How to choose a cloth face mask (and avoid the long wait for it)

May 15, 2020
It can be hard to know what you’re getting, whether it will be effective, and whether it will arrive at all.
Look for masks that have multiple layers, made from fabrics that are easy to wash and tightly woven, with a high yarn count.
Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images

What role should employees play in enforcing social distancing rules?

May 15, 2020
Employees may face tense situations with some customers.
Should restaurant and retail employees be in charge of enforcing the law?
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Northwest growers grapple with COVID-19 as spring harvests start to come in

May 15, 2020
Workers can stay distanced in the fields, but they work in close quarters in areas where the harvest is processed.
Jim Middleton farms asparagus north of Pasco, Wash. He says he’s worried about keeping his workers healthy, especially ones in tighter quarters in his operation’s vegetable packing shed.
Anna King/NW News Network

FDA issues alert about accuracy of Abbott rapid COVID-19 test

The concern is that it could be returning false negative results.
For now, negative results from the Abbott test should be confirmed with another more sensitive test.
Win McNamee/Getty Images

For some, pawnshops are a lifeline, especially during an economic crisis

May 15, 2020
With tens of millions of people filing for unemployment since the outbreak of COVID-19, pawn shops have seen a modest uptick in business, becoming essential to some communities.
A woman wearing mask walks past a pawn shop on May 7.
Jenny Evans/Getty Images

Here comes the bankruptcy wave

May 14, 2020
Experts expect more business and personal bankruptcies as the economic crisis intensifies.
A temporarily closed J.Crew store in New York. The chain went bankrupt this month.
Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

Why some gig workers are getting less in unemployment benefits

They're eligible for assistance due to the pandemic, but a snag in the system may keep them from getting it.
Gig workers have received unemployment benefits many would not have been entitled to before pandemic assistance began.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Latinas among those hit hardest by COVID-19 job losses

May 14, 2020
Big cuts in hospitality, health care and retail sectors leave Latinas vulnerable.
One in five Latinas are now unemployed.
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

Save British Cheese boxes boost sales for suffering businesses

May 14, 2020
Hundreds of cheesemakers lost 90% of business overnight. Now they're turning to direct-to-consumer sales.
Many artisanal cheesemakers are among the small producers in the United Kingdom who plan to shrink the supply chain and sell direct.
Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images