This summer, it’s sweltering in France and much of Europe, with some regions topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit, reports the WSJ. Stranger still is how various sundry government agencies would have their citizens sweat it out rather than use more modern inventions. Like air conditioning.

AC may be necessary for the elderly, the chronically ill, or pregnant people, according to the French ecological transition agency. Realizing that some people might not live without AC, the ecological transition agency offers some useful tips:

if you really can’t live without it, use it in only one room of your home, and don’t set the temperature below 79 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s because AC uses too much energy and contributes to climate change.

But wait. There’s more:

From France’s government information service, public health agency, and national health insurance fund, the following tips are offered for those sans AC:

“Wet your body (at least your face and forearms) several times a day.” Wear a hat outside. Drink more water and try cold soups and other “water-rich foods to help you stay hydrated.”

If you give up your will to live (and before you collapse into a smoldering heap), you could try this:

Covering your windows and blinds, including with “homemade protections” made of cardboard. “Dim the electric lights” in your home, and avoid using appliances like a computer or a hair dryer that could generate heat.

It seems as though green virtual signaling itself is a health risk:

A report released recently by IGNES, a French trade alliance, warns of “a massive inadequacy of housing to cope with high temperatures.” Nearly half of the homes it looked at become “thermal kettles” during heat waves.

The French paper Le Parisien interviewed a 67-year-old resident of one such home. When the temperature in her living room reached 90 degrees last month, as temperatures outside soared, she described taking three to four showers a day to cool down and using her garden hose to wet the exterior of her home. “I’ve even fallen over due to dizziness because I was too hot,” she added.

During May’s heat wave, France’s public-health agency reported a spike in heat-related emergency room visits and hospitalizations.

Yet its advisory did not mention the use of air conditioning.

The Summer of Our Discontent
Debbie Young

When you finally say, “Honey, I think it’s time I retire,” somewhere early in the discussion that follows will be the question, “Do we have enough?” Which is a tough question to answer. Because spending money is a key variable, and it’s terrifying when there’s no longer a paycheck coming in, which is why it makes sense to kick the tires, to perhaps work part-time for a bit, keeping your hand in the mix and not burning any bridges.

For example, if you’re considering a move after retirement, Your Survival Guy has been a big proponent of renting in your eventual destination to make sure you like living  there before plunking down a fortune only to later realize “that’s not for me.” But knowing that you’re ready to fully retire oftentimes answers itself for you. You just know. You’re ready to commit to Your Retirement Life.

Once you’re committed to retirement, you want to have a master class understanding of your spend rate. This is key. I don’t want you using market expectations to back into answering “Do we have enough?” You don’t want to rely on thinking
“If the market does ‘x’” we’ll be just fine.”

A good place to begin your study is understanding Dick Young’s North Star or the risk-free rate of return on T-bills. This gives you a lay of the land.

Your Survival Guy has worked with hundreds of clients, many of whom are living the Retirement Life of their dreams, and many who are about to. Understanding one’s risk tolerance beforehand rather than after the fact is about risk tolerance. When I’m asked what to do in a market downturn, I think of the wisdom expressed by Jack Bogle: “Don’t just do something, stand there.” Easier said than done if you don’t have a plan.

Action Line: Take the time to understand your risk tolerance before you leave the dock. It can get stormy out there. And when you’re ready to talk, email me at ejsmith@yoursurvivalguy.com.

Read the entire series here.

Originally posted on Your Survival Guy.

“Honey, I Think It’s Time I Retire:” Part 6
E.J. Smith - Your Survival Guy

Sometimes quantity beats quality, and this appears to be happening in Ukraine’s drone war against Russia. After Russia invaded Ukraine, the war evolved into one dominated by drones, both on the frontline and for deeper attacks behind the lines. Now, Ukraine’s drone-building capacity is potentially changing the tide of the war. Using waves of drones, Ukraine has begun dismantling Russia’s energy infrastructure, forcing the oil-rich country to ration gasoline and diesel fuel. Videos of a recent Ukrainian attack on a refinery near Moscow show the devastation caused by the inexpensive but lethal technology.

