This article was originally published by Michael Snyder at The End of the American Dream.  Have we already reached the peak global population?  Birth rates have been declining in wealthy countries for years, and now they are way below replacement level all over the industrialized world. Birth rates are still above replacement level in some poor countries, but they are steadily trending down as young people in those nations embrace cultural values from wealthy countries.  Meanwhile, average life expectancy is falling in the United States and elsewhere, and the number of excess deaths has spiked dramatically all over the planet during…

Former Rep. Gabby Giffords saw her political career, as it was going, put to an end by a madman. No one thinks what happened to her was justified, but it happened. It’s not surprising that she recovered and started a gun control group. I don’t think anyone was overly shocked by that. However, many of Giffords’ supporters have argued over and over again that people like her respect the Second Amendment, they just want what they term “common sense” gun control. The problem is that Gabby didn’t get that memo. As we wrap our interview in her office, I ask…

BEIJING — China’s military has dispatched a pair of navy ships to take part in joint drills with Singapore’s navy and join in a regional maritime security exhibition. The exercises starting Friday in the Southeast Asian city state come amid China’s growing presence in the South China Sea, which it claims sovereignty over virtually in its entirety. Concerns are especially pronounced in the U.S., which on Wednesday joined with forces from the Philippines in major exercises in Philippine waters facing the South China Sea that are likely to anger China. Beijing’s more assertive stance comes as its relations with the…

Generally, bears won’t attack humans unless they are protecting young, starving, or habituated. We end up killing more bears than they do us and they are well aware of our destructive capabilities.However, attacks do happen, and as bears migrate and our city centers sprawl ever further, they will happen more often. Uneducated people will make mistakes when dealing with a bear and that can have catastrophic ramifications for both them and the bear.Understanding bear behavior is imperative in avoiding a confrontation, but if you find yourself in a scenario where you have to defend yourself, it’s best to learn some…

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One of the commercial benefits of military solicitations is the direction it drives manufacturers. In an effort to win these contracts, companies will invest the time and money to develop and test the creation of new products. Sometimes the product is too specialized to benefit the rest of us, but other times it’s becomes something that we didn’t even know we wanted.Nightforce ATACR Dark Earth 7-35x56mm F1. MSRP $3,700 (Photo by Mark Fingar)One example of a military solicitation benefitting the commercial market was the ability to quickly change a rifle’s chambering between .308 Winchester, .300 Winchester Magnum and .338 Lapua…

The victim count in Sunday’s shooting at an after-prom party in Texas has risen to 11, and four “people of interest” have been identified, officials said Tuesday.The number of victims in Jasper County was initially believed to be nine. Authorities discovered the additional victims after they sought treatment the next day, Jasper County Sheriff Mitchel Newman said at a news conference.Eight of those struck by gunfire have been released from hospital care, Laronnia Gray, Jasper County’s victim assistance coordinator, said at the news conference.Sheriff Mitchel Newman speaks to the media in Jasper County, Texas, on Tuesday.Jasper County Sheriff’s Office via…

Posted in MIL/LE, Night Vision, Photo Of The Day, Thermal with No CommentsTags: Bae Systems, Colt M4, ENVG, ENVG III (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Beggs) A new kind of face appears on the battlefield, as soldiers use the ENVG III night vision device. It’s interesting to see it mounted outside a gas mask, but train as you fight I guess. This Photo Of The Day was taken at the Goldmine Training Area in South Korea last month. The caption reads: Soldiers from 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment “Tomahawks”, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, conduct…

More than a half million veteran claims have been filed under the PACT Act, the landmark legislation passed last year that eased requirements for many veterans exposed to burn pits and other battlefield pollutants to apply for disability benefits, the Department of Veterans Affairs said Wednesday. The Department of Veterans Affairs has so far processed more than 203,000 of those 500,000 PACT Act claims, resulting in more than $1 billion in compensation, with additional funds expected to be allocated as it works through all of the applications. “We’re proud that 500,000-plus veterans and survivors have applied for their hard-earned benefits…

Think for a moment about where you go to vote. Is it a church or a school in a nice, safe part of town, or is it in a part of your community that’s a little sketchy? Truth be told, I’ve dealt with both in my life. Voting is important, though, so I take the risk. In some states, those with such concerns can carry a firearm to the polls. Still others may openly carry a firearm to make some kind of a point and do so at the polls for whatever reason. But in Michigan, some want to ban…

Brownells introduced their Match Precision Optics (MPO) line of scopes a few years ago, and that line has grown to include a few low-power variable optics (LPVO). They announced a new 1-6×24 model at SHOT 2022. It recently became available for purchase and is the subject of this review. Brownells @ TFB: As always, disclosures are an essential part of a review. I was lucky enough to shoot the MPO 1-6×24 at SHOT 2022 and it left a good initial impression on me. Brownells was kind enough to provide the scope to me for this review. This is my second review…

The Army is unlikely to change its new physical fitness test despite Congress recently passing a law pressing the service to establish gender-neutral standards, according to two sources with knowledge of the plans. The annual defense authorization bill passed in December directed the Army to set the same fitness standards for men and women by June. Last month, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth told lawmakers on Capitol Hill that the service had already established gender-neutral expectations for troops, but was vague about the specific standards to which she referred. The service won’t be making additional changes to the Army Combat Fitness…