May 4, 2018

Missouri lawmakers to convene special session on potential Greitens impeachment

JEFFERSON CITY • Legislative leaders announced Thursday night that they will convene a special session on May 18 that could lead to the impeachment of Gov. Eric Greitens.

The announcement was made at a press conference called by Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard and House Speaker Todd Richardson.

The decision was made after 138 House members and 29 Senators signed a petition calling for the session on the controversies surrounding the governor. The session will begin an estimated 30 minutes after the regular session is set to end, Richard told reporters.

Richard was not sure when senators would actually convene because the upper chamber's duties are dependent on what the House does.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/missouri-lawmakers-to-convene-special-session-on-potential-greitens-impeachment/article_f121e6d0-0fc6-5abe-a9c4-e9c20dc243de.html

May 4, 2018

Missouri lawmakers to convene special session on potential Greitens impeachment

JEFFERSON CITY • Legislative leaders announced Thursday night that they will convene a special session on May 18 that could lead to the impeachment of Gov. Eric Greitens.

The announcement was made at a press conference called by Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard and House Speaker Todd Richardson.

The decision was made after 138 House members and 29 Senators signed a petition calling for the session on the controversies surrounding the governor. The session will begin an estimated 30 minutes after the regular session is set to end, Richard told reporters.

Richard was not sure when senators would actually convene because the upper chamber's duties are dependent on what the House does.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/missouri-lawmakers-to-convene-special-session-on-potential-greitens-impeachment/article_f121e6d0-0fc6-5abe-a9c4-e9c20dc243de.html

April 25, 2018

Subway Will Close Over 500 U.S. Stores This Year

https://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/restaurantsandnews/subway-will-close-over-500-us-stores-this-year/ar-AAwkUki

With its commitment to customizability and the catchy $5 footlong jingle, it’s no wonder Subway is the most ubiquitous food chain in the world. In fact, its nearly 26,000 nationwide locations even top Mickey D’s by more than 10,000.

But it might be time to make one last mad dash to your neighborhood sandwich shop. Due to recent underperformance in sales compared to other fast food giants, Subway recently announced that it will be closing 500 U.S.stores this year. “We want to be sure that we have the best location. We focused in the past on restaurant count. We’re focused now on strengthening market share,” the company’s CEO, Suzanne Greco, told Bloomberg.

In the past, Subway took pride in its overpowering amount of national and international franchises. Many of the restaurants are small and simple, featuring only the tools and food necessary to slap together a sandwich. But the company’s competition comes in many forms. Supermarkets and gas stations offering grab-and-go sandwiches are on the rise. Plus, restaurants like McDonald’s are rolling out new menu items and touch-screen ordering tools. In response, Subway is leaning on its loyalty program, which offers discounts, specials, and freebies for U.S. and Canadian diners.

Along with upgrading their own technology (touch-screen ordering is now available in select stores), Subway executives decided to rethink their approach in terms of the number of storefronts. “Store count isn’t everything. It’s about growing the business,” Greco explained, adding that the real opportunity for expansion is abroad. As the U.S. stores close, Subway aims to shift its focus to its global markets. It’s planning to open a thousand new locations beyond North America and focus on locations in the U.K., Germany, South Korea, India, China, and Mexico.

April 23, 2018

Southwest Airlines mechanics union warned of too much outsourcing of maintenance work

Weeks before the engine failure caused a passenger death, Southwest Airlines mechanics union warned of a “ostrich-like head-in-the-sand approach” regarding problems with the company’s aircraft maintenance program, according to a report.

In a Feb. 26 email, Bret Oestreich, the national director of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, cautioned Southwest Airlines Chief Operating Officer Mike van de Ven that there was too much outsourcing of maintenance work.

The head of the mechanics union warned that 75% of the maintenance work was farmed out to third-party vendors, according to the Chicago Business Journal.

“The truth is there exists a serious concern regarding the degradation of safety within Southwest’s maintenance program as determined by the Federal Aviation Administration,” the labor leader wrote. “The truth is sometimes difficult to digest and accept. In addition, the view from the top you enjoy as chief operating officer may be breathtaking, but the distance from the high perch which you sit up on to day-to-day operations has obviously blurred your perception of reality.”

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/southwest-mechanics-union-warned-flawed-maintenance-program-article-1.3943751

April 23, 2018

Southwest Airlines mechanics union warned of too much outsourcing of maintenance work

Weeks before the engine failure caused a passenger death, Southwest Airlines mechanics union warned of a “ostrich-like head-in-the-sand approach” regarding problems with the company’s aircraft maintenance program, according to a report.

