Badlands News Brief
Israel Makes a Move While Trump Plays Chicken
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.
Many items feature original (and subjective) commentary. Feel free to follow the corresponding link to see our writers’ Substack accounts and check out their other work.
Now, onto the news from Monday, May 6 …
Israel Moving Forward With Rafah Ground Offensive
Summary: (From ZeroHedge)
Hamas claims to accept ceasefire, hostage deal while Israel says 'This isn’t what we agreed to'
Bombardment and air strikes on eastern Rafah
Over 50 targets hit as IDF prepares for ground operation
President Macron warns against ground op
Civilians warned to evacuate. Tens of thousands of flyers dropped
Biden phoned Netanyahu to urge against Rafah ground op without acceptable evacuation plan
Axios reported that for the first time the US has paused ammo shipments to Israel
Senior official: Israel will achieve all its war objectives
Palestinians on streets holding premature celebrations over Hamas accepting deal, but Israel rejects thus far
‘Bibi is abandoning the hostages!’: Protesters in Jerusalem demand deal
Al-Quds Brigades fires rockets towards Israel
Israel says ground offensive necessary after four soldiers killed by rocket fire out of Rafah
European Union says offensive is "unacceptable"
Palestinian Authority alleges US not interested in achieving truce
Jordan says PM Netanyahu jeopardizing ceasefire by bombing Rafah
Our Take: “Two days ago, we were told that the Arabs were hosting a meeting in Cairo, where Hamas would be presented an offer from Israel for both sides to release their hostages, as well as a six week cease-fire. Israel said it would give Hamas a week to consider the deal, and provide a response. Bibi Netanyahu said that regardless of whether Hamas accepted the deal, the IDF would still conduct military operations in Rafah in the near future. (Many critics saw this rhetoric as subversive and inflammatory.)
Yesterday, we were told that the Cairo meeting had failed, and Hamas would never accept the hostage-truce deal proposed by Egypt. The expectation was that Hamas would have time to consider the deal, while the Arabs and US worked to convince them to accept it.
Then the news broke today that Hamas accepted the deal, just as videos and reports appeared that the IDF had begun bombing the Rafah refugee camp—a tent city housing an estimated 1.4 million displaced Palestinians, half of them reportedly being children. The IDF had closed the Kereh Shalom crossing—where the borders of Israel, Gaza, and Egypt meet, meaning there is nowhere for these people to run. They are trapped.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a statement calling Israel's actions ‘genocide,’ and demanding that the international community step in and stop it.
The messaging out of Israel was that the proposal that the Hamas delegation accepted was somehow altered, and not congruent with the original terms they had sent to Cairo for consideration.
However, buried deep in this article, we have this quote from an anonymous Israeli official:
’But an [Israeli] official briefed on the talks, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the offer Hamas accepted was effectively the same as one agreed at the end of April by Israel.’
My bias on this subject is known, so rather than beat a dead horse, I'll simply leave these reported facts to stand on their own merit.” —
Judge again finds Trump in contempt in hush money trial; Trump Org employees testify
New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan ruled Monday that Donald Trump again violated his gag order in the New York hush money trial, and he warned that he would consider jailing the former president if the violations continue. After the ruling, testimony included retired Trump Organization comptroller Jeffrey McConney talking about business records and practices that are at the heart of the case. Merchan sent the jury home for the day shortly after 4 p.m.
Trump spoke to reporters shortly before he left the courthouse, calling Justice Juan Merchan a “disaster” and addressing being held in contempt Monday morning for violating his gag order.
“This judge has given me a gag order and said, ‘You’ll go to jail if you violate it,’” Trump told reporters. “Frankly our Constitution is much more important than jail. I’ll do that sacrifice any day.”
Trump also complained about the trial’s timeline.
“We just found out the government just said they want two to three more weeks,” he said. “That means they want to keep me off the trail.” Trump has a rally scheduled this weekend in New Jersey. — The Washington Post
Our Take: “I think there's a major game of chicken going on in the Trump Hush Money trial.
