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 with some Badlands flavoring to help wash it down.

Now, onto the news from the Weekend that Was …

Feds raid home of interim NYPD Commish Thomas Donlon — week after predecessor Edward Caban resigned

Federal authorities raided the home of NYPD Interim Commissioner Thomas Donlon on Friday — just over a week after his predecessor, Edward Caban, resigned following an FBI raid at his residence.

Donlon admitted to the search in a brief statement released by the department late Saturday night — saying that authorities “took materials that came into my possession 20 years ago and are unrelated to my work with the New York City Police Department.”

He added that the department would not be commenting further, as it’s not an NYPD matter. — NY Post

Our Take: Ten days ago, Thomas Donlon became the interim police chief when Edward Caban abruptly resigned after he was raided for, ostensibly, public corruption charges that involved his brother and others in Mayor Eric Adams’ office.

Now Donlon has been raided, but reportedly this has nothing to do with the NYPD. Sure, okay.

The Post is speculating that this is the feds sending a message to Adams, and we all know how much the feds now cherish raids in the name of ‘classified documents.’ Still, it sounds like a cover story.

My gut says this SDNY saga is just getting started with the public disclosure phase. The P. Diddy case is also in SDNY, but I’m sure that’s a coincidence. Probably.

As I asked when Caban resigned, how do you prosecute RICO?

Let’s see what happens. —

Top Hezbollah commander among 14 killed in Israeli strike on Beirut

Israel killed a top Hezbollah commander and other senior figures in the Lebanese movement in an airstrike on Beirut on Friday, vowing to press on with a new military campaign until it is able to secure the area around the Lebanese border.

The Israeli military and a security source in Lebanon said Ibrahim Aqil had been killed with other senior members of an elite Hezbollah unit in the airstrike, sharply escalating the year-long conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed group.

Hezbollah confirmed Aqil's death in a statement just after midnight that called him "one of its top leaders," without providing details of how he died.

In a second statement issued later, Hezbollah said Aqil was killed in Beirut's southern suburbs of Dahiyeh in what it called a "treacherous Israeli assassination".

It said that Ahmed Wahbi, a commander who oversaw the military operations of the Radwan special forces during the Gaza war until early 2024, was also killed in the Israeli strike.

Lebanon's health ministry said at least 14 people died in the strike and the toll was expected to climb as rescue teams worked through the night. The ministry did not reveal whether the toll included Aqil or any other Hezbollah commanders. — Reuters

Our Take: After back-to-back surprise attacks, where Israeli authorities remotely detonated pagers and other communication devices believed to be in the possession of Hezbollah (not all of them were, as young children were reportedly killed by several different devices), the IDF immediately began a bombing campaign of Southern Lebanon.

As we have mentioned in other takes, the pager attack(s) were reportedly flanked by visits from CENTCOM Combatant Commander, General Michael Kurilla, who warned Netanyahu that the US military would not be helping the IDF should they instigate a ground war with Hezbollah or anybody else.

The bombing campaign appeared to culminate in the release of the largest single munition that the IDF has ever dropped. (The video can be seen in another take below.)

Now, I'm not a military strategist, nor have I ever served in the armed forces, but I'm fairly that this bombing operation was intended to do one of two things:

1) Soften Hezbollah defenses for a ground invasion, or;

2) Provoke Hezbollah into a highly aggressive response that would equate to an overt declaration of war, perhaps even an invasion of Israel.

Between General Kurilla's visits/warnings, and the fact that these bombings took out so many Hezbollah leaders, my guess is that it is the latter. Perhaps Netanyahu is hoping that, with all of these leaders now dead, less experienced commanders will be elevated, and driven by the fresh anger of these attacks, respond with a show of force intended to send a message. (And sloppy in execution, without experienced leadership.)

While I do expect Hezbollah—they've already reportedly fired 100 missiles into Israel—I'm not so sure they are going to give Netanyahu the grand gesture he had hoped for. Even if they did, Colonel Wilkerson said that Kurilla's warning included the nuance that the US military would know if the IDF began the provocation. So I actually think Netanyahu's plan is more geared toward rallying the Israeli people against an enemy at the gates—as hundreds of thousands of Israeli citizens take to the streets of Tel Aviv, demanding Netanyahu's resignation.

