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why Coles has just hired US defense contractor Palantir

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What does the Australian supermarket chain Coles have in common with the CIA? They have each been customers since last week Palantir TechnologiesAmerican technology company “focused on creating the world’s best user experience with data.”

As a part of the three-year deal, Coles plans to roll out Palantir’s tools in greater than 840 supermarkets to cut the prices and “redefine the way we think about our workforce.”

The technology company, named after the magical seeing stones from The Lord of the Rings, offers end-to-end software that collects, organizes and visualizes customer data into “one platform to rule all of them“. In the case of an intelligence agency, Palantir’s tools could also be helpful discover a terrorist cell through telephone calls and financial transactions; in a health care organization, they’ll find ways to lower your expenses shortening stays in emergency departments.

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For Coles, goal is to “optimize your workforce” by analyzing “over 10 billion rows of data covering every store, team member, shift and allocation across all time slots, every day.”

The announcement is here connected according to Coles’ plan to avoid wasting $1 billion over the following 4 years and beyond 2019 Big Data agreement with Microsoftconstructing effort robotic delivery centersand introduction cameras tracking customers and other technologically advanced security measures.

Palantir trial

What might Palantir-Coles cooperation appear like in practice?

Typically, Palantir first sends “deployed engineers” to start out working with the organization’s data, which is commonly messy, incomplete and fragmented. These engineers work with various departments and stakeholders to mix data into one compatible whole called “Ontology”, which comprises all information deemed relevant.

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Then the info will be entered into the Palantir platforms – on this case, configurable software called Foundry and Artificial intelligence platform.



Platforms enable customers to explore data dense yet user-friendly interfaces crammed with columns and rows, fields and contours. The AI ​​platform also introduces language models just like ChatGPT.

Users can compare earnings between branches, flag a store that appears inefficient, or discover an upcoming high-spending period based on historical patterns.

This all probably seems trivial, even boring. It’s actually less overtly problematic than Palantir’s work with governments and law enforcement, which has been heavily criticized for enabling deportation based on data Or racist policeand I saw an organization described as “evil“.

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However, a contract doesn’t should be overtly sinister to be significant. The surveillance and control technology is silent becomes infrastructure, moving from front-page news to something quietly ticking within the background. In this sense, Palantir is moving from the visible to the operational, unnoticed but powerfully shaping the lives and livelihoods of Australian supermarket staff and customers.

Workforce optimization

We can briefly outline three implications of this agreement.

Firstly, by signing this agreement, Coles is presenting itself as forward-looking and logistically oriented. Grocery and food market jobs are increasingly becoming data, as are hedge funds, health care, and immigration, which other Palantir clients coordinate.



Last yr, supermarkets were under fire increasing profit margin by the pandemic and the fee of living crisis and accused of underpaying employees.

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The Palantir deal continues this mining trajectory. Instead of paying staff more or passing the savings on to customers, Coles has chosen to speculate thousands and thousands in technology to “solve workforce costs” as a part of this system greater effort to scale back costs by $1 billion over the following 4 years. Food (and the labor needed to grow, package, and ship it) is transformed from a human need into an optimization problem.

Garden surrounded by a wall

Secondly, dependency. How I discovered my very own research, Palantir customers enjoy comprehensive data and recent features, but in addition they turn into depending on them. Data is growing; recent servers are needed; License fees are high, but they need to be paid.

The agreement between Coles and Palantir covers a three-year program of planned works.
Dan Himbrechts/AAP

Like Apple or Amazon, Palantir’s services excel at making a “seller lock,” an ideal walled garden that is hard for purchasers to depart. This pattern suggests that over the following three years, Coles will increasingly depend on Silicon Valley technology to know and manage its business operations. An organization that sells 1 / 4 of Australian groceries could turn into operationally depending on the US tech titan.

Way of seeing

Finally a vision. What Palantir sells is actually a way of seeing. Its dashboards promise view through God’s eyes that may span your entire organization or zoom in on granular information to locate that “needle in a haystack” knowledge.

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It has been claimed that this data-driven view is a shortcut to total knowledgea option to map every operation, expose every necessary element, and discover every inefficiency.

