Badlands News Brief
US Carriers, FBI Warnings & Election Wins
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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 the Weekend that Was …
US to send 2nd aircraft carrier to eastern Mediterranean
The Pentagon has ordered a second aircraft carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean near Israel to deter Iran or Hezbollah from joining the Israel-Hamas conflict, according to U.S. officials.
A senior U.S. official and a U.S. official told ABC News that the USS Eisenhower carrier strike group will be ordered to the eastern Mediterranean to join the USS Gerald R Ford carrier strike group that arrived there earlier this week and is in international waters off of Israel.
"I have directed the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (CSG) to begin moving to the Eastern Mediterranean," said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in a statement confirming the deployment. "As part of our effort to deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts toward widening this war following Hamas's attack on Israel."
Senior U.S. officials have said publicly this week that the presence of the USS Ford carrier strike group in the eastern Mediterranean and the addition of more U.S. Air Force fighter jets to the region was intended to show the U.S. commitment to Israel and to serve as a deterrent to Iran and Hezbollah not to get involved in the Israel-Hamas conflict. — ABC News
Our Take: “It took just one week for even the most reasoned among us to go all in on Israel or Palestine. Screaming for war in the name of Jesus was not on my bingo card this year, and the current thing is proving just how far the American people have to go until we can no longer be emotionally manipulated by our government.
Now we’ve got two carrier groups in the Med, and a whole lot of disgruntled neocons wanting to officially declare war. We’re told Hamas is a rag-tag group of terrorists, but also the government of Gaza, and also that the threat to Israel is so great that US war ships need to be on standby.
On the other side, we’re told that the Palestinians live in horrendous conditions described as an ‘open air prison,’ but also that they aren’t allowed to evacuate, and even if they could evacuate, they love their homes in the open air prison so much that they don’t want to leave.
Both sides have been fact checked for disseminating disinformation — like false headlines, years-old videos, and AI generated images — and both sides are throwing about words like ‘genocide’ while talking about wiping the other side off the map.
Those who deal in chaos and confusion must be thrilled with the outcome of just one week of this conflict. We have to do better. And for the love of all that is good, let’s keep Congress impotent without a Speaker as long as possible. Can you imagine if they were functional right now and able to escalate this further?” —
FBI director warns of rise in terror threats against Americans, potential copy-cat attacks on US soil
The head of the FBI is ominously warning there is a rising number of terror threats against the US — and that the biggest concern involves potential lone wolves pulling off Hamas copy-cat attacks here.
Agency chief Christopher Wray, 56, urged law enforcement to be extra cautious about ripple effects from the raging Israeli-Palestinian conflict during an address at the International Association of Chiefs of Police annual conference in San Diego on Saturday.
“History has been witness to antisemitic and other forms of violent extremism for far too long,” he said, according to an FBI transcript. “We remain committed to continue confronting those threats.
“In this heightened environment, there’s no question we’re seeing an increase in reported threats, and we’ve got to be on the lookout, especially for lone actors who may take inspiration from recent events to commit violence of their own,” he added.
Wray’s warning came a day after former Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal’s designated a “Day of Jihad” on Oct. 13. — The New York Post
Our Take: “This is the rare Narrative Deployment that can be read with a Bicameral mindset that leaves both ‘awakening’ Anons and Normies with similar forms of psychological tension.
For Normies, the tension is obvious: the potential for an overseas conflict to escalate into a domestic one due to the destabilizing nature and ideological charge of the zeitgeist.
For Anons, the headline—more importantly, its source—can be interpreted as.a veiled threat, predictive programming or some Hegelian threat by the domestic arm of the Deep State.
The positive spin I’ll put on any reading of the FBI’s warnings, however, is that it continues to highlight the overall tension the American sociopolitical mood rests in with Joe Biden ostensibly at the helm, while the days of Donald Trump continue to look rosier to the Collective Mind.” —
'No Regrets': Former CIA Director Repeats Debunked Russian Disinfo Claims About Hunter's Laptop
In an interview last night with Fox's Bret Baier, former CIA Director Leon Panetta humiliated himself as he defended the letter that he and 50 other so-called 'intelligence officials' signed suggesting that the Hunter Biden laptop was Russian disinformation.
Even more unsettling were his comments that he believes it could still be Russian disinformation.
“That letter was used in the debate, I haven’t asked you this but do you have regrets about that now looking back, knowing what you know now?” Baier asked.
Panetta explained that he was “extremely concerned about Russian interference” in the run up to the 2020 Presidential Election between then-former-Vice President Joe Biden and then-President Donald Trump.
He claimed that intelligence agencies discovered that “Russia had continued to push disinformation across the board.”
He said that he wanted to “alert the public” about the “disinformation efforts” to influence the election.
“And frankly, I haven’t seen any evidence from any intelligence agency that that was not the case,” Panetta said.
“You don’t think that it was real?” Baier asked.
“I think that disinformation is involved here. I think Russian disinformation is part of what we’re seeing everywhere,” Panetta responded.
“I don’t trust the Russians, and that’s exactly why I was concerned that the public not trust the Russians either.”
