Badlands News Brief
A President's Passing & A Prime Minister's Prostate
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 the weekend that was …
Jimmy Carter, former US president and Nobel Peace Prize recipient, dead at 100
Jimmy Carter, the earnest Georgia peanut farmer who as U.S. president struggled with a bad economy and the Iran hostage crisis but brokered peace between Israel and Egypt and later received the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work, died at his home in Plains, Georgia, on Sunday, the Carter Center said. He was 100.
“My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love,” said Chip Carter, the former president’s son. “My brothers, sister, and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honoring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.”
A Democrat, he served as president from January 1977 to January 1981 after defeating incumbent Republican President Gerald Ford in the 1976 U.S. election. Carter was swept from office four years later in an electoral landslide as voters embraced Republican challenger Ronald Reagan, the former actor and California governor.
Carter lived longer after his term in office than any other U.S. president. Along the way, he earned a reputation as a better former president than he was a president - a status he readily acknowledged.
– Reuters
Our Take: This is sad, but at least he got to fulfill his lifelong dream of voting for Kamala Harris for president before he died. Maybe. Certainly if we believe he just died yesterday and that elections are real. —
DAVID MARCUS: MAGA’s H-1B ‘civil war’ is exactly how politics is supposed to work
There are two pieces of very good news that have come out of the infighting over H-1B visas for foreign skilled workers in Trump World this week. The first happy accident is that tensions are already easing, much to the chagrin of liberals who hoped they were witnessing a permanent schism.
The second, even better development, is that both sides of the admittedly zesty debate have listened, compromised, and arrived at a better and clearer set of positions for the Republican Party moving forward.
In the red corner, we had the twin heads of the Department of Government Efficiency, Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk who appeared at first to call for expansion of the H-1B visa program that allows employers to use foreign labor when they cannot find qualified Americans.
In the other red corner, we had Steve Bannon and a host of prominent America Firsters all but calling for an end of the skilled foreign worker program, a policy that would no doubt cause considerable chaos and disruption.
On Saturday, President-elect Trump weighed in, sort of, telling the New York Post that he likes the visa program and uses it himself, but not endorsing any expansion. And this is of course the same Trump who fired board members of the Tennessee Valley Authority for using foreign workers over Americans.
By Sunday morning, as parents quietly sipped coffee and spied the news on their phones, the kids getting a little more sleep before church, things had calmed down considerably in this impromptu intramural immigration debate.
– Fox News
Our Take:
The week long drama about non-immigrant visas taught us many things:
(1) Americans are still highly susceptible to emotional stimuli.
(2) Globalists don’t stop being globalists when they “win” an “election.”
(3) The sad realities of US labor dynamics are an important discussion we need to have.
This topic was discussed on many Badlands shows over the past week, so we don’t need to recap all the data and nuance here, but the bottom line is this:
You can’t have “America First Globalism.”
Trump has promised to reinvest in American workers, companies, and industries, unleashing a golden age for Americans. This goal is at odds with the global world order, whose exploitation of the people of the world, including Americans, is the actual problem statement.
The fact that Americans spent a week on this topic is a good thing. Everyone elevated their knowledge of visa types and talent pools and skill gaps. Americans seem more united around the goals of the America first movement and have a more sober view of the barriers to achieving them.
Nothing worth doing ever came easy, Trump has said many times.
He also says fight, fight, fight.
We should never sacrifice what is right for a consensus outcome. We are not trading one set of globalists for another. America First. —
Israeli PM Netanyahu to undergo prostate removal operation, as his court testimony is delayed
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will undergo surgery on Sunday to remove his prostate following a diagnosis of a urinary tract infection resulting from a benign prostate enlargement, his office announced on Saturday.
The prime minister is expected to be under full anesthesia during the surgery and remain hospitalized for several days at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, where the operation is set to take place, according to his attorney.
That same attorney, Amit Hadad, received approval on Sunday from the Attorney General’s Office to cancel Netanyahu’s scheduled testimony this week in his ongoing corruption trial.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin will serve as caretaker prime minister while Netanyahu is incapacitated, according to The Jerusalem Post. Defense Minister Israel Katz will chair the political-security cabinet.
