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Business/Economics

Sears & Kmart closing update, 07 November 2014: Sears to save self by avoiding taxes, and investors love it! More proof Kmart clothes made in slave labor sweat shops! Mike Myers does Canadian commercial to save Sears! Sears screws over Goodyear for at least $20-million?

Wisconsin losing a Sears and Sears Auto Center in February 2015.  Sears Holdings sold the property to a New York based company.

Two weeks ago a BBN reader warned that the Oregon City Kmart was going to be shutdown.  Now, confirmation from Sears Holdings that a third Portland area Kmart will close in January.

Apparently Eddie Lampert is scheming a new shell game; how to avoid taxes.  Reports say he is going to create a new Real Estate investment Trust (REIT) which he will then sell 300 Sears stores to.   On paper the new REIT will be the official owner and therefore be responsible for taxes.   Sears Holdings will then ‘rent’ the stores back from the new REIT.  Investors drove the price of Sears Holdings stock upward by 40% when they heard the plan.

“Sears’ refusal to purchase the remaining inventory of co-branded tires constitutes a breach of the parties’ purchase agreement(s) and a breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.”-Goodyear

The iconic U.S. tire-maker, Goodyear, is now suing Sears for $19.5-million USD. Goodyear attorneys claim 219994 tires made specifically for the Sears brands Fuel-Max and Weatherbeater are now wasting space on Goodyear shelves, because Sears refuses to pay for them!

Goodyear attorneys add that Sears has threatened Goodyear with legal action if Goodyear sold the tires to somebody else, this despite the fact that Sears hired a new contracted tire-maker in June!

Goodyear was hired back in January to produce 330-thousand tires for Sears, yet Sears only bought a fraction of them. Goodyear also accuses Sears of improperly discounting the tires they bought!

Sears is also ripping off customers on its Kenmore oven sales. Its latest add says “35% off all other Kenmore cooking….”, but then in smaller print it clarifies that the “35% off all” actually means “20% off……15% off other qualifying appliances with Sears card”. In other words the “35% off all” does not actually apply to “all”.

Anti-2nd Amendment laws failed to stop a stabbing at a Tennessee Kmart. Police say at about 03:00 hours two men, sitting in a car in the the parking lot, began arguing then as the driver tried to drive off the passenger stabbed him multiple times, causing him to crash into a semi-truck. The stabber got away, the stabbie is in critical condition and was arrested by police.

In Wisconsin, a Kmart ‘loss prevention’ employee was arrested for allowing customers to walk away with about $25-hundred worth of merchandise. Police say he was working with specific ‘customers’ to rip-off the store.

The Daily Mail Australia held a contest for best cheap-ass jeans (denim pants), and Australia Kmart’s $7 AUD pants won. However, British empire human rights watchdog Oxfam says those jeans, along with other retailer brand cheap-ass pants, are being made in sweat shops. But Oxfam also warned that just because you buy more expensive jeans doesn’t mean they’re better quality or made in a better working environment: “It’s concerning to see garments at such a low price. It’s not the prices that we should be worried about but it’s whether these companies are respecting workers…..It doesn’t necessarily mean that when we pay $80 for a pair of jeans that workers are paid more….”-Kelly Dent, Oxfam

As an example of slave wage labor, Oxfam said textile workers in Cambodia are paid an average of $100 AUD per month, which is $350 less than what it actually costs to economically survive in the South East Asian country!   (from what I remember, the Australian Kmarts are not controlled by Sears Holdings)

In Canada, Canadian comedian Mike Myers has done a commercial to save his brother’s ass!  You see, his brother Peter Meyers is a long time Sears employee.  The ‘please save my brother’s job at Sears Canada’ TV commercial tries to justify the job killing by saying it’s just about getting more efficient (“…demographically and psychographically alter the trajectory of its business model”).  Unfortunately, if you’ve been following the corporate shenanigans you know it’s something more sinister (or inept), and the commercial makes Mike Myers look like a sucker for Sears.

update 30 October 2014

Here’s the updated list of U.S. Sears/Kmart store closings that I’ve been compiling since the end of 2011:

Arizona: Scottsdale Sears/Great Indoors, Chandler Sears/Great Indoors.

Alabama: Gadsden Kmart (50 jobs lost), Mobile Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Auburn Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Anniston Kmart (no word yet on how many jobs lost), Birmingham Eastwood Kmart (70 jobs lost), Decatur Mall Sears (91 jobs lost), Fort Payne Kmart, Northport Kmart (68 jobs lost), Dothan Sears (68 jobs lost), Huntsville Kmart (73 jobs lost).

California: El Monte Sears (at least 40 jobs lost. Damien Arrula, El Monte’s economic development director, said the store manager had lied about what was going on: “The general manager of the store had just indicated to me that they were remodeling.”), two San Diego Sears (more than 80 jobs lost), Pleasant Hill Kmart (more than 50 jobs lost), Torrance Kmart, Fairfield Kmart (63 jobs lost), Lampert owned OSH taken over by Lowe’s home improvement in bankruptcy court, at least 17 of 99 stores to be closed down (935 jobs lost!), Rancho Cordova Kmart (97 jobs lost), San Clemente Kmart/Sears/Kmart on Camino de Estrella (58 jobs lost), placed on an official hit list in 2011 the Oceanside Kmart on College Boulevard finally being shut down, Banning Kmart (91 jobs lost) recently revealed that Sears Holdings is still paying rent on the abandoned property, Laguna Hills Mall Sears, San Diego Mid-City Kmart (73 jobs lost), Hemet Kmart (77 jobs lost), Oakland Sears repair center (75 jobs lost), San Mateo Kmart (82 jobs lost to an apartment building connected to public transportation), Hesperia Kmart building sold at a loss to a vulture capitalist REIT, no word on if the Kmart will be shutdown. Customers complain that the Kmart employees have a bad attitude, gee I wonder why? Yuba City Kmart (63 jobs lost), Rocklin Kmart (at least 63 jobs lost, the store had just posted “Now Hiring” signs), San Leandro Kmart (102 jobs lost), Cupertino Sears and Auto Center (number of employees affected not made public, no WARN filed).

Colorado: Broomfield Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Glenwood Springs Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lone Tree Sears/Great Indoors, Longmont Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Pueblos’ South Side Kmart (52 jobs lost), Denver Kmart (number of jobs lost have not been made public at this time, but could be at least 40), Colorado Springs Kmart at Powers and Palmer Park boulevards (57 jobs lost), Fort Collins Sears (67 jobs lost).

Connecticut: Waterbury Big Kmart, Torrington Kmart (73 jobs lost), Enfield Sears Optical (no word on jobs lost).

Delaware: Dover Kmart (at least 72 jobs lost, some reports said 100), Seaford Sears (30 jobs lost), recently revealed Claymont Kmart (87 jobs lost).

Florida: Fernandina Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Callaway Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Orange City Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Deland Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Stuart Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), West Palm Beach Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Port St. Lucie Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Crystal River Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), New Smyrna Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Saint Augustine Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Pompano Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Jacksonville Kmart on 5751 Beach Boulevard (71 jobs lost), second Kmart in Jacksonville on 4645 Blanding Boulevard (83 jobs lost), Ocoee Sears (102 jobs lost), Pensacola Kmart on Airport Boulevard closed in 2011, Pensacola Kmart on Mobile Highway closed in February 2013 (69 jobs lost), Pensacola Kmart on East 9 Mile Road will close in May (73 jobs lost), Hialeah Kmart (67 jobs lost), Bonita Springs Kmart (67 jobs lost), Mount Dora Kmart (100 jobs lost), Lake Mary Kmart, Panama City Beach Kmart (54 jobs lost), Winter Park Kmart (100 jobs lost), Niceville Kmart (59 jobs lost), Winter Haven Kmart (92 jobs lost), Palm Bay Kmart, Oakland Park Kmart (112 jobs lost), Clearwater Sears Auto Center (21 jobs lost), Zephyrhills Kmart (70 jobs lost), Winter Springs Kmart (69 jobs lost), Naples Kmart (72 jobs lost), New Port Richey Kmart (58 jobs lost).

Georgia: Macon Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Buford Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Douglasville Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Atlanta Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Columbus Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Jonesboro Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Cartersville Kmart (74 jobs lost), Hiram Kmart (53 jobs lost), Marietta-East Cobb Kmart, Warner Robins Kmart (77 jobs lost).

Guam: Sears Hometown Store.

Hawaii: Honolulu Sears (owned by GGP, 372 jobs lost! GGP spending $573-million chopping it up into smaller store spaces), Kauai Sears (41 jobs lost), Iwilei-Honolulu Kmart for lease (no confirmation of store closing).

Idaho: Lewiston Sears (at least 60 jobs lost), Rexburg Kmart (63 jobs lost), Chubbuck Pine Ridge Mall Sears going’ down in November (the remaining 28 jobs lost). Across the street, in Pocatello, the property where the Kmart is located has a “pad site available” sign, posted ever since the Kmart bankruptcy. The Kmart building takes up most of the “pad”. Latest news from inside sources say Sears Holdings will not comment on any plans to expand the small amount of Craftsman products already being sold at the Kmart, or shift the Kenmore products line, from the closing Chubbuck Sears to the Pocatello Kmart. In fact all plans for the Pokey Kmart are in a ‘holding pattern’.

Illinois: Alton Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Melrose Park Sears parts and repair center (50 jobs lost), Zion Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Oak Lawn Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), McHenry Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Peru Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lombard Sears/Great Indoors (at least 40 jobs lost), Fairview Heights Kmart (81 jobs lost), Freeport Kmart (45 jobs lost), Pontiac Kmart (more than 47 jobs lost), Homer Glen Kmart (82 jobs lost), Streator Kmart (45 jobs lost), Lombard Kmart (70 jobs lost), Naperville Kmart (98 jobs lost), Calumet Sears (164 jobs lost), two Sears stores in Grand Crossing area of Chicago (247 jobs lost!), Mount Vernon Sears (68 jobs lost), Moline Sears (at least 60 jobs lost), Homewood Kmart (185 jobs lost), Belvidere Kmart (91 jobs lost?) revealed is now a perpetual closing sale Kmart At A Discount store, Champaign’s Market Place Mall Sears (56 jobs lost), Sterling Kmart (60 jobs lost), Montgomery Kmart (81 jobs lost), Mattoon Sears (more than 40 jobs lost), Chicago Sears on North State Street (160 jobs lost), Chicago Sears Craftsman Experience store, Galesburg Sears (46 jobs lost), White Lake Township Kmart (42 jobs lost), Orland Park Sears Appliance, Collinsville Kmart (84 jobs lost), Crystal Lake Kmart (at least 77 jobs lost), Danville Sears store & Auto Center (63 jobs lost), Forsyth Sears store & Auto Center (45 jobs lost), Peoria Kmart (73 jobs lost), Forest Park Kmart (107 jobs lost), Chicago Sears on North and Harlem avenues, supposedly it’s being replaced (most likely at taxpayer expense) with a new building and it will become a Sears-Mariano’s store, Bloomington Kmart (79 jobs lost). 58 Chicago area stores up for lease or sale. By the way, Illinois elected officials gave Sears Holdings/Hoffman Estates a $150 million USD tax break to keep their headquarters in the state. The tax break was not tied to any promise not to close stores.

