Military / International Affairs / National Security

State, DoD Letter Warns EU to Open Defense Contracts, Breaking Defense
How the Humvee Compares to the New Oshkosh JLTV, Motortrend
Does Professional Military Education Matter? Wavell Room
Saudi Arabian State Media Urges U.S. to ‘Hit Iran Hard’ with Punitive Airstrikes, In Homeland Security
You can’t defeat tomorrow’s terrorists by fighting yesterday’s enemy, Brookings
Donald Trump gets tough on Huawei, Business Insider
Army Getting Ready to Choose M249 SAW and M4 Carbine Replacements, Kitup
So Long Special Operations Weather, Hello Special Reconnaissance, Soldier Systems
Gentex Awarded Contract for USSOCOM Next Generation SOF Helmets, Soldier Systems

First Responder / Homeland Security / Wildland Fire

Five year effort to improve fire shelter fails, Wildfire Today
Report Ranks Best and Worst States to be a Police Officer, Police Magazine
South Dakota Officer Accused of Shooting Cats in Cemetery, Police Magazine
Is it time to seriously consider arming school teachers? LE Today
Ex-Texas cadet accused of purposely firing shots that wounded 3 classmates, Police One
George Kelling, father of ‘Broken Windows’ policing, dead at 83, Police One

Mountain

The Peruvian Line @ Snowbird On Saturday Was Outrageous, Unofficial Networks
The Best Fly Rods for Small Water, Outside
11 Ways To Let People Know That You Climb 5.12*, Semi-rad
Stop Telling Women Not to Go Into the Backcountry Alone, Adventure Journal
‘Hangdog Days’ Documents One of Climbing’s Most Controversial Decades, Adventure Journal

Fitness / Nutrition / Wellness

Nike and the Problem with Pro Running Contracts, Outside
There Might Finally Be a Cure for Overtraining, Outside
The Healthiest Weight Could Actually Be ‘Overweight’, Huge Study Finds, ScienceAlert
Testing Your One-Rep Max? Try This Surprising, Science-Backed Trick to Move More Weight, Stack News
Suicides Up Among U.S. Kids; Girls’ Deaths Highest, WebMD
Jockology Is strength training good for kids? Globe and Mail
Too much screen time tied to school problems even in little kids, Reuters
Earliest evidence of the cooking and eating of starch, Science Daily
Diets High in Processed Foods a Recipe for Obesity, WebMD
Running Form | Should You Change Your Running Technique?, Running World
How we make complex decisions, Science Daily
The Top 10 Sports Nutrition & Protein Bars, Men’s Journal
U.S. Birth Rate Lowest in 32 Years, WebMD
The Paleo Diet revisited — and explained — by the man who discovered it, Greely Tribune
Eat Before or After Exercise? Science Finally Has the Answer, Yahoo.com
The Best Stretches for Lower Back Pain, Fatherly
Developing Strength One Leg at a Time, Breaking Muscle

Interesting

One Man’s Unlikely Quest to Power the World Through Magnets, Wall Street Journal
Justin Bieber effect leads to closure of Icelandic canyon, The Guardian
Has the media narrative changed around climate change?, Al Jazeera
10 Vehicles Have Been Named the Best Value in America, Gear Patrol
The Most Dangerous States For Riding Motorcycles, Gear Patrol
Google reportedly pulls Huawei’s Android license, The Verge
Google is scanning your Gmail inbox to keep a detailed list of your purchases, and there’s no easy way to erase it (GOOGL, GOOG), Business Insider
Impossible Foods’ next product is sausage, Endgadget
Why The U.S. Just Had Its Wettest 12-Month Stretch On Record, Forbes

