May 11, 2019

Save-A-Lot owner will probably take a loss on struggling grocery chain

Not long ago, Save-A-Lot was one of the supermarket industry’s rising stars, adding stores and raking in profits for its parent company.

Now, two and a half years after being sold to a Canadian private equity firm, the discount chain is struggling. Weighed down by $728 million in debt and losing market share to German-owned chains Aldi and Lidl, Save-A-Lot reportedly is for sale once again.

One analyst thinks no buyer will offer close to the $1.4 billion that parent company Onex paid in 2016. “A responsible offer would be for Onex to sell Save-A-Lot for $1 and assume half the debt,” says Burt Flickinger III, managing director of Strategic Resource Group.

Save-A-Lot was founded in Cahokia in 1977 as a hard discount grocer, meaning that it offered a limited assortment at low prices. It was sold to Wetterau, a Hazelwood-based wholesaler, in 1988, and Minneapolis-based Supervalu bought Wetterau in 1993.

https://www.stltoday.com/business/columns/david-nicklaus/save-a-lot-owner-will-probably-take-a-loss-on/article_703b627c-e87b-510b-b831-28cdab3c9e61.html

May 11, 2019

Save-A-Lot owner will probably take a loss on struggling grocery chain

Not long ago, Save-A-Lot was one of the supermarket industry’s rising stars, adding stores and raking in profits for its parent company.

Now, two and a half years after being sold to a Canadian private equity firm, the discount chain is struggling. Weighed down by $728 million in debt and losing market share to German-owned chains Aldi and Lidl, Save-A-Lot reportedly is for sale once again.

One analyst thinks no buyer will offer close to the $1.4 billion that parent company Onex paid in 2016. “A responsible offer would be for Onex to sell Save-A-Lot for $1 and assume half the debt,” says Burt Flickinger III, managing director of Strategic Resource Group.

Save-A-Lot was founded in Cahokia in 1977 as a hard discount grocer, meaning that it offered a limited assortment at low prices. It was sold to Wetterau, a Hazelwood-based wholesaler, in 1988, and Minneapolis-based Supervalu bought Wetterau in 1993.

https://www.stltoday.com/business/columns/david-nicklaus/save-a-lot-owner-will-probably-take-a-loss-on/article_703b627c-e87b-510b-b831-28cdab3c9e61.html

May 11, 2019

Andrew Yang Policy on PAID FAMILY LEAVE

America’s lack of mandated paid family leave is, quite frankly, stupid. Robust family leave plans have been shown to improve children’s health and increase women’s employment rates. We’re one of only a handful of countries to LACK A FEDERALLY MANDATED FAMILY LEAVE POLICY and the others are Suriname, Papua New Guinea, and a few South Pacific Island Nations.


"It’s embarrassing and unconscionable that in the most advanced country in the world we don’t account for something as basic as needing to spend time with your child when he or she is born. This drives mothers out of the workforce prematurely and impedes healthy development of infants, which is something we all pay for. We need to catch up to the civilized world and mandate paid family leave."

https://www.yang2020.com/policies/paid-family-leave/

May 11, 2019

Andrew Yang Policy on PAID FAMILY LEAVE

America’s lack of mandated paid family leave is, quite frankly, stupid. Robust family leave plans have been shown to improve children’s health and increase women’s employment rates. We’re one of only a handful of countries to LACK A FEDERALLY MANDATED FAMILY LEAVE POLICY and the others are Suriname, Papua New Guinea, and a few South Pacific Island Nations.


"It’s embarrassing and unconscionable that in the most advanced country in the world we don’t account for something as basic as needing to spend time with your child when he or she is born. This drives mothers out of the workforce prematurely and impedes healthy development of infants, which is something we all pay for. We need to catch up to the civilized world and mandate paid family leave."

https://www.yang2020.com/policies/paid-family-leave/

May 11, 2019

The 125th Anniversary of One of America's Biggest Strikes

Pullman was supposed to be “The World’s Most Perfect Town.” The 4,000-acre community designed by the architect Solon Beman and landscape architect Nathan Barrett on behalf of George Pullman was fourteen miles south of the crowded, dirty neighborhoods of Chicago. It had its own school, church, parks, library, theater, and hotel, while each of its 531 varied brick homes had its own yard – a huge step up from the urban slums where most workers lived. The laborers who lived in those homes could walk to work at the Pullman Palace Car Company plant in the town, where they constructed luxury sleeper cars for railroads.

George Pullman, who had become extremely wealthy from his business, wanted his town to be free of the kinds of workers who would participate in costly strikes – hence the attractive amenities. But the requirement for entrance into his idyllic company town was a 32-page lease that had restrictions meant to ensure social and moral health. You had to ask permission if you wanted plants. You couldn’t sit on your front porch and had to follow a dress code when you left the house. The only people who could purchase alcohol in town were hotel guests.

Pullman owned the whole town, which generated a profit for his company. The company served not only as employer to the workers who lived there, but also as landlord, shopkeeper, and town council. “We are born in a Pullman house, fed from the Pullman shops, taught in the Pullman school, catechized in the Pullman Church, and when we die we shall go to the Pullman Hell,” one laborer said. While many observers marveled at the order and cleanliness of the town, seeing in it a new future, some viewed it as more malevolent: an 1885 Harper’s Monthly report accused it of being paternalistic and restricting rights.

