Fringe activists set up a guillotine in front of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos&#8217;s home in Washington, D.C., on Sunday where they reportedly demanded that Amazon be abolished.
One of the demonstrators said on a bullhorn in front of Bezos&#8217;s home, &#8220;it is still exploitation and when they become threatened, and we have no voice, the knives come out.&#8221;
The guillotine that was set up in front of Bezos&#8217;s home had a sign in front of it that stated, &#8220;Support our poor communities not our wealthy men.&#8221;
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DC protester says: “when they become threatened, and we have no voice, the knives come out.” In front of a guillotine set up in front of Jeff Bezos complex in DC <a href="https://t.co/synjRwgD1H">pic.twitter.com/synjRwgD1H</a>
&mdash; Drew Hernandez (@livesmattershow) <a href="https://twitter.com/livesmattershow/status/1277377005798002688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2020</a></blockquote>
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DC protesters have set up a “guillotine” in protest of Jeff Bezos in front of his complex in DC <a href="https://t.co/VZ0AWTJqaV">pic.twitter.com/VZ0AWTJqaV</a>
&mdash; Drew Hernandez (@livesmattershow) <a href="https://twitter.com/livesmattershow/status/1277372511227973632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The event appears to have been held by a group called &#8220;Abolish The Present Reconstruct Our Future.&#8221;
A flyer from the organization for the event stated:
<blockquote>Amazon works directly with police to surveil us, stoking racist fears in the name of profit. Doubling down on their union busting and mistreatment of workers, Amazon fired and racially slandered labor organizer Chris Smalls. Join us to tell Bezos enough is enough!
END THE ABUSE AND PROFITEERING. ABOLISH THE POLICE, THE PRISONS, AND AMAZON.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
It&#39;s an uprising, and we&#39;re taking it to our neighbor <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffBezos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JeffBezos</a>&#39; house <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/dcprotest?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#dcprotest</a> <a href="https://t.co/D70BWwZ3o8">pic.twitter.com/D70BWwZ3o8</a>
&mdash; abolish the present / reconstruct our future (@AbolishTheNow) <a href="https://twitter.com/AbolishTheNow/status/1276966951739408385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The event comes as demonstrators have increasingly targeted residential neighborhoods to conduct their events, especially wealthy neighborhoods.
Over the weekend, Black Lives Matter demonstrators <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/black-lives-matter-group-storms-beverley-hills-residential-area-eat-the-rich-abolish-capitalism-now">marched</a> through a residential area in Beverly Hills, chanting &#8220;Eat the rich!&#8221; and &#8220;Abolish capitalism now!&#8221; Eventually law enforcement officials intervened and arrested those participating in the unlawful demonstration.
On Sunday, demonstrators in St. Louis, Missouri, attempted to march through a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-armed-st-louis-residents-stand-guard-over-property-as-demonstrators-enter-residential-neighborhood">private gated community</a> but were met by heavily armed home owners who guarded their property.
Protests and riots have broken out across the U.S. in response to the death of George Floyd. The rioting has resulted in looting, attacks on law enforcement officials, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-rioters-vandalize-church-near-white-house-that-was-previously-set-on-fire">vandalism of churches</a>, and the destruction of statues and monuments.
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-trump-signs-executive-order-protecting-monuments-barr-creates-task-force-to-tackle-extremists-includes-antifa">reported</a> late last week, rioters &#8220;have destroyed statues of former Presidents <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-rioters-burn-american-flag-on-fire-on-top-of-george-washington-statue-tear-it-down">George Washington</a>, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/portland-protesters-tear-down-racist-statue-thomas-jefferson">Thomas Jefferson</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rioters-in-california-tear-down-statue-of-ulysses-s-grant-he-defeated-the-confederacy-devastated-kkk">Ulysses S. Grant</a>, and attempted to destroy the statue of former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-rioters-near-white-house-try-to-tear-down-presidential-statue-set-up-black-house-autonomous-zone">Andrew Jackson</a> before being stopped by law enforcement.&#8221;
<blockquote>Statues of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-rioters-tear-down-statue-of-francis-scott-key-he-wrote-the-star-spangled-banner">the man who wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner,”</a> <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-rioters-in-california-tear-down-religious-statue-of-father-junipero-serra">a notable person from the Catholic church</a>, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/memorial-dedicated-to-holocaust-survivors-toppled-at-cemetery-in-california">a Holocaust memorial</a> have also been destroyed in recent days.
The American Museum of Natural History <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-new-york-city-museum-taking-down-statue-of-president-theodore-roosevelt">announced</a> on Sunday that it would take down a statue of former President Theodore Roosevelt that has been located on the property for 80 years.</blockquote>
The destruction of statues and historical monuments seems to have slowed down over the last couple of days after President Donald Trump announced that his administration would be taking action against those involved. Trump even used his Twitter account, which has well over 80 million followers, to tweet out <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-tweets-15-posters-seeking-info-on-specific-suspects-allegedly-involved-in-destroying-statues">posters</a> of suspects that were wanted in connection to the attempted destruction of the Jackson statue in Washington, D.C.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Amazon Unveils Its First Smartphone

Activists Set Up Guillotine In Front Of Jeff Bezos’s D.C. Home, Call For Amazon To Be Abolished

Amazon

Jeff Bezos

Race

Riots

The recent decision to pull the American classic &#8220;Gone with the Wind&#8221; from HBO Max has had the Streisand effect, a phenomenon where attempting to suppress something ends up calling more attention to it and thus having the opposite effect of the intended desire.
&#8220;HBO Max parent AT&amp;T Inc.’s move came amid growing concerns about racial injustice following the killing of George Floyd, a black man, while being arrested by a white Minneapolis police officer,&#8221; The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/hbo-max-pulls-gone-with-the-wind-11591754904">reported</a> on Tuesday. &#8220;Considered a classic of American cinema and winner of eight competitive Academy Awards, including best picture, the 1939 film starring Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh and Hattie McDaniel tells the story of southern belle Scarlett O’Hara and her love affair with Rhett Butler. Much of the four-hour film is set on the O’Hara plantation, Tara, and in Atlanta during and after the Civil War.&#8221;
A review of Amazon&#8217;s &#8220;Best Sellers in Movies &amp; TV&#8221; from <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200607123226/https://www.amazon.com/best-sellers-movies-TV-DVD-Blu-ray/zgbs/movies-tv">Sunday</a> did not show &#8220;Gone with the Wind&#8221; appearing in the top-100 ranking of bestsellers in the category.
However, by <a href="http://archive.is/xPjOK">Wednesday</a>, &#8220;Gone with the Wind&#8221; exploded in Amazon&#8217;s rankings to numerous top spots, including the following spots in the top-100 overall for the category:
<ul>
<li>#1 &#8211; Gone With the Wind (70th Anniversary Edition)</li>
<li>#2 &#8211; Gone with the Wind</li>
<li>#7 &#8211; Gone With The Wind</li>
<li>#9 &#8211; Gone with the Wind (70th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray] by Warner Home Video by Victor Fleming</li>
<li>#12 &#8211; Gone With The Wind | 75th Anniversary Edition | NON-USA Format | PAL | Region 4 Import &#8211; Australia</li>
<li>#23 &#8211; Gone With The Wind &#8211; 75th Anniversary Edition [Blu-ray]</li>
<li>#30 &#8211; Gone with the Wind [Blu-Ray] (English audio. English subtitles)</li>
<li>#36 &#8211; Gone with the Wind</li>
<li>#37 &#8211; Gone with The Wind (DVD / Two-Disc 70th Anniversary Special Edition / FS) Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Thomas Mitchell, Barbara O&#8217;Neil, Evelyn Keyes</li>
<li>#41 &#8211; Gone with the Wind (70th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]</li>
<li>#85 &#8211; Gone with the Wind (Four-Disc Collector&#8217;s Edition)</li>
</ul>
The most impressive statistic for the American classic was the percentage change for the movie&#8217;s previous sales ranking, which Amazon calls its &#8220;Movers &amp; Shakers&#8221; category. Numerous other classics also started to see dramatic rises in sales volume over the last 24 hours.
Here were the <a href="http://archive.is/3ym1x">top</a> &#8220;Movers &amp; Shakers,&#8221; which are updated hourly, as of late Wednesday night [in bold = movie other than &#8220;Gone With The Wind&#8221; that is relevant]:
<ul>
<li>#1 &#8211; Gone with the Wind [Blu-Ray] (English audio. English subtitles): 478,413% increase. Sales rank: 30 (was 143,554)</li>
<li># 2 &#8211; Gone With The Wind | 75th Anniversary Edition | NON-USA Format | PAL | Region 4 Import &#8211; Australia: 243,408% increase. Sales rank: 12 (was 29,221)</li>
<li>#3 &#8211; Gone with The Wind (DVD / Two-Disc 70th Anniversary Special Edition / FS): 231,408% increase. Sales rank: 37 (was 85,658)</li>
<li>#4 &#8211; Gone With the Wind &#8211; Diamond Luxe Edition [Blu-ray] [2014]: 151,795% increase. Sales rank: 64 (was 97,213)</li>
<li>#5 &#8211; Gone with the Wind [Region 2]: 107,257% increase. Sales rank: 68 (was 73,003)</li>
<li>#6 &#8211; Gone With the Wind (70th Anniversary Edition): 70,000% increase. Sales rank: 1 (was 701)</li>
<li>#7 &#8211; Vivien Leigh Collection (Gone With The Wind, Anna Karenina, Waterloo Bridge, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Hamilton Woman, Caesar And Cleopatra) (Korean):  68,745% increase. Sales rank: 94 (was 64,715)</li>
<li>#8 &#8211; Gone With The Wind: 67,357% increase. Sales rank: 7 (was 4,722)</li>
<li>#10 &#8211; Gone with the Wind (Four-Disc Collector’s Edition): 48,709% increase. Sales rank: 85 (was 41,488)</li>
<li>#11 &#8211; Gone with the Wind (Two Disc 70th Anniversary Edition): 33,768% increase. Sales rank: 140 (was 47,416)</li>
<li>#12 &#8211; Gone with the Wind: 30,108% increase. Sales rank: 36 (was 10,875)</li>
<li>#14 &#8211; Gone with the Wind (70th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray] by Warner Home Video by Victor Fleming: 19,211% increase. Sales rank: 9 (was 1,738)</li>
<li>#15 &#8211; Gone with the Wind (Two-Disc Edition): 9,642% increase. Sales rank: 217 (was 21,141)</li>
<li>#16 &#8211; Blazing Saddles 40th Anniversary (BD) [Blu-ray]: 8,915% increase. Sales rank: 60 (was 5,409)</li>
<li>#17 &#8211; Scarlett The Mini-series Event: 8,826% increase. Sales rank: 15 (was 1,339)</li>
<li>#18 &#8211; Blazing Saddles [Blu-ray]: 5,817% increase. Sales rank: 148 (was 8,758)</li>
<li>#19 &#8211; Scarlett &#8211; MiniSeries Masterpiece: 4,255% increase. Sales rank: 285 (was 12,412)</li>
<li>#20 &#8211; The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind: 3,902% increase. Sales rank: 296 (was 11,847)</li>
<li>#21 &#8211; Blazing Saddles: 3,869% increase. Sales rank: 13 (was 516)</li>
<li>#22 &#8211; Gone With The Wind &#8211; 75th Anniversary Edition [Blu-ray]: 2,756% increase. Sales rank: 23 (was 657)</li>
<li>#23 &#8211; Blazing Saddles / Caddyshack / National Lampoon&#8217;s European Vacation (Triple Feature) [Blu-ray]: 2,461% increase. Sales rank: 52 (was 1,332)</li>
<li>#24 &#8211; Casablanca 70th Anniversary: 2,420% increase. Sales rank: 152 (was 3,831)</li>
<li>#26 &#8211; Holiday Inn: 2,182% increase. Sales rank: 231 (was 5,273)</li>
<li>#27 &#8211; To Kill a Mockingbird [Blu-ray]: 1,685% increase. Sales rank: 201 (was 3,588)</li>
<li>#28 &#8211; Gone with the Wind (70th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]: 1,480% increase. Sales rank: 41 (was 648)</li>
<li>#29 &#8211; Casablanca: 70th Anniversary [DVD] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]: 1,254% increase. Sales rank: 216 (was 2,926)</li>
<li>#30 &#8211; North and South: The Complete Collection: 1,210% increase. Sales rank: 20 (was 262)</li>
<li>#31 &#8211; Gregory Peck Centennial Collection (To Kill a Mockingbird / Cape Fear): 1,168% increase. Sales rank: 66 (was 837)</li>
<li>#32 &#8211; To Kill a Mockingbird [Blu-ray]: 1,045% increase. Sales rank: 310 (was 3,552)</li>
<li>#33 &#8211; Blazing Saddles [Blu-ray] by Warner Home Video: 931% increase. Sales rank: 79 (was 815)</li>
<li>#34 &#8211; Comedy Greats Spotlight Collection (National Lampoon&#8217;s Animal House / The Blues Brothers / The Jerk / Car Wash): 825% increase. Sales rank: 349 (was 3,230)</li>
<li>#35 &#8211; Gone with the Wind: 750% increase. Sales rank: 2 (was 17)</li>
<li>#36 &#8211; Blazing Saddles (30th Anniversary Special Edition) by Warner Home Video: 679% increase. Sales rank: 139 (was 1,084)</li>
<li>#38 &#8211; Shenandoah: 281% increase. Sales rank: 354 (was 1,350)</li>
</ul>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Gone With The Wind Movie Poster

