SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – OVERNIGHT:

THE COST OF GETTING BEHIND THE WHEEL – OVERNIGHT:  Gas prices are soaring.  Voters are watching.  Democrats are sweating.  From Daily Caller:   The price of gasoline in a remote California town reached $7.59 per gallon this week as energy costs continue to rise nationwide and show no sign of slowing down.  The town — Gorda, California — is located in a rural part of the state about halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco and is known for its high gasoline prices due to its distance from other areas with gas pumps, according to ABC 7. The price of premium-grade gasoline, used for cars with engines that require higher octane fuel, in Gorda surged to nearly $8.50 per gallon.  While Gorda’s gasoline prices are often an outlier, the rest of the state and country continue to see higher prices at the pump, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). The national average price of regular gasoline reached $3.37 per gallon on Thursday, up nearly 6% from a month ago and up 55% compared to a year ago.  Overall, the price of regular gasoline has hit its highest level since September 2014, the EIA data showed.   This itself could swing a presidential election, and can have a devastating effect on the Democrats in next year's Congressional midterms.  Of course, many fashionable Democrats like higher gas prices because they mean that the peasants out there will drive less, which in turn will mean that the planet, which is scheduled to die next June, will have a year or so more of existence.  I learned that from an environmental activist who hasn't gone outside since 2015 because he fears he'll contribute to global warming.

October 21,  2021