With gas prices about 10 percent higher than they were at this point last year, the situation may be near the point of U.S. economic strain, an analysis found. Motor club AAA posts a national average retail price of $2.56 for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline. That’s almost 4 cents higher than last week and 27 cents more than this date last year. A federal estimate from last week showed gasoline demand across the U.S. economy is at a point not usually seen until summer months when more vacationers hit the road. The United States is exporting more of its own oil, meanwhile, and the market is getting tighter. As a result, consumers are seeing prices climb at the pump. Patrick DeHaan, a […]