Indiana: Anderson Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Saint John Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Indianapolis Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Richmond Sears (49 jobs lost), South Anthony Kmart (70 jobs lost), Fort Wayne Kmart on South Anthony Boulevard (70 jobs lost), FairOaks Mall Kmart, Logansport Sears (43 jobs lost), Muncie Kmart (59 jobs lost), Fort Wayne Kmart on Coliseum Boulevard North (69 jobs lost), Decatur Kmart (49 jobs lost), Indianapolis Kmart on Madison Avenue (131 jobs lost), Indianapolis Kmart on Washington Street (139 jobs lost), Bedford Kmart (62 jobs lost), Indianapolis (Evansville) Sears & Auto Center at Washington Square Mall (91 jobs lost), Greenwood Kmart (78 jobs lost).

Iowa: Cedar Rapids Kmart on 16th Ave (at least 40 jobs lost), Davenport Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Burlington Kmart (50 jobs lost), Coralville Sears (94 jobs lost, this is a store sold to GGP earlier in the year), Cedar Rapids Kmart on Collins Road NE (56 jobs lost), Mason City Kmart (50 jobs lost), Clive Kmart (at least 49 jobs lost), Ames Kmart (44 jobs lost), Fort Dodge Sears (no job loss numbers made public, yet. The Auto Center was secretly shutdown in September).

Kansas: Lawrence Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Merriam Kmart-then Sears-then Kmart (jobs lost unknown), Wichita Sears store & Auto Center (103 jobs lost).

Kentucky: Middlesboro Sears (in September 2012 the Sears store re-opened under independent ownership, official grand re-opening scheduled for November), Winchester Kmart (back in May, Rankin Paynter bought out what was left of the inventory and gave it to charity), Hazard Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lexington Fayette Mall Sears (114 jobs lost!), Newport Kmart (81 jobs lost), Cannonsburg Sears and Sears Auto Center (no employee info given), Louisville Dixie Highway Kmart/Sears/Kmart, Madisonville Kmart (39 jobs lost), Owensboro Sears store & Auto Center (52 jobs lost).

Louisiana: Slidell Sears (77 job lost), Gretna Kmart (94 jobs lost), Metairie Kmart secretly sold off, no word if it will be shutdown.

Maine: Lewiston Sears (60 to 70 jobs lost), Presque Isle Aroostook Centre Mall Sears (63 jobs lost).

Maryland: Ellicott Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Gaithersburg Sears/Great Indoors, Landover Sears rebuild & call center (115 jobs lost), Baltimore Kmart on Wabash Avenue (107 jobs lost).

Massachusetts: North Reading Sears Hardware store closed, lease not renewed, Milford Kmart (80 jobs lost),
Kingston Kmart (73 jobs lost).

Michigan: Novi Sears/Great Indoors, Brighton Sears Grand/Essentials, Harper Woods Sears Full line, Monroe Sears Full line, Adrian Sears Full line, Washington Township Kmart, Chesterfield Kmart, Woodhaven Kmart, Saginaw Kmart on Bay Road, Flint Kmart on Dort Highway (46 jobs lost), Gaylord Kmart (48 jobs lost), Sterling Kmart (58 jobs lost), Bloomfield Township Kmart and Sears, Bad Axe Kmart (61 jobs lost), Ypsilanti Township Kmart (83 jobs lost), Petoskey Kmart (45 jobs lost), Saint John’s Kmart (48 jobs lost), White Lake Township “Store of the Future” Kmart (42 jobs lost), Grand Blanc Kmart (49 jobs lost), Lapeer Kmart (56 jobs lost), Southgate Kmart (155 jobs lost), Detroit’s Telegraph Road Kmart (115 jobs lost), Waterford Township Sears (no word on how many jobs lost), Rochester Hills Kmart (77 jobs lost), ‘perfect Kmart town’ of Port Huron Kmart (188 jobs lost), Flint Kmart on Miller Road (81 jobs lost), Burton Kmart (85 jobs lost), Madison Heights Kmart (179 jobs lost), it’s now obvious the last remaining Saginaw Kmart on Gratiot will remain shutdown after its roof collapsed during a snowstorm back in January, Ann Arbor Kmart (59 jobs lost), Iron Mountain Kmart (54 jobs lost), Bangor Township Sears aka Bay City Mall Sears, the Auto Center was already secretly shutdown some time ago (at least 47 jobs lost), Big Rapids Kmart (about 50 jobs lost).

Minnesota: Willmar Kmart, Duluth Kmart, New Hope Kmart, White Bear Lake Kmart, Bemidji Kmart, Monticello Kmart, GGP owned Sears Auto Center in the Apache Mall closed (10 jobs lost), the entire Sears store in the Apache Mall being sold off, Fergus Falls Kmart (40 jobs lost), Fergus Falls Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Alexandria Kmart (46 jobs lost), Grand Rapids Kmart (61 jobs lost), Seritage is selling off three Sears Auto Centers in Minnetonka, Brooklyn Center and Saint Paul, Marshall Kmart (57 jobs lost), Oakdale Kmart (77 hourly wage employees losing their jobs, unknown how many salaried employees will become unemployed), Winona Kmart (67 jobs lost), Minneapolis city officials trying to shutdown profit making Nicollet Avenue Kmart, to make way for a new road. Anoka Kmart (47 jobs lost), Blaine Kmart (60 jobs lost), Burnsville Kmart (62 jobs lost), Waite Park Kmart (57 jobs lost).

Mississippi: Jackson Sears Full line, McComb Sears Full line, Columbus Sears Full line, Gautier Sears (71 jobs lost), Waveland Gulfport Kmart (32 jobs lost), Pass Road Gulfport Kmart (52 jobs lost), Pascagoula Sears at the Singing River Mall.

Missouri: Lee’s Summit Sears Grand/Essentials, Saint Louis Sears Full line, High Ridge Kmart (59 jobs lost), Ellisville Kmart (55 jobs lost), Springfield Kmart on South Campbell Avenue (60 jobs lost), South Belt Kmart (64 jobs lost), Florissant Kmart (100 jobs lost).

Montana: Missoula Kmart (50 jobs lost), Great Falls Kmart (closed “until further notice” due to fire, 63 jobs on hold), Great Falls Sears store & Auto Center (65 jobs lost), Bozeman Kmart (37 jobs lost).

Nebraska: Grand Island Kmart (55 jobs lost), Omaha Kmart near West Maple Road (50 jobs lost).

Nevada: Sparks Kmart distribution center (100 jobs lost).

New Hampshire: Nashau Sears Grand/Essentials, Keene Sears Grand/Essentials, Portsmouth Kmart (30 jobs lost), Claremont Kmart (59 jobs lost).

New Jersey: Lawnside Kmart (about 80 jobs lost), Howell Kmart (57 jobs lost), Berlin Kmart, Dover Kmart (92 jobs lost), Randolf Kmart (91 jobs lost), Paramus Kmart (74 jobs lost).

New Mexico: Las Cruces Kmart (58 jobs lost), Albuquerque Kmart on Central SW (80 jobs lost), Rio Rancho Kmart (59 jobs lost).

New York: Depew (Lancaster?) Kmart (68 jobs lost), Colonie Kmart (72 jobs lost), Fulton Kmart (51 jobs lost), Clifton Park Kmart (74 jobs lost), Latham Kmart (61 jobs lost), East Greenbush-Rensselaer Kmart (70 jobs lost), Tonawanda Sears Appliance and Hardware, Bronx Sears (91 jobs lost), BBN reader reported that the Ithaca Sears and Auto Center shutdown and one month later it’s been officially confirmed (at least 37 jobs lost), DeWitt Kmart (92 jobs lost), Auburn Sears (51 jobs lost), Massena Sears and Auto Center (51 jobs lost).

North Carolina: Cary Kmart (71 jobs lost), High Point Sears, Moorehead Sears, Rocky Mount Sears, Statesville Sears, Durham Kmart (79 jobs lost), Asheville Kmart (53 jobs lost), West Smithfield Kmart (59 jobs lost), Winston-Salem Kmart (69 jobs lost), Hendersonville Kmart (58 jobs lost), South Ashville Kmart on Hendersonville Road, Raleigh Kmart (88 jobs lost), Garner Kmart, Cleveland County mall Sears (56 jobs lost), Charlotte Kmart (89 jobs lost), Conover Kmart (74 jobs lost), Raleigh Kmart on Capital Boulevard (53 jobs lost), High Point Kmart (71 jobs lost), Boone Kmart (41 jobs lost), Greensboro Kmart (96 jobs lost), Gastonia Sears store & Auto Center (65 jobs lost), Kinston Kmart (64 jobs lost), Cary Sears (66 jobs lost).

North Dakota: Jamestown Kmart (45 jobs lost), Dickinson Kmart (41 jobs lost, despite a “Now Hiring” sign on the front of the store).

Ohio: Chagrin Falls Kmart, Springfield Kmart, two Toledo Kmarts, Medina Kmart, Columbus Kmart, Columbus Sears/Great Indoors, Zanesville Sears (67 jobs lost), Trotwood Kmart (71 jobs lost), Austintown Sears auto parts and service on Interstate Boulevard, London Kmart (no word on number of jobs lost), Trotwood Sears (67 jobs lost), Westlake Kmart/Sears (at least 57 jobs lost), Xenia Kmart (at least 57 jobs lost), Norwalk Kmart (52 jobs lost), Blue Ash Kmart (77 jobs lost), Northwood Sears at Woodville Mall (36 jobs lost), Conneaut Kmart (43 jobs lost), Anderson Township Kmart (71 jobs lost), Brooklyn Kmart (200 jobs lost), Columbus Lockbourne Industrial Parkway Sears distribution center (200 jobs lost), also in Columbus, Sears Product Rebuild-Call Center (112 jobs lost), Marion Sears Auto Center (at least nine jobs lost), Springfield Kmart #3767 (68 jobs lost), Fairborn Kmart (66 jobs lost), Solon Sears & Auto Center (at least 53 jobs lost). Also, Van Wert Sears franchise bought out by Kirk Berryman, owner of Computer & Networking Technologies (CNT), who plans on moving the store to a new location.

Oklahoma: Oklahoma City Sears (98 jobs lost, GGP owned, GGP wants a $2 million sales tax rebate, claiming it’s needed to offset capital investments needed to bring the space up to the standards for potential new tenants), Shawnee Sears (31 jobs lost), Sand Springs Kmart (52 jobs lost), Muskogee Sears (60 jobs lost), Enid Sears and Auto Center (at least 38 jobs lost).

