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Vaccine passports: Pandemic spurs rise of portable health recordsBusinesses could make the vaccine passport a ticket to preferred treatment. It鈥檚 an issue with ethical, public health, and economic implications.聽
Biden wants to tackle climate change. His pitch is all about jobs.When President Joe Biden introduced his $2 trillion infrastructure plan, he mentioned 鈥渃limate鈥� only once and jobs 28 times.
First LookSpending up, layoffs down: Promising signs for US economyAs stimulus checks come in and coronavirus restrictions are lifted in many states, people have been going out and spending again. Coupled with a decrease in layoffs and uptick in manufacturing output, economists are optimistic about a rebounding U.S. economy.
National debt is surging higher. Here鈥檚 why worry is heading lower.Low interest rates and a focus on economic recovery push concerns about fiscal responsibility to the wayside.
First LookWhy Yellen is pushing a global corporate minimum income taxIn a speech on Monday,聽U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen advocated for a global corporate minimum tax as a way to discourage international tax competition and tax avoidance. Her statement offers support to around two years of OECD negotiations.聽
First LookFlurry of hiring in March sparks optimism among US economistsThe U.S. economy is still down by more than 8 million jobs compared to pre-pandemic numbers. But an uptick in hiring in March 鈥� as vaccines and stimulus money roll out 鈥� has economists hopeful the country is solidly rebounding.
Cover StoryWhy cities are experimenting with giving people cash paymentsAs governments strive to help people hurt by the lockdown, a provocative idea gains ground: simply give them money.
FocusA union at Amazon? Why workers in Alabama hold the key.Amazon聽faces a unionization drive in what may seem an unlikely place. Yet this Deep South area also has a history of worker activism.
鈥業t鈥檚 people being resourceful鈥�: Why business startups are boomingIn 2020, American entrepreneurs applied to start a record nearly 4.5 million new businesses, almost a quarter more applications than a year earlier.
First LookGen Z looks to amateur investing to soothe economic anxietyFor lots of young people, the economy seems more uncertain than ever. Some have turned to the stock market with fee-free, easy-to-use investment applications and are learning firsthand about reward 鈥� and risk.聽
FocusRemote work is here to stay 鈥� and it鈥檚 changing our livesWhat happens 鈥� to our jobs, organizations, communities 鈥� if the pandemic鈥檚 biggest business lesson is to convince us that working from home is聽normal?
California housing crunch: Is the answer to end single-family zoning?Berkeley, Sacramento, and other cities seek to eliminate exclusionary zoning to address an affordable housing shortage and racial segregation.
First LookUS hiring jumped last month. Will the trend continue?The U.S. gained 379,000 jobs in February, lowering the unemployment rate from 6.3% to 6.2%, the Labor Department said Friday. Economists are hopeful that hiring will pick up speed in the coming months as Americans return to pre-pandemic activities.聽
First LookFood waste: New UN report tries to measure what we throw awayFood waste is difficult to measure, but one U.N. report estimates it amounts to聽17% of all food produced globally. By improving measurements, researchers hope to find solutions.聽鈥淚mproved measurement can lead to improved management,鈥� says one expert.
Focus鈥楨xhausted.鈥� A year into pandemic, working moms see help on horizon.For a year millions of working parents, especially moms, have been stretched to the limits by a stay-home swirl of kids and work.
First LookFor Black-owned businesses, venture capital still elusiveWhile opportunities are improving for Black business owners, securing venture capital funding is still difficult. Not only might they face discrimination, but their ideas might not resonate with the largely white venture capital community.
From Amazon to Google, tech workers seek unions 鈥� and a voiceAmazon workers in Alabama are voting on whether to unionize. Google workers recently banded together to air concerns. How far will the trend go?
First LookWorkers organize biggest union push in Amazon's historyAmazon workers in Bessemer, Alabama are organizing the largest unionization push since the company was founded.聽A successful effort could motivate other workers around the country to organize, but it鈥檚 an uphill battle.
First LookNew boost for businesses of color in the Deep SouthMinority-owned businesses in the U.S. have been hit especially hard by the pandemic. One company is partnering with seven cities and nine historically Black colleges and universities to ease the pain in a region characterized by poverty and racial economic disparities.聽
First LookWhy the Lunar New Year matters for Maine lobster shippersMore than a year after the first COVID-19 case surfaced, international business and trade logistics are still being upended. As Lunar New Year restrictions put a damper on celebrations in China, lobster exporters as far away as Maine are feeling the pinch.