With just a few days to go before the presidential election, things are looking pretty good for the economy.

According to new numbers out last week, it grew at a rate of 2.9 percent last quarter.

This is about twice as fast as the economy grew the previous quarter - and the fastest such period of growth in two years.

Government economists say these numbers are probably the result of increased exports.

Unfortunately, it's not clear that these good times will last.

Since the recession officially ended in 2009, the economy has seen periods of rapid growth as well as periods of rapid contraction.

Overall, though, average annual growth has hovered at around 2 percent - making this recovery the weakest on record.

Barring a complete meltdown, this is the economy either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump will inherit when they take the oath of office in January.

It's an economy that it is theoretically in a much better place than it was 8 years ago, when we were on the precipice of another Great Depression.

But it's also an economy in which many of the the underlying problems that caused the crash remained unsolved - and it's an economy where many people increasingly feel like they have no path to prosperity.

Is either candidate prepared to fix it?

Read more here.

-Thom

(What do you think? Tell us here.)

Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 7pm and 10:30pm... How Globalism is Rigged To Make the Rich Richer (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT or Free Speech TV, and catch past shows on Youtube)

Monday's Daily Stack

Happy Halloween.

Article: "Letter to Congress From F.B.I. Director on Clinton Email Case" by James B. Comey.

Article: "Senior Congressional Aide Says Chaffetz Tweeted Comey Letter Before Democrats Even Saw It" by Eric Stetson.

Law: "Hatch Act of 1939" by Wikipedia.

Article: "On Clinton Emails, Did the F.B.I. Director Abuse His Power?" by Richard W. Painter.

Tweet: "So, to recap. Trump will go on trial in November accused of racketeering, and again in December accused of child rape...." by Salman Rushdie.

Article: "Reminder: Donald Trump due in court after Election Day on child rape and racketeering charges" by Travis Gettys.

Documentary: Before the Flood.

Site: The Best Democracy Money Can Buy.

Video: The Best Democracy Money Can Buy.

DVD: "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy: A Tale of Billionaires & Ballot Bandits" by Greg Palast.

Event: Chicago, IL – Tue, Nov 1: "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy" (Rainbow Push).

Event: Houston, TX – Thur, Nov 3: "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy" (Rainbow Push).

Article: "No, ‘Emailgate’ Is Not Worse Than Watergate" by John W. Dean.

Article: "Bush White House email controversy" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Church Committee", 1975-6.

Bible: "Matthew 25:31-46 (New International Version)". "All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats."

Article: "How the Anthony Weiner sexting scandal hit the Hillary Clinton campaign in bombshell 'October surprise'" by Harriet Alexander.

Article: "Oregon militia standoff trial: shock and anger after Bundys found not guilty" by Sam Levin and Julia Carrie Wong.

Article: "Rockefeller family charity to withdraw all investments in fossil fuel companies" by Rupert Neate.

Article: "Heirs to Rockefeller oil fortune divest from fossil fuels over climate change" by Suzanne Goldenberg.

Article: "Lucifer" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Does Bill Clinton Run Murder Inc.?" by Jodi Kantor, Feb. 18 1999.

Site: "Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)".

Twitter: "#periodsforpence".

Article: "Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signed a law this year that mandated funerals for fetuses" by Emily Crockett.

Article: "Harry Reid: Comey may have violated the Hatch Act" by Caroline Kenny.

Article: "Dakota pipeline protesters set for 'last stand' on banks of Missouri river" by Sam Levin.

Article: "Bundy standoff", 2014 by Wikipedia (Cliven Bundy).

Article: "Fairness Doctrine" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Judge in minor-league wage lawsuit to reconsider motion for class certification" by Brian MacPherson.

Book: "The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight: Revised and Updated: The Fate of the World and What We Can Do Before It's Too Late" by Thom Hartmann.

CD: Light Side Dark Side by Dick Gregory.

Article: "Aunt Jemima" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Ex-AGs Alberto Gonzales, Eric Holder rip FBI director" by David Wright and Eric Bradner.

Article: "Is the Standing Rock Facebook Check-In Real or Fake?" by S.J. Prince.

