Food prices in the U.S. are expected to rise by 5 to 6 percent this year, the highest increase in nearly 20 years, according to the Department Agriculture. Prices are expected to rise well into next year.

The U.S. economy lost over 60,000 jobs in June, marking the sixth consecutive month of job losses in the country. An estimated 438,000 jobs have been cut this year.

The number of bank robberies in the U.S. have jumped this year. Chris Swecker, chief security officer for Bank of America: "The economy is driving some of this. We're even getting some anecdotal stuff from bank robbers."

Consumer confidence in the U.S. – how optimistic shoppers feel – is at its lowest point in 16 years, according business research organization The Conference Board. Unfortunately, much of the U.S. economy is based on consumer spending.

U.S. drivers have cut back on driving by 11 billion miles in the last year, the "sharpest yearly drop for any month" since the Department of Transportation began keeping records in 1942. In the last year, the average price of gas has jumped from 3.23 per gallon to $4 according to AAA.

The U.S. economy lost 20,000 jobs in April, significantly less than the 81,000 jobs lost in March.

The price of rice, a staple in half the countries around the world, has risen by nearly 70 percent since the beginning of the year. Josette Sheeran of the United Nations: "This is the new face of hunger – the millions of people who were not in the urgent hunger category six months ago, but now are."

Recent reforms in Cuba, including allowing ordinary citizens to stay in tourist resorts and purchase cell phones, are giving some Cubans hope that the communist country will continue to evolve. The wives of jailed Cuban dissidents: not so much.

According to a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, Americans are increasingly worried about rising food and gas prices. Drivers in California are paying as much as $100 to fill up their gas tanks, with one hybrid car owner saying he pays over $40 to fill up his fuel-efficient vehicle.

Three out of four Americans believe the U.S. is in a recession, according to a survey by CNN/Opinion Research Corp. During a recession, people get laid off, houses don’t sell and things like food and gas become more expensive. Nine in 10 Democrats said the economy is in a recession, compared to half of Republicans.