02 February 2013, Iran has revealed a third generation indigenously designed stealth fighter.
It’s called Qaher-313 (Conqueror-313), and despite earlier reports that it’s nothing more than a redesigned U.S. F-5, or copy of F/A-18, it actually looks like a small combined version of the U.S. F-22 and controversial F-35.
Video has been posted on video sharing sites.
26 January 2013
In Herat Province, Mujahideen claim they captured a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle/drone) in the Nawa area of Adraskan district.
In Balk Province, reports that a U.S. led NATO/ISAF military vehicle ran over and killed a man riding a motorcycle. Local police say they stopped the NATO/ISAF vehicle and detained the occupants. No comment from ISAF.
In Ghazni Province, Mujahideen claim to have killed another Polish/NATO troop. They say a bomb killed one, and wounded two others. Also, a suicide bomber blew himself up in Ghazni City, killing three people and wounding eight.
In Kunduz Province, a suicide bombing has killed ten government security personnel, including the local counter-terrorism chief.
A Wall Street Journal article says U.S. military officials accuse Kam Air of smuggling Afghan opium. The Afghan airlines responded: “These allegations have hurt the prestige of Kam Air as the best and most reliable Afghan private airline, we will demand clarification and compensation if the charges brought against us are not proved.”-Zamarai Kamgar, Kamir Air
25 January 2013
In Kandahar Province, Mujahideen claim they assassinated a National Directorate of Security (NDS) agent in front of a local bank. Another NDS agent, and known U.S. paid contractor on Kandahar airbase, was assassinated near the Girls’ School in Mirza Ahmad Kalachi area
USMC General john Allen is outraged that the Mujahideen could have launched such a devastating attack on U.S. forces. The car bomb attack happened in Kapisa Province, and killed 12 U.S./NATO personnel and destroyed two armored vehicles! Five civilians were also killed, and 20 wounded. The suicide bombing might be in retaliation for a U.S. led home invasion the night before.
In Helmand Province, ISAF confirmed three Georgian ISAF troops were wounded. Two were ambushed and a third stepped on a landmine. Mujahideen also claimed to have destroyed two Georgian armored vehicles.
Yet another report confirms what the Afghan government has been saying, that for the last six months of Gregorian year 2012, at least 1,100 Afghan government forces gave their lives fighting for the United States! A British newspaper said that info comes directly from U.S./NATO/ISAF sources.
24 January 2013
In Kapisa Province, villagers say a home was invaded during the night by Afghan and U.S. forces. They shot a woman dead. Local cops claim that shots were being fired from the home. Apparently the woman was the only one in the home.
In Herat Province, locals say government supported paramilitaries assaulted four people and killed one in Karez Zaman area of Khushk Kohna district. Apparently the motive was robbery.
In Balk Province, a local cop is barely alive after trying to get rid of a bomb. Local police officials say the cop picked up something suspicious, then threw it when he realized it was a bomb. It exploded when he threw it away.
In Nimruz Province, two local cops were killed when they drove over a landmine. Two women bystanders were wounded.
In Kandahar Province, three local cops, from Arghasan district, joined the Mujahideen. Also, Mujahideen say they recovered a crashed U.S./NATO/ISAF drone. It came down in the Sozak area of Shahwalikot district.
U.S. military officials claim they will turn over control of Jalalabad airbase to the Afghan government. It will then be returned to civilian use.
The U.S. military is also playing games with taxpayer money regarding more aircraft for the Afghan air force. The USAF is delaying the purchase of 20 light attack aircraft. It’s all because of disputes over the selection of a new plane; either the AT-6 Texan 2 or the A-29 Super Tucano.
Russia is investigating the possibility that a Russian airliner was in danger of being shot down by U.S./NATO aircraft over Afghanistan. The incident was reported the day before. The collision warning system in a Nordwind Airlines plane went off. The crew say they saw what looked like a military plane on an intercept course with them. Afghanistan currently does not have interceptor aircraft, only U.S. and NATO forces operate such planes in Afghanistan.
The United Nations announced they will investigate U.K. Red Coat and U.S. Yankee drone strikes around the world, including Afghanistan. About 30 incidents will be investigated, specifically cases of double tap strikes where missiles were launched against rescue parties after the first missile struck.
01 February 2013, almost two years since three GE designed reactors melted down at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi, and the latest tour given to Japanese reporters shows it’s still spewing radiation. The entire clean up process is expected to continue until Gregorian year 2051!!!
