Please Take Seriously IRGC Plots To Assassinate Senior U.S. Government Officials

Madame President: Your Friday morning briefing...As Friday starts, we have hostilities going full force between U.S. forces, the IRGC, and several Middle Eastern countries, including Jordan. Numerous additional IRGC leaders have been "flatlined." There is a virtue to that old saying: "Be careful of what you wish for, you might get it." When it comes to assassinations, the Israeli Mossad is the best in the world. I have been praising this agency for 31 years. They have shared their skills with US forces. A lot of Iran's senior leadership is dead. Inexperienced people have taken over. There are splits into several different factions among the surviving leaders. In my opinion, the current situation makes it impossible to reach a diplomatic solution with Iran. Many different and serious news sources, including C.N.N. and News Nation, have reported that a contract has been put out on the lives of President Trump, Vice President Vance, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and General John D. Cain. Back channel sources sympathetic to the U.S. and Israel fear that they are on this hit list. I have seen no substantial confirmation of this. Past Iranian efforts to assassinate high-level leaders were simply a large reward promised to anyone who "does the dirty deed." Now there is an indication of an evolution where Iran, which has good relations with drug cartels, has hired drug cartels to carry out the killings. Over the past few centuries, when a major world leader was assassinated, some mentally unbalanced person "got in a lucky shot" or bomb blast that did the work. Israel has shown itself to be the only country witht the competence and resources to kill world leaders. They proved this with the assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei in Iran. With serious drug cartels "coming to the assassination party," we have a very dangerous new element. (Recently, almost a ton of Iranian heroin was seized in Poland. This shows the close relationship between Iran and the drug cartels.) These criminal organizations have huge financial resources. They have access to the most modern weapons short of nuclear weapons. They probably have hired Ukrainians to provide them with the most advanced drone technology in the world. A highly sophisticated drone swarm could overwhelm the best U.S. security systems. Chris Cuomo hosts a daily discussion program on the Sirius Network. A very learned person being interviewed warned that world leaders could be attacked with drone swarms. The cartel leadership taking on such a project would not doubt that "all heaven and earth would fall on them" if they were successful. Some back channel sources say that such acts would provoke nuclear retaliation against Iran and some cartel resources. The first challenge that authorities would face after such an event would be to prove who did it. The investigation could take months. Hard proof would be difficult to obtain due to the opaque and deadly nature of these cartels. Please bear in mind that the U.S. government has been tempted several times to send military forces into Mexico to attack the cartels. Each time, they have backed off after having seen estimates of the casualties they would suffer and the angry response from the Mexican government. We are entering a very dangerous time. I take the current Iranian threats against US leaders seriously. They have been incompetent in the past. Now we have major drug cartels that are very competent.

My Fourth Of July Message

The 250th Anniversary of the U.S. is upon us! Yesterday afternoon, Elena and I waited with great expectation for the beginning of the World Cup match between Argentina and Cabo Verde. We were brimming with confidence. It was going to be an easy victory for Argentina. Elena got a surprise delivery from UPS. It was a gift from me. It was the same shirt that each Argentina player wears on the field. We had a huge and unpleasant surprise. The game lasted 120 minutes instead of the normal 90 minutes. It was a ferocious and hard-fought battle. The humble people of that little island became David taking on Goliath. They almost pulled it off. Argentina won 3-2. I always warn people: never underestimate an opponent! Now we come to this special day. Many people claim that the founding fathers were all elite white males who owned slaves. In reality, some were, and some were not. Each man knew that if he failed, his life would end on the gallows. I hear all sorts of talk about slavery, racism, putting native Americans on reservations, internment of Japanese in World War II, forever wars, etc. After hours of agonizing thought, I focus on the great movie actor Kirk Douglas. He was born to a Jewish family in Ukraine. Had he not gotten out of there, he would have died in one of Stalin's famines or been killed by the Nazis. Think of all the wonderful performances on the screen we never would have seen. In Christmas of 1988, my second job was at a center that helped homeless people get back on their feet. A surprise speaker came to talk to the people with little hope. It was the famous movie actor Kirk Douglas. He was just as handsome and charming in person as he was on the screen. He told the people something surprising when he said the following: "Many decades ago, I was in the same position that you are in. I got mad and decided to do something about it." In September 1996, I found myself in the same position that Kirk found himself in long ago. Super Grok told me many years later that I had a 1/3 of 1% probability of emerging from homelessness to a life of prosperity. (Heck, I had a better chance of becoming an astronaut.) I remembered Kirk's words from long ago. I got mad. I decided to do something about it. I also thought of the words of former President Barack Obama: "Yes we can!" It was a long battle; I emerged from homelessness on July 17, 1999. In 27 years, I have never come back. Elena began life "one click away from the slum" in a very poor Buenos Aires suburb. Her family could not afford a car or a television. Their drinking water came from a well. She ended her career as a successful and respected doctor in Northern California. My former domestic partner Antonieta was born in a Guatemala slum of an unwed mother. She came to this country. She had a good career. She married a wonderful man. She has two beautiful daughters. She lives in a nicer house than our house. Everybody, me and many other people like me, are what this country is all about! We came from poverty, beat the odds, and have had a great life. Elena thinks that we are a little tiny minority. I beg to differ. There are millions of us! Please eat some healthy and unprocessed food. Get some life-renewing exercise. Get some rest after a week of hard work. Most importantly, tell someone close to you that you love them. (I have already done that!) -JackW

