‘Cookie Bandits’ Suspected In As Many As 30 Robberies In Dallas Area

Dallas FBI is looking for two men believed responsible for as many as 30 armed robberies in the past five months in the Dallas area.

Because the men often take snack foods, including cookies, in addition to money, the FBI has nicknamed them the “Cookie Bandits.”

The robberies occurred between Oct. 2 and Feb. 24 in Dallas, Garland, Mesquite and Seagoville, mostly at fast food sandwich restaurants.  They have also occurred at convenience stores, discount stores and other types of restaurants, the FBI said.

Their typical mode of operation is to run into the business through the front doors, leap over the cashier’s counter and demand cigarettes, money and snacks, including cookies, according to Chron.com.. Although the men carry handguns, the FBI has received no reports of physical injuries to date.

The men are believed to be in their 20s. They are believed to weigh about 180 pounds. One is about 6′ 2″ and the other is about 5′ 8.”

Typically seen wearing jeans, gloves and dark hoodies, the men keep their faces hidden by tightly pulling their hoods closed.  In some robberies, one of the men wore red gloves, says the Houston Chronicle.

More here:

http://starlocalmedia.com/mesquitenews/news/cookie-bandits-sought-by-dallas-fbi-task-force/article_bc8785f8-bd35-11e4-ac76-b3711325d22e.html

Adult Cigarette Smoking Is At An All-Time Low

According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, the percentage of adults who smoke in the U.S. dropped from 20.9 percent in 2005 to 17.8 percent in 2013.

This information comes from new data published by Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

That is the lowest prevalence of adult smoking since the CDC’s Nation Health Interview Survey (NHIS) began keeping such records in 1965.

The report also shows the number of cigarette smokers dropped from 45.1 million in 2005 to 42.1 million in 2013, despite the increasing population in the U.S., the CDC said in a press release.

“There is encouraging news in this study, but we still have much more work to do to help people quit,” said Tim McAfee, M.D., M.P.H., director of the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health.

“We can bring down cigarette smoking rates much further, much faster, if strategies proven to work are put in place like funding tobacco control programs at the CDC-recommended levels, increasing prices of tobacco products, implementing and enforcing comprehensive smoke-free laws, and sustaining hard-hitting media campaigns,” he said.

http://www.11alive.com/story/news/local/emory/2014/11/28/smoking-all-time-low/19605983/