U.S. Retail Sales Rise Less than Expected, Building Materials Fall

``The U.S. economy appears to be weaker than many economists had thought after a report Monday showed consumers spent cautiously in June at retail businesses. Americans bought more cars and trucks, furniture and clothes. But they cut back almost everywhere else. They spent less at restaurants and bars, reduced purchases at home improvement stores and bought fewer computers and electronics.'' -- So in other words, people only bought things they absolutely had to replace (car and truck sales are "catching up" after years of people going longer with aging vehicles)