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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.
Some 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.
Now, onto the news from Thursday, June 15 …
‘Edge Case’: Tom Cotton Says Trump Shouldn’t Be Indicted on ‘Novel Legal Theories’
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) on Thursday told host Alex Marlow on Sirius XM’s Breitbart News Daily that the federal indictment of former President Donald Trump was “a very disappointing moment.”
“Alex, it’s a very disappointing moment,” Cotton told the Breitbart News editor-in-chief before referencing the FBI swat raid of pro-life activist Mark Houck. “I would say that it’s surprising, but I think if you look at what Merrick Garland has done over two and a half years, how can you be surprised at the uneven application of justice? You know, when he sics the FBI to raid … a pro-life activist outside of Philadelphia, who’s then acquitted by a jury of his peers in barely an hour.”
[…]
Cotton, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Criminal Justice and Counterterrorism, contended Biden’s leading political opponent, Trump – who was indicted on 37 counts relating to documents he took with him to Mar-a-Lago at the end of his presidency – should not be prosecuted “on a stretch case or novel legal theories or an edge case.”
“Remember, the most important thing about Donald Trump right now is not that he’s the former president. It’s that he’s the opposition party’s leading candidate for the presidency,” Cotton emphasized. “That was, in no small part, why [Former FBI Director] Jim Comey refused to indict Hillary Clinton in 2016 on much worse … behavior, behavior that was more injurious to the immediate national security interests of this country …” — Breitbart
Our Take: “The Department of Justice should not be stretching legal theories or pursuing edge cases against the opposition party’s leading presidential candidate,' Senator Cotton said.
But they are. They are pursuing a novel legal theory about a US President and the Espionage Act — and they're accusing a US President of violating the Espionage Act over a dispute about 'documents with classified markings.' This is not about the law, it's about political persecution and election interference. And because these communists weren't held accountable for stealing the 2020 (and attempting to steal the 2016, and manipulating 2018, 2022, all primaries, etc.) they are emboldened and brazen in stealing the 2024.
Related: J. Alex Halderman's report was unsealed this week and validates everything that election activists have been saying since November 3, 2020. Brian and I will be going through the report on Tuesday's Why We Vote next week, so don't miss it.
Yesterday, President Trump posted on Truth Social:
He followed it up with,'PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT AT A LEVEL SELDOM SEEN IN OUR COUNTRY BEFORE!'
He is spot on, and everyone knows it. The dangerous weaponization of the government is fully exposed. The illusion of legitimacy has shattered.” —
Putin & Lukashenko Address The West's 'Worst Fears'
This week both Presidents Vladimir Putin and his close ally Alexander Lukashenko have addressed worst case scenarios which could spin out of the Ukraine war. Both in separate interviews have addressed what the West fears most in fresh remarks. It comes as Russian tactical nukes are being delivered to Belarusian bases.
First, Belarus' Lukashenko said in a Wednesday interview on Rossiya-1 television that the Western allies are very afraid that a new, large-scale war will break out in Europe, resulting in "global catastrophe".
"I have met with people playing an important role in this, who make radical, drastic and final decisions in the event of an `if’,’" Lukashenko said, according to Russian state media translation. "What they fear most is a nuclear disaster, and they have been sincere about this. They are afraid of using nuclear weapons in Ukraine. It’s only natural," he added.
He stressed that Belarus certainly seeks to avoid this as well. "We are not seeking that either, and we, too, are afraid. Because this, experts say, could cause a global catastrophe, and this planet may deorbit, if all these weapons explode," Lukashenko said.
His words came the same day he confirmed that Belarus has begun taking delivery Russian tactical nukes on its territory, in line with previous announcements which deeply alarmed the West. — ZeroHedge
Our Take: “Putin's remarks about a "catastrophe" that could befall Europe should the pattern of NATO escalation continue in the Donbas has set off a fresh cascade of warmongering from the Media.
