Badlands News Brief
Escalation, Litigation & Sovereign Signals
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 pick news items of interest from the previous days to give you an overview of the biggest goings-on relevant to the Truth Community with some Badlands flavoring to help wash it down.
Now, onto the news from Wednesday, July 31 …
How two strikes on militant leaders in the Middle East could escalate into a regional war
The targeting of two senior militant leaders in two Middle Eastern capitals within hours of each other — with each strike blamed on Israel — risks rocking the region at a critical moment.
The strikes come as international mediators are working to bring Israel and Hamas to agree to a cease-fire that would wind down the devastating war in Gaza and free hostages. Intense diplomatic efforts are also underway to ease tensions between Israel and Hezbollah after months of cross-border fighting.
The assassination of Hamas’ top leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and the strike against senior Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur in Beirut could upend those painstaking attempts to defuse a Middle East powder keg. Iran has also threatened to respond after the attack on its territory, which could drag the region into all-out war. — AP News
Our Take: In my opinion, there are three events that led to the timing of this development: Netanyahu's address to Congress, his subsequent meeting with Trump, and the very recent developments in Israel concerning the IDF raping male prisoners.
Remember, both Mossad and the CIA have known who Haniyeh is for years, and exactly where he lives: in a penthouse apartment in Doha, Qatar, a city that also hosts MI6, the CIA, countless US NGO's, and a large contingent of the military industrial complex. (Now that we have closed down Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan, Qatar hosts the largest US military base in the Middle East: Al Udeid Air Base, just outside of Doha.)
So why didn't they go after Haniyeh on October 8? Probably for the same reason that he has (had) a reported net worth of $2.2 billion: because he most likely works (worked) for the Clowns.
Last week, when Netanyahu addressed Congress, he received a record 58 bipartisan standing ovations in 52 minutes. That ostensibly represents a blank check to do as he pleases, militarily.
Then you couple that with Netanyahu's subsequent meeting with Trump, where I speculate that a negotiation occurred. Prior to the meeting, from a Game Theory perspective, I war-gamed two potential strategies Trump could take, to prevent escalation in the conflict:
The first strategy would be for Trump to play "good cop," signaling to Netanyahu that he (Trump) will be more supportive than Biden when he returns to the White House, so Netanyahu should delay opening up a second front against Hezbollah until that time. Realistically, I don't think Netanyahu has time on his side, when it comes to public sentiment—and he knows that—not to mention the zealots in his cabinet who are demanding war now. Therefore, I think this tactic is the less likely path, especially since we haven't heard any leaks from the meeting—which I would have expected, had this been the path Trump chose to take. (I also doubt that Bibi would have believed Trump, anyway.)
The second—and more likely—strategy would be for Trump to play "bad cop," telling Bibi that he needs to wrap things up ASAP, and that if the conflict was still going when he entered office, there would be hell to pay, for Bibi. The reason for doing this would be to create a sense of urgency—"accelerationism"—which would provoke the nefarious elements in the Israeli government to play their hand sooner rather than later, so [in their mind] they would have adequate time to wage war against their enemies before Trump reclaims the executive authority to shut down all US support to the IDF and Netanyahu.
In my mind, if this second path was chosen, we would know because their would be a catalyzing event (false flag) soon after that would warrant a response from the IDF. I would also expect not to hear anything about the meeting, as far as leaks go, as neither side would want those optics out in the public—which is probably why we haven't heard any details about their private discussion. (Trump's camp wouldn't want it to appear that he was soft on "terrorism," and Bibi's camp wouldn't want it to appear that they have lost the support of President Trump—who is a highly revered figure among the Israeli public.)
Given the fact that Netanyahu had to abruptly end his US visit due to a missile attack in the Golan Heights, it seems that the conditions for the latter strategy have been met. That doesn't necessarily confirm the theory, but from Trump's perspective, if his goal is to drive Netanyahu from office, and get somebody in who is more agreeable to peace, then implementing accelerationism would deliver Bibi's demise (collapse of public support) sooner than later. Now that Haniyeh (Hamas) and Shukur (Hezbollah) have been killed, the chances of an expanded conflict seem like a certainty.
