Political debates about the U.S. border wall usually center on immigration policy and national security. But the construction can also have major impacts on the environment. A new wall expansion planned by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would result in construction within two Arizona wilderness areas: Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. White House officials said the projects are necessary to “take control of the border.” But the plans have sparked backlash from conservation and parks advocacy groups concerned about negative impacts to wildlife on these federally protected lands. They question why it’s necessary…

I like sales tax holidays. Here in Georgia, we have a sales tax holiday for school supplies just before the start of the school year, and the list of “school supplies” includes things like computers, so it’s a good time to upgrade your technology. We’ve also got one for the sale of guns, ammo, and accessories. It’s pretty cool. Our neighbors in Alabama are considering one, too.Not everyone is thrilled with it, of course. The usual suspects don’t like it one bit, but the proposal is also being attacked from the gun rights side, and…

When speaking about the Strait of Hormuz and its closure to United States and Israeli vessels, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Iran gave him a “present.” “They’re going to make a deal. They did something [Monday] that was amazing, actually. They gave us a present,” Trump said. Trump said he could not disclose what the gift was, but said it was “oil and gas-related” and was connected to the Strait of Hormuz. Simulation: Extended Strait of Hormuz Closure Could Affect $1.2 Trillion in Global Trade “The present arrived today, and it was a very big present worth a tremendous amount…

My tent was on the snow, and the temperature had been hovering in the single digits for the past few hours. I had a 0-degree bag and was wondering if I’d need another layer to get through the night, at least comfortably. But I wasn’t worried about the cold coming up from the ground. This was my third single-digit night out with EXPED’s new Ultra 6.5R sleeping pad, and I knew what kind of insulation it offered. If you do any cold-weather camping, you know that some lightweight backpacking-oriented inflatable sleeping pads with a “heat-reflective” layer to boost the R-value…

As Tom reported earlier today, Everytown has a new “report” out focusing on straw purchases that insinuates employees of Academy Sporting Goods have willfully turned blind eyes to individuals who are helping to traffic firearms. I won’t repeat all of Tom’s criticisms of the report here, but it’s at least worth noting that apparently none of the Academy employees who sold any of the 250 or so firearms that were apparently trafficked over a three year period have been charged with anything.  That is not the case, however, for an 80-year-old New Hampshire man who…

If you have any information about the vandals who defaced a Native American petroglyph site near Moab, Utah, the Grand County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) wants to hear from you. On March 22, the GCSO posted to Facebook seeking information that would help them track down the people responsible for etching into a Native American cultural heritage site northeast of town. The petroglyph site is near Tusher Tunnel, northwest of town, which is known to contain extensive ancient rock art. “It appears a Baja race team may have defaced the site by advertising contact information directly on the rock wall,” GCSO…