Not all hospitals benefited equally when the initial $30 billion of the Provider Relief Fund was distributed. Now, with the second round of funding set to go out, some health care providers – especially hospitals organized as governmental entities — could again be left out. … READ MORE >
Covid-19
Wearables and the fight against COVID-19
As COVID-19 continues to spread around the world, research organizations are trying to leverage wearable technology and crowd-source data to aid in the fight against the global pandemic … READ MORE >
Amid chaos of coronavirus, food and beverage sector continues to adapt
The retail sales figures released this week painted a grim picture of consumer spending and the state of the economy amid the mounting human and economic toll of the coronavirus. But a deeper look at the data reveals some profound changes taking place that will most likely endure once the pandemic passes. … READ MORE >
Housing market follows the severe contraction of the broader economy
The residential construction and home improvement industries, which were so promising heading into 2020, now will be among those sectors hardest hit by the coronavirus. … READ MORE >
Bending the curve, reopening for business and avoiding the policy errors of the 1918-19 pandemic
Deaths attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic continue to mount, and data confirms that social distancing and a rigorous system of testing and tracing are necessary to slow the spread of the disease, and are working to mitigate the health crisis. Recent modeling work suggests that the slow adoption of social distancing practices as public policy and the concurrent slow adoption by individuals has increased the death toll in the United States, and will continue to do so until a vaccine or treatment regimen is developed. … READ MORE >
With lifeline from Paycheck Protection Program cut short, real estate turns to bankers for liquidity
The Paycheck Protection Program, a $349 billion government effort to help small and medium-size businesses weather the coronavirus pandemic, is hitting its funding limit less than two weeks after it was launched on April 3. Now, real estate companies are looking to banks and the private sector for relief. … READ MORE >
Paycheck Protection Program: Demand for aid far outstrips policy package
The Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, the signature policy response to provide bridge financing to small firms with fewer than 500 employees in one location, has exhausted the first $350 billion tranche in aid provided by Congress and the Trump administration. … READ MORE >
Most states report drops in initial jobless claims, but totals remain staggering
The number of newly out-of-work employees moved lower in the last week in all but four states, but the totals remain extremely high. … READ MORE >
RSM Monthly Index of Economic Activity turns negative for first time since Great Recession
The RSM Monthly Index of Economic Activity is pointing toward negative real GDP growth for the first time since the Great Recession of 2008-9. Our index of underlying economic activity has been pushed over the edge by what could be a seminal shift in the labor market and a structural break in the economy brought on by the outbreak of the coronavirus. … READ MORE >
Initial jobless claims point to near real-time unemployment rate of 18.1%
The slow-motion train wreck of weekly initial U.S. jobless claims continued as data for the week ending April 11 produced an additional 5.245 million applications, implying a near real-time unemployment rate of 18.1% at a minimum. Once one adds in those not captured by the data, we are almost certainly facing a 20% unemployment rate now. … READ MORE >