Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1546590
wbjournal.com | September 21, 2026 | Worcester Business Journal 5 BY ERIC CASEY WBJ Managing Editor B J's Wholesale Club has received a net gain of $240 million from a settlement stemming from a settlement of litigation over credit card interchange fees. e Marlborough-based wholesale giant disclosed the settlement to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday, saying the settlement had been reached on Friday. e pre-tax benefit of $240 million includes legal fees associated with the settlement. e company did not identify the case in its filing, but its disclosure matches the subject matter and distribution timeline of the Visa and Mastercard merchant interchange-fee antitrust settlement that benefited Framingham-based TJX Cos. earlier this year. at lawsuit accused Visa, Mastercard, and major banks of violating antitrust law by imposing excessive fees on businesses for processing credit-card transactions. First filed in 2005, the lawsuit made its way through federal courts for about 18 years before the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit approved the $5.6-billion class action settlement in 2023, according to RetailConsumerProductsLaw.com. e settlement-related earnings will be included in the company's third- quarter financials, adding to a year which has seen BJ's Wholesale surpass 8.5 million members. Mental health counseling "Graduates of the Nichols MHC program will be equipped to make immediate contributions in a field facing critical shortages, and where versatile, well-trained counselors are needed most." Jean Beaupre, interim provost of Nichols College, on the college launching a new flexible master's degree program in mental health counseling this fall, aiming to tackle a shortage of well-trained mental health counselors in the state. AI guardrails "When the people building the most powerful AI systems in the world are telling us there are serious risks, it's the latest and clearest sign yet that we need more guardrails and protections. AI has enormous potential, but we cannot let this technology move faster than our ability to keep people safe." Gov. Maura Healey on the issue of regulation of artificial intelligence. Massachusetts lawmakers are negotiating bills that include AI regulations, but the governor has not proposed her own plan. Nursing shortfall "Why would we not invest in this? We're improving staff retention, creating career pathways and saving money." Jay Prosser, executive director of the Nursing Council on Workforce Sustainability, on state funding to to develop licensed practical nurse and registered nurse apprenticeship programs. BJ's Wholesale receives $240M in credit card fee settlement W PHOTO | ADOBE STOCK A BJ's Wholesale Club location.