LA City Ranks No. 1 in the Nation for Organized Theft Crime

Los Angeles was selected as the city with the highest number of organized theft crimes in the country.

As a result of the National Retail Federation surveying 177 brands across the country and analyzing organized theft crimes by city, L.A. City was selected as the city with the most victims of organized theft crimes in the country this year.

As a result, Los Angeles has earned the stigma of being the city with the highest number of organized theft crimes in the country for the past five consecutive years.

Following Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area has maintained its second place as the city with the most organized theft crimes for three years.

It was found that Houston, New York, and Seattle were followed by the most organized theft crimes.

According to the National Retail Federation report released on the 26th, the amount of in-store product loss among surveyed retail stores last year due to organized theft was 1.6 percent, an increase from 1.4 percent a year ago. The amount has increased by $18.2 billion.

The National Retail Federation explained that the level of theft and violence targeting retail establishments is reaching unprecedented levels, causing a major blow to the retail industry.
Because the damage caused by organized theft is not limited to famous brands nationwide, all large and small businesses in the United States are suffering damage.

Recently, flash mob-style organized thefts have occurred one after another in areas of Los Angeles, with the Americana Mall in Glendale, Macy’s, and Nordstrom suffering damage. Their crimes were caught on video and released to the public, causing harm to shopping mall employees and customers. Safety issues are also being raised.

In Los Angeles, to respond to the damage caused by gang thieves, a task force has been formed to intensively crack down and investigate organized thefts and efforts are being made to apprehend suspects. However, residents are concerned that greatly strengthened crackdowns and punishments for gang thieves are urgently needed. The voice is high.

3 Killed at Denver Party, 3 Injured at Dallas Festival

Shooting incidents in the United States, which had been somewhat quiet, occurred in several cities over the weekend, again resulting in many casualties.

According to local police on the 15th, a shooting occurred at a store in Denver, Colorado at around 1:35 am on the 14th.

When the police arrived at the scene after receiving the report, one person was already dead, and five people were taken to the hospital, but two of them were pronounced dead.

The other three people were reported to have no life-threatening injuries, and the identities of the victims, including their ages, were not disclosed.

“It appears that a party was taking place at the store and shots were fired from at least two firearms,” police said.

On the same day, around 8 p.m., a shooting occurred during a festival in Dallas, Texas, causing an uproar that forced attendees to evacuate.

On this day, the Texas State Fair, a representative festival in Texas, was being held at the location of the incident.

The shooting occurred near the food court at the festival, and three people were injured. The extent of the injuries is unknown.

Police said, “The shooting occurred as a result of a fight between two people who knew each other well,” and “one suspect has been arrested.”

Organizers decided to reopen the festival on Sunday from 2 p.m.

At around 12:30pm in Fall River, eastern Massachusetts, an 18-year-old male was shot multiple times and taken to the hospital, where he died an hour later.

Also, around 9 p.m., three teenagers were injured in a shooting in Kansas, Missouri and are being treated at a hospital. Police are chasing the suspect.

Will the US Real Estate Market Fall into Recession?

As housing interest rates continue to reach record highs, signs of change have recently begun to appear in the real estate market. First, due to the impact of high housing interest rates, inquiries from buyers about properties for sale are clearly decreasing. Not only has the number of buyers visiting open houses decreased noticeably, but the market is becoming tight as visitors to most open houses are mainly just exploring the market atmosphere rather than actual buyers.

Recently, Redfin is diagnosing the current real estate market with the term ‘Rock Bottom’, which represents the worst condition. High interest rates are driving buyers out of the market, and homeowners are unable to give up the satisfaction of low interest rates they are already enjoying. As a result, the housing market is in its worst state, with total housing transactions plummeting by more than 35% compared to normal times due to a lack of properties for sale. The Associated Press recently reported that transaction volume has plummeted due to the high interest rates that began to rise in earnest in the second half of last year, affecting approximately 3.4 million jobs.

A cold wind is blowing not only among agents and loan-related workers who have been hit the hardest, but also across all real estate-related industries. Considering that each real estate transaction creates work for about 20 related industries, including escrow, title, loan, termite, and remodeling, the 35% decrease in housing transaction volume is currently dealing a severe blow to the related industry.

