Saturday, December 20, 2014

Obama’s censorship speech is incredibly hypocritical!!



Sony made mistake pulling film, Obama says 12/19/2014

WASHINGTON D.C. - Sony Pictures made a mistake in keeping "The Interview" out of theaters following terror threats, President Barack Obama said in a year-end news conference at the White House Friday.

Obama said "the hackers are going to get better too" as America gets better at putting measures into place to prevent acts of terror, and that he disagrees with the censorship the incident caused.

"Imagine what they start doing when they start seeing a documentary they don't like, or news reports they don't like. Or even worse, imagine if producers and distributors and others start engaging in self-censorship because they don't want to offend the sensibilities of somebody whose sensibilities probably need to be offended.

"That's not who we are," he said.

"I wish they had spoken to me first. I would have told them, do not get into a pattern in which you are intimidated by these kinds of criminal attacks." Complete article


I find it extremely hard to believe that I'm the only one that sees how incredibly hypocritical this speech is.

The news media routinely sells an enormous amount of advertising space for the oil companies; yet they rarely ever allow environmentalists to get their views across. Instead they present them as fringe protesters and only inform the public that they're protesting without fully explaining why. And even then they don't cover them unless they feel it is large enough that they can't ignore them.

They sell an enormous number of deceptive Christmas ads that often lead to unruly shoppers and even riots during Black Friday. Yet they refused to sell ad space to Adbusters when they tried to recommend a "Buy nothing day." If anything this would have made Black Friday less likely.

Deceptive advertising that is designed to maximize profits by deceiving consumers gets an enormous amount of protection under the first amendment; yet I get the impression that if someone wanted to buy time so that Susan Linn author of "Consuming Kids" or Juliet Schor author of "Born to Buy" could take the time they needed to explain how many of these scams work and how they're targeted to children before they learn how to develop critical thinking skills the media would almost certainly not sell them the time; and the Supreme Court might find a pathetic excuse to allow it assuming they didn't find an excuse to avoid even hearing the case which is actually more likely.

Actually this is already happening; is there anything remotely as good as these books ever even mentioned on the mass media?

The Supreme Court has said that "falsely shouting fire in a crowded theater" is not protected speech; however the example that is protected in practice are the false claims by advertisers that are more likely to incite riots while the recommendation for a "Buy nothing day" isn't protected.

Not that it is surprising that they apply this wrong in this cases; they didn't even apply it right in the first cases where Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. first wrote it. He used this argument to prevent war protesters from speaking against the war. These protesters weren't making false claims, nor were they inciting a riot or a stampede.

The same continues to go for peace protesters that are telling the truth in recent wars including false claims about weapons of mass destruction which were repeated over and over again before the Iraq war while the speech of the protesters was relegated to the fringes, even though it was much more accurate.Reports about Jimmy Carters deal which George Bush arbitrary abandoned have also been mostly forgotten and Obama and the media rarely if ever mention that they had an opportunity to  reduce tensions which could have eliminated this conflict before it began.

Barack Obama said he was concerned that the media might "start engaging in self-censorship," as if it is not already routine on these and many other subjects. He says "That's not who we are."

He uses that phrase a lot.



If there aren't some holiday discussions about how incredibly hypocritical this speech is then this country just might be full of mindless zombies blindly believing what the government and mass media tells them to believe.




Thursday, December 18, 2014

"Editor's Blog: To The Protesters & Haters" and Police



Recently while searching for something else I stumbled across an article by Lt. Frank Borelli (ret) who seems to do a very good job expressing his views although I don't agree with them all; and I think he is missing some very important points. I initially thought I'd cite a few excerpts but even though I don't agree with most of what he says I thought he did a very good job making his points I decided to repost it.

I hope he doesn't mind but he did express concern about "moms of criminals will likely never read this blog entry" and although I probably can't help him much with that perhaps this will increase attention at least a little.

Obviously I don't think of myself as one of the "Haters" he refers to but there are inevitably going to be some people who disagree on just who those are, as I'll get to, to some degree. There might also be some doubt as to who is finding "a way to blame," or partially blame "someone else." Also, I can't say for certain, but my best guess is that there are also plenty of police or ex-police that might also disagree with some of the comments from Mr. Borelli.


The people that live in many low income areas know that they have never received the same protection by police as those in high income areas; and they also know that they are much less likely to be treated as innocent until proven guilty.



Here is his article and one anonymous comment which might be considered notable.

Editor's Blog: To The Protesters & Haters 12/11/2014 by Frank Borelli

This morning on the news I saw a report about a group of moms who marched in protest from the Justice Department in DC to the capitol. Reportedly, every mom in attendance had “lost a son to police violence,” and they were calling for action. Among the list of “action” items they demanded were the firing of police officers, firing investigators, firing prosecutors, firing judges… and replacing any elected official who didn’t support their demands. Wow. So, as I understand it, they wanted everyone in the legislative and judicial branches of government replaced and they want every police officer, and anyone who doesn’t prosecute them, fired. I thought about that for a moment, pondering the implications and realized exactly what it is those women were asking for: the removal of every legal barrier that might slow their children down from committing a crime. They want their children free to violate the law without fear of any type of punishment or repercussion.

Okay, folks: listen up. Here’s the deal. I firmly believe that any loss of life is unnecessary, but “unnecessary” and “unavoidable” are two different things. I’ll NEVER espouse increasing the already high risk to our law enforcement professionals just so ANYONE’S mom can sleep easier at night, comfortable in the knowledge that no matter what law their child may break; no matter what threat their child may present; no matter what uncivilized act their child may commit, there will be no threat of harm from anyone.

To those moms I say this: If you’ve never been in a fight for your life, how dare you question the manner in which I defend MY life! As a 30+ year police veteran I have been in a lot of fights in the course of performing my duties. I can say, without equivocation, that not a single one of those fights would have occurred if the suspect in a crime had obeyed lawful orders and not resisted arrest.

I’ve got news for you mothers of criminals: we police don’t LIKE to fight. WE get hurt. WE run the risk of life altering and/or life threatening injury. OUR moms, husbands, wives, children and other family all have to worry about whether or not we’ll make it home at the end of our shift and we’re not out committing crimes. We’re out there patrolling to prevent crime and arrest those who victimize others.

I’ve been in a lot of fights to prevent someone else from being hurt or victimized. That potential victim has a mom too. How dare you think your feelings for your criminal child are stronger or of greater value than the feelings of any other mother. While I understand that no mother wants to lose her child, I submit to you that the choice is the child’s. If your child CHOOSES to go out and commit a crime then they’ve CHOSEN to risk encountering the police in an enforcement role. If that child (and a child can be any age) then CHOOSES to fight the police, the child has CHOSEN to risk injury or, if they threaten the life of the officer or another person, potential death from the use of lethal force.

The other thing that astounds me is how many of these CHILDREN are adults. Once a person hits the age of eighteen, they are legally adult in our nation. While they are eighteen or nineteen, the term “teenager” may still apply but they are NOT minor children. They are legally adult and responsible for their own actions. They can vote. They can enlist. They can buy tobacco products, rifles, etc. They can enter binding contracts, get married and so on. How can they be responsible enough to do all that but not be held accountable for their own behavior? The whole point of them being a legal adult is that they’ve reached the age where they are now responsible for themselves and their actions. THEY have assumed responsibility for the course of their life and their parents (if they had anything resembling that) are no longer responsible for them.

Look, when a 14-year old kid takes a gun to school and goes on a rampage shooting other children, the unfortunate required action is to immediately neutralize the threat; that means shooting that 14-year old kid. NO COP wants to do that. NO COP can do that without suffering emotional trauma. The large majority of us have kids and can’t avoid the thought of, “What if that was my kid?” None of us want to go there. THAT is an example of a CHILD having lethal force used against them by the police. It’s unfortunate and sad and unavoidable once that child picks up a gun and goes on a murder spree.

When an 18-year old MAN attacks someone… a police officer, a shop owner, a woman, a teacher… it doesn’t matter who. If a MAN attacks someone and presents the threat of bodily harm, unless they immediately obey the police order to stop and surrender themselves to an arrest, then they must be physically subdued for the safety of whomever it is they’ve presented a threat against. If they resist that arrest; if they fight back and present a deadly threat to the law enforcement professional, then that MAN has willfully chosen to kill (his intent defined by his actions) another human being and that human being has every right to NOT be a victim. They have the right to fight back with any and all means available and if that means the MAN committing the crime gets hurt or killed, it’s what he brought on himself.

Let’s look at this a different way. Moms of criminals, if your son went out to rape a woman, would you tell the woman to just put up with it? To not defend herself? If you’d say, “No. She should be able to defend herself,” then who decides just what actions that victim female can or can’t take in defending herself? If, in the course of that rape, your son is choking her and she fears that he means not only to rape her but also to murder her, can she kill him in self-defense? Would you demand action against a victimized woman who killed your son instead of letting him rape and murder her? If not, then why would you demand action against ANY victim who defended themselves from murder committed by your son?

I know I’m tilting against the wind. I know that the moms of criminals will likely never read this blog entry and if they did they’d still somehow find a reason why their ADULT child shouldn’t be held accountable for their own behavior; they’ll find a way to blame someone else… anyone else for their child’s behavior.

The worst beating I ever took on the street in a fight as a police officer came at the hands of a five foot three inch tall, one hundred and forty pound man who was doped up. In the course of trying to arrest him, myself and another officer were both injured, our uniforms shredded, radios broken, handcuffs (one pair) broken and the store we were in fairly well destroyed. Yes, that subject got injured in the fight to get him arrested. Yes, that subject needed medical attention before going to jail (more for the effects of the drugs he was on than the injuries received during the arrest). Yes, I was in fear for my life throughout that fight and we came damn near using lethal force because all else had failed. I am five feet ten inches tall and weighed about 185 at the time. The other officer was six feet two inches tall and weighed 245. And that one little guy, hopped up, beat the living crap out of both of us. Now, if that REALITY lives in my memory and has been used as a reference in training during officer survival courses, what makes anyone think that a man well over six feet tall and weighing over three hundred pounds (over twice the weight of that guy who beat me so thoroughly) wouldn’t present a threat easily perceived to be potentially lethal?

