Week of September 14th, 2020

“This Is Uncomfortable” host Reema Khrais joins our happy hour episode to talk about it.

As a lawyer and a justice, she helped reduce the gender pay gap. Later in life, she became a cultural phenomenon.

… And both are banned. Plus: futures contracts for water, remote learning and how museums are faring in the pandemic.

In addition to the bans on downloads and updates, users in the U.S. won’t be able to make payments through WeChat.

As water becomes increasingly scarce, buying futures contracts may help businesses reliant on water keep prices down.

Some cultural institutions are facing severe budget shorfalls, but most have a surplus of art that can be easily converted to cash.

The vice president of the Mexican Society of Theater Producers said the industry has lost about $1 billion since theaters closed in early March.

From poll taxes and literacy tests to strict voter ID laws and consolidating polling places.

The 2020 election coincides with an economic downturn.

The Business Roundtable met this week and announced support for a comprehensive plan to battle climate change. Plus, airlines press for $25 billion more in aid. And, in France, government rules on wearing masks outdoors.

The Commerce Department says, starting Sunday, neither app can be downloaded or updated in the U.S.

Are there enough vials, syringes and packaging to get an approved vaccine where it needs to go?

A directive at Facebook coming from Mark Zuckerberg himself is set to curb political talk on the company’s internal messaging network. Plus, current and future racial inequities caused by unequal access to technology and training.

The U.K. government is considering a second lockdown in England after a spike in coronavirus cases. Also, the path to a vaccine, from the head of a pharmaceutical manufacturing organization in Europe. And, a sightseeing flight to nowhere in Australia.

One community that adopted the requirements early says the change has been good for business.

Airline executives are pressing for another $25 billion in aid to prevent job cuts into next year.

According to a Deutsche Bank study, the U.S racial tech gap will eventually keep Black and Hispanic workers out of a majority of jobs in our rapidly growing digital economy.

After-the-fact arrests can have a chilling effect on free speech and lead to cases of mistaken identity.

Yes, we’re talking about Facebook again. And Martha Stewart has “a good thing” to help us relax.

The pandemic is reshaping how, and where, we get exercise. Many gyms are out, exercise apps are in.

The restaurant chain, in bankruptcy proceedings, has an excess-paper-prize-ticket problem amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Chinese investment in the U.S. also fell because of the pandemic recession.

The data isn’t perfect, advocates say, but it’s likely to prove useful to government agencies and employers.

Plus: the LGBTQ economy, gyms going out of business and why Chuck E. Cheese wants to destroy seven billion prize tickets.

The fight over voting rights in this country has always been tied to money and power.

The pandemic has surprisingly become a busy time for this mortgage broker.

The push to support Black-owned businesses has meant exponential growth for Aliya Wanek’s clothing line.

An early sell-off on Wall Street, partly because of Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s gloomy assessment of the economy. Plus, what’s being called the biggest sofware IPO of all time. And, the trust issue that comes with a potential COVID-19 vaccine.

Health care providers are going to play an essential role in communication and education.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell said another relief package from Congress will likely be needed.

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week to 860,000.

That’s a message that might be reassuring, depending on how the pandemic has treated you, or your business.

A training program for high school students in the juvenile justice system aims to expand the pool of candidates for entry-level jobs.

Passengers traveling from one Italian airport can only board after taking an on-site coronavirus test. Plus, India’s decision to spend billions on Parliament building upgrades. And, the British retailer fed up with video calls.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell offered a dreary assessment of the economy after his policymaking team’s last interest rate meeting before the elections. And, how homebuilders are trying to recruit more workers amid growing demand for new houses.

“Our values do change what gets funded in this economy, and malaria just was, in my view, grossly underfunded,” Bill Gates says.

We have a lot of different perspectives on the West Coast wildfires on this Whadda Ya Wanna Know Wednesday.

To encourage a certain behavior, policymakers can choose carrots or sticks. There’s evidence that the sticks are more effective.

Spending continues to grow, but at a slower pace. And some expect it to level off altogether in the coming quarter.

We’re talking about the behavioral economics today. Plus: retail sales, the movies being pushed back, and of course, the latest from the Fed.

With the release of “Tenet,” Hollywood hoped to prove Americans were eager to fill seats in cinemas. Nope. Now what?

With COVID-19-related job losses, health experts expect the number of people without insurance to grow this year.

Tess Thomas, owner of Emma’s BBQ in Seattle, Washington, uses her mother’s recipes at her restaurant.

We check in with a Tennessee librarian whose staff is helping patrons with computers and virtual schooling.

Several organizations have stepped up to distribute supplies, but more is still needed.

The moves are occurring against the backdrop of an improving yet still weak economy.

