The Labor Department reported that inflation cooled to a 2.5 percent annual rate in August, and mortgage rates have dropped to their lowest level since February 2021. The inflation report set the stage for the Fed to cut interest rates next week.

The post-pandemic spike in U.S. inflation eased further last month as year-over-year price increases reached a three-year low, clearing the way for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates and likely shaping the economic debate in the final weeks of