Inflation numbers out Wednesday are expected to cross another unpleasant threshold as the cost of living continues to climb for U.S. consumers. If the Wall Street consensus is correct, the consumer price index is expected to show inflation running at a 4.2% annual rate off an expected 0.5% monthly gain in May. That would mark the first time the CPI has passed 4% since May 2023 and would be the highest reading since April of that year. Of course, much of the rise in the headline number, which was at just 2.4% a year ago, can be attributed to the surge in energy costs resulting from the Iran war. However, even core ... (full story)