25 vipph life HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Texans didn’t need to see what Baltimore’s Derrick Henry is doing this season to be reminded of just how dangerous he can be. He ran all over the Texans for years while playing in the AFC South for the Tennessee Titans. Henry and the Ravens (10-5) visit AFC South champion Houston (9-6) on Wednesday, looking for a win to keep their AFC North title chances alive. Baltimore has clinched a playoff berth for a third straight season but needs wins in its last two games and one loss by the Steelers to capture the division. Henry, who ranks second in the NFL with 1,636 yards rushing, has had some of his greatest success against the Texans. Four of the 30-year-old’s six career 200-yard rushing games have been against Houston, including a career-high 250 in the season finale in the 2020 season to surpass 2,000 yards. “You talk about fast, explosive, physical — he’s looking probably the best he’s looked in his career,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “He’s found that fountain of youth ... he’s a great player. It’s fun to see guys rebound and bounce back the way that he’s done this year.” Dealing with Henry along with all the challenges that quarterback Lamar Jackson presents makes the top-ranked Ravens one of Houston’s more difficult matchups. “You talk about MVP, (Jackson’s) definitely the MVP in my mind just for what he’s doing not only in the run game but also throwing the football,” Ryans said. “The accuracy, the decision-making, like, he’s playing unbelievable ball right now, so it’s going to be a really tough challenge for us this week.” Another challenge for the Texans is moving on after Tank Dell sustained a season-ending knee injury in Saturday’s loss to Kansas City. His injury is another blow to a receiving group that already was without star Stefon Diggs, who tore his ACL in Week 8. “The position we’re in, it’s not a lot of times where you can sulk in your feelings for very long,” quarterback C.J. Stroud said. “You’ve got to just keep rolling. I think that’s a testament to just life in general. Everybody has stuff on their plate. Everybody is going through something. And just because we’re in this position, doesn’t mean you get to feel sorry for yourself.” Houston will rely on Stroud to keep the passing game rolling despite the loss of Dell, who ranks second on the team with 667 yards receiving. Baltimore coach John Harbaugh has been impressed with Stroud’s growth in Year 2 and knows that dealing with him will be difficult for his team, which ranks 31st in the NFL by allowing 254.9 yards passing a game. “He’s just a supertalented guy... he’s surrounded with some good weapons, and he gets the ball out quick,” Harbaugh said. “He handles pressure well, he can move, he’s athletic, scrambles and makes plays.” Missing out Jackson is a big fan of Beyoncé, though he didn’t know the title of his favorite song of hers, saying it was “To the left,” which is just the first lines of her hit “Irreplaceable.” And he doesn’t think playing in Wednesday’s game should stop him from seeing her halftime show on Christmas . “I’m going to go out there and watch,” he said. “First time seeing Beyoncé perform, and it’s at our game — that’s dope. I’m going to go out and watch. Sorry Harbaugh, sorry fellas." He later clarified that he was kidding about sneaking out at halftime to get a glimpse of Queen Bey. “I was just thinking about just seeing Beyoncé for the first time,” he said. “Not saying it like that; no disrespect, because I know how people can take things. Next question.” Metchie’s moment Houston receiver John Metchie could have a chance for a big game with Dell out. Metchie is playing in his second NFL season after missing his entire rookie year while undergoing cancer treatment. He has just 182 yards receiving this season, with his best game coming against Detroit, when he had a career-high 72 yards receiving and his only NFL TD. Stroud is looking for Metchie and fellow reserve Xavier Hutchinson to help make up for Dell’s absence against the Ravens. “Those guys have another opportunity to show who they are and I know that they can do it,” Stroud said. “I see them in practice do it every week. So, I’m excited for them and it’s a good opportunity for them to step up.” Record watch Jackson is up to 6,023 yards rushing for his career. The NFL record for a quarterback is 6,109 by Michael Vick, so Jackson could break it with a big game on Wednesday. Jackson also leads the NFL in passer rating and is in the conversation for his third MVP. Although it sounds like that’s a discussion he’d rather not get involved in. “No other choice but to hear it,” Jackson said. “They (are) tagging me in it. You don’t (have) to tag me. You can talk about it all you want, but you want to tag me to get like clickbait because you know sometimes I (will) say something back like, ‘That was stupid.’ It is what it is. I don’t care, though. I really don’t care about the talk.” AP Sports Writer Noah Trister in Owings Mills, Maryland, contributed to this report. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Galal Yafai claims WBC interim flyweight crown as Sunny Edwards hangs up gloves

NoneHome | SA govt calls on Moz to commit to urgent dialogue amid protests The government of South Africa has called on all parties in Mozambique to commit to an urgent dialogue following the proclamation of the final electoral results by the Constitutional Council. The International Relations Ministry says Pretoria has noted with concern the ongoing violence and the subsequent disruptive protests in reaction to the announcement . The Highest Court in Mozambique declared Daniel Chapo of FRELIMO as the winner of the 9 October election. Minister Ronald Lamola says the South African government will continue working with SADC and other multilateral agencies in supporting a lasting solution. “South Africa calls on all parties to commit to an urgent dialogue that will heal the country and set it on a new political and developmental trajectory. Furthermore, South Africa is ready to assist Mozambique in any manner to facilitate this dialogue. “ VIDEO | A journalist in Mozambique Bright Sonjela reports that citizens continue to protest with some burning cars. The impact of the protests. SABC © 2024

