Tag Archives: economy

Business/Economics

U.S. Retail Death Spiral: 218% spike in shutdowns since last year!

24 JUN 2017 (12:13 UTC-07 Tango 06) 03 Tir 1396/29 Ramadan 1438/01 Bing Wu(6th month) 4715

According to retail analyst Fung Global Retail & Technology, in the first half of 2017 there’s been a 218% spike in store shutdowns compared to the first half of 2016!

The death of Radio Shack is the main culprit, but the overwhelming majority of retail shutdowns are clothing/apparel accessory operations.

I’ve already pointed out that the retail industry’s death spiral began under the Obama regime (Obama Legacy: U.S. Apparel industry Death-Spiral “I have no clue. It just doesn’t seem to be working…”, Obama Legacy: Death of ‘Outdoors’ stores, and don’t blame the internet!, Obama Legacy: “…a severe recession…”, OBAMA LEGACY: TRADE DEFICIT AT RECORD LEVEL?, Obama Legacy: Record 95-million + unemployed & not counted!, Obama Legacy: Illinois now an “exceptional” failed state, blame ObamaCare!)

There have been announcements of plans to open new stores in the United States, but they don’t even come close to making up for the shutdowns (many having already taken place).

2017 is well on its way to being the second highest year for shutdowns, 2008 holding the record for number one.  But the way things are going, with so many surprises for industry ‘expert’ analysts who keep getting it wrong, 2017 could take the number one spot for shutdowns.

Already I’ve seen main stream news media reacting to the data from   Fung Global Retail & Technology by blaming the internet.  I’ve pointed out many times that online shopping is way down as well, and that most of the businesses that are shutting down operations, going bankrupt or dying altogether, also sell online.

Case in point: Clothing seller Bebe (which sold on the internet) halted online sales ever since it went bankrupt.  Now there’s word that China (Hong Kong, a former British empire colony) based Global Brands Group will soon begin selling Bebe brand clothing online.

Then there’s this amazing fact:  Karen Edwards, instructor at University of South Carolina’s College of Hospitality Retailing and Sport Management, stated to local news media that internet sales make up only 10%-15% of all U.S. retail sales!

Online sellers Sears Kmart Death Spiral, June 2017:  “already-dead” Hundreds of new store shutdowns, thousands of jobs lost! 

Don’t blame the Internet: Idaho internet sales tax collections flat-line!

U.S.

Obama Legacy: Illinois now an “exceptional” failed state, blame ObamaCare!

21 JUN 2017 (10:36 UTC-07 Tango 06) 31 Khordad 1396/26 Ramadan 1438/27 Bing Wu 4715

“As Illinois’ Chief Fiscal and Accountability Officer, my Office is responsible for managing the state’s financial accounts as well as providing the public and the state’s elected leadership with objective and timely data concerning the state’s difficult fiscal condition. As you are quite aware, I have been very vocal regarding these issues and the budgetary impasse since assuming office six months ago; however we are now reaching a new phase of crisis.

 

Accordingly, I must communicate to you at this time the full extent of our dire fiscal straits and the potential disruptions that we face in addressing even our most critical core responsibilities going forward into the new fiscal year.  My Office has very serious concerns that, in the coming weeks, the State of Illinois will no longer be able to guarantee timely and predictable payments in a number of areas that we have to date managed (albeit with extreme difficulty) despite an unpaid bill backlog in excess of $15 billion and growing rapidly.

 

We are effectively hemorrhaging money as the state’s spending obligations have exceeded receipts by an average of over $600 million per month over the past year.

 

My cause for alarm is rooted in the increasing deficit spending combined with new and ongoing cash management demands stemming from decisions from state and federal courts, the latest being the class action lawsuit filed by advocates representing the Medicaid service population served by the state’s Managed Care Organizations (MCOs). As of June 15, the MCOs, and their provider networks, are owed a total of more than $2.8 billion in overdue bills at the Comptroller’s Office. There is no question that these obligations should be paid in a more timely manner and that the payment delays caused by the state’s financial condition negatively impact the state’s healthcare infrastructure. We are currently in court directed discussions to reach a workable and responsive payment schedule going forward, but any acceleration of the timing of those payments under the current circumstances will almost certainly affect the scheduling of other payments, regardless of other competing court orders and Illinois statutory mandates.

 

For the record, however, and as a message to the financial markets, please know that debt service payments will not be delayed or diminished going forward and I will use every statutory avenue or available resource to meet that commitment. It is a necessary pledge in order to attempt to avoid further damage to our already stressed credit ratings and to make possible the additional debt financing that we all know will be required to achieve some measure of stability going forward.

Ultimately it is the only way that we can preserve what remains of our ability to provide vital services to our state’s most at risk populations.

 

Currently, more than 90 percent of Illinois’ monthly spending is directed toward core functions of state government mandated by court orders, consent decrees, or state law including continuing appropriations. These include certain Medicaid programs, debt service, payroll, K-12 General State Aid and state pension contributions. With the inevitable cash management impact related to the outcome of the MCO lawsuit, this Office will soon be facing the prospect of deciding which court order or statutory mandate the state can accommodate. I hope we can all agree that this is more than an unprecedented situation; it is simply unacceptable.  

 

Even absent pressure from additional court orders, we still foresee unmanageable financial strains, beginning in July, that will severely limit any payments in core areas not under court mandate or consent decree that provide essential services to the state’s most vulnerable individuals, including but not limited to, long-term care, hospice, and community care and supportive living centers serving the senior community, and ambulatory and other critical medical supplies for the poor and disabled.        

 

In large part, through careful cash management and effective stewardship of the state’s General Revenue Fund, our Office has made every effort to triage this crisis in a way that has prioritized and enabled some hardship payments to the state’s most vulnerable citizens and the programs that serve them while still meeting core obligations. That ability will eventually cease.  

