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.
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FBI Director Kash Patel found a trove of sensitive documents related to the origins of the Trump–Russia probe buried in multiple "burn bags" in a secret room inside the bureau, sources told Fox News Digital.
Sources told Fox News Digital that the "burn bag" system is used to destroy documents designated as classified or higher. Sources told Fox News Digital that multiple burn bags were found and filled with thousands of documents.
Sources told Fox News Digital that one of the documents FBI officials found in a burn bag was the classified annex to former special counsel John Durham's final report, which includes the underlying intelligence he reviewed.
The declassification of the classified annex is being done in close coordination between CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Patel, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Attorney General Pam Bondi and acting National Security Agency Director William Hartman. – Fox News
Our Take: I found something interesting related to Obama's involvement in the RICO case.
During the 'Midyear Exam' investigation, Obama's White House Counsel W. Neil Eggelston held two meetings with FBI officials, including Andrew McCabe and Sally Yates, allegedly to discuss the contents of the thumb drives. Those meetings took place on September 20, 2016 and October 20, 2016.
Significant developments took place following both of those meetings with Obama's White House Counsel.
September 21, 2016: "At the direction of Fusion GPS, Christopher Steele briefs the N.Y. Times, Washington Post, New Yorker, Yahoo! News, and CNN." 2 days later, Michael Isikoff would publish the first known article based on Christopher Steele's dossier.
October 21, 2016: The FBI "submitted its initial Page FISA application to the FISC, which the court granted that same day." The application was "approved by Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates."
What was actually discussed at these meetings? […]
Was Obama's White House Counsel working with the FBI...just like Hillary Clinton used Perkins Coie to do all her dirty deeds?
Another Take: All crimes have actual timelines, but the most important implication here is the narrative timeline.
If you're putting together the grandest RICO case of them all, causation needs to be stitched into the sequence.
Obama was too hasty ... which shows how much they feared Trump. – Burning Bright
***
One More:
"The immunity ruling might protect Obama on those original charges...however he can be summoned before a grand jury, and he cannot take the 5th Amendment because he has immunity. If he lies as a private citizen about what he did as president, he'll no longer have that immunity. That's the trap Obama is sitting in." [Clip Link] – Jordan Sather
Judicial Watch announced Tuesday it had obtained 47 pages of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) records through a FOIA lawsuit revealing that Gov. Tim Walz’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) prompted a counterintelligence probe involving both DHS and the FBI.
According to internal communications, officials concluded that “China is happy” with Walz’s selection as Kamala Harris’s running mate on the 2024 Democratic ticket and viewed him as someone they could influence in Washington.
The records were released in response to a March 2025 FOIA lawsuit seeking DHS communications and intelligence reports related to Walz. An email dated August 6, 2024, the day Walz was named the VP nominee, shows DHS officials discussing CCP influence operations targeting U.S. governors, specifically Walz and Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo. One redacted official wrote, “You all have no idea how this feeds into what PRC has been doing here with him and local gov. It’s seriously a line of the intel. Target someone who is perceived they can get to DC.”
Officials cited raw intelligence, NGO links with prior CCP contacts, and coordination with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the FBI’s Counterintelligence Task Force (CITF). An August 7 Microsoft Teams post included a BBC article highlighting Walz’s 1989 teaching stint in Guangdong Province—drawing attention on Chinese social media for its timing with the Tiananmen Square massacre. The article trended on Weibo with 12 million views. – Badlands Media
Our Take: Because of Trump Derangement Syndrome, “the walls are closing in” became a meme rather than a figurative assertion about actual justice. But when it comes to the major players in the grand conspiracy to defraud the American People, it does seem like the rapid pace of disclosure is building towards justice.
Take Tim Walz. The 2024 campaign brought allegations of inappropriate (and possibly illegal) ties with China. Usually, after an election, those kinds of things disappear for the loser. But the scrotus administration destroyed those norms, and the electoral losers are now fair game.