Reflecting this trend of decreasing transaction volume, the number of experts predicting a decline in housing prices has been increasing recently. The housing interest rate, which has already exceeded 7%, is adding to the uncertainty in the market as claims are raised everywhere that the base interest rate may not fall for a considerable period. In addition, as we enter the winter season, which is the seasonal off-season, transaction volume is expected to decrease further than now, and this anxiety is expected to reach its peak this winter.

According to a recent report by Altos Research, which provides various real estate-related data, the number of sellers lowering their prices from the initial listing price has increased by 37%. This figure is higher than the usual price cut figure and can be seen as a sign that real estate prices may fall in the future. Redfin also announced in its monthly report last September that sellers had lowered prices for about 6.5% of the total housing inventory to sell it quickly.

Reflecting this market situation, sellers are also realizing that expectations for multiple offers, which were very fun during the pandemic, are gradually disappearing. In addition, sellers who have been responding steadfastly to price cuts are increasing in number as they enter the fall season.

Suppliers of new homes also believe that high interest rates can last for a long time, so rather than raising the sale price, they are moving to reducing the square footage and maintaining the current sale price or setting a lower price. Just like when labor and material costs rose due to inflation during the pandemic, product manufacturers adjusted the price by reducing the number or quantity of products in the package or lowering the quality to account for the increase that was not yet reflected in the price increase.

The problem is that if the high interest rates, which are causing pain to both sellers and buyers, continue for a considerable period, it will clearly lead to a recession not only in the housing market but also in the U.S. economy. If the situation is difficult for a while, we will endure it, but if it continues for a long time, there will be significant changes in the housing market.

Despite this, buyers who are still in the market should not overlook the fact that now may be an opportunity to purchase. What we must not forget is that the housing shortage caused by the subprime crisis is a fundamental problem in the U.S. real estate market that has not been completely resolved and may resurface at any time. If housing interest rates go down, there is a high possibility that the supply shortage will recur, and if that happens, the housing market may rebound again, and buyers may have a difficult time finding properties for sale again due to a shortage of properties. It is becoming clear that the buyer’s time is getting closer and closer.

Voices on Oahu Forest Fire Prevention Grow Louder

Voices calling for forest fire prevention on Oahu are growing louder.

The areas to be most cautious are the west coast and valleys of Oahu.

Due to the abundance of wild grass and the dry environment, there is always a risk of forest fires.

However, the East cannot let its guard down either.

Mike Walker, director of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife, warns that Kaiwi Provincial Park at Makapu’u Point, Coco Head and Diamond Head are also at risk of wildfire.

East Oahu has experienced wildfires in recent years in Kaiwi, Kaquilonui and Haha’ione, according to a wildfire map from the nonprofit Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization (HWMO).

Additionally, fire records can be found in Central Oahu and the North Shore, including Wahiawa, Waipio, and Kunia.

According to the Community Wildfire Defense Plan (CWPP) released by the Hawaii Wildfire Management Office (HWMO) for 2021, fires were reported in Wahiawa, Waialua, Dillingham Airfield, and Kaena Point.

In particular, the North Shore has a high risk of forest fires due to frequent winds and a seasonally dry climate, and the steep and inaccessible terrain makes it difficult to respond to forest fires.

Elizabeth Reilly, president of the non-profit organization ‘Livable Hawaii Kai Hui’, said that in 2017 and 2018, more than a dozen forest fires occurred in the agricultural land behind Kamilonui Valley and the residential area of Mariner’s Cove. He said he realized the need for forest fire prevention with local communities working together.

She has since worked with volunteers to carry out preventive work to reduce the risk of wildfires in wildfire-prone areas, including Mariner’s Cove, including clearing weeds and vegetation, and installing firewalls, Reilly said.

Ms Reilly said she plans to educate residents about the high risk of wildfires in the Kaiwi area.

The Hawaii state government recognizes the efforts of communities that practice forest fire prevention by awarding them the status of ‘Firewise.’

According to the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization (HWMO), there are currently a total of 15 communities in the state that have achieved Firewise status, and the ‘Camilonui Valley-Mariner’s Cove’ area is the only one on Oahu.

Forestry and Wildlife Department Manager Walker pointed out that 99% of fires in Hawaii are caused by humans.

Causes of fire include accidental machine sparks, hot exhaust gases, improper use of lighters, campfires, illegal fireworks, and arson.

Walker said the 2017 Mokuleia fire was sparked by a truck idling on dry grass.