Finally, we have the third event that I mentioned at the beginning of this take— the recent scandal with the IDF.
Assassinating the leadership of Hamas and Hezbollah not only enforces the perception that Netanyahu's campaign is succeeding, but also changes the news cycle, to get people distracted from a very serious storyline that could potentially erode support for Israel even further among the American public. I firmly believe that October 7 was an inside job—just like 9/11—and I also believe that this recent escalation in the Golan Heights and subsequent assassinations were somehow compounding false flags.
When Hezbollah says that they weren't behind the attack, I tend to believe them, mostly because the strategy makes no sense. Why attack an enemy who is already in the process of destroying himself? Why give Netanyahu an excuse to invade Lebanon?
Perhaps they realize that if the IDF does invade, it could be forever destroyed (assuming Russia, Iran, and China get involved), so I do maintain Hezbollah's involvement as a possibility. But I think the Golan missile attack benefitted Netanyahu far more, which is why I ultimately remain suspicious of the whole thing.
Edit: Just as I finished typing this, I saw the news that Tehran has vowed to attack Israel. Standby for World War 3... —
To wit …
Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei orders 'direct' attack on Israel: report
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has commanded Iranian forces to launch a "direct" attack against Israel, according to a report Wednesday.
Three Iranian officials confirmed the situation to The New York Times. The news comes hours after Hamas’ leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated in Tehran on Wednesday.
The White House has been unable to independently verify Haniyeh's death as of Wednesday afternoon, but Tehran is placing the blame on the Israel Defense Forces. Israel launched a strike on Beirut, Lebanon, on Tuesday, but has neither claimed responsibility nor denied killing Haniyeh.
"The criminal, terrorist Zionist regime martyred our dear guest in our territory and has caused our grief, but it has also prepared the ground for a severe punishment," Khamenei's English-language X account said on Wednesday. — FOX News
"We Have No Choice": Delta CEO Prepares Legal Battle Against CrowdStrike After IT Outage Sparked $500M Loss
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian announced on Wednesday that the global IT outage sparked by CrowdStrike cost the airline $500 million.
Bastian told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Wednesday that the carrier would seek damages from the disruptions, adding, "We have no choice."
"If you're going to be having access, priority access to the Delta ecosystem in terms of technology, you've got to test the stuff you got. You can't come into a mission critical 24/7 operation and tell us we have a bug," Bastian said.
Bastian added, "We have to protect our shareholders. We have to protect our customers, our employees, for the damage, not just to the cost of it, but to the brand, the reputational damage and the physical channel."
The faulty update from CrowdStrike led the airline to cancel more than 4,000 flights earlier this month. — ZeroHedge
Our Take: The Crowdstrike scandal is interesting for many reasons, most notably the implications of the company’s epic failure on US critical infrastructure (think weapons systems, water and utilities, ELECTIONS).
Arguably, the least interesting storyline of the Crowdstrike scandal is its impact on the embattled airline industry. Still, Delta’s expected lawsuit is keeping Crowdstrike in the headlines, providing an opportunity to educate the masses on these important implications.
This pending litigation threatens to bankrupt Crowdstrike, an entity that currently provides technical services across many industry sectors and geographies. Notably, that implies significant vulnerabilities across the Crowdstrike client ecosystem as well, which would constitute a five alarm fire if competent leaders were at the helm of those clients.
The expected lawsuit also has the potential to test the contractual terms of public private partnerships as a component of critical infrastructure — a specific and concrete challenge to the regime’s ubiquitous plausible deniability.
So, it’s all upside. —
Trump falsely accuses Harris of deciding to 'turn Black' during a combative panel with Black journalists
Donald Trump made a combative appearance Wednesday at a conference of Black journalists during a heated question-and-answer session that at times focused squarely on the race of Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump claimed that he did not know until a few years ago that Harris, who is Indian American and Black, was Black. He then baselessly suggested that she had decided to “turn Black” only recently for political gain.
“I’ve known her a long time, indirectly,” Trump said. “And she was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage. I did not know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black.”
“I respect either one,” he added, “but she obviously doesn’t, because she was Indian all the way, and then all of a sudden, she made a turn and … she became Black. ... Somebody should look into that, too.”
