Week of July 20th, 2020

Ideally, more than one someone.

Manufacturers and distributors are running out of empty cans to pack nonperishable foods that Americans are buying in bulk.

Plus, how state and local politics are playing out in grocery stores without hazard pay, city-run cooling centers and stay-at-home orders.

Once a court proceeding has started against a renter, it can become part of a tenant’s record, whether it led to an eviction or not.

Companies have mostly stopped paying it. Now, local governments are stepping in.

More than 400 people have died in Hidalgo County. An attempt to renew the local lockdown underscores differences with state policy.

The cooling centers that opened after hundreds died during a heat wave aren’t practical during a pandemic.

There’s a lot of disagreement among Republicans about what a COVID-19 relief bill should look like. Plus, the wait for many movie theater reopenings continues. And, yes, it appears the U.S. is in a tech cold war with China.

Clarity around how to apply for a PPP loan and the terms of repayment would be useful for all companies trying to get a loan.

“The next few months are going to be really dangerous,” says Eurasia Group president Ian Bremmer.

One idea for replacing the current $600-a-week benefit is paying workers a percentage of their past wages.

The law concerning Hong Kong appears to be affecting financial companies, who are self-censoring. Plus, a bid from Airbus to settle to a 16-year dispute between the U.S. and EU over aircraft manufacturing. And, how the pandemic is hitting HBCUs.

The pandemic has reduced HBCUs’ enrollment, affecting tuition revenue. Even before this year, many struggled financially.

An escalation in tensions between the U.S. and China adds to gloom in global financial markets. Has Airbus done enough to end a subsidies dispute between Europe and the U.S.? The price of postponing the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

While Facebook backs a relatively hands-off approach to speech, Twitter has taken down thousands of accounts related to the conspiracy group QAnon.

That’s the pitch Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin gave CNBC today when outlining the Republican coronavirus relief plan.

The Justice Department is reportedly comfortable with the merger of Taboola and Outbrain.

Well, you know the rest. Plus: a clickbait merger, chambers of commerce and why gig workers are especially vulnerable right now.

In a Thursday hearing, the Senate was told how Black business owners faced hurdles accessing Paycheck Protection Program funding.

Why one 86-year-old started volunteering in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

If the $600-a-week pandemic payment disappears, many may have trouble covering their basic expenses.

The U.S. health crisis isn’t just depressing the national economy. The global economy could feel it, too.

As many as 3.2 million jobs were added by the federal Paycheck Protection Program, but the long-term effect is unknown.

Chambers must navigate a new landscape that includes shutdowns, PPP applications and changing promotional strategies.

The Turnberry is reportedly not profitable, and a major golf tournament could bring in tens of millions of dollars to the local economy.

They’re divided on whether and how to extend emergency pandemic unemployment benefits.

And is it a sign of things to come for relations between the U.S. and Chinese economies?

The resurgence in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations has sent the number of unemployment claims back up. More information today on the Senate Republicans’ COVID-19 relief bill. And, an old oil tanker in Yemen could make the humanitarian crisis there worse.

The rise in weekly jobless claims to 1.4 million underscores the outsize role the unemployment insurance system is playing as a safety net.

Mattel has pivoted, playing to the moment at hand with marketing like “play is never canceled” and an emphasis on family activities.

Extra unemployment benefits are set to disappear July 31. Plus, Trump denies reports that he tried to steer a golf tournament to one of his resorts. And, Mattel earnings will give us a sense of how toy sales are doing.

Observers worry that the ship — a “pawn” in Yemen’s civil war — could spill its oil and affect fisheries and drinking water.

Activists and campaign groups allege companies including Apple and Nike are benefiting from labor abuses in Xinjiang. Could China’s tech-heavy STAR Market rival the Nasdaq? Toymakers cash in on lockdown demand for board games.

Economists say the additional $600-a-week benefit has boosted the whole economy and contributed to job growth.

It’s the first time the CEOs of all four companies will testify together in the antitrust investigation.

For Whadda Ya Wanna Know Wednesday, we’ll attempt to answer. Plus, your questions about CEO pay caps, Mexican Coke and more. 

States had suspended the requirement in the early weeks of the crisis, but some have now brought it back.

We’re about to find out. Plus: the coin shortage and what it takes for a company like Apple to become carbon neutral.

For some people, moving might be an option. For others, not much might change.

Apple’s emissions from making its products accounted for three quarters of its carbon footprint last year.

The Federal Reserve is hoping a task force can solve the shortage of change in the economy.

Low mortgage rates and high demand are good news for homeowners.

In Los Angeles, more than 220,000 people applied to the city’s rent relief fund, but there is only enough money to help 50,000 people.

