‘Removing the shackles’: Major proposal could lower gas prices in this state
A legislative proposal in Arizona hopes to lower gas prices amid a recent appeal to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin. Currently, federal ozone attainment standards have prompted parts of the state, especially heavily populated Maricopa County, to use a “boutique” blend of gasoline since 1997, and it is the only place in the country that has done so. The legislative proposal would make it state law for other types of gasoline blends to be used aside from the specific winter and summer blends currently allowed, as it would be what is available in other states. LOWER GAS PRICES AREN’T LUCK. TRUMP’S ENERGY POLICIES ARE FUELING AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE Gas prices in the Grand Canyon State are currently among the highest in the country at $3.33 per gallon on average on Tuesday, according to AAA. In Maricopa County, that average is roughly 20 cents higher. “Modeling shows that 80% of the ozone in Maricopa County travels here from outside the state. This includes wildfires, pollution from Mexico, and emissions from California,” President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope said in a statement. “Even if 4 million gas burning cars were removed from our roads, Arizona would still not attain the impossible ozone standards set by the EPA.” Similar legislation was worked on in the legislature last year, but the renewed push on the issue comes as Senate President Warren Petersen recently met with Zeldin. LIZ PEEK: TRUMP, ZELDIN BRING A KEY INGREDIENT TO AMERICA’S ‘GREEN AGENDA’ “Following that meeting, Administrator Zeldin publicly raised our concerns about being punished for emissions outside of our control, and he committed to ensuring air quality will be protected while allowing us to grow the economy,” Petersen said in a statement. “HB 2300 is the first step in removing the shackles off Arizona and positions us to reduce gas prices quickly, in coordination with upcoming action from Administrator Zeldin on behalf of the Trump Administration. Providing multiple fuel options allows the market to compete during unexpected shortages and will help keep gas prices low for Arizona drivers.” Some Democrats have argued the legislation would pose an environmental risk and “does nothing to lower gas prices.” “House Bill 2300 weakens Arizona’s clean air protections by changing the rules for gasoline standards in certain areas. Here’s why that’s a problem: It could lead to more air pollution as this bill puts gas companies over public health,” State Sen. Rosanna Gabaldón said in a statement after the bill passed out of committee. “Current fuel standards help keep our air cleaner, especially in cities with high traffic. Loosening these rules could make pollution worse. It would allow for more loopholes for gas suppliers. Instead of sticking to proven fuel standards, the bill opens the door for changes that may not meet strict environmental guidelines,” she continued. SEN SHELDON WHITEHOUSE: THE EPA’S ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION ROLLBACK PUTS AMERICANS LAST On March 12, Zeldin released a statement saying that there have been various complaints nationwide about communities being penalized for air quality regulations they can do little about. If the bill were to be signed into law by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, the EPA would still need to clear those blends through the State Implementation Plan, which Zeldin’s office says there’s a “backlog” of. “The Biden Administration’s focus on ideological pursuits instead of the agency’s core mission and statutory duties resulted in a delay in air quality improvement. With more than 140 million Americans living in nonattainment areas around the country, cooperative federalism and clearing out the State Implementation Plan backlog will make significant strides to improving the air we breathe,” Zeldin said in a statement at the time. The EPA did not respond in time for publication. “We are still evaluating the legislation so nothing to share at the moment,” a spokesperson for Hobbs’ office told Fox News Digital.
Russian cargo plane crash lands in Siberia
[unable to retrieve full-text content] A Russian cargo plane crash landed at an airstrip in Novy Urengoy, Siberia on Wednesday due to a landing gear failure.
Netanyahu accuses Israel’s opposition of fuelling ‘anarchy’
Thousands of Israelis have taken part in antigovernment protests after Netanyahu resumed strikes in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused the opposition of fuelling “anarchy” in Israel, after mass antigovernment protests in recent days, while the opposition leader Yair Lapid has called for a “revolt” if the government refuses to accept verdicts issued by the country’s Supreme Court. Addressing the opposition during a speech in parliament on Wednesday, Netanyahu said, “You recycle the same worn-out and ridiculous slogans about ‘the end of democracy’. Well, once and for all: Democracy is not in danger, it is the power of the bureaucrats that is in danger.” “Perhaps you could stop putting spanners in the works of the government in the middle of a war? Perhaps you could stop fuelling the sedition, hatred and anarchy in the streets?” he added. Thousands of Israelis have taken part in several days of antigovernment protests, accusing Netanyahu of undermining democracy by removing Ronen Bar, the head of the Shin Bet internal security agency and resuming strikes in Gaza without any regard for captives held in the besieged enclave. Advertisement Netanyahu is locked in a battle with the Shin Bet chief, who is running a bribery investigation into the prime minister’s office, citing a lack of “trust”. The two men have been at loggerheads, fuelled by bitter recriminations over the failure to prevent the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks on southern Israel. The demonstrations, which erupted last week, have been organised by a broad coalition of anti-Netanyahu groups who say the Israeli leader is trying to stay in power at any cost. The Supreme Court froze Bar’s dismissal after several appeals were filed, including by opposition leader Yair Lapid’s centre-right Yesh Atid party. The opposition’s appeal highlighted what critics see as the two main reasons Netanyahu moved against Bar. The first was his criticism of the government over the security failure that allowed Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, the deadliest day in the country’s history. The second was what the opposition appeal said was a Shin Bet investigation into Netanyahu’s close associates on suspicion of receiving money linked to Qatar. Netanyahu’s office has dismissed the accusations as “fake news”. Calling for a ‘revolt’ Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid called for a “revolt” against the government of Netanyahu if it refused to accept verdicts issued by the country’s Supreme Court. “A government that doesn’t obey the court is a criminal government that should not be obeyed,” Lapid told local radio 103FM. “If the government does not comply with the Supreme Court, we must shut down the country, and that would be the end of everything.” Advertisement Israel’s cabinet also passed a vote of no confidence on Sunday against the country’s attorney general, Baharav-Miara, the first step in a process to dismiss her. Netanyahu’s office pointed to “significant and prolonged differences between the government and the government’s legal adviser,” a key part of the attorney general’s job. Following the Supreme Court’s initial ruling in the Bar case, Baharav-Miara said Netanyahu could not name a new internal security chief and was “prohibited to take any action that harms” his position. Adblock test (Why?)
Rep. Wesley Hunt praised in statewide ads as Cornyn kicks off reelection campaign
A seven-figure Texas ad buy is seen as a strong indicator that the Houston congressman may challenge the incumbent senator.
Supreme Court upholds Biden admin ‘ghost gun’ regulation
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the Biden administration’s regulation of so-called “ghost guns,” by a 7-2 vote. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the opinion, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts, as well as Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented. At issue was whether the devices meet the federal definition of a “firearm” and “frame and receiver,” and whether the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) exceeded its authority to regulate and enforce their sale. Ghost guns are do-it-yourself functional weapons that are often purchased online and marketed by some sellers as easy to assemble. The Justice Department said more than 19,000 hard-to-trace ghost guns were seized by law enforcement in 2021, a more than tenfold increase in just five years. That was driven in part by recent technological advances, many containing polymer-based unassembled firearm components. FBI DIRECTOR KASH PATEL SENDS MEMO CALLING CNN REPORT OF ATF CUTS ‘ENTIRELY FALSE’ Final home assembly typically requires the use of some readily available tools, including drilling holes and milling or sanding the unfinished frame or receiver, which enable the installation of parts. The 1968 Gun Control Act was revised in 2022 to regulate the growing market for certain “buy build shoot” kits. The seven-justice majority found that the Gun Control Act “permits ATF to regulate…some weapon parts kits and unfinished frames or receivers.” The law defines a “firearm” to include “any weapon… which will or is designed to or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive,” as well as “the frame or receiver of any such weapon.” SUPREME COURT HEARS PIVOTAL LOUISIANA ELECTION MAP CASE AHEAD OF 2026 MIDTERMS “Congress could have authorized ATF to regulate any part of a firearm or any object readily convertible into one,” Thomas wrote in his dissent. “But, it did not. I would adhere to the words Congress enacted. Employing its novel ‘artifact noun’ methodology, the majority charts a different course that invites unforeseeable consequences and offers no limiting principle.” The administration said it was not seeking to ban the sale or use of these kits, merely requiring them to comply with the same requirements of other commercial firearms dealers. That includes serial numbers on the parts and background checks on the purchasers. A federal appeals court struck down the updated rules after a legal challenge from kit sellers and buyers, but the Justice Department appealed to the Supreme Court. Gun rights groups say that the rule is “unconstitutional and abusive,” arguing the ghost gun kits consist of “non-firearm objects.” The devices can also be made from 3D printers or from individual parts. That is part of separate legal challenges in the lower courts. READ THE SUPREME COURT OPINION – APP USERS, CLICK HERE: The ATF’s rule requires unfinished parts of a firearm, like the frame of a handgun or the receiver of a long gun, to be treated like a completed firearm. These parts need to be licensed and must have serial numbers. The rule also requires manufacturers to run background checks before selling these parts, as they are required to do for whole commercial firearms. The justices have been revisiting the Second Amendment in recent years, after the conservative majority in 2022 made it easier to carry handguns outside the home for protection. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In June, a federal ban on bump stocks, devices that can convert semi-automatic rifles into weapons that can fire hundreds of rounds a minute, was struck down by the high court. However, that same month, the justices upheld a federal ban on firearm possession for people subject to certain domestic violence restraining orders. The case is Garland v. VanDerStok (23-852).
