Despite Record Prices, California Cities Ban New Gas Stations to Fight Climate Change: Cities in California are banning the construction of new gas stations in an effort to fight climate change, despite record-high gas prices and the lack of scientific evidence that banning gas in California will have any effect on global temperatures. “We didn’t know what we were doing, actually,” said Petaluma Councilwoman D’Lynda Fischer, who led the charge last year to prohibit new gas stations in the city of 60,000. “We didn’t know we were the first in the world when we banned gas stations.” Since Petaluma’s decision, four other cities in the Bay Area have followed suit, and now, leaders in California’s most car-centric metropolis are hoping to bring the climate-conscious policy to Southern California. It opens a new front in California’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions and already is generating opposition from the fuel industry, which argues consumers would suffer. In 2020 — just weeks after the state suffered rolling blackouts due to a lack of wind and solar power — California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the state would ban the sale of gas-powered vehicles in 2035 in favor of electric vehicles alone. Analysts warn that Newsom’s mandate could put gas stations, most of which are small businesses, out of commission, while destroying 32,000 jobs currently held by auto mechanics who work on traditional internal combustion engines. Moreover, recent investigations have found that one in four electric vehicle charging stations in the sympathetic San Francisco Bay Area are out of order. In Biden’s Economy – Americans are Resorting To Microloans to Buy Gas and Groceries: With inflation at a 41-year high, gas at record prices, and the cost of food and housing reaching record levels, Americans are looking for alternative methods for staying afloat as their resources are dwindling. Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) said in May that Americans had just 5.4% of their paychecks left after paying basic living expenses, leaving very little for savings. This amount is known as the National Personal Savings rate. According to Bloomberg, Swedish fintech company Klarna Bank has seen a mass of applications for staples such as food and gas. The finance company provides interest-free, small installment loans that allow people to make purchases when they are short on cash. Klarna makes money by charging retailers a small per-transaction fee. Linda Cruz, a 37-year-old mother of four from Texas told Bloomberg she started using Klarna’s interest-free loans for occasional, large purchases such as a new air conditioner last summer. However, she told the outlet that as prices began to rise for basic needs, she also started using it for groceries. Americans are not alone; the economy has been challenging for people across the planet. According to a recent report from The Mirror, Iceland is offering microloans to help families pay for their groceries. However, it carries a steep repayment with an interest level of as much as 45%. Yet still, gas prices sit at record numbers, supply chain issues persist, and the policies being made by the White House have done little to make a difference. The result is that Americans will continue to seek alternative measures to meet their essential needs. Starbucks Closing 16 Stores In Major Cities Due To 'Increasing Threats' From Bathroom Drug Dens: Four weeks ago, Starbucks CEO Howard Schutz told the NY Times that the company was assessing increasing threats to public safety over its "all-inclusive" 2018 bathroom policy that encouraged homeless people and drug addicts to make copious use. The company on Monday announced that it would be permanently closing six stores each in Seattle and Los Angeles, as well as two in Portland, OR, and single locations in Philadelphia and Washington DC by the end of the month. The move comes after workers reported incidents involving drug use by customers and members of the public - which, logically, comes after the company's 2018 virtue signaling campaign which eventually included the installation of needle deposit boxes at various locations after employees signed a petition demanding the company do more to protect them. Starbucks also said that it would give store managers leeway to close restrooms, limit seating or reduce operations in response to safety concerns. The moves are part of policies aimed at addressing workers’ concerns, including their safety on the job, the company said. Last month, Schultz told the NYTimes that increasing threats to public safety and an expanding mental health crisis have made it challenging for employees to manage stores under open bathroom policies. He said the decision was an "issue of just safety." "We have to harden our stores and provide safety for our people," the CEO of America's largest coffee chain said. "I don't know if we can keep our bathrooms open." Triggered TODDLERS terrorize police officers in viral video: These kids are cussing out the cops while wearing Pampers! This episode of "Fearless with Jason Whitlock" kicked off with a video of toddlers in diapers appearing to attack police officers. According to Jason, these babies appear to have been raised with a complete disrespect for authority. [See video at the link after you click on Read More. I did not watch the entire show but the toddlers are right at the beginning.] Volcanoes All Over The Ring Of Fire Are Erupting Right Now – Is The U.S. Next?: All of a sudden, the Ring of Fire is starting to tremble violently. Last month, we had a whole bunch of major earthquakes along the Ring of Fire, and this month volcanoes all over the Ring of Fire are erupting. Of course there has always been seismic activity within this giant band that stretches around the Pacific Ocean. After all, approximately 75 percent of all volcanoes are located in the Ring of Fire and approximately 90 percent of all global earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire. But what is alarming is that the level of activity appears to be rising. Chile is experiencing almost constant shaking by earthquakes, a volcano in Peru just awakened for the first time in 40 years, and major volcanic eruptions have just taken place in Ecuador, the Kamchatka peninsula and off the coast of Japan. The west coast of the United States also lies along the Ring of Fire, but so far it has gotten off easy. Yes, there has been a little bit of shaking in southern California in recent weeks, but it hasn’t been too bad. But scientists assure us that will change. At some point, there will be a major seismic event along the west coast. It is only a matter of time. A volcanic eruption off the coast of Japan has created a brand new Island called “Niijima” that is literally eating another small volcanic island next to it… Niijima is Japan’s newest island located in the Philippine Sea that has consistently grown in size since its inception in November. A NASA satellite image from March 30 found that Niijima merged with nearby island Nishino-shima. A volcano in central Ecuador has spewed up a column of hot ash and smoke 10 kilometres high, increasing fears of an eruption. Most Americans don’t realize this, but there are some very powerful volcanoes in Russia as well. On the Kamchatka peninsula, which is located on the east coast of Russia, a large volcano has belched a column of ash 6 km into the air… Down in Peru, a volcano that has been dormant for most of the past 40 years has suddenly “awakened” and is now “spewing ash and dust into the sky”… In Oregon, Mt. Hood experienced a swarm of more than 100 earthquakes in just a few days last month, fueling fears of an eruption. . . . certain areas of Yellowstone have been experiencing “ground uplift” in recent months, and there has been some highly unusual earthquake activity in the park in recent weeks. In fact, one of the earthquakes was the largest to be recorded at Yellowstone in about 30 years. Does that mean that something major is going to happen soon? Let’s hope not, because a major eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano would end life as we know it for most of the country. 