Tag: Amazon

Massachusetts town approves new bylaw to restrict Amazon drone deliveries: “Like David and Goliath”

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Residents in Westboro, Massachusetts, are pushing back against Amazon’s plans to launch drone deliveries in their community, overwhelmingly approving a new bylaw aimed at restricting the service. At a special town meeting Monday, residents voted 510-13 in favor of the bylaw, which would regulate noise, nuisance and privacy issues associated with commercial drone deliveries and impose fines for violations. The bylaw has to be reviewed and allowed by the state attorney general before it can take effect. It comes as Amazon has made plans to begin delivering packages by drone in Westboro and surrounding communities by the end of the year.

The company is already operating drone delivery flights in about a dozen metro areas, with plans to expand the service to several hundred cities and towns across the U.S. by the end of 2026. Amazon Prime Air uses autonomous drones measuring about 5 feet by 5 feet to deliver packages directly to customers’ properties, within an hour of an order being placed. “Westboro, Mass. has been exactly that type of beacon of innovation that we’re looking for,” said Amazon’s Tareq Wafaie during an August Select Board meeting about the proposal, pointing to the company’s already large footprint in Westboro, which includes a fulfillment center and robotics facility. But some residents say the convenience of faster deliveries isn’t worth the potential impact on their neighborhoods. “We’re very passionate about this issue.

It might feel like David and Goliath, but I like how that story ends,” said Stephanie Stuchlik, who is part of the growing opposition to Amazon’s plans. “I spend a lot of time outdoors with my kids. I have two little girls, so I am disturbed by the thought of having this quality time outside with them, reading books and hearing and seeing these drones flying overhead all day long. It feels like not what I want my kids to grow up into,” she added. While the Federal Aviation Administration largely controls the use of airspace and has green-lit drone deliveries, residents are attempting to regulate the operation of commercial drone deliveries at the ground level. “Public nuisance, public safety issue. For what gain? To save 20 or 30 minutes to get your toothpaste or a bottle of Thousand Island dressing? It doesn’t make sense,” said Rod Jané.

“I think it’s a really, really bad idea for the town, and I think we’re doing the right thing in opposing it,” Jané added. The opposition in Westboro has also caught the attention of state and federal lawmakers. In a letter, State Sen. Michael Moore and other area lawmakers are requesting Gov. Maura Healey’s administration establish a task force to review commercial drone deliveries and consider potential policy changes. “Do we want our quality of life impacted by this?” Moore questioned. Moore said the outcome in Westboro could have implications beyond the town. “Whatever happens here will be the precedent for obviously Massachusetts and maybe New England. That’s why it’s so important that we try to get this right,” he said. “Most of us are Prime customers,” said resident Christine Farmer.

“But if drone delivery services operate, that opens the gateway for any other retailer. So that’s the reason why the townspeople are saying, ‘no thank you.'” “It’s really a disruption to the peace and the quality of life that we would have here to have something just show up and make a delivery stopping 13 feet from your window,” Farmer added. In a statement, Amazon acknowledged the town’s vote, but indicated it is continuing to evaluate its plans. “We are aware of the bylaw recently passed in Westborough regarding commercial drone delivery. We remain committed to engaging with local officials and community members as we continue to assess our plans for the area,” the company said. Amazon also defended its Prime Air program, which already operates in several states and metropolitan areas, describing the service as safe and reliable. “Each Prime Air site creates new jobs spanning operations, engineering, safety, and more, with employees earning competitive wages and full benefits from day one,” the company said.

Meanwhile, residents are preparing for another challenge through the local zoning board. Opponents argue that Amazon should not be allowed to use its existing Westboro facility to launch drone deliveries and plan to appeal to the board as part of their ongoing efforts. “We need to stop, we need to pause, we need to do everything in our power to preserve our skies and also our quality of life,” Farmer added.

Source: Massachusetts town approves new bylaw to restrict Amazon drone deliveries: “Like David and Goliath” – CBS Boston

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound.
Isaiah 61:1

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Amazon says it will hire 300,000 workers for seasonal jobs this year

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Amazon said on Tuesday that it plans to hire 300,000 seasonal, part-time and full-time workers across the U.S. this holiday season, up 20% from the same period last year. Holiday retail sales this year are expected to top $1 trillion for the first time, according to a forecast from the National Retail Federation.  In September, Amazon announced that it was boosting the minimum starting wage for full-time workers to $20 an hour, while average pay for full-time staffers is roughly $24 per hour, according to the retailer.  Seasonal workers earn an average of $20 per hour, according to Amazon. Starting in 2027, seasonal employees who work at least 30 hours per week will also be eligible for the same healthcare benefits provided to full-time workers, the company said. 

