Badlands News Brief
Trumpian Taboos, Muskian Censorship & Saudi Shenanigans
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 Monday, April 8 …
Trump says abortion legislation should be left to states
Former President Donald Trump said Monday that abortion rights should be left to the states, offering his clearest stance yet on one of the most delicate and contentious issues in American politics.
“My view is now that we have abortion where everyone wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation, or perhaps both. And whatever they decide must be the law of the land. In this case, the law of the state,” Trump said in a video posted to his Truth Social account.
“Many states will be different,” Trump continued. “Many will have a different number of weeks, or some will have more conservative than others, and that’s what they will be. At the end of the day, this is all about the will of the people.”
Trump had previously suggested he could support a 15-week federal ban with exceptions in the cases of incest, rape and when the life of the mother is in danger. However, his ultimate decision to punt the politically fraught issue to the states and not back a national ban was swiftly denounced by a major anti-abortion rights organization, which said his position did not go far enough.
In Monday’s video, Trump said he was “proudly the person responsible” for the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, which he said took the issue “out of the federal hands and brought it into the hearts, minds, and vote of the people in each state.” — CNN
Our Take: “The left cannot paint Trump as a pro-life radical and a threat to ‘women’s health’ while all of conservative media is calling him weak on abortion.
This is an ideal political outcome and necessary for eliminating the Uniparty Left’s anti-MAGA narrative on abortion being a turnout issue.
Donald Trump has already gotten Roe v Wade overturned. It’s a state issue now.
Win the issue in your states. Don’t demand Trump - the President of all Americans - express absolute purity on every issue all the time. If you want everyone to come to the morally necessary conclusion, YOU fight for it. They don’t listen to Trump in the first place.
At some point, you have to understand that all of anti-Trump will argue against him no matter what his position is. The Uniparty Left argues that he’s terrible and the Uniparty Right argues that he does the right thing, but in the wrong ways or not hard enough.
Trump is using the Controlled Opposition dynamic against itself. The Uniparty Right and the Uniparty Left, by both arguing that Trump is wrong in this way, are actually branding Trump as ‘the only acceptable choice’ for everyone who isn’t Trump deranged.
It’s not Trump’s responsibility to ‘say the thing’ and be your moral leader. That’s YOUR responsibility.” —
Another Take: “This current abortion controversy is wild. For decades, conservatives cried for Roe to be overturned — and celebrated when it finally was. (Thanks, 45!)
Now they’re condemning him for not going backwards and enacting a federal ban. I swear the word ‘conservative’ means nothing anymore.
Trump is, rightly, proud that he returned abortion to the states, and he’s campaigning on the issue. This is smart, considering that abortion is a top three issue for many voters. Trump’s stance will calm the fears of brainwashed young women that they’re going to be handmaidened in his next administration. It’s a silly thought, but the regime has successfully weaponized this issue in the public mind, and calling for a federal ban at this moment could be outcome determinative (even in a free and fair election).
It’s obvious that ProLife DC is losing money because a federal ban is off the table. It’s an election year, and you can’t raise money off an issue you already solved. That has these lobbyists big mad.
It’s not about healthcare, and it’s not about life. Like everything else in the political sphere, it’s about money and power.” —
AND Another Take: “Don't allow the Doom Brigade in the Con Inc. media to pile the sins of the establishment uniparty and the devolution of American culture at large onto one man.
Trump didn't ‘solve’ the problem. He put it back on the free market battlefield. The rest is on us.
The Doom Brigade will take the same position on this as they have on Trump and the vaccines, but the answer lies in the question.
Trump gave the States the right to choose, which means he's given us the impetus to make changes without being able to default to 'Muh Roe v. Wade.'
When he references this being the outcome ‘everyone wanted’ regarding abortion, he qualifies it in the legal realm, not in the social or cultural realm.
That's something it's on us to rectify, not presidents and god emperors.” —
Joint Statement Issued on the Meeting Between HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Pakistan
HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held an official meeting today at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah Al-Mukarramah.
At the outset, the Crown Prince extended his congratulations to Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on assuming office, and expressed warm wishes for his tenure. Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, in turn, conveyed gratitude for the Kingdom's steadfast support and hospitality, and reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to bolstering bilateral ties and economic cooperation.
