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International

False Flag: World Bank behind civil wars & Islamic State as French woman is kidnapped in Yemen! IMF puts UAE in charge of Arab Spring countries!

24 February 2015 (17:27 UTC-07 Tango 01)/05 Jumada I-Ula 1436/05 Esfand 1393/06 Wu Yin 4713

“The identity of the kidnappers is not yet known, but in general when foreigners are kidnapped it is a hallmark of al-Qaeda.”-Colonel Mohammad Hizam, Yemen Interior Ministry

Ever wonder why so many ‘western’ citizens are being kidnapped inside countries torn apart by civil wars?   The new question is what are employees, or contractors, of the U.S. based World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) doing inside those same ‘governmentless’ countries?

In January the ‘western’-Saudi-Israeli backed government of Yemen was overthrown by Iranian backed Houthi rebels, not to be confused with the Saudi backed al-Qaeda-Islamic State DAISH (al-DawlA al-Islamiya al-Iraq al-SHam[Syria]) rebels in the same country (yeah notice they’re supported by the same people who supported the government?).  But that didn’t end the civil war, in fact the Obama regime increased drone strikes, and al-Qaeda-Islamic State groups in Yemen suddenly got more weapons-n-ammo and went on the warpath against the Houthis.

Basically their is no ‘western’ recognized government in Yemen, the Houthis are de facto government because they control the capital city Sana’a, yet that hasn’t stopped the New York City based World Bank from conducting business there.

On 24 February 2015 a French citizen working as a contractor for the World Bank was kidnapped, apparently by al-Qaeda-Islamic State types, while attending a meeting in the Houthi controlled Sana’a.

‘Western’ news reports say she is a 30 years old female contractor supposedly working for a World Bank “development project”.  The president of France, François Hollande, even admitted the contractor was on official business when she was kidnapped right in front of a government ministry building in Sana’a, along with her local translator.

In December 2014 the World Bank approved an “emergency”  $90-million USD grant (not a loan) to the ‘western’ backed government of Yemen.   Nobody knows what the overthrown ‘western’ government of Yemen did with the free money.  The World Bank calls such grants Emergency Support to Social Protection Project (ESSPP).  In other words, the World Bank gives free money to pro-‘western’ governments to fight civil wars.

The World Bank admits it has $3.3-billion worth of ‘development projects’ in Yemen.

Since the international overthrow of Muammar Gadaffi in Libya (by the way under his rule there were no ‘Islamic extremist terrorists’ active in Libya) the World Bank has begun at least $3-million worth of ‘development projects’, and isn’t it interesting that since the World Bank got involved the Islamic State (DAISH) in Libya has become a powerful force. In fact life in Libya for the average person has become a living nightmare!

In September 2014, the IMF approved a $553-million loan for the ‘western’ government of Yemen.  It’s part of a larger IMF operation called Arab Countries in Transition (ACT) which include all the countries that have experienced, at some level, a so called ‘Arab Spring’: Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, and Yemen.

Here’s something interesting, the Minister of Financial Affairs for United Arab Emirates (UAE) is considered the acting official for other Arab countries such as Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Maldives (note this country was a British empire colony until 1965, Islamic but not necessarily Arab), Oman, Qatar, Syria and Yemen.  Note that those countries have their own governments, or de facto governments, and at least half are in the midsts of civil war.  Who gave the UAE the authority to represent those countries to the IMF?

Here’s what the UAE financial minister said during the 13th International Monetary and Financial Committee meeting in October 2014: “We therefore appreciate the key messages of the Managing Director’s Global Policy Agenda….For the countries in our constituency [notice this indicates the Arab World has already been divided up by the U.S. led IMF], we broadly concur with the assessment of a favorable but uncertain growth outlook given the exogenous [meaning they originated from outside he region] shocks and policy challenges…oil GDP growth has tapered in line with modest increases in global demand and rising supply in North America. These countries are pursuing strategies to rebalance growth towards more productive public spending and to strengthen the non-oil fiscal balance consistent with the objective of preserving the oil wealth for future generations…..the non-GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] oil producing countries in our constituency (Iraq, Libya, Yemen), domestic strife has adversely affected both oil and non-oil production….We agree with the Fund’s view that domestic reform efforts can be supported by the international community through financing, investments, and enhanced access to markets. We welcome the Fund’s support for Arab Countries in Transition (ACTs) and substantial donor support from the region, and call on the Fund to scale up assistance to these countries….We appreciate IMF contributions to the ArabStat initiative ……as highlighted in the recently completed Triennial Surveillance Review.”-Obaid Humaid Al Tayer

U.S. ally Japan supplies Islamic State with convoys of new Toyotas! 

International

World War 3 Afghanistan, 16 – 21 February 2015: BBC and AP refuse to report government atrocities! Police turning on their masters en masse! Obama regime say U.S. combat troops will stay! Germany wastes more taxpayer cash! More proof corruption starts with the U.S. military!

“Be very careful when someone says they’ve extended the life expectancy by 20 years in Afghanistan. That’s baloney! They don’t collect data. They don’t collect birth and death rates…..The American taxpayer deserves an answer.”-John Sopko, U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR)

Balkh Province: Germany announced it will force its taxpayers to pay for building a engineering university, at a cost of $3.85-million USD.

Bamiyan Province: The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has selected a company out of Argentina to design the new Bamiyan Cultural Center, funding for the project will come from the taxpayers of the U.S. ally of the Republic of Korea (aka South Korea).  But wait, there’s more!  Taxpayers from around the World are paying for the larger Bamiyan World Heritage site.

Farah Province:  Mujahideen report they’ve “liberated” Bakwa District.