Ironic and fitting, since Putin and his allies are explaining in detail exactly the scenarios they are looking to avoid as the Globalists prod and poke at every turn.
The War of Stories framing many of us apply to the Info War is perhaps most pertinent to the Russia-Ukraine theater, via Scare Event templates that could be used as a Trauma-Catharsis antidote to the Deep State's longtime Hegelian Dialectic.
In short, I’m a believer that we can have our cake and eat it too in the Info War, in that, Putin is both looking for Peace while simultaneously taking a no surrender, no retreat approach to the Globalist/NATO war machine, putting Donald Trump in the needed position of the Peacemaker that I still feel is a major part of the movie that has yet to play out.” —
The DOJ And Special Counsel Jack Smith’s Sordid History Of Weaponizing The Espionage Act
Smith, who signed off on the government’s embarrassing retreat in the Drake case, was also later responsible for the 2014 indictment and conviction of Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell, infamously reversed by a unanimous Supreme Court in 2016. Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the court, criticized the prosecution’s “boundless” interpretation of the statute and called the case “distasteful.”
Smith is now the special counsel prosecuting Donald Trump.
With the entire intelligence apparatus, FBI, and DOJ lined up against him, the former president is in genuine legal peril, and it remains to be seen if he will ultimately prevail. But even if Trump’s lawyers help him “beat the rap” by successfully maneuvering around the DOJ’s partisan weaponization of the Espionage Act led by a zealous Smith, it is not entirely clear if he’ll beat the ride. Drake certainly has not. McDonnell certainly has not. One might be forgiven if they come to the conclusion that maybe that’s the entire point of all of this. — The Federalist
Our Take: “Familiarize yourself with Just Security, and do not forget the old name Andrew Weissmann. Beyond the disturbing facts there, lo and behold, we have the Open Society Foundation in the mix like cranberry juice with vodka.
Citing this article, Just Security is partially funded by the Open Society Foundation. Shocked yet? Just Security champions itself as a forum based on security, democracy, foreign policy, and rights. Remarkably, we see a familiar overtone of Russiagate in the background, considering Weissmann's connection to Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
Furthermore, let's look at how Jack Smith, special counsel has a history connection, here. Thomas A. Drake’s 2011 case via Smith, stemming from a 2007 raid regarding classified documents.
From the source : Apparently unmoved by the judge’s warning was the DOJ’s public integrity section chief overseeing the case, Jack Smith. Smith, who signed off on the government’s embarrassing retreat in the Drake case, was also later responsible for the 2014 indictment and conviction of Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell, infamously reversed by a unanimous Supreme Court in 2016. Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the court, criticized the prosecution’s ‘boundless’ interpretation of the statute and called the case ‘distasteful.’
This is critical to understand, as this speaks directly to FBI weaponization gone rogue.
How far will they go to, ‘get Trump?’ As far as they need to go.
The Espionage Act isn't even fitting. Furthermore, there is no espionage, other than the spying that occurred on a candidate and sitting president in 2016. This is ramping up statutes into Federal cases, where there is no real evidence.
Interestingly enough, this puts the Biden crime family in the crosshairs more than ever. Devon Archer is subpoenaed. Durham comes in to testify, and Ukraine is the home of Joe's alleged quid pro quo. Add in the Biden laptop, and a $5 million bribe, and we could be at a precipice that will set a precedent.
Essentially, there is no better way to take our country back, other than allowing the enemy to expose itself on center stage for the world to see. I, for one, am extra comfy.” — Johnny Q
State Senator Tells Parents to Flee His Own State Amid Bill That Would Take Kids Away From Non-’Affirming’ Parents
A California state senator told a gathered crowd of parents at the California Senate Judicial Committee to flee the state on June 13 during a hearing on a bill which would put parents who don’t affirm their child’s “gender transition” in danger of child abuse charges.
