Badlands News Brief
Lake Lasts, Biden Slumps & Powell Blinks
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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 picks news items of interest from the previous days to give you an overview of the biggest goings-on relevant to the Truth Community.
Items feature original commentary from members of our growing team of citizen journalists. Feel free to follow the corresponding link to see their other work.
Now, onto the news from Tuesday, August 29 …
Judge Rules Kari Lake Lawsuit Seeking Mail-In Ballot Signatures Will Go To Trial
Arizona Republican candidate Kari Lake announced an upcoming trial date in a lawsuit to acquire mail-in ballot signatures nearly a year after the November 2022 midterm election.
"We are scheduled for a 2-day trial set for September 21 & 25th," Mrs. Lake wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, over the weekend.
"I will never stop fighting for Honest & Transparent Elections."
In a separate statement to The Gateway Pundit, Mrs. Lake also said that the recent court order "is a huge victory for election transparency."
"We’re moving forward,” she said.
Superior Court Judge John R. Hannah Jr. wrote (pdf) on Aug. 24 that a two-day trial will start on Sept. 21 at 9 a.m., with exhibits that will be submitted during the trial due by Sept. 14.
Earlier in the year, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge ruled that Mrs. Lake's request to access affidavit envelopes shouldn't be dismissed. Mr. Hannah wrote in June that county recorders generally include ballot affidavit envelopes in voter registration records, saying that the court is “not required to defer to the elections officials in how they have historically interpreted” the law.
He refuted arguments that were submitted by Maricopa County lawyers, who had argued that ballot affidavit signatures are a portion of the voter registration record. They're also considered confidential under state law, the lawyers said. — The Epoch Times
Our Take: “Many assumed the system was so thoroughly corrupt that this would never get a fair day in court, though I suppose whether or not the trial will indeed be fair has yet to be seen. If it is an honest trial and the judge is competent, it shouldn't require much to secure a win. There's no rational adult that looks at the mail-in ballot process and thinks, ‘there's no fraud going on here.’
The greater problem here can be solved in a variety of ways with the technology that exists (some advocate for crypto identity verification,) or by technology that existed 3000 years ago in Greece—that is, by public voting, preferably on the same day with ID in person. If the votes aren't counted on time, fire your election officials.
The people running these elections don't want to solve this problem. Simple as, mate.
I applaud and appreciate the effort and tremendous follow-through that Kari Lake and her team are bringing to this fight to prove election fraud. I can only imagine the Deep State threats she and her lawyers are enduring.” —
Almost 70% Of Democrats Say Biden Too Old To Run Again; New AP Poll Finds
A new Associated Press/NORC poll has found that an overwhelming majority of Americans believe Joe Biden to be too old to run for a second term as president, with a huge amount of Democrats concurring.
In total 77 percent of Americans say Biden is too old to carry out a second term. Unsurprisingly, 89 percent of Republicans feel this way, yet the poll also found that 69 percent of Democrats agree.
The poll found that fewer than half of Americans said former President Trump is too old to hold office. — Summit News
Our Take: “This article is fun because it includes so many Biden gaffes, missteps and outright (evil) senior moments. It’s a fun Best of Biden collection, and the clips solidify why the demented criminal is so deeply unpopular with the American people.
He’s definitely too old, but it’s not because of the number of years he has lived. It’s because he falls up stairs, can’t ride a bike, repeatedly misses his mark, and is incapable of putting a coherent sentence together. Then he starts rambling provably false nonsense about the old racists that he once called friends, and the party of social justice is in a very public pickle.
No one that actually wants to (fairly) win an election would stand with Biden against his presidential record, numerous scandals, and current poll numbers. But the regime is still Ridin’ with Biden as the top candidate to beat Trump. Of course, these are the same people that have Kamala Harris beating RFK in a Biden-less primary, so none of it’s actually real. But it certainly is silly.” —
Labor Market Implodes: Job Openings Crater, Prior Data "Unexpectedly" Revised Sharply Lower
For months we have been warning that at a time when the US economy is careening into a hard landing recession, the manipulated, seasonally-adjusted, and politically goalseeked job openings data released as part of the DOL's JOLTS report is sheer rubbish (see "US Job Openings Far Lower Than Reported By Department Of Labor"; "Handle The JOLTS Data With Care", "Just Make it Up: Job Openings Unexpectedly Soar As Labor Department Now Guessing What The Number Is"). Today, the BLS finally got the memo.
With consensus expecting only a modest drop in the July job openings from 9.582 million to 9.5 million, what the BLS reported instead was a doozy: in July there were just 8.827 million job openings, the first sub-9 million print since March 2021. It was also the 3rd biggest miss on record!
Worse, had the BLS not drastically slashed the May number from 9.582MM to a laughable 9.165MM, the drop would have been almost 800K job openings. And yes, today's downward revision...
