Badlands News Brief
Cohen Crumbles, Borders Bleed & Proxies Plead
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.
Many items feature original (and subjective) commentary. Feel free to follow the corresponding link to see our writers’ Substack accounts and check out their other work.
Now, onto the news from Thursday, May 16 …
Cohen Destroyed: Trump Lawyer "Dog Walks" Star Witness Through Lie After Lie, CNN Pundits Aghast
President Donald Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen had his "knees chopped out" by Donald Trump's defense attorneys in cross-examination during Trump's 'hush money' trial.
Cohen was grilled by Trump attorney Todd Blanche about a pivotal phone call that connected Trump to allegations that he approved reimbursements to pay porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election. In one exchange, Blanche accused Cohen of lying about speaking with Trump on the phone in October 2016 to reassure his boss that he was handling the payment to Daniels.
Blanche then confronted Cohen with text messages that contradicted the lie - revealing that Cohen in fact spoke with Trump's bodyguard, Keith Schiller.
Cohen appeared blindsided by the line of questioning, and wavered in his recollection of the phone call before blurting out "I believe I was telling the truth!"
Blanche then slapped Cohen around for telling Congress that he didn't want to work in the Trump administration - only to be confronted with conversations in 2016 in which he expressed disappointment that he was overlooked for the role of Trump's chief of staff.
Cohen also lied about seeking a pardon from Trump, for which his attorneys later had to issue a statement to correct the record.
After Cohen had his ass handed to him, CNN pundits were beside themselves.
"It was incredible...lawyers want to build a box around the witness & slam it shut--that's what Todd Blanche did to Cohen...it was an extraordinary cross...Cohen was cornered in...a lie," said host Anderson Cooper. — ZeroHedge
Our Take: “3:28 for Anderson Cooper to explain to a shocked and almost nonexistent normie leftist audience that the ‘Star Witness’ who was supposed to bring the Orange Man down once and for all ... LIED.
That's the short version.
The slightly longer and more entertaining version occurs when you reframe everything we're looking at as the result not just of Donald Trump and his team baiting the very charges against him, while continuing to bait the presiding judges in each of his cases to make the Orange Jump Suit meme come true, but most of all, as him baiting the Media Industrial Complex into one last gasp of breathless ‘THIS IS THE END!’ forecasting that's already coming crashing down around them.
Of course, this is all occurring against the backdrop of a crisis cascade of epic preparations that's moving through the economy, culture and national security at an accelerating pace.
They wanted to catch the Orange Man, but like a dog chasing a bus, they just didn't know what to do when they did.” —
More Chinese Nationals Illegally Entered The U.S. In Two Days This Month Than In All Of 2021
President Joe Biden has completely abandoned U.S. border security. Of the some 10 million people who have illegally entered America under Biden’s unwatchful reign, a particularly alarming threat has emerged: a massive increase in the number of Chinese nationals illegally crossing our borders.
This phenomenon not only underscores a significant breach in national security but also facilitates greater infiltration by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) into the United States, posing substantial risks not sufficiently addressed by current federal policies.
Chinese illegal immigration has shown a dramatic increase, with reports indicating that in just the first two days of May 2024, more Chinese nationals entered the U.S. illegally than in all of 2021. This stark rise is facilitated by an alarming oversimplification in the vetting process instituted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), reducing the number of interview questions for Chinese nationals from approximately 40 to just five. Such measures dangerously prioritize “processing efficiency” over thorough national security checks, leaving gaping vulnerabilities that could be exploited by the CCP to insert espionage agents or exert undue influence within our borders.
This “processing efficiency” has been made necessary by Biden’s lax border policies, which have resulted in border agents being so overwhelmed with illegal crossings and fraudulent asylum requests that fundamental national security measures have been abandoned. — National Review
Our Take: “Consider the facts of this story in light of the immigration standards applied to the Dali crew in Baltimore (see story also in today’s Brief). It’s puzzling.
‘…in just the first two days of May 2024, more Chinese nationals entered the U.S. illegally than in all of 2021.’
Increases in Chinese Nationals entering the US illegally is not new — it’s been a feature of the Biden Administration since its inception. In response to this obvious crisis, scrotus is, ‘reducing the number of interview questions for Chinese nationals from approximately 40 to just five.’
Why would they do that?
Deep in this Federalist piece, we get this claim: ‘According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, more than 10,000 Chinese unlawful aliens have been apprehended since October 2022, compared to fewer than 500 in the same period in 2021.’
