The average number of shoplifting incidents jumped 93% in 2023 compared with pre-pandemic times and monetary losses for retailers have risen 90%, according to the nation’s largest retail trade group. With its “Impact of Retail Theft & Violence 2024” study, the National Retail Federation (NRF) is highlighting the severity of this issue. For instance, despite the continuous efforts by retailers to combat such crimes and a growing number of states that have updated their laws to prosecute organized retail crime as felonies, the number of retail theft incidents continues to climb. According to the data from the report, conducted in partnership with the Loss Prevention Research Council, incidents have jumped 26% in 2023 from the prior year. “This isn’t what we were used to. This isn’t the shoplifting I was apprehending 30 years ago,” David Johnston, NRF vice president of asset protection and retail operations, told FOX Business. “These are people who are shoplifting because they know when they have an outlet to sell this merchandise to.” Johnston is referring to organized retail crime groups, which resell stolen goods. “Not every shoplifter is going out there and selling their stolen goods online or at a flea market. They’re selling them in larger mass quantities to these local, regional or transnational organizations who are helping to feed the system,” Johnston said. Last year, there were an average of 177 shoplifting incidents per day, but in certain retail sectors, that number reached more than 1,000, the data showed. “Retailers have not been crying wolf,” he said. Not only are the number of incidents rising, but retailers said that they are also getting more violent. About 73% of those surveyed reported that shoplifters exhibited more violence and aggression than they were a year ago. About 91% reported that these criminals are more violent and aggressive compared with 2019. Stores, at the behest of their corporate parents, have consistently worked to boost protection for its workers and customers. Some actions like locking items up have been successful in deterring crime, though it’s been frustrating for both stores and customers alike, Johnston said. “We’ve seen some of these locations, depending on where they are in the country, become vending machines,” Johnston added. Aside from measures like locking up products, about 71% of retailers have increased their budgets to support employee training related to workplace violence compared with the last fiscal year. Other stores, like TJ Maxx and Walmart, are testing out the use of body-worn cameras in an effort to keep employees safe. While states have been ramping up their laws to crack down on such crime, Johnston said federal legislation is needed to really move the needle. Currently, Johnston said 48 states have “created organized retail crime associations that bring law enforcement and retailers together on a regular basis to help share information and support investigations.” “We need the coordination between state, local and federal law enforcement to go after these organized retail crime groups, because when you dismantle one of those you then dissolve all the underlying opportunities or needs of their supply, which is the shoplifting that takes place in the stores,” he said. THe NRF is advocating for passage of the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, which is a bill that would increase federal coordination with state and local law enforcement to fight retail crime. Johnston said that the bill would specifically create a coordination center in the Department of Homeland Security under Homeland Security investigations. It brings together all the federal agencies that can work and support this type of crime, along with state and local resources, while also engaging the private sector, he said. Advertisement
Search the news, stories & people Personalise the news and stay in the know Emergency Backstory Newsletters 中文新闻 BERITA BAHASA INDONESIA TOK PISIN Topic:Alternative Medicine A composite image of people who have engaged with complementary medicine. (By Magie Khameneh ) Ula Brown has never taken a contraceptive pill, used a "chemical deodorant" or owned a microwave. "I think it stems from my family. My nana and my mum were both quite alternative," she says. "Things were treated a lot at home before we would see a doctor." Some of these beliefs live on through Ula's own children. "My daughter has had a home birth. She had a qualified midwife, but she was quite happy to have a birth without intervention," she says. Ula believes conventional or modern medicine is overused and misused. It is a "band-aid solution" for covering up symptoms without addressing the cause, the 48-year-old says. So when she received a breast cancer diagnosis three years ago, it wasn't just her body under attack — her whole belief system was "about to get destroyed". "I had always used alternative health, and I didn't feel like I wanted to go down the route of just chemotherapy without seeing what alternative medicine could be there for me," she says. Have you used complementary or alternative medicine? Has anyone you know? Or are you providing it? We want to hear from you. Desperate for a second, third, and fourth opinion, the Queenslander travelled to integrative doctors who had a holistic approach to health, and consulted a naturopath. They all told Ula that chemotherapy would be her best chance at beating it — and to get with the program fast. "I had lost a friend to breast cancer about 15 years prior, and I know that it took a little while to make that decision," she says. "And then by the time she made that decision, it was too late. "For about