Badlands News Brief
Devolution Proofs Abroad and White Pills in the Chaos
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.
Some items feature original (and subjective) commentary. Feel free to follow the corresponding link to see our writers’ corresponding Substack accounts and check out their other work.
Now, onto the news from Monday, January 29 …
‘What the Hell?’ Europe Chafes at America’s Protectionist Tilt
President Biden’s 2021 declaration that “America is back” was welcomed by European officials eager to move past their trade troubles with the Trump administration.
Yet instead of reversing policies driven by Donald Trump’s protectionist view, Biden has advanced many of them. The president has kept trade barriers in place, left European companies out of subsidies designed to bolster U.S. manufacturing and surprised allies with tighter restrictions on Chinese access to American technology.
Many Europeans fear that Trump, seemingly en route to the Republican nomination, might abandon Ukraine and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, as well as inject chaos into global trade. They have nonetheless come to believe that regardless of the winner of the expected Biden-Trump rematch, U.S. economic policies have tilted from their favor. “The honeymoon is over,” one European diplomat said.
Diplomats and officials across Europe are wondering whether the bloc can rely on the U.S. to continue backing the rules-based trading system—or if they face the possibility of economic conflict between the longtime allies. — The Wall Street Journal
Our Take: “The Wall Street Journal has kicked off the news week with an incredible deep dive on the many ways in which the Biden Administration is being seen externally (by EU allies) as a continuation of the Trump Admin in all the ways that actually matter, specifically from the perspective of foreign relations and trade deals.
This echoes the sentiments many of us have advanced that the Biden Admin has continued many of the Trump-era Actuals while being bathed in Narratives that have been catastrophic from a public reputation perspective.
Tariffs remain in place on China and other former trade partners, Trump's proposed CHIPS Act (the most lucrative on-shoring of domestic technology production, and thus job creation in decades,) was signed into law by Biden, and US drilling has resumed in the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere, while LNG shipments overseas have been curtailed in some respects and cut off entirely in others.
And ‘allies’ in the Globalist Alliance (err … EU, I suppose,) are openly panicked that the second Trump Admin is going to ‘inject chaos into global trade.’
Meaning … rebalance it along fair, sovereign lines with a First Principles approach.
It's almost like Biden is President in name only.
War. Of. Stories.” —
Jan. 6 convicts released after Supreme Court takes up challenge to feds’ use of obstruction charge
At least two Jan. 6 defendants got out from behind bars because the Supreme Court is reviewing the legitimacy of charging them with obstructing an official proceeding, which is one of the feds’ favorite charges for people who breached the Capitol.
The legal challenge brought by Jan. 6 defendant Joseph Fischer accuses prosecutors of using an overly broad interpretation of “obstructing an official proceeding” to launch hundreds of cases stemming from the Capitol riot, including against former President Donald Trump.
The case will be argued before the high court in the spring with a decision expected by the end of June. But until then, at least two defendants successfully petitioned for early release pending the decision. — The Washington Times
Our Take: “On today’s episode of weaponized government, show of hands for who knew that J6ers were being charged with violations of the Sarbanes Oxley Act? My hand stays down. I just learned this last night.
’The law in question is part of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which regulates financial record keeping and documentation.
152 people have been charged, 100+ sentenced, and the crime can mean up to 20 years. Also, it was passed when rich businesses defrauded the government (and the markets, the people) and rich auditors covered it up.
The impact of Sarbanes Oxley on corporate America, their auditors, and financial reporting cannot be understated. Section 404 profoundly reshaped the professional services industry. I could argue that this Act of Congress led to the unmoored consulting influence that we talk about each week on Culture of Change — and I may in an upcoming episode.
Sarbanes-Oxley was meant to punish corruption and reestablish public trust and confidence in the markets. Corrupt auditors are a very big deal. Auditors attest to the validity of corporate books. If they’re attesting to fraud, confidence in the markets rightly disappears. The whole system hinges on this perception of independent auditors, who the people can trust, making sure the corporations tell the truth about their businesses.
Discovering that this law is being used against J6ers, and that it took a SCOTUS review to make Mehta and the others feign temperance, is black pill material. Except, they are feigning temperance.
That’s interesting.
The high court won’t rule on the matter until June, but Mehta and others are letting J6ers out and all of a sudden saying it ‘is just a real precautionary move to make sure nobody ends up serving more time than they should.’