BACKFIRE: ‘Gone With The Wind’ Sales Explode After Leftists Target Movie. Sales Of Other Classics Also Skyrocketing.

Gone with the Wind

HBO Max

Racism

Amazon fired back at presumptive Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden late on Friday after Biden accused Amazon of not paying &#8220;its fair share.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ve said it before, and I&#8217;ll say it again: No company pulling in billions of dollars in profits should pay a lower tax rate than firefighters and teachers,&#8221; Biden tweeted. &#8220;It&#8217;s time for Amazon to pay its fair share.&#8221;
Included in Biden&#8217;s tweet was a link to a CNBC news article that highlighted remarks Biden had given on Friday morning during an interview with the publication.
“I don’t think any company, I don’t give a damn how big they are, the Lord almighty, should absolutely be in a position where they pay no tax and make billions and billions and billions of dollars, No. 1,” Biden said. “The whole notion of this is: Are you playing the game fairly? What’s the capitalist system all about? The capitalist system is about everyone dealing fairly and dealing straight up with the American people and with their employees.”
Amazon responded to Biden&#8217;s remarks several hours after he posted his tweet, writing: &#8220;Joe Biden, We pay every cent owed. You spent 3 decades in the Senate &amp; know that Congress wrote these tax laws to encourage companies to invest in the US economy. We have. 500k jobs w/ a min wage of $15/hr across 40 states. Assume your complaint is w/ the tax code, not Amazon.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoeBiden</a> We pay every cent owed. You spent 3 decades in the Senate &amp; know that Congress wrote these tax laws to encourage companies to invest in the US economy. We have. 500k jobs w/ a min wage of $15/hr across 40 states. Assume your complaint is w/ the tax code, not Amazon. <a href="https://t.co/bKV4Hy4Ma8">https://t.co/bKV4Hy4Ma8</a>
&mdash; Amazon Policy (@amazon_policy) <a href="https://twitter.com/amazon_policy/status/1263956049469550592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Here are the <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/22/cnbc-transcript-former-vice-president-joe-biden-speaks-with-cnbcs-squawk-box-today.html">remarks</a> that Biden made on CNBC about Amazon:
<blockquote>ANDREW ROSS SORKIN: Mr. Vice President, just following up on that issue. Elizabeth Warren has talked about trying to break up Amazon, a company that so many Americans have become so reliant on providing essential services during this pandemic. When you seek to break that company up?
VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: I think Amazon should start paying their taxes. Okay. I don’t think any company, I don’t give a damn how they are, Lord Almighty, should actually be in a position where they pay no taxes and make billions and billions and billions of dollars. Number one. Number two, I think that companies should be in a position where they start paying their employees a decent wage and protect their employees. And so, that’s the whole notion of this is, are you playing the game? Like it was set up long before. What’s the capitalist system all about? The capitalist system is about everybody doing &#8212; having a &#8212; dealing fairly and dealing straight up with the American people and with their employees. We’re not investing nearly as much as we should be doing in a whole range of areas. You know, that study that was done by the University of Massachusetts, 2004 to 2014, Corporate America. And I come from a corporate capital of the world, Delaware. And I’m not anti-corporate. But here’s the deal. the idea that they made several trillion dollars, and all the studies show that 54% went to buy back their stock, 37% to make sure their stockholders got rewarded, leaving 9% for research, development, raises, employment, etc. Come on, man. That’s not the capitalist system. You know, Friedman is not alive and well. But he seems to be running the show here.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;I think Amazon should start paying their taxes,&quot; says <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoeBiden</a>. &quot;Companies should be in a position where they start paying their employees a decent wage, and protect their employees.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/24iHkY2wgi">pic.twitter.com/24iHkY2wgi</a>
&mdash; Squawk Box (@SquawkCNBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/SquawkCNBC/status/1263833407232053250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Biden&#8217;s tweet calling out Amazon came after he made what were widely deemed as racist remarks about black people during a separate interview on Friday morning, saying, &#8220;I tell you, if you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.&#8221;
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Biden Amazon

Joe Biden Calls Out Amazon. Amazon Torches Him In Statement.

2020 Election

Joe Biden

On Thursday evening, the world’s richest man, Amazon owner Jeff Bezos, warned investors that the entire second-quarter profit the company made would be spent in various ways to fight the effects of the coronavirus in America, asserting, “If you’re a shareowner in Amazon, you may want to take a seat, because we’re not thinking small.” Bezos explained that the company would make “investments in personal protective equipment, enhanced cleaning of our facilities, less efficient process paths that better allow for effective social distancing, higher wages for hourly teams, and hundreds of millions to develop our own COVID-19 testing capabilities.”
Since the coronavirus crisis emerged as it is the go-to online delivery service, Amazon’s shares have risen 34% so far in 2020, as <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/amazons-ceo-tells-investors-if-youre-shareowner-you-may-want-to-take-a-seat-as-he-explains-why-the-company-will-spend-entirety-of-4-billion-profit-2020-04-30?mod=home-page">MarketWatch</a> reported, but although its sales totaled $75 billion in the first quarter, its profit declined. Bezos himself has made over $24 billion since the crisis began, <a href="https://fortune.com/2020/04/14/jeff-bezos-net-worth-2020-billionaires-amzn-amazon-stock/?mod=article_inline">according to Fortune</a>, which left his net worth at  $148.6 billion, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/jeff-bezos/#7302880d1b23?mod=article_inline">according to Forbes</a>.
Bezos’ statement to investors read, according to MarketWatch:
<blockquote>From online shopping to AWS to Prime Video and Fire TV, the current crisis is demonstrating the adaptability and durability of Amazon’s business as never before, but it’s also the hardest time we’ve ever faced. We are inspired by all the essential workers we see doing their jobs—nurses and doctors, grocery store cashiers, police officers, and our own extraordinary frontline employees. the service we provide has never been more critical, and the people doing the frontline work—our employees and all the contractors throughout our supply chain—are counting on us to keep them safe as they do that work. We’re not going to let them down. Providing for customers and protecting employees as this crisis continues for more months is going to take skill, humility, invention, and money.</blockquote>
Then, the warning to investors:
<blockquote>If you’re a shareowner in Amazon, you may want to take a seat, because we’re not thinking small. Under normal circumstances, in this coming q2, we’d expect to make some $4 billion or more in operating profit. but these aren’t normal circumstances. Instead, we expect to spend the entirety of that $4 billion, and perhaps a bit more, on COVID-related expenses getting products to customers and keeping employees safe. This includes investments in personal protective equipment, enhanced cleaning of our facilities, less efficient process paths that better allow for effective social distancing, higher wages for hourly teams, and hundreds of millions to develop our own COVID-19 testing capabilities. There is a lot of uncertainty in the world right now, and the best investment we can make is in the safety and well-being of our hundreds of thousands of employees. I’m confident that our long-term oriented shareowners will understand and embrace our approach, and that in fact they would expect no less.</blockquote>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

One Year Anniversary Memorial Held For Murdered Journalist Jamal Khashoggi

Amazon’s Bezos Warns Investors, We’re Spending Entire 2nd Quarter Profit Fighting Coronavirus: ‘You May Want Take A Seat’

Coronavirus

Workers from major companies including Amazon, FedEx, Walmart, and others are planning to walk out on Friday over a lack of health and safety standards. They’re also demanding hazard pay for having to work during the coronavirus lockdown.
The Intercept <a href="https://theintercept.com/2020/04/28/coronavirus-may-1-strike-sickout-amazon-target-whole-foods/">reported</a> Tuesday that the walkout was planned because while the employers are making record profits, the employees do not feel safe or protected. The outlet reported that a press release from the organizers said employees would call out sick or simply walk off the job during their lunch break. Rank-and-file union members are expected to join the walkout in some places as well.
“We are acting in conjunction with workers at Amazon, Target, Instacart and other companies for International Worker’s Day to show solidarity with other essential workers in our struggle for better protections and benefits in the pandemic,” Daniel Steinbrook, a Whole Foods employee and strike organizer, told The Intercept.
Indiana Amazon employee Jana Jumpp told the outlet that she and a small team of coworkers have compiled a tally of Amazon workers who have contracted the coronavirus. She said they found 500 cases across 125 facilities, but suggested the number is higher, since the 500 cases were the only ones they were able to directly confirm through internal company communications and on Facebook.
Amazon refused to confirm or deny the numbers tallied by Jumpp and her team.
“While we respect people’s right to express themselves, we object to the irresponsible actions of labor groups in spreading misinformation and making false claims about Amazon during this unprecedented health and economic crisis,” Amazon spokesperson Rachael Lighty told the outlet. “We have gone to extreme measures to understand and address this pandemic.”
The walkout follows a strike organized for Amazon employees late last month. Christian Smalls, now a former Amazon employee, organized the strike and was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/amazon-fires-worker-who-led-strike-over-coronavirus-working-conditions">later fired</a> for ignoring “multiple warnings for violating social distancing guidelines,” according to the company.
“Despite that instruction to stay home with pay, he came onsite today, March 30, further putting the teams at risk,” an Amazon spokesperson <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2020/03/30/amazon-fires-staten-island-coronavirus-strike-leader-chris-smalls.html">told CNBC</a> at the time. “This is unacceptable and we have terminated his employment as a result of these multiple safety issues.”
On April 22, Smalls tweeted about the May 1 walkout and urged people to boycott the businesses where workers would strike, including Whole Foods and his former employer, Amazon.
“Protect all workers at all cost we are not expandable or replaceable enough is enough TAKE THE POWER BACK!” Smalls tweeted.
The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/news/495061-amazon-walmart-fedex-workers-plan-walkout-on-friday-report?amp">reported</a> that the “strikes slated for Friday are one of many fronts led by union and nonunion workers amid the pandemic, as <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/technology/489912-instacart-workers-set-to-strike-monday">Instacart workers</a> previously organized a strike in late March, along with several other demonstrations <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/technology/490111-amazon-workers-plan-walkout-at-ny-site">from Amazon</a> and Whole Foods workers around the same time.”
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Amazon, FedEx, Walmart Workers Plan To Walk Out On Friday, Demanding Hazard Pay, Better Working Conditions

Target

unions

Walmart

Amazon, the online superstore, has its hands full supplying goods to a quarantined nation while protecting employees from COVID-19.
The behemoth still appears to have found the time to yank a documentary title off its service.
“Hoaxed,” the 2019 film savaging the current state of journalism, is no longer available for rental or digital purchase at Amazon.com. The DVD of the film, featuring rabble-rousing journalist Mike Cernovich, appeared to remain in stock after he Tweeted the news about “Hoaxed&#8221; to his followers.
The “Hoaxed” DVD is no longer available now, either.
“Amazon told us that ‘Hoaxed’s’ removal was not a technical issue but that they don’t have to give us any more specific reasons as to why they banned it,” Cernovich said via email.
The film’s co-director, Jon du Toit, confirmed Amazon’s removal.
“They pulled it without giving our distributor, Random Media, any warning,” du Toit said, adding that he’d been told by some who previously bought a digital copy of the film that they can no longer access the documentary.
The film finds Cernovich smiting modern journalists for promoting liberal narratives, ignoring news that matters to many citizens, and giving little attention to the truth. Among the unconventional talking heads assembled for the film – Jordan Peterson, “Dilbert” creator Scott Adams, new media journalist Tim Pool, and InfoWars personality Alex Jones.
It’s possible Jones’ presence alone triggered Amazon’s decision. The conspiracy monger has been deplatformed by Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook. “Hoaxed” paints him in a mostly positive light.
Cernovich has said he’s <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/hoaxed-mike-cernovich/">counseled Jones to tone down his shtick</a>, but he included him in the film because he’s been ahead of the curve on some issues, like Big Tech invading our privacy.
Think Facebook and Amazon’s Alexa device, for starters.
Jones currently appears in “After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News,” but he’s framed as a villain, not a savvy pundit. The HBO documentary can currently be viewed via Amazon Prime’s HBO channel.
“Hoaxed” also shows Pool attempting to investigate Swedish police who allegedly avoid neighborhoods where violent Muslim immigrants flourish. Local police not so gently escort Pool from the area in question, and it’s all on video.
Cernovich’s team initially said it didn’t know what made Amazon memory hole their film. His website later posted a story saying the film’s critical coverage of Amazon’s <a href="https://www.cernovich.com/hoaxed-movie-is-the-top-selling-documentary-on-itunes/">$600 million CIA contract</a> cost him a slot on the service.
Right-leaning artists often get their work booted from big tech platforms, though, often with little or no explanation.
YouTube routinely marks PragerU video lessons as “restricted,” which means they reach a significantly smaller audience. The clips aren’t profane or violent, and PragerU’s attorneys have unsuccessfully, to date, sued to reverse that policy.
Late last year, <a href="https://society-reviews.com/2020/02/02/society-reviews-banned-from-letterboxd/">black</a> libertarian film critic Jacob Smith got temporarily booted from Letterboxd.com, a site allowing members to post their reviews online. The site’s team said Smith had violated its community standards but couldn’t say in what way or how.
The site eventually restored four years’ worth of Smith’s reviews.
Conservative comedian Steve “Mudflap” McGrew spends much of his day in “Facebook jail,” and he often <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/conservative-comics-facebook-banning/">doesn’t know why</a>. The platform says he’s run afoul of Facebook’s spamming features, but he claims he’s following the letter of the social media law.
“Hoaxed” is still available on other platforms, for now, including YouTube, Vimeo, and iTunes. The film <a href="https://www.cernovich.com/hoaxed-movie-is-the-top-selling-documentary-on-itunes/">shot to the number one spot</a> on the latter’s documentary charts following Amazon’s banning.
Cernovich is right of center, but his film occasionally crosses the aisle to hammer home its points. It even features a member of the Black Lives Matter group. Plus, the film drew praise from at least one left-of-center viewer.
A self-described lifelong liberal cheered <a href="https://medium.com/@anton.fletcher.3/review-of-hoaxed-a-documentary-produced-by-mike-cernovich-41b96f0421bc">“Hoaxed” on Medium.com,</a> including this prescient caveat.
“‘Hoaxed’ will go down as the most subversive documentary, perhaps film, of the current decade.”

TOTO: ‘Hoaxed’ Doc Canceled By Amazon, But The Story Doesn’t End There

documentary

Hoaxed

Hollywood

Citing COVID-19&#8217;s &#8220;very real threat to the safety of our workforce and customers,&#8221; employees of Whole Foods are staging a nationwide &#8220;sick out&#8221; Tuesday and demanding the Amazon-owned company make some significant changes to how they are handling the crisis, including how they are paying employees.
&#8220;On March 31, Whole Foods employees will call in sick to demand paid leave for all workers who stay home or self-quarantine during the crisis, free coronavirus testing for all employees, and hazard pay of double the current hourly wage for employees who show up to work during the pandemic,&#8221; <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/5dmeka/whole-foods-employees-are-staging-a-nationwide-sick-out">Vice</a> reports.
The &#8220;sick out&#8221; is being organized by the national Whole Foods employee group, Whole Worker, and is being conducted by employees in stores across the country, including in New York City, Chicago, and cities in California and Louisiana.
Vice notes that Whole Foods has already taken some action regarding compensation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, temporarily increasing hourly pay for workers by $2 an hour and offering two weeks paid sick leave to workers who test positive for the virus and no penalty for those who call in sick. But Whole Worker says the measures are not enough, demanding double hazard pay rather than the $2 temporary increase.
&#8220;COVID-19 is a very real threat to the safety of our workforce and customers,&#8221; Whole Worker said in a statement. &#8220;We cannot wait for politicians, institutions, or our own management to step in to protect us.&#8221;
In response to the &#8220;sick out,&#8221; a spokesperson for Whole Foods stressed in a statement to Vice that the company is taking &#8220;extensive measures to keep people safe,&#8221; including their employees, who are &#8220;on the front lines serving our customers.&#8221;
“As we address unprecedented demand and fulfill a critical need in our communities, Whole Foods Market is committed to prioritizing our Team Members’ wellbeing, while recognizing their extraordinary dedication,&#8221; the spokesperson said. &#8220;We have taken extensive measures to keep people safe, and in addition to social distancing, enhanced deep cleaning and crowd control measures, we continue rolling out new safety protocols in our stores to protect our Team Members who are on the front lines serving our customers.&#8221;
As <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2020/03/30/amazon-fires-staten-island-coronavirus-strike-leader-chris-smalls.html">CNBC</a> reported, Whole Foods&#8217; parent company, Amazon, just fired an employee who staged another strike. &#8220;Chris Smalls, a management assistant at the facility, known as JFK8, said he was fired Monday afternoon following the strike,&#8221; the outlet reported Monday. &#8220;Smalls and other employees walked out to call attention to the lack of protections for warehouse workers. The workers are also urging Amazon to close the facility after a worker tested positive for the coronavirus last week. The organizers said that at least 50 people joined the walkout.&#8221;
“Amazon would rather fire workers than face up to its total failure to do what it should to keep us, our families, and our communities safe,” Smalls said in a statement. “I am outraged and disappointed, but I’m not shocked. As usual, Amazon would rather sweep a problem under the rug than act to keep workers and working communities safe.”
An Amazon spokesperson explained to CNBC why the company felt compelled to fired Smalls. &#8220;Despite that instruction to stay home with pay, he came onsite today, March 30, further putting the teams at risk,” an Amazon spokesperson told the network. “This is unacceptable and we have terminated his employment as a result of these multiple safety issues.”

Whole Foods Employees Stage ‘Sick Out,’ Issue List Of Coronavirus Demands; Whole Foods Responds

The Amazon warehouse worker who organized a strike to demand the company better protect its workers amid the coronavirus pandemic has been fired.
Chris Smalls said he was fired Monday after he organized the strike, CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2020/03/30/amazon-fires-staten-island-coronavirus-strike-leader-chris-smalls.html">confirmed</a>. Amazon told the outlet that Smalls was fired because he ignored “multiple warnings for violating social distancing guidelines” and refused to quarantine himself even though he had contact with another worker who tested positive for COVID-19.
&#8220;Despite that instruction to stay home with pay, he came onsite today, March 30, further putting the teams at risk,&#8221; an Amazon spokesperson told CNBC. &#8220;This is unacceptable and we have terminated his employment as a result of these multiple safety issues.&#8221;
Smalls released his own statement.
&#8220;Amazon would rather fire workers than face up to its total failure to do what it should to keep us, our families, and our communities safe,&#8221; Smalls said in a statement to media outlets. &#8220;I am outraged and disappointed, but I&#8217;m not shocked. As usual, Amazon would rather sweep a problem under the rug than act to keep workers and working communities safe.&#8221;
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-york-amazon-workers-walkout-after-covid-19-hits-warehouse">reported</a> Monday, Smalls led a strike of workers at Amazon’s Staten Island warehouse whom he said were forced to go to work even though multiple workers tested positive for COVID-19.
“If a building tests positive you should shut it down and sanitize it,” Smalls told <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/money/coronavirus-amazon-workers-walkout-staten-island">FOX Business</a>. “That’s all we’re asking for. … If we don’t get a response today, then we’re going to City Hall.”
He told ABC News that he also requested Amazon pay back employees who used vacation or sick days to avoid contracting the virus.
“People are afraid to work. People are there working and they’re putting their lives at risk because there are a number of (coronavirus) cases that they are not aware of,” he told <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Business/people-afraid-amazon-warehouse-workers-york-walk-off/story?id=69871849">ABC News</a>.
Smalls also said Amazon lied by saying just one worker tested positive for the virus. Smalls suggested as many as seven had contracted the virus and that he, as a management assistant, personally sent home the third person who tested positive. Smalls said the first woman who tested positive “already had time to spread it” by the time she left the facility.
“Her friend caught it. Her friend was the third case. She tested positive and she’s a supervisor in the pack department and the pack department is right before the items go out door to the customers. It’s dangerous,” he said.
Smalls said Monday that between 50 and 100 people planned to join him in walking off the job, but Amazon disputed that number to CNBC, saying just 15 people joined the walkout.
&#8220;Like all businesses grappling with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, we are working hard to keep employees safe while serving communities and the most vulnerable,&#8221; the company told CNBC in a statement. &#8220;The truth is the vast majority of employees continue to show up and do the heroic work of delivering for customers every day.&#8221;
Amazon in its statement also said the accusations that the company was not taking the virus seriously were “unfounded” and claimed it had taken “extreme measures” to ensure worker safety.
Workers at other facilities told CNBC that hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes are rationed and that Amazon simply isn’t doing enough to protect them.

Amazon Workers

Amazon Fires Worker Who Led Strike Over Coronavirus Working Conditions

After multiple employees tested positive for COVID-19, Amazon workers walked out of a Staten Island warehouse on Monday demanding that the company take better safety precautions amid the pandemic.
&#8220;If a building tests positive you should shut it down and sanitize it,&#8221; Christian Smalls, the organizer of the walkout, told <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/money/coronavirus-amazon-workers-walkout-staten-island">FOX Business</a>. &#8220;That&#8217;s all we&#8217;re asking for. &#8230; If we don&#8217;t get a response today, then we&#8217;re going to City Hall.&#8221;
Smalls also called on the company to grant retroactive paychecks to employees who took time off in fear of contracting the virus. “People are afraid to work. People are there working and they’re putting their lives at risk because there are a number of (coronavirus) cases that they are not aware of,&#8221; he told <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Business/people-afraid-amazon-warehouse-workers-york-walk-off/story?id=69871849">ABC News</a>.
Smalls was reportedly placed in quarantine by Amazon this past Saturday after he came in contact with another employee who tested positive for the virus. He also claimed that Amazon lied when it said that only one worker at the Staten Island warehouse was infected. In fact, as many as seven people may have been infected at a facility employing over 4,000.
&#8220;That’s a bold face lie because I sent home the third case directly,&#8221; Smalls said.
Regarding the first case of the virus, Smalls added, “She already had time to spread it. Her friend caught it. Her friend was the third case. She tested positive and she’s a supervisor in the pack department and the pack department is right before the items go out door to the customers. It’s dangerous.&#8221;
According to Smalls, up to 50 to 100 people planned to walk off the job demanding better safety measures.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Live at <a href="https://twitter.com/amazon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@amazon</a> JFK8 walkout to demand protections for workers and the public during COVID-19. Amazon is putting profits over safety<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/amazonstrike?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#amazonstrike</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ProtectAmazonWorkers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ProtectAmazonWorkers</a> <a href="https://t.co/YRWGu5gx2R">pic.twitter.com/YRWGu5gx2R</a>
&mdash; New York Communities for Change (@nychange) <a href="https://twitter.com/nychange/status/1244668041968922635?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In a statement, Amazon hailed its employees as &#8220;heroes&#8221; working to keep America stable, adding that the company has taken necessary precautions to ensure their safety.
&#8220;These accusations are simply unfounded. Our employees are heroes fighting for their communities and helping people get critical items they need in this crisis,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;Like all businesses grappling with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, we are working hard to keep employees safe while serving communities and the most vulnerable. We have taken extreme measures to keep people safe, tripling down on deep cleaning, procuring safety supplies that are available, and changing processes to ensure those in our buildings are keeping safe distances. The truth is the vast majority of employees continue to show up and do the heroic work of delivering for customers every day.&#8221;
Amazon will be raising the wages at the warehouse from $17.50 to $23 while paying double overtime to those who show up to work. The company will also be offering extended leave to those staying home in fear of contracting the virus. Beyond Amazon, Instacart employees likewise walked off the job on Monday. From <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/money/instacart-workers-striking-coronavirus-conditions">FOX Business</a>:
<blockquote>Instacart shoppers are planning to strike on Monday, saying the <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/category/retail" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">grocery delivery</a> company isn&#8217;t doing enough for its gig workers during the <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/category/coronavirus" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">coronavirus</a> pandemic.
In a <a href="https://medium.com/@GigWorkersCollective/instacart-emergency-walk-off-ebdf11b6995a" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Medium post</a> published Friday, Instacart workers asked for <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/category/lifestyle" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">proper protection</a> — including hand sanitizer and wipes — <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/category/money">hazard pay of $5</a> for each order and an extension of benefits to workers affected by the virus.
Instacart said Sunday it would soon provide workers with a new hand sanitizer upon request and outlined changes to its tip system. The group said the measures were too little too late.</blockquote>
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) expressed his support for the Amazon workers on Monday.
&#8220;Amazon [and] Instacart must take care of their workers, especially now,&#8221; Booker <a href="https://twitter.com/SenBooker/status/1244673746885120001" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">tweeted.</a> &#8220;I&#8217;ve written to Amazon asking exactly how they plan to. I stand with these workers in their strike.&#8221;