That’s how we ended up here – where campaign allegations continue post campaign. Worse (for Walz), the allegations are becoming better sourced.
The American People want accountability for the treason. It’s never seemed possible…
President Donald Trump has announced that the US has finalized a trade deal with South Korea that features a 15% tariff on imports from Seoul. In addition, South Korea has pledged $350 billion in US-controlled investments and $100 billion in purchases of American energy products.
Trump boasted in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday that US goods would not be subjected to any reciprocal tariffs, calling it a “Full and Complete Trade Deal” designed to “stabilize economic relations” with a key Asian ally.
South Korean President Lee Jae‑myung described the outcome as the result of careful preparation, claiming in a Facebook post that Seoul “gathered diverse opinions and refined our strategies” before reaching the agreement. — RT
Our Take: Remember when Lee Jae‑myung was recently elected South Korean President, and the ConInc influencers and MSM all accused him of being a left-wing communist? (Looking at you, Laura Loomer.)
Turns out President Lee is rather based and has pursued peace and de-escalation with North Korea, while promoting populist nationalism. They even call him the “Trump of South Korea.”
Now we get an announcement of a trade deal that looks eerily similar in its bullet points to one announced earlier this week with the EU.
15% tariff for South Korean goods into the US, and a 0% tariff for US goods into South Korea. $350 Billion of South Korean investment into US-owned companies, and a $100 Billion pledge to purchase American energy.
It’s actually the exact same deal negotiated with the EU, just with a smaller pledge of investment and energy purchases. The EU deal was described by the French Prime Minister as “submission,” and I think we are starting to see a pattern emerging in the world. — GhostofBasedPatrickHenry
***
Another Take: Will Donald Trump announce 17 more trade deals by the time this post goes live?
The Trump administration is recommending that a compound called 7-OH be scheduled as an illicit drug, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary announced Tuesday.
The compound is a by-product of the Kratom plant whose ground leaves are sold as a dietary supplement to boost energy or provide pain relief. FDA officials said 7-OH has a “high risk of addiction” and abuse because of its ability to bind to opioid receptors in the brain.
The compound is found in trace amounts in the kratom plant, and the FDA’s move is aimed at products with concentrated levels of 7-OH.
Makary said the agency is urging the Drug Enforcement Agency to classify 7-OH as a Schedule 1 substance, placing it on list of drugs that include heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and ecstasy. – The Hill
Our Take: This is good news. 7-OH is a highly abused, synthesized alkaloid derived from a plant called Kratom.
But there's a lot of nuance to Kratom, and most people don't understand exactly what a plant alkaloid is. There's a time and place where Kratom can be very helpful, but there's potential for addiction, too.
Not all Kratom products have 7-OH. Huberman Lab recently did a very good show with a PhD scientist who studies Kratom and describes these nuances. – Jordan Sather
She’s tech-ing a break from burnout. Even with an in-person partner, Lilian Schmidt was sick of shouldering the mental load of motherhood.
So, she’s trained ChatGPT to become a second mommy — tasking it to draft shopping lists, create meal plans, plan birthdays and vacations, and revolutionize bedtime.
“I’ve built my own bot to be our co-parent,” Schmidt, 33, a corporate brand strategist, based in Zurich, Switzerland, told SWNS. “I use it to make me a better mom,” bragged the blond, who heavily leans on artificial intelligence for help raising and wrangling her three-year-old daughter. “I’d never go back.”
And why would she? It’s a parenting throuple that really clicks. The millennial is in the majority of overtaxed mamas plagued by burnout.
It’s the stress, anxiety and fatigue of rearing tots that afflicts an eye-popping 57% of US moms and dads, per a recent study from Ohio State University. — New York Post
President Trump on Wednesday went off on one his closest allies in Congress, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) over voting in committee on a bill that would ban stock trading by lawmakers, presidents and vice presidents, arguing that Hawley teamed up with Democrats to advance the measure.
The bill would ban congressional lawmakers and their spouses from trading stocks as well as presidents and vice presidents, but the latter would only apply to future administrations.