And finally, Baier asked if Panetta had any regrets over how he handled the story.
“No, I don’t have any regrets about not trusting the Russians,” Panetta said. — ZeroHedge
Our Take: “Every now and again, a snake comes out of its hole to try and show its relevance.
This is just such a case, as former CIA Director (under Obama) Leon Panetta randomly decided to crawl out from whatever rock he has been hiding under to go on Fox with Bret Baier.
Why did he go on Fox? Well, to espouse more ‘mUh RuSsIa,’ of course!
Not only did he double down on the ‘Russian Misinformation’ narrative - he seemingly tripled down on it, going so far as to say he had no regrets about stifling the Hunter Biden Laptop story, nor does he harbor any regrets about continually pushing a false narrative concerning Russia’s involvement in both our elections, and the Hunter Biden laptop story.
Kind of interesting how all these snakes are popping up now to reinforce ‘mUh RuSsIa,’ isn’t it?” —
Pfizer Crashes After Slashing Profit Guidance By More Than Half On Collapsing Demand For Covid Meds
Pfizer just lobbed a legendary Friday evening bomb when it slashed its revenue and earnings forecasts for the year as it agreed to take returns from the US of its Covid antiviral Paxlovid amid collapsing demand.
Waiting patiently until after the market closed on Friday, the company said it now sees 2023 revenue of only $58 billion to $61 billion, down $9 billion from its previous estimate of $67 billion to $70 billion.
The drugmaker said adjusted EPS are now expected to be between $1.45 a share and $1.65 a share, down by more than half from its previous earnings forecast of $3.25 a share to $3.45 a share.
[…]
In addition, in the fourth quarter of 2023, Pfizer announced that the company has launched a multi-year, enterprise-wide "cost realignment program" that will realign its costs with its longer-term revenue expectations. The program is expected to deliver targeted savings of at least $3.5 billion, of which $1.0 billion is expected to be realized in 2023 and an additional $2.5 billion is expected to be realized in 2024.
Translation: thousands are about to lose their jobs. — ZeroHedge
Our Take: “News broke Friday that the US is returning unused vaccines and reducing demand forecasts — and Pfizer (PFE) took a dive late Friday after announcing that the company is slashing its forecast and, ostensibly, a bunch of pharma workers are going to be laid off.
Pfizer has been on a downward trend all year, no doubt due to public backlash over the shots and, since Pfizer waited to announce the updates, the news has yet to really hit the market — it may be a rough open.
Pfizer is holding an investor call on Monday at 8am ET, likely to soften the impact.
While bad for Pfizer shareholders, it’s good news that the US is returning unused vaccines. Well done, truth tellers! You saved lives. Additionally, while people losing their jobs is rough, pharma reducing its workforce and losing money is great. That means they can put less experimental poison into the market.
Sounds like a win to me.” —
Texas Senate moves border bill that allows state police to arrest migrants at U.S.-Mexico border
The Senate advanced two immigration-related bills on Thursday evening, one of which would allow state police to arrest migrants who cross the southern border.
Senate Bill 11, sponsored by state Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, would create a new state crime for illegally entering Texas from Mexico and authorize state police to arrest violators. A first-time offender could be convicted of a misdemeanor, but the penalty would jump to a felony if the person has a criminal record and has repeatedly entered the country illegally.
The Senate gave initial approval to SB 11 with a 19-12 vote. The bill needs a final vote in the Senate before it goes to the House.
Senate Bill 4, sponsored by state Sen. Pete Flores, R-Pleasanton, would increase the minimum sentence from two years to 10 years for smuggling immigrants or operating a stash house. SB 4 passed with bipartisan support in a 29-2 vote.
Earlier this month, Gov. Greg Abbott called for a third special legislative session since the regular session ended earlier this year, asking lawmakers to pass proposals on school vouchers and immigration enforcement. Abbott had asked lawmakers to approve immigration enforcement proposals during the regular legislative session and the previous special session, but lawmakers couldn’t come to an agreement and adjourned without passing an immigration enforcement bill.
Abbott has been critical of the Biden administration for years, blaming the president for the record-breaking number of Border Patrol apprehensions at the southern border. — The Texas Tribune
Our Take: “Texas steps up to the plate to combat the crisis at the Southern Border.
The Texas Senate passed a bill legalizing the arrest of illegal immigrants by local and state police.
Make no mistake—the Southern Border is under siege, and Texas made a major move here in attempting to fight back against the invasion at the border sans any help at all from the impotent Biden administration. First they fought off the phony Paxton impeachment attempt, and now they hit back with this new bill.
Turns out there is more than enough reason for hope still left in Texas, as it appears the Fascist Left has been unsuccessful in taking over The Lone Star State.” —
Republicans flip Louisiana governor’s mansion
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry is projected to win the state’s gubernatorial race, according to The Associated Press, handing Republicans control of the top executive office there for the first time since 2016.
Landry competed alongside more than a dozen other people in the jungle primary, in which candidates appear on the same ballot regardless of party. If no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote, the race would have headed to a runoff between the top two vote-getters. But because Landry won more than half the vote as of late Saturday night, he is projected to win the race outright.