six months, she did decide that she would treat it just alternatively — with yoga and through natural medicines. "But then it did progress unfortunately, and it metastasised to her brain. "And so I just thought, I have to give this everything that I can give." In preparation for chemotherapy, she let go of her hair. Never more than a text or a video call away, it was the naturopath that Ula turned to with queries — and doubts — about her treatment. "She was just assuring me that what I was doing was the right thing to be doing," she says. But Ula had also started another protocol — one she kept secret from her doctors. "I just didn't feel that I was strong enough to put up a fight with them," she says. Cancer Council says patients should consult their GP and medical team before trying any new therapy. All up, Ula estimates she spent at least $10,000 on the side treatments. It included taking supplements, undergoing $400 vitamin C infusions, and having a $5,000 blood test that promised to determine "the most suitable and successful" cancer treatments. Cancer Council says the type of blood test Ula took is being studied for accuracy, therefore it is not recommended without consulting a doctor. Ula believes it is the "other treatments" that fast-tracked her return to the gym. "I definitely believe that I've bounced back because of the additional therapies," she says. "But be extremely cautious of people who are making claims that they can cure cancer." Tell us about your experience with complementary and alternative medicine here. There is no hard data for how many Australians use complementary treatments, although the industry peak body estimates it could be as high as 75 per cent of households. Complementary Medicines Australia says the "significant growth" in recent years is driven by an aging population, a rise in chronic conditions and a focus on disease prevention. Complementary therapies exist alongside conventional medicine, whereas alternative treatments are used instead of it. Dr Emilia Dauway is a breast cancer surgeon by day. And a yoga instructor by night. She believes there is merit to some complementary therapies, but is dubious about the extravagant claims spun by the alternative medicine camp. "When we start looking at an alternative to things that have been proven, where's the evidence or the rigorous research done to validate those treatments?" she asks. Cancer Council says while complementary therapies like meditation and acupuncture can help a patient cope with the impacts of cancer such as nausea, fatigue and pain, there is no evidence they can treat or cure cancer on their own. Many alternative therapies, however, have not been scientifically tested while others have shown to be harmful or not work, it says. Dr Dauway — who is on the leadership team of the Australian Medical Association — has observed a growing interest in unconventional therapies in her own patients. Sometimes, to the detriment of medical intervention. "I think it's important for us to respect a patient's decision. It is their life," she says. "We can't do anything that they don't want us to do, so being able to support them in those decisions, even if the outcome isn't the optimal outcome that is desired. "Sometimes it is too late and we can't cure the patient. We might be able to intervene and extend some of their life." She implores patients to push their practitioner for proof. "If they're not providing evidence, and they're not providing what the survival rates are — or the recurrence rates are — with a particular intervention, then to me that's not getting informed consent," she says. "I think to some extent [that] would be considered unethical." The medicines watchdog received more than 800 adverse event reports about complementary remedies last financial year. Over 600 requests were made by the Therapeutic Goods Administration to remove unlawful advertising, including for traditional and alternative treatments, from digital platforms. But on social media, unvetted medical advice and wonder cures from around the world continue to run rife. Dietitians Australia says the carnivore diet, which consists of only animal products, is "extremely restrictive" — and that scientific evidence shows diets high in saturated fat will raise cholesterol levels. The Australian Dental Association says there have been no clinical trials for oregano that show benefits for tooth decay prevention or repair. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) says it is risky to take advice from people who are not across your medical history, whereas providing such counsel may lead to the exploitation of vulnerable people. "Oh, there's a lot of woo. You know, 'marijuana fixes cancer'. Yes, well, why is Bob Marley dead?" Sally Catherall's blood cancer diagnosis sent her to the sites of medical journals, but also down the social media rabbit hole. In Facebook groups curcumin — a compound found in turmeric — was touted as the silver bullet. Cancer Council and the TGA say there is not enough evidence at this time to recommend curcumin as a cancer preventative or treatment. Back in 2013, Sally still had smouldering myeloma, whereby treatment is delayed until the disease becomes active and starts affecting the organs. Hoping to stop it from progressing, Sally says she obtained clearance from her haematologist to take curcumin. For the next 10 months, she took six capsules a day, churning through $80 bottles. "It didn't do a thing. And the reason why I know it didn't do a thing is because I've kept a chart, a spreadsheet, of all my bloods," she says. "The only thing it did was help clear my bank account of money, it did nothing