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ragincajun03
| Favorite team: | LA-Lafayette  |
| Location: | |
| Biography: | |
| Interests: | |
| Occupation: | |
| Number of Posts: | 29052 |
| Registered on: | 11/20/2007 |
| Online Status: | Not Online |
Recent Posts
Message
re: Trump just invoked the Defense Production Act.
Posted by ragincajun03 on 4/20/26 at 6:35 pm to Ailsa
You love posting some Daughtery tweets, don’t you?
1
re: Women are turning to cannabis for help with medical issues
Posted by ragincajun03 on 4/20/26 at 5:27 pm to BrohemAlem11
quote:
People have realized you can unwind, relax and not deal w ith hangovers, high blood pressure, weight gain and liver problems associated with alcohol
I WISH I could be that person.
My wife loves the THC drinks we can get here in TX. But for me, those things more times than not those things cause my anxiety level to shoot through the roof. Worse than when I’m about to get on a plane. It’s not enjoyable. I also don’t care for the cotton mouth I get, because I like to run early in the mornings and it lingers.
But weirdly enough, actual regular weed doesn’t cause the anxiety shite for me.
I really want to enjoy the THC drinks rather than having IPAs, because while I love the taste of hops, I know it’s not good for blood pressure or my liver.
re: Patel suing The Atlantic
Posted by ragincajun03 on 4/20/26 at 3:58 pm to BTROleMisser
quote:
No, but it sure as hell became much more prevalent.
Maybe. Would be interesting to study. I did see this from the Pew Research Center (which is rated as non-partisan/central) when Google'ing anonymous sources during the Biden Administration. Apparently at least during the Biden Administration's first 60 days, using anonymous sources for a story was uncommon enough for Pew to publish an article about it.
quote:
Roughly one-in-ten news stories about Joe Biden’s early days as president cited an anonymous or unnamed source, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of media coverage of the administration’s first 60 days. And fewer than 1% of the stories relied solely on anonymous sources.
Overall, 11% of news stories about Biden’s administration during his first two months in office relied on at least one anonymous source, according to the analysis, which examined stories produced by 25 major national newspaper websites, radio, cable and network broadcasts and websites, and digital outlets from Jan. 21 to March 21, 2021. The findings are part of a broader Pew Research Center content analysis of early Biden coverage and come amid debates in the news industry over the use of anonymous sources.
News outlets with right-leaning audiences were less likely than other outlets to incorporate anonymous sources into their coverage. Just 5% of their stories used such sources, compared with 12% of stories in outlets with mixed audiences and 13% in outlets with left-leaning audiences.
quote:
One concern about anonymous sources is that allowing someone to speak under the cloak of anonymity makes it more likely that a source may say something negative.
When it comes to assessments of the Biden administration, news stories that cited anonymous sources were modestly more negative than the broader sample of stories studied by the Center.
quote:
In an early 2020 Pew Research Center survey, most Americans said they see some value in the use of anonymous sources, but only to a limited degree. Roughly two-in-ten U.S. adults (18%) said the use of such sources is never acceptable, and 15% said it is always acceptable, while the majority (67%) said anonymous sources are appropriate in “special cases.”
In that survey, 68% of Americans said anonymous sources in a story had a great deal of (21%) or some (47%) influence on how they evaluated a story’s credibility.
Many journalists argue that the use of anonymous sources can at times be essential and necessary, particularly in investigative journalism. But many within the industry share the public’s concern over when the use of such sources is justified, and many media organizations have established standards and rules on that subject.
LINK
Very interesting it stated right wing type outlets were less likely to use anonymous sources, which I'm assuming included stories about the Biden Administration.
re: Congress Releases List of Those Investigated for Sex Abuse
Posted by ragincajun03 on 4/20/26 at 3:46 pm to dcbl
quote:
we know that the Gaetz inclusion on this list is bullshite (he was investigated because of his political views)
Ehh...merely his name being on this list isn't bullshite. Dude's a flat out POS, and I have no doubt has some legit stuff like this he's been part of.