US-HEALTH-VIRUS-STRIKE

NEW YORK: Amazon Workers Walkout After COVID-19 Hits Warehouse

After a Los Angeles man noticed his Amazon package was damp, he decided to look at his home security camera to try and determine why. To the man’s shock, the delivery man seemed to have deliberately spit on his package. 
According to <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2020/03/27/amazon-delivery-spits-package-caught-video-coronavirus/">TMZ</a>, the incident occurred Thursday afternoon in the Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, and the driver appears to rub the spit onto the package after placing it on the floor. The driver’s behavior was reported by two people to an Amazon customer service representative, a source told the news agency.
“We&#8217;re told the rep gasped in horror and expressed shock that it was an older man, and not a young delivery worker. The rep confirmed the delivery guy was from a third party service and he was reported,” wrote the news agency in its report. 
In a statement to TMZ, an Amazon spokesperson said that the online megastore was investigating the matter and would consider legal recourse against the driver if the investigation determined the driver’s behavior “truly was a malicious act.”
“This is clearly not representative of drivers who deliver for Amazon and the care they take for customers around the world every day. We are aggressively investigating to understand what may have occurred in this situation. If it truly was a malicious act by the driver, we will be sure he is held accountable, up through and including law enforcement action,” the spokesperson told the news agency. 
According to the <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/03/27/amazon-deliveryman-caught-spitting-on-package-in-vile-video/">New York Post</a>, the man who received the package posted a video of the incident online.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WARNING &#8211; amazon delivery person spread spit willingly on our package today! Please share!!!!!! I am trying to contact amazon ASAP so please tag amazon if you share this!! I received the box and saw a big wet spot and then checked the camera! <a href="https://twitter.com/amazon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@amazon</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/latimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@latimes</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KTLA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KTLA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MayorOfLA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mayorofla</a> <a href="https://t.co/468U6UaZoa">pic.twitter.com/468U6UaZoa</a>
— Gavin. M. (@mpium) <a href="https://twitter.com/mpium/status/1243360253002960896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2020</a></blockquote>
People across the country have experienced an increased sense of caution as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and allegations of inappropriate behavior have drawn heightened concern from shoppers and businesses alike. 
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/very-twisted-prank-grocery-store-dumps-estimated-35000-in-product-after-woman-allegedly-goes-on-coughing-spree">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported, a family-owned grocery store chain in Pennsylvania had to throw out $35,000 worth of products after a woman allegedly went around the store purposefully coughing on the food while proclaiming she contracted the coronavirus. 
According to <a href="https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/coronavirus/hanover-township-woman-charged-in-gerrity-s-supermarket-coughing-episode-1.2611519">The Times-Tribune</a>, the manager of the store reported the woman as “violently coughing and spitting.” A police complaint alleges the woman also forcibly vomited on some of the products, and was “smiling and laughing” at another point. 
In a Facebook Post, co-owner Joe Fasula said the woman had performed a “twisted prank,” and as a result the store had to throw away “all the product she came into contact with.” 
The woman has been charged with “making terroristic threats and making a bomb threat related to a weapon of mass destruction,” among several other lesser charges, reports the news agency. 
Earlier this week, Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen informed police and prosecutors across the country that some criminal activity related to coronavirus threats could be categorized under terrorism charges, on account that the virus is a “biological agent,” reports <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/25/us/coronavirus-terrorism-nj.html">The New York Times</a>. 
The news agency reports that similar charges have been filed against a New Jersey man who allegedly “leaned in” toward a supermarket employee to cough, and then allegedly laughed and told the worker he had coronavirus.

Amazon Fulfilment Center In Sosnowiec

Delivery Driver Appears To Rub His Spit On Amazon Package, Report Says

Amidst growing demand for deliveries, Amazon has announced that it will suspend the shipment of non-essential items to its warehouses until April 5 to prioritize more essential shipments. 
According to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-amazon-suspends-all-non-essential-shipments-to-warehouses-2020-3">Business Insider</a>, the decision will affect sellers who send products to Amazon warehouses, and will not affect shipments made to consumers. The news agency also obtained a memo from Amazon of the decision: 
<blockquote>We are closely monitoring the developments of COVID-19 and its impact on our customers, selling partners, and employees.
We are seeing increased online shopping, and as a result some products such as household staples and medical supplies are out of stock. With this in mind, we are temporarily prioritizing household staples, medical supplies, and other high-demand products coming into our fulfillment centers so that we can more quickly receive, restock, and deliver these products to customers.
For products other than these, we have temporarily disabled shipment creation. We are taking a similar approach with retail vendors.
This will be in effect today through April 5, 2020, and we will let you know once we resume regular operations. Shipments created before today will be received at fulfillment centers.</blockquote>
According to Business Insider, the decision to suspend warehouse shipments will not apply to baby products, personal care products, household products, pet food or groceries. 
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/amazon-to-go-on-massive-hiring-spree-increases-pay-during-coronavirus-outbreak">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported, Amazon is currently on a 100,000 employee hiring-spree, looking to meet high levels of demand from people self-isolating at home, and those unable to find products they need in local stores. 
“We are seeing a significant increase in demand, which means our labor needs are unprecedented for this time of year,” said Dave Clark, Amazon’s senior vice president of operations, in a memo obtained by <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-to-hire-100-000-warehouse-and-delivery-workers-amid-coronavirus-shutdowns-11584387833">The Wall Street Journal</a>. 
The journal reports that Amazon has also given employees temporary $2 per-hour pay increases, in addition to unlimited unpaid time off. Workers for Amazon locations outside the United States will also see larger paychecks, reports the journal. 
The hiring decision comes as businesses in areas across the country have been forced to close or adjust their operations to fit new emergency guidelines. 
According to <a href="https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/coronavirus-cases-continue-increase-more-deaths-linked-kirkland-nursing-facility/XIDPHMLVOJAAREQ5YCL75367PU/">Kiro-7,</a> Washington has shut entertainment venues, restaurants and bars across the state, forcing eateries to change business practices to accommodate orders for take-out only. 
The country’s two largest cities — New York City, which has over 8 million people, and Los Angeles, which has over 4 million people — have put similar measures in place. 
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-preps-coronavirus-stimulus-package-to-pump-850-billion-into-flagging-economy">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported, the White House is currently preparing an $850 billion stimulus package, most of which would consist of payroll tax cuts and small business loans. 
The White House is also considering sending Americans paychecks directly as a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-wants-checks-sent-to-americans-within-next-two-weeks-in-virus-response">temporary relief</a> measure, as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuch revealed on Tuesday. 
“The president has instructed me we have to do this now,” said Mnuchin. “Americans need cash now — and I mean now, in the next two weeks.”
“I think we’re going to do something that gets money to them as quickly as possible. That may not be an accurate way of doing it,” said Mnuchin. “Some people obviously shouldn’t be getting a check for $1,000 but we’ll have an idea at the end of the day what we will be doing.”

Amazon Hosts Jobs Day Across US To Hire 50,000 For Its Fulfillment Centers

Amazon Temporarily Suspends Shipments Of Non-Essentials To Warehouses

Amazon is reportedly planing on hiring an additional 100,000 employees in the United States to help meet the increased demand caused by the outbreak of the coronavirus, which originated in China.
&#8220;Amazon plans to deploy the new workers to fuel e-commerce deliveries and is raising pay for these employees in the U.S. and Canada by $2 an hour through April,&#8221; The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-to-hire-100-000-warehouse-and-delivery-workers-amid-coronavirus-shutdowns-11584387833">reported</a>. &#8220;In the U.K., it will go up £2 an hour and approximately €2 an hour in many EU countries. Amazon currently pays $15 an hour as a starting wage to workers in its fulfillment centers around the U.S.&#8221;
“We are seeing a significant increase in demand, which means our labor needs are unprecedented for this time of year,” said Dave Clark, Amazon’s senior vice president of operations.
The increased demand comes as numerous businesses and schools have closed and major events cancelled in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
&#8220;On Wednesday, Amazon expanded its sick-leave policy to include part-time warehouse workers and set up a relief fund, with an initial $25 million for delivery partners such as drivers and others affected by the outbreak,&#8221; The Journal added. &#8220;The company earlier eased its policy for unpaid time off, offering workers the option to take unlimited unpaid time off through the end of March without penalties.&#8221;
Amazon&#8217;s expansion comes after President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he had spoken to top business leaders across the country to make sure everyone was on the same page in terms of coordinating a response to the coronavirus.
Trump said that he spoke to the following leaders:
<ul>
<li>Dave Clark, Whole Foods.</li>
<li>Mark Clouse, CEO of Campbell Soup Company.</li>
<li>Brian Cornell, CEO of Target.</li>
<li>Randy Edeker, Chairman and CEO, President of Hy-Vee.</li>
<li>Jeff Harmening, CEO of General Mills.</li>
<li>Kevin Hourican, President and CEO of Sysco.</li>
<li>Craig Jelinek, CEO of Costco.</li>
<li>Todd Jones, CEO of Publix Super Markets.</li>
<li>Donnie King, Tyson Foods.</li>
<li>David MacLennan, Chairman and CEO of Cargill.</li>
<li>Rodney McMullan, CEO, Chairman of Kroger.</li>
<li>Doug McMillon, CEO of Walmart.</li>
<li>Todd Vasos, CEO of Dollar General Corporation.</li>
<li>And Vivek Sankaran, President and CEO of Albertsons.</li>
</ul>
During the press conference Trump reassured the public that there was going to be plenty of supplies ready for people to purchase and that there was no need to hoard supplies.
&#8220;So these are all phenomenal companies. These are great companies. We had a long conversation with them. And they’ve — they’re going to work 24 hours around the clock keeping their store stocked,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;I would like to say that people shouldn’t go out and buy. We’re going to all be great. We’re going to be so good. We’re going to do — what’s happened with the Fed is phenomenal news. What’s happening with all of these incredible companies is phenomenal news.&#8221;
&#8220;But you don’t have to buy so much. Take it easy. Just relax. People are going in and they’re buying more.  I remember — I guess, during the conversation, Doug of Walmart said that they’re buying more than they buy at Christmas. Relax. We’re doing great. It all will pass,&#8221; Trump continued. &#8220;All of them are working hand-in-hand with the federal government, as well as the state and local leaders, to ensure food and essentials are constantly available. And they’ll do it. There’s no shortages. We have no shortages — other than people are buying anywhere from three to five times what they would normally buy. It’s going to be there for a long time.&#8221;
This is a breaking news story, refresh the page for updates.