"On Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underwent an examination at Hadassah Hospital, where a urinary tract infection caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia was detected. Over the past few days, the prime minister has received antibiotic treatment, which successfully eradicated the infection," the Prime Minister's office announced on Saturday.
“Consequently, the prime minister will undergo a procedure tomorrow to remove the prostate. Full details will be provided later,” the statement said. "Despite this, Sunday's cabinet meeting will take place as planned."
– Just the News
Our Take: Hm. Let's see. What could be happening here?
Three weeks ago, the judges presiding over Netanyahu's criminal prosecution denied a request from his security cabinet to delay his testimony.
Reminder that these charges were originally filed in 2019. COVID delayed the trial, then a number of other excuses provided by Netanyahu, including a bold move to reorganize the entire judicial system so that Bibi's ruling party would be allowed to stack the Supreme Court with justices of his choosing.
Then October 7th happened – under Bibi's watch – and ever since Netanyahu has said that he has been too busy "defending Israel" as he invades three different foreign countries and launches airstrikes against a fourth (Iran). He also continues to provide aid to Ukraine against Russia following Israel's unprecedented decision to sell military equipment to Ukraine in March 2023.
I will remind everyone that the IDF waited SEVEN HOURS to mobilize a response to the attacks on October 7th. Anyone who thinks that was done in error probably also thinks that Joe Biden received 81 million real, lawful, American votes.
Do I think that Netanyahu facilitated the October 7th attack? Yes, I do.
Do I think that a guy who would sacrifice his own citizens in a false flag for personal gain would also fake having prostate cancer in order to delay a criminal proceeding against him? Absolutely.
Bibi is running out of tricks, and President Trump is the infinite player. I expect that heaven and earth will be moved in order to convince the President that America must immediately go to war with Iran, while Mossad tries to figure out a way to orchestrate a war with Egypt – the next logical target on Netanyahu's hit list. —
Trump applauds blocked sale of Texas border wall materials
President-elect Trump celebrated the blocked sale of border wall materials following a Friday ruling from a federal judge in Texas.
The incoming president, in a Saturday Truth Social post, called the ruling a “major, crucial WIN for America,” calling out President Biden and “his cronies” for seeking to stall the construction of the border wall, which was a central piece of Trump’s first administration.
“The Judge has also ordered an investigation into the illegal selling of the materials, which will expose just how corrupt and anti-American Radical Democrats are,” he added.
The effort, led in part by the state’s Attorney General Ken Paxton, began amid reports the Biden administration was selling the parts. Last week, Trump asked a Texas court to intervene.
But Congress required the Biden administration to dispose of the materials. The measure, included in the National Defense Authorization Act, allows the sale of items if they are used to repair existing barriers and not install new ones.
Friday’s ruling prohibits the sale of any materials intended for border wall, which Trump says he is “going to rebuild in order to protect our Country from violent migrant crime, fentanyl smuggling, sex trafficking, terror attacks, and other heinous, Nation ending disasters,” over the next 30 days.
– The Hill
Our Take: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton successfully prevented the sale of the border wall we already paid for, in a move that was praised by President Trump.
The more exciting breaking news in this story is the investigation ordered by the judge into the plans to sell the wall in the first place.
Why would the Biden Administration attempt this on their way out the door, and why wasn’t it stopped by the many “checks and balances” against corruption within the system before requiring a court order?
My gut tells me this investigation will, unlike many others, arrive at an actionable conclusion. The Justice Phase is coming. —
New Syrian leader wants close ties with Russia
The new Syrian authorities led by Islamists Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS) would like to remain on good terms with Russia, the country’s de facto leader Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa has said. Also known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani, he suggested in an interview with broadcaster Al Arabiya on Sunday that his government would not necessarily be seeking the withdrawal of Moscow’s military installations from the country.
After the militant groups in Syria took control of Damascus and forced former President Bashar Assad to resign, the fate of Russian troops stationed in Syria at Khmeimim and Tartus bases came into question. Moscow operates the Khmeimim Air Base and a logistics support center in Tartus, both situated in the country’s Mediterranean coast. In 2017, Russia and Syria agreed to station Moscow’s troops there for 49 years.