Military / National Defense / Foreign Policy

No Nationality Heeded the Call to Come Fight for ISIS Like Tunisians Did. Now They’re Stuck., Small Wars Journal
Iran Guards chief says Americans have started ‘psychological war’, Reuters
Going to extremes: the stark divides in Europe’s political map, The Guardian
Thirty-five bodies found buried around Mexican city of Guadalajara, Reuters
Fort Bragg air assault school announces closure, Stars & Stripes
Navy SEAL charged with murder of Green Beret reaches plea agreement with prosecutors, Task & Purpose
Here’s What a Progressive China Strategy Would Look Like, Foreign Policy
Amid multiple murder investigations, Pentagon finds no issues with special ops ethics training, Task & Purpose
Two French commandos killed freeing hostages in West Africa, Stars & Stripes
Euro-skeptics have no alternative to US security and German economic dominance, CNBC
The Pointless Dissipation of America’s Power, Real Clear Defense
Rising Tensions Between U.S. and Iran, Hudson Institute
‘Ninja bomb’ is a bladed anvil that shreds terrorists with no risk of collateral damage, Pentagon says, Marine Corps Times
Venezuelan Democracy Was Strangled by Cuba, Foreign Policy
Vietnam Is the Chinese Military’s Preferred Warm-Up Fight, The Diplomat

Homeland Security / First Responder

New Mexico communities grapple with immigrant surge, Stars & Stripes
Pennyslvania sues maker of OxyContin, ‘jet fuel’ of America’s opioid crisis, The Guardian
The New Book From France About Islamist Terror Is A Must-Read, In Homeland Security
Florida Woman Found With Remarkable Syringe Stash in Bodily Orifice, LE Today
Is there a leadership problem in law enforcement?, Police One
Opinion: Time to Close the Door on Open-Door Policies, LE Today
Q&A: Trends in Law Enforcement Apparel, Officer.com
Mexico Proposes Decriminalizing All Drugs, Working With US To End Violence, Forbes
Putting Your Life on the Line – Is It Worth It Anymore?, LE Today
LEO’s Explain Why They Quit Their Jobs, LE Today

Mountain

500,000 Anglers Anticipated at Massive MN Fishing Opener, Gear Junkie
Man, I Really Miss My Long-Gone Dirtbag Gear Shop, Adventure Journal
Western States Has New Rules for Transgender Athletes, Outside Magazine
3 Reasons to Buy a Gravel Bike Instead of a Roadie, Outside
How to Prevent and Treat Blisters While Hiking, Outside

Fitness / Nutrition / Health

Navy Announces Universal Training Precautions for Physical Exercise, US Navy News
New method to treat brain injuries could save thousands of lives a year, Firerescue 1
Why Runners Shouldn’t Wear Flip-Flops, NY Times
To cheat or not to cheat? Researchers uncover the moral dilemmas of doping, Science Daily
5 Essential Ways to Burn 500 Calories, Muscle & Fitness
9 Ways To Curb Burnout And Carve Out Time For What’s Truly Important, Forbes Real Time
Houston high school runner Matthew Boling breaks national record in 100-meter dash, Yahoo Sports
When your metabolism slows, you gain weight. There are ways to counteract that., Washington Post
Does Having More Muscle Really Increase Your Metabolism?, Born Fitness
After Two Years of Muscle Pain, I Tried Dry Needle Therapy — Here’s What Happened, Greatist
Philadelphia’s Soda Tax Tied to Big Drop in Sales, WebMD
When does clean eating become an unhealthy obsession?, Science Daily
Dear Mark: CBD Edition, Mark’s Daily Apple
The best time of day to drink coffee, according to science, AZ Big Media
The future of fitness testing in sports, Sportstar

Interesting

Dog Poop, Dirty Rugs, and Other Disappointing Truths About Robot Vacuums, Wirecutter
19 Of the Greatest Cars For Sale Under $50,000, Gear Patrol
What Is the Most Overrated Invention?, The Atlantic
Can Amazon Be Disrupted?, Forbes
Amazon will pay employees $10,000 to quit and start their own package-delivery companies, US News
RAND’s Analysis of News in the Digital Age: Three Takeaways, Rand Corp
The Best Coolers, Wirecutter
Breakthrough in new material to harness solar power, Science Daily

By Rob Shaul

I’ve received several requests recently by soldiers and other tactical athletes for a training plan which combines the big 3 power lifts, back squat, bench press, and deadlift, with running.

Often these athletes have taken to powerlifting competitions, or done a strength plan which focuses on the big 3 lifts, and noticed not surprisingly that focusing on strength solely comes at a cost to work capacity and endurance.

From a fitness perspective, training both strength and endurance concurrently work against each other. At the muscular level, strength training trains fast twitch muscle fibers, while endurance training hits slow twitch muscle fibers.

