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Starbucks employees in three states have filed class-action lawsuits and complaints against the coffee giant, alleging that the company violated labor laws when it changed its dress code but refused to reimburse workers for the cost of purchasing new clothes. The new dress code, which went into effect in May, requires employees to wear specific colors and styles of clothing and limits facial piercings and tattoos.

Amazon.com announced a significant investment of more than $1 billion in raising pay and reducing healthcare costs for its U.S. fulfillment and transportation employees. The company plans to increase the average total compensation to over $30 an hour, with the average pay rising to over $23 per hour. Full-time employees are expected to see a yearly increase of $1,600 on average. Amazon also plans to lower the cost of its entry-level health care plan to $5 per week and $5 for co-pays by 2026, a 34% decrease in weekly contributions from employees.

With over 1.5 million full-time and part-time employees, Amazon has faced criticism from unions and workers in the past, leading to walkouts and demands for better treatment. In response, Amazon has agreed to implement safety measures to prevent ergonomic injuries in its U.S. facilities.

As fast-food restaurants continue to see a decline in morning meal traffic, convenience stores are emerging as a strong competitor in the battle for breakfast customers. With food-forward convenience stores like Wawa and Casey’s General Store expanding their reach and investing in their foodservice options, fast-food chains like McDonald’s are facing increasing pressure to innovate and attract consumers. The convenience store industry’s focus on fresh, made-to-order breakfast offerings, coupled with a wider variety of options, is winning over customers who are looking for quality food at a good value.

Carla Rover, a seasoned web developer turned startup founder, delved into vibe coding with the aim of accelerating her project, only to find herself in tears after having to restart due to AI-generated code errors. Like many experienced programmers, she found herself acting as an AI babysitter, fixing errors and fact-checking the code the AI produced. This trend has led to a rise in the demand for “vibe code cleanup specialists” within corporations.

Health-care inflation is on the rise, with costs for medical care soaring and contributing to potential double-digit premium increases for consumers in 2026. Large employers are projecting a 9% increase in health coverage costs, the highest level of inflation since 2010, due in large part to a 12% hike in pharmaceutical costs next year. Expensive drugs, particularly cancer treatments and weight loss medications like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Ely Lilly’s Zepbound, are driving these increases.

Multifamily offices are becoming a popular choice for high-net-worth families looking to invest in real estate. With the ability to pool resources, share expertise, and unlock bigger deals, these investment arms are seeing success in the commercial real estate market. Travis King, CEO of Realm, a multifamily office investment platform, highlights the benefits of collective investing and the potential for direct real estate access for families with substantial investable assets.

When Seth Winterroth left his job at GE Ventures to help launch Eclipse Ventures in 2015, he noticed a lack of interest in early-stage robotics startups. However, fast forward 10 years, and Winterroth, along with other investors like Kira Noodleman and Fady Saad, are seeing a surge in investor interest in robotics.

Thanks to advancements in hardware, software, and falling hardware costs, the robotics startup market has matured, attracting engineers and helping companies figure out product-market fit. While AI has played a role in advancing robotics tech, the real catalyst for the industry gaining momentum can be traced back to Kiva Systems’ acquisition by Amazon in 2013.