Death Squads Can't Happen Here? Yet?

During the Cold War we were often told that we had to oppose the Soviet Union because they were oppressing their own people, which, to some degree, I'm sure is true; however, since then, it's become clear that a large portion of it was exaggerated, and they're not the only ones censoring their human rights violations, assuming you don't rely on traditional media for your information about history and current events.

However, thanks to reporting from alternative media, including many from foreign countries, often with the support of other governments, it's become clear that countries supported by the United States, often as a result of violent coups, have oppressed their own people far more than the Soviet Union; and this includes well over a dozen, if not more than two or three dozen, countries relying on death squads to terrorize their own people, often killing tens of thousands of people. In most of these cases the death squads were trained directly, or indirectly by the CIA!

There's little or no doubt that the most murders, in most cases, committed directly by our own military, was during the Vietnam with a death toll that's virtually guaranteed to be above two million, possibly as high as three million or more. Estimates below two million have little credibility; supporters of the war routinely claim that there were a higher percentage of combatant deaths, but even most of them admit there were even more civilian deaths. However, the implied claim that the killing of combatants implies they're justified since we were allegedly fighting for a justifiable cause, which many of us were led to believe was "fighting for freedom against communism," which is not even close to the truth, although people relying on traditional media might not understand this.

The fastest and easiest way to refute this false belief is to report on the Vietnamese Declaration of Independence on September 2 1945 when Vietnam was a World War II ally and they believed they were fighting for freedom and Democracy, as promised by allies, including the United States. They wanted to be free of French Colonialism, which is what they were supposedly fighting for. They tried and failed to get the support of both the French and the United States, who both claimed they were fighting to defend freedom, although they both demonstrated after WWII that they didn't mean it. Vietnam never tried to invade any European or American country, instead they were invaded by both France and the United States, while they both gave their own people a false narrative.

The same goes for dozens of other countries where our country supported coups, with much less support from our own military, although the death toll for all the coups and tyrannical governments installed combined, may almost as high if not higher than the Vietnam War. Traditional media rarely ever mentions many of these coups or interventions, and on the rare occasions when they do, it's only mentioned briefly, and they only mention one of them at a time, a few of the most famous ones were the coups in Iran 1953, Guatemala 1954 and Chile 1972, which the government admitted to their involvement eventually, although the media only covered each example one at a time before quickly forgetting about it. Many alternative media outlets or good researchers covered them much better, although many people never heard of them including "Deterring Democracy" Noam Chomsky 1991; "The Jakarta Method" by Vincent Bevins; "Rogue State" by William Blum; "Killing Hope U.S. Military and CIA Interventions Since World War II" – Part I William Blum 2004 and many more that those accustomed to checking alternative media re much more likely to be aware of.

William Blum provides one of the most comprehensive lists of coups or attempted coups, shown below. Vincent Bevins has made a major case to show that the worst coups may have been Indonesia and Bolivia, partly because they were the most populous countries overthrown by CIA backed coups, and partly because they were among the most brutal, and other countries, including Chile patterned their coups and death squads after Indonesia. According to some estimate the death toll in late 1965 and 1966 alone may have been close to a million people, and intimidation continued at more moderate levels for another thirty years while General Suharto, including additional massacres after they invaded East Timor, the worst of which was in 1975, possibly killing 50,000 to 100,000 people, and two more massacres in 1991 and 1999 in East Timor, the last shortly after Suharto left office.

It certainly seems unlikely that death squads like the ones previously supported by our government in other countries could happen here anytime soon, but if our leaders are willing to do this around the world, and they've been increasing the class war, even at home, then we shouldn't rule out the possibility, especially with police clamping down on many protest and legislatures across the country passing laws to suppress protests even more, as well as suppressing voting rights, without addressing legitimate concerns.

However, my best guess is that if it does escalate toward death squads again, it will start in other countries before happening here. Even though there are no death squads, that I know of, as bad as the ones that were in place during the Cold War, starting with the Iranian coup and continuing at least through the eighties, before slowing down, in most cases in the nineties years after the official end of the Cold War, there's still an enormous amount of violence in the countries our government has destabilized, and our own country is also more violent that other wealthy countries, including many more police shootings.

There are at least several reasons why this is of major concern; and that additional coups and death squads, with support of our government, are possible; and in a worst case scenario could eventually get much worse, and conceivably even come home, although additional signs will almost certainly happen before we have major death squads in the United States. One of them is that the United States continues to support coups, and misrepresent them in traditional media, including the 2009 coup in Honduras, the 2019 coup in Bolivia, and there's also some talk about a potential coup in Ecuador.

Furthermore, those that are familiar with this history of coups, may recognize that they're almost always, if not always, against left leaning governments that are trying to defend the poor and the best interests of their own country, often holding large corporations accountable for fraud and human rights abuses. If you're not already familiar with this it's in your best interest to learn more about it, since this is also related to the class war that continues in the United States, and is part of the reason for outsourcing massive amounts of jobs to countries where workers have little or no rights, driving down wages in the United States as well.

Another reason we may decline into relentless war again may be epidemic destruction of the environment, especially in the third world which isn't being covered nearly enough by traditional media. This includes Climate Change, of course, which according to many sources, is among the worst potential environmental damage, including a massive increase in storms, which has already begun, but this isn't the only environmental threat by far, including shortages of water in many parts of the world which is getting even worse. There are numerous predictions that this could eventually lead to wars over water, including one author, Robert Kaplan, which I reported on previously in Has "The Coming Anarchy" arrived On Schedule?

Another book written by Maude Barlow, "Blue Gold: World Water Wars" 2017 Which began to explain how privatization is already devastating our water supply twenty years ago, and since then there have been numerous updates showing she was right, including widely reported problems in Flint Michigan, and many more major problems that haven't gotten nearly as much attention, including Chrystal City Texas, which few people heard of and most that did hear of it forgot about it. The mainstream media hardly covers her research at all, and things continue to get much worse in many parts of the world; and ironically, sometimes when they can't avoid addressing her concerns, or other good environmentalists, they often try to portray them as radicals or even extremists!

There's absolutely nothing radical or extremist about trying to protect the planet and make clean water available to all indefinitely; what's radical, extremist or insane is trying to profit off the privatization of water, even though it will lead to epidemic levels of environmental destruction that will inevitably go way out of control if not reversed soon!

The current immigration crisis is also a result of our past activities supporting tyrannical governments often using deaths squads, which is why so many are fleeing. Amazingly traditional media practically never mentions any potential connection between past coups or death squads and the human rights abuses that many of these immigrants are fleeing; on the rare occasions that they do, they don't inform the public that our own government was behind those coups and death squads. People listening to alternative media or reading books like those written by Chomsky, Blum and many more are much more likely to be familiar with this; the latest article explaining this comes from Democracy Now in this article, “Crisis of Capitalism”: Roberto Lovato on How U.S. Policies Fuel Migration & Instability 03/30/2021

For all practical purposes traditional politicians haven't spoken out against the worst of the atrocities committed by the CIA in decades, since the seventies when they had the Church and Pike Committees, with very few exceptions, like when Bernie Sanders briefly mentioned the 1953 coup in Iran during the 2016 election. He actually went much further back in the seventies, when at one point he even called for abolishing the CIA. This is considered extreme by the political establishment and media which refuses to report on the atrocities committed by the CIA, so they falsely claim Sanders has become more moderate, when he's actually become more inclined to look the other way at atrocities.

Within the past few days, one of the biggest exception to this tacit attempt to cover up the connection between the atrocities committed by the CIA and the immigration crisis in an article where Jamaal Bowman Blames Decades of US Capitalism, Imperialism for Flow of Asylum-Seekers 07/29/2020 which says: "The best we can do is implement a 21st century Marshall Plan and help to rebuild Central America in the same ways that we have destroyed it," Bowman continued. "We wanted their land and their natural resources, and we were engaged in coup d'etats and other behaviors in those areas in order to do so. Now we have to right our wrongs." What would be even more unprecedented would be if there was any follow-up on this by either the traditional media or Jamaal Bowman himself; however, I'm not optimistic this will happen.

There have been few comments from the relatively new wave of progressives quite so revealing, although without additional follow-up, most people won't realize how important it is; however, there have been many campaigns by the new progressives to advance new causes like Medicare for All, The New Green Deal and more progressive policies. Unfortunately, instead of following up on them after the campaigns have been over, the new Progressives have repeatedly caved in the short time they've been in office; the four members of the Squad, and a few that got elected before them were quick to come to Nancy Pelosi's defense when running for speaker at least twice, without receiving anything in return, and even enduring routine insults from Pelosi who ridicules their views. Bowman, Cori Bush and a couple of the most recent new progressives already did this twice, without getting anything in return.

As much as I hope Bowman or the traditional media will follow-up on this many of us should continue to rely on alternative media or researchers that have a history of following up on past research and even fact checking them, for several reasons. One reason why even alternative media needs to be fact checked is that a few of them have caved to the establishment in the past, often in subtle ways; another good reason, is that even if they don't cave to the establishment, they will be accused by the establishment of bias, so we should be prepared to fact check them to refute the mistakes they do make, or in many more cases, to find additional sources showing the establishment often lies, which the following article does about the recent coup in Bolivia, which continues to play out now:

To Western Media, Prosecuting Bolivian Coup Leaders Is Worse Than Leading a Coup 03/23/2021 by Joe Emersberger

One can imagine an editor of the London-based Guardian (3/17/21) shaking her head sadly as she typed the headline: “Cycle of Retribution Takes Bolivia’s Ex-President From Palace to Prison Cell.” The subhead told readers, “Jeanine Áñez’s government once sought to jail the country’s former leader Evo Morales for terrorism and sedition—now she faces the same charges.”

The Guardian article by Tom Phillips wants us to lament an alleged incapacity of Bolivian governments to stop persecuting opponents once they take office. We are told that Áñez’s government did it, and that now the government of President Luis Arce (elected in a landslide win on October 18, 2020) is also doing it.

The article’s premise is a lie, and the liberal Guardian has hardly been the only outlet spreading it, with help from Jose Miguel Vivanco, Americas director of Human Rights Watch (HRW), whom Philips quoted. A team effort between Western media and NGOs like HRW often reinforces the views of the US government (FAIR.org, 8/23/18, 8/31/18, 5/31/20, 11/3/18).

Áñez was a US-backed dictator installed after a military coup sent democratically elected President Evo Morales fleeing Bolivia for his life on November 10, 2019. Once in power, Áñez immediately promised security forces legal immunity as they massacred dozens of protesters. She is now charged with terrorism (in addition to sedition and criminal conspiracy) over her attempt to keep power by terrorizing the public. Her arrest is good news to people who support democracy and human rights.

But now, as when the coup took place in 2019, the most obvious conclusions are evaded when they are incompatible with US foreign policy (FAIR.org, 11/11/19). It should surprise nobody that US officials have made statements depicting her arrest as political persecution. Complete article with sources

The claim that the Human Rights Watch is covering up for coup leaders is certainly shocking; however, after reviewing their coverage of the Bolivian coup and other activities related to the United States, it shouldn't be entirely out of the question. After reviewing their news site, there's clearly some criticism of the United States, but not nearly as much as there could be, and their views on Bolivia seem to be more biased than most as Joe Emersberger indicates in the above article, and he's not the only one I've heard saying that HRW is biased towards the United States.

They did post one article about Afghan forces with ties to the CIA committing atrocities, and an article about people being deported back to El Salvador during the Trump administration losing their lives to gangs or "death squads" but there's no mention that this is a result of United States intervention that helped set the stage for these death squads or destabilized the country. Another article does the same about death squads in the Philippines without mentioning the fact that their tyrannical governments rose to power with support from our government.

However, even if the Human Rights Watch's track record for other events is mixed the bias for the Bolivia coup appears to be brazen and obvious. In one article, Bolivia: Amnesty Decree Opens the Door to Impunity 03/11/2021, José Miguel Vivanco, Americas director at Human Rights Watch says, “There is strong evidence indicating the previous government persecuted MAS supporters in politically motivated cases. But granting a blanket amnesty to MAS supporters without clear criteria undermines victims’ access to justice and violates the fundamental principle of equality before the law.” Vivanco doesn't provide any evidence to indicate that any of the people granted amnesty are guilty of anything, even though he admits many were prosecuted for political purposes; instead the rest of the article focuses primarily on procedures to figure out the truth.

Ironically Vivanco co-authors another article that changes the standards, Bolivia Should End Revenge Justice 03/22/2021 where he tries to equate the charges placed by Áñez against Morales with the charges against Áñez by the current government, admitting that there was no bases for the charges of "terrorism" against Morales and falsely claiming the same for the charges against Áñez. He falsely claims there was no evidence agaisnt Áñez either despite the fact that despite the fact that there were dozens of murders by military security forces who were promised immunity by Áñez. Amazingly Vivanco's desire to seek the truth before dismissing charges disappeared when it comes to applying it to the other side, even though there was an enormous amount of evidence already public, including evidence of state sponsored terrorism by a government that gained power as a result of a coup, assuming he wanted to acknowledge that evidence.

