Layoffs continue: General Motors laid off roughly 1,000 employees on Friday as the automaker attempts to cut costs and realign priorities amid changing market conditions, according to a person familiar with the decision. The layoffs―announced Friday morning to those impacted―were across the business. Read more from CNBC.  Cost-saving measures: North Carolina-based Advance Auto said Thursday that it would be reducing its U.S. footprint as part of a “strategic plan to improve business performance.” The company said it is shuttering a total of 523 of its Advance corporate stores, as well as four distribution centers, and exiting 204 independent locations by the middle of next year. There are 62 stores in Louisiana, with six locations open in Baton Rouge—the most for any Louisiana city. Read more from The Associated Press.  Conference: The Environment and Health Council of Louisiana is hosting its 21st annual public conference at Pennington Biomedical Research Center next week. Scheduled for Friday, “Cancer in Louisiana: Trends, Treatment and Prevention” will feature several panels, with topics including ethylene oxide and pollution levels in Louisiana’s cancer alley as well as the latest developments in cancer research. See the schedule and register for the free conference.