Prices increased 7.9 percent through February, the fastest pace of annual inflation in 40 years, as fuel costs jumped and a wide array of goods and services grew more expensive.Rising costs for food and rent contributed to the big increase, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said, as did a nascent surge in gas prices that will undoubtedly get more pronounced. The February report caught only the start of the surge in gas prices that has happened since Russia invaded Ukraine late last month. Economists expect inflation to pick up even more in March because prices at the pump have since jumped to record-breaking highs.Rapidly climbing costs are hitting consumers in the pocketbook, causing confidence …
