President <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> will likely present an optimistic picture of the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">economy</a> during his second <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/state-of-the-union" target="_blank" rel="noopener">State of the Union</a> address on Tuesday night, even as experts say many of the wins he may claim will be based upon misrepresentations or distortions of reality.
The commander-in-chief faces a new political reality as the Republican Party narrowly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-to-deliver-state-of-the-union-address-with-new-speaker-looking-over-his-shoulder" target="_blank" rel="noopener">secured control</a> of the House of Representatives following the midterm elections, diminishing his capacity to pass legislation at the same pace as the first two years of his term. As the economy recovers from the lockdown-induced recession, however, Biden has adopted a rosy economic outlook that presents a misleading picture of the nation’s business and consumer climate.
Biden <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1622965916282793984" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> ahead of his speech that the United States has witnessed the “fastest gas price decline in eight years” and annualized headline inflation which has declined for “six months” due to his economic policies. Both assertions ignored the reality that energy costs and overall price level increases were much lower before he assumed control of the Oval Office.
National average gas prices were $3.49 per gallon at the end of January 2023, according to <a href="https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&amp;s=EMM_EPMR_PTE_NUS_DPG&amp;f=W" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Energy Information Administration, marking a 47% increase from $2.38 per gallon in January 2021. Prices reached heights of $5.01 per gallon in June 2022 before their recent moderation, which occurred as Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-to-release-more-oil-from-strategic-reserve-ahead-of-midterms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> nearly half of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve ahead of the midterm elections even as he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-wall-street-ceo-slams-biden-for-going-hat-in-hand-to-saudi-arabia-for-oil-admits-investors-dont-give-a-s-about-wokeness" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a> hostile regimes such as Saudi Arabia and Venezuela to produce more oil for the United States.
“It’s not fair to blame Biden for the rapid rise, but it’s also not fair to credit him for the decline,” Norbert Michel, vice president and director of the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives, told The Daily Wire. “It’s statistical malfeasance to tout the most rapid decline in eight years while ignoring the largest, most rapid rise in the last decade.”
Despite the recent decreases in headline inflation driven by the lower energy prices, costs in categories such as food and shelter continue to rise. Year-over-year inflation was charted at 6.5% in December 2022, according to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-tide-has-turned-inflation-sees-largest-drop-since-2020-lockdowns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly five times the 1.4% rate recorded in December 2020.
Biden also claimed that he presided over a “record decrease” in deficit spending. Although he oversaw a decline in the deficit from $3.1 trillion in fiscal year 2020 and $2.8 trillion in fiscal year 2021 to $1.4 trillion in fiscal year 2022, according to <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/FYFSD" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Office of Management and Budget, he neglected to mention that the record spending occurred as a result of legislation passed to mitigate fallout from the lockdown-induced recession. The deficit posted last year still significantly exceeds those witnessed in the years before the crisis.
“Claiming credit for a record decrease in deficits when fiscal year 2022 ended with a $1.4 trillion deficit is Orwellian doublethink,” Romina Boccia, director of budget and entitlement policy at the Cato Institute, told The Daily Wire. “The one thing President Biden can legitimately take credit for is how his administration’s policies, such as student debt forgiveness, the American Rescue Plan, and subsidies to industries from energy to semiconductor manufacturing, will steeply increase deficits over the next decade.”
Biden likewise claimed that the economy has seen the “two strongest calendar years of job growth in history” and the “lowest unemployment rate” in more than half a century. The job market has meanwhile languished under historically low labor force participation, which has prompted companies to raise wages and pass increased costs onto consumers, exacerbating inflationary pressures. There are currently two open positions for every one unemployed individual, according to <a href="https://www.bls.gov/charts/job-openings-and-labor-turnover/unemp-per-job-opening.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

President Biden Delivers His First State Of The Union Address To Joint Session Of  Congress

Biden Paints Rosy Picture Of The Economy Before State Of The Union. Here’s The Real Story.

