Negotiators for Israel and Hamas meet with mediators in Egypt to discuss President Donald Trump’s peace proposal to end the war in Gaza, ICE agents face significant threats from “domestic terrorists” and international drug cartels, and the “transgender woman” who attempted to kill Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh gets a sweetheart deal from a Biden-appointed judge. It’s Monday, October 6, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here: If you would rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below: Trump’s Peace Plan Talks ‘Proceeding Rapidly’ Topline: President Trump said Monday on Truth Social that there had been “very positive discussions” with Hamas and Arab countries over the weekend, and that the talks are “proceeding rapidly.”  White House is hopeful: President Trump has signaled optimism in the talks. Last week, Trump laid out his 20-point plan for peace in a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The proposal includes the release of all hostages within 72 hours, demands for all Hamas terrorists to turn in their arms, the destruction of all Hamas military infrastructure, including their vast tunnel system, and guarantees that Hamas will have “no role in the governance of Gaza.” On the flip side, Trump’s plan says no Palestinians will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who have can return. It also offers amnesty for Hamas terrorists who surrender peacefully, and it offers vague mention of a pathway to Palestinian statehood and self-determination — though no guarantees were given, and Israel appears unlikely to budge on that front. How we got here: Trump made clear Friday that this was his final offer, saying, “If this LAST CHANCE agreement is not reached, all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas.” Within hours of that warning from Trump on Friday, Hamas officials issued a statement of their own, thanking him for his efforts at peace, and saying they would release all 48 hostages, both the living and the dead. It’s not clear how many of those remaining are still alive. Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout!  President Trump responded quickly, calling on Israel to cease bombing in Gaza to allow for the safe transfer of hostages, writing on Truth Social, “Based on the Statement just issued by Hamas, I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE. Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly!” However, Israel continued its strikes on Gaza over the weekend. The negotiations: Hamas on Friday also agreed to hand over control of Gaza to a “Palestinian body of independents (technocrats)” — a condition laid out by Trump. The Israelis agreed to reduce their military activity in Gaza “to a minimum” and engage only in defensive fighting. They also appear ready to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel and hundreds more captured within Gaza during the war.   ICE Agents Ambushed In Chicago Topline: ICE agents in Chicago were attacked over the weekend by anti-ICE agitators. Federal officials were forced to draw weapons in self-defense, sending at least one woman to the hospital. ICE officers were ambushed on Saturday and boxed in by 10 vehicles. One of the agitators, which Homeland Security has called “domestic terrorists,” was armed with a semi-automatic weapon. According to a Homeland Security spokeswoman, “Law enforcement was forced to deploy their weapons and fire defensive shots at an armed US citizen who drove herself to the hospital to get care for wounds.” Two people have been arrested. The woman referenced by the department is Marimar Martinez, who officials said was known before the incident for making threats against immigration enforcement. After the attack, Chicago police left the area, leaving federal agents in a precarious situation, according to Homeland Security. Over the weekend, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Illinois Democratic Governor JB Pritzker traded shots. Noem blamed Pritzker for local and state law enforcement abandoning federal agents. Pritzker claimed that the Trump administration has turned Chicago into a “war zone.” Man Convicted Of Trying To Kill Kavanaugh Gets Off Light Topline: In 2022, a man was charged with attempting to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. But his lenient sentence on Friday has some calling foul. A judge sentenced Nicholas Roske to just eight years in prison, citing in large part his recent gender transition to a woman. Federal sentencing guidelines called for 30 years to life in prison. But Judge Deborah Boardman, a Biden appointee to the Maryland federal court, spent seven hours justifying a 22-year downward departure from that standard. Tell it to the judge: Roske’s lawyer said that he is now “Sophie” Roske, a transgender woman. Boardman seemed sympathetic, saying, “Ms. Roske came out to herself as transgender in 2020 but kept it secret. Ms. Roske’s sister came out as gay two years prior, but Ms. Roske saw that their parents struggled