Oregon: Roseburg Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Tualatin Kmart Center (new property owner from California is tearing everything down for new shopping center, so far no indication the Kmart will be part of the new shopping center), Milwaukie Kmart (61 jobs lost), Coos Bay Kmart (25 jobs lost), Bend Sears (48 jobs lost), Klamath Falls Kmart (64 jobs lost), Albany Kmart (64 jobs lost), Portland Sears Homes Services (no notice), Albany Sears (57 jobs lost), in October a BBN reader warned that Oregon City Kmart was being quietly shutdown, confirmed on 06 November 2014 by Sears Holdings (70 jobs lost).

Pennsylvania: Upper Darby Sears Full line, Pottstown Sears Full line, Pittsburgh Kmart, Wilkins Sears, Warminster Kmart (85 jobs lost), Shippensburg Kmart (46 jobs lost), Moon Kmart (143 jobs lost), Bethlehem Township Kmart (62 jobs lost), Philadelphia Gallery Mall Kmart (120 jobs lost), Philadelphia Kmart on Orthodox Street and Castor Avenue (169 jobs lost), Levittown/Middle Township Kmart (87 jobs lost), Waynesboro Kmart (43 jobs lost), Sanatoga-Lower Pottsgrove Kmart (65 jobs lost, the store was also advertising for new hires!), West Mifflin Sears store & Auto Center (88 jobs lost), Rochester Kmart (78 jobs lost), Frazer (Pittsburg Mills Mall) Sears and Auto Center (97 jobs lost), Bloomsburg Sears (57 jobs lost), Frackville Sears and Auto Center (84 jobs lost), North Cornwall Township Sears (51 jobs lost), King of Prussia Sears and Auto Center (no word on number of jobs lost), Lebanon Sears (51 jobs lost), Chambersburg Sears and Auto Center (62 jobs lost).

South Carolina: Sumter Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Orangeburg Sears (57 jobs lost), Columbia Kmart on Fort Jackson Boulevard in 2012, Columbia Kmart on Bush River Road in 2009, Columbia Kmart on St Andrews Road (66 jobs lost), Irmo Kmart (no info on how many jobs lost), both Greenville Kmarts (140 jobs lost between the two), Mount Pleasant Kmart (43 jobs lost), Harbison Sears & Sears Auto Center in the Columbiana Centre mall (97 jobs lost), Aiken Sears & Sears Auto Center (at least 54 jobs lost), Inlet Square Mall Kmart (50 jobs lost), West Ashely Kmart (69 jobs lost), Myrtle Beach Kmart (59 jobs lost).

Tennessee: Antioch Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Cleveland Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Oak Ridge Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Hendersonville Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Morristown Sears (about 70 jobs lost), Clinton South Kmart, Franklin Cool Springs Galleria Sears (92 jobs lost), Memphis Hickory Ridge mall Sears (job loss data not revealed), 48 years old Nashville Kmart on Nolensville Pike to close by January 2014 (57 jobs lost), Franklin Kmart (33 jobs lost), Dickson Kmart (65 jobs lost).

Texas: Two Sears parts and repair centers closing in The Woodlands (117 jobs lost), rebuild center in Garland (58 jobs lost), Farmers Branch Sears/Great Indoors, Houston Sears Great/Indoors.

Utah: Murray Sears (for some reason Mormon controlled news media in Utah never reported the closure, but they reported that the building was demolished), Orem Kmart (no details reported), Woods Cross Kmart (54 jobs lost).

Vermont: Rutland Sears store & Auto Center (65 jobs lost).

Virginia: Norfolk Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Midlothian Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Richmond Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lynchburg Sears (84 jobs lost), Fairfax Kmart (no word on how many jobs lost), Christiansburg Sears (59 jobs lost), Norfolk Kmart on East Little Creek Road (77 jobs lost), Manassas Kmart (71 jobs lost), Stafford Sears Hometown, Newport News Kmart (at least 50 jobs lost), Wise Kmart (58 jobs lost), Harrisonburg Kmart (79 jobs lost), Wincester Kmart (91 jobs lost), Dale City Kmart (69 jobs lost), Chesapeake Sears and Auto Center (82 jobs lost), Front Royal Kmart (88 jobs lost).

Washington: Walla Walla Sears Full line (in August 2012, it was reported that an independent owner of Sears Hometown stores will open a store in Walla Walla), Lacey Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Kelso Sears (47 jobs lost), Lakewood Kmart (59 jobs lost), Bellingham Sears (92 jobs lost), Seattle Kmart (85 jobs lost), East Wenatchee Sears (59 jobs lost), Puyallup Kmart (51 jobs lost), Oak Harbor Kmart (68 jobs lost), Sodo Sears and Sears Auto Center (79 jobs lost), Everett Kmart (65 jobs lost), Marysville Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost).

West Virginia: Oak Hill Kmart (59 jobs lost), Morgantown Kmart (100 jobs lost), Bluefield Sears store & Auto Center (64 jobs lost).

Wisconsin: West Baraboo Sears (at least 40 jobs lost, local village officials say the store generated 3% of local tax collections), Rice Lake Kmart (about 71 jobs lost), Brookfield Kmart (56 jobs lost), Racine’s Regency Mall Sears (52 jobs lost), Fort Atkinson Kmart (51 jobs lost), Greenfield Kmart (107 jobs lost), Portage Kmart (78 jobs lost) and Hales Corner (129 jobs lost), Chippewa Falls Kmart (79 jobs lost), Menomonie Kmart (at least 50 jobs lost), Ashwaubenon Kmart recently revealed now owned by Green Bay Packers, will be torn down (80 jobs lost), Shawano Kmart (55 jobs lost), Fond du Lac Sears (42 jobs lost), Glendale Sears store & Auto Center (86 jobs lost), Janesville Kmart (70 jobs lost), Glendale Sears Rebuild center (67 jobs lost), recently revealed Sheboygan Sears & Auto Center (at least 31 jobs lost).

On top of that, Sears Holdings sold stores to General Growth Properties (GGP), of which it has been reported that most of those stores will be closed.

Here’s the list of 11 Sears stores now owned by GGP:

Iowa: Coral Ridge Mall (it’s official the Sears is closing, see above), and Mall of the Bluffs

Texas: The Woodlands Mall (this does not involve the two repair centers being closed by Sears)

Florida: West Oaks Mall

Utah: Fashion Place, and Provo Towne Centre (note the evil British empire way of spelling town & center. Due to a favorable lease agreement the GGP owned Provo Sears will continue to stay open under Sears Holdings management)

Oklahoma: Quail Springs Mall (it’s official, the Sears closed, see above)

Hawaii: Ala Moana Center (closed, see above)

Washington: Bellis Fair Mall (Bellingham store, see above)

Minnesota: Apache Mall (see update above, GGP will close Sears store by 2014)

Illinois: Market Place Shopping Center (see update above, GGP closing store)

Business/Economics

U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings, 04 September 2014: “This is the first phase, there could potentially be additional phases.” Secret Obamacare rule changes kill 340 jobs! Is hope lost for one food bank? No more chocolate? Cabinet & countertop maker calls in the fuzz before firing employees!

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

California: In San Diego, The Active Network warned it will layoff 47 people in November.  In Sunnyvale, subsidiary of taxsucking Boeing, Narus, warned it will kill 17 jobs in November.

Colorado: In Wheat Ridge, after 26 years Gold’s Corner Grocery store shutdown.

Connecticut: In Bridgeport, British empire Scotland (RBS) owned Too Big to Jail Citizens Financial Group killing 126 jobs by the end of October!  Operator of homes for mentally and physically disabled people, REM Connecticut, announced they’re shutting down 32 homes by Xmas 2014, 340 jobs lost!  The pissed-off administrators directly blamed secret rule changes in Obama Care: “We have recently learned of several changes that negatively impact our level of reimbursement and as a result we’ve made the tough decision that we can no longer continue to provide the level of service that we believe is in the best interest of our clients.”-Paul Catalodo, executive director

Florida: In Miami-Dade County, Too Big to Jail JPMorgan Chase Bank shutting down an office.  Bank administrators say they must consolidate operations.  In Tampa, One Call Care Management announced they are shutting down their call center between October 2014 and summer of 2015, at least 99 jobs lost.   Wounded Warriors considering moving its HQ to a new county, meaning at least 500 jobs will be lost in Duval County!  Rival Saint Johns County is offering the greedy supposedly non-profit veterans organization a huge taxpayer funded grant (half a million U.S. dollars!) to leave Duval County.

Indiana: Electronics company Samtec announced they are consolidating operations, no indication how many people will become unemployed.

Iowa: After 83 years (surviving the Great Depression and numerous recessions) Camp Fire Camp Hitaga shutdown, destitute and broke.  It’s blamed on raptured (disappearing) campers; at one time the camp had 200 campers per week, but in the past two years the camp was lucky to see 150 campers for the entire summer!

Kansas: Elitist Homestead Country Club now chapter 11 bankrupt busted, in an attempt to stop foreclosure.

Mississippi: The state Department of Education laid off 30 employees without notice, including the boss of the Office of School Improvement.  Mississippi DoE spokewoman Patrice Guilfoyle said “This is the first phase, there could potentially be additional phases.”

New Mexico:  In Clovis, after 46 years family owned grocery store Stansell’s Thriftway shutdown.

Ohio: Drugs maker Ricerca Biosciences is up for sale and if nobody buys, then at least 200 people will become unemployed!  Job culling will begin in October, it’s blamed on crashing sales.

Oklahoma: In Tulsa, after 11 years LaDonna’s Fancy Foods store shutdown.

Pennsylvania:  In Hazleton, Archer Daniels Midland killed 90 chocolate maker jobs after being taken over by evil food processor Cargill.  Local news reports say the remaining 118 Umpa Lumpas are in limbo as Cargill has made no announcement about what they’re going to do with their newly acquired chocolate factory.  Cargill administrators say they are in the middle of a $440-million deal involving taking over food factories around the World.  Their plan is to consolidate operations, which means massive layoffs, possibly in the thousands.

South Carolina: In Columbia, hope is lost for the Harvest Hope Food Bank.  They have to layoff ten employees, and reduce hours for the other 78.  The operators of the po-folks food non-profit claim it’s not because of decreased donations, rather demand for food has skyrocketed, and they had some equipment breakdown which must be repaired.