A composite diagram illustrating Palantir's
Palantir guarantees a “total picture” of the organization that allows full control and optimal decision-making.
Palantir

However, this data inevitably excludes necessary social, financial and environmental information. The sweat of staff attempting to pack at pace, the belt-tightening of consumers attempting to make ends meet, and the struggle of farmers to survive unexpected climate impacts will remain.

Details like these never appear on the platform – and if they are not data, they do not matter. Will Palantir’s data-driven myopia impact the best way Coles views its employees and customers?

By placing Palantir at the middle of its business, Coles is quietly sneaking in several key assumptions: that food is a commodity that should be optimized, that paying for work is a risk slightly than a responsibility, and that data can capture all the pieces that is necessary. In time increased food insecurityAustralians should definitely ask themselves whether that is the direction one in all our major grocery suppliers should take.

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Harold’s Chicken Shack is celebrating 75 years in Southside Chicago

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CHICAGO, HAROLD


He is famous for in Southside Chicago and never only, Chicken Shack Harold celebrates 75 years as a family restaurant.

Its origins became the knowledge of the community, considering its significance as a tasty place for chicken for residents and celebrities. The restaurant is known for with out a fanaflict atmosphere, which provides customers the actual “transfer” of the impression.

However, many in Chicago perceive Harold as a representative of his free food culture. According to the primary restaurant, it was opened in 1943 and was founded by Harold Pierce and his wife Hilda, who moved with Alabama as a part of the nice migration of Black Americans. While this restaurant, H&C, gave chicken feet and dumplings, Pierce found his talent for fried chicken with the primary official chicken hut in 1950.

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However, many residents recognized various locations as an original chicken hut. Pierce’s daughter and current general director of Harold, Kristen Pierce-Sherrod, once said at Kimbark Avenue. However, other articles specified flagship restaurants in various locations.

In 1975, in Chicago you would find over 20 Harold chicken huts. Before Pierce died, the locations increased to about 30 to 40 shop windows. Franchise is now the host of many operators, however the one who has essentially the most locations was Laverne Burnett.

Burnett, also referred to as “Chicken Lee” or “Mr. Lee”, was the owner of 10 to 14 stores. Now his heritage is continued by his granddaughter, Toneia Bailey, who on the age of 20 took over the placement from her father.

“I like feeding people,” said Deneen Shenaurlt, a longtime worker who helped the owners of multi -generational. “You feed people with love.”

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Performing fresh, no two Harold items are similar. Operators take creative freedoms with a classic gentle Harold sauce and lemon pepper spice to arrange. The menu stays mostly the identical, with winger offers and fried plates or a part of the chicken, in addition to fish options.

Today Harold’s has It expanded to Different versions found in other states. With Harold’s chicken in Los Angeles and his chicken and an ice bar in Atlanta, the Chicago Institution is constructing a brand new heritage as a basic food reservoir throughout the country. Eve Green, Chicagoan and a protracted -time customer believes that impressions and taste make every purchase price it.

“Freshness, fries, sauce, taste, service, kindness, everything.”

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(Tagstranslate) Harold’s Chickken (T) Harold’s Chicken Shack (T) Chicago (T) Black Restaurants

This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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The double class gives us controllers of companies on social media almost as many power as Byedance Tiktok

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When Congress adopted the law In 2024, to Ban Tiktok, unless it’s owned by the USA, legislators argued that the Chinese mother company of the applying Fears of national security. The Trump administration, which awarded the Viral Viral Viral Viral application, soon after taking office in January 2025, This pause has been prolonged again April 4 after Chinese Apparently he crashed Planned contract.

Regardless of how all that is shaking, the fight Tiktok emphasizes the deeper concerns about who controls social media within the United States.

Given this worry, it could surprise the Americans to learn that almost every giant of social media is controlled by just one or two men. For example, Mark Zuckerberg controls the finish, which is the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, while Larry Page and Sergey Brin control Alphabet, which is the owner of YouTube and Google.

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What does “control” mean? These companies are Publicly recorded – everyone should buy or sell their actions – however the legal mechanism known as Double purchase It gives the founders additional votes in shareholders’ decisions. The double structure crowns these people “Corporate royal“As he put it one of the previous Commission for Stock and Stock Stock Stock Stock Stock Stock and Corporate Resources, not requiring a proportional financial risk from them.