to reconcile her sexuality with their religious beliefs … I am heartened that this terrible infraction has helped the Roske family … accept their daughter for who she is.” Judge Boardman said prison is especially hard for transgender individuals: “The length doesn’t need to be particularly long … unduly harsh conditions make a difference, too … Let’s not hide the fact that President Trump issued an executive order saying transgender inmates would be assigned to prisons with their biological sex.” The prosecutor replied that there was an injunction holding up much of that order. The judge later acknowledged that was true and Roske may even get female hormones in prison, but still gave out the lenient sentence, based on the mere attempt by Trump, and speculation that it might later be successful. Hmmm: Despite identifying as a woman, Roske appeared on Friday as a very tall man with a very deep voice. There was no attempt to act feminine on his part. The insistence by the judge that he go to a woman’s prison, in addition to spending little time in prison at all, is especially odd considering his online presence. He describes himself as transgender, but he says he is attracted to women. Where is this heading? According to the judge, a light sentence is allowed in this case despite the mandatory sentence for trying to kill a justice being set at 30 years to life. Boardman said the Supreme Court couldn’t force her to follow sentencing guidelines. Boardman acknowledged that Roske had committed “domestic terrorism,” but questioned the legitimacy of the U.S. Sentencing Commission’s decades-old “terrorism enhancement.”  Attorney General Pam Bondi indicated that the Justice Department would attempt an appeal of that sentence. The families: Roske’s family, including his parents and sister, all spoke and emphasized his gender journey, need for therapy, and the emotional impact on the family. Kavanaugh’s mother and wife were there, but didn’t address the court. The moment the judge said Roske would be getting only eight years, they abruptly left the room. The judge did subject Roske to a lifetime of court supervision after his release, which could occur in approximately four years, contingent upon time served and good behavior.

The FBI arrested two individuals on Saturday after they allegedly rammed their vehicles into a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) vehicle in Chicago, triggering a shooting. Marimar Martinez, 31, and Anthony Ian Santos, 21, were charged Sunday after federal authorities said they struck and boxed in a CBP vehicle to prevent it from escaping. Both were charged with forcibly assaulting, impeding, and interfering with a federal law enforcement officer. The incident occurred on Saturday morning as three CBP agents, driving a silver Chevrolet Tahoe, were acting as a mobile security detail for an immigration enforcement operation near southwest Chicago. While working the operation, a “convoy of civilian vehicles” started following them, according to a criminal complaint.   Those vehicles ran red lights, blew by stop signs, and broke traffic laws to follow the Border Patrol vehicle. The complaint added that Martinez could be heard referring to those in the Border Patrol vehicle as “la migra,” which is derogatory slang for immigration enforcement officers. “The convoy of civilian vehicles followed the BPAs closely and pursued the BPAs aggressively, culminating in MARTINEZ, in the Martinez Vehicle, and RUIZ, in the Ruiz Vehicle, driving into and striking the CBP Vehicle on both the driver’s and passenger’s side, respectively, leading to a temporary loss of control of the CBP Vehicle. In addition, once the CBP Vehicle had stopped and the BPAs exited the CBP Vehicle, MARTINEZ drove the Martinez Vehicle at BPA 1,” the complaint said.  After being struck and boxed in by the vehicles, one of the Border Patrol agents exited the Tahoe and fired five shots at the car driven by Martinez, the complaint said. The two vehicles then fled the scene.  Martinez was arrested at a repair shop and taken to a hospital to be treated for gunshot wounds, while Ruiz was arrested at a gas station.  FBI Director Kash Patel announced the arrests on Sunday.  “Attack our law enforcement, and this FBI will find you and bring you to justice,” Patel wrote on X.  Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout That incident followed a pair of car rammings earlier in the week targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, who were also conducting operations in the Chicago area.  In the first instance, Miguel Escareno De Loera, an illegal alien from Mexico, rammed his car into an ICE vehicle twice before jumping a curb and crashing into a stop in Norridge, Illinois, according to the Department of Homeland Security.   In the second attack, Widman Osberto Lopez-Funes, an illegal alien from Guatemala, slammed his vehicle into ICE agents during an enforcement operation before running on foot to his home in Bensenville, DHS said. He was later taken into custody.

