AAA: CA Drivers Paying About $5.89 For Gas, Highest in U.S.

The Lead with Jake Tapper delivers a high-stakes episode covering multiple global crises, beginning with soaring gas prices in the U.S., now averaging $4.02 nationally and reaching $5.89 in California—driven by the ongoing war in Iran and the potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump claims the war could end in two to three weeks, asserting that the U.S. will not be responsible for reopening the strait, urging allies like France, Spain, and Italy to take action. Meanwhile, CNN reports that the U.S. military has begun flying B-52s over Iran, signaling degraded air defenses, while NATO allies restrict U.S. access to their bases, fracturing alliance cohesion. The episode also covers the launch of NASA’s Artemis II mission, a historic crewed flight around the moon, with live updates from Kennedy Space Center highlighting the rocket’s readiness and the critical heat shield test. On the domestic front, the show examines political tensions: a federal judge orders the University of Pennsylvania to hand over a list of Jewish students to the Trump administration for an anti-Semitism investigation, sparking privacy concerns; Trump faces legal setbacks with a judge blocking his White House ballroom construction and a ruling halting his attempt to defund NPR and PBS. The episode closes with a powerful human story of an Afghan interpreter, Mohammed Iqbal Salani, who fears deportation despite serving with U.S. forces, and a controversial interview with Nancy Pelosi on the future of a female president, amid ongoing debates about gender and political readiness.