It’s a trend that has surprised many: Why, despite being squeezed by high prices, have Americans kept spending at retail stores and restaurants at a robust pace.

Americans unexpectedly paused their spending in April from March as inflation continued to sting and elevated interest rates made taking on debt more burdensome.

A measure of inflation that is closely tracked by the Federal Reserve slipped last month in a sign that price pressures continue to ease.

This week’s new entertainment releases include a double album from Alicia Keys and a posthumous one from Juice Wrld, Sandra Bullock playing an ex-con in the Netflix film “The Unforgivable” and Will Smith testing himself in a wildlife documentary series.

Growth in U.S. manufacturing slowed slightly in April, reflecting supply-chain troubles in many industries.

The Institute for Supply Management, an association of purchasing managers, reported Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020, that its manufacturing index climbed to 56 in August from 54.2 in July. (AP Photo/Amr Alfiky, File)WASHINGTON – U.S. manufacturing expanded in February at the fastest pace three years with the arrival of a surge in new orders. The Institute for Supply Management reported Monday that its gauge of manufacturing activity rose to a reading of 60.8% last month, 2.1 percentage-points above the January level of 58.7%. Any reading above 50 indicates expansion in the manufacturing sector. Other analysts said they believed manufacturing would be able to overcome the supply chain issues.

The Commerce Department said Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021, the U.S. trade deficit jumped to $68.1 billion in November as a surge in imports overwhelmed a smaller increase in exports. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)WASHINGTON – The U.S. trade deficit jumped to $68.1 billion in November, the highest monthly deficit in 14 years, as a surge in imports overwhelmed a smaller increase in exports. The politically sensitive deficit with China rose 1.9% to $30.7 billion in November and totaled $283.6 billion for the first 11 months of 2020. The monthly deficit in goods and services of $68.1 billion was the largest imbalance since August 2006. Michael Pearce, senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics, said that the rising trade deficit would act as a drag on economic growth in the fourth quarter.

WASHINGTON The U.S. trade deficit surged in July to $63.6 billion, the highest level in 12 years, as imports jumped by a record amount. The July deficit increase was driven by a record 10.9% increase in imports which rose to $231.7 billion. But despite a number of high-profile trade battles and a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, America's trade deficits have remained stubbornly high. The goods deficit with Mexico hit a record high of $10.6 in July. The United States ran a deficit in goods trade of $80.1 billion in July, the highest on record.