Over a three days period, ending on 15MAR2018, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 114 people in California’s San Diego and Imperial counties, for deportation. ICE reports that 43% of those arrested have criminal records.
NEW WAR ON DRUGS: PENNSYLVANIA MILITIA CRACKS DOWN ON PILLS!
Incomplete list of U.S. retail/banking/service sector job loss WARNings and store shutdowns made or announced in February 2018:
British empire United Kingdom based luxury clothier Charlotte Olympia now chapter 11 bankrupt busted in the United States, blaming an “unprecedented brick and mortar retail disruption” affecting its stores in California, Nevada and New York. But don’t blame online sales because there is an Official Charlotte Olympia Online Store.
Germany based Deutsche Bank suddenly began eliminating hundreds of jobs globally, including jobs in the United States, as part of a plan to impose ‘cost discipline’ due to crashing revenues.
Arizona: In Phoenix, antique store/vendor rental space Zinnias shutdown.
California: In Modesto, after 23 years Buy Right shutdown for its second and possibly final time, and for the second time it’s because a greedy landlord kicked them out, this time the owners of the popular thrift store did not say they were looking for a new location. Local Modesto news media reported a sudden increase in landlords jacking up rent. Prudential-Jackson National Life Insurance laid off 161 people in El Segundo, admitting the layoff was planned back in August 2017! Los Angeles based retailer of those dumb-ass looking wide leg jeans, JNCO Jeans, shutting down all nationwide ops when the inventory is gone (the company actually died several years ago, but some idiot tried rebooting it in 2017). In San Diego, after 125 years (surviving The Great Depression and numerous recessions) iconic Jessop Jewelers shutdown. In San Francisco, after 28 years Costumes on Haight shutting down in March, the new manager blames increased operating costs. Calexico JCPenney shutting down by mid-May. WP Payroll Management issued a shutdown WARN for its Los Angeles location, 113 jobs gone by May! The Ritz-Carlton issued a temporary shutdown WARN for its Truckee location, 236 jobs gone mid-April! In Anaheim, Gateway One Lending and Finance eliminating 24 jobs by April. In the City of Industry, Artistree laying off 104 people by April! What automotive industry recovery? Car dealer Infiniti of Riverside issued a shutdown WARN, 25 jobs gone by the end of March. What housing market recovery? Apartment manager Irvine Company suddenly laid off 63 employees, and reclassified 17 positions according to news reports (their official WARN says 80 jobs gone), as part of its plan to refine “long-term apartment communities”.
Colorado: Prudential-Jackson National Life Insurance shutting down its 20 years old tech center in Denver, 370 jobs gone!
Florida: In Tampa, Prudential-Jackson National Life Insurance eliminating 41 jobs mid-March. In Saint Petersburg, Transamerica Life Insurance eliminating 465 jobs by mid-April!
Georgia: In Macon, after 40 years Chi-chester’s Gifts shutdown due to crashing sales.
Idaho: After 40 years the owners of the two Porter’s Crafts & Frames stores (in Rexburg and Idaho Falls) forced to retire due to health problems, they’re trying to get a friend from New Jersey to buy the Rexburg property, the stores are shutting down when the inventory is gone.
Illinois: Lord & Taylor shutdown its clothing store in the Oakbrook Center, and is shutting down its store in Westfield Old Orchard Mall in April. Sandburg Mall JCPenney shutting down by mid-May. In Geneva, after ten years Antiques on State shutting down in April, due to crashing sales. Chapter 11 bankrupt Bon-Ton shutting down six of its Carson’s stores and one Bergner’s, in total 4-hundred jobs gone by May! In Normal, after 47 years Guitar World shutdown, the owner saying even music lessons have been affected by the internet: “We went from over 105 lessons when we came here nine years ago, to 30 or less. So I mean, the market is changing, the people who are doing this have changed. So it’s what you have to do with all online, God bless the internet.”-Jim Bland
Indiana: Walmart issued a shutdown WARN for its store in Rushville, 95 jobs gone by mid-April. Chapter 11 bankrupt Bon-Ton shutting down five of its Carson’s stores, in total 306 jobs gone by the end of April!
Iowa: Chapter 11 bankrupt Bon-Ton shutting down two of its Younkers stores. Too Big to Jail Goldman Sachs issued a shutdown WARN for its Cedar Rapids office, 39 jobs gone by May. Also in Cedar Rapids, Transamerica Life Insurance eliminating 863 jobs by mid-April! What housing market recovery? In Des Moines, Nationwide-Mortgage eliminating 54 jobs by April.
Kentucky: Chapter 11 bankrupt Bon-Ton shutting down the Elder Beerman store in Paducah. Also in Paducah, New York & Company Outlet shutdown.
Maryland: Chapter 11 bankrupt Bon-Ton shutting down its store in Hagerstown. In Baltimore, Transamerica Life Insurance eliminating 55 jobs by mid-April.
Massachusetts: Clothier Artwear shutting down in March, the owner stated “Retailers have been hit hard this year. I can’t predict what 2018 will bring and so I have decided that I cannot keep the store open any longer.”
Michigan:Chapter 11 bankrupt Bon-Ton shutting down the Elder Beerman store in Adrian, a Younkers in Marquette and a Carson’s in Benton Harbor (Bon-Ton did not indicate how many jobs lost in its official WARN).
Minnesota: Eagan based Sun Country Airlines suddenly eliminated 350 ground crew jobs by outsourcing them to a cheapo contractor, Sun Country workers had one week to beg the contractor to hire them (at less pay and probably no benefits, for the same work)! Viking Plaza JCPenney shutting down by mid-May. Chapter 11 bankrupt Bon-Ton shutting down the Herberger’s Clearance Center store in Maplewood, 20 jobs gone in April. In West Duluth, after 35 years Video Vision shutdown. Toys R Us issued a shutdown WARN for its store in Roseville, 30 jobs gone in April.
Missouri: Hampton Village Plaza JCPenney shutting down by mid-May.
Montana: In Billings, Big Bear Sports Center is now officially dead. It’s been shutdown since November because a man drove his SUV into the store, then began trading gunshots with police. Police used tear-gas, and water and gas lines in the store were damaged, the suspect was killed. The store owners were hoping to repair the store but apparently it’s not going to happen.
New Hampshire: Chapter 11 bankrupt Bon-Ton shutting down its store in Concord.
New Jersey: Hotel operator Wyndham Worldwide Operations eliminating 134 jobs in Parsippany, mid-April! Walmart shutting down its Route 22 Readington (Branchburg) store, 149 jobs gone by mid-April, due to “financial performance”! Chapter 11 bankrupt Bon-Ton shutting down its store in Phillipsburg. Garden State Plaza JCPenney shutting down by mid-May. After more than 30 years the family owned gun shop known for supporting local charities, Sportsman’s Rendezvous, shutdown, the family is moving to Florida. After 27 years, and three location changes, The Big Little Railroad Shop shutdown due to the sudden collapse of the sale of the store: “I had been working with someone for at least a year-and-a-half who was going to purchase the store. I’d work two days, he’d work three and vice versa, and all of the sudden on Memorial Day, he just walked out of here.”-Jen Lush, co-owner
New Mexico: Gertrude Zachary shutdown its antique store In Albuquerque, but the owners claim a new type of store will take its place.
New York: NYC based Barnes & Noble eliminating an undisclosed number of cashiers and digital product associates, due to crashing sales. Chapter 11 bankrupt Bon-Ton shutting down its stores in Massena, Watertown and Queensbury. In Brooklyn, Horseman Antiques shutting down due to the building being sold-off for $18-million USD. Toys R Us-Babies R Us issued shutdown WARNs for six stores, at least 285 jobs gone between mid-March and mid-April! Sterling National Bank issued mass-layoff WARN for multiple locations, at least 140 jobs lost between April and Xmas! California based GAP shutting down its Banana Republic corporate operations in NYC, 112 jobs lost due to consolidation ops back to California!
North Carolina: Charlotte based Japanese Toyota NASCAR driving BK Racing now chapter 11 bankrupt busted due to $8-million USD of debt. Charlotte based retailer Belk suddenly laid off 58 managers across the U.S. In Durham, sexist female boutique Liberation Threads shutdown after a year, the owners saying “…as we move into 2018, there’s a sea change happening.”
Ohio: Non-profit tenant advocate Cleveland Tenants Organization shutdown due to lack of funding. In Greenville, after 25 years Club 7 Sports up for sale, the owners want to retire. Knox Village Square JCPenney shutting down by mid-May. In Columbus, after more than 40 years Romanoff’s Classic Tuxedos shutting down. Chapter 11 bankrupt Bon-Ton shutting down its Elder Beerman store in Defiance, 41 jobs gone. In Cleveland Heights, after 27 years toy and joke store Big Fun shutting down when the inventory is gone, the owner bemoaned “I call Amazon our kryptonite…. they need to shop local.”
