Gasoline-Starved California Now Turns
to Distant Bahamian Supplies
Posted By: Mercedes44, 2/17/2026 4:24:14 AM
California Republicans have been handed a great, big, knobbly, Fred Flintstone-style club to beat California Democrats over the head with, and that may just make a difference in this fall's elections in the once-Golden State. That club? Gas prices are the highest in the nation thanks to Democrats in general and the impeccably coiffed Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom in particular. For years now, they have tried to drive energy producers out of the state, and now they have succeeded. Refineries are shutting down. Entire companies are up and leaving.
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Disgraced ex-Prince Andrew was arrested Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office for allegedly forwarding confidential trade documents to pedophile pal Jeffrey Epstein.
At least six unmarked police cars and around eight plain-clothed officers swooped on the king’s brother’s Sandringham Estate in eastern England early Thursday — Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s 66th birthday.
If convicted on the misconduct charge, the former prince faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.One officer was seen carrying a police-issued laptop after arriving at Sandringham at around 8 a.m., with the cars leaving around 30 minutes later.
Police also searched a separate property in Berkshire, the force said, without directly identifying the king’s brother, citing strict UK laws.
California’s Gasoline Prices Aren’t
a Jones Act Problem — They’re a California
Policy Problem 8 replies
a Jones Act Problem — They’re a California
Policy Problem 8 replies
When gasoline prices spike in California, commentators reflexively search for a villain that can be blamed without confronting the state’s own policy failures. The latest example is a Fortune article suggesting that recent supply disruptions — and California’s chronically high gas prices — are meaningfully driven by Jones Act compliance and shipping constraints. That claim is not merely misleading. It is wrong.
California’s gasoline prices have been higher than the national average for decades, long predating the current shipping disruptions cited in the article. The Jones Act, by contrast, has been federal law since 1920.
Iran’s supreme leader taunts Trump,
US as high-stakes nuclear talks begin:
‘Slapped so hard’ 20 replies
US as high-stakes nuclear talks begin:
‘Slapped so hard’ 20 replies
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei openly taunted President Trump, insinuating that the US military, which has amassed a powerful naval presence in the region, could be “slapped so hard, it cannot get up.”
The 86-year-old tyrant’s scorn came as mediators for Washington and Tehran met in Geneva to discuss Iran’s nuclear programs and broader tensions between the two countries. The U.S. President says their army is the world’s strongest, but the strongest army in the world can sometimes be slapped so hard it cannot get up,” Khamenei chided, in comments published by Iranian media.
The dictator — whose brutal crackdown on nationwide protests last month has killed at least 7,000,
China Grants Visa-Free Travel to Canadians
15 replies
The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced Sunday that Canadian tourists and businesspeople will be allowed to travel to China without visas, for stays of up to 30 days, beginning this Tuesday and lasting through the end of 2026. Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand confirmed the policy in a post on social media platform X, describing visa-free travel as a commitment China made to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during his visit to Beijing in January.
“This will take effect on February 17, making travel easier, supporting business exchanges, and strengthening people-to-people ties between our countries,” Anand said.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is facing widespread ridicule after making a series of embarrassing gaffes in Germany that highlighted her ignorance in foreign policy.
On Friday, she spoke at the Munich Security Conference where she was questioned about the United States defending Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion.
AOC’s performance suggests she is not quite ready for the world stage.
When asked directly by Bloomberg TV’s Francine Lacqua, “Would and should the U.S. actually commit U.S. troops to defend Taiwan if China were to move?,” the congresswoman gave a halting, word-salad response filled with pregnant pauses and qualifiers to avoid a clear yes or no answer.
California Republicans have been handed a great, big, knobbly, Fred Flintstone-style club to beat California Democrats over the head with, and that may just make a difference in this fall's elections in the once-Golden State. That club? Gas prices are the highest in the nation thanks to Democrats in general and the impeccably coiffed Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom in particular. For years now, they have tried to drive energy producers out of the state, and now they have succeeded. Refineries are shutting down. Entire companies are up and leaving.
Over the weekend, we got a nostalgic glimpse of what could have been had Hillary Clinton defeated President Donald Trump back in 2016. My colleagues Stephen Kruiser and David Manney both captured a uniquely "Hillary moment" that happened over the weekend. Here's how David described Clinton’s panel discussion appearance at the Munich Security Conference: Here’s how that turned out. Now that Clinton’s political career is firmly in the nation’s rearview mirror, we can laugh, can’t we? I mean, those things she said and did that once scared the bejeebers out of us for our country, we can laugh about them now, right?
