Also. . .

* J.C. Penney Co. cut more than 2,500 jobs, or about 1% of its work force, as it shuttered 45 department stores and 279 Eckerd drugstores and trimmed other staff. The retailer, which announced the store closings in February, disclosed the cuts in a regulatory filing. An additional nine department stores and nine drugstores are set for closure by the end of the year.

Guide to Our Staff: Need to reach Business section reporters or editors? A guide to the section’s staff can be found at https://latimes.pages.dev/bizstaff.