2 months ago
The national average price for a gallon of gasoline hit $4.14 heading into Labor Day weekend, according to AAA, the highest ever recorded for the holiday and the first time the average has been above $4 on Labor Day. The price broke a record set 14 years ago, when the average was $3.82 on Sept. 3, 2012. A year ago, Americans were paying just $3.19.
On CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday, host Dana Bash pointed out to Energy Secretary Chris Wright that he had said on the same show in April that gas prices had peaked and might not fall below $3 per gallon until 2027. She asked whether — with the war in Iran, the Russia-Ukraine war and dwindling U.S. reserves — prices could go higher.
"I don't want to have an opinion on that," Wright said.
He then pointed to the gasoline futures market, which he said was pricing the fuel about 30 cents a gallon lower two months out. He said the Trump administration had changed blending requirements to allow American refiners to produce more gasoline, and named several Democratic-led states that have declined to adopt the new standards.
"New York, Connecticut, California and several other Democrat-governed states have decided not to adopt those standards," Wright said. "They apparently want to keep driving up prices on their residents."
#wright #labor #pointed
On CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday, host Dana Bash pointed out to Energy Secretary Chris Wright that he had said on the same show in April that gas prices had peaked and might not fall below $3 per gallon until 2027. She asked whether — with the war in Iran, the Russia-Ukraine war and dwindling U.S. reserves — prices could go higher.
"I don't want to have an opinion on that," Wright said.
He then pointed to the gasoline futures market, which he said was pricing the fuel about 30 cents a gallon lower two months out. He said the Trump administration had changed blending requirements to allow American refiners to produce more gasoline, and named several Democratic-led states that have declined to adopt the new standards.
"New York, Connecticut, California and several other Democrat-governed states have decided not to adopt those standards," Wright said. "They apparently want to keep driving up prices on their residents."
#wright #labor #pointed
2 months ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces struck Iranian rocket launchers on the Strait of Hormuz in their first military action in a month on Sunday, breaking a lull in fighting during an intermittent war that has lasted more than six months. Iran swiftly vowed to retaliate for what it called a deadly attack.
Forces with the Revolutionary Guard Corps were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the strait, according to Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for the U.S. Central Command. The U.S. military last week completed clearing sea mines from the strait's international shipping routes.
Semiofficial news outlets in Iran reported sounds of explosions near Larak island on the strait. The Guard in a statement carried by Iran's state broadcaster noted "the martyrdom and injury of several of our fighters and compatriots."
Later, Iranian state television showed what it said were ballistic missiles being fired by Iran at U.S. bases in Jordan in response to the American strikes. Jordan's armed forces said they intercepted eight missiles that penetrated the country's airspace early Monday.
A return to open conflict would be dangerous for the region, where Iran has targeted U.S. military bases and infrastructure in Gulf countries since the war began on Feb. 28.
#missiles
Forces with the Revolutionary Guard Corps were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the strait, according to Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for the U.S. Central Command. The U.S. military last week completed clearing sea mines from the strait's international shipping routes.
Semiofficial news outlets in Iran reported sounds of explosions near Larak island on the strait. The Guard in a statement carried by Iran's state broadcaster noted "the martyrdom and injury of several of our fighters and compatriots."
Later, Iranian state television showed what it said were ballistic missiles being fired by Iran at U.S. bases in Jordan in response to the American strikes. Jordan's armed forces said they intercepted eight missiles that penetrated the country's airspace early Monday.
A return to open conflict would be dangerous for the region, where Iran has targeted U.S. military bases and infrastructure in Gulf countries since the war began on Feb. 28.
#missiles
3 months ago
Vice President JD Vance put Abdul El-Sayed at the center of his attack on the modern Democratic Party, pointing to the Michigan Senate nominee's past remarks linking criticism of Sharia law to White supremacy as evidence that the party has abandoned its working-class roots.
