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 Thursday, July 25 …
Biden Claims U.S. ‘Not at War Anywhere in the World’
President Joe Biden claimed that the United States is “not at war anywhere in the world” during his live address on Wednesday evening.
Biden’s speech came after he had announced on Sunday that he was withdrawing from the presidential race, and he endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.
During Biden’s speech, he said that while it had been the “honor” of his life to serve as president, he had decided to “pass the torch to a new generation,” and continued to talk about what he would be doing while continuing to serve out the remainder of his term.
Biden: "I need to unite my party […] I believe my record as president, my leadership in the world, my vision for America's future all merited a second term — but nothing, nothing, can come in the way of saving our democracy, and that includes personal ambition." — Josh Wingrove (@josh_wingrove) July 25, 2024
Biden went on to claim that the nation is “not at war anywhere in the world.”
“I’ll keep working to ensure America remains strong, and secure, and the leader of the free world, “Biden said. “I’m the first president in this century to report to the American people that the United States is not at war anywhere in the world.” — Breitbart
Our Take: A hallmark of the Obama Biden Administration was the redefinition of metrics and common meanings, a trend that has continued with scrotus at the nation’s helm. It appears we’re changing the definition of ‘war’ now.
It’s easy to point to the Ukraine and Gaza as evidence that the US is, in fact, at war. We spent $320M on a meth head’s pier structure, which eventually sank. At least if we had set the money on fire, we’d have had heat.
But the US is also funding Taiwan’s stand against China, conflict in the Sudan, and more. It wasn’t that long ago that Sullivan and Kirby were whoring for the National Security Supplemental, which was eventually passed.
The extent and duration of the many hot conflicts around the realm would not be possible without US funding. That means the US is not just ‘at war,’ but the propagator of multiple wars. All under Biden.
So, he’s just lying. Again. —
Donald Trump: Israel must end Hamas war and bring home hostages
Donald Trump has demanded that Israel bring an end to its war with Hamas and that the remaining hostages being held in Gaza are released.
The former president and Republican nominee for the White House is to meet Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, in Florida on Friday.
Speaking to Fox News before the meeting, Trump said that the Gaza war should end fast “because they are getting decimated with this publicity, and you know Israel is not very good at public relations”.
Trump has insisted that the Hamas raid on Israel that killed 1,200 people, and the subsequent war, would not have happened had he been in the White House.
This year, he blamed Netanyahu for allowing the terrorist attacks to take place, saying that intelligence warnings were well known in advance.
Before Netanyahu travels to Florida he will meet President Biden in the Oval Office and have a private meeting with Kamala Harris, the vice-president and likely Democratic Party presidential candidate. — The Times
Our Take: Allow me to begin by addressing Trump's passing statement in this interview where he proposed one year in jail for burning the American flag.
In another take below, on AOC and Elon, I claim that free speech is the hill on which I will plant my flag, and prepare to perish. I mean that, and for that reason, I will respectfully disagree with President Trump's call to jail for 12 months anybody who burns the American flag, ostensibly because it is disrespectful of our country.
There are existing laws for theft, arson, and destruction of property, and all of those combined could potentially result in jail time. But nobody should ever be punished by our government for [peacefully] expressing their contempt for it-- even when I find their particularly statement despicable. Even when they are my political opponent. (Because these flags were apparently government property, if you want to increase the penalties for desecrating such relics, that may be a suitable compromise. But those details need to be hashed out in a public negotiation.)
That is what it means to embody First Principles. You must be consistent in their application.
As for the rest of President Trump's comments, it appears that he is completing his pubic "turn" against Bibi Netanyahu. The line about "public relations" was interesting, as wartime propaganda is certainly a form of PR. But I think what Trump really meant was a reference to the growing sentiment of antisemitism that is manifesting as the world sours on Israel's warmongering.
This is why it is a problem for the government of Israel—a secular institution of man—to conflate itself with a major world religion. Because now the practitioners of that religion around the world will suffer the contempt of those who despise Israel's warmonger—even if those practitioners despise Israel and its warmongering, themselves.
