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.
Business/Economics

U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings, 11 – 12 May 2015: “I didn’t see this coming at all. We’ve been assured repeatedly…that everything was really good…”

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

California: In Trona, evil gold miner CR Briggs issued a WARN saying 39 employees will become unemployed in July.  The city of Shasta Lake laid off three firefighters due to lack of tax payer funding.  The fire chief was upset: “It’s horrible, I told three friends of mine they don’t have a job anymore…”-Dennis Bech

Colorado: Zenith Education Group continues mass kill-off of jobs, this time in Thornton.  131 call center employees were laid off!  It’s the result of Zenith’s takeover of failed Corinthian College, as well as what I call Disappearing Student Syndrome (DSS): “We had a reduction in the student population and we are merging some call centers to the one located in Tampa.”-Krissy Humenesky 

Florida: Darden Restaurants laid off 30 people at their Orlando HQ. They laid off employees last year as well. Administrators say the economy is forcing them to “streamline”. Darden operates Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Yard House, Eddie V’s Prime Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Seasons 52 and Bahama Breeze.

Georgia: In Augusta, after 35 years Ming Yat Chinese Restaurant shutdown.

Illinois: God refuses to stop the shutdown of the 44 years old  Sunshine Preschool based in the Wheaton Evangelical Free Church.  It’s blamed on the need for renovations and The Rapture, I mean Disappearing Student Syndrome.  What automotive industry recovery?  In Decatur, Allied Recreation Group laid off more than 50 recreational vehicle (RV) employees due to crashing sales.

Maryland: Unilever announced it is moving its vegetable oil and margarine (like Country Crock and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter) ops from Baltimore to Kansas, 137 jobs lost by June!  Company administrators blamed it on crashing demand, resulting in too much supply (which they called “over-capacity”).

Michigan: In Parchment, paper products company Georgia-Pacific announced they’re shutting down their Dixie factory in December, at least 57 jobs lost.  Parchment mayor Rob Heasley reacted as any ‘merican who doesn’t pay attention to economic reality does, saying “I didn’t see this coming at all. We’ve been assured repeatedly by the plant staff that everything was really good and the place was very profitable.” If he really paid attention he’d realize that corporate America always claims things are going good right before they shut things down, it’s standard propaganda.

New York: In Cheektowaga, second run Movieland 8 Theatres (note the British empire way of spelling theater) shutdown, apparently without notice. The owners said they couldn’t afford to upgrade to digital.  Theaters are being forced to upgrade to digital because more and more movies are available only in digital.  The owners tried to raise money through crowdsourcing, but it failed.  Lackmann Culinary Services issued a WARN saying they’ve lost their contract with Stony Brook University’s Kelly Dining Center, 386 jobs lost by the end of June!  In Bronx, Amertex Textile Services issued a WARN saying 95 laundry workers will become jobless in August, due to the bad economy.  In North Syracuse, Seneca Data Distributors (owned by Arrow Electronics) amended their 2014 WARN, yet again, this time pushing their shutdown to September. They are joining the mass exodus from The Empire State and moving to Arizona.  What automotive industry recovery? In Tonawanda, British empire Canada owned auto parts wholesaler Uni-Select issued a WARN saying they’re shutting down in August, 33 jobs lost.  The assets of the U.S. Uni-Select operations are being sold to U.S. based Icahn Enterprises, which will affect 38 warehouses, 240 stores and 3-thousand 5-hundred U.S. employees across the country!    It’s part of Canadian owned Uni-Select’s plan to get out of the suck-ass U.S. market!   The Delaware and Hudson Railway Company is no more!  They’ve issued a shutdown WARN that affects nine locations, and at least 3-hundred jobs will be lost by August!

North Carolina: Employees of computer company Lenovo reported that the company is laying off people.  Local news reports say Lenovo administrators refused to talk at first, but then admitted they were eliminating the jobs of 235 former IBM employees!  It’s the result of  Lenovo’s purchase of IBM’s System X ops.   Software company  ChannelAdvisor admitted it laid off employees, but refused to say how many.  Local news reports say the company hasn’t filed a WARN, yet.

North Dakota: In Bismarck, After almost 80 years Corwin Churchill Appliance shutdown.  Bruce Whittey, the president of the appliance chain store, blames the greedy landowner who sold the property out from under their feet!

Oklahoma: Cinemark shutdown its Tusla theater.  The movie venue had degraded to a ‘second run’ operation in recent years, and apparently Cinemark didn’t think the Tusla market was worth upgrading their 26 years old eight screened theater.

Pennsylvania: Camden City School District laid off 92 employees due to funding cuts caused by what I call DSS.  Superintendent Paymon Rouhanifard called it “a brutal process”.

Texas: In San Antonio, specialty grocery store Gaucho Gourmet shutdown. It will continue to sell on the internet.  Maritime diesel engine maintainer Kirby laid off 2-hundred people, due to crashing demand for the service!

Washington: In Spokane, aircraft interior manufacturer Triumph Composite Systems laid off 25 employees.

West Virginia: Only 18 months after emerging from bankruptcy, Patriot Coal is again chapter 11 bankrupt busted.  The mining company has $1-billion of debt.  Kanawha Eagle Coal, Patriot Ventures and Highland Mining Company also went chapter 11 bankrupt.

08 – 10 May 2015: “I love the business….I’m just not making money.”

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.”

Business/Economics, Influenza

U.S. Food Crisis, May 2015: “To give everything that you have and…they treat you like a piece of trash!” Higher education killing restaurants! Mother Nature killing off Bees, Chickens & Turkeys!

Incomplete list of announced United States food supply shutdowns for the month of May, 2015: Many food suppliers/distributors are consolidating operations and killing jobs due to the collapsing grocery store and restaurant industries, as well as rising costs of food production, and spread of disease.

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is alive and well, destroying food for humans, and other animals!   About 5-thousand U.S. beekeepers reported losing 42% of their bees from April 2014 to April 2015!  For the same time period of 2013-14 they lost 34%!   A group of universities and research laboratories (called Bee Informed Partnership) have been keeping track since 2010, this past year has been the worst bee die-off they’ve seen.  As a group, individual and industrial farmers spend almost $15-billion USD per year using honey bees to pollinate the crops they grow.  Without that, not enough fruit will develop.   As I’ve written in the past, the researchers blame lack of food for the bees (the pollen they eat is lacking in nutritional value, which will also affect us humans), pesticide and GMO use (no thanks to companies like Monsanto, Archer Daniels Midland, Dow Chemical and many others) and disease carrying parasites.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirms more than 38-million birds in 15 states are infected with H5N2 influenza virus!  This number is not up to date, as at the state level various state health administrators are already reporting far more than have already died, or been culled!  USDA also stated that H5 viruses have adapted to wild birds, implying that it originated with domestic poultry not the other-way-round.  Because of that adaption USDA employees expect the devastating H5 epidemic to last until spring 2016.

Arizona: More trouble for Texas based Blue Bell ice cream maker.  Blue Bell Creameries is closing three Grand Canyon State distribution centers, more than 1-hundred jobs lost!   In Phoenix, after 59 years iconic Bill Johnson’s Big Apple restaurant shutdown, 32 jobs lost.  It’s being turned into a parking lot for the worthless taxpayer supported GateWay Community College!  Also in Phoenix, the Downtown Deli shutdown by a greedy landlord jacking up the rent. One of the co-owners, Glenn Schultz, said the bad economy doesn’t make it worth it saying “For 45 minutes a day we’re busy, but I pay rent 24 hours a day. Others are willing to pay more than we are, and good luck to them.”  In Scottsdale, after 60 years the iconic Pinnacle Peak Patio steak restaurant will shutdown in June.  Evil property speculators are tearing it down and replacing it with residential houses.  Also in the same area, the 40 years old Greasewood Flat restaurant and bar being shutdown to make room for housing development.  In Mesa, after 34 years Landmark Restaurant shutdown, the building was sold to a company that specializes in weddings.