Smoke fills the sky over the Russian capital of Moscow early Thursday, rising from across the extent of the Moscow Oil Refinery, resulting from several dozen successful drone and missile strikes as part of a large-scale attack launched by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/tjZ3ZjiaeI

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) June 19, 2026

Archival footage of the flight of the Ukrainian kamikaze drone ‘Lyutyi’ over Moscow after the last attack on the Moscow Oil Refinery pic.twitter.com/oGVI3mT6iw

— MilitaryNewsUA (@front_ukrainian) June 25, 2026

But the attacks aren’t limited to Moscow or oil infrastructure. Ukraine has been hammering bridges and logistics in Crimea as well.

What are russians so worried about? There’s only been a 1,000 percent increase in mid range drone strikes on logistic routes to Crimea. pic.twitter.com/myoUnbbsBh

— Rock – NA-FO Raccoon (@NAAF0Racoon) June 25, 2026

Ukraine Expands Crimea Drone Campaign, Claims 38 Russian Targets Hit Overnight

Ukraine says its drone forces carried out one of their largest overnight strike waves in occupied Crimea, targeting 38 sites including radar systems, an oil depot, energy infrastructure, gas…

— The Finance Streets (@finance_streets) June 25, 2026

Can Russia Survive Ukraine’s Overwhelming Drone Waves?
Richard C. Young

The war with Iran sent oil prices spiking as the vital Strait of Hormuz was shut to the massive oil tanker traffic that navigates it each day in normal times. Now that peace appears near, prices for oil have fallen back to near pre-war levels.

The fall has been complicated somewhat by an attack on a Singapore-flagged tanker yesterday by what was alleged to have been an Iranian drone. It has been reported that the Iranians were angry that the tanker passed through the Strait outside of Iran’s designated transit zone.

BREAKING NOW: New details on Iranian drone attack on cargo ship in Strait of Hormuz pic.twitter.com/9o2wxq71iY

— Larry Dean (@larry_mcwethy) June 26, 2026

An Iranian attack targeted a Singaporean ship, and Tehran warned maritime traffic:

“Stay out of our routes… you alone will bear the responsibility.” pic.twitter.com/BbHE15ipgE

— Iran Force (@IranArmystan_) June 26, 2026

Oil Prices Near Pre-War Levels
Richard C. Young

A Business Insider report explains that Ukraine’s “e-Points” system is reshaping how its military chooses and prioritizes targets by rewarding verified battlefield successes with points that can be exchanged for drones, robots, and electronic warfare equipment.

According to the RBC-Ukraine report, the system allows frontline units to earn digital points for verified battlefield actions, which they can then spend directly on equipment such as FPV drones, reconnaissance UAVs, electronic warfare systems, and unmanned ground vehicles. More than 400 combat units are currently participating in the program, which is fully integrated into a digital procurement marketplace that connects units with manufacturers.

Ukrainian forces have ordered over 500,000 drones and related systems through the Brave1 Market using the “e-Points” system.

The system is often compared to a video game-like reward loop, where successful missions earn “points” that unlock better gear, encouraging units to prioritize high-value targets and measurable results. This gamified structure is designed to make procurement faster and more flexible while directly tying battlefield performance to access to resources.

Ukraine’s Amazon for War: Inside the e-Points Marketplace Transforming the Battlefield
Steve Schneider

Have you been paying attention to the state of Virginia’s legislation passed by the radical Democrat state legislature in Virginia and signed by first-year governor Abigail Spanberger, a real-life Hunger Games villain?

With Spanberger in the governor’s mansion, Scott McKay writes in the National Review about Virginia and the General Assembly going hard to the left following the 2025 elections, and how the state advanced an “ambitious” package of gun control measures.

