Surging inflation has eased in recent months, but more evidence is needed to show that price increases are coming down in the long term, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday. (Photo by Yuki IWAMURA / AFP) (Photo by YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images)
Prices rose half a percent in January, according to the latest consumer price index. That is up from a 0.1 percent decline in December, and five times the 0.1 percent increase in November.
The monthly uptick was in line with expectation, though the year-over-year rate came in higher than expected 6.4 percent, a marginal drop from a 6.5 percent rate in December.
Shelter (i.e. housing) contributed the largest share to the monthly increase, rising 0.7 percent.
Energy costs were also up across the board. The price of piped gas shot up 6.7 percent, while energy overall was up 2 percent after two straight months of declines.
Food prices, meanwhile, were up 0.5 percent. That is up from 0.4 percent in December, but still low relative to the last six months.
Used car prices also continued their steady decline, dropping 1.7 percent month-over-month and 11.6 percent year-over-year.
Despite the month-over-month drop, the annual rate has slowed for seven straight months.
A Rome villa containing the only known ceiling painted by Caravaggio is going back on a court-ordered auction block after no apparent winning bids were entered.
AT&T and Verizon say they will delay some new 5G wireless service after the airline industry raised alarms about potential interference with important systems on planes.
Stocks fell to a new low for the year on Wall Street Tuesday and bond yields surged amid renewed jitters the Federal Reserve will lift interest rates to tackle rising inflation.
Microsoft is paying nearly $70 billion for Activision Blizzard, the maker of Candy Crush and Call of Duty, as it seeks an edge in the fiercely competitive businesses of mobile gaming and virtual-reality technology.
GreenPower Motor Company CEO Fraser Atkinson joined Cheddar News to discuss Gov. Jim Justice's plan for West Virginia to reduce carbon emissions in 2022 by adding a school bus fleet of B.E.A.S.T.s — or battery-electric automated school transportation. Atkinson discussed why the state was perfect for manufacturing electric buses, and the economic impact its facilities will have on the region. He also noted a health impact the new vehicles could have, citing research that children from kindergarten to sixth grade are most at risk for cancers and respiratory illnesses due to exhaust pollution.
As food prices continue to rise, the cost of eating at home is starting to outweigh the cost of eating out. According to the Labor Department, grocery prices jumped a whopping 6.5 percent in December, while restaurant prices rose only 6 percent. Daniel Ammen, the senior director of project management and purchasing at restaurant management company Front Burner Brands, joined Cheddar to discuss how its own restaurant, The Melting Pot, is navigating the cost differential and how its restaurants overall are dealing with ongoing staffing shortages.
From Wall Street to Silicon Valley, these are the top stories that moved markets and had investors, business leaders, and entrepreneurs talking this week on Cheddar.
Two of the biggest names in crypto had a public spat this week over whether stablecoin issuers should have to reveal to the general public what's in their reserves.
Americans overlooked shortages, spiking prices and uncertainty over the omicron variant to break spending records during the critical holiday shopping season.
Amid a rise in gun-related deaths in 2021, a smart technology solution is being touted to help personalize and secure the use of firearms for owners in hopes of preventing unauthorized use and accidents. Gareth Glaser, president and CEO of LodeStar Works talked with Cheddar about adding fingerprint or smart tech locks to its 9mm handgun as a way of addressing the deadly issue without a partisan viewpoint. "We felt a technical solution would be the best way to go," Glaser said. "It's nonpolitical, and it actually addresses the product itself as opposed to a cultural issue."
