Day: June 15, 2021

Biden Admin Suspends Oil and Gas Leases in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Epoch Times

The Biden administration suspended oil and gas drilling leases in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on June 1, ahead of the outcome of an environmental impact review, reversing a policy that former President Donald Trump had initiated shortly before leaving office. President Joe Biden, on his first day in office in January, placed a temporary ban on the wildlife refuge’s new leases. But on June 1, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland issued a memo (pdf) saying that activities in the region must halt pending an analysis. …Republican Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy described the move as an “assault on Alaska’s economy” that is tantamount to “federal overreach.”

“Shutting down our lands was not what William Seward intended when Alaska was founded, and we are not going to allow the Biden administration to turn Alaska into a giant national park,” he said, referring to Seward, the U.S. secretary of state between 1861 and 1869, who negotiated the Alaska purchase in 1868.

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Gas Prices Hit New Yearly High, Driven by Cost of Crude Oil: Epoch Times

Gas prices hit a nationwide average of $3.08 per gallon on Monday, driven by the cost of crude oil. Crude oil passed $70 a barrel, the highest price since October 2018, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). Price per barrel has jumped $23 per barrel since January. … While production is going up, it’s the first time it’s gone up in a while, “and it’s still not going up as quickly as we would like to see it to cool prices,” Phil Flynn, an energy market analyst with PRICE Futures Group, told The Epoch Times. … As usual, the highest prices are being seen by drivers in the Western U.S. and Illinois, with a peak of $4.22 a gallon. Drivers in the Midwest and South may see prices as low as $2.71 a gallon.

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Lumber Prices Drop Below $1,000 After Skyrocketing to ‘Nosebleed’ Highs in May: Epoch Times

As sawmills have ramped up output and buyers put off purchases, both spot lumber prices and futures contracts have seen a sharp drop since May’s peak of nearly $1,700 per thousand board feet, the unit of measurement for lumber in the United States. …BMO analyst Mark Wilde predicts that “‘nosebleed’ prices won’t last,” according to a note via Bloomberg. He added, however, that lumber costs will remain “above-trend” for the next 1 to 2 years due to “strong demand, a limited supply response, and a rising cost curve.” …“Higher costs and declining availability for softwood lumber and other building materials pushed down builder sentiment in June,” said NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke. “These higher costs have moved some new homes beyond the budget of prospective buyers, which has slowed the strong pace of home building. Policymakers need to focus on supply-chain issues in order to allow the economic recovery to continue.”

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Final Justice: The Return of Christ, Part 1, Dr. John MacArthur

Dr. MacArthur began a series on the return of Christ and the real justice that will then be experience by dwellers on the earth. Those not in Christ, will not want to experience that justice. He discussed numerous chapters of Revelation, in part, during the course of this 28 minute sermon. If you are not very familiar with Revelation, then this sermon will give you an overview of sorts. Furthermore, he wants to refocus Christians who are wasting their energy thinking about fixing this planet and establishing man’s justice; because all of that will be undone when Christ returns. For those who do not have 28 minutes to spend, sermon highlight points precede the sermon.

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