News in brief for April 20

Energy secretary says gas prices may stay above $3 until 2027

(NYT) — Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said Sunday that gasoline prices in the United States had probably peaked but acknowledged that they could remain elevated for months, undermining President Donald Trump’s earlier claim that high fuel prices would be “short-term.”

Wright had said in early March that the average gas price in the United States would fall below $3 a gallon within “weeks” after Trump and Israel initiated airstrikes against Iran in late February. But on Sunday, Wright appeared to backtrack in an appearance on the CNN program “State of the Union” after the host, Jake Tapper, asked him when it would be “realistic” for Americans to see $3 per gallon prices at the pump.

“I don’t know,” Wright said. “That could happen later this year. That might not happen until next year. But prices have likely peaked.”

When asked again if he meant that gas prices might not return to prewar levels until 2027, Wright suggested that such price levels were “pretty tremendous” after accounting for inflation. Before the war began, the average national price for a gallon of regular gas was $2.98. On Sunday, the average price was $4.05 per gallon, according to the AAA motor club.

Iran has responded to the U.S. and Israeli attacks by disrupting shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, where a significant share of the world’s energy flows. The disruption has pushed up global oil prices and led to sticker shock for U.S. consumers at the gas pump.

That has created a political headache for Trump, who promised affordable gas prices during his 2024 presidential campaign. Republicans are worried about their chances of keeping their congressional majorities in the upcoming November midterm elections as the war drives up the costs of energy and goods.

Even as gas prices rose, Trump continued to call the spike at the pump “a short-term increase” until early April. But he later undercut his own claims and said the prices “should be around the same” in November and might be “a little bit higher,” a prediction that Wright echoed Sunday.

Wright’s comments prompted a round of attacks from Democrats, who have spent weeks assailing the administration over gas prices and have placed the issue at the center of their messaging going into the midterms.

Skydiver dangles after parachute snags on stadium video board

(Reuters) — A skydiver trailing a large American flag drifted off course and became tangled in the video board at a U.S. college football game on Saturday, leaving him suspended above the field by his parachute until he was rescued.

Viral videos from inside Virginia Tech’s Lane Stadium, confirmed by Reuters, showed two skydivers descending into the arena before the school’s spring game, when one of them missed the designated landing area, hit the electronic scoreboard and became entangled.

Fans watched in distress as the skydiver, whose name was not immediately released, was left hanging for 15 to 20 minutes before emergency crews using an aerial ladder brought him to safety.

“We are grateful to report that the skydiver was safely secured and is currently stable. Our primary focus remains on their well-being,” Virginia Tech officials posted on X.