Research has shown that endurance training negatively affects strength, but not vice versa – strength training does not negatively affect endurance in a controlled manner. However, in reality, to be really good at endurance, an athlete has to put in loads and loads of volume, which means training time. And this increase in endurance training time can cut into training time for strength … which leads to less strength training, and subsequent decreases in strength.

At MTI, our multi-modal programming has evolved over the years to do the best we can at programming and training multiple fitness attributes concurrently. Will MTI multi-modal programming produce a national champion Olympic lifter or powerlifter? No.

Will MTI multimodal programming produce a national champion endurance athlete? No.

But the athletes we work with (mountain, tactical) are not single-mode athletes like powerlifters or endurance competitors – they have a wide array of mission-direct fitness demands.

The new, Big 3 + Run Training Plan plan combines strength training for the back squat, bench press and deadlift (plus pull ups which I throw in), with running fitness.

The strength programming is built around MTI’s efficient, and intense Density progression which deploys an initial and mid-cycle 1RM assessment and follow-on percentage-based progressions on an interval timer. The 1RM assessments ensure the follow-on progressions are scaled to the individual athlete’s strength.

The running program in this plan is based on a 2-mile running assessment and includes both speed-over-ground and aerobic base programming.

The speed-over-ground work deploys hard, fast 1-mile and 800m interval repeats scaled to the individual athlete based on his/her 2-mile run time. The aerobic base work deploys 3-5 mile, easy-paced Saturday runs.

My sense is this training plan could increase the 1RM Big 3 lift strength for athletes with a younger training age (not much time in the gym and/or experience with these lifts), and maintain 1RM Big 3 strength for athletes with an older training age …. while increasing running fitness.

The plan is focused, sport-specific, and direct. Classic MTI programming!

Questions? Email rob@mtntactical.com

Learn More About MTI’s Big 3 + Run Training Plan

MIlitary / Foreign Policy

At least 8 dead as cops raid Rio slum amid sharp rise in killings by police, Reuters
US warns Beijing’s Arctic activity risks creating ‘new South China Sea’, The Guardian
Islamic State releases photos from DRC, Long War Journal
What’s in China’s New Belt and Road Recalibration? The Diplomat
Turkey to re-run Istanbul election lost by Erdogan’s AKP, Reuters
Pompeo: Russia is “aggressive” in Arctic, China’s work there also needs watching, Reuters
North Carolina Raider theft rings: Marines stole tactical gear, vehicle parts, flashbang grenades, and pawned off some of the loot, Marine Corps Times
Air Force F-35s used in combat for the first time, Defense News
How Dangerous Are U.S.-Iran Tensions?, Foreign Policy
Marine colonel commanding cyber operations group fired following drunk driving arrest, Marine Corps Times
Drones Becoming Frightening Weapon of Choice for Terrorists, In Homeland Security
With Little Fanfare, Japan Just Changed the Way It Uses Its Military, Rand Corp

First Responder / Homeland Security

Common Sense Solutions to the Border Crisis, Rand Corp
Chiefs, what is your fire department culture?, Firerescue 1
Police Station in France Closed Due to Flea Infestation, Police One
FDNY names first female EMS chief, Firerescue 1
Mass. city fire-EMS department buys ballistics gear, Firerescue 1
Does policing change the personalities of those who become cops?, LE Today
Three officers killed since Wednesday – what is happening in America?, LE Today
“Hands Up” Act would punish cops for shooting “unarmed” people, LE Today
The Medics Keeping Ultrarunners Alive, Outside
Here’s all the important stuff Google announced at I/O 2019, Endgadget

Mountain

4 Best Satellite Messengers in 2019 (Iridium, Tracking Devices, Garmin), Gear Latest
5 Pairs of Alpine Touring Bindings, Compared, REI Co-op
American Ski Resorts Top 59 Million Skier Visits in 2018/19 Season | 4th Best Winter Ever! Unofficial Networks
6 Mountain Bikes We Loved from Our 2019 Bike Test, Outside
The Instagram Account Calling Out Harassers in Climbing, Outside
A Look Into The Future of Ski Lifts [Video], Unofficial Networks
Most Popular Mountain Bike Trails in the US and Canada, State-by-State | According To Singletracks.com, Unofficial Networks
Where Can I Ride My Electric Mountain Bike?, REI Co-Op
Testing the Best Backcountry Communication Devices, Outside

