“Wal-Mart” on The Daily Caller

Are you deeply shocked to learn that getting the permits to build up a huge chain of Mexican superstores almost overnight might require paying off many local officials? You can hardly be as shocked as The New York Times, which over the weekend broke a front-page investigation of how WalMex, Wal-Mart’s Mexican subsidiary, cleared the way for its legendarily successful expansion by funneling $24 million in payments through local fix-it guys called gestores — widely used by businesses in that country to facilitate business dealings with governments — and that much of that money wound up in the hands of local officials. (more)

When candidates flip-flop, their poll numbers suffer, but when countries flip-flop, entire economies suffer. This scenario is playing out in India after the government flip-flopped on its decision to allow retail giants such as Wal-Mart to own a majority 51% stake in joint operations with a local partner. Just last week the government gave the go-ahead for this reform. Unfortunately, the victory was short-lived as leftist politicians and even right-winged opposition parties seeking to disrupt regular functioning of the government forced reform-minded Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the ruling UPA coalition to roll back their decision on Wednesday. (more)

“Occupy DC,” an offshoot of the Occupy Wall Street movement, swarmed Union Station Thursday night to protest a speech by Wal-Mart Chairman Rob Walton at an event hosted by the non-profit advocacy group Conservation International. Union Station is Washington, D.C.’s train terminal, located just blocks from the Capitol. (more)

Wal-Mart announced a multi-billion dollar initiative this week to promote women in the workplace in an effort to improve its image as a female-friendly company. Despite its efforts, the National Organization for Women (NOW) says the retail giant’s recent action does not make up for its past and current transgressions against women. (more)

It is one of the fastest growing on-line businesses in the world. (more)

Some Congressional Democrats are so upset with the Supreme Court’s 9-0 decision against Wal-Mart women that they’re reviving yet another push for the Equal Rights Amendment. (more)

Whenever a Supreme Court case is decided, there are winners and losers. But contrary to how some in the media are spinning it, the winners of Monday’s Supreme Court decision in Wal-Mart v. Dukes are women — women employees, women investors, and women business-owners. (more)

By a 5-4 margin, the Supreme Court ruled yesterday that a class-action lawsuit filed in California had failed to prove gender discrimination was a widespread policy of Wal-Mart. The markets rallied after the high court dismissed the suit, and some observers heralded the decision as a positive sign for business in the United States. (more)

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that the vast class-action lawsuit brought by former and current female employees of discount giant Wal-Mart is not legitimate in its current form. The lawsuit could have included as many as 1.5 million women. (more)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court blocked the largest sex-discrimination lawsuit in U.S. history on Monday, siding with Wal-Mart and against up to 1.6 million female workers in a decision that makes it harder to mount large-scale bias claims against the nation’s other huge companies, too. (more)

The Olsen twins never quit. The child-stars-turned-fashionistas latest move? They’re entering the e-commerce style world. (more)

Police in Maryland are on the hunt for the perpetrator of what appears to be an April Fools’ prank that left a man glued to a toilet at a Wal-Mart store. (more)

White House on Inflation; It’s Only One Guy (more)

Everybody knows, as Sen. Dick Durbin keeps telling us, the credit card companies and big banks have a well-oiled lobbying machine on Capitol Hill fighting against a new law that gives the Federal Reserve the authority to set what price Visa, Mastercard and others get for debit and credit card purchases at retailers across the country. (more)

1.) White House reporters ask first truly tough questions in two years — Pres. Obama was inaugurated two years ago today, which means it only took the White House Press Corp members one year, 11 months, and 29 days to find their spines. “Could you explain to the American people how the United States could be so allied with a country that is known for treating its people so poorly, using censorship and force to oppress its people?” asked AP reporter Ben Feller. He then turned to China’s Hu Jintao and asked, “How do you justify China’s record and do you think that’s any of the business of the American people?” When a mixup with the translator prevented Hu from hearing Feller’s question, Bloomberg’s Hans Nichols used his turn to ask Feller’s question again. But no amount of tough questioning could force either Obama or Hu to answer honestly. And in front of God and everyone, the 2009 Nobel Prize winner claimed that the country which is keeping the 2010 Nobel Prize winner under house arrest has made “enormous progress” on human rights which has been “widely recognized in the world.” The ensuing cognitive dissonance threw the Washington Post for a spin. Both headlines appeared in this morning’s paper: “President Obama makes Hu Jintao look good on rights”; “Obama presses Chinese leader on rights.” (more)

T-mobile gets better reception than Obamacare. Support for the law cratered to just 43 percent — an all-time low — in last month’s Washington Post poll. And since two more provisions took effect on January 1, repeal ought to be Republicans’ top priority — come Hell or high water. (more)

The resounding win by the Republicans in November holds the promise of getting some control on spending in Washington. It seems, for the moment, that Congress is focusing on this goal, thanks to its members’ feet being held to the fire by the Tea Party. (more)

Many Americans saw the November 2010 elections as a referendum on the size and reach of government, with voters showing greater skepticism of expansive regulatory efforts. This trend spells potential trouble for many federal initiatives, including environmental protection, to the extent that such efforts are viewed as synonymous with large, expensive government interventions into the economy. Fortunately, government regulation is not the only means of protecting our natural world. (more)

I consider President Obama to be the nation’s slickest salesman. Notice that I did not say “most successful.” For the past three years or so, he has been at least moderately successful at selling himself. He ran his presidential campaign selling Americans “hope and change,” which a great many citizens desperately wanted. (more)

The Florida man arrested after he was caught masturbating in the toy aisle of a Walmart with the aid of a Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue has cut a plea deal that bars him from future visits to the retail giant “or any store where children’s toys are sold,” court records show. (more)