La Salle defeats Temple 83-75

A melee broke out at midfield of Ohio Stadium after Michigan upset No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 on Saturday. After the Wolverines' fourth straight win in the series, players converged at the block "O" to plant its flag. The Ohio State players were in the south end zone singing their alma mater in front of the student section. When the Buckeyes saw the Wolverines' flag, they rushed toward the 50-yard line. Social media posts showed Michigan offensive lineman Raheem Anderson carrying the flag on a long pole to midfield, where the Wolverines were met by dozens of Ohio State players and fights broke out. Buckeyes defensive end Jack Sawyer was seen ripping the flag off the pole and taking the flag as he scuffled with several people trying to recover the flag. A statement from the Ohio State Police Department read: "Following the game, officers from multiple law enforcement agencies assisted in breaking up an on-field altercation. During the scuffle, multiple officers representing Ohio and Michigan deployed pepper spray. OSUPD is the lead agency for games and will continue to investigate." Michigan running back Kalel Mullings on FOX said: "For such a great game, you hate to see stuff like that after the game. It's bad for the sport, bad for college football. At the end of the day, some people got to learn how to lose, man. "You can't be fighting and stuff just because you lost the game. We had 60 minutes and four quarters to do all that fighting. Now people want to talk and fight. That's wrong. It's bad for the game. Classless, in my opinion. People got to be better." Once order was restored, officers cordoned the 50-yard line, using bicycles as barriers. Ohio State coach Ryan Day in his postgame press conference said he wasn't sure what happened. "I don't know all the details of it. But I know that these guys are looking to put a flag on our field and our guys weren't going to let that happen," he said. "I'll find out exactly what happened, but this is our field and certainly we're embarrassed at the fact we lost the game, but there's some prideful guys on our team that weren't just going to let that happen." The Big Ten has not yet released a statement on the incident. --Field Level MediaPrice-to-book value is irrelevant, according to conventional wisdom. The common argument states that all that matters is Central Bank liquidity and the total addressable market. It has been a powerful story with massive tailwinds from technology and politics. Today, intangible assets, like intellectual property and brand value, matter the most. Critics claim that only “dinosaurs” use price-to-book value, and most of them are extinct. None of the biggest fund managers or self-proclaimed experts on the internet pay attention to the price of tangible book value. “Value investing is dead,” they say, “and even if it weren’t, metrics like EBITDA and adjusted non-GAAP cash flow measures would be much more important than asset value.” I write some version of this column every four or five months, as this remains the widely accepted opinion. That may be true if you’re managing billions of dollars and need to dump millions of shares instantly to justify your existence. If you feel compelled to be part of the tribe and own all the same stocks everybody else does, deep-value investing based on tangible book value is probably not for you. However, if you’re an individual investor looking to grow your wealth to finance the life that’s important to you, then deep-value investing isn’t only alive, it's probably your best choice. If you want to achieve high returns without sitting in front of screens or losing sleep over market volatility, the deep-value approach may be ideal for you. The heart of deep-value investing is buying companies that trade for the value of their assets minus all debt and obligations. Unlike most analysts who rely on earnings forecasts, deep-value analysts approach the matter from a credit-first perspective. The simple truth is that a credit-first, deep-value approach to investing has outperformed the market over almost any measurable period. The market has just experienced one of its best decades ever, with index fund investors earning over 13%. For every dollar the successful index fund investor has earned over the decade, investors who used the combination of credit and value would have earned $4.39. 2024 has been a fantastic year for large-cap stock investors, yet deep-value investors who focused on credit have performed even better. At no point in this journey would you have owned the stocks everyone loved. Over two decades, you would have owned few tech stocks. Your holdings would have been old-economy stalwart businesses that everyone ignored. Many of them would have been acquired by private equity firms and strategic buyers who recognized the value of adding these businesses to their existing operations over the years.. You would own more stocks at market bottoms than at market tops, as bargains become scarce as markets move higher. Today is no exception. While you won’t own any high-tech companies on the cutting edge of artificial intelligence, you will own companies that will be key providers of the energy needed for the economy to grow and support the