The chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee wants to develop a “must-pass” authorization bill process for the Department of Veterans Affairs similar to the legislative procedure used to approve the National Defense Authorization Act. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., kicked off a series of hearings Wednesday on legislation that would reauthorize several significant VA programs and said he wants to create a comprehensive authorization process — an omnibus-style procedure — that would ensure a yearly legislative review of all VA programs, some of which have not been reauthorized for 30 years. Bost said such oversight is needed to ensure that…

The OODA Loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) is a decision-making approach used by military personnel that works in daily life, too. Whenever you enter a new environment—a parking lot, a coffee shop, a subway platform—run through these steps: observe, orient, decide, and act mentally. It helps you stay engaged and ready to respond. 3. Scan and Assess Train yourself to glance around and take note of exits, people around you, and anything that doesn’t seem to belong. You don’t need to stare at people or be nervous. Just be aware. Make a practice of scanning your surroundings, and it will…

A domestic-related shooting broke out Tuesday evening at a New Mexico Air Force base, resulting in one person dead and another injured, according to military base officials.The shooting occurred at Holloman Air Force Base around 5:30 p.m. and a brief lockdown was placed following the reports of an active shooter, base officials told Military Times in a statement on Wednesday.“The lockdown was lifted shortly thereafter when security forces personnel confirmed that the scene was safe,” the 49th Wing statement said.Officials said that it was an “isolated incident and there is no ongoing threat to our community.”The injured individual is an…

Sign up for the On The Gun Newsletter The latest for gun hunters and competitive shooters. Many of the cartridge and bullet improvements we see today are incremental gains in the unrelenting effort to improve and fine-tune our shooting tools. But when the .220 Swift was introduced in 1935, it was light years ahead of every other standardized cartridge. At 4100 fps with a 48-grain jacketed soft-point bullet, it was more than 1000 fps faster than the nearest production round. This gave varmint shooters unmatched trajectory and the ability to strike down coyotes and groundhogs from unbelievable distances. After a…

From the recent ICE-related riots in Los Angeles to the nationwide Flag Day “No Kings” protests, it’s clear that violent civil unrest can erupt quickly and anywhere. And, on the off chance that it does where you are, you need to know what to do if you’re caught in one. If you live in a city or suburb, don’t assume you’re safe just because you’re not downtown. Today, peaceful protests can flip into full-scale riots in minutes. This guide will walk you through the steps to prepare for a riot and provide guidance on how to survive if you’re caught…

United States ruler Donald Trump said that he struck Iran a week early, and it prevented a nuclear war. Only eight months after bombing three Iranian nuclear sites, Trump once again put his finger on the trigger, preparing to attack the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program once again. According to a report by Time Magazine, Trump said he assumed Iran was not urgent enough when it came to diplomatic talks with the U.S. “When I heard that,” Trump says, “I said, you know, they’re going to hit first.” In the early hours of Saturday morning, February 28th, the start of the…

Editor’s note: This report has been updated.MacDill Air Force Base in Florida has lifted a shelter-in-place order that was enacted earlier Wednesday after officials said a threat had been made against the Tampa-based installation.“Shelter in place has been lifted and the gates are open and will resume normal FPCON Charlie operations,” the base, home of U.S. Central Command, said in a Facebook post. “The threat to MacDill Air Force Base has been cleared and we appreciate everyone’s patience and cooperation.”The shelter-in-place order came days after a suspicious device was found at the visitors center at the Dale Mabry Gate on…

Most days come and go. But every now and then, history stacks the deck—and you feel it in your gut that something’s different. That’s where we are right now with Saturday, June 14 2025 Protests. This isn’t doom and gloom. This isn’t fear porn. This is a heads-up. There’s a rare mix of symbolic, emotional, and tactical events converging this weekend that set the stage for something big—maybe even historic. And whether or not anything major kicks off on the 14th, the potential for a summer of unrest is on full display. Let’s break down what’s happening—and more importantly, what…

WASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) — China does not currently plan to invade Taiwan in 2027 and seeks to control the island without the use of force, the U.S. intelligence community said on Wednesday, striking a measured tone on one of the world’s biggest potential flashpoints. The assessment in the intelligence agencies’ annual report on global threats comes as Beijing has stepped up pressure on Taiwan with frequent military drills, even as U.S. President Donald Trump has played down the risk of Chinese military action while he is in office. The Pentagon late last year said the U.S. military believed China…

Sign up for This Happened to Me News on backcountry adventure and wilderness survival. In September 2015, Dave and Amy Freeman set out on one of the more ambitious journeys ever taken in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The two explorers would spend the next year living inside the wilderness area, exploring more than 500 water bodies by canoe, skis, and dogsleds. They were able to experience the Boundary Waters through all four seasons while immersing themselves in a place they’ve cherished and explored all their lives as native Minnesotans.  Although they wrote a book about the expedition, the…

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadThe Ranger mindset is simple: don’t quit, even when quitting feels like the only option. That same mindset isn’t just for elite soldiers—it’s a tool anyone can use to push through life’s toughest moments, from disasters to daily struggles. It’s about staying in the fight—mentally—even when your body, your circumstances, or the world is screaming at you to quit. It’s not locked away behind military service or extreme toughness—it’s available to everyone. You just have to be willing to buckle down and use it when the time comes. There was a lot that went…

