Poll: 63 percent say Trump-Russia collusion investigation by Justice Dept. harming the country

By Americans for Limited Government



Fairfax, VA - December 17, 2017 - (The Ponder News) -- Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning has issued the following statement noting a Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll finding that 63 percent of the American people believe the Justice Department investigation into suppose Trump-Russia collusion on the 2016 election is harming the country, including 78 percent of Republicans, 60 percent of Independents and 52 percent of Democrats:

“A Harvard University study finds that 63 percent of the American people believe that the Trump-Russia collusion investigation by the Justice Department is hurting the country. Our nation has spent almost a year and a half on a political witch hunt designed to take out President Donald Trump, and the Harvard poll shows that almost two-thirds of the public have had enough, believing that it is harming the nation. They are right. Significantly, this poll was taken prior to mass dissemination of news that a high-ranking Obama Justice Department official was married to a Fusion GPS contractor, the company was paid by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the DNC to produce the Christopher Steele dossier that the FBI relied on to pursue the investigation. The poll was also taken prior to revelations that the lead FBI investigator and his mistress who also worked for the FBI were describing the investigation as an ‘insurance policy’ against Trump winning the election from a meeting with Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe.

“Given this corruption and the revelation that the entire investigation may have been based on a lie, a plot hatched by Clinton partisans and intelligence officials in the Obama administration, the entire basis for this harmful investigation has collapsed. The abject failure of the partisan Mueller team to find, after over one year of investigation, evidence of collusion between Trump and Russia to hack the DNC or influence the election discredits the entire probe. It is time for Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to end the Mueller investigation as it has evolved into nothing more than a partisan attempt to overturn the outcome of the 2016 election.”


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APA and National Council for Behavioral Health Applaud the ISMICC’s First Report

By American Psychiatric Association



Washington, D.C. - December 17, 2017 - (The Ponder News) -- The American Psychiatric Association (APA) and National Council for Behavioral Health commend the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for its report by the federal Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee (ISMICC). The report acknowledged that the health care system has failed to meet the needs of adults with serious mental illnesses and children with serious emotional disturbances, and outlined areas to help address this failure.

Based on initial deliberations, the ISMICC’s areas of focus include making it easier to access care, closing the gap between treatment that works and what is offered, and developing financing strategies that increase availability and affordability of care.

The APA and National Council call on the Department of Justice, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Education, the Department of Labor, and CMS to move swiftly to identify specific, concrete actions each agency can take to move forward these recommendations.

We will continue to contribute to and closely follow the ISMICC as we work together to improve the lives of all people with mental illnesses and addictions. They deserve nothing less.


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PETROLEUM DEMAND LAST MONTH HIGHEST FOR NOVEMBER SINCE 2007

By American Petroleum Institute

Washington, D.C. - December 17, 2017 - (The Ponder News) -- Total petroleum deliveries in November rose to 19.9 million barrels per day. This was the strongest November monthly demand since 2007. Cumulatively through the first 11 months of the 2017, total domestic petroleum deliveries rose by 0.9 percent, which exceeded demand growth in 2016 despite higher prices.

“With sustained strength in the U.S. and global economies, petroleum demand remained strong despite higher prices than last year,” said API Chief Economist Dean Foreman. “Resilient supply continued to outpace demand in November, yet inventories experienced a record November drawdown. With U.S. crude prices trading at a discount to international ones—and the Brent-WTI crude price differential above $6.00 per barrel at the end of November—there was a greater pull for U.S. petroleum exports, which increased by 22.0 percent or about 1.2 million barrels per day compared with November 2016.”

Motor gasoline deliveries were the strongest ever for a November. Consumer gasoline demand, as measured by total motor gasoline deliveries, rose by 0.6 percent year-over-year to 9.3 million barrels per day. Following an exceptionally strong October, gasoline deliveries fell by 0.6 percent for the month. However, the year-to-date trend remains positive, and deliveries climbed by 0.2 percent year to date through the first 11 months of the year compared with the same period in 2016 and are on track to set a new annual record above 9.3 million barrels per day for 2017.

U.S. crude oil production in November remained strong and above 9.0 million barrels per day for the 10th consecutive month. Domestic crude oil production increased 9.0 percent from the prior year and reached the highest November output in 47 years, since 1970, to average nearly 9.7 million barrels per day. Compared with the prior month and the prior year to date, crude oil production increased 2.8 percent and 4.0 percent, respectively. The month-ago increase likely reflected the impact of hurricane recovery and market stabilization. Domestic crude oil production in the lower 48 states increased by 2.9 percent from October and was 9.5 percent higher than November 2016 at more than 9.1 million barrels per day.

Natural gas liquids (NGL) production, a co-product of natural gas production, increased from the prior month and prior year. NGL production in November was up by 0.7 percent from October and by 3.4 percent from November 2016 to average 3.7 million barrels per day– the highest November volume and the fourth highest volume ever.

API is the only national trade association representing all facets of the oil and natural gas industry, which supports 10.3 million U.S. jobs and nearly 8 percent of the U.S. economy. API’s more than 625 members include large integrated companies, as well as exploration and production, refining, marketing, pipeline, and marine businesses, and service and supply firms. They provide most of the nation’s energy and are backed by a growing grassroots movement of more than 40 million Americans.


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