Here’s more of what NHK (Nippon Housou Kyoukai/Japan Broadcasting Corporation) reporter, Akira Hombo, discovered at Fukushima Daiichi.
“The highest reading was on the ocean side of the building that houses the number 3 reactor. It was over 1,300 [micro sieverts per hour].”
“The most important task remains to cool down the melted fuel….could be as hot as a one million watt heater….heat emitted by one thousand electric stoves in a small space. If these units aren’t kept consistently cool another melt down could happen.”
“Work has already started at the number 4 unit….since this reactor didn’t melt down.”
“The entire [clean up/decommissioning] procedure will take until 2051, that is 40 years after the accident.”
Hombo Akira explained that Tokyo Electric Power Company is facing three major problems in getting the decommissioning work done.
1: Radiation is so high that even existing robots are failing after just a few hours inside the reactors. New robots must be built that can withstand such high levels of radiation.
2: There are not enough trained workers, and there are ongoing problems with the way subcontractors hire and train their employees.
3: There is currently nowhere in Japan to store the massive amount of radioactive material that will be coming from Fukushima Daiichi.
On 01 February 2013, the Italian appeals Court ruled that three CIA employees are guilty of war crimes! That brings the total to 26 U.S. citizens found guilty in Italian courts since 2009!
Italian prosecutors said all but one works for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. They were tried in absentia, and found guilty of kidnapping an Egyptian in 2003 on the orders of U.S. President George W. Bush “Jr”.
U.S. officials claimed he was a terrorists, but after several years of being transferred to different prisons in Germany, Italy, then Egypt, and being tortured, he was let go in 2007. An Egyptian court ruled there wasn’t any evidence to prove he was a terrorist.
The Italian court ruling means that if any of the U.S. citizens found guilty set foot in Europe they can be imprisoned. Italian prosecutors say they will also consider extradition orders against the United States!
According to some reports, the Obama Administration refused to provide legal help for the CIA agents.
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”-Benjamin Franklin, a founder of the United States
A new Pew Research Center poll shows that more and more citizens of the United States of America see the federal government as the enemy: “For the first time since we have been asking this question, we have a majority, 53%, saying that their rights are personally threatened by the government.”-Andy Kohut, Pew Research Center
“A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”-2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution
The Pew poll shows that 73% of U.S. citizens now distrust the federal government, almost three of every four people! That lack of trust is shared among Democrats and independents as well as Republicans.
The growing use of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicle, drone) against U.S. citizens is just one of dozens of reason people are seeing their government as their number one enemy.
In response to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) plans to establish six drone testing sites in Idaho, the legislators of the Gem State have countered with a new bill. The state Senate Transportation Committee introduced a bill that would create legal guidelines for drone use by Idaho law enforcement agencies, including establishing probable cause, or obtaining a warrant.
01 February 2013, the Japanese National Institute of Infectious Diseases is estimating that 2.1 million people are infected with the flu in Japan!
Health officials are basing their claim on reports coming from local hospitals. 740,000 more cases than last week! It’s the highest estimated number of flu cases in Japan since flu cases began to be officially monitored four years ago!
Last week it was reported that so many children were sick that 2,000 schools were closed! Health officials report that the new strain of flu is going after children first, then going after their parents.
Also out of Japan, researchers studying the effects of flu vaccines discovered that vitamin D3 is at least as effective at preventing flu A infections than the much touted vaccines! The study was conducted several years ago by the Jikei University School of Medicine Minato-ku in Tokyo. It was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2010: “This study suggests that vitamin D3 supplementation during the winter may reduce the incidence of influenza A…”
Sweetbay Supermarket in Florida, shutting down 33 of its 105 grocery stores! Parent company officials, Delhaize Group in Belgium, say the stores are not making enough money, but, a Sweetbay official admitted most of the stores just happen to be at the end of their leases (letting leases expire, a growing trend within the U.S. retail industry). 2,000 people will be affected!
Two Food Lion grocery stores in North Carolina will close. Company officials say the stores are not making enough money.
Kroger to shut down Du Quoin, Illinois, grocery store in March. Company officials blame competition. 60 employees affected.
The nearly 100 years old Ray’s Food Place, in Crescent City, California, will shut down on 03 February. Owners blame increased competition.
California Redwood Company to layoff 45 employees at its Krobel, California, factory. Blames it on a big decrease in demand for redwood lumber.
In Sacramento, California, the local school district is proposing closing down 11 elementary schools! School officials say they need to save $11 million USD over the next four years. They will vote on the closures on 21 February.
