Free Republic

California motorists buy and consume a billion gallons of gasoline each month and are very sensitive about pump prices, which are markedly higher than those in other states. Naturally, they are a political football. Gov. Gavin Newsom has repeatedly characterized refiners as price gougers, even though most of the differences are caused by taxes, fees and regulatory mandates. Recently, he persuaded the Legislature to pass a watered-down version of his proposal requiring refiners to maintain higher reserves to avoid price spikes. However the gasoline situation is far more complicated than Newsom’s approach, and California may be facing a period of...

Ex-CNN star Chris Cuomo gave his candid thoughts on Vice President Kamala Harris, suggesting that she “is not a godsend” or the “Black female Jesus.” Cuomo, who is now a host on NewsNation, gave his take on Harris during the latest episode of “The Chris Cuomo Project.” “Kamala Harris is not a godsend, alright?” he said. “You people didn’t even like her six months ago! Now all of a sudden, she’s Black female Jesus, the way Obama was Black Jesus. And let me tell you something. He had a lot more going for him than Kamala Harris does — and...

With just two days until the presidential election, fresh polling shows six of the seven battleground states so close they are within the margin of error — with the only one showing a clear leader being Arizona, where former President Donald Trump is up by four points. Trump captured a 49% to 45% advantage in the Grand Canyon State, while two others show him tying with Vice President Kamala Harris — with each getting 48% in Pennsylvania and 47% in Michigan, according to the final batch of swing state polling from the New York Times and Siena College. Harris eked...

A federal judge appointed by Barack Obama ruled that Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes must release records pertaining to over 1.2 million “inactive” voters on Arizona’s voter rolls. The decision comes amid concerns that Arizona’s voter rolls may contain numerous inactive or ineligible registrations, that would impact the accuracy of the state’s voter database. Judge Logan served 26 years in the Marine Corps and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal while stationed in Iraq. Barack Obama nominated Judge Logan to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Arizona in 2013. On Saturday, Judge Steven...

The war in Ukraine has long been shaped by foreign support and intervention and supplies and funding from their allies has been a major source of Ukrainian endurance. But Russia has always had partners as well, and it looks like it may be North Korea, that is the first to take the step of sending large numbers of troops to support the war effort. In this episode I explore the reports around this claimed North Korean deployment, put it into the context of ongoing Russian offensives and the ongoing American election, and try to turn the focus to the DPRK's...

Phthalates are recognized as reproductive toxins and carcinogenic substances. A recent study highlights the ongoing exposure of Southern Californians to hazardous air pollutants known as plasticizers, including a chemical that has been prohibited in children’s products and cosmetics. Plasticizers are chemical compounds that make materials more flexible. They are used in a wide variety of products ranging from lunchboxes and shower curtains to garden hoses and upholstery. “It’s not just for drinking straws and grocery bags,” said David Volz. Previous California monitoring programs focused on plasticizers called ortho-phthalates, some of which were phased out of manufacturing processes due to health...

About a week after they made waves for their style at the Sweat Tour, Malia and Sasha Obama once again put their fashion chops to the test by attending Billie Eilish’s star-studded Halloween party in Hollywood. Joining fellow famous guests like Kaia Gerber and Kiernan Shipka, the Obama sisters delivered two stylish looks that channeled this year’s rising western trend, a fad that has also been espoused by the likes of Beyoncé and Bella Hadid. A 23-year-old Sasha looked striking in a bright blue baby tee and beige micro shorts, layered underneath a rusty maroon cardigan and a massive black...

Vice-presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) claimed that former President Donald Trump is a “dictator” trying to “overturn the Constitution” during his rally in Arizona on Saturday. “Momentum is on our side, but we take nothing for granted,” the Democrat said to a Tucson audience. “We know in Arizona a vote or two per precinct could be what it takes to win the whole damn race for the country.”

Humza Yousaf has revealed he has doubts over whether he and his family will stay in the UK amid a growing rise of Islamophobia and the far right. The former First Minister of Scotland admits that the riots in England over the last week have been concerning and he is now considering a future where he, his wife and three children move out of the UK and potentially away from Europe. Mr. Yousaf has been vocal in his criticism of the trouble in England over the last week and there are concerns it could spread to Scotland. Scottish Secretary Ian...

