Week of October 26th, 2020

Research shows: Your fellow trick-or-treaters might be scarier than the candy.

It’s all about trust in a stable U.S. economy.

People bought more stuff, like cars and home office equipment, an expert says. But also, there haven’t been any more relief checks.

A new report quantifies the cost of women pulling back from work to care for kids during the pandemic.

Plus: Netflix’s price hike, the dollar as a safe haven and the volunteer notaries helping Missouri voters mail in their ballots.

In Missouri, a change in the law allowed more people to vote by mail, but with a catch. A new group of volunteers stepped up.

The new reality at the streaming service: Three years is a good run; more than that means a big hit.

Americans that are spending have been spending freely on goods and cutting back sharply on purchases in the service sector.

Plus, selling bonds to invest in global health and increase vaccine access in developing countries. And, the history of voting technology, and the importance of the paper ballot.

There are record numbers of bets being placed around the world on who will win the White House.

Demand for oil has come back a bit, but it’s still lower than it was before the pandemic.

High costs can prevent states from upgrading voting equipment, which can lead to security and reliability issues.

MIT professor Charles Stewart III reflects on how technology both improved voting security and created new election fears.

There’s concern about how long it might take to get election results and the potential for violence. Plus, Exxon Mobil is slashing 1,900 jobs in the U.S. And, a closer look at the companies who make our voting machines.

A second wave of COVID-19 threatens the rebound seen in France, Germany and Italy between July and September. How basmati rice is a source of tensions between Pakistan and India. Plus, the business of election betting.

A few dozen U.S. counties are using software to match voters’ ballot signatures to government databases.

We check in with three workers we’ve been following since March.

A check-in with Cary Quigley, president of Sterling Technologies in Erie County, Pennsylvania.

Some days we’re a bit looser about what qualifies as making us smile.

The U.S. currency has hit some highs and lows during this pandemic.

This Halloween, we have listeners’ spooky stories about good ideas gone bad, from giving a hormonal teen a debit card to getting into business with a scammer. Plus, a Backstreet Boys obsession that goes awry.

Today, we dive into the output gap. Plus: the eviction crisis, a bit of hope for movie theaters and how the value of a dollar changes prices.

The growth is good, but it’ll be a while before the U.S. economy is back to where it was before COVID-19 happened.

Hundreds of thousands of food industry workers still haven’t been able to come back to work.

The nationwide CDC ban leaves many renters unprotected.

About a third of Alamo Drafthouse’s revenue is coming from private rentals, while many people are wary of sitting next to strangers.

Some households are getting creative by creating “candy chutes,” while others are spending more on pricier candy.

Also, the Trump administration proposes ending the H-1B visa lottery. Plus, business groups call for patience as presidential election results get tallied next week. And, lower-income Americans are less confident about the accuracy of vote counting.

But rising confirmed virus cases in nearly every state, along with a cutoff in federal aid, are threatening to weaken the economy.

Yet the recovery from the deepest recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s remains far from complete.

Major business groups have penned a letter urging Americans to be patient as votes are counted.

Plus, warnings of a ransomware assault that threatens U.S. health care. And, how one county in the swing state of Pennsylvania has tried to beef up its election system to deal with the influx of mail-in ballots.

Pressure is mounting on ECB President Christine Lagarde for additional economic support. The on-again, off-again LVMH-Tiffany merger is … on again. What’s in China’s long-term economic strategy?

Pennsylvania elections official Kenneth Lawrence says Montgomery County is gearing up for a deluge of mail-in ballots, and there won’t be a final result on election night.

The latest data from the Marketplace-Edison Research Poll shows confidence in vote count reflects voters’ income.

At a hearing that was supposed to be about Section 230, the law was barely mentioned.

Either way, it ends on Sunday.

Plus: the Section 230 hearing, Crocs’ pandemic comeback and who pays for a recount?

The footwear brand has seen an uptick in sales during the pandemic, and has capitalized on branding collaborations.

Legislation to tighten the oversight of internet content may be coming.

The number is going to be “annualized.”

Refugee resettlement is dropping in Erie, Pennsylvania, affecting its economy.

What’s happening to Boeing shows a ripple effect that impacts its thousands of suppliers.

Surging coronavirus cases in the U.S. and Europe threaten more business shutdowns.

On a provocative Reddit forum, millions of strangers can weigh in on questions of right and wrong.