While Tiktok is unusual in many respects, the best way he cultivates the power in a single man is definitely quite trivial. The mother company Tiktok, Bytedance, is private, but it surely is Apparently controlled By co -founder, Chinese national Zhang Yiming, through a double structure.

As Professor of corporate lawI call on decision -makers and a society to contemplate the social risk of a system that enables one person to regulate full control over a big corporation using a double class motion.

Double -class effect: meta as a case study

In the usual one-class structure-in which the power of voting trains the quantity of capital of the corporate, which has a shareholder-a citizen in search of total control of the corporate must normally spend lots of money on the acquisition of shares, which also means accepting a high risk. This requirement of “leather in the game” limits how much influence one person can exert on an organization.

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This protection is informal, not compulsory, and the double -class structures get rid of it. Ascendant amongst companies from the Silicon Valley Initial public offer Google 2004 within the USA and recently legalized In Great Britain, the double class model could be very debated in corporate order circles. Until now, nonetheless, his flaws were understood only as an issue for shareholders, not society, despite wide and double -sided concern on the impact of large technology.

Let’s select meta as an example. Zuckerberg apparently he’s the owner only 13.5% of the corporate’s capital, but since it owns 99.7% Supervising the motionHe controls 61% of the corporate’s votes.

This configuration gives him a blockade of corporate policy as a controller, despite the proven fact that he has just over one eighth, a worth of value. He has full control over the corporate, without placing anywhere near the equivalent amount of money threatened.

You should not have to be a parent of a youngster hooked on Instagram to see that the finish generated what might be described as social costs. For example, Amnesty International allegedly that Facebook algorithms “basically contributed to the atrocities committed by Myanmar army” in 2017. promoting disinformation In previous elections within the USA and for damping Non -stories about Hunter Biden.

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These examples emphasize wider social fears related to the mode of content, privacy and the political influence of technology titans. In particular, Zuckerberg – which was related to progressive causes previously – In recent months and has passed strongly to just accept President Donald Trump He asked for Trump’s support for the meta in a legal battle with the European Union.

When the company control meets the Supreme Court

IN 2023 article in a legal journalI noticed that the last decisions of the Supreme Court Extending the constitutional corporate rights Stand to offer the founders of the corporate with unprecedented power to shape society. While the expansion of social giants in social media with clear political programs has gained lots of attention, expanding what is taken into account to be protected corporate speeches and spiritual exercises, was not part of this conversation.

I believe that there’s a real possibility that these two streams will coincide, granting the constitutional protection to “kings of founders” who need to use the corporate’s resources for personal programs. The last two legal changes increase the speed.

First, the courts – especially the Supreme Court under the rule of the foremost judge John Roberts Extending the constitutional corporate rightsWhich can allow founders with a double class to place out exceptions to generally applicable regulations.

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Second, Recent legal changes in Delaware – which, despite its small size, is leading jurisdiction of corporate law In the United States-it can facilitate double-controlled shareholders to exercise power of their companies.

To understand the potential consequences, let’s assume that the corporate’s double-class shareholder was to make him oppose a federal mandate-an example of the requirement to supply medical insurance plans covering contraception-from the rationale that compliance with their religious beliefs. The Supreme Court in Lobby hobby against Burwell He recognized exactly this type of exception based on faith for a big family but private business.

Would he recognize such an exception to an organization like SNAP? The company, best known for its Snapchat application, is publicly traded, but only two men, Robert Murphy and Evan Spiegel, Check 99.5% voice force.

We cannot ensure. The lobby hobby differs from Snap in many ways. However, they’ve the power of their owners to likely that they claim a uniform speech or religious interest that may not characterize a typical large business. Public owners of Snap don’t have anything to say – no votes – in matters of the corporate. If SNAP controllers have confirmed the religious foundations of the corporate release from the regulation – and clarity, it is a purely hypothetical example – the courts can bask in the claim.

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Extending view of the judicial system to corporate constitutional rights – seen not only within the hall of the hobby, but in Citizens United against FEC And a number of the most recent and ongoing cases in state and lower courts – may enable the founders to make use of their companies for personal programs. Regardless of whether it might be especially for Snap, a mix of a double class model and changes within the law appear to open the door.

Elon Musk vs. Double class model

An appropriate contrast might be none aside from on Twitter – renamed X after Elon Musk purchased it and who I recently joined it in XAIAnother undertaking led by musk.

