Marketplace

In just a few weeks, coronavirus has completely reshaped the way Americans are working. Today, we’re looking at the layoffs, the newly housebound office workers and the folks who still have to go out and risk spreading the virus, sometimes for minimum wage. Plus, more listener questions, like: What’s the difference between a recession and a depression? And can’t the Fed just pay for a stimulus?

President Donald Trump acknowledged Monday that the economy may be headed toward a recession. Is that just due to the coronavirus, or is it the recession economists have been predicting for years? Today we talk a bit about the difference and what’s on the horizon. Plus: remote education in the digital divide, Americans stocking up, and why stocks are up.

We’re answering more of your questions about the coronavirus pandemic today. Starting with: What exactly did the Fed do this weekend, and what would happen to the global economy if activity in the U.S. shut down? Plus, how China’s 270 million students are learning at home, what’s changing for supply chains along the border, and why working from home is great for hackers. Of course, we’ll also talk about stocks, which had their biggest single-day drop of the crisis so far.

The COVID-19 pandemic isn’t causing an economic slowdown in the United States, it’s causing an economic stop. You probably have a lot of questions, like where the Fed’s $1.5 trillion went, how algorithmic trading is affecting volatility and what numbers to watch as we prepare for a recession. We’re going to answer all of them and more. Plus: What it’s like to run a movie theater right now and the increased risks for the hundreds of millions of homeless Americans.

Stocks had their worst day since 1987 and the economy is experiencing uncertainty unseen since 2008. Today, we’ll help you understand what’s happening and what’s coming. We’ll talk with experts, business owners, a farmer and a doctor (who’s also school board president) about how they’re feeling the spread of COVID-19 and what they’re bracing for. Plus: the millions of uninsured or underinsured Americans who can’t afford to see a doctor even if they suspect they might have the new coronavirus.

With a the Dow in bear market territory and a bunch of stimulus proposals under consideration, the COVID-19 pandemic might be giving you flashbacks to the financial crisis of 11 years ago. Today we compare current economic conditions to 2008. Plus, online dating and stockpiling “essentials” during the outbreak.

As new cases of COVID-19 spread across the nation, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the economy is going to take a serious hit. With that in mind, the White House has floated a payroll tax cut and other steps to prevent a recession. Today, we’ll look at how that would work. Plus: canceled flights, canceled classes and a price war on oil.

Phew, OK, wow. Like the markets this morning, let’s trip our own “circuit breaker” to recalibrate and talk through everything that just happened with stocks and oil. Plus, we’ll look to Austin, Texas, where residents and businesses are reeling from the cancellation of SXSW, and to Shanghai, where people are ever-so-slowly getting back to work and shopping.

The COVID-19 outbreak has virtually shut down the entire movie industry in China, and that’s having ripple effects for big blockbusters, often the only reliable moneymakers in Hollywood right now. We’ll look at what’s happened so far and consider the summer movie season. Plus, what we can get out of today’s jobs report, diminishing returns on the 10-year T-note and a visit to the dark web.

They call the Port of Los Angeles, which handles more cargo than any other port in the Western Hemisphere, “America’s Port.” Thanks to COVID-19, February volume was down 25% from last year. Today, we talk with the port’s executive director about what’s going on there and why it matters. Plus, what you need to know about market volatility and algorithmic trading, and the debt collection case in front of the Supreme Court.