Debunking Biden's Economic Claims Ahead Of State Of The Union

Biden Administration

Economy

Executive

Gas Prices

Inflation

National Debt

Politics

State of the Union

President Joe Biden will deliver an hour-long address to America on Tuesday, laying out just how great everything is and delivering a mind-numbing laundry list of everything he hopes to do in the future.
Last week, he gave a bit of a preview.
&#8220;Today, I’m happy to report that the state of the Union and the state of our economy is strong,&#8221; Biden crowed to reporters on Friday.
&#8220;We learned this morning that the economy has created 517,000 jobs just last month — more than half a million jobs in just the month of January. And in addition, we also learned that we — there were half a million more jobs created last year than we thought.&#8221;
&#8220;And even as the job market reaches historic highs, inflation continues to come down. Inflation has now fallen for six straight months. Gas prices are down more than $1.50 a gallon since their peak. Food inflation is falling as well. And as inflation is coming down, take-home pay for workers is going up. Real wages are up. Wages for lower-income and middle-income workers have gone up even more,&#8221; Biden gloated.
Ah, Biden and his rose-colored glasses. A reporter quickly burst his bubble, asking: &#8220;Do you take any blame for inflation, Mr. President?&#8221;
&#8220;Am I taking blame for inflation?&#8221; Biden asked.
&#8220;Correct,&#8221; the reporter said.
&#8220;No.&#8221;
&#8220;Why not?&#8221;
&#8220;Because it was already there when I got here, man. Remember what the economy was like when I got here? Jobs were hemorrhaging. Inflation was rising. We weren’t manufacturing a damn thing here. We were in real economic difficulty. That’s why I don’t,&#8221; Biden said.
Well. Where to begin? There are so many lies here uttered by the president of the United States that it&#8217;s hard to unpack them all.
INFLATION BY THE NUMBERS
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-368326" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Inflation-1-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/04/Inflation-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/04/Inflation-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/04/Inflation-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/04/Inflation-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/04/Inflation-1-2048x1152.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></div>
Let&#8217;s start with inflation, which a few months ago hit a 40-year high. In December 2020, the last full month in office for President Donald Trump, the rate of inflation was 1.4%, <a href="https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/current-inflation-rates/">according</a> to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The average for the entire year of 2020 was 1.2%, data show.
But after Biden killed the Keystone XL pipeline, froze student debt collection, rejoined the Paris climate accords, made a pathway for illegals to gain citizenship, and halted construction on the border wall &#8212; all actions he took on Day 1 &#8212; inflation started to climb.
In his first six months in office, inflation went from 1.4% to 5.4%. It was worse in 2022, rising to 9.1% by June. But Biden is a highly skilled liar: Inflation has fallen for six straight months &#8212; all the way down to 6.5%. The average for 2022 was 8%, soaring from 1.2% in 2020.
Now, some people argue that the president shouldn&#8217;t take credit for a good economy and certainly doesn&#8217;t deserve the blame for a bad one. But in Biden&#8217;s case, he definitely deserves the blame.
&#8220;Economists say Biden’s pandemic relief policies including the American Rescue Plan exacerbated matters, by giving Americans too much money to spend when goods and services supplies were too low, which drove prices higher,&#8221; PolitiFact <a href="https://www.politifact.com/article/2023/feb/06/whats-the-economic-state-of-the-union-under-joe-bi/">wrote</a> on Monday.
It was Biden’s &#8220;most profound failure and policy error,&#8221; Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the center-right American Action Forum, told the fact-checking site.
GAS PRICES BY THE NUMBERS
<div id="attachment_367123" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-367123" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-367123" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/biden-300x144.jpg" alt="A satirical protest sticker critical of American President Joe Biden, with text reading I Did That, has been placed on a gasoline pump in Lafayette, California, likely to imply responsibility for high gasoline prices, December 29, 2021. (Photo by" width="300" height="144" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/04/biden-300x144.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/04/biden-768x369.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/04/biden.jpg 1023w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images</div>
Then there are gas prices. When Biden took office, a gallon of regular averaged $2.38. Today it&#8217;s $3.46, <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">according</a> to the American Automobile Association (AAA).
That&#8217;s nearly 50% higher (46% to be exact) than it was when Biden took office. And remember, by February 2022, the eve of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the price had already risen above $3.50 &#8212; which negates Biden&#8217;s endless claims of &#8220;Putin&#8217;s price hike&#8221; at the pumps.
In addition to canceling the Keystone XL pipeline, Biden also suspended new federal oil and gas leases, hiked drilling fees on federal land, and mandated that all federal vehicles be zero emissions.
&#8220;The Biden administration has waged a war on supply and prices have skyrocketed,&#8221; Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said last April. &#8220;This is not an accident. This is not Putin. This is Joe Biden and the Democrats in the Green New Deal and they&#8217;re desperately looking for a political excuse to blame somebody else for the consequences of what they promised they would do to the American people.&#8221;
But again, Biden is a true snollygoster, mendacious to the core. Gas <a href="https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&amp;s=EMM_EPMR_PTE_NUS_DPG&amp;f=M">prices</a> are down more than $1.50 from their peak &#8212; a gallon of regular averaged $4.93 in June. But see above &#8212; still up 46% since he took office. And they&#8217;re going up again &#8212; the average was $3.21 in December, but that jumped to $3.34 last month.
FOOD PRICES BY THE NUMBERS
<div id="attachment_498579" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-498579" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-498579 size-medium" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/eggs-1-300x161.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="161" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/eggs-1-300x161.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/eggs-1-768x412.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/eggs-1.jpg 985w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Andreas Rentz/Getty Images</div>
Wanna&#8217; talk food prices? No, of course you don&#8217;t. No one does. But for some reason Biden does. &#8220;Food inflation is slowing as well,&#8221; he declared.
Let&#8217;s just talk about the State of the Union since the last time Biden delivered the State of the Union address. &#8220;In 2022, food prices increased by 9.9 percent,&#8221; the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-price-outlook/summary-findings/#:~:text=In%202022%2C%20food%20prices%20increased,by%20more%20than%205%20percent.">reports</a>. &#8220;Food-at-home prices increased by 11.4 percent, while food-away-from-home prices increased by 7.7 percent.&#8221;
There&#8217;s more. Egg prices increased 11.1% in December, pushing the price since December 2021 59.9% higher. And we haven&#8217;t hit the ceiling yet, not even close. &#8220;Egg prices are predicted to increase 27.3 percent in 2023,&#8221; the USDA reported.
Prices soared in eight additional food categories in 2022, and this year won&#8217;t be any better. &#8220;In 2023, prices are predicted to increase for &#8230; meats (12.8 percent), dairy products (8.0 percent), fats and oils (16.5 percent), processed fruits and vegetables (9.6 percent), sugar and sweets (10.6 percent), cereals and bakery products (12.0 percent), non-alcoholic beverages (8.7 percent), and other foods (6.8 percent),&#8221; the federal agency reported.
Biden said they were falling. Again, a little. But not much. And as the USDA says, they&#8217;re all about to go up again. So, four Pinocchios there, Mr. President.
TAKE-HOME PAY BY THE NUMBERS
<div id="attachment_498580" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-498580" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-498580" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GettyImages-951895940-300x193.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="193" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/GettyImages-951895940-300x193.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/GettyImages-951895940-896x576.jpg 896w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/GettyImages-951895940-768x494.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/GettyImages-951895940-1536x987.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/GettyImages-951895940-2048x1316.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Peter Dazeley/Getty Images</div>
How about take-home pay? We know oil giants Exxon and Shell and BP saw record profits &#8212; as did a whole slew of grocery store chains &#8212; but if everyone&#8217;s taking home more cash, it&#8217;ll all come out in the wash.
But we&#8217;re not. Not by a longshot.
&#8220;Wages are rising, but they are not keeping up with inflation,&#8221; Statista <a href="https://www.statista.com/chart/28952/change-in-real-wages/">reports</a>. &#8220;In the United States, the average decline in real wages for the entire population &#8212; across all sectors and income levels &#8211;was just over 2 percent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2022.&#8221; And that&#8217;s just for one quarter.
&#8220;Take-home pay for workers is going up,&#8221; Biden claimed. Sure, wage increases are happening, but they have already fallen significantly behind inflation since Biden took office, and they&#8217;re still not even. &#8220;Real wages — that is, inflation-adjusted wages — fell or were unchanged during the first six quarters of Biden’s presidency,&#8221; PolitiFact <a href="https://www.wral.com/fact-check-biden-says-take-home-pay-is-going-up/20685346/">reported</a> last month.
Here&#8217;s how Biden plays the game. In 2022, average hourly earnings for all private employees rose 4.7% &#8212; but inflation jumped by 6.4%. More money, but less spending power.
In Biden&#8217;s entire presidency, wages have risen by 10% &#8212; so they are going up &#8212; but #bidenflation has soared 14%. So either way you cut it, you&#8217;re down 4%.
Biden&#8217;s going to deliver his little speech, then set off across the country to try to persuade Americans that, hey, you&#8217;re better off (hoping they haven&#8217;t just come back from the grocery store). On Wednesday he&#8217;s heading to Madison, Wisconsin, where he will, as the White House says, &#8220;discuss how his economic plan is creating good-paying, union jobs and delivering real results for the American people.&#8221;
Then on Thursday it&#8217;s off to Tampa, Florida, where he will &#8220;discuss his plan to protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare and lower healthcare costs.&#8221; So much discussing.
AMERICA&#8217;S MOOD BY THE NUMBERS
<div id="attachment_498585" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-498585" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-498585" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GettyImages-1454689492-300x166.jpg" alt="2024 Elections Ahead Caution Sign Autumn Background" width="300" height="166" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/GettyImages-1454689492-300x166.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/GettyImages-1454689492-1024x567.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/GettyImages-1454689492-768x425.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/GettyImages-1454689492-1536x850.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/GettyImages-1454689492-2048x1134.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />JimVallee/Getty Images</div>
But even the liberal media has been turning on Biden lately. The state of the union is, clearly, not great. A majority of Americans say they don&#8217;t believe he has achieved much since taking office, <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/americans-not-feeling-impact-of-biden-agenda-post-abc-poll-finds/ar-AA179BXd">according</a> to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.
&#8220;The poll finds that 62 percent of Americans think Biden has accomplished &#8216;not very much&#8217; or &#8216;little or nothing&#8217; during his presidency, while 36 percent say he has accomplished &#8216;a great deal&#8217; or &#8216;a good amount.&#8217; On many of Biden’s signature initiatives — from improving the country’s infrastructure to making electric vehicles more affordable to creating jobs — majorities of Americans say they do not believe he has made progress, the poll finds.&#8221;
ABC News, where former Clintonista George Stephanopoulos holds sway, went further. &#8220;Record numbers of people are worse off, a recipe for political discontent: POLL,&#8221; said the sad <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/record-numbers-worse-off-recipe-political-discontent-poll/story?id=96884607">headline</a>.
&#8220;Four in 10 Americans say they&#8217;ve gotten worse off financially since Joe Biden became president, the most in ABC News/Washington Post polls dating back 37 years. Political fallout includes poor performance ratings for Biden and a tight hypothetical Biden/Trump rematch next year,&#8221; ABC News said sadly.
ABC even said the &#8220;R&#8221; word. &#8220;The big hit on Biden is the economy: With inflation moderating but still high, 41 percent say they&#8217;re not as well off financially as they were when Biden took office, the most in nearly three dozen ABC/Post polls to ask the question since 1986, when Ronald Reagan, who popularized the &#8216;better off&#8217; phrase, held office. Just 16 percent in this poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates, say they&#8217;re better off.&#8221;
And that&#8217;s the bottom line. &#8220;Are you better off?&#8221; The answer for most of us is &#8220;no.&#8221;
Biden thinks you&#8217;re just dumb enough to think you are. You most assuredly are not.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

