Al Norman

TARGET REACHES HAZARDOUS WASTE SETTLEMENT WITH CA. The $7.4 million agreement includes $3.2 million in civil penalties for 2,083 violations over disposing of batteries, hairspray,

EVERYDAY SOME ECONOMICS PROFESSOR MUSES ABOUT WHETHER AMAZON OR WALMART IS BEATING THE OTHER. The reality: these 2 giants are crowding out the rest of

40% OF US ONLINE SALES ARE FROM MOBILE DEVICES, reaching $208.1 billion. By 2021, mobile e-commerce will be the majority of e-commerce spending.” Millennials and

AMAZON IMPOSES NEW FEES ON HAZARDOUS PACKAGES SENT BY 3rd PARTY SELLERS. “Unmarked packages have leaked hazardous materials like gasoline and lye, and others have

WALMART BUYS INTO ART, as new owner of Art.com, which claims: “We exist so you can have the art you love.” Every time you buy

AMAZON HIRES CONSULTANT TO DEAL WITH FLAK RE: QUEENS HQ2 Anger from local pols caused the company to seek “a politically connected public affairs firm

ALEXA *COUGH* I’M HUNGRY *SNIFFLE* Amazon Technologies has applied for a patent for a speaker that recognizes a user’s “abnormal physical or emotional conditions” and

IS AMAZON’S HQ2 DEAL IN QUEENS IN JEOPARDY? Amazon needs a front person for their massive project. I hear Rudy Giuliani is looking for new

50 AMAZON WAREHOUSE WORKERS IN NJ SICKENED AFTER ROBOT PUNCTURES A CAN OF BEAR REPELLANT, 24 sent to hospitals with breathing problems, burning sensations. 3,000

COULD AMAZON DESTROY 89,000 JOBS AT WHOLE FOODS by scaling up its “cashierless” Amazon Go store Prototype? https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/12/amazon-whole-foods-workers Read more on Facebook

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‪AMAZON TRUCK CRASHES IN THE BERKSHIRES dumps packages on the exit.‬ ‪Was the Budget truck driver rushing on Dec. 3rd to meet his 2 day

IKEA TO OPEN FIRST MANHATTAN STORE THIS SPRING “for urban living and smaller spaces.” IKEA has stores in Brooklyn & Long Island, plus a 955,000

LAST YEAR, BEFORE AMAZON ANNOUNCED ITS HQ2 IN QUEENS, it bought 360,000 sf for warehouses along the Hudson River, plus a warehouse on Staten Island.

WALMART KEEPING CLEAN WITH ROBOTS, buying 360 “autonomous custodial robots” to replace human janitors by the end of January to mop its stores. The Zamboni-like

UNIONS SQUABBLE OVER AMAZON HQ IN QUEENS. Is Amazon “anti-worker” or an “historic boom” to the NYC economy? It depends on what union you’re in.

IOWA CITY WILL PAY WALMART $127,000 FOR A SEWER EASEMENT. The City Council is considering paying Walmart for easements behind its store, to clear the

One year ago: Ellen Degenerate, making money with the Walton billionaires. Vegan clothes with the blood of Bangladeshi women all over them. ELLEN DEGENERES PUSHES

ELLEN DEGENERES PUSHES “VEGAN” CLOTHING MADE BY POOR WOMEN—-ONLY AT WALMART. None of the materials used in her clothing is animal-derived—but they ARE made by

GERMANY LAUNCHES ANTITRUST PROBE OF AMAZON to see if the company is abusing its market position to the detriment of sellers. Amazon’s “double role as

AMAZON DELIVERY DRIVERS SUE OVER RACIAL FIRINGS, charging they lost their jobs because of minor offenses that were overlooked before. Amazon says their background checks

DEPRESSED? GO TO WALMART, which is piloting in-store mental health counseling for depression, anxiety and stress—all of which come from shopping at a WMT superstore.

