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.
The Supreme Court is requiring the Trump administration to “facilitate” the return of a Maryland man deported last month to a notorious prison in El Salvador due to what officials described as an “administrative error.”
The justices turned down the administration’s request to set aside a judge’s order that U.S. officials seek Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s release and return to the U.S., after he was flown to El Salvador despite an immigration-court order that he not be sent there due to the threat of persecution by a local gang.
The judge’s order “properly requires the Government to ‘facilitate’ Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador,” the Supreme Court ruled Thursday.
The high court’s ruling doesn’t explicitly mention bringing Abrego Garcia back to the United States, but it leaves in place the bulk of U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis’ order that specifically required his “return” to the United States. – Politico
Our Take: I’d much rather the Trump administration facilitate the departure of the Supreme Court to El Salvador. – Jon Herold
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US President Donald Trump on Wednesday voiced optimism that a deal with China is still within reach, even as tensions between the two superpowers escalated following his decision to raise tariffs on Chinese goods to 125%.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump praised Chinese President Xi Jinping and left the door open for direct talks. “Xi is a smart guy and we’ll end up making a very good deal,” Trump said, calling the Chinese leader “one of the smartest people in the world” and “a man who knows exactly what has to be done, he loves his country”.
Trump told reporters he would consider speaking with Xi, though he acknowledged that the Chinese aren’t currently taking advantage of the US. “I think investing in the United States of America will be the greatest investment. We will get a phone call at some point, and then it’s off to the races”, he added. – The Times of India
Our Take: Just about as on-the-nose a Sovereign Alliance comm as you can get.
As I was saying all week, "Trump vs. China doesn't contradict the Sovereign Alliance. It helps crystalize its end goals.”
Since the Covid Scamdemic, the two countries have been engaged in a rapid economic decoupling process. This benefits the middle classes of both nations and advances multipolarity, a core tenet of Xi Jinping's mandate.
This process is not only already in the offing; it's accelerating. Or did you think it was only Trump who was prompting companies like Apple to flee the east and re-shore production in the nation responsible for its prosperity in the first place?
The Trade War provides Narrative Shielding to both leaders, allowing them to move full speed ahead with removing the corporate oligarchy from key vectors of international trade. Trump deploys and Xi gets permission to counter. The result is a more nationalized economy for both countries.
The benefits to the US in this scenario are obvious: less reliance on foreign manufacturing, especially when it comes to MIL materials (think steel,) and pharmaceuticals, along with the on-shoring of domestic production and all the jobs and economic stimulus that comes with it.
The benefits to China are less obvious to Americans, but are no less profound. After all, do you think making iPhones in Chinese factories with suicide nets benefits the Chinese people?
Xi Jinping has been waging an anti-corruption campaign against the very oligarchs Trump and Vladimir Putin stand opposed to in their respective nations. This is called the 'Tigers and Flies' campaign, and it's been in the offing since 2013. It has also resulted in the arrest of over 10,000 CCP members, including generals, politicians, judges and magistrates, many of whom ushered in and perpetuated the very communist-globalist system the Sovereign Alliance is taking apart.
The tensions between the three leaders are entirely manufactured, and will be resolved in full view of the Collective Mind.
Don't get caught up in the noise. Look for the signal. Decoupling from China is good for both nations, and both leaders know it. [more] – Burning Bright
Apple reportedly hurried 600 tons of iPhones — up to 1.5 million individual phones — out of India before President Donald Trump slapped the rest of the world with tariffs. The tech behemoth chartered flights to India in order to snatch up as many phones as possible, likely to try to build up its U.S. phone inventory.
Analysts have cautioned that the price of iPhone in the U.S. could spike as the tech company relies on Chinese-produced parts for its phones. Apple's main manufacturing hub is in China, which is currently facing a 125 percent tariff rate from Trump. Indian imports face a 26 percent tariff rate, but Trump announced a 90-day moratorium on the import tax after he tanked global stock markets with his "Liberation Day" announcement.
Trump faced severe backlash after imposing the tariffs, even from other conservatives. [...] After doubling down on the tariffs a few times, Trump eventually relented and put a 90-day pause on tariffs. Instead he set a 10 percent tariff across the board, with the exception of China. Apple sought to exploit this temporary opening to "beat the tariff," a source familiar with the company told Reuters. – The Independent
Our Take: President Trump said that shifting US trade policy was going to change the behavior of global corporations. It’s still early in this journey, but we already see corporations changing their behavior.
Take Apple.
Their heavy reliance on China, where most iPhones are assembled, is a crisis with 125% Chinese tariffs. But 20% of Apple iPhones destined for the US are manufactured in India, rather than China, according to this report from The Independent.
