The news cycle is impossible to fully track these days. That’s where we come in.
The Badlands News Brief is a uniquely curated selection of the stories dominating the info war — with context and commentary from Badlands hosts.
Now, the news from Tuesday, February 25th ...
Whiplash: Trump Orders U-Turn After 3 Years of U.S. Support for Ukraine in War with Russia
Talk about a U-turn. When Vladimir Putin’s Russia invaded Ukraine three years ago, Joe Biden rallied the world. The U.S. and its partners isolated Russia and poured tens of billions of dollars in arms, cash and loans into Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s battered country – even as Putin refused to yield.
“America stands up to bullies. We stand up for freedom. This is who we are,” Biden said from the White House. That was then.
Now, on the anniversary of the Russian invasion, the Biden administration’s position of “nothing about Ukraine, without Ukraine” has been tossed aside by President Donald Trump and his advisers. Trump has lashed out at Ukraine, blaming its leaders for Putin’s invasion and cutting Kyiv out of early negotiations with Russia – to the shock of America's allies.
His taunting of Zelenskyy, who he called “dictator,” was rebuked by European leaders and peeved Ukraine-supporting lawmakers in the U.S. "I'm just here to try and get peace," Trump said this month. "I don't care so much about anything other than I want to stop having millions of people killed." – USA Today
AND
Trump’s Ukraine Resources Demand Is ‘Extortionate’ – Johnson
US President Donald Trump’s proposed resource deal with Ukraine is “extortionate” but is also Kiev’s best option for securing long-term support from Washington, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.
Speaking at the Yalta European Strategy conference in Kiev on Monday, Johnson addressed talks on a controversial deal that would give the US 50% ownership of Ukraine’s critical natural resources as compensation for what Washington claims is $500 billion in US aid to Kiev. The proposal has become a source of tension between Kiev and Washington, with Vladimir Zelensky rebuffing the initial offer and insisting that he “would not sign something that will be paid by ten generations of Ukrainians.”
Johnson acknowledged the deal’s flaws but urged Ukraine to take it, drawing a historical parallel to Britain’s dependence on American aid during World War II. “Yes, it’s extortionate looked at one way. But so was Lend-Lease in 1941, wasn’t it? You Americans absolutely stiffed us. You took away our bases in the Caribbean, in Newfoundland. You gave us a load of absolutely useless destroyers. And we were still paying for it until 2006.” – RT
Our Take: The western globalist hegemon isn't freaking out because they've lost the war, but because they've lost the story of that war and of all wars to come.
In essence, they're being forced to respond to overtures to peace by calling for war.
This is a total and untenable inversion… –
***
Another Take: “Johnson stressed that he sees ‘positive things’ in the agreement. ‘This minerals deal commits the United States to a free, sovereign, and secure Ukraine. It commits the United States to long-term financial support for the stability and economic development of Ukraine.’”
(You sound vaccinated, Mr. Johnson.)
Can somebody explain to me why this fuzzy Brit is still flapping his gums on the world stage? He holds no official title, and his career as Prime Minister of Britain was an unmitigated disaster. He oversaw the reversal of BREXIT, and he flew to Kiev in 2022 to convince Zelensky to renege on a ratified agreement with Putin that – at this point – is looking like a much better deal than whatever Ukraine will now end up getting.
Frankly, I never understood why Boris Johnson always looks like a hungover and disheveled slob. Must be an English thing. (I wouldn't know – I'm Scottish.) But what I really don't understand is why this failed leader is still given the time of day when he wields no direct political authority.
And now this wanker thinks that the United States is going to commit to "long-term financial support for the stability and economic development of Ukraine."?
Go home, Boris. You're drunk (probably). –
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Judge Rejects Associated Press Bid on White House Access
A federal judge denied the Associated Press’ request to immediately allow its reporters to resume covering White House events and travel aboard Air Force One after they were banned over how the news organization references “Gulf of America” in its style guide.
US District Judge Trevor McFadden in Washington said he will allow the ban to remain in place as the legal fight moves forward after hearing arguments on Monday. McFadden, who was nominated by President Donald Trump, said the situation presented by the AP’s case was different from past legal fights involving broad access to the White House, as opposed to specific areas.
The judge put the litigation on an expedited track to consider the merits of the AP’s claims, saying he would keep an “open mind,” but at this early stage the outlet hadn’t met its burden for getting immediate intervention from the court.
