We beat up on Chicago an awful lot, but, in our defense, it’s fun. They make it easy because of a long and storied history of doing stupid things. As a result, it might be low-hanging fruit, but it’s fruit we’re going to smack at just the same because it’s fun. And they deserve it.Still, I firmly believe in giving credit where credit is due. Normally, that doesn’t apply to the Windy City, but in a case of every squirrel finding a nut, Chicago managed to do something right for a change.They lowered the boom…

A former U.S. Army soldier accused of setting fire outside a Lower Manhattan federal building that houses immigration enforcement offices was arrested Monday in what the FBI is investigating as an anti-government attack. Andrew Arrabaca, 43, poured gasoline onto the ground outside 26 Federal Plaza and ignited it with a lighter and a large firework shortly after 8:20 a.m., FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle said at a news conference. Arrabaca then pulled out an airsoft rifle, a type of BB gun, and fired five to seven pellets toward the building, acording to Barnacle. A federal security officer tackled…

This article was originally published by Clifford F. Thies and John Elrick at The Mises Institute.  “You can see the computer age everywhere but in the productivity statistics.” — Robert Solow, 1987 The economy has been growing steadily since we started to recover from the 2020 pandemic and shutdown; the unemployment rate is and has been near the bottom of the range normally considered to be full employment; and, wages adjusted for inflation are the highest they’ve ever been. Nevertheless, the productivity slowdown observed by Robert Solow forty years ago seems to have returned, and surveys of consumer confidence are…

On Jan. 24, 1991, a U.S.-led international coalition won the first battle of Operation Desert Storm, the effort to free Kuwait after its invasion and annexation by Iraq, with the coordinated efforts of the Army and Navy. The Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate USS Curts had been in the area since the previous October as part of the Midway battle group out of its homeport in Yokosuka, Japan. The Perry-class frigates, while lightly armed, were small, fast and maneuverable, an asset in the shallow waters of the North Arabian Gulf, which was full of floating mines. The Curts had a shipboard…

Hazardous air quality caused by wildfires. Mudslides created by raging thunderstorms. Flash floods through inescapable slot canyons. The Great Outdoors often requires us to consider the threat of natural disasters — but this summer is exceptionally fraught for those seeking time in nature. Extreme weather has led to dangerous conditions for many national parks, leading to warnings to visitors, or closures of affected areas. Here are the closures you need to know about if you’re planning a national park vacation anytime soon. And no matter what public lands trips you might have planned, it’s a good idea to check on…

Since we’re now at a point in time where everything is considered a mass shooting, then I guess that’s what happened in Tucson early Sunday morning. Nine people were shot, none killed, in an incident that the media has reported as a mass shooting. And don’t get me wrong, it’s awful enough as it is. I’m glad no one was killed, and I only wish it hadn’t happened. No one wants to see these things, except maybe the anti-gunners who seem to see them as a handy tool with which they can advance their gun…

Gen. George S. Patton was a complicated military figure, but there can be little debate over whether he was quotable. Perhaps most famous for his commanding of the 7th Army during World War II, Old “Blood and Guts” often gave rousing speeches to motivate, inspire and educate his soldiers. We collected 11 of his most famous quotes (courtesy of his estate’s official website) that show how larger than life he really was. 1. ‘A Pint of Sweat Will Save a Gallon of Blood’ Soldiers are not good on the battlefield without training hard beforehand. Whether it’s a soldier, a civilian…

A concealed carry holder in Cerritos, California shot and killed a man at a busy barbecue restaurant on Sunday, after the knife-wielding man rushed into the restaurant and charged towards the armed citizen after being warned to drop his blade.  According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the incident unfolded towards the end of the lunch rush at Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que, around 2:15 PM Sunday afternoon. Witnesses say the man with the knife had already slit his own throat when he burst into the restaurant. Eyewitness News spoke to an employee who described a graphic…

Gun Owners of America says the Department of Justice is refusing to investigate one of its own after a GOA member’s personal information was allegedly exposed in federal court filings tied to the group’s ongoing lawsuit over the National Firearms Act. According to a recent GOA video update (see below), the controversy stems from the organization’s lawsuit challenging the remaining NFA registration requirements after Congress reduced the tax on suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns and other NFA items to $0 through last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill. GOA argues that if the tax no longer exists, the federal government no…

The second wave of Xbox Game Pass departures in July 2026 consists of 7 titles, including two beloved games with 90+ critic scores. Credit: Dominik Bošnjak / GameRant | Source images: Xbox, Maddy Makes Games Originally published by  Game Rant Microsoft has published the provisional list of seven Xbox Game Pass titles scheduled to leave the service on July 31. Two of them rank in the top 1% of the highest-rated games on the platform, making their near-future departure a notable setback for the Xbox Game Pass catalog’s overall critical profile. The latest list of XGP library removals comes from the…

Forty feet above my last piece of gear, I really wanted my shoes to work. I was midway through the second pitch on a blank slab, staring down at a spindly slung tree that might hold a short fall, and starting to get gripped (highly anxious). I scanned the rock, hoping to find a small dimple to stand on. Thankfully, I was wearing a new pair of La Sportiva Finale ($139) climbing shoes that fit perfectly and gave me a bit of extra confidence at the exact moment I needed it. Many serious climbers own three to four pairs of…

Advice columnists probably need to heed a little advice: Stay in your lane.It’s one thing to answer the question about what someone should do in a given situation. It’s another way to engage in pop psychology in an effort to try to score a political point while offering that advice, if for no other reason than you end up looking like a freaking idiot when you do. No, this isn’t just some random aside from the league leader in ADHD-fueled tangents. Oh no, baby, this is based on a real advice column in the Washington…