In today’s press conference, President Obama talked about his ideas on how to fix the fiscal cliff. The state of Texas has enough signatures to go to the White House to secede from the United States. With the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy still looming, many companies are using the storm as a cover-up for their lost in sales. California is holding its first auction of carbon permits, launching its cap-and-trade system. Austerity strikes are going on across Europe. One stop shops Walmart and Costco are beginning to sell something a little different: home mortgages. And Freakonomics Radio’s Stephen Dubner talks the hidden side of mass transit.

More than 500,000 people have signed a petition urging Macy’s to tell Donald Trump he’s fired. Superstorm Sandy is long gone, but the recovery will take a while, even for those whose homes weren’t destroyed. Kai Ryssdal talks to Gizmodo reporter Jeff Wise about anti-virus software creator John McAfee. Sylvania unveiled a new LED lightbulb that gives off the equivalent brightness of a traditional 100-watt bulb and last 25 times as long. North Carolinians thought building a Google data center would help ease the 17 percent unemployment rate there, but that hasn’t yet been the case. And the fiscal cliff has been all over the news lately, but should you care?

The United States is on track to pass Saudi Arabia and become the largest oil producer by 2020. Greece has passed an austerity budget for 2013. Thousands are still left homeless after Sandy and officials are trying to find apartments and homes to place them in. The Department of Veterans Affairs has set a goal to end veteran homelessness by 2015, and help homeless veterans access disability payments. We take a look at advertisements warning of the upcoming fiscal cliff, and talk to an actual cliff diver about what it’s like to jump off.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke coined the term “fiscal cliff” to describe that fallout if automatic tax hikes and spending cuts go into effect — but what else could the situation be called? Amazon has uncorked its new wine marketplace in many states. Kai Ryssdal talks to a gas station owner in New York who is staying open despite not having gas. We hear about the economic benefits to price gouging. And there’s a new Archbishop of Canterbury, and he has an unconventional business background.

McDonald’s sales are down for the first time since 2003. AT&T has decided to scrap their landlines and invest in wireless services instead. Walmart is ramping things up for Black Friday especially early this year. Amy Scott talks to a teacher who taught high school at Chicago’s Cook County Jail. Germany houses about half of its gold in a vault beneath the Federal Reserve building, and some Germans are anxious to know if the gold is actually there. And China is going through a major leadership change.

President Obama’s been re-elected, but will his relationship with Wall Street be any different? We look at how Obama might spend his political capital. Kai Ryssdal follows up with a small business owner to see how she feels about the president being elected to a second term. Mitt Romney won’t be getting the presidential job; the Wealth & Poverty Desk looks at the job market for others in his demographic — unemployed 65-year-old white males. Meanwhile, the European Commission has cut its growth forecast for the eurozone for this year and next. And thousands of flights are being canceled due to the Nor’easter.

It’s Election Day. San Bernardino has one the highest unemployment rates in the country while Oklahoma City has one of the lowest; our reporters check in to see how voters are feeling in both cities. Some people have experienced long waits at their polling places today — how does constant waiting affect us financially and psychologically? No matter who wins the presidency tonight, they will inherit an improving economy. Even when this election is over, super PACs are here to stay. And we hear about workplace etiquette for the day after the election. Hint: It’s not polite to gloat if your guy wins.

Kai Ryssdal speaks with former Minnesota governor and former presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty about the election and his new role as the head of the Financial Services Roundtable. Estimates say a combined $6 billion has been spent on the presidential campaigns by President Obama and Mitt Romney. Meanwhile, the power outages in New York caused by Superstorm Sandy have left many that use food stamps helpless and hungry. We look at Sandy’s effect on the holiday retail season. And the newest reality show on Bravo shines a light on Silicon Valley.

October’s jobs numbers are out, the last unemployment report to be released before Election Day. Kai Ryssdal talks to a small business owner from North Carolina who is still undecided about who to vote for on Tuesday. We hear about one pizza parlor in New Jersey that is trying to return to normal after Sandy, and about how the rich may have a quicker, easier recovery. The rapper Eminem has reached a settlement in a years-long lawsuit over royalty payments. And we hear about the political leanings of the music world in Nashville.