Complexity is the enemy of affordability, and cars have an affordability problem. An automobile has always been a big investment, but now, more than ever, the problems come once the car leaves the dealer’s lot. While an out-of-warranty repair or a minor collision was once somewhat affordable to fix, even the simplest-seeming parts of a car can cost thousands of dollars. A new bumper, for example, is no longer something simple and relatively inexpensive to replace. Cars Have Become Rolling Computers Credit: Mercedes-Benz Cars becoming rolling computers isn’t a new complaint, but we’re not talking about a fairly basic ECU chip…
The Department of Justice has launched its first litigation aimed at “sensitive places”, suing Montgomery County, Maryland for its ban on lawful concealed carry in parks, places of worship, libraries, recreational facilities, and multipurpose exhibition facilities, along with the 100-yard “buffer zone” surrounding those locations where lawful carry is also forbidden. The lawsuit follows on the heels of a similar complaint brought by a Montgomery County rabbi last week in a case supported by the New Civil Liberties Alliance. Like the DOJ’s other Second Amendment litigation, today’s lawsuit is a “pattern and practice” case brought…
Ask most Americans what the Coast Guard does, and the answer stops at helicopter rescues. That’s real, and it’s the most visible part of the job, but it’s a fraction of what the smallest of the six armed services is actually responsible for on any given day. By law, the Coast Guard operates under 11 statutory missions, ranging from stopping drug cartels to keeping the Great Lakes shipping lanes open through the winter. Here’s what that actually looks like. Drug Interdiction: The Numbers Are Genuinely Staggering The Coast Guard is the lead federal agency for maritime drug interdiction, and the…
The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act was created to protect the firearm industry from ruinous lawsuits meant not to recoup actual damages caused by companies’ misdeeds, but to punish them for selling guns to the public. The acts of third parties, most of whom never bought a gun lawfully in their life, were laid at the feet of the industry, and Congress responded to put an end to this. The lawsuits weren’t anything but lawfare. They were an attempt to destroy the industry through legal expenses, making it too risky to do business…
The United States Coast Guard turns 236 years old this Aug. 4 — older than the Navy’s current organizational form, older than the Marine Corps as a permanent standing force and older than the country’s income tax by more than a century. It’s also, by a wide margin, the least understood branch of the U.S. military, in ways that go beyond people simply not knowing what it does day to day. From 10 Ships to a Fifth Armed Service The Coast Guard’s roots trace to Aug. 4, 1790, when Alexander Hamilton, then secretary of the treasury, persuaded Congress to authorize…
Side-by-sides used to be fairly straightforward machines. You got an engine, four tires, a bed, and enough rattling plastic to make your dang head implode. Things are a little different now, though. The 2026 Polaris Ranger XD 1500 NorthStar Mountaineer Edition costs nearly $46,000 for the three-seat model and $50,000 for the six-seat Crew. It weighs close to 3,000 pounds and comes with heated seats, power windows, air conditioning, and a touchscreen. By nearly any reasonable standard, it is a luxury side-by-side, which is apparently a thing now. After using it to haul feed, move tools and building materials, help…
She says it was self-defense. Police say it was cold-blooded murder. 35-year-old Ashley Ruhland has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of 49-year-old Justin Emmick. The Sioux City, Iowa resident was killed on July 29 in a remote spot on his 30-acre property, accessible only by foot and ATVs. According to authorities, Ruhland had been staying with Emmick, but also had an active order of protection against him. That’s odd enough, but if you’re really in fear of your life then why would you put yourself in a position where you’re going to…
We know you can’t turn back the clock, but we wouldn’t mind returning to a time when full-size pickups were simple, stripped-down, work-duty affairs, and they cost less than a large sedan, and we called them “half-ton” trucks.With the average price of a basic, no-frills full-size pickup creeping toward $40,000,we don’t even need to debate whether the cost of entry has gotten too high. New trucks are simply too expensive, and we’re holding onto our old pickups for longer these days, even if that means spending more money to keep them running. The Average American Truck Is Now 12 Years…
On July 19, a shooting took place in Asheville, N.C. Two people were killed, and seven others were injured. Right now, police still haven’t caught the suspect, which is less than good, to say the least. It’s safe to say that while the media calls this a “mass shooting,” it bears no resemblance to what happened in Idaho over the weekend. This was likely a targeted attack over a personal beef. In other words, it was likely gang-related.But, like so many other mayors of decent-sized cities across the country, rather than admit that she’s sucked…
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Support us! GearJunkie may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Learn More Father’s Day falls at the ideal time for outdoorsy dads. Longer, warmer days offer the year’s best opportunities to celebrate. And this summer, the day doubles with the solstice on June 21, officially making this Father’s Day not only the true start of summer, but also the longest day of the year. You’ve got no excuse not to do something memorable outside with Dad. Or at least a gift for them. Outfit for the shared experience ahead at Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s. They…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Law enforcement officials disrupted a planned attack targeting the UFC cage-fighting show staged at the White House this past weekend, according to court papers unsealed Tuesday that say plotters disgruntled with the direction of the country spoke of flying explosives-laden drones and shooting panicked crowd members as they fled. The FBI obtained encrypted text messages between roughly 20 participants who shared detailed maps of the area and discussed the need for a “safe house” and escape routes after the attack, the documents show. It was unclear from the court records how close the would-be attackers came to…
