In 2025, Senator Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah, proposed selling off 3 million acres of public land from 11 Western states. The move sparked widespread backlash from Democratic colleagues, outdoor enthusiasts, and conservation groups. The effort ultimately failed, but the memory of that almost sale lingered in the mind of Colorado Senator Michael Bennet. And now he’s taking action to prevent any similar plans in the future, with a new bill that would make public land sell-offs harder to pass. What the Bill Does On April 30, Bennet, a Democrat, introduced the Public Lands Integrity Act to the Senate.…
The Annunciation Catholic School shooting was terrible, but it could have been much worse. While 26 people were injured, most of them children, the fact that only two died is kind of amazing, in a way. You’d think the death toll would have been much worse, but I’m thankful it wasn’t. I just wish it weren’t as high as it is. But as Minnesota continues to debate gun control, the arguments continue to be bandied about, and I get where some people are coming from on this. They either had children injured or traumatized by…
A therapist with deep ties to the military community, this is Dr. Emma Smith’s final monthly advice column for Military.com. I’ve sat down to write this column several times, and each time I’ve found myself unable to do what I’ve always done here: translate complexity into something usable or hopeful. For me, this space has always been about that. About naming what often goes unspoken in military life. The invisible labor. The strategic and often geographic calculations. The emotional terrain that doesn’t make it into briefings or homecoming photos. And the fact that our grit and resilience allow us to…
Pennsylvania hunters could get a limited path to hunt deer over bait, but this isn’t a statewide green light to dump corn below your treestand. House Bill 2440, introduced April 27 by Rep. Thomas Mehaffie, would amend Title 34 of Pennsylvania law and allow licensed hunters to use bait for deer on private property in areas designated by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The bill would apply only under commission regulations, which means hunters wouldn’t get broad permission to bait deer wherever they choose. The bill is now in the House Game and Fisheries Committee, which has a voting meeting scheduled…
The Department of Justice is threatening to sue the city of Denver over its ban on so-called assault weapons, but city officials say they’re prepared to defend the ban in court if necessary. Last week Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon sent a letter to Mayor Mike Johnston and City Attorney Miko Brown warning that there would be legal consequences if the city doesn’t cease enforcement of its ban on “assault weapons”, which has been in place since 1989. Dhillon vowed to file a federal lawsuit if the city did not enter into a consent decree acknowledging…
What is it about job hunting that can chip away at your confidence and make you question your future? Whether you’re exploring a dream role, refining your federal resume, setting up informational interviews, or considering striking out on your own, that inner critic has a way of getting louder—casting doubt just when you need clarity the most. Because that is where the worst critics of veteran and spouse job hunters live: inside your own head. Recruiters and hiring managers are not the worst critics tearing you apart during the job hunt. It’s brutal, little you. In my work training nearly…
Thanks to the collaboration of two veterans’ organizations, a family in California received a Purple Heart that their uncle earned more than eight decades ago. Working with the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) and the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet), was able to deliver a Purple Heart to the family of World War II veteran John Van Doorne, killed in action while serving in Europe in 1944. “The MVAA is honored to have played a role in returning this Purple Heart to the veteran’s family,” said MVAA director Terry J. Sabo in a press release. “This return wouldn’t have…
Earlier this year the NRA filed a lawsuit against sister organization the NRA Foundation making multiple allegations. The NRA Foundation recently filed a motion to dismiss the NRA’s amended complaint. National Rifle Association v. NRA Foundation was filed in January. In the lawsuit the NRA alleges that the Foundation, a 501(c)(3) “which is a subsidiary of the NRA,” threatened to withhold funds, are in trademark violation, are engaging in “cybersquatting,” and made other allegations. The Foundation has maintained that they’re upholding their fiduciary duties, that the NRA’s claims are without merit, and the NRA is…
You won’t see most of them on magazine covers or making speeches on national stages. But behind every service member stands someone equally steadfast, someone who answers to no rank but still rises, day after day, with courage stitched into the fabric of their lives. This is a note for them. This is a note for you. You, who carry the weight of worry with grace. You, who find strength in every PCS, deployment and long silence. You, who know how to rebuild a life in a new ZIP code and still pack lunchboxes, manage bank accounts and whisper reassurance…
Overseas knives have been on an upswing in the past 10 years. Reate and WE Knives have long been the frontrunners out of China, but a newer name, Kunwu, has been producing some very stylish, complex knives. Until now, the company’s smallest offering fell into the “behemoth” size category, but a few new offerings have been reasonably for EDC. The Compadre was the most interesting these newer knives. In short: The Compadre ($280) is a beautifully made, highly stylized knife with superior cutting performance. Its cuts and curves might look busy, but getting the knife in hand and using it will prove…
I’ve been a fan of Brandon Herrera’s YouTube channel for years. I’ve been a fan of his podcast Unsubscribe for much less time, but still for a good little bit at this point. I won’t say that I know Herrera, of course, because parasocial relationships aren’t relationships, but I’ve seen him for long enough to know a few things. One is that, two years ago, Rep. Tony Gonzales said a lot of things about Herrera that simply weren’t true, took a lot of things out of context to make him look bad, and still barely…
