Skip to content
Project 2025
Search

Latest Stories

Follow Us:
Top Stories
People walking down the steps of the U.S. capitol.

DNC's Proposed RCV Ban Sparks Debate Over 2028 Presidential Primaries

Defense Secretary Hegseth Testifies Before Senate Appropriations Committee

Can We Fire Hegseth Yet?

Missouri Drew a Gerrymander. Now Its Secretary of State Says Voters Can’t Say No.

Missouri Drew a Gerrymander. Now Its Secretary of State Says Voters Can’t Say No.

Six Undeclared Wars Reveal Fatal Costs and Failed Oversight

Six Undeclared Wars Reveal Fatal Costs and Failed Oversight

Close-up hands of unrecognizable man holding and using smartphone standing on city street, browsing internet, checking social media, using mobile application.

ALS Doesn't Wait. Our Health Care System Still Does.

Were gas prices higher in April 2024 than a year prior?

Person paying for gas
Grace Cary/Getty Images
Luke Heald
By Luke HealdJun 06, 2024
Luke Heald
Luke Heald, EconoFact is a contributor for The Fulcrum, a nonpartisan publication dedicated to strengthening democracy by fostering informed civic engagement and elevating diverse perspectives.
See More Writings by author

This fact brief was originally published by EconoFact. Read the original here. Fact briefs are published by newsrooms in the Gigafact network, and republished by The Fulcrum. Visit Gigafact to learn more.

Were gas prices higher in April 2024 than a year prior?

No.

Gas costs in April 2024 were about the same as those in April 2023.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration records weekly, monthly, and yearly averages of all formulations of regular retail gasoline prices. In April 2023, the recorded price was $3.60. In April 2024, it was $3.61 — a difference of about one penny.

Gas prices in the first four months of 2024 ($3.33) averaged about 11 cents lower than in the first four months of 2023 ($3.44).

Gas prices rose 17% between January and April 2024. But an increase in gas prices during this time of the year is not unusual. Gas prices rose 8% between January and April 2023, 24% between January and April 2022 (a period that encompassed the Russian invasion of Ukraine), and 22% between January and April 2021.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

US Energy Information Administration US Regular All Formulations Retail Gasoline Prices (Dollars per Gallon)

Google Docs EIA Gas Prices 2024 versus 2023

Federal Reserve Bank Of St. Louis US Regular All Formulations Gas Price


Latest news

State Gerrymandering Surge Ends Path to Proportional Representation
Governance & Legislation

State Gerrymandering Surge Ends Path to Proportional Representation

Voting
Elections

Can Independents Run Through the Jungle?

What Will It Take to Rebuild American Democracy?
Democracy

What Will It Take to Rebuild American Democracy?

Democratic Party Suicide
Governance & Legislation

Democratic Party Suicide

Read More

A New Standard for Ethical Immigration Reporting
people holding flag of U.S.A miniature
Photo by Frank Kastle on Unsplash

A New Standard for Ethical Immigration Reporting

Seven months ago, I attended the first day of my Reporting on Race class at USC. Taught by journalist and immigration reporting expert Jean Guerrero, the course offered growth I hadn’t yet imagined, showing me how much I could evolve as a journalist in just one semester.

For the next five months, I researched and reported on an immigration story of my choosing. I wrote about how educators in Los Angeles protect and advocate for students and communities living in fear of ICE deportations. These educators organized community street patrols to keep their neighborhoods safe. Finding sources and producing the final draft took months, but it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my journalism studies so far.

Keep ReadingShow less
Artificial intelligence chip, AI processor, Backgrounds 3D rendered image.

AI is transforming finance, government, and society. As Congress considers new technology laws, the future of democratic oversight depends on wisdom, foresight, and political will.

ispyfriend/Getty Images

Can Congress Govern Disruptive Technology?

Imagine waking up one day to find your bank account frozen because an AI system has incorrectly identified you as a fraud risk. There is no human to call, only another algorithm reviewing your appeal. Hours later, the error is corrected, but the damage has already been done.

Who is actually in charge?

Keep ReadingShow less
The Case for Intergenerational AI Advocacy
The letters ai are displayed on a blurred background.
Photo by Zach M on Unsplash

The Case for Intergenerational AI Advocacy

If Allison Baker and Maria Garcia apply for the same job against Matthew Owens or Joe Alvarez, and Matthew or Joe gets the job despite everything else being the same, that would seem to be a typical case of gender discrimination by the employer.

However, the names and scenarios I described were not drawn from a human example, but from AI. ChatGPT generated female candidates who were, on average, 1.6 years younger than their male counterparts and considered them less qualified than male applicants. Given AI’s pervasiveness in hiring decisions, these biases pose a significant concern.

Keep ReadingShow less
Can a Sovereign Wealth Fund Secure America’s Future?

Could AI help fund America's future? Explore how a sovereign wealth fund could reduce inequality, strengthen Social Security, and share AI-driven wealth.

in-future/Getty Images

Can a Sovereign Wealth Fund Secure America’s Future?

In his recent encyclical Magnifica humanitas, Pope Leo XIV stated that humanity is at a critical turning point, facing a pivotal choice regarding Artificial Intelligence and modern digital technologies. Indeed, AI experts on both sides of the aisle have worried that accelerating advances in AI technology could cause major disruptions to our economy and workforce, including rising inequality and mass unemployment.

To address these looming challenges, the CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, has made a bold offer: his company will gift the US government a 5% stake. At the company’s current stock price and valuation of nearly $900 billion, a 5% holding would be worth roughly $42.6 billion. That’s a handsome sum, and Altman has also proposed that other AI companies should match his company’s offer.

Keep ReadingShow less
© Copyright 2026