Book Sales Rose 5.2% In Week Ended Dec. 19 (publishersweekly.com)

Can you imagine a future without paper? As it turns out, few can. Despite advancing technology and talk of a paperless society, paper still plays a role in our imagined future. Perhaps that’s because paper is one of only a few truly sustainable products — it’s renewable, recyclable and can be managed sustainably. In the United States and Canada, Domtar has been a leader in advancing the circular economy of paper products by recycling and using wood waste to create renewable energy, and by promoting the recyclability of paper-based products and packaging, which will allow us to continue making products sustainably well into the future. Pop culture points to the continued presence of paper in our daily lives for decades to come, with paper-based products seen in unexpected places on screens of all sizes.

The Home Depot® today announced a definitive agreement to purchase Compact Power Equipment, Inc., a leading national provider of equipment rental and maintenance services for $265 million in cash. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the company's fiscal second quarter. As a long-term commercial partner of The Home Depot since 2009, Compact Power Equipment currently provides compact equipment rentals at more than 1,000 stores across the U.S. and Canada. The company also provides equipment maintenance services nationwide to a range of customers, including The Home Depot. By acquiring Compact Power Equipment, The Home Depot continues to invest in capabilities that uniquely serve its core customers. Click Read More below for additional detail.

The Postal Regulatory Commission issued its analysis of the United States Postal Service Fiscal Year 2019 Annual Performance Report and FY 2020 Performance Plan. The FY 2019 Report discusses the Postal Service’s progress in meeting its performance goals during FY 2019, while the FY 2020 Plan describes the Postal Service’s plans for meeting its performance goals in FY 2020. Each year, the Commission must review the Postal Service’s performance goals and evaluate whether the Postal Service met those goals in the previous fiscal year. The Commission may also offer recommendations to the Postal Service regarding the protection or promotion of public policy objectives in title 39 of the United States Code. The FY 2020 Plan does not include the impact of COVID-19 on the Postal Service. The Postal Service established the FY 2020 targets before the pandemic. As such, the FY 2020 Plan does not include any expected effects of the pandemic.