Argentina vs Austria-World Cup Action At Its Best In Dallas, Texas

We are back at home safely. This trip was an education for me. Argentina has the most devoted and ardent soccer fans in the world. A couple of centuries ago, Charles Dickens wrote a classic book, "A Tale of Two Cities." I am going to briefly give you a tale of two cities this morning: Dallas, Texas, and Arlington, Texas. Sunday morning, Elena and I found ourselves in downtown Dallas around ten in the morning. Even at that early hour, Argentina fans were starting to congregate in the principal downtown park, which is like a long walking trail. A huge flat screen television was already showing soccer games. When the Dallas Museum of Art opened at 11:00, Elena and I toured the museum. It was impressive. It was amazing to see the museum full of people wearing Argentina soccer shirts. The sports fan also appreciated culture. After the museum tour, Elena and I emerged onto the street. Hundreds or perhaps thousands of Argentina fans were now on the streets. All sorts of food trucks and souvenir vendors were seen. Some fans from Spain and Austria were also spotted. Things were peaceful and mellow. We went to lunch at an excellent Tex-Mex restaurant. The restaurant was full of upper-middle-class and wealthy Argentine fans. These were the people with actual tickets to the game coming on Monday. What was amazing was that many Argentine fans of humble means found the way to travel to Dallas. They did have tickets to the game. They would watch the game on the big screen television in the downtown park. What a beautiful moment full of love. Law enforcement stayed discreetly in the background. They let the party go on. It reached its height at five in the afternoon. So many people came that the major Dallas freeways were clogged as if it were rush hour traffic. The next day, Elena and I boarded a trolley at nine in the morning that took us to the stadium where the game between Argentina and Austria was to be played. The crowd at the stadium was counted at 70,649. There was a massive law enforcement presence from the Arlington Police Department, with officers in full battle dress and often riding around in ATVs and other military vehicles. A helicopter prowled overhead. I am sure there was a large contingent of law enforcement and intelligence officers in plain clothes. The stadium was an engineering marvel. It was covered on the top with a highly efficient air conditioning system. Elena and I rode escalators up five levels to find our modest seats. We had a pleasant surprise. The seats assigned to us were comfortable. We had a marvelous view of the field below. Argentina perfomed brilliant in the second half. They scored two goals and won. Lionel Messi set a FIFA record for the most goals scored. What a beautiful and unforgettable time.

