The jobs report released today blew past economists’ forecasts, estimating that employers added about 250,000 jobs to the U.S. economy in September. Republican Sen. Marco Rubio is falsely claiming the jobs report is “fake.” We’ll get into how big economic data is being politicized. And, what happens when October surprises aren’t so surprising anymore? Plus, we’ll weigh in on “white labeling” and flying taxis during a round of Half Full / Half Empty!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “October surprises are piling up, but a toss-up race seems impervious to shocks” from CNN Politics
• “Jack Smith’s latest filing in the Trump election case is no ‘Comey letter'” from MSNBC
• “‘Trump Bible’ one of few that meet Walters’ criteria for Oklahoma classrooms” from The Oklahoman
• Tweet from Sen. Marco Rubio about today’s jobs report
• “Not hearing back on job applications? Some career consultants suggest a bold new tactic.” from Business Insider
• “Denver is funding sidewalk maintenance with a property owner tax” from Marketplace
• “Why do retailers white label certain products?” from Marketplace
• “Costco adds platinum bars to its precious metals lineup” from CNBC
• “Toyota puts another $500 million in an air taxi startup” from The Verge

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After the Federal Reserve’s recent move to cut interest rates, you had questions. Lots of them! Today, we’re answering your questions about why the Fed doesn’t hold more meetings, why it tends to adjust interest rates in quarter-percentage-point increments, and why it’s target inflation rate is 2%. Plus, Kai Ryssdal unpacks the wonky relationship between the federal funds rate and the Treasury bond market.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Introduction to the FOMC” from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
• “A brief history of the Federal Reserve’s emergency rate shifts” from The Los Angeles Times
• “Why does the Federal Reserve raise rates in quarter percentages?” from Marketplace
• “Federal Reserve issues FOMC statement of longer-run goals and policy strategy” from the Federal Reserve
• “Why the Fed Targets a 2 Percent Inflation Rate” from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
• “The Fed cut rates, but the yield on the 10-year T-note is up” from Marketplace
• “How Might Increases in the Fed Funds Rate Impact Other Interest Rates?” from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap. The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

A 2016 trade law has made it easier for fast-fashion companies like Temu and Shein to ship massive volumes of cheap clothes to customers in the United States. Now drug traffickers are exploiting that same law to import fentanyl ingredients. We’ll get into it. And, Kai watched last night’s vice presidential debate after all. The hosts share their takeaways. Plus, a story about repurposing old newspaper boxes takes us to nostalgia central.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “How fentanyl traffickers are exploiting a U.S. trade law” from Reuters
• “Takeaways from the VP debate between JD Vance and Tim Walz” from AP News
• “People fill old newspaper boxes with movies, call it ‘Free Blockbuster’” from The Washington Post

We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

All sorts of statistics related to immigration are being thrown around in debates, speeches and campaign ads ahead of this year’s election. Immigration estimates are painstakingly calculated by various government agencies. But lately, economists have been wrangling with wide gaps between some of these numbers. On the show today, Jed Kolko, former under secretary for economic affairs at the U.S. Department of Commerce, explains how government agencies actually crunch immigration numbers, why two agencies’ estimates aren’t matching up right now and why accurate immigration data is crucial to how we understand the economy and setting economic policy.

Then, we’ll get into why the ongoing dockworkers’ strike is about more than just higher wages. And, we’ll get smarter about a common cooking herb.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Can new data solve an immigration puzzle?” from Slow Boring
• “What we know about unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S.” from Pew Research Center
• “Unprecedented U.S. immigration surge boosts job growth, output” from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
• “Key findings about U.S. immigrants” from Pew Research Center
• “New immigration estimates help make sense of the pace of employment” from Brookings
• “Opinion | The real reason 47,000 dock workers are on strike: Automation” from The Washington Post
• “Robots, automation a big factor in U.S. port strike” from Quartz
• “Tim Walz and JD Vance’s 2024 VP debate is tonight. Here’s what to know.” from CBS News

