March 17, 2020

Fears over the spread of coronavirus have upended daily life for millions of Americans and countless businesses. The CDC has recommended that organizations cancel any events with 50 or more people, and restaurants around the country are either switching to take-out only or closing entirely. As a result of the uncertainty surrounding this health crisis, financial markets around the globe are experiencing near-record drops in value. In fact, on Monday the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted by about 3,000 points, Continue reading

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March 13, 2020

Due to concerns about the spread of coronavirus, representatives from athletic leagues across the globe have announced that they will temporarily halt play. On Wednesday, the National Basketball Association was the first to suspend competition after a player on the Utah Jazz tested positively for COVID-19. The next day, the National Hockey League similarly put games on hold while Major League Soccer delayed the start of its upcoming season as well. Shortly after these announcements, Major League Baseball canceled the Continue reading

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March 12, 2020

Yesterday, the World Health Organization officially classified coronavirus as a pandemic, causing the Dow Jones Industrial Average to plummet by nearly 1,500 points. This rapid decline in the market has reversed more than a decade of expansion for the U.S. economy while companies around the world suffer from border closures and shutdowns. As a result, employees in many struggling industries are facing layoffs as business as usual grinds to a halt. 

For instance, the Port of Los Angeles has Continue reading

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March 10, 2020

Last week we looked at how fears over coronavirus have caused major events to cancel and governments to restrict travel. Since then, organizers of South By Southwest have called off the festival while Italy has expanded emergency measures for the entire country. That means no public gatherings will be allowed in the Mediterranean nation along with a general ban on travel for all citizens unless they receive special permission. This global escalation of tensions surrounding the Covid-19 virus has Continue reading

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March 5, 2020

With winter starting to wind down, this is the time of year that cities around the world usually prepare for incoming business conferences and big events to bring in thousands of travelers. The annual South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas, will be held later this month followed closely by spring break holidays and then the Olympics in Japan during the summer. But with cases of coronavirus now appearing in Europe and the U.S., many organizations and governments are either Continue reading

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March 3, 2020

Although many wealthy democracies across the world mandate paid sick leave for workers, the U.S. does not require companies to grant their employees any time off. About one in four Americans cannot take the day off if they fall ill, with many working in busy businesses like retailers and restaurants. As a result, medical experts fear that a disease like the coronavirus could spread even quicker if potentially sick people must continue going to work.

The nation’s lack of sick Continue reading

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February 28, 2020

Stock markets around the world have been falling dramatically all week due to fears surrounding the spread of the coronavirus. If global exchanges continue with this cycle of massive selloffs today, then the past week could represent the biggest stock market drop since the height of the 2008 financial crisis. And it’s not looking too good so far: “We’re drinking from a fireman’s hose this morning,” said Patrick Spencer, managing director at the investment firm Baird. “It wasn’t a good Continue reading

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February 14, 2020

The consumer goods giant Unilever is known for its huge portfolio of major brands like Dove, Lipton, Axe, and many others. The conglomerate also owns several big names in the ice cream aisle such as Breyers, Klondike, Good Humor, Ben & Jerry’s, and more. But while these brands are well-known to many consumers, they’re about to become a lot less familiar to kids. That’s because Unilever recently announced that by the end of the year it would stop airing TV Continue reading

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February 11, 2020

A few weeks ago, the coronavirus outbreak in China caused countless businesses to shutter as the government also restricted travel throughout the country. Many companies announced plans to stay closed during an extended Lunar New Year holiday, which was supposed to end yesterday. But with many workers still unable to leave their hometowns, a number of manufacturers are pushing that date back. Volkswagen, for instance, will only reopen some of its plants in about a week due to complications with Continue reading

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January 31, 2020

Last week, the world learned that a deadly, fast-moving disease called the coronavirus had appeared in several Chinese cities. The mysterious illness has already killed more than a hundred people and infected thousands more, leading the World Health Organization to declare the coronavirus a global health emergency. Despite its potentially worldwide implications, though, right now the disease is primarily localized in China. Along with placing entire cities on quarantine, Chinese authorities have also extended the annual Lunar New Year holiday Continue reading

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