Marcus Chen

McDonald’s expands McValue menu, betting on price-sensitive customers nationwide

McDonald’s is putting 10 items under $3 and a $4 breakfast bundle on the board, a bet that cheaper checks will bring back traffic without overloading crews.

Taco Bell adds Zab's Chicken Ranch Nacho Fries to 2026 lineup

Taco Bell is adding a $5.49 Zab's Chicken Ranch Nacho Fries LTO, another layered fries build that will test speed, stocking and app traffic in stores.

Policy

IRS finalizes no-tax-on-tips rules, with limited impact for Taco Bell workers

Most Taco Bell crew roles fall outside the new tip deduction, but delivery tips and tip pools could still trigger payroll changes at some stores.

Home Depot acquires SIMPL Automation to speed deliveries and boost safety

Home Depot bought SIMPL Automation after a Locust Grove pilot sped picking and cut product touches, signaling bigger changes in DC routines and staffing.

Home Depot revives Halfway to Halloween sale with early decor drop

Home Depot’s April 8 Halloween drop went live around 7 a.m. Eastern with one-of-each limits, and some props were already nearing sellout.

Walmart redesigns Great Value packaging across 10,000 items, no price changes

Walmart’s new Great Value look will hit nearly 10,000 items, starting with salty snacks, while prices and formulas stay the same for now.

Airdrie pizza chain faces backlash, petition over hateful social media posts

Airdrie’s Paul’s Pizza is facing a petition and boycott talk after deleted posts mocked MMIWG, putting a longtime local chain and its staff in the crosshairs.

Toronto restaurant chain faces wage theft allegations from workers

Workers say Latin World Restaurants withheld wages for up to three years, with some employees allegedly owed more than $3,700 as organizers pushed back in Toronto.

Chicago restaurant workers seek abuse protections as retaliation fears grow

After Warlord and Noma, Chicago restaurant workers say abuse still goes unreported because chefs control shifts, references and pay, and retaliation fears keep people quiet.

Starbucks union accuses company of bad-faith bargaining in revived talks

The union said Starbucks walked back seven agreed items and returned with punitive proposals, deepening a fight over wages, staffing and store protections.

Benefits

Nintendo details Redmond tech hub, benefits ahead of Switch 2 launch

Nintendo’s Redmond tech arm sat at the center of Switch 2 work while Nintendo sold a broad benefits package, signaling the talent mix it wanted for the next platform.

Pokémon Champions launches free on Switch and Switch 2, becomes competitive hub

Pokémon Champions went live free on Switch and Switch 2, and The Pokémon Company moved VGC onto it for Indianapolis and Worlds, making it Nintendo’s newest competitive test.

Monday.com touts AI automation to manage surging service requests

monday.com is pitching AI as the cure for service-team firefighting, with routing, auto-resolution and full-quality checks built to tame request spikes.

Apr 15, 2026·6 min read

Monday.com pushes internal knowledge base to cut bottlenecks and onboarding delays

A hidden knowledge gap can slow service, onboarding, and growth fast. monday.com is treating its internal knowledge base as a way to cut tickets, surface answers, and reduce single points of failure.

Apr 15, 2026·6 min read

Taco Bell newsroom signals menu, app, and policy changes

Taco Bell’s newsroom is the earliest warning system for menu, app, and policy shifts. Read it right and you can staff, prep, and train before the rush hits your store.

Apr 14, 2026·5 min read

Judge Finds Border Patrol Violated Order in Home Depot Raid

A federal judge said Border Patrol broke a prior order in a Sacramento Home Depot lot, where agents detained 11 noncitizens and one U.S. citizen.

Walmart digital price tags spark shopper backlash and pricing concerns

Walmart’s shift to digital shelf labels is turning price checks into a frontline task, as shoppers use the app and workers absorb more questions about what an item costs.

Suspect steals running car at Walmart, passenger killed in crash, police say

A man napping in a running Hyundai Sonata was stolen from a Walmart lot in Las Vegas, then killed after the suspect crashed into another vehicle and a pole.

Home Depot breaks into NRF and Kantar global retail top 10

Home Depot climbed to No. 9 on the NRF and Kantar global retail list, but the bigger test is whether that scale shows up in stock, delivery and Pro service.