7-11 Recommends that All of Their Stores in the Los Angeles Area Be Closed Due to Recent Deadly Robberies: 7-11 has stores around the world. The company is available seemingly everywhere when you need a staple quickly. Now, unfortunately, because of recent deadly robberies at their stores, their leadership is recommending shutting down their stores in the Los Angeles area while the police find the killer(s). 7-Eleven’s corporate leaders recommended Tuesday that all of its Los Angeles-area stores close for a second night to allow police to investigate a series of deadly robberies. Police in southern California are working to determine whether six robberies committed on Sunday night and Monday morning are connected, according to the Los Angeles Times. One customer and one clerk were killed during the thefts on “National 7/11 Day,” while three others are said to be in critical condition. Americans in the inner cities are the victims of a lack of law and order. Small businesses in the inner cities are the victims. Law enforcement with its hands tied is a victim. This event in Los Angeles may be just a symptom of the real issue – a lack of a law and order philosophy in the city government. Bullet flies through couple's windshield during freeway shootout, missing them both — and it's all caught on dashcam video: Dashcam video caught the moment a bullet flew through an engaged couple's windshield during a shootout on a northern California freeway last month — and it missed them both. Police told the couple that freeway shootings aren't uncommon, the station said, adding that there have been more than 80 freeway shootings in the Bay Area in the last four years, with most of them happening in Oakland. Statewide in that time period, there have been more than 215 freeway shootings, KGO said. https://www.theblaze.com/news/dashcam-video-bullet-through-windshield Electric Cars Are Now Being Targeted For Overloading The Electric Grids During An Energy Crisis: Tesla has asked owners in Texas not to charge their cars during a heat wave to help avoid blackouts and overloading the state’s failing power grid. The state is expected to register temperatures of more than 100 degrees in the coming days. The heat also stops wind power from being generated in Texas, which usually provides the state with a quarter of its electricity. In an interview Tuesday with Fox News Digital, energy expert Jonathan Lesser warned that the power crisis in Texas underscores the broader problems with green energy. Lesser argued that due to the lack of reliable utility-scale battery storage infrastructure, forcing a green transition will lead to more power outages. “The reality is: we’re going to have to get used to more blackouts as long as we continue down this green energy path,” Lesser said. “The technology simply isn’t there. You’re going to either have more blackouts or more requirements to conserve energy.” Lesser pointed to the lack of reliability of wind energy during the summer. “The least windy time of year is summer when electricity demand in Texas peaks,” Lesser said. “So, you’ve got a resource that is at its highest in the spring and fall when electricity demand is lowest. Snippets from Amir's e-mail newsletter: In a Tuesday UAV strike, the US assassinated the leader of ISIS in Syria, while severely wounding another senior ISIS official who eventually succumbed to his wounds yesterday. US President Joe Biden landed in Israel yesterday. He is arriving with a record low approval rating of 33% and a 40-year high inflation rate of 9.1%. Yet, with that record and the knowledge that nearly two-thirds of those in his own party don’t want him to run again in 2024, he is apparently planning to tell Israel how we can make everything happy with the Palestinians. While here, he will visit a site on the Mount of Olives without an official Israeli host – a slap in the face to our government. Then he is expected to encourage a two-state solution, while reaffirming his intention to open a Palestinian consulate in Jerusalem. From Israel, the US president will travel to Saudi Arabia. While there, he will meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a man he once said must be held accountable for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. That get-together could be awkward. Russia continues to strangle Ukraine. Moscow has taken over 22% of the agricultural land and has burned wheat fields in other parts. The coalition of Ezekiel continues to be formed before our eyes. Next Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to Tehran, where he will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. One of the primary purposes for the trilateral summit is the boosting of economic cooperation with Iran. During a speech last week, Shinzo Abe, former president of Japan, was killed by an assailant using a homemade shotgun. The assassin, who was captured at the scene, was identified as Tetsuya Yamagami, a former marine of the Japanese Self-Defense Force. Yamagami said that his mother had been bankrupted through her support of the Unification Church, and he resented Abe’s support of the religious group. Abe, however, has never been a member or supporter of the “Moonies," although at one time he did express appreciation for the group’s “focus and emphasis on family values.” Finally, on Tuesday, the Israeli Air Force and the Greek Air Force conducted a joint training simulation. The exercise included both air-to-air combat, as well as refueling operations. While already enjoying close diplomatic relations, the two countries are drawing even closer as they see great opportunities ahead in the area of energy. I was reading this sad article yesterday … Tesla sure has their problems … malfunction with the drivers assistance system? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it is investigating a Tesla crash that killed a California couple at an interstate rest stop near Gainesville, Florida. The driver and passenger died when their 2015 Tesla ran into the back of a parked tractor-trailer on July 6, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. "For unknown reasons, the Tesla travelled into a parking lot towards a tractor trailer. The Tesla struck the rear of the tractor trailer, were it came to a final rest," the FHP told CBS4 News in a statement. - Fair Use -
