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    Home»Top Countries»United States»Retail sales unexpectedly fall in July as government tax refunds fade
    United States

    Retail sales unexpectedly fall in July as government tax refunds fade

    News DeskBy News DeskAugust 14, 2026No Comments6 Mins Read
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    ‘
    );
    }

    function setButtonState(button, state) {
    const hint = button.parentElement && button.parentElement.querySelector(‘[data-author-follow-hint]’);
    const followLabel = button.dataset.followLabel || ‘Follow’;
    const followingLabel = button.dataset.followingLabel || ‘Following’;
    const registerLabel = button.dataset.registerLabel || ‘Register to follow’;
    const loadingLabel = button.dataset.loadingLabel || ‘Saving…’;
    const pendingAuthLabel = button.dataset.pendingAuthLabel || ‘Loading…’;
    button.classList.remove(‘is-following’, ‘is-loading’, ‘is-auth-required’);

    if (state === ‘loading’) {
    button.classList.add(‘is-loading’);
    button.disabled = true;
    button.textContent = loadingLabel;
    if (hint) {
    hint.textContent=”Updating your followed authors…”;
    }
    return;
    }

    if (state === ‘pending-auth’) {
    button.classList.add(‘is-loading’);
    button.disabled = true;
    button.textContent = pendingAuthLabel;
    if (hint) {
    hint.textContent=”Checking your sign-in status…”;
    }
    return;
    }

    button.disabled = false;

    if (state === ‘following’) {
    button.classList.add(‘is-following’);
    button.textContent = followingLabel;
    if (hint) {
    hint.textContent = followingLabel === ‘Unfollow’
    ? ‘Remove this writer from your followed list.’
    : ‘Click again to unfollow.’;
    }
    return;
    }

    if (state === ‘signin’) {
    button.classList.add(‘is-auth-required’);
    button.textContent = registerLabel;
    if (hint) {
    hint.textContent=”Register to follow writers and manage your list.”;
    }
    return;
    }

    button.textContent = followLabel;
    if (hint) {
    hint.textContent=”Click to follow.”;
    }
    }

    function renderWidgets(scope) {
    const root = scope || document;
    root.querySelectorAll(‘[data-author-follow-widget]’).forEach(function (widget) {
    const button = widget.querySelector(‘[data-author-follow-button]’);
    if (!button) {
    return;
    }

    const staffId = widget.dataset.staffId;
    const hasToken = !!getBearerToken();

    if (!isPianoIdentityReady() && !hasToken) {
    setButtonState(button, ‘pending-auth’);
    return;
    }

    if (!hasToken) {
    setButtonState(button, ‘signin’);
    return;
    }

    if (followedAuthorsMap.has(String(staffId))) {
    setButtonState(button, ‘following’);
    } else {
    setButtonState(button, ‘follow’);
    }
    });
    }

    function renderManageList(container) {
    if (!container) {
    return;
    }

    const hasToken = !!getBearerToken();

    if (!isPianoIdentityReady() && !hasToken) {
    container.innerHTML = (
    ‘

    Checking your account status…

    ‘
    );
    return;
    }

    if (!hasToken) {
    container.innerHTML = (
    ‘

    Sign in to load the authors you follow. ‘ +
    ‘Sign in

    ‘
    );
    return;
    }

    const followedAuthors = Array.from(followedAuthorsMap.values());
    if (!followedAuthors.length) {
    container.innerHTML = (
    ‘

    You are not following any authors yet. ‘ +
    ‘Use the follow buttons on stories or staff pages to build your list.

    ‘
    );
    return;
    }

    container.innerHTML = followedAuthors
    .map(function (author) {
    return (
    ‘

    ‘ +
    ” +
    ‘

    ‘ +
    ‘‘ +
    ‘Remove this writer from your followed list.‘ +
    ‘

    ‘ +
    ‘

    ‘
    );
    })
    .join(”);

    bindEvents(container);
    renderWidgets(container);
    }

    async function refresh(scope, options) {
    const forceFetch = !!(options && options.force);

    if (!hasFollowWidgets(scope)) {
    return;
    }

    // Wipe the cached map BEFORE the first render so a user-switch can’t
    // momentarily display the previous user’s “Following” state.
    discardCacheIfTokenChanged();

    renderWidgets(scope);

    const manageContainer = document.querySelector(‘[data-author-follow-manage-list]’);
    const managePreferencesContainer = document.querySelector(‘[data-author-follow-manage-preferences]’);
    const hasToken = !!getBearerToken();

