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Unemployment claims are at a three-month high, which isn’t a great sign for the economy. But orders for durable goods — like auto parts and manufacturing equipment — were higher than anticipated in October. We’ll try to make sense of the economy’s mixed signals in today’s episode. Plus, a price cap on Russian oil fuels disagreement, “wonky” produce gains traction in the U.K., and small businesses make themselves holiday-ready.

An unknown buyer, or buyers, has been purchasing a lot of gold recently. About 400 tons changed hands in the third quarter, worth more than $20 billion. Sure, countries can use it to pay for imports during a crisis or evade U.S. sanctions, but who would want to and why? Plus, borrowers fret over high interest rates, streaming services are in a bind and marshmallows pose a sticky question for tax policy.

These are still not normal times, and that means a not-quite-normal holiday season. Thanks to inflation, holiday shoppers are getting less bang for their buck, while a pilot shortage is causing major headaches for travelers and regional airports. Today, we’ll unwrap what’s in store. Plus, a CEO succession lesson courtesy of Disney, the FTX debacle worsens crypto trust issues and the threat of eroding beaches.

The transition to remote work during the pandemic could have offered tribal communities an opportunity to curb the outmigration of young people. Yet Native workers have disproportionately been left behind. Today, a closer look at the causes and costs. We’ll also take stock of the week that’s been, dig into booming apartment construction and unpack new guidelines for relieving student debt in bankruptcy.

There’s bad blood between Taylor Swift fans and Ticketmaster after the site was nearly overwhelmed by fans trying to nab concert tickets. But the company is also drawing ire from elected officials who call it a monopoly. Today, how Ticketmaster cornered the market on live events. Plus, Starbucks workers go on strike, the FCC readies an updated broadband map and one reporter documents her return to China’s zero-COVID bubble.

Every election season, headlines speculate about which political polls got it right and how others got it so wrong. A listener called in to ask if they even matter. We’ll get into it and answer  questions about whether the 2017 tax cuts set us up for inflation and state lawmakers’ surprisingly low wages. Plus, how are individual shareholders affected when companies like Twitter go from public to private?

Here’s everything we talked about today:

If you’ve got a question about the economy, business or technology, let us know. We’re at [email protected], or leave us a message at 508-U-B-SMART.

October’s consumer price index contains a glimmer of hope. Though prices are still on the rise, inflation may finally be starting to moderate. On today’s show, what to make of one month’s worth of mildly good news. Also on the program: a computer chip oversupply, a pulse check of the real estate market and a lab trying to disaster-proof buildings.

It can be overwhelming to take stock of everything — and everyone — lost during the pandemic. But how do you quantify the time lost? For millennials, the sequestered years are ones traditionally marked by major life events, like marriage or having children. Today, we’ll tally the costs. Plus, small-business owners feel cautious about the economy, AMC Theatres strikes a deal with Zoom and trade schools see enrollment spikes.

Tech giants Twitter, Stripe and Lyft slashed jobs last week, and Meta will reportedly follow suit. It’s a reversal of the sector’s pandemic hiring spree and could be an indicator of wider cuts across the economy. Plus, conservative groups spend big on school board elections, Florida’s cultural institutions try to recover after Hurricane Ian, and a Supreme Court case threatens the Indian Child Welfare Act.

Ahead of the holiday travel season, pilots at two major airlines rejected tentative contracts this week, and a third voted to authorize a strike. Pilots are bargaining for better wages and quality-of-life provisions, all while clocking record-high overtime and grappling with staff shortages. Also in this episode, worker productivity gets a boost, graphite shortages are bad news for EVs, and extreme heat threatens low-income households in Miami.