Egg Prices Soar in California

By The Numbers: The State Of Biden’s America Is Absolutely @#%&* Abysmal

State Of Biden's America: Absolutely @#%&* Abysmal

Joe Biden

Governor <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/gavin-newsom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gavin Newsom</a> (D-CA) claimed that his proposed “price gouging penalty” for <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/gas-prices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">oil</a> companies would not prove harmful to residents of <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a>.
The <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Price-Gouging-penalty-proposal-language.pdf?emrc=075304" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposal</a>, introduced by State Sen. Nancy Skinner (D) at the end of last year, would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/newsom-moves-to-limit-oil-company-profits-in-energy-strapped-california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">compel</a> oil companies to reduce their profits in order to avoid a civil penalty from the California Energy Commission. Neither a penalty size nor an official profitability threshold appears in the legislation, which would also expand the agency’s authority to obtain information regarding price policies. Newsom claimed in a social media <a href="https://twitter.com/CAgovernor/status/1618753026990411776" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> that oil companies had been advancing myths about the legislation and sought to rebut them.
“This is a price gouging penalty, and Californians won’t pay a cent for it. Only Big Oil will if they price gouge you at the pump to line their pockets,” he said in response to the claim that the legislation would effectively serve as another gas tax. “The penalty is about preventing price hikes from happening in the first place so money stays in your pockets. But if Big Oil companies violate the law by charging you excessive profits, they’ll be forced to pay the penalty, which will be refunded right back to you.”
However, when addressing the notion that he should temporarily pause the gas tax to alleviate price pressures, Newsom argued there would be “no guarantee” that oil companies would “pass down the savings” to customers. “Suspending the gas tax would only give oil companies a huge tax break,” he continued. “They’d collect even more profits while putting critical improvements to our roads and bridges, our infrastructure, at risk.”
Residents of California currently face the highest gas taxes in the United States; residents can expect to pay nearly $1.00 in state taxes and fees beyond the federal excise tax of $0.24 cents per gallon, according to <a href="https://www.api.org/-/media/Files/Statistics/State-Motor-Fuel-Taxes-Charts-january-2022.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the American Petroleum Institute. The state also has the second-highest gas prices at $4.53 per gallon, second only to Hawaii, thereby exceeding the national average of $3.51 per gallon, according to <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from AAA.
Newsom also dismissed the argument that high taxes are partially responsible for elevated fuel costs. “When gas prices started skyrocketing in August and September, our gas tax and fees hadn’t changed a single cent. Not a cent. Big Oil won’t say why they suddenly started charging Californians a record $2.61 more per gallon than people in other states, but we know it resulted in record profits,” he remarked. “Our proposal includes some of the nation’s most aggressive transparency measures as well, so we can get answers and prevent it from happening again.”
Democratic lawmakers in the state have opposed measures that would temporarily <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gavin-newsom-opposes-republican-bid-to-pause-sky-high-gas-tax-because-it-would-help-petro-dictators-and-oil-companies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pause</a> the gas tax. Assemblyman Kevin Kiley (R) introduced a bill last year that would have paused the tax for six months; a party line vote nevertheless rejected the measure. California Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher (R) <a href="https://twitter.com/J_GallagherAD3/status/1618785899487318016" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rebutted</a> the social media video posted by Newsom. “This is code for a tax increase,” he contended. “One that would probably lead to long lines and higher gas prices.”

