Free Republic

Judging by Donald Trump’s outbursts of late, he can’t seem to decide whether reopening the Strait of Hormuz is easy or hard. He also can’t seem to decide whether he needs international allies to help with this urgent task or not. Iran’s blockade on oil shipments exiting the strait—done in response to Trump’s attack—is causing worsening global consequences daily. So it would be useful for Trump to settle these arguments in his own mind already. But Trump’s incoherence on the Strait of Hormuz actually reveals something else, as well: a massive political weakness. .....

Missiles caused 'extensive damage' in Qatar hours after Iran threatened to wage a 'full scale economic war' by attacking energy facilities across the Middle East. Video showed huge explosions in Ras Laffan - the world's biggest natural gas plant - as well as Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh.Energy sites in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar were evacuated after Tehran warned it would hit them with strikes in 'the coming hours'. Abu Dhabi authorities suspended operations at two of its sites, the Habshan gas facility and at the Bab oil field, after being hit with fallen debris from successful...

This morning I went to buy gas in Los Angeles. The price at the pump per gallon was as follows:Unleaded ... $5.3999Plus ... $5.4999Premium ... $5.5999Yet some people here are complaining about gas in their states being $3.50 or $3.60.

If you've been following coverage of the Trump administration's military action against Iran, you've probably noticed something: A lot of people are determined to convince you that the United States is losing. They're wrong. Even worse, many of them know they're wrong. Critics across the political spectrum — from Democrats to elements of the so-called horseshoe Right — are pushing narratives that paint the conflict as a disaster in the making. The goal is simple: Undermine public confidence and turn what is shaping up as a strategic success into a perceived failure. Three particular claims are circulating widely. All three...

🚨 HOLY CRAP! Trump Interior Sec. Doug Burgum MIC DROPS Gavin Newsom after Gavin blames Trump for his nearly $7 gas prices "That is SOMETHING coming from California! Under Newsom, California used to have 40 refineries. Now they have 8, 2 MORE are CLOSING!" "They're going to be down to 6 with Chevron and Valero closing!" "California is the most energy dependent state in America. 63% of their oil gets imported." "Now they're going to be importing refined product into San Francisco Bay and into Long Beach every day, just to keep their fleet." "They have the largest number of...

Donald Trump's chief of staff Susie Wiles is demanding action to bring gas prices down as the war with Iran sends oil skyrocketing, sources have revealed. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and other top officials, including a council led by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, 'are getting screamed at to find some good news', industry executives said. Iran has shut the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil flows, sending prices soaring more than 10 percent in a single week, with Brent crude jumping from $72 to more than $82 a barrel. The average gas price jumped 11...

California’s already sky-high gas prices are expected to surge after Valero abruptly shuttered its Benicia refinery amid a spiraling “oil crisis,” a new report claims. The Benicia refinery began shutting down on Saturday, four months earlier than planned, a former Valero manager told the California Globe Tuesday. US gas prices: national average of $2.883 with California's average at $4.368, and a legend for retail prices ranging from $2.370 to $4.404. The closure will cause the state’s already sky-high gas prices to soar, a new report said. Thermal imaging showed the facility went cold as the Crimson Pipeline – which transports...

Less than 1 percent of Democrats say they are satisfied with the direction of the country, according to a new Gallup poll. Why It Matters This is the lowest level of satisfaction among Democrats in at least 25 years, according to Gallup's polling, and it comes at a time when Republican satisfaction is near record high levels. The polling shows that Democrats' satisfaction with the direction of the country quickly dropped after President Donald Trump, a Republican, returned to office in January, while GOP supporters' satisfaction spiked. According to Gallup, 31 percent of Americans currently say they are satisfied with...

Conservative activist Scott Presler is sounding the alarm for Republicans, warning that unless the party immediately changes its strategy, November could bring devastating losses. In a late-night video, Presler said he wasn’t trying to spread doom and gloom, but reality. “I’m not here to bring you a happy video. I’m here to give you a dose of reality,” he began. "I'm here to tell you, Republicans are gonna lose everything this November unless we change things and quickly." Presler pointed to three key battlegrounds—Virginia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania—where Republicans are in danger of losing everything. “You’re gonna lose the governorship...

