promoearn: Why is gas so expensive?

Wednesday, August 11

A gas pump is seen at the Victory gas station on April 21, 2014 in Pembroke Pines, Florida.

Gas prices are up, and President Biden wants to figure out why. And the Perseid shower will light up the night sky this week. It's Wednesday's news.

President Joe Biden wants an investigation into "illegal activity" that could be causing a spike in gas prices. Experts say COVID-19 transmission among the vaccinated is rare – but possible. And the best meteor shower of the year is about to begin.

👋 It's Laura. What's up, besides gas prices? Here's Wednesday's news!

But first, this is crab-tivating. 🦀 A team of researchers was exploring the effects of plastic trash on a group of hermit crabs. What they didn't expect to learn was how the plastic was sexually arousing the crabs.

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Biden looking into why gas prices are up

Gas prices are up, and Biden wants to figure out why. The president said Wednesday his administration is taking steps to crack down on illegal activity that might be contributing to a rise in gas prices. Biden announced that the National Economic Council has asked the Federal Trade Commission to use "every available tool" to monitor the U.S. gasoline market and look for any illegal activity that might be causing gas prices to jump while the cost of a barrel of oil is going down. Gas prices have jumped more than energy prices over the past year. The price of gas has jumped 42%, while energy has risen 24%. The average gas price in January was $2.326, almost a dollar less than what the average gas price was last month. According to AAA, the average price of gas as of Wednesday is $3.185.

•	Gas prices aren't expected to dip below $3 per gallon during the summer travel season.
•	'No turning back:' Biden signs order targeting half of all vehicles sold in U.S. to be zero-emissions by 2030.

COVID-19 transmission among the vaccinated is rare – but possible

As the country confronts a massive surge of coronavirus cases, fully vaccinated Americans worry whether they're adequately protected. As masking recommendations for the vaccinated change, one aspect of the transmissibility debate can be overlooked. Cases of breakthrough infections among the vaccinated remain rare. In that event, health experts said, a fully vaccinated person who gets COVID-19 won't be contagious for very long and may not have the chance to transmit the virus to another person.

Pregnant people should get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday, warning of the possibility of "severe outcomes'' for those who don't and pointing out there's no evidence of increased chance of miscarriage for those who get immunized. 👉 The latest COVID-19 news.

•	California mandates vaccines or testing for teachers, school employees.
•	Study showing antibody levels protecting against COVID-19 could speed creation of new vaccines, boosters.

A pregnant woman is pictured wearing a face mask and gloves as she waits in line for groceries during a food drive at St. Mary's Church in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Charles Krupa, AP Images

What everyone's talking about

•	Still just friends: Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer aren't dating, despite rumors.
•	Flippin' out over these: Samsung reveals Galaxy Z Fold3 5G and Flip3 5G phones.
•	Almost 50 years later, a baby rescued from a fire meets the man whose actions saved her life.
•	'Jeopardy!' announces two new hosts: Mike Richards and Mayim Bialik.
•	Baby believed to be world's smallest surviving infant at birth finally gets to go home.
•	Campus ministry at Virginia Tech had its Pride flag stolen, replaced with Confederate flag.

What's up with Fred?

The newly formed Tropical Storm Fred was churning toward the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Wednesday, threatening heavy rains and flooding after it drenched the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Fred reached tropical storm strength late Tuesday. The storm passed over the U.S. territories, where power outages were reported, and it could cause river flooding and the potential for mudslides. The storm is expected to weaken over the Dominican Republic but strengthen again Thursday evening as it eyes Florida, potentially reaching the bottom of the peninsula by the weekend.

•	Here's the latest on Fred – and what you need to know.
•	Tropical Storm Fred is aimed at Florida, but is it what's behind this storm we should worry about?

This satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Tropical Storm Fred near Puerto Rico late Tuesday.

AP Images

Senate approves 'blueprint' for $3.5T plan

Early Wednesday, Senate Democrats completed an important initial step in their quest to approve a $3.5 trillion bill aimed at tackling a number of Biden's priorities by subsidizing child care, expanding caregiving and providing free community college and pre kindergarten. After hours of debate, senators passed a resolution along party lines on a 50-49 vote that gives committees in Congress instructions to begin crafting the bill, using the resolution as a "blueprint." A final vote on the bill isn't expected until the fall. The $3.5 trillion bill calls for free prekindergarten for 3 and 4-year-olds, two years of free community college, and paid family and sick leave. It also would expand Medicare to cover dental, hearing and vision benefits.

•	Exclusive: Bernie Sanders muses on historic budget bill and the hurdles ahead.
•	Opinion: Senate Democrats passed a $3.5 trillion budget. Here's why you should care. A lot.
•	Feral pigs, a presidential library: Congress has started requesting earmarks for their districts, from pig mitigation to a presidential library.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., left, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y., right, speak to members of the media as they walk out of a budget resolution meeting at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Aug. 9, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) ORG XMIT: DCAH114

Andrew Harnik, AP

Real quick

•	Andrew Cuomo is resigning, but the investigations into his conduct will continue.
•	Grizzly bear may have been guarding food during deadly attack near Yellowstone National Park.
•	Team USA Paintball player fired over TikTok video of her shaming child with COVID-19.
•	Three men sentenced in 2019 assault on gay couple in Austin, Texas.

Look up! Fireballs!

The best meteor shower of the year starts Wednesday and will peak until Friday. . The Perseid shower, known for its bright, long streaks of light and dazzling "fireballs," will continue through Aug. 24. Luckily for people in the United States, the shower is more visible in the Northern Hemisphere. However, it does require staying up late, and a clear view of the sky. The Perseid shower is best seen at about 2 a.m. local time but can be visible as early as 9 p.m. Discovered in 1862 by Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle, the shower originates from Earth entering the orbit of debris from the comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which takes 133 years to orbit the sun. At its peak, up to 100 meteors an hour can be seen in the night sky.

•	2021 lunar eclipses, meteor showers: Looking ahead and back at these astronomical highlights.

TOPSHOT - A Perseid meteor streaks across the sky above a camping site at the Negev desert near the city of Mitzpe Ramon on August 11, 2020 during the Perseids meteor shower, which occurs every year when the Earth passes through the cloud of debris left by the comet Swift-Tuttle.

MENAHEM KAHANA, AFP via Getty Images

A break from the news

•	😍 Romantic resorts in Mexico that are perfect for couples: Tulum, Riviera Maya, Cabo.
•	✈️ Flying soon? Here are seven protective items to bring amid delta variant spread.
•	💸 Three credit card mistakes to avoid at all costs – and steps you can take to avoid making them.

This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Want this news roundup in your inbox every night? Sign up for The Short List newsletter here.