Week of August 17th, 2020

… at least, according to our postmaster general.

COVID-19 has driven women’s unemployment rate higher than men’s and could worsen the gender pay gap in the long term.

Plus, the cybersecurity risks of online college and the disproportionate household duties that are pulling women out of the workforce. 

The offers made business sense at the height of the pandemic. Things are more complicated now.

Most email hackers going after students want to make a quick buck. But those targeting faculty may be foreign governments.

The figures also point to a persistently unequal recovery.

Now that expanded relief benefits are gone, more people will likely rely on SNAP benefits.

Marsha Music talks about her hometown and how urban renewal efforts uprooted the family business.

Harassment and assault cases can damage reputations and drag down stock prices.

How do the nation’s business leaders feel about Joe Biden? Plus, data from Europe shows economic activity is looking worse in August than July. And, data showing a connection between sexual misconduct at companies and their poor financial performance.

The private sector isn’t necessarily “running scared,” says Eurasia Group’s Ian Bremmer.

Thanks to a government-funded program, the country’s restaurants are coming back from the brink.

José Quiñonez says a targeted, data-driven system will help us during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Competitors may look to start offering rides in the state.

The $1,200 stimulus checks didn’t go out to higher-income people — but they didn’t go out to many lower-income people, too. Business as usual for Uber and Lyft in California … for now. European economies run into new trouble.

Around 35 million discounted meals have been claimed under a U.K. government scheme to boost eating out in August. But who will actually pay? A commercially viable gas reserve could reduce Turkey’s reliance on energy imports.

Social platforms were warned about the right-wing conspiracy movement years ago. Now, they’re even winning elections.

For Uber and Lyft. For college campuses handling the coronavirus. The list goes on.

Plus, what political fundraising looks like in a recession, a Portland bar’s final days and the uphill battle facing reopening movie theaters.

We asked a group of experts in economic history.

Will audiences feel safe returning? And what will theaters show?

By one estimate, about 200 private liberal-arts institutions are on the verge of going under.

The pandemic economic downturn doesn’t seem to be affecting the people who’ve already donated almost $3 billion towards the presidential race.

A bartender’s diary before the bar he works in closes permanently.

This may be further evidence that the economic recovery is slowing or stalling.

Why we’re obsessed with our jobs, even though they’ll never love us back.

Both companies had threatened to shut down if a ruling went into effect Friday morning that would have forced them to treat all their drivers as employees.

Let’s do the numbers … but with more context.

Some credit experts say that if Congress does not pass a new relief bill soon, credit card offers could dry up more.

A battle over the contractor economy may erupt. Plus, Airbnb confidentially files to go public. And, how the labor movement in the U.S. might evolve to include more temporary and gig workers.

The dispute could put jobs at stake during the pandemic.

The company is using provisions of a 2012 law to keep its inner workings secret for now.

The labor movement of the future moves beyond traditional collective bargaining, says former SEIU Local 26 President Javier Morillo.

A rising number of people who have lost jobs say they consider their loss to be permanent.

There is a bike shortage, it’s global and it’s expected to go on for months. Also, Indeed online job postings are down about 20% compared to this time last year. And, hotels face mortgage delinquencies.

The Australian flag carrier Qantas reported an annual loss of more than $1 billion. Australia has banned international travel for most residents and citizens. As strikes continue in Belarus, what next for its economy?

Lockdowns put the brakes on production in Asia while boosting demand for use in exercise and commuting.

Paying back debt is getting harder for hotel owners, according to research by Trepp.

Apps like Citizen might make users think that only bad things are happening in their neighborhoods.

Plus, online privacy, shareholder voting and a few TV recommendations on this Whadda Ya Wanna Know Wednesday.

In 2019, some of the country’s most powerful business leaders promised to redefine what it means to be a corporation. Then the pandemic hit.

Plus, the story of Soul City, falling rents in New York and San Francisco, and whether college students can expect a tuition refund for canceled in-person classes.

But the flight to the suburbs may be overblown.

The iPhone maker reached the $2 trillion milestone in Wednesday’s early stock market trading when its shares surpassed $467.77.

The 15 Percent Pledge is pushing retailers to devote more shelf space to Black-owned businesses.

Students may not be getting what they signed up for, but they’re unlikely to get their money back.

Civil rights leader Floyd McKissick set out to create a town, aided by government funding, that would showcase Black capitalism. Professor Devin Fergus explains why the story is relevant today.

“We like to curse processed foods,” says Jeffrey Miller. “But we usually do it with a mouth full of them.”

