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The endured a frustrating 34-26 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in a game filled with historic moments at Northwest Stadium. Despite outgaining Dallas with 411 total yards and showcasing resilience late, struggles on special teams and key mistakes allowed the Cowboys to claim victory. Head coach Dan Quinn, former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator, attempted to lead his new team as they looked to turn around their losing streak but ultimately fell short in the tightly contested battle. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Thanks for the feedback.
Tagovailoa carves up Pats with 4 TDs, Dolphins win 3rd straight game with 34-15 rout of New EnglandLUKE HUMPHRIES showed Luke Littler that he will not surrender his world crown so easily this Christmas. Littler heads to Ally Pally next month as the bookies’ favourite to lift the Sid Waddell Trophy – and become, aged 17, the youngest darts world champion in history. 3 Luke Humphries defended his Players Championship Final trophy with an 11-7 win over Luke Littler Credit: Rex 3 Littler was unable to get the better of his pal ahead of next month's World Championships Credit: Rex But Cool Hand Luke – the man who lifted the sport's biggest prize in January – has bragging rights after he bagged the Players Championship Finals tonight with a 11-7 victory over The Nuke. This was the contest everybody in Somerset had hoped they would see and it happened after Littler overcame Ross Smith 11-9 in the semi-finals. And within the next hour, the world No.1 advanced to the final with a 11-8 success over big Dutchman Dirk van Duijvenbode. This was the first defeat Littler had experienced following a 12-game unbeaten streak. READ MORE IN DARTS Smudged out Littler's opponent celebrates wildly after finally winning a leg against him That superb run included lifting the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton and surpassing the £1million for yearly prize money. It was a year ago this weekend that Littler won the World Youth final on the Butlin’s Minehead stage and put himself on most people’s radar. In his debut tournament, he raced into the final off the back of five consecutive ton-plus averages. And though he did take out checkouts of 170, 164, 136 and 105, it was Humphries, 29, who celebrated a fifth TV title of 2024 and banked the £120,000 winners' cheque. Most read in Darts HIT AND RUN Car 'deliberately' ploughs into fans outside Premier League stadium after match PHIL THE HEAT Latest on Philippe Clement's future at Rangers amid swirling sack rumours TRAGIC FIND Body found on Scots island in search for missing woman, 28, as family informed REST EASY Andy Murray flooded with messages as he shares heart-breaking family update This was a good-natured, well-spirited showdown between two rivals that respect each other but the referee had to get involved in leg 14 as someone was whistling while Humphries faced the board. Meanwhile, oche legend Steve Beaton will try today to get one final TV farewell before hanging up his darts as a professional. Luke Littler's opponent celebrates wildly after finally winning a leg against him at darts Players Championship 3 Beaton – the 1996 Lakeside champion – is retiring at the end of the year at the age of 60. He has appeared in every world darts championship since 1992 – BDO and PDC – but that sequence is under threat. The Bronzed Adonis is not part of the field for this winter’s PDC event but gets one more chance to qualify via a tour card holder event in Wigan. Inside Littler's massive rise LUKE LITTLER has taken the darts world by storm since exploding onto the scene at the PDC World Championship at the beginning of the year. The Nuke reached the final on his Ally Pally debut at just 16 years of age - smashing records along the way. He has then gone on to win a host of PDC events and the Premier League title - which he claimed at the O2 Arena by beating world champion Luke Humphries in May . He also finished his first season in the World Series as the No1 ranked player . He has joined Jude Bellingham on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list . And the teenage titan even had to snub an invite from the WWE. The Sun exclusively revealed that Littler is plotting to create a fitness empire. He is also cashing in away from the Oche thanks to an Instagram side hustle. And he's even the face of a brand new cereal. But he is newly single after splitting from girlfriend Eloise Milburn following a 10-month relationship. Check out all of our latest Luke Littler stories .