Oklahoma: Washington Park Mall JCPenney shutting down by mid-May.
Oregon: Nordstrom shutting down its 37 years old store in the Salem Center Mall, 130 jobs gone by April!
Pennsylvania: In Narberth, after 105 years (surviving The Great Depression and several recessions) Ricklin’s Hardware shutdown so the owners can retire. Janitorial service company Compass Group eliminating six jobs in April. Chapter 11 bankrupt Bon-Ton shutting down eight of its stores! Macy’s issued a shutdown WARN for its Homestead store, 94 jobs gone by mid-April. Limerick Furniture and Mattress shutting down its store in the Fairgrounds Square Mall, due to increased competition and increased operating costs. After 40 years, Dave Phillips Music & Sound shutdown its Allentown location blaming internet shopping. In Exton, Transamerica Life Insurance outsourcing 192 jobs by mid-April! Administrators claim in-house employees were offered jobs with the contractor at the same pay, having personally experienced outsourcing of some of my past jobs I find that hard to believe.
South Carolina: What housing market recovery? Created out of the 2008 financial meltdown Movement Mortgage suddenly laid off 75 people, administrators blamed the sudden layoffs on ‘improvements’ to their lending process.
Texas: In Houston, after 16 years music venue Walter’s Downtown suddenly shutdown.
Utah: Chapter 11 bankrupt Bon-Ton shutting down its Herberger’s store in Logan.
Vermont: Chapter 11 bankrupt Bon-Ton shutting down its store in South Burlington.
Virginia: Clothier PacSun shutting down its store in the River Ridge Mall, in May. Chapter 11 bankrupt Bon-Ton shutting down its Elder Beerman store in Vienna.
Washington:Cascade Mall JCPenney shutting down by mid-May.
West Virginia: Shoe seller Finish Line shutting down its store in the Charleston Town Center. Speaking of Charleston Town Center, it is now under control of a real estate group after the original owners defaulted on a $100-million USD loan.
Wisconsin: Prudential-Jackson National Life Insurance laid off an additional 23 employees in Appleton. In Manitowoc, after 67 years LLoyd’s Photo & Digital shutdown, the owner lamenting “…our bread and butter was prints.” Chapter 11 bankrupt Bon-Ton shutting down six of its Younkers stores, two Boston Stores and an Elder Beerman! In Mequon, after 27 years Xenia Gallery shutting down in March.
Wyoming: in Cheyenne, after 49 years City News and Pipe Shop shutdown, the owners say the crash in magazine and newspaper sales is a final sign that it’s time to retire. In Casper, Seconds on First Street shutdown after 16 years of consignments.
WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification
OBAMA LEGACY: U.S. APPAREL INDUSTRY DEATH-SPIRAL
U.S. RETAIL/BANKING/SERVICE SECTOR COLLAPSE, January 2018: “THERE’S A FEELING OF LOSS…MAYBE I’LL GO GET A REAL JOB.”
SEARS KMART DEATH SPIRAL, February 2018: “MONOTONOUS”
U.S. INDUSTRIAL/MINING/LOGISTICS LAYOFFS, February 2018: “NO REASONABLE OPTION BUT….DEACTIVATION”
Dumbing Down the U.S.A., February 2018:“PORCH MONKEY”
U.S. HI-TECH/COMMUNICATIONS BREAKDOWN, February 2018: “I DIDN’T MAKE A LOT OF MONEY….”
U.S. government shenanigans, February 2018: “I NEED TO PAY HIGHER TAXES.”
U.S. food crisis, February 2018: “I’M NOT SURE WE CAN SUPPORT ALL THESE STORES. OBVIOUSLY, WE CAN’T.”
ObamaCare ACA death spiral, February 2018: “WE ARE IN VERY CHALLENGING TIMES.”
DRUGS, THE AMERICAN WAY, FEBRUARY 2018: “TEACHING KIDS ABOUT THE HARM OF DRUGS…DOESN’T REALLY WORK.”
16MAR2018 (03:11 UTC-07 Tango 06) 25 Esfand 1396/28 Jumada t-Tania 1439/29 Yi-Mao 4716
In strict gun control Brazil gun violence is escalating and it looks like the cops are behind it.
Here’s a little bit of ‘real’ mainstream news reports from the past year:
Rio de Janeiro councilwoman, critic of police killings, shot dead, Reuters
British brothers shot during attempted mugging in Brazilian city, The Independent
Military takeover in Rio sparks fears of police brutality, Washington Post
How Brazil’s ‘Lord Of Guns’ Armed Rio’s Drug War With US Weapons, HuffPost
Army Stonewalls on Rio Killings, Human Rights Watch
US Diplomat Shot in Foot Outside Rio de Janeiro, Voice of America
14 people killed, six children wounded in Fortaleza, after gunmen storm party, The Independent
Brazil Police Accused of Killing 7 During Raid on Favela Party, teleSUR
Brazilian YouTuber Left Brain Dead After Being Shot In The Head, LADbible Military Police said “Neither of the two suspects has a criminal history. The firearm was legally registered.”
Brazil police shoot dead Spanish tourist in Rio de Janeiro favela, The Guardian
Brazilian Cops Are Killing More People Than Ever., HuffPost
Brazil police officer shoots armed robbers to death while holding baby,CBS News
Brazil police accused of shooting at anti-government protesters,The Guardian
Violence In Brazil Escalates, Army Is Deployed To Neighborhoods, NPR
Student kills 2, wounds 4 in Brazil school shooting, Fox News
Teenagers unknowingly live-stream their own death by police ambush! The Independent
Killings by Brazilian police branded a human rights crisis, The Guardian
UN Review Must Not Ignore Brazil’s Exorbitant Number of Police,
teleSUR
Death toll mounts in Rio de Janeiro as police lose control of the city, The Conversation AU
“Nearly all deaths caused by police in Brazil are registered as ‘self-defence’, and 99.2% of cases dismissed without charge.”– The Guardian
Spike in killings by Rio police as country faces UN review, Amnesty International
Brazilian cops pose for pics with alleged gang leader, they look like great friends, The Independent
“In Brazil, all firearms are required to be registered with the minimum age for gun ownership being 25. It is generally illegal to carry a gun outside a residence, and a special permit granting the right to do so is granted to certain groups, such as law enforcement officers. To legally own a gun, an owner must hold a gun license, which costs BRL R$1000, and pay a fee every three years to register the gun, currently at BRL R$85. Registration can be done online or in person with the Federal Police.”-Wikipedia
2017: BRAZILIAN SECURITY GUARD BURNS TO DEATH SCHOOL CHILDREN!
GUN BAN FAIL 2016: ANTI-GUN NYC COPS CAUGHT TAKING BRIBES FROM JEWS FOR GUNS! GUN RUNNING OUTPACES DRUG DEALING?
Incomplete list of U.S. Mining/Industrial/Logistics job loss/shutdown announcements made in February 2018.
Alabama: Vogue International shutting down its Phenix City warehouse, 150 jobs gone by the end of April!
Alaska: In Prudhoe Bay, 261 unionized oil jobs lost as British empire British Petroleum suddenly switched to a non-union contractor!
California: MV Transportation issued a shutdown WARN for its operations in Stockton, 73 jobs gone in April. Netherlands based CEVA Logistics eliminating 11 Stockton jobs in April. Kane Warehousing eliminated 48 jobs in Oxnard. Mining service company Broadspectrum Downstream Services issued a layoff WARN for its ops in Benicia, 92 jobs gone by April. British empire based Rolls-Royce halting aircraft engine service ops in Oakland, at least ten jobs gone by April. What automotive industry recovery? Zodiac Seats revealed it eliminated 279 jobs when it shutdown its factory in San Bernardino County, in January! In Chino, furniture maker Elite Leather Company eliminating 88 jobs by April. In Clovis, Schneider Electric eliminating 33 jobs by the end of march.
Connecticut: Stamford based envelope maker Cenveo now chapter 11 bankrupt busted.
Illinois: In Somonauk, Imperial Marble suddenly laid off 79 people due to loss of contract. Japan based freight company MOL issued a layoff WARN, 89 jobs gone between March and Xmas. Japan based freight company NYK eliminating 67 jobs in March. Germany based Siemens issued a shutdown WARN for ops in West Chicago, 2-hundred jobs gone in April due to “relocation”!
