Which Alternative Reality Are You Living In?

There should have been no doubt, back in 2015, that Donald Trump never intended to defend the working class or Drain the Swamp but establishment politicians really were as corrupt as he claimed they were, even if he did manage to make it even worse when he was in office, turning it into an insane satire. However, just because they should have recognized that Trump was an obvious demagogue long before the 2016 election, doesn't mean either Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden ever had much if any popular support, even if establishment media gave them obsession coverage trying to make them seem like the inevitable front funner in 2016 & 2020!

There's also little or no doubt that the election wasn't stolen from Donald Trump in 2020; however, that doesn't mean it was legitimate, despite all the media propaganda to make it seem so. The truth is that rigging elections has been going on for decades, and we haven't had a legitimate election in decades, assuming we ever had one. Some of the efforts to rig elections have been documented in several peer reviewed books, listed below; however, the most effective way to rig elections doesn't involve stuffing ballots or switching votes with computer hacking!

It involves rigging the media coverage so that only candidates supported by wealthy corporations, including the six oligarchs controlling over 95% of national media! And the evidence of this has been hidden in plain sight all along! Traditional media routinely tells us which presidential candidates are viable years ahead of time, typically predicting accurately at least one of the leading nominees, often predicting both. Even if they don't predict them they can narrow them down to about four or five, at the most, since they only cover candidates supported by campaign donors, ensuring that those that might represent the public much better get virtually no name recognition.

Bernie Sanders was the closest thing to an exception in my life time; and when it looked like he had a chance they began rigging the primaries against him, and for some reason, he pretended that rigging wasn't happening even when there was overwhelming evidence and endorsed Clinton or Biden, who both oppose almost all the progressive issues popular with the vast majority of the public.

The media has repeatedly claimed that Donald Trump says, "without evidence," that the election was rigged; and if you ignore the primaries, they may be right; however, if you look at the primaries there's an enormous amount of evidence showing they were rigged, even after giving Joe Biden an enormous amount of positive media coverage! They routinely refer to this as "The Big Lie;" however, they fail to remind people of an even bigger lie which they're trying to cover up!

Election rigging has been going on for hundreds of years, starting even before the American Revolution, when Colonial elections were rigged, including seats to the House of Burgess. Following the 2000 election disaster, when even the mainstream media was forced to report on it, for a little while there were several researchers that wrote about it including Andrew Gumbel, who wrote:

Andrew Gumbel "Steal This Vote" 2005

A few days before the November 2004 election, Jimmy Carter was asked what would happen if, instead of flying to Zambia or Venezuela or East Timor, his widely respected international election monitoring team was invited to turn its attention to the United States. His answer was stunningly blunt. Not only would the voting system be regarded as a failure, he said, but the shortcomings were so egregious the Carter Center would never agree to monitor an election there in the first place. "We wouldn't think of it," the former president told a radio interviewer. "The American political system wouldn't measure up to any sort of international standards, for several reasons."

What, after all, was to be done with a country whose newest voting machines, unlike Venezuela's, couldn't even perform recounts? A country where candidates, in contrast to the more promising emerging democracies of the Caucasus or the Balkans, were denied equal, unpaid access to the media? There were a number of reasons, in the sharply partisan atmosphere surrounding the Bush-Kerry race, to wonder whether campaign conditions didn't smack more of the Third World than the First. Every day, newspapers recounted stories of registration forms being found in garbage cans, or of voter rolls padded with the names of noncitizens, fictional characters, household pets, and the dearly departed. The Chicago Tribune, a paper that knows its voter fraud, having won a Pulitzer for its work on the infamous Daley machine, found 181,000 dead people on the registration lists of six key battleground states.

Bush opponents were all too inclined to believe, in fact, that the Republicans were about to steal the presidency, just as they believed it had been stolen the last time. The Republicans, for their part, laughed this off as conspiratorial nonsense, but they also weren't shy about announcing how hard or how dirtily they were prepared to fight if it came down to another Florida-style tug-of-war. Long Island's GOP congressman Pete King, caught on camera by the documentary maker Alexandra Pelosi during a White House function on election day, bragged even as the first polls were closing that Bush had already won. When Pelosi asked him how he knew, he answered, perhaps jokingly, perhaps not: "It's all over but the counting. And we'll take care of the counting." Complete article

The lack of media coverage for candidates not collecting massive amounts of money from corporations ensuring they never get the name recognition they need is hardly ever mentioned; Gumbel is one of the few sources that discuss it, and even he doesn't put enough emphasis on it. Traditional media certainly never reminds us that they choose who gets name recognition by simply refusing to cover candidates they don't support.

Andrew Gumbel and several other good researchers including Mark Crispin Miller in "Loser Take All" 2008 and Tracy Campbell in "Deliver the Vote: A History of Election Fraud, an American Political Tradition-1742-2004" 2006 do a much better job tracking massive amounts of voting fraud, both recent and going back hundreds of years. They don't cover the 2016 or 2020 elections after the fact; but they do explain how routine voting fraud was long before this, including how the fiasco from the 2000 elections was used as an excuse to create electronic voting without a paper ballot that could be recounted or checked.

Both Gumbel and Miller reported on how the "Help America Vote Act" (HAVA), which was supposed to solve the problems with the 2000 election may have caused many more problems, including the privatizing of the election process and making it harder, if not impossible to check for fraud. This act encouraged electronic voting and it didn't always come with a paper ballot. I reported more on some of the problems they pointed out and how they impacted the 2020 and 2016 elections in Epidemic 2020 Election Fraud Again and Can Hillary Clinton win without cheating? (2016) which also included many other efforts to suppress the vote or how exit polls didn't match the official totals.

In 2016, the polls using electronic voting without a paper trail went for Hillary Clinton by much larger margins than those with a paper trail. There were also much longer lines in both election years, for both primaries and the general election, in lower income areas, especially minorities. This became much more common following revisions in the way the Supreme Court interpreted the Voting Rights Act, declaring that many Southern states are no longer bound by many of the terms. Following this ruling many states across the country began cutting back on polling places in minority areas as part of a massive voter suppression operation.

Despite the media's claims that there was "no evidence" of voter fraud, if you look at the evidence from the primaries there was an enormous amount of it, some that they even reported themselves, although they seem to have forgotten it now, and only reported many incidents at the local level at the time. In many cases, when the traditional media did report on voter suppression, they often reported about a handful of voters that waited extremely long lengths of time, but eventually did vote, as if this was evidence of elections working, despite the flaws, thanks to the perseverance of those people. However, they didn't vote on an enormous number of people that couldn't wait that long and were disenfranchised; and if they mentioned that this was much more common in low income or minority areas, it was brief and quickly forgotten. Alternative researchers like Miller, Gumbel, Campbell, and others like Lee Camp that reported on more recent elections are much more thorough. There were an astronomical number of reports, either in traditional media or alternative media, about election irregularities in the primaries, which I listed in previous articles about both 2020 and 2016

If the enormous number of reports from credible sources, even if traditional media ignores most of them, aren't convincing enough; why couldn't either Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden attract large crowds if they were as popular as the polls allegedly claim? Some of the articles about rigged polls also covered the ones taken months before the primaries, pointing out that they over-polled older people that supposedly were more likely to support establishment candidates.

And why are so many people allegedly voting for candidates that oppose them on almost all fiscal issues, especially when campaign donors for both Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden overwhelmingly oppose the will of the public on these issues, since they involve rigging the economy in their favor?

One of the most brazen examples where the vast majority of the public support one issue, yet the overwhelming majority of the political and media establishment oppose it is Medicare for All, which Bernie championed very well during the primary pointing out that a quarter of the public is uninsured under the current system, 30,000 people die unnecessarily per year and half a million go bankrupt. Joe Biden laughed and defended this system, even though there were numerous studies, even at that time showing that Medicare for All would save thousands of lives and billions of dollars. A new Yale Study Says Medicare for All Would Save U.S. $450 Billion, Prevent Nearly 70,000 Deaths a Year 02/19/2020, but there were other studies at the time of the debate with similar results, and no studies saying that we would save an enormous amount of lives and money.

It doesn't take a genius to determine that a major part of the reason for these large savings is that under our current system, a shocking amount of the money we pay for premiums doesn't go to health care at all; instead it goes to advertising, astronomical CEO salaries, massive amounts for lobbying and campaign donations, and much more waste that has nothing to do with health care. Since the media gets a large amount of this in the form of advertising profits, and they also have a lot of interlocking boards of directors and stockholders, they have a financial incentive to ignore how corrupt the system is and even make it worse, by giving large advantages in coverage to candidates that support Wall Street instead of the will of the people. A year before the Yale study came out Christopher Cai examined 22 studies and found they all agree: 'Medicare for All' saves money 02/24/2020

This isn't limited to rigging presidential primaries, ensuring both nominees support the corporate agenda it also involves rigging Congressional primaries as well as I pointed out in Bernie Sanders Is More Democratic Than Fake "Democrats!" which explains how Cheri Bustos, Steny Hoyer, Nancy Pelosi, Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Chuck Schumer have all been caught conspiring to give insurmountable advantages to Wall Street candidates that oppose the will of the vast majority of the public. One of the tactics they use to rig primaries so that few if any progressives supporting popular issues is that they refuse to give any business to consulting firms that help progressive campaigns, anther one is to provide an enormous amount of money for those supporting Wall Street at the expense of the public.

One one occasion when Steny Hoyer was confronted with these tactics he said, on tape, “You know, frankly, that happens in life all the time.” When asked about it in public Nancy Pelosi said “I Don’t See Anything Inappropriate” in Steny Hoyer's activities, which clearly involved giving wealthy donors unjustifiable advantages at the expense of the public. She went on to say that the only problem was that it was taped and the public was informed about attempts to rig the primaries. This is the same type of outrage during the 2016 leaks of E-mails, when the entire democratic establishment claimed it was within their rights to give insurmountable advantages to Hillary Clinton, who was extremely unpopular with the public but popular with campaign donors; but they were outraged that somehow their efforts to rig the primaries were exposed to the public! This massive amount of fraud is one of the biggest reasons Trump was able to win in 2016, although it wasn't a fair victory.

There's enough public evidence, even without new E-mail links to show that they used many of the same tactics to rig the primary for Biden in 2020, which clearly means that he's no more of a legitimate candidate than Donald Trump was!

If you accept traditional media as a reliable sources and the claim that the elections are fair, and weren't stolen, then the claim that the United States is the leader of the "Free World" defending Democracy; however a closer look at the incredibly long history of rigging elections and the media coverage, ensuring only candidates supported by the oligarchs indicates this is an obvious lie. This is supported by the fact that the political establishment routinely opposes most of the issues supported by the vast majority of the public, especially fiscal issues benefiting the wealthy.

If you accept the version of truth presented by traditional media there's also little doubt about another Big Lie that they repeat over and over again, the fact that we're constantly fighting war in other countries To Defend Our Freedom! Other countries haven't been trying to invade the mainland of the United States and take away our democracy in over two hundred years, when the war of 1812 happened! The last time another country attacked a military base on one of our territories was in Pearl Harbor in 1942 Since then it's been our country invading other countries, and in some cases overthrowing their own democratic governments, or at least governments that had far more popular support than the governments our leaders installed for them. The terrorist attacks, including, of course, 9/11, against the United States were either against military bases abroad, which wouldn't fit the original definition of a terrorist attack, since they were attacks against combatants not civilians, or, when they attacked in the United States against civilians, they were in retaliation for our occupations and bombings of foreign countries. And the vast majority of citizens of countries invaded or bombed by the United States never retaliated; with the most notable exception being Muslim extremists.

This includes the South American, Central American and Vietnamese victims of wars or illegal coups carried out by our leaders. Seventy-five years ago, on September 2 1945, Vietnam made it clear that they wanted to rule themselves, demanding Independence from France as indicated in the following excerpt:

Declaration of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam

"All men are created equal. They are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among them are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."

This immortal statement was made in the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America in 1776. In a broader sense, this means: All the peoples on the earth are equal from birth, all the peoples have a right to live, to be happy and free.

The Declaration of the French Revolution made in 1791 on the Rights of Man and the Citizen also states: “All men are born free and with equal rights, and must always remain free and have equal rights.”

Those are undeniable truths.

Nevertheless, for more than eighty years, the French imperialists, abusing the standard of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity, have violated our Fatherland and oppressed our fellow-citizens. They have acted contrary to the ideals of humanity and justice.

In the field of politics, they have deprived our people of every democratic liberty. Complete Declaration

The Vietnamese were, of course, aware of this Declaration of Independence all along, and so were virtually all the people from their neighboring countries; however, the vast majority of Americans never heard of it, either while the war was going on or, still to this day. The reason for this starts with the most basic fundamentals of propaganda, "A lie, repeated often enough, becomes the truth," or at least it seems to, especially if the truth is practically never mentioned, or in some cases, ridiculed as a conspiracy theory.

This is the tactic that traditional media used to create a  false belief system about the Vietnam war being fought to defend Democracy against Communism. They ignored some of the most fundamental facts and repeated their propaganda over and over again, until people believed it without question. The omission of the Declaration of Independence was just the beginning of their efforts to cover up the truth and replace it with deceptive propaganda. On one detail after another for traditional media reported one version of truth, while foreign media or alternative media that doesn't blindly trust the government reported a different version. In many cases, traditional media did admit to some of the details that expose their lies; however, when this happens, they typically only do it briefly, before letting it fall down the memory-hole, or at least they try to.

One of the reasons they can get away with this is that the vast majority of the public simply doesn't pay much, if any attention to the news, and when they do, it's often for brief times during crisis's, when they only listen to traditional media, and quickly forget a lot of what they hear.

The same tactic is used in dozens more wars or coups, often with little or no media coverage on many of them, and most Americans are very ignorant of current affairs. In many of these coups CIA backed regimes set up death squads terrorizing their own people. Three of the most notorious of these coups include Iran in 1953, Guatemala in 1954, and Chile in 1973, which the CIA now even admits to, although traditional media rarely reminds the public of these admissions, which would raise major doubts about the claim that the United States has been "fighting for freedom and democracy" for decades.

Foreign countries and some people who pay attention to alternative media knew these coups were supported by the CIA from the beginning; however, the majority of Americans, including me, didn't learn about it until decades later; in many cases there are many people, probably a significant majority of the public, that still don't know about it, since the media hardly ever mentions it. The CIA finally admitted they were involved in the coup in Chile over thirty years after it happened, and that they were responsible for the Iranian coup almost sixty years after it happened, even though credible alternative media outlets provided overwhelming evidence to prove it long before that and many of the individuals involved with it even admitted it.

When the CIA finally made these admissions, traditional media finally provided a minimal amount of coverage, before letting it fall down the memory hole again. However, when they mentioned it briefly they often included denials of some of the worst atrocities, which don't stand up to scrutiny, which traditional media doesn't provide. Another one of the most fundamentals of propaganda is that if they fail to report the truth, or only mention it very briefly, it can quickly fall down the memory hole and be forgotten, so lies repeated over and over again can go unchallenged. This is exactly what the mainstream media does routinely. Not only do they fail to remind the public of these coups, but they fail to mention that it much more than one coup here and another one there.

Of course, it also helps if people have an emotional attachment to the propaganda, which the media often tries to take advantage of by telling them they're part of the "Greatest Country in the World," that is constantly "Fighting for Freedom," and after many people join the military and fight these wars, or send their relatives to these wars, they don't want to believe they died for lies or that they were killing people that really were fighting for their freedom, or some other cause.

Fortunately, there are many good researchers that do a much better job reporting on the history of foreign conflicts, but they get little or no media coverage from traditional media. The historians that do get covered by traditional media, including, even Doris Kearns Goodwin, bury some of the most important facts where for people read them, assuming they mention them at all. Ironically the mainstream media tries to convince us that the best researchers are radicals, not because they're unreliable or they're lying, in fact many of them do a far better job citing their sources; but because they challenge the official version of truth and expose many of the lies by our government, often reminding their readers of many of the admissions of wrong doing that were only briefly mentioned before letting them fall down the memory hole, and reporting a lot of the news that traditional media never reports in the first place, like the Vietnamese Declaration of Independence. (Some of these authors are listed below.)

Some of these authors, including Douglas Valentine, author of "The CIA as Organized Crime" and John Perkins, author of "The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" (First edition of "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" 2004 now free online) go so far as to refer to the CIA, or the dominant political establishment as criminal organizations; which may seem extreme to people not familiar with alternative media outlets; however, they do a far better job citing sources for their beliefs than the traditional media, and other authors also confirm the history ignored by traditional media.

