Free Republic

Conservatives and leftists alike have quickly embraced the notion that America’s perception of President Donald Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran, and of its being a never-ending war, would keep the price of gas and diesel high. This, they believed, is the reason for inflation in the full range of goods and services. On its surface, the logic is sound and true. But were these specific economic pressures enough to cause the level of political devastation to Republicans we just saw? The experts are telling us that Republicans not named Donald Trump, at the federal, state, and even...

As New Yorkers cast their ballots in Tuesday’s race for governor, the state’s economic health looms large: 34% of likely voters say taxes, jobs and inflation are the most important issues facing the Empire State, Emerson College pollsters found. Those voters should consider which candidate will stop piling up the government debt that will soon cripple budgets — and will stick our kids with a massive bill. For decades, New York’s leaders have been spending money on a credit card that nobody in power ever tries to pay off. But every dollar borrowed eventually comes back as higher taxes, service...

In my part of Texas, oil, gas, and timber drives the economy. I made an observation in a family meeting yesterday that it's really starting to break loose here. The local RV parks that are usually empty during the week, are filling up with oilfield workers. The oil and gas personnel that I know who are involved in site prep are working overtime. My son-in-law is one, and he is now working 36 hour shifts. I've been holding off doing a thinning cutting on one of my timber tracts because the price has been so low. But, last week my...

Before the Iran war, Qatar was one of the biggest natural gas exporters in the world. After only eight months, the Gulf state is now buying supplies from its principal competitor — the United States. QatarEnergy struck a deal Thursday with U.S. exporter Cheniere Energy to buy 4 million metric tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) annually through 2054. The purchase price is indexed to the U.S. Henry Hub price plus a fixed fee. Deliveries are expected to begin in the 2030s. “We look forward to reliably supplying QatarEnergy from both Sabine Pass and Corpus Christi into the second half...

Newly declassified State Department emails and documents show former U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch received frequent briefings from top aides on Burisma and Hunter Biden, conflicting with her congressional impeachment testimony. Internal emails also show her deputy in Kyiv believed the Burisma/Biden relationship was adversely affecting U.S. policy. ======================================================================= Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, one of the Democrats’ star witnesses in their first impeachment of Donald Trump, received repeated briefings, emails and memos related to the Ukrainian energy company that employed Hunter Biden, according to declassified documents that directly conflict with her and other witnesses’ testimony in the failed...

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Texas-based travel center Buc-ee’s and Ohio gas station chain Mickey’s have settled a trademark infringement lawsuit over the companies’ cartoon animal logos. On Sept. 15, Buc-ee’s and Coles IP Holdings, the parent company of Mickey’s, reached a confidential agreement during a settlement conference, according to court records. The settlement stems from a lawsuit Buc-ee’s filed in February, claiming Mickey’s cartoon moose logo is too similar to its own cartoon beaver logo. It is unclear whether Mickey’s will change its logo as part of the settlement. Neither Buc-ee’s nor Mickey’s immediately responded to a request for comment....

Washington homeowners could face tens of thousands of dollars in costs to convert natural-gas homes to electric after the Washington Supreme Court struck down the voter-approved initiative designed to protect natural gas as an energy option. The Building Industry Association of Washington has estimated that converting an existing natural-gas home to all-electric can cost approximately $40,000, depending on the home and upgrades required. Conversion can involve replacing gas furnaces and water heaters, installing electric appliances, and upgrading electrical panels and wiring. The court’s ruling does not itself require homeowners to convert to electricity. Rather, it eliminates Initiative 2066, which restricted...

Diesel prices have climbed above an average of $6 a gallon in Arizona, putting pressure on truck drivers, business owners and consumers.

More than one-third of American households rely on natural gas stoves to prepare their meals.Burning natural gas generates carbon dioxide, which is the main driver of climate change. But cooking on gas stoves is also an under-recognized and important source of indoor air pollution. Combustion of natural gas creates nitrogen dioxide and other compounds that can irritate the lungs. People with preexisting respiratory conditions, such as the 28 million Americans with asthma, may be especially susceptible. An analysis of more than 40 studies found a correlation between nitrogen dioxide levels and asthma symptoms.I am a physician and medical researcher, and...

DALLAS — Motorists are expected to encounter the highest average Labor Day gasoline price on record in nominal terms, according to a forecast released Tuesday by fuel-savings platform GasBuddy. The company projects the national average will reach $4.03 per gallon during the holiday weekend, 87 cents higher than the $3.16 average recorded in 2025. The forecast would surpass the previous nominal Labor Day record of $3.83 per gallon, set in 2012.

A federal appellate court has rejected the Biden Department of Energy’s attempt to bypass public advance notice in instituting regulations on gas stoves in 2024. Several states, including Texas, had filed comments objecting to the regulations, which the department rejected. The states sought judicial review and won—with a court concluding that the rules should have been dismissed. The matter is being remanded to the department for further proceedings consistent with the court’s opinion. A Direct Final Rule (DFR) A federal appellate court has rejected the Biden Department of Energy’s attempt to bypass public advance notice in instituting regulations on gas...

