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“It just feels relentless; it feels never-ending. It’s frustrating,” one nurse at a hospital in St. Louis said of coronavirus. Eight months after the pandemic began, COVID-19 is surging again in the U.S., with more than 100,000 new cases every day for more than a week. The entire country is essentially one big hot spot. And while hospitals have available beds, they don’t have enough people to staff them. On today’s show: Hospitals are struggling to meet demand during the current coronavirus wave. Later, we check in on two small businesses that received Paycheck Protection Program loans and look at the skyrocketing value of baseball cards.

Unemployment fell in October, and people have been coming back to the workforce after losing jobs earlier in the pandemic. But finding a job isn’t getting any easier: There are nearly twice as many job seekers as there are job openings. On today’s show: a look at the struggle to find work during COVID-19. Later, an explanation of “market distortion,” and an Iowa farmer tells us how a Biden presidency could affect her.

Democrats spent the weekend dancing in the streets after news outlets called the presidential race for former Vice President Joe Biden. And while President Donald Trump has yet to concede, the Biden team hit the ground running, launching a transition website and announcing a COVID-19 task force. On today’s show: What are President-elect Biden’s plans for the coronavirus and the economy? Later, we hear about the importance of transparency and diversity in Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine trials and how the center of oil and gas production in the U.S. is thinking about a Biden presidency.

It’s been a long week. The stress of the election coupled with the pandemic has a lot of us looking for ways to calm down anywhere, including our phones. Calm, a meditation app, topped Apple’s health and fitness category on Election Day — and the other mindful apps weren’t far behind. On today’s show: a look at the business of calm. Also: why jobs recovery is losing momentum, mortgage forbearance is still high and the tie between health insurance and employment.

That’s how one economist put it to us, in a twist on Bill Clinton’s “it’s the economy, stupid.” Basically, as long as the coronavirus is spreading unchecked, we’ll see a familiar economic stop and start. On today’s show, we get an update on the COVID economy: fluctuating consumer spending, continued unemployment claims and the Fed’s outlook. Later, we hear about how paid sick leave can slow the spread of COVID and gender bias in city design.

Last night went pretty much how we expected: The outcome of the presidential election is still uncertain and could be for a few days. On today’s show, we’ll dig into the results we do know and their impact on coronavirus relief and the economic outlook. Later, we hear about a few races that were decisive, including the fight for $15 minimum wage in Florida and a gig worker proposition in California.

Let’s be real — It’s looking unlikely that we’ll know the outcome of this presidential election tonight. You should make your own decisions about the news you want to consume this afternoon, but we’re here with a little counter-programming: a check-in on airlines and movie theaters, conversations with artists and artisans here and abroad, and … yes, a little bit of economic context for this election. We couldn’t help it.

In a recent poll, 32% of Americans said it would be at least somewhat difficult to quarantine if asked to do so by contact tracers. Some also said they’re uncomfortable talking to health care worker or giving out personal information for contract tracing. On today’s show, we’ll dig into that data. Plus: how the pandemic is changing the restaurant industry and leaving essential workers stuck at sea, and why thousands of people are being told to pay back their unemployment benefits.

Women are taking on more work at home because of the pandemic, and their labor force participation rate has fallen to its lowest level in more than three decades. That’s not just a problem for families, it’s a problem for the whole economy. Today, we’ll look at the ripple effects. Plus: Netflix’s price hike, the dollar as a safe haven and the volunteer notaries helping Missouri voters mail in their ballots.

The U.S. economy grew last quarter at a 33.1% annual rate. That sounds great, and it’s not bad! But it’s also not enough to dig out of the coronavirus recession. Today, we dive into the output gap. Plus: the eviction crisis, a bit of hope for movie theaters and how the value of a dollar changes prices.