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Violence, Crime & Protests

US: 34.8M Cases - 623.4K Dead - 29.3M Recovered
Worldwide: 188.6M Cases - 4M Dead - 172.4M Recovered

Former Senior Loss Prevention Executive
Know of any fallen LP exec? Let's remember & recognize.

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 281  
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 316
*Red indicates change in total deaths

Cases Doubling in Some States
COVID-19 case count spikes hit almost every state
Most areas of the country are seeing a new surge in COVID-19 cases as variants of the virus serve as a painful reminder that the pandemic is not over despite eased restrictions.

Forty-one states and the District of Columbia have documented an increase in average daily cases over the past two weeks. But nine in particular, including seven in the South, have seen cases at least double in that time period, according to data from The New York Times.

“The majority of states have large swaths of population that are still not protected,” said Amber D’Souza, a professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

She said that despite tremendous progress on vaccinations, the new data show the outbreaks are mostly hitting areas with lower vaccination rates. Those spikes are due in part to the spread of the more transmissible delta variant and loosened COVID-19 restrictions, D’Souza said. thehill.com

Florida & Missouri are Hot Spots for the Delta Variant
What hospitals look like in US Covid hot spots
The overwhelming majority of those coming in sick with Covid are unvaccinated, Segarra said. Many are young -- people in their 20s and 30s who are getting "extremely, extremely sick" and some of whom are dying.

Roughly 45% of people in Florida are fully vaccinated, according to state data. The low vaccination rates, along with a dangerous coronavirus variant that's now the dominant strain in the United States and the relaxed Covid-19 guidelines, are what Segarra said he thinks have led to the increase.

With cases of the virus surging in most of the United States -- driven by unvaccinated Americans and fueled by the highly contagious Delta variant -- Covid-19 hospitalizations are climbing in other parts of the country, too, and hospitals are again bracing for another round of devastation.

And in Covid hot spots such as Florida and Missouri, where patients are quickly filling Covid units, experts warn a rise in deaths could soon follow. cnn.com

McKinsey and Company
Top Ten Newsletter | Second Quarter 2021
Most popular with McKinsey.com readers

#1 COVID-19: Implications for business

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses and governments faced the need to solve multiple, competing priorities simultaneously. One of the toughest: how to keep an economy going while at the same time shutting it down to protect citizens from infection. As some regions emerge from the worst of the health crisis, it’s tempting to think that there could be a return to focusing on just one main concern. But this week, McKinsey experts examined sectors, particularly defense and national infrastructure, where solving for dual imperatives is more important than ever.

Robust digital financial infrastructure proved its worth during the COVID-19-crisis, helping governments cushion people and businesses from the economic shock. The McKinsey Global Institute discusses the next step: economies that embrace data sharing for finance could see GDP gains of between 1 and 5 percent by 2030, with benefits flowing to both consumers and financial institutions.

The retailer of the future will harness the power of data, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and augmented reality, says serial entrepreneur and senior adviser to McKinsey John Straw on the McKinsey on Consumer and Retail podcast. The biggest mistake retail companies make? Unwillingness to invest in something that doesn’t automatically feed the bottom line. The biggest win: using cutting-edge technology to give consumers a way of envisioning their lives if they go ahead and buy.

The COVID-19 pandemic created significant challenges for financial institutions in both modeling and model-risk management. Institutions should use six strategies to update their models, including using agile modeling, upgrading data architecture, and embracing automation. mckinsey.com

Blocking Unvaxxed Shoppers
French retailers puzzle over how to keep non-vaccinated shoppers from stores
French retailers were puzzled on Tuesday over how a new government proposal requiring them to block people not vaccinated against COVID-19 from shopping malls could possibly work out in practice.

Ahead of a meeting with Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire on Wednesday, retailers said that a widening of COVID health pass requirements announced by President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday was difficult to implement.

Macron said a health pass would be required from July 21 to enter places of leisure and culture and that from early August it would be required in bars and restaurants, shopping malls, hospitals as well as in planes and long-distance trains and buses. A health pass would have to show double vaccination against COVID-19, recovery from the illness or a recent negative test. reuters.com

LA Covid Cases Up 500% Over Past Month As Delta Variant Takes Hold

COVID Cases In Missouri & Arkansas Surge To Levels Not Seen Since Winter
 

Protos Security, in partnership with The Loss Prevention Foundation, Axis Communications and ThinkLP, recently hosted a webinar on the future of loss prevention. The webinar is now available to watch on-demand.

Loss prevention experts Chris Copenhaver, Patrick Henderson, Rhett Asher and Hedgie Bartol share some friendly banter along with their predictions as we look at the future of the loss prevention industry.