Job listings will be posted weekly from October through December, according to Amazon. Here’s a snapshot of the jobs the company is looking to fill, along with the salary:

  • Locker+ Retail Associate in Jackson, Wyoming Pay: $21.50-$22 per hour plus up to $3,000 signing bonus
  • Delivery Station Warehouse Associate in Danbury, Connecticut Pay: $21-$23.50 per hour 
  • Warehouse equipment operator in Easton, Pennsylvania Pay: $21.25-$23.75 per hour
  • XL Warehouse Equipment Operator, Huntley, Illinois Pay: $22-$24.50 per hour
  • Robotics Warehouse Associate, Omaha, Nebraska Pay: $20.25-$22.75 per hour

Source: Amazon says it will hire 300,000 workers for seasonal jobs this year – CBS San Francisco

So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Romans 8:8

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Amazon cargo plane crash at Miami International Airport leaves 5 dead as FAA, NTSB investigate

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Miami International Airport terminal with travelers, taxis, flags, and transportation signs

At least five people were killed and five others were injured when an Amazon cargo plane overran a runway at Miami International Airport and struck several vehicles Sunday, officials said. The crash prompted a roughly 3-hour ground stop at the airport as emergency crews responded to the scene. The Prime Air plane, which was being operated by North Carolina-based 21 Air, overran one of the airport’s runways and came to a rest in an adjacent field, officials said at a Sunday news conference. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said the plane hit several vehicles near the 2100 block of Northwest 42nd Avenue, and more than 60 of its units responded to the crash. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said it also responded.

21Air says it’s “devastated” by crash at MIA

21Air CEO Keith Winters released a statement on Sunday and said he was “devastated” by what took place at Miami International Airport. “We are devastated by the accident involving one of our aircraft in Miami today. “Our deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives.

Our immediate priorities are supporting those affected, assisting the authorities, and ensuring that accurate information is communicated as it becomes available. We are cooperating fully with the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration, and local authorities. The circumstances of the accident are under investigation.”

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue battles fire after plane crash, rescues victims 

Of the five people who were injured, three were taken to a local trauma center in critical condition. Two others were assessed and taken to local hospitals. None of the victims have been identified. MDFR said when crews arrived, the plane was on fire and spewing out heavy smoke.  “What we found was a very complex situation,” MDFR Chief Ray Jadallah said.  Crews used foam and specialized airport firefighting units to combat the flames, MDFR said.

Crews also conducted search and rescue operations, including for the pilot and co-pilot inside the cockpit, while also locating and assessing patients throughout the scene, MDFR said.  Officials did not provide further information on the condition of the plane’s crew. Officials have said it was too early to tell if the people killed were aboard the plane or on the ground. Several people were trapped inside their vehicles and had to be removed using specialized MDFR technical rescue personnel, officials said. 

Fuel leak reported at Amazon plane crash site

MDFR said there was an active fuel leak “occurring off of the aircraft that is being mitigated.” Residents and motorists were urged to avoid the area of 67th Avenue and 25th Street, Commissioner Natalie Milian Orbis said. Officials said there was no ongoing threat to public safety. Amazon responds to cargo plane crash Amazon confirmed one of its planes was involved in the crash. “We’re working closely with local authorities and officials to understand exactly what happened. Right now, our absolute priority is the safety, well-being, and care of everyone involved. We’re doing everything we can to support those affected,” Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokesperson, said. Nantel said the company was “heartbroken to learn that five people lost their lives in today’s incident at Miami International Airport.

Our deepest sympathies go out to the families, loved ones, and all those affected by this devastating loss.” Amazon will “cooperate fully with any investigation,” Nantel added. Is Miami International Airport still under a ground stop? The Air Traffic Control System Command Center, part of the Federal Aviation Administration, issued the ground stop around 2:30 p.m. ET. Two of the airport’s runways have since been reopened, according to Greg Chin, the communications director for the Miami-Dade Aviation Department. The ground stop was canceled after about three hours, but as of Sunday night, the average delay for a flight into the airport was about six and half hours.

