This morning, the national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline is $4.48, according to the American Automobile Association, yet another record. The average in the state of California is just under six dollars at $5.98.
The average price for a gallon of diesel nationwide is $5.56; for truckers who need to fill up in California, the average cost is $6.30.
Over on the home page, Caroline Downey reports on some abysmal numbers in the new NBC News poll for President Biden and the Democrats; Chuck Todd said, “voters views about the economy begin to harden in an election year around May. If that theory holds, Democrats are in some serious trouble right now because in our new NBC News poll, just 16 percent say the country is headed in the right direction while a whopping 75 percent say we’re on the wrong track,” he said. “In fact, that number has been 70 plus for the last seven months, which in the past has signaled big losses for the governing party.”
But the nation’s mood on economic issues could get even more sour in the coming months.
- Gas demand will either stay high or increase further; industry experts are now openly speculating about diesel fuel rationing on the East Coast, with one industry analyst summarizing his outlook, “I wish I had some good news for the Northeast, but it’s bedlam.” High diesel fuel prices make everything more expensive, because just about everything you buy was transported to the store in a truck that runs on diesel.
- A major infant formula producer predicted the supply shortage will continue throughout 2022.
- The good news is unemployment is low, but now many states have the opposite problem, sustained labor shortages.
- Energy use is up, with Midwestern and California electrical utilities expecting rolling blackouts this summer.
If Americans are in a bad mood now, how will they feel when they start voting this autumn?