Syria has “strategic interests” in maintaining good relations with the “second most powerful country in the world,” al-Sharaa said.
“We don’t want Russia to exit Syria in a way that would not be befitting for its long-standing relations” with the Middle Eastern nation, the HTS chief emphasized. According to al-Sharaa, the new authorities in Damascus want to avoid conflicts with foreign powers.
– RT
AND
Lavrov comments on Russian military presence in post-revolt Syria
The continued presence of Russian military bases in Syria and conditions of their operation could be subject of future negotiations with Syria’s new leadership, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with RIA Novosti on Sunday.
”The deployment of Russian military bases in Syria is stipulated by valid interstate agreements, concluded under the norms of international law. Each of them defines the operating conditions of these facilities and includes specific obligations for both sides,” Lavrov said.
The diplomat acknowledged that the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar Assad has brought adjustments to Russia’s military arrangements in the country. While no formal requests have been made to revise agreements, Lavrov noted the transition period declared until March 1, 2025, under the interim Syrian government, imposes limitations on its policy-making.
After militant groups led by Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS) launched a surprise offensive across the country, capturing several key cities, including the capital, and forcing Assad to resign as president and seek asylum in Russia, the fate of Russia’s bases at Khmeimim and Tartus was under question. In 2017, Moscow and Damascus agreed to station Russian troops there for 49 years.
“It is not only about preserving our bases or strongholds but also about the conditions of their operation, maintenance, and provision, as well as interaction with the local side. These topics could become the subject of negotiations with the new Syrian leadership,” the minister said.
– RT
Our Take: Obviously, the Syria situation is extremely complex, and the best we can hope to do is speculative readings of the tea leaves, based mostly on rumor and innuendo. Because of this, it is a topic that may normally be best left to its own devices, but after a lot of weighing and measuring, there is an interesting dynamic at play (related to the Sovereign Alliance) that I thought was worth sharing.
Back in November, a strategic meeting took place in Astana, Kazakhstan between officials from Iran, Turkey, and Russia – including Putin and Erdogan. A similar meeting on the same subject was convened on December 7th in Doha, the same day jihadi rebels would overrun the Assad government in Damascus and take control of Syria overnight.
What has perplexed many analysts is just how easily this task was achieved, after 12+ years of intense resistance by the Assad government. What seemed even more strange is that Iran and Russia – Assad's top two allies, who have protected his government in Damascus – appeared to have withdrawn their forces right as the rebels' attack began. At the same time, Turkey's proxy forces – who have also been present in Syria since the beginning of the civil war – advanced on Aleppo from the north, just as the Al-Qaeda jihadis descended on Damascus from the south, creating a sandwiching pincer move that purportedly forced Assad to flee west to the Russian air base in Latakia, from which he was evacuated to Moscow.
Almost as if Turkey, Iran, and Russia knew what was about to happen, and planned a coordinated maneuver that effectively gave Turkey control of northern Syria, while Russia and Iran-backed Hezbollah retreated west to those coastal bases and Lebanon, respectively.
The NATO/Zionist-backed terrorists bombed the weapon depots around those Russian bases in the west, worried that pro-Assad forces would use them to mount a resistance. Had they known that Russia and Hezbollah were falling back, they could have taken those weapons and put them to use. But clearly they were not read in on the plan by Putin's side.
Now you have both the State Department and Israeli Foreign Ministry turning on the very terrorists they had backed to take Damascus, as those same terrorists express their desire to make friends with Putin. Just weeks after Netanyahu was hailing al-Jolani as the liberator of Syria, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar is now calling his outfit a "gang" and his government illegitimate. Meanwhile, the State Department is unmasking al-Jolani's background, formally disclosing what many (myself included) have been saying all month: That these jihadis are all former Al-Qaeda and ISIS henchmen.
So why the sudden change of heart from the Deep State? In my opinion – based on limited information and lots of speculation – the Deep State's intended plan was to draw Russia into a protracted war in Syria, resembling the United States' occupation of Iraq, which would have syphoned precious military resources away from Ukraine and Africa, which are two far more important battlefields at the moment. Not only did Russia successfully outmaneuver the trap, but they seem to have established some form of communication with al-Jolani, and will likely keep their military bases – from which they operate in Africa – on the Syrian coast.
