Florida authorities charged a male <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ms-13-gang" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MS-13 gang member</a> on parole with murder and other offenses after police said he killed and dismembered an Uber Eats driver making his final delivery to the assailant&#8217;s home last week.
Oscar Solis Jr., 30, allegedly killed Uber Eats driver — 59-year-old Randall Cooke — while Cooke was making his final delivery of the night to Solis&#8217; home in Holiday, Florida, on April 19, according to authorities.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Demonic MS-13 felon on parole dismembers and kills Florida Uber Eats driver making his last delivery of night 😔 <a href="https://t.co/jJ7WORJM5L">pic.twitter.com/jJ7WORJM5L</a>
&mdash; Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyLoud/status/1650966856277151744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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During a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pascosheriff/videos/891481455280044" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news conference</a> on Tuesday, Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said that Solis &#8220;yanked&#8221; Cooke into his home and butchered him. According to a police affidavit reported by <a href="https://apnews.com/article/driver-dismembered-uber-eats-killing-florida-58f3225edbc076c34995fe8896c9be28?utm_source=ForYou&amp;utm_medium=HomePage&amp;utm_id=Taboola" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Associated Press</a>, authorities found the remains of Cooke in trash bags and a cooler, which also had a receipt with Solis&#8217; name on it.
&#8220;This was a horrific crime of passion,&#8221; Nocco told reporters. &#8220;This was demonic. What he did was demonic.&#8221;
Cooke reportedly told his wife via text message that he had one delivery left to complete before returning to their residence. After the victim&#8217;s wife didn&#8217;t hear from her husband, Nocco said she contacted the police and filed a missing person&#8217;s report later that evening.
&#8220;He was just a guy like everybody else, just trying to make a living for his family,&#8221; Nocco said.
Authorities were able to track down Cooke&#8217;s final delivery location through Uber Eats.
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Nocco said police searched around Solis&#8217; house the day after Cooke disappeared and attempted to make contact with the occupants. Police returned to the residence on April 21, where they could view surveillance footage given by a roommate of Solis, which showed Cooke making the food delivery until the camera cut off when he arrived at the door.
Video footage later showed two men carrying heavy trash bags outside. The other man allegedly accompanying Solis was not charged by police.
Jail records observed by The Associated Press report that Solis faces charges of murder while engaged in a robbery, failure to register as a convicted felon, and for parole violation.
Indiana authorities released Solis from prison in January after he served four years for an assault and burglary conviction, Nocco said. Upon his release, Solis&#8217; moved to Florida. According to the affidavit, Solis, who stands 6-foot-4, and weighs 315 pounds, worked security at a strip club.
&#8220;You&#8217;re talking about a violent individual that Indiana released and sent down to Florida,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They released him on parole. Unfortunately, now we have a hardworking guy, a loving husband, who is no longer with us because this violent individual killed him.&#8221;
Nocco confirmed Solis had been affiliated with the international criminal gang that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1970s and 1980s Mara Salvatrucha, more commonly known as MS-13.
The announcement from Pasco County Sheriff&#8217;s authorities comes days after the Tampa Police Department arrested and charged a 38-year-old man for allegedly kidnapping and raping a female DoorDash driver in her early 20s, shooting a member of the victim&#8217;s family, and then committing a robbery.
Joseph Killins, 38, was arrested on Saturday in relation to a kidnapping and sexual battery that occurred on April 18 just after 11:00 p.m. at a Residence Inn hotel. Police <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/female-doordash-driver-kidnapped-raped-during-delivery-at-florida-hotel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the suspect held the unidentified female delivery driver at gunpoint, forced her back into her car, and made her drive to the Belara Lakes Apartment complex, where he allegedly raped her.
According to law enforcement, family members of the DoorDash driver rescued her from Killins after tracking her cellphone location. When her family arrived, Killins allegedly fired multiple bullets at the victim&#8217;s kin, with one shot striking a family member of the victim&#8217;s girlfriend, before fleeing the scene.

