A Senator Just Introduced the First-Ever National Gig Economy Bill

– BuzzFeed

The nature of work is changing. People are working for more employers over the course of their career (increasingly simultaneously), employers are engaging workers for smaller tasks or projects, and technology is changing the kind of work that people do. Sen. Mark Warner introduced a bill today that would set aside $20 million to try to figure out how to get benefits for gig workers and other nontraditional employees and independent contractors.

 

In Some Rural Counties, Hunger Is Rising, But Food Donations Aren’t

– NPR

One in eight Americans – 42 million people – still struggles to get enough to eat. And while that number has been going down recently, hunger appears to be getting worse in some economically distressed areas, especially in rural communities. Feeding America – a network of food banks across the country – reports that private donations nationally are also going up at a much slower rate than just a few years ago.

 

Who’s Afraid of Amazon? 9 Surprising Retail Winners

– Barron’s 

Traditional retailing is far from dead, to judge by the success of Best Buy, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, and others. Barron’s has identified nine retail plays that could thrive in a marketplace growing more competitive by the hour. Among traditional retailers, “the ones that will win are those that embrace the experiential element, melding both physical stores and an online strategy,” says Brian McGough, an analyst at Hedgeye, an investment-research firm.

 

Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly Confounds the Naysayers

– CBS

From CBS News: The electronics retailer steamrolled past Wall Street’s expectations yesterday, providing a bright spot in the black hole that is retail. What drove the success? In addition to everyone spending their tax credit money on electronics, Best Buy’s customer service and in-store “mini shops” gave shoppers an experience Amazon isn’t capable of providing.