Auto Club: SoCal gas prices dip ahead of Memorial Day weekend
The latest report, published on Thursday, shows that gas prices dipped despite earlier reports that Californians wouldn't see relief at the pump during the holiday weekend.
'Southern Californians will be paying the lowest pump prices since 2021 to fill up for their Memorial Day getaways, which they will be taking in record numbers,' Auto Club spokesperson Doug Shupe said in a statement. 'Gas prices are backing off from a price spike earlier this month caused by a Northern California refinery fire and some unplanned refinery outages. According to Oil Price Information Service, those supply issues have been resolved, and refineries have increased their gasoline production.'
Southern California AAA shares the best times to travel ahead of Memorial Day weekend
In the Los Angeles-Long Beach region, prices dipped by two cents to $4.80 per gallon, while San Diego drivers are also paying $4.80, down three cents from last week.
The Central Coast saw the biggest weekly decline, with average prices falling seven cents to $4.72 per gallon — a 45-cent drop from last year.
Riverside drivers now pay an average of $4.66 per gallon, three cents less than last week and 38 cents below 2024 prices. In Bakersfield, the average is $4.73, a two-cent decrease from last week and 46 cents below last year's figure.
As of Friday morning, the average price of gasoline in California stands at $4.84, while the national average is $3.19.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
12 hours ago
- The Hill
Newsom signs sweeping rollbacks of key California environmental review law
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Monday signed legislation paring down the state's landmark environmental review laws in a bid to cut red tape and make housing more accessible. As part of his 2025-2026 state budget, the governor gave his stamp of approval to two bills — AB 130 and SB 131 — his office described as 'the most significant overhaul of California's housing and environmental review laws in decades.' 'Today's bill is a game changer, which will be felt for generations to come,' Newsom said in a statement. The two 'budget trailer bills' — measures that essentially serve as revisions to the state budget — include a streamlining package that remove certain development barriers, update review procedures for critical housing and infrastructure and create new tools for accelerating production. Garnering bipartisan support, the legislation involves implementing major reforms to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). This pivotal statute, signed into law in 1970 by then-Gov. Ronald Reagan (R), required state and local agencies to disclose the potential environmental effects of all their decisions, including on housing-related initiatives. 'I just enacted the most game-changing housing reforms in recent California history,' Newsom wrote in a post on X late Monday. 'We're urgently embracing an abundance agenda by tearing down the barriers that have delayed new affordable housing and infrastructure for decades,' the governor added, calling upon Californians to 'get building.' Among the reforms included in the new bills are measures to speed up housing and infrastructure projects by streamlining their environmental review. Some such projects are infill housing — residences built in unused urban lots, high-speed rail, utilities, broadband — community centers, farmworker housing and wildfire prevention structures. Although the new rules maintain protections for natural and sensitive lands, they exempt local government rezoning procedures from CEQA requirements. The legislation also expands the Permit Streamlining Act, by restricting certain Coastal Commission housing appeals and accelerating permitting in coastal areas. Also within the bills are measures to freeze new residential building standards through 2031, with exceptions granted to emergency, fire and conservation-related updates. Sustainable financing tools, such as a revolving fund to reinvest equity from stabilized affordable housing into new developments, will also be made available through the laws. The approved actions also entail strengthening oversight of local homeless shelters via annual city and county inspections and authorizing the withholding of state funding if agencies fail to comply. The legislation also more than doubles the existing Renters Tax Credit by increasing credit to support renters up to $500 for qualified filers. State Sen. Scott Wiener (D), whose previous bill proposals provided the foundation for much of the new legislation, described the CEQA reforms in a Monday statement as 'a bold step forward toward tackling the root causes of California's affordability crisis.' He touted the CEQA exemptions for streamlining approvals for housing, childcare centers, clean water infrastructure, climate adaptation projects and advanced manufacturing: processes that improve or create entirely new materials and products. 