An NPR analysis of data released Jan. 8 by the Small Business Administration shows the vast majority of Paycheck Protection Program loans have been forgiven, despite rampant fraud in the program. Getty Images/Mark Harris for NPR hide caption

A congressional report found financial technology companies, or fintechs, largely fueled PPP loan fraud. Bluevine, a fintech noted in the report, told NPR it adapted to threats of fraud better than other companies mentioned. SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images hide caption

A closed barbershop in Cleveland in May 2020. Small businesses were in limbo as the coronavirus outbreak raged and the first round of the government's multibillion-dollar Paycheck Protection Program drew to a close. Tony Dejak/AP hide caption

Courtney Gramm waited seven months to receive her nurse practitioner license in California. Nursing boards, meant as a safeguard, have become an obstacle, preventing qualified nurses from getting into the workforce for months when basic vetting should take only weeks. Alyssa Schukar for NPR hide caption

Medics transport a man with COVID-19 symptoms to a hospital in Austin, Texas. More than 3 million people in the state have had COVID-19, but just 81,000 are listed in a central data set at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. John Moore/Getty Images hide caption