EPA suspends enforcement of environmental laws amid coronavirus

The Environmental Protection Agency will not be cracking down on companies for breaking environmental standards during the remainder of the coronavirus outbreak—and did not give a set end date with regard to its abdication. Critical environmental activists and former EPA employees say that the move will give "industries board authority to pollute with little oversight from the agency."  Read more at The Hill…

Online grocers are getting a preview of their future

E-commerce grocery shopping will be completely transformed after the COVID-19 crisis has run its course. While it has been far more difficult to increase capacity online as opposed to in physical stores, retailers are betting that this surge in demand is indicative of grocery's future and are making plans accordingly. Read more at The Wall Street Journal...

How H-E-B planned for the pandemic

Early on San Antonio-based retailer H-E-B began limiting the number of certain products consumers could buy, in addition to extending its sick leave policy and implemented social distancing measures. Prior to the current crisis, H-E-B played a crucial role in helping the Gulf Coast recover from Hurricane Harvey, which gave company leaders improved insight into dealing with a disaster in a way that supports consumers in conjunction with employees. Read more at Texas Monthly…

'Essential' status means jobs for farmworkers, but greater virus risk

Fruit and vegetable producers are not required to send home the co-workers of those employees who test positive for COVID-19 if they aren't exhibiting symptoms. This has led some farmworkers to refuse to work at farms with work environments that make them feel unsafe or disrespected, which if continued could pose a huge threat to the U.S.'s supply of perishable foods. Read more at NPR…

Grocers to pay $29M for 23 Lucky's stores

Lucky's Market announced the buyers for its 23 closed locations and revealed that the winning bids amounted to $29 million. They include Publix, Aldi and Dollar General. Read more at Jax Daily Record…