California Gov. Newsom And West Coast Leaders Sign Climate Agreement

‘This Is Code For A Tax Increase’: Gavin Newsom Revamps Call For Oil Industry ‘Price Gouging’ Penalties

Gavin Newsom Renews Calls For Oil 'Price Gouging' Penalties

California

Gavin Newsom

Oil and Gas

Taxes

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/gas-prices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gas prices</a> relative to local incomes are highest in <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/nevada" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nevada</a> and other states in the western part of the country, according to an <a href="https://www.hiroad.com/how-the-change-in-gas-prices-impacted-the-us-in-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from HiRoad.
The insurance company compared localized fuel price data from GasBuddy with average hourly salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, thereby revealing where Americans are spending the largest portions of their earnings to fill their vehicles. One gallon of gas in Nevada will cost 29.6% of the typical worker’s salary for one hour, according to the analysis. Residents of neighboring Idaho are spending 27.3% of an hour’s salary on each gallon of gas.
“In Nevada, drivers can also expect to spend more annually on gas than drivers in Idaho, despite the fact that Idahoans are expected to have a higher local driving distance per year, on average,” the company said. “Nevadans find themselves again on the wrong end of the gas affordability spectrum.”
Other states with exceedingly high gas prices relative to wages are California, Indiana, Hawaii, and Arizona, while the states with the most affordable gas relative to wages are Massachusetts, Colorado, Virginia, North Dakota, and Minnesota. Oregon, Nevada, Indiana, Alaska, and Washington saw rises in relative gas prices higher than 4% between 2021 and 2022.
Residents of western states also spend the most overall on fuel consumption. The average driver in Wyoming, a “sparsely populated, largely rural state with fewer remote jobs than elsewhere in the country,” will spend an average of $2,233 on gas each year, according to the analysis. Indiana, however, saw the largest increase with respect to total annual expenditures; residents spent an extra $363 on fuel between 2021 and 2022.
More granular local data reveal that localities in California cities spend the greatest share of their hourly earnings on fuel, followed by municipalities in other western states such as Colorado and Idaho.
“Perhaps unsurprisingly, California has the most metro areas where drivers can expect to spend the biggest chunk of their average hourly salary on a gallon of gas,” the analysis said. “In fact, four of the top five spots are taken by Californian metro areas.”
National average gas prices are currently $3.52 per gallon, according to <a href="https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=pet&amp;s=emm_epm0_pte_nus_dpg&amp;f=w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Energy Information Administration, reflecting a rapid increase from $3.33 per gallon earlier this month and $3.42 per gallon at the same time last year. The current national average price per gallon is 48% higher than the price recorded at the start of the Biden administration. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre nevertheless <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/reporter-presses-biden-official-to-embrace-race-narrative-on-gas-prices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> on Monday that “House Republicans are using their narrow majority to force the American people to pay higher gas prices, just as big oil companies are amassing record profits.”
President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/peter-doocy-asks-for-a-straight-answer-on-keystone-gets-the-runaround-from-jen-psaki" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nixed</a> expansions to the Keystone XL Pipeline upon his entrance into office and has leased less federal land for oil drilling than any of his predecessors over the past several decades. White House officials have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-press-secretary-claims-americans-are-saving-on-gas-under-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> that recent decreases in gas prices from their record highs over the summer are still attributable to policies advanced by the commander-in-chief. “Every month, the typical two-driver family saves about $120 at the pump compared to where we were in mid-June,” Jean-Pierre said in October.

US-AUTOMOBILE-OIL-LIFESTYLE-ENERGY

Here’s Where Gas Prices Are Eating Into Residents’ Incomes The Most

Nevadans Witness Highest Gas Prices Relative To Wages

Nevada

U.S.

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/gas-prices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Prices</a> at the pump are on the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rise</a> across the country as a result of rising temperatures and surging demand.
National average gas prices are currently $3.52 per gallon, according to <a href="https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=pet&amp;s=emm_epm0_pte_nus_dpg&amp;f=w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Energy Information Administration, reflecting a rapid increase from a $3.33 per gallon reading earlier this month and a $3.42 per gallon reading at the same time last year. AAA said in an <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/pump-prices-surge-as-gasoline-demand-rises/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> that the increasing costs reflect moderating temperatures and changes in the oil market.
“The recent rising temperatures led to rising pump prices,” AAA spokesman Andrew Gross remarked. “And with the cost of oil hitting $80 a barrel, there is a lot of upward pressure on gas prices at the moment.”
West Texas Intermediate, the American benchmark for crude oil, was nearly $73.00 per barrel toward the beginning of the month; the metric surpassed $80.00 per barrel on Wednesday. Brent Crude, the European benchmark, increased from $77.00 per barrel to more than $86.00 per barrel over the same time horizon.
“Crude prices rose at the end of last week due to increased market optimism that crude demand may be more robust than expected this year,” the AAA report said. “In particular, the market believes that the re-opening of China’s economy, despite high coronavirus infection rates, will help to bolster global crude demand, while supporting elevated prices. For this week, crude prices could continue to climb if ongoing market optimism persists.”
The nation’s most expensive markets for gas prices are currently Hawaii and California, where residents are contending with prices of $4.94 per gallon and $4.44 per gallon, respectively. Washington, Nevada, Alaska, Oregon, and Pennsylvania are also among the most expensive markets; states witnessing the fastest gas price increases over the past week are Colorado and Delaware, with $0.31 and $0.28 price hikes, respectively.
The current national average of $3.52 per gallon marks a 48% increase since the start of the Biden administration. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre nevertheless <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/reporter-presses-biden-official-to-embrace-race-narrative-on-gas-prices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> on Monday that “House Republicans are using their narrow majority to force the American people to pay higher gas prices, just as big oil companies are amassing record profits.”
White House officials have also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-press-secretary-claims-americans-are-saving-on-gas-under-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contended</a> that recent decreases in gas prices from their record highs above $5.00 per gallon are attributable to policies advanced by President Joe Biden. “Every month, the typical two-driver family saves about $120 at the pump compared to where we were in mid-June,” Jean-Pierre said in October. “Every day, Americans save about $420 million at the pump compared to mid-June.”
Fuel analytics company GasBuddy recently <a href="https://twitter.com/gasbuddyguy/status/1608830476298469377?s=46&amp;t=wYpu520Rr20bfmNRwVR-aw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">marked</a> average gas prices at $3.96 per gallon for 2022, far surpassing the $3.02 per gallon average charted in 2021 and the $2.17 per gallon average charted in 2020. Even as GasBuddy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-when-gas-prices-could-return-to-4-per-gallon-according-to-new-projection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forecasts</a> that prices will drop to a national average of $3.49 per gallon in 2023 after approaching $4.00 per gallon by summertime, the reading would still rank among the highest years for gas prices in more than a decade.
Energy price trends have contributed to overall inflationary pressures which have produced economic tumult over the past two years. Some 55% of Americans believe rising price levels have produced hardships for their households, according to a <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/406355/inflation-impact-consumers-leveling-off.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> conducted by Gallup in November, even as 13% believe elevated prices are causing severe hardships.