President Donald Trump’s latest move to confront rising lawlessness and attacks on federal immigration agents in Chicago is the deployment of 300 Illinois National Guard troops, prompting Democrat Governor JB Pritzker to hyperventilate over “Trump’s Invasion.” “We must now start calling this what it is: Trump’s Invasion,” Prizker stated, according to the Chicago Tribune, which reported that War Secretary Pete Hegseth sent a memo instructing Illinois National Guard leadership to deploy the troops to the Chicago region for at least 60 days. “It started with federal agents, it will soon include deploying federalized members of the Illinois National Guard against our wishes, and it will now involve sending in another state’s military troops,” Pritzker declared. The White House has stated that the National Guard troops will protect federal personnel and property—like ICE facilities—where violent demonstrations are either happening or expected. The memo calls for protecting federal law enforcement officials who are “performing Federal functions.” Meanwhile, the Texas Guard is preparing to deploy hundreds more National Guard troops to Illinois. Trump has been blunt about the situation in the Chicago area, saying, “Everybody knows Chicago is a hellhole right now.” The city is drowning in violent crime, and federal ICE agents have been under attack. In September, rioters surrounded ICE vehicles in Broadview, Illinois, threw tear gas, and even slashed tires in a protest against ICE. The Trump administration rolled out “Operation Midway Blitz,” which scooped up hundreds of illegal immigrants with criminal backgrounds—gang members, murderers, and sex offenders. Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout!  Pritzker said over the weekend that he would refuse to deploy the state’s National Guard, stating that a federal deployment would be illegal, and has threatened to file a lawsuit to stop it, citing the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878. Trump’s justification to federalize the National Guard comes from the U.S. Code, specifically 10 U.S.C. § 12406, which states:” “Whenever (1) the United States, or any of the Commonwealths or possessions, is invaded or is in danger of invasion by a foreign nation; (2) there is a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States; or (3) the President is unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States; then the President may call into Federal service members and units of the National Guard of any State in such numbers as he considers necessary to repel the invasion, suppress the rebellion, or execute those laws.” On Sunday, Trump said, “I believe the politicians are under threat, because there’s no way somebody can say that things are wonderful in Chicago. There’s no city in the world like that. We’re going to straighten it out. And I think that Pritzker, he’s not a stupid person. I think that Pritzker is afraid for his life,” hinting that Pritzker was beholden to organizations the Trump administration believes support the protests over increased immigration enforcement. In Oregon, a federal judge blocked President Trump’s effort to deploy California National Guard troops to Portland after previously issuing a restraining order halting the Oregon Guard deployment. Trump fired back, calling the judge “shameful” and insisting that cities like Portland and Chicago are “burning” and in desperate need of federal assistance. RELATED: Trump Rips Dems For Refusing Federal Help After More Deadly Shootings In Chicago

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Books Wind and Truth Reread Wind and Truth Reread: Chapters 113-116 The origins of the Oathpact, Jasnah’s downfall, and our favorite Navani impersonator. By Paige Vest, Lyndsey Luther, Drew McCaffrey | Published on October 6, 2025 Comment 0 Share New Share Welcome, Sanderfans, to another installment of the Wind and Truth Reread! We’ve got some very tense debates this week between Taravangian and Jasnah, as well as LOTS of juicy new insights from Tanavast. We even get to see Navani’s reaction at discovering that Lift’s been masquerading as her all this time! So let’s get to it… The book has been out long enough that most of you will hopefully have finished, and as such, this series shall now function as a re-read rather than a read-along. That means there will be spoilers for the end of the book (as well as full Cosmere spoilers, so beware if you aren’t caught up on all Cosmere content). Paige’s Commentary: Plot Arcs Chapter 113 is “Accommodation,” an Honor chapter, which takes place seven thousand fifty years ago. We see how Tanavast created the Stormfather, a spren which was like him if he was free to simply exist. Then Kor arrives back on Roshar and tells him how Rayse has killed not only Uli Da… he’d also killed two other Shardbearers: Aona, who held Devotion, and Skai, who held Dominion. They decide to attack Rayse as he is weakened, but when they reach him, he warns them that Roshar will be destroyed if they fight him. They find