Rules vary by state in terms of whether taxpayers or candidates have to foot the bill for a recount in a close race.

What about during a pandemic? Plus, as of Wednesday morning, the stock market is down 5% for the week. And, advertisers run into trouble with Facebook’s temporary ban on political ads.

Though rising stock and home values have helped older workers and retirees, they have less time to make up for financial losses.

Income inequality is on the minds of many voters right now, much like in the run-up to the 1968 presidential election.

Plus, it appears consumer confidence is stalling, and when it comes to coping with the COVID economy, one’s age often matters. And, this isn’t the first election in which we’ve seen promises from candidates to address income inequality.

Stocks in Europe hit a five-month low as countries ready new pandemic restrictions. And, medical-grade oxygen has helped saved many COVID-19 patients, but there are shortages.

It’s an existential question, says art critic Blake Gopnik. Once a work of art is in a museum, it’s supposed to be more or less unsellable.

But the SEC announced it’s expanding the definition of accredited investor, allowing more people to invest in private companies.

Here’s how to get out of it.

The dominoes just keep falling: Banks, utilities, internal employees, maintenance crews — they could all lose out.

With international and business travel way down, airlines are adding more flights to domestic leisure spots.

Plus: Mall defaults, holiday jobs and a history lesson on presidential pressure on the Fed.

Some Chinese manufacturers do not expect the trade tensions with the U.S. to change much even with a Biden presidency.

Trump has pressured the head of the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates. But he wasn’t the first American leader to do so.

Hiring is down overall, but up for e-commerce jobs. Warehouse and shelf-stocking jobs have tripled compared to past years.

Some Senate Democrats are out with a report about how Big Tech treats local news media. Plus, skyrocketing home prices during the pandemic. And, how COVID has hit the farming industry and its workers in the Pacific Northwest.

It’s fruit harvesting and processing time in the Pacific Northwest and workers are getting PPE, but still pressing for union rights.

Cards that once lured in customers with travel perks are now focusing on spending that’s closer to home during the pandemic.

Data shows the wealth of Black families continues to lag across generations and the burden of student loan debt is a key part of this. And, the new Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett is set to begin work today.

The U.S. plans more weapon sales to Taiwan amid ongoing trade tensions with China. Shares in Europe’s biggest bank are up, despite a drop in profits. The EU backs Nigerian candidate Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to lead the World Trade Organization.

The costs for Black borrowers to pursue a college have been growing exponentially.

Who’s responsible for divvying up the airwaves it would run on?

Hello from the other side — of our masks! Where’s yours?

New COVID-19 cases are on the rise, but so is people’s willingness to go out.

After falling for several years, the average size of a new single-family home may be growing again.

British and American researchers have developed a “super-enzyme” to reduce the cost and improve the efficiency of recycling of plastic waste.

Plus: Dunkin’s potential sale, shrinking homes and COVID’s ripple effect on the HVAC business.

In a year of mixed fortunes, the coffee and doughnut giant may sell the business to private equity.

“It has been a real tough puzzle for Hollywood to figure out,” Hollywood Reporter’s Bryn Sandberg says.

The heating, ventilation and air-conditioning industry has seen a boost as some businesses strive to improve indoor air quality to make customers feel safe.

Intensive use can take a toll on green spaces, and parks need to be maintained to keep from deteriorating.

The pop-up “store” is filled with handcrafted items made from single-use plastic bags.

And they’re likely going to look relatively impressive. But because the second quarter was so rough, we need context for third-quarter numbers. Plus, Dunkin’ Brands is eyeing a sale. And, bringing more attention to plastic pollution.

Inspire Brands, the owner of Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings and Jimmy John’s, is in talks to buy Dunkin’ Brands.

People stuck at home bought toys, games, puzzles and more. Analysts expect that trend will continue through the holidays.

Plus, what toymakers can expect with holiday gift-giving on the horizon. And, gig companies throw more than just money at a ballot initiative in California concerned with how workers are classified in the state.

Italy introduces fresh restrictions as coronavirus cases rise, while businesses struggle. The billionaire who turned Samsung into a global powerhouse has died. Some Middle Eastern countries are boycotting French goods.

The ballot initiative in California would allow companies like Uber and Lyft to keep classifying workers as contractors.

The promise of the technology is that AI can monitor students’ progress and modify lessons on the fly.