Gasoline prices are jumping as oil prices spike following the U.S. and Israel strikes on Iran, reflecting market fears of extended geopolitical upheaval.

Why it matters: Americans use about 370 million gallons of gas per day, so price increases have an immediate effect on their pocketbook and mood about the economy.

State of the pumps: The average price of unleaded gas in Minnesota hit $3.07 per gallon yesterday, according to AAA, up 29 cents from a week ago.

• Prices in the metro were trending slightly higher, data from AAA and GasBuddy show.

What we're watching: Tom Kloza, a longtime oil analyst now working for Gulf Oil, tells Axios that he expects the national average price — now $3.19 — to reach a high of $3.25 to $3.50 in the coming weeks.

• His prediction stems from a sudden increase in petroleum prices as traders fear disruption in crude supplies from the Middle East.

Follow the money: "That moves very quickly to the pump," Kloza says. "They will rocket higher when they're moving on geopolitics like this."

Between the lines: Gas stations can change prices multiple times a week. Operating on thin margins, they typically price based on what their next fuel shipment will cost — not what they paid for what's already in their tanks.

Zoom out: The oil price spike will also lead to increases in diesel, jet fuel, heating oil and natural gas prices, likely increasing the cost of shipping, airline tickets and home heat.

What they're saying: "Energy price shocks have historically been disruptive for households and businesses," James McCann, senior economist at Edward Jones, says. "The latest edition, if sustained, would constitute another unhelpful inflation impulse."

Reality check: Even $3.50-per-gallon gasoline is not devastating to the economy and is unlikely to lead to a significant change in purchasing behavior, as Americans have dealt with much worse spikes in recent years.

• U.S. supplies of gasoline are also in good shape — and American oil companies could benefit from price increases.

Worth noting: Prices were already on the rise as gas stations prep for the annual switch from winter-blend gasoline to more expensive summer fuel, according to Kloza.

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Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor was an avid gardener who loved making salsa with her teen son and rollerblading with her young daughter, MPR News writes.

The White Bear Lake mother was just days away from returning home when she was killed Sunday in a drone attack at a Kuwait command center.

• "She was almost home," her husband, Joey Amor, told MPR News. "You don't go to Kuwait thinking something's going to happen, and for her to be one of the first — it hurts."

Amor, 39, enlisted in the National Guard in 2005 before transferring to the Army Reserve a year later. She had deployed to Kuwait and Iraq once before, in 2019.

• Her husband said she had been moved to the shipping container-style operations center, which offered little protection from overhead attacks, just a week prior.

"She answered the call to serve and gave her life in service to our state and nation," Gov. Tim Walz said in a statement.

🇺🇸 White Bear Lake's mayor has ordered flags at half-staff in her honor. Walz plans to do the same statewide, a spokesperson said.

The University of St. Thomas basketball teams are each three wins away from making the NCAA Tournament in their first year of eligibility.

Why it matters: Seeing the Tommies play a blue-blood school in the opening round of March Madness would be great entertainment in Minnesota, even for non-alumni.

• A potential upset would be icing on the cake.

How it works: The Tommies would need to win this week's Summit League tournament, which comes with an automatic ticket to the Big Dance.

• The men's team has the No. 2 seed and plays South Dakota State tonight.
• If they prevail, they would need to win games on Saturday and Sunday.

The women's team has a tougher path. The fourth-seeded Tommies play Oral Roberts at noon on Friday and, if they win, would likely match up against top-seeded North Dakota State on Saturday.

What's next: The NCAA Tournaments begin March 17 and 18.

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🎷 The Dakota jazz venue is adding a new private event and performance space, called "The Quinlan Room by Dakota," per a release.

• It'll be located in the Young-Quinlan Building at 9th and Nicollet.

🍟 The St. Paul City Council voted to approve restrictions on new drive-thru lanes at restaurants, banks and pharmacies. (Background via Axios)

🛒 Amazon and Cub have partnered to launch a new grocery delivery service in the Twin Cities. (Fox9)

🔎 The independent Legislative Auditor says a $100 million state grant program meant to boost small businesses is "on my radar" after KSTP investigation identified questionable grants. (KSTP)

⛺️ Itasca State Park is set to get some upgrades. Draft plans for the Mississippi headwaters site include more cross-country ski trails and overnight camping. (Star Tribune)

A loft with a sprawling rooftop terrace in the Art Deco Midtown Exchange building is on the market for $499,000.

Why we love it: Located on the 15th floor of the former Sears building, the unit's wraparound patio has a whopping 2,300 square feet for entertaining, gardening or taking in the skyline views.

Layout: The 1,580-square-foot loft above Midtown Global Market has one bedroom, two bathrooms, two underground parking spaces and a basement storage unit.

• Features include private elevator access, a fireplace and walk-in closets.

The fine print: Homeowners association fees are $1,133 a month.

Take a look around...

👋 Torey here. My 4-year-old and I stumbled across a fun and very Instagrammable treat during a recent Friday night out at the Mall of America.

What we tried: A super cute (and sugary) Capybara, courtesy of Oppa Sweets, a cotton candy counter that spins up treats shaped like animals and other characters at the third-floor food court.

What to expect: Each order is shaped by hand by the "baristas," using balls of different colored cotton candy.

The treat-on-a-stick(er) shock: A "mini" cost me $13.51, including tip!

Yes, but: We got the smallest size available, and it was still bigger than my son's head.

The bottom line: He gives it two very sticky thumbs up.