Marketplace

There are millions of vacant and abandoned houses around the country. But in some parts of Baltimore, vacant buildings have become an intractable, even deadly, problem. Today, we take a deep dive into why. Plus: How some states are starting to close the racial pay gap, what bankrupted Brooks Brothers and why Disney World is reopening as COVID-19 cases spike.

The federal government has released the names of companies that received loans of $150,000 or more through the Paycheck Protection Program. There are some surprisingly big names in there. Today, we’ll look at how one business spent its  $90,000. Plus: Why test shortages persist, what fall holds for foreign students and the problem with the Beige Book.

All the way back to the civil rights era, McDonald’s has had a strange relationship with unrest and Black Americans. Today, we’ll explore what the Golden Arches has and hasn’t done for Black business owners. Plus: Corporate debt, home equity and other things that will help businesses and families survive this crisis.

Cheap gas coupled with uncertainty about traveling by air or rail during COVID-19 has vacationers turning to their cars. But summer travel decisions continue to be complicated during the pandemic. New York, New Jersey and Connecticut just issued a two week quarantine on any out-of-state visitors. Plus: the story of Janet’s List and the continuously rising cost of cord-cutting.

Nearly four months into this pandemic, and we’re starting to see evidence that the rental market is softening, if only in the highest-price cities. Today, we’ll do the numbers on New York real estate and what might happen to the rest of the country. Plus: The ongoing ad boycott at Facebook, arts organizations’ turn to streaming and the June jobs report.

We’re getting the June jobs report Thursday, a little early because of the holiday. The unemployment rate is expected to drop for the second month in a row, but the picture might not be as accurate as we’d like. That’s partly because since the start of the pandemic, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has said it might be  undercounting furloughed workers. Today, we’ll dig into the BLS survey and what you should make of it. Plus: How enforceable are interstate travel restrictions?

The $600 a week in extra benefits provided to every jobless worker who’s on unemployment insurance right now — about 29 million Americans — is set to expire by July 31. And if Congress doesn’t do something before then, things could get ugly in this economy. Plus: Why black-owned banks are undercapitalized and a conversation with Visa CEO Al Kelly.

Coronavirus cases are surging in Arizona, Florida, Texas and California, and hospitals are becoming overwhelmed with patients. Other parts of the country have been there — and we all saw what happened. Today, we spend some time checking in on N95 masks, gowns and other protective gear. Plus: The latest Paycheck Protection Program loan deadline and what it’s like reopening a museum right now.

As we continue exploring structural economic racism, today we’re looking at a huge source of the wealth gap between Black and white Americans: homeownership. Plus: Facebook’s about-face on ads and Texas’ influx of Californians.

Systemic economic racism is fundamental to understanding this moment, so why not teach it that way? Today, we talk with Gary Hoover, chair of the economics department at the University of Oklahoma, about why he folds race into his intro courses. Plus: Virginia is set to become the first state mandating COVID-19 workplace safety measures, and bars are adapting to takeout cocktails.