The latest chapter in America’s favorite side quest
Ted Cruz and Gavin Newsom are back at it, and this time the battlefield is the gas pump. Cruz posted a receipt from Texas showing he paid $3.99 a gallon, then jabbed California’s climate rules and told Newsom the problem isn’t Chevron — it’s California’s “stupid energy policies.”
California: where filling up feels like a luxury subscription
Newsom’s team shot back with its own mic-drop math, saying Cruz could’ve found cheaper fuel at Costco and still chose a branded station. Meanwhile, California keeps wearing the crown no one wants: the priciest gas in the country at $6.14 a gallon, with national prices still hovering near painful levels.
Why investors should care
This isn’t just political Twitter with better lighting. It keeps the pressure on the whole energy stack:
- Oil prices are still doing the heavy lifting in the background, with WTI and Brent both sliding on the day but staying elevated enough to sting drivers.
- Refiners, producers, and pipeline names keep getting pulled into the policy debate every time gas prices spike.
- Consumer-facing names like Costco can get dragged into the conversation too, even when they’re only being used as the “cheaper option” in someone else’s argument.
Big picture
When gas gets expensive, everybody suddenly becomes an energy expert. The market, meanwhile, just keeps watching the same old trio: crude prices, California regulation, and whatever fresh feud politicians cook up next.