The District of Columbia Court of Appeals has held that D.C.'s antitrust lawsuit against Amazon was improperly dismissed because the trial judge "set too high a bar" for the case to move forward. The 2021 lawsuit alleges that Amazon inflated prices and hindered competition by effectively blocking third-party sellers from offering lower prices via other platforms.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, in a speech at the Kansas City Fed's annual conference in Jackson Hole, Wyo., signaled that the central bank is poised to cut interest rates in September. Powell emphasized the need to adjust policy to protect the job market and maintain economic stability. While he did not specify the size of the rate cut, he indicated that the Fed is prepared to act quickly if the labor market shows further signs of weakening.

Personal protective equipment distributors have a valuable role to play in the value chain when it comes to educating end users and addressing job hazard analysis, says Cam Mackey, president and CEO of ISEA. In this MDM podcast, Mackey discusses upcoming regulatory changes, such as revisions to head protection standards and new guidelines for cut-resistant gloves, as well as the potential impact of OSHA's proposed heat stress standard, and the ongoing effects of the pandemic on the PPE market.

The National Labor Relations Board has ruled that Amazon is a joint employer of subcontracted delivery drivers in California after examining claims filed by the Teamsters union, which is trying to organize Amazon drivers. The decision highlights Amazon's control over routes and delivery targets, countering its assertion that it doesn't directly employ the drivers.

Climate change, geopolitical tensions, cyber risk and transportation disruptions are a wake-up call to rethink the way we think about supply chain management, writes Jamie Flinchbaugh, the founder of JFlinch. Flinchbaugh recommends prioritizing risk mitigation through strategies like dual-sourcing, near-sourcing and thorough supplier evaluations.

AI will power the future of digital transformation, but organizations should perform a readiness assessment before deploying AI, experts said during a webinar hosted by Distribution Strategy Group. "Right now, we're just in the building blocks in the beginning of how AI can help leverage data and insights for the digital transformation," said Alex Witcpalek, CEO of Continuum.

Salespeople should cultivate a minimum of four stakeholders in an organization for a prospective sale to gain different viewpoints, writes Colleen Francis. "The biggest single mistake that I see salespeople make is that they go in with a single view or a single threaded approach, and when they only have one contact, they've created gatekeepers," Francis writes.

Forty-six percent of business-to-business marketers intend to up their distribution of social media content this year, and 41% plan to increase video content distribution, according to analysis by 10Fold and Sapio Research. The trend is due to B2B marketers realizing the formats are the best ways to engage with Generation Z buyers, Meaghan Yuen writes.

Snarky comments and sarcasm can be signs that your team is struggling with resentment rather than just a general attitude problem, according to Anthony Klotz, associate professor of organizational behavior at the UCL School of Management in UK. Klotz recommends talking to team members one-on-one, shaking up routines and encouraging team members to speak to leadership if their gripe is with organizational policies.

Despite some reduction from its pandemic peak, remote work has stabilized at significant levels, with around 25%-30% of workdays remaining remote according to WFH Research. The trend benefits both workers and employers--workers value the flexibility while employers save on real estate and training costs.

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