tonight, vicky nguyen takes us inside an undercover sting with a team hunting down these shoplifting rings. >> reporter: stores hit by organized retail crime theft rings that scout, plan, and execute high-value heists, from drugstores to brand-name merchandise. theft costs the retail industry more than $70 billion a year to show you what's at stake, i'm in perrysburg township, ohio, a small suburb of toledo. i'm surrounded by stolen goods that officers purchased in undercover operations. joining me is detective sergeant todd curtis. tell us why this small town is such a hot spot for organized retail crime >> perrysburg township is located in the area they call the crossroads of america, which is i-89 and i-75. thieves jump off the interstate, hit the stores, steal the product and be back on the interstate. >> reporter: curtis leads a team of three detectives who respond almost daily to organized retail crime and track stolen goods online curtis says they often end up on facebook marketplace. that's where officers found this power tool set for $350, $200 less than retail at home depot

here's vicky nguyen. >> lentil, more rice >> reporter: a volunteer group helping afghans resettle int them to feel welcome there is a group of people that they can rely on. >> reporter: these images of afghans escaping after the u.s. withdrawal in august reminded her of the vietnamese experience in 1975 she lost four family members including her mother and two siblings during their escape as boat people. how did that experience at ten years old shape who you are now? >> it made me realize how much life can just turn group side down really, really quickly. >> reporter: in four months, they resettled two families with help with the sponsor circle program today volunteers visit saheem and his family of eight. >> the vietnamese community's help and the help of people that are close to him has been overwhelming. >> reporter: some 25,000 afghan refugees are living on u.s. military bases but next month, saheem family moves to this apartment. >> it is generous enough to provide you the house. >> reporter: the kindness continues sam's nephew will pay for their utility bills. what would you sa

here's vicky nguyen. >> reporter: this mom of four, heidi spent more than 16 years working as a pharmacy technician at a rite aid near pittsburgh. in october, she abruptly quit the job she loved and thought she would require from. >> all of the parts of my job i truly enjoyed over the years has slowly just gone away with pandemic stress and just all the unpleasantness going on in health care and in retail today. >> reporter: pharmacy techs support the pharmacist, count pills, answer calls, work the register and more, but increasingly they're quitting in a survey of independent pharmacy owners, nearly 90% say they can't find technicians. why are pharmacy techs so fed up? >> i mean, i really think a lot of it comes to the fact that we are grossly underpaid across the board. >> median pay is about $16 an hour. but it is not just wages. >> it was routine in my store when i was leaving to be three to five hundred scripts past due at any given time >> reporter: this means people could be going without their needed medication for days >> absolutely. >> reporter: nbc news spoke to 22 retail phar

>> vicky nguyen, great tips as always merry christmas, by the way.et's check in with bill karins for another look at the weather. bill, how are we looking >> let's do these dinners and everything outside i'm not going to give you the christmas forecast this is pretty much a memorial day weekend forecast that's how unusually crazy warm this is going to be. besides the whole climate crisis angle of this, the covid angle is let's open the windows, get outside. meeting with those families. i mean look at the warmth today we have 50s once again in iowa 70s in texas it's going to be near record highs for day after day as we go into christmas eve, we're going to see 70s as far north as amarillo look at wichita falls, texas, 84 degrees. you're almost turning the air conditioner on at that point a line fro denver, kansas city, st. louis, all the way over towards nashville, charlotte, richmond, d.c. southward, you can christmas barbecue outside without question very comfortably you're not going to get wet. temperatures are going to be in the 60s, 70s and in so

make sure you check to see what is in them and read the reviews. >> that was vicky nguyen reporting for on "today in the bay," a look at our doppler radar. meteorologist, vianey arana, times out the storm after the break. there's a different way to treat hiv. it's once-monthly injectable cabenuva. cabenuva is the only once-a-month, complete hiv treatment for adults who are undetectable. cabenuva helps keep me undetectable. it's two injections, given by a healthcare provider once a month. hiv pills aren't on my mind. i love being able to pick up and go. don't receive cabenuva if you're allergic to its ingredients or taking certain medicines, which may interact with cabenuva. serious side effects include allergic reactions post-injection reactions, liver problems,...and depression. if you have a rash and other allergic reaction symptoms, stop cabenuva and get medical help right away. tell your doctor if you have liver problems or mental health concerns, and if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or considering pregnancy. some of the most common side effects include injection site reactions,

