Louisiana community groups sue state over air quality monitoring regulations
A collection of six community groups in Louisiana has sued the state for what they say is legislation that prevents and penalizes their ability to monitor their environmental air quality and warn others about their findings. In their suit, the groups say that the 2024 law, named the Community Air Monitoring Reliability Act, wields “crippling” enforcement measures to deter them from using “modern, low-cost air sensor technology” to monitor pollution levels in underserved parts of the state, which is home to an about 85-mile stretch known as “Cancer Alley.”
“Under CAMRA, community groups cannot choose for themselves how they will collect, use, or disseminate information or analyses about air quality to the public,” the suit stated, specifying that it prevents the groups from sharing any findings that don’t meet CAMRA standards with regulators, or from using the data in lawsuits against polluters.
"We are prepared to just keep moving forward with the work that we've been doing and trying our best to communicate that to the public," Jo Banner, a plaintiff in the case and co-founder of the Descendents Project nonprofit, told NPR. "If we have [data] that is alarming, our community needs to know for their own safety."
Wayfair's first brick-and-mortar lures 'above-average share' of visitors
It’s been roughly a year since Wayfair, a home furnishings e-commerce company, opened its first brick-and-mortar store in Edens Plaza, a strip mall in the wealthy Chicago suburb of Wilmette. The still-mostly online retailer leaned into the experiential element of the shop, outfitting the space with a cafe and complimentary design services that visitors can take advantage of as they browse through offerings.
That foyer into in-person shopping might’ve proved successful for Wayfair: location analytics company Placer.ai found that Wayfair’s physical store draws visitors from “farther away than the industry standard” and “an above-average share of weekend foot traffic,” stated a Placer.ai report. The store is also helping lure shoppers to the mall overall, Placer.ai found, often attracting a customer base with deeper pockets.
With this shop under its belt, Wayfair also plans to increase its physical presence in the United States. The retailer in May said it’s planning two more large-format stores on the East Coast, with an Atlanta store pegged for 2026 and a Yonkers, New York, store slated for 2027.
Jobless claims fall
The number of jobless claims fell to its lowest point in four weeks, according to seasonally adjusted data from the U.S. Department of Labor for the week ending May 17. The layoff claims decreased by 2,000 for a total of 227,000, signaling a rise of about 1,000 claims for the four-week moving average, which came in at 231,500.