Badlands News Brief
BiBi Goes to DC, Wray Responds & Biden Concedes
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 24 …
Netanyahu dismisses critics, scolds protesters in defiant speech to Congress
A defiant Benjamin Netanyahu, in an address to a joint meeting of Congress on Wednesday, dismissed as “utter nonsense” criticisms by the United Nations, human rights groups and the International Criminal Court that Israel’s government has committed war crimes in Gaza, and he derided pro-Palestinian protesters as “idiots” and tools of Iran.
The Israeli prime minister told U.S. lawmakers that Israel will settle for “nothing less” than total victory over Hamas, and described a vision for postwar Gaza seemingly at odds with the terms of a peace deal advocated by the Biden administration. The fate of Israel and the United States are inextricably linked, he asserted, arguing that U.S. investment in Israel’s war aims also serves to defend the United States and “all democracies.”
“We help keep Americans’ boots off the ground,” Netanyahu thundered, imploring Congress to expedite the transfer to Israel of billions of dollars in U.S. weapons. “Give us the tools faster, and we’ll finish the job faster,” he said. — WAPO
Our Take: Before we get into the meat and potatoes of this speech, allow me to set the stage:
Bibi Netanyahu spoke for 52 minutes, and received 58 standing ovations, which is a record for any speech of any length ever given in Congress. What makes it even more unique is that the standing ovations were bipartisan. For those 52 minutes, Congress was completely united on an issue, which must be some other kind of record, as well.
For context, the existing record was a speech given in 2015, which lasted 48 minutes and received 28 standing ovations, which were also bipartisan.
That speech was given by Bibi Netanyahu.
Rounding out #3 is a speech given in 2022: 21 standing ovations in 23 minutes— all bipartisan—and the speech was given by... Volodymyr Zelensky.
So by now, it should be pretty evident to everybody that our government—particularly, Congress—is bought and paid for by foreign interests. Who, exactly, those interests are is a matter of debate—I'm sure we would all have overlapping ideas—but incidents like these are hard to ignore, as a red-pilled American.
As expected, Netanyahu basically called for war with Iran, plainly stating that Iran would attack American soil, if they weren't stopped in the Middle East. To be honest, it sounded more like a threat than a warning.
Much of the speech involved surrogates—hostage victims, hostage families, wounded veterans—telling about life during wartime. No doubt, the conditions of war create compelling human drama. Leveraging those tragedies to inspire, or justify, cultivating more tragedies in the future seems a little backwards and immoral.
War is not something you should aspire toward, nor is it something that should require justification, or persuasion. You shouldn't need to convince others of the need to go to war. It should be self-evident, if it is truly necessary. But none of this is necessary, and peace is absolutely an option.
Netanyahu invoked many lies into his sales pitch, many of which have long been debunked. The most obvious being the "40 beheaded babies" narrative. As reported by Israeli outlet Haaretz back in December, according to life insurance companies, and police reports, the only baby that was killed on October 7th was ten-month-old Mila Cohen. It's absolutely tragic, and I feel gross that I have to cite it as a bullet point, but I am merely calling out the lies of a seasoned politician who is eager to send our friends and families off to die in yet another pointless war. (The beheaded babies narrative—as well as the "cooked-in-an-oven" narrative—has been debunked by a number of investigative organizations from across the political spectrum.)
Netanyahu should not get a free pass simply because the subject matter is tragic. I actually think the fact that he is lying about something so obscene, on an issue so important, speaks to darkness surrounding these events. There is something spiritual about what is playing out right now.
If you would like to hear my full commentary, I hosted the Badlands special coverage of Netayanu's address, and gave a post-game analysis. —
WATCH: Badlands Media Special Coverage - Netanyahu Congressional Address
U.S. flag set ablaze, 23 arrested as thousands protest Netanyahu’s D.C. visit
Thousands of Palestinian supporters and critics of the ongoing Israel-Gaza war descended on Washington on Wednesday in opposition to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before and during his address to a joint meeting of Congress, drawing a massive police response as they marched around the city.