a report from vicki nguyen. >> reporter: she's the c co-founder of a volunteer group helping africans seattle. >> we want them to feel welcome. there is a group of people they can rely on. >> reporter: she says these images of afghans escaping reminded her of the veelt that -- vietnamese experience during their escape as boat people. how did that experience at 10 years old shape who you are you now? >> it made me realize how someone's life can turn upside down quickly. >> reporter: in four months they resettled two families with help from the sponsored circles program. >> can i have a kiss? >> reporter: today, volunteers visit a man and his family of eight. >> the vietnamese communities help and help of other people close to him just been overwhelming. >> reporter: some 25,000 afghan refugees are currently living on u.s. military bases but next month, his family moves to this seattle apartment. tam nguyen offering it rent free. >> lest a friend generous enough to provide you the house. >> three bedrooms. >> reporter: the kindness continues. ta m's nephew will pay for the utility bills

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let's start it >> let's do it >>> up next, vicky nguyen is here to answer your questions when it comeso have everything we need to know but first, these messages. s to r spending is trending. just ask overly confident diy rashida... wait, was this the right wall? ...or last-minute gift shopping rashida... i'm putting a bow on it! wow... ...even sneaking away for a vacay rashida. shhh! i've earned this, okay? earn 5% cash back in your top eligible spend category, up to $500 spent each billing cycle. with the citi custom℠ card. meow mix tasty layers crunchy and meaty textures with a mouth-watering gravy coating. meow mix tasty layers. the only one cats ask for by name. to the people who reach into... a carton of warm, crispy, golden, perfectly salted... mcdonald's world famous fries... and return with just one who are you? and how do you do that? ba da ba ba ba ♪3, 4♪ ♪ and how do you do that? ♪hey♪ ♪ ♪are you ready for me♪ ♪are you ready♪ ♪are you ready♪ (drill sergeant) what a pleasant morning. it's warm, but not too warm. (private) why's he so happy? (buzz) he's happy because found ou

nbc investigative and consumer correspondent vicky nguyen with everything we need to know is it too late th boxes and tape ready tomorrow is the deadline for most ground shipments in the united states. after that, you may have to pay a hefty premium if you want your presents to arrive by christmas. but there are other ways t make sure that's gifts get there in time and i have some tips to help you save money. with 11 days to go before christmas, now is the time to get your packages in the mail. according to ship matrixes an average of 90 million parcel will be shipped every day this holiday season the nation's biggest shippers ramping up to meet demand. i recently saw how the united parcel service and united states postal service are preparing for the rush i toured this state-of-the-art facility where automatedscannin packages while conveyor belts and driverless vehicles prepare them to be loaded on to trucks for delivery. after weathering millions of complaints in 2020, u.s. executive vice president jackie strocko told me the agency started hiring seasonal workers six weeks earlier than

stores across the country getting ransacked by organized smash and grab thieves nbc's vicky nguyen givesa look at an undercover sting. >> reporter: stores hit by organized retail crime theft rings that scout, plan, and execute high value heists from drugstores to brand name merchandise. theft cost the retail industry more than $70 billion a year to show you what is at stake, i'm here in ohio in a small suburb of need and i'm surrounded by stolen gooded recovered by police tell us why this small town is such a hot spot for organized retail crime >> first, we're hoe kated in the area we call the crossroads of america. thieves can jump off the interstate, hit the stores, steal the product and be back on the interstate >> reporter: he leads a team of three detectives who respond almost daily to retail crime and track stolen goods online. they often end up on facebook marketplace. that's where officers found this power tool set for $350, $200 less than retail our cameras were there for the undercover buy >> what's up this is unopened >> yes, sir. >> reporter: the police arrest him, saying he'

