All posts by Hutchins AAron

Born in Deutschland 1965, hometown was Bütthart, parents were not U.S. government employees. However, when father was tricked into joining the U.S. Air Force Civil Service, in 1969, with the promise that we could remain in Germany, we were promptly shipped off to Iran. Due to one of my Iranian educators being disappeared, along with her husband, by the U.S. ally Shah of Iran's Israeli & U.S. created Savak (for the then official terrorist act of promoting the idea that women can vote), and due to my U.S. citizen mother being placed on Savak's Terrorist Arrest List (for supporting the idea that women should vote, at that time the U.S. ally Shah of Iran did not allow women to vote, now they can) we left Iran for the United States in 1973, literally in the middle of the night. At the U.S. Embassy airbase the CIA operated Gooney Bird (C-47) was so packed with other U.S. citizens fleeing our ally Iran (because the Shah gave the OK to arrest any U.S. citizen for such terrorist acts as promoting the concept of voting) that we were turned away by the Loadmaster and had to take a chance on a civilian flight out of Tehran's airport. My father told me he and my mother had three culture shocks; first when they arrived in Germany as civilians, then after being shipped off to Iran as U.S. government employees, then again returning to the United States as unemployed civilians (because so much had changed in the U.S. while they were gone, their only news source was the U.S. Armed Forces Radio & Television Service which heavily censored information about the home front). Since I graduated high school in 1982 I've worked for U.S. government contractors and state & local government agencies (in California), convenience store manager in California, retail/property management in Georgia, California and Idaho. Spent the 1990s in the TV news business producing number one rated local news programs in California, Arizona and Idaho. 14+ years with California and Idaho Army National Guard and the U.S. Air Force. Obtained a BA degree in International Studies from Idaho State University at the age of 42. Unemployed since 2015, so don't tell me the economy has recovered.
Fukushima

Government & Corporate incompetence: Increasing radiation at Fukushima Daiichi! Korea demands action!

20 August 2013 (21:16 UTC-07 Tango 19 August 2013)/13 Shawwal 1434/29 Mordad 1392/14 Geng-Shen (7th month) 4711

The Republic of Korea (RoK, aka South Korea) is demanding the government of Japan reveal the truth about what’s going on with the ongoing Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.  RoK also wants disclosure on the damage being done to the environment.

This demand comes as Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCo) revealed more and increasing radiation leaks!

After two incidents in a little more than a week saw 12 workers contaminated with dangerous levels of radiation, while standing at a bus stop,  TEPCo officials are now realizing there must be an airborne leak of radiation.  In both cases radiation sensors sounded an alarm, meaning there was radiation in the air.  In the first incident TEPCo blamed a water mister, but that was turned off before the second incident.  The level of airborne radiation was five times more than TEPCo’s own safety standards!

In another case, someone left a check valve open on a retaining wall.  The retaining wall was built around above ground contaminated water storage tanks near Reactor 4, which are leaking.  Over the weekend it was discovered the open check valve was pouring out highly contaminated water, at least 300 tons worth!   The water contains 100 millisieverts per hour of radiation.  The safe limits for nuclear industry workers in Japan are set at 50 millisieverts per year!

Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority has declared the leaking storage tanks to be a Level One incident, which is considered an “incident-anomaly” on the zero to seven level international standard.  The NRA has ordered TEPCo to conduct soil sampling.

Levels one thru three are considered “incidents”, levels four thru seven are “accidents”.

Business/Economics, U.S.

World War 3, U.S. Economic Front: Job losses & store closings 20 June 2013. Companies planning massive layoffs in 2014! More school & health care cuts!

In New York, West Mountain Ski resort now bankrupt.  They blame foreclosure action by Utah’s Mormon owned Zions Bank.  Texas based GDF Suez Energy shutting down operations in Syracuse.   They will begin layoffs in September.  Company officials blame the bad economy.  In Bronx, Cookie’s The Kids Department Store shut down.  124 people unemployed!

In Wisconsin, the Christian God couldn’t stop Mercy Medical Center from shutting down its sub-acute care unit.  Parent company, Ministry Health Care, recently announced 250 layoffs at its chain of hospitals.  It’s blamed on a combination of declining customers, the Obama/Romney Affordable Health Care Act and the federal sequestration.

In Illinois, Bella Bridal and Formal Wear closed after nine years.  The owner wants more time with her daughters.