“As we have said from the beginning, asking the President of the United States questions in the Oval Office and aboard Air Force One is a privilege granted to journalists, not a legal right,” the White House said in a statement after the ruling. – Bloomberg
AND
White House Strikes Back at AP, Takes Over Press Pool Coverage from Reporter Group
The Trump White House is trying to short-circuit the Associated Press' lawsuit against it by altering decades-old protocols over which news outlets can access the president at meetings and events when space is limited.
Why it matters: For the first time in a century, the White House — not the independent White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) — will determine which news outlets are part of the press pool, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Tuesday.
The AP has long been a traditional fixture in the Oval Office and on Air Force One. The wire service sued Leavitt and other top officials last week after their reporters were banned from those areas over the AP's decision to use "Gulf of Mexico" instead of "Gulf of America." The WHCA led a friend of the court brief in support of AP.
The move "suggests the government will choose the journalists who cover the president," Eugene Daniels, president of the WHCA and Politico reporter, said in a statement… "Moving forward, the White House Press Pool will be determined by the White House Press Team," Leavitt said at a briefing. – Axios
Our Take: The timing of Judge McFadden’s refusal to indulge the AP’s temper tantrum is delightful, but I disagree with Axios that the announcement in the briefing room yesterday was in response to the lawsuit.
Rather, I think Trump has been planning to dismantle the communist gatekeeping of DC media for a long time. He certainly promised to do it. We all expected him to do it. Now they’re doing it, and the meltdowns are epic.
The same people that never told the public that Biden was hand-selecting journalists and screening their questions are now concerned about independence. It’s both funny-haha and funny-sad, the latter because they are so delusional about their importance they don’t realize we’re all laughing at them.
This White House recognizes that covering the White House in restricted spaces – like the briefing room and Air Force One – is a privilege. The privileged were taking it for granted, but unfortunately they didn’t realize their error until it was too late.
The past five weeks were an audition… we’re going in another direction.
–
NSA Staff Chatted About Transgenderism, Castration Fetishes at Work
The National Security Agency (NSA) is investigating government employees talking about fetishes and transgenderism on official government chat systems at work, highlighting the importance of the Trump administration’s efforts to root out misuse of taxpayer resources.
The details: Chat logs obtained by City Journal show NSA, CIA, and DIA employees discussing polyamory, transgender surgeries, and explicit sexual topics on government time using the NSA’s Intelink messaging platform. Sources claim the discussions were legitimized as part of the agency’s DEI initiatives within LGBTQ+ employee resource groups.
Trans chats: A review of chat logs found employees discussing “male-to-female transgender surgery” and “hair removal, estrogen injections, and the experience of sexual pleasure post-castration.”
NSA source: The employee who provided the chat logs claimed that he had “witnessed hundreds of sexually provocative discussions” take place “mostly on taxpayer time.” Repercussions? The NSA confirmed the authenticity of the chats and said: “We’re taking action against any and all employees who abused this system.” – The National Pulse
Our Take:
Well, I guess this story will provide The Daily Wire with all the content it needs for the next 18-24 months.
It's hard not to see the irony in this moment: These agencies that have been accused of monitoring all of our communications for the past several decades now have all of their private and humiliating private communications revealed to the entire world.
We must remember to laugh at these agencies at every opportunity we are given – meaning any time they attempt to exert themselves against the American People.
Accelerate. –
Arizona Governor Signs Order ‘To Combat the Cartels’ and ‘Stop Drug Smuggling’
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) has signed an order “to combat the cartels, stop drug smuggling, and secure Arizona’s border,” the governor said in a Tuesday news release. The executive order requires a joint task force named “Operation Desert Guardian” to be set up by the Grand Canyon State’s Department of Public Safety, Department of Homeland Security and Department of Emergency and Military Affairs “focused on the identification, deterrence, interdiction, and dismantling of” transnational criminal organizations.
The Arizona Department of Homeland Security is also required to bring together the task force “and ensure a coordinated, collaborative strategy with state agencies as well as county sheriffs, local law enforcement agencies, and federal law enforcement agencies who join” it.
“I’m proud to launch Operation Desert Guardian to combat the cartels, stop drug smuggling and human trafficking, and secure Arizona’s border,” Hobbs said in the release. “My administration has been in contact with the federal government and local sheriffs about the Operation, its critical objectives, and our shared commitment to keeping criminals and drugs out of Arizona’s communities.” – The Hill
Our Take: Fake governors don’t have choices. —
The Great American Restoration Tour: Las Vegas
The Great American Restoration Tour 7 is taking place from March 6 through 9 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Join us for the first GART event in 2025! Click the image or headline above to get your tickets. — Badlands Media.