Pullman workers began to chafe against the restrictions, but it wasn’t until 1894 that resentment flared into major action. A national economic downturn had begun in 1893, and the Pullman Company was suffering, along with many other businesses. George Pullman slashed the wages of his workers by a quarter or more – but didn’t commensurately reduce their rents or the price of food.

https://interactive.wttw.com/playlist/2019/05/10/pullman-strike?utm_source=pbsofficial&utm_medium

May 11, 2019

Who is that guy? Andrew Yang's presidential campaign draws crowds, money and an expected spot on the

STUART, Iowa — Andrew Yang knows that most Americans have absolutely no idea who he is. Even before he makes his expected ­debut on the presidential debate stage next month, he has a good guess what viewers will be thinking when the camera shifts to him.

“?‘Who the hell is that guy?’?” said Yang, 44, speaking between stops during a recent campaign swing through Iowa.

He’s not wrong. A Taiwanese American entrepreneur, lawyer and philanthropist from New York who launched his long-shot bid for the presidency more than a year ago, Yang is barely a blip in most national polls, where his support ranks between 1 and 3 percent.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/who-is-that-guy-andrew-yangs-presidential-campaign-draws-crowds-money-and-an-expected-spot-on-the-democratic-debate-stage/2019/05/09/c1bf788c-6c5e-11e9-8f44-e8d8bb1df986_story.html?utm_term=.a134989e66b5

May 11, 2019

Who is that guy? Andrew Yang's presidential campaign draws crowds, money and an expected spot on the

STUART, Iowa — Andrew Yang knows that most Americans have absolutely no idea who he is. Even before he makes his expected ­debut on the presidential debate stage next month, he has a good guess what viewers will be thinking when the camera shifts to him.

“?‘Who the hell is that guy?’?” said Yang, 44, speaking between stops during a recent campaign swing through Iowa.

He’s not wrong. A Taiwanese American entrepreneur, lawyer and philanthropist from New York who launched his long-shot bid for the presidency more than a year ago, Yang is barely a blip in most national polls, where his support ranks between 1 and 3 percent.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/who-is-that-guy-andrew-yangs-presidential-campaign-draws-crowds-money-and-an-expected-spot-on-the-democratic-debate-stage/2019/05/09/c1bf788c-6c5e-11e9-8f44-e8d8bb1df986_story.html?utm_term=.a134989e66b5

May 11, 2019

Andrew Yang Policy on GUN SAFETY

For many Americans, guns are a big part of their culture and identity. However, guns are a major responsibility and thus we need to have common-sense gun safety measures, especially considering that there are already approximately 300 million firearms in the United States. Responsible gun owners should continue to enjoy the right to bear arms, subject to licensing and education requirements that will encourage the public safety.

"Most Americans agree on common-sense safety requirements and restrictions on firearms. As President, I will support sensible regulation of guns that allows their continued enjoyment by responsible gun owners in a framework that promotes the overall public safety."

GOALS

Create a common sense licensing policy, requiring investment and safety precautions
Prevent dangerous individuals from owning guns
Encourage innovation in firearm personalization and safety
Enhance mental health resources available to people who need help

"Promote a stringent, tiered licensing system for gun ownership (think a CDL vs. a regular driver’s license):
All tiers
Pass a federal background check, eliminating the gun show loophole.

Tier 1 – Basic hunting rifles and handguns
Pass a background check
Pass a basic hunting/firearm safety class
Provide a receipt for an appropriately-sized gun locker, or trigger lock per registered gun.

Tier 2 – Semi-automatic rifles
Have a Tier 1 license for at least 1 year
Be at least 21 years of age
Pass an advanced firearm safety class.

Tier 3 – Advanced and automatic weaponry
Maintain current restrictions and definitions (National Firearms Act of 1934)
Ban high-capacity magazines
Require submission of fingerprints and DNA to the FBI
Submit to a gun locker inspection to ensure it can house the weapons
Undergo yearly refresher trainings on the use of these firearms.
Anyone with a history of violence, domestic abuse, or violent mental illness would be restricted from receiving a license.
Those who currently own any firearms will:
Be grandfathered in with their current license, and for the 1-year requirement if they decide to apply for a Tier 2 license
Receive a one-time “Good Gun Owner” tax credit for adhering to the additional requirements implemented by the new system
Be allowed a tax write-off for the purchase of any equipment required to adhere to the new standards
Be allowed to register any currently unregistered firearm without facing any penalties.
Individual states will determine their concealed carry/open carry laws, and reciprocity will not be federally enforced. However, a concealed or open carry license in one state would satisfy all licensure requirements in all states.
Prohibit the manufacture and sale of bump stocks, suppressors, incendiary/exploding ammunition, and (yes, this is currently legal) grenade launcher attachments.
Create federal safety guidelines for gun manufacture and distribution, similar to federal car safety requirements, with strict penalties for the violation of these guidelines.
Encourage gun manufacturers to implement designs that prevent interchanging parts that alter the functionality of the firearm.
Implement a federal buyback program for anyone who wants to voluntarily give up their firearm.
Invest in innovative technology that would make firearms harder to fire for non-owners of the gun, and create a federal, bipartisan panel to determine when technological innovations are advanced and reliable enough to be included in manufacturing safety requirements.
As stated here, invest in a more robust mental health infrastructure. This will help to identify and treat people with mental health illnesses that make them prone to violence.
Increase funding to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and drastically increase funding to the US Department of Veterans Affairs Suicide Prevention efforts.
Initiate and fund mindfulness programs in schools and correctional facilities, which have been demonstrated to reduce violent behavior.
Invest heavily in law enforcement training to de-escalate situations involving firearms. "

