Badlands News Brief
Opposition Intensifies. So Does Winning.
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.
Now, the news from January 28th...
Scoop: Trump Offering Buyouts to All Federal Workers
The White House will issue a memo Tuesday offering to pay federal workers who don't want to return to the office through Sept. 30, as long as they resign by Feb. 6. It's an acceleration in President Trump's already unprecedented purge of the federal workforce.
Driving the news: The Office of Personnel Management described the offer as administrative leave with pay and benefits. A spokeswoman confirmed agencies will receive details later Tuesday. They will also be able to carve out exemptions.
Zoom in: "The government-wide email being sent today is to make sure that all federal workers are on board with the new administration's plan to have federal employees in office and adhering to higher standards. We're five years past COVID and just 6 percent of federal employees work full-time in office. That is unacceptable," a senior administration official tells Axios. –Axios
Our Take: Trump is altering the terms of the deal between the people and the System. Pray we do not alter it any further.
Feds who take the severance will get their bags and a head start in the Golden Age private sector. The rest seem to be betting on a gutted Welfare State.
Good luck. –
OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Gov, Hoping to Further Government Ties
OpenAI has announced a new more tailored version of ChatGPT called ChatGPT Gov, a service that the company said is meant to accelerate government use of the tool for non-public sensitive data.
In an announcement Tuesday, the company said that ChatGPT Gov, which can run in the Microsoft Azure commercial cloud or Azure Government cloud, will give federal agencies increased ability to use OpenAI frontier models. The product is also supposed to make it easier for agencies to follow certain cybersecurity and compliance requirements, while exploring potential applications of the technology, the announcement said.
Through ChatGPT Gov, federal agencies can use GPT-4o, along with a series of other OpenAI tools, and build custom search and chat systems developed by agencies. There’s an administrative console for information technology teams and chief information officers to manage use of the technology. Federal agencies are supposed to follow OpenAI’s universal policies on the AI’s usage. – FedScoop
Our Take: AI tooling within the government’s cloud infrastructure? And this story comes on the heels of China reportedly gaining an AI advantage with DeepSeek. Yikes.
Years ago, I managed the production of a regulatory paper for a client, a US financial institution with a foreign regulator, on a “cloud exit strategy.” Basically, the regulator demanded to know how the institution was going to roll back cloud, if necessary, after moving to cloud and closing their physical data centers. The solution was entirely theoretical and overtly impractical, in my layman’s opinion, having been in the weeds with the tech teams, and lawyers, and executives.
It should have raised many questions from the regulator on the “how” — and the team was prepared for that — but it was approved by the regulator without question.
The point? Tech bros make jargony, theoretical promises to tech-illiterate, bureaucratic regulators, then just do whatever they want. It can be humorous in the private sector; it’s gravely concerning in matters of national security.
–
Pfizer to Pay Nearly $60M Over Kickbacks for Migraine Drug Once Promoted by Lady Gaga
The pharmaceutical giant Pfizer will pay nearly $60 million to resolve charges that a company it acquired paid kickbacks so that physicians would prescribe a specific migraine drug to patients, thereby defrauding Medicare and other federal health care programs.
The Justice Department announced Friday that Biohaven paid improper remuneration, including in the form of speaker honoraria and meals at high-end restaurants, to healthcare professionals to induce them to prescribe the migraine medication Nurtec ODT more often in violation of the anti-kickback statute.
The scheme took place from March 1, 2020, through Sept. 30, 2022. Pfizer bought Biohaven in October 2022. – Fox Business
AND
Attorney General Miyares Secures $7.4 Billion from Purdue Pharma, Sackler Family for Fueling the Opioid Crisis
Attorney General Jason Miyares today announced a $7.4 billion multistate settlement in principle with members of the Sackler family and their company Purdue Pharma, Inc. (Purdue) for their leading role in creating and fueling the national opioid crisis. Virginia is projected to receive up to approximately $107.4 million over 15 years from the settlement.
“The fight to secure this monumental settlement has been long and hard fought, but my office never gave up,” said Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares. “This historic settlement not only holds the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma accountable for their role in the opioid crisis but also ensures that communities across Virginia and the nation alike receive the essential support they need to help heal and restore lives ravaged by opioid addiction.”
