May 03 Watch 6:12 Meat plant closures trickle down to grain production By Melanie Saltzman, Laura Fong Iowa is the largest producer of pork and corn in the U.S. As many meat processing plants shut their doors due to COVID-19, demand for pigs plummeted. The effects have trickled down the supply chain to the farmers who raise… Continue watching
May 02 Watch 5:27 Tenant groups call for a rent strike as economy flounders By Sam Weber, Connie Kargbo The first of May marked the second rent day since coronavirus shutdowns began. With more than 30 million people filing for unemployment benefits in recent weeks, tenant groups across the country on Friday called for a rent strike until the… Continue watching
May 02 Most states fall short of coronavirus testing thresholds By Christina A. Cassidy, Matthew Perrone, Jason Dearen, Nicky Forster, Associated Press With no specific guidelines, states are left to figure out what a successful testing program should be while they simultaneously try to reopen their shattered economies. Continue reading
May 01 Jobless fret as rent comes due again amid virus outbreak By Anita Snow, Associated Press Rent comes due again for more than 30 million people around the U.S. who have sought unemployment benefits amid shutdowns caused by the coronavirus outbreak. Continue reading
Apr 30 Watch 4:32 States ask for more federal aid as economic crisis deepens By Yamiche Alcindor New government jobs numbers reiterate the extent of the pandemic’s economic damage. In the last six weeks, more than 30 million Americans have lost their jobs, including another 3.8 million filing for unemployment last week. Lawmakers are still debating how… Continue watching
Apr 30 Watch 8:26 What to do if you can’t afford to pay your mortgage right now With more than 30 million Americans losing jobs or businesses and others forced to take pay cuts, making monthly rent and mortgage payments has become increasingly difficult. Viewers share their challenges, and John Yang talks to the National Consumer Law… Continue watching
Apr 30 Watch 5:08 Michelle Singletary answers viewer questions about pandemic finances As Americans endure an unprecedented economic situation, they are confronting new challenges and worries about many aspects of their lives. In this week’s Ask Us, we focus on concerns about jobs and money. Michelle Singletary, The Washington Post’s finance columnist,… Continue watching
Apr 29 Unemployment surge pushing state funds toward insolvency By David A. Lieb, Associated Press A surge in unemployment caused by the coronavirus shutdown has started to take a financial toll on state jobless funds. At least six states already have asked to borrow money from the federal government to pay unemployment claims because their… Continue reading
Apr 28 Watch 9:47 Why is it so difficult for small businesses to get federal pandemic aid? Demand remains high for relief the federal Paycheck Protection Program is making available for smaller businesses. But the distribution of that money continues to be a source of controversy, and the program has been mired with technical problems. Lisa Desjardins… Continue watching
Apr 23 Watch 3:32 They were hit hard by the last recession. Now it’s happening again By Lorna Baldwin, Maea Lenei Buhre The U.S. suffered a big financial hit during the Great Recession of 2008-2009. As the novel coronavirus pandemic yields another economic collapse, many of those people are losing jobs, businesses and investments again. Here are stories from four people who… Continue watching