Texas: What housing market recovery?  In Dallas, Riverstone Residential Group announced they will kill 101 jobs by the end of October!  It’s blamed on the loss of an apartment management contract.   Temple based maker of kitchen cabinets and countertops Wilsonart Laminates laid off 43 employees, without notice: “On my way leaving, they stopped me, and told me that we needed to have a meeting, and they terminated me when we had the meeting.”-unnamed employee interviewed by local TV news

Employees were told about their unemployment as they were leaving work.  Local news reports said the gut-less company administrators actually called in police for protection on the day they fired their workers!  The company is restructuring their operations to meet  crashing demand.  The unAmerican Wilsonart is one of many corporations that have off-shored jobs to China.

Virginia: In Fredericksburg, non-profit Mary Washington Healthcare laid off 66 healthcare workers without notice: “This came as a complete shock! Everyone had their mouths open!”-hospital employee who refused to be named by local news media

(obviously healthcare workers haven’t been reading my job losses reports, or they would be well aware of the Obama Care job destruction)

Hospital administrators said they’re also cutting pay for 46 other employees.  157 employees will be transfered elsewhere!  Non-profit Mary Washington Healthcare has lost $31-million since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (Obama Care).

Washington: Denmark based drugs pusher Novo Nordisk announced they’re shutting down their Seattle inflammation research center by November, killing 63 jobs.   In Bellevue, JCPenney announced they will shutdown their 55 years old store by November.

01-03 September 2014

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shutdown. It doesn’t count people who get a severance for being laid off.

“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

Business/Economics, Idaho

U.S. Food Crisis, June 2014: “When all you can see is the negatives….it’s time to bail out!” It’s only getting worse!

Incomplete list of announced United States food supply shutdowns for the month of June, 2014: Many food suppliers/distributors are consolidating operations and killing jobs due to the collapsing grocery store and restaurant industries, as well as rising costs of food production.

Alaska: The Kake Gunnuk Creek hatchery shutdown.

Arizona: In Tempe, after almost 20 years Big Fish Pub shutdown. Local news reports say it is the result of years of disputes between the Pub owners and the property owners. The Pub owners stated in a long letter to their customers that the property owners finally jacked up the rent so high, it was impossible to pay.    It’s been revealed that Nellis Management will be shutting down Long John Silver’s restaurants in Arizona.   California based Mimi’s Cafe shutdown.

California: Despite being a major agricultural center, El Centro has the second highest rate of unemployment in the U.S., at 21.1%!  In Modesto, cereal maker Post announced they’re shutting down in September, 58 jobs lost.  In Oakland, Dobake Bakeries announced they will shutdown in August, 221 jobs lost! In Los Angeles, Wolfgang Puck announced it will kill 76 jobs in July.  In Palo Alto, a California Pizza Kitchen announced it will shutdown in August, 52 jobs lost.  In Beverly Hills, after 27 years the upscale snooty Kate Mantilini restaurant shutdown.  In Costa Mesa, S.B. Restaurant revealed they have already shutdown 16 Elephant Bar Global Grill/Wok Kitchen restaurants across the country. The company is bankrupt and hopes somebody can buyout the rest of the restaurants soon, or they’ll all be shutdown.  In Lake Forest, dairy flavorings provider Kerry Flavor Systems revealed they will shutdown in September, 85 jobs lost. It might be connected to Kerry’s takeover of Wynnstar Flavors.   In Laguna Niguel, Kroger owned Ralph’s grocery store shutting down in July. In Newport Beach, after ten years successful Z Pizza shutdown by the landlord. The property owner refused to renew the lease. In Irvine, Red Brick Pizza forced to shutdown by the same property owners that shutdown Z Pizza. A Denny’s restaurant is being shutdown because the property owner (apparently the same one who shutdown the two pizza joints) refuses to renew the lease.

Florida: After 28 years, Grandy’s restaurant announced they’re shutting down in August.   In Broward County the company that runs the local Five Guys burger joints, ASCI Broward, is now chapter 11 bankrupt busted, 120 jobs threatened! It’s blamed on a lawsuit filed by investors.  In Orlando and Fort Myers, The Elephant Bar Global Grill shutdown (see California).  In Sarasota, upscale golf themed Sam Snead’s American Grill shutting down. Employees were given two weeks notice, but were also “ordered” not to talk to the news media.   Emilio and Gloria Estefan’s Bongos Cuban Cafe shutdown. They could not renew the lease.

Georgia: After 27 years upscale snooty elitist Vinings Club restaurant shutdown. The shutdown was revealed by one of the 871 exclusive members. 40 jobs lost, it’s being blamed on financial reasons which forced the sale of the restaurant.

Hawaii: In Kauai, after 98 years the Kojima grocery store shutdown. The family owners blamed decreasing sales and increasing costs of operations.  In Maui, after 47 years Buzz’s Wharf restaurant shutdown. The owner blamed the bad economy.

Idaho: In Twin Falls, after only two years of production at the World’s largest yogurt factory Chobani laid off an undisclosed number of employees. Officials say the layoffs are because production quotas were reached (in other words the former employees did their jobs well)! But wait, more layoffs could be in the planning! Chobani officials told local news media that the factory was still using hundreds more employees than they really need. The new factory was designed for 400 employees, but state employment officials estimate there are between 500 and 1-thousand people working the successful operation.

Illinois: In Galesburg, the Long John Silver’s fast fish food joint shutdown without notice, 10 jobs lost. Employees were officially notified the same morning that the restaurant was shutdown. The franchise owner, Nellis Management, said the store was losing money big time. Nellis Management also said sales at their other 31 Long John Silver’s (across four states) began crashing in 2013, and they plan on shutting more stores down as a result.  In Northbrook, Swizterland based Nestle’s shutdown their DiGiorno pizza and Jack’s Frozen Pies factory, 66 jobs lost. They are consolidating operations.  In Quincy, after 134 years (surviving dozens of recessions and the Great Depression) farm supply store Geo. Keller & Sons shutdown, 21 jobs lost. Family owners said their sales have been crashing for too many years in a row.  In Alton, after 37 years White’s Greenhouse and Seasons Garden Center shutdown. In Lakeview, after ten years the Pie Hole Pizza Joint shutdown. The owner blames it on a combination of the purchase of faulty kitchen equipment and the crashing economy: “The last two years have just been really hard.”-Doug Brandt

Iowa: Another Long John Silver’s franchise going down, this time in The Hawkeye State. After 42 years Nellis Management announced they are shutting down at least eight of their Iowa stores (as well as their Illinois stores, reported in a prior Job Losses report). As in Illinois, news reports said Iowa employees were given no notice. Nellis Management claims they’ve suffered as much as 50% drop in sales! They blame a scientific report which dubbed Long John Silver’s the “worst restaurant” in the U.S.

Kansas: In Kansas City, after 58 years Lipari Brothers Thriftway grocery store shutdown. They blame competition from bigger grocery stores.   In Leawood, a Hy-Vee grocery store shutdown, however the pharmacy is still open. Company officials wanted to remodel the store but blame city officials for playing games with permits and/or zoning laws.

Louisiana: After 55 years the Piccadilly Cafeteria in the Westmoreland Village Shopping Center shutdown. Does it have something to do with the new Catholic owners of the shopping center, or the new New York based owners of the Piccadilly chain?  In New Orleans, gelato shop La Divina Gelateria shutdown. The owners say they are focusing on wholesale ops only.

Maryland: In Baltimore two restaurants, California based Pabu and Lamill, shutdown.

Massachusetts: In Springfield, after 79 years (and surviving the Great Depression) The Student Prince Café & Fort Dining Room shutdown. It was sold off.   In Easton, after 60 years McMenamy’s Hamburger House shutdown. The building was sold. In Haverhill, Archie’s Little River Ale House shutdown.  In Woburn, Kraft Foods announced they are shutting down a 95 years old food factory in 2016, at least 200 jobs will be lost! Company officials say it’s the only way they can remain “competitive” in the global market.

Michigan: At the Detroit Metro Airport a contract with Chili’s Too, Jose Cuervo Tequileria, Home Team Sports and Starbucks Fountain was ended. If a new contract is not signed 135 jobs will be lost in August!

Minnesota: There are reports that the international food giant General Mills has a secret cost cutting (job killing?) plan in the works, due to crashing sales.  After more than 25 years Campus Pizza & Pasta now chapter 11 bankrupt busted.  In Minneapolis, after 32 years Falafel King shutdown. The owner sold off the building because he was “tired” of playing the landlord game.  Sky Ventures warning it will shutdown six Pizza Huts in June, if there are no buyers. Sky Ventures is bankrupt, the franchise company has already sold off 54 Pizza Huts.

Mississippi: According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture 20.9% of Mississippians are unable to buy enough food.

Missouri: In Saint Louis, after 12 years Lemmons Bar & Club shutdown, the owner Mike Gross explained that “When all you can see is the negatives and you can’t see the positives, it’s a good indication that it’s time to bail out!”   In Clayton, Brazikat restaurant shutdown. The owner blames bad reviews, however, it turns out the owner is being sued for breach of contract. In Richmond Heights-Saint Louis, after 18 years the troubled Harvest Restaurant shutdown. The owner blamed competition, however, the restaurant had routinely changed ownership for some reason.  In Saint Louis, food processor ConAgra killing 130 jobs! It’s blamed on its takeover of Ralcorp.  In Kansas City, after only four years Pandolfi’s Deli shutdown.

Nebraska: In Omaha, food processor ConAgra killing 100 jobs! It’s blamed on its takeover of Ralcorp.

Nevada: In Las Vegas, after only four years the West Sahara Firefly Tapas and Kitchen Bar shutdown.  In Sparks, after 18 years Scolari’s Food & Drug shutdown, 50 jobs lost. Company officials say the shutdown is meant to “keep the company….viable”.

New Mexico: In Santa Fe, Bumble Bee’s Baja Grill shutdown.  In Albuquerque, Maloney’s Tavern shutdown, 25 jobs lost. Apparently the property owner wants to sell off the building.

New York: In New Hyde Park, the Stop & Shop Supermarket announced they’re shutting down in September, 162 jobs lost!  Stop & Shop Supermarkets also warned they’re shutting down their Mount Vernon warehouse ops, 239 jobs lost! Also in Mount Vernon, grocery delivery company Peapod killing 239 jobs in September, because they’re moving to New Jersey!  In NYC, Rouge Tomate restaurant announced it will shutdown in August, 105 jobs lost!  In Corning, World Kitchen warned of mass layoffs at its Pressware dinnerware factory. The Pressware factory started in 1938 making Pyrex, there are reports that this last U.S. owned dinnerware company is being sold off. In Rome, after 33 years B&L Italian Bakery shutdown.   In Brooklyn, prepared meals provider Blue Apron laying off 82 people in September. Company officials announced they’re moving to New Jersey.  In Yonkers, after only two years Brio Tuscan Grille announced they will shutdown in August, 78 jobs lost. Restaurant officials blame the suck-ass economy.

North Carolina:  In Charlotte, after 15 years Miro Spanish Grille shutting down in July. The property owner refused to renew the restaurant’s lease.

