This year, fake content generated by artificial intelligence hasn’t created the massive election mess that many assumed it would in the United States … at least not yet. At a Senate hearing, tech executives pointed to recent efforts by Russia, China, and Iran to interfere with the upcoming election. And, no, the Teamsters union did not endorse former President Trump. We’ll explain. Plus, we’ll get into the ongoing strike at Boeing and Vice President Kamala Harris’ plan for a cap on childcare costs.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Censorship accusations loom over Big Tech hearing on election threats” from The Verge
• “Teamsters union declines to endorse Trump or Harris in presidential race” from NPR
• “Harris wants to limit child care costs to 7% of family income” from CNN Politics
• “Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on the economy, potential U.S. port strike and Boeing strike” from CNBC
• “Boeing Workers Go on Strike: What to Know” from The New York Times
• “Boeing Furloughs White-Collar Workers as Strike Worsens Cash Crunch” from The Wall Street Journal

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

The Federal Reserve today said it’s lowering its benchmark interest rate by half a percentage point. The rate cut is bigger than we’d predicted, and bigger than what the Fed normally does, but its effects will take some time to ripple through the economy. We’ll also get into former President Donald Trump’s switch-up on the state and local tax deduction cap and why Sen. Rand Paul wants Congress to reclaim power over tariffs.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Federal Reserve lowers interest rates by 0.50 percentage points in first cut since 2020” from CBS News
• “Dr. Rand Paul Celebrates Constitution Day with the No Taxation Without Representation Act” from Sen. Rand Paul
• Tweet from Burgess Everett about Rand Paul’s tariff proposal
• “Trump signals SALT deduction cap reversal” from Axios
• “Schumer calls out Trump for ‘selective amnesia’ on SALT” from The Hill
• “NPR Exclusive: U.S. overdose deaths plummet, saving thousands of lives” from NPR

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.

The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates this week for the first time in four years. It would be a major milestone in the central bank’s long fight to get inflation under control. The Fed changes interest rates to keep inflation in check. But inflation is a complex phenomenon, and people have different ideas about what drives it. On the show today, Harvard economics professor Stefanie Stantcheva explains what Americans believe about the root causes of inflation and how the government should manage it, how views differ along party lines and the role media play.

Then, the narrative around retail theft is changing. And, comedian Rola Z who hosts the “Funny Arabs” show in Washington, D.C., answers the Make Me Smart question.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “People’s Understanding of Inflation” from the Social Economics Lab at Harvard
• “The Fed And Public Opinion” from Forbes
• “What actually happens when the Fed cuts interest rates?” from Marketplace
• “No, Americans Are Not Completely Stupid About Inflation” from The New York Times
• “The Growing Use of Voting Before Election Day” from the Center for Election Innovation and Research
• “America’s stores are winning the war on shoplifting” from CNN Business
• “Federal Debt Is Soaring. Here’s Why Trump and Harris Aren’t Talking About It.” from The Wall Street Journal
• “How would Project 2025 impact troops and veterans?” from Military Times

We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email us at makemesmart@marketplace.org.