Gas prices are heading down, with or without Biden's help | CNN Business
Markets Fear & Greed Index Latest Market News It’s not at all clear if President Joe Biden’s latest announcement that he’s releasing oil from the nation’s emergency stockpile will help bring gas prices down. But the good news for drivers — and Biden — is that several factors are pointing to lower prices ahead at the pump. The national average stood at $3.85 a gallon Wednesday, down 2 cents from Tuesday and 7 cents in the last week. Much of that decline was driven by a steep price drop in western states, where prices had shot up to near record levels earlier this month. One of the biggest factors in the recent price surge has been US refineries shutting down either for regular maintenance or following accidents — such as an explosion at a refinery near Toledo, Ohio, last month. But a number of West Coast refineries that had been offline have returned to operations, and that has sparked a plunge in gas prices west of the Rocky Mountains, driving down the national average. In just the las
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### Instruction: Gas prices are heading down, with or without Biden's help | CNN Business

### Response: Markets Fear & Greed Index Latest Market News It’s not at all clear if President Joe Biden’s latest announcement that he’s releasing oil from the nation’s emergency stockpile will help bring gas prices down. But the good news for drivers — and Biden — is that several factors are pointing to lower prices ahead at the pump. The national average stood at $3.85 a gallon Wednesday, down 2 cents from Tuesday and 7 cents in the last week. Much of that decline was driven by a steep price drop in western states, where prices had shot up to near record levels earlier this month. One of the biggest factors in the recent price surge has been US refineries shutting down either for regular maintenance or following accidents — such as an explosion at a refinery near Toledo, Ohio, last month. But a number of West Coast refineries that had been offline have returned to operations, and that has sparked a plunge in gas prices west of the Rocky Mountains, driving down the national average. In just the las