Sen. Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, is one of the two lone Republicans on California’s Senate Judiciary Committee, and he has served in the California Legislature for 11 years. He was also the lone voice warning against language in AB 957, which a Democratic senator had amended on June 5 to rewrite the California Family Code to list “gender affirmation” alongside a child’s need for “health, safety, and welfare.”
Wilk then targeted the statements of Democratic committee members who promised that AB 957 would only “give the judge more information.” — The Daily Signal
Our Take: “A line is being crossed intentionally in Trans-sanctuary states. It's, in part, I would argue, a test to see how much they can push and if we'll push back. It's also meant to polarize, and now activate, the anti-Trans/pro-Trans groups, so that open conflict can take place, thereby generating plenty of media coverage that marginalizes the side they don't like.
But people are rejecting this narrative and this push. It's highlighting a much bigger and deeper problem—that of bodily autonomy, competence, age of consent, medial insanity, and other issues.
No doubt the globalists wanted to foment conflict between polarized groups. But the patriots are also using this to finally speak out against the insanity.
It's also highlighting the fact that most toxic issues, policies, and destructive ideologies quietly wreak havoc because people who would stand up to do something, don't know the problem exists. A great many reasonable people didn't realize how insane the trans agenda is. Now they have more to work with.
We can't stop at the trans agenda. All of the globalists ideologies, policies, and machinations must be exposed and confronted.” —
Jury Orders Starbucks to Pay $25 Million to Manager They Fired for Being White
Starbucks has been ordered by a jury to pay over $25 million in damages to a former regional manager they fired for being white as a sacrificial offering to the Black Lives Matter movement.
From The New York Times, "White Starbucks Manager Fired Amid Furor Over Racism Wins $25 Million":In April 2018, two Black men entered a Starbucks shop in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood of Philadelphia for a business meeting with a white man who had not yet arrived. While they waited, and before ordering, one of the two asked to use the bathroom. He was refused. Eventually, they were asked to leave. When they did not, an employee called the police.
The subsequent arrests, captured in videos viewed millions of times online, prompted accusations of racism, protests and boycott threats. The company's chief executive apologized publicly, describing the way the men had been treated as "reprehensible." Starbucks took the extraordinary step of temporarily closing 8,000 stores to teach workers about racial bias.Starbucks employees said they were forced to watch "video after video" of white cops attacking blacks as part of said "racial bias" training. — Information Liberation
Our Take: "Yesterday, we covered Starbucks uncharacteristically backing off overt displays of wokeness, and today we're getting another piece of information. And we are congratulating Shannon Phillips' triumph in making Starbucks pay for their racism.
For corporations, the summer of BLM was a transformative time. Covid shocked organizations' systems and culture and then, a few months later, the death of George Floyd radically reshaped company conversations.
In the middle of the last decade, Diversity Equity & Inclusion leaders became a thing in professional services, but widespread adoption of the role in the industries has been more recent. Also more recent is the promotion of DEI leaders to C-Level — Chief Diversity Officer, etc.
One of the most recognizable impacts of DEI on organizations is the creation of 'affinity groups.' The idea is that employees self-organized around areas of their identity, such as Racial, LGBT, Veteran, Cycling and Fitness, Gaming, etc., to provide a more authentic work life experience and drive deeper connections among employees. The concept isn't new and, in my experience with clients in multiple industries, these affiliations were always voluntary, like clubs in high school. That is, until George Floyd died.
'Starbucks employees said they were forced to watch ‘video after video’ of white cops attacking blacks as part of said ‘racial bias’ training.' Yep. This was widespread and DEI consultancies made a fortune that year training workforces about systemic racism and privilege and whiteness. The affinity groups about systemic racism and reparations became mandatory learning paths for entire organizations. 'Starbucks took the extraordinary step of temporarily closing 8,000 stores to teach workers about racial bias.'
As we learn from this article, it wasn't enough.
