House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) blasted President Joe Biden’s energy policies as an “attack” on American energy that is empowering our enemies. 
McCarthy said that “God has blessed” the United States with the ability to be energy independent during an <a href="https://catsroundtable.com/speaker-of-the-house-kevin-mccarthy-impeachment-of-president-biden-is-moving-forward/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appearance</a> on WABC 770 AM’s “Cats Roundtable” with host John Catsimatidis on Sunday. He said the Biden administration&#8217;s push toward relying only on renewable energy is “helping our adversaries.” 
“They hurt America by cutting off what God has blessed this country to do, where we can be energy independent, raising the price of fuel, and what that does as well is raises inflation for everybody,” McCarthy said. 
The speaker explained that crude oil extends far beyond use in just cars, but is also used for making phones, shirt buttons, street pavement, and other items. McCarthy said under President Biden, the United States is “dependent” on foreign countries that are now upping the prices. 
“We want to be energy independent,” McCarthy told Catsimatidis, adding that American energy independence actually makes the environment “better” because American natural gas is “41% cleaner than Russian natural gas.” Energy independence also means more jobs for Americans, the speaker says. 
“The Biden administration has gone in and done an attack on the energy business, only wants renewable energy instead of all of the above, made the price of energy higher which you feel in New York, made inflation higher because the gasoline price is now higher, jet fuel price is higher, inflation gets added on compounded, so your food price is higher,” McCarthy explained. 
“This is mainly by his policy attacking American energy,” he added. “It doesn’t mean we buy less, it means we’re buying it from our enemies.”
On Thursday, crude oil <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/14/oil-prices-chart-forecast-inflation-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exceeded</a> $90 a barrel, the highest since November 2022, according to Axios. Gas prices have skyrocketed under Biden, reaching their <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/gas-prices-hit-2023-highs-but-analysts-think-theyre-peaking-113206056.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highest levels</a> in 2023 last week. As of Sunday, the <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">average</a> cost of a gallon of gas is $3.87, a substantial increase from the $2.39 average <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/28/politics/fact-check-biden-gas-prices/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">price</a> on the day Biden was inaugurated. 
&#8220;I&#8217;m going to get those gas prices down again, I promise you,&#8221; Biden <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/14/oil-prices-chart-forecast-inflation-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vowed</a> in a Thursday speech. 
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In 2020, under then-President Donald Trump, the United States became a net exporter of petroleum for the first time since 1949, <a href="https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/oil-and-petroleum-products/imports-and-exports.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In one of the final actions in his administration, seven ten-year oil and gas leases were <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-admin-axe-alaska-oil-gas-leases-backed-state-lawmakers-native-americans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> in Alaska which spanned 365,775 acres in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, according to Fox News. Earlier this month, the Biden administration canceled all of those leases, citing climate change, angering local and state officials. 
&#8220;Having just spent more than a month home in communities across our state, there is palpable anger and frustration among Alaskans about the Biden administration’s unrelenting assault on our economy and our ability to lawfully access our lands,&#8221; Alaska Republican Senator Dan Sullivan told Fox. &#8220;This war on Alaska is devastating for not only Alaska but also the energy security of the nation,&#8221;
In March, the House <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3902279-what-is-in-house-republicans-energy-policy-package/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> an energy package that aims to boost sales and production of oil and gas, speed up permitting reform, and repeal specific “Inflation Reduction Act” policies regarding climate change, according to The Hill. 
“This is all from Democratic policies from this administration not just hurting America and our economy, but helping our adversaries be stronger. That is why we need an American energy policy, which the House has passed, that makes America energy independent, utilizing all forms of energy from renewable, from nuclear, from oil and natural gas as well,” McCarthy <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4208241-mccarthy-hits-biden-on-energy-policies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Catsimatidis.

Speaker McCarthy

McCarthy Blasts Biden’s ‘Attack’ On American Energy, Says Policies Are ‘Helping Our Adversaries’

