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Dozens of bipartisan lawmakers press DHS for action on organized retail theft

Dozens of bipartisan lawmakers press DHS for action on organized retail theft

FIRST ON FOX: A group of more than 75 House lawmakers is pressing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on the issue of organized retail crime (ORC), a problem that cities and states across the country have grappled with in recent years. “The risk of ORC is not only due to the violence oftentimes displayed during the act of retail theft, especially to retail workers, but also health risks posed by consuming stolen goods like baby formula or pharmaceuticals, which may be improperly stored or tampered with prior to the final purchase by a consumer,” the legislators are writing in a letter to be sent later on Thursday. “Beyond public safety, ORC also endangers Main Street businesses and the economy. A Retail Industry Leader’s Association report indicated that ORC caused nearly $70 billion in financial losses due to stolen goods from U.S. retailers in 2019. That number has continued to increase year by year, impacting businesses of all sizes, communities, and consumers.” ‘BURGLARY TOURISM’ PLAGUES SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AS UNVETTED FOREIGNERS RAID LUXE HOUSES The letter, led by Rep. David Joyce, R-Ohio, demands that the Department of Homeland Security update Congress on its “efforts to address the problem.” Specifically, lawmakers are looking for the DHS Homeland Security Investigations office’s progress on establishing an organized retail crime coordination center. They said its establishment “would significantly enhance the ability of law enforcement and businesses to mitigate the threats posed by these sophisticated criminal networks.” FLORIDA RESTAURANT OWNER EXPOSES ‘DINE-AND-DASHERS’ ON SOCIAL MEDIA, CONFRONTS WOMAN FLEEING IN MERCEDES “This Center could facilitate better information sharing, resource allocation, and strategic planning, ultimately leading to more effective prevention and enforcement actions,” they wrote. The effects of retail theft, specifically organized theft, have become a bipartisan issue as crime rings spread to more U.S. towns and cities. The letter is signed by 46 Republicans and 30 Democrats. NYC STORE THAT SURVIVED GREAT DEPRESSION FEARS IT WON’T LAST MUCH LONGER UNDER LIBERAL POLICIES CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Joyce previously held the subcommittee gavel for the House Appropriations Committee’s homeland security panel, which advanced legislation with funding for an organized retail crime coordination center for fiscal 2024. That push originated as a bipartisan bill led by Joyce, former Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., and Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev.

After the presidential debate, here’s where Trump and Harris are campaigning next

After the presidential debate, here’s where Trump and Harris are campaigning next

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump dueled it out during their first presidential debate on Tuesday and, with the debate behind them, they are now traveling to different swing states where they will get the chance to speak directly with voters. Trump has his sights set on Arizona, where he will hold a rally in Tucson, while the Harris team is heading to North Carolina, where she’s scheduled to hold events in Charlotte and Greensboro. Arizona and North Carolina are both considered among prized battlegrounds for the 2024 election and the opposing campaigns undoubtedly understand that securing either will help expand their narrow paths to victory in a closely fought presidential race. Thursday’s events come after both candidates spent Wednesday commemorating those who lost their lives during the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. TOP 5 MOMENTS DURING TRUMP-HARRIS PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE Polling experts say only a handful of battleground states will ultimately decide the outcome of the election and the candidates’ respective destinations give insight into their strategies. Trump won North Carolina in both of his previous White House bids. The former president held rallies throughout the state last month and Republicans have been confident about his chances to win the state for a third time. However, Trump’s 2020 margin of victory in the state was just 1.3 percentage points, his narrowest win of any state that year. The Harris campaign’s eagerness to return to North Carolina points to their hope that its diversifying population will give them a chance to flip the state this go around. Harris’s campaign said Thursday’s trip will be her ninth to the state this year. ABC DEBATE MODERATOR ACCUSED OF ONLY FACT-CHECKING ONE CANDIDATE Historically, Democrats haven’t won North Carolina’s electoral votes since 2008, when former President Obama was elected for the first time. Registered independents — also known as unaffiliated voters — are the state’s largest voting bloc, so it is widely up for grabs. A state Supreme Court ruling this week affirming that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. must be removed from North Carolina ballots could bring additional votes Trump’s way. Kennedy, a lifelong Democrat who was running as an Independent, endorsed Trump in the race. Historically, Republicans have dominated North Carolina in recent years and the state has voted red in 10 of the last 11 presidential elections (Obama won the state in 2008). TRUMP SLAMS BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN FOR LETTING ‘MILLIONS OF CRIMINALS’ INTO THE COUNTRY In Arizona, the political trend is similar — with one major exception. While Trump won Arizona in 2016, he lost it in 2020. Republicans have won Arizona in nearly every presidential election since World War II, but President Biden eked out a narrow victory in 2020. More recently, the state has only voted for the Democratic presidential nominee in two of the last 18 elections (Clinton in 1996 and Biden in 2020). Arizona was particularly tumultuous for Trump in 2020 as he previously clashed with the late U.S. Senator and 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain. Republicans still outnumber Democrats in Arizona, but a third of voters are independents. Wednesday’s somber display provided respite from partisan politics in the high-speed campaign season. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP At a fire station in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, close to where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed after passengers fought back against their hijackers, Trump met with locals. Biden and Harris visited the same fire station earlier in the day. Trump and Harris met in-person later the same day, when both traveled to Manhattan for another 9/11 ceremony. The Associated Press contributed to this report.