The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that according to a report released by the U.S. government on Wednesday, consumer inflation remained high last month, largely due to an increase in gas prices, rents, auto insurance and other items. An Associated Press dispatch to The Globe reports that this report has the Federal Reserve mulling how often it should cut interest rates, or even whether it should cut them at all this year. Consumer prices, excluding food and energy categories, rose by 0.4 per cent from February to March -- the same rate of increase as the previous month. These core prices have increased by 3.8 per cent compared with last year, which is unchanged from the previous month. The Fed pays close attention to core prices as they provide an accurate indication of where inflation is headed. However, Wednesday's data have been disappointing for the White House, as critics are blaming it for the high prices and using it to derail President Joe Biden's re-election bid. Despite a healthy job market and a near-record-high stock market, polls show that many Americans hold President Biden responsible for the high prices. The latest numbers threaten to torpedo the prospect of multiple rate cuts this year.