Though most demonstrators walked and chanted peacefully, there were some clashes with law enforcement, and D.C. police and Capitol Police said they arrested 15 people in total. The U.S. Park Police arrested eight people.
Outside Union Station, pro-Palestinian protesters set an American flag ablaze, along with an effigy of Netanyahu, and spray-painted the Christopher Columbus fountain and adjacent Liberty Bell reproduction with messages like “Free Gaza,” “All zionists are bastards,” and “Free Palestine.” Police appeared to hit some demonstrators with a chemical irritant at multiple points during the day. — WAPO
Our Take: I missed all of this because I was hosting Breaking History, then hosting the livestream of the Netanyahu special coverage. And frankly, I'm a little grateful for that, based on what little I saw of it on X.
Keep in mind that there are powerful and dark forces who want to capitalize on this moment—or any moment—to not just foment division, but psyop the public into supporting another foreign war. The best way to do that is to convince people that Netanyahu was right in his speech when he said that Hamas would come and get us in our beds here in America, if we didn't go and get them first.
My advice is to observe and distill, but refrain from reacting. Hopefully, most of you have already had your emotions tried over the past few weeks, and don't have the emotional capital at the moment to invest much in this nonsense.
Be discerning, and remember that just about every population on earth is having psyops run against them right now. Have faith in humanity, and do not turn on one another. Division (civil war) is the enemy's only remaining play. Don't give them the win. —
FBI Director Christopher Wray reveals new details about Trump shooting at House hearing
FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before House lawmakers Wednesday about the investigation into the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, and he revealed new details about the gunman's actions in the lead-up to the July 13 shooting in Pennsylvania.
Wray told members of the House Judiciary Committee that the gunman, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, flew a drone near the site of the rally roughly two hours before he opened fire. Wray said investigators recovered the drone in Crooks' vehicle, and the bureau believes he was watching video streamed from the device to scout the area.
The FBI chief also said agents recovered a total of three "relatively crude" explosive devices: two from Crooks' vehicle and one from his residence. Crooks had a transmitter that would have allowed him to detonate the devices in his car remotely, but the receivers on the bombs were turned off, Wray said.
Eight cartridges from spent bullets were found on the roof where Crooks opened fire, Wray confirmed. The gunman killed one attendee and wounded Trump and two others.
Investigators have managed to gain access to Crooks' phone, which Wray said was a "significant technical challenge." He said agents discovered Crooks was using encrypted messaging apps to communicate. — CBS News
Our Take: FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, and the opening statements set the tone for the hearing.
Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) meticulously recounted the FBI’s recent failings, outlining the many scandals and law enforcement events for which the American People are still awaiting answers.
Ranking Member Jerry Nadler (D-NY) spread blueanon conspiracy theories about political violence, claiming that the leftist that attacked Paul Pelosi was a ‘far right extremist.’ Nadler essentially declared that the attempt on President Trump’s life was not a surprise and, also, was 45’s fault. Despicable, but not surprising.
Director Wray’s open focused on how awesome and honorable the FBI is, while following the lead of officials in prior hearings and declining to answer substantive questions. This is the very essence of plausible deniability. Former USSS Director Cheatle punted substantive questions to the FBI on Monday’s Oversight Committee hearing, as did the law enforcement witnesses in Tuesday’s Homeland Security Committee hearing. That would imply that the FBI Director should have answers.
If Wray had answers, he didn’t share much. He claimed ‘ongoing investigation,’ and qualified every answer. He declined to comment on the law enforcement response on July 13.
He did share that eight shell casings were recovered from the roof, but no information on shell casings from the counter snipers. He also confirmed that Crooks had a drone that he flew over the venue multiple times, and that Crooks had done a Google search on ‘How far away Oswald was from Kennedy,’ with Wray calling the latter detail ‘significant’ as to the shooter’s ‘state of mind.’
