Consumer inflation heated up in August — accelerating slightly from a month earlier although not enough to discourage bets that the Federal Reserve will start cutting interest rates next week. The Consumer Price Index rose 2.9% in August compared to the previous year, speeding up from 2.7% in July, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Thursday.It jumped 0.4% from the previous month, above expectations of a 0.3% increase.On a core basis, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, the CPI rose 3.1% over t ...