US consumers fret about war and jobs

NEW YORK: The latest snapshot of US consumers has shown that confidence was near decade lows even before the grim realities of war in Iraq invaded TV screens, and that pervasive worries about jobs could stifle any relief rally once the conflict is over. 

Being glued to the news also took a toll on chain store sales last week in what economists have come to call the “CNN effect”, although the long-awaited advent of spring-like weather dragged some from their couches.