Anais Amin

Latest Stories (72)

Running a fair trade business means investing in both people and products

Oct 10, 2022
“Your purchasing power is really a force for positive change," says Julio Zegarra-Ballon, owner of Zee Bee Market in St. Louis.
Julio Zegarra-Ballon holds a fleur-de-lis wall hanging made in Haiti of a recycled oil drum.
Courtesy Zee Bee Market

As the Fed cranks up interest rates, critics ring warning bells

Some economists and policy advisers fear that the Federal Reserve's rapid hikes could tip the global economy into a painful recession.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks on Sept. 21, after the central bank decided to raise rates by 75 basis points for the third consecutive time.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images

How one elementary principal is dealing with hiring staff and kids' learning loss

Sep 28, 2022
"We are scrambling as a school, as a district" to catch up kids and address mental health needs, Jessica Gomez of Southern California says.
Jon Cherry/Getty Images

Fall is prime time for apple picking

Sep 22, 2022
“We'd like to think that we're responsible for high demand but it's really the weather," says Al Rose of Red Apple Farm.
Nancy and Al Rose of Red Apple Farms in Massachusetts. "COVID made us stronger," Al Rose says.
Courtesy Rose

Paint is still in short supply in the U.S., and more expensive

Sep 19, 2022
Suppliers are prioritizing core products, says the owner of Ryan Amato Painting, but deep colors and clear coats can be hard to get.
Looking for paint in a deep color? That could be a problem.
Georgijevic via Getty Images

The buzz behind TikTok's viral beekeeping and bee removal business

Sep 16, 2022
Erika Thompson owns Texas Bee Works, a beekeeping and bee removal company. Like other small businesses, inflation is adding new challenges.
"I had a [TikTok] video of me doing a bee removal that went viral," says beekeeper Erika Thompson. "And that was the first time my life sort of changed."
Aimee Aubin

China's lockdowns continue to disrupt personal lives and the global economy

Sep 12, 2022
"There was a convenience shop owner nearby me who ate nothing but instant noodles for weeks," says Marketplace's Jennifer Pak.
A guard wears protective clothing as he stands next to a barrier fence outside a Beijing apartment under lockdown in June.
Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

How a tax credit to boost minority hiring became a gift to temp agencies

Sep 6, 2022
Workers may not be the biggest beneficiaries of the work opportunity tax credit, says ProPublica investigative reporter Emily Corwin.
A woman waits for a job at a temporary employment agency in North Dakota. ProPublica's Emily Corwin discusses the work opportunity tax credit's benefits for temp agencies and the persistent lack of solutions for workers.
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

Dry cleaner makes the rounds to keep business going

Aug 30, 2022
Hangers Cleaners, a Missouri pickup and delivery service, is trying to find the right employees and stay competitive with pay.
"It feels like a family here, but there are limits as far as what we can pay and still have a viable business," said Joe Runyan, co-owner of Hangers Cleaners.
Courtesy Runyan

6 months into the war, how's the Russian economy faring?

Aug 24, 2022
Russia remains economically isolated and it's suffering a brain drain of young, educated professionals, explains Kristy Ironside of McGill University.
Russia's financial isolation has contributed to the recovery of the ruble's value.
Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images