During the pandemic, Atms got a higher-than-usual workout from bank patrons last year --- also by thieves, notes Grumpy Editor.
With unrest in some cities and ATMs containing more than usual cash, attempts to break into ATMs around the country have more than doubled.
With some bank offices temporarily closed, ATMs often contain twice the normal $50,000 to accommodate customers.
Inspired by this development, thieves seek access to ATMs by using tools, explosives and driving vehicles into the units.
IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…
WORLDWIDE ICE MELTING FASTER. The world’s ice, from the Arctic to the Antarctic, is melting faster than ever, finds a global satellite survey indicating a generation of ice lost to rising temperatures. The survey shows 28 trillion metric tons of ice disappeared between 1994 and 2007 and global melting accelerated 65 percent since the 1990s
NEW D.C. STUDIOS FOR NBC. NBC News debuts state-of-the-art studios inside an expanded Washington bureau that covers six-floors in an 80,000-square foot building. Seven studios now house NBC News, MSNBC and CNBC plus NBC News Channel, Noticias Telemundo and Sky News Washington.
BANK SAVINGS RATES WAY DOWN. With Bank Savings Rates continuing to bounce around the bottom (with an annual slim 0.05 percent APY), compared to a decade ago, one financial firm hopes to lure savers with a "mighty" 0.50 percent APY.
EXPENSIVE BOTTLE OF WHISKY. A 72-year-old bottle of single malt whisky from Scotland fetches more than $54,000 (in U.S. dollars) in a Hong Kong auction. It marks the first time the 1948 Glen Grant whisky, by independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail, was offered in an auction.
OWL ATTRACTS ATTENTION IN NEW YORK. A snowy owl, a rare sight in New York’s Central Park, attracts scores of onlookers seeking a glimpse of a bird that is native to the Arctic tundra and migrates south during the winter. What was so unusual? It’s the first recorded sighting of a snowy owl in Central Park since 1890.
$1 MILLION BASEBALL BAT? Baseball great Lou Gehrig’s bat, linked to the 1938 World Series, could sell for as much as $1 million at an upcoming auction, say experts.
BUD WILL MISS SUPER BOWL. Pitches for Budweiser, synonymous with the Super Bowl, will be absent in next Sunday’s game for the first time in 37 years.
TOM BROKAW RETIRES FROM NBC NEWS. Legendary Tom Brokaw, 80, is retiring from NBC News after 55 years. Brokaw is the only anchor to lead all three of NBC’s primary news shows and is best known for anchoring the NBC Nightly News from 1993 to 2004.