Under the Sacklers’ leadership, Purdue invented, manufactured, and aggressively marketed opioid products for decades, fueling waves of addiction and overdose deaths across the country. The settlement ends the Sacklers’ control of Purdue and ability to sell opioids in the United States and will deliver funding directly to communities across the country over the next 15 years to support opioid addiction treatment, prevention, and recovery programs. – Virginian Review
Our Take: The story of the Sackler Family being held accountable is a great milestone in this uphill battle against Big Pharma. It is insane that nobody in the family or Purdue organization hasn't been prosecuted for crimes against humanity, given the despicable plot that unfolded from their scheming. It is a damning indictment of our civilization that I think future generations will reflect on with contempt and disgust. We can only hope that this judgement is laying the groundwork for criminal charges.
Then you have this Pfizer situation.
"This settlement reflects our commitment to hold those who violate the laws accountable, regardless of their status or prestige."
Uh huh.
Pfizer essentially bribed these doctors to prescribe their medication. They violated federal law — according to the article — and yet it seems that nobody is going to face criminal charges, and the company is only facing a fine of $60 million, which is nothing to a company like Pfizer.
Until Big Pharma executives are put in prison for preying on the public, the predatory behavior will continue. –
CNN’s Jim Acosta, an Irritant to Trump, Says He’s Quitting Rather Than Take a Late-Night Time Slot
CNN anchor Jim Acosta, an irritant to President Donald Trump as a former White House correspondent, says he’s quitting the network rather than accept an offer for a new late-night time slot. Acosta announced his departure Tuesday at the end of his one-hour morning show on the network, telling viewers: “Don’t give in to the lies. Don’t give in to the fear.”
He didn’t specifically tie those sentiments to Trump, but the implication was clear. CNN says its decision to move Acosta out of the daylight and into a time slot to begin at midnight Eastern time had nothing to do with politics.
Less than a half hour before Acosta’s announcement, Trump posted on social media that rumors that the anchor was leaving were good news. “Jim is a major loser who will fail no matter where he ends up,” Trump said on Truth Social.
CNN announced last week — Trump’s first week back in office — that it was shuffling its daytime lineup to move Wolf Blitzer into Acosta’s 10 a.m. Eastern time slot, paired with Pamela Brown. The network said it had offered Acosta a job at midnight and would move him to Los Angeles, where his show would air at 9 p.m., and also simulcast the program on CNN International. – AP News
Our Take: He’s trying to create a viral social media trend!
Look for an astroturfed influencer and bot campaign, if anything at all. Pathetic. –
Texas Border Patrol Agents Exchange Gunfire With Suspected Cartel Members
Suspected Mexican cartel members fired upon U.S. Border Patrol agents on Monday near Fronton, Texas, leading to a heated exchange of gunfire. Fortunately, no Border Patrol agents were injured during the exchange — which took place as a group of illegal immigrants were noticed while attempting to cross the Rio Grande.
“Per multiple law enforcement sources, within the last hour, Border Patrol agents near Fronton, TX were fired upon from MX by suspected cartel gunmen as a group of illegal aliens were being brought across the river. I’m told BP returned fire, nobody hit on either side, and that the illegal aliens did not make it across,” wrote Fox News’ Bill Melugin in an X post.
Shortly after, Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R-Texas) responded to the attack, writing “The Texas Tactical Border Force deployed to the Rio Grande Valley to collaborate with U.S. Border Patrol agents on the border. Texas is working closely with the Trump Administration to secure the border and make America safe again.”
The Texas Tactical Border Force deployed to the Rio Grande Valley to collaborate with U.S. Border Patrol agents on the border. – One America News Network
AND
ICE Arrests Across Country as Mexico Border Crossings Plummet Under Trump
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and arrests are being carried out across the United States since Donald Trump's inauguration last week. Numbers of daily arrests have soared in recent days from the daily average of 311, to 956 on Sunday and 1,179 on Monday.
Trump's immigration crackdown has already had a chilling effect on crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border, with crossings in the first few days of Trump's second term at less than half of what they were in the final days of the Biden administration. Sunday saw just 600 people cross the border, down from around 1,400 daily crossings in December 2024, Fox News reports. The Del Rio sector only recorded 60 crossings Sunday, compared to more than 4,000 recorded at its peak in December 2023, according to CBS News.