In a Feb. 26 email, Bret Oestreich, the national director of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, cautioned Southwest Airlines Chief Operating Officer Mike van de Ven that there was too much outsourcing of maintenance work.

The head of the mechanics union warned that 75% of the maintenance work was farmed out to third-party vendors, according to the Chicago Business Journal.

“The truth is there exists a serious concern regarding the degradation of safety within Southwest’s maintenance program as determined by the Federal Aviation Administration,” the labor leader wrote. “The truth is sometimes difficult to digest and accept. In addition, the view from the top you enjoy as chief operating officer may be breathtaking, but the distance from the high perch which you sit up on to day-to-day operations has obviously blurred your perception of reality.”

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/southwest-mechanics-union-warned-flawed-maintenance-program-article-1.3943751

April 23, 2018

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April 19, 2018

Judge refuses to throw out felony charge against Greitens

A St. Louis judge is allowing the criminal case against Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens to move forward, rejecting a move by the governor's lawyers to dismiss it.

Circuit Judge Rex Burlison on Thursday disagreed with defense attorneys that the conduct by St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner and an investigator she hired was so bad that the only way to protect Greitens’ rights to a fair trial was to dismiss the felony invasion of privacy charge.

Although the conduct that has been seen in the discovery of this case is not to be condoned and it is serious, it is however, in the court’s opinion, capable of being cured," Burlison said in a court proceeding on Thursday morning. "Therefore the court, in considering sanctions, will not dismiss this case. The court will order lesser sanctions."

Greitens is accused of taking a semi-nude photo without the consent of a woman with whom he had had an affair, and then transmitting it in a way that it could be accessed by a computer. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge, and repeatedly called the case a “political witch hunt” by a liberal prosecutor.

http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/judge-refuses-throw-out-felony-charge-against-greitens#stream/0

April 18, 2018

Missouri attorney general accuses Greitens of misusing charity donor list

Washington (CNN)Embattled Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, who is already facing calls to resign over an extramarital affair and abuse allegations, was accused Tuesday by the state's attorney general of obtaining a charity donor list without permission.

Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley announced that his office had "uncovered evidence of wrongdoing" by the governor that he could be charged or prosecuted for related to an investigation into a veterans charity Greitens founded.

Hawley told reporters at a news conference that his office had found evidence that the governor obtained an electronic donor list from the charity The Mission Continues without permission and used the internal list for "political fundraising."

"If proven, these acts could amount to the unauthorized taking and use of property -- in this case electronic property. Under Missouri law, this is known as computer tampering and given the value of the list in question, it is a felony," Hawley said.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/17/politics/hawley-greitens-veterans-charity-investigation/index.html

April 6, 2018

Boston Store to close; 12 more in Wisconsin face same fate

RACINE — Regency Mall is about to lose another anchor tenant with Bon-Ton Stores’ announcement that it will close 13 Wisconsin Boston Stores including the one here.

Bon-Ton, parent company of Boston Store, has been ailing and notified the state of the mass closure Friday. The timetable was not specified.

The other Boston Stores to be closed include six in the greater Milwaukee area, two in Madison, and one each in Green Bay, Marshfield, Janesville and Eau Claire.

Even after the state issued its Wisconsin Business Closing and Mass Layoff, or WARN Act notice, it appeared the local store had not been notified it was being closed, according to the manager.

http://journaltimes.com/business/local/mall-s-boston-store-to-close-more-in-wisconsin-face/article_a8545e24-1f9c-5b01-bd99-baf35cacc919.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

April 6, 2018

Nine West files for bankruptcy

http://money.cnn.com/2018/04/06/news/companies/nine-west-bankruptcy/index.html

Nine West said in a statement that it plans to sell Nine West and its Bandolino line to Authentic Brands Group. ABG owns Juicy Couture and Aéropostale, among others.

The company's eponymous brand and Bandolino both sell women's shoes, handbags and accessories.
Ralph Schipani, the struggling retailer's CEO, said that the restructuring will help the company reduce debt and increase growth by allowing it to focus on its stronger brands, like Anne Klein and One Jeanswear Group.

"This is the right step," Schipani said. "We will retain our strong, profitable and growing apparel, jewelry, and jeanswear businesses." He added that the changes should help the company to "be well positioned for the future."