Free Republic

Wednesday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm pushed back against the notion that there were too many regulations on oil refineries, and that was behind the lack of production. Host Joe Scarborough asked Granholm if President Joe Biden should “level with the American people” and admit that overregulation was an issue.

BENICIA -- Rumors are swirling that Valero is putting its two California oil refineries on the market, including one in Benicia that is the city's largest employer. The speculation follows a Wall Street Journal report last week that said the San Antonio-based company has enlisted Citigroup Inc. to help find a buyer for the facilities. The article cited unnamed sources familiar with the matter. Valero operates a 78,000-barrel-a-day refinery in Wilmington outside Los Angeles and a 132,000-barrel-a-day refinery in Benicia. Together, the plants represent about 10 percent of the company's U.S. refining capacity. Valero, which has been critical of California's...

London (CNSNews.com) - The British government has announced it will go through with a planned fuel tax increase despite a recent OPEC decision that has pushed the price of oil higher on world markets. The country's leading motorists' group, the Automobile Association (AA), warned that the hike was ill-timed and could lead to scenes of civil disorder akin to those seen during tax protests in 2000. Government officials say the increase totaling more than 10 cents per gallon is in line with inflation. The hike was initially proposed during the announcement of the government's annual budget in April, but was...