And then there's this line, about the Hostages and Missing Families Forum:
“It has now become apparent that the information provided to the hostages’ families did not accurately reflect the situation’s reality,” the group said. “This foot-dragging is a deliberate sabotage of the chance to bring our loved ones back. It effectively undermines the negotiations and indicates a serious moral failure.”
Didn't I say yesterday that Netanyahu will do whatever he can to subvert a ceasefire deal? It is important for him to keep those hostages in the possession of Hamas, because as soon as they are all returned home, Netanyahu will lose the moral imperative for war that he has established, and if peace breaks out, his government will be dissolved by the radicals in his cabinet who thirst for the blood of their enemies.
I think Trump knows this, which is why he is telegraphing doubt that the hostages can even be saved. Netanyahu is using those hostages to propel Israel deeper into the throes of bloodlust. But that line about "serious moral failure" is particularly interesting, when you consider the possibility that Netanyahu—or his cabinet members—could have helped facilitate the October 7th attack. —
Zelensky Risks 'Political Suicide' If He Negotiates Peace With Moscow, Ukraine Official Warns
We reported earlier that the Ukrainian side seemed to react positively to former President Donald Trump's phone call with President Zelensky on Friday, as the Republican nominee for president conveyed that upon taking the White House his priority will be to explore achieving peace with Russia.
Trump wrote in the call aftermath that "I, as your next President of the United States, will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families." He added that "Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity."
But some influential Ukrainian officials are already warning Zelensky against too hastily taking to the negotiating table. Zelensky has in the past consistently rejected the idea of sitting down with Moscow, and has openly stated he intends to refuse so long as Putin is leader of Russia.
But amid ongoing devastating troop losses, lack of artillery ammunition compared to much better-armed Russian forces, and a general war fatigue setting in, Zelensky could eventually welcome the kind of opening toward peace that a potential Trump presidency provides.
Kyiv’s mayor said on Sunday that Zelensky risks "political suicide" should he pursue a peace deal which ends in Ukraine ceding territory to Russia.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in an interview with the Italian daily Corriere della Sera on Sunday:
"How can we explain to the country that we need to give up pieces of our territory that cost the lives of thousands of our fighting heroes? Whatever move he makes, our president risks political suicide."
He admitted that the coming few months will be "very difficult" for Zelensky, and that the Ukrainian populace will want a say in the country's fate. So the scenario of holding a referendum on the question of a deal with Moscow would be likely at some future point. — ZeroHedge
And …
Ukrainian neo-Nazi unit forced to curb EU PR tour
Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade, which is closely linked to the neo-Nazi Azov movement, has said it had to cancel several events in European cities because of public backlash.
The brigade announced earlier this month that its members would travel to nine cities in Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Czech Republic, and Lithuania from July 21 to August 2.
The goal of the trip was to tell attendees “only the truth about service in the brigade” and stories from the front line, and to drum up support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.
While the brigade was able to hold a gathering in Warsaw, the public in several other cities proved to be less hospitable. A welfare organization in Rotterdam, Wmo Radar, said it had decided “to no longer host the controversial event” due to “negative media attention.” Local politicians had spoken out against the event, calling it “undesirable” and not politically neutral.
In Berlin, local left-wing groups also said they intended to protest outside the hotel hosting the brigade, with politician Ferat Kocak saying that the German capital “does not need additional meeting points for the extreme right… no militaristic propaganda, not even under the guise of solidarity with the Ukrainian people.” — RT
Our Take: The predicted turn of Volodymyr Zelenskyy from warmonger hellbent on battling the Russian Federation to the bitter end to prospective peacemaker is in full swing.
Recently, Zelenskyy has held a "very good" phone call with Donald Trump, sent envoys to China to discuss the parameters of a coming peace deal with Russia, and decreased overtures to NATO for increased weapons deliveries.
In response, Kyiv Mayor (and former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion) Vitaly Klitschko has publicly warned (threatened?) Zelenskyy with "political suicide" if he considers relinquishing eastern Ukrainian territory to Russia.
Of course, Klitschko is himself associated with the now-infamous Azov battalion, and even named a new bridge in Kyiv "Azov Wave" after them in 2024.