Moms of criminals: GET OVER YOURSELVES. Instead of blaming the police for doing their jobs, recognize that your children aren’t being hunted for sport. Cops don’t go out wondering how many notches they can get on their guns that day. Cops would be delighted if every suspect was 100% compliant, never resisted arrest and we never had to fight. Heck, cops would be delighted if no one ever committed a crime! But if your “child” (that person you gave birth to that is now full grown and of adult age or darn close to it) goes out and commits a crime, it’s our job to arrest them. If they resist arrest or commit a crime of violence, you should expect that force will be used against them as necessary to affect the arrest and/or to defend ourselves in the course of doing our duties. If you don’t like the fact that your offspring might get injured, or did get injured, because they have absolutely no regard for the law or those who enforce it, go look in the mirror and ask that parent you see looking back at you what they did wrong. The cops didn’t do anything wrong. YOU somehow failed your child. YOU somehow didn’t impart to them a reasonable and healthy respect for the law. YOU somehow didn’t impart to them the need to comply with lawful orders. YOU somehow didn’t teach them the value of respecting the men and women in our nation who wear a badge and risk their lives, protecting all of us from YOUR child.

Quit holding cops responsible for the behavior of YOUR child. Original article

Anonymous reply to original article: Bad parenting. That's all it comes down to. If you compare the "child" to the parent in every case, they are going to be very similar. First thing you do when you are in denial is to put the blame one someone else.

Thank you for this great article, hopefully it will open some cloudy eyes.


First of all I must have missed the article where parents said they wanted the "removal of every legal barrier that might slow their children down from committing a crime." I'm not ruling out the possibility that this might be Mr. Borelli's personal interpretation; and my best guess is that few if any of the protesters intended this.

More importantly, one of the biggest problems with the discussion about crime and police brutality is that they focus primarily on how to resolve problems at the last minute or relatively shortly before major incidents break out. At least in the short run some of this is necessary; however in the long term it may be as important, if not more important, to recognize and address long term causes of crime.

If this can be done then perhaps many of these confrontations will never happen in the first place. In many cases this might not even involve police at all, although there might be some partial exceptions. This might also mean that the people most able to do more to reduce crime aren't police but politicians, social workers, teachers, parents, and others that deal with the social and economic system that impacts crime.

Excuse me if I seem a little sarcastic but I really do have a point; who is it that the police are protecting us from?

Of course there are the obvious purse snatchers and violent felons; although in most cases, if it comes down to that they are often gone before the police even arrive on the scene.

But what about white collar crime? Do the police protect us from those criminals? Do the police protect us from Flo?

Seriously.



This might seem peculiar but the reason I ask is that Flo and many other people should be considered scam artists and the beneficiaries of Savage Inequalities as described by Jonathan Kozol. Kozol doesn't focus primarily on the scams being conducted by people like Flo; instead he focuses on the lack of opportunities, especially educational opportunities, in abandoned inner cities like East St Louis which is just across the state line from Ferguson, and it is the first district he writes about in this book.

Recognizing Flo's scams and the same scams by most if not all insurance ads is relatively simple. Insurance is pooled risk and expenses have to be deducted from the money insurance companies collect through premiums. The more they advertise the more they have to deduct for expenses. Their ads do little or noting to provide accurate information about the deals they get; instead they ad to non-productive expenses; and this simple concept is never explained to the public.

How does this have any connection to police violence against black people, or other low-income people of other races?

The vast majority of the public, especially minorities doesn't have much if any opportunity to get this type of job and it provides no benefit for the consumers who indirectly pay Flo's salary. Flo is actually trivial except as an example. There are many jobs that are only available to a minority of the public that pay reasonably well but they aren't directly accountable to consumers that ultimately pay for them and the the people that do work that does actually benefit consumers that indirectly pay for their labor often have their wages suppressed by competition.

Advertisers, union busters, lobbyists, market researchers and many other corporate bureaucratic jobs aren't designed to provide benefits for the majority of the public; instead they're doing jobs that are designed to increase profits for corporations even though consumers don't benefit from them. Right now there doesn't seem to be any "legal barrier that might slow" down their efforts to commit large amounts of fraud that indirectly contribute to traditional blue collar crimes in other ways.

Kozol's book demonstrates that the educational and economic opportunities in minority areas would be considered unacceptable to most people if they knew about them; but most people almost certainly don't know much about them, especially if they rely on traditional news reports. He also demonstrates how an enormous amount of environmental damage is done in minority areas, although Robert Bullard goes into much greater detail on that subject in "Dumping in Dixie."

The people in these towns know damn well that they don't have the opportunities that many other people might and they also know damn well that all this propaganda about how everyone has an opportunity to rise to the top is nothing but propaganda and that people from abandoned inner cities have little or no opportunity to get out of them; and their opportunities at a high paying job like Flo's where they get paid to deceive the public will only be available to a small minority and then only if they help scam people for the benefit of corporate advertisers.

At times they try to protest when corporations pollute their land leading to high death rates as a result or oppressive working conditions and instead of giving them an opportunity to express their view and reduce inequalities the police disperse the protests even when politicians make it clear they aren't going to address their grievances.

Police don't investigate and arrest polluters that commit negligent mass murder or corporations that cause dangerous working environment or make unearned profits through deceptive advertising; they arrest the protesters without political power.



The end result is whether they intend to or not they serve the interests of the campaign contributors. They might say this is being non-political but when the orders they received give political benefits to campaign contributors then they're serving the political interests of the campaign contributors indirectly.

I've never lived in the abandoned inner cities that Jonathan Kozol writes about so I don't know first hand what it's like to have to deal with their problems. We were taught that we are all innocent until proven guilty; and in most places that I have lived that is for the most point true in this country; however I have passed through a few towns where at least people that pass through might not be treated in that manner. Many others have also had this experience; but they know that unless it is a major problem it isn't worth making a big deal out of it and it would mean going back to places where they might have been harassed by police for little or no reason. For a brief while I have been in what could be considered an abandoned rural area where the lowest class people clearly aren't treated as if they're innocent until proven guilty and they don't have much if any more opportunity than those in abandoned inner cities to rise up the economic ladder in this country.

There were only a handful of places where people could work in this area and most of the people never had a chance to leave going back generations, contrary to the myth of upward mobility in this country. The block at the center of town was where many of the poorest people lived and they often had some of the biggest problems with crimes, although the vast majority of them were petty. Police routinely treated anyone that lived int his block as if they were already guilty and there wasn't anything any of them could do about it.

If a business called in with a complaint they would address it to the best of their ability, which wasn't necessarily that great, considering their lack of education or training. However if someone from the poorer block had a pr4oblem they rarely got any response, and for the most part they knew they wouldn't so they practically never even considered it unless it was really serious.

Despite all the noise and drinking that went on, when people had the money to buy alcohol, which often stopped for days or even weeks at a time, there was surprisingly few major crimes, although the large number of arguments or disorderly conduct would make it seem otherwise. I often suspected that the reason why these people that spent an enormous amount of time bragging about how great a fighter they were practically never got into many if any fight was because they knew that if they did then everyone would find out just how accurate their amazing fighting skills really were.

There was one exception where one of the loudest people on the block did know how to fight much better than most and he got into a surprising number of fights and he also got into much more legal trouble than most of the other people on the block. Yet he managed to stay out of jail most of the time. Even he never thought seriously about fighting the police.

Few people in that town asked why this guy wasn't put in jail long ago and kept there. It didn't take long for some people to figure out that the reason was because it turned out he was cooperating with the police. At least two people wound up in jail briefly because of information he gave to the police. In one case the information he gave them was accurate but it was widely known and they could have found out otherwise. In another case it wasn't and the alleged suspect was released without further investigation since there was no evidence aside from a false snitch.

These police were keeping the closest thing this small town had to a major criminal out of jail be3casue he was snitching on others that didn't cause as much trouble as he did. They intimidated and harassed everyone when it suited their purposes, although it usually only happened when some kind of noise escalated.

None of the poorer people thought that the police were there to protect them, because in this case they weren't. It is virtually guaranteed that there are thousands of towns like this across the country and abandoned inner cities are even worse.

In all fairness, I would wonder if I would want the job of policing people in a town like this and I wouldn't. Neither would many other people including most good police officers. This is why some of the towns that need good police the most rarely ever get them.

If the best police officers don't want to serve in the towns that need them the most they'll inevitably apply for jobs elsewhere and get them. That means that the towns with the most trouble might have to chose from police that have a hard time getting jobs in towns with fewer problems. Then, on top of that, they might be trained in an authoritative manner that is designed to intimidate people into compliance.

Mr. Borelli claims that, "we’re not out committing crimes. We’re out there patrolling to prevent crime. .. " which sounds good and of course it is what they're supposed to be doing. However even though I'm sure the vast majority of police officers are doing just that there are more exceptions than he might like to acknowledge. Actually he doesn't acknowledge any exceptions in this article; but there are plenty of people watching police that have demonstrated otherwise. The reason they might be doing so is that they have known for a while that they don't always live up to their propaganda and tracking some of the stories reported in the news including the Police misconduct reports for 2013 compiled by Massachusetts Cop Block. This is just one of many police watching organizations that have piled up a much larger list of exception; although most of these different sites don't all cover the same material, so it would take a while to review more than a fraction of their misconduct.

Mr. Borelli seems to imply that all police should be treated as innocent until proven guilty, which seems quite reasonable but he doesn't seem quite so concerned about whether or not all citizens are treated as innocent until proven guilty. Nor does he seem to acknowledge any of the evidence to indicate that there are at least some cases where police have gone too far and that tehy should be addressed properly.

Mr. Borelli seems to have demonstrated support for the us verses them situation with his squarely on the side of the police without trying to figure out which cases might have justifiable complaints. Not all police officers or ex-police officers have done this and some of the more open-minded have done a good job indicating why many police are so reluctant to take responsibility for their own actions while they expect the public to do so and why they rely on escalating violence. One of those is David Couper who has done a good job describing their training practices and why they might lead to misconduct later on the job in the following excerpt about hazing:

Hazing and Bullying in the Police Academy 12/16/2013 by David C. Couper former police chief of Madison Wisconsin

“As I was setting up my classroom at their training academy, I looked out the window and observed a formation of their new police recruits. I decided to go outside and get a closer look. The recruits were standing in three ranks—it was an inspection, a situation I could easily relate to from my days as a Marine.