According to data released by the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) on September 21, more than 81% of the Hawaiian Islands suffered from moderate to severe drought this summer, and this is expected to continue until December.

Dozens of forest fires have already occurred in Caena Point and Eva Beach this summer, and large and small forest fires continue to occur even in September.

Small forest fires are not reported in the media unless there is significant property damage.

However, Walker cautioned that the threat of wildfires remains year-round.

It is becoming a problem that fields where all native plants have been burned are being replaced by exotic plants, such as guinea grass, which are highly adaptable to fire and highly fire-inducing.

Director Walker pointed out that a grass-fire cycle is occurring, like a savannah, and warned that through this phenomenon, invasive species could encroach on Hawaiian forests.

Expansion of schools supporting free school meals.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has significantly expanded the scope of support for free school meals.

In a press release on the 26th, the USDA announced that it would expand the target of ‘CEP’ (Community Eligibility Provision), a free meal support program for all students for schools and offices of education in low-income areas, to ‘schools and districts with 25% or more of the poor.’

CEP is a program that allows schools to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students in schools where many children from poor families are enrolled, without students individually applying for meal fee exemption or reduction based on family income.

Until now, schools and offices of education where children from poverty account for more than 40% of the total students were eligible for CEP, but from now on, those with at least 25% of students living in poverty can apply for federal subsidies.

USDA estimated that more than 3,000 school districts and more than 5 million students will be eligible.

“Each school and office of education will receive federal aid calculated by entering existing data into a formula, such as the number of people eligible for the Low-Income Food Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly called ‘food stamps,’” he said. “Each local government and state government will cover the shortfall.” “It has to be covered,” he explained.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said, “By increasing access to nutritious breakfasts and lunches, reducing the number of children at risk of hunger and improving student health and learning readiness, we can further improve nutrition and well-being across the nation.” I expected that.

The USDA said, “The expansion of the standards will apply to all schools and offices of education nationwide, but priority will be given to states or districts that are currently implementing the free meal system for all students with their own budget.”

In addition to expanding free school meals, the USDA announced that starting this semester, it will increase meal subsidies per student by 50 cents for lunch and 18 cents for breakfast, considering the inflation rate.

In addition, $30 million in meal subsidies to 264 small education offices in rural areas, $30 million in meal facility support to education offices operating the free school meal system, and $11 million in support to local farms that supply meal ingredients to schools (Plans to expand spending to improve school meals, including KRW 15 billion, were also revealed.

The Associated Press said, “During the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. government temporarily provided free school meals to all students nationwide, but this ended last year. Even the food subsidy paid directly by the government to poor families has seen its relative value decline due to rising prices, leading to some “

Children are in a situation where they are hungry,” he said. However, some voices are speaking out against the indiscriminate expansion of free school meals.

The Republican Study Committee (RSC) of the Federal House of Representatives called for a complete withdrawal of the CEP policy, saying, “Meal expenses should be supported based on each student’s individual household income.”

USDA operated a CEP pilot program in three states, Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee, in 2011 and expanded it nationwide in 2014.

Maui residents call for tourism boost.

Some Maui residents are speaking out about the need to take care of the tourism industry. Although we must mourn and remember the victims of the forest fire disaster, there is a consensus that if we do not take care of our main industry, tourism, there may be a bigger economic fallout.

Mr. S, a Maui resident, explained that while we need time to remember and mourn the pain of those affected by the forest fire, we should not forget that there are residents who need jobs to make a living. Tourism, Hawaii’s main industry, has played a particularly large role in Maui.

The Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) said that 1.4 million people visited Maui in the first half of 2023 alone and explained that the tourism industry is Maui’s economic engine. According to the Maui Economic Development Commission, as much as 70% of Maui’s tax revenue comes from tourism.

Rafael Villanueva, director of TEN (Tourism Expert Network), a tourism industry advisory firm, explained that while everything must be devoted to disaster response, it is also important to establish a reconstruction plan. He added that keeping residents employed will be key to reconstruction. Director Villanueva mentioned the shooting incident that occurred at the Las Vegas Country Music Festival in 2017 and hinted that the response implemented by the Las Vegas tourism authorities and government could serve as a reference.

At the time, the Las Vegas government took swift action to maintain tourists by repairing the damage and promoting safety, without a separate mourning period immediately after the disaster. Governor Josh Green said people should avoid visiting West Maui, where the wildfires occurred, but emphasized that tourism is still operating normally in other parts of Maui and neighbouring islands.