I'm also not so sure that it will be Hezbollah invading Israel, if it is ultimately invaded. I just have this nagging suspicion that we may actually see the Russians—who are embedded with Hezbollah, having fought alongside them for the past 12 years in Syria—take the lead in any potential invasion. After all, the Russians have demonstrated an ability to conduct an invasion with minimal civilian casualties, and unlike Hezbollah—which may be fueled with intense rage, given recent events—Russia is far less likely to draw the kind of international criticism that a group like Hezbollah would for invading Israel.

Stranger things have happened. —

Arab-American Democrat Mayor in Key Michigan County Had ‘Very Productive’ Meeting with Trump, Weighs Endorsement

The Democrat mayor of a community with many Arab-Americans in Wayne County, Michigan, who helped lead the uncommitted movement in the Democrat primary, told Sirius XM’s Breitbart News Saturday that his meeting with former President Donald Trump last week “was very productive” and well received by the community, which traditionally votes Democrat.

Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib (D) spoke with Breitbart News Washington Bureau Chief Matthew Boyle in a nearly 20-minute segment on the program on the heels of his meeting with Trump in Flint, Michigan.

Hamtramck, along with Dearborn and other cities in Wayne County, have sizable Muslim and Arab-American populations that turned out in full force to protest the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war in the Democrat primary.

Michigan was notably where the “uncommitted” movement, made up of Arab-Americans, Muslims, young voters, and far-left progressives, began when more than 100,000 protested the Biden-Harris adminsitration with uncommitted votes in the Democrat primary.

Ghalib said his meeting with Trump materialized in part because many in Hamtramck and these neighboring communities are supportive of him and “the shifting dynamics” he is leading.

“That was the base for my communication with the Republican leadership, which resulted in a meeting with President Trump last week in Flint. It was a very productive meeting for about 20 minutes,” he said. — Breitbart

Our Take: In another blow to Harris and the Democrats, the uncommitted movement appears, at least anecdotally, to be leaning towards Trump. This is a movement popularized by Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat congresswoman and founding member of ‘The Squad.’

‘Trump doesn’t want wars,’ Mayor Ghalib is quoted as saying in this article, which is obviously true. Trump’s track record on this front is not only established, it’s indisputable. For the uncommitted movement, ending Israel’s war in Gaza is the paramount issue — a war that commenced and then escalated on Harris’ watch.

I wouldn’t expect open or public endorsements from the majority of this movement, but if, as we’ve been speculating, voters are actually going to cast ballots for their own self interest in November, rather than for someone else’s feelings or political talking points, then I would expect the uncommitted Free Palestine activists to cast ballots for Trump.

Mayor Ghalib said blowback for his colleague’s Harris endorsement was 90-95% negative compared to his 90-95% positive response to opening lines of communication with 45.

It’s all anecdotal, of course. But it’s logical. It feels right. And, a solid bonus is that it’s likely to piss off all the right people. MAGA. —

COL. Lawrence Wilkerson : Can Ukraine Make It to Nov 5th?

Our Take: On Friday, I included a clip of from an interview of Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson conducted by Judge Andrew Napolitano.

The context of my post was Iran, and how Russia was stepping in to overtly back up Iran, the same way the United States has overtly backed up Israel since 1948.

As many of you know, on Saturday night, the guys on Devolution Power Hour played the clip, and discussed it in depth. I encourage you all to listen to that entire episode of DPH.

Though I include a few sentences of commentary regarding the role that the Combatant Commander, General Kurilla, of CENTCOM played in the Iran/Israel escalation, and noted how it potentially signaled to Devolution, I didn't get a chance to go deeper into what Colonel Wilkerson said to Judge Napolitano. So I'd like to do that now.

For reference, here is the full clip, again.

And here is the abbreviated version I made for those short on time.

What I want to address, here, are the comments Wilkerson made regarding Ukraine, the long-range missiles, and the meeting between Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

For context, here is a clip from an interview Judge Napolitano with Scott Ritter on the same day as the interview with Colonel Wilkerson. (He also interviewed Colonel Macgregor that day, and all three independently corroborated what Wilkerson said.)