And they aren’t just stocking US inventory to beat a moment in tariffs; “The tech company has reportedly set a goal to increase production at its Indian iPhone plants by 20 percent.”
That’s a long-term investment for Apple. That means they expect this change – a large-scale decoupling from China – to stick.
Don’t forget that, in February, Apple announced “its largest-ever spend commitment, with plans to spend and invest more than $500 billion in the US over the next four years.”
As Burning Bright says, globalism made China the source for the world’s “cheap” goods, and that dynamic led to suicide nets outside Chinese factories. The cost of cheap goods to the Chinese people is not “cheap.” In fact, the global status quo isn’t good for any of the peoples of the world.
The May 7 deadline for REAL ID to become the new norm for federal identification is approaching. State and federal officials are continuing to encourage Americans to understand how the new IDs will differ from the old standard ones.
Why It Matters: Due to a law passed by Congress in 2005, anyone traveling on domestic flights on or after May 7 must have the new REAL ID to get through routine security protocols and board an airline. REAL ID also allows access to some federal buildings and nuclear facilities. [...]
Standard driver's licenses will no longer be sufficient for travelers aged 18 and older. Residents of Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont and Washington who already have Enhanced Driver's Licenses (EDL) are exempt and don't need to upgrade to REAL ID. EDLs can be identified by having an image of the U.S. flag and the word "Enhanced" at the top of the card. – Newsweek
Our Take: Instagram influencer Kristi Noem lets us know that everyone will need a Real ID to travel starting May 7th, but don’t worry, it’ll also fix our elections!
(It won’t, voter ID is a panacea and a talking point that does not fix fake elections.) – Chris Paul
Only six Western nations have pledged to send troops to Ukraine after the hostilities between Kiev and Moscow end, AFP has reported. Most of Ukraine’s supporters are reluctant to make any promises, according to the agency.
The report comes after the latest meeting of defense ministers from the so-called “coalition of the willing” in Brussels on Thursday. The group of some 30 nations, predominantly composed of EU and NATO member states, appears to remain split on a potential deployment. Its members are questioning the goals and mandate of the proposed mission.
Thus far, only six nations, including the UK, France, and the Baltic states - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - have promised to contribute troops, the AFP reported, citing unnamed European officials. The sixth state in the group was not named by the agency.
Britain has insisted the coalition has actual plans to deploy, claiming that the troops would contribute to a “lasting peace” between Russia and Ukraine. – RT
Italian PM Giorgia Meloni's upcoming trip to the US has seemingly sent the entire European continent into a tizzy. Meloni will be the first European leader to meet Donald Trump after he imposed reciprocal tariffs on all countries, including 20% on the EU.
Her visit is reportedly adding to Europe's fears of a disjointed front against Trump on tariffs, with several ministers of a top EU member voicing their opinions detailing the possible implications about it. – Hindustan Times
Our Take: #OurGirl Giorgia Meloni is about to visit President Trump at the White House, where it is widely expected that she will negotiate a bilateral trade agreement between Italy and the US – without the involvement or consent of the European Union.
If it happens, this will represent the end of the EU which, upon its creation in 1993, has always posited that its collective economic might is what empowers it to leverage Europe as one of the premiere world powers.
The reality is that the EU was created in order to subvert the sovereignty of the individual nation-state, which British MP Nigel Farage explicitly asserted when he confronted then President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy.
If Meloni succeeds in negotiating a deal with President Trump, without the EU, then all of Europe will follow.
None of these countries seem interested in going to war with Russia, only the collective body of the EU, and the momentum of that debate has the potential to shatter the entire alliance and liberate its members from the tyranny of power hungry oligarchs.
As for Russia, the sociopaths in Europe claim it is their existential foe – though, nobody besides Britain, France and the three Latvian countries of the Baltic; they claim there is a sixth member of this team, but they won’t publicly disclose who it is. We have to assume that there is some consternation – perhaps even fear – which is keeping the conflict from spreading across the continent.
Bilateral trade agreements are the future. No more transnational trade regulatory bodies preventing us and others from pursuing our destinies.
Another Take: Don't be fooled by the EU's desperate attempts to seem like they're not still sitting at the kids' table as Trump and Xi weave a masterclass.
They showed their bellies.
Trump has the measure of them, which means markets have the measure of them.
China said on Thursday it would immediately restrict imports of Hollywood films in retaliation for President Donald Trump's escalation of U.S. tariffs on imported Chinese goods.
After three decades during which China annually imported 10 Hollywood movies, its National Film Administration said Trump's increase of tariffs on Chinese imports would further sour domestic demand for U.S. cinema in China after years of decline.
“We will follow market rules, respect the audience's choices, and moderately reduce the number of American films imported,” the NFA said on its website.