In addition, he assumed that if Maui’s tourism industry was halted, a large-scale exodus of residents could occur, and warned that the closure of tourism would be another disaster.

Broadcaster Robbed While Reporting News of Armed Robberies

A ‘ridiculous’ incident occurred in which reporters from a broadcasting station in Chicago were robbed by armed assailants while going to the scene to report on the rapid increase in armed robbery.

According to the Chicago Press and the Washington Post on the 29th, two reporters from the Chicago local TV news ‘Univision Chicago’ were preparing for a broadcast at 5:00 am in the West Wicker Park district of Chicago, where recent armed robberies occurred.

The police said, “When the reporters, consisting of one reporter and one cameraman, were filming a report on the scene, a black SUV and a gray car approached and stopped.” he said.

After pointing guns at the reporters and demanding money, they took the cameras set up for filming, two bags containing broadcasting equipment, and the photographer’s personal bag, took their belongings, and got back in the car and fled.

Spanish-language broadcaster Univision Chicago confirmed that the two men involved in the robbery belonged to the company, a 28-year-old man and a 42-year-old man.

The police said on the 29th, one day after the incident, that they are still investigating the case and that the suspect has not been caught.

The incident occurred while police were investigating a series of at least eight armed robberies and vehicle thefts between the night of the 27th and the morning of the 28th in the Wicker Park district, about 8km west of downtown Chicago.

The police explained that the connection between these cases was not revealed, but that each of the two to four people who were hiding and attacked the victim was similar.

Citing Chicago police data, the Washington Post said, “Chicago’s homicide rate has decreased by 8% compared to the same period last year, and the number of shootings has decreased by 11% compared to August last year.”

He added, “The number of reported car thefts totalled 19,500, a 99% increase compared to last August.”

The Chicago Sun-Times said, “It’s already the second case in the past three weeks that a Chicago TV production crew was robbed while covering.” said it did.

The Chicago chapter of the National Union of Broadcasters (NABET) said, “Broadcasters and union officials are considering additional measures to enhance security for on-site production crews.”

US invests in cancer vaccine using mRNA.

The White House announced on the 23rd that it would invest in a cancer vaccine development project using messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) technology, which made significant progress in the development of a novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) vaccine.

“Cancer Moonshot,” President Joe Biden’s cancer conquest project, said in a press release on the same day, “Investing $24 million in Emory University’s ‘CUREIT’, which uses mRNA technology to combat cancer and other diseases.”

mRNA, which serves as a kind of blueprint that tells the body how to make proteins, is a substance that has begun to receive attention in earnest after the COVID-19 crisis. A vaccine based on this injects mRNA containing viral information into the body to synthesize viral proteins on its own, inducing antibody formation accordingly. After the Corona 19 pandemic is over, it is expanding its scope to other diseases such as colds and cancer.

The White House explained, “The goal of Curate is to create mRNA that promotes the formation of immune cells that can target and attack tumours.”

President Biden said, “We launched the ‘Cancer Moonshot’ project to end cancer,” and “Today we took an important step toward this goal. We will use mRNA technology to develop technology to boost our immune system to fight cancer. that,” he emphasized. “The Emory research team is using the mRNA technology that has been used to end the coronavirus crisis for years, turning cancer into a more treatable disease,” he added.

The ‘Cancer Moonshot’ project, named after mankind’s moonshot, is a large-scale project that encompasses the development of innovative technologies at the federal government level to overcome cancer, as well as cancer prevention and expansion of medical convenience in the community. Earlier, at the Korea-US-Japan summit held at Camp David on the 18th, President Biden said, “We decided to support the US cancer conquest project ‘Cancer Moonshot’ through exchanges of experts from the three countries.”

34 generations of Hawaii silver town hit by flames…

It was confirmed that there was a residential complex for the elderly with 34 households in the Hawaii wildfire disaster area, raising the possibility that many of the elderly here were sacrificed.

Sanford Hill (72), a surviving resident of the Hale Mahaolu Eono, a senior living complex in Lahaina, Maui Island, Hawaii, said in an interview with NBC News on the 16th, “There is no way to know which of the neighbours survived. “

Hill said he knew of only three people who had escaped from the 34-unit complex, and that even with news of other survivors, the whereabouts of only a few were confirmed. He also called the company that owns the residential complex, but said he only heard “no information” from the staff.