expansion of AI and other technologies. Consider PBF Energy Inc. PBF , one of North America’s largest independent petroleum refiners and suppliers. Headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, the company owns and operates a diverse portfolio of refining assets strategically located across the United States. PBF Energy also operates a logistics subsidiary, PBF Logistics LP PBFX , which provides transportation, storage, and terminal services to support its refining operations and third-party customers. The stock currently trades at less than 60% of its tangible book value and has a strong credit profile. It pays a dividend yield of 3.6%, so investors collect cash while waiting for the price to reflect the company’s value. The decline in the stock price has attracted significant buying from Mexican billionaire and activist investor Carlos Slim, who owns 23% of the company. Another example lies in shipping. Everyone claims the shipping business is terrible, arguing that China will never make, sell, or buy anything ever again, and that trade tariffs will bring global trade to a screeching halt. While I have no idea how things will play out for the global economy given China’s ongoing difficulties or the looming prospect of punitive tariffs, I do know that Genco Shipping GNK trades for less than the value of its ships and has a strong balance sheet. The fundamentals of the business are fantastic despite the industry’s negative perception. Genco Shipping is a leading provider of dry bulk shipping services. Based in New York, the company operates a modern and diversified fleet of dry bulk vessels. As of October 2024, Genco’s fleet comprises 42 vessels, including various sizes of freight carriers. The fleet has a total carrying capacity of approximately 4.45 million deadweight tons and an average age of 11.9 years. Genco continues to execute its comprehensive value strategy, focusing on paying substantial quarterly cash dividends, making voluntary debt repayments, and opportunistically growing and renewing its asset base. In line with this strategy, the company acquired the Genco Intrepid, a high-specification 2016-built 180,000 dwt Capesize vessel, delivered in October 2024. The stock yields over 10% at the current price and trades for just 65% of tangible book value and 8 times earnings. Wall Street pays very little attention to these stocks, and internet pundits have no idea these companies even exist. Deep-value investors who understand the power of valuation, credit, and patience could do very well with both of these stocks. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

UCF coach Gus Malzahn reportedly resigning to take Florida State OC jobHACKENSACK, N.J. , Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Panaya , the leader in SaaS-based AI-Powered Smart Testing and Change Intelligence for ERP, CRM, and Enterprise Cloud Applications, announces today a new partnership with Tritusa, an Australian company specializing in SAP Testing and Quality Assurance. This collaboration aims to provide Australian enterprises with enhanced SAP testing capabilities, including Test Automation, to ensure seamless, efficient and risk-free SAP implementations. As businesses in Australia increasingly adopt SAP S/4HANA, the need for robust testing solutions has never been greater. Panaya and Tritusa are combining their strengths to meet this demand. Panaya's cutting-edge AI-powered solutions, paired with Tritusa's comprehensive SAP testing services - including Test Management & Governance, Test Assurance, Functional Testing, Test Automation, and Performance Testing - offer a powerful, 360-degree, suite of solutions for organizations looking to optimize their SAP testing processes. This partnership allows businesses to leverage Tritusa's local expertise and Panaya's innovative technology to improve test quality, test environment readiness, and overall test effectiveness. Organizations can now accelerate their SAP projects with confidence, ensuring high-quality outcomes and minimal disruption to their operations. Shabi Levi , Head of Global Channels and Alliances at Panaya , shared his appreciation for the collaboration: "We are very pleased to partner with Tritusa to bring our AI-driven testing solutions to the Australian market. Tritusa's deep understanding of SAP testing and their commitment to quality make them an ideal partner. Together, we will empower Australian businesses to achieve faster, more reliable SAP transformations." Jag Sothivel, Technical Director at Tritusa , also highlighted the value of the partnership: "Partnering with Panaya allows us to offer our clients state-of-the-art testing solutions that go beyond traditional approaches. Panaya's technology perfectly complements our testing services, and we look forward to delivering outstanding results for our customers." About Tritusa Tritusa is an Australian company, specializing in SAP Testing and Quality Assurance. They focus on a comprehensive array of SAP Testing & Assurance services, including Test Management & Governance, Test Assurance, Functional Testing, Test Automation and Performance Testing & Engineering. They go beyond traditional SAP testing approaches and assist their customers to improve their test data quality, test environment quality, and test user quality, ensuring seamless testing outcomes. About Panaya Panaya, a SaaS-based company certified by SAP, Oracle, and Salesforce.com, offers an all-in-one platform for Smart Testing solutions and Change Intelligence tailored for ERP, CRM, and cloud business applications. Panaya accelerates and de-risks digital landscapes with AI-powered Test Automation, Test Management, and Impact Analysis. Panaya's focus on ease of use and an intuitive interface ensures seamless collaboration between business and IT, empowering business users and IT professionals to gain real-time visibility and control over their projects. This capability enables faster releases and continuous delivery of high-quality software. Since its founding in 2006, over 3,000 companies across 62 countries, including a third of the Fortune 500, have trusted Panaya to drive rapid, quality testing and change management in their enterprise business applications. For more information, contact Panaya at [email protected] or visit www.panaya.com . For media inquiries, contact Dana Averbouch, [email protected] . Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1636386/3844879/panaya_Logo.jpg