Chris Fenton, author of 'Feeding the Dragon: Inside the Trillion Dollar Dilemma Facing Hollywood, the NBA, and American Business,' said the move was a 'super high-profile way to make a statement of retaliation with almost zero downside for China.'
Hollywood films account for only 5 percent of the overall box office receipts in China's market. – Daily Mail
Our Take: The President on Hollywood’s sadness about less access to the Chinese market for American propaganda.
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge backed Sony on Thursday in its legal feud with CBS over the the distribution rights for syndicated game shows “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune.”
Sony had sued CBS in October, alleging its owed money from the two studios’ past distribution deals and that CBS breached its contract by setting up licensing deals in Australia and other overseas markets. CBS countersued in November, arguing that its contract is clear that it holds the distribution rights to the series in perpetuity. In February, CBS was granted a temporary restraining order after Sony moved to take over distribution rights that same month.
“The Court believes that Sony had the right, in its discretion, to terminate the distribution agreements in August 2024,” Judge Kevin Brazile wrote in the Thursday order. […] CBS Media Ventures said it plans to appeal the decision immediately. – The Wrap
Our Take: This story caught my eye because I love “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy!” These two shows remind me of a simpler time, when TV was on a schedule and I had time for game shows. My father in law, may he rest in peace, was a “Jeopardy!” superfan, and I can’t hear the name of the show without smiling and thinking of him.
Nostalgia is what made me take note of the story, but the outcome – which some outlets have called “shocking!” — is what made me include the story in today’s brief. CBS is on a legal losing streak:
November 2, 2022: Settled allegations that CEO concealed sexual misconduct for $28M.
March 3, 2023: Settled a lawsuit over the 2019 merger for $122.5M.
May 8, 2023: Settled claims of collusion and antitrust for $5M.
They also settled wage disputes, and are facing a discrimination lawsuit for the diversity policies – which a judge in August 2024 ruled could proceed. And, of course, there is President Trump’s $20B lawsuit for CBS’ deceptive editing of Kamala Harris, with the President claiming the editing was intended to impact the outcome of the election.
And now they lost “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy!”
It’s the end of an era. It should also be the end of their relationship with their existing lawyers because, damn, CBS needs a win! – Ashe in America
We had a blast during our first ticketholder livestream, and we will be doing another next week! Deadwood tickets are now on sale for Plymouth ticketholders, and the Plymouth Telegram chat is already popping off!
What are you waiting for? Get your tickets — virtual or in person — today! — Badlands Media
Three Americans convicted of attempting to overthrow the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) have been returned to the US to serve out their prison sentences, the Central African country’s presidency announced on Tuesday.
Marcel Malanga Malu, Tylor Thomson, and Zalman-Polun Benjamin were among around 50 people, including a Belgian, a British national, and a Canadian, who were charged with criminal conspiracy, murder, terrorism, and other offenses, following a failed coup last May.
The three, along with 37 others, were sentenced to death by a military court in September. However, last week, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi commuted Marcel, Thompson, and Benjamin’s sentences to life imprisonment.
“The three men… boarded a flight to the United States of America, where they will serve the remainder of their sentences. This decision is part of a dynamic effort to strengthen judicial diplomacy and international cooperation in matters of justice and human rights between the two countries,” the DR Congo presidency stated. – RT
Our Take: Last week, on my new geopolitical news show “Geopolitics with Ghost,” I speculated that President Trump may leverage the request he received for assistance from the DR Congo’s president to help resolve the ongoing crisis with Rwanda, in exchange for the acquisition for the American-born terrorists who tried to overthrow the DRC government last May.
It would appear that this is exactly what President Trump has done.
It’s important to note that these “soldiers” represent one of the most evil schemes in modern political history: regime change.
None of them should be afforded clemency, nor do I think that’s what this is about. (They will be serving the remainder of their prison terms in a U.S. prison.)
What this deal does achieve is bring the guilty terrorists into the hands of the Trump administration, where they will have the leverage to extract the truth of the failed DRC coup last May – and who was behind it.
US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has claimed that electronic voting systems are vulnerable to hacking, and called for a nationwide switch to paper ballots. She made the remarks during a Cabinet meeting attended by President Donald Trump, where she presented evidence of voting machine security flaws.
The development came a day after Trump signed executive orders directing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate former cybersecurity chief Chris Krebs for his actions during the 2020 election.
"We have evidence of how these electronic voting systems have been vulnerable to hackers for a very long time and vulnerable to exploitation to manipulate the results of the votes being cast, which further drives forward your mandate to bring about paper ballots across the country so that voters can have faith in the integrity of our elections." – Economic Times
Our Take: Tulsi Gabbard publicly admitted to the existence of evidence that has existed and been readily available to the public for YEARS.