Also in Sacramento, the Gap, and next door Gap Kids, clothing stores going down. This is part of the country wide trend for Gap. Company officials claim these are the final closings that were outlined in their 2007 real estate plans.
350 people are losing their jobs in Kentucky! The Gap clothing business is closing down two distribution centers. The layoffs begin in April.
The Brattleboro Food Co-op, in Vermont, let go 11 people. Delays in construction of a new Co-op building is being blamed for the layoffs.
Level 3 Communications, in Colorado, announced hundreds of layoffs worldwide! Company officials say it is a direct result of their take over of competitor Global Crossing.
The Prickly Pear women’s clothing store in Monument, Colorado, shutting down. Owner wants to retire.
Berry Plastics in Easthampton, Massachusetts, laid off 20 people. Their remaining 315 employees could have their hours reduced. Company officials blamed the bad economy for a huge reduction in demand for their products.
Despite North Dakota‘s booming oil industry, Sanford Health is shutting down its Underwood Continuing Care Center in March. It’s the result of last year’s merger between Sanford Health and Medcenter. 38 residents, and 62 employees affected!
The Upper Dublin School District, in Pennsylvania, warned of pending layoffs and pay reductions. They blame a $2.7 million USD budget shortfall.
The owner of furniture store, C.A. Hoitt in New Hampshire, is retiring and closing down the 133 years old business.
Corpus Christie, Texas, losing two stores. A Abercrombie, and a Abercrombie & Fitch, shut down in the La Palmera mall. It’s part of the 180 store closings announced by company officials last year.
Back Yard Burgers in Tupelo, Mississippi, closed for good. Owner refused comment, but the franchise went bankrupt in October 2012. 16 people out-o-work.
Pandolfi gift shop shutting down in Edina, Minnesota. The owner said she wants to focus on caring for her family.
The College of Visual Arts in Saint Paul, Minnesota, shutting down! School officials blame declining enrollment due to the bad economy. They will close after the spring semester ends.
Chinese company, Zhongding Sealing Parts, will shut down its Ohio factory. At least 117 jobs lost by the end of June! The company makes rubber parts for the U.S. automotive industry. Company officials said the closure is due to rapidly changing economic environment within the U.S. (which could be code for they don’t like the way the U.S. government is coming down on Chinese companies). Production at the Ohio factory will be moved to China as a result!
31 January 2013, it was revealed that a moneymaking Sears store in Hawaii will be closed down anyway!
The store was purchased by General Growth Properties last year, and it was even hailed as being an essential part of GGP’s Ala Moana Center mall in Honolulu. Now a new report from Hawaiian media says the GGP owned Sears will be closed.
Also in Hawaii, Sears Holdings announced they are about to select a new private owner of their only Sears Hometown store on the ‘Big Island’. Sears Holdings currently owns the store but wants to hand it over to an individual from the continental U.S.
A report by DailyFinance, ranks Sears Holdings as number two for planned store closings in 2013. The report said it was no longer a matter of if, but when and how many.
In Seattle, Washington, a Kmart scheduled to close down this coming weekend was the target of a drug bust. Police say Kmart employees were surprised when a 10 pound package of marijuana was delivered, apparently by UPS. The package was meant to go to Pennsylvania, but: “Whoever sent the package listed the address of the Seattle Kmart on the return label, for some reason.”-Jonah Spagenthal-Lee, Seattle Police
The people of Washington recently legalized possession and use of small amounts of marijuana, however, you can not grow your own (except for medical use), and there is a licensing process to be able to sell it.
Here’s my updated list of store closings since the end of 2011:
Arizona: Scottsdale Sears/Great Indoors, Chandler Sears/Great Indoors.
Alabama: Gadsden Kmart (50 jobs lost), Mobile Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Auburn Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Anniston Kmart (no word yet on how many jobs lost).
California: El Monte Sears (at least 40 jobs lost. Damien Arrula, El Monte’s economic development director, said the store manager had lied about what was going on: “The general manager of the store had just indicated to me that they were remodeling.”), two San Diego Sears (at least 80 jobs lost), Pleasant Hill Kmart (more than 50 jobs lost).
Colorado: Broomfield Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Glenwood Springs Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lone Tree Sears/Great Indoors, Longmont Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Pueblos’ South Side Kmart (52 jobs lost), Denver Kmart (number of jobs lost have not been made public at this time, but could be at least 40).