“Suddenly, the training instructors started yelling at the new officers. Some were ordered to do push-ups by way of the familiar military command: ‘Drop and give me ten.’ In addition, I heard the instructors calling the young officers ‘assholes.’ I returned to the classroom in time to greet the chief and his command staff. I introduced myself and the curriculum for the next three days, then asked, ‘Are your officers permitted to call citizens names?’ They seem shocked, ‘We have rules against doing that. Why do you ask?’

“’Well,’ I replied, ‘I was watching your new officers outside this window and observed your trainers calling them very derogatory names. You know, it really doesn’t matter if you have rules against such conduct because when their teachers call them names, they will think that it’s okay for them to do the same to citizens. And if you ever try to discipline them, their defense will simply be, ‘That’s what the department taught me.’”

“I recently learned that the department never did change. Their academy remains stress-based, military, and intimidating. I don’t know if their training officers ever stopped calling recruit officers names. But one thing I do know, is that if they don’t stop, I predict they will continue to have problems with officers disrespecting citizens. How could they expect any different kind of an outcome?…

“Half of our nation’s police academies train in an atmosphere police trainers themselves identify as stress-based; that is, intimidating, even bullying. This makes half of American police academies more like military boot camps or correctional facilities than places in which college-educated young men and women are prepared to be professional police practitioners…

“Today, many police departments still continue to run their training academies like boot camps. These departments have training officers who look and act like Marine Corps drill instructors. They even wear the familiar Smoky Bear hats of a Marine drill instructor. As I became more acquainted with police work, I couldn’t understand why police were using the same training model I had been subjected to as a Marine. There was no similarity whatsoever between being a Marine infantryman and a police officer—the two job functions were as different as night and day. Complete article


These training practices clearly involve using intimidation practices to keep people in line and convince them to go along with the program and it is virtually guaranteed that it is part of the reason why intimidating officers who don't look the other way when they witness police misconduct is so common and a major factor for the so-called "blue wall of silence."

As I attempted to explain in numerous posts early abuse leads to escalating violence later in life; this doesn't begin in the police academy when they rely on hazing and bullying to train their recruits but it does escalate there. There is plenty of evidence to indicate that a major part of the reason for escalating violence starts with the way people are educated at a young age and escalates later in life with bullying, hazing, boot camp and domestic violence. I have indicated some of the evidence for this in several past posts including Child abuse and bullying link in study long over due.

Despite an enormous amount of propaganda about how glorious our police and military are they don't always live up to that propaganda and the indoctrination to go along with the program and support the beliefs of their fellow soldiers or police officers is a major reason for that. Although the vast majority of veterans and police officers are law abiding citizens there have been a surprising number of them that have gone on shooing sprees and become murders themselves instead of protecting this country. And many of those that were taught to believe what they're told do little or nothing to recognize when their government is lying to them and ordering them to fight for false claims like weapons of mass destruction that don't exist or defend an economic system that is rigged heavily in favor of the well connected that give the orders.

In Teach a soldier to kill and he just might I tried to indicate how in some cases a significant number of military soldiers have been involved in a large number of murders and that their training is almost certainly a contributing factor as to why this is the case, although it is almost certainly not the only factor and in most cases early education is also a factor.

Fortunately not all police are supporting the us verses them mentality; in Richmond California the police chief agreed to attend one of the rallies to show his support for reasonable reform and minimize or avoid confrontation with the community he's protecting. Unfortunately Mr.Borelli and many other police officers have objected to this as indicated in Officer Editor's Blog: A Protesting Police Chief? 12/15/2014

Richmond police Chief Chris Magnus indicated 'that he and several members of his command staff decided to attend the protest, which was organized by a local youth center, to "build bridges" and ensure the protest was peaceful. He said he was asked by one of the youths to hold the sign, and "agreed because I wanted to demonstrate that our police department really is serious about building stronger relationships with communities of color." ' .... In response to the objection from the police union 'Mayor-elect Tom Butt, who also attended the protest, called the union "hypocritical" and noted that union officers routinely work in Richmond politics while dressed as police officers. "They have a lot of gall to criticize the chief," Butt said.' Fallout Grows Over Protesting Police Chief 12/17/2014



If there is any doubt about how effective Chief Chris Magnus' policy's have been a look at his recent record reducing crime dramatically over the past several years seems to indicate that some one in Richmond must be doing something right. Not to long ago they were the ninth most dangerous city in the country; however recent reforms in the police as well as other efforts from the community have dramatically reduced their problems with crime. They have cut their murder rates by well over fifty percent. The police aren't the only reason for this; they have also had a lot of grass roots support as I have indicated in Politicians increase crime; Grass roots efforts reduce crime; Politicians steal the credit. Addressing the root causes of crime is far more important than just waiting until the last minute and preventing problems when a possible violent confrontation is almost unavoidable. the reforms in the economic \system are almost certainly more important.



A closer look into Frank Borelli's background quickly raises some possible conflicts of interests. He is the founder of Borelli Consulting which has done some work for Blackwater and seems to support the privatization of police and military matters. Officer.com provides a significant number of ads for weapons manufacturers, which include those supported by the NRA.

When even the possibility of financial incentives might be influencing security issues it should raise some serious doubts especially when considering that many developed countries have far lower crime rates and incarceration rates and we spend little or not time considering what they might be doing better. Instead there is an enormous amount of propaganda about how "great" our system is even though many of the facts may not support this assumption. If we really want to be so great we should take a closer look at the facts to develop policies.

NYT: Bias Seen in ‘Police-on-Police’ Shootings 05/27/2010

Cato Institute: The National Police Misconduct Reporting Project

Cato Institute: Botched Paramilitary Police Raids


Thursday, December 11, 2014

Greenpeace, not oil companies, charged with environmental damage



Greenpeace seems to have stuck their foot in their mouth, while trying to make a legitimate point.

Oil company executives just might be having a good laugh.

Greenpeace activists just might be charged with major crimes for, well, leaving footprints.

There is little if any effort by those with the most power to charge oil company executives with massive and real environmental damage.

Would you laugh if you were an oil company executive?

The Guardian reported the following excerpt about the Nazca lines:

Peru to take legal action over Greenpeace stunt at ancient Nazca lines 08/01/2014

Government plans to file charges of attacking archaeological monuments after activists set up banner near famed drawings.

Peru will seek criminal charges against Greenpeace activists who it says damaged the world-renowned Nazca lines by leaving footprints in the adjacent desert during a publicity stunt.

“It’s a true slap in the face at everything Peruvians consider sacred,” said Luis Jaime Castillo, the deputy culture minister, after the action by the environmental group on Monday, at the famed drawings etched into Peru’s coastal desert, a UN world heritage site.

He said the government was seeking to prevent those responsible from leaving the country while it asks prosecutors to file charges of attacking archaeological monuments, a crime punishable by up to six years in prison.

The activists entered a “strictly prohibited” area beside the figure of a hummingbird, the culture ministry said. They laid big yellow cloth letters reading: “Time for Change! The Future is Renewable.” The message was intended for delegates from 190 countries at the UN climate talks being held in Lima. Complete article


Is anyone wondering whether or not the people that gave "a true slap in the face" to "sacred,” or important things are the oil companies or the Greenpeace activists?

Is there any doubt which is doing far more damage?

This may not be as well planned as they might have hoped but when you consider the enormous advantage the mass media gives to the oil companies that buy enormous amounts of propaganda ads from them with the profits they get from destroying the environment it might be understandable why they might try to do the best they can with the limited resources they have.

I think ancient sites should be preserved as much as anyone else; and I would prefer better ways to get good points across than flashy publicity stunts; but how much damage are these footprints really going to do?

Greenpeace had this to say when they planned it:

Greenpeace presents message beside the historic Nazca lines calling for a renewable future

Ministers urged to show stronger climate action after Typhoon Hagupit struck the Philippines

Lima, Peru, 8 December 2014 – Before dawn today, twenty Greenpeace activists from seven countries unfurled massive letters at the historic landmark of Nazca in Peru, delivering the message: "Time for Change: The Future is Renewable.”

The message is directed at world leaders and ministers at the ongoing UN climate talks, in Lima, who are failing to take real climate action, while countries like the Philippines, which is again being battered by a massive typhoon, are paying the price of their inaction.

Speaking from the Philippines, where he is bearing witness to Typhoon Hagupit, Greenpeace International Director, Kumi Naidoo said:

“While one of the largest evacuations in peacetime history was underway here in the Philippines to clear a path for Typhoon Hagupit, a week of talks in Lima has simply not shown enough progress. This is the third year in a row that the people of the Philippines have been hit by extreme weather while most negotiators sit in comfort and fail to deliver the desperately needed action on climate change. Over the next week ministers must examine their conscience and find the energy to put us on the path to end the fossil fuel age and move toward a 100% renewable energy future. The people of the Philippines deserve and expect nothing less.”

Greenpeace activists from Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Spain, Germany, Italy and Austria displayed the message, which can be viewed from the sky, to honour the Nazca people, whose ancient geoglyphs are one of the historic landmarks of Peru. It is believed that one of the reasons for the Nazca’s disappearance can be linked to massive regional climate change [1]. Today, manmade climate change caused by the burning of oil, coal and gas is threatening our future.

“Companies and individuals should no longer be allowed to profit from destroying the climate and placing communities like those in the Philippines in peril. In 2015, governments, as part of their climate commitments, should require that the profits from major carbon polluting companies are used to make the needed investments to fix this problem," said Naidoo. Complete article


During the psst week I have been watching alternative news more often when I can but I have still managed to watch plenty of the local news and some of the world news but I don't remember them mentioning the climate summit once. I almost certainly missed at least a little coverage from the world news but I doubt if they provided much coverage of it at all. Democracy Now has provided much more coverage about the climate summit and the news that is available to me from several other countries also cover a reasonable amount of coverage for the climate summit, although they don't do nearly as well as Democracy Now or environmental news outlets.

For a subject as important as this it seems to me that we need to do what we can to draw more attention to it and if the media does start paying attention to this only to blame Greenpeace without covering the damage by oil companies and other corporations or the military to the environment they're only showing how badly we need media reform.



Photos reveal possible damage to Nazca lines by Greenpeace activists 12/09/2014

Greenpeace activists 'damage' ancient Nazca lines, Peru to seek criminal charges 12/10/2014


Monday, December 8, 2014

ABC’s consumer warnings are actually a fraud!!