Kamala Harris is only the third woman in U.S. history to be nominated as a VP candidate for a major party.

Why didn’t Congress anticipate funding to support voting by mail after what happened in the primaries? Plus, more big-box retailers see sharp quarterly growth. And, what Kamala Harris can learn from women in leadership roles around the world.

State and local budgets are hurting from the pandemic and could use the help.

The USPS says veterans make up roughly one-sixth of its workforce.

For architect William McDonough, an economy of the future is a “circular economy.”

Why are investors aggressively buying stocks right now? It’s in part because the returns on bonds are so low right now. Plus, the USPS and veterans. And, reimagining our world with sustainability, waste and the “circular economy” in mind.

EU leaders meet to consider sanctions after a disputed election in Belarus. But what about post-Brexit trade talks? Australia orders 25 million doses of a potential COVID-19 vaccine. Lessons in leadership for Kamala Harris.

A British biomechanics company is creating drones that mimic a stork and a dragonfly.

Man, it’s a hot one.

The company’s second quarter earnings show a big jump in e-commerce sales.

Plus: the changing pizza market, Walmart’s big earnings report and what it’s like to publish your first book during a pandemic.

Lumber prices are surging, along with prices of Chinese-made components that go into building a home.

Working parents with schoolkids at home due to COVID-19 should be eligible for federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. But that’s not working out for some.

The S&P 500′s milestone caps a furious rally that began in late March

The mostly dine-in restaurants are run by NPC International. Don’t worry — 6,700 locations will remain open.

Tally Dilbert wanted to get her mind off the difficulty of being home all day. That’s when she rediscovered painting.

The pandemic has created “a very challenging environment” for first-time authors.

Builders started work on a lot of new single-family homes last month. That’s good news. But there’s an inequality angle here to look at, too. Plus, what will the next 10 years of global economic development look like?

Apartment market tracking firm RENTCafé predicts apartment construction will be down 12% from 2019 to the lowest level in five years.

At first, a new COVID-19 system caused hundreds of thousands of entrance exam grades to be deflated.

“If people don’t have money in their pockets, then this type of economy that we have can’t work,” says Wharton professor Mauro Guillén.

Eric Rosengren says that the Fed’s Main Street Lending Program started off slow, but interest in borrowing has increased.

The Fed has money to lend to small- and medium-sized businesses. But, at least at first, those loans did not fly off the shelves. And, how the post office plays a big part in the supply chains of small businesses.

China alleges Australian wine imports are crowding out its domestic wine industry. It’s the latest escalation in trade tensions between the two countries. The coronavirus causes chaos for college admissions in England.

So we’re gonna talk about why — and what we can do about it.

Some small business owners say it’s important to their bottom line to have a reliable service that’s less expensive than other delivery options.

With this data, municipalities can plan a lockdown or decide whether to continue having in-person classes.

School is a “clusterf—,” as one student newspaper put it. The only solution is to fix the virus.

The Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac-backed “adverse market fee” drops on Sept. 1.

Plus: remote learning for disabled students, rolling blackouts in California and why you really should take a vacation.

The load can overwhelm the electric grid during heat waves, but this summer’s outages have raised new questions.

Congress passed a law in 2006 that requires the Postal Service to prepay health benefits for retirees. It’s had trouble doing that.

How systemic racism fueled the student debt crisis for Black borrowers.

Americans have never been great about time off. But now it’s more difficult — and more crucial — than ever.

U.S.-China trade talks were abruptly canceled this weekend. Plus, don’t let the strong retail sales number fool you — in-store shopping is down. And, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s plan to end poverty in her city.

The IRS is reopening registration on its website. Parents have to fill out information in what’s called a “non-filers tool.”

Lightfoot wants to “unwind” Chicago’s “addiction to fines and fees” so as to not drive people into bankruptcy and out of the economy.

New features include dedicated work space and antimicrobial surfaces.

Many low-income parents never got the $500 per child promised to them that’s in addition to the $1,200 payments. The IRS is giving them another chance to collect. Plus, pandemic home designs. And, what a virtual DNC means for Milwaukee.

The first Mediterranean cruise in almost five months sets sail from Italy. Japan’s economy posts its biggest contraction ever, though less severe than in the U.S. and countries across Europe. Do virtual conferences really work?

The city was expecting 50,000 visitors. Only a few hundred will actually turn up.

It can be harder for social media companies to apply misinformation policies against domestic politicians and political parties.