Republicans spent most of their time talking about foreign threats on US soil, attacks on soft targets or, as Wray described, places where everyday Americans live their lives. Wray could not provide a number of how many terrorists — individuals and groups — are in our country. He danced around the questions. He also affirmed the severe lack of vetting.
Let me tell you where this is going: ‘We can’t secure the Homeland, but give us more money, and give up your rights.’
Sincerely, from all of us: No.
That being said, the matter of the government’s complete and total failure to secure the Homeland must be addressed immediately. —
Biden calls his decision to step aside from 2024 race a matter of defending democracy
President Joe Biden, speaking to the nation from the Oval Office Wednesday evening, framed his decision to step aside from the 2024 presidential race as a matter of saving democracy and passing “the torch to a new generation.”
In a poignant speech that marked the beginning of the closing chapter of his presidency and half-century in public service, Biden acknowledged that uniting the party required sacrificing personal ambition for what he sees as a greater good.
“I revere this office. But I love my country more,” the president said
“It’s been the honor of my life to serve as your president. But in defense of democracy, which is at stake – and is more important than any title. I draw strength and I find joy in working for the American people,” he said.
While Biden did not mention Donald Trump by name, he tried to draw a clear contrast with the former president, whose ambition led him to claim victory in an election he did not win four years ago.
“The great thing about America is, here, kings and dictators do not rule,” Biden said. “The people do. History is in your hands, the idea of America lies in your hands.” — CNN
Our Take: While the majority of time I spend covering Biden is focused on mocking him, his cackling side chick, and the party that pretends any of this is ‘presidential’ or even ‘normal,’ this current, rapid installation of Harris is different.
I find myself involuntarily angry at the speed and coordination with which this switcheroo is happening. The narratives about Biden’s historic ‘legacy’ and Kamala’s laughable ‘fitness’ for duty are a slap in the face, not just to Democrat voters, but to all Americans.
Hollywood and the music industry are attempting to make Kamala some sort of pop culture icon with ‘Brat Summer’ — a hip hop reference that they needed to explain to everyone (and I still don’t get it). Also, the artist that came up with ‘brat’ is British. Spot on, globalists.
Both national and global media are working overtime on the Harris campaign, with too many articles to count all focused on reshaping the current VP’s image in an attempt to convince voters she is a viable candidate. These are donations in kind, but they will get away with it. They always do.
I’m not convinced that any of this is real. But, regardless, I’m angry that the institutional establishment respects the American People so very little — and overtly believes the people are so irretrievably stupid — that they will attempt this gaslight with Democrats’ least popular candidate, possibly in history, and on the eve of the election.
It’s shameful, unAmerican and, ironically, a threat to the democratic process and the survival of our Constitutional Republic. And the people engaging in such despotism keep screaming about ‘democracy’ — without concern of consequence.
We need change, America. Make America great again by making honor, accountability, and consequences great again. —
Bill Dudley, Who Urged Powell To Hike Rates in 2019 To Crush Trump, Flip-Flops & Demands Immedate Rate Cut
After fading away into retirement obscurity, punctuated by the occasional op-ed on Bloomberg, where all financial has-beens go to pretend they are still relevant and where they are read by nobody, this morning former Goldman top economist and NY Fed president Bill Dudley made waves again, by violently flip-flopping to his recent stance, in what can only be viewed as another confirmation the Fed is nothing more than a political tool for a faceless, oligarch elite.
In his post-Fed existence, Bill Dudley is of course best known for writing that infamous August 2019 Bloomberg op-ed, in which he called for the Fed to hike rates into the last months of Trump first administration to scuttle his odds of re-election...
... proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that the US central bank is, among other things, a tool to perpetuate the established status quo and to crush any interlopers who may jeopardize the net wealth imbalance which the Fed has carefully established since its founding in 1913. For those who have forgotten, here is the punchline from Dudley's op-ed.
