DES MOINES, Iowa – Donald Trump is relentlessly attacking the rules that govern how Republicans choose their nominee come.
But it’s coming far too late to change what even defenders acknowledge is a complicated selection system – and Trump seems to know that, too.
Instead, his criticism of what he says is a “rigged” process appears aimed at amplifying his central message to an angry electorate: America is a mess, and only he can clean it up.
Some Republicans believe that if Trump falls short of winning the nomination outright before the GOP convention, then his rantings against the party are likely to annoy the delegates who will end up deciding the Republicans’ White House candidate this summer.
DOHA, Qatar – A meeting of oil-rich countries in Qatar that had been expected to boost crude prices by freezing production fell apart Sunday as Iran stayed home and vowed to increase its output despite threats by Saudi Arabia.
Oil prices, which hit a 12-year low in January by dipping under $30 a barrel, had risen above $40 in recent days, buoyed by the bullish talks surrounding the Doha summit.
Instead of a quick approval of a production freeze, the meeting of 18 oil-producing nations saw hours of debate and resembled the dysfunction of an unsuccessful meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in December that sent oil prices down.
The fact that producers couldn’t agree to a freeze, let alone a production cut, likely means oil prices will drop again as markets open Monday.
Performance troupe Cirque du Soleil has canceled performances in three North Carolina cities in protest over a new law banning anti-discrimination protections for gay and transgender people, the Canadian-based company announced Friday.
The entertainers join Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr and others who have canceled shows in the state after Gov. Pat McCrory signed HB2 into law.
The growing backlash against the law includes companies such as PayPal, which announced last week it was nixing plans to open a facility in Charlotte. McCrory has since signed an executive order to expand protections for state employees but left the most controversial elements of the law in place.
Transgender people are prohibited from using bathrooms designated for genders that don’t match the genders they were assigned at birth, under the new law. The measure also prevents local protections for LGBT individuals.
HOUMA, La. – It might sound strange, but the penny-pinching folks in Louisiana’s Oil Patch can’t wait for the price of gasoline to go back up.
Cheap gas at the pump – though a welcome cash infusion for millions of American households – is a way of saying “recession” in south Louisiana, where oil wells are as common as shrimp nets and alligators.
Since 2014, Louisiana has lost about 12,000 oil and gas jobs as prices have declined, according to the Louisiana Workforce Commission. Nationwide, about 100,000 jobs related to the oil and gas industry have been lost since January 2015, the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics reports.
Many are left wondering when prices will rise again.
Associated Press & Washington Post