Amazon To Go On Massive Hiring Spree, Increase Pay During Coronavirus Outbreak

Amazon has come down on a couple who have been bragging about making a fortune off the coronavirus by selling cleaning items at highly inflated prices.
&#8220;A Vancouver couple who’ve spent the last few weeks cleaning out Costco store shelves of Lysol cleaning products and reselling them at higher prices on Amazon have had their account suspended, the online retail giant said Friday,&#8221; the <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2020/03/13/amazon-blocks-account-of-couple-who-bought-up-lysol-wipes-at-costco-and-resold-them-online-for-profit.html">Toronto Star</a> reported.
“I can confirm their account was blocked for violating our policy around inflating prices,” Amazon spokesperson Andrew Gouveia told the paper.
<blockquote>Manny Ranga and Violeta Perez were observed this week outside a Costco store near downtown Vancouver loading the back of their Ford F-150 truck with stacks of Lysol disinfecting wipes.
Ranga said that a six-pack of wipes, which might sell for $20 at Costco, could fetch four times that online, representing a “big opportunity.” He said the couple had spent about $70,000 on Lysol wipes and liquid cleaners over the past few weeks and made more than $100,000 in sales to individuals and businesses.
Reached by phone Friday, Ranga said he objected to the way he and his wife were portrayed in the story and that the fallout was potentially jeopardizing their livelihoods.</blockquote>
Amazon is cracking down hard on price-gougers hoping to cash in on the virus, saying there is “no place for price gouging,” on the platform.
“We are disappointed that bad actors are attempting to artificially raise prices on basic need products during a global health crisis and, in line with our long-standing policy, have recently blocked or removed hundreds of thousands of offers,” the company said in a  statement. “We continue to actively monitor our store and remove offers that violate our policies.”
Amazon hit another pair of alleged gougers hard. Two brothers, Matt and Noah Colvin, had been &#8220;filling a U-Haul truck with thousands of bottles of hand sanitizer and thousands of packs of antibacterial wipes,&#8221; The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/14/technology/coronavirus-purell-wipes-amazon-sellers.html">New York Times</a> reported.
They then listed the items on Amazon, with hand sanitizer selling for between $8 and $70 each, The Times said.
<blockquote>
The next day, Amazon pulled his items and thousands of other listings for sanitizer, wipes and face masks. The company suspended some of the sellers behind the listings and warned many others that if they kept running up prices, they’d lose their accounts. EBay soon followed with even stricter measures, prohibiting any U.S. sales of masks or sanitizer.
Now, while millions of people across the country search in vain for hand sanitizer to protect themselves from the spread of the coronavirus, Mr. Colvin is sitting on 17,700 bottles of the stuff with little idea where to sell them.</blockquote>
Many states outlaw price gouging. California, for instance, bans selling commodities, household essentials, and fuel after a declared state of emergency for more than 10% over the cost of these items immediately preceding the declaration. Those found guilty of selling those commodities at inflated prices face up to a year in jail and/or a $10,000 fine.
In New York, selling &#8220;goods and services vital and necessary for the health, safety and welfare of consumers&#8221; at an &#8220;unconscionably excessive price&#8221; (as determined by the court) during a declared state of emergency is banned. Gougers face up to $25,000 civil penalty per violation, says <a href="https://consumer.findlaw.com/consumer-transactions/price-gouging-laws-by-state.html">FindLaw.com</a>.

Flooding Across The Country Reaches A Critical Level

Amazon Drops The Hammer On Coronavirus Price-Gouging Couple

A Tennessee man who amassed a collection of over 17,000 bottles of hand sanitizer and a variety of other sanitary supplies, such as face masks and anti-bacterial wipes, has been speaking about how he hasn’t been able to sell them since his products were delisted from the Amazon marketplace.
According to The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/14/technology/coronavirus-purell-wipes-amazon-sellers.html?action=click&amp;module=Top%20Stories&amp;pgtype=Homepage">New York Times</a>, Matt Colvin teamed up with his brother to collect and sell pandemic supplies earlier this month, after the United States reported the first death from coronavirus.
The Times reports that the supply-run involved one brother renting a U-Haul and taking a 1,300-mile road trip to clean out stores, while Matt Colvin stayed home and listed other supplies online that he was having delivered.
Colvin told the news agency he made “crazy money,” and managed to sell 300 bottles of hand sanitizer at prices between $8 and $70 each.
“It’s been a huge amount of whiplash,” Colvin told the Times, regarding his inability to sell his supplies. “From being in a situation where what I’ve got coming and going could potentially put my family in a really good place financially to ‘What the heck am I going to do with all of this?’”
“I’m being paid for my public service,” said Colvin. “But I’m not looking to be in a situation where I make the front page of the news for being that guy who hoarded 20,000 bottles of sanitizer that I’m selling for 20 times what they cost me.”
UPDATE: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/seller-who-hoarded-17000-bottles-of-hand-sanitizer-donates-stockpile">Seller Who Hoarded 17,000 Bottles Of Hand Sanitizer Donates Stockpile</a>
As <a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/347346">Entrepreneur</a> reported earlier this week, Ebay has also banned sellers from offloading surgical masks and other forms of sanitizers due to issues with price gouging.
After the Times published the report, Colvin told the news agency he was looking into donating his stockpile to people who need it.
According to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-14/hand-sanitizer-shortages-push-fda-to-let-pharmacists-make-it">Bloomberg News</a>, the FDA announced Saturday that it will encourage pharmacists, doctors, and other licensed healthcare professionals to produce their own hand sanitizer to meet consumer demand. The government agency has also provided guidelines to health professionals about what ingredients they should use, and in what ratios they should be used, reports the news agency. 
According to <a href="https://news.grabien.com/story-de-blasio-coronavirus-case-nationalization-crucial-factories">Grabien</a>, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio appeared on MSNBC the very same day, pitching his idea for how to properly produce hand sanitizer – predictably, it involved mass-scale government intervention.
“This is a case for a nationalization, literally a nationalization of crucial factories and industries that can produce the medical supplies to prepare this country for what we need,” de Blasio told MSNBC host Joy Reid.
“The federal government should recognize this is literally a crucial part of stopping this, there should be a national approach to ensuring – every factory that can make hand sanitizer should be on 24/7 shifts and the distribution should go to the places that need it most,” continued de Blasio.
Amidst his nationalization proposal, de Blasio also inserted a jab at the president, arguing that the Trump administration was approaching a “wartime scenario with a Mar-A-Lago attitude.”
As The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-trump-to-declare-national-emergency">Daily Wire</a> has previously reported, the Trump administration has declared a national emergency, and White House coronavirus expert Dr. Anthony Fauci has warned Americans to prepare for the epidemic to worsen: “It’s certainly going to get worse before it gets better … there’s no doubt we have not peaked yet,” he said Friday. 
Facui has declined to predict whether the United States will shut down in the vein of China and Italy, the Asian and European epicenters of the virus, respectively: “I’m not sure we’re going to get to that. I think that would be really rather dramatic, but I can tell you that all things are on the table. We just have to respond as things evolve over the days and the weeks.”

Coronavirus Pandemic Causes Climate Of Anxiety And Changing Routines In America

Seller Blocked By Amazon Seemingly Can’t Unload His 17,000 Bottles Of Hand Sanitizer

hand sanitizer

Amazon says one of the employees in one of its Seattle offices has tested positive for the deadly coronavirus, which has killed more than 3,000 people globally and infected tens of thousands more.
“The employee went home feeling unwell on Tuesday, February 25 and has not entered Amazon offices since that time,” the company said in a notice to employees on Tuesday. “We notified the employees who we know were in close contact with this employee.&#8221;
The memo sought to allay workers&#8217; fears, adding that “[t]he risk of transmission for employees who were not in close contact with this individual is assessed to be low.”
Amazon eventually released more details, according to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/03/coronavirus-amazon-employee-in-seattle-office-tests-positive.html">CNBC</a>. &#8220;We&#8217;re supporting the affected employee who is in quarantine,” the company said. “The employee is based out of Amazon’s Brazil office building in Seattle, WA.”
&#8216;The office is in downtown Seattle on 9th Avenue, according to a search on Google Maps. It is not Amazon’s headquarters office, which is located on 7th Avenue,&#8221; the outlet added.
Washington state currently has the most active cases of coronavirus, also called COVID-19, in the U.S., including several cases at a nursing facility. So far, nine people have died in Washington and the total number of confirmed cases in the state hit 27 on Tuesday, up from 18 on Monday. Health officials said more than 230 other people in the state are currently being monitored for the virus.
According to a <a href="https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6">run</a><a href="https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6">ning</a><a href="https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6"> tally</a> by Johns Hopkins, there are 22 cases in King County, Washington, and eight of the nine U.S. deaths have occurred there. There has also been one death in a suburb located just north of Seattle.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the virus &#8220;is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person between people who are in close contact with one another (&#8220;within about 6 feet,&#8221; and &#8220;through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.&#8221;
But the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/transmission.html">CDC</a> also says &#8220;it may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.&#8221;
&#8220;The virus that causes COVID-19 seems to be spreading easily and sustainably in the community (&#8216;community spread&#8217;) in some affected geographic areas. Community spread means people have been infected with the virus in an area, including some who are not sure how or where they became infected.&#8221;
The World Health Organization (WHO) says the virus can love on surfaces for days.
&#8220;It is not certain how long the virus that causes COVID-19 survives on surfaces, but it seems to behave like other coronaviruses. Studies suggest that coronaviruses (including preliminary information on the COVID-19 virus) may persist on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days. This may vary under different conditions (e.g. type of surface, temperature or humidity of the environment).&#8221;
WHO also offers a simple fix for the problem: &#8220;If you think a surface may be infected, clean it with simple disinfectant to kill the virus and protect yourself and others. Clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, or nose.&#8221;

