ECONOMY

Seattle musician Begin Nora has lost all her income in the coronavirus pandemic. With three teenagers to feed, she and her husband are eager to get the emergency government money.

How To Get Your $1,200 Emergency Payment Faster — But Watch Out For Debt Collectors

5:07pm April 13, 2020

by Chris Arnold

The federal government has begun sending $1,200 checks to millions of Americans. But some who need the money the most may have trouble actually getting it, and debt collectors may want it too.

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A Smithfield Foods plant in Sioux Falls, S.D., that produces 4% to 5% of the nation's pork supply has become the latest meat processing facility to shut down as COVID-19 sickens plant workers.

U.S. Meat Supply Is 'Perilously Close' To A Shortage, CEO Warns

2:25pm April 13, 2020

by Jim Zarroli

A Smithfield Foods plant in South Dakota that produces 4% to 5% of the nation's pork supply has become the latest meat processing facility to shut down as COVID-19 sickens plant workers.

A woman on a private plane holds champagne.

From Private Helicopters To Concierge Doctors, Inequality Is A 'Big Business'

2:03pm April 13, 2020

by Dave Davies

Nelson Schwartz, author of The Velvet Rope Economy, says special privileges for the super-rich are dividing America: "The result is less sympathy, less empathy and a sort of a harder-edge society."

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To Help Farmers, White House Wants To Lower Migrant Wages

11:36am April 13, 2020

by Franco Ordoñez

The Trump administration wants to provide relief to the farm industry by lowering wages for migrant workers. That has prompted resistance from both labor rights advocates and immigration hardliners.

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Why President Trump Is Not Offering Economic Relief To Cruise Industry

7:58am April 13, 2020

by Jim Zarroli

The cruise industry is reeling from the effects of the coronavirus. Most ships are now docked and the industry has gotten no relief in the bills passed by Congress.

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Economy

Meet 2 Workers Who Bring Food To Doorsteps Amid Social Distancing

7:20am April 12, 2020

Michaellita Fortier says she delivers food during a pandemic because she knows people need it, while Jeff Kirby says he does it because it's his only job and he can't afford not to.

Economy

Former Obama Economic Adviser Says It's Possible To Avoid Another Depression

7:21am April 11, 2020

NPR's Scott Simon talks to Cecilia Rouse, dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public & International Affairs at Princeton University, about the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

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What Would Contact Tracing For Coronavirus Look Like?

7:21am April 11, 2020

by Martha Bebinger

The CDC says reopening the U.S. economy during the coronavirus pandemic will require very aggressive contact tracing. WBUR health reporter Martha Bebinger talks about what that entails.

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Economy

Jobless In The Age Of Coronavirus: Millions Of Stories Of Hardship And Coping

7:21am April 11, 2020

by Scott Horsley

The U.S. economy reels from the coronavirus, leaving one out of 10 workers without a job. Though still in shock, some are beginning to look ahead to life after the pandemic.

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Coronavirus Updates: New Business Council, Progress But Not The Peak

4:12pm April 10, 2020

NPR science and politics correspondents relay the latest news in the United States response to the coronavirus epidemic.