California: In Modesto, vegetable processor Olam issued a shutdown WARN for their Spices & Vegetables operation, saying their remaining 65 employees will become jobless in July. That’s on top of the 177 people laid off in December 2014! Olam administrators stated “We’ve had sales diminish and costs continue to rise.”    Fruit distributor Fruit Patch issued a WARN saying they’re shutting down their Dinuba operations in July, 132 jobs lost! Local news reports blame the vulture capitalist owners, American Capital, saying there are unconfirmed reports that Fruit Patch assets are being sold off (American Capital administrators refused to talk to local reporters).  Perhaps the decision to shut it down was pushed by the decades long drought, which has adversely affected fruit production?  The shutdown will affect 10-thousand grocery/retail stores across the U.S.!   T.G.I. Friday’s issued a shutdown WARN for its La Jolla restaurant, 54 jobs lost in June.  In La Mirada, Switzerland based frozen bakery products seller Aryzta issued a shutdown WARN, saying 131 people will become jobless at the beginning of July! Aryzta became the World’s largest bakery after taking over bakeries in Germany and the U.S. in 2014.   In San Bernardino, after 67 years the owners of The Mug restaurant announced it will shutdown in June.  Loyal customers call it  “a huge icon”.  Local news reports said the owner would not explain why it was being shutdown, but employees explained that the area has been losing businesses for several years now, and that’s negatively impacted the number of people that check out the restaurant (in other words, sales have crashed).  In Duarte, Kroger announced they will shutdown their Ralph’s grocery store on Huntington Drive, in July, about 50 jobs lost. Kroger administrators claim the store has “failed to perform” for years.    News reports say Cerberus-AB Acquisition controlled Albertsons-Safeway announced two Vons in Fresno will shutdown in June, 127 jobs lost!  However, I found shutdown WARNs for three, not two, Fresno Vons totaling 2-hundred jobs lost!  Albertsons-Safeway also issued yet another layoff WARN for Safeway’s Pleasanton HQ, saying an additional 28 people will be let go in July.  In San Francisco, New York based restaurant ‘witchcraft issued a shutdown WARN for July, 29 jobs lost. However, I’ve checked their website and they’ve already removed any references to their San Francisco eatery.  In Santa Maria, Coco’s Bakery Restaurant shutdown due to being sold to a competitor.  The employees discovered that management threw all the employee data into a dumpster (instead of destroying the data) on the same day they were laid off: “To give everything that you have and just like that, they treat you like a piece of trash that’s it, go, you know, it feels bad.”-Elvia Calderon

Colorado:  Cerberus-AB Acquisition controlled Albertsons-Safeway announced 10 Safeway stores across Colorado will shutdown, hundreds of jobs lost by June!

Connecticut: In Milford, Uno Pizzeria and Grill shutdown without warning.

Florida: Darden Restaurants laid off 30 people at their Orlando HQ.  They laid off employees last year as well.  Administrators say the economy is forcing them to “streamline”.  Darden operates Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Yard House, Eddie V’s Prime Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Seasons 52 and Bahama Breeze.  In Tampa, US Foods issued a shutdown WARN saying 206 people will become jobless by August!  The company is consolidating ops and is trying to merge with rival Sysco. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is challenging the merger.  In Jacksonville, after 30 years Benny’s Sandwich Shop shutdown due to the owner’s health problems.

Georgia: In Augusta, after 35 years Ming Yat Chinese Restaurant shutdown.

Hawaii: The Lawai Menehune Food Mart shutdown.  The owner said he couldn’t renew the lease.

Illinois:  In Quincy, tire maker Titan International announced they must kill 60 jobs due to volatile currency markets and crashing sales to the farmer’s markets: “North America large agriculture is down approximately 35 percent, and we believe it will remain that way for the balance of 2015…..Titan’s first quarter sales were below our internal plan, but well over half of the decrease was due to currency impacts from Europe, South America, Russia and Australia.”

Iowa: In Sioux City, after 73 years farm equipment maker Soo Tractor Sweep-Rake is shutting down, 53 jobs lost.  Company administrators blame crashing farm equipment sales.  State health administrators report four more H5N2 outbreaks.  News reports say Iowa’s poultry industry has lost nearly 24-million birds (and that’s just laying hens), so far!

Kansas: In Wichita, after 20 years Garcia’s Tacos shutdown.

Louisiana: In Lafayette, after more than 40 years the owners of Whole Wheatery Eatery announced they will shutdown in June.  Owners Jean Goodman blame the landlord for jacking up the rent and “We’ve had poor sales for the past year. We’ve noticed an exodus of offices, just vacancies of offices and lots of for rent signs in the area.”  In Metairie, a greedy landlord shutdown the 38 years old Tiffin Inn Pancake House.  The property owner signed a new contract with a home decor chain store.

Maryland: In Baltimore, after less than two years the Shoo-Fly Diner is about to shutdown, the owner is trying to work a deal to keep the place open during summer.  Critics have written that the food isn’t that good.    Unilever announced it is moving its vegetable oil and margarine (like Country Crock and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter) ops from Baltimore to Kansas, 137 jobs lost by June! Company administrators blamed it on crashing demand, resulting in too much supply (which they called “over-capacity”).

Massachusetts: In the state of Boston Weak, after nearly 50 years the owner of Taunton’s Benjamin restaurant went chapter 7 bankrupt busted and laid off 1-hundred employees without warning! It sounds like it was caused by a family feud that ended up in court.  The property is now for sale.  In Cambridge, the award winning Hungry Mother restaurant being shutdown in July due to one of the co-owners leaving, and the other co-owners deciding to try something else.

Michigan: In Northville, the owners of Riffle’s Homestyle Kitchen announced it will shutdown in June.  After 31 years they said they’ve finally realized you can’t provided quality food while competing against the low prices of ‘Big Box’ restaurants, so “Rather than cut corners or raise prices, we’ve elected to move on to other endeavors.”  In Flint, after 29 years Salvatore Scallopini restaurant shutdown without warning by the greedy landlord and city administrators, 28 jobs affected.  Unbeknownst to the restaurant operator, the landlord and the city council agreed to replace the Italian restaurant with a shitty IHOP: “I was stunned! It just kind of happened and everyone found out.”-Bill Nivicki, restaurant operator

Minnesota: H5N2 causes Jennie-O Turkey to layoff 233 people at its poultry processing factory in Faribault!  H5N2 causing Rembrandt Enterprises egg farm to layoff 231 employees, due to “quickly declining” production!  At this point 88 poultry farms are affected, 5.76-million birds lost (and not all farms have reported their losses)!  The Minnesota Board of Animal Health wants the state fair, and all county fairs, to ban poultry!  The University of Minnesota reports that H5N2 is possibly airborne!  Air samples collected near four poultry barns turned up positive for the avian flu: “Our results indicated that influenza genetic material can be detected in air samples collected inside and immediately outside of infected poultry facilities. We still don’t know whether virus was viable or not, and those analyses are in progress. So far we have shown that HPAI [highly pathogenic avian influenza] can be aerosolized from infected facilities.”-Montse Torremorell

Montana: In Helena, after 32 years The Donut Hole shutdown once and for all.  Back in January the owner tried to find funding to help him move the store to a new location but nothing panned out, so the donut shop was sold to property speculators from Utah who claim they will turn it into a coffee shop.

Nebraska: USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirms 1.7-million egg laying chickens affected by H5N2 in Dixon County!

Nevada: In Reno, Scolari’s Food & Drug announced they will shutdown their Sharlands Avenue East store in June: “We have struggled at this location since it opened because of the downturn…..because of the economics of our lease…..” 

New Jersey: Cereal maker Post is shutting down their Parsippany HQ  in May, and moving it to Minnesota.  Administrators say 2-hundred jobs around the country will be affected!