West Virginia passes first-of-its-kind law banning food dyes and preservatives; Gov cites MAHA movement
West Virginia will begin prohibiting certain synthetic dyes and additives used in food items sold in the state following the passage of a bill that marks the most comprehensive effort to regulate food ingredients at the state level. Gov. Patrick Morrisey, a Republican, on Monday signed House Bill 2354 into law, which will implement the ban on a tiered basis. Starting Aug. 1, seven different artificial food dyes will no longer be allowed for use in school lunches. Beginning Jan. 1, 2028, the same food dyes and two additional food preservatives will not be allowed in any food products sold in the state. Red Dye No. 3, Red Dye No. 40, Yellow Dye No. 5, Yellow Dye No. 6, Blue Dye No. 1, Blue Dye No. 2 and Green Dye No. 3 will all be banned from school lunches starting in August. The same food dyes, plus the preservatives butylated hydroxyanisole and propylparaben, will then be banned from all food items sold in the state beginning in 2028. RFK JR TARGETS COMPANIES MAKING BABY FORMULA AFTER SHORTAGES ROCKED BIDEN ADMINISTRATION While several states have introduced or passed similar bills, West Virginia’s marks the broadest and most sweeping action on this issue by any state, per local and national media reports. Proponents of the West Virginia bill have suggested the move will help improve health outcomes, particularly for children, but those who are against it argue the move will lead to higher food prices. “West Virginia ranks at the bottom of many public health metrics, which is why there’s no better place to lead the Make America Healthy Again mission,” Morrisey said after signing the new bill. “By eliminating harmful chemicals from our food, we’re taking steps toward improving the health of our residents and protecting our children from significant long-term health and learning challenges.” Morrisey also thanked Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Trump administration “for helping us launch this movement right here in West Virginia.” Earlier this month, Kennedy instructed FDA officials to explore potential changes to its “Substances Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS)” standards that apply regulatory classification to substances added to food. Kennedy has long been a proponent of food safety and said as HHS secretary he wants to promote “radical transparency” on the issue. “We want the dyes out of the food,” Kennedy told Fox News earlier this month. The issue isn’t entirely a Republican one, either. In January, under former President Joe Biden, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revoked its authorization of Red Dye No. 3 following pressure from consumer advocates. NUTRITIONISTS REACT TO THE RED FOOD DYE BAN: ‘TOOK FAR TOO LONG’ However, American Beverage, a leading national trade organization representing the nation’s top non-alcoholic beverage companies, said the new West Virginia bill will significantly limit consumer choices, raise grocery store prices, impact jobs and impose new costs on businesses. “We want to be really clear about the impact of this sweeping ban, it will hurt West Virginians, both consumers, workers and the overall economy, all over ingredients that have been proven safe,” said Meridith Potter, American Beverage senior vice president. “West Virginians deserve choice, information and facts, not fear,” Potter added. “The fact is, this bill will take away choices from West Virginians by eliminating products in nearly every aisle of the grocery store.” Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Rep Jasmine Crockett claims ‘hot wheels’ comment was misinterpreted, her past comments say otherwise
Facing a possible censure in the House of Representatives, far-left Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-TX, is claiming her recent comment seeming to mock a disabled Republican leader as “Governor Hot Wheels” was misinterpreted. Her previous comments about the governor, however, indicate otherwise. While giving a speech at a Human Rights Campaign event on Saturday, Crockett appeared to mock Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican who is paraplegic and wheelchair-bound, by calling him “Governor Hot Wheels.” “Y’all know we got Governor Hot Wheels down there – come on now! And the only thing hot about him is that he is a hot a– mess, honey,” Crockett said. This statement surfaced as Crockett was already facing heavy criticism for other recent statements calling for Elon Musk to be “taken down” and for Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to be “knocked over the head, like hard.” FAR-LEFT DEMOCRAT SLAMMED FOR ‘UNHINGED’ THREAT AGAINST PROMINENT GOP SENATOR: ‘INCITING VIOLENCE’ Crockett, however, is claiming her statements are being misinterpreted and that she was not mocking Abbott’s disability. Kimberly McClain, Crockett’s chief of staff, responded to a request for comment by Fox News, by saying, “Please be assured that the Congresswoman, in no way, meant any harm toward the Governor OR meant to take lightly any medical