The discussions centered on fortifying the fraternal relations between the two brotherly nations and exploring avenues for enhanced collaboration across various sectors. Emphasis was placed on the Kingdom's supportive role in Pakistan's economy and the mutual desire to strengthen trade and investment ties. Both parties affirmed their commitment to expediting the first wave of investment package worth $5billion which was discussed previously.
Both leaders also exchanged views on regional and global developments of mutual interest, including the worrying situation in Gaza. They urged for international efforts to halt Israeli military operations in Gaza, mitigate humanitarian impact and underscored the imperative for the international community to pressure Israel to cease hostilities, adhere to international law, and facilitate unhindered humanitarian aid access to Gaza. They discussed the need for advancing the peace process in accordance with relevant resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly as well as the Arab Peace Initiative aimed at finding a just and comprehensive solution, for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Our Take: “Busy day in the Kingdom.
MBS and his attaché hosted the newly appointed Palestinian PM, Dr. Muhammad Mustafa, whose appointment by President Abbas was rebuked by Hamas, because they were not first consulted.
Obviously, Faisal bin Farhan and Mustafa were discussing the Gaza conflict, and how best to quickly resolve it, though the details of this discussion are unknown. However, what we do know is that both Hamas and the Biden administration are being boxed out of this peace process. Jake Sullivan is at home in DC nursing his ribs, sidelining himself at a critical point that could have been a defining moment in his career.
But Jake simply isn't that guy.
Faisal also fielded a phone call from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, whose jimmies were probably rustled from Faisal's public meeting with Mustafa.
MBS had his plate full, playing the role of Peacemaker in the absence of Donald Trump, hosting the leader of Pakistan and calling on India to resolve its ancient feud with Pakistan over the regions of Kashmir and Jammu, while affirming Saudi's commitment to invest $5 billion in infrastructure in Pakistan.
MBS also field a call, this one from Turkey's President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. What I found interesting about this call was it showed who the top dog is in the Middle East. For months, Erdogan has capitalized on the Gaza situation, delivering dramatic speeches laced with inflaming rhetoric, promising decisive military action against Israel in the immediate future—a promise that bears teeth, considering that Turkey has the largest military in the Middle East, as well as the backing of NATO.
None of those promises have come to fruition. Instead, Erdogan is now calling MBS and pleading with him to take action to stop Israel's campaign against Gaza.
Erdogan knows who the alpha dog is in this pack. But this alpha dog is discerning, possessing the patience to allow his adversary in Tel Aviv to destroy himself. Because this is chess, not checkers.
All of these meetings and calls represent just a single day in the office of the Saudi Foreign Ministry, which is why I have called them the most talented team of diplomats in the world.” —
(Editor’s Note: Ghost’s reference to ‘rustled jimmies’ is a direct infringement upon
intellectual property and a direct affront to the Bright Empire … but otherwise it was a solid take.)Brazil judge opens inquiry into Musk after refusal to block accounts on X
A standoff between Elon Musk and Brazil escalated on Sunday when a Supreme Court judge opened an inquiry into the billionaire after Musk said he would reactivate accounts on the social media platform X that the judge had ordered blocked.
Musk, the owner of X and a self-declared free speech absolutist, has challenged a decision by Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordering the blocking of certain accounts. He has said X, formerly known as Twitter, would lift all the restrictions because they were unconstitutional and called on Moraes to resign.
Neither Musk, X nor Brazilian authorities have disclosed which social media accounts were ordered blocked. X first posted about the order to block on Saturday but it was not immediately clear when the order was issued.
Moraes is investigating "digital militias" that have been accused of spreading fake news and hate messages during the government of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro and is also leading an investigation into an alleged coup attempt by Bolsonaro.
Musk, in an X post on Saturday evening, accused Moraes of "brazenly and repeatedly" betraying the constitution and people of Brazil.
"This judge has applied massive fines, threatened to arrest our employees and cut off access to X in Brazil," he said in the post. — Reuters
And …
Pentagon will use commercial space assets in military operations, under new plan
It’s official: the Pentagon has released its much-anticipated commercial space strategy, a formal strategy that outlines the role companies like SpaceX have in national security. But there’s a catch: Industry’s usefulness will be determined by how well DOD adapts.
“The degree to which commercial space capabilities and services can benefit U.S. national security will ultimately be measured by how well the department can actually integrate commercial solutions into the way we operate, not just in peacetime, but also in conflict,” John Plumb, the Pentagon’s space policy chief, said in a news briefing Tuesday.
