The news cycle is impossible to fully track these days. That’s where we come in. The Badlands News Brief is a uniquely curated selection of the stories dominating the info war — with context and commentary from Badlands hosts.
Now, onto the news from Wednesday, May 21st...
Editor’s Note: Yesterday’s Brief reported the wrong release date for General Kwast’s interview with Shawn Ryan. It is expected to air today, but is subject to change. You can watch or listen wherever you get your podcasts. Here is the SRS YouTube. Tune in!
The House Rules Committee narrowly approved President Donald Trump’s sprawling tax and immigration package in a late-night vote Wednesday, clearing the path for the full chamber to pass the measure as soon as Thursday morning.
The legislation would extend trillions of dollars in tax cuts from Trump’s first-term Tax Cuts and Jobs Act along with advancing new campaign promises — such as no taxes on tips or overtime — and hundreds of billions of dollars in spending on the president’s mass deportation campaign and national defense investments.
But passage on the House floor is far from assured. Hard-line conservative budget hawks have lingering concerns over how much the legislation — formally called the One Big Beautiful Bill, in a nod to Trump’s nickname for it — would add to the national debt, which already exceeds $36 trillion. – The Washington Post
Our Take:
Why should Americans continue to pay taxes? [Full Episode] –
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President Donald Trump confronted his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, with a video montage alleging discrimination and violence against white farmers during a meeting at the White House on Wednesday.
The meeting, initially intended to focus on trade and bilateral relations, shifted to a discussion about the treatment of the country’s white minority after a journalist asked what would convince Trump that there is “no white genocide in South Africa.”
Ramaphosa interjected, emphasizing the need to listen to the voices of US “friends” to get a full perspective on the issue –prompting Trump to respond, “We have thousands of stories talking about it... I could show you a couple of things.”
“Turn the lights down, and just put this on,” Trump instructed his staff before playing a five-minute-long video montage. The footage included clips of South African opposition figures making inflammatory remarks, as well as images purportedly showing the graves of white farmers. – RT
Our Take: This was a calculated move by President Trump. You can tell that he remains completely engaged throughout the course of the video presentation, three-and-a-half minutes into the video President Trump starts narrating the images shown on screen and explaining their significance.
It seems clear that President Trump orchestrated this moment, bringing attention to the genocide by tricking the media into reporting it. The news narrative brings the added benefit of providing a means of comparison of the situations in Gaza and in South Africa. (I imagine there are people on all sides of both conflicts who think they can leverage the optics of the South African genocide, in whichever way it best benefits them.)
I could imagine that the Zionists in Trump's orbit would have been eager to humiliate President Ramaphosa, as it is Ramaphosa's South African government that filed the original petition in the UN's International Court of Justice (ICJ) to bring war crimes charges against Bibi Netanyahu and the Israeli government for the IDF's offensive operation in Gaza that took place immediately following the October 7th attack by Hamas in 2023.
South Africa's status as the petitioner on the ICJ case while simultaneously standing accused of their own war crimes is an interesting dynamic that feels like bait for the MSM. Could they resist such an easy lay-up to "ridicule" President Trump? Or bring pressure at the ICJ to impact the ongoing case?
President Trump just injected "genocide" as a narrative concept into the zeitgeist, outside the context of Gaza or even the Middle East. And, coincidentally, the nation at fault has a pending indictment against Israel filed at the ICJ. That same nation is also a member of BRICS and thus has a deepening alliance with Vladimir Putin and Russia. (South Africa has also been a hub of regime activity and regime-change operations, making it an enigma in its current geopolitical alignment with President Ramaphosa.)
None of this, of course, feels like a coincidence. –
Oklahoma is set to incorporate 2020 election conspiracies into its schools’ curricula under newly adopted social studies standards that will take effect next school year. Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, who has led the push to revise curriculum standards, tells “Morning in America” that the goal is to promote critical thinking.
“We’re going to ensure that kids are looking at graphs, charts and data points. There was a record amount of mail-in ballots,” he said. “There was a record amount of discrepancies in Bellwether counties. Kids are going to study those, and they’re going to come to their own conclusion.”
Despite these claims, several investigations and court rulings found no evidence of fraud in the 2020 election and that former President Joe Biden was the legitimate winner. Asked why such content should be included in the curriculum, Walters said, “Millions more folks voted in 2020 and then disappeared in 2024. Okay, so why did that happen? Let kids analyze it.”