'These bills get red tape and major process hurdles out of the way, allowing us to finally start addressing these shortages and securing an affordable California and a brighter future,' Wiener said. Despite earning support from both sides of the aisle, the bills have gotten pushback from environmental groups. A day before the legislation became law, Miguel Miguel, director of Sierra Club California, accused the state legislature of 'using backroom deals to undermine' California's 'bedrock environmental law.' 'Leaders are abusing the budget process to push these anti-environmental policies, slipping language that was formerly in AB 306 and SB 607, two bills that faced massive opposition from environmental groups, into trailer bills to bypass public input and subvert democratic accountability,' Miguel wrote in a last-ditch call for opposition to the bills. Meanwhile, as late as Monday morning, labor unions were appealing to Newsom and state legislators to reconsider a CEQA exemption on advanced manufacturing included in the bills. 'We know that exempting 'advanced manufacturing' industries from CEQA would expose us, our members, and colleagues to grave harm in our workplaces and communities,' the unions wrote in a collective letter. Among their specific concerns cited was the semiconductor industry's extensive use of toxic 'forever chemicals,' also known as PFAS, in their production processes. Citing previous usages of other contaminants from the 1960 to the 1990s, the writers stressed that pollutants harmed not only workers, but also neighboring communities. The unions also warned that the legislation 'would give carte blanche to companies like Tesla to expand without any environmental oversight.' But other groups celebrated the CEQA reforms as critical to solving California's looming housing and infrastructure crises. 'No longer will CEQA be leveraged to stall critical county wildfire, water and housing projects,' Jeff Griffiths, president of the California State Association of Counties, said in a statement. 'This legislation will make California more affordable for families by helping to alleviate our housing crisis and, in turn, reducing homelessness,' Griffiths added. Chris Elmendorf, a property law expert at University of California Davis, marveled in a post-signing analysis on X just how quickly Newsom's 'triumph over CEQA…went down' and the remarkable shift in the politics of reform that has taken foot in the past few years. He noted that just since the two trailer bills went public over the past week, one of the most powerful opponents — the California Building Trades Council — went from rejecting the legislation to expressing neutrality. 'The law that untold numbers of project opponents have leveraged for year after year after year of delays went from untouchable to demolished almost overnight,' Elmendorf stated.
Business Wire
12 hours ago
- Business Wire
More Californians Qualify for Cool Air Rebate Program That Now Pays 90% of Vehicle A/C Repairs
RIVERSIDE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, the Cool Air Rebate (CAR) Program, which provides financial assistance to low-income Californians to repair leaking vehicle air conditioning systems, announced changes to the program that allow more Californians to stay safe and cool in their cars this summer. "This isn't just about comfort—it's about equity and health. Low-income families are often the most impacted by extreme heat, and this program makes it possible for them to fix their car A/C and avoid the heat-related risks." The Cool Air Rebate Program now covers up to 90% of eligible repair costs (an increase from 80% previously) to remove leaking R-134a refrigerant – a greenhouse gas 1,400 times more harmful than CO₂- from car air conditioning systems. The CAR Program is broadening the customer income requirements from 200% of the federal poverty level to 225%, expanding the number of individuals who qualify for the program. Finally, the CAR Program announced it is offering free diagnostic testing to determine vehicle eligibility at participating auto repair shops statewide for applicants in the month of July. These program guideline updates go into effect on July 1, 2025 and are permanent. The free diagnostic is a limited time offer and available only from July 1 - July 31, 2025. 