Washington (AFP) – US consumer inflation eased in November, according to government data released Tuesday, bringing some relief to policymakers with the smallest annual increase over the past year. Officials are closely eying the monthly inflation report for signs that painfully high consumer prices are definitively moderating at last, as surging costs of living force households to dip into their savings. The consumer price index (CPI), a closely-watched measure of inflation, jumped 7.1 percent from a year ago, down from 7.7 percent in October, according to Labor Department figures. But the ov…