to clear the cancer." Myeloma Australia says elevated protein level is one of the first signs someone may have the disease, although further testing is required. Sally's tests show that while she was only on curcumin, the protein levels kept climbing, reaching 130 grams per litre. She reported back to the Facebook group. "Some people said, 'Thank you, we appreciate that'. Other people said, 'Oh, you're not being positive enough'," she recalls. "But there was no-one else in the group saying, 'Yeah, it's really working for me'. It was all hope, hope, hope." Two stem cell transplants, just as many cycles of chemotherapy, and side effects from myeloma medication have left Sally "fatigued". Preparing for death gives her "a sense of control". "I went to a coffin-making course and made my coffin. "At the front I've got … a stone bench to put on my grave. "I've already bought my burial site, so I know where I'm going." That she is still here is thanks to modern medicine, Sally says. "I don't believe in alternative medicine, especially at the expense of real medicine," she declares. "If it worked, everybody would be on it." Jess is a naturopath at a community clinic that offers free herbal medicine and consultation. For many of her clients, it is the only healthcare they can afford. "They might need to go to a doctor, but they cannot access it," she says. Tasmania, where Jess works, has only three GP clinics that bulk bill all patients — and one of them is shutting down next year. It also has the highest average out-of-pocket GP fee of all states at $51, according to Medicare. Across the country, 11 per cent of people in the lowest socioeconomic areas delayed buying — or went without — prescription medication last financial year due to cost, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reports. "We often have people come through that, for example, have diets that are largely based on sandwiches, and they eat once a day," Jess says. "So we're working with how we can incorporate herbal medicine to help support their body through this really trying period." The Australian Medical Association's advice is to be careful when taking herbal supplements as it can be difficult to ascertain what they contain. Today is "medicine-making day". To stock the community clinics… …with tinctures, tea blends and salves. Volunteers from Hobart Herbalists Without Borders gather around coordinator Monica Francia. Monica says she draws on "a long tradition of use" and "scientific research" when choosing the ingredients. "This is a rose tincture, which is really good for emotional support, anxiety, particularly indicated for trauma or PTSD," she says. "So just dried rose petals blended up with water and alcohol." The TGA says it has not approved any medicines containing rose for treatment of moderate and severe anxiety, depression or PTSD. Running on an ethos that everyone should have access to free herbal medicine, the team at Hobart Herbalists Without Borders has been dipping into their own pockets and relying on grants to finance the initiative. More recently, they've looked at becoming an NGO to attract funding and build on the three community clinics. Monica says patients present with a range of conditions — from depression and chronic pain to diabetes and cardiovascular disease. "We don't tell anyone to go off medications or anything, but there's herbs that we can safely use alongside that to better manage those conditions," she says. When a patient says it works, could it be the placebo effect? "For sure, and it's the same with any kind of therapy, whether it's herbal, pharmaceutical, lifestyle — people can get a placebo effect," she says. "And, I mean, that's fine. If they're getting better, I'm happy. "I'm not against pharmaceuticals or conventional medicine. "I, as a naturopath, love herbal medicine and have seen it work very well for myself and for people around me and my patients." The medical landscape is expanding, with the peak body for general practice (RACGP) including integrative medicine in its curriculum. It is the blending of two approaches — conventional medicine and evidence-based complementary medicine. Integrative medicine chair Dr Tamara Nation says many people from culturally diverse backgrounds use Indigenous, Ayurvedic or Chinese medicine. "It's about providing individuals with options for treatment of medical concerns where appropriate," she says. "Lifestyle, nutrition advice, exercise advice, psychological wellbeing advice, meditation advice … can sit beautifully alongside antidepressants or pharmacological advice." Topic:Health Topic:Poisoning Alternative Medicine Blood Breast Cancer Bundaberg Cancer Doctors and Medical Professionals Herbalist Hobart Huonville Social Media Topic:Civil Unrest Topic:Earthquakes Analysis by Kathryn Diss LIVE Topic:Immigration Policy Analysis by Kathryn Diss Topic:Weather Warnings LIVE Topic:Civil Unrest Topic:Earthquakes Analysis by Kathryn Diss Topic:Financial Markets Topic:Immigration Policy Topic:Explainer Topic:Formula 1 Topic:Bushfires Topic:Disasters, Accidents and Emergency Incidents We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)