Fitness / Nutrition / Health

Running World Record: Jim Walmsley Sets Fastest 50-Mile Time, Gearjunkie
The Keto Conundrum, Outside
Workout & Chill, NY Times
Study pulls back curtain on contracts between Coca-Cola and the researchers it funds, STAT
What are Electrolytes, and Do I Need Sports Drinks to Replenish Them?, Muscle & Fitness
CBD For Performance: What We Know So Far, Mark’s Daily Apple
New Research Questions the Validity of Fitness Influencers’ Weight-Loss Advice, Muscle & Fitness
Why Some Runners Are Addicted to Buying Running Shoes, Runners World
Which is more important: exercise or sleep?, Sydney Morning Herald
Fatigue: It’s Just an Emotion, Breaking Muscle
Vaping companies facing European opposition to higher nicotine level, Reuters
Here’s Why The Latest Fad of Drinking a Morning ‘Salt Juice’ Is Not That Smart, Science Alert
Does exercise fight depression for women as well as it does for men?, Atlanta Journal Constitution

Interesting

Former executives at France Télécom go on trial over staff suicides, The Guardian
In year of record midterm turnout, women continued to vote at higher rates than men, Pew Research Center
The New Ford Ranger Was Outsold By The Notably Ancient Nissan Frontier, Gear Patrol
WATCH: Absolute Precision Required For This Waterfall Cliff Jump, Unofficial Networks
Teen girls more vulnerable to bullying than boys, Science Daily
The perils of a leader who is too extroverted, Science Daily

By Rob Shaul, Founder

Years ago I asked my first full-time assistant coach, John Murie, for his favorite mode of work capacity training.

“Sprinting,” he answered immediately.

This was relatively early in my coaching career, and Crossfit was on fire. Glassman’s benchmark “girl” WODs were all the rage, and he was holding his first few Crossfit games. Multi-modal work capacity events combining barbell work, body weight work, box jumps with a short run or row were everywhere, including in my own programming.

Prior to starting my own facility, I attended a mentorship at Athletes’ Performance, now Exos, in LA. I didn’t learn much there but did find it interesting that shuttle sprints were a primary foundation of Athletes’ Performance work capacity programming – and it was heart-rate based and scaled to the individual.

First, Athletes’ Performance had all of us complete a VO2 Max test on a treadmill, and based on the result, identified out heart rate “zones”.

Next, we went to a simple turf field with lines every 10 yards. I can’t remember the specific work interval – but it was extended – 3-6 minutes. We were each told to begin with 20-yard run shuttles – run back and forth between 2 lines 20 yards apart – until we got into our target heart rate zone.

If we went past the zone, rather than slowing down, we were told to run longer shuttles – extend to 30 or 40 yards. If we dropped below the zone, we were told to shorten up the shuttle – to 10 yards. We’d work to maintain the same speed and stay within the target heart rate during the work interval by manipulating the shuttle distance.

“A shorter shuttle distance is more metabolically demanding,” the coach stated. He didn’t explain why, and I’ve since learned why. Each change of direction takes more strength … first the athlete must eccentrically slow down into the change, then, one stopped and looking the other direction, he must concentrically push off and get back up to speed. All this takes more leg strength, which means more metabolic demand.

Despite my experience at Athletes’ Performance, when I started my own facility, sprinting and especially repeat shuttle sprints – stuff we’d done a bazillion times at basketball or football practice in middle school and high school, was part of my work capacity programming, but not a focus.

I’d already developed our Operator Ugly fitness assessments for tactical athletes, which includes a 25m shuttle sprint repeat component, and the 300m shuttle was a staple in our stable of work capacity events.

And long before I started my own gym, when I was coaching fit moms in a tiny Wyoming town on the side of an already busy career, we’d run lung-busting basketball-inspired suicide shuttles in a tiny, aerobics room complete with a wall full of mirrors.

I’d experienced first hand and seen as a coach the power of simple repeat sprints to train work capacity, but had become distracted by the shiny sexiness of multi-modal work capacity events. John slapped me out of it.

My programming continued to evolve, and the driving focus of concentrating fitness training on modes and methods which transferred to the field, outside the gym. For tactical athletes especially, no work capacity mode or event has greater transfer to mission-direct application than repeat shuttle sprints, both loaded and unloaded.

