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Federal Reserve policymakers are increasingly likely to leave interest rates unchanged at their next meeting after fresh evidence of easing inflation emerged. But they'll be careful to strike a tone that their job isn't done yet. The core consumer price index, which excludes food and energy costs, rose 0.2% for a second month in July, marking the smallest back-to-back gains in more than two years. It's unclear where Fed officials will go from here. One faction of the policy-setting committee argues that the past year-and-a-half of interest-rate hikes has done its job, while another group contends that pausing too soon could risk inflation reaccelerating.
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