Tag Archives: The Liberty Daily

The Long-Term Consequences Of Closing The Strait Of Hormuz

Posted on by

On Wednesday, The Liberty Daily posted an article detailing some of the plans to Middle Eastern countries to avoid the problems of a shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz in the future. This is called good planning. I remember Pat Robertson being concerned about the possibility of a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz back in the 1990’s. Iran’s using the closing of the Strait as a weapon should really have not surprised anyone.

The article reports:

The shuttered Strait of Hormuz is expected to reopen within days, though conflicting reports suggest the US-Iran memorandum of understanding could be formally signed as early as today, Thursday, or Friday. Either way, the interim peace deal appears likely to be signed within the next 48 hours, setting the stage for energy flows through the critical maritime chokepoint to begin normalizing, a process that could take many months.

The broader takeaway is that buyers of crude, refined products, and LNG now have to rethink their sourcing stack after the US-Iran conflict effectively shut Hormuz for several months. That means diversifying supply chains and reducing exposure to single-point maritime chokepoints. For Gulf energy producers, the Hormuz disruption will accelerate a massive push toward alternative export channels that bypass Hormuz entirely, potentially reducing Tehran’s ability to use the strait as a lever in future conflicts.

The article includes the following map:

The article concludes:

The UAE can reroute more crude through pipelines to eastern ports, but LNG, aluminum, container imports, and other commodities are harder to shift. Dubai’s Jebel Ali remains the world’s largest container hub outside Asia, and moving more cargo through eastern ports would raise inland transport costs and boost shipping times.

In recent weeks, the Iraqi cabinet approved plans to accelerate crude exports through the Kurdistan-Turkey pipeline network, which would more than triple its existing shipments from 220,000 barrels per day to 770,000.

“Iraq is in a much more complicated situation because we know that most, if not all, of its oil transits through Hormuz,” Alan Lemangnen, senior economist at QuantCube, told CNBC in an interview.

What is becoming increasingly clear is that the Hormuz squeeze is rewiring the Persian Gulf’s energy map. Over time, that shift could render Iran’s leverage over the Hormuz chokepoint far less effective, if not obsolete.

Perhaps Tehran has already read the writing on the wall. That may help explain why Iranian officials are now willing to play ball with the Trump administration through an MoU to reopen Hormuz and eventually enter talks over the country’s nuclear ambitions.

I am not sure how many countries in the Middle East believe that the Strait will remain open permanently.

Five Things President Trump Did This Year To Protect Children

Posted on by

On Saturday, The Liberty Daily posted a list of five things President Trump did in 2025 that the media somehow overlooked.

This is the list:

1. Pardoning the FACE Act Prisoners

2. Expanding the Mexico City Policy

3. Classifying Transgender Procedures for Kids as Human Rights Violations

4. Ending Taxpayer-Funded Abortions for Illegal Migrant Children

5. Upgrading Human Trafficking Hotline

The FACE Act prisoners were the people arrested outside abortion clinics for praying or encouraging women to keep their babies. The Mexico City Police forbids the use of taxpayer money to pay for overseas abortions.

The article concludes with information regarding the upgrading of the Human Trafficking Hotline:

The Trump administration has chosen a new provider to run its human trafficking hotline after complaints that the Biden administration’s provider failed to answer calls from victims, The Daily Signal first reported.

HHS’ Administration for Children and Families announced a five-year, projected $35 million grant to Compass Connections to run the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

HHS received complaints from victims and state attorneys general that with the previous provider under the Biden administration, wait times were too long, calls were dropped, and victims could not rely on the hotline to deliver the necessary quality of service.

“State attorneys general were telling us that third-party tips were not getting delivered to law enforcement, so their investigations into human trafficking were hindered,” acting Administration for Children and Families Assistant Secretary Andrew Gradison told The Daily Signal, “and they had a much harder time getting criminals off the streets of human trafficking, to get information where it needs to go on time in an accurate way, so that law enforcement can make arrests and end human trafficking.”

