Heather Long, a reporter at The Washington Post, and Kate Davidson from Bloomberg provide sharp economic insights linking consumer behavior to recent retail trends. Alice Wilder details the struggles of North Carolina farmers recovering from Hurricane Helene. Jennifer Pak discusses Chinese visa applicants' anxieties about the U.S. election and its potential to reshape immigration policies and U.S.-China relations. Together, they paint a vivid picture of how these dynamic issues affect both local economies and international perspectives.