In late June, the U.S. average temperature climbed to 71.2°F which is nearly 3°F above normal. Air conditioning can effectively beat the heat, but it comes with a high electric bill. A DIY swamp cooler offers an affordable way to chill your space using a simple fan setup. This guide covers a foam‑box tutorial and provides several tips to keep your cooler running cold all season.

What is a Swamp Cooler?

A swamp cooler is a DIY appliance that helps lower room temperature via evaporation. A small fan pulls warm room air inside the box, where it moves across a wet pad or ice. The cooler stream then exits through the outlet vent.

Several DIY swamp cooler designs follow this same evaporation principle. One option uses a five‑gallon bucket and a water pump to circulate water through coils. Another method involves wrapping copper tubing around a fan grid and pumping cold water. You can also repurpose an ice chest by cutting air vents and fitting PVC ducts to channel cool air.

How to Build a DIY Swamp Cooler Using a Foam Box

The container method uses an insulated styro box as the housing unit of a small evaporative cooler. Since the container is light, you can move it easily and set it up quickly.

Materials

• Insulated foam cooler or polystyrene box
• Box fan (10–12 in)
• Submersible water pump (5–10 W)
• ¼‑inch ID vinyl/PVC tubing
• Evaporative cooling pad or foam filter pad
• Zip ties or strong duct tape
• Clean water

Basic tools

• Tape measure
• Marker
• Utility knife or box cutter
• Drill with ¼‑inch bit

Steps:

1. Set the foam box on a stable surface and measure the fan’s front dimensions. Then mark a circle on the box wall that matches those measurements.
2. Cut out the circle so the fan sits evenly against the box. Next, drill a small hole near the bottom for the PVC inlet pipe.
3. Place the small water pump at the bottom of the box and push the tube onto the spout. Then, guide it along the inside wall until the end reaches the pad’s top edge.
4. Set the fan over the opening and secure it with zip ties or tape. Then face the front toward the pad.
5. Fill the foam box with clean water until the level sits about 1 inch above the top of the pump.
6. Switch on the fan and the pump then watch the pad for a minute. If you see dry patches, turn the small knob to raise the flow until the surface looks evenly wet.

Cleaning and Maintenance Tips

After each cooling session, unplug the fan and pump then drain the bucket. Then, rinse the pad and let it air dry. Additionally, wipe the foam box and clean the pump to keep the flow steady. At the end of each week, run a mild vinegar solution through the pad, then flush the bucket and tubing. If the pad starts to smell or turns brittle, replace it immediately to maintain clean airflow and consistent cooling.

DIY Swamp Cooler: A Low-Cost Fix for Hot Days

While a DIY swamp cooler won’t replace central AC, it can cool small rooms effectively. This cooling device will not only help you save on energy costs but also keep you comfortably cool all season long.

FAQs: DIY Swamp Cooler

1. What is a DIY swamp cooler?
   It’s a homemade device that uses water and a fan to cool air through evaporation.
2. Does it work like an air conditioner?
   Not exactly. It lowers the temperature using moisture instead of refrigerant and works best in dry climates.
3. What materials do I need?
   You’ll need a foam cooler, a small fan, a water pump, tubing, a filter pad, and basic tools.
4. How much does it cost to make?
   Most people can build one for under $40 using common parts.
5. Where should I use it?
   Use it in small indoor rooms like bedrooms, garages, or workshops where airflow is limited.
6. How often should I refill the water?
   Check every few hours. In hot weather, you may need to top it off 1–2 times a day.
7. Do I need to use ice?
   Not required, but adding ice or ice packs can boost cooling for a short time.
8. How do I clean it?
   Rinse the pad and tubing weekly, wipe the cooler interior, and drain any leftover water.
9. Can it run all day?
   Yes, as long as there’s water in the box and the pump stays submerged.
10. Is it safe to leave unattended?
    It’s generally safe, but check for leaks, secure wiring, and don’t run it near electronics or outlets.