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Recovery efforts are continuing in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in Florida last Thursday and caused widespread devastation across several southeastern states. We talk about the cost of moving to areas prone to natural disasters. Plus, why Americans now, more than ever, are reliant on state and federal support to supplement their incomes. Then, Kai has a Jon Stewart moment. And, the backstory of an iconic photo from the 1970s of a group of friends enjoying an extravagant breakfast at the National Mall has us smiling!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Where Americans Have Been Moving Into Disaster-Prone Areas” from The New York Times
• “Welcome Home, Hostages, and Pay Up” from The Wall Street Journal
• “Americans Are More Reliant Than Ever on Government Aid” from The Wall Street Journal
• “How this first-time voter is helping other students get registered” from The Washington Post
• “The real story behind the iconic 1974 breakfast photo at the National Mall” [gift link] from The Washington Post

We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Branding is big in contemporary political campaigns. But some candidates are going to odd lengths to appeal to women in 2024. We’ll explain. Plus, the wave of new state voting laws since 2020 has the potential to dramatically reshape ballot access in the 2024 election. And we’ll weigh in on the doomsday prepping economy and “fridgescaping” during a round of Half Full/Half Empty!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “G.O.P. Candidates, Looking to Soften Their Image, Turn to Their Wives” from The New York Times
• “In the tightest states, new voting laws could tip the outcome in November” from Stateline
• “Battleground State Removes Nearly 10 Percent of Voters for Being Ineligible” from Newsweek
• “VoteFlare’s mission to upgrade voter communication” from Marketplace
• “In uncertain times, the prepper supply business is booming” from Marketplace
• “Spurned by Social Media, Publishers Chase Readers on WhatsApp” from The New York Times
• “Southwest may need to change the perks that made customers loyal” from Marketplace
• “Earth will capture ‘second moon’ this weekend, scientists say” from Space
• “The pros and cons of fridgescaping your refrigerator” from The Washington Post

New artist-designed Marketplace sweatshirts are half off this weekend! Invest in Marketplace and get yours: https://support.marketplace.org/smart-sn

In a speech outlining her economic vision this week, Vice President Kamala Harris said she’d boost manufacturing in the United States by supporting trade school programs and getting rid of unnecessary college-degree requirements for federal jobs. We’ll get into it. And, we’ll explain why the DOJ is suing Visa. Plus, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde’s wild search for butter prices.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Harris pledges ‘pragmatic’ approach to the economy in Pittsburgh speech” from Politico
• “Kamala Harris says she will cut degree requirements for certain federal jobs” from Reuters
• “Justice Department Sues Visa for Monopolizing Debit Markets” from the Department of Justice
• “Justice Department accuses Visa of stifling competition in the debit card business” from NPR
• “Cruz gets heated after Booker blocks deepfake revenge porn bill” from The Hill
• “Christine Lagarde – Stabilizing Inflation & Regulating AI for the Global Economy” from the Daily Show

Join us tomorrow for “Economics on Tap.” The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

Congress has agreed on a temporary spending bill to fund the federal government through Dec. 20. The House GOP’s hotly debated SAVE Act didn’t make the final cut. We’ll get into what did make it into the bill beyond bare-bones funding measures. And, a wave of homeowners are looking to refinance their mortgages as borrowing costs ease. Plus, we’ll cry happy tears over a “Homeward Bound” story come to life.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Kushner’s Fund Has Reaped Millions in Fees, but So Far Returned No Profits” from The New York Times
• “US Mortgage Rates Fall Again, Triggering Big Wave of Refinancing” from Bloomberg
• “The final countdown” from Punchbowl News
• “Shippers scramble for workarounds ahead of looming US East Coast port strike” from Reuters
• “Cat Missing in Yellowstone Returns Home to California After an 800-Mile Trek” from The New York Times
• Tweet from Jacqui Heinrich about President Biden’s hot mic moment on “The View”

Got any questions about inflation or interest rates? Send ’em to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.