Another triumph for the consumer, brought to you courtesy of your federal government and states attorneys

/

as the hypochondriac’s epitaph read, “I told you i was sick”

Albertsons grocery chain closes more stores, cuts jobs as post-merger fallout deepens

Grocery chain is scaling back operations, cutting costs as it adjusts to a more competitive landscape after its blocked merger with Kroger

The Boise, Idaho-based company — which operates banners including Safeway, Vons and Pavilions — has announced a new round of closures in recent weeks as it pivots to cost-cutting and operational changes.

The company has closed roughly 20 stores in 2025, underscoring mounting pressure as it competes with larger rivals such as Walmart and other low-cost operators.

In Southern California, Vons stores in Escondido and Redlands will close in April, eliminating 135 jobs. An Albertsons store near Riverside, California, shut down in March, cutting 75 workers, while a Safeway in Northern California closed earlier this year, affecting 76 employees.

The cuts extend beyond the West Coast. Two Albertsons-owned stores in North Texas are set to close by late April, impacting 138 workers, and a Safeway in Washington, D.C., is slated to shut down in May, eliminating 87 positions.

Industry analysts say the closures reflect ongoing fallout from the blocked Kroger merger, which Albertsons had framed as key to achieving scale and competing more effectively on pricing.

In response, the company is leaning on cost reductions and technology investments, including automation and artificial intelligence, as digital sales grow — often requiring fewer in-store workers.

As for the other partner?

GROCERY GIANT KROGER TO CLOSE 60 STORES IN NEXT 18 MONTHS

Here’s a summary of why the merger was contested; you can decide for yiourself whether the goals of the opponents: job protection, competition, and lower consumer prices were achieved.

AI Overview

The proposed merger between Kroger and Albertsons was blocked by federal and state courts in December 2024 following lawsuits from the FTC and several states. Opponents argued the deal would trigger higher grocery prices, reduce consumer choice, and threaten worker benefits. Albertsons terminated the merger agreement shortly after the court ruling.

Key Reasons for Opposition and Legal Action:

  • Anticompetitive Concerns: The FTC and nine states (plus DC) sued to block the merger, arguing that combining the two largest U.S. grocery chains would eliminate, not enhance, competition.

  • Store Divestiture Skepticism: The plan to sell 579 stores to C&S Wholesale Grocers was deemed insufficient to preserve competition, with concerns about C&S’s ability to compete effectively.

  • Job Loss and Union Opposition: The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) unanimously opposed the merger, fearing it would threaten the livelihoods of over 700,000 employees.

  • Price Hike Fears: Concerns were raised that the merger would raise prices for shoppers during a time of high inflation.

The merger was widely seen as an attempt by the companies to better compete with large retailers like Walmart and Amazon, a justification the court did not accept.

Byram River Beagle Club and Speakeasy has changed hands once again

/

161 Pecksland Road has sold for $8.4 million on an asking price of $8.995. The owner accepted this lower offer after the property had been on the market for only 17 days, but why not? She bought it new in January, 2024 for just $6.3 million,

I wrote about this land and its history a few years ago, and you can find that post here.

And here’s a bit more from Google:

AI Overview

  • The Byram River Beagle Club: In 1918, a property in that area was converted into a hunt club known as the Byram River Beagle Club, which featured a stable and kennel complex.

  • Location and History: Oral histories suggest this location, sometimes referred to in studies of the Byram River area, was used as a speakeasy during Prohibition and became a popular dining club after 1933.

  • Celebrity Visitors: According to a New York Times article, this dining club was frequented by celebrities such as Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz (who held their wedding reception there) and Babe Ruth.

My reading, too

/

Townhall's Kurt Schlichter Says Not to Freak Out When We Lose the Birthright Citizenship Case

Brett T,:

I'd love to believe that Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's insipid arguments in favor of birthright citizenship would be enough to lead to another 8-1 decision in President Donald Trump's favor. Yes, the 14th Amendment was meant to grant citizenship to the children of former slaves, not birth tourists who fly to the United States from China or wherever to deliver their baby on U.S. soil and then fly back home. As I reported the other day, Newsweek seemed to have a problem with Trump saying birthright citizenship wasn't meant for "rich people from China." Then there's surrogacy, where a Chinese millionaire ships his frozen sperm to a surrogate mother in the United States and then has the kids shipped back to China. One man was reported to have more than 100 children that way.

Kurt Schlichter of Twitchy sister site Townhall predicts that Trump is going to lose the case, but don't freak out.

… has been same. That’s baloney to just shut us up. Neither side is frivolous.

It’s a tough call legally and objectively speaking. But when we lose it, and I think we will, don’t freak out that this is some sort of conspiracy. It’s a hard legal decision. Sadly, we have three judges who aren’t even going to try to examine the question and will always vote for what leftists want. But the rest of the court has to make a tough legal call.

I think our reading is the correct one. For various reasons, I think they’re going to rule against us. Don’t freak out when they do. It’s not an utterly irrational ruling like so many of the district court opinions we’ve seen.

The answer is a constitutional amendment, and that’s not happening, so say hello to your new, improved country, and be sure to add Mandarin to your language lessons.

New listing at the bottom of Indian Head

/

8 Indian Point Lane, $5.8 million being offered as both land and residence. Built in 1949, it’s been improved over the years. In the AE and VE flood zones, but according to its elevation certificate, it’s 13’ above base level; don’t know how it’s fared over the years, but there have been some major hurricanes since 1949, beginning, in my memory, with Hurricane Donna in 1960 and the house is still standing, so there’s that.

The previous owners experienced some difficulty when they tried to sell it in the weak market of 2011: began at $4.795 million and finally sold it to the present owners in 2013 for $2.350. I’m sure it will fare better this time.

Note to alcoholics: nothing good happens after midnight

/

“So fucking fucked up. I'll pray they fuck him to his face —okay, that’s done; think I’ll just take me a widdle nap now ….”

Swing-district Democrat faces backlash after vulgar late-night post targeting Trump

Rep Susie Lee posted the crude remarks just before 1 am then deleted them after online backlash

Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev., sparked an online frenzy after launching an expletive-filled, late-night rant against President Donald Trump in protest of his plans to attend oral arguments at the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

"So f---ing f---ed up. I’ll pray they f--- him to his face," Lee wrote shortly before 1 a.m. Eastern time Wednesday. 

"Sorry, I say f--- a lot these days," Lee, 59, added.

And:

Uh oh. A terrorist group is angry, and that gives me the sads

/

CAIR demands Democratic senator apologize for recent Bill Maher appearance

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) demanded Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., apologize on Monday for appearing on "Real Time with Bill Maher" because of the host's "long history [of] anti-Muslim bigotry and anti-Arab racism."

"Your participation in Mr. Maher's show came just days after you publicly criticized a Muslim public figure for associating with Hasan Piker, whom you accused of engaging in antisemitism, which he has denied," a letter from CAIR read. "Meanwhile, Bill Maher has called Arabs dangerous to women, claimed that ISIS accurately represents most Muslims, argued that Islam itself is the 'problem' and never apologized or retracted these or other hateful remarks."

Bill Maher, yes — I’ve heard of him, and even enjoyed clips of his occasional lapses into what these days is considered heresy by all proper-thinking Democrats, but I’d never heard of Hasan Piker until recently, when he appeared in Cuba with little Greta, wearing $1,400 designer glasses, a $750 guayabera, and spouting support for the peasants. CAIR says he’s one of theirs, and I believe them. Here’s just a sampling of posts on the young Turk that have appeared on PJMedia’s pages over the years.

Hasan Piker’s Endorsement Is All the Proof Georgia Needs to Dump Jon Ossoff
https://pjmedia.com/chris-queen/2026/03/30/hasan-pikers-endo…t-is-all-the-proof-georgia-needs-to-dump-jon-ossoff-n4951248

Mar 30, 2026 – I’ve only recently become aware of Hasan Piker, the hipster dweeb left-wing influencer who somehow manages to be more insufferable … Piker: “America deserved 9/11. … LANGUAGE WARNING:BREAKING: Hasan Piker tells his audience how to commit terrorist attacks.“Just make f**king drones.…

How to Drink Water In Communist Cuba
https://pjmedia.com/sarah-anderson/2026/03/28/how-to-drink-water-in-communist-cuba-n4951194

Mar 28, 2026 – The most useful of all the idiots, Marxist influencer — and friend to the Democrat Party — Hasan Piker declared that it was like one …  Hasan Piker says the Cuban people like not having electricity (while staying in Cuba's exclusive hotel with power) pic.twitter.com … Here's some video of that from just this week:  I imagine the champagne commies, like Piker, who flew to Cuba last week,…