A major eruption of just one of the Earth’s supervolcanoes would have the potential to produce a long-term “volcanic winter” and a horrifying global famine in which hundreds of millions of people would die.  So should we be alarmed that several of those supervolcanoes appear to be waking up simultaneously?  In recent months, I have written a number of articles about the unusual seismic activity that we have been witnessing all over the world.  There are many in the scientific community that are deeply concerned that all of this seismic activity may be building up to some sort of a crescendo, but so far most people in the general population are not paying attention to the warnings.

Scientists tell us that there are 20 supervolcanoes on our planet, and one of the largest is right here in the United States.

A full-blown eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano could literally bury almost the entire nation in volcanic ash and absolutely destroy U.S. food production.

Now scientists are telling us that magma underneath Yellowstone has been “drifting northeast”, and that is not a good sign at all.  The following comes from a news article that was posted on MSN entitled “Is Yellowstone’s Supervolcano Waking Up? Geologists Think There Are Signs of Movement”…

Seismologist Ninfa Bennington and the rest of her team suggest that the vast underground magma chambers, long responsible for the caldera’s explosive history, now appear to be drifting northeast. This means that the next major volcanic eruption could happen in that direction.

The magma that exists under Yellowstone is very dense, and when enough pressure builds up “it can result in highly violent eruptions”…

Rhyolite is a dense type of magma, rich in silica, that doesn’t flow easily, but when pressure builds, it can result in highly violent eruptions. The researchers also estimate that beneath northeastern Yellowstone, the crust may hold as much as 105 cubic miles of molten rock. That’s almost the same amount of magma that erupted 1.3 million years ago during the massive Mesa Falls event, as reported by Newsweek. The study found at least seven zones under Yellowstone that hold massive amounts of magma, with some of them linked together and sharing the same supply.

Let us hope that we do not see a large scale eruption of Yellowstone any time soon, because it could mean the end of our society as we know it today.

Meanwhile, we are being warned that a supervolcano that is located in northern Nevada appears to be “awakening”…

A pair of earthquakes have struck northern Nevada, adding to the dozens of tremors reported near an ancient supervolcano feared to be awakening.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) revealed that a 3.7 and 3.2-magnitude earthquake were recorded Tuesday morning just after 9:30am ET.

The McDermitt supervolcano is not as well known as the Yellowstone supervolcano, but it is still extremely dangerous.

And the fact that we have seen “multiple seismic swarms” in the vicinity of the McDermitt supervolcano lately is raising a lot of eyebrows…

The early morning earthquakes also took place just days after multiple seismic swarms struck the area, including 38 quakes recorded around Valmy in the last week alone.

Between Saturday and Monday, 28 earthquakes struck the northern Nevada area, including a 4.8-magnitude quake during Saturday afternoon’s swarm.

On the other side of the world, the Campi Flegrei supervolcano in southern Italy has been shaking like crazy this year…

If you live around Naples, you know the ground breathes. Streets crack, the harbor silts up, steam curls from the earth, and swarms of small quakes rattle windows. All that action comes from Campi Flegrei, a wide “supervolcano” caldera that last erupted in 1538.

Naples is such a beautiful city.

I have seen it for myself.

But the people that are living there are sitting on top of a powder keg.

When it finally blows, the death toll will be catastrophic.

Geophysicist Stefan Burns recently posted a video that shows that the number of earthquakes at the Campi Flegrei supervolcano is way, way above normal in 2025…

If there is a large scale eruption at any of the supervolcanoes that I have discussed in this article, we could be facing a “volcanic winter” that lasts for an extended period of time.

In such a scenario, a significant portion of the global population would starve.

So I have no idea why the seismic activity that we are witnessing at these supervolcanoes is not receiving more attention.

On top of everything else, we are being told that the New Madrid Seismic Zone “is overdue for a major seismic event”…

A giant earthquake zone in the heart of the US is overdue for a major seismic event that could kill thousands and cripple infrastructure throughout the country.

