Small Businesses

Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being hit by the Dali container vessel, as seen from Riviera Beach, Md., on Tuesday.

For Baltimore-area residents, bridge collapse means longer commutes and uncertain prospects

1:54pm March 28, 2024

by Laurel Wamsley

The Key Bridge collapse is upending life for countless people in the Chesapeake region. Residents say it's not just infrastructure — it's their identity as people who live close to the water.

Queue Listen Now

Pilot Mountain fire: 'It's going to take a little while to come back from something like this'

10:40am December 01, 2021

by Keri Brown

People walk by a hiring sign in a store window in New York on Nov. 17.

National

How understaffed are stores? Smaller retailers feel the holiday-shopping strain

8:13am November 27, 2021

by Alina Selyukh

Large retailers have spent billions of dollars to woo workers. Smaller stores that can't do that expect staff shortages will lead to lost sales. They're asking shoppers to be patient.

Queue Listen Now

In an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll, Americans view President Trump as either below average or one of the worst U.S. presidents, while incoming President-elect Joe Biden gets better reviews.

Politics & Government

Poll: Most Americans Think Trump Will Be Remembered As A Subpar President

5:01am January 19, 2021

by Domenico Montanaro

By a 60%-to-27% margin, Americans said they thought Trump would go down as either one of the worst presidents in history or below average. President-elect Joe Biden is viewed more positively.

High Point University Poll Shows COVID-19 Changing Holiday Shopping Behaviors

9:01am November 25, 2020

by Bethany Chafin

A High Point University poll shows that over half

In letters obtained by NPR, the Small Business Administration informs local Planned Parenthood affiliates that they are ineligible for loans received through the Paycheck Protection Program because of rules intended to limit the funds to small businesses

Trump Administration To Planned Parenthood: Return Coronavirus Relief Funds

5:11pm May 21, 2020

by Sarah McCammon

The Small Business Administration is asking local Planned Parenthood affiliates to return funds received under a coronavirus relief program.

Rosemary Ugboajah (at front) with her company's leadership team, Alan Tse and Sheri Ellis.

Economy

Minority-Owned Small Businesses Were Supposed To Get Priority. They May Not Have

6:24am May 12, 2020

by Danielle Kurtzleben

The CARES Act required the Small Business Administration to tell banks to prioritize underserved communities for coronavirus relief loans. That didn't happen, a new inspector general's report found.

Signs are displayed in the window of a store in Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. The Paycheck Protection Program, aimed at helping small businesses survive the coronavirus crisis, has been beset by problems.

Economy

Here's How The Small Business Loan Program Went Wrong In Just 4 Weeks

12:11pm May 04, 2020

Not-so-small companies like Shake Shack and organizations like the LA Lakers were able to get loans that were meant for suffering small businesses. What happened?

Christian Piatt, co-owner of the Brew Drinkery in Granbury, Texas, was forced to close his brewery's doors due to the coronavirus less than two months after he opened.

Economy