... continues the recent trend of every single data point in the Biden administration being revised sharply lower in subsequent month(s), in a coordinated propaganda attempt to make the economy look stronger, then quietly revise it away when everyone forgets. — ZeroHedge
Our Take: “The fact that economic data is causing commodities and asset markets to surge is barely papering over the fact that the Biden Administration is being seen as a mass manipulator when it comes to the public Narratives surrounding said economic data.
ZeroHedge and other alt. media analysts correctly point out that the Biden Admin engages in mass psychological manipulation in order to massage its catastrophic outlook, but that manipulation itself is becoming THE story.
That's not good for [them.]” —
Recent Mask Mandates Lifted Amid Pushback
Kaiser Permanente in Santa Rosa, California, on Aug. 24 reversed a recent policy that would require masks in its hospital after it reinstated the mandate days before. A Hollywood studio also said it would do away with its mandate.
Officials for the hospital system told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat that the mask policy applies only to staff, not patients. It said that it is “strongly encouraging masks for patients, members, and visitors in the hospital and medical offices in the Santa Rosa Service Area in response to this latest increase in COVID-19 cases.”
“Our intent was to communicate that as of Tuesday, we have expanded the masking requirement for our employees and physicians to medical offices and clinic settings; we apologize for any confusion among Press Democrat readers,” Kaiser said in its latest statement.
The statement also said that "visitors, patients, and members are strongly encouraged to also wear masks in these settings,” according to the paper. “We have not changed our masking requirements in the hospital, which have been in effect since April: employees and physicians are required to wear masks and we ask visitors to wear masks when in the hospital.”
It doesn't appear that Kaiser Permanente, which operates hospitals across the United States and California, would also attempt to reinstate mask mandates at other locations. — The Epoch Times
Our Take: “This is encouraging news. According to this article, Lionsgate Studios and Kaiser Permanente both backed off their recently-announced mask mandates after popular pushback. This needs to happen everywhere they attempt this, every single time it happens.
It’s no secret now that the tyrants want to reclaim the absolute power they assumed during covid. They’re trying it again because, in 2020, we let it get too far. This 2023 approach is more appropriate. Everyone everywhere needs to treat all tyrannical calls for a emergency virus powers as a game of whack-a-mole.
When the tyranny pops up, smack it down. Mask mandate? Whack. Social distancing? Whack. New vaccine? Double whack with a booster whack for good measure.
These are metaphorical whacks, of course, as I am referring to peaceful noncompliance. As our invisible governors flex, again, noncompliance with vocal opposition is our best defense. Do not comply.” —
French ambassador stays in Niger, defying junta, as Macron defends French policy
French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that France’s ambassador is staying at his post in Niger despite being asked to leave by the ruling junta, speaking out firmly against the coup leaders while insisting that France is not Niger’s enemy.
Since ousting Niger’s democratically elected president a month ago, the junta has been exploiting grievances among the population toward former colonial ruler France, and has turned to Russian mercenary group Wagner for help.
Macron dismissed concerns that standing up to the junta could be dangerous.
“Our policy is the right one. It depends on the courage of President Mohamed Bazoum, the commitment of our diplomats, of our ambassador on the ground who is remaining despite pressure,” Macron told a gathering of French ambassadors in Paris.
French Ambassador Sylvain Itte was asked to leave Niger within 48 hours in a letter Friday from the Nigerien Foreign Ministry that accused him of ignoring an invitation for a meeting with the ministry. The letter also cited “actions of the French government contrary to the interests of Niger.”
France has consistently acknowledged only the authority of Bazoum. He is still detained by the junta, which is now under sanctions by Western and regional African powers.
“One shouldn’t give in to the narrative used by the coup leaders that consists of saying France has become our enemy,” Macron said Monday. — ABC News
Our Take: “In the Info War, we often say that change happens very slowly ... and then all at once.
Over the course of the last month alone, we've had a pro-nationalist 'coup' in Niger backed by Russia and the expansion of the BRICS sovereign alliance from 6 nations to 11 and counting based on the perceived tyranny of the G7 Western Globalist bloc.
Now, France is being seen as conflating 'diplomatic' solutions with 'military activity' as the situation in Niger spins out of [their] control.
Masks off.” —
Yevgeny Prigozhin is alive and plotting his revenge on Putin after body double was killed in plane assassination plot, Russian analyst claims
A Russian political analyst has claimed warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin is alive after his body double was killed in last week's plane crash - not the Wagner chief himself.
Prigozhin is 'alive, well, and free' in an unnamed country, according to Dr Valery Solovey, even as Russia stages his funeral which Vladimir Putin is refusing to attend.
The astonishing assertion holds that Prigozhin cheated an assassination bid sanctioned by Putin and drawn up by his security council.
Prigozhin is now plotting his revenge, says the political analyst, a former professor at Moscow's prestigious Institute of International Relations [MGIMO], a training school for spies and diplomats.