The New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) is a large area in the middle of the US where hundreds of minor earthquakes are recorded each year.

It stretches about 150 miles along the Mississippi River Valley, covering parts of northeastern Arkansas, southeastern Missouri, western Tennessee, western Kentucky, and southern Illinois.

There have been so many notable earthquakes in the middle of the nation this year, including one that just occurred on Friday…

A small earthquake shook parts of south St. Louis County before dawn Friday. The U.S. Geological Survey reports a magnitude 2.4 quake at around 5:27 a.m., centered southeast of Fenton. The quake originated roughly 10 miles deep.

Someday, St. Louis will be destroyed.

So will Chicago.

In fact, I wouldn’t want to be located anywhere from Chicago all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico.

A study that was conducted in 2009 determined that a magnitude 7.7 earthquake in the New Madrid Fault Zone could cause up to 600 billion dollars in damage…

Since this region is not well equipped to deal with a massive seismic event, a 2009 study projected that a magnitude 7.7 earthquake would cause over 86,000 injuries or deaths, damage 715,000 buildings, and knock out power to 2.6 million homes.

That report, by the University of Illinois, Virginia Tech, and George Washington University, also estimated that the cost could hit $300 billion directly, with indirect costs due to lost jobs possibly taking the damage to $600 billion.

The quake could affect eight states directly, including Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Alabama, Mississippi, and Indiana. However, USGS has warned that the impact could stretch all the way to the Northeast.

But the giant New Madrid earthquake that I keep warning about will be far more destructive than that.

It is just a matter of time.

I am doing my best to sound the alarm.

But even after we witnessed a total of 494 earthquakes of at least magnitude 5.0 within a 30 day period, a lot of people out there are still convinced that everything will calm down and our planet will soon become stable once again.

They don’t understand that one of the most apocalyptic chapters in human history is here, and so instead of getting prepared they just continue to party.

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written nine other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post Are The Yellowstone Supervolcano, The Nevada Supervolcano, The Campi Flegrei Supervolcano And The New Madrid Fault Zone All Awakening Simultaneously? appeared first on End Of The American Dream.

I recall the ad as if it were yesterday. The Ithaca Mag-10 10 gauge; what a gun. The 32-inch barrel could knock the highest goose from the sky. I thought I had found the edge for squirrel hunting in the tall hickory trees. I clipped the ad from an outdoor magazine and carried it folded in my back pocket for weeks showing anyone who held still for five minutes. I could hardly wait to show my grandpa. 

Grandpa was no nonsense and survived the Depression while raising 11 kids. He knew the value of a buck and didn’t need some government bureaucrat telling him if something was wasteful. Grandpa was a gun man. Having owned dozens of guns, he’d try one out and if it didn’t fit his needs, he’d sell it. On the next visit I hurriedly pulled the ad from my back pocket and unfolded it for him to see. Grandpa had a few questions for me. 

“Where are you going to find shells?” he asked.

He had a point I had never seen a real box of 10 gauge shells, let alone shoot one. Not so with grandpa. He had owned a behemoth 10 gauge shotgun and soon traded it off. 

“They have way more kick than they are worth,” he added.

I was dejected, however, I still longed for a 10 gauge.

10 Gauge 3½ inch

The 10 gauge 3 ½ inch as we know it today came about in 1932 when John Olin of Winchester fame partnered with Ithaca. The result being a New Ithaca Double (NID) chambered for the 3 ½ inch 10 gauge.  Before this the standard 10 gauge was chambered for 2 7/8  inches. The Ithaca NID was produced for about 10 years and the 10 gauge fell into near obscurity save for the Harrington & Richadson single barrel and a few imported side by sides. 

In 1975, the Ithaca Mag-10 hit the stores. Designed with the CounterCoil system in the magazine tube and tipping the scales at 11.5 pounds this combination helped keep heavy recoil from the 10 gauge in check. Not to be left out in the cold, Marlin introduced a 10 gauge based on their bolt action offering called the 5510 SuperGoose in 1976. It was produced until 1985.