Taylor Swift gives pal Ashley Avignone a big hug while celebrating her 40th birthday in NYCIt was a travel nightmare that left more than 100 passengers, including Ottawa residents, stranded in Costa Rica this week. A WestJet flight that was supposed to take off from Liberia, Costa Rica to Toronto, instead sat on the tarmac at the airport for five hours before being cancelled altogether. The incident left dozens without overnight accommodations or food, some people with babies and wheelchairs. For one Ottawa family, it was a travel nightmare after a much-needed getaway during the holidays. "My husband is a neurosurgeon and I'm a nurse practitioner, we don't go away very often," said Margarita Sachs, who was travelling with her husband and twin teenagers. "To go on vacation, it was a big deal." The travel headache started with a routine boarding experience at the Liberia airport for their WestJet flight, but there were red flags as soon as they got on board. "The pilot informed us that there was a delay due his exact words, a 'passport verification issue' of one of the crew," said Adam Sachs, who says he was stranded in Costa Rica for over 24 hours. "We sat on the tarmac for two hours to wait for that to be resolved at that point, meanwhile the total amount we're on the tarmac and the airplane was about five hours." Sachs says that was just the beginning of the delays. "Then we were notified that there's debris on the runway, and we have to wait for that debris to be cleared. We don't know how long that will be," Sachs said. "And then in a bizarre twist, some customs agents or police entered the airplane and informed us that they had to search, rows 12 to 14 for security reasons." Sachs says after hours of waiting on the tarmac without any proper meal service, the family was upset when the pilot then came on with another message. "The pilot got back on and simply said: 'my duty hours are over and I'm afraid that we're not flying tonight,'" he said. "The pilot said: 'you will have to exit the plane, go through customs, and you will be greeted by a WestJet employee.'" But Sachs says when they got off the plane, there was no representative. They also couldn't find a nearby hotel and they ended up spending US$1,500 a night to stay at a resort that was an hour and a half away from the airport. They also had to pay for transportation there and back, while the airline rebooked their flight for the next day. "Take notes. record announcements with your phone, and once you have come back to Canada for incurred expenses, you can claim to the airline and ask them for details and possibly even documents about what really happened. You have the right to know because your rights depend on what was the reason for the delay," said Gabor Lukacs, president of Air Passenger Rights, a passenger advocacy group. WestJet is apologizing for the disruptions and says the initial delay was due to customs issues. "We sincerely apologize to guests travelling on WS2171 for the inconvenience they experienced on their recent travel journey from Liberia to Toronto. We can confirm that WS2171 was initially delayed on Saturday, December 28 by customs," the airline said in a statement to CTV News Ottawa. "After departure, the runway was closed due to unforeseen damage, which required the flight to return to the gate. The runway has now reopened, and a recovery flight has been added, which will depart at 4 p.m. today for guests that were scheduled to fly on WS2171 yesterday." Lukacs says if there was something genuinely wrong with be the documents of the crew member, that's something within the carrier's control. He said, on the other hand, if the local authorities were just giving a hard time to the airline crew members, that's entirely outside the carrier's control. The family was rebooked on a flight to Toronto the day after their original flight, but the second leg of their trip to Ottawa is not until Monday night, causing an even further delay. "I'd like to be reimbursed for the hotel for the travel and I would like them to put us on a plane with another carrier to get us home earlier," Sachs said. "Also, if we have to stay in Toronto tomorrow night, I would like them to pay for the hotel in Toronto." Shopping Trends The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us. Editor's Picks Here Are All The Best Amazon Boxing Day Deals You Can Find On Beauty Products In Canada These Walking Pads Will Help You Get 10,000 Steps Every Day (And They're On Sale In The Name Of Boxing Day) 10 Family Calendars And Planners That'll Help You Keep Track Of Everything In The New Year Home If You're Headed Somewhere Warm On Vacation, Don't Forget To Pack These 16 Things Our Guide To The Best Snow Shovels In Canada In 2024 (And Where To Get Them) 14 Of The Best Home Security Devices You Can Find Online Right Now (And They've Got The Reviews To Prove It) Gifts The Clock Is Ticking — Shop These 25 Last-Minute Amazon Prime Gifts Now If You Have An Amazon Prime Account, These 70+ Crowd-Pleasing Gifts Will Still Arrive Before Christmas If You Have An Amazon Prime Account, These 50 Brilliant Stocking Stuffers Will Still Arrive Before Christmas Beauty 20 Products Your Dry, Dehydrated Skin Will Thank You For Ordering 14 Hydrating Face Masks That’ll Save Your Skin This December 12 Budget-Friendly Products To Add To Your Winter Skincare Routine Deals 11 Bestselling Coffee Makers And Espresso Machines You Can Get On Sale Right Now Don’t