Has a $2 billion hole in the accounts of one of Germany’s most prestigious companies damaged the country’s reputation for high tech and high finance?

Investors watch earnings reports, vaccine prospects and U.S.-China relations. Twitter removes conspiracy theory accounts, Facebook takes action to address its platform’s racial biases. How oil-rich countries are faring during the pandemic.

Oil prices are still far below the break-even point for many producers in the Middle East.

The Justice Department indictment says two hackers worked with the Chinese government to steal intellectual property from companies around the world.

For many Americans, the child care system has always been a financial burden.

For the first time in its 50-year history, San Diego Comic-Con has been canceled. Organizers are moving some events online.

The U.S. closes a Chinese consulate and accuses Chinese hackers of trying to steal coronavirus research. How child-care costs are shaping up to be a 2020 campaign issue. And, San Diego’s Comic-Con goes virtual.

Markets are recovering even though data shows no signs of COVID-19 slowing in the U.S. A billion dollar lawsuit over a dam collapse in Brazil is being lodged in the U.K. Book publishing faces pandemic and diversity challenges.

Which is tough because in-person interactions are usually the most effective technique.

On today’s show, Marketplace’s China correspondent, Jennifer Pak, tells us about the view from Shanghai, what state media are saying about the trade war and what’s going on with TikTok.

The groups of families are a way to mitigate the cost of schooling at home.

Plus: What you need to know about the government’s new COVID-19 tracking site and potential payroll tax cuts.

Some farmers are trying to reinvent their businesses by selling in new ways.

While the idea has advantages, the transition away from CDC system may create new problems for hospitals, which had little notice and are struggling with limited resources.

The department said staff furloughs could be coming unless Congress sends $1.2 billion its way.

Author Tom Gryta explains how General Electric’s place in the economy fell so quickly.

Judy Shelton’s unpopular view sheds light on why the U.S. and most other economies abandoned linking their currencies to gold

EU leaders have officially signed off on a plan to distribute $850 billion to member countries.

Judy Shelton and Christopher Waller are nominees for the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors. Plus, European leaders reach a deal on an economic rescue package. And, a surge in French home sales as Parisians make their countryside moves permanent.

Evictions could drive more people out of their apartments soon.

We’re going back to the beginning for our first episode. Benny from Irvine, California, wants to know: Who invented money and when?

What should the next round of COVID-19 aid from the federal government look like? Plus, how are housing vacancies changing the rental markets in U.S. cities? And, a plan to distribute coronavirus vaccines more equally among countries.

The best public health outcome won’t come from selling vaccine doses to the highest bidder, says Gavi CEO Seth Berkley.

Realtors see an increase in demand for homes outside the city.

The European Union’s recovery fund will have more than $850 billion, the majority in grants, with some loans. Are Uber drivers self-employed or not? Contact tracers in South Africa are on the front line against COVID-19.

Black influencers tend to be paid less than white influencers, and it has nothing to do with follower counts.

We’re talking about the country, not baseball. (Although we’re talking a little bit about baseball too.)

Plus: The decline of Black-owned insurance companies, how the pandemic is affecting the auto industry and why this crisis could be the end of tipping. 

Every year, some 20 million Canadians visit the U.S. and spend an average of about $1,000. But not now.

Many Americans who want to avoid public transit and ride-sharing are tempted to buy a car.

Oil has risen to roughly $40 a barrel after plummeting in April. With prices holding steady, big oil companies are likely to pounce on smaller ones.

The extra benefit has been a lifeline for millions of people — and even some small businesses.

Many of the agencies survived the Great Depression but later died out. Their loss meant less money invested into Black communities.

Congress begins to hammer out the next round of COVID-19 aid. Meanwhile, some people still have not gotten their first COVID-19 relief checks. The “Strike for Black Lives” today. And, what will we see in airlines’ second-quarter results this week?

A new study by the Brookings Institution found racial disparities in whose checks were delayed.

Among the demands are better treatment of employees of color, a $15 minimum wage and more personal protective equipment.

The House has passed a $3 trillion relief bill. Senate Republicans are expected to roll out their own package this week.

The last quarter wasn’t a good one for carriers.

What does joining the stock index mean for a company?

The fight on Capitol Hill continues over how to support the U.S. economy as the pandemic rages on. Tesla’s upcoming earnings report could make it eligible to join the S&P 500. And, emergency help for farmers during COVID-19.

A study finds emergency government money will make up more than a third of farm income.

The United Arab Emirates has launched its first Mars mission. Can Europe’s leaders reach a compromise on the balance of loans versus grants in their COVID-19 recovery fund? What worries of a second coronavirus wave could mean for European airlines.

There are a few big companies that stand to benefit. Amazon, Microsoft and Alibaba are the big cloud providers.