If this past week’s headlines are any indication, the U.S. consumer economy is being pulled in every direction at once. Grocery bills are getting heavier, while retail giants and airlines are rewriting some of their most familiar playbooks. At the same time, the housing market is cooling in dozens of major metro areas, Chipotle is feeling the sting of diner belt-tightening, and the late-night TV world is suddenly united in a war of words over CBS’s surprise cancellation of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

In grocery, one of the country’s quirkiest retailers is on a tear: Trader Joe’s announced 30 new store openings across 17 states and D.C., pushing the grocer closer to the 600-location mark. Meanwhile, if you were planning to load up on burger patties for the summer, brace yourself. Beef prices have surged to the highest levels on record, and there’s no quick fix in sight as the U.S. cattle herd hits its lowest level since 1951.

Elsewhere, big........

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