Helmand Province: In Sangin District, the Interior Ministry claims Operation Zulfiqar has resulted in 29 Mujahideen killed.  The Defense Ministry also claims Operation Zulfiqar resulted in more than 55 Muajhideen killed and more than 57 wounded in other districts across the province.  Reports out of the town of Malmand that government personnel conducting Operation Zulfiqar burned  2-hundred shops and 22 vehicles!  The government troops were dropped in via helicopter during the night.  Mujahideen rushed to the scene, and battles raged until morning.  Townsfolk say they contacted the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) and AP (Associated Press) and begged them to come document the government assault, but the BBC and AP employees refused.

Kabul Province:  An explosion in the Kabul City’s 9th police state district killed one person and wounded two.  Police say it was caused by a magnetic bomb on a car.  The new U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter paid a visit in Kabul, and stated that at least 10-thousand U.S. and NATO military personnel will remain in Afghanistan.

Kandahar Province: In Maiwand District, battles resulted in six cops being killed.  It’s unknown if any Mujahideen suffered casualties.  In Spin Boldak District, an explosion followed by a 30 minute firefight left at least six people dead and eight wounded.  Police say Mujahideen waited until police showed up, after the shopping center (bazaar) explosion, before shooting.  Mujahideen claim at least 30 people were killed.   In the same district, the Da Afghanistan Bank was robbed by its own manager!  Police say the manager had help from two other employees, the three escaped to Pakistan with just under $1-million.

Kunduz Province:  In Qala-e-Zal District, reports that a battle lasted several hours, but nobody knows of any casualties.  In Khanabad District, a government personnel was sniped by a Mujahid.

Logar Province: The governor reported that four cops turned Kamikaze bombers attacked their own provincial police HQ, killing ten cops and wounding at least eight.  14 policemen have been arrested in connection to the attack, which reveals that even the police don’t trust the U.S. supported government!

Nangarhar Province: In Bati Kot District, the shoe’s on the other foot as Mujahideen are now conducting their own search and destroy operations.  They report they’ve captured one Afghan National Army personnel in their most recent op.  In Khogiyani District, witnesses say a drone hit a taxi with a missile, killing the four people inside.

Zabul Province: In Shinki District, witnesses say cops at two checkpoints randomly fired into nearby Amazi village, wounding one woman.  In Sheikho village, residents say government forces stole six of their motorcycles.

11 – 15 February 2015: Obama backs off troop withdrawal!

United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reports a 22% increase in civilian casualties by the end of 2014.

The Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion 294th Infantry Regiment (Guam U.S. territory) reports that more than six months after their tour in Afghanistan ended there are still 40 of their fellow militiamen undergoing medical care at a U.S. military hospital in Hawaii.  Officers said federal law prevents them from publicizing what kind of wounds they’re suffering from.

Militia-airmen from the Air National Guard’s 142nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (Delaware U.S.A.) returned from Afghanistan.

Militia-airmen from the Air National Guard’s 166th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (Delaware U.S.A.) deployed on a “unique mission” to Kabul airbase in Afghanistan.

The Air National Guard’s 123rd Airlift Wing (Kentucky U.S.A.) deployed to an undisclosed location in the Persian Gulf, for support of ops in Afghanistan and elsewhere.

The Army National Guard’s 950th Engineers (Wisconsin U.S.A.) has been re-assigned to provide security for two air bases in Afghanistan. The unit was deployed to Afghanistan at the end of last year.

The Army National Guard’s  41st Infantry Brigade (Oregon U.S.A.) has “placed a colonel on leave and shut down an Army contracting program in Clackamas following an FBI inquiry.”

Business/Economics

U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings, 07 – 10 February 2015: “You’ll starve to damn death….!” LEGAL immigration kills thousands of jobs in California while Off shoring of U.S. jobs continues!

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

Alabama: Georgia based EarthLink laid off 110 people in Anniston and Arab!

California: It’s being revealed that the thousands of jobs held by U.S. citizens, that Southern California Edison killed off (and continues to kill off), actually went to LEGAL immigrants with H-1B visas!  In Sacramento, Practice Yoga shutdown.  The owner, Jim Cahill, blamed “The business climate and rents in downtown don’t support small enterprise.”

Connecticut: What housing market recovery? In Wallingford, Acuity Brands Lighting issued a WARN saying it will shutdown in April, 93 jobs lost.  It’s part of the company’s consolidation plans.   In Fairfield, after 82 years (surviving the Great deflationary Depression and numerous recessions) Blinn’s toy store shutdown.  The co-owner said the economy is worse now than in 2008: “Things were going pretty normal until about two years ago. Two years ago was bad, but the last year was just terrible!”-Mark Crofutt

Florida: After more than 20 years the Myrtle Beach Flea Market shutdown.   The owner blamed the suck-ass economy: “I’ve lost my butt here in the last five years. I lost my life savings and everything I made here in the six or eight years it was good……You’ll starve to damn death on local business!”-Jim Lee

Idaho: What housing market recovery?  Washington based wood products company Plum Creek Timber announced it will sell-off its Meridian remanufacturing factory in March, at least 61 jobs lost.  I did not find any WARN issued by the company.

Indiana: At the South Bend International Airport, Towne Air Freight was sold-off to Tennessee based Forward Air, layoffs will be next.

Iowa: In Muscatine, Kirlin’s Hallmark shutdown: “…in today’s challenging economic climate, we sometimes have to take the difficult step of closing a location.”

Louisiana: The Gov’na warned that more than 1-hundred state parks employees could become jobless due to crashing tax revenues.  The Pelican State must cut spending by $103.5-million USD before the end of June!  The Gov’na also warned of massive layoffs for the university-higher education system, saying there’s a $1.6-billion shortfall!

