The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) announced Thursday that the U.S. economy grew less than previously thought in the first quarter of 2024 amid a slowdown in consumer spending. According to a release from the BEA, gross domestic product (GDP) was revised down in the first quarter from 1.6% to 1.3% year-over-year, indicating that the economy is not as strong as initial estimates indicated. Economists originally expected growth in the first quarter to be around 2.2%, which is more in line with the above-trend growth seen in the third and fourth quarters of 2023, which were 4.9% and 3.4%, resp…