News about the economy just went from bad to worse. The Commerce Department released new figures showing gross domestic product fell 2.9 percent in the first quarter of 2014 and corporate profits plummeted more than 9 percent from last year’s numbers. It seems that the U.S. economic engine is still meekly sputtering, thanks in large part to poor decisions made by President Obama and members of Congress.

At $3.65 a gallon, gas is already expensive enough. Now imagine paying an additional “carbon tax” every time you fill up. That’s what a new report from the United Nations has recommended. To combat global climate change, the U.N. has urged governments everywhere to institute a carbon tax or cap-and-trade system as a disincentive for fossil fuel use.