In this photo illustration the logo of the food delivery

‘This Was Demonic’: MS-13 Felon Kills, Dismembers Florida Uber Eats Driver

'This Was Demonic': MS-13 Felon Kills, Dismembers Florida Uber Eats Driver

Crime

DoorDash

Florida

MS-13 Gang

U.S.

Uber Eats

Violent Crime

The Tampa Police Department <a href="https://www.tampa.gov/news/arrest-made-armed-kidnapping-sexual-battery-suspect-faces-additional-charges-119596?fbclid=IwAR3m6f6Wnsix3q4MGX4RXotnTm6OEYH43lwzQ1f451A_aRYCPgmZh0x-zSo">said</a> Saturday that authorities arrested and charged a Florida man for allegedly kidnapping and raping a female DoorDash driver in her early 20s, shooting a member of the victim&#8217;s family, and then committing a robbery.
Joseph Killins, 38, was arrested on Saturday in relation to a kidnapping and sexual battery that occurred on April 18 just after 11:00 p.m. at a Residence Inn hotel. Police said the suspect held the unidentified female delivery driver at gunpoint, forced her back into her car, and made her drive to the Belara Lakes Apartment complex where he allegedly raped her, police said.
According to law enforcement, family members of the DoorDash driver rescued her from Killins after tracking her cellphone location. When her family arrived, Killins allegedly fired multiple bullets at the victim&#8217;s kin, with one shot striking a family member of the victim&#8217;s girlfriend before fleeing the scene.
&#8220;At the time this occurred, the victim had AirPods in her ears and an open line with her girlfriend, who quickly realized that a robbery was occurring,&#8221; authorities said in a <a href="https://www.tampa.gov/news/detectives-release-composite-image-suspect-armed-kidnapping-and-sexual-battery-119451">news release</a>. &#8220;The family of the victim called the police, and officers were dispatched to the hotel.&#8221;
Authorities transported both victims to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
&#8220;It is clear this suspect has no regard for human life,&#8221; Interim Chief Lee Bercaw said.
The following day, police named Killins as a suspect involved in a robbery inside the apartment complex, where he allegedly threw a female in her early 40s to the ground, punched her, and stole her backpack. Witnesses say they saw Killins running toward the Haven Waters Edge Apartment complex.
Detectives working on both cases collaborated, leading them to the Tampa Inn, where they arrested Killins late Friday night.
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&#8220;This criminal is now off the streets thanks to the tireless efforts of every Tampa Police Department employee and the assistance provided by members of our community,&#8221; Bercaw said. &#8220;My thoughts remain with the victims. I hope this arrest brings them a sense of comfort knowing that he will now face justice for the crimes he chose to commit.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘🚨<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YourTampaPD?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YourTampaPD</a> has arrested 38yo Joseph Killins, charging him for the kidnapping and sexual battery that occurred on April 18 and an additional robbery that took place in the early morning of April 19. Details➡️<a href="https://t.co/pNXRw2JWwk">https://t.co/pNXRw2JWwk</a> <a href="https://t.co/fTTC1j3Ihq">pic.twitter.com/fTTC1j3Ihq</a>
&mdash; Tampa Police Department (@TampaPD) <a href="https://twitter.com/TampaPD/status/1649833086790631426?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Julian Crowley, a spokesperson for DoorDash, told <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/04/23/joseph-killins-arrested-in-kidnap-rape-of-doordash-driver-in-florida-cops/">The New York Post</a> that the online food ordering and delivery platform is grateful to Tampa Police for holding the perpetrator accountable, hoping &#8220;justice is served.&#8221;
&#8220;We are appalled by this heinous and abhorrent crime. No one should ever have to endure something as horrific as this, and we&#8217;re here to support the Dasher in any way we can,&#8221; Crowley said.
Killins faces charges of armed kidnapping, robbery with a firearm, armed sexual battery, and aggravated battery with a weapon for the alleged events held on April 18, with an additional robbery charge for the April 19 accusation.
Authorities are currently holding Killins at Orient Road Jail.

