

He said it can't be a "provocation" because NATO is a "defensive" alliance.

Yes, NATO is fielding "defensive" nuclear weapons capable of "defensively" destroying the world. pic.twitter.com/g9j2AeCa8J

— Andre Damon (WSWS) (@Andre__Damon) June 17, 2024

This and other frightening nuclear escalations with Russia are happening at the same time US lawmakers are working to expand draft registration to women and to automate registration for men, both of which would help broaden the pool of warm bodies the US would have available to throw into a hot war with a major military power.

Edward Hasbrouck writes the following for Antiwar:

“The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) approved a version of the NDAA that would expand Selective Service registration to include young women as well as young men. This version of the NDAA will now go to the floor as the starting point for consideration and approval by the full Senate.

“Also on June 14th the full House of Representatives approved a different version of the NDAA that would make Selective Service registration automatic while keeping it for men only.”

As Reason’s CJ Ciaramella explains in an article about this move to automate draft registration, the official reason for this push is to make the system run more efficiently, but “The other, unspoken effect would be removing young men’s choice to engage in civil disobedience.” If the US war machine starts a new horrific conflict that the Zoomers don’t believe in, ideally you want to make it as hard as possible for them to resist being fed to the cannons.

The draft is one of those things that gets more disgusting the more you think about it, especially in a nation whose government is as belligerent and psychopathic as the USA’s. These freaks can engage in any amount of brinkmanship they like with nations they have no business fighting — all without any of their actions ever being put to a vote from the general public — and then if it goes hot they get to turn to a bunch of kids in their teens and early twenties and say “This isn’t our problem, it’s your problem. Go fight and kill and die for your country.” They can start a war with their own recklessness and then chill out and sip martinis while your kids go get killed in it.

This is evil, this is ugly, and it needs to stop.

Hezbollah Drops INSANE Drone Footage As Israel Preps ALL OUT WAR

Israeli foreign minister says decision on all-out war against Hezbollah is near

The Israeli foreign minister, Israel Katz, has said a decision on an all-out war with Hezbollah was coming soon, as Israel generals announced late on Tuesday that they had signed off planning for an offensive into Lebanon.

The escalating rhetoric came after the release of video footage from a Hezbollah surveillance drone’s overflight of the northern city of Haifa, which included images of sensitive sites and civilian neighbourhoods.

The broadcast of the footage was widely interpreted as a thinly veiled threat against Haifa and comes as cross-border exchanges continue between the two sides. Last week northern Israel was hit by the heaviest Hezbollah barrage of the war after the Israeli killing of a senior Hezbollah commander.

After threats by the Hezbollah chief, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, to damage Haifa’s ports that are operated by Chinese and Indian companies, Katz said in a post on “We are getting very close to the moment of deciding on changing the rules of the game against Hezbollah and Lebanon.”

“In an all-out war, Hezbollah will be destroyed and Lebanon will be severely beaten,” he added. Israel’s military later said “operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon were approved and validated, and decisions were taken on the continuation of increasing the readiness of troops in the field”.

Moving towards Lebanon offensive

Israeli authorities responsible for war crimes in Gaza, UN inquiry finds

UN Rights Chief Says 'Serious Concerns of Unlawful Killings' by Israel in West Bank

The United Nations' top human rights official said Tuesday that the situation in the West Bank was "dramatically deteriorating" and that Israeli security forces and settlers had killed 528 Palestinians in the occupied territory since October, "in many cases raising serious concerns of unlawful killings."

Volker Türk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, made the remarks to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva at the opening of a weekslong session. He also said that he was "appalled" by the disregard for humanitarian law and human rights by parties to the conflict in Gaza, where "there has been unconscionable death and suffering," with more than 120,000 in the enclave killed or injured since October 7, "overwhelmingly women and children."

Türk's warning about violence in the West Bank follows a report his office released in December documenting a surge of Israeli settler violence, supported by security forces, after October 7.

The December report cited "unlawful killings," as per Tuesday's comments. Israeli forces reportedly killed bystanders in clashes and used "unnecessary or disproportionate force against Palestinians involved in confrontations and clashes, resulting in unlawful killings," the report states. Türk said at the time that the "dehumanization" of Palestinians was "very disturbing" and that Israeli settler violence and expansion of settlements must stop immediately—a call that was not heeded.

