Madison Iszler reports in the Albany Times Union that New York consumers grew more optimistic in the second quarter of 2018, while the majority of the nation grew pessimistic. The new poll from the Siena College Research Institute reports New York State's Index of Consumer Sentiment rose 2.1 points, while the national figure fell three points in April, May, and June. Upstate New Yorkers were more optimistic than city dwellers by a two-point margin. Dr. Doug Lonnstrom, the institute's founding director and a professor of statistics and finance at Siena, said the results are "driven by greater confidence in the future of business and economic conditions." Read the full story in the Albany Times Union.