A bipartisan effort to remove a controversial U.S.-Israel defense integration provision from the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) never received a vote on the House floor after the House Rules Committee declined to make the amendment eligible for debate. The amendment, introduced by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) would have removed Section 219 of the NDAA, formerly Section 224. The Rules Committee’s list of amendments made “in order” did not include the bipartisan proposal, ensuring it would not receive debate or a recorded vote before the House considered the broader defense bill. The decision effectively prevented lawmakers…
Max Blumenthal, the editor-in-chief of The Grayzone, has said that Israel is going to continue to escalate the war in Lebanon after a major failure in Iran. Both the US and Israel have been unsuccessful in their stated goals in Iran, making the interim peace agreement nothing more than a surrender document. Blumenthal said in an interview with Going Underground host Afshin Rattansi, aired on Sunday, that Israel needs the US for “firepower.” “Israel cannot do anything without US firepower, and the US was not willing to commit the amount of men and materiel to do what Israel needed,” Blumenthal…
For those of us who work 9-5 jobs, doing a big thru-hike like the Pacific Crest Trail is pretty much off the table. Weekends and holiday breaks are our best chance to get out there, hit the trail, and explore the backcountry. Not all weekend itineraries are created equal, though, and on a recent 96-mile backpacking trip in Oregon, I discovered one that’s hard to beat. Though the full Oregon Coast Trail (OCT) runs 400 miles down the eastern side of the state, a weekend-friendly 28 miles between Fort Stevens State Park and Cannon Beach are quite possibly its most…
We have all heard the politicians and gun control advocates say the Founding Fathers only meant muskets. We have heard it said by politicians from New York, Illinois, Minnesota, California, New Mexico, and from gun control advocates everywhere. NewYork Governor Hochul said it when pushing legislation in response to the Bruen decision. The majority opinion in the Wolford decision further counters the claim of “only muskets” made by gun control activists.The Associated Press recently ran an article highlighting how powerful black powder firearms are and calling for them to be regulated. Similar news articles ran…
Three Democratic lawmakers have introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would require military service members be vaccinated for influenza following a recent outbreak. The amendment was introduced Tuesday afternoon on Capitol Hill by Reps. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Gil Cisneros (D-Calif.) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) following the recent flu outbreak that occurred at Joint Base San Antonio, commonly known as Lackland Air Force Base, located within Castro’s legislative district. Castro said Tuesday that there are now 284 confirmed flu cases and four hospitalizations at the base, up from the 275 confirmed flu cases he reported on…
For years, we’ve wanted the Supreme Court to agree to hear a case on bans of so-called assault weapons. They’ve continually kicked the can down the road, and that’s been a significant problem for the gun rights community. However, everything is about to change.In the Court’s list of cases, two in particular came up that deal with assault weapon bans.Viramontes v. Cook County and Grant v. Higgins, the latter of which is tied with National Association for Gun Rights v. Lamont, both (all?) revolve around the concept of an assault weapon ban. And, as of…
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and a spate of progressive prosecutors have sent a letter to the heads of 3D printer makers, including one operating inside the People’s Republic of China, urging the companies to “expeditiously work on a printer-based solution to identifying and blocking the manufacture of all 3D printed firearm parts.” A “printer-based” solution means coming up with an algorithm that would block 3D printers from making any object that could be used to craft a firearm. A new bill that became part of New York’s budget establishes a task force that’s supposed…
Financial hardship and Department of Veterans Affairs-backed mortgages intersect more often than the housing benefit’s reputation suggests. Veterans miss payments for the same reasons anyone does: job loss, medical debt, divorce, a period of reduced income following separation from service. And the consequences of falling behind on a VA mortgage can be serious. As of June 15, 2026, a new option exists for veterans that did not exist before. The VA Partial Claim Program, authorized by the VA Home Loan Reform Act signed by President Trump on July 30, 2025, and formally launched in June, allows mortgage servicers to bring…
The United States and Iran have exchanged several strikes since Friday. These renewed attacks are threatening to upend an already precarious peace deal between the two warring nations. Both sides have accused the other of violating the terms of the agreement signed on June 17th. This is the first time the two warring countries have exchanged strikes since the signing of the interim peace deal. Iran Declares Memorandum of Understanding A “Record of US Failure” Iran has already blasted the US as liars. The “very nature” of the US is to break its promises and treaties, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps…
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla has accused the United States of inventing an excuse to start an economic war with Havana. Rodriguez Parrilla has said that an Axios report claiming that the island had acquired attack drones from Russia and Iran is nothing more than a pretext for a potential invasion of the island nation. The Axios report claimed that Cuba has acquired more than 300 military drones since 2023 and recently began discussing plans to use them to attack the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, U.S. military vessels, and possibly Key West, Florida, which is only 90 miles…
Wetlands are environmental superheroes: They improve water quality, manage erosion, sequester carbon, and house one-third of all endangered and threatened species. With so many benefits, the more wetlands preserved, the better off nature is. And this week, thousands of acres received new protections. On May 19, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced millions in funding that would go toward preserving or enhancing over 185,000 acres of wetlands. And nestled within that announcement was the acquisition of another 5,254 acres across three wildlife refuges: one in Texas, one in Virginia, and one in Illinois. How It Works Passed in 1989,…
