Badlands News Brief
Tracking Resignations, Scare Events & the Death of Taxes
The News Cycle is almost impossible to track these days. At least, to do so fully.
That’s where we come in.
In the Badlands News Brief, the Badlands Media team hand pick news items of interest from the previous days to give you an overview of the biggest goings-on relevant to the Truth Community with some Badlands flavoring to help wash it down.
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Now, onto the news from Thursday, September 12 …
NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban resigns after being raided by federal agents
NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban announced his resignation Thursday, about a week after federal agents raided his home, along with other members of Mayor Eric Adams' administration.
Caban sent a letter to the department, saying the news surrounding the raids had "created a distraction." His resignation is effective this Friday, Sept. 13.
"I hold immense respect and gratitude for the brave officers who serve this department, and the NYPD deserves someone who can solely focus on protecting and serving New York City, which is why -- for the good of this city and this department -- I have made the difficult decision to resign as Police Commissioner," Caban wrote.
Adams said he respects Caban's decision to step down and touted NYPD achievements under his leadership, including getting more than 18,000 illegal guns off the streets and major reductions in shootings and robberies. — CBS News
Our Take: I know I’m out of the news loop, but there is a federal investigation into top NYC officials, which has led to ‘public servants’ being raided, having their devices seized, and the Police Commissioner resigning?
How is this not a bigger story?
The feds are being tight-lipped and, according to CBS, have not indicated Adams’ inner circle is being raided. Government officials rarely ever get in trouble especially, publicly. This situation also, on its face, reeks of nepotism and organized crime.
For example, there are two sets of brothers that have been raided. Edward Caban is the Police Comissioner who is stepping down, and his brother James ‘is under scrutiny by federal authorities for allegedly working as a fixer for restaurants and nightclubs in Manhattan that were having trouble with the NYPD,’ according to another article by CBS News.
Then there is Phillip Banks III, who was ‘appointed deputy mayor for public safety in January 2022,’ and his brother, David Banks, the Commissioner of Schools.
David is engaged to Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, a lawyer who also ‘served on the city's Education Sector Advisory Council and state's New York Forward Re-Opening Advisory Board.’
Phillip and David have a third brother, Terrence Banks, who runs the Pearl Alliance, a firm that ‘represents companies that have contracts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars with a number of city agencies.’ According to CBS, Terrence is not a registered lobbyist.
Edward, James, and Phillip were all reportedly NYPD cops, and the rest of these players are government officials, lobbyists, NGOs, or a combination of these.
Corruption within public private partnership is on display in Gotham, the Mayor’s office is neck deep in the scandal, and the Police Commissioner just resigned.
Also, Batman returns November 5.
Adams appointed Tom Donilon to replace Caban. I’m just gonna leave this here (h/t
:) —
Donald Trump Announces New Tax Plan
Former President Donald Trump has announced a new plan to cut taxes if elected in November's election.
Trump said during a rally in Tucson, Arizona, on Thursday that he would "end all taxes on overtime" if he returns to the White House.
The former president previously backed a plan to eliminate taxes on tips, which was also supported by his Democratic presidential election opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.
"I went to some economists, great ones, I said, 'What do you think?'" Trump said on Thursday. "They said, 'It would be unbelievable, you'll get a whole new workforce by doing that.' No taxes on overtime."
"The people who work overtime are among the hardest-working citizens in our country," he added. "When you're past 40 hours a week, your overtime hours will be tax-free. OK, good?" — Newsweek
Our Take: These tax deployments by Trump are masterful:
For starters, it's obviously an effective appeal to working class voters who are most affected by taxation, which tends to leave the Welfare class alone while the ultra wealthy hide their income.
Next, it puts the Establishment in the unenviable (and politically untenable) position of combating said tax cuts. The Globalist Elite have tried to demonize cuts as only benefiting the rich. By targeting the service industry (tax-free tips,) and now those who NEED to work more than 40 hours a week (also known as almost all regular Americans, including me,) Trump front-runs their ability to undercut him and us.
(The proof this strategy is working lies in the fact that Kamala has already aped Trump on the first tax cut deployment. Will she on the second?)