Indiana: Germany based delivery/logistics company DHL eliminating 511 jobs in Greenfield! It’s due to Walmart taking over part of DHL’s ops in May. AES-Indianapolis Power & Light eliminating 1-hundred jobs and asking for a rate increase, blaming the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act! American Commercial Barge Lines-Jeffboat conducted a phase-2 layoff, 226 jobs suddenly gone, due to ongoing crashing sales!
Iowa: Procter & Gamble shutting down its factory in Iowa City, at least 5-hundred jobs lost to a new factory in West Virginia!
Kansas: Procter & Gamble shutting down its 113 years old factory in Kansas City, at least 280 jobs lost to a new factory in West Virginia!
Maryland: Janitorial service company Compass Group eliminating five jobs in April.
Michigan: In Benton Harbor and Saint Joseph, Whirlpool admitted it is eliminating jobs. One news report said the layoffs began in January, however, I did not find any official WARN on the state Workforce Development Agency website. What automotive industry recovery? Belgium based exhaust system maker Bosal Industries-Georgia issued a WARN, 77 jobs gone in April due to Fiat-Chrysler’s new Jeep design. Local news reports indicated the company got local tax breaks. Janitorial service company Compass Group eliminating 396 jobs due to the shutdown of a General Motors (GM) factory!
Minnesota: WestRock-Rochester notified the state that 28 jobs will be eliminated, date to be determined.
New York: Texas based construction engineering company Flour eliminating 85 jobs in Poughkeepsie, in May, despite reporting increased revenues. Also in Poughkeepsie, Plant Engineering Services blaming Flour for forcing it to eliminate 21 jobs. Homer Logistics suddenly laid off 148 people in Albany and NYC! Germany based Siemens shutting down and selling off its Power Generation Service in Wellsville, 250 jobs gone by 2020! Furniture maker Harden Furniture issued a shutdown WARN for its factory in McConnellsville, 172 employees affected!
North Carolina: Massachusetts based L.S. Starrett shutting down and selling off its tool factory in Mount Airy, 30 jobs gone as part of downsizing started two years ago, due to ongoing crashing sales. Iconic gun maker Remington now chapter 11 bankrupt busted due to crashing sales and a ass-hole lawsuit blaming it for school shootings.
Ohio: Fiat-Chrysler eliminating 852 jobs at its Jeep factory in Toledo, in preparation for retooling for a new pick-up version of the Jeep! In connection, Jeep body supplier KUKA shutdown factory ops as a result, killing 344 jobs! Janitorial service company Compass Group eliminating 14 West Chester jobs due to the shutdown of a General Motors (GM) factory! AES-Dayton Power & Light eliminating 60 jobs in April. Fastener maker The Cold Heading eliminating 52 jobs in June. Self-adhesive maker Ritrama eliminating 48 jobs in April.
Oklahoma: SandRidge Energy suddenly laid off 80 people, “As part of the company’s previously announced commitment to reduce go-forward costs…” Shale oil driller Ascent Resources Marcellus Holdings now chapter 11 bankrupt busted.
Pennsylvania: Luxembourg based ArcelorMittal eliminating 125 jobs in Conshohocken, by mid-April, due to crashing demand for U.S. made steel! In Pittson, Kane Warehousing eliminating 89 jobs by May. Dover Corporation-Pump Solutions Group issued a shutdown WARN for its factory in North Wales, 63 jobs gone between April and Xmas. Clothing maker Global Brands Group issued a shutdown WARN for its factory in Plymouth Meeting, various layoffs taking place between April and Xmas. Heat resistant products (refractories) maker Harbison Walker International issued a shutdown WARN for its factory in Claysburg, 88 jobs gone in April.
Texas: Lone Star State based Direct Energy, WTU Retail Energy and CPL Retail Energy being affected by its British empire based parent company’s (Centrica) plan to eliminate 4-thousand jobs by 2020! Centrica blames it on “weak” financial results in United States. Fieldwood Energy now chapter 11 bankrupt busted, yet interestingly, on the same day of its bankruptcy filing it made a $700-million USD purchase. France based Vallourec Drilling Products eliminating 150 jobs!
Virginia: What housing market recovery? After 25 years MGT Construction Management now chapter 7 bankrupt and “transferring projects to other construction firms for completion.” GE Power eliminating 42 jobs at its Salem train factory, in March. This follows two years of getting employees to retire early. It’s blamed on crashing sales.
Washington: In Kent, bankrupt Connecticut based envelope maker Cenveo suddenly laid off 62 people.
West Virginia: FirstEnergy selling off/shutting down its coal fired power plant, 190 jobs lost due to “…recent federal and West Virginia decisions leave FirstEnergy no reasonable option but to expeditiously move forward with deactivation…”
Wisconsin: Netherlands based cargo strap maker Cordstrap halting production in GrandView Business Park, 36 jobs gone by July, however, company administrators claim they’ll replace production with a distribution center. Cable maker Southwire shutting down its customer service center in Pleasant Prairie, 80 jobs gone due to work being moved out-of-country to British empire Canada. JCPenney shutting down its customer service and distribution center in Wauwatosa, 670 jobs gone by Summer! Home decor maker Uniek issued a layoff WARN, 58 jobs gone by the end of April.
WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification
Mining/Industrial/Logistics layoffs, January 2018: “MARKET CONDITIONS” BLAMED ON POPULATION DEATH SPIRAL!
More proof you brick-n-mortar store owners can’t directly blame the internet/high-tech competition for your demise. Incomplete list of U.S. internet/high-tech/communications job destruction announcements in February 2018:
Republic of China (Taiwan) based smartphone maker HTC laid off an undisclosed number of people across the United States. Unconfirmed reports say it was as many as 1-hundred people.
Online based loan company SoFi suddenly laid off 65 people in California and Utah, despite claiming a “record-breaking 2017”. At the same time SoFi continues to advertise that it has open positions to fill.
California: Critical Content suddenly laid off 35% of its employees, saying “Our industry is rapidly evolving where TV, digital, and branded platforms are interchangeable…..we will be best positioned to capitalize on the significant opportunities in the non-scripted space.” NBC Universal eliminated about 30 advertising jobs, due to lack of ad sales. 3D software maker Autodesk eliminated 157 California jobs as part of a plan to kill more than 1-thousand jobs! Video game maker Hanger 13 suddenly laid off an undisclosed number of people. Korea based video game maker Nexon eliminating an undisclosed number of jobs, possibly due to its take-over of Mountain View based Pixelberry Studios. Oakland based internet radio Pandora eliminating 5% of its human jobs as it shifts to more automation. Symantec laying off at least seven people by the end of March. Marvell Semiconductor laying off at least 12 people by mid-April. Circuit protection device maker Littelfuse issued a layoff WARN for its Orange County ops, 54 jobs gone by mid-May. Online shoe seller EBuys issued a shutdown WARN for its Shoe Metro in San Diego, 57 jobs gone by April. Taxpayer funded InfoTech solutions company ASM Research eliminating jobs in Long Beach. EMP protection company Laird Technologies issued a shutdown WARN for its Milpitas ops. NetApp issued a layoff WARN, 70 Sunnyvale jobs gone by the end of April. Los Angeles based Alcon Entertainment (Blade Runner 2049) warned that the entertainment industry is so unstable they will begin eliminating jobs through consolidation operations.
Colorado: Electronic card maker CPI Card Group shutting down its factory in Littleton, 79 jobs gone by the end of June.
Florida: Publisher Meredith eliminating 5-hundred Time customer service jobs in Tampa, as part of a plan to outsource ‘fulfillment’ ops!
Georgia: Turner (Turner Broadcasting System) laid off 30 advertising employees, and a reported 50 jobs eliminated at CNN.
Illinois: In Oglesby, iCall eliminating 75 jobs starting in April.
Kansas: Tech company SNT Media chapter 7 bankrupt and being liquidated, more than 1-hundred jobs gone!
Kentucky: Singapore based Flex (formerly known as Flextronics) eliminating 314 Louisville jobs by September! In Louisville, online retailer of on-demand customized products CafePress eliminated an additional 15% of jobs and even cut the pay of its executives.
Louisiana: France based video game maker Gameloft shutdown its New Orleans office, 40 jobs suddenly gone.
Massachusetts: Advertiser Hill Holiday suddenly laid off an undisclosed number of employees after losing several accounts, including Chili’s, and troubles with its Dunkin’ Donuts account. Boston and London (British empire) based advertiser MullenLowe suddenly laid off ten people due to crashing ad sales. Cloud company Akamai Technologies suddenly laid off 4-hundred people in an attempt to reduce operating costs, investors loved it and drove up the price of the company’s stock!