Illinois is one of a handful of states that require a permission slip to simply keep a gun in the home, and though circuit court judges in the state have previously ruled the Firearm Owners ID card requirement unconstitutional, those decisions were tossed out by the Illinois Supreme Court on technical grounds. Now a lawsuit has been filed in federal court challenging the FOID mandate. Fox News reports that the New Civil Liberties Alliance and three individual plaintiffs are suing to have the law struck down as a violation of the Second and Fourteenth Amendments. Two…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel this week to a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Sweden, where U.S. plans to reduce troop levels in Europe coupled with President Donald Trump’s often inconsistent stance on the alliance have created concern while the world grapples with the fallout from the Iran war and rising energy prices. The State Department said Tuesday that Rubio would attend the NATO meeting in Helsingborg on Friday, one of the last senior-level NATO gatherings before alliance leaders meet at a summit in Ankara, Turkey, in July. Rubio will then travel on to India…
Professional athletes from around the world are about to descend on Las Vegas for the most intriguing and controversial sports competition of the year. The Enhanced Games are taking place at Resorts World on Sunday, May 24, to test the “enhanced” limits of human potential. Competitors will engage in swimming, track and field, and weight lifting, and the vast majority will be juiced on a cocktail of performance-enhancing drugs. The Enhanced Games have been making headlines, stirring conversation, and igniting arguments since the concept was first announced in 2023. Now, 3 years later, it’s finally happening, and anyone with a…
Once upon a time, The Onion was funny. Those days are long over, which would be sad if The Babylon Bee weren’t a thing.What started out as a satire site focusing on religion has become the right’s answer to the leftist Onion, only unlike its competition, it’s funny. Especially, it’s long-running feud with CNN. While the Bee has always had a certain soft spot for gun rights, recently, they went on an absolute tear, mocking the media and anti-gun politicians.Let’s start with their swipe at the Associated Press.I wrote about how the AP ran a…
President Donald Trump will not deliver the commencement address for the U.S. Naval Academy’s (USNA) Class of 2026 graduation ceremony, with the USNA telling Military.com it was based on scheduling and availability as opposed to other perceived reasons. Instead, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the nation’s highest-ranking military officer, will serve as speaker. The USNA announced Caine as the speaker just days before the ceremony, whereas when Vice President JD Vance delivered the commencement last fall, his commencement was made public roughly three weeks prior to the ceremony. Trump will serve as speaker for…
In the hierarchy of national parks, the North Cascades in Washington state has traditionally ranked pretty low. It receives fewer than 50,000 visitors annually, but its remote, rugged landscape is slowly becoming more popular. Since 2022, its visitor numbers have jumped 55%, and 2025 was a landmark year, with over 46,000 visitors, the most ever. Its potential in 2026 looked bright, until disaster after disaster struck. Extensive wildfires and flooding last year left widespread damage in the park. The North Cascades is facing major infrastructure problems and area closures, spelling trouble for the upcoming peak summer season. The future of…
The Firearms Policy Coalition has added a new plaintiff (and a new defendant) in its lawsuit taking on the “gun-free” status of New York City’s bustling Times Square. In an amended complaint filed on Monday, the 2A group added Orange County, New York gun owner Anthony Palma as a named plaintiff, joining Yehuda Goldberger and FPC itself in challenging the ban on lawful carry in Times Square. The group also added New York Police Superintendent Stephen James as a defendant, joining NY AG Letitia James, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, and NYC Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch…
BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO’s top military officer said Tuesday that he doesn’t expect any more drawdowns of American troops from Europe — at least not anytime soon — beyond the 5,000 that U.S. President Donald Trump announced would leave the continent. The remarks by U.S. Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich follow Trump’s surprise announcement of the move early this month. The U.S. leader has bickered with allies over the Iran war and called for changes. The Pentagon later said it would draw down thousands of troops in Europe by canceling deployments to Poland and Germany as opposed to yanking out forces…
The World Health Organization has declared a “global health emergency” after an Ebola outbreak surfaced in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). So far, there are at least eight confirmed cases, 246 suspected infections, and 80 suspected deaths reported in DRC, along with two additional cases in Uganda. Red Cross volunteers have already been going door-to-door to share health information. They are also helping to identify suspected cases, support contact tracing, and combat misinformation surrounding the outbreak. The DRC and Uganda confirmed their first Ebola cases on Friday. On the same day, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…
The heir to a multibillion-dollar retail business was arrested this week in connection with his father’s death. In 2024, Jonathan Andic was hiking with his father, Isak, in the Montserrat Mountains near Barcelona, Spain, when Isak fell down a steep embankment, tumbling 300 feet. The 71-year-old founder of fast-fashion retailer Mango died at the scene. Initially, his death was investigated as an accident. But in 2025, police announced that the case had become a homicide investigation. Jonathan, the primary heir to his father’s business fortune, was singled out as a suspect. He was the only one with his father when he fell,…
