The U.S. Coast Guard will deploy autonomous wind- and solar-powered surface vessels across the Great Lakes this year from May through October to expand maritime surveillance and data collection, according to a release.The uncrewed vessels, built by Saildrone, are being deployed as part of a contract with the Coast Guard aimed at improving maritime domain awareness in a region that spans over 90,000 square miles of water and connects to international shipping routes. Saildrone designs and operates long-endurance unmanned surface vehicles that use wind propulsion and solar energy to sail for months at a time while collecting real-time data. Each drone is furnished with radar and optical sensors, along with collision-avoidance technology. The USVs use a hybrid-electric propulsion system as their primary power source, with wind propulsion provided by the Saildrone Wing and solar energy that powers batteries. The systems are also monitored by human operators, who can intervene in situations if needed.Saildrone’s USVs are designed to support missions ranging from detecting illegal activity and gathering environmental data to preparing for emergency response and protecting maritime borders. The deployment reflects a broader Coast Guard effort to integrate autonomous systems into maritime domain awareness. The service’s Robotics and Autonomous Systems Program…

Country music sensation Koe Wetzel is dropping a new album next month.Wetzel has turned into an incredibly popular country music act over the past couple of years, and there’s a major reason why: He blends outlaw country music with more modern vibes and themes.The formula has been a smashing success as his latest single “Feel Better” immediately set the internet on fire. Now, he’s done it again.COUNTRY MUSIC SENSATIONS TEAM UP FOR NEW SONG, SET INTERNET ON FIRE: WATCH Koe Wetzel announces new album.Wetzel dropped major news Tuesday on Instagram when he announced his new album “The Night Champion” will be released on June 12.It will be the “High Road” singer’s seventh studio album since launching his career more than a decade ago. You can check out the album tease announcement below, and let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.ELLA LANGLEY CELEBRATES NO. 1 ALBUM LAKESIDE IN A BIKINI AND MIKE VRABEL (SORT OF) APOLOGIZESWetzel also dropped a second promo for the album on Instagram with the caption, “Some people thrive in the night…and I’m no different.”The man knows the exact game he’s playing as he sets the tone for “The Night Champion.”People were quick to react in the comments…

Within the U.S. Army’s $253 billion budget request is a proposal to boost research and development spending by 12.9%.While officials say that extra $2.1 billion will allow the Army to “keep a technological advantage,” congressional leaders have expressed concern that it could come at the expense of accountability.During the Army’s congressional budget hearing, Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., the ranking member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, noted that while R&D spending is increasing, funding for financial management and audit readiness is declining.McCollum said that although much of the budget is aimed at “applications, infrastructure, data and transport,” it provides less detail on how those investments will be tracked. She added that the number of budget lines dedicated to auditing has been reduced from 41 to four.“It has an unintended consequence when you compress these activities to make it easier for the Army to move funds without keeping Congress involved,” she said. “We might have a discussion about what you’re going to do, but without the lines, we don’t have the accountability for both of us.”While the accountability concerns are clear, they also raise a practical question: where will the R&D money go?According to the Army’s budget highlights, R&D spending…

Want a Colonial Marine Corps M-41A Pulse Rifle at home? You can get pretty close with the Manticore Arms Ripley Rail.If you’re a fan of the Alien movie franchise, there’s a good chance you’ve thought about owning the iconic M-41A Pulse Rifle used by the Colonial Marine Corps in Aliens and Alien 3. Sure, replicas are available for purchase, and some enthusiasts have even gone the extra mile and built models capable of live fire using a Thompson as the base (like the original movie props did), but that’s difficult and expensive. If you want an easy shortcut lookalike, you need to check out Manticore Arms’ Ripley Rail.The Ripley Rail can be mounted to just about any standard AR with a Picatinny rail upper receiver, and it will instantly transform your carbine into something that looks suited for space combat against xenomorphs. Well, at least the front half of the gun.Made of 6061 T6 aluminum, the Ripley Rail features an integral carry handle with front and rear iron sights as well as the hole for mounting AR carry handle scopes. The aluminum forend also features plenty of usable M-LOK slots on its sides, top and bottom for mounting accessories as…