North Dakota: What oil boom? In Fargo, after 34 years Happy Joe’s Pizza and Ice Cream shutdown. The owner blamed health problems and the bad economy saying his business was no longer “cutting it”.

Ohio: Food processor ConAgra killing 170 jobs! The company is shutting down two popcorn factories. It’s blamed on its takeover of Ralcorp.

Oregon: In Forest Grove, Izgara Middle Eastern Cuisine shutdown. The Jewish owners said they’ve already bought their airline tickets to Florida.

South Dakota: It’s been revealed that Nellis Management will be shutting down Long John Silver’s restaurants.

Tennessee: In Chattanooga, Farley’s & Sathers candy factory laid off 95 Umpa Lumpas, I mean employees. The Chicago based owners (Ferrara Candy) are moving production to candy factories in Illinois. News reports say that over the past five years Ferrara Candy has killed 200 jobs at their Farley’s & Sathers candy factory!  In Oak Ridge, the Food Lion grocery store shutdown, 40 jobs lost.

Texas: Near Dallas, a six years old Jakes Hamburgers shutdown. The owners blame the location, and claim most of the employees were moved to other Jakes locations.  7-Eleven selling off 78 convenience stores across the U.S. It’s part of the Texas based company’s new “business model”.   In Houston, one of three upscale Brio Tuscan Grille restaurants shutdown without notice. The Saint Genevieve bar was shutdown without notice. They’re reports that many eateries are being shutdown for property re-development.  In Austin, Paggi House restaurant shutdown, the owner blames “progress”.  Garrido’s restaurant shutdown, the owner wants to try something new.

Virginia: In Stauton, after 77 years Jimmy Anderson’s Food Mart shutdown.

U.S. Food Crisis, May 2014

Business/Economics

U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings, 01 – 03 September 2014: High school drop-outs see 46% decline in wages! School district turns to used car sales? More state & city government ass-holes killing off jobs! “Most of these churches, if you go into them, you see very small congregations…” God’s rapture kills another church?

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

California: Corporate executive security company, Security Industry Specialist, warned they will kill off 335 jobs in October!  San Francisco based legal drugs pusher Exelixis warned it will kill 160 jobs!  The company’s drug for a specific type of thyroid cancer failed to work on prostate cancer.   More proof the internet is not killing brick-n-mortar stores; Los Angeles based internet women’s clothing company Nasty Gal laid off at least 28 employees.  Company officials said it was part of their “vision of the future”.  In Burbank, Warner Brothers movie maker trying to kill hundreds of jobs through buyouts!  It’s blamed on Aussie Rupert Murdock backing out of his takeover offer, and parent company Time Warner’s (Turner Broadcasting) ordering of massive job culling across all its operations.  In Simi Valley, Too Big to Jail Bank of America warned it will kill 36 jobs in October.

Colorado: What housing market recovery?  West Metro Fire Rescue is recommending job killing and a 3% pay cut due to voters rejecting a levy that would have increased local tax funding.  Fire administrators blame their lack of funding on crashing home values.   The ignorant firefighters don’t seem to realize that you can’t squeeze blood from a turnip, in other words the taxpayers are maxed out due to their own crashing revenues and even unemployment!  “It’s the economy, stupid!”-attributed to Bill Clinton

Florida: In Myrtle Beach, after only a few years the Celtic themed Tilted Kilt pub shutdown, despite having 17 years to go on their lease!  According to local reports the franchisee owner sold out to somebody else, and company administrators refuse comment.

Georgia: Fort Valley University laid off 14 employees due to a 38% crash in enrollment ( what I call Disappearing Student Syndrome, DSS).  School administrators said more “tough measures” will follow.

Louisiana: A company connected to the 2010 Gulf (why do so many Canucks and New Englanders pronounce it Golf?) of Mexico oil spill is now chapter 11 bankrupt busted.  Matagorda Island Gas Operations was one of four companies accused last year by federal regulators of refusing to comply with an order to hand over documents relating to the 2010 disaster.  This bankruptcy might be a way the company is trying to get out of paying fines, because its assets far out way its debts.

Maryland: More proof the internet is not killing brick-n-mortar stores; Zenimax Online Studios killed an undisclosed number of jobs, despite claiming to “invest heavily” in its new online game.  In the Port of Baltimore, state administrators killed off plans by CSX Transportation railroad company to use double stacked container cars.  CSX has promoted the plan for five years, saying it’s needed to deal with demands for increased freight shipments, which would have created more jobs.

Michigan: Detroit based Compuware was sold off, company administrators warn massive layoffs to follow. Compuware is now owned by California based Thoma Bravo.  Detroit Public Schools are so desperate they’re now in the business of selling used cars!  Specifically, the school system auctioned off 18 surplus police cars.  I couldn’t find any reports on how the school district got a hold of the former cop cars.  More proof Michigan is a failed state; the Michigan League for Public Policy reports that overall wages have crashed 10% since 1979.  When you break it down by sex and education, low wage earning men saw a whopping 31.2% decline in pay, while adults with no high school diploma saw a 46.3% crash in earnings!  God refuses to stop the shutdown of the Saint Louis the King Church in Detroit.  Catholic administrators blame crashing membership (rapture?): “Most of these churches, if you go into them, you see very small congregations….The contributions, even when merged with all three churches, are very low, so, you can’t maintain everything.”-John Karpiej, 38 year church goer who was apparently ‘left behind’

Missouri:  Noranda Aluminum is killing 200 jobs and halting its expansion of a smelter!  Company administrators blame skyrocketing utility costs.  They even asked the state utility commission to grant a 25% reduction in their electricity bill, which was denied: “The long-term future of this plant depends on our ability to secure an affordable and competitive power rate.”-Kip Smith, CEO

New Mexico: After 35 years Cottonwood Printing shutdown by the city of Albuquerque, 12 jobs lost.  Albuquerque city A-Holes are seizing the property under their Imminent Domain law, so they can build a road.

New York: It was revealed that Obama Care killed jobs with Rural/Metro Medical Services, last month.  Company administrators finally notified the state that they were forced to consolidate their medical billing services, killing off at least 68 jobs.  In Endicott, Jim’s Formal Wear warned it will shutdown in November, 61 jobs to be lost between December and January.   In Bronx, SCO Family of Services’ warned it is shutting down their homeless shelter in November, 27 jobs lost.

North Carolina: I warned back in February that iconic cereal maker Kelloggs was about to launch its job killing operation Project K.  Local news reports say Project K has begun with the first victims, numbering 161, to be made unemployed in January!  The job killing under Project K is said to last until 2018!   Company officials say they’re hopeful they can cut their costs by $475-million over the next four years, meaning they are not optimistic about any economic recovery!  North Carolina’s tax breaks for the TV-Movie industry are proving to be a big fail.  Producers of the series Banshee are moving to Louisiana, blaming it on the high cost of doing business in the Old North State.  State administrators claim they will lose $40-million as a result!

Oregon: In Portland, Produce Row Cafe beer bar shutdown: “It is with a heavy heart that we close Produce Row today for an indefinite hiatus. We understand this is a surprise for many and know that we could not be more grateful for all of your support over the last 40 years.” 

Pennsylvania: In Lemoyne, after 18 years Bob’s Bagels & Philly Style Hoagies shutdown.

Rhode Island: Providence Newspaper Guild killed 22 jobs, it’s the result of being taken over by New Media Investment Group.  Local news reports said non-Guild positions were killed off as well.  After 31 years French restaurant Basil’s of Narragansett shutdown because the greedy property owner refused to reduce the rent.  Local news reports say the owners of the restaurant were active in supporting the community.

South Carolina: In Eutaw, after 29 years Chef’s Choice Steakhouse shutdown: “These are difficult times. Financially, steak prices are really high. It is hard to make ends meet. It was a tough decision for us to make.”-Dareen Bell Connor, co-owner

Utah: In Saint George, Iowa based Blue Bunny shutdown an ice cream factory, 100 jobs lost!   company administrators claim they must consolidate operations back to Iowa to “remain competitive” in this suck-ass economy.

Virginia: Tysons Corner based newspaper USA Today killed more jobs.  This time as many as 70 people rendered unemployed.  Company administrators said they are shifting to “self sufficient reporters producing publication ready copy”, which probably means reporters who can handle all aspects of news gathering like being their own assignment editors, camera operators, writers, copy editors, etc.  (hey, I’ve done that for almost two decades, working for small market NBC TV affiliates, and now BBN!) In Troutville, after 32 years the Waffle House shutdown.  The restaurant owners claim they are moving to a new location that can increase profits, in other words the old property owner wants more rent.

30-31 August 2014

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shutdown. It doesn’t count people who get a severance for being laid off.

“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

Influenza

Influenza Update, 03 November 2014: Flu kills 3 Canadians! U.S. CDC blasts ignorant U.S. doctors! 71% of French refuse vaccinations! More proof vaccines are overrated & all about the money as British empire takes control of U.S. flu shot supply?

Australia: The British empire country is about to take partial control of flu vaccine supply in the United States.  Specifically, Aussie pharmaceutical giant CSL has made an offer to take over Novartis’ North Carolina U.S.A. flu vaccine operations.   Novartis is based in Switzerland and is in big trouble primarily because of numerous revelations that they doctored the effects of their vaccines and drugs.   Many revelations came when employees in Japan blew the whistle on Novartis, revealing that many ‘independent’ lab workers ‘testing’ the drugs were actually undercover Novartis employees, or were being paid off by Novartis!

This is just more proof you can’t trust government health officials when they push you to get vaccinated, and you have to wonder why Australian CSL wants to take over a potentially fraudulent vaccine operation in the U.S.?  I’ll give you a couple of reasons why; Novartis’ North Carolina vaccine ops were just given a big contract by the Obama regime to make ebola vaccines!  Also, officials with CSL openly stated that they expect the future of forced inoculations around the World to make the Aussie drug pushing company $1-billion USD annually, within five years!   It’s all about the money.

Canada: In Alberta Province, three people now dead.  At least 30 people hospitalized, 66 cases confirmed by lab work.  The versions of flu being reported are H1N1, H3N2 and flu B.  Alberta Health Services report that nearly 400-thousand residents are vaccinated. Provincial health administrators are now making vaccinations free to everybody (upfront anyway, they’re actually paid for with taxes the British empire government takes from the people. In the United States people are robbed by both their government in the form of taxes, and by insurance companies, and in most cases they still have to pay upfront for vaccinations! So much for Obama Care).

Frightened by the deaths in western Alberta Province, health administrators in eastern Quebec Province say they’re getting aggressive with vaccinations.  No they’re not going to make them free for everybody, they’re just going to spend more taxpayer money on TV PSAs (Public Service Announcements).