Finally, this is going to create a nationwide debate about WHO (if ANYONE) SHOULD actually be taxed by the American Oligarchy.
The simplest moves are often the most effective.
Well played. —
Blinken wraps up Ukraine-focused Europe trip in Poland with arms requests on the table
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up a three-nation, Ukraine-focused European tour in Poland on Thursday after hearing repeated appeals from Ukrainian officials to use Western-supplied weaponry for long-range strikes inside Russia.
Blinken traveled to Warsaw after spending a day in Kyiv with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy during which they pledged to bring the Ukrainian requests to their leaders.
U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are to meet in the United States on Friday amid signs both Washington and London are growing more receptive to allowing the Ukrainians to use their arms to hit targets farther inside Russia than previously okayed.
“As what Russia’s doing has changed, as the battlefield has changed, we’ve adapted,” Blinken said at a news conference in Warsaw.
Biden has allowed Ukraine to fire U.S.-provided missiles across the border into Russia in self-defense, but has largely limited the distance they can be fired.
Just last week Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and pushed back on the long-range ask, noting that Ukraine has already been able to strike inside Russia with its own internally produced systems including drones. — ABC News
And …
Long-range Arms OK Would Put NATO At 'War With Russia': Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the West letting Kyiv use longer-range weapons to strike Russian targets would mean NATO would be "at war" with Russia.
Putin spoke as US and UK top diplomats discussed easing rules on firing Western weapons into Russia, which Kyiv has been pressing for, more than two and a half years into Moscow's offensive.
"This would in a significant way change the very nature of the conflict," Putin told a state television reporter.
"It would mean that NATO countries, the US, European countries, are at war with Russia," he added.
"If that's the case, then taking into account the change of nature of the conflict, we will take the appropriate decisions based on the threats that we will face."
Clearing Kyiv to strike deep into Russia "is a decision on whether NATO countries are directly involved in the military conflict or not".
Putin's comments came as Kyiv pressed the West to provide more powerful weapons with fewer restrictions, as Russia continues its advance into eastern Ukraine. — Barron’s
Our Take: Watching these invalids try and act tough, while justifying a morally reprehensible position, is a real hoot.
For example, this article mentions the 31 Abrams tanks that the US sent Zelensky, citing an article from April saying that they had to pull those tanks from the battlefield, because they kept getting destroyed by Russian air strikes.
What the linked article doesn’t tell you is why the Abrams have been a complete and total failure in the hands of the Ukrainians: because they were using them as stationary pill boxes, instead of maneuvering them in live combat. (Ya know, the entire purpose of the modern tank.) That’s because these NATO Nazis have not been properly trained to operate these tanks— because you can’t learn this stuff overnight.
It’s not enough to be able to drive the tank, you need to understand the doctrine of maneuver warfare. It’s not enough to merely understand that doctrine, you have to master it; because, as we have covered in the Brief and Badlands Daily many times, the NATO Nazis are going up against the Russian military, who happen to be the very best when it comes to this style of combat.
From the article:
“[Polish Foreign Minister Radek] Sikorski argued that Ukraine should be allowed to use Western weapons against Russia in self-defense, because “Russia is committing war crimes by attacking civilian targets.”
“Missiles that hit these civilian targets are fired from bomber aircraft from over the territory of Russia. These bombers take off from airfields on Russia’s territory,” Sikorski said. “A victim of aggression has the right to defend itself.”
“So I believe that Ukraine has the right to use Western weapons to prevent war crimes,” Sikorski added.
So, you will prevent war crimes… by launching long-range missiles into Russia— presumably against civilian targets, since the Russian military is in Ukraine— thus, committing war crimes of your own?
Fight fire with fire? Two wrongs make a right?
(Putin/Russia is not committing war crimes. They are going out of their way not to intentionally attack or harm civilians.)
This is almost as foolish as the current Israeli mindset of “might makes right,” an attitude I expect to backfire on them in the worst possible way sooner than later.
In this second article, Putin is quoted saying:
"This would in a significant way change the very nature of the conflict," Putin told a state television reporter.
"It would mean that NATO countries, the US, European countries, are at war with Russia," he added.