Please note that when Ritter refers to "Saturday," he means September 14, 2024. I made this first clip longer, because Ritter explains some technical information about the missiles, including user interface, that emphasizes the direct role that the American military would need to play in their use against Russia— something that Putin explained, himself, when addressing the public on the situation.

For those short on time, here is the abbreviated version, which sets the stage for the Biden-Starmer meeting.

"We were all going to DIE on Saturday!" According to Ritter.

That really helps explain what happened the day before, on Friday, September 13, when Starmer flew to DC from London to deliver the target list.

As Wilkerson explained, Starmer was told to keep his target list in his bag; he didn't need it; because they weren't deploying the missiles, according to the Pentagon.

That's odd, because just 24 hours before, the leaders of the State Department were openly stating that the deal was done, and the missiles were coming.

Scott Ritter explained in the clip above that Biden and Blinken overruled the initial decision from the military to deny the missile request, because this situation had become political. But then—"phone calls were made"—Pentagon officials intervened at the meeting, and told Biden and Starmer that the deal was off.

They don't specify exactly who these officials were that intervened—whether they were combatant commanders, like General Kurilla, who intervened in the Israel theater—but here is the mood it left Biden in, which Napolitano, Wilkerson, and Ritter all separately note in their commentary.

Here you have the two leaders of two of the most powerful nations on earth, being ostensibly put into time out by US military officials, who technically work for the man angrily shouting in that clip. If he is the real and legitimate President of the United States, Joe Biden has the authority to fire every Pentagon official involved in this subversion, and replace them with "Yes" men.

So why doesn't he?

Again, I think the answer to that incredibly important question can be found in

PS - Here is how Netanyahu responded to Kurilla's warnings that the United States would not support Israel, if they instigated a ground war with Hezbollah. (That's southern Lebanon, in the video.)

What you just watched was an explosion of the largest bomb ever dropped by the IDF in Israeli history. I read that as a huge middle finger to the Devolution team. —

Giorgia Meloni bolsters ties with Trump world

Most European leaders are anxious about the possibility of Donald Trump returning to the White House. But in Rome that scenario is seen as a boon for one politician with long-standing ties to the Trump world: Giorgia Meloni.

Before becoming Italian prime minister, Meloni forged links with Maga ideologues at Republican gatherings. Now, her allies believe she will emerge as Trump’s go-to European partner if he is re-elected, boosting her relevance to EU peers with whom she has had fractious relations.

The ultraconservative Italian premier has so far refused to comment on the US vote, saying she will work with whomever occupies the White House. But her Brothers of Italy party apparatus is quietly working behind the scenes to reinvigorate ties with the Republicans.

Antonio Giordano, a Brothers of Italy MP who attended this summer’s Republican National Convention, said Meloni would be the “natural interlocutor” for Trump if he “wants to understand how to better deal with Europe”. — FT

Our Take: Over the weekend, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attended ‘Divinazione-Expo 24,’ an agricultural expo in Ortigia, a small island off the coast of Syracuse, Sicily. I wish I had known about this, because I would have attempted to attend.

In her remarks, she said to Italian farmers and small business owners, ‘Agri-food is a fundamental piece of our name in the world, Made In Italy, and an extraordinary piece of our identity. You are our greatest wealth and strength.’

Can confirm. This nation is local supply chains come to life. The produce section of grocery stores tells you where your food comes from, and it’s 90% from Italia.

The expo focuses on three key topics: (1) Defense and enhancement of the agricultural supply chain, (2) fishing and aquaculture, and (3) workplace safety and the fight against ‘gangmastering.’ We might refer to that last one as corporatism — essentially organized crime in the workplace.

As Meloni makes Italia great again, the media is flipping out, escalating their claims that she is ‘far right,’ in a complete panic over her ideological alignment with Trump’s powerful coalition, which includes Elon Musk and Robert F. Kennedy.

Here’s the thing. Italy is healthy, business is booming, agriculture is growing (and delicious), and — again, completely anecdotally — there appears to be baby boom happening here. Pregnant Italian women and small Italian children are everywhere.

