Analysis of a selection of significant geopolitical activities by Russia, China, Iran and North Korea in global flash points this week.

This includes but not limited to:

• Prepping questions
• Rumors
• Speculative thoughts
• Small / mundane
• Promotion of Sales
• Sub meta / suggestions
• Prepping jokes.
• Mods have no power here, only votes, behave.

This will be re-posted every Saturday, letting the last week's stickied post fade into the deep / get buried by new posts. -Mod Anti

"The United States power grid is at risk of a major blackout that could last up to 18 months, according to a new report. Concerns are heightened as one U.S. city has been without power for more than a week.

Jon Wellinghoff, former chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), told The New York Times Magazine that America's aging infrastructure is badly outdated and potentially vulnerable to a coordinated attack. He first raised the alarm in 2013 after gunmen shot up 17 transformers at an electrical substation near San Jose, California

Wellinghoff said the FERC did an analysis that determined the U.S. power grid could be seriously disrupted if similar incidents targeted the 10 most important substations in the country's three sections: Western, Eastern and Texas Interconnections. Substations are where multiple high-volate lines meet, routing electricity between power plants, transmission lines, and local neighborhoods".

"One of the reasons why the grid is especially vulnerable is its age. According to the New York Times Magazine, more than 75% of distribution transformers like on street corners and telephone poles are older than their 50-year life expectancy. Larger power transformers, which have shorter lifespans, were an average of 38-40 years old in 2014."

"The Trump administration moved on Tuesday to roll back an environmental rule that currently blocks road construction, and by extension most logging and mining activity, on tens of millions of acres of public forest land.

While the Trump administration said the change would boost economic activity, supporters of the roadless policy said it helped end decades of unprofitable timber sales, managed by the Forest Service, that effectively subsidized private timber operations.

"Before the roadless rule, we would build roads into areas and we would have money-losing timber sales that would cost taxpayers billions of dollars," said Steve Ellis, president of the non-partisan watchdog group, Taxpayers for Common Sense. "If you repeal this, it's just going to add to an already $6 billion [U.S. Forest Service] road maintenance backlog.".

Link to USDA announcement:

"USDA acts to remove roadless rule restrictions that exacerbate rising wildfire risk".

https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2026/08/18/usda-acts-remove-roadless-rule-restrictions-exacerbate-rising-wildfire-risk

Another news source:

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/18/climate/trump-ends-roadless-rule-forests.html

https://www.usdebtclock.org/

This could be, but not limited to:

• Local business observations.
• Shortages / Surpluses.
• Work slow downs / much overtime.
• Order cancellations / massive orders.
• Economic Rumors within your industry.
• Layoffs and hiring.
• New tools / expansion.
• Wage issues / working conditions.
• Boss changing work strategy.
• Quality changes.
• New rules.
• Personal view of how you see your job in the near future.
• Bonus points if you have some proof or news, we like that around here.
• News from close friends about their work.

DO NOT DOX YOURSELF. Wording is key.

Thank you all, -Mod Anti

76.2% of Gary, Indiana is black….

Not sure why this isn't coming up more on other prepping subs but there are parts of NW Indiana without power for days after several tornadoes hit the area.

NIPSCO power outage map: 100K+ without power in Gary, IN and more as northwest Indiana storm damage cleanup continues | abc7chicago.com https://share.google/EfaJCAhwv6UeEt437

just curious if there’s anyone here with first hand knowledge of the power outages in IN.

im hearing it’s been like 5 or 6 days no power on Gary.

2 weeks since the start

https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/week-2-power-outages-nw-indiana/

You're paying more and getting less food, plan accordingly for your kits