Public And Private Services In The United States

Female DoorDash Driver Kidnapped, Raped During Delivery At Florida Hotel

Police in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ohio">Akron</a> on Sunday released video of the chase and fatal shooting of a black <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/doordash">DoorDash</a> driver who was killed last week as he ran from police after allegedly leading them on a chase and shooting at them.
Jayland Walker, 25, who police say was wearing a ski mask and shot at them before jumping out of his car and running away, was shot up to 60 times in the June 27 incident. Although he did not have the gun with him as he ran, Police Chief Stephen Mylett said the video showed Walker appear to reach for something at his waist and turn as he ran, prompting the police to fire.
&#8220;It was difficult to watch, and shocking,&#8221; Mylett <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/07/03/jayland-walker-akron-police-officer-shooting-video-release/7796683001/">said</a> of the bodycam video, which showed police converging on Walker’s car. “I&#8217;m not going to pass judgment [until the investigation is completed].”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
NOW &#8211; Police have released bodycam footage of the shooting of Jayland Walker in Akron, Ohio.
Walker was unarmed at the time of the shooting, but a gun was found in the car, police says. <a href="https://t.co/9oREYZycIo">pic.twitter.com/9oREYZycIo</a>
&mdash; Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) <a href="https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1543650300308881408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Police said they were pursuing Walker because the car he was driving had been involved in a crime the previous day. They say he refused to stop, sped through a residential neighborhood, shot at them and jumped out of the car while it was still moving at a barricade, creating a &#8220;deadly threat&#8221; and prompting officers to use Tasers and then handguns.
Police attempted to aid Walker after he was subdued, Mylett said. He was lying on his back in handcuffs when a medical examiner arrived at the scene, according to an investigative worksheet for the case shown to the Beacon Journal at the medical examiner&#8217;s office. He had been shot in the face, torso, and upper legs, according to the report.
Both the report and video from the crime scene confirmed Walker had a handgun in his silver Buick. The Akron Fraternal Order of Police said in a statement that traffic cameras had captured a muzzle flash from Walker&#8217;s car and that a shell casing had been found from the same location.
&#8220;This incident is a tragedy for our entire community, including the family of Jayland Walker, as well as all of the officers involved,&#8221; the Akron FOP <a href="https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2022/07/03/jayland-walker-shooting-police-union-statement-officers-justified-shooting/7800316001/">said</a>. &#8220;Many officers work their entire career without discharging their weapon. A split-second decision to use lethal force is one that every police officer hopes he or she will never be forced to make.&#8221;
Mayor Daniel Horrigan called for calm while the investigation proceeds.
&#8220;The video is heartbreaking, it&#8217;s hard to take in,&#8221; Horrigan said.
 Eight police officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave and the city has canceled its Fourth of July festival while the investigation proceeds and amid concerns protests could go off the rails.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is conducting the investigation at the request of Akron police. In addition, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and the FBI field office in Akron were &#8220;closely monitoring and reviewing the circumstances&#8221; surrounding Walker&#8217;s death, the Justice Department said in a statement.
Mylett praised the Walker family for their call for peaceful demonstrations.
The Akron chapter of the NAACP planned a march and rally downtown Sunday afternoon to coincide with the release of videos. Bobby DiCello, an attorney for Walker&#8217;s family, called the video &#8220;brutal.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s going to stir up some passion. It&#8217;s going to make people uneasy,&#8221; DiCello said ahead of the video&#8217;s release.

Police tape

WATCH: Akron Police Release Bodycam Footage of Chase That Led To Jayland Walker’s Shooting

Akron Police Release Bodycam Footage of Chase That Led To Jayland Walker's Shooting