Hatteras/CABO Yachts continues to layoff employees, this time 85 people in North Carolina.  Company officials say it’s because of crashing sales, however, the company has been up for sale for awhile now with seemingly no interested parties.  And 600 people lost their jobs with DAK Americas!  The company closing its Navassa PET resin, polyester staple fiber factory this Autumn.  Company officials said it’s their way of becoming more competitive.

In Missouri, ALCO Stores closed in Charleston.  Company officials said the store was not making enough money.

The Oregonian reducing newspaper home deliveries to just three days per week!  Apparently subscriptions aren’t enough to justify seven day delivery.  Company officials also said employees will be laid off.  Also in Oregon, the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility and Depot officially closed down, laying off the final 253 employees!

In Ohio, the Buckeye State’s largest newspaper, Plain Dealer, began laying off employees.  The layoffs will be ongoing over several months and could end up being more than 50.  The newspaper also plans on reducing home delivery.  143  people lost their jobs when DialAmerica Marketing closed their Columbus office!  62 people lost their jobs when Verizon Wireless closed their Dublin office.

Lincoln Educational Services closing four campuses in Ohio, and one in Kentucky!  It’s blamed on massive declining student enrollment caused by “Federal legislation implemented on July 1, 2012 that prohibits Ability-to-Benefit (ATB) students from participating in federal student financial aid programs….”

Germany based Siemens warned of at least 8000 layoffs in 2014!!!  Hundreds of employees are being laid off this year.  The company has operations around the world, including the United States.  Company officials say they have to downsize because they’re not seeing any true economic recovery, however, employees blame it on mismanagement by company officials.

Too Big to Jail, Morgan Stanley, laying off 30 people in its commodities unit.

Taiwan based TMT Group shipping company went bankrupt in Texas.  Company officials blame it on half of the fleet of ships being seized by creditors around the world.  Those ships, some still with cargo on board, are tied up at ports around the world.

In California, a major law firm, Downey Brand, laid off 11 employees.  Company officials say the bad economy is forcing them to adopt technologies that allow attorneys to do most of their own work, rather than use in house assistants.   In Alameda, Olympic Florist shut down.  After 34 years of business the owner wants to retire.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shut down.

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3, South American Front: Chevron declared Enemy of the State! Chevron threatens Argentina!

19 August 2013 (14:44 UTC-07 Tango)/12 Shawwal 1434/28 Mordad 1391/13 Geng-Shen (7th month) 4711

“We are going to tell Latin America what Chevron has done in our country to shirk its responsibility, with that criminal campaign that it’s waging against Ecuador.”-Rafael Correa, democratically elected President of Ecuador

California based Chevron oil company has been declared by Ecuador to be an Enemy of the State!

That charge is based on the idea that any corporation that takes over another corporation economically, must also inherit any social/environmental responsibilities.  Chevron took over Texaco, which operated for decades in Ecuador, and created at least $19 billion USD in environmental destruction, that is still ongoing.  Chevron has refused to take responsibility for Texaco’s crimes.

President Correa, an economist educated in Europe and the United States, made the announcement about Chevron the same day he gave up on his plan to protect the Amazon rainforest from further oil drilling: “With deep sadness but also with absolute responsibility to our people and history, I have had to take one of the hardest decisions of my government.”

That plan failed due to the fact that not enough countries were willing to support the idea.  Only $13 million of the needed $3.6 billion in funding was collected.  It shows you that most leaders of most countries still believe in black gold!

Chevron has countered, but instead of targeting Ecuador, Chevron is targeting Argentina!  Chevron raved in a public statement “That illegitimate Ecuadorian sentence threatens to make its effects resonate in Argentina, impacting subsidiary companies of Chevron who have nothing to do with the Ecuadorian judicial fraud.”

Chevron is now targeting Argentina’s YFP (Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales), which was partially seized in 2012 from Spain’s Repsol oil company.  That same year Argentina’s President, Cristina Fernandez, gave Chevron huge rights in YFP in exchange for billions of U.S. dollars.  Chevron now threatens to pullout of YFP if Argentina does not influence Ecuador to stop ongoing legal battles against Chevron.

 

Fukushima

Government & Corporate incompetence: More workers contaminated with radiation at Fukushima Daiichi! Source is a mystery!

