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'Tis the season for porch pirates. Here are some tips to help protect your items

Published

1 year ago

December 3, 2024

Press Room

'Tis the season for porch pirates. Here are some tips to help protect your items

In this 2009 file photo, a FedEx driver delivers a package in the Queens section of New York.

Mark Lennihan/AP

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Mark Lennihan/AP

As the holiday season brings the joy of giving, it also brings thieves looking to steal your gifts.

More than 120 million packages were stolen across the U.S. in 2023, according to an analysis by SafeWise, a safety and security research group. Local officials and retailers are warning Americans to remain vigilant so they will not be a victim of a porch pirate, someone who steals packages from a person’s home.

Some states, including Florida, have implemented harsher penalties for those found criminally liable for porch piracy and package theft. And a bipartisan bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives over the summer that, if enacted, would allow federal penalties for postal mail theft to be applied to package theft delivered by private carriers like Amazon.

Black Friday shoppers pass by at the Walden Galleria's Macy's in Buffalo, NY., on Friday.

Here are some steps you can take to protect your packages this season and what to do if your package is stolen.

Brands and electronics are popular targets

Be cautious when ordering popular brands and see if you can have brand items shipped in packaging that hides the label. Amazon, for example, has an option that allows customers to ship some items in packaging that places their package inside a regular box.

Package theft is often a “crime of opportunity” and thieves look for packages left in the open where people walk or drive, said Ben Stickle, a criminal justice administration professor at Middle Tennessee State University.

“Brands on boxes make targets more tempting as it provides clues to what could be inside,” according to Stickle, who is also a former police officer. “Also, lithium ion batteries require a large shipping label (for safety reasons) that lets thieves know there is likely a valuable electronic item inside.”

Some of the most common items that thieves like to steal are electronics, shoes and other expensive items, he said. The majority of packages stolen in 2023 were delivered by Amazon and the U.S. Postal Service, according to SafeWise.

Security is key to prevention

There are several steps you can take to limit the chances of your package being stolen, such as having it “delivered to a neighbor or family member who is home,” Stickle said.

You can also let delivery drivers know ahead of time where to leave your package. Amazon recommends customers give a specific location to deliver the package — one where it can be hidden from view.

Security experts say that having a doorbell camera or video surveillance system that records a thief in real time can help deter thieves — they can also make it easier for law enforcement to identify them and hopefully lead to an arrest. Motion sensors that trigger lights when someone steps onto your property and visible security cameras can also help deter thieves.

Why it's so hard to resist holiday sales (and how to try)

Additional steps you can take according to Stickle and others include requiring a signature when your package is delivered or having your items shipped to an alternate location — like your job, a parcel locker or store. You can also have your packages held with the delivery carrier and scheduled for delivery when you know you will be home.

Using a “porch pirate bag,” a large container often with a lock in which your package can be placed inside, is another option, says home-security company ADT. Another option is to let Amazon deliver your package directly inside your garage — a service available to Prime subscribers in select locations.

If you catch someone stealing your package, do not get physical

If you catch someone in the act of stealing your package, yelling or telling them to stop, whether in person or through a doorbell camera, may stop them, Stickle says. However, he warned, do not get physically involved.

“Call the police with details,” Stickle said.

If you are not home when your package is stolen, file a police report and report the package stolen to the carrier as well as the vendor.

And while some people may try to trick a porch pirate to catch them, remember “the main goal is to make sure that the items you order actually make it inside your home,” ADT says.

News

Map: Earthquake Shakes Central California

Published

7 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Map: Earthquake Shakes Central California

Note: Map shows the area with a shake intensity of 3 or greater, which U.S.G.S. defines as “weak,” though the earthquake may be felt outside the areas shown. All times on the map are Pacific time. The New York Times

A minor earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 3.5 struck in Central California on Monday, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The temblor happened at 7:17 a.m. Pacific time about 6 miles northwest of Pinnacles, Calif., data from the agency shows.

As seismologists review available data, they may revise the earthquake’s reported magnitude. Additional information collected about the earthquake may also prompt U.S.G.S. scientists to update the shake-severity map.

