Consumer sentiment ticked higher in July, marking two consecutive months of improved shopper attitudes as businesses navigated President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threats targeting dozens of countries. The fresh reading matched economists’ expectations.

W hen Donald Trump’s tariffs are mentioned, you might recall his “Liberation Day” duties on uninhabited islands, his on-again, off-again threats against Canada, or the curt letters he has sent foreign leaders informing them of imminent rates.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday slammed Donald Trump's threat to impose 50 percent tariffs on Latin America's largest economy as "unacceptable blackmail."In his speech, leftist leader Lula slammed Brazilian politicians who back Trump's policies as "traitors to the homeland.