Congress

Executive

Gas Prices

Gasoline

Joe Biden

Kevin McCarthy

Politics

Legacy media wants you to believe that the Right is in hysterics over some rumor that the Biden administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-misguided-agenda-natural-gas-group-shreds-biden-administration-for-weighing-gas-stove-ban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wants to ban gas stoves</a>. In fact, some are even alleging that conservatives started another fight in the culture war needlessly.
Yet the idea that the federal government wants to ban gas stoves didn&#8217;t <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/out-of-left-field-uscs-school-of-social-work-bans-the-word-field-because-its-racist-apparently" target="_blank" rel="noopener">come out of left field</a>, and it didn&#8217;t start this week.
In December, Richard Trumka Jr., the Senate-confirmed commissioner of the United States Consumer Protection and Safety Commission (CPSC), expressed his desire to eliminate the products from the market while telling like-minded individuals that the federal government could regulate the products so quickly with &#8220;enough public pressure.&#8221;
During a webinar titled &#8220;Pollution-free cooking for the holidays,&#8221; Trumka told the non-profit consumer advocacy group U.S. Public Interest Research Group (USPIRG) how the Biden administration is tackling the supposed dangers of gas stoves indoors.
Trumka, speaking with a group he said he calls on &#8220;without fail&#8221; for guidance on certain topics, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kir_VBo6XEA&amp;embeds_euri=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.dailywire.com%2F&amp;source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&amp;feature=emb_title" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a>, &#8220;I think we need to be talking about regulating gas stoves — whether that&#8217;s drastically improving emissions or banning gas stoves entirely.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Banning gas stoves didn’t come out of left field. 
Here’s CPSC commissioner Richard Trumka, Jr. in December:
“We ought to keep that possibility of a [gas stove] ban in mind, as you follow along, because it&#39;s a powerful tool in our toolbox and it&#39;s a real possibility here.” <a href="https://t.co/GSfjwLJPPG">pic.twitter.com/GSfjwLJPPG</a>
&mdash; Tim Meads (@TimMeadsUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/TimMeadsUSA/status/1613548054690291712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Trumka encouraged all participants &#8220;to keep that possibility of a ban in mind&#8221; while adding that regulatory authority is &#8220;a powerful tool in our toolbox and it&#8217;s a real possibility.&#8221;
To make that dream become a reality, Trumka informed USPIRG that the CPSC would be opening a public commenting period in March. Regularly, when a federal agency is considering a new regulatory rule, they invite the public — whether it be consumers, advocacy groups, or somebody else — to submit feedback and ideas that may help guide the rule-making decision before beginning the rule-finalizing process.
&#8220;Now, this public request for information is the first step in what could be a long journey towards regulating gas stoves, but I&#8217;m here to tell you that with enough public pressure, it doesn&#8217;t have to be,&#8221; Trumka <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kir_VBo6XEA&amp;embeds_euri=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.dailywire.com%2F&amp;source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&amp;feature=emb_title" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proclaimed</a>. &#8220;We could get a regulation on the books before this time next year.&#8221;
The son of the deceased union boss Richard Trumka Sr. admitted that it was a daunting task, given the slowness of the federal government, but pledged to barrel over any speed bumps with the help of anti-gas stove Americans.
&#8220;It&#8217;s absolutely possible,&#8221; he said of imposing new regulations within 12 months. &#8220;Just because the federal government isn&#8217;t known for moving quickly — doesn&#8217;t mean that it can&#8217;t happen. And my number one goal as a commissioner is to push our agency farther and faster than it has ever moved.&#8221;
Trumka, Jr. isn&#8217;t treating this as a personal pet project either.
In December, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Congressman Donald Beyer (D-VA) sent a joint letter &#8220;calling on the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to take swift action to protect Americans from gas stove pollution,&#8221; as summarized by USPIRG.
While the letter stopped short of suggesting the U.S. ban gas stoves, it did recommend at least considering heavy regulation of the products.
It should be noted that controversy gained steam this week when Trumka stated in a recent interview that &#8220;any option is on the table&#8221; regarding the indoor cooking appliance. But, as the video from late last year shows, that was not some off-the-cuff remark for Trumka. It is a serious potential policy &#8220;solution&#8221; for him.
So rather than looking at the fact that it was the Biden administration and elected Democrats who started this assault on gas stoves, media outlets are claiming that there is no reason for concern.
Leftists point to the fact CPSC Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric said, &#8220;I am not looking to ban gas stoves and the CPSC has no proceeding to do so&#8221; as evidence that this couldn&#8217;t become a reality.
Yet just because Hoehn-Saric feels that way doesn&#8217;t mean that others with authority, such as Trumka, aren&#8217;t seriously considering it.
It seems the Biden administration can technically say there&#8217;s &#8220;no proceeding&#8221; to ban gas stoves because the public comment period hasn&#8217;t started yet.  Again, that period is set to start in March, and then the official rule-making process begins.
Regardless, outlets such as Axios are <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/12/gas-stoves-conservative-backlash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writing</a>, &#8220;Despite official insistence that fears of a ban are unfounded, conservatives are suddenly championing gas stoves in a new culture war.&#8221;
Yet those fears aren&#8217;t unfounded, and it wasn&#8217;t conservatives who shot the opening salvo in this latest debate. It was folks like Trumka who voiced his desire to hear from advocates who want to ban gas stoves or heavily regulate otherwise so that the feds can get to it as quickly as possible.
PS: Isn&#8217;t it bad journalism for Axios to simply take &#8220;official insistence&#8221; at face value? That&#8217;s assuming they want to partake in journalism at all and not run cover for the Democrats.
The full video of Trumka&#8217;s December webinar remarks can be seen here:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Webinar: Pollution-free cooking for the holidays - with CPSC Commissioner Richard Trumka, Jr." width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kir_VBo6XEA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Richard Trumka, Jr., Gas Stove, Joe Biden