The killing of some senior Iranian politicians by the United States and Israel will not cripple the government, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said. He said the attempt to bring down Iran’s regime will be a failure despite the deaths. “I do not know why the Americans and the Israelis still have not understood this point: The Islamic Republic of Iran has a strong political structure with established political, economic, and social institutions,” Araghchi told Al Jazeera. Araghchi made the comments shortly after Iran confirmed the death of Ali Larijani, the country’s security chief and one of its most powerful…

Editor’s note: This story originally appeared on Laser Wars, a newsletter about military laser weapons and other futuristic defense technology. Subscribe here.For decades, the U.S. military’s dream of high-energy laser weapons has been perpetually “five years away.” Now, the Pentagon says it wants to finally make them an operational reality within the next three.Speaking on a panel at the National Defense Industrial Association’s annual Pacific Operational Science and Technology conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, on March 9, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Critical Technologies Michael Dodd stated that the Defense Department plans on fielding directed energy weapons such as lasers and…

What if the next terror attack on U.S. soil doesn’t come from who you think it will? What if the fuse has already been lit—and the target is much closer to home than most people realize? We’re standing at a moment that could spiral in any number of directions. And while most of us can’t influence foreign policy, we can influence how prepared we are. That’s why I recorded this episode of the Mind4Survival podcast: to cut through the noise and help you sharpen your mindset, improve your situational awareness, and take simple steps that make you safer and stronger.…

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadIf you’re like most people in the preparedness space, you’ve stocked food, secured water, and thought through the basics. But have you prepped for the silent AI-bomb that’s already hitting your mindset? While you’re focused on the obvious—natural disasters, supply chain collapses, power outages. AI is quietly working behind the scenes to manipulate what you believe, how you react, and what you choose to do next. And the worst part? You might not even realize it’s happening. TL;DR: AI isn’t just changing what you see—it’s shaping how you think, feel, and decide. If you…

Sign up for the Outdoor Life Newsletter Get the hottest outdoor news—plus a free month of onX Hunt Elite. An eastern Missouri town called Moscow Mills lies along the Cuivre River. It’s also home to Kasey Mayo, who was introduced to duck hunting in 2023 through Delta Waterfowl’s First Hunt program. Mayo fell in love right away. “My first waterfowl hunt was my first hunt of any kind ever. I was hooked,” Mayo says. “I got to be part of it and watch how it works, and I was like, ‘Sign me up for the rest of my life.’” That…

Red Dawn (1984) opens like no other film from its era. It begins with one of the most memorable first scenes of the decade. One moment, it’s a typical morning in small-town America. The next enemy paratroopers are falling from the sky, shooting teachers, and turning a sleepy high school into a war zone. What follows is a mix of teenage rebellion, Cold War anxiety, and 1980s action-movie intensity. A group of high schoolers—played by Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, C. Thomas Howell, Jennifer Grey, and others—retreat into the mountains and slowly transform from scared kids into guerrilla fighters. It’s over-the-top…

United States President Donald Trump has criticized other NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) nations as a “one-way street,” saying the bloc won’t do anything for the U.S.  NATO has so far been unwilling to join the U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran, prompting Trump to declare that America has never really needed its help anyway. Iran Strikes Israel in Retaliation The president added that he is not surprised by the allies’ inaction. “We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us, in particular, in a time of need,” he wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday. The remarks came a day…

An agreement between the Justice Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs allows the VA to put veterans under guardianship if they are unable to make their own health care decisions. A memorandum of understanding announced last week by the department gives VA attorneys the legal authority to enter into state court guardianships or conservatorship proceedings in cases where veterans don’t have family or legal representation to determine medical treatment. VA officials say the process will help hundreds of veterans hospitalized at VA facilities who are unable to transition to more appropriate settings. “Our new partnership with the Justice Department reflects our ongoing…

My grid-down hygiene hack: before every hurricane I’ve experienced, I always line my bathtub with a plastic liner and fill it with water. That’s because there is always a chance that you will lose water in a disaster. That’s not the only thing that can be disrupted: you may also not be able to wash your hands or flush your toilet, so you will have to improvise. Maintaining hygiene is super important when the grid goes down. Poor sanitation quickly leads to the spread of illnesses, infections, and diseases, especially in crowded or small living environments, such as apartments. Make…

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What if you received a government alert stating that the world was ending in 48 hours, and you weren’t on the list to be saved? That’s the nightmare the Greenland movie throws you into. Forget zombies or out-of-this-world survival plots. Greenland is a modern world ending event: an extinction-level event, government triage, societal collapse, and families scrambling to survive while the clock runs out. It’s a brutal look at what may happen when the worst happens and people fight to survive. (Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links for which I may receive a small commission at no cost to you if you…

This article was originally published by Joseph T. Salerno at the Mises Institute.  This article is adapted from a lecture presented at the 2025 Supporters Summit in Delray Beach, Florida. I want to start with a confession: I love falling prices. I love deflation. I want all prices to go down to a nickel. I stole that line from Murray Rothbard. It’s not inflation that we should fear, it’s the opposite— deflationphobia, which is the fear of falling prices. We should fear deflationphobia because it leads to a very dangerous institutional monetary policy: inflation targeting. So, let me begin with…