Officials in Quebec claim 300 provincial residents die every year from flu, however I could not find any hard-n-fast facts to back that claim up.  I checked my previous flu season reports and didn’t find any reported death toll that high.  In fact, for the 2013-14 flu season the first reported flu death in Quebec was in January 2014.  The actual death toll is more likely in the dozens, not hundreds.  Oh, and that’s with only 25% of Québécois (including English speakers) getting vaccinated!

Remember, in my last posting I pointed out that a Canadian news source called the ‘official’ flu death toll hyperbole, because it was totally based on computer model simulations, not actual cases.

The Canadian Public Health Agency reporting that the flu A strain known as H3N2 is the most common type of infection.

European Union:  French Institute of Health and Medical Research administrators are freaking out because seven out of ten (71%) French citizens refuse to get vaccinated!  46% of French citizens say they will never ever willingly be inoculated!  According to French news reports this attitude towards vaccines has remained unchanged for years, despite the French government spending bookoo taxes on trying to convince people to get the shot.

For the 2013-14 flu season only 1202 people were hospitalized in France, mostly children under five and old people over 65.  I didn’t see any reports of deaths.

In Neuwied District, Germany, local health administrators report that 2014 has been an uneventful flu season for them: “We had only five reported cases in 2014; one in February, three in March and one in October.”-Hilde Hamm vom Neuwieder Gesundheitsamt auf RZ

The doctors in the Rhineland-Palatinate (home to Neuwied) say the warmer temps for 2014 are keeping flu at bay.  But wait, you mean it’s not the increased vaccination rate in the German state?  Doctors expressed amazement at the high rates of infections in 2013, and so far hardly any in 2014.   Surveys by an insurance agency, DAK, seems to link increased vaccinations rates (over the privious ten years) with increased numbers of people getting sick!  Mmmm, was it the vaccine making people sick (as I postulated last year)?

Israel: Vaccine maker BiondVax has now patented their one stop shop flu vaccine in every major country in the World.  They claim it renders all other vaccines inept: “BiondVax’s vaccine was designed to contain small pieces of the flu virus that do not change as they are required for the virus’s life cycle. These small pieces are enough to teach the human immune system to recognize all flu strains, so that the body quickly stops the virus from causing illness. Based on these findings, BiondVax anticipates that the universal vaccine, when the development stage is completed, will be broadly effective against present and future strains in contrast to current vaccines that are strain specific.”-Tamar Ben-Yedidia

Switzerland (is not a member of the European Union): Studies show most Swiss are refusing to get vaccinated. The Swiss Office of Public Health is also adjusting their vaccination program, targeting only ‘at risk groups’ (kids, chronically ill and old people, estimated to make up 36% of the Swiss population) for voluntary inoculation. Many studies show that healthy ‘working age’ adults do not get any benefit from vaccinations.

Swiss Office of Public Health (Bundesamt für Gesundheit, oder BAG) surveys also show a reluctance by healthcare workers to get vaccinated, despite massive taxpayer funded pro-vaccination campaigns.    Government administrators are also toying with the idea of following the United States and allow pharmacists to give flu shots.

United States: Apparently ignorant U.S. doctors are still presribing antibiotics for virus infections!  The U.S. Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched a campaign to get doctors to stop doing that: “Recently I authored a CDC study that examined clinician treatment practices for outpatients with influenza during the 2012-2013 season. Key findings showed that clinicians commonly underprescribed the influenza antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir, and potentially overprescribed common antibiotics to patients with influenza for whom antiviral therapy would have been most beneficial.

Overall, only 16% of patients with laboratory-confirmed influenza received antiviral treatment, whereas 30% were prescribed one of three common antibiotics. Perhaps even more concerning is that only 19% of patients at high risk for influenza complications and who had respiratory symptoms for fewer than 2 days—a group likely to benefit from antiviral therapy—were prescribed an antiviral medication.”-Fiona Havers, CDC medical officer, read (or watch/listen to) more of her damning report here

In Colorado, reports that the Veterans Affairs medical center in Mesa County has already exceeded the number of flu shots they gave out for all of the 2013-14 flu season!   VA medical administrators blame it on public demand: “We’re doing about 100 to 150 shots a day! Normally this time of year we give 35 to 50 a day.”-Paul Sweeney

The sudden increase in paranoids demanding to be shot up with who knows what this flu season is being blamed on the ebola scare, and the fact that the CDC is now claiming this flu season could the most ‘contagious’ yet!

In Florida, a mom has gone public accusing the flu vaccine of paralyzing her daughter for life.  Her nine years old daughter got vaccinated during the 2013-14 flu season, then four days later developed Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM), which can be caused by influenza, or influenza vaccines.

Update, 24 October 2014: Canadian flu death toll is BullShit! 99% failure rate of Navy vaccination program! 

Business/Economics

U.S. Food Crisis, May 2014: No more KFC, Red Lobster, Pizza kitchen, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Ralph’s, Rainbow, TGI Friday’s??? Where’s the beef-n-cheese?

Incomplete list of announced United States food supply shutdowns for the month of May, 2014: Many food suppliers/distributors are consolidating operations and killing jobs due to the collapsing grocery store and restaurant industries, as well as rising costs of food production.

California: In Atwater, Mi Pueblo Foods shutting down in August, 279 jobs lost! In San Francisco, Grand Cafe shutting down in July, 63 jobs lost.  In West Covina, California Pizza Kitchen announced they are laying off 60 employees in August.  Also,  San Francisco based Golden Gate Capital could be the new owner of Red Lobster restaurants. The agreed to buy it for $2.1-billion USD! However, the sale won’t be finalized until the first half of 2015. No word on what Golden Gate Capital has in plan for the restaurant. The executives of the original owner, Darden Restaurants, blames the sale on pressure from stockholders.  In Riverside, Kroger owned Ralph’s grocery store announced they will shutdown in July, 80 jobs lost. In La Quinta, Kroger owned Ralph’s grocery store announced they will shutdown in July, 60 jobs lost.   In Laguna Niguel, Kroger announced it is shutting down their Ralph’s grocery store in July, 66 jobs lost. In Ventura, New French Bakery/Starbucks Coffee announced they are shutting down in July, 90 jobs lost.

Georgia:  In Tybee Island, after six years Doc’s Bar shutdown due to rent issues.

Illinois:  In Chicago, after only four years Ing restaurant shutdown.  In Bolingbrook, meat processor Quantum Foods lost a major contract. Company officials told 11-hundred employees not to come to work! The company has been losing revenue since 2012.   In Rockford, Schnuck Markets killed 163 grocery store jobs! Schnucks began “restructuring” operations at its two largest stores, and shutdown two smaller stores that were suffering from crashing sales.

Michigan: In Lansing, Cup of Dessert (aka Decker’s Coffee) shutdown.   In Ann Arbor, Kroger grocery store on South Industrial Highway shutting down in June, 103 jobs lost! It sounds like the property owners jacked up the rent, they claim they had rented the property out to Kroger at “dramatically under market” rates for decades and it was time they made a profit.  A 35 years old Le Dog hot dog stand shutdown.   After only four years Mercy’s Restaurant shutdown. The owners blamed the bad economy for creating inconsistent business.  In East Lansing, after 50 years (some reports say 77 years) Goodrich’s Shop-Rite grocery store shutting down in July, 80 jobs lost. It’s blamed on the property owners who have new plans for the property.  In Saline, after 22 years The Drowsy Parrot coffee shop shutdown without notice. Local news reports said employees were just as shocked as customers. There was no explanation from the owner, only confirmation via text message (the owner didn’t even have the guts to tell employees in person).

Minnesota:  Grocery store operator Roundy’s sold off 18 Rainbow grocery stores, 1-thousand jobs affected! At this point the new owners say they will continue operating the stores, but the names might change. The owner of dozens of Minnesota Taco Bells and Pizza Huts is now chapter 11 bankrupt busted! 140 jobs threatened! Border Foods and Sky Ventures already sold off 54 Pizza Huts back in December. They’ve already been sued for $8-million in back due rent! The company is asking the bankruptcy court to allow them to sell off more restaurants. Company officials cry ‘What economic recovery?’: “Sales have remained stagnant, costs have increased….The combination of the factors has led to a condition where the….margins have decreased and making additional capital investments….is not prudent.”-Barry Zelickson, VP

New York: In NYC, Dallas Restaurant Management renovating Fireside Restaurant and Lounge, 38 jobs lost until the renovations are completed.  National 42nd St. Realty/LIR Management shutting down their TGI Friday’s Restaurant, Tim Horton’s/KFC Food Court restaurants in August, at least 130 jobs lost! Company officials blame the bad economy.

North Carolina: In New Bern, after 79 years Maola Milk & Ice Cream announced they will shutdown in July, 98 jobs lost.

North Dakota: In Harvey, after several years of operations (and several shutdowns) the Branded Beef & Pack is being auctioned off on 04 June. The owner, Minnesota based Maas Companies, says the operation cost them more money then they were making: “Due to challenging economic conditions during the start up phase, the plant was forced to cease operations.” 

Ohio: The new company created by the merger of Anchor Hocking and Oneida kitchen ware, EveryWare Global, is in big trouble. Even with huge layoffs and factory shutdowns in Ohio the company is reporting it lost $38.4-million in its first quarter of 2014!  EveryWare Global is based out of New York, and was created by Monomoy Capital Partners.   In Dayton, Ringo’s North Star Mobile Eatery shutdown. The owners admitted that running a food truck doesn’t jive with raising children.

Pennsylvania:  In Monaca, kitchen utensil maker Anchor Hocking laid off 400 employees “temporarily”! Company officials say it is a money saving move. Anchor Hocking was consolidated with Oneida under the new EverWare Global name.

Texas: In Houston, after 19 years Crapitto’s Cucina Italiana shutdown. The property owner sold off the property to a developer who wants to tear everything down.  In Austin, after 36 years the Tamale House shutdown, the owner died.

Vermont: Keurig Green Mountain (aka Green Mountain Coffee) laid off 12 people: “Over the past several months, we have combined our Massachusetts and Vermont-based consumer-facing teams, allowing us to have a single approach to our consumer care. As a result, we expect a reduction in the number of incoming calls the team will handle directly…”

Wisconsin: In Denmark, after more than 32 years butter/cheese maker Land-O-Lakes shutting down their soft cheese factory in July, at least 90 jobs lost. Company officials say soft cheeses are no longer profitable. An employee who worked there since 1982 called it “a kick in the gut”.

U.S. Food Crisis, April 2014

International

World War 3 Afghanistan, 25 – 28 October 2014: More Afghan government personnel attacking their own government? More mystery deaths of U.S. personnel! More proof Islamic State is in Afghanistan!