Trump made immigration a core component of his successful presidential campaign. Matt Elliston, director of ICE Baltimore field office said that "there is no free pass" for illegal immigrants under Trump's new immigration rules. He added that officers are still prioritizing undocumented migrants who have committed a crime or are a threat to public safety. – Newsweek
Our Take: President Trump, DHS Secretary Noem, Border Czar Homan, ICE, and US Border Patrol are proving that they aren’t messing around.
The transparency on detentions and detainers is making Americans feel safer. Removing these criminals actually makes Americans safer. No compromises, no weaponized empathy, no emotional blackmail.
Just measurable results to make America great again.
Promises made, promises kept. –
Trump Win in Colombia Deportation Tariff Fight Proves We Can Stop Illegal Immigration
President Trump is exposing a fundamental flaw in the basic Biden-Harris theory of illegal immigration. Specifically that America is somehow at fault because people jump our borders and that we need to bribe the origin nations of the illegal flood with goodies like trade deals and spending on spurious “root causes,” all because an evil and guilty United States has to pay and pay and pay before even thinking of maybe asking nicely for repatriations.
For proof, witness Sunday’s almost-instant cave-in by Colombian President Gustavo Petro after he tried to go head to head with Trump on the issue… Trump promptly moved to set up “emergency” tariffs of up to 50% on Colombian goods and slammed down visa sanctions and enhanced inspection requirements on Colombian travelers. Petro continued to splutter for a bit, but within hours gave in, even offering up his own presidential plane as a transport.
No US promises to somehow fix Colombia’s very bad social problems, which range from traditional gangs to narco-terror armies; no handouts or special treatment from Washington. All it took was making clear that refusing to accept repatriations would bring real economic and political consequences, then … letting those consequences fly. And the result was total capitulation.
– New York Post
Our Take: For most of my life, I engaged with fiction more than non-fiction because I believed it was more honest. The reason I made the shift to Info War analysis is because the masses are slowly awakening to what has been an illusory reality divide.
It always has been a War of Stories.
Trump isn't changing anything that couldn't have been changed the first time around, contrary to popular belief. Now, he simply has the social permission/mandate to do so.
This is why winning the Story has always been tantamount to winning the war.
Trump had the winning story. –
Scoop: U.S. Sending Dozens of Patriot Missiles From Israel to Ukraine
The U.S. military transferred around 90 Patriot air defense interceptors from storage in Israel to Poland this week in order to deliver them to Ukraine, three sources with knowledge of the operation tell Axios.
Why it matters: Getting more Patriot missiles to Ukraine has been a top priority for the Pentagon to help Kyiv defend against Russia's attacks on its critical infrastructure.
This is also the most significant delivery of weapons from Israel to Ukraine since the Russian invasion almost three years ago.
Catch up quick: Last April, the Israeli Air Force officially decommissioned the Patriot air defense system, more than 30 years after it was first given to Israel during the first Gulf War. The system became less relevant as Israel developed its own air defense systems, and most Patriot batteries were used for training or left in storage. – Axios
Our Take: Last week, I shared the reports on former CIA analyst Michael DiMino being appointed to the Pentagon as the chief policy advisor for the Middle East for the Trump Administration. The move has ruffled many feathers among establishment Republicans like Mitch McConnell, who is incredulous that a guy like DiMino "slipped through the cracks" during vetting by the Senate.
That's because DiMino does not see any national security interest in maintaining a US military presence in the Middle East, and he has expressed the opinion that the United States should be sending aid to Palestine, not Israel, and should immediately cease military support to the IDF, as it seems to be encouraging the warmongering in Tel Aviv.
Now we have a report of 90 Patriot missile defense interceptors being removed from Israel and sent to Ukraine.
What is interesting is that according to this report, which comes from Barak Ravid (Trump's favorite Israeli journalist), Netanyahu has long opposed this move, and only came around to it in September. But prior to releasing the missiles, he sought a negotiation with Zelensky:
At the time, Netanyahu wanted to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in order to get his approval for ultra-Orthodox Israelis to make an annual pilgrimage to the city of Uman in Ukraine, where a famous Rabbi is buried.
Zelensky wouldn't take his call until Netanyahu approved the Patriot deal, the Ukrainian official says.
Oh, you mean the annual pilgrimage made to Ukraine by Israel's most devout practitioners, because they view Uman as a holy city? Because of events that transpired in the 18th century?
I wonder why Christians don't question this situation more often.
