Badlands News Brief
The Info War is Getting Stranger ...
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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. (LOTS of BB today!)
Now, onto the news from Wednesday, September 13 …
Russia's Navy Port At Sevastopol On Fire After Massive Ukraine Missile Attack
In the overnight and morning hours of Wednesday (local time) a major attack has ensued on Russia's key Black Sea naval port of Sevastopol. Multiple social media videos emerged showing massive blazes at the Sevastopol shipyard, with possible deaths, and at least 24 people being reported injured.
Initial reporting in Reuters and CNN strongly points to a missile attack, based on statements by Sevastopol governor Mikhail Razvozhaev, who said "Our enemies attacked Sevastopol" and that "The air defense was at work."
The precise location of the large fire is the Kilen-Balka area of Sevastopol. Reuters reports that "A Ukrainian air attack early on Wednesday sparked a fire at the Sevastopol Shipyard in Crimea, injuring at least 24 people, the Russia-installed governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said on the Telegram messaging app."
At least four of the injured have been reported as being in "serious condition".
Initial and unconfirmed social media photographs show what appears to be a direct hit on one or more military vessels docked at the naval port.
The aftermath of the attack was captured from multiple angles, appearing to confirm significant damage to ships and port infrastructure... — ZeroHedge
Our Take: “Narrative Deployments out of the Ukraine theater are alternating between escalatory & hellish to darkly comedic & strange.
To wit:
All the while, Ukrainian leadership continues to launch salvos at NATO and western media for a lack of support while said Media Industrial Complex begins to question the whereabouts of the 'vanishing billions' siphoned from US taxpayers.
If I didn't already know it, I'd be starting to wonder if we were watching a mass Disclosure Op about the Deep State's System of Systems.” —
RFK Jr. Telegraphs Threat To Abandon Democrat Party
The Democrat Party has a latent disaster on its hand vis a vis one RFK Jr.
On the one hand, they are fully dedicated to sabotaging his campaign. Under no circumstances whatsoever will he be permitted to win the nomination.
Even if he had 80%+ support from the electorate, the sick truth is that party leadership (influenced by the consultant and donor classes) would rather lose with Brandon than win with RFK Jr. because of what he’s liable to do to the Deep State and D.C. largesse were he ever to assume office. It would be a proverbial bloodbath for the administrative state and all of the grifters who feed on it.
On the other hand, they need to keep RFK Jr. within the Democrat Party fold because if he were to go rogue and run third party — which he, frankly, should have been doing all along — it would be a veritable death knell for the Brandon entity’s prospects in 2024, which are wafer-thin as it is.
Whatever perceived threat Cornel West poses to Brandon’s re-election with his Green Party run, magnify that threat by 10x, 100x and you’re in the ballpark of what RFK Jr. would do to the party. It’s not outlandish to speculate that a strong third-party run by RFK Jr. might literally break the Democrat Party for years or possibly forever. That’s how sick of the party’s BS its own members, not to mention independents and non-voters (the largest, unserviced voting bloc in the country), are.
RFK Jr. has already proven himself nearly bulletproof from relentless Democrat Party and corporate state media attacks — arguably on the same level in this regard as “Teflon” Don. — PJ Media
Our Take: “Witting or unwitting, RFK Jr. is being used to effect a Narrative Pincer with Donald Trump targeting the Uniparty Establishment.
RFK Jr. is going to be used to torch the remnants of the Democratic Party within the Collective American mind. The fact that he's a scion of the beloved Kennedy legacy is serendipitous.
Trump, for his part has largely ignored the DNC these days.
He'll highlight the coming rug-pull on Kennedy, while continuing to expose the skeletons in Con Inc.'s collectivist closet.” —
Putin Says Trump Won't Change US Foreign Policy
Russian President Vladimir Putin does not believe former President Donald Trump could end the war in Ukraine if he was reelected. Trump has slammed President Joe Biden for allowing the war in Ukraine to spiral out of control and promised to end the conflict within days of taking office.
Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum, Putin remarked, "I think there will be no fundamental changes regarding Russia in US foreign policy, no matter who is elected president," he said. "Mr. Trump says he will solve acute problems, including the Ukrainian crisis, in a few days, this can only please. Nevertheless, he too imposed sanctions on Russia during his presidency."