"If that's the case, then taking into account the change of nature of the conflict, we will take the appropriate decisions based on the threats that we will face."
There’s only one way to interpret this statement: if the long-range missiles are used, then Russia will respond by attacking the west. And given Putin’s sympathetic attitude toward civilian life, and relationship with President Trump, I expect that he means he will be exclusively targeting Deep State leaders.
They did try to assassinate Putin, Fico, and Trump, among others. They succeeded in assassinating Shinzo Abe. The list of world leaders who would actually be outraged or upset if Putin did take out any black hats grows increasingly short. In fact, do those scum bags have any real friends or supporters left in the world?
To punctuate that point, you have this comment from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who was in office from 2008-2012.
For context, when he was in office, Medvedev was considered the pro-West alternative to Putin. He was the friend to the globalist Deep State.
Not so much, anymore, it seems. FAFO. —
Another Take: The doom mongering around World War 3 is the rare and beautiful case of a Bicameral Narrative Deployment, and will come to be seen as the defining chapter in the War of Stories.
As I've explored at length in my writing, the Deep State has maintained its hold largely through abstract power projection.
That power projection comes on the back of what WAS near total control of the modern information landscape, from the media and entertainment industrial complexes to Big Tech.
In case you hadn't noticed, that's all changing, as the age of decentralization dawns; Americans are increasingly taking the field, telling stories in search of truth rather than in opposition to it.
Trump and patriots will play into the story of 'The Last War,' which will ultimately allow them to harness and redeploy all that pent up narrative and mass psychological energy in order to engineer mass catharsis over mass paralysis.
We're in a war both for and against your Mind and the Macro Mind.
Act accordingly. —
Kirby: 'No use in responding' to a 'handful of vets' on Biden's botched Afghan withdrawal
On the anniversary of 9/11, White House National Security Council communications adviser John Kirby dismissed the concerns of military veterans critical of the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, writing in response to a Fox News Digital press inquiry that there's "no use" weighing in on the veterans' views.
"Obviously no use in responding. A ‘handful’ of vets indeed and all of one stripe," Kirby said in a "reply all" email chain Wednesday afternoon that appeared to be intended for White House staffers, but which also included Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital had reached out to the White House earlier Wednesday afternoon regarding critical comments from four veterans, including Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., who blasted Kirby for his Monday press conference that they said provided "cover" for the Biden administration's 2021 withdrawal.
Included in that initial reachout were quotes from the four veterans, and Fox News Digital asked the White House if it had any comment to include on the vets' blistering criticisms of Kirby and the White House's handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal. The email chain was forwarded to White House staffers on the National Security Council, before Kirby replied to all on the chain that there's "no use in responding."
Kirby's message was sent in error, with him following up with a Fox News Digital reporter, "Clearly, I didn’t realize you were on the chain." Kirby sent the email while traveling with President Biden on the anniversary of 9/11. — FOX News
Our Take: I’m sure everyone reading this has accidentally replied to all on an email chain, at least once. It happens all the time, and it’s usually just an annoyance. Back in the early days of email, the accidental reply all on a large distribution would lead to days of recipients also replying to all, asking to be removed from the email, ostensibly without realizing they were creating additional unnecessary email for everyone. Boomers still do this, and I’m happy that email is nearly dead as a communication medium.
While frustrating in any situation, accidentally replying to all usually isn’t newsworthy unless the accidental replier is a ‘very important person’ or, in Kirby’s case, someone who works for very important people in the professional communications world — internal communications, public relations, etc.
When a professional communicator accidentally replies to all, and ‘all’ includes an adverse party, like a news organization, the fallout can be catastrophic.
Kirby flippantly dismissing veterans as ‘of all one stripe,’ is a bad look. Saying that there is ‘obviously no use in responding’ to veterans — any veterans — is clearly offensive on any day, but exacerbated by the fact that this happened on 9/11.
Since this group of disparaged veterans includes sitting US Congressman Cory Mills (R-FL), Republicans should exploit the hell out of it. It is, after all, an indication of the administration’s sentiment towards veterans as characterized by what they say to each other when they think no one is listening.