Since that time, media outlets and human rights groups have detailed regular instances of Israeli aggression and violence in the West Bank. "With the world's focus on Gaza, West Bank settlers have used wartime chaos as cover for violence and dispossession," The New Yorker reported in February. Amnesty International condemned violent attacks in April, arguing they were part of an apartheid system. In May, Human Rights Watch issued a report on "Israeli forces' unlawful killings of Palestinians."

Matt Hoh : Troops Complicit in Genocide

Israel’s Top Court Suspends October 7 Probe

The Israeli High Court of Justice has ordered the government to halt its investigation into intelligence failings in the lead-up to Hamas’ October 7 attack. The move comes after the court received classified briefings from security agencies, some of which have publicly opposed the probe.

In an interim ruling on Sunday, Justice Gila Canfy-Steinitz paused the investigation until the court can hear arguments from its opponents next month.

“In view of the complex security reality, the planned scope of the investigation, which will deal, among other things, with the combat support system and core operational issues, and the preparation required to respond to [the investigation] at the current time…I order the suspension of the investigation procedures in everything that relates to the IDF and [Shin Bet],” she wrote in her ruling, as quoted in Israeli media.

Prof. John Mearsheimer : Bad Times for Israel/Ukraine/US

At least 17 killed in Gaza refugee camps after latest Israeli strikes, say medics

A series of Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday have resulted in the deaths of at least 17 Palestinians in two of the Gaza Strip’s historic refugee camps, as tanks advanced further into the southern city of Rafah, according to reports from residents and medics. Nuseirat and Bureij are home to families and descendants of people who fled to Gaza in the 1948 war around the creation of Israel.

Civilians in Rafah described intense bombardments by tanks and planes across various areas in the city, which sheltered more than 1 million people before May. Most of the population has fled northwards since the Israeli forces’ incursion into the city. “Rafah is being bombed without any intervention from the world. The occupation [Israel] is acting freely here,” a Rafah resident and father of six told Reuters via a chat app.

According to media reports, Israeli tanks were operating inside the Tel al-Sultan, al-Izba, and Zurub areas in Rafah’s west, as well as Shaboura at the heart of the city. They also continued to occupy the eastern neighbourhoods and outskirts as well as the border with Egypt and the vital Rafah border crossing.

The resident said: “There are Israeli forces in most areas. There is heavy resistance too and they are making them pay dearly but the occupation is not ethical and they are destroying the city and the refugee camp.”

Footage of the aftermath of the Israeli strikes in Deir al-Balah shows Palestinians sifting through the wreckage of homes in search of bodies, clearing debris from damaged apartment buildings, and mourning the loss of their loved ones.

Netanyahu FLAMES Biden, Demands MORE Weapons

Netanyahu Demands White House Give Him Tools to ‘Finish the Job’ in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu published a scathing video blasting the White House for holding back weapons shipments to Israel. Washington has blocked one transfer of 2,000-pound bombs but has overwhelmingly provided all the arms requested by Tel Aviv. The PM demanded the US supply the tools Israel needs to “finish the job a lot faster” in the Gaza Strip.

BREAKING: Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu released a video in English in which he attacked the American administration for not releasing the shipment of weapons to israel. pic.twitter.com/90VBQBXeta

— Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws) June 18, 2024

On Tuesday, Netanyahu posted the video to his X account. Speaking in English, the PM said “When Secretary Blinken was recently here in Israel, we had a candid conversation. I said I deeply appreciate the support the US has given Israel from the beginning of the war. But I also said something else. I said it is inconceivable that in the past few months, the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunition to Israel.”

In late April, the White House decided it would suspend the shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel over concerns about civilian deaths in Gaza. However, President Joe Biden suggested that he would cut off additional arms transfers if Israeli forces proceeded with a full-scale invasion of Rafah. Over a month after that assault began, Biden has failed to follow through on his supposed red line.

According to Netanyahu, the White House will likely reverse course on its vow to scale back this military aid. “Secretary Blinken assured me that the administration is working day and night to remove these blocks. I certainly hope that is the case. It should be the case,” he explained in the video.

I RESIGNED from Biden Administration Over Gaza Genocide: Interview

Biden Deploys Record Number of Troops to Jordan in Quiet Buildup

As the war in Gaza rages, the Biden administration has deployed a record number of U.S. troops to Jordan, a new report to Congress reveals. The troop buildup has not been previously reported.

There are now a record 3,813 American troops in Jordan, according to the White House’s war powers report to Congress released on June 7. That’s a 625 troop increase over December, with the number of soldiers and airmen exceeding the number at any time since the second Gulf War and the invasion of Iraq, a review of past war powers reports reveals.

