You can still get a reasonably priced radio, program it, study for the technical exam, and just listen. No license is required until you start to broadcast.

Morse code is not required for at least the lowest tier of the licenses, IIRC. I don't know how much was eliminated.

A fellow that had a huge antenna hanging off the back of his truck when I was a kid told me that if SHTF, the FCC will be the last thing that you need to worry about.