Free Republic

For Americans, living under President Joe Biden, it has been an exceptionally long four years. President Donald Trump bequeathed to Biden a strong country with American energy independence, a secure border, a robust military, peace abroad and economic prosperity at home. Sadly, Biden ruined everything Trump left to him by pursuing destructive progressive policies that were an abysmal failure. On his first day in office, Biden declared war on the oil and gas industry, shutting down the Keystone XL pipeline and placing moratoriums on drilling.

Billionaire Warren Buffett has pledged to give away at least $147 billion to charities and NGOs following his death, tasking his children with spending the money. The 94-year-old Buffet has expressed concern about his children’s longevity, which prompted him to create a backup strategy in case they pass away before being able to give away the fortune. In a recent letter to investors, the 94-year-old stated that he has not yet named a successor in the event his children are unable to fulfill this role.Buffett remarked candidly about the inevitability of aging, stating, “Father time always wins.” Since 2006, Buffett...

Both Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump want to revive the long-dead cross-border Keystone XL pipeline project, but is that feasible? A major challenge in resuscitating the project will be ginning up enough political will and corporate determination to wade through the legal and regulatory requirements to begin construction, not to mention tackling the growing anti-fossil fuel advocacy across the continent. Former owner TC Energy terminated the project in June 2021. The pipeline system is now part of the spinoff company South Bow, and that adds to the challenges of resurrecting the Keystone XL expansion. On Nov....

A federal court on Thursday nixed a Trump-era rule that limited state and tribal authority to block projects that could impact their waters, including pipelines. California Federal Judge William Alsup vacated the rule and sent it back to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for further proceedings. The Clinton appointee's move came after the agency asked the court to remand the issue back to the EPA amid litigation filed by states and environmental groups... ...The now-vacated rule had limited states’ authorities to block projects by giving them a strict one-year time limit to do so before the federal government could decide...

President-elect Donald Trump intends to revive the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline on his first day in office—just like President Biden shut it down on his first day in office. A Politico report citing unnamed sources with knowledge of the situation said that the president-elect’s transition team was discussing Keystone XL with a view to bringing it back to life. “It’s on the list of things they want to do first day,” one of the Politico sources said. The 1,200-mile pipeline, developed by TC Energy, was supposed to carry some 800,000 bpd of Canadian heavy crude to U.S. refineries....

The company behind the project cancelled it and the steel that was in ground has been removed, but it’s on the president-elect’s energy to-do list. Donald Trump is looking to revive the Keystone XL oil pipeline on his first day back in the White House, according to three people familiar with the president-elect’s plan, even though no companies are trying to build it anymore. Trump believes declaring the 1,200-mile Canada-to-Nebraska crude project back on the table would drive the pro-oil message he delivered in his campaign, said people involved in the transition team discussions about the idea. Trump also wants...

Donald Trump is looking to revive the Keystone XL oil pipeline on his first day back in the White House, according to three people familiar with the president-elect’s plan, even though no companies are trying to build it anymore.Trump believes declaring the 1,200-mile Canada-to-Nebraska crude project back on the table would drive the pro-oil message he delivered in his campaign, said people involved in the transition team discussions about the idea. Trump also wants to show he can defy President Joe Biden, who reversed Trump’s initial 2017 approval of the project, which was strongly opposed by the climate movement.

This afternoon’s fabulous cabinet announcement is that Chris Wright, founder and CEO of Liberty Energy, is President Trump’s pick to be secretary of energy. Chris is an old friend—he hosted me any my family for a week of skiing once at his second home in Big Sky, Montana, some years back—and he was a guest on our podcast along with his great friend Lord Matt Ridley back in 2018, which you can take in here. He has spoken to couple of my classes on a few occasions when his busy schedule allowed. With his solid background in science and energy,...

President-elect Donald Trump tapped longtime fracking advocate Chris Wright to lead his administration’s Department of Energy, he announced Saturday. Wright, the chief executive of oilfield services group Liberty Energy, helped launch the American Shale Revolution of the mid-2000s that significantly increased US production of oil and natural gas. “As Secretary of Energy, Chris will be a key leader, driving innovation, cutting red tape, and ushering in a new ‘Golden Age of American Prosperity and Global Peace,'” Trump said in a statement. Wright’s appointment to the Trump administration cabinet signifies the president-elect’s determination to boost fossil fuel production in the...

President-elect Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he has selected Chris Wright, the head of fracking company Liberty Energy, to lead the Department of Energy and to serve on a new National Energy Council. Get the latest election news and results In his announcement, Trump credited Wright as “one of the pioneers who helped launch the American Shale Revolution,” adding that “as Secretary of Energy, Chris will be a key leader, driving innovation, cutting red tape.” Trump on Friday tapped North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) to serve as interior secretary and as “energy czar” to oversee the new National...

