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Share Tweet Share Share Email In What Ways Does AI Contribute to Startup Scalability? Unlock the secrets of how AI accelerates startup growth with in-depth analysis and insights from industry experts. Delve into the transformative power of AI across various business functions, from enhancing customer support to optimizing operational efficiency. This article sheds light on the pivotal role AI plays in driving scalability and innovation in today’s competitive startup landscape. AI Automates Customer Support AI technologies contribute to the scalability of startups by automating repetitive tasks and enabling smarter decision-making, freeing up resources to focus on growth and innovation. One great example is the use of AI-powered customer support tools like chatbots. Take Intercom, for instance. By integrating AI-driven bots, startups can handle thousands of customer queries simultaneously without scaling their human support teams at the same pace. These bots use natural language processing to resolve common issues instantly or route more complex problems to the right person, ensuring efficient service while reducing operational costs. This approach not only scales customer interactions as the startup grows but also gathers valuable data from these interactions, providing insights to refine products or services. Chris Raulf , International AI and SEO Expert | Founder & President, Boulder SEO Marketing AI Revolutionizes Hiring Processes AI revolutionizes hiring processes, enabling startups to scale teams with unmatched speed and accuracy. It can analyze thousands of résumés, assess candidates, and predict cultural fit seamlessly. This ensures that scaling a workforce doesn’t compromise the quality or diversity of hires. AI also reduces onboarding times by automating training modules tailored to individual roles effectively. Startups grow faster when talent acquisition becomes an AI-powered strategic advantage. When developing Toggl Hire, AI helped us create smarter candidate assessments tailored to skills. By analyzing test results, the system predicts a candidate’s success probability for specific roles accurately. This reduced hiring times for startups using Toggl Hire, helping them scale teams quicker. The scalability of the tool itself brought exponential growth to our user base globally. It’s proof of how AI-powered innovation fuels business expansion directly. Alari Aho , CEO and Founder, Toggl Inc AI Transforms Recruitment at X0PA AI has completely transformed how we approach scaling in recruitment at X0PA. By tapping into a pool of 250 million profiles worldwide, we enable companies to discover top talent even before a single job post goes live. Our AI doesn’t stop at access-it curates profiles across LinkedIn and all major job boards, delivering a shortlist of only the most relevant candidates. This approach has saved recruiters over 100,000 days of manual effort, letting them focus on meaningful interactions instead of administrative tasks. Scaling with precision, speed, and reach is how we redefine modern recruitment. Nina Alag Suri , CEO, XOPA AI AI Boosts Productivity and Efficiency The biggest contribution of AI integration, whether in startups or established industries, lies in its ability to boost productivity and efficiency. Tasks that once took ten steps can now be completed in 5 or even 3, empowering employees to multitask without compromising focus—a game-changer for startups. In our case, integrating an AI chatbot for our real estate MLS website, The Canadian Home, was one of our best and most profitable decisions. As many of our users are first-time homebuyers, they naturally have countless questions. Initially, our customer support team was overwhelmed by the repetitive inquiries, making it hard to manage effectively. The AI chatbot now handles basic questions instantly, filtering out more straightforward queries and allowing our team to focus on more complex issues. This not only boosted efficiency but also increased conversions. AI is already transforming industries worldwide, and its role will only grow in the future. Adapting to these advancements is not just smart, it’s essential. Robin Cherian , CEO, The Canadian Home AI Enhances Fraud Detection In my experience, it enhances fraud detection for fintech startups. AI algorithms can quickly identify patterns and anomalies that could indicate potential fraudulent activity. AI-driven fraud detection systems like Feedzai or Kount analyze transactional data to identify suspicious activities. This saves time and resources for startups. A payments startup scaled safely by using AI to monitor real-time transactions, reducing fraud rates and building customer trust without deploying a large fraud investigation team. According to Feedzai, their technology helped the startup increase revenue by 30% and save $1.5 million in fraud losses within a year. I would point out that AI technologies help with fraud detection and assist in automating processes for startups. Many administrative tasks can be time-consuming and costly for startups, especially as they grow and onboard more customers or clients. AI-powered chatbots can handle common customer inquiries and support requests without the need for constant manual input from human employees. Kevin Baragona , Founder @ DeepAI, Deep AI AI Improves Lead Qualification AI technologies help startups scale by automating repetitive