How many got away? Did any policy or process changes lead to the increased apprehensions? What does this data indicate about total number of Chinese spies, I mean, illegal migrants — not just the ones they caught, as reported in this piece, but total?
Well, Fox News reported earlier this month that ‘gotaways in just the last 3 years were more than the entire decade spanning 2010-2020.’ And this Federalist piece is talking about borders, plural. Illegal crossings by Chinese ‘migrants’ are common at the Northern border.
Blame Canada.
Also, are the Indian Dali bros a greater threat than tens of thousands of unknown Chinese? That is, is India a greater national security threat than China?
The true conspiracy theory is that there’s no threat—that a 7,000% increase in illegal Chinese nationals within the interior is NOT a threat to our national security. Anyone telling you that lie — like, say, the Biden Administration — is your enemy.
Are we still allowed to say something if we see something?” —
South Africa calls on ICJ to order Israel to end Rafah offensive
South Africa has asked the international court of justice (ICJ) to urgently order Israel to end its assault on Rafah, halt its military campaign across Gaza, and allow international investigators and journalists into the territory.
In a court hearing, lawyers for South Africa expanded a written request for judges to issue an emergency order to stop the offensive into Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city.
They argued that seven months into the war, which has killed more than 35,000 people and reduced much of Gaza to rubble, the scale of suffering was now so intense that a total ceasefire was needed to get food, medicine and other aid to its desperate population.
Prof Vaughan Lowe KC told the court that a destructive campaign in Rafah, the last corner of Gaza that has not faced a ground invasion by Israeli forces, would destroy “the foundation of Palestinian life” in the territory.
“If the court does not act now the possibility of rebuilding a viable Palestinian society in Gaza will be destroyed, at least for the lifetime of those who survive the current horrors of Gaza.”
South Africa also demanded access for reporters and war crimes investigators to Gaza, to collect and preserve evidence of potential war crimes. — The Guardian
Our Take: “"South Africa is compelled to appear before you with this urgent request for provisional measures in circumstances where the alarm sounded by the court on 28 March, 2024, that, quote, ‘All the indicators of genocidal activities are flashing red in Gaza,’ end quote, and in Rafah, in particular, is sounding louder than ever before. This is because Israel has defied every single provisional measure indicated by this court in its orders of 26 January and 28 March and in its decision of 16 February.’ (Irish lawyer Blinne Ni Ghralaigh, representing South Africa in the ICJ on May 16, 2024.)
I listened to this entire hearing, and I have to say that the evidence presented was even more damning than I expected or realized.
During the multi-part presentation, the lawyers representing South Africa in the hearing presented videos of Israeli National Security Minister Imatar Ben-Gvir speaking at a ‘Gaza March’ rally where the sign on the podium read, ‘Colonization of Gaza will bring security. Returning home!’ (Implying Gaza is home to the Israeli people)
During his speech, Ben-Gvir said, ‘The solution you talk about here is THE solution and there's no other. We, in the cabinet, demand: WAR NOW! Demand to enter Rafah! Demand targeted assassinations! But we must tell the truth. Without liberating Gaza, there will be no solution!’
South Africa also presented a video showing dozens of IDF soldiers listening to a commander standing atop a top giving a speech. The commander leads the group in a chant, which is repeated several times: ‘Let's go destroy Rafah! Let's go destroy Rafah!’
Gralaigh and her co-counsel explained that there are corroborating reports from independent sources that overwhelmingly refute Israel's entire narrative surrounding this operation. While the IDF has prevented any outside inspectors to enter most of Gaza, in the places that they have been able to reach, Gralaigh says they have found mass graves that contain men, women and children. Many of them have their limbs bound, indicating that they were taken prisoner, then ‘summarily executed.’
Many individuals from the Israel government and military were singled out for war crimes. Among them was Brigadier General David Bar-Khalifa, who South Africa claims ordered the execution of these civilians. He was rewarded with a promotion to head of the Personnel Division. Bar-Khalifa is famous for issuing a hand-written letter to the IDF troops on the eve of the invasion. (It was also publicly released.) In the letter, Bar-Khalifa invokes ‘divine vengeance,’ telling the soldiers ‘We have an iron will. I trust you.’
The lawyers described young children being buried under rubble for days, who could be heard (on videos) screaming for help before they died of starvation or injuries. On top of the thousands of children that have been killed (the exact number is disputed), even more have been made amputees.
The brutality of the IDF was laid out in sobering detail. Lawyer Tembeka Ngcukaitob said, ‘Israel's intent was always to destroy Palestinian life and to wipe them off the face of the Earth.’ Another lawyer said, ‘There is no right of self-defense by an occupying state against the territory that it occupies. Nothing, not self defense or anything else, can ever justify genocide.’