There have been some disturbing updates on the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. One month in, the true scale of this outbreak is still unknown. The outbreak was officially declared on May 15th. Since then, the Ebola cases in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) have climbed to 782, with 181 deaths recorded, the Health Ministry has said, as the country battles a fast-spreading outbreak in a conflict-torn region. Ebola Outbreak Worsens As Cases Reach 782 According to a report by RT, the ministry reported 72 new confirmed cases and 29 additional deaths on…
The Marmot PreCip is an iconic rain shell that’s been a staple for foul-weather adventures for more than two decades. Though rain gear with waterproof and breathable membranes is commonplace now, when the PreCip first launched, it was still an innovation. At the end of 2025, the brand launched its latest iteration of the PreCip, the PreCip Evo Pro. Instead of using the 2.5-layer fabric it had relied on for its previous versions of the jacket, the Evo Pro is made from three-layer NanoPro. A boost in durability, NanoPro is windproof, waterproof, and breathable, as well as stretchy and quick…
It takes a real commitment for an automaker to change course if its vehicle interiors have been consistently substandard. Long ago, some automakers considered interiors a low priority – a great place to save money by using copious amounts of hard, black plastic sourced from the lowest bidder. Why spend more than necessary on trim covering the lower door panel or the exhaust tunnel down near the accelerator pedal? Bob Lutz, former vice chairman of Chrysler and later General Motors, complained openly that suppliers used way too many chemicals in their plants to help a plastic part release from its…
The Colorado Shooting Sports Association is suing the state of Colorado and Gov. Jared Polis over a new law that allows police in the state to obtain gun store records of purchases and transfers without a warrant or probable cause. In fact, no evidence of a crime is needed for law enforcement to take a peek at sales records, which include all kinds of personal information about buyers. HB 1126 imposes a number of other mandates on gun stores, including required security features and a state-level license. Those expensive requirements threaten the very existence of…
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) has introduced multiple provisions within the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that focus on childcare for military families, stopping “secret” spending by the Pentagon, codifying sex-neutral standards, and safeguarding U.S. facilities from espionage and theft. The NDAA recently passed out of both the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, setting the stage for both congressional chambers to deliberate the final language within the sweeping legislation that has been voted into law for more than six decades and guides Department of Defense funding and policies. Some provisions that have been included out of committee…
The measles outbreak in Utah has topped 700 cases. The disease has been spreading in Utah for a year, and in 2026 alone, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services reported 482 new cases. Measles is a highly contagious viral infection. According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms appear 7 to 14 days after contact with the virus. Common measles symptoms include: Measles can cause brain damage, deafness, or death in newborns. However, measles often presents with more severe symptoms and higher risks of complications than in children, particularly for those over 20 or with weakened…
Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks tend to get all the attention in Montana, but the Big Sky State has plenty of other public lands worth checking out. Its state parks are home to unique geology, fossils, history, waterfalls, and more. If you’re visiting Montana, be sure to add visits to these five state parks that will show you all the beauty that the state has to offer. Makoshika State Park Makoshika State Park; (photo/Dan via Flickr Creative Commons) This park is Montana’s version of Badlands National Park, and it may even be better. The 11,500-acre park is home to distinct,…
Veteran Call of Duty developer and Studio Head at Treyarch, Mark Gordon, has stepped down following an impressive 20-year-long career spearheading some of the franchise’s biggest hits. Mark Gordon’s departure from Treyarch comes after a spree of notable departures from various Xbox studios following announcements that layoffs are coming to multiple departments. Treyarch has been one of the lead development studios for Call of Duty ever since it was tasked with porting Call of Duty 2: Big Red One to consoles while Infinity Ward handled the original version on PC. Since then, the studio has been at the forefront of…
The family camping trip has long represented an iconic part of American life — but it wasn’t always accessible to all Americans. Many national parks were created by removing Indigenous tribes from their ancestral homes. And for much of the 20th century, Black Americans were either forced to endure segregated campgrounds or were banned from parks entirely. That troubled history is part of why Sally Steele never went camping until her early 20s. She and her husband both grew up in mixed-race families, raised by Black fathers and white mothers. For Sally, camping was simply not part of her childhood. But…
