Author: Braxton Taylor

More jobs at Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers faced “severe” shortages this year compared with last year, and more facilities reported shortages in doctors, a government watchdog found in a report released Tuesday.This year, Veterans Health Administration facilities reported 4,434 severe occupational staffing shortages in jobs ranging from physicians to nurses to security guards to electricians, the VA’s inspector general said in the report. That’s compared to 2,959 total jobs with shortages last year — or about a 50% increase.Meanwhile, the inspector general estimated that 94% of facilities have severe shortages for medical officer jobs, compared with 86% last…

As National Guardsmen are sent for a second time in recent months to a U.S. city whose local leaders made no requests for their support, we may be seeing the Trump administration’s new national defense strategy play out in unprecedented ways ill-matched to military capabilities. Civilian and uniformed Pentagon officials have said publicly that this administration is prioritizing the geographical United States in its national security policy, a departure from recent administrations—including Trump’s first—that have described conflict with China in the Indo-Pacific or terrorism in the Middle East as the biggest threats to America.“I think we’re learning in real-time what that…

Leupold & Stevens, Inc. is launching the new VX-5HD Gen 2 family of riflescopes which feature Leupold’s Professional-Grade Optical System to deliver the precision serious shooters demand. With a SpeedSet elevation dial for tool-free zeroing, competition-grade adjustments, a redesigned maintube for increased elevation travel, an integrated throw lever and a rugged construction, the VX-5HD Gen 2 is the built for the great outdoors. “The VX-5HD line has been the greatest value in riflescopes since the moment we introduced it. It outperforms everything in its class,” said Tim Lesser, vice president of product development and marketing for Leupold. “But our team…

Holosun is now shipping the new AEMS Core X2 and the AEM Pro X2 red dot sights. These models represent the latest in Holosun’s AEMS red-dot product line, which is meant to be paired with rifles, carbines and other long guns. In addition to the standard red color, Holosun also offers both the new AEMS Pro X2 and the AEMS Core X2 with green- and gold-colored emitters. While both are built around the same housing and profile, the Pro X2 model includes additional features such as more night-vision compatible modes, a multi-reticle system and 7075-T6 housing material construction. In addition…

Presidents Trump and Putin are scheduled to meet Friday at Alaska’s Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, in northern Anchorage, American officials said Tuesday. The trip will be Putin’s first to the United States in a decade, and the first-ever for a Russian president visiting Alaska, which Russia sold to the U.S. 158 years ago.  White House officials are already playing down expectations for the summit, which is ostensibly about the future of Russia’s Ukraine invasion, the Financial Times and CNBC reported Tuesday. The Friday meeting is planned one week after a deadline Trump gave Russia to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine or…

If Doug Duren placed historical markers on his family’s farm in southwestern Wisconsin, one would mark the car crash that killed his brother Matt in January 1995, and the other would show the log landing where a chainsaw nearly killed his father, Vince, in April 1991.Matt died near the farm’s driveway on State Highway 58 in the Driftless Area, and Vince dodged death across the road from there, just past the unnamed creek that flows north toward Cazenovia. Doug points out both sites from the farmhouse uphill. Heck, he could easily throw a baseball to Matt’s site, and in his…

  Armasight | Operator 640 Clip-OnWhen the light is faltering, go thermal quickly and easily with the Operator 649 Thermal Clip On. The aluminum-housed optic mounts in front of your magnified 1-6X optic with no need to re-zero. It features a simple, three-button interface, quick-detach mount and USB-C streaming adaptability, and offers target acquisition out to 1,300 meters. Magnification: 1-4XObjective Lens Diameter: 35 mmReticle: Cross hairLength: 6.1 inchesWeight: 16.6 ouncesMSRP: $3,999(888) 504-2762; armasight.com infiRay Outdoor | RH25v2 Rico Micro v2 640 ThermalDesigned to be used as a handheld scanner, helmet-mounted monocular, weapon sight or thermal clip-on, the new RH25 V2…

This past winter, a Minnesota sheriff allegedly overstepped his bounds by issuing an “elk possession tag” to a farmer who shot and killed an elk after elk herds had damaged his crops and feed. A case report from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) obtained by MeatEater explains the situation.On January 10, Carl Christopherson complained to Kittson County Sheriff Matt Vig about elk eating hay, beet pulp, and seeded crops on his farm. Christopherson said he’s been chasing the elk off his land, but they keep returning; he’s even had to start growing his alfalfa crop several miles away.“I…

Though most bullpup rifles may look like space-age, sci-fi alien blasters, the concept has been around for quite a while. At an elementary level, these types of firearms are space-savers because they place the action to the rear, behind the trigger and grip area. With the action in the rear, bullpup barrels are effectively “shortened” without having to physically reduce the actual barrel length. As a result, bullpups are quite compact while still providing the ballistics of standard-length carbine or rifle barrels. Bullpups come with their pros and cons, but in certain niches, they shine quite well. IWI Tavor X95…

00:00:07 Speaker 1: It’s media podcast. Welcome to Meet Eater Trivia, the only game show where conservation always wins. I am your special guest host today, Mark Kenyon, and this week I’m joined by Giannis Clay, Brent, Maggie, Bear, Tony Spencer and Heather. This is a ten round quiz show with questions from Metator’s four main verticals, which are hunting, fishing, conservation and cooking. And there is a prize. Mediator will donate five hundred dollars to the conservation organization of the winners choosing. And today we have a lot of new faces, a lot out of towners here in the…