Is the US economy headed for a recession? Bulls, bears make their case

Through all the noise around US data this week, a clear signal is emerging: The world’s biggest economy is slowing down.
 

The question now is, how badly? On that score, Friday’s payroll report for September contained ammo for the optimists, as well as the pessimists — and plenty for the Federal Reserve to ponder ahead of its next interest-rate decision.
 

The headline number for new jobs fell short of expectations. President Donald Trump looked past that, emphasizing the unexpected drop in unemployment to a half-century low of 3.5%. Traders may have focused on that number too, paring expectations for a