[U.S. retail sales rose for a third consecutive month in April](https://www.marketwatch.com/story/u-s-retail-sales-increase-again-but-higher-gas-prices-and-inflation-played-a-big-role-167ae1c3?mod=mw_rss_topstories), but the headline is doing heavy lifting that the underlying data doesn't support. Strip out the gasoline surge and what you're left with is a consumer pulling back on non-essentials while households burn cash at the pump.

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