The U.S. Military Academy at West Point has dropped its fight against a court-imposed ban on its policy of limiting what professors can publicly say and write. Tim Bakken, the school’s longest-serving law professor, brought the original suit, claiming the academy’s policy violates his constitutional right to freedom of speech. He challenged West Point’s policy implemented in early 2025 that barred faculty members from publishing papers, speaking at conferences, or even appearing on a podcast without first seeking approval from higher-ups in their department. The faculty speech rule appeared to be in response to President Donald Trump issuing an executive…
Is summer over yet? Doesn’t look like it, but that doesn’t mean we can’t start gearing up for fall. After all, many kids and young adults are already heading back to school, and many of the daypacks featured this week are tailor-made to transition seamlessly from the classroom or workplace to the trail or bike path. So there’s plenty of fun stuff to peruse, especially the new offerings from beloved backpack brands like Gregory and Cotopaxi. But there are also some interesting alpine-specific packs from Berghaus and the “dry out your wet phone” options from a brand named (you guessed…
CAIRO (AP) — Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for a series of deadly attacks this week, escalating the conflict between them and Saudi-backed Yemeni forces and raising fears of a wider regional conflagration. The attacks have killed dozens of civilians and troops and also targeted Saudi tankers in transit from Red Sea ports through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait out to the Gulf of Aden and the rest of the world. Though less significant than the Strait of Hormuz, around 12% of the world’s trade, including a fourth of global container traffic, once passed through Bab el-Mandeb, moving between Europe…
The Air National Guard is offering members a $7,500 bonus if they reenlist for three years. The “Summer Surge Incentive” comes as part of the Air Guard’s recruitment drive to hire 8,842 Airmen by the end of Fiscal Year 2026, which puts the heat on the service considering that the fiscal year ends on Sept. 30—providing potential candidates with roughly 50 days to make decisions. Payments will be made immediately, and there is no cap on the total number of available bonuses. Those interested must sign the three-year enlistment contract by that Sept. 30 deadline. “It is all part of…
Just hours after a 14-year-old boy shot and killed his grandparents before attacking teachers and classmates at his high school, Thailand’s prime minister is vowing to crack down on legal gun owners by prohibiting their ability to lawfully carry a firearm for self-defense. Politicians the world over often rush to “do something” in the wake of a tragedy, and Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is no different. Three years ago Anutin, who was then the country’s Interior Minister, cracked down on legal gun owners by imposing a freeze on new licenses and prohibiting individuals younger than…
Enlisted Air Force ranks are categorized into three levels: airmen (pay grades E-1 through E-4), noncommissioned officers (E-5 and E-6), and senior noncommissioned officers (E-7 through E-9). Some personnel can enlist at an advanced rank if they have college credits or have participated in Junior ROTC. The highest advanced rank one can enlist with under these programs is airman first class (E-3). The Air Force offers accelerated promotion for service members who agree to enlist for six years. Under this program, enlistees who enter service as an airman basic (E-1) are promoted to airman (E-2) after basic training is finished,…
Iranian lawmakers are debating the wording of a proposed deal with Oman on the Strait of Hormuz, with U.S. President Donald Trump insisting an agreement is getting closer. Trump said the talks are “moving along” and gave no additional comment when asked about progress by White House reporters late Thursday. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said earlier this week that an understanding with Oman had been reached “in principle,” and state TV cited one lawmaker on Friday as saying the final text and details of an agreement with Muscat will be announced “soon.” Some Iranian politicians are pushing for…
Texas Attorney General and Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton will have to take his fight over the “gun-free” state fair to the Texas Supreme Court after an appellate court upheld the ban on Thursday. Paxton, along with several individual plaintiffs, filed suit after the State Fair of Texas announced in 2024 that the lawful carrying of firearms would no longer be allowed. The move came after a shooting during the fair in 2023, one that was committed by someone who couldn’t legally carry a gun. The lawsuit contended that the State Fair of Texas and the…
The newly created Military Spouse Commission has opened an online form to allow those with vested interests in the commission to submit comments. President Donald Trump created the commission on Monday via an executive order to support the lives and experiences of spouses of those enlisted in service. The commission will provide recommendations to address themes including housing, employment, health care and childcare. There are more than 1 million military spouses in the U.S. They are affected by numerous issues including disproportionate levels of unemployment, according to Stars & Stripes. The publication reported that 20% of military spouses are unemployed,…
If you’ve ever hiked up Angel’s Landing — arguably the most iconic trail in Zion National Park — then you know how dangerous it can be. In fact, falling is by far the leading cause of death in America’s second-most-popular national park. That’s what happened to Bernadette Vander Meer in August 2006. She fell to her death from the hiking trail “under suspicious circumstances,” according to local authorities. But after 20 years, no arrest was ever made in connection with her death — until now. On Monday, police arrested David Vander Meer, Bernadette’s husband, on charges of murder and insurance…