Just before thanksgiving ABC did a few consumer protection stories warning the public that products at factory outlet stores are often inferior quality compared to brand names that are supposedly better quality and much higher prices. There is almost certainly a significant amount of truth to their stories; however they are selectively warning the public about fraudulent marketing scams and actually participating in more than they expose.

They routinely decline to tell the public about some of the most basic principles of marketing and that advertising expenses have been skyrocketing over the past several decades while manufacturing expenses have been slashed.

This means that the amount they mark up from the factory are are much higher than they used to be.

The reason ABC and other commercial media outlets decline to tell the majority of the public about this is quite simple.

A significant portion of the increased profits have been going to them in the form of advertising revenue. They have an obvious incentive to remain silent that is almost never mentioned.

On top of that they practically never mention the fact that proprietary information laws often make it illegal to disclose many of the marketing tactics they uses.

The news segments exposing the lower quality products being sold at so called "factory outlet stores" pointed out the fact that they use the phrase "compared to" implying that the products are the same except for the price when, according to their reporting, they aren't. Some of the higher prices for the higher end items were about $198 or $249; and the items they were compared to are about $99 or $119. Even these lower priced items are outrageously priced although people that don't use more than a minimum amount of critical thinking skills might not realize it since these marketing scams have been escalating gradually for decades while the retail and manufacturing outlets along with media outlet have been consolidating.

These "consumer protection" warnings were essentially ads for traditional designer clothes and the fashion industry.

We rely on the traditional media for our information about just about everything; but they have a financial incentive to deceive us about just about everything. This sounds cynical; but it isn't hard to confirm that it is also true.

They rarely ever mention that over the last few decades real factory direct outlets have been disappearing since the factories have all been moving overseas. It doesn't take a genius to see that when we grow cotton in the USA ship it half way around the world where it is manufactured into clothes by people who don't get paid enough to live a decent life then they ship it back and create expensive propaganda ads about how efficient this system is.

A larger portion of the money we give to retailers is used for shipping, advertising, union busting activities, campaign contributions, and other bureaucratic expenses designed to increase the profits for those that already have more money than they need, than they use to manufacture the actual product.

If they don't pass these expenses on to the consumer where would they get the money to pay them?

Most people in the United States probably don't realize it but some other countries actually do a better job trying to protect their consumers from epidemic levels of consumer fraud or at least they try to. This is almost certainly more likely to be reported in foreign or alternative media outlets, since the traditional commercial media outlets are unlikely to expose fraud that they're involved in. Recently Deutsche Welle Journal did a story about consumer protection Germany where mentioned an organization that tested consumer goods and it seemed to do a much better job than anything that we have in the USA. A search of the internet didn't turn up this story but it did turn up The Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection or Bundesministerium which sounds like what the Deutsche Welle Journal mentioned.

I don't know how well it works but it can't be worse than what we have in the USA which involves constantly trying to deceive people with misleading ads and virtually no accurate information about how consumer goods are brought to the public from traditional news or political establishments.



If the public wants discussions about how to restore factory direct options and the real efficiencies that have been abandoned with globalization they can't rely on the commercial media to come up with it.

Instead they have to come up with their own ideas at the grass roots level and push them from below, at least until there is major media and political reform.





If there is any doubt about how corrupt the current system is and how inept it is at informing the public about the scams by large oligarchies the books like Big-box Swindle: The True Cost of Mega-retailers By Stacy Mitchell, No Logo and The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism By Naomi Klein should easily expose many of these scams; however until there are major reforms the oligarchies will continue to control all the large institutions with little or no accountability.


Monday, December 1, 2014

Wal-Mart Crime report November 2014 Holiday Madness begins early



Black Friday riots have become an annual tradition; however so have Black Friday protests and during the holiday shopping weekend they seem to have drowned out the stories about fighting shoppers. You might think the police might be thankful, since they seem to be far more rational and civil than the customers in past years and many of the irrational customers seem to have done their share of excessive road rage incidents, stabbings, shootings, shoplifting's, chases and crashes among other things including bomb threats and fires earlier in the month although they continued through the holidays of course.

The police in Pennsylvania and Tulsa Oklahoma have both reported that crime has been escalating at Wal-Mart and that they're attempting to work with them to address the problems there. The police in Pennsylvania claim that although they have a lot of problems there the benefits outweighs the trouble. After reading their own report and others it is hard to see how they came to that conclusion.

I'm not completely ruling out the possibility that they might be responding indirectly to political pressure.

It wouldn't be hard to find an enormous amount of circumstantial evidence to support this hypothesis.

There was at least one more incident where a police officer, or former police officer was involved in the use of excessive force, where he is being investigated for firing a gun that may have been stolen from the Sheriff's Office and there were also two other stories where police say that the amount of force at Wal-Mart used in previous months was justified; this was in addition to the Michael Brown case which wasn't at Walmart.

Ironically there was one police officer that felt the need to justify calling off a police chance and explain that no one was hurt and they had the evidence they needed to pursue the suspect without risk to the public. There have been many other cases where they get into high speed chances and crashes where people are hurt often over shoplifting or other relatively minor incidents that escalate when the police get involved, including at least one or two this month and the police seem less likely to feel the need to justify those incidents.

Walmart has opened up their 5,000 store in the US and they claim that they have seen their first increase in sales in seven quarters; however Forbes magazine has indicated that it is only a modest increase and that they might expect more troubles competing for holiday shoppers this year. As usual the quick reports about holiday sales are good; but some indicate that they're dropping compared to previous years; and the ones from public relations spokespeople rarely even seem credible anymore, exept perhaps to those that don't pay much if any attention.

Walmart's public relations is constantly turning into a bigger disaster all the time.

They've been exposed for their Inhumane Policies for Pregnant Workers again, after a worker told reporters about having miscarriage after being ordered to stay on regular duty lifting heavy items; they've been exposed selling items marked ‘Made In USA’ that are allegedly made in China again; they've been caught asking workers to donate to each other again; and they fired a worker for donating items to the poor that were meant for the trash.

I can't imagine what they could be thinking; or if they're thinking at all.

Their defense for the charity box for their workers is that they don't plan that in the corporate office.

Do they actually think that might help or hurt them even more?

A Forbes writer says "The Waltons Deserve Their Hundred Fifty Billion; The Rest Of Us Gain $5 Trillion From Walmart's Existence" and Walmart's President, CEO say “It’s absolutely appropriate that we open at 6 p.m.” on Thanksgiving night. Do they ever suspect that they might not be living in the same world as the vast majority of the public?

An enormous amount of people are outraged by Walmart's behavior, yet they act as if there is no problem; perhaps the overdue drop in sales and massive protests are the only thing that can get their attention, at least until we have major political reform in this country. One Michigan town was forced to settle a law suit for not allowing Walmart but others aren't letting that deter them when resisting Walmarts new stores and it is highly unlikely that they can get much higher than their 5,000 store mark before declining. In fact same store sales have been declining for years.

Some of these outraged customers and workers are resorting to extreme measures since they seem to see how difficult it is to get their concerns addressed, including close to, if not more than two dozen bomb threats this month including at least one that was obviously from a disgruntled customer and another from an employee.

However the vast majority of the protesters are peaceful and if the police continue to arrest them without addressing their concerns it will become increasingly obvious that the political establishment and police are overwhelmingly giving corporations like Walmart and other campaign donors preferential treatment at the expense of the vast majority of the public.

If they did a better job addressing the legitimate issues that many consumers and workers have with Walmart then it is virtually guaranteed that they would have much fewer problems and research into past activities and rising crime when Walmart comes to town supports this assumption.

Walmart also had to explain why mouse traps were found on the shelves next to their food. Apparently their defense was that they usually keep them under the shelves where customer usually can't see them; but someone must have moved it.

Have you ever wondered if the rib eye steaks at Wal-Mart were put back in the cooler after a man drives around the store sitting on them in an attempt to steal them?

Has anyone besides Gallagher smashed a watermelon or thrown it at you in Walmart to distract people while trying to steal cereal?

Last month someone was caught on camera masturbating with a stuffed animal and leaving it for others; this month they just set the stuffed animals on fire; but a different sex offender came up with something even worse, which I'm sure many Walmart workers might want to avoid in the future.

Strange things happen at Wal-Mart!





In 2006 Wake Up Wal-Mart did a study, "Is Wal-Mart Safe?" based on incidents in 2004, (PDF) about crime at Wal-Mart which showed that it increased when Wal-Marts opened up and that crime was higher at Wal-Mart than at other retailers. Since then Wal-Mart Shootings began compiling a list of gun related incidents at Wal-Mart and demonstrated that they have a large number of them, including on average more than one shooting per week somewhere in the country. In January of 2014 another study, "Rolling Back Prices and Raising Crime Rates?" provided additional statistical research indicating that Wal-Mart might be contributing to higher crime rates or at least a slowing of the decline in crime. The study found that. “on average, communities with Walmarts had 17 more property crimes and two more violent crimes per 10,000 people than those communities without Walmarts.” I reviewed this more in Wal-Mart’s crime problem, Rolling Back Safety more than prices? where I explained that although this study is helpful they could have done better with additional data that is available and I reviewed some of that. I also added my own review about why I think that Wal-Mart policies have been contributing to higher crime in a previous blog, Wal-Mart high crime rate continues uninvestigaterd and have provided additional information under the author tag Walmart Crime Watch.

Stacy Mitchell has also compiled a list of other studies about Wal-Mart and how they impact society, Key Studies on Big-Box Retail & Independent Business. To the best of my knowledge Wal-Mart has done as little as they seem to get away with, often relying on rhetoric that isn't backed up with action, when it comes to addressing any of their critics concerns, including crime. The following are a list of incidents that occurred in November 2014. According to the "Is Wal-Mart Safe?" the average store in their sampling had 250 incidents per year, indicating that these are only a fraction of the crime reports at Wal-Mart, and presumably, the ones most likely to make the news on the internet nationwide. This isn't statistically representative, as the 2006 or the "Rolling Back Prices and Raising Crime Rates?" study or some of the studies cited by Stacy Mitchell; but it does provide some additional information that may help recognize how many problems there are at Wal-Mart.