Massachusetts: Legal drugs pusher Synta Pharmaceuticals announced it will layoff 20% of its employees.  They laid off workers last year.

Michigan: Ciolino Fruit and Vegetable Market shutdown its Monroe store, saying it wasn’t worth it to renew the lease.  In Northville, decades old Starting Gate Saloon restaurant shutdown and sold-off.

Missouri: What housing market recovery? Ten years old Town & Country Masonry and Tuckpointing now chapter 11 bankrupt busted.

Nebraska: After 19 years the Herbs & More store shutdown. The owner is retiring due to massive competition.

New York: In NYC, GL Bus Lines issued a WARN saying they will layoff 149 people in March!  In Hauppauge, God refuses to stop Obama Care from forcing ‘his’ Catholic Health Services from issuing a WARN saying they will shutdown their Home Support Services in May, at least 40 jobs lost.

North Carolina: The new Brazil based owners of iconic Chiquita is shutting down the Charlotte HQ beginning in April, between 262 and 350 jobs lost! State and local administrators are demanding Chiquita pay back all the tax incentives it got. Brazilian Cutrale and Safra group took over Chiquita late last year.

Ohio: In Lancaster, boiler cleaner Diamond Power International laid off 23 employees.  Union reps said the company is contracting out operations, which could result in more layoffs of in-house employees. Evil Texas based fracking company GoFrac announced it will exit the Utica shale fields near Cambridge, after buying 90 acres and promising to hire 250 people!

Pennsylvania: British empire Canada based clothing retailer Lord & Taylor announced it will shutdown its Wilkes-Barre Township store.  Company administrators blame their own successful internet sales!  The store is being closed so they can expand their warehouse to meet internet sales demands.

South Dakota: Michigan based grocery store owner SpartanNash announced they will shutdown their Rapid City food distribution center in April, 49 jobs lost. Company administrators say the bad economy is forcing them to consolidate warehouses.

Tennessee: In Nashville, after 70 years Travel shutdown. The owner of the travel agency blames competition and health problems.

Texas:  Maryland based Apex Tools announced they are shutting down their Garland factory and moving production to South Carolina, 261 jobs affected! In Orange, after 40 years a Conn’s department store shutdown. The administrators of the 120 years old company said the economy isn’t strong enough to support all of their stores.  Infamous fracking company Halliburton upped its kill-off of jobs, from 1-thousand to 65-hundred around the World! Ignorant main stream news media blamed crashing oil prices, but guess what? It’s really because of the Obama regime imposed sanctions on Russia, ebola/civil war turmoil in west Africa, plus their takeover of Baker Hughes.  Oil company Forestar Group announced it will shutdown their Fort Worth office, but don’t blame oil prices, company administrators said the decision to halt their north Texas production was pushed on them by their ‘investors’!   Fort Worth based RadioShack has made public a massive list of 1784 stores across the United States that will be shutdown by the end of March!

Wisconsin: Mitt Romney’s evil Massachusetts based wunderkind Staples announced it will layoff 53 people at their Oak Creek Tech Solutions operations.  In Janesville, industrial supplier Grainger laying off 30 people outright, as well as transfering 130 jobs out-o-country to Panama beginning in October!  Reports say it’s just the “first wave” of layoffs-transfers!  Too Big to Jail Bank Mutual announced it will shutdown seven offices, because it expects to lose $1.5-million!

05 – 06 February 2015: Staples kills off 1-thousand stores!

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.

Business/Economics

Albertsons Vons Safeway update, 23 February 2015: Starbucks being shutdown!

Former executive with Cerberus Capital Management, Justin Dye, is the new Albertsons-Safeway chief administrative officer.

It was revealed that the 22 years manager of the Pacifica, California Safeway, Rick Galarza, was transfered without notice: “It was quick and sudden. I found out Friday afternoon that I was needed in Redwood City. There wasn’t much time to say goodbye.” 

Associated Wholesale Grocers of Fort Worth and Minyards Food Stores of Richardson, Texas, officially completed their takeover of 12 Albertsons and (Safeway) Tom Thumb grocery stores.  Minyards Food Stores said they will replace the in-store Starbucks coffee shops with Peet’s Coffee & Tea.

Updated list:

Arizona: In Lake Havasu, three Safeway and seven Albertsons are being switched over to Haggen. I suspect that eventually some will be shutdown, it doesn’t make sense to have that many grocery stores of the same brand in one place.  The following additional grocery stores will become Haggen;  Anthem Safeway, two Tucson Safeways, Tucson Albertsons, two Scottsdale Albertsons, Flagstaff Albertsons, Prescott Valley Albertsons.  