He said that when the fire broke out in Lahaina on the 8th, there was no evacuation warning, so all residents, including himself, were unaware of the dangerous situation. He stayed home for half a day on the 8th and watched firefighters extinguish a fire in the east of town, but said it was nothing serious at the time.

The building’s manager went around telling the tenants that they “might have to evacuate,” but then word spread that the fire was under control, and the firefighters left. He went out to see his scheduled dental appointment. “I wasn’t worried, nobody was worried,” he recalled. “Everyone was at home, nobody was evacuated.” On the way back from the dentist’s office, he saw black smoke billowing toward Lahaina from the east side of town, and as he drove toward the house, he met a woman who hurriedly ran off the road on foot. This woman, she said, said the town was burning, and Hill managed to survive by getting this woman in her car and driving her out of town.

Hill stayed at the shelter the next day, stayed overnight in a hotel, and moved to temporary accommodation in Kihei. He said he had been homeless and moved into this senior living complex in Lahaina in 2016. It is said that this complex was popular for its low rent of $144 per month. Hill was able to live comfortably by paying the monthly rent of the house with a monthly social security allowance of 914 dollars. However, he was worried that this house disappeared overnight, and he was at a loss as to how he would be able to find it in the future. He also expressed his anger at the authorities for not issuing an alert for a fire, which had been completely unprepared for the fire before.

Families of other elderly people who lived in the complex are also struggling. Clifford Abihai, from California looking for the 98-year-old grandmother, has searched for shelters and put-up missing flyers, but has not received any information. “All I want is confirmation that her grandmother is okay,” he said.

Daniel Yakut, who is looking for her 90-year-old grandmother, was also frustrated, saying, “We can’t go in (the site), we can’t look for it.” Buddy Zantok, 79, one of the first two deaths disclosed by Hawaii authorities the day before, was also said to have lived in the senior living complex.

US shocked by 6-year-old boy who shot a teacher in class.

The remarks made by a 6-year-old boy who shocked American society by shooting a teacher earlier this year with a grudge against suspension were belatedly disclosed. He said that even when he shot people, he was not afraid, but rather showed off his actions proudly.

WTKR, a Norfolk, Virginia-area television station affiliated with CBS, reported on the 8th that this fact was revealed after examining the contents of a search warrant related to the case recently obtained. According to the media, on January 6 of this year, a first-year boy who fired a pistol at Abigail Juner (25), a teacher who was in class at an elementary school in Newport News, Virginia, was immediately caught and subdued by a reading instructor.

In a subdued situation, the boy said, “I shot and killed that XX”, “I did it”, and confided to school officials that “I took my mom’s gun last night”, WTKR reported. The search warrant also contained statements made to the police by the victim’s teacher, Juner, while he was hospitalized. Juner said the boy pulled a pistol out of his pocket and pointed it at himself. She asked, “What are you doing with it?” The boy paused for a moment before pulling the trigger. The bullet fired by the boy hit Juner in his left hand and lodged in his chest, and Juner escaped the classroom immediately afterward and moved to the teachers’ office but was in critical condition.

After four surgeries, she survived and filed a $40 million lawsuit against the school authorities for ignoring warnings that the boy in question had a firearm. According to the search warrant, several school staff members, including the reading instructor who subdued the boy, were told by other students that the boy’s book bag contained a gun, and they checked the bag during recess, but could not find the gun.

Police dispatched after the incident found a loaded and abandoned 9mm pistol on the classroom floor, and the gun’s owner, the boy’s mother, was charged with felony crimes related to child neglect. However, it is said that the child who committed her crime is receiving treatment while escaping criminal punishment.

According to CNN, the boy’s parents said through their lawyers that day, “This boy has extreme emotional issues. We are all working hard to help him get better every day.” Previously, they claimed that the boy had a ‘severe handicap’. Meanwhile, the search warrant obtained by WTKR states that the boy attacked another teacher while attending kindergarten at the school.

Investigators who interviewed the now-retired teacher said, “Two years ago, in September 2021, the boy walked behind her (her teacher) in a chair, then wrapped his arms around her neck and pulled her down, preventing her from breathing.” I was so sleepy,” she said. At the same time, CNN broadcast reported that the assistant teacher had to force the boy out of the classroom.