US: 33M Cases - 589.2K Dead - 25.6M Recovered
Worldwide: 151.2M Cases - 3.1M Dead - 128.6M 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: 290
*Red indicates change in total deaths

COVID Cases Continue to Fall in the U.S.
Weekly average of new Covid-19 deaths in US hits lowest point since October
The seven-day average of new Covid-19 deaths in the United States hit its lowest point since October 2020, a CNN analysis of Johns Hopkins University data found Thursday.

As of Wednesday, 684 new deaths were reported, the JHU data showed, which is about an 80% drop since January. Since the beginning of 2021, the seven-day average number of Covid-19 deaths appears to have regularly decreased, according to JHU data.

The fall in deaths is at least partly due to vaccinations, experts said. cnn.com

30% Of U.S. Population Fully Vaccinated
Vaccination efforts continued to make progress. The U.S. administered an average of 2.6 million doses a day over the past week, a slightly slower pace than in recent days. Even so, 30% of the total population of the U.S. is now fully vaccinated. wsj.com

Mandatory Vaccines for the Military?
Biden won't rule out requiring U.S. service members to get COVID-19 vaccine
President Joe Biden said he has not ruled out requiring U.S. service members to get a COVID-19 vaccine, according to an NBC interview broadcast on Friday.

"I'm not saying I won't," Biden said when asked if he would require the men and women in the U.S. armed services to get vaccinated.

The Biden administration's COVID-19 vaccination effort has been hailed as a success, with more than 237 million doses administered. The number exceeds Biden's target of 200 million doses - double his initial goal - by his first 100 days in office, which he marked on Thursday.

The Marine Corps said that as of April 23, approximately 93,500 Marines had received the COVID-19 vaccine while 52,900 Marines have declined a shot, or about 36 percent. An additional 92,300 Marines have yet to be offered one. cnn.com

DHS Extends REAL ID Deadline Due to COVID
Department of Homeland Security pushes REAL ID deadline to 2023

The deadline was initially moved back one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Every domestic air traveler 18 and older will need a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or identification card, state-issued enhanced driver's license or another TSA-acceptable form of identification beginning on May 3, 2023, the Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday.

The original deadline of Oct. 1, 2020, was postponed for one year due to the pandemic. The second delay is also "due to circumstances resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic," according to the DHS press release.

"Getting to REAL ID compliance on time was already going to be a challenge before COVID shut down DMVs for extended periods," Barnes said. "Significant travel disruption was likely if the deadline were allowed to hit, which the U.S. economy can’t afford after a $500 billion decline in travel spending last year and millions of travel jobs lost to the pandemic."

All 50 states, Washington, D.C., and four of the five U.S. territories covered by the REAL ID Act and related regulations are now compliant with REAL ID security standards, the government said. The regulation was put in place in 2005 as a way to ensure travelers' identities following the 9/11 attacks, according to the DHS. Only recently did all 50 states come into compliance.

Currently, only 43% of driver's licenses issued in the U.S. are REAL ID-compliant, according to DHS data. abcnews.go

'Level 4 Travel Advisory'
U.S. Tells Citizens to Leave India as Covid Crisis Deepens
The U.S. told its citizens to get out of India as soon as possible as the country’s Covid-19 crisis worsens at an astonishing pace.

In a Level 4 travel advisory --- the highest of its kind issued by the State Department -- U.S. citizens were told “not to travel to India or to leave as soon as it is safe to do so.” There are 14 direct daily flights between India and the U.S. and other services that connect through Europe, the department said.

Indian authorities and hospitals are struggling to cope with unprecedented Covid infections and deaths. Official data on Thursday showed new cases rose by a staggering 379,257 over the prior 24 hours, another record, while 3,645 additional lives were lost. More than 204,800 people have died. bloomberg.com

Appointments for vaccine first dose down 50% in LA County - Health Officials Concerned

Minn Gov. said further scaling back of restrictions and capacity limits could come in the next week in Minnesota.

Covid Surge in Oregon Shows U.S. Fight Against Pandemic Not Over
 

Originally Published in retailwire.com
Your thoughts?

Will retailers be rewarded for giving ex-cons a second chance?
People have the power to change their lives. That’s the simple proposition that large numbers of retailers are putting to the test as participants in the Second Chance Business Coalition (SCBC), a group of major corporations that are putting ex-convicts to work.

Best Buy, CVS, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Gap, Home Depot, Kroger, Target, Walgreens and Walmart are all members of the group.

It’s not news that many people who are incarcerated find themselves back in the system. Much of this comes from failing to find their place in society once they have paid the penalty for their crimes. SCBC says that 50 percent of job applicants with records fail to get a second interview with prospective employers.

“A felony conviction may as well be a life sentence when it comes to reentering the workforce,” Mr. Arnold said in a video that announced the launch of the group’s Second Chance Initiative.