Remember, the administration includes Vice President Harris, and she is expected to employ much of the same team to run the country if, God forbid, she ‘wins.’
In other words, Kirby insulting veterans is effectively Kamala insulting veterans. He speaks for the administration, and she is the administration. Brand her with it.
Finally, never forget to check your distribution lines before pressing send. —
A Badlands History Lesson with …
Our Take: As I write this, it is September 12, which means you are likely seeing a flood of posts on your feed like the one above. It is a reference to the Battle of Vienna of 1683, when the Ottoman Empire besieged the Austrian capital with a host of 150,000 invaders, and was saved by a cavalry charge 18,000 strong—the largest in recorded history—led by Polish King John III and his 3,000 Winged Hussars.
Not only was this moment most likely the inspiration behind author JRR Tolkien's "Ride of the Rohirrim" at the end of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but it is also connected to both the American Revolution and the vast tapestry of history we have been weaving on this Brief for many months.
For context, here is what the Ottoman Empire looked like in 1683. Their defeat at Vienna was considered the beginning of the decline of their empire, which was dissolved at the end of World War I, with the core Ottoman homeland becoming modern-day Turkey.
While many want to present this as a purely "Christianity vs Islam" battle, the truth is that part of that cavalry force were the Lipka Tartars, the all-Muslim unit maintained by Poland, who trace their lineage back to the Mongolian Golden Horde, and it was this lineage who shared their mastery of horses with the Poles, after being exiled from Hungary in the 1500's, and forming the mercenary group in Poland that would eventually become the Winged Hussars—the heavy shock cavalry that became a dominant force on the plains of Eastern Europe.
(Europeans referred to the Mongols as "Tatars," sometimes spelled "Tartars," and the Mongolian Empire as "Tartaria." Crimea, where many Mongols settled, is known throughout Russian history as "Little Tartaria.")
Here is a historically accurate reconstruction of a Winged Hussar:
Most people don't know this, but after the Partition of Poland began in 1772, Benjamin Franklin—who spent most of his time in Europe, engaged in diplomacy, between 1750 and 1780—approached Count Casimir Pulaski, the leader of the Hussars (who were then without a country, and had stopped wearing their iconic wings), and convinced him to bring his horsemen to America to fight the British Empire, just 90 years after the Hussars had saved Vienna from the Ottomans.
George Washington had little to no knowledge or experience with using cavalry as a set piece in battle—as almost all of his military experience came from the French and Indian War, which was fought in the mountains of the northern colonies and Canada.
It was Pulaski and his horse lords (such as Hungarian Colonel Michael Kovats) who brought the necessary experience to counter the British dragoons, who were led by the blood-thirsty Banastre Tarleton—the villain of both my Francis Marion article and Mel Gibson's The Patriot. Upon arriving in the colonies in July 1777, he wrote to Washington: "I came here, where freedom is being defended, to serve it, and to live or die for it."
After a demonstration of riding stunts to Washington and his officers, Pulaski argued the superiority of cavalry over infantry. He was finally granted an officer's commission ("Commander of Horse") just in time for the Battle of Brandywine in September 1777, where he turned the tide of the battle after the Continental Army began to yield, averting a disastrous defeat by leading a cavalry charge that saved the life of George Washington, instantly earning Pulaski a legendary status among the colonists.
After a number of other successful battles, Pulaski was ultimately killed by grapeshot while leading a charge at the Battle of Savannah in 1779. He was rightfully given the title of "Father of the American Cavalry." Today, Count Pulaski is venerated as a hero in both America and Poland. A statue of him can be found in Freedom Plaza, next to the White House.
Never forget that the American Revolution was also the last ride of the [Winged] Hussars, which effectively became the US Cavalry. —
BONUS ITEMS
Congress to get Super Bowl-level protection on Jan. 6, 2025
The federal government has for the first time declared that the certification of the presidential vote next year will be treated as a “national special security event” — an acknowledgment that the once-routine part of the democratic process now carries special risk.
The designation by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas places the Jan. 6 session of Congress on the same security footing as major events such as the Super Bowl or U.N. General Assembly.