 

It is critical that the state’s fiscal situation be addressed immediately before the cash shortages this summer cause further deterioration. I am available to discuss this situation, and possible remedies, with you personally, as a group in a leaders meeting or individually at your earliest convenience.

 

In the meantime, I will be meeting and communicating with other public stakeholder groups to share these same warnings.

 

My closing message is simple: The state can no longer function without a responsible and complete budget without severely impacting our core obligations and decimating services to the state’s most in need citizens. We must put our fiscal house in order. It is already too late. Action is needed now.

 

I eagerly await your response as to next steps for furthering this discussion.”-Susana A. Mendoza, State of Illinois Comptroller, letter posted on the internet 20 JUN 2017

Chicago Sun-Times: Illinois budget impasse will block federal aid

Money-CNN:  Powerball and Mega Millions players may fall victim to Illinois budget crisis

Reboot Illinois: Cost and consequences of Illinois’ budget crisis

“Our ideals and principles, as well as our national security……..That’s what makes America different. That’s what makes us exceptional.”-Barack Obama, 10 September 2013

Obama Legacy: Kill all civilians, Trump continues tradition! 

U.S. Job Losses & Closings 26 March 2016: Coal company says ‘fuck you’ to Illinois taxpayers!  

U.S. Job Losses & Closings 27 February 2016: Shit hitting the fan! Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania economic Failed States!

U.S. JOB LOSSES & CLOSINGS 07 – 08 FEBRUARY 2016: THE RAPTURE SHUTTERS 100 CHICAGO CHURCHES! 

U.S. Civil War, October 2015: Obama regime Homie Town police genocide 7,185 people in Chicago! 

U.S. JOB LOSSES & CLOSINGS 11 OCTOBER 2015: CHICAGO ASKS OBAMA TO DECLARE MARTIAL LAW, EVEN THE BOY SCOUTS ARE LEAVING! 

U.S. Job Losses & Closings 19 – 20 September 2015: Obama regime threatens 5,000 jobs in Chicago!

U.S. Civil War, 03 – 14 September 2015: Illinois steals victim’s homes! 

U.S. Civil War Chicago, 01 – 05 September 2014: USN sending doctors to Chicago war zone! Cops pay out $1.25-million for killing residents! 

Operation Jupiter: Ebola; Michigan & Illinois next? 

U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings, 24 June 2015: Fighting over food ramps up in Illinois! “There are no more presents under the Christmas tree!” 

U.S. Civil War Chicago, 16 – 20 August 2014: “Everybody’s killing each other!”

U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings 11 – 12 August 2014: Illinois gets slammed, again!

U.S. Civil War Chicago, 31 July – 02 August 2014: Illegal immigrant kids being sent to hell in Chicago!

U.S. Civil War Chicago, 12 – 13 July 2014: More proof it’s all about drug running!  

Illinois paying out record tens of millions of dollars for wrongful convictions! 

U.S. Civil War: Chicago update 16 – 20 June 2014: Afghan heroin connection

Exceptional Failed State 2014: Real estate, welcome to the Death Spiral!

Exceptional Failed State 2014: Illinois based Sears adds another 120 stores to its now secret shutdown list!

Exceptional Failed State 2014: Blame the weather? Blame ObamaCare!!!

Exceptional Failed State 2014: U.S. voters prove they are insane! (or on drugs)

Exceptional Failed State 2014: Don’t blame China, more proof the U.S. Middle Class is the Tool of the British empire!

International, U.S.

Record number of U.S. & U.K. citizens defect to Germany! What do you know, Deutschland!

13 JUN 2017 (14:09 UTC-07 Tango 06) 23 Khordad 1396/18 Ramadan 1438/19 Bing Wu 4715

During the Cold War when a person moves to another country and becomes a citizen of that country it was called defecting.

According to the Statistisches Bundesamt of Deutschland (Federal Statistical Office of Germany) the number of United States citizens now claiming German citizenship increased by 33% between 2009 and 2015.  Don’t blame Donald Trump, those are the years when Barack Obama was president.

This chart shows that the great emigration of U.S. citizens skyrocketed after Obama became president.

Interestingly, the liberal left bureaucrats controlling Germany officially don’t understand the big jump in ‘Mericans calling Deutschland home, telling local German news media that “..we don’t have any data for the motivation” because they didn’t consider the Obama years as having any political reforms that would drive ‘Mericans away.  However, a news source called The Local interviewed a family from Texas who straight up said “We are happy here, our kids’ educational opportunities are better than they would be in the places where we would move back to, Texas or Georgia… and health care.“  ObamaCare anybody?  Doesn’t that count as a political/legal reform?

Another interesting fact is that 79% of U.S. citizens who get German citizenship aren’t even living in Germany.  Basically they’re former German citizens who want to move back to the Fatherland!

55% of U.S. citizens who became German citizens had to renounce U.S. citizenship, 45% were able to have dual citizenship.  The amount of men versus women moving to Germany is almost even, with the majority being 45 years of age or older.

But wait, there’s more!  In 2016, the British empire country of United Kingdom experienced a record breaking jump in defectors, by 361%!  It’s being blamed on the vote to leave the European Union.  However, the biggest group of people becoming German citizens still come from Turkey!

But native born Germans are fleeing as well.  At the end of 2016, the Gatestone Institute reported that in the past ten years more than 1.5-million Deutsches Volk left their Fatherland, 138-thousand just in 2015!  The reason is the never ending ‘refugee’ crisis, which is resulting in record crimes by migrants.  I’ve already written about ‘make work’ jobs being created for migrants at taxpayer expense.

Another reason for Germans getting the hell outta Dodge is religion. Even though Christianity was forced upon Germanic people, most Germans consider Christianity a European, even German, cultural identity.  With the False Flag war refugees Germany now has the biggest Islamic population in Europe, closely followed by France.

