US economy grows despite voter angst

Hello. Today my colleague Natalie Sherman is writing on the latest figures on the US economy - and assesses whether the mostly positive trends will have an impact on next week's election. We're also reporting from Beirut, India and the Scottish Highlands. But first, here's the latest about the deadly flash floods in Spain.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Will US economic growth impact the election?

Consumer spending was the biggest driver of US economic growth last quarter. Credit: Getty Images

The US economy grew solidly in the three months to September, expanding at an annual rate of 2.8%. The US is on track for one of the strongest economic performances of any major economy this year.

What does the latest data say?

Much of the economic data has been solid or moving in the right direction.

Petrol prices are down, grocery prices are stabilising and wages, for at least the past year, have been rising faster than prices, which for many families is helping to offset the jump in living costs.

How can this affect people's view of the economy?

It is not clear the latest figures will do much to assuage people's worries. Economic sentiment, which darkened abruptly during the pandemic, has remained downbeat, as a roughly 21% jump in prices over the past four years overshadows other economic news. This month, one poll found that a solid 62% of Americans viewed the economy overall as “bad”. Analysts said it is not clear how big a role the economy will actually play in shaping the election outcome this year.

Why is that?

Opinions have grown increasingly coloured by a person's political views over the last few decades "Even though the economy is based on numbers, a lot of people's views are partisan," Marjorie Connelly, a senior fellow at the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs, told me. "The economy will be a factor, but ... I think partisanship will be the biggest factor."

THE BIG PICTURE

Why women bosses lead to female workforce

Women's contribution to India’s GDP is just 17%, less than half the global average. Credit: Getty Images

Women, though half the population, own less than a fifth of businesses globally, according to a World Bank report. But female entrepreneurship could be one of the keys to getting more women to enter the workforce, according to a study focusing on India. The total number of women working in the country has barely moved in three decades.

And finally... in Scotland

A Victorian building in a Scottish Highlands village has a reported history of strange goings on and is rumoured to be haunted by ghosts. When the building has been closed, CCTV has filmed what looks like mist rising in the hall and lights turning on and off in the bar, while a decorator working alone reported hearing doors slamming and then a growl in his ear. Naturally, the BBC went along to investigate...