It would seem that the religion being practiced by the Haredi (Orthodox + Hasidic) communities in Israel is roughly the same age as the United States of America. While it may have elements that are drawn from the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament) the reality is that, when they refer to the "Torah," they are actually referencing the "Oral Torah," which is the colloquial term used for the Talmud — the sacred Jewish text that was written in the fifth century AD, and describes Jesus of Nazareth as the greatest heretic to ever live, emphasizing that He is being tortured in hell for His blasphemy.
Now, I have always said that religion should be kept out of this Israel/Gaza situation, as it is ultimately a geopolitical dynamic. But I recognize the reality that our Christian faith is being weaponized against us, so setting the record straight is absolutely imperative.
We can certainly be friends with the nation of Israel, but we should remain apprehensive and vigilant when the Word of God is invoked for political purposes. Despite what AIPAC says, going to war with Islam (or any other religion) will not bring us closer to God. –
Ex-CNN Pundit Admits Trump Was Likely 'Right' About Covid-19 Likely Leaking From a Lab
Ex-CNN pundit Chris Cilizza took to social media on Monday to concede that President Donald Trump was likely right about the COVID-19 lab leak theory, after the CIA announced it was changing its assessment of the origins of COVID-19.
"I screwed up," Cillizza, who served as CNN's editor at large prior to his exit in 2022, began in a thread posted to X.
The CIA changed its assessment on the origins of COVID-19 on Saturday, and said that they believe "with low confidence that a research-related origin of the COVID-19 pandemic is more likely than a natural origin based on the available body of reporting." – Fox News
Our Take: Chris Cillizza attempts a mea culpa for being wrong about something from 5 years ago on zero new information as though it's because of breaking news.
He attempts to explain what got him there, so he won't make the mistakes again, while misunderstanding what got him there.
These people are so dishonest. He's trying to preserve his reputation, not unwind what he's actually done. Sad. –
Democrats Dig in Their Heels on Nominees Amid Spending Freeze Chaos
A batch of Democrats incensed with President Donald Trump's latest decision to pause federal spending voted against his otherwise benign nominee for Transportation secretary on Tuesday, the first brick in what some of them promise will be a wall of opposition until funds are uncorked.
An OMB memo stipulating that federal agencies should temporarily halt paying out grants and loans as of 5 p.m. Tuesday threw Washington into chaos amid a scramble to figure out what exactly is being impacted. As the Capitol reeled, many Democratic lawmakers took their frustration out by voting no on Sean Duffy's nomination to head the Transportation Department — despite having unanimously voted to move his nomination forward less than 24 hours before.
“Until I get clarity from this administration about their plans to continue implementing this order, I'm going to vote against nominees. Until I hear some better path forward on this,” said Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), adding that a federal court injunction would be necessary to ameliorate his concerns. And he questioned whether Duffy would simply be a vessel to implement the order. – Politico
Our Take: Republicans hold the Senate 53-47. Senate Democrats can whine all they want, but they have no power on their own. Democrats can’t do anything without the help of Senate Republicans. Also, “advice and consent” does not mean “approve.” This silliness from Sen Coons and the rest is performative.
That being said, if the Senate blocks one of President Trump’s nominees, we can obtain legal clarity on this matter – which will be good for the people and future generations.
Let’s see what happens. –
Israeli Mining Magnate Beny Steinmetz Held in Greece on Romanian Arrest Warrant
French-Israeli diamond mining magnate Beny Steinmetz was detained in Athens on an arrest warrant issued by Romania, police and legal sources said on Monday. The 68-year-old was detained on Sunday, hours after arriving on a private aircraft at Athens International Airport, police sources said.
A European arrest warrant was issued against him on behalf of Romania on accusations related to being part of a criminal organization, a police official said on condition of anonymity. Steinmetz was expected to appear before a prosecutor later Monday.
Romania convicted Steinmetz in absentia for real estate fraud and in December 2020 sentenced him to five years in prison. An initial Interpol “red notice” to detain Steinmetz was ordered, but later canceled due to concerns that the trial against Steinmetz was “politically motivated,” his spokesman said last year when the businessman was similarly detained in Cyprus, but then released on bail. – Times of Israel
Our Take: An Israeli diamond magnate is facing prosecution for corruption?
Why does this story sound so familiar?
