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With fewer coming attractions, more cinemas are closing

Oct 5, 2020
Straight to video might be the only way studios can do business for a while.
A Regal Cinemas movie theater stands closed in Manhattan last month. The movie theater chain's parent company Cineworld announced it would close theaters in the U.S. and U.K. temporarily.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Pandemic is giving the luxury watch market its moment

Oct 5, 2020
Collectors, newcomers and high-income earners who did not spend money on summer vacations are fueling demand in watches that cost thousands of dollars.
Watchmaker Kit Moc works on a piece at the Second Time Around Watch Co. in Beverly Hills.
Nova Safo/Marketplace

Domestic workers still don't have safety protections on the job

Oct 5, 2020
A California bill that would have extended those protections to house cleaners, nannies and elder care workers was vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Cleaning staff disinfect the lectern in the White House pressroom in April. The COVID-19 outbreak at the White House has highlighted the importance of workplace safety laws.
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Small businesses await clarity before applying for PPP loan forgiveness

Oct 5, 2020
The uncertainty over whether there'll be another round of loans — and whether small loans will be forgiven automatically — is holding them back.
Chairs are stacked on tables at a closed restaurant in New York City. Many small businesses are waiting until they hear from Congress to apply for PPP loan forgiveness.
Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

How Broadway is keeping busy, nearly 7 months into shutdown

Oct 5, 2020
"It's hard to stay hopeful of all the things that we need to get live theater back," Broadway producer Eva Price told Kai Ryssdal.
Broadway producer Eva Price at Sardi's restaurant in New York City.
Maria Hollenhorst/Marketplace

College admissions is a business, and the pandemic could upend it

Oct 5, 2020
In his new book, Jeff Selingo looks at how some colleges must compete for applicants, and why the COVID-19 pandemic could make this competition even tighter.
A student moving into the University of Colorado Boulder on Aug. 18, 2020.
Mark Makela/Getty Images

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The pandemic is pushing some older workers into retirement early

Oct 5, 2020
But some may leave before they are financially prepared for retirement.
For retirees in their 50s and early 60s, not only do they have less time to save, they won’t be eligible for Medicare or full Social Security benefits.
Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

Tricky pandemic Halloween might be a treat for businesses

Oct 5, 2020
"It could either be the worst year we've ever had or the best year we've ever had," said one costume retailer.
Halloween is a nearly $9 billion industry, according to the National Retail Federation. Above, people shop for Halloween items in Alhambra, California.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

World Bank proposes a $12 billion fund for COVID vaccine dispersal to poor and developing countries

Oct 5, 2020
World Bank President David Malpass believes his institution will be well situated to both fund and assist in a global COVID vaccine distribution effort.
"Up to $12 billion is a signal to the pharmaceutical manufacturers that there's going to be a big demand, and that there's financing for it, and that the countries will be looking for a safe vaccine. And so it fills that void that would otherwise be there," says World Bank President David Malpass.
Sajjad Hussain/AFP via Getty Images