him with the singers and Tanavast feels betrayed that they seem to like. Rayse and his talk of passion. They attack, but then they see glimpses of the future: Roshar, burned and full of broken bodies. “THE FUTURE,” RAYSE SAID, “IS DEATH, MY FRIENDS.” He brings up the destruction that occurred when he killed Ambition, and Tanavast considers the utter devastation that was wrought by the clash between Rayse and Ambition. Horrified, Tanavast and Kor realize they must refrain from attacking Rayse. IN THAT MOMENT, I LEARNED SOMETHING INCREDIBLE. I KNEW WHY ADONALSIUM, AT THE END, HAD NOT FOUGHT US. Rayse says that they must make an accommodation, a deal. Thinking of the proxy war they’d unleashed upon Ashyn, Tanavast immediately says that they must not make the same mistake again, giving humans so much power. Kor offers a way to limit and place conditions on the power they grant to humans—a system of equations, accounting for both greater and lesser powers. Rayse doesn’t want to be bound and thinks it might be better if he seeks a different world, but Tanavast does not want him wreaking havoc on defenseless victims, and insists that the three of them must stay and share the Rosharan system. Kor threatens Rayse into compliance by saying that if he doesn’t agree, she’ll gather the rest and they’ll deal with him as they dealt with Adonalsium. Rayse accepts the terms. Honor binds the three of them, surprising Rayse. However, as Tanavast and Kor leave, they feel Roshar beginning to adopt Rayse, just as it had previously adopted the two of them. Chapter 114 is titled “The Greatest Good.” Jasnah is incredulous at Taravangian’s claim that he’ll conquer Thaylen City. At first, Jasnah and Taravangian argue morals and philosophies. He promises Fen peace and prosperity. She leans toward the Coalition, as she’s loyal to it and to Dalinar. Jasnah argues that he won’t bring peace because he’s a murderer who just wants control. Then Taravangian tells Fen of how Jasnah lured the thieves in Kharbranth into attacking her in order to destroy them and to teach Shallan a lesson. She falters a bit as she defends herself. Next, he produces a contract for Fen to read; the contract that Jasnah took out on Aesudan, in case she decided to assassinate her sister-in-law. She defends that, too, but Taravangian uses it as an example of the lengths Jasnah will go to protect her family and her people. Jasnah realizes that Taravangian, unlike her, hadn’t come to argue competing philosophies, but to argue against her. POV Change! Navani is back in Urithiru in the Physical Realm. She’s bereft at leaving Dalinar behind in the Spiritual Realm. She thinks that if he doesn’t make it back, then she’ll take his place in the contest herself. She hands Gavinor off to a nursemaid with instructions to let him sleep on a couch in the next room so she can check on him. Then she enters the chamber where Lift is masquerading as her. In the midst of that weirdness, Wit arrives wearing Dalinar’s face, though the illusion quickly evaporates. Navani tells Wit that she left Dalinar behind, and that Wit’s going to help her save him. He asks if Shallan, Renarin, and Rlain returned with her. She’s confused, saying she didn’t know they were in there. They go off to discuss what had gone wrong with their experiment seven days ago, and Wit assures her that he may be able to think of a way to help Dalinar. Chapter 115 is another Honor chapter titled “Binding,” which takes place seven thousand years ago. Tanavast wants to confront Odium, as he fears that Rayse is moving to conquer the cosmere. Against Kor’s wishes, he reaches out to the other Shards to see if they’ll help. None will. So he goes to Ishar and other humans who’d had the power of Surgebinding on Ashyn, who still retained a seed of that power. He promises Surgebinding to Ishar and his allies if they will obey and accept Honor’s rules. Of course, they agree, and thus the Oathpact is forged and the allies become Heralds. Chapter 116 is titled “Two Women,” and here we see Jasnah’s downfall. She’s argued very well and nearly beat Taravangian. In the end, she’s done in by the undeniable fact that she would do anything to protect her family and Alethkar, no matter the cost. She states that she wouldn’t take the same deal from Odium to protect Alethkar, and Fen knows she’s lying. Fen, despite her previous loyalty to the Coalition, agrees to join Odium. As they haggle about the future of Thaylenah, Jasnah sits, quietly stunned, and attempts to come to grips with her defeat. Lyndsey’s Commentary: Character Arcs Tanavast/Honor SO INCONSISTENT WERE THESE SINGERS! SO UNTRUSTWORTHY!I HESITATED. THAT WASN’T TRULY HOW I FELT, BUT THE POWER WITHIN ME—THE POWER CALLED HONOR—WAS OFFENDED BY THEM TURNING FROM THEIR PROMISES. We see how the power of the Shards slowly changes their bearers’ personalities time and time again in the cosmere—the most obvious case being Sazed, slowly becoming paralyzed by the warring dichotomy of the two Shards he holds. But it’s chilling to think about something changing the very essence of who you are, and doing it in such a slow, insidious manner that you barely realize what’s happening. Taravangian/Odium When I have control of the cosmere, the peace that shall be known will bring joy to more people than you can imagine exist.” Ah yes… the old “only by uniting everyone under my rule can there be peace” chestnut. How many dictators in fiction have perpetuated this myth as justification for their power grabs? “Jasnah, what would you do if you were in Fen’s situation?”