Walk, Run! These LEGO Kits Are On Sale For Boxing Day 2024 The Waterpik Advanced Water Flosser Will Make Cleaning Your Teeth So Much Easier — And It's 41% Off For Boxing Day Ottawa Top Stories Passengers describe travel nightmare after WestJet flight from Costa Rica cancelled Jimmy Carter, a one-term president who became a globe-trotting elder statesman, dies at 100 Man, 70, charged with stunt driving after going wrong way on Hwy. 401 4.1 magnitude earthquake in western Quebec felt in Ottawa and Montreal What's open and closed in Ottawa over the holidays Eastern Ontario farm wants your Christmas trees to feed its animals: ’They do like the fresh needles’ Bell Capital Cup debuts sledge hockey division for children with disabilities FOG ADVISORY | Environment Canada warns of 'near-zero' visibility as fog blankets Ottawa CTVNews.ca Top Stories Trudeau, Biden, Trump, other world leaders remember former U.S. president Jimmy Carter Former U.S. president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter died Sunday at the age of 100. Upon news of his death, political figures and heads of state from around the world gave praise to Carter, celebrating his faith and time both in office and afterwards. Jimmy Carter, a one-term president who became a globe-trotting elder statesman, dies at 100 Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, a Georgia peanut farmer who vowed to restore morality and truth to politics after an era of White House scandal and who redefined post-presidential service, died Sunday at the age of 100. 'We need new leadership': Atlantic Liberal caucus calls for Trudeau's resignation The Atlantic Liberal caucus is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to resign as party leader in a letter expressing "deep concern" about the future of government. Man, 70, charged with stunt driving after going wrong way on Hwy. 401 Ontario Provincial Police have charged a 70-year-old driver who was allegedly driving the wrong way on Highway 401 on Sunday. Possible explosion at Metro Vancouver strip mall under investigation Police and firefighters were called to the scene of a potential explosion at a Metro Vancouver strip mall Sunday morning. 'Pretty limited' options for Liberal MPs calling for leadership change As calls mount within the federal Liberal Party for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down as leader, one political analyst says there’s little his detractors can do to force his hand. Eastern Ontario police arrest Scarborough resident found with nearly $50K of cocaine Police in eastern Ontario charged a Toronto resident who was allegedly in possession of hundreds of grams of cocaine earlier this month. 2 teenagers arrested, 1 suspect at-large after attack involving bear spray, machete A pair of teenaged boys have been charged with aggravated assault after police said they attacked a man with bear spray and a machete Friday evening. Plane crashes and bursts into flames while landing in South Korea, killing 179 A jetliner skidded off a runway, slammed into a concrete fence and burst into flames Sunday in South Korea after its landing gear apparently failed to deploy. All but two of the 181 people on board were killed in one of the country’s worst aviation disasters, officials said. Atlantic TSB investigating airplane landing incident at Halifax airport The Transportation Safety Board of Canada says they are investigating an aircraft incident at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport that caused temporary delays to all flight operations Saturday night. Jimmy Carter, a one-term president who became a globe-trotting elder statesman, dies at 100 Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, a Georgia peanut farmer who vowed to restore morality and truth to politics after an era of White House scandal and who redefined post-presidential service, died Sunday at the age of 100. N.B. entrepreneur honours memory of mother with 'thank you' note legacy N.B. entrepreneur Emily Somers honours her mother with 'thank you' notes. Toronto Pedestrian taken to hospital after hit-and-run in Mississauga A pedestrian has been taken to the hospital following a hit-and-run in Mississauga Sunday. Suspect charged after woman found dead at Niagara Falls home A suspect has been charged after a woman was found dead inside her Niagara Falls home. Jimmy Carter, a one-term president who became a globe-trotting elder statesman, dies at 100 Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, a Georgia peanut farmer who vowed to restore morality and truth to politics after an era of White House scandal and who redefined post-presidential service, died Sunday at the age of 100. Montreal Jimmy Carter, a one-term president who became a globe-trotting elder statesman, dies at 100 Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, a Georgia peanut farmer who vowed to restore morality and truth to politics after an era of White House scandal and who redefined post-presidential service, died Sunday at the age of 100. Grocery prices to rise in 