Man attempts to kill estranged wife in Tennessee Sam's Club parking lot 01/11/2014

Argument leads to shooting at Alaska Walmart 09/08/2014

Drunk man threatens to shoot people inside Indiana Walmart 09/20/2014

Deputy shoots and kills gunman in Washington Walmart parking lot 09/30/2014

Walmart customer robbed at gunpoint in Florida 10/02/2014

Masked gunman robs Walmart gas station in New Orleans 10/03/2014

Officer shot by shoplifter inside Alabama Walmart 10/05/2014

Two men steal rifles in Christmas tree box at Kentucky Walmart store 10/11/2014

Man robbed at gunpoint for game system in Oklahoma Walmart parking lot; shot fired 10/22/2014

Two charged with shoplifting at NH Walmart 11/02/2014

Woman allegedly steals 29 items from NY Walmart 11/03/2014

Shirtless suspect arrested after purse snatcher punches woman outside Ill. Walmart 11/03/2014

Crime of the Week: Theft-turned-robbery at Tx. Wal-Mart 11/05/2014

Trussville Alabama police arrest 2 who rammed police cruisers after reported theft at Walmart 11/04/2014

TRUSSVILLE, Alabama - Two men who crashed into two Trussville Police Department cruisers during an attempted getaway at Walmart Monday night are expected to be formally charged today.

One was taken into custody at the scene. The other was captured a short time later after a brief foot chase into a nearby wooded area, said Trussville police Capt. Jeff Bridges.

One police officer was slightly injured during the chase. Complete article


S. Fla. Walmart employee arrested for stealing 11/04/2014

Man arrested for alleged theft at Dickinson Ill. Walmart 11/04/2014

The Smoking Gun: Nebraska Woman, 36, Jailed For Walmart Parking Spot Rage Incident 11/04/2014

Incensed that fellow shoppers took a spot she was waiting for in a Walmart parking lot, a Nebraska motorist subsequently sped toward the duo in her PT Cruiser, striking one of the victims, cops allege.

According to a Lincoln Police Department report, Julie and Christopher Weakly pulled into the parking spot Saturday evening, unaware that Kimberly Pankratius was waiting for it. In response, the 36-year-old Pankratius pulled up alongside the duo’s vehicle and called them “douche bags,” cops noted.

Julie Weakly, 40, told police that she and her husband ignored Pankratius’s comments “and continued walking towards the store.” Christopher Weakly, 39, said that he “inadvertently” took the spot for which Pankratius was waiting.

As they approached Walmart, both Weaklys heard tires squealing and saw Pankratius (seen at right) speeding towards them. As the car turned in front of them, Julie was struck in the arm by the driver’s side mirror. The impact caused the mirror to break and hang off the vehicle. Though she was in pain, Weakly declined medical treatment. Complete article


Teen Arrested in Stuffed Toy Animal Fire at Walmart 11/05/2014

A 13-year-old has been arrested after allegedly starting an arson fire in Glendora on Wednesday morning.

One person was treated at the scene for "shortness of breath," but there were no injuries following the incident at Wal-Mart at 1950 Auto Center Drive, which was reported just after midnight according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Some teddy bears were set alight on a shelf at the rear of the 24-hour store, but a quick thinking customer was able to put out the blaze with a fire extinguisher before firefighters arrived. The busy store was evacuated for almost three hours while the scene was dealt with. It is estimated the damage to the store is in the $200 range. Complete article


Trial Moved For Pope County Constable Accused Of Destroying Ark. Walmart shopping car corral last July 11/04/2014

80-year-old woman mugged outside Overland Park Kan. Walmart chased after thief 11/04/2014

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Police want to find the man who ruthlessly robbed an 80-year-old woman outside of an Overland Park Walmart Monday evening, Nov. 3.

Police have a hat that they say the man was wearing and hope someone will recognize it and help identify him.

Sharon Henderson was heading into Walmart off of 117th and Metcalf just before five Monday night when someone came up from behind her and snatched her belongings. Complete article


Workers deliver petition for $15 wage at MV Ca.'s Walmart 11/03/2014

Mount Airy NC Walmart evacuated for 'emergency situation' or bomb threat from "disgruntled customer" 11/04/2014

Mount Airy’s Walmart store on Highway 601 was evacuated Sunday evening as emergency responders searched the store in the wake of a phoned-in bomb threat.

According to Captain Alan Freeman of the Mount Airy Police Department, police were called to the store shortly before 7 p.m.

“The call was reported… at 6:52 p.m.,” he said. “It came in to the Walmart store and was transferred to one of their departments.”

According to Freeman, police believe the call was from a disgruntled customer.

“It sounded like (the caller) was irate with someone in that department, and right before they hung up the individual said there was a bomb in the building,” he said. Complete article


Police arrest suspect in NM Walmart road rage incident 11/03/2014

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) – An Albuquerque man is in jail, accused of ramming his car into another man due to road rage.

According to a criminal complaint, a car cut off another car in a Walmart parking lot on Saturday afternoon. Both drivers blame each other.

One thing witnesses agree on is the driver in the other vehicle and a passenger started following Joshua Apodaca around the parking lot and kicked Apodaca’s car.

Witnesses told police Apodaca then rammed his car into one of the men which sent him flying over the windshield. Apodaca faced a judge Sunday where his bond was raised to $40,000. Complete article


26 arrested for protesting outside Walmart billionaire's New York home 10/16/2014

Police looking for 2 in attempted Va. Beach Walmart heist 11/02/2014

Costco Gives Employees Thanksgiving Off; Wal-Mart Leads "Black Thursday" Charge 10/29/2014

Man allegedly stole from NY Walmart, ran off 11/04/2014

“I cannot continue to live and work like this”: How Wal-Mart drove me to shut down Park Avenue Despite having a job, I forgo electricity in the summer. My car was repossessed. My day-to-day life would shock you 10/29/2014

Clovis Ca. man on seven-year crusade against Wal-Mart 10/23/2014

Walmart opens 5,000th U.S. store in Greenbrier Ark. 11/05/2014

GREENBRIER, Ark. (November 4, 2014) - A new Walmart Neighborhood Market in Greenbrier opened as the 5,000th Walmart store in the U.S. Wednesday. Complete article


Former Richmond County Deputy Charged With Firing Gun Into Ga. Walmart Store 11/05/2014

A Richmond County Sheriff's Office spokesperson tells us a former deputy has been arrested and charged after allegedly discharging a firearm into a Walmart store.

We are told Jessie Jackson was arrested early Wednesday morning after he reportedly fired a weapon in the Walmart store located on Deans Bridge Road, in Augusta. ....

WJBF News Channel 6 has learned the shotgun that a former Richmond County Sheriff's Office deputy allegedly fired into the garden center of a local Walmart store was missing from the Sheriff's Office. Complete article


Deputy filmed striking suspect last August in Berea SC Walmart resigns 11/05/2014

The Greenville County deputy who was filmed striking a suspect on the floor of the Walmart on White Horse Road in August has resigned, according to the Sheriff's Office.

No charges are being filed, Sheriff's Office spokeman Jonathan Smith said.

The deputy, who was placed on administrative leave after the incident, resigned Wednesday, Smith said. Complete article

Sheriff's deputy filmed striking Walmart suspect didn't use excessive force, SC solicitor says 11/06/2014

A Greenville County sheriff's deputy filmed striking a man at a Walmart store on White Horse Road didn't use excessive force or display criminal intent in subduing the suspect after a reported disturbance, 13th Circuit Solicitor Walt Wilkins said Thursday.

Meanwhile, an attorney for the suspect, 32-year-old Sandon Sierad, said Sierad "was a key part of highly trained hostage rescue units" in the U.S. military and has suffered symptoms of Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, ever since.


2 arrested in connection with Utah Wal-Mart robberies 11/05/2014

APD confirms Wed. evening shooting near Central/San Mateo NM Wal-Mart victim expected to survive; juvenile in custody 11/05/2014

A man was shot in the back and arm Wednesday night near the intersection of San Mateo and Zuni. Previous reports said the man was shot at Wal-Mart, and though it did occur nearby, it was not actually on Wal-Mart property.

An Albuquerque police spokesperson said the man was transported to a local hospital in stable condition and is expected to survive.

The APD spokesperson also said a male juvenile is in custody and being question in relation to the shooting, and that there is no motive at this time. Complete article


Little River man jailed after bomb threat made to North Myrtle Beach SC Wal-Mart 11/06/2014

A Walmart employee in charge of preventing theft in Le Mars Walmart robbery arrested in Texas 11/06/2014

Robbery at knifepoint Outside Fort Worth Tx. Walmart Store 11/06/2014

Pair sought in Farmington Me. Walmart thefts 11/06/2014

Bank robbery suspect identified, taken into custody near Moore Oklahoma Walmart 11/06/2014

Man Armed With Hammers Shot by Secret Service Officer Outside Woodbridge Va. Walmart 11/06/2014

A man who smashed a Walmart jewelry display case with two hammers was shot by an off-duty Secret Service officer in Northern Virginia Thursday afternoon.

The incident was reported just before 5 p.m. at the Walmart near Potomac Mills mall on Worth Avenue.

According to Prince William County Police, 21-year-old Mohamed Sankoh of Fayetteville, North Carolina broke the glass display cases of the store's jewelry counter using two hammers, then fled the scene.

Customers and employees described the scene as "chaotic" as they took cover.

"All of a sudden, I heard all these women and children screaming, and they were all running toward one side of the store," shopper Mike Swain said. "I just kind of ducked behind the DVD aisle."

An off-duty Secret Service officer followed Sankoh outside the store and into the parking lot. Police say the Sankoh ignored commands by the off-duty officer, and was then shot. Sankoh was transported to a local hospital and as of Friday, remained in stable condition. He's due in court Dec. 1. Complete article


Family subdues NM Walmart shooting suspect 11/06/2014

Oneida NY police make arrest in Walmart theft case 11/06/2014

Waterford Conn. police seek Walmart purse-snatcher 11/06/2014

Mom charged with leaving toddler inside unlocked, running car while she shopped at Pa. Walmart 11/07/2014

Man accused of performing lewd acts in Walmart parking lot in Gonzales La. 11/07/2014

Jim Hightower: Walmart gives taxpayers health care bill 11/06/2014

5 women arrested in Tx. Walmart theft ring bust 11/06/2014

Conway SC Police looking for Walmart car break-in suspect 11/07/2014

Coalition for Social and Environmental Responsibility in Boulder: Boulder Colorado Walmart can't keep out the truth 11/07/2014

Man stabbed at Thomasville Ga. Walmart 11/06/2014

NC Walmart evacuated due to bomb threat 11/05/2014

Cops: Sex offender ejaculated on Ga. Walmart employee 11/07/2014

LAWRENCEVILLE — A convicted child molester was arrested Thursday after allegedly ejaculating on a female employee at a local Walmart.