Austin, Texas Has Created Affordable Housing

Austin, Texas, has built a substantial amount of affordable housing (and overall housing) through a combination of aggressive zoning reforms to boost overall supply, targeted subsidies and incentives for income-restricted units, voter-approved bonds, public-private partnerships, and streamlined permitting. This multi-pronged approach has helped it lead the U.S. in affordable housing production in some recent years while significantly increasing total housing stock. pew.org Massive Overall Housing Supply Increase (Market-Rate + Affordable)From 2015–2024, Austin added ~120,000 new housing units — a 30% increase in its housing stock (far outpacing the U.S. average of 9%). This surge, including many market-rate apartments, helped drive down median rents (from ~$1,546 in late 2021 to ~$1,296 by early 2026). pew.org Much of this came from land-use reforms that made it easier and more profitable to build:HOME Amendments (2023–2024): Allowed up to 3 units (including duplexes/triplexes/tiny homes) on single-family lots and reduced minimum lot sizes (down to 1,800 sq ft in Phase 2). This enabled "missing middle" housing and more attainable homes on existing lots. enotrans.org Reduced/eliminated minimum parking requirements and eased other restrictions (e.g., compatibility standards, setbacks). better-cities.org Affordability Unlocked (2019 onward): Density bonuses, height increases, and waivers in exchange for setting aside a high percentage of units as affordable. This program significantly boosted production. kut.org These changes encouraged private developers to build at scale, with many "affordable" units emerging naturally from increased supply (especially in Class C/older buildings).Targeted Affordable (Income-Restricted) Housing ProductionAustin led the nation in new affordable units in 2024 with 4,605 built — more than double 2023 levels. Projections suggested strong continued output. kut.org Strategic Housing Blueprint (2017): 10-year plan targeting 60,000 units affordable to households ≤80% of median family income (MFI) by ~2027. Progress reached ~37% of the goal by 2023, with strong gains in some districts and near transit. austintexas.gov Voter-approved bonds: Multiple General Obligation bonds (e.g., $250M in 2018, $350M in 2022) funded land acquisition, rental/ownership development, rehabilitation, and programs. These provided direct subsidies and gap financing. austintexas.gov Density bonuses, tax incentives, public-private partnerships (e.g., with Housing Authority of the City of Austin), and federal/low-income housing tax credits supplemented local efforts. huduser.gov Other Supporting FactorsStreamlined online permitting (Austin Build + Connect) sped up approvals. Focus on transit-oriented and "Imagine Austin" centers/corridors for equitable distribution. Nonprofit and for-profit partnerships (e.g., Habitat for Humanity, developers like NRP Group). Broader Texas context: No state income tax, business-friendly environment, and pro-growth policies attracted developers. Results and caveats: Rents and some prices have moderated despite population growth, proving supply works. Challenges remain for the deepest affordability (≤30–50% MFI) and equitable geographic spread. Not all new units are subsidized "affordable" — much of the relief comes from filtering and competition in the broader market. pew.org Austin's success stems from aligning supply-side deregulation (to unleash private building) with targeted public investment (for deeper affordability), rather than relying on one alone. This model has been studied as a practical example for other growing cities. For the latest data, check the City's Housing Department scorecards or reports from Pew, HousingWorks Austin, or Yardi Matrix.

FPV Drones Are Unstoppable

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16Q6uH8-iipCXmzCtz3wQCzs9x5HVVX-a/view

The Most Important Lesson I Have Learned In 77 Years of Life

Let us do something uplifting and fun on Sunday. It starts with a simple question: In all the years of your life, what is the most important lesson that you have learned? My most important lesson begins with the 1984 film Starman. For those curious, here is the IMDB link to the film: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088172/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_Starman An alien spacecraft enters Earth's atmosphere. It is immediately detected by US radars. Jet fighters are scrambled. One jet fighter gets an incredible, lucky shot. The spacecraft is badly damaged. Its pilot executes a crash landing in a rural area of Wisconsin. The alien alights from the spacecraft. He activates the autodestruct. A big fire follows. The alien takes shelter in a nearby house. He does a fast scan. He discovers that the house is occupied by a young widow. She has recently and unexpectedly lost her beloved husband. He begins a metamorphosis to become the dead husband. While this process is underway, the widow comes out of her bedroom with a gun in her hand. She is mesmerized by the process underway. When it finishes, she finds her beloved husband facing her naked. Right at this point, the movie transitions from a routine science fiction film to a beautiful love story. When the alien asks her to define love, she answers that it means caring about another person more than you care about yourself. She agrees to come with the alien as he travels from Wisconsin to Winslow, Arizona, to be at an extraction point to return to his home planet. The couple falls deeply in love. The alien has never experienced romantic love before. He thinks it is beautiful. They become intimate. The widow gets pregnant with a human child despite a previous medical diagnosis saying she could never get pregnant. When the couple reaches Winslow, Arizona, they are detained by the US government. A young scientist from SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) starts the debrief. The alien convinces him to let him go so he can return to his home world. He then says these words to his love interest and the young scientist: You humans, are at your very best when things are the worse. That is the most important lesson I have learned in 77 years of life!

The US Wins The Drone War With An Innovative New $35,000 Draone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4VF6YmABu8