When Ithaca was sold in 1989 the new owners sold the patent for the semi-auto to Remington. A revamp of the gun produced the Remington SP-10 that same year. A couple of years later,Browning introduced their BPS 10 and Gold 10. Both models being more robust than their 12 gauge counterparts.

End Of The 10 Gauge?

A push to ban the use of lead for waterfowl was imminent; this push had begun for the 1987-1988 waterfowl season. By 1991 the use of non-toxic shot only was the law of the land. The 10 gauge was able to deliver more pellets of the new non-toxic pellets than the 12 gauge 3 inch shells.

No one told the 10 gauge that its days were to be numbered with the introduction of the collaboration between Mossberg and Federal in the Ulti-Mag 835. The 835 was chambered in 12 gauge and could handle not only 2 ¾ and 3 inch shells but also the newly developed 3 ½ inch cartridge.

The Mossberg 835 and its 3 ½ chambering was picking up traction but the bottom dropped out when Benelli  introduced their semi auto, the Super Black Eagle chambered in 3 ½ inch. Other manufacturers followed Benelli’s lead by introducing a 3 ½ inch models of their own.

Suddenly, the payload of the 10 gauge could be had in a 12 gauge with shotguns weighing several pounds less. And let’s face it, you carry them much more than you shoot them.

Then Why?

Testing has shown that the 10 gauge with its larger bore diameter produces a denser pattern with a dose of larger shot than its slightly smaller brother, the 12 gauge. For this reason, many waterfowlers, especially goose hunters, shoot 10 gauges. The advantage is lost when smaller shot sizes is used and then the pattern percentage of the 12 gauge 3 ½ inch matches the 10 gauge.

Will The 10 Gauge Go Away? 

It’s a difficult question. Today, no manufacturer is producing a 10 gauge. Browning has dropped both the Gold 10 and the BPS from their lineup.

The 10 gauge was near extinction after World War II, yet shells continued to be produced for it. Today, nearly every manufacturer produces 10 gauge shells, as well as, many of the smaller firms who custom load shells for the niche market of waterfowlers and turkey hunters. Even Federal’s humongous 10 gauge rifled slug which hurls a whopping 1 ¾ oz pumpkin ball of lead is still being produced at this writing. Therefore, if you are a 10 gauge aficionado don’t worry about not finding shells anytime soon.

But, what about the 10 gauge shotgun itself? The price of 10 gauge shotguns has skyrocketed since production stopped. However, a quick look at the firearm auction sites shows many guns for sale with a lot of tire kickers, but few actual bidders. Even the Ithaca Mag-10 and the Remington SP-10 are well represented in the secondhand market. I finally got the 10 gauge out of my system when I bought a used Gold 10 a few years back and like my granddad it went down the road when someone offered me twice what I had in it.

I do not foresee any major manufacturer picking up the 10 gauge anytime soon, but I doubt the 10 gauge is going away at least not for a while.

The post End Of The 10 Gauge? appeared first on Athlon Outdoors Exclusive Firearm Updates, Reviews & News.

Earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters can disrupt the water supply. If a storm or blackout shuts the system down, where will you get a clean drinking supply? To avoid dehydration and stay healthy, you need a plan to utilize hidden or overlooked reserves. This post covers how to find emergency water sources in the city and how to make your supply safe to drink.

Urban Survival: Where to Find Emergency Water Sources During a Crisis

After a major catastrophe, it often takes local government agencies days or weeks to restore the water system. During Hurricane Harvey, for example, over 120,000 Houston homes lost supply for days. During a large-scale outage, you’ll need a backup source that you can access and purify quickly.

Below are the top emergency water sources in the city:

Rainwater Harvesting

Roof runoff offers a reliable backup emergency water source during a shortage. To make rainwater safe for drinking, place a screen over your gutter to catch debris and channel clean water into a storage tank. Then, run the liquid through a fine filter and boil or disinfect it.