Badakhshan Province: Afghan police claim they’ve captured 220kg (485 pounds) of refined opium.  In Wardoj District, Mujahideen attacked several police checkpoints.  Government officials report that 17 cops are MIA, believed to now be POWs.  Four cops were killed.  Apparently the district was liberated by Mujahideen, as government officials launched an offensive to retake the area.  Government officials claim they killed 15 Mujahideen in the offensive, and discovered that many of the ‘Mujahideen’ are from Chechnya and Uzbekistan.  The offensive involved U.S.-NATO airstrikes, many civilians claim they were targeted by the airstrikes, with three villagers being wounded.

Helmand Province: In Marja District, Afghan police claim they’ve captured 420kg (925 pounds) of refined opium.  In Nad Ali District, a U.S.-NATO drone airstrike killed two men on a motorcycle.  Villagers say the men were car mechanics on their their way to work.

Herat Province: Mujahideen attacked a police base, killing two cops and wounded dozens more.  Police say the attackers are now holed up in a house, which is surrounded.

Kabul Province: In Kabul City, reports of three artillery rounds impacting the area that is home to embassies and diplomatic missions.  Police say the only casualty was a single tree.   In demonstrations held at Kabul University students were seen waving Islamic State flags.

Khost Province: In Yaqoobi area, an Afghan National Army soldier killed by explosion.

Kunduz Province: At least three men wearing Afghan National Police uniforms attacked a security base, killing six government attorneys and cops, and wounding ten others.  Police say all of the attackers were killed.  Mujahideen admit the men wearing police uniforms were  infiltrators, Mujahideen also report they’ve attacked responding police units using a Kamikaze car bomber.  Mujahideen say their attacks resulted in at least 24 deaths.

Laghman Province: In Qarghayee District, a villager was detained by government security personnel. Witnesses say the villager made a break for it, and the national government cops blasted away at him with machine guns.  The result was that one grade school student was killed, another student and two villagers were wounded by stray bullets.  Apparently the detained villager got away.

Nangarhar Province: In Khogiyani District, witnesses say government contracted security forces (Arbaki) machine gunned a taxi carrying six people.  Four of the passengers were killed, the driver and one other passenger might not survive their wounds.

Parwan Province: In Bagram District, reports that a Kamikaze bomber attacked a government dismounted patrol.  Mujahideen claim it was a U.S. patrol and that eight were killed, six wounded.  No comment from government or U.S.-NATO officials.

Saripul Province: In Kohistan District, at least 25 government contracted security personnel (Arbaki) switched sides and became Mujahideen.

A Washington Post report says the democrat dominated U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee is recommending that U.S. taxpayers be raped for even more money to give away to Afghanistan, “tens of billions” more!

A U.S. Navy Reserve pilot was found dead at the U.S. base in Qatar.  He is the second U.S. officer to die at the base in October.  Qatar is U.S. CentCom’s jumping off point for operations in Afghanistan.  The USNR officer was a couple of years away from retirement, his death is under investigation.

After a few months of deployment, 115 militia-personnel of the Army National Guard’s 1569th Transportation Company (New York) returned to the U.S. from Afghanistan.   While in Afghanistan 40 of the militiamen qualified for Germany’s Armed Forces Badge for Weapons Proficiency (aka Schützenschnur).

After several months of deployment, 208 militia-personnel of the Army National Guard’s 108th Sustainment Brigade (Illinois U.S.A.) returned from Kuwait, where they supported the Afghan occupation.

Militia-personnel of the Army National Guard’s 195th Forward Support Company (Nebraska U.S.A.) will deploy to Afghanistan.

Business/Economics

U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings, 30 – 31 August 2014: “It’s hard work, brother! It’s time to call it quits.” More job killing by property developers! More Obamacare job destruction!

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

Georgia: Troubled Paine College warning of layoffs.  The school is facing accreditation violation charges and what I call DSS (Disappearing Student Syndrome).  The college is short at least $2.4-million USD, and they blame state and federal governments: “These tough economic times are posing unprecedented challenges for colleges and universities like Paine College that have seen changes in federal aid, which include Parent Plus loans, Pell Grants and some state funding.”-George C. Bradley, president

Hawaii: Obama Care killing off 35 healthcare jobs with Hawaii Health Systems Corporation. Hospital administrators said the layoffs will take place in December.  They say Obama
Care (Affordable Care Act) caused them to lose at least $48-million!

Indiana: In Franklin, Indigo Duck restaurant announced they’re shutting  down in September.  The family owners blame the death of the founder last year, and the fact that their lease is expiring and they can’t renew.

Louisiana: In New Orleans, after 22 years the House of Shock haunted house complex announced they’re shutting down after Halloween 2014.  The operators said it’s not worth it to continue: “It’s hard work, brother! People think we’re minting money over there….it doesn’t make sense to do it….We invented the idea of the interactive haunted house. It’s time to call it quits.”-Ross Karpelman, co-founder

Massachusetts: In Springfield, JT’s Sports Pub shutdown: “Unfortunately we have not been able to secure a new lease with our landlord so it’s brought an unfortunate end for us. With the casino coming, he has bigger aspirations and feels he could get far more rent.”-Keith Makarowski, owner

Missouri: 66 dairy workers suddenly unemployed after Hazelwood Prairie Farms Dairy laid them off without notice.  Company officials say the bad economy is forcing them to change their business ‘model’.

Ohio: Middletown has laid off 11 firefighters.  It’s blamed on the Union’s rejection of a generous contract.  A firestation was also shutdown.  Local news reports say the city offered a contract that actually was going to hire on more personnel, the Union rep said he didn’t understand why the Union members voted against the deal.

Texas: In Houston, J Sussan Interiors shutdown.  Local news reports said the owner retired, however, it turns out the entire area is being drastically affected by a huge apartment “tower” building project that’s resulting in many businesses and existing apartments being shutdown!

28-29 August 2014

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shutdown. It doesn’t count people who get a severance for being laid off.

“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

International, U.S.

Ebola Update, 02 November 2014: “We had hoped this wouldn’t happen” Oregon 1st case? China joins Obama, sends in the troops! Korea quarantines everybody! New threat, Mosquitos! This is good for business?

Canada: The British empire’s Great White North joins a growing list of countries banning travelers from ebola hot zone countries.

China: In another move to prove the ‘western’ critics (like the Obama regime) wrong, government officials have now pledged unlimited material and money for the fight against ebola filovirus in western Africa!

Chinese officials are joining with the Obama regime, deciding that this new version of EVD is a matter of national security, and is now sending combat troops to Africa!  To show how tight the cooperation is, the People’s Liberation Army is following the lead of the U.S. Department of Defense and is creating special medical martial law teams (some members have experience fighting SARS), similar to Obama’s Operation United Assistance order.  (see Ghana, below)

Chinese manufacturers of hazmat suits are reporting skyrocketing sales as a result of the ebola scare.

Cuba: U.S. officials attended anti-ebola meetings in Cuba.  Despite the Caribbean country’s world leading healthcare track record (and the fact that no Cuban healthcare worker has yet to get infected with EVD) many U.S. republicans blasted the Obama regime for joining up with Cuban health officials.

Cuba recently hosted an anti-ebola meeting for the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of the Americas-Commercial Treaty of the Peoples (ALBA-TCP).  UN officials were there and commended not only Cuba, but Venezuela as well: “I urge countries in the region and around the world to follow the lead of Cuba and Venezuela, who have set a commendable example with their rapid response in support of efforts to contain Ebola. Cuba’s proud tradition of training doctors from developing countries has also helped improve medical care around the world.”-David Nabarro, UN secretary-general’s special envoy on Ebola

Another UN official blamed the United States for bringing ebola to the ‘New World’: “You are absolutely doing the right thing. You want to step up your level of preparedness.  Last month, the Ebola virus moved to your region, to the United States.  Any country with an international airport is theoretically at risk of an imported case of ebola.”-Margaret Chan, UN World Health Organization

European Union: The British empire’s United Kingdom Disasters Emergency Committee announced they are shocked by the overwhelming amount of donations flooding in to help fight EVD. So far $5-million USD was raised in just two days! The U.K. government promised to match (with taxpayer funds) up to $7.5-million that came by way of donations.

Of course a lot of the money will be spent on the U.K.’s hazmat supply industries.

France is now taking care of a United Nations employee infected with ebola.  The ’employee’ got infected while in Sierra Leone.  The UN is refusing to give out anymore details.

An Italian man was fined almost $2-thousand USD for a “sick joke” he made about ebola, while on an airliner flying to Ireland.  The man wrote Warning Ebola on the lid of a coffee cup he was sharing with his daughter.  I think the fine is a ‘sick joke’.  Court records show no other passengers saw the coffee cup lid!  An airline employee saw the lid after it was thrown in the trash.  However, prosecutors likened the joke to a terrorist writing a note saying there was a bomb on the plane, even though in this case the note was never shown to anybody other than the jokesters themselves!

Ghana: Not only has China agreed to join Obama’s Operation United Assistance, but the People’s Liberation Army Air Force is using the same U.S. airbase in the western African country of Ghana.  Chinese cargo planes recently off-loaded Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), sprayers, body temperature detectors and body bags.  Ghana has yet to have any ebola cases, but is being used as a distribution point by the U.S. and China for those countries that do.

Guinea: A Cuban fighting ebola in the western African country has died, but not from the filovirus. He died from protozoans that cause malaria.

Jamaica: The Caribbean country has recently hired a couple of Cuban healthcare personnel to oversea anti-ebola training for Jamaican healthcare workers.

Japan: An NHK report said Japan’s healthcare system is not ready for an ebola outbreak.  A health official also said the health systems of countries around the World are not ready: “The Japanese government has tightened its border controls. But the root of the problem lies in West African countries. Japan and the rest of the international community should support these countries in two ways: One is to take countermeasures against ebola and the second is to build better healthcare systems for the future.”-Omi Shigeru, Japan Community Healthcare Organization

Korea (DPRK): The ebola threat has scared the leaders in the north so much that they now require 21 days of quarantine for anybody entering the country, regardless of where they’re coming from!  The news was reported by China’s Ministry of Commerce, saying the DPRK had notified them of the new policy.

Liberia: There are reports that the government healthcare system has collapsed. The western African country is now being hit with a malaria outbreak, and NGOs and charities are trying to take up the slack caused by the failed government system.  Mosquitos are rampant, and if they can spread a blood-borne disease like malaria then why not ebola?

In the former U.S. colony, survivors of ebola are being used to care for new victims, but only for three months.  Supposedly a survivor is immune to EVD for a short time of only three months.   However, doctors say the many survivors stick around treatment centers for the three months because they are no longer welcome by their fellow villagers.

A recent claim by the UN World Health Organization, that ebola cases are decreasing, has been shown to be a lie.  The United Nations admits the true reason why their ‘numbers’ are down is because they can’t get to all the clinics or villages, impeding their ability to do an accurate body count!  After all, the UN also says the death toll in Liberia is not decreasing.

