.4%
<2.U.S. inflation was higher than expected last month as the rising prices that powered sweeping Democratic victories in last week’s midterm elections appear likely to pose ongoing challenges for the White House and the Federal Reserve, the Associated Press reported. The consumer price index rose 0.4% from September to October, the Labor Department said Tuesday, down from 0.6% the previous month. The government did not report a yearly inflation rate because last year’s government shutdown meant no data was released for October 2025. But excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices rose 0.3%, the same as the preceding month. Both figures were a tenth of a point higher than forecast, and at an annual rate would be well above the Fed’s 2% target.