The award includes an increase of $1 million annually and will bring annual funding to $7 million, showing Trump’s commitment to protecting survivors of human trafficking, according to Gradison.

We are moving toward better protecting our babies and children.

A Major Ecological Disaster off Alaska’s Aleutian Island Chain

Posted on by

On June 6th, I posted an article about the Morning Midas, a ship carrying electric vehicles that was burning in waters off Alaska’s Aleutian island chain. On Tuesday, The Liberty Daily reported the latest on the fire.

The article reports:

A vehicle carrier transporting hundreds of Chinese electric vehicles (EV) sank in the Pacific Ocean after catching fire, fueling renewed concerns about the hazard associated with EV batteries, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

The Morning Midas was carrying approximately 3,000 cars, including around 800 EVs, most of which were manufactured in China, according to the WSJ. While the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, lithium-ion batteries used in many EVs are known to be highly flammable, and have been linked to similar maritime incidents in the past.

The ship had been drifting in the ocean after a fire broke out on June 3, prompting the crew to abandon the vessel. At the time of the incident, the vessel was en route to Mexico.

Several similar incidents involving ships carrying EVs have occurred in recent years. Experts linked a 2022 incident, in which a cargo ship transporting thousands of cars went down in the Atlantic Ocean after catching fire, to a large number of lithium-ion batteries on board, the WSJ noted.

Additionally, the insurance company Allianz recently issued a report warning about the risks of shipping vehicles containing lithium-ion batteries, citing a series of recent fires on vessels, ports and battery facilities. A notable case in 2024 involved a fire and explosion on a container ship docked at a Chinese port, which is thought to have been triggered by a container carrying hazardous materials, including lithium batteries.

According to the Thompson safety website:

As fire fighters have discovered in recent years, lithium-ion battery fires are prone to reigniting. That’s because the lithium salts in the battery are self-oxidizing, which means that they can’t be “starved out” like a traditional fire. So how do you put it out?

Because the lithium has an ignition point of 500°C, the battery has to be cooled to a sub-ignition temperature. That’s why it took the fire fighters in Texas 30,000 gallons of water and 4 hours to extinguish the blaze.

Why This Is Relevant To You

As the popularity of electric vehicles and machinery continues to increase, so will the number of fires and other accidents that involve them. For instance, most forklift manufacturers have moved away from traditional lead-acid batteries in favor of more powerful and efficient lithium-ion alternatives. Laptops, tablets, phones, and pretty much all other portable electronics use them as well.

While the chances of a lithium-ion battery catching fire are minimal, it’s important that you’re aware of the possibility and have a plan of action prepared if it ever happens.

I think we need to do more research before we put an electric vehicle in every garage.

In Our Representative Republic, Congress Is Supposed To Control The Spending

Posted on by

On Saturday, The Daily Caller News Foundation posted an article at The Liberty Daily about the Biden administration’s reaction to Congress freezing $1.5 million dollars in funds for LGBTQ initiatives in Latin America. The administration simply ignored the fact that the funds were frozen and spent the money. What good is the Constitution if the current administration chooses to ignore it?

The article reports:

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) spends billions every year delivering assistance to various countries around the world, sometimes for the purpose of promoting social causes abroad. USAID told Congress in August it planned to spend $1.5 million in Latin America and the Caribbean on various LGBTQ causes, including raising awareness of LGBTQ individuals and promoting coordination of various organizations that protect the minority group, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told the DCNF, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the subject.

A congressional committee issued a freeze on the $1.5 million funding package, the source told the DCNF. But USAID is choosing to ignore the hold and move forward with the initiative; an incredibly rare and nearly unprecedented move, as holds are typically honored.

USAID plans to use the $1.5 million for more than supporting LGBTQ individuals; it includes funding for litigation against different Latin American and Caribbean countries if they supposedly discriminate against LGBTQ individuals, the DCNF has learned. Some of these nations have the highest percentages of Catholics or Christians in the world, according to World Population Review.

