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Business & Economy

Washington Supreme Court Unanimously Strikes Down I-976, Tim Eyman’s $30 Car Tab Initiative

By NWPB News October 15, 2020

Professional initiative sponsor Tim Eyman, right, holds a photo from his first successful $30 car tabs initiative in 1999. Eyman says he has collected almost enough signatures to qualify a 2019 car tabs rollback initiative to the 2019 Legislature. CREDIT: AUSTIN JENKINS/N3

On Thursday, the state Supreme Court struck down Initiative 976, a measure Washington voters approved last November to reduce the cost of annual vehicle licensing fees. The measure has been on hold for nearly a year as legal challenges worked their way through the court system.Read More

Governor Inslee Moves Remaining Washington Counties To Phase 2; Whitman County Adds Deaths

By Scott Leadingham October 13, 2020

Gov. Jay Inslee announced on Tuesday, Oct. 13, that the remaining Washington counties, all in central Washington, could advance to Phase 2 of the state's four-phase plan. CREDIT: TVW

No more Washington counties will be in Phase 1 of the state’s four-phase reopening plan. Gov. Jay Inslee announced Tuesday that Chelan, Douglas, Yakima, Benton and Franklin counties could advance to Phase 2.Read More

Governor Jay Inslee Extends Washington Eviction Moratorium Through End Of The Year

By NWPB News October 8, 2020

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee speaks during an Oct. 8, 2020 news conference. CREDIT: TVW

The governor said in a news conference Wednesday that he’s concerned about housing insecurity during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Read More

United And American Airlines Tell 32,000 Employees They’re Now On Furlough

By NPR News October 1, 2020

American Airlines check-in counters sit closed last month behind plastic barriers at Los Angeles International Airport. CREDIT: Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images

"To our departing 13,000 family members: thank you for your dedication and we look forward to welcoming you back," United told employees, as CARES Act payroll aid was set to expire.Read More

From Pullman To Ellensburg To Bellingham, College Towns Feel The Coronavirus Economic Slump

By NWPB News September 24, 2020

The Cougar Cottage in Pullman, known widely just as "The Coug," is a staple for students, staff and alumni during the year, especially football season and celebrating big events like graduation. It's been open as it could during the pandemic, with safety measures in place. Courtesy of The Cougar Cottage

Online classes and no fall college sports spell trouble for Washington college towns like Pullman, Ellensburg and Bellingham that lean on a higher education-fueled economy.Read More

CDC Issues Sweeping Temporary Halt On Evictions Nationwide Through December

By NPR News September 1, 2020

Demonstrators hold up signs as they gather at Brooklyn Housing court during a 'No Evictions, No Police' national day of action in New York City. CREDIT: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

The new eviction ban is being enacted through the Centers for Disease Control. The goal is to stem the spread of the COVID outbreak, which the agency says in it's order, "presents a historic threat to public health."Read More

Apple Is Worth $2 Trillion — 1st American Company To Hit Milestone

By NPR News August 19, 2020

Apple, now worth $2 trillion, first crossed the $1 trillion milestone two years ago. CREDIT: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Apple first crossed the $1 trillion mark just two years ago. The iPhone maker and a handful of other tech giants propelled the S&P 500 index to a new record this week.Read More

She Followed Rules And Took COVID Seriously. But Now An Olympia Gym Owner Is ‘Freaking Pissed’

By Austin Jenkins August 13, 2020

Tiffany Krueger, owner of Athena Fitness and Wellness in Olympia, says the governor's new 17-foot distancing rule for fitness clubs is unfair and could put her out of business. Courtesy of Tiffany Krueger

On Aug. 3, Gov. Inslee announced new rules for indoor fitness studios and gyms that nearly tripled the required spacing between class participants from six feet to 17 feet. Krueger expressed her frustration in a 4-minute video she posted to Instagram. “I have to say that I am freaking pissed,” she said in the video. “We’re unable to pay our bills with these mandates; that Read More

Payroll Tax Delay To Boost Take-Home Pay, But Don’t Spend It Yet

By NPR News August 12, 2020

Employers are supposed to stop withholding the payroll tax on Sept. 1. But companies need guidance from the IRS on exactly who is eligible to have their taxes suspended and how to keep track so those taxes can eventually be repaid. CREDIT: Elaine Thompson/AP

President Trump has directed the Treasury Department to stop collecting payroll taxes this fall in an effort to boost workers' paychecks. But the move is temporary, and could spark headaches in 2021.Read More