(Many of these anecdotes I have been tracking, which is why I was not surprised that the Biden administration is so reluctant to continue arming the IDF. They know what the IDF is doing, and that they will be implicated as accomplices.)
Today (Friday), the court will hear from Israel, and its official response.” —
China and Russia reaffirm their close ties as Moscow presses its offensive in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday reaffirmed their “no-limits” partnership that has deepened as both countries face rising tensions with the West, and they criticized U.S. military alliances in Asia and the Pacific region.
At their summit in Beijing, Putin thanked Xi for China’s proposals for ending the war in Ukraine, which have been rejected by Ukraine and its Western supporters as largely following the Kremlin’s line.
Putin’s two-day state visit to one of his strongest allies and trading partners comes as Russian forces are pressing an offensive in northeastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region in the most significant border incursion since the full-scale invasion began on Feb. 24, 2022.
China claims to take a neutral position in the conflict, but it has backed the Kremlin’s contentions that Russia was provoked into attacking Ukraine by the West, and it continues to supply key components needed by Moscow for weapons production.
China, which hasn’t criticized the invasion, proposed a broadly worded peace plan in 2023, calling for a cease-fire and for direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv. The plan was rejected by both Ukraine and the West for failing to call for Russia to leave occupied parts of Ukraine. — AP News
Our Take: “The first of a much publicized two-day visit between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping is in the books, and while we often focus on the normie layers of the Collective Mind when it comes to the Info War, there are still a LOT of self-described 'awakened' minds who haven't been able to shed their anti-Russia, anti-China programming.
That's why I think it's interesting to engage with these sorts of Narrative Deployments, as the meeting between Putin & Xi is less diplomatic/Actual and much more psychological.
So far, the two leaders are seeding:
1) Multipolarity as the way of the future. Mutual cooperation over subjugation.
2) Hegemony and centralized power projection must be curtailed, and only can be through sovereign strength.
3) Sanctions and the weaponization of currency have no place in a global free market system.
In short ... these stances align them perfectly with Donald J. Trump, which is why it will be exceedingly easy for Trump to ‘sell’ the peace and trade deals to come.” —
Crew trapped on Baltimore ship, seven weeks after bridge collapse
As a controlled explosion rocked the Dali on Monday, nearly two dozen sailors remained on board, below deck in the massive ship's hull.
The simultaneous blasts sent pieces of Baltimore's once iconic Francis Scott Key Bridge into the dark waters of Maryland's Patapsco River, seven weeks after its collapse left six people on the bridge dead and the Dali marooned.
Authorities - and the crew - hope that the demolition will mark the beginning of the end of a long process that has left the 21 men on board trapped and cut off from the world, thousands of miles from their homes.
But for now, it remains unclear when they will be able to return home.
The Dali - a 948ft (289m) container ship - was at the start of a 27-day journey from Baltimore to Sri Lanka when it struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, sending thousands of tonnes of steel and cement into the Patapsco. It left the ship stranded under a massive expanse of shredded metal.
A preliminary NTSB report found that two electrical blackouts disabled equipment ahead of the incident, and noted that the ship lost power twice in the 10 hours leading up to the crash.
The crew, made up of 20 Indians and a Sri Lankan national, has been unable to disembark because of visa restrictions, a lack of required shore passes and parallel ongoing investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and FBI. — BBC
Our Take: “Seven weeks after the Singapore-flagged Dali destroyed the Francis Scott Key bridge, the crew is still on board and the investigation continues.
The crew, comprising 20 Indians and one Sri Lankan man, had their phones confiscated and remain on the marooned container ship. Ministers, catering companies, and local Baltimore community groups are bringing charity to the confined men and, at least one of these groups wants to take the bridge busters on a field trip.
The reason for keeping these men on the ship is cited as visa and immigration issues which, at least in Baltimore, appear to actually mean something. If allowed to disembark and reenter the US interior, according to this article, their movements will be restricted and they will be required to have an escort. It’s unclear why such tight restrictions apply to these 21 men but not the 12+ million who illegally crossed the border in recent years. Synergy Marine claims the sailors are still there because, ‘nobody knows the ship better than they do,’ and that they are integral for it to function… but they aren’t being treated as integral helpers.
Seven weeks after the crash, the sailors still don’t have their phones, contact with the outside world, or freedom of movement. Perhaps they should have claimed asylum.
