Jim Zarroli

"BookTok" — that's the world of book lovers on TikTok — is becoming a major force in the publishing industry, as buzz from the short videos drives sales and new publishing deals.

Historian Fernando Cervantes marshals an enormous array of primary and secondary sources to tell the story of the decades that followed Christopher Columbus' arrival to the New World.

Bernie Madoff, who carried out one of the most notorious Ponzi schemes in history, has died while serving his prison sentence in North Carolina. He bilked thousands of investors out of their savings.

Many small businesses are hanging by a thread right now. Congress has approved another round of loans to help keep their doors open, but it won't be enough to help the hardest hit.

The stock market meltdown made way to a stunning rebound that made the rich a lot richer. What happened?

Economic benefits for victims of the pandemic will expire soon if Congress and the president don't act to extend or replace them.

The measure affects millions of Americans. Among other things, it extends additional unemployment benefits of $300 a week through early Spring. Many economists believe additional aid will be needed.

A new pandemic relief bill is expected to contain nearly $1 trillion in spending to keep the economy moving. But critics say it isn't big enough and doesn't address some of the most urgent priorities.

The National League of Cities says local governments have seen their revenue plunge 21% on average since the beginning of the pandemic. Cities and towns say they desperately need federal help.

Stations have been playing Christmas music earlier than ever this year, as a way of luring in listeners during the pandemic. One Indiana station was doing it in July.

The Amazon CEO and four other billionaires are part of the world's most exclusive club in the midst of the pandemic: those whose fortunes exceed $100 billion.

This year, five people have achieved the status of centibillionaires, i.e., people worth more than $100 billion. Among them is Tesla founder Elon Musk.

Water is a precious resources in California — a state plagued by wildfires and drought. Water there is now a commodity and can now be traded like oil and gas.

With millions stuck at home, more and more people are trying day trading. Most will end up losing money, studies show, while troubling cases of addiction are also on the rise.

During the pandemic, millions of people have turned to trading stocks. Studies say most of them will lose money. One former day trader has taken to YouTube to warn people about the risks.

The exchange wants to require listed companies to include women and minorities. California and Goldman Sachs have made similar steps recently; some European countries have had such rules for years.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average has surpassed the 30,000 mark. This year, stocks plunged after pandemic lockdowns but came back after drugmakers reported success in developing coronavirus vaccines.

Markets welcomed President Trump's recommendation the transition process begin, which will provide critical resources and information to President-elect Joe Biden's team.

More than 150 business leaders released a letter calling on President Trump to start the transition process, given the urgent need to tackle the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin wants to let the emergency loan programs expire at the end of the year. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell says that's too soon.