Inflation Watch:

The latest official CPI figure: 0.2%. Yeah, right… (After some masterful hedonic adjustments and excluding “volatile” food and fuel–things that matter the most to consumers.)

Reader P.T.R. notes: “I noticed that I needed to re-stock some Tang [freeze-dried orange juice powder].  At the store, I noted that it’s now sold in a larger container, so I thought ‘they’re trying to sell more product — the Large Economy Size ploy’.  It wasn’t until I got home and compared it to a canister That I had purchased a couple of years back that I saw the real differences.  The old container held 12.3 oz, and is labeled ‘Makes 8 Quarts’.  The new Tang container, as I said, is larger: net weight is 20 oz, (60% larger) but it reads ‘Makes 6 Quarts’.  In addition, the old product contained calcium and several vitamins (vitamin C, vitamin A, and three B vitamins), while the new product only lists the vitamin C and calcium ingredients.  Can you say ‘Cheap Fill’?” 

German Inflation Accelerates More Than Economists Forecast