We've now got the presiding judge in the case threatening jail time to a former president if he continues to be found "in contempt" for repeatedly violating his gag order.
While a common sense approach posits that one of the two men vying for the top office in the land publicly commenting on the most seismic story (according to normieville) regarding said race is to be expected, Trump's continued escalatory behavior is likely a continuation of the baiting strategy that has come to define many of his narrative deployments.
On an Actual level, these cases are no doubt setting exactly the sort of precedent Trump wants to be codified for the (real) Witch Hunts to come. He's now telling us this directly where it concerns Biden and others.
On a Narrative level, the more the System is seen as wielding a hammer against Trump, the more he occupies the Martyr-Champion template.
Next move is yours, Merchan.” —
Maxine Waters claims 'right-wing' groups are training 'in the hills' to attack if Trump not elected
In an interview on Sunday, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) said she fears the "right-wing" organizations who she said are "training up i the hills somewhere" in the event that Donald Trump is not elected in 2024.
This after Waters encouraged BLM protesters in 2021 to "get more confrontational" and in 2018 told Democrats and leftists to confront Republicans and Trump administration officials when they were seen in public.
"We've got to stay on the street and we've got to get more active, we've got to get more confrontational,” she said in 2021. “We've got to make sure that they know that we mean business."Her latest comments came in an MSNBC interview with Waters on MSNBC when the host asked her about Trump's interview with TIME magazine. — The Post Millennial
Our Take: “They are hard selling the civil war narrative, and Mad Max as the messenger is a perfect red pill for normies.
Everyone will recall Maxine Waters’ calls for violence during President Trump’s first term, and now she’s projecting her own conduct on her political opponents. And it’s obvious.
In reality, leftist agitators are cosplaying as Islamic revolutionaries and, as we’ve been predicting, they are now leaving the campuses.
On Monday, protestors in Denver stopped traffic and harassed truck drivers and other motorists. If history repeats, overt violence is around the corner. But Max is worried about militias… is she concerned about opposition to her handlers’ ongoing color revolution?
Whether law enforcement will permit another mostly peaceful summer remains to be seen, and likely depends on jurisdiction and venue. Stay tuned and stay safe out there everyone!” —
Ex-CNN Host Chris Cuomo Reveals COVID Vaccine Injury: "I'm Sick Myself"
Former CNN host Chris Cuomo said in a recent news segment that he is suffering from a health condition after he received a COVID-19 vaccine.
Mr. Cuomo made the revelation during his NewsNation program when he was interviewing a nurse practitioner, Shaun Barcavage, a nurse practitioner who said he suffered vaccine injuries and has received little help or recognition.
“We know that vaccines can have unintended consequences, AKA side effects, but nobody’s really talking about it because they’re too afraid of blame, and they just want it to go away,” Mr. Cuomo said. “But the problem is people like Shaun—and me—and millions of others who still have weird stuff with their bloodwork and their lives and their feelings—you know, physically—are not going away,” he added.
Mr. Cuomo, 53, did not go into the details about his symptoms or the brand of COVID-19 vaccine he received. But during the interview, Mr. Cuomo offered to share his doctor’s information with Mr. Barcavage.
“I’m sick myself, but I’m working with people who are working with this,” Mr. Cuomo said. — The Epoch Times
Our Take: “Overton’s Goalpost, folks.
For those who need a slight refresher on the concept, it’s simply a spin on the enemy’s Hegelian Dialectic, and is my attempt to help Info Warriors take heart in the midst of a storm of PsyOps meant to demoralize you and blind you as to the forward progress we’re making on the battlefield.
In effect, by focusing not so much on whether or not the MSM is telling the truth (it’s simply not going to happen until they’re forced to,) the key trend to focus on is their collective narrative retreat from mass psychological ground they once held firmly within the Collective Mind.
