High gas prices and rising mortgage rates are squeezing US households as midterm elections approach, the article reports.

Consumers face pressure from elevated fuel costs and climbing borrowing expenses across the nation.

The article says 30-year fixed mortgage rates recently touched 7.45 percent.

Higher borrowing costs have effectively frozen housing activity, sidelining many prospective home buyers.

The slowdown is hitting real estate agents, lenders, and related industries, according to the piece.

Analysts say the pressures hurt consumer confidence as families spend more of their income on basic needs.

Bond yields are climbing steadily, which market analysts read as a sign of deeper economic anxiety.

A New York Times headline cited in the article says the pressures trouble Trump as the midterms near.

Lawmakers face pressure to offer relief before voters head to the polls, though the timing is uncertain.

Read the full article on how gas prices and mortgage rates are shaping the midterm mood.