Year: 2024

A Difference in Deference: The End of Chevron

Last week, Americans got some important and long-awaited news: Supreme Court strikes down Chevron, curtailing power of federal agencies. Without a doubt, the 1984 Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council case was a very bad decision that had some far-reaching and lasting consequences. Under the Chevron doctrine, courts have often been required to defer to “…permissible” interpretations by federal agencies of the statutes that those agencies administer. Under Chevron, this deference extended to even when a court had a different reading of the relevant statute.  It thus, in effect, allowed Federal agencies to create law, and ofttimes be beyond the …


Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, another look at prospects for a gold-backed BRICS currency. (See the Precious Metals section.) Precious Metals: BRICS Gold-Backed Currency to Launch at 2024 Summit? But also read this piece from Reuters: US dollar’s dominance secure, BRICS see no progress on de-dollarization – report. o  o  o The latest piece by Hub Moolman: Silver and Gold: …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The ways of Providence being inscrutable, and the justice of it not to be scanned by the shallow eye of humanity, nor to be counteracted by the utmost efforts of human power or wisdom, resignation, and as far as the strength of our reason and religion can carry us, a cheerful acquiescence to the Divine Will, is what we are to aim.” – George Washington, from a Letter to Colonel Bassett – Tuesday, April 20, 1773


Preparedness Notes for Thursday — July 4, 2024

We wish our readers a happy Independence Day! — July 4th is also the birthday of Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) and of General Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807–1882). — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 113 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2,000. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 …


Year 3: An Honest Look at the Farm – Part 3, by SaraSue

(Continued form Part 2. This concludes the article.) Preparing for WTSHTF When I wrote the 7-year food plan, it wasn’t just an idea.  I actually did it.  I took a guest room in the farmhouse, and half-filled it with food-grade buckets of dried goods and supplies that were calculated to last seven years.  It has been nice to be able to pull out anything I needed.  In addition to that, I bought several freezers over the past 3 years.  They are mostly full as I write this.  The last freezer I purchased from Costco was the biggest chest freezer they …


The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column, we look at our northern border. Illegal Border Crossings at Northern Border Breaking Records At The Center Square: Illegal border crossings at northern border continue to break records. …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Let the Fourth of July always be a reminder that here in this land, for the first time, it was decided that man is born with certain God-given rights; that government is only a convenience created and managed by the people, with no powers of its own except those voluntarily granted to it by the people. We sometimes forget that great truth, and we never should. Happy Fourth of July.” – Ronald Reagan


Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — July 3, 2024

On July 3, 1861, the Pony Express arrived in San Francisco with the first delivery of overland letters from New York. — On July 3, 1778, British forces massacred 360 men, women, and children in Wyoming, Pennsylvania. — On July 3, 1890, the Idaho Territory became the 43rd state in the Union. — July 3rd is also the birthday of both musician Aaron Tippin and of actor Tom Cruise. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 113 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at …


Year 3: An Honest Look at the Farm – Part 2, by SaraSue

(Continued from Part 1.) Gardens and Jungles In my Year 2 update that was posted in SurvivalBlog last summer, I shared that I had nothing but garden failures.  There are several problems I had to solve with gardening where I live.  First, I had to turn a lawn into a garden.  Second, plowing only brought up dormant seeds that I jokingly say are from all the surrounding counties.  Third, there is no water piped out to the garden and I didn’t have enough water due to the previous well situation.  Fourth, we had a semi-drought in year 2.  Fifth, the …


SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters. — An NIH medical paper:  An alternative hemostatic dressing: comparison of CELOX, HemCon, and QuikClot. o  o  o At Instructables: Firepit and Tree Stump Removal All in One! o  o  o Vernon R. had this feedback: “I do appreciate the article you published today on the “New Neighbors”, the Amish.  Very interesting article …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Last night I heard this politician Talking ’bout his brand new mission Liked his plans, but they came undone When he got around to God and guns I don’t know how he grew up But it sure wasn’t down at the hunting club ‘Cause if it was he’d understand Just a little bit more about the working man God and guns keep us strong That’s what this country was founded on Well we might as well give up and run If we let them take our God and guns I’m here in my neck of the woods Where God is …


Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — July 2, 2024

July 2nd, 1881, US President James Garfield was shot by Charles Guiteau, a disappointed office-seeker. Garfield died 79 agonizing days later. — July 2nd, 1937 aviator Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to make the first round-the-world flight at the equator. In January of 2024, there came this report: Explorers say they think they’ve found Amelia Earhart’s long-lost plane. — July 2nd, 1679. Europeans first visited Minnesota and saw headwaters of Mississippi in an expedition led by Daniel Greysolon de Du Luth. — On July 2nd, 1808, Simon Fraser completed his trip down …


Year 3: An Honest Look at the Farm – Part 1, by SaraSue

Just when you think you’ve “arrived”, you realize you’re lost, or something like that.  One step forward, three steps back.  There are other ways that one might want to characterize homesteading.  None of it is easy.  Spring is particularly busy and I always think of selling the farm and “retiring” to a genteel life filled with laying poolside, chatting about absolutely nothing important, drinking mimosas, and dining on food that someone else raised and prepared.  But, I digress… I have written about my experiences in SurvivalBlog in 2022 and in SurvivalBlog in 2023.  Now I write about where the farm …


June 2024 in Precious Metals, by Everett Millman

Welcome to SurvivalBlog’s Precious Metals Month in Review, where we take a look at “the month that was” in precious metals. Each month, we cover gold’s performance and silver’s performance and examine the factors that affected the metal prices. WHAT DID GOLD AND SILVER DO IN JUNE? The precious metals began the month near the bottom of the price range they have been trading in since late April. The first week of June saw some significant gains, particularly for silver, which surged 4.1% on June 6th to $31.15 per troy ounce. Silver’s 11-year high around $32/oz appeared within reach. This …


SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt 

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies located in the American Redoubt region that are of interest to preppers and survivalists. Today’s column has an emphasis on some news coverage of the recent ARRL ham radio Field Day gatherings in the American Redoubt. Idaho Field Day: What are you bringing to the table? o  o  o Snake River Amateur Radio Club. o  o  o Buck Knives Reopens …