The conventional wisdom is that outsourcing to places like China is the biggest threat to American jobs.

And while that's definitely true, there's a new threat on the horizon.

As it expands out from its online bookstore roots, Amazon has approached virtual monopoly status - and regular retailers are paying the price.

JC Penney, for example, will soon close 138 stores nationwide.

Get used to used to headlines like "J.C. Penney Is Closing These 138 Stores This Spring".

According to some experts, Amazon could end up killing more than 2 million jobs over the next few years - more than China ever has.

So - can Amazon be stopped?

-Thom

(What do you think? Tell us here.)

Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 7pm and 10:30pm... Why Trump's Electronics Ban is a Masterpiece of Fearmongering... (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT or Free Speech TV, and catch past shows on Youtube)

Community Square  

 "Climate Change Intersects Art"
  Posted by jwc3119.

 

 "Why does GOP hate Americans?"
  Posted by Old.Fred.

 

 "What The Republicans Are Doing To The Lesser Brethren"
  Posted by The Poor Poet.

 

 "The Republican Phasing of Health Care: The Lost in Space Plan"
  Posted by PhilfromOhio.

 

To upload an image click on the "add new blog post" link over at the community.

Wednesday's Daily Stack 

Hour One: Trumpcare, Gorsuch, Issues Of The Day And Your Calls
- Congressman Mark Pocan (D-WI, 2nd District)    

Article: "As Many as 24 Million People Could Lose Their Health Care Coverage If GOP Gets Away with Repealing Obamacare" by Steven Rosenfeld.

Article: "House schedules vote on ObamaCare replacement bill" (Thursday) by Danika Fears.

Article: "Comey: 'No Information' To Back Trump's Claim Obama Wiretapped Him" by Ken Dilanian.

Article: "Comey confirms FBI investigating potential ties between Russia, Trump campaign" by Bryan Renbaum.

Article: "Schumer: Delay Gorsuch vote because of Russia probe" by Jordain Carney.

Article: "What Do the Koch Brothers Want?" (1980 Libertarian Party platform) by Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Article: "Trump Budget Director Takes Aim at "Wasteful" Social Security Program That Helps Disabled Americans" (Mick Mulvaney, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)) by Zaid Jilani.

Article: "Paul Ryan says he's been "dreaming" of Medicaid cuts since he was "drinking out of kegs"" by Matthew Yglesias.

Article: "Mark Pocan: America needs a Trojan for the GOP's 'Trojan horse' health care bill" by Jessie Opoien.

Article: "Ivanka Trump to get top security clearance and office, WH official says" by Eli Watkins.

Article: "Ivanka Trump Socializes with Old Friend Wendi Deng, Putin Rumors Intensify" by Kim LaCapria.

Article: "Kushner Family Stands to Get $400 Million from a Chinese Firm in 'Unusually Favorable' Deal" by Vishaka George.

Article: "Paul Ryan just gave a PowerPoint presentation with rolled-up sleeves amid backlash over the GOP's Obamacare replacement" by Bob Bryan.

Article: "The GOP's Plan Is Basically a $600 Billion Tax Cut for Rich Americans" by Mar 7, 2017.

Article: "Berta C�ceres, Honduran human rights and environment activist, murdered" by Jonathan Watts.

Article: "Teamsters' Pension Plans Seek Massive Cuts to Retirees to Stay Solvent" by Bob Adelmann.

Article: "Trump's pick for commerce secretary shares a business circle with Putin associates" by Kevin G. Hall.

Article: "Rep. Adam Schiff: 'Circumstantial Evidence' Indicates Trump Camp, Russia Collusion" by Mary Papenfuss.

Article: "Georgia's 6th congressional district special election, 2017" - April 18, 2017.

Site: Progressive Democrats of America

Site: Move to Amend

Site: Indivisible.

Site: Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC)

Site: MoveOn.org

Site: Democracy for America

Article: "Russ Feingold launches new group aimed at ending Electoral College" by Mark Sommerhauser.

Article: "Comprehensive Legislation Would Safeguard Future Elections from Cyber-Attacks" by Rep. Mark Pocan. Securing America's Future Elections (SAFE) Act, with Keith Ellison and Hank Johnson.

Article: "Debunking Some Internet Myths- Part 2" by SSA.

Hour Two: In for Thom for the rest of the show...
- Sam Sacks, co-founder, The District Sentinel News Co-op    

Article: "GOP health care bill: Will it pass? The whip count" by Catherine Reynolds, Rebecca Kaplan and Walt Cronkite.

