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Good Guy With a Gun Appears to Have Stopped a Would-Be Mass Shooter at a Missouri Walmart

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With the recent mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas that left 20+ people dead and scores more wounded, there’s nothing more startling to the public, and especially the police, than an armed man armed with a rifle in the vicinity of…a Walmart. That’s what happened in Springfield, Missouri. Seeing that there are only two reasons for someone to do this: it was either poor judgment, in which the person of interest should know better given recent headlines or this was a planned attack that was stopped by law enforcement. We don’t know what the intent was, but Springfield police said this guy is lucky to be alive and “his intent was not to cause peace or comfort to anybody that was in the business.”

A photo of the suspect shows him armed with what appears to be an AR-15 rifle or some variant of it. He remains in police custody. An off-duty fireman with a concealed carry permit was credited with stopping the suspect, holding him at gunpoint until police arrived. So, a good guy with a gun stopped a possible attack, but I’m sure the anti-gun wingnuts will keep their heads in the sand (via KOLR 10):

According to Lt. Lucas, an off duty fireman who was at the Walmart is to thank in some part for the young man’s arrest.

For now, investigators will review both the Walmart security footage and the armed 20-year-old’s social media profiles.

Lucas says there may have been a Facebook live posted by the man. Officers plan to watch the video and learn his intentions.

(Read more from “Good Guy With a Gun Appears to Have Stopped a Would-Be Shooter at a Missouri Walmart” HERE)

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Former Walmart Santa Claus Charged After Two of His Children Found Buried in His Backyard

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By Daily Wire. A Georgia man who was formerly employed as a Walmart Santa Claus has been charged in connection to the discovery of his two teenaged children found buried in his backyard.

On December 19, authorities responded to a welfare check on 14-year-old Mary Crocker at the home of Elwyn Crocker Sr., her father. Mary had been missing since October, though no official missing person’s report was filed.

Information provided by Elwyn Sr. during an interview with officials eventually led officers to the bodies of Mary and her brother Elwyn Crocker, Jr., who was last seen some two years ago. Like Mary, no official missing person report was filed for the boy, either. . .

Elwyn Sr., who turned 50 on Christmas Day, was working in close proximity to area children until recently, working as a Santa Claus at a Walmart in Rincon. He’s been charged with cruelty to children in the first degree and concealing the death of another, according to the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office. (Read more from “Former Walmart Santa Claus Charged After Two of His Children Found Buried in His Backyard” HERE)

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Walmart Santa Elwyn Crocker Charged After Kids Are Found in His Yard

By NY Post. A Walmart Santa was busted in connection with the deaths of his two kids — who were recently discovered buried in his Georgia back yard.

The remains of Elwyn Crocker Jr., a 14-year-old who vanished two years ago, and his sister Mary, 14, who was last seen in October, were unearthed in the small farming town of Guyton last week, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Deputies searching the home on a tip were led to the graves by the kids’ dad, Elwyn Crocker Sr., who turned 50 on Christmas, and until recently worked as a Santa at a store in Rincon.

His wife and the kids’ stepmother, Candice Crocker, 33, her mother, Kim Wright, 50, and Wright’s boyfriend, Anthony Prater, 55, were also collared on charges of concealing a death and child cruelty. They remain in Effingham County jail without bond. (Read more from “Walmart Santa Elwyn Crocker Charged After Kids Are Found in His Yard” HERE)

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Mystery ‘Santa Claus’ Buys Entire Stock of Layaway Items for Walmart Customers

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Shoppers in Derby, Vermont, are thankful for one mystery man who picked up the tab for their layaway items at a Walmart near the Canadian border.

The unidentified man paid off the entire stock of layaway items, WCAX reports.

“I don’t even think I can find the words to say,” said shopper Julie Gates. Gates was shopping last Thursday when an unknown man offered to pay for all of her items on layaway.

“This can’t be; who can afford to just pay for everyone’s layaway? And he said, ‘Santa Claus can,’” said Gates.

“It was kind of like surreal when she said, ‘Oh, no balance due,’ or whatever, then it was really a reality,” said Tammy Desautels, another shopper who had her things paid for. A third shopper, Sandra Cortez, told WCAX she thought this extraordinary act of generosity was a rumor.

Walmart did not say how much money the mystery “Santa Claus” spent or how many people were given free gifts, but some of the items cost several hundred dollars.

“There were people ahead of me that were eight-, nine-hundred-dollar layaways,” Gates said. “I get goose bumps thinking that that is the true magic of Christmas, that’s the Christmas spirit walking amongst us,” she added.

The overwhelming feeling in Derby is thankfulness. “I want to thank him,” said Cortez. (For more from the author of “Mystery ‘Santa Claus’ Buys Entire Stock of Layaway Items for Walmart Customers” please click HERE)

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Black Woman Sues Walmart, Claims Cosmetic Section Is ‘Racist’

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By Fox News. A woman is suing Walmart over alleged instances of racial discrimination in its beauty aisles.

