A pair of deployed B-1B Lancer bombers conducted a flyover of the capital city of Latvia alongside NATO allies in a show of force on Tuesday.The B-1s flew in formation above the Monument of Freedom in Riga — for Latvians, a symbol of national unity and independence — alongside four JAS 39 Gripen fighters, two from Hungary and two from Sweden. Three B-1s in total deployed from Dyess Air Force Base in Texas to Ørland Air Base in Norway on Aug. 9 as part of a bomber task force mission with the 345th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron.The Air Force said in…

Veterans Affairs leaders will not conduct their annual employee surveys this year, stating that they are confident that the majority of the workforce is happy with the direction of the department. Late last week, the Office of Personnel Management announced in an email to federal workers that they had canceled plans for the 2025 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, typically conducted each spring. Officials had said for months they were revising the poll to better focus questions on key workplace issues and not extraneous topics, such as diversity programs. The survey is mandated under federal code and provides an annual snapshot…

The U.S. Coast Guard saved four children stranded on a rock off Lake Superior, Minnesota, on Saturday, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.The girls — ages 14, 13, 10, and 8 — were paddleboarding near the Black Beach Trailhead in Silver Bay, Minnesota, and lost their paddles after landing on a small island, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.“This successful rescue highlights the critical importance of interagency coordination and the rapid response capabilities of the U.S. Coast Guard,” said Aircraft Commander Lt. j.g. Patrick Grissler. “We are grateful for the collaboration with Lake County and are…

While the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska underscored the Arctic’s decisive importance, there was another signal coming from just offshore: Russian and Chinese naval forces conducting a joint exercise near the Aleutians. In the north Indo-Pacific, a geostrategic game is unfolding, one in which control over sea lanes, resources and influence will shape the 21st century. And Washington has been slow to catch up. Despite Alaska’s undeniable role in the Indo-Pacific, providing a launch pad for force projection and missile defense, for three decades America has let its Pacific Arctic flank erode.…

Sign up for the Outdoor Life Newsletter Get the hottest outdoor news—plus a free month of onX Hunt Elite. Optics can make a real difference in your hunt, and they are potentially one of the most expensive pieces of gear you’ll buy. So you want to avoid the duds and get the best binocular or rifle scope for your money. ​Outdoor Life’s optics editor, Andrew McKean, has tested nearly every binocular and rifle scope over the last 20 years. In this episode of The Outdoor Life Podcast, he demystifies binoculars and scopes. McKean explains how they work, why they break,…

This article was originally published by Tyler Durden at ZeroHedge. US equity futures dropped, extending the recent selloff into its fifth day, as traders stayed guarded ahead of the Federal Reserve’s gathering at Jackson Hole. As of 8:00 am, S&P 500 futures fell 0.2%, while Nasdaq 100 futures were flat after a two-day selloff that erased 2% off the index. In premarket trading, Nvidia rose 0.8% while most Magnificent Seven peers posted losses. Retail giant Walmart brought Q2 earnings season to an unofficial close after reporting an EPS miss (68c vs exp. 74c) and even though it lifted guidance (now…

An airman has been arrested by police in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and charged with involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of another airman, the Air Force said Tuesday.Senior Airman Joshua Aragon, a security forces specialist at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, died in the off-base, off-duty shooting incident that took place early on the morning of Aug. 16, the 90th Missile Wing said in a statement. Aragon was assigned to the 790th Missile Security Forces Squadron, part of the 90th Missile Wing, and joined the Air Force in 2022.Airman 1st Class Jadan Orr, who is assigned to the 90th…

Sign up for the Outdoor Life Newsletter Get the hottest outdoor news—plus a free month of onX Hunt Elite. In a staggering development for global wildlife conservation, the world’s biggest rhino farmer, who has long cast himself as a savior for the species, was arrested in South Africa Tuesday on suspicion of trafficking rhino horn. Prosecutors have accused John Hume, along with five others, of operating a smuggling ring involving 964 rhino horns valued at more than $14 million, according to the Associated Press. This week’s arrests followed a seven-year investigation by the Hawks, a special task force in the…

Four soldiers are accused of sexually assaulting a victim in a barracks building at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, the Army confirmed.Pvt. 2nd Class Deron J. Gordon, Pfc. Kallon Curiel, Cpl. Pedro Angel Ruiz and Spc. Jadon Bosarge are accused of assaulting the victim on Oct. 27, 2024, said Michelle McCaskill, spokeswoman for the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel, in an email statement Thursday.Gordon, who faces a general court-martial on two counts of sexual misconduct, 12 counts of rape and one count each of conspiracy and obstruction of justice, pleaded guilty on Aug. 5, according to the Army trial docket.…

Competition-ready 9mms are all the rage today. Almost every major manufacturer builds at least one 9 with an 18-round minimum capacity, threaded barrel, optics cut, a barrel between 4 and 5 inches, and other custom touches. The PDP Pro-X has all this, in spades. Let’s cut to the chase… if you are in the market for a 9mm to take to competitions, give this one a look. This Walther PDP Pro-X is a very nice pistol. The way it handles, its controls, the way it’s built… very nice. I need to say up front that I tend to gravitate towards…

Despite the rumors, Defense Department officials haven’t yet made a decision on whether to expand shopping privileges at their discount grocery stores to all DOD civilians. An ongoing pilot program at 16 commissaries, launched in December 2024, is still scheduled to run through the end of the year, according to commissary officials. As of Aug. 12, sales have increased at the pilot stores by 4.98%, or $11.4 million, since then. The pilot program is designed to test the feasibility of expanding commissary access to DOD civilians at all commissaries in the continental United States. But shoppers in at least one…