New York: Empire State based Burger King franchisee Carrols Restaurant Group announced they will shutdown 25 restaurants, as their leases expire.  This is strange because Carrols administrators reported an 11.5% increase in sales at their Burger Kings.  Administrators say the restaurants they’re shutting down just didn’t make enough money to satisfy them.  In Long Island, Krinos Foods issued a WARN saying they are moving to Bronx in August, taking 70 Long Island jobs with them.  In Sullivan County the largest employer in the county, Ideal Snacks, began laying off employees, however, local news reports say most of those employees turned out to be illegal migrant workers! In 2012 administrators swore they were employing U.S. citizens at $13 per hour. They made these statements in an attempt to get tax breaks. Local news reports say Ideal Snacks administrators are ignoring their questions about the “large number” of layoffs.  In Jamaica, milk products distributor Derle Farms issued a shutdown WARN saying they are moving operations to Bathpage by September, 72 employees will be affected.  Lackmann Culinary Services issued a WARN saying they’ve lost their contract with Stony Brook University’s Kelly Dining Center, 386 jobs lost by the end of June!

North Carolina: After 80 years Captain Bill’s Waterfront Restaurant shutdown in Morehead City.  In Winston-Salem, after almost four years District Roof Top Bar & Grille shutdown, the owners blame the un-recovered economy: “It takes time, resources and a bit of luck to establish a restaurant. In our case it was just one winter season too many.”-Mark Skoggard, co-owner

Pennsylvania: In Deptford, the owners of 37 years old Freeway Diner announced it will shutdown on Memorial Day.  The property is being re-purposed as a strip mall.  In Sunbury, 68 years old Pop Snyder’s restaurant shutdown.  The corporate owner (RAS Bar) said the restaurant was not making enough money, even after they spent big bucks remodeling the eatery in 2014.

Ohio: In Mansfield, after 59 years the owners of Weidle’s Meats and Delicatessen announced they will shutdown in June.  It’s been up for sale since October 2014.  In Dayton, after 23 years China Royal restaurant shutdown.  The property owner blamed a grease fire as being the final straw, implying that the old buildings in Dayton need to be updated to prevent such fires.

South Carolina: After 95 years (surviving the Great deflationary Depression and numerous recessions) Pruitt’s Grocery shutdown due to the owner’s poor health.

South Dakota: The National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirms H5N2 affecting 1.3-million poultry in Flandreau!  The area makes up half of all egg laying poultry in The Mount Rushmore State!

Texas: In San Antonio, specialty grocery store Gaucho Gourmet shutdown.  It will continue to sell on the internet.  You knew it had to be, if you recall 100% of your product and shutdown all your food processing factories layoffs are inevitable.  Brenham based ice cream maker Blue Bell Creameries is now killing off 1,450 jobs, plus furloughing  another 1,400 employees, plus reducing pay and hours for the 1,050 employees who will remain working, for a grand total of 3,900 jobs affected!  (the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that ice cream made by Blue Bell has contained listeria for at least five years, beginning in 2010!)

Virginia: Artfully Chocolate bistro shutdown. Everything is being sold in an internet auction.  Another Artfully Chocolate was shutdown in 2014.  In Richmond, MARTIN’S Food Markets announced they will shutdown their 42 years old store on Staples Mill Road, in July. They claim “the store has not achieved performance goals.”  MARTIN’s bought the store from Ukrop in 2010.  In Orange, after 19 years the Dairy Korner Restaurant shutdown.

Washington: In Spokane, without warning the 25 years old Olive Garden restaurant shutdown by owner Darden Restaurants, 80 jobs lost overnight.  Local news reports said Darden Restaurants administrators accused the Spokane Olive Garden of failing to perform.

Wisconsin: State health administrators report finding dead owls, which tested positive for H5N2.   Food processor ConAgra announced it is shutting down its Ripon cookie factory by the end of the year, at least 3-hundred jobs lost!  The associated Rippin’ Good Cookie Outlet Store will also be shutdown.  Plover based frozen snack food maker Golden County Foods now chapter 11 bankrupt busted.

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

U.S. Food Crisis 27 May 2015: Starving man steals food using tazer! Albertsons Safeway shuts down Tom Thumb stores!

April 2015: “…cannot afford another two years of substantial losses.”  

Business/Economics

U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings, 08 – 10 May 2015: “I love the business….I’m just not making money.” Company that got huge tax breaks employed illegal workers, and lied about wages? God begins consolidation ops!

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

California: Has the drought killed off Golden State fruit?  Fruit distributor Fruit Patch issued a WARN saying they’re shutting down their Dinuba operations in July, 132 jobs lost!  Local news reports blame the vulture capitalist owners, American Capital, saying there are unconfirmed reports that Fruit Patch assets are being sold off (American Capital administrators refused to talk to local reporters). The shutdown will affect 10-thousand grocery/retail stores across the U.S.!  In Modesto, vegetable processor Olam issued a shutdown WARN for their Spices & Vegetables operation, saying their remaining 65 employees will become jobless in July.  That’s on top of the 177 people laid off since December 2014!  Olam administrators stated “We’ve had sales diminish and costs continue to rise.”   In San Diego, British empire oil company BP (British Petroleum) issued a shutdown WARN saying at least 90 people will become unemployed in July.  In Long Beach, tax-sucking Boeing issued yet another WARN saying 26 employees will be laid off in July.  Tech company Avago has taken over networking company Emulex, several WARNs issued saying at least 88 Californians will become jobless in August as a result.  In Napa, God refuses to stop the shutdown of ‘his’ Saint Joseph’s Religious Gift & Bookstore: “I love the business. And I really love the people, but it’s just not enough. I’m just not making money.”-Joseph Sciambra

Colorado: Albertsons Safeway shutting down the following grocery stores; Redlands Safeway, Castle Rock Safeway, Thornton Safeway, Westminster Safeway, three Aurora Safeways, Littleton Safeway, Denver Safeway and Centennial Safeway, hundreds of jobs lost by June!   Littleton based oil service company American Eagle Energy now chapter 11 bankrupt busted, admitting they haven’t paid their bondholders for at least two months.

Florida: Turns out Fort Myers is yet another U.S. city that relies on federal tax money to pay its firefighters, and yes that money is coming to an end and as a result 21 firefighters will become unemployed.

Illinois: The FDIC shutdown the Edgebrook Bank, assets have been turned over to the Republic Bank of Chicago.   In Sterling, the owners of Kidder music store on East Lincolnway announced they’re shutting down in June.  It’s located in the same plaza that once held a Kmart (which shutdown last year).  Administrators for the Kidder chain indicated their reason for shutting down the Sterling store was that too many retailers have left the area, creating a downward spiral in customer traffic.  Plus, the greedy property owners jacked up the rent: “Even with smaller places, the expenses go up in more active retail areas.  And with the numbers and trends we see, we just couldn’t make that investment.”-Beth Houlihan, Kidder president

Iowa: In Belmond, God refuses to stop the shutdown of ‘his’ 112 years old Saint John Lutheran Church.  Church administrators said they’re lucky if 15 people show up on Sundays.  Originally sermons were done in German, reflecting the fact that German, not English, was the most popular non-hispanic European language in the early days of the United States.

Kentucky: Yet another coal mine shutting down, this time in Harlan.  Alpha Natural Resources announced they must shutdown their Clover Lick #3 mine, 64 jobs lost.  Local news reports say over the past two years 5-hundred coal related jobs have been lost, and it’s their main industry!

Maryland: U.S. tax sucking France based military contractor Labinal Power Systems says it must layoff 480 employees in Salisbury!  The French company is consolidating operations to Texas, only about 1-hundred Maryland employees will be transfered to The Lone Star State.

Montana: Call center operator Asurion announced they’re shutting down their Great Falls operation in August, 348 jobs lost!  Tennessee based Asurion is the 4th largest employer in Great Falls.  Asurion threatened employees, when one employee was approached by a local reporter she said “We aren’t allowed to speak and were told to refer reporters to public relations.”   The Asurion building still has a display reading “Become a valued team member. See what career awaits you at asurian.com/careers.”  Local reports say $550-thousand USD is still owed to the Great Falls Development Authority, and the Montana Board of Investments, for the Asurion building.