Our Take: One week until VEGAS! LFGOOO! —
The US Risks a Heavy Price for Cutbacks in Research Spending
Investors are usually focused on the near-term outlook for economic conditions or upcoming earnings reports. But now is a good time to consider the long-term consequences of changes in government policy. Although these may be difficult to price into markets, several actions by the Trump administration do not bode well for the US’s investments in science and innovation.
Proposed cutbacks in government science personnel and spending have been large and wide-ranging. Although some have been held in abeyance by the courts, there have been big headcount reductions at the world-renowned National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation and Centers for Disease Control among others. In addition, external grants awarded for research at universities may be sharply curtailed, affecting institutions and scientists throughout the country.
The US has led the world for several decades in its commitment to research and development, outspending all other countries... No longer first in the world, the US now ranks eighth. – Financial Times
Our Take: Capitulation is the name of the game in the current battlespace, and it's coming in more theaters than you might have noticed. What's more, ALL of it is folding in one direction, which means it's not just Donald Trump who holds all the cards – but the sovereign movement he represents.
That's us, people.
From Canada and Mexico bending the knee literally within hours of throwing their temper tantrums to EU bureaucrats shrieking about impending peace deals, to Volodymyr Zelenskyy once more giving us a hint as to where the game is headed by playing hard and tough with Trump's demands ... right up until he doesn't … the winning cascade we were simultaneously warned about and promised by Trump years ago appears to be in the offing.
What's truly incredible about the pattern, however, is how it's either consciously or subconsciously tying various Macro entities and their aims together in the public mind. On the surface, Americans can understand on some level why the EU doesn't want Ukraine to cede territory (it stole) from Russia, no matter which side of the Matrix they're operating on.
If they're on our side (i.e., if they see the truth of the matter), then they know the Globalists can't afford to lose their Prussian Proxy State – not just for the very real strategic and economic (not to mention criminal) advantages it provides (think laundering, saber rattling, soft and actual power projection, as well as a buffer against the consequences of striking out against one of the most powerful sovereign nations in the world time and time again,) – but also because of the precedent it sets.
As I've been saying for several years now, the true exposure in the Ukraine-Russia chapter of the War of Stories has not necessarily been Ukraine itself, but rather the blood-stained hands and red-running strings of its many handlers ... handlers who, as Putin has demonstrated, wield significantly less kinetic and economic power than most believed.
In fact, the ONLY thing keeping Russia from taking the game board in force before this point was the fact that the US Military (before Trump and the Devolution Operation) was controlled by these same Globalist interests.
And yet, while we often leave our analysis to nation states (both fake and real ones), when it comes to this capitulation pattern, we're also seeing it hit the Globalist Oligarchy, with Apple, the biggest company by market cap in the world, now being forced to turn tail from its globalist ambitions in order to make good on Trump's on-shoring agenda.
Remember, the New Oligarchy represented by Apple, Microsoft, Amazon et al have enjoyed the benefits of American protections AND globalist exploitation, which are anathema to one another. They were essentially movable proxy states unto themselves.
No more.
So, from Ukraine to Apple, Canada to Mexico and every Prussian Proxy in between, the enemy is being forced to go down with the collectivist ship, or help to power the American Restoration they stifled for so long. —
Breaking: Federal Judge Says Trump Can't Stop Refugee Admissions to the US
On Tuesday, a federal judge in Seattle blocked President Donald Trump's executive order pausing the nation's refugee admissions system. The judge ruled that the president has the power to determine who is allowed to enter the country, but he is unable to invalidate the law enacted by Congress that established the program.
US District Judge Jamal Whitehead told the Court after hearing oral arguments that the president's actions constituted an "effective nullification of congressional will." The AP reported that Judge Whitehead will provide a written opinion in the coming days.
