A Study of Pre-Attack Behaviors of Active Shooters in the United States This report, covering active shooter incidents in the United States between 2000 and 2013, examines specific behaviors that may precede an attack and that might be useful in identifying, assessing, and managing those who may be on a pathway to violence. [FBI.gov]
Trump tariffs live updates: Trump touts trade talk progress as Nvidia CEO visits China President Trump reported progress in trade talks with Japan, Mexico, and other nations, despite mounting global concerns over the economic impact of his aggressive tariff strategy, particularly targeting China. Amid heightened US-China tensions and significant losses for tech firms like Nvidia due to export restrictions, both countries are showing cautious openness to dialogue while continuing to escalate reciprocal tariffs. [Yahoo Finance]
Governor Hochul, New York City Business Leaders and District Attorneys Push for Stronger Discovery Laws to Combat Organized Retail Theft Governor Kathy Hochul is advocating for changes to New York’s discovery laws to close loopholes that hinder efforts to combat organized retail theft, building on her five-point plan that includes increased law enforcement funding and tougher penalties for retail-related crimes. Supported by bipartisan leaders, district attorneys, and business groups, her proposed amendments aim to maintain transparency while improving public safety, reducing case dismissals over technicalities, and ensuring justice for victims. [governor.goc/ny]
Target CEO Cornell to meet with Sharpton to discuss DEI rollback as civil rights leader considers boycott Target CEO Brian Cornell is set to meet with Rev. Al Sharpton amid backlash and calls for a boycott after the company scaled back its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, which has coincided with a noticeable drop in store foot traffic. Sharpton, who has not yet called for a boycott, warned he may do so if Target fails to reaffirm its commitment to the Black community and invest in Black-owned businesses. [CNBC]
OSHA Deregulation Will Likely Target Pending and Final Rules Under Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer, OSHA is expected to maintain its core safety enforcement focus, but Trump-era budget cuts and shifting priorities may lead to delays or rollbacks in rulemaking, including the proposed heat and emergency responder standards. While some experts anticipate revisions to Biden-era rules like the union walkaround provision, others believe Chavez-DeRemer’s pro-labor stance could preserve certain protections, though reduced federal resources may push states to take on a larger role in workplace safety enforcement. [SHRM]
Grok 3 AI, created by Elon Musk's xAI, is now accessible at no cost to all users on X (formerly Twitter).
Tom Meehan, CEO CONTROLTEK comments@talklpnews.com
This advanced AI program introduces powerful new features, including DeepSearch and Think Mode, positioning it as a competitor to ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Perplexity AI.
Why Does This Matter?
Grok 3’s free availability has several important reasons:
Expanded Accessibility to AI – Offering advanced AI at no cost to the millions enhances access to this technology and promotes mass take-up.
DeepSearch: A Tool for In-Depth Research – Unlike typical AI chat interfaces, DeepSearch scours the web more thoroughly, leveraging sophisticated algorithms to provide comprehensive answers—making it an excellent tool for in-depth research.
Progress in AI Reasoning – The Think Mode showcases AI's increasing capability to solve intricate issues in mathematics, programming, and logic-based reasoning.
Artificial Intelligence Competitive Landscape—The AI created by Elon Musk is now in the race competing with OpenAI, Google, and others, the competitive AI landscape is evolving rapidly, fostering innovation.
What’s Next?
Although Grok 3 is now available at no charge, users who pay for a premium subscription will continue to have access to enhanced features. One of the most advanced additions is Voice Mode, which utilizes AI to generate both speech and transcriptions—demonstrating xAI’s capabilities beyond text-based interactions.
The future of artificial intelligence is developing quickly, and Grok 3 is setting itself up as a key participant in the unfolding AI ecosystem.
Brian Friedman Promoted to Divisional VP of Asset Protection
APEX Executive Council Member Brian Friedman was promoted to Divisional Vice President of Asset Protection for REI. Brian formerly held the role of Director of Asset Protection & Risk Management within REI where he served for nearly 3 years. Prior to REI, Brian held director roles at both Target and HD Supply after a nearly 12 year career within The Home Depot.
You rock, Brian!
In related news, Seth Hughes has accepted a role as Vice President of Retail Strategy & Innovation at Axon, the leading body worn technology company.
Congratulations on your new role, Seth!
Kroger Appoints Key Retail Leaders
The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today announced several appointments of experienced enterprise leaders to retail roles.