19 August 2013 (03:34 UTC-07 Tango)/12 Shawwal 1434/28 Mordad 1392/13 Geng-Shen (7th month) 4711

Two more workers at Fukushima Daiichi have been contaminated with three times the safe limit of radiation set by their employer Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCo).

The workers were standing at a bus station when radiation alarms went off.  It’s the same bus station where ten employees were contaminated last week.  Last week’s event was blamed on water spraying from cooling misters, but those misters have since been turned off.

The bus stop is located in front of a building that is being prepped for the decommissioning of the melted down GE designed reactors.  TEPCo has, yet again, another mystery source of radiation to investigate.

International

World War 3, North African Front: British Empire to evacuate citizens from Egypt! Thailand joins evacuations!

19 August 2013 (03:16 UTC-07 Tango)/12 Shawwal 1434/28 Mordad 1391/13 Geng-Shen (7th month) 4711

“…will be looking at all options and making sure we are ready to evacuate British nationals if it comes to that or in a worst-case scenario intervene to rescue UK citizens taken hostage.”-Royal Navy statement

The United Kingdom has ordered aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious, the assault ship Bulwark and a fleet of support ships and frigates to be ready for an emergency rescue mission.  This follows Japan’s request for all citizens to leave Egypt.

There is an estimated 40000 British tourists in Egypt.  The British Red Coat news media is reporting more than 1000 Egyptian civilians have been killed  since 14 August.

Thailand officials have also stated that they are trying to evacuate 2000 of their citizens.

International, U.S.

False Flag Op confirmed: United States quietly reveals official plans to overthrow Iran’s first democratically elected Prime Minister!

19 August 2013 (03:00 UTC-07 Tango)/12 Shawwal 1434/28 Mordad 1391/13 Geng-Shen (7th month) 4711

“There is no longer good reason to keep secrets about such a critical episode in our recent past. The basic facts are widely known to every school child in Iran. Suppressing the details only distorts the history, and feeds into myth making on all sides.”-Malcolm Byrne, National Security Archives

The National Security Archives has published quietly released U.S. government documents proving the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) was ordered to overthrow the democratically elected Prime Minister of Iran in 1953, all to help out an oil company that is now known as BP (British Petroleum)!

The documents come from the CIA’s own internal history archives.  The overthrow of Mohammad Mosaddeq was known as Operation TPAJAX.  Other documents are from the United Kingdom.

The National Security Archives says there are more documents, about one cubit foot worth, based on references made in other CIA in house historical reports.

 

International

World War 3, North African Front: Egypt swears Iron Fist Martial Law policy! Church attacks blatant False Flag Op! Summary executions of civilians confirmed! Japan evacuates citizens!

19 August 2013 (02:30 UTC-07 Tango)/12 Shawwal 1434/28 Mordad 1391/13 Geng-Shen (7th month) 4711

“They want to make discord between us and they think we will fight each other because of what they’re doing. Let them come now to see how we stand united.  They do not belong to any religion because they come to burn and destroy the House of God!”-Egyptian Christian to an Egyptian Muslim who rushed to defend a church from a U.S. backed False Flag attack

“My brother, we all know this, but even if this was your own home we will all defend it!”-Egyptian Muslim responding to Egyptian Christian’s statement

Despite U.S. news media reporting attacks on churches as if they are retaliation by Muslims for the U.S. backed coup, the fact is that Muslims were wounded trying to protect the Christian Churches from what could be U.S. backed False Flag attacks.  Indications are that the False Flag attacks meant to divide Egyptians are backfiring.

I’ve even seen pics of Muslims encircling a Church, to protect it from False Flag attackers.   Some analysts have pointed out that it is not in the Muslim Brotherhood’s favor to attack Christians, yet the western news media continues to blame Muslims.  What about the fact that Mosques are being attacked, are the Muslim Brotherhood to blame for that?!   Or how about U.S. backed junta forces storming Mosques?

The U.S. backed Egyptian junta has declared war on the 85 years old political party Muslim Brotherhood!  General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said he has ordered iron fist martial law policies, specifically targeting the Muslim Brotherhood!

But the junta is facing a new threat from the Anti-Coup Alliance, which is made up of people who are not members of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The U.S. backed junta has admitted they summarily executed at least 35 civilians, while they were detained inside a police van!  The martial law cops say the men were trying to escape the van.  However,  the Anti-Coup Alliance says the civilians were murdered by martial law cops who filled the police van with CS gas, then they shot into the van: “The murder of 35 detained anti-coup protestors affirms the intentional violence aimed at opponents of the coup, and the cold-blooded killing of which they are targets”

This comes as more reports say a third mass killing site has been located!  The killing fields are where U.S. backed Egyptian military forces killed unarmed Egyptians thought to be Muslim Brotherhood members.