Narrative whiplash! No black pills in sight.” —
'Largest Ever' NATO Exercise To Rehearse Russian Attack On Europe
A massive NATO military exercises slated to run all the way through the end of May has kicked off. Exercise Steadfast Defender 24 is being hailed as the largest NATO exercises since the Cold War. Some 90,000 troops from all 31 members states will take part.
Also, Sweden - which is on the cusp of formally entering the alliance after Turkish parliament belatedly signed off - is expected to sent troops and equipment. "The Alliance will demonstrate its ability to reinforce the Euro-Atlantic area via trans-Atlantic movement of forces from North America," a NATO statement said.
The focus of the exercises is to improve readiness for deploying NATO assets on a rapid and large scale from North America and other parts in order to defend Europe from an invasion. — ZeroHedge
Our Take: “Escalation and Acceleration have defined the Biden era, especially when it comes to the international stage.
Now, when the Collective Mind is being inundated with the failure of the Ukrainian Proxy War on the one side and the increasingly hemmed-in Establishment on the other, NATO decides to kick off 'drills' designed to simulate an all-out, boots on the ground war with Russia, which is the very aggression and escalatory stance the Kremlin has accused the US, EU and NATO bloc of forwarding for the last generation-plus of Globalist policy.
While average Americans (and people of all nations) largely desire peace on the world stage, they are being shown that it is their own would-be masters who seem most hungry for the kick-off of a new World War, and since their proxies have been defeated all over the game board, and with the US MIL seemingly controlled by the good guys via Devolution, it seems the only weapon they have at their disposal is inflammatory Kabuki theater.
Desperation.” —
House Republicans release impeachment articles against Mayorkas amid push to remove him over the border
House Republicans on Sunday released two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas -- accusing him of "willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law" and "breach of public trust" and taking another step toward a historic attempt to remove him from office while he denies wrongdoing.
"These articles lay out a clear, compelling, and irrefutable case for Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas' impeachment," House Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., said in a statement.
Green went to allege that Mayorkas "has willfully and systemically refused to comply with immigration laws enacted by Congress. He has breached the public trust by knowingly making false statements to Congress and the American people, and obstructing congressional oversight of his department."
Though Mayorkas has long been a focus of Republican criticism of the White House's border policies -- testifying multiple times before Congress -- the Department of Homeland Security maintains that no high crimes or misdemeanor have ever been committed under the Biden administration.
DHS officials in a new memo dismissed the GOP-led investigation in the House as unconstitutional and "evidence-free" and sought to rebut the allegations in detail. — ABC News
Our Take: “Republicans campaigned on impeaching Mayorkas in 2022, to such an extent that Republican voters expected articles of impeachment to drop immediately upon gavel transfer. Unfortunately, gavel transfer was delayed with 15 rounds of voting and, in the distraction, the push to impeach fizzled out.
It’s not surprising, then, that before the first month of the election year comes to a close, Republicans are posturing that they’re going to make good on the last cycle’s campaign promise. I’m sure it’s a coincidence that the border is important again now that the House is up for reelection this year.
Now add Democrat political ambitions to the Republicans’ obvious gamesmanship. Biden is seeking a deal that ‘secures’ the border in exchange for Ukraine funding. He’s basically holding Americans hostage to expand his money-laundering operation.
Note that nowhere in any of these moves and countermoves do we find the parties considering the ongoing harm of open borders on Americans.” —
Mess In The West: 'Army Of God' Convoy Heads To US Border While EU Farmers Block Cities
In the US, a convoy of truckers, calling themselves "God's Army," is preparing to embark on a journey from several locations across the Lower 48 to the southern border as tensions soar between Texas and the Biden administration. Meanwhile across the Atlantic, farmers are bearing down on Europe's capitals - from Bucharest to Warsaw to Brussels - venting frustrations about climate policies. These social instabilities are breaking out ahead of key European and US elections this year.
The organizers of the "Take Our Border Back" convoy are "calling all active & retired law enforcement and military, Veterans, Mama Bears, elected officials, business owners, ranchers, truckers, bikers, media and LAW ABIDING, freedom-loving Americans" to "assemble in honor of our US Constitution and Bill of Rights" at the southern border, in protest against the federal government's inability to secure the border, according to the convoy's website.
"Fellow citizens and compatriots ... I call on you in the name of liberty, of patriotism and everything dear to the American character to come to our aid with all dispatch," Pete Chambers, one of the coalition's leaders, wrote. "If this call is neglected, we are determined to sustain ourselves as long as possible and act like soldiers who never forget what is due to our own honor and that of our country."