After ultralight fishing for many years, I wanted to see if the grass was greener on the other side of the fence. I desired to be one of the guys casting a monster lure with a beast of a rod and reel, hauling in ginormous fish. I paired the Abu Garcia Beast 200 low-profile reel and the Abu Garcia Beast casting rod to launch a giant glide bait, umbrella rig, and other big lures while searching for a big ole bass this winter. What I discovered about this rod-and-reel combo surprised me. The Beast rod and reel were in my…
Two major gun-rights organizations have filed a reply brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in a case challenging Illinois’ ban on the carry of firearms on public transportation. On March 3, the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) filed the brief in support of the cert petition in the case Schoenthal v. Raoul, which was originally filed in 2022 and challenges the state’s complete ban on carry on public transportation. According to the SAF, in order to legally carry a firearm in Illinois, residents are required to obtain not only a Firearm Owners Identification Card (FOID), but…
When it comes to rescuing people buried in an avalanche, time is of the essence. The vast majority of victims don’t survive more than 2 hours. So, it’s near-miraculous that Washington skier Michael Harris survived 4 hours after an avalanche hit him while cruising in-bounds on the Big Chief Bowl of the Stevens Pass Ski Resort on Feb. 26. Ski patrollers only became aware of his situation when Harris’s wife used Find My iPhone to locate him, and noticed that his position hadn’t changed for 3 hours. He was skiing alone, in-bounds, in an avalanche-controlled area. Harris’s wife gave the…
The Trump Administration’s strategy of expanding oil and gas production by drilling on public lands in Alaska took a hit this week. The first of six auctions for gas and oil leasing in Cook Inlet received zero bids. The Origins Cook Inlet stretches roughly 180 miles from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage. It is a major site for commercial salmon and herring fisheries, and is also a popular outdoor recreation site, with ample opportunities for fishing, kayaking, and whale watching. The One Big Beautiful Bill, passed in 2025, required that there be a series of six sales from now…
In the Supreme Court case regarding gun ownership for marijuana use, the government’s position mostly hinges on laws that took guns from drunks. The argument is that habitual drinkers weren’t safe to own guns; the Founding Fathers understood that, and thus disarmed them. Under the Rahimi standard of historic analogs not having to be a one-to-one analog, that should be enough to justify disarming marijuana users. Of course, from my experience, people who just use marijuana are more likely to be a danger to the snack food aisle at the Circle K than anything else,…
The United States was behind a strike on an Iranian school that killed 168 children and staff members. The February 28th strike on the Shajarah Tayyebeh girls’ school came on the first day of the unprovoked U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran. This strike was a part of the initial “preemptive” attack that also killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khemeni. Iran Has Confirmed The Death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei In an analysis done by the New York Times, which was based on newly released satellite imagery, verified social media posts, and geolocated videos, the media outlet concluded that the school…
Last month, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced plans to build a border wall in state and national parks in Texas, sparking outcry from public lands advocates and locals. In a quiet modification of online plans for the wall, the agency reversed course, eliminating the physical barrier and instead opting only for surveillance technology. The Original Plan In February, then-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced that the agency would waive 28 environmental and historic preservation laws to build a “Smart Wall” (a physical barrier with surveillance technology) in Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park in Texas.…
Two new bills introduced in the Rhode Island legislature are taking aim at legal gun owners, and one of them could easily turn lawful gun owners into criminals overnight, simply for maintaining possession of the firearms they legally purchased. Each of these bills, by themselves, represent a major infringement on the right to keep and bear arms, but taken together they pose an existential threat to the Second Amendment rights of Rhode Island residents. Who would have guessed that a sales ban would turn into a possession ban?Everyone.The Rhode Island House has introduced H8073, an update…
In the ongoing debate over public lands in Congress, one national monument has received an outsized amount of attention. For 3 decades, multiple administrations and politicians have sparred over the size and fate of Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument in Utah. This week, the controversy reached a new phase when Republican legislators introduced a resolution to throw out the resource management plan for the land that was adopted in the last days of the Biden presidency. The ultimate use and size of the monument will affect multiple stakeholders, including local communities, Native American tribes, and livestock owners. What Is Grand Staircase–Escalante…
With the World War II veteran population dwindling, it’s a rare occasion to see two former soldiers from that era come together much less than 10. But thanks to Myia Barton, a dedicated social worker, that’s what happened Wednesday in Beaumont, Texas. Barton brought 10 members of the Greatest Generation – all over age 100 or will be reaching the century mark this year – together for a special birthday celebration at a Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in Beaumont. Barton has planned and coordinated the event for the past couple of years, ignited from an idea and a passion to help veterans…
