Prices displayed at the Shell gas station in Gualo Rai. Photo by Bryan Manabat By Bryan Manabat Saipan —The CNMI is bracing for prohibitive consumer costs as gas prices continue to surge, driven by global market volatility tied to the escalating conflict in the Middle East and tightening fuel supplies in Asia. On Saipan, motorists have seen fuel prices jump to $6.36 a gallon for regular gasoline, $6.81 for Supreme and $8.28 for diesel since the conflict intensified. Mobil Oil

By Pacific Island Times News Staff The Trump administration is looking into easing restrictions imposed by the Jones Act amid escalating war in Iran that threatens the global fuel supply. The 100-year-old statute requires goods shipped between U.S. ports to be carried on ships that are U.S.-built, U.S.-flagged and U.S.-crewed. It limits the number of tankers domestic shippers can use. "In the interest of national defense, the White House is considering waiving the Jones Act f