“Keep my promises,” she said.“Is that so?” he asked. “You would do the moral thing instead of the right thing?” This entire game of wits between the two of them has the feel of impending disaster—which is fitting, of course, as Jasnah does lose this battle. I find it terrifying how easily Taravangian turns Jasnah’s own actions and personality against her. Jasnah If you, right now, thought Fen were a threat to your family—if she were planning to destroy Alethkar—would you eliminate her?”“Any queen would,” Jasnah said.“I don’t… know if I would,” Fen whispered. Interesting that Jasnah makes such an assumption about all leaders. She seems to assume that all leaders, once they reach a certain level of power, will act with clinical logic and reason, as she would. This oversight—ignoring the impact of emotions over reason—will, of course, contribute to her downfall in this matter. She didn’t enjoy this, but a part of her was engaged in a way she had rarely been in her life. Arguing with someone who had the genuine capacity to not merely match her every point, but defeat her. Wanting the opportunity to match wits with an equal, if not a superior, intellect is understandable. If only Taravangian wasn’t such a… well, the things I want to call him wouldn’t really be suitable for polite company, so let’s just go with “jerk.” Perhaps, if Jasnah and Taravangian could have worked together for the greater good… but what is the greater good, in this instance? The good of the Alethi? The people of Roshar? All the people in the cosmere? The scale is so grand that it’s difficult to contemplate. Ultimately she’s like any of us: Family. Kingdom. World. In that order.” I would suggest that this aligns with the “monkeysphere” philosophical concept, or “Dunbar’s number,” which states that a person can only hold so many sociological connections (suggested to be around 150 stable relationships). Past that number, people don’t care so deeply. It’s harder to empathize with people outside of your direct experience; you just naturally care more for those you interact with more frequently. There’s also some aspects of the trolley problem at play here; who would you save? A family member for whom you care deeply, or ten innocent strangers? These are the underlying philosophical concepts at play in Taravangian’s argument here. Jasnah clearly would choose to save her family over all the people of Thaylenah; to claim otherwise would be disingenuous. No, a part of her thought. Freedom is more important.But did she believe that? Or did she believe that keeping people safe was right, regardless? Oof. That’s a hell of a thought, isn’t it? Which is better, a free people constantly at war and in danger of death? Or a people enslaved, but in peace? As an American, I’ve been conditioned my whole life to stand by freedom. But in this instance, I truly don’t know if freedom is worth the instability and destruction and death. She’d loved them too much to kill them, which meant her moral philosophy was an utter sham. Taravangian has turned her love for her family into the ultimate weapon to defeat her. She couldn’t know what was right.The cosmere, even the world, was just too big. And so we come to the ultimate question driving any analysis of ethics and morality: how to determine what is right. Interestingly we saw this same quandary in Kaladin’s section earlier in the book too, when he was debating the subject with Nale. Drew’s Commentary: Invested Arts & Theories Well, chapter 113 opens immediately with some clarifying language: IMPRINTED MYSELF UPON [THE STORMS], MADE THEM AN AVATAR OF ME. A WORD USED BY THE GODS FOR AN ASPECT OF THEMSELVES THAT WORKS WITH A CERTAIN SELF-DETERMINATION. The idea of avatars has been around in the Cosmere for the better part of a decade now, but I still see a lot of confusion around just what an avatar is. It seems Brandon has been seeing the same thing, because he comes right out with an explanation here. It’s useful, especially in the wake of Mistborn Era 2 and Isles of the Emberdark and all that stuff Autonomy is getting up to. THE HEALER? OF ALL PEOPLE, HE’D ATTACKED AONA? This chapter is just packed with Shardic lore. This particular moment isn’t new—it’s some nice dramatic irony, as we readers have known about Odium’s work with Aona and Skai since The Way of Kings—but it does set up some new context for the splintering of Devotion and Dominion. Odium somehow got them to turn on each other and weaken themselves before he stepped in with the killing blows and shoved all that Investiture into the Cognitive Realm at Sel. Sel is actually a strange parallel to what’s going on with Roshar, too. We’ve been operating under the assumption that Sel was unique—and in some ways it is—with un-held (un-Vesseled?) Shards just floating around and gaining sentience. But Wind and Truth reveals that Honor was in a similar boat: not splintered, not sitting in the Cognitive Realm and impacting the geographic elements of the magic, but gaining intelligence nonetheless. I have to wonder if Virtuosity is experiencing something similar, as well. As we head into the second half of the general Cosmere narrative, we’ve suddenly gotten information about a sizable number of Shards just… sitting there, in one form or another. This feels like really important information, and possibly even a potential point of conflict for the major powers in the late-stage Cosmere. Speaking of late-stage Cosmere, it seems increasingly certain that Threnody is going to be important—and certainly the residents of Threnody will be, as the Night Brigade sweeps across the stars. I LOOKED TO THE PLACE WHERE AMBITION HAD DIED—OUT IN SPACE, DISTANT. THEIR CLASH HAD BEEN DESTRUCTIVE, THE ENTIRE REGION—INCLUDING MULTIPLE PLANETS—HAD BEEN ANNIHILATED. OTHER PLANETS LAY BROKEN, BARELY HABITABLE. So we know that Odium began his conflict with Ambition in the Threnodite system, and she was gravely wounded there. But that’s not where Uli Da found her ultimate demise, nor where Ambition was fully splintered. So where was it? There are a lot of different names for Taln’s Scar floating around the Cosmere. The Red Rip is another. Most people, if they give much thought to this particular stellar phenomenon, assume that this is related to the Shattering of Adonalsium, perhaps a signal that fainlife has been spreading from Yolen across the systems of the Cosmere. But what if this is, in fact, a relic of Odium’s struggle with Ambition, leaving a ravaged wake behind them? Threnody is one of the worlds where we’ve seen mythology spring up around it… “EACH VIOLATION OF OUR WORD WEAKENS US, OPENS US TO ATTACK.” We’ve heard variations of this before, through Hoid and the conversations about the contract with Odium, but this feels extra important given the context of chapter 113. So much of this chapter is themed around the death of Vessels and the destruction of Shards—even a reference to the Shattering of Adonalsium—that I think we have to consider what happened with Devotion and Dominion. Did Odium entice them into breaking some agreement they had with each other? Was the simple fact that they ignored the agreement about shacking up together enough for him to exploit? And then there’s the enigmatic Word of Brandon about Autonomy’s help during Odium’s foray on Sel, and the long-running theory that Jaddeth is an avatar of Autonomy. How much of a mess are we looking at when there are four Shards all interacting with each other? […] EURIDRIUS, HOLDER OF REASON—WHO HAD VANISHED. This is a reread, so we already know about this particular Shard and Vessel, but I have to call out once again how much fun that little spike of joy is, every time we got a new Shard named over the years. Incredibly, all sixteen original Shards have been named. I can’t say that we’ll never get another new Shard again—heck, we just got Retribution in this novel, and who knows how many other combination Shards will pop up over the rest of these books—but a small part of me will always look fondly back on the early days of theorizing Shards and trying to assign Shards into type quadrants and all of that. The cosmere has changed a lot in the last 19 years. CHAN KO SAR, INVENTION, WHO TRAVELED THE COSMERE CREATING GREAT MARVELS. Judging by the name, Chan Ko Sar is likely another Sho Del Vessel, like Uli Da. But this line resonates especially strongly after Isles of the Emberdark and all the lore about the Grand Apparatus. Some people seem to think that Adonalsium created the Grand Apparatus, but I suspect it was actually Invention’s doing—and Invention certainly has interest in it. Now a world like Canticle? I think that has to be Adonalsium’s doing. But I feel like it’s a safe guarantee that we’re gonna see some crazy stuff Invented as we get into Mistborn Era 4, and maybe if (…when? Probably “when”) Sanderson drops more Secret Projects on us. Cuz c’mon. Does anyone really think he’s done doing that? There’s always another secret. We’ll be keeping an eye on the comment sections of posts about this article on various social media platforms and may include some of your comments/speculation (with attribution) on future weeks’ articles! Keep the conversation going, and PLEASE remember to spoiler-tag your comments on social media to help preserve the surprise for those who haven’t read the book yet. Please note that here won’t be a new reread article next week, but we’ll be back on Monday, October 20th with our discussion of chapters 117 through 120![end-mark] The post <i>Wind and Truth</i> Reread: Chapters 113-116 appeared first on Reactor.