However, I will agree it's bullshite that he's, and many others like him, don't have their names accompanied with what should be MANY, MANY more members and former members of Congress. But there's a reason for that.
Those names you see listed there...they were expendable by their Congressional and/or party bosses. No one objected to them being hung out to dry.
re: Patel suing The Atlantic
Posted by ragincajun03 on 4/20/26 at 3:35 pm to Kovy
quote:
After 10 years of this anonymous sources stuff, it means nothing anymore.
Media outlets have been citing "anonymous sources" for much longer than 10 years. It didn't just suddenly start with Dear Ole Trump.
Now...if you never paid attention to anything until 2016 or so, then I can understand why you might believe it's just been the past 10 years.
re: Congress Releases List of Those Investigated for Sex Abuse
Posted by ragincajun03 on 4/20/26 at 2:49 pm to BTROleMisser
quote:
Conveniently not many big heavy hitter names on that BS list.
Agree.
Ted fricking Kennedy anyone? Denny Hassert?
You know damn well there was shite brought about them, but we can’t call out “Lion Ted” and the House Speaker.
re: Gov. Landry calls out Sen. Cassidy and Treasurer Fleming on attack ads against Rep. Letlow
Posted by ragincajun03 on 4/20/26 at 2:46 pm to winkchance
quote:
If Fleming wins, I wonder if Trump runs someone against Landry?
I don’t think so.
Probably from Trump’s perspective, either Fleming or Letlow is fine. Fleming will be a reliable vote for much of Trump’s agenda his final two years, and won’t support any impeachment stuff.
Corey Lewandowski was an advisor for Landry’s gubernatorial campaign, and I’m guessing between him and Noem, that was how he was able to get the President’s ear on this race.
re: Chinese car company patents voice-activated 'in-vehicle toilet'
Posted by ragincajun03 on 4/20/26 at 1:17 pm to HenryParsons
Wasn't there a lady astronaut or NASA employee years ago who wore a diaper to drive across the country to attack a lover or something?
She probably could have used this.
She probably could have used this.
re: Congress Releases List of Those Investigated for Sex Abuse
Posted by ragincajun03 on 4/20/26 at 12:59 pm to coolpapaboze
Pres. Trump: Energy Sec. ‘totally wrong’ on gas prices not dropping to $3 until next year
Posted by ragincajun03 on 4/20/26 at 12:41 pm
quote:
President Trump told The Hill on Monday that he disagreed with Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s assessment that gas prices may not drop below $3 per gallon until next year.
“No, I think he’s wrong on that. Totally wrong,” Trump said in a phone interview when asked about his Energy chief’s comments.
When asked by The Hill when he believes gas prices will drop, Trump said “as soon as this ends,” referring to the Iran war.
Wright told CNN on Sunday that gas prices might not drop below $3 until next year amid shipping restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz.
“I don’t know. That could happen later this year. That might not happen until next year,” Wright said.
“But prices have likely peaked and they will start going down,” the secretary added. “Certainly, with a resolution of this conflict, you will see prices go down. Prices across the board on energy prices will go down.”
Wright’s comments were in stark contrast to comments from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent last week, in which he predicted gas prices could hit the $3 range this summer.
The global oil industry has been rocked by Iran’s restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, with gas prices in the U.S. rising to more than $4 for the first time since 2022 in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
According to AAA, the average price of gas in the U.S. sat at $4 Monday morning.
quote:
The U.S. has been enforcing a blockade on all Iranian ports. Reuters reported Monday that Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir told Trump the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports is a hurdle to negotiations and that Trump said he would consider Munir’s advice.
When asked about the report, Trump told The Hill that Munir “didn’t recommend anything on the blockade.”
“The blockade is very powerful, very strong. They lose $500 million a day with the blockade up,” Trump said, referring to Iran. “We control it. They don’t control it.”
LINK
re: Gov. Landry calls out Sen. Cassidy and Treasurer Fleming on attack ads against Rep. Letlow
Posted by ragincajun03 on 4/20/26 at 12:13 pm to Tigerfan1274
quote:
Landry will never publicly go against a Trump endorsed candidate. Getting sideways with Trump is the only thing that could make him vulnerable in the next election.
Several folks have stated both here and in media that it actually was Gov. Landry who pleaded with President Trump and/or his people to endorse Rep. Letlow so that she would enter the race.
Former State Rep. Julie Emerson was in the race prior to Letlow getting in, then she stepped aside and took a job as the Governor's Chief of Staff.
Side note....Emerson was also the author of the closed primaries bill for Louisiana, which certainly will make Sen. Cassidy's re-election WAY more difficult than it would have been with the open jungle primary. Probably even impossible now.
re: Gov. Landry calls out Sen. Cassidy and Treasurer Fleming on attack ads against Rep. Letlow
Posted by ragincajun03 on 4/20/26 at 11:54 am to OysterPoBoy
quote:
Hillary is no woman.
Chicken will not be happy when he hears you said this.
Gov. Landry calls out Sen. Cassidy and Treasurer Fleming on attack ads against Rep. Letlow
Posted by ragincajun03 on 4/20/26 at 11:49 am
quote:
Governor Jeff Landry accuses the two male Republican candidates in the U.S. Senate race as not being “southerly.” Landry, who is supporting Julia Letlow in the U.S. Senate Republican primary, says the attack ads the Congresswoman from Incumbent Billy Cassidy and State Treasurer John Fleming are crossing the line.
“It’s kind of interesting, because we’ve got two men and a woman in this race, and the two men are just beating the hell out of the woman. They’re certainly not being Southerly,” Landry noted.
Landry made the comments during an interview with Jim Engster on WRKF’s “Talk Louisiana.”
Letlow, who has the endorsement of President Trump, has called herself the true conservative in the race. Landry says the narratives that the other two candidates are using to describe Letlow are false.
“They’re trying to paint her as a liberal, trying to paint her as this or that. It’s really disingenuous,” Landry said.
The governor says he’s impressed Letlow continues to do well in the race, despite the negative ads against her.
“If you look at the amount of money that Bill Cassidy and his cronies have spent beating this poor woman up and where her numbers are, I don’t know if I could have withstood that, I’ve gotta tell ya,” Landry said.
LINK
re: U.S. Dept. of Energy Restores Funding for Carbon Capture Hubs in Texas, Louisiana
Posted by ragincajun03 on 4/20/26 at 11:45 am to lsu13lsu
quote:
We still have Corn based ethanol.
And no politician is willing to do anything about that anti-consumer BS.
U.S. Dept. of Energy Restores Funding for Carbon Capture Hubs in Texas, Louisiana
Posted by ragincajun03 on 4/20/26 at 11:38 am
quote:
(Reuters) — The Department of Energy will retain funding for major carbon direct air capture awarded under the Biden administration after targeting them for fund cancellation last year, according to a list of projects identified by the agency that it sent to Congress this week seen by Reuters.
Last October, the DOE considered cancelling billions of dollars in funding for clean energy programs, including awards for auto manufacturing, hydrogen and carbon capture.
Projects slated for cancellation included two major direct air capture hubs that received $1.2 billion awards from former President Joe Biden's administration, including one that involves oil company Occidental in Texas and another in Louisiana.
The Energy Department had said last October it was conducting an "individualized and thorough review of financial awards made by the previous administration."
The DOE confirmed that the South Texas DAC Hub and Louisiana's Project Cypress were on the list of nearly 2,000 projects that would retain their funding.