On Sunday, Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party posted on X, ‘We have formed an alliance with businesses and citizens, choosing to walk alongside those who wanted to do something and supporting investments and employment. By betting on the potential of this nation we have demonstrated that every challenge is within our reach.’

It certainly seems that way. The proof is in the results, and the results, based on my experience, are Bellissimo!

If Italy is a pilot for the aspirations of the sovereign alliance in making people healthy and prosperous again, then we should call it a raging success and scale it across the realm. —

Spending deal averts a possible federal shutdown and funds the government into December

Congressional leaders announced an agreement Sunday on a short-term spending bill that will fund federal agencies for about three months, averting a possible partial government shutdown when the new budget year begins Oct. 1 and pushing final decisions until after the November election.

Temporary spending bills generally fund agencies at current levels, but an additional $231 million was included to bolster the Secret Service after the two assassination attempts against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, and additional money was added to aid with the presidential transition, among other things.

Lawmakers have struggled to get to this point as the current budget year winds to a close at month’s end. At the urging of the most conservative members of his conference, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., had linked temporary funding with a mandate that would have compelled states to require proof of citizenship when people register to vote.

But Johnson abandoned that approach to reach an agreement, even as Trump insisted there should not be a stop-gap measure without the voting requirement. — AP News

Our Take: The Deep State is caught in a series of Kobayashi Maru's.

The concept is one I bring up every so often, and refers to a test from the fictional Star Trek universe in which cadets are faced with a mission whose parameters present a seeming lose-lose situation.

It's believed the true purpose of the test is to see how prospective leaders will handle a no-win situation; in other words, how they lead in the face of overwhelming obstacles.

Applying this framing to the current persuasion of the Shadow War allows Anons to see the development of a beautiful Bicameral, while the Normie Layers of the Collective Mind are faced with the mass psychological prospect of seeming armageddon in the face of, to put it exceedingly simply, extreme failures of leadership.

From Russia-Ukraine and the exploding powder keg in the Middle East to intermittent escalation in the Taiwan Straight, they're not being faced with ONE Impossible Task ... but with one a day.

And all the while, the ‘adults in the room’ that are meant to be occupying the halls of Congress spend more time capitulating to the same old Systemic status quo than doing something about it … and I do think that’s quite the point.

All setting the stage for Trump's return. —

BONUS ITEMS

"The Biggest Wild Card In The Presidential Election": Just Days Left Until A Crippling Port Strike Paralyzes The East Coast

Late last week, the CEO of Flexport - one of largest US supply-chain logistics operators - warned that "the biggest wild card in the presidential election that nobody’s talking about? The looming port strike that could shut down all East and Gulf Coast ports just 36 days before the election.”

With just over a week to go until D-Day, authorities are gearing up as a threatened strike by dockworkers at ports along the East Coast and Gulf Coast draws closer.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is "coordinating with partners across the supply chain to prepare for any impacts" from a possible work stoppage by workers represented by the International Longshoremen's Association as they negotiate with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), a Port Authority spokesperson told CBS MoneyWatch on Friday.

"We urge both sides to find common ground and keep the cargo flowing for the good of the national economy," added the spokesperson, noting that $240 billion in goods move through the two ports each year and that such trade supports more than 600,000 local jobs. — ZeroHedge

Harris accepts CNN debate invitation for October 23, again challenging Trump to another showdown

Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday accepted an invitation from CNN to debate former President Donald Trump on October 23, challenging her rival to another engagement on a public stage in the final weeks of the campaign.

“Vice President Harris is ready for another opportunity to share a stage with Donald Trump,” campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said in a statement. “Donald Trump should have no problem agreeing to this debate.”

Harris tweeted Saturday that she “will gladly accept a second presidential debate” and that she hopes Trump “will join” her on October 23.

Trump on Saturday argued it was “too late” to have another presidential debate because Americans have begun casting their ballots in the 2024 election.

“The problem with another debate is that it’s just too late, voting has already started,” Trump said at a rally in Wilmington, North Carolina. — CNN

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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