Companies employing automation in their warehouses are finding robots need a helping hand. The WSJ Logistics Report writes that a field of workers is emerging to corral and manage robots as more companies add automation to their logistics operations. The workers, sometimes called robot wranglers, say part of their job is to help employees learn how to work with the machines and to see them as a help rather than a hindrance or a threat to their careers. About 21% of warehouses used some form of robotics in 2023, up from 15% in 2018, according to research firm Interact Analysis. The nascent field is an attempt to bridge the gap between the warehouses of the past and the automated facilities of the future, as human workers clock in besides robots that can lift items, carry boxes and package e-commerce orders.

• Amazon.com and iRobot terminated their acquisition deal after struggling to get regulatory approval in the European Union. (WSJ)
• Amazon’s $1 billion venture-capital fund plans to invest in last-mile delivery and autonomous vehicle companies. (Supply Chain Dive)

European officials are worried U.S. economic policy is tilting out of favor. Rather than reversing policies driven by Donald Trump’s protectionist view, President Biden has kept trade barriers in place and left European companies out of subsidies designed to bolster U.S. manufacturing in strategic areas such as electric vehicles. The WSJ’s Andrew Duehren and Kim Mackrael report that the moves have left diplomats and officials across Europe wondering, in a U.S. presidential election year, whether the bloc can continue to rely on the U.S., or if there is a possibility of economic conflict between the longtime allies. The next U.S. president will have to navigate a surplus of thorny economic debates to keep the partnership intact. Each issue could spark diplomatic tussles, tariffs or other trade restrictions and weaken economic unity between the two powerhouses.

• The director-general of the World Trade Organization says supply-chain disruptions could increase the cost of trade. (WSJ) 
• The WTO’s chief economist said the group will likely cut its estimates for goods trade growth for 2023 and 2024. (Reuters)

Storms and dangerous cold weather around the U.S. this winter are helping to depress the U.S. housing market. (WSJ)

Bolts needed to secure part of an Alaska Airlines jet that blew off in midair appear to have been missing when the plane left Boeing’s factory. (WSJ)

A plane crash at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport that killed five Coast Guard personnel is prompting discussion of fatigue and staffing levels. (WSJ)

Norfolk Southern became the first Class 1 freight railroad to join the federal confidential close call program. (Dow Jones Newswires)

Walmart superstore managers are getting bigger bonuses and stock awards that can amount to more than $400,000 a year. (WSJ)

Tesla expects to spend more than $10 billion in capital expenditures this fiscal year. (WSJ)

Some car dealers are pressing General Motors to introduce hybrid models for customers who aren’t ready to switch to fully electric cars. (WSJ)

French automaker Renault canceled the initial public offering of its electric-car unit Ampere. (WSJ)

Switzerland’s Holcim struck a deal to separate out its North America business that supplies building materials. (WSJ)

Volvo will gradually reduce truck production to move in line with normalizing demand. (Bloomberg)

Lew Thompson & Son Trucking will more than double the size of its fleet to over 500 trucks this year. (Trucking Dive)

Berlin-based Delivery Hero is selling its stake in online food dispatcher Deliveroo. (Financial Times)

Paul Page is editor of WSJ Logistics Report. Reach him at paul.page@wsj.com.

Follow the WSJ Logistics Report team: @PaulPage, @bylizyoung and @pdberger. Follow the WSJ Logistics Report on X at @WSJLogistics.