We've seen technological advances ripple through many industries, and even more rapidly within internet-based organizations. Although loss prevention can be slower to modernize (we certainly have more reasons to be cautious), the changes that have impacted other industries are heading our way, leaving loss prevention uniquely positioned to be infinitely more prepared.

What should we be doing now to keep up with trends in loss prevention technology? How do we balance the limitless potential for increased efficiency with the risks of getting caught up in the excitement of new technology?

Days After Biden Called Putin, REvil Goes Off-Line
Russia’s most aggressive ransomware group disappeared & it’s unclear who made that happen
Just days after President Biden called President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and demanded that he act to shut down ransomware groups that are attacking American targets, the biggest of them has gone off-line. The mystery is who made that happen.

The group, called REvil, short for “Ransomware evil,” is believed responsible for the attack that brought down one of America’s largest beef producers, JBS, and it took credit for a hack that affected thousands of businesses around the world over the July 4 holiday. On Friday, describing his ultimatum to the Russian president, Mr. Biden said “we expect them to act,” and when asked later if he would take down the group’s servers if Mr. Putin did not, the president simply said, “Yes.”

There were three main theories floating around about why REvil, which seemed to revel in the publicity and reaped huge ransoms — including $11 million from JBS — suddenly disappeared.

One is that Mr. Biden ordered the United States Cyber Command, working with domestic law enforcement agencies, including the F.B.I., to bring it down. Cyber Command proved last year that it could do just that, paralyzing a ransomware group that it feared might turn its skills to freezing up voter registrations or other election data in the 2020 election.

The second theory is that Mr. Putin ordered the group taken down by Russia. If so, that would be a gesture toward heeding Mr. Biden’s warning, which he offered, in more general terms, when the two leaders met June 16 in Geneva.

And a third is that REvil decided that the heat was too intense, and took itself down to avoid becoming part of the crossfire between the American and Russian presidents. That is what another Russian-based group, Darkside, did after the ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline, the U.S. company that had to shut down the gasoline and jet fuel running up the East Coast in May.

But many experts think that Darkside’s going-out-of-business move was digital theater, and that all of the key ransomware talent would reassemble under a different name. If so, the same could happen with REvil. nytimes.com

Top 10 Ransomware Strains of Q2 2021
Ransomware Landscape: REvil Is One of Many Operators

Biden Administration Says Attempted Ransomware Disruption Efforts Won't Be Immediate

As the Biden administration attempts to force Russia to crack down on domestic cybercriminals, one challenge will be the sheer diversity of attack code being wielded. Another is that any proactive moves Moscow does make will likely require many months to take effect, as will White House efforts to bolster U.S. cybersecurity defenses in the public and private sectors.

For cracking down on individual ransomware operations, one hurdle remains the current threat landscape: As ever, multiple strains of crypto-locking malware are being used by many different attackers - not just operations and affiliates based in Russia - and there's a constant influx of new strains and players, driven by the increasing profits to be obtained via ransomware, and backed by a vibrant cybercrime-as-a-service economy.

Ransomware-as-a-service operations have also burgeoned, with cybersecurity firm Intel 471 late last year counting five major players, nine up-and-coming operations and 10 newcomers.

To pick just one operator: The massive attack against software developer Kaseya that came to light earlier this month was the latest in a long line of recent hits tracing back to ransomware-wielding attackers, and in this case to REvil, which many experts suspect has operations based in or around Russia.

Again, however, that's just one player. "For perspective, REvil accounts for less than 10% of global ransomware incidents," says Brett Callow, a threat analyst at security firm Emsisoft.

Threat intelligence firm Recorded Future, meanwhile, says that based on ransomware operators' postings to their data leak sites, 42% of recent, known ransomware victims trace to REvil. govinfosecurity.com

Stores Respond to British Columbia Lifting Mask Mandate
B.C. stores change their mask policies now that they're no longer mandatory
Shopping malls, grocery stores and coffee shops were packed on Canada Day, and just about everyone inside was wearing a mask. Outside, signs have gone up with new instructions about face coverings.

“Masks are recommended,” read the postings at B.C. Liquors Stores, while at London Drugs, sandwich boards indicated “masks are strongly recommended.” Starbucks stated masks “are optional.”

The B.C. government’s mask mandate order was officially lifted at midnight on July 1.

That means coverings are no longer required in indoor spaces, but health officials are still recommending them for those who aren’t fully vaccinated. Individual stores can still require masks.

But Wolak is concerned most of the population still hasn’t been fully vaccinated, and therefore B.C. hasn’t reached the threshold for herd immunity.

“So when you’re going to the grocery store, you do not know what the vaccination status of every single person in the grocery store is, so it would be prudent to keep the mask on,” she advised. bc.ctvnews.ca

Returning to Pre-Pandemic Life - But Short on Staff
B.C. business operators cautiously excited about return to near-normal
The buzz of full restaurants and tills ringing will start to become familiar on Thursday as British Columbia largely returns to the rhythms of pre-pandemic life. While businesses are excited about the return of customers, restaurant, retail and hotel associations say they are also hampered by staff shortages.

