Major League Baseball announced this week that the start of its regular season will be canceled because of an ongoing labor dispute between owners and the players' union. This week’s episode of the Business Brief podcast goes beyond the owners and players to look at the effects of the lockout on stadium workers and local businesses in Kansas City and St. Louis.

Plus, the podcast checks in on Columbia Startup Weekend. The startup pitch event, which over the last decade has given rise to multiple now-thriving companies, returned last week after a pandemic hiatus.

In the latest episode of the Business Brief podcast, we hear from Black entrepreneurs about the challenges they have faced finding funding in Missouri, and how they managed to overcome some of the hurdles in their path.

Then we look at the state's medical marijuana industry and what's been done to address a lack of diversity in the nascent sector.

The latest episode of the Business Brief podcast begins with a business that’s no stranger to staffing challenges: child care. The pandemic has added stress to a child care system that was already under strain, and this week we hear from one Missouri facility about the challenges it has faced. 

Then, the podcast looks at the obstacles Missouri faces in its efforts to boost entrepreneurship, digging into a new report that proposes strategies for increasing innovation in the state.

The latest episode of the Business Brief podcast examines an issue that has been literally hidden underground across the state for years — orphaned oil wells. We learn what risks these wells pose, and what is been done to address them.

Plus, with Valentine's Day coming up, this week's episode looks at small businesses in Missouri that are showing love by embracing the social enterprise model.

This week's episode of the Business Brief podcast looks at the state of live entertainment venues and a proposed grant program to help keep them open amid continued pandemic challenges.

Then, it examines the positives and risks of monoculture, a technique that has allowed farmers to increase efficiency and boost food production — but has recently faced questions from some consumers.

Missouri doesn't have the same reputation for wine as regions like Napa Valley. But one company wants to change that. The Hoffman Family of Companies is working to turn Augusta, a town of about 300 people in east-central Missouri, into a national destination for wine tourism. Not everyone in Augusta is happy about that.

In this week's episode of the Business Brief podcast, we dive into a plan to invest more than $100 million into winemaking and tourism in Augusta and its effect on local business and residents.

Also, the labor market has been chaotic since the pandemic began, and small businesses feel that especially acutely. As workers quit jobs and demand more of employers, we check in on how small businesses are navigating the challenge of hiring and retaining workers.

The Market Dives podcast continues its look at the business and economic indicators that will help tell the story of 2022.

The second episode of this two-part forecast focuses on indicators measuring business confidence, auto inventory, home foreclosures and workspace shifts.

While 2021 brought significant recovery from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the year also saw labor shortages, supply chain disruptions and rising prices.

What can we expect in the new year? The Market Dives podcast wraps up 2021 and looks ahead to 2022 with a focus on some of the key economic indicators that will help tell the story of the next year — and beyond.

The first episode of this two-part look-ahead focuses on key indicators for labor markets, agricultural commodities, fuel prices and electric vehicles.

Missouri ranked second in the country in 2020 in coal-generated electricity. But the state is undergoing a shift away from coal.

In the latest episode of the Market Dives podcast, we look at how this transition is going and what the path toward a different energy profile looks like.

Businesses are trying to cope with the holiday season crunch in an economic climate the likes of which they have never experienced. With some projections forecasting the biggest holiday season ever for retailers, business owners are facing high demand while contending with supply chain issues, labor challenges and other lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This week's episode of the Market Dives podcast looks at challenges facing Missouri businesses as the Christmas season approaches.

First, we hear how some local retailers are getting creative to survive this vital part of the year that contributes nearly half of all revenue for some businesses.

Then, we get a glimpse at the idiosyncrasies of the seasonal labor market and what holiday hiring looks like in 2021. At a time of the year when many companies are looking to staff up, how's that going with job openings still near record highs?