Week of November 30th, 2020

Building resilience can’t only be about one home, one tribal chapter, one town at a time.

Much like the pandemic changed the way we live, climate change is forcing us to change how we think — about a new reality of extreme weather and changing landscapes.

Fire, floods and other disasters have another side effect: The power goes out.

What’s that saying …”there are no atheists in foxholes”?

Plus: checking in on Fannie and Freddie, vaccine PSAs and PPP loan forgiveness.

Employers added 245,000 jobs, many fewer than the previous month. The economy is still down nearly 10 million jobs since February.

Sixty percent of people now say they’ll get a vaccine, but that’s not enough to get the pandemic under control.

A new “adverse market fee” kicked in this week, despite declining interest rates.

Fred Joiner is currently the Poet Laureate of Carrboro, North Carolina.

Months after the Paycheck Protection Program rollout, many loan recipients are struggling.

Just 245,000 more people were added onto payrolls last month. Plus, post-election fundraising from the Trump campaign and how that money might be spent. And, new numbers on the burnout experienced by working mothers during the pandemic.

The CDC says two out of every three caregivers are women, who support not only children but also adults with chronic illnesses.

U.S. employers added a modest 245,000 jobs as the spread of coronavirus continues to intensify.

It’s employees of small businesses who are most at risk, according to one payroll processor.

Pfizer expects it will ship only half the vaccine doses it had planned to by the end of 2020. And, the first Friday of the month means it’s time for government reports on hiring and unemployment in November.

Plus, China responds to the latest U.S. move to ban American investment in some Chinese companies. And, Denmark plans to end all new North Sea oil and gas exploration by 2050.

The “junk food” labeling warns that some foods are high in sodium, or have excessive sugars.

The tribe’s water scarcity is a bigger issue during the COVID-19 pandemic, when people have to wash their hands and sanitize more frequently.

We’ll talk about it, plus vaccines, the future of movie theaters and #SpotifyWrapped.

Sales estimates are all over the place. Small business owners are hoping to ride out the uncertainty.

Today, we’ll examine a medical system at its breaking point, an unpredictable retail landscape and the possibility of a double-dip recession.

Not all recessions are created equal.

A woman tries to live her version of the American dream, only to discover the dream isn’t what she thought. 

If one spot in the cold chain is compromised, it could risk the whole COVID-19 vaccine delivery system.

Communication expert Lee Carter says President-elect Biden “underestimated how important the economy was to Americans.”

First responder agencies are starting to buckle under constant pressure.

A 20-year-old program in West Virginia helps women gain financial independence by learning skilled trades.

Delivery giants like DHL Express have prepared for a unique workload by adding to their aviation fleets.

The Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act has now passed both the House and Senate. Plus, 712,000 new state jobless claims last week. And, how delivery companies will fare having to ship all of the holiday gifts and COVID vaccines.

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week to a still-high 712,000.

Vaccines present opportunity for big retailers in general and grocery chains in particular.

The Urban Institute says more than half of Black, Latinx and Native American workers have jobs that put them at a greater risk.

In focus: A $900 billion proposal from a bipartisan group of senators. Plus, a new Urban Institute report finds Black, Latinx and Native American workers are particularly vulnerable to coronavirus infection on the job. And, Kroger offers rapid antibody testing.

People in Britain could be immunized as soon as Monday. Also, a Chinese approach to delivering vaccines that require cold storage for Africa and the Middle East. And, delivery challenges this holiday season.

Geothermal systems use energy from the Earth to heat buildings. It’s extremely efficient, but only 1% of American households use it.

And every Monday is Cyber Monday. Forever and ever, amen.

“There’s just a lot of people applying for not a lot of jobs,” says Neil Cairns of Portland, Oregon.

Economic recovery could take a range of different approaches. Check out these three experts’ ideas.

We asked a few economists how the next round of relief money should be spent. Plus, the role workplaces could play in coronavirus vaccine distribution.

The report found that bank lending volume fell in the most recent quarter, driven by decreases in commercial and industrial lending.

Employer-sponsored programs make vaccinations convenient and help to normalize the idea of getting one.

“Nature is lazy,” a physicist says. “When we change the direction of this external field, what happens is everything lags behind.”

The nation banned the sale of new fossil-fueled cars starting in 2030. Enthusiasts, and the public, are not sure the electric revolution will be complete by then.

Marcus Samuelsson on his new role with Bon Appétit and his new cookbook, “The Rise,” featuring the work of Black chefs. Plus, a deal for Salesforce to buy Slack. And, the U.K. approves Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID vaccine.

It’s Salesforce’s largest acquisition yet.

Corporate boards serve an advisory roles and make key decisions about the direction of a business.

