https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/11/dem...hether-trump-sought-to-punish-att-amazon.html Democrats to investigate whether Trump administration sought to punish AT&T, Amazon When Democrats take control of the U.S. House they plan to investigate the Trump administration's decision to try to block AT&T from acquiring Time Warner, and whether officials sought to punish Amazon.com by prodding the U.S. Post Office to hike shipping prices for the world's largest e-commerce company, a senior Democrat said on Sunday. Speaking to online publication Axios, Representative Adam Schiff, who is expected to be the incoming chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said Democrats will review if Trump used the powers of the federal government to punish the companies.
What Apple’s partnership with Amazon means Amazon announced Friday that in the coming weeks, customers in the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan and India will start to see the latest versions of the iPad, iPhone and Apple Watch and Beats headphones selling on the site, with Apple as the verified seller. (Digiday)
Bowing to Amazon Incoming Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib writes for Fortune that, while some in New York and Washington are outraged at the financial incentives offered to Amazon in exchange for part of its "HQ2," the concept is "nothing new" for those from Detroit. "We have an unfortunate history of political leaders bowing down to the demands of corporations with little community input and even less benefit to impacted communities," she writes. Fortune
Price alerts set on both sides of the wedge. Thinking a test of wedge resistance comes first. What do you think?
Amazon’s Cyber Monday was the biggest shopping day in the company’s history Amazon said on Tuesday it just had its biggest shopping day in the company’s history on Cyber Monday, based on the number of products sold worldwide. (TechCrunch)
https://www.theverge.com/2018/12/4/18125765/postal-service-amazon-trump-mail-review Trump administration releases Postal Service review after Amazon attacks Recommends changes to package pricing The Treasury Department today released a 70-plus-page report on the Postal Service’s finances, part of a task force review ordered by the Trump administration after the president publicly bashed mail deals between the service and Amazon. The review, a detailed examination of the service’s “unsustainable” business model, credited e-commerce platforms with contributing to an increase in package volume and revenue, but said future increases in package delivery won’t be enough to offset financial problems. Without financial changes, “the USPS’s long-term sustainability is in question.” REPORT DETAILS “UNSUSTAINABLE” BUSINESS MODEL The report details issues well beyond package pricing deals, which the president has used as an argument against Amazon. The task force review did, however, say “packages have not been priced with profitability in mind,” and recommend changing prices on package deliveries “to generate income rather than maximize volume.”
Congress handicapped the postal service. I have to assume it was because they wanted to throw a bone to UPS, Fedex, etc. -- typical American, late 20th Century approach -- privatize everything possible, even the stuff that makes no sense to privatize -- passport issuance, prisons, etc.! If Congress persists using the postal service as a political bludgeon, then Amazon's answer is to buy UPS or start their own competing package service and maybe put UPS out of business -- all is fair in love and war. Amazon threw the postal service a bone. It is seldom a good idea to bite the hand that feeds you. The thing that should happen, but likely won't, is for Congress to unleash the post office. Let them build their retirement fund over time , as private corporations do. Stop handicapping the Postal service by making them fund retirement too far in advance. Or else, pony up the necessary subsidy. Congress, and now the President, is at fault; not the postal service; not Amazon.
https://www.uspsoig.gov/blog/be-careful-what-you-assume The U.S. Postal Service represents a compromise between a popular convenience and demand for private profits. To preserve UPS and Fedex profits, the Postal service must not be allowed to compete on a level playing field. In a similar way, Amtrak was designed to be incapable of posing a serious threat to the Airlines. Part D medicare was a bone thrown to Big Pharma and the Insurance Companies. Obamacare was emasculated by elimination of the public option and then seriously wounded when Republicans sued to allow States to opt out of medicare expansion. An entirely intact Obamacare would have posed an unacceptable threat to the AMA, AHA, Big Pharma and the Insurance industry. Something had to be done, and it was. It's no wonder people think the government can't do anything as well as private industry. Though there are many government success stories, they are soon overshadowed by prominent, popular, but hobbled programs handicapped from the outset, or as soon as the political tide turns. If you're in a foot race, but you're the only one with both feet in a gunnysack, you'll probably lose. If a government program proves wildly successful to the point of threatening private profits -- social security, medicare -- it is easy enough to hobble it with a poison pill. For years, the most insidious way to weaken Social Security has been to ignore the Actuaries, and thus the Trustees, recommendations. Medicare has been blocked from negotiating drug prices, and now the rules are being changed to reduce coverage and throw up new hurdles. The real problem with Medicare is, of course, charges 100% higher than in any other industrialized nation. Logic would have it that you would do something to force down charges. But logic does not prevail when private profits depend on it not prevailing. So instead of bringing cost down, cost is shifted. That way illogical, out of line profits are preserved, and financial support for Congressional races is maintained.
Employees at Amazon’s New NYC Warehouse Launch Union Push https://www.ttnews.com/articles/employees-amazons-new-nyc-warehouse-launch-union-push?itx[idio]=5844952&ito=792&itq=af1f110b-c9ab-47f8-b2c2-5b28479d6fc1