Average U.S. gas prices passed $4 a gallon this week. Plus: living in a national park, logistics at the Port of Los Angeles, and starter homes.

The average price US drivers pay for gas hit $4 a gallon on Monday, only the second time it has reached that benchmark since the war in Iran disrupted global oil supplies.

After weeks of easing fuel costs, average petrol prices in the United States have climbed back to $4 per gallon, driven by the recent flare-up in the Middle East and rising…