April 2020

GOVT. IN QUEBEC LAUNCHES “BLUE BASKET” WEBSITE TO LURE CANADIAN SHOPPERS FROM AMAZON TO LOCAL RETAILERS. “Premier Francois Legault wants to boost Quebec retailers’ digital

AFTER 20 WORKERS HAVE DIED FROM COVID IN MEAT PROCESSING PLANTS, THE UFCW WANTS BETTER PROTECTIONS & OPPOSES TRUMP FORCING UNSAFE PLANTS TO REOPEN. Workers

MORE THAN 9 OUT 10 COVID DEATHS IN MA. ARE OVER AGE 60. WHMP interview with Al Norman: why the nursing facility model doesn’t work

WALMART OPENS 2 DRIVE- THRU COVID TESTING SITES IN TEXAS, HOPES TO OPEN 48 MORE. I wouldn’t let WMT touch my car—much less my body.

ROLEX 1967 CHRONOMETER FOR SALE. Purchased 53 years ago. One owner, who is older than the watch. Keeps accurate time. Original registration papers included. Replaced

WALMART IN COLORADO SHUT DOWN AFTER 3 COVID DEATHS. “Too many people in the store…Employees were not wearing masks or covering their faces…Everyone was standing

4% OF SMALL BUSINESS PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM LOANS WERE FOR > $1 M FOR BIG BIZ, EATING UP 44% ($349B) of the money. Banks made

AMAZON WAREHOUSE WORKERS HAVE BEEN PROTESTING UNSAFE WORKING CONDITIONS BEFORE & DURING COVID. AMZN is clearly concerned about public perception, so they’re buying ads to

IN 3 MONTHS, COVID HAS DESTROYED MORE RETIREMENT INCOME THAN THE 2008 RECESSION. $2T of retirement income lost in 2008 vs. $3.8 T lost in

“TURBULENT ROLLOUT” OF PPP SMALL BUSINESS LOANS. $170 M returned by 13 big companies frees up 825 new loans. Fiasco. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wsj.com/amp/articles/a-dozen-public-companies-give-back-160-million-in-small-business-stimulus-money-others-say-theyll-keep-it-11587831790 Read more on Facebook

GLOBAL GARMENT FACTORIES SHUT DOWN BY COVID. LABOR ADVOCATES WANT COMPANIES LIKE WALMART TO PAY FOR ORDERS IN PRODUCTION & create funds “to sustain worker’s

AMAZON SAYS EMPLOYEES HAVE THE RIGHT TO “DECIDE WHETHER UNION REPRESENTATION IS RIGHT FOR THEM…every individual is empowered to share feedback directly” with management. But

MARKEY WARNS AMZN ABOUT COVID “PRICE GOUGING & LACK OF TRANSPARENCY.”“A pack of 24 2oz. bottles of Purell hand sanitiser, typically selling for < $10

PANDEMIC SHOPPERS ONLINE ARE BUYING MORE GROCERIES & HEALTH PRODUCTS, & LESS CLOTHING/SHOES. Makes sense: people bored at home are eating more. Netflix is up,

GOODBYE JC PENNEY, MACY’S, LORD&TAYLOR,NEIMAN MARCUS. Department stores devastated by AMZN, WMT, and now Covid. “The genre is toast.” https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/21/business/coronavirus-department-stores-neiman-marcus.html?referringSource=articleShare Read more on Facebook

JEFF BEZOS’ PERSONAL FORTUNE SOARS DURING THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC. Bezos owns an 11.2% stake in AMZN. That stock’s surge throughout 2020 added nearly $24

TWO WOMEN HAVE FILED A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT IN US DISTRICT COURT IN OAKLAND CA CHARGING AMZN WITH PRICE GOUGING DURING A PANDEMIC & VIOLATING

MASS. DPH TOLD TOWNS TO CONCEAL COVID DATA: “If you choose to share numbers of cases or deaths…not including any information other than the case

FIRED AMAZON WORKER TELLS BEZOS: “I don’t give a damn about your power…We’re the ones that have the power…We make money for you. Never forget

MASS. FINALLY RELEASES COVID CASES IN NURSING FACILITIES. The numbers are flawed—but 95% of deaths are among people 60+. Mass. pausing part of its nursing

“ELDERS ARE LOOKING AT THE DEATH NUMBERS IN OUR STATE, and they’re getting increasingly concerned by the day… A lot of elders I’m running into

LOW WAGE MEAT PROCESSING WORKERS RISK THEIR LIVES TO BRING YOU CHICKEN BREASTS. Tyson workers in GA. & IA die from covid. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/17/chicken-factory-tyson-arkansas-food-workers-coronavirus Read more

“FOR DECADES WALMART WAS VIEWED AS THE BIG, BAD BULLY OF RETAIL…TERRIBLE FOR MAIN ST. SHOPS…Amazon now carries the Walmart mantle…being blamed for forcing mom-and-pop

RUTH CHRIS’ STEAKHOUSE HAS 1OO LOCATIONS IN AMERICA WITH MORE THAN 5,700 EMPLOYEES. THEY WERE GIVEN A $20 MILLION COVID LOAN BY THE SBA—WHILE HUNDREDS

FRENCH COURT RULING FORCES AMAZON TO SHUT DOWN ALL 6 WAREHOUSES for a week after unions filed covid worker safety complaint. AMZN faces huge fines.

