Hello, friends and Fortune readers.
Happy Friday! The latest monthly jobs report, released this morning, is likely to rule the news today, but there’s also an increasingly difficult situation in Hong Kong, and news of yet another data security breach — this time at a major bank. Here’s what you need to know about today.
1. Jobs, jobs, jobs
Perhaps no nugget of economic news has the political power of the monthly jobs report. Data for September came out this morning and they showed U.S. job growth jumped back above the 200,000 mark, suggesting the weak employment reading in the prior month was a blip and the labor market continues to make steady progress. August’s numbers were very underwhelming. With mid-term elections just a month away, these numbers could make a difference in some of the tighter races.
2. JPMorgan Chase could be in trouble
Names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses — but apparently not account information — was stolen from 76 million homes and 7 million small businesses in a security breach at JPMorgan Chase (JPM). This is perhaps the scariest cyber attack yet, seeing as it’s at one of the biggest banks in the country.
3. Your mom’s favorite battery store is safe
The 80s relic RadioShack (RSH) will live to fight another day. The company, which has been in trouble for years, has reached a $590 million restructuring deal, according to Bloomberg. The loan, led by hedge fund Standard General, will allow the store to restock and have liquidity ahead of the holiday season.
4. Facebook (FB) and WhatsApp get the continental OK
The European Commission has given Facebook its approval — it can acquire messaging app WhatsApp in a deal worth $19 billion. While this was largely expected, it still solidifies another pelt on the buying belt of Mark Zuckerberg.
5. Hong Kong civilian groups clash
The latest violence in Hong Kong’s ongoing protests comes not from the Chinese police, but from adversarial civilian groups. Anti-Occupy counter-protestors have trashed the site where the protests have gone on for the past week, adding another layer to a story that could have serious impacts on Asian markets.
