Author: ifonge

Conor here: The author of the following piece focuses on four items: the cost of crude, refining, marketing and distribution, and taxes. I’m no economist, but he seems to be missing one key ingredient: profit. For some insight on that front we can turn to a March 10 piece by Hal Singer in Washington Monthly: We don’t have to speculate. We can check the receipts from the last energy crisis. When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, crude oil prices rose by about 71 cents per gallon. But retail gas prices jumped roughly $1.50 per gallon. That’s a 79-cent gap—pure…

Context of Susan Sarandon’s Role in StepmomSusan Sarandon recently opened up about the intense preparation she underwent for her role in the beloved film Stepmom. Reflecting on her experience during a recent podcast, she revealed how losing weight was essential for her portrayal of Jackie Harrison, a mother battling terminal cancer. “I had to lose so much weight,” Sarandon shared, emphasizing her commitment to realism in her performance.To ensure she could enjoy the holidays with her family, Sarandon cleverly scheduled key filming scenes around her vacation plans. “I wanted to lose it before Christmas,” she said, expressing her desire to…

Starting in 1964, officers from the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam — more commonly known by the abbreviation MAC-V — held daily press briefings at the Rex Hotel in Saigon. As the war dragged on and became an increasingly bloody quagmire, military officials outlined with great precision the number of enemy soldiers killed, the number of targets bombed, and the number of sorties flown each day. The military continued to give journalists access to the frontlines and speak to the troops on the ground throughout the Vietnam War. Reporters dubbed the daily press conferences the “Five O’Clock Follies.” “They seldom bore…

The match between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bengaluru has soon become one of the most interesting current rivalries in the IPL. Although it lacks the decades-old intensity of older matches, it makes up with the high drama, chess matches of tactics and unexpected endings.Going into IPL 2026 Match 50 at Lucknow, RCB is 5 up 2 down, yet the numbers do not completely reflect the level of competitiveness in these matches. There have been a few matches which have been decided in the last over and both sides have exchanged blows in a dramatic manner.This article examines the…

May 3, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson (8) handles the puck under pressure from Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jake Guentzel (59) during the second period in game seven of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images Alex Newhook broke a third-period tie with the game-winning goal to give the visiting Montreal Canadiens a 2-1 Game 7 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday. Nick Suzuki also scored for the Canadiens, who were outshot 29-9 and outplayed for much of the deciding game, but now…

Rudy Giuliani is hospitalized in critical condition, his spokesman said on Sunday. The 81-year-old former New York City mayor is critical but stable, spokesman Ted Goodman said in a statement.The statement does not say what led to the hospitalization.”Mayor Rudy Giuliani is currently in the hospital, where he remains in critical but stable condition,” the statement said. “Mayor Giuliani is a fighter who has faced every challenge in his life with unwavering strength, and he’s fighting with that same level of strength as we speak.  We do ask that you join us in prayer for America’s Mayor — Rudy Giuliani.”Former NYC…

J. Craig Venter, a scientist whose relentless ambition helped turn genetics from an artisanal trade into an industrialized information machine, died Wednesday at 79. The cause was side effects of a cancer treatment. Along the way, he did things that can only be described as really cool. He raced against a government-funded project to sequence the first human genome, grabbing headlines around the world; traveled the ocean in his sailboat collecting genetic information about sea life; and removed a bacterium’s genome and rebooted the organism with an identical set of genes he and his team had synthesized. He drove fast…

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — A suspected outbreak of the rare hantavirus infection on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean killed three people, including an elderly married couple, and sickened at least three others, the World Health Organization and South Africa’s Department of Health said Sunday.In a statement to The Associated Press, WHO said an investigation was underway but that at least one case of hantavirus had been confirmed. One of the patients was in intensive care in a South African hospital, the U.N.’s health agency said, and it was working with authorities to evacuate two others with symptoms…

1 Schalke 04 secured their Bundesliga return after a three-year absence following a 1-0 victory over Fortuna Düsseldorf on Saturday. And there was even more reason for celebrations after Miron Muslic’s contract extension at the Royal Blues was made official. Appointed in May 2025, the Austrian-Bosnian tactician signed a contract until 2027, which would be extended by a further year until 2028 should Schalke achieve promotion. The Gelsenkirchen club immediately announced the news – met by great jubilation in the stands – on the big screens around the stadium after their Bundesliga return was confirmed. “We’ll continue, together – a…