2025, report says Canadians are bracing for higher grocery bills in 2025, with a new report projecting food prices will increase by 3 to 5 per cent nationwide—and up to 5 per cent in Quebec. Here's how you can watch CTV News Montreal at Six on Sundays during the NFL season With CTV broadcasting NFL football games on Sundays this season, CTV News Montreal at Six will be broadcasting live on our website and the CTV News App. Northern Ontario Mississauga tow truck driver charged for impersonating a cop in northern Ont. A southern Ontario resident has been charged for allegedly impersonating a peace officer during a towing incident in northwestern Ontario. Jimmy Carter, a one-term president who became a globe-trotting elder statesman, dies at 100 Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, a Georgia peanut farmer who vowed to restore morality and truth to politics after an era of White House scandal and who redefined post-presidential service, died Sunday at the age of 100. 'Pretty limited' options for Liberal MPs calling for leadership change As calls mount within the federal Liberal Party for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down as leader, one political analyst says there’s little his detractors can do to force his hand. Windsor Crews battle two apartment fires in under two hours Windsor Fire and Rescue responded to two calls at Ouellette Avenue apartment buildings Sunday morning. 'Pretty limited' options for Liberal MPs calling for leadership change As calls mount within the federal Liberal Party for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down as leader, one political analyst says there’s little his detractors can do to force his hand. Woman with outstanding warrant arrested in Chatham One person has been arrested after Chatham-Kent police officers conducted a traffic stop Saturday in Chatham. London Fatal crash in Middlesex County Middlesex County OPP attended the scene of a fatal motor vehicle collision in Strathroy-Caradoc early Sunday morning. New Year’s Eve in London’s Victoria Park You can ring in 2025 this Tuesday night at London’s free New Year’s Eve in the Park celebration. Can you help solve this cold case in Sarnia? Sarnia police are seeking the public’s help in finding any new leads for a cold case from over 20 years ago. Kitchener Are fluctuating temperatures here to stay this winter? Waterloo Region residents traded snow boots for raincoats this weekend as temperatures soared above seasonal norms. Portion of Highway 6 closed following collision in Ennotville, Ont. A portion of Highway 6 is closed Sunday evening following a collision in Ennotville, Ont., just north of Guelph. Police, coroner investigating two deaths at Brantford, Ont. encampment An investigation is underway into the deaths of two people at an encampment in Brantford, Ont. Barrie $47K in drugs seized, man arrested in alleged domestic assault Police in Owen Sound made one arrest and seized a ‘large’ quantity of multiple drugs after responding to an alleged domestic assault on Saturday. Innisfil Jewish community celebrates Hanukkah Nearly a hundred members of the Jewish community in South Simcoe gathered at Innisfil Town Square for Chabad Innisfil’s annual Hanukkah party Sunday evening. Deluxe taxi goes up in flames in Barrie parking lot Some locals were quick to pull out their cellphones and capture a minivan as it went up in hot flames in a Barrie parking lot. Winnipeg Stolen vehicle chase ends in arrest, drug seizure A Winnipeg man has been charged with several offences after a police chase involving a stolen vehicle and hundreds of dollars worth of drugs. Fifth night of Hanukkah celebrated ahead of Manitoba Moose hockey game As Jewish people around the world mark the fifth night of Hanukkah, members of Winnipeg’s Jewish community brought the celebration to Canada Life Centre. Winnipeg hotel fire forces residents to evacuate A fire at a Winnipeg hotel forced residents to leave the building Sunday morning. Calgary 1 man hospitalized after being shot in leg near Calgary’s Drop-In Centre One man was taken to hospital after a shooting downtown Saturday night. ‘Eternal optimists’: Southern Alberta farmers wary of drought conditions look to prairie skies for comfort Mcgrath farmer Sean Stanford has lived through too many dry summers to be completely hopeful about the coming growing season in southern Alberta, but he sees signs that the summer of 2025 might be better for farmers than the last few years. Canadian float celebrating Coding for Veterans to participate in Rose Bowl Parade A Canadian parade float will be featured in the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena next week. Edmonton 2 vehicles fall through ice at Sylvan Lake, promoting police warning RCMP issued a warning Saturday after two vehicles fell through the ice on Sylvan Lake. Ducks come from behind to beat visiting Oilers Ryan Strome scored the go-ahead goal at 17:24 of the third period, and the Anaheim Ducks rallied from a two-goal deficit for a 5-3 home-ice win