California: In yet another WARN, Albertsons-Safeway stated that at least 213 Safeway employees throughout The Golden State will become unemployed by 25 April!  Arcadia Vons Pavillions SuperStore to be shutdown on 18 March 2015, at least 168 jobs lost! The 32 years old Hemet Vons shutdown on 28 December 2014, at least 55 jobs lost. Company administrators claimed it had nothing to do with the hostile takeover by Cerberus. Marina Del Ray Albertsons, shutdown by 26 February 2015, at least 80 jobs lost. Pleasanton Safeway HQ will layoff at least 26 people by 13 February 2015. In Pleasonton, Safeway issued a WARN saying an additional 18 HQ employees will be laid off in March.  A San Diego Albertsons will shutdown by 26 February 2015, at least 63 jobs lost.    Vons in Palm Desert to become Haggen. Pavillions in Rancho Mirage to become Haggen. The following additional grocery stores will become Haggen; two Santa Barbara Albertsons, two Goleta Vons, Lompoc Albertsons, Paso Robles Vons, Arroyo Grande  Albertsons, San Louis Obispo Albertsons, Atascadero Albertsons, Los Osos Vons, Palmdale Albertsons, three Bakersfield Albertsons (don’t be surprised if at least one is closed), two Simi Valley Albertsons, Simi Valley Vons, Oxnard Albertsons, Carpinteria Vons, Camarillo Albertsons, Ventura albertsons, Yorba Linda Albertsons, two Tustin Vons, Mission Viejo Vons, Mission Viejo Albertsons, Trabuco Canyon Albertsons, Laguna Beach Albertsons, Laguna Niguel Vons,  Corona Del Mar Albertsons, Irvine (Vons) Pavillions, eight San Diego Albertsons (don’t be surprised if several are closed), San Yisidro Albertsons, Rancho Bernardo Albertsons, Coronado Albertsons, San Marcos Vons, two El Cajon Vons, Santee Albertsons, Poway Albertsons, Del Mar Albertsons, two Carlsbad Albertsons, two La Mesa Vons, three Chula Vista Vons (don’t be surprised if at least one is closed),  Upland Albertsons, Diamond Bar Vons, Rancho Cucamonga Albertsons, Chino Hills Vons, Burbank Albertsons, Woodland Hills Vons, Westlake Village Albertsons, Thousand Oaks Albertsons, Santa Clarita (Vons) Pavillions, Saugus Vons, Newbury Park Vons, Tujunga Albertsons, Long Beach Albertsons, two San Pedro Albertsons, Lomita Albertsons, Torrance Albertsons, Santa Monica Albertsons, three Redondo Beach Albertsons (don’t be surprised if at least one is closed), two Los Angeles Albertsons. 

Colorado: Colorado Springs Albertsons shutting down in March. Cerberus administrators say it has nothing to do with their takeover of Safeway-Vons: “That store basically has not been profitable for quite some time, despite the best efforts of our company and associates there and the location…..That’s why we’re closing it.”

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

Oregon: In Lake Oswego, Albertsons being shutdown on 16 February, being taken over by Haggen in March. Cerberus administrators made the exact same claim as in their Colorado Springs shutdown saying “The store has not been profitable for quite some time.” This is interesting because according to local news reports there are only two grocery stores in the city! In Lake Grove, the Albertsons being switch over to Haggen. Safeway shutting down their Clackamas regional office, 91 jobs lost by March. Safeway in Ashland, two in Klamath Falls and one in Springfield to become Haggen. Albertsons in Baker, Beaver, two in Bend, one in Clackamas, two in Eugene and in Grants Pass, one in Keizer, Milwaukee, Sherwood, West Linn and two in Tigard.

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

Washington: In Kirkland, reports that Goodwill thrift store is taking over the now vacant Albertsons store. Haggen took control of the Monroe Albertsons. Safeway becoming Haggen in Gig Harbor and Tacoma beginning in March. Albertsons becoming Haggen in Olympia, Puyallup, Tacoma and Lakewood beginning in March. Albertsons becoming Haggen in Federal Way and Milton by June. Albertsons in Port Angeles, Wenatchee and Shoreline becoming Haggen in February. Albertsons in Redmond, Walla Walla, Snohomish, Silverdale, Burien, becoming Haggen in March. Albertsons in Seattle, another one in Burien, Renton, Bremerton and Milton becoming Haggen in June. Shoreline Safeway becomeing Haggen in February. Safeway in Everett, Renton, Oak Harbor and Port Orchard in March. Liberty Lake Safeway becomes Haggen in June.

Stores being used to spread Measles?

Business/Economics

U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings, 05 – 06 February 2015: More proof you can’t blame low oil prices for layoffs! Staples kills off 1-thousand stores! More proof Obamacare kills off access to healthcare! RadioShack is Dead, long live Sprint?

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

Alabama: Obama Care forcing Alabama Psychiatric Services to shutdown.  250 jobs lost and 28-hundred patients affected!  Administrators say Obama Care created a situation in which Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama pushed the majority of people into more expensive insurance plans, and effectively killed off most of Alabama Psychiatric Services business!  (What was that about Obama Care increasing access to healthcare?)   The U.S. Army announced it will kill off 190 jobs at its Anniston Depot: “The reason we’re releasing the temporary employees is due to a change in the workload.”-Colonel Brent T. Bolander

Arizona: Phoenix based Sleep America shutdown after being taken over by Mattress Firm.

California: Iconic Chico Sportsman’s Den shutting down in two months, the owner says he’s ready to retire.    In Bakersfield, Caesar’s Italian Delicatessen shutdown: “February 13th will be our last day…..We first opened our doors in June of 1971…..It’s been a profound honor to serve everyone who has walked through our doors over the years and this is an incredibly sad day for us.”-owners facebook posting

Florida: At Patrick Air Force Base, taxsucker Computer Sciences Raytheon issued a WARN saying 420 people will be jobless by April!

Idaho: It’s official, six (of approximately 24) Gem State RadioShack stores will be shutdown; in Chubbuck, Meridian, Nampa, Pocatello, Post Falls and Rexburg.  Some stores have already shutdown.

Illinois: The Chicago-Wicker Park area Kmart is shutting down, 106 jobs lost!  Lowe’s apparently paid Sears Holdings in order to take over the Wicker Park Kmart lease, but will not set up shop until 2016.  Also in Chicago, after 18 years Carmichael’s Steakhouse announced it will shutdown in March, blaming the greedy property owner. The property was sold off and will be used to build an apartment complex. The restaurant manager is pissed, as his business was good: “It’s unfortunate that we have to close when we’re still doing really good business.”-Ben Sawyer

Indiana: After seven years Richmond chocolate shop Ghyslain Bistro shutdown. The owner said he’s focusing on his stores in Kentucky and internet sales.

Maryland: The White Flint Mall shutdown and will be demolished.