Dr Solovey accuses the Russian authorities of lying over Prigozhin's DNA being found at the crash site in Tver region, while being aware the bid to kill the Wagner supremo had failed because a body double - which the warlord was known to use - got on the plane in his place. — The Daily Mail
Our Take: “Narrative value aside, I have some issues with this story.
Primarily that the claim is made by Dr Valery Solovey, ‘a Russian political analyst’ and ‘former professor at Moscow's prestigious Institute of International Relations [MGIMO], a training school for spies and diplomats.’
He claims to have ‘sources inside the Kremlin.’
He's been making unsupported claims about Putin for years.
Such as,
‘Putin seriously intends to demonstrate the capabilities of nuclear weapons - tactical nuclear weapons.’
‘[Putin is] in very poor physiological health.’
‘[Putin is] not able to adequately assess the situation and make proper decisions,’
‘The state of his health is such that he has a very strong desire to take the world with him…’
‘He knows that he will pass away in a limited time - and how is it possible for the world to carry on without him?’
‘Why should the world exist without its genius leader Vladimir Putin…?’
‘[Putin's health is] dramatically deteriorating’.
Another Take: “This gem of a headline was brought to my attention by
.The Actual of Prigozhin isn't possible to gauge, but the Narratives are tantalizing.
There's a number of ways this could spin out, if the MSM (hopefully) starts to forward it.
Imagine the Media Industrial Complex pushing parallel Narratives about Prigozhin faking his own death to enact a coup on Putin, COVID-23 coming back with a vengeance and election fraud being fake simultaneously.
Who are the conspiracy theorists, again?” —
BONUS ITEMS
Tucker Carlson Apologizes To Hungary On Behalf Of America, Slams 'Disgusting' US Ambassador Over Lack Of Diplomacy
Tucker Carlson flew to Hungary last week where he gave two powerful speeches - apologizing for the United States' lack of diplomacy and its "cultural imperialism."
Carlson started by apologizing on behalf of the United States after US Ambassador David Pressman, a gay activist, lectured the Hungarian government over LGBTQ rights.
"The point of diplomacy is not to hector other nations for its own sake," said Carlson. "To show up in someone else's country and scream at them because they're different from you."
"I'm not in the habit of apologizing for the United States. In fact, I don't think I ever have, but the behavior of the American ambassador to Hungary makes me want to apologize," said Carlson. "It's disgusting and inexcusable. It's also so far from the norms of diplomacy in my country that it's hard for me to believe that David Pressman is actually doing what he's doing.
"And so for a creep like David Pressman, who is not a diplomat - who's a political activist and Biden donor - to show up in your country and lecture you about your culture, and threaten you because you do things differently from the way they do things where he lives... hurts the United States and is a grave embarrassment to me as an American, and an outrage to me as someone who pays his salary. It's disgusting." — ZeroHedge
George Soros Still Active In EU: Company Backed By Billionaire Takes Control Of Top Polish Daily Paper
A company backed by the Soros Economic Development Fund has taken control of two major Polish newspapers, raising concerns over far-left media bias due to the billionaire oligarch’s progressive politics.
The Polish owner of the daily Rzeczpospolita and the financial daily Parkiet, Grzegorz Hajdarowicz, has sold a large proportion of his shares in Gremi Media, which owns the two papers, to the Dutch company Pluralis. This completes a deal struck in 2021 that saw Pluralis buy a minority stake with the option to buy extra shares later.
As a result, Hajdarowicz has ceased to be the majority shareholder in Gremi Media, with the Dutch company Pluralis now owning 57 percent of the shares, which has allowed it to take control of the company, according to Business Insider. — Remix News
Joe Biden Used Pseudonyms In At Least 5,400 Emails
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) revealed it's in possession of some 5,400 records that contain email pseudonyms that President Joe Biden used during his tenure as vice president.
The jarring number was revealed in a letter from the Archives to the Southeastern Legal Foundation (SLF), which last year filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for any documents that referenced three pseudonymous email accounts: robinware456@gmail.com, JRBWare@gmail.com and Robert.L.Peters@pci.gov.
“We have performed a search of our collection for Vice Presidential records related to your [June 9, 2022] request and have identified approximately 5,138 email messages, 25 electronic files and 200 pages of potentially responsive records that must be processed in order to respond to your request,” said the letter from NARA. — ZeroHedge
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.
The Badlands Media team will continue to combine our cognitive powers in order to slow things down and find the signal amidst the noise as this series expands.
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.
PS I watched Tucker’s interview with Victor Orban last night. It felt good to listen to a world leader who upholds even brag about Christian values.
This statement from the judge gives me hope that he will be partial in this court. "Mr. Hannah wrote in June that county recorders generally include ballot affidavit envelopes in voter registration records, saying that the court is “not required to defer to the elections officials in how they have historically interpreted” the law".