Article: "Dakota Access pipeline company and Donald Trump have close financial ties" by Oliver Milman.

Article: "Where will you go when pandemonium strikes? Super-rich are buying up underground bunkers and installing panic rooms in luxury apartments to protect against revolutions or natural disasters" by Isabel Hunter.

Site: "Elect David Soll".

Book: Public Opinion by Walter Lippmann.

Article: "Deep Throat (Watergate)" by Wikipedia.

Talk Media News Segment:
- Victoria Jones

Article: "Queen Offers To Restore British Rule Over United States" by Andy Borowitz.

Article: "White House: We won't 'defend nor criticize' Comey on Hillary emails" by Kevin Liptak.

Article: "Lynch, Justice opposed Comey's Clinton email letter; Democrats in Senate demand answers".

Article: "Donna Brazile out at CNN amid leaks to Clinton campaign" by Dylan Byers.

Article: "Walter Scott shooting: officer Michael Slager's trial begins in South Carolina" by AP.

Site: "Goats for the old Goat".

Site: Governor Free Don Siegelman

Book: "Mein Kampf" by Adolf Hitler.

Article: "Big lie" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Trump warns of 'rigged' election as Giuliani makes racially charged claims" by David Smith and Alan Yuhas.

Article: "Dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Republican Trump voter arrested in Iowa for voter fraud after allegedly attempting to ‘rig’ election" by Sarah K. Burris.

Video: FDR - Lesson on the Use of Propaganda.

Article: "Just our Bill" by Dennis Roddy, December 02, 2000 (How Chief Justice Rehnquist Blocked Minorities From Voting).

Article: "ExxonMobil’s financial reporting under scrutiny" by Ed Crooks.

Article: "ExxonMobil on course to cut reported proved oil reserves by 19%" by Ed Crooks.

Article: "Bills Blocked by Republican Filibusters" by Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Article: "12 Bills That the Filibuster Stopped From Becoming Law" by Philip Wegmann.

Song: "Ballad Of A Thin Man" by Bob Dylan.

Article: "James Comey" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Godwin's law" by Wikipedia.

Clip: "Paul Weyrich - "I don't want everybody to vote" (Goo Goo)".

Article: "American Legislative Exchange Council" (ALEC) by SourceWatch.

Article: "Democrats Sue Donald Trump, Roger Stone for Voter Intimidation in 4 States" by Rachel Stockman.

Article: "Judge extends Florida voter registration deadline until October 18" by Ariane de Vogue and Devon Sayers.

Article: "Federal judge wants to know why Florida hasn’t registered 25,000 people who applied to vote" by AP.

Tuesday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 12-3pm ET

I'll be talking with John W. Dean, former Nixon White House/Columnist/Author, who says that 'Emailgate' Is Not Worse Than Watergate.

And, the best of the rest of the news along with your calls right here on...

The Thom Hartmann Program, Occupying The Media 3 hours a day 5 days a week" for "we the people"

And don't forget...Democracy is NOT a spectator sport...it begins with you...

Quiz: Which candidate is in favor of banning transgender people from using the bathroom of their current gender identity?

Vote here!

Q: Quiz: Who Said That Fracking Gives America "A Tremendous Advantage"?

A: Donald Trump, but he says towns and states should be allowed to ban it. Democrats would let the EPA regulate fracking, and let states and local communities ban it. Gary Johnson supports it, but would increase its oversight. Jill Stein says Ban Fracking Now.

Full Show 10/28/16: Weiner Sexting Scandal Enters Election

Tonight’s Rumble discusses the FBI’s interest in Hillary-related emails in an unrelated case, why police are committing acts of violence in North Dakota on behalf of the fossil fuel industry, and Thom discusses the U.S. economy growing 2.9% in the third quarter with the Center for Economic Policy and Research’s Mark Weisbrot.

130,000 Use Social Media To Get Around The Media Blackout of Standing Rock!

Is 'White People TV' Hiding Coverage of Standing Rock?

What The Hell Has Happened To The Republican Party?

Email-gate Is NOT The Same As Watergate!

Why Did James Comey Send The Letter?