If you have been watching the news here on the PNW, you no doubt have notice there are several long-term issues we should be concerned about. The first is the ever-increasing drought in California. Most people don’t remember that, decades ago, most of the southern part of that state was mostly desert. It was only transformed due to an overuse of available water and the desire to increase the amount of paradise-like environment is partially responsible for the current conditions.

For now, that’s history and cannot be changed, so what does this mean for you going forward? The first thing to keep in mind is this is the new reality. As we’ve discussed on the podcast, the climate is shifting back to a more normal trend, but not normal for us. For the past 100 years or so, we have become used to a very mild set of weather patterns, and think is is normal. However, records show this is not and we can expect more of the same.

Second, this isn’t the only change we can expect. There are signs that the Oklahoma/Texas area is potentially  shifting back to the Dust Bowl conditions of the 1930s. These, along with other shifts in climate, will dramatically change the growing patterns for our food supply, and that’s just in North America. Your long range planning should take these factors into account. The hardship caused by climate shift alone is enough to keep preparing.

The other big issue is the continuing uncertainty of the economy. The big obvious question is what’s going happen and when? Unfortunately, no one knows (though they may pretend to) what will happen or what the effect will be. My suggestion is instead of wasting time trying to determine exactly what and when, focus on preparing for an economic disruption. As we recently just went through this seven years ago, it should still be fresh in your mind.

News

1. Bleak California Snowpack ‘Obliterates’ Record Low
2. WNW-184- Iran Nuke Deal or No Deal, Russia Threatens Nuke War, 0% GDP Growth, California Drought
3. Missing Sailor Found Off North Carolina Coast
4. Netanyahu: Iran Nuclear Deal Threatens Israel’s Existence
5. N. Korea Fires 4 Short-Range Missiles Into Sea

Prepping and General Interest

1. MS. Clean’s Cleaning Kits
2. Arsenal SLR-104UR Review
3. New Baby Desert Eagle III From Magnum Research – The Firearm Blog
4. BREAKING NEWS: Taurus Curve Already Recalled?
5. Savage Arms Introduces Landry Signature Series Rifles
6. Synchronized Jumping Kommandos – The Firearm Blog
7. Unsafe Food Kills Hundreds of Thousands
8. 10 Must-Have Tools For Every Homestead
9. SOLKOA Survival Systems Grip-S Multi-Tool
10. 20 Vertical Gardening Ideas for Turning a Small Space into a Big Harvest
11. Build Your Own Brooder – Holds 50 Chicks
12. How to Collect Soil Samples for Lab Testing
13. What Can You Do to Attract Beneficial Bugs?
14. Planning Who Shares Your Parachute – Part 2, by L.M.
15. How Prepared Is Your Community for an Emergency?
16. 20+ Food Storage Life Hacks
17. 5 Skills That Will be in Demand When The SHTF
18. The Threat of War is Real – But Beware of The False Hype
19. Is Your Defense At Risk In Case Of An EMP?
20. Tips and Tactics: How to Hunt Ducks
21. List of Preparedness Supplies For: Cleaning

Freedom Issues

1. Kansas: Permitless Carry Legislation Signed Into Law
2. Gun control billboards pulled after protest

Economic

1. Here’s the good news: banks will be obsolete in 10 years
2. Americans Not In The Labor Force Soar To Record 93.2 Million As Participation Rate Drops To February 1978 Levels
3. How Many People Will Have To Migrate Out Of California When All The Water Disappears?
4. US Economy at Zero Growth According to Atlanta Fed
5. How the California Drought Will Affect our Food Prices and Availability
6. Should You Trust Your Bank? 43% of Americans Don’t. Here’s Why.

Science, Nature and Tech

1. Texas Winds Are Spreading Airborne Superbugs
2. New Laser Heals Wounds Faster, Without Scarring
3. Earthquake Strikes In America’s Heartland
4. “Gulf Stream” shutdown & the New Ice Age: How worried should you be?
5. Hurricane Experts Worry About Complacency Ahead of Season

Prepper Expos

1. PrepperShowsUSA | Prepper Shows and Survivalist Expos

If you have find a news story or prepping-related article, send it in.

This is a curated list of news stories and articles having interested to the preparedness community. None of the above should be considered an endorsement or an attempt to push any particular agenda by the Preparedness Podcast. They’re simply presented here as an informative source.