Tex's Place

By Drew Berkemeyer President Donald Trump on Monday intensified his pressure campaign against gasoline retailers, demanding they immediately cut prices at the pump after crude oil prices fell sharply.  “Gasoline Retailers must get their Prices down, IMMEDIATELY!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “They’re too high considering that Oil is now at $68 a Barrel, and heading south.” “There will be no gauging [sic], which is totally illegal,” Trump added. “If Retailers don’t do this, big problems lie ahead! Start targeting around the $2.50 a Gallon number.” Trump also singled out California, where gas averages $5.45 a gallon, blaming the state’s high gasoline taxes for keeping prices elevated.  “California should stop charging such heavy Taxes on their Gasoline,” he said. “Soon the Tax will be higher than the Product itself, and the United States will not stand for it, nor will the People of California, who are being abused by these ridiculous Taxes, and by their own Gover...

US Sen. Michael Bennet ackowledges supporters as his wife, Susan Daggett, speaks to the crowd at Bennet's August announcement of his candidacy for Colorado governor. Bennet is running against state Attorney General Phil Weiser, who now has a lead in some polls. (AP) By William Steakin The insurgent left just shook New York. Colorado Democrats increasingly think they could be next. Democrats in the Centennial State are bracing for an anti-establishment earthquake of their own. Tuesday’s primary election will test the left’s momentum beyond the five boroughs — and whether the anti-incumbent fever will topple Sen. Michael Bennet and Rep. Diana DeGette, a pair of longtime fixtures of state Democratic politics. Bennet allies acknowledge his primary for governor race is far closer than they expected, a startling position for one of the state’s best-known Democrats, while DeGette is facing similar anti-Washington headwinds, as internal polling in recent days has set off alarm be...

By Sima Shine and Eldad Shavit Since the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran was published, voices of disappointment have been heard in Israel, with some even speaking of a sense of betrayal. Many find it difficult to accept that Washington chose the path of a diplomatic arrangement rather than continuing the campaign. But precisely now, it is important to set the insult aside and look at reality. The American administration is not naive, and Trump is not naive. They are well aware of the agreement's shortcomings and the risks it entails, but have concluded that this is the least bad solution from their perspective, and perhaps from Israel's as well. From the American point of view, the central objective has been achieved: Iran has been badly damaged, deterrence has been restored, and its ability to race quickly toward a nuclear weapon has been delayed. On the other hand, continued fighting would come with heavy cost...

Good morning!     This is your daily forum to share what you've heard, what you've learned, and what you know, and just shoot the breeze.   Have a wonderful day my friends.   -Tex

By Catherine Salgado A new settlement in Texas highlights exactly why Americans cannot trust either Big Pharma or the medical industrial complex.  Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), who is also currently running for Senate, announced the nearly $34 million settlement he obtained from AstaZeneca on June 29 in a press release . Paxton accuses the pharmaceutical giant of engaging in an illegal kickback scheme to influence how often Texas Medicaid providers were prescribing AstraZeneca’s products. Paxton filed a lawsuit against AstraZeneca under the Texas Health Care Program Fraud Prevention Act. The settlement is in response to the state of Texas’s claims and will help reimburse the taxpayer money paid for prescriptions unfairly influenced. The press release explained: Texas’s lawsuit alleged that AstraZeneca provided free nursing services and reimbursement support to prescribers and paid third-parties to deploy nurses and other healthcare professionals to recommend AstraZenec...

By Bob Hoge As drones become more and more popular and affordable, it’s a thought that’s occurred to many: Are they a threat to air traffic? Most recreational drones can’t get nearly high enough to interfere with a commercial jet’s flight path, but when planes are taking off or landing, they’re certainly vulnerable. Such fears came true on Monday morning at John F. Kennedy Airport when a pilot aboard a JetBlue flight arriving from Las Vegas reported that they’d smacked into a drone when they were at about 3,000 feet. Thankfully, the flight was able to land safely, and there were no injuries, but it reminds us that events like these could have been more serious. The drone struck just above the cockpit, according to the pilot, but what if it had smacked right into the window? The impressively calm pilot revealed the collision at the 14-second mark of this clip: A JetBlue Airways pilot reported hitting a drone as the flight was on approach for landing at JFK Airport on Monday morning....

By Zoe Hussain A Mexican vigilante dubbed “Batman” is wanted by police for allegedly chasing down suspected motorbike thieves around town and taping them to lampposts, according to a report. At least five men were discovered helplessly duct-taped to street poles over 10 days, beginning on June 13 in the area of Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco, The Sun reported. Many of the alleged thieves also had mustaches, cat whiskers and the Spanish word for “thief” scrawled on their faces, according to several images posted by Mexican journalist Luis Cárdenas on X. The vigilante — which Cardenas referred to as the “Batman of Lagos de Merono” — left the allegedly stolen bikes near the men to show off their crimes, the outlet reported. One photo captured two men duct-taped back-to-back on the pole with a pink sign above their heads and a bike left in front of them. At least five men were found tied up in Lagos de Moreno over 10 days. X /@LuisCardenasMx Police are treating the tied-up men...

By Jennifer Oliver O'Connell The Great American State Fair appears to be going swimmingly, despite the TDS-riddled naysayers and detractors who cannot bring themselves to celebrate our great country because of who holds the office of the President of the United States. A White House press email touted the successful launch: The nation’s 250th birthday countdown is underway — and President Trump is making sure it matches the moment. The Great American State Fair kicked off on the National Mall, and Trump announced he will personally headline the Mount Rushmore fireworks celebration on July 3rd — the first time fireworks have lit up the Black Hills since 2020. However, 10 states declined to represent the nation with their displays: Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. Nine are blue states with Democrat governors, of course. What's even more egregious: four of them are a part of the original 13 colonies. 1...

By Nardine Saad Investigators have found the remains of 117 dogs in various states of decomposition - many of which were found with gunshot wounds - on the grounds of a purported "no-kill" animal shelter in northern California. Authorities excavated open fields at Miranda's Rescue Animal Sanctuary for evidence of animals believed to be buried in mass graves, the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office said. About 600 dog collars were also located. Officials had been investigating potential fraud or animal cruelty after hundreds of animals were discovered missing from the facility. The sanctuary owner has asked the public to "consider all the facts before reaching conclusions". The shelter's owner and operator Shannon Miranda has said in an online statement before the discovery on the property that media coverage and online commentary about the case "have presented an incomplete and, in some cases, inaccurate picture" of the fac...

Internal crises and shifting public sentiment across three major European powers threaten to alter the European Union's diplomatic stance toward Jerusalem. By Nissan Shtrauchler Spain, Italy, and France , three of the most influential countries in Europe, will enter election campaigns over the coming year that could significantly alter the continent's political landscape. Each has its own urgent domestic matters, including the economy, immigration, corruption, and crises of confidence. Still, from an Israeli perspective, the electoral drama directly touches Israel's standing with the European Union, its main trading partner. Various election campaigns across the continent have already shown that an obsessive campaign against Israel provides quite limited electoral benefits. This was the case in the general elections in Norway, where anti-Israel parties that placed the struggle against Israel at the center failed to garner additional votes. Polls in Spain show tha...