Understanding the Emotional Landscape of Consumer Spending

Acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Todd Lyons said his agency’s crackdown on unauthorized immigration will extend to employers as well. Industries that rely heavily on undocumented workers are pushing back. We’ll get into it. And, American consumers are spending in the face of tariff-fueled inflation fears. (For now, at least.) Plus, Korean beauty loyalists and summer camps for sewing make us smile.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• "ICE head says agency to crack down on American companies hiring unauthorized workers" from The Hill
• "Transcript: Acting ICE director Todd Lyons on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," July 20, 2025" from CBS News
• "The U.S. Economy Is Regaining Its Swagger Despite Trump’s Tariffs" from The Wall Street Journal  
• "Teens Learn the Lost Arts of Sewing and Ironing at New Summer Camp Taught By Local Grandmas Staving off Loneliness" from Good News Network
• "A Year’s Worth of Mascara? Fans of Korean Beauty Stock Up as Tariffs Loom." from The New York Times 

• "After Pledging to Keep Prices Low, Amazon Hiked Them on Hundreds of Essentials" from The Wall Street Journal   

  
  

  We love hearing from you. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.