Home improvement sales are holding steady despite the overall retail slump

May 19, 2020
As people spend more time at home because of COVID-19, they are thinking about how they can improve those spaces.
Home improvement sales saw only a small dip in the U.S. in April.
Ming Yeung/Getty Images

Small, local meat producers see uptick in demand

May 19, 2020
Local producers are seeing an increase in online and over-the-counter sales.
Some small- to mid-sized ranchers are seeing the demand for local meat spike.
Laura Palmisano

Half of Americans who lost work or wages are getting $0 jobless benefits

May 18, 2020
Workers lost $80 billion in pay in April due to the pandemic, but only got $48 billion in unemployment benefits, according to the Hamilton Project.
An applicant fills out an unemployment benefits form in Virginia. Temporary relief payments are scheduled to end soon.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

J.C. Penney joins ranks of major retailers filing for bankruptcy

May 18, 2020
Experts say these companies were already in trouble before the pandemic.
Retail watchers say J.C. Penney won't be the last company to see this kind of financial trouble during the pandemic.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Economic recovery "may take some time to gain momentum," Fed Chair says

It may take until the end of 2021 for the economy to recover, Jerome Powell said Sunday.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell says there's "really no limit" to what the central bank can do with lending programs.
Mark Makela/Getty Images

As carmakers restart factories, they look at steps to protect workers from COVID-19

May 18, 2020
Among the steps General Motors says it will take: providing additional protective gear, and taking workers' temperatures when they arrive.
There are about 1,500 workers on a typical shift in a car factory, according to one industry analyst.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

What it's like starting a new job from home during the COVID-19 pandemic

May 18, 2020
There's more to onboarding than just training. The social component is more difficult right now.
Starting a new job during these times involves a lot of video chat.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Curbside pickup, delivery poised to boost Walmart sales

May 18, 2020
Walmart reports earnings this week, and is expected to show big gains in e-commerce amid the pandemic.
An employee restocks a shelf at an Ohio Walmart. Employees shop for customers for the chain's popular curbside pickup option.
Chris Hondros/Getty Images

QR codes and dramatic vistas: tips for traveling during the pandemic

May 15, 2020
Traveling will look very different during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tourists at Mount Cangshan in China's Yunnan province undergo temperature checks and QR code scans before entering the park.
Jennifer Pak/Marketplace

It’s safe to see your doctor, ailing health-care industry tells prospective patients

May 15, 2020
Fear of contracting coronavirus is keeping people away from routine health care visits — and even emergency rooms.
The emergency entrance at a hospital in New York. Hospitals nationwide are suffering financially as people fear infection and stay away.
Misha Friedman/Getty Images