It authorizes measures aimed at preventing a reprise of the riot at the Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
“National Special Security Events are events of the highest national significance,” Eric Ranaghan, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Dignitary Protective Division, said in a statement Wednesday announcing the designation. “The U.S. Secret Service, in collaboration with our federal, state, and local partners are committed to developing and implementing a comprehensive and integrated security plan to ensure the safety and security of this event and its participants.”
The announcement underscores the tense political environment, with polls showing Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris in a close race and a bitterly divided electorate. — Politico
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard to campaign for Donald Trump in Glendale
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will campaign Saturday for Donald Trump in Glendale, returning to the same city where he boosted the GOP nominee at a rally last month.
Kennedy will hit the Arizona campaign trail with former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii. The event comes weeks after Kennedy ended his own independent presidential campaign and endorsed Trump during an event in Arizona.
Kennedy and Gabbard will visit Arizona Christian University in Glendale at 6 p.m. on Saturday. They’ll sit for a conversation moderated by Jessica Reed Kraus, who writes about the campaign on Substack and her
social media accounts. — AZ Central
Germany tightens controls at all borders in immigration crackdown
Germany's government announced plans to impose tighter controls at all of the country's land borders in what it called an attempt to tackle irregular migration and protect the public from threats such as Islamist extremism.
The controls within what is normally a wide area of free movement - the European Schengen zone - will start on Sept. 16 and initially last for six months, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said on Monday.
The government has also designed a scheme enabling authorities to reject more migrants directly at German borders, Faeser said, without adding details on the controversial and legally fraught move.
The restrictions are part of a series of measures Germany has taken to toughen its stance on irregular migration in recent years following a surge in arrivals, in particular people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government is seeking to seize back the initiative from the opposition far-right and conservatives, who have seen support rise as they tap into voter worries about stretched public services, integration and security.
"We are strengthening internal security and continuing our hard line against irregular migration," Faeser said, noting the government had notified the European Commission and neighboring countries of the intended controls. — Reuters
We hope you enjoyed this brief look back at the major news items you might have missed in this ever-escalating and ever-accelerating news cycle as the Information War continues to rage on around us.
As always, if you have any thoughts on these news items or the MANY others swirling in the digital ether, drop into the comments below to share them with your fellow Badlanders.
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What is excellent about Trump pointing to overtime pay taxes is missed completely. He is pointing to the difference between labor and management taxation and it is really a key issue that almost no one sees.
The real problem is how the rich pay the majority of taxes. It has created the problems that exist today with big business favoring Democrats. Here is how it actually works. Shareholders often fail to vote their proxies that each share of stock gives them. To make matters worse, mutual funds and index funds control the proxy votes for all of the shares investors have bought through the funds. Thus, these funds have control over the management and can demand all sorts of DEI and Green Deal silliness. In exchange, they agree to vote for huge pay packages for top management. There is no demands for labor because labor is not a player in this corrupt game.
But here is the bad part. If our government decides to “tax the rich” the higher rate makes no difference to the top executives! They just ask for more pay to offset the higher tax. The shareholders suffer, but they never know because their pockets were picked by the management and the fund managers.
This evil game has been getting worse and worse by the year because no one is really paying attention. Business in America is doing great and this Trillion dollar theft is just written off.
Washington loves it and business can afford it. So, why slow down even if it is hurting the little guy?
Trump cut taxes, but he screwed the rich top management. He took away their state and local tax deductions as well as the write-off of their giant mortgages. He limited both to $10,000 per year. I saw it and loved it, but who else recognized the beauty of it?
When Kamala brags that she will eliminate the Trump tax cuts, she is rewarding the rich! And, stupid Democrats applaud because they do not understand the socialist game. Taxing the rich is the easiest way to devastate the poor! That is what Trump is pointing at with his tax reductions. The problem is, the tax codes are so complex and the gamesmanship is so convoluted that very few people know what is going on behind the scenes.
I hope I have helped open some eyes today.
Thanks for the history lesson on the Hussars. Was not familiar with that part of our history. Ottoman empire was not taught in my history classes. Loved the scene from LOTR. It is probably my most favorite scene!