How much is the war hitting American's bottom line?

How much is the war hitting American's bottom line?

From Consider This from NPR by NPR

May 5, 2026 · 11 min

About this episode

The episode discusses how the war with Iran is affecting the affordability crisis in the U.S., particularly through rising gas prices.

There already was an affordability crisis in the U.S. How the war with Iran is making life more expensive. President Trump says the economy is “roaring.” That as Americans are paying an average price of $4.48 a gallon for gas on Tuesday. A year ago it was $3.17. The reason for that increase — the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, which resulted in the closing of the Strait of Hormuz. Gas prices are just one measure of the cost of living in the United States. But they’re a significant one. Martha Gimbel, executive director at the Budget Lab at Yale, weighs in on how the war with Iran is affecting American's bottom line. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for C onsider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at considerthis@npr.org . This episode was produced by Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. It was edited by Christopher Intagliata and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

People in this episode

Guest: Martha Gimbel

Topics covered

  • affordability crisis
  • war impact
  • gas prices
  • economy
  • cost of living
  • Iran conflict

Keywords

  • affordability crisis
  • Iran
  • gas prices
  • economy
  • cost of living
  • Martha Gimbel
  • U.S.-Israel war

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Budget Lab, NPR

Places: United States, Iran, Israel, Strait of Hormuz

More episodes of Consider This from NPR

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Consider This from NPR podcast page.