Free Republic

Kodiak fisherman Mike Friccero has fished for salmon for over four decades. He said he was expecting a low price for Bristol Bay salmon this summer, but didn’t think rumors were true about how low it would drop. “Our processor gave us a letter, a narrative before the season started, saying that pricing conditions weren’t great but that they were going to go after it with all the resources that they utilized last year as far as tendering and logistics and resources in general,” he said. “And they asked if we would do the same.” It’s been a tough year...

'The price of the sanctions is not just imposed upon Russia'War in Ukraine threatens to blow US food costs sky high. Experts say American shoppers will begin to see higher grocery bills as the war in Ukraine threatens global food supplies. President Biden said Thursday that a food shortage is "gonna be real" following the sanctions that were placed on Russia by the U.S. government as a result of Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion into Ukraine. "With regard to food shortage, yes we did talk about food shortages, and it's gonna be real," Biden said during a press conference at...

China power problems are affecting 20 out of China’s 34 provinces. Cement production has been reduced by 29% and aluminum production capacity has been reduced 7%. Heavy industry has seen the most cutbacks. Coal prices are up but China’s utilities have energy price controls. There were quotas on coal mining. The rolling blackout and other power shutoff is also hitting hospitals and street lights. The power shutoffs are very broad and the facts do not align with various excuses and stories coming from China. China’s leadership has not been on top of the power shortage problem and has been months...

“Advice on the looming crash, No.1: get hard cash in a safe place now; don't assume banks & cashpoints will be open, or bank cards will work,” he tweeted. “Crash advice No.2: do you have enough bottled water, tinned goods & other essentials at home to live a month indoors? If not, get shopping. “Crash advice No.3: agree a rally point with your loved ones in case transport and communication gets cut off; somewhere you can all head to.”

<p>The number is out, and it's HOT!</p> <p>PPI hs jumped 0.8%, well above the 0.2% analysts had expected.</p> <p>Core PPI, which excludes food and energy, was only up 0.2%, which is still above the 0.1% that analysts had expected.</p> <p>The culprit? Blame food and energy.</p>

High energy prices and bad weather -- including blistering hot temperatures, flooding in some places and drought in others -- hurt this year’s agricultural output. But farmers agree that a major problem is the soaring price of corn, which is used directly in products like cereal, and indirectly as livestock feed. Corn is nearly twice as expensive now as it was last summer -- even though US farmers planted the second-largest crop since World War II. Why? Well, 40 percent of the crop goes to produce 12.6 billion gallons of ethanol to meet the government’s renewable fuel standards. In other...

LEE COUNTY, Fla.- The Suncoast Gun Show in North Fort Myers is attracting huge crowds this weekend. "It's definitely one of the most crowded ones I've been in," said Robert Supon. Ray Nadaeu says there's a reason for the crowds...President-elect Barack Obama. "I think they're scared. I think they are scared their gun rights are going to be taken away from them and they should be," said Nadaeu. "We have to buy these before the new regime possibly gets in," said Greg Thorn, a Civil War gun collector. He stopped by the show to pick up ammunition. But, the President-elect...

The traditional lightbulb will disappear from shops under a two year timetable announced by Hilary Benn, the Environment Secretary. In a drive toward more energy efficient lighting, Mr Benn said 150 watt bulbs would not be replaced by retailers from January next year. Then from January 2009, 100 watts bulbs would be unavailable – followed by the disappearance of 40 watt bulbs in 2010. Earlier this year Tony Blair signed up to EU plans that signalled the death knell across Europe of old style incandescent filament bulbs. Xray of compact fluorescent lightbulbs The aim is to switch people as quickly...