    if (!isPianoIdentityReady() && !hasToken) {
    renderWidgets(scope);
    renderManagePreferences(managePreferencesContainer);
    renderManageList(manageContainer);
    return;
    }

    if (!hasToken) {
    renderManagePreferences(managePreferencesContainer);
    renderManageList(manageContainer);
    return;
    }

    try {
    await loadFollowedAuthors(forceFetch);
    renderWidgets(scope);
    renderManagePreferences(managePreferencesContainer);
    renderManageList(manageContainer);
    } catch (error) {
    console.warn(‘Unable to load followed authors.’, error);
    if (error && error.code === ‘AUTH_REQUIRED’) {
    renderWidgets(scope);
    renderManagePreferences(managePreferencesContainer);
    renderManageList(manageContainer);
    }
    }
    }

    function startLoginPoll() {
    if (loginPoll) {
    clearInterval(loginPoll);
    }

    let attempts = 0;
    loginPoll = setInterval(function () {
    attempts += 1;
    if (getBearerToken() || isLoggedIn() || attempts > 25) {
    clearInterval(loginPoll);
    loginPoll = null;
    refresh(document, { force: true });
    }
    }, 1000);
    }

    function stopPianoReadyPoll() {
    if (pianoReadyPoll) {
    clearInterval(pianoReadyPoll);
    pianoReadyPoll = null;
    }
    }

    function startPianoReadyPoll() {
    stopPianoReadyPoll();

    let attempts = 0;
    pianoReadyPoll = setInterval(function () {
    attempts += 1;
    if (isPianoIdentityReady() || getBearerToken() || attempts > 40) {
    stopPianoReadyPoll();
    // Non-forced: if bindPianoInitRefresh already fetched, the TTL
    // dedupes this call. If it lost the race, this call wins.
    refresh(document);
    }
    }, 500);
    }

    function bindPianoInitRefresh() {
    if (pianoInitBound) {
    return;
    }

    pianoInitBound = whenPianoReady(function () {
    // The Piano init callback is the canonical “identity is ready” signal;
    // cancel the fallback poll so it can’t issue a redundant second fetch.
    stopPianoReadyPoll();
    refresh(document, { force: true });
    });
    }

    async function handleWidgetClick(widget, button) {
    const staffId = widget.dataset.staffId;

    if (!getBearerToken()) {
    setButtonState(button, isPianoIdentityReady() ? ‘signin’ : ‘pending-auth’);
    if (typeof window.showPianoRegister === ‘function’) {
    window.showPianoRegister();
    startLoginPoll();
    }
    return;
    }

    // If the identity changed since the cache was last filled, drop the stale
    // map before the follow/unfollow decision below — otherwise the click
    // could issue the wrong action against the previous user’s state.
    discardCacheIfTokenChanged();

    setButtonState(button, ‘loading’);

    try {
    if (followedAuthorsMap.has(String(staffId))) {
    await apiRequest(apiBaseUrl + “https://www.washingtontimes.com/” + staffId, { method: ‘DELETE’ });
    followedAuthorsMap.delete(String(staffId));
    removePushlyFollowedAuthorId(staffId);
    } else {
    const author = await apiRequest(apiBaseUrl + “https://www.washingtontimes.com/” + staffId, {
    method: ‘PUT’,
    body: JSON.stringify({
    push_enabled: followDeliveryPreferences.push_enabled,
    email_fallback_enabled: followDeliveryPreferences.email_fallback_enabled,
    }),
    });
    followedAuthorsMap.set(String(staffId), author);
    appendPushlyFollowedAuthorId(staffId);
    }

    saveStoredFollowDeliveryPreferences(
    deriveFollowDeliveryPreferences(Array.from(followedAuthorsMap.values())),
    );
    syncPushlyFollowedAuthorsProfile();
    renderManagePreferences(document.querySelector(‘[data-author-follow-manage-preferences]’));
    renderWidgets(document);
    renderManageList(document.querySelector(‘[data-author-follow-manage-list]’));
    } catch (error) {
    console.warn(‘Unable to update followed author.’, error);
    if (error && error.code === ‘AUTH_REQUIRED’) {
    setButtonState(button, ‘signin’);
    }
    renderWidgets(document);
    }
    }

    function bindEvents(scope) {
    const root = scope || document;
    root.querySelectorAll(‘[data-author-follow-widget]’).forEach(function (widget) {
    if (widget.dataset.followWidgetBound === ‘true’) {
    return;
    }
    widget.dataset.followWidgetBound = ‘true’;