This is actually part of a pattern of behavior that goes back decades. In the immediate aftermath of many coups supported by the United States traditional media repeated the propaganda of the USA government while alternative, or foreign media often reported the truth, or something much closer to the truth in a much lower profile. For years if not decades the CIA and the United States have repeatedly denied their involvement in many coups, including the most obvious, like Iran 1953, Guatemala, 1954, and Chile 1973, before eventually admitting them, on a much lower profile, which was quickly forgotten by the mainstream media.

Fortunately, there weren't nearly as many deaths following this coup as there were following the coups during the Cold War which often rose to tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people; but there were still dozens of murders by police and army forces who were told by Áñez that they would be given immunity for these killings. Furthermore, our own government and traditional media routinely lie to us about the details of this coup and their interventions in many other countries including Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Ecuador, Brazil and many other countries; which may mean that, if at some point things do get dramatically worse we may not have accurate news about events as they play out, which could make escalation much more likely.

If it does escalate in the future, for environmental reasons or any other reasons, it would help to remember what kind of extremes our government has gone to in the past, including the deaths of close to a million people in Indonesia, according to some counts, and many more in other countries patterned after that including in Chile where they began terrorizing people by saying “Jakarta is Coming,” referring to the massacres in Indonesia which people would soon see replicated in their own country, as described by Vincent Bevins in his book and some of the following excerpts:

"The Jakarta Method" by Vincent Bevins 2020

IN MAY 1962, A YOUNG girl named Ing Giok Tan got on a rusty old boat in Jakarta, Indonesia. Her country, one of the largest in the world, had been pulled into the global battle between capitalism and communism, and her parents decided to flee the terrible consequences that conflict had wrought for families like hers. They set sail for Brazil, having heard from other Indonesians who had already made the journey that this place offered freedom, opportunity, and respite from conflict. But they knew almost nothing about it. Brazil was just an idea for them, and it was very far away. Suffering through anxiety and seasickness for forty-five days, they made their way past Singapore, across the Indian Ocean to Mauritius, down past Mozambique, around South Africa, and then all the way across the Atlantic to São Paulo, the largest city in South America.

If they thought they could escape the violence of the Cold War, they were tragically mistaken. Two years after they arrived, the military overthrew Brazil’s young democracy and established a violent dictatorship. After that, the new Indonesian immigrants in Brazil received messages from home describing the most shocking scenes imaginable, an explosion of violence so terrifying that even discussing what happened would make people break down, questioning their own sanity. But the reports were all true. In the wake of that apocalyptic slaughter in Indonesia, a young nation littered with mutilated bodies emerged as one of Washington’s most reliable allies, and then largely disappeared from history.

What happened in Brazil in 1964 and Indonesia in 1965 may have been the most important victories of the Cold War for the side that ultimately won—that is, the United States and the global economic system now in operation. As such, they are among the most important events in a process that has fundamentally shaped life for almost everyone. Both countries had been independent, standing somewhere in between the world’s capitalist and communist superpowers, but fell decisively into the US camp in the middle of the 1960s.

........

The United States US government officials were almost uniformly celebratory of the massacres in Indonesia, even as their scope and brutality became clear. Ironically, one dissenting voice on this topic came from the man with a reputation for pushing for the most violent and reckless covert operations in the early 1960s.

In January 1966, Senator Bobby Kennedy said, “We have spoken out against the inhuman slaughters perpetrated by the Nazis and the Communists. But will we speak out also against the inhuman slaughter in Indonesia, where over 100,000 alleged Communists have not been perpetrators but victims?”

........

In 1966, the MIR newspaper, Punto Final, published a text attributed to philosopher Bertrand Russell. “I fear that the horror of the killings in Indonesia was only possible because in the West we are so saturated with racism that the death of Asians, even in the hundreds of thousands, doesn’t impress us. Blacks in North America know it well,” the article continued. “Knowing the same thing, the peoples of the world should take the path of open struggle.” 48 Punta Final also published a guide to CIA activities in Indonesia, the Congo, Vietnam, and Brazil. 49 The paper got some details wrong; but just as was the case when Hirian Rakyat covered Guatemala in 1954, Chile’s left-wing press described events in Indonesia more accurately than mainstream US press at the time.

.......

Washington was not worried that Chile’s economy would be destroyed under irresponsible left-wing mismanagement either, or even that Allende would harm US business interests. What scared the most powerful nation in the world was the prospect that Allende’s democratic socialism would succeed.

Just days after Allende was elected, President Nixon convened his National Security Council. Nixon said:

Our main concern in Chile is … that [Allende] can consolidate himself, and the picture presented to the world will be his success. … If we let the potential leaders in South America think they can move like Chile and have it both ways, we will be in trouble. I want to work on this and on military relations put in more money. On the economic side we want to give him cold Turkey [sic].... We’ll be very cool and very correct, but doing those things which will be a real message to Allende and others. … No impression should be permitted in Latin America that they can get away with this. 30

.........

Operacao Jacarta, or “The Jakarta Operation,” was the name of a secret part of an extermination plan, according to documentation compiled by Brazil’s Truth Commission. Testimony gathered after the fall of the dictatorship indicates Operação Jacarta may have been part of Operação Radar, which was aimed at destroying the structure of the Brazilian Communist Party. The goal of Operação Jacarta was the physical elimination of communists. It called for mass murder, just as in Indonesia. Before the Jakarta Operation, the dictatorship had aimed its violence at open rebellions. Operação Jacarta was a hidden plan to expand state terror to Communist Party members operating openly with civil society groups or in the media.

The Brazilian public would not hear the words Operação Jacarta until three years later. But in Chile, the word “Jakarta” made a very public arrival.

Around Santiago, especially in the eastern part of the city—up in the hills, where the well-to-do people lived—someone began to plaster a message on the walls. It took a few forms.

“Yakarta viene.”

“Jakarta se acerca.”

That is: “Jakarta is Coming.”

Or sometimes, simply, “Jakarta.”

The events in Indonesia had been a part of right-wing discourse for years. Most significantly, Juraj Domic Kuscenic, a Croatian anticommunist who wrote in right-wing outlets like El Mercurio and had maintained close contact with Patria y Libertad since 1970, had made frequent references to it since the 1960s. 35

The first record of “Jakarta” appearing as a threat was in a January 1972 edition of El Rebelde, the official MIR newspaper. The cover asked, “What is Djakarta?” and on the inside showed a photo of the word slapped onto a wall. In a small article, “La Via Indonesia de Los Fascistas Chilenos,” the paper attempted to explain what the message meant. The Indonesian Communist Party had played an active role in an “independent, progressive” state, and then—overnight—all that was left of its members was a “sea of blood.” 36 At this point, not all of the Chilean left knew the Indonesian story, and the idea of a wave of violence here seemed far-fetched.

.......

“You’re all indoctrinated!” he screamed. “And it’s because of this indoctrination that we’re going to put into effect Operation Jakarta, and neutralize two thousand communists right here in São Paulo.” He began to list the names of targets.

Luciano scribbled down, furiously, “Neutralizar 2mil comunistas em São Paulo ...”

The general had gone off script. This was a dictatorship, however, and he had an easy way to make sure it stayed off the record.

“If you publish a single line of what I just said, it will be 2,001!”

The students kept quiet, for quite some time. 65

.......

But the Condor alliance didn’t limit their activities to their own continent. They built upon the “stay-behind” armies Frank Wisner had helped to build in Europe to pursue their enemies in Germany, Spain, Italy, and Ireland. 18 The men behind Operation Condor often considered the nonviolent democracy and human rights activists operating abroad to be even more dangerous than armed guerrillas at home. 19 Most infamously, this logic led US citizen, known CIA contact, and Condor operative Michael Townley to murder former Chilean Foreign Minister Orlando Letlier in the heart of Washington, DC. A car bomb placed on Embassy Row blew Letelier’s legs off, killing him instantly; his twenty-five-year-old American assistant, Ronni Moffit, staggered from the car and slowly drowned in her own blood. 20 Townley is now in FBI witness protection.

.......

If you had to sum up Jair Bolsonaro’s political career in two words, “violent anticommunism” would be a very good choice. He was an unremarkable soldier and an unremarkable politician, ... He once said, “Voting won’t change anything in this country. Nothing! Things will only change, unfortunately, after starting a civil war here, and doing the work the dictatorship didn’t do.Killing some thirty thousand people, and starting with FHC [referring to then-President Fernando Henrique Cardoso of the Brazilian Social-Democratic Party]. If some innocents die, that's just fine.” 3 Additional excerpts, including more than a quarter of the book

Nixon came right out and said that he was more concerned about Allende setting a good example showing that Socialism can work and improve the lives of the people instead of proving to be a disaster like the Soviet Union and China; Bevins demonstrates in his book that even though they weren't caught coming right out and saying it the same applied to several countries years if not decades before the Chile coup including Iran, Guatemala, Cuba, Indonesia, Brazil, and more countries years after, including Nicaragua and Venezuela; although in most of these cases they couldn't do nearly as well as they might have of they weren't forced to constantly fight off right wing terrorists or coups supported by the United States. In some cases, like Venezuela it's difficult if not impossible to know if their failures were a result of their policies or constant war, or threat of war and sanctions from our government.

The fact that our government is openly supporting Jair Bolsonaro who supported past mass murders and says that their country can't bring about needed changes without Civil War and the mass murder of thirty thousand people, even welcoming the deaths of innocents, also shows that they're not opposed to escalation of death squads, at least in the third world, although if it escalates enough, possibly into a third World War it's hard to imagine how they can be sure it won't come home to haunt them.

Other authors, including William Blum were reporting on these atrocities long before Bevins, and he shows how many wars and terrorist attacks could be prevented in his book and the following excerpts:

"Rogue State" by William Blum 2000

Author's Foreword: Concerning September 11, 2001 and the Bombing of Afghanistan

Shortly after the publication of this book, the momentous events of September 11, 2001 occurred. Four planes were hijacked in the United States and terrorists proceeded to carry out the most devastating attack on American soil in the history of the country. The physical destruction and personal suffering caused by the attacks was immense. In addition to punishing the perpetrators who were still alive, the most pressing mission facing the United States was—or should have been—to not allow what happened to pass without deriving important lessons from it to prevent its recurrence. Clearly, the most meaningful of these lessons was the answer to the question "Why?"

It happens that the first chapter in this book is entitled "Why Do Terrorists Keep Picking on the United States?". It argues that terrorists—whatever else they might be—might also be rational human beings, which is to say that in their own minds they have a rational justification for their actions. Most terrorists are people deeply concerned by what they see as social, political, or religious injustice and hypocrisy, and the immediate grounds for their terrorism is often retaliation for an action of the United States.

.......

Perspective can be everything. If what the hijackers did is inexcusable, it is by no means inexplicable. ........

If I were the president, I could stop terrorist attacks against the United States in a few days. Permanently. I would first apologize to all the widows and orphans, the tortured and impoverished, and all the many millions of other victims of American imperialism. Then I would announce, in all sincerity, to every corner of the world, that America's global interventions have come to an end, and inform Israel that it is no longer the 51st state of the USA but henceforth—oddly enough—a foreign country. I would then reduce the military budget by at least 90% and use the savings to pay reparations to the victims. There would be more than enough money. One year's military budget of $330 billion is equal to more than $18,000 an hour for every hour since Jesus Christ was born. Complete article

In at least one case William Blum may seem to be going a little too far comparing the United States to Leatherface in "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" as described in the following excerpt; however, if you get past the parable and read the whole book it may be understandable:

"Rogue State" by William Blum 2000

This book could be entitled Serial Chain-Saw Baby Killers and the Women Who Love Them.

The women don't really believe that their beloved would do such a thing, even if they're shown a severed limb or a headless torso. Or if they believe it, they know down to their bone marrow that lover-boy really had the best of intentions; it must have been some kind of very unfortunate accident, a well-meaning blunder; in fact, even more likely, it was a humanitarian act.

For 70 years, the United States convinced much of the world that there was an international conspiracy out there. An International Communist Conspiracy, seeking no less than control over the entire planet, for purposes which had no socially redeeming values. And the world was made to believe that it somehow needed the United States to save it from communist darkness. "Just buy our weapons," said Washington, "let our military and our corporations roam freely across your land, and give us veto power over who your leaders will be, and we'll protect you."

It was the cleverest protection racket since men convinced women that they needed men to protect them—if all the men vanished overnight, how many women would be afraid to walk the streets?

.......

