Shoppers increased their spending at a better-than-expected pace in August from July, helped by back-to-school purchases, even as President Donald Trump’s tariffs are starting to hurt the job market and lead to price hikes. Retail sales rose 0.6% last month from July, when sales were up a revised 0.6%, according to the Commerce Department’s report. The performance, announced Tuesday, was also likely helped by the continued efforts by Americans to keep pushing up purchases ahead of expected price increases. Moreover, higher prices could be bolstering the number as well. The increases followed two straight months of ... (full story)