Once you become familiar with the long history of voter fraud, wars based on lies, and many other subjects, including the economy, ignored or misrepresented by traditional media it becomes that there are at least two versions of the truth, one controlled by the mass media and the wealthiest fraction of 1% of the public, and another well researched version explained by dozens of authors who get little or no attention from traditional media, even though it's better researched and almost certainly far closer to the truth.

There are many credible peer reviewed books in the library about protecting the environment, health care, propaganda methods, economic inequality, reducing violence, and many more traditional scientific subjects, and perhaps some subjects that are considered fringe by many people, although even they should be treated scientifically. These perceived fringe subjects may include UFOs, mysticism, alleged psychic or supernatural abilities, fringe religions and many other things. Instead of treating them scientifically the traditional media and a significant portion of the scientific community often treats many of these subjects with ridicule.

There's no doubt that some, if not all of these subjects attract more cult followers, including many of the same QAnon followers that supported or participated in the storming of the Capitol based on the false assumption that the election was stolen from Donald Trump, who never looked out for their best interests in the first place, instead of being stolen from the American people. Apparently many QAnon members also believe in UFOs and other absurd theories, including a few of the theorists on Ancient Aliens. The version of their beliefs or many of the beliefs from the History Channels Ancient Aliens have an enormous number of scientific flaws; and it may be easy to dismiss the theory in its entirety; however, that might be premature.

Even though the vast majority of claims by either QAnon or Ancient Aliens on the History Channel are either obviously false or presented in a manner that has major credibility problems, that doesn't mean they're wrong about everything. It's extremely difficult if not impossible to find a good researcher on UFOs or Ancient Aliens; however, they may have some things right; and there were better researchers at one time, and may still be although they're not on traditional media. One of the best researchers on the subject still living may be Jacques Vallée, who has never been on Ancient Aliens, that I know of; but he was a former associate of Allen Hynek, a former skeptic for Project Bluebook and the Air Force.

Both Jacques Vallée and Allen Hynek came to the conclusion that there's a major unsolved mystery worthy of scientific research; however, over three decades after Allen Hynek died there still hasn't been good research done, at least not publicly. Jacques Vallée and several other researchers also concluded that were major unsolved mysteries surrounding Uri Geller and several other mystics; he also researched older historical unsolved mysteries which are tougher to confirm, since the events happened decades, if not centuries ago, including "The Miracle of the Sun" at Fatima, Joseph Smith Jr. and "Our Lady of Guadalupe," among many other things, and concluded there's a major unsolved mystery.

In "The Invisible College" he claimed that it's difficult, if not impossible to do good research with most organized researchers, including UFO groups; I might not go quite that far all the time; but I would have to agree that there are large blunders from all the highest profile researchers on the subject, often so obvious they should have corrected them, so this is close to a good recommendation. Jacques Vallée may seem like one of the only relatively high profile UFO researchers that can be trusted; however, even he needs to be fact checked. On one occasions in one of his books Jacques Vallée claimed that there's no major accomplishment by ancient civilizations that they couldn't have accomplished with technology allegedly available to them, which is false, and he should have known about at least one of the most obvious examples of this.

In 107 Wonders of the Ancient World I reviewed a large number of many unsolved mysteries in ancient archaeology, including many that require a close look to realize they shouldn't have been possible; but one is so obvious that Jacques Vallée should have known about it, massive megaliths moved by ancient civilizations. Experiments to move massive megaliths with ancient technology only succeeded with megaliths up to ten tons before they had to cheat to get them on the sledge. With experiments between ten and forty tons they cheated to get the megalith on the sledge and still was only able to pull it very short distances, and never even tried anything over forty tons.

This leads me to the conclusion that even when it comes to far-fetched things like UFOs or mystics you should be willing to question the best so-called experts on the subject, whether they're skeptics or believers, to avoid adopting a false cult belief.

On many subjects, including election fraud, wars based on lies, environmental protection, the most effective ways to reduce violence, etc., if you do a good job picking good experts, which won't be on the mainstream media, you might be able to trust them most of the time, especially if they've had good peer review. This won't be the case for subjects like UFOs or mystics, until there's better scientific review, which will require avoiding ridicule and allowing an open exchange of ideas.

Some of the best researchers reporting on the history of invading other countries or supporting coups include:

Howard Zinn author of "The People's History of the United States" etc.
Noam Chomsky author of "Deterring Democracy," "Manufacturing Consent," "Failed State" etc.
Alfred McCoy author of "A Question of Torture" "In the Shadows of the American Century," "Policing America’s Empire," etc.
Naomi Klein author of "The Shock Doctrine" etc.
James Carrol author of "House of War" etc.
William Blum author of "Killing Hope," "Rogue State" etc.
Michael Parenti author of "Against Empire," "Superpatriotism," "The Sword & The Dollar" etc.
Douglas Valentine, author of "The CIA as Organized Crime"
John Perkins, author of "The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" (First eddition of "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" 2004 now free online)

The following are additional sources or related articles, including many about how the political establishment ignores the will of the people and is involved in epidemic levels of corruption that only gets reported in low profile manners, while those in power refuse to hold each other accountable, with or without a Quid Quo Pro:

CIA admits role in 1953 Iranian coup 08/19/2013

CIA Admits Involvement in Chile 01/06/2006

The CIA's Legacy In Guatemala 09/25/1996

The October Democratic debate transcript 10/16/2019

A Bernie Sanders Debate Quote Is Reportedly Being Misattributed To Elizabeth Warren 10/17/2019

Psst, Elections Were Rigged By Oligarchy not Russia & Evidence Was Reported Before It Happened!

Bernie Sanders Has informed Grassroots Support; Others Have Media Propaganda!

Bernie Sanders Is More Democratic Than Fake "Democrats!"

Everything That's Happened Since Supreme Court Ruled on Voting Rights Act 11/04/2014

Trump administration has Voting Rights Act on life support 08/06/2018

In 2013 the supreme court gutted voting rights – how has it changed the US? 06/25/2020

"How to Rig an Election: Confessions of a Republican Operative" by Allen Raymond, Ian Spiegelman 2008

"Election Meltdown: Dirty Tricks, Distrust, and the Threat to American Democracy" Richard L. Hasen 2020

U.S. Navy Has Patents on Tech It Says Will ‘Engineer the Fabric of Reality’ 02/03/2021

'Sistine Chapel of the ancients' rock art discovered in remote Amazon forest 11/29/2020

Incredible Cave Paintings 8 Miles-Long Discovered Deep in Amazon Forest: The Sistine Chapel of Ancients 12/01/2020

COVID-19 lockdowns temporarily raised global temperatures 02/02/2021

Archaeologists find largest-ever Mayan complex hiding in plain sight 02/06/2021

‘I was wrong. Period’: QAnon Shaman apologizes for entering Capitol 02/09/2021

Psst, Elections Were Rigged By Oligarchy not Russia & Evidence Was Reported Before It Happened!

Bernie Sanders Has informed Grassroots Support; Others Have Media Propaganda!

Bernie Sanders Is More Democratic Than Fake "Democrats!"

Could Bolivian Coup Threaten Us All?

Atrocious Biden/Harris Record From The Memory Hole

Arming The Enemy For Permanent War!

United States Coups & Entrapment of Immigrants

Joe Biden’s cabinet: What you need to know about the President’s key advisers and their top priorities 01/31/2021

Biden's controversial Cabinet picks will reveal who holds the cards in Washington 12/09/2020

Biden’s Top Cabinet Choices Who May Not Be on the Job Day One 01/18/2021

Biden Is Finding New and Inexplicable Ways to Screw Up His Cabinet Picks 12/10/2020

A Memoir From Hell: Samantha Power Will Do Anything for Human Rights Unless It Hurts Her Career 09/11/2020

Loophole Allows Biden Nominees to Avoid Disclosures. Will They Use It? 12/05/2020

Generation Forever War: Biden’s National Security Picks Herald Return to Hawkish Normalcy 11/24/2020

The Fog of Intervention 09/04/2019 Samantha Power did not set out to justify war.

Who is Victoria Nuland? A really bad idea as a key player in Biden's foreign policy team 01/19/2021

Basic Notes on Victoria (“Fuck the EU!”) Nuland 01/25/2021

Ukraine crisis: Transcript of leaked Nuland-Pyatt call 02/07/2014 Nuland: OK. He's now gotten both Serry and [UN Secretary General] Ban Ki-moon to agree that Serry could come in Monday or Tuesday. So that would be great, I think, to help glue this thing and to have the UN help glue it and, you know, Fuck the EU.

State Department OKs $85M SM-2 Missile Sale to Chile 02/08/2021

Biden administration backs DeVos in fight over testifying about loan forgiveness 02/10/2021

How Biden helped create the student debt problem he now promises to fix 12/02/2019

At Confirmation Hearing, Bernie Sanders Calls Out Neera Tanden's History of 'Vicious Attacks' on Progressives 02/10/2021

Study Shows Fossil Fuel Pollution Killed 8.7 Million People in 2018—Almost One-Fifth of Global Deaths 02/09/2021

“I Will Destroy You”: Biden Aide Threatened a Politico Reporter Pursuing a Story on His Relationship 02/12/2021 Deputy Press Secretary TJ Ducklo lashed out at journalist Tara Palmeri, spurring conversations between Politico’s brass and the White House—and raising questions about behavior tolerated in the Biden administration.

Postmaster general's new plan could include slower mail and postage hike 02/13/2021

Records show Postal Service paid millions to DeJoy's former company 09/03/2020

Postal Service awards $5 million contract to Postmaster DeJoy's former company, XPO 10/24/2020

Why Biden Can’t Fire Postmaster General Louis DeJoy 02/08/2021

Biden’s stimulus gamble: Massive cuts to Medicare, farm aid 02/13/2021

'Fire DeJoy Before He Burns Down USPS': Postmaster General Pushes Plan for Slower Mail, Higher Prices 02/14/2021

State clears first three foreign military sales of Biden administration 02/12/2021

"Tanden is famous for two things: having a puddle of DNC talking points in place of a cerebrum, and despising Bernie Sanders. 02/14/2021 She was #Resistance’s most visible anti-Sanders foil, spending awe-inspiring amounts of time on Twitter bludgeoning Sanders and his supporters as a deviant mob of Russian tools and covert “horseshoe theory” Trump-lovers. She has, to put it gently, an ardent social media following. Every prominent media figure with even a vague connection to Sanders learned in recent years to expect mud-drenched pushback from waves of “Neera trolls” after any public comment crossing DNC narratives. No name in blue politics is more associated with seething opposition to Sanders than Tanden. " .... Sen. Kennedy mentioned that Tanden had hurriedly taken down at least 1000 despicable posts from social media after her nomination.

Poll: 83% of Americans dislike work outsourcing 07/16/2012

Public opinion about offshore outsourcing 06/09/2004 The Ipsos poll shows that 69% of Americans believe that outsourcing hurts the country — and only 17% think it helps the economy. 58% of respondents in the ELA poll believe that companies outsourcing work that could be done by Americans to offshore contractors should be penalized by the US government.

Fact Check: Did Joe Biden Already Break 2 Presidential Promises Before Day 2 On The Job? 01/21/2021

Biden is already breaking promises 01/27/2021

10 U.S. cities with the worst drinking water 02/03/2011

12 cities with the worst tap water in the US 03/17/2020

Nearly 100 Community Water Systems in California Contain Illegal Levels of Arsenic 09/13/2016

Chile’s US-backed gov’t is shooting anti-austerity protesters, blinding and maiming by the thousands 02/24/2020

New Economic Study 'Demolishes' Myth About Student Debt Parroted by Joe Biden 02/18/2021

Actually, Biden Can—And Should—Cancel $50,000 In Student Debt 02/18/2021

Why Do Colleges Get Away with Price Gouging and Predatory Lending Practices? 03/05/2017

Biden’s New ICE Guidance Completely Backtracks from 100-Day Deportation Moratorium Promise, Expands Enforcement Priorities 02/19/2021

By 17-Point Margin, Voters Want Biden to Cancel $50k in Student Debt: Poll 02/19/2021

Biden’s First Month Marked by Broken Promises 02/19/2021 Biden kicked off his campaign by telling wealthy donors that “nothing would fundamentally change” under his presidency. After one month in office, it appears as if that is one campaign promise he is likely to keep. by Alan Macleod

Biden Betrays Promise to Fight for $15 02/19/2021

Ron Kim, NY Dem threatened by Cuomo, says he won't support him politically amid nursing home scandal 02/20/2021

Government memo crushes Cuomo’s defense in COVID nursing home scandal 02/20/2021

Cuomo said 'he can destroy me': NY assemblyman alleges governor threatened him over nursing homes scandal 02/17/2021

‘I believe Ron Kim’: De Blasio blasts Cuomo as bully over feud with Queens assemblyman 02/18/2021 Calling the incident “classic Andrew Cuomo,” de Blasio — who has had a number of public clashes with Cuomo during his tenure — suggested that “a lot of people in New York state have received those [kinds of] phone calls” from him.

Steal This Vote The US electoral system is deeply dysfunctional and always has been. 10/18/2005

Biden had a secret legal team of former Solicitors General to stop Trump from stealing the election: report 02/20/2021

An Ex-KGB Agent Says Trump Was a Russian Asset Since 1987. Does it Matter? 02/19/2021

How the Gores, father and son, helped their patron Occidental Petroleum 01/10/2000

Al Gore’s petrodollars once again make him a chip off the old block 01/08/2013

Ryan Ryckaert-Ruggero brought an excellent quote from Bernie to my attention, after checking the facts I realized that it was so good it was worth stealing, accidentally or not. 10/18/2020

Statement From Dominion on Sidney Powell's Charges 11/20/2020 Dominion's system does in fact include a paper ballot backup to verify results. In fact, thousands of elections officials in Georgia just completed the largest vote recount in American history using the paper ballots produced by Dominion devices.

The Market for Voting Machines Is Broken. This Company Has Thrived in It. 10/28/2019 ES&S’ chief competitors — Hart InterCivic and Dominion — are not strangers to mishaps and aggressive tactics. Dominion’s most recent voting technology failed certification in Texas, and the state also saw hundreds of aging Hart machines confusing voters and leading to accusations of vote flipping. Both companies have sued customers and each other. But industry experts insist ES&S, in part because it has been around and dominant for so long, is in a category of its own. .... ES&S and Dominion have appealed the decision. ES&S said in a statement that the technology Stein was seeking to examine was routinely tested by state and federal agencies or their officials.

In ’68, a young GI’s beliefs are rattled by another country’s Declaration of Independence 07/20/2018

Biden questions why Yale or Harvard graduates should get loans forgiven. But few borrowers attend elite schools 02/19/2021

Harvard Newspaper to Biden: Cancel More Than $10K in Student Debt and Don't Use Ivy League as Excuse Not To 02/24/2021

Majority of US Voters Want Government to Invest More in Healthcare, Education, and Fighting Poverty: Poll 02/24/2021

Lee Camp: It’s Time for Major Wealth Redistribution — Yes, I Mean It. 02/25/2021

A people’s history of the Vietnam War 09/13/2018

US Bombs Syria And Ridiculously Claims Self Defense 02/26/2021

Biden 'Revenge' Bombing of Syria 'Violates International Law': Legal Scholar 02/26/2021

'It Should Be Easier to Raise Minimum Wage Than to Drop Bombs on Syria': Progressives Fume at Biden 02/26/2021

Global Military Spending Reached Record High in 2020 With US in the Lead 02/25/2021

VP Harris, Biden’s Press Secretary Slammed as Hypocrites for Tweets on Trump’s Syria Airstrikes 02/26/2021

'Counter-Terrorism'?: Two Decades After 9/11, New Interactive Map Details Footprint of US War Machine in 85 Countries 02/25/2021

Government Secrecy Causes Conspiracy Theories 02/14/2021

Wikipedia: Foreign interventions by the United States

Wikipedia: United States involvement in regime change

The American Empire Project

Saudi Arabia signs deal with Lockheed Martin to enhance kingdom's defense and weapons manufacturing capabilities - weeks after Biden announced temporary freeze on arms sales to Middle East 02/21/2021

OPEN LETTER: NEARLY 800 ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS DEMAND BIDEN END SUPPORT FOR BRUTAL MOÏSE REGIME 02/24/2021 These organizations have a long history of neocolonial intervention in Haiti and the region. Ever since the democratically elected president Jean Bertrand Aristide was overthrown for a second time by a U.S.-sponsored coup in 2004, Haiti has been occupied by a United Nations force that, at its height, deployed 14,000 troops and personnel. ... The U.S. government has consistently stood as a barrier to popular democracy in the Americas. The 2009 coup in Honduras; the 2019 coup in Bolivia; and the ongoing blockades of Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela are but several examples of the U.S.’s poor record on human rights and lack of respect for sovereignty in the region. By its own admission, the State Department “works closely with the OAS, UN, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and individual countries to advance its policy goals in Haiti.” Under the guise of fighting drug trafficking, the U.S. continues to train and fund the Haitian National Police.