Nasdaq is seeking mandatory board diversity for companies listed on its U.S. stock exchange. Plus, an interview with the new Bon Appétit editor-in-chief, Dawn Davis. And, President Trump threatens a veto targeting social media companies.

Britain is the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for widespread, emergency use. And, can another aid conference help revive Lebanon’s economy, despite the country’s political deadlock?

Davis wants Bon Appétit to be the top destination for recipes, but also a place to gather and discuss the links between culture and food.

Fifty U.K. hospitals are on standby to administer vaccine shots, which will be available by next week.

Microgrids are decentralized, often using solar energy as a source.

Unless you’re a robot, maybe. On today’s show: How retirement planning went DIY and why it’s set up millions of Americans for failure.

OPEC and its allies are having trouble coming to an agreement, because individual countries see thing differently.

Mnuchin and Powell testified on the CARES Act Tuesday, and it pretty much sounded like they were talking about two different economies. Plus: Most states have been underpaying pandemic unemployment benefits.

Instead of calculating PUA benefits based on people’s income, many states have just been paying the minimum benefit.

In their Senate testimony, Treasury chief Steven Mnuchin emphasized progress and Fed Chair Jerome Powell focused on unmet needs. Does their divergence matter?

Independent bookseller Hannah Oliver Depp is struggling with suppliers in her mission to tell the stories of struggling people.

The 117th Congress will be one of the most racially diverse in history, but what about the lawmakers’ staffers? LaShonda Brenson of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies is working on it.

These students are fostering friendships and study groups without school.

Many American firms are looking to Chinese consumers to keep them afloat, but many of those consumers are trying to keep themselves afloat.

This Giving Tuesday, we take a look at where people are donating. Plus, the stock market’s strongest month in more than 30 years. Also, the future of net neutrality. And, the epidemic lessons San Francisco learned from HIV/AIDS.

Early numbers show that people are giving more than in previous years to places like food banks, housing groups and mutual aid networks.

In 29 of 41 states that reported data, people in receipt of pandemic assistance benefits were being paid below the federal poverty line.

OECD chief economist Laurence Boone says governments must double down on providing support to avoid “scarring effects.”

Ajit Pai’s departure could lead to a Democratic majority on the commission and is expected to spark new policy fights.

The Bay Area is keeping COVID casualties down. Officials learned the importance of taking action early and building partnerships.

The Government Accountability Office found that many people on the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program may be getting less money than they’re entitled to. Plus, without all students learning in person, how schools are adapting free lunch programs.

Life and the global economy are expected to recover as immunization programs are rolled out. Also, the U.N. has a record $35 billion goal for humanitarian fundraising. Plus, getting creative with charitable giving this holiday season.

Of the 30 million low-income students who are eligible for free lunches, only 15% are currently getting those meals.

Some financial regulatory bodies abroad already require climate risk assessments.

And teachers are burnt out.

The reality right now is this: Superfast 5G exists, but it’s rare.

Will a surge in enrollments prompted by the pandemic mean cuts to benefits?

Those named Monday come from diverse backgrounds, and a Black woman has been nominated to helm the CEA for the first time. Plus, a look at COVID-19 in food deserts.

Individual donations and corporate philanthropy have helped the Belcourt’s bottom line.

As Wall Street trading now relies heavily on computers and AI, data used to analyze various sectors is a valuable commodity.

The picks for the Council of Economic Advisers are a diverse group. If confirmed, Cecilia Rouse will be the first Black woman to lead the council.

In part because they’re more crowded and people stay longer, researchers found.

Moderna says its data shows its vaccine candidate is 94% effective. Plus, we crunch the numbers so far on holiday shopping. And, for immigrants sending money back to their home countries, what happens to remittances during a pandemic?

Data collection has become pivotal on Wall Street as algorithms and high-speed trading overtake the traditional picking of stocks.

Moderna is just behind Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech in seeking to begin vaccinations in the U.S. in December.

The company could face headwinds once COVID-19 restrictions are reduced.

Immigrants from Mexico and the Dominican Republic have been sending more money home than they were before the pandemic.

Biden can change things like messaging from day one in the White House. But other action will require Congress.

Names are leaking out for who Biden is expected to pick for top-level economic positions in his administration. Plus, what a working coronavirus vaccine would mean for Zoom. And, the Biden-Harris team’s ambitious pandemic response plan.

Parts of Arcadia Group could be sold off as COVID-19 strikes a blow on Main Street. Also, the Tokyo Stock Exchange CEO says he’ll quit after an unprecedented shutdown of trading in October. Plus, how Uganda’s coffee exports are thriving.

It’s one thing to install new energy systems. It’s another to get the money to do it.