A decade after the fall of the Berlin Wall, America is still saving countries and peoples from one danger or another. The scorecard reads as follows: From 1945 to the end of the century, the United States attempted to overthrow more than 40 foreign governments, and to crush more than 30 populist-nationalist movements struggling against intolerable regimes. In the process, the US caused the end of life for several million people, and condemned many millions more to a life of agony and despair. Complete article

The claim that the book could be titled "Serial Chain-Saw Baby Killers and the Women Who Love Them" may seem absurd to many and they might have doubts about his credibility if they don't think it seems appropriate; however, if you get past that and read the stories of many atrocities, it's clear that the United States did far worse than the fictional Leatherface who may have killed dozens. The death squads we supported killed hundreds of thousands totaling several million people and many of them were tortured as bad as Leatherface's victims.

William Colby once made a similar misleading analogy, in the opposite direction demonstrating how a false version of history was created and promoted by the financial elites for so long; he once said that he couldn't imagine Richard Helms, his predecessor and former boss ever torturing anyone for information, which perhaps he wouldn't do directly, referring to him as an "Honorable Man." I don't refute the claim that people like Richard Helms, William Colby, George H.W. Bush and many other college educated bureaucrats or politicians wouldn't directly torture people; however they have dealt with middlemen who either did this torture themselves or trained others to do it and they were the ones calling the shots from the top. Once you understand this it's clear that in order to consider them honorable you have to have a sick and perverted sense of "Honor."

However, William Colby's reference to "Honorable Men" is just the beginning of the false propaganda created by the political establishment and media and it's repeated over and over again without challenge, at least from mainstream media, creating a false sense of "honor" and an alternative reality where most of the country believes lies far more than they trust the truth. Once you understand this then it's clear that even though William Blum's reference to "Serial Chain-Saw Baby Killers and the Women Who Love Them" doesn't seem credible at first, after checking facts it's clear that it's far more accurate then Colby's reference to "Honorable Men."

Another important factor to consider is the reaction to many police shootings by politicians police unions and the public. Police Unions act as if they can do no wrong and that the fault is a hundred percent on the part of all the people killed with no liability on the part of the police, even in the most extreme cases; and there are a shocking number of politicians, mainly Republicans, backing them up completely. In some parts of the country these Republicans are passing, or trying to pass, anti-protest bills, including some attempts to give immunity to people that run down protesters, possibly even killing them.

In all fairness there have been some examples at local levels where they have begun some police reform; however there has been no leadership at the national level, despite some speeches by Biden or a few members of Congress. If anything they've come up with more defense of the police than the protesters and have even promised to increase funding to police, instead of increasing funding to programs that will make conflicts with police far less likely. As I've pointed out in numerous articles before, the traditional media rarely if ever covers the best research into the long term causes of violence, either in our own country or abroad, passing up many opportunities to reduce violence.

With our political and media establishment ignoring the most credible news about foreign conflicts and how to prevent violence at home, while simultaneously escalating the destruction of the environment and many other social problems, not only is it possible for these problems and warts to escalate but it may be inevitable. Eventually this could include the return of massive death squads abroad, or perhaps if it gets extreme enough even at home. Even if the destruction of our society doesn't develop in this manner it could still develop in other manners. The only way to prevent this is to stop letting our leaders base all their decisions on incredibly bad ideological lies.

The following are some additional sources or related articles:

Right-wing Central American leaders praise neoliberal ‘Biden Plan’ to strengthen US ‘sphere of influence’ 03/08/2021

CIA death squads ‘massacred’ children as young as 8 in Afghan religious schools 12/19/2020

No, Joe, Don’t Roll out the Red Carpet for Torture Enablers 12/21/2020

Every Wikipedia article covering British and American war crimes since World War II 01/05/2021

Will the Senate Confirm Coup Plotter Victoria Nuland? 01/14/2021 In the process, Nuland, her husband Robert Kagan, the co-founder of The Project for a New American Century, and their neocon cronies succeeded in sending U.S.-Russian relations into a dangerous downward spiral from which they have yet to recover.

A Record Of Hawkish Intervention: Biden Picks Samantha Power To Head USAID 01/14/2021 Yemen is the clear standout example. Described for years by the U.N. as the “world’s worst humanitarian crisis,” the Saudi-led onslaught on the country has led to 80% of the country needing humanitarian assistance, including some 20.5 million lacking access to clean water and sanitation, as Saudi planes target medical, water and sewage facilities. As Ambassador, Power defended Saudi Arabia from criticism and helped block international efforts to respond, even focusing the blame for the violence on Houthi rebel groups. Millions of Yemenis have died or been displaced due to the violence.

If the Nuremberg Laws were Applied… Noam Chomsky Delivered around 1990

"But in terms of how you think about problem sets, I – when I was a cadet, what’s the first – what’s the cadet motto at West Point? You will not lie, cheat, or steal, or tolerate those who do. I was the CIA director. We lied, we cheated, we stole. (Laughter.) It’s – it was like – we had entire training courses," 2019

The Jakarta Method is a really great book that details why American leftist movements from the past 60 years or so get undercut so often and how we ended up where we are today, despite strong working class movements for nearly a century before that. 03/05/2021 https://vincentbevins.com/book/

Biden renews US “state of emergency” against Venezuela 03/04/2021

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Maduro's 'death squads' add a new, terrifying layer of intimidation and violence to the chaos in Venezuela 05/01/2019

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10 of the Most Lethal CIA Interventions in Latin America 09/18/2016

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"They're Killing Us Like Dogs"—A Massacre in Bolivia and a Plea for Help 11/22/2019 by Medea Benjamin

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Ecuador’s Pseudo-Left Candidate Yaku Pérez Echoes Call For Military Takeover 03/12/2021

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Biden admin smears Nicaragua as ‘dictatorship’ for forcing US-funded, coup-plotting NGOs to register as foreign agents 02/11/2021

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Right-wing Central American leaders praise neoliberal ‘Biden Plan’ to strengthen US ‘sphere of influence’ 03/08/2021

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Behind the Death Squads: An exclusive report on the US role in El Salvador's official terror 12/29/2016

US-funded police linked to illegal executions in El Salvador 05/29/2018

Report: At least 138 sent from US to El Salvador were killed 02/05/2020

Police Killings by Country 2021

Trump defends Putin: ‘You think our country’s so innocent?’ 02/06/2017

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The day Philadelphia bombed its own people 08/15/2019

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Two-thirds of tropical rainforest destroyed or degraded globally, NGO says 03/08/2021

Deterring Democracy Noam Chomsky 1991

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CIA death squads responsible for spike in Afghan civilian casualties 11/02/2019

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Walmart Crime Report February 2021

Walmart had at least twelve shootings in February 2021, with four of them fatal; two of those shootings, including one of the fatal ones, were officer involved shootings. The other three are apparently murders, with at least one of them intentional. There were also at least seven or eight more injuries from these shootings. There was one other death in an accident and three bodies found on their property, one that is being investigated as a murder. This makes it a total of eight dead. The dead bodies found on their premises are semi-routine; but most of them are poor people or drug addicts and they don't consider these to be "foul play," or try to figure out why they're happening or how to prevent them. One of the dead bodies found last month turned out to be murder, as I suspected when I realized the "cargo area" was a trunk not the back of a SUV or minivan, but the police or media didn't describe it this way in early reports.

Another two shooting, one fatal, were reported last month that actually took place in December, but they weren't reported previously. This means that last December tied the previous record of twenty shootings in one month, which was also the month of December a few years earlier. It also adds to a growing amount of evidence showing that even many major crimes at Walmart are often not reported in a high profile manner. There has never been any doubt that they couldn't report all the petty crimes at their stores, but it was reasonable to expect that most if not all the major crimes would get a reasonable amount of media coverage. They have increased their partnerships with Google and some news outlets, but there's no way of knowing if this enables them to minimize coverage of their crime problems.

There was also another alleged shooting that turned out to be an airgun; however, before they figured this out there was a massive panic and they called in a SWAT team. In addition to the shooting there were several armed robberies, which is lower than usual, assuming they're all the ones that happened, which may not be a good assumption anymore.

One town in Alabama assigned a crime fighting unit to Walmart after a shooting at the beginning of the month and as a result of high crime problems there, netting a lot more arrests than usual; however, there's no reason to believe they're taking a close look at the root causes of Walmart's high crime problems. Most of it is almost certainly the same root causes of all crime; however, the fact that Walmart has more crime than other stores, per capita, indicates they're doing something different. There's little doubt that their corner cutting, including relying on self-check-outs, are part of the problem, along with store design making it easier to get out without paying and union busting and poor service angering both customers and workers.

Another police department in North Carolina has reported how crime is worse at Walmart than elsewhere. There's almost always at least one town or police department making similar reports every month, although they're only reported locally. There were several more fights, including a customer hit with a bicycle, employees punched or attacked with pepperspray, including at least one over sixty, a Native American dragged from Walmart accused of trespassing, and a black worker harassed and arrested while walking home in the snow.

They also had one employee arrested for putting a co-worker, who allegedly did nothing to antagonize him, in a choke hold. Walmart had at least one more assault for enforcing capacity limits, due to COVID. There were also numerous blunders in planning the shots for the vaccine, especially in Florida. This includes a class action lawsuit for not paying workers for time at screenings.

In addition to the fatal car accident killing a 73-year-old, there were at least half a dozen major accidents, including one armed carjacking at Walmart that ended in a crash into a house, and at least three stolen vehicles, including one with a six year old in the back, the child was released as soon as the thief realized she was there. On the first day of March they had a car crash into one of their stores following a police chase too.

Walmart had at least nine major fires across the country last month, with at least two of them clearly arson, including one set with fireworks, more of these were almost certainly arson but at least two were clearly accidental. They also had at least four knife attacks, resulting in at least one stabbing.

As usual this is only a small fraction of the crime at Walmart. Other incidents include a woman fighting cops, numerous large thefts of hundreds if not thousands of dollars, including one person wearing a Walmart vest that had a key to to electronic devises that were worth close to $3,000 which he got away with for now, although it's on camera and much more.

Walmart had at least two or three more recalls this month, including one of arsenic, lead and toxic metals in baby food and hand soap with a bacterial problem. They also sold beef from a firm involved in the destruction of the Amazon, although it's not being recalled.

Walmart is introducing more pet insurance, which is an obvious scam. The basic fundamentals of insurance mean they have to collect enough money from premiums to pay claims, plus profits and bureaucratic expenses, including ads, lobbying, campaign donations and many things that have nothing to do with caring for pets or what ever else is being insured. This is why we should never buy more insurance than we need, especially since we already have information to determine that when they sold insurance for pets it increased the number of desperate pet owners killing their own pets to try to collect insurance, just like with insurance for kids. This does far more harm than good!

Walmart continues to violate workers rights, including refusal to give a Maine worker a set schedule in violation of the law. And Bernie Sanders, once again, expressed outrage with them for not paying a living wage. Union Workers are protesting attempts to increase outsourcing again, despite routine false claims from businesses and politicians they're doing the opposite.

At a time when it's obvious that self-checkout is a major contributing factor to their crime problem they're trying to increase it again with one store that only uses it. There's no doubt that they'll try to do this even more, even though it increases crime and violence.

Walmart seems to have lots of people reported in the news for masturbating on the premises; I can understand why they report it in the store publicly, but wonder about people peeking in cars to catch others doing this. My best guess is it's far more common there, although most people just shake their heads and look away.

Have you ever stolen a running vehicle before realizing there's a dead body in the back, then noticed a large number cops while you shop at Walmart? No? Well a couple people in Missouri probably hate it when that happens.

Would you consider it a prank if someone pretended to hit you at Walmart? Some do, but the police weren't amused, at least not officially.

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 February 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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Walmart employee injured in Tampa shooting 02/01/2021

TAMPA, Fla. - Tampa police are investigating a shooting where a stray round struck a Walmart employee outside the store early Monday morning.

Police said the shooting occurred between two groups of people as the Score’s Gentlemen’s Club, located at 2310 North Dale Mabry Highway, was closing around 3 a.m. Detectives said no one was injured at the scene.

The individuals fled in vehicles, continuing to exchange gunfire, officers said.

As they were passing the Walmart located at 1505 North Dale Mabry Highway, a stray bullet struck one of the employees who was sitting in front of the store.

Police said it didn’t penetrate the victim’s skin but he was bruised. Complete article

Police investigating 18-year-old man's death after body found behind Garland Tx. Walmart 02/01/2021

Police said video surveillance showed the man exchange gunfire with another person on Sunday night.

GARLAND, Texas — Updated at 6:30 p.m. with additional information from police.

Police are investigating an 18-year-old man's death as a homicide after his body was found behind a Walmart Monday.

Garland police say that around noon someone found the body behind the store at 555 W Interstate 30. Complete article

Body of missing woman found in car’s trunk in Morgantown WV Walmart parking lot 02/01/2021 MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — A missing woman’s body was found in the trunk of her car in a Walmart parking lot in Morgantown, West Virginia, police said. (This was reported at the end of last month saying "a body was discovered in the cargo area of the vehicle," which in a SUV or minivan could have meant she slept there and died of natural causes. However, if she was found "in the trunk" it's probably not a place she would sleep implying murder may be more likely.)

