New job numbers today were better than expected, but still far short of healthy. With only eight weeks before the midterm elections, the White House is turning its focus back to the economy and considering a package of tax breaks to help businesses hire. We have a report from Jonathan Weisman, White House correspondent for the Wall Street Journal.

As summer draws to a close, we reprise our conversation with Robert Thorson and dip our toes into bodies of water known as kettle ponds — lakes formed by the meltdown of glacial ice. Walden is the most famous kettle, but they stretch from Maine to Montana. Thorson, a professor of geology at the University of Connecticut, says they represent a significant part of America’s historical and cultural heritage. His book is, “Beyond Walden: The Hidden History of America’s Kettle Lakes and Ponds."

Several years ago, the state of Michigan told the organizers of the country's oldest state fair they had to become self-sufficient and could no longer rely on state subsidies to operate. Organizers tried and tried, but could not generate the kind of revenues and excitement that sustain the more popular state fairs like those in Iowa and Minnesota and were forced to close down. Our guest Nolan Finley, editorial page editor of the Detroit News, says Michigan's recession began at least a decade ago and that recently, the once grand state fair had deteriorated into little more than a glorified carnival with a few farm animals.

As the Arizona Republic reports, "Jan Brewer has been in politics for 28 years, but it took only 13 seconds to reshape her national image." In the first and only gubernatorial debate on Wednesday night, Governor Brewer arguably did just that by pausing awkwardly for 13 seconds in the middle of her opening statement. Brewer, who has become the darling of conservatives nationwide for signing the state's tough immigration law earlier this year, is also being taken to task for overstating crime in Arizona while at the same time trying to boost tourism in the state. We speak with KJZZ reporter Mark Brodie.

In a recent interview with the conservative media organization Human Events, Mississippi governor Haley Barbour talked about how his generation went to integrated school and he went to an integrated college. This statement caused a media buzz, including talk show host Rachel Maddow. We check-in on the controversy.

We meet the singing-songwriting couple Deb Talan and Steve Tannen, better known as the Indie pop-folk group called The Weepies. Talan and Tannen, who hold the record for having their songs "placed" in more than 100 films and TV shows, have just released a new Cd, "Be My Thrill."

• Four Tet, "Slowjam"
• Men at Work, "Down by the Sea"
• The Lickets, "Crowd of Pimps in the Rain"
• Pat Metheny, “In Her Family”
• The Essex Green, "The Sixties"