Free Republic

CNN always wants to say left-wing radicals are less radical than you think, according to "some experts." They're never going to perform that trick for conservatives. CNN reporter Nathaniel Meyersohn attempted to mainstream socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s demented push for government-owned grocery stores. As if anyone needed another reason to make like a banana and split from the decrepit Big Apple. Meyersohn celebrated Mamdani’s lunatic “plan to create a network of city-owned grocery stores” in a June 30 so-called news item. Meyersohn gaslighted readers by claiming Mamdani’s state-run supermarket was “less radical than critics portray,” according...

Walmart, the largest private employer in the United States, will curb some diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. It’s the latest company to backtrack on diversity initiatives in the face of right-wing pressure, and its decisions will reverberate across corporate America. The company said Monday it is ending racial equity training programs for staff and evaluating programs designed to increase supplier diversity. Walmart has worked to increase the number of suppliers that are at least 51% owned or managed by a woman, minority, veteran or someone who is LGBTQ in recent years. The company is also reviewing all funding of...

At the back of Costco's stores, past the televisions, jewelry, jumbo-sized ketchup jugs and tubs of mixed nuts, is one of the retailer's most prized items: The rotisserie chicken that costs just $4.99. Cheap Kirkland Signature rotisserie chickens aren't only a quick way for families to get dinner on the table. For Costco, the chickens are a lure, pulling customers into stores and getting them to browse the aisles, adding sometimes hundreds of dollars worth of items to their shopping carts before they pick up that bird. The chickens have become almost a cult item. 91 million were sold last...

New York (CNN Business)Holiday sales grew at their fastest pace in six years, buoyed by rising wages and a drop in gas prices. Retail spending from November 1 through December 24 increased 5.1% from a year ago, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse. Shoppers spent more than $850 billion during the holidays. Unfazed by volatility on Wall Street, consumers flooded into stores and bought clothes and home decor online. Gas prices have dropped by more than 20 cents a gallon over the past month, giving shoppers extra cash for the holidays. "Consumer confidence translated into holiday cheer for retail," said Steve Sadove,...