The Unregulated Podcast

#271: Dead Like Disco (4/22/26)

Guest: Lucian (Lou) Pugliaresi is President of the Energy Policy Research Foundation.

https://eprinc.org

Links:

Trump mulls extending waiver to ease U.S. oil shipments

Source: Axios

https://www.axios.com/2026/04/22/trump-oil-jones-act-waiver?utm_source=x&utm_medium=owned_social&utm_campaign=editorial

Phillips 66 and Kinder Morgan advance Western Gateway refined products pipeline project following successful open season

Source: Hydrocarbon Processing

https://www.hydrocarbonprocessing.com/news/2026/04/phillips-66-and-kinder-morgan-advance-western-gateway-refined-products-pipeline-project-following-successful-open-season/

Why Develop the Social Cost of Blackouts?

Source: Energy Bad Boys

https://energybadboys.substack.com/p/the-price-of-darkness-a-first-look?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1664779&post_id=194442624&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=false&r=2sdhe&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

DOJ charges Southern Poverty Law Center with fraud for paying white supremacist groups $3M to ‘stoke racial hatred’

Source: New York Post

https://nypost.com/2026/04/21/us-news/doj-charges-southern-poverty-law-center-with-fraud-for-paying-white-supremacist-groups-3m-to-stoke-racial-hatred/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nypost

When the President of the AAUP Calls Colleagues “Clowns”

Source: AEI - Samuel Abrams and Steven McGuire

https://www.aei.org/society-and-culture/when-the-president-of-the-aaup-calls-colleagues-clowns/

#270: 72 Hours (4/20/26)

Links:

Trump, Pope Leo escalate feud over Iran war

Source: Washington Times

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/apr/13/trump-pope-leo-escalate-feud-iran-war/

White House message to oil CEOs: Pump more oil

Source: Politico Pro

https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026/04/top-trump-officials-call-on-oil-ceos-as-prices-pinch-voters-00874147

AlphaGen Withdraws Retirement Notices for Gowanus & Narrows Generating Stations Following NYISO Reliability Determinations

Source: Press release from AlphaGen: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alphagen-withdraws-retirement-notices-for-gowanus--narrows-generating-stations-following-nyiso-reliability-determinations-302743905.html

Ari Natter BGOV - US Rejects CenterPoint’s Bid to Close Indiana Coal Plant

https://www.bgov.com/news/TDLH0MKGIFSQ

Dems race to distance themselves from Swalwell amid allegations of rape, assault

Source: The Hill

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5831300-eric-swalwell-sexual-misconduct-allegations-democrats-metoo/

Cruz says Trump ‘spoke to me seriously’ about Supreme Court vacancies

Source: The Hill

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5834037-ted-cruz-trump-supreme-court/

Republicans might treat DHS reconciliation as ‘wish list’ opportunity: Sarah Bedford

Source: Washington Examiner

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/senate/4532443/republicans-dhs-reconciliation-wish-list-sarah-bedford/

#269: Referendum (4/12/26)

Links:

US fuel exports hit record in March as Asia, Europe sought to replace Middle East supplies

Source: Reuters

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-fuel-exports-hit-record-march-asia-europe-sought-replace-middle-east-supplies-2026-04-01/

Disappearing Wind and Solar Cost Texans $766 Million Extra in 17 Hours

Source: Energy Bad Boys

https://energybadboys.substack.com/p/disappearing-wind-and-solar-cost

Maine's highest court strikes down ranked choice voting expansion

Source: The Center Squarehttps://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/maines-highest-court-strikes-down-193800924.html

Trump endorses Steve Hilton in California governor's race

Source: Politico

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/06/trump-endorses-steve-hilton-in-california-governors-race-00859470?nname=playbook-pm&nid=0000015a-dd3e-d536-a37b-dd7fd8af0000&nrid=0000014e-f102-dd93-ad7f-f9072a680001

Trump administration has plan to privatize more TSA airport checkpoints

Source: Fox News

https://fox11online.com/news/nation-world/trump-administration-has-plan-to-privatize-more-tsa-security-checkpoints-airport-security-air-travel-homeland-security-screening-partnership-program-federal-workers-privatization

Gov. Healey's Energy Donuts: https://x.com/libsoftiktok/status/2041419466198688034?s=12&t=a-7C8pWh0d6aHfECQMnMDw

On this episode of The Unregulated Podcast Tom Pyle, Mike McKenna, and producer Alex Stevens discuss the updates from the Iran conflict, the upcoming midterms, Democrats' affordability problem, and more.