In Executive Actions, Trump Extends Unemployment Benefits, Defers Payroll Taxes

By NPR News August 8, 2020

President Trump speaks during a news conference in Bedminster, N.J., on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2020. CREDIT: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

President Trump signed four executive actions to provide economic relief amid the coronavirus pandemic. They amount to a stopgap measure after not reaching a deal with Congress.Read More

Foreign Workers Living Overseas Mistakenly Received $1,200 U.S. Stimulus Checks

By NPR News August 5, 2020

Stimulus checks are prepared on May 8, 2008, in Philadelphia. In 2020, stimulus checks again went to many Americans, this time during the pandemic's economic fallout. Some of that money went to thousands of foreign workers not eligible to receive the funds. CREDIT: Jeff Fusco/Getty Images

Thousands of foreign workers who entered the U.S. on temporary work visas received $1,200 pandemic stimulus checks in error, and many of them are spending the money in their home countries.Read More

Unsuitable For A Pandemic? Add Men’s Wearhouse, Jos. A. Bank To Bankruptcy List

By NPR News August 3, 2020

An employee works inside a Jos. A. Bank retail store in San Francisco. The parent company Tailored Brands earlier said it would close up to 500 stores and cut 20% of corporate jobs. CREDIT: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The parent company Tailored Brands earlier said it would close up to 500 stores and cut 20% of corporate jobs. It's joined in pandemic bankruptcy by rival Brooks Brothers and a growing list of others.Read More

Pandemic Hasn’t Interrupted Alaska’s Resupply Lifeline From The Northwest, And Woe If It Does

By Tom Banse August 2, 2020

Western Towboat tugs depart Puget Sound every week of the year to deliver essential supplies to Alaskan towns by barge.

The coronavirus pandemic has served to remind many of us how much we count on strangers staying healthy so we can restock our cupboards and go about daily life. That's especially true for Alaskans who depend on a marine cargo lifeline from the Pacific Northwest for the majority of their goods.Read More

U.S. Economy Drops 32.9% In Worst GDP Report Ever

By NPR News July 30, 2020

A movie theater is seen closed due to the coronavirus pandemic on July 2, 2020, in Brea, Calif. The U.S. economy shrank at a record 32.9% rate in the second quarter as the pandemic cost tens of millions of jobs. CREDIT: Jae C. Hong/AP

The coronavirus triggered the sharpest economic contraction in modern history in the second quarter as the pandemic hammered the economy, the Commerce Department said Thursday.Read More

Tri-Cities And Yakima County Get Additional Business And Recreational Openings Within Their Phase 1

By Scott Leadingham July 29, 2020

File photo. Customers flocked to the River Mile 38 brewpub in Cathlamet after it reopened its tasting room and patio in mid-May. Wahkiakum County is in the vanguard of Washington counties advancing through Safe Start reopening phases. CREDIT: Tom Banse/N3

Benton, Franklin and Yakima counties have been approved for more business and recreational activities beginning this Saturday. The approval means additional operations within the counties’ current modified Phase 1 – not moving to a full Phase 2. Read More

After Delays, Republicans Rolled Out A New Pandemic Relief Bill. Democrats Balked

By NPR News July 27, 2020

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., left, with President Trump at the White House. The GOP has unveiled a new pandemic relief bill but tough negotiations lie ahead with Democrats. Evan Vucci/AP

After days of delays, congressional Republicans unveiled their $1 trillion proposal for a fifth wave of pandemic relief. Democrats are not on board — signaling tough negotiations ahead.Read More

Lawmakers Are Far Apart On A New Coronavirus Relief Bill. Here Are 5 Sticking Points

By NPR News July 20, 2020

Demonstrators in Florida ask senators to support the continuation of boosted unemployment benefits. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

State governments face a precipitous drop in revenue, parents and teachers are debating how kids will return to school in the fall, and millions of unemployed workers face the prospect of their pandemic assistance running out at the end of the month.Read More

Oil Industry, Accustomed To Booms And Busts, Is Rocked By Pandemic

By NPR News July 16, 2020

Pump jacks operate at dusk near Loco Hills in Eddy County, New Mexico, on April 23. U.S. oil producers are grappling with prolonged low oil prices and the uncertainty created by the coronavirus pandemic. CREDIT: Paul Ratje/AFP via Getty Images

When the price of oil crashes, oil companies often merge and big oil gets even bigger. So this crisis could be an opportunity for companies, but it comes with a tremendous amount of uncertainty. Read More

England To Lift Quarantine Rule For More Than 50 Nations — But Not For The U.S.