Vance delivered the remarks Friday at the Cleveland-Cliffs Middletown Works steel plant in his Ohio hometown as neighboring Michigan gears up for one of the midterms' most competitive Senate races.
El-Sayed is facing Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers in a contest that could help determine control of the Senate.
Vance spoke about his late grandfather, who worked as a welder for 40 years and voted Democrat because he believed it was "the party of union men." But Vance argued the Democratic Party has strayed from its working-class identity.
Democrats' Civil War Heads To Michigan Where Progressives Face Biggest Test Yet In High-stakes Senate Showdown
#senate #party #working
Vance delivered the remarks Friday at the Cleveland-Cliffs Middletown Works steel plant in his Ohio hometown as neighboring Michigan gears up for one of the midterms' most competitive Senate races.
El-Sayed is facing Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers in a contest that could help determine control of the Senate.
Vance spoke about his late grandfather, who worked as a welder for 40 years and voted Democrat because he believed it was "the party of union men." But Vance argued the Democratic Party has strayed from its working-class identity.
Democrats' Civil War Heads To Michigan Where Progressives Face Biggest Test Yet In High-stakes Senate Showdown
#senate #party #working
3 months ago
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Kara Robinson Chamberlain was just 15 years old when she was abducted by a serial killer. Now, she's searching for answers in cases that have gone unsolved for decades.
The victim advocate hosts the ABC News Studios and Freeform true-crime series "Somebody Knows Something," which takes a fresh look at unsolved disappearances and murders that have baffled investigators. Working alongside loved ones, Chamberlain revisits a cold case in each episode, hoping renewed attention will generate the lead that finally cracks it.
Slain Dad's Daughter Knew 'Black Swan' Ex-ballerina Shot Him After One Call: 'She Killed Him, Didn't She?'
"My purpose was to let families have the mic and show what law enforcement has done," Chamberlain told Fox News Digital. "We want people to have the information they need, so they can come forward with anything that could be helpful. Several of these cases involve children, young people. I have three kids, so I found myself identifying with either the young person who is missing or the victims themselves as parents.
#unsolved #young
Kara Robinson Chamberlain was just 15 years old when she was abducted by a serial killer. Now, she's searching for answers in cases that have gone unsolved for decades.
The victim advocate hosts the ABC News Studios and Freeform true-crime series "Somebody Knows Something," which takes a fresh look at unsolved disappearances and murders that have baffled investigators. Working alongside loved ones, Chamberlain revisits a cold case in each episode, hoping renewed attention will generate the lead that finally cracks it.
Slain Dad's Daughter Knew 'Black Swan' Ex-ballerina Shot Him After One Call: 'She Killed Him, Didn't She?'
"My purpose was to let families have the mic and show what law enforcement has done," Chamberlain told Fox News Digital. "We want people to have the information they need, so they can come forward with anything that could be helpful. Several of these cases involve children, young people. I have three kids, so I found myself identifying with either the young person who is missing or the victims themselves as parents.
#unsolved #young
3 months ago
Ukraine launched one of its largest aerial attacks of the four-year war with Russia, killing at least six people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his military sent hundreds of drones into Russia, most of them toward the capital of Moscow.
#moscow
#moscow
3 months ago
NEW YORK, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Kay Granger, a Texas Republican who was the first woman from her party to chair the U.S. House of Representatives' powerful Appropriations Committee, has died, her son J.D. Granger confirmed to Reuters on Sunday. She was 83.
No cause of death was given. Kay Granger in 2024 said she was battling "unforeseen health challenges."
Granger represented her Texas district in Congress from 1997 to 2025. In 2023, Granger announced she would not seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives.
In her final term as a lawmaker, Granger chaired the House Appropriations Committee for more than a year, putting her in charge of spending legislation and making her one of the most influential members of Congress.
House Speaker Mike Johnson praised Granger as a trailblazer. "Throughout her career, she broke barriers for women in public service," Johnson said, noting that she was the first female mayor of Fort Worth and the first Republican woman elected to represent Texas in the U.S. House.
