$8 gas: The real cost of the EV agenda



California drivers, brace yourselves. Starting July 1, 2025, you could be paying 65 cents more per gallon — pushing gas prices to a staggering $8 by 2026.

Why? Because California regulators, fresh off the repeal of the federal electric vehicle mandate, are going full speed ahead with stricter clean fuel standards — which critics say amount to a hidden tax and a deliberate attempt to force drivers into electric vehicles.

'This is engineered to make gas so expensive you’re forced into an EV, whether you want one or not.'

Back in November, the California Air Resources Board — an unelected group appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom — voted to update the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard. The new rules penalize gasoline and diesel producers and reward low-carbon fuel options like EV charging infrastructure.

Cleaner fuels, higher prices

CARB’s goal is to cut the carbon intensity of transportation fuels 30% by 2030 and 90% by 2045. Fuel producers that exceed carbon limits must purchase credits, a cost that gets passed straight to you at the pump. While regulators tout benefits like reduced air pollution and $4 billion in new clean energy investments, experts project these rules will raise gas prices by 47 to 65 cents per gallon next year — and possibly $1.50 more by 2035.

Meanwhile, two major California refineries are shutting down, reducing capacity by over 8%. That means less supply and even higher prices. Some forecasts, including one from the University of Pennsylvania's Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, warn of $8 gas by 2026.

Republican Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones calls it “blatant price gouging" by an "unelected board of wealthy bureaucrats.” He’s filed a public records request to expose what he says is a coordinated effort to bypass voters and crush gas-powered mobility.

About climate — or control?

The timing of this update is no accident. It came just days after the 2024 election, ignoring nearly 13,000 Californians who petitioned for a delay. Republican Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil, co-sponsor of a bill to repeal the changes, warns that rural and working-class Californians can’t afford the hike.

Even after the Office of Administrative Law paused the plan in early 2025 due to procedural issues, CARB was given 120 days to revise and resubmit — keeping the threat alive.

RELATED: California gas-car ban overturned by Senate

The Enthusiast Network/Getty Images

Despite growing backlash, CARB has refused to revise its original 47-cent cost estimate, even as outside experts warn it could be far higher. Climate economist Danny Cullenward slammed the board’s secrecy, saying it erodes public trust.

Jones put it more bluntly: “This is engineered to make gas so expensive you’re forced into an EV, whether you want one or not.”

California in charge?

California’s policies don’t stop at its borders. About a dozen other states — covering 35% of the U.S. population — have adopted its EV sales targets, including the 2035 gas vehicle ban. States like New York, Washington, Oregon, and Massachusetts are now weighing how to enforce similar goals without federal backup.

While none of these states has matched California’s aggressive LCFS update, many use credit-based emissions programs that punish traditional fuels. Meanwhile, California’s refinery closures could send regional gas prices up 10 to 20 cents, even in states that don’t adopt LCFS-style rules.

The result? A creeping increase in gas prices across the country, driven not by market forces but by regulatory agendas.

Not buying it

An AAA survey earlier this month found that 63% of Americans are unlikely to buy an EV, citing cost, insurance, and lack of charging stations. In California, where electricity rates are double the national average, even charging an EV isn’t much cheaper than filling a tank. With EV financing averaging $783 per month and $105 billion in taxpayer subsidies on the line, the current system favors wealthier households — while working families pay more for both gas and electricity.

And it’s not just pump prices. The added costs ripple through the economy — affecting groceries, shipping, manufacturing, and transportation. The combined impact of the LCFS hike, refinery closures, and a scheduled excise tax bump could raise gas prices by as much as 90 cents per gallon in 2025.

Meeting consumers, not mandates

The auto industry is responding to real-world demand — not government mandates. With the federal EV mandate repealed, manufacturers are shifting their focus to hybrids and fuel-efficient gas cars while scaling back some EV plans. While new EV factories are still being built, carmakers are hedging their bets, giving consumers more options, not fewer.

That’s a refreshing contrast to California’s top-down approach.

Freedom vs. forced transition

California defends its LCFS update as a critical step toward its 2045 net-zero target. But critics argue that the environmental benefits are exaggerated and the economic burden is real. EVs, for instance, release 26% more tire particulate pollution than gas cars, posing their own environmental risks.

And if gas really hits $8 per gallon, the state’s policies may not just be unaffordable — they’ll be unsustainable.