The FAA confirmed that a Boeing 767-300 that departed from San Juan, Puerto Rico, was involved in the crash. The 767 is 32 years old and had originally flown as a passenger plane for several airlines before it was converted into a cargo plane in 2015, according to Flightradar24. Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating. Sean Duffy, secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, shared a brief statement on X, advising travelers of possible delays and cancellations.

Source: Amazon cargo plane crash at Miami International Airport leaves 5 dead as FAA, NTSB investigate – CBS Miami

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
John 3:18

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Revival Grips Brazil’s Amazon: ‘We Baptized 14,500 People’

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Silhouettes of people paddling canoes on a calm river during colorful sunset

A profound spiritual transformation is unfolding in the Amazon.  For centuries, the Catholic Church held a near-monopoly in the region. Today, evangelical Christianity is reshaping the region’s spiritual fabric, leading to new converts and churches. CBN News traveled to Brazil’s northwest Amazon region to witness it firsthand for this exclusive report. Linger on the banks of the Amazon River and you’ll uncover more than the rich tapestry of life amid the natural splendor.  For many, such as Ramos, the river isn’t just a backdrop; it’s a sanctuary. “My family and I all grew up here. My grandmother, grandfather and my parents lived and died in this house. I was born in this house and I’m also going to die here,” Ramos told CBN News. As an 83-year-old resident of the Amazon River, Ramos refuses to trade his floating bamboo house for life in any Brazilian city.

“It’s so much cooler here than in the city. You cannot walk freely in the city. It’s very dangerous, many cars, many people. I’m free here. I keep my windows open. The doors are always open. At my age, I’ve never faced danger,” Ramos said. Spanning more than 6 million square miles of South America, 60% of the Amazon rain forest is in northwest Brazil. The approximately 30 million Amazonians currently living here are experiencing an unprecedented evangelical revival. “God is everything for me. God is my father and without Jesus I’m nothing,” Ramos told us. Ramos epitomizes this spiritual shift.  Growing up Catholic, he remembers when the faith dominated his riverside community. Not anymore. The Amazon River here in the northern part of Brazil is filled with hundreds of these small tributaries that in essence snake through the jungle, and over the many years evangelical Christians have been traversing these waters in an attempt to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the Amazonian people.

“Those early days were definitely much, much more difficult than today,” said Josué Bengtson, pastor of Belem Foursquare Church. Bengtson has spent decades traversing the river’s intricate network, first as a missionary then as a pastor spreading the evangelical message of salvation. “Back when we started evangelizing in this region, we had just a few workers and, in some municipalities, pastors had to walk 10 to 15 km to open a congregation,” Bengtson told CBN News. “Today, almost all medium-sized churches in the Amazon have a small boat.” Bengtson helped establish one of the Amazon’s first Foursquare churches.  Today, he says the evangelical presence here is undeniable, with 3,200 Foursquare congregations alone flourishing across the region.

“In the first six months of this year we baptized 14,500 people. Our goal for this year is to baptize over 30,000 people,” said Bengtson. We obtained a video that captures a remarkable mass baptism in the Amazon River, where hundreds including, men, women, the elderly, young adults, and children — publicly profess their faith in Jesus Christ. And this growth goes beyond numbers, reaching the hearts of many like Esequiel Santo.  “I was 15 years old when God called me to reach the unreached peoples of the Amazon,” Santo told CBN News. Santo spent 32 years as a missionary in the jungle’s interior. “One of the biggest challenges was the isolation and getting used to living among the indigenous or riverside communities,” Santo said. “But God was with us in the work, we saw lives being transformed, so many people heard the gospel and now we are seeing the fruits.”

Santo says sharing the gospel here can be full of challenges. “I’m from Rio de Janeiro, and back then since I couldn’t afford a plane ticket, I had to take a 6-day bus journey to Belem. From there I went by boat for another six days to the outskirts of the Amazon basin,” Santo said. “Once I got there, it took at least 15 days by canoe, not a motorized boat, to paddle up the Solimões River and the Purus River, until we reached the remote communities where we worked. Sometimes it would take 35 days just to get to these remote areas.” José Eustaquio Alves, a leading Brazilian sociologist, says evangelical churches here benefit from long term pastors or missionaries like Santo who foster deep community ties and growth.  “The Catholic Church has a lot of difficulty in training new priests, so it is very common to see Catholic Churches in the Amazon but not enough priests to lead congregations,” Dr. Alves said. “A priest goes once a month or once every semester to the Amazon and is often far from the community. Evangelicals, on the other hand, quickly train pastors who integrate into the community and for a long time.” Today, small evangelical churches like this one are springing up in remote riverside communities.

