Golden shovels: BASIS Baton Rouge is breaking ground today on a new charter school located on the campus of Woman’s Hospital. A ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. at the northeast corner of Airline Highway and Stumberg Lane. The tuition-free charter school is set to open next fall for grades K-5 and will eventually serve students through 12th grade. Applications currently are being accepted. BASIS Baton Rouge is part of the BASIS Curriculum Schools network—a collection of 32 schools in six states, Washington D.C., and China. Read more.
Staying home: Fewer Americans plan to shop on Black Friday this year than in previous years, as consumers grow accustomed to deep discounts year-round, The Washington Post reports. Thirty-five percent of consumers who plan to shop during Thanksgiving week say they will do so on Black Friday, down from 51% last year and 59% the year before, according to consumer markets research from PwC. The shift comes as retailers—and shoppers—treat the holiday shopping season as more of a weeks-long marathon than a one-day sprint. Read more.
Alternative effort: Former Obama administration officials are launching a private campaign to encourage people to sign up for coverage next year under the Affordable Care Act. With open enrollment just weeks away on Nov. 1, the Trump administration has slashed the ACA advertising budget, as well as grants to outside organizations that are supposed to help consumers sign up. The former Obama officials say their campaign—called Get America Covered—will offer a positive alternative to the Trump administration’s negative approach. Read more.
