(CNN) — Macy’s is furloughing a majority of its 125,000 employees because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has sunk sales and forced it close to its stores.
We have a few of them around here, but I've never actually been in one. I suppose this is a big deal for some people; I just don't happen to be among them. I only shop about once a month, anyway - and only for restocking foods and stuff.
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The regional government Metro is laying off 40 percent of its employees, most of them workers at the now-shuttered Oregon Zoo, Oregon Convention Center and Expo Center. Metro currently has 1,700 employees, spokeswoman Kimberlee Ables tells WW.
Most of them do nothing but shuffle papers and hold meetings, so it's no great loss.
Now for the bad news:
The Oregon Department of Education has closed the state's online charter schools under Gov. Kate Brown's order to close public schools to halt the spread of COVID-19, according to a document obtained by WW.
Every child left behind.
Otherwise known as equity.
Interestingly:
With much of the city effectively on lockdown, Portlanders can at least take solace in this: They can now get weed and booze while staying safely in their cars.The Oregon Liquor Control Commission has temporarily altered its rules to allow curbside pickup of factory-sealed bottles of spirits. Customers can call in their orders, then have them brought out to the sidewalk by a clerk.
Maintaining that tax revenue under trying conditions, I guess.
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Eligible medical volunteers will be able to book round-trip Delta flights free of charge to Georgia, Louisiana and Michigan, where they will work in coordination with the state and local government offices.
Finally, some good news out of the whole COVID thing.
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As of this morning, New York reported over 33,000 cases of coronavirus, and 325 dead. The state, however, estimates that it is still two to three weeks away from suffering under the deluge of peak infection. Accordingly, the New York Times reports that the state has requested 85 refrigerated trailers from FEMA to house the anticipated number of bodies as a result of COVID-19.
It’s been interesting watching J.D. Power’s sales projections amid the coronavirus as they get worse and worse and worse. Just three days ago, J.D. Power was projecting that new car sales in March would drop 41 percent compared to a year ago.
Yesterday, the company said an 80 percent sales drop could be in the offing for states with coronavirus related lockdowns.
Only 11 passengers flew on a Houston-bound flight that usually packs in 162 customers.
At least the passengers had a lot of leg-room. And it might be a good time to make an offer on a new car.
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MyPillow is excited to announce that we are now manufacturing face masks for hospitals across the country!
The company announced Tuesday on Twitter that it is making face masks for hospitals across the country. MyPillow joins a growing list of private companies pitching in to address the shortage of face masks that U.S. healthcare professionals are facing as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to climb.
Good for them! And they're already in production - none of this "we plan to..." stuff!
Private enterprise at its finest. And no, they won't be available to the general public; they're all destined for health-care providers.
But speaking of production, Babylon Bee reports that China forgot to take the little tags off their virus:
Ooops!
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Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti opened his daily briefing Tuesday recognizing what may have been the first teenage COVID-19 death in L.A. County and went on to announce actions against nonessential businesses that don't close and a new portal for recruiting medics.
He reminded young people that the virus can hit them too, urging them to stay at home and practice social distancing.
"Your behavior can save a life and take a life," Garcetti said. "And that life could be yours.”
The mayor went on to announce the "business ambassadors program" — an effort to get nonessential businesses to close.
“This behavior is irresponsible and selfish,” he said of those that remain open. He said the Department of Water and Power will shut off services for the businesses that don't comply with the "safer at home" ordinance.
The mayor had also announced that restaurants and bars could deliver alcoholic beverages, as a means of stimulating business.
Hmm...around here, the bars and many restaurants had to shut down. The pot shops and state liquor stores are allowed to remain open, though, as long as they allow no more then 10 customers in at a time. It's easy enough to see why that's not a problem; those folks usually trickle in at the local liquor store, and it's rare to see more than one or two vehicles in the local pot shop parking lots. Besides, the state makes a lot of money from sales that do occur at these locations.
