Business and Economic News

Airline food for sale. No plane ticket required
"Chicken or beef?" A leading Israeli airline food company, which is struggling with most flights grounded, is selling its meals to the public as a low-cost delivery option during the pandemic.
Journalists of color at the Star Tribune call for newsroom changes
In an open letter to management, they are demanding their employer address inequities in recruitment and retention of non-white staff, improve community outreach, and broaden coverage of communities of color.
Unsuitable for a pandemic? Add Men's Wearhouse, Jos. A. Bank to bankruptcy list
The parent company Tailored Brands earlier said it would close up to 500 stores and cut 20 percent of corporate jobs. It's joined in pandemic bankruptcy by rival Brooks Brothers and a growing list of others.
Microsoft consults with Trump about ongoing talks to buy TikTok from Chinese firm
In its first public acknowledgement of a deal that could be worth billions of dollars, Microsoft said it is continuing talks with TikTok about a potential takeover of the U.S. operations of the hugely popular app.
Washington farmworkers ask state Supreme Court for overtime pay
Farmworkers in Washington state have gone to court to demand overtime pay. Coronavirus outbreaks in agricultural communities have focused new attention on working conditions and pay on farms.
Red pine shoot moths leaving their mark across much of Minnesota
If you live near red pine trees — and in much of Minnesota, chances are you do — you may have noticed some dead, brown patches in the upper branches this summer. They're proof of a moth outbreak the likes of which the state hasn’t seen in more than 20 years.
Negotiators report progress in coronavirus relief talks
Lawmakers reported progress on a huge coronavirus relief bill Saturday, as political pressure mounts to restore an expired $600-per-week supplemental unemployment benefit and send funding to help schools reopen.
End of federal $600 unemployment benefit leaves Minnesotans anxious
Tens of thousands of Minnesotans who have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic have relied on an extra $600 weekly unemployment payment from the federal government to make ends meet. But that extra cash benefit expires Friday.
Big-money investors gear up for a trillion-dollar bet on farm land
A trillion dollars worth of American farmland will change hands in the coming years. Wealthy investors are likely to buy more of it, with the power to shape rural communities and the environment.