If global disruptions continue, Seattle gas prices could climb as high as $10 a gallon, a Stanford expert tells Axios.

Why it matters: Washington drivers already pay among the highest gas prices in the country — so when prices rise, the pain hits harder.

🌎 The big picture: Gasoline prices are set globally, meaning Washington retailers are competing for crude oil with buyers around the world, Ryan Cummings, chief of staff at the Stanford Institute of Economic Policy Research, told Axios.

• That's true even though Washington produces more gasoline than it uses because refiners can sell their fuel to the highest bidder globally, he said.
• About 20% of the world's oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, so any prolonged disruption there can quickly drive up prices worldwide.

🛢️ Threat level: Some analysts say oil prices — which drive gasoline costs — could surge sharply if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.

If the Strait opens in the next two weeks, prices may plateau a little higher than they are now, Cummings said.

• But if the Strait takes longer to open, say, it's still closed at the end of May, then "all bets are off," he said.
• He said local drivers could see gas as high as $10 a gallon at some of the most expensive stations.

The latest: As of this week, gas prices averaged about $5.36 in Washington state and $5.59 in the Seattle area, compared to $4 nationally, according to AAA.

Zoom in: West Coast fuel prices are especially exposed because they are more closely tied to markets in Asia due to geography and limited pipeline connections, per Cummings.

• Asian refineries rely heavily on crude that moves through the Strait of Hormuz.

State of play: Even apart from global events, Washington's gas prices run higher than much of the U.S. due to a mix of state policy and regional market dynamics, according to Todd Myers of the conservative Washington Policy Center.

• He points to Washington's high gas tax and its cap-and-invest carbon program as key factors.

What we're watching: Even if the strait reopens soon, prices tend to fall more slowly than they rise, per Cummings.

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"Project Hail Mary," the new sci-fi film starring Ryan Gosling, has a few Seattle connections you may not know about.

1. Two of the film's key creators are locals. Co-director Christopher Miller and producer Aditya Sood graduated from Seattle's Lakeside School, where they were childhood friends, The Seattle Times reports.

2. They grew up watching films at the Pacific Science Center. Miller has fond memories of seeing movies there with Sood, according to the newspaper.

• This week, the Seattle nonprofit screened "Project Hail Mary" in IMAX.

3. Part of the film honors a longtime Seattle teacher. At Lakeside, Miller and Sood had a teacher named Tom Rona who "made a funny book of math problems starring a character named Balloon Dog," Miller recently wrote on X.

• A version of that balloon dog character appears on a white board behind Gosling's character in the film.

Fun fact: Miller apologized to Seattleites for a scene in which Gosling's character, who is from the Bay Area, wears a 49ers shirt, the Seattle Times reports.

• "Let me tell you, of the sacrifices you have to make for your art as a lifelong Seahawks fan, that was a bitter pill to swallow, but it was fine," Miller said.

The bottom line: Even in space, Seattle sneaks in.

Tell a film lover

🥗 Trader Joe's plans to open a new store in Northgate. A specific opening date has yet to be announced. (KING 5)

Oracle laid off nearly 500 Seattle workers at its two downtown offices this week, amid big AI bets and a slumping stock. (Seattle Times)

State officials are assessing what a U.S. Supreme Court ruling against Colorado's conversion therapy ban could mean for a similar law here.

Why it matters: The 8-1 ruling could limit Washington's ability to enforce its ban on conversion therapy, even as leading medical associations say the practice is ineffective and likely harmful to LGBTQ people.

Catch up quick: A Washington law from 2018 allows the state to discipline or revoke the licenses of health care professionals who perform conversion therapy on minors.

• The law defines conversion therapy as treatments that seek to change an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity.

The latest: Tuesday's U.S. Supreme Court ruling found that a similar ban in Colorado does not override the free speech protections of the First Amendment.

What they're saying: "We're still working to determine its impact on Washington law," Mike Faulk, a spokesperson for the state Attorney General's Office, told Axios yesterday.

• State Sen. Marko Liias (D-Edmonds) told Axios he thinks the high court "shouldn't have done this," but "we will work to make sure our policy goal is achieved nonetheless."
• "I suspect the courts will have to weigh in," said Liias, who was the prime sponsor of Washington's law.

What's next: The Supreme Court sent the Colorado case back to a lower court, where it must now be reconsidered under higher scrutiny.

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Easter egg hunts are happening across Seattle and the region this weekend, from quick neighborhood hunts to liquor-fueled outings.

Saturday

🥚 Seattle Parks and Recreation: More than a dozen free egg hunts at community centers across the city, mostly at 10am. Locations include Ballard, Delridge, Garfield, Green Lake and more.

🐰 Madison Park Playground: Games, crafts, face painting and bunny photos — plus staggered egg hunts by age group — starting around 10:15am.

🍺 Ounces Taproom & Beer Garden: Family-friendly event in West Seattle with a scavenger hunt, egg hunts for younger kids and adoptable bunnies. Noon–5pm.

Sunday

👢 Georgetown Oxbow Park: Neighborhood egg hunt at the Hat n Boots park, with age-group hunts starting 11:30am. RSVP requested.

⛪ St. Paul's in Ballard: Free, all-ages egg hunt with staggered start times beginning at 1pm. Reserve a spot.