Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell poured cold water on hopes for a holiday rate cut, dialing back expectations as the labor market cools and inflation persists. Powell said a December cut is far from guaranteed. Even as the central bank on Oct. 29 trimmed its benchmark federal funds rate to a range of 3.75% to 4%, anyone looking for certainty had to look elsewhere. An ongoing government shutdown means the Fed is missing key data, inflation remains stubbornly high and the labor market shows signs of cool ...