Essie Grundy, who was shopping at a Walmart in Southern California, was upset to find beauty products targeted toward African-Americans locked behind a glass case, while other, sometimes more expensive products were placed on open shelving.

“When I walked down the aisle and saw that Walmart had placed all of the African-American hair and skin products under lock and key, I had to pause,” Grundy said at a press conference on Friday.

Grundy also said that employees told her she needed to be brought to the register by an employee if she wanted to purchase anything, and was not allowed to touch the product prior to buying it.

“It perpetuates a racial stereotype that African-Americans are thieves,” Grundy’s lawyer, Gloria Allred, stated. (Read more from “Black Woman Sues Walmart, Claims Cosmetic Section Is ‘Racist'” HERE)

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Walmart Responds to Furious Customers’ Claims That It Only Locks up Beauty Products for African Americans

By Business Insider. Walmart has responded to allegations that it is racially discriminating against its customers.

On Friday news broke that the store is being sued by a customer who claims that it is segregating products by the race of the people who use them.

The plaintiff, Essie Grundy, was shopping for a comb in her local store when she found it was locked in a cabinet: “That’s when I noticed that all of the African-American products were locked up under lock and key,” Grundy told reporters at a news conference on Friday.

Walmart immediately stamped out these allegations.

“We do not tolerate discrimination of any kind at Walmart,” a spokesperson for the company told Business Insider. (Read more from “Walmart Responds to Furious Customers’ Claims That It Only Locks up Beauty Products for African Americans” HERE)

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Walmart Gives Workers Pay Raise, Here’s Why

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Walmart is raising starting wages for hourly employees to $11 and offering a one-time cash bonus of up to $1,000, the company said Thursday.

The retailer also said it was expanding maternity and parental-leave benefits, as well as creating a new benefit to assist with adoption expenses . . .

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said the changes were a direct result of the new tax law.

“We are early in the stages of assessing the opportunities tax reform creates for us to invest in our customers and associates and to further strengthen our business, all of which should benefit our shareholders,” McMillon said in a statement. “However, some guiding themes are clear and consistent with how we’ve been investing — lower prices for customers, better wages and training for associates and investments in the future of our company, including in technology” . . .

The cash bonus will go to employees who don’t benefit from the new wage increases — meaning they are already paid more than $11 an hour. It will range from $200 to $1,000 depending on workers’ length of employment with Walmart. (Read more from “Walmart Gives Workers Pay Raise, Here’s Why” HERE)

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Raisins? Toasters? You Won’t Believe Walmart’s Top-Selling Items in Each State

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In Pennsylvania, Walmart shoppers love those Legos. In Nevada, canned pumpkin just flies off the shelves of the local Walmarts. And in Arizona, nothing says a trip to Walmart like coming home with a toaster.

For whatever it might reveal about the various states that make up America, Walmart released its list of top-selling items by state.

Differences abound. In California, the allergy medication Zyrtec is the top seller. New Jersey is No. 1 for dumbells — literally.

Even in states where a food item is the best seller, why do Colorado residents prefer apple juice while Mississippi’s shoppers grab more cranberry juice?

Clayton Christensen, author of the bestselling The Innovator’s Dilemma, said there’s likely no answer more simple than people buy what they believe they need to do a job.

“Jobs arise in my life that I need to address,” he said. “Some are simple, repetitive things that occur every day. Others are dramatic problems. When we have a job to do, we have to find something to get the job done. The causal mechanism that causes us to buy a product or service is that there’s a job that needs to be done.”

Jeff Petermann offered a similar reason for why people buy what they buy.

“Think back to your last non-emergency purchase of a large item…was it something that solved an issue for you?” he wrote.

“Maybe you kept dropping your phone, so you opted for a higher-end, drop-proof phone case? Maybe you were buying shampoo that made your scalp dry out, so you opted for a moisturizing version? Maybe you hate sweet relish, so you went and bought dill. Anyway you look at it, you have an issue, and you want to buy things that will help you eliminate that issue or solve the problem that you are having,” he wrote.

Sometimes, consumers are influenced to make their purchases.

“The affects of advertising are powerful. Imagine the piles and piles of money spent on advertising every year. It’s astronomical. Why do companies spend so much money on advertising? They would only do so if it worked,” wrote Lauren Greutman. (For more from the author of “Raisins? Toasters? You Won’t Believe Walmart’s Top-Selling Items in Each State” please click HERE)

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Wal-Mart Just Made a MAJOR Announcement… This Will Be Horrible for Workers

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The world’s largest retailer is closing 269 stores, including 154 in the U.S. that includes all of its locations under its smallest-format concept store called Wal-Mart Express. The other big chunk is in its challenging Brazilian market.