In related news, if ironic:
The doctor who served as a medical adviser during the filming of the 2011 pandemic movie “Contagion” has announced he tested positive for coronavirus. Dr. W. Ian Lipkin, who assisted director Steve Soderbergh during the filming of the 2011 film, revealed the positive test during an interview on Fox News Tuesday night.
“If it can hit me, it can hit anybody. That’s the message I want to convey,” Lipkin told Fox’s David Asman.
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The Portland Police Bureau is shifting gears to figure out how to enforce the statewide Stay at Home order issued by Oregon Gov. Kate Brown on Monday, March 23.
Last week, before the order was issued, Portland Police Chief Jami Resch told reporters the bureau did not have any role in enforcing Brown's previous orders, such as closing restaurants and bars except for take-out food.
But the Monday order makes violating it a Class C misdemeanor, which is punishable by 30 days in jail and a $1,250 fine. That means the police now have an official role to play in enforcing it.
Lots of luck trying to figure this one out, PPB! They can probably enforce Brown's Law when it comes to businesses, but people on the streets is a whole 'nother bag of worms.
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Lucky Devil Lounge is bringing its dancers to your door with a new food delivery service it's calling—wait for it—"Boober Eats."
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"They'll wear pasties and booty shorts, drop off the food, dance for a second and then we'll move along," Boulden says.
"We're getting orders right now from Vancouver to Tigard," Boulden says. "It's pretty crazy. We've got a whole team of people ready to deliver food and some cheer."
The biz itself is in southeast Portland, unsurprisingly. That area's full of drugs, strip joints, and cheap motels.You couldn't pay me enough to live in that part of town.
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As new data from the California Policy Lab show, it’s likely that 50 percent of the homeless and 78 percent of the unsheltered homeless have a serious mental health condition. For residents of cities like San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle, this should come as no surprise. The people smashing up property and yelling in the streets are clearly suffering from mental illness. The numbers confirm the ground-level reality.
The homeless were thrown onto the streets, we’re told, because of rising rents, heartless landlords, and a lack of economic opportunity. Activists, journalists, and political leaders have perpetuated this line of reasoning and, following it to its conclusion, have proposed investing billions in subsidized housing to solve homelessness.
And that's because that's how those people make bank; they earn their living by "advocating" for the mentally ill and drug-addicted.
People who are mentally ill need to be treated, as do the vast majority of homeless folks with substance-abuse problems. Unfortunately, they refuse any and all treatment options afforded to them. in general, their attitude is that they're fine and you're nuts - which is embraced by "advocates" who essentially and knowingly capitalize upon these arguments so that they can continue to be paid for their "services". They are using the disabled and incompetent to support themselves. "Advocacy" has morphed into a lucrative business.
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While noting that the eventuality had not been discussed within his adminstration, the President reasoned that ‘if an areas gets too hot’ it could be a viable course of action. During press questions at the White House, one reporter asked Trump if he was “considering travel restrictions within the United States, such as to Washington State or California?”
“We haven’t discussed that yet. Is it a possibility? Yes.” the President replied. Meanwhile, Democrats have introduced legislation in the House that would reverse Trump’s travel bans from coronavirus stricken areas.
They don't seem to let a few things like a pandemic get in the way of their perennial grandstanding. Of course, some 12,000 Americans died of H1N1 before Obummer took any action.
But it's not business as usual for service providers:
Broadband and wireless companies are signing a "Keep Americans Connected Pledge" at the request of Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, to ensure customers in the US aren't cut off from communications services during the coronavirus pandemic.
The terms are as follows.
(1) Companies will "not terminate service to any residential or small business customers because of their inability to pay their bills due to the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic,
(2) "waive any late fees that any residential or small business customers incur because of their economic circumstances related to the coronavirus pandemic, and
(3) "open ... Wi-Fi hotspots to any American who needs them."
Eventually, of course, folks will likely be on the hook for deferred charges, but there are a few less things to worry about in the coming weeks.
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