Late summer means transitions.

There’s politics: The Republican and Democratic conventions are behind us. The focus shifts now to the high-intensity sprint to Nov. 5 and what the candidates are really signaling on such issues as the economy – the subject of Laurent Belsie’s report today.

There’s what we choose to read as lighter summer page-turners yield to weightier autumn tomes. Our 10 Best of August list will help with that transition.

Then there’s the weekend that is upon us. As you move to shift gears, listen in as writer Simon Montlake talks about a folk artist and the handing down and updating of music traditions on this week’s “Why We Wrote This” podcast. And have a good weekend!