$6 Gas in California Signals New Phase of the Global Energy Crunch

The statewide average for 87-octane gasoline in California has topped $6 a gallon as the Iran-war-driven global energy crunch ripples across the West Coast, the hardest-hit U. S. region.

Meanwhile, the national average remains above the politically sensitive $4-a-gallon threshold, hovering around $4. 30, according to AAA data as of Thursday morning.