Source: United States Geological Survey | Notes: Shaking categories are based on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale. When aftershock data is available, the corresponding maps and charts include earthquakes within 100 miles and seven days of the initial quake. All times above are Pacific time. Shake data is as of Monday, March 2 at 10:20 a.m. Eastern. Aftershocks data is as of Monday, March 2 at 11:18 a.m. Eastern.

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US says Kuwait accidentally shot down 3 American jets

Published

9 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

US says Kuwait accidentally shot down 3 American jets

The U.S. and Israel have been conducting strikes against targets in Iran since Saturday morning, with the aim of toppling Tehran’s clerical regime. Iran has fired back, with retaliatory assaults featuring missiles and drones targeting several Gulf countries and American bases in the Middle East.

“All six aircrew ejected safely, have been safely recovered, and are in stable condition. Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation,” Central Command said.

“The cause of the incident is under investigation. Additional information will be released as it becomes available,” it added.

In a separate statement later Monday, Central Command said that American forces had been killed during combat since the strikes began.

“As of 7:30 am ET, March 2, four U.S. service members have been killed in action. The fourth service member, who was seriously wounded during Iran’s initial attacks, eventually succumbed to their injuries,” it said.

Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing. The identities of the fallen are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin notification,” Central Command added.

This story has been updated.

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Satellite images provide view inside Iran at war

Published

21 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Satellite images provide view inside Iran at war

Smoke rises over Konarak naval base in southern Iran on Sunday. The base was one of hundreds of targets of U.S. and Israeli forces throughout the country.

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Commercial satellite images are providing a unique look at the extent of damage being done to Iran’s military facilities across the country.

The U.S. and Israeli military campaign opened with a daytime attack that struck Iranian leadership in central Tehran. Smoke was still visible rising from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s compound following the attack that killed the supreme leader.

An image by the company Airbus taken on Saturday shows the aftermath of an Israeli strike on Iran’s Leadership House in central Tehran. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening wave of attacks.

Pléiades Neo (c) Airbus DS 2026

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Pléiades Neo (c) Airbus DS 2026

Israel and the U.S. have gone on to strike targets across the country. Reports on social media indicate that there have been numerous military bases and compounds attacked all over Iran, and Iran has responded with attacks throughout the Middle East.

U.S. forces have also been striking at Iran’s navy. In a post on his social media platform, President Trump said that he had been briefed that U.S. forces had sunk nine Iranian naval vessels. U.S. Central Command did not immediately confirm that number but it did say it had struck an Iranian warship in port.

An image captured on February 28 shows a ship burning at Iran's naval base at Konarak.

An image captured on Saturday shows a ship burning at Iran’s naval base at Konarak.

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Numerous satellite images show burning vessels at Konarak naval base in southern Iran. Images also show damage to a nearby airbase where hardened hangers were struck by precision munitions.

Hardened aircraft shelters at Konarak airbase were struck with precision munitions.

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And there was extensive damage at a drone base in the same area. Iran has launched numerous drones and missiles toward Israel and U.S. military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. Many drones have been intercepted but videos on social media show that some have evaded air defenses and caused damage in nearby Gulf countries. In Dubai, debris from an Iranian drone damaged the iconic Burj Al Arab, according to a statement from Dubai’s government.

Buildings at an Iranian drone base at Konarak were destroyed in the strikes.

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Iran’s most powerful weapons are its long-range missiles. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards have hidden the missiles deep inside mountain tunnels. Images taken Sunday in the mountains of northern Iran indicate that some of those tunnels were hit in a wave of strikes.

Following Khamenei’s death, Iran declared 40 days of mourning. Satellite images showed mourners gathering in Tehran’s Enghelab square on Sunday.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told NPR on Sunday that Iran will continue to fight “foreign aggression, foreign domination.”

A White House official told NPR that Trump plans to talk to Iran’s interim leadership “eventually,” but that for now, U.S. operations continue in the region “unabated.”

A large crowd of mourners fill Enghelab Square in Tehran on Sunday, following the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike.

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