By NPR News July 3, 2020

England will soon lift a 14-day quarantine requirement for travelers from more than 50 countries and territories, including Italy, Germany, France and Spain, the Department for Transportation said Friday. The U.S. is not among the exempt countries. CREDIT: Matt Dunham/AP

Effective July 10, travelers from "reduced risk" countries, including Spain, France, Germany and Italy, won't have to self-Isolate for 14 days. The U.S. is not among the exempt countries.Read More

The Latest Pandemic Shortage: Coins Are The New Toilet Paper

By NPR News June 21, 2020

Banks around the country are running low on nickels, dimes, quarters and even pennies due to a change shortage that experts say is being exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. CREDIT: Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images

In another sign of how the coronavirus is disrupting commerce, banks are running short of nickels, dimes and quarters. The Federal Reserve, which supplies banks, is having to ration change. Read More

Retail Sales Bounce Up 17.7% After Record Drop As States Reopen

By NPR News June 16, 2020

Social distancing instructions are posted at California's Westfield Santa Anita shopping mall on June 12, as local businesses enter Phase 3 reopening. Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images

Spending is still nowhere near last year's. But as more states and cities allowed restaurants and shopping centers to reopen, May saw a big swing from a historic collapse in March and April.Read More

Federal Reserve Vows To Help Economy Weather The Pandemic Recession

By NPR News June 10, 2020

An employee sets a table for pickup orders at a restaurant in Arlington, Va. Even as states are moving to reopen their economies, tens of millions are out of work. CREDIT: Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

The Fed leaves interest rates near zero as expected, and promises to use all of its tools to support the economy. Officials project unemployment above 9% at the end of this year.Read More

It’s Official: The U.S. Economy Is In A Recession. How Long Will It Last Is Uncertain

By NPR News June 8, 2020

Boxes of food are loaded on vehicles last month at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. The country has officially entered a recession amid the pandemic, the National Bureau of Economic Research said Monday. CREDIT: Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

The committee tasked with marking U.S. business cycles says the economy peaked in February and has since been in a recession triggered by the pandemic. But it says the recession could be short-lived.Read More

Frustrated By Delayed Unemployment Benefits, Laid Off Workers Turn To Washington Supreme Court

By Tom Banse June 6, 2020

Laid-off restaurant worker Katrina Thiessen is frustrated by the weeks-long delay in having her unemployment claim approved.

Frustration with long delays in getting jobless benefits is boiling over into a lawsuit against the Washington State Employment Security Department. Attorneys representing two laid off workers and the nonprofit Unemployment Law Project filed the case directly with the state Supreme Court on Friday.Read More

Washington’s Smallest Counties Will Lead The Way Into Phase 3 Of State’s Reopening Plan

By Tom Banse June 4, 2020

Nine rural counties are eligible to apply to the state Secretary of Health this week to move to the next stage in Gov. Jay Inslee's four-phase reopening plan. Lincoln, Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille, Columbia and Wahkiakum counties wasted no time and submitted the necessary paperwork and letters of support on Wednesday to advance from Phase 2 to Phase 3.Read More

Millions Of Americans Skip Payments As Tidal Wave Of Defaults And Evictions Looms

By NPR News June 3, 2020

Jonathan Baird and his wife, Nichole, say they've had to decide between making their car payment and buying food since she lost her job in the pandemic. His mortgage and auto lenders told him he didn't qualify for help.

Hardship programs appear to be helping many people pause payments and survive the economic shutdown so far. But not everybody is getting the help, and advocates see big potential trouble ahead.Read More

From Jobs To Homeownership, Protests Put Spotlight On Racial Economic Divide

By NPR News June 2, 2020

Malaysia Hammond places flowers at a memorial mural for George Floyd in Minneapolis on Sunday. Police brutality has sparked days of civil unrest. But the sparks have landed in a tinderbox built over decades of economic inequality, now exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.

African Americans are 40% less likely to own their homes than whites. And blacks are more likely to hold jobs that put them at risk of the coronavirus. The civil unrest follows decades of inequality.Read More

Washington’s ‘Stay Home’ Order Ends June 1, With State Moving To County-By-County Approach

By NWPB News May 29, 2020

A COVID-19 test kit. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has instructed state health officials to test all nursing home staff and residents in the coming weeks, according to a state doctor.