New Jersey: The cash strapped Atlantic City and the Atlantic City School District warned another 4-hundred city and school district employees they could be let go!  That’s on top of the 2-hundred who already got layoff notices!  This is what happens when you put all your eggs in one basket (specifically the gambling industry).  In Pittman, after 48 years Bob’s Hobbies and Crafts shutdown.  The busy owner says it’s time to retire, the property is for sale.

New York:  In Sullivan County the largest employer in the county, Ideal Snacks,  began laying off employees, however, local news reports say most of those employees turned out to be illegal migrant workers!  In 2012 administrators swore they were employing U.S. citizens at $13 per hour.  They made these statements in exchange for tax breaks.  Local news reports say Ideal Snacks administrators are ignoring their questions about the “large number” of layoffs.   Empire State based Burger King franchisee Carrols Restaurant Group announced they will shutdown 25 restaurants, as their leases expire. This is strange because Carrols administrators reported an 11.5% increase in sales at their Burger Kings. Administrators say the restaurants they’re shutting down just didn’t make enough money to satisfy them.  God refuses to stop the shutdown of two of ‘his’ Westchester Catholic churches.  Also, God is joining unAmerican Corporate America and will consolidate the following churches; Our Lady of Mount Carmel in White Plains and Our Lady of Pompeii in Dobbs Ferry.  Saint Matthew in Hastings-on-Hudson will unite with Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Ardsley.  Saint Paul’s in Congers and St. Ann’s in Nyack.  At least 28 parishes will be affected when the consolidations and shutdowns are complete.

North Carolina: France owned body care products chain store The Body Shop announced it is moving its Wake Forest U.S. HQ to New York City, and eliminating 145 jobs!   Essentially the L’Oréal owned company is doing what so many other companies are doing in this bad economy, consolidating operations and killing jobs.

Ohio: In Amherst, after more than 1-hundred years (surviving the Great deflationary Depression and numerous recessions) Riddle’s True Value Hardware shutdown.  The owner said he had to sell the property, blaming his poor health and implying he was tired of competing with ‘Big Box’ stores.  At one time the store operated under the Western Auto brand.

06 – 07 May 2015: ObamaCare vampires draining blood supply! 

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.”

Technology

Go to the Light! Total Recall! Scientists restore lost memories with light!

29 May 2015 (00:57 UTC-07 Tango 01)/08 Kordad 1394/10 Sha’ban 1436/12 Xin Si (4th month) 4713

“If you test memory recall with natural recall triggers in an anisomycin-treated animal, it will be amnesiac, you cannot induce memory recall. But if you go directly to the putative engram-bearing cells and activate them with light, you can restore the memory, despite the fact that there has been no LTP.”-Susumu Tonegawa, MIT

Researchers with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)  claim they can restore lost memories using light.  At this point it involves mice suffering from amnesia only.

The process involves proteins, engram cells and optogenetic tools.  Susumu Tonegawa says “We are proposing a new concept, in which there is an engram cell ensemble pathway, or circuit, for each memory. This circuit encompasses multiple brain areas and the engram cell ensembles in these areas are connected specifically for a particular memory.”

The research was published in the journal Science. 

Business/Economics

U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings, 06 – 07 May 2015: ObamaCare vampires draining blood supply! Art Institute no more!

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

Alabama: Birmingham based 28 years old Simply Fashion and Dots clothing chain now dead, 243 stores across the U.S. to be sold-off or shutdown!

California:  After 100 years (surviving the Great deflationary Depression and numerous recessions) Dick’s Menswear shutdown in Fresno.  Apparently the new Albertsons-Safeway is shutting down three Vons grocery stores in Fresno (one more than earlier reported) because they’ve issued three WARNs for July, totaling 2-hundred jobs lost!  In Duarte, Kroger announced they will shutdown their Ralph’s grocery store on Huntington Drive, in July, about 50 jobs lost. Kroger administrators claim the store has “failed to perform” for years.   In Elk Grove, Obama Care forcing Sutter Medical Foundation to issue a WARN saying 17 people will be laid off in July. In West Sacramento, Greatwide Distribution Logistics issued a WARN saying 71 people will be laid off in July.  In San Francisco and Santa Clara, social media gaming company Zynga suddenly laid off 180 people, then announced that a total of 364 people will become jobless by the end of the year!  Company administrators say they need to cut $45-million USD per year, due to crashing sales.    In San Jose, Cypress Semiconductor finally issued a WARN revealing they killed off 51 jobs back in January!

Connecticut: In Milford, Uno Pizzeria and Grill shutdown without warning.

Florida: Military themed Acclaim Academy shutdown without warning.  Various school district administrators said they were told by the owner of the military charter schools that there was no more money. Thousands of families now struggling to find schools for their children.   Obama Care being directly blamed for the of 46 jobs lost with non-profit OneBlood blood collection service: “More stringent transfusion protocols, advances in medical science and Health Care Reform continue to impact how the blood supply is managed.”-Forbes

Illinois:  What automotive industry recovery?  In Quincy, tire maker Titan International announced they must kill 60 jobs due to volatile currency markets and crashing sales to the farmer’s markets: “North America large agriculture is down approximately 35 percent, and we believe it will remain that way for the balance of 2015…..Titan’s first quarter sales were below our internal plan, but well over half of the decrease was due to currency impacts from Europe, South America, Russia and Australia.”

Indiana: What construction industry recovery?  After 100 years, the company that provided the doors for the Twin Towers (NYC Trade Center, bombed in 9/11), International Revolving Door Company, shutdown!   Company administrators say orders for doors had crashed to only 22 in the past year!

Louisiana: In Port Allen, First Student lost its school bus contract, 72 people to become jobless in June.  Company administrators say the loss of contract was “sudden” and “unforeseen”.  In Fort Polk, tax-sucker Northrop Grumman issued a WARN saying 426 people will become unemployed between June and July, unless Northrop Grumman can renew their contract.  Evil for profit prison contractor CCA (Corrections Corporation of America) issued a WARN saying 252 privatized Winn Prison employees will be laid off in July!  Just like Idaho, Louisiana refuses to renew the contract with evil CCA.  (CCA abandons prisoners in Idaho prison! CCA says Idaho officials just as evil!) (Evil CCA has lost their contract with Ohio)

Michigan: What automotive industry recovery?  In Holland, automotive parts supplier Visteon shutting down and consolidating ops to Detroit, 240 jobs affected!

Missouri: What construction industry recovery?  In Springfield, HVAC maker Mammoth announced it will shutdown in December,  2-hundred jobs lost!  Local news reports said the shutdown would also affect another 2-hundred support jobs outside the company! It sounds like the company is joining dozens of other companies and consolidating operations into fewer factories, a sure sign there is no recovery.

New Jersey: The World’s largest pet drug supply company, New Jersey based Zoetis’s (spun-off from Pfizer), announced it is shutting down or selling off ten drugs factories, and eliminating 2-thousand 5-hundred jobs across the United States!   This comes even as the company is spending big bucks expanding operations in Nebraska.  The shutdowns and layoffs are being blamed on stockholders who are demanding the company ‘right-size’.  In Hazlet, Jam Apparel shutdown.  The owner said her rent was jacked up and she didn’t have the money to pay it.

New York: In East Syracuse, “global diversified technology and industrial leader” Johnson Controls issued a shutdown WARN for their Operations and Maintenance unit in July, at least 39 jobs lost.  In NYC, Northern Leasing Systems issued a shutdown WARN for July, 29 jobs lost. The company is joining the exodus from The Big Apple, moving ops to Albany and Jersey City.  In Hicksville, Land O’Lakes issued a layoff WARN for August, saying 32 food distribution jobs will go away as the dairy company consolidates operations due to the bad economy.  In Westbury, tax-sucker Raytheon issued a shutdown WARN for their Air Traffic Control training ops in July, 33 jobs lost due to loss of contract.  In Amityville, NBTY is getting outta the food supplement business, and outta New York.  They issued a WARN saying they’re transferring the operations to a California company between July and October, 214 jobs lost!