STAVANGER, Norway, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Norway will continue developing its oil and gas resources in the Barents Sea regardless of the European ​Union's support for a moratorium on Arctic hydrocarbon supplies, and no longer sees itself as Europe's "green battery", Energy Minister Terje Aasland told Reuters. Following Russia's 2022 invasion of ‌Ukraine, Norway has become Europe's largest supplier of natural gas, meeting around 30% of gas demand of both the European Union and Britain. Last year, the country's gas production was near record levels, while oil output reached its highest level since 2009. Official forecasts, however, show production falling...

The national average price of gasoline stood at $4.05 a gallon Monday, the highest ever recorded this late in the calendar year, as escalating geopolitical conflicts on two fronts threaten to push prices even higher heading into the Labor Day weekend. In Washington, drivers are paying more than $5 a gallon throughout much of the state, well above the national average tracked by fuel price service GasBuddy. The price surge comes as President Donald Trump announced plans to launch what he described as "the most crushing economic operation" against Iran, adding fresh uncertainty to global oil markets already strained by...

Venezuela's new petroleum minister sees her South American home not as a dilapidated former oil giant, but as an emerging energy economy ripe for U.S. and foreign investments in new oil and gas exploration, both onshore and offshore. Paula Henao, who took over as the hydrocarbons minister in March after the forced U.S. removal of former leader Nicolás Maduro, told an overflowing Houston energy audience on Wednesday that Venezuela is much more than just its famed heavy-grade crude oil. There are more than 916 exploration opportunities awaiting foreign investment, she said, including natural gas and other untapped oil basins. She...

Restaurants and other businesses have lost their challenge to Denver ordinances that forbid them from using natural-gas appliances, as a judge has found they are not preempted by federal law. The Restaurant Law Center and the National Association of Home Builders were among the trade associations that sued Denver in July 2024, arguing rules passed in Denver this decade were preempted by the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act. Judge Philip Brimmer disagreed in an Aug. 7 ruling granting the city’s motion to dismiss. Preemption only applies to energy use requirements on manufacturers before the appliances reach consumers, Brimmer wrote....

US President Donald Trump urges Americans to accept slightly higher gasoline prices as the cost of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and said he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz a US territory. The comments underscore the growing political risk for Trump as higher fuel prices collide with his campaign promise to lower energy costs, with Democrats already seeking to make the economic fallout from the Iran war an issue heading into the November midterm elections. In a speech in Garden City, Trump says Americans who had to “pay a tiny little bit more for your gasoline”...

The Fifth Circuit has set aside Biden-era energy efficiency standards for stoves and cooktops, ruling that the Energy Department illegally refused to withdraw the rule after states raised objections requiring ordinary notice-and-comment rulemaking. Judge Oldham accused the Biden administration of trying to “dodge” controversy, said DOE’s interpretation made a “mindless hash” of Congress’s scheme, and called its concession that CA, MA, and NY do not fairly represent the states “the understatement of the day.” The ruling could significantly limit DOE’s use of direct final rules. The Fifth Circuit held they are for consensus regulations, must be withdrawn when objections provide...

Swedish researchers have joined Danish colleagues in an attempt to establish Denmark's claims to parts of the Arctic region. The expedition follows the planting of a flag on the underwater Lomonosov Ridge by a Russian expedition last week. The expedition, led by Swedish icebreaker Oden, set off from Norway on Sunday. It is being led jointly by Martin Jakobsson of Stockholm University and Christian Marcussen of the Geological Survey of Denmark. The Danes claim that the ridge is on the same continental shelf as Greenland, which is a Danish territory. They hope that the expedition will prove the country's claim...

Russia is now "so deeply invested in the Maduro regime that the only realistic option is to double down." Financial Times' Alexander Gabuev says that Rosneft owns two offshore gas fields in Venezuela and holds stakes in assets boasting more than 20 million tonnes of crude. Caracas owes Rosneft USD 3 billion. Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido last month declared himself interim president, winning the backing of the United States. Russia, meanwhile, supported Venezuela’s socialist leader Nicolás Maduro, who has led the oil-rich nation since 2013. The Kremlin is extending help to Maduro while the United States is imposing sanctions...

Russia’s top banker has called on Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine, warning that the four-year-old conflict is dragging the country into economic collapse. German Gref, head of the state-controlled Sberbank, said ordinary Russians are increasingly feeling the economic effects of the war, which are being worsened by Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia’s oil refineries. “I think we are all worried about the same thing. I don’t believe there is anyone in this country whose primary concern is anything other than an end to military hostilities as soon as possible,” Gref told state TV on Tuesday, as reported...