Podcast appearances and mentions of Jones Act

This week we talk about the Merchant Marine Act, trade routes, and incentives.We also discuss Wesley Jones, foreign competition, and artificial monopolies.Recommended Book: The Quantum Thief by Hannu RajaniemiTranscriptIn 1920, the then-Senator for the state of Washington, Wesley Jones, who was also the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, introduced the Merchant Marine Act as a method by which the American merchant marine could be sustained and remain competitive in the face of external competition, and in the wake of the destruction of a bunch of ship during WWI.The US Merchant Marine is all the commercial water-going vessels that are US flagged, and the crews of these vessels. During peacetime, these boats and ships conduct trade and other services along the United States' coasts and throughout its internal waterways, its rivers and lakes. During wartime, these vessels and their crews are tapped to help move troops and weapons and supplies for offensive or defensive military efforts.The theory of this proposed Act, then, was to ensure that the US Merchant Marine would remain well-funded and well-taken-care-of, because lacking some kind of government support, there was a good chance it would either slowly degrade, not having enough business to pay for itself, or—and this has been a persistent concern for similar pseudo-fleets of merchant vessels around the world for the past few hundred years—it would fall into disrepair because it would be outcompeted by vessels and crew coming in from elsewhere that would charge lower prices, creating unsustainable economics for the locals and thus slowly degrading this economic and military asset.When this Act was proposed, in 1920, the preservation of this asset was on the mind of many US politicians, as the world had just emerged from World War I, and in that and previous conflicts, the US Merchant Marine had been pretty vital to ensuring the US eventually came out on the right side of things. It was also fundamental to the rebuilding of the US economy following difficult conflicts, because the moving of cargo from city to city along coastlines, and throughout long expanses of rivers—getting food from place to place, getting building supplies where they need to go—has always been important, especially following periods in which there isn't a lot of building going on, and when supplies chains are reoriented toward other purposes, like fighting.So in addition to all the language the helps regulate trade within US waters and between US ports, and which says how the crew of such vessels have to be treated, this Act was also meant to provide protected status to US Merchant Marine vessels and crew, giving them a pseudo-monopoly on certain types of trade activities in the US.It was also—and this is important context—meant to give Senator Jones' state of Washington a de facto monopoly on trade with Alaska. But it was sold to the rest of Congress and the country as a means of bolstering the funds flowing into the US Merchant Marine. Section 27 of this act, often called the Jones Act, requires that all goods transported between US ports be carried by US vessels built in the US, flying the US flag, owned by US citizens and with majority US citizen and permanent US resident crews.What I'd like to talk about today are the other consequences of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, and in particular the Jones Act component of it, and why there's been renewed opposition to the Jones Act in recent months.—The logic of the Jones Act, at least on the surface, is pretty straightforward.If you're worried about foreign competition coming in and taking all the shipping jobs, swooping in from areas where crews aren't paid as much, and where ships can be built cheaper, so they can charge less than US-made and -manned ships, all you have to do is require all the ships and people on the ships are of US-origin, and you're good to go. Those foreign competitors aren't allowed to take the jobs, and that sets the standards in a different place, allowing US vessels and their crew and owners to charge whatever they need to charge to sustain themselves.This, in theory at least, should also stimulate the US ship-building industry, as that monopoly means anyone who builds new ships stands a pretty good chance of making their money back. After all, there's no dramatically cheaper competition out there, so you've got relatively little downward price pressure and seemingly plenty of customers, because there's a lot of US coast, and a lot of internal waterways that have traditionally be used for trading purposes.In practice, though—and this isn't uncommon with protectionist measures; things that seem like they should work for the intended purpose actually leading to other, less ideal outcomes—the Jones Act is often blamed for increasing prices on pretty much everything, and for increasing prices dramatically in places like Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and other US territories, like American Samoa and Guam, that are reliant on imports to survive.If open competition isn't allowed, prices don't tend to go down, and in fact they can instead go up, especially if the number of entities providing these services drops over time.That means places without other options, without the ability to ship food and electrical equipment and other such fundamentals using highways or regularly flying, large cargo planes, they are forced to pay increasingly high cargo ship prices, instead. And there's no chance that a competitor will emerge, because there just aren't enough ships available to haul all the stuff these places need at a regular, sustaining, cost-effective cadence.These higher prices are kind of built into the monopoly model, but they're made even worse by the state of the US shipbuilding industry, which for a while, from about the mid-1800s until the mid-20th century, was top of the line, producing more ships than any other country during WWII, and before that churning out some of the best and fastest ships in the world for trade purposes.But after the two world wars, and a surge in shipbuilding infrastructure that was rapidly deployed in the first half of the 20th century, US government subsidies for the industry began to dry up, many of the ships built during the war were sold to foreign countries and private owners for a quick buck, and most of that infrastructure was mothballed, the more efficient processes it developed decommissioned in favor of less-efficient, more expensive approaches.During WWI, the US churned out more then 5,000 ships at the over 100 shipyards it had operating at the time, and was able to produce more naval tonnage in three years than it had produced in the entire history of the nation's existence, up till that point.Post-WWI, though, the US was already less efficient than foreign competitors, especially European competition, and post-WWII, the emergence of overland infrastructure in the US, like the burgeoning national highway system, made shipping via trucks increasingly competitive with the previously dominant approach of shipping via internal waterways.Airline shipping became a competitor, too, around that same time. So the technological developments and new overland infrastructure of the post-World War era meant that in the US, although coastal shipping in particular remained a solid option for many types of shipping, using trucks on the nation's growing highway system usually ended up being cheaper and easier, and in some cases much faster, too, and eventually air cargo became even more competitive for some types of jobs and clientele.The oil crises of the 1970s amplified this trend, collapsing the market for oil tanker ships and seriously damaging the overall shipbuilding industry, including in the US. Even with new US government subsidies meant to support the flailing industry, building ships in the US usually just didn't make much economic sense, the cost of building on US soil costing nearly twice as much as it did in some foreign ports.During the Reagan administration, even those 1930s-era subsidies were dropped, and that led to further collapse in the US shipbuilding industry. Before the end of these subsidies, the US was producing about 20 commercial ships per year, already a catastrophic drop from the World Wars era, but after the end of the subsidies, it produced five commercial vessels in the next eight years, combined.Some new subsidies were introduced in the 90s, when the Cold War ended, but the industry was in such bad shape at that point, orders from the US military and from commercial traders often went unfulfilled, or went wildly over budget. Some ships were finished, but riddled with so many flaws that they were unusable.US shipbuilders blamed foreign government subsidies, claiming they were really bad at their jobs because other countries were giving their shipbuilding entities more money to exist, and President Bill Clinton was able to secure an agreement with many of the US's trading partners to temper these subsidies a bit, in response to those complaints. Though when US shipbuilders realized this agreement would also mean they would lose some of their subsidies, in the tradeoff, they switched to campaigning against it, and the US ultimately wasn't involved in that agreement.The US's shipbuilding efforts improved a bit in the late-90s and early 2000s, but efforts elsewhere were better, and while the US produced about 3% of all commercial shipping tonnage, of all trade-related naval vessels, basically, in the early 1970s, by 1999, that was down to 0.25% of global tonnage.At this point, following that aforementioned agreement to reduce subsidies and others like it, much of the world's shipbuilding industries are on pretty solid footing without government support, while the US's is protected by the Jones Act, and very much not in solid shape; it's completely uncompetitive and wildly unproductive, and this has led to many secondary, knock-on issues, like increased prices, especially in places like Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, but this actually reportedly costs the US economy something like 0.1 to 0.4% of its total GDP, so about $31.8 billion to $127.4 billion each year. And it's also hobbled our efforts to invest in things like offshore wind farms and other such infrastructure, because we simply don't have enough ships in operation to do that sort of thing. These ships also just cost so much to use, even when they're available, that the price of shipping and deploying things is overwhelming, especially compared to doing the same in other countries.In mid-March of 2026, the second Trump administration issued a Jones Act waiver for some types of product, including energy products, fertilizer, and related inputs, like ammonia. That means on an emergency basis, foreign-flagged, built, and staffed ships can operate in US waters, bringing these types of trade goods from US port to US port, without penalty.Within just two months of the waiver going into effect, dozens of foreign vessels entered the US trade market, reinforcing slumping trade routes and even creating new ones. The Gulf Cost to West Coast route has proved to be especially popular, seeing four times the trade activity from the Gulf to California in just those two months as we previously saw over the whole of 2025, combined, and a an entirely new route emerged, too, shipping naphtha from California to Texas.More shipping also arose between the US mainland and Puerto Rico, bringing propane to Puerto Rico in a usable volume for the first time because there are no liquified petroleum gas tankers in the Jones Act fleet; this meant that despite the large amounts of LPG produced in the US, Puerto Rico usually has to import their LPG from Chile and other foreign sources; this waiver allowed them to get it from the US mainland, instead.In April of this year, the Trump administration announced a 90-day extension of the Jones Act waiver. This waiver is intended to help moderate surging prices on all sorts of good, especially energy products, at a moment in which the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has created shortages of such products on global markets. That shortage has stoked inflation, all over the place, but especially in the US, hence this effort to temper that inflation; it is an election year in the US, after all.The waiver seems to be helping, in some limited regards at least, and it's providing all sorts of data for groups that oppose it, illuminating what seems to be latent demand for such trade routes, that demand typically unmet because of the limitations of the Jones Act on waterway and coastal trade in the US; there just aren't enough US-made and created and flagged ships performing this kind of trade because of that artificial monopoly.The American Maritime Partnership, however, which is a lobbying group put together by the US domestic maritime industry, recently launched an ad campaign aimed at ending the waiver, saying, basically, that the Jones Act protects the US maritime industry from unfair foreign competition, and that it protects the US from foreign threats that might otherwise infiltrate and negatively impact US markets; the implication being that terrorists or some such might come to the US with trade vessels, and then wreak havoc by doing terrorist things via these vessels, or maybe use them to bring more drugs into the country.Given the power such lobbying groups have in the US, there's a solid possibility that when an agreement is eventually reached with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, and if global trade then returns to something like its previous default, this waiver will go away. That would be the politically expedient move by the Trump administration, because most people don't know enough about the Jones Act to care, but the maritime industry very much does, as without this artificial monopoly, they would probably be required to fundamentally change if they wanted to stay alive.There's evidence that getting rid of the Jones Act permanently might be beneficial on multiple fronts, especially in terms of inflation and overall economics, but also in terms of forcing the US maritime industry to make those costly, foundational changes. Despite the many possible benefits of doing away with this act, though, the ‘protect our borders from foreign invaders' aspect of the Jones Act might be enough to sway this administration toward fully reinstating it as soon as the conflict in Iran and inflation allows.Show Noteshttps://apnews.com/article/jones-act-trump-trade-abcac596db839bff3679b3117d2e81b2https://www.cato.org/blog/jones-act-waiver-data-reveals-universe-blocked-american-tradehttps://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2019/04/local-content-requirements-and-their-economic-effect-on-shipbuilding_f81e0027/90316781-en.pdfhttps://www.cato.org/blog/jones-act-contributes-offshore-wind-growing-painshttps://www.engine.online/news/us-maritime-group-urges-end-to-jones-act-waiver-7c1bhttps://gcaptain.com/chinese-cosco-tanker-delivers-asphalt-to-connecticut-under-jones-act-waiver/https://gcaptain.com/jones-act-waiver-reshapes-u-s-oil-trade-as-foreign-tankers-flood-domestic-routes/https://www.investopedia.com/terms/j/jonesact.asphttps://www.winston.com/en/legal-glossary/what-is-the-jones-acthttps://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/jones-act-burden-america-can-no-longer-bearhttps://www.atlasnetwork.org/articles/the-jones-act-is-costly-harmful-and-dangeroushttps://www.maritime.dot.gov/ports/domestic-shipping/domestic-shippinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merchant_Marine_Act_of_1920https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Merchant_Marinehttps://www.cato.org/blog/jones-act-contributes-offshore-wind-growing-pains This is a public episode. 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In a recent episode of this podcast, Ross dives into the world of the Jones Act, a federal law that's been around since the early 1900s. This law has a significant impact on the US shipping industry, making it difficult for Americans to trade and do business with each other. The guest, Colin Grabow, Associate Director at the Cato Institute's Center for Trade Policy Studies, joins the conversation to break down the law's effects and explore its history. The Jones Act requires that any goods moved by water within the US must be transported on a vessel that meets specific criteria, including being US-flagged, owned by Americans, crewed by Americans, and built in the US. However, this leads to a limited number of ships meeting these conditions, resulting in higher transportation costs and a "tax" on domestic commerce. The law has been waived temporarily by President Trump, allowing for the importation of energy products, but its long-term effects on the US economy remain unclear. Colin Grabow shares some striking examples of how the Jones Act affects trade, including the fact that Puerto Rico buys more fuel from the Baltic countries than from the US, despite being farther away. He also highlights the law's failure to create a competitive US shipbuilding industry, citing the country's ranking of 19th in the world in shipbuilding. The conversation raises important questions about the law's continued existence and its impact on the US economy. With the temporary waiver in place, it's clear that there are benefits to be gained from repealing the Jones Act. If you're interested in learning more about this complex issue and how it affects the US, tune in to this episode to hear the full conversation with Colin Grabow.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