Biden Admin In December: ‘Banning Gas Stoves Entirely … It’s A Real Possibility Here’

Biden Admin In December: 'Banning Gas Stoves Entirely ... It's A Real Possibility Here'

Biden Administration

Carbon Emissions

Energy

Gas stoves

Green New Deal

Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) drew a line in the sand on Tuesday, breaking with some in his party and saying that he was not prepared to give up the gas stove that he and his family cooked on — and he didn&#8217;t expect other Americans to give theirs up easily either.
Manchin was responding to reports that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission was considering a ban on gas stoves — mainly due to health concerns — and suggested that moving ahead with such a ban would be a terrible idea.
&#8220;This is a recipe for disaster. The federal government has no business telling American families how to cook their dinner. I can tell you the last thing that would ever leave my house is the gas stove that we cook on,&#8221; Manchin tweeted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
If this is the greatest concern that the Consumer Product Safety Commission has for American consumers, I think we need to reevaluate the commission.
&mdash; Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sen_JoeManchin/status/1612903998301806611?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Manchin took his assessment a step further, saying that the commission itself should be re-evaluated if this was the kind of action being pursued.
&#8220;If this is the greatest concern that the Consumer Product Safety Commission has for American consumers, I think we need to reevaluate the commission,&#8221; he said.
As soon as the reports began to circulate, however, some immediately jumped on board.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) quickly pushed the narrative that gas stoves contributed to &#8220;reduced cognitive performance.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
You can read more about it here: <a href="https://t.co/JUgq1A4LaS">https://t.co/JUgq1A4LaS</a>
&mdash; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) <a href="https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1612973363059884032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
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CNN&#8217;s Bill Weir added, &#8220;The science is showing us having a gas stove, in a small apartment especially with bad ventilation, is like having a car idling there. If you have young kids, it can affect cognitive abilities, as well as asthma.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
CNN&#39;s <a href="https://twitter.com/BillWeirCNN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BillWeirCNN</a>: &quot;The science is showing us having a gas stove, in a small apartment especially with bad ventilation, is like having a car idling there. If you have young kids, it can affect cognitive abilities, as well as asthma.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/L0KSDLqltA">pic.twitter.com/L0KSDLqltA</a>
&mdash; Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) <a href="https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1613196604462469120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
However, the alternative may pose risks as well — according to a 2020 report from the National Fire Protection Association, electric stoves are linked to dramatically higher incidences of injury (nearly 5x), death (3.4x), and house fires (2.6x).
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Electric stoves are 2.6x more likely to cause fires compared to gas stoves 
Households with electric stoves have a 3.4x higher death rate and 5x higher injury rate compared to gas 
Guess which type Biden wants to ban? <a href="https://t.co/aRviCGoRw5">pic.twitter.com/aRviCGoRw5</a>
&mdash; John Hasson (@SonofHas) <a href="https://twitter.com/SonofHas/status/1612865706550333455?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Following backlash from the initial reports, the CPSC chairman claimed that the commission was not exploring a ban on gas stoves but looking for ways to reduce emissions and make them safer for home use, particularly in smaller spaces and around children.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
NEW: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission chairman issues a statement on gas stove regulations/lack thereof, after Trumka&#39;s comments earlier this week ignited political frenzy. <a href="https://t.co/WrGjT0WhXP">pic.twitter.com/WrGjT0WhXP</a>
&mdash; Breanne Deppisch (@breanne_dep) <a href="https://twitter.com/breanne_dep/status/1613196376531247104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Representative Tim Ryan And Senator Joe Manchin Visit Pike County Ahead Of Midterm Elections

‘Recipe For Disaster’: Joe Manchin Bucks AOC, Says He Won’t Give Up His Gas Stove