To this date about 1000 Egyptian civilians have been killed by U.S. backed junta forces, since the junta launched its offensive on 14 August.

Peaceful protests by Muslim Brotherhood have been canceled or rerouted due to the fact the U.S. backed junta had turned the protest routes into killing zones by placing snipers on the roof tops, just as they did on 14 August.  If you remember the junta then tried to say the snipers were Muslim Brotherhood (classic False Flag Op).

There are also reports that Egyptians who do not support the U.S. backed junta are having their lives threatened by junta supporters.

Venezuela has evacuated its ambassador, and blames the chaos on the United States and Israel.

The Japanese government is asking all Japanese citizens in Egypt to leave.  Several Japanese companies are telling their Japanese employees to stay home.  At least one Japanese company, Unicharm Corporation, is evacuating Japanese employees to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  The Cairo Japanese Club has evacuated its Japanese staff back to Japan.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency is evacuating all personnel back to Japan.  At least 600 Japanese citizens are still in Egypt.

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

World War 3, U.S. Economic Front: Job losses & store closings 19 June 2013. More school & health care cuts! Customer satisfaction results in job losses! Chemical warfare job cuts!

In North Carolina, Cone Health laying off 150 employees and eliminating another 150 vacant positions!  Hospital officials blamed their $30 million USD shortfall on Obama/Romney Affordable Health Care Act and the federal sequestration.

Lake Erie Regional Health System of New York (LERHSNY) laying off 30 people at Brooks Memorial Hospital.  11 people were also laid off at the Lake Shore Nursing Home. LERHSNY officials did not give a reason.

In Wisconsin, 40 people lost their jobs with the Urban Day School in Milwaukee.  School officials are consolidating charter schools, partly due to reduction in federal funding.

In Pennsylvania, 43 people lost their jobs with the Easton Area School District.  The additional job cuts came despite local taxes being increased by 1.7%.  According to local news reports, the district has a history of raising local taxes and laying people off: “The district has raised taxes year after year for decades, and for the past several years has cut positions as well. This year’s cuts come on top of 200 jobs eliminated in the last three budget cycles. Last year’s budget saw 49 teachers lose jobs, then the district lopped off an additional 17 teachers during the summer.”-The Morning Call

The city of Flint, Michigan, laid off 27 employees. City officials blame the layoffs on crashing tax revenues due to crashing property values.  One estimate said the city is experiencing a 7% decrease in tax revenues, an in your face sign that there is no economic recovery.  (I have recently arrived neighbors who are refugees from that part of Michigan)

French-U.S. maker of telecommunications equipment, Alcatel-Lucent, warned of massive layoffs.  The company has operations in Europe, United States and China.  Last year they lost billions in revenue due to crashing sales.

Telecommunications company, Sprint, announced 120 layoffs countrywide.  Interestingly, Sprint officials said the layoffs are the result of improved customer satisfaction.

In Florida, Red Coat British empire company, Cobham, laying off 141 people at Conax plant in Saint Petersburg!  Cobham is closing the plant.  (by the way, the evil British empire is the top foreign operator in the United States, not China).

Lil’ Bear of Hanover closed in Ohio.  The owners of the mom-n-pop grocery store blamed crashing sales.  About 15 people lost their jobs, while other employees transferred to another location.

In Springfield, Illinois, Samuel Music shut down.  The owners sold the store.  They blame competition and the bad economy.

Alabama Outdoors closed in Tuscaloosa.  Company officials said the lease was expiring and they did not want to renew.

In Nebraska, the Omaha Public Library says because of budget cuts they must consider cost cutting measures such as closing branches, reducing hours, opening on fewer days and reducing the amount of new books they carry.

In California, Symmetricom announced massive layoffs in the works.  The manufacturer of timekeeping technologies blames it on the bad economy.  They’ve been laying off employees since at least 2009.  General Mills is closing their baking mix factory in Commerce. At least 33 people unemployed due to consolidation.

