Week of August 10th, 2020

“Democracy is not a spectator sport.”

Plus: The toll the COVID-19 pandemic is taking on mental health and some parts of the retail sector.

It could be a sign that businesses are holding back and that banks are worried about future defaults.

People are still shopping — just for different stuff.

Amid fears that Beijing will control the world market in electric vehicle batteries, some Brits are backing an alternative: hydrogen.

Over a fifth of essential workers have contemplated suicide, according to a CDC report.

Ending systemic racism isn’t just a moral dilemma; it’s an economic problem, too. A look at the road to a fairer economy.

The COVID-19 pandemic may have slowed discretionary spending, but that doesn’t mean housing is any more affordable.

There are a lot of opportunities for investment and technology, tourism and trade, Middle East researcher Sanam Vakil says.

Epic Games is arguing the tech giants shouldn’t be able to force app makers to fork over a cut of revenues from in-app purchases.

The Senate has left Washington until September with no deal on another coronavirus relief package. Plus, U.S. and China officials are set to check in on their trade deal. And, putting “inclusive prosperity” on the table for pandemic recovery.

A July report shows landlords are having a harder time finding tenants in the pandemic.

“Investors are willing to put money on the table for projects with a positive social outcome,” Patrice Kunesh says.

The NBA said the cost to operate the bubble is more than $150 million. There also aren’t any fans there to buy tickets or spend money.

The maker of Fortnite is arguing that Apple and Google shouldn’t be able to force app makers to fork over a cut of revenues from in-app purchases. Plus, NYC rental market upheaval. And, the state of play for the NBA.

Normalizing relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates could see a swift economic boost from a pick-up in trade and travel between the two countries. Factory workers in Belarus strike in solidarity with arrested demonstrators.

AbleGamers Charity helped develop a controller adapter that lets players use their wheelchair joysticks to play games or even control drones.

Others are, uh, BS.

While new jobless claims fell below 1 million for the first time in 21 weeks, we’re still a long way away from a “good” economy.

Plus: Work-from-home stipends, the latest unemployment claim numbers and cities’ budget shortfalls.

While retail employees need to be in stores, others don’t have to work from an office to be productive.

Employees are using the stipends to buy ergonomic chairs, wellness apps, and office equipment.

The president over the weekend signed a memorandum extending the current payment pause and interest waiver for most federal student loans through the end of the year.

A new report from the National League of Cities finds that local governments are seeing big drops in revenue.

Claire Babineaux-Fontenot of Feeding America said about 40% of the people the organization is serving have never before relied on the charitable food system.

How one thrifter is confronting the ethics of buying clothes secondhand and reselling them at a markup.

The 15-year-old founder and CEO of Me & the Bees Lemonade says youth entrepreneurs like her prove anyone can grow a company.

How might the current pandemic and financial crisis change the economic priorities of VP candidate Kamala Harris?

Last week, 963,000 more people signed up for unemployment benefits. Plus, how do we define price gouging? Also, how families are feeling about the upcoming school year. And, understanding the pay gap for Black women.

Parents are concerned about what online learning could to do their finances and their career growth.

Steven Teles wants to arm legislators with more research staff so they can push back when lobbyists fight institutional change.

The decline suggests that layoffs are slowing, though last week’s figure is still above the pre-pandemic record of just under 700,000.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to the Treasury Department on behalf of businesses asking for some clarity on the temporary payroll tax cut. Plus, reimagining the economy with a focus on inequality, lobbying and regulation.

In times of crisis, existing patterns of inequality become more pronounced.

The European Union and U.K. have welcomed the U.S. decision not to increase tariffs in an airplane subsidies row. Tariffs have also been lifted from sweets including British shortbread. Can Bolivia profit from the world’s largest lithium deposits?

States prohibit exorbitant price increases for essential goods during an emergency.

And even for tech that can be made accessible, it often costs more.

Sen. Kamala Harris, Joe Biden’s vice-presidential running mate, is drawing support from many investors because they see her as the moderate choice.

But you still have to go back to school.

Plus: Bankruptcies are on the rise, apartment vacancies could lead to less affordable housing and a look at the perils of industrial farming and the risk to food.

When tenants can’t pay, their landlords may be forced to sell or face foreclosure.

The news has fueled a perception that officials are out to inflate employment figures for a record 8.7 million graduates potentially entering a worsening jobs market.

The pandemic has downstream effects all throughout the supply chain.

Recent problems at the USPS could lead to more businesses using private companies for shipping — and that could have consequences for workers.

The situation for small and medium-sized businesses is probably even worse.

An excerpt from “Perilous Bounty: The Looming Collapse of American Farming and How We Can Prevent It.”

The Big Ten and Pac-12 have called off fall football seasons and might play in the spring. Plus, consumer prices went up last month more than expected. And, a plan to take tech jobs beyond Silicon Valley.

