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 Wednesday, July 3 …

(This Brief was compiled on July 3, so apologies if we missed any big items from July 4. Hope you folks enjoy a fine holiday weekend!)

Biden vows to keep running as signs point to rapidly eroding support for him on Capitol Hill

A defiant President Joe Biden vowed Wednesday to keep running for reelection, rejecting growing pressure from Democrats to withdraw after a disastrous debate performance raised questions about his readiness to keep campaigning, much less win in November.

But increasingly ominous signs were mounting for the president. Two Democratic lawmakers have called on Biden to exit the race while a leading ally publicly suggested how the party might choose someone else. And senior aides said they believed he might only have a matter of days to show he was up to the challenge before anxiety in the party boils over.

“Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running … no one’s pushing me out,” Biden said on a call with staffers from his reelection campaign. “I’m not leaving. I’m in this race to the end and we’re going to win.”

In his private conversations, Biden was focused on efforts to course correct from his rocky debate and on the threat that, in his view, former President Donald Trump poses to the country, as he scoured for feedback on what went wrong last Thursday in Atlanta and took responsibility for his performance. — AP News

And …

Donors eye Senate, House to hedge against a Biden loss

Major Democratic donors are now planning to go bigger on contributions to House and Senate candidates in a bid to build a Capitol Hill firewall around a second Trump term that they view as increasingly likely, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Donors are preparing to shift money toward congressional races as they wait for fuller polling on how damaging President Biden's debate performance was. That data will help determine whether they keep pouring money into a campaign many fear is in trouble.

It's the beginning of a potential massive political hedge, as skittish donors weigh where their dollars can have the most impact.

It's also an acknowledgment that they view Biden's chances of besting Trump on Nov. 5 as diminishing. Their dollars might go further down-ballot.

Driving the news: Following Biden's disastrous debate performance, multiple deep-pocketed Democratic donors told party officials that they will increase their commitment to Senate candidates, a national Democrat with knowledge of Senate races told Axios. — Axios

Our Take: We may have to throw our full, memetic support behind Joe Biden this summer ...

Of course, Donald Trump should be the duly elected president right now. We all know this. He won the 2016 election, and he probably won the 2020 election by an even greater margin.

Election fraud is real, as is Devolution, because, as Trump himself said, we're "kind of having" his second term right now ... he just "didn't want the results."

This is the Awakening term. The Devo term.

Whatever name you want to give it, if we acknowledge that our goal is mass population awakening, and if we agree that the Deep State is our collectivist target, and that their media industrial complex defenders are the "enemy of the people," then we want the most chaotic situation possible for the powers that would be.

So, when you see the Biden campaign announcing a blitz amidst intra-party calls for him to step down gracefully, let our boy run.

Do it for the memes. Do it for Trump.

And then watch them eat each other. —

Conservative Heritage leader: ‘Second American Revolution’ will be bloodless ‘if the left allows it to be’

The leader of conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation argued the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity will reinforce a “second American Revolution,” which he said would “remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.”

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts told Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast how the Supreme Court ruling on immunity — which largely shields former presidents from criminal prosecutions for actions in office — should encourage conservatives.

“In spite of all this nonsense from the left, we are going to win. We’re in the process of taking this country back. No one in the audience should be despairing,” Roberts said, adding, “And in spite of all of the injustice, which, of course, friends and audience of this show, of our friend Steve know, we are going to prevail.”

“We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be,” he added later.

Calling the Supreme Court ruling “vital,” Roberts pointed to Alexander Hamilton’s 1877 essay Federalist No. 70, in which he argued for a strong executive leader. — The Hill

Our Take: "Bloodless Revolution?" (Excuse me while I put on the biohazard suit to handle this radioactive subject.)

A lot of people think this process is about "justice." They thirst for catharsis— like dying men wandering the desert. I said at GART that all of you have suffered a serious trauma that is affecting your daily life, and until you get that catharsis, that trauma will weigh on you. I've been through this before, and believe me, that trauma can consume you, if you let it. (Rest assured, the catharsis will come, and it will be better than you could possibly imagine. It will give you your life back, so to speak. But you must be patient, and not agonize over the process, as hard as that is to hear.)

But this process isn't about justice; it isn't about rounding up all the traitors and alleged pedophiles and making them pay for their heinous crimes—though, of course, that certainly needs to happen. Without justice, we don't have a legitimate government.

This process—this American Revolution—is about you. It is about us, our children, and our future. It is about the society that we will build; the culture we will craft; the more perfect union (government) we will form; and the story that we will leave behind for future generations to study for posterity.

But most of all, it is about the mentality that we will all adopt. It is about the transformation that must happen in each and every one of you, if we are going to call this revolution a real and lasting success.

(This video below is from yesterday's Fourth of July special on Breaking History. I believe this anecdote is very relevant.)