Georgia: Macon Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Buford Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Douglasville Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Atlanta Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Columbus Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Jonesboro Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Cartersville Kmart (74 jobs lost).
Guam: Sears Hometown Store.
Florida: Fernandina Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Callaway Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Orange City Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Deland Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Stuart Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), West Palm Beach Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Port St. Lucie Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Crystal River Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), New Smyrna Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Saint Augustine Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Pompano Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Jacksonville Kmart on 5751 Beach Boulevard (71 jobs lost), second Kmart in Jacksonville on 4645 Blanding Boulevard (83 jobs lost), Ocoee Sears (102 jobs lost), Pensacola Kmart on Airport Boulevard closed in 2011, Pensacola Kmart on Mobile Highway to be closed by 03 February 2013 (69 jobs lost), Hialeah Kmart (67 jobs lost).
Hawaii: Recently revealed Honolulu Sears (owned by GGP).
Idaho: Lewiston Sears (at least 60 jobs lost).
Indiana: Anderson Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Saint John Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Indianapolis Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost).
Illinois: Alton Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Melrose Park Sears parts and repair center (50 jobs lost), Zion Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Oak Lawn Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), McHenry Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Peru Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lombard Sears/Great Indoors (at least 40 jobs lost), Fairview Heights Kmart (81 jobs lost), Freeport Kmart (45 jobs lost), Pontiac Kmart (more than 47 jobs lost), Homer Glen Kmart (82 jobs lost), Streator Kmart (45 jobs lost), Lombard Kmart (70 jobs lost). By the way, Illinois elected officials gave Sears Holdings/Hoffman Estates a $150 million USD tax break to keep their headquarters in the state. The tax break was not tied to any promise not to close stores.
Iowa: Cedar Rapids Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Davenport Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Burlington Kmart (50 jobs lost), Coralville Sears (94 jobs lost, this is a store sold to GGP earlier in the year).
Kansas: Lawrence Sears (at least 40 jobs lost).
Kentucky: Middlesboro Sears (in September 2012 the Sears store re-opened under independent ownership, official grand re-opening scheduled for November), Winchester Kmart (back in May, Rankin Paynter bought out what was left of the inventory and gave it to charity), Hazard Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost).
Maine: Lewiston Sears (60 to 70 jobs lost).
Maryland: Ellicott Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Gaithersburg Sears/Great Indoors.
Michigan: Novi Sears/Great Indoors, Brighton Sears Grand/Essentials, Harper Woods Sears Full line, Monroe Sears Full line, Adrian Sears Full line, Washington Township Kmart, Chesterfield Kmart, Woodhaven Kmart, Flint Kmart (46 jobs lost).
Minnesota: Willmar Kmart, Duluth Kmart, New Hope Kmart, White Bear Lake Kmart.
Mississippi: Jackson Sears Full line, McComb Sears Full line, Columbus Sears Full line.
Missouri: Lee’s Summit Sears Grand/Essentials, Saint Louis Sears Full line.
Montana: Missoula Kmart (50 jobs lost).
New Hampshire: Nashau Sears Grand/Essentials, Keene Sears Grand/Essentials.
North Carolina: High Point Sears, Moorehead Sears, Rocky Mount Sears, Statesville Sears, Durham Kmart (79 jobs lost), Asheville Kmart (53 jobs lost), West Smithfield Kmart (59 jobs lost), Winston-Salem Kmart (69 jobs lost).
New Jersey: Lawnside Kmart (about 80 jobs lost).
New Mexico: Las Cruces Kmart (58 jobs lost).
Ohio: Chagrin Falls Kmart, Springfield Kmart, two Toledo Kmarts, Medina Kmart, Columbus Kmart, Columbus Sears/Great Indoors, Zanesville Sears (67 jobs lost), Trotwood Kmart (71 jobs lost). Also, Van Wert Sears franchise bought out by Kirk Berryman, owner of Computer & Networking Technologies (CNT), who plans on moving the store to a new location.
Oklahoma: Oklahoma City Sears (98 jobs lost, GGP owned).
Oregon: Roseburg Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Tualatin Kmart Center (new property owner from California is tearing everything down for new shopping center, so far no indication the Kmart will be part of the new shopping center), Milwaukie Kmart (61 jobs lost).
Pennsylvania: Upper Darby Sears Full line, Pottstown Sears Full line, Pittsburgh Kmart, Wilkins Sears, Warminster Kmart (85 jobs lost).
South Carolina: Sumter Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Orangeburg Sears (57 jobs lost), Columbia Kmart on Fort Jackson Boulevard in 2012, Columbia Kmart on Bush River Road in 2009, Irmo Kmart (no info on how many jobs lost).