Massachusetts: Mitt Romney’s evil Farmington based wunderkind Staples is the new owner of Office Depot after trading $6.3-billion USD worth of stocks for it, 1-thousand stores will be shutdown!  The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) recently signed a deal with Staples to kill off your local Post Office jobs! 

Michigan: In Kalamazoo, with little notice to employees the Harding’s grocery store on Howard Street was sold off and is being shutdown, 60 jobs lost.

Minnesota: Colorado based Arrow Electronics issued a WARN saying they will shutdown their Saint Paul operations in March, 77 jobs lost. Company administrators are moving their electronics salvage ops to Ohio.

Montana: Bilderberger vaccine pusher GlaxoSmithKline announced they’re shutting down their Hamilton research center during 2015, at least 27 jobs lost.  Administrators also warned shutdowns and layoffs will take place elsewhere: “Other parts of the business are facing similar restructuring. It’s happening companywide, not just Hamilton, but all parts of GSK’s business.”-Melinda Stubbee

New Jersey: The Sports and Exposition Authority announced they will shutdown the 34 years old Izod Center in March, 17-hundred jobs lost!  Administrators say the sports arena has been losing money big time, and expects it would lose $8.5-million in 2015, if they kept it open.  In Middletown, God refuses to stop the shutdown of ‘his’ Mater Dei Prep school: “It is with great sadness that I inform you that Mater Dei Prep will close at the end of this school year, June 2015.  Over the many years, Mater Dei Prep has been running large financial deficits. It had been the hope of the Parish Finance Council and myself that these trends could be reversed. However, the 2014-2015 projected loss is close to one million dollars.”-Jeff Kegley, pastor

Camden based iconic soup maker Cambells announced it will split into three division and begin massive job destruction in order to cut $200-million over the next three years!  For proof there is no economic recovery, company administrators say company profits have been crashing steadily since 2008, with no end in sight: “Like other companies in our industry, we’re contending with now not just the long term impact of the Great Recession on consumer purchasing behavior, or the increasingly complex public dialog when it comes to food, or the regulatory environment for food.”-Denise Morrison, ceo

New York: Lucky Magazine laid off at least 12 people.  In Rouses Point, legal drugs maker Pfizer issued a WARN saying they will shutdown by June.  In NYC, clothing retailer Jack Spade and Kate Spade Saturday issued a WARN saying they will shutdown in May, 47 jobs lost, saying they are undergoing a “brand overhaul”.

North Carolina:  Obama Care forcing Transylvania Regional Hospital to shutdown its  labor and delivery services.  Women in the area are complaining they must now travel out of the area to give birth.  (What was that about Obama Care increasing access to healthcare?)  In Raleigh, decades old Crowley’s restaurant and bar shutdown, with no explanation.   In Research Triangle Park, Massachusetts based data storage company EMC warned of layoffs in an effort to cut $150-million!

Ohio: In Youngstown, France based Vallourec Star announced it will shutdown its oil industry seemless pipe operations for at least three weeks, more than 5-hundred jobs affected!

Oklahoma: In Tulsa, Texas based Team Oil Tools announced they will shutdown in April, 93 jobs lost.  Administrators tried to blame low oil prices but a local Fox23 news TV station discovered the company has been having money problems for a long time.  Oklahoma City based PostRock Energy announced it will kill off 25% of its jobs, conveniently blaming oil prices for its decision to halt oil drilling for 2015.  The ignorant administrators revealed they had assumed WTI oil prices would average $92.73 per barrel through to the end of 2016!  Guess they didn’t think the fact that Islamic State selling off oil on the black market would affect oil prices.  And who’s buying that Islamic State oil? 

Oregon:  Portland based software company VendScreen laid off more employees, earlier this year they had 30, now it’s reported they’re down to 19.  Helicopter maker Erickson laid off 150 people!  Administrators admitted it was connected to their take over of competing companies in the U.S. and Brazil.

Texas:  It’s official, iconic 94 years old (surviving the Great deflationary Depression and numerous recessions) RadioShack now chapter 11 bankrupt busted and shutting down as many as 25-hundred stores across the country, the other 15-hundred will be sold to cell phone service company Sprint! Oil service company  Weatherford International killing off 8-thousand jobs, blaming low oil prices!  However, an official company statement revealed it was actually due to “quickly changing market conditions”.  It was revealed that company administrators have been making personnel and operations changes for months now.  Houston based fracking company Royalty Partners now chapter 11 bankrupt busted, don’t blame oil prices, the relatively new company owes more than $1-million in rent and to lawyers.

Wisconsin: Gov’na Right to Work you over Scott Walker will preside over the killing of 446 state jobs!  The Right to Work you over policies have resulted in The Badger State facing a $2-billion shortfall!   Right to Work you over Walker says he will also steal $2-million from the Educational Communications Board!  In Janesville, Veterans Affairs contractor Data Dimensions laid off 120 people without warning or explanation: “I got this job and I was so happy, because it was full time and I got off of food stamps, no more W2…..came as a complete surprise to us, because we have been being pushed for months to produce more and more and more.”-Karly Yager, laid off six hours into her shift

01 – 04 February 2015: “All good things come to an end.”

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.

International

False Flag: U.S. ally Japan supplies Islamic State with convoys of new Toyotas! Nissan & Ford as well!

18 February 2015 (00:41 UTC-07 Tango 01)/28 Rabi ‘ath-Thani 1436/29 Bahman 1393/30 Bing Yin (12th month) 4712

The neo-imperialist government of Japan talks big about not tolerating terrorism, but the latest pics out of North Africa and the Levant reveal that Islamic State (DAISH, al-DawlA al-Islamiya al-Iraq al-SHam[Syria]) has received fleets of brand new Toyota pickup trucks.