He added: “They can come to their own conclusion. But what we’re not going to do is act like 2020 nothing happened.” – News Nation
Our Take: So, if you continued to say the 2020 election was stolen since the night it was stolen, and that the election system was fraudulent even in 2024, and Trump and patriots are set to reveal ALL of that in 2025 ... were you a doomer, or were you just saying true stuff the whole time?
Again, believing there is a patriot plan operating on layers we can't reach AND that you should continue to speak the truth as you know it at the time you know it are not mutually exclusive positions to hold.
"The Plan" does not rely on cheerleading. It relies on Truth Telling. –
An expected report Thursday from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. assessing the causes of chronic disease in children could test whether Republicans in Congress can get along with a health secretary keen on regulating farm and food companies.
Republican lawmakers representing agriculture and food manufacturing districts have warned Kennedy to lay off, but they and the industries they represent are still fretting the report. They worry it will point to pesticides and food dyes as potential causes for kids’ diseases and propose regulation that could cut profits and cost jobs. Even if Kennedy steers clear of regulatory proposals, they fear his report could dampen demand for the products their constituents make.
“We have 88,000 farms in Missouri, and so my goal is to make sure that we feed Missouri and we feed the world, and we make sure that our producers have the tools they need to have the most effective crops, the healthiest crops,” said GOP Rep. Mark Alford, who represents a broad swath of soybean and corn farms southeast of Kansas City.
President Donald Trump’s embrace of an environmental activist long on the far left of the Democratic Party worked out great in last year’s election and most Republicans in Congress endorsed Trump’s decision to let Kennedy “go wild” on health care.
But lately, they’ve asked him pointed questions about what’s coming in his Make America Healthy Again Commission’s report. Kennedy has said repeatedly he believes food companies make people sick for profit. – Politico
Our Take: If Big Food and Big Ag are truly sweating, then we’re heading in the right direction. This report is supposed to come out today. Secretary Kennedy has taken criticism for focusing too much on food and environmental health issues, and not enough on the Big Pharma/Medical cartel.
My position is that we can do both. We can pull the mRNA shots and send all the co-conspirators to GITMO. We can also stop global conglomerates from poisoning us, and we can send those co-conspirators to GITMO as well.
Really, we can – President Trump upgraded and expanded GITMO during his first term.
Israeli soldiers fired shots near a group of foreign diplomats visiting the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, prompting representatives from over 20 countries and accompanying journalists to scramble for cover, according to videos from the scene.
The tour, organized by the Palestinian Authority, included delegates from dozens of countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, China, Japan, Mexico, Egypt, and others. No injuries were reported, but video footage showed diplomats fleeing in panic as gunfire erupted around 2pm local time.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed the delegation had deviated from its pre-approved route and entered an unauthorized area, which they described as an “active combat zone.” – RT
The president of the World Jewish Congress, Ronald Lauder, criticized Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich at a conference in Jerusalem on Tuesday and accused the Israeli government of failing to understand the damage that his inflammatory statements on the Gaza war are causing to the country’s reputation.
Lauder directed his comments to Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who was attending the WJC meeting.
“Let me tell you, all the good things that Israel is doing are being destroyed by Smotrich,” said Lauder. “Because his statements about starving the people and destroying [Gaza] were played all over the world, and the prime minister has the chance to stop him from saying these things, and will not do it. The question is, why not?”
His remarks were met with applause from many in the audience, who were attending with various Jewish delegations from around the world. Sa’ar, in response, said simply that he “took note” of what Lauder had said.
Smotrich, who leads the far-right Religious Zionism party, has a history of inflammatory remarks about Palestinians and the Gaza Strip. — The Times of Israel
Our Take: Between these two stories, one can recognize that Israel's reputation worldwide is ostensibly suffering, and the pressure is now clamping down on Netanyahu.
This part was my favorite from the article about Smotrich:
“Let me tell you, all the good things that Israel is doing are being destroyed by Smotrich,” said Lauder. “Because his statements about starving the people and destroying [Gaza] were played all over the world, and the prime minister has the chance to stop him from saying these things, and will not do it. The question is, why not?”
Yes, why not? Why hasn't Netanyahu reigned in Bezalel Smotrich? Could it be because Netanyahu is completely beholden to Smotrich, whose Religious Zionist Party controls 14 seats in the Knesset? If Smotrich's faction were to withdraw from the coalition, Netanyahu's 68-seat majority would fall beneath the 60-seat threshold needed to remain Prime Minister. (Itamar Ben-Gvir's Jewish Power Party controls only 6 seats, so when his faction resigned in January — and has since returned — Netanyahu still had a 62-seat majority to remain PM.)