Ohio

Police

Protests

After a benches-clearing brawl erupted in Sunday’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/baseball">Major League Baseball</a> game between the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/seattle">Seattle</a> Mariners and the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/los-angeles">Los Angeles</a> Angels, one fan decided the player at the center of the melee deserved … a pizza.
The fight started when Mariners’ outfielder Jesse Winker was <a href="https://twitter.com/BallySportWest/status/1541157852374618116?s=20&amp;t=wCUA_ZTIYLLxQECUY6gohA">plunked by Angels’ pitcher Andrew Wantz</a>, who had already thrown a pitch behind Julio Rodriguez’s head an inning earlier. The errant pitches were apparently retaliation for one that nearly hit Angels’ superstar Mike Trout in the head on Saturday night.
&#8220;If you can&#8217;t pitch inside, don&#8217;t pitch inside,&#8221; <a href="https://www.ocregister.com/2022/06/25/angels-bullpen-lets-game-get-away-in-one-ugly-inning/">Trout told the Orange County Register</a>. &#8220;If you&#8217;re going to hit me, hit me in the ribs. Don&#8217;t hit me in the head.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Benches clear!!! 👊<a href="https://twitter.com/Angels?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Angels</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoHalos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoHalos</a> <a href="https://t.co/EUnTTcjW1D">pic.twitter.com/EUnTTcjW1D</a>
— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) <a href="https://twitter.com/BallySportWest/status/1541157852374618116?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
But Winker didn’t wait until after Sunday’s game to complain to the press. He immediately headed toward the LA dugout, prompting both benches to empty. When order was restored, both teams’ managers and six players, including Winker and Wantz, were ejected.
A Mariners fan identified only by her Twitter handle, @sofieballgame, apparently felt bad for Winker and dialed up DoorDash for a pepperoni pizza.
&#8220;I just ordered a pizza for Jesse Winker from Mountain Mike&#8217;s Pizza in Anaheim,&#8221; she <a href="https://twitter.com/sofieballgame/status/1541164864340742144?s=20&amp;t=Ye6UDiAsWZDzHWR8q77Jsw">tweeted</a>. &#8220;You deserve it big guy.&#8221;
The delivery address she gave to the deliveryman identified as Simranjeet: 2000 E Gene Autry Way, Anaheim, California.
&#8220;Hi Simranjeet! Thank you! When you get to the stadium, please take it any [sic] gate and tell them it&#8217;s for the visitors clubhouse, the pizza is for Jesse Winker,” she <a href="https://twitter.com/sofieballgame/status/1541172570858393600">texted</a> in the app.
Sofie tracked the delivery on Twitter and by the time it arrived, fellow Mariners fans chipped in for a tip for the intrepid driver. Sofie got a thank you from Winker and the Mariners.
“Mariners fans are the best,” the team wrote on its Twitter account. “@Sofieballgame, we have a Jesse Winker jersey from the @MarinersStore we’d love to *deliver* to you. What do you say?”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Mariners fans are the best 💙<a href="https://twitter.com/sofieballgame?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sofieballgame</a>, we have a Jesse Winker jersey from the <a href="https://twitter.com/MarinersStore?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarinersStore</a> we’d love to *deliver* to you. What do you say? <a href="https://t.co/w6odOwCdn9">pic.twitter.com/w6odOwCdn9</a>
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mariners/status/1541219397968138240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2022</a></blockquote>
The Angels wound up winning the game by a 2-1 score. It was the eighth game between the two teams in less than two weeks.
As for the brawl, both teams are facing likely suspensions because several players were seen punching and even kicking opponents. Those ejected included managers Phil Nevin of the Angels and Scott Servais of the Mariners; Winker, Wantz; Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford; Rodriguez; and Angels&#8217; relief pitchers Raisel Iglesias and Ryan Tepera.