“I think that the revival that we have been waiting for here in Brazil is happening in the Amazon,” said Alves. Brazilian senator and evangelical Pastor Damares Regina Alves sees this movement as a miracle that’s not only reshaping spiritual practices but also fostering a sense of community and empowerment.  “For many years, people looked at the Amazon and only saw rivers and trees. Today, people are beginning to remember that there are people living there who need to be taken care of, need to hear the gospel and whose lives need a transformation. The church is making this revolution happen,” said Alves. Evangelical Christians often must rely on small canoes or medium-sized boats to hold church services and other ministry activities as they reach remote regions. Meanwhile, church teams from Brazil’s major cities send volunteers here to conduct educational, humanitarian, and medical missions.   This outreach often helps introduce people to the gospel message. These pastors, missionaries and many others laboring in this vast expanse believe the shift is more than just a change in religious practice – it’s a movement that promises to redefine the region’s spiritual and social landscape for generations to come.

Source: Revival Grips Brazil’s Amazon: ‘We Baptized 14,500 People’ | CBN News

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.
1 Peter 3:15

2 Timothy 3:12 

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RECALL: Infant formula batches from a2 Milk Company recalled over possible cereulide toxin, FDA says

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Recall notice for certain Similac, Alimentum, and Elecare baby formulas on an empty store shelf

The a2 Milk Company has voluntarily recalled three specific batches of infant formula after detecting a possible toxin, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The baby formula in question was sold via Amazon and at Meijer, the FDA said, in addition to the company’s website. The reason for the recall is “presence of cereulide toxin produced by some strains of the bacterium Bacillus cereus.” 

Source: Infant formula batches from a2 Milk Company recalled over possible cereulide toxin, FDA says – CBS Detroit

Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Luke 12:32

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‘Hazardous’: Nail polish remover sold on Amazon recalled

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a person applying a nail polish

Thousands of bottles of nail polish remover sold on Amazon have been recalled after hazardous substances that are “strictly prohibited” were detected in the product, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Morovan gel nail polish remover was found to have methylene chloride and chloroform in it, which officials said “is a concern because it has been shown to cause cancer in animals and is likely harmful to human health.” Methylene chloride is a prohibited ingredient in the U.S. and “is not allowed in cosmetics at any level under FDA regulations,” according to the FDA. Anyone who purchased the nail polish remover was urged to stop using it “immediately,” label the bottle with the word “recalled” on it and safely dispose of it. The company asked customers to then submit a photo of the disposal. “Following proper disposal, kindly take a photograph of the discarded product (clearly showing the ‘Recalled’ label and the product itself) and submit the image via email to our customer service team for verification,” the company wrote in its recall notice. “The designated email address for submission is: customer-service@morovan.com.” According to Morovan, about 4,000 bottles were included in the recall.

Source: ‘Hazardous’: Nail polish remover sold on Amazon recalled – NBC Chicago

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
Colossians 3:2

Scammers now use fake recall texts to steal your money

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scam alert letting text on black background

It’s one fast-moving text that some consumers could easily jump on. Who wouldn’t get a little worked up if they suddenly spotted a text that claimed to be from Amazon or another retailer and implied that a baby’s sleepsuit they just bought is being recalled for quality and safety issues? Scammers — who have flooded our phones with fake texts about parking tickets, tolls and job opportunities — now are texting us about recall notices. All you have to do is click on this link for recall instructions and ask for a refund. Except that’s exactly the wrong thing to do. Typically, the message doesn’t mention that sleepsuit or sweater you just bought. But it might give an order number or other information to make the text seem pretty believable. If you didn’t get a text yet about a product recall, just wait. The scam recall text is likely to be a hot one in 2026, according to alerts from consumer watchdogs who have spotted an uptick of complaints about these scams already.

Source: Scammers now use fake recall texts to steal your money

Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.
Isaiah 49:15-16