gas prices could get ugly. we've already seen the national average climb ten cents a gallon over the last couple of weeks. right now they're hovering around $2.75 a gallon. there's talk prices could shoot up to $3.50 a gallon by memorial day. let's get a closer look from chief business correspondent ali velshi in the "cnn newsroom." the barrel is back. >> it moves around the newsroom. i have not had an occasion to bring the barrel out until today, kyra, partially because there's stuff i want to tell you about with the price of oil and partially because you and i have more fun than most people. my producer is saying in new york, i have, like, labels. like metallic things that go on the barrel. he claims he sent them to atlanta. i can't find them. we now have paper numbers. i want to show you, here's the point. gas prices, you just pointed out, up about 70 cents a gallon from a year ago. we're in spring. we're in winter, spring. not in the time when people actually start driving. there are a couple of things