Harris, 60, replaced President Biden, 81, atop the Democratic ticket in late July and quickly surged in polling while raking in about $1 billion over a six-week period — massively out-raising Trump, 78, and providing the resources to drive home her early advantage over the Republican nominee. Her failure to seal the deal outraged Democrats, including those who worked in the Biden-Harris administration and on her campaign. “I’ve worked on five presidential campaigns. I knew this would be hard. Others acted like they knew they were going to win,” said one person who chipped in during the final stretch of...

President Biden said Thursday that the US is “discussing” the possibility of Israel bombing Iranian oil facilities as payback for a volley of nearly 200 rockets fired at the Jewish state on Tuesday — causing a spike in global crude prices. Biden said the oil strike option was under consideration when asked directly by a reporter as he left the White House. “We’re discussing that. I think that would be a little… anyway,” the retiring 81-year-old president said ... Within 45 minutes of Biden’s remark, crude oil futures spiked to about $74 per barrel from its opening price of $70.10,...

In a startling development, Warren Jones Crazybull, a resident of Idaho, has been formally accused of issuing threats against ex-President Donald Trump. These threats were allegedly made through multiple phone calls to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in sunny Florida, as revealed by official court filings. The unsettling communications occurred on July 31, a period shadowed by the recent violent attack on the Republican presidential hopeful during a Pennsylvania rally. Crazybull, 64, purportedly conveyed his intentions in no uncertain terms across nine separate calls within the day. His ominous message in the initial call chillingly directed to “Find Trump,” with Crazybull threatening...

Kamala Harris is trying to pretend she never wanted to ban fracking, but Pennsylvania energy workers see through her BS. Harris said in 2020 .. she certainly supported a fracking ban, a fact she is now trying to deny. Her insincere reassurances following on years of the Biden-Harris administration’s war on gas and oil do not impress energy workers ... ... she's out there saying whatever she can to make people try to swing her way ... nobody believes that [she will not ban fracking].” ... don't believe anybody in that [Biden] administration.” Considering Kamala is still affirming her dedication...

He states that there will be “Rapid Approvals” for the following: —— new drillings, new pipelines, new refineries, new power and electric plants, and new reactors of all types (nuclear) —— “This will quickly reduce the prices of everything almost immediately.”

A long-profitable niche for American car makers has been the all-American muscle car. Low-slung, two door sedans with enormous horsepower, wide tires, aggressive styling and the low rumble of those powerful V-8 engines. There’s nothing quite like them, and they sell for a premium. Ford made the Mustang, Chevy the Camaro, and Dodge, the Charger and Challenger. They were initially designed to go fast in a straight line, but as technology improved and suspensions became more sophisticated, they began to hold their own on the racetrack as well as the drag strip, and their internal amenities began to rival luxury...

Following the news that Trans Mountain Corporation will start filling the expanded pipeline in February, with first crude to be loaded from Vancouver in April, Canadian crude prices jumped to the narrowest discount to WTI since August 2023. U.S. refiners used to cheap Canadian crude will need to start budgeting more for the commodity from this spring. Canadian oil producers are preparing for the 890,000 bpd in takeaway capacity growth. ... U.S. refiners used to cheap Canadian oil might need to reach deeper into their pockets to keep buying it. The idea behind the Trans Mountain expansion was to turn...

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon slammed Democratic messaging about MAGA, or “Make America Great Again,” Republicans on Wednesday, telling Democrats to “grow up” and “listen” to supporters of former President Trump. “When people say MAGA, they’re actually looking at people voting for Trump and … they’re basically scapegoating them,” Dimon told CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” “I don’t like how [Trump] said things about Mexico … but he wasn’t wrong about some of these critical issues, and that’s why they’re voting for him,” Dimon continued. “And I think people should be a little more respectful of our fellow citizens.”

It is déjà vu for major oil producers, who are again considering steeper production cuts. It took only a month after the Hamas attacks on Israel unleashed a punishing war for oil prices to fall below their pre-Oct. 7 level. The steep drop in oil prices last week, with Brent crude briefly dropping to $77 per barrel, led to speculation that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allied producers (OPEC+) will decide to cut production at its next meeting. OPEC’s last-minute decision to delay the meeting, now scheduled for Nov. 30, will only add to the speculation. U.S....

In a speech to a Seattle crowd Wednesday, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm made the claim that lower oil imports improves U.S. energy security. Praising Biden’s historic green energy funding and 100% clean electricity goal by 2035, Granholm said “With all this electrification, we could slash our net crude oil imports by almost 60%, and that strengthens energy security.” Granholm, who appeared with Vice President Kamala Harris also said Harris "has been amazing inside the White House as the champion for clean energy." One of the most common critiques of Biden’s green agenda is that it has thus far achieved the...