In Oregon, the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility is laying off 200 employees!  This is the latest round of layoffs since layoffs began in 2011.  The reason is that the incinerator has destroyed the last of the chemical weapons in its stockpile.  More than one million pounds of chemical agent were destroyed between 2004-11.

In Idaho, Caldwell Pawn shut down.  The owner said he dealt in micro-loans years before they were called micro-loans (some as small as $20) to help people out, but after 22 years of business he wants to retire.  He also stated that businesses has dropped since 2009.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shut down.

International, U.S.

World War 3, Asian Front-Afghanistan, 04-05 August 2013: Comedy of errors = U.S. kills teachers & cops! U.S. destroys life of UN security guard! Iran promises Karzai military help! India sends more cash!

In Ghazni Province, reports that U.S. forces shot and killed a grade school teacher.  Villagers say the U.S. forces also shot at cops who were responding to the shooting, one cop killed, four wounded.  The teacher was working in an orchard when he was shot.   Mujahideen report that what happened was that U.S. forces were arriving late to a battle between Mujahideen and Afghan National Police (ANP).  Mujahideen observed what happened, saying the U.S. forces thought the teacher, along with other civilians working in the orchard, were Mujahideen and shot at them.  Then the ANP responded, thinking the Mujahideen had returned.  The result was that U.S. and ANP fought each other.  Mujahideen had a good laugh watching the comedy of errors!

In Nangarhar Province, Jalalabad city, another round of explosions.  28 people wounded.

In Uruzgan Province, Tarinkowt city, an Afghan National Police (ANP) cop was shot and killed by other ANP personnel when he tried to bomb a bank where fellow cops were collecting their monthly pay.

In Kandahar Province, Kandahar city, four civilians killed, 27 wounded by a car bomb.  Other reports say it was a bomb hidden in a livestock cart.

Mujahideen report that at least a dozen ANP cops from several provinces joined the Mujahideen.  Some of those joining the Mujahideen included front line officers.

There have been many explosions in Afghan cities, many of which the Mujahideen do not claim the credit.  Mujahideen do take credit for explosions against government targets.  Yet another religious group has condemned suicide bombing.  The Ulema Council of Afghanistan declared suicide bombing as illegitimate in the religion of Islam.  The fact that so many religious leaders condemn suicide bombings makes you wonder who’s really behind the suicide bombings.

Flooding has hit nine Afghan provinces, including Nangarhar, Kabul, Khost, Laghman and Nuristan.  At least 84 people dead.

In the British empire country of Australia, one man pled guilty to sending harassing letters to families of dead Diggers.  He said it was his way of protesting the false War on Terror in Afghanistan.  He called the dead Diggers child killers, which in some cases is actually true, however the families of the dead Diggers didn’t want to be reminded.

India has promised Afghanistan another $100 million USD in cash: “After providing $20 million funds, we are again pledging $100 million in fresh aid, but the funds will be spent on small development projects which will boost the principles of social economy, since India wants a solid and strong Afghanistan.”– Amar Sinha, Indian ambassador to Afghanistan

The Secretariat of the National Security Council of Iran has signed a long term  strategic cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Afghanistan National Security Council.  It was signed before the inauguration of the new Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani.  The MoU includes military/police cooperation, information sharing and economic activities.

The reporter who was publicly beaten by the very governor of Parwan Province he accused of corruption, has asked the Afghan government for help: “Since the ministry of interior affairs of Afghanistan is responsible to provide security for the citizens of Afghanistan, and similarly each citizen has obliged to assist police, therefore, I, Nasratullah Iqbal, an ordinary citizen of Kabul city and reporter of Bokhdi News Agency would like to bring to the attention of interior ministry that my life is in risk, and request the ministry to take legal actions to prevent my own and my family’s concerns in this regard.”

A former Afghan UN security guard went public with the story of how U.S./ISAF destroyed his life.  In April 2008, as he was passing a U.S./ISAF convoy he was shot by U.S./ISAF personnel.  They claimed he was a suicide bomber.  He lost the use of one leg.  The United Nations fired him from his security guard job because he couldn’t walk.  His four children were kicked out of a private school because he could no longer pay, they were bullied out of a public school.  This week he spent hours in line at a local court, trying to stop his family’s eviction from their home.  His story is considered typical.  So much for the United States occupying Afghanistan in the name of security and stability.

It’s been revealed that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with Pakistani officials to discuss a new official office of the Mujahideen (Taliban).

