| As for why prices at the pump jumped so quickly, here’s Evan’s take: Economists say this is because refineries base their pricing for gasoline on the cost to replace their inventory of crude, so costs for gas stations go up immediately. But when the price of oil drops, they don’t lower the cost of their gasoline until they have refined all the crude they have already purchased. | | | | Evan points out that this often leads to accusations of price gouging — not just from you but from lawmakers, too. But legislation to combat that has failed in the past because of “concerns they will discourage U.S. firms from ramping up production when it’s needed most, further constricting supply and leading to even greater shortages.” Gas prices are expected to continue climbing over the next few days, and consumer sentiment is falling, The Post reported yesterday. The global benchmark price for a barrel of crude oil was above $110 yesterday — up 50 percent from last month. What else to know Thanks to Evan Halper, who was generous with his time while out on a reporting assignment. You can follow him on X @evanhalper. And thanks to you for your questions — now, keep ’em coming. If you want to ask us about news you’ve seen in The 7, send them here. We’ll find the right person to answer them for another weekend edition of The 7. Keep reading Each weekend, The 7 team shares our favorite recent Post stories with you.  | Hannah Jewell | As a fellow Hannah, I was obviously invested in the “Hannah Montana” 20th-anniversary special. It turns out, it helped its star, Miley Cyrus, and her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, mend ties after the show “destroyed” their family.  | Izin Akhabau | I’m very interested to see how this investigation into private equity’s role in soaring child care prices plays out.  | Jamie Ross | I’ve been making the same old boring recipes all winter, so I was thrilled that our food team put together these five tried-and-tested recipes for spring. The herbed pea soup looks like a must.  | John Taylor | Metro — the Washington, D.C., area’s rail system, which I ride to work — celebrated a big milestone birthday yesterday. I love flipping through these old photos of what the system looked like before and after those first rides 50 years ago. | 
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