conditions that he may have.” McClain pointed to a statement by Crockett on X in which she said, “I wasn’t thinking about the governor’s condition—I was thinking about the planes, trains, and automobiles he used to transfer migrants into communities led by Black mayors, deliberately stoking tension and fear among the most vulnerable. Literally, the next line I said was that he was a ‘Hot A** Mess,’ referencing his terrible policies. At no point did I mention or allude to his condition.” Despite her statements, Crockett seems to have a pattern of making comments about Abbott “rolling” places, seeming to mock Abbott’s condition. PAM BONDI ON JASMINE CROCKETT’S COMMENTS: WORDS HAVE CONSEQUENCES Just last week, the congresswoman reposted a post featuring Abbott in the White House, which read, “Rolling up to the White House to cheer on the president destroying the agency that makes sure kids in wheelchairs have equal access to education is wild.” During his re-election campaign against former Democratic Rep. Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke, Crockett again slammed Abbott on X, saying, “The new nickname I have for Beto O’Rourke is the king of the clap backs! Beto is rolling around the state… Where is Abbott rolling to?” In response, Abbott said during an interview on “Hannity” that “it’s another day and another disaster by the Democrats.” “The reality is they have no vision, no policy. They have nothing to sell but hate, and Americans are not buying it,” Abbott said. “It’s one reason why Texas is going to remain red and why Republicans are going to continue to win elections across the country. The fact, Sean, is that Texas is actually in direct contrast to what she was talking about … The bottom line is that Republican states like Texas are leading the way, and with comments like this by Democrats, we will just leave them in the dust in future elections.” BLUE CITY MAYOR RIPPED BY LOCAL LEADERS FOR PRIORITIZING POLITICS OVER SAFETY: ‘UNDERMINING PUBLIC TRUST’ Rep. Randy Weber, R-TX, told Fox News Digital he would soon be introducing a resolution to censure Crockett because of her statements. “Jasmine…words have meanings & actions have consequences. I look forward to introducing my resolution to censure you for your words and actions,” Weber said on X. “The story of our great governor of Texas is one of unwavering resilience and perseverance. Meanwhile, the actions of Jasmine Crockett – stooping to vile levels of discrimination and despicable political attacks – are nothing short of reprehensible,” Weber said to Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
The Atlantic publishes Yemen ‘attack plans shared by Trump aides’ on Signal
DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY, Details released by media outlet include the times of US strikes and the types of aircraft being used against the Houthis. The Atlantic has published what it said were “attack plans” against Yemen’s Houthi rebels that top United States government officials shared in a group chat that inadvertently included the media outlet’s editor-in-chief. The release on Wednesday came after the administration of US President Donald Trump sought to downplay the significance of the texts shared on the Signal messaging app, according to The Atlantic. The most import of the newly published messages appear to have been sent on March 15 by an account seeming to belong to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. They include the times of strikes and the types of aircraft being used, as well as early reports about how effective the attacks against the Houthis were. In the group chat, the Hegseth account posted: “1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package)” “1345: ‘Trigger Based’ F-18 1st Strike Window Starts (Target Terrorist is @ his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME – also, Strike Drones Launch (MQ-9s)” “1410: More F-18s LAUNCH (2nd strike package)” “1415: Strike Drones on Target (THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP, pending earlier ‘Trigger Based’ targets)” “1536 F-18 2nd Strike Starts – also, first sea-based Tomahawks launched.” “MORE TO FOLLOW (per timeline)” “We are currently clean on OPSEC” [operational security]. “Godspeed to our Warriors.” Advertisement Later, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz sent a text containing real-time intelligence about conditions at an attack site that is believed to be in Yemen’s capita, Sanaa, according to The Atlantic: “VP. Building collapsed. Had multiple positive ID. Pete, Kurilla, the IC, amazing job,” the message read, in an apparent reference to Hegseth; General Michael E. Kurilla, the commander of Central Command; and the intelligence community, or IC. An account seeming to belong to US Vice President JD Vance, apparently confused, wrote “What?”, to which the Waltz account responded: “Typing too fast. The first target – their top missile guy – we had positive ID of him walking into his girlfriend’s building and it’s now collapsed.” ‘Massive breach’ The publication of the texts’ transcript comes two days after The Atlantic