Gov. Jay Inslee's stay-at-home order will end at midnight on May 31. Instead, state officials will use a phased plan outlined at the beginning of the month to govern county-by-county reopening permissions.Read More

Idaho Moves To Phase 3 Of 4-Stage Reopening Plan

By Doug Nadvornick May 29, 2020

File photo. Gov. Brad Little speaks March 13, 2020 at a news conference. On Wednesday, April 15, he extended a stay-at-home order to the end of April, saying it’s needed to slow the spread of the coronavirus. CREDIT: Darin Oswald/Idaho Statesman via AP

Idaho Governor Brad Little announced Thursday his state is ready to move on to the next phase of its coronavirus reopening plan, beginning Saturday, May 30.Read More

40.8 Million Out Of Work In The Past 10 Weeks — 26% Of Labor Force

By NPR News May 28, 2020

A Seattle barbershop remains closed because of the coronavirus outbreak on May 19. Last week, an additional 2.1 million people filed for unemployment benefits around the country.

More than 1 in 4 U.S. workers have lost their jobs since coronavirus shutdowns began. Last week, an additional 2.1 million people filed for unemployment benefits.Read More

Boeing Cuts More Than 12,000 Jobs Due To Drop In Air Travel

By NPR News May 27, 2020

A line of Boeing 737 MAX jets sit parked on the airfield adjacent to a Boeing production plant last month in Renton, Wash. Boeing now says it is cutting thousands of jobs

The number of people traveling by air has plummeted more than 90% since the beginning of March. More than half of the employees losing their jobs are being laid off involuntarily.Read More

After Months of Steep Declines, Air Traffic Is Picking Up

By NPR News May 23, 2020

An empty terminal at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. The normally bustling check-in at the United Airlines terminal was eerily quiet on April 24. CREDIT: David Schaper/NPR

The airlines have lost billions of dollars in revenue with virtually no demand during the coronavirus pandemic. Now they are seeing more bookings despite concern from passengers.Read More

Washington State Paid Out ‘Hundreds Of Millions’ In Bogus Jobless Benefits

By NWPB News May 22, 2020

A sign explains the closure of a shop in the Pike Place Market in Seattle. As the coronavirus outbreak has caused record number of people to seek unemployment benefits Washington state officials said Thursday that impostors have used the stolen information of tens of thousands of people to receive hundreds of millions of dollars in unemployment benefits.

Impostors have used the stolen information of tens of thousands of people in Washington to fraudulently receive hundreds of millions of dollars in unemployment benefits, the head of the state’s Employment Security Department said Thursday.Read More

‘Are Their Apples Worth More Than Our Lives?’ Yakima Valley Fruit Workers Strike For Protections, Pay

By Enrique Pérez de la Rosa May 21, 2020

Perla Torres, a fruit packer at Jack Frost Fruit, poses for a photograph wearing a mask she says she bought from a supervisor. CREDIT: Enrique Pérez de la Rosa/NWPB

So far this month, more than 400 Yakima Valley fruit packing workers have gone on strike, according to Familias Unidas Por La Justicia. The farmworker advocacy group, based in Skagit County, is helping these workers organize committees, negotiate with employers and seek legal advice. Read More

Eastern Washington Small Businesses Get Coronavirus Relief Through State Grants

By Doug Nadvornick May 21, 2020

Owen's Grocery and Deli in Newport is one of nearly 200 eastern Washington small businesses to receive state coronavirus relief grants from the state. Courtesy of Owen's Grocery and Deli

Washington’s Commerce Department has announced about $10 million in coronavirus relief grants for some of the state’s smallest businesses. Nearly 200 businesses in rural eastern Washington towns are among the recipients.Read More

About Half Of U.S. Homes Lost Wages During Pandemic, Census Bureau Finds

By NPR News May 20, 2020

People wait in a long line to receive a food bank donation at the Barclays Center on May 15 in Brooklyn, N.Y. Across the country, cities and towns are dealing with the highest unemployment rates since the Great Depression.

Because of the COVID-19 crisis, 47% of adults say their households have lost employment income and close to 40% have delayed getting medical care, according to early results of a Census Bureau survey.Read More

Target’s Average Day In April Was Bigger Than Cyber Monday

By NPR News May 20, 2020

Target said it relied on its physical stores to fill 80% of online sales in the past three months.

