Arete is a hand-picked weekly list of the most thought-provoking articles, essays, and links I come across—curated for mountain and tactical athletes. Not always the newest, but always worth your time. It’s what I’d forward to a sharp teammate or training partner.
— Rob Shaul, Founder, Mountain Tactical Institute
MILITARY / NATIONAL SECURITY
If Europe Wants War With Russia, ‘We Are Ready,’ Putin Says, Moscow Times
Hundreds of Porsche Owners in Russia Unable to Start Cars After System Failure, Moscow Times
Va ARNG 116th IBCT Officially Converted to Mobile Brigade Combat Team, Soldier Systems
France arrests members of humanitarian charity accused of being a Russian front, intelnews.org
Why China Didn’t Do a ‘Kissinger’ to Split Europe From America, Foreign Policy
America’s Allies Should Go Nuclear, Foreign Policy
NSA has 2,000 fewer people now, meeting Trump-admin goal, Defense One
Ukrainian Official: Brigades Have Received 130,000 Drones From New Acquisition Approach Since July, Defense Daily
Updates: Donald Trump says Venezuela airspace now closed as tensions surge, Al Jazeera
The sabotage of Secretary Hegseth’s acquisition reform initiative, Breaking Defense
F-35, tank sales part of new US-Saudi Strategic Defense Agreement, Breaking Defense
Poland selects Sweden’s Saab A26 as future submarine , Breaking Defense
The Only WWII Land Battle Fought on American Soil: The Forgotten Fight for Alaska, military.com
This is why the top Marine general doesn’t wear the commandant’s cover, Task & Purpose
The Soldier in the Illiberal State is a Professional Dead End, War on the Rocks
WATCH: IDF kills senior PIJ Gaza City Brigade cmdr. who infiltrated Kibbutz Nahal Oz on Oct. 7, JPost.com
The U.S. Navy Can’t Build A Navy Anymore, National Security journal
‘Deliver or Die’: Inside the Drug-Boat Crews Ferrying Cocaine to the U.S., WSJ
Marine Corps reaches retention goal in just a month, Task & Purpose
Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tanker Struck Off Turkey, Al Jazeera
NATO intercepts Russian bombers armed with cruise missiles, UK Defense Journal
Why Spain is not meeting NATO spending targets, Atlantic Council
Mumbai Under Siege: An Urban Warfare Project Case Study, Modern War Institute
United States reportedly eyes military foothold in Damascus, Syrian official denies the claim, Long War Journal
The US needs more than troops at a Syrian airbase to constrain ISIS, Iran, Defense One
Loomer: Army secretary’s office plotting ‘coup’ against Hegseth, Defense News
Poland to receive 96 Apache helicopters in new Boeing deal, UK Defence Journal
Extreme Solar Activity in Early December 2025 Shocks Astronomers, Pravda Report
The Veterans Who Shaped Call Of Duty, Medal Of Honor, And Other Military Video Games, military.com
The Case for Treating Drones as Ammunition, War on the Rocks
USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: Dec. 1, 2025, USNI
Fort Bragg Psychological Warfare Group Posts Chilling Video. ‘We Are Everywhere’, military.com
U.S. Marine Corps Activates 3 New Companies at Japan Base as Part of Force Design 2030, USNI
A veteran’s service in Panama isn’t covered by the VA. There are hundreds like him., Task & Service
GORE-TEX Professional Pyrad Battle Dress Uniform, Soldier Systems
FIRST RESPONDER / HOMELEAND SECURITY / WILDLAND FIRE
Tulsa Fire Department Faces Another Wrongful Death Suit Over 2024 Crash, Fire Law Blog
Suspect in National Guard Shooting ‘Radicalized’ After Entry to U.S., WSJ
2 men arrested after off-duty Va. police officer reported overhearing them planning to kill ICE agents, Police1
Tractor-trailer strikes Houston fire engine, injuring 4 firefighters, FR1
Fla. firefighters, paramedic accused of beating, waterboarding co-worker in hazing incident, FR1
Coast Guard Grows VIP Fleet Amid Helicopter Procurement Changes, Real Clear Defense
GAO Points To Continued Challenges With Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Cutter, Defense Daily
Coast Guard’s new cutter program at risk of ‘costly rework’, ‘schedule delays’: GAO, Breaking Defense
Trump pauses immigration from ‘Third World’ countries: What that means, Al Jazeera
5 Conn. firefighters burned battling 3-alarm house fire, Fr1
Alaska’s largest city to update decades-old wildfire plan after several record-setting seasons, Wildfire Today
The phenomenon of trauma bonding in law enforcement, American Police Beat Magazine
FDNY Firefighter Dies Battling Brooklyn Apartment Fire, Fire Engineering
Dozens of More Bodies Found in Hong Kong Fire; Death Toll at 128, Fire Engineering
Two Sisters Killed Trying to Rescue Father from NJ House Fire on Thanksgiving, Fire Engineering
FDNY commissioner cites fundamental differences with mayor-elect Mamdani as reason for resignation, FR1