HZJ79 Landcruiser Toyotas of DAISH.

These are not a mish-mash of ‘stolen’ vehicles seen before but are obviously fleet ordered vehicles, being of two models of Toyota trucks outfitted similarly and with the same color paint.  I suspect the fleet order was placed through the United Arab Emirates, possibly through a company known as Western Group.

I’ve identified the latest model of the diesel powered Toyota HZJ79 Landcruiser (aka Landcruiser 70, when equipped with weapons it become the Toyota Type 1 Technical) pickup truck (not sold in the U.S.) and what looks like the 2014 HiLux, 2 and 4 door pickup.

Jubilant DAISH in their brand new Ford F-350.

The Toyotas make up the bulk of the fleet ordered trucks, while smaller fleets of Japanese Nissans and U.S. made Fords can be seen (and no they’re not those stolen Fords but fleets of similar equipped and painted Fords).

You can’t feel sorry for those Japanese ‘hostages’ killed by Islamic State, after all the first one killed was an outright mercenary hired by one of the U.S.-Saudi-Israeli backed ‘rebel’ groups to train them how to fight (oh, sorry, he was a “security contractor”).  The second Japanese killed was a journalist who was obviously pro-rebel and anti-Syrian government.  In fact, it turns out that many of the ‘western’ hostages were already working with rebel groups when they were supposedly captured by Islamic State.

It should be noted that the U.S. military has been supplying Iraqi forces with the exact same vehicles!

U.S. created Islamic State proves Obama a bold face liar! 

U.S. Army ‘loses’ $420-million worth of equipment, which turns up in the hands of Islamic State! 

Who buys Islamic State oil? Israel, Jordan, Turkey, United States & Russia! 

Business/Economics

U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings, 01 – 04 February 2015: “All good things come to an end.” Yet another women’s clothing chain bites the big one!

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

California: Reports coming in that San Jose based ebay, and its soon to be sold off electronic payment processor PayPal, began laying off employees.  In Palmdale, taxsucker Lockheed Martin issued a WARN saying 74 people will become unemployed in March.  Japan owned Sony Pictures issued a WARN saying they are shutting down their Culver City ops by April, 69 jobs lost.  In Mountain View, Symantec continues their job destruction, their latest WARN says 85 people will be laid off in March.  In Santa Clara, Florida based software company Citrix Systems issued a WARN saying 99 people will be jobless by April.

Florida: In Orlando, legal drugs seller Walgreens issued a WARN saying they’re shutting down their Central Operations by April, 252 jobs lost!  At Naval Air Station Jacksonville, taxsucker Tyonek Services Group issued a WARN saying they will shutdown by the end of March, 311 jobs lost!

Illinois: After 50 years Hyde Park Shoe Rebuilders shutdown, the owner was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.   The Chicago-Sun Times laid off two video producers.

Indiana: Too Big to Jail Old National Bancorp announced they will selloff 17 offices and close-consolidate 19 others.  Bank administrators say they can no longer generate enough profits to justify the size of their operations.

Kentucky: Remke Markets announced they could not afford to renew their lease on their Newport grocery store. The store will shutdown at the beginning of March, 58 jobs lost.

Louisiana: After 40 years J & R Educational Supplies shutdown: “We’ve been lucky to have lasted this long. All good things come to an end.”-Marie Martin-Darby, co-owner

Maryland: In Hagerstown, after 22 years Obama Care forcing the Robinwood Surgery Center to shutdown.  The operators said Obama Care is forcing healthcare providers to become smaller, so much for expanding access to healthcare.

Massachusetts: Acton based software company SeaChange laying off about 70 employees by the end of the year.

Missouri: Too Big to Jail NCO Financial issued a WARN saying 275 people will become unemployed by the end of March!  It’s blamed on the loss of a major client.

Nebraska: In Hastings, after 30 years Applause Video shutdown, the owner said it wasn’t worth it to renew the lease.

New York:  NYC based women’s clothing chain Cache now chapter 11 bankrupt busted.  It was also revealed they shutdown 20 stores just since December!  Another 218 stores now threatened.  NYC based already bankrupt women’s clothing retailer Jones New York-Jones Apparel issued a WARN saying at least 229 New Yorkers will become unemployed by July!  In Painted Post, Sitel Operating Corporation issued a WARN saying they will shutdown by April, at least 278 jobs lost!   In Fredonia, food company ConAgra-The Carriage House issued a WARN saying they will shutdown in May, 423 jobs lost!  They also revealed the layoffs actually began back in October!   In Syracuse, Pyramid Management Group issued a WARN saying they will halt in-house janitor services in May, at least 50 jobs being outsourced to cheap-o contractors.   In Plattsburgh, Japan based Fujitsu Frontech issued a WARN saying 38 people will be laid off in May, due to reorganization.

North Carolina: In Asheville, Featherheads Emporium shutdown.  The owners will focus on their Chimney Rock store.

North Dakota: In Bismarck, after ten years Stringbean Music & Sound shutdown.

Oklahoma: Oil industry company Chaparral Energy announced it will layoff 121 people in Oklahoma City: “While we expect the market to rebound to a more economically favorable level, we cannot predict when that will occur. That being the case, we are taking a conservative approach to decrease our capital, operating and administrative costs.”  

Oregon: Seven Feathers Casino laid off 93 people.  Casino administrators say there is no economic recovery, and there too much competition: “The post 2008 economy has forced businesses to change. The demographics of today’s typical gaming customer have also changed. Those facts accompanied with the potentially devastating threat the Cow Creek Tribe is facing by a neighboring tribe’s intent to build an illegal casino in Medford demands our business approach be more conservative. We have had to respond to this reality.”