Ironically some German citizens have become illegal immigrants right here in the United States, ranked as number four in 2015 (but note that British empire Canadians are number one for overstaying their visas).

It must be noted that the boom in international immigration, from one country to another, is being led by native born citizens who are tired of non-native peoples flooding into their country, or being driven out by foreign created False Flag wars of liberation, thus creating a downward spiral (upward spiral?) of international emigration & immigration.  It’s happening everywhere!  When all is said and done, the number one reasons for this global immigration is about jobs, economics and conniving governments working for elitist corporations. 

Maybe the NSDAP was right after all? German workers unite!

Dumbing Down U.S. of A., April 2017: “…we were done!”  School shutdowns continue due to disappearing students and funding!

FOOD CRISIS: GERMANY ORDERS CITIZENS TO STOCKPILE 10 DAYS OF FOOD!

NEU HOLOCAUST: 130,000 MIGRANTS ‘DISAPPEARED’ FROM GERMANY!

YET AGAIN, ANOTHER RECORD RENOUNCE U.S. CITIZENSHIP!

2ND U.S. CIVIL WAR: NEW YORK & OBAMA’S HOMIE TOWN TOP CREATORS OF U.S. REFUGEES! WHERE ARE THEY GOING?

FALSE FLAG: WORLD BANK BEHIND CIVIL WARS & ISLAMIC STATE

WHERE ARE THEY GOING? U.S. CITIZENS INVADING PALESTINE! ‘CHRISTIANS’ TEMPTING FATE BY TEMPTING THEIR GOD!

WHERE ARE THEY GOING? SOUTH OF THE BORDER IS THE NUMBER ONE DESTINATION, JUST ASK JESSE VENTURA!

THE UNEMPLOYED ARE LEAVING IDAHO,  BUT WHERE ARE THEY GOING?

U.S.

“…..we were done!”: Dumbing Down the U.S. of A., April 2017

Disappearing Students Syndrome (DSS): A phrase created by me to describe a phenomenon taking place across the United States, affecting both privately and publicly funded schools, from Kindergarten all the way through University levels.

Incomplete list of publicly announced education related layoffs & school shutdowns, April 2017:

California:  San Diego Unified School District sent out 2-hundred layoff notices, in addition to earlier layoff announcements!  The district is short $124-million USD in taxpayer funding!  God powerless to stop ‘his’ elementary and secondary school services op Roman Catholic Welfare Corporation from halting operations at three locations, 126 jobs gone by June!

Connecticut: In New Haven, school for students who don’t fit in, Domus Academy shutting down in June due to state budget cuts.

Illinois: Lutherbrook Child and Adolescent Center shutting down, 84 jobs lost, no reason given.

Indiana:  Ivy Tech Community College suddenly laid off 12 people, blaming what I call DSS and a taxpayer funding shortfall of $2.6-million.  God powerless to stop ‘his’ Saint Joseph’s College from renouncing its accreditation, suspending campus activities and eliminating 416 jobs in June! Administrators said they hope to be re-accredited once they get some money to operate the school. Purdue University Northwest shutting down its Charlotte R. Riley Child Center by the end of June, blaming “…recent year….decreased enrollment…..along with escalating costs of providing high quality child care…”

 Louisiana: Pinko commie leaders of New Orleans officially denying the history of the United States by beginning the process of removing four Civil War statues.  “The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history.”-George Orwell (aka Eric Arthur Blair)

Maryland: Baltimore City Schools warning that even with city and state taxpayer funding increases as many as 1-thousand people will become unemployed!  Administrators say it’s because only now are the previous year’s budget cuts impacting employment, the new funding increases are not enough to stop the bloodletting.

Massachusetts: University of Massachusetts Medical School eliminating 65 jobs due to lack of money.

Michigan: After only five years Grand Rapids Ellington Academy of Arts and Technology shutdown due to what I call Disappearing Students Syndrome.  Kenowa Hills Public Schools eliminating 20 jobs due to lack of $1.6-million in taxpayer funding caused in-part by crashing enrollment.  Horizon Books shutdown its Petoskey location because the company owner wants to retire, and nobody wanted to take over the operation (due to crashing sales).

Minnesota: Minneapolis Public Schools warning of “hundreds” of layoffs due to the budget being $28-million USD short!

Missouri: University of Missouri eliminating 20 jobs in July, due to both crashing enrollments and taxpayer funding.  After 137 years Wentworth Military Academy shutdown due to DSS and escalating operating costs.

New Jersey: Bayonne School District eliminating 3-hundred jobs due to being $6-million short!  Local taxpayers are pissed because last year school funding was boosted by a 3.95% tax increase!  Known for Home of the Friars basketball, god powerless to stop ‘his’ Saint Anthony High School from shutting down due to The Rapture (not enough students or money: “Our seats had not gotten warm and we were done!”-Bob Hurley, basketball coach

New Mexico: Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) eliminating teaching jobs covertly by increasing class size and cutting department budgets by 10% and by requiring high school teachers to teach more classes. Also, APS is reducing the number of ‘contract days’.  Administrators say they’re just getting ready for state taxpayer funding cuts. Santa Fe Public Schools warning it could be forced to shutdown two elementary schools due to expected state taxpayer funding cuts.

New York: In Wallkill, school bus contractor First Student lost two contracts, 238 jobs gone by June!  In Bronx-NYC, Montauk Student Transport eliminating 116 jobs in September due to loss of contract!  In Brooklyn-NYC, Otsar Early Childhood Center shutting down, 61 jobs gone by the end of June.  God powerless to stop Catholic Charities from shutting down its Fidelis Parenting/Fatherhood Program by July.   In Ronkonkoma, Community Program Centers shutting down its Early Discoveries Center Childcare program, at least 33 jobs gone by the end of June.