Texas firefighter exam draws over 300 applicants after dropping dual-certification requirement, FR1
Man charged in 2022 Baltimore rowhome fire that killed 3 firefighters, FR1
Texas PD emphasizes officer wellness after cop involved in 4 separate OIS incidents within 15 months, Police1
Former Calif. deputy fatally shot by police after allegedly stabbing, killing 11-year-old son, Police1
Neb. man fatally shoots self in back of cruiser after being searched, handcuffed, Police1
MOUNTAIN
GARMIN INREACH MINI 3, Bless This Stuff
Meet the Colorado Sisters Making the Backcountry More Welcoming, Powder
Why Do So Many Climbing Films Feel the Same?, Climbing
Arc’teryx Returns With Grottoflage Camo Collection & Atomic Collab’ For 2025, Snow Industry News
A Hiker Was Rescued from a Knife-Edge Ridge in Oregon. Here Are the Photos.,Outside
Skier Deploys Airbag in Backcountry Avalanche Caught on POV Video, Powder
A Hiker Fell off a Colorado Peak. His Apple Watch Called for Help., Outside
Winter Is Finally Here—3 Feet of Snow Forecasted at Ski Resorts Across The West, Powder
Utah Father Charged With Child Torture After Winter Hike Turns Dangerous, GearJunkie
Garmin inReach Mini 3 Plus Gets the Biggest Glow-Up Yet, GearJunkie
What Kilian Jornet Packs to Climb Every 14er in the Mountain West in 31 days, GearLatest
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Kicks Off 60th Anniversary Winter Season On Thursday, Unofficial Networks
Climbers, AI is Coming for Your Art. Here’s How to Fight Back., Climbing
The First Day of Ski Season Is Always a Painful and Frustrating Ordeal, Outside
After More Than 200 Years, the Farmers’ Almanac Is Shutting Down, Powder
The Fastest Growing Mountain Towns in America, Outside
Idaho Is Eliminating OTC Deer and Elk Tags for Nonresidents and Moving to a Draw System, Outdoor Life
America’s Olympic SkiMo Hopes Are Riding on 20-Year-Old Griffin Briley, Powder
‘Fearing for our lives’: Australians tell of Chilean mountain horror where five hikers perished, The Guardian
Alpine Climbers Free Hardest Route on Grandes Jorasses, Gripped
Mountain Guide and Client Die in New Zealand, Gripped
Is This Rescue Company to Blame for a Climber’s Death?, Climbing
Want to See a Grown Man Cry? Ask Him to Project a Sport Route for 8 Years., Climbing
The World’s First V18 Just Went Down. Its Backstory Is Even Cooler., Climbing
Disappointing photos show what it’s really like to backpack across Europe, Business Insider
2026 Editors’ Choice Apparel Reviews, BC Mag
Climbers Purchase Climbing Area in North Carolina, Gripped
Outdoor Boys’ Luke Nichols Steps In For Fellow Outdoor Influencer Dealing With Family Crisis, Wide Open Spaces
These Six North American Ski Resorts Are Having Great Starts To Their Seasons, Unofficial Networks
Major New Face Climbed in a Remote Corner of Patagonia, Climbing
NUTRITION / FITNESS / HEALTH
How To Eat for a Long Life, NY Times
How Healthy Are Potatoes?, NY Times
Top Nutrition Experts Raise the Global Alarm on Ultraprocessed Foods, NY Times
Is Protein Powder a Scam?, NY Times
Watch: A Landowner Stole My Buddy’s Public-Land Elk to Deter Us from ‘Hunting This Outfit’, Outdoor Life
I Shot the Public Land Bull Elk of a Lifetime…On a Day I Wasn’t Planning to Hunt, Meateater
A top Marine shares his secrets to keeping fit at 50, Business Insider
Reefer Madness Is Here, Unheard
Growing up Online Nearly Killed Me, After Babel
ADHD Diagnoses Are Growing. What’s Going on?, Nature
One Week Off Social Media Can Improve Mental Health, NYR
Competition, Not Price Controls, Just Slashed GLP-1 Prices, Washington Examiner
TrumpRx Could Be a Gamechanger, The Hill
A Different Type of Dementia Is Changing What’s Known About Cognitive Decline, NY Times
Ultra-processed food intake is associated with altered glucose homeostasis in young adults with a history of overweight or obesity: a longitudinal study, Springer.com
5 whole grains dietitians swear by to improve Insulin resistance and balance blood sugar, International News Economic Times
Ultra-Processed Foods Linked to Prediabetes Risk in Youth, European Medical Journal
Nutrition Research Keeps Warfighters Ready, Lethal in Extreme Cold, Soldier Systems
Inside the Springboks New Nike Mind Mule and the Science Behind It, Men’s Health
5 Reasons You Feel Tired After You Eat, According to Doctors, Men’s Health
Why Are Fit Guys Microdosing GLP-1s?, Men’s Health
People taking Ozempic are losing muscle mass — and it’s freaking them out, Vox
Why Are My Hands and Feet Cold?, NY Times
Pregnancy After 35: The So-Called ‘Fertility Cliff,’ Explained, NY Times
This EOD tech set a new record for running in a bomb suit, Task & Purpose
San Francisco Puts Big Food on Trial Over Ultra-Processed Grub, Hoodlike
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