'The critical updates to the Cool Air Rebate Program – increasing the financial assistance to cover up to 90% of repair costs, broadening income eligibility, and offering free diagnostic testing in July – are about making sure more Californians can get the help they need to stay safe and cool,' said Nathan Perrine, Executive Director of the Car Care Council, which manages the CAR Program. 'This isn't just about comfort—it's about equity and health. Low-income families are often the most impacted by extreme heat, and this program makes it possible for them to fix their car A/C and avoid the heat-related risks that come with driving in extreme heat.' In addition to helping vulnerable Californians stay safe this summer, a primary goal of the CAR Program is to directly reduce the amount of air pollution caused by the release of R-134a refrigerant in our atmosphere. According to the American Lung Association's 2025 State of the Air, several California cities are consistently ranked among the worst for ozone pollution, including Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Visalia, Bakersfield, Fresno, and Sacramento. Ozone pollution is a major contributor to respiratory illnesses, including asthma attacks and increased asthma-related emergency room visits. Beyond health, ozone's impact on plant life reduces crop yields and timber production, resulting in significant economic losses. Since the program debuted as a pilot in Fresno in July 2024, the program has repaired 1,067 vehicles and provided nearly $1.2 million in subsidies to participating auto repair shops statewide. There are more than 110 cities throughout California that are now offering the CAR Program. Funding for the Cool Air Rebate Program comes from unclaimed deposits on cans of R-134a sold in California. Use of the funding was authorized by the California Air Resources Board in 2024. The CAR Program announced the updates to the program at CSAI Auto Service in Riverside, who has joined more than 225 certified auto repair shops as a CAR Program certified partner. At the announcement event, CSAI Auto Service owner Patricia Summers shared why her shop joined the program. 'We see families every day who put off repairs because they just can't afford them,' said Summers, owner of CSAI Auto Service in Riverside. 'Being part of the Cool Air Rebate Program means we can say 'yes' to more people. We're proud to offer this service to our community.' Rancho Cucamonga resident Tara S. had her vehicle A/C repaired through the Cool Air Rebate Program last month, after driving without a functioning A/C for two years. Tara lives with her 80-year-old mother, who has Alzheimer's and is very sensitive to high temperatures, which meant running errands either very early in the morning or in the evening to avoid the extreme heat. 'My mom and I have a limited income, and we couldn't afford to repair the A/C,' Tara said, adding that it was challenging taking her mom to doctor's appointments during the summer months. 'It was the longest two years of my life. You don't realize how important a working A/C is until it's gone. My car's A/C works better than ever now. I'm so grateful.' The CAR Program is partnering with 240 trusted community organizations throughout the state to work within their communities and reach as many eligible applicants as possible. One outstanding partner is Gerardo Puluido and the incredible team at Casa Blanca Home of Neighborly Service, who have provided vital support to families in Riverside's Casa Blanca neighborhood since 1970 and are now helping spread the word about the Cool Air Rebate Program. 'The Cool Air Rebate Program has been everything they said they are—the program just keeps getting better,' said Puluido, praising the expanded 90% coverage and new income eligibility requirements. Electronic Press Kit Assets Available: Media can access b-roll video, photos, CAR Logos and other visual assets of the Cool Air Rebate program here. The Cool Air Rebate Program offers financial assistance to low-income Californians to cover up to 90% of repair costs to remove leaking R-134a refrigerant – a greenhouse gas 1,400 times more harmful than CO₂ – from personal vehicles manufactured between 1993 and 2019. Funding for the Cool Air Rebate Program comes from unclaimed deposits on cans of R-134a sold in California, in coordination with the Car Care Council and the California Air Resources Board.