The Biden administration has sought to keep quiet its close military ties to Jordan, with the White House national security council instructing State Department communications officials to avoid mentioning its military coordination with the country in particular, according to internal memos I’ve reviewed. When Iran fired missiles and drones at Israel in April, Jordan was a key partner in shooting them down, and Jordan even allowed Israeli planes to operate in Jordanian airspace. Jordan as a partner of Israel is a particularly sensitive issue, hence the desire on the part of Washington to keep talk of Jordan to a minimum.

The President’s war powers report to Congress is intended to keep the American public informed about situations in which U.S. military forces might find themselves in combat. In the case of Jordan, this isn’t a hypothetical: in January, an Iran-backed militia group killed three American Army soldiers stationed at a secret U.S. military base in Jordan, called Tower-22. Since October 7, Iran-backed groups have launched over 170 attacks on U.S. military assets in Syria, Iraq and Jordan. The Biden administration has repeatedly tried to downplay these attacks, insisting that the Israel-Hamas war has not spread to the rest of the region. The war powers report makes no mention of Iran-backed groups, saying only that U.S. troops are there to “support Defeat-ISIS operations, to enhance Jordan’s security, and to promote regional stability.” ...

There are plenty of reasons the Biden administration would want to downplay its burgeoning military presence in Jordan. For one, it is home to over two million Palestinian refugees and a constant reminder to the Arab world of the suffering of the Palestinian people. Protests have rocked Jordan in recent months, opposing their government’s cooperation with the U.S. as it arms and assists Israel in the war. Even for authoritarian governments like Jordan, public opposition can be a concern if it is large enough. Washington euphemistically calls these concerns “host nation sensitivities,” a catch-all term for why the American people don’t need to be provided an explanation — in this case, for why troop levels are rapidly increasing.

Col. Karen Kwiatkowski : US Empire’s Impending Suicide

Mark Rutte lined up to be Nato secretary general after Orbán deal

Mark Rutte, the outgoing Dutch prime minister, is expected to become the next head of Nato after winning over Hungary’s prime minister with a promise not to deploy Budapest’s forces or spend its money supporting Ukraine.

Viktor Orbán, the leader in Nato seen as closest to Russia, announced he had dropped his objections after discussions with Rutte, prompting the current secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, to declare that the selection process would end “very soon”. On Tuesday afternoon, Orbán wrote on X that “Hungary is ready to support PM Rutte’s bid for Nato secretary general” and published a letter of reassurance he had received from the Dutch politician earlier that day.

In it, Rutte wrote to Orbán: “I am aware of the outcome of talks between Jens Stoltenberg [the current secretary-general] and you regarding Nato’s support for Ukraine. It is my understanding that you stressed that no Hungarian personnel would take part in these activities and no Hungarian funds will be used to support them.”

The Dutch leader, 57, added that he would respect the commitment given to Hungary, writing “in a possible future capacity as Nato secretary general, I will fully support this outcome of the talks” and added: “I look forward to our future engagement – whatever that might be.”

Slovakia, another Nato member whose government is seen as sympathetic to Russia, also said on Tuesday it was willing to support Rutte. Peter Pellegrini, the country’s president, said in a briefing: “The Slovak republic can imagine supporting the Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte as the head of the alliance.”

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RFK Jr. And Jill Stein SUED

Workers Party of Britain Manifesto Launch with George Galloway

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Rail firm must pay Native American tribe $400m for illegal crude oil trains

One of the largest freight railroad networks in North America must pay nearly $400m to the Swinomish Tribe, a federally recognized tribe located in Washington state, a federal judge ordered on Monday. Last year, US district judge Robert Lasnik ruled that BNSF Railway intentionally trespassed when it repeatedly ran 100-car trains carrying crude oil across the tribe’s reservation.

Lasnik held a trial earlier this month to determine how much in profits BNSF had made from trespassing from 2012 to 2021, and how much of the company should be required to repay to the Indigenous group. Lasnik put that figure at $362m and added $32m in post-tax profits such as investment income for a total of more than $394m.

“The only issue to be determined in this phase of the proceedings is the value of the benefits defendant obtained as a result of its willful, conscious, and knowing trespass,” Lasnik wrote in his decision. He added that the amount calculated in post-tax profits could have been much higher. “Although the many unknowns regarding the uses to which BNSF put its ill-gotten profits and the return rates on those investments should be resolved in the Tribe’s favor to ensure that BNSF does not retain any benefit from its wrongdoing, doing so would add hundreds of millions of dollars to an already large restitutionary award.”

