By Stephen Culp NEW YORK (Reuters) -U.S. stocks inched higher in choppy trading on Tuesday and the dollar dipped after a crucial report showed sticky U.S. inflation continues to meander along its slow, downward path as the Federal Reserve gathers for its December policy meeting. Crude prices tumbled over worries of softening global demand, although the U.S. economy appears robust enough to withstand the Fed’s restrictive policy, for now. The three major U.S. stock indexes fluttered in choppy trading before turning modestly higher, putting them on track to notch fresh closing highs. The Labor D…