Society's ChildS


Monkey Wrench

Sears sells Craftsman brand and will close 150 stores

Anne Steele
The Wall Street Journal
Thu, 05 Jan 2017 16:56 UTC
Craftsman-branded products
© Bloomberg News
Sears Holdings Corp. said it would close another 150 stores and sell its Craftsman tool brand for $900 million, as the cash-strapped retailer continues to shrink and battle slumping sales.

Sears is flipping the Craftsman brand to Stanley Black & Decker Inc., and it will license back the ability to sell Craftsman-branded products royalty-free for 15 years after the deal's closing. The acquisition gives Stanley the rights to develop, manufacture and sell Craftsman-branded products outside of Sears.

At present, just 10% of Craftsman-branded products are sold outside of Sears. Stanley Black & Decker said the deal will help boost Craftsman sales in untapped channels.

"We intend to invest in the brand and rapidly increase sales through these new channels, including retail, industrial, mobile and online," said Stanley Black & Decker Chief Executive James Loree. Stanley also recently signed a $1.95 billion deal to buy Newell Brands Inc.'s tools business.

Comment: Macy's to close 68 Stores and cut over 10,000 jobs amid weak sales

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USA

Americans not very confident in Trump's abilities and think he should focus on jobs


RT
Thu, 05 Jan 2017 15:57 UTC
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump
© Jonathan Ernst / ReutersU.S. President-elect Donald Trump
New polls show that Americans are not very confident in President-elect Donald Trump's ability to handle international crises, use force wisely or prevent major scandals. Of his proposed policies, keeping manufacturing jobs in the US has the most support.

Overall, less than half of Americans said they were confident in Trump's ability to use military force wisely (47 percent), handle an international crisis (46 percent) or prevent major scandals in his administration (44 percent), according to a Gallup poll conducted in December and published this week. This ranks Trump far behind his predecessors, Barack Obama and George W. Bush.


Comment: Wow! Just look at how badly Obama and Bush handled international crises (generally of their own making) and please show us where either of them used military force wisely. No wonder people are concerned, based on past experience of previous presidents


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Bad Guys

18 sex attacks in Innsbruck, Austria during New Year festivities


RT
Thu, 05 Jan 2017 16:32 UTC
ausrtia police sex attacks
© Dominic Ebenbichler / Reuters
Austrian authorities are investigating an unprecedented number of sexual assaults that occurred on New Year's Eve in the western city of Innsbruck. Eighteen women have so far reported being groped by a crowd of "individuals."

A group of around 10 unidentified individuals carried out the sexual assaults on young women at Innsbruck's main square where around 25,000 people gathered on New Year's Eve, senior police official Ernst Kranebitter said, according to The Local.

"We've not had anything like this happen here before,"Kranebitter added, as quoted by AFP.
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Eye 1

'Nothing wrong with me': Remorseless Dylann Roof makes no apology in address to jury


RT
Thu, 05 Jan 2017 16:10 UTC
Dylann Storm Roof
© ReutersDylann Storm Roof
The man who gunned down nine black churchgoers in Charleston,South Carolina told jurors at his sentencing trial he was mentally competent, calling on them to ignore the remarks of his attorney suggesting he may be mentally troubled.

Representing himself at the sentencing trial on Thursday, Dylann Roof addressed the jury to tell them "there's nothing wrong with me psychologically."

Roof, 22, was convicted on all 33 charges in December.
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Sheriff

'Outsider' Anne Kirkpatrick appointed to reform Oakland police is department's first woman chief


RT
Thu, 05 Jan 2017 15:57 UTC
oakland police adm. building
© Stephen Lam / Reuters
After a year of scandals and seven months without a police chief, the Oakland Police Department will be headed by a woman for the first time. Anne Kirkpatrick is a 34-year veteran of the force, with a history of working with troubled police departments.

Oakland's police department spent 2016 juggling a series of scandals and a revolving door of police chiefs after officers were implicated in a sex abuse scandal with an underage girl.

In an effort to make 2017 better, Mayor Libby Schaaf named Anne Kirkpatrick as the police chief. Schaaf is hoping that Kirkpatrick can rebuild trust between the community and law enforcement, and restore credibility to the city's beleaguered police department.
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Handcuffs

USA: Prison, crime rates show nationwide decline over 5 year period


RT
Thu, 05 Jan 2017 14:54 UTC
prison guard
New figures show that over a five year period, the US prison rate fell 8.4 percent and violent and property crime declined 14.6 percent. The drop is due to effective policing, theft prevention devices and less cash, according to Pew analysis of JoD data.

Between 2010 and 2015, the nation's imprisonment rate declined by 8.4 percent, according to analysis of Justice Department data by the Pew Charitable Trusts. Over the same period, 35 states have seen their prison population decline, and the rate of violent and property crime is down nearly 15 percent.