The railroad company told the Associated Press it had no comment on the judgment.

Microplastic discovery in penises raises erectile dysfunction questions

Microplastics have been discovered in penises for the first time, raising questions about a potential role in erectile dysfunction. The revelation comes after the pollutants were recently detected in testes and semen. Male fertility has fallen in recent decades and more research on potential harm of microplastics to reproduction is imperative, say experts.

The researchers said the penis could be particularly vulnerable to contamination with microplastics due to high blood flow during erections. People ingest microplastics through eating, drinking and breathing and the tiny particles have been detected in blood.

The study assessed tissue taken from five men who were undergoing surgery related to erectile dysfunction. Microplastics were found in four cases, with PET and polypropylene being the most prevalent. Both are used in food and drink packaging and other everyday items.

There appears to be widespread contamination of people’s bodies with microplastics, with scientists finding them wherever they look. The impact on health is as yet unknown but microplastics have been shown to cause damage to human cells in the laboratory.

The particles can cause inflammation in tissue, as air pollution particles do, and chemicals in the plastics could also cause harm. Doctors found a substantially raised risk of stroke and heart attack death in people whose arteries were contaminated with microplastics. Millions of tonnes of plastic waste are dumped in the environment every year and much is broken down into microplastics. These have polluted the entire planet, from the summit of Mount Everest to the deepest oceans.

‘The sky was on fire’: New Mexico villagers flee fast-moving wildfires

Two fast-moving fires forced panicked evacuations and consumed hundreds of buildings in New Mexico, as firefighters struggled to bring the blazes under control on Tuesday. On Monday evening, after the fires broke out, plumes of crimson-colored smoke had curled over the village of Ruidoso in southern New Mexico, and officials issued an urgent warning around 7pm: “GO NOW: Do not attempt to gather belongings or protect your home. Evacuate immediately.”

By Tuesday morning, approximately 500 structures had been lost to the flames, according to official estimates, and that number could increase. With critical-level fire weather lingering in the forecast through Wednesday, the blazes, both still listed as 0% contained as of midday Tuesday, were expected to grow.

Fueled by gusty winds, high temperatures and low humidity, the South Fork fire roared across about 14,000 acres (5,666 hectares) in a drought-stricken part of the state after igniting on the Mescalero Apache Reservation on Monday. Fire crews battled through the night, working to protect the homes and buildings they could, as the fire exhibited extreme behavior and long-range spotting. The Salt fire, which also ignited on the Mescalero Apache Reservation, is churning through steep forested terrain to the south of Ruidoso, home to more than 7,000 people, and has burned roughly 5,000 acres. ...

New Mexico has been in the grips of drought, with more than 12% of the state classified as in extreme drought by the US Drought Monitor, mostly concentrated across the south. “This is climate change. It is hot, and it is dry,” George Ducker, the communications coordinator of the New Mexico forestry division, told the New York Times on Tuesday. “There is some moisture potentially coming on Wednesday, but I’m not holding my breath.”

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Also of Interest

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

Judges Unmoved in Biden Genocide Complicity Case

The war in Gaza is wiping out entire Palestinian families, one branch at a time.

Blinken’s lies about Hamas rejecting a ceasefire reveal the Biden administration’s true intentions

Couldn't Such Fake News Start Wars?

Joe Biden's Ukraine War Mistake Could Spark a War with Russia

Boeing bosses accused of ‘strip mining’ company for profit in Senate hearing

Astronomers detect sudden awakening of black hole 1m times mass of sun

"Another Wasted Life": Rhiannon Giddens on How Death of Kalief Browder Inspired New Song

Glenn Greenwald GOES OFF On Pentagon Anti-Vax Psyop

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A Little Night Music

Wayne Bennett - T Bone Shuffle

Big Mojo Elem/Wayne Bennett/Fred Below/Willie James Lyons - Every Night And Every Day

Mighty Sam McClain With Wayne Bennett - Fannie Mae/The Blues Is Alright

Bobby 'Blue' Bland featuring Wayne Bennett - Stomy Monday Blues

Wayne Bennett - Rockin'

Jimmy McCracklin, Ry Cooder and Wayne Bennett - After Hours

Mighty Sam McClain With Wayne Bennett - Everyday I Have The Blues

Junior Parker w/Wayne Bennett - Get Away Blues

Rosco Gordon w/Wayne Bennett - Shooby Ooby

Big Mojo Elem/Wayne Bennett/Fred Below/Willie James Lyons - Hide Away

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