vicki nguyen breaks down the return 101. >> good morning. the great news here. most retailers have pretty relaxed return policies but there are some steps to take ahead of time to make sure you get the maximum refund. first, the rush to get presents under the tree and now the rush to return some of those gifts for cash or store credit. analysts predict $120 billion worth of products will be returned this holiday season, up from the previous record of $115 billion last year. the increase spurred by online shopping. >> so maybe you get that gift that you're not so keen on. okay. the first thing to do, make sure you don't remove it from the original packaging. even though stores are pretty generous with return policy, they are more likely to give you a cash refund rather than store credit if they can resell the item. yeah, this is going back. also, make sure you don't accidentally throw away the gift receipt with your wrapping paper. if you lose the receipt your options tor regift the item or have that awkward conversation with the person who gave you the gift to s

plus, with christmas eve exactly two weeks away, inside the race to wrap up holiday shopping, vicky nguyen in the house. she has last-minute tips to find what you need and avoid the guessing game over whether those gifts will arrive in time. but first, this is "today" on nbc news ♪ i see trees of green ♪ ♪ red roses too ♪ ♪ i see them bloom for me and you ♪ (music) ♪ so i think to myself ♪ ♪ oh what a wonderful world ♪ >>> just ahead, s.g., you chatted with some of the most powerful people in hollywood >> yeah, "don't look up. leonardo dicaprio, jennifer lawrence, bringing the movie "don't look up" to life during a pandemic and what they want everyone to take away from the film but first, your local news >>> we're back 7:30 this is just one of many remarkable moments in the life nv it's my 4:05 the-show-must-go-on migraine medicine. it's ubrelvy. for anytime, anywhere migraine strikes, without worrying if it's too late, or where i am. one dose can quickly stop my migraine in its tracks within two hours. unlike older medicines, ubrelvy is a pill that directly blocks cgrp protein, believed t

well, nbc's investigative and consumer correspondent vickydid nguyen joins us with more. vickyigh profile cases, these videos can make us question our security in a place where we should all feel the safest, right here at home and this is the time of year when a lot of folks are traveling for the holidays but don't worry, this morning, we have some very simple tips for you to protect yourself and your family. from coast to coast, home security footage released by police captures burglars in action in new york city, these crooks posed as police officers to get inside, overpower the homeowners and walk off with $130,000 in cash and jewelry in phoenix, burglars deploy a battering ram to break in. in los angeles, a mother and her baby followed home and robbed in their driveway and in beverly hills, 81-year-old philanthropist shot dead in her home police apprehended and later charged this suspect who attempted to break into another nearby home. though national statistics show burglaries are in decline, these cases can shatter our sense of security while it can be scary to think abou

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. >> vicky nguyen, nbc news. >> coming up a look at a new very expensive telescope that set the launchs week, when the 11th hour continues. when the 11th hour continues >> last thing before we go tonight, on christmas day, nasa expects to launch what some are calling a ten billion dollar time machine. let me explain, the james webb's space telescope has been decades in the making, it seen as the successor to the hubble. the telescope has instrument sensitive enough that it will be able to look back at 13 billion years of cosmic history. how is that possible? nbc news explains, telescopes essentially function as time machines because it takes time for light to travel through space. the web observatory will be able to see farther into the universe than ever before, and therefore farther back in time. this means that astronomers will have the chance to study primitive stars and galaxies from the earliest days of the universe. unlike hubble which sees primarily visible light, the webb telescope will gaze at infrared light, which can pierce too thick fails of cost make gas and gas that coul

here's vicky nguyen. >> reporter: mom of four spent more than 16 years working as a pharmacy technician at a rite aid near pittsburgh. in october she quit the job he loved. >> all the parts of my job i have enjoyed over the years have gone away with pandemic stress and just all the unpleasantness that is going on in health care and retail today. >> reporter: pharmacy techs support the pharmacists, answer calls, work the register and more. but increasingly, they're quiting. in a survey of independent owners, 90% say they can't find technicians. why are pharmacy techs so fed up? >> i think a lot of it comes to the fact that we are grossly underpaid across the board. >> median pay is $16 a hour. >> it was routine in my store when i was leaving to be 300 to 500 scripts past due at any given time. >> people could be going without their needed medications for days? >> absolutely. >> reporter: nbc news spoke 22 pharmacy technicians. each said their biggest concern was patient safety. >> you have pharmacies who are closing because they don't have the appropriate staff. >> reporter: al carter le

