The Department of Veterans Affairs is developing a tool that will analyze veterans’ disability claims applications for fraud — a program VA officials say could identify providers or companies that abuse the system. The tool will not, however, be used to pursue potentially fraudulent past claims, a concern that arose recently among veterans following a congressional hearing that divulged the program’s development. Using a Microsoft data analytics program, the VA program will use information gleaned from forms known as Disability Benefits Questionnaires to identify patterns in language or omissions that could indicate fraud. VA Press Secretary Pete Kasperowicz said the…
Author: Tommy Grant
Last July, when California Gov. Gavin Newsom was gifted a handgun by a podcast host, many gun owners had to laugh. Newsom was, at the time, trying to paint himself as a Second Amendment supporter, despite an entire career of trying to ban every kind of firearm he could. Gun owners saw right through it, of course, and many are now laughing at recent reports that because of the laws he has foisted upon Californians, Newsom still hasn’t been able to get the gun home. As background, Newsom was given a handgun by podcast host Shawn Ryan. And Newsom was thrilled with…
United States ruler Donald Trump said that he believes he will have the “honor” of “taking Cuba” at some point. Trump made the remarks on Monday in the Oval Office. “I do believe I’ll be… having the honor of taking Cuba. That’s a big honor,” Trump said, adding: “Taking Cuba in some form.” Cuba is participating in ongoing talks between Washington and itself as the island grapples with a deepening energy crisis and widespread blackouts amid a U.S. oil blockade. The talks mark the first time in more than a decade that Havana has publicly acknowledged formal discussions with Washington. They follow…
If you only stockpile one food for long-term survival, make it dried beans. That is not an exaggeration. Dried beans deliver protein, fiber, complex carbohydrates, and essential minerals in a shelf-stable package that costs almost nothing, weighs very little, and can last 25 to 30 years when stored correctly. They are the backbone of every serious prepper’s food storage plan and have sustained entire civilizations through wars, famines, and natural disasters. This guide covers everything you need to know about dried beans: which types to stockpile, how long they really last, the best storage methods, how to cook them when…
Marines can now complete their handgun qualification using a pistol equipped with a red dot optic, according to a policy change announced in a Marine Administrative Message last week. However, there is a caveat: the optic — an M17 Romeo red dot — must be purchased and issued by the Marine’s unit.Exactly how many Marines will receive the optics remains unclear. Military Times requested comment from the Marine Corps’ Marksmanship Program Management team and Training and Education Command but did not receive a response in time for publication.Over the past decade, pistol-mounted red dot optics have surged in popularity among…
Power outages during winter are very troubling for apartment dwellers. When the electric grid goes down, central heating systems, indoor space heaters, and even building-wide boilers won’t work. Renters may struggle to stay warm in their own homes. People who live in apartments are typically unable to make permanent upgrades to their spaces, and often have restrictions on storing extra fuel, using generators, etc. That doesn’t mean you have no other way to stay warm. It just means you need to be proactive and create an intentional, realistic, and safe heating plan. Let’s look at heating options for apartments during…
In the late 1960s, riots broke out across several major American cities and pushed local leaders to the edge. Streets burned for days, police struggled to keep control, and the National Guard was called in more than once. Federal officials began asking a hard question: what happens if the violence spreads faster than states can handle it? Inside Washington, the answer was preparation. Military leaders worked on a plan that explained how federal troops would enter American cities if things went too far. They decided which units would move, how quickly they could arrive, where they would be stationed, and…
HOUSTON — An Afghan immigrant whose family said he had been evacuated from his home country after working for years with U.S. forces died at a Texas hospital after immigration authorities detained him, according to authorities.Federal immigration officials called Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal a “criminal” who had been arrested for alleged fraudulent use of food stamps and for theft. Officials also said Paktyawal had not provided any record of his military service.#AfghanEvac, a San Diego-based group that helps resettle Afghans who assisted the U.S. during the two-decade war, pushed back against the federal government’s claims about Paktyawal, one of several people…
We reported last year how the pro-gun group Gun Owners of America (GOA) had filed a lawsuit challenging the nearly-century-old law that deems it illegal to ship handguns via the United States Postal Service (USPS). In January of this year, in the case Shreve v. USPS, the federal government, through the Trump Administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ), released an important opinion that the federal statute prohibiting the mailing of concealable firearms such as pistols, revolvers, and other handguns is unconstitutional under the Second Amendment as applied to Second Amendment-protected arms. The DOJ noted that the law “ultimately aims to suppress traffic in…
A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction Friday that temporarily reinstates a collective bargaining agreement between the Department of Veterans Affairs and its largest employee union. Rhode Island U.S. District Court Judge Melissa DuBose ruled in favor of the American Federation of Government Employees National Veterans Affairs Council, ordering the VA to recognize the bargaining contract that represents roughly 300,000 VA employees. In her decision, DuBose noted that an executive order issued in March, 2025 by President Donald Trump allowed federal agencies that are involved in national security to terminate union contracts, including the VA, which may provide medical care…