Business

Economy

Women Are Losing More Jobs In Coronavirus Shutdowns

9:42am April 08, 2020

by Scott Horsley

Millions of jobs have been lost as businesses keep their doors closed to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Working women have been hit hardest, accounting for nearly 60% of the early job cuts.

Queue Listen Now

The virtual happy hour has taken on huge importance at a time when life is otherwise in lockdown. Workers are learning a lot more about their colleagues in the process.

Party On, Online: Virtual Beer Pong Becomes An Emotional Lifeline For Workers

5:01am April 08, 2020

by Yuki Noguchi

The virtual happy hour has taken on huge importance at a time when life is otherwise in lockdown. Workers are learning a lot more about their colleagues in the process.

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What Happened Today: Racial Disparities In COVID-19 Deaths, Economic Relief Details

10:10pm April 07, 2020

NPR science and economics correspondents answer questions about the federal government's efforts to confront the virus.

Small Business Administration chief Jovita Carranza speaks at the White House as President Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin look on. Some small business owners are facing delays in applying for a new loan program.

Economy

With Survival At Stake, Small Business Owners Frustrated By Aid Delays

8:31pm April 07, 2020

by Danielle Kurtzleben

The Paycheck Protection Program is meant to help small businesses keep workers on payroll. But first, businesses have to get the money — a process that has proven difficult for some.

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Navy Rear Adm. John Polowczyk, supply chain task force lead at FEMA, speaks during a coronavirus task force briefing at the White House on Sunday.

States, Hospitals Say They're Still Not Getting Vital Supplies To Fight COVID-19

7:33pm April 07, 2020

by Eric Westervelt

President Trump says the government's procurement and distribution system is "a fine-tuned machine," but many hospitals and state governors say they're struggling to get what they need.

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Julia Hansen says her lender, Freedom Mortgage, told her that to get federally mandated help, she'd have to make an $8,000 payment in three months or "go into foreclosure."

Many Struggling Homeowners Not Getting The Mortgage Relief U.S. Promised

7:15pm April 07, 2020

by Chris Arnold

Millions of homeowners who've lost their incomes qualify to defer payments. But many say lenders are demanding unfair terms such as massive subsequent lump sum payments that they can't afford.

The wrongful-death legal complaint in Illinois is one of the first such publicly known cases against Walmart.

National

Walmart Faces Lawsuit Over Worker's Death From Coronavirus Complications

4:13pm April 07, 2020

by Alina Selyukh

The wrongful-death case alleges Walmart ignored symptoms and failed to safeguard workers. The legal complaint is by the family of one of two employees from the same store who died in recent weeks.

Behind Facebook's New Local News Grants

4:12pm April 07, 2020

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Campbell Brown, vice president of global news partnerships for Facebook, about the company's $100 million investment in local news agencies.

National

Seattle Bakery Owner On Her Online Pivot During Coronavirus Outbreak

4:12pm April 07, 2020

NPR's Ari Shapiro checks in with Olga Sagan, owner of Piroshky Piroshky bakery in Seattle, about how business is going amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Tyson Foods says it has suspended operations at its pork plant in Columbus Junction, Iowa, pictured in February 2013, after more than two dozen workers got sick with COVID-19.

Health & Safety

Meat Processing Plants Suspend Operations After Workers Fall Ill

2:08pm April 07, 2020

by Dan Charles

Several processing plants in the U.S. are sitting idle this week because workers are sick with the coronavirus. Other facilities are still operating, but fewer workers are showing up.