January 2020

COMING SOON TO ARTSPACE: FEBRUARY 21st THROUGH MARCH 19th: The photographs of activist AL NORMAN. Two collections of 32 prints: SIGN LANGUAGE: First Amendment Photos

WITHIN 1 WEEK OF ANNOUNCING IT WAS CLOSING 32 OF ITS 39 GROCERY STORES, CO.-BASED LUCKY’S MARKETS HAS SIGNED AGREEMENTS WITH ALDI’S & PUBLIX TO

63% OF SMALL BUSINESSES WANT STATES TO SET UP RETIREMENT PROGRAMS THAT AUTOMATICALLY ENROLL EMPLOYEES OF BIZ THAT DON’T HAVE A PENSION PLAN into a

JC PENNEY IS CLOSING A CALL CENTER IN KANSAS LAYING OFF 243 WORKERS. This gradual dismemberment is like watching legs being pulled off an insect.

“THE U.S. CAN AFFORD A MEDICARE FOR ALL PROGRAM that would cover everyone & eliminate copayments & deductibles, but only if we transfer the $600

THE TRUTH ABOUT IMPEACHMENT IS STARING EVERY REPUBLICAN SENATOR IN THE FACE. Read more on Facebook

BERNIE WROTE THIS 48 YEARS AGO: “LET’S ABOLISH ALL LAWS WHICH ATTEMPT TO IMPOSE A PARTICULAR BRAND OF MORALITY OR “RIGHT” ON PEOPLE…all laws on

VANCOUVER, BC, BECOMES THE LAST MAJOR CITY IN NORTH AMERICA TO ALLOW UBER & LYFT TO EXPLOIT ITS EMPLOYEES. Better never, than late. https://mashable.com/article/uber-lyft-launch-in-vancouver-bc/ Read

U.S. HEALTH CARE SYSTEM SPENDS 34% ON ADMIN—TWICE AS MUCH AS 17% IN CANADA—$2497 per American vs $551 per Canadian. “The gap in health admin.

HOME DEPOT OPENED A STORE IN BRATTLEBORO, VT. IN 2003, THEN CLOSED IT IN 2008. The store has been empty now for 12 years, with

WALMART SAYS IT IS “TESTING HIGHER WAGES” OF $12/HR AT 10% OF ITS STORES. AMZN HAS BEEN AT $15 FOR OVER A YEAR. The Waltons

TRUMP’S LAST BUDGET PROPOSED NEARLY $2 TRILLION IN CUTS TO PROGRAMS LIKE MEDICARE & MEDICAID & $26 B LESS ON SOCIAL SECURITY, including a $10

APPAREL COMPANY EXPRESS IS CLOSING 100 STORES,laying off 10% of its HQ staff, & the CEO says its new plans “are resonating with our customers.”

THE MAN YOU CAN BLAME FOR ALL THOSE HUGE, REDUNDANT WALMART SUPERSTORES built between 1988-2000, and a lot of smaller competitors who starved. https://www.winsightgrocerybusiness.com/retailers/walmart-leaders-mourn-loss-former-ceo-david-glass Read

9 IN 10 SMALL BIZ SAY FEDS SHOULD NEGOTIATE WITH DRUG COMPANIES to lower prices for Medicare drugs. 8 in 10 say drug co’s. should

MEAT & MILK SQUEEZE: WALMART OPENS A BEEF-PROCESSING PLANT PLUS A MILK PROCESSING PLANT, pushing aside small dairy farmers & cattle ranchers to control farm

78% SMALL BIZ WANT WORKERS TO BE ABLE “TO BUY INTO MEDICARE OR MEDICAID at no net cost to the govt.” 71% want Increased fed.

THE OTHER BERNIE—BILLIONAIRE HOME DEPOT FOUNDER—WANTS TO FIGHT SOCIALISM. “It has hit an emotional chord with a lot of people, especially millennials…the media is [promoting]

MORNING CONSULT POLL SHOWS 76% OF VOTERS VIEW BERNIE POSITIVELY, more than any other Democratic presidential candidate. In a match up against Trump, 45% would

ONLY 1 IN 3 SMALL BUSINESSES SAY THE 2017 TRUMP TAX CUTS & JOBS ACT HAS HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THEIR BUSINESS. “A combined

COST OF CHASING AMAZON: Walmart woke up slowly to e-commerce, then frantically started spending to catch AMZN. WMT’s net income has declined -60% from $16.8

IMPEACHMENT TRIAL BEGINS: The Queen of Hearts said: “Sentence first – verdict afterwards.” Mitch McConnell said: “Trial first—witnesses afterwards.” Read more on Facebook

THE UNSUSTAINABLE COST OF 1 DAY DELIVERY: Amazon “spent $9.6 billion globally on shipping in Q3, up 46% year-over-year.” $38 B annualized for shipping! https://www.thestreet.com/investing/what-would-it-take-for-amazon-to-reach-an-all-time-high

“WALMART PAYS MANY OF ITS EMPLOYEES STARVATION WAGES…many of theses employees are forced to rely on govt. programs like food stamps, Medicaid, and public housing

