Roundup: Special session / Mayoral candidate forum / Ford layoffs


    On the agenda: The state House of Representatives is set to continue debating House Bill 9 on Wednesday. HB9, sponsored by Rep. Neil Riser, R-Columbia, looks to tax more than three dozen services in the state. See more about the bill.  

    Runoff debate: The Press Club of Baton Rouge will host a Baton Rouge mayoral candidate forum on Monday. Both incumbent Mayor Sharon Weston Broome, a Democrat, who is seeking her third term, and Republican challenger Sid Edwards, a newcomer to politics, have been invited. So far, Broome has confirmed. The runoff election is Dec. 7, with early voting Nov. 22-27 and Nov. 30. See more about the event. 

    Poor EV sales blamed: Ford said on Wednesday it would cut around 14% of its European workforce, blaming losses in recent years amid weak demand for electric vehicles, poor government support for the shift to EVs, and competition from subsidized Chinese rivals. The U.S. automaker is the latest—after Nissan, Stellantis and GM—to cut costs as the industry faces challenges that include EVs that are too expensive for consumers to buy. Read more from Reuters.