President Donald Trump made a promise at a reception last week for Republican lawmakers that was as impossible as it was specific: He would drive down drug prices by as much as 1,500 percent — “numbers that are not even thought to be achievable,” he said. A price cannot drop by more than 100 percent, but Trump went on to make several other precise but clearly false numerical claims. The cost of gasoline had fallen to $1.99 a gallon in five states, he said; according to AAA, it was over $3 in every state. Businesses had invested $16 trillion in...

Gas prices often increase in the summer as more motorists hit the road, but this year’s pump prices have dropped to match the summer of 2021, the last time seasonal gas prices were this low. The national average is down about 3 cents per gallon from last week, returning to the price from a month ago, $3.16. One year ago, gas prices were at $3.574. Gas prices were also at a four-year low on Independence Day. The White House is attributing the phenomenon to President Donald Trump’s energy agenda, which Energy Secretary Chris Wright told The Daily Signal can be...

Two large California oil refineries are shutting down, triggering mounting concerns from state legislators, industry groups and many others.Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson of the Gardena district bluntly described his concern during a recent Sacramento hearing.“This is a tremendous loss,” Gipson told NBC Los Angeles, referring to the looming closure of the Phillips 66 plant near L.A. "The jobs that it holds, the individuals… working each and every day, those individuals live in my district, they shop in my district, they add to the economy in my district."Shutting down refinery powerhousesThe Phillips 66 and Valero’s Benicia sites are set to close...

Imagine waking up one morning to find that your savings are frozen, your credit cards stopped working, and the dollar bill in your wallet isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on. It sounds dramatic–something from a dystopian novel or a bad Hollywood thriller. But behind the scenes, in the hushed chambers of central banks and the chaotic pulse of financial markets, warning bells are sounding. The global economy isn’t just vulnerable–it’s one crisis away from a devastating reset.

After firing back at Bruce Springsteen for criticizing him during a concert tour, President Trump is now calling for “major investigations” into Springsteen and other celebrities for their support of his opponent, Kamala Harris, in the 2024 election. In addition to Springsteen, Trump also named two other singer/songwriters — Bono and Beyoncé — as well as longtime TV host, actress, and producer and l Oprah Winfrey. Giving the all-caps key his usual workout, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on Monday, May 19: “HOW MUCH DID KAMALA HARRIS PAY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN FOR HIS POOR PERFORMANCE DURING HER CAMPAIGN FOR...

WASHINGTON, May 19 (Reuters) - The U.S. Transportation Department is expected to declare that fuel economy rules issued under then President Joe Biden exceeded the government's legal authority by including electric vehicles in setting the rules, automakers said on Monday. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the department's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Friday submitted its interpretive rule, "Resetting the Corporate Average Fuel Economy Program" to the White House for review. He said in a statement the prior administration had "illegally used CAFE standards as a backdoor electric vehicle mandate – driving the price of cars up."

Is Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman trying to sabotage Joe Biden’s reelection bid? It’s quite possible. The Saudi leader, known as MBS, has made clear his disdain for President Biden, and his fury over insults lobbed at him by this White House. He is a powerful force behind the current surge in oil prices, which could — if sustained — contribute to Biden’s defeat. Oil prices are soaring — up 19 percent since the start of the year. Since they lag behind crude oil, gasoline prices have only jumped 14 percent so far. But, unless oil markets take a...

In Peru, protestors are resorting to violence in the streets after President Pedro Castillo imposed a curfew to curb recent anti-government protests over soaring gas and food prices. The curfew has since dropped and at least 4 people have died. Video is 5:04 minutes long

In a majority of states across the union, gas prices are now higher than they were on the day of Donald Trump's return to the White House on January 20, while in a handful they are exactly the same and only in a few they have fallen, according to AAA data. The numbers show that, after more than 100 days in office, the U.S. president is still struggling to keep his promise to lower prices at the pump for American drivers, especially as his administration's tariffs threaten further turmoil in the global markets. Gas prices surged under Joe Biden, driven...

Did Putin’s frogmen blow up Europe’s gas supplies? Western leaders blame ‘deliberate’ sabotage after Nordsteam pipe from Russia ruptured off Sweden causing 3000ft-wide bubbles and sending prices spiking Three leaks reported in Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines near Danish island last night and this morning Pipelines are leaking gas into the Baltic Sea, with one area more than 3,000ft wide churning with bubbles Danish PM Mette Frederiksen has said her government believes the leaks were caused by 'deliberate actions' Ukraine also pointed the finger at Moscow, describing the incident as a 'terrorist attack and act of aggression' Latvian Defence...

Gas prices going down. Vanity