The executive order titled "Realigning the United States Refugee Admission Program" ordered a 90-day suspension of the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), which resettles refugees to the United States. According to the order, the record influx of migrants under the Biden administration have strained federal resources and the United States reportedly no longer has the ability to offer financial assistance and resources without hurting American communities. – The Post Millennial
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Trump Admin to Launch Mandatory Online Registry of Illegal Immigrants with Names, Fingerprints and Home Addresses
The Trump administration reportedly plans to roll out an online registry of illegal immigrants as early as this week that would force undocumented migrants to submit personal information or face fines and arrest. The mandatory registry would require illegal immigrants, including minors over the age of 14, to submit fingerprints and home addresses, according to US Citizens and Immigration Services.
Migrants who fail to register could be fined as much as $5,000 and be sentenced to up to six months in prison, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. “Aliens in this country illegally face a choice,” read a memo from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on the incoming policy. “They can return home and follow the legal process to come to the United States or they can deal with the consequences of continuing to violate our laws.”
The move is part of President Trump’s effort to bolster the nation’s immigration laws and enforcement. – New York Post
Our Take: We are already seeing boomerangs come around from legal precedent set by democrats during the scrotus administration, but apparently they didn’t learn. Fighting battles about Constitutional authorities in court leads to binding legal precedents.
This is going to be interesting. “The judge ruled that the president has the power to determine who is allowed to enter the country, but he is unable to invalidate the law enacted by Congress that established the program.” The first part of that sentence is a concession in this legal environment; will that impact the other immigration lawsuits against President Trump?
Given that President Trump and the team have cut off slush funds and are actively working to remove the invisible enemy’s insiders, the (more than 75!) lawsuits against Agenda 47 shouldn’t be sustainable long term.
President Trump is waging total war through a barrage of executive orders, lawsuits, and agency actions. But without the dark money and secrets apparatus, it’s a war of attrition. By going hard on every front, Trump is forcing them to exhaust their resources early.
And they won’t be resupplied. They will be strategically exhausted.
Man, I love it when they sue. –
Israel Launches Airstrikes to ‘Demilitarize’ Syria
Israeli warplanes have conducted airstrikes on military targets in southern Syria, including areas near Damascus and the Deraa province, following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s demand for the complete demilitarization of the region.
On Tuesday night, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) struck several Syrian “command centers” and “sites containing weapons” in the town of Kiswah, south of Damascus, and in the southern province of Deraa, arguing that the presence of “military forces and assets in the southern part of Syria poses a threat to the citizens of Israel.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz’s spokesperson confirmed in a statement that the Israeli Air Force was “attacking strongly in southern Syria as part of the new policy we have defined to pacify southern Syria.”
“Any attempt by the Syrian regime forces and the country’s terrorist organizations to establish themselves in the security zone in southern Syria will be met with fire,” Katz added. – RT
Our Take: Well this narrative deployment is rich. And, by that, I mean it's a bunch of nonsense.
Syria was demilitarized back in December, when the IDF requisitioned a number of Soviet T-55 tanks from the Syrian military – which was likely a gift from Israel's mercenary-turned-Syrian-president, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani (though, my understanding is that he has recently rebranded himself as Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa – I suppose he is trying to shake the Al-Qaeda/ISIS history from his past).
Earlier this month, Israeli Defense Minister Gideon Saar referred to the al-Jolani regime as "polite jihadis," that was "gaining legitimacy from the world."
Reminder that these guys are head-choppers, and according to reports are already reimplementing Shariah Law – something that I thought Zionists detested?
These airstrikes are being directed at Al Kiswah, which is only about eight miles south of Damascus. It is not only the capital of Syria, but also one of the oldest and continuously inhabited cities in the world. "Damascus" is actually a Greek name, as the modern Arabic language is only about 300 years old.
In May 2023, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman invited then Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to the Arab League summit in Riyadh, ending Syria's 12-year exile from the organization. It had been expelled in 2011 at the behest of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Assad was greeted by MBS with hugs and kisses – literally – an event that sparked worldwide intrigue.
During the summit, MBS spoke, asserting that Damascus is part of Arabia (geographically accurate), and that he intends to see it return to the Arabs' sphere of influence, and away from Iran and the Ottomans (Turkey).
Netanyahu will take Damascus, I suspect. The question will be what Riyadh, Tehran, Cairo, and Moscow will do in response. –
Trump AG Drops Hammer on Maine Gov Janet Mills: “Maine Should Be on Notice”
The U.S. Department of Justice has warned Maine officials that it is prepared to take legal action if the state continues to require girls to compete against boys in sports, a policy the department says violates federal antidiscrimination laws.
In a letter dated Feb. 25 to Gov. Janet Mills (D), U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the DOJ will hold states accountable if they defy federal law. Bondi cited Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs, including athletics. [...]