#Lawrenceville police responded to the Walmart store at 1400 Lawrenceville Highway at about 8 p.m. on Halloween after receiving a complaint from an employee. The 24-year-old woman told authorities she was working in the boys and girls department when she noticed that “someone had knocked over several clothes in the floor.”

#“(The employee) said that she was on her hands and knees picking up the items,” an incident report said, “when she felt something soft land on her back. (She) said that she looked up, and saw a tall black male dressed in all black walking away quickly wiping his hands on his clothes.”

#Police believe the substance on the back of the victim’s shirt was semen. Complete article


Walmart’s Inhumane Policies for Pregnant Workers 11/06/2014

In February, Bene’t Holmes asked her manager at a Chicago Walmart to put her on lighter duty. She was four months pregnant and her job included lifting heavy cardboard boxes containing two large bottles of bleach, straining her back and making her fear for her health and the health of her child. But the manager told her to continue with her work, that she was expected to lift 50 pounds or more.

“So I stayed there,” Holmes says, “and the very next day when I came into work, I had a miscarriage on Walmart’s property, in the back bathroom.”

Holmes says she subsequently missed 18 days to recover, prompting management to “coach” her—Walmart’s jargon for a formal reprimand—for the unexcused absences and to give her a demerit point, which she would have to perform additional work to expunge from her record.

This was not simply the fault of an incompetent manager, but the result of Walmart’s policy toward expectant mothers, according to a nascent pregnant worker advocacy group “Respect the Bump,” which held its first in-person meeting in Chicago on September 24. Complete article


S. Fla. Walmart employee arrested for stealing 11/04/2014

NY Walmart worker accused in iPhone thefts 11/07/2014

Employees return to Okla. Walmart after bomb threat 11/08/2014

Snow Hill NC Walmart re-opens after bomb threat 11/09/2014

Suspects in Farmington Walmart theft arrested in Augusta Me. 11/08/2014

Wal-Mart to focus on food safety in China: Asia chief 11/10/2014

St. Helena man charged with shoplifting, attempted murder at SC Walmart 11/10/2014

A St. Helena Island man accused of trying to stab a Walmart employee at the Beaufort store Saturday was arrested after returning to the store early Monday, according to the Beaufort Police Department.

This time, Sonny Jamie Richardson, 24, tried to steal merchandise worth about $38, according to Cpl. Hope Able.

He was arrested at about 3:30 a.m. and charged with attempted murder and shoplifting, according to the Beaufort County Detention Center log.

In the Saturday incident, the employee told police he was washing his hands about 6:30 a.m. when a man lunged at him from behind, according to Lt. Darrell Gruel. The victim felt something sharp poke his back and turned around to find the attacker -- later identified as Richardson -- holding a knife, Gruel said.

Read more here: http://www.islandpacket.com/2014/11/10/3423643_st-helena-man-arrested-in-walmart.html?sp=/99/257/266/&rh=1#storylink=cpy Complete article


Suspect sought for robbery of Burlington NC Walmart 11/10/2014

Good Samaritans Aid In Tenn. Wal-Mart Robbery 11/10/2014

Police release photo of Ark Walmart theft suspect 11/10/2014

Woman robbed at knifepoint in Ill. Walmart parking lot 11/10/2014

Thomas Hartman charged with setting off firecracker inside Fla. Walmart 11/10/2014

Cops: SC Walmart Employee Used Deodorant, Put It Back 11/11/2014

Walmart Memo Orders Stores to Improve Grocery Performance 11/11/2014

HPD: 2 arrested after armed robbery workers in Tx. Walmart parking lot 11/12/2014

Man stabbed near Walmart in Santee Ca. 11/09/2014

Police nab Utah Wal-Mart shoplifter for possession of stolen credit cards, drugs 11/10/2014

Man steals condoms from Walmart: South Euclid Ohio police blotter 11/10/2014

Police: Suspected NY Walmart thieves struck a police vehicle while fleeing the scene 11/11/2014

Bomb threat at Hudson NH Walmart 11/12/2014

Walmart evacuated amid bomb threat in Edinburg Tx. 11/12/2014

Sex offender accused of stealing 20 DVDs from York SC Walmart 11/10/2014

Conway SC Police looking for Walmart shoplifting suspect 11/11/2014

Frankenmuth Mich. settles Walmart case for $3.7 million 11/12/2014

FRANKENMUTH, Mich. (AP) - The city of Frankenmuth has agreed to a $3.7 million settlement with a family whose attempt to sell their land for a Walmart store was blocked.

The agreement was filed Wednesday in Bay City federal court.

A jury in March awarded $3.8 million, saying the rights of the Loesel family were violated. The amount grew to about $5 million by August with years of interest and legal fees tacked on.

The settlement cancels any possible appeals and closes the case.

Ronald Loesel and family members sued Frankenmuth after officials restricted the size of stores to 65,000 square feet or less. The ordinance effectively killed the sale of their land for an outlet for Bentonville, Arkansas-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in 2006. Complete article

Walmart settlement noticed by Swansboro NC officials 11/15/2014


Unfounded bomb threat evacuates Middletown Del. Walmart 11/12/2014

Beavercreek Ohio Walmart Worker Punched In The Head Over Candy 11/12/2014

Walmart’s ‘Made In USA’ Televisions Are Allegedly Made In China 11/12/2014

Element Electronics boasts of being the only American-owned and American-assembled television company. Flashy red-white-and-blue packaging helps it do business with Walmart as part of the retailer’s quarter-trillion-dollar “Made in USA” initiative. But according to a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) complaint filed Tuesday, the company isn’t making anything in America after all.

Instead, the complaint alleges, the Chinese-made TVs arrive to Element’s South Carolina assembly line in boxes adorned with a waving American flag and the slogan “America Matters” on the front and the phrase “assembled in the USA” on top. Element’s employees unscrew a plastic panel, install a Chinese-made motherboard, close the panel, and return the TVs to their patriotic packaging so that they can be shipped out to Walmart, Target, Meijer, Sam’s Club, and QVC. That depiction of Element’s assembly process comes from a July article in the Wall Street Journal. Complete article


Rincon Ga. Police: Shoplifter steals pretty much everything he needs from Walmart 11/14/2014

Customer stabbed multiple times in random attack in Fla. Wal-Mart checkout line 11/13/2014

A Wal-Mart customer abruptly began stabbing another man standing in line at the 8808 Beach Blvd. store early Thursday.

The 31-year-old victim ran to the back of the Wal-Mart, and witnesses shouted to an arriving officer that the suspect was still in the store, according to the Jacksonvlle Sheriff's Office arrest report. Blood puddled on the floor near a front cash register all the way to the back of the shopping Center.

John Christopher Samuel McFarland, 34, stepped out from the men's clothing area and was quickly identified in the 1:15 a.m. attack, the arrest report said. The 400-pound man was taken into custody without incident. He also showed police where the hunting knife was on a stack of folded clothes.

The victim, who suffered lacerations to the neck, cheek and back of the head, was found toward the back of the store with a large amount of blood coming from his neck.

Both men said they didn't know each other. McFarland told police he is diagnosed with schizophrenia and does not take his medication, according to his arrest report. Complete article


UPDATE: Arrest made for Middletown Del. Walmart bomb threat 11/13/2014

Newark NJ felon with 40 arrests arrested after Walmart shoplifting goes wrong, cops say 11/13/2014

Can you I.D. this couple shopping at Washi. state Walmart? 11/13/2014

Walmart workers begin first in-store sitdown strike in company history 11/13/2014

Protesters gather at Ca. Walmart in Pico Rivera; 23 arrests made 11/13/2014

Walmart explains mouse traps at West Bend, WI store 11/13/2014

West Bend - At the behest of a viewer, CBS 58 News went to Walmart Corporate offices to find out why mouse traps were in full display on the bread aisle of its West Bend store.

The store in question is located near Paradise Drive, close to U.S. 45 in Washington County.

The viewer claims to have spotted the traps on Tuesday evening and posted a photo on the CBS 58 Facebook page to prove it.

In the photo you can clearly see two metal boxes on the shelves near the loaves of bread.

Walmart spokesman Brian Nick tells CBS 58 News that there's no code of law violation here.

But, he does say store policy is to have the mouse traps under the shelves.

He says the traps are there strictly for monitoring purposes and there is no rodent infestation at the store.

"What could have occurred is maybe somebody sweeping out and the device got put into an aisle and maybe somebody may have then placed it on the shelf which is where it's not supposed to be," Nick explained. "But just out of an abundance of caution, we did call out experts to look throughout the store and they were able to give the store a clean bill of health." Complete article


Suspect in theft, kidnapping at Semmes Alabama Wal-Mart turns himself in 11/14/2014

SEMMES, Alabama -- A man accused of forcing a driver to do his bidding at knifepoint after shoplifting from Wal-Mart turned himself in to authorities late Thursday night, according to the Mobile County Sheriff's Office.

Officials booked Brent Adam Cox, 57, into Mobile County Metro Jail on charges of second-degree kidnapping and third-degree theft just before midnight, jail records show.

Earlier on Thursday MCSO spokeswoman Lori Myles had identified him as a suspect in a reported confrontation at the Semmes Wal-Mart.

Around 5 p.m., deputies responded to the Wal-Mart. Witnesses said a security guard had tried to stop Cox from leaving the shop with merchandise he hadn't paid for.

He ran to the nearby New Horizons Credit Union where he noticed cars lined up in the drive-thru teller line. He opened the passenger door of one of the vehicles and jumped inside, armed with a pocketknife, Myles said.