The funding will also promote coordination between LBGTQ organizations and other minority groups, such as organizations representing African descendants, indigenous groups and migrant-focused organizations, the DCNF has learned. Funding is also included for the creation or dissemination of materials for journalists to promote anti-violence against LGBTQ people in the region.

I would like to go on the record to say that I am against violence against any group of people. However, it is not the responsibility of the American taxpayers to impose the agenda of minority groups in America on other countries.

The article concludes:

USAID has a $45 billion dollar budget for fiscal year 2024, and in addition to putting that to use in aid or assistance delivery operations, the Biden-Harris administration also uses the budget to promote seemingly left-wing causes across the world, such as in the case of LGBTQ initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean. Some of USAID’s activities have been criticized by lawmakers as a waste of money or politically charged.

In other cases, USAID funding isn’t properly tracked and risks ending up with American adversaries, such as the Taliban in Afghanistan or Hamas in Gaza.

It’s time to audit all foreign aid spending. We have no idea how the money is being used or if it is going to allies or enemies. We can totally afford to let our enemies hate us for free.

The Overlooked Smoking Gun

Posted on by

On Sunday, The Liberty Daily posted an article by Peter Roff of the Daily Caller News Foundation. The article dealt with one point in the Special Counsel’s Report of President Biden’s mishandling of classified documents that seems to have been overlooked.

The article notes:

Nonetheless, by focusing on what special counsel Robert Hur wrote about Biden’s failing memory in his report on his mishandling of confidential government files dating from his time as vice president, they missed the more significant nugget in Hur’s explanation of why there would be no indictment.

Remember, the Biden Justice Department indicted former President Donald J. Trump over the same issue. The outcomes were different, Hur explained, not just because Biden couldn’t remember things but because he cooperated with the investigation while Trump didn’t.

That should about blow the case out of the water. It all but confirms Trump was singled out for special treatment, as he claimed. The case against him is political, and it’s okay for America to move on because there’s really nothing to see.

As a former president and as a citizen, Trump has rights. He doesn’t have to turn over every document they ask for to the government. Every departing chief enters into a negotiation regarding what they can take with them when they leave. The rules are not at all clear.

They’re obviously not supposed to take any of the furniture that was there when they moved in with them (one recent first couple apparently missed that memo). As far as any documents go, the president and the National Archives are usually allowed the time necessary to work out who gets to keep what.

The former president was not afforded the same luxury as his predecessors. His suggestion the Biden Justice Department rushed the case into court to damage him politically now looks stronger.

I am not a lawyer, but there is another aspect of this that is troubling. Let’s say someone robs a bank and puts the money in an interest-bearing account hidden somewhere. After five of six years in prison, they figure they can live on the interest, so they give back the money. Are they then not charged with the crime? That’s what this sounds like (other than the obvious unequal justice under the law).

The Importance Of Primary Elections

Posted on by

On Thursday, The Liberty Daily posted an article about primary elections.

The article cites a recent illustration of the importance of primary elections”

Another day, another betrayal by the Republican wing of the UniParty Swamp. The House overwhelmingly passed the NDAA and failed to strip out the extension of FISA domestic spying. Oddly, Senate Republicans actually did a better job of attempting to stop it than their House partners. Both still failed to do the will of their constituents and defend the Constitution.

Rather than write up a long rant about what needs to be done to reform the party or to hold our elected officials accountable, I’m going to cut to the chase. The primaries are EVERYTHING. Another election in which we’re forced to choose between the lesser of two evils in legislative races could be the end of our nation. We need America First constitutional conservatives. Having the letter (R) next to the name is not enough.

Fortunately, this is a presidential election year so the vast majority of attention by media, donors, and voters will be spent on the top of the ticket. This is an opportunity for patriots to have a greater impact on down ballot races during the primaries. Less money and effort will be spent propping up RINO legislative candidates so if we’re selective with our support and we loudly voice our opinions, we have a chance of putting fellow patriots on the general election ballots.

If we want to protect the rights that are guaranteed by our Constitution, we need to pay very close attention during the primary elections.

Please follow the link to see how conservatives can make a difference this primary season.