Cuba and 'Idiot Compassion'
https://pjmedia.com/charlie-martin/2026/03/23/cuba-and-idiot-compassion-n4950974

Mar 23, 2026 – A plane-load of protesters, including Code Pink's Medea Benjamin, lefty Hasan Piker, Ilhan Omar's daughter Israa Hirsi, and a gaggle … Piker has finally commented, and he is lying.https://t.co/9pvbZhllgA https://t.co/0gUVOJMjKI pic.twitter.com/ofNe9FlG37— Gabe Hoffman … Piker (wearing $1,380 Cartier glasses) and pro-CCP, pro-Kremlin Code Pink activists.…

Code Pink’s Cuban Commie Vacation: Lights, Luxury, and Zero Shame
https://pjmedia.com/sarah-anderson/2026/03/22/code-pinks-cuban-getaway-lights-luxury-and-zero-shame-n4950931

Mar 22, 2026 – Piker, who, fun fact, showed up wearing a pair of glasses that experts estimated would take the average Cuban nine years to be able … I did not know who Piker was until today, but I find just listening to him speak irritating. …  Communist Marxist, Hasan Piker complains how AT&T has shut down his account because he was using too much data in Cuba and…

It Gets Much Worse: Code Pink's Cuban Commie Vacation Hits a New Low
https://pjmedia.com/sarah-anderson/2026/03/23/it-gets-worse-code-pinks-cuban-commie-vacation-hits-a-new-low-n4950962

Mar 23, 2026 –  First up is this guy Hasan Piker. …  The Marxist Piker was born in New Jersey to Turkish parents, but raised as a Muslim in Turkey. …  THE WORLD NEEDS TO SEE THIS 🇨🇺Members of the VIP flotilla of Pablo Iglesias and Hasan Piker throw food at Cuban children to…

Why Is Code Pink’s Commie Convoy Ignoring These Cuban Kids?
https://pjmedia.com/sarah-anderson/2026/03/24/why-is-code-pinks-commie-convoy-ignoring-these-cuban-kids-n4951009

Mar 24, 2026 – This Marxist influencer, Hasan Piker, talked about how the people are enjoying life just hanging out in the streets, partying, with … Code Pink's Cuban Commie Vacation Hits a New Low But there's something even darker going on that the worthless people such as Piker…

Two Boats From Code Pink-Led Cuban Convoy Go Missing
https://pjmedia.com/sarah-anderson/2026/03/26/two-boats-from-code-pinks-cuban-convoy-go-missing-n4951117

Mar 26, 2026 –  Marxist influencer Hasan Piker even went as far as to say the Cuban people didn't mind not having power and running water — that…

Battle of the Dummies: Which Party’s Crazies Will Alienate Middle America First?
https://pjmedia.com/scott-pinsker/2026/03/04/battle-of-the-d…h-partys-crazies-will-alienate-middle-america-first-n4950229

Mar 4, 2026 – That’s still a bridge too far.Not so with the Democrats.BREAKING: Hasan Piker tells his audience how to commit terrorist attacks. … If the Republicans are serious about winning the PR war over Iran, we need to give our base a common enemy.Someone like Hasan Piker … From blaming America for 9/11 to electroshocking dogs to advising viewers on how to use drones for terrorist attacks, Hasan Piker isn…

Leftist Influencer Tells Audience How to Commit Drone Terror Attacks
https://pjmedia.com/catherinesalgado/2026/03/03/leftist-infl…r-tells-audience-how-to-commit-drone-terror-attacks-n4950190

Mar 3, 2026 – -Israeli operation against Iran continues full throttle.Hasan Piker, or "HasanAbi," has a massive audience for his Twitch streaming … : Hasan Piker tells his audience how to commit terrorist attacks. … Then Piker cheerfully advised, "You don't need that at all. Just make f**king drones.…

The Morning Briefing: Bells Are Jingling All the Wrong Way for Tim Walz
https://pjmedia.com/stephen-kruiser/2025/12/29/the-morning-b…g-bells-are-jingling-all-the-wrong-way-for-tim-walz-n4947630

Dec 29, 2025 – Fraud Action in MinnesotaElizabeth Warren Got Caught in Some Censorship Hypocrisy and Could NOT Get Away Fast EnoughLeftist Streamer Hasan … Piker Melts Down Over Empty Fraud Daycares: 'Think of the Non-Existent Children'WOW: Palisades Fire Chief Calls Out Superiors in DAMNING…