Minnesota: In Mankato, Verizon eliminating 6-hundred call center jobs!
Montana: Lee Enterprises-Billings Gazette laid off an additional seven people, a newsroom receptionist posted on facebook “I didn’t make a lot of money at the Gazette, but I made a lot of lifelong friends. I love you, all.”
Nebraska: Warren Buffett’s BH Media Group (31 U.S. newspapers, with their own websites) eliminating more jobs, this time 148 people laid off and 101 vacant positions eliminated! Don’t forget BH Media Group eliminated at least 248 jobs in 2017.
New York: Vox Media laid off 50 people in its fashion, real estate and sports publications. Condé Nast just can’t stop killing jobs, this time ten people at Glamour laid off, as well as an undisclosed number of layoffs at Vanity Fair. 
Newsday outsourcing 225 in-house jobs, plus issued Phase 1, 2 and Phase 3 shutdown WARNs as part of its plan to halt ops in Melville, which will affect 1-thousand-431 employees by October! For the first time in its 12 years history Droga5 suddenly laid off 40 people in NYC. NYC based Viacom reportedly eliminated 1-hundred jobs! The Weinstein Company bankrupt busted after refusing an offer from a potential buyer. Call center operator Sitel eliminating 71 jobs in Erwin/Painted Post, by May.
Oregon: The Oregonian suddenly laid off 11 people: “You’re probably asking yourself, when will these cuts end? I wish I could answer that.”-Mark Katches, editor
Pennsylvania: At last count Hearst has eliminated 185 jobs with publisher Rodale, since the beginning of the year! Sykes shutting down its Upper Macungie Township call center, 96 jobs gone by the end of March. Colorado based Arrow Electronics issued a shutdown WARN for its Bensalem location, 13 jobs gone by May.
Texas: Multi-level marketer Harte Hanks eliminating 460 contact center jobs starting in May, due to “changes in the services”! Cloud company Rackspace Hosting suddenly laid off about 1-hundred employees, possibly in connection with being taken over by vulture capitalist Apollo Global Management. Academy Sports + Outdoors suddenly laid off 140 in-house InfoTech workers as part of a plan to outsource InfoTech work!
Virginia: Electric car company GreenTech now chapter 11 bankrupt busted and blaming it on ‘conservative’ news media reports. Never mind that many of the investors are immigrants who took advantage of a government program that allowed them to settle in the United States in exchange for money, and the fact that an automotive parts maker is suing GreenTech.
Washington: Amazon suddenly laid off an undisclosed number of HQ employees, and began killing ‘hundreds’ of jobs globally, despite claiming increased online sales! Taxpayer funded InfoTech solutions company ASM Research eliminating jobs in Lakewood.
Wisconsin: Gannett issued a shutdown WARN for its ops in Appleton, 137 jobs gone by May!
U.S. Tech/Communications breakdown, January 2018: “TOUGH CHALLENGES THAT WE CAN NO LONGER IGNORE”
Incomplete (i-e ‘Tip of the Iceberg’) list of U.S. Federal/State/Local Government self-destruct announcements for February 2018:
Action News Now: Fast list of U.S. politicians killed in mysterious plane crashes, it happens more often than you think
Brookings Institution: Opportunity Zone tax breaks new form of taxpayer funded gentrification
CNBC: Barely anyone is paying the taxes they owe on their bitcoin gains
USA Today: States where Americans pay the least (and most) in taxes
“I need to pay higher taxes…. …I’ve paid more taxes, over $10 billion, than anyone else, but the government should require the people in my position to pay significantly higher taxes.“-Bill Gates, at one time the world’s richest man
Alabama: A female employee of Dothan’s Farm Service Agency charged with fraud, theft of government property, and using a false document, relating to crop insurance. Pike Road Butcher Block suddenly shutdown due to “small town politics”, the landlord is the town of Pike Road. The Federal Republic of Nigeria is suing Alabama State University, essentially accusing it of stealing Nigerian tax funding that was meant to pay for Nigerian students’ ASU attendance. Now former Alabama House Majority Leader Micky Hammon sentenced to three months in prison for using campaign donations for personal reasons.
Alaska: National and state taxpayers (along with the fishing industry) are paying for a ‘cost recovery’ study to determine if crab catch limits could be increased without reducing crab population. Federal and state researchers are actually catching as many crabs as they can, just to count them. Apparently Alaska’s crab fishers feel threatened by Russia. State House politician Zach Fansler resigned after being accused of hitting a woman.
Arizona: Senate candidate Kelli Ward linked her website to an endorsement from a ‘news’ site called Arizona Monitor, which turned out to be a Fake News site. A female Senate aide resigned after her former boyfriend “shopped” around her computer records of suggestive conversations with senators. Lawmakers are so desperate for tax revenues they’re considering ways to allow tax payments to be made in BitCoin (Forbes says it only “Triggers More Taxes“). If you’re a female and doing crime don’t get caught in Arizona, you’ll have to work 27 prison hours to get one box of tampons.
Arkansas: A former wrestler came out and stated he was a witness to a 1987 murder of two teenagers. Police called it a suicide by train, but an autopsy showed the boys were dead before the train ran over them. The wrestler says the boys were killed by a drug dealer who was also a politician. The wrestler didn’t give the name of the politician, but the implication was that it was Bill Clinton. The Arkansas Times revealed that the state Senate doesn’t want you to know what’s going on: “No meetings of Senate committees are streamed on the web. The Senate grudgingly allows an audio stream of its sessions, but it is impossible for the average Arkansan to have any idea who’s speaking.”
California: Despite marijuana being legal in The Golden State, the city of Los Angeles reports there are still ‘hundreds’ of illegal ganja shops within city limits! Since January, eight MaryJane raids resulted in 35 people arrested. You must get a license to sell marijuana and Los Angeles administrators say so far only 99 licenses have been issued, despite more than 2-hundred ganja shops operating openly. This brings up the question, are those illegal shops paying their taxes? A $53-thousand USD Huntington Beach taxpayer funded study reveals “…that virtually the entire Police Department, including his own management staff, opposes Chief Handy’s failed management practices and policies. Violent crime is skyrocketing. Officers are being shot and attacked. It’s time that city leaders face the truth and replace Rob Handy.”
Florida: Lockheed Martin eliminating 82 jobs at Hurlburt Field Air Force Base, by the end of March. DynCorp issued a shutdown WARN for its taxpayer funded ops on Patrick Air Force Base, 279 jobs gone by the end of March! Taxpayer funded General Dynamics-ARMA Global eliminating 241 jobs at MacDill AFB, by the end of March! Records show the local police and state Department of Children and Families had been involved with the Parkland school shooter since at least 2012. Records also show the federal FBI knew about the Parkland school shooter’s plan. What makes things worse is that taxpayer funded police had no problem shooting and killing an 84 years old veteran because he was threatening to kill himself!
Georgia: Spineless state politicians used Delta Air Lines’ anti-2nd Amendment policy as an excuse to kill an estimated $40-million USD in fuel tax breaks. I say ‘spineless’ because if I was a Georgia lawmaker I would’ve voted against the tax-break regardless, because guess who would’ve had to make up Delta’s fuel tax break? All you happy individual taxpayers. (whatever happened to businesses writing off such things as fuel costs as a tax deductible business expense?) A taxpayer funded disease specialist with Atlanta based U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) went missing after he was denied a promotion.
Illinois: The state Appellate Court reinstated a $3.5-million USD verdict against the city of Chicago in the fatal 2011 police shooting of at teenager. 56% of bike tickets were imposed in majority black neighborhoods, according to Chicago police statistics.
Maryland: Jury Awards $38 Million to Family of Maryland Woman Shot by Police, taxpayers of Baltimore County will pay it, not the cop who killed the woman. Baltimore’s taxpayer funded Gun Trace Task Force acted as a de facto criminal gang.
Massachusetts: Taxpayer funded Boston Police apologized after tweeting a Black History Month tribute post that honored a white man. Mmmm, I don’t recall a White History Month, let’s start one. The city of Boston has a residency requirement to get hired-on as a cop or firefighter, but labor groups revealed that some veterans who are not residents of Boston are somehow being hired.
Michigan: The New Yorker reveals the city of Flint’s ‘Broken Police Department’. Instead of filling the numerous potholes in city streets, Michigan leaders are blaming fast driving for causing the death of a man after he hit a pothole and crashed.
Missouri: Ignorant taxpayer funded Saint Louis Police thought they could win over taxpaying residents by giving them candy, they were wrong.