If you are thinking "Dan Gertler" of Katanga Mining, Glencore, Executive Order 13818, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and its state-owned mining company, Gecamines, allow me to direct your attention to this 2007 article from the Financial Times of London:
Not only is Beny Steinmetz a longtime business partner with George Soros. He was also the key investor who partnered with Dan Gertler, the scion of the Israeli diamond cartel, and Glencore, the largest commodities trader in the world, in 2007, to merge the two major mining companies in the DRC. Katanga Mining and Nikanor would become the largest producer of copper in Africa.
Remember yesterday when I covered that story about M23 (the terrorist group) and the Rwandan army entering the DRC and capturing the city of Goma?
I wonder who is funding M23? I wonder what secrets the nation of Rwanda is hiding?
Looks like I have my next research lead. –
Exclusive: Images Show China Building Huge Fusion Research Facility, Analysts Say
China appears to be building a large laser-ignited fusion research centre in the southwestern city of Mianyang, experts at two analytical organisations say, a development that could aid nuclear weapons design and work exploring power generation.
Satellite photos show four outlying "arms" that will house laser bays, and a central experiment bay that will hold a target chamber containing hydrogen isotopes the powerful lasers will fuse together, producing energy, said Decker Eveleth, a researcher at U.S.-based independent research organisation CNA Corp. – Reuters
Our Take: Yesterday, I said the MSM was going to pivot from Muh Russia to Muh China as 2025 Supervillain, and Trump is going to play along ... for a while.
Reuters is up first!
Them Chinamen have scary looking bases with LASER BAYS AND TARGET CHAMBERS!
(Nuclear is a good thing. Chill.) –
BONUS ITEMS
Judge Blocks Trump’s Spending Freeze
A federal judge has halted President Donald Trump’s freeze on federal aid programs, ruling that the courts need more time to consider the potentially far-reaching ramifications of his order. Minutes before the directive from Trump’s budget office was to take effect Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan blocked the Trump administration from implementing it for now.
AliKhan’s order will expire Feb. 3 at 5 p.m. The Trump administration cannot suspend disbursement of any congressionally appropriated funds until then. The judge described the move as a “brief administrative stay” intended to maintain the status quo while further litigation plays out. “I think there is the specter of irreparable harm,” said AliKhan, an appointee of President Joe Biden.
The ruling is a win for nonprofit and public health groups who filed a lawsuit earlier Tuesday challenging the broad spending freeze the Trump’s budget office ordered overnight. – Politico
NYC Minority Communities Cheer ICE Raids That Rounded Up Violent Criminal Migrants: ‘Get Them the Hell Off the Street!’
New York City residents in Hispanic and black communities that supported President Trump in huge numbers in the 2024 election hailed Tuesday’s local immigration raids that nabbed scores of suspected heinous criminals.
Starting in the Bronx — where Trump’s support surged 35% between 2020 and 2024 — heavily armed federal immigration agents stormed through the city, targeting migrants with warrants for murder, kidnapping and other heinous crimes, police sources told The Post.
Among those arrested was Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco, 25, an alleged ringleader of the notorious Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua who immigration officers took into custody at an Ogden Avenue apartment in The Bronx. – New York Post
White House Clarifies 'Dronegate': New Jersey UAPs Authorized By FAA For "Research Purposes"
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt provided much-needed transparency regarding the "dronegate" incident that sparked nationwide concerns over potential threats from China and Russia.
In a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Leavitt said the drones spotted over New Jersey and New York in December had been authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration for "research purposes."
"An update on the New Jersey drones. After research and study, the drones flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized to be flown by the FAA for research and various other reasons. Many of these drones are hobbyist and recreational drones that enjoy flying drones," Leavitt said during her press conference… "This was not the enemy." – ZeroHedge
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To be clear - excellence as an employee in the private sector does not guarantee a job or fair treatment. Having spent 50 years in it I can attest to both ill-treatment and prejudice against uprightness and hard-work. So I guess I can muster a modicum of empathy for people who have been encouraged to work half as hard, doing things that by definition add no tangible value to the economy, with what has been just shy of "tenure"...on second thought!
Also - did Perdue Pharma use Mckenzie Consulting?
I love this woman, who deserves to be called the female version of Trump !
Marvelously MAGA ... 🇫🇷🤩🤩🇺🇲
"Billionaire Philanthropist Nicole Shanahan Puts Senate on Notice — Vote to Confirm RFK Jr. or I Will ‘Personally Fund’ Primary Challenges !"
Source:
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/01/billionaire-philanthropist-nicole-shanahan-puts-senate-notice-vote/