At the same time, Turkey is stepping up and moving south, with its eye on Damascus and even Jerusalem according to some reports, so it seems that al-Jolani's brittle rule may have a short shelf-life, anyway. I expect to see the Zionists justify a move on Damascus sooner than later, hoping to beat the Turks in the footrace, while encouraging the Kurds in the northeast to strike out against Erdogan's forces, to keep the Turks spread thin.
TL;DR: Syria will probably remain a dumpster fire for the foreseeable future, as the Sovereign Alliance steps back to avoid the bullet train. But the stage is set for a master negotiator to come in and fix everything. If only we knew of such a man. —
Marc Andreessen: 'Every Signal Is Being Sent' Trump DOJ Official Harmeet Dhillon Will Drop Hammer On Woke Corporations
Billionaire investor and Donald Trump adviser Marc Andreessen thinks corporate culture is about to undergo a radical change. Speaking with Erik Torenberg on the Moment of Zen podcast, Andreessen said that the reign of extreme wokeness, particularly in corporate America and the media, is rapidly coming to an end.
The catalyst? A combination of rising legal risks, the deflation of wokeness as a cultural force, and a change in leadership at the Department of Justice. Andreessen highlighted that with the appointment of Harmeet Dhillon to head the DOJ's Civil Rights Division, the federal government may soon begin to challenge and reverse many of the DEI-driven policies that have dominated corporations, universities, and other large institutions over the past decade.
This shift, he argues, could trigger a major pullback in DEI initiatives across the private sector, as companies scramble to comply with the law and distance themselves from policies that may now be seen as legally and culturally untenable.
– ZeroHedge
Our Take: “Wokeness” is just a cutesy term for global communism, and communists don’t just go away. Communists will fight to move the needle until they’ve overexposed themselves, then continue from the shadows until it’s safe to reemerge.
The machine has worked hard to expand globalism into every industry and geography in the world, and they aren’t abandoning their plans. They will simply evolve their plans to subvert the golden age and reclaim power.
We’re fighting hydra, and some of the perceived avengers are acting like winter soldiers. Maybe it’s authentic conflict or maybe it’s kayfabe; it doesn’t matter. The future is being shaped right now. The voice of the American people should be heard and heeded in shaping the future, at least when it comes to American companies, labor, trade, etc. It probably won’t be, but it should.
The likely outcome is sustainability and climate initiatives will be reprioritized over social justice and DEI, for a few years, until the outrage calms down and people forget the season we’re concluding.
Making corporate culture less “woke” will do little to stop the spread of global communism. It just forces it to rebrand (again). —
WARMINGTON: Justin Trudeau ambushed at B.C. ski resort and told 'get the F' out of town
This may not have been the walk in the snow many Canadians are waiting for, but a British Columbia “farm mom” did her best to encourage Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to keep walking into retirement.
Trudeau found himself on a slippery slope Friday – and not just because he was on a ski hill. If there are many more public reactions like he endured while vacationing in B.C., perhaps it will be all downhill from here for Canada’s 23rd prime minister.
Or was this nothing more than an orchestrated gotcha video takedown? Either way, footage of the interaction has gone viral.
“Mr. Prime Minister,” said a woman who had her cellphone camera rolling upon seeing Trudeau near an SUV in a snow-filled parking at the Red Mountain Resort in Rossland.
“Yes,” replied Trudeau, wearing a snowboarder’s helmet, ski googles and a smile as he walked over to shake the woman’s extended hand while holding his gloves in his free hand.
As they actually shook hands, the woman uttered profanely, “Please get the f— out of B.C.”
Trudeau appeared to take the verbal shot, and invasion of his space, in stride.
“Ha, ha, have a nice day madam,” he responded with a nervous smile before retreating back to his ski holiday with a child, believed to be his 10-year-old son Hadrien, standing nearby in snowboarding gear.
The woman ended the exchange by telling Trudeau, “You suck.”