#granger #texas #representatives #congress
No cause of death was given. Kay Granger in 2024 said she was battling "unforeseen health challenges."
Granger represented her Texas district in Congress from 1997 to 2025. In 2023, Granger announced she would not seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives.
In her final term as a lawmaker, Granger chaired the House Appropriations Committee for more than a year, putting her in charge of spending legislation and making her one of the most influential members of Congress.
House Speaker Mike Johnson praised Granger as a trailblazer. "Throughout her career, she broke barriers for women in public service," Johnson said, noting that she was the first female mayor of Fort Worth and the first Republican woman elected to represent Texas in the U.S. House.
#granger #texas #representatives #congress
4 months ago
A plume of Saharan dust is sweeping across Texas, spreading a milky haze over South-Central Texas before expanding north into Central Texas and the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex by late today into Tuesday.
The dust plume on Monday, June 29, is tied to a broader Saharan Air Layer outbreak over the western Gulf that is expected to persist into Tuesday, June 30. Satellite imagery shows a more concentrated band of elevated dust already moving onshore. While the strongest concentrations are expected to remain farther south, the plume is forecast to spread across much of Texas as it gradually weakens.
In South-Central Texas, the dust is riding in the mid-levels of the atmosphere near 5,000 to 6,000 feet, with potential for some downward mixing during peak daytime heating, according to the National Weather Service in Austin-San Antonio. That could result in a slightly muted sky and a softer, hazier sun angle through the afternoon, though surface visibility impacts should remain limited. The most noticeable effect will likely be a loss of sky clarity rather than any tangible air quality issues at ground level.
As the plume pushes north, it will become more diffuse, but still capable of coloring the sky. North and Central Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area, are more likely to see dust expressed as optics rather than haze — with sunsets and sunrises taking on deeper oranges and reds as sunlight scatters through suspended particles. Any impacts will be subtle but visually noticeable, especially around peak twilight hours.
The dust begins to thin further by Tuesday, June 30, as it lifts out of the region and mixes with returning Gulf moisture. Hot conditions will persist across Texas, with highs near or above seasonal norms, but skies should gradually clear from south to north as the Saharan plume disperses.
The dust plume on Monday, June 29, is tied to a broader Saharan Air Layer outbreak over the western Gulf that is expected to persist into Tuesday, June 30. Satellite imagery shows a more concentrated band of elevated dust already moving onshore. While the strongest concentrations are expected to remain farther south, the plume is forecast to spread across much of Texas as it gradually weakens.
In South-Central Texas, the dust is riding in the mid-levels of the atmosphere near 5,000 to 6,000 feet, with potential for some downward mixing during peak daytime heating, according to the National Weather Service in Austin-San Antonio. That could result in a slightly muted sky and a softer, hazier sun angle through the afternoon, though surface visibility impacts should remain limited. The most noticeable effect will likely be a loss of sky clarity rather than any tangible air quality issues at ground level.
As the plume pushes north, it will become more diffuse, but still capable of coloring the sky. North and Central Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area, are more likely to see dust expressed as optics rather than haze — with sunsets and sunrises taking on deeper oranges and reds as sunlight scatters through suspended particles. Any impacts will be subtle but visually noticeable, especially around peak twilight hours.
The dust begins to thin further by Tuesday, June 30, as it lifts out of the region and mixes with returning Gulf moisture. Hot conditions will persist across Texas, with highs near or above seasonal norms, but skies should gradually clear from south to north as the Saharan plume disperses.
4 months ago
By David Thomas
WASHINGTON, June 29 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Monday to hear prominent lawyer Alan Dershowitz's bid to revive his defamation lawsuit against CNN over the network's coverage of his remarks defending Donald Trump during the president's first Senate impeachment trial in 2020.