“Is she Indian or is she Black?” he asked.
ABC News’ Rachel Scott, one of the three moderators on the National Association of Black Journalists panel, pointed out that Harris, the de-facto Democratic nominee for president, attended Howard University, a historically Black college. Trump did not directly respond. — CNBC
Our Take: Once again, Trump lays out the bait, and the machine goes whole hog on it like a communist hooker on orange blow.
In kicking off a national argument about whether Kamala Harris campaigned on being "actual" black or just "political" black, Trump is once more proving that neither the media, nor Kamala herself have any real arguments to bring to the table.
Hell, they can't even agree on immutable characteristics, or how high on the oppression olympics totem poll the Knob Gobbling DC Cackler ranks.
Now, Kamala is going to have to choose whether to pretend being black, Indian or the ethnic village bicycle.
Watch the (actual) black community's reaction to this nonsense, because the whiplash is going to be swift and succinct as the establishment misses the opportunity to hedge its racial bets as they discover that there's no such thing as racial "communities" in the American zeitgeist ... only in the false reality the central narrative has constructed and exists to defend at all costs. —
Secret Service Rejects FOIA Requests for Any Records About Assassination Attempt on Former President Trump
Judicial Watch announced today that the United States Secret Service completely denied multiple Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for documents about the assassination attempt on former President Trump.
On July 16, 2024, Judicial Watch filed three comprehensive FOIA requests seeking emails, videos, and advance survey security assessments, among other documents related to the assassination attempt on Trump
The Secret Service refused to produce not one record in response:
At this time, pursuant to Title 5 U.S.C. § 552(B)(7)(A), any potentially responsive records, if they exist, are exempt as disclosure could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings. The citation of the above exemption is not to be construed as the only exemption which may be available under the FOIA.
Judicial Watch is pursuing the next steps in preparation for litigation.
“The Biden Secret Service is in cover-up mode on its inexcusable and epic failure to protect former President Trump and other innocents,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “For Secret Service leaders to promise transparency to Congress while hiding every possible FOIA record from the American people is yet another indictment of this corrupt and failing agency.”
Judicial Watch has over 25 FOIA and open records currently pending on the shooting of Trump with the Biden administration and local and state officials and agencies in Pennsylvania. — Judicial Watch
Our Take: On the one hand, democracy dies in darkness and thus kills the Republic. On the other hand, if the Secret Service is obstructing access to this information by Congress, it’s not surprising that they’d refuse to produce it to a private entity.
Reality Check: This truly is an ongoing investigation. It’s been less than a month. And, while it appears the administration is engaging in a coverup — as evidenced by non-responsive testimony in more than four public hearings and a total failure to comply with Congressional subpoenas — they do have legal cover for their conduct. It’s unfortunate, but it’s true.
I applaud Judicial Watch for taking on this fight. However, if we are going to get answers, the Congress must exercise all of its power and authority, in both chambers, to demand transparency for July 13. This dispute has the potential to serve as a graduate level examination of the Separation of Powers that exists to protect against tyranny, to preserve liberty. It’s important and failure to act is unforgivable.
Obviously, this is a matter of great public interest — but, importantly, the people are not without a specific role.
Congress has the authority here. Call your senators and representatives, and demand that they exercise it. —
Venezuela's sham election collides with U.S. campaign
Venezuela's outsized role in U.S. politics is poised to grow further after autocrat Nicolás Maduro was declared the winner in a presidential election widely condemned as fraudulent.
Why it matters: Nearly 8 million Venezuelans have fled the crisis-stricken nation over the last decade. Maduro's re-election and the ensuing political unrest could exacerbate the refugee crisis in the final months before the U.S. election.
Zoom in: Illegal border crossings have plunged since President Biden issued an executive order cracking down on asylum.
But polling suggests the border remains one of Vice President Kamala Harris' top vulnerabilities — and Republicans have made clear they intend to highlight her role in addressing the "root causes" of migration.
In Denver, which Mayor Mike Johnston says has received more migrants per capita than any other city, officials are closely tracking whether the unrest in Venezuela will lead to a new surge at the border.
