Friday Afternoon News Bites

Excellent reporting by Sarah Jeffe from AlterNet on the politics of food in NYC and how the Bronx was sold out short in FreshDirect deal.

New York City, like most of the country, is hurting for jobs—good jobs that pay a living wage and provide benefits so that people can support their families. Yet billionaire mayor Michael Bloomberg, along with Governor Andrew Cuomo and Bronx borough president Ruben Diaz Jr., is about to hand over $129 million in public money, through tax exemptions and direct subsidies, to FreshDirect, a grocery delivery service that is notorious for underpaying its workers, has faced multiple accusations of discrimination and has been accused of using all sorts of shady tactics to block its workers from joining a union.

A former Target manager tells Gawker how they're trained to stay union-free, a great spot by Hamilton Nolan.

Check out more @the Daily Kos.


Target has denied flu shots for two sisters who are disabled in their Hicksville store.

Stop & Shop will be opening a new store in Hyde Park.

A newly approved King Kullen in Tuckahoe (Southampton) won't deter the community from lobbying for another new grocer in the village.


Fresh Market has said they plan on opening 14-16 stores during the fiscal 2012.

NY's Food Desert Fund Distributes $6 million since 2010:

The New York Healthy Food & Healthy Communities (HFHC) Fund, a three-year, public/private program launched in late 2010, has thus far provided $6.14 million — $4.86 million in loans and $1.28 million in grants — to seven supermarket projects aimed at improving access to nutritious food for 24,000 people in underserved communities throughout New York state, according to the Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) here.

Community members and small business owners rallied in Chinatown LA against a proposed Walmart.

The NY Daily News has backed the RWDSU & Make the Road's new campaign "Wash NY" a movement to bring justice to car-wash workers throughout NYC.   They released a report chronicling the illness' within the industry this week.  Check out Lila Shapiro's column in the Huffington Post and the campaign website at www.washnewyork.org.

Business Insider: "Target has completely destroyed its competition."