Gilded Economic Numbers, Real-World Pains Ahead of the State of the Union

CNN argues that the U.S. economy looks solid on paper—2.2% growth in 2025, a strong job market, wage gains, and inflation easing with a stock market near record highs—yet consumer confidence remains near historic lows, affordability problems in housing and child care persist, and rising delinquencies plus a widening wealth gap paint a more mixed, politically charged picture ahead of the State of the Union.