Where did Americans spend their money in August? We have the latest data. Plus, A top Senate Republican says Federal Reserve Board nominee Judy Shelton does not have enough votes for confirmation. And, this notion of the “right” COVID-19 vaccine.

Those in charge didn’t necessarily understand everything about the plane’s design or the safety lapses.

A congressional report blasts Boeing and the FAA for actions that led to 737 Max jet crashes. Plus, people are voluntarily quitting their jobs in a pandemic. And, making it easier for former inmates to become firefighters or EMTs.

BP CEO Bernard Looney explains his plans to shift the company’s focus away from oil and gas. Also, the push for European battery production for electric vehicles. And, will consumers trust fallen travel giant Thomas Cook under new owners?

Dr. Larry Brilliant, an epidemiologist who helped eradicate smallpox, believes the right kind of COVID-19 vaccine must meet some minimum requirements, like ease of storage and use.

A new law clears the way for some offenders to become EMTs, and eventually firefighters, after they’re released.

Some people may not feel their workplace is safe. Others may need to provide child care for their families.

Bill Gates says American innovation is still necessary if we’re going to meet U.N. goals of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

We are doing the work of governments. And “we” mostly means “women.”

Roughly 1 in 6 U.S. restaurants are currently closed, and 100,000 may not survive the year.

California has regulations, but it’s been hard to get PPE to workers in the fields. There’s no federal standard.

Patient loads are still down. And the cost of PPE is way up.

We’re kicking off today’s show with three stories up and down the food supply chain.

The pandemic led to more people shopping for groceries online. But that trend may not hold.

Finding and educating previously unregistered voters — and getting them to the polls — is an expensive business.

In this excerpt, Daniel Yergin writes about a man’s determination to extract gas from underground rock denser than concrete.

Schools are trying to get esports programs started during the pandemic.

A new ruling means anyone with a felony conviction in Florida must pay fees, fines and restitution before they can vote.

A new analysis suggests holiday shopping numbers could actually be up. Plus, why Apple might be waiting to unveil a new iPhone model. Also, another automaker settles over emissions cheating. And, Bill Gates on coronavirus vaccine development.

High unemployment and reduced income for many during the pandemic may make more people eligible for federal aid programs.

Apple will probably debut its 5G-connected iPhone next month.

The Federal Open Market Committee meets again this week. It’s not expected to change interest rates, so what can we expect? Plus, Dr. Larry Brilliant, an epidemiologist, brings his experience of helping to eradicate smallpox to our current pandemic.

Gates says that richer countries aren’t doing enough to make sure a vaccine will be available to all. Plus, a former Nissan executive pleads not guilty. And, fears that the U.K.’s furlough plan could end too soon.

Epidemiologist and CEO of Pandefense Advisory Larry Brilliant, who helped eradicate smallpox and polio, believes any vaccine program aimed at stopping COVID-19 must be distributed in every corner of the world.

The Gates Foundation has played matchmaker between several pharma companies to manufacture billions of vaccine doses, even if they aren’t the eventual inventor.

The Gates Foundation is helping match vaccine developers with manufacturers to help distribute a COVID-19 vaccine equitably.

Subscribe now for more uncomfortable stories about voting, power, health and moving back in with your parents.

A new way to talk to folks who say there’s no global warming because it’s cold where they live.

The company has announced more than 100,000 new positions, including corporate tech jobs around the country.

The airline’s SkyMiles program is worth millions every year.

Plus stories about volunteer firefighters, frequent fliers and Black women entrepreneurs in Detroit. 

Fire decimates the neighborhood where they both grew up.

The wildly popular app relies on algorithm-based customizing that’s helped glue users to their screens.

Verizon will pay up to $7 billion in cash and stock, angling for a piece of the pre-paid phone plan market, which keeps growing in the pandemic.

Black women are the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs in the country, says Courtney McCluney of Cornell, despite having fewer resources.

TikTok wants to join forces with Oracle. Plus, an executive order aimed at lowering drug prices for Medicare. And, Tracy Chapman is suing Nicki Minaj in a case that could upend the way artists borrow from each other.

Is it fair use to copy someone’s work in the beginning stages of musical experimentation?

CNN host Fareed Zakaria says cooperation is the only way “to actually solve this problem.”

But is a partnership with a U.S. tech company happening instead? Also, another geopolitical tech row over the planned sale of the U.K. chip designer Arm to U.S. firm Nvidia. And, Japan has a new prime minister.

Nvidia is buying Arm Holdings — a quietly ubiquitous tech company. Plus, TikTok, Oracle and President Donald Trump. And, the potential for global cooperation when it comes to distributing a future COVID-19 vaccine.

There are dozens of laws governing student privacy. But not everyone knows about them.