"Oil Prices Surge, Pushing Gas Prices Over $3.50 Per Gallon"

Gasoline prices in the US have risen to over $3.50 per gallon, surpassing last year's average due to increasing oil prices, declining inventories, and the introduction of a more expensive summer blend of gas. The national average is nearly $0.10 higher than a year ago, with California experiencing prices approaching $4.97 per gallon. Rising crude oil futures, OPEC+ output cuts, and Russian refinery interruptions have contributed to the increase. Despite this, a slight slowdown in price increases is expected in the Midwest following the resumption of operations at BP's Whiting refinery. Higher gas prices have also been a factor in the recent rise in inflation.