Ohio: In Mansfield, God refuses to stop the shutdown of Saint  Peter’s Child Care Center in June.  Church administrators say “The Child Center’s operational losses have been substantial, with a projected shortfall this year in excess of $50,000. These factors make it impossible for St. Peter’s to continue offering this service to our community.”

Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh based for-profit Education Management Corporation is shutting down at least 15 of its Art Institute college campuses over the next two years!  Education Management Corporation is one of several for-profit schools under investigation by U.S. Department of Education.

Tennessee: Call center operator Conduit Global announced it will eliminate 592 jobs in Cordova, starting in July!   Administrators blame “an unforeseen loss of business”.   Some of the employees being let go were hired last month.  Last year the company promised to bring 1-thousand jobs to the area in exchange for $2-million in tax breaks.  Now only 70 jobs will remain.

Texas: The oil industry meltdown affecting the planned $7.6-billion deal involving Germany based Siemans taking over Houston based Dresser-Rand.  The European Union is also reviewing the takeover bid.  What will happen to Dresser-Rand if the sale fails?  By the way, Siemens announced it is eliminating 4-thousand 5-hundred jobs around the World! (so what would happen if the sale is approved?)

03 – 05 May 2015: “it has become impossible for us to compete”

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.”

U.S.

World War 3: U.S. conducts biological warfare on itself? Mormon Utah spreads Anthrax to 9 states! Part of war games currently underway?

28 May 2015 (03:52 UTC-07 Tango 01)/07 Kordad 1394/09 Sha’ban 1436/11 Xin Si (4th month) 4713

“Emergency response personnel from the 51st Fighter Wing responded and destroyed the sample located in a self-contained contingency facility at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, after it was discovered the bacteria might not be an inert training sample as expected.

Hazardous material teams immediately cordoned off the facility, decontaminated it under Centers for Disease Control protocol, and destroyed the agent.

Twenty-two personnel may have been exposed during the training event and all personnel were provided appropriate medical precautionary measures to include examinations, antibiotics and in some instances, vaccinations.”–USAF statement from Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea (south Korea) 

The Obama regime’s Dugway Proving Ground, in Utah, has spread live deadly weaponized anthrax bacteria to at least nine U.S. states, and a U.S. Air Force base in Korea (south)!

It was first revealed by U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) employees in Maryland on 22 May 2015, but is only now being made public.   The weaponized Bacillus anthracis was also spread to Texas, Wisconsin, Delaware, New Jersey, Tennessee, New York, California and Virginia.  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working with the DoD to try and contain the contagion.

News reports out of Asia say at least four people in the U.S. are under medical care, although U.S. administrators deny it.  The Asian news sources say it was an unnammed U.S. government employee who said four people were under medical care as a precaution.

The anthrax was shipped out to be used in U.S. war games currently underway, but it was supposed to be ‘dead’ anthrax to be used to test biological warfare detection equipment.  Instead Dugway Proving Ground sent out ‘live’ anthrax.  Dugway Proving Ground has a history of chemical and biological weapons releases, supposedly accidentally.

Federal court rules NSA data spying to be illegal

Utah militiamen spreading Mormonism in Afghanistan? 

Utah company denies ‘green’ cat litter caused explosion at WIPP, then fires 115 employees! 

Utah training National Guard to spy on you using LLVI! 

Utah home to massive military intelligence wargames aimed at you?

Money laundering or drug running by Bank of Utah, maybe CIA ops? 

Obama regime moves to join Mormon dominated Utah and ban wood burning stoves! PM2.5 is bullshit!

World’s largest data collection spy center system in Utah!

Main stream media now reporting new strain, after I already did! Utah ground zero in United States! 

Utah reports flu not covered by vaccines!

H3N2: First child case in U.S. state of Utah.

Utah health worker releases private info, 800,000 people affected 

 

Business/Economics

U.S. Food Crisis 27 May 2015: Starving man steals food using tazer! Albertsons Safeway shuts down Tom Thumb stores!

In Eureka, California, a man stealing food used a tazer to rip off a Safeway grocery store.  A store employee tried to stop the food robber when he saw the man leaving without paying for the food. But the man, who was obviously hungry as he didn’t try to steal any cash, pulled a tazer on the store employee.  Later on, law enforcers found and arrested the man on charges of Armed Robbery.

Albertsons-Safeway owned Tom Thumbs grocery store in Arlington, Texas, will be shutdown in June.  The pharmacy is being shuttered by the end of the week.  As with other recent shutdowns, Albertsons-Safeway claims nobody is going to get laid off!

The shutdown comes after Albertsons-Safeway announced plans to build a new Tom Thumbs store as part of a $200-million USD retail project in Dallas.  That’s the real reason for the Arlington shutdown, and the new trend in retail America; if you’re going to build a new store you’ve got to shutdown an old one, or two, or more.  (so the net result of job creation will be zero, or even negative)

U.S. Food Crisis 25 May 2015: Albertsons Safeway claims nobody will get hurt!

Updated list:

Manitoba, Canada: Sobeys-Safeway announced it will shutdown it’s King Edward Street warehouse by 2016, at least 172 jobs lost!

Arizona, U.S.A.: Peoria Safeway and Claypool Safeway will shutdown in June, at least 94 jobs affected. The following grocery stores will become Haggen; Anthem Safeway, two Tucson Safeways, Tucson Albertsons, two Scottsdale Albertsons, Flagstaff Albertsons, Prescott Valley Albertsons. In Lake Havasu, three Safeway and seven Albertsons are being switched over to Haggen.

California, U.S.A.: The new Albertsons-Safeway issued more layoff WARNs saying another 21 Safeway employees will be laid off in June. Two Albertsons-Safeway owned Vons stores will shutdown in Fresno, by June, 127 jobs lost! Albertsons-Safeway laid off 129 people from their Pleasanton HQ in April. Albertsons-Safeway issued a WARN saying another 188 layoffs are scheduled for the Pleasanton by the end of May! Albertsons-Vons announced it will shutdown its Riverside La Sierra Plaza Vons and two Bakersfield Vons in May, because they are “not meeting company goals.” Arcadia Vons Pavillions SuperStore shutdown on 18 March 2015, at least 168 jobs lost! The 32 years old Hemet Vons shutdown on 28 December 2014, at least 55 jobs lost. Company administrators claimed it had nothing to do with the hostile takeover by Cerberus. Marina Del Ray Albertsons, shutdown by 26 February 2015, at least 80 jobs lost. Pleasanton Safeway HQ laid off at least 26 people in February 2015. In Pleasonton, Safeway laid off an additional 18 HQ employees in March. A San Diego Albertsons shutdown by 26 February 2015, at least 63 jobs lost. The following additional grocery stores will become Haggen; Vons in Palm Desert, Pavillions in Rancho Mirage, two Santa Barbara Albertsons, two Goleta Vons, Lompoc Albertsons, Paso Robles Vons, Arroyo Grande Albertsons, San Louis Obispo Albertsons, Atascadero Albertsons, Los Osos Vons, Palmdale Albertsons, three Bakersfield Albertsons (don’t be surprised if at least one is closed), two Simi Valley Albertsons, Simi Valley Vons, Oxnard Albertsons, Carpinteria Vons, Camarillo Albertsons, Ventura albertsons, Yorba Linda Albertsons, two Tustin Vons, Mission Viejo Vons, Mission Viejo Albertsons, Trabuco Canyon Albertsons, Laguna Beach Albertsons, Laguna Niguel Vons, Corona Del Mar Albertsons, Irvine (Vons) Pavillions, eight San Diego Albertsons (don’t be surprised if several are closed), San Yisidro Albertsons, Rancho Bernardo Albertsons, Coronado Albertsons, San Marcos Vons, two El Cajon Vons, Santee Albertsons, Poway Albertsons, Del Mar Albertsons, two Carlsbad Albertsons, two La Mesa Vons, three Chula Vista Vons (don’t be surprised if at least one is closed), Upland Albertsons, Diamond Bar Vons, Rancho Cucamonga Albertsons, Chino Hills Vons, Burbank Albertsons, Woodland Hills Vons, Westlake Village Albertsons, Thousand Oaks Albertsons, Santa Clarita (Vons) Pavillions, Saugus Vons, Newbury Park Vons, Tujunga Albertsons, Long Beach Albertsons, two San Pedro Albertsons, Lomita Albertsons, Torrance Albertsons, Santa Monica Albertsons, three Redondo Beach Albertsons (don’t be surprised if at least one is closed), two Los Angeles Albertsons.

