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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. Feel free to follow the corresponding link to see their other work.
Now, onto the news from Thursday, August 10 …
US proposes January start for Trump election trial
U.S. prosecutors on Thursday asked a federal judge to begin former President Donald Trump's trial on charges of trying to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden on Jan. 2, 2024.
That date would have the trial get under way just two weeks before the first votes are cast in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, a race in which Trump is the front-runner.
U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith's office asked a judge in a court filing on Thursday to start the trial on Jan. 2 in part due to the public's interest in a speedy trial.
Smith's office said that interest is "of particular significance here, where the defendant, a former president, is charged with conspiring to overturn the legitimate results of the 2020 presidential election, obstruct the certification of the election results, and discount citizens’ legitimate votes."
A spokesperson for Trump said Smith and the Justice Department "are blatantly playing political games," citing Trump's status as a front-runner in the 2024 election.
Trump himself said on his Truth Social platform that any trial should be held after the 2024 U.S. elections. Such a date would potentially give him the power to end his prosecution if he were to become president again. — Reuters
Our Take: “Distance and timing.
During my kickboxing days, these were the core tenets of the fighting style I was taught by my best instructor. According to his teachings, you could be stronger or weaker, faster or slower, durable or fragile. But if you had the correct distance and timing relative to your opponent, it was impossible for him to win.
That maxim holds true in the sociopolitical realm, and Donald Trump’s deployments—even those that SEEM to be opposed to him—tend to have uncanny distance and timing associated with them.
Distance from the 2024 election proper … but not TOO much distance, and timing that sees the biggest possible storyline in recent American history KICK OFF the most contentious—and thus, vital—election cycle of all time.
While the current media cycle is all doom and gloom on these very points, I want you to ask yourself if it seems like the Deep State are the ones who WANT Donald Trump soaking up the undivided attention of the Collective Mind to start 2024 … or if he does.
And then I want you to smile.” —
Federal Court Declares Trump A Flight Risk In Secret Subpoena Decision
The disclosure of a subpoena of Twitter by Special Counsel Jack Smith was surprising in a number of respects, including the hefty $350,000 fine imposed by U.S. District Court Beryl Howell (below) for a three-day delay as the company sought to address the demand.
However, the two most surprising, and concerning, elements was that the subpoena was secret and Howell justified it, in part, on Trump being a flight risk. Neither seems warranted in this case even the subpoena was in other respects warranted.
Special counsel Jack Smith subpoenaed and obtained a search warrant related to former President Trump’s account on Twitter, now X. However, he also sought the information with a nondisclosure order that prohibited X from disclosing the existence or contents of the search warrant to Trump or anyone else. However, Trump already knew he was under investigation, so why was there a need for nondisclosure?
The court found that Trump might change his course of conduct but that seems unlikely.
If anything Trump has been most consistent in his social media practices. Indeed, while some of us have criticized him for his posting, he has remained entirely undeterred. — Jonathan Turley
Our Take: “The Cabal think they are putting Trump on trial, using the typical lawfare and reputation-destroying tactics in an attempt to stop the man from winning in 2024, or using his sizable social capital to cripple their globalist machine.
What the Cabal doesn’t realize is that it is actually them that is on trial, not Trump.
The fact Trump wasn’t going to be told about the effort by Jack Smith to gather evidence from X (formerly Twitter) is a fairly obvious attempt to cheat in that they don’t want Trump to prepare a valid defense for whatever they find. They cite flight risk as an excuse, which makes no sense since he has never not appeared and is one of the most recognizable figures in world history.
Lawfare, more or less, is the use of the legal process to retard, hinder, or otherwise prevent justice, in principle; or in a practical sense, to starve out and waste the resources of your opponent so you can win outside of merit. Clearly, an outcome that was produced by manipulation and coercion isn’t fair and doesn’t properly reflect the truth or justice—because cheating was needed to win.
The fact that so much lawfare has already emerged against Trump means that with every public action the globalists take, they might legally win but, then lawfully loose. That is to say, they might be able to rig the system enough to finally get Trump out of the 2024 race, but almost everyone would agree it’s a bogus outcome, corrupt to the core, and as such, the Cabal would spend the little social capital they have to stop Trump.
Trump likely knows this and wants this to happen. Why? Because, as we all have said 1,000 times over, this isn’t about Trump.
Last point: The fine of $350k speaks to a less well known fact of our modern day court and justice system, which is that it is for profit and a private enterprise.
The judicial system at various levels, possibly all the way up to the SCOTUS, is legally and lawfully a corporate for-profit mediation business. These courts have about as much governmental authority as Walmart. They charge fines, engage in deceit, manipulation, and need to use adhesion contracts to coerce people into accepting their services as “unbiased judges and arbitrators.” Clearly they are neither. This system was installed some time in the 19th century, likely after the Civil War.