Links:

• Sam Graves Out: https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/powerful-house-republican-joins-retirement-wave-5558870c
• Trump Says US Will Consider Iran Ceasefire When Hormuz Is Open: https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116329512466946656
• With Trump Focused on Iran, Affordability Worries Take Back Seat: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2026-03-31/with-trump-focused-on-iran-affordability-worries-take-back-seat?link_source=ta_bluesky_link&taid=69cc752c7699020001e2d6a4&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_content=business&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky
• Can the Democrats Do Better?: NO: https://x.com/TonySeruga/status/2038368112031178781?s=20
• Gavin on High Speed Rail: https://x.com/mazemoore/status/2039071877461672424?s=20
• Moreno wants to widen ban on Chinese Autos: https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/republican-senator-proposes-widen-us-ban-chinese-autos-2026-03-31/
• The affordability crunch is pushing Democrats to scale back climate ambitions: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/30/democrats-energy-affordability-climate-00848073
• Trump’s ‘God Squad’ exempts Gulf oil drilling from Endangered Species Act requirements: https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5808861-gulf-of-mexico-oil-drilling-esa-god-squad/?email=ebc2f06a7ff85ddb8312c159ae74a0309d4b1ffd&emaila=76afe2afa715ddeb0bda14174a2608e3&emailb=e65a42d9e87113ea327ad990aedd346e7d3bc9d0c6913e29a724c034dc35938f&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=E%26E%203/31/26
• Trump Administration Sues New Jersey Town Over Natural Gas Ban: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2026-03-31/with-trump-focused-on-iran-affordability-worries-take-back-seat?link_source=ta_bluesky_link&taid=69cc752c7699020001e2d6a4&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_content=business&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky
• More Covid Longing: https://www.politico.eu/article/europeans-urged-to-work-from-home-and-drive-less-as-eu-warns-of-long-crisis/
• Congress should be governing, not on a break in Disney World: https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/04/01/lindsey-grahams-disney-world-trip-government-shutdown/89400182007/
• Shatner: Rocket Man: https://x.com/Super70sSports/status/2039062978054545657?s=20
• Energy and the Iran Conflict: https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/fossil-fuels/energy-and-the-iran-conflict/

Links:

New OKC Senator

Alan-armstrong-senate-mullin-stitt-oklahoma-republicans.html

Source: NY Times

Clip: Paxton Shoots Back

https://x.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/2032454580257353760?s=20

Clip: Thom Tillis: Why Do All Politicians Do This? And Why Does Congress Always Give them Stupid Legacy Legislation?

https://x.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2035496667433349568?s=20

Opinion: Why are so many Democrats out of touch?

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/24/opinion/democrats-midterm-elections.html

Source: NY Times

CA Governor Polling

https://archive.ph/mQkAC

Source: LA Times

Bianco: Let’s Just Count Them. What’s the harm.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-03-21/riverside-county-sheriff-chad-bianco-seizes-more-than-half-million-ballots

Source: LA Times

Energy

Trump/Total Deal

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/ceraweek-us-totalenergies-shift-1-billion-wind-oil-gas-2026-03-23/

Source: Reuters

More and More and More Natural Gas

https://www.upstreamonline.com/exploration/us-independent-hits-gas-with-egypt-well/2-1-1964743

Source: Upstream

Asia Looking to the West for Oil

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/23/asia-wants-more-us-oil-to-reduce-middle-east-dependence-burgum.html

Source: CNBC

Apparently, the IEA is Nogalistic for COVID

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/03/20/people-urged-to-work-from-home-in-global-oil-crisis/

Source: The Telegraph

Jones Act Waived

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/18/trump-jones-act-oil-iran-war.html?taid=69bb0d5e363d3f0001067c43&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_content=main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

Source: CNBC

Maritime Union Not Happy

https://x.com/mercoglianos/status/2034337745993191660?s=20

Balsa Tree Poachers

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/half-million-balsa-trees-illegally-logged-amazon-rainforest-every-year-feed-global-wind

Source: Zero Hedge

Matt Iglesias: "How come no climate groups have the courage of their convictions to make the case for prolonging the war and keeping the strait closed?"

https://x.com/mattyglesias/status/2036100831989121352?s=20

Trump Suing CA for Emissions Standards

https://apnews.com/article/california-trump-administration-emission-vehicles-electric-cars-1e174fede381afb9c76b867cc92d86c6

Source: AP

Hands off my Thermostat

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/climate-lab/why-more-wa-utilities-want-to-remotely-control-your-thermostat/

Source: Seattle Times

In DC News…

H Street Street Car Going Away. At least they built it. Unlike California’s High Speed Rail.

https://x.com/SlopHq/status/2035791848317268057?s=20

#266: A Dry Buffalo (3/14/26)

Links:

Links:

Strait of Hormuz - Source: CNN

Hern Running in OK - Source: Fox News

Rahm Emmanuel - Source: WSJ

The Exodus Continues, Starbucks - Source: WSJ

Yahama to leave CA - Source: Fox Business

Funny How That Works: Competition in Health Care - Source: Washington Post

New Refinery: 100% Shale - Source: PR Newswire

McKenna responds to Senator Cramer on the PROVE IT Act - Source: Washington Times

Will Carb hit the brakes on new CA climate rules? Even some Dems want them to. - Source: NY Post

Lights out in NY - Source: NY Sun

Tweet of the Week:

https://x.com/TheKevinDalton/status/2031817172629291431?s=20

#265: Yabber, Yabber, Yabber (3/7/26)