Seattle Mariners v Los Angeles Angels

Mariners Fan Pulls Hilarious Stunt After Beanball Sparks Huge Brawl

Baseball

Seattle

A Texas toddler stole his mother&#8217;s unlocked phone to play with it, and she thought nothing of it — until the DoorDash delivery driver showed up at her home with 31 McDonalds cheeseburgers.
Kelsey Golden shared a photo of her two-year-old son Barrett along with his ill-gotten gains — grinning from ear to ear —and advertised &#8220;free cheeseburgers.&#8221;
&#8220;I have 31 free cheeseburgers from McDonald’s if anyone is interested. Apparently my 2 yr old knows how to order doordash,&#8221; she captioned the photo.
<iframe loading="lazy" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fkelsey.burkhalter.5%2Fposts%2F10100183537482540&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="484" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Golden <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/21/us/texas-toddler-mcdonalds-cheeseburger-doordash-trnd/index.html">explained the incident</a> to CNN, saying that when Barrett grabbed the phone, she hadn&#8217;t been terribly concerned.
&#8220;He likes to look at his reflection,&#8221; she said, noting that when he has taken her phone before, he has used the camera to look at himself rather than trying to find games to play or videos to watch.
But he didn&#8217;t appear to be using the camera this time. Instead, Golden said that he &#8220;starts pressing the screen, swinging it around like his arm is a roller coaster.&#8221;
Golden still was not overly worried until she got a notification from DoorDash saying that her order was taking longer than expected. Since she occasionally orders from the food delivery app for her other children when they need lunch at school, Golden called to check — and was told that they were eating the lunches she had packed for them.
The mystery was not solved until the DoorDash driver arrived, giant McDonalds bag in hand, and announced, &#8220;31 cheeseburgers.&#8221;
Golden told CNN that her first thought was that they had the wrong house. &#8220;Then it dawned on me that Barrett was playing with my phone,” she said. “I went back and looked at my phone and an order was placed at that time that he was playing with my phone. I thought, oh my gosh, he really did this.&#8221;
She posted the photo on Facebook in an effort to offload the toddler&#8217;s booty, noting that in an ironic twist, no one in her family even liked cheeseburgers.
&#8220;One woman came by, she was pregnant and wanted six of them. No judgment,&#8221; Golden said.
Barrett&#8217;s order totaled over $90 — in part, Golden said, because he had somehow managed to leave a 25% tip.
&#8220;That&#8217;s what heroes do,&#8221; one person responded to the story on Twitter.
&#8220;Today we bow our heads and crown a new true BURGER KING,&#8221; another added.
&#8220;It hurts to see other people living your dreams,&#8221; New Republic&#8217;s Grace Segers commented.

McDonald’s At Made In America Festival In Philadelphia

‘That’s What Heroes Do’: Two-Year-Old Steals Mom’s Phone, Orders 31 Cheeseburgers

Two-Year-Old Steals Mom's Phone, Orders 31 Cheeseburgers On DoorDash

McDonald’s

Texas

DoorDash is making employees complete food deliveries at least once per month — and many are far from thrilled.
According to <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/doordash-will-require-all-workers-to-deliver-goods-or-perform-other-gigs-and-some-of-them-arent-happy-11640300491">MarketWatch</a>, the software and food delivery firm believes that the program will help employees understand the impact of their work:
<blockquote>DoorDash confirmed Thursday that it told employees this week it is reinstating the program, called WeDash, in January. The company said it has had the program since its inception and in 2018 tied it to a philanthropic effort to address hunger and food waste, but put it on hold because of the pandemic.
The renewed push adds choices for employees who may not be able to do deliveries, a spokeswoman said. Besides WeSupport, which will allow employees to shadow customer-service workers, the company will also eventually offer WeMerchant, a way for employees to take a closer look at the merchant-support side of DoorDash’s business.</blockquote>
However, many employees took to social media to complain. <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/tech/article/DoorDash-requires-engineers-to-deliver-food-16732012.php">The San Francisco Chronicle</a> reported:
<blockquote>A 1,500-comment thread on Blind, the anonymous social media platform for techies and other white-collar types, was started last week by one disgruntled DoorDash worker.
An engineer with a reported total compensation, or TC, of $400,000 a year griped about the responsibility of having to do a once-a-month delivery. “What the actual f—k?” the engineer wrote on the platform. “I didn’t sign up for this, there was nothing in the offer letter/job description about this.” (Blind requires all users to register using an email for the company they’re employed with, meaning the likelihood of this post being falsified are slim.) 
While some people replied to the original post to say it would be a helpful opportunity to develop empathy and learn about the myriad frustrations of delivery workers, others sided with the original poster. </blockquote>
Amid COVID-19 and the lockdown-induced recession, food delivery companies surged in popularity. As the virus hit New York City in the spring of 2020, the City Council temporarily limited the fees that the delivery apps could charge restaurants — specifically, a 15% cap for online orders. The policy was intended as a “lifeline” for restaurants, which complained over fees as high as 30% per order; however, the policy was then made permanent.
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/10/business/food-delivery-lawsuit-ny-grubhub-uber-eats-door-dash.html">The New York Times</a> said:
<blockquote>Girding the argument from food delivery apps is the idea that restaurants do not have to enter into agreements with them. The City Council does not regulate fees from other marketers that restaurants might use, such as Google, Yelp or online reservation apps. The fee caps chosen by the City Council are also arbitrary and not supported by economic impact studies, the lawsuit charges.
Grubhub, DoorDash and Uber Eats have argued that third-party delivery apps allow restaurants to tap into a huge customer base that the apps have spent millions of dollars to cultivate.</blockquote>
“The Ordinance is unconstitutional because, among other things, it interferes with freely negotiated contracts between platforms and restaurants by changing and dictating the economic terms on which a dynamic industry operates,” said the companies’ lawsuit against New York City.

