Games are such a wonderful medium, allowing you to see the perspectives of heroes, villains, and everything in between—all while having your hands on the steering wheel, guiding the action. There is no shortage of games that allow you to play as the villain from the outset, or games that allow players to make “evil” choices, but sometimes, you get a game that pulls a bit of a trick on its own players: the surprise hero-to-villain reveal. In each of the following games, the character is presented as a force for good or an otherwise neutral party from the outset,…

There’s no place perhaps more associated with rain than the Pacific Northwest, so there’s perhaps no better place to put a rain jacket to the test. I wore the Mountain Hardwear Cloud Cipher Rain Jacket on a week-long, 96-mile backpacking trip along the Oregon coast and the literal rainforests there to put it through its paces. The Cloud Cipher ($310) is the brand’s newest, most high-end shell made of a signature DrySpell fabric that Mountain Hardwear claims is rigorously lab-tested to be fully waterproof, as well as breathable and durable. In addition to my week in Oregon, I wore the…

Manufactured homes are eligible for VA loans but lender rules are stricter than site-built homes, and even modular homes. This is because while manufactured homes meet federal standards for construction and safety, they do not necessarily meet state and local regulations, zoning acceptance, and classification. The homes must also meet other requirements to qualify for a VA loan. If a manufactured home is in your future, read on to find out why most lenders say no to manufactured homes, and how you can find one that says yes. What is a Manufactured Home? A manufactured home is an affordable alternative…

The United States ruling class has launched another series of overnight strikes in Iran, reportedly hitting civilian infrastructure, including several bridges across the Islamic Republic. Tehran had already threatened that further escalation would have consequences for the entire region when the US launched these attacks. “If the enemy, in the course of its war of attrition, seeks to strike Iran’s infrastructure or carry out further assassinations of officials, the entire region will pay the price,” a senior intelligence official in Tehran told RT on Thursday, as the US launched its latest strikes. Does that mean Iran will do anything major?…

I bought the Skwama because of Babsi Zangerl. I remember watching videos of Zangerl, one of the best climbers in the world, free climbing on El Cap in a pair of La Sportiva Skwamas ($220) and thinking, I need those shoes. Buying a pair didn’t automatically help me send 5.13+ big walls, but over the last 7 years of testing them on granite, limestone, and sandstone across Europe and the Western United States, they quickly became a favorite in my quiver. This soft, slipper-like shoe is aggressively downturned, allowing for precise control over your footwork. It excels on steep terrain…

In a long-awaited opinion, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals has released its en banc decision in a trio of cases challenging New Jersey’s ban on so-called assault weapons and large capacity magazines, holding that the ban violates the Second Amendment’s protections for the right to keep and bear arms.  Besides the majority opinion, there are five opinions concurring either in whole or in part, along with three dissenting opinions, so Second Amendment attorneys and amateur law nerds like myself will have a lot of reading to do this weekend. Here’s the most important part…

The U.S. Army has developed a tool that will help detect a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in less than 15 minutes, in an advancement that will help support service members suspected to be afflicted with the condition. The new handheld diagnostic device known as the i-STAT Alinity is being fielded by U.S. Army medical leaders in Europe. It uses a blood sample to detect biomarkers in the brain that are released when an injury occurs, to find out whether a soldier has suffered neural damage. It will be used as an important triaging step in deciding whether a soldier needs…

For many of us, no outdoor adventure is complete without time out on the water. Whether it’s by boat or kayak, or just visiting a beach, nothing says the great outdoors like the open water. While states like California and Florida tend to get the most attention for their coastlines, don’t sleep on Michigan. It’s got over 3,000 miles of pristine shoreline along the Great Lakes, with plenty of state parks and campgrounds to explore. If you’re looking to escape summer heat, plan an activity-filled family vacation, or venture into the backcountry, Michigan state parks are the place to be.…

The vast majority of congressional districts are pretty safe for either Republicans or Democrats. Out of 435 House seats, Cook Political Report says just 22 are considered “toss-ups” this fall. Another nine “lean Republican”, and 10 seats “lean Democrat.”  One of those Democrat-leaning districts is Ohio’s First Congressional District, where Rep. Greg Landsman is squaring off against Republican challenger Eric Conroy. CPP rates the district as R+1, and the district went for President Trump by 2.5 points back in 2024, which makes it a prime opportunity for a Republican flip. It’s also a race that should…

Jay Clayton has promised to assess what resources are needed in the cybersecurity space if he becomes the next director of national intelligence (DNI), simultaneously as President Donald Trump issued a fiery speech warning Americans with claims of “vulnerabilities” in election infrastructure. Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and former chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee on July 15 for a hearing to decide whether he will assume the role. If he is ultimately approved, through a chamber held by a narrow GOP majority, it would give…

Since he retook office in 2025, President Trump has pursued resource extraction on public lands. From expanding drilling in Alaska to shrinking national monuments in Utah, his Department of the Interior (DOI) has explored the potential economic output of federal lands, prompting fierce public debate. The latest area in question lies next to Chaco Culture National Historic Park, an important locus of Indigenous culture in New Mexico. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has begun official proceedings to open over 330,000 acres to mining, oil, and coal development. What Is Chaco Culture National Historic Park? Located in northwestern New Mexico,…

GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen brushes off the importance of physical video game sales when it comes to the retailer’s current revenue stream. Credit: Image via GameStop, Wikimedia Originally published by  Game Rant GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen called physical video game software sales “totally irrelevant” and dismissed the notion that the shift toward digital exclusivity by companies like Sony would have a notable impact on the gaming retailer’s bottom line. The GameStop CEO’s controversial words came after PlayStation announced it would end physical disc production for games released after January 2028. Cohen’s statement came a day after GameStop announced a new partnership…