What this means is that we have not had a real justice venue, for settling matters of law, for over 100 years now. It also means the real power of law has never been fully taken advantage of. But, here again, Trump, I suspect, has some plans for the future.” —
Rep. James Comer says Biden subpoena coming: ‘We’re putting together a case’
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said Thursday he intends to subpoena members of the Biden family as his panel’s investigation of the president’s role in his son’s influence-peddling gathers pace.
“This is always going to end with the Bidens coming in front of the committee,” Comer told Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria” program. “We are going to subpoena the family.”
“We know that this is going to end up in court, when we subpoena the Bidens,” he added. “So we’re putting together a case and I think we’ve done that very well.”
Comer did not divulge a specific timeline for issuing the summonses, saying he wants to talk with “three or four more associates” of the Biden family first. — The NY Post
Our Take: “The Biden Crime Family and DOJ vs. Trump storylines aren't so much converging in the War of Stories as they are running in parallel.
On the one hand, we get almost-daily Disclosures with specific Actuals seeding Biden corruption into the Collective Mind with no seeming Justice.
On the other, we get Exposure of the two-tier Justice System, with Special Counsels and AGs seemingly coordinating a canned hunt on Donald Trump.
The first Narrative is going to collapse into the realm of the Real at some point, while the latter—the hunt against Trump—will fall apart before the nation’s eyes.
All prepping the Collective Mind for the REAL 'Witch Hunt.'
Comfy.” —
"Wiped Off Map": Hawaii Wildfires Level Entire Town, Claiming 36 Lives
Fueled by strong winds from Hurricane Dora, wildfires left widespread damage across the Hawaiian island of Maui. Local authorities report at least 36 people have died, and hundreds of buildings have been destroyed.
“As the firefighting efforts continue, 36 total fatalities have been discovered today amid the active Lahaina fire," a Maui county statement read.
Three wildfires started earlier this week and rapidly spread on Wednesday. Preliminary estimates show nearly 300 structures have been damaged or destroyed, and more than 1,000 acres of Maui's Upcountry have been charred. Power is out for thousands across the west of Maui.
On Wednesday night, thousands of people lined Maui's Kahului Airport, trying to escape the inferno. Mass evacuations were conducted in the resort town of Lahaina earlier in the day.
Maxar Technologies released before and after satellite imagery of Lahaina that reveals the fire leveled the town. — ZeroHedge
Our Take: “This is a horrible story and our prayers are with the families of the victims in Lahaina and with those who are left to pick up the pieces. It appears the entire town has been decimated with 36 people dead and everyone else displaced.
The fire is being blamed on winds from a distant hurricane, combined with unusual weather conditions, lower than usual humidity, and an ongoing drought. You know what that means. It’s time to talk about Climate Change. The NYT has an entire tab dedicated to climate change’s role in the Maui fires, with the lead headline, ‘How Climate Change Turned Lush Hawaii Into a Tinderbox.’ In the article, ‘The explanation is as straightforward as it is sobering: As the planet heats up, no place is protected from disasters.’
Never let a crisis go to waste, right? Prayers for Lahaina.” —
Ukrainian Church Leader Given 5 Years In Prison For Being Seen As Sympathetic To Russia
In yet another example highlighting the Zelensky's government's stance on "religious freedom" and democratic rights, a senior clergyman of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has been sentenced to five years in prison after he was accused of 'justifying' Russian aggression against Ukraine. Regional media has identified the bishop as Metropolitan Jonathan of Tulchin.
The dominant Orthodox church in Ukraine to which he belongs—which has frequently criticized the Russian invasion but has not broken communion with the Moscow Patriarchate (The Russian Orthodox Church)—has of late come under severe persecution by the state, with its clergy and monastics seen as "sympathetic" to Moscow.
Regional media says that Metropolitan Jonathan will see property confiscated which was under his oversight. Ukraine authorities have already seized several churches and monasteries on accusations of cooperating with Russia.
Other clergy members have also seen jail time or have been placed under house arrest, or else harassment by mobs of far-right Ukrainian nationalists, most often for merely calling for peace between the two countries. — ZeroHedge
Our Take: “Nothing says ‘democracy’ like jailing church leaders for praying for peace in the middle of a war. The side of this conflict that we are supposed to favor is doing just that. And it’s not the first time. Other clergy members have been arrested and many churches, according to the reporting, are being harassed by the far right Ukrainian brown shirts.