YOU CAN USE YOUR SNAP EBT CARD ONLINE TO BUY GROCERIES without going into the store. USDA is rolling out online SNAP to more states—but

27 YEARS LATER, BIG BOX STORES ARE STILL THE DRACULAS OF RETAILING. Haven’t we learned the dangers of relying on a 6,700 mile supply chain

80% OF TAX BREAKS IN NEW CORONA RELIEF BILL PASSED BY CONGRESS WENT TO 43,000 MILLIONAIRES. 3% went to households making less than $100 K.

ECONOMIST/YOU GOV POLL SAYS ONLY 18% of those age 65+ say a covid recession would have a “very serious” impact on their personal finances. These

HERE’S HOW DESPERATE THE AMERICAN WORKER HAS BECOME: In 1 month, one million people applied for temp jobs as cashiers, stockers & personal shoppers at

SANDERS CALLS TRUMP “THE MOST DANGEROUS PRESIDENT IN MODERN AMERICAN HISTORY… my job now is… to do everything I can…to see that (Trump) is not

TRUMP URGES STATES TO LIFT COVID RESTRICTIONS. https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2020/apr/17/liberate-trump-urges-states-lift-virus-restriction/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=midday-4-17-20&utm_content=midday-4-17-20+CID_041f584f1c8cd9c7beda48e5954b8134&utm_source=Email%20Marketing%20Platform&utm_term=LIBERATE%20Trump%20urges%20states%20to%20lift%20virus%20restrictions Read more on Facebook

SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE BIG PROBLEMS WITH $349 B PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM: funds meant for small biz and self-employed grabbed by Big Biz. https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/2963901001 Read more

10 DAYS AGO I ASKED THE MASSACHUSETTS GOVT. TO RELEASE COVID 19 DATA BY SPECIFIC NURSING FACILITY & PERSONAL CARE ATTENDANT PROGRAM. NEARLY HALF THE

TRUMP SURROUNDS HIMSELF WITH WALL ST BANKERS & CORP. CEOs to advise him on reopening America. (He couldn’t find any small biz or union reps.)

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DONALD TRUMP WAS MENTORED BY ROY COHN & ROGER STONE TO NEVER ADMIT A MISTAKE AND NEVER—EVER—ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANYTHING THAT GOES WRONG. Read more

WALMART CEO DODGES ABC REPORTER’S QUESTION: “Is it time—beyond just temporary bonuses—to do more for the Walmart employees so they can have a piece of

ORDER YOUR COVID 19 TEST KIT FROM AMAZON? Our govt. has botched covid testing so badly, AMZN “has hatched plans to build its own Covid-19

COVID HAS BEEN A WINDFALL FOR AMAZON STOCK—so many people ordering food online the company had to impose a waiting list. But sick workers at

CORONA PUSHED U.S. ONLINE GROCERY SALES VOLUME UP 210% FROM MARCH 12 to 15 vs. last year. But it forces stores to hire pickers to

Click on the picture to see the punchline. Read more on Facebook

TRUMP WANTS TO CUT SOCIAL SECURITY by slashing the payroll contribution from employers & employees. The rich win big. https://mobile.twitter.com/atrupar/status/1247656626024263680?link_id=9&can_id=bf105c37430844170c83cc823f42ff2a&source=email-defund-social-security&email_referrer=email_771934&email_subject=defund-social-security Read more on Facebook

MICHIGAN GOV. ORDERS ALL RETAIL STORES 50,000 SF OR OVER TO CLOSE OFF AREAS OF STORES except for items “that are necessary to maintain the

TRUMP’S BUNGLING DECISIONS WORSENED THE COVID DEATH COUNT: “A lack of planning & a failure to execute, combined with the president’s focus on the news

‪AMAZON TRAINED US TO “EXPECT DIGITAL ORDERS ALMOST INSTANTLY.” Covid has taught us that safety is more important than 1 day shipping. It took a

WANDO VS WALMART: FIRST CORONA LAWSUIT. Family of 15 yr. employee sues for gross negligence. Walmart says it’s “heartbroken,” but begins to insist it’s innocent.

WELLS FARGO SHUTS DOWN ITS SBA COVID LOAN PROGRAM EARLY DUE TO CAP. Millions of Wells Fargo SBEs “stunned.” Payroll loans become grants if used