Local news outlets across the country are putting a spotlight on gas prices, which have been ticking back up in recent weeks.
Oklahoma newspaper Tulsa World highlighted on Wednesday how gas prices in Tulsa spiked "20 cents per gallon overnight," jumping to $3.59 following $3.38 the day prior.
WBRC out of Birmingham reported Friday, "Three days ago in Alabama, our state average was $3.19 a gallon. On Friday, we are at $3.32 a gallon and that will only continue to increase," adding, "With supply and demand forever changing, it’s hard to know right now how much of an increase we will see."
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San Antonio's CBS affiliate KENS 5 reported Thursday on the jump of gas prices in Texas going to $3.20 per gallon, writing "That is nine cents more than last week and 35 cents more than the cost last year."
"Drivers in El Paso are paying the most on average at $3.56 per gallon while drivers in the Brownsville-Harlingen metropolitan area are paying the least at $3.02 per gallon," the report added.
In the Midwest, Detroit News published the headline, "Gas prices keep rising in Michigan, up 23 cents a gallon over last week."
"This latest increase puts the average pump price at $4.17 for regular unleaded fuel, which is 33 cents more than what Michiganians paid in September and nearly $1 more than this time last year," Detroit News wrote Monday. "Michigan's price is nearly 40 cents higher than the national average, at $3.80, according to AAA-The Auto Club Group."
FOX 32 in Chicago reported, "Pain at the pump continues as gas prices creep up in Illinois," offering residents in the Land of Lincoln a warning ahead of OPEC's announcement that it was slashing oil production.
"As a result, you can expect pain at the pump to get worse before it gets better," FOX 32 wrote Monday. "While gas prices are still down from where they peaked in June, here in Chicago, the average price of regular unleaded — $4.81 per gallon according to Triple-A — is once again starting to push dangerously close to the dreaded $5/gallon mark."
Indianapolis' WISH-TV reported that gas prices in Indiana topped the $4 mark, writing on Tuesday that average price for gas rose to $4.12 per gallon and how that's "16 cents higher than last week."
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel similarly reported Wednesday, "Average gas prices in Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Green Bay and Oshkosh top $4 a gallon; western Wisconsin has the cheapest gas in the state."
Out West, the Las Vegas Review Journal informed residents, "Gas prices rise over 40 cents in a week; could go higher before dropping.
"Regular gasoline prices in Las Vegas reached an average of $5.52 a gallon this week, more than 40 cents higher than the average price one week ago. This is only 9 cents below Las Vegas’ highest recorded average price of $5.61, according to AAA data," the Review Journal wrote Tuesday. "Average gas price in Nevada is the second-highest in the country, behind California… The state is about $1.70 higher than the national average, and 91 cents lower than California’s average."
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Phoenix's KNXV-TV offered an explainer to residents posing the question in the headline, "Why is Phoenix gas back above $5?"
"The high temperature may be going down in the Valley, but gas prices are going up," ABC15's report began Tuesday.
The article cited Gasbuddy analyst Patrick De Haan, who turned to issues at California oil refineries as a source of Phoenix's financial pain at the pump, writing, " ABC15 looked at weekly data published by California regulators and found that recent oil inputs in southern California refineries are frequently among the lowest since 2018. The stock of gasoline at refineries specifically formulated for export to states like Arizona and Nevada is also extremely low… Arizona gets about 60% of its gasoline from Southern California with most of it going to the Phoenix area."
California itself was inundated with stories about the soaring costs. The Los Angeles Times ran the headline, "Record gas prices, electricity woes show California’s worsening energy vulnerabilities." CBS Sacramento anchor Adrienne Moore told viewers that the pain at the pump "is becoming unbearable," noting that California was "just a few cents away from another record." FOX KTVU out of Oakland published the article, "California about to break all-time high gasoline price."
The Seattle Times reported on the "acute spike" in gas prices affecting the west, particularly in Washington, where the price per gallon was "$1.39 above the national average" on Oct. 3.
"At $5.45 a gallon, gas prices in the Seattle area are up 15% from early September when prices fell to their lowest price since April, according to an analysis of federal Energy Information Administration data," the Times wrote.
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Alaska's News Source reporter Lauren Maxwell told viewers on Tuesday, "You're not crazy" to notices that gas prices "have taken a huge jump in just the last week or so," highlighting Alaska's average price per gallon at $5.41.
"Good luck trying to find it that low in Anchorage," Maxwell said.
Out East, Clay Moden, 106.5 WYRK radio host out of Buffalo, New York, warned residents on Thursday about soaring gas prices headed their way, writing, "Love to drive but hate the gas prices? It is not going to get any better any time soon here in New York State. The prices change more than the weather it seems these days."
Spectrum News 1 in Syracuse listed the average prices in cities across New York on Saturday, writing, "In Buffalo, it's $3.69. It's the same down the thruway in Rochester. Continuing on to Syracuse, gas is a tad cheaper there with gas averaging $3.59. And in Albany, it's $3.64."
Following OPEC's announcement FOX 23 Maine reported on gas prices jumping overnight, warning residents on Thursday, "The pain at the pump returns. Gas prices are up overnight, and this could just be the start."
Gas prices are top of mind for voters as inflation and the economy continue to be the biggest issues according to the polls going into the midterm elections.