Though its stores remained open, Target saw its online sales jump 141% in the past three months, with 5 million shopping on the retailer chain's website for the first time. Read More

Senators Clash Over How Soon To Reopen The Economy

By NPR News May 19, 2020

Lawmakers squabbled over how quickly the economy can rebound from the coronavirus shutdown and whether the government is doing enough to support struggling families and businesses.Read More

10 More Washington Counties, Including Larger Ones Like Spokane, Eligible For Earlier Reopening

By NWPB News May 19, 2020

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said May 19 that his office is finishing guidelines for more populous counties to allow more businesses to open. CREDIT: TVW

Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday said that 10 additional counties are eligible to apply to loosen some social distancing restrictions in place to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.Read More

Oregon Emergency Measures Back On As State Supreme Court Holds Judge’s Ruling To Overturn

By Dirk VanderHart May 18, 2020

A protestor holds signs on the steps of the Oregon state capitol during a rally to reopen Oregon while health care workers counter demonstrate in the background CREDIT: Jonathan Levinson/OPB

A Baker County judge has invalidated Brown’s restrictions on businesses and social gatherings, along with every other executive order Brown has issued under a state of emergency she ordered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Read More

Congress Gave Colleges A $14 Billion Lifeline. Here’s Where It’s Going

By NPR News May 18, 2020

Like so many sectors of the economy, higher education is taking a big hit from the pandemic. The U.S. Department of Education has so far distributed more than $10 billion in relief funds to colleges. Read More

Businesses Are Reopening, But Many Customers May Not Be Ready To Go Back

By NPR News May 18, 2020

Shoppers began showing up earlier this month at the International Plaza mall in Tampa, Fla. Mall business has been slow to pick up because a lot of people remain reluctant to venture out.

Governors around the country have begun slowly allowing stores, restaurants and malls to serve customers again. But it won't count for much if people are afraid to venture out again.Read More

Yellowstone National Park Set To Reopen — With Caveats

By NPR News May 17, 2020

Yellowstone National Park entrance sign. CREDIT: Kirk Siegler/NPR

There is growing economic pressure to reopen national parks and ease travel restrictions even as many states are still seeing a rise in coronavirus cases. Read More

CDC Issues Tools To Guide Reopening Of Schools, Businesses, Transit

By NPR News May 15, 2020

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released flowchart-like tools on Thursday designed to guide businesses, schools, mass transit and other organizations through reopening.

The flowchart-like documents released by the CDC ask businesses, schools and workplaces to first and foremost consider whether reopening is consistent with state and local stay-at-home orders.Read More

Pandemic Hits Spending Hard; 79% Dive In Clothing Sales Leads A Record Plunge

By NPR News May 15, 2020

Month-by-month change in U.S. retail spending since January 2007.

Retail sales saw record drops for the second month in a row. Other categories with huge declines included a 59% dive in furniture sales and 29% decreases in department stores and gas stations.Read More

Idaho Soon Moves To Next Reopening Phase; Washington Denies Spokane County’s Phase 2 Request

By NWPB News May 14, 2020

Idaho Governor Brad Little at state medical supplies stockpile in Boise - April 14 2020

Idaho Gov. Brad Little says the Gem State will move to the second phase of state’s four-part coronavirus recovery plan on Saturday. That means businesses such as gyms and hair salons will be able to reopen with the appropriate precautions. Little made his announcement Thursday and threw in a surprise as well.Read More

Millions Of Pigs Will Be Euthanized As Pandemic Cripples Meatpacking Plants

By NPR News May 14, 2020

With meatpacking plants reducing processing capacity nationwide, U.S. hog farmers are bracing or an unprecedented crisis: the need to euthanize millions of pigs.

As the pandemic wreaks havoc on the meat industry, hog farmers anticipate they'll soon be forced to euthanize millions of pigs unable to be sent for processing.Read More

Richard Burr To Step Down As Senate Intelligence Chairman During Probe Of Stock Sell-Off

By NPR News May 14, 2020

Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., here in February, is temporarily stepping aside as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee during the investigation of his stock sales. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., is stepping aside during the Justice Department's investigation, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement Thursday.Read More

We’re Eating More At Home, And It’s Costing Us More

By NPR News May 13, 2020

The latest inflation data offers a snapshot of Americans' new pandemic spending habits. Prices are down for most goods and services but up sharply for groceries.Read More

UPDATE: At Least 34 COVID-19 Cases At Ellensburg Food Plant Pauses Kittitas County’s Reopening Plan

By NWPB News May 11, 2020

Kittitas County paused its application to reopen some businesses early after positive COVID-19 case at food processer Twin City Foods in Ellensburg. CREDIT: Google Maps - July 2012

Health officials in Kittitas County have found at least one new positive case of COVID-19: a worker at a Twin City Foods processing plant in Ellensburg. The news came Friday after more than three weeks of no new confirmed cases. That plus the county’s low population made Kittitas County eligible to lift social distancing measures earlier than other parts of the state.Read More