Mills confirmed last week that she supported the MDOE and MPA’s resistance to Trump’s orders in a high profile spat with the Commander in Chief.
– Maine Wire
Our Take: The correct nickname for the illegitimate governor of Maine is, obviously, Manet Mills.
Update your records. –
A Total Win for Rumble and Trump Media: Statement on U.S. Court’s Order on Moraes’s Directives
Today, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida confirmed what we have argued from the very beginning: Justice Alexandre de Moraes’s censorship orders have no legal force in the United States. This ruling is a complete victory for free speech, digital sovereignty, and the right of American companies to operate without foreign judicial interference.
The court explicitly ruled that Moraes’s directives were never properly served under U.S. or international law, stating that they were not delivered through the Hague Convention, the U.S.-Brazil Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), or any other valid legal mechanism. This means that Rumble and Trump Media are under no obligation to comply with these unlawful censorship demands, and no U.S. entity is required to enforce them.
The court further made clear that if anyone attempts to enforce these illegal orders on U.S. soil, it stands ready to intervene to protect American companies and free speech. The ruling sends a strong message to foreign governments that they cannot bypass U.S. law to impose censorship on American platforms. – Rumble
Our Take: This isn’t just a win for Rumble. It’s a win for American liberty and US sovereignty.
Trump Media CEO Devin Nunes said on Truth: “We won’t be threatened by any foreign government trying to suppress #FreedomOfSpeech”
Finally, to the court that ruled, the Hague is illegitimate. Hope that helps.
–
BONUS ITEMS
Trump Announces 'Gold Card' Visa Program Costing $5 Million
President Donald Trump announced a new visa program for investors coming to the United States on Tuesday that would cost applicants $5 million. Trump, touting the project as a "Gold Card" program mimicking the Green Cards permanent residents get, told reporters in the Oval Office that it would be up and running in two weeks.
Why It Matters: The announcement came as other immigration routes expanded during the Biden administration are being curtailed, particularly for those from Central and Southern America. Trump has advocated for legal immigration, particularly work-based visas, which he has said help bring money and jobs into the country… The president said the current investor visa, known as EB-5, would be scrapped in favor of "selling a Gold Card" to those who want to invest in the U.S.
"It's going to be a route to citizenship, and wealthy people will be coming into our country by buying this card," Trump said. "They will be wealthy, they will be successful, they will be spending a lot of money and paying a lot of taxes." – Newsweek
Southwest Jet Aborts Landing After Near Miss with Another Plane Crossing Runway in Chicago
A Southwest Airlines flight aborted its landing after nearly colliding with another plane crossing the runway at Chicago’s Midway Airport on Tuesday morning, video shows.
The video shows the airliner — Flight 2504 — nearly touching down before revving back up and ascending back into the air. Ahead, one can see what has been described by NBC Chicago as an “unauthorized” FlexJet business jet crossing the runway.
“The flight safely landed ‘after the crew performed a precautionary go-around to avoid a possible conflict with another aircraft that entered the runway,’ according to a statement from Southwest. ‘The Crew followed safety procedures and the flight landed without incident,’ the statement added. ‘Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers and Employees.’” – Breitbart
Trump Directs Investigation Preceding Potential Copper Tariffs
Donald Trump on Tuesday directed his Commerce secretary to investigate the need for possible tariffs on copper, the latest industry to potentially be targeted by Trump’s sweeping trade agenda.
“Like our steel and aluminum industries, our great American copper industry has been decimated by global actors attacking our domestic production,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a statement. “To build back our copper industry, I will investigate the imposition of possible tariffs. Tariffs can help build back our American copper industry if necessary and strengthen our national defense.”
White House officials argued copper and copper alloys are critical for military hardware and national security preparedness. They cited concerns about foreign dumping of copper to oversaturate the market and a reliance on foreign copper production as the reason Trump is directing Lutnick to conduct the investigation that could precede tariffs. The goal is to increase copper production domestically, White House officials said. – The Hill
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Can we please rename operation desert guardian to “Operation Do-Your-Fucking-Job-Katie” ??
In any private company, participants in a chat like that would be fired. It just amazes me that people think that actions don't have consequences.
(This goes for both public and private sector: the general counsel at one job I had a couple of years ago told me at her previous company, she had to fire an employee who was hooking Johns on the company email. 😳)