Bleak future for California’s struggling drivers revealed — despite relief for rest of America
California-Arizona border reveals striking gas price divide
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Amazon’s Prime Day deal list is overwhelming, so we found the 145+ worth shopping MetroBleak future for California’s struggling drivers revealed — despite relief for rest of America
By David Thompson Published June 19, 2026, 9:00 a.m. ETSee more of our coverage in your search results.
Add The California Post on GooglePresident Donald Trump’s war with Iran may be winding down — but California drivers are still getting hammered at the pump.
Trump’s historic US-Iran “memorandum of understanding,” aimed at ending the conflict between the longtime foes, has already helped drive gas prices lower across much of America.
But in the Golden State, relief remains nowhere in sight.
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At a Mobil station in Needles, California, on the Arizona border Thursday, a gallon of regular gas still cost a staggering $6.79.
Just minutes away across the state line, drivers at an Arco station in Arizona were paying only $4.15 a gallon — a jaw-dropping $2.64 less for the exact same fuel.
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The national average sits at $3.90 per gallon.
The Post visited both stations in April and found a similar story: drivers at the Arco in Mohave Valley were paying just $4.09 a gallon, while motorists at the Mobil station a five-minute drive across the Colorado River were shelling out $6.99.
Separated by just 1.8 miles, the two stations underscore the enormous gap between California’s fuel policies and those of its neighbor.
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To fill up their tanks, Californians face the highest state gas tax in the nation at 61 cents per gallon, compared with just 18 cents in Arizona.
Drivers are also hit with an additional 34 to 44 cents per gallon in emissions fees and climate-related programs that push fuel costs even higher.
“California drivers are being overtaxed and overregulated at the pump — plain and simple,’’ Rep. Vince Fong (R-Central Valley) previously told The Post.
“Californians can drive just a few miles across the border into Arizona and see gas that’s nearly three dollars cheaper. That’s not a coincidence — that’s a policy failure,” Fong said.
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“Sacramento has created a man-made energy crisis through excessive taxes, mandates, and regulations that are driving up costs and shutting down needed refineries and pipelines,” he said.
“The results of Gavin Newsom’s energy policies are predictable: higher prices for working families.”
At the Needles Mobil station, manager Cody Eggleston, 28, previously told The Post that business dried up after California’s green-energy taxes began driving customers away.
“We used to get a lot of traffic, anybody coming out of California, every single person would stop here,” he said.
Now, even locals who work in Needles — known as the “Gateway to California” — cross into Arizona to fill up.
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“The people [who work in Needles] all live in Arizona and we all get our fuel in Arizona,” explained Cody.
Gas prices surged after the Iran conflict erupted on Feb. 28.
But prices have fallen sharply since Trump signed the widely praised agreement between the US and Iran on Wednesday at a gathering in Versailles, France, alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other world leaders.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and the prime minister of Pakistan also signed the document.
The deal cleared the way for oil tankers to safely transit the Strait of Hormuz, allowing tens of millions of barrels of previously stranded Gulf oil to reach global markets.
On Thursday, the American Automobile Association reported that California’s average gas price had dropped to $5.64 per gallon, down from $5.80 a week earlier and $6.15 a month ago.
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