Liberian Christian leaders say ebola is God’s punishment for homosexuals.  Isn’t that what Christian leaders said about AIDS?   The Liberian Christians are now using the UN WHO claim that cases are decreasing as proof of God’s “forgiveness”!

A Christian charity estimates that in the capital city of Monrovia they are trying to help at least 157 children now orphaned due to ebola.   Another charity reports they are dealing with 500 ebola orphans.  There are dozens of charities, each working with hundreds of ebola orphans in the Greater Monrovia Area.

Sierra Leone:  Officials are accusing Canada of racism for banning all travelers from the western African country (which is also a former British empire colony).

United States: “We had hoped this wouldn’t happen, We’ve done a lot of work to prepare for an Ebola case.”-Dave Underriner, Providence Health & Services

In the Pacific Coast state of Oregon, a woman visiting from Liberia is now in home quarantine.  She was self monitoring when she noticed a spike in her temp.  She was released from the hospital, into the care of a family who will keep her under quarantine until blood tests results are in.  Officials say the woman claims she hasn’t come into contact with anybody infected.

REVOLUTION IN BURKINA FASO…..IS THIS ABOUT EBOLA, OR THE OIL?

Update, 27 October 2014

Business/Economics

U.S. Food Crisis, April 2014: “…it is clear that the current business environment….cannot be successful.”

Incomplete list of announced United States food supply shutdowns for the month of April, 2014: Many food suppliers/distributors are consolidating operations and killing jobs due to the collapsing grocery store and restaurant industries, as well as rising costs of food production.

Alabama: In Florence, Hillshire Brands announced they will shutdown their sausage factory in December, 11-hundred jobs lost just in time for Xmas! It’s blamed on skyrocketing meat prices.  In Dothan, Wayne Farms kills 560 jobs! The poultry processing company made a deal with its largest customer to supply chicken without deboning it. Turns out the number of people it takes to debone chicken made up more than half its employees!

Arizona: In Tucson, after 55 years Fruit Land Market shutdown. The property owners kicked out the Market owners, so they could sell the land to speculators.

California: In Los Angeles, Contessa Foods failed to file a proper WARN. According to state employment officials the food packager notified the state of a massive layoff the day after it killed 239 jobs! The company shutdown without warning.   In Antioch, Stonyfield Farm laid off 58 employees.  In Bell Gardens, McDonald’s shutdown, 69 jobs lost. In Cudahy, McDonald’s shutdown, 49 jobs lost. In Los Alamitos, McDonald’s shutdown, 90 jobs lost.  In Del Mar, after 46 years Pannikin Coffee & Tea shutdown, the owner blames the landlord: “We’ve been here a long time and we just couldn’t come to an agreement with the mall management on a fair rent so we didn’t renew our lease.”-Shawn Holder

Colorado:  In Delta, Dean Foods announced they must shutdown their Meadow Gold Milk plant, 38 jobs lost. It’s blamed on the lost of a major grocery store customer.

Connecticut:  In New Canaan, after 21 years Forest Street Deli shutdown. The deli owner blames the property owner, who sold the property out from under his feet!

Florida: In Boca Raton, after only nine months 101 Cantina bar shutdown. It’s blamed on constant confrontations between college students and police.

Georgia: In Newnan, Mexico based Bimbo Bakeries shutdown their Colonial Bread Store. The wimp-ass company officials delegated the authority of making the announcement to the store’s cashier!  In Savannah, after ten years Paula Deen’s Uncle Bubba’s Seafood & Oyster House shutdown without notice. It’s blamed on a racism lawsuit brought by a former employee, however, the lawsuit was “dismissed with prejudice and without any award of costs or fees” by the court. Despite that, being called a racist in the United States is worse than being called a terrorist, so down goes the Deen empire. Employees of the restaurant found out when they showed up for work and witnessed everything inside the restaurant being taken away.

Hawaii: In Maui, after more than 20 years Stella Blues Cafe shutdown. The restaurant owner stated that his landlord could no longer cut him a break on the rent.

Illinois: Kraft Foods announced they are killing 285 jobs! Most of those jobs will be in-house trucking jobs, which will now be contracted out.  In Evergreen Park, after 60 years Snackville Junction shutdown. The eatery’s signature was delivering your food on model train cars along a railroad track: “Unfortunately our last days are ahead…..We hope that somewhere somehow the Snackville Junction choo-choo will return…”-Facebook posting

In Urbana, maker of plastic eating utensils Dart Container Company laid off 36 employees.  In Champaign, after less than two years Prairie Fire restaurant shutdown without notice: “If we had days like Sunday every day, we’d still be open. But you will not be a success if your biggest day of the week is Sunday……No more ventures for me!”-Dave Block, burned out restaurant investor

Iowa:  In Beardstown, after more than 30 years IGA (Independent Grocers Alliance) hometown grocery store shutdown, 27 jobs lost: “You know Walmart came to Beardstown about five years ago and the business climate, at least for us, has declined because of that big box store. It’s just deteriorated to the point that it’s not profitable to keep the store open.”-Steve Kremer, owner

Kansas:  In Leawood, after 25 years Hy-Vee grocery store announced it will shutdown in June. Company officials said the store needed $4-million+ in remodeling but the city council actually passed ruling that forces them to shutdown: “In light of the city of Leawood’s recently passed moratorium on new development along the 135th corridor, it is clear that the current business environment in Leawood is one in which Hy-Vee cannot be successful. Two attempts to find a solution acceptable to both parties –one that allows us to continue serving our customers with the products, services and amenities that they deserve and expect — have been resisted by city officials. The first was in May 2013, when we attempted to remodel the store at its current location, and now, our most recent application to build a new store at the corner of 135th Street and Roe Avenue. Because lack of city support prevents us from providing customers with the best shopping experience we have to offer, we will be closing….”

In Lawrence, after 37 years Buffalo Bob’s Smokehouse shutdown: “…the restaurant market in Lawrence is fully saturated.”-Bob Schumm, founder

Kentucky: In Louisville, after only 18 months the relish restaurant shutdown without notice. The owner blamed the small fire safety dictated maximum seating capacity, saying serving a maximum of 53 people at a time wasn’t enough to pay even for overhead.  In Dover, the last grocery store in town shutdown! After more than 45 years Don’s Place (home to the Rock-n-Roll liars bench) closed for good. The owner is going blind, and nobody wants to take over the business.  In Paducah, The Pasta House Italian Restaurant shut down without notice: “…I am unable to continue. Please pray for me, my family and my employees.”-statement posted to front door

Michigan: In Keego Harbor, Jeremy Restaurant & Bar shutting down in May. But this is a success story! The owner said he made so much money that he is going to open an even bigger restaurant.    In Wyoming, after more than 35 years Gordy’s Market & Deli grocery store shutting down in May. 18 family-like employees now unemployed. The owner blames the new Walmart that’s about to open down the street from his store.

Minnesota:  In Mankato, after 33 years Mexican Village restaurant announced it will shutdown in May.  Upscale Fresh Seasons Market grocery store shutdown two stores, one in Victoria and one in Minnetonka. The arrogant owner admitted there isn’t enough rich people to make their format work: “The idea was that it was supposed to be an upscale market, to be able to offer fresh goods and unique ingredients to people and this great shopping experience. We didn’t get a big draw.”-Tom Wartman

Mississippi: In Pontotoc, Southern Quality Meats announced they will shutdown in June, 110 jobs lost! Operations are being consolidated to Alabama.  Abner’s Famous Chicken Tenders now chapter 11 bankrupt busted. In 2004 it was named one of the fastest growing businesses in the Magnolia State. Company officials say sales are not the issue, but necessary daily operating capital from debt financing is being cut off, so they’ve been forced to file bankruptcy by the Too Big to Jail banks.

Missouri: In Saint Louis, a Schnuck Markets grocery store shutting down in May. Company officials said it wasn’t worth it to renew the lease, and they will try to find jobs for the 65 employees.  In Saint Louis, after 53 years property speculators killed the Majestic Restaurant and Bar.

New Jersey: In Medford, Murphy’s Market shutdown a 17 years old grocery store. Company officials blamed the greedy property owner: “After great expense and effort it comes with much heartache, we as a company, were unable to reach a reasonable agreement with the building’s landlord.”

New York:  After ten years the Beast Bar shutdown.

North Carolina: In Gaston, after 42 years Mr. T’s Place restaurant shutting down in May. The owners are demanding to know when the economic recovery is going to take place! In Hendersonville, after 18 years Cypress Cellar restaurant shutdown. The owner said it’s no longer worth the amount of time she puts into the business.

Ohio:  In Riverside, Ponderosa Steakhouse restaurant shutdown without notice. Company officials blamed the property owner for jacking up the rent. They also shutdown a restaurant in Urbana in December. In 2008 Ohio based Ponderosa and Texas based Bonanza restaurants merged (controlled by Homestyle Dining).   In Mason, after 24 years Bob Evans Restaurant shutdown. The corporation is remodeling all Bob Evans restaurants, but a survey of the Mason store revealed it was too old and too costly to remodel so they decided to shut it down. Company officials claim they’ve found jobs for the 40 employees.

Pennsylvania:  In Pittsburgh, Wall Street wunderkind Warren Buffet killed more Heinz jobs. 775 people have been offered buyouts! Reports say the offer is being made to other Heinz operations. Local biased Pennsylvania news media failed to point out that Heinz is now co-owned by Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway. They only mentioned Brazil’s 3G Capital. Hey Pennsylvania news media, why didn’t you mention Warren Buffet’s involvement? By the way, the June 2013 takeover of Heinz by 3G and Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway resulted in an instant killing of 600 U.S. and Canadian jobs, followed by the announcement of several food factory shutdowns and hundreds of more layoffs for the 1st quarter of 2014!   In Intercourse, after who knows how long the iconic W.L. Zimmerman & Sons grocery store shutdown. The store was used in the movie Witness. The owner, Kristine Shirk, blames the bad economy saying “there wasn’t enough margin to work with any more.”

Tennessee:  In Hixson, Nana’s Frozen Custard brick & mortar store shutdown, now for sale. They’ve switched to a mobile truck frozen custard shop. The award winning owners blamed the suck ass economy: “High fixed costs and lower revenue make the current business model unworkable. Our re-opening day sales were disappointing, down approximately 25% as compared to the same date last year.”

Texas: In Houston, after 15 years Dirk’s Coffee (aka Diedrich Coffee) shutdown without notice.

Virginia:   In Lightfoot, after 40 years The Candy Store shutdown.

Washington: In Kelso, after only nine years Chuck E Cheese pizza place shutdown. Company officials said it was a “strategic decision”, meaning the economy sucks. In Seattle, after 25 years Maple Leaf Grill announced it will shutdown in May.

U.S. Food Crisis, March 2014