Consumer spending, engine of the US economy, is under strain.

Angie Howard shops for groceries in Portland, Ore. on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. Higher fuel costs are raising food and travel prices, while a shaky stock market tamps down free spenders. “You go into the grocery store, you buy the things you normally would, and then all of a sudden it’s $20 or $30 more there,” Howard said. (Amanda Lucier/The New York Times) By LYDIA DePILLIS Angie Howard lives in a walkable neighborhood in Portland, Oregon, and works from home, so she has not had to shell out...

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