published an article from editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, in which he detailed how he had been added to a group chat where high-level government officials were discussing military actions against the Houthis. Monday’s report offered a broad-strokes description of what transpired in the chat. “The information contained in them, if they had been read by an adversary of the United States, could conceivably have been used to harm American military and intelligence personnel,” Goldberg wrote. But on Tuesday, US officials sought to wave the scandal aside, repeatedly denying that any classified information had been included in the chat. “There was no classified information, as I understand it,” Trump said at a meeting of US ambassadors. “ We’ve pretty much looked into it. It’s pretty simple, to be honest. It’s just something that can happen.” Advertisement White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who on Tuesday insisted “no classified material was sent to the thread”, slammed The Atlantic for its latest report. “This entire story was another hoax written by a Trump-hater who is well-known for his sensationalist spin,” she wrote on X on Wednesday. Democrats, however, renewed their calls for Hegseth and other top Trump administration officials to resign over the leaked chat. “The Signal incident is what happens when you have the most unqualified Secretary of Defense we’ve ever seen,” Senator Mark Kelly wrote on social media. “We’re lucky it didn’t cost any servicemembers their lives, but for the safety of our military and our country, Secretary Hegseth needs to resign.” Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost said the latest report from The Atlantic makes “clear that this was a massive breach of our national security”. “Had this very specific plan gotten in the wrong hands, Americans would be dead right now, Waltz and Hegseth must be fired immediately,” he wrote on X. In an interview on Fox on Tuesday, Waltz said he took “full responsibility”, admitting that he “built the group”. “We made a mistake. We’re moving forward,” he added. Adblock test (Why?)
What Palestinians in Gaza say about Israel’s ‘Migration Directorate’
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Israel plans to establish a government agency to oversee the “voluntary departure” of Palestinians from Gaza.
UN official backs call for FIFA action on gender oppression in Afghanistan
The UN special rapporteur on Afghanistan urges ‘strong stand’ from FIFA for nation’s women to make return to international football. Afghanistan’s national women’s football team have received support from a United Nations special rapporteur as they urge athletes worldwide to stand in solidarity as they fight their exclusion from World Cup qualifying competitions since the Taliban takeover in 2021. Many players from the team fled the country at the time because they feared persecution. The women’s team has since been unable to compete internationally because FIFA rules require recognition by a national federation, and the Taliban-controlled Afghan Football Federation bans women from playing. The Taliban says it respects women’s rights in accordance with its interpretation of Islamic law and local customs and that internal matters should be addressed locally. At a news briefing hosted by the Sports & Rights Alliance on Tuesday, Afghan national team captain Mursal Sadat highlighted the importance of global unity in the fight for gender equality in sport. “If there is one thing that I would request from the athletes all around the world, it would be it is time that we unite together. And it’s time that women support other women,” she said. Advertisement “It would give us a lot of inspiration and support because you guys have a voice to use and that platform is there to be used.” Sadat added that even a short video posted by athletes on social media would be a sign of solidarity against gender-based violence taking place in Afghanistan. Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on Afghanistan, said on Wednesday that he stood with Afghan women footballers in their call for FIFA to take action. “I support the call by Sports & Rights Alliance for FIFA to take a strong stand against systematic gender oppression and ensure that Afghan women footballers in exile, who are barred from playing in Afghanistan, can return to international competition,” Bennett wrote on X. National team founder and former captain Khalida Popal said the players are not fighting against global football’s governing body but rather seeking collaboration. “Our platform is sport – together with everyone, with the media, with individuals, with organisations and with governing bodies and including FIFA because we are not fighting against FIFA or any other organisation,” Popal said. “We want to work together to find the best solutions as using Afghanistan as an example to make sure the other countries, the other nations don’t face what we have faced.” In 2020, Afghanistan had 25 contracted women football players, most of whom now live in Australia. Adblock test (Why?)