As evidenced by female leaders around the world, Harris could bring changing perspectives and priorities to governing.

Aimee Allison says women of color “see themselves in the campaign more deeply” now.

With the pandemic, there are now 43 million people signed up for food assistance through SNAP.

You’ve seen the prices of some foods adding to pandemic strains. Today we’ll get a reading on the inflation we live, the consumer price index. Plus, what kind of leader will Sen. Kamala Harris be as candidate for vice president?

Rep. Ro Khanna says we need to expand access to the innovation economy.

Pandemic restrictions shuttered shops and halted factory and construction activity in the U.K. This contributed to the first British recession in 11 years. Plus, why, historically, more women have not been able to rise to the top of U.S. politics.

Closed-captioning and audio descriptions are some of the top accessibility issues the FCC is focused on.

Check your registration status — now, today.

School will be remote for many kids in the fall, and parents have been scrambling to outfit their homes with schooling furniture and supplies.

Plus: another potential rise in tariffs on the EU, an end to easier SNAP benefits and how the pandemic has changed the back-to-school shopping experience.

Tariffs on European imports have been in place since October. More could be on the way.

A Baltimore program helps Black women build wealth through homeownership.

The debate over gig worker classification has called labor law into question.

With traditional revenue sources like office buildings closed, one food truck owner explains the challenges he’s facing during the pandemic.

Harris is making history as the first Black woman to compete on a major party’s presidential ticket.

When the pandemic began, the federal government made it easier for states to approve people for SNAP, but that flexibility is ending this month, raising concerns that more people will go hungry.

A list of the sources that went into making “The Economy Reimagined,” a Marketplace special report.

U.S. wholesale prices shot up an unexpected 0.6% in July. Plus, the latest in the battle over the gig economy. And, Saul Griffith outlines a plan to create jobs by taking carbon out of the U.S. economy.

The ride-hailing companies now have 10 days to appeal the ruling.

It’s a plan to free up space for commercial 5G signals so they’re less likely to get blocked.

Saul Griffith is the co-author of a new report that outlines a plan to reduce U.S. dependence on fossil fuels while creating millions of jobs.

A new small business confidence report shows a dip in optimism. Plus, the military is freeing up some radio spectrum for the development of 5G wireless networks. And, does tax planning slow down charitable giving?

“Without a robust small business economy, we can’t envision any kind of meaningful recovery,” one expert says.

David and Jennifer Risher are challenging fellow philanthropists to give more of their money away.

Shares of Hong Kong media firm Next Digital, owner of Apple Daily, rocketed more than 1,000% over two days. U.S. will require Hong Kong goods carry a “Made in China” designation. Black-owned businesses in the U.K. see surge in demand.

We’ll try to figure out how they do it and how to defend against their powers!

A deafblind law student paired a Bluetooth keyboard to her Braille computer to make it easier to communicate with others. But Braille technology updates are few and far between.

It’s a crisis. The need is enormous. So what would Jay Powell do?

The downturn in air travel has slashed airport revenue, with fees plummeting for landings, passenger use and parking.

President Trump has ordered Treasury to stop collecting the employee portion of payroll taxes for some workers through the end of 2020.

Plus: What the consumer price index means for your wallet, how airports are suffering and one scientist’s experience with sexism in academia.

Microbiologist Rita Colwell, the first female director of the National Science Foundation, talks about her experiences facing sexism in the world of science.

But for those other mall tenants, sharing space with Amazon might feel like an insult.

The consumer price index can affect your next raise, and Social Security cost-of-living adjustments are tied to it.

Trump’s executive actions include a temporary payroll tax cut and a call for states to help pay more in unemployment benefits. Those things might not be so easy to carry out. The EPA’s methane emissions rules. The dollar’s downward drift.

There’s a lot of ambiguity to employers as to whether they’re even allowed to reduce the withholding.

Calling on states to implement new unemployment programs, as Trump’s action has done, may not be practical.

Pick a currency, any currency. Chances are, it gained against the U.S. dollar last month.

Malls were already having a tough time before COVID-19 with the rise in online shopping. The pandemic accelerated those e-commerce trends.

President Trump signed actions over the weekend aimed at restarting some pandemic relief. Will it actually reach people? Business struggles at the mall for big department stores and more. Kat Cole, president and COO of Focus Brands, reimagines our economy.

Has the so-called “last dictator” in Europe got a plan for his country’s ailing economy? The U.S. health secretary’s visit to Taiwan further inflamed tensions with China. Lessons from the U.K. and Europe on tackling student debt.

The president and COO of Focus Brands says “caring for connected stakeholders — employees, customers, vendors” is where our economic system is going.

The Americans with Disabilities Act turns 30 years old this summer. How far has technology come in making the world more accessible to people with disabilities?

U.S. policymakers may look to Europe for inspiration on reforming the higher education finance system.