Finally, I stopped overthinking and made shuttle sprinting a focus of MTIs work capacity programming.

Next to their direct mission-direct application, perhaps the greatest characteristic of shuttle sprints is their simplicity. No equipment needed!

Today when programming for military, law enforcement and fire rescue athletes, I work hard to ensure work capacity events have a significant sprinting and repeat shuttle sprint components.

Over the years I’ve tried and developed multiple shuttle sprint protocols. Below are the mainstays I keep returning to:

(1) 40-Foot Shuttle Sprints

Why this distance? Honestly, it’s the length of the turf at MTI, but also, most can find this much space inside a gym, hallway, or outside on some grass, dirt, or parking lot.

Set up is simple, set two cones, lines, rocks, or whatever, about 40-feet apart. Shuttle back and forth between them as fast as possible, touching the line with a hand at either end.

We’ll run 40-foot shuttle repeats either in an interval format, or density format.

For the interval format, I generally use 30-seconds work, then 30 seconds rest and go anywhere from 10 rounds (10 minutes total)  to 20 rounds (20 minutes total).

For density format, I’ll set a work interval, and then make athletes complete a set number of shuttles in that time period – where the faster they finish, the more rest they get before the next round begins. For example:

10 Rounds, Every Minute on the Minute
8x 40-Foot Shuttles (each length = one rep, so 8x = 4 round trips)

Note – the total 40-foot distance isn’t super important. You could do these as 30-50 foot shuttles and have great effect.

Loading – I’ve also had athletes run 40-foot shuttles in a weight vest. Everything is the same except I don’t have then touch the line with their hand — it’s too much stress on the low back while wearing a weight vest.

(2) Suicide Shuttles

I got cut from the High School Basketball team, so my basketball career ended early after middle school. I sucked at basketball, and am still scarred by the suicides we’d run at the end of practice. The coach would have us line up on one baseline then ……

• sprint to the near free throw line, then back to the baseline
• sprint to the have court line, then back to the baseline
• sprint to the far free throw line, then back to the baseline
• sprint to the far baseline, then back to the starting baseline.

Coach would split the team in half, and one group would rest while the other ran. It was terrible.

MTI Suicide shuttles deploy the same idea, but in a shorter space (40 feet or so). I’ll set a cone at each end, then one in the middle. Starting at one cone, the athlete ….

runs to the middle cone, touches the line then runs back to the starting cone, touches the line

runs to the far cone, touches the line (hand), then runs back to the starting cone

I’ve always run suicide shuttles in a density format – on 30-second intervals. Here is an example 10-minute event:

20 Rounds
Suicide Shuttle every 30 seconds

I’ve also combined a bodyweight exercise with suicides to increase the intensity under the same interval. Here are two examples:

20 Rounds, every 30 seconds …. 
3x Burpees, then immediately …
Suicide Shuttle

20 Rounds, every 30 seconds …. 
5x Box Jumps @ 20″, then immediately …
Suicide Shuttle

Loading? I’ve never run short suicide shuttles like this loaded with a weight vest. Rather, I’ve increased the intensity by adding the bodyweight exercises to the interval before the shuttle.

(3) 300m Shuttle

The 300m Shuttle is a mainstay in stick and ball programming – especially soccer and football assessments. It deploys the intense change-on-direction metabolic effect of shuttle sprints in an extended format – 300m. Again – the format is simple … set two cones 25m apart. On “go” run back and forth between the cones for 12x lengths, or 6x round trips.

I can’t remember where I read about 300m shuttles, but once I tried them, was impressed with their devastating metabolic effect.

I have athletes touch the line at each end with their hand unless they were running these loaded in a weight vest.

My go-to interval for 300m Shuttles is one every 2 minutes, 30 seconds and I’ll go for 4 rounds. I found most athletes complete one of these in 1 minute to 1:15 so it’s about a 1:1 work to rest interval.

