Badlands News Brief
Escalation is the Name of the Game ...
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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, whose stated opinions are their own. Feel free to follow the corresponding link to see their other work.
Now, onto the news from Thursday, October 26 …
U.S. Strikes Iranian-Linked Targets in Syria
The United States carried out two airstrikes against facilities used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and its proxies in eastern Syria early Friday in retaliation for a flurry of recent rocket and drone attacks against American forces in Iraq and Syria.
The strikes by Air Force F-16 jets, against a weapons storage facility and an ammunition storage facility, were intended to send a strong signal to Iran to rein in the attacks the Biden administration has blamed on Tehran’s proxies in Syria and Iraq without escalating the conflict in the Middle East, U.S. officials said. The targets, while limited in number, represent an escalation in striking facilities used by Iran’s own forces in the region, not just the militias in Iraq and Syria that Tehran helps to arm, train and equip.
“These precision self-defense strikes are a response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militia groups,” Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said in a statement.
“The United States does not seek conflict and has no intention nor desire to engage in further hostilities, but these Iranian-backed attacks against U.S. forces are unacceptable and must stop,” Mr. Austin said.
Since Hamas’s surprise attack against Israel on Oct. 7, President Biden and his aides have sought to contain the war between Israel and Hamas, and prevent it from spilling over into a regional conflict with Iran and its proxies in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. — The New York Times
Our Take: “As we've been discussing a lot, lately, there are two major ways the enemy lies:
They report false Actuals based on real Narratives.
They report false Narratives based on real Actuals.
Kinetic events may be occurring (even that is difficult to verify,) but the great WHY can only be guessed directionally, and the best way I've found to do so is to track the whip and lash of the enemy's words.
Sometimes, it really is as simple as playing the opposite game.
What do [they] want you to think about these events, Narrative and/or Actual?
Act accordingly.” — Burning Bright
During manhunt for suspect in Maine shooting that killed 18, authorities twice converge Thursday on his last known residence
A manhunt for a suspect accused of killing 18 people in a bowling alley and a restaurant in Maine surpassed 24 hours Thursday evening – on a day that saw law enforcement twice converge on the suspect’s last known address for searches.
The second time authorities massed at Robert Card’s residence in Bowdoin on Thursday brought tense moments in the evening, as law enforcement officials surrounded the home and one officer could be heard saying “come out with your hands up.”
But that episode appeared to end uneventfully, with authorities leaving the scene two hours later and Maine State Police saying they were done there for the night. Investigators had thought they detected something inside or near the home, which prompted the activity, a law enforcement official said.
Authorities were simply doing their due diligence while trying to execute search warrants, Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss told CNN Thursday about the evening’s activity.
Investigators’ visits to the home came amid an extensive manhunt for Card, a suspect in Wednesday evening’s shooting at a bowling alley and at a restaurant in Lewiston, Maine. The shooting killed 18 people and injured 13 others, Gov. Janet Mills said Thursday.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Card, 40, accusing him of murder, Maine State Police Col. William Ross said during a Thursday news conference. He “should be considered armed and dangerous,” officials said. — CNN
Our Take: “As I write this, we are coming up on the 24-hour mark of the Maine mass shooting, and authorities still haven’t captured alleged shooter Robert Card. Card has all the classic earmarks of a mentally unstable person who was MK-Uktra’d into committing atrocities. The fact that they haven’t caught him, with the level of public surveillance in US communities, seems anomalous; it’s hard to believe the most wanted man in America right now can go undetected.
Despite Card being at large, the public discussion focuses solely on disarmament. That messaging was locked and loaded — pun intended — from the moment news of the shooting broke Wednesday evening. The usual suspects are again blaming the gun for the actions of the gunman and, despite the fact that their outrage stems from the deaths of vulnerable and unarmed people, their solution calls for more vulnerable, unarmed people.
Keep your guns, America. Communists love to exploit tragedy to create the conditions for more tragedy. And the communists cannot achieve their endgame as long as the American people remain armed. Regardless of the shooter’s inception and motivations, the loss of life is tragic, and my prayers are with those impacted by this horrific crime.” — Ashe in America
Hamas Delegation Arrives In Moscow As Russia Blames US For Escalation
In a somewhat unexpected development, a delegation of Hamas leaders have arrived in Moscow for talks, the Russian Foreign Ministry has confirmed Thursday evening (local time). "I can confirm that representatives of the [Hamas] Palestinian movement are visiting Moscow,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a press briefing, vowing to provide relevant details as the talks unfold.