Storm Drains

Heavy rain often fills city storm drains with runoff from streets and parking lots. However, this source often carries trash, debris, and other pollutants. Just make sure to strain the runoff through a cloth or fine filter to remove larger sediments. Afterward, disinfect it using water-purification tablets. You can also run the filtered liquid through a portable carbon filter to reduce chemical residues.

Groundwater Wells

Many U.S. cities draw their main supply from underground wells. During emergencies, they can be a lifeline if you know where to find one and how to collect water safely. First, lower a clean bucket or container into the well. Then strain the liquid through a ceramic or carbon filter to remove dirt and metals.

Urban Ponds and Lakes

Urban ponds and lakes serve as natural reservoirs, but studies show that they’re highly contaminated due to runoff. If pond or lake water is your only option, you’ll have to purify it thoroughly. Transfer the liquid in a bucket and let it sit undisturbed for 30 minutes to allow the sediment to settle. Then pour the liquid through a folded cloth or paper towel to remove fine particles. Transfer that water into transparent plastic bottles and leave them in the sun for six hours to kill microbes.

Decorative Fountains

City fountains are another emergency water option. However, tests reveal that over 60% of public fountains in major U.S. cities harbor unsafe levels of bacteria or chemicals. If fountain water is your only source, then make sure to collect the water from an area with the strongest flow and avoid any still or murky sections. Then, drop in a flocculant tablet and wait 20 minutes for particles to settle at the bottom. To be extra safe, gently pour off the liquid through a ceramic or carbon filter to catch leftover grit and chemicals.

Fire Hydrants

Fire hydrants connect directly to the city’s main water lines. However, you need approval from local authorities or emergency services before using them. To collect safely, open the hydrant slowly and let it flow for a few minutes. Once the water turns clear, fill a clean container and use a portable filter. Then, treat the liquid with chlorine tablets to eliminate pathogens.

Final Thoughts on Finding Emergency Water Sources in the City

We often take clean drinking water for granted until it becomes unavailable. During an emergency, stored bottles are the safest option. Once you run out of supplies, that’s when you should turn to the urban sources we covered. Just remember to filter, boil, or treat every drop before taking a drink.

What’s the first urban water source you could reach on foot in your area?

FAQs: Emergency Water Sources

1. What counts as an emergency water source?
   Any backup supply you can collect and safely purify when tap water stops—like rain, wells, or runoff.
2. Is rainwater safe to drink?
   Not right away. You need to filter it and either boil or disinfect it first.
3. Can I drink water from a fountain?
   Only if it’s your last option—and you purify it thoroughly with filtration and boiling or tablets.
4. Are storm drains a safe option?
   They’re risky and need careful filtering and purification. Use them only if no cleaner source is available.
5. How much water should I store?
   FEMA recommends at least one gallon per person per day, for several days.
6. Is pool water safe to drink?
   Not without treatment. Let chlorine off-gas, then filter and disinfect it before use.
7. Can I use a fire hydrant?
   Yes, but only with permission from local authorities. Always filter and treat it.
8. What’s the easiest source to access in the city?
   Rainwater is often the simplest if you have a clean catchment system.
9. Do I need special tools to purify water?
   Basic filters, boiling, purification tablets, or a UV pen will do the job in most cases.
10. When should I start looking for emergency sources?
    As soon as your stored supply runs low or authorities issue boil-water notices.

Is the fact that large companies are filing for bankruptcy at the fastest pace in 15 years a good sign for the economy or a bad sign for the economy? I don’t even have to answer that question because all of you already know the answer. And as you will see below, other types of bankruptcies are soaring as well. We are a nation that is absolutely drowning in debt, and now bubbles are bursting all around us. I hope that you have positioned yourself for what is about to happen, because the months ahead are going to be rough.