— Toronto Sun
Our Take:
Gotta love Canada. Even when they are telling a tyrant to GTFO, they do it with a handshake and a smile. Very polite and respectful.
The fact that this was a "farm mom" is even more telling, as Justin Trudeau was designed by his masters to appeal to this very demographic. He has always polled very well with women, given his charm and good looks.
It is a big white pill that the targeted demographic is now openly rebelling against the operative. My only question is where are the Canadian men? Why are they not in the vanguard politely telling Trudeau to f--- himself?
—
BONUS ITEMS
Bird Flu Virus Mutations Discovered In First Severe Human Case In US, CDC Says
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found mutations in samples taken from a man infected with the first severe case of avian influenza in the United States, mutations that were not present in specimens collected from his infected backyard flock.
The agency began analyzing the samples after the patient—a resident of southwestern Louisiana, aged over 65—was confirmed last week as the first person in the United States with a severe case of H5N1 bird flu.
In a Dec. 18 statement, the CDC said the man was infected with the D1.1 genotype of the virus that was recently detected in wild birds and poultry in the United States, and in human cases in British Columbia, Canada, and Washington state.
The strain differs from the B3.13 genotype detected in dairy cows, human cases, and some poultry across the United States.
– The Epoch Times
Trump asks Supreme Court to delay TikTok ban so he can ‘negotiate a resolution to save the platform’
President-elect Trump asked the Supreme Court to delay the deadline for a potential TikTok ban, which is slated for the day before his inauguration.
The court has agreed to hear TikTok’s challenge to the potential ban on an expedited schedule, but Trump told the justices that delaying the law until he returns to the White House could obviate the need for the court to weigh in.
“President Trump alone possesses the consummate dealmaking expertise, the electoral mandate, and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform while addressing the national security concerns,” wrote D. John Sauer, one of Trump’s personal appellate attorneys.
Sauer is Trump’s nominee for U.S. solicitor general, which would have him take over managing the government’s defense of the ban from the Biden administration.
“In light of these interests—including, most importantly, his overarching responsibility for the United States’ national security and foreign policy—President Trump opposes banning TikTok in the United States at this juncture, and seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office,” Sauer wrote.
– The Hill
More than 170 killed after South Korean jet crash-lands at airport. Here’s what we know
Scores of people were killed on Sunday when a passenger jet crash-landed at an airport in southwestern South Korea, with the aircraft careening down the runway on its belly before bursting into flames.
Just two of the 181 people on board the plane survived, after the deaths of 179 people were confirmed, according to the local fire department. The two crew members were pulled alive from the crash site.
It is the deadliest aviation disaster to hit South Korea since 1997, when a Korean Airlines Boeing 747 crashed in the Guam jungle, with the loss of 228 lives.
— CNN
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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This is a response to GBPH’s statement
“ It is a big white pill that the targeted demographic is now openly rebelling against the operative. My only question is where are the Canadian men? Why are they not in the vanguard politely telling Trudeau to f--- himself? “
“ During a photo-op, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was confronted by a disgruntled steelworker, who gave an earful to Trudeau over high taxes and rising cost of living. Trudeau was offering doughnuts outside a steel firm in Ontario but the unidentified worker refused Canadian prime minister's offer and complained about medical bills and taxes.”
https://youtu.be/UUN86gT_pxM
And this
Trudeau heckled after Freeland’s resignation
https://youtube.com/shorts/-g6mEe3OVoo
The reason why you don’t hear much about it until very recently is that the Canadian MSM have been actively suppressing reports on such events unless they can’t edit it.
Trudeau has openly bought off the media here with at least $1.6 billion a year in ‘subsidies’ to the legacy media.
So to answer GBPH rhetorical question, men here are speaking out, but it’s been censored out until recently.
Thank you for all takes. Especially resonating with me this morning (as I have been ignoring so much of the boring noise in the past week) is that all the WINNING should not breed complacency. It is natural for us to take a break during the holidays (though the “Briefers” have hardly done so) but as Ashe points out, communism will continue to rebrand, and we MUST identify it and beat it over the head like the deadly octopus it is.