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The new CPI numbers came out Wednesday morning, clocking in at a hefty 8.3 percent. Per CNN:

The Consumer Price Index was up 8.3% in the 12 months ended in April, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday, slightly higher than economists had predicted. It was a decrease from the 8.5% recorded in March, which had been the highest level in more than 40 years.

Note the spin from CNN (and much of the legacy media):

US inflation took a breather last month for the first time since August. Prices still increased, but at a slower pace than in previous months.

I’m not so sure I’d characterize 8.3 percent as “a breather.” I’m with Jim Geraghty on this:

True, it’s not the 8.5 percent of March, but let’s take a look back over the current administration’s tenure, helpfully shared by Senator Ted Cruz’s Special Advisor for Communications, Steve Guest:

I’m also not sure that everyday Americans emptying out their wallets at the gas station and grocery store feel like they’re getting much of a breather. As we reported yesterday, gas prices have hit an all-time high. In addition to critical shortages, even when staple items are available, they’re costing us significantly more.

Washington Post economic columnist Heather Long provides a helpful illustration:

We’re not just seeing them — we’re feeling them. And President Biden’s “assurances” to the contrary, we most certainly are focused on what this administration is — and isn’t — doing in response.

Trust me, the American people would welcome an actual breather. If this .2 percent reduction in the rate of inflation translates into a continued downward trend in the coming months, then great. For now, color me skeptical.

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