Residents can go to dinner indoors and outdoors without a limit on numbers, and attend fairs and festivals by following communicable disease measures, such as staying away if they're sick. Masks will no longer be mandatory before further restrictions are removed in September.

Although masks aren't mandatory, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry encouraging people to continue wearing them in all indoor places. She said Wednesday that masks remain an important layer of protection until more people have immunity from two doses of a vaccine.

Ian Tostenson, president of the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association, said the industry is both excited and worried about reopening.

"It's kind of scary for everybody. It's kind of like opening night on Broadway," he said with a laugh. "It's the anticipation. It's so odd. Like the anticipation of being able to operate in a way we did it before, but we want to make sure we do it right.” msn.com

Canada Heading Toward Post-Lockdown Boom?
Business sentiment rises to record in Canada on vaccine rollout
Canadian consumers and businesses are entering the second half of the year brimming with confidence about the nation’s economic prospects, a signal of what could be an imminent boom.

A gauge of business sentiment released by the Bank of Canada rose to record levels as an accelerating vaccine rollout bolsters confidence in the recovery. Separate surveys of consumer confidence from the central bank and Bloomberg News found optimism at or near all-time highs.

The numbers will stoke expectations among economists and policy makers that households and business will be in a spending mood as pandemic restrictions are lifted, particularly because they have a massive stock of savings accumulated during the crisis. bnnbloomberg.ca

Shopping Centres in Canada to See Changes Amid Pandemic & Shifting Retail Industry

Over 50% of eligible Canadians now fully vaccinated against COVID as cases fall

Canada to reach 55M doses by week's end, catching up to U.S. on second doses

Many visitors still turned away at Canadian border despite looser restrictions
 

Harris County, TX: Police arrest Katy suspect after recovering haul of stolen internet equipment at storage facility
Police have arrested one man after recovering more than half a million dollars worth of stolen internet equipment on Friday at a storage facility. According to Harris County Constable Precinct 5, Cristian Salas, 26, of Katy, was arrested without incident on felony theft charges. After a two-month investigation, a search warrant was obtained for a storage facility being used to house stolen internet nodes, authorities said. Authorities said approximately 1,300 customers have been affected by a loss of internet service due to these thefts of internet nodes, which are the connection points used to receive and send data for internet service providers. Precinct 5 deputies are working with local internet providers to return the stolen equipment. click2houston.com

Cleveland, OH: A week later, another Grocery story shoplifter caught in U-Haul box truck getaway vehicle
On July 4, a Giant Eagle employee observed a man and woman stealing merchandise from the Biddulph Road grocery story. The employee said the thieves left in a U-Haul truck. For those keeping score at home, this was the second straight Brooklyn Police Blotter with shoplifters leaving in a U-Haul truck. An arriving officer located the truck and the Cleveland thieves on Ridge Road. Both the driver and passenger had warrants. They were arrested and held for transport. cleveland.com

Rocking Chair ORC
Okolona, MS: Thieves steal 75 rocking chairs worth over $22K from furniture warehouse, Okolona Police suspect inside job
Employees for the Alan White furniture company came back from vacation Monday to find one of their warehouses ransacked and tens of thousands of dollars worth of rocking chairs gone. “Thieves will do anything,” says Okolona Police Chief Tommie Ivy. “They’ll sell them to anyone they can sell them to. This many chairs, it would have to go to a dealer or somebody.” Chief Ivy says he’s never seen anything like this before. “They stole about 75 rocker recliners,” he says. Chief Ivy says the break-in occurred sometime during the Alan White annual company holiday break from July 5 to 11. wcbi.com

Macon, GA: Three wanted for grab and run theft at Marshall's
Deputies are searching for suspects that stole from a Macon Marshall's. According to a press release, a grab and run theft happened on June 24, 2021, at the Marshall's on Bass Road. The suspects left in a black Nissan Maxima. wgxa.tv

Update: Sherman, TX: Man get 33 Years for Series of Thefts
Denison man has been given more than three decades behind bars on a dozen counts of theft and evading police. Richard Roberts, 53, was sentenced to 33 years in prison Friday after entering a blind guilty plea. Prosecutors say between November 2019 and May 2020, Roberts would walk into stores, load up a cart with merchandise, and then walk out without paying. If confronted by employees, he would often threaten to run over anyone who got in his way. Prosecutors say his extensive criminal history played a role in the hefty sentence. kxii.com

Menomonee Falls, WI: Theft at Woodman's, $500+ worth of cigarettes stolen