When centralized Mind-Movers such as Covid-famous Chris Cuomo backpedal to this degree, now attempting to align himself with the vaccine-injured and mandate-averse MAGA majority, you know they’re simply trying to get ahead of a pendulum swing that, while largely silent up to now, has already passed them by, and with speed.
Treason doesn’t pay well in the end.
All that remains to be seen is just how complicit SOME of these media figures were in (knowing) illegal acts.” —
Florida Bans 'Indoctrination' In Teacher-Training Programs
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill into law on May 2 banning “indoctrination” programs for teachers.
The measure, HB 1291, prohibits programs, courses, and curricula in teacher training from “distorting” historical events or promoting political ideologies regarding race, sex, and gender.
Accredited postsecondary institutions can seek Florida Department of Education approval to create institutes to educate teachers on improving classroom instruction and meeting requirements for certification or recertification.
They can also seek approval for instruction on educating existing and potential substitute teachers on how to perform classroom duties and to teach those with baccalaureate degrees how to become certified.
However, teacher preparation, training, and certification programs will not be allowed to teach “identity politics” or to make claims that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, or white privilege are inherent in America’s culture.
In addition, Gov. DeSantis’s office said in a statement that he is working with Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office to safeguard Florida’s workforce from being subjected to ideological discrimination and harassment.
The governor said he does not believe that companies have the right to force their employees to attend training courses designed to convince them that they are “inherently racist or sexist” or to diminish their sense of self-worth because of their religious or social upbringing. — The Epoch Times
Our Take: “I believe these politicians have noble intent for stopping the indoctrination of teachers through teacher training programs — but is that an achievable goal for government?
Is the government also going to ban collegiate coursework in social justice and its underlying themes?
They can try. I doubt they can legislate away multiple generations of Marxist educators and their core mission, and the attempt will ensure the latter’s evolution. Who is monitoring that?
Will transplant teachers from other states be reeducated?
Will there be ideological tests prior to becoming a teacher?
What do the enforcement mechanisms for this legislation comprise?
Remember that government powers are not restricted to the party in control at the moment. How might this level of government power be wielded by democrats, should they regain power in Florida?” —
BONUS ITEMS
Ukraine peace talks alternative to inevitable battlefield defeat, says senior general
Ukraine is preparing for peace talks with Russia as there is “no way to win on the battlefield alone”, Kyiv’s deputy spy chief has said.
Maj Gen Vadym Skibitsky, the deputy head of Ukraine’s HUR military intelligence agency, said both sides were currently vying for “the most favourable position” ahead of possible negotiations in 2025.
As with virtually all wars, negotiations will likely be the final stage of the conflict, he told the Economist.
The prospect of a peace deal with Russia has re-emerged as Ukraine’s forces – running low on manpower and ammunition – suffer setback after setback on the battlefield.
According to the Economist, Maj Gen Skibitsky said he did not see a way for Ukraine to win the war on the battlefield alone. If Ukraine was able to push Russian forces back to the border, it is unlikely to end the war, adding that such wars “can only end with treaties”.
Maj Gen Skibitsky predicted that peace talks could happen in late 2025, as he expects Russian arms production to plateau early the following year due to a shortage of engineers and supplies. — The Telegraph
RNC lawyer Charlie Spies to step down just 2 months after taking the job
Republican National Committee chief counsel Charlie Spies is parting ways with the party apparatus just months after stepping into the role. He was “pushed out,” according to a source familiar with the move.
"Charlie approached RNC Chief of Staff, Chris LaCivita, about potential time commitment conflicts and it was agreed that, while we appreciate and value Charlie’s expertise and professionalism, he cannot do this role full time and still maintain the obligations to his law firm that he has spent years successfully building," said RNC spokesperson Danielle Alvarez in a statement first to NBC News.
Spies did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday night.