What UFOs and Joe McCarthy Have to Do With the Assault on the Capitol 02/12/2021 After dinner, the two ran into each other in the cloakroom and their conflict turned physical. McCarthy kneed Pearson in the groin, and Sen. Richard Nixon had to pull McCarthy off Pearson.

QAnon and UFO Conspiracies Are Merging 10/29/2019

I am Dr. Jacques Vallée a computer scientist and former astronomer. I have dedicated my personal research to the scientific research of UFOs. I was the model for the French scientist in Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters". AMA! 11/29/2015

Walmart Crime Report January 2021

Walmart had at least fourteen shootings, in January 2021, with at least one fatality and seven more injuries. The fatality was an off-duty security guard who was there to shop, one of the injuries was also a police officer, and at least three of the non-fatal shootings were officer involved resulting in at least two injuries. One of the shootings involved a carjacking and chase; another involved a rollover with bullet holes in the vehicle. The first shooting of February took place in the first three hours of the month.

They also had at least sixteen more gun related crimes, including at least five or six armed robberies and another four or five false alarms, although some of these panics may have involved armed people.

In addition to the shooting death there were four more bodies found on the premises, two people killed in accidents, one person killed in a stabbing, and the relative of a former worker trying to draw attention to a death as a result of COVID-19; which comes to a total of eight deaths last month, since the COVID-19 death was from last August.

There were at least two Walmart employees attacked during theft of jewelry, including one of an 89-year-old employee. Why are they even making her work, let alone being threatened over something as petty and useless as jewelry? Walmart is part of the oligarchy system that forces working class people to work well beyond when they used to be able to retire, while the billionaires take all the profit without risk!

Walmart's own promotion for PS5 inspired people to open up boxes of cereal across the country to get it, even though there was little chance it would work, since the promotion was another scam anyway. Their own scams routinely incite more crime, which is almost certainly a significant reason why they have more crime than other stores. Several other employees were also attacked for other reasons, including two in two different states with a baseball bat.

There was a family brawl that had to be broken up and several customers were attacked, including one that was kidnapped. A Texas police indicated that his officers "clearly mishandled" an arrest after they were being sued, these admissions are rare with black defendants and this one was white. One of the El Paso mass shooting survivors that was expected to be called as a witness was deported for petty reasons even though she had no record and there was no reason to believe she was a threat to anyone. Despite improved rhetoric from the Biden administration there's little or no improvement. Many of these immigrants are victims of oppressive polices in their own countries, often with the approval of our politicians, yet the USA, "defender of the free world" isn't trying to enable them to participate in the decision making process, which real democracies do.

Problems with the pandemic are now routine at Walmart, and everywhere else, including several assaults related to arguments about masks, at least one possibly two that may have involved gun threats. They had another fake “COVID Response Team” spotted at one of their stores. One person was allegedly fired for complaining about lack of enforcement. Another Walmart store in Canada went to the other extreme sending local authorities to enforce rules often with shockingly high fines. Whether it's enforcement of pandemic rules or anything else, it's usually the rich that come up with high fines, even though they're much less likely to be enforced against other rich people, and poor people can't afford them. This is rarely taken into consideration, indicating these policies are more concerned with controlling the poor and keeping them poor.

There were close to, if not more than a dozen major accidents, police chases or other automobile related incidents, including the two people killed in accidents, including several other crashes with at least two hit and runs, a couple police chases, a stolen vehicle, someone slashing tires and a man with a medical incident that was stopped from crashing into Walmart by a police officer that used his cruiser to prevent it.

Walmart had at least eight fires, including four arsons at one store and three more arsons at other stores, one of which was next to gas pumps by someone that might have been suicidal, plus another major fire still under investigation.

There were at least seven major stabbings, including the one that was fatal, and two more knife threats or attempted stabbings last month. Nancy Grace expressed outrage when a criminal profiler expressed concern about the lack of supervision for the children involved in the fatal stabbing. The rest of us should be outraged by her. If she really was a "victims rights advocate," as she falsely claims, she would be interested in finding out the root causes of violence so it can be prevented. The most important right for victims should be not to be victims in the first place and if we can learn how to prevent crimes like this, then we can prevent many people from becoming victims in the first place. Nancy Grace is just an egotistical demagogue promoting herself by seeking vengeance after it's too late to prevent crimes. If we had better education about causes of crime decades ago many current atrocities could be prevented, but that wouldn't be good for the employment of demagogues like Nancy Grace, who's actually a disgrace.

Walmart also had at least one theft of a catalytic converter, following several others in recent months, several sexual assaults, a major "cash out" scam that cost them thousands of dollars, and many more assaults shoplifting's and other crimes.

Walmart has been caught with false claims of "made in the USA" again, which happens practically every year; if they ever had credibility they lost it decades ago. A former employee said they ignored warning signs about the opioid crisis. They filed a counter-suit to prevent a fair investigation; it remains to be seen if it will work.

They're facing at least five major lawsuits, including one for a tricycle that wasn't properly assembled, a suit for using the image of a veteran without permission, multiple slip and fall suits, a suit for failing to fulfill lifetime tire rotations using the pandemic as an excuse, without offering refunds, and a suit over an arrest that was refilled. Part of the money you give them is routinely used for their legal defense funds, but if you have reason to sue them you'll have to come up with your own legal expenses, without relying on funds from your opponent.

Walmart is increasing their efforts to control health care, which should concern everyone, since they put profits over the interests of the public on everything else they do. We should be just as concerned with their use of self-driving cars and other delivery items, some within the store. They're also involved in many political scandals including ending donations to lawmakers that supported rhetoric contributing to the insurrection; but they haven't stopped selling MyPillow yet, and they want credit for partial support of the minimum wage despite efforts to stop it for decades.

Another consumer found another needle in clothing, this time a sweatshirt, sold at Walmart.

A video from before the pandemic went viral again showing a TikTok mom answering the phone at Walmart and offering to help the customer, even though there are no employees around, do to their relentless corner cutting.

Another women was caught on video hitching a ride on the back of a Walmart truck until he stopped at a traffic light, which also went viral.

An armed man was caught pointing a gun at imaginary people in the Walmart parking lot, saying he was trying to "protect himself and his family," even though the video showed that he was alone, with no one stalking him, or even his family.

Strange things happen at Walmart!

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In 2006 Wake Up Walmart did a study, "Is Walmart Safe?" based on incidents in 2004, (PDF) about crime at Walmart which showed that it increased when Walmarts opened up and that crime was higher at Walmart than at other retailers. Since then Walmart Shootings began compiling a list of gun related incidents at Walmart and demonstrated that they have a large number of them, including on average more than one shooting per week somewhere in the country; now after counting them for several years that average is over two per week. In January of 2014 another study, "Rolling Back Prices and Raising Crime Rates?" provided additional statistical research indicating that Walmart 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 Walmart’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 Walmart policies have been contributing to higher crime in a previous blog, Walmart high crime rate continues un-investigaterd and have provided additional information under the author tag Walmart Crime Watch.

Stacy Mitchell has also compiled a list of other studies about Walmart and how they impact society, Key Studies on Big-Box Retail & Independent Business. To the best of my knowledge Walmart 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. One of the responses they’ve come up with is what they call "Restorative Justice" which gives first time shoplifters a chance to avoid being arrested or any criminal record if they take an on line course which costs $400 up front or $500 in payments, plus perhaps, reparations. This has been part of the privatization process and often denies suspects of the due process or access to a lawyer, perhaps even intimidating and extorting from some people that might not even be guilty. Walmart seems to be trying to find a way to turn crime into a profit making situation instead of looking for the most effective ways to reduce it. Making Change at Walmart is asking If you or someone you know has gone through @Walmart's "Restorative Justice" program for first-time suspected shoplifters, send us a DM. 03/30/2017 to ensure that it isn’t doing more harm than good. I did my own review of this program as well at Walmart’s “Restorative Justice” Endangers Public Without Reducing Crime. The following are a list of incidents that occurred in January 2021. According to the "Is Walmart Safe?" the average store in their sampling had 250 incidents per year indicating that these are only a fraction of the crime reports at Walmart, 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 Walmart.

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Summerfield Fla. couple nabbed after price-tag-switching incident at Wal-Mart 01/01/2021

Suspect Arrested After Shooting, Carjacking, Chase That Injured 3 at Virginia Walmart 01/02/2021

Three people, including a sheriff's deputy, were shot Saturday at Dulles Crossing Plaza in Sterling by a man who took off in a stolen vehicle before he was apprehended in Chantilly, deputies said.

All three victims suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries and were taken to a hospital, according to Loudoun County Sheriff's Office spokesman Kraig Troxell.

Sheriff Mike Chapman explained at a news conference that at around 5 p.m., a man was being taken into a Walmart security office by two security guards on suspicion of felony theft.

He pulled out a gun and began shooting when deputies arrived to take him into custody, Chapman said. Both security guards and one of the deputies were shot. Complete article

Shooting at Walmart leaves Loudoun County deputy and 2 security guards injured, confirms sheriff's office 01/02/2021

Four wounded after shootout at Virginia Walmart 01/03/2021

Radio Transmissions Reveal Dramatic Moments After Walmart Shooting 01/04/2021

UPDATE: Man charged with attempted murder after stabbing at Bay Minette Alabama Walmart 01/01/2021

BAY MINETTE, Ala. (WKRG) — A man is facing multiple charges, including attempted murder, after stabbing another man at the Bay Minette Walmart.

Bay Minette Police Chief Al Tolbert said this is an isolated incident and does not appear to be a random attack. The two men got into an argument inside the store that led up to the stabbing. Bradley James Berry Carpenter was apprehended outside of the store after officers arrived on scene. Carpenter lives in Conroe, Texas.

Carpenter will be charged with Attempted Murder, Receiving Stolen Property 4th degree, and 4 counts of Reckless Endangerment. Complete article

Albemarle NC Police: No shooter at Walmart 01/02/2021

Albemarle Police Chief David Dulin said that a response to a shooter or someone carrying a gun at Walmart Saturday revealed no immediate evidence.

The incident came after a person overheard someone mention that someone had a gun, Dulin said. Complete article

Police searching for jewelry thief who punched 89-year-old Ky. Walmart employee 01/01/2021

LA GRANGE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Police are looking for a suspect in a violent theft at a Walmart in Oldham County.

It happened Thursday afternoon at the Walmart on New Moody Lane in La Grange. Police said the suspect got away with several pieces of jewelry, but what's causing the outrage is how he got his hands on the merchandise.

Dennis Clark, the 89-year-old victim's son, said his mother as working at Walmart on New Year's Eve when she was assaulted by a customer asking to see jewelry. Complete article

Police arrest alleged jewelry thief accused of punching 89-year-old employee at La Grange Walmart 01/04/2021

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal Boxes Raided For PS5 Promotion in Walmart 01/02/2021

The PS5 has been incredibly hard to come by, with many fans empty-handed almost 2 months after the release date.

General Mills has introduced a clever promotion for their Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, where lucky customers can win a free PS5.

This is in collaboration with Sony and also extends to other cereals by General Mills such as Honey Nut Cheerios, Cocoa Puffs, Cookie Crisp, and Reese's Puffs.

On the inside of each box, codes are printed for a chance to win, encouraging customers to purchase the cereal. .....

Shoppers have reported that on 3 separate occasions, these cereal boxes have been raided in-store for the codes and just left torn open on the shelves. .....

The same thing also happened in late November, with employees taping up the opened boxes. Complete article

Former Walmart Pharmacists Say Company Ignored Red Flags As Opioid Sales Boomed 01/03/2021

When Ashwani Sheoran showed up for early morning shifts at pharmacies in rural Michigan wearing his white Walmart smock, he often found customers waiting, desperate for bottles of pain pills.

"I see my patients, 15 to 20, already lined up to get prescriptions filled for morphine sulfate, oxycodone and other straight narcotics," he said.

This was in 2012 when the prescription opioid epidemic was exploding, killing tens of thousands of Americans every year.

Sheoran, now 41, told NPR he kept seeing what the Drug Enforcement Administration considers "red flags." Patients were driving long distances to buy their pills from Walmart. They couldn't explain why they needed such powerful opioid doses.

He started raising alarms, sending emails to his bosses in Michigan and to Walmart headquarters in Arkansas. He warned that their pharmacies were feeding a black market for opioids like Oxycontin.

What happened next made him angry. "They start putting more pressure on me to just be quiet and not to say anything more," Sheoran said.

"They told me, 'Do not reach out to the DEA, do not call the police. If you do so, your employment is going to be terminated immediately,' " Sheoran said, describing a warning he said was issued by his supervisor. Complete article

UPDATE: Man arrested after firing handgun in parking lot of Ca. Walmart store did not show up for his court hearing 01/01/2021

Two face Glen Carbon Ill. Walmart theft charges 01/01/2021

Woman wanted after taking wallet with $200 belonging to 6-year-old at Chandler Ariz. Walmart 01/02/2021

Cranston RI police look to identify women accused of stealing from Walmart 01/02/2021

Eugene woman arrested after threatening to shoot people at Oregon Walmart 01/04/2021

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. – Springfield Police Department said it arrested a woman over the weekend after she threatened to shoot people at the Walmart on Olympic Street.

Police said they received a call around 10:46 p.m. Saturday after Samantha Dawn Weekly, 30, approached an employee at the self-checkout and told him she had a gun and was going to rob the store.

Nearby officers responded to the chaotic scene as customers attempted to evacuate or hide in the store.

When they arrived, they said Weekly was standing near the front of the store with what they later discovered was a starter pistol -- similar to what is seen at a track meet -- in her pocket. Complete article

Police searching for man who assaulted clerk, stole jewelry from La Grange Walmart 01/03/2021

LA GRANGE, Ky. — The LaGrange Police Department is searching for a man in connection to robbery on New Years Eve.

According to a post from the department, a man wearing a black hoodie, black mask, gloves, and camo pants entered the LaGrange Walmart, pushed a clerk to the ground, stole several pieces of jewelry from the jewelry case, before fleeing the scene on foot. Complete article

Branson Missouri woman sues Walmart, claiming her tricycle was not properly assembled 01/03/2021

BRANSON, Mo.- A Branson woman who crashed while on a tricycle is now suing Walmart.

According to the lawsuit, the woman purchased the tricycle in 2015 from the Walmart on Branson Hills Parkway. The tricycle was only partially assembled so she had a Walmart employee finish the assembly.

The lawsuit says she was riding her bike down a hill and her breaks were not working, so she turned abruptly and crashed face-first into the pavement. Complete article

How Walmart plans to take over health care 01/04/2021

Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, wants to be your doctor, too.

In September 2019 the company known for its “Everyday Low Prices” launched Walmart Health, a primary care clinic, at a store in Dallas, Georgia. The doctor-run clinic, the first of its kind for the big box retailer, offers services like X-rays, annual checkups and dental exams.

As consumers face skyrocketing healthcare costs, Walmart, along with rivals CVS Health and Walgreens, is diving deeper into the healthcare business, opening in-store clinics in an attempt to grab a slice of the $3.6 trillion Americans spend annually on healthcare. Complete article

Elizabethton Tenn. Walmart Supercenter to close temporarily for sanitizing 01/03/2021

Family honors Chattanooga Tenn. Walmart employee killed in store shooting last year 01/03/2021

Mother and daughter charged with NY Walmart burglary 01/03/2021

Ky. Walmart employee gives life-saving service to customer 01/04/2021

Additional charges filed for Glen Carbon Ill. Walmart robbery suspects, one shot in Missouri, while fleeing 01/04/2021

ST. LOUIS COUNTY — Additional charges have been filed by St. Louis County prosecutors against two Missouri men accused of robbing a woman in the parking lot of the Glen Carbon Walmart.

Earl Barber, 41, of St. Louis, and Benjamin Smith, 48, both of St. Louis, were each charged Dec. 31 in Missouri with resisting arrest by fleeing, a Class E felony.