State of play: Protests erupted across Venezuela after Maduro was declared the victor by election authorities loyal to his regime, despite polls showing the opposition far ahead. — Axios
Our Take: If you're looking for Exhibit A through Z of why some of us were immediately questioning the regime's questioning of the Venezuela election results, I think Axios' hit piece on Maduro published Tuesday contains a smorgasbord of globalist signal flares.
For starters, the opening paragraph primes the reader for the desired takeaway by referring to Maduro's win as "widely condemned as fraudulent."
WHO is condemning the election as fraudulent? Well, the Globalist leaders of Colombia, Brazil (Lula is the subject of his own election fraud accusations against former president Bolsonaro,) and the US State Department, currently headed by Antony Blinken, to name a few.
(Oh, and a LOT of Con Inc. blue checks are all too happy to blindly regurgitate this propaganda.)
Additionally, the piece doubles down on threats forwarded by other outlets that the election will (for some reason) cause a surge in migrants to the southern US border.
Problem. Reaction. Solution. Easy. —
China's trade with Russia is getting so difficult that payments can take half a year and most bank transfers are returned, report says
Trade between Russia and China is getting ever more difficult, with some payments between partners taking up to half a year, the Kommersant business daily reported on Monday.
About 80% of bank transfers made in the Chinese yuan are also getting bounced back with no explanation after being stalled for weeks while banks decide whether they can go ahead, Kommersant reported, citing unnamed sources.
Such returns could result in exchange-rate or commission losses for Russian businesses, the media outlet said.
Kommersant's report highlights intensifying pressure on external parties dealing with Russian companies that have managed to keep their international business activities going despite sweeping sanctions.
Earlier this month, several unnamed major Russian commodity exporters told Bloomberg that trade with China had become increasingly difficult, as even direct payments made in the Chinese yuan were getting frozen or delayed.
The troubles started in December when the US authorized secondary sanctions targeting financial institutions that were helping Russia skirt sanctions. — Business Insider
And …
Russia to allow crypto payments in international trade to counter sanctions
Russian lawmakers passed a bill on Tuesday that will allow businesses to use crypto currencies in international trade, as part of efforts to skirt Western sanctions imposed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The law is expected to go into force in September, and Russian central bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina, one of the backers of the new law, said the first transactions in cryptocurrencies will take place before the end of the year.
Russia has faced significant delays in international payments with major trading partners such as China, India and the United Arab Emirates after banks in those countries, under pressure from Western regulators, became more cautious.
"We are taking a historic decision in the financial sphere," the head of the Duma lower house of parliament, Anatoly Aksakov, told lawmakers.
Under the new law, the central bank will create a new "experimental" infrastructure for cryptocurrency payments. Details of the infrastructure have yet to be announced.
The law is part of a package that also includes regulations on the mining of cryptocurrencies and the circulation of other digital assets. The new law will not lift an existing ban on cryptocurrency payments inside Russia. — Reuters
AND …
El Salvador proposes using crypto for trade with BRICS following Russia’s new legislation
El Salvador has proposed using cryptocurrency for trade with the BRICS alliance following Russia's recent legislative changes on crypto usage. This move is aimed at reducing reliance on the US dollar, which is the official currency of El Salvador.
Russia enacted legislation on Tuesday, allowing the use of cryptocurrency for international trade, a strategic shift designed to bypass Western sanctions. El Salvador has emerged as a potential partner in this new crypto-driven trade approach.
The BRICS nations have been focusing on de-dollarization in recent years, seeking to reduce their dependence on the US dollar and shift global economic dynamics away from Western influence. With Russia’s new legal framework, El Salvador's proposal to use cryptocurrency in BRICS trade represents a significant step in this direction. — Badlands News, sourcing Watcher Guru
Our Take: Three headlines in the same day, presenting a perfect Decentralization Dialectic:
Problem - "China's trade with Russia is getting so difficult that payments can take half a year and most bank transfers are returned, report says"
Reaction - "Russia Legalizes Bitcoin and Crypto for International Trade to Bypass Sanctions"
Solution - "El Salvador to Use Crypto for Trade with BRICS, Ditching the US Dollar?"