The visit had not been previously announced by either side, and the Hamas delegation is being led by a senior member of the group, Moussa Abu Marzouk. Hamas is a designated terror organization in the US, European Union, and some other countries; but it has official relations with countries like Iran, Turkey, Syria, and now apparently Russia.
Russia, however, has said it remains willing to talk to all sides of the conflict in hopes of achieving ceasefire and peace. After the US exit from Afghanistan, Moscow had similarly hosted a Taliban delegation.
It's as yet unclear whether Russia's top diplomat, Sergei Lavrov, will meet with the Hamas representatives, given he's said to currently be in Minsk.
RIA Novosti has reported that Hamas has during opening meetings with Russian officials "commended Putin’s position and the efforts of Russia’s diplomacy."
The Kremlin has said it is engaged in crisis diplomacy talks with both the Hamas and Israeli sides, at a moment that over 220 hostages are still being held in Gaza. Four have been released thus far, including two Americans, due in large part to the mediation of Qatar. Will Russia press the delegation to release more captives? Likely this is high on the agenda for Moscow. — ZeroHedge
Our Take: “Once again we see the west escalating towards global war, while Russia, at least outwardly, makes moves towards peace.
For decades, our government has told us that Russia and its allies are savage world villains; yet it is the US pushing for further violence in a region known most for its violence. It’s a dark moment in the war of stories.
Hamas is not a victim — rather, they’ve made victims of both the Palestinian and Israeli peoples. From their rhetoric and actions, they appear intent on drawing out the conflict until they reclaim the Holy City and liberate the mosque. It will be interesting to see if any meaningful concessions result from their summit in Moscow. If Russia can deliver the Hamas side of ceasefire, the pro-Ukraine / pro-Palestine factions in the US will find themselves in a rough spot both psychologically and rhetorically.
Yesterday marked the anniversary of Israel’s 1994 peace agreement with Jordan, which still holds to this day — proving that peace is possible, but only when the parties actually desire peace. US leaders and their western allies speak of wanting peace, but it’s becoming more and more obvious that their words don’t match their intentions. And that’s a shame.” — Ashe in America
Another Take: “With Moscow reportedly hosting a Hamas delegation this afternoon in order to discuss the release of Israeli hostages, the communist contingent in the west, who are apparently Hamas Superfans, now find themselves in the unenviable position of praising Russian peacemaking attempts after condemning them and praising Ukrainian Nazis for two years.
It is okay to find this hilarious.
Cognitive Dissonance is a hell of a drug ... and the come-down is going to be rougher for some than for others.” — Burning Bright
The White House is losing the messaging war on Ukraine. Now it’s changing the message.
The White House has been quietly urging lawmakers in both parties to sell the war efforts abroad as a potential economic boom at home.
Aides have been distributing talking points to Democrats and Republicans who have been supportive of continued efforts to fund Ukraine’s resistance to make the case that doing so is good for American jobs, according to five White House aides and lawmakers familiar with the effort and granted anonymity to speak freely.
The push, first previewed publicly in President Joe Biden’s Oval Office address last week, comes ahead of the election of a new House speaker, with the White House trying to invoke patriotism to help convince holdout Republicans not just to help Kyiv but to pass a major package that includes funds for Israel as well.
“As we replenish our stocks of weapons, we are partnering with the U.S. defense industry to increase our capacity and meet the needs of the U.S. and our allies both now and in the future,” according to a copy of the talking points obtained by POLITICO.
“This supplemental request invests over $50 billion in the American defense industrial base — ensuring our military continues to be the most ready, capable, and best equipped fighting force the world has ever seen — and expanding production lines, strengthening the American economy and creating new American jobs,” the document states.
The talking points are an implicit recognition that the administration has work to do in selling its $106 billion foreign aid supplemental request — and that talking about it squarely under the umbrella of national security interests hasn’t done the trick. — Politico
Our Take: “Reset your Overton's Goalpost clocks! We've got a fresh one out of the Military Industrial Complex.
Even the MSM stooges at Politico are catching on to the sudden shift in messaging out of the Biden Regime as a bipartisan American public increasingly moves away from permanent, unending support for the Ukraine proxy war against the Russian Federation.
