Retailers have an inventory problem as lockdown lifestyle fades

Jun 7, 2022
As inflation hits and consumers abandon pandemic spending habits, Target and others have the wrong kind of stuff on their hands.
The home goods section at a Target store. Now that consumers are getting out and about, stores are left with too much inventory.
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How Shanghai's DIY supply chains helped us live through the long COVID lockdown

Jun 6, 2022
What happens when supply chains collapse and it's up to district governments, neighbors and friends to fill the gap?
A volunteer clad in safety gear delivers food during the lockdown while Shanghai residents were not allowed to leave their apartments.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace

Is the goal of vaccinating 70% of the world's population against COVID still realistic?

Jun 1, 2022
WHO set the vaccination goal for mid-2022, but health researchers say the mutating virus that spreads more easily means we need to set new priorities for global health.
Health researchers say the mutating virus, which spreads more easily means we need to set new priorities for global health.
John Wessels/AFP via Getty Images

Consumers are spending on services again as the pandemic shopping spree for goods cools

May 31, 2022
People want to get outside and do stuff, not just buy stuff. That's reflected in surging travel bookings — and airfare.
Consumers are still spending on big-ticket, durable goods like furniture. But now demand for services is picking up again.
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Evusheld offers vulnerable Americans protection from COVID. But getting it has been complicated.

May 24, 2022
Scarcity and a lack of outreach has left millions of immunocompromised Americans without access to the treatment.
The Biden administration ordered 1.7 million doses of Evusheld, but around three-quarters of those may have gone unused, according to some estimates.
Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images

Cities in China not under lockdown still feel the pain

May 23, 2022
Dozens of cities are under lockdown or COVID-19 restrictions, and that is affecting businesses across China.
COVID-19 restrictions in China make it hard to attract new overseas investment and foreign talent, a member of the European Union chamber of commerce in China says.
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Zoom grew like crazy during the pandemic. Now what?

May 23, 2022
The company known for its video conferencing platform is sitting on a lot of cash. Some investors are wondering where the company can go from here.
Like Peloton, a lot of folks who were going to buy Zoom products already have by now.
Martin Bureau/AFP via Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

That line in the sand about going back to the office? It keeps moving.

May 20, 2022
As COVID surges again in some areas and employees push to work at home most days, companies are trying to find the right balance.
As the economy slows down, employers may gain leverage in their effort to bring resistant workers back into the building.
Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images

What labor shortage? Some retailers now say they're overstaffed.

May 20, 2022
Hiring too many workers — many of them part time — was an effort to avoid losing sales.
Walmart said overstaffing, among other factors, brought down its quarterly earnings. The retailer's not alone.
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Colleges get federal guidance on using COVID relief to support student mental health

May 19, 2022
The Department of Education provided ideas for using these funds, including text-based counseling and suicide-prevention training.
The Department of Education suggested how colleges can invest leftover COVID relief funds in  mental health care.
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