US inflation cooled to 3.1% in November, its lowest reading since June, spurring hope that the Federal Reserve will finally ease up on its aggressive rate-hiking regime. The Consumer Price Index — which tracks changes in the costs of everyday goods and services — was on par with what economists were expecting, and is a welcome slowdown for Americans hoping that interest rates will come down sooner rather than later. As the Fed has kept its eye on achieving 2% inflation — a figure the US economy hasn’t seen since 2012 — central bankers have pushed interest rates to a 22-year high, between 5.25% and 5.5%, in hopes of an economic…