North Carolina: War of budgets as state lawmakers force schools to reduce class sizes, and schools say they don’t have the money to hire the extra teachers.  Lawmakers called bull-shit on that and claim that next year’s state budget for schools includes money to hire new teachers.  School administrators call bull-shit on that saying the increase in state funding barely makes up for previous year’s cutbacks.

Ohio: Wright State University warning 170 employees of layoffs in an effort to save $35-million, never mind that they admitted they over-spent $40-million!  North Royalton School District are threatening 23 job cuts if cash-strapped taxpayers don’t vote to approve yet another levy.  In Columbus, Half Price Books shutdown its store on North High Street.  Apparently it’s the third Half Price Books to recently shutdown.

Oregon: Rogue Community College jacked-up tuition and warned of about 20 layoffs due to state ‘lawmakers’ reducing taxpayer funding for next year by about $5.2-million.  Students are not happy.

Pennsylvania:  Mark DiRocco, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators, stated “Many districts have still not recovered from the Great Recession.”  Remember, Barack Obama declared The Great Recession over in 2013!

Education Management shutting down in Pittsburgh, 75 jobs lost by the end of August.  DuBois Area School Board shutting down three elementary schools due to not enough students and not enough money.   God powerless to stop ‘his’ Saint Bartholomew School from shutting down.  It’s blamed on The Rapture, I mean crashing enrollment, and skyrocketing debts incurred to operate the school.  California, Cheyney, Clarion, and Edinboro universities all say they must eliminate jobs and cut programs due to long term taxpayer funding cuts.  Now obviously corrupt Quakertown warning of two school shutdowns and 50 teacher layoffs due to lacking $4.8-million in funding, despite 30 straight years of tax increases for cash-strapped local taxpayers (who are really pissed-off right now)! 

Virginia: Central Virginia Training Center  laying off 14 people in the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services in May.

Dumbing Down March 2017: “EXPERIENCING DECLINING ENROLLMENT, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO”

Business/Economics, Idaho

Don’t blame the Internet: Idaho internet sales tax collections flat-line!

11 JUN 2017 (08:59 UTC-07 Tango 06) 21 Khordad 1396/16 Ramadan 1438/17 Bing Wu 4715

At the beginning of 2017 it was revealed that ‘fake news’ Idaho republicans made a secret deal with Amazon to impose an internet sales tax on any Idahoan who buys online!   The Idaho Tax Commission reports that so far there’s been no significant increase in tax revenues as a result!

The so called conservative republican ‘Butch’ Otter regime says it’s too early to pass judgement on the new tax imposed on Idahoans.  However, national main stream news source Associated Press discovered that ‘Right to Work’ (you over) Idaho politicians forbade the state Tax Commission from revealing specific details concerning the Amazon internet tax deal, under the guise of respecting Amazon’s privacy.

Until the Amazon deal residents of Idaho were required to self-pay taxes on purchases made outside the state, including internet purchases.  The deal with Amazon is just the first step by ‘republicans’ to find new ways to squeeze taxes out of cash strapped Idahoans.

Overall state tax collections were slightly higher than expected in May (by a piddly 0.8%), but apparently not due to the new Amazon tax deal.

The Associated Press pointed out that in 1992 the federal Supreme Court ruled that in order for a retailer to collect taxes for any state it must have operations within that state.  Amazon has made secret tax collection deals with almost every state in the Union.

SEARS KMART DEATH SPIRAL, JUNE 2017: Don’t blame internet competition!  Karen Edwards, instructor at University of South Carolina’s College of Hospitality Retailing and Sport Management, stated to local news media that internet sales make up only 10%-15% of all U.S. retail sales!

U.S. APPAREL INDUSTRY DEATH-SPIRAL: Don’t blame the internet, the overwhelming majority of apparel retailers that’ve died, or are dying, sell online!

International

Old Oil War: U.S. forces killed in Afghanistan, day after U.S. forces killed Afghan police!

Video

10 JUN 2017 (17:51 UTC-07 Tango 06) 20 Khordad 1396/15 Ramadan 1438/16 Bing Wu 4715

Reports out of Afghanistan that at least two U.S. personnel (possibly up to four) were shot and killed by an Afghan National Army Special Operation Forces soldier, in Achin District of Nangarhar Province.

Afghan government officials say at least two U.S. personnel were killed and another two wounded, and the Afghan soldier who launched the attack was killed.  Mujahideen say the ANA Special Ops soldier was one of them, and he killed four U.S. personnel.  The U.S. Department of Defense says three soldiers killed, one wounded, and refuses to give any details.

Despite claims by Mujahideen, western ‘real news’ media say ‘Islamic State’ (DAIISH) is claiming credit for the attack.  Western news media, as well as U.S. Department of Defense, are now calling DAIISH in Afghanistan and Pakistan ISIS-K.  The Achin District is considered the capital of DAIISH in Afghanistan (OBAMA LEGACY: MUJAHIDEEN RE-TAKE MORE OF AFGHANISTAN).  In April, the USAF dropped what it calls The Mother of All (non-nuclear) Bombs on supposed DAIISH positions in Achin District.

It should be noted that many of the tunnel systems used by rebels and insurgents in Afghanistan were built with help from the U.S. during the Soviet occupation. Some reports say the cave/tunnel system hit by the MOAB were built with U.S. advise to the Mujahideen.  This means the DAIISH somehow had knowledge of the Cold War era tunnel system.  Here’s video of aftermath of GBU-43/B MOAB strike in Achin, note you can hear gunfire in the background, so apparently the MOAB didn’t kill ’em all:

In Helmand Province it was revealed that Afghan government personnel were killed by U.S. forces, on 09 JUN 2017.    In Helmand’s Nad Ali (Nad-e-Ali) District, during the night, U.S. aircraft targeted Afghan Border Police killing at least two and wounding six.  The Trump regime war-pigs simply said they were “investigating” the incident.   Afghan government officials said their Border Police had just captured a Mujahideen base when they were hit by a missile fired by a U.S. plane.  They revealed that their Border Police were not wearing uniforms.