Walmart shooting witness among 100s deported under Biden; Escobar flagged case for White House 02/01/2021

WASHINGTON, DC — President Joe Biden's administration has deported hundreds of immigrants in its early days despite his campaign pledge to stop removing most people in the U.S. illegally at the beginning of his term.

A federal judge last week ordered the Biden administration not to enforce a 100-day moratorium on deportations, but the ruling did not require the government to schedule them. In recent days, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has deported immigrants to at least three countries: 15 people to Jamaica on Thursday and 269 people to Guatemala and Honduras on Friday. More deportation flights were scheduled Monday.

It’s unclear how many of those people are considered national security or public safety threats or had recently crossed the border illegally, the priority under new guidance that the Department of Homeland Security issued to enforcement agencies. That guidance went into effect Monday.

In El Paso, immigration authorities on Friday deported a woman who witnessed the 2019 massacre at the Cielo Vista Walmart store that left 22 people dead. She had agreed to be a witness against the gunman and has met with the local district attorney's office, according to her lawyers. Complete article

Walmart shooting survivor speaks about the traffic stop that caused her deportation 02/02/2021 Rosa says she has been in the U.S. since she was 11-years-old.

Nationwide, Walmart strike pet insurance deal 02/01/2021

The nation's largest pet insurer and the largest retailer are getting together to help people meet the health needs of their dogs, cats and other pets.

Nationwide and Walmart formed a partnership in which Nationwide pet insurance members can get their prescription medicines for their pets filled at a Walmart pharmacy.

"Really, we have a passion for pets and their well-being," said Heidi Sirota, Nationwide's chief pet officer. "We want to do everything to make prescriptions more accessible, more affordable and more convenient." Complete article

Oxford Mississippi Police: Walmart deemed safe after bomb threat 02/01/2021 Oxford Police were called to the Walmart around 4 p.m. Sunday after management became aware that a man was going around the store telling others he had planted a bomb and they needed to leave.

Federal hate crimes case against accused Tx. Walmart shooter delayed due to Covid & complexities 02/01/2021

Car burglar identified after using stolen credit card at Tx. Walmart 02/01/2021

Suspicious wires from toilet paper dispenser at Ohio Walmart is a dud, not a bomb 02/01/2021

Pair arrested after deputies respond to attempted theft at Walmart store in Holton​ Kansas 02/01/2021

Man Steals Hoverboards and Soundbar From Fla. Walmart 02/01/2021

These 6 Chicago Ill. Walmart Locations Are Administering COVID-19 Vaccinations 02/02/2021

2 people in custody after shots fired inside Trussville Alabama Walmart; no injuries reported 02/02/2021

TRUSSVILLE, Ala. (WBRC) -Trussville police say two people are in custody after shots were fired inside the Trussville Walmart just before noon Tuesday.

Police say no one was hit by a bullet and the incident involved two employees and another person who did not work at the store.

It’s unclear who fired the shots. Complete article

Trussville Walmart employee facing attempted murder charge after shooting at store 02/03/2021

Reedsburg man charged after allegedly shooting another man at Lake Delton Wisc. Walmart 02/03/2021 (This took place five and a half weeks ago, with no previous report.)

AReedsburg man appeared Wednesday in Sauk County Circuit Court after allegedly shooting a man in the chest in the Lake Delton Walmart parking lot.

Rasmey S. Chhim, 29, appeared via video from the Sauk County Jail. He faces more than 82 years in prison and fines up to $50,000 for felony charges of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree recklessly endangering safety and endangering safety through the reckless use of a firearm.

Circuit Court Judge Wendy J. N. Klicko set a cash bond of $150,000 with conditions that include no contact with the person who was shot, the woman who was with the victim or Marcus Jones, a named co-actor in the shooting. Chhim is also prohibited from having any firearms, alcohol or controlled substances and was ordered to turn over any guns he currently owns to law enforcement if he successfully posts the bail.

According to the criminal complaint, the person who was shot parked outside the store just after 10:45 p.m. Jan. 26. Another adult and a child were in his vehicle. He went into Walmart and upon exiting, was approached by Jones. The man said Jones offered him drugs instead of roughly $200 Jones owes him for a pair of binoculars. Complete article

LANDERS: Wear your body armor at Walmart 02/11/2021

Man threatens Tx. Walmart employee in parking lot with handgun, steals items from car, police say 02/03/2021 (Took plave 2 and a half weeks ago, but not reported until now)

SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio police and Crime Stoppers are looking for the person who allegedly threatened a Walmart store employee with a handgun and stole items from their parked car.

The incident occurred Jan. 17 outside a Walmart in the 8000 block of Bandera Road on the city’s Northwest Side.

According to police, the suspect was in the parking lot and was seen breaking into the vehicle of one of the Walmart store’s employees. That’s when, police say, the man stole several items and was confronted by the employee.

SAPD said when confronted, the man threatened the employee with a firearm. He fled on foot and was not found, police said. Complete article

Deputies seek suspect in robbery at Augusta Ga. Walmart 02/02/2021

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Richmond County sheriff’s deputies on Tuesday released a photo of a vehicle associated with a robbery.

The robbery happened Monday at the Walmart at 3209 Deans Bridge Road, authorities said.

The driver and subject was described as a female with blond hair. Complete article

Police: Employee at Amarillo Tx. Walmart assaulted for enforcing store capacity 02/05/2021

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - Police are looking for a man that assaulted a Walmart employee on Christmas Eve.

The employee was attempting to stop a customer from entering the store located at 5730 W. Amarillo Boulevard due to it being at capacity.

Officials said the male suspect then attacked the employee.

He was pulled off of the employee by others in the area and left the scene.

Police said the suspect is described as a white male in his 30s. Complete article

'A sign of the times': Surf City NC Walmart transitions fully to self-checkout 02/04/2021

One Wilmington-area Walmart recently removed all of its employee-run checkout lanes, replacing them with self-checkout stations.

The renovation wrapped up last week inside the Walmart Neighborhood Market near Surf City. It increased the number of check outs in the store from six to 12, according to Casey Staheli, a Walmart spokesperson. Complete article

Federal judge dismisses Walmart lawsuit against DOJ 02/05/2021

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit Walmart filed against the U.S. Department of Justice and Drug Enforcement Administration.

Walmart filed the suit in October as a pre-emptive strike in the battle over its responsibility in the opioid abuse crisis.

The DOJ sued Walmart in December, saying Walmart may have played a role in the crisis by filing opioid prescriptions and by unlawfully distributing controlled substances to its pharmacies. Complete article

Drilling Into Walmart's Balance Sheet 02/05/2021

If we look at a long-term chart of Walmart (WMT), we can see that share-price appreciation really began to accelerate back in 2015. This is when the company really got serious about the Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) threat by deciding to aggressively invest in e-commerce initiatives. These initiatives really began in earnest with the purchase of "Jet.com" for a multi-billion-dollar fee. The performance since that late 2015 bottom has been nothing short of breathtaking especially when one takes into account the market cap of Walmart at the time. The question is whether present momentum can continue.

The longer the pandemic persists, the more this will suit Walmart in terms of its sales. Retailers continue to take share from the hospitality sector as more and more people are eating at home. We continue to see this trend in the numbers with sales increasing by over 5% in the latest third quarter and with EBIT increasing by over 22%. The bottom-line growth rate is what particularly stood out in the recent third quarter (56% EPS growth). Therefore, from an earnings standpoint, Walmart shares do not look that expensive at all. Despite the huge run-up, shares are trading with a trailing earnings multiple of 20.4 at present. The 5-year average is actually up around the 25 level. Complete article

Suspect charged in weekend bombing threat at Mid-South Mississippi Walmart 02/02/2021

Walmart to give COVID-19 vaccines at Florida pharmacies under Biden retail distribution program 02/02/2021

30 Walmarts in Mississippi will soon offer limited COVID-19 vaccines, state says 02/02/2021

Inver Grove Heights Minn. Walmart evacuated due to 'suspicious item' 02/02/2021 Saint Paul Police Department bomb squad disposed of the item.

Police Blotter: Tenn. Walmart Shoplifting Cases Highlight Police Activity; Man Falsely Accused Of Credit Card Theft 02/02/2021

SILVER ALERT: Deputies say Beaufort County man could be at NC Walmart 02/03/2021

Police: Sussex County Man, 66, Caught Publicly Masturbating In NJ Walmart 02/03/2021 A woman who spotted him took photos of him and his vehicle, and he was tracked down, identified and charged with fourth-degree lewdness on Jan. 21, police said.

Two people arrested on drug charges in Glasgow Ky. Walmart parking lot 02/03/2021

Crime and fire report: Multiple shoplifters reported at Minn. Walmart and L & M Fleet Supply; snowmobile and trailer fire damage Detroit Lakes home 02/02/2021

Walmart To Close Down Underperforming Irvine Ca. Supercenter Next Month 02/03/2021

Walmart to temporarily close Sulphur La. location 02/03/2021

2 women accused of using pepper spray in attempted Hawaii Walmart robbery charged 02/04/2021

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Two women accused of using pepper spray in an attempted robbery at a Honolulu Walmart last week have been arrested and charged.

Police arrested 35-year-old Danielle Kaneao and 29-year-old Heather Tull earlier this week.

They’re accused of trying to steal two TV’s from Walmart late last month and using pepper spray on employees when they were stopped at the exit.

Cell phone video of the crime went viral online showing the women getting away while a pepper-sprayed employee cried in pain. Complete article

Single-vehicle crash at Missouri Walmart 02/06/2021

Monett police and fire personnel responded to reports of a single-vehicle, non-injury crash in the Walmart parking lot at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

According to Police Lieutenant Dennis Camp, Judith Burris, 75, of Monett, was traveling east in the parking lot when she “was overcome by fatigue” and struck a safety pole, damaging the front of her 2006 Lexus.

Burris was not injured in the crash. Complete article

Protests at Ohio Walmart to back American made products 02/06/2021

Video Complete article

New Haven Teen Mother, Baby Found In Washington Missouri Walmart 02/03/2021

Ferndale Mich. business nearly shut down from pandemic goes national with Walmart sales 02/04/2021

Police in Selinsgrove Pa. searching for Walmart scammers 02/04/2021

Man arrested after allegedly exposing himself to Missouri Walmart shopper 02/05/2021

BUSTED! NJ ’Serial Shoplifter’ Found With Thousands In Stolen Walmart, Home Depot Merchandise 02/03/2021

Fact check: No, Walmart was not sold to a Chinese investment group 02/04/2021

15-year-old shot in Aurora, possibly at Colrado Walmart on Tower Road 02/07/2021

AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — A 15-year-old boy was injured in a shooting in Aurora on Sunday.

According to the Aurora Police Department, at 4 p.m., the teen walked into a local emergency room with a gunshot wound in his arm.

Police believe the boy may have been shot at a Walmart at 3301 N. Tower Rd.

Complete article

Man arrested after displaying knife during road rage incident at Abilene Tx. Walmart 02/08/2021

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – A man was arrested after displaying a knife during a road rage incident at an Abilene Walmart.

Vincente Herrera, 48, was arrested at Walmart on Hwy 351 following the incident Friday.

Police reports reveal Herrera “exhibited a knife in a threatening manner” during an undisclosed road incident. Complete article

Wasilla Alaska Officers Drag Native Woman 'Trespasser' from Walmart 02/07/2021

A second video of the incident, recorded by Mike Linn, has appeared in which one of the Wasilla Police Department officers can be heard warning the woman who was on the ground, with tazing if she didn't "calm down."

A Facebook live video is making the rounds on social media after being viewed more than five thousand times. The video seems all but certain to reignite a debate on tactics employed by police officers.

Video taken by Wasilla resident Mike Linn, appears to show two unmasked Wasilla Police officers dragging an Alaska Native woman out of a Wasilla Walmart yesterday evening. The video has some calling into question tactics employed by Wasilla Police Department Officers.

In the video, which is roughly eight minutes long, you can hear one officer tell the woman that she is "trespassing" at the Walmart location. It appears an officer had a knee in the woman's neck at one point in the video. Complete article

62-year-old Walmart employee punched during robbery in Fremont 02/07/2021

FREMONT, Calif. (KRON) — A 62-year-old Walmart employee was assaulted after two suspects tried to shoplift from the Fremont store, authorities announced.

On Jan. 1 around 8:45 a.m., a male and female suspect were attempting to shoplift from the Walmart store on Osgood Road.

The Walmart employee asked the suspects to pay for the merchandise when the female suspected punched the employee in the face, causing him to fall to the ground.

Patrol officers investigated the incident and identified a suspect vehicle from nearby business cameras. The license plate was captured for a silver Chrysler Sebring and video of the suspects and suspect vehicle were shared with surrounding law enforcement agencies. Complete article

Two arrested in connection with December larceny at Potsdam NY Walmart 02/05/2021

Saddle Brook NJ Walmart propane tank hit by plow, forcing stores and homes to be evacuated 02/05/2021

PA. STATE POLICE SAY WALMART THEFT STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION 02/05/2021

Affidavit: Man instructed to deliver cocaine at Tx. Walmart 02/05/2021 A man said he was tasked with delivering cocaine at a local Walmart in Laredo, according to an arrest affidavit filed on Thursday.