On Thursday, Energy Secretary Chris Wright told a congressional hearing that the DOE reviewed the list of projects and backed those it said "had a credible way to be helpful."
quote:
Project Cypress and South Texas were awarded $550 million and $500 million respectively under Biden, but had only received their first tranche of $50 million each.
The DOE's Hydrocarbons Geothermal and Energy Office (HGEO) will be involved in the next steps of deploying those hubs and unlocking the appropriated and obligated funds.
LINK
quote:
In testimony Wednesday at a fiscal 2027 budget hearing, Wright announced the completion of a monthslong review of about 2,200 projects approved during the Biden presidency, which includes Project Cypress, an initiative with sites at the Port of Caddo-Bossier and in Calcasieu Parish.
quote:
Project Cypress is eligible for up to $600 million in federal grants tied to a pay-for-performance structure that requires matching private sector investment. To date, the Department of Energy has disbursed $50 million to the developers.
Heirloom, a San Francisco-based direct air capture company, will proceed with its plans at the Port of Caddo-Bossier after what company Head of Policy Vikrum Aiyer called a "rigorous review." The carbon captured at the site will be sent by pipeline approximately 100 miles for permanent burial at the Central Louisiana Regional Carbon Storage Hub (CENLA Hub) operated by CapturePoint.
While Heirloom focuses its operations in northwest and central Louisiana, Climeworks serves as the second anchor technology provider. The Zurich-based company plans to construct its own facility in Calcasieu Parish near Vinton. Through a partnership with Gulf Coast Sequestration, developers plan to pump captured carbon about 10,000 feet underground for permanent storage at a privately owned cattle ranch situated between Lake Charles and the Sabine River.
To qualify for the full $600 million in federal support, the DOE requires a "Community Benefits Plan," a legally binding framework designed to ensure taxpayer investment translates into measurable local gains. Project developers say the hub will create at least 1,000 construction jobs and over 80 permanent positions, with many workers in Calcasieu Parish expected to earn average annual salaries of $123,000.
These opportunities are supported by partnerships with Bossier Parish Community College and SOWELA Technical Community College, where developers are helping design a specialized curriculum for the emerging industry.
“We appreciate the Trump Administration for supporting American Jobs and further empowering Louisiana's role in the American Energy Dominance Agenda,” said Tommy Faucheux, president of the Louisiana Midcontinent Oil & Gas Association.
LINK
Punchbowl News Article: Louisiana Senate GOP primary gets loopy
Posted by ragincajun03 on 4/20/26 at 10:12 am
quote:
The Republican Senate primary in Louisiana has become a mess.
The two-term incumbent senator is at risk of not even making the primary runoff, and he’s fuming at the Senate Republican establishment for not helping him enough.
President Donald Trump’s hand-picked candidate has been unable to convert that golden-ticket endorsement into a definitive lead.
And a third candidate who said he ignored entreaties to drop out from people close to Trump has emerged as a real threat to win.
The uncertainty and chaos within just five weeks to the May 16 primary has caught the White House, Trump allies and the Republican establishment by surprise, throwing a wrench in what was supposed to be a low-drama contest. Republicans aren’t going to lose the Louisiana Senate seat, but it’s definitely not going the way GOP power players thought it would.
Former Rep. John Fleming (R-La.), a co-founder of the House Freedom Caucus, is pulling a significant chunk of the vote in public and private polling, muddying what should’ve been a glide path to the Senate for the Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.).
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) voted to convict Trump after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, which was always going to be a problem in a Republican primary. Cassidy and his allies have been dumping money on TV ads hitting Letlow.
It’s highly unlikely any candidate will clear 50% in the GOP primary, meaning this race is headed to a June runoff. Polling shows all three relatively close together. Letlow has a lead in two recent independent polls.
At this point, Republican insiders believe any of the three candidates could advance.