Nebraska: Warren Buffet’s Omaha based Berkshire Hathaway Gained $29 Billion from the New Tax Law.
Nevada: The Silver State makes $30-million USD in marijuana taxes!
New York: “If New York City’s assessments are up to date, you already pay more in taxes. If there is any public amenity nearby that causes the property to be worth more than similar properties without the amenity, then that higher value is in the assessment and you pay higher taxes because of it.” Regarding the preceding statement, at the state level 58% of Empire State properties are exempt from taxation, to the tune of about $500-billion USD, and that does not include NYC! the PepsiCo eliminating 2-hundred corporate level InfoTech and finance jobs in Westchester, as part of its global plan to kill jobs. Local news media revealed that PepsiCo (Pepsi, Frito-Lay, Tropicana, Gatorade, Quaker) was getting $4-million USD in state taxpayer funded credits and another $7-million from sales-tax breaks in Westchester County! New York Times demands Close the Police Rape Loophole, after reporting that Police Complaint Board to Investigate Charges of Sexual Misconduct.
North Carolina: Taxpayer funded General Dynamics-ARMA Global eliminating 99 jobs at its site in Fayetteville, due to losing a U.S. Army contract.
Oregon: Federal taxpayer funded Vectrus (formerly known as Exelis) issued a layoff WARN for its Hillsboro office, 54 jobs gone by the end of April.
Pennsylvania: Off-duty Philadelphia police-woman found dead in home with a dead man, drugs overdose suspected?
Puerto Rico: The territory’s Housing Department suspended a $133-million U.S. tax dollar funded contract to rebuild hurricane damaged homes.
Texas: Amarillo police respond to church shooting, end up shooting man who disarmed church shooter! In Red, so called conservative, Lone Star State residents have been paying more and more in local taxes: “Let’s set the record straight. Local property tax rates are set by locally elected officials. Period. Local property tax collections dictate the state’s share of education funding – not vice versa.”-Glen Whitley, Tarrant County Judge
Vermont: For proof your taxpayer funded police policies are insane, the State Police said the killing of a motorist by cops was justified because he intended to take his life anyway! Police say the man came at them with a gun, the cops shot at him 12 times, but hit him only three times! Save the taxpayers some money and learn how to shoot Idaho style.
Washington: Seattle based Amazon Paid Zero in Federal Taxes in 2017, Gets $789 Million Windfall from New Tax Law.
West Virginia: Justice Family-Tams Management owes the state $3-million USD in back due taxes, going back to 2014. ‘White’ former Weirton city cop fired because he refused to shoot a ‘Black’ man!
Wisconsin: New Data Reveals Milwaukee Police Stops Are About Race.
WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification
Government Shenanigans, January 2018: SEX & DRUGS = THE AMERICAN WAY!
DRUGS, THE AMERICAN WAY, FEBRUARY 2018:“TEACHING KIDS ABOUT THE HARM OF DRUGS…DOESN’T REALLY WORK.”
ObamaCare ACA death spiral, February 2018: “WE ARE IN VERY CHALLENGING TIMES.”
VACCINE FAIL, JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2018:“NOT COST EFFECTIVE.”
Dumbing Down U.S.A., February 2018:“PORCH MONKEY”
“The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history.”-George Orwell (aka Eric Arthur Blair)
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 (Tip-o-the-Iceberg) list of publicly announced education related layoffs, shutdowns and education crimes, February 2018:
PolitiFact: No ‘official’ definition of what a mass school shooting is, liberals lie about number of school shootings
Private school teacher reveals Israel is behind False Flag military style school security ops: I’m a Teacher Who Went Through Firearm Training And it was an absurd disaster.
NPR: School counselors can’t keep up with increasing student anxieties
Arkansas: University of Arkansas Medical Science eliminating 124 additional jobs, on top of the 6-hundred positions announced last month, due to being $72.3-million USD in the hole!
California: The Learning Policy Institute surveyed 25 school districts and found that despite taxpayer funded incentives teacher shortages continue to be a problem. A Yuba City High School teacher accused of sex crimes. A substitute teacher at Highland Elementary School, in Vallejo, accused of slapping a six years old special-ed student. A math teacher in the San Dieguito Union High School District resigned after being accused of ‘inappropriate behavior’ with 14 students. In Los Angeles, after 63 years Caravan Book Store shutdown. Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) approved plans to kill 139 full-time jobs, on top of the 53 teacher aide jobs already killed, due to Los Angeles County Office of Education demanding $16-million in budget cuts for PUSD! Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) warning of layoffs due to being $1.8-million USD in the hole. It was also revealed that BUSD is spending more than 100-thousand tax dollars per year on legal/consulting fees. Calaveras Unified School District laying off nine teachers and eliminating the technical education Police Science program due to what I call DSS. There was a warning that more layoffs are in the works: “We’re hoping enough teachers retire so we won’t have to lay off as many people. We won’t know until May.”-Zerrall McDaniel
The Los Angeles Times reveals that school security in southern California is actually covert class warfare!
Colorado: A 65 years old teacher with the Methodist Children’s Center disappeared, his vehicle was found abandoned near a trail in Clear Creek County, it’s suspected he got lost while cross country skiing.
Connecticut: Wallingford Schools eliminating 12 teaching jobs despite a taxpayer funded spending increase of $2.44-million USD. Some of the increased funding is being spent on hiring more mental health counselors (apparently students have become so weak minded) and a faculty survey!
Florida: Saints Peter & Paul Catholic School, in Miami, fired a teacher for marrying a person of the same sex. Several sheriff’s deputies remained outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School while a shooter was blasting away inside the school, killing 17 people, the cops claim the gunshots they heard were taking place outside the school. Is this more proof of an anti-2nd Amendment False Flag operation? It was also revealed that the FBI, the local school district and even local law enforcement knew about the shooter’s mental problems/shooting plans for months before the shooting took place. NPR: Logs Of 911 Calls Reveal The Troubled History
CNN: A series of failures in Florida shooting
Naples News Times: Teachers wanted Nikolas Cruz transferred to alternative school
Georgia: A supposedly well-liked Dalton High School teacher brought a gun to school and barricaded himself in a classroom. Police say he refused to say why, but pointed out that the teacher was officially against the idea of allowing teachers to bring guns to school.
Hawaii: The non-profit Filipino Community Center chapter 11 bankrupt busted. A teacher at King Kekaulike High School is accused of showing students cartoon pornography.
Idaho: Incompetent state leaders spent $7-million tax dollars on college advisers and mentors for the 2017-18 school year, and next school year they plan to spend $9-million, due to high school graduates not being able to meet college requirements. I wonder what would happen if they spent that money directly on high school education (not to be confused with high school administration)? Despite what the mainstream national fake new media says about guns and teachers, Idaho schools allow the use of guns in their safety protocols.
Indiana: Allows teachers to use guns. Book publisher Readerlink issued a shutdown WARN for its distribution ops in Indianapolis, 147 jobs gone by the end of August!
Iowa: God powerless to stop ‘his’ liberal Graceland University from suddenly laying off 19 people, and more layoffs are expected because student enrollment is expected to continue crashing for the next ten years (The Rapture?). A now former Buchanan Elementary teacher pled guilty to child porn charges.
Kentucky: The Book and Music Exchange shutdown its Louisville location, the assistant manager saying “Financial difficulties is all I’m allowed to disclose.” Pike County School District allowing teachers to use guns.
Massachusetts: City of Everett Schools suddenly laid off 110 people due to losing $8-million USD (referred to as ‘serious financial issues’)! The ultimate bullies in the state court ruled that you can’t sue a school district for failing to protect your child from be bullied at school! This after a family tried to sue Lynn School District when their child was permanently paralyzed by school bullies! This also comes after it was revealed that public schools physically restrained students 9-thousand times last school year! Dorchester charter school on probation for financial mismanagement.
Michigan: In Wayne, god powerless to stop the shutdown of ‘his’ 93 years old (surviving The Great Depression and numerous recessions) Saint Mary Catholic School due to $5-million USD of debt caused by crashing enrollments (down 243 students since the 2010-11 school year).
Minnesota: McNally Smith College of Music now chapter 7 bankrupt and being liquidated to pay its creditors, including unpaid employees.
Mississippi: Despite using his .45 caliber pistol to stop a school shooter, a now former assistant principal says teachers shouldn’t be forced to use guns.
Missouri: Missouri State University eliminating 32 jobs due to an $8-million USD shortfall in state taxpayer funding.
New Hampshire: A now former teacher at the Episcopal Saint Paul’s School arrested for interfering with investigations into accusations that he committed sex crimes with students for years.