**On the podcast, the conversation is all about the intersection of technology, politics, and the outdoors.** This episode is a thought-provoking discussion that touches on some of the biggest issues of our time, from the impact of artificial intelligence on society to the importance of getting outside and enjoying nature. Ross shares his thoughts on the recent release of Pope Leo's first encyclical, which highlights the need for a new spiritual, ethical, and political framework to address the challenges posed by AI. They also delve into the world of data centers and the Jones Act, a federal law that's been around since 1920 and is still causing problems for American commerce. The conversation also takes a turn into the world of politics, with a fascinating interview with Christina Blunt, a Republican candidate running for the second congressional district in Colorado. She shares her vision for a more citizen-led approach to government, where bills are written by citizens for citizens, and not by bureaucrats in Washington D.C. The speaker also discusses the importance of getting outside and enjoying nature, with a fun interview with Chris Gerard, the Chief Brand Officer of Outside, a company that's all about helping people get outside and connect with the natural world. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in technology, politics, and the outdoors. With a mix of thought-provoking discussions and fun interviews, it's a great way to spend your time. So grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and tune in to this week's episode to hear more about these important topics. The conversation also touches on some of the biggest issues of our time, from the impact of AI on society to the importance of getting outside and enjoying nature. With a mix of thought-provoking discussions and fun interviews, this episode is a great way to spend your time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The White House gave the green light on March 18 for foreign-flagged tankers to move crude oil and refined products between U.S. ports by waiving the Jones Act. In less than two months, about 60 waivers have been recorded. Today, we'll dig into the new patterns that have emerged. 

Send us Fan MailHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast; I am delighted to welcome Carra Miller, a maritime attorney. I have long wanted to bring to listeners a perspective of matters of law and passenger rights when it comes to cruising. I have been amazed at some of my findings regarding a cursory look at some those matters and I suspect, Carra will share some eye-opening information with you. Her visit is especially timely given the burgeoning Hantavirus crisis. With three passengers dead and 17 Americans among the nearly 150 people stranded off the coast of West Africa, the MV Hondius cruise ship Hantavirus outbreak raises urgent legal questions about what cruise operators owe their passengers when things go wrong at sea. Among other matters you should be aware of as a cruiser, Carra explains these passengers' rights and the duty the cruise ship operator owes them. Carra Miller is the founding attorney of Miller Smith, PLLC, a firm that represents cruise ship passengers, crew members, harbor workers, and others injured in maritime environments. Her practice centers on vessel incidents, injuries on navigable waters, and claims under the Jones Act, the Death on the High Seas Act, and other federal maritime statutes. Carra earned her JD from Tulane University Law School, where she received a Maritime Law Certificate and served as Editor-in-Chief of the Tulane Environmental Law Journal. She holds a B.S. in Maritime Administration from Texas A&M University. She has written and spoken on maritime law topics and has published commentary on maritime liability issues.Do you have a dream car? Support the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Donald Trump issues a five-month waiver of a 1920 law that says ships carrying cargo between U.S. ports must be American-built. Colin Grabow of the Cato Institute explains the results, as dozens of voyages now help to distribute oil and gasoline, and he argues the Jones Act is economic lunacy that should be repealed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Gary & Shannon Show Hour 1 (05.12) – California’s oil nightmare gets worse, LAUSD gets rocked by another corruption scandal, and Shannon officially compares Lakers fans to drunken Buffalo Bills superfans.• Gary & Shannon break down California’s looming gas crisis → as Middle Eastern oil access tightens and the Iran ceasefire hangs by a thread• President Trump reportedly pushes for lower energy prices while California’s own policies continue making fuel costs uniquely brutal in-state• The bigger frustration → why is one of the richest states in the country constantly making basic necessities harder and more expensive?• Gary & Shannon dive into Chevron leaving California, the Jones Act waiver, and decades of energy policy failures colliding all at once• Then: LAUSD is now trying to recover $22 million in what prosecutors call the largest money-laundering scheme in district history• Investigators say an IT manager secretly funneled contracts through shell companies while allegedly leaving behind hilariously incriminating notes and texts• Plus: #SportsTalk → the Lakers are done, the Dodgers are sliding, and Shannon says devastated Lakers fans are about two losses away from becoming full Buffalo Bills table-jumping degeneratesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE on:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PtgPvJvqc2gkpGIkNMR5i WATCH and SUBSCRIBE on:https://www.youtube.com/@WatchdogOnWallstreet/featured  The century-old Merchant Marine Act of 1920 is under fire again after temporary waivers highlighted how the law restricts shipping between U.S. ports. Critics argue it drives up costs, weakens supply chains, increases traffic, and even forces places like Puerto Rico to import energy from overseas instead of the mainland U.S.

In this month's news episode, we break down four major developments shaking up global energy markets in May 2026. From the UAE's sudden departure from OPEC to a widening gap between paper and physical oil prices, the episode covers what these fast-moving events mean for royalty owners who are trying to make sense of their income outlook. We also discuss the Trump administration's meeting with major oil executives, a temporary waiver of the century-old Jones Act, and what the latest rig count data tells us about where the industry is actually headed. As always, links to the articles coverd in this episode can be found in the show notes at mineralrightspodcast.com.

Day Break | They Rigged The System—Now Republicans Are Taking It Back --- 00:00 - Monologue 18:54 – Justin Goodman, Senior Vice President of the White Coat Waste Project. Goodman discusses recent efforts to reduce the use of cats and dogs in experimental testing. He explains recent wins tied to the Farm Bill and broader efforts to reform animal research practices. 27:45 – Peter Gillooly, CEO of The Wellness Company. Gillooly discusses ongoing conversations surrounding anti-parasitic drugs and their potential role in cancer treatment research. He also talks about leadership changes involving the Surgeon General nomination and broader healthcare policy discussions. Visit twc.health/GRUBER and use promo code GRUBER to save 10%. 37:46 - Monologue Featuring Ivey Gruber 56:51 – Ashley Davis, national security expert and author of Power Pivot. Davis discusses the rapid expansion of data centers, including a proposed 40,000-acre project in Utah. She breaks down the potential economic benefits, infrastructure concerns, and national security implications. 1:05:45 – Garrett Rice, CEO of Master Boat Builders and Vice Chair of the Shipbuilders Council of America. Rice discusses concerns surrounding a potential Jones Act waiver during the Iran crisis. He explains why some in the industry believe such a move could benefit China and weaken American shipbuilding. 1:15:51 - Monologue 1:24:50 – Ron Rademacher, travel writer and Michigan backroads expert. Rademacher highlights major events and activities happening across Michigan this week. He shares travel ideas and seasonal attractions listeners may want to check out. 1:35:01 – Tim Golding, Michigan State Director for Americans for Prosperity. Golding discusses the results of Michigan's State Senate District 35 special election and what they could mean politically moving forward. 1:43:52 – Ivey Gruber, President of the Michigan Talk Network. Gruber discusses developments in California's Democratic primary race and broader political dynamics shaping the contest. --- Check out our brand new podcast, 'Forgotten America'... Episode 13 is live NOW at Steve Gruber on YouTube! Link below: https://youtu.be/iBGFsN7Xtbg