Gas Prices Fall To 30% Below Record Highs

‘A Lot Of Upward Pressure’: Here’s Why Gas Prices Are Soaring Again

Here’s Why Gas Prices Are Soaring Again

Energy Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jennifer-granholm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jennifer Granholm</a> was asked to comment about urban and rural <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/systemic-racism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disparities</a> in <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/gas-prices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gas prices</a> by a <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/media" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reporter</a> who appeared to be implying a race-driven cause for the phenomenon.
April Ryan of TheGrio noted during a Monday <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2023/01/23/press-briefing-by-press-secretary-karine-jean-pierre-and-secretary-of-energy-jennifer-granholm-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press briefing</a> that “there were some communities that felt the relief” as a result of <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">President Joe Biden</a> releasing millions of barrels from the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/strategic-petroleum-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Strategic Petroleum Reserve</a> in order to reduce prices at the pump, while “other communities did not, particularly those in urban areas.” She asked Granholm to explain why “there was such a difference in communities with gas prices in one community versus the other.”
The official replied that infrastructure costs are a primary factor behind variances in fuel prices across the country. “Some rural areas, for example, or some who might be at the very end of a line or may not even have a line, they may get it trucked in. It takes longer and it’s more expensive,” she said. “If you’re not near a refinery, that’s another reason why the transportation costs are tacked on at the pump. So you’re seeing, for example, when refineries go down in regions, then the prices go up in those regions much more than they would nationwide.”
Ryan nevertheless continued to press the issue. “But specifically, the urban areas,” she asserted. “Because there was still a big pinch in urban areas with these gas prices when the outlying communities, particularly majority white communities, were seeing the drop to $3.00, and many of these urban areas were seeing $4.00 and $5.00 gas prices. Could you speak to that?”
Granholm noted that gas stations are typically owned by individuals rather than branded oil companies, affirming that local authorities should prosecute those who seek to profit from emergencies. “State attorney generals should go after because gouging is illegal,” she said. “You cannot take advantage of a crisis to jack up the prices in that way.”
The exchange between Ryan and Granholm comes as fuel prices remain elevated, worsening inflationary pressures faced by households. The national average price of gas is currently $3.45 per gallon, according to <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from AAA, marking a 45% increase since the start of the Biden administration. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claimed on Monday that “House Republicans are using their narrow majority to force the American people to pay higher gas prices, just as big oil companies are amassing record profits.”
Fuel analytics company GasBuddy recently <a href="https://twitter.com/gasbuddyguy/status/1608830476298469377?s=46&amp;t=wYpu520Rr20bfmNRwVR-aw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">marked</a> average gas prices at $3.96 per gallon for 2022, far surpassing the $3.02 per gallon average charted in 2021 and the $2.17 per gallon average charted in 2020. Even though GasBuddy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-when-gas-prices-could-return-to-4-per-gallon-according-to-new-projection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forecasts</a> that prices will drop to a national average of $3.49 per gallon in 2023 after approaching $4.00 per gallon by summertime, the reading would still rank among the highest years for prices at the pump in more than a decade.

The Grio Awards 2022 – Red Carpet

Reporter Presses Biden Official To Embrace Race Narrative On Gas Prices

Reporter Implies Race Is Responsible For Gas Price Disparities

Department of Energy

Jennifer Granholm

Media

Systemic Racism

The Consumer Price Index decreased 0.1% in December 2022, marking the largest <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inflationary</a> decline in nearly three years, according to a <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The month-to-month decrease of 0.1% was in line with analysts’ forecasts, while core inflation, which factors out the more volatile food and energy categories, rose 0.3%, also reflecting expectations. Food prices increased 0.3% and shelter prices increased 0.8% even as energy prices fell 4.5%. The month-to-month decrease was the largest since April 2020, when consumer and business spending plummeted amid government lockdown mandates.
Year-over-year inflation was charted at 6.5% in December 2022, marking a decline from the 7.1% recorded in the previous month. The decrease in energy prices responsible for much of the lower headline inflation follows gas prices attaining their <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gas-prices-in-2022-were-the-highest-on-record-heres-where-they-could-be-heading-next-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highest levels</a> on record last year.
Bankrate Chief Financial Analyst Greg McBride said in comments provided to The Daily Wire that “the tide has turned, and improvement is now the prevailing trend,” implying that policymakers at the Federal Reserve could slow their aggressive actions to increase target federal funds rates as a result of the new inflation report. “But that may just mean more small rate hikes rather than fewer large rate hikes,” he said. “The end point is still to be determined.”
Officials at the Federal Reserve <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-federal-reserve-hikes-target-interest-rates-half-a-percentage-point" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raised rates</a> by three-quarters of a percentage point on four consecutive occasions last year before implementing a half-percent increase last month, causing higher interest rates across the economy. McBride observed that prices for goods are generally declining even as prices for services continue to increase.
“Moderating inflation is most apparent in the prices for goods such as used cars and trucks that have declined for six straight months. But it is in services where labor shortages are most pronounced, making services inflation tougher to corral,” he commented. “Despite the headline and core results meeting expectations, the broad-based improvement that needs to be seen to get inflation truly under control is still lacking. In addition to shelter, plenty of other necessities increased at an outsized pace last month: food, apparel, vehicle insurance, and household furnishings and operations.”
Employers have expressed concern regarding a labor shortage that has worsened inflation as companies hike pay to attract new workers. The phenomenon comes as labor force participation failed to recover over the past two years, worsening a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/americans-continue-to-opt-out-of-the-workforce" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decades-long trend</a> of low engagement in the job market. The metric dropped from 63.4% in February 2020 to 60.2% in April 2020 amid government lockdowns and business closures, according to <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CIVPART" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Labor force participation climbed to 62.3% as of December 2022.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-reserve-chair-jerome-powell-discusses-future-slowdown-of-rate-hikes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">believes</a> the “participation gap” is mostly a result of “excess retirements” that occurred beyond “what would have been expected from population aging alone,” even as younger individuals largely returned to the workforce.
The most recent inflation data come after one of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stocks-had-their-worst-year-since-2008-after-biden-boasted-about-their-performance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worst stock market</a> performances in modern history as soaring prices, geopolitical pressures, and backlogged supply chains plagued the economy. The S&amp;P 500 index plummeted nearly 20% in 2022, rivaling the 37% decline seen in 2008 amid the collapse of the banking system, as well as the 12% and 22% declines witnessed in 2001 and 2002 amid the dot-com bubble.
This report has been updated to include additional information.

