People keep arguing about whether prices are “down” when they usually mean the rate of increase slowed. The BLS table is dry, but at least it separates monthly movement from the 12-month change. I keep it bookmarked because the distinction matters.
I wish every inflation story linked this table
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.t01.htm
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The category weights are the bridge between that table and a grocery receipt. A national average can cool while a household that buys more of the still-rising items feels no relief. That doesn’t make CPI useless; it means the average and the lived basket answer different questions.