The number of Americans with criminal records currently stands at somewhere between 70 million and 100 million people. Many of those are racial minorities. Statistics have long pointed to higher levels of incarceration among Blacks and Latinos. The events of the past year, including the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent protest marches around the nation calling for racial justice, has led many corporate leaders to assess their organizations’ roles on issues of importance to their stakeholders and society.

Target CEO Brian Cornell, who spoke at a virtual event hosted by the Economic Club of Chicago, said Mr. Floyd’s murder, which took place a few blocks from the retailer’s headquarters, hit close to home literally and figuratively.

Mr. Cornell said that it is up to CEOs to be the head of “diversity and inclusion” at their companies. “We have to be the role models that drive change,” he said.

Discussion Question: Will retailers that actively recruit people looking for a second chance be rewarded for giving them jobs and, if so, in what ways? What do you think are the keys to running such a program successfully? retailwire.com Send in your comments - All responses will be handled anonymously unless otherwise instructed by the submitter.
 

Whistleblower Customer Reported Them to CIC

Virginia Beach Couple Pleads Guilty to $31 Million Coupon Fraud Scheme
Perpetrating a counterfeit coupon fraud scheme that cost retailers and manufacturers over $31 million in losses.

“These defendants orchestrated a nationwide scheme to make and sell counterfeit coupons, which defrauded businesses out of more than $31 million,”

From approximately April 2017 through May 2020, Lori Ann Talens, 41, operated a complex scheme using social media sites and apps such as Facebook and Telegram to find groups of coupon enthusiasts and sell them counterfeit coupons. Lori Ann Talens, who operated online under the moniker “MasterChef,” used a computer to design, create, and produce a wide variety of counterfeit coupons in her Virginia Beach home. These counterfeit coupons were virtually indistinguishable from authentic coupons and were often created with inflated values, far in excess of what an authentic coupon would offer, in order to receive items from retail for free or for a greatly reduced price.

As part of the scheme, Lori Ann Talens would ship the counterfeit coupons throughout the United States using the U.S. Postal Service and other commercial parcel delivery services. She accepted payment for the counterfeit coupons through a variety of online payment methods, including Bitcoin and Paypal. Lori Ann’s husband, Pacifico Talens, 43, was aware of the counterfeit coupon scheme, profited from it, and assisted in the operation by shipping packages of counterfeit coupons and performing other administrative tasks at the direction of his wife.

The scheme was discovered when one of the Talens’s customers reported them to the Coupon Information Center (CIC), a coalition of consumer product manufacturers dedicated to coupon integrity. A CIC analysis concluded that coupon redemptions using the 13,000 counterfeit designs on the couple’s computer had caused approximately $31,817,997 million in losses to retailers and manufacturers. justice.gov
 

Supplying Software to Iran for 7 Years - Remediation Cost $27M+ - Penalties $8M+

SAP Admits to Thousands of Illegal Exports of its Software Products to Iran and Enters into Non-Prosecution Agreement with DOJ
First-Ever Voluntary Self-Disclosure of Export Violations Leads to Non-Prosecution Agreement between Global Software Company and Justice Department

WASHINGTON – Software company, SAP SE, headquartered in Walldorf, Germany, has agreed to pay combined penalties of more than $8 million as part of a global resolution with the U.S. Departments of Justice (DOJ), Commerce and Treasury. In voluntary disclosures the company made to the three agencies, SAP acknowledged violations of the Export Administration Regulations and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations. As a result of its voluntary disclosure to DOJ, extensive cooperation and strong remediation costing more than $27 million, DOJ’s National Security Division (NSD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts entered into a Non-Prosecution Agreement with SAP. Pursuant to that agreement, SAP will disgorge $5.14 million of ill-gotten gain.

“Today, SAP has admitted to thousands of export violations spanning six years that violated the U.S. embargo against Iran and endangered the national security of the United States,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nathaniel Mendell for the District of Massachusetts. “This settlement should serve as a strong deterrent message to others that the release of software and sale of product and services on the internet are subject to U.S. export laws and regulations.”

Beginning in approximately January 2010 through approximately September 2017, SAP, without a license, willfully exported, or caused the export, of its products to Iranian users. SAP’s violations occurred in two principle ways. justice.gov

Note: A full copy of the non-prosecution agreement can be viewed here.


Vivint Security, Smart Home Monitoring, Will Pay $20M Settling FTC Charges it Misused Consumer Credit Reports
Under the settlement, Vivint will pay a $15 million civil penalty and an additional $5 million to compensate injured consumers.

