U.S. Consumers Show Signs of Stress

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/25/briefing/consumer-spending-maui-fire-search.html

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After a post-pandemic shopping spree, some Americans are becoming more selective with their spending as they struggle with factors like inflation. Although overall consumer spending remains strong, analysts say they detect worrying shifts in shopping habits.

Financial reports this week from retailers including Macy’s, Kohl’s, Foot Locker and Nordstrom suggest that consumers are no longer buying with abandon. Executives also flagged rising credit card delinquencies and higher rates of retail theft as ominous signs that consumers could be strapped for cash.

At the annual Jackson Hole conference in Wyoming — think Cannes for economists — Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve chair, said the central bank would stick by its push to stamp out high inflation “until the job is done,” with officials ready to raise interest rates further if needed.

China, the world’s second-largest economy, which once seemed unstoppable, is plagued by a series of problems and a growing lack of faith in the future.

Authorities in Hawaii released a list naming 388 people who were still unaccounted for, two weeks after the deadliest American wildfires in more than a century.

Search-and-rescue teams are still combing through rubble in the coastal town of Lahaina, looking for human remains. The blazes killed at least 115 people, and authorities have been bracing the public for the likelihood that the number will rise substantially, though the total may not be confirmed for months.

A vast majority of the publicly identified victims of the fires were older than 60. But yesterday, Maui officials identified the first child known to have been killed by the fires: Tony Takafua, who was 7 years old.

A spokesman dismissed any government involvement in the presumed death of the mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, saying suggestions by Western officials that the Kremlin was behind a fatal plane crash were “an absolute lie.”

U.S. and Western officials see Prigozhin’s apparent death as a projection of Putin’s power. Prigozhin was once a brutally effective ally for the Kremlin, building an internet “troll farm” that helped Russia interfere in the 2016 American presidential election and a private paramilitary force that fought on Russia’s behalf in Ukraine and Africa.

Weather: At least five people died in Michigan after severe storms.

School: Sweltering heat has prompted several schools to cancel classes, highlighting their vulnerability to extreme weather.

Politics: Donald Trump said he did not enjoy taking a mug shot, but it could still be lucrative.

Guantánamo: A Sept. 11 defendant is unfit to face trial because of a mental illness, a military medical board concluded.

Intel: Russian spies are cultivating “future Western influencers,” according to U.S. intelligence.

Europe: Greek authorities investigating two devastating fires arrested dozens of people on suspicion of arson.

Labor: United Auto Workers members voted to authorize strikes against major automakers if they don’t reach a deal on new labor contracts.

Soccer: Spain’s Women’s World Cup-winning team is refusing to play until the head of the country’s federation resigns.

Art: The director of the British Museum resigned days after the museum fired a worker suspected of stealing.

Jann Mardenborough has lived the kind of life that many kids dream about: After spending much of his childhood playing countless hours of the racing video game Gran Turismo, he used those skills to become a professional. He eventually earned a podium finish at Le Mans, the famous endurance race in France.

His improbable story has now made it to the big screen. “Gran Turismo,” a film directed by Neill Blomkamp and starring Archie Madekwe as Mardenborough, opened in theaters today. Read our review.

For years, logging companies in the Brazilian Amazon claimed that isolated Indigenous groups were a myth — but then came Jair Candor. His stealthily captured videos have shown families trekking through the forest, nude and with children on their backs.

Candor is one of the country’s most accomplished tracers of isolated tribes, seeking out evidence of people who were not seen or contacted for generations. His goal is to prove to the government that they exist, so their land can be protected.

Over the last 35 years, Candor has led hundreds of expeditions, repeatedly catching malaria and surviving two attempts on his life. In total, he has discovered evidence of four tiny civilizations, each with its own language, culture and stories. They include Brazil’s smallest known tribe, the Piripkura, which has only three remaining survivors.

Gendered cocktail glasses: Stereotypes may be fading, but bartenders say some men are still uncomfortable with feminine glassware.

School bells to wedding bells: Some college sweethearts are opting for wedding ceremonies at their alma maters.

Dream jobs: Here’s how much you might make running some of the world’s biggest museums and other cultural institutions.

Style support: Does your backpack make you look like a tourist? It depends on how you wear it.

Cook: Upgrade your spaghetti by baking it with meat sauce.

Watch: Two high school outcasts start an all-female fight club in “Bottoms,” in theaters now.

Listen: The trumpeter Jaimie Branch, who died last year, has one last electrifying LP.

Laugh: The provocative comedian Dave Chappelle is playing Madison Square Garden.

Renovate: Tax credits are making solar panels more affordable than ever.

Rethink: We asked experts for advice on not just living with regret, but learning from it.

Travel: Here’s all the gear you need to be prepared for a road trip.

Compete: Take this week’s news quiz.

Play: Here are today’s Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here.

One morning in Maine this summer, 225 people — young and old, bald and pigtailed — crowded into a library. The star of the occasion: Sarah McCloskey, the real-life inspiration for the beloved children’s book “Blueberries for Sal,” written by her father, Robert.

McCloskey, now 78, has aged a bit since she was depicted in the 1948 story. But when she began to read, it was as if an adult version of Matilda, Pippi or Eloise had just strolled into the room. The children crept closer until they were practically sitting on her shoes.

Have a childlike weekend.

Thanks for reading. I’ll be back on Monday. — Matthew

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