I've long said that while Ben-Gvir is the more loud and obnoxious of these zealots in Netanyahu's core security cabinet, it's Bezalel Smotrich who seems the most cunning and ruthless. He has more of that polish in his presentation that many would associate with a politician.
The reason Smotrich is in the headlines, again, for his rhetoric, is because he was filmed publicly stating that — after blocking all aid for the past few months — they are only going to allow in enough aid to prevent war crimes charges.
There have been signs that President Trump is pivoting against Netanyahu, because Bibi is hellbent on pursuing conflict, and now the Israelis are doing everything they can to cast themselves as the villains of this story.
Bitcoin rose to a new all-time high on Wednesday, breaking its January record. The price of the flagship cryptocurrency was last higher by 2% at $108,955.10, according to Coin Metrics. Earlier, it rose as high as $109,857.
At one point, bitcoin had erased its gains, after Treasury yields spiked and stocks fell to session lows.
“Bitcoin’s new high has been concocted by an array of favorable ingredients in the macro cauldron, namely softer U.S. inflation numbers, a de-escalation in the U.S.-China trade war and the Moody’s downgrade of U.S. sovereign debt, which has put the spotlight on alternative stores of value like bitcoin,” said Antoni Trenchev, cofounder of crypto exchange Nexo. “We’ve entered an alternate universe very different from early April when global macro concerns were at their peak and bitcoin slumped to $74,000,” he added. “It’s possible a three-month window has opened for risk assets to thrive as a broader [trade] agreement between the U.S. and China is thrashed out.”
After languishing for several weeks in the midst of tariff-related uncertainty, bitcoin has been steadily climbing in May, up 15% for the month. – CNBC
Our Take: Any of my Bitcoin frens getting tired of WINNING?
Another Take: Looking forward to people who haven’t put in the cognitive work over the last few years to start posting about Bitcoin as part of the plan after breathlessly reposting how gold would destroy the Fed without actually considering what that meant.
A pro-Palestinian man is in custody after allegedly killing two Israeli embassy staff members who were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night, authorities confirmed.
Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said during a news conference that officers responded to multiple calls of a shooting near the museum at around 9:08 p.m. on Wednesday.
When authorities arrived at the scene, a man and a woman were found unconscious and not breathing. Despite life-saving efforts from first responders, Smith said both were pronounced dead.
A 30-year-old man identified as Elias Rodriguez, of Chicago, is believed to have committed the act alone and is in custody, Smith said, adding that his gun was also recovered. – Fox News
Our Take: If/when people are ever killed, it is always a tragedy. But there is something about this story that gives me the creeps and makes me think it is some kind of false flag:
"...two diplomats were shot ‘at close range’ while an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) was taking place at the museum."
"The event at the museum was for young Jewish professionals who work in foreign policy and had a panel discussion focused on finding humanitarian solutions for Gaza, Fox News learned."
Israel's Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, said the two victims were dating and on the verge of engagement. Leiter said the man had just purchased a ring "with the intention of proposing to his girlfriend next week in Jerusalem."
It's that last detail — the part about the two Israeli diplomats being so deeply in love that the man had purchased a ring and planned to propose next week in Jerusalem. That is quite the narrative needle to thread.
I will interested to see how the Republicans — especially those in the administration — react to this narrative deployment. Will they try to impose preemptive measures on the public in the name of "antisemitism?" —
Early season heat waves gripping the central and southern United States are bringing attention to the health dangers of high temperatures during pregnancy.
While extreme heat can be dangerous for anybody, pregnant women are particularly at risk — and according to a report released last week, climate change is making things worse.
The analysis, from the nonprofit Climate Central, found that climate change nearly doubled the average number of "pregnancy heat-risk days" — extremely hot days linked to an increased risk of preterm birth — in the U.S. from 2020 to 2024.
"These are the days when pregnant women are at increased risk for a number of different complications — so heat stroke, heat exhaustion," Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News medical contributor and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News, said on "CBS Mornings Plus" Tuesday. "If you have these kinds of symptoms in a pregnant woman, it's even more concerning, because you can have other complications like preterm birth."
Heat can have such an impact because pregnancy puts major stress on the heart.
"You're more likely to get dehydrated during pregnancy. You have an increase in your blood volume during pregnancy, and so being dehydrated, being exposed to extra heat, you're working that much harder to keep yourself and your baby cool," Gounder said. – CBS News
Our Take: Our foremothers are mocking this generation from beyond the grave, guaranteed. The framing of this article is that pregnancy is already so terribly dangerous, and the added threat of the weather is cause for concern.