[…]
The former president promised to bring a quick end to the war in Ukraine if he is reelected. "If I were president, I [would] end that war in one day. It’ll take 24 hours. I will get that ended. It would be easy." Trump added, "That deal would be easy. A lot of it has to do with the money. That war has to be stopped. It is a disaster."
While Trump asserts the impasse in Ukraine is due to money, Moscow and Kiev have overlapping territorial claims that both sides say are non-negotiable.
Putin went on to say that the treatment of Trump under President Biden shows America’s moving away from a Democratic system. "As for the prosecution of Trump, for us what is happening in today’s conditions, in my opinion, is good because it shows the rottenness of the American political system, which cannot pretend to teach others democracy." — The Libertarian Institute
Our Take: “Re: Putin's remarks claiming Trump would not fundamentally alter US-Russia foreign policy were he to become President 'again.'
First off, I don't think this clashes with the Sovereign Alliance theory; in order to make peace, the main players on the game board first must be on the cusp of war in the public Narrative.
Second, Putin observes that the Trump Witch Hunt is being done in full view of the American public.
Sometimes, the main characters in the War of Stories reach through the page.” —
COVID Cancellations Are Back: California High Schools Cancel Football Games
Two California high schools have confirmed that they canceled football games because of COVID-19 cases among students.
Esparto High School near Sacramento confirmed that it canceled a game after it stated that six players tested positive for COVID-19. It also stated that multiple players were also injured and that it didn't have enough players for a game.
This comes as there have been concerns that virus-related rules might be reimplemented in the coming months.
“Ensuring the well-being of students is not only a moral obligation but also a legal and ethical responsibility,” district Superintendent Christina Goennier told affiliate station FOX40.
Dr. Aimee Sisson, the Yolo County health officer, told the outlet that she supports the move.
“Our role in the health department is to support our schools in being able to stay open for that in-person instruction,” she said. “We provide support certain tips on what to do when there are cases provide testing resources. But really our goal for this school year is to keep kids in school in person, but also to do so safely.” — The Epoch Times
Our Take: “Public figures and organizations need to be exposed, and act as cyphers through which core truths can be disclosed, but the path to a better future relies on challenging the underlying philosophies these symbols reveal.
It's not that Joe Biden is corrupt; it's that the office of the President AND the Federal Government has too much power. His corruption is just driving that point home.
It's not that NATO is corrupt; it's that they should not have the power to declare war on behalf of the West.
It’s not that Administrative State (which allowed tyrannical COVID overreach,) is corrupt; it’s that the Administrative State shouldn’t exist.” —
Rep. Jason Smith: Impeachment Inquiry to ‘Expedite’ Wider Biden Investigations
House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) told Breitbart News in an exclusive interview on Wednesday that the impeachment inquiry will “expedite” House republicans’ investigations of the wider Biden family.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) announced the formal launch of an impeachment inquiry into Biden for “abuse of power, obstruction, and corruption.” The leader of the House said Republicans have uncovered “serious and credible allegations” against Biden.
McCarthy said that Smith, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH), and House Oversight Committee James Comer (R-KY) will lead the inquiry.
Smith explained that the announcement of the impeachment inquiry will “speed up” and “expedite” the process after the IRS, the Department of Justice (DOJ), the FBI, and the Secret Service have “continued to stall” regarding their investigations. The three chairmen have asked 13 federal employees to come before the committees for interviews.
Smith lamented that the DOJ Attorney General Merrick Garland announced its special counsel, which he said is being used to “obstruct” a congressional investigation. — Breitbart
Our Take: “Everything we're seeing during the Biden Admin is slotting into templates set during the Trump Admin. As
says, we're watching 'reruns,' the latest being the Biden Impeachment Inquiry.But why?
More so than the legal and political precedents these deployments set, the Narratives are going to be most useful for us as the engineered drama plays out in front of the American Mind.
