AXIOS (Neil Irwin) - Consumers are getting hit from all directions
Americans desperately want day-to-day life to be more affordable . Right now, they aren't getting it. The big picture: The pinch of high prices for food, energy, housing and more has driven seismic shifts in public opinion over the last four years. Since the onset of the Iran war, the cost of living looks likely to get worse, not better, at least in the near term. - Energy prices are surging, interest rates are on the rise, and the stock market is looking wobbly — a triple whammy for U.S. households. By the numbers: The national average for a gallon of gasoline is poised to surpass $4, up from about $3 a month ago — and is set to rise further the longer the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked. - Even before the latest energy shock,…