Shoppers are still spending despite the Delta variant
CNN
US retail sales increased last month as consumers continued to dish out on clothing, furniture and groceries despite rising cases of the Covid-19 Delta variant.
Sales beat economists' expectations, increasing 0.7% in August from the month prior, the Census Bureau said Thursday. Economists surveyed by Refinitiv had forecast a 0.8% drop for the month.
It's a promising sign about consumer appetite heading into the winter and pivotal holiday shopping stretch for retailers.
When prosecutors make their final pitch Tuesday to a New York jury for why they should convict Donald Trump of a slew of business crimes, they’ll face the burdensome task of weaving together weeks of testimony and evidence they say proves the former president committed felonies to help his 2016 campaign.