Economic Growth Slows in First Quarter

If you didn’t think the recovery was slow already, have another look. The Commerce Department said Thursday that gross domestic product, a key measure of the economy, rose only 1.8 percent during the first quarter, much slower than the 3.1 percent increase in the last three months of 2010 and slower than many analysts had expected. The good news? Key economists, including Fed Chair Ben Bernanke, think that the first quarter is just a blip, driven mostly by rising gas prices, and that growth should get back on track quickly.