A charity run shelter in El Paso, Texas stands accused of “planning and facilitating” illegal migrants to cross over the border from Mexico into the US, according to court documents. The accusation of brazen illegality is part of a suit filed by the state Attorney General Ken Paxton against Annunciation House, a Catholic group who run a handful of shelters providing temporary housing to migrants who have illegally crossed into the US. Paxton launched an investigation earlier this year into the charity, demanding the immediate release of documentation about its migrant clients, which it has refused to do. “Annunciation House...

The senator shared, “I took the vaxx, and I haven’t been boosted or anything, but the moment where I really started to get red-pilled on the whole vaxx thing was, the sickest that I have been in the last 15 years, by far, was when I took the vaccine.” “And I’ve had COVID at this point five times. I was in bed for two days. My heart was racing. I was like, the fact that we’re not even allowed to talk about that …,” Vance asserted.

Researchers have discovered that plasticizers DEHP and DINP have negative effects on normal brain function in vertebrates. These plasticizers are used in products such as PVC, paints, and cosmetics. Phthalates are among the most commonly used plasticizers. However, plasticizers often leach from products over time, entering the environment and making their way into the human body via food, clothing, and dust. DEHP, in particular, has been proven to have severe impacts on development and reproduction, which is why it has been replaced in many instances by DINP, which is considered to be a safer alternative. Recent studies, however, have shown...

Calls are being made to complain to the Chicago Board Elections.

Iran’s supreme leader on Saturday threatened Israel and the US with “a crushing response” over attacks on Iran and its allies. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke as Iranian officials are increasingly threatening to launch yet another strike against Israel after its October 26 attack on the Islamic Republic that targeted military bases and facilities and that Iran said killed at least five people. Israel’s retaliatory strikes on Iranian military facilities came weeks after the October 1 attack, in which Iran launched 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, sending most of the population rushing to bomb shelters and safe rooms, causing relatively minor...

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered the deployment of additional ballistic missile defense destroyers, fighter squadron and tanker aircraft, and several B-52 long-range strike bombers to the Middle East, a Pentagon statement said on November 1. The forces will begin to arrive in the region in the coming months to replace the departing USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder said in the statement. The announcement comes three weeks after U.S. President Joe Biden said he had ordered the Pentagon to send a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and troops to Israel...

U.S. bombers have arrived in the Middle East region as tensions flare over Iran potentially launching another attack on Israel, United States Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed early Sunday. B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers from Minot Air Force Base's 5th Bomb Wing arrived in the Middle East, CENTCOM said, without elaborating. Pentagon officials earlier said that B-52 long-range bombers, along with more destroyers, fighter squadrons and tankers, would be deployed to the region to deter Iran and its militant allies. The moves come ahead of the U.S. presidential election on Tuesday and as the entire Middle East region teeters on the edge...

3 November 202431st Sunday in Ordinary TimeSaint Martin de Porres, North PhiladelphiaReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: Green. Year: B(II).First readingDeuteronomy 6:2-6You shall love the Lord your God with all your heartMoses said to the people: ‘If you fear the Lord your God all the days of your life and if you keep all his laws and commandments which I lay on you, you will have a long life, you and your son and your grandson. Listen then, Israel, keep and observe what will make you prosper and give you great increase, as the Lord the God of your fathers has...

Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that this was a “change election,” in which voters want to “turn the page.” Host Kristen Welker said, “Let’s start off by talking about the results of our latest poll. Senator, 66% of voters believe the country is on the wrong track. As you know, historically, incumbent parties don’t win re-election when the number is that high. Do you believe that Vice President Harris should have distanced herself more from President Biden and sooner?”

The impacts, particularly on Nordic Countries, would likely be catastrophic, including major cooling in the region, while surrounding regions warm.

Army specialist Wooster Rancy, 21, was identified as a person of interest and was arrested in connection to the murder of Sgt. Sarah Roque. In a Facebook post on Thursday, October 31, Fort Leonard Wood officials said Rancy was charged for his role in the death of 23-year-old Sarah Roque, who went missing on October 21, 2024, from the Missouri military base. She was later found dead in a dumpster at Fort Leonard Wood military base on October 22, 2024. ...