By the author of Household Preparedness Training: Domestic Protocols For Crises And Emergencies One common mistake in prepping is dropping a lot of money on stuff when we start. I’m talking about overspending in gear and supplies, from FOMO or some other compensation mechanism – an error I myself admitted in this 2023 article about 10 Prepping Mistakes And Failures.  As long as we move out of this phase shortly (before breaking our bank account and compromising our finances), everything should be fine. It’s part of the learning curve, and we shouldn’t feel too guilty about it. Take the lesson and move on. Failing to care for emergency equipment and supplies can be an equally harmful blunder: we can lose our investment, end up having a bad surprise, and get stranded if something happens and our preps are useless from neglect. As I’m about to show, that can be easily avoided. I’ve seen that happen more than enough to warrant a discussion about it.  Between 2020 and 2024 I assisted a number of individuals and families starting in the preparedness lifestyle, giving advice on how to build equipment and stockpiles, emergency bags, household gear, all the stuff we discuss here and everywhere. When the COVID madness started to dwindle and life return to normal a couple of years ago, overall interest in preparedness also begun to wane a bit. I could tell by the quantity of books being sold, the number of messages and inquiries received, those things. That’s my perspective, maybe others had it differently.  Now, it’s perfectly fine – even desirable, in my opinion – to adjust our level of awareness and readiness when that happens. I do that myself, too. That doesn’t mean, however, we should abandon the preparedness mindset and go fully into ‘normie mode’, or complacent in the slightest.  Things change. One day we have lockdowns declared over a virus, the next it’s martial law over some alleged threat to democracy. Then it’s fear of nuclear or civil war, or an imminent collapse of the financial system. It can be changes in the weather (we’re starting to have tornadoes here in Brazil – check out these images of a local Toyota plant after a storm this week). What I mean is, there are favorable times to build bunkers, and there’s time when it’s better to strengthen our finances, or build a larger dry food stockpile, or a radio station. And so on. But whatever we build, we need to maintain – or risk losing it. The best time to prepare is exactly when the situation is favorable. It’s 2025, and the world is anything but normal. The situation is overall better than it was during the plandemic, but there’s enough evidence pointing out to hard times ahead. I’m sure you can feel it, everyone can. I say that not to stoke fear, but to warn against complacency and normalcy bias. If we got a break, we should enjoy life a little more but keep preparing.  Some of those families I helped prepare kept the mindset and discipline. They’ve internalized the prepper mentality, sparing a little of their time and resources with diligence, to stay in shape and maintain everything they built in working order.  But others have slacked off and abandoned their preparations, neglecting their equipment.  A few months ago I started getting requests from some of those people, now interested in resuming their activities. I have no idea if this was a coincidence, or maybe something sparked it. There’s a lot going on right now so it could be something these people picked in the air.  That prompted me to write this article with some ideas and tips on the importance of regular equipment maintenance, and a few tips and ideas on what and how to do it. There are two ways to ensure our equipment is always in tip-top condition. My favorite is to put the stuff to use regularly, either by going out into the streets, the woods, the road, or at home. Real-life preparation for common folks. Those are all things I propose in my books, and I put my money where my mouth is.  If for whatever reason street survival training, stealth camping, backpacking or bug-out dry-runs are too complex, expensive or time-consuming, a bit of backyard camping or even grid-down simulations at home (as I propose in my latest book Household Preparedness Training) can do the trick. Those are effective yet simple, quick, and convenient ways to check if bags, tents, stoves, filters, flashlights, radios, power banks, and pretty much everything is in good condition, or requires some maintenance (or replacement).  Doing that has the added bonuses of practicing skills and keeping me and my family in shape to some degree, too.  Another way is to perform periodic checks. Sometimes, life just gets in the way. We get busy with work, a project, or something else, and time for practical activities becomes rare. That’s OK, as I said. If lights are on, shelves are full and banks are open, we should live life as normally as possible. That doesn’t mean, however, abandoning our preps. If I stay more than three or four months without doing any of those outdoor or indoor activities mentioned above, I make sure to take a weekend off to check my equipment and stockpile: unpack everything, perform quick tests, a bit of recharging here and there, some cleaning, an inventory update, and so on. Unused stuff can decay quicker than we think. Stuff is made to be used, and unused stuff that is packed and/or stored can degrade away from our eyes, without we even noticing. Not just food and other consumables, but here I’m talking specifically about gear.  