WASHINGTON — A government report Wednesday showed inflation overall remains tame, but experts believe that the high prices for food and gasoline will continue to strain Americans and the economy. ...
Wednesday's inflation report spurred debate for another reason: It showed gasoline prices falling 2 percent in April, a figure most motorists would sharply dispute. ...
"The drop makes absolutely no sense," said Mark Vitner, a senior economist with Charlotte, N.C.-based Wachovia, in a note to investors that questioned where BLS data collectors buy their gas. ...
The good news in Wednesday's report was that core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, rose by only 0.1 percent. That suggests that the spike in fuel and food costs isn't yet forcing workers and companies to demand higher wages and prices across the board to offset those rising costs. That leaves the Federal Reserve some breathing room should it conclude in June that it must cut interest rates an eighth consecutive time to keep sparking the sluggish economy.
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