vicky nguyen is here this morning with tips.istmas. >> merry christmas, great to see you. >> what is some of the best strategies this can be a weird conversation with some of the loved ones sitting next to you right now who gave you the gifts. >> it seems a few minutes ago i was here talking about the rush to get gifts under the tree now we're talking about the rush to return things you don't want. estimating $120 billion worth of holiday goods to be returned up 5 billion from last year's record. you're not alone if you got something you didn't want. number one thing, keep it new, one worn, in the box if you know it's not something you're going to keep forever. bring a receipt if you can, and also time is of the essence. go into the store if you want the money back quickerer. a lot of retailers have made it easy, print out a mailing label at home, go to the shipper, but make sure you get proof of shipment and keep track of that, because if that package gets lost you will still have your money back if you have proof you sent it.

vicky nguyen has more. >> reporter: mom of father working as a technician in pittsburgh.october, she quits the job and thought she would retire from. >> all of the parts of my job slowly gone away with pandemic stress and just all the unpleasantness that's going on in healthcare and retail today. >> reporter: pharmacy tech supports the pharmacists and work the counter and more. nearly 90% say they can't find technicians. >> why are they so fed up? >> a lot of it comes to the in fact that we are grossly under paid across the board. median pay is about $16 an hour. it's not just wages. >> it was routine in my store to be 3 to 500 scripts past due. >> this means people could be going out with their needed medications for days? >> absolutely. >> nbc news spoke to 22 pharmacy technicians who recently quit. >> in some states you have 60 or 70 pharmacies that are closing for days on in because they don't have the appropriate staff. >> al carter leads the national association of board pharmacies. the shortest of pharmacy techs led to complaints and concerns of medication mistakes

vicky nguyen is with us in studio 1a. so nice to see you.> great to see you. >> a lot of folks are looking for the popular items, they waited until the last minute, are they too late? >> it's never too late. you'll find a lot of specials and sales instores and online today, which is good it's a week out from christmas. you may not have the selection you're hoping for. so the size, color could be tricky. seeing out of stock notices triple we did pre-pandemic. so you have to be savvy how you're shopping. but hard to find items like electronics check the second-hand reseller websites. the sony playstation 5 apparently that is a hot item normally retails for $500, i found it this morning for 800, 850, it can go higher depending on how desperate you are. you're going to pay a little bit more. one thing i recommend is watch out for something that sounds like it's too good to be true. if you find it and it's $300 and it's going to be there the next day, walk away. that's a red flag. >> what about the websites that track inventory, do they work? >>

it's time to make a return or an exchange nbc news investigative and consumer correspondent vicky nguyen item or get your money back. vicky, good morning to you >> hi, good morning. most retailers have pretty relaxed return policies. but there are some steps you need to take ahead of time to make sure you get the maximum refund >> first, the rush to get presents under the tree and now the rush to return some of those gifts for cash or store credit analysts predict 120 billion dollars worth of products will be returned this holiday season. up from the previous record of 115 billion last year. the increase, spurred by online shopping so maybe you get that gift that you're not so keen on. okay the first thing to do, make sure you don't remove it from the original packing, even though those stores are generous these days, they're more likely to give you a cash refund or credit if they can resell the item. yeah, this is going back also, make sure you don't accidentally throw away the gift receipt with your wrapping paper. no receipt might mean no refund. >> if you do lose the receipt, your op

every day essentials costing more than ever, how can you keep your family's finances in order >> vicky nguyen >> well, this is the day when the bills start to roll in we set the scene here, savannah. holiday splurging because credit card leads to potential debt the national retail federation asked americans, what are you planning to spend? we know a lot of that is going on to people's credit cards. 51% of us are carrying an average of $6,100 in debt. take scope of what you owe and who you owe. >> once you figure that out, time to confront that reality. what are some good strategies for paying it? >> it is so important, what are your actual expenses every single month so the folks at southern bank say do it the old-fashioned way. write down exactly what you are buying you might discover when you stop for gas, you're spending extra money on chips the second list is what do you owe and what is the interest rate on each of those loans. one is the snowfall effect where you take a small loan and pay it off. the over is the avalanche approach where you say i owe a lot on this one loan with a ton of