Joe Manchin Says The Last Thing He'll Give Up Is His Gas Stove

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Democrats

Joe Manchin

A recent study revealed that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gas</a> units in many <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a> homes are leaking harmful chemicals, such as cancer-causing benzene.
The findings were <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.2c02581" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/environmentalism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Environmental</a> Science and Technology journal on Thursday, and the study included 185 unburned natural gas collections from 159 residential stoves in seven areas of California. Throughout the research, 12 hazardous air pollutants were frequently found.
The study <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.2c02581" target="_blank" rel="noopener">estimated</a> that benzene emissions, which are not currently counted by the state, are the same as the yearly benzene emissions that come from almost 60,000 gas vehicles. It also pointed out that natural gas can leak from ovens and stoves even when they aren’t running and result in benzene exposure.
The report could have an impact on policies regarding the construction of new homes in California, especially since the state has attempted to quickly shift to renewable energy and away from fossil fuels.
“What our science shows is that people in California are exposed to potentially hazardous levels of benzene from the gas that is piped into their homes,” Drew Michanowicz, a co-author of the study and senior scientist at PSE Healthy Energy, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-california-cancer-climate-and-environment-83c87000f5c52692431218842378a089" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “We hope that policymakers will consider this data when they are making policy to ensure current and future policies are health-protective in light of this new research.”
Environmentalists and local authorities in California and Massachusetts have <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/20/climate/gas-stove-benzene-california.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tried to get rid of</a> gas appliances and replace them with electric equipment, but with California’s electric grid becoming more and more of a concern, the shift might not be favorable to residents who have already experienced rolling blackouts and requests to cut back on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">energy</a>.
In August, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker (R) <a href="https://www.enr.com/articles/54612-massachusetts-enacts-major-climate-bill-with-gas-hookup-bans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> clean energy legislation that permits some local areas to prohibit new natural gas hookups.
Benzene exposure is known to increase the risk of someone getting leukemia, as well as other blood disorders, according to the <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/benzene" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Cancer Institute</a>. It is a “colorless or light-yellow liquid chemical at room temperature.” The chemical can also be in adhesives, glues, and cleaning supplies.
&#8220;Anywhere natural gas is leaked, hazardous air pollutants are likely being released, as well,&#8221; Kelsey Bilsback, another co-author <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/gas-stoves-leak-benzene-chemicals-linked-cancer-rcna52948" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
&#8220;Benzene emissions from a gas stove, even while it’s off, can produce in some cases concentrations of benzene in your house that are equivalent to living with a smoker,&#8221; co-author Eric Lebel said. &#8220;Just having a gas appliance in your house can be a potential health risk. Eliminating gas altogether is the only sure way to completely eliminate that risk.&#8221;

Gas Stove

Study: California Gas Stoves Leak Dangerous Chemicals, Including Cancer-Causing Benzene

Environmental Science And Technology Journal Publishes Study: California Gas Stoves Leak Dangerous Chemicals, Including Cancer-Causing Benzene