It doesn’t become true when TV characters say it. – Chris Paul
Republican officials are expressing reservations in private about President Donald Trump’s tariff policies. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who has emerged as a lone voice in support of repealing Trump’s tariffs, said he’s heard similar views from his colleagues. He characterized the murmurs of dissent as “quiet whispers.”
“They whisper in my ear, ‘free trade is good,’” Paul told CNBC on Tuesday. “Keep going. Keep going. But they don’t want to say it because of the politics of it.”
Since Trump announced widespread tariffs on nearly all of the U.S.’s trade partners last week, Paul has been resolutely against the new trade policy. Paul, an avid supporter of free trade, said he views the tariffs as unnecessary barriers to the flow of goods between countries. – Fortune
Our Take: “Then they say ‘everything would be so cheap,’ if we only had free trade. Well, everything would be cheap and everybody would be cheap. I do not prize the word ‘cheap.’ It is not a word of hope; it is not a word of comfort; it is not a word of cheer; it is not a word of inspiration! It is the badge of poverty; it is the signal of distress; and there is not a man in the audience, not a white-haired man, who, if he will let his memory go back, will not recall, then when things were the cheapest, men were the poorest.... Cheap? Why, cheap merchandise means cheap men, and cheap men mean a cheap country; and that is not the kind of Government our fathers founded, and it is not the kind their sons mean to maintain. If you want cheap things, go where you can get them.... We want labor to be well paid.” – President William McKinley, 1889
The price of gold has tumbled amid shock waves from the tariff war between the United States and China, but the precious metal remains the safe-haven asset of choice in times of volatility, analysts said.
The spot price of gold climbed 40 per cent in a year to hit an all-time high of US$3,167.77 an ounce on April 3, but US President Donald Trump’s announcement of his long-promised “reciprocal tariffs” then saw the price fall by about 5.1 per cent to US$3004.57 as of 11am on Wednesday.
Analysts attributed the drop to short-term sell-offs by traders needing to cover losses from other asset classes. Alex Chiu, senior exchange-traded fund (ETF) strategist at asset management firm Value Partners, said gold could be used to mitigate losses when the wider market was experiencing “abnormal volatility”.
“During market downturns … brokers may initiate a margin call that sells off gold to cover losses in other positions,” he said, adding that gold was an easily liquidated asset. – South China Morning Post
Financial planners and wealth advisers are urging their clients with 401(k) accounts to remain calm despite their anxiety over market volatility triggered by President Trump’s on-again-off-again tariffs, The Post has learned.
Many have seen their retirement accounts whipsawed over the past week as Wall Street convulsed from Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs rollout last week, before skyrocketing Wednesday after he announced a 90-day pause on the stiff reciprocal tariffs against all nations except China.
Parents relying on 529 college savings plans told the Wall Street Journal that they are feeling the strain of a volatile market just as tuition bills are coming due — forcing tough choices amid falling balances. While some are staying the course or shifting to conservative investments, others are nervous or adjusting contributions as they weigh immediate education costs against long-term gains.
Experts who spoke to The Post said those hesitating before taking a peek at their 401(k) accounts should stay invested, and keep their long-term plan front and center. – New York Post
President Trump is set to open direct talks with Iran this weekend in a high-stakes push for Tehran to give up its nuclear weapons ambitions, raising a chorus of questions and concerns from lawmakers in both parties. Iran on Monday said the “high-level talks,” set to start in Oman on Saturday, would be indirect, seeming to contradict Trump, who said earlier Monday, “We’re having direct talks with Iran.”
It’s also unclear if the president is looking to limit Iran’s nuclear capabilities — similar to the Obama-era agreement he trashed in 2018 — or demand the full destruction of its facilities. Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas), chair of the influential Republican Study Committee, said anything short of a nuclear disbandment was unacceptable.
“A full commitment that they, not just when Trump is president, but whoever follows President Trump is there, that there is a firm commitment, and we know, we can verify, and there’s a complete dismantlement of their nuclear enterprises,” he told The Hill.
The uncertainty over Trump’s endgame has strained relations with Israel, which is wary of any U.S. engagement with Iran, a sentiment shared by many on Capitol Hill. – The Hill
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The administration's admitted error in the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case was not in sending him to prison, or in deporting him, but in deporting him specifically to El Salvador. The SCOTUS ruling won't free him - it'll just get him moved elsewhere.
The administration's admitted error in the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case was not in sending him to prison, or in deporting him, but in deporting him specifically to El Salvador. The SCOTUS ruling won't free him - it'll just get him moved elsewhere.
El Salvador can do whatever they want with him.
He should not be our problem. And I don’t think we are getting the whole story. And yes, our SCOTUS has been failing us miserably !