Funny.
Now Nazis, Nazi battalions and Globalist warmongers are unified not just against Putin and Trump ... but against Zelenskyy.
I've been telling those who will listen for two years he's our boy.
Don't believe me. Believe them. —
Another Take: The parallels between the wars in Ukraine and Israel can no longer be denied.
Just as with Netanyahu and the radical zealots in his cabinet, Zelensky now faces his own mutiny, among his radicalized troops, should he waiver, and bend the knee to Vladimir Putin.
What is interesting is that the radicals in both of these scenarios are Jewish fascists; more accurately, they are Jewish Nazis.
According to Bryan Mark Rigg's 2002 book, Hitler's Jewish Soldiers: The Untold Story of Nazi Racial Laws and Men of Jewish Descent in the German Military, there may have been as many as 150,000 Jewish Nazi soldiers in the Third Reich. For context, in the 10 years that the Wehrmacht (Nazi Army) existed, from 1935-1945, it is believed that its total enlistment reached over 18 million.
As Rigg reports, there are countless documented cases of "exemptions" being applied to the Nazi's policy against people of Jewish descent. Hitler's own signature can be found on countless exemption documents. (One thing about the Nazis is that they were prolific bureaucrats—as I recall from my own research on them in college—to the extent that you could figure out the exact meal that a specific soldier ate on a specific day during the war, right down to the amount of jelly and butter rationed to him for his toast. Their record-keeping ability was beyond impressive.)
So yes, there were Jewish Nazis in the Third Reich, just as there are Jewish Nazis today in the Donbas, and Jewish Nazis in the Holy Land.
And all of those Nazis are now being protested against by the same radicalized activists who were originally indoctrinated to oppose President Trump. The Donald has used his exceptional skill in stagecraft and pageantry to orchestrate a production so expansive and complex that his enemies have become disoriented and are now attacking one another, as a result of the programming that The Donald cultivated with his tactical genius.
Like the matador's cloak leading the bull right into the wall... or another bull. —
IOC faces calls for investigation into inclusion of child rapist at Olympics
The IOC is facing calls for an investigation into how a convicted child rapist has been allowed to compete at Paris 2024, on the eve of the opening of the Games.
Amid growing public outrage at the presence of the Netherlands beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde, who was convicted of raping a British 12-year-old girl in 2016, groups have warned that sporting bodies are sending a dangerous message to rapists and causing “collateral damage” to victims of sexual abuse.
Ciara Bergman, the CEO of Rape Crisis England & Wales said the “irresponsible” inclusion of Van de Velde at the Olympics created an “enormous sense of impunity”, adding: “If you can rape a child and still compete in the Olympics, despite all athletes signing a declaration promising to be a role model, that is just shocking,” she said.
The inclusion of Van de Velde in the Dutch team would have a “serious impact”, she added: “There is always an impact on the individual victim survivor, but every act of violence against women and girls is a crime against society. It has a collateral and collective impact on all other women and girls.”
Bergman called on the International Olympic Committee to carry out an investigation into how Van de Velde had been allowed to compete. “How did we get here? How did we get to a place where raping a child is seen as less important than the medal someone might win at the Olympics? It’s just extraordinary,” she said. “I think there has to be some kind of investigation into this and how it was allowed to happen. It has to be a moment for real thinking and real change.” — The Guardian
Our Take: The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris kick off tonight with opening ceremonies, and there’s already a scandal. Dutch beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde was convicted of raping a 12 year old British girl in 2016, and child advocacy groups are outraged.
The Dutch athlete was sentenced to four years in a British prison, served one, was transferred to his home country, and released after a month. Olympians are our national champions in athletics, and one of the Dutch people’s national champions is a convicted pedophile. How very 2024.
Advocates rightly point out that the van de Velde’s inclusion in the games removes important deterrents and sends a message to all sex criminals that consequences will be minimal if you’re a leader in your craft. This is dangerous.
It does not appear the IOC will investigate or take any action because Dutch experts ‘had concluded that there was no risk of him reoffending.’