First, the takedown by Business Insider is self-defeating, as it further proves sanctions on Russia in the wake of the Ukraine War are forcing world superpowers to realign in a pro-sovereign, multi-polar alliance. (This is a good thing, but not for globalists.)
Next, Putin "seems" to be following Trump's lead when it comes to Bitcoin, while also further educating the populace as to its anti-fragile, decentralized, frictionless nature.
Finally, El Salvador represents smaller nations trending toward the winning (ie: decentralized) side of the game board. —
Another Take: A lot of people were fretting over the Trump-Bukele drama recently, where Trump called out Bukele for exporting all of the MS-13 criminals from El Salvador to the US. I personally saw it as a coordinated effort to highlight a nefarious dynamic that has long existed between the CIA and the governments of foreign countries like El Salvador.
Who created MS-13? Why was it created? What purpose does it serve? Is organized crime used to perform functions for intelligence agencies? Such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, and assassinations? Who killed Seth Rich? Why was Seth Rich killed?
Do you see where this is going?
Now Bukele has proposed to use Bitcoin to settle payments with Russia, a day after Russia passed new legislation allowing cryptocurrency to be used for international trade—and just days after President Trump made a historic speech at a major Bitcoin conference in Nashville, where he hyped Bitcoin as the next major industrial revolution.
And we are suppose to believe that this is all a coincidence? That Bukele and Trump aren't engaging in kayfabe?
This is Trumpamania, brother. Watcha gonna do when MAGA runs wild on YOU? —
BONUS ITEMS
9/11 mastermind, 2 others strike plea deals while awaiting trial; families of victims 'very disappointed'
Prosecutors have agreed to plea agreements with three of the masterminds of the Sept. 11 terror attacks who were awaiting trial in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, the Department of Defense (DOD) said Wednesday.
The Convening Authority for Military Commissions, Susan Escallier, entered into pretrial agreements with Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin 'Attash, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi, the DOD said.
The terms and conditions of the plea deals were not disclosed, but the terror suspects will be spared the death penalty, three relatives of 9/11 victims were told by the Office of Military Commissions (OMC), the New York Post reported. — FOX News
Kari Lake wins Arizona GOP Senate primary
Kari Lake on Tuesday won Arizona's Republican primary in the state's closely watched Senate race, AP projects.
Why it matters: Lake will face off with Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego in the race to replace Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), a contest that could decide control of the U.S. Senate.
Lake is an ally of former President Trump and has echoed his false claims about the 2020 election being stolen.
State of play: Lake clinched the Republican nomination for Arizona's U.S. Senate seat after beating out Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, another Trump supporter, and neuroscientist Elizabeth Reye.
Gallego ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Lake, who has outraised Gallego, has attacked her Democratic opponent on issues of crime and immigration.
The big picture: Arizona is a critical battleground state in the 2024 presidential race and could tilt the balance of power in the Senate if Lake wins in November. — Axios
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.
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.
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"Like a communist hooker on orange blow"... was so hysterical I read it outloud to the hubby who is NOT as into politics as I am. As I continued to read your stuff outloud BB he was impressed. Ty my brilliant writer pal!! Crowdstrike in the spotlight is exciting for so many reasons!!! Lots going on lots to digest! Thanks Ashe, BB and GPH you guys rock !
Trump is simply pointing out that Kamala Harris is a DEI opportunist. Her Indian heritage was touted when she won her Senate seat, but now that the black vote is lagging the Democrat fight, she’s black. That’s a legitimate point at a time when DEI is losing public support for its penchant for lionizing the under qualified for important positions.
Secondly, the whole “White Demographic for Harris” baloney, be women, dudes, etc, is completely vacuous to black citizens when they, just like every other non-elite American wants to just be able to buy food, shelter, transportation and have a few bucks left for some recreation or entertainment.
This identity obsession is a concern of people who have plenty, IOW, a luxury belief, as Rob Henderson explains so eloquently in his book “Troubled.”
How about instead of playing Racial Olympics we start forcing Harris to defend her policy statements she’s made since she entered public service- like eliminating fracking, mandating gun buybacks, keeping borders open, granting illegal aliens free healthcare or releasing violent offenders from prison?