This article was originally published by Ryan McMaken at The Mises Institute.  In January of 1917, V.I. Lenin was disappointed. He was living in exile in Zurich, having failed to bring about a communist revolution in Russia in the wake of the Russian Revolution of 1905. Yet, being a committed revolutionary, he refused to declare defeat. In a speech to socialists on January 22, Lenin described the failure to win a decisive battle against the Russian regime as a “temporary defeat.” Nonetheless, he did not know when a similar opportunity might arise, and he told his audience: We of the older generation may not live to see the decisive battles of this coming revolution. But I can, I believe, express the confident hope that the youth which is working so splendidly in the socialist movement of Switzerland, and of the whole world, will be fortunate enough not only to fight, but also to win, in the coming proletarian revolution. Lenin did not know then, of course, that in just a few months he would be returning to Russia, and there he would seize upon new political realities that would allow him and his followers to smash the provisional government and…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! On April 11, over 70 animals were killed in a New York barn fire, and it was far from the first incident of its kind this year. In just the first three months of 2026, nearly 120,000 farm animals perished in fires. Particularly on factory farms, large-scale disasters happen far too often — and thousands of animals are left with no escape from danger as smoke and flames ravage their crowded barns. These are preventable tragedies, but until we shift from reactive bailouts to proactive measures, we are only adding fuel to the fire.The scale of the problem is evident. From 2013 to 2023, 6.8 million farm animals died in fires. In a single year, 2024, the tragic figure reached over 1.5 million, the highest total reported since 2020. While worker deaths due to barn fires are far less common, people are also at risk, as we saw in 2023, when a Texas dairy farm employee was killed along with 18,000 cows.Yet in a profit-driven industry, there seems to be little incentive to address this issue, and while faulty electrical or heating equipment is sometimes found, the causes of many fires go…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A Swiss man who returned from a cruise linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak has tested positive and been isolated, as health officials say the strain involved can spread between people in rare cases — though the overall risk remains low.Health authorities in Switzerland confirmed the man recently traveled aboard the MV Hondius, the cruise ship at the center of an outbreak that has already killed three passengers and sickened several others.Swiss health officials said the man sought medical care after developing symptoms and was immediately placed in isolation. His wife, who traveled with him, is self-isolating but has not shown symptoms.The officials confirmed his case involves the Andes strain of hantavirus.RARE HANTAVIRUS HUMAN-TO-HUMAN TRANSMISSION SUSPECTED ON LUXURY CRUISE SHIP WHERE 3 HAVE DIED The World Health Organization said the Andes strain is a rare form of hantavirus that can spread between humans through close contact — unlike most hantavirus infections, which are typically linked to exposure to rodent droppings.South African health authorities said they also identified the Andes strain in two other passengers who were on the ship. The outbreak left the Dutch-flagged cruise ship stranded off the coast of Cape…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! There’s a new playbook in blue state taxation, and it’s not being explained clearly to the people paying the bill.It’s called the surtax.And if you think it’s just another tax bracket, you’re already missing the point.BILL MAHER CALLS OUT BERNIE SANDERS, SAYS HE’S TIRED OF HEARING THE RICH DON’T PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE OF TAXESWhat is a surtax?A surtax is a tax layered on top of an existing income tax, not a replacement for it.In plain English, here’s how it works: You pay your normal state income tax, and then once your income crosses a certain threshold, the state adds an extra percentage on top of that same income.Surtaxes aren’t just about taxing the rich. They’re about engineering revenue from high-value moments. It’s the difference between climbing a ladder and having someone add another rung above you just when you think you’ve reached the top and hit success. But why should you be penalized for being successful? It’s anti-capitalist.Why blue states use surtaxesStates use surtaxes for one simple reason: Targeted revenue without broad backlash.AMERICANS CONTINUE VOTING WITH THEIR FEET AS HIGH-TAX CITIES STRUGGLE TO RECOVERInstead of raising taxes on everyone, these states…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! FIRST ON FOX: The restaurant industry is under constant pressure to evolve as tastes and trends change — including how much people are eating.In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito, restaurateur and owner of New York City’s new Bar Rocco, discussed how shifting consumer habits — including delivery, pricing and weight-loss trends — are reshaping the industry.”There’s no question the restaurant industry is changing,” he said. “Mostly dining habits are changing.”SOLO DINING SURGES 52% AS AMERICANS EMBRACE ‘ME-ME-ME ECONOMY’ OVER SHARED MEALS”A lot of people are getting food delivered to their homes,” he said, noting one example. “Now you can get everything delivered to your home. There was a time [when] fine-dining restaurants didn’t do delivery, but now they all do.” At-home delivery is pulling some diners away from traditional restaurant experiences, DiSpirito said — while also contributing to a growing demand for faster, more efficient service when people do choose to dine out.”They generally are looking for great value, but still looking for really indulgent foods, really special occasion experiences and vibes, and I think they want to feel like they experience something very special when they…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Rolla, MO – A new medical drone program being tested in Missouri could help speed up how critical supplies like blood and lab samples are delivered, especially in rural areas where access to care can take longer.At a test site in Missouri, a drone company working with Missouri University of Science and Technology is trialing flights designed to move medical materials between smaller communities and larger hospital hubs.The goal is to speed up the distribution of care — including blood for testing, lab samples needed for diagnoses, and tissue used to help match organ donors with recipients.”It’s very essential. For instance, if you miss sample pickup at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, if you miss that time, it’s another week you can get it delivered on time,” said a drone operator involved in the project. HOSPITAL USING DRONES TO FLY BLOOD SAMPLES BETWEEN BUILDINGS The effort comes as rural healthcare access remains a challenge nationwide. More than 130 rural hospitals closed between 2010 and 2021, according to the Senate Joint Economic Committee, leaving some patients traveling about 20 extra miles for care, including time-sensitive testing and procedures.”When you’re looking at things like transplant speed,…