Yet those same Republicans are convinced that either Letlow or Fleming would beat Cassidy in a runoff.
quote:
Cassidy is furious at the NRSC and Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s political machine because he feels they haven’t fully supported his reelection bid. Thune fundraised with Cassidy in January in Baton Rouge, raking in over $650,000 at the event. The NRSC has also cut video ads featuring Cassidy.
But in a tense call with the NRSC, Cassidy said the committee wasn’t spending enough on his behalf during the primary. NRSC Executive Director Jennifer DeCasper, in a response that included profanity, shot back that Cassidy shouldn’t have voted to convict Trump, according to multiple sources familiar with the call.
The NRSC and Cassidy’s campaign both declined to comment.
Cassidy isn’t short on funds. The HELP Committee chair and his allied groups began the year with a collective $26 million in the bank. They’ve blanketed the airwaves with a slew of ads slamming the 45-year-old Letlow, accusing her of failing to properly disclose her stock trading while in office and pursuing DEI policies as an official at a Louisiana university. “Liberal Letlow” and “Pelican State Pelosi” have become go-to lines for Cassidy.
Cassidy has spent $5.1 million on ads, per AdImpact. His super PAC, Louisiana Freedom Fund, has spent a whopping $10 million on ads so far.
Many of Cassidy’s ads depict him as close to Trump, a clear attempt to obscure the reality that he voted to convict the president.
Letlow has spent $2.5 million on ads and has her super PAC, The Accountability Project. Letlow and her allies have been touting the Trump endorsements. Her team believes once they educate more voters that she is Trump’s pick, Letlow will surge.
quote:
For years, the state had a jungle primary that pooled candidates from all parties into one race. That benefited Cassidy because liberal and moderate voters could join Republicans in supporting him, making the politics of his impeachment vote easier. Now, each party holds its own primary.
Plenty of GOP voters are ready to ditch Cassidy. Letlow’s problem is that despite having Trump’s backing, she’s sharing the anti-incumbent voting bloc with Fleming. Case in point: her super PAC is airing an ad hitting Fleming on immigration in order to bring down his vote share.
Letlow also waited months to launch her Senate run, doing so only in January. Fleming entered the race in December 2024. Fleming is currently Louisiana’s state treasurer.
Fleming, 74, said he was repeatedly contacted in late January and mid-Febuary by figures “in Trump’s orbit” to see what it would take to get him out of the race.
“I was contacted twice by a high-level person at the White House, again, asking if there’s anything they could do, anything they could offer that would get me to drop out. And I said no, of course, diplomatically said no,” Fleming told us.
Fleming said Louisiana GOP voters see Cassidy and Letlow as “too Washington” when compared to him. Fleming served in the House from 2009 to 2017. He ran for Senate in 2016 but finished well back in the Republican primary.
The White House denies that they made any offer to Fleming. Fleming was asked if he was prepared to stay in the race after Letlow got in and had the president’s endorsement. Fleming said yes, according to a Trump source familiar with the conversation.
The White House’s view, at least now, is that they simply want Cassidy out of the Senate. They don’t care if it’s Letlow or Fleming who does that.
LINK
Louisiana may have the most interesting Congressional race of the midterms, at least for inside baseball politico types.
re: National Gasoline Price Average Plunges back below $4/gallon
Posted by ragincajun03 on 4/20/26 at 9:24 am to saint tiger225
I can understand the confusion.
But in all honesty, in my unprofessional opinion, the first ladies, or Joe Biden, canceling Keystone XL back in January 2021 did not cause gasoline prices to shoot up last month and early this month.
But in all honesty, in my unprofessional opinion, the first ladies, or Joe Biden, canceling Keystone XL back in January 2021 did not cause gasoline prices to shoot up last month and early this month.
re: National Gasoline Price Average Plunges back below $4/gallon
Posted by ragincajun03 on 4/20/26 at 8:57 am to saint tiger225
quote:
Does anyone in this thread know why it went up?