Tennessee: Antioch Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Cleveland Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Oak Ridge Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Hendersonville Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Morristown Sears (about 70 jobs lost).
Texas: Two Sears parts and repair centers closing in The Woodlands (117 jobs lost), rebuild center in Garland (58 jobs lost), Farmers Branch Sears/Great Indoors, Houston Sears Great/Indoors.
Virginia: Norfolk Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Midlothian Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Richmond Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lynchburg Sears (84 jobs lost).
Washington: Walla Walla Sears Full line (in August 2012, it was reported that an independent owner of Sears Hometown stores will open a store in Walla Walla), Lacey Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Kelso Sears (47 jobs lost), Lakewood Kmart (59 jobs lost), Bellingham Sears (92 jobs lost), Seattle Kmart (85 jobs lost).
West Virginia: Oak Hill Kmart (59 jobs lost).
Wisconsin: West Baraboo Sears (at least 40 jobs lost, local village officials say the store generated 3% of local tax collections), Rice Lake Kmart (about 71 jobs lost).
On top of that, Sears Holdings sold stores to General Growth Properties (GGP), of which it has been reported that most of those stores will be closed.
Here’s the list of 11 Sears stores now owned by GGP:
Iowa: Coral Ridge Mall (it’s official the Sears is closing, see above), and Mall of the Bluffs
Texas: The Woodlands Mall (this does not involve the two repair centers being closed by Sears)
Florida: West Oaks Mall
Utah: Fashion Place, and Provo Towne Centre (note the evil British empire way of spelling town & center. Due to a favorable lease agreement the GGP owned Provo Sears will continue to stay open under Sears Holdings management)
Oklahoma: Quail Springs Mall (it’s official, the Sears will be closed, see above)
Hawaii: Ala Moana Center (will be closed, see above)
Washington: Bellis Fair Mall (Bellingham store, see above)
Minnesota: Apache Mall
Illinois: Market Place Shopping Center
“Parties that have always taken tough stances on Syria should now take serious measures and decisive positions on this invasion by Tel Aviv and place regional security high on their list of priorities.”-Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs
31 January 2013, a day after reports said Israel launched two air sorties against Syria, Iranian officials are warning that Israel will launch more attacks and other countries in the region should prepare to strike back.
Russia is also sounding a warning: “If this information is confirmed, then we are dealing with unprovoked strikes against targets located on the territory of a sovereign state, which brazenly infringes on the UN Charter and is unacceptable, no matter the motive used for its justification.”-Russian Foreign Ministry statement
In Lebanon a former city councilman is now charged with acting as a spy for Israel. He is accused of accepting at least $600,000 USD from Mossad, and is considered the highest paid spy to be captured. Regarding Syria, Lebanese officials are condemning the Israeli attack against a Syrian weapons testing center, saying it’s part of a larger conspiracy: “….openly reveals ….the criminal thinking aimed at destroying Syria and …..pave the way for unfolding the chapters of a major conspiracy against …..our Arab and Muslim peoples.”
Syria has summoned the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) commander to Damascus. There Syrian officials delivered an official protest over the Israel air strike, saying it’s a violation of a 1974 disengagement accord between Israel and Syria.
U.S. media reports say Israel was targeting anti-aircraft missiles that the Zionists thought were being shipped to Lebanon. U.S. government officials and analysts talk as if the Zionist regime is justified in launching attacks against other countries, simply because they are afraid of other countries being able to defend themselves.
Syrian officials still say there was no Israeli attack against any of their military convoys (that report came from U.S./Israeli backed insurgents), but they insist Israel bombed a weapons testing center. So far Israel will only admit to launching “two air sorties”, but will give no further info.
Syrian TV media is showing what looks like Israeli troops massing on the border. Also, Israeli media reported several days ago that U.S. and Jordanian troops were massing on the Syrian border.
According to IsraelNationalNews, the Hashimite ruled (British empire installed) Jordan is building up troops, along with British and U.S. forces, and is doing so in co-ordination with Israel! IsraelNationalNews claims one of their sources as a “senior Jordanian security” official.
Iraqi reports stated that U.S. personnel leaving Iraq supposedly to return the U.S. actually went to Jordan: “Some of the U.S. forces that left Ain al-Assad airbase…did not go back to the U.S.A. or its base in Germany, but were transferred to Jordan…”-unnamed source
“At least one U.S. aircraft carrying military personnel landed at Prince Hassan airbase [in Jordan]….”-unnamed employee with Royal Jordanian Airlines
Since October 2012, there have been reports, mainly British, saying that the U.S. had already positioned at least 400 personnel along the Jordainan/Syrian border. The official U.S. response was that it was for humanitarian reasons.