That bill banned the importation, sale, manufacture, purchase, or transfer of certain semi-automatic “assault firearms” — once again, this is poorly defined, but essentially we’re talking about centerfire rifles and some pistols which can accept magazines over a certain capacity. (RELATED: Gunfight at Governor Abigail’s Corral)

Violating the new law, McKay informs readers, is generally a Class 1 misdemeanor.

There is a grandfather clause — firearms and magazines lawfully possessed before July 1, 2026, can be kept by the owner… generally. Limited transfers are allowed in specific cases, such as to a licensed dealer/FLL, out-of-state buyers, inheritance, or gifts to immediate family. But beginning on July 1, new sales or transfers inside Virginia after that date are prohibited. Team Spanberger is effectively freezing the in-state market for new restricted items and creating massive opportunities for gun sellers in neighboring states.

McKay also sounds the alarm. Not so fast, there is a Republican, a local sheriff. Donald Lowe is in Louisa County, VA, just northwest of Richmond. In that rural county, with a population of 38,000, it shows why Spanberger’s gun-grabbing is not going to fly.

In a recent statement, Donald Lowe said…

As Sheriff of Louisa County and a Constitutional Officer sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia, I want to address concerns regarding proposed and newly enacted legislation related to so-called “assault weapons.”

I have always been a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and the rights it guarantees to law-abiding citizens. Our Founding Fathers considered these rights so essential that they placed them second only to the freedoms protected by the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights. The right to keep and bear arms remains a fundamental constitutional liberty that must be protected.

I will not support efforts that turn otherwise law-abiding citizens into criminals, subjecting them to potentially lifelong consequences for exercising what they believe to be their constitutional rights. Any law that directly conflicts with the Constitution deserves careful scrutiny and judicial review before enforcement actions are taken against responsible citizens.

At this time, I believe there remains significant confusion surrounding the definition of an “assault weapon.” I am not convinced there is a clear, consistent, and universally understood definition of what constitutes an assault weapon under current discussions and proposals. This lack of clarity creates uncertainty for citizens, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and the courts alike.

Ultimately, a firearm is an inanimate object. A weapon used by a criminal during the commission of a violent crime may be labeled an “assault weapon.” Yet the very same firearm used by an innocent citizen to defend themselves, their family, or their property could just as accurately be described as a defensive weapon. The determining factor is not the firearm itself — it is who pulled the trigger and why.

My position is straightforward: the focus should remain on violent criminals and criminal behavior, not on restricting the constitutional rights of responsible citizens.

I also believe there should be a final and definitive determination by the courts, including the United States Supreme Court if necessary, regarding the constitutionality and enforceability of any such legislation. Citizens deserve clarity, and law enforcement officers deserve clear legal guidance.

As a Constitutional Officer, my oath is not to a political party, a legislative body, or a particular policy position. My oath is to the Constitution. Any law that is ultimately determined to be in direct contradiction to the Constitution cannot stand and should not be considered enforceable.

The Louisa County Sheriff’s Office will continue to protect the rights of our citizens while remaining committed to public safety, the rule of law, and the principles upon which this nation was founded.

Donald Lowe is not alone. More than a dozen counties so far in Virginia, sheriffs and/or commonwealth’s attorneys (that’s a Virginia version of a D.A.) have come out publicly saying they’re simply not going to enforce this law because they say it’s unconstitutional. (RELATED: Due Process Before Disarmament)

This is also a reprise of the last time Democrats tried gun-grabbing in Virginia.

That was back in 2019-20, and some 90 of Virginia’s 95 counties passed a resolution declaring themselves “2A sanctuaries.”  Those resolutions are back with a vengeance this summer.

Virginia’s New Draconian Gun Law
Debbie Young

OK, you said it, “Honey, I think it’s time I retire,” and the dust has settled. Now the fun part. How are you going to pay for it all and not outlive your money? Living within your means can be tricky. You don’t want to be an emotional wreck when you no longer have a paycheck to fall back on.

Let’s not make this too much about math. Yes, keeping to a four percent draw from investable assets makes sense. But this is not an exact science. Just this week, there was an article in the WSJ about adopting an actuarial draw rate based on your life expectancy.

As an aside, I might point out, we already have something like that with IRAs. It’s called an RMD, where you’re forced to withdraw and pay taxes on your life expectancy. Not that you need to spend it all.

It has been Your Survival Guy’s experience that you need to be flexible. You need to have a plan that adjusts with the ebb and flow of Your Retirement Life. Because life changes. I have found that good outcomes are helped along by being well informed about your money.

How much can your portfolio handle in terms of a draw rate when there’s an emergency in the family? What if you are thinking about moving to one of Your Survival Guy’s Super States? How will you bridge the gap in owning two homes? Should you sell one of them? The more you know, the more you know.

But at the end of the day, we just don’t know. Planning is good. But life can throw us curveballs, and often the rules change, and we need to adjust the plan.

Action Line: Yes, Your Retirement Life can be about creating trusts and withdrawal plans, among other things, but it’s also about finding someone you trust to help guide you through it all. When you’re ready to talk about it all, email me at ejsmith@yoursurvivalguy.com.

Read the entire series here.

Originally posted on Your Survival Guy.

“Honey, I Think It’s Time I Retire:” Part 5
E.J. Smith - Your Survival Guy

At Foreign Policy, Rabah Arezki makes the case that the balance of power is changing in the Middle East, moving toward China and away from the United States. He writes:

The coherence of that order rested on the fact that its economic and security dimensions were led by the same power. Today, that alignment is eroding as the redistribution of economic power toward China reshapes geopolitics. Whereas the United States now primarily extends influence through military power and security provision, China has expanded its reach through trade, infrastructure, economic statecraft, and increasingly by presenting itself as a predictable actor on the global stage.

The current rebalancing will likely take decades to play out, but rarely have economic dependence and security provision been so visibly concentrated in different hands. For 70 years, the U.S.-led order endured because commerce and security moved together. The Middle East is the first major arena where this coherence is dissolving. Economic and security dependence point in different directions, and the result is not a clean handoff from one hegemon to another but a potential disaggregation of hegemony itself.

Read more here.

The Changing Balance of Power in the Middle East
Richard C. Young

The National Interest reports that an Iranian drone swarm may have been involved in the loss of a US F-15E Strike Eagle over Iran in April 2026. While the aircraft was initially believed to have been shot down by a shoulder-fired missile, reports that the pilot observed a coordinated “jellyfish”-shaped formation of drones have fueled speculation that an advanced drone swarm played a role.

According to The War Zone, the incident could point to advances in Iranian drone technology, particularly in swarm coordination and autonomous operations. The pilot reportedly described the drones as resembling a floating “minefield,” with smaller drones attached beneath larger ones. However, US intelligence officials remain divided on the account, with some investigators questioning whether injuries sustained during the crash could have affected the pilot’s perception.

The exact cause of the aircraft’s loss has not been confirmed, but the drone-swarm theory remains under consideration. If the pilot’s account is accurate, it could signal a significant new challenge for modern air forces and highlight how interconnected drone networks may increasingly shape future air combat.

The discussion comes as drone-swarm technology continues to advance globally. A Chinese company, DAMODA, recently demonstrated large-scale, containerized drone-launch capabilities and set a Guinness World Record by coordinating 10,000 drones with a single computer.

While DAMODA specializes in drone light shows rather than military systems, the achievement illustrates the rapid progress being made in swarm coordination, autonomy, and large-scale drone management.

TWZ says the “drone swarm” sighting is unconfirmed and could have other explanations, including injury effects, misidentified objects like birds or balloons, or possible decoys. It also notes there’s no supporting sensor data, so the incident remains uncertain and could fall into the category of unidentified aerial phenomena.