Pregnancy can be dangerous and modern medicine is a miracle. It can be terrifying and pregnant women need to take exception care of themselves. But this story isn’t about that.
This story is political. From the article:
"You're going to have to stay on top of this a whole lot more, because some of the surveillance that was being done by NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), by the CDC, is now being cut by the Trump administration," Gounder said. "That is part of their job — to do the surveillance and let people know and to have those cooling centers open and ready to welcome people."
The story follows a new study on the leading causes of maternal death:
“In the medical community, research has traditionally focused on how to prevent and treat the leading medical causes of maternal mortality, which include bleeding, infection, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. However, new research” suggests “that nationwide more pregnant people die from homicide and suicide than any medical cause.”
But that’s political, too, because the “study” is pushing gun control in the name of pregnant women.
Across the narrative board, they really want women to be afraid of pregnancy – which is natural and miraculous. God’s design of the female anatomy is literally magic.
But that’s no match for climate change or something.
Women have given birth since the beginning of women, and the weather has changed a whole bunch throughout that time. Let’s not be irrational, ladies.
Stay hydrated and use a fan if you get hot. (This is not medical advice.) –
President Donald J. Trump today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to Quito, Ecuador to attend the Presidential Inauguration of His Excellency Daniel Noboa, President of the Republic of Ecuador, on May 24, 2025.
The Honorable Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, will lead the delegation. – The White House
The House Judiciary Committee has launched an investigation into allegations that Pfizer executives deliberately slowed COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials to influence the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. The claims center on comments made by Philip Dormitzer, Pfizer’s former head of vaccine research and development.
According to Dormitzer, Pfizer’s top research executives intentionally delayed the completion of clinical testing, ensuring results would not be available before the election. Dormitzer reportedly told colleagues at his subsequent employer, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), that the timing of the vaccine’s release was “not a coincidence.” GSK later passed this information to federal prosecutors in New York. The Judiciary Committee, chaired by Rep. Jim Jordan, has demanded that Dormitzer provide all relevant documents related to Pfizer’s vaccine trials from March 1, 2020, to the present.
Dormitzer has also been asked to schedule a transcribed interview with the committee by May 29. Dormitzer reportedly requested a transfer to Canada after Trump’s 2024 re-election, citing fears of investigation. – The National Pulse
During his first press conference in five months, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday named the implementation of US President Donald Trump’s “revolutionary” plan to relocate Gaza’s civilians as a condition for ending the conflict, the first time he has made such a demand.
The fledgling Operation Gideon’s Chariots — the IDF’s expanded ground operation in Gaza that began over the weekend— is meant to “complete the war, the work” in the enclave, the premier told reporters and live TV cameras at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem.
Israel has a “very organized” plan to achieve its war aims in Gaza, he insisted, saying its aims are “To defeat Hamas, which carried out the atrocities of October 7; to bring back all of our hostages; and to ensure that Gaza does not present a threat to Israel.”
“Our forces are landing powerful blows that will get stronger against Hamas strongholds that still exist in Gaza,” he explained, promising that by the end of the operation, “all the territory of Gaza will be under Israeli security control, and Hamas will be totally defeated.” – The Times of Israel
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Oh man, Trump's presser with the South African President & crew was hilarious! It included an added beat down of the reporter who asked about the gifted airplane. I laughed my ass off. If the DS Rat Bastard MSM does not want to report on a topic then Trump delivers the topic via MOAB into their lap... genius!
Trump 2.0 is a constant highlight reel!!!
BTW the presser that Karoline Levitt did with the children in the WH Press room on bring your child to work day was fantastic!
Very happy with the Oklahoma educational decision regarding the 2020 election (and of course the questions that will inevitably raise about other elections). I have grandchildren in Oklahoma and I'm thrilled with the education they're getting. This just makes it better.
Oh man, Trump's presser with the South African President & crew was hilarious! It included an added beat down of the reporter who asked about the gifted airplane. I laughed my ass off. If the DS Rat Bastard MSM does not want to report on a topic then Trump delivers the topic via MOAB into their lap... genius!
Trump 2.0 is a constant highlight reel!!!
BTW the presser that Karoline Levitt did with the children in the WH Press room on bring your child to work day was fantastic!
Keep up all the great work.
God Wins!
God Bless!!!
Very happy with the Oklahoma educational decision regarding the 2020 election (and of course the questions that will inevitably raise about other elections). I have grandchildren in Oklahoma and I'm thrilled with the education they're getting. This just makes it better.