If you want to enjoy some nice September boating, you can put away the Farmer’s Almanac and simply check on whether or not Your Survival Guy has hauled his boat. Like the groundhog and his shadow, an early haul typically means a beautiful September is on the way—except this year. Let me explain. Every year, […]

Your Survival Guy, September Boating, and the Almanac
E.J. Smith

The U.S. Department of Energy plans to support 31 grid-improvement projects across 26 states through its SPARK initiative, with $5.25 billion in total investment, including $1.9 billion in federal funding and $3.35 billion from project partners. The projects will upgrade more than 1,500 miles of transmission lines and deploy advanced grid technologies across nearly 21,000 […]

DOE Unveils Major Push to Upgrade U.S. Power Grid
Young Research

As the spooky season arrives, Victor Davis Hanson argues in his September 22, 2026, article, AI and the Same Old Politicized Hysteria, that public fears about artificial intelligence are becoming part of a broader political debate. I’m not talking about scary yard decorations or enjoying a pumpkin spice latte while watching our favorite scary movie. I’m […]

AI Fears Arrive as Midterms Approach
Young Research

The U.S. Department of Labor’s latest weekly unemployment insurance report shows that initial jobless claims edged down to 197,000 for the week ending September 19, from a revised 198,000 the previous week. The four-week average also declined to 202,250, indicating relatively stable unemployment claims. Meanwhile, the number of people receiving unemployment benefits rose slightly to […]

Weekly Jobless Claims Fall to 197,000
Young Research

GM is investing heavily in U.S. battery technology to make EVs cheaper, longer-range, and less dependent on overseas supply chains. Battery chief Kurt Kelty highlighted new research facilities, advanced cell designs, and GM’s plan to commercialize lithium manganese-rich (LMR) batteries by 2028, offering a balance of range and affordability for trucks and SUVs. GM has […]

How GM Is Rebuilding America’s Battery Industry
Young Research

This is how bonds work. Like any product, bonds compete for your money. When bond prices are down and yields are up, investors should be excited, just as they are when anything else goes on sale. But for some reason, when it comes to investing, investors often curl up in a corner and hide when […]

Bonds: You’re the Bank
E.J. Smith

Global markets fell as strong U.S. economic data and rising oil prices increased expectations of higher interest rates, according to The Wall Street Journal. The 10-year Treasury yield climbed to 5.138%, near its highest level since 2007, while the 30-year yield reached its highest intraday level since 2004. Higher borrowing costs pressured stocks, with Nasdaq […]

Markets Slide as Bond Yields Hit Multi-Year Highs
Young Research

Andre Marino, Senior Vice President of Industrial Automation for North America at Schneider Electric, has extensive experience in industrial automation, software, and digital transformation. He joined Schneider in 2010 after helping build SoftBrasil, an industrial automation and manufacturing software company. Marino argues on the Manufacturing Matters podcast that AI needs useful industrial data, much of […]

Why Industrial Data Matters for AI
Young Research

Publicly traded oil and gas companies represent only 2% of roughly 12,000 U.S. producers, yet they accounted for 68% of crude oil and natural gas production in the Lower 48 states in 2025. Their dominance is largely attributed to high-quality drilling locations, advanced technology, economies of scale, and lower production breakeven prices. The largest operators […]

Public Oil & Gas Companies Dominate U.S. Production
Young Research

California’s wine industry is struggling because wine sales have fallen sharply in recent years. U.S. wine sales dropped about 23% from 2020 to 2025, leaving many growers with grapes they cannot sell, ABC News reports. About 25% of California’s vineyard land has been removed from production. Some farmers are losing money by harvesting grapes, while […]

California Farmers Struggle With Unsold Grapes
Young Research

Private equity and credit assets are coming to 401(k) plans, and Your Survival Guy has been warning you for a while now to get prepared and to be diligent about knowing what you’re getting into if you buy them. Now there is concern in Washington, D.C. that demand for these assets might be fake, or […]

Dumping Ground?: Private Equity Is the Next Big Thing Coming for YOU: Part XXV
E.J. Smith

The U.S. Department of Energy announced more than $99 million for 21 geothermal energy projects across the United States. The projects are designed to advance next-generation geothermal technologies, reduce development risks, and gather data that could support future commercial geothermal power projects. The funding supports two main areas: five field-scale enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) demonstrations […]

U.S. to Subsidize Next-Generation Geothermal Energy Projects
Young Research

Everyday Drinking’s white paper, The “Wine Crisis” Is a Media Crisis: A White Paper, by Jason Wilson and Caroline Lamb, argues that the wine industry is facing a media crisis alongside its broader crisis of discovery. Traditional wine publications have declined, freelance writers are poorly compensated, and the influence of critics and 100-point scores has […]

The Collapse of Wine Media—and What Comes Next
Young Research

Republican lawmakers are increasingly calling for a U.S. ban on diesel exports as diesel prices reach record levels. The national average recently reached about $6.51 per gallon, putting pressure on farmers, truckers, and other businesses that rely heavily on diesel. Lawmakers including Chuck Grassley, Ashley Hinson, and Dan Sullivan have urged the administration to consider […]

Some Lawmakers Push to Ban Diesel Exports
Young Research

President Donald Trump signed a security agreement with Denmark and Greenland to strengthen U.S. and NATO military security in the Arctic. The deal allows the U.S. to expand military facilities and operations in Greenland while the island remains under Danish control, the Associated Press reports. The agreement follows months of tension over Trump’s interest in […]

U.S., Denmark and Greenland Strengthen Arctic Cooperation
Young Research

You can’t blame yourself for wondering about bonds. But don’t let headlines run your money. When I’m asked what I think about bonds, I respond, “I love ’em.” What’s funny is that, in my conversations with investors—not you, of course—they often tell me, “I want preservation of principal and growth.” Look, I get it. At […]

You Can’t Blame Yourself for Wondering About Bonds
E.J. Smith

VLCC newbuilding orders have surged 358% this year as tanker rates and vessel values hit record levels, the Seatrade Maritime News reports. However, Veson Nautical expects ordering to slow as shipyards in China, Japan and South Korea are nearly booked through 2030 and equipment shortages limit new capacity. VLCC spot earnings have topped $1 million […]

Record VLCC Orders Face Shipyard Capacity Crunch
Young Research

USDA is investing $26.5 million in 194 agricultural projects nationwide through its Value-Added Producer Grant program. Of that total, $11.6 million will support 80 beef producer projects, helping farmers and ranchers expand processing, marketing, distribution, and sales of value-added products. Examples include grants for hormone-free beef, dry-aged beef, pet products, beef jerky, and Black Angus […]

USDA Boosts Beef Producers With $11.6 Million in Grants
Young Research

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkey is ready to support Saudi Arabia militarily as Houthi attacks from Yemen intensify, Al Jazeera reports. He said Saudi Arabia may have specific military and technical needs that Turkey could help address under the newly established Mecca Defense Alliance. The alliance brings together Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan […]

Fidan Signals Turkey’s Readiness to Defend Saudi Arabia
Young Research

Meritage Hospitality Group, one of Wendy’s largest U.S. franchisees, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after struggling with declining sales, inflation, and weak restaurant-level margins, according to Restaurant Dive. The company operates 314 Wendy’s locations across 15 states and said it will continue operating its restaurants and paying its roughly 9,000 employees during the restructuring. To […]

Meritage Files Chapter 11 as Wendy’s Franchise Challenges Mount
Young Research