The document outlines 13 key mission areas, including missile warning, electromagnetic warfare, and command and communications, and is a first for the Defense Department, signifying how important space-based tech—like satellite communications—is to the military.
“As the Department continues to prioritize the resilience of our national security space architecture in the face of new threats, we owe it to the joint force and the American people to leverage all tools available,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin wrote in the strategy’s prologue. “Integrating commercial solutions, as opposed to merely augmenting existing government systems, will require a shift in approach within the department.”
Austin called for defense leaders at all levels to remove barriers to integrating space capabilities, including “preconceived notions of how the commercial sector can support national security.” — Defense One
Our Take: “Elon Musk and his platforms present one of the key threats to the writers of the Central Narrative, as Brazil's : department is taking aim this week, resulting in Musk waging a public war of words while refusing to comply with the Globalist-controlled nation's court orders.
The fact that the censorship topic is getting so much play ahead of the most consequential election cycle not just in the US, but in a record number of nations holding national elections in 2024 is alternatively suspicious and potentially auspicious.
Additionally, we're getting reporting that the US MIL plans to increasingly use ‘private’ space assets in ongoing MIL operations … specifically, Musk's StarLink and SpaceX, continuing a trend that started under the Trump Admin, when much of Musk's totally civilian, definitely not MIL infrastructure was funded.
Musk is a Mind-Mover on the game board, and the Collective Mind is moving in interesting ways as we near a series of inflection points in the Info War.” —
Secretive Experiment To Shoot Aerosols Into The Sky Over San Francisco To Increase Cloud Cover
A secretive project conducted from the deck of an aircraft carrier in the San Francisco Bay will shoot trillions of aerosol particles into the sky to increase cloud cover in the name of preventing global warming, and details have been held back to “avoid (a) public backlash.”
The experiment is being dubbed America’s “first outdoor test to limit global warming.”
“The Coastal Atmospheric Aerosol Research and Engagement, or CAARE, project is using specially built sprayers to shoot trillions of sea salt particles into the sky in an effort to increase the density — and reflective capacity — of marine clouds,” reports Scientific American.
“The experiment is taking place, when conditions permit, atop the USS Hornet Sea, Air & Space Museum in Alameda, California, and will run through the end of May, according to a weather modification form the team filed with federal regulators.”
The report notes that there is little data on the potential negative effects of such geoengineering projects and that they “could also harm communities and ecosystems in unexpected ways.”
Shuchi Talati, the executive director of the Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering, remarked how the test had been “kept under wraps” with little public engagement whatsoever.
A similar experiment that was set to be conducted over Sweden by Harvard University and had previously received funding from Bill Gates was cancelled last month after opposition from campaigners and Indigenous groups. — Modernity News
Our Take: “It wasn’t that long ago that weather modification was a full blown conspiracy theory, and anyone talking about man, in his hubris, modifying the weather, seeding the clouds and pumping metals into the sky above us was mocked as a science denier.
I happened to watch a couple hours of NASA’s eclipse coverage yesterday, and heard them repeatedly bragging about their super sciencey efforts to combat ‘space weather’ — excitedly babbling about all the elements in space and their upcoming experiments to ensure they can protect space workers from the dangers of space weather.
I’m not making this up. They’re really pumped about helium.
Calling it now: Space workers are the next protected class as NASA finalizes its plans for a ‘permanent presence on the moon.’
As the world’s ‘elites’ scream about meat and methane and fossil fuels and plastic straws, they’re actively polluting the atmosphere with fad theories — and using all of us as their guinea pigs.
What’s the carbon footprint of APEP rockets?
Trust the science.” —
Taiwanese Chip-Making Giant TSMC Gets Billions In US Grants, Loans For Third Arizona Chip Factory
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world's largest contract chip maker, plans to build a third chip factory in Arizona after receiving $6.6 billion in grants and $5 billion in loans through US government subsidies. This is part of a massive effort led by the Biden administration to make America's semiconductor manufacturing industry great again.
"Today, we continue building on that historic progress, with the Department of Commerce announcing a preliminary agreement with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to support the construction of leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing facilities right here in the United States," the White House wrote in a press release.
The White House said, "Thanks to this investment, TSMC will also build a third chip factory in Phoenix, increasing its total investment in Arizona to $65 billion and creating over 25,000 direct construction and manufacturing jobs, along with thousands of indirect jobs."
