1,000 Federal Agents in 9 Cities & 1,500 Arrests - We're Just Getting Started
U.S. AG Barr Delivers Remarks at Press Conference Announcing Updates to Operation Legend
We launched Operation Legend six weeks ago here in Kansas City. Three weeks ago we rolled it out in several additional cities, so now Operation Legend in underway in nine cities.

Dispatched to nine cities more than 1,000 additional agents. Here in Kansas City, for example, we have deployed more than 185 additional agents from the FBI, DEA, ATF, and U.S. Marshals.

During the last two years of the Obama Administration, however, violent crime started increasing again. But this Administration has reversed that trend. Once again, working with our state and local partners, we pushed crime rates down in 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Unfortunately, we have recently seen violent crime spike in many major cities, especially homicides and non-fatal shootings.

So far, the federal-state task forces involved in Operation Legend have made almost 1500 arrests and charged with more than 200 federal crimes. In many cities the operation is just getting started.

There is no more important mission for the Department of Justice than keeping our communities safe and enforcing the rule of law. Through Operation Legend, we will continue working with our state and local partners to do just that. justice.gov

Chicago looters were college students, convicted felons, unemployed parents
A group of looters busted for ransacking high-end stores in Chicago on Aug. 10 were mostly college students, unemployed parents and convicted felons, according to a Chicago Tribune report.

More than a hundred people were arrested in connection to the looting and destruction, which injured more than a dozen officers and targeted high-end stores such Gucci, Dior and Apple.

Some learned about the looting through social media. A man who was caught on video handing out display cases of jewelry at the Lester Lambert store told cops that he found out about the looting on Facebook, according to the report.

A number of those who appeared before the judge were facing felony charges for the first time or had minor criminal backgrounds, the newspaper reported.

Among those charged was a convicted felon and registered gun holder, who allegedly fled in a getaway car outside the Louis Vuitton store, leaving behind his loaded handgun with an extended magazine.

There was also a 20-year-old college student who told cops her pals pressured her into going but she ditched when officers caught her walking outside Gucci with $10,000 in goods.

There were also a number of parents, many of whom were out of work during the pandemic, their lawyers told the newspaper. nypost.com

Threat Of More Looting Leads To Concerns Of Downtown Chicago Exodus
With the last effects of Chicago’s looting sprees, it’s a tense time near the Loop and the Magnificent Mile, not only for the businesses that were hit but also for everyone who lives and works in the city. Now more problems could leave people to leave these neighborhoods. The city’s second ward alderman said he knows many people are on the edge and poised to leave, but it wouldn’t mean just empty units or storefronts. A mass exodus could gut Chicago’s tax base, causing a citywide ripple effect. cbslocal.com

Cook County State's Attorney Under Fire
Review Cites ‘Operational Failures’ in Kim Foxx’s Prosecution of TV Actor
A special prosecutor in Chicago said Monday that Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and her office abused their discretion in the case against actor Jussie Smollett but the abuse fell short of standards for criminal charges. In a summary of the conclusions of his investigation, special prosecutor Dan Webb sharply criticized the handling of the Smollett case by Foxx and her assistant prosecutors, saying their work was marked by disarray and misleading statements.

In March last year, Foxx’s office surprised and angered many in Chicago by dropping charges that accused the "Empire" actor of staging a racist, homophobic attack against himself. Smollett is still adamant that the attack was real and wasn’t a publicity hoax. wbez.org

Read More about Kim Foxx's Anti-Prosecution Track Record - From March 18th D&D Daily:
Chicago's Felony Shoplifting Charges Drop 74% in 3 Years Under the One of the Country's First "Progressive Prosecutors"


Portland Police Declare Third Riot in a Week
Sheriff's Office Building Damaged, Fire Set Inside on 83rd Night of Protests
The riot was declared Tuesday night outside the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office building, where police ordered people to leave the area. People were smashing windows on the first floor, and threw “burning material” inside.

The Multnomah County Building was set on fire and vandalized, said county commission chair Deborah Kafoury, the Oregonian / OregonLive reported. There was damage to a lobby where protective equipment against the spread of the coronavirus is distributed, she said. The building is used for marriages, among other services. Kafoury asked that residents support efforts to address the pandemic and provide programs. usatoday.com

Portland business owners feel negative impacts of continued nightly protests
Downtown business owners said they continue to lose massive amounts of money due to the ongoing demonstrations in Portland, and some accuse city and state leaders of not doing enough to stop it. It follows the economic devastation of COVID-19 shutdowns, and the combination of the two have caused millions of dollars in either damage or lost revenue, according to a survey administered by the Portland Business Alliance. Over $20 million of that came from one respondent, though the businesses are not named in that survey.

