'Powder keg': New fuel supply figure has top oil analyst sounding the alarm

Patrick De Haan, a renowned oil industry analyst, had a dire warning for the American public on Tuesday as the Strait of Hormuz closure continues to pressure global oil supplies.

"Tomorrow, U.S. distillate inventories will likely fall under 100 million barrels for the first time in over 20 years, exacerbated by high exports due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz," he wrote in a post to X.

In other words, he said, "this is a powder keg waiting to go off if a deal to reopen the Strait doesn't happen soon."

The Strait of Hormuz carries around 20 percent of the world's entire global oil trade, as well as a number of other critical raw materials. It has been effectively impassible for months since the U.S. war with Iran flared up.

Trump administration officials insist that the pressure on oil supplies, and with it rising gas prices, is worth the objectives they are attempting to accomplish in Iran, but both lawmakers and the voting public are not convinced, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio getting a cold reception in a hearing earlier in the day.

Former President Donald Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway urged Democrats to disown Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner during an appearance on the Fox News "Hannity" show.

Conway compared the situation to Republicans' past distancing from David Duke, stating, "Remember, every Republican had to disclaim David Duke, no matter if we met him, had a meal with him, or heard anything he said."

Conway demanded every Democrat running for U.S. Senate this year distance themselves from Platner and call for his removal from the ticket. The former advisor's comments came as Platner faced mounting criticism from both parties as he seeks to unseat incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME).

The Wall Street Journal reported Platner's wife, Amy Gertner, informed Platner's campaign he exchanged sexually explicit text messages with multiple women and maintained an active account on Kik, a private messaging app criticized by child safety advocates.

Previously disclosed Reddit comments from Platner have also drawn controversy.

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Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) is threatening legal action against another man named Dan Sullivan who filed to run against him — accusing him of being a "ghost candidate" planted by Democrats to split the vote against him.

This comes as former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola is launching her own Senate campaign, with polls suggesting a surprisingly competitive race in a GOP-favoring state that comfortably backed President Donald Trump three times.

“They all orchestrated this on purpose to confuse Alaskans," Sullivan told NOTUS' Igor Bobic. "These guys are purposely trying to trick my constituents to rig, and I don't use that lightly, rig an election in favor of my opponent.”

Sullivan accused the other Sullivan of infringing on his own campaign logo to further confuse voters.

“We're likely going to sue them on a trademark violation, and I'll win in summary judgment,” he told Bobic.

While there is currently no evidence that the second Dan Sullivan has been planted by Democrats, the tactic of one party recruiting "ghost candidates" that share a last or full name with an incumbent from the other party has occurred before.

Most famously, in 2020, Republicans knocked off some Democratic state lawmakers in Florida when candidates with the same last name showed up on the ballot — a scheme that ultimately led to a criminal investigation and prosecutions. And in Washington State in 2024, the GOP unsuccessfully tried to obstruct then-state Attorney General Bob Ferguson from the gubernatorial nomination by recruiting two other people named Bob Ferguson to run in the primary.

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On the second day of Pride Month, Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) posted a stark declaration to social media: "Homosexuality has no place in America. Happy Nuclear Family Month." The blowback was swift — and came from his own party.

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) fired back directly: "Homosexuality exists. In America. In fact Andy, you have family, friends, neighbors, colleagues and constituents who are gay and lesbian. It doesn't make them less than or somehow unworthy of being an American. What an absolutely idiotic statement to make."

MS NOW congressional reporter Matt Fuller noted that the post went beyond standard Republican positioning.

"Notable that Rep. Andy Ogles isn't even opposing gay marriage here," Fuller wrote. "He's straight up saying 'homosexuality has no place in America.' Seems like the GOP may be retracing its steps on this issue."

The post also drew pointed fire aimed at Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is openly gay. MS NOW political editor Sam Stein wrote that he'd be "curious for" Bessent's thoughts. Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT), the first woman and first openly gay person elected to Congress from Vermont, was more direct: "That would be news to some gay officials in the Trump admin. Care to comment, @SecScottBessent?"

Gay conservative commentator Link Lauren — who describes himself as a frequent speaker at Republican events — pushed back from inside the tent. "Saying I have 'no place in America' is a mistake," Lauren wrote. "It's certainly not what President Trump or this administration believes either… at all."

Democratic strategist Mike Nellis was less charitable, summing up Ogles in two words: "American Taliban."

Ogles, a Freedom Caucus member who has called for Christian nationalism and faces a 2026 Republican primary, had not responded to the criticism at the time of publication.

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