Trust the experts, right? —
Ocasio-Cortez to Musk: ‘Sometimes being quiet’ is ‘good for you’
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and tech billionaire Elon Musk clashed on social media Wednesday over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress after Musk called the Democratic Party “openly and boldly antisemitic.”
The back-and-forth began after Musk responded to a post from Ocasio-Cortez on his social platform X about the decision by her and several other Democrats to boycott Netanyahu’s speech to a joint session of Congress.
“Just so we’re clear, Netanyahu has lost so many people that he is addressing just a fraction of Congress,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote. “When this happens, they fill the seats with non-members, like what they do at award ceremonies, in order to project the appearance of full attendance and support.”
Musk, who attended the Israeli leader’s address at the Capitol, replied, “The Democratic Party has become openly & boldly antisemitic.”
“Hmm,” Ocasio-Cortez responded, “sometimes being quiet is free and good for you,” adding a screenshot of a Wall Street Journal article about when Musk appeared to agree with an antisemitic post last year.
Musk came under fire last November after engaging with a post about an antisemitic conspiracy theory that suggested antisemitism was carried out by minorities and that Jewish people were to blame. This claim echoes false conspiracy theories claiming Jewish people want to flood Western countries with minorities.
The Hill has reached out to Musk’s team for comment. — The Hill
Our Take: I posted this response below to Elon's comments before seeing this article or AOC's comments. As somebody who has defected from the "R vs D" false paradigm, I will say that I agree with her completely, and think she has lately been fulfilling her role as Judas-Goat quite nicely. ;) More dialogue is always a better choice than violence.
Yesterday, while hosting the livestream of the Netanyahu speech on Badlands, somebody in the chat (CounterInsurgent) asked what sparked my interest in the politics and history of the Middle East. (I never got a chance to respond.)
My passion for history started around the age of 18, cultivated mainly from an interest in music and architecture—studying it in an attempt to better understand it. I realized everything was connected.
As my appetite for learning things about the past grew, I actively avoided the Middle East, as I had suffered psychological fatigue from being inundated with corporate propaganda (from both ends of the political spectrum) on the region, throughout my youth. For the most-part, I fell for the Fox News bullshit regarding Islam. (I grew up attending Sunday School, etc., and knew the ancient Biblical history.)
When I started looking into the region about twelve years ago—when I was redpilled—I asserted that Islam (which I still did not understand, at that point) needed a leader that could reform it from within. I now understand that it had been externally influenced by nefarious entities (western intelligence agencies), and really needed a leader that could lead it out from that self-destructive dynamic.
So when Mohammed bin Salman emerged as the unlikely Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, rounded up all of his corrupt/evil cousins, and appeared to be working with Donald Trump, I naturally became very enthused and intrigued by his persona.
When I realized that MBS was dismantling the Wahhabi (radical Islam) infrastructure, attending Catholic mass in Egypt (as a gesture of good faith), and effectively calling for a cultural revolution (of sorts) in Arabia, I knew that he was the leader we in the west had been waiting for. That is why so much of my research has focused on him and better understanding his story, his ambitions, and his obstacles/adversaries.
The Jewish People need a similar figure (or figures) to lead a similar reformation from within. At the very least, they need somebody to divorce their religion from politics. (There are plenty of valid criticisms of the institutions of Christianity, but the religion is neither homogenous, nor is it explicitly infused into any government outside the Vatican.)
If Israel is to be saved, its people must find the moral courage and conviction to expel the parasitic oligarchs who are leading it into hell—the same perilous situation America now faces.
It is insane to assert that we are not allowed to criticize a leader of a foreign country, simply because he happens to be Jewish, or the government that he represents happens to claim that it speaks for all Jewish people worldwide— which is an equally insane assertion. There are plenty of Jewish people who do not identify as Israeli—which is a political designation, being a nationality.
I take deep offense to the idea that I am not allowed to criticize a foreign government or its leader, especially one who comes into my Capitol Building and demands in a public spectacle that I go fight and die in a war on his behalf—or at least demands that I pay for it.
This is the hill where I plant my flag, and on which I am prepared to perish. Because this is America. Call me whatever you want. I don't care.
