California: Gasoline prices increase nearly 9 cents in two weeks

Gasoline prices saw their biggest increase in nearly a year during the last two weeks.

Friday’s average price per gallon for all grades and taxes was nearly $1.24, up 8.77 cents per gallon from Feb. 22, according to the Lundberg survey of 8,000 gas stations nationwide.

Prices had been hovering around $1.14 a gallon since the beginning of the year until the latest spike, which analyst Trilby Lundberg attributed mostly to rising crude oil prices. Another factor was maintenance work performed at some refineries to prepare for the springtime rise in demand, she said.

“It does seem likely that prices will increase” more, Lundberg said Sunday in Camarillo. Whether the increases will be moderate or major depends largely on whether tensions rise in the Middle East, she added.

The national average price of gasoline, including taxes, at self-serve pumps Friday was about $1.20 per gallon for regular, $1.30 for mid-grade and $1.39 for premium.

New York City: Firefighters gather for Sept. 11 documentary

New York City firefighters who watched a documentary Sunday about the Sept. 11 rescue effort said they were proud of their department and the 343 colleagues who gave their lives trying to save others.

“Courage is when you’re afraid but you do it anyway, and that’s what these guys depicted faces of courage, but ready to go,” said firefighter Michael Crowell. “They looked unsure, but I don’t think there was a fearful face on any of them.”

Crowell, who cried as he watched the show Sunday night from his Bronx home, said the documentary reminded him of the guilt he has felt since surviving the collapse of the twin towers.

“These guys died doing something that we all wanted to do,” he said.

Firefighters gathered at firehouses and homes, with friends and family, to watch the two-hour “9/11,” which aired on CBS. Hosted by Robert De Niro, the program presented video footage shot by two French filmmakers who were working on a documentary about a firehouse a few blocks from the twin towers.

Boston: Seafood industry assesses threats of bioterrorism

The threat of terrorism is affecting even the nation’s seafood industry and its largest trade show.

This week’s International Seafood Show will feature sobering discussions on the vulnerability of the nation’s food supply, particularly seafood, and the effects of new regulations on the industry.

Some experts worry that the industry could be susceptible because raw fish is a ready breeding ground for bacteria and because the industry comprises numerous small companies, which makes oversight difficult.

A bioterrorism bill passed by the Senate in December provides for stronger federal oversight of the seafood industry, requiring federal registration of processing plants and authorizing the Food and Drug Administration to seize catches in an emergency. A conference committee is trying to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions.