The U.S. economy is sending mixed signals: headline figures such as GDP and unemployment appear healthy, yet public opinion on economic conditions is at a historic low. This paradox, according to a new Democratic-led analysis, stems not from overall inflation but from the soaring and unpredictable costs of items that dominate Americans' daily lives—groceries, gas, and health care. The "Kitchen Table Project," led by former Biden White House adviser Lael Brainard and ex-CFPB chief Rohit Chopra, aims to quantify these pressures and develop targeted policy responses. Their survey and modeling of a median-income family of four reveal that even as overall inflation has slowed, goods people buy frequently have become more unaffordable, outpacing wage gains and tax cuts.