If you want to reverse the growing sentiments of antisemitism, stop using the religion as a shield in the political/information battlespace. Or keep doing it, and stop being a snowflake. There are no safe spaces here.
PS - Here is Mossad whistleblower, Victor Ostrovsky, explaining to CSPAN how Mossad weaponizes the term "antisemitism" against uncooperative members of Congress. —
BONUS ITEMS
Obama to endorse Kamala Harris for president, report says
Barack Obama is on the verge of publicly endorsing Kamala Harris as the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, after the pair spoke several times on the phone in recent days, according to NBC News.
The former president has privately expressed his support for Harris’s candidacy and plans to endorse her soon, with talks underway about the pair appearing together on the campaign trail, the TV network reported, citing several unnamed people familiar with the discussions.
“He has been in regular contact with her and thinks she’s been off to a great start,” one of the sources told NBC.
Obama’s support – and star quality – would further boost the Harris campaign, as the vice-president heads to Houston on Thursday to give the keynote speech at the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) national convention.
Delegates for the AFT, the second largest teachers union with 1.7 million members, voted Monday to endorse Harris’s bid to become the first woman and second African American to serve as president of the United States. Harris has received a flurry of endorsements from many of the country’s largest labor unions since she announced her candidacy for president.
With less than 100 days to the presidential election, high-profile endorsements could prove pivotal in helping maintain the momentum that Harris campaign has enjoyed among Democrats since she entered the race less than a week ago. — The Guardian
Newsom orders California state agencies to start clearing homeless encampments
California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered state agencies Thursday to start removing homeless encampments on state land in his boldest action yet following a Supreme Court ruling allowing cities to enforce bans on sleeping outside in public spaces.
This executive order directs state agencies “to move urgently to address dangerous encampments while supporting and assisting the individuals living in them.” It also provides guidance for cities and counties to do the same, which applies pressure on them, though they are not legally bound to the order.
California is home to roughly one-third of the nation’s population of homeless people, a problem that has dogged Newsom since he took office. There are thousands of tents and makeshift shelters across the state that line freeways, and fill parking lots and public parks.
Under Newsom’s direction, state agencies — including state parks and the department of transportation — would be required to prioritize clearing encampments that pose safety risks, such as those along waterways. Officials should give “reasonable” advance notice to homeless people, offer to connect them to local services and help store their belongings for at least 60 days. Local cities and counties are urged to adopt similar protocols. — AP news
Donald Trump May Not Have Been Hit By Bullet, FBI Director Says
FBI Director Christopher Wray said on Wednesday that it was not clear whether former President Donald Trump was shot or hit by shrapnel when a gunman opened fire at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, earlier this month.
The FBI is investigating the July 13 shooting, which killed one rally-goer and seriously injured two others before the gunman, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot dead by the Secret Service.
Trump was rushed off stage with a bloodied ear. He said that night that he was "shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear." He said he heard "a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin" in a post on his Truth Social platform.
A week after the shooting, the Trump campaign released a doctor's note from Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson—who had served as Trump's White House physician—that said Trump sustained a gunshot wound to his right ear that was "less than a quarter of an inch from entering his head, and struck the top of his right ear." Trump is "doing well, and he is recovering as expected," Jackson said. — Newsweek
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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I find it amusing that so many people still feel the Obama name is magic. Some are not aware how unpopular the name and the man are. In 2012 while campaigning Obama couldn't fill a small theatre appearing alongside Stevie Wonder. Infowars had covered the event and backed up to show only the first 2 rows in the theatre were filled. People forget when he was president almost everyone he endorsed lost. In 2012 Obama received 3M votes less than he did in 2008 and he won. In 2020 Trump received 12M MORE VOTES than he did in 2016 AND HE LOST. By 2012 people were onto Obama and the 3M figure is probably very conservative. Lets hope he campaigns with Kamala consistently.
NO ONE SHOULD EVER BURN THE US FLAG!! I don't care how much you hate America, even if you are an American and disagree with the government!! Too many people have died in wars fighting for the freedom that our flag represents and if you don't believe me, just as a Veteran!