Federal shutdown: We’re now in one of the longest shutdowns on record. Agencies are pausing or slowing work (even critical infrastructure and emergency grants), and operational frictions are piling up (e.g., FAA staffing issues amplifying flight delays). Translation: expect more “service outages” across the system until Congress acts. CBS News+2Reuters+2

Safe-haven bid: Gold printed fresh record highs last week and remains elevated; silver ran hard too, with big intraday swings. This is classic behavior when policy is noisy and the dollar whipsaws. CBS News+1

Crypto: Bitcoin is strong on the year but choppy day-to-day as ETF flows swing around—outflows hit late last week after a record-inflow summer. If you hold BTC, expect volatility to remain a feature, not a bug. CoinDesk

Keep a core in gold as catastrophe insurance; sell only if you must raise cash.

Consider shifting a slice of gains into silver. Why? The gold-to-silver ratio (GSR)—a classic relative-value gauge—has hovered around ~80–85 lately (vs. a long-term ~50–70). A higher GSR suggests silver is relatively cheaper than gold; if the ratio compresses, silver typically outperforms. GuruFocus+1

If you use BTC as “digital risk” or for portable liquidity, cap it at a small percent of net worth you can watch swing ±20–40%. Use cold storage, and don’t let it crowd out food, water, medical, or energy preps. Recent ETF flow swings show how sentiment can flip quickly. CoinDesk

Florida: Lawmakers just filed multiple 2026 ballot proposals to cut or even eliminate non-school homestead property taxes (plus ideas to widen exemptions and tweak caps). These are proposals, not law. If they advance and pass, homestead owners could benefit—but details matter (school levies, caps, indexing). Florida Phoenix+2Tallahassee.com+2

Ohio: A citizen initiative to repeal property taxes statewide is gathering signatures, but nonpartisan analysis flags a ~$20B budget hole if enacted—meaning heavy pushback, legal fights, or compensating taxes. Don’t plan your finances on repeal until voters and courts weigh in. Zaino Hall & Farrin LLC+1

Action steps for land buyers/owners now:

Cash buffer: 1–3 months of expenses outside the banking app (small bills).

Food: 60–90 days of calories you actually eat + rotation plan.

Water: 2 weeks per person stored + treatment/filtration.

Energy: Fuel rotation + safe storage; if budget allows, build toward hybrid solar + generator and a modest battery.

Medical: 90-day meds (where legal), first-aid & trauma kit, N95s, backup eyewear.

Comms: Handheld radios + neighborhood comms plan.

Docs: Hard copies and encrypted drives of IDs, deeds, policies, and key contacts.

Income resilience: Upskill into AI-resistant niches (hands-on trades, repair, logistics, medical support) and AI-enabled workflows to raise your personal productivity moat (our ADAPT thesis remains staged disruption, not overnight collapse). IMF

Shutdown drag ≠ systemic break. It’s a headwind that justifies higher prep levels and hedges, not bunker mode. CBS News

Metals stay constructive while policy is messy; silver has more torque if the GSR keeps compressing. Reuters

Crypto is a tactical satellite, not your foundation. CoinDesk

Property-tax chatter is real, but timelines are political; avoid “fantasy underwriting.” Florida Phoenix+1