tasks and providing insights that guide smarter decision-making. Startups often face limited resources, and AI allows teams to focus on high-value activities instead of getting stuck in operational bottlenecks. We integrated AI into lead qualification. Instead of manually sorting and scoring leads, the AI models analyzed patterns from past sales data to prioritize prospects most likely to convert. This change reduced time spent on low-quality leads by 50 percent and allowed the sales team to focus on building relationships. Within six months, we saw a 30 percent increase in pipeline velocity. V. Frank Sondors , Founder, Salesforge AI AI Enhances Content Services Our development of AI-enhanced content services revealed a crucial insight about startup scaling. Combining AI efficiency with human expertise revolutionized our production capacity. Our HOTH AI Content Plus service slashed content creation time by 60% while maintaining quality standards. This breakthrough lets startups produce consistent, SEO-optimized content at scale without draining resources. Numbers tell the scaling story. By integrating AI into our content workflow, we’ve helped startups produce in one month what used to take six months. The freed-up resources let them focus on growth strategies instead of content creation bottlenecks. Success in scaling requires strategic AI adoption. We found that using AI to handle initial drafts while keeping human editors for refinement creates the perfect balance. This model lets startups maintain quality while scaling operations – a winning formula I’ve seen work across our 200,000+ client base. My advice for startups: Start with one core process that directly impacts growth. Let AI handle repetitive tasks while your team focuses on strategy and creativity. Marc Hardgrove , CEO, The Hoth AI Empowers Efficient Scaling AI technologies empower startups to scale efficiently by automating repetitive tasks and delivering data-driven insights that enhance decision-making. For instance, integrating AI-powered chatbots in customer support allows startups to handle thousands of queries simultaneously, reducing the need for large support teams while ensuring 24/7 service. One example is a SaaS startup I worked with that implemented an AI-based lead-scoring system, which prioritized high-quality leads for the sales team. This not only increased conversion rates but also optimized resource allocation, enabling the business to scale its sales operations rapidly without proportionally increasing costs. Jayanti Katariya , CEO, Moon Invoice AI Streamlines Customer Support As someone who specializes in AI, I can say with confidence that AI adoption can really be a game-changer for startups. AI has two main advantages: it’s fast and cost-friendly. Anything that has to do with repetitive tasks can be automated with AI, saving the company tons of time and human effort. At the same time, the teams can then focus on more strategic tasks that require contextual understanding, which AI obviously lacks. This way the work is distributed between humans and AI according to the strengths of both. On top of that, tasks related to data collection and analysis can be performed even better by AI. It does it faster and more accurately because there’s no risk of human error. As a result, a well-executed adoption of AI can significantly speed up operations and improve the quality of work. One example of a very common, yet extremely effective AI implementation is AI chatbots. We’ve integrated one on our website as well. It can totally improve your customer service without you needing to put extra hours or effort into it. Your clients have access to real-time support 24/7, which creates a better user journey and increases customer satisfaction, both of which contribute to conversions. The company, at the same time, can focus more on improving the core products and big picture strategizing. Pavlo Tkhir , CTO at Euristiq, Euristiq AI Automates Feedback Process AI has been a game-changer for Brokee in scaling our platform effectively. One example is how we’ve integrated AI to automate the feedback process for our technical assessments. Instead of hiring additional team members to manually review every submission, our AI-driven system evaluates candidates’ performance, generates personalized feedback, and even suggests tailored follow-up questions for hiring managers. This automation not only ensures consistency and fairness but also allows us to handle significantly more users without compromising quality. By removing the bottleneck of manual evaluation, we’ve been able to onboard more companies and engineers simultaneously, supporting our growth and expanding our impact in the hiring space. AI has made scaling not just possible but seamless. Maksym Lushpenko , Founder, Brokee AI Levels the Playing Field AI technologies have been an amazing tool to level-set startups, especially given their low cost of implementation. nDash is a bootstrapped company that often competes with brands well-funded by VCs. Integrations like OpenAI’s API have enabled us to offer similar services and features without the added cost of capital. Machine learning was once accessible only to a few companies and has since been all but commoditized. We can now run powerful computations against large datasets that were all but impossible a few years ago. The biggest challenge is now just identifying implementations of value to content marketers and dreaming up the user interface. Matt Solar , Cofounder & VP of Marketing, nDash Marketing AI Transforms Customer Support In my role at Windsor Drake, I once worked with a startup struggling to scale its customer support as their user base expanded rapidly. They were overwhelmed with routine Level 1 inquiries, and hiring more staff to keep up was becoming unsustainable. To address this, they integrated an AI-driven chatbot alongside cutting-edge voice AI technology to handle Level 1 customer requests. The voice AI, in particular, delivered human-like interactions that customers found surprisingly natural and well-received. The impact was transformative. By automating Level 1 support, the startup freed up significant resources to focus on Level 2 and Level 3 support, where human expertise and problem-solving were crucial. This allowed them to address complex customer issues faster, improve overall service quality, and strengthen client relationships without increasing operational costs. What stood out most was how capital-efficient this solution was. Startups often face tight budgets, and this AI integration allowed them to scale customer service without burning through resources. For software startups especially, where customer satisfaction can make or break growth, leveraging AI for customer support isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s becoming a competitive necessity. The combination of cost-efficiency, scalability, and customer approval makes this a game-changing development that startups should actively explore. Jeff Barrington , Managing Director, Windsor Drake AI Increases Marketing Scalability The integration of AI technologies has dramatically increased the scalability of startups, particularly in marketing. Where previously a five-person team might have been necessary, many tasks can now be efficiently handled by a single individual, thanks to AI-powered tools. This shift is particularly impactful for bootstrapped businesses, as it allows them to scale more profitably with less need for large teams or significant investment. AI enables startups to operate lean while still achieving impressive results. A concrete example from my experience is in email marketing. We used AI tools like Claude.ai to craft highly optimized onboarding sequences aimed at converting sign-ups into active clients. This whole process took about 2 hours, whereas previously this would have taken weeks. The quality of the AI-generated content was exceptional, and it significantly boosted our conversion rate from 30% to 38%. This is just one instance of how AI can drive tangible improvements. Similar efficiencies can be found across various marketing functions, from content creation to data analysis and campaign optimization. Startups can now achieve the output and quality of much larger teams, allowing them to compete more effectively and scale more rapidly without proportional increases in headcount or costs. Tom Van den Heuvel , CMO, wetracked.io AI Enables Unbelievable Automation There is nothing that has improved our ability to scale startups like AI. You can write a Python script for any task, we have MCP setups (Model Context Protocol) that can access apps and programs on your Mac/PC to perform a plethora of tasks. It’s really unbelievable. You just think of what you want automated and AI will make it happen. Sam Altman of OpenAI says we may see the first billionaire solo entrepreneur due to AI. Exciting times. Nader Jaber , Founder, FlyNumber AI Optimizes Operational Efficiency The integration of AI technologies plays a pivotal role in enabling startups to scale by optimizing operational efficiency and fortifying cybersecurity measures. It can also be used to automate routine processes and proactively address potential challenges. For businesses, this means reducing manual workload, improving resource allocation, and ensuring a secure foundation for growth. AI also enhances real-time decision-making by providing actionable insights from data, which is critical for scaling operations effectively without overburdening resources. At GO Technology Group, we worked with an industrial manufacturing client in Chicago to implement an AI-enhanced cybersecurity solution that monitored their network 24/7 for anomalies. This allowed the organization to detect and respond to threats in real time, preventing potential breaches and downtime. The integration of AI not only streamlined their security operations but also freed up IT staff to focus on strategic initiatives, demonstrating how AI-powered managed IT services can drive both scalability and resilience in startup environments. Steve Robinson , Senior Technical Manager, Go Technology Group AI Drives Adaptive Pricing Models One way AI drives scalability is through adaptive pricing models. I’m not strictly talking about automating price changes but using AI to dynamically respond to market conditions, customer behavior, and inventory levels in real time, creating a competitive edge that startups often overlook. For example, I worked with a SaaS startup that used AI to analyze customer segments, competitors’ pricing, and seasonal demand patterns. Other than optimizing pricing for revenue, the system adapted to prioritize user acquisition in low-demand periods while maximizing revenue during peak times. During a major product launch, the AI model identified that a slightly lower introductory price for one user segment (freelancers) drove a 25% higher conversion rate while maintaining profitability because of the predicted long-term subscription retention. For larger enterprise clients, the AI suggested bundling features with tiered pricing, increasing adoption by 18% compared to static pricing. When you allow AI to continuously refine pricing, you can reduce churn rates and optimize customer acquisition costs, all without needing a massive pricing team or constant manual analysis. I’d say you must explore adaptive pricing AI early. It’s a strategic lever that can simultaneously improve margins and customer loyalty in ways static strategies simply can’t. 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By Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon on Wednesday flatly dismissed claims by a U.S. lawmaker that Iran might be launching drones over New Jersey from a "mothership" off the East Coast. "There is no truth to that," said Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh. "There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States and there's no so-called 'mothership' launching drones towards the United States." Republican Congressman Jeff Van Drew, whose district in New Jersey includes Atlantic City, said he had uncovered what appeared to be an Iranian plot. "What we’ve uncovered is alarming — drones flying in from the direction of the ocean, possibly linked to a missing Iranian mothership," he said on social media platform X. The lawmaker also made the claims on Fox News. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said it began receiving reports of drone activity near Morris County, New Jersey, on Monday, Nov. 18. The FAA has barred drone flights over Picatinny Arsenal Military Base and Trump National Golf Club Bedminster. Last week, the FBI and New Jersey State Police asked the public to report any information related to the recent sightings of possible drones flying in several areas along the Raritan River. "Witnesses have spotted the cluster of what look to be drones and a possible fixed-wing aircraft. We have reports from the public and law enforcement dating back several weeks," the FBI said. The Pentagon said an initial assessment had shown the drones were not from another country and that the U.S. military had not shot them down because they did not pose a threat to any military installations. "We have no evidence that these activities are coming from a foreign entity or the work of an adversary," Singh said. "We're going to continue to monitor what is happening. But, you know, at no point were our installations threatened when this activity was occurring." Still, the latest drone sightings are a reminder of the growing concern about a proliferation of drone technology and the potential security considerations, given that drones can carry surveillance technology or even explosives. At a press conference, House of Representatives Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries was asked about the lack of information about the drones. "We need a greater degree of transparency from law enforcement authorities and we will make sure that happens in the days and weeks to come," Jeffries said. (Reporting by Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart and David Shepardson. Additional reporting by Richard Cowan, Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Alistair Bell)THE car’s glovebox is opened and hidden switches are flicked, then a magnet is placed next to the steering wheel, causing the front seats to rise upwards. The movement reveals a secret storage hole beneath, which stretches under the footwell. But this modified family car is not something from a James Bond film, but a smuggler’s vehicle, crafted to transport millions of pounds-worth of Class A drugs across the English Channel for sale on our streets. It is a sight all too familiar to Britain’s Border Force staff, who are encountering increasingly sophisticated ways of hiding drugs, cash, illegal cigarettes, guns and even people. Border Force invited The Sun behind the scenes at the Port of Dover to see for ourselves the daily battles its staff face to keep our streets safe. The agency’s South East Regional Director David Smith said: “We’re always broadening our techniques to make sure we stay one step ahead of the smugglers. “Over the years, trends change and we’re always adapting to make sure we can find everything possible. Some of the concealments that are used to bring in illegal items are very technical.” But thanks to its specialists at ports across the UK, Border Force is finding more contraband than ever. The first six months of 2024 saw 92 per cent more illegal drugs intercepted, with 22,719 seizures, than in the same period in 2023. This included 19 tonnes of cocaine and 412kg of ketamine, and the force has intercepted the largest batch of pink cocaine — a drug cocktail that can contain ketamine, ecstasy, meth and crack — headed for the UK. Officers found 100kg of the new party drug hidden in a vehicle alongside 40kg of ketamine and 30kg of MDMA , or ecstasy, as it is known in tablet form. David said: “Pink cocaine can be made from various drugs, like MDMA, ecstasy and ketamine, but we’re now seeing it being mixed with some very nasty drugs including [synthetic opioids] fentanyl and nitazenes. “While it looks like a manufactured pill, you won’t know what you are getting.” The substance, which is hugely popular in drug hotspots such as Ibiza, is still relatively rare in the UK. Another