Dollar General Hits a Gold Mine in Rural America
– Bloomberg
In America’s poorest towns, where even Wal-Mart failed, the little-box player is turning a profit. 1,000 Dollar Generals are opening this year as part of the $22 billion chain’s plan to expand rapidly in poor, rural communities where it has come to represent not decline but economic resurgence, or at least survival. The company’s aggressively plain yellow-and-black logo is becoming the small-town corollary to Starbucks Corp.’s two-tailed green mermaid.
Hundreds of Business Leaders Call on Trump to Stick With NAFTA
– The Sacramento Bee
Hundreds of business leaders from all 50 states have joined forces to increase pressure on President Donald Trump to remain in NAFTA. In a letter signed by more than 310 state and local chambers of commerce, the business leaders urged Trump to update and improve, but not end, the 23-year-old trilateral agreement with Mexico and Canada that, the leaders say, has contributed to $1.2 trillion annually in trade.
The Gender Pay Gap That Still Needs to Be Closed
– The Economist
The Economist argues that closing the gender gap is best accomplished through thoughtful parental leave and childcare policy rather than a mandate related to wage rates. The author contends that an underuse of women’s skills is a waste for individual women and society alike.
City Official: D.C.’s Paid Family Leave Program May Face Delays, Cost More Than Planned
– WAMU 88.5
The District’s paid family leave law isn’t expected to take effect until mid-2020. But a slate of proposed changes the D.C. Council is considering and the realities of building a city-run program from scratch means delays and higher costs may come to pass.