Kroger appointed Joe Kelley, president of the Colorado-based King Soopers & City Markets division, to be senior vice president of Retail Divisions. Kelley is an industry veteran of nearly 40 years. He has held a number of executive leadership roles across a variety of retailers, including Price Chopper, Stop and Shop, Star Market, and Shaws Supermarkets. Kelley joined the Kroger enterprise in 2019.
Supply chain strategies retailers are using to respond to tariffs
The Trump administration has revived tariffs as a core instrument of U.S. trade policy, imposing sweeping new duties on imports from Canada, Mexico, and the European Union, a 10% baseline tariff on nearly all U.S. imports, and sharply elevated rates – up to 145% – on Chinese goods.
These actions and the threat of even greater tariffs to come have triggered a rapid escalation in trade tensions, with U.S. trading partners announcing retaliatory tariffs of their own.
Republicans lead bipartisan, bicameral bill to combat organized retail crime
U.S. Reps. David Valadao (R-CA), Dave Joyce (R-OH), and Laurel Lee (R-FL) on April 10 unveiled a bipartisan, bicameral bill to tighten federal legal tools on organized interstate and transnational crime.
The Combating Organized Retail Crime (CORCA) Act, H.R. 2853, would combat organized crime involving the illegal acquisition of retail goods and cargo for the purpose of selling those goods through physical and online retail marketplaces, according to the bill’s text.
10 Reasons Why You Need a Cloud Video Surveillance System for Your Business
Operating a successful business often means dealing with unique problems throughout the day. It involves juggling the day-to-day responsibilities of your organization while continually finding ways to make processes more efficient in the long term.
Implementing a cloud-managed video surveillance system offers improved operations by not only keeping your business secure but also giving you new insights into the efficiency of your workplace. In fact, utilizing an open platform cloud video system can be one of the best ways for your company to optimize efficiency while saving money in the long run.
Continue reading to see some of the best ways cloud video surveillance can help you get the most out of your workplace operations.
Retail theft suspect tied to similar crimes in other parishes
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - In February and March, Samuel Johnson allegedly stole merchandise from stores in Juban Crossing.
Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard says he is in their custody now, charged with 2 counts of organized retail theft (felony) and 2 counts of tampering with surveillance equipment.
Through the investigation, Sheriff Ard says his detectives learned of other crimes Johnson was involved with in other parishes, including St. John and Jefferson.
“He was taking these. Items load them in a suitcase and basically bolting out the door."
Taos Town Council revising proposed shopping cart ordinance
TAOS, N.M. (KRQE) – Facing a shopping cart problem, a northern New Mexico town is looking to clean up the streets with new rules. However, the proposal to do that is now facing some community backlash.
A recent proposal for a new shopping cart ordinance sparked fear that it could criminalize homelessness. Some town leaders said the idea is to make businesses take responsibility for their carts.
Taos town officials said they’re seeing more abandoned carts on the sides of roads and in fields.
Two wanted fugitives connected to a Romanian organized retail theft ring arrested in Utah
TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (KUTV) — Two wanted fugitives connected to a Romanian organized retail theft ring were arrested in Park City.
They are believed to have been involved in the theft of more than $500,000 in merchandise across the U.S. over the past year, the Taylorsville Police Department said.
The suspects, who were also believed to be connected to numerous thefts occurring across Davis, Salt Lake, and Utah counties, reportedly came to the Taylorsville Police Department's attention after attempting to steal from a Taylorsville Ulta Beauty.
Police warn of nationwide credit card scam spreading to Midstate
Midstate police are alerting citizens of a credit card/Visa scam that is spreading across the country and into Central Pennsylvania.
According to the Quarryville Borough Police Department in Lancaster County, this form of credit card fraud is especially dangerous because it involves scammers providing victims with all their information, except the one piece they want. Police say the callers do not ask for your card number because they already have it.
Police say the scam occurs when a person calls and says they are from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. The scammers would give their ‘badge numbers,’ and say your card has been flagged for an ‘unusual purchase pattern.’
Swimlane research reveals 71% of companies could fail a cyber audit
According to newly released research from Swimlane, only 29% of all organizations say their compliance programs consistently meet internal and external standards.
The report, “GRC Chaos: The High Price of Audits and Non-Compliance,” reveals that fragmented workflows, manual evidence gathering, and poor collaboration between security and governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) teams are leaving organizations vulnerable to audit failures, regulatory penalties, and security gaps.
To better understand how cybersecurity teams are managing the growing complexity and demands of regulatory requirements, Swimlane surveyed 500 IT and security decision-makers across the United States and the United Kingdom.
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