Democracy Now:
"NERMEEN SHAIKH We begin today’s show looking at the war in Ukraine. On Wednesday, a Russian missile hit an outdoor market in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, killing 17 and injuring 32. It was one of the deadliest attacks in Ukraine in months. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the, quote, 'utter inhumanity' of the attack."
https://www.democracynow.org/2023/9/7/hanna_perekhoda_ilya_budraitskis_ukraine_russia

-->Unfortunately,  Democracy Now's look at the war in Ukraine, was one of the most distorted I have listened to in recent weeks. Amy refers to her two guests as "activists," but activists for what? Both did nothing more than spout arguments for further US militarism in Ukraine. There was no peace guest, nor anyone even encouraging negotiations. It was like listening to our mainstream media, always cheering on more weapons and billions for a war that could bring down the human race.

There must be great pressure on Democracy Now to toe the line when it comes to this war. Reading between the lines, we can see the intense need of the Pentagon to sell its latest imperialistic gamble. One might wish for our children and grandchildren that our media would take the side of nuclear sanity. But we have to assume that the inner Washington elite has already decided to risk everything on "winning" in Ukraine. We were lucky once, when JFK stood up to the warmongers in his own party. But chances are we won't be so lucky this time around.

I feel sorry for Amy and Nermeen. They must know exactly how this propaganda is forced upon them. But they are merely two people. The nuclear armageddon will engulf us all.

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Common Dreams:
"With Funds Opposed by GOP, IRS to Target Ultrawealthy Tax Delinquents. 'This news stands in stark contrast to the approach taken by House Republicans, who want to allow wealthy tax cheats to continue business as usual,' said U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden.

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service on Friday won praise from congressional Democrats and progressive groups for announcing "a sweeping, historic effort to restore fairness in tax compliance by shifting more attention onto high-income earners, partnerships, large corporations, and promoters abusing the nation's tax laws.

The IRS effort is enabled by some of the $80 billion in funding for the agency included in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which President Joe Biden signed into law last year. About a quarter of that money is set to be clawed back as part of his recent deal with congressional Republicans to temporarily suspend the nation's debt limit."
https://www.commondreams.org/news/irs-targeting-rich-tax-cheats

-->This is a big win for left. At last the billionaire cheaters will have to pay a little more (or maybe a lot more). It is a step away from government by the very richest. It is puzzling that most of the US media did not cover this story. Perhaps it's because so many rich media owners are in mourning.

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The Intercept:
"Last week, Intercept journalists Ryan Grim and Murtaza Hussain published a bombshell investigation into Pakistan’s political crisis. Grim and Hussain were provided a Pakistani intelligence document by an anonymous source, outlining how the U.S. government pressured the Pakistani government to oust former Prime Minister Imran Khan. This week on Deconstructed, Grim and Hussain discuss their reporting, the leaked cable, and the fallout from the political crisis in Pakistan.

In the past year, widespread demonstrations have rocked Pakistan, as supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan continue to rally in his support. Last year, Khan was ousted after a no-confidence vote in the Pakistani parliament. As people have taken to the streets in support of Khan, the military has engaged in widespread repression, leading to what many are calling the most serious political crisis in Pakistani history. Khan and his supporters have said that the U.S. State Department supported and even encouraged his ousting last year.

Khan has been pointing to a secret Pakistani intelligence document as proof of the U.S.’ role in the crisis. No one had access to it, until now. Ryan and I were provided the document by an anonymous source in the Pakistani military, who said that they had no ties to Imran Khan or Khan’s party."
https://theintercept.com/2023/08/18/deconstructed-leaked-pakistan-cable/

-->Few in the US media dared cover this story. It exposes a CIA attempt to overthrow a popular leader in the Third World. So what's the big story; the CIA has been doing that since the end World War II, and in so many countries. Maybe it is just the shame of it all that made the NYT hide this news.