Americans have aggressively responded to sharp increases in fuel prices, cutting consumption by 2.4% from a year ago, and experts expect demand to continue to remain lower this year. (MarketWatch — Myra Saefong)

Americans are driving less and conserving more energy, and the market has responded – oil prices have dropped by $23 per barrel since July 3. (New York Times — Jad Mouawad)

Teamsters President Jim Hoffa says that the U.S. needs broad planning to help break our crippling dependence on oil — not stop-gap solutions like drilling in ANWR –  and calls for more cooperation between labor and environment groups. (Market Watch)

While Democrats and Republicans have few options for offering immediate relief for Americans burdened by high gas prices, both sides are hoping they can capitalize on the issue come November. (New York Times — Carl Hulse)

McCain hits Obama hard in new ad by claiming the Illinois senator is doing little to help Americans deal with gas prices, but the Republican presidential nominee glosses over the inconvenient details behind his plan to renew offshore drilling. (Factcheck.org)

The Natural Resources Defense Council published a new report yesterday ranking states by their vulnerability to high oil prices, and the facts aren’t particularly favorable for certain regions of the country. (Reuters — Timothy Gardner)

It may be 30 years old, but Jimmy Carter’s energy policy during the oil crisis in the late ’70s seems to resonate for some in today’s era of high demand and low supply. (Baltimore Sun — Cynthia Tucker)

Editorialist argues that by building a high-speed rail network connecting cities fewer than 400 miles apart, U.S. could help ease dependence on foreign oil and offer an alternative to inefficient, short-distance flights. (San Francisco Chronicle — Ed Perkins)

Editorialist argues that the only way to attack our overdependence on oil is to create a better public transportation network, reform our automaking industry, and expand our use of alternative energy. (Huffington Post — Jack Hidary)

President Bush wipes out a 1990 executive ban on new offshore drilling, prompting heavy criticism from Democrats. The 27-year-old moratorium from Congress on new offshore drilling remains in effect. (New York Times — Steve Lee Myers and Carl Hulse)