1. "Fueling America: 250 Years of Energy Innovation"Tom Hall introduces the Institute for Energy Research's special project celebrating America's 250th anniversary by highlighting the nation's leadership in energy innovation. Key points include:The U.S. has historically led in energy innovation (Drake well, Henry Ford, Wright brothers, first LNG terminal)Energy innovation has been a driver of progress, democracy, freedom, and prosperityThe project focuses on prominent figures and innovators in the energy sector throughout American history2. Property Rights and American Energy ExceptionalismA critical distinction is made about why the U.S. is uniquely positioned as an energy producer:American property owners own subsurface mineral rights, unlike most countries where governments own themThis uniquely American system of property rights, combined with the rule of law and common law system, has been fundamental to energy progressThis explains why the U.S. leads in shale production while other countries (Bulgaria, England, Germany) don't3. Iran Crisis and Geopolitical StrategyExtensive discussion of the current conflict with Iran, including:A 47-year struggle with a radical regime that finances terrorism through oil revenuesThe blockade strategy as a way to starve the government of revenue without ground warThe importance of preventing Iran from controlling the Strait of HormuzThe need for regime change (civilian government replacing the mullahs) for lasting successHow U.S. energy strength (shale revolution, LNG exports) enables this policy4. Global Energy Market RealignmentThe conversation explores how the geopolitical situation is reshaping global energy:OPEC is effectively dead as a controlling forceThe U.S. is now the "swing producer"Expected shifts in oil trade flows and relationshipsUAE's withdrawal from OPEC signals the organization's declinePotential strategic alliance between Saudi Arabia and Israel5. Trump Administration's Energy Policy ImpactDiscussion of how Trump's policies are reshaping energy regulation:Repeal of Chevron deference and the EPA's 2009 endangerment findingThese repeals dismantle the legal foundations of Obama and Biden energy restrictionsTrump is described as "American energy unleashed"Broader policy shifts including border control and NATO burden-sharing6. Venezuela's Energy RecoveryAnalysis of Venezuela's potential return as an oil producer:Venezuela previously produced 3+ million barrels per day before Maduro/ChavezExxonMobil is now exploring re-entry into the marketRecovery would supply Gulf refineries with heavy crudeThis would increase U.S. exports and reshape oil marketsBenefits would extend to Venezuelan people through economic improvement7. California's Energy CrisisDiscussion of California's self-inflicted energy problems:The state has transitioned from a major oil producer to being dependent on Middle East importsOne-party rule has created policies that drove out oil companies (Chevron, Valero)Climate policies have merely exported emissions rather than reducing them globallyTrump suspended the Jones Act to help alleviate the crisisThe state serves as a cautionary tale of poor energy policy8. Broader Geopolitical RealignmentThemes about shifting international relationships:The U.S. is becoming more naturally aligned with countries like India than FranceEuropean countries are moving toward authoritarian socialism and proving unreliable alliesThe Trump administration is reshuffling long-standing international arrangements (NATO, embassy moves, etc.)Focus on Western Hemisphere security (the "Don Roe doctrine")This podcast presents a comprehensive view of how energy policy, geopolitics, and innovation intersect to shape global affairs.Follow David on his Substack https://blackmon.substack.com/

Acting Konawaena High School principal Chelsea Qualey and Ramzi Mansour of the Department of Accounting and General Services share the progress being made following damages from the recent Kona low storms; Mike Hansen, President of the Hawaii Shippers Council, on President Donald Trump's extension of the waiver for the Jones Act till August

Thank you so much for listening to the Bob Harden Show, celebrating nearly 15 years broadcasting on the internet. On Tuesday's show, we visit with Managing Director of Americans for Prosperity Kent Strang about the need to repeal the Jones Act. Boo Mortenson and I discuss the rise of religion in America. We visit with video commentator Maggie Anders about the alt-right pipeline producing anti-male narratives in the progressive movement. We also visit with Linda Harden about the call for the cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel. Please join us tomorrow when we visit with Cato Institute Chairman Emeritus Bob Levy, Murray Sabrin, Professor and author Larry Bell, and VP of Landmark Legal Foundation's Michael O'Neill. Access this and past shows at your convenience on my web site, social media platforms or podcast platforms.

Thank you so much for listening to the Bob Harden Show, celebrating nearly 15 years broadcasting on the internet. On Tuesday's show, we visit with Managing Director of Americans for Prosperity Kent Strang about the need to repeal the Jones Act. Boo Mortenson and I discuss the rise of religion in America. We visit with … The post The Need to Repeal the Jones Act appeared first on Bob Harden Show.

Segment 1: The Corporate Welfare Problem Sarah Anderson, Global Economy Director at the Institute for Policy Studies, joins us to break down a staggering new report on America's 20 largest low-wage employers. While companies like Walmart, Amazon, and Home Depot report record profits and spend billions on stock buybacks, their median worker pay often falls below the threshold for Medicaid and SNAP. Key Discussion Points: The Buyback Betrayal: How Home Depot could have given every employee a $15,000 annual bonus with the money they spent on stock buybacks. Public Subsidies for Poverty Wages: Why taxpayers are effectively picking up the tab for corporate executives' ultra-wealth. The Policy Solution: Success stories from Portland's CEO pay-ratio tax and the movement to bring it to LA and San Francisco. Segment 2: Transportation Workers Under Fire Greg Regan, President of the Transportation Trades Department (AFL-CIO), returns for his monthly update on the legislative battles in D.C. From "clumsy" bill drafting to the ongoing struggle for TSA dignity, transportation workers are facing a multi-front war. Key Discussion Points: The Overtime Tax Flaw: Why workers covered by the Railway Labor Act are currently excluded from a $25,000 overtime tax deduction—and the coalition of 24 unions fighting to fix it. Second-Class Federal Employees: The urgent need for the TSA Workforce Rights Act to give TSOs the same Title 5 protections as their DHS colleagues. The Jones Act Smoke Screen: Why the administration's Jones Act waiver is "political theater" that won't actually lower your gas prices. Go Behind the Scenes of the Labor Movement Every victory at the bargaining table starts with workers standing together. Subscribe to the America's Work Force Union Podcast for daily interviews with the leaders and organizers building worker power across America.

Three decades of front-row energy seats and takes you genuinely can't argue with. Mark Meyer gets into the Strait of Hormuz mess, Heathrow's jet fuel shortage, countries sitting on hydrocarbons while importing them, the IEA's net zero detour, BP's expensive U-turn, and why 2 billion people still cooking over dung deserves more airtime than another COP summit. Astros predictions and a Joe Rogan tangent included.Click here to watch a video of this episode.Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward.Apply today at collide.ioClick here to view the episode transcript. 0:00 Intro3:21 Strait of Hormuz and energy attention spans6:23 Heathrow's jet fuel crisis8:06 Land Man tour through a barrel of oil9:55 New England's oil-fired electricity paradox14:07 Countries sitting on hydrocarbons while importing them21:39 Gas prices and the political blame game25:12 California, the Jones Act, and US shipbuilding decline28:46 ASU hackathon and hope for the next generation35:22 Chris Wright as energy secretary37:49 Advice to 2016 Jacob about the climate narrative46:28 OPEC, IEA, and the agencies shaping the conversation51:34 The IEA's Net Zero by 2050 detour and BP's pivot1:00:38 EPA rescinds the 2009 endangerment finding1:03:33 Wood pellet accounting and the China India reality1:08:20 The global South and the moral case for hydrocarbons1:14:38 Mark's daily media diet1:17:23 Price gouging vs Big Tech margins1:21:39 Joe Rogan, cable news fatigue, and Peggy Noonan1:29:01 Astros baseball predictions1:36:22 Wrap uphttps://twitter.com/collide_aihttps://www.tiktok.com/@collide.iohttps://www.facebook.com/collide.iohttps://www.instagram.com/collide.iohttps://www.youtube.com/@collide_iohttps://bsky.app/profile/collide-ai.bsky.socialhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/collideai

Guest Kent Strang, Managing Director with Americans for Prosperity, joins to discuss the ongoing push for the Affordability Agenda. Discussion of ending the Jones Act, pushing for permitting reform, and the focus on the private sector for economic growth.  Could we see a new "official" language in the US for the 250th Birthday of the nation?  Trump grows impatient with Iranian talks, and impatient with the lack of momentum out of Congress as he officially calls for the end of the Senate filibuster. Will it work?

The band's back together for this one, but I'm not much needed til the end. We hear a bit about the M/V JOYCE HALE, Pilots Agree, the Professional Pilots Association, the American Inland Mariners and Gulf Coast Mariners Associations, Melvin and John Sutton, steersman, licensing, insurance, court proceedings, unions, marine casualties on the job, the Jones Act and its temporary suspension, and more.

President Trump is making another effort to combat surging oil prices by extending the Jones Act for 90 days. This move comes as the United States and Iran have yet to reach a peace deal to end the ongoing conflict. Phil Flynn, a senior market analyst at The Price Futures Group and FOX Business Network contributor, joins the network's Jackie DeAngelis to discuss how the administration has managed oil prices during the conflict and what drivers could affect prices at the pump next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on April 24 that a U.S. blockade on Iran is going global, adding that Tehran had a chance to make a "good deal" with Washington. Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said U.S. Central Command continues to maintain a strict blockade on all ports in Iran. Caine said 34 ships had been turned around as of Friday morning. He added that the U.S. military would continue to interdict Iranian vessels in the Pacific and Indian oceans.President Donald Trump has extended a waiver of the century-old Jones Act for 90 days, allowing foreign-flagged vessels to transport fuel and other goods between U.S. ports to ease price increases triggered by the Iran war and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. The waiver applies to a range of goods, including crude oil, natural gas, coal, fertilizer, and refined petroleum products.

AP's Lisa Dwyer reports on a waiver extension for shipping.

President Trump is making another effort to combat surging oil prices by extending the Jones Act for 90 days. This move comes as the United States and Iran have yet to reach a peace deal to end the ongoing conflict. Phil Flynn, a senior market analyst at The Price Futures Group and FOX Business Network contributor, joins the network's Jackie DeAngelis to discuss how the administration has managed oil prices during the conflict and what drivers could affect prices at the pump next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump is making another effort to combat surging oil prices by extending the Jones Act for 90 days. This move comes as the United States and Iran have yet to reach a peace deal to end the ongoing conflict. Phil Flynn, a senior market analyst at The Price Futures Group and FOX Business Network contributor, joins the network's Jackie DeAngelis to discuss how the administration has managed oil prices during the conflict and what drivers could affect prices at the pump next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It is a wild day on the News Desk, and we saw Brent hit $105, and the market tanked. This is not going to be over very quickly, as there is a lot to unwind in the oil and gas markets and supply chains. We are seeing new proposed pipelines, and Energy Security is really taking front and center stage around the world. 1. Oil and Energy Market DynamicsThe Podcast extensively covers how global oil markets are being affected by geopolitical tensions, particularly disruptions in the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz. There's discussion about establishing a new baseline for oil prices (around $90-$95 range) and the risk of demand destruction if prices remain elevated. The speaker also analyzes the disconnect between how oil/gas companies are performing versus refineries in the current market environment.2. Energy Security and Self-RelianceA significant focus is placed on countries building domestic refining and drilling capabilities to reduce dependence on imports. The transcript highlights U.S. efforts to increase energy independence and export capabilities, with specific examples like the Golden Pass LNG facility and Japan's JAPEX expanding into the U.S. oil and gas market.3. Geopolitical DevelopmentsThe discussion addresses potential permanent disruptions to Middle Eastern oil supplies and their global market impact. There's also mention of U.S. government efforts to re-engage with Venezuela to boost oil production and exports.4. Regulatory and Policy ChangesThe podcast covers bipartisan efforts in Pennsylvania to maintain coal-fired power plants despite the broader shift toward natural gas and renewables. California's refinery issues and the Jones Act's impact on U.S. energy supply and pricing are also discussed.5. Stock Market and Investment AnalysisStu provides insights on the performance of various energy-related stocks, including oil and gas companies, refiners, and LNG players, identifying potential investment opportunities and risks in the current market.1.Is $90 to $95 Oil Is the New Baseline for 20262.When the Paper Price of Oil Catches Up with the Physical Price of Delivered Oil, It Will Be a Violent Swing UP3.Energy Security Starts at Home: More Countries Are Building Refineries and Drilling Programs4.Oil Disruption of the Strait of Hormuz May Be More Permanent Than a Few Weeks5.Golden Pass LNG: QatarEnergy/ExxonMobil Joint Venture in Sabine Pass Makes First Shipment6.Japan's Japex to Expand Oil and Gas Production, Including in the U.S.7.Two Clean Coal Plants in Pennsylvania Are Staying Open Thanks to Trump and Shapiro8.US Oil Executives Meet Venezuela President and What Does This Mean for Investors and Consumers?9.California is Within Weeks of a ShutdownCheck out the Energy News Beat SubStack https://theenergynewsbeat.substack.com/A shout-out to Steve Reese and the Reese Energy Consulting group for sponsoring the Podcast https://reeseenergyconsulting.com/.Data2 if you have any business systems, can you trust A? Well, they have the patent on validation. . https://data2.zoholandingpage.com/energyAnd we have WellDatabase rolling in as a new sponsor. https://welldatabase.com/

