Hey everyone, Mary here with a little update on Slate's first ever pledge drive. If you're a regular

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Okay, on with the show.

I called up Catherine Rampel from over at the bulwark because I wanted her to make sense of some numbers with me. Specifically, if consumer confidence is in the dirt, why is American

holiday spending still so strong?

I've been reading these headlines about shoppers powering through Black Friday,

spending 9% more than they did last year,

laying out billions on their Thanksgiving feasts.

...