Because Jill Biden and Michelle Obama cancelled the Keystone XL pipeline project. :spank:
re: National Gasoline Price Average Plunges back below $4/gallon
Posted by ragincajun03 on 4/20/26 at 8:51 am to Oilfieldbiology
quote:
What was gas the last time we had WTI at $90/barrel prior to the Iran war?
From EIA's website...
It appears the last time WTI averaged $90/bbl or higher for a month prior to the Iran war was August 2022, averaging $93.67 for the month.
LINK
The national average for gasoline in August 2022 was $3.975/gallon.
LINK
re: National Gasoline Price Average Plunges back below $4/gallon
Posted by ragincajun03 on 4/20/26 at 8:29 am to SuperSaint
He did that!
Our Big Beautiful Orange President bringing down the cost of gasoline and other important products for the American people. :nana:
Our Big Beautiful Orange President bringing down the cost of gasoline and other important products for the American people. :nana:
National Gasoline Price Average Plunges back below $4/gallon
Posted by ragincajun03 on 4/20/26 at 8:25 am
quote:
The nation’s average price of gasoline has fallen 9.4 cents over the last week and stands at $3.97 per gallon, according to GasBuddy® data compiled from more than 12 million individual price reports covering over 150,000 gas stations across the country. The national average is up 3.9 cents from a month ago and is 87.4 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. The national average price of diesel fell 11.7 cents in the last week and stands at $5.50 per gallon.
“Average gasoline prices declined in 48 states over the last week, while diesel prices fell in 46 states, offering a welcome break at pumps, with the national average price of gasoline dipping below the $4 per gallon mark over the weekend,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.
quote:
Oil markets experienced another volatile week, but with a notable shift lower overall as easing geopolitical tensions—at least temporarily—helped unwind some of the risk premium that had driven prices sharply higher in prior weeks. After last week’s rebound amid doubts surrounding the ceasefire, markets appeared to gain slightly more confidence late in the week following statements from both the U.S. and Iran suggesting the Strait of Hormuz would remain open, easing immediate concerns over supply disruptions.
That confidence, however, is already being tested. New talks—and the risk they may break down—are again raising the potential for oil prices to climb in the days ahead. President Trump has warned Iran that further military action could occur if Tehran fails to reach an agreement, reintroducing uncertainty and pushing prices sharply higher to start the week.
The threat of escalations was pushing prices higher again in early Monday trade, underscoring the market’s sensitivity to headlines. WTI crude oil was up $4.98 per barrel to $88.83, but still well below last Monday’s $104.07 level, while Brent crude rose $4.65 to $95.03 per barrel, also down from $102.01 a week earlier. The rebound highlights how quickly sentiment can shift, even within a broader downward trend.
quote:
As Giovanni Staunovo, UBS commodities analyst, noted via e-mail, oil prices “continue to react primarily to escalation or de-escalation headlines. Intensifying strikes have pushed prices higher, while de-escalation headlines and hopes for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz have weighed on them. For now, flows through the Strait remain restricted, with the market watching closely to see whether U.S.-Iran talks take place in Pakistan this week.”
quote:
the SPR fell 1.7 million barrels to 413.3 million barrels.
quote:
The states with the lowest average prices: Oklahoma ($3.35), Kansas ($3.45), and North Dakota ($3.54).
The states with the highest average prices: California ($5.79), Hawaii ($5.64), and Washington ($5.32).
Biggest weekly changes: Texas (-15.9¢), Indiana (-15.7¢), Ohio (-15.4¢), New Mexico (-15.0¢), Iowa (-13.5¢).
quote:
The states with the lowest average diesel prices: Oklahoma ($4.68), Kansas ($4.69), and South Dakota ($4.78).
The states with the highest average diesel prices: California ($7.51), Hawaii ($7.06), and Washington ($6.87).
Biggest weekly changes: Arizona (-22.7¢), Texas (-21.9¢), Florida (-18.4¢), New Mexico (-18.1¢), South Carolina (-17.8¢).
LINK
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