Nicole Johnson Murphy, CEO of ECO TLP, and Gordon Jackson join to discuss concrete floating wind foundations, production-line construction, and markets from Hawaii to Japan. Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly newsletter on all things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard’s StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show on YouTube, Linkedin and visit Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary’s “Engineering with Rosie” YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us! Welcome to Uptime Spotlight, shining Light on Wind. Energy’s brightest innovators. This is the progress powering tomorrow. Allen Hall: Offshore wind obviously is a big deal right now. There’s a lot of, countries looking at it and investigating it, doing it, but not really at scale yet. And this is where ECO TLP comes in and. Nicole, let’s just start there with a background. What problem were you trying to solve when you started ECO TLP? Nicole Johnson-Murphy: Yeah, so, we were designing for, a site off of Hawaii in 2011, for the HECO RFP. And so we were designing for 300 meter water depth from the beginning. so we were always trying to find a way to work with the ports, with the vessel, with the infrastructure that was existing off Hawaii. And with, and that worked with Jones Act vessels. So we were always trying to meet that [00:01:00] requirement with, and meet the cost, try to, we saw there were much tighter margins in offshore wind than in oil and gas, for example, at that water depth. So we’re trying to find something that was cost effective.  Allen Hall: Next question, obviously is what makes those deep water foundations so difficult? Gordon Jackson: It’s the water depth, primarily, you need to put foundations down in, extremely deep water. and they’re gonna be pretty flexible. so you’re trying to control the amount of motion that you get at the surface through your, your deep water, facility. it’s really. Really that challenge, and, the weight of components through the water depth, likes of chain would be completely impossible. in 300 meters of water. you need to use something that’s a little bit lighter. Yeah, to mow you to the, to the seabed. Allen Hall: [00:02:00] Because it does seem a little odd just not to make the foundations taller, basically. More steel drive it down in, we know that process, we understand that process. It works offshore, near shore in a, lot of locations. But once you get to what depth as it becomes financially or engineering wise, impossible.  Gordon Jackson: For offshore wind, fixed, structures in, maybe a hundred meters of water are gonna be. Economic. they’ll be costly compared to what’s been done now because, of all the extra structure you need for the, for the deeper water. But, I think you’ll see, a crossover between fixed and floating, around the, 70 to a hundred meter water mark. that’s sort the range. Allen Hall: And that leads to the next question, which is. It’s all financial, right? At some point, the numbers [00:03:00] don’t work. If the cost of foundations don’t come down, especially in fixed bottom offshore or floating offshore, we lose a lot of offshore wind resource. Nicole can you gimme a scale at what we’re missing if we don’t get to a more economical solution for floating offshore? Nicole Johnson-Murphy: So we’ve estimated for our market for, a very deep water market. So we now actually have a solution that goes across all water depths. So we’re starting with, this, gravity based structure now with, and, Gordon’s team has been really involved in that, development. And then now we can take that same slip form, concrete cylinder. Format and take it across all the water depths. so we basically can hit every water depth now for a very low cost. It’s a very simple, just, local, regionally designed and built, system. We, crowdsource the labor and the inputs. and so we [00:04:00] try to, and we also try to give the procurement team of our clients their, an ability to do their job and, be able to bid out aspects of our design, across. Different vendors. So you always wanna give, in construction, you always wanna give, the procurement team a job to do so they can actually get that price, keep that price down on the installation.  Allen Hall: Yeah, that’s a unique look that ECO TLP is putting to this problem. Which is moving away from steel, which is expensive obviously, and it’s difficult to transport at times to a more localized solution, which is concrete. And thinking about the problem a little bit differently, does that open up a number of doors then in terms of the countries that can get involved in, floating or near shore, wind projects, but just because you’re driving the cost down?  Nicole Johnson-Murphy: Absolutely. And I’ll let Gordon speak to that.. He’s worked. His whole career in offshore concrete. But I think it’s, I think it’s a, great, it’s the only way we would do it. We actually have shipyards in our companies, our partners own [00:05:00] shipyards, and we, just would never probably ex try to create this many units across the world and scale and steel. We’d only do concrete.  Gordon Jackson: Yeah. My first concrete project broke the mold of how you do, construction of concrete offshore structures. it was entirely built within a dry dock and, After we’d gone on and delivered that project, that was in the late eighties. I spent the next 10 years, working on projects all around the world, looking at doing the same sort of thing in different countries. because you only needed, 10, 12 meters of water, at the shore and you could, build a structure and get it out there in the water. It really opened up the market for offshore concrete structures that, that, first project that we did.  Allen Hall: So using that first project as leverage and knowledge of how to do these things, how much advantage [00:06:00] does concrete give you over steel? Gordon Jackson: It’s difficult to say because it bends country to country. And, quite often you’re competing against, steel built in some, very low cost fabrication countries. so if you’re in a high cost, high labor cost country, I worked in Australia, and the labor cost there was extremely high. So concrete wasn’t particularly cheap, but the overall solutions that we came up with, were cheap. Allen Hall: So does that involve basically like slip forms or how are you, thinking about that problem? Because it’s a huge engineering task and you only learn. By doing it on some level because all great plans, always run into trouble as soon as you try to implement them. So you took all that previous knowledge and then applied it to this problem, and now you have, basically [00:07:00]trimmed or, slimmed, the design down into, you have a, very economical model, even in more uneconomical economies because of labor laws and cost of labor and access and those kind of things. What does that look like now? And what’s your thought process on, Hey, this is what it’s gonna look like? Can we get, quayside how do we do this and how do we keep this thing simple? Gordon Jackson: The key thing is we’re looking at, a production line approach, which has been, it’s tried and tested for, for marine, concrete construction, construction of quay walls and and the we’re using exactly that same system. We’ve just been tried and tested to create a production line of, ECO TLP units or ECO GBS units where we’re building, onshore and where we’re going from station to station, doing a task at each station. [00:08:00] So it’s exactly like a production line, that you’re be familiar with and, you load out the completed structure onto a barge, and then you. Submerge that barge and your structure floats off and that’s, the real key to getting the, the economy from the concrete basis.  Nicole Johnson-Murphy: Yeah, and I’ll say that the OpEX is really something we focus a lot on because it’s not just what you’re doing on the CapEx and the development and the port, it’s actually that 30 year lifetime maintenance. And this is a, when you, we fully submerge our floater, which is basically inert in the ocean. It’s, very eco-friendly with the ocean. There’s no paint, there’s no, maintenance on the floater over the lifespan. You’re, monitoring those, the moorings and the, weight of any marine, buildup on those moorings and things like that. But generally it’s a very low maintenance solution and it’s very heavy and a comfortable car [00:09:00] ride for the turbine. It really has slow motions. it’s, almost like a, a high skyscraper in the water. you’re just the top of that skyscraper is moving a little bit. But you’re, you’re really giving it that comfortable, slow ride over its lifetime. It’s not hitting a lot of turbulence, like a different type of floater.  Allen Hall: Yeah. It is a different concept, really, right? That you have this mass at the bottom and you have this mass at the top, which is the, cell on the wind turbine. And if you can design it just right, everything dampens becomes stable. Even in turbulent water. How long did it take you to figure out that aspect of the design? Because it does seem like a lot of projects hit a, an end point right there because the motion of the turbine is not good for the lifetime of the turbine.  Nicole Johnson-Murphy: We, look at it as a, kind of hybrid spar, TLP so, the original design came from my late father who was, who had designed Ekofisk for Phillips [00:10:00] petroleum in the early. Late sixties, And, so he’d come from oil and gas and he’d come from that concrete, construction background. And, he is very comfortable with it. And I think, Gordon, that’s part of why I like working with Gordon ’cause Gordon has that same, long-term view on, these construction principles. And I think that, what we saw though is the margins are so different from oil and gas, and so you have to have almost a poor man’s TLP is what we would call it because it’s. It’s gotta be a very simple version of a TLP that can roll out in mass quantities. And, as coming up with a company that, business plan, you’d wanna be able to really scale the business. And so we had to come up with something that you can make. In different parts of the world at the same time, you’re not tied to one shipyard or one construction. Allen Hall: Even in terms of ship usage, you’re going to reduce the size of the ship considerably. You’re not using big dedicated ships that are really [00:11:00]expensive to operate or to keep in the area, even just to have them there as a lot of money. You’re thinking about, a different design in terms of. Simple ships that you can find locally. How much does that really lower the cost of deployment?  Nicole Johnson-Murphy: Quite a lot actually. it depends on, so the other, there’s this other, aspect of installing the wind turbine on the foundation. So we have this fixed to fixed platform concept where you come further, a little bit further offshore and, give you that, draft depth that we need. And then we have a fixed platform that just stays in place and, we bring the turbines to it and, float them out. It’s all a self floating unit, whether it’s the GBS that, Gordon’s been working with us and or the ECO TLP. So we’re really independent of those large vessels. for the most part, we’re, really try and then you, once you install the turbine, you can tow the entire unit out with two tugs. Two to three tugs.  Allen Hall: That’s remarkable. So essentially because you [00:12:00] used a basic henry Ford type process to, to create these foundations and to think about the problem differently. Not only can you deploy it, easier than a lot of things we’re doing right now on top of it, it works over a variety of depths and I think that’s a the hard thing for people to grasp because when we talk about offshore particularly start getting off the continental shelves here, you’re talking about. More than a hundred meters typically of water. But you also have a, the gravity based system and the TLP system are all interconnected into the basic philosophy. can you explain like the, backbone of how that engineering works? Gordon Jackson: It’s essentially, it’s, we’re using the same structural form in both, fixed and floating. It’s basically, it’s two cylinders, one inside the other. A little bit of structure, which joins the two cylinders together. that’s it.  