Have to agree. Both the legacy newspaper industry and affiliates in broadcasting and the US’s brick-and-mortar retail model are and have been collapsing for some time, with the former beached like a flounder.

Then, to try and stop the economic bleeding a narrative of convenience must be used. After all to keep fewer and fewer stockholders and consumers from jumping ship that both industries still rely on, narratives like the old faithful, “if it bleeds it leads” are easiest.

So, the easy target is the poor and the homeless, same old same old they are all to blame.

Please, no mention of capitalism here, that has nothing to do with this economic trend, really nothing, in fact, 📣 “nothing to see here, go about your business, nothing to see here!” 🧨🔥🧨

It’s 2023, times change, and more is done online line every second than millions jumping into their hummers to go out and buy a bauble 5-10 miles from home. I.E. to the masses, the internet transaction makes much more economic sense than running around physically shopping, banking, drug store, even groceries, and the list goes on and on. (It's almost like in the near future non-internet commerce for consumers will morph into vending machines called Walmart, Penny's, Sears, and how about the 'Vending Mall'?)

So yeah, organized heists and sensational stories in what’s left of the news business are sexier than paging through reams of data exposing an obvious economic trend.