grocery store

Inflation Rate Sees Largest Slowdown Since 2020

Supply Chain

In 2022, national average <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/gas-prices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gas prices</a> in the United States reached their highest point since GasBuddy began keeping track, and they could remain elevated relative to earlier levels next year.
The fuel analytics company <a href="https://twitter.com/gasbuddyguy/status/1608830476298469377?s=46&amp;t=wYpu520Rr20bfmNRwVR-aw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">marked</a> average prices at $3.96 per gallon for 2022, far surpassing the $3.02 per gallon average charted in 2021 and the $2.17 per gallon average charted in 2020. Even though GasBuddy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-when-gas-prices-could-return-to-4-per-gallon-according-to-new-projection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forecasts</a> that prices will drop to a national average of $3.49 per gallon in 2023 after approaching $4.00 per gallon by summertime, the reading would still rank among the highest years for prices at the pump in more than a decade.
Gas prices, which had already risen precipitously since the beginning of 2021, saw another increase following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, eventually <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gas-prices-hit-grim-national-average-of-5-per-gallon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surpassing</a> $5.00 per gallon in June before declining through the remainder of the year. The national average price for gasoline is currently $3.20 per gallon, according to <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from AAA.
A national fuel price <a href="https://blog-content.gasbuddy.com/uploads/2022/12/2023FuelOutlookFinal.pdf?_ga=2.220605722.380636909.1672501098-1319331367.1672154230" target="_blank" rel="noopener">outlook</a> published by GasBuddy this week indicates that prices will rise from $2.99 per gallon in February to reach $3.99 per gallon by June before decreasing once more to $3.17 per gallon in December. Households spent an average of $2,748 on gasoline throughout 2022, a measurement that GasBuddy expects will fall to $2,471 in 2023.
Despite the nationwide trend toward historically elevated gas prices in recent years, the amount that Americans must spend on fuel varies considerably across the country. Residents of California are currently paying an average of $4.40 per gallon, according to <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/state-gas-price-averages/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from AAA, while residents of Alabama and South Carolina are paying $2.93 per gallon.
Democratic lawmakers have generally blamed the Russian invasion of Ukraine and price gouging from oil companies for the higher costs. Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) recently attempted to pass a “price gouging penalty” that would have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/newsom-moves-to-limit-oil-company-profits-in-energy-strapped-california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">compelled</a> oil companies to reduce their profits to avoid a civil penalty from the California Energy Commission. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) voiced <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pelosi-pushes-democratic-bill-that-would-give-biden-power-to-control-gas-prices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">support</a> earlier this year for legislation that would allow President Joe Biden to declare an “energy emergency,” granting him the ability to regulate prices by preventing fuel companies from selling at rates deemed to be “unconscionably excessive.”
White House officials have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-press-secretary-claims-americans-are-saving-on-gas-under-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contended</a> that recent decreases in gas prices from their record highs over the summer are attributable to policies advanced by the commander-in-chief. “Every month, the typical two-driver family saves about $120 at the pump compared to where we were in mid-June,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in October. “Every day, Americans save about $420 million at the pump compared to mid-June.”
Fuel price trends have contributed to the overall inflationary pressures which have throttled the economy. A <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/406355/inflation-impact-consumers-leveling-off.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> conducted by Gallup in November found that 55% of Americans believe rising price levels have produced hardships for their households, marking a slight increase from the end of last year, even as a steady 13% believe elevated prices are causing severe hardships for their families. “As would be expected, inflation has taken a greater toll on lower-income Americans,” Gallup said, noting that more than 75% of such people “say they have experienced hardship because of rising prices.”

Gas Station

Gas Prices In 2022 Were The Highest On Record. Here’s Where They Could Be Heading Next Year.

