Mobilized: Capital Area Human Services is revealing a new tool today to fight against opioid misuse and addiction, called the Opioid Mobile Outreach Team, WAFB-TV reports. Using a repurposed ambulance, the team will provide addiction education and recovery services around Baton Rouge, as well as offer screenings and distribute overdose reversal medication Narcan. Read the full story.
Mall staple: A consortium of buyers, including mall owners Simon Property Group and Brookfield Property Partners, is bidding $81 million for Forever 21, the ubiquitous mall staple that filed for bankruptcy protection in September. Simon and Brookfield are Forever 21’s biggest landlords. The other bidder is Authentic Brands Group, which has acquired the licensing rights to other troubled retailers like Barneys New York. Read the full story.
Setback: Spending on U.S. construction projects edged down a slight 0.2% in December, closing out a year when total construction registered its first annual decline in eight years, the Commerce Department reports this morning. For 2019, construction spending fell 0.3%, the first setback since a 2.6% decrease in 2011. The fall-off reflects weakness in nonresidential construction, which fell 1.8%, the sharpest drop since April. Read the full report.