U.S. taxpayers give Afghanistan MD-530F CAYUSE WARRIOR

SYRIA, 22 – 23 SEPTEMBER 2015: HEROIN FROM U.S. CONTROLLED AFGHANISTAN INTERCEPTED!

OBAMA REGIME MURDERS 17 COPS IN AFGHANISTAN, TO STOP DRUG BUST!

AFGHANISTAN, 01 – 06 SEPTEMBER 2015: TOTAL FAILURE OF U.S. OCCUPATION!

AFGHANISTAN, 12 – 16 DECEMBER 2014: MORE USAID TAXPAYER RIP OFFS, PROVING IT WAS ALL ABOUT THE OIL! OCCUPATION OF AFGHANISTAN IS COVERT CHILD TRAFFICKING OP?

AFGHANISTAN, 05 – 09 SEPTEMBER 2014: The USGS has determined that the rare earth mineral resources of Afghanistan are worth $1-trillion USD!

AFGHANISTAN, 26-31 MARCH 2014: ANOTHER $1.3-BILLION FOR AFGHAN OIL!

AFGHANISTAN, 07-09 OCTOBER 2013: $12 BILLION OIL DEAL!

International

New Oil War: Trump deploys combat troops to Philippines? Facebook asked to help!

10 JUN 2017 (11:39 UTC-07 Tango 06) 20 Khordad 1396/15 Ramadan 1438/16 Bing Wu 4715

The admitted extrajudicial murderer and current president of Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, begged Donald Trump for help in fighting so-called Islamic insurgents, and Trump complied.

U.S. supplied Vietnam era ‘Huey’ rotary wing about to land in Marawi.

At this point no details are being given about the U.S. involvement, but it sounds like the ‘christian’ Filipino military was getting their butts kicked in the fight to re-take Marawi City.

It should be noted that Marawi City has a checkered history.  It wasn’t until the 20th Century that it was officially named, by the government, an “Islamic City” in an attempt to attract investment from oil-rich Muslim countries.

‘Christian’ government troops patrol in front of one of the many Mosques in Marawi.

Initially main stream ‘real news’ media reports stated that U.S. “special forces” were sent in, but Filipino field commanders swear there are no U.S. boots on the ground, that it’s just “technical support”.  Interestingly the majority of Filipino losses were at the hands of their own air force (supposedly by mistake) on 01 JUN 2017!

Remember, this is a country where the president (not even a year into his presidency) recently declared martial law in Mindanao after months of boasting of murdering people by cop, under the guise of fighting a drugs war (“Hitler massacred three million Jews….there’s three million drug addicts…I’d be happy to slaughter them.”).  And, recently Duterte even demanded the U.S. military leave his country while openly considering a military alliance with China!   It should be noted that fighting between rebels and the Filipino government skyrocketed after Duterte declared martial law.

A rebel waving an ‘Islamic State’ flag.

Not only is the Philippines asking for help from the United States, but from Facebook as well.  Duterte says Facebook has 63 ‘fake news’ accounts linked to a new rebel group known as Maute, and he wants Facebook to shut-em down.  Facebook replied with “We will remove accounts and content that violate these policies when we are made aware of them.”

‘Muslim’ women flashing the V for Victory sign? Main stream news media said locals were told to wave the “peace sign” if they didn’t want to get shot by occupying ‘christian’ government troops.

The Philippine army claims they’ve killed the founders of the Maute group.  At the end of May, Duterte’s military commanders claimed they were “close” to re-taking the city.

A Polish made Filipino rotary wing brought down over Marawi.

Is anybody wondering why this seemingly sudden war in Mindanao? In 1960s the Sulu Sea, just off the west coast of Mindanao, was found to be full of petroleum. The Sulu Sea oil field (Sulu Sea Block) is part of the East Palawan Basin, which is connected to the West Palwan Basin, which is connected to the super oil rich South China Sea Basin. The Philippine Petroleum Resource Assessment Project estimates that the Philippines is sitting on nine billion barrels of fuel oil equivalent (bfoe), with the majority being in the West Palawan and Sulu Sea regions!

In 2009 ExxonMobil and BHP Billiton International Exploration began jointly exploring the possibility of getting at that oil. In 2010, ExxonMobil signed a security deal with the Philippine military, over concerns of terrorism and piracy.  The Philippines military promised to deploy surveillance aircraft and two patrol boats.  It was called a “No cash involved” deal, ExxonMobil would supply all the logistics needed by the Philippine military to patrol the area. The ExxonMobil security deal was also sanctioned by the U.S. Department of State, who saw it as part of the legally undeclared War on Terror.  Analysts with BMI Research praised the deal saying “This provision allows for increased military assistance to the Philippines and ensures that the country has access to external expertise in combating domestic insurgencies.”

The Philippines even established the WestMinCom (Western Mindanao Command) to establish control over the oil rich area.

However, in 2010 Australian oil company Tap Oil exited the Sulu Sea oil game, saying there really wasn’t enough oil to be had.  Then at the end of 2011, and after spending at least $400-million USD exploring, ExxonMobil also pulled out saying the amount of petroleum they found was not enough to justify full-blown production.