He ordered the driver to travel to Brunson Avenue a short distance away, where he fled the vehicle on foot. Complete article


Man accused of stealing four televisions from Fla. Walmart 11/14/2014

Fla. Walmart employee arrested for stealing 11/14/2014

Forbes: Walmart 3Q Sees Gains But They Really Need Help 11/14/2014

Walmart’s third quarter results were in line with expectations. Comparable store sales rose 0.5% in domestic Walmart stores and 0.4% in domestic Sam’s clubs. This minuscule increase is reflects a pickup following seven quarters of disappointing, negative sales reports. And, believe it or not, it is better than the sales reported by many other retail companies pressured by very warm weather throughout the United States stalling the sale of winter gear and accessories. For the fourth quarter the company is projecting similar paltry gains, estimating an increase of 0% to 1% in domestic Walmart stores and a 0% to 2% increase in Sam’s Club. Complete article


Police Looking For Suspects In iPad Thefts From Md. Wal-Mart 11/14/2014

Walmart workers plan Black Friday protests over wages 11/15/2014

Thieves steal computers from South Philadelphia Pa. Walmart 11/14/2014

Mom, daughter escape icy Salt Lake City Utah Wal-Mart parking lot plunge with minor injuries 11/14/2014

Bail set at $150K for man accused of attack outside Missoula Montana Walmart 11/15/2014

TBI makes arrests in Tenn. Walmart theft, money laundering case 11/15/2014

Surveillance Video Shows Man Shoplifting From Tenn. Wal-Mart 11/15/2014

Purse taken from SD Wal-Mart shopping cart 11/15/2014

Slidell La. police trying to ID suspect in Walmart groping case 11/15/2014

Man tries to rob woman in Walmart parking lot in Northeast Austin Tx. 11/15/2014

Man pleads guilty to spraying doe urine on Owasso Okla. Walmart merchandise 11/15/2014

Walmart on Route 60 in Huntington, West Virginia evacuated after bomb threat 11/16/2014

Court documents: Springfield Missouri woman left kids home alone while stealing from Walmart 11/16/2014

Ulster NY police say Kingston man stole nearly $1,600 in electronics, DVDs from Walmart 11/16/2014

Teen Saves Baby At Missouri Walmart Store 11/17/2014

Most Wanted: Elizabethton Tenn. Police Department search for Walmart TV theft suspect 11/17/2014

Suspect wearing Flyers jacket stuffed DVDs, clothing, food in hampers, walked out of Pa. Wal-Mart 11/17/2014

Arrest made in Pa. Walmart gun incident 11/17/2014

Walmart in Geneseo NY evacuated, searched after bomb threat 11/17/2014

Bomb threat prompts evacuation of Evangeline Thruway Walmart in Louisiana 11/17/2014

Man accused of stealing meds from Pa. Walmart 11/17/2014

Woman left Walmart with hampers full of merchandise, East Lampter Township Pa. police say 11/17/2014

Women charged with Wisc. Walmart thefts 11/17/2014

State police need public's help identifying 2 in East Syracuse NY Walmart identity theft investigation 11/17/2014

Alleged NT NY Walmart shoplifter indicted on three felonies 11/17/2014

18-year-old shoplifter threatens Decatur Alabama Wal-Mart employees with gun, police say 11/17/2014

Fla. Walmart security guard's takedown ends in termination

LEE COUNTY, FL - A security guard at a Fort Myers Walmart was caught on video tackling a suspected shoplifter and holding her down.

That employee has since been fired for how he handled the situation.

Walmart confirmed the employee no longer works for the company - and the company spokesperson says it is regrettable that the situation was handled poorly.

They say associates are advised to disengage when an altercation becomes physical and let authorities handle it.

The incident was all caught on cell phone video by a witness in the parking lot of the Six Mile Cypress location on Friday. Complete article

Family of suspected Fla. Walmart shoplifter speaks out 11/20/2014 FORT MYERS, Fla. - The family of a suspected shoplifter is speaking out after a security employee was caught on camera taking the 22-year-old woman down.

For the fourth night, our FOX4 Facebook followers have been defending Walmart employee Daniel Bresson. But the family of the suspected shoplifter says he went too far.

The family of Tamara James says she didn't deserve to be tackled at a Fort Myers Walmart for suspected shoplifting, while even witnesses stepped in to help.

"I was pissed," said James' aunt, Karen Jackson. "I was real upset because no one needs to be treated that way." .....


Two Irving Tx. Walmart Parking Lot Robberies May be Connected: Police 11/18/2014

Teenager arrested in NY Walmart bomb threat 11/18/2014

Chickasha Okla. Walmart cleared in response to bomb threat 11/19/2014

Bomb threats shut down Rogersville Tenn. McDonald's, Walmart 11/20/2014

Man sought in Overland Park Kansas Walmart neighborhood market robbery 11/18/2014

Pair accused of using credit card stolen from senior’s purse in Suffolk Va. Walmart 11/18/2014

Two arrested in Tx. Walmart robbery, police chase and crash 11/18/2014

DALLAS -- Two robbery suspects led police on a wild chase that ended in a crash early Tuesday morning.

It started at the Walmart in Cedar Hill and ended near Interstate 20 on Camp Wisdom Road in Southwest Dallas.

Police say two men each stole a television from the store around 2:15 a.m. and employees chased them into the parking lot. One suspect showed an employee his gun and fired it into the air. Complete article


Man uses saw to steal perfume from Dauphin County Pa. Wal-Mart, police say 11/18/2014

Greenwood Man Charged with Setting Fire in Fla. Walmart 11/19/2014

Shoplifters threaten Walmart store employees with gun in Oklahoma flee in stolen vehicle 11/19/2014

Man arrested after recording women in Fla. Walmart 11/19/2014

Police identify woman found dead at Missouri Walmart parking lot 11/19/2014

Thief steals purse right out of woman's hand in Hanover Va. Walmart parking lot 11/19/2014

Wal-Mart robbery suspects arrested at Clearwater Fla. strip club 11/19/2014

How Walmart was tricked into selling $400 PlayStation4 consoles for $90 11/19/2014

Florida man harassed Walmart employee with camera: police 11/19/2014

Tulsa Okla. police work with Walmart to fight crime at Tulsa store 11/19/2014

TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa police said a dangerous shoplifting call at a Walmart Tuesday night isn’t the only problem they’ve had at the store recently.

Officers estimate they've gone to the store near Admiral and Memorial at least 60 times last month.

The issues are mainly shoplifting, but police said they’ve also responded to shootings and stabbings in the store’s parking lot.

“I have had as many of five officers in there at one time dealing with multiple shoplifters,” said Sgt. Robert Rohloff.

Rohloff said that impacts how they can serve the rest of the area.

“If you were to have a significant emergency and my whole squad is tied up with these shoplifters, another officer is going to have to come from a considerable distance to come to your emergency,” Rohloff said. Complete article


Pregnant Woman Attacked in Jonesboro Ark. Walmart 11/19/2014

Opinion: How Obama’s plan on immigration will enrich Wal-Mart 11/20/2014

NJ Police Blotter: Shoplifting and purse snatching at Walmart in Hanover; dispute with cabbie in Mount Olive 11/20/2014

Wal-Mart Asks Workers To Donate Food To Its Needy Employees 11/20/2014

An Oklahoma Wal-Mart store is holding a food drive for its own employees.

The group Making Change At Wal-Mart posted a photo of the food drive to its Facebook page on Thursday and commented, "Rather than agree to pay a decent wage or provide full-time hours, Walmart and its owners (the Waltons) continue to earn massive profits while too many of the workers who make the company a success go hungry."

The photo shows a cardboard bin with a sign attached that reads: "Let's succeed by donating to employees in need!!! Thanks for your support!" Another sign reads: "3430 canned food drive!" The number "3430" refers to the supercenter store on Northeast 23rd Street in Oklahoma City.

The photo was taken by a Wal-Mart employee who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, according to the labor group, which has been pressuring Wal-Mart to raise its wages. Complete article

Walmart fueling hunger crisis in America 11/20/2014

Tax-Dodging Wal-Mart Holds Another Food Drive for Its Impoverished Workers 11/20/2014

Does Walmart Have a Dirty Energy Secret? 11/20/2014

Wal-Mart defends food drive for employees, amid criticism 11/21/2014 A Walmart spokeswoman responded that the retailer, which is frequently the subject of attack over its pay practices, never plans such events at the corporate level.


Man arrested for shoplifting 5 rib eye steaks at Wal-Mart 11/20/2014

The 350-pound man was found sitting atop the steaks while roaming the store on a motorized scooter. He was then confronted by an employee and detained while the police showed up.

The latest theft story at Wal-Mart is far from being well-done. ...

Fowler was found sitting on top of the steaks and roaming around the store. He was then confronted by a Wal-Mart employee when he passed all points of sale and attempted to exit the store. The woman who confronted him was part of the Loss Prevention department. Complete article


Boynton Beach Fla. police seek clues in killing of Walmart worker 11/21/2014

Three shoplifting incidents in one day at Bayonne NJ's Walmart: police 11/21/2014

Cushing man gets six months in jail for exposing himself at Me. Walmart 11/21/2014

Rincon Ga. Police: Man throws watermelon in Walmart, steals cereal 11/21/2014

Nov. 3: A 23-year-old Rincon man was accused of going into the Walmart and destroying random items, including a watermelon that he threw at another customer.

The man, who appeared disoriented, took a box of cereal, left the store and was eating the cereal when police arrived. He was arrested for shoplifting and was served a criminal trespass notice.

A green leafy substance found in his car was sent to the crime lab for testing. Complete article


Man pulls knife on DeLand Fla. Wal-Mart security, police say 11/21/2014

Couple steals 23 GPS units from Franklin Walmart 11/21/2014

Iowa Wal-Mart fires employee for donating items meant for trash 11/21/2014

Items had been given to charity for families in need

While working for an Iowa Wal-Mart, Mary P. Tigges donated children’s items destined for the trash heap to a charity that supports low income families.

Those donations got her fired for breaking a company policy.

Tigges, who worked in the store’s claims department, had been donating items to New Opportunities, a non-profit that provides free or low cost goods to low income families, according to a Nov. 18 unemployment benefit ruling from Blair A. Bennett, administrative law judge.

When Wal-Mart was alerted, the “employer was upset and stated that certain items are not to be donated — they are to be destroyed and thrown away,” according to the ruling. “Employer’s policy is that displays are to be thrown away.” Complete article


Three held without bail in stabbing outside Ca. Walmart 11/22/2014

Report: Man tries to steal 10 PlayStation 4 controllers, other items from Ga. Walmart 11/21/2014

Police open fire on Walmart shoplifter who dragged officer with truck in New York 11/21/2014

Duo charged with stealing $10,000 in goods from NY Walmart, fleeing police in chase 11/21/2014

ONEIDA, N.Y. -- Oneida city police charged two men with stealing more than $10,000 in goods from Walmart over multiple trips, the last of which ended in a chase.