Fabrics and cloths can rot, get dry, brittle, stiff, eaten by bugs, develop mold, get stuck or cold-soldered to other things; develop creases and cuts, and so on. Rubber  and plastic parts can also dry up and unglue. Metal items can oxidize, cold-solder, get stuck. Zippers can get frozen or break.  Stoves can stop functioning, get clogged, or oxidize. Same with generators. Gas and other fuels can spoil or leak. Valves can freeze.  All that and more can happen to bags and backpacks, tents, hammocks, sleeping bags and pads, tarps, cloths, shoes, water filters, and other equipment, even when properly stored. Also, medications, first-aid, and personal hygiene items that stay unused inside backpacks can leak, dry up, spoil, and lose effectiveness.  In addition to the above recommendations, I present the following suggestions for items to check. Make a list or inventory or your equipment to make the process thorough and organized. Follow the maintenance schedule provided by the manufacturer or supplier of the item, or according to your experience.  Electronics Electronics can stop functioning if left unused for long periods. Capacitors can leak, wires and connectors dry up, pins can bend or oxidize, LCD and TFT screens can crack, and so on. Batteries and power banks can leak, discharge, lose capacity over time, and suffer from memory effect. Periodically test radios, HTs, flashlights, solar panels and other electronics and electric devices that are part of your emergency equipment. Check for integrity, antennas, buttons, covers, and also charge. LiPo batteries don’t like to be left fully charged (much less discharged) for long periods.  Side note: every four months or so I update my local and regional repeater book database, as new repeaters keep getting added, go into maintenance, out of order, or have something in their frequency changed. After that I update the memory database on all my radios.  Food Even emergency food has a shelf life. Rotate stockpiled items regularly to keep consumables fresh at all times. Documents Check for the validity of passports and expiration dates of visas and other documents, especially if relocating is in your plans and that of your family.  Firearms Even though I’m a longtime shooter and competitor, I’m no expert, and Brazil is very different from the U.S. in this regard. Firearms are a controversial matter here in my country, and we firearm lovers are living in constant legal limbo. Still, I wanted to remind you that this item also needs regular maintenance, both in regard to the equipment and skill. So no matter how busy I am, I find time to hit the local range at least once a month, take care of my equipment, and also hone my shooting skills. Local Intel It’s not “equipment”, but this item also requires maintenance to remain useful. Our environment – our city, neighborhood, street, etc. – is constantly changing, with the infrastructure undergoing changes, upgrades, lack of maintenance, or a combination of these. If you value local intel to your preparation strategies, keep your grid knowledge up to date (I’ve addressed this topic in this article). Fitness, mental and emotional health Here’s my rationale: there’s no sense in keeping my gear, my stockpiles and my home in order, if my body isn’t. Therefore, staying in good shape physically, mentally and emotionally is my #1 priority.  Conclusion Prepping doesn’t have to be 24-7 in practical terms, but once we incorporate preparedness into our lifestyle and develop the correct mindset and mentality, a few things become evident. One is that becoming complacent can be a setback and is detrimental in various forms. Another is that a little effort every day goes a long way in keeping us prepared.  Additionally, maintaining our equipment helps rationalize and optimize our investments. It’s not a matter of motivation, but discipline. If you get a break, take the opportunity and preserve your stuff – keep preparing. Finally, whatever preparations you have built in these last months or over the years, spare some time and effort to maintain them. It’s easier than starting from scratch or coming out scrambling if something happens, that I assure you.  What about you? Do you have a regular maintenance schedule for checking your preps? Have you ever lost preps that you thought were fine but discovered they no longer worked? Share your thoughts and experiences with us in the comments section. About Fabian Fabian Ommar is a 50-year-old middle-class worker living in São Paulo, Brazil. Far from being the super-tactical or highly trained military survivor type, he is the average joe who since his youth has been involved with self-reliance and outdoor activities and the practical side of balancing life between a big city and rural/wilderness settings. Since the 2008 world economic crisis, he has been training and helping others in his area to become better prepared for the “constant, slow-burning SHTF” of living in a 3rd world country. Fabian’s ebook, Street Survivalism: A Practical Training Guide To Life In The City , is a practical training method for common city dwellers based on the lifestyle of the homeless (real-life survivors) to be more psychologically, mentally, and physically prepared to deal with the harsh reality of the streets during normal or difficult times. He’s also the author of The Ultimate Survival Gear Handbook. You can follow Fabian on Instagram @stoicsurvivor The post Prep Maintenance Is Just as Important as Buying More Preps appeared first on The Organic Prepper.