Every DoorDash Employee, Including CEO, Must Start Making Deliveries At Least Once Per Month

DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub are suing New York City for its “unconstitutional” caps on delivery fees.
As COVID-19 hit New York City in the spring of 2020, the City Council temporarily limited the fees that the delivery apps could charge restaurants — specifically, a 15% cap for online orders. The policy, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/10/business/food-delivery-lawsuit-ny-grubhub-uber-eats-door-dash.html">The New York Times</a>, was intended as a “lifeline” for restaurants, which complained over fees as high as 30% per order.
However, the City Council voted last month to make the regulation permanent.
The New York Times explains:
<blockquote>Girding the argument from food delivery apps is the idea that restaurants do not have to enter into agreements with them. The City Council does not regulate fees from other marketers that restaurants might use, such as Google, Yelp or online reservation apps. The fee caps chosen by the City Council are also arbitrary and not supported by economic impact studies, the lawsuit charges.
Grubhub, DoorDash and Uber Eats have argued that third-party delivery apps allow restaurants to tap into a huge customer base that the apps have spent millions of dollars to cultivate.</blockquote>
&#8220;The Ordinance is unconstitutional because, among other things, it interferes with freely negotiated contracts between platforms and restaurants by changing and dictating the economic terms on which a dynamic industry operates,&#8221; the companies’ lawsuit <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/10/business/delivery-fee-lawsuit-new-york/index.html">argued</a>.
“Price controls increase delivery fees for consumers, and therefore lead to a reduction of orders for both restaurants and couriers,” Grubhub executive Katie Norris noted in a statement. “While Grubhub remains willing to engage with the City Council, we unfortunately are left with no choice but to take legal action.”
The Daily Wire has previously reported that businesses and workers are increasingly wary of New York City due to its harsh COVID-19 regulations — including lockdowns for purportedly nonessential businesses.
Last month, outgoing Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gov-andrew-cuomo-pleads-with-citizens-to-return-to-new-york-city">warned</a> the Association for a Better New York that unless residents who fled the city to work remotely elsewhere promptly return, the city will continue to struggle economically.
“Remember, we have to get people back and we have to get people back in volume,” explained Cuomo. “If you were to see a 15% decline of people coming back to New York City, that would have a devastating impact on the commercial market.”
Indeed, a report from <a href="https://www.nmrk.com/insights/market-report/manhattan-downtown-market-reports">Newmark</a> found that despite plummeting rental prices, office spaces in the Big Apple are observing record high vacancy rates. As of June, the vacancy rate in downtown Manhattan reached 21.1%; reports for <a href="https://www.nmrk.com/insights/market-report/manhattan-midtown-market-reports">Midtown</a> and <a href="https://www.nmrk.com/insights/market-report/manhattan-midtown-south-market-reports">Midtown South</a> reveal similarly high availability rates.
Meanwhile, Wall Street executives are reportedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bankers-are-begging-their-employers-for-transfers-from-new-york-to-florida">flooding</a> recruiters’ offices with requests to transfer from New York to Florida. Companies such as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-goldman-sachs-considers-moving-asset-management-division-out-of-nyc-to-florida">Goldman Sachs</a> have recently considered new headquarters outside of New York City.
New York <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cuomos-new-york-has-the-worst-economic-rebound-in-the-nation-slowing-other-states-recoveries">lags</a> almost every other state in economic activity following last year’s recession. The <a href="https://www.cnn.com/business/us-economic-recovery-coronavirus">Back-to-Normal Index</a>, a project of Moody’s Analytics and CNN Business tracking economic recoveries across the country, reveals that New York is operating at 81% of pre-recession capacity — far below the national average of 92%.