California

Environment

Science

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california">California</a> regulators have approved a plan to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-expected-to-ban-sale-of-new-gas-cars">ban</a> the sale of new gasoline-powered <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dodge-ending-production-of-iconic-muscle-cars-to-push-forward-with-electric-vehicles">vehicles</a> by 2035 in a Thursday vote.
The California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) rules will go into effect at incremental levels in 2026 before building to a 100% ban of new gas car sales in 2035. The state’s move will likely affect the rest of the country since it sits as the largest automaker in the U.S.
&#8220;This is monumental,&#8221; CARB member Daniel Sperling <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/25/us/california-ban-new-gas-cars-vote/index.html">told</a> CNN. &#8220;This is the most important thing that CARB has done in the last 30 years. It&#8217;s important not just for California, but it&#8217;s important for the country and the world.&#8221;
The ban, which becomes one of the first of its kind in the world, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-proposes-ban-on-sale-of-new-gas-powered-vehicles-by-2035">proposed</a> by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in April to achieve Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom’s goal of reducing emissions by eliminating the sale of new gas cars by 2035.
“The climate crisis is solvable if we focus on the big, bold steps necessary to stem the tide of carbon pollution,” Newsom <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/24/climate/california-gas-cars-emissions.html">said</a> in a statement to The New York Times.
California’s plan to eliminate the sale of gas-powered vehicles by the middle of the next decade also carries with it benchmarks to hit along the way. Under the plan, California will require 35% of new vehicles sold to produce zero emissions by 2026, jumping to 68% of new cars by 2030 before finally hitting 100% of new cars in 2035. Used cars will not be affected by the plan.
Experts also look to the ban to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles, a desire expressed by President Joe Biden in an executive order last year that <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/05/climate/biden-tailpipe-emissions-electric-vehicles.html">encouraged</a> the government to push for half of all vehicles sold in the U.S. by 2030 to be electric. California&#8217;s ban also comes a week after Biden signed the largest climate spending package in U.S. history.
Biden <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/08/16/remarks-by-president-biden-at-signing-of-h-r-5376-the-inflation-reduction-act-of-2022/">touted</a> the $370 billion dollar climate spending set forth in the Democrats’ “Inflation Reduction Act” as a way to incentivize Americans to buy electric vehicles. Biden said the act will give “consumers a tax credit to buy electric vehicles or fuel cell vehicles, new or used.”
“American auto companies, along with American labor, are committing their treasure and their talent — billions of dollars in investment — to make electric vehicles and battery and electric charging stations all across America, made in America,” the president added at the bill’s signing.
California is also not the only state working toward the end of gas-powered vehicles, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-proposes-ban-on-sale-of-new-gas-powered-vehicles-by-2035">reported</a>. New York, Massachusetts, and Vermont are among at least <a href="https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2022-03/%C2%A7177%20States%20%283-17-2022%29%20%28NADA%20sales%29.pdf">15 states</a> pursuing similar goals based on California’s Low-Emission Vehicle criteria.
Dillon Burroughs contributed to this report.

Gas Car

California Regulators Approve Banning New Gas Car Sales

California Regulators Approve Banning Sale Of New Gas Cars

Cars

electric vehicles

Gavin Newsom

Drivers are the only winners in an ongoing price war among gas stations in one town in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/minnesota" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Minnesota</a>.
At least five gas stations in the town of Hastings, Minnesota, about 30 miles southeast of the Twin Cities, are engaged in an ongoing battle over who can charge the lowest prices in town, the <a href="https://www.startribune.com/hastings-gas-stations-at-war-over-gas-prices/600199165/?refresh=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Minneapolis Star-Tribune</a> reported. The stations were all charging just $3.39 per gallon, well below the local average price. The price war has delighted local drivers, who come from miles around to take advantage of the lower prices.
&#8220;This has gone on for the last few weeks,&#8221; GasBuddy chief petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. &#8220;These stations have aggressively been bringing prices down. It&#8217;s certainly been an interesting time watching them.&#8221;
According to the Star-Tribune, the average price for a gallon of gas in Minneapolis currently stands at around $3.95 per gallon. Meanwhile, the county average price in Dakota County, where Hastings is the county seat, currently stands at around $3.89 a gallon, according to <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/?state=MN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AAA</a>. The five stations, which include two Holidays, one Kwik Trip, one Speedway, and one M&amp;H, are all charging some 50 cents less than the local average, just $3.39.
De Haan told the Star-Tribune that Hastings is the only place where such a price war is happening in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, but other stations in exurban areas are charging well below the average: a couple of stations in the town of Rockford, about 25 miles west of Minneapolis, are charging just $3.49 a gallon; in Buffalo, about 10 miles northwest of Rockford, gas is even lower than in Hastings, with a pair of stations charging just $3.31.
De Haan said the stations, which already have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/oil-group-blasts-biden-tweet-tells-intern-who-posted-this-to-take-econ-101" target="_blank" rel="noopener">paper-thin margins</a>, most likely can&#8217;t afford to charge much less, and are not making much money as it is. &#8220;Probably not a whole lot beyond a couple shiny pennies or so,&#8221; De Haan said of the stations&#8217; profits. The situation is unlikely to change, he added; lowering prices is essentially required to keep attracting customers, and things will only change if and when one station raises its prices and the others follow suit.
Whatever the profits are for the stations, local drivers, and some visitors from neighboring towns, are taking advantage.
&#8220;Thank you. That&#8217;s all I can say is, thank you,&#8221; Carol Dettinger, who drove nearly 25 miles from nearby Stillwater to fill up, told the Star-Tribune. &#8220;I wish other people would have this gas war.&#8221;
“We&#8217;re from Wisconsin and it&#8217;s always cheaper right in here,&#8221; landscaper Dave Komay told the outlet.
&#8220;It&#8217;s really busy around here, I&#8217;ll tell you that,&#8221; Hastings resident Mindy Bekker said of the Kwik Trip station.
The price war in Minnesota follows a similar &#8220;friendly competition&#8221; between rival gas stations in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/va-gas-stations-slash-prices-below-3-a-gallon-in-friendly-competition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virginia</a> that pushed the stations to slash prices below $3 a gallon in July.
Gas prices have continued to fall after months of consecutive record highs. The current <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">national average</a> sits at about $3.92 per gallon, according to AAA. That is more than a dollar less than when gas was at its highest average price, just under $5.02 a gallon, set on June 14. The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-takes-victory-lap-as-gas-prices-inch-downward-still-nearly-twice-as-high-since-his-first-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden administration</a> has attempted to take credit for falling prices, but <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/the-gas-price-limbo-how-low-will-it-go/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">experts</a> point out that prices <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/11/gas-prices-are-falling-heres-why-its-happening-and-whether-it-can-continue.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continue to fall</a> because drivers are simply driving less as a means of coping with inflation, among other reasons.