Steven Smith, 54, of Fort Plains, Montgomery County and Jason Magnuson, 32, of Oakville, Connecticut were arrested Nov. 7 after they fled the Walmart parking lot on Genesee Street in Oneida, according to a report by the Oneida Daily Dispatch.

Police said the duo made multiple trips to Walmart to steal merchandise though they had previously been banned, the report said.

When police arrived there on Nov. 7, they saw Smith fleeing on foot through the parking lot to where Magnuson was driving a black getaway car, police said in the report.

Smith jumped in. Then Magnuson drove into an unmarked police car as it was leaving Walmart, police said. As Magnuson led police officers on a chase west along state Route 5, he ran several other vehicles off the road, they said.

Eventually police were able to stop the car in Canastota. They attempted to flee on foot but were caught, police said. Complete article


Crossville Tenn. police trying to catch man they say stole from Walmart 11/23/2014

Fla. Wal-Mart cashier accused of stealing $12K from store 11/24/2014

Bomb Threat at Natomas Ca. Walmart Unfounded 11/24/2014

Pa. Walmart temporarily evacuated as crews investigate fire report 11/23/2014

Summerfield man arrested in alleged theft at Buffalo Ridge Fla. Wal-Mart 11/24/2014

Five charged in Vermont Walmart disturbance 11/24/2014

Syracuse man charged with identity theft after tipsters ID him in NY Walmart security photos 11/25/2014

Black Friday 2014 protests to target 1,600 Walmart stores, including dozens in New England 11/22/2014

The Nation: $1 Billion: That’s How Much Walmart Avoids Paying in Taxes Each Year Through Loopholes 11/24/2014 In a recent analysis of Walmart’s tax spending, Americans for Tax Fairness (ATF) found that the company “avoids $1 billion a year in taxes” through federal loopholes, and various political shenanigans drive this always-low tax rate: the big-box giant is absorbing government subsidies both directly and indirectly, through its retail operations as well as its ingenious accounting methods. Overall, the retail giant can evade taxes through overseas accounts, on one hand, and raid the public trust on the other by capitalizing on the benefits system.

Black Friday Protests

Crookston Minn. School Board: No Pirate apparel at Wal-Mart 11/25/2014

Don't Fall for This Walmart Mystery Shopper Scam 11/01/2014

TV shoplifters threaten Walmart employee with gun in Indiana 11/25/2014

Chesapeake Va. Police searching for Walmart assault suspect 11/25/2014

Irving Tx. Police Make Arrest in Pair of Robberies Outside Walmart 11/25/2014

Counterfeit Bills Passed At Tenn. Walmart 11/25/2014

A Stabbing and a Crash in A Tenn. Walmart Parking Lot Sends One to the Hospital 11/25/2014

Driver killed in crash and fire behind North Richland Hills Tx. Wal-Mart 11/25/2014

Wal-Mart Dismisses 30 China Executives in Restructuring 11/27/2014

AR-15 assault rifle and ammo stolen from North Carolina Walmart 11/27/2014

Thief wanted for stealing TVs from Sanford Fla. Walmart 11/27/2014

Arab, Alabama police looking for service dog in training that got loose in Walmart parking lot 11/27/2014

Walmart One-Hour guarantee has a 'catch' 11/27/2014

2 Women Fight At Norwalk Ca. Walmart Over Barbie Doll 11/27/2014

NORWALK (CBSLA.com) — Authorities said two women got into a pushing and shoving match — with at least one of them reportedly throwing a punch — over a Barbie doll on Thanksgiving evening.

Sheriff’s Deputies has to be called to the Walmart store in the 11700 block of Imperial Highway after reports of the fight broke out. ....

“The whole thing was pretty stupid,” said a shopper named Sonia, “that was very dumb.” Complete article


Ferguson protests interrupt Black Friday shopping at Missouri Walmart, Target stores 11/27/2014

MANCHESTER, Mo. (AP) -- Dozens of people have interrupted holiday shopping at major retail stores around the St. Louis area to speak out about a grand jury's decision not to indict the officer who fatally shot Michael Brown.

The protests began Thanksgiving night and continued early Friday. Protesters spent a few minutes at each store, shouting inside. Officer in at least one store ordered them to leave. There was no immediate word of any arrests.

According to Johnetta Elzie, who had been tweeting and posting videos of the protests, demonstrations occurred at a Wal-Mart and Target in Brentwood, two Wal-Marts in St. Charles and one Wal-Mart in Manchester. Complete article


Tussle over TV at Houston Tx. Walmart caught on camera 11/28/2014

STAFFORD, TX (KTRK) -- There were tense moments at a Stafford Walmart Thursday night when customers brawled over a TV on sale, and the incident was captured on cell phone video.

It happened at the store off Highway 59 and West Airport. Tooba Amir, 15, rushed over with her phone when she heard screams and laughter. Customers had thrown themselves on top of TVs. They didn't even listen to police orders at first.

"People were climbing over each other to get a TV," said Tooba. "It was crazy." Complete article


Walmart Workers Leave Food Donation Bin Outside Alice Walton’s Manhattan NY Condo 11/27/2014

VIDEO: Shoppers Fight Over Wal-Mart Deals In Michigan City Indiana 11/28/2014

Six Years Later, Walmart Still Hasn't Paid A $7,000 Fine For Black Friday Worker's Death 11/25/2014

Theft arrests up at Pa. Walmart 11/28/2014

COAL TOWNSHIP - Coal Township police have made 739 retail theft arrests at Walmart Supercenter since it opened in 1997 - and 115 of those were made this year.

Police Chief William Carpenter said the number has more than doubled in 2014 from previous years, and he expects the total to significantly increase during the holiday shopping season.

The volume of retail thefts at the Walmart near Lewisburg prompted a criticism of store security efforts by a Union County judge earlier this year and a concerted effort among store and local police to address the issue, but the Coal Township store isn't generating the same concerns. Complete article


Fighting the hunger games at Walmart 11/26/2014

PR Watch: Black Friday Strike, Greens Join Labor to Take on Walmart 11/25/2014

Walmart Workers Give Up Thanksgiving Dinner To Stage 24-Hour Fast For Higher Wages 11/26/2014

Pro-Assad Hackers Hit Western Media and Wal-Mart 11/28/2014

Berlin NJ police: Woman wanted in alleged purse theft at Walmart parking lot 11/27/2014

NYT: After a Bump in Sales, Walmart Braces for a Competitive Holiday Season 11/13/2014

Walmart workers increasingly rely on food banks, report says 11/21/2014

Florence Alabama Police looking for sticky fingered Walmart thieves 11/27/2014

Eight of the weirdest things to happen at Walmart 11/28/2014 8.Baby born in toilet (2007) 7.Two people shot outside Walmart over parking space (2012) 6.Man caught on film fighting prevention officers (2014) 5.Woman tries to start a meth lab in Walmart (2011) 4.Teenager lives in Walmart for two days (2014) 3.Man sucks toes of unwilling woman (2014) 2.Woman glued to toilet (2012) 1.Man has sex with stuffed horse (2014)

Man accused of stealing merchandise from Tenn. Walmart 11/27/2014

Fights break out between Black Friday shoppers in Walmart 11/28/2014

Woman arrested after spending 5 hours in NC Walmart 11/24/2014

Black Friday: Shoppers line up, brawls reported at some Walmarts (VIDEO) 11/28/2014

Spotsylvania Va. Walmart reopens over bomb threat 11/28/2014

Cape Coral Fla. Walmart evacuated due to bomb threat 11/2/2014

Omaha Nebraska Walmart evacuated after bomb threat called in 11/28/2014

Bomb threat at Walmart Supercenter in Bentonville Ark.; store evacuated 11/28/2014

Bomb threat of Elk County Pa. Walmart causes evacuation Friday 11/28/2014

Police incident at Harrisburg Pa. Walmart causes evacuation Saturday 11/29/2014

Bomb threat forces Wal-Mart evacuation in Swatara Township Pa. Saturday 11/29/2014

Judge orders Wal-Mart to let NYC church challenge gun sales 11/28/2014

Protesters March Through West Nashville Walmart On Black Friday and the rest of country 11/28/2014

Forbes: The Waltons Deserve Their Hundred Fifty Billion; The Rest Of Us Gain $5 Trillion From Walmart's Existence 11/29/2014

Walmart President, CEO: “It’s absolutely appropriate that we open at 6 p.m.” Thanksgiving night 11/27/2014

Walmart protests: In Hadley Mass., 1 protester carries sign reading 'Business as Usual = Racial Oppression'; company says workers 'very proud' 11/28/2014

Thanksgiving shopper hit by car at Wyomissing Pa. Walmart 11/28/2014

Police: Portage man charged with disorderly conduct at Ind. Walmart 11/28/2014

Three accused of stealing various items from Fla. Wal-Mart 11/29/2014

Rochester NH police accuse man on suspicion of shoplifting at Walmart 11/30/2014

8,000 Dollars Worth of Merchandise Stolen from Minot ND WalMart 11/30/2014

Man claims self-defense in Ind. Walmart attack while completing a job application 11/30/2014

POLICE REPORTS: Lufkin duo attempts to rollback price on beer at Tx. Walmart to nothing 11/30/2014

Police: Newington NH Walmart shoplifter speeds away 11/30/2014

PORTSMOUTH — Pursuit of a suspected shoplifter was called off Sunday as police cruisers and the fleeing vehicle approached the Hampton toll booths at about 3:30 p.m.

"I decided to call off the chase for safety purposes," Sgt. Kuffer Kaltenborn said. "I did not want us to try and pursue the car through a toll booth. There are other cars involved and probably no way for them to get out of the way."

That does not mean the suspected shoplifter is off the hook. Kaltenborn said police have tracked the vehicle, a gray, 2006 Ford Explorer, to the Haverhill/Bradford Mass. area. They are working with Massachusetts police to apprehend the female shoplifter. Walmart, where the thefts occurred, has video surveillance to help identify her. ....

"As we were headed to Walmart, the suspect managed to flee in her vehicle," he said. "Another Portsmouth officer spotted her by the traffic circle and tried to stop the car. The woman refused to stop and headed south on Interstate 95. All units converged there. I think we had five cruisers following her. Her top speed clocked was 84 miles per hour. There was no crazy evasive driving. We just chose to stop the pursuit and no one was hurt." Complete article


Fire in clothing department at Gwinnett Ga. Walmart forces evacuation 11/30/2014