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‘Unconstitutional’: Food Delivery Services Sue New York City Over Delivery Fee Regulations

GrubHub

New York City

During a turbulent summer of protests and violent riots regarding so-called “systemic racism,” numerous companies announced that they would only be offering certain services to customers based on race. Some of the most high-profile of those companies have since found themselves facing lawsuits for racial discrimination.
In June 2020, Uber Eats&#8217; CEO <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/equality-uber-eats-giving-free-delivery-to-only-black-owned-restaurants">announced</a> in an email that the company would offer free delivery only to black-owned restaurants until the end of 2020. The company would &#8220;promote black-owned restaurants on its app, and that the service will not charge delivery fees to those restaurants ‘for the remainder of the year,’” and the company will also provide “discounted rides to black-owned small businesses ‘who have been hit hard by COVID-19,’” <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/uber-eats-stops-charging-delivery-fees-to-black-owned-restaurants">Fox News</a> reported.
The state of Arizona launched a challenge to such racially discriminatory policies, and on Wednesday, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich <a href="https://www.azag.gov/press-release/attorney-general-brnovich-settles-race-discrimination-allegations-uber-postmates">announced</a> that his office “settled civil rights cases involving Uber Eats, Postmates, and DoorDash (Companies) regarding allegations of discrimination based on race. The Companies can no longer offer price distinctions based on a person’s race.”
“Even with the best of intentions, corporations can do the wrong thing. Altering the price of goods or services based on race is illegal,” said Brnovich. “My office opened these investigations and pursued these settlements to protect civil rights and ensure businesses offer their services and products based on equal and neutral criteria.”
The announcement stated that in fall 2020,&#8221; the AGO’s Civil Rights Division filed Divisional Charges against the Companies alleging public accommodations discrimination based on race,” alleging specifically that “the Companies’ promotions to waive delivery fees for restaurants owned by Black individuals unlawfully discriminated against non-Black owned restaurants and their patrons, in violation of the Arizona Civil Rights Act (ACRA).”
Following the settlement, these companies will “not offer financial incentives, advertise, provide any delivery fee discounts, or price-related discounts to customers in Arizona based on a restaurant owner’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or ancestry.” 
In addition, the companies will be required to “ensure that their employees and agents who develop Arizona promotions receive notice of the Company’s obligations under the settlement agreement,” that they “will not engage in discrimination or retaliation,” and that they “will continue to provide anti-discrimination training to their employees.”
In a statement to <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/doordash-uber-eats-race-discrimination-arizona-free-delivery">Fox Business</a>, Uber said it was &#8220;proud to have supported Black-owned businesses and we&#8217;ll continue to make it a priority.&#8221; 
&#8220;We have heard loud and clear from consumers that the ability to easily identify Black-owned restaurants on Uber Eats is a feature they want and appreciate,&#8221; a spokesperson added.
Meanwhile, a DoorDash spokesperson told Fox Business, &#8220;The ongoing health and economic crisis disproportionately devastated communities of color and highlighted disparities in opportunity for vulnerable populations. Furthering the long tradition of public and private sector efforts to break down barriers, DoorDash is proud to support Black-owned businesses and honored to do our part to lift up those who need it most.”
&#8220;While we adamantly deny any wrongdoing, particularly when government programs have offered the exact support DoorDash has provided, we’re ready to put this dispute behind us and return our focus to enabling equitable access to the merchants, Dashers, and customers we serve. We all have an obligation to elevate and support underrepresented communities, and we look forward to continuing to do so in Arizona and beyond,” they added.

