Inflation Eases, Marburg Outbreak, and the Best Places to Work

Michigan State Shooting

Details emerged from Monday night's shooting at Michigan State University, where police said sophomores Brian Fraser and Arielle Anderson, and junior Alexandria Verner, all from Michigan, were killed. Five others remain in critical condition.

Police identified the shooter as Anthony McRae, 43, of Lansing, although a motive remains unclear. As the school of 50,000 sheltered in place, police published an image of the shooter pulled from security cameras, leading to tips within minutes. He was later found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot. The university claimed he was not affiliated with the school.

The suspect pleaded guilty in 2019 to a misdemeanor gun charge. Police found two notes in the shooter's clothes threatening schools in Ewing, New Jersey, which closed out of caution Tuesday.

The attack occurred a day shy of the fifth anniversary of the shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, where 17 were killed and 17 others injured. 

Inflation (Slightly) Cools

The consumer price index in January fell for the seventh consecutive month to 6.4% year-over-year growth, down from the 6.5% rise in December but greater than the 6.2% increase economists predicted. The data, released by the Labor Department yesterday, indicate it may take longer than anticipated for inflation to decrease.

Prices increased by 0.5% on a month-to-month basis, the largest increase in three months, with food (0.5%) and gas prices (2.4%) accounting for much of the increase. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, rose 0.4% over the month or 5.6% year-over-year. Rent (0.7%) was the largest contributor to the monthly increase, with prices for used cars, medical care, and air travel declining. See a breakdown here.

The inflation rate remains above the Federal Reserve's 2% target (see 101). Analysts expect the Fed to continue to deliver quarter-point interest rate hikes at its next two meetings in March and May with a 4.75%-5.00% year-end projection.

Marburg Outbreak

Health officials have confirmed the first-ever Marburg virus outbreak in the Central African nation of Equatorial Guinea as well as two suspected cases in neighboring Cameroon. At least nine people have died from the Ebola-like virus in Equatorial Guinea, with 16 suspected cases being monitored. The World Health Organization said it is sending medical experts to help stem the outbreak.

First discovered in 1967, instances of the Marburg virus are rare, with fewer than 400 lab-confirmed deaths on record (see data). The lack of widespread outbreaks has prevented an assessment of its mortality rate—limited reports have seen death rates ranging from 23% to 90%. The biggest known outbreaks of the virus occurred from 1998-2000 in the Democratic Republic of Congo and from 2004-05 in Angola, when hundreds of people died.

Over 200 people have been quarantined in Equatorial Guinea's Kié-Ntem province, where the virus was detected. No approved vaccines or antiviral treatments exist. Ebola and Marburg are part of the filovirus family—see what makes them dangerous here.

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