Colorado, U.S.A.: Redlands Safeway, Castle Rock Safeway, Thornton Safeway, Westminster Safeway, three Aurora Safeways, Littleton Safeway, Denver Safeway and Centennial Safeway, hundreds of jobs lost by June! Colorado Springs Albertsons shutdown in March. Cerberus administrators say it has nothing to do with their takeover of Safeway-Vons: “That store basically has not been profitable for quite some time, despite the best efforts of our company and associates there and the location…..That’s why we’re closing it.”

Florida, U.S.A.: Albertsons issued a WARN saying they will shutdown their Clearwater store in May, 86 jobs lost.

Hawaii, U.S.A.: Drugs pusher Walgreens canceled plans to open a pharmacy in the Kauai Safeway: “As part of this process, Walgreens did a comprehensive financial reassessment of its plans to open a new store in Lihue on Kauai, and have concluded that it is not in the company’s best interests to move forward with opening a store in that location.”

Illinois: The Jewel-Osco HQ in Itasca was sold for $23.7-million. A local news report implied it was the result of the hostile takeover of Safeway by Albertsons.

Nevada, U.S.A.: The following grocery stores will become Haggen; Boulder City Vons, three Henderson Albertsons (don’t be surprised if at least one is closed), three Las Vegas Vons (don’t be surprised if at least one is closed).

Oregon, U.S.A.: In Lake Oswego, Albertsons taken over by Haggen. Cerberus administrators made the exact same claim as in their Colorado Springs shutdown saying “The store has not been profitable for quite some time.” This is interesting because according to local news reports there are only two grocery stores in the city! In Lake Grove, the Albertsons being switch over to Haggen. Safeway shutting down their Clackamas regional office, 91 jobs lost by March. Safeway in Ashland, two in Klamath Falls and one in Springfield to become Haggen. Albertsons in Baker, Beaver, two in Bend, one in Clackamas, two in Eugene and in Grants Pass, one in Keizer, Milwaukee, Sherwood, West Linn and two in Tigard.

Texas, U.S.A.: Arlington Tom Thumbs shutting down in June, at least 45 jobs affected.  In East Dallas, an Albertsons was renamed Minyard Sun Fresh Market. Reports said the grand opening was delayed due to problems switching over the cash register system. A second East Dallas Alberstons became Minyard Sun Fresh Market on 16 February. Only one of the three East Dallas Albertsons will remain Albertsons. One store manager said the changes are a direct result of the takeover of Safeway. Interestingly I found a report that said Cerberus swore there would be no name changes after the takeover of Safeway, but they failed to explain the sale of 12 stores to RLS Supermarkets (apparently the result of a court order). The Tom Thumb grocery stores in Bedford and Grapevine converting to Minyard Sun Fresh Market.

Washington, U.S.A.: The Safeway in Spokane Valley shutdown in March, 60 jobs lost. Company administrators said it was not due to the takeover by Cerberus controlled Albertsons, but that the lease expired and it wasn’t worth renewing it. In Kirkland, reports that Goodwill thrift store is taking over the now vacant Albertsons store. Haggen took control of the Monroe Albertsons. Safeway becoming Haggen in Gig Harbor and Tacoma beginning in March. Albertsons becoming Haggen in Olympia, Puyallup, Tacoma and Lakewood beginning in March. Albertsons becoming Haggen in Federal Way and Milton by June. Albertsons in Port Angeles, Wenatchee and Shoreline becoming Haggen in February. Albertsons in Redmond, Walla Walla, Snohomish, Silverdale, Burien, becoming Haggen in March. Albertsons in Seattle, another one in Burien, Renton, Bremerton and Milton becoming Haggen in June. Shoreline Safeway becomeing Haggen in February. Safeway in Everett, Renton, Oak Harbor and Port Orchard in March. Liberty Lake Safeway becomes Haggen in June.

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

Business/Economics

U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings, 03 – 05 May 2015: “it has become impossible for us to compete” ObamaCare kills Catholic Charities in New York? Why are Iron Ore mining companies shutting down?

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

Alabama: What automotive industry recovery?  Illinois based automotive parts maker Flex-N-Gate says it must layoff 97 people at their McCalla factory in May.  Local news reports say Flex-N-Gate administrators wouldn’t talk to them.

California:   Is Obama Care forcing the Fireman’s Fund Insurnace Company to kill jobs?  They issued a WARN saying they will layoff employees in July.  Obama Care forcing God’s Hollywood Presbyterian Medical to issue a WARN saying 87 people will be laid off in July.  In Santa Maria, Mitt Romney wunderkind Staples shutdown their Superstore in the Crossroads Shopping Center. Employees said they were given a two weeks notice.  Also in Santa Maria, Coco’s Bakery Restaurant shutdown due to being sold to a competitor. The employees discovered that management threw all the employee data into a dumpster (instead of destroying the data) on the same day they were laid off: “To give everything that you have and just like that, they treat you like a piece of trash that’s it, go, you know, it feels bad.”-Elvia Calderon

Colorado: God refused to stop his Colorado Springs based non-profit poverty fighter Compassion International from laying off 48 Christians.  Despite increased donations, company administrators say volatile currency prices are making it harder to pay for expenses in the various countries they work in.

Florida: In Ormond, Zenith Education Group announced they will layoff 18 people in June.  In Cantonment, Marianna Airmotive announced that 80 people will become jobless in May.  Obama Care forcing The Manors at Hobe Sound to issue a WARN saying 164 healthcare and social workers will become unemployed in August!

Georgia: Atlanta based global payment processing company First Data announced it will eliminate “a few thousand” jobs and shutdown their smaller offices this year!  Some of the U.S. job cuts will be the result of ‘offshoring’ of those jobs to other countries.  Administrators didn’t explain why, but said that despite increased revenues they need to cut $200-million USD in operating costs per year.

Hawaii: The Lawai Menehune Food Mart shutdown. The owner said he couldn’t renew the lease.

Illinois: Chicago based maker of video game devices and electronic slot machines WMS Gaming issued a WARN saying 247 people will become jobless in June!  It’s the result of the merger of Scientific Games and Bally Technologies.  WMS Games was taken over by Scientific Games in 2013.

Massachusetts: In the state of Boston Weak, after nearly 50 years the owner of Taunton’s Benjamin restaurant went chapter 7 bankrupt busted and laid off 1-hundred employees without warning! It sounds like it was caused by a family feud that ended up in court. The property is now for sale.

Michigan: Midland based Dow Chemical announced they will kill-off 1,750 jobs!  Administrators said they need to cut $300-million in costs per year, but also admitted it was all about increasing their profits.  In Kalamazoo, after five years women’s clothing store Cakes Boutique shutdown.  Local news reports said the shop was empty even though signs on the store said they’d remain open for that week.

Minnesota: H5N2 causes Jennie-O Turkey to layoff 233 people at its poultry processing factory in Faribault!  After laying off employees in April, Grand Rapids based iron ore mining and recovery company Magnetation now chapter 11 bankrupt busted.  Creditors agreed to give Magnetation until 2018 to pay-up.

Nevada: In Reno, Scolari’s Food & Drug announced they will shutdown their Sharlands Avenue East store in June: “We have struggled at this location since it opened because of the downturn…..because of the economics of our lease…..” 