Many gun rights supporters believe that gun owners tend to become gun voters, at least to some degree. That’s not universal, of course, because Kamala Harris has a handgun and she was all about banning them for everyone else, but we tend to think people like her are the exception, rather than the rule. However, the results of a survey from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for Gun Violence Solutions suggest otherwise. In fact, according to this survey, some of the gun control lobby’s biggest asks for state and federal lawmakers…
CHAMPVA and Tricare are both federal government health care programs tied to military service. They are run by different federal agencies, cover different groups of people and operate on different cost structures. Confusing them is easy. Losing health care coverage because of that confusion is a real and preventable problem that affects veteran families every year. The single most important thing to understand before anything else: If you are eligible for Tricare, you are not eligible for CHAMPVA, the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs. They do not stack. If your circumstances change and you…
Australia is experiencing a bird flu outbreak. It has ramped up surveillance procedures after just two cases of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu were confirmed in migratory seabirds. It does claim that other birds could also have contracted the virus. Tests are underway in South Australia (SA) after two dead sub-Antarctic seabirds and a pelican were found on Monday near Fowlers Bay, more than 1,200 kilometers east of Esperance in Western Australia, (WA) where the first two confirmed cases were reported, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), as reported by The Japan Times. Both bird in Fowlers Bay…
Virginia’s ban on “assault firearms” and “large capacity” magazines is set to take effect next Wednesday, barring any last minute injunctions. But the law is also expected to undergo some changes in the final hours before it begins to be enforced, though we don’t yet know what those changes entail. Brandon Jarvis, who runs the Virginia Scope newsletter, posted on X on Tuesday afternoon that he’d heard from both Sen. Saddam Salim and Del. Dan Helmer, the lead sponsors of the gun and magazine ban bill, that the governor’s staff notified them amendments are coming.…
On June 25, Grand Theft Auto 6 will be opening pre-orders, subsequently sending shockwaves throughout the gaming industry, and it appears that Rockstar Games is getting its ducks in a row in preparation. GTA 6 has the privilege of being one of, if not the most, anticipated games of all time, and the next few months could be significant for Rockstar and the industry at large. The time has finally come for GTA 6 to actually feel real and imminent. On June 18, Rockstar Games announced that Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-orders would start on June 25, and that announcement…
Support us! GearJunkie may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Learn More Would you take a swim in a pit toilet for $1 million? How about a free cellphone? OK, how about a pair of sunglasses? As ridiculous as those questions sound, a gut-churning rescue at a California campsite has reignited an all-too-frequent discussion: Do you value a small personal item more than avoiding a plunge into a chemical toilet? On Saturday, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a man trapped in a campsite vault toilet at Camp Edison Shaver Lake. According to…
No, I’m not saying that she wants to hurt people. She might, but if so, she’s been fortunate enough to not have video of her saying it pop up for the whole world to see. As it stands, Scranton, Pennsylvania, Mayor Paige Cognetti is trying to unseat a Republican incumbent as she runs for the US House of Representatives, and some old video has surfaced from a while back where she seems to fantasize about a world that doesn’t make any sense to a rational human being.She wants a world with no guns in anyone’s…
The Department of Veterans Affairs will spend $4.8 billion in the 2026 fiscal year to modernize, repair and upgrade health care facilities across the country, the largest single-year infrastructure investment in the agency’s history, according to an announcement earlier in the year. The funding flows through the Veterans Health Administration’s Non-Recurring Maintenance program, which covers one-time maintenance and modernization projects that fall outside routine upkeep. In practical terms, that means the aging systems, outdated infrastructure and facilities that have been deferred for years are now in line for meaningful work. “Improved facilities, equipment and infrastructure mean better care for veterans,…
Russian President Vladimir Putin claims that the United States is no longer hiding its plans for war with Russia. Putin specifically called out NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and the European Union, saying its leaders are using “false claims” about the supposed “Russian threat” to justify rampant militarization. “Now, they are openly saying that they are preparing for war with us, increasing military offensive budgets,” Putin said. He argued that Western governments are using the same playbook that has always been used against Russia. Putin made the remarks Tuesday during a ceremony celebrating graduates of Russia’s military, security, and law…
A cold blanket of fog interrupted what had been a scorching climb as I pedaled around a remaining snow patch perched above 10,000 feet overlooking Vail Mountain. Hot and out of breath, I waited for a deep chill to set into my sweaty body, the type that keeps you moving frantically instead of settling into a rhythm. Ortovox’s new wool Sequence Free Jersey and Shorts provided a legitimate buffer to the springtime temperature swing. Wool and Ortovox are two things you don’t see in the mountain biking world. But the latter has brought the former into play with the new…
A three-judge panel on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals sounded surprisingly skeptical on Tuesday about California’s defense of a state law prohibiting adults under the age of 21 from purchasing firearms unless they first take a hunter safety course, and bars them entirely from purchasing semiautomatic centerfire rifles. The case, known as PWGG v. Bonta, has been bouncing around the federal court system since 2019. Most recently, a U.S. District judge upheld California’s restrictions after concluding that the law does not even implicate the plain text of the Second Amendment because it does not…
