Gas Prices Drop amid Foreign Unrest

(AP)-The price of oil is dropping as protests in Greece and Spain offer visible reminders that Europe is still struggling to resolve its debt crisis. Benchmark oil fell $1.54 to $89.83 per barrel Wednesday in New York. The protests are occurring ahead of spending cuts and tax hikes designed to help those countries control debt. Europe's slower growth also is hurting economies in China and the U.S. Slower economic growth means less demand for energy products like oil, gasoline and natural gas. In the U.S., traders are awaiting a government report that will update oil inventories. Meanwhile, AAA says the national average price for gasoline fell about half a cent overnight to $3.805 per gallon. That's up about 30 cents from a year ago.