The American economy went back to its dismal rate of growth. The five percent last quarter was understood by everyone, except those who depended on the media to keep them informed, that the uptick was due to a statistical adjustment made necessary by the introduction of the Affordable Care Act. Now we are back to 2.6%.

The economy grew more slowly than expected in the fourth quarter as government spending fell sharply and business investment pulled back.

Gross domestic product expanded at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2.6% in the three months ended Dec. 31, slowing sharply from a robust 5% pace in the third quarter, the Commerce Department said Friday. Economists expected 3.1% growth.

For all of 2014, the economy grew 2.4%, up from 2.2% in 2013, after harsh winter weather early in the year caused the economy to shrink in the first quarter.

The story is in USA Today so naturally will not own up to the nature of the problem. But to understand just how dismal things are, there is this statement from the report to remind you that as bad as things are now, they will only get worse: “Measures of business investment, however, have been declining.” This is not the bursting recovery from recession, but about as bad as could be in what is supposed to be a recovery.