Catch up on current events with these news highlights from last week. BUSINESS Stores are closing at an epic pace The latest casualty in the decline of brick-and-mortar retailers is Bebe which plans to close 28 stores and is “exploring strategic alternatives.” Credit Suisse reported this month that “[possibly] more than 8,600 brick-and-mortar stores will close their doors in 2017” which amounts to a loss of 147 million square feet of retail space. HEALTH How one county slashe

Catch up on current events with these news highlights from last week. BUSINESS Inside the Hotel Industry’s Plan to Combat Airbnb Concerned about the rise of Airbnb, the American Hotel and Lodging Association launched two campaigns on the local, state, and federal level against the short-term rental company. First, three senators asked for an investigation into how companies like Airbnb affect soaring housing costs.” Second, “in October, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York signed