Badlands News Brief
Biden Bills, African Coups & Optics
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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 Wednesday, August 9 …
Joe DINED with oligarchs who paid Hunter: New bank records detail part of the $20 MILLION in foreign cash to Biden family - including $142,000 from Kazakh oligarch to president's son that he used to buy Porsche after DC dinner
New detailed bank records show $20 million in payments to the Biden family and their partners from foreign actors in places like Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan during Joe's time as vice president.
House Oversight Republicans released documents suggesting Hunter and his former business partner Devon Archer used shell companies to 'hide' millions in payments from overseas companies and oligarchs - though none of the newly released records directly link payments to Joe Biden.
The new evidence backs up Archer's bombshell testimony to the committee that Hunter was raking in large amounts of cash from foreign deals, and how his father Joe was present in-person during dinner meetings and sat in on at least 20 phone calls with foreign associates.
Hunter Biden used $142,000 wired from a Kazakh oligarch to his shell company to buy a Porsche before setting up a dinner with his father Joe, the bank records show.
The bank records also reveal links between Russian billionaire Yelena Baturina and the Biden family, as well as detail $1 million yearly payments to Hunter and Archer for their positions on the Ukrainian oil company Burisma's Board of Directors. — The Daily Mail
Our Take: “The Truth Community has become desensitized to news of Biden Crime Family corruption, but then again, these revelations aren’t meant for us.
For the average Joe on the couch and the average Mom picking the kids up from soccer practice, digging into the details of Ukrainian oligarchs, shell companies and Quid Pro Quo just isn’t on the docket. That said, when Biden Crime Family Narrative Deployments come replete with specific numbers attached—such as $20 Million—those tend to proliferate and seep into the Collective Mind.
At the same time, Donald Trump continues to be victimized in full view of an increasingly-restless public tired of the two-tier justice system.
It’s hard to see these parallel Narratives being anything other than coordinated, and in our favor.” —
Niger coup: Wagner taking advantage of instability - Antony Blinken
Russia's Wagner mercenary group is "taking advantage" of instability in Niger, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has told the BBC.
The country has been ruled by a junta following the ousting of President Mohamed Bazoum nearly two weeks ago.
There have been suggestions the coup leaders have asked for help from Wagner, which is known to be present in neighbouring Mali.
Mr Blinken said he did not think Russia or Wagner instigated Niger's coup.
However the US was worried about the group "possibly manifesting itself" in parts of the Sahel region, he told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme
"I think what happened, and what continues to happen in Niger was not instigated by Russia or by Wagner, but... they tried to take advantage of it.
"Every single place that this Wagner group has gone, death, destruction and exploitation have followed," said Mr Blinken.
"Insecurity has gone up, not down".
He added that there was a "repeat of what's happened in other countries, where they brought nothing but bad things in their wake". — BBC
Our Take: “I had the opportunity to listen into an X-space on Wednesday with a guest speaker @lepanafrican that claimed to be a citizen of Niger. Now, I don’t know if the guy was legit, and every communication channel is filled with disinformation, including X. But the conversation harmonized with the populist frequency of the moment.
In an exasperated moment, he said, ‘This idea that Bazoum is a hostage … he is a puppet! … It’s not just Niger! This is everywhere in Africa! … We have to end with puppet leaders in Africa!’
The western establishment is fully on board with the Wagner coup narrative, but the western establishment lies about everything. If the people of Africa are rising up against puppet leaders, I certainly stand with them. It’s time to end the reign of the global governors and allow the people — all the people of all the nations of all the world — to reclaim their sovereignty and their lands.
‘Enough is enough. We want presidents that serve the interests of the people… No more puppet in West Africa.’ Let’s go.” —
Another Take: “One of my personal rules of thumb when it comes to an initial vibe check regarding alleged coups is to suss out who is backing whom.
When looking into the Niger Coup, even the Wikipedia page makes some humorous determinations that tell us more at first blush than usual.
Backing the deposed government? The European Union and the United Nations, as well as the Deep State Department.
Backing the coup? Russia and the Wagner Group.
Oh ... and look at those very serious body counts thus far.” —
Report: Biden Has Handed Taliban Over $2 BILLION In 2 Years
A report by the Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR) notes that the Biden administration has given $2.35 billion to Afghanistan over the past two years, despite the fact that it is now ruled by the Taliban again following the disastrous U.S. withdrawal in 2021.
The Washington Free Beacon shared details of the findings Tuesday, noting that the funds could be propping up the Taliban’s terrorist government.
The SIGAR report found that approximately $1.7 billion “remained available for possible disbursement” at the time writing. The Beacon notes that “it is more than likely that a sizable portion of these funds will end up in the terror group’s coffers.”
The Taliban are viewing international aide as a “revenue stream,” according to the report, which further states that the group is “comfortable accepting foreign support insofar as they can closely monitor the organizations, including restricting and controlling them, and claim some credit for the provision of the benefits.”
The findings come after John Sopko, head of SIGAR, told the House Foreign Affairs Committee in April that he “cannot assure this committee or the American taxpayer we are not currently funding the Taliban,” and accused the Biden administration of blocking his efforts to find out. — Summit News
Our Take: “Like many Badlands fans, my first exposure to the research of our own
were his 2021 digs into the Kabul Withdrawal, a disaster that both highlighted the incompetence of the Biden Administration, while convincing MANY Anons that we were watching one of the most obvious PsyOps of all time, though it did come with real casualties, likely as a result of Intel Agency machinations during the chaos.That said, the theory that stuck out most to me in Kyle’s musings was the prospect that we were actually witnessing the consummation of Trump’s Doha Agreement, which was set to position the Taliban as the leaders of Kabul once more, while funding and arming them enough to act as a long-term bulwark against ISIS extremists.