Sign up for the Outdoor Life Newsletter Get the hottest outdoor news—plus a free month of onX Hunt Elite. A proposal to sell millions of acres of public lands earlier this summer drew protests across the nation, and the outdoor community breathed a collective sigh of relief when Sen. Mike Lee withdrew his plan. While most hunters and anglers agree that a sell-off amounted to the worst-case scenario — a firesale that’s almost impossible to reverse — it’s far from the only threat facing the public lands, waters, and wildlife we cherish. But many biologists and conservation advocates are still…

A Ukrainian has been arrested in Italy in connection with the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline. Italian police have claimed that this man is suspected of involvement in the bombing of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, German prosecutors reported on Thursday. The explosions took place at the same time as an attack on critical energy infrastructure and a stark example of the rising economic fallout of the Ukraine conflict. First Images Of Blown Up Nord Stream Reveals 50 Meter Missing Section Of Pipeline Germany’s Federal Prosecutor General has reportedly been investigating the explosions for more than two years, with…

The process of purchasing a suppressor has traditionally been complex, time-consuming, and intimidating for many firearms enthusiasts. However, the introduction of Silencer Shop kiosks has revolutionized how Americans acquire these regulated items. These innovative stations have transformed what was once a bureaucratic nightmare into a streamlined, user-friendly experience that can be completed in minutes rather than hours. Understanding the Traditional Suppressor Purchase Process Before diving into how kiosks simplify the process, it’s important to understand the traditional challenges. Purchasing a suppressor requires compliance with the National Firearms Act (NFA), which mandates extensive paperwork, background checks, and federal tax payments. Historically,…

An active-duty U.S. Navy sailor was convicted of espionage by a federal jury on Wednesday, according to a Department of Justice press release.Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class Jinchao Wei, 25, who was stationed at Naval Base San Diego, sold Navy secrets to a Chinese intelligence officer for $12,000 over the course of 18 months.“The defendant’s actions represent an egregious betrayal of the trust placed in him as a member of the U.S. military,” Adam Gordon, the United States attorney for the Southern District of California, said in a statement on Wednesday. “By trading military secrets to the People’s Republic of China…

President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he plans to join National Guard troops and local police on patrols of Washington, D.C., on Thursday night, getting a first-hand look at the controversial deployment of military forces to the nation’s capital. During a radio appearance with host Todd Starnes, Trump said that the Guardsmen deployed around Washington have “done a fantastic job” and said he was planning to join them this evening on their rounds. White House officials did not immediately release any details of the event. Currently, about 800 D.C. National Guard personnel and around around 1,100 more Guardsmen from six…

Sea lions in California have been showing symptoms of a kidney disease called leptospirosis. According to marine experts, the disease should worry humans, as it can be passed to them or their mammalian pets. Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that causes kidney failure in marine mammals. The bacteria are affecting animals primarily in Central and Northern California, according to the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito’s public relations director, Giancarlo Rulli. Right now, health officials and marine experts are concerned with California sea lions, Rulli said. The Marine Mammal Center has responded to more than 200 sea lions that have shown…

A crash Wednesday on Capitol Hill between a military vehicle in a District of Columbia National Guard convoy and an SUV is under investigation.The driver of the SUV had to be freed from the vehicle by firefighters and was sent to a nearby hospital with a minor head laceration, according to the local fire department.A joint task force overseeing troops in the city “remains committed to the safety of our service members and the public,” D.C. National Guard spokesperson Capt. Tinashe Machona said.The armored vehicle involved in the collision was a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle, or MATV. The 14-ton…

Sign up for the Outdoor Life Newsletter Get the hottest outdoor news—plus a free month of onX Hunt Elite. For years I kept two squirrel mounts on the mantel over the fireplace in my den. One was a red squirrel, or “boomer” in Southern mountain lingo. I took it from the very top of Mount Mitchell in North Carolina on an authorized collecting trip. It came from the highest acre of ground in eastern North America. The other was a large fox squirrel that I got near the mouth of the Suwannee River in Florida, which is as low as…

While all the military services are experiencing a boom in recruiting dating back to the end of last year, arguably none are doing as well as the U.S. Space Force. The youngest and smallest of the services, the Space Force has hit its recruiting goal every year since its founding in 2019. On the heels of the service exceeding its recruiting target for fiscal 2025 three months ahead of schedule, a top recruiting official describes plans to fine-tune selection processes and consult with organizations — including Major League Baseball team the Washington Nationals — about how to scout for relevant…

Israel has begun its offensive, designed to take over Gaza City. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told the military to decrease the time to defeat Hamas after his plans for military control were approved. Netanyahu later said that he had ordered the military to “shorten the timelines for seizing the last terror strongholds and for the defeat of Hamas.” Israel Doubles Down On Its Goal To Eliminate Hamas Full military control of Gaza City was approved two weeks ago by Israel’s security cabinet. This plan would use military force to hand complete control of Gaza over to Netanyahu. A military…

Roughly 150,000 Tricare beneficiaries living in the Atlanta, Georgia, and Tampa, Florida, metro areas will have a new health care option next year through a demonstration project being conducted by the Defense Health Agency.Eligible beneficiaries in these areas will be able to enroll in a Tricare Prime option, in which they will receive care from CareSource Military and Veterans Co.’s network of primary and specialty care providers.CareSource Military and Veterans Co., of Dayton, Ohio, was awarded contracts in November 2024 to run three-year demonstration projects for the two areas, worth a combined total of $110 million.Eligible individuals include active-duty family…

Banning so-called high-capacity magazines is an obvious infringement of the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. However, many more liberal courts have failed to see it that way. In fact, court challenges to such magazine limits have met a mixed bag of success and failure, with some courts handing down rulings that the magazines are “arms” protected under the Second Amendment and others saying they are just “accessories.” In an attempt to get the matter settled once and for all, the National Rifle Association recently filed a petition for certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court, asking the court…

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