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Minnesota Gas Stations Battle For Lowest Price In Town, Consumers Win

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Former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/barack-obama">Barack Obama</a> has been approved to install several propane tanks totaling 2,500 gallons on his Martha&#8217;s Vineyard property.
The Daily Caller News Foundation <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2022/06/15/gas-former-president-obama-propane-tank-marthas-vineyard-mansion/">flagged</a> the story and noted that the Edgartown Select Board — which approved the request — was astonished by the staggering size of the tank.
&#8220;We’ve never had a private propane tank come to us,&#8221; select board member Arthur Smadbeck <a href="https://www.mvtimes.com/2022/06/07/memorial-wharf-construction-still-not-completed/">told</a> The Martha&#8217;s Vineyard Times. The local paper also noted that select board member Michael Donaroma noted that propane tanks on the island are typically much smaller in size.
In 2017, Obama was awarded the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in part for his leadership on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/climate-change">climate change</a>. That courageous leadership has included calling upon Americans to reduce their use of fossil fuels.
In 2021, the former president <a href="https://www.virginiamercury.com/2021/11/09/obama-at-world-climate-conference-we-are-falling-short/">chided</a> the entire globe at the COP 26 conference for failing to meet his expectations in battling global warming.
&#8220;Collectively and individually, we are still falling short. We have not done nearly enough to address this crisis,” Obama told attendees during a broadcast.
“The consequences of not moving fast enough are becoming apparent all the time,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.virginiamercury.com/2021/11/09/obama-at-world-climate-conference-we-are-falling-short/">added</a>. &#8220;There are times when I am doubtful that humanity can get its act together before it’s too late.&#8221;
“Most nations have failed to be as ambitious as they need to be,&#8221; Obama also said.
During that speech, Obama also blasted fossil fuel companies  — like the kind that will soon fill his mega-propane tank — for their supposedly double-handed opposition to the green energy agenda.
&#8220;It is true a lot of climate opposition comes from fossil-fuel companies trying to make a buck, despite the green ads that they run on TV,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.virginiamercury.com/2021/11/09/obama-at-world-climate-conference-we-are-falling-short/">said</a> on TV. &#8220;It’s true that there are climate deniers, who for ideological reasons you will never convince.&#8221;
“We’ve got to persuade the guy who has to drive to his factory job every day, can’t afford a Tesla, and might not be able to pay his rent or feed his family if gas prices go up,” Obama added. “Transition from dirty energy to clean energy does have a cost, and it’s not unreasonable for people who often are already economically vulnerable and don’t feel politically empowered … to think that for all the highfalutin talk, the costs will be borne by them, not by the powerful and the privileged.&#8221;
Obama&#8217;s property on the swanky Massachusetts island is also prone to the ravaging effects of climate change based on some data.
In 2021, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-climate-environment-and-nature-climate-change-7f95efdc760622e19732b8e910907c22">reported</a>, &#8220;The &#8216;State of the Coast&#8217; report by the Trustees, a prominent Massachusetts conservation group, says the popular tourist destinations off Cape Cod risk losing hundreds of acres of marshlands to flooding and billions of dollars in coastal homes, buildings and infrastructure to erosion.&#8221;
The media outlet noted that according to experts, Martha&#8217;s Vineyard could face daily tidal flooding.
It is unclear how that flooding will impact Obama&#8217;s underground propane tanks.

Barack Obama

Climate Warrior Barack Obama Installing Propane Tanks Totaling 2,500 Gallons On Martha’s Vineyard Property

Former President Barack Obama Installing Propane Tanks Totaling 2,500 Gallons On Martha's Vineyard Property

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