Jul 27 As Congress fights, analysts warn economy needs help now By Christopher S. Rugaber, Associated Press As Congress and the White House resume their efforts to agree on a new economic aid package, evidence is growing that the U.S. economy is faltering. And so is concern that the government may not take the steps needed to… Continue reading
Jul 24 Extra unemployment aid expires as virus threatens new states By Geoff Mulvihill, Justin Pritchard, Dave Kolpack, Associated Press As public health officials warned Friday that the coronavirus posed new risks to parts of the Midwest and South, enhanced federal payments that helped avert financial ruin for millions of unemployed Americans were set to expire — leaving threadbare safety… Continue reading
Jul 24 White House, GOP at odds over jobless aid in virus bill By Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press Negotiations over the next COVID-19 rescue bill are in flux. Continue reading
Jul 14 White House campaign aims to help jobless find new paths By Darlene Superville, Associated Press A new White House-backed ad campaign aims to encourage people who are unemployed or unhappy in their jobs or careers to "find something new."… Continue reading
Jul 07 Watch 6:00 The national impact of the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program The Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, is one of the federal government’s signature efforts to help small businesses weather the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, there is new data from the Trump administration about how this money was distributed during the past… Continue watching
Jul 02 Watch 6:36 Economist Paul Romer: To save American jobs, we must bring virus to ‘screeching halt’ The Labor Department’s June jobs report seems to reflect a strengthening economy. After all, businesses across the country reopened during that month. But now coronavirus cases are soaring, raising questions about how we can have a functioning U.S. economy without… Continue watching
Jun 25 Watch 5:18 News Wrap: Supreme Court upholds Trump administration’s use of quick deportations In our news wrap Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the Trump administration’s use of quick deportations for legal asylum seekers who fail initial screenings. The 7-2 decision reversed a lower court’s ruling that asylum seekers must first have… Continue watching
Jun 20 Watch 8:03 Why minority-owned businesses are struggling to get PPP loans By Ivette Feliciano, Connie Kargbo The Paycheck Protection Program or PPP provides federally-backed forgivable loans to businesses whose revenues may be impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. According to the Center for Responsible Lending, little of the $659 billion fund has made it to Latino and… Continue watching
Jun 19 Hiring rose in 46 states in May, yet jobless rates remain high By Christopher Rugaber, Associated Press Employers added jobs in 46 states last month, evidence that the U.S. economy’s surprise hiring gain in May was spread broadly across the country — in both states that began reopening their economies early and those that did so only… Continue reading
Jun 18 Watch 8:10 State reopening plans force trade-offs between health and economy By Paul Solman The staggering number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits underscores just how many are struggling financially due to the pandemic. While the economic damage from shuttering businesses and staying home is undeniable, public health experts worry that the pressure to reopen… Continue watching