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…
New York Times investigative reporter Mike McIntire has a new book to sell, and he is going all out in pitching it to lefties. McIntire recently compared U.S. “gun culture” (as if there’s a monoculture of gun owners among the 100 million Americans who possess firearms) to the “late-stage Roman Empire” in its decadence because of the rise of high-end shooting ranges and gun clubs. Now McIntire’s out with a new column in the friendly pages of the New York Times magazine claiming that the “right to kill” is expanding; a column adapted from his new book “Ricochet: Guns,…
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 players on PlayStation consoles should be wary of a notorious hacker who is reportedly compromising accounts. Credit: Image via Activision, Treyarch Originally published by Game Rant The Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 multiplayer servers on PS5 and PS4 have been compromised by a hacker that has gone around several lobbies and manipulated player accounts. The reports came weeks after Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and its predecessor were shadow-dropped on the PlayStation Store across the globe. Although it was released on the PS3 in 2013, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 was unavailable…
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…
An Xbox insider suggests that Xbox could potentially have plans in place that would allow the company to leave a popular platform in the future. Credit: Image via Microsoft Originally published by Game Rant A new insider report suggests that Xbox could put itself in a position to pull out of Steam as part of greater changes to the company’s PC strategy. The Microsoft gaming brand has been pushing its intent to make significant changes to Xbox in recent months. The new leadership at Xbox is looking to bring sweeping overhauls to the popular Microsoft gaming brand. Xbox officially named Asha…
The police chief in Twin Falls, Idaho was quick to credit an off-duty police officer and an armed citizen for saving lives on Saturday when a 24-year-old man opened fire at an In-N-Out restaurant. Three people were killed in the attack and seven others injured, but Police Chief Matthew Hicks said the two men were “heroes” for engaging the gunman, since their actions “helped drive the suspect away from the scene, preventing further casualties.” As you might expect, none of the major gun control groups have acknowledged the role that armed citizens played in limiting…
A Steam fan has said that they’re now a customer of Valve’s for life after the company had a surprise reaction to learning that the gamer’s Steam Deck accessory had been destroyed by their newborn. The move has impressed other fans of the PC gaming platform as well, with many sharing their own positive stories of Steam’s customer service. Gaming is something that many fans have eagerly shared with their children, whether it’s by introducing them to games early on or decorating their rooms with game motifs before they’re even born. However, when kids are involved, plenty of accidents can…
The United States has confirmed 12 cases of the New World screwworm. Eleven cases were reported in Texas, and the other was in New Mexico. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, state and federal officials continue efforts to contain the flesh-eating parasite. The latest Texas case was identified in a sheep in Sutton County, which is located about 135 miles northwest of San Antonio. The detection adds to growing concerns that the parasite is spreading beyond South Texas and into other parts of the state. The case confirmation in New Mexico has also been concerning to health officials. Pennsylvania…
When it comes to the right to keep and bear arms, West Virginia is by far the best Virginia. While Democrats in Richmond have imposed more than a dozen anti-gun measures on residents this year, the GOP-dominated legislature in Charleston continues to advance Second Amendment rights. As of last Friday, adults under the age of 21 can now lawfully carry without the need for a permit, making West Virginia a true Constitutional Carry state. House Bill 4106 sailed through the legislature, passing the House on an 85-8 vote and the Senate 31-3. Still, the legislation…
In 2026, if you have your full VA loan entitlement, you do not need to make a down payment, even for a VA jumbo loan of over $1 million. In today’s market, the VA does not cap your zero-down purchasing power unless you have a partial entitlement. So, if you are looking to buy a home in a high-cost market, and your VA loan entitlement is tied up in another VA loan, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) county loan limits dictate at what point a down payment is required. Let’s take a look at jumbo loans and when you…
On June 15, 2026, the VA launched its new partial claim program, created by the VA Home Loan Program Reform Act that was signed into law on July 30, 2025. The program gives military members and veterans a path to get current on their mortgage without losing the original loan terms. This article explains exactly how the VA partial claim 2026 program works, who qualifies, how it compares to a loan modification, and how to use the program to avoid foreclosure. What Is the VA Partial Claim Program in 2026? The VA partial claim program is a foreclosure-prevention tool that…
This article was originally published by Michael Snyder at The Economic Collapse Blog. A very intense El Niño has formed in the equatorial waters of the Pacific Ocean much earlier than originally anticipated, and we are being warned that it could cause trillions of dollars of damage to the global economy. Considering everything else that is going on in our world right now, that is really bad news. It is being projected that the El Niño that has developed in the southern Pacific is likely to rapidly transform into a “Super El Niño” of frightening strength. At the same time,…
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has done an outstanding job of helping to restore Second Amendment freedoms to Floridians by simply refusing to defend indefensible gun laws. When a court ruled that Florida’s ban on open carry violated the Constitution, Uthmeier declined to appeal. More recently, Uthmeier has sought to end a lawsuit challenging Florida’s waiting period laws by agreeing with the plaintiffs that the restriction is an ahistorical aberration, not part of the national tradition of gun ownership. Now Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has the opportunity to take a similar stand in support…
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s top diplomat said Tuesday that the tentative deal to end the war with the United States would require Israel to withdraw from Lebanon — a condition Israel has already rejected and that could sink the agreement, leading to the resumption of all-out war. The deal, which is between the U.S. and Iran, has not been made public, and officials have sometimes offered contradictory interpretations of what is in it. While Israel is not party to the agreement, it is part of the war: It joined the U.S. in launching strikes on Iran on…
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A B-52 bomber crashed shortly after takeoff at a U.S. Air Force base in Southern California’s Mojave Desert and burst into flames Monday, killing all eight people aboard, military officials said. Aerial footage showed virtually nothing left of the aircraft that went down around 11:20 a.m. during a routine test mission at Edwards Air Force Base, which is north of Los Angeles. Black smoke rose from a large swath of charred desert near the runway on the base, with emergency vehicles nearby. Those on the B-52 included government contractors and uniformed military. Aircraft manufacturer Boeing confirmed…
Artificial intelligence may dominate headlines, but retired Army Lt. Gen. Ross Coffman believes another technological shift could have equally significant consequences for national security: the arrival of practical quantum computing. Coffman, president of Forward Edge-AI, told Military.com in an interview how artificial intelligence is changing military operations, and why cybersecurity threats are becoming more sophisticated. Also, he explained why governments and private industry are beginning to prepare for a future in which quantum computers could undermine many of today’s encryption systems. Forward Edge-AI develops technologies focused on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and national security applications. Among its offerings is Isidore Quantum,…
It’s been 66 years but brand new affordable on-base housing is coming to Fort Leavenworth. Fort Leavenworth, located within Leavenworth County, Kan., is home to some of the oldest military housing in the nation and is located within a National Historic Landmark District. Existing housing options range from 10,000-square-foot officer manors to historic duplexes, many of which require major multi-million dollar renovations. The new $31 million development will be known as “New Kansa”—an entire neighborhood of new townhomes built from the ground up for military families at the base to live where their soldier serves. The site, built in 1827,…
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