Mamdani's Lead Over Cuomo Cut in Half as the Socialist's Momentum Is Slowed
https://pjmedia.com/rick-moran/2025/10/28/mamdanis-lead-over…mo-cut-in-half-as-the-socialists-momentum-is-slowed-n4945346

Oct 28, 2025 – He held a rally on Sunday evening whose attendees included Hasan Piker, the far-left streamer who has espoused antisemitic rhetoric…

Mamdani’s Rise Feels Shockingly Familiar to Obama’s—and Just as Dangerous
https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2025/10/25/mamdanis-rise-f…shockingly-familiar-to-obamasand-just-as-dangerous-n4945254

Oct 25, 2025 – imam Siraj Wahhaj, an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, along with far-left provocateurs such as Hasan … Piker — a man who once claimed “America deserved 9/11.”The cult of personality around Mamdani evokes the hypnosis that brainwashed…

The Liberal Media Plays the Islamophobe Card to Save the Bacon — er, Falafel — of Zohran Mamdani
https://pjmedia.com/scott-pinsker/2025/10/24/the-liberal-med…card-to-save-the-bacon-er-falafel-of-zohran-mamdani-n4945219

Oct 24, 2025 – Piker, an influential voice on the left. … Piker once said that America deserved 9/11 and has referred to Jews as “inbred.” … “He was referring to Mamdani’s close friend Hasan Piker, who said ‘America deserved 9/11,’ a statement 9/11 families called on Zohran…

Who Is Handing Out Face Shields and Other Tactical Gear to Rioters, and Who Is Paying for It?
https://pjmedia.com/rick-moran/2025/06/10/someone-is-handing…out-face-shields-and-other-tactical-gear-to-rioters-n4940650

Jun 10, 2025 – Hasan Piker, a political commentator and online streamer with 1.5 million followers on X, said in response to Michaelson's post: "Elex…

Not Caring If Biden Has Cancer Is One Thing. Actually Celebrating His Imminent Demise Is Despicable.
https://pjmedia.com/rick-moran/2025/05/22/not-caring-if-bide…ually-celebrating-his-imminent-demise-is-despicable-n4940062

May 22, 2025 –  “Joe biden [sic] is an awful monster,” wrote Hasan Piker, a 33-year-old "anti-capitalist” who once said America “deserved 9/11…

Why Is The Young Turks' Hasan Piker Such a Jerk?
https://pjmedia.com/robert-spencer/2019/08/27/why-is-the-young-turks-hasan-piker-such-a-jerk-n101564

Aug 27, 2019 – America, the Left’s whipping boy for everything it can’t blame on Israel, deserved 9/11, says Hasan Piker, a commentator on the far-Left … All this leads to a larger question: why is Hasan Piker such a jerk? Why are so many of allies and friends jerks as well? … That’s what Hasan Piker is all about. Watch for his star to rise.  …

Steve Scalise: God Answered 'Pretty Much All' of My Prayers While I Lay Helpless on the Ball Field
https://pjmedia.com/tyler-o-neil/2017/09/28/steve-scalise-go…of-my-prayers-while-i-lay-helpless-on-the-ball-field-n100096

Sep 28, 2017 – The Young Turks‘ Hasan Piker victim-blamed the majority whip, saying he deserved what he got for his conservative policies. …

This Bernie Supporter on 'The Young Turks' Just Victim-Blamed Steve Scalise for Getting Shot
https://pjmedia.com/pj-video/2017/06/15/this-bernie-supporte…ork-just-victim-blamed-steve-scalise-for-getting-shot-n88811

Jun 15, 2017 – Steve Scalise’s (R-LA) “A+ NRA rating” and his healthcare policies, The Young Turks’ Hasan Piker victim-blamed him for getting shot … Scalise isn’t even out of the ICU, and Piker thinks it’s okay to call him a “white supremacist”?!?…

Harris Aide Says Dems Need More Spox Like the Activist Who Said ‘America Deserved 9/11’
https://pjmedia.com/robert-spencer/2024/12/17/harris-aide-sa…pox-like-the-activist-who-said-america-deserved-911-n4935218

Dec 17, 2024 – With his ringing endorsement of Hasan Piker, Flaherty was essentially telling Democrats to stay the course, which is a terrific idea … It’s not just Hasan Piker. We should have more Hasan Pikers. … Amplify the voice of Hasan Piker, and in 2028 you’ll enjoy a landslide of Reaganesque proportions!…