Well … with Trump supposedly out of office, the Taliban ended up regaining control of Kabul, getting billions of dollars worth of US MIL equipment during the withdrawal of US troops … and apparently, another $2 Billion in funding.
As far as Devolution proofs go … this is a good one.” —
Kenya Kicks Eye-Scanning Worldcoin To The Curb -- Refuses To Become 'Data Harvesting Guinea Pigs'
The Kenyan Ministry of the Interior last week suspended the controversial tech firm WorldCoin and any similar entities from operating in the country.
Co-founded by OpenAI's Sam Altman, WorldCoin offers free crypto tokens worth roughly $50 to people willing to have their eyeballs scanned by a device called the Orb.
"Relevant security, financial services and data protection agencies have commenced inquiries and investigations to establish the authenticity and legality of the aforesaid activities, the safety and protection of the data being harvested, and how the harvesters intend to use the data," reads a statement from the Ministry issued last week.
Kenyan Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua was enraged over the technology, saying in a statement: "Let us support the stoppage of Kenyans being used as guinea pigs and their data being harvested. — ZeroHedge
Our Take: “‘… how the harvesters intend to use the data…’
It’s all about the data.
The digital revolution — the bringing online of every aspect of our existence — is about tracking. Having transactional data on humanity allows you to intimately understand the patterns of behavior — and predict the future. Data means control. It’s all about the data.
Africa is coming into focus in a big way this month, with the Niger revolution illuminating western interests in the region, and the people of Kenya now rejecting the global surveillance state. Let’s hope the trend continues. It’s up to the people of every nation to put a stop to the globalist agenda.” —
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Makes Case For Finishing Border Wall
A trip to the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona was all it took for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to change his mind on the need for a border wall pushed by his political rival former President Donald Trump.
“I went down to the border feeling that Trump has made a mistake on the wall, but I feel like people need to be able to recalibrate their worldview when they’re confronted with evidence,” he told a crowd of more than 300 on Aug. 3 at the premiere of his documentary, Midnight at the Border.
When asked by a news reporter at a press conference that followed the premiere at the Saban Theatre, if rumors that a Trump-Kennedy presidential ticket in 2024 were true, Mr. Kennedy ruled out the possibility of the unlikely Republican-Democrat pairing.
“In my experience, a lot of the stuff that you read in the mainstream news and the corporate news is what I would call conspiracy theories,” he said.
His response was met by laughter and applause.
“No, I will not be Donald Trump’s vice president,” he said. — The Epoch Times
Our Take: “Some of us believe there’s a Narrative and Political Pincer Move being executed between Donald Trump and RFK Jr., and while it’s impossible to prove that or hold it in mind with 100% certainty, deployments like this one certainly don’t do anything to dissuade me from it.
RFK has pushed policy proposals that many within the MAGA and America First movement find distasteful, but as I’ve argued on many appearances on the network, when you’re looking to hit the reachable middle or undecided in the American political zeitgeist, you need to first get them in the door. Remember, these are not people who voted for Donald Trump in 2016 OR 2020.
Kennedy advancing pro-wall rhetoric is yet another catastrophic turn for establishment talking points, as the two populist candidates in both major political parties are aligned in the public mind when it comes to national sovereignty and border security.” —
Over 45 Injured After Massive Explosion Hits Military Optics Plant Near Moscow
On Wednesday a Russian factory northeast of Moscow erupted into a massive explosion of unknown cause, injuring at least 45 people, and causing damage to surrounding buildings. Some are in serious condition.
It happened at the Zagorsk optical-mechanical plant in the city of Sergiev Posad, and while there were overnight reports of another drone attack from Ukraine on the capital city being thwarted, TASS and other state sources are saying it was an accident.
Russia's federal investigative agency has launched a criminal probe over "violation of industrial safety requirements for hazardous production facilities," but acknowledged it is still assessing the cause of the blast.
The plant develops and produces optical and optoelectronic devices for the Russian military and law enforcement, along with other industries including healthcare. It reportedly produces night-vision goggles and scopes for Russia's armed forces. — ZeroHedge
Our Take: “I'd say something along the lines of, ‘You can't make this up.’
The thing is ... you can, and that's the entire point.
When we talk about the War of Stories, there's nothing reductive about it; when we discuss Ghosts in the Machine, we're talking about the Media Machine, and both sides deploy them.
As
and I discussed last night, the Actual of a War is of FAR lesser relevance than the Net Effects the STORY of that war visits upon the Collective Mind.Optics are important.” —
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.
Super appreciate the headlines and takes!!
RFK Jr: “I feel like people need to be able to recalibrate their worldview when they’re confronted with evidence.”
That is a powerful message. And BB follows with his powerful insight:
“when you’re looking to hit the reachable middle or undecided in the American political zeitgeist, you need to first get them in the door.”
It will be very interesting to see what else RFK Jr changes his mind about over the coming months. I’m on the fence about a Trump/RFK Jr ticket…but Q brought up JFK many times…was it more than rabbit-hole direction to research our history re the assassination and the corrupt CIA, etc? Was it, as BB would phrase it, “seeding the narrative” on the Kennedy name ? Interesting times.
And the Niger Coup? BB: “suss out who is backing whom”. With you on that, wise one!
Oh, to be a fly on the wall during a private secret conversation amongst the nefarious data miners…the patterns are shifting and not how they wanted!
Love the Badlands News Briefs ❤️🇺🇸🌎
Just want to say thanks to BB for the hard work and dedication you put in day after day. You’re like the energizer bunny 😄 There are many others doing that hard work behind the scenes each day and I’m grateful to you all for helping keep my spirits up 🥰