U.S. consumer spending increased more than expected in September, but decreasing benefits for millions of unemployed Americans and a resurgence in COVID-19 cases across the nation could crimp spending in the fourth quarter. The report from the Commerce Department on Friday also showed inflation remaining muted last month, which could allow the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates near zero for a while to aid the recovery from the COVID-19 recession as fiscal stimulus runs out. More than trillion in government pandemic relief, which included a weekly unemployment benefits subsidy, spurred record economic growth in the third quarter.