Business and Economic News

With its flexible office spaces, WeWork once was seen as a Silicon Valley darling led by an eccentric and charismatic founder. Financial troubled intervened, followed by the pandemic.
The battle over land use: Farm crops versus solar farms
The U.S. Department of Energy estimates the U.S. will need 10 million acres of solar panels by 2050 to meet the nation’s net zero-carbon goals. That means acreage currently used for farmland will become solar farms.
 Mixing solar and farming could be key to clean energy future
As Minnesota and the nation shift to cleaner energy, there’s a growing demand for land for new solar farms. At the same time there’s growing interest in what’s known as agrivoltaics.
Why affordable child care is so hard to find  
Child care costs high, but wages for child care workers remain low. MPR News host Angela Davis talks about the child care squeeze and how new state programs could help parents and providers.
Small biz owners are both hopeful and anxious about the holidays
After two years of a COVID-fueled sales boost, owners fear consumers have run through their pandemic savings and might cut back this holiday season or shop online again after getting out and supporting local businesses
Minneapolis-based Fairview Health Services says it’s cutting 250 jobs across its hospitals and clinics. Fairview says the jobs will be cut before the end of the year.
More medical gloves are coming from China, as U.S. makers of protective gear struggle
The federal government has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to boost American production of medical gloves, but some companies say it's not enough when imported gloves have gotten cheaper.
Utilities ask Minnesota regulators to approve gas, electric rate hikes
Duluth-based Minnesota Power is asking state regulators to approve a 12 percent increase in the electric rates it charges customers. Meanwhile, CenterPoint Energy and Xcel Energy also filed requests for rate increases for their natural gas customers in Minnesota.