US: Over 29.8M Cases - 540.5K Dead - 20.5M Recovered
Worldwide: 118.2M Cases - 2.6M Dead - 94M Recovered

Former Senior Loss Prevention Executive
Know of any fallen LP exec? Let's remember & recognize.

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 279  
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 267
*Red indicates change in total deaths

More Than 130 California Security Officers Have Died From COVID-19
According to new records that we have obtained with the assistance of a local reporter and The Guardian, we have determined that more than 130 known security officers in California have died from the virus including at least 10 so far this year.

Although the numbers don't tell the whole story, we know that many of the fallen security officers had been on duty, working and around crowds prior to falling ill.

We have also determined previously through interviews and on-site observations, that many security personnel were not equipped with proper Personal Protection Equipment and still are not today which certainly added to the spread of the virus as well as to the deaths of security officers.

According to the news site, The Guardian, when the Covid-19 pandemic closed down California's offices, malls and event spaces last year, nearly 200,000 security officers stayed. privateofficerbreakingnews.blogspot.com

Most Dramatic Reopening Steps Since Winter Surge
Maryland Lifts Caps on Dining, Retail, and Religious Establishments
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Tuesday said he will lift capacity limits on indoor and outdoor dining, retail businesses, fitness centers and religious establishments — the most dramatic steps taken toward reopening in the region since the winter surge in coronavirus cases.

The executive order from Hogan (R), scheduled to take effect at 5 p.m. Friday, allows large venues such as concert halls and theaters to return to 50 percent capacity and lets adult day-care centers reopen. Quarantine requirements for out-of-state travel are also being lifted. Masking requirements will stay in place, and bars and restaurants still can provide service only to seated customers and must ensure physical distancing among patrons. washingtonpost.com

For the Road Warriors - The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
The Silver Linings of Pandemic-Era Air Travel
In travel, yes, there actually are some silver linings to the pandemic. Some technologies are rolling out faster. Some key airport projects have been sped up to take advantage of the absence of passengers and airplanes. Some airline policies have changed for the benefit of fliers.

The lack of cleaning on airplanes and in airports and hotels has been exposed. Cleanliness standards may be changed for at least the next several years.

The partial elimination of change fees is one of the major pandemic-related changes for air travel, although like so many things with airlines, there's fine print that erodes consumer value.

The most significant silver linings may be found at big construction projects at congested airports like Los Angeles International and New York's LaGuardia.

Some travelers will see elimination of change fees on United, American and Delta as a silver lining-but not all travelers.

The pandemic has also accelerated adoption of new technologies to speed up check-in. Keyless hotel locks that open with a guest's phone eliminate the need to stop at a desk. Travelers will find more kiosks in hotels as well-a trend that echoes how airports and airlines have made check-in self-serve. (Of course this automation represents bad news for hotel workers who lost their jobs during the pandemic and haven't been hired back.)

Cleanliness is a trend that could reverse over time. But airlines have acknowledged that they were deficient on cleaning before the pandemic. Now expectations have changed. Some airlines have added health and cleanliness executives to management teams. Airport bathrooms and public areas get more frequent cleaning, too. Whether that lasts may depend on whether travelers call out dirty facilities and planes when airlines and airports start cutting back.

Here's one I love: A lot of older airplanes have been retired, meaning more flights will be on newer aircraft. American accelerated retirement of its 757s, 767s and A330-300s, as well as some regional jets. Delta flew its last MD-88 and MD-90 flights in June.

Travelers will find plenty of dark clouds along with the silver linings when they return. They'll encounter fewer direct flights, meaning more connections through hubs. Airport restaurants and clubs will reboot gradually as traffic builds. Onboard service will take some time to return to normal. wsj.com

CDC Pages Below
CDC: US COVID-19 Cases Caused by Variants
CDC: UK Variant - SARS-CoV-2 Variants
 

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Self-Help Seminar Goes Way too Far
Panda Express staff forced to strip at team-building seminar that seemed like a 'cult initiation ritual,' lawsuit says
The Panda Express cashier had already been forced to strip to her underwear in front of her fellow staff during a "self-improvement" one-day seminar in 2019, she said, and told to open up to the group about her vulnerabilities.