'Ms. Phillips said she was fired not long after balking at the order to suspend the white manager. She said that she had not been previously told that she was doing a bad job and that the only explanation she was given for the firing was that ‘the situation is not recoverable.'
Training wasn't enough for Starbucks to appease the woke mob. They needed a sacrifice. Phillips was given the opportunity to fire a white employee based on race, and she, rightfully, declined to do so. So, she became the sacrifice.
In 2020, organizational judgement was clouded by covid fear porn and racial hysteria. DEI efforts exacerbated the groupthink and led to mass formation around both those issues. But the dust has settled, the air is clear, and the light is shining on the wreckage. In this single case, cleaning up the wreckage is going to cost Starbucks $25.6M." —
Investigation Finds $400 Billion Was Stolen Or Wasted In Covid Fraudsters’ ‘Great Grift’
In case you had any lingering doubts that forcibly shutting down the entire economy over a virus and replacing economic activity with government payments does not represent a smart strategy, the Associated Press has more evidence to bolster the case.
Its latest investigation, titled “The Great Grift,” highlighted the staggering scope of fraud taxpayers face because of Covid-era programs. On the heels of earlier AP investigations that showed significant spending on projects that had little to do with the coronavirus, the story provides one major explanation — albeit an infuriating one — for our nearly $32 trillion-and-counting federal debt.
Overall, the AP analysis found that the federal government appropriated nearly $5.2 trillion on Covid-related efforts during the pandemic. That total includes roughly $3.2 trillion shelled out under President Donald Trump, in addition to the $1.9 trillion “stimulus” legislation that Democrats rammed through after President Joe Biden took office. — The Federalist
Our Take: “$400 billion is only a drop in the bucket, especially when it comes to saving lives. Unless, of course it's a total ‘scamdemic’ to ensnare control, throw the country into disarray, and then (allegedly) rig an election.
Small businesses were lost forever, while it could be argued a genocide occurred worldwide. Families lost everything and vaccine status tore lives apart. Leave it to the Left's almighty leadership and wisdom to allow emergency funding to be squandered, misappropriated, and used fraudulently.
Fair warning: don't you dare ask why the money wasn't looked into, and justice enforced. The ‘Brandon administration’ had January 6 attendees arrested by the hundreds, while parents were harassed at school board meetings simply for wanting control over their children’s education. Meanwhile, our kids were masked, and life as we knew it stopped.
What didn't stop ? A fraudulent grift.
While the I.R.S. and DOJ prioritized domestic terrorism, the fraud from Covid funding and loans was on fire, leaving tax-paying citizens to suffer. When a corrupt government provides no oversight, it's time for a change.” — Johnny Q
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.
For decades we heard s-elected officials of the uniparty repeat the mantra, "Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy." This, of course, is true, a phenomenon unique to the enduring prosperity of this nation, where entrepreneurship WAS welcomed, encouraged and even supported by startup venture capitalists. But my newly alert cynical self reinterprets this as a "dog whistle" to the globalists: "Hear ye! Hear ye! Any and all ideas on how to thwart this phenomenon are welcome!"
How do you injure beyond all recognition a thriving organism? Why snap its backbone!! Enter covid, the perfect excuse to control the masses, with its diabolical multi pronged destructive forces. Your daily update, a solace to me, indeed, is awesome!!! Keep the articles and your"takes" coming, please!!!
I am interested in learning how an upgraded subscription to Badlands supports all your fabulous contributors. Thank you.
The longer this shit show Ukraine war goes on... the more I love Vladimir Putin. Idc who thinks I'm weird, this man is a Russian Trump teddy bear to me. I'd almost like to meet him as much as DJT. I'm very confident he is working with Trump. And I truly believe he will prevent nuclear war!😍 As for the Starbucks lawsuit HELL YEAH! Starbucks coffee sucks and I hope they go away permanently! Just for forcing their employees to watch those videos..can you say MK Ultra🤷♀️