Still, Trump, in a social media post, went off on Hawley claiming that he was being used by Democrats to target the president. He also questioned Hawley being the lone Republican on the panel to vote with Democrats 8-7 to advance the bill out of committee.
“Why would one ‘Republican,’ Senator Josh Hawley from the Great State of Missouri, join with all of the Democrats to block a Review, sponsored by Senator Rick Scott, and with the support of almost all other Republicans, of Nancy Pelosi’s Stock Trading over the last 25 years. The information was inappropriately released just minutes before the Vote — Very much like SABOTAGE!” Trump said on Truth Social. — The Hill
The legislators only have this level of debate when it’s about themselves. It’s the baby prop chick / breastfeeding / proxy vote sage — but for insider trading. (Hawley is playing the role of APL.)
President Donald Trump’s administration is considering a move, called a “pocket rescission,” that would effectively rescind federal funding and potentially bypass congressional approval, Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought said on Sunday.
The strategy occurs when a president submits a rescission proposal under the Impoundment Control Act—requesting Congress to cancel previously appropriated funds—within 45 days of the end of the fiscal year, Sept. 30. The funds are withheld during the 45-day congressional review period, and if Congress doesn’t act before the fiscal year ends, the funds expire.
When a rescission request is made outside of the fiscal year-end window, if Congress doesn’t act within the 45 days, the funding is released and spending on the impounded program resumes.
“It’s very possible that we might use pocket rescissions. It’s one of our executive tools. It’s been used before,” Vought told CNN’s “State of the Union.” Critics say that it’s an overreach of executive power and Congress has also expressed concerns with it, but Vought said “the Government Accountability Office … has said it was legal in the 1970s.” – NTD
Our Take: As Chris Paul and I were saying weeks ago...
Here is what Russ Vought said when asked about using "pocket recissions."
"It is a fully legal approach to using the impoundment control act... to send up a recissions bill later in the year and be able to have that evaporate at the end of the fiscal year... Nothing is taken off the table for us to be able to deal with the deficits we have." [Clip Link] – Jon Herold
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Wednesday that Canada will recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September, in a fresh diplomatic blow to Israel as it faces increasingly intensifying international criticism over the war in Gaza.
He said the move was “predicated on the Palestinian Authority’s commitment to much-needed reforms,” including elections in 2026, anti-corruption measures, and a demilitarized Palestinian state. Carney stressed he was “not in any way or shape minimizing that scale of that task.”
“Clearly that’s not a possibility in the near term,” the prime minister said, adding that Canada has joined the efforts of other states to “preserve the possibility of a two-state solution.”
“Much has to happen before a democratic viable state is established,” he added. — The Times of Israel
Axios reported that Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to fly to Israel today to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Witkoff may also visit Gaza and tour GHF “aid” centers.
At CDM/Tsionizm, we have tried to report credibly, truthfully and accurately on the Gaza situation, as we believe truth is what will bring healing to the region, not propaganda. One thing we are sure of is that Israel is losing the propaganda war regarding its conflict with Hamas in the Gaza strip.
President Trump has shown an interest in obtaining a better understanding of what is happening on the ground in Gaza. Witkoff’s visit is likely part of this.
There have been conflicting reports on both sides of the narrative regarding starvation of the population in Gaza, violence at aid centers, and the political narrative that Netanyahu is continuing the war just to stay in power. — Tzionism
Our Take: The wave has crested. We are now surfing down its backside in anticipation of the crash.
I’m no fan of Mark Carney — my co-host on Breaking History, Matt Ehret, just released a documentary about him of which we will be airing portions of tonight on Breaking History — but Carney and his globalist partners are being swept away in the geopolitical undercurrents of a massive maelstrom that they cannot hope to contain. What we have all come to call “The Great Awakening.”
Many of President Trump’s appointments — both past and present — are beginning to make a lot of sense to me, now. I maintain the mindset that they were not all put in their places due to their altruism or earnest patriotism, but because many of them have histories and baggage that will demonstrate the broad expanse of the Deep State, once the scandals and disclosures begin to unfold. (Perhaps put in place as bait for the MSM to aggressively pursue in a vain attempt to implicate Trump in these scandals.)