But when a male colleague broke down crying while trying to do the same, the session's leaders ordered her to go one step further: She had to "hug it out" with him, both of them still undressed, as others filmed her or ogled at her body, the 23-year-old employee in California said.

That was just part of a bizarre, psychologically abusive four-day seminar that "more and more resembled a cult initiation ritual as time went on," according to a lawsuit she filed last month against the fast-food chain in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Her allegations underscore the dark consequences of an unusual management style promoted by Panda Express and its co-founder, Andrew Cherng. While the company has earned plaudits for emphasizing self-improvement programs for employees, her lawsuit paints this focus as an obsession that devolved into abuse.

"The atmosphere resembled less a self-improvement seminar than a site for off-the-books interrogation of terrorist suspects," the lawsuit said, comparing the overall effect to "that of a particularly nasty drill sergeant."

A spokesperson for Panda Restaurant Group, the chain's parent company, said in a statement to The Washington Post that it takes the allegations "very seriously" and is investigating the matter.

The company also denied it has ties to the Alive Seminars and Coaching Academy, which led the 2019 seminars and did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Washington Post late on Tuesday. In a statement to the Orange County Register, the organization said its training sessions are presented with respect and dignity

Other Panda Express staffers who had to pay out of pocket for the session have since joined to file a class-action lawsuit concerning the seminar. washingtonpost.com

CEO Pushes ORC's 'Inform Act' - Being Reintroduced in Congress
NACDS' CEO Anderson discusses INFORM Consumers Act With Legislators
in DC & In Op-Ed

'How Congress Can Make Consumer Safety a Top Priority in 2021'

In a Morning Consult op-ed, Steve Anderson, president and CEO of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, welcomed the reintroduction of The INFORM Consumers Act and called on Congress to keep customers safe from organized retail crime.

In an op-ed, published today in Morning Consult, National Association of Chain Drug Stores president and CEO Steve Anderson welcomed the anticipated re-introduction of the The INFORM Consumers Act in the U.S. House and Senate. The act would require e-commerce marketplaces to provide basic information and contact details on third-party sellers.

During NACDS' virtual fly-in last week, Anderson discussed with lawmakers how the bill would go a long way in promoting transparency and protecting consumers.

Anderson said that as our nation continues to accelerate efficient and equitable COVID-19 vaccinations as vaccine supply becomes more available, so do pharmacies. "But we call on Congress to keep customers safe from organized retail crime, an increasing threat to their health and safety. The stakes are just too high," he wrote. drugstorenews.com

For the full op-ed click here.

NRF & SHRM Opposes PRO Act Bill
U.S. House of Representatives Passes the PRO Act
On March 9, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 225-206 to pass H.R. 842, the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. If enacted into law, the bill would be the most expansive labor relations legislation since the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) of 1935.

"SHRM strongly supports policies that protect and ensure employers and employees are equally represented at the bargaining table," SHRM wrote. "Because H.R. 842 would create an imbalance in labor-market relations, SHRM urges you to oppose H.R. 842." shrm.org

NRF: Retailers Say House Bill to Expand Union Powers Would Harm Both Employers and Employees


License-Plate Scans Aid Crime-Solving but Spur Little Privacy Debate

Mass surveillance, warrantless searches help police track down stolen cars, suspected Capitol rioters despite scant public awareness of data troves

The vast network of automated license-plate scanners, which has been growing for decades, makes it nearly impossible to drive anywhere in the U.S. without being observed.

The scanner data has become a key tool for law enforcement from local police to the Justice Department, requiring no warrant to access.

