InProgress

from the Center for American Progress

The rising costs of the Iran war

The costs of the Trump administration’s ongoing war with Iran are hitting Americans where they feel it most: at the gas pump and in the grocery store. The national average price of regular gasoline reached $4.44 per gallon on September 17—49 percent higher than before Trump began his war with Iran—while diesel prices have climbed more than 70 percent to an all-time high of more than $6.50 per gallon. Gas and diesel prices have increased in every state.

And higher fuel costs don’t stop at the pump. America’s farmers are also facing surging diesel and fertilizer costs, making it more expensive to plant, harvest, and transport their crops. These higher costs won’t just affect farmers but will also be passed down the supply chain, contributing to higher prices for consumers at the grocery store.

Fifth-generation Iowa farmer Aaron Lehman explains how farmers are dealing with these rising costs and the impact of Trump’s war with Iran on America’s food system.

CAP’s preview of the 2026-2027 Supreme Court term

Photo: Getty Images

This year, the Supreme Court will continue hearing and deciding cases that will affect the rights and freedoms of Americans in all walks of life. As in past years, it is likely that the far-right supermajority on the high court will use these cases to advance the conservative agenda, curtailing the rights of individual Americans and their ability to hold powerful bad actors accountable while expanding the rights of corporations and the president to do as they please.

In anticipation of the court’s new term, starting on October 5, CAP experts have examined the potential impacts of seven major merits cases presently scheduled for argument:

1. Environmental protection: Suncor Energy v. County Commissioners of Boulder County
   
2. Immigrants’ rights: Wassily v. Blanche
   
3. Voting rights: Republican National Committee v. Mi Familia Vota
   
4. Public funds for religious schools: St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy
   
5. Labor rights: Department of Labor v. Sun Valley Orchards
   
6. Labor rights: Crowther v. Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia
   
7. LGBTQI+ rights: International Partners for Ethical Care v. Ferguson
   

As Trump and Xi meet, what’s at stake for the U.S.-China relationship

As President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at the White House this week, and CAP Senior Fellow Jonathan Fritz offers two perspectives on the challenges facing the U.S.-China relationship—and what’s at stake in the talks.

For The Contrarian, Fritz examines the risks of an unprepared approach to negotiations with Beijing, including on Taiwan, artificial intelligence, nuclear weapons, and China’s support for Russia. 

For the Inside Sources network, which runs in dozens of local papers around the country, he makes the case for maintaining a relationship defined by competition rather than allowing tensions to escalate into outright conflict.