New York: It’s been revealed that a teacher who worked at four private schools in the 1970s-80s was a sexual predator and school administrators covered it up. A teacher at Thurgood Marshall Academy was arrested with seven pounds of date rape drugs!
Ohio: In Marblehead, after 14 years Ex Libris Bookshop shutdown, it was opened for the purpose of raising money to help build the Ida Rupp Public Library. In Xenia, Blue Jacket Books shutdown, a “terrible” holiday season was the final straw. A Covington Independent Schools teacher suspended without pay for calling a student a “porch monkey”.
Oklahoma: God powerless to stop ‘his’ Saint Gregory’s University from going chapter 7 bankrupt dead, after a failed attempt to get a taxpayer funded loan from the USDA, 110 jobs gone, 550 students now looking for a new home! U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that Sooner State has the lowest average teacher salary in the entire United States.
South Carolina: Teacher shortage reaches crisis level.
South Dakota: Sioux Falls teacher denied health insurance coverage for cancer treatment.
Texas: The Lone Star State already allows teachers to use guns. A teacher at Cypress Woods High School investigated for hitting a student with his belt, after the student spat on him.
Utah: Beehive State already allows teachers to use guns. A teacher at Logan High School accused of sex crimes with female student.
Vermont: Castleton University warning of mass layoffs due to an expected loss of $1.5-million USD for the current school year. Administrators blamed crashing high school graduation rates for crashing college admissions.
Washington: Kent School District eliminating 45 jobs, pay raises for non-union employees canceled, due to lack of taxpayer funding. Optimistic school administrators had predicted much higher student enrollments, based on all the new housing projects in the district, but they were wrong. It was revealed that a teacher at Garfield High School knew of a student’s plan to shoot-up the school, and did nothing about it. Despite the potential-shooter’s own snapchat posts, it took several complaints from classmates before police arrested him. The teacher offered to resign, the student swears he was joking.
Dumbing Down U.S.A., January 2018: “LET’S PISS IN HIS MOUTH.”
Incomplete (tip-o-the-iceberg) list of healthcare related layoffs, shutdowns and crimes in February 2018:
For the month of February at least 13 U.S. hospitals had their patient data bases hacked, affecting more than 80-thousand people.
Beasley: Global healthcare industry number one target for cyber attacks in 2017
American Journal of Managed Care: ObamaCare-ACA mandated outpatient care for cancer victims actually increases taxpayer funded Medicare costs
JAMA Pediatrics: Skyrocketing number of U.S. babies under one year of age dying of suffocation
U.S. News & World Report: Best/worst state healthcare rankings
The New York Times: Skyrocketing nursing home evictions due to Medicare/Medicaid changes
Center for Connected Health Policy: Beware tele-health programs
Gallup Poll: Four out of ten doctors say the cost of their degree was not worth it
Becker’s Hospital Review: In first two months of 2017, 12 hospital executives resigned without notice or explanation
Mayo Clinic Proceedings: One in three early drug/device trials for patients with chronic conditions, falsified data
U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH): Corporate healthcare systems getting NIH taxpayer funding
The Washington Post: Bank loans to be made available to hospital patients. No loan, no healthcare?
The Medicus Firm: Don’t cry for the doctors as sign-on bonuses hit record average high of $30-thousand USD in 2017
Arkansas: University of Arkansas Medical Science eliminating 124 additional jobs, on top of the 6-hundred positions announced last month, due to being $72.3-million USD in the hole!
California: San Diego based Scripps Health reported a 94% crash in operating income! The hospital says operating costs are outpacing revenues. Anthem Blue Cross accusing Sonoma West Medical Center-Palm Drive Health Care District of a $13.5-million USD fraudulent billing scam. Federal government accusing Health Net of interfering with a Info-Tech audit, violating its contract with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. A husband and wife team accused of ripping off Medicaid taxpayers to the tune of $5-million, while they were managing Community Health Group in San Diego. Federal auditors also accuse California of failing to scrutinize $7-billion of Medicaid payments in 2016. San Diego based life science company Illumina eliminating 61 jobs mid-April. ReVision Optics issued a layoff WARN, 40 jobs in Lake Forest gone by the end of March. Blue Shield issued a layoff WARN, 44 San Francisco jobs gone by March. God powerless to stop ‘his’ Adventist Health Bakersfield from eliminating 177 jobs by April! Adventist Health White Memorial eliminating 160 Los Angeles jobs by April! Novartis Pharmaceuticals suddenly laid off 29 people in San Carlos. Pacific Alliance Medical Center finally revealed that it killed 731 Los Angeles jobs when it shutdown back in December! Texas based Concentra issued a layoff WARN for its Valencia ops, 134 jobs gone by April! Maker of plastic medical products Nypro issued a shutdown WARN for its factory in Porterville, 111 jobs gone by April!
Connecticut: New haven based Achillion Pharmaceuticals eliminating 18 jobs after partner Johnson & Johnson halted its support for developing a new Hep-C drug. After almost non-stop layoffs since 2016, Bristol-Myers Squibb announced an additional 107 more layoffs by April, as part of a plan to halt operations in Wallingford! Out of fear of lawsuits, Stamford based Purdue Pharma halted promotional ops to get doctors to push their opioid drugs. Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics eliminating 198 jobs as part of its plan to halt ops in Brookfield by September!
Florida: Pensacola Naval Hospital shifting to outpatient pediatric care only, starting in July. Transitions Optical eliminating 34 Pinellas Park jobs mid-April.
Georgia: Federal government accusing HCA Healthcare owned Memorial University Medical Center of failing to comply with Medicare billing rules, at least 39 times, estimating that taxpayers overpaid the hospital by $1.4-million USD. Marietta based WellStar Health System laid off 49 people, including seven executives. Six hospitals suing Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield for refusing to cover the costs of MRIs and CT scans. Two nurses with Northeast Atlanta Health and Rehabilitation charged with killing a patient in 2014, while other nurses watched and laughed. Others were charged with covering up the death. Security camera video shows the nurses cutting off the air to a World War-2 veteran and other nurses laughing as he begged for his life!
Idaho: The federal Health and Human Services Secretary met with Idaho administrators to discuss Idaho’s plan to offer health insurance that is not approved by ObamaCare-ACA, details of the meeting were not made public.
Illinois: Outcome Health suddenly laid off an additional 20 people (after eliminating 215 positions last year), possibly in connection with an investor fraud settlement. Naperville based Edward-Elmhurst Health slashing $35-million USD from its budget (on top of slashing $50-million last year), with layoffs in the works, due to a $92-million accounting error! Chicago based Norwegian American Hospital threatening to shutdown its pediatric unit by the end of March, due to crashing demand for services (only nine patients in 2016 and zero in 2017). News reports say other hospitals are considering similar shutdowns. Israel based Teva issued a shutdown WARN for its ops in Gurnee, 101 jobs gone between now and the end of the year!
Indiana: Med Express Urgent Care in Terre Haute shutdown due to ‘business reasons’. Indiana University Health Paoli Hospital shutting down its obstetrics unit, ten jobs affected by the end of March. Medical device maker Cook Medical restructuring in response to the changing global healthcare market, mainly through consolidation of operations (which usually means job cuts).
Kentucky: Kindred Healthcare reported a $135-million USD loss in its fourth quarter of 2017. Four executives of Louisville based Humana made more than $12-million USD combined by selling-off their own stock holdings in Humana.
Massachusetts: UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital shutting down its gastrointestinal unit, eight jobs affected. Morton Hospital shutting down its maternity ward in April. Lemuel Shattuck Hospital shutting down, 7-hundred jobs affected by 2021! Boston based drugs maker Intarcia suddenly laid off 60 people due to the FDA rejecting its latest drug. Steward Health Care moving its HQ to Texas, affecting 1-hundred jobs in Boston! Partners HealthCare off-shoring 1-hundred tech jobs, to India! Also in Boston, Sanofi Genzyme laying off 130 people in an effort to reduce operating costs! Lowell General Hospital laid off seven health info-tech employees.
Michigan: Employees of Borgess Medical Center warned of massive layoffs due to the hospital being “over budget”, despite hospital administrators boasting of building a new addition to the hospital, which will cost at least $35-million USD. Mmmm, wonder why they’re over budget? Texas owned Detroit Medical Center reducing meal options for patients and eliminating 3-hundred jobs saying “It’s part of a plan to be much more efficient…” Sparrow Health System shutting down its Saint Lawrence emergency room in May. Henry Ford Allegiance Health agreed to settled a federal lawsuit accusing it of colluding with other hospitals to intentionally limit advertising competition within their respective counties. Memorial Healthcare facing a federal lawsuit after allegedly rejecting a nurses job application, because she refused to get a flu shot as part of her religious beliefs.