Time to cure that communist chancre sore that’s been suppurating off America’s coast for over 60 years since that sissy JFK failed to send in the Air Force, the Navy, and the 82nd Airborne to back up the Cuban freedom fighters at the Bay of Pigs. Fidel Castro should have been swinging from a telephone pole in 1961; maybe, then Kennedy would not have been murked by some Marxist malcontent from the Fair Play for Cuba Committee. Lesson: Always take out the commies when you have the chance,
Democrats are changing maps of congressional districts in order to wipe out Republicans in Congress. While it’s atrocious, they are getting away with it since the Founding Fathers did not anticipate this level of cheating, so failed to place checks against it in the Constitution. The Supreme Court cannot step in and end the practice because they determined in 2019 that it is a nonjusticiable political question prohibiting judicial intervention; the Founding Fathers assigned redistricting to state legislatures with oversight by Congress under the Elections Clause.
Secretary Marco Rubio went out of his way in this joint presser to emphasize the personal relationship between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and U.S. President Donald Trump. Orban is facing a serious election challenge this April and all of the EU/NATO systems are actively trying to create pressure points to remove him.
Secretary Marco Rubio is in Budapest today for meetings with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his government to include the signing of a civilian-nuclear cooperation agreement heralded by the Trump administration. Hungary is one of the few voices within the European Union who is pushing back against Brussels efforts to go to war against Russia.
An interesting thing happened last weekend, President Trump went golfing with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. {SOURCE} Simultaneously, President Trump released the following statement from his Truth Social account.
(Via Truth Social) – “The Board of Peace has unlimited potential. Last October, I released a Plan for the permanent end to the Conflict in Gaza, and our Vision was unanimously adopted by the United Nations Security Council. Shortly thereafter, we facilitated Humanitarian Aid at record speed and secured the release of every living and deceased Hostage.
What does one do with useful grifters who’ve lost their utility? The Democrats Frankenize them. It’s like ostracizing without the pomp and ceremony. If you’re unfamiliar with the process, you can watch it play out on the Clintons over the next few months.
Frankenizing became a thing during the good ol’ days of “me too.” It was an era of national insanity, in which every Hollywood starlet wannabe with two X chromosomes insisted she was a victim of toxic masculinity after taking her clothes off to land a part. The Dems demanded that we believe every woman’s tale of harassment, regardless of how improbable.
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Democratic politicians have found themselves indirectly defending Islam’s 7th-century hatred of man’s best friend, dogs.
Several Democrats have instinctively accused Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) of racism after he reacted to a New York-based Muslim advocate, Nerdeen Kiswani — who said house pet dogs will not be welcome in a non-secular, Islamic New York.
“NYC is coming to Islam,” said a February 12 tweet from Kiswani, referring to the November electoral victory of Zohran Mamdani, the Ugandan-born, Indian-origin, immigrant, populist, and Muslim Mayor of New York. [snip] Fine responded three days later, on February 15: “If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one.”
At least a dozen House and Senate Democrats will skip President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address next week to instead attend a rally on the National Mall organized to protest the first year of his second term.
Several progressive leaders will use the “People’s State of the Union,” hosted by MoveOn and liberal media outlet MeidasTouch, to present an alternate vision for the country as Trump takes the podium for his second address before a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night. That list includes Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), considered a 2028 presidential hopeful, as well as Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX), the chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
The Obama Presidential Center has taken plenty of heat, mostly because it’s one of the ugliest buildings humanity has ever produced. Soviet architects would be in awe of the brutalist, menacing design of the $850 million ode to the 44th president.
But what some have termed a “Klingon prison” just got weirder and, if possible, less attractive with the addition of a colossal display on its sides with words from the former president’s 2015 speech in Selma, Alabama. It might be inspiring — if you could actually read it: (X) “Not the ideal design.” Well, that’s certainly a contestant for understatement of the year. “I gave up after developing a headache
Report: Obama, Susan Rice ‘Broke Down
and Cried’ After Trump Defeated Hillary
Clinton in 2016 20 replies
and Cried’ After Trump Defeated Hillary
Clinton in 2016 20 replies
Former President Barack Obama and former White House adviser Susan Rice allegedly “broke down and cried” after President Donald Trump defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
In a post on X, RealClearInvestigations senior reporter Paul Sperry claimed that more than 1,000 “hours of new audio and video compiled by Columbia University in cooperation with the Obama Foundation” showed that Obama and Rice were allegedly “so distraught” over Trump’s win.
