Free Republic

Energy: A new analysis of the effects of the offshore drilling moratorium shows more to worry about than beaches and tourism. Massive job loss and economic hardship lie ahead, and we're doing it on purpose. It's been 100 days since the Deepwater Horizon disaster cast a pall over America's energy future while endangering the environment onshore and off. Whether it was due to negligence or the inherent dangers of deep-water drilling, it pales in comparison to the self-inflicted wound of increased energy regulation and taxes and the Obama administration's moratorium. President Obama has succeeded in turning a crisis into an...

BP's share price took another 2pc knock, after the chief of the company's oil spill response unit admitted that Hurricane Alex has spread oil inland. Robert Dudley, chief of BP's Gulf Coast restoration efforts, said high seas and winds were to blame for the growth of the slick. • BP said it was still investigating claims by a US freelance photojournalist that workers have been trucking new sand to Louisiana beaches. The new layers appear to conceal tar balls caused by the slick. • Admiral Thad Allen, the US incident commander, stuck to the official target date of August for...

Although a tropical depression near the Yucatan Peninsula bloomed into Tropical Storm Alex early today, its westward track seems to be aiming it away from the oil gusher site off the Louisiana coast, stopping authorities from launching a five-day response shutdown in advance of gale force winds. "Where it's at right now, we don't have any indication we would reach gale force winds at the well bore," said Adm. Thad Allen, national incident commander, in a press briefing late Saturday morning. "We understand it's moving westerly at this point," he said. "It doesn't threaten our site." But acknowledging that the...

A Republican lawmaker from a district affected by the oil spill called on Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) to step down as the ranking member of his committee. Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.), whose Pensacola district is among the most-impacted areas in the Gulf by the oil spill, condemned Barton for apologizing to BP CEO Tony Hayward during a committee meeting on Thursday. "I condemn Mr. Barton’s statement. Mr. Barton’s remarks are out of touch with this tragedy and I feel his comments call into question his judgment and ability to serve in a leadership on the Energy and Commerce Committee," MIller...

During a trip to Plaquemines Parish to support the area's fight against the oil spill, Saints quarterback Drew Brees announced today that the team is raffling off an authentic Super Bowl ring to raise funds to help support those impacted by the oil spill. Brees made the announcement to coastal Who Dat Nation weary from the worst-ever U.S. oil spill. Raffle tickets are $2, with a minimum ticket order being $10, according to Brees. The winner will be announced prior to the team’s Sept. 9 home opener against Minnesota At the event in Buras, locals were able to aside their...

Mr. President welcome back. We're not sure how long we'll be able to say you're in the "Pelican State" or how soon we'll have to call ourselves "Presidential Hopes Graveyard." And hopefully, you'll pardon us if we remain sitting, we've been on our knees for over five years and we're really tired. I seem to remember that at one point you pushed the idea of "hope." I hope you have some left, because we're almost out. This message has nothing to do with Democrats and Republicans. When your shrimp boat feels like its sinking partisanship seems childish at best. We...