Toronto&#8217;s Financial District As Stock Market Bloodbath Kept At Bay In Canada With Gold Rally

UH OH: Amazon Worker Tests Positive For Coronavirus

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) loves using online mega-retailers as a punching bag, emblematic of everything that is &#8220;wrong&#8221; with &#8220;corporate greed&#8221; and &#8220;capitalism,&#8221; but his campaign used Amazon as a preferred vendor, the Washington Post reports, causing fractures between members of his team.
The free market, it turns out, makes things super convenient for cash-strapped campaigns, even if they&#8217;re in service of a self-described &#8220;Democratic socialist.&#8221;
“Impassioned dissent erupted within the Sanders campaign earlier this year over its purchases of large amounts of supplies through Amazon, according to five people with knowledge of the situation. Carli Stevenson, then a senior Sanders campaign aide in New Hampshire, raised concerns directly with national campaign officials and suggested using a different company, three of the people said,” <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/bernie-sanders-staffers-complained-about-the-campaigns-use-of-amazon-a-frequent-sanders-target/2019/12/28/65b32350-265c-11ea-ad73-2fd294520e97_story.html">The Post reported Tuesday</a>.
Although the report doesn&#8217;t go into detail over what supplies, precisely, came from the online retail giant, the Washington Post reports that the Sander campaign spent a staggering $233,000 on Amazon products, including office supplies, even as the campaign&#8217;s fearless leader &#8212; Sanders himself &#8212; railed against billionaire Jeff Bezos and his company on social media and in campaign speeches.
“Another New Hampshire staffer, state political director William Bateson, also voiced opposition to using Amazon, according to two of the people with knowledge of the situation,&#8221; The Post said. &#8221; The Sanders campaign continued using Amazon despite the concerns. Through September, it had spent more than $233,000 on Amazon purchases — much of it in office supplies, and often through Amazon’s Marketplace feature — a review of campaign finance records shows.”
The campaign’s spending on Amazon is a small fraction of the more than $40 million it shelled out on operating expenditures during the same period,” The Post added. “But it was more than other campaigns spent on the company, and more than enough to prompt surprise and complaints from staffers who felt it conflicted with the campaign’s principles.”
The Sanders&#8217; campaign says that it&#8217;s hard to find acceptable online office supplies retailers, even though both Staples and Quill Corporation offer similar deals and free shipping, just like their main online competitor, Amazon.
“I hear you on amazon but who is the paragon of virtue in . . . office supplies?” I hear uline is terrible. Cant beleive (sic) staples is a great company but happy to shown I’m wrong,&#8221; a spokesperson for the campaign told the Post in an email.
Staples doesn&#8217;t disclose its corporate giving (Open Secrets suggests that the company doesn&#8217;t make political donations). Quill doesn&#8217;t seem to be large enough to make major gifts or engage in any lobbying. And, more importantly, neither Staples nor Quill has been a prime target of the Sanders campaign (Uline is a Republican-owned company).
For the record, Amazon actually does pay taxes, contrary to Sanders&#8217; routine assertions. <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephaniedenning/2019/02/22/why-amazon-pays-no-corporate-taxes/#b37c7dd54d5a">Forbes reports that</a>, over the last several years, the mega-retailer has paid millions, if not billions, in state and local taxes, payroll taxes, and income taxes. Thanks to deals inked with state and local governments, they do avoid a large share of property and corporate taxes, and the company structures its growth so that it reinvests its profits in further development.

Democratic Presidential Candidates Participate In Debate In Atlanta, Georgia

Bernie Sanders Railed Against Amazon But His Campaign Kept Ordering Products From Online Mega-Retailer

Bernie Sanders

Amazon is hoping to take a bit of the sting out of the inevitable, inebriated political debate sure to happen around your holiday table with a new application, available through its Alexa home assistant.
Political action groups frequently charge their friends and fans with &#8220;converting&#8221; their families over the holidays and this year is no exception. The Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) campaign even mailed a &#8220;family persuasion guide&#8221; to thousands of students who expressed interest in canvassing for the Vermont Senator during the 2020 presidential campaign, in hopes that, this holiday, Bernie-acs across the country can disrupt the peace of Christmas to browbeat their loved ones into voting for Bernie in the early primaries.
To help tech-loving families keep from flat-out killing each other (something Alexa will also record, an unfortunate murder suspect in Florida learned to his detriment last year), Alexa will now suggest &#8220;fun debate questions&#8221; and issue &#8220;question prompts&#8221; so that you and your family can pick a less contentious subject than politics to disagree about.
People Magazine reports that &#8220;people can use the phrase, &#8216;Alexa, change the subject,&#8217; which will prompt the virtual assistant to ask a series of distracting debate questions.&#8221;
The questions seem straight out of the 1990s Saturday Night Live &#8220;Coffee Talk&#8221; sketch: &#8220;Anything from &#8216;What’s your favorite animal, and why?&#8217; to &#8216;Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?&#8217; may be asked by Alexa. Other questions include &#8216;If you could have any superpower, what would it be, and why?&#8217;, &#8216;Do you have a celebrity crush? Who is it? And why?&#8217; and &#8216;Pineapple on pizza was the greatest culinary development of the 20th century. Discuss…'&#8221;
Amazon&#8217;s research arm, which conducts marketing focus groups for the mega-retailer, even has Alexa prepared with extra bandwidth and server space for the most contentious times Christmas Day. It turns out, most families have their worst arguments right around traditional supper time, at 6:30pm. They also revealed that most people argue with their mother (around 25% of respondents), and most arguments are about money or &#8220;what to watch on television&#8221; &#8212; not politics. The &#8220;rules of a board game&#8221; or &#8220;family gossip&#8221; are also popular debate topics.
Of course, Alexa can only do so much. If you do think you&#8217;ll become embroiled in a political or other contentious discussion at the holidays, <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health-news/navigating-uncomfortable-conversations-with-family-during-the-holidays?fbclid=IwAR3sylj-WteSeiLV0nltLLneazYk23BudVOCfU49za05LLWh1ZzZYngTZ0A#Set-boundaries">experts suggest</a> that you set boundaries and reinforce them. When things get heated, walk away. If, after a few cocktails, you think you&#8217;re ready to take a stab at converting your particularly partisan cousin, take a deep breath and suggest another subject. Or, give up and realize that few people can be berated out of their ideas.
Amazon says that the new Alexa &#8220;change the subject&#8221; application will be available after Christmas, so it may be a good idea to plug it into your home assistant&#8217;s &#8220;speed dial&#8221; at least until November: “Despite the Christmas spin, the service is for life, not just for Christmas, and can be used any time when there’s a need to break up some tension,” the company <a href="https://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/3084754/alexa-christmas-family-rows-feature">told the Inquirer</a>.

Amazon Alexa

Amazon Rolls Out Alexa App That Will Defuse Heightened Holiday Tensions

After Walmart booted it off its site, the controversial &#8220;Cocaine Santa&#8221; Christmas sweater that delivers exactly as advertised has found a home on Amazon.
&#8220;The ugly sweater, cheekily dubbed &#8216;Let It Snow,&#8217; is now listed as a #1 Best Seller in the Women’s Novelty Sweatshirts section (despite being labeled as unisex), and it&#8217;s earning plenty of glowing five-star reviews,&#8221; reports <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/cocaine-santa-christmas-sweater-amazon-best-seller">Fox News</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The &quot;Cocaine Santa&quot; sweater found a home at Amazon: <a href="https://t.co/sUiDshb9ka">pic.twitter.com/sUiDshb9ka</a>
&mdash; Paul Bois (@PaulBois39) <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulBois39/status/1205185888579244033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Selling for $31.99 a pop, the product&#8217;s description bills the royal blue sweater as the &#8220;perfect gift for everybody who loves it a little bit edgy&#8221; while recommending that people wear it &#8220;around your loved ones and set some statements.&#8221;
“Nothing says ‘Christmas’ like Santa Snooters,” said one enthusiastic five-star review.
&#8220;We all know how snow works. It’s white, powdery, and the best snow comes straight from South America,&#8221; said another reviewer.
&#8220;What else can be said? Its the funniest, most amazing Xmas sweater in the universe. Buy one,&#8221; said another.
Other five-star reviews found the sweater to be a perfect piece of troll attire to break through what they found to be a &#8220;stolid&#8221; affair.
&#8220;As formal Xmas bashes are often somewhat stolid affairs, I figured this one would lighten the mood nicely and make for a yuletide conversation piece,&#8221; said one reviewer. &#8220;Naturally, some enjoyed the injection of mirth while others &#8230; not so much. &#8220;One gentleman, who is a recovering addict (much respect!) proceeded to give me a 30-minute lecture on the evils of drugs &#8230; Upon considerable afterthought, I&#8217;ve determined that I should probably amp things up a bit for next year&#8217;s affair, so I&#8217;m currently on the lookout for a Scarface-themed Christmas sweater. If anyone has a beat on where I can procure such a garment, please let me know.&#8221;
As noted by Fox News, the sweater is &#8220;technically being sold by a third-party seller,&#8221; though it is &#8220;being offered by brands other than FUNwear.&#8221;
As The Daily Wire&#8217;s Emily Zanotti <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/walmart-apologizes-for-ugly-christmas-sweater-featuring-santa-claus-snorting-cocaine">reported this week</a>, Walmart&#8217;s Canadian website booted the ugly Christmas sweater from its platform after being deluged with complaints over its content.
&#8220;Mega-retailer Walmart has been forced to apologize after consumers complained about a set of ugly Christmas sweaters, sold on its website, with racy and obscene messages, including a shirt that seems to show Santa Claus snorting lines of cocaine,&#8221; Zanotti noted. &#8220;Walmart stores don’t actually sell any sweaters by the controversial retailer, FUN Wear, but FUN Wear uses Walmart’s &#8216;retailers&#8217; feature to hawk its ugly Christmas clothing on Walmart’s website as a third-party seller. The vast majority of FUN Wear’s offerings are non-controversial, and most feature licensed comic book characters, like the Joker.&#8221;
As the <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-walmart-canada-santa-coke-naughty-sweaters-20191208-4jz65q2zcrc5bdt3rifutyyntm-story.html">New York Daily News </a>reported, however, Walmart has pulled other FUN Wear sweaters off its site for similar offenses, including a BDSM-themed item and another with Santa&#8217;s exposed butt.
“In addition to 70s-era drug addict Santa, the sweaters included one showing Mrs. Claus and a de-pantsed Santa in a BDSM pose, captioned ‘Santa has been naughty,&#8221; the outlet reported. “Another had an alien holding an object while Santa lay with his behind exposed on a table.”