Seemingly in response, the Philippines Department of Energy claimed they found yet more oil sites and encouraged foreign oil companies to get involved.  In 2012, Philippines signed a deal with Chinese oil company Seng Hong Exploration-South Seas Petroleum to conduct drilling in Mindanao.  The site saw two earlier attempts to extract oil/natural gas but were abandoned in the 1990s, supposedly due to low oil prices. Government administrators admitted that oil needed to be above $50 per barrel to make Philippine petroleum a “commercially viable option” for oil companies. In 2013, French oil company Total and Malaysia’s Mitra Energy became the latest players in the Sulu Sea game.  Total is reported to have an exploration contract that’s good until 2020.

In 2015, the Malaysian military announced it was establishing a “forward operating base” in the Sulu Sea because “The oil platforms of petroleum companies on the high seas will be the first to face any threat out there, similar to that posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.”   

In 2016, videos started popping up on YouTube showing that several farmers in Mindanao drilling for water hit natural gas instead!  At the end of 2016 Platts Marine reported “Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia are considering to establish a high security corridor along the Sulu Sea….   ….because billions of dollars worth of commodities move to and fro on commercial ships in the vicinity of the Sulu Sea….”

In March 2017, The Diplomat reported “…..coordinated trilateral patrols to tackle security challenges in the Sulu-Sulawesi Seas…. ….would be inaugurated sometime in April or May….  …the Sulu Sea patrols are…..a more strategic attempt to replicate the network of patrols conducted by the littoral countries in the Malacca Straits, a critical waterway which carried more than one fourth of the world’s commerce and half its oil.”

Inquirer.net, 25 OCT 2016: “US troops are staying despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s pronouncement that they should go and leave Mindanao.”

Pivot to Asia: Under operation Pacific Partnership, U.S. taxpayers are being forced to build-up the economies of Sri Lank, Malaysia, Indonesia, Timor Leste, Philippines (now under martial law) and Vietnam.  All countries surrounding oil rich South China Sea. 

RED NECK FAIL: SAUDI ARABIA TAKES OVER TEXAS OIL SUPPLY?

U.S. AIR FORCE ‘ADMITS’ IT’S ALL ABOUT THE OIL!

U.S.

Militarizing the Police: Air Militia trains up Texas cops!

Video

On 31 MAR 2017 the Texas 147th Air National Guard hosted training for Houston’s police/SWAT and Fire Department.  In the official ‘recruitment’ video you can see it wasn’t about natural disasters but how to ‘storm’ a building:

MILITARIZING THE COPS: MISSISSIPPI MILITIA TRAINS UP POLICE!

Colorado National Guard hosted rotary wing rescue training with the Rocky Mountain Fire Rescue team

OREGON MILITIA UH-72 LAKOTAS HELP PORTLAND POLICE CONDUCT HI-RISE ASSAULT TRAINING

Business/Economics, U.S.

“already-dead” Hundreds of new store shutdowns, thousands of jobs lost!: Sears Kmart Death Spiral, June 2017

Sears Holdings quietly announced that 57 Sears Hometown and Sears Outlet stores will be shutdown by 24 JUL 2017, causing about 570 people to become unemployed!  The low-key announcement came as Ass-Kissing National Association for Business Resources declared Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores as one of “Chicago’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For”, for the fifth year in a row!

Sears Canada announced it will shutdown 59 stores (13 in Alberta) and kill 2-thousand-9-hundred jobs this year: “Accordingly, such conditions raise significant doubt as to the company’s ability to continue as a going concern.”-Sears Canada statement after failing to raise the needed debt financing to continue operations, reports say Sears Canada is now officially insolvent

Don’t blame internet competition!  Karen Edwards, instructor at University of South Carolina’s College of Hospitality Retailing and Sport Management, stated to local news media that internet sales make up only 10%-15% of all U.S. retail sales!

There are now nearly 3-hundred stores on the 2017 U.S. shutdown list, most of the new store shutdowns will take place by September.

Dothan and Muscle Shoals Kmarts in Alabama.  Taxpayers in the city of Oxford could become the new owners of the vacant Sears store in the Quintard Mall.  Oxford mayor Alton Craft loves the plan, but admitted to local news media “We don’t know exactly what the plan is yet.”  But wait there’s more!  Oxford city council already approved the purchase of the dead Sears, and then in anticipation of competition passed a new law restricting the number of yard sales cash strapped taxpaying residents can have (and requiring a yard sale permit)!

Little Rock Kmart in Arkansas.

A Kmart in Bullhead City, Arizona.

In California, the 29 years old Chico Sears store, Blyth Kmart, a Sacramento Kmart, Manteca Kmart resulting in 3-hundred jobs lost!  The Sears store on La Jolla Village Drive in San Diego.  The Sears Hometown Store in Oroville. 

In Georgia, the Dalton Sears store, Fort Oglethorpe Kmart, Calhoun Kmart.  Local news media reported that the Dalton-Whitfield Joint Development Authority essentially said the state’s economy just can’t support all the local Kmarts.

In Florida, the Sears store on South Tamiami Trail in Sarasota.  Sears Holdings claims it will settle a lawsuit by Viscaya Prado Veterinary Hospital.  The pet hospital bought a washing machine in December, it quit working in May.  Repeated visits by Sears repairmen failed to get the washing machine to work.  Sears Holdings originally stated they didn’t have to honor the warranty because it only applied to appliances used in residences, not  businesses.

Bloomingdale Kmart, in Illinois, 96 jobs lost in July.  The Sears store on North Harlem Avenue in Chicago.   Associated Press reporting that Sears Holdings will eliminate 4-hundred corporate level jobs!  Lampert’s goons swear these are not new job cuts, but cuts planned for last year.  Local news media reminded local taxpayers about the massive 2011 tax break deal ‘lawmakers’ gave Sears Holdings in order to prevent layoffs.  The Peoria Oakbrook Center Sears store shutting down in September.  It will be reduced in size to about 30% of its current proportions, the remaining space will be leased out.  The Oakbrook Center Sears Auto Center will shutdown in March 2018.

