Reply #30: Corporations are buying back their own stock,

[Pathwalker]

pouring everything they have into keeping their companie's values up. As a regular watcher of CNBC, I've heard their analysists say this many times; the only people left dumping money in to the stock exchange are companies buying their own stock, and Day Traders. CNBC used to have total contempt for the Day Traders, but now they give them tips. CNBC is also trying to play down the government's case against Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling, treating them like they are victims of governmental abuse of power.
The gas/oil situation is because different states require different types of gasoline, requiring different distillation processes, which adds to the expense and is passed on to the consumer.