The scanners, which automatically grab images of any plates they identify, are an often-overlooked layer of the surveillance that blankets Americans, along with social media, online searches, mobile-phone apps and credit-card purchases. wsj.com

Some see the privacy downsides as considerable. Continue Reading

Bank LP Analyst Post - Termination Upheld
Social Media Activity

3rd Cir. affirms employer's right to fire for social media posts
The plaintiff, a senior control analyst, was fired after she posted a comment on a news article on Facebook "about a man who faced criminal charges for driving his car into a crowd of protesters," according to court documents. In response, the worker commented: "Total BS. Too bad he didn't have a bus to plow through." BNY Mellon fired the worker upon discovering her comment, and she sued. The worker claimed race discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. A district court ruled for the employer on summary judgment. hrdive.com

Legislative Update - Response to Double Murder Shootout at Gas Station
Jackson, MS: 24-Hour C-Stores soon will be required to have Security Guards
Some convenience stores in Jackson, Miss., will soon be required to have security guards after the city council approved an ordinance requiring 24-hour c-stores to have security personnel in place between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m.

All other gas stations located in the Jackson corporate limits will be required to adopt a security plan and file it with the city within 100 days of the ordinance's passage.

The council unanimously approved the measure days after a deadly shooting at a Jasco gas station in the city, according to a WBLT report. In early February, two men were killed in a Sunday afternoon shootout at the gas station.

"What we have to do is make sure these stores are safe." csnews.com

$100 Fine & Containment & Retrieval Plan & LP Measures
Santa Barbara Council Adopts Ordinance to Corral Abandoned Shopping Carts

Grocery store owners will be required to retrieve any of their carts left in a public right of way, or risk having to pay a fine

Grocery store owners will have to retrieve their abandoned shopping carts or face fines, according to an ordinance approved Tuesday by the Santa Barbara City Council.

Assistant City Attorney John Doimas said that 538 shopping carts were retreived in the city in 2020. The city contracts with a company to retreive abandoned shopping carts, paying about $5 for every shopping cart picked up. Doimas said that California has 150 cities with shopping cart retrieval ordinances, including Carpinteria and Oxnard.

The city then will inform the owner in writing that the cart would be impounded and in storage for 30 days before the city can sell or trash it. In addition, store owners must submit a site containment and retrieval plan as well as take loss prevention measures, such as a wheel lock. It would cost a company aboutcart, $100 to retrieve a shopping cart. noozhawk.com

Retailers Not Getting Shipments - Impacting Store Inventory
Supply chain pressures have been a constant for retailers throughout the pandemic. But a chorus of chains, including Crocs, Urban Outfitters, Foot Locker and Dollar Tree, in recent weeks have described the container shortage and backlogs at West Coast ports as the latest challenges in securing merchandise for consumers.

"Importing product from Asia, getting it through Long Beach and other ports, and getting it shipped to customers is really challenging right now," Crocs CEO Andrew Rees said on a February 23 call with analysts. "I think that will smooth out over time, but it's going to take a little while."

"The supply chain has been maxed out," said Jon Gold, vice president of supply chain and customs policy at the National Retail Federation, a trade group for the retail industry. Gold said US ports were "not able to handle the volume that is coming in" because of a surge in demand, as well as hundreds of workers who have been sickened by Covid-19. "Containers have been sitting at the port longer than they typically do" and "the availability of empty containers has been a challenge, both here and overseas," he said. cnn.com

Heyday skincare wants to open hundreds of stores over next five years

Hudson's Opens New Store With "Just Walk Out" Technology

Victoria's Secret to Close 30 to 50 More Stores - Bath & Body to Open 49 Stores

Amazon opens 10th high-tech Amazon Fresh grocery store


Quarterly Results
Inditex (Zara Parent) Q4 total sales down 19.5%, FY 2020 online sales up 77%, net sales down 28%
Express Inc. Q4 comp's down 28%, net sales down 29%, FY 2020 comp's down 27%, net sales down 40%