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A key inflation measure simmered down in February, the month before a round of President Donald Trump's wide-ranging tariffs kicked in potentially pushing up the cost of living.

Kazakhstan contributed more than a half of overall OPEC+ oil production rise in February, lagging behind its pledges to reduce production, OPEC data showed on Wednesday. Kazakhstan has persistently exceeded its output quota of 1.468 million bpd under the production-curbing deal struck by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia - together known as OPEC+. According to the OPEC data, Kazakhstan produced 1.767 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil in February, up from 1.570 million bpd in January.

(Bloomberg) -- OPEC+ crude production surged last month as Kazakhstan, which has long flouted the cartel’s output quotas, further breached its agreed limit.Most Read from BloombergTrump DEI Purge Hits Affordable Housing GroupsNYC Congestion Pricing Toll Gains Support Among City ResidentsElectric Construction Equipment Promises a Quiet RevolutionOpen Philanthropy Launches $120 Million Fund To Support YIMBY ReformsWhere New York City's Zoning Reform Will Add HousingThe alliance’s output climbed by

(Reuters) -Cooler inflation last month leaves the door open for the Federal Reserve to resume cutting interest rates by mid-year, but the central bank remains worried that U.S. tariff hikes could rekindle price pressures, trigger an economic slowdown, or both. Consumer prices rose 2.8% in February from a year earlier, a government report showed on Wednesday, marking progress compared with the 3% reading in January. As long as the labor market stays strong, continued easing on the inflation front would allow the Fed to adjust interest-rates slowly downward in what analysts and some Fed policymakers have referred to as "good news" rate cuts.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. consumer prices increased moderately in February as higher shelter costs were partially offset by cheaper airline fares, giving the Federal Reserve room to keep interest rates unchanged next week while monitoring the economic impact of a trade war. But the relief offered by the tame Consumer Price Index report from the Labor Department on Wednesday could be temporary as the data did not capture a cascade of tariffs by President Donald Trump's administration, which has caused a surge in consumers' inflation expectations and prompted economists to upgrade their inflation forecasts.

MUMBAI (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs can boost manufacturing activity in the United States, the world's largest economy, Blackstone Chief Executive Stephen Schwarzman said on Wednesday. Trump's focus on tariffs since taking office in January has shaken investors, consumers and business confidence and economists have voiced concerns of a U.S. recession that could drag down the global economy. Schwarzman, a long-time Trump donor, speaking to reporters in Mumbai at an event to mark Blackstone's 20th anniversary in India, said he expected India-U.S. tariff negotiations to be smoother than those with other countries following a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trump last month.

American consumers – and their wallets – are the engine of the economy. But they’re now showing the strain of inflation, President Donald Trump’s tariffs and a stock market plunge.