Gas Prices In 2022 Were The Highest On Record

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/gas-prices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gas prices</a> could near or surpass $4.00 per gallon as soon as next May, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/27/economy/gas-prices-inflation-2023-outlook" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from GasBuddy shared with CNN.
The national average price for gasoline is currently $3.10 per gallon, according to <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from AAA. Prices <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gas-prices-hit-grim-national-average-of-5-per-gallon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surpassed</a> $5.00 per gallon in June; although costs are not projected to reach such levels, they could see a significant increase in the coming months.
“2023 is not going to be a cakewalk for motorists. It could be expensive,” GasBuddy Head of Petroleum Analysis Patrick De Haan told CNN. “The national average could breach $4.00 a gallon as early as May, and that’s something that could last through much of the summer driving season.”
Gas prices, which had already risen precipitously since the beginning of 2021, saw another increase following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February. White House officials have pinned the blame for high gas prices on Russian President Vladimir Putin and domestic fossil fuel producers. “It is also important that the oil and gas and refining industries in this country not use the challenge created by the war in Ukraine as a reason to make things worse for families with excessive profit taking or price hikes,” Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/president-biden-blames-vladimir-putin-for-record-high-inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> earlier this year.
The administration has also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-press-secretary-claims-americans-are-saving-on-gas-under-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> that recent declines in gas prices from record highs over the summer are attributable to policies advanced by the commander-in-chief. “Every month, the typical two-driver family saves about $120 at the pump compared to where we were in mid-June,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in October. “Every day, Americans save about $420 million at the pump compared to mid-June.”
As gas prices climbed toward the beginning of the year, consumers indicated they would alter their driving behavior in an attempt to save at the pump. As many as 66% of American drivers said in the spring that they would make “significant changes to their driving patterns” if the national average cost of gasoline lies between $4.12 per gallon and $4.35 per gallon, according to a <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/gas-prices-66-americans-are-making-significant-habit-changes-says-survey-180821426.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> from Yahoo.
The tumult in gas prices nevertheless failed to dissuade Americans from traveling at record levels during the Christmas season. Nearly 102 million Americans planned to drive to their holiday destinations, marking an increase of 2 million drivers since last year, according to <a href="https://newsroom.aaa.com/2022/12/nearly-113-million-people-will-travel-from-december-23-to-january-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from AAA.
“Basically, curveballs coming from every direction,” De Haan told CNN. “I don’t think we’ve ever seen such an amount of volatility as we saw this year.”
Fuel prices vary considerably across the country: residents of California are currently paying $4.37 per gallon, according to <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/?state=CA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from AAA. Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) recently attempted to pass a “price gouging penalty” that would have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/newsom-moves-to-limit-oil-company-profits-in-energy-strapped-california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">compelled</a> oil companies to reduce their profits to avoid a civil penalty from the California Energy Commission. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) voiced <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pelosi-pushes-democratic-bill-that-would-give-biden-power-to-control-gas-prices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">support</a> earlier this year for legislation that would allow Biden to declare an “energy emergency,” granting him the ability to regulate prices by preventing fuel companies from selling their products at rates deemed to be “unconscionably excessive.”

Here’s When Gas Prices Could Return To $4 Per Gallon, According To New Projection

Gas Prices Could Return To $4 Per Gallon In May, According To New Projection

Energy

Convenience store chain Sheetz will begin selling unleaded <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/gasoline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gasoline</a> at $1.99 per gallon in celebration of the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/thanksgiving" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thanksgiving</a> holiday.
The special price will be available from November 21 through November 28 at every location that sells Unleaded 88 gasoline. The company is headquartered in Pennsylvania and also has stores in West Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, and North Carolina.
“Sheetz is a family owned and operated company and we are always looking for ways to help the communities we serve,” CEO Travis Sheetz said in a <a href="https://www.sheetz.com/newsroom/article?title=sheetz-drops-gas-prices-to-199gallon-for-unleaded-88&amp;id=7efJ7jtm4d2jjdsJxZONkn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “We are excited to extend this offer to our customers as many of them start hitting the road for the Thanksgiving holiday.”
The promotion occurs as the national average price for gasoline reaches $3.64 per gallon, according to <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from AAA, marking an approximately 53% increase since President Joe Biden assumed office at the beginning of last year. Average prices are $4.01 per gallon in Pennsylvania and $3.41 per gallon in Virginia.
Biden administration officials have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-press-secretary-claims-americans-are-saving-on-gas-under-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">insisted</a> that recent declines in gas prices from their $5.00 per gallon highs over the summer are attributable to efforts from the commander-in-chief. “Every month, the typical two-driver family saves about $120 at the pump compared to where we were in mid-June,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre recently said. “Every day, Americans save about $420 million at the pump compared to mid-June.”
In response to soaring energy prices, which have been among the most salient factors behind overall inflationary pressures, Biden announced in March that his administration would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-to-release-more-oil-from-strategic-reserve-ahead-of-midterms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">release</a> 180 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, a stock of emergency crude oil intended to manage supply disruptions in energy markets. Transactions for the final 15 million barrels will clear by the end of December.
Food prices have also driven inflationary pressures over the past two years. Earlier this month, grocery chain ALDI announced a similar promotion through which customers can enjoy discounts as high as 30% on certain Thanksgiving staples. &#8220;Providing amazing products at the absolute lowest prices is what we&#8217;ve always done, and we know right now that&#8217;s more important than ever,&#8221; ALDI U.S. President Dave Rinaldo said in a <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/blast-from-the-past-aldi-rewinds-pricing-on-thanksgiving-favorites-301663833.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>. &#8220;We expect to welcome tens of millions of customers in our stores this Thanksgiving season, and we want them to know they can count on us.”
According to an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/amber-waves-of-pain-thanksgiving-dinners-will-be-20-more-expensive-this-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from the American Farm Bureau Association, the overall cost of a typical Thanksgiving dinner has risen 20% since last year. The price of a 16-pound turkey has risen from $23.99 to $28.96, marking a 21% increase as an outbreak of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/crying-fowl-government-warns-of-turkey-shortage-ahead-of-thanksgiving" target="_blank" rel="noopener">avian flu</a> impacts flocks across the country, while the costs for cubed stuffing mix and one dozen dinner rolls have surged 69% and 22%, respectively.
Some reports have indicated that Americans may be switching from turkey to chicken in order to save on the holiday, while others may find less expensive alternatives at restaurants. Butterball CEO Jay Jandrain remarked during an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chickening-out-butterball-ceo-denies-americans-will-switch-from-turkey-to-other-thanksgiving-fare-because-of-inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> that his company has nevertheless shipped “more product this year than we did last year” and predicts that shortages will not impact the holiday season as “everybody should be able to get just exactly what they’re looking for.”