Pennsylvania: Russia based oil industry pipe maker OAO TMK announced it will layoff about 75 people at their factories in Beaver County.

Texas: Reports that Fort Worth based iconic RadioShack might go bankrupt and shutdown at least 550 stores!  British empire Canada based oil pumping company Trican Well Service issued a WARN saying 129 Texans will become unemployed in March!   In Lufkin, GE (General Electric) revealed just how many people will become jobless; 330!

Virginia: What housing market recovery?  In Norfolk, Too Big to Jail Bank of America announced it will layoff 200+ people in their mortgage servicing division, by the end of March!

Wisconsin:  In New Holstein, after ten years Tennessee based Tractor Supply Company shutdown. Administrators would only say that “many factors” were behind the decision to shutdown the store.  What housing market recovery?  In Shell Lake, maker of home products like door hardware and light fixtures, Hampton Products, issued a WARN saying they will layoff 29 employees by April.

30-31-January-2015: “How can human beings that have given so much be cast aside?” 

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.

Business/Economics

Sears & Kmart closing update, 17 February 2015: Profit making Kmart to shutdown? Taxpayers forced to eat $1.8-million!

Sears Auto Center is holding a contest for the city with the most potholes, why?  Because it means big bucks for them repairing wheel alignments and tires: “The city that records the most submissions will receive an exclusive deal on alignment services for their pothole-ridden city at the end of the program at nearby Sears Auto Centers.”

The Sears at the College Mall in Indiana will be replaced by a Whole Foods grocery store.  Apparently this is one of the Sears stores that Sears Holdings swore, last October, was not being shutdown!

The taxpayers of Northport, Alabama, can be proud that their City Council has decided the taxpayers will bend over and get $1.8-million USD in tax incentives yanked outta their arse for the re-development of an abandoned Kmart!

First the Frackville Sears, now the 35 years old Frackville Kmart will shutdown in October. The employees found out this morning!

Missouri losing another Kmart in May.  O’Fallon city administrators admitted to local news media they were told about the shutdown last week, but for some reason they said nothing.  However, Michael Hurlbert, O’Fallon’s economic development director, implied there was no good reason for shutting down the store because “it was one of the better performing stores in the Saint Louis area.”

update, 16 February 2015: 10-thousand jobs killed off by…..Kmart’s new president….? 

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), San Jose Mercury News says the El Centro Kmart to shutdown in January, the website Foursquare says the Covina Kmart is now shutdown (other sources say it will shutdown in December), Cupertino Sears and Auto Center (number of employees affected not made public, no WARN filed), somebody posted on yelp* that the Diamond Bar Kmart was shutting down in December (confirmed by Armijo Newspapers), Westfield Topanga Sears (122 jobs lost), it looks like the Blythe Kmart is being slowly shutdown despite denial by Sears Holdings.

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), Denver-Cherry Creek North Sears store & Auto Center (66 jobs lost).

Connecticut: Waterbury Big Kmart, Torrington Kmart (73 jobs lost), Enfield Sears Optical (no word on jobs lost), Wallingford Sears Appliance & Hardware (employees say the shutdown was a surprise, I guess they don’t read Blind Bat News).

Delaware: Dover Kmart (at least 72 jobs lost, some reports said 100), Seaford Sears (30 jobs lost), 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), ‘redevelopment’ of Aventura Sears & Auto Center into an “open-air village” (unknown how many jobs affected), Kmart on Northeast 108 Street being annexed by Miami Shores, Sears Holdings threatens to shutdown Kmart as a result of higher local taxes.

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), Coweta County Kmart distribution center (164 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 shutdown by the end of October/beginning of November 2014 (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), Hoffman Estates Headquarters 100 jobs eliminated, another 15 corporate jobs eliminated elsewhere, Chicago-Wicker Park Kmart (106 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), Plymouth Kmart (“approximately” 68 jobs lost), recently revealed Bloomington Sears to be replaced by Whole Foods grocery store.

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), Manhattan Sears & Auto Center (number of jobs lost were never revealed).

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), Aroostook Centre Mall Sears Auto Center leased out to VIP Tires & Service.

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 official the last remaining Saginaw Kmart (on Gratiot Road) will remain shutdown after its roof collapsed during a snowstorm back in January 2014 (Sears Holdings claims only 18 people worked there at the time of the collapse!), 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), Northeast Minneapolis Sears Hometown & Outlet store now for sale, Coon Rapids Sears Hometown & Outlet store now for sale.

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, Olive Branch distribution center (unknown how many jobs lost).

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), recently revealed O’Fallon Kmart (76 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) due to great sales (ironically) the shutdown date has been moved from 07 December 2014 to 23 November, 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: Lindenhurst Sears Hardware, North Babylon Sears Hardware, Hauppauge Sears Hardware, 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), Staten Island Mall Sears leased out to Ireland’s Primark.

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), Greensboro Kmart distribution center (130 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), Scotland Chambersburg Mall Sears and Auto Center (62 jobs lost), the upper level of the Willow Grove Mall Sears store to be leased by Primark, King of Prussia Sears store leased out to clothing retailer Primark, East Towne Mall Kmart (51 jobs lost), recently revealed Frackville Kmart in the Skuylkill Mall (80 jobs lost).

Puerto Rico: Vega Baja Kmart (206 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), Easley Kmart (62 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), talks in progress to end lease for Bellevue (Nashville) Center Mall Sears.

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, Dallas Sears home appliance parts distribution center (77 jobs lost).

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-Denbigh 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), Pembroke Mall Sears renting out part of their store to DSW & Nordstrom Rack, Sears Holdings say they’re still looking for a “third tenant” for their occupied space. The current nearby Sears Auto Center will be rented out to REI.

