The Importance of Regional Insights in Economic Data

Nine of the Federal Reserve’s 12 reserve banks are on the Mississippi River or east of it. One former Fed official says it’s caused the central bank to disproportionately reflect the interests of the eastern United States. We’ll get into it. And, we’ll unpack how some businesses are pushing consumers to shop now in anticipation of potential tariffs under the incoming Donald Trump administration. Plus, we’ll smile about one runner’s 700-mile quest to create art on the GPS-tracking app Strava.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “The Fed tilts toward the eastern U.S. It’s time to change that.” [gift link] from The Washington Post
• “Now is the time to prepare for tariffs” from The Hill
• “Tariffs and you: What products will cost more, when prices will rise, and what to buy now” from USA Today
• “Buy Now Before Tariffs Hit, Retailers Are Telling Shoppers” from The Wall Street Journal
• “Man ran 700 miles to make ‘insanely impressive’ art on GPS fitness app” [gift link] from The Washington Post
• “Why not enlist an army of volunteer retirees?” from The Washington Post
• “Do Your Passwords Meet the Proposed New Federal Guidelines?” from The Wall Street Journal

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