[They] cheered during the initial salvo. They're not having as much fun in the Year of the Boomerang.” —
BONUS ITEMS
Kim Jong Un Toasts Putin, Wishing 'Great Victory' Over Enemies
The meeting between Kim Jong Un and President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday in the far eastern city of Vladivostok was all that it was expected to be, with the North Korean strongman praising a "heroic" Russian army which will be led by Putin to a "great victory" over its enemies.
"We are confident that the Russian army and people will win a great victory in the just fight to punish evil groups who pursue hegemony, expansion, and ambition," Kim told Putin while raising a toast during an official dinner.
There's much speculation that the one-on-one talks held prior to the dinner, which lasted about two hours, may have focused on Moscow buying North Korean ammunition for use in Ukraine.
"I will always be standing with Russia," Kim emphasized in footage broadcast on Russian TV, while Putin agreed that "An old friend is better than two new ones."
Putin also hailed "the future strengthening of cooperation and friendship between our countries," during a tour with Kim at Russia's Far East spaceport, the Vostochny Cosmodrome. "The leader of the DPRK shows great interest in rocket technology, and they are trying to develop (their presence in) space," Putin said
Just as the two leaders, seen by the West as 'pariahs', were about to meet, Pyongyang fired off two ballistic missiles into the sea in yet another warning to South Korea and its main military backer the United States. — ZeroHedge
Judge blocks suspension of right to carry firearms in public, siding against New Mexico governor
A federal judge has blocked part of a public health order that suspended the right to carry guns in public across New Mexico’s largest metro area, with criticism mounting and political divides widening over the Democratic governor’s action.
The ruling Wednesday by U.S. District Judge David Urias marks a setback for Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.
The second-term governor imposed an emergency public health order Friday that suspended the right to openly carry or conceal guns in public places based on a statistical threshold for violent crime that applied only to Albuquerque and the surrounding area. She cited recent shootings around the state that left children dead, saying something needed to be done.
Urias, who was appointed to the federal bench by President Joe Biden, agreed Wednesday with plaintiffs who have accused Lujan Grisham of trampling on constitutional rights. Urias granted a temporary restraining order to block the governor’s suspension of gun rights until another hearing is held in early October.
Urias said he doesn’t blame Lujan Grisham for trying to do something “in the face of these terrible deaths,” but his duty is to decide a much more narrow question regarding the rights afforded under the U.S. Constitution.
The governor in a statement issued Wednesday said she would not be resigned to the status quo. — WFLA
Taliban hail China's new ambassador with fanfare, say it's a sign for others to establish relations
The Taliban on Wednesday hailed China's new ambassador to Afghanistan with fanfare, saying his arrival is a sign for other nations to come forward and establish relations with them.
The Taliban seized power in August 2021 as U.S. and NATO forces withdrew after two decades of war. Their leaders are under sanctions and no country recognizes them as Afghanistan’s legitimate rulers. The country’s seat at the United Nations is still held by the former Western-backed government that was led by Ashraf Ghani.
Only a handful of nations have working diplomatic missions in Afghanistan, including China, the world's second-largest economy. The two sides have been open about their desire for closer ties, especially commercial ones.
Ambassador Zhao Sheng’s car swept through the tree-lined driveway of the Presidential Palace escorted by a police convoy. He was greeted by uniformed troops and met top-ranking Taliban officials, including Mohammad Hassan Akhund, who heads the administration, and Foreign Affairs Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.
It is the first time since the Taliban takeover that an ambassador to Kabul has been afforded such lavish protocol. — ABC News
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.
re Sevastopol: If this is a "Ukrainian" attack I'm an armadillo. This is an Act of War by the United States' intelligence/military complex against Russia. It is deliberate. Our entire government has gone rogue. In the Narrative War it is a positive though. It shows the rest of the world how far the Biden Junta is willing to go to start WW III.
The illegal alien story in the news is really quite entertaining. The escaped prisoner saga, not sure who is writing the “keep Americans distracted” script, it’s lacking pizazz to say the least. The Esparto school in CA you mentioned in your covid story is real close to where I grew up. Esparto is a very small school and I believe the cancelling of football has more to do with not enough players. It’s that small of a school. It made me laugh nevertheless to hear mention of this tiny community!! Good job Badlands media, I look forward to your daily News Briefing!