Free Republic

62% of motorists have cut back on driving due to the cost of fuel, and motorists spend an average of €220 per month on vehicle running costs, according to a new report by Carzone, the online car marketplace. In its 2024 motoring report, which is based on a survey of 1000 motorists and activity on the website, it finds 38% of motorists have or plan to reduce the number of cars in their households to cut back on costs. 47% of respondents said their car insurance premiums rose in the last 12 months, which is up 11% on the previous...

Joe Biden continues to deflect blame from his own energy policies for the high prices Americans are paying for gas, including by claiming gas station owners are price gouging. “My message to the companies running gas stations and setting prices at the pump is simple: this is a time of war and global peril,” Biden tweeted on Sunday. “Bring down the price you are charging at the pump to reflect the cost you’re paying for the product. And do it now.” The U.S. Oil and Gas Association tweeted back: “Working on it Mr. President,” the association tweeted. “In the meantime...

Just a few weeks after Los Angeles gas prices reached $5 a gallon for the first time ever, the region has set another record, topping out at more than $6 for a gallon of regular unleaded, AAA reported Tuesday. The average in the L.A.-Long Beach area now stands at $6.01 per gallon following 28 consecutive days of increases. Fuel costs in the region are about 17 cents higher than they were a week ago and $1.22 more than they were a month ago, according to the Auto Club. “Who knows what’s going to happen in another month or two,” one...

Revolution: A French newspaper is reporting that the so-called “yellow jacket” demonstrators who have staged violent protests in Paris and around the country in opposition to the government’s imposition of massive fuel taxes related to climate accords could be preparing for a coup attempt on Saturday. As such, French authorities plan to deploy 8,000 police in Paris alone with another 80,000-plus riot police and gendarmes around the country, various reports have said. French intelligence services have reported to the Elysee Palace, the official residence of President Emannuel Macron, following “calls to kill” and “carry arms to attack” government officials, parliamentarians...

PARIS - French authorities will close dozens of museums, tourism sites and shops on Saturday, including the Eiffel Tower and Louvre, fearing a recurrence of last week’s violence in Paris, officials said on Thursday. “We cannot take the risk when we know the threat,” Culture Minister Franck Riester told RTL radio, adding that far-right and far-left agitators were planning to hijack rallies by “yellow vest” protesters in Paris. He said the Louvre museum, Orsay museum, the two operas, and the Grand Palais were among the sites that would be closed a week after rioters looted and defaced the Arc de...

'This is the start of a revolution': Paris rioters steal police assault rifle, torch dozens of cars and vow to 'stay in the streets until Christmas' as fuel protests continue into the night and spread across France - and even to Holland 'Yellow Vest' supporters staged fresh protests on the Champs-Elysees which leads to the Arc de Triomphe They vowed to continue rioting until Christmas after riot police used tear gas and water cannon to fight back Dozens of cars were torched, the Arc de Triomphe was graffitied and shops and houses were ransacked French President Emmanuel Macron promised that...

The federal government would have an additional $10 billion a year to spend on crucial highways if it stopped diverting federal fuel tax money to projects with no national benefits... The federal gas tax was supposed to be used to build and maintain the Interstate Highway System. Today auto and truck drivers pay federal gas taxes that are diverted to ferryboats, trails and mass transit programs... The 18.4 cents a gallon federal fuel tax should be refocused on rebuilding and modernizing vitally important Interstates... It is time to rethink and refocus the federal transportation role more on core federal purposes...

WASHINGTON – A cash crunch is fast approaching for the government trust fund that pays to build and repair highways and bridges. The federal tax on a gallon of gas has not risen in 14 years and Congress is reluctant to increase it. People are demanding more fuel-efficient vehicles – less gasoline used, fewer dollars for the fund. States already are looking for other places for road-building money – toll road and consumption-based sales taxes, for example. They worry that the fund's looming shortage could hurt their efforts to address traffic congestion as well as environmental and safety problems caused...