The average 30-year fixed rate mortgage peaked at just under 8% in October 2023. Rates have hovered around 7% for a good part of this year but have dipped further thanks to the prospect of a rate cut by the Federal Reserve come September. We’ll also travel once again to Kent County, Michigan — a swing county in a swing state — to hear how the economy is influencing voters there. Plus: quarterly results from two big media companies.