The Federal Reserve is set to make its next interest rate decision on Wednesday, even as a near-total blackout of federal economic data continues amid the government shutdown. The Labor Department, however, on Friday released one key report ahead of its meeting: the Consumer Price Index. That report showed that the inflation rate rose at a pace of 3% last month, cooler than expected, as the impact of President Trump's wide-ranging tariffs have so far been more muted than economists have forecast. Economists say the softer inflation report likely opens the door to a rate cut on Wednesday. "Concerns about tariffs ... (full story)