smugglers’ vehicle discovered by the team was a white van with a hidden compartment under its wooden floor, which could only be opened by placing a magnet in a certain position. We’re always broadening our techniques to stay one step ahead of the smugglers. Some of the concealments that are used to bring in illegal items are very technical It was big enough to hide Class A drugs worth several million pounds. The force also seized a gas canister which sounded as if it contained liquid, and released gas when the valve was opened, but had a hollow section that could fit up to 20kg of narcotics. It was found when officers noticed wear and tear where it wasn’t expected. It is not unusual to find a mixture of drugs destined for different British gangs once they arrive on UK soil. David said: “Transporters of drugs are a bit like taxi services for gangs. “Some organised crime groups don’t have a method of transportation, and it’s usually passed to a third party who sorts it. It means that we can find products for multiple gangs in one vehicle.” In the first six months of this year Border Force also made 18,000 seizures of herbal cannabis, equalling 41 tonnes. David has been working for Border Force for more than three decades and has seen a big change in the volume of party drugs trafficked to the UK. He said: “We used to see a lot more Class B drugs but now the quantity of Class A coming in has massively increased. “In the first six months of this year we have seized 19 tonnes of cocaine, which would have a street value of £425million. Getting these drugs in is big business for gangs. “The 92 per cent increase we’ve seen compared to last year in the first six months is thanks to the dedicated officers. We have the most highly skilled officers anywhere in the world, and we work 24/7 to keep the UK safe.” Vehicles which are chosen to be searched are selected with the help of technology, plus trained officers who can “read” the drivers’ and passengers’ behaviour — and a spot of four-legged assistance. Transporters of drugs are a bit like taxi services for gangs Among those working a shift when The Sun visited was two-year-old cocker spaniel Glenn, who demonstrated how quickly the dogs in the Dover team — other cocker spaniels, some springer spaniels and a Labrador — can find drugs. It took him just seconds to identify a car boot as storing illegal substances, which he did simply by sitting down and looking at his handler. But while the dogs are not always able to sniff out the contraband, a non-indication from them does not mean a search won’t take place. The searches can be intelligence-led from tip-offs from Europol, Interpol or domestic police, and are also carried out when officers spot abnormalities and when drivers are spotted behaving strangely. The Border Force agents are determined that nothing they come across will put them off their pursuit of the smugglers, no matter how bizarre it might seem. And it doesn’t matter how disgusting the circumstances are either. In a bid to avoid a search, some gangs cover their drugs in manure or grease, hoping it will hide the drugs’ smell from the dogs. We were also shown a video which demonstrated how 225kg of methamphetamines, known on the streets as meth, had been placed inside an industrial magnet and welded shut. Another showed how 16kg of cocaine had been concealed in a hidden section of a Hyundai’s boot which could only be opened using a certain set of switches. It is not just the gangs’ contraband that is targeted by the Border Force staff. They often seize their means of smuggling too, even when no drugs have been found. David said: “Sometimes we detect vehicles that have been adapted for transporting drugs or money around the UK that are destined for county lines gangs. The volume of drugs we’ve detected here and across the country this year shows that we are very good at what we do “We often have vehicles brought to us from elsewhere in the UK to search and find the concealments within them. “This is because our officers are some of the most highly trained in the world, and finding these compartments can be really tricky. “The volume of drugs we’ve detected here and across the country this year shows that we are very good at what we do. “We just want to stop the bad guys.” Seema Malhotra, Minister for Migration and Citizenship, said: “Party drugs like pink cocaine are illegal and highly dangerous. “Border Force are working around the clock to seize illegal drugs and help to keep our streets and our communities safer this Christmas party season. “Thanks to their expertise and vigilance, they are successfully intercepting these dangerous substances at our borders with increasing success. “Young people must be in no doubt about the harmful effects of the synthetic substances found in party drugs, which can often be a deadly concoction of chemicals that can have devastating consequences, ruining theirs and their loved ones’ lives. “My message to people going out over the festive people is to stay safe, and to the evil criminals lining their pockets — you will be caught and will face the full force of the law.”