NASHVILLE’S SUBSIDIES WERE SWEET MUSIC TO AMAZON, which promised 5,000 jobs for an operations hub paying $150 K per job. Nashville offered $500 per new

BANK OF AMERICA SAYS WMT AND TARGET SALES ONLINE BEAT AMZN: “This growth has outpaced that of other brick & mortar retailers as well as

WALMART AND KROGER BATTLE OVER CHINESE FORTUNE COOKIE Kroger announced last August it would sell products online in China through a partnership with internet retail

AMAZON DEVELOPS ITS OWN COMPUTER CHIP Amazon Web Services has unveiled a new computer chip to provide cheaper power for its customers’ websites and other

HAVING CONQUERED THE EARTH, AMAZON TURNS TO SPACE. 2 months ago, Jeff Bezos announced that his company Blue Origin would launch a crew into space

AMAZON GO BLOWS INTO THE WINDY CITY, opening its 3rd store in a busy commuter train depot in Chicago, catering to busy urban consumers. The

AMAZON’S AMAZING SALES MATH: In the 5 days between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, 180 M items were ordered on Amazon. That’s an average of 36

WALMART NOW CALLING ITS WAREHOUSES “FULFILLMENT CENTERS” TO COPY AMAZON. CNBC filmed a Cyber Monday segment inside a WMT warehouse in Chino, CA., showing combined

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SURVEY OF ONLINE PRICES SHOWS AMAZON HAS THE LOWEST PRICES ON THE WIDEST RANGE OF PRODUCTS, averaging 13% less expensive than other E-retailers. Walmart’‘s prices

IS THIS WHAT MISSISSIPPI WANTS TO SEND TO THE U.S. SENATE TOMORROW? When will we end the Civil War? Read more on Facebook

BLACK FRIDAY PROTESTERS TARGET TARGET FOR SHUTTING DOWN 2 SUPERSTORES ON CHICAGO’S SOUTH SIDE. Target says its stores in minority communities are “underperforming,” but it

FMR WALMART CEO TRASHES BERNIE SANDERS BILL TO RAISE MIN. WAGE. “It’s never been a better time in this country to be a worker,” Bill

DRUG DEAL/HOSTAGE INCIDENT TRIGGERS WALMART LOCKDOWN: A man held 2 people hostage in a Vancouver, WA. WMT parking lot. “4 sheriffs came in, they had

MAN FATALLY SHOOTS WOMAN IN A WALMART GARDEN CENTER, apparently a domestic argument that started in a Ocala, FL. Walmart store. The 55-year-old assailant shot

FLASH STRIKES HELD BY AMAZON WAREHOUSE WORKERS IN GERMANY & SPAIN. Amazon warehouse jobs start at $12.42/hr. “Staff at our fulfillment centers work in the

HALF OF AMAZON’S HQ 2&3 JOBS WILL NOT BE IN TECHNOLOGY. There is no way that an Amazon fiscal clerk or custodian makes $150 K

TALLADEGA BLOOD IN WALMART PARKING LOT These are the daily headlines that drive Walmart executives crazy. Their parking lots are out of control. Walmart: the

THINK SEN. CINDY HYDE-SMITH’S COMMENT ABOUT LYNCHING WAS BAD? 96 years ago another Congressman from Mississippi blocked an anti-lynching bill. He was a Democrat. The

WALMART WANTS ITS MONEY BACK FROM SEN HYDE-SMITH [PHOTO BELOW] FOR HER “JOKE” ABOUT LYNCHING. But why did WMT give her $2,500 in the first

WASHINGTON, D.C. OFFERED AMAZON HQ A CANDY STORE: $1 B IN TAX BREAKS, discounts on property, sales and corporate franchise taxes over a 15-year period.

AMAZON SWINGS FOR YANKEE FENCES, bidding for 22 regional sports TV networks now being sold by Disney, which bought the stations from Fox. The U.S.

FOUR YEARS AGO A GERMAN WRITER EXPOSED WHAT ITS LIKE TO WORK IN AN AMAZON “FULFILLMENT CENTER” BETTER KNOWN AS AN AMAZON WAREHOUSE: https://www.newyorker.com/books/under-review/seasonal-associate-is-a-labor-memoir-for-the-amazon-era Read

LOWE’S HITS WALL, SHUTS STORES IN U.S., CANADA, MEXICO. In early Nov., Lowe’s disclosed it was shutting 20 “underperforming” stores in 14 states, including 2

HOLIDAY SPECIAL: STOP BY FEDERAL STREET BOOKS IN GREENFIELD, MA TO SEE THE EXCLUSIVE COLLECTION OF AL NORMAN’S 4 BOOKS. All books will be autographed!

SENDING 20 LETTERS TO VOTERS IN MISSISSIPPI TODAY TO HELP MIKE ESPY BECOME THE FIRST DEMOCRAT SINCE 1982 TO REPRESENT MISSISSIPPI IN THE U.S. SENATE.

WALMART SCREENS ITS WORKERS LIKE INMATES. Walmart tells judge in CA. that workers discouraged from taking meal breaks by security checkpoints at store exits should