‘They've been stuck on board this whole time. They need to enjoy a little more of the freedom that we enjoy every day.’
Really? Do they?
That quote was said by one of the local ministers that has made this ship crew his personal mission field. I understand the sentiment — it’s pretty common. For example, prison ministers often want to let the guys out for ‘a little more of that freedom,’ as well.
Finish the investigation first.” —
Gallant to PM: Reject Israeli military, civil rule of Gaza after Hamas; I won’t allow it
In a televised address Wednesday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he must take “tough decisions” to advance non-Hamas governance of Gaza, whatever the personal or political cost, because the gains of the war are being eroded and Israel’s long-term security is at stake.
Gallant warned in his address that he will not consent to Israeli civil or military governance of Gaza, and that governance by non-Hamas Palestinian entities, accompanied by international actors, is in Israel’s interest. Netanyahu, he said, must publicly rule out the notion of ongoing Israeli military or civil rule in the Strip.
The public comments, seen as the most direct political challenge to Netanyahu from within his government since the start of the war, sparked an angry backlash among members of the coalition, who urged Netanyahu to fire the defense minister.
Only hours earlier, the premier declared that any discussions of the “day after” in Gaza are meaningless until Hamas is defeated. — Times of Israel
And …
Gantz comes to Gallant’s defense amid calls for his termination
War cabinet minister Benny Gantz comes to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s defense, amidst calls for his termination after he challenged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Gaza policy in a nationally televised address.
“The defense minister speaks the truth, the leadership’s responsibility is to do the right thing for the country, at any cost,” he says in a statement. — Times of Israel
Our Take: “The fissures in the Bibi Netanyahu cabinet are now turning into gaping cracks.
Within the larger Netanyahu cabinet of ministers, there is what is called the ‘war cabinet,’ which consists of three men, each with their own vote: Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel; Yoav Gallant, the Minister of Defense; and former Chief of the General Staff, Benny Gantz.
Two days ago, Gallant gave a televised public address, where he challenged Netanyahu for not having a specific plan regarding specific military objectives for the Gaza operation, nor a plan for how Gaza will be governed after the fighting concludes.
Netanyahu has recently declared that he will not allow Palestinians to govern Gaza, and Gallant is now attacking that idea as not only foolish, but dangerous for the Israeli military and citizenry. Netanyahu seems to think that military occupation of Gaza is possible with some sort of civilian (maybe military, as well) governing body. But every military strategist on earth has already concluded that Hamas cannot be eradicated, which means the Hamas resistance will live on, and continue to wage war on any occupying force in Gaza.
Gallant called on Netanyahu to publicly rule out any notion of Israeli rule over Gaza in the aftermath of the campaign. He said that Israel must find a Palestinian governing body to replace Hamas, otherwise the organization will continue to dominate Gaza.
This flies in the face of Netanyahu, who just released a video where he said, ‘I am not prepared to replace Hamastan with Fatahstan,’ referring to the two factions of the Palestinian Authority. (I have a response to this video, but it necessitates its own take, which I'll put out on Monday's Brief.)
Now many in the Israeli ruling class are calling for Gallant's termination, but Gantz is now coming to Gallant's defense, saying that he is right and Netanyahu is wrong.
I don't think any of these guys are virtuous figures, but you don't have to be virtuous to be logical, and they seem to see the writing on the wall. In any event, Netanyahu is quickly losing the support of his own war cabinet, who now have him out-voted 2 to 1.” —
BONUS ITEMS
Biden invokes executive privilege on special counsel recording demanded by GOP
President Biden has invoked executive privilege to block House Republicans from obtaining audio recordings of his interviews with special counsel Robert Hur over his handling of classified documents.
The move comes just hours before House Republicans are set to meet to consider resolutions to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for failing to turn over the files which had been subpoenaed by the House Judiciary and Oversight committees.
“Because of the President’s longstanding commitment to protecting the integrity, effectiveness, and independence of the Department of Justice and its law enforcement investigations, he has decided to assert executive privilege over the recordings,” White House counsel Ed Siskel wrote in a letter obtained by The Hill.
Siskel also called into question the motives of Republicans seeking the recordings. — The Hill
AOC, 'baby girl' Marjorie Taylor Greene trade barbs in fiery Garland hearing: 'Are your feelings hurt?'
Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Marjorie Taylor Greene had a heated exchange Thursday evening during what was supposed to be a contempt hearing for Attorney General Merrick Garland.
The House Oversight Committee had originally been convened to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt for refusing to comply with a subpoena to hand over an audio recording of President Biden’s interview with a special counsel.