Whether you live in California, Nevada, Arizona, or a state following California’s lead, this is about more than gas. It’s about who decides how you live and what you drive. With the federal EV mandate off the table, it’s time to ask: Should unelected regulators in Sacramento get to control the fuel in your tank?

Taking back the wheel

Will lawmakers block the 65-cent hike? Will other states follow California’s lead? If you care about affordability and choice, now’s the time to make your voice heard. This isn’t just about a gallon of gas — it’s about the freedom to drive what works for you.

For more on this, check out my video here.

Inflation dips to 4-year low despite trade war hysteria: 'Americans are breathing a sigh of relief'



Inflation dipped to a four-year low despite tariff uncertainty, indicating consumer prices have barely been affected by President Donald Trump's trade war.

The annual inflation in April fell to 2.3%, which is the lowest rate since February 2021. Although Trump's tariff policies sparked fears that prices would skyrocket, the annualized inflation rate during Trump's second term so far is only at 1.6%, which is considerably slower compared to former President Joe Biden's term, which saw an 8.6% annualized inflation rate during the first 18 months.

Trump also struck two trade deals in the last week with the United Kingdom and China, alleviating consumers' concerns about market volatility.

RELATED: Rand Paul's anti-tariff crusade was doomed — and rightly so

Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images

'Every dollar is going further and workers are able to keep more of their hard-earned paychecks!'

Americans are also enjoying lower costs for essential goods like gas and groceries. Average energy prices have fallen about 1.5% since January, and food prices declined in April for the first time since Trump was president in November 2020.

RELATED: Vance casts tiebreaking Senate vote after Republicans join Democrats to tank Trump's tariffs

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

The cost of apparel also fell 0.2% in April despite a slight 0.4% uptick in March. Automakers are also relatively unaffected by tariffs, with the cost of new vehicles remaining unchanged, while used car prices fell by 0.5%.

"For the last several years, hardworking families have faced an affordability crisis," Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said in a statement Tuesday. "Finally, with [President Trump] at the helm, Americans are breathing a sigh of relief — every dollar is going further and workers are able to keep more of their hard-earned paychecks!"

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Biden did that? No, it’s Marco Rubio making gas prices skyrocket this time



Last month’s termination of Chevron’s license to operate in Venezuela marks a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy. It also has grave implications for U.S. interests in South America.

The decision, which effectively forces Chevron — responsible for nearly 30% of Venezuela’s oil revenue — to cease operations within 30 days, moves U.S. policy back toward ill-fated interventionism.

Rubio’s adventurism arguably undercuts American dominance of the Western Hemisphere.

At first glance, this shift may appear to be a classic recalibration within the Trump administration. Insider reports suggest, however, that it was driven by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a leading neoconservative, who has seized a moment of political leverage to advance a hard-line stance on Venezuela.

A hard-line shift

With much of Washington’s focus on Ukraine, Rubio worked with Cuban-American lawmakers from Florida, including Republican Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, Carlos Giménez, and Maria Elvira Salazar, to pressure the administration into taking a more aggressive position against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Rubio has long sought the removal of Maduro — whose leftist politics he detests — but his current approach poses a serious threat to U.S. national security.

This move is based on the assumption that by cutting off American engagement with Venezuela’s oil sector, Maduro will be weakened, potentially leading to his ouster.

But history suggests that this kind of economic pressure, typical of neoconservative thinking, has not — that is, never — yielded the desired results.

A similar “maximum pressure” strategy on Venezuela during Trump’s first term did not lead to regime change. Instead, it exacerbated instability in the region and contributed to the surge of migration at the southern U.S. border.

This was hardly an outcome that had conservatives jumping for joy.

Economic consequences

Beyond border security, Rubio’s decision could have severe economic consequences. U.S. oil refiners, particularly along the Gulf Coast, rely on Venezuela’s heavy crude to operate properly and keep pump prices as low as possible for working Americans.

Consequently, restricting access to this supply will likely increase fuel costs for American consumers — something that contradicts the president’s commitment to boosting U.S. energy production to supercharge our flagging economy.

The immediate market response has been telling, with oil prices rising more than 2% following last month's announcement. A neoconservative State Department, therefore, looks set to hit Americans where it hurts.

Strengthening our adversaries

Rubio’s adventurism also arguably undercuts American dominance of the Western Hemisphere.

Rather than halting Venezuelan oil production, hamstringing Chevron leaves Maduro’s government with little choice but to deepen ties with China and Russia. These antagonists are more than ready to fill the gap left by Western firms and American technology.