The justices turned away the retired Harvard Law professor's appeal of a lower court's ruling throwing out his case against CNN, which is owned by Warner Bros Discovery. In his appeal, Dershowitz had urged the justices to roll back protections against defamation claims that the Supreme Court established in its landmark 1964 ruling in a case called New York Times v. Sullivan.
In Sullivan and subsequent decisions, the Supreme Court said that to win a libel suit, a public figure must demonstrate the offending statement was made with "actual malice," meaning with knowledge that it was false or with reckless disregard as to whether it was false.
Dershowitz in his petition argued that Sullivan has become "an impregnable fortress that protects media irresponsibility while denying public figures any remedy for egregious misrepresentations."
WASHINGTON, June 29 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Monday to hear prominent lawyer Alan Dershowitz's bid to revive his defamation lawsuit against CNN over the network's coverage of his remarks defending Donald Trump during the president's first Senate impeachment trial in 2020.
The justices turned away the retired Harvard Law professor's appeal of a lower court's ruling throwing out his case against CNN, which is owned by Warner Bros Discovery. In his appeal, Dershowitz had urged the justices to roll back protections against defamation claims that the Supreme Court established in its landmark 1964 ruling in a case called New York Times v. Sullivan.
In Sullivan and subsequent decisions, the Supreme Court said that to win a libel suit, a public figure must demonstrate the offending statement was made with "actual malice," meaning with knowledge that it was false or with reckless disregard as to whether it was false.
Dershowitz in his petition argued that Sullivan has become "an impregnable fortress that protects media irresponsibility while denying public figures any remedy for egregious misrepresentations."
5 months ago
By Blake Brittain
June 22 (Reuters) - A California court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump's administration against Los Angeles over a city ordinance limiting its cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
U.S. District Judge Fernando Olguin rejected the administration's argument that the city's policy was unconstitutional. He gave the administration permission to file an amended complaint.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the decision on Monday.
Los Angeles city attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto said in a statement on Monday that the ruling "reinforces the well-established principle that local governments have the authority to decide how to use their personnel and resources."
June 22 (Reuters) - A California court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump's administration against Los Angeles over a city ordinance limiting its cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
U.S. District Judge Fernando Olguin rejected the administration's argument that the city's policy was unconstitutional. He gave the administration permission to file an amended complaint.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the decision on Monday.
Los Angeles city attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto said in a statement on Monday that the ruling "reinforces the well-established principle that local governments have the authority to decide how to use their personnel and resources."
5 months ago
Greenpeace and its activists allies have blocked for more than two decades the adoption of Golden Rice, which is genetically enhanced to produce the vitamin A precursor beta-carotene. The result, according to new calculations by DC Abundance founder and research director at the Golden Gate Institute for AI Abi Olvera, is that "delay has killed about 106,000 children and left another 210,000 to 425,000 blind."
Her conservative calculations of the deaths and disabilities caused by Greenpeace's scientifically ridiculous opposition to Golden Rice are focused on 11 countries in which the consumption of rice makes up a significant proportion of their people's diets.
As Olvera reports, the World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that "250 000–500 000 children who are vitamin A-deficient become blind every year, and half of them die within 12 months of losing their sight." Vitamin A deficiency contributes to increased morbidity and mortality from common childhood infections. As the WHO notes, "Even mild, subclinical deficiency can be a problem, because it may increase children's risk for respiratory and diarrhoeal infections, decrease growth rates, slow bone development and decrease the likelihood of survival from serious illness." And it is the world's leading preventable cause of childhood blindness.
I have been debunking Greenpeace's unscientific opposition to Golden Rice since 2000 when the activist group claimed: "Greenpeace opposes golden rice because it has all the risks of any [genetically modified] crop." In my 2013 article, "Scientists Call Out Greenpeace for Killing and Blinding Kids," I hailed the blistering editorial in Science that ***** erted, "If ever there was a clear-cut cause for outrage, it is the concerted campaign by Greenpeace and other nongovernmental organizations, as well as by individuals, against Golden Rice."
