The inflation number everyone's watching just dropped—and it came in cooler than expected. That core inflation metric the Fed's been eyeing? Hit 2.8% in the September data that just got released. Market was bracing for something higher, but nope. This reading's got people buzzing about what the central bank might do next. Lower inflation prints usually give policymakers more room to breathe, which could shift the whole macro picture. Worth keeping tabs on how this plays into rate decisions down the road.