    const button = widget.querySelector(‘[data-author-follow-button]’);
    if (!button) {
    return;
    }

    button.addEventListener(‘click’, function () {
    handleWidgetClick(widget, button);
    });
    });

    root.querySelectorAll(‘[data-author-follow-manage-preferences]’).forEach(function (container) {
    if (container.dataset.followGlobalPreferencesBound === ‘true’) {
    return;
    }
    container.dataset.followGlobalPreferencesBound = ‘true’;

    async function handlePreferenceChange() {
    const pushInput = container.querySelector(‘[data-author-follow-global-pref=”push”]’);
    const emailInput = container.querySelector(‘[data-author-follow-global-pref=”email”]’);
    if (!pushInput || !emailInput) {
    return;
    }

    const previousPreferences = {
    push_enabled: followDeliveryPreferences.push_enabled,
    email_fallback_enabled: followDeliveryPreferences.email_fallback_enabled,
    };
    const payload = {
    push_enabled: !!pushInput.checked,
    email_fallback_enabled: !!emailInput.checked,
    };
    // Drop a stale map if the identity changed before iterating — we
    // don’t want to issue follow updates against the previous user’s
    // authors with the current user’s bearer token.
    discardCacheIfTokenChanged();
    const followedAuthors = Array.from(followedAuthorsMap.values());

    saveStoredFollowDeliveryPreferences(payload);
    managePreferencesPending = true;
    pushInput.disabled = true;
    emailInput.disabled = true;

    try {
    await Promise.all(
    followedAuthors.map(function (author) {
    return updateFollowPreferences(author.id, payload);
    }),
    );
    renderManagePreferences(container);
    renderWidgets(document);
    renderManageList(document.querySelector(‘[data-author-follow-manage-list]’));
    } catch (error) {
    console.warn(‘Unable to update author follow preferences.’, error);
    saveStoredFollowDeliveryPreferences(previousPreferences);
    pushInput.checked = previousPreferences.push_enabled;
    emailInput.checked = previousPreferences.email_fallback_enabled;
    } finally {
    managePreferencesPending = false;
    pushInput.disabled = false;
    emailInput.disabled = false;
    }
    }

    container.addEventListener(‘change’, function (event) {
    const target = event.target;
    if (!target || !target.matches(‘[data-author-follow-global-pref]’)) {
    return;
    }
    handlePreferenceChange();
    });
    });
    }

    function init(scope) {
    const root = scope || document;
    if (!hasFollowWidgets(root)) {
    return;
    }
    bindEvents(root);
    renderWidgets(root);
    bindPianoInitRefresh();
    startPianoReadyPoll();
    refresh(root);
    }

    window.WTAuthorFollow = {
    init: init,
    refresh: refresh,
    };

    document.addEventListener(‘DOMContentLoaded’, function () {
    init(document);
    });

    window.addEventListener(‘focus’, function () {
    if (hasFollowWidgets(document)) {
    refresh(document);
    }
    });
    document.addEventListener(‘visibilitychange’, function () {
    if (!document.hidden && hasFollowWidgets(document)) {
    refresh(document);
    }
    });
    } else {
    window.WTAuthorFollow.init(document);
    }
    })();


    A display of a Bentley car at the Mall at Short Hills, in Short Hills, New Jersey, June 6, 2026, which has remained a premier luxury shopping destination for decades. (AP Photo/ Anne D’Innocenzio)


    A display of a Bentley car …

    more >

    By Anne D’Innocenzio

    –

    Associated Press
    –

    Friday, August 14, 2026


    NEW YORK — Shoppers unexpectedly cut their spending in July as a boost from government tax refunds faded.

    Retail sales slipped 0.6% last month, the biggest drop since May 2025 from a revised gain of 0.2%, according to the Commerce Department data released Friday.

    There was a notable bump in spending in both April and May as Americans dipped into their tax refunds.

    Excluding sales at gas stations and at auto dealers, retail sales in July fell 0.2%. Gas prices ticked up again overnight to $4.08 per gallon on Friday, up from $3.85 a month ago, according to motor club AAA.

    Shoppers pulled back in several areas like consumer electronics and online retailers

    The data offers only a snapshot of consumer spending and doesn’t include activities like travel and hotel stays. The lone services category — restaurants — registered a 0.5% increase.

    Copyright © 2026 The Washington Times, LLC.

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