“Safety-wise, we’re just concerned. Our employees are a little bit nervous being here, especially later in the evenings. We try to have extra people just to make sure that everybody is safe and feels comfortable,” Stacey Gibson, a Subway franchisee owner, said. katu.com

Portland Mayor denounces 'all violence' after brutal attack on pickup driver
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said he denounces "all violence" in response to Sunday’s brutal beatdown of a man who crashed a pickup near Black Lives Matter protesters in an ugly scene caught on video. Police responded to the scene after being told protesters chased a white Ford 4x4, which had crashed, and dragged the driver out of the vehicle. When they arrived they found the driver, an adult male, bloody and unconscious on the ground. foxnews.com

Manhunt Underway: Portland Police identify suspect in driver assault video

Portland: A Weed Robbery Spree Strikes Cannabis Shops, Even as Police Are Stretched Thin

Louisville, KY: As Breonna Taylor protests stretch into 12th week, calls for officers’ arrests intensify

Boston Gun Violence: Shootings Jump 29% in 2020
 

COVID Update

US: Over 5.6M Cases - 175K Dead - 3M Recovered
Worldwide: Over 22.4M Cases - 787K Dead - 15.1M Recovered

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 183   Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 82
*Red indicates change in total deaths

1,000 People a Day Are Dying From COVID-19
Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, Nevada, and Texas
Dr. Fauci Says These States are in Danger From COVID-19
Dr. Fauci has made it clear that eradicating the virus isn't a likely reality. However, he explained to the panel when the percent positivity rate goes "way, way down," that will signify a win. How far down is enough to start celebrating? "I mean, you look at New York City right now. It's less than 1%. That's what you want the whole country to be," he stated. Unfortunately, many states are far away from that target number. "There are parts of the country where it's 15, 18, 20%"—in Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, Nevada, and Texas—"that's really high," he pointed out. "You gotta get that percent positivity so the percent of your tests that you do that are actually positive, it's gotta be a very low number." yahoo.com

Pandemic Elevates Security Chiefs to Corporate Leadership Roles

A side effect of the coronavirus pandemic has been the rising prominence of cybersecurity specialists.

Corporate cybersecurity leaders are gaining prominence within companies as they grapple with rising security threats during the coronavirus pandemic.

To make it through the turbulence, companies around the world and in every sector are relying on security experts who were sometimes sidelined by management in the past, but are now rising in the executive ranks. The role for corporate security chiefs now goes well beyond tech bugs and hacker tracking to encompass broader business risks.

Many corporate security chiefs have historically reported to technology managers. But that relationship was already starting to change, and the pandemic is accelerating the shift.

“Executives and boards are bringing them into the fold a lot more often,” he said. “The executives and the board recognize that they’re a trusted advisor on what’s going on right now.”

CISOs are in the spotlight as companies deal with the effects of the virus, but they are more likely to retain their newly elevated status if they have experience in related areas such as risk management, said Ms. Bonime-Blanc of GEC Risk Advisory.

Troels Oerting, chairman of the advisory board at the World Economic Forum’s Center for Cybersecurity, predicts the CISO role will be permanently changed.

“You’ll see the birth of a whole new type of [senior security executive] after this. They’ve proven that this is somebody who needs to be at the table when you discuss marketing, sales, finances. You can’t just bury them four levels down in the organization,” he said. wsj.com

City's of Concern: Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Washington, Baltimore, Atlanta, Kansas City, Portland, Omaha, Central Valley in Calif - per Fauci and Birx.

Remote Workforce: The 'most significant development in HR'
Paid leave laws are "probably the most significant development in HR in the last 12 months"

From a Security Standpoint - Information Security & Harassment Has to be Top Priority

Sarchet said, but the temporary nature of the laws means most employers won't directly change their handbooks to reflect the provisions. "A lot of businesses are going to put in some temporary policies and try to muddle through this compliance challenge," he added.

Mandatory remote work adds 'different dynamic," Remote work has transitioned from a choice to something mandatory, meaning that the onus has shifted to the employer to set standards, he added.

While existing policies may have provided a framework in the early months of 2020, employers will still need to pay attention to items like working off the clock, working overtime without authorization and getting home office expenses reimbursed, Sarchet said. Information confidentiality is also important to stress to employees whose jobs have never been remote before now, Sholinsky said.

Two other areas weigh heavy on remote work policies: harassment and accommodations. Sholinsky emphasized the former in the context of video conferencing tools like Zoom, and she suggested modifying harassment training to reflect the reality of working from home: "Are people dressed? Are they saying appropriate things in the background?" hrdive.com

UK Retailers & Union Call For Gov. Help
UK: Calls For Action Mount - As Retailers Cut Over 41,000 Jobs

There are fears more job cuts will come as the furlough ends in October

Labour Party has called for targeted support while Usdaw union urged the government to intervene to save the high street

The coronavirus crisis has sparked a swathe of shop closures, having rapidly sped up the shift to online shopping and as consumer uncertainty has taken its toll.

It has led to calls for a targeted support scheme for the sector amid concerns the UK Government’s plans will not be enough to save jobs or specifically help or retrain those in retail who have lost their roles. retailgazette.co.uk

 

California Governor Gavin Newsom Declares Statewide Emergency
Mobilizes National Guard Amid Fires, Record Heat, “Imminent” Rolling Power Outages That Could Hit Millions


Negligence & Failure to Prevent Violent Assault
San Antonio, TX: Dollar General employee who was stabbed, shot, sues retailer for $1 Million
Over the course of 12 months, Timothy Ray Ramos had the misfortune of working at a Dollar General store that was robbed three times.