Amazon driver stopped for driving without working brakes on Hwy. 7The Philadelphia Eagles (9-2) are set to face their biggest test against the Baltimore Ravens (8-4) on Sunday, and they may be down a few key players. In the Eagles' wide receiver room, starter DeVonta Smith (hamstring) is still banged up and questionable while giant rookie wideout Johnny Wilson (hamstring) has been ruled out after not practicing on Friday. In the secondary, starting cornerback Darius Slay (concussion) has also been ruled and safety Sydney Brown (knee) is questionable. Additionally, linebacker and core special teamer Ben VanSumeren is done for the year due to a season-ending knee injury. Eagles Week 13 Injury Report Observations The Eagles are said to be monitoring Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley's health closely so it will be normal for either or both of them to kick off the week limited moving forward. With defensive end Bryce Huff (wrist) and Brandon Graham (triceps) on injured reserve, we could see rookie Jalyx Hunt take snaps in their place. The Eagles also signed defensive ends Charles Harris and K.J. Henry this week. Wide receiver Kyle Phillips was also spotted practicing after being released last week. Wide receiver DeVonta Smith has been dealing with that hamstring injury on and off this season. He played injured against the Cowboys and Washington. Cornerback Darius Slay has been on and off the injury report this season with a lingering knee issue. He suffered this concussion in Week 12's win over the LA Rams. Ben VanSumeren was placed on Injured Reserve on Sunday. The Eagles promoted receiver Parris Campbell to the 53-man roster in place of VanSuemren. Rookie wideout Arian Smith could get more looks this week due to the banged-up WR room. Philly elevated tight end C.J. Uzomah and edge rusher Ochaun Mathis for this game. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

Nvidia has become one of the world's most valuable companies thanks to strong demand for its artificial intelligence (AI) server chips from big tech companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. However, one tech giant that is not a major Nvidia customer is Apple, and a new report attempts to explain why this might be. The Information 's Wayne Ma today outlined Apple's historically "bumpy relationship" with Nvidia, but much of the bad blood dates to the 2000s and early 2010s, when Steve Jobs was still CEO and Macs used Nvidia graphics. It is unclear how much these past issues matter today, if at all, and the report acknowledges that Apple's current relationship with Nvidia "isn't entirely acrimonious." Two examples of the companies getting along include Apple's recent collaboration with Nvidia on machine learning research , and Nvidia showcasing the Apple Vision Pro when it announced a new software framework earlier this year. Apple has mostly rented access to Nvidia GPUs through the cloud from companies like Amazon and Microsoft, and it is reportedly developing its own AI server chip as a longer-term solution, but neither of those things prove that Apple still has an "allergy" to Nvidia as the report states. As has been the case for more than a decade, and even more so in recent years, Apple simply wants to develop as many in-house chips and technologies as possible for many reasons, including lower production costs, improved integration between hardware and software, and reduced reliance on external suppliers. So, this seems less about Apple avoiding Nvidia in particular, and more about Apple owning the whole widget in general. This trend has been playing out for many years now. In addition to Apple long designing its own iPhone chips, the company started releasing its own Mac chips in 2020, in a transition away from Intel. Apple's long-rumored 5G modem is expected to begin rolling out in iPhones next year, in a move away from its current supplier Qualcomm. Apple is also reportedly developing its own Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip , a move that will impact Broadcom. So while Steve Jobs may have once pretended an Nvidia executive was no longer in the room during a meeting, as the report states, it seems most likely that Apple simply has no need to directly purchase GPUs from Nvidia. Apple is clearly fine with renting access to the GPUs from cloud providers until its in-house chip is ready. The report is nevertheless an interesting read, and it reinforces how Jobs was very good at holding a grudge when he was unhappy with a situation.Aaron Rodgers has played through a number of injuries this season, and the New York Jets star plans to do so again in Week 17. Jets head coach Jeff Ulbrich told reporters on Tuesday that Rodgers has been battling a knee injury. Ulbrich said he is unsure if Rodgers will be able to play in Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills . Rodgers delivered a much different message a short while later. During his Tuesday press conference, Rodgers was asked for an update on his status with the knee injury. He described the injury as “a little MCL” and said he has dealt with much worse. Rodgers