Links:

Noem Out, Mullin In

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/05/markwayne-mullin-noem-dhs-00814761

Source: Politico

Iran

One Side: Rand Paul

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/sen-rand-paul-america-war-but-americans-didnt-vote

Source: Fox News

The Other Side:

https://thedispatch.com/article/iran-trump-supreme-council-leadership/

Source: The Dispatch

China’s Oil Dilemma

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/02/iran-us-strikes-china-oil-supply-charts-00806415

Source: Politico

AI Anxiety: Blackrock Limits Withdrawals

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-06/blackrock-s-26-billion-private-credit-fund-limits-withdrawals

Source: Bloomberg

Senate Permitting Talks Back On

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5770709-senate-democrats-energy-bill-talks/

Source: The Hill

Who Actually Wrote the Climate Manual for Federal Judges?

Source: The Honest Broker/Roger Pielke

https://rogerpielkejr.substack.com/p/who-actually-wrote-the-climate-manual?utm_source=substack&publication_id=119454&post_id=189872400&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&utm_campaign=email-share&triggerShare=true&isFreemail=true&r=2sdhe&triedRedirect=true

#264: What Is It Going To Get Me This Time? (3/2/26)

Links:

Iran

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/02/24/congress/ahead-sotu-dems-demand-trump-iran-plans-public-00796594?nname=playbook&nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b7bd0000&nrid=0000014e-f102-dd93-ad7f-f9072a680001

Source: Politico

More Companies Leaving Blue States: Public Storage

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2026-02-24/storage-company-is-latest-to-leave-california-for-texas

Source: LA Times

Happy Anniversary, LNG Exports

https://www.forbes.com/sites/edhirs/2026/02/24/us-lng-exports-have-changed-global-energy-markets/

Source: Forbes

There they go again: Geothermal, the new wind and solar.

https://www.euronews.com/2026/02/19/geothermal-energy-could-replace-42-of-eus-fossil-electricity-which-nation-has-the-most-pot

Source: Euronews

Greenpeace

https://apnews.com/article/greenpeace-energy-transfer-dakota-access-pipeline-30bfb9939dea06f1e9763cd2d662ae73

Source: AP News

SCOTUS takes up Boulder climate lawfare case.

https://www.wsj.com/opinion/state-courts-cant-run-foreign-policy-fe111bae?st=u3a5pP&reflink=article_copyURL_share

Source: WSJ Opinion

Cassidy:

https://x.com/SenBillCassidy/status/2024870779364446696?s=20

Germany starts ditching climate targets.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/feb/25/germany-accused-ditching-climate-targets-scraps-renewables-mandate

Source: The Guardian

#263: Good Luck Fellas (2/23/26)

Links:

President’s Day: Time to Fix It

https://thefederalist.com/2026/02/10/presidents-day-is-george-washington-erasure-america-250-is-the-perfect-time-to-fix-it/

Source: The Federalist

SAVE Act Continued

Remember last week when Chuck called the SAVE Act Jim Crow

https://x.com/guypbenson/status/2023503608403403089?s=20

Blue State Flight Continues

Colorado: Palintir

https://x.com/WallStreetApes/status/2023933026120724944?s=20

WaPo Climate Reporters

https://x.com/kerpen/status/2019552872241779106?s=20

Affordability polling:

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/10/poll-shows-democrats-hold-edge-over-trump-in-energy-cost-battle-00767537

https://www.axios.com/2026/02/12/trump-epa-climate-rollback-emissions-impact?utm_medium=organic_social&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_source=x

Source: Axios
Jones Act Repeal:

https://x.com/senmikelee/status/2020943404306473058?s=12&t=a-7C8pWh0d6aHfECQMnMDw

Tony Blair says Drill, Baby, Drill

https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/labour-reverse-ban-oil-gas-licences-blair-5HjdSJd_2/

Source: LBC News

Sasse Interview with Peter Robinson (Hoover). I’m putting in the Show Notes for people to watch.

https://x.com/hooverinst/status/2023836914558828719?s=12&t=a-7C8pWh0d6aHfECQMnMDw

https://x.com/In_Otter_News2/status/2024144434573557808?s=20

Links:

Climate Leadership Council: Yes, it still exists.

https://clcouncil.org/blog/eu-cbam-debut/

Source: CLC

Bypassing the Grid: How Data Centers Are Building Their Own Power Plants: https://cleanview.co/content/power-strategies-report
Coal plant owners say DOE ‘emergency’ order to run it violates Constitution: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/doe-emergency-order-craig-colorado-coal-tri-state/811088/
Why China is building so many coal plants despite its solar and wind boom: https://apnews.com/article/china-coal-solar-climate-carbon-emissions-242abe76eb69f5a362e977de74ff3254
The California Train is Back in the News.

https://x.com/GovPressOffice/status/2019112847595143410

Superbowl:

Ads

https://sportsnaut.com/nfl/2026-super-bowl-ad-cost-10-million

https://x.com/iowahawkblog/status/2019177230946140419?s=20