diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 673bcba..12334e7 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -55,4 +55,7 @@ dkms.conf
 # Custom
 sentinel
 .vscode
+.rss_feed_list
+.last_known_defcon
+test.c
 
diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index 472f1da..f1077cd 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <ncurses.h>
 #include <rtl-sdr.h>
+#include <curl/curl.h>
 
 /* define ANSI escape chars and math */
 #define RESET "\033[0m"
@@ -41,6 +42,10 @@ uint32_t MHz = 1000000;
 uint32_t kHz = 1000;
 uint32_t bandwidth;
 uint32_t center_freq;
+bool SDR_PRESENT = false;
+bool RSS_LIST_PRESENT = false;
+bool COMMS_AVAILABLE = false;
+bool CURL_AVAILABLE = false;
 
 /* declare reusable functions */
 
@@ -80,32 +85,81 @@ void util_check() {
     printf("curl: ");
     if (system("curl --version > /dev/null 2>&1") == 0) {
         printf(GREEN"OK\n"RESET);
+        CURL_AVAILABLE = true;
     } else {
         printf(RED"FAIL\n"RESET);
     }
     printf("rtl-sdr: ");
     if (system("ls /usr/bin/rtl_sdr > /dev/null 2>&1") == 0) {
         printf(GREEN"OK\n"RESET);
+        SDR_PRESENT = true;
     } else {
         printf(RED"FAIL\n"RESET);
     }
 }
 
 void rtl_sdr_check() {
-    rtlsdr_open;
-    int index;
-    const char* device_name;
-    char serial[256], product[256], manufact[256];
-    device_name = rtlsdr_get_device_name(device_index);
-    rtlsdr_get_device_usb_strings(index, manufact, product, serial);
-    printf("device name: " GREEN);
-    printf(device_name);
-    printf("\n" RESET);
-    printf(YELLOW"serial: %s\n", serial);
-    printf("product: %s\n", product);
-    printf("manufacturer: %s\n", manufact);
-    printf(RESET);
-    rtlsdr_close;
+    
+    if (rtlsdr_open != NULL && SDR_PRESENT == true) {
+        int index;
+        const char* device_name;
+        char serial[256], product[256], manufact[256];
+        device_name = rtlsdr_get_device_name(device_index);
+        rtlsdr_get_device_usb_strings(index, manufact, product, serial);
+        printf("device name: " GREEN);
+        printf(device_name);
+        printf("\n" RESET);
+        printf(YELLOW"serial: %s\n", serial);
+        printf("product: %s\n", product);
+        printf("manufacturer: %s\n", manufact);
+        printf(RESET);
+        rtlsdr_close;
+    } else {
+        printf(RED"SDR not detected! skipping...\n"RESET);
+    }
+}
+
+void defcon_level_check() {
+    FILE *fp = fopen(".last_known_defcon", "r");
+    if ( fp == NULL) {
+        printf(YELLOW"DEFCON level cache file not found or corrupted, creating new...\n"RESET);
+        FILE *fp = fopen(".last_known_defcon", "w");
+        fputc(5, fp);
+        fclose(fp);
+    } else {
+        int last_known = fgetc(fp);
+        printf("DEFCON level cache file found! last known level: %d\n", last_known);
+        fclose(fp);
+    } 
+}
+
+void rss_sources_check() {
+    if (COMMS_AVAILABLE == true) {
+        FILE *fp = fopen(".rss_feed_list", "r");
+        if ( fp == NULL) {
+            printf(RED"RSS feed source list not found!\n"RESET);
+            fclose(fp);
+        } else {
+            printf(GREEN"RSS feed source list found! sources:\n\n"RESET);
+            RSS_LIST_PRESENT = true;
+            int line_count = 0;
+            char buffer[256];
+
+            while (fgets(buffer, sizeof(buffer), fp) != NULL) {
+            line_count++;
+            }
+
+            char feed_source[line_count][256];
+            fseek(fp, 0, SEEK_SET);
+            for (int i = 0; i < line_count; i++) {
+                fgets(feed_source[i], sizeof(feed_source[i]), fp);
+                printf(GREEN"%s\n"RESET, feed_source[i]);
+            }
+            fclose(fp);
+        } 
+    } else {
+        printf(RED"internet not available! skipping..."RESET);
+    }    
 }
 
 
@@ -122,10 +176,12 @@ void startup_checks() {
     if (status == 0) {
         printf("internet connectivity status: ");
         printf(GREEN"online\n"RESET);
+        COMMS_AVAILABLE = true;
     } else {
        printf("internet connectivity status: ");
        printf(RED"offline\n"RESET);
        printf(RED"internet-dependent capabilities will be unavailable!"RESET);
+       COMMS_AVAILABLE = false;
     }
     printf("----------------------------------------------------------------------\n");
     /* utilities presence check */
@@ -135,10 +191,25 @@ void startup_checks() {
     printf(MAGENTA"SOFTWARE-DEFINED RADIO\n\n"RESET);
     rtl_sdr_check();
     printf("----------------------------------------------------------------------\n");
+    printf(MAGENTA"DEFCON LEVEL STATUS\n\n"RESET);
+    defcon_level_check();
+    printf("----------------------------------------------------------------------\n");
+    printf(MAGENTA"RSS AGGREGATOR CHECK\n\n"RESET);
+    rss_sources_check();
+    printf("----------------------------------------------------------------------\n");
     printf(MAGENTA"all checks finished!\n"RESET);
     printf("######################################################################\n");
-    printf(GREEN"initializing RTL-SDR...\n"RESET);
-    rtlsdr_open(&dev, device_index);
+    printf(BLUE"initializing in 5 seconds...\n\n"RESET);
+    usleep(5000000);
+    if (SDR_PRESENT == true)
+    {
+        printf(GREEN"initializing RTL-SDR...\n"RESET);
+        rtlsdr_open(&dev, device_index);
+    }
+    if (RSS_LIST_PRESENT == true && COMMS_AVAILABLE == true && CURL_AVAILABLE == true) {
+        printf(GREEN"initializing RSS aggregator...\n"RESET);
+    }
+    
 }
 
 /* signal analysis function */
@@ -219,6 +290,18 @@ void rtl_sdr_waterfall() {
     usleep(500000);
 }
 
+void sdr_not_available() {
+    clear();
+    attron(COLOR_PAIR(1));
+    printw("SDR NOT AVAILABLE");
+    attroff(COLOR_PAIR(1));
+    refresh();
+    usleep(5000000);
+}
+
+/* DEFCON level functions */
+
+
 /* main dashboard function */
 
 void start_dashboard() {
@@ -226,10 +309,16 @@ void start_dashboard() {
     cbreak();
     noecho();
     init_colors();
-    do
-    {
-        rtl_sdr_waterfall();
-    } while (true);
+    if (SDR_PRESENT == true) {
+        do{
+            rtl_sdr_waterfall();
+        } while (true);
+    }
+    else {
+        do{
+            sdr_not_available();
+        } while (true);
+    }
     rtlsdr_close(dev);
     endwin();
 }