Retail sales fell 0.9% in May, worse than expected as consumers pulled back

[progree]

2. I'm not seeing the usual 8-10 posts "I don't believe anything the Krasnov junta puts out". Is there something wrong

with my browser or a glitch with DU this morning? Especially considering the Commerce Secretary is Howard Lunatik, who certainly has his share of dubious stories and bizarre quotes. (The retail sales report is put out by the Commerce Dept). Isn't Lunatik the one suggesting that the GDP not include government spending?

By the way, PCE inflation (the Fed's favorite measure, sometimes called "Pissy Inflation" ), due Friday June 27, is put out by the BEA Bureau of Economic Analysis, which is a part of the Commerce Department. I suspect it will come out on the low side, and the "I don't believe anything the Krasnov junta puts out" posts will be back in full abundance.

Unrelated but very interesting from the OP's excerpt:

However, excluding a series of items such as auto dealers, building materials suppliers, gas stations and others, sales increased 0.4%. That reading, known as the control group, is what the department uses when calculating gross domestic product.

That's a little gem factoid I didn't know. Another one of those "where the hell do I file this" facts? In a place where I'll readily find it and won't forget it?