Now remember that the Biden administration’s policy is ‘nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine,’ meaning the Ukrainian government drives strategy and the US supports their play.
Is the Biden administration on board with jailing church leaders for thought crimes, religious speech, and prayers?
Given the administration is known for politically targeting American Catholics, you can bet they are onboard with this move in Ukraine. It was probably their idea.” —
BONUS ITEMS
Ecuador's Outspoken Anti-Narco Presidential Candidate Assassinated In Broad Daylight
Ecuador has declared a countrywide state of emergency for 60 days the morning after presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was gunned down at a campaign rally in the capital, Quito.
Video of the assassination is widely circulating, showing an assassin firing multiple shots at close range while Villavicencio entered his vehicle on a crowded streets. He had just spoken at a high school before an audience of young supporters.
"When he stepped outside the door, he was met with gunfire," a member of Villavicencio's campaign team said of the candidate. "There was nothing to be done, because they were shots to the head."
Villavicencio, a legislator in the National Assembly, has been tireless in speaking out against organized crime, drug trafficking, and government corruption. Among his talking points on the campaign trail has been that Ecuador is a "narco state" being led by the "political mafia".
This is why in the aftermath of his killing, it's being widely blamed on those very criminal elements. He was by far the most vocal candidate against the drug traffickers and corrupt dealings with the state. He was also a former investigative journalist, having years ago exposed government corruption and bribery deals related to the oil industry.
The suspected gunman died in police custody after being wounded at the scene in a shootout with security personnel. The attack additionally injured nine people and two police officers. — ZeroHedge
Fauci, Collins received 58 royalty payments as NIH collected $325 million from companies: records
Francis Collins and Anthony Fauci, the longtime directors of the National Institutes of Health and its National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases respectively, personally received 58 royalty payments from companies to license their inventions developed with taxpayer money, newly disclosed records reveal.
Transparency watchdog OpenTheBooks.com on Wednesday published more than 1,500 pages of unredacted records identifying which companies paid which NIH scientists for which inventions and when, following a mostly successful Freedom of Information Act battle with NIH.
The 56,000 transactions add up to more than $325 million, according to OpenTheBooks, though the individual amounts for each payment and corresponding license are not listed in the records.
Fauci received 37 payments from three companies between 2010-2021: 15 from Santa Cruz Biotechnology, which creates products for medical research including antibodies and made the fifth-most payments in the royalty database; 14 from Ancell Corp., which produces immunology tolls; and eight from Chiron Corp., acquired by Novartis in 2006. — Just the News
Poland says it will send another 2,000 troops to reinforce its border with Belarus.
Poland will send an additional 2,000 troops to reinforce its border with Belarus, a deputy interior minister told Poland’s state news agency on Wednesday, amid heightened tensions in the area related to the war in Ukraine.
The minister, Maciej Wasik, said that the deployment was double what the country’s Border Guard had requested and that the reinforcements would arrive in two weeks, according to PAP, Poland’s state news agency. There was no immediate response from Belarus.
While Mr. Wasik did not specify to PAP what had prompted the decision, the deployment comes as concerns are mounting in Poland, a NATO member, over the presence of mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner private military company in neighboring Belarus.
Poland’s prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, said last week that there were at least 4,000 Wagner fighters in Belarus. He warned against “provocations” and “sabotage actions” from Belarus by the relocated Wagner fighters, a caution that came days after two Belarusian helicopters breached Polish airspace, heightening jitters in the region.
The Wagner fighters were relocated to Belarus following their short-lived June mutiny in Russia. Belarus, a staunch Russian ally, shares a sizable border with both Poland, which supports Ukraine. — The New York 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.
IMPORTANT - For those who live in Hawaii
https://www.breitbart.com/tag/hawaii/
At the time when the marvelous Maui island is being destroyed by hellish wildfires which claimed already many lives, please let me share you my friendly and heartly message for our friend 🌺🌺JB808🌺🌺 and those who are living in Hawaii:
https://badlands.substack.com/p/whats-taking-so-long/comment/22179697
I call you all to send her and them our best and heartly thoughts and prayers.
🙏🏻✝️🕊️ May God bless them and watch over each of them in these difficult times, and may God bless each of you who contributes to this collective vigil 🕊️✝️🙏🏻
I greatly appreciate your work!
I will admit that after reading today's News Brief, along with BB's "Sovereign Siege" article, I will need to console myself and encourage (give courage to) my soul with the Truth that God's Love is unwavering; that Evil was the necessary consequent of allowing us to have the authority to choose, truly choose; and that He included that authority when He made us in His Image and Likeness because He wants Good for us.
The Choice remains ours: choose this day who you will serve (Joshua 24:14-15)!