Minnesota: Shriners Hospitals for Children-Twin Cities “evaluating alternative options for inpatient care” including a total shutdown. The Star Tribune reporting 341 ‘preventable’ medical errors in 2017, at least 12 people died and 103 injured due to increased incompetence in Minnesota hospitals. In Fridley, DaVita Clinical Research eliminating 53 jobs by mid-April.
Missouri: Non-profit Western Missouri Medical Center suddenly eliminated 41 jobs saying “We have not been immune to the ever-growing challenges in the healthcare industry…” A woman sentenced to five years probation for posing as a nurse instructor at Saint Alexius Hospital, it was shown she lied about her education and employment history, and stole a nursing license from a nurse in New Mexico. Taxpayer funded Iron County Medical Center now chapter 9 bankrupt busted. Administrators are also asking voters to approve a sales tax hike to increase funding of the hospital.
Montana: A now former CFO of Rocky Boy Health Clinic spending 12 months in prison for fraud.
Nebraska: Methodist Hospital halting home health and hospice services in March, affecting 40 jobs.
New Hampshire: LRGHealthcare shutting down its maternity ward by the end of May. Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital shutting down its maternity ward, 12 jobs gone mid-July.
New Jersey: Israel based Teva Pharmaceuticals suddenly laid off 46 people in Parsippany, as part of its plan to eliminate 18-thousand jobs globally.
New Mexico: University of New Mexico Hospital being sued by a former immigrant employee who says co-workers bullied her because of her accent. The state health department is facing lawsuits claiming conflict of interest in how Medicaid contracts are awarded, such a lawsuit by Molina Healthcare has been thrown out of court, but other lawsuits are pending.
New York: Pfizer issued a shutdown WARN for its Rouses Point drugs factory, 82 jobs affected by March. Cayuga Centers eliminating 120 jobs as it halts residential treatment ops, blaming ObamaCare-ACA for the loss of $2-million USD since July 2017! On-demand tele-health company Teledoc reported a loss of $106.8-million, possibly in connection with its take-over of rival Best Doctors. A U.S. District Judge found the now former drugs company CEO Martin Shkreli (the one who jacked-up prices outrageously) guilty of frauding investors and causing the companies he worked for to lose a combined total of $10.4-million. Nassau University Medical Center spent two days eliminating $674-thousand worth of salaried and contracted jobs, in an effort to save $1.67-million for “mission critical” jobs. Taxpayer funded Hunter College is suing one of its nurses after it discovered the nurse is living in the Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing dorm, and has been for the past 40 years. Local news reports say that particular nurse isn’t the only one living in the college dorm as it’s apparently the result of a contract from a discontinued nursing program that dates back to the 1960s.
North Carolina: A doctor at Duke University School of Medicine sued saying the university engaged in hiring collusion with UNC School of Medicine. The case could affect 5-thousand-649 faculty at both universities! Atrium Health (formerly Carolinas HealthCare System) admitted it had reduced working hours for 90 employees since November 2017 and more labor cost cuts were in the planning, which is interesting because Atrium Health is still advertising that it is hiring. Novant Health suddenly eliminated 23 jobs. State investigators fined Strategic Behavioral Health Center $20-thousand for violating patient safety laws. The ‘behavioral’ center was mistreating patients so badly that dozens escaped, which alerted investigators.
Ohio: New York Based Personal Touch Home Care halting ops in Ohio and eliminating at least 257 jobs by mid-April! Memorial Health Systems suddenly laid off 15 people and shifted 1-hundred employees into new jobs, blaming it on an expected reduction in taxpayer funded Medicare spending. Philips Medical Systems eliminating 65 jobs mid-April. Cardinal Health eliminating 101 jobs mid-April!
Oklahoma: The state Department of Health interim commissioner and Cabinet Secretary of Finance, Administration and Information Technology resigned after being accused of domestic violence.
Oregon: God powerless to stop ‘his’ Adventist Medical Center from eliminating 157 jobs in Portland!
Pennsylvania: A now former UPMC Health Plan director is spending two years in federal prison for stealing $846-thousand USD from UPMC, by creating ‘ghost workers’ on the payroll.
South Carolina: Regional Medical Center suddenly laid off an undisclosed number of people, an audit last month revealed the hospital lost $7-million USD, administrators warned of more layoffs saying “We are in very challenging times.” Medical University of South Carolina revealed it fired 13 employees for espionage-ing patient records, in 2017.
Tennessee: Franklin based Community Health Systems reported a loss of $2-billion USD in their fourth quarter of 2017, despite selling-off hospitals! More Community Health Systems owned hospitals will be sold-off in 2018.
Texas: Dallas based Tenet Healthcare reported a $230-million USD loss in its fourth quarter of 2017, despite $5-billion in revenues, despite killing 2-thousand jobs nationwide and despite taking advantage of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
Utah: State legislators advanced a bill to the state Senate that would prohibit hospitals and health systems from testing a doctor’s competency! 20 volunteers at University of Utah Hospital are ensuring no patient dies alone, it’s part of a growing movement called No One Dies Alone.
Vermont: It was revealed that Brattleboro Memorial Hospital paid state and federal regulators $1.7-million USD to settle claims that it submitted false outpatient laboratory claims to Medicaid and Medicare.
Virginia: University of Virginia Health System ‘exposed’ data of more than 1-thousand-8-hundred patients over 17 months.
Washington: Skagit Regional Health revealed it had laid off 94 people and shutdown 36 vacant positions during the past seven months, due to $17-million USD in losses since 2016.
Washington DC: The former CMO of United Medical Center says he was fired for blowing the whistle on the hospital’s “malfeasance affecting patient health and safety” and “submission of fraudulent statements to Medicare and Medicaid.” The Internal Revenue Service hitting employers with fines for violating ObamaCare-ACA employee insurance mandate. Federal Health and Human Services new Conscience and Religious Freedom division received more than 3-hundred complaints since 18JAN2018.
Wisconsin: Marshfield Clinic Health System reported a loss of $17-million USD directly blaming lower reimbursements on the halting of cost sharing taxpayer funded subsidies to ObamaCare-ACA. Agnesian HealthCare hit by federal lawsuit accusing it of a doctor kick-back Medicare scam. Mike Flint Enterprises-Interim Healthcare of Wisconsin-Mallatt’s Homecare Pharmacy eliminating 168 jobs starting in April!
Wyoming: Campbell County Health-Powder River Surgery Center lost $200-thousand USD as a result of Medicaid and Medicare billing delays caused by recent changes to the hospital system, including software upgrades, however they still reported an overall profit in 2017.
ObamaCare (ACA) death spiral January 2018: “INADEQUATE MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT RATES”
Albany Business Review: Shopping mall ViaPort Rotterdam (Rotterdam Square) suing Sears for half-a-million in back due rent!
Hardware Retailing: Sears Continues to See Dropping Sales and Revenue
Kankakee Daily Journal: Sears Logistics now Innovel
Chicago Tribune: Sears slashed more than 50,000 jobs last year!
CNNMoney: Sears downgraded to default status
The Real Deal: Half of vacant Santa Monica Mega Sears store sold for $50-million USD, to pay off mortgage and fund redevelopment
Chief Investment Officer: Sears Holdings gets $440-million loan to pay employee retirement fund
Newsday: Local Business owner, forced out by Sears Auto Center closure
Chief Investment Officer: Court Orders Inquiry into Sears Canada Dividend Payment
Media Post Communications: Federal Trade Commission loosens terms of 2009 settlement that restricted Sears’ ability to sell products through mobile e-commerce apps
WLS-TV: Sears under scrutiny after customer complaints and product disputes
Alaska: In Juneau, the Sears Hometown reverted to corporate ownership after the franchise owner quit, it’s now for sale.
California: Taxpayers are the new owners of the vacant Highland Kmart as they will be funding the construction of a new high school on the property. The school will be operated by taxpayer funded San Bernardino Public Charter School, Real Journey Academies.
Colorado: Ohio based mall owner-operator Washington Prime just bought the Sears store and Auto Center in Aurora (see Ohio below).
Florida: RD Management-University Mall is the new owner of the still active 43 years old Sears store, which sold for $7-million USD. Local news media says RD Management has plans to ‘revamp’ the building, marking “a significant milestone in the transformation of the entire University Mall site.” The mall will be renamed Uptown. Public feedback forces changes to redevelopment plans for vacant Neptune Beach Kmart.