The two remain in custody — Barber in a St. Louis area hospital after being shot by a Madison County sheriff’s deputy and Smith in St. Louis County Justice Services — while the investigation into the shooting continues. Bail was set at $25,000 each. Complete article

4 teens in Winston-Salem NC facing charges after leading police on chase that started in Walmart parking lot 01/04/2021

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Four teens in Winston-Salem are facing charges after they lead police on a chase which started in a Walmart parking lot Monday, according to investigators.

According to Winston-Salem police, officers tried to stop a stolen car in the Walmart parking lot on East Hanes Mill Road just after 10 a.m. Monday morning. Investigators said officers blocked the back of the stolen car and one officer tried to block the front of it with their police car.

Police said the driver of the stolen car sped up and rammed the front of the police car. Detectives said the person driving the car then drove away. Complete article

MPD: Man faces charges for swinging at officers after woman calls to be escorted out of Wisconson Walmart 01/04/2021

MADISON, Wis. — Madison police charged a man that swung at officers after a woman, fearful of an ex-boyfriend, requested to be escorted to her car from inside a Walmart at 4198 Nakoosa Trail on Sunday afternoon.

Police said in the incident report that they utilized a taser after the man began to be aggressive as they tried to detain him.

The man fell to the ground and struck his head. He then was taken to a local hospital for observation.

The man was given a future court date on the tentative charges of disorderly conduct, attempted battery to law enforcement, resisting and four counts of felony bail jumping. Complete article

Las Cruces NM man charged with carrying loaded gun into local Walmart 01/04/2021

LAS CRUCES, NM (KTSM) — A Las Cruces man with a prior felony conviction is behind bars after authorities say he carried a loaded handgun into a local Walmart store on New Year’s Day.

Manuel Ramirez, 42, is charged with receipt, transportation or possession of a firearm by a felon. He also faces a misdemeanor count of criminal trespass.

According to Las Cruces Police and court documents obtained by KTSM, around 5:30 p.m. on Friday, January 1, a loss prevention officer at Walmart contacted an LCPD officer working security at the store located at 15550 S. Valley Drive to remove a customer with a previous trespassing order from the store.

The officer contacted Ramirez, who allegedly became nervous when advised he was not allowed to be on the property and was trespassing. Due to his nervous nature, the officer patted down Ramirez and found a loaded 9mm handgun loaded with 11 live rounds. Complete article

Newburgh family finds money inside baby formula at Ind. Walmart 01/03/2021

Seismograph box causes bomb scare outside of West Nashville Tenn. Walmart 01/04/2021

New Albany Mississippi Walmart closes and set to reopen January 7th, 2021 01/04/2021

Tooele Utah police searching for man, woman in connection with Walmart theft 01/04/2021

Walmart in Decatur Alabama closes for deep cleaning 01/04/2021

Officer involved shooting at Terrace Heights Yakima Wash. Walmart 01/05/2021

YAKIMA -- UPDATE: Yakima County Sheriff Robert Udell says the injuries to the officers are significant but not life threatening.

He says a stolen pickup was spotted, and when officers arrived the truck hit two officers while they were outside of their vehicle.

It happened at approximately 2:40 p.m.

Chief Matt Murray with Yakima Police; It is currently unclear if hitting the officers was intentional.

There are two suspects currently in custody.

Udell also says that at least a single round was fired. Complete article

Two Yakima police officers injured by suspects' vehicle at Walmart 01/05/2021

2 charged with assault of Canadian Walmart clerk who asked customers to wear masks: RCMP 01/05/2021

Two people have been charged with assault after an altercation over the wearing of face masks at a Walmart store in Dawson Creek, B.C., in November.

The RCMP say a store employee was attacked after asking two customers to wear masks.

A video posted on Facebook that has since been removed claimed to show the incident in the store on Nov. 25. Complete article

Pa. State police seeking Walmart driver in hit-and-run 01/05/2021

HOUTZDALE — Clearfield-based state police are seeking the public’s help in providing information about a hit-and-run incident that occurred Jan. 4 in Houtzdale Borough.

Troopers say at 11:40 p.m. late Sunday night at West Hannah Street, south of McAteer Street, a white truck tractor pulling a white Walmart trailer was involved with striking a residence located on West Hannah Street.

The truck tractor struck the front of the residence, causing substantial damage. The truck tractor proceeded to back the vehicle up and continue down state Route 53 without contacting state police. Complete article

Suit refiled against Sahuarita in Ariz. Walmart arrest 01/04/2021

The attorney for a man who said his rights were violated during an arrest at Walmart in August 2019, has refiled a lawsuit against the Town of Sahuarita two weeks after it was dismissed by a judge.

U.S. District Judge John C. Hinderaker ruled Dec. 17 that Freedom Christopher Pfaendler’s suit against the town and five police officers failed to make a case on any of its assertions and granted the town’s motion to dismiss. But he left open the door to have the complaint refiled, and Pfaendler’s attorney, Richard Wintory, did so on Monday.

The refiled case expands on several points, and claims nothing described to 911 operators suggested Pfaendler “was acting in a suspicious manner or doing anything other than shopping.”

It also said, “One dispatcher suggested to the caller that Plaintiff likely could not hear anything if he was wearing a Bluetooth-equipped helmet.” Complete article

Morgan Wallen ‘leaks’ tracks from ‘Dangerous: The Double Album’ after Walmart early release 01/05/2021

Morgan Wallen is taking matters into his own hands after Walmart made his new album available ahead of its scheduled release.

After some fans posted on Twitter that they'd managed to get their hands on physical copies of Morgan's Dangerous: The Double Album at Walmart days ahead of its Friday release, the singer turned to Instagram to set the record straight.

"Hey y'all, it's been brought to my attention that some of my music, well my album, has leaked at some Walmarts around the country. I don't know how that's possible, but it has, also that some of y'all are posting and trying to spread the new music, which I'm super thankful for. I'm glad you're eager to do that," Morgan shares in a video.

"But man I've been working on this album for three years. I'll be damned if I'm going to let Walmart do the leaking like that," Morgan adds, encouraging fans to keep up to date with him on social media and to purchase the album through Target instead, as he's given the retailer two additional bonus tracks. Complete article

KNOW THEM? Police Seek To ID Warminster Pa. Walmart Thieves 01/04/2021

Columbia SC Walmart on Bush River Road to close in February 01/05/2021

Chandler Ariz. police donate new wallet and money to boy who had his stolen at Walmart 01/05/2021

Man arrested after bomb threat at Colorado Walmart 01/05/2021 Gabe Smith, 35, went into the store at 37 Stafford Ln. in Delta around 6:45 p.m. on Dec. 31 and initially made statements about threatening himself and others in the store, police said. He made the statements over a radio he had taken from an associate, which is typically used to communicate among employees, police said. When officers arrived, they were able to contact Smith through that radio system.

Crime and fire report: Walmart account holder hacked, item rerouted to California; multiple package thefts reported 01/05/2021

Woman shot in Fla. Walmart parking lot off Beach Blvd 01/06/2021

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A woman was shot in the parking lot of Walmart in the Killarnery Shore neighborhood Wednesday night, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

Police said they were called to Walmart in the 8000 block of Beach Boulevard in reference to a shooting.

When police arrived, they located a woman with a gunshot wound. She was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Complete article

Walmart Thief On Jefferson St. Attacks Employee: Joliet Ill. Police 01/06/2021

JOLIET, IL —A 49-year-old Joliet man is now in the Will County Jail after police say he tried stealing merchandise Tuesday afternoon from the Walmart on West Jefferson Street and when employees confronted him, Uriah Bowie attacked the worker and tried running away.

Around 3:30 p.m., Joliet police were called to the Walmart at 2424 West Jefferson St. Officers captured Bowie after he ran from the store, police said.

Bowie was later delivered to the Will County Jail where he has been charged with aggravated battery, retail theft and resisting a peace officer. Complete article

Walmart changes military leave policy, agrees to pay up to $14 million for reservists’ claims 01/06/2021

Walmart and an Army reservist have reached an agreement to settle his claims regarding paid military leave that could ultimately pay up to $14 million to thousands of Guard and Reserve members. The proposed settlement, if approved by the court, could include more than 7,000 current and former Walmart employees who have taken military leave since October 2004, according to court documents. Walmart has also changed its policy as of Jan. 1, to increase the paid military leave benefit during shorter-term military duties.

The settlement could also potentially have an impact on other employers, said Kevin Hollinger, legislative director for the Reserve Officers Association.

The reservist, Nickolas Tsui, of Dracut, Massachusetts, alleges Walmart violated his rights under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, known as USERRA. Tsui, who is currently employed at a Sam’s Club store operated by Walmart in Hudson, New Hampshire, alleges that Walmart violated his USERRA rights by not providing fully paid leave when he took short-term military leave — leave that lasts 30 consecutive days or fewer. Complete article

Pea Ridge Arkansas approves Walmart drone delivery service 01/06/2021

PEA RIDGE, Ark. — The Pea Ridge Planning Commission has unanimously approved the accessory use for Walmart Neighborhood Market for Zipline drone Delivery service.

According to the city, this is a test program servicing a select number of people in Pea Ridge. It is not limited to city limits, but close-by.

This will create about 10 local jobs. Complete article

Walmart, SC environmentalists are pushing back on Dominion electric rate hike request 01/05/2021

Police arrest suspicious person observed drinking in Tx. Walmart restroom 01/05/2021

Hartsville SC Walmart closed for two days for cleaning, officials say 01/06/2021

Ca. Walmart temporarily closes Paramount store for COVID-19 sanitizing 01/06/2021

San Angelo Tx. Police Chief: Officers 'clearly mishandled' arrest of father at Walmart 01/07/2021

SAN ANGELO, Texas — San Angelo Police Chief Frank Carter said three of his officers "clearly mishandled" the arrest of a father who was handcuffed in front of his 3-year-old son at Walmart.

On Oct. 4, police responded to a report of an "alleged intoxicated driver" with a three-year-old child in the car harassing people in the parking lot.

The driver was described as a white male, approximately 5’09”, with brown curly hair. Complete article

Federal lawsuit filed against officers in San Angelo Walmart video 01/08/2021

Walmart defends suit v. DOJ, denies intrusion on prosecutors’ discretion 01/07/2021

(Reuters) - Can a prospective Justice Department target use a preemptive declaratory judgment suit to shape the parameters of the government’s case? Or must defendants wait to be sued in an enforcement action to contest DOJ’s interpretation of the law?

That’s one of the key questions in a fierce and highly consequential fight between Walmart and the U.S. government. The Justice Department, as you probably recall, filed an enforcement action against Walmart in federal court in Delaware last December, alleging that the company violated the Controlled Substances Act by failing to police opioids prescriptions.

The government’s complaint, which cites more than 230,000 overdose deaths that have occurred in the 10-year opioid epidemic, is seeking maximum penalties for thousands of prescriptions that DOJ contends Walmart should not have filled. Walmart has called the suit “misguided and misleading,” contending that its pharmacists have refused to fill thousands prescriptions from “questionable doctors” but are prohibited from interfering in doctor-patient relationships. Complete article

Laredo Tx. Walmart closes for COVID cleaning, sanitization 01/06/2021

Deputies: Canandaigua man charged with public lewdness at NY Walmart 01/07/2021

Wichita Kansas Police investigating sexual battery at East Wichita Walmart 01/0/2021

Leon County Fla. Sheriff’s Office investigating theft at Walmart on Tennessee Street, asking public to help identify suspect 01/07/2021

Schenectady NY man arrested after alleged robbery in Walmart parking lot 01/08/2021

HALFMOON, NY (WRGB) –The Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man after an investigation into an alleged robbery in a Halfmoon Walmart parking lot.

Police say that Travis Maderic, age 31, of Schenectady, showed what looked like a weapon and stole $530 from a man after claiming to sell him sneakers.

Maderic then fled the scene and was caught in Schenectady shortly after. Complete article

Police: Suspect vehicle wanted in Walmart theft crashes in Chesterfield Va. 01/08/2021

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WWBT) - Police say a vehicle that was involved in a theft at Walmart has crashed in Chesterfield.

Sources tell NBC12 that an officer spotted a vehicle that was wanted in connection to a theft inside Walmart and pursued the vehicle.

Once police pursued the vehicle, the vehicle began to drive recklessly, so police ended the pursuit.

The vehicle crashed at the intersection of Hull Street Road and Courthouse Road. Complete article

Batavia Ill. Walmart Loses Thousands In 'Cash Out' Scam: Report 01/08/2021

BATAVIA, IL — Batavia police are investigating a "cash out" scam that saw two men walk out of the local Walmart store on the day after Christmas with nearly $3,000 in electronics, the Kane County Chronicle reports.

The two suspects entered the store around 6 p.m. Dec. 26 and gathered electronic items before checking out separately at the electronics department register, the report states.

Both men told the cashier their credit cards require two-step verification and convinced them to type "cash" into the register for verification, according to the report.

That caused the register's cash drawer to open and a receipt to be printed, making it look like a normal transaction, but no money was ever paid by the two men running the scam, the Kane County Chronicle reports. Complete article

McDonough Ga. Walmart evacuated for bomb threat, police say 01/08/2021

Walmart Neighborhood Market in Jenks Okla. closing for deep cleaning 01/08/2021

One Gulfport Mississippi Walmart closing Saturday for deep cleaning 01/08/2021

Loss of SC Walmart shows how major retail has left Columbia’s Bush River area behind 01/09/2021

Walmart temporarily closing Fayetteville Tenn. store 01/09/2021

Five coronavirus infections linked to Mass. Walmart employees 01/09/2021

Police called to Ind. Walmart for welfare check, find body in vehicle 01/11/2021

GOSHEN, Ind. -- Goshen Police were called to the Walmart on Elkhart Road Monday just before noon to conduct a welfare check.

When they arrived, a body was found inside a vehicle in the parking lot.

The man died of natural causes, according to the Elkhart County coroner’s office. Complete article

Man taken into custody after reportedly stabbing 19-year-old cashier at Walmart in Waterbury Conn. 01/10/2021

WATERBURY, Conn. (WTNH) — Waterbury police are investigating an assault at Walmart on Wolcott Street on Sunday afternoon.

Police report 40-year-old Hichman Asfir, of Stamford, assaulted a 19-year-old female cashier.

According to police, the cashier was scanning a gallon of milk for the customer and informed him of the total amount. Then, he reportedly walked around the register, grabbed her by the hair and stabbed her with a folding knife to the left side of her head.

After the assault, the victim fell to the floor. At that time, Asfir dropped the knife and sat down against the wall near the cash register area. Complete article

Man Accused of Stabbing Waterbury Walmart Employee After She Scanned His Milk, Told Him Cost 01/11/2021

Daughter of Lodi Ca. Walmart employee trying to bring attention to father's death 01/11/2021

A woman whose father worked at the Walmart Supercenter in Lodi remains upset with the manner in which the company has responded to her following his COVID-19-related death.

Roberto Ayala, 62, worked at the Lodi Walmart for several years, Maricela Ulrich, his daughter, said. He died of COVID-19 on Aug. 13.

Ulrich, 40, of Lake Stevens, Washington, said her frustration rose when she learned the Walmart 1601 S. Lower Sacramento Road, was being temporarily closed for a few days for deep cleaning as part of a company-initiated program to keep employees and customers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic

The Lodi News-Sentinel reported the cleaning followed community rumors that more than 20 employees at the store had tested positive for COVID-19. Complete article

Dispute Over Scooter Led To Knife Threat At Vermont Walmart 01/11/2021

NEWPORT CITY — A Derby Line man remains in jail for lack of $5,000 bail after pleading not guilty Tuesday to threatening people with a knife outside the Derby Walmart Supercenter over the use of a motorized scooter inside the store.

Jonathan Wood, 25, was arraigned Monday in Orleans Superior Court Criminal Division and is being held at Northern State Correctional Facility in Newport City. Complete article

Blind woman gets help from News 2 after NC Walmart declines to provide assistance shopping 01/12/2021

Dr. Anjail Ahmad has shopped at Walmart for 10 years. She said there has never been an issue until a recent visit to a Triad store.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — It’s not unusual for Dr. Anjail Ahmad to spend an hour or so shopping at Walmart on a Saturday. The store is convenient, and she can buy groceries and other household items at the same time.

“It makes it easy for me,” Dr. Ahmad said.

The ability to buy multiple items at one location is important for Dr. Ahmad to reduce the number of stores she needs to visit. Driving to several stores is a burden on most people. For Dr. Ahmad, who is blind, it means scheduling multiple trips through a transportation service. Complete article

Amazon, Walmart, and Target are taking a new approach to returns by telling customers to keep what they bought, even after issuing refunds 01/11/2021

With the holidays over and returns season upon us, some of America's largest retailers are processing refunds while telling customers to keep the unwanted items.

Walmart, Target, and Amazon were identified as doing as much in a new Wall Street Journal report.

Notably, we're not talking about free TVs and computers — the policy is applied in situations where the product is unlikely to be resold and where the cost of processing the return is equal to or greater than the cost of the product itself. Complete article

Walmart to go 'bagless' February 15 01/11/2021

Vermont Business Magazine The State of Vermont last July implemented a “paper bag only” requirement as it banned plastic shopping bags. The decision was well-received, as retailers and customers look to lower their use of plastics. Last summer, Walmart joined other major retailers in an effort to reduce use of limited-use shopping bags. Now, following a positive response and support from its customers, Walmart is converting all Vermont stores to bagless, effective February 15.

Walmart said in their announcement that this decision only further demonstrates the company’s commitment to advancing sustainable initiatives that support people and the environment and to its ongoing efforts to target zero emissions in its global operations within the next 20 years. Complete article

Walmart to create fintech start-up with investment firm behind Robinhood 01/11/2021

Walmart said Monday that it’s creating a fintech start-up with Ribbit Capital, one of the venture capital firms behind Robinhood.

The big-box retailer did not share the name of the new company or say when its services will be available. It said it will develop unique and affordable financial products for Walmart employees and customers.

Shares of Walmart were up 1.5% on the news in after-hours trading Monday. Walmart’s market cap is $416.7 billion. Complete article

S. Eastern Las Vegas Nevada Walmart to close temporarily 01/10/2021

Checotah Okla. Walmart Closing Temporarily For Cleaning 01/10/2021

Manassas Va. mall Walmart closed until Tuesday for deep cleaning 01/10/2021

Hopkins Co. Ky. Walmart to temporarily close for deep cleaning 01/10/2021

Visiting Florida woman caught shoplifting at Walmart: Bainbridge Township Ohio Police Blotter 01/10/2021

Lewisburg WV Walmart to close for cleaning and reorganization 01/11/2021

Crime Solvers looking for suspect in Va. Walmart theft 01/11/2021

Missing Waterloo woman found dead in Ill. Walmart parking lot 01/12/2021

TROY, Ill. – A missing Waterloo woman was found dead Tuesday.

According to police, Lauren Miller, 38, was found deceased in her minivan in the parking lot of a Walmart in Mt. Vernon, Ill.

Troy Police Department alerted FOX2 that it was seeking the public’s help in finding Miller around noon, Tuesday.

Shortly before 5 p.m., Troy Police Chief, Brad Parsons, confirmed his department was notified that Mt. Vernon Police had found her about 70 miles from the Dollar Tree store in Troy where she had been last seen, Friday. Complete article

Child films cops escorting angry man from Walmart in NC for refusing to wear a mask 01/12/2021

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (The Charlotte Observer) - Police escorted a visibly angry man from the Walmart store in Mooresville after he refused a store manager’s request to wear a mask, according to a child’s video of the encounter that has drawn 414,700 Twitter views in less than a day.

“Because I’m white, she asked me to leave the property,” the man tells two police officers of the Black store manager. “It is because I’m white. What else is it?”

“Knock it off, or you’re going to jail,” a Mooresville police officer tells the man, pointing a finger at him, according to the video posted on the Fifty Shades of Whey Twitter account. The video originally appeared on the Facebook account of a Mooresville woman, according to a reply to The Charlotte Observer by Fifty Shades of Whey.

“In my county, my sheriff says that’s an unlawful mandate,” the man in the video says of requirements to wear a mask. Complete article

Walmart Indefinitely Suspends Donations To Lawmakers Who Objected To Electoral College Certification 01/12/2021

Walmart’s political action committee has indefinitely suspended all donations to lawmakers who opposed the certification of the Electoral College votes.

“We examine and adjust our political giving strategy at the end of every election cycle, and that review will continue over the coming months,” Walmart told the Daily Caller. “However, in light of last week’s attack on the U.S. Capitol, Walmart’s political action committee is indefinitely suspending contributions to those members of Congress who voted against the lawful certification of state electoral college votes.” Complete article

Man With Heroin, Xanax, Captured At Route 59 Walmart: Ill. Cops 01/11/2021

Women In Trucking Association Announces Continued Partnership with Walmart 01/12/2021

SPD: Reward offered for name of man wanted for stealing from Walmart on E. Bert Kouns Shreveport La. 01/12/2021

Walmart temporary closings for deep cleaning are more common in winter COVID-19 surge 01/12/2021 The Walmart Supercenter in Garland is closed for a couple of days to allow “third-party cleaning crews time to thoroughly clean and sanitize the building,” the retailer said Sunday. Walmart isn’t providing a lot of details behind the closings, but there have been several around the country, including one last...

Walmart parking lot argument among 3 shootings in N Harris Co. Tx. 01/14/2021

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Harris County had a violent night Wednesday on the northside where three different shootings broke out, leaving two men dead.

A man was shot outside a Walmart at the North Freeway and Louetta sometime before 6 p.m.

Deputies at the scene said two people got into an argument after a minor accident in the store's parking lot.

During the argument, one man reportedly pulled out a gun and shot another man. The victim was said to be in stable condition and the suspect is still at large. Complete article

Man shot in Walmart parking lot captures suspect on video: 'I want him to get caught' 01/22/2021

Two men suspected in three Mississippi Walmart robberies arrested after chase 01/14/2021

HOLLY SPRING, Miss. — Two suspects believed to have robbed three North Mississippi Walmart stores are in custody following a chase Tuesday morning that ended in Holly Springs.

One witness named Jay, a cook at the Huddle House in Holly Springs, watched the action unfold Tuesday morning involving county, local, and federal law enforcement.

Jay says everything happened so fast.

“Yea, we was in here trying to get these folks’ order, but that ceased when all that went on,” Jay said. “When everybody whooped up and came out of nowhere like “spiders having a meeting.” Some guns drawn…’come on get out of the truck’…trying to crack through the truck. All type of stuff man.”

Randy Readus and Julius Black, both who are from Memphis, were arrested after the pair reportedly robbed the Walmart in New Albany in union county tuesday morning. Complete article

Cleveland woman pulls out gun in Walmart: Brooklyn Ohio Police Blotter 01/14/2021

BROOKLYN, Ohio

Inducing panic: Brookpark Road

On Jan. 2, police were dispatched to Walmart regarding a report of a woman pulling out a gun inside the Brookpark Road store.

An arriving officer located the Cleveland woman, who indeed had a 9mm gun and ammunition inside of her purse. She was arrested for inducing panic and for disorderly conduct.

Theft: Brookpark Road

On Jan. 2, a Walmart customer called police after discovering that someone had stolen his cash while he was checking out of the Brookpark Road store. Complete article

Updated: Bedford Ind. Police Release Details on Walmart Incident 01/13/2021

(BEDFORD) – Bedford Police officers rushed to Walmart Wednesday night after police received a report from a manager that told police a man had a gun held on a woman in aisle 14.

The incident happened around 5:30 p.m.

“A manager at Walmart overheard someone come across the store radios, that only managers carry,” said Chief Terry Moore.

Officers cleared the store and it was searched while store video was reviewed.

“After watching the video it was determined no one was in the area at the time the message was heard and the manager’s working denied making the comment,” said Chief Moore. “It appears someone other than an employee has Walmart’s radio frequency and made the comment.” Complete article

Firefighters respond to fire near Valley Drive NM Walmart 01/13/2021

LAS CRUCES - Las Cruces firefighters extinguished a structure fire near the south Valley Drive Walmart store on Tuesday evening.

Shortly after 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 12, Las Cruces firefighters were dispatched to reports of a structure fire at 1400 S. Valley Drive, near the Walmart Supercenter. Firefighters determined an unoccupied building, previously used as the office for a mobile home sales business, was on fire.

Firefighters determined the building was unoccupied and structurally safe to approach before attacking the blaze. The fire was brought under control by about 7:40 p.m.

Firefighters determined the building was likely being used as a shelter by homeless individuals. Complete article

Walmart closing Bush River Road Columbia SC location 01/12/2021

Lafayette La. Crime Stoppers: Information sought on Walmart theft suspect 01/12/2021

Tarpon Springs Fla. group that warded off Walmart prepares for next battle 01/12/2021

3 Ca. Walmarts and 1 Sam’s Club temporarily closed for COVID-19 cleaning 01/1/2021

Walmart closing more Okla. stores to conduct deep cleanings 01/13/2021

Beloved security guard killed outside of Tacoma Wash. Walmart 01/14/2021

TACOMA, Wash. - When they heard it was Tracey Baker none of his colleagues wanted to believe it.

“He had gotten off early that morning, and ran to the store to get some things for his family and never made it home,” said Shavae Labine, Baker's colleague at Iconic Global Security.

The 36 year old was a full time security guard at the private security firm as well. But he was off duty Tuesday night and shopping at the Tacoma Walmart.

“Officers were called to a business for a dispute between two males,” said Tacoma Police officer Wendy Haddow. Complete article

Court officer shot outside Walmart in Florida City 01/14/2021

FLORIDA CITY, Fla. – An officer with the U.S. Marshals State District Appeals Court was shot Thursday before noon when someone tried to enter his truck outside a Walmart in Florida City, police say.

Florida City Police say the officer, 38-year-old Timothy Hunsberger, parked his black Ford F-150 on the store’s east-side access road to eat lunch when a man he didn’t know tried to open the driver’s side door of the truck.

Hunsberger pulled his gun, and in a struggle with the unknown subject, Hunsberger was shot in his upper left shoulder.

Hunsberger was airlifted from the store at 33501 S. Dixie Highway to Jackson South Medical Center, where he is in stable condition, authorities say. Complete article

Shots fired in a Walmart parking lot in Tulare, no injuries reported, police say 01/14/2021

TULARE, California (KGPE) – No injuries reported after shots were fired in a Walmart parking lot in Tulare late Thursday, according to police.

The incident was reported around 9:15 p.m. at the store on Prosperity Avenue and Hillman Street. Officers confirm that the incident was not an active shooter situation.

According to police, multiple callers reported shots fired both inside the store and in the parking lot. Officers arrived to clear the scene and discovered several store employees and customers in locked rooms. Complete article

Man arrested in Tulare Walmart parking lot shooting, police say 01/21/2021

Police: Shooting near Killeen Tx. Walmart 01/14/2021

Killeen police are investigating a shooting that happened Thursday afternoon near the Walmart on Lowes Boulevard. Complete article

Teen With Xanax Punches, Threatens To Kill Ill. Walmart Customer: Cops 01/13/2021

JOLIET, IL — A 16-year-old boy suspected to be under the influence of drugs Tuesday night punched a Walmart customer in the face and threatened to kill the man inside the Route 59 store, according to Joliet police. Outside the squad car, the teen kicked and bit a Joliet police officer and he also kicked another Joliet officer in the head later at the police station, reports show.

The boy had brought a backpack into the Walmart store and Xanax was found inside it, police said.

The Joliet police were eventually able to put the boy into the back of a squad car and deliver him to the River Valley Justice Center where he faces two charges of possession of controlled substances, retail theft, disorderly conduct, resisting a peace officer and battery, reports show. Complete article

Nashville man threatens Tenn. Walmart employees, customers 01/14/2021

A disturbance at the Walmart Supercenter on Wilma Rudolph Boulevard on Jan. 9 resulted in the arrest of a 67-year-old Nashville man who threatened an employee with a knife and claimed there was a bomb in the store, according to police.

Clarksville police officers said they arrived at the store shortly after 5 p.m. and found Calvin Dodson near the front registers making his threats.

Officers said the man appeared to be intoxicated.

According to the affidavit, officers tried to arrest Dodson and struggled as he resisted.

An unnamed employee told police when he approached Dodson, he was threatened with a knife the man pulled. Complete article

Niles Ill. Army veteran suing Walmart, Amazon for using his image without consent 01/14/2021

NILES - From fighting for his country to waging a war against corporate America, a Niles veteran says he has been re-traumatized by Amazon and Walmart after the companies sold his image for profit.

A few months ago, Army veteran Nicholas Giovannelli noticed something stunning. His image popped up on posters, being sold in a big box store and online.

"To come home and learn, a couple of months ago that Amazon, Walmart and other corporate defendants had misappropriated his image and were exploiting his image for their financial gain," said Giovannelli’s attorney Craig D. Tobin. "One of the photographs even has his name underneath it, which raises other security issues according to the United States Army."

Giovanelli is a Purple Heart recipient, medically retired from the Army after several tours of duty. He suffers from traumatic brain injury and PTSD. Complete article

Police seek ID of man caught on camera stealing Ninja food processor from Bossier La. Walmart 01/13/2021

Rome NY Walmart temporarily closes 01/13/2021

Shoppers driven out of Huntington Beach Walmart closed for COVID-19 cleaning 01/14/2021

Crime Briefs: Man runs into protected party in Colorado Walmart, refuses to leave 01/14/2021

Man arrested at Tenn. Walmart for criminal trespass 01/14/2021

Lebanon Tenn. Walmart briefly placed in lockdown 01/15/2021

NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) - The Lebanon Police Department says that Walmart on South Cumberland Street was briefly placed on lockdown after a male suspect showed a weapon.

Police say the person left the store and ran into the woods behind the Walmart. Complete article

‘Hey! Hey! Get away from there!’ Woman starts fire inches away from Idaho Walmart gas pump 01/15/2021

IDAHO FALLS — A woman was taken to the hospital early Friday morning after starting a fire in a trash can near a gas pump at the Walmart Fuel Station on Utah Avenue.

Cody Luke was driving to work around 2:45 a.m. when he noticed a small fire at the fuel center. He pulled in and saw a woman sitting on the ground inches away from a pump with a gas hose spread across her ankles.

“I rolled down my window and said, ‘Ma’am, are you ok?’ She nodded and just sat there,” Luke tells EastIdahoNews.com. “I was worried she was going to burn herself or there would be an explosion. I called 911 and they told me they would send an officer right away.”

Another man then arrived with a fire extinguisher and began yelling, “Hey! Hey! Get away from there,” according to video Luke shot on his phone. An Idaho Falls police officer showed up at the same time and pulled the woman away from the fire as the man extinguished the blaze. Complete article

‘It was considered child pornography’: Tx. Walmart flags mothers newborn picture 01/15/2021

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - Meika Large says she placed a picture order, like she has done hundreds of times.

Naturally, she thought picking them up would be a quick transaction.

However, when she got there, the employee at the Walmart Photo Center spread out all the images on the counter and began going through them with her.

The situation, she says, just got stranger from there.

“I had about five different new born pictures and half of them he barely had clothes on, because well they are newborn pictures,” said Meika Large, the mother of the baby “She went through all of them and only picked that one and said she couldn’t sell it to me because it was considered child pornography.” Complete article

South Carolina ‘Slip And Fall’ Turns Into Major Headache For Walmart 01/15/2021

So-called “slip and fall” cases represent the bread-and-butter of the “premises liability” tort – a personal injury genre which supports an entire industry of attorneys, insurance agents, physical therapists and related professionals.

The tort is among the most common civil actions in the United States, fueled by millions of “slip, trip or fall” injuries that take place all over the country each year.

Those of you hip to the term are no doubt recalling a particular scene from the 1995 comedy Friday starring Ice Cube and Chris Tucker …

Anyway, of these incidents an estimated 800,000 require hospitalization, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And the annual cost in terms of medical treatment related to these falls was (at last count) north of $50 billion – of which anywhere from 50 to 75 percent gets subsidized by Medicaid.

And that’s before we get into attorneys’ fees and related costs … Complete article

Marc Lore leaves Walmart a little over four years after selling Jet.com for $3B 01/15/2021

Marc Lore, the executive vice president, president and CEO of U.S. e-commerce for Walmart, is stepping down a little over four years after selling his e-commerce company Jet.com to the country’s largest retailer for $3 billion.

Lore’s tenure at the company was a mixed bag. Walmart instituted several new technology initiatives under Lore’s tenure, but the Jet.com service was shuttered last May and other initiatives from Lore, like an option to have customers order items via text, was also a money-loser for the Bentonville, Arkansas-based company. Complete article

Some Md. Giant Food, Walmart stores to get COVID-19 vaccines in pilot program 01/15/2021

Paris Tenn. Walmart to temporarily close for cleaning 01/1/2021

Reading man whose recorded scuffle with Wyomissing police at Pa. Walmart went viral arrested again. 01/14/2021

St. Cloud woman charged with theft from Minn. Walmart 01/15/2021

Person of interest sought after theft of purse at Orangeburg SC Walmart 01/15/2021

Person hurt in stabbing near west Charlotte NC Walmart 01/16/2021

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - A person was injured in a stabbing Saturday evening in west Charlotte.

The stabbing happened off of Wilkinson Boulevard near Walmart and Fifth-Third Bank.

Medic says one person was taken to the hospital with “life-threatening conditions.” Complete article

Alleged Catalytic Converter Thief Caught In Ca. Walmart Parking Lot 01/16/2021

JACKSON (CBS13) — An Amador County suspect was arrested Thursday night after deputies saw him crawl from underneath a vehicle in a Walmart parking lot.

The Amador County Sheriff’s Office says deputies were doing an area check at the Walmart on Wicklow Way when they saw Joseph Thurston emerge from underneath a vehicle. Complete article

Caught on video: Woman hitches ride on back of Arkansas Walmart truck 01/16/2021

TEXARKANA, Ark. (KTAL/KMSS) — Video of a woman hitching a ride on the back of a Walmart semitrailer truck in Arkansas has captured a lot of attention on social media.

The video was taken by CheyAnne Lyn on Wednesday near a Walmart Supercenter in Texarkana.

“I really just wanted to follow her, but not too close because I was scared she was gonna fall off,” she said.

Lyn said she followed at a distance.

“My friend that was with me, he actually rolled the window down and he was yelling at her like, ‘Hey, what are you doing, girl? You’re crazy!'” Lyn said. “And, all she did was turn around and look at him. She didn’t say anything. She looked serious the whole time. So, I mean, I think she might’ve done it a couple of times before.”

The woman held on until the big rig finally stopped at a red light at an overpass. Complete article

Activists Question Walmart, Others Carrying MyPillow Products Over CEO's Response to Capitol Riot 01/16/2021

An online activist group has questioned major retail companies including Walmart and Amazon for selling MyPillow products, after company CEO Mike Lindell's response to last week's riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Sleeping Giants, an activist group that aims to combat hate speech and bigotry online, tweeted at Walmart, Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond and Lowes on Friday asking if they would continue to carry MyPillow products after Lindell, according to them, "called for the insurrection."

"Will you continue to carry MyPillow after their CEO called for the insurrection and played a role in supporting it last week?" the tweet read. Complete article

Patent Pending: Walmart plans automated order picking, Target floats RFID for freight tracking 01/15/2021

This is Patent Pending. Supply-chain-related patent applications are published every day and this is where we'll talk about the ones that could have the biggest impact on the supply chain and the ones that challenge the norm. We want to give you an idea of where supply chains are heading and what the industry is thinking. Read the previous issue here.

Companies have been using robotics for years now to increase efficiency and accuracy at warehouses. But one part of the order-fulfillment process has remained stubbornly immune to automation: order picking. Complete article

Fenton Mich. police arrest man allegedly passing counterfeit $50 bills at Walmart 01/15/2021

Clearfield County Pa. man steals $1,112 worth of items from Walmart, Ollie’s, Rural King 01/16/2021

West Sacramento Ca. police say suspicious item in Walmart parking lot a 'hoax' 01/16/2021

State police looking for assistance identifying Potsdam NY Walmart shoplifters 01/16/2021

Police blotter: Woman steals $1,400 in items from Mich. Walmart 01/16/2021

Man on motorcycle in Winston-Salem NC taken to hospital after being hit by vehicle turning into Walmart parking lot, police say 01/17/2021

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A man is in the hospital following a crash in Winston-Salem on Saturday, according to a Winston-Salem Police Department news release.

Around 5:16 p.m., officers with the WSPD responded to a crash in the 5000 block of University Parkway.

Preliminary investigation revealed that a 2014 Chevrolet 4d passenger vehicle driven by a 68-year-old Winston-Salem woman was going south on University Parkway. Complete article

Tires slashed on two vehicles while parked outside Arnold Missouri Walmart 01/17/2021

Two Jefferson County residents had an unpleasant surprise when they returned to their vehicles after a recent shopping trip to Walmart in Arnold.

On Dec, 21, a 65-year-old Imperial man and an 81-year-old Arnold man each had a tire slashed on their vehicles while they were parked outside the store, 2201 Michigan Ave., Arnold Police reported.

The Imperial man called police at about 11 a.m. after finding a tire on his 2004 Chevrolet Impala slashed. The cost to replace the tire was estimated at $110, the report said.

The Arnold man discovered a tire was slashed on his 2020 Chevrolet Traverse at about 1:45 p.m. The cost to replace that tire was estimated at $225, according to the report. Complete article

Watsontown man charged with sexual assault of minor in Pa. Walmart parking lot 01/16/2021

Montoursville, Pa. – A Watsontown man is accused of sexually assaulting a child inside of a parked car at Walmart in Montoursville, the Lycoming County District Attorney's Office reported.

Data extracted from the child's cell phone yielded a time-stamped, geo-tagged video of the sexual assault, Lycoming County Detective William Weber said in a Jan. 7 criminal complaint.

Weber alleges that Lucas W. Moyer, 26, had sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old female around 11 a.m. on Jan. 1. Weber said the child disclosed to her school counselor that she'd had sexual intercourse with unknown adults.

During an interview with Lycoming County Children and Youth Services, the child disclosed meeting a person online, referred to as her "Daddy Dom," who set up dates for her, Weber said. The child told Weber that she used the internet applications Snapchat, Whisper, Watt Pad and Instagram to contact "dates." The child said her "Daddy Dom" instructed her to record the sexual activity and send it to him, which she did, according to Weber. Complete article

Fake “COVID Response Team” spotted at Mobile Alabama Walmart 01/17/2021

MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — A couple caused a stir in a Mobile area Walmart in an apparent COVID prank. A WKRG News 5 viewer sent us images of what appears to be a man and a woman dressed in disposable coveralls with the words “COVID Response Team” scribbled in magic marker on the back.

The images were snapped at the beltline Walmart this weekend. The viewer said the pair went through the store claiming COVID was in the building and they were part of the rapid response team, causing a commotion and scaring some of the shoppers. Security got to the pair and escorted them outside.

It’s not clear if Mobile Police also responded to this incident or if charges were warranted. We’ve reached out to Mobile Police and Walmart’s media office for more information. Complete article

How Many People Work at Walmart in Each State, and What They Are Paid 01/17/2021

Walmart, the largest employer in the United States, employing about 1.5 million Americans, has been at the center of controversies over its low wages for years. In 2020, the average wage of an hourly worker in a Walmart store in the U.S. was $14.76, which comes to between $25,000 and $30,000 annually for a full-time employee.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed store facts from Walmart’s corporate site to identify how many people in each state work at Walmart as sales associates and how much they are paid.

The average wage of a Walmart field worker, which takes into account both full- and part-time workers, does not differ much from state to state. It varies from $13.42 an hour in Idaho to $16.02 an hour in New Hampshire. Compared to the state minimum wage and cost of living, however, employees in some states fare much better than others.

The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, and 19 states have not altered it. Fifteen states have set a minimum wage over $10.00 an hour.

The cost of living is higher than the national average in nine of the 15 states with the highest paying Walmart jobs. A dollar goes the furthest in America’s southern and midwestern states — here is the value of a dollar in every state. Complete article

How to Get the COVID-19 Vaccine at Walmart 01/15/2021

Walmart Located in Escondido Ca. to Close for Sanitation Amid Coronavirus Pandemic 01/17/2021

TWO SUSPECTS SOUGHT IN THEFT AT INDIANA PA. WALMART 01/18/2021

DaBaby responds to fatal Walmart shooting on new single ‘Masterpiece’ 01/17/2021

Oklahoma State Player Surprised With Scholarship While Working His Shift At Walmart 01/18/2021

Mask dispute at Red Bluff Ca. Walmart ends with man in custody 01/17/2021

Red Bluff, Tehama County — A Tehama County man was arrested at the Red Bluff Walmart Sunday after employees say he was making threats involving a gun. The employee said the incident started over a possible mask dispute.

The incident was first reported to police just before 3 p.m. Sunday. Police confirmed the disturbance but couldn't confirm if the man had a gun.

Police believe the man was intoxicated at the time of the incident.

An employee told KRCR she heard the man was threatening those around him saying he had a firearm, but it has not been confirmed if he had one on him. Complete article

Police: Firearm threat prompts evacuation of Kansas Walmart 01/18/2021

CLOUD COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an incident that prompted the evacuation of a business in Cloud County.

Just after noon Monday, officers from the Concordia Police Department along with Deputies from the Cloud County Sheriff’s Department and Troopers from the Kansas Highway Patrol responded to a Criminal Threat from a subject stating that they were going to bring a firearm to Walmart, according to Police Chief Ric Fredrickson.

Officers were able to quickly and safely evacuate the building while the threat was investigated. After securing the area and a thorough search of the building by Officers, Walmart was allowed to reopen without incident. Complete article

UPDATE: Report of person with gun at Santa Maria Ca. Walmart unfounded, police say 01/18/2021

UPDATE (3:20 p.m.) - Police say they evacuated the building but no one with a gun was found. Officers say they have been unable to reach the person who made the original report.

Walmart has since reopened.

ORIGINAL STORY: Police were responding to Walmart in Santa Maria Monday afternoon after receiving reports of a person inside with a gun.

The call came in for the store on the 2200 block of Bradley Road.

As of 2:43 p.m., Santa Maria police said officers on scene had not found anyone with a gun. Complete article

Viral TikTok shows mom answering phone at Walmart when employees are nowhere to be found 01/18/2021

When the phone at Walmart began ringing and no employees were around to answer it, a TikTok-famous mom took matters into her own hands.

TikToker @victoria.villano’s account is largely dedicated to showing off her cool mom, who, in typical Italian mother fashion, is passionate about her cooking and quick to help others when they’re in a jam.

That desire to help others is on display in Villano’s latest TikTok, which takes place in a Walmart that appears short-staffed. Villano originally filmed the video two years ago, as evidenced by the fact that nobody is wearing masks, but the clip has enjoyed a viral resurgence, earning over 5 million views since Villano uploaded it yesterday.

The video shows Villano’s mother reaching over an unattended employee desk to pick up a phone that is ringing.

“I just answered the phone because there’s like nobody here,” Villano tells the customer on the line. “No, I don’t work here, but the phone’s ringing and ringing, and I know how it feels to be on that other end and nobody answers.”

“I’m just a customer looking for somebody to help me, actually,” Villano continues. “If you need help, I’m looking for a bell to ring over here.” Complete article

Bomb squad finds no threat from suspicious package at far east El Paso Tx. Walmart 01/18/2021

North Logan Utah Walmart abruptly closes for 'cleaning and additional restocking'; reopening expected Wednesday 01/18/2021

Owensboro Ky. PD looking for man wanted in Walmart theft 01/1/2021

Walmart temporarily closes Orange Ca. store for COVID-19 sanitizing 01/18/2021

Alleged Tenn. Walmart gunman back in jail 01/18/2021

Shoplifter charges after Oregon Walmart security with baseball bat after being confronted 01/19/2021

On Jan. 17, at 11:07 a.m. the Newport Police Department were dispatched to the Newport Walmart on the report of a female subject at the location attempting to assault a store employee with a baseball bat.

An Oregon State Trooper was the first to arrive on scene and was able to intervene and stop the suspect.

Investigation revealed that Hannah Lettrell, 30, of McMinnville, had been in the store and had stolen some items. Lettrell had left the business with the stolen merchandise, but had returned a short time later. Walmart security had witnessed Lettrell return and confronted her about the earlier theft.

This is when Lettrell brandished a baseball bat and charged at the Walmart security officer, swinging the bat at them and yelling profanities. The Walmart security officer was able to flee away from the suspect. Complete article

Man arrested at Walmart in Oak Harbor Wash. with stolen truck 01/19/2021

A 19-year-old Bellingham man was arrested in the Oak Harbor Walmart parking Jan. 7 on suspicion of stealing a truck in Anacortes, according to court documents.

An Anacortes business owner reported to Anacortes police that the truck had been stolen and she also posted information about it on the internet.

She received a tip that it was parked in the Walmart parking lot in Oak Harbor and notified police, court documents state.

After locating the unoccupied truck, three officers set up surveillance. Eventually a man, later identified as Aaron W. Julian, approached the vehicle and was arrested by the officers, according to a report by the Oak Harbor police. Complete article

'I was horrified': York City Pa. father finds needle in sweatshirt bought from Walmart 01/19/2021

Walmart is investigating an incident at its West Manchester Township location after a York City father found a needle inside a sweatshirt he bought for his son on Saturday, the company confirmed.

Ricky Jones said he was "horrified" when he found the object lodged in the pocket of a sweatshirt he bought for his 14-year-old son, Ricky Jr., at the Walmart, located at 1000 Town Center Drive.

Jones quickly took to Facebook to post his frustrations about the incident. The post garnered over 250 shares and 200 comments in a public group. Complete article

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Anne Arundel County Md. Police Officers Use Vehicles To Stop Driver Suffering Medical Emergency In Walmart Parking Lot 01/19/2021

PASADENA, Md. (WJZ) — The fast-thinking of some officers from the Anne Arundel County Police Department is being credited with helping prevent a potentially serious incident.

Officers were called just before 6 p.m. Monday night to the Walmart on Ritchie Highway in Pasadena for reports of an elderly man inside of his car, sobbing and appearing to be in distress.

“Upon arrival, I went to the driver’s side window,” Officer McIntosh, of the Anne Arundel County Police Department, said. “I saw the man was crying, shaking and he was kind of just staring off into space straight ahead.”

“He attempted to unlock the door for us, couldn’t, still shaking, kind of seemed like he was weak physically,” Officer McIntosh added.

As officers tried to get the man’s attention, he suddenly accelerated a short distance. To prevent him from doing it again, officers used their vehicles to box in the man’s car. Complete article

Walmart CEO Says Wage Hike Should Consider Regional Economics 01/19/2021

Walmart Inc. Chief Executive Officer Doug McMillon said the U.S. needs to confront its health and economic crises -- but added he doesn’t support a universal $15 minimum wage.

President-elect Biden’s $1.9 trillion plan would raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour from the current level of $7.25, which is “too low,” McMillon said during a media briefing with Business Roundtable CEO Josh Bolten. But instead of setting a uniform nationwide level, McMillon called for a higher wage that takes into account “geographic differences” and “small business.” Congress should find the “right pace” for wage increases, said McMillon, who is serving as chairman of Business Roundtable.

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As the world’s largest retailer and an employer of 1.5 million workers in the U.S. alone, Walmart’s CEO is closely watched in the retail world and beyond when it comes to labor practices and corporate decision-making. The company has increased its minimum wage in recent years amid criticism from labor activists, but it remains short of the $15 threshold and still lags that of competitors such as Target Corp. and Amazon.com Inc. Complete article

Walmart CEO blames 'fiction' of fraudulent election for dividing Americans 01/19/2021

New York (CNN Business)Walmart CEO Doug McMillon lamented Tuesday that the baseless claims of a stolen election pushed by President Donald Trump and his allies have further inflamed America at a time of peril.

"We all find ourselves in the midst of concurrent health, economic and racial equity crises as well as facing the reality of an electorate divided in large part to the fiction of a fraudulent election," McMillon said Tuesday during an event hosted by the Business Roundtable.

The insurrection at the US Capitol by Trump supporters January 6 caused major companies including Walmart to rethink their political activity. Walmart (WMT) suspended contributions to the 147 Republicans who tried, unsuccessfully, to overturn President-elect Joe Biden's victory. Other major companies such as Facebook (FB) and Coca-Cola halted political contributions altogether. Complete article

Walmart on Shackleford Road Little Rock Arkansas closing temporarily due to thorough cleaning 01/1/2021

Greeneville Tenn. PD: No explosives found, no charges filed after report of suspicious package near Walmart 01/19/2021 Police said the backpack was, “cleared by a member of the police department bomb squad and no explosives were found.”

Gaston County NC Walmart closes for cleaning 01/19/2021

SWFL woman wants to thank good Samaritan who saved her with CPR at Fla. Walmart 01/19/2021

Chicopee Mass. man arrested for allegedly stabbing, biting security guard at Walmart 01/20/2021

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Springfield Police arrested a man for allegedly stabbing and biting a security guard from Walmart on Wednesday night.

According to Springfield Police Spokesman Ryan Walsh, officers arrived at Walmart on the 1100 block of Boston Road around 9:45 p.m. where the man, identified as 37-year-old Freddie Carrasquillo of Chicopee, was approached by a Walmart security guard while attempting to shoplift.

Carrasquillo then allegedly pulled out a box cutter, bit, and stabbed the security guard in the hand.

Walsh said officers found that Carrasquillo was driving a stolen car onto Boston Road when they arrived. He abandoned the car on Oswego Street and police located and arrested him on the 100 block of Maple Street. Officers found a box cutter in his jacket pocket. Complete article

Springfield Ill. Police investigate armed robbery at Walmart 01/20/2021

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Springfield Police responded to an armed robbery at a Walmart.

Deputy Chief Joshua Stuenkel said they responded to a report of an armed robbery at the store on 6th Street. He stated there were no further details available at this time. Complete article

Walmart’s ‘Made in the USA’ claims under fire again 01/20/2021

Walmart is once again playing fast and loose with the rules when it comes to labeling goods “Made in the USA,” according to an industry watchdog.

The world’s biggest retailer — which five years ago managed to dodge a federal inquiry over its labeling practices by promising to change them — is now claiming on its website that goods that it sells like vacuum cleaners, towels and plastic storage bins are made in America when they aren’t, according to Truth In Advertising.

In a Tuesday complaint filed with the Federal Trade Commission, the nonprofit consumer advocacy group noted that Walmart claimed in a Facebook ad last fallthat nearly two-thirds of the millions of products it sells are made in America. Meanwhile, however, only 2,000 items are listed under its site’s “Made in USA” filter, according to the group, also known as TINA.org.

“The truth is consumers can’t be certain any of these products meet the FTC’s definition of ‘made’ in the USA … because of how Walmart is attempting to redefine the legal standard,” TINA.org said. Complete article

Walmart Accused of Mislabeling Several Food Products, Complaint Says 01/22/2021 A complaint filed with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleges that Walmart has violated the law by advertising dozens of products online as "Made in the USA" when they actually contain "imported components."

Walmart CEO and others support federal minimum wage hike 01/20/2021

President Biden has begun his job running the country and among his top initiatives; raising the minimum wage to “at least $15” per hour.

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon and current chairman of the Business Roundtable says his company, and the business lobby, support an increase in the federal minimum wage. While McMillon says that $7.25 an hour is too low, he stopped short of commenting on the $15 level Tuesday, one day ahead of the inauguration during a briefing with reporters.

The retailer is the largest U.S. employer with about 1.5 million associates and the BRT, a consortium of corporate leaders, employs over 15 million and generates more than $7 trillion in annual revenues.

McMillon, who says bipartisan support and taking into account geographical differences is important when considering an increase in the minimum wage. Larry Kudlow, former President Trump’s top economic advisor, did not support a federal minimum wage, noting that it should be handled at the state level. Complete article

eBay Hires Another Former Walmart Executive to Fill The Role of SVP, Chief People Officer 01/20/2021

eBay announced the appointment of Cornelius Boone as SVP, Chief People Officer. In this role, Cornelius will be responsible for all aspects of human resources across eBay. He will drive business performance, talent development and acquisition, learning and development, compensation, benefits, HR shared services, and people tools and technologies.

He will also provide oversight of eBay’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) team and initiatives. Cornelius will report directly to Jamie Iannone, eBay’s Chief Executive Officer and will join the company in early February.

“We are excited to welcome Cornelius to the team. I’ve known him for many years, and I’m impressed by his enthusiasm and strong leadership acumen. He has an impressive combination of technology, ecommerce, operations, supply chain/logistics and employment law experience. I’m confident that Cornelius will integrate seamlessly with our strong and talented executive leadership team.”

Complete article

RRPD seeks person who stole headlight sets from NC Walmart 01/19/2021

2 suspected in Trumann Walmart robbery arrested in Mississippi 01/20/2021

Woman Arrested After Attempting to Steal from Walmart in Manitowoc Wisc. 01/20/2021

Walmart in Cabot Arkansas closing temporarily due to thorough cleaning 01/20/2021

UPDATE: Man shot by police outside Warner Robbins Ga. shopping center 01/22/2021

A theft suspect was taken to a hospital Thursday after an exchange of gunfire with police in the parking lot of a Warner Robbins shopping center, officials said.

Derik Edward Jones, 27, was not the reason Warner Robbins police were initially called to the Walmart on Watson Boulevard. Officers originally responded to a shoplifting call about 2 p.m., but while they spoke with the Walmart security team, another shopper alerted them to a man breaking into cars in the parking lot, according to the GBI.

GA Bureau of Investigation @GBI_GA

The GBI is investigating an OIS involving the Warner Robins Police Department and Derik Edward Jones, 27. During an exchange of gunfire with officers, Jones was struck and is in the hospital being treated for his injuries.

When the officers approached the man, later identified as Jones, he ran across the parking lot, said Todd Crosby, the GBI special agent in charge of the investigation.

“When Jones and officers got in front of Bealls Outlet, several shots were fired by Jones and three officers,” Crosby said in a news release. “During the exchange of gunfire, Jones was struck.” Complete article

Knoxville Tenn. PD: One person injured after accidental shooting at Clinton Highway Walmart 01/21/2021

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Knoxville Police Department said officers responded to a shooting incident in the parking lot of a Walmart Supercenter on Clinton Highway around 4 p.m. Thursday.

One person was transported to the hospital, according to officials. They said that the person's status and the extent of their injuries was unknown. However, they also said that they were in surgery at the University of Tennessee Medical Center.

Police also said that the incident appeared to be accidental and that the investigation was ongoing. Complete article

Nurse rushes to help in apparent accidental shooting at Clinton Highway Walmart 01/22/2021

Woman dies after being hit in Walmart parking lot off Merrill Road Jacksonville Fla. 01/21/2021

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A 65-year-old woman is dead after being hit in the parking lot of Walmart off Merrill Road Thursday evening, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

Police say, a driver was leaving the parking lot and hit the woman.

JSO says the woman was trapped underneath the vehicle when they arrived. Complete article

Police catch men accused of robbing Winston-Salem NC Walmart at gunpoint 01/21/2021

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Two 20-year-olds have been arrested after robbing a Winston-Salem Walmart at gunpoint on Wednesday, Winston-Salem police said.

At around 2:40 p.m. on Jan. 20, Oshea Malik Carmichael, 24, and Anthony Staffon Holland, 21, pulled a handgun on the Walmart employees who confronted them about stealing merchandise at the store, officers said. The two escaped in a car before police arrived, officials said.

Authorities identified and arrested the pair and placed them in Forsyth County Detention Center. Both had a history of breaking the law, according to WSPD officials.

Carmichael, who is already on probation for felony larceny, is charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm by a felon. Complete article

Armed robber makes off with cash from Walmart on Lejune Drive Springfield Ill. 01/21/2021

Springfield Police are investigating the armed robbery of Walmart Supercenter at 1100 Lejune Drive at 5:23 p.m. Wednesday.

A male wearing all black clothing approached the store's customer service desk and demanded money after displaying a handgun.

The suspect was able to secure an undetermined amount of money and laterfled the store in a vehicle. Complete article

Man arrested after hunting imaginary man in Pa. Walmart parking lot 01/21/2021

BLAIR COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — A Duncansville man that police say wielded a .50 caliber muzzleloader as he searched for an imaginary man in the parking lot of the East Freedom Walmart now faces charges.

It was about 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 27 when Freedom Township police were dispatched to the area of Country Lane and Repair road after a call about a man walking around the Walmart parking lot who was pointing a gun as if he was looking for someone, according to charges filed by Freedom Township police.

Jacob Curry, 46, was spotted across the road from Walmart by responding police, who recognized him, and after officers from nearby departments arrived, Curry was handcuffed without incident. Police said Curry appeared under the influence of drugs and claimed to be seeing people outside the police cruiser who were not there. He claimed he drove to Walmart because a man was in his truck and held a gun to his head, but the man got out when they arrived so he walked through the parking lot with the gun so he could protect himself and his family.

Police noted Walmart video showed Curry was alone when he pulled into the lot and jumped out of the truck, which he initially failed to put into park so it kept moving until he got back in and stopped it. Complete article

Stabbing investigation closes Vista Grande behind Nevada Walmart 01/19/2021

Douglas County and Washoe Tribe authorities are investigating a stabbing that occurred on Tuesday afternoon near Vista Grande and Topsy.

Deputies responded to a report of a man with a stab wound at the Topsy Walmart. While en route, the man walked up to Pier One where he was picked up by East Fork medics and transported to Sunridge.

He was transported to Renown Regional Medical Center by Care Flight helicopter. Complete article

Woman arrested for assaulting, robbing woman outside Franklin Walmart 01/22/2021

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WKRN) – A woman accused of assaulting and robbing a Walmart shopper outside of her car has been arrested.

Police say 25-year-old Kerrigan Larkins of Nashville, a convicted felon, pulled up behind the victim in the Franklin Walmart parking lot. The victim was unlocking her door and getting into her car when Larkins grabbed her purse. When the victim resisted, police say Larkins repeatedly punched her in the face and head before finally getting away with her purse.

A police radio then broadcasted a description of Larkins and her getaway car, resulting in a nearby officer pulling Larkins over on Mallory Lane, arresting her. Complete article

Threat leads to shutdown of Kansas Walmart 01/20/2021

A criminal threat shut down the Concordia Walmart store for about two hours on Monday.

According to a release from the Concordia Police Department, at 12:02 p.m. police officers, along with deputies from the Cloud County Sheriff's Office, and Kansas Highway Patrol troopers responded to a criminal threat from a subject stating they were going to take a gun to Walmart.

Law enforcement officials were able to quickly and safely evacuate the building while the threat was investigated. Complete article

Montevallo man arrested for Alabama Walmart robbery 01/21/2021

ALABASTER., Ala. (WBRC) - Alabaster Police arrested a Montevallo man Wednesday for theft and robbery that took place at the Walmart in Alabaster earlier this month.

29-year-old Adam Stephens was taken into custody by the US Marshals Service’s Fugitive Task Force and charged with robbery first degree and Theft of property fourth degree that occurred at the local Walmart on January 16.

His bonds total $33,000. Complete article

Health department warns of potential exposure at Ithaca NY Walmart 01/21/2021

CRIME STOPPERS: Man wanted after 10+ video games stolen from Moline Ill. Walmart 01/21/2021

Woman arrested after child found wandering inside San Antonio Tx. Walmart with head injury, bruising, records show 01/21/2021

Parolee accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from Wy. Walmart 01/21/2021

Summerfield Fla. man once nabbed in theft at Villages Wal-Mart back behind bars 01/22/2021

15-year-old dies after stabbing at Walmart on La. 14 01/23/2021

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to homicide that occurred at Walmart on La. 14 at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 23.

According to CPSO spokesperson Kayla Vincent, there was a fight between several young girls inside the store, at which time a 15-year-old was stabbed. The victim, succumbing to her injuries.

According to Vincent, the suspect is a 13-year-old girl who is now in custody.

According to Chief Deputy Stitch Guillory, the incident possibly started at a movie theatre and ended at Walmart on La. 14. Complete article

Nancy Grace spars with profiler over teens' Walmart attack: 'We're worried that they grew up without Daddy'? 01/28/2021

Four teenagers arrested over ‘live-streamed’ murder of 15-year-old girl in Walmart 01/26/2021

The suspects allegedly used a knife that they had stolen from the store in the incident, just moments after they were seen in the kitchen aisle, according to reports.

Live footage of the incident was also allegedly posted to social media by one of the suspects. It appeared to show her holding a knife while moving towards the victim. Surveillance footage released by police showed a girl carrying the knife as she fled the store on Saturday.

WATCH NOW: Authorities investigate crime scene, rollover, with possible bullet holes, in Lansing Ill. Walmart shopping plaza 01/23/2021

LANSING — Crime tape has covered a swath of a Lansing shopping plaza and a Walmart entrance Saturday night, where a car in the parking lot was flipped on its side with what appeared to be bullet damage in the windshield.

The Audi was reportedly stolen from a Region liquor store earlier Saturday, said Hammond police Lt. Steve Kellogg.

Around 7:50 p.m. Lansing police were seen investigating a large crime scene at Lansing Square, in the 17700 block of Torrence Avenue.

Crime scene tape blocked off an area at the left side set of doors of Walmart.

In the parking lot plaza, a black Audi was flipped onto its side next to another vehicle with front-end damage. What appeared to be multiple bullet holes had damaged the windshield. Complete article

Cedar Rapids Iowa Police break up brawl at Walmart on southwest side 01/23/2021

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) -Cedar Rapids police arrested two suspects after breaking up a fight at Walmart on Saturday afternoon.

At 3:30 P.M., officers responded to a fight reported at Walmart on the southwest side.

Authorities say one officer on scene managed to separate the parties involved.

Police say one of the subjects involved assaulted a Walmart employee. When an officer attempted to contact that suspect, police say they resisted and assaulted officers. Complete article

Mom and son face charges in Cedar Rapids Walmart fight 01/24/2021

Man arrested after harassing, touching Okla. Walmart employee inapproipately 01/25/2021

OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) -- A man was arrested Sunday just after 6:00 p.m. after harassing a Walmart employee.

According to police reports, Daniel Dickerson, 28, was inappropriately touching a Walmart employee in her chest area.

When police arrived at the Walmart, Dickerson had already been placed in cuffs by Walmart security.

Police were shown video of Dickerson reaching his hand out to touch the woman's breasts with his right hand.

The woman said that Dickerson was attempting to return an item but was unable to due to health concerns and the item had already been used. Complete article

Police: Queensbury man stole clothing, food from NY Walmart 01/22/2021 Troopers learned that a man had fled the store after stealing about $40 worth of clothing and food from the store, according to police.

Police: ‘Unruly’ Hunterdon County NJ Man Refusing To Wear Mask At Walmart Throws Coffee On Ground 01/22/2021

Walmart Supercenter on Northeast Side San Antonio Tx. to close Friday afternoon for deep cleaning 01/22/2021

Pekin Ill. Walmart cleared after report of possible bomb in store 01/22/2021

Police: Shoplifter hits Ill. Walmart twice 01/22/2021

No shots fired: Incident in Mississippi Walmart sparks active shooter calls 01/25/2021

An apparent confrontation between an individual and a group of people inside Walmart resulted in multiple calls to Vicksburg police about an active shooter in the store with shots fired.

The incident forced store officials to evacuate the building.

Vicksburg Police Department spokesman Capt. Mike Bryant said officers responding to the call determined no shots were fired although several witnesses to the incident said some of the people involved were armed.

Bryant said officers questioned a man who claimed to be a victim in the incident, adding the other group left the store before officers arrived. Complete article

Greed in the Suites, From Walgreens to Walmart 01/26/2021 by Sam Pizzigati

Walgreens has no buzz. Most every week millions of us walk into a local outlet of this drab drugstore giant and give the enterprise all around us not a second thought. Maybe we should.

Walgreens illustrates — personifies — the long-term economic trends that the Trump years so cavalierly doubled down upon. The core reality at the heart of these trends: Top corporate executives are busily pocketing immense paychecks at the direct expense of their workers.

At Walgreens, workers start an $10 an hour. No chain store empire employing essential workers pays less. Could Walgreens afford to pay more? Just no way, the company’s flacks would like us to believe. Walgreens was cost-cutting, the excuses go, even before the pandemic hit, announcing plans in 2019 to shut down 200 of its 9,000 local U.S. outlets. Complete article

Walmart Lifetime Tire Rotation Lawsuit: Arbitration Sought 01/25/2021

January 25, 2021 — A Walmart lifetime tire rotation lawsuit allegedly should have never been filed because the plaintiff allegedly agreed to arbitrate any disputes when he purchased the tires and lifetime tire rotation and balancing plan.

The plaintiff who sued alleges he ordered a set of tires for $122.45 per tire from Walmart's website in July 2018. He had the tires installed at a Texas Walmart and purchased the lifetime tire rotation and balancing plan.

The lawsuit alleges Walmart “promises to provide tire balancing and rotation services every 7,500 miles for the life of qualified tires from the original purchase date.”

The plaintiff says he obtained tire rotation and balancing services in 2019 but was denied the services in 2020 due to safety protocols Walmart created due to the COVID-19 virus. Complete article

MyPillow Petition Urging Amazon, Walmart to Stop Selling Products Hits 60,000 Signatures 01/25/2021

Tens of thousands of people have signed a petition demanding more major retailers stop selling MyPillow products due to CEO Mike Lindell's continuing support of Donald Trump.

Lindell had previously been criticized for continually pushing Trump's baseless claims of widespread voter fraud in the election.

He also appears to have backed the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6 and was photographed holding a note before a meeting with Trump following the attack that seemed to advocate the imposition of martial law. Complete article

12 Walmart stores in N.J. ready to give COVID vaccinations when doses are available, company says 01/25/2021

Walmart Expanding Vaccine Distribution Efforts 01/25/2021

Walmart starting to offer COVID-19 vaccinations in some Georgia locations 01/22/2021

Walmart expanding COVID-19 vaccine program to South Carolina 01/22/2021

2 Missouri jail escapees arrested in Denver homeless shelter, Arvada Colorado Walmart 01/25/2021 Abernathie was arrested Sunday afternoon after he attempted to steal about $150 worth of clothes and other items from a Walmart at 9400 Ralston Rd., according to the Arvada Police Department. He gave officers a false name, so they ran his fingerprints to discover his identity, police said.

Police Seeking To Identify Suspect Accusing Of Stealing From Pa. Walmart 01/26/2021

Leesville La. Walmart closing for cleaning 01/25/2021

Columbus Ind. Walmart to offer limited COVID-19 vaccinations, beginning today 01/26/2021

Deputies investigate gunfire near Meraux La. Walmart 01/26/2021

MERAUX, La. (WVUE) - The St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating gunfire near a Walmart Neighborhood Market in Meraux.

The gunfire was heard around 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. No one was injured, according to a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office.

Children playing at a nearby playground near Judge Perez Dr. and Hannan Blvd. ducked when they heard the nearby gunfire, according to witnesses. Complete article

Berthoud resident dies in crash on U.S. 287 near Longmont Colorado Walmart 01/26/2021

A 34-year-old Berthoud resident died Tuesday in a two-car crash on U.S. 287 after losing control and spinning into oncoming traffic.

According to a news release from Longmont Public Safety spokesman Jeff Satur, fire, medical and police responded to a fatal car crash at approximately 3:30 p.m. Tuesday on U.S. 287 south of Park Ridge Road, about a block north of Colo. 66.

The 34-year-old Berthoud resident, who was driving a Cadillac sedan southound on U.S. 287, lost control and “started a side spin into the northern lanes” before being t-boned on the driver’s side by a Honda Pilot traveling in the northbound lanes carrying four passengers in addition to the driver, the release stated. Complete article

Ontario Authorities Patrol Costco, Walmart to Enforce Masking, Distancing 01/26/2021

Ontario issued dozens of fines to large retailers and their customers — $1,000 and $750 (CAD), respectively — over recent weeks as part of its “big-box store blitz” to enforce compliance with mask-wearing and social distancing decrees, ostensibly issued as public health protection measures.

The province deployed about 50 “inspectors” from its Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development — in addition to local bylaw and police officers — to retailers such as Costco, Loblaws, and Walmart. Dozens of fines have been issued in recent weeks to both patrons and businesses for violations of what Ontario deems “COVID-19 health and safety requirements.”

CTV News reported on escalation of punishment — including fines and imprisonment — for “more serious” violations of the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act:

The government said if a violation is more serious, a person can be charged with failing to comply with an order. If convicted, the court can impose fines as high as $100,000 for individuals, and directors and officers of a corporation can be fined up to $500,000. Both could also receive terms of imprisonment of up to one year.

Complete article

Warehouses At North Texas Walmart Locations Will Soon Have Self-Driving Robots 01/27/2021

NEW YORK (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — Mechanical workers will soon be ‘on the clock’ at Texas Walmart locations. The company says it is enlisting the help of robots to keep up with their ever increasing number of online orders.

The company said it plans to build warehouses at its stores where self-driving robots will gather groceries and have them ready for shoppers to pick up in an hour or less.

Walmart declined to say how many of the warehouses it will build, but construction has started at North Texas stores in Lewisville and Plano. Building is also underway at locations in American Fork, Utah and Bentonville, Arkansas — where Walmart’s corporate offices are based. A test site was opened more than a year ago at a store in Salem, New Hampshire. Complete article

Walmart adding dozens of automated local fulfillment centers to speed delivery and pickup orders 01/27/2021

Skip Scanning Away At Fla. Walmart 01/2/2021

Police calls: Woman's house, vehicle shot up 01/26/2021 Walmart, 2485 Possum Run Road - A 35-year-old woman concealed items totaling $86.03 in her scooter and failed to scan and pay for them.

Walmart, 2485 Possum Run Road - A 26-year-old woman said she needed food so that is why she attempted to steal from the store. She was issued a summons on a charge of theft in lieu of arrest. The items were returned to Walmart.

Woman Charged With Stealing Items From Pa. Walmart 01/26/2021

Lowcountry high school principal donates his paychecks at SC Walmart to help those in need 01/26/2021

Utah chooses Smith's, Walmart to help vaccinate general public, when allowed 01/27/2021

Suspect injured during overnight disturbance at Tyler Tx. Walmart 01/28/2021

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - Thursday around 1:30 a.m. Tyler Police were called to the Walmart Supercenter at 450 S SE Loop 323.

At least a half-dozen Tyler PD vehicles responded and found Enus Lewis with a baseball bat. According to a preliminary report the store was closed at the time.

According to the Tyler Police report, Lewis broke the glass door and went into the store. He then proceeded to destroy things inside the store while he was in the process he did get cut himself with glass and was seen by EMS. Complete article

Four-car collision reported on Niblick Road in front of Ca. Walmart 01/28/2021

–Paso Robles Fire and Emergency Services responded to a four-car traffic collision that occurred on Niblick Road in front of Walmart in Paso Robles Wednesday evening.

Authorities closed the intersection at South River to westbound traffic on Niblick Road.

The cause of the collision has not yet been determined. Complete article

Walmart fired me when I complained managers weren’t wearing masks or gloves, N.J. man says in suit 01/27/2021

An Ocean County man who worked at Walmart for 14 years has filed suit against the chain, claiming he was fired last summer after complaining managers weren’t wearing masks or gloves in violation of state orders meant to stop the spread of coronavirus.

John R. Stewart, 69, worked as an assistant sales manager in the Egg Harbor Township store until he was fired on Aug. 11, 2020, according to a suit filed Thursday in Superior Court of New Jersey.

Stewart was hired in 2006 and says he was never disciplined until last year when he started complaining about his managers ignoring Gov. Phil Murphy’s executive order mandating masks in retail stores. Complete article

Watson La. Walmart not enforcing mask mandate, Subway employee says 01/26/2021

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - A third-party employee is claiming Walmart in Watson is refusing to enforce Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards’ mask mandate and is allowing customers to enter the store without asking them to put on a mask.

The Subway manager inside the Watson Walmart said she has seen customers and Walmart employees ignoring the governor’s mask requirement. The manager who asked WAFB not to name her out of fear of backlash, said when those customers come to her Subway, they often become confrontational when told to put on their mask.

“Some people will be like, oh, whatever and cuss us out, use very vulgar names and leave and to be honest, that’s kind of on the nice side,” she said.

In surveillance video shared with WAFB by the franchise owner, you can see a customer inside the restaurant become irate with employees after being told he had to wear a mask. The customer slammed his drink on the ground and walked out. Complete article

Suspicious Walmart shopper claims bad checks and sex trafficking taking place at store: Brooklyn Ohio Police Blotter 01/27/2021

10 States Walmart is Distributing the COVID-19 Vaccine In 01/26/2021

Walmart to build $800M distribution center near Dallas Tx. 01/27/2021

Walmart Has Spent the Past Year Preparing with CDC and Others to Administer COVID-19 Vaccine 01/27/2021

Charges expected in Ky. Walmart jewelry theft 01/27/2021

Massena man charged in Potsdam NY Walmart larcenies, allegedly stole tires, arcade game 01/28/2021

Man indicted for murder in deadly North Lubbock Tx. Walmart shooting last Dec. 01/27/2021

Mobile police working a scene at Alabama Walmart Neighborhood Market on University Boulevard after call of shots fired 01/28/2021

MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — Mobile police are working a scene at the Walmart Neighborhood Market on University Boulevard at Cottage Hill Road.

Police responded to the parking lot a little before 8 p.m. Thursday to a call of shots fired. Police say no one was hurt, but from the evidence markers, multiple bullet casings were in the parking lot.

WKRG News 5 is working to get more details. Complete article

Malvern Arkansas authorities lock down Walmart in search for kidnapping suspect 01/29/2021

Four law enforcement agencies on Friday tracked down a suspect in an attempted robbery and a kidnapping that led to the lockdown of a Malvern Walmart, according to a Garland County sheriff’s office spokeswoman.

Miguel Sanchez, 33, of Leola, about 22 miles southeast of Malvern, faces charges of aggravated assault, kidnapping and aggravated robbery, according to Deputy Courtney Kizer of the Garland County sheriff’s office.

Police said that at about 4:45 p.m. Friday, a man attempted to rob several people in the parking lot of a marijuana dispensary at 4800 Malvern Road in Hot Springs National Park. Kizer said the man scared the people away before walking across the street, where he hijacked a woman's car.

The woman drove the man about 9 miles southeast to a Walmart on 1910 Martin Luther King Blvd., near Rockport in north Malvern, according to Kizer. There, the woman was forced out of the vehicle and to an ATM where, Kizer said, an unknown amount of cash was withdrawn. Complete article

Suspect in custody for fires at Ca. Walmart, Ross Dress for Less on Wednesday morning 01/28/2021

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — On Wednesday, Jan. 27 there was a fire reported at the Walmart in Southwest Bakersfield just after 7 a.m.

That same morning, just before 10 a.m., the Bakersfield Police Department responded to a fire at Ross Dress for Less on Ming Ave.

Both fires were extinguished before BFD arrived. Complete article

Crews battle first-alarm fire at Walmart store at Mesa Riverview Ariz. 01/28/2021

MESA, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) - Mesa Fire and Medical Department crews were called out to battle a first-alarm fire at the Walmart Supercenter near Dobson Road and Rio Salado Parkway at Mesa Riverview on Thursday.

The blaze broke out in the garden area of the store. When crews arrived, they found heavy smoke in the area. Fire officials say several pallets of merchandise had caught fire. Photos from one of our viewers showed a plume of gray smoke rising from the store.

Crews quickly put out the fire. The store ended up with a large amount of smoke damage in the retail area. No one was hurt. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Complete article

Over $6M in estimated damages after homeless man sets fire in Walmart store, police say 01/28/2021

Darius Harper Accused Of Setting 4 Fires Inside Englewood Colorado Walmart 01/29/2021

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) – A man accused of starting four fires inside a Walmart store in Englewood on Thursday was taken into custody after allegedly running from officers and resisting arrest. Police say 43-year-old Darius Harper poured camping fuel in several aisles of the store at 601 Englewood Parkway and then ignited the fuel.

The suspect ran from the store but officers spotted him several blocks away, on the bike path near South Santa Fe Drive and West Dartmouth Avenue. They say he ran from the officers and resisted arrest.

Harper was jailed at the Arapahoe County Detention Facility on suspicion of 4th degree arson, resisting arrest and criminal mischief.

There were approximately 135 customers and 40 employees in the store at the time of the fires. The fires quickly burned out, but caused damage to the tile floors, shelves and merchandise. No one was hurt. Complete article

Man poured camping fuel, set fires in aisles of Walmart, police say 01/29/2021

Police say Md. Walmart stabbing was self-inflicted 01/29/2021

EASTON — Police are investigating a stabbing that happened at about 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 29, at the Easton Walmart.

The victim, Richard Carroll, 55, of Easton, was flown out about 10:35 by a Maryland State Police medevac helicopter to University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.

Police said Carroll's wounds were not life-threatening, and he was recovering at the trauma center. Early Friday afternoon, a spokesman at the University of Maryland Medical Center said Carroll was listed in serious condition.

Carroll reportedly was stabbed in the parking lot before running into the store through the exit door. Police said Carroll told them he had been stabbed by someone wearing blue jeans and a mask. Hours later, he told them the wound was self-inflicted, police said.

Capt. Greg Wright of the Easton Police Department said police are now investigating the incident as a self-inflicted stabbing. Complete article

Deputies search for possible suspects of Yorktown Va. Walmart hit and run 01/29/2021

YORKTOWN, Va. - The York-Poquoson Sheriff's Office is looking for help to identify possible suspects in a hit and run incident.

The incident happened on January 27 at the Walmart located at 2601 George Washington Memorial Highway in Yorktown.

Officials said the two subjects pictured were seen on video exiting the Walmart and getting in a silver Dodge Ram. The truck was then seen driving into a parked vehicle causing extensive damage, deputies said. Complete article

Walmart mass shooting survivor deported to Juarez after traffic stop by El Paso Tx. police 01/29/2021

EL PASO, Texas -- A legal aid clinic operated by the El Paso Catholic Diocese said a woman who survived the Aug. 3, 2019 Cielo Vista Walmart mass shooting was deported to Juarez by federal authorities on Friday after being pulled over in a car for traffic violations.

The shooting victim, identified by Diocesan Migrant & Refugee Services solely by the first name Rosa, was arrested by El Paso police on Wednesday and once at the downtown jail was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement who deported her to Mexico 48 hours later.

"Rosa has no criminal history other than two misdemeanor traffic citations that are over five years old," said Sandra Ramirez, a diocese spokeswoman.

Ramirez indicated that Rosa, who is on the district attorney's list as a witness when the case against the accused shooter goes to trial, has an application in process for a U visa - which is available to immigrant crime victims. Complete article

Springfield Ill. Police: Teenager turns himself in for Christmas Eve shooting in Walmart parking lot 01/28/2021

5,000 Walmarts ready to administer COVID-19 vaccine 01/28/2021

Brazil Ind. Walmart given all-clear after evacuation; Brazil Police Department issues statement 01/28/2021 “At 8:02 p.m. the Brazil Police Department responded to a report of a bomb/active-violence threat that was called into the Wal-Mart. .... it was determined that no threat was imminent at that time."

MPD asking for help identifying suspects in Tx. Walmart theft 01/28/2021

WOMAN CHARGED IN MULTIPLE THEFTS FROM WHITE TOWNSHIP PA. WALMART 01/29/2021

Theft from Walmart in Waterloo Ill. 01/28/2021

Man found dead in snow near pond in front of Walmart in Sterling heights Mich. 01/30/2021

STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. - Sterling heights detectives investigate a man's death in front of the Walmart near 14 mile and Van Dyke.

Michael Francis, a resident of Sterling Heights, says he wondered what so many police were doing at the Walmart location and would soon discover that a man was found dead.

"I live just down the road here; I've been here for like 15 years we usually don't see this kind of stuff here around here," says Francis. Complete article

Body of missing Morgantown WV woman found in car in Walmart parking lot 01/31/2021

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.– The Morgantown Police Department confirmed that the body found in a vehicle at the Walmart parking lot on Hornbeck Road was that of missing Alexa Randolph.

Randolph was reported missing from her Overdale Street apartment Thursday.

Her vehicle was found 4 p.m. on Friday in the parking lot. Upon investigation by police, a body was discovered in the cargo area of the vehicle and that the body was identified as Randolph. Complete article

Pepper spray allegedly used on Hawaii Walmart employees, shoppers in bold robbery attempt 01/31/2021

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Honolulu Police are investigating a shameless attempted robbery at the Keeaumoku Walmart Store Saturday night.

Cell phone video of the two female suspects getting away while a pepper sprayed Walmart employee cries in pain has gone viral.

“Everyone was in complete shock. I was just glad that the thieves didn’t pull out no gun,” said Tehani, a Walmart customer who filmed the aftermath of the attack with her phone.

It happened around 10 p.m. Saturday night when the two women allegedly tried to leave the Walmart with two flat-screen televisions without paying for them.

After Walmart employees tried to block them at the exit, one of them pulled out pepper spray and began dosing employees and customers, said Tehani, who was wearing a mask at the time. Complete article

Rome Ga. Woman Found with Meth While Shoplifting at Walmart 01/28/2021

Man shot by law enforcement at Cleveland Ohio WalMart in Dec. indicted on federal charges 01/29/2021

Rio Rancho NM Walmart bomb threat proves to be false alarm 01/30/2021

WOMEN BILK PA. WALMART CASHIER OUT OF $2,100 01/31/2021

Johnstown woman charged for 7 known ‘no scan’ Pa. Walmart visits 01/30/2021

New Hartford NY police looking to identify suspects in Walmart theft 01/29/2021

Walmart in Avon Colorado reopened after evacuation for crews to investigate gas smell 01/29/2021

Oxford Mississippi Police Department investigating Walmart bomb threat, suspect in custody 01/31/2021

Walmart employee injured in Tampa shooting 02/01/2021