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), Sheboygan Sears & Auto Center (at least 31 jobs lost), Eau Claire Kmart (93 jobs lost), Plymouth Kmart (59 jobs lost before Xmas), Sheboygan Sears Rebuild Center (30 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)

International

World War 3 Afghanistan, 11 – 15 February 2015: Iran attacks? Obama backs off troop withdrawal! USAID spends more big bucks on vague ‘women’s’ programs!

Farah Province: The provincial police chief is accusing Iranian border police of attacking Afghan workers who crossed into Iran.  The police boss says Iranian police took away most of the Afghans, but his personnel were able to recover the body of one person who was killed. The police administrator gave no other details, but many Afghans admit they cross into Iran illegally.  Iranian administrators admit they’ve adopted a ruthless policy towards illegal crossings of their border, because of increased drug trafficking and terrorists coming from U.S. occupied Afghanistan.

Helmand Province:  The Afghan Ministry of the Interior announced they’ve begun a massive military offensive across the province.

Kabul Province:  The Ministry of the Interior claims hundreds of Mujahideen killed by government forces across the country, over the past five days.  It’s been revealed that the new Obama puppet president Ashraf Ghani has suspended heavy weapons orders from India, placed by his predecessor Hamid Karzai.  So far there’s been no explanation why.

Kandahar Province: In Maiwand District, an explosion killed six cops and wounded three. Reports say the police were conducting a home invasion when the entire home exploded.  Police suspect the home was being used to make bombs.

Kunar Province: In Dangam District, a boys and girls school was burned down.  Police have no suspects.

Kunduz Province:  Reports say battles across the province have resulted in at least 21 people killed, during a 24 hours period.

Nangarhar Province: In Khogyani District, police say an Afghan National Army soldier was found hanged.  They say Mujahideen publicly executed him for killing and then desecrating the body of a Mujahid.  Reports say the ANA soldier confessed to desecrating the body.   In Jalalabad City, a female politician and former journalist died from wounds caused by an explosion.  In Naziyan District, witnesses say a drone killed two people.

06 – 10 February 2015: Motorcycles weapons of mass destruction! 

The terror group known as USAID has told Stars and Stripes that they plan on spending another $200-million U.S. tax dollars on vague ‘women’s’ programs in Afghanistan.  A recent investigation found that dumb-ass U.S. taxpayer funded programs for women benefit only the top 1% of females in Afghanistan!  So far USAID has spent $17-billion U.S. tax dollars in Afghanistan!

The U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) discovered the U.S. Department of Defense built two incinerators that were never used.  They cost taxpayers $20-million USD.

“This bill says loudly and clearly that we understand suicide among veterans is a national tragedy and it begins the process of addressing the problem. The suicide rate, especially among young veterans, is tragically high and we have to do everything we can get these veterans timely access to the quality of care they have earned and deserve.”-Bernie Sanders, U.S. senator from Vermont,  commenting on the signing of the too little too late Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act

The Washington Post is reporting that U.S. Army General John Campbell is re-thinking the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, saying he might keep more than 55-hundred combat personnel in-country after 2015.

The U.S. Army announced that the D Company, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division will deploy to Afghanistan and operate MQ-1C Gray Eagle drones.

The Army National Guard, Oregon U.S.A., has been forced to wrest $1.4-million from the U.S. National Guard Bureau to help pay for transition care for Oregon’s veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan occupations (Joint Transition Assistance Program).  Oregon currently has about 9-hundred personnel in Afghanistan.

Militia- personnel from the Army National Guard’s 232nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (Illinois U.S.A.) deploying to Afghanistan.

About 180 militia-personnel from the Army National Guard’s 1023rd Engineer Company (Louisianna U.S.A.) deploying to Kuwait in support of operations in Afghanistan and elsewhere.

Business/Economics

Sears & Kmart update, 16 February 2015: 10-thousand jobs killed off by Tesco, is Kmart’s new president to blame? Kmart gets rid of Super K, get ready for K-Fresh!

In Warner Robins, Georgia, it’s been revealed that plans to replace the Kmart were already in place before Sears Holdings made the announcement last Summer.   So the whole thing was a deal between Sears Holdings and Texas based At Home (formerly known as Garden Ridge).  By the way, the new At Home store still has not opened and Kmart vacated the property in October 2014.  On top of that, At Home says they will employ not even half the number of people the Kmart did (25 vs 70).

Sears Holdings has made property deals with At Home as the home decor and garden center is taking over several vacated Kmart locations across the U.S.

The Super Kmart in Chillicothe, Ohio, is now called K-Fresh.  The new format store (somewhere in between a Big Kmart and a Super Kmart) also ceased in-house butcher/baker/deli operations which will now be contracted out.  The new K-Fresh is no longer open 24 hours.   No layoffs were announced, but administrators did say there would be “changes” to staffing.   It’s apparently the latest Sears Holdings scheme, now being implemented by Kmart’s new president who previously oversaw the destruction, I mean worked for the British empire grocery chain store Tesco.

Speaking of Tesco, since Alasdair James was appointed president of Kmart his former stead Tesco has announced they must kill off 10-thousand jobs!  Tesco is supposed to be the biggest grocery store chain in the United Kingdom, and sales even went up at the end of last year, so for the average Brit this massive job culling is a shocker.

It turns out that while Alasdair James was working at Tesco some shenanigans were going on with the ‘books’.  Company administrators revealed that during the first six months of 2014 their reported profits were ‘overstated’, and seven people connected to the overstatement were suspended.  Now they say they need to cut $284-million USD per year!  Apparently Alasdair James was still commercial director for Tesco when Sears Holdings hired him.  James also worked for Tesco’s China operations.

New British empire leader of Kmart spends big bucks on new house! 

New executives have track record of destruction?