Tweet: "There's easily 35 no votes right now so unless something happens in the next 24 hrs, I predict they pull the bill." by Senator Rand Paul.

Article: "Andrew Puzder Withdraws From Consideration as Labor Secretary" by Alan Rappeport.

Article: "Court Refuses to Reinstate Travel Ban, Dealing Trump Another Legal Loss" by Adam Liptak.

Article: "Trump's Second Bid at Travel Ban Knocked Down by Two U.S. Judges" by Kartikay Mehrotra, Erik Larson, and Bob Van Voris.

Bill: "H.R.676 - Expanded & Improved Medicare For All Act" by John Conyers.

Article: "Sean Spicer Uses Stacks Of Paper To Demonstrate Health Care Bills, Fails Spectacularly" by Chris York.

Site: "District Sentinel Radio".

Article: "U.S. Raid on Al Qaeda in Yemen Led to Laptop Ban on Flights, Officials Say" by Jana Winter, Clive Irving.

Article: "How the new 'electronics ban' serves the Trump agenda" by Ishaan Tharoor.

Article: "Paul Ryan sees vindication in CBO health-care report; Democrats sound alarm on uninsured estimates" by Jacob Pramuk, Dan Mangan.

Article: "AP Exclusive: Manafort had plan to benefit Putin government" by AP.

Article: "Sean Spicer Claims Paul Manafort, Who Was Campaign Manager for 5 Months, Had 'Limited Role' in Campaign" by Andy Towle.

Law: "H.R.3590 - Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" (111-148) by Rep. Rangel, Charles B. [D-NY-15].

Site: American Health Care Act.

Video: White House Listening Session on the Airline Industry, February 9, 2017.

 

Talk Media News Segment:
- Ellen Ratner, Bureau Chief 

Video: Supreme Court Justice Confirmation Hearing, Day 3.

Article: "New Report Finds Shark-Related Diving Generated Over $221 Million for Florida in 2016" by Oceana.

Article: "U.S. and U.K. ban laptops and other devices on flights from Middle East" by Jon Ostrower, Charles Riley and Mark Thompson.

Article: "Remarks by President Trump and Administrator Seema Verma in Women in Healthcare Panel Meeting", March 22, 2017.

Article: "US relations with Cuba could become a bargaining chip in the healthcare debate" by Christopher Woody.

Article: "Obama healthcare plan nixes Ben Nelson's 'Cornhusker Kickback' deal", 02/22/10 by Jordan Fabian.

Article: "Tillerson pledges safe areas for refugees, more pressure on Islamic State" by Lesley Wroughton and Yara Bayoumy.

Site: What is World Water Day.

Article: "Thirsting for a Future: Water and children in a changing climate" by UNICEF.

Article: "Conservative website only media on Tillerson plane to Asia" by Yeganeh Torbati.

Site: "Goats for the old Goat".

Hour Three: Neil Gorsuch SCOTUS Debate
- Brian Darling, Conservative Review    

Article: "4th Amendment". "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

Article: "Neil Gorsuch Helped Defend Disputed Bush-Era Terror Policies" by Charlie Savage.

Article: "Neil Gorsuch Isn't Worried About the $10 Million in Dark Money Backing His Confirmation" by Jack Holmes.

 

Article: "Trump Labor Nominee Acosta Says Overtime Threshold Ripe for Review" by Josh Eidelson.

Article: "How the Affordable Care Act Benefits Community Health Centers" by Dwyer Gunn.

Article: ""I'm coming after you": Trump threatens conservative House Republicans to support Trumpcare bill" by Sophia TesfayE.

Article: "Spicer: Trump 'had some fun' with Mark Meadows comment" by Nolan D. McCaskill.

Article: "Trump's Labor nominee Acosta reportedly struck a deal with a billionaire in a sexual abuse case" by Jacob Pramuk.

Article: "The lawsuit accusing Trump of raping a 13-year-old girl, explained" by Emily Crockett.

Free excerpt, read book for free at Truthout, buy the book!

Thursday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 12-3pm ET 

 

We'll have the latest news and information...everything you need to know to win the water cooler wars...

 

And, the best of the rest of the news along with your calls right here on...

 

The Thom Hartmann Program, Occupying The Media 3 hours a day 5 days a week" for "we the people"

 

And don't forget...Democracy is NOT a spectator sport...it begins with you...