RIGHT SPEAK: BS ALERT: Barack Obama Blames ‘tight’ Election On COVID: ‘I understand why folks are looking to shake things up’; 22 Companies That Are Demanding Workers Return to the Office, and other C-Virus related stories

Barack Obama blames ‘tight’ election on COVID: ‘I understand why folks are looking to shake things up’:

Former President Barack Obama said Tuesday the election “will be tight” because of the COVID-19 pandemic — admitting that he understands “why folks are looking to shake things up” to change the economy.

“Now we know this election is going to be tight. It’s going to be tight here in Wisconsin. It’s going to be tight all across the country, and it’s going to be tight because a lot of Americans are still struggling,” Obama said at a rally in Madison, Wis., two weeks before Election Day.

The 44th president, who has deployed to stump for Vice President Kamala Harris across the country, blamed the pandemic for the economy — four years after it began.

“You know, as a country, we’ve been through a lot over the last few years. We forget sometimes a historic pandemic wreaked havoc on communities, on families, on businesses, and then disruptions from the pandemic caused price hikes.

“They put a strain on family budgets, and people started feeling like no matter how hard they worked, they were just treading water,” he added.

“So I understand why folks are looking to shake things up. I get it,” Obama said of voters being hesitant to vote for Harris, who was in power the past three years.

He then argued former President Donald Trump would not “shake things up” in a “good” way because he’s a billionaire and there’s “no evidence” he thinks about the American people.

The emphasis on COVID-19 is a departure from the rest of the campaign battle between Harris and Trump. Both candidates have shied away from talking about the issue, as they both presided over the pandemic.

The Harris campaign, unlike Trump’s, has been messaging that the 2024 race is neck-and-neck. --->READ MORE HERE

Walmart

22 Companies That Are Demanding Workers Return to the Office

Back to the Office You Go

For everyone tapping away at their keyboard while laying back at the beach, we've got bad news: some workplaces are determined to get your rear back in an uncomfortable office chair under bad fluorescent lighting. A whopping 8 in 10 companies will track office attendance in 2024, whether or not they're demanding a full work week in the office. If you work for one of these places and haven't gotten the call to head back to the office yet, know that it's coming — and it might be time to dust off your resume.

Why Are Companies Insisting Employees Return to the Office Now?

Working from home may have become a thing because of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, but its 2024 and return-to-office (RTO) mandates are being issued hard and fast. For some companies, this shift has triggered talent loss, early retirements, and “quiet quitting,” along with “coffee badging” by those forced to attend in person.

While many CEOs claim in-person work boosts productivity and supports younger employees, federal studies show otherwise. A 2024 survey of 4,400 U.S. employees by Great Place to Work found that those required to work on-site were 14 times more likely to quiet-quit than those given a choice between in-office, hybrid, and remote work.

Below, we highlight 22 companies across various industries that have made headlines with their RTO policies, often sparking debate on the future of work. --->READ MORE HERE