"It's a national security problem that we don't manufacture any of the world's most sophisticated chips in the United States," US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told reporters.
TSMC's third chip plant will produce next-generation 2-nanometer chips, forecasted to be in production by the decade's end. According to Bloomberg, the other two chip plants are expected to begin production in 2025 and 2028.
Raimondo pointed out that 2nm chips will be crucial for artificial intelligence chips that power the defense industry. — ZeroHedge
Our Take: “I suppose I could understand why, on the surface, some people would start to get annoyed that myself and
bring up semiconductor manufacturing in virtually every episode of the Devolution Power Hour of late, but where it concerns both the Devolution theory and my own ‘Switch’ economic theory that tracks alongside it, the CHIPS Act and its continuing fallout is one of the most observable Actuals to map onto the idea that the Biden Admin isn’t just a proxy, but one ultimately benefiting the side of the Awakening than the opposite.When these Chips manufacturing plants come online (beginning in 2025,) they’re going to result in tens of thousands of new, high-paying jobs that will help to re-ignite a US manufacturing boom we haven’t seen in … two generations, at least, and they’re going to do so on the back of the most important commodity on earth in the modern age.
Yes … as I have said before, semiconductors are THE MOST traded commodity on the planet by a country mile, and that’s BEFORE they’ve been fully directed toward the advent of the AI era and decentralized energy production.
There is MUCH more to the Arizona chip factories than meets the eye, and all of it is ultimately going to be to the benefit of the American people in terms of real GDP growth and a higher degree of national autonomy and defense capabilities, particularly in the realm of cyber warfare.
Take the wins, people. Even if you have to dig for them.” —
How do Iranians ‘Boil a Frog’? Slowly and methodically.
A strategy in asymmetrical warfare is expressed by the “boiling frog” theory:
Legend has it that a frog placed in a shallow pot of water heating on a stove will remain happily in the pot of water as the temperature continues to climb, and will not jump out even as the water slowly reaches the boiling point and kills the frog. The change of one degree of temperature at a time is so gradual that the frog doesn't realize he is being boiled until it is too late.
While the story is an apologue – a pretty fable meant to convey a meaningful lesson – it is one frequently invoked by militaries and geopoliticians to describe the "long game" of reaching strategic objectives.
Today, it is Iran and its regional allies who are using a measured approach to increase temperatures in West Asia until the water boils the US and Israeli 'frogs' to death. Strategy, discipline, and rare patience – the antithesis of western short-termism – will bring Iran victory. To quote the Taliban: "Americans have watches, but we have the time."
Time is now on the side of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its regional allies. Two connected examples show how the IRGC is calibrating temperatures like scientists in a laboratory. — The Cradle
Our Take: “This article encapsulates what I believe has been happening in the Middle East for the past 6+ months.
My belief is that Bibi Netanyahu's rapid ascent into the office of Prime Minister in 1995, on the heels of Yitzhak Rabin's assassination, was an insurgency. The catalyst for this insurgency was the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, which promised the end of the IDF's military occupation of Palestine and the implementation of the highly publicized Two-State Solution. As Bibi Netanyahu has recently boasted, he intentionally sabotaged the Oslo Accords upon entering office in 1995, the signing of which by Rabin he views as a massive mistake.
Everything we have seen since Donald Trump became President and MBS became Crown Prince has been a counterinsurgency against Netanyahu, culminating in the signing of the Abraham Accords in 2020. Both Saudi Arabia and Palestine were noticeably absent from the original Accords, though once the Accords were signed, MBS immediately dispatched his most capable diplomat, Faisal bin Farhan, to begin facilitating the implementation of the Saudi Peace Initiative, which would bring both Palestine and Saudi Arabia into the Accords, delivering on Trump's promise of peace in the Middle East.
Faisal's mission—which was on the cusp of completion—was disrupted by the October 7th attack. Ever since then, Israel has been engaged in conventional kinetic war, seemingly convinced that their provocations would incite Iran (and maybe others) to join in on the kinetic conflict, thwarting the Abraham Accords entirely.
However, Iran has shown restraint, instead opting to engage in 5th Generation [irregular] Warfare. Israel continues to shed blood while Iran appears to have chosen a more sophisticated military strategy. And as the author points out, Israel is in the midst of destroying its own credibility, in the eyes of the rest of the world.
