Gannett is closing ThisWeek Westerville News & Public Opinion both in print and online, effective Jan. 26, according to the Gannett paper The Columbus Dispatch. According to the Dispatch, the decision is part of a broader digital transformation that will allow the company to concentrate its reporting strength on the Dispatch and Dispatch.com. “This decision helps ensure the success of the core Columbus Dispatch product,” said Edwina Blackwell Clark, executive editor of The Dispatch.

President Trump has personally pushed U.S. Postmaster General Megan Brennan to double the rate the Postal Service charges Amazon.com and other firms to ship packages, according to three people familiar with their conversations, a dramatic move that probably would cost these companies billions of dollars. Brennan has so far resisted Trump’s demand, explaining in multiple conversations occurring this year and last that these arrangements are bound by contracts and must be reviewed by a regulatory commission, the three people said. She has told the president that the Amazon relationship is beneficial for the Postal Service and gave him a set of slides that showed the variety of companies, in addition to Amazon, that also partner for deliveries. Click Read More below for additional information.

1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. announced it plans to hire approximately 8,000 associates nationwide for positions across its gourmet food brands as it prepares for the 2017 holiday shopping season. Interviewing for new hires is now underway for seasonal roles at Harry & David, Cheryl's Cookies and The Popcorn Factory. Available positions vary by brand and include full-time and part-time roles in high-volume areas such as production, gift assembly and retail stores, as well as call center, distribution and fulfillment center operations. Most of the seasonal positions are being offered in Illinois, Ohio and Oregon. Click Read More below for additional detail.