Macy’s, Kohl’s, Gap to furlough

majority of their workers

NEW YORK (AP) — Macy’s, Kohl’s and Gap Inc. all said Monday they will stop paying tens of thousands of employees who were thrown out of work when the chains temporarily closed their stores and sales collapsed as a result of the pandemic.

Macy’s said the majority of its 125,000 employees will be furloughed this week and that it is transitioning to an “absolute minimum workforce” needed to maintain basic operations. Macy’s said it has lost the bulk of its sales due to the temporarily closing of more than 600 stores starting March 18.

Kohl’s, based in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, said that the furloughs will apply to 85,000 of its 120,000 employees at stores and distribution centers. It will continue to ship products and do curbside pickup from most stores with a limited number of staff.

Gap’s spokesman Sandy Goldberg said the furloughs affect nearly 80,000 out of 129,000 employees across all brands, including Banana Republic and Old Navy.

The furloughed workers will continue to collect health benefits.

Trial delayed for Ohio doctor

charged in deaths at hospital

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The murder trial of an Ohio doctor accused of ordering excessive painkiller doses for dozens of patients will be delayed due to coronavirus concerns.

Dr. William S. Husel, 44, is accused of killing 25 intensive-care patients in the Columbus-area Mount Carmel Health System from February 2015 through November 2018. The victims were given at least 500 micrograms of the opioid fentanyl.

The trial’s June 1 start date will be pushed back to an undetermined date, the judge and attorneys decided during a telephone conference Friday. Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Michael J. Holbrook said another call is scheduled for April 24 to decide a new trial date, the Columbus Dispatch reported.

Husel was indicted in June on 25 counts of murder and has pleaded not guilty. Husel’s attorneys have said he was not trying to kill anyone and was only providing care to severely ill patients.