over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday. Edmonton to start up cold weather response plan Monday morning The City of Edmonton is activating its extreme weather response plan with the weather forecast calling for cold temperatures over the next eight days. Regina Regina police charge 2 youths in city's 6th homicide of 2024 Two Regina teens are facing murder charges in connection to the death of a Regina man on Boxing Day. Hockey talent showcased in Regina for Male U15, Top 160 tournament The last weekend of 2024 saw Saskatchewan's best hockey players under 15 years of age showing off their skills at the Co-operators Centre in Regina. Regina man showcases local bead supply business Jeramy Hannah recently began selling beading supplies, after he realized the beaders in his life were struggling with a lack of local vendors, prompting him to create a business called Bead Bro. Saskatoon U18 provincials curling tournament underway in PA Teams from across Saskatchewan are in Prince Albert for the U18 curling provincials. Police made two arrests following a shooting in Saskatoon A swift response from Saskatoon police led to the arrest of a man and woman following a reported shooting Friday afternoon. Saskatoon fire crews battle house fire Saskatoon firefighters responded to a house fire on the 100 block of Klassen Crescent Friday afternoon. Vancouver Trudeau, Biden, Trump, other world leaders remember former U.S. president Jimmy Carter Former U.S. president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter died Sunday at the age of 100. Upon news of his death, political figures and heads of state from around the world gave praise to Carter, celebrating his faith and time both in office and afterwards. Possible explosion at Metro Vancouver strip mall under investigation Police and firefighters were called to the scene of a potential explosion at a Metro Vancouver strip mall Sunday morning. 2 shot during fight outside Surrey pub Two people were injured in a shooting outside of a Surrey pub in the early hours of Sunday morning, according to authorities. Vancouver Island Victoria police seek witnesses, additional victims after hit-and-run spree A woman is facing seven charges after allegedly committing multiple hit-and-run crashes in a stolen vehicle while impaired, according to police in B.C.'s capital. Online child exploitation spiked during lockdowns. Police worry it's here to stay Online predators are becoming increasingly resourceful in trolling media platforms where children gravitate, prompting an explosion in police case loads, said an officer who works for the RCMP Integrated Child Exploitation Unit in British Columbia. Vancouver man defrauded Chinese developers of US$500K, court rules A Vancouver man has been ordered to pay more than US$500,000 after a B.C. Supreme Court judge found he had defrauded the would-be developers of a real estate project in China of that amount. Kelowna B.C. team building 100 beaver 'starter homes' in the name of wetland preservation More than 70 manmade beaver dams have been installed in Interior waterways since the B.C. Wildlife Federation project launched last year with the goal of building 100 dams by the end of 2025. B.C. man charged with drug trafficking and weapons offences after CBSA investigation A resident of B.C.'s Interior has been charged with weapon and drug trafficking offences after an investigation launched by border agents at Vancouver International Airport earlier this year. B.C woman awarded nearly $750K in court case against contractor A B.C. woman has been awarded nearly $750,000 in damages in a dispute with a contractor who strung her along for a year and a half and failed to complete a renovation, according to a recent court decision. Stay Connected
India’s Kranthi Kumar Panikera From Telangana Enters Guinness World Records for Stopping 57 Electric Fan Blades With His Tongue in Just One Minute (Watch Video)
Amanda Hernández | (TNS) Stateline.org CHICAGO — Shoplifting rates in the three largest U.S. cities — New York, Los Angeles and Chicago — remain higher than they were before the pandemic, according to a report last month from the nonpartisan research group Council on Criminal Justice. Related Articles National News | Bill Clinton is out of the hospital after being treated for the flu National News | NORAD’s Santa tracker was a Cold War morale boost. Now it attracts millions of kids National News | Heavy travel day off to a rough start after American Airlines briefly grounds all flights National News | Prosecutors withdraw appeal of dismissed case against Alec Baldwin in fatal movie set shooting National News | Judge rules Arkansas law allowing criminal charges against librarians is unconstitutional The sharp rise in retail theft in recent years has made shoplifting a hot-button issue, especially for politicians looking to address public safety concerns in their communities. Since 2020, when viral videos of smash-and-grab robberies flooded social media during the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans have expressed fears that crime is out of control. Polls show that perceptions have improved recently, but a majority of Americans still say crime is worse than in previous years. “There is this sense of brazenness that people have — they can just walk in and steal stuff. ... That hurts the consumer, and it hurts the company,” said Alex Piquero, a criminology professor at the University of Miami and former director of the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, in an interview. “That’s just the world we live in,” he said. “We need to get people to realize that you have to obey the law.” At least eight states — Arizona, California, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, New York and Vermont — passed a total of 14 bills in 2024 aimed at tackling retail theft, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The measures range from redefining retail crimes and adjusting penalties to allowing cross-county aggregation of theft charges and protecting retail workers. Major retailers have responded to rising theft since 2020 by locking up merchandise, upgrading security cameras, hiring private security firms and even closing stores. Still, the report indicates that shoplifting remains a stubborn problem. In Chicago, the rate of reported shoplifting incidents remained below pre-pandemic levels throughout 2023 — but surged by 46% from January to October 2024 compared with the same period a year ago. Shoplifting in Los Angeles was 87% higher in 2023 than in 2019. Police reports of shoplifting from January to October 2024 were lower than in 2023. Los Angeles adopted a new crime reporting system in March 2024, which has likely led to an undercount, according to the report. In New York, shoplifting rose 48% from 2021 to 2022, then dipped slightly last year. Still, the shoplifting rate was 55% higher in 2023 than in 2019. This year, the shoplifting rate increased by 3% from January to September compared with the same period last year. While shoplifting rates tend to rise in November and December, which coincides with in-person holiday shopping, data from the Council on Criminal Justice’s sample of 23 U.S. cities shows higher rates in the first half of 2024 compared with 2023. Researchers found it surprising that rates went up despite retailers doing more to fight shoplifting. Experts say the spike might reflect improved reporting efforts rather than a spike in theft. “As retailers have been paying more attention to shoplifting, we would not expect the numbers to increase,” said Ernesto Lopez, the report’s author and a senior research specialist with the council. “It makes it a challenge to understand the trends of shoplifting.” In downtown Chicago on a recent early afternoon, potential shoppers shuffled through the streets and nearby malls, browsing for gifts ahead of the holidays. Edward Johnson, a guard at The Shops at North Bridge, said that malls have become quieter in the dozen or so years he has worked in mall security, with the rise of online retailers. As for shoplifters, Johnson said there isn’t a single type of person to look out for — they can come from any background. “I think good-hearted people see something they can’t afford and figure nothing is lost if they take something from the store,” Johnson said as he patrolled the mall, keeping an eye out for lost or suspicious items. Between 2018 and 2023, most shoplifting in Chicago was reported in the downtown area, as well as in the Old Town, River North and Lincoln Park neighborhoods, according to a separate analysis by the Council on Criminal Justice. Newly sworn-in Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke this month lowered the threshold for charging retail theft as a felony in the county, which includes Chicago, from $1,000 to $300, aligning it with state law. “It sends a signal that she’s taking it seriously,” Rob Karr, the president and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, told Stateline. Nationally, retailers are worried about organized theft. The National Retail Federation’s latest report attributed 36% of the $112.1 billion in lost merchandise in 2022 to “external theft,” which includes organized retail crime. Organized retail crime typically involves coordinated efforts by groups to steal items with the intent to resell them for a profit. Commonly targeted goods include high-demand items such as baby formula, laundry detergent and electronics. The same report found that retailers’ fear of violence associated with theft also is on the rise, with more retailers taking a “hands-off approach.” More than 41% of respondents to the organization’s 2023 survey, up from 38% in 2022, reported that no employee is authorized to try and stop a shoplifter. (The federation’s reporting has come under criticism. It retracted a claim last year that attributed nearly half of lost merchandise in 2021 to organized retail crime; such theft accounted for only about 5%. The group announced this fall it will no longer publish its reports on lost merchandise.) Policy experts say shoplifting and organized retail theft can significantly harm critical industries, drive up costs for consumers and reduce sales tax revenue for states. Those worries have driven recent state-level action to boost penalties for shoplifting. California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of 10 bills into law in August aimed at addressing retail theft. These measures make repeated theft convictions a felony, allow aggregation of crimes across multiple counties to be charged as a single felony, and permit police to arrest suspects for retail theft even if the crime wasn’t witnessed directly by an officer. In September, Newsom signed an additional bill that imposes steeper felony penalties for large-scale theft offenses. California voters also overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure in November that increases penalties for specific drug-related and theft crimes. Under the new law, people who are convicted of theft at least twice may face felony charges on their third offense, regardless of the stolen item’s value. “With these changes in the law, really it comes down to making sure that law enforcement is showing up to our stores in a timely manner, and that the prosecutors and the [district attorneys] are prosecuting,” Rachel Michelin, the president and CEO of the California Retailers Association, told Stateline. “That’s the only way we’re going to deter retail theft in our communities.” In New Jersey, a bipartisan bill making its way through the legislature would increase penalties for leading a shoplifting ring and allow extended sentences for repeat offenders. “This bill is going after a formally organized band of criminals that deliver such destruction to a critical business in our community. We have to act. We have to create a deterrence,” Democratic Assemblymember Joseph Danielsen, one of the bill’s prime sponsors, said in an interview with Stateline. The legislation would allow extended sentences for people convicted of shoplifting three times within 10 years or within 10 years of their release from prison, and would increase penalties to 10 to 20 years in prison for leading a retail crime ring. The bill also would allow law enforcement to aggregate the value of stolen goods over the course of a year to charge serial shoplifters with more serious offenses. Additionally, the bill would increase penalties for assaults committed against retail workers, and would require retailers to train employees on detecting gift card scams. Maryland legislators considered a similar bill during this year’s legislative session that would have defined organized retail theft and made it a felony. The bill didn’t make it out of committee, but Cailey Locklair, president of the Maryland Retailers Alliance, said the group plans to propose a bill during next year’s legislative session that would target gift card fraud. Better, more thorough reporting from retailers is essential to truly understanding shoplifting trends and its full impact, in part because some retail-related crimes, such as gift card fraud, are frequently underreported, according to Lopez, of the Council on Criminal Justice. Measuring crime across jurisdictions is notoriously difficult , and the council does not track organized retail theft specifically because law enforcement typically doesn’t identify it as such at the time of arrest — if an arrest even occurs — requiring further investigation, Lopez said. The council’s latest report found conflicting trends in the FBI’s national crime reporting systems. The FBI’s older system, the Summary Reporting System, known as SRS, suggests that reported shoplifting hadn’t gone up through 2023, remaining on par with 2019 levels. In contrast, the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System, or NIBRS, shows a 93% increase in shoplifting over the same period. The discrepancy may stem from the type of law enforcement agencies that have adopted the latter system, Lopez said. Some of those communities may have higher levels of shoplifting or other types of property crime, which could be what is driving the spike, Lopez said. Despite the discrepancies and varying levels of shoplifting across the country, Lopez said, it’s important for retailers to report these incidents, as doing so could help allocate law enforcement resources more effectively. “All law enforcement agencies have limited resources, and having the most accurate information allows for not just better policy, but also better implementation — better use of strategic resources,” Lopez said. Stateline staff writer Robbie Sequeira contributed to this report. ©2024 States Newsroom. Visit at stateline.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Yu Huaying, the infamous human trafficker, maintained his innocence during the retrial, claiming that he had been wrongfully accused and pleading for a fair trial. His defense team presented new evidence and testimonies in an attempt to overturn his conviction.
St. Bonaventure’s Noel Brown becoming center of attention as Bonnies move to 6-0