It might not have been a definitive match-winning moment and it will not be part of any end-of-season Champions League highlights package. After all, it was only a tackle. A tackle from a full-back who was shown a little too much of the ball by the attacker. But this was Conor Bradley, still a rookie at this rarefied level, spectacularly halting none other than Kylian Mbappe in full flight. Yes, you will see similar challenges on a regular basis but none will ignite an occasion and a team quite like this one did after half an hour of relative tedium. And the fact it came from a player who was keeping Trent Alexander-Arnold - assumed to be a Real Madrid player-in-waiting - on the bench made it all the more significant. There were several ramifications of what eventually became a compelling contest but perhaps the most important for Liverpool was the reminder they do have a very decent replacement if Alexander-Arnold does depart for Madrid. Ah, but surely Liverpool would miss the Trent assists? Yep, but Bradley is no slouch on that front either, teeing up the opener for Alex Mac Allister. Bradley would later dispossess Mbappe and start the move that ended with Mohamed Salah winning and missing a penalty. But that did not matter in the end, Cody Gakpo heading in an Andy Robertson cross to make it five wins in five Champions League games for the convincing Premier League leaders. But that Salah was not the only marquee player to miss from the spot told you what a miserable night this was for Real Madrid and Mbappe. As if it was not brutal enough for Mbappe to be given a going-over by 21-year-old Bradley, the Frenchman had a chance to cancel out Mac Allister’s strike after Andy Robertson had brought down Lucas Vazquez. But Mbappe saw Liverpool’s reserve keeper, Caoimhin Kelleher, keep out his penalty. It summed up Mbappe’s night - a night that started with him being pickpocketed by Salah, leading to the sort of incisive counter-attack that has become the trademark of the Arne Slot tenure. This particular break ended with Thibaut Courtois half-saving a Darwin Nunez effort and Raul Asencio, making only his third senior appearance for Real, completing a goal-line clearance. That the highlight of the opening period was that splendid Bradley tackle was also testament to how mundane the match had been to that point. While it did not seem to wake Mbappe up, it certainly energised supporters who had previously been treating the contest for what, realistically, it was ... a free hit for Liverpool. But even allowing for their litany of absentees, this was a Madrid side accustomed to intimidating atmospheres and they saw out the half with relatively few alarms. And they did not panic when Mac Allister gave Liverpool a deserved lead early in the second half, smuggling a shot into the corner of the net after playing a short exchange of passes with Bradley. But after Kelleher had pushed away Mbappe’s spot-kick and Salah’s spot-kick had not even troubled Courtois or the goal, Gakpo rose unchallenged twenty minutes from the end to give Liverpool yet another victory in a remarkable start to the season. And when Bradley had to leave the field with what looked like a hamstring problem in the dying stages, the acclaim was deafening. No wonder. If Alexander-Arnold does leave, Liverpool have a heck of a replacement. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Sky has slashed the price of its Sky Sports, Sky Stream, Sky TV and Netflix bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £240 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.Five Queens residents, including a married couple from Kew Gardens Hills, have been arrested for their alleged roles in multimillon-dollar retail theft operation that focused on high-end cosmetics, beauty products, designer clothes and accessories. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, joined in her office at a Tuesday press conference by Gov. Hochul and law enforcement officials, said the ring paid drivers and others to steal merchandise up and down the East Coast from or headed to major retailers including Sephora and Ulta Beauty. The merchandise allegedly was subsequently sold far below the retail prices and allegedly resulting in $2 million in sales over two years. A press release said raids were carried out Nov. 22 in Kew Gardens Hills, Fresh Meadows and a storage site in Briarwood. “These arrests once again prove that consumers should be extremely careful about buying items on social media or from unfamiliar vendors,” Katz said. “As we approach the holiday season, take great care to know the genesis of the products you are buying.” She also said this marks the first time in New York that anyone has been charged for the crime of fostering the sale of stolen goods, a new measure passed to stop the sale of stolen goods through both online platforms and brick-and-mortar locations. The press release from Katz’s office said Christopher Guzman, 35, Yvelisse Guzman Batista, 29 and Rosa Rodriguez Santana, 59, all of 75 Avenue in Kew Gardens Hills; and Johanny Almonte Reyes, 33, of 71 Avenue in Fresh Meadows, were arraigned on charges of first-degree criminal possession of stolen property; four counts of second-degree criminal possession of stolen property; fourth-degree conspiracy; three counts of third-degree attempted criminal possession of stolen property; fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property; and four counts of fostering the sale of stolen goods. They are due back in court on Jan. 15 and face up to 8 1/3 years to 25 years in prison if convicted of the top charge. Guzman is additionally charged with two counts of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Codefendant Tiffany Leon Fuentes, 29, of 133rd Avenue in Ozone Park, is charged