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Buddy Ryan, NFL coach and defensive mastermind, dies at 82

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Severe thunderstorms possible in the Wyoming Valley today

<p>WASHINGTON (AP) &#8212; The U.S. economy grew slightly faster at the start of the year than previously estimated, even though consumer spending posted the smallest gain in two years.</p><p>The gross domestic product expanded at an annual rate of 1.1 percent in the first quarter, an improvement from the 0.8 percent rate released last month, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday.</p><p>The revision reflected stronger export sales and less drag from business investment. Offsetting those gains, consumer spending growth was revised down to 1.5 percent. That was the weakest showing since the first quarter of 2014.</p><p>While growth prospects for the spring look even better, the shockwaves from Britain&#8217;s decision to leave the European Union could spread to the U.S. economy in coming months. Economists forecast growth of around 2.5 percent in the current quarter.</p><p>The boost in export sales helped to turn trade from a drag on growth into a small positive to growth of 0.1 percentage point. The weaker consumer spending primarily reflected a slowdown in services such as health care.</p><p>The first quarter represented the second quarter in a row of slower growth, the result of a number of factors including a harsh winter that sapped consumer spending. It followed the pattern of the past few years in which growth nearly stalled out in the first quarter only to show a solid rebound in the second quarter.</p><p>Economists are looking for a similar outcome this year with analysts predicting growth in the current quarter will be more than double the first quarter pace.</p><p>Analysts had been expecting further acceleration in the second half of this year, with some economists predicting growth could rise close to 3 percent. However, after the vote in Britain, many analysts have trimmed their forecasts for the second half to between 2 percent to 2.5 percent growth due to turbulence in financial markets that could depress consumer and business confidence. They also believe U.S. growth will be hurt by a further rise in the value of the dollar, which will hurt exports.</p><p>The Dow Jones industrial average fell 611 points on Friday, the first trading day after the British vote, the biggest loss since last August. The Dow fell another 260.51 points on Monday.</p><p>The impact from the British vote is expected to keep the Federal Reserve on hold. The Fed raised its key policy rate by a quarter-point in December and had expected to raise rates another four times this year. But after markets went into a tailspin at the beginning of the year, the Fed moved to the sidelines.</p><p>Various Fed officials a month ago had signaled they could be ready to raise rates again in June but then a dismal May jobs report put the Fed back on hold. While some economists had forecast a possible July rate hike, the British vote has many analysts believing the Fed could leave rates unchanged for the entire year or at most will hike only one time, probably in December.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_111103005-f059c35ede374b72b6ac6dbcd2030ad9.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">In this Tuesday, March 22, 2016, photo, auto mechanic Joe Valenti changes a battery in a Honda Acura at his garage in Dormont, Pa. Valenti has been keeping his customer's cars on the road since 1979. On Tuesday, June 28, 2016, the Commerce Department releases its third and final estimate of first-quarter gross domestic product. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_111103005-f059c35ede374b72b6ac6dbcd2030ad9.jpg</photo0><caption0>In this Tuesday, March 22, 2016, photo, auto mechanic Joe Valenti changes a battery in a Honda Acura at his garage in Dormont, Pa. Valenti has been keeping his customer's cars on the road since 1979. On Tuesday, June 28, 2016, the Commerce Department releases its third and final estimate of first-quarter gross domestic product. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)</caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By MARTIN CRUTSINGER</p><p>AP Economics Writer</p></bylineMeta></div>

US economy grew at slightly faster 1.1 percent in Q1