1. NEW BUS ROUTE PLAN SHUTS DOWN KY SCHOOLS
Kentucky’s largest school district went back to school and home again after disastrously overhauling school bus routes. Administrators called time out for the next two days after thousands of complaints – like some kids not getting back to their old Kentucky homes until almost 10 p.m. A driver shortage led officials to hire an engineering firm to reconfigure school start times and cut bus routes. But the three-ring spiral began with parents protesting about bus stops for young students located a half mile away or at busy intersections and went downhill from there. The engineering firm no. 2 penciled to receive $200K for the plan, got full credit … for flunking.
2. RETAIL USING ORGANIZED THEFT TO HIDE PROBLEMS?
Major retailers have sounded alarms about organized gangs ransacking shelves – and blamed shrinking profits on off-the-rack attacks. They’re expected to bang a similar drum next week as they report second-quarter profits. But industry insiders say retailers’ gang blame is oversized to cover-up internal issues, such as employee theft and losses from self-checkout machines as well as inventory mismanagement. Inside thieving has long been the primary catalyst of preshrunk profits. Some experts say that probably hasn’t changed much – despite what companies like Target say publicly. And they note Tarjay began blaming organized theft for lower profits right about the time the economy softened 18 months ago.
3. BOUGHT THE PHARM: FAKE PILLS SHUT DRUGSTORES
Mexico authorities have closed 23 pharmacies at Caribbean coast resorts after finding expired or counterfeit pills. Oh yuckatan. The raid came after a research report found that nearly 70% of the Mexican pharmacies in four northern cities sold controlled substances without a prescription and nearly a third were pushing fake pills laced with fentanyl, heroin, or methamphetamine. Mexico’s Navy, which conducted the raid, says pharmacies usually offer the fake pills to tourists, passing them off as Oxycodone, Percocet, and Adderall. Investigators also found blank or unsigned prescription forms. Win Soma lose Soma we guess. Authorities hit drugstores in Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum.
4. MEDIA ORGS DEMAND AI COPYRIGHT PROTECTION
Several news outlets have issued a global all-call laying out concerns about AI models training on copyrighted material. In an open letter to lawmakers, they asked for regulations requiring companies to be honest about what materials they’re using to learn its machines and get consent from copyright holders ahead of time. Aside from taking over the world and wiping out humanity, media orgs say generative AI threatens to undermine journalism’s core businesses models. The result will be a loss of media diversity and access to quality information. In case you hadn’t heard, AI makes things up.
5. SHOES KEEP COMING BUT SHE DIDN’T ORDER THEM
One person’s heaven equals another’s torture. Just saying. A Canadian woman received over 50 Amazon packages within two months containing shoes she didn’t order. Each contained a return slip from an Amazon buyer. Before you get too pumped – because she wasn’t home to refuse delivery, the United Parcel Service billed her $300+ in customs fees. We’re not kitten heel. Experts say she’s likely wedged in a vendor-return scheme where foreign sellers dodge storage and shipping fees by sending returns anywhere but to themselves. Amazon says it’s addressing the matter. Though that stiletto doesn’t explain why UPS isn’t holding packages until duties are paid as required.