The hearing quickly spiraled out of control, with lawmakers bickering with one another. Less than an hour after the hearing was underway, Greene took shots at her Democratic colleague, Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas.
"Do you know what we’re here for?" Crockett asked Greene, who shot back: "I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what you’re reading." — FOX News
Former NIH Head Francis Collins Admits Covid Origins Not Settled, No Science to Back Social-Distance Guidance
The nation’s top public health official during the Covid-19 pandemic admitted that the origins of the coronavirus remain up for debate, the lab-leak theory is not a conspiracy, and there was no scientific evidence to support the government’s social-distancing guidance.
Former National Institutes of Health director Dr. Francis Collins testified behind closed doors earlier this year and made those admissions to the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, according to a transcript and accompanying subcommittee memo provided to National Review.
“Do you recall science or evidence that supported the six-foot distance?” a staffer asked Collins about the Centers for Disease Control’s social distancing guidance during the pandemic.
“I do not,” Collins said.
“Is that I do not recall or I do not see any evidence supporting six feet?” the staffer replied.
“I did not see evidence, but I’m not sure I would have been shown evidence at that point,” Collins said, according to the transcript, adding that he has not seen evidence since then to support the CDC’s six-feet guidance. — The National Review
Peru officially classifies trans people as ‘mentally ill’
The Peruvian government has officially categorised trans and intersex people as “mentally ill”.
The health ministry said the decree was the only way Peru’s public health services could “guarantee full coverage of medical attention for mental health”.
The move has prompted a fierce backlash in a society where gender and LGBT rights have been under sustained assault in recent years and where there are high levels of homophobic, transphobic and gender violence.
In one recent move, lawmakers banned references to gender equality from school textbooks. That has had a devastating effect on classes intended to prevent domestic assault and femicides.
César Vásquez, the health minister, has failed to comment on the row. Instead, he has been defending president Dina Boluarte, who is under investigation for her unexplained acquisition of expensive jewellery, including a diamond-encrusted Cartier bracelet valued at £40,000. — The Telegraph
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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Interesting Takes today. I loved the Cooper Anderson Reeeeing video. Whether it is all a stage show or Trump just Rope-A-Doping the DS Rat Bastard fools into the ring with him so he can publicly humiliate them it is fun to watch. ComfyAF!!!
There is a reason that Q stated in Drop 916 that "We are saving ISRAEL FOR LAST" I am inclined to follow Chris Paul and Patrick Gunnel's lead and believe everything is fake and ghey. As a result I don't believe ANY of the "NEWS" that is published or on videos. The Story Narrative is the only thing I follow. When we started this grand adventure with Trump back in 2015 I would have never assumed that Israel was infested with such an “Evil Twin” and was such a nefarious player on the world stage and such a puppet master over our politicians here at home. But as Trump & team have pushed forward they have systematically pealed the onion while Awakening more and more of We the People. I stand here today seeing Operation Gladio play out across the entire world stage and refuse to play the DS Rat Bastard’s game and will not “Take a side” and play in the controlled opposition shit show.
I don’t have the answer(s) but having the answer is not required to call bullshit. So I prayerfully and openly share the Truth.
We the People are a much larger majority then the MSM will ever tell you and as long as we unite we cannot be defeated.
So I believe we need to eliminate our Fiat Monetary system because that is the tool used to enslave us. I believe Bitcoin is the key to fixing this problem. Elections have to be free, fair and verifiably transparent. Government must be dismantled and all the laws, regulations and agencies must be eliminated. And also our education system, healthcare system and corporate structure must be totally redone.
My point is there are serious issues that we really need to address and the “Shiny Object” distractions of the day keep us from getting to what is important. I really don’t give a shit about Ukraine or Israel, blah, blah, blah. If we address the real issues and stand united the world gets better.
God Wins!
God Bless!!!
There have been too many inconsistencies in the Stormy Daniel’s saga. She lost her civil case and owes Trump half a million dollars. She stated on X that she didn’t have sex with Trump. Rumors floated that Cohen had an affair with Daniel’s and paid her off with his own account. Then there’s Cohen’s perjury all over the place. Also didn’t the feds look at this case and decide there was no there there? It’s all BS! Also what happened to the E Jean Carroll fairy tale case? Honestly I don’t believe President Trump would do such a thing. Call me naive, but all of his adult life there never was a sexual scandal and all of a sudden he decides to cheat on his absolutely beautiful wife, who is by his side every step of the way? I don’t buy it! These people truly are stupid or at the very least incompetent!