with first-degree criminal possession of stolen property; four counts of second-degree criminal possession of stolen property; third-degree grand larceny; fourth-degree conspiracy; three counts of fourth-degree grand larceny and petit larceny. She is due back in court Jan. 15, and faces up to 8 1/3 years to 25 years in prison if convicted of the top charge. Katz’s office said none of the charges are bail-eligible under state law. They will be subject to electronic monitoring and that all have been given ankle monitors and had their passports seized. The Guzmans allegedly directed retail theft crews to steal specific merchandise and then sold the stolen products from their home and a storefront in the Dominican Republic. The couple is also alleged to have paid truck drivers to divert products bound for retailers from manufacturer warehouses directly to locations under their control. “Organized retail theft is far from a victimless crime,” said William Walker, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations’ New York office. “Estimates show the average American family pays over $500 annually in additional costs due to the impact of organized retail crime.” Upon learning of the theft ring, undercover law enforcement officers conducted three sales of purportedly stolen merchandise at the Guzmans’ home and an apartment in Fresh Meadows. They allegedly were paid $3,700 for merchandise valued at nearly $23,000. They also allegedly were asked to steal certain products based on their popularity. Another undercover operative allegedly purchased perfume from the Guzmans in their home, paying 1/3 of it retail value. Search warrants executed on Nov. 22 allegedly recovered more than 50,000 retail beauty products, cosmetics, perfume, designer clothing and accessories with a total retail value of $1,096,004.74 The total included approximately 31,622 products in their original wholesale packaging allegedly stolen from the Sol de Janeiro distribution center with a retail value of $795,560. Other recovered items included merchandise from the brands Maybelline, Fenty, La Roche-Posay, Benefit, Nars, Too Faced, Charlotte Tilbury, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Versace, Valentino, Prada, Zara, Ferragamo, Anthropologie, Victoria’s Secret, American Eagle and numerous others Authorities also allegedly recovered A money counter; a label maker; sticker labels and thank you cards bearing the name “Yvelisse Fashion”; two large plastic shipping barrels; bills of lading; numerous books, ledgers and notepads; and two polymer ghost gun kits each containing one unserialized and unfinished firearm lower receiver along with lower part kits.
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(The Center Square) – Homeowners in the market for washers and dryers may have better-performing options to choose from in the near future due to a bill limiting the extent of energy efficiency mandates on laundry appliances passing the U.S. House. The Republican-led House Resolution 1612 , or Liberty in Laundry Act, would prohibit the Secretary of Energy from enforcing energy conservation standards for clothes washers or dryers that “are not cost-effective or technologically feasible.” Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., who introduced the legislation, said the move is a response to the “slew of woke, ‘environmental’ nonsense rulemaking attempts” by the Biden administration and U.S. Department of Energy. “I have spent much of my time in Congress fighting back the federal government’s vast overreach into the lives of hardworking Americans,” Ogles announced after the bill’s passage Tuesday. “Americans should be able to do their laundry in peace without the input of Big Brother.” Earlier this year, the DOE finalized new updated standards for residential clothes washers and dryers which aim to cut costs and pollution. It estimates the regulations will reduce nearly 71 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions–equivalent to the combined annual emissions of nearly 9 million homes–and up to $39 billion on Americans’ energy and water bills over the next 30 years. House Democrats opposed the legislation's passage, saying "absolutely no one" stands to benefit from the law and accused Republicans of trying to curry favor with special interest groups. "H.R. 7673 guts popular energy efficiency standards for laundry machines – standards that save Americans money on their utility bills and reduce dangerous greenhouse gas pollution at the same time," said Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr., D-N.J. "These efficiency standards create certainty for manufacturers and they protect consumers from rising costs. And, in the case of these laundry machine standards, they also reduce water use – a benefit that could greatly aid drought-prone regions around the nation." But the less electricity and water laundry appliances use, the less effectively they tend to perform, according to an Oct. 2024 report by the Institute for Energy Research. “Historically, appliances meeting Energy Department standards have often underperformed and have higher costs,” the report stated. “The Biden-Harris administration is imposing a series of regulations that are raising appliance prices and compromising quality for homeowners.” Unless the bill is signed into law, laundry appliance makers have until March 2028 to comply with the new rules.
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