By WILL WEISSERT and JOSH BOAK Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Gas prices have soared passed $3 per gallon. The costs of used cars and new furniture, airline tickets, department store blouses, beef and a burrito at Chipotle are all on the rise, too. Economists say the price increases are fueled by the aftereffects of a global pandemic and probably won’t last. But Republicans are hoping to storm into next year’s midterm elections arguing that key parts of the economy have deteriorated under President Joe Biden and a Democratic-controlled Congress. They say steep government spending has triggered inflation and that’s hurt the purchasing power of everyday Americans rather than triggering a promised boom.