I understand and support Fed officials’ desire to remain apolitical. But Trump’s ongoing attacks on Powell and on the institution have made that untenable. Central bank officials face a choice: enable the Trump administration to continue down a disastrous path of trade war escalation, or send a clear signal that if the administration does so, the president, not the Fed, will bear the risks — including the risk of losing the next election.
There’s even an argument that the election itself falls within the Fed’s purview. After all, Trump’s reelection arguably presents a threat to the U.S. and global economy, to the Fed’s independence and its ability to achieve its employment and inflation objectives. If the goal of monetary policy is to achieve the best long-term economic outcome, then Fed officials should consider how their decisions will affect the political outcome in 2020. — ZeroHedge
Our Take: This is a fascinating narrative deployment from where I’m sitting. And yes, I do consider it a narrative deployment.
Bill Dudley’s name may not mean much to most Americans, but it’s representative of the sort of inside baseball financial politics that have governed the kabuki theater that is “actual” politics for generations—arguably, since the advent of the current iteration of the US Central Bank (also known as the Federal Reserve) in 1913.
While the commentary in the alt. media is rightly pointing out the fact that Dudley and his vampiric banking ilk are trying to “juice” the fake economy leading into the fake election in a bid to paper over the establishments’ having presided over a zombie corpse of an economy for the better part of four years, AFTER having attempted to do the opposite, and crush that same economy during Trump’s first (public) reign … don’t get lost in the sauce.
They failed. They failed in 2019, as the Federal Reserve ignored the advice of its sycophants and bent to Trump’s bidding, just as they’re failing to respond to the same carrion crows to do the opposite today.
What does this tell you about the current persuasion of the game board?
If the enemy no longer controls the actions of the Federal Reserve … who does?
We’re going to like how this movie ends, Anons … —
Netanyahu Thinks Joe Biden Is Already a Lame Duck
Is Joe Biden already turning into a lame-duck president? There’s evidence that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thinks so — and is betting on former President Donald Trump as the next occupant of the Oval Office.
In the last couple of weeks, Netanyahu has flagrantly delayed the Gaza cease-fire talks in Doha, creating new demands. He is doing this even as Biden has waxed positive about an imminent deal — as recently as his July 11 press conference — that would free the Israeli hostages and pause hostilities in the nearly 10-month-old war.
There are several reasons Netanyahu is slow-rolling the negotiations, according to a senior Middle East diplomat and experts familiar with the negotiations. One is that he needs to appease two far-right cabinet members, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who have threatened to dissolve his government if he makes concessions to Hamas. Another is he believes Hamas has been significantly weakened and is on the run, thanks to devastating Israeli airstrikes in Gaza that killed senior Hamas officials — including possibly Muhammad Deif, the commander of Hamas’ military wing.
But a key reason for Netanyahu’s latest delay tactic that has received less attention appears to be his calculation that the U.S. election is shifting rapidly in Trump’s favor. — Politico
Our Take: Well, I did say today during the post-game analysis of the Netanyahu speech that I expect him to make up every excuse he can to prevent a ceasefire deal, because he is being coerced by the radicals in his cabinet to keep the war machine going.
So now, it seems, Bibi is using Trump—or, at least, his impending return—as the next justification for keeping the gravy train rolling.
He may live to regret that, though Netanyahu isn't a dummy. He is a savvy and cunning operator.
Trump said during his rally today that everybody expects him to be nice just because he got shot—but he isn't going to be nice. (I love him so much.)
I expect Trump to come back and break all of their toys. They did shoot him in the face. —
Another Take: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with Donald Trump ... after meeting with the fake Biden-Harris Regime.
Prime Minister BiBi Netanyahu will meet with Donald Trump ... after meeting with the fake Biden-Harris Regime.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban met with Donald Trump ... WITHOUT meeting with the fake Biden-Harris Regime during the NATO summit.
NATO countries are publicly moving to "Trump-proof" their union by cowing to demands he made more than six years ago.
All for a "just in case" scenario? I don't think so.
Normieville might not engage with these sorts of narratives as readily as those in this community, but they're becoming more aware by the day that, whether they're seen as friend, foe or somewhere in between where it concerns the United States, world leaders know that what came before the Devo term is coming again.
Donald Trump is already being treated as the de facto President by most of the game board.
All that remains is how difficult [they] make the "smooth" transition. —
BONUS ITEMS
Ukraine Presses China to Help Seek End to War With Russia
Ukraine’s top diplomat met with China’s foreign minister on Wednesday in talks that signaled Kyiv’s increased willingness to pursue a diplomatic solution to the war with Russia and to have China play a more central role in the effort.
“I am convinced that a just peace in Ukraine is in China’s strategic interests,” Dmytro Kuleba said in a statement after a meeting with Wang Yi, the Chinese official, in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou. “China’s role as a global force for peace is important.”
Mr. Kuleba made clear that Ukraine attached conditions to such negotiations, saying it would only engage Russia when Moscow was “ready to negotiate in good faith.” He added: “No such readiness is currently observed on the Russian side.”
Mr. Kuleba is visiting China for the first time since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. His trip comes as Ukraine is slowly losing ground in the war and faces growing uncertainty about the level of support it will have from the West. Moscow and Kyiv briefly held peace talks in the spring of 2022 but they quickly broke down over critical issues.
For China, hosting Mr. Kuleba reflects the country’s ambition to play a bigger role in global security challenges as a counterweight to the United States. It also serves to rebut Western criticism of Beijing’s close alignment with Russia. — NYT
Secret Service steers Trump campaign away from outdoor rallies
The U.S. Secret Service is encouraging former President Trump not to hold large outdoor rallies in some instances following the assassination attempt on the Republican presidential nominee, the Washington Post first reported Tuesday and Axios can confirm.
Why it matters: It's signature Trump to hold large outdoor rallies, per a source, who emphasized that this didn't mean he wouldn't hold another big-crowd event outside. But the shift to deciding on a case-by-case basis whether to hold an event indoors or outdoors is part of increased security measures following the Pennsylvania rally shooting.
It underscores how seriously both the Trump campaign and the USSS are taking security after the July 13 shooting that led to U.S. Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle resigning on Tuesday following blistering criticism and mounting bipartisan calls to do so over the incident.
There are no outdoor events scheduled for the coming days and Trump's team is now looking for suitable indoor venues that can accommodate the large crowds that Trump typically draws, per WaPo.
Zoom in: The USSS and Trump's team have been holding conversations on how they would move forward if they were to hold outdoor events, according to the source. — 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.
Badlands Media will always put out our content for free, but you can support us by becoming a paid subscriber to this newsletter. Help our collective of citizen journalists take back the narrative from the MSM. We are the news now.
“Be discerning, and remember that just about every population on earth is having psyops run against them right now. Have faith in humanity, and do not turn on one another. Division (civil war) is the enemy's only remaining play. Don't give them the win.”— GhostofBasedPatrickHenry
I listen to Netanyahu’s entire speech last night. I realized that without the background I have learned about the Prussian Khazarian Mafia and the core theft of Jewish identity for political global cabal strategy, I would have been swayed by Bibi’s rather compelling oration. That said, I was not swayed. Focusing on Iran as THE enemy without any reference at all to Obama and the pallets of cash was a telling omission. To thank Biden, Obama’s VP, was to thank the Treason that eventually puts Netanyahu on the world stage of war to defend our own Liberty?? To defend the forever wars in the MiddleEast in which our CIA and Mossad are complicit co-conspirators against Peace?!
There is no greater enemy to our Country than the lying corrupt treasonous MSM!
Thank you, Ghost, for your Takes…I’m heading over to catch your linked video now 🙏❤️🇺🇸🦅🕊🌎💫
Thessalonians 2:3–12
Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but what pleasure in unrighteousness.