Marcus Baram

‘That was it—silence’: As bailout funds evaporate, minority-owned businesses say they’ve been shut out

Despite the fact that African American and Latino communities have been hardest hit by the COVID-19 crisis, minority-owned businesses have not benefited from the massive lending program for small businesses suffering amid the economic fallout of the pandemic.

‘That was it—silence’: As bailout funds evaporate, minority-owned businesses say they’ve been shut out

This COVID-19 economic impact tracker could help make small business loan programs like PPP better

Cortera and Moody’s Analytics’ new free COVID19 Economic Impact Tracker shows the spending and payment behavior of over a million small to medium businesses in the U.S.

This COVID-19 economic impact tracker could help make small business loan programs like PPP better

How to remake the entrepreneurial spirit in the wake of COVID-19

Amid this crisis, we need to make sure that entrepreneurship is open to all—making a commitment to promoting diversity and putting in place education and funding mechanisms to make sure that people of every age, economic or cultural background have a chance to go out, take a risk, and build something new.

How to remake the entrepreneurial spirit in the wake of COVID-19

I was the White House’s chief information officer: Let’s not compromise our privacy in the fight against COVID-19

Theresa Payton, who saw how the 9/11-inspired Patriot Act undermined our civil liberties, wants us to ask serious questions about deals to allow tech giants such as Apple and Google to get access to new streams of user data to help combat the pandemic.

I was the White House’s chief information officer: Let’s not compromise our privacy in the fight against COVID-19

Why coronavirus won’t be the end of it

The ongoing threat of vector-borne disease is reshaping our understanding of the dangers of a warming climate.

Why coronavirus won’t be the end of it

I’m an emergency medicine doctor: Here’s how we’re using ultrasound in innovative ways to combat COVID-19

I work at one of Philadelphia’s biggest hospitals, where we’re starting to see a surge in COVID-19 cases, and we’ve been able to adapt this common technology to more quickly diagnose coronavirus than using other techniques.

I’m an emergency medicine doctor: Here’s how we’re using ultrasound in innovative ways to combat COVID-19

Virus poses major harm, but also opportunities for Latino businesses

In Los Angeles County, where Latinos own as much as 29 percent of all businesses, many are fighting to stay afloat, while a few struggle to meet unprecedented demand.

Virus poses major harm, but also opportunities for Latino businesses

How Instagram managed to survive antitrust scrutiny when it was acquired by Facebook

In Sarah Frier’s new book, ‘No Filter,’ she examines the phenomenon of Instagram. In this excerpt, she describes how it convinced naive regulators to allow its acquisition by Facebook in 2012.

How Instagram managed to survive antitrust scrutiny when it was acquired by Facebook

Amazon firings condemned as ‘obscene’ by Bernie Sanders amid news of first COVID-19-related death

A manager at an Amazon delivery facility in the Los Angeles area reportedly died at the end of March.

Amazon firings condemned as ‘obscene’ by Bernie Sanders amid news of first COVID-19-related death

Undocumented taxpayers aren’t due to get any share of the $2.2 trillion stimulus bill

A trio of Democratic lawmakers is attempting to correct Congress’ omission of these workers—who pay roughly $27 billion annually in taxes to federal, state, and local governments—from the CARES Act.

Undocumented taxpayers aren’t due to get any share of the $2.2 trillion stimulus bill

2020 candidates step up Facebook ad spending as the rest of the country hunkers down

President Donald Trump, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and former Vice President Joe Biden have spent a combined $50.5 million advertising on the social network since the beginning of the presidential election cycle in January 2019, according to Facebook records.

2020 candidates step up Facebook ad spending as the rest of the country hunkers down

How a tiny 3D printing startup became a critical supplier of face shields

Amid heartbreaking tales of shortages and price gouging, South Carolina’s ZVerse pivoted to tackle the crisis and is on track to produce 20 million shields.

How a tiny 3D printing startup became a critical supplier of face shields

Location tracking to combat COVID-19 may not be accurate enough to be effective, says ACLU

Using location data to combat the coronavirus pandemic raises privacy concerns, and it might not even be that effective.

Location tracking to combat COVID-19 may not be accurate enough to be effective, says ACLU

How Facebook became “the most Chinese company In Silicon Valley”

In this excerpt from Alex Kantrowitz’s new book, “Always Day One,” he describes how Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg responded to the threat posed by Snapchat.

How Facebook became “the most Chinese company In Silicon Valley”

Animals have the cities all to themselves, and they’re loving it

The natural world is making a bit of a comeback as humans stay inside to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Animals have the cities all to themselves, and they’re loving it

We’re just starting to see the devastating impact that COVID-19 will have on poor Americans

In New York City, for example, distressed neighborhoods were among the hardest hit by the pandemic—where workers are more likely to get sick in the first place, have less access to doctors, have inferior health insurance, and work in service-sector jobs exempted from most shelter-in-place orders.

We’re just starting to see the devastating impact that COVID-19 will have on poor Americans

On the front lines of today’s Amazon warehouse walkout: A labor organizer fired, another COVID-19 case

A few dozen workers walked off the job today at the retail giant’s fulfillment center in Staten Island, New York—with the company firing a protest organizer by the end of the day claiming that he broke quarantine.

On the front lines of today’s Amazon warehouse walkout: A labor organizer fired, another COVID-19 case

“I don’t have savings”: How one LA restaurant’s workers are coping with the closing

Restaurant workers at a Los Angeles eatery were looking forward to the high season of tips and extra hours. Then came the pandemic.

“I don’t have savings”: How one LA restaurant’s workers are coping with the closing

The airlines, due to get huge bailout, have spent more than $300M on lobbying since the last one

The airline industry, which received $5 billion in taxpayer funds and another $10 billion in loan guarantees after 9/11, is the likely recipient of $50 billion in taxpayer money and guarantees under a sweeping $2 trillion stimulus bill.

The airlines, due to get huge bailout, have spent more than $300M on lobbying since the last one

Here are the most infuriating details and corporate giveaways in the COVID-19 stimulus bill

Though many core elements within the bill have been praised, others have been roundly criticized. Here are the lowlights.

Here are the most infuriating details and corporate giveaways in the COVID-19 stimulus bill

Impact

This chatbot helps New Yorkers report housing discrimination

‘An electoral steroid for white candidates’: the troubling history of Georgia’s runoff elections

How are we going to get COVID-19 vaccines to rural Americans?

News

Leon Panetta: Yes, Trump may seek military help to hold onto power

Netflix’s ‘History of Swear Words’ is the doomscrolling companion for this effing moment

When will we know the Georgia Senate runoff results? It’s complicated

Co.Design

Imagining the city of the future has value. But leave whiz-bang tech out of it

Pentagram’s holiday card has some of the most poignant advice for 2021

What organizations get wrong about design research

Work Life

4 techniques to create less chaotic brainstorm sessions

Slack and Zoom were distracting our teams. Here’s how we regained focus

The most confusing parts of job applications, according to graduating college students