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Duke University economists warn high prices aren't going away anytime soon

AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Several economists from Duke University are outlining the impacts of inflation. 

In a media briefing on Wednesday, the economists said that the country is likely headed toward a recession.

Professor Connel Fullenkamp says that spending will remain level this summer as consumers emerging from pandemic restrictions access leftover money from the fiscal stimulus packages. He says that will delay any concrete evidence that interest rate increases will have any impact on cooling the economy.  

When it comes to housing, Associate Professor David Berger says that with North Carolina's population continuing to increase, the demand for homes will keep prices from falling substantially, particularly as there are still record-low inventories in some markets.

And Professor Emma Rasiel cautioned that President Biden's proposed gas tax holiday would have minimal impact, particularly since it will still be up to the gas providers to decide how much of the savings to pass on.

"Overall, I think it's a fairly small impact," says Rasiel. "Maybe a $1.00 or $1.50 less in the cost of filling your tank. I don't think it will make a huge difference. Honestly. I think it's more of a PR exercise than anything else."

Rasiel says when it comes to food, meat prices have been rising especially fast. She warns that fruit and vegetables may soon cost more due to constraints on access to fertilizers.

Neal Charnoff joined 88.5 WFDD as Morning Edition host in 2014. Raised in the Catskill region of upstate New York, he graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1983. Armed with a liberal arts degree, Neal was fully equipped to be a waiter. So he prolonged his arrested development bouncing around New York and L.A. until discovering that people enjoyed listening to his voice on the radio. After a few years doing overnight shifts at a local rock station, Neal spent most of his career at Vermont Public Radio. He began as host of a nightly jazz program, where he was proud to interview many of his idols, including Dave Brubeck and Sonny Rollins. Neal graduated to the news department, where he was the local host for NPR's All Things Considered for 14 years. In addition to news interviews and features, he originated and produced the Weekly Conversation On The Arts, as well as VPR Backstage, which profiled theater productions around the state. He contributed several stories to NPR, including coverage of a devastating ice storm. Neal now sees the value of that liberal arts degree, and approaches life with the knowledge that all subjects and all art forms are connected to each other. Neal and his wife Judy are enjoying exploring North Carolina and points south. They would both be happy to never experience a Vermont winter again.

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