The Iowa City and Marshalltown Kmarts in Iowa, at least 99 jobs lost by September.  In Storm Lake, Sears Hometown Store shutting down by the end of July. The Le Mars Sears Hometown Store shutting down by the end of July.  The franchise owners said the shutdown was unexplainedly ordered by Sears Holdings: “We have downsized to no employees. We gave it the best shot… …Their [Sears Holdings] reasoning [for the shutdown], I don’t know.”-Deb Fuller, co-owner

Mishawaka Kmart in Indiana.

In Kansas, the Sears store on Metcalf Avenue in Overland Park.

Louisiana: The Sears operations on Johnston Street in Lafayette between mid-July and mid-September.

Elkton Kmart in Maryland, and the Sears stores in Cockeysville and Hagerstown.

Newburyport Kmart in Massachusetts.  Local news media warned of the eventual shutdown of the Sears in in Springfield’s Eastfield Mall, as the mall is officially dead.  The mall’s owner confirmed what I’ve been writing about (that these brick-n-mortar shutdowns are part of a REIT conspiracy) by revealing their plans to “de-mall” the mall!

Traverse City, West Branch and Cheboygan Kmarts in Michigan, and now the Macomb Mall Sears store in Roseville.

Minnesota: Taxpayers in Minneapolis are about to become the new owners of an active Kmart location, but it’s more complicated that you think.  After several years and $8-million tax dollars already spent on the Nicollet Avenue South at Lake Street project the city has decided that the only way they can create a true intersection is to force Kmart to move, and the only way they can do that is to buy the property the Kmart sits on.  At this point nobody knows where the Kmart would move to (don’t be surprised if it’s shutdown).  Sears store in Burnsville and a franchised Sears in Fairmont.  The current franchise owners of the Fairmont Sears warned that other franchise stores are on the growing hit list: “Every six months, they review stores. Over the last 12 months, my store had lost too much money. They even took into consideration that before I bought the store, it wasn’t making any money at all…..”-Jennifer Bolden, co-owner

In Mississippi, the Biloxi Sears.

New Hampshire: Upper Valley Mall Sears in West Lebanon.

In New Jersey, the Manahawkin and Mantua Kmarts, the Watchung and Vineland Sears shutting down by September.

Las Cruses and Alamogordo Kmarts in New Mexico.

Las Vegas, Henderson and Sparks Kmarts in Nevada.

Liverpool, Malone, Cortland, Olean and Watertown Kmarts in New York, more than 300 jobs lost by September!  As of 23 June the mayor of Olean says Sears Holdings has yet to officially notify his office of the Kmart shutdown.  Sears stores in Albany, East Northport and Johnson City.

In North Carolina, the Asheboro Sears, as well as the 23 years old Sears Hometown Store on Julian R. Allsbrook Highway.

In North Dakota, the Minot Sears.

In Ohio, Toledo’s Westgate Village Sears shutting down. And the Westland Mall and Eastland Mall Sears locations in Columbus and one Sears & Auto Center in Elyria and one Sears in Franklin, as well as Wooster and Streetsboro Kmarts.  Columbus news media reported that the Westland Mall officially died in 2012 and that Sears was holding up redevelopment plans, revealing that by doing so Sears Holdings was forcing the mall owner to payout an estimated $400-thousand USD per year in property taxes on a vacant mall.   Sears operations in Mentor, Middleburg Heights and on Central Avenue in Toledo.  Sears Hometown Store in the Salem Plaza, in Salem.

Oklahoma, Midwest City Sears & Auto Center (according to local news reports the Heritage Park Mall, where Sears is located, is “already-dead” as it officially shutdown in 2010) and the last Kmart in Tulsa.

In Oregon, the Roseburg Kmart shutting down in September.  It’s been revealed that the Sears store in the Portland Lloyd Center has been sold.

Butler, Belle Vernon, Indiana and Springettsbury Township Kmarts in Pennsylvania.  The East End Centre Sears Outlet store in Wilkes-Barre, and the Sears Outlet in Phoenixville, were shutdown without warning on 23 JUN 2017.

Rhode Island: The Sears in Warwick.

In South Carolina, a Sears & Auto Center in Columbia and the Seneca and Summerville Kmarts.

Madison and Johnson City Kmarts in Tennessee.

Two Kmarts in El Paso, as well as the 39 years old Sears & Auto Center in Texarkana and Sears Auto Center in Sherman, Texas.  Local TV news media ignorantly continued the false mantra that internet competition is killing Sears/Kmart, ignoring the fact that Sears and Kmart sell online!  Sears stores in Freindswood and on Southwest Freeway in Houston.

In Utah, the Saint George Sears & Auto Center and Spanish Fork Kmart.  In Roy, a man who shelled out $2-thousand USD for a new garage door from Sears is finally getting for a refund!  Under warranty the door was replaced multiple times, but damage continued.  It wasn’t until local news media called Sears that he finally got his refund.

In Virginia, a Sears & Auto Center in Richmond and two Virginia Beach Kmarts.  The South Boston Sears Hometown Store, ignorant local news media blamed internet competition, they must not read Blind Bat News. (reminder; most of the brick-n-mortar stores also sell online, and internet sales make up a small percentage of total retail sales and even internet sales are going down)

Washington: Tacoma Kmart, 67 jobs lost by September.

In Wisconsin, the local taxpayers forced to spend money on the now vacant Sears Auto Center in Brookfield.  The Brookfield Common Council wants to spend $76-thousand-664-USD to find out if it’s worth it to build a conference center and hotel on the property.  West Allis, La Crosse and Medford Kmarts shutting down, 239 jobs lost by September!  The Greendale Sears in the Southridge Mall.

Lewisburg Kmart in West Virginia.