https://www.yang2020.com/policies/gun-safety/

May 11, 2019

Andrew Yang Policy on GUN SAFETY

For many Americans, guns are a big part of their culture and identity. However, guns are a major responsibility and thus we need to have common-sense gun safety measures, especially considering that there are already approximately 300 million firearms in the United States. Responsible gun owners should continue to enjoy the right to bear arms, subject to licensing and education requirements that will encourage the public safety.

"Most Americans agree on common-sense safety requirements and restrictions on firearms. As President, I will support sensible regulation of guns that allows their continued enjoyment by responsible gun owners in a framework that promotes the overall public safety."

GOALS

Create a common sense licensing policy, requiring investment and safety precautions
Prevent dangerous individuals from owning guns
Encourage innovation in firearm personalization and safety
Enhance mental health resources available to people who need help

"Promote a stringent, tiered licensing system for gun ownership (think a CDL vs. a regular driver’s license):
All tiers
Pass a federal background check, eliminating the gun show loophole.
Tier 1 – Basic hunting rifles and handguns
Pass a background check
Pass a basic hunting/firearm safety class
Provide a receipt for an appropriately-sized gun locker, or trigger lock per registered gun.
Tier 2 – Semi-automatic rifles
Have a Tier 1 license for at least 1 year
Be at least 21 years of age
Pass an advanced firearm safety class.
Tier 3 – Advanced and automatic weaponry
Maintain current restrictions and definitions (National Firearms Act of 1934)
Ban high-capacity magazines
Require submission of fingerprints and DNA to the FBI
Submit to a gun locker inspection to ensure it can house the weapons
Undergo yearly refresher trainings on the use of these firearms.
Anyone with a history of violence, domestic abuse, or violent mental illness would be restricted from receiving a license.
Those who currently own any firearms will:
Be grandfathered in with their current license, and for the 1-year requirement if they decide to apply for a Tier 2 license
Receive a one-time “Good Gun Owner” tax credit for adhering to the additional requirements implemented by the new system
Be allowed a tax write-off for the purchase of any equipment required to adhere to the new standards
Be allowed to register any currently unregistered firearm without facing any penalties.
Individual states will determine their concealed carry/open carry laws, and reciprocity will not be federally enforced. However, a concealed or open carry license in one state would satisfy all licensure requirements in all states.
Prohibit the manufacture and sale of bump stocks, suppressors, incendiary/exploding ammunition, and (yes, this is currently legal) grenade launcher attachments.
Create federal safety guidelines for gun manufacture and distribution, similar to federal car safety requirements, with strict penalties for the violation of these guidelines.
Encourage gun manufacturers to implement designs that prevent interchanging parts that alter the functionality of the firearm.
Implement a federal buyback program for anyone who wants to voluntarily give up their firearm.
Invest in innovative technology that would make firearms harder to fire for non-owners of the gun, and create a federal, bipartisan panel to determine when technological innovations are advanced and reliable enough to be included in manufacturing safety requirements.
As stated here, invest in a more robust mental health infrastructure. This will help to identify and treat people with mental health illnesses that make them prone to violence.
Increase funding to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and drastically increase funding to the US Department of Veterans Affairs Suicide Prevention efforts.
Initiate and fund mindfulness programs in schools and correctional facilities, which have been demonstrated to reduce violent behavior.
Invest heavily in law enforcement training to de-escalate situations involving firearms. "

https://www.yang2020.com/policies/gun-safety/

May 11, 2019

How Schools Can Help Accommodate Muslim Students During Ramadan

This week marked the beginning of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Many Muslims locally and around the world are observing this holiday by daily fasting, increased religious observance and self-reflection. For the next few decades, the month will take place within the school year.

The Missouri chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MO) recently released “An Educator’s Guide to Ramadan and Accommodating Muslim Students” to help schools better understand and accommodate Muslim students during this time. It gives clarity on things such as whether students should participate in physical education and how to deal with medication for fasting students.

Joining guest host Jim Kirchherr on Friday's St. Louis on the Air to talk about how schools can help Muslim students observing their religious obligation were CAIR’s executive director Faizan Syed, O’Fallon Township high school student Rawan Hamed and Imam Djilali Kacem of Dar Al-Jalal Islamic Center.

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/how-schools-can-help-accommodate-muslim-students-during-ramadan