New Jersey: Administrators of failing Atlantic City announced that at least 2-hundred city employees will have to be laid off.  It’s due to the crashing & burning casino industry, which provided the overwhelming majority of tax revenues for the city.  Woodbridge based tech company RCC Consultants now chapter 11 bankrupt busted.  The company is so broke they admitted they haven’t paid their employees: “As of the petition date, employees are owed approximately $1.3 million (consisting of 4½ missed payrolls). Officers, performing as employees, are owed approximately $1 million (consisting of 10 missed payrolls), and have not been reimbursed for business expenses totaling approximately $250,000.”-Mike Hunter, CEO

New York: In Buffalo, steel bar maker Niagara LaSalle issued a WARN saying they are shutting down at the end of July, 49 jobs lost.  In Melville, Arrow Electronics announced their exodus from The Empire State by issuing a WARN saying they are moving to Colorado between June 2015 and March 2017, taking 135 jobs with them!  God can’t stop Obama Care from forcing Catholic Charities Neighborhood Services to issue a mass layoff WARN saying they are canceling funding for all Residences and Day Habilitation operations across the state!  At least 719 jobs lost by August!  In Rockaway Beach, Visiting Nurse Service of New York Home Care announced it is forced to hand over their Headstart Program to another operator in July, 48 jobs affected.

North Carolina: In Shelby, Fireside Books shutdown: “… it has become impossible for us to compete with the many shopping choices online as well as the big box stores pricing…” 

Ohio: Iron ore mining company Cliffs Natural Resources announced it is eliminating 1-hundred non-union jobs! News reports said company administrators claim they must cut operating costs, but refused to explain why.

Texas: In Stephenville, FMC Technologies announced a third round of layoffs, this time 46 people are being let go due to “continued decrease in activity from our customers”.  In March 79 people were laid off, and 5% of employees were laid off in January.  FMC administrators say it’s part of their plans to eliminate 2-thousand jobs across the U.S.A.!  San Benito Consolidated Independent School District decided to layoff 37 employees for the upcoming school year.  Administrators say they need to cut $14.5-million over the next three years.

Wyoming:  News reports say about three dozen WyoTech-Laramie employees got laid off by the new owner, Zenith Education Group.  Wyo-Tech is one of many schools formerly owned by failed California based Corinthian Colleges.  Zenith Education Group blamed the layoffs on crashing student enrollment, saying the campus is down to just 5-hundred students.  I call it Disappearing Student Syndrome (DSS).

01 – 02 May 2015: ObamaCare insurance company admits ObamaCare fails, will cancel insurance for 1-million people! 

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.”

Business/Economics

U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings, 01 – 02 May 2015: ObamaCare insurance company admits ObamaCare fails, will cancel insurance for 1-million people! Greedy politicians killing casinos! World’s largest bakery killing jobs! Head Start program killed in California!

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

Alaska: Anchorage School District warned they could eliminate 74 jobs from next school year, blaming state level funding cuts.

Arizona: Northern Arizona University warned it must cut courses and eliminate 60 jobs for next school year, blaming $17.3-million USD in state level funding cuts.

California: What automotive industry recovery? South Korea based Kumho Tire issued a shutdown WARN for its U.S. HQ in Rancho Cucamonga, at least 20 jobs lost at the end of June.  In San Rafael, BMW dealer Sonnen BMW issued a shutdown WARN, 114 jobs lost in July!   In Anaheim, electronics rack maker California Chassis issued a shutdown WARN for July, 20 jobs lost.  T.G.I. Friday’s issued a shutdown WARN for its La Jolla restaurant, 54 jobs lost in June.  In La Mirada, Switzerland based frozen bakery products seller Aryzta issued a shutdown WARN, saying 131 people will become jobless at the beginning of July!  Aryzta became the World’s largest bakery after taking over bakeries in Germany and the U.S. in 2014.  In Laguna Hills, Obama Care forcing Herren Enterprises to shutdown their Doctor’s Ambulance Service in July and issue a WARN saying 117 EMT related jobs will be eliminated!  Head Start Child Development issued dozens of WARNs saying they are shutting down operations throughout California, hundreds becoming jobless by the end of June!

Delaware: Casino Dover Downs laid off an additional 24 people, on top of the 10 laid off during the 1st quarter of 2015, and 21 laid off in 2014.  Operating times for the casino have also been reduced. Casino administrators blame outrageous taxes and operating costs: “Last year, we generated an $80 million operating profit but had to pay out $80.7 million to the state and the horsemen so we were left with a net loss!”-Denis McGlynn, CEO

Florida: In Fort Pierce, Blockbuster shutdown their last video store east of the Mississippi!

Georgia: In Lexington, God refuses to stop the shutdown of his 230 years old Lexington Presbyterian Church!  It’s blamed on the Rapture, I mean crashing membership (one report indicated they were down to just three members!).

Hawaii: Island Air cutting flights and laying off about 70 employees, blaming competition and crashing sales.  One airline analyst, Pater Forman, basically says Island Air is using the wrong planes because “…the ATR’s are too big for the small markets and they’re really not nice enough on the big markets…”  However, Island Air administrators say they’ve had to cancel planned purchases of new aircraft.

Illinois: What automotive industry recovery? Heavy vehicle maker Caterpillar continues to slash & burn jobs, this time 150 jobs at their Decatur factory were eliminated!   School District 122 laying off nine school lunch employees, because they are considered unnecessary.  It’s actually part of a larger plan to cut $2.3-million from next school year’s  budget.

Michigan: In Livonia, Cloverlanes Bowl shutdown.  News reports say the property owner is selling it because the property is now worth way more money than the revenue generated by the bowling lanes.  What automotive industry recovery?  Detroit based General Motors (GM, Chevy, Buick, Cadillac) announced they will layoff 1-thousand Canadians at their Canadian Oshawa factory!  Supposedly GM is moving Camaro production in Canada back to the U.S.

Missouri: What housing market recovery?  New Jersey based maker of home plumbing supplies American Standard Brands announced they will shutdown their 45 years old Nevada factory in June, 133 jobs lost!  Because of the bad economy American Standard Brands is consolidating production to other factories.

New Jersey: What automotive industry recovery? Germany based Mercedes-Benz is relocating its U.S. HQ from Montvale to Atlanta, Georgia.  375 jobs New Jersey lost over the next two years (about 172 jobs eliminated outright, the rest transferring to Georgia)!

New Mexico: Texas based ConocoPhillips announced they’re laying off another 250 people, including employees at their San Juan Basin ops.

New York: In Long Island, Krinos Foods issued a WARN saying they are moving to Bronx in August, taking 70 Long Island jobs with them.  In Clarence, Gildan Apparel-New Buffalo Shirt Factory issued a shutdown WARN for August, 85 jobs lost.  In NYC, magazine publisher ALM Media issued a layoff WARN saying 61 employees will become unemployed beginning in July.  In Latham, after 30 years Russ & Rebel Leather shutdown, the owner blames the outrageous Empire State tax system, and himself for refusing to sell on the internet.     Obama Care forcing NYC based Assurant to sell-off their Health Insurance ops, claiming that even with the Obama Care payment reductions they are still going to lose $90-million for their 1st quarter of 2015.  Basically the Assurant CEO, Alan Colberg, said Obama Care isn’t slashing & burning health care funding big enough or fast enough saying “The health and employee benefits business segments possess differentiated capabilities in their respective markets, but we do not believe they can meet our return targets at the pace we require.”   According to a report by Modern Healthcare “Assurant Health also blamed losses on low recoveries from the ACA’s [Affordable Care Act, Obama Care] insurance risk programs and the policy shift that allowed people to stay in plans that are not compliant with ACA standards.”   The sale of Assurant Health will affect access to health care for 1-million people!  One more thing; Assurant Health admits that the insurance industry written Obama Care failed in estimating just how many sick poor people there are in the U.S., saying the Affordable Care Act “had worse morbidity characteristics than we had assumed”.

North Carolina: After 80 years Captain Bill’s Waterfront Restaurant shutdown in Morehead City.

