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Consumers shrugged off higher gasoline prices in April and sent a widely watched barometer of consumer confidence to its highest level in almost four years, a private research group said Tuesday.

Why the growing pessimism? It appears that higher gas prices are partly to blame. A whopping 77 percent say they feel uneasy about the economy, due to rising gas prices, higher interest rates and a larger federal deficit. On the other hand, just 19 percent say they feel confident, because jobs are being created and the stock market is growing.