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