On the other hand, you have President Trump’s lifelong friends filling “Special Envoy/Employee” positions, and those people appear to be doing much of the heavy lifting when it comes to rectifying the geopolitical fires around the world. While I’m not one to care much for identity politics, we cannot ignore the fact that two of those Special Government Employees — Steve Witkoff and Adam Boehler — who have become thorns in the side of Bibi Netanyahu and his warmongering regime, happen to be Jewish.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Steve Witkoff validate many of the rumors and accusations being levied at Israel and Netanyahu right now, and the fact that he is Jewish will undermine all the typical attacks they will level at him in a vain attempt to discredit his testimony.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other Senate Democrats announced Wednesday that they'll use an obscure federal law known as the "Rule of Five" in an attempt to force the Justice Department to release more documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Why it matters: Congressional Democrats are trying to capitalize on the Epstein issue, which has dogged President Trump and opened fissures between him and some of his most ardent supporters.
What they're saying: "Today's letter matters," Schumer said. "It's not a stunt, it's not symbolic. It's a formal exercise of congressional power under federal law." Schumer said the request covers "all documents, files, evidence and other materials" in the Justice Department and FBI's possession related to the case. The White House did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment, and the Justice Department declined to comment. – Axios
Our Take:
Remember when everyone repeated the television about how these normie podcasters were helping Trump “win” the fake election? [Clip Link] – Chris Paul
***
Another Take: Too many people are trying to figure out what patriots want THEM to do, rather than figuring out what THEY want to do, that patriots then have to respond to.
Kiev’s violent mobilization drive has proven to be extremely damaging to the country’s military capabilities and economy, Ukrainian MP Georgy Mazurashu has said, condemning the effort as a “shameful hunt.”
The actions of the enlistment officers “under the guise of so-called mobilization work” have been “horrifying,” Mazurashu told the Superpozitsiya YouTube channel on Tuesday, adding that the country’s soldiers are treated as “slaves.”
“This has an extremely negative impact on both the spirit of the citizens and the economy... The consequences are extremely negative and large-scale for defense capabilities,” the MP said.
The lawmaker described the mobilization effort as a “shameful hunt for citizens,” arguing that it is failing to fulfill its primary goal of replenishing the ranks of the military, which is experiencing persistent shortages of frontline “trench and assault” personnel. — RT
Our Take: A slave army, just like in the film, 300.
How fitting that the regime’s beloved Ukraine would become the symbol of soul-crushing oppression and forced conscription into what has become a death march into the jaws of the Russian war machine.
The only reason to resort to an army of slaves is that the masters see this conflict as existential.
One side will win, and the other side will be physically annihilated, and all of its crimes dragged out into the sunlight for judgement in the court of public opinion.
What will the American public do when it learns the horrors that have been committed in The Ukraine? What will the world do when it becomes undeniably clear that the US State Department and NGO partners were behind these man-made horrors? — GhostofBasedPatrickHenry
For six years, a senior intelligence official battled political and bureaucratic resistance in efforts to expose the manipulated intelligence behind the Russia collusion hoax. On Wednesday, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard released new documents which provide a firsthand account of the Intelligence Community Whistleblower’s relentless efforts to expose the egregious manipulation and manufacturing of intelligence.
This release provides the Whistleblower’s firsthand account of the work carried out in the months leading up to the November 2016 election, the concerns they raised about the use of discredited information as then-DNI Clapper and Central Intelligence Agency Director Brennan worked to craft the January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) at President Obama’s request, and how a direct supervisor attempted to pressure the Whistleblower to endorse the January 2017 ICA’s key findings about the Russian Government’s alleged support for then-candidate Trump.