That makes Gmoney a truly sovereign individual; not because he believes in Bitcoin, but because he believes in himself, and his convictions. He has embraced and adopted a First Principles mindset. And because of that, Gmoney is a free man who will never again be subservient to another earthly master. Love him or hate him, you have to admire his American Spirit.

Again, the point I'm making is not about Bitcoin. This peaceful American Revolution is about believing in yourself, and believing in one another. Only then will you be truly ready for self-governance.

It's time to finish what the Founding Fathers started in 1775, and what they started was a different way of thinking.

Are you ready? —

Putin & Xi Meet Again, Plot Countering US, While White House Consumed With Crisis Of Biden's Decline

In their second face-to-face meeting in as many months, Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that "Russian-Chinese relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation are in the best period of their history." Russian state media subsequently likened it to a golden age in relations.

The two are meeting once again at the annual session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which runs Wednesday through Thursday in the Kazakh capital of Astana. "Russia-China relations are on the highest level in history, and they are not aimed against anyone, we do not create blocs or unions, we just act in the interests of our nations," Putin stressed.

And Xi told Putin in brief opening remarks, "In the face of the turbulent international situation and external environment, the two sides should continue to uphold the original aspiration of friendship for generations to come."

Still, the reality is that the two are coming closer based ultimately on countering the US, while also vying for influence among other Central Asian SCO bloc countries, which includes the ex-Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Those are among the founding members alongside Russian and China, while India and Pakistan joined in 2017, and Iran was welcomed as the newest member last year. — ZeroHedge

Our Take: Weeks back, on Liberty Den, we did a little dive on the Kazakhstan capital of Astana, and its odd culture, in anticipation of this summit.

President Putin has been busy, rallying the boys to take on the globalist hegemony. Like the lead protagonist in a Hollywood summer blockbuster, we have seen him travel the world meeting friends and securing their allegiance to something special—something bigger than the sum of its parts.

First it was Bashar al-Assad of Syria.

Then our boy, Saudi Crown Prince MBS.

Then it was Narendra Modi of India.

Then Viktor Orban of Hungary.

Then the man, the myth, the legend: Kim Jong Un.

Over the past week, we've gotten comms from Britain's Nigel Farage, praising Putin and denouncing western leaders for their belligerent disposition toward him—which the oligarchy is still freaking out about, today. (I look forward to their photo op, to add to the album.)

Now, we finally come full-circle to Putin's ostensible peer in the Sovereign Alliance: Xi Jinping.

Putin has cultivated these bromances with the boys, and together, they are Just A Couple Of Bros, out to save the world. And as Xi said, they are all on the "right side of history."

But they are still missing a key piece; that one guy that comes in at the eleventh hour in the movie, who really solidifies the group and makes the task at hand seem completely attainable.

Trump will return, and the Alliance will prevail. —

Another Take: Last year, I wrote back-to-back features entitled, 'Crisis Cascade' and 'Crisis Convergence,' in which I laid out a scenario wherein headlines would begin to merge all the seemingly-disparate elements of the Shadow War into a more cohesive narrative for general consumption.

Like many, I've been waiting for a period of time where the War of Stories reached such a crescendo that utterly predictable eventualities resemble a series of black swan events to Normies, and which might help reverse engineer the Hegelian Dialectic they've been programmed with.

It's less about Joe Biden than it is about the exposure of the Media and Political Industrial Complexes. It's less about Putin & Xi and more about the power vacuum Trump left behind.

We were told people need to be at the precipice in order to find the will to change.

If you think we're there yet, you've got another thing coming.

If you've got the right perspective, you might just get to enjoy the ride there. —

Zelenskiy Challenges Trump to Reveal Plans for Ending War

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Donald Trump should come forward with his plan to quickly end the war with Russia, warning that any proposal must avoid violating the nation’s sovereignty. 

“If Trump knows how to finish this war, he should tell us today,” Zelenskiy said in a Bloomberg Television interview in Kyiv on Wednesday. “If there are risks to Ukrainian independence, if we lose statehood – we want to be ready for this, we want to know.” 

The former US president, who leads in polls over President Joe Biden ahead of the November election, has boasted that he’ll end the war by the time he’s inaugurated in January. In the televised debate last week, Trump decried the billions of dollars spent on Ukraine’s defense, saying that Kyiv is “not winning the war.” 

In a nearly hour-long interview, the Ukrainian leader lamented the delays in weapons deliveries from Western allies and said he was “potentially ready” to meet with Trump to hear his team’s proposals. — Bloomberg

And …

Putin 'is prepared to SHARE Crimea with Ukraine according to new peace plan that has been presented by Russia to the US'

Vladimir Putin is ready to share sovereignty of Crimea with Ukraine, according to an astonishing 'new peace plan'.