The gunman shot Ramos in his left leg, upper torso and right arm. Bleeding profusely, Ramos stumbled to the door, locked it and dialed 911.Emergency medical services took Ramos to San Antonio Military Medical Center where he underwent 11 hours of surgery. He remained in intensive care for two weeks.

Now, Ramos is suing Dollar General and the three robbers for more than $1 million in damages. Dollar General’s negligence and failure to take precautions to prevent a violent assault led to his injuries, Ramos alleges in the complaint. The action was filed Thursday in state District Court in San Antonio. expressnews.com

Security Industry Ass. Supports FR Benefits
SIA Releases Policy Principles for Facial Recognition
The Security Industry Association (SIA) has released its new policy principles guiding the development and deployment of facial recognition technology. SIA states that it believes all technology products, including facial recognition, must only be used for purposes that are lawful, ethical and nondiscriminatory.

“SIA recognizes that some community leaders have expressed deeply held views calling for the end of facial recognition technology use by law enforcement and the private sector,” said SIA CEO Don Erickson. “We respectfully but firmly disagree. Facial recognition technology offers tremendous benefits to society when used effectively and responsibly and with appropriate safeguards. We invite all stakeholders to review these well thought out principles and engage with us in meaningful discussions leading to common sense approaches to how this technology is used.”  sdmmag.com

Quarterly Results
Target Q2 comp's up 10.9%, digital sales up 195%, sales up 24.3% - Strongest ever reported
Lowe's Q2 U.S. comp's up 35.1%, digital sales up 135%, sales up 34.2%
TJX Companies Q2 open-only (days open compared to same day open LY) comp's down 3%, sales down 31.8%
Capri Q1 total revenue down 66.5%
   Michael Kors down 68.7%
   Jimmy Choo down 67.7%
   Versace down 51.1%

The Rise & Fall of Peter Nygard
 

Read the Full Story - Nygard Was in Fact Canada's Jeffrey Epstein

Fall From Grace is Quick
'SEX TRAFFICKING: Is Peter Nygard the Canadian Jeffrey Epstein?'

Design & Retail Mogul Peter Nygard Sued by Son For Having Him Raped on Nygard's Island Retreat
2/14/20: Peter Nygard, meet Jeffrey Epstein.

The Canadian fashion kingpin has fallen into sordid company amid explosive allegations he sexually assaulted a slew of underage women — including three 14-year-olds.

Ten unidentified women have filed a class-action lawsuit accusing Nygard, 77, of rape and sex trafficking. The allegations are eerily similar to the twisted web woven by hedge fund pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

“Nygard lured and enticed young, impressionable, and often impoverished children and women with cash payments and false promises of lucrative modelling opportunities in order to assault, rape, and sodomize them. When the victims were not swayed by promises, many were drugged to force compliance with Nygard’s sexual desires,” the plaintiffs said in a press release.

Nygard allegedly has a database of more than 7,500 underage girls and women.

Wanted to make a man of his 14 yr old son who was still a virgin.

Read the full story of Canada's Jeffrey Epstein

 

Front-Line Workers Fear Aggressive Shoppers
Spitting, pushing, customers without masks: the fear of working in a pandemic
Workers in the retail and food-service industries are now a front line of defence against COVID-19. But as some customers flout the rules around face coverings, workers are questioning whether the job is worth their health and safety.

While 99 per cent of customers behave appropriately, the one per cent that lash out at staff can cause issues for everyone, said Diane Brisebois, president and CEO of the Retail Council of Canada (RCC). “Not only do employees have to deal with that behaviour, but … the customers who are there supporting those businesses often are also getting involved.”

At retail stores associated with the RCC, there have been incidents of employees being pushed or spat at by customers. “Those incidents have been reported,” Brisebois said. “They have occurred in Ontario, as they have right across the country.” parrysound.com

Unfair Pandemic Practices?
A Walmart front line worker speaks out on pandemic pay - and Walmart responds
A West Kelowna Walmart employee is speaking out about what he feels are unfair practices at the retailer. The employee, who has asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, says he started working at the West Kelowna Walmart in March when the pandemic was just starting.

"All the stores were super busy, I know Walmart and Real Canadian Superstore started paying their employees $2 extra, for three months which I believe was an incentive so that people would continue working because I know lots of other people were living off of CERB (The Canada Emergency Response Benefit)."

Stores like Walmart and the Real Canadian Superstore discontinued the pandemic pay in mid-June.

The employee says he and other employees at his store feel they should still be receiving the extra $2 an hour because the pandemic is still a threat. Walmart just instituted a mask policy for all of its customers and employees on Wednesday.

Walmart's Response
Felicia Fefer Manager, Walmart Corporate Affairs, says, "we are so proud of everything our associates are continuing to do every day to support our customers and each other. They are truly showing the Walmart spirit by rising to the challenge in these unprecedented times."  castanet.net

Masks now required at Winners, HomeSense, Marshalls stores across Canada