Did an Iranian “Drone Minefield” Bring Down an F-15?
Steve Schneider

We’re not talking burgers at Burger King, here. Lately, Bernie Sanders has been declaring that artificial intelligence software (yes, it was developed by tech companies) is “a public resource.”

Sandernista Pretensions

Sanders is using this whopper to justify his draft plan for the government to seize half the shares of what he deems “systemically important” AI companies, writes James Freeman in the WSJ.

Why, readers must wonder, does Bernie, if he believes his false claim, not demand the government seize all the shares? Evan Senator Sanders perhaps understands how worthless AI companies would be without the creative, hardworking people inside these companies. Total seizure, Bertnie must understand, would cause everyone to flee.

In his draft legislation, the Vermont socialist treats the entrepreneurs and engineers developing the world’s most amazing technology as nothing but criminals.

A Misguided Bernie Sanders:

A small number of oligarchs have essentially stolen the creative work of hundreds of millions of people – writers, artists, musicians, journalists, teachers, scientists, and ordinary citizens – without permission, acknowledgment, or compensation in order to control the majority of economic value created by artificial intelligence…

Artificial intelligence is built on the collective knowledge of humanity and the wealth it generates must benefit humanity.

Bernie’s Despicable Deception

Now, who is trying to seize the work of others? Sen. Bernie looks to be trying to steal assets from their rightful owners. Undoubtedly, that’s why we have a court system, dear Bernie. No doubt there are plenty of lawyers eager to dig deeply into the deeper pockets of software developers.

As Mr. Freeman notes, Mr. Sanders is not trying to seize AI profits because, in general, “there aren’t any.” Investors, large and small, are pouring money into these ventures in the hope that engineers can create products so beneficial to consumers that someday the ventures will be highly profitable.

The government is contributing to this process through a series of threatening distractions. Washington has no right to seize these shareholder assets.

Another Bogus Claim from Bernie:

We can no longer sit back and allow oligarchs decide the future of AI with zero input from the American people.

Bernie’s game here seems to be acknowledging that the technology is amazing while ignoring that people worked hard to create it and deserve to be compensated for it.

In the NYT, Bernie Calls Out:

“Artificial intelligence will almost certainly be the most transformational technology in the history of the world,” he wrote recently in the New York Times.

Bernie even admits, “Artificial intelligence was not created out of thin air.”

Who created it? Instead, Bernie proceeds to his outrageous claims of theft and then details his plans for the government to do what he has just falsely accused others of doing.

Bernie also smears entrepreneurs with his dark forecasts of the technology’s impact on society. But if Bernie really saw only downside, he wouldn’t be calling it a “public resource” and trying to grab a piece. Wouldn’t he’d be trying to shut it down?

Might someone ask Sen. Sanders to explain why nobody ever creates transformational technologies in centrally planned economies with high levels of government ownership?

Mr. Freeman also mentions The Grumpy Economist. John Cochrane writes about his thoughts on plans to tax the wealth of people like Elon Musk:

Our billionaires, and now trillionaire, own wealth that is almost exclusively stock in companies they created. That wealth is almost entirely left reinvested in those companies. The companies produce great products, innovate, and employ thousands…

The wealthy do not swim in … pools of money that can be handed out. And even if they did, that money, redistributed, would swiftly drive up prices rather than feed everyone. Musk’s trillion is not the ready inventory of a huge grocery store that can be handed out to feed people. And if it were, once the store was empty, the poor would be hungrier again, and there would be no store to buy from.

Perhaps you think the government, by taxing Musk and demanding cash, can force Musk to sell his stock to others who won’t implode SpaceX’s value. But where do others get money to buy SpaceX stock? In the end, it must come from other companies’ earnings that won’t be invested in other companies.

Again, the economy reorients from investment to consumption. Tax the rich, feed the poor, till there are no businesses anymore.

Go Bernie!

Bernie’s Whoppers
Debbie Young