ECONOMY

New Executive Order To Waive Environmental Protections For Federal Agencies

6:02pm June 04, 2020

by Jeff Brady

President Trump is signing an executive order that lets federal agencies waive environmental protections. The move aims to expedite infrastructure projects to help the economy recover.

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Economy

How Social And Economic Disparities Have Worsened Pandemic's Effects On Black Workers

5:48pm June 04, 2020

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to Valerie Wilson from the Economic Policy Institute about why the pandemic has disproportionately affected African-American workers and families.

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'A Renaissance For Labor Issues': Social Media Help People To Apply For Unemployment

4:38pm June 04, 2020

by Emily Siner

People across the country are having a hard time getting through to unemployment offices. Some of them have turned to social media for advice and workarounds.

Trevon Ellis stands in front of the building where his barbershop was destroyed in Minneapolis. Sometime late Saturday someone broke into the shop and lit it on fire.

'I Didn't Deserve It': Pandemic Shut Down His Barbershop, Then A Fire Destroyed It

1:45pm June 04, 2020

by Jim Zarroli

Trevon Ellis spent years building up his Minneapolis barbershop, luring customers with smart haircuts, snacks and friendly conversation. It took just one terrible night to destroy it all.

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Tens of millions are out of work because of the coronavirus pandemic. Many wonder what they'll do when extra federal employment benefits are set to run out at the end of July.

New Unemployment Claims Dip Below 2 Million In Sign Pace Of Job Losses May Be Easing

10:34am June 04, 2020

by Scott Horsley

The Labor Department says about 1.9 million people filed for unemployment last week, but there are some signs that people may be returning to their jobs.

Economy

There Are Some Signs The Job Market Is Slowly Starting To Recover

8:48am June 04, 2020

by Scott Horsley

There are indications layoffs from the coronavirus pandemic may be easing. Initial claims for unemployment have been slowing, and as businesses start to reopen, some people are going back to work.

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News Brief: Mattis Criticizes Trump, Officers Charged, Job Market

5:27am June 04, 2020

An ex-defense secretary says the president is a threat to the Constitution. All officers involved in George Floyd's death have been charged. And, indications the job market is beginning to recover.

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Jonathan Baird and his wife, Nichole, say they've had to decide between making their car payment and buying food since she lost her job in the pandemic. His mortgage and auto lenders told him he didn't qualify for help.

Millions Of Americans Skip Payments As Tidal Wave Of Defaults And Evictions Looms

6:28pm June 03, 2020

by Chris Arnold

Hardship programs appear to be helping many people pause payments and survive the economic shutdown so far. But not everybody is getting the help, and advocates see big potential trouble ahead.

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Like many people whose jobs involve personal interaction, Nicole Burke Stephenson had to get creative to keep making money while social distancing.

Facials Gone Virtual: She Teaches People Self-Care, A Hot Commodity During Pandemic

1:43pm June 03, 2020

by Alina Selyukh

Like many people whose jobs involve personal interaction, Nicole Burke Stephenson had to get creative to keep making money while social distancing.

Black Americans Bear The Brunt Of The COVID-19 Pandemic's Economic Impact

7:35am June 03, 2020

Coronavirus has shed light on centuries of racial economic inequality. NPR's podcast The Indicator from Planet Money looks at how COVID-19 and the recession are hitting black Americans hard.

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