In 2016, I reported the open letter by 100 ***** el Prize laureates calling on "Greenpeace to cease and desist in its campaign against Golden Rice specifically, and crops and foods improved through biotechnology in general." The laureates suggested that Greenpeace was committing a "crime against humanity." And as recently as 2024, I warned that Greenpeace's crusade against Golden Rice will continue to blind and kill children when reporting that the anti-technology activist group had persuaded a Philippine court to block local farmers from planting the grain.
Her conservative calculations of the deaths and disabilities caused by Greenpeace's scientifically ridiculous opposition to Golden Rice are focused on 11 countries in which the consumption of rice makes up a significant proportion of their people's diets.
As Olvera reports, the World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that "250 000–500 000 children who are vitamin A-deficient become blind every year, and half of them die within 12 months of losing their sight." Vitamin A deficiency contributes to increased morbidity and mortality from common childhood infections. As the WHO notes, "Even mild, subclinical deficiency can be a problem, because it may increase children's risk for respiratory and diarrhoeal infections, decrease growth rates, slow bone development and decrease the likelihood of survival from serious illness." And it is the world's leading preventable cause of childhood blindness.
I have been debunking Greenpeace's unscientific opposition to Golden Rice since 2000 when the activist group claimed: "Greenpeace opposes golden rice because it has all the risks of any [genetically modified] crop." In my 2013 article, "Scientists Call Out Greenpeace for Killing and Blinding Kids," I hailed the blistering editorial in Science that ***** erted, "If ever there was a clear-cut cause for outrage, it is the concerted campaign by Greenpeace and other nongovernmental organizations, as well as by individuals, against Golden Rice."
In 2016, I reported the open letter by 100 ***** el Prize laureates calling on "Greenpeace to cease and desist in its campaign against Golden Rice specifically, and crops and foods improved through biotechnology in general." The laureates suggested that Greenpeace was committing a "crime against humanity." And as recently as 2024, I warned that Greenpeace's crusade against Golden Rice will continue to blind and kill children when reporting that the anti-technology activist group had persuaded a Philippine court to block local farmers from planting the grain.
5 months ago
(NewsNation) — Some U.S. employers say they plan to stop covering GLP-1 drugs for weight loss next year, according to a recent report.
The report from the Business Group on Health surveyed businesses and found that about 10% of employers that currently cover the drugs say they will not continue that coverage by 2027.
"Our findings show the tremendous concern employers have regarding these medications from a cost and financial viability perspective," Ellen Kelsay, president and CEO of Business Group on Health, said. "Against the backdrop of anticipated double-digit health care cost increases — fueled in large part by GLP-1s and overall prescription drug costs — companies cannot ignore the reality that GLP-1s have significant implications for health care budgets and overall affordability."
Using cannabis for sleep isn't harmless – it can trap people in a cycle of dependency
One company has already made its decision to drop coverage of weight-loss drugs. According to Reuters, health insurer Cigna is ending coverage of the treatments starting in July and told its employees they could buy them elsewhere.
The report from the Business Group on Health surveyed businesses and found that about 10% of employers that currently cover the drugs say they will not continue that coverage by 2027.
"Our findings show the tremendous concern employers have regarding these medications from a cost and financial viability perspective," Ellen Kelsay, president and CEO of Business Group on Health, said. "Against the backdrop of anticipated double-digit health care cost increases — fueled in large part by GLP-1s and overall prescription drug costs — companies cannot ignore the reality that GLP-1s have significant implications for health care budgets and overall affordability."
Using cannabis for sleep isn't harmless – it can trap people in a cycle of dependency
One company has already made its decision to drop coverage of weight-loss drugs. According to Reuters, health insurer Cigna is ending coverage of the treatments starting in July and told its employees they could buy them elsewhere.