Also, U.S. made anti-aircraft Patriot missile batteries have finally been stationed along the Turkish/Syrian border. At least two sets of Patriot missile batteries have been installed, and are now being manned by personnel from the Netherlands and Germany.
Just today, Stars and Stripes, reported at least 100 U.S. military vehicles heading to the Turkish/Syrian border. They are rushing to set up more Patriot missile batteries. The missile batteries are being operated by the U.S., German and Dutch militaries (NATO members, as is Turkey). Their central control facility is located in Ramstein, Germany. And get this, reports say two missile batteries require 400 personnel to operate, isn’t that how many U.S. troops were deployed to the Jordanian/Syrian border back in October (see above)? Humanitarian reasons, yeah right!
In Texarkana, Texas, 400 people will become unemployed starting in February! It’s happening at the Red River Army Depot, in anticipation of the 2014 Afghanistan pullout.
In El Paso, Texas, electrical switch/outlet maker Leviton Manufacturing closing down. 339 people to be out-o-work! The New York based company said it’s consolidating manufacturing operations throughout the country.
New Jersey’s Star Ledger announced it will let go 34 employees. Company officials blamed the bad economy and the slow recovery from Hurricane Sandy. The layoffs are also part of the 60 total layoffs announced by parent company Advance Publications. Advance Publications is itself owned by the Newhouse family.
In Simi Valley, California, Bank of America said it will lay off 51 employees. The too big to fail bank said the jobs lost are in connection to a reduction in mortgage defaults.
The San Francisco, California, based web content discovery company, StumbleUpon, laying off 35 people. Company officials say they’re not in trouble, they just want “to become more streamlined” in order to bring the company “into a profitable situation”.
The internet social commerce/photo sharing service, Lockerz, is closing down its San Diego, California, office. They’ve also laid off 30% of their Seattle, Washington, staff. Company officials said the layoffs are necessary to realign the company, also the exact number of people being let go will not be made public: “I will not comment on how many individuals were effected or any specific individual.”-Leilani Augustine, CMO
Tuscan Gardens gift store closing in Petaluma, California. The owner wants to focus on ceramics.
Saint Louis, Missouri‘s, Express Scripts laying off 332 people across the U.S.! This come after the country’s largest pharmacy benefits manager spent $29.1 billion USD to take over Medco. 103 former Medco employees have so far been let go as well!
Only a day after laying off 200 employees, Atmel lays off another 140! It’s another round of layoffs at their Colorado Springs, Colorado, factory. Company officials blame the bad economy. Last year Colorado Springs officials gave the California based microcontroller company about $339,000 in tax breaks.
Corn based ethanol fuel plants in Nebraska are shutting down. Abengoa Bioenergy says the alternative fuel market is not doing well for corn based gas, so they’re temporarily closing two refineries. They make the 4th and 5th corn based fuel refineries to shut down in the Cornhusker State.
Mormon run Dillard’s department store is shutting down two stores in the Cache Valley Mall in Logan, Utah. About 50 employees affected. It’s all part of Dillard’s “strategic store closures”.
The New Castle Youth Development Center closing in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania. 223 jobs lost! Some officials say the center for troubled youths saw a huge decline in juveniles being housed there, with only 31 currently staying in the 100 bed facility (at one time there were 250 beds at the juvi jail). State Representative, Jaret Gibbons, said it was all part of the governor’s conspiracy to close down publicly funded prisons, possibly to make way for private for profit prisons.
Windber Medical Center in Pennsylvania closing its obstetrician wing in March. Hospital officials said they’re having such a hard time finding replacements for the four obstetricians who’re leaving, that they just decided to close down the obstetrician wing!
Conifer Health Solutions closing its Alpharetta, Georgia, call center. About 90 people out-o-work. The Texas based health care revenue outsourcing company is consolidating operations with other call centers.
In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, women’s clothing store Susanne’s is closing. The owner said it is for personal reasons.
After 121 years the Associated Bank in Hammond, Wisconsin, is no more. It was the only bank in the town of 1,100 households. Bank officials say it’s part of their closing of 11 branches, due to the bad economy.
An update from 15 January: Cirque du Soleil will lay off 400 people around the world, but said the majority of the cuts will be in Canada.