It’s Monday, July 21. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Today: The war on free speech comes for the British pub. Andrew Ferguson on what makes Dave Barry so funny. Are we prepared for a drone attack? Do Democrats need their own Trump? And more.

But first: Is air-conditioning the mark of civilization?

As the sole member of the Free Press London bureau, I spend half my working hours reminding my American colleagues of a truth I hold to be self-evident: Europe is just as good as the U.S.

And in some ways, better! Our cities are prettier. Our trains are faster. We believe in taking vacation and—wait for it—not answering emails from the beach. (Can someone please remind Bari of this next month when I retreat to Crete?)

But there is one concession I will reluctantly make, and it is this: The air-conditioning on this side of the pond is less than ideal. Over the weekend, a tweet went viral in which a good American patriot named Billy Binion claimed the lack of AC in European restaurants makes eating out feel like “hot yoga with bread.” I was tempted to reply: I love hot yoga! And bread! Sounds like a great dinner!

But Billy, as a substandard British patriot I’ll admit that you have a point. When the heat wave struck earlier this month, we suffered. The London Underground became a furnace. Every British newspaper ran an article about “how to keep cool.” Shut the curtains! Put cold towels on your bare legs! I did all this and more, in the apartment where I both sleep and work, which is but 15 years old and has no air con.

Believe it or not, I’m one of the lucky ones. I read last week, with horror, that over 250 people died in London during that heat wave. And I learned today, from Free Press columnist Tyler Cowen’s latest piece, that more Europeans die heat-related deaths than Americans suffer fatal gunshot wounds.

He argues that our lack of air-conditioning is a sign that my continent is wracked by civilizational decline. And when I think back to my trip last July to our New York office—where the air-conditioning is so competent that I had to wear a sweater—I almost believe him.

—Freya Sanders

Britain’s War on Speech Comes for the Pub

Dominic Green

From one tale of European malaise to another. . . . A new law could criminalize that most British tradition: ridiculing your friends at the pub. Dubbed the “Banter Bill,” the legislation is the latest threat to free speech in the UK—and, as Dominic Green argues, a profound assault on the British way of life. Read full story

A Funny Thing About Dave Barry

Andrew Ferguson

The humor writer’s new memoir, “Class Clown,” tackles everything from the absurd—exploding toilets—to the deeply insightful: modern media’s loss of credibility. Read this book, advises Andrew Ferguson. Read full story

WATCH: The U.S. Is Not Prepared for a Drone Attack

Austyn Jeffs

A drone attack on U.S. soil is all but inevitable, experts say. But are we properly prepared? In his latest documentary, Austyn Jeffs dives into the debate around an obscure and outdated law that some argue means we’re sitting ducks. Read full story

On Conversations with Coleman: Do Democrats Need Their Own Trump?

This week’s guest on Conversations with Coleman is Galen Druke. Galen is the founder of the GD Politics podcast and the former host of the FiveThirtyEight Politics podcast. Coleman sat down with Galen to talk about public opinion six months into Trump’s second term: what pollsters get wrong about the president, why some people viewed Donald Trump as the more moderate choice in 2016, what that says about how voters think, and how Democrats might get back into the national conversation in a real way. They also talked about how polls work, when they matter, and what they often miss about what voters actually care about.

Hit the play button below to listen to their conversation, and make sure you follow Conversations with Coleman wherever you get your podcasts.

Do The Democrats Really Need ‘Their Own Trump’ To Win? w/ Galen Druke The Free Press Episode