Indiana: WFIE reporting that the Evansville Sears has been listed for sale, for a paltry $3-million USD. The store is shutting down in April.
Iowa: Ohio based mall owner-operator Washington Prime just bought the Sears store and Auto Center in Sioux City (see Ohio below).
Kansas: Local news media discovered that the Lenexa Point Sears Outlet store will shutdown, local realtors announced that the store front will be “available” on 01JUL2018.
New Jersey: It’s been confirmed, the Paramus Park Mall Sears store and Auto Center will shutdown by Spring 2019, to be redeveloped into a grocery store and movie theater (a smaller Sears Appliance store will remain). Without warning the Brick Big Kmart is being shutdown, it was revealed when Store Closing Sale signs were posted. Local news media reported that no official shutdown date was made public.
New York: A former Sears employee accused of stealing $8-thousand USD from the Arnot Mall Sears store. State taxpayers are funding the demolition of the now city taxpayer owned vacant Kmart plaza in Binghamton, as part of the Restore NY taxpayer rip-off operation. Three other cities are also getting millions in state taxpayer funding to demolish commercial properties now owned by city taxpayers.
North Carolina: In Wilmington, the owners of the Independence Mall revealed their plan to demolish and redevelop the entire mall, including the still active Sears operation. Local news reports stated that the planned The Collection at Independence shopping-“village lifestyle” plaza does not list the currently active Sears store and Auto Center as one of the future tenants. In July 2017, Eddie Lampert sold the Independence Mall Sears store and Auto Center to New York based Rouse Properties for $10-million USD.
Ohio: Columbus based mall owner-operator Washington Prime just shelled out $28.5-million USD buying four Sears stores and their related Sears Auto Centers, including the Sears store and Auto Center in Columbus. Local news media reported that the four stores and auto centers will be redeveloped, however, Washington Prime says it signed new leases with Sears worth $1.25-million which give Sears an easy out if it wants to shutdown; just give 30 days notice.
Pennsylvania: Taxpayer funded MaST charter school is offering to buy the still active Middletown Sears store for $9.6-million USD. MaST’s plan is to kick out Sears to make room for up to 1-thousand-275 students, if their plan is approved by the local school district and taxpayers.
Tennessee: The Thompson Lane Sears Outlet/Home Services & Repair sold to C.B. Ragland for $13-million USD.
Texas: Ohio based mall owner-operator Washington Prime just bought the Sears store and Auto Center in Longview (see Ohio above).
Virginia: Regency Mall owner The Rebkee Company, along with Thalhimer Realty Partners, just spent $3-million USD buying eight acres of the now vacant Sears store property in Richmond. The mall owner claims it has new tenants lined up for the Sears store, which shutdown last year. Local news media reports that a Sears “subsidiary” still owns three acres of the property, including the vacant Auto Center, but that it is currently under “negotiations”.
Washington: Sears Holdings suddenly selling off six active locations in The Evergreen State. The 48 years old Lacy Sears store, the 47 years old Tukwila Sears, Union Gap Sears, two Sears operations in the Spokane area, and the Spokane Kmart.
Wisconsin: Taxpayers of Greendale being raped of $2.2-million USD as their ‘elected’ leaders use taxpayer money to turn a former Southridge Mall Sears store into the unAmerican anti-Constitution Dick’s Sporting Goods! UnAmerican city leaders claim taxpayers will ‘recover’ the tax incremental financing by 2030, via increased property taxes on the property, but my lifetime of taxpayer experience shows your exalted leaders will find many other ways to jack-up your taxes between now and 2030. Taxpayers in La Crosse might become the new owners of a vacant Kmart store, currently the property is valued at $4-million. Apparently the plan is to turn the vacant lot in more residential housing, at taxpayer expense.
SEARS KMART DEATH SPIRAL, FEBRUARY 2018: “MONOTONOUS”
Incomplete list of U.S. model kit/hobby shop, retail/wholesale industry shutdowns from 2016 through 2017:
California: After 45 years brick-n-mortar chain store, as well as mail order and online retailer, Hobby People (formerly Hobby Shack) suddenly shutdown, possibly in connection to the founder’s death although many fans say quality of service had been in decline, and the company ‘lost’ some of its in-house brands. In Palm Desert, the owner of popular Uncle Don’s Hobbies was found laying on the side of a road, dead. His hobby shop had been robbed of merchandise, including RC (drone) electronics, months earlier. In Goleta (Santa Barbara), California Hobbies was robbed of RC (drone) monster trucks, it was caught on video. News reports out of Long Beach report that local hobby shops are being repeatedly robbed, the burglars are targeting RC (drone) electronics.
Colorado: In Denver, Guinness Book certified as the world’s largest model train store in 2014, Caboose Hobbies shutdown after 65 years because the owner wants to retire. At one time the model train store employed 60 people!
Idaho:
Photo by AAron B. Hutchins, November 2014.
After first going up for sale at the end of 2014, then making one last attempt to stay alive in 2015 (by moving to a much smaller location), Southeast Idaho’s once iconic Dapco Hobbies finally died, and nobody noticed. More details in Model-Land Deaths; 2013-15.
Illinois: In Bloomington, after 63 years Hobbyland shutdown after a failed attempt to sell the store.
Indiana: Granger Hobby Stop shutdown after 18 years, the owner says he never recovered from the 2008 recession.
Massachusetts: In Brocktown, after six years Hogie’s Hobbies shutdown, but continues to run its model railroad museum. The owner blames customers for his hobby shop shutdown saying for the month of December he had a measly $5-hundred USD in sales: “There’s a lot of people downtown, but they don’t spend their money downtown. The whole atmosphere for people actually shopping here is not here.”-Bill Hogan
Michigan: In Detroit, after 70 years iconic Doll Hospital & Toy Soldier Shop shutdown, the owners admitting that even though they beat-out the ‘big-box’ competition they just couldn’t “adapt” to online competition. In Bridgeport, after 23 years hobby shop Junction Valley Railroad announced on Facebook “Due to declining sales, we are being forced to close the Hobby Shop Doors!
Our final day open will be October 31, 2017!”
Montana: In Great Falls, after more than 25 years Hobby Land shutdown, the owner said she was ready to retire.
New Hampshire: In West Lebanon, Hobbies ’N’ Stuff/Valley Art Suppliers evicted by the the Grafton County Sheriff at the request of the landlord. The owner of the hobby shop told customers he had to shutdown due to health problems, but the landlord’s civil complaint said the owner hadn’t paid the rent for months (more than $10-thousand USD worth).
New Jersey: After 48 years Jackson Hobby Shop put up for sale due to the owner’s health problems. If it doesn’t sell it’ll be shutdown. Shadow Hobbies was robbed of thousands of dollars worth of stuff, including RC (drone) electronics, it was caught on video.
New York: After 31 years Niagara Hobby & Craft Mart shutdown due to crashing sales: “We can’t compete on price with the national chains or an internet-only site. But you can’t stand inside the internet and ask to open a package or put a locomotive on a test track and see it run.”-John S. Kavulich
North Carolina: In business since 1968 the owners of the two story The Antique Barn and Hobby Shop blame declining sales caused by internet competition, plus Mother Earth’s climate change, for their demise: “We were making money, but it’s going down. Ten years ago it was thriving and 18 years ago we were a victim of Floyd and we had 7 feet of water in here for a couple of weeks. So we started from scratch again and of course, we had two more 500-year floods this past year, Matthew and in April this one that didn’t even have a name…”
Ohio: After 40 years John’s Hobby Shop shutdown so the owner could retire.
Oklahoma: Christian Evangelical Hobby Lobby caught illegally importing more than 5-thousand artifacts from The Middle East. The top illegal artifact dealer in The Middle East is Islamic State (DAIISH). Hobby Lobby admits most of those illegally acquired artifacts were meant to be displayed in their massive Biblical Museum in Washington DC.
Pennsylvania: After 33 years J&C Hobbies shutdown so the owners could take a “proper vacation”.
Rhode Island: AA Hobby Shop was hit by burglars who apparently didn’t steal anything, it was caught on video.
Texas: A San Antonio Hobby Town was robbed by a man armed with brass knuckles. Police say the man seemed obsessed with RC vehicles (drones).
Utah: Police captured burglars when they tried to sell the stolen goods, including RC (drone) kits burgaled from a hobby shop in Sandy, on the OfferUp app.
In Canada: R.I.P. Niagara Central Hobbies
Car and Driver: Where Have All the Hobby Stores Gone?
MARTIAL LAW U.S.A.: RC MODEL PLANES NOW CONSIDERED ‘DRONES’ MUST BE REGISTERED WITH OBAMA REGIME!
