Consumers spending pulled back sharply in May, weighed by declining gas sales and a looming unease over where the economy is headed, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. Retail sales declined 0.9%, even more than the 0.6% drop expected from the Dow Jones consensus, according to numbers adjusted for seasonality but not inflation. The decline followed a 0.1% loss in April and came at a time of unease over tariffs and geopolitical tensions. Excluding autos, sales fell 0.3%, also worse than the estimate for a gain of 0.1%. However, excluding a series of items such as auto dealers, building materials suppliers, gas ... (full story)