Ever since the Marine Corps Times revealed that Cragslist has become the place for military personnel to find gay sex partners in Iraq and Afghanistan, the newspaper is now warning that the Naval Criminal Investigative Service in Afghanistan are now posing as homosexuals to catch the gay sex posters.  The U.S. Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) forbids even heterosexual sex in combat zones!

According to The Fiscal Times, Obama’s threat to pull all U.S. personnel out of Afghanistan (Zero Option) is actually a cover to try and save the broke U.S. government $112 billion!

A recent U.S. News & World Report revealed that many U.S. personnel killed or wounded in Afghanistan are college graduates who joined the military to payoff their massive student loans.  I write this because I’m still amazed by how many U.S. citizens think federal student loans (misleadingly called Federal Student Aid) equals free college education.

Business/Economics, U.S.

World War 3, U.S. Economic Front: Job losses & store closings 18 June 2013. Jack in the Box clown turns Mexican! More school & health care cuts!

In Brooklyn, New York, the 153 years old state run SUNY Downstate Medical Center/Long Island College Hospital shut down!  1714 people out-o-work!!!  At least 420 employees were laid off in 2012!  Hospital officials blamed crashing revenues. The Brooklyn Supreme Court has ordered hospital officials to account for every “stick” of hospital assets.  Also, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the five star Dressler restaurant closed suddenly.  The owners blamed the greedy property owner: “With much regret, an agreement could not be reached for a lease renewal.”-Dressler Family

The Christian God can’t stop Saint Mary’s Hospital from laying off 83 people in Michigan.  Currently open positions will not be filled.  “As our fiscal year 2013 comes to a close, we are facing declining volumes due to fewer people seeking inpatient care services, as well as sequestration shortfalls and lower reimbursement from Medicaid and Medicare and other payers.” 

Video gamer maker EA continues to layoff employees.  This time 20 positions were cut.  In April 900 positions were cut as EA officials said they had to reorganize their company!

In Louisiana, Caddo Parish School Board axed another 105 jobs.  The positions include special education teachers, administrators, aides, reading specialist and secretaries.  The new budget also eliminated teaching supplies and reduced substitute teachers.

In Indiana, the Fremont School board laid off at least five teachers.  It’s blamed on budget cuts.

In North Carolina, military contractor DRS laying off 150 to 230 employees in Elizabeth City, despite winning a five year Coast Guard contract to maintain C-130 aircraft!  It’s blamed on federal sequestration budget cuts.  In Raleigh, Hewlett Packard laid off 147 people!  HP officials blamed it on the loss of a contract.

In Arizona, military contractor General Dynamics laid off 22 employees indirectly connected to the NSA domestic spying scandal.  It involves the company’s C4 project, which “….develops and integrates communication and information systems and technology for U.S. government programs, allied nations and select commercial customers.”  Company officials cryptically said the layoffs were caused by changes in business conditions.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development shutting down 16 offices around the country.  According to some reports most of the closures will take place in regions hardest hit by the mortgage scandal.  The closures will affect 900 employees!

In Virginia, Smithfield Foods laid off 120 people!  This is the latest round of layoffs regarding the closure of their hot dog and deli meats factory.  In toto at least 400 people will be unemployed!

In Illinois, Spree thrift store (aka resale shop) closed.  35 employees affected.  No specific reason given for the closure.

Pennsylvania based maker of slipcovers, Sure Fit, taken over by Illinois based Focus Products Group.  The Lower Macungie Township distribution center being closed down, positions being moved to Illinois and California.  75 jobs affected.

In California, Nordstrom closing their Long Beach Rack store.  Company officials said they did not want to renew the lease.  Jack in the Box closing 67 fast food stores!  Company officials say they are switching to Qdoba Mexican Grill restaurants.

In New Mexico, Navajo blanket seller Packard’s on the Plaza closing down after 69 years in business.  19 employees will be unemployed in September.  The business is located in the 400 years old Santa Fe Plaza.  The current owners, who live in California, said they had to focus on family issues.  Another Plaza business, ACC Fine Furnishings, also closing down.  The company is consolidating operations, which is blamed on the bad economy.

In Colorado, Brueggers Bagels shut down.  The franchise owner did not want to renew the lease.

In Tennessee, the Nashville Symphony halts in house food service, laying off at least 37 employees. The Symphony is facing foreclosure of their Schermerhorn Symphony Center.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shut down.