Allen Hall: Gordon, you make it sound so simple, but the, [00:13:00]engineering is complicated to get to that point. And once you get to that level of, oh, that design actually works in a variety of depths, that opens up your customer base quite a bit. Have you had inquiries from nearshore people? Or fixed bottom people thinking whoa, I could actually save myself a bunch of time and money, which is the real limiting factor on offshore wind at the moment. Are you starting to see some momentum there that, operators, developers are starting to rethink this problem and not just do what they did last week? Nicole Johnson-Murphy: Absolutely. one of the ways we came about the g you know, taking the ECO TLP and transforming it to the ECO GBS was, recommended by a client, was, that was their ask actions. That’s always the best way to start a product development cycle because, somebody’s interested. and I think, and part of the reason I found Gordon to work with early on in our, the life of our company is, his background in, in GBS development. He did, he developed the Gravitas GBS [00:14:00] 10 years ago. So I think we, we got lucky that our, civil structural engineering partner with ARUP was, already really comfortable with, looking at this. So I think that’s, part of, you always want the clients to be interested, before you start investing. You don’t wanna design a product that’s in your head or your, in your company lunchroom without a real ask for it.  Allen Hall: And I, think also you have a, once you have the engineering pretty well done and. Obviously do now you’re trying to touch a number of countries and every culture has its own way of, one of the construction business to do it slightly differently. South Korea does it different than Scotland, for example. You are working across cultures and trying to make the same design. apply to all those different areas. Are, have you learned [00:15:00] some things from that? Is it, are you able to basically set the same assembly line in every place? or are there different, kinds of concrete, different kinds of access, different kinds of ports that you have to deal with? What are those variables there that, that change the way you do business? Gordon Jackson: All the characteristics, ports are, obviously different. Really you just need space. And access to reasonably deep water from, that, from that space. And, it can get surprisingly difficult to find that, certainly in the UK and, in Northern Europe, people wanna build marines and, waterfront living, rather than having, an industrial facility, on the doorsteps. In, developed countries it can be hard to find that space. But, in some, parts of the world, there’s lots of [00:16:00] space, available. some good port facilities that can be utilized. and then it’s just in, in all civil engineering works, you go to do the job, you go wherever the job is, you mobilize there. You put in the systems, and equipment that you need to build, a structure, and then normally you go away at the end of the job, you hand it over to the client. you know what, what, would be good here is if we could set up some regional centers where you’ve done the, investment in the yard, and then you can, you can amortize those costs of development over a number of projects. Then you should start to see, real, real good cost savings.  Nicole Johnson-Murphy: Just one thing, our footprint of our, cylinders is about a third of the footprint of a semi-sub, for example. [00:17:00] So, our footprint on the land port is very small.  Allen Hall: I think that makes sense because if you watch the fixed bottom projects, particularly in the United States. The first thing they had to do is rebuild the ports. The ports weren’t set for the scale and so they needed to expand the ports. That means you have to acquire land, you’ve gotta develop it. There’s a lot of processes involved. ’cause you’re talking about city, state, and federal government being involved. Obviously federal in the United States is a problem. so just getting the port developed was a huge process for fixed bottom. You’re thinking about that differently though, because the reduced amount of space, the, you don’t have to be in a huge industrial area, but all obviously it would be nice, but you do run against that problem. Are you thinking, when you talk about regional centers, are you thinking kind of Mediterranean, west Coast, us, Australia, one in Japan? How do you think about that problem? Because [00:18:00] once you get a site established, it does seem like because of the, how fast you can move these things around that it’ll become a pretty good job center for a lot of people. Nicole Johnson-Murphy: Yeah. There’s a long-term maintenance, crew that needs to be developed while we build these. Yeah, I think, it’s been a moving target of what’s really gonna develop in offshore wind. It’s like Lucy and Charlie Brown with football. I think we, constantly try to, get lined up to, to kick football and then it falls. It’s more of the developers I, I feel for on that ’cause they’re these investing tremendous amount of money for these, development sites. We are open to any, we’ve been, we’ve looked at, some developers are looking at steel production and concrete production, two different reports servicing. An array and we’re really flexible. It doesn’t, matter. When we first started on that Hawaii project, we were gonna do floating barges to slipform. [00:19:00]And we talked about that with ARUP. Some still this floating dock idea and submerging that dock. And it’s just a matter of finding the right, a large enough, dock for that type of, so then you’re not even using the land base port. You’re learn, you’re using just to. Maybe a 400 foot frontage on the, along the port. Allen Hall: That’s amazingly small, right? Because if you look at some of these ports right now that are doing, fixed bottom offshore, they’re massive, they’re huge sites. You’re talking about something roughly a 10th of the scale to get the same end result, which is turbines in the water. Nicole Johnson-Murphy: For our part of it. We still, you still have the components and those are, that’s a, it’s another logistical challenge, and so I understand why the ports are. Looking at a lot more lay down space and things, maybe at a certain point these components are so large that they just stay on a vessel and they, and we take them off of a vessel directly and load them in. Allen Hall: Yeah, I think that’s one of the considerations [00:20:00] is do you really tie it to land in, terms of needing a, massive amount of space, acres of space, thousands of square meters of space. Do you need that or is this, or can you do it much more efficiently because that overhead adds up over time. Not only are you trying to save on, the ships and the, especially the dedicated ships, you’re also looking at smaller footprints on shore and doing it a lot more economically. What does that future look like now, because it does seem like we’re at a precipice where floating wind is no longer just being discussed. In theory, it’s, going to be implemented. What are those next steps here for ECO TLP?  Nicole Johnson-Murphy: So next week we’re headed to Tokyo, to Japan for the wind expo. And, ARUP is also presenting at the Asia Wind Offshore Show. I think we’re, we’re, good to learn. There’s just so much to learn about each culture, and I think this is something that, Gordon and I’ve talked about in terms of these international [00:21:00] projects, you’ve, gotta understand your culture that you’re moving into and you’ve gotta understand how to mediate across those different companies that come in. Our company has seven different. Countries represented in our team. So right now, so, we’re, a US company, but we’re barely, we’re just by name, but I think most of our team members are not in the us and that’s international collaboration is something, I, really, loved working on it. And I think, so when we go to Japan next week, it’s really mainly just to learn. we don’t. We have a lot to learn about Japan, and that’s what’s fun about each of these regions.  Gordon Jackson: And that’s where we can help because, we’ve got a presence in Japan. We’ve been doing offshore wind in Japan, so we’re there, to help eight to ECO TLP with our, those little contacts and h do business, in Japan and things like that.[00:22:00] We have a big international network, so you know, it can help. Some, in some areas, open some doors and, forge some, some friendships between, count companies.  Allen Hall: Gordon you did a big project out in Perth, Australia, which is a difficult place, Australia is a very difficult place to manufacture things. What are some of the lessons learned and what was that process like?  Gordon Jackson: So he had a, client, a very small client who was prepared to. Seed responsibility for delivering his project to a, team, an alliance team. And he just, interviewed a number of teams and, we were lucky enough to be selected, as the team to deliver their project. There was no tendering, it was just done on, how the, client felt about the, individuals that he met. And that, that was [00:23:00] very new to me. And, the whole project was delivered, by companies from the uk, from Australia, from Singapore, from be Netherlands, the Marine, the marine, vessels. A lot of ’em are coming from, from, Northern Europe, even though you’re in Australia. And, every company wants to do things differently and they all want to look after their interests, but the big thing about this alliance project was that, you were focused on one particular project and we were, we were coached and, facilitated, and trained to, to throw away our, our company affiliations and work together. And, to collaborate together. And, [00:24:00] we’re all working towards the, end goal of delivering a particular product. And I think that’s, I think it’s got a lot of, lot of potential to be used in the offshore wind sector. This, was, an oil platform that we were gonna build on the, the northwest shelf of Australia, which happened to be built in concrete, because the client. The client came to us with a notion of, doing something in concrete, which we, took his idea, decided we could do something a little bit cheaper and more straightforward and, went on to deliver it. We were given the opportunity to deliver it. And, yeah, I, it was my best project. it was a tremendous experience for all the companies involved. And everyone made money so everyone’s happy.  Allen Hall: That is difficult, right? You do see on these offshore projects, people coming from around the world to [00:25:00] work on this one big effort, a lot of money, and at times, thousands of people involved. Companies stu stumble there, obviously because you’re trying to tie cultures, you’re trying to tie companies together, but at the end of the day, you have to get this project done. Are, there some top level lessons learned from that of, how to bridge those differences?  Gordon Jackson: I did another project, this was a steel project, where we had a US oil company. And, The successful contractor was Hyundai in Korea. And they said to, me over the course of the project, we always lose money with, with American oil companies. Why are we doing business with them? And it, all came down to the, the approach to the [00:26:00] contract. Hyundai used to working in a more collaborative way with our clients. Whereas, this project, this is what the contract says, this is what you’ve taken on to do, there’s no negotiation, you’ll do it and that’s how much money you’re getting. And, but they find that very difficult. And, it was at the time when they were opening up their business more internationally. And I think it was a big learning experience for them. Yeah I think a lot of the offshore wind tried to follow the same path and, yeah, I think more collaborative working is to be encouraged for me. More talking to each other and negotiating rather than, imposing.  Allen Hall: Where should developers go to find out more about ECO TLP? [00:27:00] Because you have a gravity based system. You got the tension leg platform, there’s a lot inside of the company. What’s the first stop? Should they visit your website? Should they connect with you on LinkedIn? Where do they go?  Nicole Johnson-Murphy: The LinkedIn where website is great.  Allen Hall: So go visit ECO TLP. It’s ecotlp.com. Nicole and Gordon, this has been a great discussion. I’ve learned a lot. It’s very exciting because I think you’re on the precipice of something great. So thank you for joining me today. Gordon Jackson: Thank you. Thank you.