According to Newsweek, 446 large companies filed for bankruptcy during the first seven months of this year.  That is the highest total that we have seen since 2010…

The U.S. saw a sharp increase in corporate bankruptcy filings in July, according to a recent report, reaching a post-COVID peak and placing 2025 on track to surpass last year’s total.

S&P Global Market Intelligence, the research and data arm of the credit-rating agency, found that filings by large public and private companies rose to 71 last month from 66 in June, marking the highest monthly tally since July 2020. So far in 2025, meanwhile, the total of 446 bankruptcy filings is the highest for this seven-month stretch since 2010.

In 2010, we were experiencing the tail end of the global financial crisis.

So there was a very good reason for why so many large companies were going bankrupt at that time.

What reason do we have for what we are witnessing right now?

Of course it isn’t just large companies that are going bankrupt in staggering numbers…

Personal and business bankruptcy filings rose 11.5 percent in the twelve-month period ending June 30, 2025, compared with the previous year.

According to statistics released by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, annual bankruptcy filings totaled 542,529 in the year ending June 2025, compared with 486,613 cases in the previous year.

Business filings rose 4.5 percent, from 22,060 to 23,043 in the year ending June 30, 2025. Non-business bankruptcy filings rose 11.8 percent to 519,486, compared with 464,553 in the previous year.

Wow.

I had no idea that the bankruptcy numbers were that bad.

An 11.5 percent increase in bankruptcy filings in just one year is a really troubling sign.

And it turns out that the number of farm bankruptcies in the United States has been spiking as well…

Hit with high interest rates and labor shortages, more American farmers are filing for bankruptcy, according to new data from the University of Arkansas.

Researchers found that more than 250 farms filed for Chapter 12 bankruptcy between April 2024 and March of this year, marking a sharp increase in financial distress across the agricultural sector.

“We’ve already beat last year in terms of Q1 national filings,” said Ryan Loy, an economist at the university. “Once you see this on a national level, it’s a clear sign that financial pressures that we saw before in the 2018 and ‘19 are kind of reemerging.”

A lot of people out there are in denial about what is really happening to the economy.

We have been on an unprecedented debt binge for many years, and now we are beginning to experience the consequences.

Millions upon millions of Americans are in way over their heads, and there is no easy way out.

At this point, approximately two-thirds of Americans that are carrying debt admit “to minimizing or hiding it from others”…

The study of 1,078 adults by Self Financial exposes a nation drowning not just in debt, but in the shame that comes with it. Of those carrying debt, 66.3% admitted to minimizing or hiding it from others. This breaks down to 28.1% outright lying about their situation, 20.8% downplaying how bad things really are, and 17.4% avoiding the topic entirely.

We may want to hide our financial distress from others, but there is no way to hide it from ourselves.

Americans have become so obsessed with financial troubles that they are thinking about it constantly…

Between bills to pay, tariff news and inflation worries, money is living rent-free in Americans’ minds.

They’re spending nearly four hours a day on average thinking about it, according to new research from Empower, a financial services company.

Needless to say, that isn’t healthy.

Continually worrying about your finances can eat you alive.

But this is what daily life is like for so many people these days.  One recent survey discovered that 53 percent of Americans are feeling financial stress “more acutely than ever”…

At 54%, a little more than half of the 2,206 adults surveyed said they’re thinking about it more than they did last year. In fact, the June survey found 53% of Americans said they’re feeling financial stress “more acutely than ever,” including 62% of Gen Xers and 41% of baby boomers.

One of the biggest reasons why Americans are feeling so much financial stress is because we are spending an average of 42 percent of our incomes on housing costs…

More than half of Americans say they’re paying too much for housing, with the average person spending 42% of their income on housing costs.

Meanwhile, just about everything else that we regularly spend money on has been getting increasingly more expensive.

For example, beef prices just keep hitting brand new record high after brand new record high…

Grocery prices have been climbing and one area where prices have hit a record high is beef, a staple for many households.

