US employers are gradually dialing back the pace of hiring and hourly earnings are moderating, offering some solace to Federal Reserve policymakers in their bid to wrangle still-elevated inflation. For investors, though, economic data and monetary policy have taken a back seat to negotiations on the federal debt ceiling that are stretching into the final days before the US government risks defaulting. While lawmakers have narrowed differences, a final deal has yet to be struck. Government data on Friday are projected to show payrolls in the world’s largest economy increased by less than 200,000 in May, down from ... (full story)