New York Post
13 hours ago
- New York Post
9 best Fourth of July mattress and bedding sales to shop ASAP
New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you click or buy through our links. Featured pricing is subject to change. If you've been waking up hot, sore, or just plain fed up with your mattress, consider this your sign from the sleep gods: the 2025 Fourth of July mattress sales have landed, and they're stacked with deals so good you'll actually want to shop them between burgers and fireworks. Top-rated brands like Saatva, Leesa, Helix, and Nectar are all offering major discounts this year — we're talking up to $800 off, plus free bedding bundles, adjustable base upgrades, and sitewide deals you don't need a coupon to unlock. Even editor-tested picks (like the Helix Midnight Luxe or Leesa Sapira Hybrid) are hundreds of dollars off. Advertisement And for those who almost added a new mattress to your cart during Memorial Day, now's your second chance. To make your life easier, we rounded up the best Fourth of July mattress sales of 2025, including brand highlights and what makes each one worth your money. Best Fourth of July Mattress Sales of 2025 Saatva Saatva's dropping up to a cool $600 off any mattress $1,000+ — including their crown-jewel (and Post Wanted-loved) Saatva Classic. That means a queen-size Classic is just $1,699 (usually $2,099) — a luxury innerspring with three firmness options, 365-night trial, lifetime warranty, and free white-glove delivery with old-mattress removal. This mattress wins praise for its support on your back and in your wallet — ideal for combo sleepers and anyone recovering from a sore neck or shoulders. Amazon Amazon is quietly loaded with Fourth of July mattress deals, especially if you're hunting for budget buys, fast delivery, or highly rated brands under $500. Right now, you can grab the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress (a cult classic with over 140,000 reviews) for around $250 for a queen. Even name brands like Tuft & Needle, Ashley Furniture, and Casper are up to 40% off. It's not a white-glove showroom experience, but Amazon's sleep deals are unbeatable for quick refreshes, guest rooms, or first apartments. Just check the specs — and the delivery window — before you hit 'Buy Now.' Nectar During this sale, Nectar is offering a hefty up to 50% off mattresses, plus up to 66% off bundles (think mattress + base + bedding). That covers favorites like the Nectar Premier Copper Hybrid, which delivers cooling copper gel and firm, pressure-relief support. Bundle it with sheets and pillows and you could walk away with everything for less than the cost of some standalone mattresses. DreamCloud DreamCloud is going up to 60% off, with some deals including free pillows or blankets. The DreamCloud Premier Hybrid is a killer pick — thick comfort layers, foam + coils, plush yet supportive feel. A perfect setup for couples — think minimal motion transfer but lavish cushioning. Score it now before it's gone. Helix Helix, a Post Wanted-loved brand, is running 25% sitewide with promo code JULY25, and models like the Midnight Luxe queen drop to around $1,751 (down from $2,373). This 13.5″ pillow-top hybrid features copper-infused foam and 1,000 coils — ideal for side and back sleepers craving pressure relief and cooling. It even boasts lumbar support and a deluxe cover upgrade option. Leesa Leesa is slicing 30% off sitewide, including on standout models like the Leesa Sapira Hybrid Chill, a Post Wanted editor favorite — now around $2,059 for a queen (originally close to $2,949). Think cooling foam layers that feel refreshing in July, all while delivering bounce and support worthy of a luxury hotel. Bear Bear's offering 35% off sitewide with promo code JULY4, plus freebies like pillows or sheets. Their Bear Elite Hybrid, another Post Wanted editor-loved model, and Star Hybrid excel with copper-gel cooling, firmer support, and pressure relief — perfect for athletes or anyone who stretches daily. Brooklyn Bedding Get 30% off sitewide with promo code JULY30. Models like Signature Hybrid, Aurora Luxe (a Post Wanted cooling favorite), and Titan (for heavier bodies) are all fair game. The Signature offers a luxe yet affordable hybrid feel, Aurora Luxe is cooling, and Titan brings extra reinforcement. Plank Plank's offering 30% off sitewide with the promo code JULY30. This is for fans of rock-solid, firm support — think flippable firmness and minimal sink. The kind of bed stomach sleepers rave about. Avocado Green Avocado is offering 15% off sitewide, including green-certified latex models. The top-tier Avocado Green Mattress — now around $1,784 for a queen (down from $2,099) — is a bestselling pick. It's organic, eco-friendly, yet plush and supportive, without sacrificing bounce. For over 200 years, the New York Post has been America's go-to source for bold news, engaging stories, in-depth reporting, and now, insightful shopping guidance. We're not just thorough reporters – we sift through mountains of information, test and compare products, and consult experts on any topics we aren't already schooled specialists in to deliver useful, realistic product recommendations based on our extensive and hands-on analysis. Here at The Post, we're known for being brutally honest – we clearly label partnership content, and whether we receive anything from affiliate links, so you always know where we stand. We routinely update content to reflect current research and expert advice, provide context (and wit) and ensure our links work. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.