In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” CSP Executive Editor Hannah Hammond talks to Dr. Thomas Weinandy, principal research economist at Upside.The two discussed the conflict in Iran and how measures like the Jones Act waiver are aiming to help supply chain disruptions in the oil market. Weinandy also shared how events abroad are affecting U.S. fuel prices—and how consumers are responding at convenience stores and gas stations. “At Your Convenience” brings industry experts and analysts together with CSP editors to discuss the latest in c-store news and trends. From mergers and acquisitions to foodservice and technology, the podcast delivers the story straight to listeners in short-format episodes, perfect for the morning commute or a quick break at the office.

The Steve Gruber Show | Foreign Money, Fake Movements, Real Consequences --- 00:00 - Monologue 19:10 – Kent Strang, Managing Director of Americans for Prosperity. Strang explains why he believes President Trump was right to suspend the Jones Act. He discusses how the move could impact shipping, energy costs, and supply chain efficiency. 27:57 – Joe Rieck, Vice President of Sales at Longevity. Rieck encourages listeners to take the first step toward better health with Longevity products. He highlights a limited-time offer, including a free pouch of Strawberry Longevity with purchase. 38:15 - Monologue Featuring Ivey Gruber  47:08 – Ivey Gruber, President of the Michigan Talk Network. Gruber discusses the possibility of sending U.S. troops to Iran and the importance of trusting presidential decision-making. The conversation also touches on COVID-era fraud and a bizarre heist involving 12 tons of Kit Kat bars. 57:21 – Eric Eggers, Vice President of Research at the Government Accountability Institute and co-host of The Drill Down. Eggers discusses concerns about potential insider trading tied to developments surrounding the Iran conflict. He explains why increased scrutiny and investigation may be necessary. 1:06:21 – Dr. Jennifer Sperry, veterinarian with Spot Pet Insurance. Dr. Sperry discusses whether pet owners should be concerned about bird flu affecting animals. She also shares practical spring and summer safety tips to help keep pets healthy. 1:16:32 - Monologue 1:25:28 – John Vecchione, Senior Litigation Counsel for the New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA). Vecchione discusses a major legal victory against government involvement in social media censorship. He explains what the ruling means for free speech protections moving forward. 1:35:29 – Marc Goldwein, Senior Vice President and Senior Policy Director at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Goldwein outlines a new proposal to help shore up Social Security, including the idea of implementing a six-figure income cap. He discusses the potential economic impact and political feasibility. 1:44:06 – Ivey Gruber, President of the Michigan Talk Network. Gruber wraps up the show with commentary on the rising cost of sporting events and a story about a man selling his house to attend the World Cup. The segment also explores political protests and whether Hollywood can regain its cultural influence. --- Check out our brand new podcast, 'Forgotten America'... The seventh and eighth episodes are live NOW at Steve Gruber on YouTube! Link below: https://youtu.be/7r4XPsrY4bg

Another point goes to capitalism in the long war of economics, as Poland has overcome its once-communist decay and rocketed into becoming one of the world's largest economies. Meanwhile, socialist Cuba slowly crumbles amid a fuel embargo and the decades of communist economic influence. We will contrast and compare these two examples of economic systems and see which one is best (Hint: it's not the one represented by the hammer and sickle).Trump is temporarily suspending the Jones Act, which has had a major impact on energy shipping, especially for East-coast states, and we will look at how serious a threat AI is to white collar jobs. Andrew Yang says it will be catastrophic, but is that just hyperbole?And on UNHINGED: An attempted terror attack failed in New York City last week, amid a protest over the growth of Islam in the city.The Heartland Institute's Linnea Lueken, S.T. Karnick, and Jim Lakely will talk about all of this and more on Episode #530 of the In The Tank Podcast. In The Tank broadcasts LIVE every Thursday at 12pm CT on on The Heartland Institute YouTube channel. Tune in to have your comments addressed live by the In The Tank Crew. Be sure to subscribe and never miss an episode. See you there!Climate Change Roundtable is LIVE every Friday at 12pm CT on The Heartland Institute YouTube channel. Have a topic you want addressed? Join the live show and leave a comment for our panelists and we'll cover it during the live show!

We kicked off the program with four stories and guests on topics we thought you might like to learn more about! 8:05PM: Lobster rolls approach $50, but Bostonians appear happy to shell that out! How much is too much for a lobster roll? Guest: Kara Baskin – Boston Globe Correspondent 8:15PM: The Kraft-Group owned New England Revolution is backing Boston’s $325 million public-private rebuild of White Stadium despite Josh Kraft’s public opposition to the project. Guest: Josh Kraft 8:30PM: U.S. Pedestrian Deaths Nationwide Fall 11% in First Half of 2025, According to New GHSA Research. However, MA saw a 12% increase in the number of pedestrian deaths from 2024-2025…What can be done to improve pedestrian safety? Guest: Adam Snider – Spokesperson for the Governors Highway Safety Association 8:45PM: Trump waives Jones Act for 60 days in bid to free up the flow of oil to US ports. Guest: Kent Strang - Managing Director for Americans for Prosperity. Kent oversees AFP’s federal strategies and manages a team focused on policy reforms that empower citizens to pursue their American Dream.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our Head of Public Policy Research Ariana Salvatore breaks down what's being discussed by policymakers around the world to try to cap the oil price spike. Read more insights from Morgan Stanley.----- Transcript -----Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. I'm Ariana Salvatore, Head of Public Policy Research. Today, I'll be talking about the ongoing conflict in Iran and the policy options to offset a rise in oil prices. It's Wednesday, March 25th at 8pm in Tokyo. The U.S.-Iran conflict is stretching into its fourth week, and markets are still trying to distill headlines for news of an off-ramp or further escalation. Even here in Tokyo, the global supply crunch is top of mind. But we're also watching for second order effects among a number of key supply chains, ranging from food to semiconductors. As you've been hearing on the show, the Middle East is a critical supplier of aluminum, petrochemicals, and fertilizers—all industries that are energy intensive and deeply embedded in global supply chains. There's also sulphur, which is needed to produce copper and cobalt, largely used for chip materials and components. And helium, which is a critical material for semiconductor manufacturing. So with all this supply chain disruption on the line, what are policymakers' options to mitigate that loss? Let's start by putting some numbers around the disruption. The Strait of Hormuz accounts for about 20 percent of global oil supply, and about a third of seaborne oil. Our strategists highlight three potential offsets. First, alternative pipelines. Saudi Arabia maintains an East-West pipeline and the UAE similarly has a smaller scale Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline. Those together can allow for some crude to bypass Hormuz. Second, the U.S. has publicly discussed potential naval escorts. We've written about the logistical difficulties with this plan, in addition to significant execution risks. Third, the IEA has coordinated a strategic stock release, which could translate to a sustained release of around 2 million barrels a day, depending on the duration of the conflict. There are also geographic considerations though that can add a lag to those strategic releases. On net, our oil strategists think these policy levers can mitigate about 9 million barrels per day from the lost 20, meaning that the global economy will still be short about 11 million barrels per day; more than three times the supply shock the market feared from the Russia-Ukraine conflict back in 2022. So, given those limitations, we're starting to see countries around the world – particularly in Asia – begin to implement rationing measures to conserve energy. The Philippines, for example, has implemented a four-day workweek for government workers and mandated agencies to cut fuel and electricity use. Myanmar has imposed driving limits, and Sri Lanka has introduced gasoline rationing. But what about in the U.S.? We've seen domestic gasoline prices climb due to this conflict, and the national average is now close to $4, almost a dollar up from where we were about a month ago. The President has announced a number of policy efforts – including a Jones Act waiver, which temporarily allows foreign vessels to transport fuel between U.S. ports, and a temporary pause on some Russian and Iranian oil sanctions. President Trump has also directed a release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, but similarly to the IEA stockpile, the flow rate is going to be the key limit. The authorization was for 172 million barrels over a 120 period, which translates to just about 1.4 million barrels per day on average. So what should we be watching? Tanker transits, signs of upstream shut-ins as storage fills, refinery run-cuts, and—most crucially—whether policy announcements on insurance and escorted convoys can actually translate into reality. These are all going to be critical elements going forward. For now, our oil strategists have raised their near-term Brent forecast to $110 per barrel, which underscores our U.S. economists' outlook for weaker growth and stickier inflation than previously expected. And for now, policy tools seem to be unable to meaningfully offset that disruption. Thanks for listening. As a reminder, if you enjoy Thoughts on the Market, please take a moment to rate and review us wherever you listen and share the podcast with a friend or colleague today.

Keeping up with the Jones Act adds high costs, and the President suspended it while we are at war with Iran. Maybe a rethink is due?  Listen for details on today's Two Minutes in Trade. 

HECO executive Jim Kelly discusses the hurdles utility crews faced as they tried to restore power in areas impacted by the Kona lows; Grassroot Institute of Hawaii's Keliʻi Akina discusses whether a temporary waiver of the Jones Act should be permanent

On this episode of the America's Work Force Union Podcast, we tackle the critical intersection of benefit access and public safety. In Segment 1, Tera Clizbe, the first female chair of the Blue Cross Blue Shield National Labor Office Executive Board, discusses the evolution of labor-focused healthcare. She breaks down why strong benefits only matter if members can navigate the system, the rising urgency of mental health support, and how labor solidarity drives disaster response in hard-hit communities. In Segment 2, Greg Regan, President of the Transportation Trades Department (TTD), AFL-CIO, joins us to discuss the legislative battles surrounding the Jones Act and aviation safety. Regan explains why suspending maritime standards won't fix fuel prices and calls for stronger safety reforms following the 2025 Potomac River midair collision. Plus, an update on protecting the Railroad Retirement Board's administrative capacity.

Let's talk about Trump not keeping up with the Jones Act....

In this week's episode of WSJ's Take On the Week, co-hosts Telis Demos and Miriam Gottfried analyze the Federal Reserve's latest decision to hold rates steady—and the surprising shift in market expectations toward a potential hike. They break down Fed Chair Jerome Powell's take on the Misery Index and whether stagflation is truly returning this year. The hosts also discuss what to watch for at the upcoming CERAWeek energy conference. After the break, Miriam and Telis are joined by Natasha Kaneva, head of global commodities research at JPMorgan. Kaneva explains the math behind why oil could hit a $125 ceiling and why $90 marks the red line for global demand destruction. She details China's push for energy self-sufficiency, and shares critical advice for your summer travel plans.  This is WSJ's Take On the Week where co-hosts Telis Demos, Heard on the Street's banking and money columnist, and Miriam Gottfried, WSJ's investing and wealth management reporter, cut through the noise and dive into markets, the economy and finance—the big trades, key players and business news ahead. Have an idea for a future guest or episode? How can we better help you take on the week? We'd love to hear from you. Email the show at takeontheweek@wsj.com. To watch the video version of this episode, visit our WSJ Podcasts YouTube channel or the video page of WSJ.com Further Reading Fed Holds Steady and Maintains Rate Cut Projection How Waiving the Jones Act for Oil Tankers Would Work Oil Markets' New Reality: The Gulf Disruption Isn't Going to End Soon IEA Proposes Largest Ever Oil Release From Strategic Reserves Persian Gulf Oil Squeeze For more coverage of the markets and your investments, head to WSJ.com, WSJ's Heard on The Street Column, and WSJ's Live Markets blog. Sign up for the WSJ's free Markets A.M. newsletter.  Follow Miriam Gottfried here and Telis Demos here.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

War continues to rage in the Middle East, and energy infrastructure is being targeted. The price of oil has surged to $115 a barrel, and gas in the U.S. is now averaging $3.88 a gallon — up almost a dollar from before the war. President Trump recently waived the Jones Act in an attempt to lower oil prices. Will it work? Also: what's next for the Federal Reserve, and where U.S.-China relations currently stand.

