Oil Prices Might Not Go Back to Normal Anytime Soon

Here We Go Again! More Illegal Immigrant Truckers Busted by Border Patrol

Daily on Energy: Oil tumbling, Strait watch, and a $500 million rare earths loan

WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY: Good afternoon and happy Tuesday, readers! Defending World Cup champions Argentina has their first match today against Algeria, with Lionel Messi cementing his record with the most games played at the World Cup. 🇦🇷⚽🇩🇿 Who do you think will win tonight’s match?  Off the pitch, oil prices extended their decline today as […]

Vance admits more work needs to be done to get prices down

Vice President JD Vance said there is “a lot more work to do” on the economy under President Donald Trump, noting that the Trump administration is making progress ahead of the midterm elections.  During the “Hot Topics” segment on The View, co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin questioned Vance about persistent economic concerns and whether voters who supported […]

This red state might attempt to alienate its Democratic voters

Tennessee Republicans, having redrawn congressional maps to eliminate Democratic representation, are now targeting state legislative districts for similar partisan gerrymandering. The GOP holds veto-proof supermajorities (27-6 in Senate, 75-24 in House) but plans maps that could achieve 33-0 and 99-0 margins, completely eradicating Democrats from state government, according to reporting by Tennessee Lookout's Bruce Barry.Following the Supreme Court's Louisiana v. Callais decision permitting partisan gerrymandering, but not racial, Republicans have carved Memphis's majority-Black 9th District into three GOP-friendly districts. Republican Caucus press secretary Molly Crawford confirmed redistricting legislation is planned for next year. Using mapping software, Democrats could be eliminated from Nashville and Memphis state Senate representation entirely. The author argues that while Republicans justify moves as partisan advantage-maximization, the result threatens democratic representation for one-third of Tennessee's reliably Democratic voters."Do the one-third of Tennesseans who do not choose Republican government have a right to be represented in their elected legislature? In a functional democracy in a supposedly advanced liberal society, do the two-thirds who are calling the shots have a moral obligation to see to it the one-third are included rather than silenced?" the author writes. These are not hard questions, Barry concludes.Watch the video below. Your browser does not support the video tag.

McConnell ‘wants to be back’ on Capitol Hill after hospitalization: Thune

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) on Monday gave an update on Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), saying he is ready to come back to Capitol Hill following his most recent hospitalization. McConnell, 84, was hospitalized Sunday for reasons that haven’t been made public, after experiencing visible symptoms of aging in the last several years. The […]

Trump-endorsed candidate's challenge backfires as Dem hits back on child sex offender deal

Texas state Rep. James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, responded to his Republican opponent’s “barbecue debate” challenge issued on Monday with a challenge of his own, one that put the Trump-backed candidate’s controversial record in the spotlight.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton challenged Talarico Monday to a debate to be held at a barbecue restaurant, a debate designed to verify whether Talarico actually enjoys barbecued meat as he’s claimed. The unorthodox challenge comes as Republicans take continued potshots at Talarico's masculinity.Talarico’s response was far less lighthearted.“I’ll meet Paxton at any time and any place if he will answer Texans’ questions about why he let admitted child sex offender Adam Hoffman walk free,” Talarico said, according to Texas Tribune reporter Alejandro Serrano.Talarico was referencing the controversial plea deal Paxton’s office offered Hoffman, a former Texas attorney who was originally facing life in prison for “sexually abusing a young boy” over a three-year period, a plea deal that would see him instead plead guilty to “two misdemeanors and serve a total of just one day in jail,” the Texas Tribune previously reported.The plea deal was so controversial that Republican Texas state Rep. Jeff Leach, who’s endorsed by Trump, suggested Texas voters abandon Paxton in the upcoming general election.Despite the plea deal offered by Paxton’s office, Hoffman was ultimately sentenced to 60 days in jail, but has since been released. He also won’t be required to register as a sex offender.“A real and dangerous predator – a present threat to Texas children – as free as you and me,” Leach said the day before Hoffman’s release in a statement published on social media. “A slap on his wrist and a spit in the face to his victim. Why?! How?! Because that’s the deal he made with Ken Paxton. Vote accordingly.”

Democrats unveil drug pricing policy roadmap ahead of midterms

Senate Democrats on Tuesday released a blueprint of proposals to lower prescription drug costs, as Democrats focus on affordability to provide a counter message to the White House and help Democrats win back control of Congress. High prescription drug costs are a persistent concern for voters of both parties. President Trump has been touting his own efforts of voluntary pricing deals…

Israeli ambassador to U.S. says Israel is 'not going to withdraw from South Lebanon'

NPR's Steve Inskeep asks Israel's ambassador to the U.S. Michael Leiter about the peace deal the Trump administration says it's made with Iran.