"The rates of violence and property crime reported to law enforcement have declined by more than half since their 1991 peaks, returning to levels not seen since the 1960s," according the Pew.
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Che Guevara

Sudden 20% fuel price hike causes protests & looting across Mexico


RT
Thu, 05 Jan 2017 13:57 UTC
protests mexico
Looting and scuffles with police are being witnessed in several states across Mexico, as protests erupt amid a 20 percent fuel price hike. More than 150 people have been detained, with dozens of shops suffering damage, and highways blocked.

The 20.1 percent hike was announced on January 1, AFP reports. It immediately led to coordinated action in the central states of Mexico, Hidalgo, and Michoacan. There, the National Association of Self-Service and Department Stores reported 79 shops looted and more than 170 blocked.
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Bug

Ick! Orkin entomologist claims more bed bugs in the US than ever before


Sputnik
Thu, 05 Jan 2017 13:56 UTC
bed bug
© Flickr/ Center for Invasive Species Research
Pest control company Orkin released its annual report on which cities in America have the highest instance of bed bug infestation, and it's not looking good for Baltimore and Washington DC.

Kicking Chicago to the curb, Baltimore has moved up nine spots on this years' list, with Washington DC taking the supporting role as number two.

Within the six years Orkin has released its city rankings, this is the first time that Baltimore reached the not-so-coveted number-one spot, dethroning Chicago from a four-year reign.

The infamous list is based on data from metro areas documenting where Orkin performed the most bed bug treatments, both residential and commercial, from December 1, 2015 to November 30, 2016.

"We have more people affected by bed bugs in the United States now more than ever," claimed Ron Harrison, Ph.D., Orkin entomologist and director of technical services, who adding that bed bugs are a growing issue and not necessarily a sign of uncleanliness.

According to Harrison, anyone, even the most fastidious, can find the pesky hitchhikers in their home.

Comment: Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite

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Briefcase

Teen sues cop who tackled her and city for $5mn for excessive force used at McKinney pool party


RT
Thu, 05 Jan 2017 13:41 UTC
casebolt_mckinney-pool party
The black teenager who was thrown to the ground by a police officer at a pool party in McKinney, Texas is suing the city, police department and former officer Eric Casebolt.

Dajerria Becton claims Casebolt used excessive force and that the police force wasn't properly trained. Casebolt was captured on cellphone video pushing the 15-year-old, bikini-clad Becton to the ground at a pool party in June 2015 and pointing his gun at other teens, as well as briefly running after other teenagers before being stopped by fellow police officers. About a dozen officers had responded to reports of teens fighting at a community pool in the Dallas suburb.

The footage of the white officer tackling the black teen and shouting obscenities at others went viral and sparked outrage in the community and throughout the country. Casebolt quit his job after McKinney Police Chief Greg Conley said Casebolt was "out of control" and that his actions were "indefensible."

Becton, now 16, and her legal guardian, Shashona Becton, are seeking $5 million in damages from the federal lawsuit. They claim that Casebolt used excessive force when he pushed Dajerria onto her stomach and kneeled on her back, and that he held her without probable cause. The family also blames the former officer for her injuries suffered in the incident after he "twice violently [slammed] her face toward the concrete sidewalk," the lawsuit said.

"The entire time... she could do nothing but cry out in pain and repeatedly beg for her 'Momma' as she endured the pain inflicted upon her by Defendant Casebolt's physical assault," the complaint added.

Comment:

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Shopping Bag

Macy's to close 68 Stores and cut over 10,000 jobs amid weak sales

Sarah Skidmore Sell
ABC News
Wed, 04 Jan 2017 13:31 UTC
Macy's sign
© AP Photo/Mark LennihanThis Sept. 17, 2016, file photo shows a Macy's sign being illuminated on a store marquis, in New York. Macy's says it is eliminating more than 10,000 jobs and plans to move forward with 68 store closures after a disappointing holiday shopping season. The department store chain also lowered its full-year earnings forecast.
Macy's says it is eliminating more than 10,000 jobs and plans to move forward with 68 store closures after a disappointing holiday shopping season. The department store chain also lowered its full-year earnings forecast.

The retailer said Wednesday that sales at its established stores fell 2.1 percent in November and December compared to the same period last year. Macy's Inc. pointed to changing consumer behavior and said its performance reflects the challenges that are facing much of the retail industry.

The company said the 68 store closures, which span the nation, are part of the 100 closings it announced in August. Of the 68, three were closed by the middle of 2016, 63 will close in the spring and two will be closed by the middle of 2017.

Macy's is selling or has sold three other locations, but is leasing the properties back and will keep operating those stores.

Some employees may be offered positions at nearby stores, but Macy's estimates that 3,900 employees will be affected by the closures.

Macy's also said it plans to restructure parts of its business and sell some properties. This will lead to the reduction of 6,200 jobs. The moves are estimated to save $550 million annually.

Overall, Macy's said, the job reductions represent about 7 percent of its workforce.

Comment: Retailers go into 2017 with plans to close more storefronts

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