Business & Economy
Business & Economy
![many states say they are seeing the trust funds used to pay unemployment benefits](https://www.nwpb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ap_20107683994269_wide-ade02aef6cad570a99058a5367c072a12888ba6c-500x500.jpg)
Economic Deluge Continues With 26 Million Jobs Lost In Just 5 Weeks
The number of people forced out of work during the coronavirus lockdown keeps soaring. Last week, 4.4 million people filed for jobless benefits, boosting the total since last month to 26 million.
![A statue of John Harvard wears a face mask](https://www.nwpb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ap_20074516439915_wide-fd9adc46b6b8990ff03cc279afaacd757810bd21-500x500.jpg)
Harvard And Other Universities Turn Down Relief Funds Amid Swell Of Criticism
President Trump and others criticized “elite, wealthy institutions” for money allocated to them by a federal package.
![Washington says it will launch contact tracing teams to map coronavirus exposure. Here, public health nurse Jennifer Morgan, right, checks-in via phone with a patient self-quarantined at home in February. University of Washington epidemiology student Erika Feutz observes in Seattle. CREDIT: Elaine Thompson/AP](https://www.nwpb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ap_20106553355563_wide-eab4844052106013bbb118dc766ad80509a1eede-500x500.jpg)
Washington Builds Contact Tracing ‘Fire Brigade’ As State Looks Toward Gradual Reopening
Public health experts say finding and isolating coronavirus patients will be key to re-opening public life. That’s going to take a lot of work.
![Wayne LaPierre, CEO of the National Rifle Association](https://www.nwpb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/gettyimages-1139483091_wide-c704ef2d6227ede5fd6fb1827ff7621dc2407c58-500x500.jpg)
Secret Recording Reveals NRA’s Legal Troubles Have Cost The Organization $100 Million
The CEO of the National Rifle Association says legal troubles have cost the powerful gun rights group $100 million, according to a recording of the group’s board meeting obtained by NPR.
![Protesters rally against social-distancing measures at the Washington state Capitol on April 19, 2020. CREDIT: Will James / KNKX](https://www.nwpb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/IMG_4538-500x500.jpg)
From Olympia To Richland To Moscow, Protesters Demonstrate Against Coronavirus Safety Measures
Demonstrations from Olympia to Richland in Washington, to Sandpoint to Moscow to Boise in Idaho, have been organized by people flouting social distancing measures put in place for public health and to slow the spread of coronavirus.
![cannabis](https://www.nwpb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ap_20073720210997-98430f0723a087796beef639578502865c849373-500x500.jpg)
‘Illegal To Essential’: How The Coronavirus Is Boosting The Legal Cannabis Industry
More than 20 states designated marijuana businesses essential during the coronavirus shutdown. Cannabis activists say it’s a remarkable development, given that it remains illegal under federal law.
![Last year, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee was running for president. Then he declared a 3rd-term run for governor. Then the coronavirus hit. Now his opponents have a lot to say about how he's handled it.](https://www.nwpb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/inslee-500x500.jpg)
Jay Inslee Is Running For A 3rd Term. Here’s What His Opponents Think Of His Coronavirus Response
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has been called “an example of effective crisis leadership.” Not all Washingtonians agree that Inslee has done well — especially the people who want his job.
![Shavonne Maes paints a mural onto the boarded up facade of Some Random Bar on March 26, 2020, in Seattle.](https://www.nwpb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Savonne-Maes-Seattle-unemployment-CREDIT-Megan-Farmer-KUOW-500x500.jpg)
Surge In Unemployment Continues As Clunky State Systems Await Upgrades
Fresh numbers of initial claims for jobless benefits showed some moderation in the past week in the staggering wave of layoffs across the Northwest caused by the coronavirus pandemic. But the level of unemployment claims continues to hover at record levels, as reported Thursday by the state labor and employment departments of Washington, Idaho and Oregon.
![People who lost their jobs wait in line to file for unemployment benefits at an Arkansas Workforce Center in Fayetteville, Ark., on April 6. CREDIT: Nick Oxford/Reuters](https://www.nwpb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/rts389ok-25c37a7ffc8d158062e4f029c93a433256c40da3-500x500.jpg)
10 Years Of Spectacular U.S. Job Growth Nearly Wiped Out In 4 Weeks
The number of people filing for unemployment climbed by another 5.2 million, as the toll of the nation’s economic dive continues to mount. In the past four weeks, 22 million have filed claims.
![This chart from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington shows a sharp decline in COVID-19 related deaths by early May if social distancing practices continue. CREDIT: Office of Gov. Jay Inslee](https://www.nwpb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/COVID-19-IHME-UW-chart-CREDIT-Office-of-Gov-Jay-Inslee-500x500.png)
In Washington And Beyond, When Will It Start To Get Back To Normal? Experts Weigh In
After weeks of extraordinary efforts to slow the spread of the new coronavirus and prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed, Washington state officials are beginning to talk more openly about easing social distancing restrictions and a sequential unlocking of the economy.
![Direct-deposit economic relief money is expected to be weeks ahead of physical checks. NoDerog/Getty Images](https://www.nwpb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/gettyimages-157614980_wide-2f4128b7ab4be873774ccef482fd095abf4bc362-500x500.jpg)
Report: Adding President’s Name To Checks Will Delay Them. IRS Says They’re On Schedule
The IRS said the economic relief payments “are going out on schedule, as planned, without delay.” The Washington Post reported that Trump’s name would be included on the checks, an unprecedented step.
![File photo. Porter Hahn makes an iced coffee drink in November 2019 in a Seattle coffee shop. U.S. services companies grew at a faster pace in February 2020 than the previous month. Then the coronavirus outbreak in the region shut down much of the service industry. CREDIT: Elaine Thompson/AP](https://www.nwpb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Barista-in-Seattle-Porter-Hahn-unemployment-CREDIT-Elain-Thompson-AP-500x500.jpeg)
Washington-Oregon-California Governors Announce ‘Pact’ For Reopening Economies
With President Donald Trump suggesting he has authority to unilaterally re-open businesses around the country, West Coast governors on Monday presented a united front, saying they’ll only lift restrictions when public health data suggests they can.