’Never interfere with an enemy when he's in the process of destroying himself.’
Indeed.” —
BONUS ITEMS
US denies Iran offered to let Damascus strike slide in return for Gaza ceasefire
The US denied reports that Iran had informed the US that it would refrain from responding to the airstrike in which senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders were killed in Damascus if a ceasefire in Gaza is reached,
On Sunday, Jadeh Iran cited an anonymous Arab diplomatic source as saying that Iran had made such an offer, noting that the source spoke to the news outlet two days ago. The source added that "If America succeeds in containing the situation, it will be a great success for the Biden administration and we can build on that."
"I can tell you that those reports are not true; they have not sent that message," said US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller on Monday. "But if Iran wants a ceasefire in Gaza, that ought to be something that they can accomplish because they have long supported Hamas, and they could press Hamas that they should accept the deal that is on the table that would achieve a ceasefire."
The report came as negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal resume between Israel and Hamas in Cairo and as Israel continues preparations for a possible response to the Damascus airstrike that Syria and Iran blamed on Israel.
The airstrike targeted the Iranian consulate in Damascus last Monday, killing IRGC commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi - the main Iranian official responsible for operations in Syria and Lebanon - as well as his deputy and several other IRGC officers. — The Jerusalem Post
DOJ will not turn over Biden's recorded interview with Special Counsel Hur, risking contempt of Congress
The Justice Department will not produce subpoenaed audio recordings of former Special Counsel Robert Hur's interview with President Biden to House Republicans, putting Attorney General Merrick Garland at risk of being held in contempt of Congress.
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., and House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, have threatened to hold Garland in contempt of Congress over the Justice Department's failure to produce the records. Last month, they set Monday, April 8, as the deadline for Garland to comply.
The Justice Department did meet the GOP-imposed deadline to respond but notified lawmakers it would not turn over the audio files of Hur's interview about Biden's alleged improper retention of classified documents from his time as a senator and vice president.
"The Department is concerned that the Committees' particular focus on continuing to demand information that is cumulative of information we already gave you — what the President and Mr. Hur's team said in the interview indicates that the Committees' interests may not be in receiving information in service of legitimate oversight or investigatory functions, but to serve political purposes that should have no role in the treatment of law enforcement files," Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte wrote in a letter to Jordan and Comer Monday. — FOX News
RFK Jr. downplays Jan. 6 attack, says he wants a special counsel to review related cases
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the independent presidential candidate, said Friday that if he was elected, he would appoint a special counsel to investigate how prosecutors handled cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Kennedy also said Friday that there was “little evidence of a true insurrection” and falsely claimed that the protesters at the Capitol “carried no weapons.”
More than 1,000 people have been charged in the attack, including 10 on gun-related charges. Hundreds have been convicted and sentenced.
Kennedy later issued a second statement Friday night that said, “My understanding that none of the January 6 rioters who invaded the Capitol were carrying firearms was incorrect. Several have been convicted of carrying firearms into the Capitol building.”
“Others assaulted Capitol Police with pepper spray, bludgeons and other makeshift weapons,” he added.
“As president, I will appoint a special counsel — an individual respected by all sides — to investigate whether prosecutorial discretion was abused for political ends in this case, and I will right any wrongs that we discover,” Kennedy said. “Without the impartial rule of law, there is no true democracy or moral governance.” — The Washington Post
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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These lunatics , including Bill Gates, should not be allowed to spray anything into the sky. I don't think Gates ever had 4th grade science or he would know that CO2 is life and not something you eliminate. Obviously he never heard of osmosis, plants take in CO2 and expel oxygen and we do the reverse. If he really wanted to eliminate CO2 he would be planting millions of trees instead of eliminating them. And the nano particles he's spraying in the air effects all Americans health and all of this spraying should be stopped. The weather never had a problem until these lunatics started chem spraying and now in California they want to spray aerosol in the sky. Dangerous and should be stopped.
Trump's abortion statement is right, not just politically but morally. It's the left that demands top-down mandates over personal responsibility. Roe v. Wade wasn't the beginning of the battle - it was the culmination of a fight for popular acceptance of abortion that goes back at least as far as Margaret Sanger and the very early 1900s; our task to reverse that could also take generations, but now we're fighting fifty outposts (and have already won some) rather than the giant Federal war machine.