PREDATORY POKE: “India’s brick-and-mortar retailers say Amazon & [Walmart’s] Flipkart have flouted regulations and burned billions of dollars to offer steep discounts. The companies deny

“STREET PROTESTS THIS WEEK BY SMALL RETAILERS & ADVERSE COMMENTS BY POLITICIANS HAVE MADE BEZOS’ VISIT [TO INDIA] A PUBLIC RELATIONS NIGHTMARE FOR AMAZON.” https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/01/17/business/17reuters-amazon-com-india.html

PART OF A “SECRET SANTA” GIFT BY A FOOTBALL PLAYER TO PAY OFF LAYAWAYS AT WALMART WENT TO EMPLOYEES. Those “who split the cash, plus

INDIA’S TRADE MINISTER UNDERSTANDS AMZN’S MONOPOLY DANGER: “The marketplace cannot own the inventory, cannot have control over the inventory, cannot determine prices, & cannot have

AMAZON SAYS ITS INVESTING ANOTHER $1 B IN INDIA—but the Trade Minister says they may lose $1 B per year. “How can a marketplace make

FAKE RETAIL “NEWS.” A maker of gym equipment with a contract at Walmart Canada, hires Canadian Newswire (CNW) to write a release that Yahoo Finance

ONLINE GROCERY SALES COULD REACH 20% OF TOTAL BY 2025. “MANY BIG GROCERY STORES ARE GOING TO HAVE TO CLOSE…there will be an opportunity for

WALMART ADDS MORE ROBOTS TO SCAN SHELVES, SCRUB FLOORS, UNLOAD TRUCKS, AND “PICK” GROCERY ORDERS. Walmart Board Members (no workers allowed) also act like robots

77 Y.O. CANADIAN MAN WHO KILLED WIFE IN HOME DEPOT PARKING LOT IN 2018 TESTIFIES: “I made up my mind. I was going to do

MOST FOOD SHOPPERS PUSH THEIR CART DOWN THE AISLE & GO THROUGH CHECKOUT. We do all the work. Walmart has built a warehouse in NH

EX-FED-EX? Amazon and Fed-ex have parted ways, with AMZN building it’s own delivery network of ships, planes and vans. One analyst says Walmart should buy

M4A “ends all premiums. It ends all copayments. It ends the absurdity of deductibles. It ends out-of-pocket expenses…we end the $100 billion a year that

SNOOP DOGG & DUNKIN UN-RAP BEYOND MEAT GLAZED VEGGIE BURGER, and McDonald’s hypes its plant-based burgers in Canada. Part of North America’s Bad Food Epidemic.

RESEARCHERS AT NIH SEEK GRANT FUNDS TO CONDUCT STUDY OF THE “ADOLESCENT BRAIN IN THE ADULT BODY” SYNDROME. Senate Republicans vow to block funding until

“PREDATORY PRICING…IS AN INCREDIBLY EFFECTIVE STRATEGY TO DRIVE RIVALS OUT OF THR MARKET. That’s what Walmart did, and that’s what Amazon is now doing.” https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.miamiherald.com/news/business/article239216153.html

SPEEDY BILLIONAIRES: It took Apple 29 years to reach $200 B in annual revenue. Walmart 36 years. But Amazon did it in 24 years. But

HOLY CHALUPA! TACO BELL IS NOW BIGGER THAN BURGER KING. We love Mexican food—but hold the Mexican immigrants! Read more on Facebook

USA TODAY, FOX, FORBES & OTHER MEDIA ALL PIMPING “REVIEWS” FOR AMZN & WMT PRODUCTS: “Purchases you make through our links may earn us a

ONLINE SHOPPERS TYPICALLY START SEARCHING FOR A PRODUCT ON AMAZON, more than twice as often as Google. This dominance allows AMZN to bend sellers to

BEZOS MAKES QUIET TRIP TO MEET WITH GOVT OFFICIALS IN INDIA, BUT PROTESTS BY SMALL MERCHANTS EXPECTED IN 300 CITIES. “Peaceful rallies against Jeff Bezos

2 PEOPLE SHOT INSIDE A NEW ORLEANS WALMART. “A man walked into the store & fatally shot an employee in the chest.” Walmart silent on

AMERICA’S OTHER DRUG WAR: the battle over what you pay for prescription drugs. https://thefiftypluslife.com/2020/01/house-passes-bill-to-lower-drug-prices-add-medicare-benefits/ Read more on Facebook

I’VE BEEN DRAWN TO BERNIE SANDERS FOR TWENTY YEARS. He put real health care reform on the national agenda, and focused on economic justice for

AMAZON FINALLY ADMITS THAT HUGE WAREHOUSE IN MONTGOMERY, NY IS ACTUALLY THEIR “non-sortable fulfillment center.” And they want a 15 year property tax break that

APPEALS COURT RULES WALMART MUST PAY A $54 M IN BACK PAY TO ITS TRUCK DRIVERS IN CA. for layovers, rest breaks, pre-and post-trip inspections.