Recent Articles from Gannett
Who protects shoppers from angry anti-mask customers?
By Dalvin Brown USA Today Videos keep cropping up of anti-mask customers acting irrationally at supermarkets, putting workers and shoppers in awkward or unsafe predicaments. In one of the latest videos, a Costco customer who wasn't wearing a mask balled up his fists, aggressively walked toward someone behind the camera while yelling in the supermarket. […]
North Charleston location of Old Time Pottery to be closed in Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing
Mealand Ragland-Hudgins Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Daily News Journal Home decor retailer Old Time Pottery has started Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in order to restructure its finances. Based in Murfreesboro, Tenn., the company said the move was because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Prior to COVID-19, Old Time Pottery was growing profitability at a near-record pace. When COVID-19 […]
Keep this energy up:’ Black-owned businesses see surge of interest amid racism protests
Dalvin Brown USA Today Kris Christian, a small-business owner in Chicago, was mourning the death of George Floyd when she was hit with an onslaught of online orders that caught her off guard. The owner of Chicago French Press was home reeling after watching cellphone footage of the white police officer’s knee on Floyd’s neck […]
Will sparklers sell out before Independence Day?
Fireworks sales booming nationwide because of COVID-19 By Kelly Tyko USA Today The next COVID-19 shortage could end up being fireworks. With cities across the nation canceling public displays this Independence Day, sales of fireworks are booming as more families opt to put on their own shows. “Fireworks sales have been unprecedented and stronger than […]
Teens struggle to find work, independence in a summer defined by COVID-19
By Charisse Jones USA Today Vinny Zuehlsdorff got his CPR certification in January, eager to get a job as a lifeguard this summer so he could sock away money for college in the fall. But with the pool closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, “the virus took that part away,” said Zuehlsdorff, 18, who will […]
Unemployment filings could signal slow recovery
By Charisse Jones USA Today Fewer Americans are seeking unemployment benefits, but the number who need help remains high as the country haltingly reopens its economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. Workers filed 1.48 million first time claims for unemployment insurance two weeks ago, the Labor Department said. That latest round of applications means a staggering […]
Charleston Chuck E. Cheese on bankruptcy lease rejection list
By Nathan Bomey USA Today All those Chuck E. Cheese tokens and tickets you’ve been hoarding are still good for now, but you might not have a local Chuck E. Cheese where you can use them anymore. CEC Entertainment, the parent company of the entertainment-and-pizza venue geared toward kids, plans to permanently close about 34 […]
Restaurant spending could predict spread of coronavirus, economist says
By Brett Molina USA Today Money spent in restaurants and supermarkets could offer insight into how fast or slow the coronavirus pandemic may spread. According to a note from Jesse Edgerton, an economist with JPMorgan Chase, the level of spending in restaurants three weeks ago — most notably in-person versus online — was the strongest […]
Signs you should back out of a house deal
Adam Shell Special to USA Today In the eyes of Realtor Deborah Baisden’s client, a 65-year-old retired banker, the renovated waterfront home in Virginia Beach, Va., for just under $700,000 checked all the boxes. But Baisden, a veteran real estate pro whose job is to evaluate properties with logic, not longing, saw issues with the […]
Broken glass, broken dreams: Small businesses ravaged by protests and COVID-19 contemplate an uncertain future
Jessica Guynn USA Today Joel Stallworth is smiling in front of his tiny boarded-up shop in downtown Los Angeles. He’s wearing a black T-shirt he designed not long after looters swarmed through the smashed door and carried out armloads of clothing and accessories. Around a photograph of The Small Shop LA in tatters, red lettering […]
Verizon to launch mentoring program for female entrepreneurs affected by COVID-19
Coral Murphy USA Today Verizon will launch a mentoring program aimed at providing female entrepreneurs and business owners with a network of female business leaders to coach them on navigating a COVID-19 reality. This is according to Verizon Business, which partnered with CircleAround, a new, for-profit media brand being launched by the Girl Scouts, and […]
How to stage a good video meeting? Put on a show
By Jefferson Graham USA Today T.J. Leonard likes to kick off every Monday morning with an all-hands meeting, to keep his 100-plus employees of the Storyblocks video production assistance company up to date on the latest. And even when everyone’s working at home, the show must go on. Keeping people focused on in-person meetings is […]