As a personal company, XAI isn’t obliged to submit public investors reports, and many of its ownership structure stays opaque. Let’s assume, nonetheless, that the corporate is owned by the bulk by Musk in the traditional one-class structure-Twitter before it bought it. Given the possibility of upsetting, Musk was consistently willing Lift your hand. He couldn’t use control to get X or XAI – for simplicity we are going to stick with “x” – to practice the identical huge control as Murphy and Spiegel in Snap or Zuckerberg within the finish?

Yes – but with a subtle but essential difference.

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There is a few logic to key corporate decisions X, that are entitled to musk. Quite famously, he began $ 44 billion for the acquisition of your complete company. Legal prohibitions of implementing private resources on the impact are limited to the small universe of matters – antitimonopol, bribery, some types of contributions to campaigns. These resources include companies which can be a form of real estate that’s the property of wealthy people or groups. With limited exceptions, people can use their very own property as they need.

However, in an organization with two classes, controllers use the properties of other people as they need. They can get an enormous legal, economic and organizational force of the company form without having to place large skin in the sport.

Beyond Tikktok: A conversation that the US should lead

Traditionally, issues in regards to the impact of wealthy Guy were visible by the lens of politics, taxes or public regulations. But perception of them as questions on performing private corporate control explains the special social challenges that create double classes.

Wall Street is principally He accepted the chance: Ironclad Zuckerberg insulation in exchange for returns with a rockyist. But this debate isn’t only interesting for the investment community. Everyone participates of their result.

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The audience fairly questions the wisdom of allowing the corporate’s founders to make use of resources and the newly jumbo of the constitutional rights of large corporations within the special service of the program-whether it’s for a foreign government, political party or religious faith-which isn’t even related to the classic goals of corporation or the benefits of the duodenal model.

The characteristic risks posed by Tiktok are mostly unrelated to its motion structure. But the talk on the law of prohibition or sales reminds: the rights created by double -class shares aren’t unique to Chinese control. The home American founder also runs them.

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This article was originally published on : theconversation.com
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Amazon among companies fighting for the purchase of Tiktok as Saturday’s term Byedane for sale near

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Amazon, an organization founded by the billionaire Jeff Bezos, offers the purchase of a Tiktok, a preferred social application in the face of the ban on the United States, if it will not be sold by a Chinese home company, Bytedance, According to NBCNews. President Trump transferred the date of Saturday on April 5 to sell or face a ban in the United States.

Due to the nature of the offer at the last minute, he will not be considered a serious pretender to purchase the application, he should agree on sale, but is added to what is taken into account a big list of flights. The talks are conducted by the White House; Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of Trade Howard Lutnick received a suggestion from Amazon via a letter, as reported by New York Times.

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It was expected that President Trump would consider various offers to purchase Tiktok on Wednesday and put vice chairman Vance and national security advisor, Michael Waltz, responsible for establishing the best solution to act on the future of the social application.

Tiktok, one of the hottest applications for social media and influential users, has been the subject of debate for years and becomes a political point of conversation on either side of the nave. Former President Joe Biden signed an act in 2024, requiring the sale of non-Chinese buyer or a ban on a ban in the United States. After President Trump took office in January 2025, he signed the executive order on the first day, extending the date of Byedance for sale by April 5, 2025. At that point, several entities and companies offered the purchase of an organization to make sure its survival of users in the United States.

Since the full list of potential suitors was stored in the package, plainly no contract is inevitable and, in line with NBC News, President Trump signaled that it’s able to extend the deadline if the goal agreement can’t be concluded. In an interview at the starting of this 12 months, Vice President Vance signaled that they might give you the option to catch up with to the contract on time, but it surely is feasible that it will not be finalized on time.

“Usually, some of those contracts that are much smaller and cover much less capital, take months. We try to close it at the beginning of April. I think that the outlines of this thing will be very clear. The question is whether we can do the whole article,” said Vance.

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President Trump seems optimistic that the contract has concluded.

“We have many potential buyers. Tiktok has great interest. The decision will be my decision. Tiktok is very interesting and many people want to buy it.”

Only time will tell about the fate of Tiktok in America.

How to prepare for a TIKTOK ban, in how to save content

(Tagstranslate) tiktok

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This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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