War continues to rage in the Middle East, and energy infrastructure is being targeted. The price of oil has surged to $115 a barrel, and gas in the U.S. is now averaging $3.88 a gallon — up almost a dollar from before the war. President Trump recently waived the Jones Act in an attempt to lower oil prices. Will it work? Also: what's next for the Federal Reserve, and where U.S.-China relations currently stand.

On this episode of the AAF Exchange: the economic and fiscal costs of the Iran operation, a potential Jones Act suspension, and the latest economic outlook. AAF President Douglas Holtz-Eakin joins us to discuss.

A prolonged oil disruption is pushing gas prices higher. Arunima Sinha from our U.S. and Global Economics team joins Head of U.S. Policy Strategy Ariana Salvatore to discuss what that means for consumer spending, inflation expectations and the U.S. midterm elections.Read more insights from Morgan Stanley.----- Transcript -----Arunima Sinha: Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. I'm Arunima Sinha from Morgan Stanley's U.S. and Global Economics Teams.Ariana Salvatore: And I'm Ariana Salvatore, Head of U.S. Policy Strategy.Arunima Sinha: Today – what are the implications of the ongoing oil disruption for the U.S. consumer?It's Wednesday, March 18th at 10am in New York.Ariana, let's start with where we are in week three of this particular oil disruption and what you are thinking about in terms of what the paths to resolution could look like.Ariana Salvatore: Yeah. Great place to start. So, I would say before we get into what the resolution could look like, we need to think about how long could this conflict possibly last? And that's the most relevant question for investors as well. And there I would say there's very little conviction just because of the uncertainty associated with this conflict. But I'm keeping my eye on three different things.The first is a clearer prioritization of the objectives tied to the conflict. The Trump administration has laid out a number of different goals for this conflict, some of which are shorter in nature than others. The second thing I think we're looking at – that's really important – is traffic at the Strait of Hormuz. And there, the Trump administration has spoken about insurance, you know, naval escorts – all of these things that we think will take some time to really come to fruition. And at the time that we're recording this, it seems that we're still getting about low single digit number of tankers through the strait on a daily basis. So that's the second thing.The third point I would make is any type of escalation is really critical here. So, whether it's vertical – meaning different types of weapons used, different types of targets being hit. Or horizontal escalation, broadening out into different proxies and, and more so throughout the region. Those are really important indicators, and right now all of these things are pointing to a slightly longer-term conflict than I think most people expected at the start.Now, in terms of what that means for markets, for domestic gasoline prices, all these are really important questions that I'm sure we're going to get into. But what we should note is that the president has spoken about a number of policy offsets to mitigate those price increases, ranging from the Treasury actually loosening up some of the sanctions on Russia to sell some oil. You know, we've heard some talk of invoking the Jones Act waiver. That's a temporary fix.On net, we think that these policy offsets are not going to really be enough to mitigate that supply loss that we're getting. That's a 20 million barrel per day loss. Some of these efforts mainly will, kind of, target about 7 or 8 million barrels per day. You're still in a deficit of about 10 to 13 [million]. And that's really meaningful for markets, for consumption as you well know, and everything else in between.Arunima Sinha: That's really helpful perspective, Ariana. And it's also a useful segue to think about the note that we jointly put out a few days ago. And just thinking about what this means for the U.S. consumer. And there, I think there's the first point to start with is that the consumer is now going to be living through the third supply shock in about five years. So, after COVID, after tariffs, here comes the next. And I think this particular oil shock is going to be somewhat different from tariffs in the sense that this is going to hit consumers at the front end and directly. This is not something that is going to have to pass through business costs. And some of them could be absorbed by businesses and not fully passed on to the consumer. So, I think that's an important point.The second point here is that in terms of the share of spending of gasoline out of total spend, we are at pretty low numbers. We're somewhere in the 2 to 3 percent range. So, it could give a little bit of a cushion. So, the longer-term average can be somewhere about 4 percent. So, there could be some cushion. But we know that consumers have already been stretched by, sort of, several years of high prices.And so, the way that we thought about what some of the channels could be for how higher oil prices, which translate into higher gas prices, could matter for the consumer. I think there are, sort of, three to identify.The first one is that it is really just a hit to your real purchasing power because this is a type of good that is actually really hard to substitute away from. And you could look through some of it, at the start. So maybe in the first month you don't react very much. You pull down on some savings; you take out a little bit of short-term credit.But the longer it lasts, the bigger the consumption response is going to be. And the second channel then to identify is – you start to build up some precautionary savings motives because there's this uncertainty that's also lasting for some time. And what do you pull back on? You'll typically pull back on discretionary types of spending.And so, we sized out this impact to say that if oil prices were to be about 50 percent higher and they last for two to three quarters, it could hit real personal spending growth by about 40 [basis points] after 12 months. And most of that is really just coming from the impact on good spending, specifically through durable goods.So, there could be some meaningful impact to real consumer spending in the U.S., if this shock were to go on longer. And the last point I would just say is, you know, how do inflation expectations move? Because that's an important point for the Fed and it's an important point for just people who are thinking about their spending decisions over the next year or so.And one interesting thing I think came out in the University of Michigan survey that came out this Friday; and this was a preliminary survey. About half of it was conducted before the conflict started, and half of it was after the conflict started. And what we saw was that inflation expectations in the year ahead, so the 12-month-ahead expectations that had been trending down, paused.So, they are no longer trending down. And, in its release, the University of Michigan noted that for the responses that were collected after the conflict started, inflation expectations did tick up. And interestingly, the strains were the most for the bottom income cohort. So, they saw a bigger uptick in inflation expectations. They actually also saw a bigger uptick in their unemployment expectations over the next year.Ariana Salvatore: So, Arunima, if I can ask, we've been talking a lot about the K-shape economy this year, right? So, consumption really being led by the upper; let's call it the upper income cohort. When we think about this translation to consumption, like you said, more of the stresses on the lower income side, how do you square that with the economic impact that you guys are expecting?Arunima Sinha: The way that I would square it is the longer it lasts and the greater the, sort of, uncertainty in asset markets – that might actually begin to weigh on the upper income consumer as well. So that might make some of those wealth effects less supportive, than what we have seen, over most of 2025. Just given where consumption has been running in terms of its pace.So not only might we see a bigger strain on the lower-income cohorts as we see this shock lasting longer, we might actually see some pressures not through the direct spending channel on gas, but really just, you know, how it's impacting their balance sheets.Ariana Salvatore: And that's a really important point because it also, to me, resonates with the concept of affordability, which has been a really key political topic for the past few months, I would say.And the way we're thinking about this is, like I mentioned, there are limited policy offsets that can be used to mitigate the potential increase in domestic gasoline prices. And that matters a lot for the midterm elections. Typically voters don't really rank foreign policy as a top issue when it comes to their choice for candidates – in midterm elections and elections in general.But once you see that feed through to, you know, inflation, cost of living, job expectations, that's when it starts to really matter for people. And what we've been saying, it's not a perfect rule of thumb, but looking back at the past few elections. If gasoline prices here in the U.S. are something like $3 a gallon, that tends to be pretty good for the incumbent party. [$]4 [a gallon], let's say it's a little bit more politically challenging. And [$]5 [a gallon], you know, is when you kind of get into that even more challenging territory for the administration and for Republicans in Congress.So again, not a perfect benchmark, but something that we'll be keeping an eye on too as this conflict evolves.Arunima Sinha: Ok! So, we'll be keeping an eye on how that oil disruption plays out and matters for the U.S. consumer.Ariana Salvatore: Thanks for listening. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a review wherever you listen and share thoughts on the market with a friend or colleague today. Important note regarding economic sanctions. This report references jurisdictions which may be the subject of economic sanctions. Readers are solely responsible for ensuring that their investment activities are carried out in compliance with applicable laws.

In this hard-hitting episode of The Right Side with Doug Billings, we go beyond the headlines with proud conservative analysis you won't find anywhere else.President Trump is delivering massive wins: Iran on the ropes after decisive strikes in Operation Epic Fury, American families protected from oil price chaos via the Jones Act waiver, border security surging, and election integrity battles raging over the Save America Act.But why the panic? We debunk the "World War III is coming" fears—Russia and China aren't jumping in—and explain the nuclear "obliteration" claims from six months ago: it's follow-through strength, not failure.Plus, the real story on why some former big Trump supporters in the podcast world are suddenly flipping hard: it's the attention economy at work—clickbait testing for the next revenue wave, not deep betrayal. From Carrie Prejean Boller's "MAGA is dead" outburst to Joe Kent's resignation drama, Doug breaks down hardball politics vs. podcast survival math.Choose truth and credibility over negativity. Trump is winning—stay focused on the scoreboard.Timestamps:0:00 – Intro & Today's Big Themes2:30 – No World War III: Facts on Escalation Risks7:45 – Iran Nuclear Reality – Persistence Wins12:20 – The Podcast Flip Cycle: Hardball vs. Clickbait18:00 – Examples: Carrie Prejean Boller & Joe Kent23:30 – Compassionate Call: Truth Before Clicks29:00 – Closing Thoughts & Call to ActionSubscribe for exclusive conservative insights. Like, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts/Spotify to help spread the message. Share with a friend confused by the noise!America First. Always.– Doug Billings, The Right SideSupport the show

Live Mar 18, 2026 | Yaron Brook Show(Season 12 - Episode 53)War Update; Jones Act; Cesar Chavez; Robots; mRNA; Giving Pledge | Yaron Brook Show

Trump Suspends Jones Act To Curb High Fuel Prices, Israeli Military Kills Iran Intel Chief! Plus, DNI Gabbard Grilled By Congress Over Global Threats, Kent Resignation Fallout & Growing Iran War Dissent

