Welcome to Axisprorado, where we take just 10 minutes to get you smarter on the collision of tech, business, and politics.

So we're off until the new year, but wanted to share a few of our favorite segments from 2019.

And today's is from September and digs into how Walmart unloaded on guns.

Walmart unloads.

So yesterday, America's largest physical retailer made several major changes to its firearms

policies, one month after the mass shooting inside its El Paso, Texas store.

The moves included, first,

discontinuing sales of short barrel rifle ammunition and handgun ammunition. Two, ending handgun

sales in Alaska, which was the last remaining place where Walmart sold them. Three, asking

shoppers to stop openly carrying firearms in states where it's legal, although that's just a request,

not a demand.

And fourth, Walmart plans to share its firearms compliance controls, kind of its tech platform,

with other retailers free of charge. Why all of this matters is that Walmart today is the nation's largest ammunition retailer with around a 20% market share. So these changes could make it harder for gun owners

to fill their chambers. And that does indeed include potential mass shooters. But maybe more importantly,

this is the latest high profile situation in which a U.S. company is waiting into policy waters.

Now, some pundits have claimed that Walmart is simply making a strategic business decision here,

not a political one. But that's belied by the fact that Walmart CEO simply making a strategic business decision here, not a political one.

But that's belied by the fact that Walmart CEO Doug McMillan specifically in his letter yesterday

asked elected officials to strengthen national background checks and implement red flag laws.

The bottom line, Walmart is largely exiting the gun business, but in doing so is entering

the gun control debate.

In 15 seconds, we'll go deeper with Bloomberg retail reporter Sarah Halzick.

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