Ground beef, usually the inexpensive choice for shoppers, has hit a record high. Shoppers can expect to pay $6.25 per pound, up from $5.49 a year ago and $4.26 five years ago, in July of 2020.

The average price for beef steaks has hit $11.87 a pound as of July. That’s up from $10.85 in July of 2024 and $8.69 in July of 2020.

And coffee prices have jumped more than 30 percent over the past year…

A more than 30% year-over-year rise in retail prices for coffee is staggering — and consumers are not likely to see relief anytime soon, even as a merger between two beverage giants looks to create an entity that can better manage rising costs.

If we stick our heads in the sand and keep repeating “everything is going to be okay”, will that make things better?

Of course not.

We need to realize what is happening and adjust our plans accordingly if we are going to navigate through this very harsh economic environment.

For one thing, if you have a good job right now please do not give it up unless you absolutely must do so.

Mass layoffs are being conducted all over the nation, and yet another example of this was just in the news…

Nearly 1,000 corporate Kroger employees are losing their jobs after the company previously announced its intentions not to lay off employees.

The layoffs come after the grocer decided to shutter more than 60 underperforming stores by the end of 2026.

Kroger initiated the closures as a way to cut costs following its failed $25 billion merger with Albertsons.

Sadly, I think that a lot more Americans will lose their jobs in the months ahead.

And since most of the population is living paycheck to paycheck these days, those that lose their jobs are at risk of losing everything.

There was no way that we were going to be able to pile up debt indefinitely.

We have now reached the “bubbles are bursting” chapter of our story, and it certainly isn’t going to be pleasant.

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  He has also written nine other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post Large Companies In The U.S. Are Going Bankrupt At The Fastest Pace That We Have Seen Since The Global Financial Crisis appeared first on The Economic Collapse.

Our society is constantly telling us that true happiness is just around the corner. We are promised that if we will just buy the next product, adopt the latest trend, get more eduction, get a better job, make more money or win a better looking romantic partner, we will finally be happy. But once you successfully make the next step on the hamster wheel, you discover that it was just another empty promise. In fact, there is a very deep emptiness to our modern liberal society as a whole. We are all constantly chasing after the things we are told to chase after, and at the end of the day most of the population still feels an irrepressible emptiness. It is an ache that cannot be controlled or restrained, and that is why so many people spend so much time and effort trying to dull the pain that they are feeling inside.

Modern liberal society offers an extremely “me-centered” philosophy that looks good at first glance.

But if you follow that “me-centered” philosophy all the way to the end of the road, what you get is a Robin Westman…

The alleged shooter, Robert Westman, who identified as a female and went by the name Robin Westman, also expressed in his notes that he wished he had never “brain-washed” himself.

The Post translated a cryptic section of the manifesto as saying, “I only keep [the long hair] because it is pretty much my last shred of being trans. I am tired of being trans, I wish I never brain-washed myself.”

Despite claiming frustration with having bought into the trans agenda, the alleged Catholic school attacker believed that something as slight as changing his appearance would result in a sense of defeat: “I can’t cut my hair now as it would be embarrassing defeat, and it might be a concerning change of character that could get me reported. It just always gets in my way. I will probably chop it on the day of the attack.”

“I wish I never brain-washed myself.”

Those are very powerful words.

But they aren’t entirely accurate.

Westman simply gave in to the propaganda that we are all constantly being hammered with.

I have seen it happen to so many young people.

And when they figure out that they have been lied to all along, it can lead to crushing despair.

It isn’t a coincidence that the suicide rate has been soaring in recent years.

Our society simply isn’t offering any real answers.

This week, I was horrified to read about a young mother in New Hampshire that decided to kill herself, her husband and two of her children…

A mother in New Hampshire is believed to have killed herself, along with her husband and two of her three children.

Police found the bodies at a home on Moharimet Drive in Madbury just before 8:30 p.m. Monday, when they responded to a 911 call reporting several people dead inside the home.