Top of the hour: President Trump waiving a U.S. shipping law for 60 days to steady oil markets... but not helping prices or markets in the early trade. Carl Quintanilla, David Faber, and Michael Santoli broke down the news before turning to longtime market veteran and Evercore strategist Julian Emanuel - along with Goldman's Co-Head of Global Commodities Research - with more on what could come next. Plus: a new era at Disney as new CEO Josh D'Amaro takes the reins... Former executive, of 15 years and onetime TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer weighed in on challenges ahead.    Also in focus: a fresh read on whether AI disruption fears should be believed when it comes to software - with the CEO of Docusign, fresh off earnings from the company... and a look at Washington State's first ever income tax - which includes a hitch for married couples.    Squawk on the Street Disclaimer Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

//The Wire//1800Z March 18, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: PRESIDENT TRUMP SUSPENDS THE JONES ACT AS PETROLEUM INDUSTRY FEELS EFFECTS OF WAR IN IRAN. CONFLICT IN MIDDLE EAST CONTINUES AS ISRAELI FORCES INCREASE TARGETING EFFORTS IN LEBANON.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----  -International Events-Persian Gulf: The war continues as before, with multiple attacks on American military bases occurring overnight. The American Embassy in Baghdad has been persistently targeted over the past few days, with one drone strike being reported last night, which resulted in unknown damage. Other coalition positions were struck as well, with Australia reporting successful Iranian targeting efforts at Al Minhad Airbase in the UAE. No casualties were reported by the Australians regarding this attack. Within Iran, Israel/American forces struck the South Pars Natural Gas Facility, one of the largest LNG facilities in the world. Analyst Comment: Following this strike, several GCC states have condemned the action, as destroying infrastructure like this is a major escalation that indicates the nature of the war is more unrestricted, but also because the gas fields serviced by this facility are decently close to the Qatari's own gas fields.Lebanon: The war has intensified over the past few days as Hezbollah and Israeli forces have continued fighting along the main axis of advance in the east. Throughout Lebanon (to include downtown Beirut) the Israeli bombing campaign continues, with Hezbollah forces remaining effective in targeting Tel Aviv with guided rockets and cruise missiles.-HomeFront-New Mexico: Yesterday afternoon a shooting was reported at Holloman Air Force Base, which resulted in one individual being killed and one other wounded at the base shopette. No other details have been provided on this shooting, and the investigation continues.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: In Washington, several items of note have been ongoing in the political realm, while attention has been focused on Iran. As one might expect, kicking off a war in the Middle East was expected to (and did) have secondary and tertiary effects. One of the immediate effects of this war has been found in the Petroleum, Oil, and Lubricant (POL) industry, which has experienced wildly fluctuating markets since the war began. This morning the average national gas price rose to $3.84 per gallon, which prompted the White House to implement their previously discussed tactic of suspending the Jones Act as an emergency means to bring prices down in the short term.For context, the Jones Act was implemented shortly after WW1 as a national security measure, to mandate that all goods that transit between American ports, must be transported using American ships with American crews. The general idea being that in the event of war, the maritime trade industry would need to remain effective...it wouldn't be super great for war to break out, and all of the merchant ships that keep the American economy afloat, were to sail back home. The American economy could be crippled without a shot being fired, solely by private companies in the US being allowed to use cheap foreign labor that is not loyal to the United States. In 1920 when the law was passed, the thought process was that companies might take advantage of the freedoms that America provides, to the legitimate detriment of national security. As a result, the Jones Act was a law intended to (somewhat begrudgingly) meddle in the free market, with the purpose of not allowing domestic American companies to rely on logistical infrastructure that isn't American and thus would be a vulnerability in war.As of this morning President Trump suspended this law in it's entirety for the next 60 days, with the White House's logic being that removing regulations will make shipping costs go down, as the free market of ships could carry cargo, and t

This morning, we're taking on elite incompetence from every angle. First, the Jones Act fight takes center stage as Trump weighs a waiver while the Iran war pushes gas prices higher and exposes just how weak America's protected shipping system really is. And later, the failed fear politics of Paul Ehrlich get the reckoning they deserve. The Population Bomb mindset taught the West to fear children, fear growth, and fear the future itself. The predictions failed. The panic did not. Then it's the TSA mess, where unpaid security workers, airport disruptions, and Kristi Noem's DHS spin machine are colliding in real time. Is this just another congressional food fight, or proof that Noem can do TV better than she can run a department? In the second half, Cuba is back in the dark. Mailyn Salabarria joins the show to break down the blackouts, the regime's talks with Washington, and why the socialist fantasy keeps crashing into reality. ⛽ TRUMP'S JONES ACT GAMBLE: Why the Iran oil shock is exposing one of America's dumbest and most overrated shipping laws.

The White House has issued a 60-day waiver of the Jones Act, which will allow foreign tankers to move crude oil and refined products between U.S. ports in a bid to cool gasoline prices. Today, we dive into what the waiver could mean for U.S. refiners, consumers, and other market participants.

Tara breaks down jaw-dropping contrasts between U.S. service members and illegal immigrant support, while highlighting the escalating terrorism threat at home. From lavish meals for troops to massive weekly spending on catered meals for illegal immigrants, and the shocking release of convicted terrorists under the Biden administration, this episode exposes what's happening behind the headlines. Tara also examines gas prices, oil markets, and rising Islamist attacks targeting Americans. Episode Summary: In today's episode, Tara covers three major stories: Lobster for Troops vs. Illegal Immigrants: Marines in Panama enjoyed steak and lobster as a reward for grueling jungle training. Judicial Watch FOIA reveals $583,000 per week spent on meals for illegal immigrants in NYC hotels, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with some invoices fully redacted. $188 million spent in a single year on housing and services for illegal immigrants. Energy & Oil Market Update: Suspension of the Jones Act and strategic petroleum reserve releases aim to stabilize domestic gas prices. Russian, Iranian, and Venezuelan oil returning to global markets could trigger a U.S. oil glut and crash prices. Phil Flynn (Fox Business) warns short-term volatility but long-term relief is coming for Americans. Domestic Terror Threats: ISIS-inspired attacks targeting pro-American and ROTC students in the U.S. Convicted terrorists released early under Biden policies; 18,000 known or suspected terrorists identified entering the U.S. Challenges for DHS, TSA, and law enforcement amid staffing shortages and political gridlock. Tara connects these stories to larger political implications, contrasting government priorities between U.S. troops and non-citizen residents, exposing policy failures, and warning about escalating domestic and international threats. Key Topics Covered: Military rewards and morale (lobster and steak for troops) Taxpayer spending on illegal immigrant accommodations and meals Oil market interventions and potential crash in U.S. gas prices Russian, Iranian, and Venezuelan oil re-entering global markets Domestic Islamist terror threats and failures in enforcement DHS, TSA, and border security challenges From lobster for Marines to millions spent on illegal immigrants and terrorists roaming free—find out what's really happening in America today. Troops Fed Lobster, Illegals Fed Millions—Terror Threats Rise #Military #IllegalImmigrants #Terrorism #GasPrices #OilMarkets #JudicialWatch #DHS #AmperWave #NationalSecurity Lobster & Steak for Troops – Military morale and rewards FOIA Bombshell – Illegal immigrant meal spending revealed Oil Market Shakeup – Russian, Iranian, Venezuelan oil returns Domestic Terror Threats – Convicted terrorists released Government Priorities – DHS, TSA, and taxpayer concerns

Tara breaks down the big moves shaking the oil markets: lifting Russian sanctions, waiving the Jones Act, and strategic petroleum releases. Short-term volatility aside, these actions could trigger a U.S. oil glut, push global oil prices down, and stabilize the dollar. With Iranian, Russian, and Venezuelan oil returning to the market, American consumers may finally see relief at the pump. Episode Summary: In today's episode, Tara dives into the energy market shakeup and why it could be a major win for the American middle class. Key moves include: Russian oil back on the market: Sanctions lifted to allow sales in dollars, potentially crashing global prices. Iranian and Venezuelan oil: Returning to global markets, adding supply and driving costs down. Jones Act suspension & strategic petroleum release: Short-term measures to ease distribution and stabilize domestic prices. Tara explains how previous sanctions artificially inflated oil costs, punishing U.S. consumers while barely hurting Russia. With these changes, short-term oil price spikes are expected to stabilize, but long-term, a flood of oil could lead to a dramatic price drop. Market analyst Phil Flynn notes that once conflicts calm, we may see prices plunge, benefiting everyday Americans. Tara also highlights political context: liberal media framing and misinformation around sanctions, and how Trump's policies are poised to turn this situation into a midterm election advantage. Key Topics Covered: Russian, Iranian, and Venezuelan oil re-entering global markets Impact of lifting Russian sanctions on U.S. oil and gas prices Jones Act suspension and strategic petroleum reserve release Short-term market volatility vs. long-term oil glut Media misinformation on energy policy and global oil flows Potential consumer relief and dollar strengthening Could gas prices finally drop? Trump's big moves on Russian oil may crash prices and stabilize the market. Trump Brings Russian Oil Back—Gas Prices Could Crash #OilMarket #GasPrices #TrumpPolicy #RussianOil #JonesAct #StrategicPetroleumReserve #EnergyNews #AmperWave Suggested Segment Titles: Global Oil Shakeup – Russian, Iranian, and Venezuelan oil returns Short-Term vs Long-Term – Price stabilization and potential glut Jones Act & SPR – Domestic strategies to ease gas distribution Sanctions Fallout – How prior policies hurt Americans Media Spin – Liberal outlets, misinformation, and energy coverage

The US is considering temporarily waiving the Jones Act, a century-old law from 1920 that normally requires all goods shipped between US ports to travel on US-built, owned, and flagged vessels. The waiver would allow foreign ships to move fuel between domestic ports for 30 days to help curb rising costs. Meanwhile, the war with Iran has already cost the US at least $11.3 billion in its first week, with global energy markets feeling the ripple effects and consumers facing higher prices.(Picture: An aerial view of Exxon Mobil's Beaumont oil refinery, which produces and packages Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil, in Beaumont, Texas, U.S., March 18, 2023. REUTERS/Bing Guan/File Photo)

The Pentagon didn't just waste money on lobster and fruit baskets. It burned through $93 billion in one month because government incentives reward waste. In this episode of Good Morning Liberty, we break down the preliminary findings around the strike on a school in Iran, what "boots on the ground" would actually mean, and why skepticism of military intervention is still the only sane position. We also get into the Department of Defense September spending spike, luxury purchases, furniture, instruments, and the "use it or lose it" budget scam. We also cover the Jones Act, oil shipments, Puerto Rico, and how protectionist laws make energy and shipping more expensive while pretending to be pro-America. If you care about government waste, war accountability, military spending, energy prices, and libertarian analysis, this episode is for you.