If I’m progressing 300m shuttles throughout a cycle, I’ll reduce the shuttle interval by 10 seconds every third training session I program them. See below:

Session 1&2 … 4 Rounds, 300m Shuttle every 2:30
Session 3&4 … 4 Rounds, 300m Shuttle every 2:20
Session 5&6 … 4 Rounds, 300m Shuttle every 2:10

Sometimes Ill complete 300m shuttles twice per week following the above progression, then week 4, add a 25# weight vest and repeat the progression loaded …

Session 1&2 … 4 Rounds, 300m Shuttle every 2:30 wearing 25# weight vest or IBA
Session 3&4 … 4 Rounds, 300m Shuttle every 2:20 wearing 25# weight vest or IBA
Session 5&6 … 4 Rounds, 300m Shuttle every 2:10 wearing 25# weight vest or IBA

(4) 150m Shuttle

I first moved to shorter, 150m shuttle sprints when I began working with LE Athletes back around 2011. I felt the shorter distance was more mission-direct for LE patrol and detectives than the longer 300m distance.

Set up and execution is the same as the 300m shuttle – except 1/2 as many shuttles: set two cones 25m apart. On “go” run back and forth between the cones for 6x lengths, or 3x round trips.

I have athletes touch the line at each end with their hand unless they were running these loaded in a weight vest.

My go-to interval for 150m Shuttles is one every 1 minutes, 15 seconds and I’ll go for 4 rounds. I found most athletes complete one of these around 35 seconds so it’s about a 1:1 work to rest interval.

If I’m progressing 300m shuttles throughout a cycle, I’ll reduce the shuttle interval by 5 seconds every third training session I program them. See below:

Session 1&2 … 4 Rounds, 150m Shuttle every 1:15
Session 3&4 … 4 Rounds, 150m Shuttle every 1:10
Session 5&6 … 4 Rounds, 150m Shuttle every 1:05

Sometimes Ill complete 300m shuttles twice per week following the above progression, then week 4, add a 25# weight vest and repeat the progression loaded …

Session 1&2 … 4 Rounds, 150m Shuttle every 1:15 wearing 25# weight vest or IBA
Session 3&4 … 4 Rounds, 150m Shuttle every 1:10 wearing 25# weight vest or IBA
Session 5&6 … 4 Rounds, 150m Shuttle every 1:05 wearing 25# weight vest or IBA

(5) Prone to Sprint Shuttles – 40 foot and 25m

Most recently I’m having athletes run 40-foot, or 25m shuttle, but drop to the ground at each end to full prone. I call these “Prone to Sprints” and find the level changes adds a significant metabolic component.

I’ve only programmed these so far using a simple work to rest interval format …. for example 30-second Prone to Sprint, 30-second rest, or simply done them for an extended period in a longer circuit, such as:

3 Rounds
3 Minutes Prone to Sprint (40-foot)
3 Minutes Sandbag Get Up
3 Minutes Power Clean + Push Press @ 45/65#

I’ve been so impressed with the prone to sprint, that I loaded them with a weight vest, increased the shuttle distance to 25m, and made these the focus of the MTI Tactical Athlete Work Capacity Assessment.

This short, 11 minute effort is broken into three, 3-minute prone to sprint efforts, separated by a 1-minute rest:

• 3-Minutes Prone to Sprint weight 25# weight vest or IBA, for reps
• 1 Minute Rest
• 3-Minutes Prone to Sprint weight 25# weight vest or IBA, for reps
• 1 Minute Rest
• 3-Minutes Prone to Sprint weight 25# weight vest or IBA, for reps

1x rep = a complete length (25m). The reps from each round are added together for a total score. This simple, but very difficult event assesses work capacity, the ability to recover in a short period, and because of the weight vest, strength endurance, and core strength. It’s meant to assess the athletes mission-direct work capacity for a movement under fire event where he/she must repeatedly sprint and take cover. See below to watch some soldiers at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii complete the MTI Work Capacity Assessment.