The convoy plans to "send a message" to government officials at all levels about the need to secure the board amid the multi-year invasion of millions of illegals. Chambers believes Americans are "besieged on all sides" by evil "dark forces."
[…]
Across the Atlantic, farmers have been venting their anger in several of Europe's capitals that will likely "slow the implementation of environmental reforms in the European Union and make it harder for Brussels to negotiate free trade agreements," according to research firm Stratfor. — ZeroHedge
Our Take: “The ‘Take Our Border Back Convoy’ took off yesterday, heading to three border cities across three states. While the event website still has TBD locations for CA and AZ, the main event is in Texas, and it’s happening rain or shine.
I reached out to a friend who is deeply connected to the organizers of the event and, as expected, the media positioning of the event differs from the stated intent and plans.
First, the convoy is not actually going to the border. Event organizers have rented a private ranch with 240 acres upon which people will gather and protest. While the materials reference ‘Eagle Pass,’ the maps and routes direct convoy goers to the private ranch.
Second, no one associated with this event is referring to the effort as ‘The Army of God.’ Convoy organizer Dr. Pete Chambers mentioned that he joined God’s Army during an interview, and people associated with the event have talked about putting on the ‘Armor of God’ (see Ephesians), but positioning the convoy as ‘The Army of God’ is a media fabrication.
Third, despite the regime’s attempt to paint the protest as vigilantism, the stated intent of this gathering is a rally. It was described to me as a festival atmosphere with cookouts, bounce houses, live music, and high profile speakers. Many politicians and candidates are expected to attend, and there are rumors of big name music acts making appearances as well.
Moreover, my sources tell me that local law enforcement will be in plain clothes, along well as private security, to ensure the event remains peaceful. Provocateurs will be be detained and prosecuted by law enforcement. Additionally, the convoy is reportedly being escorted by National Guard forces.
Organizers expect over a million people to gather in Texas by Saturday, and they are confident that they are taking all available precautions to prevent a J6-style false flag event. The manner in which this event has come together, and the parties reportedly involved in its production, make the convoy distinctive from J6; but there are always risks when we gather, and participants need to have their heads on swivels.
The regime is desperate for a narrative change on the border, and I believe they will be attempting to achieve real world examples of ‘vigilantism’ that can pump their election year, anti-MAGA storylines. That said, our right to rally, protest, and redress our grievances is inalienable, but we can only keep that right if we exercise it.
I pray the organizers achieve their objectives, and that Americans at the border this week stay safe and renew their strength for the clown world year ahead. Godspeed.” —
Inside Biden’s Anti-Trump Battle Plan (and Where Taylor Swift Fits In)
As former President Donald J. Trump speeds toward the Republican nomination, President Biden is moving quickly to pump energy into his re-election bid, kicking off what is likely to be an ugly, dispiriting and historically long slog to November between two unpopular nominees.
After months of languid buildup in which he held only a single public campaign event, Mr. Biden has thrown a series of rallies across battleground states, warning that democracy itself is at stake in 2024.
He sent two of his most trusted White House operatives to take the helm of his re-election campaign in Wilmington, Del., after Mr. Trump seized control of the Republican primary race more rapidly than Mr. Biden’s advisers had initially expected.
And other Biden aides are drafting wish lists of potential surrogates, including elected officials, social media influencers and the endorsement of their wildest dreams: the global superstar Taylor Swift.
“It’s game on, the beginning of the general election,” said Representative Ann McLane Kuster of New Hampshire, the chair of the New Democrat Coalition, a group of 97 centrist House Democrats. “We’ve got to win this.” — The New York Times
Our Take: “The odd, Ouroborosian white pill I would add as a cherry on top of the Taylor Swift deployment is the fact that I've had more Normies bringing it up as a PsyOp (even if they don't use that specific terminology) than any of the other PsyOps we've spent the last 8 years chronicling in feverish detail.
Sports are still the major fulcrum of American entertainment culture; in fact, they're more important today for the dissemination of sociopolitical propaganda than they were a decade ago, especially with the self-induced collapse of Hollywood and much of the Entertainment Industrial Complex.
By shamelessly and transparently merging the full Narrative projection might of the biggest sports league with the biggest national music icon, the Establishment is unwittingly baring its fangs out in the open, signaling its fear of Donald Trump's return, and red-pilling masses of willfully ignorant casual sports fans (meaning Normies) as to the coordination and falsity of the System of Systems.” —
BONUS ITEMS
Ukraine Says U.S. Money Not Going to Ukraine, ‘Benefiting American Interests’
The $130 billion sent to Ukraine so far for its war against Russia is apparently not actually going to Ukraine, but is really “benefiting American interests,” a spokesperson for Ukraine told Breitbart News.