NBC News previously reported that Spies was hired in March to lead the committee's legal efforts amid the RNC leadership overhaul, when former President Donald Trump endorsed Michael Whatley to helm the organization, effectively reshaping the committee in his image.
Spies was previously described by a campaign official as “the best at what he does, knows the FEC loopholes better than anyone” but a “gun for hire.”
However, Spies was not a fan of the former president. — NBC News
Rumble reveals censorship demands from surprising list of countries as CEO to testify on free speech threats
Rumble, a popular video-sharing and cloud service platform, has revealed a number of censorship demands it's received from the governments of countries that may surprise many.
The major tech company shared the details of those demands with Fox News Digital, as well as CEO Chris Pavlovski's prepared remarks for his testimony on Capitol Hill this week, which will take place at a House hearing centered on rising censorship and free speech concerns in Brazil.
"Freedom of speech and freedom of expression are the cornerstones of a democratic society," Pavlovski is expected to tell members of the House Subcommittee on Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations on Tuesday.
"Freedom of expression is so important, that not only is it the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, but it is also Article 19 in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights," he is expected to say. "It is extremely troubling to me that in 2024 I have to come before the U.S. Congress to testify that these fundamental rights are being threatened."
Of those threats Pavlovski is expected to mention – most of which would be considered the norm by countries like China, Russia or North Korea – the perpetrators are actually liberal democracies where personal freedoms have typically been held in high regard.
According to Rumble, it's become a common theme for those countries to try and control what can and cannot be said online, especially if the content happens to be politically unpopular or inconvenient for their respective governments. — FOX News
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 was a good one. "Treason doesn't pay well in the end" BOOM (mic drop). I clean windows for a living and yesterday's client had the TV on, I don't watch TV. How people can watch the news people try to spin the Trump trials is excruciating! I felt like doing a couple shots of liquor when I left!
I am compelled to do something out of the ordinary this morning.
The team at BNB provides an array of insights and expertise that center on issues and ideas that I know to be important but have chosen to prioritize as secondary or even tertiary to my specified areas of expertise. It is my observation that the same formula applies to most of those who regularly comment on these Takes.
I know for a certainty, for example, that I have spent over 5000 hours gaining a degree of understanding and expertise as it relates to the book of Revelation (and all the intra-Biblical and extra-Biblical knowledge that that requires) in just the last 18 months. A subject that I would find it hard to rank outside of the top ten topics of current interest - maybe even top three. I do not expect (in this forum, or even in what are considered mainstream Christian forums) for others to agree with my ranking of priorities or choice of endeavors. I am however, confident in my ability to address any and all questions on the subject thoughtfully and intelligently.
Pardon the personal example but I use it solely as a point of reference. It is apparent that the team of @Burning Bright, @Ashe in America, @Ghost of Based Patrick Henry, @Simon Esler, etc. (and their friends and resources) have applied themselves to the task of developing expertise in their particular fields of interest. I doubt that any of them would have the confidence to address, say the origins and arguments for the various understandings of the Week of Redemption with the Millennial "Sabbath Day" that I would have - I would at least not expect them to. As I would rather trust their expertise on areas of geopolitical conflict and Fifth Generation Warfare and Lawfare and Devolution...etc.
And just as I have more to learn of the exponential complexity associated with Biblical Prophecy, I would expect this team to continue to develop their own weapons and tactics and insights in this War of Stories. Their humility is evident and appreciated; so is their dedication and expertise.
My hope is to encourage this team to continue in the confidence of the gifts with which they have been endowed. To accept whatever criticism that may be contained in comments as either the result of the forced brevity and limitations of one-dimensional communication or as encouragement to continue in the search for expertise (and how to share it).
I pray for this team and those who comment to their entries, whether they want me to or not ;-) . I do that because I am confident that you all matter to God, who loves and created us; and because of your sacrifices - most of which we are likely ignorant. My prayers are for your safety and provision and continued wisdom.
Keep up the good fight! My deep and sincere thanks!
JS Livesay