This Isn’t a Spike—It’s the System

Gas prices are back over $4—and once again, we’re being told it’s temporary. But this isn’t just about oil. It’s about a fragile global system where one disruption sends costs soaring for everyone else. In this episode, we break down what’s really driving the spike, why inflation may be sticking around longer than promised, and how warning signs like the “Walmart Recession Signal” point to a broader economic slowdown already taking shape. At the same time, workers are pushing back. From major union wins forcing Amazon to recognize the right to strike, to locked-out refinery workers holding the line, to a federal judge calling out union-busting at the VA—labor is testing its leverage in real time. We also dig into the growing momentum behind a potential May Day general strike, the renewed push to tax the rich in New York, and what Oracle’s mass layoffs reveal about how corporations are using AI to cut workers out of the future. This isn’t one story—it’s the same story from every angle: rising costs, concentrated power, and a growing question about what happens when workers decide they’ve had enough.