RUTHFULLY YOURS

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/long-lines-back-us-food-banks-inflation-hits-86817760

PHOENIX — Long lines are back at food banks around the U.S. as working Americans overwhelmed by inflation turn to handouts to help feed their families.

With gas prices soaring along with grocery costs, many people are seeking charitable food for the first time, and more are arriving on foot.

Inflation in the U.S. is at a 40-year high and gas prices have been surging since April 2020, with the average cost nationwide briefly hitting $5 a gallon in June. Rapidly rising rents and an end to federal COVID-19 relief have also taken a financial toll.

The food banks, which had started to see some relief as people returned to work after pandemic shutdowns, are struggling to meet the latest need even as federal programs provide less food to distribute, grocery store donations wane and cash gifts don’t go nearly as far.

Tomasina John was among hundreds of families lined up in several lanes of cars that went around the block one recent day outside St. Mary’s Food Bank in Phoenix. John said her family had never visited a food bank before because her husband had easily supported her and their four children with his construction work.

“But it’s really impossible to get by now without some help,” said John, who traveled with a neighbor to share gas costs as they idled under a scorching desert sun. “The prices are way too high.”

https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/3558302-bidens-accelerating-inflation-will-lead-to-bidens-recession/

President Biden was no doubt delighted to be far, far away from home when the latest – disastrous – report on inflation was released. Confronted with news that prices had jumped 9.1 percent from a year ago, worse than expected, Biden issued a statement downplaying the news, saying the report was “out of date” since gasoline prices have dropped 40 cents over the past month. Got that? 40 cents.

The president was echoing a statement that his economic brain trust issued the day before in which Brian Deese and Cecilia Rouse provided “context” for the anticipated inflation read. They wrote that energy and food prices were especially volatile.

Americans may see a different sort of “context.” They might notice that nearly everything is getting more expensive and that despite a softening in some commodities in recent months, inflation accelerated in June.

They may also conclude that Democrats in charge are not helping.

While much of Washington is focused on the Jan. 6 committee hearings, Americans in the rest of the country are focused on how they can afford to feed their families, with food prices 12 percent higher than a year ago.

As Democrat climate zealots push to kill off our oil and gas industry, voters find themselves paying not only 60 percent more for gasoline than they did a year ago, but also 98 percent more for fuel oil.

While liberals debate whether men can get pregnant, families struggle to pay 11 percent more for a new car, 10 percent more for toddler clothes, an additional 13 percent for baby formula, 17 percent more for health insurance, 14 percent extra for auto body repairs, 34 percent more for airline fares, an increased 14 percent on delivery services and 13 percent more for gift wrap. Did Putin raise the price of gift wrap?