
Tens of thousands of stores could still close even after the pandemic ends
CNN
The pandemic has already slammed stores across the country. The aftermath might not be any easier for retailers.
The pandemic sped up the shift to online shopping, and the continued growth of e-commerce sales will lead to more stores shutting down after the pandemic ends, UBS retail analysts led by Michael Lasser predicted in a report Monday. The report estimates that around 80,000 stores will close over the next five years. The scenario laid out by UBS is still an improvement from an earlier prediction it released. Last April, UBS analysts estimated that 100,000 retail stores would close by 2025. It brought the expectation down to 80,000 closures by 2026 -- not because the analysts see e-commerce having less of an impact, but because they now expect more stores to be used to fulfill online delivery and curbside pickup orders as e-commerce booms.
Two top House lawmakers emerged divided along party lines after a private briefing with the military official who oversaw September’s attack on an alleged drug vessel that included a so-called double-tap strike that killed surviving crew members, with a top Democrat calling video of the incident that was shared as part of the briefing “one of the most troubling things” he has seen as a lawmaker.

Authorities in Colombia are dealing with increasingly sophisticated criminals, who use advanced tech to produce and conceal the drugs they hope to export around the world. But police and the military are fighting back, using AI to flag suspicious passengers, cargo and mail - alongside more conventional air and sea patrols. CNN’s Isa Soares gets an inside look at Bogotá’s war on drugs.

As lawmakers demand answers over reports that the US military carried out a follow-up strike that killed survivors during an attacked on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean, a career Navy SEAL who has spent most of his 30 years of military experience in special operations will be responsible for providing them.