The stores being shuttered account for a fraction of the company’s 11,000 stores worldwide and less than 1 percent of its global revenue. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said the store closures will affect 16,000 workers, 10,000 of them in the U.S. Its global workforce is 2.2 million, 1.4 million in the U.S. alone . . .

The announcement comes three months after Wal-Mart Stores Inc. CEO Doug McMillon told investors that the world’s largest retailer would review its fleet of stores with the goal of becoming more nimble in the face of increased competition from all fronts, including from online rival Amazon.com.

“Actively managing our portfolio of assets is essential to maintaining a healthy business,” McMillon said in a statement. “Closing stores is never an easy decision. But it is necessary to keep the company strong and positioned for the future.”

Michael Exstein, an analyst at Credit Suisse, described the moves as “baby steps” in his report published Friday, but he believes they are positive ones. He noted that this is the first mass closing that Wal-Mart has announced in at least two decades. (Read more from “Wal-Mart Just Made a MAJOR Announcement… This Will Be Horrible for Workers” HERE)

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Investigators Looking into Suspicious Activity at Walmart in Arkansas, Possible Terror Plot

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Investigators with the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Prosecutors Office and Walnut Ridge Police are looking into suspicious activity that took place at the local Walmart located in Walnut Ridge over the weekend.

According to sources, a tip was received by the Deputy Prosecutors Office stating that a person or persons of middle-eastern descent was seen at the local Walmart in Walnut Ridge buying a large amount of Trac Phone type cell phones. The tip was then passed to local law enforcement who then contacted the local store and requested video from the store. According to sources the store only had 10 of these type phones and all 10 were purchased at one time by this person.

This activity came on the same weekend that a Walmart in Lebanon Missouri had 60 cells phones purchased, Laclede County Investigators were called in to investigate this and confirmed that the phones were purchased by persons of middle eastern descent with cash money, no charges were filed in the incident. A similar incident was also reported in Columbia Missouri last weekend as well.

Local law enforcement has contacted the Laclede County Sheriff’s Office (Lebanon Missouri) and requested video to compare to the local video taken. A similar incident took place in Michigan where arrest were made after suspects purchased a large number of cell phones.

Although there has been no direct link to any terror plots or groups in the recent string of purchases, law enforcement states people should be suspicious and report activity to local law enforcement. Reports after the recent San Bernardino incident stated neighbors saw suspicious activity but failed to report it to authorities stating racial profiling. (Read more from “Investigators Looking into Suspicious Activity at Walmart in Arkansas, Possible Terror Plot” HERE)

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Here’s What Walmart Despicably Told a Marine When He Tried to Collect Toy Donations Inside Store

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An Ohio Walmart’s decision to bar a former active-duty Marine from collecting donations for a children’s charity inside the store has prompted outrage online.

John Harkness says he’s collected donations for Toys for Tots, a program from the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve that gives toys to underprivileged youth for Christmas, at that location for almost 15 years, CBS reports.

But this year, a new store manager is enforcing a long-standing company policy, in place since around 2000, that does not allow charities to solicit donations inside. “They made us stay outside,” Harkness said.

Several upset customers have now complained about the policy on Walmart’s official Facebook page. An image featuring a photo of Harkness standing outside along with the words “He can bleed and die, but he can’t stand inside” has circulated online. (Read more from “Here’s What Walmart Despicably Told a Marine When He Tried to Collect Toy Donations Inside Store” HERE)

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Wal-Mart Lost $21 Billion in One Day, Here’s How

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Wal-Mart (WMT), the world’s largest retailer, saw its shares get whacked 10% or more than 6 points Wednesday, the biggest drop ever. The mauling evaporated over $21 billion in market value. As a Dow member the drop shaved over 44 points off the average.

Investors revolted after Chief Financial Officer Charles Holley lowered the boom at its annual investor day at the New York Stock Exchange (ICE), disclosing that profits will decline between 6 and 12% in fiscal 2017. The consensus was for a drop of 4%. He also stated that 75% of the reduction was tied to higher wages.

You may recall, earlier this year, Wal-Mart led the charge in raising wages for about 500,000 workers. In April, workers started receiving $9 an hour and pay may get bumped to $10 next year. Over the next two years this will cost the company nearly $3 billion, according to Holley.

Boosting worker pay has been an initiative of CEO Doug McMillian, who said, “Our investments in our people, our stores and our digital capabilities and e-commerce business are the right ones.” Despite these optimistic remarks, just last month McMillian indicated that the company could be doing a better job of controlling costs, including wages, as covered by FOXBusiness.com.

That was a big clue. If you strip out higher wages, Wal-Mart has other issues. The stock is down 30% this year, which may be the worst performance since 1973 and a sign the investor community has lost confidence in the retailer. Comparable store-sales for Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club rose a modest 1.5% for the 13-week period ended July 31. Total net sales in fiscal 2016 are expected to fall flat. (Read more from “Wal-Mart Lost $21 Billion in One Day, Here’s How” HERE)

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