While Landry, a hard-right Republican with the backing of former President Trump, was widely viewed as the favorite heading into Saturday, many political observers expected him to face off against Democrat Shawn Wilson for a second round of voting in November.
His strong showing on Saturday gives the GOP — and in particular the party’s conservative, populist wing — a sense of momentum heading into November, where the party is looking to win in two other red-state gubernatorial elections, in Kentucky and Mississippi.
Landry will succeed Gov. John Bel Edwards, the only sitting Democratic governor in the Deep South, who is reaching his term limit. — The Hill
Our Take: “Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry won the state’s gubernatorial race on Saturday, unexpectedly gaining 51% of the vote in the ‘jungle primary’ that puts all party candidates on the same primary ballot. Landry won outright, stunning pundits who expected to see the contest decided in a run-off next month.
Louisiana has had divided government for eight years, with a Republican legislature but a veto-heavy Democrat Governor. Saturday’s flip ensures that Republicans can begin working on their agenda for the state, delivering the conservative outcomes their voters desire.
In another win for LA voters, the ballot measure to prohibit the use of private funds in the administration of elections also passed with overwhelming support at 73%.
Landry is well-known for Missouri et al v. Biden, a multi-state First Amendment lawsuit filed in May 2022. The case addresses the Biden Administration’s collusion with technology companies to censor protected speech. The judge in the case issued an injunction against the government on July 4, though the Fifth Circuit issued a stay on part of the injunction — for CISA specifically — during the appeal in September. On October 3, the court changed its mind and upheld the district court’s ruling.
That means Landry has a couple reasons to celebrate this month.
Congratulations, Governor-Elect!” —
BONUS ITEMS
New Zealand Ousts Leftist Lockdown Loons After Conservative Wins Election
Voters in New Zealand on Saturday ousted the party once led by Jacinda Ardern, and have instead elected the country's most conservative government in decades.
Turns out forcing your citizens to take vaccines, decreeing state news the only 'truth,' and locking up peaceful protesters opposed pandemic authoritarianism did not go over well.
On Saturday, conservative Christopher Luxon was elected New Zealand's next prime minister. While the exact makeup of Luxon's government has yet to be determined, his center-right National party looks set to form a coalition government with one or two minor parties.
The National Party will likely combine its indicated 50 seats with the ACT party (11 seats), to give them 61 seats, providing a slim majority in the 121-seat New Zealand parliament. As Goldman notes, the results are largely in line with pre-election polling, with the incumbent Labour party on track to lose their outright majority in parliament for the first time since 2017.
"You have reached for hope and you have voted for change," Luxon told supporters to rapturous applause at an event in Auckland, alongside his wife Amanda and their children.
Outgoing Prime Mininster Chris Hipkins, who's held the job for nine months following the abrupt resignation of Jacinda Ardern, told supporters late Saturday that he'd called Luxon to concede. — ZeroHedge
COVID-19 Vaccines 'May Trigger' Rheumatic Inflammatory Diseases: Study
A new review suggests that COVID vaccines "may trigger" rheumatic immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, including arthritis, vasculitis, lupus, and adult-onset Still's disease.
On average, patients developed rheumatic diseases 11 days after vaccine administration, according to the study. Seventy-five (over 27 percent) of these patients experienced total disease remission, and about 50 percent improved following treatment. Eight were admitted to intensive care, and two died from their symptoms.
"The short time span between COVID-19 vaccine administration and the onset of R-IMIDs suggests the potential possibility of a cause-and-effect relationship," the authors wrote.
Rheumatic immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (R-IMIDs) involve inflammation that manifests in the joints, tendons, muscles, and bones due to an unknown cause.
The study, led by researchers from the National Health Service in the United Kingdom, examined 271 participants from 190 case studies published worldwide.
Over 80 percent of the patients developed symptoms after their first or second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and most were treated and improved with corticosteroids.
Almost 57 percent of the injured patients received the Pfizer vaccine, nearly a quarter received the AstraZeneca vaccine, and 12 percent of the rheumatic diseases manifested after the administration of the Moderna vaccine. — The Epoch Times
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.
To All the Badlands contributors, you are all Warriors in the War of Stories!! ❤️Through you and with you, I/we have honed our skills at rising above the propaganda narratives. The path of escape from the DeepState-engineered fields of emotional-reaction chaos is truly a gift helping us navigate these times in a far calmer state of mind!! Thank You and may you be Blessed with strength of endurance and clarity of vision to carry on in your much needed approach to the “news” ❤️🙏🕊
This was a great way to start my week and get my mind churning.
I am not worried about our military (i.e. Carriers sent to Middle East) because I firmly believe that Trump and team actually control our military.
Trump has always put his enemies front and center and allowed them to sink themselves. I can see that continuing with all the Old DS Rat Bastards being forced back out into the light so when the justice phase begins none will be forgotten.
We the People are coming and will not be denied. WWG1WGA. PAIN. PANIC in DC.
God Wins!
God BLess!!!