Santa Claus

‘Cocaine Santa’ Christmas Sweater Finds A Home On Amazon

Christmas

Tragedy struck on September 24, 2017 when 59-year-old Phillip “Lee” Terry, an Indianapolis Amazon worker, was crushed to death by a forklift while on the job.
A state investigation into Terry’s death faulted Amazon, but a recent <a href="https://www.indystar.com/story/news/investigations/2019/11/25/amazon-indiana-governor-eric-holcomb-warehouse-accident-hq-2/4282653002/">investigation</a> by Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting claims the state of Indiana absolved the company of responsibility in an effort to lure Amazon’s second headquarters to Indiana. The investigation was <a href="https://www.indystar.com/story/news/investigations/2019/11/25/amazon-indiana-governor-eric-holcomb-warehouse-accident-hq-2/4282653002/">published</a> by the IndyStar, and suggests Indiana’s Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb’s attempts to lure Amazon to the state prompted state investigators to remove the fines originally levied against the company.
In response to the investigation, Holcomb’s office released a statement categorically denying the allegations.
&#8220;Let me be as clear as I possibly can be, I have never been involved in a Department of Labor case,&#8221; Holcomb said through a statement issued by his press secretary Rachel Hoffmeyer.
The allegations from the investigation insist that investigator John Stallone, who began investigating Terry’s death the day after it occurred, received pushback from his superiors, so he secretly recorded his boss allegedly counseling Amazon on how to reduce its punishment from the state of Indiana.
Stallone, an investigator for the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA) recorded his boss, IOSHA Director Julie Alexander, as she spoke to Amazon officials. Alexander, according to the Reveal investigation, allegedly told Amazon officials “what she’d need from them in order to shift the blame from the company to ‘employee misconduct.’” Alexander also on that call allegedly explained to Amazon how to negotiate a reduced fine and suggested the company partner with the IOSHA as a “leader in safety.”
Stallone also claimed to Reveal that Holcomb personally attended a meeting between Stallone and Indiana Labor Commissioner Rick Ruble. Ruble allegedly told Stallone that Holcomb had told him that getting the Amazon HQ2 in Indiana would be big for the state. Ruble also allegedly said at this meeting that Stallone needed to back off his investigation of Amazon or resign.
In his statement denying the allegations, Holcomb specifically mentioned this alleged meeting.
&#8220;Furthermore, I have never had a meeting with Commissioner Ruble and an IOSHA employee,” Holcomb said through his press secretary.
&#8220;My office told &#8216;Reveal&#8217; that this information was false and yet they still published the fabricated allegations,” Holcomb continued. “The reporting is both irresponsible and deliberately misleading.  We are exploring any possible recourse to remove these heinous lies.”
Stallone told Reveal that he quit shortly after this alleged meeting with Commissioner Ruble and reported the situation to a federal OSHA official. Stallone told this official that “someone higher than Director Alexander” hoped to make the whole issue disappear “in the hopes it would keep Indianapolis in the running for their new HQ location.”
Reveal’s investigation found that a year after Terry’s death, “Indiana officials quietly signed an agreement with Amazon to delete all the safety citations and fines.”
“The agreement said Amazon had met the requirements of an ‘unpreventable employee misconduct defense,’” Reveal reported. “The official record now essentially blames Terry for his own death.”

REPORT: Indiana May Have Manipulated Report On Amazon Worker’s Death To Lure Company To State; Governor Disputes

Indiana

The following is satirical.
It was a dramatic first day of impeachment hearings watched by everyone who wasn’t otherwise busy picking their noses or bleaching their unmentionable parts.
Eager to get off to a powerful start that would bring forward their best anti-Trump testimony, Democrats introduced their star witness, Alexa, the electronic information assistant from Amazon.
Committee Chairman Adam “Googly-eyes” Schiff, started the questioning, saying, “Alexa, did the president demand a quid pro quo from Ukraine?”
Alexa answered, “A man passing the White House Tuesday overheard a guard in the sidewalk booth speaking on the phone to his mother and saying he had met a janitor who said he was cleaning an office in the West Wing when he saw an assistant to an aide in the press department texting a disgruntled former employee of the State Department who said he was willing to bet that old meanie Trump would do anything to bring down Joe Biden who will be a terrific threat to him in the 2020 election if he can ever complete an English sentence without his teeth falling out and his eye exploding. That text was recorded by Facebook who is spying on everyone and recorded by myself who’s spying on Facebook, which is how I know Jeffrey Epstein didn’t kill himself.”
On hearing the news, CBS anchorwoman Norah O’Donnell immediately assumed a fake-looking action pose and announced the testimony had been “a devastating bombshell that would have been the last nail in the coffin if it hadn’t been so explosive it blew the lid off the coffin causing the walls to close in at the beginning of the end of a tipping point of a coffin bombshell exploding in the devastating closing walls.”
After that, O’Donnell fell to the studio floor sobbing, “I don’t know what I’m saying anymore. Please someone help me.”
Testimony will continue Friday and Democrats say they hope they can tell a powerful and simple story preferably ending with a kiss under the Christmas tree because those stories are just the best.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-ratcliffe-to-impeachment-witness-here-are-all-the-times-ukraines-president-said-there-was-no-quid-pro-quo">WATCH: Impeachment Witness Asked About All The Times Ukraine’s President Said There Was ‘No Quid Pro Quo’</a>

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Amazon

Activists Set Up Guillotine In Front Of Jeff Bezos’s D.C. Home, Call For Amazon To Be Abolished

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Amazon To Go On Massive Hiring Spree, Increase Pay During Coronavirus Outbreak

Amazon Drops The Hammer On Coronavirus Price-Gouging Couple

Seller Blocked By Amazon Seemingly Can’t Unload His 17,000 Bottles Of Hand Sanitizer

UH OH: Amazon Worker Tests Positive For Coronavirus

Bernie Sanders Railed Against Amazon But His Campaign Kept Ordering Products From Online Mega-Retailer

Amazon Rolls Out Alexa App That Will Defuse Heightened Holiday Tensions

‘Cocaine Santa’ Christmas Sweater Finds A Home On Amazon

REPORT: Indiana May Have Manipulated Report On Amazon Worker’s Death To Lure Company To State; Governor Disputes

Democrat Star Witness Alexa Testifies In Human-Sounding Voice [Satire]

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Amazon

Activists Set Up Guillotine In Front Of Jeff Bezos’s D.C. Home, Call For Amazon To Be Abolished

BACKFIRE: ‘Gone With The Wind’ Sales Explode After Leftists Target Movie. Sales Of Other Classics Also Skyrocketing.

Joe Biden Calls Out Amazon. Amazon Torches Him In Statement.

Amazon’s Bezos Warns Investors, We’re Spending Entire 2nd Quarter Profit Fighting Coronavirus: ‘You May Want Take A Seat’

Amazon, FedEx, Walmart Workers Plan To Walk Out On Friday, Demanding Hazard Pay, Better Working Conditions

TOTO: ‘Hoaxed’ Doc Canceled By Amazon, But The Story Doesn’t End There

Whole Foods Employees Stage ‘Sick Out,’ Issue List Of Coronavirus Demands; Whole Foods Responds

Amazon Fires Worker Who Led Strike Over Coronavirus Working Conditions

NEW YORK: Amazon Workers Walkout After COVID-19 Hits Warehouse

Delivery Driver Appears To Rub His Spit On Amazon Package, Report Says

Amazon Temporarily Suspends Shipments Of Non-Essentials To Warehouses

Amazon To Go On Massive Hiring Spree, Increase Pay During Coronavirus Outbreak

Amazon Drops The Hammer On Coronavirus Price-Gouging Couple

Seller Blocked By Amazon Seemingly Can’t Unload His 17,000 Bottles Of Hand Sanitizer

UH OH: Amazon Worker Tests Positive For Coronavirus

Bernie Sanders Railed Against Amazon But His Campaign Kept Ordering Products From Online Mega-Retailer

Amazon Rolls Out Alexa App That Will Defuse Heightened Holiday Tensions

‘Cocaine Santa’ Christmas Sweater Finds A Home On Amazon

REPORT: Indiana May Have Manipulated Report On Amazon Worker’s Death To Lure Company To State; Governor Disputes

Democrat Star Witness Alexa Testifies In Human-Sounding Voice [Satire]

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