Washington restaurant owner forced to close doors after crime surge makes insurance impossible
A popular Italian restaurant in Washington State has shuttered its doors for good after a series of break-ins, with its owner pointing the finger at Democratic leadership and what he described as a lack of support for small businesses.
Nirav Sheth, the former owner of Bistro Baffi, appeared on "Fox & Friends First" Monday morning to reveal what was the final straw.
"It was hard to get insurance, and I was getting pressured. The landlord [was] saying that, if I don't have business insurance, it will be a default on my lease. Unfortunately, I had to either quit, call it a bankruptcy or get out."
Repeated break-ins and rising crime in the area made it difficult to maintain coverage and keep the business afloat.
Sheth noted that a nearby Subway was robbed at gunpoint – one of several incidents that underscored the area's deteriorating safety – and, despite police briefly increasing patrols, the response from Democratic leadership amounted to "nothing."
Meanwhile, his own restaurant is still in debt, and applying for help has proven fruitless.
"The restaurant is not making it… When you have expenses of almost $11,000 a week, and you're making just $3,500, it's at the end. I had to call it quits."
Data from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs indicates that crime has been on the rise in the Evergreen State in recent years.
Violent offenses rose 18.5%, murders rose 22.5% and robberies rose 23.4% between 2020 and 2023.
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Dedication and determination can go a long way, but it's also true that the right equipment can make you much more productive. Some products are made with productivity in mind, from the concept's inception all the way up to the production line. Here at Android Authority, we are a content and productivity machine, and we've tried it all. Take a look at our productivity gadgets to catch a boost when you most need it! SPONSORED NOTE and NotePin NOTE NOTE MSRP: $159.00 Effortlessly capture and transcribe every meeting, call, lecture, or voice memo with this credit‑card sized AI recorder. Dual‑mode precision mics ensure crisp audio on your phone or in person, and the onboard AI (powered by GPT‑4.1, o3‑mini, Claude 3.7 Sonnet, Gemini 2.5 Pro) instantly transforms recordings into searchable, summarized notes in over 112 languages—empowering you to stay present while PLAUD does the note‑taking work for you. See price at NotePin NotePin MSRP: $159.00 A pill‑sized, versatile AI voice recorder you can clip, pin, strap, or wear as a necklace—ready at a moment's notice. With a tap it captures in-person conversations, transcribes in 112+ languages, auto‑summarizes with speaker labels, and stores everything securely in the PLAUD app and cloud. Boasting 20 hours of continuous recording and effortless one‑press operation, it's ideal for journalists, students, creatives, and pros who need reliable, hands‑free minutes. See price at We're spearheading into a new era. The evolution of artificial intelligence is changing the way we do everything, and with so many great tools at our disposal, it makes no sense to use your classic voice recorder or take notes using pen and paper. Introducing a company revolutionizing note taking with AI intelligence. has currently launched two products, the PLAUD NOTE and the PLAUD NotePin. 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All things combined, a normal tablet can be a huge productivity hog. The brand reMarkable is among the most respected when it comes to e-paper tablets. These are designed from the ground up to keep distractions to a minimum. The paper-like experience is easier on the eyes, and you can even use a stylus to take notes on it. Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority Our top pick right now would be the reMarkable Paper Pro. It has a large 11.8-inch display with a 2,160 x 1,620 resolution. And it's a color display, so you can better visualize pie charts and other colored elements in all your documents. It's not backlit, because it is meant to read like actual paper, but it comes with an integrated adjustable reading light. While the battery wouldn't seem huge at 5,030mAh, keep in mind e-paper displays don't use much energy. Its battery life is actually quite outstanding. This thing can last two weeks on a full charge! Features include apps and extensions for most major operating systems, cloud storage solutions, and security implementations for professionals. You can even get a keyboard case, to ensure your productivity doesn't slow down during commutes or trips. Elgato Stream Deck Neo I get really tired of finding hidden options in settings menus, figuring out keyboard shortcut combinations, and looking through a sea of apps just to launch a program. This is why something like the Elgato Stream Deck Neo can be such a convenient productivity tool. The concept is rather simple. This little device has eight buttons, which can be customized to automate tasks, launch apps, and more. Elgato is actually a very well-established brand in the gaming industry, where people can save precious seconds automating their macros and other options. This model is especially made for work efficiency, though. The look is more streamlined, and the infobar can help you keep track of other details, such as the date, time, and more. The buttons are LCD displays, so they can adjust to your experience. You'll see notification tickers, status updates, live information, and more. It's nice that it is also cheaper than the gaming models at $99.99! Cuktech No. 10 100W GaN Charger Time is money, and you have no time to waste. When it's time to charge your devices, you want to ensure they juice up as fast as possible, because a dead device will obviously hurt your productivity. You can learn how to pick the right charger for your needs here, but if you want a quick option, here it is. The CUKTECH No.10 100W GaN Charger is portable, powerful, and can charge three devices simultaneously. As the name implies, it has a 100W max output. Both USB-C ports can reach these speeds when charging a single device. And if you want to recharge smaller accessories, the USB-A connection maxes out at 22.5W. Of course, wattage will be shared as you connect more devices, though. To put matters into perspective, 100W is enough to charge modern laptops. And you'll have power to spare if you're charging a phone. Here's an example: the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra charges at a max of 45W, and that is one of the best Android phones available right now. Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones Sony WH-1000XM6 Sony WH-1000XM6 Good sound quality • Top of the line app • Excellent ANC MSRP: $449.99 The next iteration of the best Sony headphones The Sony WH-1000XM6 is every bit a worthy successor to Sony's other ANC headphones as you'd hope. They sound very good, have excellent ANC, and are equipped to handle demanding users. However, the lack of cutting-edge connection options might be an issue as the years go by. See price at Amazon Save $1.99 Are you looking for the best headphones around? 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Additionally, the mics use AI to reduce background noise, offering a clearer audio experience. ASUS portable monitors If you're more of a digital nomad, chances are your workstation is a laptop. Living on a single screen can affect your productivity, though. Using multiple monitors can make you a multitasking beast. While there are plenty of great portable monitors out there, ASUS is known for being among the most reliable manufacturers in this market. We will give you a couple of options here. Let's start with the ASUS ZenScreen MB169CK. It has a 16-inch panel with a Full HD 1,080p resolution. The design is simple and minimalist, which is great if you want to keep a professional look. The single stand keeps the look clean, and offers flexibility in terms of screen positioning. This display can connect to your devices using two USB-C ports, or the mini-HDMI connection. Both cables come included in the box. The ASUS ZenScreen MB169CK is simple, modest, and clean. It's nothing fancy, but that is part of its allure. It works, and its simplicity makes it very affordable at $109. Having an extra display can make you much more productive, but what if you have two? Enter the ASUS ZenScreen Duo OLED MQ149CD. This thing has two portable monitors, giving you much more screen real estate to work with when you want to get serious with work, homework, or whatever you want to do. This one is outstanding in every way. Each screen has a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution. Each panel is 14 inches. Display technology gets a hefty upgrade, too. These are OLED displays that can display 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. They are very color accurate. There's a built-in kickstand, and you get a nice set of ports for flexibility. It has two USB-C ports, plus an extra one for power. If your laptop doesn't support that, you can also use the mini-HDMI connection. It's quite impressive, but be ready to pay for this much quality and multitasking power. This portable dual monitor is $599. Nothing quite matches it, though. Pomodoro timer Do you often find yourself getting mentally fatigued? Long hours of work can cause fatigue, which is why many like the Pomodoro technique. The premise is simple: it is a timer that divides your focus time into 30-minute intervals, of which 25 minutes are dedicated to work or study, while the other 5 minutes are for your short breaks. This will keep you fresh and focused during long sessions. You don't really need to buy anything to apply this strategy. I mean, your phone's timer will do the job just fine. You can also use websites like Pomofocus, or apps like Pomodoro Timer by If you want a physical timer, though, we like the OORAII Rotating Pomodoro Timer. You can set a timer simply by rotating the device, and leaving the time you want to set facing up. Just switch between the 25-minute and 5-minute intervals to follow the technique. It looks really nice, too, and it's really affordable. YubiKey Bio If you're trying to be productive, chances are you are working on or handling some delicate information. Security is important, and so far the best way to keep your accounts and login credentials safe is by using 2FA (2-factor authentication). Hardware options are the most safe and convenient, too. The YubiKey Bio can be used as a physical key to authenticate your identity. As an added benefit and security step, it has a fingerprint reader, making it simpler to authenticate and access any account. You can also use a PIN as a fallback. You won't need to baby this thing, as it is made to go with you everywhere. It is small and can simply hang on your keychain. It has an IP68 rating, so it can handle dust and liquids without issues. It's also crush resistant and has no moving parts. At $90, it's a good investment for peace of mind and security, especially when dealing with sensitive business or school accounts. Logitech MX Master 3S Logitech MX Master 3S Logitech MX Master 3S Precision optical navigation • Reliable wireless connectivity MSRP: $99.99 Multi-function precision wireless mouse Made for precision, the Logitech MX Master 3S has multiple scroll wheels, high-resolution navigation, an ergonomic design, and reliable wireless connectivity. See price at Amazon Trackpads are good enough in a pinch, but they are far from being the perfect productivity tool. If you want to make the most out of every work minute, you should consider a good mouse, and the Logitech MX Master series is highly respected among professionals. The Logitech MX Master 3S is the latest mouse in the popular series, and it is a working peripheral that very few even get close to competing with. It is made with productivity in mind, and everything regarding it shows this focus. For starters, it is nicely designed. Not only will it look great in any scenario, but the ergonomics are great, so you'll be able to use it for long sessions while minimizing exhaustion or discomfort. Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority The mouse performs very well, offering quiet clicks and an 8,000DPI sensor, which can even work on glass! It should work on any surface, making it a great option for those of you who need a mouse on-the-go, anywhere. The scroll wheel can move at 1,000 lines per second, so you'll fly through documents to find the information you need. The Logi Options+ software can help you customize the buttons and experience as you wish. The MX Master 3S has seven buttons, and you'll even get a secondary scroll wheel made to be used with your thumb. This can be used for horizontal scrolling and such. One feature I happen to love is Logitech Flow. It allows you to use the mouse (and keyboard) on multiple computers. You'll be able to move your cursor across the screens, as if you were using a multi-monitor setup. It's super handy! It's wireless, so you won't need to fumble around with cables. Battery life is pretty good, at about 70 days on a full charge, so you won't waste time juicing up. While you can be productive using anything, there is no denying some things do better at keeping you focused and efficient. Especially if they were explicitly designed to get work done, making them great productivity gadgets. Give yourself the edge! I don't know about you, but I like having all odds in my favor.
