Hello and welcome to this special edition of the News Hour podcast. It is the second in our two-part bonus series in the run-up to the US presidential election. And I'm the second James, in chronological order, at least to be your host. My news hour colleague, James Menendez, brought you a discussion on one of the elections big themes, immigration from San Antonio in Texas. Check it out when you've

listened to this if you haven't already. And I'm James Kamara Sami in Madison, Wisconsin,

where we're going to chew over what American voters say is the most important issue for them in

this election, the economy and the cost of living in particular. We're going to look at how

people have been affected and how it might influence the outcome of living in particular. We're going to look at how people have been affected

and how it might influence the outcome of this election. Well, I am sitting in the Wisconsin

Memorial Union with me. I've got Laura Dresser, a Labour economist at the University of Wisconsin

and Sean Johnson, who covers politics for Wisconsin Public Radio here in Madison.

Welcome both of you. I suppose I should welcome myself since I'm in your city or something like that.

But look, it's really good to have you both with us.

Let's start with where we are. Laura, tell us a bit about this building.

This is the Memorial Union, the gathering place of students and faculty,

and actually a lot of people from town, beautiful view of the lake out the back, and gathering place of students and faculty and actually a lot of people

from town, beautiful view of the lake out the back, and a lot of beer and bands playing all summer

long on the town. Beer and bands, that sounds good. Some of you tag out, Sean? Yeah, when you

have visitors who come to town, you bring them here and you show them the lake in the summer. Maybe

not in the winter. Bit blowing at the moment. Well, look, thank you both for being with us.

And look, we're at the end of an election campaign. In fact, not too many yards from where we're

sitting right now, there's a lot of early voting going on. This is an actual voting place.

How's the campaign been for you, Laura?

Well, living in a swing state is, I think, like living it with the volume

up to 11 all the time. And so, you know, it's, there's a lot of activity, a lot of angst, a lot of

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