Politics with Amy Walter: How COVID-19 has Changed Small Business

The coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll on every aspect of life. Hospitals and health care workers are overwhelmed as the number of those infected grows every day. The global economy has been upended and entire industries have come to a halt leaving millions without jobs.

As Americans wait for a coordinated federal response, small business owners are running out of resources to keep their livelihoods afloat and their employees on the payroll.Lenore Estrada is the founder ofThree Babes Bakeshopin San Francisco and the Executive Director of SF New Deal. She’s had to lay off most of her employees and lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in business. She joined Politics to share how things have changed since the start of the economic downturn. 

Congressman Colin Allredof Texas weighs in on the $2 trillion stimulus package out of Washington this week. Among many things, the stimulus package is supposed to provide relief for small businesses struggling to adapt to the loss in traffic.

The Washington Post’sPaul Kane covered the 2008 financial crisis in addition to the ongoing one. He joins Amy Walter to analyze the details of the stimulus package and how Democrats are working to ensure there are checks on assistance for large corporations. 

First responders are putting their lives on the line throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.Dr. James Augustineis the Medical Director of South Fulton, Georgia. He describes how first responders are adjusting to the realities of the pandemic. 

Finally,Anita Dunn, senior adviser to former Vice President Joe Biden, shares how campaigning has changed as a result of the pandemic.