• From the Associated Press:
"US applications for unemployment benefits fell to their lowest level in eight months last week as the labor market continues to show strength in the face of elevated interest rates.
"US applications for jobless claims fell by 20,000 to 201,000 for the week ending Sept. 16, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That's the lowest figure since the last week of January."
• The Chattanoogan reports that "Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti on Thursday announced a $44.5 million settlement with Food City over the grocery store chain’s opioid-related misconduct. Most of the settlement will go to Tennessee’s Opioid Abatement Fund to support local efforts addressing the opioid epidemic, officials said … Food City has also agreed to ensure future compliance by providing additional training to pharmacy staff, updating the prescription-validation process, and monitoring and reporting data related to suspicious activity. The settlement further includes an agreement by Food City to provide dedicated employment opportunities for Tennesseans recovering from opioid addiction."
• From Axios:
"After years of price hikes, the Postal Service is discontinuing holiday surcharges for the 2023 peak season … It's a boost for consumers and a surprise move for the USPS, which has raised stamp prices three times in 12 months.
"Other shippers such as UPS and FedEx have already announced holiday surcharges that will start in October.
"This is the first year the Postal Service won't have a holiday surcharge since 2020."
