For hospitals, COVID surges mean staff and bed shortages yet again

Hospital workers may be having a painful case of déjà vu. A growing number of hospitals across the country are running out of intensive care unit beds, dealing with staffing shortages and struggling with retention amid worker burnout. This is prolonging wait times for emergency room visits and ambulances and — in some cases — causing delays of nonessential surgeries. Plus: We’ll look at how global economies might respond to the Taliban retaking power, the reasons behind the dip in July’s retail spending and what the future might hold for vacant downtown business districts.