27 – 30 April 2015: “When you can’t pay your bills, you don’t keep going.”

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.”

Business/Economics

U.S. Food Crisis 25 May 2015: Albertsons Safeway shutdown more stores, claims nobody will get hurt!

The new Albertsons-Safeway announced that two Safeway stores in Arizona will shutdown in June.  Administrators swore to local news media that nobody would be laid off, that somehow they would find jobs for the now redundant employees at other Safeway stores (and then probably use that as an excuse to massively reduce work hours so they don’t have to provide Obama Care insurance).

Albertsons Vons Safeway officially sucks according to Consumer Reports! 

Updated list:

Manitoba, Canada: Sobeys-Safeway announced it will shutdown it’s King Edward Street warehouse by 2016, at least 172 jobs lost!

Arizona, U.S.A.: Peoria Safeway and Claypool Safeway will shutdown in June, at least 94 jobs affected.  The following grocery stores will become Haggen; Anthem Safeway, two Tucson Safeways, Tucson Albertsons, two Scottsdale Albertsons, Flagstaff Albertsons, Prescott Valley Albertsons. In Lake Havasu, three Safeway and seven Albertsons are being switched over to Haggen.

California, U.S.A.: The new Albertsons-Safeway issued more layoff WARNs saying another 21 Safeway employees will be laid off in June. Two Albertsons-Safeway owned Vons stores will shutdown in Fresno, by June, 127 jobs lost! Albertsons-Safeway laid off 129 people from their Pleasanton HQ in April. Albertsons-Safeway issued a WARN saying another 188 layoffs are scheduled for the Pleasanton by the end of May! Albertsons-Vons announced it will shutdown its Riverside La Sierra Plaza Vons and two Bakersfield Vons in May, because they are “not meeting company goals.” Arcadia Vons Pavillions SuperStore shutdown on 18 March 2015, at least 168 jobs lost! The 32 years old Hemet Vons shutdown on 28 December 2014, at least 55 jobs lost. Company administrators claimed it had nothing to do with the hostile takeover by Cerberus. Marina Del Ray Albertsons, shutdown by 26 February 2015, at least 80 jobs lost. Pleasanton Safeway HQ laid off at least 26 people in February 2015. In Pleasonton, Safeway laid off an additional 18 HQ employees in March. A San Diego Albertsons shutdown by 26 February 2015, at least 63 jobs lost. The following additional grocery stores will become Haggen; Vons in Palm Desert, Pavillions in Rancho Mirage, two Santa Barbara Albertsons, two Goleta Vons, Lompoc Albertsons, Paso Robles Vons, Arroyo Grande Albertsons, San Louis Obispo Albertsons, Atascadero Albertsons, Los Osos Vons, Palmdale Albertsons, three Bakersfield Albertsons (don’t be surprised if at least one is closed), two Simi Valley Albertsons, Simi Valley Vons, Oxnard Albertsons, Carpinteria Vons, Camarillo Albertsons, Ventura albertsons, Yorba Linda Albertsons, two Tustin Vons, Mission Viejo Vons, Mission Viejo Albertsons, Trabuco Canyon Albertsons, Laguna Beach Albertsons, Laguna Niguel Vons, Corona Del Mar Albertsons, Irvine (Vons) Pavillions, eight San Diego Albertsons (don’t be surprised if several are closed), San Yisidro Albertsons, Rancho Bernardo Albertsons, Coronado Albertsons, San Marcos Vons, two El Cajon Vons, Santee Albertsons, Poway Albertsons, Del Mar Albertsons, two Carlsbad Albertsons, two La Mesa Vons, three Chula Vista Vons (don’t be surprised if at least one is closed), Upland Albertsons, Diamond Bar Vons, Rancho Cucamonga Albertsons, Chino Hills Vons, Burbank Albertsons, Woodland Hills Vons, Westlake Village Albertsons, Thousand Oaks Albertsons, Santa Clarita (Vons) Pavillions, Saugus Vons, Newbury Park Vons, Tujunga Albertsons, Long Beach Albertsons, two San Pedro Albertsons, Lomita Albertsons, Torrance Albertsons, Santa Monica Albertsons, three Redondo Beach Albertsons (don’t be surprised if at least one is closed), two Los Angeles Albertsons.

Colorado, U.S.A.: Redlands Safeway, Castle Rock Safeway, Thornton Safeway, Westminster Safeway, three Aurora Safeways, Littleton Safeway, Denver Safeway and Centennial Safeway, hundreds of jobs lost by June! Colorado Springs Albertsons shutdown in March. Cerberus administrators say it has nothing to do with their takeover of Safeway-Vons: “That store basically has not been profitable for quite some time, despite the best efforts of our company and associates there and the location…..That’s why we’re closing it.”

Florida, U.S.A.: Albertsons issued a WARN saying they will shutdown their Clearwater store in May, 86 jobs lost.

Hawaii, U.S.A.: Drugs pusher Walgreens canceled plans to open a pharmacy in the Kauai Safeway: “As part of this process, Walgreens did a comprehensive financial reassessment of its plans to open a new store in Lihue on Kauai, and have concluded that it is not in the company’s best interests to move forward with opening a store in that location.”

Illinois: The Jewel-Osco HQ in Itasca was sold for $23.7-million. A local news report implied it was the result of the hostile takeover of Safeway by Albertsons.

Nevada, U.S.A.: The following grocery stores will become Haggen; Boulder City Vons, three Henderson Albertsons (don’t be surprised if at least one is closed), three Las Vegas Vons (don’t be surprised if at least one is closed).

Oregon, U.S.A.: In Lake Oswego, Albertsons taken over by Haggen. Cerberus administrators made the exact same claim as in their Colorado Springs shutdown saying “The store has not been profitable for quite some time.” This is interesting because according to local news reports there are only two grocery stores in the city! In Lake Grove, the Albertsons being switch over to Haggen. Safeway shutting down their Clackamas regional office, 91 jobs lost by March. Safeway in Ashland, two in Klamath Falls and one in Springfield to become Haggen. Albertsons in Baker, Beaver, two in Bend, one in Clackamas, two in Eugene and in Grants Pass, one in Keizer, Milwaukee, Sherwood, West Linn and two in Tigard.

Texas, U.S.A.: In East Dallas, an Albertsons was renamed Minyard Sun Fresh Market. Reports said the grand opening was delayed due to problems switching over the cash register system. A second East Dallas Alberstons is expected to make the changeover to Minyard Sun Fresh Market on 16 February. Only one of the three East Dallas Albertsons will remain Albertsons. One store manager said the changes are a direct result of the takeover of Safeway. Interestingly I found a report that said Cerberus swore there would be no name changes after the takeover of Safeway, but they failed to explain the sale of 12 stores to RLS Supermarkets (apparently the result of a court order). The Tom Thumb grocery stores in Bedford and Grapevine converting to Minyard Sun Fresh Market.

Washington, U.S.A.: The Safeway in Spokane Valley shutdown in March, 60 jobs lost. Company administrators said it was not due to the takeover by Cerberus controlled Albertsons, but that the lease expired and it wasn’t worth renewing it. In Kirkland, reports that Goodwill thrift store is taking over the now vacant Albertsons store. Haggen took control of the Monroe Albertsons. Safeway becoming Haggen in Gig Harbor and Tacoma beginning in March. Albertsons becoming Haggen in Olympia, Puyallup, Tacoma and Lakewood beginning in March. Albertsons becoming Haggen in Federal Way and Milton by June. Albertsons in Port Angeles, Wenatchee and Shoreline becoming Haggen in February. Albertsons in Redmond, Walla Walla, Snohomish, Silverdale, Burien, becoming Haggen in March. Albertsons in Seattle, another one in Burien, Renton, Bremerton and Milton becoming Haggen in June. Shoreline Safeway becomeing Haggen in February. Safeway in Everett, Renton, Oak Harbor and Port Orchard in March. Liberty Lake Safeway becomes Haggen in June.

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification