Badlands News Brief
Bicameral Trump Cases & The Fettermen Speaketh
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.
Some items feature original (and subjective) commentary. Feel free to follow the corresponding link to see our writers’ corresponding Substack accounts and check out their other work.
Now, onto the news from Wednesday, December 27 …
Trump ballot ban appealed to US Supreme Court by Colorado Republican Party
The Colorado Republican Party on Wednesday appealed that state’s supreme court decision that found former President Donald Trump is ineligible for the presidency, the potential first step to a showdown at the nation’s highest court over the meaning of a 155-year-old constitutional provision that bans from office those who “engaged in insurrection.”
The first impact of the appeal is to extend the stay of the 4-3 ruling from Colorado’s highest court, which put its decision on pause until Jan. 4, the day before the state’s primary ballots are due at the printer, or until an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court is finished. Trump himself has said he still plans to appeal the ruling to the nation’s highest court as well.
The U.S. Supreme Court has never ruled on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which was added after the Civil War to prevent former Confederates from returning to government. It says that anyone who swore an oath to “support” the constitution and then “engaged in insurrection” against it cannot hold government office.
The Colorado high court ruled that applies to Trump in the wake of his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, intended to stop the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election. It was the first time in history that the provision was used to block a presidential contender’s campaign.
“The Colorado Supreme Court has removed the leading Republican candidate from the primary and general ballots, fundamentally changing the course of American democracy,” the party’s attorneys wrote Wednesday. — The Denver Post
Our Take: “This line says it all:
’The Colorado case was considered the one with the greatest chance of success, however, because it was filed by a Washington D.C.-based liberal group with ample legal resources.’
DC-based lawfare groups love filing cases in Colorado. Believe me, I know. They see Colorado courts as sympathetic to their cause and, of course, they are.
Chairman Dave Williams and the Colorado GOP’s appeal is both expected and encouraging, and President Trump’s appeal should drop any day. As we’ve discussed, what is critical for ‘democracy’ is that the finding of insurrection is argued and found to be improper; but, as we’ve discussed, experts think the high court will dodge the issue, and the President’s attorneys haven’t introduced evidence to new contradict the J6 Committee Report’s findings.
45’s attorney Scott Gessler’s approach on that last point has been to argue that a political work product cannot result in an actionable, legal finding of insurrection — especially when accompanied by a Senate acquittal. But Gessler did not argue the substance of the report itself. Perhaps that will be enough to persuade five justices that a finding of insurrection is improper without due process. Or perhaps they will find his acquittal in the Senate was due process. Or perhaps five justices will find that the 14A doesn’t apply to the President.
They may also agree with the state courts and keep him off the ballot. All eyes on SCOTUS.” — Ashe in America
Xi Vows "Any Means" To Stop Taiwan Seceding From China, Weeks Before Major Election
Taiwan is just over two weeks away from key elections, something increasingly attracting global media attention given fresh threats from Beijing. On Wednesday China warned of further trade sanctions on Taiwan in the event the ruling party "stubbornly" commits to supporting independence.
Spokesman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office Chen Binhua has addressed a message to the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), saying "If the DPP authorities are determined to persevere, continue to stubbornly adhere to their Taiwan independence position, and refuse to repent, we support the relevant departments taking further measures in accordance with the regulations."
Taiwan is just over two weeks away from key elections, something increasingly attracting global media attention given fresh threats from Beijing. On Wednesday China warned of further trade sanctions on Taiwan in the event the ruling party "stubbornly" commits to supporting independence.
Spokesman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office Chen Binhua has addressed a message to the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), saying "If the DPP authorities are determined to persevere, continue to stubbornly adhere to their Taiwan independence position, and refuse to repent, we support the relevant departments taking further measures in accordance with the regulations." — ZeroHedge
Our Take: “Once again, we have an example of the ‘Shark Fin Template’ rising within the War of Stories, and this concerns the Narrative surrounding a potential—and potentially escalating—conflict between China and Taiwan.
While the Ukraine-Russia situation was somewhat surprising when it ‘went hot’ in 2022, the Narrative seeds had been planted for some time that it was coming—whether you believe those seeds were planted more by patriot ghosts in the machine, or by the machine itself is a matter up for debate, but I personally feel that the more seeming chaos that exists on the global game board during the ‘Biden era,’ the more powerful (and bipartisan) the public mandate will be for Trump’s return.
Donald Trump may have been smeared as a divider and a destroyer for years by the Establishment media, but the Truth Community knows he’s a builder first. What could possibly be more important to build than the inroads to peace around the world?
I believe those inroads were made during his first public administration, and I believe that whatever happens to rebalance the international world order in his seeming absence is as narratively destructive to Biden and the Establishment as it is Actually beneficial to the development of a multi-polar, and peaceful world.” — Burning Bright
Special counsel Jack Smith seeks to block Trump from making 'political attacks' during trial
Special counsel Jack Smith filed a motion Wednesday in Donald Trump’s federal election interference case seeking to block him from making political arguments and referring to conspiracy theories during the trial.
“The Court should not permit the defendant to turn the courtroom into a forum in which he propagates irrelevant disinformation, and should reject his attempt to inject politics into this proceeding,” the filing reads.
Smith asked the court to prohibit Trump from advancing "a theory of selective or vindictive prosecution or to otherwise improperly inject politics into the trial." — NBC News
Our Take: “Jack Smith is attempting to start a trial the day before Super Tuesday, but is arguing that President Trump being able to talk about it is prejudicial? Doesn’t President Trump enjoy the presumption of innocence as a defendant in a federal lawsuit, or is that no longer a thing?
Smith isn’t just dragging President Trump into court in the middle of his campaign, he’s also attempting to silence him while prosecuting him on fake charges in the middle of his campaign. So much for ‘democracy.’
In October 2022, 68% of likely US voters told The NY Times and Siena College that the greatest threat to US democracy was government corruption. Jack Smith is working hard to prove them right.” — Ashe in America
New York Times sues Microsoft, ChatGPT maker OpenAI over copyright infringement
The New York Times on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against Microsoft and OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, accusing them of copyright infringement and abusing the newspaper's intellectual property.
In a court filing, the publisher said it seeks to hold Microsoft and OpenAI to account for "billions of dollars in statutory and actual damages" it believes it is owed for "unlawful copying and use of The Times's uniquely valuable works."
The Times accused Microsoft and OpenAI of creating a business model based on "mass copyright infringement," stating their AI systems "exploit and, in many cases, retain large portions of the copyrightable expression contained in those works." — NBC News
Our Take: “Whatever the Actuals are regarding this headline, the Narrative and memetic power of it speaks for itself.
For years, Anons and Citizen Journalists have been comparing the corporate media to NPCs, and now the Paper of Record in the United States, also known as the main Narrative-setter for the Globalist Establishment, is suing AI software developers for using their content to train said AI.
This represents a glorious continuation of the Ouroboros pattern that has been consuming Establishment Media, Politics and Culture at large (oddly, starting circa 2016, after Trump came down that golden escalator,) wherein said media is now SO steadfast on proving that they are totally not robots by suing the manufacturers of said AI robots for making robots that produce takes, commentary and 'content' almost indistinguishable from their own.
I've said in some recent rants that, if you're a creative or thinker, and you lose market share to the advent of AI, you deserve to.
Be better. Be human.” — Burning Bright
Fetterman on Carville’s Biden criticisms: ‘Shut the f‑‑‑ up’
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) blasted Democratic strategist James Carville, saying he should “shut the f‑‑‑ up” on criticisms regarding President Biden and his odds in the 2024 presidential race.
In a new interview with Politico, Fetterman responded to a question about Biden’s reelection campaign by slamming Carville unprompted, saying he would use the interview as “another opportunity to tell James Carville to shut the f‑‑‑ up.”
“Like I said, my man hasn’t been relevant since grunge was a thing. And I don’t know why he believes it’s helpful to say these kinds of things about an incredibly difficult circumstance with an incredibly strong and decent and excellent president. I’ll never understand that,” Fetterman added.
Earlier this year, Carville warned Democrats that Biden could lose to former President Trump in 2024. — The Hill
Our Take: “The votes are in, and Fetterman #7 has dominated the field in narrative impact. I first saw this story when Trash Discourse on X posted, ‘Stop Making Me Like Him!’
Of course, that’s the beauty of Fetterman.
This story contains an inherent contradiction for conservatives. It’s soothing for us to hear someone — anyone — publicly tell James Carville to F*ck Off. But the catharsis is immediately disrupted by the fact that F7’s rebuke is made in defense of Biden. On the other side, Carville is arguing against Biden’s fitness for office — which is a position to be celebrated… but Carville is kind of the worst. Oh, the cognitive dissonance!
Both Carville and Fetterman are disrupting the usual norm of Democrat election year unity. This is a welcome shift in an otherwise boring narrative in which the left wing of the uniparty screeches about ‘democracy’ before rigging primaries and voting as a block to erode American Liberty.
They might still end up there, but signs of life in the commie wing is an encouraging development at this point in the contest.” — Ashe in America
BONUS ITEMS
House GOP request documents on Biden's involvement in Hunter Biden defying subpoena
The Republican leaders of the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees on Wednesday asked the White House to turn over information about President Biden's alleged involvement in his son Hunter Biden's decision not to comply with a congressional subpoena for a deposition, expanding its impeachment inquiry into the president.
In a letter to White House counsel Edward Siskel, Reps. James Comer and Jim Jordan requested documents and communications between White House staff in the Executive Office of the President and Hunter Biden or his lawyers regarding his scheduled deposition, which was supposed to happen on Dec. 13.
But Hunter Biden defied the subpoena from the Oversight Committee for a closed-door interview with lawmakers, appearing briefly outside the U.S. Capitol to reiterate that he would answer questions only in a public setting.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters later that day that the president was "familiar with" what his son was going to say in his statement. — CBS News
Michigan Supreme Court rejects ‘insurrectionist ban’ case and keeps Trump on 2024 primary ballot
The Michigan Supreme Court has rejected an attempt to remove former President Donald Trump from the 2024 primary ballot based on the US Constitution’s “insurrectionist ban.”
The outcome, which was generally expected, is a victory for the former president, though an effort to remove him could be renewed for the general election. Wednesday’s decision contrasts with the recent ruling from the Colorado Supreme Court, which kicked Trump off its primary ballot because of his role in the January 6 Capitol riot. That decision has been paused pending an appeal.
With these dueling decisions, the expected appeals to the US Supreme Court become even more critical, especially as the nation races toward the start of the 2024 primaries. Unlike in Colorado, the Michigan lawsuit never reached a trial and was dismissed early on in the process. An intermediate appeals court upheld the decision to toss the case on procedural grounds.
The Michigan Court of Claims judge who first got the case said state law doesn’t give election officials any leeway to police the eligibility of presidential primary candidates. He also said the case raised a political question that shouldn’t be decided in the courts. — CNN
Banks shed 60,000 jobs in one of worst years for cuts since financial crisis
Global banks eliminated more than 60,000 jobs in 2023, marking one of the heaviest years for cuts since the financial crisis and reversing much of their hiring as they emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Investment banks suffered a second consecutive year of plummeting fees as dealmaking and public listings dried up, leaving Wall Street trying to protect profit margins by reducing headcount.
Elsewhere, the takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS has already resulted in at least 13,000 fewer roles at the combined bank, with further big redundancy rounds expected in the year ahead.
“There is no stability, no investment, no growth in most banks — and there are likely to be more job cuts,” said Lee Thacker, owner of financial services headhunting firm Silvermine Partners, adding: “There are some very nice gifts being sent to bosses at the moment.”
Twenty of the world’s biggest banks cut at least 61,905 jobs in 2023, according to Financial Times calculations. That compares with more than 140,000 jobs slashed by the same lenders during the global financial crisis of 2007-08. — Financial Times
Trump Jr. Says He'd Go To "Great Lengths" To Stop Haley As VP Pick
Donald Trump Jr. has expressed strong opposition to the prospect of Nikki Haley being tapped as his father's running mate in the 2024 presidential election, pledging to go to "great lengths" to prevent it.
In a recent interview, Mr. Trump Jr. declared that he “wouldn’t have her” as the vice presidential candidate alongside his father, former President Donald Trump, should he secure the GOP nomination next year.
"I would go to great lengths to make sure that doesn't happen," the former president's son told Newsmax on Dec. 25.
The statement came after the outlet played video footage of Ms. Haley, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and a GOP presidential candidate, making critical comments about President Trump during an interview with ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis earlier in the month.
"I don't think he should be president," said Ms. Haley, who expressed concerns about the state of the country and the world, saying, "Donald Trump brings us chaos."
In response to the footage, Mr. Trump Jr. dismissed Ms. Haley's candidacy, accusing her of being a "puppet" of the Washington establishment.
“Nikki Haley wants never-ending wars. She's a puppet of the establishment in Washington, D.C. She's the new favorite candidate of the billionaire class because they want control—no different than academia and Harvard and using, you know, their billions to exercise influence,” Mr. Trump Jr. said. — The Epoch Times
We hope you enjoyed this brief look back at the major news items you might have missed in this ever-escalating and ever-accelerating news cycle as the Information War continues to rage on around us.
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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Here's another important story: The expansion of the Capitol Police installations to areas outside DC. Why would the brazen, lawless fascists want to do that? Because the CP cannot be FOIAed. Besides being a gross violation of the Constitution -- the CP is controlled by the Speaker of the House and the legislative branch has NO law enforcement power whatsoever -- it is also a desperate attempt to eliminate free speech and anyone who disagrees with their Maoist plan to dismantle America. It is little different than the CCP expanding their police powers by opening police stations in American cities. The Dark Army, in their desperation to stop the Great Awakening, is employing all of their tactics now to completely destroy our country.
“ What could possibly be more important to build than the inroads to peace around the world?” Hear Hear, BB! ❤️🇺🇸🌎
Jack Smith has lately emerged as the solo actor representing the Theater of the Absurd! His every move reeks of desperation on behalf of the DeepState players. It’s like watching a Tragic Comedy. More and more force is required for [them] to maintain a semblance of relevance…meanwhile, awake and newly awakening people are witnessing a valuable lesson between Force and Power, between deception and lies vs Truth and Integrity. It cannot possibly be escaping any American who truly loves their country that Trump raised the bar of the Presidency while the current resident has lowered it in plain view, lower than has ever been visible before!
Oh my goodness…the “copyright infringement” accusation between NY Times and Microsoft. Did anyone else have the first thought of the recent “Plagiarism” narrative going on with Harvard’s Claudine Gay? Let the Liberal Progressive Left infighting begin!
Enjoyed Ashe’s take on Fetterman’s angry outburst defending Biden!
Actually, with the exception of the China / Taiwan Daily Brief, the remaining Briefs hit my funny bone. It’s like we are watching a comedy of the Enemy in obvious self destruct mode.
Thank You Badlanders ❤️🙏🇺🇸