Good news for the midterms! The economy grew at 2.6 percent in the third quarter -- the first increase in 2022 and a sharp turnaround after six months of contraction — despite lingering fears that the country is at risk of a recession. Via the Washington Post:

The third-quarter gross domestic product figures, released Thursday by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, provide an upbeat snapshot less than two weeks before midterm elections, in a year that has seen the economy and high inflation become a persistent challenge for Democrats.

[...] Even though consumers bought fewer goods, they continued to spend on health care, which helped lift the GDP reading. An increase in government spending at the federal, state and local levels also contributed to the gains.

The biggest boost, though, came from a narrowing trade deficit, with American retailers importing fewer items and exporting more goods as well as services, such as travel. That is a stark reversal from earlier in the year, when the gap between incoming goods and outgoing ones was at its widest on record.