Walmart is going all out for America, pledging to buy an additional $250 billion in American products. To that end, the world’s largest retailer will host a manufacturing summit next week where it will look for U.S.-made products to sell. The event starts three days after the Fourth of July and promises to be a star-spangled affair.
The American flag is waving. Oklahoma-born American Idol star Carrie Underwood, decked out in red, white, and blue clothing, is talking about the virtues of Revlon’s Almay line of makeup as her song “All-American Girl” plays in the background. Kids run through prairies, one child waving an oversized flag. There are puppies and more flags. “Almay Simply American,” Underwood says as the text “American Science” pops up on the screen before the commercial fades to black. You can’t get more American than that. Read more
When you walk into a restaurant, or a bar, whether you realize it or not, you judge the establishment based on your surrounding environment. Before you ever take a bite, or a sip, you naturally notice the decor, and make the decision – do I stay, or do I find somewhere else to go? Read more
A generation of economists trained to believe that trade had little to do with the long decline in high-paying U.S. factory jobs is changing its mind. Read more
In the latest food scandal to hit China, authorities have seized almost half a billion dollars worth of smuggled frozen meat, some of more than 40 years old. According to the state-run China Daily, customs officials have confiscated over 100,000 tonnes (110, 231 tons) of chicken wings, beef, and pork, and arrested gangs across 14 Chinese provinces attempting to sell the contraband. Read more
Some 800 tonnes of smuggled frozen meat have been seized by Chinese authorities, including one batch dating from the 1970s, state media reported.
July 30, 2014
McDonald’s restaurants in many Chinese cities have been eerily quiet this past week. Many McDonald’s addicts have been forced to go cold turkey as numerous branches have yanked flagship burgers off the menu amid a tainted meat scandal.
The fast food giant is enormously popular in China where it has 2,000 outlets, each one typically overflowing with hungry crowds. Read more
Last fall, Wal-Mart promised to purchase $250 billion in Made in USA products by 2023, a move it said would create 1 million U.S. jobs over time. Two-thirds of the goods in its domestic stores are already made, sourced, assembled, or grown in the United States, the company added. Read more
Made in America – Most Americans love the idea of buying a Made in USA product instead of an import. But sometimes it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s not. Read more