The shock claim was in response to a request for information by Breitbart News on whether or not any American tax dollars had gone specifically to Uman, a city in the war-torn Eastern European nation that is currently seeing a condo built on a Jewish mass grave, as previously reported, in violation of a bilateral agreement with the U.S., and in violation of international law.
[…]
The spokesperson explained that, instead, a “significant portion” of the billions of dollars to Ukraine is “utilized in the United States for the construction of new weapons or to replenish those dispatched to Kyiv from U.S. reserves,” adding that “an analysis” (not specifically cited) found that “nearly 90 percent” of aid granted by Congress “is benefiting American interests.” The email continues, “The allocation of funds doesn’t imply immediate expenditure.”
“American interests” in this context presumably means weapons manufacturers. — Breitbart
Cyberattack hits Georgia county where Trump faces election interference charges
A cyberattack that hit government systems in Fulton County, Georgia, over the weekend affected the offices of the district attorney who is prosecuting former President Donald Trump on election interference charges, local officials said Monday.
All desktop phones, intranet and devices using county servers are down for all departments, including District Attorney Fani Willis' office, said a county official with knowledge of the situation.
County employees received an email notification about the outage Monday, the official said.
Fulton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Robb Pitts confirmed at a news briefing Monday afternoon that the outage, which he said affected the county’s phones, courts and tax systems, "was a result of a cybersecurity incident" and that law enforcement was investigating.
"We do not yet have a specific time frame for when these systems will be restored," Pitts said.
“At this time, we are not aware of any transfer of sensitive information about citizens or employees, but we will continue to look carefully at this issue,” he added. — NBC News
Man who stole and leaked Trump tax records sentenced to 5 years in prison
The man who stole and leaked former President Donald Trump and thousands of others’ tax records has been sentenced to five years in prison.
In October, Charles Littlejohn, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of unauthorized disclosures of income tax returns. According to his plea agreement, he stole Trump’s tax returns along with the tax data of “thousands of the nation’s wealthiest people,” while working for a consulting firm with contracts with the Internal Revenue Service.
Littlejohn leaked the information to two news outlets and deleted the documents from his IRS-assigned laptop before returning it and covered the rest of his digital tracks by deleting places where he initially stored the information.
Judge Ana Reyes highlighted the gravity of the crime, saying multiple times that it amounted to an attack against the US and its legal foundation.
“What you did in attacking the sitting president of the United States was an attack on our constitutional democracy,” Reyes said. “We’re talking about someone who … pulled off the biggest heist in IRS history.”
The judge compared Littlejohn’s actions to those of the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, noting that, “your actions were also a threat to our democracy.” — CNN
China Ramps Up Pressure on Taiwan With Warship Deployment
China is reportedly maintaining a constant military presence around Taiwan, with four warships strategically deployed in various directions.
These actions, as reported by the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun on Monday, citing official sources, have brought to attention the security situation around Taiwan, which remains in flux.
Taiwan's Ministry of Defense said on Saturday that the People's Liberations Army's 33 PLA aircraft and 6 PLAN vessels entered Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone, out of which 13 aircraft crossed the median line.
On January 24, the USS John Finn transited through the Taiwan Strait, which the U.S. Navy described as its "commitment to upholding freedom of navigation for all nations,"
The median line is the artificial line that separates Taiwan from the Chinese mainland, Beijing's aircraft have increasingly crossed the median line over the last two years. — Newsweek
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.
Badlands Media will always put out our content for free, but you can support us by becoming a paid subscriber to this newsletter. Help our collective of citizen journalists take back the narrative from the MSM. We are the news now.
Ashe, I appreciate real info about the Texas rally. Good to know. May God protect authentic patriots across the earth.
Really enjoyed today's Takes.
In the 1st story my only comment to BB is add "Fake" in front of President in: ""It's almost like Biden is President in name only. War. Of. Stories.” — Burning Bright ""
Ashe I really appreciated your research and comments regarding the trucker & Texas border this weekend. Highlighting the constant LIES of the DS Rat Bastard MSM and the actual plan from the organizers put everything in proper context. When We the People report the Truth it helps all of us to ensure the real story does not get hijacked by the scumbags.
And the Devil Worshiping Swift NFL story makes me laugh. I see a Go Woke Go Broke lesson brewing in the background :-))
God Wins!
God Bless!!!