The dictator sent his trusted interior minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev to the US with new proposals to end the war that the dictator started, say sources in both Moscow and Kyiv.

Despite being sanctioned, Kolokoltsev was allowed into the US ostensibly to attend a UN meeting of police chiefs.

But this was a ruse allowing him to travel to Washington on a VIP plane from Putin's presidential fleet to transmit to the US government the dictator's real demands for a peace deal, it is claimed.

Leading Ukrainian TV journalist Dmitry Gordon said he had received details of the package from 'our intelligence sources', while Russian Telegram channel Gosdumskaya - which claims insider sources in Moscow - separately reported a similar set of Putin demands. — The Daily Mail

Our Take: There’s a LOT here, but the overall point I want to drive at is that both Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have effectively proposed the same peace plan for the Russia-Ukraine war.

• Both say Ukraine should remain a sovereign (proxy state) nation.

• Both say Russia should not encroach across the Dnieper River.

• Both (and this is the kicker,) think Ukraine should stay away from NATO.

Now, that last point isn’t something Donald Trump is espousing publicly (yet,) but it is something he’s positioning himself to actualize by putting NATO on watch for his second (public) administration, during which he plans to withdraw from the alliance unless the EU “allies” contribute as much to the defense bloc as the US does on a proportional basis.

This is not only something EU nations are balking at … but something they’re likely not capable of, financially. This means the US’s days in NATO are numbered, just as it means NATO itself is likely on its last legs.

Somewhat lost in the noise of Ukrainian peace deals, however, is the fact that this is the third time Zelenskyy has publicly called for Trump’s peace plan … and Z is currently prepping for a massive interview with Tucker Carlson.

I’ve long maintained that I believe Volodymyr Zelenskyy is “our guy,” insofar as he’s a controlled player on the game board who will ultimately be moving the game in our direction.

If you’re still doubting this … wait until you see how perfectly he plays his role, and gives both Trump and, yes, Vladimir Putin what they want.

I can’t say the same for NATO, where Zelenskyy isn’t quite so popular these days. —

African country to criminalize use of dollar

The Bank of Zambia has drafted new rules aimed at curbing the use of foreign currencies in local transactions, particularly the US dollar, the country’s news agency said on Monday.

The new currency regulations will reportedly be issued as a statutory instrument by the minister of finance and national planning. Once it comes into force, it will require the Zambian kwacha and its subunit, the ngwee, to be used for all domestic public and private transactions.

The central bank has raised concern over the increasing use of the dollar within the local economy. This practice, according to the bank, undermines its monetary policy tools and exerts pressure on the exchange rate.

A draft document released by the Bank of Zambia on Saturday revealed that individuals caught using foreign currency for local transactions could face up to ten years in prison or substantial fines. This was announced by the central bank’s deputy governor for operations, Francis Chipimo, in a speech at a trade fair in Ndola. — RT

And …

Zambia does not need US military presence – MP

Zambia has no need for a US military presence, Stephen Kampyongo, a member of the southern African country’s National Assembly, has told RT in an exclusive interview. The lawmaker also questioned the relevance of security cooperation between Washington and Lusaka.

The opposition Patriotic Front MP made the statement in response to regional concerns about the continued presence of US Africa Command (AFRICOM) forces in Zambia and demands from lawmakers for their withdrawal.

Speaking to RT on Saturday, Kampyongo said AFRICOM’s objectives in the country are “not well spelled out,” which has sparked fears in both Zambia and its southern African neighbors, including Zimbabwe.

In April 2022, Washington announced the launch of AFRICOM's Office of Security Cooperation at the US Embassy in Zambia’s capital, Lusaka. The move, according to the US government, aimed to improve “military-to-military relations” and expand areas of cooperation in force management, modernization, and professional military education for the Zambian security forces. — RT

Our Take: Here on the Brief, we have been reporting pretty extensively on Africa, and the hijinks Putin and the lads are getting into in that heart of darkness. We've talked about the historic deal Putin dealt to Zimbabwe—direct neighbor of Zambia—for fertilizer, which led to a historic crop yield for the struggling African nation.

Last month, there was actually some Russia-Zambia action that we didn't cover, and oddly enough, Zimbabwe was involved in that, as well. This story was actually somewhat connected to the fertilizer tale, with Zimbabwe expressing concern to Putin over their perception that the US was attempting to consolidate its military strength in Zambia, and exacerbate a growing rift between the two neighbors, who have historically been close allies.

“The United States is making us feel lonely,” [Zimbabwe President] Mnangagwa remarked, indicating a perceived encirclement by Western powers.

Interesting.

So now we have Zambia expressing that they share Zimbabwe's concern, and have told the Pentagon to get their s*** and get out.