The U.S. had been making progress in reducing Venezuela’s reliance on Beijing, but this policy reversal could undo all that — strengthening adversaries at America’s expense.

This is not to say that engagement with Venezuela should come without conditions, but a more measured approach would have preserved American leverage rather than ceding ground to geopolitical competitors.

A pivot from MAGA

For example, President Trump last month outlined the framework of a U.S.-Venezuela détente: ramping up crude oil imports in exchange for Venezuela’s agreement to accept the return of its nationals who are in the United States illegally.

This would be a boon for the MAGA movement, strengthening energy and border security in one policy shot.

But Rubio has other ideas. His influence in shaping this turn away from Venezuela is evident. But the broader question remains: Will America return to the failed policies of the past, or will it stick to the optimistic realism of the Trump-Vance ticket?

The right answer, for me at least, is clear as day.

California Regulators Pass Carbon Emission Mandate for Fuel Sellers—and Shrug Off Concerns Over Anticipated Price Hikes

California’s powerful air regulators late Friday night approved mandates for fuel sellers to cut carbon emissions or buy carbon credits, arguing that the move would push people into buying electric vehicles. An outside analysis found the requirements could hike the state’s already high gas prices by as much as 65 cents per gallon in the near term and 85 cents by 2030.

The post California Regulators Pass Carbon Emission Mandate for Fuel Sellers—and Shrug Off Concerns Over Anticipated Price Hikes appeared first on .

A Vote For Donald Trump Is A Vote For Normalcy

Trump may be an abnormal politician, but when it comes to delivering actual normalcy, he’s the better choice this November.

Biden's Energy Department Takes Credit for Reduction of Gas Prices Mandated by Congress

The Department of Energy (DOE) announced last week that it took action to "help lower gas prices ahead of the Fourth of July holiday," a move mandated by Congress earlier this year when lawmakers voted to sell off a million-barrel oil reserve.

The post Biden's Energy Department Takes Credit for Reduction of Gas Prices Mandated by Congress appeared first on .

This California Democrat Says He’ll Lower Gas Prices—After Voting for Legislation That Helped Raise Them

In his quest to flip one of California’s most competitive congressional seats, Democrat Rudy Salas is pledging to "reduce the cost of living" and "lower gas prices" by boosting domestic oil production. When he served in the California State Assembly, Salas voted for legislation that helped make California gas prices the highest in the country.

The post This California Democrat Says He’ll Lower Gas Prices—After Voting for Legislation That Helped Raise Them appeared first on Washington Free Beacon.

What soaring gold prices & the latest CPI report mean for YOUR WALLET



Gold prices are — significantly so. In fact, they just reached an all-time high, but is this a good sign for the economy?

Unfortunately, no.

When Glenn Beck spoke to a certain gold expert, he said, “Do you realize how crazy the world has to be for gold to be at $3,000 an ounce?”

As of right now, “it's over $2,400,” which means we’re rapidly headed toward the threshold of crazy.

But that’s not where the bad news stops.

The March CPI report was also just released, and it revealed yet again that inflation rose faster than expected.

Of course, the Biden administration is continuing to lie and say that inflation is coming down.

For example, they say that “fuel is not in inflation right now,” says Glenn, but “look at the price of fuel.”

According to financial expert Carol Roth, “the data [from the White House] is trash.”

Not only are fewer people responding to the data collection surveys, likely skewing the results, but there’s also “manipulation of the data” — “the scope of which we have not seen in a long time,” says Roth.

For example, one recent report showed that “gasoline for the month was down 3.6%.” However, “if you didn’t seasonally adjust [the data], it would have been up 6.3%.”

“That’s a really big swing,” Roth tells Glenn.

“He's not addressing inflation. Biden is spending more,” adds Glenn, noting that the president is “again forgiving more debt [and] trying to get people into houses.”

Roth agrees, adding, “If you wanted to help the FED get inflation under control as the government, you should have been working with them; you should not have been running up deficits.”

“Every single thing this administration has done has been a barrier ... to you keeping your wealth and your purchasing power.”

To learn more about how gold prices and the latest CPI report impact individuals like you, watch the clip below.


Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Biden Admin Finalizes Regulations Hiking Cost of Oil Drilling

President Joe Biden's administration on Friday finalized a range of regulations designed to boost the cost of oil and gas drilling on public lands.

The post Biden Admin Finalizes Regulations Hiking Cost of Oil Drilling appeared first on Washington Free Beacon.