After Arizona AG Slammed Uber, DoorDash For Offering Free Delivery For Black-Owned Businesses, Companies Settle Civil Rights Cases

Arizona

Civil Rights

During the coronavirus shutdown, Americans have been advised to practice social distancing, which means avoiding crowded places, which include restaurants, coffee shops, bars, or large gatherings. That doesn&#8217;t mean, however, that people still cannot safely enjoy a meal from their favorite restaurants, provided that proper precautions are being taken.
According to <a href="https://www.cnet.com/how-to/food-delivery-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic-follow-these-3-rules-to-stay-safe/">CNET</a>, food delivery during the coronavirus shutdown is still considered safe for the time being so long as DoorDash, Postmates, Grubhub, <a href="https://www.cnet.com/tags/uber/" data-annotation="true" data-component="linkTracker" data-link-tracker-options="{&quot;action&quot;:&quot;inline-annotation|Uber|CNET_TAG|221&quot;}" data-s-object-id="article-body;annotation">Uber</a> Eats, and Instacart remain up and running.
&#8220;There is currently no evidence that COVID-19 can be transmitted through food or food packaging, according to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" data-component="externalLink" data-s-object-id="article-body">CDC</a> and the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/mcm-issues/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-frequently-asked-questions#food" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" data-component="externalLink" data-s-object-id="article-body">FDA</a>, though germs are known to live on surfaces up to nine days,&#8221; reports CNET. &#8220;The bigger potential issue is transmitting the new coronavirus from delivery person to customer, or vice versa, through coughing, vaporized air particles or other direct contact.&#8221;
To avoid any possibility of transmitting the virus through contact, delivery services are now encouraging customers to use the new drop-off options to limit the spread. Postmates has <a href="https://blog.postmates.com/introducing-non-contact-deliveries-ac2f23462909" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" data-component="externalLink" data-s-object-id="article-body">introduced</a> this feature as well as Instacart.
Even with those measures in place, people should still take further precautions as outlined by CNET. First and foremost, people should leave delivery instructions telling the deliverer to leave the food at the front door. People should also check to see exactly what precautions delivery services have implemented to ensure drivers are not transmitting the disease.
&#8220;For example, DoorDash is distributing hand sanitizer and gloves to drivers, and is working with restaurants to share some best practices for handling food at this time, like taping over ends of straws,&#8221; continued CNET. &#8220;Grubhub provided drivers and restaurants with the CDC&#8217;s recommendations for best hygiene and appropriate precautions for interacting with others. Uber Eats is also giving drivers car disinfectant, prioritizing &#8216;cities with the greatest need.'&#8221;
Beyond that, people should also immediately wash their hands for up to 20 seconds upon receiving the food and removing it from the delivery bags. Simply place the delivery bags and containers on a plate that can be thoroughly washed so that they do not come in contact with other parts of the dining room or kitchen. Use your own utensils.
Lastly, CNET recommended that people tip their food delivery drivers at least 20% extra during this time.
Over the weekend, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti <a href="https://la.eater.com/2020/3/13/21178517/coronavirus-los-angeles-mayor-garcetti-eating-out-restaurants-press-conference">cautioned residents</a> against dining in restaurants or bars while encouraging people to order takeout.
“If you were going to go out to dinner, maybe you don’t go out to dinner,” he said, “but order out of that restaurant. Let’s prop up those local businesses that are here in Los Angeles.”
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, said that a full lockdown in the United States may be happening.
&#8220;We need to be very serious about – for a while, life is not going to be the way it used to be in the United States,&#8221; <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/15/politics/anthony-fauci-national-lockdown-bars-restaurants-cnntv/index.html">he said.</a> &#8220;We have to just accept that if we want to do what&#8217;s best for the American public.&#8221;

WHO Declares Coronavirus A Global Pandemic

Here’s How To Get Food Safely Delivered During Coronavirus

COVID

Food

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