You Might Also Like MTI’s Favorite Work Capacity Events by Duration

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Military / National Security / International Affairs

Blackwater founder’s plan for mercenaries to Venezuela: Report, Al Jazzera
Erdogan says F-35 project would collapse without Turkey, Reuters
SWJ Primer: Chinese Cyber Espionage and Information Warfare, Small Wars Journal
Air Force Will Bring Urban Training to Boise – and Some Residents are Fighting Back, Small Wars Journal
Air Force Academy removes commandant of cadets from job amid investigation, Stars & Stripes
Czechs protest justice appointee, fear meddling in PM’s case, Reuters
The US Navy’s Shifting View of China’s Coast Guard and ‘Maritime Militia’, The Diplomat
Report: Decades of abuse and mistrust created a climate for fraud in Virgin Islands National Guard, Stars & Stripes
Spain bars exiled ex-Catalan leader from European election, Reuters
Afghanistan in 2019: This is what losing looks like, Task & Purpose
US military spending up as global outlay hits 31-year high, Stars & Stripes
Six killed in Burkina Faso church attack, Al Jazerra
Here’s how B-2 bomber pilots pull off grueling 33-hour flights, Defense News
Chief commander of Quds force Soleimani says talks with U.S. impossible: Fars, Reuters
Road warriors: Foreign fighters in the armies of jihad, Brookings
Fewer than a third of countries currently have a military draft; most exclude women, Pew Research Center

Homeland Security / First Responder

Coast Guard polar icebreaker project moves ahead with new contract, War is Boring
The FBI is reportedly investigating activists for plotting an ‘armed rebellion’ at the US-Mexico border with cartel-supplied guns, Task & Purpose
St. Louis Police Officer Accused of Killing Colleague Pleads Not Guilty, Officer
N.Y. WOMAN CHARGED WITH ARSON; TWO FIREFIGHTERS TRAPPED AT FIRE, Firefighter Close Calls
Texas Police Cadet Charged After Accidentally Shooting Classmates, Police Mag
Border Agent and Army Vet Stop Gunman at Synagogue Shooting, Police Mag
Movie review: “Wildland” documents contract crew from initial training to battling a major fire, Firerescue 1
Thief Escapes By Breaking NYPD Officer’s Leg, LE Today
One officer’s story of the day he put a gun to his head, Police One
Is Officer Suicide on the Rise?, Police One
7 FIREFIGHTERS INJURED, 1 CRITICAL AT IL AMMONIA LEAK, Firefighter Close Calls
Veterans suffer from ‘culture shock’ when returning to university, Science Daily
Many Driving on Pot, Even With Kids in the Car, WebMD

Mountain

The Best Running Shoes for Road and Trail, Outside
Why It’s Almost Impossible to Climb 15 Meters in 5 Seconds: Watch, Gear Patrol
Tips from the Pros on Buying Used Gear, Outside
Mortality Salience: How A Rope Soloing Fall Made Me Rethink My Climbing Obsession, Outside
Men’s Journal Picks 100 Best Adventures on America’s Public Lands, Adventure Journal

Fitness / Health / Nutrition

Kicking back with Pneumatic Recovery Boots, Gear Intstitute
This Race Tests the Limits of Human Endurance, REI Co-Op
Yes, You Need Carbs. Here’s When to Eat Them., Outside
From Apples to Popcorn, Climate Change Is Altering the Foods America Grows, NY Times
More Pregnant Women Vaping, Study Says, Science Daily
More Women Snore Than Is Reported, WebMD
You Should Be Taking Cold Showers, Breaking Muscle
5 Keys to Returning to Sport After a Knee Surgery. Mike Reinhold
Exonerating refined grains: Controversial study results conflict with whole grain dietary advice, Bakeryandsnacks.com
Doing Cardio This Way Won’t Diminish Your Gains, Say Researchers, D’Marge
No safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy, suggest researchers, Science Daily
Finland and Uganda are the world’s fittest countries, World Economic Forum

Interesting

‘Biodegradable’ plastic bags survive three years in soil and sea, The Guardian
Scandinavian Airlines strike in fourth day, affecting thousands, Stars & Stripes
Can Uber ever make money?, Business Insider
35 Countries Where Americans Are Most Likely to Get Kidnapped, In Homeland Security
Key takeaways from our new study of how Americans use Twitter, Pew Research Center
Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband Service Coming to Charlotte in 2019, Police Mag
How to Drink Scotch, According to a World-Famous Whiskey Expert, Gear Patrol
Gillette’s Sexist Razor Ad Backfires – Company Facing Major Sales Slump, LE Today
The Best Small Saucepan, NY Times
Video: A Closer Look at the Rivian Electric Pick-Up Truck, The Adventure Blog
Feature: Australia Is Deadly Serious About Killing Millions of Cats, NY times