Sheetz Gas Station And Convenience Store In Pennsylvania

Convenience Chain Sells $1.99 Gas For Thanksgiving Week

Sheetz Sells $1.99 Gas During Thanksgiving Week

Business

Thanksgiving

Companies are continuing to warn against the diesel fuel shortage and how it will affect the trucking industry moving forward. 
South Carolina Trucking Association CEO Rick Todd recently spoke about the problems facing trucking businesses and the reasons behind the fuel shortage, as well as high costs. 
“Truckers are feeling the hurt right now. Supply chain challenges just keep coming,” he <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/trucking-oil-companies-ramp-warnings-diesel-shortage-put-ourselves-situation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Fox News, adding that truckers often essentially pay cash for gas and don’t get paid for several weeks or more. 
Todd also advocated for a more gradual approach to integrating new technology.
&#8220;We should … as a country take a longer-term view, do everything we can, put everything on the table,&#8221; Todd said. &#8220;But in the meantime, stick with what works until you can replace it, and then make sure that when you do replace it, that it&#8217;s scalable.” 
&#8220;Nobody wants to be force-fed any alternative technologies or anything until they&#8217;re done,&#8221; he added. &#8220;So I think we put ourselves in this situation unnecessarily.”
A few weeks ago, numbers were released that revealed the country has 25 days of diesel reserves, leading to high delivery costs this month. However, as diesel production is expected to continue, the U.S. is not projected to run out despite having limited supply.
The costs are up nearly 40% for the month of November. The smaller companies are the ones who will feel the pain the most. 
&#8220;There&#8217;s no way any company can absorb cost increases like this, and any business that can&#8217;t pass on their costs isn&#8217;t going to stay in business for very long,&#8221; Todd said. &#8220;The larger fleets are a little bit better positioned to deal with these kind[s] of conditions, but the smaller fleets … 91% of the nation&#8217;s truck fleet, these companies have six or fewer trucks.”
&#8220;So we&#8217;re really talking about Main Street-type businesses, and it&#8217;s a huge strain on them to be able to keep up with these costs,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;They try to pass them on, but rarely are they able to do it 100%.”
Fuel supply business Mansfield Energy recently said the northeastern and southeastern areas of the United States will see shortage of diesel fuel, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/energy-company-warns-of-diesel-shortages-in-multiple-parts-of-the-country" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
He said the diesel shortage is “a combination of bad policies,” but added that a lot of factors have been outside of their control, as well. 
In addition, oil costs could get up to $100 this year and be more than $120 in trading in 2023, a leading analyst Amrita Sen of Energy Aspects noted, per <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/oil-prices-diesel-crisis-shortage-eia-biden-energy-europe-russia-2022-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Business Insider</a>. 
&#8220;We are expecting [oil] prices to go towards $100 into the year end, and really trade into the $110s and $120s for most of next year,&#8221; Sen told <a href="https://twitter.com/bsurveillance/status/1587050604765057024?cxt=HHwWgMC4mbqHq4YsAAAA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bloomberg</a> earlier this week. 
However, the diesel shortage is a bigger problem. 
&#8220;We just haven&#8217;t built [diesel supplies] over the summer,&#8221; Sen said. &#8220;And that&#8217;s what we tend to use in the winter if it does get very, very cold.&#8221;

A clear day in Nevada

Trucking CEO Discusses Diesel Shortage, Says ‘Truckers Are Feeling The Hurt Right Now’

South Carolina Trucking Association CEO Rick Todd Discusses Diesel Shortage, Says ‘Truckers Are Feeling The Hurt Right Now’

Gas Shortage

Truckers

President Joe Biden faced backlash Thursday for false claims that he made about the price of gasoline when he took office.
Speaking at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, New York, about Micron’s plan to invest in chips manufacturing, Biden falsely claimed that the price of gasoline was $5 per gallon when he took office.
&#8220;And because of the actions we’ve taken, gas prices are declining,&#8221; Biden claimed. &#8220;We’re down $1.25 since the peak this summer, and they’ve been falling for the last three weeks at well — as well. That’s adding up to real savings for families.&#8221;
&#8220;Today, the most common price of gas in America is $3.39 — down from over $5 when I took office,&#8221; Biden said.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) slammed Biden over the false claims.
&#8220;This is a blatant lie,&#8221; Cruz tweeted. &#8220;And — even in his diminished state — @JoeBiden knows it. Every single media &#8216;fact checker&#8217; has a responsibility to unequivocally call out this, quite literal, gas lighting.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Joe Biden says gas was &quot;over $5&quot; when he took office. 
He&#39;s lying — again. The average price for gas was $2.39/gallon when Biden took office. <a href="https://t.co/lpSz1DsAOy">pic.twitter.com/lpSz1DsAOy</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1585733743179956224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;GasBuddy data shows that the most common prices when Biden took office were $2.29, $2.19, $2.39 and $2.09, the top 10% averaged $3.26/gal, while the bottom 10% averaged $2.00/gal,&#8221; energy analyst Patrick De Haan tweeted. &#8220;The median price was $2.29/gal.&#8221;
Former Margaret Thatcher aide Nile Gardiner tweeted, &#8220;The outright lies from the Biden Presidency are a disgrace and are extremely condescending. Biden treats the American people with contempt.&#8221;
&#8220;Biden is an inveterate, remorseless liar,&#8221; former White House official Stephen Miller tweeted.
&#8220;It’s not hyperbole to say Joe Biden is the biggest liar in presidential history,&#8221; radio host Jesse Kelly tweeted. &#8220;And that’s saying something because they all lie all the time. But he tell these bizarre black and white lies that any idiot can verify. It’s honestly very strange.&#8221;
Fox News commentator Guy Benson wrote, &#8220;He keeps saying just totally false, easily falsifiable stuff about gas prices.&#8221;
&#8220;I look forward to the ACKSHUALLY Reuters or AP &#8216;fact-check&#8217; on how when you consider the inversion principle of the fallopian tube, and congregate it with adverbs aplenty alongside ball bearings, this claim from Biden is &#8216;mostly true,'&#8221; podcast host Steve Deace tweeted.
Radio host Andrew Wilkow tweeted: &#8220;As soon as he cannot use the SPR that price is going right back up.&#8221;
&#8220;No matter how often you repeat a lie, it still doesn&#8217;t change the fact that it&#8217;s a lie,&#8221; Jennifer Stefano tweeted.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-claimed-trip-to-saudi-arabia-wasnt-about-oil-new-report-suggests-they-lied">Biden Admin Claimed Trip To Saudi Arabia Wasn’t About Oil. New Report Suggests They Lied.</a>

US-POLITICS-BIDEN-TECHNOLOGY-MANUFACTURING

Biden Blasted For ‘Blatant Lie’ About Gas Prices

Biden Blasted For 'Blatant Lie' About Gas Prices

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