Deny = We MUST defend Ukrainian Democracy!
Diminish = We MUST stop Russian expansion ... into lands populated by ethnic Russians.
Qualify = Okay, so Ukraine isn't really a Democracy, but it's the lesser of two evils!
Distract = LOOK what they're doing to Israel! Where's that new spending package?
Admit = Ukraine is corrupt from top to bottom, but the Military Industrial Complex could use some new contracts, and the checks aren't going to write themselves.
Donald Trump stopped the Forever War Machine, and [they] are losing the Narrative War.
That means the mask is slipping, and the fangs are coming out.
We see you.” — Burning Bright
BONUS ITEMS
Prosecutor Livid After FBI Refused To Pursue 'Credible' Biden-Ukraine Corruption Allegations, Grassley Reveals 40 Informants
While January 6th protesters languish in prison for participating in a fed-filled march on the Capitol, the Biden family sits pretty atop their ivory tower as the FBI covers for their multitude of obvious crimes.
In two bombshell reports from Just the News, we learn that not only was a prosecutor livid over the FBI's "reluctance" to pursue credible claims of corrupt Biden dealings in Ukraine (the thing Democrats impeached Trump for asking about), the agency had evidence from more than 40 informants spanning 'years of investigation,' which DOJ and FBI officials sought to undermine, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) revealed in a Wednesday letter. — ZeroHedge
House Approves Resolution Backing Israel In New Speaker's First Move
The House on Wednesday approved a resolution that expressed strong support for Israel, the first bill brought to the floor after Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) was elected as the chamber’s new speaker.
The resolution passed in a vote of 412-10 and says that the US “stands” with Israel in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attack and as Israel is relentlessly bombing Gaza. The resolution reaffirmed the US commitment to providing military aid to Israel and said Congress will work to pass more.
The bill says the House “stands ready to assist Israel with emergency resupply and other security, diplomatic, and intelligence support.” It also called for the US to continue enforcing sanctions on Iran and condemned the Hamas attack.
Nine Democrats voted against the resolution, including Reps. Jamaal Bowman (NY), André Carson (IN), Cori Bush (MO), Al Green (TX), Summer Lee (PA, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY), Ilhan Omar (MN), Delia Ramirez (IL) and Rashida Tlaib (MI). The sole Republican who voted against the measure was Rep. Thomas Massie (KY).
Explaining his opposition to the bill on X, Massie pointed to the sanctions aspect and the promises of military support and aid. “It contains an open-ended promise of military support that is so broad that it could be interpreted to commit US soldiers to the conflict. US troops should not be engaged in this conflict,” he said. — AntiWar.com
Rep. Bowman pleads guilty after pulling fire alarm ahead of House spending bill vote
Rep. Jamaal Bowman pleaded guilty on Thursday after being charged with falsely pulling the fire alarm at a congressional office building, a misdemeanor, before the House voted on a stopgap spending bill to fund the government last month.
"I'm thankful for the quick resolution from the District of Columbia Attorney General's office on this issue and grateful that the United States Capitol Police General Counsel's office agreed I did not obstruct nor intend to obstruct any House vote or proceedings. I am responsible for activating a fire alarm, I will be paying the fine issued, and look forward to these charges being ultimately dropped," Bowman initially said in a statement Wednesday after he was hit with the misdemeanor charge.
"I think we all know that Republicans will attempt to use this to distract everyone from their mess, but I look forward to putting this behind me and to continue working hard to deliver for New Yorkers," he said.
After his court appearance on Thursday, Bowman told ABC News, "I regret Capitol Police resources needed to be used to respond to that. I'm glad no one was hurt." — ABC 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.
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.
Thanks for your Takes, I am sitting here with my coffee getting another Glorious day started with y'all.
Through all the lies and old tricks thrown against the wall by the DS Rat Bastards and their lap dogs the MSM we are still one day closer to the world being set free.
With all the cover "shiny penny" stories that they can muster they cannot escape the fact that We the People have reached the tipping point and their bullshit no longer rules the airwaves. MSM = LIES and the digital soldiers point this out quicker and louder each day. Our ranks are growing exponentially now and there is no stopping that train.
With prayer I remain ComfyAF. Have a great weekend.
God Wins!
God Bless!!!
So... The shooting in Maine was cover for the Grassley bombshell.