Authorities identified them as Emily Long, 34; Ryan Long, 48; son Parker Long, 8; and daughter Ryan Long, 6.

Perhaps you feel like you have reached the end of the road too.

Don’t give up.

There is always a way to turn things around.

But instead of reaching out for answers, most of the population is just looking for a way to numb the pain.

One study that was conducted a couple of years ago found that 47.7 million Americans had used illegal drugs within the past 30 days…

Among Americans aged 12 years and older, 47.7 million were current illegal drug users (used within the last 30 days) as of 2023.

That number stunned me.

But it gets worse.

Even more Americans are on legal drugs.  In fact, a whopping 68 percent of the population is now taking at least one prescription drug on a daily basis…

New CivicScience data as of mid-February finds that 68% of Americans report taking at least one prescription medication daily, up slightly from an average of 67% in 2023. A deeper look reveals an even more noteworthy increase – the percentage of Americans taking four or more prescription medications daily has climbed four percentage points, and now as much as 26% say they’re taking 4+ prescriptions per day.

There are many legal drugs that are being specifically marketed to those that are suffering from anxiety and depression.

So millions of Americans just keep popping more “happy pills”, but what they don’t realize is that those drugs are really messing with their heads.

Our society is also dealing with a raging epidemic of loneliness.

When I was growing up, people actually left their homes on a regular basis and made real connections with one another.

But now we connect to one another through our screens, and what we see on our screens is controlled by the algorithms…

Gen Z and Gen Alpha, however, have never known life without algorithmic curation. From childhood, their identities, friendships, and even their sense of self have been shaped inside systems designed to maximize engagement.

They are the most connected generation in history and yet, paradoxically, the loneliest. Studies confirm that they report higher levels of isolation and depression than their parents or grandparents did at the same age. For them, solitude is almost unimaginable. Their sleeping hours have diminished, and their waking hours have been saturated with algorithmic nudges, performance demands, and invisible comparisons.

This is why blaming “phones” or “tech” misses the point. A phone is just a tool. The deeper cause of today’s epidemic of loneliness is the system of algorithms that runs on those devices and quietly governs the lives lived through them.

We like staring at our screens.

Because they make us feel good, we spend hours doing it each day…

On average, screen-zombie Americans spend more than 10 hours daily accessing the Web.

They spend 5.4 of those hours browsing, working, gaming, looking at social media, reading email or paying bills, the survey found.

They spend another five hours streaming video or TV content.

But what we don’t realize is that our screens are an instrument of control.

It is not a coincidence that we have seen the largest cultural shifts in our history in the Internet age.

Over the past 30 years, every major institution in our society has shifted way to the left.

Thankfully, there are some of us that are trying to fight back.

Sometimes people ask me why I spend so much time and effort trying to reach people on the Internet.

The answer that I give is very simple.

The reason why I spend so much time and effort trying to reach people on the Internet is because that is where they are.

There are billions of people looking for answers, and most of them are constantly staring at their screens.

So I use those screens to deliver the truth.

We need to fight for hearts and minds, because if we stay on the path that we are currently on we aren’t going to have a society.

At this stage, even liberal scholars are openly admitting that the collapse of our society has become “inevitable”…

The collapse of human civilization is now ‘inevitable’, according to a scholar who’s combed through 5,000 years of history.

Dr Luke Kemp of the University of Cambridge has exposed clear and alarming patterns of inequality, environmental damage, reckless leadership and fragile systems that lead to ancient collapse in the modern world.

‘We can’t put a date on Doomsday, but by looking at the 5,000 years of [civilization], we can understand the trajectories we face today, and self-termination is most likely,’ he told the Guardian.

Just about everyone realizes that something has gone horribly wrong and we are on a road that doesn’t lead anywhere good.

But most of us just keep chasing the things that society tells us to chase anyway.

Let us hope that people start to wake up on a massive scale, because the clock is ticking.

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written nine other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

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