“It’s not desirable for… the United States... to impose an international request on us,” [Zambian politician] Kampyongo later said in response to a question from RT about whether he believes Washington is trying to impose its policies on Zambia’s government.

“Any international policy must be premised on mutual respect, appreciating the sovereignty of each state,” he added.

Very Interesting.

It sounds like, in addition to flooding Zambia with US military assistance, the Pentagon was also flooding Zambia's economy with US dollars. Given the failing state of the dollar—or, at least, the public perception that the US dollar is failing— it's reasonable to assume that the intended strategy for flooding a third world country with a currency that is currently inflating at a rapid pace, could be a tactic to destabilize that country's economy.

It is worth noting that back in February, it was reported that the Zambian Kwacha is the best performing African currency against the US dollar.

So yeah, I'm going to go ahead and assert that the globalist's plan was to damage Zambia's growing economy. You have to love that the Zambian's response is to criminalize the use of the dollar, something that would have been inconceivable even just a year or two ago. But things change, and boy do they change fast.

Accelerate. —

BONUS ITEMS

Behind the Curtain: Trump's imperial presidency in waiting

Former President Trump, if re-elected, plans to immediately test the boundaries of presidential and governing power, knowing the restraints of Congress and the courts are dramatically looser than during his first term, his advisers tell us.

Why it matters: It's not just the Supreme Court ruling on Monday that presidents enjoy substantial legal immunity for actions in office. Trump would come to office with a Cabinet and staff pre-vetted for loyalty, and a fully compliant Republican coalition in Congress — devoid of critics in positions of real power.

That's a big reason many Democrats worry President Biden is making one of the biggest gambles in U.S. history by staying in the race amid acute concerns about his age.

The big picture: Trump promises an unabashedly imperial presidency — one that would turn the Justice Department against critics, deport millions of people in the U.S. illegally, slap 10% tariffs on thousands of products, and fire perhaps tens of thousands of government staff deemed insufficiently loyal.

He'd stretch the powers of the presidency in ways not seen in our lifetime. He says this consistently and clearly — so it's not conjecture.

You might like this or loathe this. But it's coming, fast and furious, if he's elected.

Thanks to Monday's Supreme Court ruling, Trump could pursue his plans without fear of punishment or restraint. — Axios

Kamala Harris top choice to replace Joe Biden if he steps aside, sources say

Vice President Kamala Harris is the top alternative to replace U.S. President Joe Biden if he decides not to continue his reelection campaign, according to seven senior sources at the Biden campaign, the White House and the Democratic National Committee with knowledge of current discussions on the topic.

Biden's fumbling, sometimes-incoherent and widely-panned first-debate performance against Republican rival Donald Trump last week set off a wave of panic within the Democratic party over concerns that he may not be fit enough to serve a second term, and prompted calls for top aides to resign.

Some influential Democrats have floated alternatives to Biden besides Harris, including popular cabinet members and Democratic governors like Gavin Newsom from California, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania. But trying to sidestep Harris is wishful thinking and would be nearly impossible, these sources, who did not wish to be named, said.

If named as the party nominee, Harris, 59, would take over money raised by the Biden campaign and inherit campaign infrastructure, the sources said. She also has the highest name recognition among all the alternatives, and the highest polling among Democrats who could seriously be considered a candidate, the sources said.

In a Reuters/Ipsos poll published Tuesday, Harris trailed Trump by one percentage point at 42% to 43%, a difference that was well within the poll's 3.5 percentage point margin of error, a showing statistically just as strong as Biden's. — Reuters

Governors admit worries but rally behind Biden after meeting: ‘We have his back’

A group of leading Democratic governors offered words of support for Joe Biden on Wednesday as pressure mounted on the president to leave the race.

The governors, including Tim Walz of Minnesota, Wes Moore of Maryland, Gavin Newsom of California and Kathy Hochul of New York, held a closed-door meeting with Biden in Washington as he sought to reassure his party – and the public – that he is up to the job after a shaky debate performance.

Biden met for more than an hour at the White House in person and virtually with more than 20 governors from his party. The governors told reporters afterward that the conversation was “candid” and said they expressed concerns about Biden’s debate performance last week. They reiterated that defeating Donald Trump in November was the priority, but said they were still standing behind Biden and did not join other Democrats who have been urging him to withdraw his candidacy.

“We, like many Americans, are worried,” Walz of Minnesota said. “We are all looking for the path to win – all the governors agree with that. President Biden agrees with that. He has had our backs through Covid … the governors have his back. We’re working together just to make very, very clear that a path to victory in November is the No 1 priority and that’s the No 1 priority of the president … The feedback was good. The conversation was honest.”

“The president is our nominee. The president is our party leader,” added Moore of Maryland. He said Biden “was very clear that he’s in this to win it”. — The Guardian

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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