Thieves go on Fla. Walmart spending spree after stealing credit cards 02/05/2021

Man accused of firing gun outside Ca. Walmart, in late Dec., yelled about ‘Illuminati,’ acted strangely beforehand: reports 02/08/2021

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Before firing a gun outside the East Bakersfield Walmart, Rodolfo Romo had been inside the store yelling about the “Illuminati” and demanding to speak with supervisors, according to police reports.

Employees said Romo told them, “This is not a prank, this is not a joke,” while at the Walmart on Fashion Plaza, according to the reports recently filed in Superior Court. Shortly afterward, he walked to the parking lot and fired two shots in the air, the documents say. He dropped the gun and went back inside the building, where he was taken into custody.

Multiple witnesses identified him as the shooter, according to the documents.

Romo, 31, has pleaded not guilty to recklessly discharging a firearm and other gun-related charges. He has a competency hearing scheduled Feb. 16.

The Dec. 28 incident prompted an evacuation of the building and drew a large law enforcement response for what at first was reported as an active shooter situation. Adding to the confusion, another person picked up the gun and was walking away with it before a parole agent confronted him and ordered him to get on the ground, the documents say. That person was released after witnesses told the agent he wasn’t the shooter. Complete article

Medford man arrested after police chase ends in Oregon Walmart parking lot 02/08/2021

A Medford man was arrested Thursday after he fled from police, struck one car and almost hit a pedestrian and an officer in the area of South 6th Street.

Klamath Falls Police Department officers began to pursue Trevor Wiley, 29, after the Oregon State Police reported he was seen driving recklessly on Highway 97 toward downtown Klamath Falls, according to a KFPD news release.

Law enforcement stopped the pursuit while Wiley was on S 6th street due to excessive speeds and traffic. Near S 6th Street and Adams Street, Wiley hit another car and almost hit a pedestrian at a crosswalk. At that time, KFPD resumed pursuing Wiley “as it was clear the suspect driving factors were likely to contribute to substantial injury or death to another person,” stated the news release. Complete article

Driver of stolen car arrested after crashing into multiple cars at Mississippi Walmart, officers say 02/09/2021

HERNANDO, Miss. — The driver of a stolen car faces a number of charges after running from officers and crashing into multiple cars on the parking lot of the Hernando Walmart.

According to the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office, deputies tried to stop the driver, 44-year-old Stacey Guiltner from Michigan, in the Hernando Walmart parking lot around 1 p.m. Tuesday.

Guiltner fled the scene and hit a patrol car and an unmarked car. She also hit a passenger van in the parking lot and a vehicle at the Walmart gas pumps. Complete article

Man wanted for hitting woman in head with bicycle at Asheville NC Walmart, police say 02/09/2021

ARDEN, N.C. — Asheville police are looking for a man they say hit a woman in the head with a bicycle at a Walmart.

Police said the assault happened Feb. 5 at the store on Airport Road.

Man police say is wanted in the assault on a woman at an Asheville Walmart.

The victim sustained bruises, a concussion and received six stitches in her head, police said. Complete article

Firefighters battle blaze at Montgomery Alabama Walmart 02/08/2021

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Montgomery firefighters extinguished a blaze at a local Walmart Monday night.

The fire was inside the Walmart Supercenter on Atlanta Highway.

Photos from inside the building show heavy smoke, as well as flames.

According to the fire department, crews located a fire inside the store. The sprinkler system held the fire in check until they arrived. Complete article

Montgomery Walmart fire deemed arson, suspects’ photos released 02/10/2021

Juvenile charged with arson in Montgomery Walmart fire 02/11/2021

Walmart to partially reopen Atlanta Highway store damaged by arson 02/17/2021

Woman struggles with officers during arrest at Nebraska Walmart 02/09/2021

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - Officers with the Lincoln Police Department say a woman struggled while being arrested at a Walmart after being caught shoplifting roughly $85 worth of merchandise.

Around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, police were dispatched to the Walmart on 27th and Superior Streets for a report of shoplifting.

LPD said responding officers spoke with employees who identified a woman who was trying to leave the store without paying for several items.

While officers approached the woman, LPD said she tried evading the officer. According to police, the officer told the woman to stop and tried taking her into custody. Complete article

Woman banned from NY Walmart charged with burglary 02/08/2021

Biden, Yellen to discuss $1.9 trillion COVID relief plan with JPMorgan, Walmart, Gap CEOs 02/09/2021

Gov. DeSantis to deliver update from Walmart in Jacksonville Fla. 02/09/2021

Deputies: 'All-clear' given for SC Walmart Neighborhood Market to reopen after bomb threat investigation 02/09/2021

Sebastian woman arrested for shoplifting at Palm Bay Fla. Walmart 02/07/2021

GPD: A Gainesville man hits girlfriend with car after spat over money at Fla. Walmart 02/10/2021

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - Police arrested a man for attempted murder after he tried to run over the mother of his child at a Gainesville Walmart.

According to Gainesville police, Ricky Walker and his girlfriend fought about money at the Walmart at SW 42nd St. on Wednesday night. After the fight the 58-year-old man entered his car and swerved at the woman, intentionally hitting her. The fight inside the store and the incident outside was witnessed by the victim’s 15-year-old son. The son told police that he thought Walker deliberately hit his mother with the car.

The victim was taken to UF Shands where she is being treated for multiple fractured bones and a cut on her forehead. Complete article

Arrest made in connection with Fayette Co. mother found dead in trunk outside Walmart in Morgantown WV 02/10/2021

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A man was arrested in connection with a Fayette County mother found dead in the trunk of her car outside a Walmart store in Morgantown.

According to the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office, Gary Donald Smith III, 60, was arrested on charges of First Degree Murder. Officials said Smith is the paternal grandfather of Alexa Randolph’s child.

Smith was arraigned and given no bond. He was transported to the North Central Regional Jail where he will await a preliminary hearing.

Investigators said Randolph’s vehicle was dropped off in the store parking lot around 8:52 p.m. on Jan. 28 and that Smith then left on foot. Complete article

Report: Biden White House Puts Hold on TikTok Deal with Oracle and Walmart 02/10/2021

The deal for TikTok’s American operations with Oracle and Walmart has been put on hold indefinitely by the Biden White House, according to the New York Times.

The New York Times reports that the U.S. plan to force a deal for TikTok’s American operations to Oracle and Walmart has been put on hold as the Biden administration begins a broad review of former President Donald Trump’s efforts to address possible national security risks from Chinese tech companies. Complete article

Suspect alters stolen check to buy gift cards at Walmart, Murfreesboro Tenn. police investigate 02/09/2021

Police: Woman stole from a NY Walmart 02/09/2021

Three men use counterfeit money to buy TV from Cape Coral Fla. Walmart 02/09/2021

Walmart employee ‘steaks’ out meat thief: Brooklyn Ohio Police Blotter 02/10/2021

2 suspects arrested for a robbery at Walmart in Hesperia Ca. (VIDEO) 02/10/2021

Arrest made after missing man found fatally shot in Fla. Walmart parking lot, police say 02/11/2021 (This took place a month and a half ago but was hardly reported in the news until now.)

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – An arrest has been made more than a month after a missing man was found shot to death in his vehicle at a Walmart parking lot, according to the Altamonte Police Department.

Police said Anthony Bradford’s body was found around 11:40 p.m. on Dec. 20, 2020 at a Walmart on State Road 434. He was last seen by a family member on Dec. 18, 2020 and was reported missing the next day.

Records show Aaris Woodson was in contact with Bradford minutes before his death and was also in the area at the time of the shooting. Complete article

Festus Missouri police find funeral van, at Walmart, that was stolen earlier in Spanish Lake area with body inside 02/11/2021

FESTUS — The search for a stolen funeral home van — and the body of a woman inside — ended Friday in the sporting goods aisle of a Walmart store in Festus.

Police there arrested a man and a woman suspected of stealing the van the day before in the Spanish Lake area. Officers found the white cargo van in the store parking lot, peered inside and saw what appeared to be the woman's body.

The woman was a nursing home patient who was being transported to a crematory on Thursday by the William C. Harris Funeral Home when its driver left the van running to go inside a QuikTrip. The two suspects had tried to enter a couple of other vehicles at the convenience store before hopping in the van and driving away, authorities said.

Festus police Chief Timothy B. Lewis said officers from Festus and Crystal City arrested the pair about 10:15 a.m. Friday. The officers had fanned out inside the Walmart after the van was spotted in the parking lot. Lewis said the couple, both in their 30s, were arrested without incident. Complete article

Agents seize four ounces of meth after couple nabbed at Rogersville Tenn. Walmart in stolen cars 02/12/2021

ROGERSVILLE — A Greeneville couple who allegedly rendezvoused at the Rogersville Walmart on Wednesday night, each driving a stolen vehicle, were arrested by the TBI and DTF after the woman was allegedly found in possession of four ounces of meth, among other drugs.

According to a report filed by Third Judicial Task Force Assistant Director Scott Stewart, agents with the DTF and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation located a vehicle that had been reported stolen in Kingsport, and began conducting surveillance.

It was later determined that the vehicle was being driven by Cheyenne Elizabeth Coburn, 29, who is listed as homeless and from Greeneville.

Coburn reportedly arrived at the Rogersville Walmart parking lot, where a Toyota 4-Runner reportedly pulled near her. It was driven by Andrew Caleb Gibson, 26, 493 Possum Creek Road, Greeneville. That vehicle was determined to be reported stolen in Greeneville. Complete article

Police: Prank video at Greenville Walmart leads to arrest 02/12/2021

GREENVILLE, Ala. (WSFA) - Police have arrested a man in connection to an incident at a Greenville Walmart that has gotten a lot of attention on social media.

Police say a 20-year-old was going around pretending to hit people while others videoed it.

Rondarious Powell is now charged with harassment.

Police Chief Justin Lovvorn said this should serve as a warning to anyone planning to pull a similar prank.

“The individual we had to arrest on this, from people that know him that I’ve talked to, he’s actually not a bad kid, has never been in any real trouble, but they get this I guess craving for attention or popularity and think that this is the way to get it and it’s absolutely the wrong thing to do and will end up in jail for you for sure. If, if not, something else worse happening, someone may try to defend themselves thinking that they’re actually in danger,” Lovvorn said. Complete article

Abandoned Puppies Rescued After Being Left To Freeze In NW Oklahoma City Walmart Parking Lot 02/11/2021

OKLAHOMA CITY - Five puppies were discovered on Tuesday in a metro Walmart parking lot by a dumpster. The nearly frozen puppies were nursed back to health by a local animal rescue volunteer. “I’m on my way. I’ll be there to get them,” said Erin Mangrum, volunteer for County Road Animal Rescue.

That was Mangrum's first response to a call she got from the Bethany Animal Shelter on Tuesday.

Mangrum said five, two-week-old puppies were brought to the shelter, struggling to survive. They were left in a Walmart parking lot near Northwest Expressway and Council Road. The mother was nowhere in sight and the temperature was well below freezing. A citizen discovered the puppies and took them to the Bethany Animal Shelter. Complete article

Report: Arsenic, Lead, Toxic Metals Exist In Some Baby Food Including Gerber, Walmart, Beech-Nut Brands 02/12/2021

(CBSDFW.COM) – A recent congressional report reveals that ingredients in many baby foods contain dangerously high levels of heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, and cadmium. Released by a House of Representatives subcommittee led by Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi on Feb. 4, the report indicates levels that exceed the legal limits established by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization have declared toxic heavy metals dangerous to human health, particularly to babies and children, who are most vulnerable to their neurotoxic effects. Even low levels of exposure can cause serious and often irreversible damage to brain development. Complete article

Florida Walmart stores mistakenly make COVID-19 vaccine appointments for extremely vulnerable people under 65 02/12/2021

ORLANDO, Fla. — Walmart has mistakenly started making appointments for extremely vulnerable people under 65, Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith said.

🚨 IMPORTANT UPDATE 🚨 We’ve just found out that @Walmart mistakenly opened up COVID vaccines to under 65 with co-morbidities and are halting appointments for that group. We demanded they honor already booked appointments and I’ve been assured by the state THEY WILL BE HONORED!

Rep. Carlos G Smith
@CarlosGSmith · 20h

I can only imagine how frustrating this is to the many medically vulnerable people who reached out to our office for help. Thankfully many were able to secure appointments before the change, but we’ll keep fighting for those at-risk under 65 to get vaccines ASAP! 😷

Rep. Carlos G Smith
@CarlosGSmith · 20h

This is for Florida only!

