Author: Braxton Taylor

Who gets to hold a security clearance? And more importantly, what happens to that eligibility when someone steps out of federal service?Security clearances are the gatekeepers of the nation’s secrets – powerful tools of trust wielded exclusively by the federal government, as delegated by the Executive Branch. That authority has never been more visible than during the Trump administration, when high-profile actions were taken to revoke clearances based on perceived threats or disloyalty. It is a clear reminder: your clearance is not your own.For decades, the clearance process has been driven by agencies, for agencies. Individuals are granted eligibility, “read…

Federal Premium’s signature line of Hydra-Shok Deep Personal Defense ammunition is now adding two longtime classic, straight-wall, rimmed revolver cartridges to this lineup with .32 H&R Mag. and .45 Colt options. This expansion of the Hydra-Shok line bolsters the available options of Federal Premium’s Personal Defense ammunition for these traditional revolver cartridges. With the advent of both new lever-action long guns and carry revolvers chambered in both of these calibers, the industry has been witnessing renewed interest in some of these classic cartridges, which also includes demand for defensive ammunition. These new loads feature the iconic Hydra-Shok hollowpoint bullet with…

The Navy’s top officer said U.S. forces carried out “the largest air strike in the history of the world” during recent operations near Somalia. Acting Chief of Naval Operations Adm. James Kilby shared the extraordinary remarks Monday evening at the Council on Foreign Relations’ Robert B. McKeon Endowed Series on Military Strategy and Leadership, which is typically a polite, news-free event every spring. Kilby was speaking about U.S. military operations in the Red Sea, where U.S. forces had been carrying out intense airstrikes against Houthi militants inside Yemen since March 15. But less than two months later, President Trump stopped the…

Colt’s Manufacturing recently learned of a potential safety issue with its CBX bolt-action rifles. Both the CBX Precision and CBX Tac Hunter models are affected. The company is voluntarily initiating a recall of these rifles because of the potential for an unintentional discharge of the rifle, without pulling the trigger, under certain conditions when the manual safety is disengaged. To prevent the possibility of death or serious personal injury, Colt asks anyone who owns a CBX rifle to immediately stop using it and return it to Colt. The company has not learned of any injuries to members of the public…

The popularity of the precision bolt-action rifle presses on at full-speed in 2025, and the lever-action revolution is picking up as well. AR-15s are still a thing, though, and new calibers means new rifles aplenty. RIFLESArsenal Inc. | SAM7SF-54With a milled and forged receiver and an integral, side-mounted rail system for optics mounting, this AK variant promises enhanced reliability and accuracy. The right-side-folding, aluminum stock is skeletonized to shave weight, and the AK-74-style muzzle brake is removable. ▶Skeletonized folding stock▶Ambidextrous safety▶Removable one-piece muzzle brake▶Enhanced trigger group SpecificationsCaliber: 7.62×39 mmMagazine Capacity: 30 roundsBarrel Length: 16.3 inchesOverall Length: 38.12 inchesWeight: 8 poundsMSRP:…

Thirteen-thousand years ago the first human culture to colonize all of North America, in this case from Pacific to Atlantic shores, was the Clovis culture of highly-proficient Siberian hunters. While they may not have been the first humans in America, the 1930s discovery of this “Clovisia the Beautiful” launched a century-long debate about their role in a remarkable series of extinctions – the loss of most of America’s African-like megafauna – coinciding with their arrival. Are Clovis and later Folsom cultures the American architects of the early stages of today’s Sixth Extinction? Read the full article here

This week Reid and Dan host multi-platinum artist and outdoorsman, Cody Jinks, out in God’s Country. Cody shares his love for fishing with the guys, where it came from, and what he’s doing to pass this along to his kids. He breaks down the process of his redneck live well he built for his jon boat and gives a tutorial on how listeners can do the same for less than $200. They discuss life on the road, balancing family, and how he’s built the monstrous career that he has, from the ground up. Cody shares insight into his next record…

The Department of Veterans Affairs has changed its process for veterans to get medical care from non-VA providers, removing a requirement that a referral to community care be reviewed by another VA doctor.The VA announced Monday that it is enacting a provision of the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act that will help ease veterans’ access to medical services from private providers.The law, signed in December by then-President Joe Biden, prohibits VA administrators from overriding a VA doctor’s referral for a patient to get outside care.Read Next: VA to Expand Online Memorial Website to Include…

Sitting is the new smoking. Well, not really — but almost.The invisible threat of prolonged sitting is quietly undermining your health and longevity. Not exercising, or being sedentary, can seriously affect neuron activity by diminishing blood flow to the brain. Research indicates that doing nothing will reduce blood flow and oxygen levels to the brain, negatively impacting cognitive performance and heightening the likelihood of diseases that affect memory and executive function, such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.Exercise is medicine. This is not just a clever saying by those of us in the fitness industry; basic exercise prevents many health risks,…

In 1917, Gen. John Pershing had a problem. And it wasn’t the guy he had been ordered to hunt down.Tasked with capturing Francisco “Pancho” Villa, Pershing had crossed into Mexico to end the Mexican revolutionary’s border raids on U.S. communities. And yet, Villa had evaded Pershing and the might of the U.S. Army.At the onset of the so-called Punitive Expedition, Pershing solved a lack of manpower by using Chinese immigrants living in Mexico to provide labor and services to the Army as it pursued Villa. They did hot, dirty, hard work to keep the caissons rolling along. Chinese workers cleared…