“Thank you to the brave Intelligence Community Whistleblower who courageously came forward to expose the truth about one of the biggest and most impactful scandals in our nation’s history,” said DNI Gabbard. “The Whistleblower put their own well-being on the line to defend our democratic republic and ensure the American people learned the truth about how President Obama directed the creation of Intelligence Community Assessment that knowingly promoted falsehoods claiming Russia helped President Trump get elected in 2016. — Eurasia Review
Our Take: Watch this video. IC Whistleblower believes activity he saw while analyzing Russia's cyber activities in 2016 was the same activity being investigated by Durham.
Our IC caught Joffe.
When the whistleblower was pressing for more info he was told to shut it down.
Editor’s Note: Watch last night’s Devolution Power Hour for a detailed look at the documents released to date, and a preview of what is expected to be released as soon as today, with analysis from Jon and Burning Bright.
Federal law sets a single day for federal elections, yet Illinois allows ballots to be received after Election Day. When Cong. Michael Bost sued, federal courts said he didn’t have standing.
Today we told the SCOTUS that result was wrong.
He should have been allowed to sue. – AAG for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon
The United States Military Academy abruptly ended the appointment of Jen Easterly to a high-profile academic position in West Point’s Department of Social Sciences, according to a memorandum issued Wednesday by the Secretary of the Army.
On Tuesday, the academy announced that Easterly was named as the next Robert F. McDermott Distinguished Chair, a department position created in 1943 to bring a leading scholar, practitioner, or expert in the fields of social sciences — such as economics, political science, or international relations — to West Point.
In a since-deleted LinkedIn post, the academy welcomed the former Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency director and academy alumnus after “an extraordinary career of service in the public and private sectors.” [...]
On Wednesday, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll announced in a post on X that the position would be rescinded, and a full review of the academy’s hiring practices would be conducted. – CyberScoop
The Trump administration has frozen $108 million in federal funding for North Carolina's Duke University, days after it opened a civil rights investigation into the school.
The investigation, announced Monday, centers on allegations that Duke's law school made hiring and acceptance decisions on the basis of race and color. It also accuses the university of using race preferences in hiring, admissions and scholarship decisions.
The Department of Education argued that the discriminatory practices, if true, would violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It would also violate the Supreme Court's ruling banning affirmative action, which previously allowed colleges and universities to use race as one of the many factors it considered when accepting or rejecting qualified students.
The National Institutes of Health is responsible for freezing the funds, which will impact the Duke University School of Medicine, a senior administration official told The Hill. The administration has also accused the medical school of accepting applicants on the basis of race. – Just the News
Tsunami warnings remain in place across parts of South America after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the Russian far east in the early hours.
Fears of a devastating tsunami in the US and Japan faded over Wednesday after one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck Russia’s sparsely populated Kamchatka peninsula.
But as the region breathed a sigh of relief - with authorities in Hawaii and parts of Japan, Russia and California downgrading their warnings - new evacuation warnings were issued along South America’s Pacific coast.
Colombia, Chile and Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands all saw restrictions and evacuations issued, including beach and school closures. "Remember that the first wave is usually not the strongest," Chilean president Gabriel Boric warned on social media. Several people were injured during the earthquake, but none seriously and no major damage was reported. – The Independent
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Thank you Badlands and Jordan Sather for bringing attention to the battle for Kratom. "They" have been working to make Kratom illegal for over a decade. I agree that the concentrated form is unnecessary, but the plant itself has saved many lives. If there's something that helps people but they don't make a profit...it just gets destroyed by the international syndicate.
Thank you Badlands and Jordan Sather for bringing attention to the battle for Kratom. "They" have been working to make Kratom illegal for over a decade. I agree that the concentrated form is unnecessary, but the plant itself has saved many lives. If there's something that helps people but they don't make a profit...it just gets destroyed by the international syndicate.
🦅🇺🇲 Election integrity battle:
"BIG UPDATES in the Brunson Brothers case and 2020 Elections" 🇺🇲🦅
Source:
https://wltreport.com/2025/07/30/big-updates-brunson-brothers-case-2020-elections/