“BREAKING: President Obama and his National Security Adviser Susan Rice were so distraught after Trump won in 2016 they literally broke down and cried in front of White House staff, according to 1,100 hours of
While the government of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has inked a trade agreement with China to accept cheap imported vehicles in exchange for Beijing purchasing some agricultural products, President Trump has promised those cheap Chinese EVs will never cross the border into the USA.
The Canadian polling on the issue has done a remarkable chang in the past few years. Now, the majority of Canadians are willing to purchase cheap Chinese EVs. As outlined by Bloomberg, “More than half of Canadians, or 53%, say that knowing an EV was made in China would have no effect on their purchasing decision, according to a new poll by Nanos Research Group
It is “not fair” that U.S. President Donald Trump more often calls on Ukraine to compromise to achieve peace than Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky said amid “difficult” two-day peace talks in Switzerland.
Two-day Ukraine War peace talks broke abruptly and apparently early on Wednesday morning, the second day’s session having lasted just two hours, amid remarks from both sides about how arduous progress had been so far. And even as the Ukrainian leader observed that he saw what could be a “final stage” in talks, he decried Russia for trying to further “drag out” progress and the United States for what he was was unfairly
U.S. Olympic figure skater Amber Glenn was a favorite for gold in the ladies’ singles competition in Milan Cortina, until she wasn’t. Though Glenn looked sharp as she opened her highly difficult short program, she committed a small but fateful error in her final jump of the night.
To a casual fan, Glenn had done nothing wrong. She completed the third and final jump in her skate, landing cleanly without a fall. But for those with an understanding of the sport’s requirements, Glenn’s mistake was devastating. It would likely cost her an Olympic medal.
A lot of people are outraged over this case of an elderly woman who killed a family of four while driving on the wrong side of the road and far above the limit, got away clean, and then moved her property around to avoid civil liability.
A woman who prosecutors said killed a family of four while speeding down a residential San Francisco street will likely face no jail time or community service mandates after pleading no contest to four felony counts of gross vehicular manslaughter.
Mary Fong Lau, 80, changed her plea from not guilty to no contest Friday afternoon and
Dems Plot to Make a Circus Out of the
State of the Union Address, Because of
Course They Do 14 replies
State of the Union Address, Because of
Course They Do 14 replies
To me, it was the most undignified moment in modern American politics, and not surprisingly, it came from the divisive and bitter “Speaker Emerita,” Nancy Pelosi (CA-11). Serving as Speaker of the House at the time — February 2020 — the San Franciscan tore up her copy of Trump’s State of the Union speech (Snip) Of course, since they are not in control of the Oval Office, the Senate, or the House, Democrats now rely on obstruction, protests, and endless whining over imagined existential threats posed by the president. Will they stay classy, though, for a time-honored tradition, the State of the Union address, scheduled for February 24?
“The bottom line is this: voter ID is not controversial in this country,” Harry Enten, the chief data analyst for CNN, recently reported. Nor is it controversial in virtually any other country in the world. Yet despite massive support among both Democrats (71%) and Republicans (95%), only one Democratic member of the House and one in the Senate are supporting the SAVE Act. Unless seven more of the 47 Senate Democrats step forward, their filibuster will kill the bill. (snip) If banning voter IDs is a hallmark of democracy, Democrats will need to start castigating virtually all the other countries in the world as anti-democratic nations.
Disgraced ex-Prince Andrew was arrested Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office for allegedly forwarding confidential trade documents to pedophile pal Jeffrey Epstein.
At least six unmarked police cars and around eight plain-clothed officers swooped on the king’s brother’s Sandringham Estate in eastern England early Thursday — Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s 66th birthday.
If convicted on the misconduct charge, the former prince faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.One officer was seen carrying a police-issued laptop after arriving at Sandringham at around 8 a.m., with the cars leaving around 30 minutes later.
Police also searched a separate property in Berkshire, the force said, without directly identifying the king’s brother, citing strict UK laws.
FORT WORTH, Texas — A mistrial has been declared on the first day of the historic first federal Antifa terrorism trial after a woke lawyer for one of the defendants engaged in misconduct.
U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman halted the jury selection process after noticing that MarQuetta Clayton, a BLM-activist attorney for one of the defendants, was wearing a politically-charged t-shirt with images of Martin Luther King, Jr. and messaging about civil rights.
Judge Pittman found her clothing could prejudice jurors. His ruling came on the first day of jury selection in Fort Worth, weeks after nine federal defendants were indicted on charges stemming from a July 4, 2025