A Chinese blockade could cut Taiwan’s electrical generating capacity so much that the island is unable to function, according to war games conducted by a U.S. think tank.“Energy is the weakest element in Taiwan’s resilience against coercion,” warned the report by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. “The overwhelming preponderance of energy must be imported and is thus vulnerable to a blockade.”China could supplement a blockade with attacks on Taiwan’s electrical grid, as Russia has done with some success in Ukraine.“Total electricity production might be reduced to 20 percent of pre-blockade electricity levels,” CSIS said. At that level,…
Author: Tommy Grant
President Donald Trump is proposing an executive order to levy fines of up to $1.5 million per port call on Chinese-built ships arriving at US ports, effective in 2025. A majority of cargo ships globally in use were built in Chinese shipyards. The order’s origin started with the Biden administration. Trump’s US Trade Representative’s press release of March 21, 2025, provides the proposed Chinese ship levy background: Section 301(b) of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (Trade Act), is designed to address unfair foreign practices affecting U.S. commerce. Section 301(b) may be used to respond to unreasonable or discriminatory foreign government acts,…
ROCKHAMPTON, Australia — In the dawn light of July 24, Japanese and American amphibious vehicles churned through the sparkling coastal waters of the Coral Sea, before emerging onto the sands of a central Queensland beach in Australia.Two hours to the east, another amphibious lodgment was occurring simultaneously at Freshwater Beach. This time the main participants were Australia and South Korea.The two events, part of a combined joint forcible entry operation, formed the culminating activity for Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, held in Australia from July 13-27. They were the most sophisticated amphibious landings ever attempted in the eleven iterations of Talisman…
Let’s talk about the ammo that makes politicians sweat and the media foam at the mouth: RIP rounds. You’ve probably heard of them—maybe in a gun forum, maybe whispered by a buddy at the range. Officially, they’re called Radically Invasive Projectiles, but most folks just call them what they are: bullets that don’t mess around. So what are these rounds, what do they do, and—here’s the kicker—are they even legal? Let’s break it down, because the truth doesn’t come stamped on a box. What Are RIP Rounds? Developed by G2 Research, RIP rounds are a type of fragmenting hollow-point ammunition.…
It is an old axiom from one of the great boxers of all time: “Everyone has a plan till they get punched in the mouth.” This often-repeated phrase is used to explain how quickly things can turn into chaos. What we have found through events like the riots of 2020 and the COVID-19 Lockdowns is that when people get “punched in the face” by calamity, we stay home. We bug in. We stay home when the world gets crazy and that makes perfect sense. Your home is your survival headquarters. It’s where all of your gear, food, water, plans, people,…
The Pentagon said Thursday it is ending the deployment of all but 250 National Guard troops that were originally sent to Los Angeles to deal with protests over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered 1,350 National Guard members to leave this week. The rest will remain to protect federal personnel and property, according to the statement attributed to Sean Parnell, chief Pentagon spokesperson.Roughly 4,000 National Guard soldiers and 700 Marines were deployed to Los Angeles in early June over the objections of state and local officials. Half of the Guard were pulled back roughly two weeks ago,…
Retired Air Force Col. Nicole Malachowski recalls the terror of being in the cockpit of her F-15E Strike Eagle during a training mission and experiencing a wave of brain fog that left her temporarily unable to locate the radio switch — on a control panel she’d been using for 15 years — to answer a call from air traffic control. It was one of more than five dozen symptoms, ranging from neurological issues to night sweats, that would emerge in 2012 and 2013, halting her flying career and nearly ending her life. It would take years, and appeals to medical…
WD-40 can be found in just about every household. But if you’re a prepper, you might want to get a few extra cans so you’ll have plenty on hand for all kinds of applications and projects. Keep in mind that there are many types of WD-40. In this article, we’ll be looking at survival uses for the original WD-40, also known as WD-40 Multiuse. You can find more information on the different types of WD-40 at their website. Of course, it’s important to use the right tool for the job, so let’s look at some uses for the original old-favorite, WD-40.1. DegreaserWD-40…
British, French, German, Spanish and Dutch navies ringed the harbor surrounding the Mexican port of Veracruz in observation of America’s soon-to-be, short-lived occupation of the city-state. The gathering marked one of the last peaceful interactions between the navies for half a decade. The date was June 30, 1914, and the sailors were getting blitzed, courtesy of Uncle Sam and his teetotaler secretary of the Navy, Josephus Daniels.On April 16, 1914, Daniels issued the infamous Order No. 99, mandating all U.S. Navy ships become dry by July 1, 1914. Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels (U.S. Navy)“The use or introduction for…
Seth Reeves was only supposed to be at U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, for two weeks.He was slated to work from July 1 to July 15 as part of the Aviation Training Center’s flight mechanic exchange program, which allows guardsmen to stand duty at operational air stations. He had become a third-class aviation maintenance technician just over one year ago, in March 2024.But on July 4, disaster struck, and Reeves — along with three other Coast Guardsmen from Coast Guard Rescue 6553 — found themselves in a treacherous search-and-rescue mission to save hundreds of stranded girls from…