A prolonged and closely watched copyright case involving an online library’s unauthorized offering of free e-books has ended after the Internet Archive decided not to fight an appeal’s court’s ruling against it NEW YORK — A prolonged and closely watched copyright case involving an online library's unauthorized offering of free e-books has ended after the defendant, Internet Archive, decided not to challenge an appeal's court's ruling against it. In September, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld a Manhattan federal court's decision that found the Archive in violation of copyright law and granted a permanent injunction. The Archive had until this week to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, but declined to do so. In 2020, four major publishers — Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, John Wiley & Sons and Penguin Random House — sued the Archive, alleging that it had illegally provided free copies of more than 100 books, including fiction by Toni Morrison and J.D. Salinger. The Archive had contended that its program of scanning and sharing books, “controlled digital lending,” was protected by fair use law. “After five years of litigation, we are thrilled to see this important case rest with the decisive opinion of the Second Circuit, which leaves no room for arguments that ‘controlled digital lending’ is anything more than infringement," Maria A. Pallante, president and CEO of the Association of American Publishers, said in a statement. The Archive’s director of library services, Chris Freeland, posted a brief statement on the Archive's web site saying that “While we are deeply disappointed with the Second Circuit’s opinion,” they would “continue to honor” an agreement to “remove books from lending at their member publishers’ requests.” 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events
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The Federal Trade Commission approved a final order settling its complaint against Rytr for selling an artificial intelligence “Testimonial & Review” service. The regulator alleged that Rytr violated the FTC Act by providing subscribers to this service with a means to generate false and deceptive content for reviews and that it engaged in an unfair business practice by offering this service, according to a Wednesday (Dec. 18) press release. The final order prohibits Rytr from engaging in similar illegal conduct and bars it from promoting or selling any service that generates consumer reviews or testimonials, according to the release. Rytr did not immediately reply to PYMNTS’ request for comment. The FTC announced its law enforcement action against Rytr in September, saying the move was part of a crackdown on deceptive AI claims and schemes. The law enforcement sweep was dubbed “Operation AI Comply” and targeted companies that the FTC said use “AI hype” or sell AI technology that can be used in deceptive and unfair ways. “Using AI tools to trick, mislead or defraud people is illegal,” FTC Chair Lina M. Khan said in a Sept. 25 press release. “The FTC’s enforcement actions make clear that there is no AI exemption from the laws on the books.” In the case of Rytr, the FTC said in the release that the company’s AI “Testimonial & Review” service generated reviews that contained details that had no relation to the user’s input and that “almost certainly” would be false for those who posted them online. “In many cases, subscribers’ AI-generated reviews featured information that would deceive potential consumers who were using the reviews to make purchasing decisions,” the release said. “The complaint further alleges that at least some of Rytr’s subscribers used the service to produce hundreds, and in some cases, tens of thousands, of reviews potentially containing false information.” In July, the FTC said it is using “all the tools at its disposal” to oversee the rise of AI technologies. The commission said it is working “to address the rapid emergence of new technologies powered by AI and their potential risks to consumers and businesses.” For all PYMNTS AI coverage, subscribe to the daily AI Newsletter. We’re always on the lookout for opportunities to partner with innovators and disruptors.
By Arthur Jones, Multimedia Reporter/Producer Nebraska Public Media News Dec. 18, 2024, 2:37 p.m. · Santa Claus made an early trip to Lincoln’s Bryan East NICU Wednesday to say hello to the hospital’s smallest residents and their families. Santa has been visiting the NICU at Bryan Health for over a decade. “It's just really special to bring the magic of Christmas to them,” Santa said. “Especially to the little ones, since it's their first Christmas, and just being here and just bringing the magic of the North Pole, I think it does wonders.” Each year, the nurses at Bryan Health’s neonatal intensive care unit decorate the rooms of their smallest patients with Christmas decorations, as well as the patients themselves in festive outfits. One of the nurses, Rachel Kreikemeier, dresses up as an elf and accompanies Santa while he makes his visits. “It's so nice to see the parents light up,” said NICU nurse Alex White. “All the staff lights up. It's just, it's so great. It just brings a little bit of holiday and fun to the NICU.”
One patient, Bo Niles, has been at the hospital for 12 weeks. According to White, he amazes them each time he meets another milestone. He was born 17 weeks early. Bo’s mom, Faith Niles, enjoyed seeing Santa this year. “I feel like Santa coming today kind of normalizes families who don't have family,” Niles said. “Like all of me and my partner's family are all two and a half and three and a half hours away. So I think it helps us normalize it a little bit with Christmas spirit, and then we have all of his primaries who are like his aunties and family to him. And I think it helps us a lot. Having them around and be in our support.” Get the latest from around Nebraska delivered to your inbox Connecting Nebraska through PBS, NPR and original content since 1954. Engaging Nebraskans through television, radio, online and mobile platforms. Your support is essential!
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