Friday, August 25, 2023

The Evening: Signs of consumer stress

This weekend, upgrade your spaghetti by baking it with meat sauce.

Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Friday.

  • A worrying shift in consumer habits
  • The search for victims in Maui
  • Plus, the remarkable story behind "Gran Turismo"

U.S. consumers show new signs of stress

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.

Hundreds are still missing in the Maui fires

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.

The Kremlin denied involvement in Prigozhin's death

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.

More top news

Enjoy all of The New York Times in one subscription — the original reporting and analysis, plus puzzles from Games, recipes from Cooking, product reviews from Wirecutter and sports journalism from The Athletic. Experience it all with a New York Times All Access subscription.

TIME TO UNWIND

The remarkable story behind 'Gran Turismo'

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.

Tracking Amazon tribes from the shadows

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.

Dinner table topics

ADVERTISEMENT

Ad

WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND

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.

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.

ADVERTISEMENT

Ad

ONE LAST THING

Revisiting 'Blueberries for Sal'

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

We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com.

Evening Briefing Newsletter Logo

Writer: Matthew Cullen

Editorial Director: Adam Pasick

Editors: Carole Landry, Whet Moser, Justin Porter, Jonathan Wolfe

Photo Editor: Brent Lewis

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this email because you signed up for The Evening from The New York Times.

To stop receiving The Evening, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request.

Subscribe to The Times

Connect with us on:

facebooktwitterinstagram

Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices

LiveIntent LogoAdChoices Logo

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

No comments:

Post a Comment