added that he “lucked out of any major stretchage with the MCL.” "I'm going to play and it feels pretty good" Aaron Rodgers says he's dealing with an MCL injury but is going to play in Week 17 pic.twitter.com/9is9S89DO7 — Jets Videos (@snyjets) December 24, 2024 Rodgers said one of his goals this season was to play in all 17 games, so he is determined to see that through. Ulbrich may have just wanted to keep everyone guessing about the 41-year-old’s status. Though Rodgers has played better in recent weeks, his first full season with the Jets has been a major disappointment. He has reportedly battled several significant injuries along the way . It is no surprise that he is determined to salvage what he can from a difficult year. This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson is checking off another item on her bucket list: Broadway. Jackson will appear in a one-night performance of the musical comedy “& Juliet” on Saturday, according to an Instagram post from the Broadway show. The role is a walk-on, which does not typically include any lines of dialogue. Jackson will also participate in a special “talkback” after the performance, according to the social media post. RELATED STORY | Could Democrats pressure Justice Sotomayor to step down for replacement? In her recently published memoir, "Lovely One," Jackson wrote about her dreams of becoming the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court and appear on a Broadway stage. Now, it seems that her once-teenage dreams will come true. The show begins at 8 p.m. ET on Dec. 14 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre in New York City.

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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.NEW YORK — The man accused of fatally setting a woman on fire inside a New York City subway train used his shirt to fan the flames, causing her to become engulfed in the blaze, a prosecutor said Tuesday. Sebastian Zapeta, 33, who federal immigration officials said is a Guatemalan citizen who entered the U.S. illegally, made his first court appearance and was arraigned in Brooklyn criminal court. He appeared briefly before a judge and wore a white jumpsuit over a weathered black hooded sweatshirt. He did not speak. He will remain jailed ahead of his next court date on Friday. The apparently random attack occurred Sunday morning on a stationary F train at the Coney Island station in Brooklyn. Police said Tuesday that identification of the victim was still “pending at this time.” Authorities say Zapeta approached the woman, who was sitting motionless in the train car and may have been sleeping, and used a lighter to set her clothing on fire. Zapeta then used his shirt to fan the flames, leading to her becoming engulfed in the fire, Assistant District Attorney Ari Rottenberg said on Tuesday. Zapeta then sat at a bench on the subway platform and watched, according to police. Rottenberg added that under interrogation Zapeta said he didn’t know what happened, noting that he consumes alcohol. But he alleged that Zapeta identified himself to interrogators in images related to the attack. Video posted to social media appeared to show the woman standing inside the train ablaze as some people look on from the platform, and at least one officer walks by. NYPD Chief of Transit Joseph Gulotta said Sunday that several officers had responded to the fire and one stayed to keep the crime scene “the way it’s supposed to be" while the others went to get fire extinguishers and transit workers. They were eventually able to douse the fire, but “unfortunately, it was too late,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said — the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Zapeta was taken into custody Sunday afternoon while riding a train on the same subway line after police got a tip from some teenagers who recognized him from images circulated by the police. A Brooklyn address for Zapeta released by police matches a shelter that provides housing and substance abuse support. The shelter did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Federal immigration officials said Zapeta had been previously deported in 2018 but at some point reentered the U.S. illegally. In a statement, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez called the attack a “gruesome and senseless act of violence against a vulnerable woman” that would be “met with the most serious consequences.” The crime — and the graphic video of it that ricocheted across social media — deepened a growing sense of unease among some New Yorkers about the safety of the subway system in a city where many residents take the subway multiple times each day. Overall, according to authorities, crime is down in the transit system this year when compared to last year — major felonies declined 6% between January and November of this year and in 2023, data compiled by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority show. But murders are up, with nine killings this year through November compared to five in the same period last year. Earlier this month, a Manhattan jury acquitted Daniel Penny in the death of an agitated subway rider that the former Marine placed in a chokehold last year. The case became a flashpoint in ongoing debates over safety, homelessness and mental illness on the system. Policing the subway is also difficult, given the vast network of trains constantly moving between the system’s 472 stations, with each stop containing multiple entry points and, in many stations, multiple floors and platforms. On Sunday, police at the station where the woman burned to death were patrolling a different area and responded after seeing and smelling smoke, authorities said.

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