Sheridan Kmart in Wyoming, making it the second ‘big box’ store to leave Sheridan this year (the first was JCPenney).

Sears Kmart Death Spiral, May 2017: “THE OTHER STORES ARE FULL UP. THERE’S NOWHERE FOR THEM TO GO.”

U.S.

“unsustainable for our company”: ObamaCare ACA Death Spiral, May 2017

Incomplete list of healthcare related layoffs and shutdowns, announced in May 2017:

Alabama:  Southeast Alabama Medical Center eliminated 80 jobs because ObamaCare is forcing them to reduce operating costs by $30-million USD per year.  The Health Care Authority of the City of Anniston laid off 19 Stringfellow Memorial Hospital employees as a result of buying a new hospital.

Arizona: Banner Health revealed that its 1st Q 2017 restructuring resulted in nearly 5-hundred people becoming unemployed!  In Tucson, non-profit Marshall Home for Men warning of shutdown after employees got a $1.95 per hour raise!

California:  In Bakersfield, Pacific Pulmonary Services eliminating 170 jobs in July, possibly in connection to a lawsuit by the federal government! It was revealed that Long Beach based ObamaCare (ACA) company Molina Healthcare allowed a data breach of patient info to go on for at least a month!  Ambry Genetics issued a layoff WARN, 99 jobs lost by the end of July.

Colorado: Longmont United Hospital shutting down its clinic in Lyons, due to financial losses.

Connecticut:  Stamford Health laid off 20 people blaming ObamaCare for causing “flat or lower volumes in inpatient services and surgical specialties.”  The state’s new hospital tax doesn’t help either.

Florida:  University of Miami Hospital is shifting focus to outpatient care and will eliminate jobs as a result.  Fort Myers based “world’s largest cancer treatment” operation 21st Century Oncology now chapter 11 bankrupt busted, after a year of data breaches and accusations of fraud.  Campbellton-Graceville Hospital now chapter 11 bankrupt busted due to “a lot of factors”, including a lot of lawsuits.

Idaho: Insurance company BridgeSpan announced it will exit The Gem State’s ObamaCare system in 2018, due to lack of profits and “uncertainty and instability for the exchanges”.

Iowa:   Planned Parenthood shutting down four clinics due to state taxpayer funding cuts.

Kansas: Blue Cross Blue Shield getting out of the state’s ObamaCare business in 2018.  67-thousand Kansans will lose health insurance as a result, but many will then qualify for taxpayer funded insurance!  Blue Cross Blue Shield said ObamaCare is “… unsustainable for our company…”

Louisiana: Lafayette Surgical Specialty Hospital laid off 14 people blaming ObamaCare’s “declining reimbursements”.

Massachusetts: South Shore Health System suddenly laid off 27 management employees, blaming ObamaCare for lower payer reimbursements, yet at the same time reported that its 2016 revenues actually went up.  Partners HealthCare System’s Spaulding Rehabilitation Network laying off 35 people blaming “The external environment for healthcare providers…”, ie ObamaCare.  Harrington Hospital shutting down its Family Birthing Center.  UMass closing 13 inpatient psychiatric beds.

Mississippi:  The state Department of Mental Health eliminating 650 jobs due to state taxpayer funding cuts!

Missouri:  Blue Cross Blue Shield getting out of the state’s ObamaCare business in 2018.  The insurance company says that since 2014 it lost more than $100-million USD as a result of doing business in Missouri and Kansas!   Saint Louis University School of Medicine suddenly eliminated 21 jobs by shutting down its Center for World Health and medicine, due to a budget deficit of $16-million USD.

New Jersey: God powerless to stop ObamaCare from forcing Saint Mary’s General Hospital to layoff 20 people.  Administrators blamed ObamaCare saying “Our hospital never denies care to the poor or uninsured, and this major loss of government reimbursement negatively affected our finances.” 

New Mexico: California based Molina Healthcare eliminating 81 jobs, claiming its Healthcare Services Department is overstaffed.

New York: An unnamed Coney Island Hospital employee reported that as many as 3-hundred people could lose their jobs, and that no warning will be given to them, only those employees keeping their jobs will be notified, it’s part of New York City Health & Hospitals plan to eliminate at least 6-hundred management jobs throughout its network of municipal hospitals!  Eyecare company Davis Vision shutting down its factory in Plainview (eyecare, vision, plainview, for real), 151 jobs gone by the end of May!  Healthcare contract service company IPRO eliminating 162 jobs at nine locations in August!

North Carolina: Blue Cross and Blue Shield laying off 165 call center employees!  News reports say those employees were hired for the expected flood of ObamaCare sign-ups for 2017, apparently the flood of new enrollees didn’t happen (administrators referred to to the lack of enrollments as “stability of our systems”).

Ohio:  Medical device maker Invacare adding another 50 people to its North American layoff spree (on top of the 1-hundred already laid off this year) in an effort towards “improving profitability and managing cash flow”.

Pennsylvania: Lehigh Valley Hospital-Hazleton suddenly laid off employees, but refused to say how many.  They also admitted they’re having trouble retaining doctors as ObamaCare is forcing them to focus on outpatient clinic ops.  Capital BlueCross notified 48 employees they would soon become unemployed due to a “constantly changing environment”.   After 27 years non-profit Camelot for Children halting services for disabled kids due to lack of funding.

Texas: Woodland Heights Medical Center laid off six people due to declining patient volumes.

Washington:  UW Medicine’s Valley Medical Center suddenly eliminated 60 jobs, including top administrative positions, saying they’ve been hit with “exploded” patient volumes, but greatly reduced reimbursements as ObamaCare-Medicare is now the main payment source.

ObamaCare (ACA) death spiral April 2017: “WE ARE ACTIVELY COURSE CORRECTING”