Though Walmart is vaccinating extremely vulnerable people under 65 in other states, Florida officials have said that only hospitals can vaccinate those people. Complete article

Walmart selling beef from firm linked to Amazon deforestation 02/13/2021

Three of the biggest US grocery chains sell Brazilian beef produced by a controversial meat company linked to the destruction of the Amazon rainforest, an investigation has revealed.

Food giants Walmart, Costco and Kroger – which together totaled net sales worth more than half a trillion dollars last year – are selling Brazilian beef products imported from JBS, the world’s largest meat company, which has been linked to deforestation.

Brazilian beef has been identified as a key driver of deforestation in the Amazon, where swathes of forest are cleared for pasture used for cattle farming. The Amazon is a crucial buffer in stabilizing the regional and global climate. Experts say preserving the world’s rainforests is essential if further intensification of the climate emergency is to be averted. Complete article

Man Sentenced To Probation For Comments Made At Pa. Walmart in August 2019 02/09/2021

Cowboys for Trump head, El Paso Tx. Walmart shooting mentioned in Trump impeachment trial 02/11/2021

Power restored at Walmart in Boyd County Ky. 02/12/2021

Loganville Ga. Police Need IDs On Women They Say Stole From Walmart 02/11/2021

Standoff in Darby may be linked to Pa. Walmart shooting: Source 02/14/2021

DARBY, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Police are on the scene of a standoff in Darby, Delaware County that may be connected to a shooting at a Walmart earlier in the day.

The standoff began shortly before 1 p.m. Sunday on the 400 block of Main Street.

Sources say the suspect was involved in an earlier shooting at a nearby Walmart located on MacDade Boulevard in Glenolden.

The shooting occurred before 9:30 a.m. Sunday. The Action Cam on the scene of the shooting showed officers assembling outside the store and some headed inside. Police taped off the area around the Walmart entrance. Complete article

Walmart Shooting Over Possible Video Game Sale Dispute Leads To Manhunt In Delaware County, Police Say 02/15/2021

Devante Dixon Surrenders Following Shooting At Delaware County Walmart Over Video Game Sale Dispute, Police Say 02/18/2021

Police on scene of a fight at the Ill. Walmart on East State Street 02/13/2021

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Rockford Police are on scene of an incident at the Walmart on East State Street.

Police have told us a fight broke out, but haven’t provided further details.

We will update when there’s more. Complete article

Man arrested, banned from Walmart properties after stealing $700 in merchandise in Putnam County Tenn. 02/13/2021

PUTNAM COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) – A man in Putnam County was arrested and banned from Walmart stores after police say he stole more hundreds of dollars in merchandise.

According to a release from Algood Police, Michael Durand was arrested for shoplifting from Walmart.

It happened on Friday at a Walmart store. Asset Protection from Walmart tried to stop Durand before he left the store but were unsuccessful.

Sgt. Ferguson and Ofc. Nguyen intervened and tried to stop Durand. Durand began leaving on foot into the parking lot.

Officers pursued him, giving warnings to stop for police, before deploying a taser. Durand was then taken into custody. He is facing charges with resisting stop, halt and frisk. Complete article

Woman allegedly fought with Mount Pleasant Wisc. officers in Walmart bathroom 02/12/2021

MOUNT PLEASANT — A woman who reportedly refused to leave a restroom and allegedly was under the influence of several drugs at the Walmart Neighborhood Market, 5625 Washington Ave., is being held for nine charges, Mount Pleasant Police said Friday.

Officers from the Mount Pleasant Police Department responded just after 11:15 p.m. Thursday to a report of a woman who had been at the store for over three hours and was refusing to leave the restroom. It was also reported that she was possibly under the influence of drugs.

The Walmart had closed at 11 p.m. Upon arrival, officers located the female subject in the restroom and she failed to comply with officers’ orders, according to a press release from the Mount Pleasant Police Department.

Officers attempted to detain the female subject and she began to physically resist officers, officials said. She allegedly struck several officers and was taken into custody. Complete article

Crews respond to fire at Ill. Wal-Mart 02/14/2021

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — First-responders were called out to a Springfield Wal-Mart after a small fire broke out.

The Springfield Fire Department’s union, Local #37, says on Facebook crews responded to the Wal-Mart on Lejune Drive off of 11th Street.

Arriving at the scene, firefighters noted that nothing was showing and there were a lot of cars blocking the fire lane. Complete article

Union Workers In Ohio Try To Stop GE Lighting, Walmart From Shipping Their Jobs To China 02/15/2021

General Electric Lighting-Savant notified 81 workers at their plant in Bucyrus, Ohio that they would be laid off and production would move to China because of the high cost of producing LED light bulbs.

In response to the planned layoffs, announced as of the first week of January, workers and their union are pushing to save those jobs because they fear job cuts will lead to the closure of the plant that has been open since 1942.

If shut down, that would leave 200 people unemployed in a city of less than 12,000 people. ......

The Ohio AFL-CIO started a petition to rally support from the community to the CEOs of General Electric, Savant, and Walmart, which exclusively purchases and sells the light bulbs produced at the plant. .....

On February 6, union members around the United States held protests outside of nearly 50 Walmart stores in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, California, and several other states to demand Walmart ensure the product line remains in the United States. (This is in line with Walmart’s corporate pledges to support American manufacturing.) Complete article

Google Hires Walmart Exec for New Server Operations Strategy Role 02/09/2021

Monique Picou will oversee server-floor operations, data center planning, and staffing across Google’s global data center fleet.

Google has created a new executive role on its global data center operations leadership team and hired a former Walmart supply chain exec to fill it.

Monique Picou, previously senior VP and chief strategy and supply chain officer for Walmart’s Sam’s Club, is now VP of product, technology strategy, and global server operations at Google. She will report into Ben Treynor Sloss, Google’s VP of engineering. Complete article

Butler County Ohio Walmart employee accused of $700-plus in thefts from the store 02/11/2021

Loudoun Va. deputy shot at Sterling Walmart to be released from hospital 02/12/2021

CRIME STOPPERS: Suspects wanted after theft at Moline Ill. Walmart 02/11/2021

Cops: City manager among victims of theft ID scheme at Tx. Walmart 02/13/2021 Police say Wichita Falls’ city manager was one of several victims of ID theft that resulted from a scheme involving a contractor working out of the Walmart store on Lawrence Road.

Judge donates $15,000 in honor of teen fatally stabbed at La. Walmart 02/12/2021 Melanie Lyons was stabbed to death on her 15th birthday. A $15,000 donation has been made in Melanie’s honor for several causes including a mentoring group for teen girls.

Police: Woman shoots, kills boyfriend outside Chalmette La. Walmart 02/15/2021

CHALMETTE (WVUE) -The St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office arrested a New Orleans woman for shooting and killing her boyfriend and the father of her child outside the Walmart in Chalmette.

Alexis King, 20, was booked with second degree murder.

The shooting happened Sunday evening (Feb. 14) around 7 p.m. at the Walmart located at 8101 W Judge Perez.

When deputies arrived on the scene, they found the victim on the ground in the parking lot suffering from a gunshot wound. Complete article

Oxnard police investigate shooting in Ca. Walmart parking lot; one victim taken to hospital 02/16/2021

A shooting in the parking lot of a Walmart shopping center in Oxnard sent one person to the hospital on Tuesday night.

The shooting was reported at 8:15 p.m. at Walmart, 2001 N. Rose Ave., according to the Oxnard Police Department.

Officers and first responders arrived on scene and attempted to locate a victim. Police learned the victim, a 19-year-old man from Ventura. had been transported via a private vehicle to St. John's Regional Medical Center with a gunshot wound. The victim's injury was determined to be non-life threatening and he was listed to be in stable condition, police said. Complete article

Police searching for 2 women connected to shooting at Paoli Ind. Walmart 02/17/2021

PAOLI, Ind. — Police are looking for two women wanted for questioning in a shooting at a Paoli Walmart store Wednesday.

Both Indiana State Police and the Paoli Police Department are investigating the incident. They are looking for Allison R. Shields and Bethany M. Amburgey.

Both individuals are from the New Albany area and are believed to be in a red Ford Focus with license plate number ETH612. Complete article

2 from New Albany arrested in connection with shooting at Paoli Walmart 02/18/2021

Pickup truck stolen from Elkin NC Walmart store with 6-year-old inside: Police 02/15/2021

ELKIN, N.C. — A six-year-old was inside a pickup truck when it was stolen while in the parking lot of a Walmart store, according to the Elkin Police Department.

Police said the man who stole the truck dropped the girl off at Richmond Hill Baptist Church near Boonville. Church members cared for the girl until deputies arrived. Deputies said the girl was unharmed.

Deputies with the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office tracked down the truck and the suspect.

Deputies arrested Christopher Davis Coffey, 37, of Lenoir. They said the vehicle he was in before driving off in the truck was stolen from Stokes County. Complete article

Crime-fighting unit at Trussville Alabama Walmart nets 11 arrests in 4 days 02/16/2021

TRUSSVILLE — The Trussville Police Department released information following up on a crime suppression detail at Walmart, off Chalkville Mountain Road.

After a shooting on Feb. 2, Police Chief Eric Rush deployed the most concentrated crime-fighting effort in the department’s history. Rush said he felt like people didn’t feel safe going to the area, so he instructed a specialized unit to enforce laws, make arrests and issue citations.

In the first four days, officers with the unit made 11 arrests, issued 80 citations and impounded 21 vehicles. Arrests made were for unlawful possession of methamphetamine, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia and carrying a concealed firearm. One of the arrests for carrying a concealed firearm was a Walmart employee, Rush said. These arrests and citations do not include numbers from patrol officers on their regular beats.

The person arrested for the Feb. 2 shooting was also a Walmart employee. 20-year-old Jordan Christopher Harris is now charged with attempted murder, criminal mischief second-degree and reckless endangerment. No one was hurt in the shooting. Harris posted $62,000 in bonds and was released from the Jefferson County Jail on Feb. 3. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on April 13. Complete article

Fire crews put out blaze at Whitemarsh Ga. Walmart 02/17/2021

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – Chatham Emergency Services (CES) responded to a fire on the roof of the Whitemarsh Island Walmart at 11:53 p.m. Tuesday.

According to CES, a loud boom at the retailer led to the discovery of an gas-fed air handler on top of the building that caught on fire.

CES says crews evacuated the building and quickly extinguished the fire. Complete article

Space heater causes early morning fire at Walmart in Grand Chute Wisc. 02/16/2021

GRAND CHUTE - The Walmart in Grand Chute was evacuated early Tuesday morning after a space heater started a fire in the store's nail salon.

Grand Chute firefighters responded just before 4 a.m. Tuesday to the Walmart at 955 North Mutual Way for a report of a structure fire, according to a news release from the Grand Chute Fire Department. Employees at the store told 911 dispatchers that smoke was coming from the nail salon at the front of the store.

The building's automatic sprinkler system had kept the fire in the nail salon under control, according to the fire department. Firefighters put out the remaining pockets of fire and kept it from spreading outside the nail salon. Complete article

Florida man caught masturbating in Walmart parking lot told cops he was ‘lonely’ 02/19/2021

A man who was arrested for masturbating in the parking lot of a Florida Walmart told police he took matters into his own hands because he missed his girlfriend.

The indecent incident happened Wednesday in Vero Beach, according to a police report obtained by The Smoking Gun.

Cops were called after a shopper noticed the suspect’s self-love session inside a Kia parked outside the store.

According to the tipster, the Walmart wanker had the driver’s side window down, and was performing the highly visible lewd act in broad daylight.

Arriving officers said they found hard evidence of 26-year-old Kyle Weiss’ guilt. Complete article

Walmart rules out incentives for shots 02/17/2021

Walmart Inc. is bucking a trend among other retailers that are offering eligible workers incentives to get a covid-19 vaccination.

The Bentonville-based retailer has "no plans to offer incentives at this time but will make the vaccine free and accessible to our 1.5 million U.S. associates," a Walmart spokeswoman said Friday.

However, the spokeswoman said Friday that the company will give employees three days of paid leave in case they experience vaccine side effects. Complete article

Dow Falls 200 Points After Disappointing Walmart Earnings And Worse-Than-Feared Jobless Data 02/18/2021

TOPLINE Stocks are falling for a second day in a row after worse-than-expected unemployment data and a disappointing earnings report from the nation's largest retailer stoked investor fears that the economic recovery could be lagging more than expected.

Shortly after the market opened, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 197 points, or 0.6%, while the S&P 500 slipped 0.7%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq–which has underperformed in recent days–fell 1%.

Heading up losses in both the Dow and S&P, shares of Walmart fell nearly 6% after a fourth-quarter earnings report that showed stronger-than-expected sales growth in the U.S. of nearly 9% (boosted by stimulus payments, per management), but earnings of $1.39 per share that fell short of Wall Street estimates averaging about $1.50 per share. Complete article

Walmart just boosted pay to $15. It's not what you think 02/18/2021

(CNN) - Walmart announced pay bumps Thursday that will bring its average hourly wage to over $15 an hour. But the move still falls short of the $15 minimum wage announced by some of its largest competitors.

Walmart, America's largest private employer, said it will raise wages for 425,000 US workers -- more than a fourth of its workforce -- to at least $13 an hour.

Starting March 13, hourly workers stocking shelves and fulfilling customers' home delivery and curbside pickup orders in stores will receive a starting rate of $13 to $19 an hour, based on the store's location and market, Walmart said. Last year, the company raised wages for 165,000 store workers in management roles to a starting rate of $18 an hour. Complete article

Some 730,000 Walmart employees won’t be getting $15 an hour pay — they’re hardly alone 02/19/2021

This Ex-Walmart Exec Wants To Take Cardboard Boxes Out Of Online Shopping 02/17/2021

The cofounder of Jet is leading a push to eliminate cardboard waste from online shopping.

His new startup, Olive, is launching with hundreds of brands and retailers, including Adidas, Anthropologie, Everlane, Goop, Ray-Ban, Sam Edelman and ThirdLove, and will offer shoppers the choice of having their online orders bundled together and sent in a reusable tote bag. The totes, along with any returns, will be picked up once a week.

Olive was started by Nate Faust, who joined Walmart in 2016 after selling Jet for $3.3 billion and then spent three years taking on Amazon while running the retailer’s U.S. e-commerce supply chain and logistics. He is joined at Olive by roughly a dozen others he worked with previously at Walmart, Jet or Diapers.com. (Walmart is also losing Jet’s other cofounder, Marc Lore, who announced last month he will leave to work on a separate project that aims to build a “city of the future.”) Complete article

Why Walmart’s CEO says Americans urgently need another stimulus check 02/18/2021

When Walmart CEO Doug McMillon went to the White House last week, he said he gave a clear message: Americans urgently need another round of stimulus checks.

Walmart’s stores and websites reflect consumers’ spending patterns, the retail chief said in an interview with CNBC’s Courtney Reagan on “Squawk Alley.” The company could tell when they stocked up on food and cleaning supplies in the early part of the Covid pandemic and gravitated toward bikes, puzzles and hair color as they remained stuck at home.

When consumers got the most recent stimulus checks at the end of the year, he said a new pattern emerged: more shoppers put the extra dollars toward buying necessities.

“We can see in our customer behavior that some customers — as they received this most recent stimulus — are spending it more on basics, more on private brands, smaller pack sizes, things like that as opposed to some of the stimulus dollars that came out earlier last year that were spent more like tax rebate checks, where people were buying televisions and things to entertain themselves at home,” he said. “There’s a bit of a mix shift now and we think it reflects the fact that customers out there do need some help.” Complete article

Walmart violated law when it refused to give Skowhegan Maine worker a set schedule, lawsuit says 02/19/2021

The Maine Human Rights Commission has sued discount store giant Walmart in federal court over its Skowhegan location’s refusal to allow an employee with an intellectual disability to have a set weekly schedule.

Last May, the commission found that managers violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Maine Human Rights Act when they failed to accommodate Michael Morin, 40, of Skowhegan, who has worked at that location for nearly 20 years.

Walmart and the commission failed to reconcile the matter, so the commission filed the lawsuit on Morin’s behalf in November in Kennebec County Superior Court in Augusta. Attorneys for the discount store chain moved the case to U.S. District Court in Bangor because Walmart’s headquarters is located out of state. Complete article

Trio jailed in connection with Fla. Walmart theft, cocaine charges 02/16/2021

Rose incident at Coshocton Ohio Walmart was an act of kindness 02/15/2021

Walmart closing some stores due to winter weather - here's how to check if a store near you is impacted 02/15/2021

Couple accused of walking out of Pa. Walmart stores with stolen televisions 02/17/2021

Man who lost family heirloom at Fla. Walmart 3 weeks ago gets it back after Channel 9 report 02/17/2021

Unwelcome shopper arrested after showing up at Fla. Wal-Mart at Buffalo Ridge Plaza 02/18/2021

Deputies: Claims of attempted abduction at Monroe Co. Ga. Walmart false, no arrests made 02/18/2021

Suspected shoplifter shot several times by security officer amid confrontation at Tx. Walmart 02/20/2021

SAN ANTONIO – A suspected shoplifter was shot multiple times inside a West Side Walmart Saturday afternoon after police say he pointed a gun at an officer when confronted for not paying.

It happened at the Walmart off W. Military Dr. and Loop 410 a little after 1:45 p.m.

According to San Antonio police, Manuel Espinoza, an off-duty San Antonio ISD officer working security at the Walmart spotted a man allegedly shoplifting from the store. Officer Espinoza then approached the unidentified suspect, 44, while he was about to leave the store. That's when investigators say a brief struggle ensued with the suspect reportedly pulling out a gun, pointing it at the officer.

Authorities say Officer Espinoza then pushed the suspect before taking his own service gun and shot the suspect several times. Complete article

Man charged in connection with Ariz. Walmart disturbance 02/20/2021

FORT MOHAVE — A violent episode at the Walmart store in Fort Mohave led to the arrest of a Topock man.

Andrew Antonio Arthur Rodriguez Jr., 33, was booked into the Adult Detention Facility in Kingman on suspicion of aggravated assault, disorderly conduct and theft-related charges.

Mohave County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived at 5:18 p.m. last Sunday to the store in the 5200 block of Highway 95. ......

“When LP staff attempted to stop Rodriguez and the female subject he was with, Rodriguez pulled a knife from his pocket and pointed it at them,” said MCSO spokeswoman Anita Mortensen. “A second LP staff member attempted to stop Rodriguez in the parking lot, when Rodriguez swung the knife towards him and made contact with the staff member’s arm.” Complete article

Fiery shopping cart prompts evacuation at Palmhurst Walmart 02/20/2021

An exploding butane tank prompted an evacuation at the Palmhurst Tx. Walmart Friday evening.

According to Palmhurst police Chief Michael Vela, law enforcement agencies responded to reports of a fire at around 8 p.m. Friday at the Walmart in Palmhurst located at 215 E. Mile 3 Rd.

In the store, police and firefighters with the Mission Fire Department found a shopping cart on fire near the store’s auto section.

“An employee with the returns department had put a 16 oz. butane tank on top of a car battery and left the shopping cart with the items there and the tank exploded and caught fire on its own moments later,” Vela said. “It was more of an accident than anything else, nothing intentional.” Complete article

Lynn Mass. labor pickets Walmart to keep jobs in America 02/21/2021

LYNN — Members of IUE-CWA Local 201, along with allies from the North Shore Labor Council, picketed in front of Walmarts in Lynn and Salem Saturday to protest what they call the offshoring of union jobs.

The focus of the event was on a GE-Savant lighting facility in Bucyrus, Ohio, whose workers recently were notified of a work transfer to China.

Local 201 President Adam Kaszynski said that the transfer would lead to 80 job losses.

“People are saying that if these jobs go, then it’s only a matter of time before the plant closes,” said Kaszynski. Complete article

Walmart associates offered free MIT supply chain management course 02/22/2021

While working in strategic sourcing for a Canadian metal mining company, Laura Allegue sought to further her professional education.

“I Googled: ‘Which is the best [supply chain management] program in the world?’ and I found the MicroMasters program,” Allegue said in an interview with FreightWaves.

She soon enrolled in MIT’s Center for Transportation & Logistics (MIT CTL) online MicroMasters program in supply chain management (SCM), which is designed to “educate the world for free” by providing rigorous courses to educate professionals worldwide. Complete article

Law Log: NC Walmart, Tractor Supply reported larcenies 02/19/2021

Body Shop Owner, Father of El Paso Tx. Walmart Shooting Victim Passes Away 02/19/2021

Store Burglary, Walmart Theft: Darien Ill. Cops 02/18/2021

Walmart apologizes, "re-educating" pharmacy teams after confusion over vaccine appointments 02/19/2021

Police Asking for Help Identifying Pa. Walmart Theft Suspects 02/20/2021

Williston man caught stealing Apple products from Louisiana Walmart 02/19/2021

Body found in woods near Jackson Mississippi Walmart 02/22/2021

JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – On Monday, Jackson police said a body was found in the woods near the Walmart on Greenway Drive.

Officer Sam Brown said the body was discovered by a homeless person. Investigators believe the victim froze to death during last week’s ice storm.

There were no signs of trauma to the body. The death is under investigation. Complete article

UPDATE: Victim identified in death investigation at Little Rock Arkansas Walmart 02/23/2021

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Little Rock Police have identified the victim in a homicide after a man’s body was discovered in a vehicle located in the parking lot of the Walmart on South Shackleford.

The victim was identified as 20-year-old Khyree Allison of Little Rock.

Allison’s body has been sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for an autopsy. Complete article

Missing Fort Wayne man found dead in truck at Marion Ind. Walmart 02/23/2021

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – A Fort Wayne man missing since last month has been found dead in Marion.

The Allen County Sheriff’s Department confirmed to WANE 15 that 59-year-old Glenn Henry was found dead in a truck that was parked at the Marion Walmart.

Henry went missing on Jan. 29 and had not been heard from since. On Feb. 12, the sheriff’s department asked for the public’s help to find Henry, who reportedly left home with very few items. Complete article

Man wanted for allegedly pointing gun at Walmart employee in Sahuarita Ariz. 02/23/2021

SAHUARITA, Ariz. (KVOA) - A man is wanted for aggravated assault after he allegedly pointed a handgun at an employee of the Sahuarita Walmart Monday evening.

According to Sahuarita Police Department, a man reportedly got involved in a verbal argument with the Walmart associate inside the store located at 18680 S. Nogales Hwy.

SPD said the man reportedly pointed his gun at the employee. While no one was hurt, the man reportedly put the gun away and escorted off the property. Complete article

Ill. Walmart Employee Arrested for Allegedly Putting Coworker in Choke Hold 02/22/2021

Plano police arrested 42-year-old Timothy R. Vaughn, of Yorkville, Sunday evening from the Plano Walmart store.

Police say Vaughn, who works at the store, had been upset over a personnel issue at Walmart and was upset at a coworker who police said is a minor. Vaughn allegedly put the coworker in a choke hold in the Walmart employee break room. Police say the minor was not provoking Vaughn.

Vaughn is charged with battery and was released on a personal recognizance bond with a notice to appear in court. Complete article

Fire reported at Cambria County Pa. Walmart 02/23/2021

CAMBRIA COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — Fire marshals were called to the Cambria County Walmart Tuesday evening after a reported fire.

The fire happened around 5 p.m. and police said an air conditioner on top of the building caught on fire, burning a hole in the roof. The power and gas for the building was shut off as a result. Complete article

Hand soap sold at Walmart might have a bacterial problem. The recall was low-key 02/24/2021

Like any modern company, Scent Theory used its Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts throughout January to advertise its products, including Lemon Citrus foaming hand soap.

Scent Theory didn’t use any social media platforms or its website to tell consumers they recalled Lemon Citrus and three other kinds of foaming hand soap earlier in January for possible Burkholderia cepacia bacterial contamination.

As of Wednesday morning, the website had no notation of the recalls nor did any of the social media pages. The website’s “Shop” area says only “Collection All Products is empty.” The social media accounts promote the availability of Scent Theory’s products at Walmart, just as Jan. 22 and Jan. 24 Twitter posts did using a photo of an 11-ounce Lemon Citrus bottle. Complete article

Black Walmart worker arrested after being stopped for walking in the snow in Texas 02/22/2021

Police in Texas arrested an 18-year-old Walmart worker as he walked home in the snow in the middle of the road to avoid the icy sidewalks. Black teenager Rodney Reese was arrested at 10.45pm on 16 February in Plano just north of Dallas in northeastern Texas after police were called to the scene to check on a man stumbling in the snow, only wearing a T-shirt in the cold.

Police followed Mr Reese for over two minutes, asking him multiple times where he was going. Mr Reese said he was walking home from Walmart where he had worked that day. He said that since the killing of George Floyd, he gets nervous when he interacts with law enforcement officials.

Mr Reese was handcuffed after declining to tell police say his name or where he lived. He said he thought the arrest was motivated by his race.

He told FOX 4: "Just ‘cause I’m Black, that’s it. It’s ‘cause I’m Black, I fit a description. It hurts, man. I don’t even think the call would’ve happened [if I wasn't Black]. Honestly, I really don’t." Complete article

Police: St. Helena Island man arrested after exposing himself in Beaufort SC Walmart 02/22/2021

Watch | Woman loses wallet in Jacksonville Fla. Walmart, Good Samaritan drives to her Yulee home to return it 02/22/2021

North Olmsted Ohio police respond to two Walmart thefts 02/22/2021

Two-month-long investigation lands former Clinton Ind. Walmart employee behind bars 02/22/2021

Teen driving vehicle carjacked from Walmart parking lot crashes into Randolph Mass. home 02/25/2021

RANDOLPH, Mass. — A teenager is in custody Thursday after a car that was allegedly stolen in Avon crashed into a home in Randolph.

Police said the vehicle was taken during an armed carjacking Wednesday night at the Walmart on Route 28.

Officers pursued the car into Randolph where the teen driver crashed into a home on North Main Street, police said.

"I was laying in the bed in that room. Next thing you hear — a loud screech, and then, ‘boom.’ The windows shattered,” resident Tom Mallon said. I was thrown out of the bed." Complete article

Shoplifting Suspect Pepper Sprays Wash. Walmart Employee: Police 02/24/2021

PUYALLUP, WA — The Puyallup Police Department is asking the public for help identifying a shoplifter who pepper=sprayed a Walmart employee earlier this month.

According to police, back on Feb. 7 the suspect entered the Walmart and tried to shoplift a few hardware accessories. A Walmart Loss Prevention employee spotted the theft-in-progress and tried to stop it, but when the employee started speaking to the woman, she pulled out a can of pepper spray and doused the employee.

The suspect then took off, meeting another woman outside and running to a parked car. During their attempt to pull their car out of the lot, officers say they also nearly hit another vehicle. Complete article

Walmart Failed to Pay Workers During COVID-19 Screenings, Proposed Class Action Alleges 02/24/2021

Citing the Apple Store employee bag search case, a group of Walmart employees say the retailer owes them wages for the time it takes to screen them for coronavirus symptoms.

Employees for Walmart Inc. claim the company has skipped out on base pay and overtime wages during COVID-19 screenings at the start of each shift. Complete article

MyPillow Petition Urging Amazon, Walmart Pull Products Hits 90,000 Signatures 02/25/2021

A viral petition urging some of the country's biggest retail chains to stop selling MyPillow products has gained more than 90,000 signatures.

The change.org petition demanding businesses such as Walmart and Amazon remove items from Mike Lindell's company from sale was created in mid-January after he was photographed holding a note before a meeting with then-president Donald Trump which appeared to show him advocating for martial law being imposed.

The meeting took place in the wake of the deadly attack at the Capitol on January 6 in which far-right extremists and Trump supporters attempted to overthrow the government in support of the baseless claim of widespread election fraud, which Lindell repeatedly backed. Complete article

Walmart's Flipkart to deploy over 25,000 electric vehicles in India by 2030 02/24/2021

India’s Flipkart said on Wednesday it will deploy more than 25,000 electric vehicles in its supply chain by 2030 as the Walmart-owned e-commerce giant looks to achieve a 100% transition to electric mobility in the next 10 years.

The Bangalore-headquartered firm said it has partnered with leading EV makers including Hero Electric, Mahindra Electric and Piaggio to build vehicles for its first and last-mile delivery fleets across the country.

The announcement comes a day after rival Amazon said it had partnered with Mahindra Electric to develop “close to hundred” electric three-wheelers in India. The American e-commerce giant last year pledged to deploy 10,000 electric vehicles in the country by 2025. Complete article

Man pleads guilty to murder in baseball bat beating outside Fort Wayne Ind. Walmart last March 02/24/2021

Umpqua man cited for spying on woman in Oregon Walmart restroom 02/23/2021

Wichita man accused of kidnapping ex from Kansas Walmart parking lot sentenced to probation 02/25/2021

Walmart closing Brainerd area Neighborhood Market in Chattanooga Tenn. 02/26/2021

Police shoot, kill man outside Walmart in West Sacramento, Ca., officials say 02/25/2021

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Police shot and killed a man Thursday afternoon near the Walmart in West Sacramento after a report of someone with a knife in the area, officials said.

The West Sacramento Police Department said it received the call of the person with a knife around 3:45 p.m. at a Walmart parking lot near Riverpoint Court.

When officers approached the suspect, believed to be a man in his 20s sitting inside a vehicle, police said they shot him. It is unknown what led to the shooting, but the person exited the vehicle prior to the shooting.

It is unclear if the man had the knife during the time of the shooting. Police said more than one officer was present when it happened. Complete article

Two shot at Roanoke Rapids NC Walmart 02/26/2021

ROANOKE RAPIDS, N.C. — Two people were shot Friday morning in the parking lot of the Roanoke Rapids Walmart, according to Chief of Police Bobbie Martin.

Martin did not have information about the condition of those shot or any suspects in the shooting.

He said the call came in just before noon, and he expected detectives to be working the scene through the afternoon. Complete article

2 People Shot Outside Walmart in Lehigh Valley, Pa. Police Say 02/26/2021 one died

Two people were shot and taken to the hospital after a gunman opened fire in the parking lot of a Walmart in Lehigh County on Friday evening, police said.

The shooting occurred sometime after 7 p.m. outside the superstore on MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township, according to initial reports.

A tweet by Whitehall police a short time later said only that the shooting happened at the Walmart, and said a press conference might take place later. Complete article

Police: 1 Woman Dead After Double Shooting At Lehigh County Walmart 02/27/2021

73-year-old Post Falls man dies after being hit by a car in an Idaho Walmart parking lot 02/27/2021

POST FALLS, Idaho - A 73-year-old Post Falls man died Saturday after getting hit by a car in a parking lot.

Idaho State Police say it happened at the Walmart in Post Falls on Mullan Avenue.

Police say a 49-year-old driver made a left turn in front of the store and hit 73-year-old David Mallery, who was leaving the store. Complete article

Semi with cardboard catches fire at Walmart in Red Bluff Ca. 02/26/2021

RED BLUFF, Calif. — According to CAL FIRE Tehama-Glenn Unit, a flatbed semi with cardboard caught on fire at Walmart in Red Bluff on Friday evening.

Firefighters were making quick progress on putting out the flames. Complete article

Smoky fire damages Plantation Fla. Walmart, nearby businesses 02/26/2021

PLANTATION — An early morning fire at a Walmart in Plantation caused minor damage, closing the store and other adjacent businesses.

There were no reported injuries at the Walmart Neighborhood Market but smoke and water from the sprinkler system caused enough damage to keep the store closed until after clean up and repairs.

The fire started just before 2 a.m. Friday in the store at 1885 N. Pine Island Rd., located in the Jacaranda Square plaza near Sunrise Boulevard. Complete article

Platteville Wisc. PD: Fight in Walmart parking lot, man found with stab wound 02/27/2021

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) -Platteville police are investigating after they found a man with a stab wound following a report of a fight in a Walmart parking lot.

Police were responding to a report of a fight at the parking lot around 9:15 p.m. Friday when they received a second call, reporting a man was injured in the Menards parking lot.

Once on the scene, officers found a man with a stab wound to the torso and a “significant injury of an unknown nature” to his leg. The man was transported to Southwest Health for treatment. Complete article

Bernie Sanders accuses Walmart of paying ‘starvation wages’ in passionate defense of $15 minimum wage 02/25/2021

Bernie Sanders has blasted Walmart for paying “starvation wages” in a passionate defence of a $15 minimum wage.

The Vermont Senator attacked the company, which made a profit of more than $15bn last year, after it earlier this month announced a wage rise for 425,000 of its employees by 13 March.

But despite the increase, many of the company’s employees will reportedly continue to earn the firm’s minimum wage of $11 an hour.

Joe Biden campaigned on a promise to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 and the increase is part of his $1.9 trillion Covid stimulus package. Complete article

I've worked at Walmart for 20 years and can't afford a doctor. Congress needs to pass a $15 minimum wage now. 02/26/2021

I've worked as a Walmart associate in Laurel, Maryland, for 20 years. I've gotten every raise I'm eligible for. But during this pandemic — while the Walton family has pocketed $5.7 million every hour — I'm still struggling to get by.

America faces the greatest economic crisis in a generation, but Walmart's CEO still says that a $15 minimum wage is too much compensation for frontline workers like me who have put our lives on the line for the last year.

Walmart's starting wage is $11. That is a starvation wage that forces working families to turn to programs like SNAP — also called food stamps — and Medicaid just to get by. An annual wage increase for those lowest paid employees amounts to 22 cents an hour, showing that there is no real pathway out of poverty when you're working at Walmart as a cashier or cart pusher. Complete article

Lem Turner Road Jacksonville Fla. Walmart’s switch from Moderna to Pfizer vaccine causes confusion for some seniors 02/26/2021

Patients being directed to 2 nearby locations to receive their 2nd dose of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Walmart store on Lem Turner Road on Jacksonville’s Northside will be administering the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, according to a statement the company sent Thursday to News4Jax.

The statement said that as the store at 12100 Lem Turner Road transitions from the Moderna to the Pfizer vaccine, Walmart is directing patients to two nearby locations to receive their second dose of the Moderna vaccine. Those locations are the Walmart store at 6830 Normandy Blvd. and the store at 13227 City Square Drive. Complete article

Couple says Walmart can’t send email to confirm second vaccine appointment 02/26/2021

Goldman Consumer Head Is Leaving to Run Walmart Fintech 02/28/2021

A Goldman Sachs Group Inc. executive who helped build its consumer-banking business from scratch is leaving to take on a similar task at Walmart Inc.

Omer Ismail, a Goldman partner and the head of its Marcus consumer unit, is leaving the bank to run a recently announced Walmart financial-technology startup, according to people familiar with the matter.

Mr. Ismail, who first joined Goldman nearly 20 years ago, was among a group of executives who came up with a strategy to expand into digital banking services in 2014. By the end of last year, that business generated $1.2 billion in annual revenue, had amassed $97 billion in deposits and held $8 billion in consumer-loan balances.

Walmart said in January that it was creating a majority-owned fintech subsidiary in a partnership with venture-capital firm Ribbit Capital , a backer of Credit Karma Inc., Affirm Holdings Inc. and other fast-growing startups.

“Our customers have been clear that they want more from us in terms of financial services,” Walmart Chief Executive Doug McMillon said at an investor event earlier this month. “This new approach will help us deliver for them in a differentiated way more quickly.” Complete article

As Walmart vaccinates Alabamians, one major group is being left out 02/25/2021

Man pleads guilty to gift card scheme at Walmart​ stores including one in Albion NY 02/25/2021

NY Walmart Supercenter evacuated after payloader strikes gas line 02/23/2021

Shoplifting Suspect Leaves Murfreesboro Tenn. Walmart Without Paying 02/26/2021

SWAT team called in to help search for man with rifle (which turned out to be a BB Gun) near Walmart in Salem Mass. 02/28/2021

SALEM, Mass. — Authorities are searching for a man who reportedly fled into the woods with a rifle near a Salem Walmart, according to the Salem Police Department.

Salem police say officers responded at about 10:50 a.m. Sunday to the rear of the Walmart at 450 Highland Avenue to investigate the report.

When they arrived at the scene, officers spoke to a witness who told them that the windows of a backhoe loader in the rear parking lot had its windows shattered by a projectile.

Lynn and Peabody police, along with members of the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council SWAT Team, assisted Salem police in their search and investigation.

According to Salem police, evidence found at the scene suggests that the backhoe's windows were likely shattered by BBs shot from an air rifle. Complete article

Police Search Woods After Man Fired BB Gun Behind Salem Walmart 02/28/2021

Customer Sets Off Fireworks Inside Natomas Ca. Walmart, Causing Fire And Evacuations 02/28/2021

NORTH SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – The Walmart in Natomas was evacuated due to a fire that started when a customer lit fireworks in a clothing department, the Sacramento Fire Department said on Sunday.

A customer allegedly placed fireworks inside of clothing in the men’s department and set them off.

The scene was at the Walmart along Truxel Road in the Natomas Marketplace. The fire department said it received reports of the fire just after 2:45 p.m. Complete article

Shoplifting at Walmart presents challenge for Salisbury NC police 02/28/2021

The calls may be relatively routine, but the time dedicated to responding to the incidents builds up.

On Feb. 20, Salisbury Police officer A.E. Petty responded to a call at 323 South Arlington St.

Four teenagers were accused of stealing food and merchandise valued at $304.17 in the incident.

One day later, officer P.J. Smith responded to a call where a massage gun, clothes, food, pillow and air freshener spray were stolen. Police charged a 55-year-old woman with stealing the items, which had a total value of $243.48.

The Arlington Street address shows up almost everyday in crime reports, with five appearances last week. In fact, Walmart, located at 323 South Arlington St., comprises 15% of the city’s part one crime, which includes offenses ranging from homicide to stealing motor vehicle parts. Another category, part two, includes offenses such as forgery, counterfeiting and weapons violations. Complete article

CCSO searching for thief dressed in Ga. Walmart work vest 02/28/2021

COLUMBIA COUNTY (WJBF) – The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in locating a suspect.

Authorities say the suspect pictured went into the Evans Walmart wearing a Walmart work vest.

He proceeded to the electronics section where he used a barrel key to open the Apple products cabinet.

He took 15 sets of Apple Air-pods, valued at over $2,815.00, then left the store without paying. Complete article

Multi-County Police Chase Ends With Driver Running Into Orange County Walmart 03/02/2021