In a complaint filed by the Department of Justice on behalf of the FTC, the Commission alleged that Vivint violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) by improperly obtaining credit reports in order to qualify potential customers for financing for its smart home monitoring and security products. The FTC also alleged that Vivint violated the FTC’s Red Flags Rule by failing to implement an identity theft prevention program, which is required of certain companies that regularly use or obtain credit reports.

“Vivint’s sales staff stole people’s personal information to approve others for loans,” said Daniel Kaufman, Acting Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “For misusing consumer credit reports and other sensitive data, and harming people’s credit, this company will pay $20 million.” Vivint uses door-to-door sales representatives working on a commission-only basis to sell the company’s home security devices and monitoring services, according to the FTC complaint. ftc.gov
 

Executive Protection - Former Executive Terrorizes Executive Officer & Family Based on Stock Performance

Georgia Man Charged with Sending Anonymized Emails Threatening Violence Against Executive Officer of New Jersey Company
Alan Wallace, 58, of Cumming, Georgia, is charged by criminal complaint with two counts of making interstate threats. The counts of making interstate threats each carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross amount of gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater.

From January 2021 to March 2021, Wallace, a former employee of Company-1, sent threatening email communications to Victim-1, an executive officer of Company-1, a publicly traded company with headquarters in New Jersey. Victim-1’s Company-1 email account received the emails every few days beginning on Jan. 11, 2021, and continuing through early March 2021, with more sporadic emails arriving thereafter. The emails were sent to Victim-1 from an anonymous email service.

The emails threatened violence to Victim-1 and to Victim-1’s family if Company-1’s stock did not exceed a certain share value within 30 days. The threats contained ominous subject lines such as, “Gun or Knife,” “Blood Bath,” and “You about sealed your family’s fate,” and content consistent with those subject lines. For example, an email received on Jan. 31, 2021, read: “[Victim-1] - you are about to lose family due to your actions hurting others and inaction to elevate the stock price. Weep and remember.” justice.gov


OSHA Recognizing Memorial Day - Adding 160 New Critical Personnel
American Rescue Plan includes funds to hire more OSHA compliance officers
Every year on April 28, the U.S. Department of Labor and OSHA commemorates Workers Memorial Day, when "we remember and honor the men and women who have lost their lives on the job.

“Workers Memorial Day reminds us of the sacrifices many workers make to earn their wages and provide for themselves and their families,” said Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. "The dedicated professionals at the U.S. Department of Labor are determined to ensure that U.S. workers finish their workdays safely and hold those accountable whose neglect increases the likelihood of harm to our fellow citizens.”

However, OSHA points out that many of these devastating losses were "preventable if standards had been followed, appropriate controls existed, and if safety and health programs were a priority."

In 2021, the department also observes OSHA’s 50th anniversary. However, there is still a large problem given more than 5,000 people suffer fatal injuries at work each year, and thousands more are hurt or sickened.

The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted – perhaps more than in any time in its history – the vital importance of OSHA’s mission.

With $100 million in additional funding in the American Rescue Plan of 2021, OSHA is working to protect workers now and in the future. This includes ensuring that OSHA has the resources, such as much-needed staff, to do the agency’s work. The agency is planning to hire more than 160 new critical personnel, including compliance safety and health officers to respond to the pandemic. ehstoday.com

Retailers Make LinkedIn's List of Best Workplaces
Top Companies 2021: The 50 best workplaces to grow your career in the U.S.
Today, we are launching our 2021 LinkedIn Top Companies list, our fifth-annual ranking of the 50 best workplaces to grow your career. These 50 companies help employees build a professional foundation that sets them up for success both at the company and beyond.

The new methodology has seven key pillars, each revealing an important element of career progression: ability to advance, skills growth, company stability, external opportunity, company affinity, gender diversity and educational background.  See the full list here

Among the 50 companies, several retailers made the list:

1. Amazon
8. Apple
9. Walmart
14. Verizon
15. CVS Health
27. T-Mobile
28. Target
48. The Home Depot linkedin.com

Lowe's to add 50,000 workers

Chino Reverse Logistics Best Buy facility obtains zero waste certification

Girl Scout cookies take flight in Virginia drone deliveries

EEOC Issues Religious Guidance


Quarterly Results

Sonic Automotive Q1 comp's up 16.4%, sales up 20.7%

Del Taco Q1 system-wide comp's up 9.1%, total sales up 5.2%

Yum Brands Q1 comp's up 9%, system sales up 11%

McDonald's Q1 Global comp's up 7.5%, U.S. comp's up 13.6%, International comp's up 0.6%, Inter. licensed comp's up 6.4%, consolidated revenue up 9%, systemwide sales up 12%

Bloomin Brands Q1 combined U.S. comp's up 3.3%, U.S. digital up 147%, international comp's down 21.4%, total sales down 2.1%

Cheesecake Factory Q1 restaurant comp's down 10.4%, sales up 2.8%