Live updates: Inflation rises in September; Trump jets to Arizona, Montana

Inflation rose in September, giving Republicans no relief as they campaign to retain both chambers of Congress. Consumer prices rose 3.7 percent , compared with a year earlier, up from 3.4 percent in August, according to Labor Department data released Wednesday morning.

President Trump is set to make back-to-back campaign stops in Arizona and Montana on Wednesday afternoon as he continues his multiday, multistate midterm blitz primarily targeting red states.

Trump is slated to speak in Bullhead City, Ariz., at 4 p.m. EDT before flying to Kalispell, Mont., for another speech at 8:15 p.m. The trip comes a day after the president made a rare campaign visit to Alaska. During the rally, he announced pardons for two men who were convicted of violating the Clean Air Act.

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will give remarks alongside acting Army Secretary Adam Telle — who was tapped for the position in early September following the resignation of Dan Driscoll, who left his post after months of reported discord with the Pentagon chief.

Tille, who previously served as the assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Works, made his first public appearance as acting Army secretary on Monday. He will appear alongside Hegseth and acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao at 10 a.m. EDT.

Sprinkled throughout the evening will be several midterm election debates, including for the gubernatorial races in Maine and Iowa, both set for 8 p.m. Alaska’s candidates for Senate will then debate at 10 p.m.

But unlike these nominees, Democrat James Talarico will take the stage without his opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), in the Lone Star State’s Senate race. Talarico will appear in a televised town hall at 8 p.m., hosted by CNN and Jubilee Media, after repeatedly challenging Paxton to a debate.

The appearance comes after both the GOP candidate and Trump peddled theories surrounding Talarico’s two-week absence from the campaign trail — which the Democrat attributed to a flu diagnosis.