Good Morning. Heat 200 million people can't escape, student debt that trails Americans into their 60s, and a bitcoin bull selling what he swore he never would. Today is about the bill coming due.
Plus, a record-low murder rate, Serena's Wimbledon exit at 44, and the slow death of the all-you-can-eat-buffet (forwarded this email? Join 523k readers).
TOP STORY TODAY
Dangerous Holiday Heat
A sprawling heat dome will bake much of the US from late June through the July 4 weekend, pushing temperatures between 90 and 100 degrees onto roughly 200 million people across more than two dozen states.
The setup pins hot, humid air over the Mississippi and Ohio valleys. Chicago could hit 90 or higher for four to five straight days, while St. Louis may endure eight consecutive days near 100.
RealFeel temperatures could top 110 as humidity spikes. Northeastern cities face strong heat waves around the holiday, and Raleigh, North Carolina, is forecast to reach the severe category with highs above 95 for days. Live temperature map here.
Student Loans Defer Retirement
More than three million Americans aged 62 and older now carry federal student loan debt, up from 1.8 million in 2018. Delinquency rates among older borrowers have climbed sharply, with new repayment rules taking effect July 1.
Baby boomers with federal loans owe about $45,000 on average, more than three times the roughly $13,800 owed by borrowers 24 and younger. Many borrowed for graduate degrees or took Parent Plus loans for their kids.
The federal overhaul reshapes repayment plans starting July 1, and some borrowers could see monthly bills jump. Those who default risk garnished Social Security benefits, tax refunds, and wages, a growing concern for seniors on fixed incomes.
Saylor Sells Bitcoin
Michael Saylor's Strategy unveiled a turnaround plan Monday that abandons its long-standing pledge to never sell bitcoin. The company will offload up to $1.25 billion in bitcoin and buy back as much as $1 billion of its shares.
The reversal follows bitcoin's steep slide. The token has lost more than half its value since October's record above $126,000, recently dipping below $60,000. Strategy's stock has fallen over 80% from its late-2024 peak.
Strategy still holds 847,363 bitcoin worth roughly $51 billion, but faces a $1.8 billion annual dividend bill on its preferred stock. It boosted its cash reserve to $2.55 billion as it works to outlast the downturn. The new Bitcoin playbook.
TOGETHER WITH LASERAWAY
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The offer ends July 6, limit one per patient. Stop the cycle at LaserAway.
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The Boring Path to Wealth
We just created a free guide that turns an average paycheck into a seven-figure retirement. Here is a taste of what is inside.
The number that ends the excuses: Save 15% of a normal $65,000 salary, about $812 a month, and never touch it. Over a career it quietly turns into more than $2 million.
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An uncomfortable thought about comfort…
“We should do self-elected hard things, so when life’s non-elected challenges arise, and they will, I can tell myself, ‘I don’t know how I’m going to do this, but I know I can do hard things.’”
TRENDING
5 Stories
▲ Ford recalls 741,195 vehicles including F-150 trucks over transmission flaw that risks rollaways in park
▲ Serena Williams loses Wimbledon comeback at 44 to 20-year-old "Ginger Ninja" Maya Joint, 6-3 6-7 6-3
▲ Murder rate hits likely record low as U.S. killings drop 18.7% early in 2026
▲ All-you-can-eat buffet fades as casual chains and COVID unravel a post-WWII Vegas invention
▲ Supreme Court rejects Trump's bid to curtail birthright citizenship in 6-3 ruling upholding 14th Amendment
TOGETHER WITH COCOJUNE
70% of Your Immune System Lives in One Place. Are You Feeding It?
Around 70% of your immune system sits in your gut lining. When that barrier weakens, inflammation rises and more of what should stay out gets into the bloodstream. Most people never connect their run-down immunity back to it.
Cocojune is built to reinforce exactly that. Its strains, including BB-12 and CRL 431, have been studied for strengthening the gut barrier and stimulating protective immune cells like macrophages and NK cells.
Backed by over 180 human clinical trials and delivered through cultured coconut that survives stomach acid, it is gut support that reaches where it is supposed to.
Fun Links
David Bowie was a workaholic [Blog]
Spotting the shortest airport line [Guide]
A 52-year-old pot of soup [Blog]
“Nice guy” gestures that women hate [List]
Does gossip make you feel better? [Blog]
There are now 3,302 billionaires [Blog]
Trailer: Robert Eggers’ Werwulf [Video]
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